Stadler builds world’s ‘most powerful’ train
Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail unveiled on Wednesday a train 50 percent more powerful than its competitors, earning it a multi-million franc deal with a Brazilian buyer.
Day: June 6, 2012
Switzerland
Germany
Merkel’s partners oppose EU banking union
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partners came out against the idea of an EU banking union on Wednesday, as the European Commission prepared to unveil new plans for winding up failing banks.
Germany
Beekeeper’s illegal castle demolished
Diggers moved in to begin the demolition of an illegally-built castle in the German state of Hesse on Wednesday morning, crushing the dreams of the beekeeper who built it.
Germany
Tragedy draws Turkish ‘Men Against Violence’
The killing of a mother-of-six by her mentally ill husband in Berlin this week prompted hundreds of men, mostly with a Turkish background, to gather at her house to speak out against domestic abuse. Jessica Ware went along.
Sweden
Sunshine greets Sweden’s National Day
Swedes celebrated National Day on Wednesday with events across the country, and in Stockholm at least the weather offered a sunny break from the recent rains.
Sweden
Swedish teen held for child rape
An 18-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of having raped two ten-year-old girls at a school in western Sweden on Monday afternoon.
Switzerland
Adventure runs in the family for solar plane pilot Piccard
For Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard, adventure really is in the blood. By flying between continents in a solar-powered plane, the explorer has propelled himself again into the record books where two
generations of his family have also secured a place.
Germany
Parents to be paid to keep tots at home
German parents who keep their young children at home rather than send them to day care look set to get money from the government, after the cabinet passed a controversial child care subsidy law on Wednesday.
Switzerland
Swiss man charged with Somali insurgency links
A Kenyan court on Wednesday charged a Swiss man with being a member of Somalia's Al-Qaeda allied Shebab, the latest in a string of foreign nationals accused of links to the Islamist insurgents.
Norway
Witness hails diversity Breivik hates
A leading member of Norway's ruling Labour Party, main target of Anders Behring Breivik's attacks that killed 77 people, took the stand Wednesday at his trial to praise the multiculturalism he condemns.
Switzerland
Football coach given record drink-driving fine
A 59-year-old man has been given a record fine of 23,200 francs for repeatedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Germany
Fancy love letter mistaken for letter bomb
A love-struck young German's romantic plans went awry in a Bavarian village this week after he used fancy paper with a special seal to send a letter to his girlfriend. A neighbour feared it was a bomb and took it to the police.
France
France slashes pension age to 60 for thousands
France's new Socialist government rolled back an emblematic reform of Nicolas Sarkozy's administration on Wednesday with a decree lowering the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers, a minister said.
France
Ambassador faces probe over maid sex claims
French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation Tuesday after a former domestic worker for Bahrain's ambassador in France complained of sexual harassment, a judicial source said.
Norway
Norway municipal sector strike ends
A far-reaching strike that has hit public services across Norway for the past 12 days ended on Tuesday night as unions and employers agreed on a new wage deal for municipal employees.
Germany
Judge’s fury at politicians over election law
Germany’s top constitutional judge has slammed the country’s politicians for failing to come up with a decent suggestion for how to make election law more democratic – despite having three years to do their homework.
Germany
Liberal Löw okays booze and sex at Euro 2012
German coach Joachim Löw has set out refreshingly old-fashioned laws for his squad during the European Championships - a beer before bed is fine, wives and girlfriends are allowed into the hotel and even cigarettes are okay.
France
Hollande is fighting fit: doctors
France's new President Francois Hollande was declared in good health on Tuesday after undergoing his first medical exam as head of state, the presidency said.
France
Canada’s PM in Paris for talks with Hollande
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will discuss boosting his country's economic ties with Europe when he meets with French President François Hollande on Wednesday, his office said Tuesday.
France
Almost half of young French adults ‘are lonely’
45 percent of young adults say they feel lonely, a recent poll shows. Many say they don’t have enough money to go out or the confidence to make friends.
France
Escaped camels cause motorway chaos
Video: Two roaming camels disrupted the traffic on a motorway near the city of Caen in the north of France on Monday. No accidents were reported.
France
Row as minister calls for cannabis ban to end
Housing minister Cecile Duflot says she wants to decriminalise cannabis in France - a move that has angered her ministerial colleagues.
Switzerland
Miracle milk molecule keeps obesity at bay
Swiss research into a little-known "hidden vitamin" thought to be present in milk has yielded astonishing results.
Norway
Politician’s son held for plot to kill prime minister
The step-son of a well-known Labour Party politician has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill both his step-father and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
Switzerland
Man still missing after Gotthard rock fall
A major landslide on the Gotthard railway line has buried one man and significantly disrupted rail travel.
Switzerland
Swiss pilot makes history in solar plane
A solar plane made history on Tuesday by landing in the Moroccan capital after flying across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain on the world's first intercontinental flight in a plane powered by the sun.
Sweden
Swedish study offers Alzheimer’s vaccine hope
Swedish researchers are hopeful that a new study published on Wednesday could represent a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.
Norway
Bolt roadshow touches down in Oslo
Usain Bolt's pre-Olympic European roadshow touches down in the Norwegian capital on Thursday, the Jamaican track star aiming to ratchet up the pressure on pretenders to his double sprint crowns.
Germany
Moody’s downgrades several German banks
US credit ratings agency Moody's downgraded several German banks on Wednesday, including the country's second biggest Commerzbank.
Sweden
Swedes see off Serbs in Euros warm up
Sweden beat Serbia 2-1 in their final pre-Euro friendly on Wednesday, securing an encouraging victory which nonetheless raised questions about whether the team's defence is up to scratch ahead of Euro 2012.
Sweden
Crisis-hit Greeks flock to Sweden
As the economic crisis intensifies in Greece, the number of Greeks coming to Sweden in search of housing and jobs has soared, a leader of the Scandinavian country's Greek community said Tuesday.
Germany
German team hits back at Auschwitz visit criticism
The Germany football team on Tuesday hit back at criticism from senior Jewish leader Dieter Graumann over the handling of their recent visit to former Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Germany
German translates oldest known Hebrew
The oldest known written ancient Hebrew other than the Bible has emerged as laws to protect slaves, widows, orphans and foreigners, according to the German theologian who translated the script.