Susanne Willgren

The number of foreign spies in former Cold-War-spy-hub Finland rose during 2012, according to Finnish intelligence services. Espionage mainly targets the country’s international relations.

The Norwegian government did an internal audit to find its shortcomings in responding quickly to the mass-murder on July 22, 2011, at a children’s camp and at a government building in Oslo.

Swedish police are responsible for taking care of many stray cats. With animal welfare cases increasing, the police are busy handling cats, neglecting street patrol.

A Norwegian has to earn at least 242,440 kroner (US$44,500) a year for a foreign spouse to gain permanent residency in Norway.

Chinese is gaining ground in Scandinavian schools. Sweden recently announced a major upgrade of the status of the Chinese language in primary and secondary education.

The rights of older people were discussed at a Swedish Human Rights seminar and in a new U.N.-sponsored report. A Swedish regional initiative has been taken to address the rights of older people from a human rights perspective.

When Iceland decided to create a proposal for a new constitution, Astros Signyjardottir took the chance to be a part of shaping Iceland’s future.