Steinbrück pooh-poohs US call for stimulus
German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück resisted on Monday a US call on governments worldwide to pump more taxpayer money into their faltering economies.
Day: March 9, 2009
Germany
Sweden
Swedish dads could lose out under EU plans
An EU proposal intended to improve rights to maternity leave could lead to Swedish fathers losing out, ministers have said.
Germany
Commerzbank pumps €4 billion into Dresdner
Germany's second largest bank, Commerzbank, will pump €4 billion ($5 billion) into recently acquired Dresdner Bank, a spokesman said on Monday.
Germany
Cops end granny’s roundabout race
An 62-year-old Braunschweig driver was stopped after circling a roundabout more than 50 times to “break in” her new vehicle, police in the German state of Lower Saxony reported on Monday.
Sweden
Investor boss gets big pay packet
The chief executive of Investor, the holding company of the Wallenberg family, received a pay packet worth 15.4 million kronor for 2008, despite the company posting a loss of 37 billion kronor.
Germany
First school for Muslim imams to open in Berlin
Germany’s first private institute for the education of Muslim Imams will open soon in Berlin’s Karlshorst neighbourhood.
Sweden
Doctor in baby death case released
A paediatrician arrested last week on suspicion of killing a baby has been released, according to a court service spokesperson.
Germany
Say brother, can you spare a billion?
In the latest dispatch of Portnoy’s Stammtisch, The Local’s column about life in Germany, Portnoy explains why carmaker Opel deserves to be bailed out – but other Teutonic firms don’t.
Sweden
Ex-cop charged for ‘neglecting’ to return evidence
A former Gothenburg-area police officer was charged on Monday for having pilfered several pieces of police evidence and taking out a loan in another person’s name.
Germany
Lufthansa cabin crew back wage row strike
The majority of cabin personnel for German airline Lufthansa have voted to strike indefinitely in an ongoing wage dispute, their union announced on Monday.
Germany
Police arrest 19-year-old in Michelle murder case
A 19-year-old has been arrested after turning himself into police for the murder of 8-year-old Leipzig girl Michelle, the Leipziger Volkszeitung reported on Monday.
Sweden
Sweden ‘anti-Semitic’ for tennis fan ban
Sweden has been accused of anti-Semitism in a leading Israeli newspaper, following the weekend's Davis Cup tennis match between Israel and Sweden, which was held behind closed doors in Malmö.
Germany
‘Swiss Gigolo’ jailed for blackmailing heiress
A smooth-talking con man known as the "Swiss Gigolo" was jailed for six years on Monday for blackmailing a string of super-rich lovers, including Germany's richest woman – BMW heiress Susanne Klatten.
Sweden
Eating fish makes teenage boys smarter: Swedish study
Teenage boys who eat fish at least once a week score higher on intelligence tests, according to a Swedish study.
Sweden
Man with snake around his neck arrested in Malmö
Police in Malmö arrested a drunken man who was wandering around the city with a massive snake draped around his neck.
Germany
Dead infant found in Berlin clothing donation container
A German Red Cross worker found a dead baby in a Berlin clothing donation container on Monday morning, daily Berliner Zeitung reported.
Sweden
England’s Pavey hopes to pave the way for AIK
With play in Sweden’s top football league, the Allsvenskan, less than a month away, The Local’s Keith Moore hears from AIK’s English midfielder Kenny Pavey about how he ended up playing for one of Sweden's most notorious football clubs.
Germany
New car buyers allowed to reserve scrapping premium
Those who buy new cars with long delivery times can still take advantage of Germany's auto “scrap premium,” or Abwrackprämie by reserving the subsidy before the alloted government funds run out, the Economy Ministry said on Monday.
Sweden
Swedbank ditches shareholder dividends
Swedbank has decided not to pay dividends to shareholders amidst ownership changes resulting in a state-owned credit agency become one of the bank’s major owners.
Sweden
Metallica lead singer hospitalized in Stockholm
The lead singer of Metallica was taken to hospital in Stockholm on Sunday with a suspected case of food poisoning, forcing the popular heavy metal to cancel the evening’s concert.
Germany
Conservatives attack Merkel’s leadership
Sliding opinion poll ratings are putting German Chancellor Angela Merkel under growing pressure, as her senior conservative allies call for clearer leadership six months before a general election.
Germany
The best of Berlin in March
This month Exberliner, Berlin's leading English-language magazine, picks the best places to show off your Wii moves, hang out with the cool crowd in Mitte and play bingo with a twist.
Germany
Jung headed to Afghanistan
Germany's defence minister will visit Uzbekistan on Monday before heading to Afghanistan where Berlin has one of the largest contingents in NATO-led operations, the ministry said.
Sweden
‘Baby bonus’ would pay Swedish parents to have children
In an effort to boost Sweden’s birthrate, the Christian Democrats are considering a proposal that would pay families 10,000 kronor ($1,085) for every newborn child.
Sweden
Sweden looks to toughen conditions for development aid
Dismay over the how several United Nations (UN) organizations have used development aid from Sweden has led the government to propose tougher conditions for allowing aid groups to receive Swedish funding.
Germany
Rescuers still searching for buried student
Rescue workers continued their search overnight for a young man who was buried last week when Cologne’s historical archive collapsed, authorities said on Monday.
Sweden
Sweden’s Davis Cup hopes dashed by Israel
Israel defeated Sweden 3-2 in a tight Davis Cup match at the weekend in Malmö, advancing to the quarter-finals for only the second time despite a nearly empty stadium and a hoards hostile demonstrators outside.