February 14, 2012
The following articles have been tagged with "Middle_east":
Analysis & Opinion: 1 Feb 12
Recently installed US ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski speaks to The Local's David Landes about US-Swedish relations and taking Swedish lessons from his two-and-half year old daughter.
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Analysis & Opinion: 12 Jan 12
The grieving father of a murdered 15-year-old, attempting to climb down into his dead son's grave, was a sombre reminder of the consequences of the escalating violence in southern Sweden, reports contributor Patrick Reilly.
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Analysis & Opinion: 10 Jan 12
While Sweden's military power may be dwarfed by that of the United States, in a networked world, Sweden may nevertheless find itself better equipped than the US to exert influence on the global stage, argues contributor Stefan Geens.
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Society: 10 Jan 12
While there are fewer people sleeping rough in Sweden today, the total number of people not qualifying on the ordinary housing market is rising, with those born outside of Sweden overrepresented among the homeless, a new study shows.
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Education: 7 Dec 11
If you want to study, but dread the bureaucracy and red tape of a traditional academic institution, and fancy a spell in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities at the same time, the ECLA in Berlin could be just the place for you.
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Lifestyle: 1 Dec 11
As the Christmas season approaches in Stockholm, it is very likely that festive food is uppermost in your mind. Luckily, contributor Gwen Ramsey has put together a list of great options for filling your holiday hamper.
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National: 30 Nov 11
The Swedish foreign ministry sent for the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday to discuss what officials described as the "unacceptable" attack on the British embassy in Tehran.
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Politics: 8 Nov 11
Sweden's foreign aid minister has criticized the use of taxpayer money to fund a “one-sided” report on the conflict in the Middle East entitled “Colonialism and apartheid – Israel's occupation of Palestine”.
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National: 7 Nov 11
New guidelines issued by the Swedish Migration Board reveal that Iran has both the ability and the inclination to keep tabs on political antagonists in Sweden.
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Politics: 1 Nov 11
Sweden voted against the Palestinian application to join UNESCO on Monday, arguing that the vote had come at the "wrong time" and would harm the Palestinian cause.
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Science & Technology: 17 Oct 11
The Arctic Sea, a Finnish ship hijacked in Swedish waters in July 2009, was likely carrying materials stolen from Russia meant for the making of chemical weapons, Finnish researchers have claimed.
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Business & Money: 10 Oct 11
Swedish truckmaker Scania on Monday announced a cut in production by up to 15 percent starting next month due to lower demand caused by a global economic slowdown.
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Society: 7 Oct 11
Swedish women's rights activists and peace groups hailed the awarding of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize to three women who have been instrumental in promoting women's role in peace-building activities in Africa and the Middle East.
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Society: 5 Oct 11
Almost 20 percent of Swedish fathers don't take one single day of parental leave during the first four years of their children's life, according to fresh figures from Sweden's social insurance agency Försäkringskassan.
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Lifestyle: 2 Oct 11
With the winner of the annual Nobel Prizes due to be announced in the coming days, speculation is rife over who will win the prestigious literature award this year, the AFP's Igor Gedilaghine discovers.
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National: 25 Sep 11
Centuries of female dominance in population statistics will be broken within the next four years. In 2015 the surplus of women in Sweden will be turned to a male surplus.
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National: 12 Sep 11
The four terrorist suspects held in Gothenburg on Sunday have ties to the Somali Islamist movement al-Shabaab, according to a Swedish media report, with speculation that artist Lars Vilks could have been a target.
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Analysis & Opinion: 9 Sep 11
On the tenth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, The Local reaches out to a few Swedes and Americans for their thoughts about the attacks and their impact.
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National: 8 Sep 11
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has angered his coalition partners by unilaterally recognising the Palestinian representative in Stockholm as ambassador.
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Lifestyle: 18 Aug 11
As Sweden's southern metropolis of Malmö gears up for this year's Malmö Festivalen, contributor Caroline Bursell previews some of the event's main attractions.
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Society: 16 Aug 11
The name of Sweden's disgraced former labour minister, Sven-Otto Littorin, is back in the spotlight after Littorin won a travel agency's essay contest with his poetic description of a “dream holiday” to the Middle East.
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Lifestyle: 1 Aug 11
As Scandinavia’s biggest pride festival begins on Monday in Stockholm, contributor Katherine Dunn provides a look at some highlights of the week-long celebration
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National: 9 Jul 11
An aircraft pilot training academy will no longer teach students from Iran Air following recent sanctions brought by the Americans against the airline.
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Business & Money: 15 Jun 11
Professional networking site Linkedin revealed on Wednesday plans to open a Stockholm office to further the Scandinavian market and offer better services to members in the Nordic countries.
