Sweden votes in Magdalena Andersson as first female PM

Magdalena Andersson has been approved by Sweden's parliament as the country's first ever female prime minister, after replacing Stefan Lofven as leader of the centre-left Social Democrats. Sweden is the only Nordic country never to have elected a woman as national leader before. Ms Andersson, who's currently finance minister, did not win Wednesday's vote. However, she was elected because under Swedish law she only needed a majority of MPs not to vote against her. A hundred years after Swedish women were given the vote, the 54-year-old Social Democrat leader was given a standing ovation by sections of the parliament, or Riksdag. Her election at the head of a minority government followed an 11th-hour deal with the opposition Left party, in exchange for higher pensions for many Swedes. She also secured the support of coalition partner the Greens as well as the Centre party. Of the 349 members of the Riksdag, 174 voted against her. But on top of the 117 MPs who backed Ms Andersson, a further 57 abstained, giving her victory by a single vote.