ReportWire

Tag: Sweden

  • Princess Désirée of Sweden Remembered at Private Stockholm Funeral Service

    [ad_1]

    King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden led tributes at the funeral of his beloved sister, Princess Désirée of Sweden, on Thursday. The royal family gathered for the service at the Palace Church at the Royal Palace.

    Crown Princess Victoria accompanied her husband, Prince Daniel, and her daughter, Princess Estelle, at the ceremony, where they were joined by Queen Sonja, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill. Princess Désirée’s sister, Princess Margaretha, was also in attendance, wearing a delicate string of pearls around her neck.

    Desirée was known to the public as one of the “Haga Princesses.” who grew up in the Haga Palace outside Stockholm with Carl XVI Gustaf and their sisters, Princess Margaretha, Princess Birgitta, and Princess Christina. Officially titled Baroness Silfverschiöld, Princess Désirée passed away on January 21 at the age of 87.

    Born on June2, 1938 to Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Desirée’s paternal grandparents were Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and Queen Victoria‘s granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Connaught. She was named after her ancestor, Queen Desideria, and was, at one point, number 306 in line to the British throne.

    Desirée, Birgitta and Cristina in 1944

    Sjöberg Bildbyrå/Getty Images

    Princess Désirée was also a first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Margrethe’s mother, Queen Ingrid of Denmark, and the Princess’ father, Prince Gustaf Adolf, were siblings.

    Despite war in Europe looming large, the Haga Princesses and their brother, the future king, enjoyed a bucolic childhood in the Swedish countryside, growing up alongside the ducks and goats of the Haga Palace—and the family pony, Eva, a gift from the King.

    [ad_2]

    Stephanie Bridger-Linning

    Source link

  • How to Watch Switzerland vs Sweden: Live Stream Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Bronze Medal Game, TV Channel

    [ad_1]

    Switzerland and Sweden face off in the women’s ice hockey third-place game of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina on Thursday, with both teams hoping to claim bronze.

    How to Watch Switzerland vs Sweden

    • When: Thursday, February 19, 2026
    • Time: 8:40 AM ET
    • TV Channel: Peacock Live (Re-air 12:00 PM ET on USA Network)
    • Live Stream: Peacock (watch now)

    Switzerland reached the bronze medal game after a narrow 2–1 loss to defending champion Canada in the semifinals, with goaltender Andrea Brändli making 44 saves and the team remaining competitive despite being outshot. Switzerland’s path to this stage included a regulation win over Finland in the quarterfinals and a gritty performance in the semifinal, and veterans Alina Müller and captain Lara Stalder have been key offensive leaders for the Swiss. Their semifinal effort showed the team’s ability to stay competitive against top opponents, and they now seek to secure only their second Olympic women’s hockey medal in history.

    Sweden enters the bronze medal game after falling 5–0 to the United States in the other semifinal, ending their run for a gold medal bid but still showcasing strong scoring through the preliminary round, where they outscored opponents 18–2. Sweden was the top team in Group B and reached the semifinals by defeating Czechia in the quarterfinals; forwards Sara Hjalmarsson and Lina Ljungblom, along with defense contributions from Maja Nylén Persson and captain Anna Kjellbin, have been central to Sweden’s production. Sweden is aiming for its first Olympic women’s hockey medal since 2006, while the Swiss seek to add a second bronze to their Olympic history, setting up a competitive medal-day matchup.

    This is a great Winter Games ice hockey matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

    Live Stream Switzerland vs Sweden Bronze Medal Game with Peacock: Start your subscription now!

    Peacock is the official streaming home of the 2026 Winter Olympics, providing the ultimate experience by broadcasting nearly every major event in Milano Cortina so that you never miss any of the action. With a subscription, you can watch events throughout the entire Winter Games on your television, mobile device, or tablet on channels like NBC, USA Network, and Peacock Live.

    Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • European nations say Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with dart frog toxin

    [ad_1]

    Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs, five European countries said Saturday.The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis of samples taken from Navalny’s body “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.” It is a neurotoxin found in the skin of dart frogs in South America that is not found naturally in Russia, they said.The countries said in a joint statement that “Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.” They said they were reporting Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.They made the announcement as Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany, as the second anniversary of Navalny’s death approaches.Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated.“Russia saw Navalny as a threat,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “By using this form of poison, the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”Navalny’s widow said last year that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died. Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.Navalnaya said Saturday that she had been “certain from the first day” that her husband had been poisoned, “but now there is proof.”“Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,” she wrote on social network X, calling Putin “a murderer” who “must be held accountable.”Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.Epibatidine is found naturally in dart frogs in the wild, and can also be manufactured in a lab, which European scientists suspect was the case with the substance used on Navalny. It works on the body in a similar way to nerve agents, causing shortness of breath, convulsions, seizures, a slowed heart rate and, ultimately, death.Navalny was the target of an earlier poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020 in an attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.The U.K. has accused Russia of repeatedly flouting international bans on chemical and biological weapons. It has accused the Kremlin of carrying out a 2018 attack in the English city of Salisbury that targeted a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, with the nerve agent Novichok. A British inquiry concluded that the attack “must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.”The Kremlin has denied involvement.

