Nazi camp guard Demjanjuk to stand trial
A German court said on Monday that 89-year-old former death camp guard John Demjanjuk will be tried for "complicity to murder" 27,900 people, in what could be one of the last cases of its kind.
Day: July 13, 2009
Germany
Germany
Schlager fans party away Hamburg’s grey skies
Schlager, Germany’s own particular brand of schmaltzy pop music, faces plenty of public ridicule. But as Jeff Kavanagh reports, that doesn’t stop thousands from celebrating its cheesy, good-time vibes each year in Hamburg.
Germany
‘I don’t know of a cow named Merkel’
The Dresden Zoo renamed a primate they had called “Obama” in response to charges of racial insensitivity by the Initiative for Black Germans (ISD) last week. The Local spoke with the group’s director about why the zoo’s response still isn’t good enough.
Germany
Initiative launches €400-billion African solar power project
Twelve companies on Monday launched a €400-billion ($560-billion) German-led initiative to set up huge solar farms in Africa and the Middle East to produce energy for Europe.
Sweden
Poster exhibition portrays glory days of ‘progg’
The Local's Lydia Parafianowicz chats with Swedish musician Håkan Agnsäter, who has loaned out his auspicious poster collection to the Nordic Museum in Stockholm.
Sweden
Spies, lies and Swedish ties
The Local's Laura Xiao meets Stockholm-based novelist Jeremy Duns to catch up on the recent publication of the first part of a thrilling new Cold War trilogy.
Sweden
Dam nears breaking point in central Sweden
Rescue services and volunteers are working hand over fist to stem the growing risk of a dam breaking in Säter in central Sweden as water levels continue to rise in the wake of weekend downpours.
Germany
Dutch using German scrapping bonus to scam insurers
Fraudulent claims on scrap cars from Germany have gleaned millions of euros in the Netherlands, and some of the vehicles are coming from the popular Abwrackprämie, or car scrapping premium, Dutch paper De Telegraaf reported on Monday.
Germany
Belgian and Chinese interest muddies race for Opel
Speculation swirled around the troubled German automaker Opel on Monday, with conflicting news about an offer by Beijing-based auto group BAIC and a new overture by Belgium-based investor RHJ International.
Sweden
Couple dubbed racists in son’s health records
A woman has reported a hospital in western Sweden to national authorities after discovering she and her husband had been described as racists in their son's medical records.
Sweden
Breakthrough in Malmö skimming scandal
The number of credit cards hijacked at petrol stations in Malmö continues to grow, but investigators believe they are on the verge of a breakthrough in the case.
Sweden
Low IQ does not kill: Swedish study
Previous research has shown a connection between low intelligence and increased risk of premature death. But a new Swedish study reveals that the connection becomes non-existent when individual lifestyle factors are taken into account, reported Upsala Nya Tidning newspaper.
Sweden
Father of four held wife and kids captive
A father of four is Uppsala is suspected of keeping his children, currently between the ages of 16 and 22, home from school their entire lives. The children and the man's wife are also alleged to have been illegally imprisoned in their home, reported Upsala Nya Tidning (UNT) newspaper.
Germany
Chef blows off hands dabbling in ‘molecular gastronomy’
An experimental German chef accidentally blew off both his hands attempting to concoct a "molecular gastronomy" dish with liquid nitrogen, a newspaper report said on Monday.
Germany
German-Pakistani jailed for eight years for al Qaida ties
A German-Pakistani man believed to be a member of al Qaida was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday for financially supporting the Islamist terrorist network.
Sweden
Alcohol abuse on the rise for Swedish women
Alcohol abuse among Swedish women is on the rise, with women over the age of 65 accounting for the most dramatic increase, according to new figures.
Sweden
Wave of reported gunfire in Halmstad
Police suspect a local, criminal gang of being behind a recent wave of gunfire in Halmstad in southwestern Sweden. On Sunday night, a young man was shot at in what was the fifth gunshot-related incident in a week.
Germany
Germans taking fewer sick days to keep jobs
German workers are taking fewer sick days than ever because they are afraid of losing their jobs, daily Die Welt reported on Monday.
Sweden
Ohly declares royal residence ‘a scandal’
Left Party leader Lars Ohly has spoken out against the Swedish government's decision to turn Haga Palace in Stockholm into a royal residence following Crown Princess Victoria's wedding to Daniel Westling next year.
Germany
Germany fears Chinese offer for Opel
Germany fears a "dangerous dependence" on China if Beijing-based firm BAIC is allowed to take over troubled General Motors subsidiary Opel, according to a government report cited by the media on Monday.
Sweden
Ericsson pours funds into South Korea
Swedish phone network giant Ericsson has announced plans to invest $1.5 billion in South Korea over the next five years.
Germany
Minister says children don’t get equal chances in schools
Children in Germany do not get equal opportunities for success in education, German Family Minister Ursula von der Leyen told daily Bild on Monday, adding that the current system relies too much on family support.
Germany
Looping plane collides with family in car
A spectacular collision between a low-flying sport airplane and a car left five people injured in Bavaria on Sunday, saved from death by what police called “a few guardian angels.”
Sweden
Swedish hospitals fail to report patient injuries
County authorities systematically disregard the legal requirement to report patient injuries to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), according to a review carried out by the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper. Only around 1 percent of cases are reported.
Germany
Ahmadinejad slams Germany for woman’s courtroom slaying
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has blamed Germany for the murder of a pregnant Egyptian woman in a Dresden courtroom, state media reported late Sunday.