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☆ Swedish foreign minister still hopeful Turkey will ratify NATO bid in Oct
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Swedish and NATO flags are seen printed on paper this illustration taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The Swedish foreign minister said on Friday he remained hopeful that Turkey will ratify Sweden's planned NATO membership when the Turkish parliament reconvenes in October, as agreed with President Tayyip Erdogan at a summit of the alliance in July. Sweden applied for NATO membership last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and most alliance members quickly ratified its bid. After months of pressure, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said after a NATO summit in Vilnius in July he would forward the ratification of Sweden's NATO bid to parliament in October when it reconvenes after the summer break. Tensions with Turkey have also been heightened by demonstrations in Sweden where protesters have burned copies of the Koran, enraging many Muslims.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sweden's, reconvenes, Tayyip Erdogan, Tobias Billstrom, Billstrom, Simon Johnson, Terje Solsvik Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Turkish, U.S . Congress, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: Rights STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Turkey, Vilnius, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkiye, Ankara

☆ Russian missile attack kills 7 in northern Ukrainian city as Zelenskyy visits NATO candidate Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view shows a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 19, 2023. Sweden abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine with weapons and other aid in the war against Russia. As Zelenskyy arrived in Sweden, a Russian missile strike killed seven people and wounded 90 others in the city center of Chernihiv, the regional capital of the northern Ukrainian province of the same name, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv," he wrote on Telegram. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin visited top military officials in the city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Ihor Klymenko, Vladimir Putin, Don, Putin, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, group's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gerasimov, Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin, Alexander Khodakovsky, Tiurin, Vitalii Bunechko Organizations: Russia, Archer, NATO, Russia's Southern Military District, Russian, Ukraine Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Chernihiv, Sweden, Harpsund, Stockholm, Ukrainian, Russia, Rostov, Urozhaine, Ukraine's, Donetsk, Zhytomyr

KYIV/STOCKHOLM, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Sweden on Saturday to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the royal family and other officials as Kyiv's counteroffensive against Russian forces grinds into its third month. The visit will start at Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, about 120 kilometres from Sweden's capital Stockholm. As Zelenskiy reached Sweden, he said people had been killed and wounded in a Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. Zelenskiy said he would thank Sweden for supporting Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Kristersson will hold a joint press conference at Harpsund in the afternoon.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ulf Kristersson, grinds, Zelenskiy, Pal Jonson, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Olena Zelenska, Kristersson, Dan Peleschuk, Supantha Mukherjee, Simon Johnson, Frances Kerry, Toby Chopra, David Holmes Organizations: Russian, Swedish, Harpsund, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Harpsund, Swedish, Sweden's, Stockholm, Zelenskiy, Russian, Ukrainian, Chernihiv, Ukraine, Stenhammar

☆ Britain warns of possible attacks in Denmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Tom Little/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday asked its citizens to be vigilant when travelling to Denmark due to possible attacks, following Koran burnings by anti-Islam activists in Denmark and Sweden that have outraged Muslims. Britain and the U.S. government have previously warned of possible attacks in neighbouring Sweden, which raised its terrorism alert to the second highest level on Thursday. "Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Denmark. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners," the British foreign ministry warned in an updated travel advice. The authorities in Denmark have successfully disrupted a number of planned attacks and made a number of arrests, it added.

Persons: Tom Little, Sweden's, Nerijus Adomaitis, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Thomson Locations: Danish, Copenhagen, Denmark, Britain, Sweden, Oslo

☆ Factbox: European countries imposing windfall taxes on banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But he and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire have ruled out the possibility of a windfall tax. HUNGARYHungary's government has tweaked windfall taxes imposed on key sectors of the economy in a decree published in June, saying banks can reduce their 2024 windfall tax payments by up to 50% if they increase their Hungarian government bond purchases. ITALYItaly approved on Aug. 8 a one-off 40% tax on profits banks reap from higher interest rates and it plans to use the proceeds to help mortgage holders. LITHUANIALithuania's parliament approved in May a windfall tax on the banking industry's net interest income for 2023 and 2024 following a sharp rise in European Central Bank interest rates. It is expected to raise 6 billion Swedish crowns a year.

