Swedes have always been keen to adopt trends emanating from the United States, and the latest craze to hit Scandinavia is the cuddle party. Read the full story

A 16 year old boy has confessed to the murder of a 15 year old girl in Stureby in Sweden, Dagens Nyheter reports. The girl was murdered last Saturday night while celebrating the arrival of the summer holidays. The victim was found dead in a small forest area and two teenagers, a boy and a girl, were soon arrested. The boy was charged with murder and the girl with being an accessory to murder. The boy has now confessed in court. Read the full story

Sweden is edging closer towards officially approving gay marriage now that three of the four parties in the ruling government coalition have joined forces and tabled a motion to legalise the controversial unions by 1 May. Of the four parties in the Alliance government, only the Christian Democrats are holding out. The Local newspaper reports that they are opposed to using the term “marriage” when referring to gay unions. Read the full story

The seventeenth Reykjavik protest meeting goes ahead today as planned at 15.00 on Austurvollur Square. Later on this evening, The Voices of the People protest group has organized Busahaldaboogie, a ‘victory concert’ at Nasa nightclub. Read the full story

The Swedish government has proposed a bill making it easier to develop isolated beaches while tightening the rules on already overdeveloped coastal areas. But the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) is unhappy with the plan to allow development on some of the nation’s beaches.

Andreas Carlgren, Sweden’s Minister for the Environment, explained to SR International that environmentalists have nothing to worry about. The existing ban on building within 100 metres of the shoreline will remain intact. In addition, the Swedish tradition of keeping the first 25 metres of coastline open to the public will remain even if the government suspends the beach’s protected status. Read the full story

IceNews would like to wish readers a very merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year.

We would also like to thank you for your support over 2008 – a year that has seen immense changes in the economy, and in many other areas of Northern life. Read the full story

Denmark’s Art Council has initiated a two-year project designed to attract talented foreign artists to live and work in the country. DKK 6 million (USD 1,188,059 EUR 804,169) have been allocated for the plan, which is hoped will inject some creative energy into Denmark’s art scene.

The chairman of the Art Council, Mads Ovilsen, told the Politiken newspaper that the project will hopefully lure exciting Read the full story