Merkel says states ready to help Opel
Four German states with Opel factories are ready to provide financial assistance to US auto giant General Motors, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday after meeting regional officials.
Day: June 10, 2010
Germany
Germany
UK’s Clegg charms Berlin with German skills
Nick Clegg, Britain's new deputy prime minister, has already made history with his meteoric career, but on Thursday he notched up another feat for an English politician: speaking German to the Germans.
Germany
John E. Woods: Bringing German literature to the world
Prize-winning translator John E. Woods has brought great German literature to English speakers for more than 30 years. The Local's series "Making it in Germany" sat down with him to discuss what he calls a dangerous and lonely task.
Sweden
Swedes are exercising more
Swedes are taking more exercise than ever, according to a new survey. Some 46 percent of the population exercise more than twice a week, compared to 38 percent ten years ago.
Germany
Supermarket cashier wrongly fired for taking deposit slips
A federal labour court in Erfurt ruled on Thursday that a former cashier for the Kaiser’s supermarket chain was unjustly fired for allegedly taking €1.30 in bottle deposits after 31 years on the job.
Sweden
Stricter requirements for SMS loans
Sweden's government has proposed placing tighter requirements on SMS-loan companies to carry out credit checks. However, proposals for interest rate caps or prohibitions on overnight loan payments have been rejected.
Germany
Neighbourhood feud ends in bloody weed-whacker attack
A 20-year feud between two neighbours in the German state of Hesse revved up this week, ending in bloodshed when one of the elderly men attacked the other with a weed whacker, police reported on Thursday.
Sweden
Second Swede sought over Auschwitz theft
Polish authorities want to question a second Swede, millionaire Lars-Göran Wahlström, about the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" sign at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Sweden
Sweden’s popular Crown Princess
She was not born to be queen, but Crown Princess Victoria has become a popular heir to the throne. Juan Navas, who has worked closely with her, explains what she is really like.
Germany
German Jews sending aid ship to Gaza Strip
German Jews are preparing to send a ship loaded with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip at the end of July despite an Israeli blockade, a representative of the initiative said Thursday.
Germany
Where to watch World Cup matches in Germany
Want to know where to catch all the action for the 2010 World Cup? Check out The Local’s list of places in Germany to watch the football and submit your own suggestions.
Sweden
Sweden tops EU development aid list
Sweden spends more per capita on development aid than all other EU countries, according to a new report which has slammed the failure of some member states for not doing enough to live up to spending goals.
Sweden
Sell more state-owned companies: party
The Christian Democrats believe the government should continue selling off state-owned companies.
Germany
Ten percent of schoolchildren think the sun rises in the North
Every tenth German schoolchild expects the sun to rise in the North, according to a study published on Thursday revealing widespread ignorance about nature among the country’s youth.
Sweden
Small rise in inflation in May
Consumer prices in Sweden rose by 0.2 percent in May, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. Inflation was 1.2 percent, compared with 1 percent in April.
Sweden
What’s On in Sweden: June 11th – June 17th
What’s on in Sweden: Cookin' Koreans in Stockholm, Thoughtful Brits in Gothenburg, KISS plays Malmö plus Magnus Betnér, in English, in Linköping.
Germany
What’s on in Germany: June 10 – 16
This Week's Highlights: Giant sand sculptures in Berlin, Dr. Jane Goodall in Munich and Japanese ballet in Hamburg.
Sweden
Opposition retain lead in major poll
The "red-green" coalition enjoys the support of 50.2 percent of the electorate, according to a major new survey from Statistics Sweden (SCB).
Germany
Storm causes flooding and fires from lightning
The states of Hesse, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate reported heavy damages on Thursday after a series of severe thunderstorms caused house fires, and flooded streets and cellars overnight.
Germany
States agree to reform TV licence fees
Germany’s state premiers have agreed to overhaul the country’s hated GEZ broadcasting licence fees and institute a per-household charge for public television and radio.
Sweden
Gretchen Parlato: more than just a jazz singer
Jazz singer Gretchen Parlato's first concert in Sweden is special for a number of reasons, least of all because her maternal grandfather was Swedish.
Germany
Employers’ group supports watching World Cup at work
Germany’s bosses should allow their workers to watch daytime World Cup games on the job, head of the BDA national employers' association Dieter Hundt said on Thursday.
Germany
Merkel ‘strongly welcomes’ Iran sanctions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said late on Wednesday that she "strongly welcomed" a decision by the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
Germany
Legendary Beckenbauer backs Germany for semi-finals
Football legend Franz Beckenbauer has backed Germany's young side to reach at least the semi-finals in their bid to win a fourth World Cup title.
Sweden
Five detained after Malmö shootings
Five men have been held after two shootings in central Malmö on Wednesday leaving three people injured, one seriously.
Sweden
Birthday ‘prank’ sends police on runaround
Police in Norrköping in eastern Sweden were sent on a wild goose chase on Wednesday after masked men were reported to have dragged a taxi driver from his car and sped off in an incident later revealed to be a birthday prank.
Sweden
Sweden deports Iraqis despite UN criticism
Sweden deported 56 Iraqis to Baghdad on Wednesday in the face of stern criticism from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).