Rwandan arrested on genocide charges
Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that a former Rwandan mayor had been arrested a second time in Germany for his alleged involvement in the country's 1994 genocide.
Day: December 23, 2008
Germany
Germany
The Local’s Christmas quiz
As 2008 slowly winds down, it's time for The Local's first annual Christmas quiz.
Germany
German Navy joins hunt for pirates off Africa
The German Navy frigate “Karlsruhe” set sail on Tuesday from Djibouti to take part in an EU-led anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa. The waters in the region have been plagued by increasingly daring attacks by pirates, mostly from Somalia.
Germany
Couple held in Passau neo-Nazi knife attack released
A 22-year-old woman and her 33-year-old husband who were arrested under suspicion of involvement in a knife attack with far-right overtones on a police chief in Passau were released on Tuesday. Police have no new leads in the case.
Germany
Pensioner stuck in parking spot leaves path of destruction
Despite getting help from a police officer, an elderly woman left a path of destruction after she panicked while pulling out of a parking space. She damaged half a dozen cars, a street lamp, and more, police in Schleswig–Holstein reported on Tuesday.
Germany
German states asked to decide on projects for new stimulus package
German state officials agreed on Tuesday to have concrete proposals ready in early January for a new economic stimulus package. The plan, which could total up to €40 billion, will target infrastructure projects.
Sweden
The Local’s bumper Christmas quiz
As 2008 slowly goes the way of the dodo, it's time once again for The Local's annual Christmas quiz.
Sweden
Prison for sex buyer blackmailers
Three men have been imprisoned for the robbery and blackmail of men looking to buy sex from teenage girls over the internet. The men posed as young girls on chat sites to lure the unsuspecting would-be clients into their scam.
Sweden
Christmas shoppers to boost flagging clothing sales
Clothing retail sales in Sweden are set to decline by 5 percent in December and zero growth is forecast for 2009, according to a new forecast.
Sweden
EU court orders compensation for satellite dish eviction
The Swedish state has been ordered to pay compensation to a couple in Västerås by the European Court of Human Rights after they were evicted from their Stockholm flat over a satellite dish dispute.
Germany
Gabriel rejects stimulus ‘orgy’ for roadwork
German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Tuesday warned against making a new government stimulus package into an “orgy” of construction work on the country’s roads.
Sweden
Raunchy Swedish bible falls foul of US sensitivities
A Swedish modern version of the bible has caused a storm after its launch in the United States. Sexy pictures and men kissing were not deemed suitable material for the US market and have been removed.
Germany
Hitler poo painter shocks with new semen artwork
Still looking for that perfect last-minute Christmas present? A German artist who gained notoriety for painting a picture of Hitler with his own poo has set out to shock Germany with a new exhibition of art made from semen.
Germany
Firework truck in flames blocks A9 motorway
A truck laden with fireworks for New Year’s celebrations went up in flames on Tuesday morning, temporarily closing the A9 motorway in Bavaria between Munich and Nuremberg.
Sweden
Green party leaders to resign after election
The leaders of the Swedish Green party have confirmed that they intend to step down only a year after the next general election, in 2011.
Sweden
Lower food prices to give consumer boost
Hard-pressed Swedish consumers are set to benefit from lower prices for basic food items such as bread and milk in 2009, retailers forecast. The falling Swedish krona could make imported items more expensive however.
Germany
Premiere pay TV unveils €450-million capital increase
The German pay-TV channel Premiere will proceed with a capital increase of €450 million ($630 million) to obtain credits essential for its survival, the group said on Tuesday.
Sweden
Doctor keeps licence after oral sex with patient
A 44-year-old doctor who performed oral sex on a male patient at a Stockholm hospital in 2007 has been allowed to keep his licence. The doctor has instead been given three years probation by the Stockholm Medical Responsibility Board (HSAN).
Sweden
Do you know who I am?
When the Swedish tabloids appear more interested in the celebrities of London and Hollywood than their own home-grown offerings, is it any wonder that we foreigners can find it hard to learn who's who in Sweden, asks Ben Kersley.
Sweden
Pirate Bay backer caught in Liechtenstein tax probe
Carl Lundström, one of four men awaiting trial for involvement with file sharing site The Pirate Bay, is among a dozen Swedes at the heart of a tax authorities investigation into funds stashed in a bank trust in Lilliput tax haven Liechtenstein.
Sweden
Fire service under attack in Stockholm
Fire and rescue services came under attack from stone-throwing youths in Tensta in north west Stockholm on Monday evening.
Sweden
Migration Board ‘putting pressure on deportees’
Sweden's Migration Board has come under fire for allegedly pressuring candidates for deportation to sign agreements obliging them to leave the country rather than appeal their cases.
Germany
Wintry weather could bring white Christmas
A blast of Polar air from Russia expected to cause temperatures to drop over the holidays has improved the chances for a white Christmas in some parts of Germany, according to the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach.
Germany
Deutsche Telekom partners with Vodafone for high-speed internet
German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom is to join forces with British rival Vodafone to develop a fiber optic network for high-speed internet access, a senior Deutsche Telekom official said on Tuesday.
Germany
Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt turns 90
Helmut Schmidt, the chain-smoking former German chancellor who is enjoying a revival of popularity after being kicked out of office more than 25 years ago, turns 90 on Tuesday. But while he's being lionized by the media, Schmidt would rather just be left alone.