    LONDON —

    Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs, five European countries said Saturday.

    The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis of samples taken from Navalny’s body “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.” It is a neurotoxin found in the skin of dart frogs in South America that is not found naturally in Russia, they said.

    The countries said in a joint statement that “Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.” They said they were reporting Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

    They made the announcement as Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany, as the second anniversary of Navalny’s death approaches.

    Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024. He was serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated.

    “Russia saw Navalny as a threat,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “By using this form of poison, the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”

    Navalny’s widow said last year that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died. Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.

    Navalnaya said Saturday that she had been “certain from the first day” that her husband had been poisoned, “but now there is proof.”

    “Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,” she wrote on social network X, calling Putin “a murderer” who “must be held accountable.”

    Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.

    Epibatidine is found naturally in dart frogs in the wild, and can also be manufactured in a lab, which European scientists suspect was the case with the substance used on Navalny. It works on the body in a similar way to nerve agents, causing shortness of breath, convulsions, seizures, a slowed heart rate and, ultimately, death.

    Navalny was the target of an earlier poisoning with a nerve agent in 2020 in an attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.

    The U.K. has accused Russia of repeatedly flouting international bans on chemical and biological weapons. It has accused the Kremlin of carrying out a 2018 attack in the English city of Salisbury that targeted a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, with the nerve agent Novichok. A British inquiry concluded that the attack “must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.”

    The Kremlin has denied involvement.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Sofia Goggia lights the cauldron in Cortina after helping Italy secure Olympic hosting rights

    [ad_1]

    Sofia Goggia had a key role in securing the hosting rights of the Milan Cortina Olympics for Italy.So it seemed fitting that the Italian downhiller lit the cauldron in Cortina to conclude Friday’s opening ceremony, while retired Olympic skiing champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni performed the honors simultaneously in Milan.In 2019, Goggia and snowboarder Michela Moioli made a joint speech and dabbed in unison before nearly 100 members of the International Olympic Committee at the voting session for the 2026 Games. Their presentation was later considered vital for Milan Cortina’s successful bid — winning over voters with their positive energy to overcome a rival candidacy from Sweden.Goggia won gold in the downhill at the 2018 Olympics and took silver four years later in Beijing weeks after crashing in Cortina.She’ll race for more medals in the women’s downhill on Sunday in Cortina.Goggia has had a series of highs and lows in Cortina. She’s won four World Cup downhills on the mountain but missed the 2021 world championships at the Alpine resort because of injury.It was a big night for Italian Alpine skiers, with defending overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone one of the host country’s flag bearers in Cortina. Olympic curling champion Amos Mosaner, Italy’s other flag bearer in Cortina, held Brignone on his shoulders when the Azzurri paraded through the town center.”I’m heavy,” Brignone said, “so I wasn’t sure he could carry me.”

    CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy —

    Sofia Goggia had a key role in securing the hosting rights of the Milan Cortina Olympics for Italy.

    So it seemed fitting that the Italian downhiller lit the cauldron in Cortina to conclude Friday’s opening ceremony, while retired Olympic skiing champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni performed the honors simultaneously in Milan.

    In 2019, Goggia and snowboarder Michela Moioli made a joint speech and dabbed in unison before nearly 100 members of the International Olympic Committee at the voting session for the 2026 Games. Their presentation was later considered vital for Milan Cortina’s successful bid — winning over voters with their positive energy to overcome a rival candidacy from Sweden.

    FRANCK FIFE

    Italian alpine skier Sofia Goggia holds the Olympic torch under the Cortina cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP via Getty Images)

    Goggia won gold in the downhill at the 2018 Olympics and took silver four years later in Beijing weeks after crashing in Cortina.

    She’ll race for more medals in the women’s downhill on Sunday in Cortina.

    Goggia has had a series of highs and lows in Cortina. She’s won four World Cup downhills on the mountain but missed the 2021 world championships at the Alpine resort because of injury.

    It was a big night for Italian Alpine skiers, with defending overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone one of the host country’s flag bearers in Cortina. Olympic curling champion Amos Mosaner, Italy’s other flag bearer in Cortina, held Brignone on his shoulders when the Azzurri paraded through the town center.

    “I’m heavy,” Brignone said, “so I wasn’t sure he could carry me.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Estonia Releases Vessel Held on Suspicion of Smuggling After Inspection

    [ad_1]

    STOCKHOLM, ‌Feb ​5 (Reuters) – Estonia’s ‌Tax ​and ‍Customs Board ​said ​on Thursday ⁠it had allowed ‌the seized Baltic ​Spirit cargo ‌vessel ‍to leave ⁠the port of ​Muuga after an inspection had not confirmed suspicions it carried contraband.

