France moves to bring back border checks
France and Germany have begun moves to reclaim powers to close their borders for up to 30 days in a simmering battle over immigration pressures on Europe's passport-free Schengen travel zone.
Day: April 20, 2012
France
Sarkozy in last minute dash to woo voters
Nicolas Sarkozy made a last-gasp bid to woo voters Friday, the last campaign day before the crucial first-round French presidential vote that Socialist rival Francois Hollande is tipped to win.
Norway
Breivik gives chilling account of massacre
Anders Behring Breivik gave a chilling account on Friday of his shooting massacre on the Norwegian island of Utøya last year, explaining in detail how he calmly executed terrified teens.
Sweden
Cop convicted for taking lunch salad bribe
A police officer from western Sweden who agreed to let a beltless motorist off the hook in exchange for a salad has learned the hard way there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Germany
East Germany world’s most Godless area
The former East Germany is officially one of least religious places on the planet, with more than half of people living there saying they do not believe in God.
Germany
Court: YouTube liable for copyright breaches
A German court ruled on Friday that Google's video sharing service YouTube is responsible when users post copyrighted music clips without permission. The decision could cost YouTube millions in royalties.
Sweden
Mute and mutilated: black women and the cutting of the ‘racist’ cake
The criticism surrounding the 'racist' cake controversy has so far failed to adequately explore the impact of the installation on the attitudes and predicament of black women, argue three researchers working in Sweden on issues of gender and race.
Sweden
Two arrested for asylum home male gang rape
Police on Wednesday arrested two men in connection to a suspected gang rape of a 20-year-old man, carried out by three other men, in a home for asylum seekers in northern Sweden.
Germany
Polar bears: lying about their age
Polar bears are much older than previously thought - a new German report has revealed Knut's cousins actually appeared on the planet 600,000 years ago.
Switzerland
Sex toys found on Swiss trains for sale
A vast array of weird and wonderful items from the Swiss rail network's lost-and-found department is now on sale, including butt plugs, dildos and worn underwear.
Sweden
Sluts, sex and farts – welcome to Swedish
Words in the Swedish language can sure look funny, especially to the untrained eye. Here's a list of Swedish words where a straight translation might leave you scratching your head. And whatever happens, DO NOT eat the mother cake…
Sweden
Arkelsten replaced as Moderate Party secretary
The Moderates have named a local politician from Örebro to take over as party secretary from Sofia Arkelsten, who had only been on the post since October 2010.
France
Hollande: ECB must cut rates to boost economy
The frontrunner in the race for the French presidency, Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, urged the European Central Bank on Friday to lower its interest rate to support growth.
France
French restaurant pegs meal price to election result
A restaurant in the south-west of France says it is indexing its meal prices to the percentage of the vote that will go to far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
France
Papers argue over Hollande and Sarkozy’s economic policies as election nears
Saving the economy is the top concern of editorialists in France as presidential candidates enter the last day of campaigning.
Sweden
Missing finger, roadside birth and bad breath
This week in Sweden's News in Brief, we take a look at a missing finger, a woman giving birth on the roadside, and severe consequences for a halitosis sufferer.
Germany
Ministry caught in Muslim study leak lie
Germany’s Interior Minister was forced to admit on Friday that his ministry had leaked a controversial study on young Muslims in the country to populist Bild newspaper – despite initial denials.
Switzerland
Swiss freed in Singapore callgirl scandal
A Swiss expatriate accused of having paid sex with a woman under the age of 18 was freed on bail on Friday and plans to plead not guilty, his lawyer said.
Germany
Scientists warn blackbird virus could return
Germany’s blackbirds are at risk from a new outbreak of a deadly virus this summer, experts have warned, after finding it in mosquitoes that have survived the winter.
Switzerland
EU states slam Swiss for immigrant worker caps
Many of the eight EU countries whose citizens have been singled out by Switzerland for immigration restrictions have reacted with fury to the move.
Sweden
Obama honours Raoul Wallenberg’s legacy
US president Barack Obama praised the "selfless acts" of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in a special video message released Thursday to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Germany
German economy retains confidence in crisis
Business confidence in Germany beat expectations to rise again in April, underlining the resilience of Europe's biggest economy to the long-running debt crisis, data showed on Friday.
Norway
‘I am a very likeable person’: Breivik
The gunman behind Norway's massacres told a court Friday he is a nice person and not a psychiatric case but had trained himself to shut out emotions before killing 77 people.
Switzerland
Child abuser led anti-sex ed campaign: report
One of the leaders campaigning against sex education in primary schools resigned on Thursday as details of his alleged involvement in child abuse came to light.
Germany
Long school days ‘hinder new sports stars’
Germany's future Steffi Grafs and Dirk Nowitzkis may not have the same chance to become world-class athletes as longer school hours cut into afternoon sports, officials worry.
Sweden
Two dead following mystery Stockholm blast
An explosion killed two people in a Stockholm-area apartment on Friday morning, with emergency services still unsure as to what caused the blast.
France
French gentlemen prefer blonde waitresses: study
Male restaurant guests in France give larger tips to blonde waitresses than to brunettes and women with other hair colours, a new survey claims to show.
Norway
Hairy Swedish dad tells Norway: I’m not a woman
Swedish father-of-two Daniel Pohjantähti recently found himself in a spot of bother when Norwegian officials refused to believe he was a man, despite his hirsute face and masculine features.
Switzerland
Nestle posts strong first quarter growth
The world's biggest food company Nestle on Friday posted 2012 first quarter sales growth of 7.2 percent owing to strong demand in emerging markets.
Sweden
Swedish man to prove to Norway he’s not female
Swedish father-of-two Daniel Pohjantähti recently found himself in a spot of bother when Norwegian officials refused to believe he was a man, despite his hirsute face and masculine features.
Germany
Kurdish protesters take over another boat
Supporters of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) took control of a pleasure boat in Hamburg on Thursday, in the second such incident in Germany in the last week.
Sweden
Winter winds return to batter Sweden
Swedish forecasters are warning that winter is making another appearance in Sweden over the next few days, and have issued warnings for slippery roads and harsh winds.
Sweden
Swedish police raid flat, free abducted puppy
Police officers in southeastern Sweden raided a Norrköping flat, freeing a Chihuahua puppy, which had been kidnapped by potential buyers last week.
Germany
Doctors must pay for ‘stolen sperm’ babies
Two German gynaecologists will have to pay child support for twins they created via artificial insemination – because the biological father did not know anything about it.
Germany
Germany, France begin fight to close borders
Germany and France began moves this week to reclaim the power to close their borders for up to 30 days, in a simmering battle over immigration in Europe's passport-free Schengen travel zone.
Sweden
Brynäs captures Swedish hockey gold
Brynäs IF were crowned champions of Sweden's top professional hockey league after defeating Skellefteå 2-0 in front of a jubilant home crowd in Gävle, eastern Sweden, on Thursday night.