Sweden News

The head of Sweden's prison and probation services announced in November that four of the country's prisons are to close due to a decline in prisoner numbers. There's been a 6 percent drop in numbers of Swedish prisoners but crime rates have not fallen.

According to Sweden's National Education Agency, there is no general rule prohibiting Swedish school children from using their cellphones during lessons. That is, as long as it doesn't actually disturb the lesson.

Stockholm - Four men visited a Stockholm pub recently and were refused drinks. They told police that it was due to their skin color, but the bartender says otherwise. They were actually refused drinks for being "unusually pleasant."

Good news for Abba fans, as we learn that the Swedish pop group are considering a possible reunion next year. One of the two female singers, Agnetha Fältskog, was interviewed by the German media on Sunday.

Borensberg - Doing what beavers do best, a Swedish beaver felled a tree near Borensberg in Östergötland on Friday, completely blocking traffic on a busy road and causing long queues of vehicles.

Gothenburg - German concert pianist, Christian Zacharias was beautifully performing Haydn's Piano Concerto in Gothenburg, Sweden, when suddenly a cell phone starts to ring. A lesson should be learned here by all.

Orrefors Kosta Boda glass factories in southern Sweden have recently closed down. Now designer crystal, worth hundreds of thousands of kronor is being simply smashed and thrown away.

Karlstad - 50 years ago, the Beatles hit Sweden for their first-ever gig outside the UK. At the time, it was dubbed an "amateur jig". 50 years later, the town will celebrate the anniversary in full Beatlemania form.

Portugal will face Sweden for a place in next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The two sides finished second in their respective qualifying group, and will face each other on 15th and 19th of November.

A few days ago (October 1), marking the International Day of Older People, HelpAge International released the Global Index of Aging. This index, called "AgeWatch," is the first to measure the quality of life and well-being of older people worldwide.