    (Reporting ​by Anna Ringstrom, editing ​by Stine Jacobsen)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • ‘Zejtune’ Teaser: Rare Local Maltese Production Debuts in Göteborg Film Festival

    [ad_1]

    EXCLUSIVE: Maltese American director Alex Camilleri’s second feature Zejtune premieres in competition in the Goteborg Film Festival this week and Deadline can reveal a first teaser.

    Michela Farrugia stars as Mar who is planning to quit her native Malta for good following the death of her estranged mother, using the proceeds from the sale of farmland she’s inherited to fund the move.

    As she travels the island to claim her land, she meets Nenu, an irrepressible 80-year-old folk singer whose music and spirit challenge her desire to escape. An unexpected connection between past and present grows as Mar slowly warms to the homeland she wanted to turn her back on.

    Farrugia is joined in the cast by Nenu Borg, Michael Azzopardi and Frida Cauchi.

    Born in the U.S. shortly after his parents emigrated from Malta,  Camilleri has maintained strong links with the Mediterranean island, which is renowned as a shooting hub for big international productions such as Gladiator, Troy, and Jurassic World: Dominion.

    Camilleri is one of the few local Maltese directors making films to have achieved recognition on the international stage, with his first film Luzzu debuting in Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic lineup in 2021, with Jesmark Scicluna winning the Special Jury Award for acting.

    His new feature is produced by Oliver Mallia (Pellikola), Ramin Bahrani (Noruz Films), with Camilleri also taking a producer credit under his Solari Productions banner.  Co-producers are Fred Burle and Sol Bondy (One Two Films) and Rebecca Anastasi.

    Films Boutique is handling sales.

    [ad_2]

    Melanie Goodfellow

    Source link

  • Europe’s Far Right and Populists Distance Themselves From Trump Over Greenland

    [ad_1]

    By Sarah Marsh and Elizabeth Pineau

    BERLIN/PARIS/, Jan 21 (Reuters) – European far-right and populist parties that once cheered on ‌Donald ​Trump and gained in standing through his praise are ‌now distancing themselves from the U.S. president over his military incursion into Venezuela and bid for Greenland.

    The Trump administration has repeatedly backed far-right ​European parties that share a similar stance on issues from immigration to climate change, helping legitimize movements that have long faced stigma at home but are now on the rise.

    The new U.S. National Security Strategy ‍issued last month said “the growing influence of patriotic European ​parties indeed gives cause for great optimism.”

    But those parties now face a dilemma as disapproval of Trump rises across the continent over his increasingly aggressive foreign policy moves and in particular his efforts to ​acquire Greenland from Denmark.

    GERMANY’S ⁠AFD BERATES TRUMP

    “Donald Trump has violated a fundamental campaign promise — namely, not to interfere in other countries,” Alice Weidel of the far-right Alternative for Germany said, while party co-leader Tino Chrupalla rejected “Wild West methods”.

    The AfD has been cultivating ties with Trump’s administration – but polls suggest this may no longer be beneficial. A survey by pollster Forsa released on Tuesday showed 71% of Germans see Trump more as an opponent than an ally.

    Wariness of Trump has grown since he vowed on Saturday to slap tariffs on a raft of EU countries including Germany, ‌France, Sweden and Britain, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland.

    Those countries had last week sent military personnel to the vast Arctic island at Denmark’s request.

    National Rally leader ​Jordan ‌Bardella said on Tuesday Europe must react, ‍referring to “anti-coercion measures” and the suspension of ⁠the economic agreement signed last year between the EU and the United States.

    British populist party Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage has long feted his close ties with Trump, said it was hard to tell if the president was bluffing.

    “But to use economic threats against the country that’s been considered to be your closest ally for over a hundred years is not the kind of thing we would expect,” Reform said in a statement published on Jan. 19.

    Blunter still was Mattias Karlsson, often cited as chief ideologist of the far-right Sweden Democrats.

    “Trump is increasingly resembling a reversed King Midas,” he wrote on X. “Everything he touches turns to shit.”

    Political scientist Johannes Hillje said it would always be hard for nationalists to forge a common foreign policy “because the national interests do not always converge.”

    Not all European far-right ​and populist parties have been so critical. Some, like the far-right Dutch Party for Freedom and Spanish Vox, praised Trump for removing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yet kept silent on his Greenland threats.

    Others, such as Polish President Karol Nawrocki and the nationalist government of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban have called for the issue of Greenland to be settled bilaterally between the United States and Denmark.

    Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis posted a video on social networks on Tuesday in which he brandished a map and a globe to show how big Greenland was and how close it was to Russia if it were to send a missile.

        “The U.S. has a long-term interest in Greenland, it is not just an initiative of Donald Trump now,” he said, calling for a diplomatic resolution.

    MILD CRITICISM FROM MELONI

        Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is seen as one of the closest European leaders to Trump, said his decision to slap tariffs on European allies was a “mistake”.

    “I spoke to Donald Trump a few hours ago and told him what I think,” she said on Sunday, adding that she thought there was “a problem of understanding and communication” between Washington and Europe. ​She has not said anything since, but Italian media have said she is against slapping tariffs on the U.S. in response and is instead seeking to defuse the crisis with talks.

