Swedish News:

Swedish and American technology team up. The Royal Court puts rumors at bay. A hard winter in Sweden's forecast. 

  • Swedish Ericsson and Cisco team up: "Two world leaders are in a collaboration that is going to offer more efficient service to networks," Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg, above said.

  • Swedish and American technology team up
    The partnership between Swedish Ericsson and U.S. networking technology leader Cisco comes amid increased competition among big tech companies on the world market. Their plan to develop next-generation technology in a global partnership is set to boost sales by at least a billion dollars. The new strategy, announced in early November, will allow Ericsson to offer more customers faster data and faster video for smartphones, according to Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg. "Two world leaders are in a collaboration that is going to offer more efficient service to networks," he told TT. By investing in development and research, with a goal of reaching more than 180 countries, Ericsson estimates their deal with Cisco, headquartered in Silicon Valley, could generate revenues of up to $1 billion by 2018. "The strength of this partnership lies not just in its scale, but in the depth of the solutions Ericsson and Cisco can now provide to the networking market," said Vestberg. "It is a market in transition — increasingly mobile, cloud-based, and digital — and customers are seeking end-to-end solutions to reach their full potential."

  • The Royal Palace in Stockholm is a museum, one of Sweden's most popular tourist destinations - not accommodations for refugees seeking asylum as previously rumored.

  • The Royal Court puts rumors at bay
    After a social media campaign and misinformation circulating in the media, a spokesperson for the Swedish Royal Court confirmed that vacant royal castles and palaces will not in fact be opened as residences for refugees. Director of Information and Press for Sweden's Royal Court Margareta Thorgren said, for example, that the Royal Palace in Stockholm is a museum, one of Sweden's most popular tourist destinations. It also houses offices for many people. "It is not an empty castle that can take in refugees,” she said, adding that King Carl XVI Gustaf is open to hearing other creative suggestions for housing refugees. The Swedish government owns most of the buildings used by the royal family, and its national property board (Statens fastighetsverk) will need to play a key role in plans for how they might be used or adapted. This concern has been raised in earnest as Sweden struggles to house the record number of refugees arriving there.

  • Snow shoveling – what Swedes loath the most about winter. And this year they may be doing a lot of it.

  • A hard winter in Sweden's forecast
    Swedes are being warned to brace themselves for an "extreme winter." Parts of northern Sweden had snow in September already, and the whole country is expecting colder-than-normal temperatures in the coming months. The first significant warning of snow came November 16: Forecasters issued a class one weather warning to western Sweden, urging people to be cautious as up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow was expected with strong winds. A class one warning, the lowest of three types of warnings in extreme weather events, is a reminder to be vigilant when driving or when out walking in affected towns and cities.