Persons: Ralph Orlowski, Emmanuel Macron, Bruno Le Maire, Christian Lindner, Alessandro Parodi, Matteo Allievi, Olivier Sorgho, Silvia Aloisi, Tom Sims, Holger Hansen, Marta Frąckowiak, Alexander Smith Organizations: Germany's Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Finance, HUNGARY Hungary's, European Central Bank, Swedish Government, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Italy, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, France, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY Italy, LITHUANIA, SPAIN Spain, SWEDEN, Britain

Vattenfall, a Swedish energy company, has for years been doing preliminary work for what would be one of the world’s largest offshore wind complexes, in the North Sea off eastern England. Last month, Vattenfall said it would halt the first of three phases of the wind farm complex, the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone, which is projected to provide power for about four million homes in Britain. The estimated price tag for the three phases has risen to 13 billion pounds, or about $16.6 billion, from £10 billion. “With the new market conditions, it simply doesn’t make sense to continue the project,” Helene Bistrom, head of business area wind at Vattenfall, said during a video presentation. The decision led Vattenfall, which is owned by the Swedish government, to write-down more than $500 million.

Persons: Vattenfall, ” Helene Bistrom Locations: Swedish, North, England, Norfolk, Britain, Vattenfall

At least ten copies of the Koran have been burned in Denmark over the past week. WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IN SWEDEN AND DENMARK? WHAT ARE SWEDEN AND DENMARK DOING NOW? Nevertheless, both Sweden and Denmark say they are examining ways to legally limit burnings to de-escalate tensions with Muslim nations. WHAT NEXT FOR THE LAW IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN?

Persons: Salwan Momika, Rasmus Paludan, Desecrating, Prophet Mohammad, Angel Gabriel, Tom Little, Susie Jessen, Tayyip Erdogan, Johan Ahlander, Johannes Birkebaek, Ahmed Rasheed, Gwladys Fouche, Andrew Heavens Organizations: WHO, Danish Patriots, NATO, REUTERS, Denmark Democrats, Reuters, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sweden, Iraq, Swedish, SWEDEN, DENMARK, Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen, Tom Little Denmark, Baghdad, East, Stockholm

☆ Sweden and Denmark consider ban on Quran-burning protests as security fears rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A spate of Quran-burning protests in Sweden and Denmark has caused angry demonstrations in Muslim-majority countries, heightened security fears at home and left both Scandinavian nations questioning whether they need to review their liberal laws on freedom of speech. But both countries signaled Sunday that they are exploring legal ways to prevent such protests, amid security and geopolitical concerns. While freedom of speech has long been a constitutional right in Sweden and Denmark, the scrapping of blasphemy laws was a more recent development. But neither country tightened their free speech laws in response to these attacks. “Sweden is right now the target of influence campaigns, supported by states and state-like actors, whose purpose is to harm Sweden and Swedish interests,” said Bohlin.

Persons: “, Ulf Kristersson, Denmark “, Salwan Momika, Momika, Ahmad Al, ” Marten Schutlz, ” Sofie Blomback, ”, Bruno Jerup, Chris McGrath, Blomback, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Sweden’s Kristersson, Posten, Prophet Mohammed, Lars Vilks, Mohammed, ” Kristersson, Carl, Oskar Bohlin, ” Bohlin, ” Schulz Organizations: CNN, NATO, of Islamic Cooperation, ”, Danish, Protesters, Getty, Stockholm University, Sweden’s, Appeal, Mid Sweden University, Sweden’s Civil Defense Locations: Sweden, Denmark, Stockholm, Turkey, Danish, Copenhagen, ” Sweden, Iraqi, Sweden's, Baghdad, Iraq, AFP, Swedish, United States, Istanbul, Ukraine, Vilnius, Turkish, Russia

☆ Sweden to present security measures amid Koran burning crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OSLO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The Swedish government said on Tuesday it would present measures to protect its citizens amid growing concerns in both Sweden and Denmark that the Koran burning crisis could lead to attacks. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Justice Minister Gunnar Stromer will on Tuesday hold a press conference to discuss the security situation and present "measures to protect Swedish citizens", the government said without providing detail. It also said in a statement after the meeting ended that it called upon member states to take appropriate action, whether political or economic, in countries where the Koran is being desecrated. After the meeting, the Danish and Swedish foreign ministers separately wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that they would continue their dialogue with the OIC. Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ulf Kristersson, Gunnar Stromer, Terje Solsvik, Lincoln Organizations: Nordic, Police Security, Intelligence Service, Monday, DR, of Islamic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: OSLO, Swedish, Sweden, Denmark, Danish

Even so, Koran burnings took place in both countries on Monday. In Denmark, anti-Muslim protesters burned the Koran outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Copenhagen, with several more planned for later in the day. The Nordic countries have deplored the burnings of the Koran but cannot prevent it under constitutional laws protecting freedom of speech. OIC foreign ministers convened in an extraordinary session on Monday to discuss the recent developments where it strongly condemned the Koran burnings. The foreign ministries of Denmark and Sweden were not immediately available for comment after the OIC meeting had ended.