    However, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League party, blamed the renewed trade tensions on the European nations who dispatched soldiers to Greenland.

    “The eagerness to announce the dispatch of troops here and there is now bearing its bitter fruit,” he wrote on X.

    (Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke in ​Berlin, Crispian Balmer in Rome, Jesus Calero in Madrid, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Johan Ahlander in Stockholm, Alan Charlish in Warsaw, Jan Lopatka in Prague and Krisztina Than in Budapest, Elizabeth Piper in London and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Syrian-Swede Found Guilty of Preparing Suicide Attack on Stockholm Festival

    [ad_1]

    STOCKHOLM, Jan 21 (Reuters) – A Swedish ‌court ​on Wednesday sentenced ‌a 19-year-old man to seven years ​and 10 months in prison for planning an attack ‍on a cultural festival ​in Stockholm on behalf of the Islamic ​State ⁠militant group.

    The Stockholm District Court said in a statement that the Syrian-Swedish dual national had intended to carry out an attack in the city-centre’s Kungstradgarden area ‌in August 2025. His sentence included convictions for ​other ‌crimes, including membership of ‍a ⁠terrorist organisation.

    “Among other things … he reconnoitred Kungstradgarden and recorded a martyr film that was intended to be published after the crime,” the court said.

    “The District Court believes the planned terrorist crime could have seriously harmed ​Sweden,” it added.

    The man, described by prosecutors as “self-radicalised”, denied all the charges against him. He was also found guilty of planning to murder a man in Germany in 2024.

    The Stockholm Culture Festival, which was the intended target, drew 2 million visitors over five days last year.

    Islamic State, which imposed hardline Islamist rule over ​millions of people in Syria and Iraq from 2014 to 2019, is attempting to stage a comeback after the fall of Syrian President Bashar ​al-Assad.

    (Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Simon Johnson and Ros Russell)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • AI song ‘Jag vet, du är inte min’ banned from Swedish charts – Tech Digest

    [ad_1]

    Share


    A viral song has been disqualified from Sweden’s official music charts because it was created using Artificial Intelligence.

    The folk-pop ballad, entitled “Jag vet, du är inte min” (I know, You’re Not Mine), has amassed millions of streams making it the most-streamed song on Spotify in Sweden.

    Performed by a digital entity known as Jacub, the song features melancholic lyrics about heartbreak backed by acoustic guitar. Despite its massive public appeal, industry leaders insist it does not meet the criteria for official recognition.

    Investigation into the artist’s identity revealed a lack of any real-world presence. Journalists discovered the track was registered to executives at Stellar Music, a Danish firm with a dedicated AI department.

    The producers, calling themselves Team Jacub, defended the work as a “human-controlled creative process” rather than a mere tech project.

    The Swedish music industry organization, IFPI, remains unmoved by these arguments. Ludvig Werner, head of IFPI Sweden, stated that any song found to be primarily AI-generated is ineligible for the top list.

    The decision highlights a growing tension between traditional creative standards and rapidly advancing technology.

    Sweden is currently a focal point for the AI music debate. While the country has pioneered licensing systems to allow AI models to train on copyrighted works, officials are wary of the technology undermining human creators. Experts predict AI could significantly reduce revenues for human musicians within just two years.

    This strict stance contrasts with international charts like Billboard, which often allow AI tracks if they meet streaming and sales criteria. However, other platforms like Bandcamp have joined Sweden in prohibiting content generated substantially by algorithms.

    The ban serves as a landmark moment for the global music industry. As AI-generated music is forecast to become a multi-billion pound business, Sweden’s ruling suggests a commitment to keeping human musicians at the centre of the official rankings – at least for now.


    For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

    Discover more from Tech Digest

    Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

    [ad_2]

    Chris Price

    Source link

  • US DOJ Closes Investigation of Swedbank

    [ad_1]

    Jan ‌14 (Reuters) – ​Swedbank said ‌on Wednesday ​that ‍the ​U.S. ​Department of ⁠Justice has closed its investigation ‌into the ​bank without ‌enforcement.

    The ‍investigation was ⁠initiated in 2019 and ​related to Swedbank’s historical anti-money laundering work, the company said.

    (Reporting by Fabiola ​Arámburo in Mexico City; Editing ​by Shailesh Kuber)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Latvia PM Says Baltic Sea Optical Cable Has Been Damaged

    [ad_1]

    VILNIUS, Jan 4 (Reuters) – An ‌optical ​cable belonging ‌to a private company has been ​damaged in the Baltic Sea, Latvia’s ‍Prime Minister Evika Silina ​said in a statement ​on ⁠Sunday, adding that the circumstances of the incident were under investigation.

    The cable connects Lithuania and Latvia, and it was not ‌immediately clear what had caused the incident, ​Lithuania’s ‌National Crisis Management ‍Centre said ⁠in a separate statement.

    The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia ​invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the NATO military alliance has boosted its presence with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.

