Jedi the hippo fails to use the force – and returns to the circus
Police in Germany foiled the plans of Jedi the hippo who tried to flee a circus visiting the northern city of Schwerin this week.
Day: October 14, 2011
Germany
France
French teacher dies after setting self on fire
A French maths teacher who doused herself in petrol and set herself on fire in front of pupils, died on Friday of her injuries, police and a hospital source said.
Germany
Welfare couple fight to keep €83,000 in dole benefits
A German couple on state benefits, who were mistakenly paid €83,000 by the job centre, have spent a large chunk of the cash and are fighting to keep some of the rest.
Sweden
Barnevik hits back at ex-Investor chair Wallenberg
Percy Barnevik, the former CEO of Swedish-Swiss industrial giant ABB who was disgraced over a pension scandal in 2003, has answered charges from ex-Investor board chair Peter Wallenberg that Barnevik was a terrible business leader.
France
In-form Wales out to derail France
Wales go into their World Cup semi-final against France as favourites having hit a rich vein of form that mixes defensive nous with attacking flair.
France
Third-placed Socialist to vote for Hollande
The third-placed candidate in the first round of the French Socialist primary said on Friday he would vote for frontrunner Francois Hollande in the final vote but was not urging his supporters to follow suit.
France
Banon ‘pushed back’ so ‘I released my grip’: DSK
Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn told police he grabbed the young woman who has accused him of attempted rape, but released her when she resisted, according to a transcript seen by AFP.
Sweden
Probe dropped, Juholt to remain party leader
Prosecutors said Friday they were dropping an investigation into improper reimbursements claimed by Håkan Juholt as the Social Democrats' executive committee announced it still had confidence in the embattled party leader.
Sweden
Sony Ericsson breaks even as European sales dip
Mobile phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson on Friday said it broke even in the third quarter due to a declining sales environment in Europe.
France
Pupils get help after teacher’s self-immolation
A psychological crisis cell was treating shocked students at a high school in southern France on Friday after a depressed maths teacher dramatically set herself on fire in the playground.
Sweden
Mum sues daughter over ‘stolen’ lottery jackpot
A woman from Blekinge was thrilled when she learned she won 3 million kronor from a Triss lotto scratch-off, but to date she has only received 10,000.
Switzerland
Fitch downgrades UBS
Fitch ratings agency downgraded Swiss bank UBS on Thursday while putting 12 other major European and US banks on negative ratings watches, amid worries over fragile global growth.
Switzerland
Thousands sign petition for illegal immigrants
The Swiss government has received a petition calling for it to regularize the status of undocumented foreigners living in the country.
Germany
Businessman on hunger strike outside Foreign Ministry
A businessman is camping out in front of the German Foreign Ministry on a self-styled hunger strike, in fury at the government’s refusal to help him after a deal went sour in the United Arab Emirates.
Sweden
Ikea to drop famous Swedish food brands
Swedish furnishing giant Ikea is undergoing a change and will soon rid their food shelves of anything not bearing it’s name.
Germany
Suzuki accuses Volkswagen of breaching agreement
The Japanese car company Suzuki on Friday upped the stakes in its row with Volkswagen as it served the German automaker a legal notice demanding it "remedy numerous breaches" of their ill-fated alliance.
Switzerland
Syphilis on the rise in Geneva
The number of people infected with the sexually transmitted disease syphilis doubled in the period 2006 to 2010 in the south-west canton, especially among the gay community, new figures show.
France
Montebourg hesitates on backing candidate
Socialist politician Arnaud Montebourg, who caused a surprise when he finished third in the first round of voting to select the party's presidential candidate, has still not offered public support for either François Hollande or Martine Aubry in Sunday's final vote.
France
Son goes to prison for causing mother’s suicide
A 47-year-old man from Evron in the western Loire region was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday for causing the suicide of his own mother.
