Sweden

Sweden: Muslim, Orthodox Christian graves vandalised

03 May 2022; MEMO: At least 20 graves belonging to Muslims and Orthodox Christians were vandalised in a cemetery in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, local media reported Monday, says Anadolu Agency.

Many tombstones were also scrawled with red paint by unidentified people at Ostra Cemetery, reported Swedish public broadcaster SVT, citing police spokesperson Nils Norling.

Sweden: Unidentified individual opens fire on house of Turkish NGO director

02 May 2022; MEMO: An unidentified attacker opened fire Sunday on the house of the director of a Turkish NGO in Sweden, reports Anadolu Agency.

Three bullets hit the house of Mehmet Ozer, the head of the Jonkoping branch of the Germany-based Union of International Democrats.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ozer said the incident took place around midnight when he was out for Tarawih or special night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Swedish PM says integration of immigrants has failed, fueled gang crime

STOCKHOLM, April 28 (Reuters) - Sweden has failed to integrate the vast numbers of immigrants it has taken in over the past two decades, leading to parallel societies and gang violence, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Thursday, as she launched a series of initiatives to combat organised crime.

Many Swedes were shocked earlier this month after violent riots left more than 100 police injured. The violence erupted after a Swedish-Danish politician burned the Quran at a rally and sought to hold more in several immigrant-dominated neighborhoods.

U.S. funding for military R&D surges 24 pct for past decade: SIPRI

STOCKHOLM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The funding for military research and development (R&D) of the United States, the world's largest military spender, rose by 24 percent over the past decade, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday.

The U.S. funding for military R&D rose by 24 percent between 2012 and 2021, while arms procurement funding fell by 6.4 percent over the same period, the SIPRI said in a report.

Protests continue in Sweden over burning of Quran

24 April 2022; MEMO: Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered in Sweden's capital to protest the burning of the Muslim holy book in the country, Anadolu Agency reported.

About 500 people attended the protest organized by the Party of Different Colors (Nyans) in front of the country's parliament in Stockholm.

The protesters were holding banners that read "Stop the burning of the Holy Quran" and "Stop insulting Muslims".

Sweden to speed up security review as Ukraine puts NATO question in spotlight

STOCKHOLM, April 21 (Reuters) - Sweden will speed up its review of security policy, which includes a view on possible NATO membership, with the result to be published in mid-May rather than at the end of that month, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Tuesday.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left Sweden and neighbouring Finland - neither of which is a member of NATO - scrambling to react to a more threatening security environment.

Sweden's prime minister does not confirm whether her party decided on bid to join NATO

STOCKHOLM, April 13. /TASS/: Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson neither confirmed nor denied information that the leadership of her Social Democratic Party has already made a decision on the country's NATO membership and the goal is to apply this June.

Swedish police say motive for deadly school attack still unclear after student arrested

STOCKHOLM, March 22 (Reuters) - A Swedish high school student arrested on suspicion of killing two teachers in the southern city of Malmo on Monday was not previously known to police and his motive was still unclear, the Malmo police chief said on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murdering two women in their 50s at his school in Malmo. Around 50 students were at the school at the time of the attack but nobody else was hurt, according to police.

Sweden: Mother guilty of 'war crimes' after son becomes child soldier in Syria

07 March 2022; MEMO: A Swedish woman has been found guilty of war crimes for failing to prevent her 12-year-old son from becoming a child soldier in Syria, where he was killed in the civil war, Reuters reported on Friday.

The woman has denied the charges.

"The district court sentences Lina Ishaq to six years in prison for grave violation of international law and grave war crime," the Stockholm district court said.

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