Prince hooks up with bikini model: reports
Prince Carl Philip, second in line to the Swedish throne, is refusing to comment on rumours that he is dating reality TV show star and glamour model Sofia Hellqvist.
Day: January 15, 2010
Sweden
Germany
Merkel rejects weak leadership criticism
German Chancellor Angela Merkel took a swipe at critics of her reserved leadership style on Friday after a shaky start to her second term, saying she was in charge when it came to important decisions.
Sweden
Sweden has Europe’s 2nd fastest broadband: report
Broadband speeds in Sweden are quicker than in any other European country bar Romania.
Germany
Berlin’s Green Week begins amid GM controversy
German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit on Friday opened the the 75th International Green Week food and farming trade fair amid protests against genetically modified crops.
Germany
Man caught smuggling huge ‘blood diamond’ in Frankfurt
An 86.7-carat uncut diamond worth an estimated €2.5 million has been seized at Frankfurt airport from an Angolan man arriving from Namibia, police said on Friday.
Sweden
Bunny dance fraudster gets three years in jail
A man claiming to be wheelchair bound has been jailed for three years after he was caught on camera dancing with a rabbit mascot at an amusement park in western Sweden.
Germany
Kiel offers free parking for low-emission cars
Residents in the northern German city of Kiel can now park for free in the centre if they drive environmentally friendly cars, a city official told The Local on Friday.
Germany
Opel names Nick Reilly as new CEO
German auto maker Opel said Friday that General Motors' Nick Reilly has been named new chief executive responsible for Opel and its sister brand Vauxhall as part of a broad restructuring.
Sweden
Swedbank boss bows out on full salary
Under-fire chairman Carl-Eric Stålberg is to be replaced, Swedbank announced on Friday but will to continue to receive his 3,1 million kronor ($441,000) yearly earnings until early 2011.
Germany
When the Maharaja came to town
Seeking an exotic respite from Germany’s dreary winter, Rhea Wessel takes a subcontinental sojourn with an Indian circus.
Sweden
Council urges action to hinder wife importers
The governor of Värmland, western Sweden, has called for action to track the marital lives of men that habitually wed foreign women after it is revealed the region has the highest number of so-called wife importers in the country.
Sweden
Higher wolf cull likely next year: expert
More wolves will have to be liquidated next year if the Swedish government’s ceiling level isn’t changed.
Germany
Deutsche Post to offer cheaper ‘hybrid mail’ service this spring
Germany's national postal service Deutsche Post has finalised the details of its new “hybrid mail” service. The combination of e-mail with traditional "snail mail" will be €0.09 cheaper per letter, the company said on Friday.
Germany
Leftist leader Bartsch to step down
Dietmar Bartsch, the general secretary of Germany‘s socialist Left party, said on Friday he would step down in May after coming under pressure for alleged disloyalty to party leader Oskar Lafontaine.
Sweden
Former Red Cross chief faces court in fraud case
The former head of communications of the Swedish Red Cross (Röda Korset), Johan af Donner, is to be tried on embezzlement charges after investigations reveal he swindled charities out of nearly 8 million kronor ($1.13 million).
Germany
Bayern Munich aims for Bundesliga’s elusive top spot
Host Bayern Munich is hoping a home win over Hoffenheim on Friday night will put them at the top of the Bundesliga more than 18 months after they last led the German league.
Germany
Kunduz governor calls Bundeswehr ‘ineffective’
The governor of the northern Afghan province of Kunduz has called the German military’s service there “ineffective” and said he would welcome more help from US troops.
Sweden
Centre Party support hits all time low: poll
Voter confidence for the government alliance Centre Party has taken a significant downturn according to a new survey which puts the opposition in a commanding lead at the start of the election year.
Germany
Politicians reject immigrant quota for public service sector
Politicians on Friday rejected legally mandated quotas to increase the number of people with immigrant backgrounds in public sector jobs.
Germany
Röttgen says Asse nuke dump should close
Radioactive waste at the controversial Asse nuclear waste dump must be moved to a different facility, Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen said on Friday.
Sweden
Facebook groups prone to new sabotage trend
Facebook users in Sweden are being plagued by a new trend sweeping the popular social networking site where names of groups are being changed to titles with vulgar sexual connotations.
Sweden
Merbanco pulls out of race to buy Saab
The CEO of the small US investment company has emailed independent enthusiast website SaabsUnited.com to say GM has turned down the firm’s bid to buy Saab.