Today in Sweden: A round-up of the latest news
Find out what's going on in Sweden today with The Local's short round-up of the news in less than five minutes.
Swedish city to introduce desegregation buses
Trollhättan councillors are expected to vote on Tuesday to close two schools and bus the students to other schools in the area, in a bid to reduce segregation and improve school results.
The Local has written more about the plan here.
Swedish vocabulary: school – skola
The Kronan school in Trollhättan will only remain open for classes up to year three. Photo: Adam Ihse/TT
IN PICTURES: Golden Bridge opens over Stockholm's iconic junction
A huge gold-painted steel bridge that sweeps over Stockholm's – famous or infamous, depending on who you talk to – Slussen junction has opened to users after years of construction. It was officially inaugurated on Sunday by King Carl XVI Gustaf, and opened to traffic on Monday morning. Here's what it looks like.
Swedish vocabulary: golden bridge – guldbro
King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle at the inauguration of the new bridge. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
Ceremony to remember lives lost during pandemic
A national memorial ceremony will be held at Uppsala Cathedral on Saturday to remember those who have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony is organised by Archbishop Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden and will be attended by the King and Queen, and prayers from various religions will be read.
A maximum of 50 people are allowed in the cathedral due to coronavirus restrictions, but the ceremony will also be broadcast live by TV4 from 6pm onwards.
Swedish vocabulary: cathedral – domkyrka
Uppsala Cathedral. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
Crowded buses in pandemic-hit city – but fewer shoppers
The university town of Uppsala became the first region in Sweden last week to introduce new local coronavirus rules, including recommendations to avoid public transport if possible. But 123 local buses were overcrowded last week – one third more than the week before, reports regional public radio broadcaster P4 Uppland.
"It's either that people aren't heeding the call not to use public transport, or that a lot of people have to use public transport and there is no room to reduce it," said Uppsala's acting infectious disease doctor Anna Gillman.
But the new recommendations appear to have had an impact on other aspects of life in Uppsala. The radio station reports that the day after they were issued, shops in Uppsala saw an 18 percent drop in the number of visitors, and on Saturday they had almost 40 percent fewer visitors, reports P4 Uppland.
Swedish vocabulary: public transport – kollektivtrafik
People queuing at a bus stop in Uppsala last week. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
Sweden torched expired protective kit during coronavirus pandemic
Sweden's health authority did not have enough money to replace a stockpile of emergency protective equipment after destroying it this summer, according to Swedish public radio's investigative journalism programme Kaliber.
The radio programme revealed that large amounts of protective equipment from the National Board of Health and Welfare's national emergency stockpile had become too old to be used safely so had to be burned.
Swedish vocabulary: protective equipment – skyddsutrustning
File photo of a nurse wearing protective equipment, not related to the story. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
Deported engineer to appeal court rejection over damages
An Iranian sales engineer who was forced to leave Sweden over a former employer's error and then initially blocked from returning has not been successful in his attempt to sue the Swedish state for damages.
Represented by the Centre for Justice, Ali Omumi – who was later able to return to Sweden after a long battle – is the first deported labour migrant to try to sue the state and demand responsibility for 'talent deportations'.
But in its judgment, the Stockholm District Court concluded that the authorities were "justified" in their assessments. It explained that the fact a court or agency makes a decision that is then overturned by the appeals court, does not provide enough grounds that the agency has been unjust and therefore warrants compensation.
The Local has written more about the story here.
Swedish vocabulary: talent deportation – kompetensutvisning
Ali Omumi. Photo: Rikard Samuelsson/Centrum för rättvisa
Fidel Castro's crocodile gives birth in Sweden
A pair of crocodiles who once belonged to former Cuban President Fidel Castro and a Russian cosmonaut have again become parents – this time to 10 tiny crocodile babies.
The proud couple – Hillary and Castro – normally live at Stockholm museum Skansen, where they hit global headlines last year when one of them attacked a man at a crayfish party, forcing him to amputate his arm. Their children, still only 15 centimetres long, were hatched at Tropicarium at the Kolmården zoo in Norrköping.
