‘I’ve found hidden king’s tomb’: hobby historian
A hobby historian believes he may have found the tomb of a 13th century Norwegian king concealed in the walls of Bergen Cathedral.
Day: April 24, 2012
Norway
Sweden
How studying at Stockholm can lead to a great Swedish career
When Han Zhang came from China to study a Masters at Stockholm University in 2009, it put her on the path to a career at a top Swedish law firm. She is one of many overseas students for whom studies in Stockholm have led to careers in Sweden.
Sweden
Swedish reps hail US Ikea store wedding
An American couple, whose first date was in an Ikea store, became so attached to the Swedish furniture supplier that they tied the knot at an outlet in Maryland.
Sweden
Google hails Swede who perfected the zipper
Google has honoured Sweden's contribution to the art of making it easier for people to remove their pants with a zipper-themed "Google doodle" on what would have been Swedish inventor Gideon Sundback's 132nd birthday.
Germany
‘Cupboard killer’ victim ignored for ten months
A German man appeared in court on Tuesday charged with manslaughter for killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a cupboard – where it lay undiscovered for the best part of a year.
Sweden
Gay rugby in Stockholm ‘stirs the imagination’
Despite Sweden's progressive attitude toward homosexuality and the affinity for rugby in the gay community, Stockholm's own gay rugby team, the Berserkers, is a late entrant on the scene, The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers.
Switzerland
Swiss hostage released in Mali
A Swiss woman who was abducted in rebel-held Timbuktu in northern Mali last week was released Tuesday and handed over to troops from Burkina Faso.
Germany
Family puts kids in charge for a month
A German author and his wife put themselves to the biggest test of their lives last year by handing over the family power to their two children for a month. The biggest challenge? Managing the budget.
Norway
‘Too sexy’ Tone Damli looks back on seven crazy years
She may have taken a lot of flak in Norway for revealing what many viewed as too much flesh in a music video this winter, but singer Tone Damli says her life has never been better.
Germany
Speculation: Merkel set to provoke early election
Speculation surfaced on Tuesday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel could be preparing to ditch her struggling coalition partner and go for early elections in order to form a “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats.
Sweden
Sweden shows off Garbo, Bergman banknotes
Sweden's Riksbank on Tuesday released the long-awaited designs of new banknotes featuring the likes of Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Astrid Lindgren, and other cultural giants of the 20th century.
Germany
Iberia Express budget airline aims for Germany
New Spanish budget airline Iberia Express is considering entering the German market, and could be flying from Berlin or Frankfurt to Spanish coastal resorts before the end of this year.
Norway
Witnesses describe ‘war zone’ after Oslo bomb
Experts and witnesses described on Tuesday in often horrifying detail the massive blast that rocked Oslo when Anders Behring Breivik bombed a government building last July, killing eight people.
Sweden
Downshift in profits for truckmaker Scania
The Swedish heavy-truck maker Scania, one of the brands owned by Volkswagen, said Tuesday that its first-quarter profit fell by 28 percent owing to weaker demand and high development costs.
Sweden
Chunky Swedes chase US ‘knee-busting’ obesity
Swedes are piling on the pounds and getting too heavy for their knee joints, causing an increasing number of middle-aged Swedes to have to resort to knee surgery and prosthetic joints.
Switzerland
Late-night fun ends in electrocution
A night of partying ended in tragedy on Sunday when two young men were electrocuted, one fatally, after climbing onto freight trains at the Buchs rail depot in St. Gallen.
Switzerland
Drug maker Merck slashes Swiss jobs
The struggling German pharmaceuticals group Merck KGaA said on Tuesday it would close the headquarters of a subsidiary in Geneva, cutting 580 Swiss jobs and redeploying 750 others.
Switzerland
Switzerland warns of vodka tampons
The Swiss government has warned of the dangers associated with young people consuming alcohol with parts of the body not usually associated with drinking.
