Russia returns looted church windows
Russia on Monday returned precious 700-year-old stained glass windows to a Frankfurt an der Oder church that were seized by the Soviet army at the end of World War II.
Day: November 17, 2008
Germany
Sweden
Indonesian girl, 16, missing in Sweden
Police in Sundsvall have issued a nationwide alert for a 16-year-old Indonesian girl who has been missing since Saturday afternoon.
Germany
Soldiers attacked twice in Afghanistan
Four German soldiers were injured on Monday in an insurgent attack as another soldier injured on Sunday was being transported back to the country for treatment.
Germany
Find Germany’s Obama? Yes we Cem!
An overwhelming majority of Germans might adore US president-elect Barack Obama, but they're unlikely to vote for a comparable politician in their own backyard any time soon, argues The Local's Marc Young.
Germany
One-third of German kids not read to at home
Some 37 percent of German children are not read to in their homes, according to a Berlin study released Monday, contradicting reports from parents.
Sweden
Employment figures continue to fall
So far in November 8,385 people have been told they will lose their jobs, according to preliminary figures from the Swedish Public Employment Agency (Arbetsförmedlingen).
Sweden
Swedish boy collapses after 20-hour World of Warcraft binge
A 15-year-old boy from western Sweden collapsed and went into convulsions on Sunday afternoon after playing the World of Warcraft computer game for 20 hours straight.
Germany
German cyclist Sinkewitz announces January comeback
German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz, who admitted to doping last year, announced plans on Monday to make his comeback in January at the Tour of Majorca riding for Team PSK Whirlpool.
Germany
Doc claims southern Germans smarter than northerners
A German military doctor said on Monday that data from a decade of giving intelligence tests to young enlisted men shows that southern-born Germans are smarter than their northerners.
Sweden
The Lowdown: Quality Swedish beer
Sweden is not a country renowned for its beers. But when Darren Packman has a nose around, he finds there's more to the country's brewers than meets the gut on a typical night out.
Germany
EU industry groups call for coordinated economic action
A round table of 47 leading European industrial groups called on Monday for urgent political action, in particular from Germany, in response to what it termed an "extremely dangerous" economic crisis.
Sweden
Albanian murder suspect siblings to stay in Sweden
Swedish prosecutors have elected not to extradite two siblings suspected of carrying out several murders in Albania because of concerns that their safety can’t be guaranteed.
Germany
Hypo Real Estate expects heavy charges
German property lender Hypo Real Estate expects to suffer heavy charges in 2009 after flirting with bankruptcy this year, the bank said in a statement on Monday.
Sweden
Gamla Stan gets high marks in National Geographic ranking
Stockholm’s historic district of Gamla Stan has been named by National Geographic Traveler magazine as among the world’s ten most authentic and well-managed historic tourist destinations.
Germany
Season’s first grey seal pups born on Helgoland
The season’s first grey seal pups have been born on the dunes of the North Sea island Helgoland, animal experts reported on Monday.
Germany
Left party MP backs off wikipedia.de ban
Lutz Heilmann, a German MP from the hard-line socialist Left party, has retracted his injunction against wikipedia.de after his legal action stirred up widespread criticism while the website was blocked over the weekend.
Germany
The best of Berlin in November
Exberliner, the German capital's leading English-language magazine, this month picks the best places to buy hard-to-find mags, have a nice cup of tea to fight the cold German winter, or get your hair cut in style.
Sweden
Borg warns of looming recession in Sweden
Sweden's finance minister Anders Borg warned on Monday that the country may be headed toward a recession, while also saying the government is considering other ways to get banks to join its state-sponsored lending programme.
Sweden
Demonstrators honour Stockholm’s ‘Romario’
A large crowd gathered in central Stockholm on Sunday for a demonstration in honour of Ahmed "Romario" Ibrahim Ali, a 23-year-old footballer stabbed to death in a Stockholm suburb last month.
Germany
Löw to lay down the law ahead of England friendly
Germany coach Joachim Löw will on Monday lay down the law to his players after last month's public spat with captain Michael Ballack, as his side prepares for its Berlin friendly against England.
Sweden
‘Too many doctors can’t speak Swedish’
Doctors in Sweden from other European Union countries don’t speak Swedish well enough, according to patients and other healthcare personnel.
Germany
New teen drug trend has officials worried
Officials are worried about a new recreational drug trend among Berlin youths called "Spice" that could lead to permanent physical damage, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported on Monday.
Germany
Steinbrück rejects auto industry rescue plan
German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück has rejected a financial rescue package for the country’s ailing auto sector on Monday ahead of an emergency meeting about automaker Opel’s dire financial state.
Sweden
Transvestism ‘no longer a disease’ in Sweden
Transvestism, along with six other sexual behaviours, will be struck from Sweden’s official list of medical diagnoses starting on January 1st, 2009.
Germany
Rwandan president says aide arrest shows ‘contempt’
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Monday that Germany and Europe had shown "total contempt" for his country by arresting one of his key aides suspected of involvement in the death of a former ruler.
Sweden
Swede beats tax agency in landmark gambling case
A poker player from Sweden has won an important decision against the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket), freeing him from paying taxes on a portion of his online poker winnings.