Five held over murder of Quran-burner Salwan Momika, Sweden suspends double taxation agreement with Russia, and foreign ministry warns against travel to several provinces in Rwanda and the DRC. Here's the latest news.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said in 2023 that Sweden had gone into “battle-array for war on the Muslim world” by supporting “the criminal”, and that “all Islamic scholars agree that those who desecrate the Koran deserved the most severe punishment”.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced the introduction of a law allowing the surveillance of children to prevent their exploitation by gangs. In January, there were over 30 bomb explosions in the country.

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man who sparked outrage by staging Quran-burning protests in Sweden in 2023, has been shot dead, according to Swedish authorities. A spokesperson for Sweden’s prosecutor’s office confirmed to CNN that Momika was shot dead in capital city Stockholm on Wednesday.

Salwan Momika was facing four counts of agitating an ethnic group and a trial verdict had been due the day after his death

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden will fast-track new legislation to allow police to use electronic surveillance tools against minors after dozens of gang-related bombings in the capital Stockholm in January, the prime minister said on Thursday.

Sweden is grappling with a gang crime wave involving teenagers hired for everything from vandalism to bombings and murder.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson admitted that his government has lost control over a burgeoning wave of violence sweeping the country, amid escaltating public concern. The acknowledgment came during an emergency meeting where Kristersson announced the acceleration of new legislation targeting juvenile involvement in criminal activities.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Swedish government for the largest military assistance package, noting that strengthening Ukraine's long-range capabilities is invaluable.

STOCKHOLM — An Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has died, a court in Stockholm said Thursday. Swedish media reported that he was killed in a shooting in a nearby city.

An Iraqi refugee and anti-Islam campaigner was shot dead in Sweden hours before he was due to receive a court verdict following a trial over burning the Koran, and five people were arrested over the shooting on Thursday.

Sweden wants to bring forward a new law that will allow authorities to secretly wiretap children under the age of 15 as the Nordic country grapples with a spate of bombings linked to criminal gangs.