Hamburg bishop quits amid abuse allegations
The world's first female Lutheran bishop resigned Friday after abuse accusations in her diocese of Hamburg, the latest casualty of a scandal to have rocked Christian churches in Germany.
Day: July 16, 2010
Germany
Sweden
Half of Swedes text at the wheel: poll
Almost every second Swede has read or written mobile phone text messages while driving, according to a new study. Calls are now being made for drivers to be banned from using mobiles at the wheel.
Sweden
Pirate hunters to lose helicopters
The two Swedish military helicopters being used as part of the battle against Somalian pirates in the Gulf of Aden are to be returned to Sweden to be put on standby.
Germany
‘Sharp’ rocket set to revolutionise space travel
German scientists unveiled on Friday the key part of a flat-sided, re-usable space rocket they say would be much cheaper and easier to build than NASA's space shuttles.
Sweden
Terminally ill woman denied early pension
The Swedish tax agency (Skatteverket) has rejected the request of a 40-year-old terminally ill cancer patient who wanted to cash in her pension account early in order to travel with her family while she still had the strength.
Germany
Keeping sight of the big picture
The Local’s series “Made in Germany” presents the best the country has to offer, including the legendary cameras from Leica.
Germany
Sweltering temperatures prove too taxing for bureaucrats
With Germany wilting under sweltering weather, the boss of Berlin’s government tax investigators told his 260 sweating workers to go home earlier this week, according to a Friday news report.
Sweden
Ibrahimovic returns to Swedish national team
Barcelona star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to return as captain of the Swedish national team after a nine month absence, the Swedish Football Federation confirmed at lunchtime on Friday.
Sweden
Aftonbladet libelled Littorin: ex-watchdog
Sweden’s biggest tabloid, Aftonbladet, would be likely to lose a libel case over its allegations that former minister Sven Otto Littorin used a prostitute, the former head of Sweden’s press watchdog has said.
Sweden
Herräng: Sweden’s Lindy Hop heartland
Every summer Herräng, a sleepy one-horse town north of Stockholm, is transformed into a jazz-era mecca. The Local's Peter Vinthagen Simpson grabbed his dancing shoes and travelled up country in search of this thing they call swing.
Germany
Hochtief wins Madison Square Garden deal
Hochtief has won a contract to transform New York's Madison Square Garden, which a unit of the German construction group built more than 40 years ago, it said on Friday.
Germany
Heat wave causes AC meltdown on 50 trains
Air conditioning failures on German trains have been more widespread than first thought, with at least 50 cooling systems breaking down under the brutal heat in the past week, the head of the parliamentary transport committee revealed Friday.
Sweden
Woman ordered husband to kill daughter
A 30-year-old woman has been jailed for ten years for persuading her husband to murder his own three-year-old daughter.
Germany
Singer Pink tumbles off stage in Nuremberg
American singer Pink, famous for her action-packed stage shows, saw a bit too much action in Nuremberg Thursday night when she was hurled from the stage by a giant rubber band and had to be rushed to hospital.
Sweden
Father dumps baby in Migration Board protest
A father left his four-month-old baby on the reception counter at the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket), leaving the building in protest over a misunderstanding regarding the child's residence permit.
Germany
Berliners flocking to death strip karaoke
A former part of the Berlin Wall's death strip is now attracting thousands of people each week eager to belt out often lethal karaoke versions of Michael Jackson and Britney Spears hits.
Sweden
Sony Ericsson sees profits jump
Mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson reported a second quarter running of net profits Friday after a period of loss last year, saying it had pushed up prices by focusing on the top end of the
Germany
Poor families hit by parenting payment cuts
Cuts to Germany's Elterngeld parenting benefits will be deeper than previously thought, with its centre-right government planning to benefits for low-income parents who work part-time, media reported Friday.
Sweden
Geely head to lead Volvo Cars
Li Shufu, the chairman of Chinese firm Geely, will also lead Volvo Cars when the acquisition of the Swedish firm is complete, the two firms said on Thursday.
Germany
Merkel pushes China to open its markets
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday prodded China to ease access to its markets, as the world's top two exporting nations signed a series of deals reportedly worth several billion dollars.
Germany
Free Democrats pick new fight over airport tax
The ruling coalition partners face a fresh round of squabbling after the Free Democrats called on Friday for changes to the proposed airport tax announced just weeks ago as part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's austerity package.
Sweden
Klüft to compete at Euros despite falling short
Swedish athlete Carolina Klüft will compete at the European Championships after being given a wild card despite falling short of the minimum qualification distance for the long jump competition at a meet in Karlstad on Thursday.
Sweden
Mobile phone use tops 5 billion: study
The number of mobile phones in use worldwide has exceeded 5 billion for the first time due to high demand in India and China, Swedish telecom giant Ericsson has shown in a new study published on Thursday.