Gotland

Having to defend Gotland against a foreign invasion seemed such a far-fetched notion to Swedish decision-makers at the start of the century that they demilitarized the Baltic Sea island.

Now, the Swedish Armed Forces are back, and they are practicing with U.S. troops not just how to defend the island with a population of 58,000, but how to take it back from a foreign aggressor.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) hosts a two-day tribute to Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman this weekend, in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy in Greece.

The Swedish center-left minority government announced today that it has reached an agreement with two opposition parties to increase defense spending by a total of 8.1 billion kronor ($ 1 billion) over the next three years, Reuters reported.

Sweden plans to station troops on the strategic Baltic island of Gotland, as Russia has increased its military activity in the region.

Permanent military presence has been absent from Gotland, which is Sweden's largest island, for a period of ten years, the Financial Times reports.

Bulgaria's The Lesson won the prestigious Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award at the renowned Göteborg Film Festival. Local cinema lovers will also have the opportunity to see it as a part of the Sofia International Film Festival.