Bad News From Sweden

Nobel Committees investigated for bribery

2008-12-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Swedish prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation into possible bribery after revelations that members of three Swedish Nobel Committees received free trips to China from the Chinese government.

Earlier in December, Sveriges Radio reported that members of the three Nobel Committees for natural science – medicine, physics, and chemistry – traveled to China at the invitation of the country’s government to speak about what it takes to receive a Nobel Prize.

Now public prosecutor Nils-Erik Schultz has decided to look into the matter more closely to determine whether any of the Nobel representatives who accepted the paid trips to China could be charged with bribery.

“As of now [the investigation] isn’t directed at any particular person, but at a set of procedures. In the first instance we need to focus on a few trip to China,” Schultz told Sveriges Radio.

http://www.thelocal.se/16418/20081218/

Segregation 'widespread' for Swedish immigrants

2008-12-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

A study released on Thursday by Statistics Sweden (SCB) reports widespread segregation in the fields of education, housing, employment and politics. In 2008, net immigration into Sweden reached record levels, with more than 100,000 people entering the country and projections that the foreign-born population will reach 14 percent by the end of the year.

The report, released on International Migration Day, illuminates how pronounced the differences in living conditions are between native Swedes and the country’s immigrant populations, particularly those born in Africa and Asia.

"We have seen that people born in these countries are well behind those born in the EU or other Nordic countries. The differences can be seen in education, the job market, and living arrangements," SCB’s Lotta Persson told The Local."I was surprised at how widespread segregation was in Sweden," Persson added.

http://www.thelocal.se/16452/20081218/

Swedish School hires teacher convicted of sexual harassment

2008-12-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

A Swedish school teacher previously convicted for sexual harassment of two 14-year-old girls has received a new teaching assignment in southern Sweden. While teaching at another school, the man had sent naked pictures of himself to the girls and written several sexually-charged text messages, writes the Barometer newspaper.

http://www.thelocal.se/16304/20081212/

Swedish beauty queen arrested for assault

2008-12-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Anna Anka, the former beauty queen and Swedish wife of US entertainer Paul Anka has been arrested for assaulting her husband, 29 years her senior. The pair clashed at their luxury home in California on November 28th. The 37-year-old former Miss Sweden runner-up became so angry while the couple argued that she launched a piece of ice at her husband's head. The ice struck home and left the 67-year-old one time teen idol needing hospital treatment for a head wound.

http://www.thelocal.se/16338/20081214/

Swedish Steelmaker SSAB to cut 1,300 jobs

2008-12-08T04:04:00.000-08:00

Swedish steelmaker SSAB announced plans on Monday to reduce staff by 1,300 employees as part of a billion kronor ($122 million) savings programme. The cuts will affect all divisions and subsidiaries." I regret that we must announce this reduction in personnel. But demand for steel has fallen sharply in the autumn and we must adapt our costs to the new conditions," said SSAB CEO Olof Faxander in a statement. The company said the programme would be implemented in 2009, with the full impact expected to be felt in 2010.

http://www.thelocal.se/16202/20081208/

Forgotten patient dies in Stockholm emergency room

2008-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

A patient admitted to the emergency room of a Stockholm hospital later died after being forgotten by hospital staff for more than an hour. The incident, which occurred at Stockholm South General Hospital (Södersjukhuset), has been reported to the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper reports.

Staff first performed an initial diagnosis on the patient, who suffered from multiple illnesses including early stage dementia and came to the hospital one afternoon complaining of abdominal pains.The patient was then led to an examining room for additional evaluation to be carried out within the next thirty minutes.An hour later, the patient was found unconscious, splayed out on the bed, and covered in vomit.

http://www.thelocal.se/16134/20081204/

Swedish texts 'filled with ideological bias'

2008-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Several books used to teach Swedish as a second language are plagued with ideological bias, according to a recent academic study. For a doctoral dissertation to be published on Friday, Jörgen Mattlar from Uppsala University examined five text books used to teach Swedish to both young people and adults who have moved to Sweden, as well as to students born and raised in Sweden.

http://www.thelocal.se/16128/20081204/

Infectious Diseases On The Up in Sweden

2008-05-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

More and more Swedes are being infected by diseases such as Chlamydia, HIV and Nephropathia epidemica. Cases reported to The Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control were up 30 percent in 2007 compared to the year before.
Read more

Government to Examine Imam Education in Sweden

2008-05-23T00:35:00.000-07:00

The government announced plans on Thursday to examine whether Sweden should implement a special training program for imams. “Imams can have an important role in integration. Many visitors to mosques turn to their religious leaders with questions related to Swedish society,” said Minister for Higher Education and Research Lars Leijonborg in a statement.

http://www.thelocal.se/11952/20080522/

Bribery Allegations Rock Sweden's Migration Board

2008-05-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Migration Board has called in the police to help investigate an alleged residence permit bribery scandal. The investigation follows a Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper report about a 20-year-old immigrant from Afghanistan who claims he paid a Migration Board (Migrationsverket) employee 40,000 kronor ($6,750) after the employee promised to procure a Swedish residence permit for him.

http://www.thelocal.se/11934/20080522/

Two Arrests in Swedish Nuke Plant Bomb Plot

2008-05-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Swedish police arrested two contractors on Wednesday for allegedly preparing to sabotage a nuclear power plant, after traces of explosives were found on one of the men, police said. "Two Swedish men were arrested ... The prosecutor suspects them of sabotage," Sven-Erik Karlsson of the Kalmar county police told AFP.He said both men were contractors who had been working at the Oskarshamn nuclear plant in southern Sweden "for some time," but said the link between the two remained unclear.

