Real estate prices swelled 4 percent during the last three month although still being below last year’s level.

A total of 44 energy groups, including StatoilHydro, Shell and ExxonMobil are fighting for oil and gas production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• New rich oil finds off Norwegian coast

Chinese car maker Geely has withdrawn its offer to buy Ford Motor's Sweden-based Volvo Cars.

• Chinese Geely wants to buy Volvo Cars

The European parliament gave Jose Manuel Barroso a second five year term as president of the powerful European Commission.

• EU lures the public with ‘propaganda’

Denmark's climate minister will travel to Washington on Thursday to convince the US Senate of the urgency of talks to clinch a deal at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

• Copenhagen climate talk in risk of failing

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that the culture of large banking bonuses "must come to an end" as he opened a new parliamentary session.

• Sweden’s FinMin slams bankers' bonuses

A court in New York sentenced a Lebanese-born Swede to life imprisonment Tuesday for trying to set up a militant training camp for the Al-Qaeda network in the United States.

• Pakistan arrested Swedes for 'Al-Qaeda ties'

Volvo Cars may finally have reached the turning point as sales increased last month.

• Chinese Geely wants to buy Volvo Cars • Volvo Cars to ink €198 million loan

Sweden-based Volvo Cars is expected to get a capital injection backed by guarantees from the Flemish government.

• Volvo Cars: “The recession is over”

As countries across the EU curb smoking, Sweden is fighting to get a European-wide ban lifted on 'snus,' a moist tobacco popular across Scandinavia that is sucked rather than chewed or smoked.

Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik will visit ex-president Biljana Plavsic in her Swedish jail.

Sweden-based Volvo Cars has undercut the magical 100 grams carbon dioxide limit for the first time ever.

• SAS to use new landing method to cut CO2

The EU would like to see a planned international conference on Afghanistan held in Kabul, Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt said.

• Sweden's Carl Bildt looks to Iran talks

Norway's left-wing coalition held onto a razor-thin majority.

• Jens vs Jensen clash in Norway vote • Norway turns deaf ear to Brussels

The Finnish economy is expected to shrink 6.0 percent this year before staging a slight rebound next year.

Swedish truck maker Volvo said that total deliveries fell by 52 percent last month.

• Volvo’s loss deeper than expected

Smoking during pregancy increases the risk of a baby developing asthma up to sixfold, said a Swedish study.

• Heart-pounding exercise lowers cancer risk

Three Swedes – including a small child – has been arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of having ties with Al-Qaeda.

Allowing Lehman Brothers to collapse was “a mistake by historical dimensions”, Sweden’s Finance Minister Anders Borg said one year after the crash.

EU must await the results of the upcoming nuclear talks with Iran before weighing any threat of future sanctions, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.

• EU ready to confront Iran, Sweden said