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Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news

Catherine Edwards
Catherine Edwards - [email protected]
Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news
Public transport operators across the country have lost out on money due to both reduced travel and increased fare evasion. Photo: Ali Lorestani / TT

Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.

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Weather warnings in northern Sweden after heavy snow stops flights

Strong winds and snow caused three flight cancellations and other traffic issues in the northern regions of Västerbotten and Norrbotten on Sunday, and the weather disruption isn't over just yet.

Meteorological agency SMHI has a Class 1 warning (the lowest on a three-point scale) in place for Västerbotten, where between 5 and 10 centimetres more snowfall is expected during Monday. If you're out on the roads today in that region, be careful.

Swedish vocabulary: snowfall -- snöfall

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Property sales reached a record high in September

September was a record month for the Swedish property market, according to figures from property site Hemnet. A total of 19,411 properties were registered as sold, up 15 percent from the previous record month which was May last year. Most of the homes sold were apartments, 11,124 in total which is a 13 percent increase on September 2019.

And there is still no sign of a slump when it comes to prices. In September, property prices across the country rose by 1.1 percent, according to estate agent firm Valuegard. Detached houses in Stockholm and Malmö saw the biggest increase, of 3.5 and 3.1 percent respectively. 

Swedish vocabulary: property market -- bostadsmarknad


Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

Sweden's lunch restaurants hit hardest by pandemic

Although Sweden has not introduced strict lockdowns as seen in other countries, the coronavirus guidelines and the high spread of the infection has left many restaurants are struggling.

According to a survey by industry organisation Visita, lunch restaurants are worst hit, especially those in central city neighbourhoods or next to office blocks, which have lost on average half of their income, Sveriges Radio reports. In Sweden, everyone is asked to work from home and avoid public transport if possible, and to limit their social contacts.

Swedish vocabulary: lunch joint (slightly colloquial) -- lunchhak

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Malmö housing developer offers reward for 'stolen police officers'

A Swedish housing developer have offered a cash reward for any tips leading to the return of two missing statues of police officers, which have guarded the gate of a former police station in the southern city of Malmö since it was built in 1934. Developer Riksbyggen is converting the station into apartments, but said the statues were an important part of the building's history

Swedish vocabulary: statue -- staty


Photo: Riksbyggen/TT

Public transport fare evasion soared during pandemic

The company operating public transport in Stockholm may have lost out on as much as 1.5 billion kronor due to ticket fraud during the coronavirus crisis, according to a report from SVT.

Ticket fraud is thought to have increased after the capital region halted checks during the peak of the crisis as a way to reduce close contact between staff and commuters. But even despite a significant decrease in the number of ticket controls, more fines for fare evasion have been handed out, with the company estimating an increase in evasion from around 3 percent to at least 15 percent.

Swedish vocabulary: fare evasion -- biljettfusk

We're trying a new thing! Some members have asked us for a short daily round-up of the news in Sweden, in addition to our other articles and features about life in Sweden. We would love to know what you think of this article. Is it useful and would you like to see it continue, or would you prefer a weekly round-up, or something else entirely? Please email [email protected] to let us know.

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Anonymous 2020/10/20 00:37
Yes please much easier to follow up what’s happening in Sweden
Anonymous 2020/10/19 23:03
Yes, very useful to get a quick update!
Anonymous 2020/10/19 23:03
Yes, very useful to get a quick update!
Anonymous 2020/10/19 22:43
Yes, pls continue this useful update
Anonymous 2020/10/19 19:51
Very useful and clear.
Anonymous 2020/10/19 18:13
Yes please continue with these daily updates

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