Norway
Some bras a headache, chiropractor says
Tight bras are a pain in the neck, as well as the head and back according to an Oslo chiropractor.
Germany
Berliner Philharmonic premiers ‘golden rule’ concert
The Berliner Philharmonic unveiled its latest work on Thursday night – a new composition setting out and celebrating the common morality of the six major world religions – which will open Britain’s Olympic cultural programme next year.
Switzerland
Fribourg booming despite Swiss franc woes
Fribourg, a canton in central Switzerland, is continuing to thrive in spite of the ongoing currency troubles that have afflicted much of the Swiss economy.
Sweden
Swedish mum shoots five elk in four hours
A 37-year-old mother of two from northern Sweden had an unprecedented hunting outing on Thursday when she managed to fell five elk in four hours, propelling her to nationwide fame.
Germany
Dortmund look to kickstart title defence bid
Reigning Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund travel to Werder Bremen on Friday, knowing defeat could deal a further blow to their chances of stopping Bayern Munich from steamrolling their way to a 23rd Bundesliga title.
Sweden
From Sweden to Germany in search of cheap booze
Tired of Sweden's high alcohol taxes and the state run liquor monopoly? Come along with contributor Patrick Reilly as he details a recent journey to Germany in search of cheap beer.
Norway
Dogs make grizzly find as Oslo murder rate soars
Dogs being walked by animal caregivers in a forested area have uncovered what appears to be the fourth murder case in just two weeks for Oslo police.
Sweden
AWOL pirate’s guilty verdict comes into force
The guilty verdict against Pirate Bay founder Gottfrid Svartholm Warg has come into force after his failure to request his appeal be heard.
France
Starbucks withdraws controversial poster
Starbucks France has run into trouble with an anti-pickpocketing poster which some customers found racist.
Sweden
Police arrest 32 in ‘human trafficking’ raid
Swedish police arrested 32 people in a raid on a food factory south of Stockholm on Thursday for violations of the Aliens Act.
Germany
BND claims role in Shalit release deal
Germany’s foreign intelligence service is claiming to be involved in negotiations to free the Israel soldier Gilad Shalit as a swap for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Switzerland
Zurich cuts access to international schools
Education officials in Zurich have issued a new directive restricting access to international schools, effectively removing the alternative for children who live in Switzerland on a permanent basis.
Norway
Police doubt Breivik’s claim of 80 terrorist cells
Norwegian extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who has confessed to twin attacks in July that killed 77 people, says there are "up to 80 cells" in Europe engaged in anti-Islam crusades like his, police said on Thursday.
France
‘What’s happening?’: final words on stricken flight
A controversial new book has revealed the final words of pilots on the flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris which crashed off the coast of Brazil in June 2009.
Sweden
Sweden to face England at Wembley
Sweden are set to play England next month in a friendly international as coach Erik Hamrén seeks to prepare his side for next year's European Championship finals, the English Football Association announced on Thursday.
Germany
Deutsche Bank lined up for credit downgrade
Credit rating agency Fitch has downgraded two German banks and is conducting a comprehensive review of other banks, including Deutsche Bank, with a view to reducing their ratings too.
Sweden
Social Democrats meet to decide Juholt’s fate
The Social Democrats' powerful executive committee will meet at 9am on Friday, for what has been described as 'judgement day' for embattled leader Håkan Juholt.
Sweden
Dawit Isaak awarded ‘Golden Pen’ honour
Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak, jailed in Eritrea for the past decade, was honoured by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) on Thursday.
Germany
German cooking leaves more than 200 soldiers sick in Afghanistan
More than 200 soldiers in Afghanistan have fallen ill after eating at a German canteen in Mazar-e-Sharif.
Germany
Stolen data to be used to prosecute tax dodgers
Germany will prosecute tax fraudsters using stolen data it bought about its citizens who secretly deposited assets in HSBC bank in Luxembourg, the Financial Times Deutschland will report Friday.