Stockholm - The incoming chairman of the Stockholm-based Carnegie Investment Bank AB taken over by the Swedish state on Tuesday expressed "confidence" in the bank's current management.

Carnegie lost its operating license on Monday, and was taken over Swedish National Debt Office after the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) criticized the bank on several points including failing to amend faults in its oversight procedures, and giving large loans to a single client.

Stockholm - Threatened Italian author Roberto Saviano and British-Indian author Salman Rushdie have accepted invitations to lecture at the Swedish Academy, the body that selects the Nobel literature prize said Tuesday.

Saviano and Rushdie were to speak November 25 on the theme "Freedom of speech and lawless violence."

The academy extended the invitations last month.

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

Iran's religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 issued a death threat against Rushdie over his novel The Satanic Verses.

Stockholm - Stockholm-based Carnegie Investment Bank AB lost its operating license Monday and has been taken over by the Swedish National Debt Office.

The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) on Monday said Carnegie during a long period of time had taken "exceptional risks" by giving large loans to a single client.

Carnegie has been under review by the financial watchdog since it recently disclosed a writedown of 1 billion kronor (126 million dollars) over "an individual credit commitment" in its third-quarter report.

Stockholm - An Anglican bishop from Zimbabwe on Monday expressed grave concern over the situation in his country, sentiments that were echoed by a Swedish cabinet minister.

"It is like a war, in the sense that there is total absence of peace," Bishop Sebastian Bakare told Swedish radio news.

Bakare was in Sweden to accept the Per Anger Prize, a human rights prize for his efforts at fighting oppression.

Stockholm  - Stockholm-based Carnegie Investment Bank AB on Monday unveiled plans to issue new shares worth 1.2 billion kronor (151 million dollars).

The announcement came shortly the board of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) was to meet to decide on possible sanctions against Carnegie.

Carnegie has been under review after it disclosed a writedown of 1 billion kronor over "an individual credit commitment" in its recent third-quarter report.

The new issue consisted of two parts of which 400 million kronor was for a new shareholder and the rest to current owners, the investment bank said.

The new issue hinged on Carnegie keeping its licences to operate.

Stockholm - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt held talks Friday with visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Bildt said he welcomed the joint declaration this week by the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to seek a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, referring to the breakaway region claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan.