Scandinavian airline SAS posts 1Q loss amid falling demand

STOCKHOLM — Scandinavian airline group SAS AB on Tuesday posted a smaller first-quarter net loss as the slump in the global economy continued to weaken demand for air travel.

Web site, doctor report Sri Lanka shelling in war zone despite pledge to cease such attacks

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Government forces fired barrages of artillery into the northern war zone, killing at least 11 civilians, a day after it pledged to stop such attacks because of the risk to innocent lives, a rebel-linked Web site and a local doctor said.

Sri Lanka turns away Swedish foreign minister

STOCKHOLM - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Tuesday said he cancelled the trip he had planned to take to Sri Lanka along with his British and French counterparts after Colombo said it would not receive him.

Sweden’s foreign minister denied entry to Sri Lanka as part of European cease-fire delegation

STOCKHOLM — Sweden recalled its top diplomat in Sri Lanka on Tuesday after Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was blocked from joining a European delegation pressing for a cease-fire between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.

Swedish truck maker Scania’s 1Q profit down 93 percent because of falling demand

STOCKHOLM — Swedish truck and bus maker Scania AB on Monday reported a 93 percent drop in first-quarter net profit, as the global financial crisis continued to weigh on demand and capacity utilization.

Swedish watchdog warns weapons transfers to Mideast could provoke Iran

STOCKHOLM — The volume of weapons exported to the Middle East has risen sharply in the last four years, threatening to destabilize the volatile region further, a leading Swedish think tank warned Monday.

Swedish truck maker Volvo posts $500 million loss in 1Q on weak demand amid financial crisis

STOCKHOLM — Swedish truck maker AB Volvo on Friday posted a worse-than-expected first-quarter net loss of 4.2 billion kronor ($500 million), citing a continued drop in demand in its markets, which it expects to continue to shrink due to the global financial turmoil.

Hip-hop singer Lauryn Hill to headline Stockholm Jazz Festival as part of European tour

STOCKHOLM — Organizers say former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill will be the headline act for the Stockholm Jazz Festival in July.

Court convicts four over online file-sharing

STOCKHOLM - Four men were convicted Friday by a Swedish district court of operating a website which allows illegal file sharing, and sentenced to year-long jail terms.

Norway apologises to Sri Lanka over embassy attack

STOCKHOLM - Norway has apologised to Sri Lanka after pro-Tamil protesters broke into the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo Sunday.

Indian activist wins Stockholm Water Prize

STOCKHOLM - Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh Sanitation Movement and inventor of a toilet system credited with improving sanitation across India was Wednesday named the winner of the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize.

Fish diet boosts intelligence scores: Swedish study

STOCKHOLM - A regular intake of fish appears to boost intelligence scores in teenagers, according to a new Swedish study.

Even Swedes angered by management bonuses

STOCKHOLM - Timing is of the essence - a lesson several big Swedish banking groups as well as private and government-run pension funds and corporations have learned in recent days.

Sweden-Israel Davis Cup tie played amid heavy security

MALMO/STOCKHOLM - Swedish police officers greatly outnumbered anti-Israel protesters at the arena where Sweden and Israel finished 1-1 on the first day of their Davis Cup clash.

Nobel Literature Prize body announces new member

STOCKHOLM - The Swedish Academy, the body that awards the Nobel Literature Prize, Friday named author and literary critic Lotta Lotass as one of its members.

Toy maker LEGO reports strong growth

STOCKHOLM - Denmark’s toy maker LEGO Group has announced that 2008 was a successful year for it, with considerable increase in both sales and profit despite the financial crisis that swept the whole world.

Drunken driving connected to mental problems

STOCKHOLM - Drunken driving is not just an indication of a deeply seated alcohol problem but is also very often connected to psychological disease and chronic criminal background, says a doctoral thesis presented at the Karolinska Institute (KI).

Now, shoe tossed at Israeli envoy in Sweden

STOCKHOLM - Israel’s ambassador to Sweden was hit when a shoe and books were thrown at him as he was giving a lecture at Stockholm University, radio reports said Thursday.

Exhibit shows horrors of World War II killing fields

STOCKHOLM - Piles of bullets and spent cartridges, a rusty spade, old pistols and sub-machine pistols, pieces of clothing and numerous maps and photographs.

Gay politician tipped to lead new government in Iceland

STOCKHOLM/REYKJAVIK - Iceland seems set to make political history again after the recent collapse of its ruling coalition since the top candidate as interim prime minister is openly gay.

Decommissioned jumbo jet gets new life as hostel

STOCKHOLM - Up close, a Boeing 747-200 is an impressive sight. Visitors to Stockholm’s Arlanda airport can now get a real, close-up view of a mighty bird - in the form of a decommissioned jumbo jet which has been converted into a hostel.

Volvo S60 concept brakes itself to avoid pedestrians

STOCKHOLM - The new Volvo S60 concept unveiled ahead of the Detroit Auto Show later this month features a revolutionary new driver safety system which brakes the car automatically to avoid a collision with a pedestrian.

EU troika to visit Middle East for talks: Sweden

STOCKHOLM - The foreign ministers of the Czech Republic, France and Sweden are to visit the Middle East Sunday amid the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, the Swedish foreign ministry said Friday.

Norway, Sweden urge end to Gaza violence

OSLO/STOCKHOLM - Norway and Sweden Saturday joined international calls for an end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and urged both Israel and Hamas to show restraint.