February 12, 2012
Published: 29 Jul 10 16:36 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/28080/20100729/
China's Ministry of Commerce has approved Zhejiang Geely Holding's plans to buy Sweden's Volvo Cars from Ford, a report said on Thursday.
The deal was approved on Monday and does not require the backing of any other Chinese government agencies, Dow Jones Newswires reported, quoting an official in the commerce ministry's press section.
Geely, which agreed to take over Volvo in March, has said it will spend $2.7 billion (19.57 billion kronor) on the deal -- the original price tag of $1.8 billion plus $900 million in working capital to improve the brand. The European Union's competition watchdog has already cleared the takeover.
The Chinese carmaker has said it expects to close its acquisition of the Swedish brand -- known for its sturdy family-friendly vehicles -- by the end of September.
Geely has said it plans to expand Volvo's presence in China, now the world's largest car market. Chairman Li Shufu will also lead the Swedish firm, the two groups said earlier this month.
Geely has become one of China's biggest private car makers since launching its auto manufacturing business in 1997. It has annual production capacity of 300,000 cars, but has sold fewer than 200,000 abroad since 1997.
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Swedish defence group Saab on Friday reported a major boost in earnings for 2011 thanks to winning several major contracts, but a drop in orders left investors jittery, sending Saab's stock price down nearly 10 percent. READ »
Mats Sundin, the ex-Swedish hockey great, has made a donation supporting research into children's health at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the University of Toronto. READ (4 COMMENTS) »
H&M has been criticized for choosing not to attend a hearing to highlight poor conditions for textile workers in Cambodia, where hundreds of employees at a plant run by the Swedish fashion giant mysteriously passed out in August. READ (6 COMMENTS) »
The bankruptcy of Spanair pulled SAS into the red for 2011, despite improved operating profits, the Scandinavian airline reported on Wednesday. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
Swedish defence group Saab have announced that it will cut the price on its Gripen fighter jet to secure its Swiss order after a threat by French planemaker Dassault to undercut them. READ (5 COMMENTS) »
An overwhelming majority of Swedes disagree with Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's suggestion that workers should be ready to stay on the job until they are 75, a new poll shows. READ (34 COMMENTS) »
Several companies are interested in buying Saab, confirmed the bankrupt Swedish carmaker's administrators on Tuesday, while currently unwilling to disclose the identities of the bidders. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
The Swedish National Police Board has called for new international laws to catch hackers on the internet, after US internet service providers refused to divulge information on the weekend's attack on government websites. READ (5 COMMENTS) »
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Swedish investment firm Kinnevik has made an offer to buy up Metro International, a global publisher of free newspapers. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »
Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »
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