German industrial output jumps 3.7 percent
Roaring auto output pushed German industrial production higher in May by the biggest margin since August 1993, official data showed Wednesday, signalling the country's deep recession might be near an end.
Day: July 8, 2009
Germany
Sweden
Heavy Baltic rains heading for Sweden
A powerful low-pressure system currently racing north across the Baltic Sea is expected to sweep over Sweden late on Wednesday night and into Thursday, bringing with it torrential rains and chilly temperatures.
Germany
Divorce rate on the rise
The number of marriages that ended in divorce is up 3 percent from last year, according to the latest numbers released by the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis) on Wednesday. The German state of Saarland had the highest rate of divorce.
Sweden
Outrage over 14-year- old’s nipple piercing
The mother of a Swedish teenager is fuming at the ease with which her daughter was able to get her nipple pierced, sparking calls for the introduction of age limits on piercing in Sweden.
Sweden
British journalist fishes for the real Sweden
British author Andrew Brown talks to James Savage about living in Sweden in the seventies, fishing, and how immigration has changed the country.
Germany
Berlin denies delayed response to Egyptian woman’s death
The German government has defended its delayed reaction to the stabbing of a pregnant Egyptian woman in a Dresden courtroom on July 1. Her murder has sparked ongoing protests in Egypt.
Germany
Alcohol abuse spikes for Germans over 50
Incidents of alcohol poisoning and abuse among people between 50 and 60 years of age have risen in states across Germany, health insurer DAK confirmed on Wednesday.
Germany
Thieves steal thousands of blank passports in Berlin
Thousands of blank travel documents, stamps and official seals from the offices of four Berlin district administrative offices have been stolen, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported this week.
Germany
EU fines German energy giant Eon €553 million
European Union regulators waded into the energy sector Wednesday, fining Germany's Eon and France's GDF Suez a total of more than a billion euros for agreeing to stay out of each other's markets.
Sweden
Sweden’s biggest nuke plant under observation
Nuclear officials ruled on Wednesday to place the Ringhals plant in southwestern Sweden under observation following several recent incidents that risk jeopardizing security.
Sweden
Ericsson signs two major deals in China
Swedish telecoms equipment provider Ericsson has inked deals with two Chinese mobile operators worth $1.7 billion.
Sweden
From Britpop to India with Maia Hirasawa
When she graduated from high school, Maia Hirasawa never imagined that she would make a career out of music. Now a decade later, the 29-year-old Swedish-Japanese musician has carved out a space for herself on the Swedish music scene.
Germany
More than 10,000 firms already went bust in 2009
More than 10,000 companies declared insolvency in Germany between January and April this year, official data showed Wednesday, as the global economic crisis hits Europe's top economy harder than most.
Sweden
Swedish arms maker battles for lost contract
Controversy mounted on Wednesday following the Swedish military’s recent decision to pass over a Swedish supplier of armoured transport vehicles in favour of a Finnish company.
Germany
Police target FC St. Pauli fans in ‘unacceptable’ pub raid
FC St. Pauli has asked Hamburg authorities to clarify a rough police operation on Saturday at a packed fan pub, magazine Der Spiegel reported on Wednesday. Fans have announced a demonstration set for Friday.
Germany
Looking for the Kreuzberg Romani
When a group of Roma and Sinti started camping out in Görlitzer Park in Kreuzberg at the end of May, media chaos broke out. Leftists took them in, then turned them over to a church; the church turned them out and the authorities dithered helplessly before finally putting them in temporary accommodation in Spandau.
Germany
Knut to stay at Berlin Zoo
The bitter custody battle over the fate of the perennially popular polar bear Knut has reached an end. Knut will remain in Berlin indefinitely, the Berlin Zoo and Neumünster Zoo confirmed on Tuesday.
Sweden
Vattenfall suffers German nuclear setback
Swedish energy company Vattenfall has been rocked by news that one of its nuclear power stations in Germany is to be taken out of operation for almost a year following a safety scare at the weekend.
Sweden
Ball bearing giant bucks French resistance
Swedish firm SKF, the world's largest manufacturer of ball bearings, has shrugged off a local politician's vocal press criticism and is pushing ahead with plans to shut down a factory in France.
Germany
Drunk badger blocks traffic
Road kill reported by a driver in the German state of Lower Saxony turned out to be a drunk badger taking a nap, police in Goslar reported on Wednesday morning.
Sweden
Renters in Sweden struggle to make ends meet
Sweden’s renters are having a tougher time meeting their monthly obligations, resulting in increased evictions as well as applications for housing assistance payments.
Germany
Cyclist Schumacher’s doping confirmed with B sample
The positive test of German cyclist Stefan Schumacher for EPO Cera during last year's Olympic Games has been confirmed by the B sample, his lawyer Michael Lehner said on Tuesday.
Germany
Krümmel nuclear plant won’t resume until 2010
A German nuclear power station that underwent an "emergency shutdown" at the weekend will remain offline until April or May 2010 while repairs are carried out, its Swedish operator has said.
Sweden
Injury could sideline Sweden’s Klüft from worlds
Swedish track and field star Carolina Klüft may not be able to compete in next month's world athletics championships in Berlin, her coach said on Tuesday.
Sweden
Sweden fifth best country for trade: report
Sweden has been ranked the fifth most trade-friendly country in the world, according to a new report.