Twin Towers replica in Paris for 9/11 anniversary
A replica of the Twin Towers destroyed in the September 11 attacks will be built on a square opposite the Eiffel Tower in Paris to mark the tenth anniversary of the atrocity, organisers said Tuesday.
Day: August 30, 2011
France
Sweden
15-year-old Swede beats filesharing charges
A 15-year-old boy who had been reported to police by his school for violating Sweden's copyright laws was acquitted by the Gothenburg District Court on Tuesday in what prosecutors called an “absurd” ruling.
Germany
New Otto Dix paintings found
Four previously unknown watercolours by Otto Dix, one of Germany’s most important expressionist painters, have been discovered in Bavaria. The works come from Dix’s Düsseldorf period in 1922 and 1923.
Germany
Foreigners face pricey prep for universities
Germany’s affordable universities have long attracted foreign students, but free language and introductory classes could soon be a thing of the past. Erin Huggins explores the trend toward pricey preparatory courses.
Sweden
Pirate Bay founders start ‘legal’ filesharing site
Two founders of filesharing website The Pirate Bay have launched a new online platform that they say respects the rights of copyright holders.
Switzerland
Portuguese diplomats on strike in Switzerland
Portuguese diplomats in Switzerland are striking against austerity measures and the franc's rise, which have lowered their salary by 30 percent in a few months, local media reported Tuesday.
Switzerland
Woman parked like ’20 donkeys, 2 elephants and some Lilliputians’
Zürich police were left unamused on Friday after a woman was accused of "taking up the space of 20 donkeys and two elephants" in a fake parking ticket bearing the city's official logo.
France
Strauss-Kahn apologizes to IMF staff: witness
Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Monday apologized to staff at the Washington-based lender, a witness said, after sexual assault charges against him were dropped.
Germany
VW named world’s best car company
German automaker Volkswagen, Europe's biggest car manufacturer, was selected Tuesday as the sector's "best performer for 2010" by a study that highlighted weaknesses of VW rivals Toyota and GM.
Germany
Over half of e-book downloads deemed ‘illegal’
A new study commissioned by the association against copyright infringement (GVU) has found that Germans stole 14 million e-books last year. But reports from the publishing industry suggest e-books make up very little of the overall market.
Sweden
Hospital seeks advice on buying human body parts
Uncertainty about Swedish rules governing trade in human body parts has prompted Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm to seek guidance on its plans to buy human body parts to overcome a shortage of donated cadavers.
France
Holiday family shot dead in Corsica
The bodies of a French couple and their two children, a girl aged 12 and a boy aged 10, were discovered on the island of Corsica on Monday evening. All had been shot dead, according to radio station Europe 1.
Sweden
Ikea donates millions to UN refugee organ
The Ikea Foundation has announced that it plans to donate $62 million over three years to the UNHCR, earmarked for families fleeing drought, famine and conflict in Somalia.
Switzerland
Swiss union starts pro-immigrant campaign
Swiss trade union Unia has launched a campaign against xenophobia as it seeks to counteract what it describes as the “current climate of exclusion in Switzerland”.
Germany
Street prostitutes taxed via vending machine
The Rhineland city of Bonn is now requiring sex workers to purchase a daily tax ticket from a vending machine to walk the streets – ostensibly to make taxation fairer for prostitutes who work in brothels.
Sweden
Two-time lotto winner takes home millions
The Swede who managed to buy two winning Triss scratch-off lottery tickets in three days appeared on TV4 on Tuesday morning and won over two million kronor ($317,000).
Sweden
Diet research backed by US meat industry: report
The latest in a slew of diet fads that have gained popularity in Sweden, the low-carb high fat diet (LCHF), is backed by research funded by the US meat industry, according to a new study.
France
Lithuanian and French NATO aircraft collide
Lithuanian and French NATO military jets collided on Monday in mid-air during a patrol over the Baltic state but the pilots escaped unhurt, an official told AFP.
France
Ex-PM: Strauss-Kahn has ‘mental illness’
Former French prime minister Michel Rocard surprised televison viewers on Monday with claims that his Socialist Party colleage Dominique Strauss-Kahn suffered from a "mental illness".
Germany
Official blames Sarrazin for hindering integration
The German government’s integration commissioner said Tuesday that former central banker Thilo Sarrazin damaged efforts to integrate immigrants into society with his controversial book “Germany Abolishes Itself,” which was published one year ago.
Germany
Mediaeval ‘Black Death’ linked to present plague
A much less virulent version of the Black Death plague that killed a third of Europe's population in the 14th century is still present today, according to a German study published Tuesday.
Switzerland
Glencore buys stake in South Africa’s Optimum Coal
Commodities giant Glencore has purchased a 14.1 percent stake in mining group Optimum Coal, South Africa's fourth-largest coal exporter said on Monday.
Switzerland
Stop construction of Swiss luxury resort: WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and two local environmental groups have asked Switzerland's top court to stop the construction of a Russian-financed luxury Alpine resort, it said on Monday.
France
Aubry puts crime at heart of campaign
Martine Aubry stepped up her campaign to win the Socialist party presidential nomination with a surprise visit to Marseille on Monday where she declared herself the 'president for security'
France
Banana Republic to open first shop in France
American clothing store Banana Republic is to take its first step into the French market with a shop on the prestigious Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Sweden
Snus boosts post-heart attack mortality: study
Users of moist snuff or 'snus' who have suffered a heart attack can greatly reduce their chances of dying if they give up the habit, a new Swedish study has shown.
Switzerland
Swiss franc drops on UBS fee announcement
The Swiss franc reached its lowest level against the euro since July on Monday after UBS announced it was considering levying fees on franc-denominated deposits and the release of data that indicated a slowing economy.
Germany
Lahm denies gay rumours in new book
The captain of Germany's national football team Philipp Lahm said he is not gay, in excerpts of his new book released Monday, but he cautioned footballers against coming out.
Germany
States mull electronic shackles for convicts
Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has welcomed an initiative from several German states to introduce electronic ankle monitors for criminals on probation.
Germany
Nowitzki hoping to lead Germany to glory at EuroBasket
The pressure is on. Fans expect Dirk Nowitzki to propel Germany to victory at the FIBA European Basketball Championship starting this week, but the NBA star sees the tournament more as a chance for team development.
Sweden
Fewer young Swedes use condoms: report
Every other Swede aged 25 to 35-years-old opts not to use a condom when having sex with a new partner, a new survey shows, raising fears of an explosion in sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
Sweden
Sweden Democrat targeted in arson attack
A Sweden Democrat local politician was targeted in an arson attack at her home in Södermanland south of Stockholm on Monday evening.
Sweden
Swedish newspapers target racist comments
Several major Swedish newspapers have introduced restrictions to the comment functions in their discussion forums in an attempt to gain better control and limit racism, sexism and personal attacks.