Eight myths about Swedish women revealed
Do you know a Swedish woman? Or are you a Swedish woman? In that case you have probably come across some of the more popular myths that stick to these legendary creatures like flies to honey.
Day: April 27, 2012
Sweden
Norway
Focus shifts to Utøya in Norway terror trial
The trial of Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in twin attacks in Norway last year, will resume on May 3rd when the Oslo court will hear testimony about the Utøya massacre.
Norway
Breivik trial: Humanity in the face of barbarity
With civility in the courtroom and dignity in the streets, Norway has risen to the challenge posed by the trial of Anders Behring Breivik, one of history's worst mass murderers, observers say.
Germany
Artist banned from strangling puppies
A German artist who planned to strangle two puppies to death on stage in a Berlin theatre has been told that highlighting the plight of sled dogs in Alaska is not a good enough reason to kill the dogs.
Sweden
Swedish comedian attacked by ‘Satanists’
A Swedish comedian and TV-personality recently ended up in hospital when an after-party turned into a “Satanist” attack, in which he was physically beaten and “offered to the gods”.
Germany
Struggling Neckermann cuts half its jobs
Germany’s third largest mail-order company, Neckermann, is cutting more than half its jobs in a bid to stay in business after being hit hard by falling turnover in the clothes market.
Sweden
Man charged with stabbing 10-year-old girl
A 28-year-old Swedish man who stabbed a ten-year-old girl in the throat in Gothenburg in February has been formally charged with attempted murder.
Germany
Controversial shoot-’em-up scoops top prize
A row blew up over a violent computer game on Friday after it took top honours at the German Computer Game Awards against the wishes of the government, which partly sponsors the €50,000 first prize.
Norway
Man found murdered in Oslo car boot
Police have launched a murder investigation after a man was found dead in the luggage compartment of a car in Oslo on Thursday evening.
France
Merkel ‘will work with’ winner of French vote
Germany will form a reliable working relationship with the next French president, whoever that may be after the May 6 run-off election, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday.
Germany
Germany’s engineers to strike over pay
Germany's powerful IG Metall labour union called on Friday for country-wide strikes in the key engineering and metalworking sectors from this weekend in an escalating dispute over pay.
Switzerland
Fire-starter bear leads police to murder victim
At the scene of a fire, started when a bear knocked a tree into an electricity pylon, police found a near-naked dead body on the border between Austria and Switzerland.
Germany
Merkel sends stern warning to Hollande
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has attacked French presidential candidate François Hollande in the middle of France's presidential election, warning him that the EU's new Fiscal Compact was not up for discussion.
Norway
Norway lake yields ‘man’s remotest relative’
After two decades of examining a microscopic algae-eater that lives in a lake in Norway, scientists on Thursday declared it to be one of the world's oldest living organisms and man's remotest relative.
Germany
Australian found dead in Dresden cemetery
A 26-year-old Australian man has been found dead in a cemetery in Dresden, police confirmed, several weeks after he was reported missing.
Germany
Pop titan and prince sue over sarky adverts
Germany's king of kitsch Dieter Bohlen, who earns a fortune criticising teenagers with sarcastic one-liners on a TV talent show, is going to the European Court of Human Rights over an advertising campaign that mocked him.
Switzerland
Polish outrage at ‘second-class’ status
Poland has expressed its deep dissatisfaction with Switzerland's decision to slash the number of work permits it grants to the citizens of eight EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe.
France
Sarkozy sorry over ‘rottweiler’ jibe
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has condemned a rightwing lawmaker who insulted the partner of Socialist candidate Francois Hollande. He referred to Valerie Trierweiler as "Rottweiler".
Sweden
Riksdag move to fight Stockholm taxi-fare battle
After increased discussions about the problem with taxi drivers in Stockholm, the parliament decided Wednesday to begin taking steps towards regulating the city’s taxi service.
Sweden
Swedish teacher risks sack for student bets
A Swedish schoolteacher has been suspended after making a wager with his students about passing an exam. If they passed, he would pay them 100 kronor ($14.85) each, and if they failed, they would have to cough up 200 kronor.
Switzerland
International law stops Swiss expulsion plans
The Swiss Minister of Justice has presented two proposals for the implementation of a controversial initiative to expel foreign criminals, both of which were rejected by the government.
Norway
Norway princess moving to London with family
Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise and husband Ari Behn have announced plans to move to London with their three daughters.
France
Fox steals 38 boules balls
Pétanque player Patrick Cazes discovered a fox was stealing his boules after installing a infra-red camera on his bowling pitch.
France
Street closed after 14th birthday party goes viral
A 14-year-old boy has 50,000 guests signed up to attend his birthday party near the central town of Clermont-Ferrand after his event page went viral on Facebook.
Sweden
Helicopters to bomb Swedish mosquitoes
The mounting mosquito problems in the Dalälven region, in central Sweden, have resulted in a governmental plan to use helicopters to bomb the blood-thirsty insects to death before the summer season commences.
France
Hollande: Germany alone can’t decide on euro pact
The Socialist frontrunner in France's presidential race said Thursday it would be possible to renegotiate a eurozone fiscal pact to include growth measures despite Germany's misgivings.
France
Economist: Hollande is a dangerous man
Francois Hollande's election to the French presidency will be bad for his country and Europe, Britain's influential The Economist weekly said, calling the front-running Socialist a "dangerous" man.
Germany
Three dead after car hits tree and rips apart
A 30-year-old and two others were killed in a car crash on Thursday evening in western Germany, after the driver lost control and hit a tree head-on.
Sweden
‘We have no control over the plutonium’: agency
When Sweden recently shipped plutonium to the US, foreign minister Carl Bildt said that it was to be destroyed. However, the agreements show that Sweden no longer has any control over what happens with the substance, according to a report by Sveriges Radio (SR).
Germany
Lufthansa plans new budget airline
Germany’s biggest airline Lufthansa may be setting up a new budget airline “Direct 4 You” to take over the company’s European flights for as little as €49 one way, national newspapers reported on Friday.
Sweden
Migration Board staff hid documents in wardrobe
A Migration Board (Migrationsverket) official from Malmö has been fired after it was discovered that she had for years failed to register important documents and instead hid them wrapped up in clothes and behind furniture in her office.
Germany
Tan-happy Germans double skin cancer risk
The German love of tanning salons is giving them increasing rates of skin cancer, with scientists this week saying sun-beds were more dangerous than previously thought.
Sweden
Gothenburg cabbie shot in the back
A cab driver in Gothenburg, in western Sweden, was shot while on duty late on Thursday evening in the northeastern part of the city.