World through the Swedish lens

New Era for Nordic Security : As Sweden and Finland plan to join NATO, the Nordic countries are speaking with one voice, marking a new era of security cooperation. The move is seen as strengthening the region's defense and sending a message to Russia. The United States has also expressed interest in strengthening defense cooperation with the Nordic countries due to their strategic locations.

New heat records : Southern Europe, including Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Greece, is experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. The heatwave, named Kerberos, has prompted warnings and precautions from authorities and travel companies, including the temporary closure of the Parthenon temple in Athens to protect tourists. While this week is not forecasted that temperatures are high in Sweden, the risk of wildfires has been raised since last month all over Sweden with fire bans in place in many areas.

Protests Against Undemocratic Laws : Major protests erupted in Israel as demonstrators blocked roads and intersections to show opposition to the government's legislative program, which includes a bill that restricts the Supreme Court's power. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declining influence and rising dissent within his party raise concerns about the future of democracy in Israel. A majority of Israelis oppose the legislative program, with divided opinions within Netanyahu's Likud party itself.

Engagement decreasing for Threads : Meta's social media platform, Threads, initially attracted 100 million users within a week, but engagement has since declined. Users now spend only six minutes a day on the app, compared to the initial 21 minutes. The analysis is based on Android users, according to Similar Web.