Sweden

Finland's Nato moment

A snub for Putin, a risk for Europe

Havells India partners with Swedish tech startup Blixt Tech AB

Leading electrical goods and appliances maker Havells India on Tuesday said it has entered into a commercial agreement with Swedish tech startup Blixt Tech AB to introduce Solid State Circuit Breaker (SSCB) technology in the domestic market. By introducing SSCB, Havells is strengthening its position in the switchgear segment. It also highlights Havells' focus on innovative and future-ready solutions, said a joint statement. "With this association, Havells is positioned to make a significant impact in the Indian electrical industry," it said. India's demand for high-power applications is expected to grow faster in the coming decades, and the power system is projected to become technologically superior, smart, and conducive to IT-enabled data sharing and management technology, said Havells. SSCBs have the ability to interrupt current flow much faster than traditional mechanical circuit breakers and there is no wear and tear due to digital switching with practically no arc unlike ...

Finland's membership will make alliance stronger: NATO General Secretary

In a video shared by the official Twitter account of NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu, the NATO General Secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, is heard welcoming and congratulating Finland

As Finland plans to join Nato, a look at how countries join the alliance

Nato's membership has increased from 12 to 30 countries through eight rounds of enlargement. The Republic of North Macedonia became the latest country to join Nato on March 27, 2020

US urges Turkey to 'quickly' ratify Sweden's NATO membership after Finland

After Turkey approved the process of ratifying Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the US welcomed the decision of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Sweden, Finland discuss NATO accession with Turkey, says military bloc

Representatives of Sweden, Finland and Turkey held talks in Brussels to discuss progress on fulfilling Turkey's conditions for agreeing to the Nordic countries' accession to NATO

The cashless economy: Sweden's switch to digital tells a cautionary tale

Sweden's an extreme case: It's a small, tech-savvy economy. But the direction of travel is the same everywhere, accelerated by a pandemic that saw QR codes replace restaurant menus

Ericsson plans to lay off 1,400 employees in Sweden to cut costs

Telecom networking company Ericsson is planning to lay off at least 1,400 employees or 10 per cent of its workforce in Sweden after negotiating with unions

Turkey rejects links between Sweden, Finland's entry to Nato, F-16 deal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO as quickly as possible, although his Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkiye's request for F-16 fighter jets. Turkiye has delayed the Nordic countries' admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress have tied approval of the F-16 deal to Ankara retracting its opposition to the NATO enlargement. We're confident that NATO will formally welcome them in soon, Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. And when that happens, it will enhance the security of every NATO member, including the United States, including Turkiye." Cavusoglu repeated Turkiye's stance that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkiye has complained about what it sees as Stockholm's tolerance of support fo

Sweden emerges as sudden front-runner in troubled search 2030 Olympics

Sweden emerging as the front-runner in a troubled search for a 2030 Olympics host is as much a surprise in Stockholm as elsewhere. The year started with Sweden not on the radar of a Winter Games race where longtime favourite Sapporo faded during a criminal investigation of alleged bribery linked to the recent Tokyo Olympics. Salt Lake City is targeting 2034. In Sweden, memories are also fresh of a bruising loss for Stockholm-Are against Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo in the 2026 Olympics vote the Nordic country's eighth beaten candidate for the Winter Games. The picture changed when Swedish officials met last month in Switzerland with International Olympic Committee leaders who faced uncertainty and time running out to find a 2030 host. We had a meeting in Lausanne in mid-January after the holidays, Swedish Olympic official Hans von Uthmann told The Associated Press on Thursday. On our journey back we realised, Hey, there really is an opening.' Urging caution just one week after the S

Sweden can't join NATO if Quran-burning is allowed: Turkey Prez Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Wednesday that Turkey won't allow Sweden to join the NATO military alliance as long as the Scandinavian country permits protests desecrating Islam's holy book to take place. Turkey, which had already been holding off approving Sweden and Finland's membership in the Western military alliance, has been infuriated by a series of separate demonstrations in Stockholm. In one case a solitary anti-Islam activist burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy, while in an unconnected protest an effigy of Erdogan was hanged. Even before that, Ankara had been pressing Sweden and Finland to crack down on exiled members of Kurdish and other groups it sees as terrorists, and to allow arms sales to Turkey. Turkey has indefinitely postponed a key meeting in Brussels that would have discussed the two Nordic countries' NATO entry. Sweden, don't even bother! As long as you allow my holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn, and you do so together with

NATO membership process hasn't stopped, say Finnish, Swedish FMs

The foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland reiterated in separate interviews published Saturday that the process for the two Nordic nations to join NATO is continuing despite Turkey's president saying Sweden shouldn't expect his country to approve its membership. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrm acknowledged in an interview with Swedish newspaper Expressen that Turkish anger over recent demonstrations and the burning of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm had complicated Sweden's NATO accession. To admit new countries, NATO requires unanimous approval from its existing members, of which Turkey is one. Despite this, the Swedish government is hopeful of joining NATO this summer, Billstrm said. It goes without saying that we're looking toward the (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, in July, Billstrm told Expressen when asked of the timetable for Sweden's possible accession. Hungary and Turkey are the only countries in the 30-member Western milita

Swedish govt announces campaign to discourage refugees entering country

'The main objective of the campaign is to inform about the Swedish migration policy so that fewer people will come here'

Turkish President Erdogan tells Sweden: Don't expect support for Nato bid

Those who allow such disgraceful acts in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm can't expect good news from us on NATO membership: Erdogan

Sweden braces for anti-Turkey demonstrations amid NATO accession bid

Sweden is bracing for demonstrations Saturday that could complicate its efforts to persuade Turkey to approve its NATO accession, which has already drawn Turkey's ire

Of metals and rare earths

There's an obvious need to diversify sources of rare earth minerals but, despite new finds in Sweden, China will remain the go-to supplier for the foreseeable future

Swedish govt to amend law to be able to build more nuclear power plants

Sweden's centre-right coalition government said on Wednesday it will present legislation that will enable the construction of new nuclear power stations. We are now changing the legislation, making it possible to build more reactors in more places than is possible today, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference. It was unclear when the government will present the law proposal. Sweden's environmental law sets a cap of 10 reactors, and new nuclear power plants may only be built in places where there are already reactors. The government want these provisions to be removed. The plan is to have the amendment enter into force in March 2024. There are currently six nuclear reactors at three locations: Forsmark, Oskarshamn and Ringhals. Romina Pourmokhtari, the minister in charge of climate and environment, said the new reactors may be smaller and must be built where they do the most good. We also see that other countries are building small reactors, instead of a fe

Swedish PM Kristersson presents priorities of EU Council Presidency

Sweden will hold the EU Council Presidency between January 1 and June 30 next year

Laureates across 5 fields awarded at Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm

The Nobel Prize award ceremony was held in the Swedish capital

Will push for early India-EU FTA under our presidency, says Sweden

Weeks before Sweden takes over the presidency of European Union, Swedish foreign trade minister Johan Forssell on Friday said pushing for an early finalisation of the India-EU free trade agreement will be one of the key priorities of his country's year-long tenure at the 27-nation. He said Sweden will act as an "honest broker" and do its best to conclude the negotiations for the FTA as it will be in "everyone's interest". The minister described India's procurement of crude oil from Russia amid the Ukraine conflict as part of domestic policies, saying every country must make their own decisions. "I have not come here to tell you what to do. The war has affected Europe in many ways, especially in the energy situation. Every country must make their own decisions and I totally agree with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi saying that this is no time for war," he said while interacting with a group of journalists. "We very much hope for the war to end and hopefully very soon because there a