    The latest incident is made public five days after Finnish police seized a cargo vessel en route from Russia to Israel on suspicion ​of sabotaging an undersea telecoms cable running from Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia.

    (Reporting by Andrius ​Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Meet Sweden, the unicorn factory chasing America in the AI race | Fortune

    [ad_1]

    Reading the media these days, you would be forgiven for thinking the technology, journalism, and investment communities were inadvertently wishing an AI ‘bubble’ into existence. Whether a bubble exists or not remains debatable, but the conversation itself has taken on a life of its own. Every article predicting the collapse of the NASDAQ increases investor nervousness, which leads to another article about the collapse of the NASDAQ, and so the world turns ad infinitum. 

    Often the most effective insulation against market volatility is for the technology of the day to be ubiquitously woven into the fabric of society, such that it cannot lose value quickly. When there is a disconnect between people’s real-world experiences and the excitement felt on trading floors or in boardrooms, trouble can loom.

    We can learn something in this regard from the world’s 89th most populous country: my native Sweden. In the 1990s, the Swedish government introduced a piece of legislation called Hem‑PC‑reformen (the Home‑PC reform), which aimed to put a computer in every house. This move is often credited as the starting gun for subsequent decades of technological progress and “punching above our weight.” This was not a corporate strategic manifesto or shiny new tech tool built by a CEO; it was a countrywide policy for all of us, designed to firmly cement a new technology into our lives.

    Fast-forward to today, and Stockholm has the highest number of unicorns per capita of any city in the world outside of Silicon Valley. Sweden’s AI startups are soaring. Legora, which automates tasks for lawyers, is raising capital at a $1.8 billion valuation. Einride, the electric vehicle unicorn, recently announced $100 million to scale autonomous freight. The ‘vibe-coding’ platform Lovable, which helps people build apps with AI, is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the world. And last month, the enterprise technology company Workday acquired our own business, Sana, for $1.1 billion.

    Not bad for a country with half the population of the state of New York, tucked away by the Arctic Circle. People keep asking how a nation like ours can achieve so much. Though there’s no secret sauce, there are a few essential ingredients.

    The aforementioned Home‑PC reform was catalysed by winter darkness that can last 18 hours, meaning we Swedes spent hours at our computers experimenting within an early internet environment. 

    That digitally literate generation then built world-beating technology companies. Skype was founded in 2003 to popularize video call technology. So was King, the maker of Candy Crush. In 2005, Klarna was born. 2006, Spotify. In 2009, Mojang laid the first blocks of Minecraft.

    We Swedes are very proud of these success stories. They show us what is possible on the global stage. They have also provided huge liquidity moments for our ecosystem. Skype and Mojang were bought by Microsoft, Activision by King, all at multiple billion-dollar price tags. Spotify went public in 2018, and Klarna earlier this year. Each of these success stories created another group of millionaires, many of whom feel a duty to reinvest back into Sweden’s technology and startup sectors.

    This flywheel effect has made our AI sector what it is today. Our scaleups stand on the shoulders of giants, within an environment conducive to business building. There is capital available for deserving entrepreneurs, often deployed by quality investment firms like EQT, Northzone, and Creandum. It is relatively easy to start a company here, and our stock options system incentivizes building businesses. Stockholm is home to both the engineering university KTH and the business school Handelshögskolan, with many founders securing degrees from both (alongside many successful entrepreneurs who ignore university entirely). We also have very high English language proficiency rates.

    The government continues to play a crucial role, too. Sweden spends a higher proportion of GDP on Research & Development (3.57%) than any other European country. Any employee in Sweden can take six months off to start a business, a scheme known as tjänstledighet. And to mirror that successful PC Home Reform policy from the 90s, the Prime Minister this year supported a Swedish AI Reform scheme that makes agentic AI free for all civil servants, students, teachers, research institutions, and non-profits.

    There are also aspects of our culture that help us build great companies. We are the country of Volvo and IKEA, of a Swedish design ethos known for blending function and form. Many software engineers I know here are passionate about aesthetics, meaning an app’s landing page is often treated with the same eye for detail as a Bruno Mathsson chair.

    Finally, we are also a humble nation (he says while writing a piece about how great a nation we are!). Putting one’s head above the rest is typically frowned upon. Though this can have its societal drawbacks, it has helped foster a high-trust, low-ego environment in our technology. Information is freely shared between different organizations and entrepreneurs, in the knowledge that each Swedish AI success benefits all.

    We still have our challenges, of course, ranging from the seemingly trivial (Scandinavian Airlines, please launch a direct flight to San Francisco) to the fundamental (we still rely on American investors for later-stage capital). 

    But there is no denying that the Swedish approach to technology – broad and deep acceptance – is a useful tale for the rest of the world. If we are worried about the speed at which AI companies have increased in value, and when other economic metrics will catch up to prevent a bubble, we need to weave that technology into our daily lives.

    The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

    This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

    [ad_2]

    Oscar Täckström

    Source link

  • Teams make final preparations ahead of World Junior Championship in Twin Cities

    [ad_1]

    Loke Krantz, an 18-year-old from Sweden, is spending Christmas Day in a hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s his first time in the Twin Cities. He’s thousands of miles away from home and couldn’t be happier. 

