Swedish News.

Sweden's Prime Minister Reinfeldt: Suicide bomber challenged our freedom and openness. Stockholm - not that expensive in housing. Simon and Thomas make TV with Oprah. Golden Globe to Persbrandt’s film? Baby rumors at Haga. 

  • Reinfeldt: Suicide bomber challenged our freedom and openness
    The Prime Minister launched this year's Christmas speech by commenting on the suicide bomber in Stockholm. According to Fredrik Reinfeldt, the target of the suicide attack was not the Swedish military presence in Afghanistan. Instead, it was an attack directled at the Swedish society. The suicide bomber "hate our openness, freedom and diversity," Reinfeldt said. He went on to commemorate Sweden's secular polity, and recalled that Swedish law always takes precedence over religious beliefs. He also welcomed that a number of Swedish Muslim representatives have strongly opposed the attack.

  • Stockholm - not that expensive in housing
    Apartment prices on an average of $6,146 per square meter (1 square meter equals 10.7639104 square feet) puts Stockholm in 22nd place on a list of the world's most expensive cities. The list is compiled by the Global Property Guide. Topping the list is Monaco, where the square meter price is $59,814. On second place is London, where the apartments are close to four times as expensive as in Stockholm. New York? comes in 8th place, with prices double those of Stockholm, at $12,029 per square meter). For more info, see http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/most-expensive-cities (Houses are a different story, with House prices on an average of $8,758.74 [SEK 60,000] per square meter Stockholm comes in 12th place among the world's most expensive.)

  • Simon and Thomas make TV with Oprah
    Simon Davies and his partner Tomas Cederlund are famous for their successful TV-shows “Design: Simon & Tomas”, “Från koja till slott” and “Sveriges fulaste hem”. Now the Swedish design duo is heading west. They are currently in Los Angeles where they are filming a new design program for Oprah Winfrey’s new channel OWN. Says their agent Juan Navas: “It’s an unbelievable opportunity for two Swedish interior designers to come all the way to the US to make this type of show, a show that will be seen by millions of people.” The idea for the show is based on “Sveriges fulaste hem” (The ugliest home in Sweden). Simon and Tomas have commuted between Stockholm and Los Angeles since last spring to sit in on a number of important meetings. “They liked Simon and Tomas a lot and wanted to have them onboard since they are such a big part of the concept,” explains Navas. Oprah Winfrey’s TV channel OWN will launch on January 1 2011, and the Swedes will be seen some time during spring 2011. “They haven’t met Oprah yet, but they are looking forward to working with OWN and view this as an exciting opportunity,” says Navas. “They are very happy!”

  • Golden Globe to Persbrandt’s film?
    The film “Hämnden” (“In a Better World”) by Danish Susanne Bier, starring Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt, has been nominated to a Golden Globe in the category Best Foreign Film. The film is about the lives of two Danish families and an extraordinary but risky friendship. Earlier this month, Mikael Persbrandt landed a role in the sequel to the blockbuster “Lord of the Rings”, according to media reports.

  • Baby rumors at Haga
    Crown Princess Victoria (33) and Prince Daniel (37) have just moved into their new home at Haga Palace when all of a sudden they are surrounded by baby rumors. The rumors really took off with the Nobel Celebration at which Victoria wore an Empire cut gown (always suspicious) and could be seen by everybody watching TV, to say no to the waiter bringing the wine. “We have no comment,” says Nina Eldh, Director of Information at the Royal Swedish Court. Bloggers and twitters won’t give up that easily though. Wasn’t there a bump under Victoria’s gown? Åsa Vilbäck, a doctor who is known from the TV show “Dr. Åsa” just became a mom herself and she is convinced Victoria is pregnant. “It’s normal to get a bit swollen when you’re pregnant, and that happens early on,” she says. If indeed Victoria is pregnant, then she and Daniel are faster than her own parents, who gave birth to Victoria 13 months after their wedding. Haga Palace is well-equipped for children: There’s plenty of space, a new luxurious AGA stove (on which the happy couple can cook their traditional Christmas food) and there’s a beautiful red Wendy house waiting for children to take over.