Germany stun Portugal to advance to semis

A transformed Germany marched into the Euro 2008 semifinals after Portugal pressed the self-destruct button in a five-goal thriller in Basel on Thursday.

Stockholm club and concert guide: June 19 – 25

Stockholm club and concert tips from Kalendarium (Click links for more information)

Peacekeepers die in Bosnia chopper crash

Two German and two Spanish members of the EU peacekeeping force in Bosnia died when their helicopter crashed in the central part of the country, the Spanish Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

German petrol prices hover near record highs

Gasoline prices will remain just below record highs as prime vacation time begins in the German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, the Hamburg energy information service EID reported on Thursday.

Pirate Party to take Sweden to European court

Sweden's Pirate Party has said it will take the country to the European Court of Human Rights in a bid to overturn a far-reaching eavesdropping law passed by the Riksdag on Wednesday evening.

Berlin Mitte goes Bilbao

Is downtown Berlin the next Bilbao? Daniel Miller reports on plans for a massive creative development at the heart of Germany’s capital including a modern art museum rivalling Frank Gehry’s flashy Guggenheim.

Lidl store manager faces jail in Greece for mouse in beer bottle

A manager at German-owned discount chain Lidl was sentenced by a Greek court Thursday to 10 months in prison after a customer found a mouse in his beer bottle, a judicial official said.

Trollhättan plant nabs Saab 9-3

The next generation of Saab 9-3 cars is to be built in Trollhättan in western Sweden.

Germany jails Iraqi for al-Qaida recruiting

A German court jailed an Iraqi man Thursday for three years for distributing al-Qaida propaganda on the internet in a landmark case on recruiting for extremist groups.

Speedy German woman steals police radar camera

A German woman was caught stealing a police speed radar unit after it snapped her racing by in the German state of Hesse, police reported on Thursday.

Former Guantanamo prisoner deported

A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner from China is to be deported from Sweden, according to a decision by the Swedish Migration Board.

France Telecom mulls higher cash bid for TeliaSonera

France Telecom said on Thursday it had opened talks about whether to enter formal negotiations with TeliaSonera and could sweeten its indicative $41 billion bid for the

Sweden refuses fixed timetable to solve EU treaty crisis

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt rejected Thursday the immediate setting of any fixed timetable for dealing with Ireland's "no" vote on the EU's reform treaty.

EU approves EON bid for Viesgo and parts of Endes

The EU's competition watchdog on Thursday approved a bid by German energy group EON for Viesgo, a Spanish affiliate of Italian energy group ENEL, and parts of Spanish rival Endesa.

Men seek help for female sex abuse

More and more men are seeking professional help to assist them in coming to terms with the sexual abuse they have experienced at the hands of women.

Politician resigns over ‘naked Jesus’ exhibition

A local Moderate Party politician has resigned over the upcoming 'Ecce Homo' exhibition in Örnsköldsvik, northern Sweden.

19-year-old gets ten years for Mora murder

A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to ten years for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in Mora last March.

Nick Hornby prefers reading to Germans

Star British author and essayist Nick Hornby says he prefers reading his work to Germans over his countrymen in Britain, according to UK daily The Times on Thursday.

Most Germans think EU reform should go on without Ireland

Just 25 percent of Germans believe the EU should let Ireland's failure to approve the Lisbon Treaty stop the EU reform momentum, according to a recent poll released by pollster Forsa for German broadaster N-TV.

What’s on in Germany: June 19-25

Merkel says Lisbon Treaty must be approved by all EU states

German Chancellor Angela Merkel dismissed Thursday talk of a "two-speed" European Union, saying the Lisbon Treaty rejected by Irish voters must be approved by all 27 members - and soon.

Two dead in plane crash

Two people died when a small plane crashed during take off in Östersund in northern Sweden on Wednesday night.

Scientists develop helmet to control toy cars via brain waves

German scientists in Braunschweig have developed a helmet that can control model cars using only brain waves, opening exciting new possibilities for people with physical disabilities.

Sweden fails to evaluate language courses

In the forty years since Sweden first began offering courses in Swedish for Immigrants (Svenska för Invandrare - SFI), no government has evaluated the effects of the language courses despite being obliged by law to do so.

Termites attack German base on Afghan border

Pilots supporting NATO's battle with the Taliban from a German airbase just north of Afghanistan are facing a new and dangerous enemy: termites.

Hamburg airport faces delays amid Lufthansa strike

A limited strike by Lufthansa personnel is likely to cause check-in delays at Hamburg’s Fuhlsbüttel airport on Thursday.