Stockholm - The Swedish Academy that selects the Nobel literature laureate is reportedly split over how to respond to death threats against Italian best-selling author Roberto Saviano.

Saviano's book, Gomorra, has angered the mafia, or Camorra, in Naples, and he has been forced to live under police protection. A week ago he said in a newspaper interview that he was considering leaving Italy.

Stockholm - The Swedish government Thursday formally decided to halt an adoption programme with Vietnam over fears of irregularities.

Health and Social Affairs Minister Goran Hagglund said the decision hinged on the government's concern that "the rights of the individual child and biological parents are taken into account."

Hagglund's statement issued after the cabinet meeting said there were "disturbing signals" that children may even have been trafficked.

In September, the United States suspended adoptions from Vietnam over similar concerns.

Stockholm - Shares for main Swedish banking groups Nordea, Swedbank and SEB on Thursday declined after they reported third-quarter 2008 results.

While the reports suggested they had weathered the first phases of the financial turmoil, the banks' outlooks were more cautious.

Shares for the three groups initially opened in positive territory but fell off. Swedbank was down 8 per cent and SEB off some 5 per cent early afternoon on the Stockholm bourse.

The fourth major group Handelsbanken, which reported Wednesday, bucked the trend and remained up.

Stockholm - Main Swedish banking groups Nordea, Swedbank and SEB on Thursday reported third-quarter results suggesting they had weathered the first phases of the financial turmoil.

Shares for all three groups were mid-morning in positive territory on the Stockholm bourse where the OMXS index was flat. The fourth major group Handelsbanken, which reported Wednesday, was also up.

Banking group Swedbank said its third-quarter operating profit was 3.1 billion kronor (395 million dollars), down 15 per cent year-on-year, while total income in the quarter was 8.2 billion kronor or 13 per cent lower than in second-quarter 2008.

Stockholm - Sweden's central bank said Thursday it was to cut its interest rate by 0.50 percentage points to 3.75 per cent, the second cut this month.

The cut was to take effect October 29, the Riksbank said.

The bank's board of governors said "the interest rate cuts are aimed at alleviating the effects of the financial crisis" and added that the inflation target of 2 per cent remained.

Sweden was also experiencing the impact of the global financial crisis, and the economy was slowing down, the Riksbank said, adding that effects included higher loan costs for companies and households.

Stockholm - The Swedish government is set to halt an adoption programme with Vietnam over fears of irregularities, reports said Wednesday.

The pending cabinet decision, due Thursday, is based on evaluations that suggest that biological parents were not always aware their children were put up for adoption and were sometimes offered cash for their children.

Health and Social Affairs Minister Goran Hagglund told Swedish radio news that there were "disturbing signals" that not all adoptions from Vietnam were permissible.

The current agreement with Vietnam is due to expire in the autumn of 2009.

Hagglund said there were no signs that Vietnam was willing to admit to the problems.