Merkel demands Burma free political prisoners
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged the new civilian government in Burma to release political prisoners as she spoke by phone with pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.
Day: March 31, 2011
Germany
Sweden
‘Grant rejected asylum seekers work permits’
A parliamentary committee has proposed granting work permits to rejected asylum seekers and allowing immigrants to live abroad for up to five years without losing their right to reside in Sweden.
Sweden
Hundreds apply for Swedish ‘beach bum’ job
A Swedish lifestyle magazine is looking to hire someone skilled at receiving full-body massages, drinking wine at local taverns, and reading books for a not-too demanding temporary assignment.
Germany
Dog owner guilty of three-year-old’s brutal death by pit bull pack
The owner of four dogs that attacked and killed a three-year-old last year was handed a suspended sentence of one year and 80 hours of community service by a Thuringian court on Friday.
Sweden
Antidepressant use climbs in Sweden
Prescriptions of antidepressants continue to rise in Sweden, according to new statistics from the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen).
Germany
Police foil Dortmund stadium bomb plot
German police said on Thursday they had foiled an apparent blackmail plot involving bombs placed near the stadium of football club Borussia Dortmund.
Germany
Deutsche Bahn offices raided by European Commission
The European Commission, which enforces competition regulations in Europe, on Thursday said it had raided the premises of German national rail company Deutsche Bahn in an anti-trust probe.
Germany
Southwestern workers take less sick leave
Germans from the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg are the least likely to claim sick leave, and when they do their time off is shorter than in other regions, a new study revealed on Thursday.
Germany
Aircraft contrails causing global warming
The condensation trails emitted by aircraft may be warming the planet more on any given day than all the carbon dioxide that planes have pumped out since aviation began, German scientists have found.
Switzerland
Bomb explodes at Swiss nuclear office
A letter bomb has exploded at the offices of the Swiss nuclear energy association, injuring two people, police have said.
Sweden
Gothenburg bribery trial gets under way
The first trial in a major bribery scandal began in Gothenburg on Thursday as a former housing chief faced charges of having accepted 24 tonnes of free bricks for a private building project.
Switzerland
Swiss 34-year-old to become grandmother
A 34-year-old Swiss woman is about to become one of the country’s youngest grandmothers.
Sweden
Sweden targets religious prejudice
Sweden's government has announced plans to chart the extent of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the country, as it attempts to counteract the spread of intolerance towards minorities.
Sweden
Murder pics posted on porn site: report
Confidential police photographs of a woman who was raped and murdered in Gothenburg last year have been leaked onto a pornographic website, local newspaper GT reports.
Germany
Foreign population increase bucks downward trend
The number of foreigners living in Germany rose for the first time in five years in 2010, growing by about one percent, new data from the National Statistics Office (Destatis) revealed Thursday.
Sweden
Sweden to fight EU ruling on VAT for non-profit groups
The Swedish government has announced that it is to "fight all the way" against an EU Commission ruling to reject an application to restrict the levy of VAT (value Added Tax) payable by non-profit groups.
Germany
Unemployment hits post reunification low
German unemployment reached a post-reunification low in March, official data showed Thursday, but inflation is nonetheless dampening consumption and sentiment in Europe's biggest economy.
Sweden
Persbrandt loses Unicef role after cocaine bust
Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt, the star of the Oscar-winning film "In a Better World", has lost his role as an ambassador for the UN's children's fund Unicef after being caught using cocaine.
Sweden
Go your own way – setting up a business in Sweden
Fed up with trying to find a job in Sweden? Why not try starting your own business? As The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers, it's not always easy, but there is plenty of help available, regardless of your Swedish language skills.
Sweden
Abused children face deportation threat
Gothenburg police are set to deport two siblings back to Azerbaijan with their parents, despite social services knowing that they had sustained abuse and had been placed in foster care.
Switzerland
Swiss health giant rocked by insider trading probe
Sonova Holding, a Switzerland-based market leader in hearing healthcare products, has been put under investigation for suspected insider trading.
Germany
What’s on in Germany: March 31 – April 6
This week's highlights: Cronenberg in Cologne, improvised music in Munich, and movies by Berlinale Talent Campus alumni screen in Berlin.
Germany
Free Democrats’ nuclear battle intensifies
Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle has thrown fuel on the fire of the potentially explosive debate within his government over nuclear power, as his Free Democratic Party (FDP) inches closer to a leadership battle.
Sweden
Swedish ice racer dies after high-speed crash
A Swedish ice racing rider has died in hospital after an accident during Wednesday's tournament in the ABB Arena in Västerås in central Sweden.
Switzerland
Diamonds swiped in daring Basel raid
Four diamonds worth millions were stolen on Wednesday from the world's biggest watch and jewellery fair in the northern Swiss city of Basel.
Germany
Fake euro coin scam uncovered
Investigators probing a massive fraud involving fake euro coins have arrested six people in the Frankfurt area, including Lufthansa flight attendants, authorities announced Thursday.
Germany
Train drivers on strike
Regional train commuters across Germany may need to find alternative transport after drivers from 21 private rail operators went on a two-day strike Thursday morning.
Sweden
Downed lines prompt train delays
Two downed power lines caused a complete stoppage for trains between Gothenburg and Stockholm during Wednesday night with further delays expected throughout Thursday.