The daily World Cup roundup
The Local’s World Cup blog offers an outsider’s perspective on German football as Die Mannschaft goes for glory in South Africa. Don’t miss our daily roundup!
Day: July 2, 2010
Germany
Sweden
Algal blooms under way in Baltic Sea
The first signs of this year's cyanobacteria - also known as blue-green algae - blooms are now visible in the Baltic Sea on satellite images.
Sweden
State-owned companies jump in value
The 57 Swedish state-owned firms are estimated to have increased their total worth by 24 percent or 120 billion kronor ($15.77 billion) to 620 billion kronor in 2009, according to new government estimates.
Sweden
Malmö celebrates as Öresund bridge turns 10
Tens of thousands of people lined Malmö's beaches on Thursday to watch a massive fireworks display to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Öresund bridge.
Germany
BMW announces carbon fibre electric car
Bavarian luxury carmaker BMW has decided to create its first electric car with a passenger compartment made of carbon fibre, the company announced on Friday.
Sweden
Heightened security urged at nuclear plant
Swedish authorities on Friday called for tighter security at Forsmark nuclear power station, a day after Greenpeace activists were issued with fines for breaking into the plant in June.
Sweden
Household tax relief retains popularity
In the last 12 months, nearly 890,000 people have claimed a tax deduction for work carried out on and in their homes, according to Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) figures.
Sweden
Man held after Stockholm bank drama
A man was arrested after police stormed a branch of Handelsbanken on Östermalmstorg in central Stockholm shortly before 2.30pm on Friday bringing an end to a hostage drama and suspected attempted robbery.
Sweden
Church of Sweden warns of SMS opt-out service
The Church of Sweden has reacted angrily to a company offering a fast-track SMS service for those wishing to resign their membership.
Germany
Police search for missing judge
Berlin police continued to search on Friday for a prominent judge in a wooded area near the city’s Heiligensee neighbourhood after her car was found there earlier this week.
Germany
Love before the law: child custody set for overhaul
In the wake of a European court ruling that German child custody laws discriminated against single fathers, the government is preparing an overhaul. The Local examines the painful reality facing parents when they split up.
Germany
Germany and Argentina trade barbs ahead of big game
Germany and Argentina have turned up the heat ahead of their eagerly-anticipated World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, with sparks flying as both sides traded barbs.
Germany
Deutsche Bahn planning high-speed trains to southern France and UK
German national rail provider Deutsche Bahn plans to expand its long-haul offerings to include foreign destinations such as southern France and the UK, the company said on Friday.
Germany
Majority of Germans expect coalition failure
Germany’s trust in its government was shaken by the difficult presidential vote this week, with a poll released on Friday showing more than two-thirds believe Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition will soon collapse as a result.
Sweden
Alliance inches ahead of opposition: poll
Support for the ruling Alliance coalition has eclipsed the red-green opposition in the latest poll from Norway-based Sentio Research.
Germany
German killed in Kunduz aid compound attack
A German security guard was killed Friday when suspected Taliban militants stormed the compound of a US aid organisation in northern Afghanistan, a US embassy official said.
Sweden
Swede’s remand for Auschwitz theft extended
A Polish court has remanded in custody a Swedish suspect on Thursday for a further two months over the theft of the "Arbeit macht frei" sign from the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.
Germany
Abandoned pets responsible for massive wildlife killing spree
Each year some seven million wild creatures in Germany are killed by starving cats and dogs abandoned over the summer vacation months, the German Hunter’s Association (DJV) announced this week in a plea for more responsibility from pet owners.
Sweden
Anti-Semitic hate crimes rise in 2009: report
The number of anti-Semitic crimes reported in Sweden rose 57 percent last year, mainly in the southern region of Skåne, the national crime prevention council said on Thursday.