MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, clinching the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by a wall of fire, flutes and drums.

The barefoot 20-year-old blonde stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with “Only Teardrops” in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music.

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, securing the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by flutes and drums.

The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with “Only Teardrops” in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music.

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Singers from 26 countries began battling it out on Saturday night for the crown of glitzy pop in the Eurovision Song Contest, returning this year to the homeland of ABBA, the Swedish band it propelled to global superstardom.

The show, one of the world’s longest-running television programs, landed in the city of Malmo on Sweden’s southern coast after Loreen won the contest last year in Azerbaijan with her dance track “Euphoria”.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Bare-chested Irish drummers, a Ukrainian giant and a much-discussed lesbian kiss will be on display at this Saturday’s Eurovision final in Sweden which – love it or hate it – promises plenty of pop, kitsch and barefoot ballads.

Some 26 countries will compete for the jewel in the crown of European pop in the homeland of former Swedish supergroup ABBA, one of Eurovision’s most successful winners.

OSLO/STOCKHOLM, April 26 (Reuters) – Norway’s largest bank,
DNB, said on Friday it may have seen the worst for bad
loans in the troubled shipping sector and forecast stronger
lending income in the months ahead after reporting better than
expected first-quarter profits.

Norway’s hydrocarbon-rich economy is one of Europe’s best
performers and its banks got through the global financial crisis
relatively unscathed.

STOCKHOLM, April 24 (Reuters) – The co-founder of German
online retailer Zalando said on Wednesday the firm will focus
this year on getting its core markets to profitability amid
mounting speculation the fashion site could be ready for a
listing as early as 2014.

Online retailers have been giving their brick-and-mortar
rivals in Europe a run for their money, taking advantage of what
has been a slow shift by high street shops to the Internet.

STOCKHOLM, April 24 (Reuters) – Sweden’s Nordea and
Handelsbanken said smaller loan losses helped profits
top forecasts and boosted capital buffers, strengthening their
position as some of Europe’s strongest lenders.

Handelsbanken posted another quarter of robust revenue in
Britain, where it has opened a new branch every eight working
days. Nordea, the Nordic region’s biggest bank by value, saw an
improvement in trouble spots in Denmark and shipping.

STOCKHOLM, April 23 (Reuters) – Swedish banks Swedbank
and SEB said they expect demand for loans
to stay weak for some time yet with customers remaining
constrained by global economic instability.

Still, the Swedish banks topped analyst forecasts for income
from core lending activities, boosted capital buffers and had
healthy profitability in the quarter, showing they remain in
good shape to weather tough market conditions.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The Swedish co-founder of Russia’s biggest classifieds website Avito expects it to more than double revenues this year, proving smaller players can take a lead in an industry dominated by heavyweights like eBay and Craigslist.

Jonas Nordlander’s latest start-up, launched in 2007, ranks with Craigslist in the United States and China’s 58.com with its 40 million unique monthly visitors, and its rapid rise has already attracted investor interest.

STOCKHOLM, April 18 (Reuters) – Swedish telecoms firm Tele2
is on the look-out for acquisitions in Europe and
Eurasia after the recent sale of its Russian business for $3.5
billion, its chief executive said on Thursday.

Tele2 has already set ambitious growth targets for its
remaining operations, the biggest being in Sweden, Norway, the
Netherlands and Kazakhstan, but Mats Granryd said the company’s
strong balance sheet now gives it the opportunity to buy
additional growth.