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National: 15 Jun 11
A Yemeni blogger who has received death threats for criticising President Ali Abdullah Saleh has applied for asylum in Sweden amid mounting political violence in the country.
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National: 3 Jun 11
Over 25 percent of young Swedes think that it would be “good or very good” for Sweden to be ruled by a strong and dictatorial leader, and one in five would be willing to sell their vote, according to a new study.
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Business & Money: 24 May 11
Swedish truck maker Scania announced on Monday that it had signed a contract to supply 4,000 vehicles to Iraq over the next five years in a deal worth $470 million.
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Lifestyle: 5 May 11
Yusuf Islam, known to many as singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, is set to kick off his first European tour in 35 years in Sweden, a country he cites as instrumental in shaping his career, contributor Oliver Gee discovers.
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National: 14 Apr 11
Sweden's foreign ministry on Thursday issued a warning against travel to Syria as pro-reform demonstrations in the autocratic Middle Eastern country gained strength.
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Business & Money: 13 Apr 11
The government expects a budget surplus by the end of the year, although Sweden's 2011 growth rate may not be as strong as previously forecast, according to the spring budget bill released on Wednesday.
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Business & Money: 11 Apr 11
Global military spending last year grew by the slowest rate since 2001 as defence budgets shrank in the wake of the world economic crisis, Swedish think-tank SIPRI reported on Monday.
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National: 14 Mar 11
Libyan rebels have been seen using Swedish-designed weapons in their battle to oust Muammar Qaddafi from power. Swedish arms export officials suspect the weapons arrived via the UK.
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Analysis & Opinion: 14 Mar 11
The newly-formed Swedish Fatwa Council sets out to help Muslims in Sweden seeking advice about how to live in accordance with Islam, but not everyone is convinced the group is necessary, The Local's Karen Holst discovers.
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Business & Money: 14 Mar 11
India has been the world's biggest importer of weapons over the past five years, with Asian countries making up four of the top five, according to a new report from Swedish think tank SIPRI.
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Politics: 10 Mar 11
Sweden has halted the deliveries of weapons to two Middle Eastern and North African countries due to the civil unrest gripping the region, the head of a government agency said on Wednesday.
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Analysis & Opinion: 2 Mar 11
As religious tensions continue to cause friction in Sweden and elsewhere, Lutherans, Catholics, and Muslims near Stockholm have come together to present a new model for religious tolerance, The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers.
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Analysis & Opinion: 28 Feb 11
Like many other high-profile murders, the killing of Olof Palme has spawned more than it's fair share of conspiracy theories, The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers.
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Politics: 25 Feb 11
Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt has underlined that the country's first priority is to help nationals flee war-torn Libya, while migration minister Tobias Billström accused Italy of exaggerating any impending refugee wave.
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National: 24 Feb 11
A UK court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden to face questioning over sex crimes allegations. His lawyers have said they will appeal the decision.
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National: 23 Feb 11
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi ordered the 1988 terror attack that downed a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, the Libyan leader's former justice minister told a Swedish reporter on Wednesday.
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Society: 23 Feb 11
Foreign-born applicants are denied sick benefits by Sweden's social insurance agency more often than applicants born in Sweden, statistics from the agency reveal.
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National: 21 Feb 11
The world's largest arms dealers sold weapons for more than $400 billion in 2009, with US sales accounting for the majority, a Swedish think tank revealed on Sunday.
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Politics: 17 Feb 11
Sweden's laws against forced marriages and child marriages are not effective, the country's migration board stated in a report to the government on Wednesday.
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Analysis & Opinion: 16 Feb 11
A year after claims about an exodus of Jews from Malmö made global headlines, many Jewish residents still don't feel safe in southern Sweden, The Local's Karen Holst discovers.
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Lifestyle: 14 Feb 11
While Swedes no longer take to Viking longboats in search of foreign booty, research shows they remain adept at bringing back trophies of love from their adventures abroad, The Local's Ben Kersley discovers.
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Politics: 11 Feb 11
A report jointly funded by the Swedish and Swiss governments warned on Thursday of acute water shortages in the Middle East that would force feuding neighbours in the region to cooperate to address them.
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National: 7 Feb 11
A man detained in absentia for 14 years for a murder in Gothenburg has been arrested in Canada, according to a media report on Monday.
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National: 3 Feb 11
A journalist with Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television was mysteriously detained and stabbed while reporting from Cairo on Thursday. Meanwhile, Egypt's foreign minister told Carl Bildt his government was open for dialogue.
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Science & Technology: 5 Jan 11
Sweden's infectious disease control agency has determined that India is the worst country for stomach ailments for Swedish travellers.
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Society: 4 Jan 11
A Palestinian psychiatrist has been awarded the 2010 Olof Palme Prize for his efforts to foster “common sense, reconciliation, and peace" in the Middle East the award’s Swedish jurors announced on Tuesday.