Swedish vocabulary: parents – föräldrar
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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Swedish city to introduce desegregation buses
Trollhättan councillors are expected to vote on Tuesday to close two schools and bus the students to other schools in the area, in a bid to reduce segregation and improve school results.
The Local has written more about the plan here.
Swedish vocabulary: school – skola
The Kronan school in Trollhättan will only remain open for classes up to year three. Photo: Adam Ihse/TT
IN PICTURES: Golden Bridge opens over Stockholm's iconic junction
A huge gold-painted steel bridge that sweeps over Stockholm's – famous or infamous, depending on who you talk to – Slussen junction has opened to users after years of construction. It was officially inaugurated on Sunday by King Carl XVI Gustaf, and opened to traffic on Monday morning. Here's what it looks like.
Swedish vocabulary: golden bridge – guldbro
King Carl XVI Gustaf, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle at the inauguration of the new bridge. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
Ceremony to remember lives lost during pandemic
A national memorial ceremony will be held at Uppsala Cathedral on Saturday to remember those who have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony is organised by Archbishop Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden and will be attended by the King and Queen, and prayers from various religions will be read.
A maximum of 50 people are allowed in the cathedral due to coronavirus restrictions, but the ceremony will also be broadcast live by TV4 from 6pm onwards.
Swedish vocabulary: cathedral – domkyrka
Uppsala Cathedral. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
Crowded buses in pandemic-hit city – but fewer shoppers
The university town of Uppsala became the first region in Sweden last week to introduce new local coronavirus rules, including recommendations to avoid public transport if possible. But 123 local buses were overcrowded last week – one third more than the week before, reports regional public radio broadcaster P4 Uppland.
"It's either that people aren't heeding the call not to use public transport, or that a lot of people have to use public transport and there is no room to reduce it," said Uppsala's acting infectious disease doctor Anna Gillman.
But the new recommendations appear to have had an impact on other aspects of life in Uppsala. The radio station reports that the day after they were issued, shops in Uppsala saw an 18 percent drop in the number of visitors, and on Saturday they had almost 40 percent fewer visitors, reports P4 Uppland.
Swedish vocabulary: public transport – kollektivtrafik
People queuing at a bus stop in Uppsala last week. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
Sweden torched expired protective kit during coronavirus pandemic
Sweden's health authority did not have enough money to replace a stockpile of emergency protective equipment after destroying it this summer, according to Swedish public radio's investigative journalism programme Kaliber.
The radio programme revealed that large amounts of protective equipment from the National Board of Health and Welfare's national emergency stockpile had become too old to be used safely so had to be burned.
Swedish vocabulary: protective equipment – skyddsutrustning
File photo of a nurse wearing protective equipment, not related to the story. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
Deported engineer to appeal court rejection over damages
An Iranian sales engineer who was forced to leave Sweden over a former employer's error and then initially blocked from returning has not been successful in his attempt to sue the Swedish state for damages.
Represented by the Centre for Justice, Ali Omumi – who was later able to return to Sweden after a long battle – is the first deported labour migrant to try to sue the state and demand responsibility for 'talent deportations'.
But in its judgment, the Stockholm District Court concluded that the authorities were "justified" in their assessments. It explained that the fact a court or agency makes a decision that is then overturned by the appeals court, does not provide enough grounds that the agency has been unjust and therefore warrants compensation.
The Local has written more about the story here.
Swedish vocabulary: talent deportation – kompetensutvisning
Ali Omumi. Photo: Rikard Samuelsson/Centrum för rättvisa
Fidel Castro's crocodile gives birth in Sweden
A pair of crocodiles who once belonged to former Cuban President Fidel Castro and a Russian cosmonaut have again become parents – this time to 10 tiny crocodile babies.
The proud couple – Hillary and Castro – normally live at Stockholm museum Skansen, where they hit global headlines last year when one of them attacked a man at a crayfish party, forcing him to amputate his arm. Their children, still only 15 centimetres long, were hatched at Tropicarium at the Kolmården zoo in Norrköping.
Swedish vocabulary: parents – föräldrar
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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