Persons: Rasmussen, Tobias Billstrom, Islamophobic, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Johan Ahlander, Moaz Abd, Alaziz, Adam Makary, Marie Mannes, David Evans, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Nordic, Saudi, of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Denmark, Stockholm, Iraqi, Saudi Arabian, Copenhagen, Swedish

COPENHAGEN/STOCKHOLM, July 31 (Reuters) - Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Monday he hoped the government's proposal to limit Koran burnings in the country would help de-escalate a growing international conflict with several Muslim countries. Denmark and Sweden have seen several protests in recent weeks where copies of the Koran have been burned, or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim countries, which have demanded the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings. The Nordic countries have deplored the burnings of the Koran but cannot prevent it under constitutional laws protecting freedom of speech. However, both governments have now said they are considering legal changes that would allow authorities to prevent further burnings in special situations. Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard in Copenhagen and Johan Ahlander in Stockholm; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Rasmussen, Tobias Billstrom, islamophobic, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Johan Ahlander, David Evans Organizations: Danish, Nordic, of Islamic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, Denmark, Sweden, Swedish, Copenhagen, Stockholm

☆ Swedish embassy in Baghdad stormed, set alight over Quran burning plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather for a protest outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on July 20, 2023. Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad early on Thursday, scaling its walls and setting it ablaze in protest against the expected burning of a Quran in Sweden. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said embassy staff were safe but that Iraqi authorities had failed in their responsibility to protect the embassy in accordance with the Vienna Convention. Swedish police denied several applications earlier this year for protests that were set to include burning the Quran, citing security concerns. "Yes, yes to the Quran," protesters chanted.

Persons: Moqtada al, Sadr, Tobias Billstrom, Muqtada Sadr, STT Organizations: Swedish, Vienna Convention, TT, Telegram Locations: Swedish, Baghdad, Sweden, Vienna, Finnish, Stockholm, Iraqi

Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad early Thursday and set fire to parts of it ahead of a demonstration outside the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden, where recent Quran burnings have inflamed anger in the Muslim world. At the latest demonstration in Sweden on Thursday, Mr. Momika and another protester kicked around copies of the Quran and stomped on a replica of the Iraqi flag. In response, Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, expelled the Swedish ambassador and directed Iraq’s chargé d’affairs to withdraw from the Iraqi embassy in Sweden, a government spokesman said. The severing of diplomatic relations came “in response to the repeated permission of the Swedish government to burn the Noble Qur’an, insult Islamic sanctities and burn the Iraqi flag,” Mr. al-Sudani said in a tweet. The Iraqi government also suspended the operating license in the country of the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson.

Persons: Salwan, Eid, Momika, Mohammed Shia, Iraq’s, d’affairs, Mr, Sudani Organizations: Iraqi Embassy, Ericsson Locations: Swedish, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Stockholm

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said staff at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad were safe but Iraqi authorities had failed in their responsibility to protect the embassy. Thursday's demonstration was called by supporters of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to protest at the second planned Koran burning in Sweden in weeks, according to posts in a Telegram group linked to the influential cleric and other pro-Sadr media. He stood by the embassy storming on Thursday, telling a press conference the U.S. "has no right to condemn the burning of the Swedish embassy but should have condemned the burning of the Koran". "Yes, yes to the Koran," protesters chanted. Sweden has seen several Koran burnings in recent years, mostly by far-right and anti-Muslim activists.

Persons: Tobias Billstrom, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mohammed Shia Al, Billstrom, Muqtada al, Moqtada al, Read, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Timour Azhari, Anna Ringstrom, Supantha Mukherjee, Johan Ahlander, Marie, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, Ahmed Rasheed, Tom Hogue, Tom Perry, Lincoln, Bernadette Baum, William Maclean, Alison Williams, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: NATO, Sweden's Ericsson, State Department, Telegram, Turkish, Sweden's, Islam, Marie Mannes, Thomson Locations: Iraq, BAGHDAD, STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Stockholm, Baghdad, Iraqi, Sweden, Tehran, Turkey, Washington, Sadr, Copenhagen

☆ A US Green Beret drill with fake guerrilla fighters shows how Sweden has been preparing for an 'unconventional' clash with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In May and June, US Army Green Berets conducted unconventional warfare training in Sweden. In the US military, unconventional warfare is the bread and butter of the Green Berets of US Army Special Forces. Winning wars unconventionallyUS Army Green Berets demonstrate detainment procedures during training in Kalix, Sweden on May 29. Unconventional warfare can still play an important role in that kind of war, but it would be a supporting role. Cadets talk to role-players during West Point Irregular Warfare Group's Unconventional Warfare Exercise in April 2019.