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National: 17 Dec 10
Sweden's intelligence agency said Friday it was looking at the Facebook account of the man behind the suicide bomb attack in Stockholm on Saturday in order to identify possible accomplices in the act.
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Politics: 15 Dec 10
UK Prime Minister David Cameron admitted on Wednesday that his country needed to do more to fight domestic Islamic extremism following reports that a Swedish suicide bomber lived and studied northwest of London.
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National: 15 Dec 10
Violent Islamic extremism is a threat to Sweden that shouldn't be underestimated, a report published on Wednesday by Swedish security service Säpo has found.
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National: 13 Dec 10
The man suspected of being the suicide bomber behind two Stockholm bombings on Saturday was described on Monday as an ordinary friendly young immigrant to Sweden who drastically changed after moving to the UK to study.
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National: 13 Dec 10
Swedish intelligence officials on Monday said they are "98 percent" certain about the identity of the man who blew himself in central Stockholm on Saturday, adding he was "completely unknown" to intelligence agencies.
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National: 13 Dec 10
British police are continuing the search of a home northwest of London on Monday in connection with Saturday's bombings in Stockholm in light of reports that the perpetrator used to live in the area.
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National: 12 Dec 10
Saturday’s suicide attack in Stockholm is believed to have been carried out by a 29-year-old man from the town of Tranås in southern Sweden, who studied sports science in England.
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National: 11 Dec 10
Two nearly simultaneous explosions rocked central Stockholm on Saturday evening, killing one person and injuring two others in what is believed to be a suicide attack.
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Business & Money: 11 Dec 10
Swedish clothing retailer H&M will open its largest store in the world in Las Vegas on Saturday.
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Politics: 29 Nov 10
Over 800 secret American documents about relations with Sweden have been released by WikiLeaks, according to Swedish media reports.
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Business & Money: 19 Nov 10
US search engine giant Google has invested significantly in Sweden in the past decade and forecasts that more acquisitions could be in the pipeline.
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Analysis & Opinion: 18 Nov 10
On the eve of three important international summits, US ambassador to Sweden Matthew W. Barzun emphasises the importance of the transatlantic partnership as well as Sweden’s constructive role in promoting international engagement.
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Society: 3 Nov 10
Veteran Swedish pop duo Roxette will embark on their first world tour since 1995 next year ahead of a new album release in the spring.
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Lifestyle: 29 Oct 10
Contributor David Stavrou checks out some of the highlights awaiting Stockholm music lovers in October.
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National: 24 Oct 10
At least one shot was fired in a residential area in the Malmö district of Husie on Sunday, the latest incident in a series of shootings that have rocked the city in recent weeks.
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Politics: 14 Oct 10
US Jewish organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Center has called for the disqualification of Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu from the World Mayor 2010 prize, citing his comments in the spring regarding the city's Jewish population.
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Society: 30 Sep 10
Activists from Nepal, Brazil and Nigerian as well as Israeli doctors, have been awarded the 2010 Rights Livelihood prize, often called the "Alternative Nobel" prize, the Sweden-based organisers announced on Thursday.
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Analysis & Opinion: 3 Jun 10
The Ship to Gaza incident was, to say the least, badly handled by Israel. The blockade of Gaza is wrong. But Swedish activists need to ask themselves tough questions about the consequences of their actions, says Stockholm-based Israeli journalist David Stavrou.
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Politics: 25 May 10
Sweden will 'demand' that the United States closes all foreign military bases if the red-green opposition wins power.
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Analysis & Opinion: 10 May 10
By forging links with bloggers and social media in the Middle East, Sweden is helping to promote democracy in the region, writes Javeria Rizvi Kabani of the Swedish Institute.
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Science & Technology: 7 May 10
A Swedish-led team of scientists has drafted a genome sequence for the Neanderthal and believes its results show that the extinct 'great apes' interbred with humans.
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Politics: 25 Apr 10
Education minister Jan Björklund met with representatives of the Jewish Community in Malmö on Saturday to discuss a recent rise in the level of harassment and threats faced by Jews in the southern city.
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Analysis & Opinion: 20 Apr 10
Sweden retains its position as the tenth most attractive country in the world, but its outdated image needs a facelift, writes Liselott Bergman of the Swedish Institute.
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Politics: 22 Mar 10
A Swedish pilot who has flown members of the royal family, ministers and high ranking military officers has been suspended for neglecting a series of obligatory medical check ups.
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Lifestyle: 11 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: Fly Fishing in Stockholm, Josh Rouse (pictured) in Gothenburg and the scouts hold a jumble sale in Malmö.
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Lifestyle: 3 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: The Middle East Peace Orchestra play Stockholm, Women's Arm Wrestling in Gothenburg and Tindersticks in Malmö.
