H&M, the fast fashion chain from Sweden, is saying shalom to Israel.

The retailer announced today that it had entered into an agreement with Match Retail Ltd to open stores in Israel.

H&M Chief Executive Rolf Eriksen said in the statement reported on Reuters,: “There has been a great interest in H&M from the Israeli market for quite some time and we believe that our business concept will suit the Israeli market well.”

“Through this co-operation we will gain access to our franchise partner’s solid franchise experience and business network on the Israeli market.”

The first H&M store in Israel is planned for 2010.

More than 35 young women wearing tight trousers were arrested in South Sudan for disturbing the peace, senior police officials said on Tuesday. The arrests in Juba, the capital of semiautonomous South Sudan, were part of a campaign against youth gangs, the authorities said. The women were arrested on Sunday night but were released without charge on Monday. Many Juba residents reacted angrily to the arrests. “We saw about 30 girls in two trucks piled up like animals,” said Nok Duany, a civil servant.

via NYT