    “It’s huge, just to play here,” Krantz said. 

    He’ll take to the ice at Grand Casino Arena on Friday, playing for his home nation against Slovakia to kick off the 2026 World Junior Championship. The ice hockey tournament, celebrating its 50th year, is returning to the United States for the seventh time. Minnesota has hosted just once before, and bringing the tournament back is anticipated to have an economic benefit. Visit Saint Paul President and CEO Jaimee Lucke Hendrikson wrote an Op-Ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune predicting a $75 million impact in the state.

    That’s because, according to Hendrikson, the talent on display will draw fans from across the world. 

    Krantz is excited to play at the home of the Minnesota Wild, but he’s hoping to make playing in National Hockey League stadiums his full-time job. Over the summer, he was drafted by the Seattle Kraken. 

    At the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel on Thursday, players and coaches alike were flowing in and out, making final preparations. Andy Boschetto, originally from Boston, is on the coaching staff for Slovakia. He was finalizing training plans while continuing to make Christmas magic for his children. 

    “We make it work,” Boschetto said. “My wife flew the kids out with her, woke up this morning and did presents, went right to meetings and practice. They were able to take part in some of that, so that’s cool for me as a dad.” 

    The tournament will be played at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and the 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s ice hockey team. Team USA is chasing a historic third-straight gold medal with Gophers coach Bob Motzko at the helm.

    Boschetto has spent time in Minnesota before and knows what the sport means to those in the region. 

    “It’s a big hockey community, so it will be a big week,” Boschetto said. “You have a bunch of kids who are under the age of 20 who get to play in front of the world for their country with their pride on the line.”

    While the tournament begins on Friday, teams have been in Minnesota for days with warm-up matches and training happening everywhere from Bemidji to Rochester. The tournament will conclude with the gold medal game on Jan. 5.   

    [ad_2]

    Conor Wight

    Source link

  • Swedish Police Investigating Serious Incident in Boden, North Sweden

    [ad_1]

    STOCKHOLM, Dec 25 (Reuters) – ‌Swedish ​police are ‌investigating a serious incident ​in the northern town ‍of Boden, they ​said on Thursday, ​with ⁠daily Aftonbladet reporting that a number of injured people had been taken to hospital.

    “We ‌are taking a number of ​investigative measures,” ‌a police ‍spokesperson said, ⁠declining to give further details.

    Daily Aftonbladet said it had information that a violent crime had occurred and ​that the perpetrator had been shot by police.

    A number of people had been taken to hospital, the paper said, citing the local authority.

    Boden is around 80 km (50 miles) south of ​the Arctic Circle and is home to Sweden’s 19th Infantry Regiment.

    (Reporting by ​Simon Johnson; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Venezuela’s Machado Defies Travel Ban, Arrives in Oslo to Claim Nobel Peace Prize

    [ad_1]

    OSLO, Dec 11 (Reuters) – ‌After ​more than ‌a year mostly spent in ​hiding and in defiance ‍of a decade-long ​travel ban, ​Venezuelan ⁠opposition leader Maria Corina Machado arrived in Norway on Thursday, hours after a ceremony ‌to award her the Nobel ​Peace Prize.

    The ‌head of ‍the ⁠Norwegian Nobel Committee confirmed Machado had arrived.

    Machado, 58, has been banned by the government of President Nicolas ​Maduro from leaving Venezuela since 2014, and an acceptance speech was delivered on Wednesday in her absence by her daughter.

    The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Machado ​for her fight against what it called a dictatorship.

    (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche ​in Oslo, editing by Terje Solsvik)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Analysis-France and Germany Step up Pressure on Arms Firms to Resolve Fighter Impasse

    [ad_1]

    By Michel Rose, Sabine Siebold, John Irish and Tim Hepher

    PARIS/BERLIN (Reuters) -France and Germany are ratcheting up pressure on their industrial champions to rescue Europe’s next-generation fighter as the 100-billion-euro ($115 billion) project teeters on the brink of collapse, sources close to the matter said.

    The Future Combat Air System (FCAS), floated more than eight years ago, has been mired in disputes between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus over workshare and prized technology.

    Following talks last week between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Berlin has drafted a “decision roadmap” as part of a mid-December deadline to strike a deal, sources told Reuters.

    “The objective is that the CEOs of the participating industrial partners find and sign a written agreement on the core principles of cooperation for the next programme phase by mid-December,” the document reads, according to excerpts provided to Reuters.

    A government source said the roadmap, which also tasks air force chiefs with a review of their respective requirements, was designed to reassert political control.

    Airbus and Dassault declined to comment.

    ‘DECISION ROADMAP’ AIMS TO END INDUSTRIAL IMPASSE

    At stake is the next phase of plans to deliver a fighter flanked by drones for France, Germany and Spain by 2040, mirroring a UK-Italian-Japanese initiative called GCAP.

