Merkel and Sarkozy prepare next EU summit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin on January 9 to prepare for a European Union summit on January 30, it was confirmed on Monday.
Day: January 2, 2012
Germany
Germany
Teachers ‘need help to fight youth extremism’
Attempts to prevent young Germans from getting into right-wing extremism are failing because of poor coordination and sporadic financing say experts.
Switzerland
Iconic Swiss mountain lights up for first train ride
Switzerland will mark the 100 years since the construction of a railway up one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, the iconic Jungfrau, with the illumination of its north face until Sunday.
Sweden
More extreme weather heading toward Sweden
A new low pressure area with strong winds and precipitation is on the way toward Sweden. It will pass over central Sweden on Wednesday and will bring rain and snow over most of the country, as well as a risk of gale force winds in the south and along the coast.
Switzerland
Swiss deny visa to Syrian president’s cousin
Switzerland's highest court has refused to lift an entry ban on a cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was seeking to travel to the country to fight sanctions imposed by Bern.
Sweden
Raoul Wallenberg – Sweden’s Not-So-Favourite Son
The Swedish government has announced that it will designate 2012 as the official "Raoul Wallenberg Year" and the honour is more than deserved.
Norway
98-year-old woman beaten to death
Police have arrested and charged a male suspect over the murder of Hilda Feste, 98, who was found beaten to death in her apartment in Os, south-western Norway, on Sunday evening.
Sweden
Swedish teen shells out for giant lobster
19-year-old Sofia Sandgren from Mölle in Skåne county decided that her love for all things seafood was enough to shell out 4,500 kronor ($652) for a giant lobster, in order to treat her family to a cracking New Year’s dinner.
Norway
High school pupils on strike over drunk teacher
Pupils at a school in southern Norway have gone on strike in protest against a teacher who allegedly turned up drunk in the classroom, and their school’s failure to take the problem seriously.
Germany
‘Anonymous’ declares ‘Blitzkrieg’ on neo-Nazis
“Anonymous” hackers have declared “Blitzkrieg” on neo-Nazis for the New Year, disabling a number of their websites and publishing lists of extreme-right supporters.
Germany
Tax shake-up means up to €160 more in 2012
The New Year has started prosperously for German workers, who will see their annual income increase by up to €160 thanks to tweaks made to the tax system.
Germany
Employment numbers hit new record
The number of employed people in Germany hit a new record in 2011, said official statistics published on Monday, with more than half a million jobs created last year in Europe's top economy.
Sweden
New law gives transport operators the green light
The government is to allow private transport companies to provide public bus services, in a bid to improve services and prompt people to use public transport.
Germany
Art listing Hitler as ‘freely elected’ attacked
A work of art in the Reichstag building which includes Adolf Hitler in a list of “freely and democratically” elected members of the German parliament has been repaired after someone attacked it.
Sweden
Spicy invention protects dogs from wolf attacks
Body armour filled with flaming Indian spices mixed with anti-freeze is the latest invention to protect dogs from wolf attacks when hunting in the Swedish woods.
Sweden
Swedes choose social media over texting
Text messaging seems to have become a thing of the past when social media savvy Swedes wanted to wish their loved ones a Happy New Year.
Sweden
Swedish Santa gets windfall for Christmas
Aside from the occasional snack, it's not common for Santa Claus to be the receiver of gifts at Christmas, but this year one lucky Santa in northern Sweden had a bit of a windfall after a gifted betting slip turned out to be a winner.
Germany
Polish ambassador: too easy to nick German cars
Poland’s ambassador to Germany says it is too easy to steal German cars – and this is why so many of them end up across the border in his country.
Sweden
Ingves: Interest rates stable all year
The head of Sweden's central bank has said he expects Sweden's interest rates to remain at their current low level in 2012, but warned banks that they must be more open about how much they earn from lending to customers.
France
Nazi figurines for sale on French website
A website run by a senior police officer's wife has been selling figurines of top Nazis.
France
Car rental scheme hit by vandalism
One month after its launch there are reports that Paris' innovative car rental scheme has been hit by vandalism problems.
France
Screen star Belmondo and ex-wife burgled
Burglars broke into the Paris mansion of French screen star Jean-Paul Belmondo over the New Year weekend and also robbed his former wife who has a flat there, police said on Sunday.
Norway
Evacuees returning after massive landslide
Evacuees have begun returning home after a landslide forced them to flee their homes outside Trondheim on Sunday.
France
Baby boom pushes population to 65 million
The highest birth rate in Europe has helped increase the French population to more than 65 million people, according to official statistics expected this month.
France
DR Congo condemns Paris attack on lawmaker
The Congolese government has condemned an attack on the country's Senate chief in Paris allegedly by supporters of President Joseph Kabila's rival and called in France's envoy to explain the incident.
France
Sarkozy kicks off election year with warning
Facing a tough election fight in four months, French President Nicolas Sarkozy kicked off the new year warning voters that 2012 was "full of risks" and that France's future will hang in the balance.
Germany
President ‘used threats to try to stop scandal story’
Embattled German President Christian Wulff has been accused of trying to block the first reports of his financial affairs by threatening criminal charges against journalists working on the story – leaving a furious rant on an answering machine.
Sweden
Driver targets police in hit-and-run attack
An unknown driver injured a police officer in Klippan, southern Sweden, in a hit-and-run attack, after being pulled over at a routine check on New Year's Eve.
Sweden
Rise in shootings puts strain on Malmö police
After the latest incident where a 15-year-old died from shot wounds to the head and chest on Sunday evening, police say that the situation in Malmö is “strained”.
Germany
‘Making it’ by interpreting culture
The Local's series "Making it in Germany" presents John Magee, a consultant who bridges the gap between American and German culture for large companies.
Sweden
Juholt slammed for ‘failing’ Social Democrats
Following continued bad results in polls for the Social Democrats, party member and former minister Ylva Johansson in her blog on Sunday criticized both the party and leader, Håkan Juholt, for the low confidence of voters.
Germany
Berlin wants ‘concrete’ nuke action from Iran
Germany has called for "concrete and verifiable" action from Iran over its nuclear drive, after Tehran signalled it was willing to resume negotiations with the international community.