Man accused of killing baby found hanged
A man suspected of having strangled his five-month-old son was found dead Tuesday having apparently hanged himself in the wake of France's third infanticide in as many weeks, police said.
Day: August 21, 2012
Norway
Pilots suspected of fleeing taxes
Norwegian tax officials have launched an investigation into suspicions of tax evasion by pilots and cabin crew working for airlines Ryanair and Norwegian.
Sweden
Agency to probe Lööf’s Christmas party
The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) is demanding that the Ministry for Enterprise show all the paperwork surrounding their controversial 2011 Christmas celebrations in the wake of the recent state agency entertainment spending scandal in Sweden.
France
France mulls migration rules after Roma row
France's Socialist government will Wednesday seek to end a row over its treatment of ethnic Roma migrants in a move that could result in Bulgarian and Romanian citizens being granted the right to work in the country.
Germany
State ‘paid prostitute bill’ in investor hunt
A German state gave €1 million to a former circus director's assistant and an ex-hotel manager to find investors for the troubled Nürburgring race track – and then paid extra for luxury stays in Zurich, complete with brothel visits.
Sweden
Swedes ‘bad at saving money’: report
One in four households in Sweden has less than 10,000 kronor ($1,504) in the savings account to tide them over a financial setback, according to a new report.
Norway
German tourist drowns in fishing accident
An 83-year-old German tourist was found dead on Tuesday morning after falling into a river while out fishing in western Norway.
Germany
Robot can do shopping – if there are no steps
Proud technology students unveiled a shopping robot on Tuesday, with a test-run through a southern German town which they hailed as a success, even though it took ages – and like the Daleks, had to avoid steps.
Sweden
Divers find ruins from Viking ‘marketplace’
Divers off the coast of Birka, an ancient Viking village near Stockholm, have uncovered 100 metre long jetties suggesting a coastal marketplace that was not previously imagined.
Sweden
Man beats victim with axe, dumps body in well
A 39-year-old man in Ödeshög, in southern Sweden, has been convicted of murder and sentenced to 12 years in prison after hitting his 59-year-old victim in the head with an axe and a frying pan, before dumping the body in a well, causing the older man to drown.
Germany
Six hurt as train derails in Berlin
Six people were hurt in Berlin when a train came off the tracks at lunchtime on Tuesday. Emergency workers said they were glad the incident was not more serious.
Norway
Europe on alert for runaway murder suspect
Police have issued a European arrest warrant for a 27-year-old Swede wanted in Norway for the fatal beating of a female bouncer in Porsgrunn in March this year.
Sweden
Norway issues warrant for wanted Swede
A European arrest warrant has been filed for a 27-year-old Swede, wanted in Norway for the lethal beating of a female bouncer in Porsgrunn in March this year.
Germany
Porn pirates set to be outed by lawyers
A German law firm is threatening to publish a list of internet connections it is accusing of breaching pornography copyright in order to advertise its services – and will start with those in police stations and church rectories.
France
Aubry: give state land to evicted Roma
Martine Aubry, the head of the French Socialist Party and mayor of Lille, has called for state land to be provided for the resettlement of Roma left homeless after the dismantling of camps in the city.
Germany
Man jailed for guns and explosive stash
A German man who collected so much explosive and weapons that his neighbourhood was evacuated when police moved in to remove it, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Switzerland
Prisoners on the run after laundry vent escape
Three prisoners climbed through a laundry vent at Waaghof prison in Basel on Monday before escaping through the kitchen of a neighbouring apartment.
Sweden
Swedish golfer shocked after swastika-ball find
A golfer in central Sweden was shocked to find an abandoned golf ball emblazoned with what he believes to be a “professionally applied” swastika.
Germany
WWF: We’re all eating GM-based meat
Although genetically modified food is banned in Germany, nearly all the eggs, chicken and pork produced here are based on GM soya products – and is not labelled as such, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on Tuesday.
France
Heatwave breaks as France starts to cool off
The recent heatwave which has seen record highs in several areas of France is starting to ease off, according to the country's meteorological office, while warnings remained in place in some 20 departments.
Switzerland
Pussy Riot fans in Zurich church protest
Demonstrators climbed an iconic cathedral tower in Zurich on Monday to protest against Russia's decision to jail three members of female punk bank Pussy Riot.
Switzerland
Chocolate-maker Lindt posts tasty profit
Swiss chocolate-maker Lindt and Sprüngli said on Tuesday its 2012 first-half net profit rose 14 percent on the same period in 2011 to 36.6 million francs ($37.7 million) despite difficult conditions in Europe and the United States.
Sweden
‘The pardoning process will be delayed’: expert
The death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Monday will most likely mean a delay in the pardoning process of jailed Swedish reporters Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, according to Norwegian Ethiopia expert Kjetil Tronvoll.
Germany
Siemens ‘set to slash thousands of jobs’
German engineering giant Siemens, which is increasingly feeling the effects of the economic downturn, is to slash "thousands" of jobs, a financial daily reported on Tuesday.
France
Toulouse toddler shot dead in family dispute
A four-year-old girl died on Monday after being shot in the head during a family argument in an apartment in Toulouse in south-western France.
Switzerland
Hermit found dead with piles of explosives
An 80-year-old hermit, Sepp Manser, was found dead by police last week at an illegal hut in the woods where he had been living for over thirty years.
Switzerland
Glencore profit slides on lower prices
Swiss commodities giant Glencore said on Tuesday its net profit slipped 8.0 percent in the first half of this year to $2.27 billion although sales rose by 17 percent to $108 billion.
Norway
Victims’ families want Breivik locked up forever
Families of Anders Behring Breivik's victims in last year's Norway attacks disagree on whether he is sane, but ahead of Friday's verdict they see eye-to-eye on one thing: that he should be locked up for life.
Germany
Police hunt man as family found shot dead
German police are hunting a man suspected of shooting dead his wife and their two children at their home near Düsseldorf on Monday night.
Sweden
Foundation head held tax-funded birthday party
Madelene Sandström, the head of Sweden’s Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen), has come under fire amid reports that she spent over 100,000 kronor ($15,000) of research money on lavish fiftieth birthday celebrations in November.
France
Depardieu reports driver to police after fracas
French actor Gérard Depardieu has filed a complaint against a car driver whom he allegedly punched in the face during a Paris traffic altercation, his spokesman said Monday.
France
Five people hit by lightning in Pyrenees
Five people, including two children, were struck by lightning and seriously injured Monday at an adventure park in the Pyrenees in southwestern France, a local source told AFP.
Germany
Controversial Down’s test reaches Germany
A new prenatal test for Down's syndrome hit the market in Germany and several other European countries Monday, the manufacturer said, amid a controversy over whether it could lead to more abortions.
Germany
Fuel prices hit all-time high
Petrol is more expensive in Germany than it has ever been, with average prices on Saturday reaching €1.692 a litre for Super E10, and €1.536 a litre for diesel. The record prices are hitting German motorists as many return from holidays.
Sweden
Pre-schoolers to hospital after syringe find
Three five-year-old children were tested for disease in western Sweden after they were found playing with syringes they had uncovered in their pre-school bin on Monday morning.
Sweden
US rejects Assange’s ‘wild’ witch hunt claims
The United States on Monday denied Julian Assange's "wild assertions" that it has launched a witch-hunt for the WikiLeaks founder, who was holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London to avoid extradition.