    Talks have stalled amid mistrust between Rafale manufacturer Dassault and Airbus, which represents both Germany and Spain in the project, known in France as SCAF.

    Dassault insists on leading design and development of the core fighter, citing blurred lines of responsibility and its track record of building fighters from start to finish. It says Airbus is free to lead its own uncrewed areas of the project.

    Airbus says this goes against agreements that each nation has an equal say.

    The family-owned French fighter firm and partially state-owned jetliner giant have both sharpened their rhetoric, inviting the other to leave if they don’t like the agreed arrangements and pledging to go it alone if necessary.

    German sources say Dassault wants 80% control, a figure Dassault denies. They accuse Dassault of limiting access to high-value work.

    French sources want to retain parity with Airbus, which stood at 50% before Spain’s arrival. They suspect Berlin of wanting to blunt Dassault’s technological advantage.

    “What seems to have happened was that a very close and strong political relationship between Paris and Berlin has weakened somewhat and the industrialists were let off the leash and are really having a go at each other,” Douglas Barrie, IISS senior fellow for military airspace, said in a recent interview.

    Failure to break the deadlock risks exposing Europe’s inability to forge defence unity at a time when war has returned to the continent.

    After weeks of political turmoil in Paris, the capitals are deepening efforts to avoid a damaging blow to Franco-German co-operation.

    Still, doubts persist whether Macron, nearing the end of his term and weakened by political crises, can strong-arm Dassault into concessions. Cushioned by strong Rafale exports, Dassault is under less immediate pressure to act and may be playing for time before 2027 elections, some officials and executives said.

    Dassault declined to comment.

    As FCAS faces pivotal decisions over its future, options are being prepared for a repeat of the schism that saw France quit Eurofighter in 1985, leaving Dassault and Airbus to compete.

    Dassault has been a cornerstone of France’s defence since World War Two, building all generations of jets carrying its nuclear deterrent, and could most easily go alone.

    German industry has threatened to tap Berlin’s growing defence budget to bankroll a rival project.

    People familiar with the plans said these included a standalone stealth fighter. Other options included teaming with Sweden’s Saab, currently without a partner, or BAE Systems-led GCAP. Airbus has maintained regular CEO-level contacts on the issue with both camps, they said.

    A minimalist compromise increasingly touted would narrow FCAS to a “combat cloud” of secure connectivity while letting Airbus and Dassault develop separate jets – a partial divorce allowing Paris and Berlin to save face and avoid a public split.

    Each side continues to call the other’s bluff.

    French planners doubt Germany can easily build a competitive stealth fighter or engine alone, nor fit into the swiftly advancing GCAP project.

    Yet even though France has a track record of standalone developments, its budget crisis poses major funding hurdles.

    Before Berlin’s latest push, one German source put the chances of a joint fighter at “less than 50%”. Both capitals are now racing to salvage the project. “We can’t afford to let this project fail,” a French government source said.

    (Additional reporting by Florence Loeve and Giulia Segreti. Editing by Richard Lough and Mark Potter)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • Opinion | Suspicious Drones Over Europe

    [ad_1]

    Has the West absorbed the right lessons from Ukraine’s war with Russia? For the unsettling answer, look at what’s buzzing mysteriously in the skies above Europe’s cities. Drones were spotted this month in France, loitering around a gunpowder plant and a train station where tanks are located. Others were seen recently near a Belgian military base, a port, and a nuclear power plant.

    Belgium’s defense minister told the press the drones near military bases were “definitely for spying.” The provenance of other suspicious drones is less clear. Yet whatever their source, they’re a security threat. The Netherlands suspended flights in Eindhoven Saturday after a drone sighting, and similar episodes have unfolded this month at airports in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Denmark.

    Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

    [ad_2]

    The Editorial Board

    Source link

  • Germany Will Not Reach Defence Spending Target of 3.5% in 2029

    [ad_1]

    MUNICH (Reuters) -Germany will not hit its own 3.5% defence spending target in 2029, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, as the country ramps up spending in the wake of Russia’s war with Ukraine.

    Germany’s defence spending will only be 3.05% of gross domestic product that year, Pistorius said in Munich. 

    That is less than the 3.5% pledged by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil earlier this year.

    A NATO summit in The Hague this year agreed that allies will reach a new spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035. The target is made up of 3.5% in the defence budget, and another 1.5% of defence-related spending.

    (Reporting by Alexander Huebner and Sabine Siebold; writing by Tom Sims; editing by Rod Nickel)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

    [ad_2]

    Reuters

    Source link

  • The future of Ukraine’s air force is taking shape

    [ad_1]

    • Ukraine said on Monday that it signed an agreement to buy up to 100 Rafale F4s by 2035.

    • It marks the French jet as the likely third aircraft for Kyiv’s future Westernized air force.

    • The F-16, Gripen E, and Rafale F4 would be massive upgrades to Ukraine’s aging Soviet fleet.

    It’s official: The Rafale F4 is set to be the third pillar of Ukraine’s new fighter fleet.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that Kyiv has signed a letter of intent to acquire up to 100 of the French fighter jets over the next 10 years.