Persons: Anthony Bryant, Patrik Orcutt, Anthony Bryant Sweden, refocusing, Erwin Rommel, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US Army Green Berets, Service, NATO, US Green Berets, Swedish Home Guard, US Army, Staff, Green Berets, US Army Special Forces, US Army Special Operations Command, Green, US Special Forces, 10th Special Forces Group, Sweden's, Guard, Home Guard, Operations Command, Green Beret, US Army Green, EU, Army Green Berets, Pentagon, Al, Delta Force, US Military, British Special Air Service, Commonwealth, Group, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Sweden, Soviet Union, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kalix, Europe, Soviet, Swedish, Stockholm, Al Qaeda, China, North Africa, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Johns

☆ Sweden is considering making Koran burnings illegal, Aftonbladet reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, July 6 (Reuters) - The Swedish government is examining whether it could make setting the Koran or other holy books on fire illegal, as recent Koran burnings have damaged Sweden's security, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told Aftonbladet paper on Thursday. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned the Koran outside a Stockholm mosque last week, causing outrage in the Muslim world and condemnation from the Pope. The Swedish Security services said such action left the country less safe. "We have to ask ourselves whether the current order is good or whether there is reason to reconsider it," Strommer told Aftonbladet. "We can see that the Koran burning last week has generated threats to our internal security," he said.

Persons: Gunnar Strommer, Pope, Strommer, Tayyip Erdogan, Johan Ahlander, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: NATO, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, Swedish, Iraqi, Sweden, Stockholm

☆ Iran holds off sending ambassador to Sweden in protest over Koran incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, July 2 (Reuters) - Iran will refrain from sending a new ambassador to Sweden in protest over the burning of a Koran outside a mosque in Stockholm, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday. A man tore up and burned a Koran outside Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al Adha holidays. Swedish police charged the man who burned the holy book with agitation against an ethnic or national group. He did not specify how long Iran would refrain from sending an embassador to Sweden. While Swedish police have rejected several recent applications for anti-Koran demonstrations, courts have overruled those decisions, saying they infringed freedom of speech.

Persons: Hossein Amirabdollahian, Eid, Sweden's, Amirabdollahian, David Goodman Organizations: Iranian, Twitter, Swedish, Dubai, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Iran, Sweden, Stockholm

☆ Sweden Quran burning protest approved outside mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Lindsay Isaac | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Swedish authorities approved a Quran-burning demonstration outside of a mosque in the center of Stockholm on Wednesday. The burning will coincide with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar. The decision to allow such an inflammatory protest may threaten Sweden’s chances of joining NATO, due to objections from Turkey. Earlier this year, Turkish-Swedish relations suffered a major blow following a rally outside Stockholm’s Turkish Embassy during which an anti-immigration politician set a copy of the Quran alight. The incident sparked anger in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where protesters took to the streets and burned the Swedish flag outside the Swedish embassy in response.

Persons: – Organizations: CNN, NATO, Stockholm’s, Anadolu Locations: Stockholm, Turkey, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, East, Europe, Turkish, Swedish, Stockholm’s Turkish, Ankara

☆ NATO Turkey: Alliance is in a race against time to save itself from a major embarrassment
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —NATO officials are in a race against time to avoid the embarrassment of seeing the alliance miss its own stated aim of admitting Sweden to the alliance by July 11. Sweden has a permanent delegation at NATO and is considered a close partner to the alliance, meaning joining should be relatively straightforward. The second is that Turkey isn’t the only fly in the ointment: Hungary also objects to Sweden joining NATO. Sweden joining NATO would be the latest in a long list of good news stories for the alliance since Russia invaded Ukraine. That’s precisely why officials are so concerned about Turkey vetoing Sweden’s accession on NATO’s own timetable.