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Politics: 25 Feb 10
Social Democrat party leader Mona Sahlin has described as "unfortunate" comments made by Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu regarding a recent spate of attacks on the city's Jewish population.
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National: 28 Jan 10
Long-serving Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura has been appointed by UN chief Ban Ki-moon as his new envoy to Afghanistan.
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Society: 27 Jan 10
Threats and harassment are becoming increasingly commonplace for Jewish residents in Malmö in southern Sweden, leading many Jews to leave the city out of fear for their safety.
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Business & Money: 25 Jan 10
Swedish telecom giant Ericsson on Monday reported a 92 percent drop in net profits for the fourth quarter, adding that it would now cut 6,500 jobs under its restructuring plan.
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Sport: 16 Dec 09
Sven-Göran Eriksson has vowed to continue as director of football at English fourth-tier side Notts County despite the decision by fellow Swede Hans Backe to quit as the club's trainer.
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Analysis & Opinion: 7 Dec 09
As EU foreign ministers gather in Brussels to debate the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations, a group of British MPs have come out in support of a Swedish proposal to establish East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
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Politics: 7 Dec 09
A group of nearly 50 members of the British parliament have written a letter voicing their support for a controversial Swedish EU presidency proposal to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
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Business & Money: 27 Nov 09
The Stockholm stock exchange fell by 3.1 percent on Thursday in response to an announcement that Dubai World has requested deferment on its $59 billion mountain of debt.
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National: 23 Nov 09
Lawyers representing a former Swedish terror suspect who spent time in the United States’ Guantánamo Bay prison, claim their client was not traveling to any trouble spots when he was arrested in Pakistan in August.
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Politics: 19 Nov 09
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt made a last ditch effort on Wednesday night to get EU leaders to agree on a candidate to become the European Union’s first president.
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Politics: 17 Nov 09
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, has said it is "premature" to recognize a Palestinian state.
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Lifestyle: 4 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: Selam African festival & gospel munificence in Stockholm; Cirque du Soleil and MJ Thriller in Gothenburg; Oumou Sangaré in Malmö/Lund.
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Society: 2 Nov 09
Swedish journalist Donald Boström told an angry audience in Israel on Monday that he stood by his call for an investigation into claims that Israel harvested the organs of dead Palestinians, despite confessing he had no proof.
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Analysis & Opinion: 26 Oct 09
Amid an ongoing uproar over accusations that Israel harvested the organs of dead Palestinians, media watcher Andrea Levin issues a fresh plea to Aftonbladet to correct "the factual errors that litter the article".
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Politics: 9 Oct 09
The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society has classified as "shameful" the decision by the Nobel Committee in Oslo to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to Barack Obama.
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Politics: 6 Sep 09
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has cancelled his upcoming visit to Israel, the Israeli foreign ministry announced on Sunday, amid strained relations between the two countries over a controversial newspaper story.
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Politics: 5 Sep 09
The Swedish EU presidency is ready to talk to or confront Iran over its nuclear programme, characterizing as a “provocation” the appointment of a terror suspect as the country’s defense minister.
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Analysis & Opinion: 3 Sep 09
With an important meeting of EU's foreign ministers taking place in Stockholm this weekend, David Stavrou examines the changing roles of Sweden and the EU in world affairs.
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Politics: 31 Aug 09
Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, says he has met with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt to iron out a strategy for resolving the crisis which flared after the publication of a controversial article in the Aftonbladet newspaper. But Bildt denies the crisis was discussed.
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Analysis & Opinion: 27 Aug 09
Sweden's fervent defence of free speech has sparked a diplomatic storm with Israel over the government's refusal to condemn an article accusing Israeli soldiers of smuggling dead Palestinians' organs, write AFP's Igor Gedilaghine.
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National: 25 Aug 09
Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet has been reported to the Chancellor of Justice after publishing an article forwarding claims about the alleged organ harvesting of dead Palestinians by Israeli defence forces.
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National: 24 Aug 09
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt rejected demands from Israel on Monday to condemn claims put forward in an article in a Swedish tabloid about alleged organ harvesting.
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Politics: 22 Aug 09
Israel doesn’t plan on canceling a scheduled visit by Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, despite his refusal to apologize for a controversial newspaper article alleging that Israeli soldiers harvested organs from dead Palestinians.
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Lifestyle: 21 Aug 09
As a human rights group publishes details of a bloody campaign of hate being waged against gays in Iraq, Rami Abdelrahman speaks to members of a recently founded initiative for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Arabs in Sweden.
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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 »
"The ice dripped in the winter sun. It was the first day when the light had been intense enough to cause dripping in the sunlight. To hear it was an extraordinary wakeup call. The cycle was happening again as it always does, always will (or so we think). I imagined that on my summer island, the bees..." READ »
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fin
adjective
Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.
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