    Under the new arrangement, Ukraine is also allowed to receive advanced French radars and eight French-Italian Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain air defense systems, each equipped with six launchers.

    “This is a historic agreement. It is of great value that France is taking such a step toward achieving real, guaranteed security in Europe,” Zelenskyy said.

    The agreement complements other commitments for his country to obtain the US-made F-16 and Sweden’s Gripen, making the trio the likely backbone of its future air force.

    The Ukrainian president said in August that his country was aiming for its next fighter fleet to be fully Western for “full NATO integration.” Kyiv’s air force now operates primarily older Soviet-designed fighters, supplemented by a limited number of Western airframes acquired since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

    Sweden, France, and the US were publicly earmarked as source countries for Ukraine’s new fighters, but the types of aircraft and their expected quantities were only revealed in recent weeks.

    Europe’s new fighters

    Kyiv also signed a letter of intent with Sweden on October 22 to buy up to 150 JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jets.

    Meanwhile, Ukrainian pilots are already flying Lockheed Martin F‑16 Fighting Falcons donated by European NATO members, along with several French Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters. Both are upgraded fourth-generation aircraft, and Ukraine has said it eventually needs a total of 128 F-16s to defend itself against Russia.

    The Netherlands sold 18 F-16s to Romania.US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Jakel

    The Rafale and Gripen, however, would be a step up in modern capabilities for Ukraine.

    Considered 4.5-generation aircraft, they’re equipped with advanced avionics, sensors, and electronic warfare systems but lack the powerful full-stealth capabilities of the 5th-generation F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor.

    Saab’s Gripen has widely been touted as one of Ukraine’s best options against Russia. Designed to fly from small, rough airstrips and require minimal maintenance, the Gripen is meant to be easily dispersible in a war where critical infrastructure would constantly be under bombardment.

    A Saab JAS-39E Gripen participates in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England.

    The Gripen E is Saab’s latest delivered variant of its signature fighter.Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    The E variant is the Gripen’s latest version, with an upgraded single engine and new electronic warfare systems. With a takeoff weight of 16.2 tons, it offers 10 weapons hardpoints for missiles and bombs.

    The twin-engine Dassault Rafale F4, meanwhile, has 14 hardpoints with a takeoff weight of 24.5 tons. The F4 variant entered French operational service in early 2024.

    Still, Kyiv’s announcements so far are just initial agreements to purchase these modern fighters, and actual deliveries would depend on finalized export deals.

    Delays and complications in fighter jet production are common, and Ukraine will also be joining a queue of clients waiting for their Rafales and Gripens. Sweden itself only received its first Gripen E last month, under a plan to field 60 of the new variants by 2030.

    Dassault, meanwhile, makes fewer than four Rafales a month and said in October that it has a backlog of 233 of the aircraft to deliver.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • New Sweden coach Potter aims to ease pain of losing before 2026 World Cup playoffs

    [ad_1]

    GENEVA (AP) — New Sweden coach Graham Potter wants to help players deal with the frustration of losing 2026 World Cup qualifying games, with the team set to have a second chance in playoffs next year.

    Potter’s first game with Sweden — seven weeks after the Englishman was fired by West Ham — is on Saturday at qualifying group leader Switzerland, which can book its place at the World Cup in North America with a win.

    Sweden’s three-game losing run, including at home to the Swiss last month, cost previous coach Jon Dahl Tomasson his job and left the team last in the four-team group.

    Potter’s likely task on an initial short-term contract is to steer Sweden through the European playoffs in March, which it should enter because of winning a Nations League one year ago. FIFA makes the 16-team playoffs draw next Thursday in Zurich.

    “The team is in a difficult situation,” Potter acknowledged on Friday. “Results-wise the campaign hasn’t gone how we wanted it to go. When that happens there’s a lot of pain, there’s frustration.”

    He said he’s setting a goal “to help players feel better on the pitch.”

    Potter has worked on the emotional side of team building with his players, while describing messages on the field as “relatively clear, relatively simple.”

    Sweden has a talented squad though injuries currently leave Potter without Arsenal forward Viktor Gyökeres plus Tottenham pair Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.

    Isak available

    Liverpool forward Alexander Isak, signed for an English record transfer fee of 125 million pounds ($170 million) in September, is available, Potter said, but cannot play two full games against Switzerland and at home to Slovenia on Tuesday.

    “We have to be smart with him,” said Potter, who has returned to Sweden after his last two jobs in England ended abruptly at Chelsea in 2023 and at West Ham.

    He made his admired reputation by taking small-town club Ostersund from the fourth tier to the top, and won a Swedish Cup title, in seven years through 2018.

    Potter spoke Swedish for most of a half-hour news conference at Stade de Genève. It’s a rare talent among English coaches who have worked abroad.

    “I speak to a lot of the players in English because it’s better for them and easier for me,” he said. “I also think it’s important for me to improve my Swedish.”

    ___

    AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

    [ad_2]

    Source link