Persons: it’s, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, Christine Olsson, Erdogan, Putin’s, Putin, ”, “ Erdogan, Yves Herman, –, Emmanuel Macron, Turkey vetoing Organizations: CNN, NATO, Russia, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, Turkish, Reuters, TT, Agency, AFP, Sweden –, European Union, Diplomats, US, EU Locations: Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, East, Europe, Ankara, Turkish, Stockholm, Lithuanian, Vilnius –, Atlantic, North Korea, China, ”, Eastern European, Brussels, Hungary, United States, United Kingdom, Asia

☆ Fact Check-No evidence migration caused exaggerated 2013 Swedish rape statistics
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Exaggerated rape statistics for Sweden in 2013 that have been used to suggest that migrants have driven an increase in assaults are false. Although Swedish crime data show an increase in such offences between 1990 and 2011, there is no evidence migration was a cause, an expert said. One Facebook user (here) uploaded a screenshot of a Jan. 2013 webpage (archived: here) with the headline: “1 in 4 Swedish women will be raped as sexual assaults increase 500%”. In addition, Swedish crime data published in 2021 show no evidence of increased sexual assaults led by immigrants or the children of immigrant parents. There is no proof migration has led to an increase in the incidence of rape in Sweden, which has been exaggerated in social media posts online.

Persons: SWEDEN Lars Lewenhagen, Brottsförebyggande, ”, “, Lewenhagen, ” Lewenhagen, Read Organizations: Facebook, Twitter, EU’s European Institute for Gender Equality, Reuters Locations: Sweden, SWEDEN, Swedish

☆ Sweden's economic gloom goes from bad to worse as government predicts steeper GDP contraction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / Contributor / Getty ImagesThe Swedish government is now predicting a deeper than expected GDP contraction in 2023, according to data released Monday, worsening an already gloomy outlook for the country's economy. Sweden's Ministry of Finance estimated in December that GDP would shrink by 0.7%, but it now predicts a 1% downturn as it reassesses the "challenging economic environment." "We face major challenges, but we will get through them together," Sweden's Minister for Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson, said in a press release Monday. The latest CPI data shows inflation is finally starting to slow, but wages are limping behind and house prices are facing a serious downturn. Eroding real wagesMost European countries are experiencing sky-high inflation, leaving real wages lagging behind.

☆ Hungary parliament backs Finland's NATO accession, Swedish bid pending
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen attend the voting of the ratification of Finland's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 27, 2023. Although Finland's bid has now been approved, the Swedish bill is still stranded in the Hungarian parliament. The bill on Finland's NATO accession was passed with 182 in favour and six votes against, after Fidesz said last week it would back the motion. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey's parliament would also start ratifying Finland's accession. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief political aide said on Twitter on Sunday the government backed Sweden's NATO membership and "now it's up to the parliament to make a decision."

Entrepreneur Luke Iseman said the sulfur dioxide in the balloons would deflect sunlight and cool the atmosphere, a controversial climate strategy known as solar geoengineering. The Mexican government told Reuters it is now actively drafting “new regulations and standards” to prohibit solar geoengineering inside the country. While the Mexican government announced its intention to ban solar geoengineering in January, its current actions and plans to discuss geoengineering bans with other countries have not been previously reported. GLOBAL GEOENGINEERING BANClimate policy experts said Mexico is in a position to help set the rules for future geoengineering research. David Keith, a professor of applied physics and public policy at Harvard University who has dedicated much of his research to solar geoengineering, called Iseman's launch a "stunt."

☆ Greta Thunberg, climate activists get court nod to sue Swedish state
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, March 21 (Reuters) - A Swedish court gave Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other climate activists the go-ahead on Tuesday to proceed with a class action lawsuit against the Swedish state for "insufficient climate policy". On Tuesday, Nacka District Court said the lawsuit could go ahead after the group made adjustments to the claim. "The district court has today issued a summons in a high-profile class action lawsuit," the court said in a statement. "In the case, demands have been made for the district court to determine that the state has an obligation to take certain specified measures to limit climate change." The Swedish state has three months to respond to the lawsuit before the case could be heard or settled in writing, the district court said, adding it could not say when the suit might be decided.

☆ NATO chief says 'time is now' for Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden membership bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the "time is now" for Turkey to ratify applications by Finland and Sweden to join the defence alliance. Finland and Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year and their membership bids have been ratified by all allies except Hungary and Turkey. Turkey says Sweden harbors members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is seen as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and others. "For me, this just demonstrates that Sweden and Finland understand and are implementing policies which recognize the concerns that Turkey expressed. Cavusoglu repeated Turkey's position that it could evaluate Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATO separately.

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