France
Sarkozy chases far-right vote despite cool le Pen
Nicolas Sarkozy went gunning on Monday for more than six million far-right votes in a bid to catch up with Socialist Francois Hollande who took the lead in round one of the French presidential election.
Sweden
Five deals on the table during Chinese visit
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao was to visit Stockholm Tuesday to secure a handful of bilateral trade deals, including a major investment agreement with China-owned Swedish brand Volvo Cars, media reported.
France
Fake doctor accosts 98-year-old
A 98-year-old woman was accosted by a man posing as a doctor in her retirement home in Bagneux, south of Paris.
France
The French: living longer but more worn out
A new survey has found that the French are champions of longevity in Europe, but their quality of life deteriorates more quickly than that of other Europeans.
Germany
Merck pharma closes Swiss HQ, cuts 580 jobs
The job losses at biotech firm Merck Serono were part of a wider restructuring plan "to create a leaner, more agile organisation," the company said in a statement.
Germany
Pay-out for rapists kept in prison too long
Four convicted rapists were awarded a total of €240,000 in damages on Tuesday after a German regional court ruled that they had been kept too long in preventative detention – violating a European court ruling on human rights.
Sweden
Hockey brutes trade skates for ballet shoes
Struggling Swedish professional hockey team Malmö Redhawks has opted for a strict regimen of ballet and yoga in an unorthodox effort to inspire winning ways after failing to win a place in the Elitserien, the country's top pro league.
Sweden
‘Hard rock’ bomb threat halts Swedish trains
A train station in southern Sweden was shut down for most of Monday night when security staff found a suspicious package containing copious coils of cords.
France
Boy, 14, held in cellar for €150 ransom
A 14-year-old boy was kidnapped overnight the Pontoise area of Ile de France, North West of Paris – for a €150 ransom.
Switzerland
Prosecutor pursues SVP chiefs over ‘racist’ ad
A Zurich prosecutor has initiated criminal proceedings against some of the top figures in the far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) for infringement of anti-racism laws.
France
More French feel its time to save
French consumer confidence was stable in April, but the number of those who feel it is the time to save jumped higher, data released on Tuesday by the national statistics office showed.
France
Romney gets nostalgic for his Paris years
White House hopeful Mitt Romney got a bit wistful Monday while on the campaign trail as he recalled time spent with his wife in "magnificent" Paris, where he hopes to enjoy more vacation time.
Switzerland
Swiss officials in contact with Mali kidnappers
Switzerland's foreign ministry said Monday it was in contact with a group holding a Swiss woman abducted Mali's rebel-held Timbuktu last week.
France
DSK: New York court to rule on maid’s lawsuit
A New York judge is expected to rule on Friday whether disgraced French politician and former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will face a civil lawsuit filed by a hotel maid accusing him of sexual assault.
Germany
Taxi drivers protest new Berlin airport fees
Around 3,000 taxis drove in convoy through central Berlin on Monday in protest at a huge rise in the extra fee for taking people to the German capital's new airport, set to open at the start of June.
Sweden
Elite Swedish school rocked by hazing scandal
Five students from the same prestigious Swedish boarding school once attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf have been arrested on suspicions of violently beating a fellow student.
Norway
Norway custody row kids arrive home in India
Two Indian children at the centre of an international custody row returned to New Delhi on Tuesday to be cared for by an uncle one year after authorities in Norway removed them from their parents.
Sweden
Wage deal keeps Sweden airport buses running
A planned solidarity strike by drivers of airport buses in Sweden has been called off after a public sector healthcare union reached a new wage agreement.
Germany
Scientists unveil ‘self-changing tyres’
Are you fed up of having to change your summer tyres for winter tyres at the first sign of snow? A group of German researchers have developed a tyre that "changes itself."
Sweden
Teen boys arrested after filming alleged gang rape
Stockholm police have arrested several teenage boys suspected of gang raping an underage girl and filming the act.
Germany
Foreign students quit Germany in droves
Only a quarter of foreign students stay in Germany after completing their studies, even though 80 percent would like to remain, a new study has revealed.