Tag Archives: Sweden

The Associated Press reports: The Netherlands’ contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest who was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before the grand finale will likely be charged for making illegal threats, Swedish police said Monday. Joost Klein had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday and the organizer, the European Broadcasting Union said that police were investigating …

Via press release from the White House: Today, I am honored to welcome Sweden as NATO’s 32nd Ally. 75 years ago—when the United States and 11 other nations came together to establish the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—President Truman said the Alliance, “would create a shield against aggression and fear of aggression.” Today, that shield—and transatlantic security—is stronger than ever with …

Reuters reports: Sweden is expected to formally join NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced a complete rethink of its national security policy and the realisation the alliance offered the best guarantee of safety. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is in Washington to hand over the final documentation, with the White House saying in …

The Guardian reports: Hungary’s parliament has approved Sweden’s Nato membership nearly two years after the historically neutral country applied to join the western military alliance, bringing to an end months of limbo and diplomatic wrangling. The vote, which took place in Budapest on Monday, followed Friday’s meeting between the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, …

Bloomberg News reports: Hungary’s ruling party is set to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession Monday, ending more than a year of wrangling and allowing a major boost to the alliance’s defense capabilities. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party scheduled a vote at the start of the parliament’s spring session in Budapest next week. Fidesz, which commands a supermajority in the chamber, …

The Associated Press reports: A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO, saying patience with the Central European country is “wearing thin” as it continues to delay its approval for the Nordic nation. Hungary is the only country in the 31-nation military alliance that hasn’t yet backed Sweden’s membership bid, and …

The Washington Post reports: After 20 months of demands, obstruction and delay, the Turkish parliament on Tuesday night voted in favor of Sweden joining NATO, clearing one of the final hurdles for a major expansion of the military alliance set in motion by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still needs to sign the ratification document. Assuming …

Axois reports: The Turkish Parliament’s foreign affairs committee approved Sweden’s bid to join NATO on Tuesday. The vote that brings Sweden closer to achieving NATO membership comes after a series of delays in its attempt to become part of the alliance, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s initial refusal to accept Sweden’s bid. A country’s admission into NATO must be …

Pew Research reports: Attitudes about same-sex marriage vary widely around the world, according to several Pew Research Center surveys fielded in 32 places in the last two years. Among the surveyed publics, support for legal same-sex marriage is highest in Sweden, where 92% of adults favor it, and lowest in Nigeria, where only 2% back it. In the US, 63% …

Reuters reports: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden’s NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, his office said, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it clears the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. Erdogan pleased his NATO allies at a summit in July by promising to send the legislation to parliament when …

CNN Sports reports: Heartbreak for the US and the three-peat dream has come to an end. After dominating most of the match, the US is beaten by Sweden in a penalty shootout. US forward Sophia Smith had the chance to win it for the two-time reigning champion, but was made to rue her missed spot-kick. To make the defeat more …

Reuters reports: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward to parliament Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, on the eve of a NATO summit in Vilnius. “I’m glad to announce … that President Erdogan has agreed to forward the accession protocol for Sweden to the grand national assembly as soon as …

The New York Times reports: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening …

The BBC reports: Thought the war in Ukraine or supply chain snarls were to blame for rising prices? You must not know ’bout Beyoncé. The start of the singer’s world tour in Sweden last month sparked such a frenzy of demand for hotels and restaurant meals that it has shown up in the country’s economic statistics. Sweden reported higher-than-expected inflation …

The BBC reports: Sweden’s Loreen was always the one to beat, and her team knew it too. She had something none of the other contestants competing on Saturday’s Eurovision grand final had – the experience of winning it before. The 39-year-old from Stockholm took the title with her banger Euphoria in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2012. Now, with Tattoo, and 583 …

Politico Europe reports: Hungary’s government supports the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland and has submitted the ratification documents to the National Assembly, Minister Gergely Gulyás told reporters at a briefing on Saturday. Gulyás, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said the expansion of NATO to include the two Nordic countries would be ratified by mid-December at the …

The New York Times reports: The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a treaty that would expand NATO to include Finland and Sweden, with Republicans and Democrats linking arms to pave the way for one of the most significant expansions of the alliance in decades amid Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine. The vote was 95 to 1, with only Senator Josh …

The Hill reports: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Monday said he would vote against Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO, a move that would go against most of his colleagues from both sides of the aisle. In an op-ed published by The National Interest, Hawley says the United States shouldn’t expand its security commitments in Europe due to a …

The Associated Press reports: The 30 NATO allies signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland on Tuesday, sending the membership bids of the two nations to the alliance capitals for legislative approvals — and possible political trouble in Turkey. The move further increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February …

Sky News reports: Turkey, Sweden and Finland have signed a memorandum for the two Nordic states to join NATO, removing a Turkish block to the accession process. It comes after the leaders of the three nations spoke at a NATO summit in Madrid. The traditionally neutral nations decided to apply for NATO membership following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of …