A Nordic federal state would create the world’s tenth largest economy and turn the region into a global power player.

While sales of leisure travels are on the rise again the situation for Swedish business travel agents is still grim.

Although Swedish appliance maker Electrolux made a better-than-expected profit it will close two US factories to cut costs.

Iceland's two McDonald's restaurants will close due to the country's economic collapse.

• Organic foods show record sales in Sweden

Russia will not raise its export duties on timber – but increases pressure on Sweden and Finland to approve a gas pipeline.

• Finland may OK Nord Stream pipeline

Finnish health authorities confirmed Monday the country's first death related to swine flu in a 25-year-old woman.

"The downturn in western European demand has now levelled off," Swedish truckmaker Scania said as it returned to profit.

Sweden’s biggest builder Skanska will rebuild the Manhattan Bridge in New York in a deal worth $150 million.

Swedish author and journalist Jan Guillou was on the payroll of the former Soviet Union’s secret service KGB.

A Norwegian businessman hopes to turn late Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman's former house into an arts centre.

The European Union's Lisbon treaty looked set to emerge from a limbo as the last hurdle to its ratification, Czech President Vaclav Klaus, nodded to a concession.

• Reinfeldt warns Czechs about treaty delays

STOCK MARKET – Strong operating margins posted by SKF, Atlas Copco and Alfa Laval made the Stockholm exchange climb.

Scandinavian countries are the world's top nations in foreign aid projects – with Sweden taking the top spot.

• Access to water key for world's poor

The world's second-biggest truck maker Volvo posted a lighter than expected third-quarter net loss and said the market was looking up.

Swedish appliance maker Electrolux will close a washing machine factory in Spain that employs 450 people.

Sweden's The Pirate Bay has been ordered to remove links to works of members of a music and film copyright protection group.

• The Pirate Bay reopened – from warfare bunker

Sweden's Lutheran Church has decided to allow gay marriages in its places of worship, five months after they became legal.

• Despite new law, no church 'I do' for Swedish gays

Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, took on the iconic iPhone on Thursday by suing US rival Apple for infringing patents.

“We need, especially those of us who are Swedish, to be reminded that life actually can be fun and that the unexpected isn’t something to be legislated away”, writes Johan Hakelius, journalist and author.

Sweden's central bank held its key interest rate at a record low of 0.25 percent, while raising its economic growth forecast.