Gabriel hails new global energy agency
Germany said on Wednesday it expected more than 100 countries to attend a major conference in Bonn next Monday to establish a new international agency promoting renewable energy.
Day: January 21, 2009
Germany
Sweden
Management by consensus – the Swedish way
Swedish managers are typically supposed to be consensual, non-hierarchical and informal. How far does the stereotype match reality, asks Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute.
Sweden
Teen flees ahead of scheduled deportation to Croatia
A 17-year-old girl from Karlshamn in southern Sweden set to be expelled from the country following a controversial decision has disappeared ahead of her scheduled deportation.
Sweden
Diplomatic life caught on camera
Sweden's foreign ministry has characterized as unfair national public broadcaster SVT's depiction of the country's overseas diplomatic missions in a new series of documentaries.
Germany
Introducing…Dieter Bohlen
Introducing…is The Local's guide to the fabulous world of b-list German celebrity. With the new season of Germany’s version of Pop Idol starting on Wednesday night, there’s no better Teutonic star to feature first than music producer Dieter Bohlen.
Sweden
Swedish national library in child porn scandal
Sweden’s legacy of lax attitudes toward pornography has come back to haunt the country’s national library, which has been found to have large quantities of child pornography in its collection.
Sweden
Laid back lifestyle lessens dementia risk: Swedish study
A laid back outlook, combined with an active lifestyle and outgoing personality may contribute to warding off the onset of dementia, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm have found.
Sweden
Stenvall murder suspect could face jail
State psychiatric experts have found that Toni Alldén, 51, the man suspected of the murder of 29-year-old Carolin Stenvall, was not mentally ill at the time of her death and may be sentenced to imprisonment if convicted.
Germany
Deutsche Bahn spied on its own managers
Deutsche Bahn representatives are likely to be called before a parliamentary committee to explain to MPs why it was spying on more than 1,000 of its workers, including much of the top management.
Germany
Berlin expecting worst post-war recession
Berlin forecast on Wednesday that Germany will suffer its deepest post-war recession this year just as Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet chewed over a historic rescue package aimed at boosting the economy.
Germany
Pensioner who pushed teen into Munich metro train jailed
A 70-year-old man who pushed a 13-year-old girl into a travelling underground train in Munich has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for aggravated battery.
Sweden
‘Voodoo pimp’ has sentence reduced
A 36-year-old woman who used voodoo rituals to exercise control over prosititutes in the Gothenburg area has had her sentenced reduced to one year by the Court of Appeal.
Germany
Germany welcomes first step to close Guantanamo Bay prison
Germany on Wednesday hailed Barack Obama's decision to kick off his presidency by taking the first step to closing the notorious terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay, but politicians in Berlin were still unable to agree on whether to accept inmates.
Germany
Herbal incense drug Spice banned
The herbal incense mixture Spice, which has become a new favourite smoking drug for young Germans looking for a legal high, will be banned this week, the government announced on Wednesday.
Sweden
Sweden to allow gay marriage in May
Three of the parties in the four-party governing coalition have tabled a motion that is expected to pave the way for gay marriage in Sweden from May 1st this year.
Germany
Illusionist nearly drowns in failed trick on Uri Geller show
A wannabe illusionist nearly drowned live on television on Tuesday night after trying to win the “The next Uri Geller” show.
Germany
Müntefering: Obama will be ‘demanding’
Franz Müntefering, head of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), said on Tuesday new US President Barack Obama will likely place difficult demands on America’s partners in Germany and Europe.
Germany
HRE bank gets €12 bln more in guarantees
The German state will provide another €12 billion ($15 billion) in guarantees to struggling Hypo Real Estate bank, bringing the total to €42 billion, HRE announced late Tuesday evening.
Germany
Brandenburg woman missing for 12 years found in Swiss woods
A woman who went missing from her home in the eastern German state of Brandenburg 12 years ago has been found living in the woods near the Swiss capital Bern.
Germany
Ex-White House chef served double portions to Helmut Kohl
Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl has never been known for being shy at meal time, but now ex-White House chef Walter Scheib has told Gala magazine he was fed double portions to keep him happy while visiting Washington.
Sweden
Layoffs at Ericsson despite strong profits
Swedish telecom giant Ericsson announced it would cut 5,000 jobs, including 1,000 in Sweden, despite reporting an unexpectedly strong net profit of 3.9 billion kronor ($463 million) for the fourth quarter of 2008.
Sweden
Fewer expectant mothers report drinking while pregnant
Fewer than one in ten pregnant women in Sweden report drinking alcohol when asked by maternity clinics, a new survey shows.
Sweden
Hong Kong firm wins contract to operate Stockholm’s subway
Stockholm Public Transport (SL) on Tuesday announced that a €1.9 billion ($2.45 billion) eight-year contract to run the Stockholm Metro had been awarded to Hong Kong's subway operator, MTR.