Porsche reportedly set to dump Wiedeking
Speculation mounted on Friday on whether embattled Porsche executive Wendelin Wiedeking would keep his job amid moves to merge the carmaker with Volkswagen.
Day: July 17, 2009
Germany
Sweden
Monthly fees on Pirate Bay’s horizon
Users of the new Pirate Bay might have to pay a monthly downloading fee, under a business model being considered by the file sharing site's new owners, Global Gaming Factory (GGF).
Sweden
Serial masturbator seized by Willy’s in central Sweden
A 35-year-old man who had been seen masturbating near the entrance of a Willy’s grocery store on more than one occasion was arrested on Friday by police in Örebro.
Sweden
Agency rule leaves Swedish toddler ‘nameless’
An arbitrary rule administered by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) has left a two-year-old girl nameless, and her parents with a 2000 kronor ($255) fine.
Germany
Twenty-nine parties set for upcoming national ballot
German voters will be able to choose between a staggering 29 parties in this year’s national election on September 27, the federal election committee said on Friday.
Germany
Bundesliga clubs rake in record cash for jersey sponsorship
Most German football fans lament their clubs can’t compete with Europe’s deep-pocketed teams on the pitch. But when it comes to jersey sponsorship money, the Bundesliga even beats leagues in England, Italy and Spain.
Germany
Belgian investor would cut 10,000 jobs at Opel
Belgian holding company RHJ International would slash almost 10,000 jobs if it takes over troubled German car maker Opel, executive director Leonhard Fischer said in an interview published on Friday.
Sweden
Groaning to the blues at Gamla Stan’s Stampen
For fans of live music, Stockholm’s Stampen jazz and blues club features an unusual history, an eclectic mix of styles and a crowd which defies simple categorization, as The Local’s Alec Forss recently discovered.
Germany
Scientists find short-leg gene for dachshunds
Scientists from the US National Institutes for Health (NIH) announced this week they have discovered the gene that causes one of Germany’s iconic dog breeds, the dachshund, to have such short legs.
Sweden
Fraud lands ‘mafia’s banker’ in prison
A 46-year-old man known as the 'mafia's banker' has been convicted for defrauding investors of more than 116 million kronor ($14.7 million) has been sentenced to at least six years in prison.
Sweden
Report dumps on Baltic cruise ship discharge
Sweden's coastal waters are under threat from tonnes of human and other waste being regularly dumped into the Baltic Sea by passenger liners, according to a new report.
Sweden
Zlatan closes in on Barca transfer: report
Star Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be headed to Barcelona on a transfer from Inter Milan, according to Spanish media reports.
Germany
Berlin faces months of public transport chaos
Berlin is facing months of public transport chaos, as the city’s S-Bahn commuter train network grapples with dramatic maintenance problems.
Germany
Teens set fire to sleeping drunk
Two 14-year-olds have admitted to setting fire to an intoxicated 60-year-old man after robbing him in Eberswalde, police said.
Germany
Child care workers strike again in Stuttgart
Unions called a new round of strikes for some 2,000 public child care workers on Friday near Stuttgart, as a seventh round of wage negotiations with state employers has yet to achieve a breakthrough.
Sweden
Baltic losses force cuts at Swedbank
Swedbank announced it will slash 3,600 jobs after a bigger-than-expected second quarter loss of 1.8 billion kronor ($228 million), as it felt the impact of massive provisions related to its Baltic business.
Sweden
Profits on the march at Swedish Match
Tobacco company Swedish Match reported pre-tax profits of 791 million kronor ($100 million) for the second quarter on Friday, well above analysts’ expectations.
Germany
Lousy weekend weather on the way
Don’t get too used to enjoying the summer, as the weather is set to take another turn for the worst over the weekend, the German Weather Service (DWD) reported on Friday.
Sweden
Sweden Democrats close in on back-door Riksdag entry: poll
The far-right Sweden Democrats need just 8,000 more votes to gain a spot in the Riksdag, according to a new poll.
Germany
Artist’s lawn gnome Hitler salute sparks investigation
German prosecutors said Thursday they had launched an enquiry into whether a garden gnome with its right arm raised in a Hitler salute in a Nuremberg art gallery is against the law.
Sweden
Suicide risk rises as grades sink: study
Youth and young adults who receive low marks in primary school are more likely to attempt suicide or self-mutilation compared with those who achieve high marks, according to a Swedish study.
Germany
BMW heiress blackmailed for third time over sex videos
Munich police confirmed on Friday that they are investigating a third case of sexual blackmail against BMW heiress Susanne Klatten after three men tried to filch some €800,000 from the 46-year-old for a sex tape.