http://www.thelocal.se/11908/20080521/

'Sweden Can no Longer Defend Itself'

2008-05-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

Armed Forces Supreme Commander Håkan Syrén fears that proposed cuts to the military will diminish its capacity to defend Sweden's borders. In a proposal featuring an array of downsizing measures submitted by Syrén to the government on Thursday, military operations in Arvidsjaur in northern Sweden will disappear with the dissolution of the city’s Arctic Ranger battalion.

http://www.thelocal.se/11782/20080515/

Church Gender Equality Flaws in Sweden

2008-05-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

The Lutheran Church of Sweden has been criticised for weaknesses in its gender equality.
A study from the Ombudsman for Gender Equality says the former state church fails to satisfy legal requirements. Only one diocese, Linköping, is in full compliance with the law.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?

Chinese Students Cheated Over College Fees in Sweden

2008-05-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Several Chinese students from China have paid thousands of kronor to agencies in China to attend a Swedish university, despite the fact that the school is tuition free.

READ MORE »

Swedish Business Collapses On The Up

2008-05-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

The numbers of Swedish companies going bust has risen sharply over the last 12 months. 440 businesses shut their doors in Sweden in April, that’s up 8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Read more

Immigrant pensioners draw a blank in Swedish

2008-05-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Thousands of immigrant pensioners in homes for the elderly are in danger of becoming more and more isolated. With the onset of age-related dementia, the elderly patients often forget their second language, Swedish, and soon have no one with whom they can communicate on a daily basis.

http://www.thelocal.se/11504/20080502/

Jail for Refugees with False Passports in Sweden

2008-05-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

A Swedish human rights professor claims that police putting a refugee arriving with false documents in jail are violating the Geneva Convention.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?

Top Swedish Military Officer Fired

2008-04-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

Major General Tony Stigsson, former head of the Swedish Armed Forces' Joint Forces Command, was formally dismissed today. He had earlier been sentenced to three months in prison for abusing his wife. He is also accused of having inappropriately handled classified documents.

http://www.thelocal.se/11404/20080428/

Swedish Teachers Face Violence at Work

2008-04-29T00:28:00.000-07:00

Violence and harassment towards teachers are becoming an everyday occurrence in the corridors of Swedish schools, according the latest study from the National Union of Teachers. The figures come in a debate article in Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter. The investigation reveals that one in ten teachers are harassed at work while one in twenty are subject to violence and often on more than one occasion.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2039406

Shops Investigated for Tax Fraud

2008-04-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

Shops in Sweden are to be subject to closer scrutiny for tax fraud by the Swedish National Tax Board. From 1st July this year the Tax Board are moving the focus of their investigations from the restaurant trade to other cash handling businesses such as opticians and bookmakers.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2039407

Gas Prices in Sweden Reach Record High

2008-04-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

The price of gas in Sweden has reached a new record high of 13 kronor per litre ($8.40 per gallon). However analysts expect prices to rise even higher over the summer.

http://www.thelocal.se/11284/20080423/

Swedish Guards Accussed of Terror Ties

2008-04-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

Members of a delegation from Sweden’s Migration Board (Migrationsverket) were interrogated for hours by Israeli border police after being accused of collaborating with terrorists.

http://www.thelocal.se/11234/20080421/

Swedish Healthcare Workers Strike

2008-04-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

Brandishing placards that cried, ”I want to see what I do reflected in my pay packet!” 3,500 Swedish healthcare workers geared up this weekend for the strike which began Monday after negotiations broke down between employers and the Swedish Association of Healthcare Professionals on Saturday.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2024957

Swedish Football at a Crossroads

2008-04-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

His first visit to a Swedish football match left David Bartram wondering what Sweden needs to do to stamp out its problems with hooliganism.

http://www.thelocal.se/11128/20080415/

Riksdag Member Investigated for Alleged Abuse

2008-04-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

A formal investigation was launched on Wednesday into allegations that a Moderate Party member of the Riksdag abused a woman. A high ranking public prosecutor has begun an investigation on his own initiative following a series of reports in the Swedish press on rumors of the abuse.

http://www.thelocal.se/11164/20080417/

Prison Time for Swedish Nazi Leader

2008-04-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Court of Appeals in Malmö has sentenced Simon Lindberg, leader of the National Socialist Front (NSF) in the southern Swedish county of Skåne to prison for criminal damages, acting as an accessory to abuse, and as an accessory to unlawful threats.

http://www.thelocal.se/11172/20080417/

Swedish Youth Facing Debt Disaster

2008-04-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

Sweden’s youth are facing serious economic problems according to a new report to the Swedish government by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Swedish Debt Enforcement Authority.

Read more

Swedish Volvo and Saab Sold Less in Europe

2008-04-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

Former Swedish tradition brands Volvo and Saab are losing ground on the European passenger car market.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2013098

Gender Equality and Business Problems in Sweden

2008-04-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

Sweden is often hailed as one of the best countries in the world when it comes to gender equality. But it’s not all as rosy as you might imagine. Within the EU only Ireland and Malta are worse when it comes to the amount of women in leading positions in business. Only 3.9% of Swedish women own their own companies. Not the most impressive figure.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2011070

Too Few Milk Cows in Sweden

2008-04-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

Swedish agricultural authorities report that the once over production of milk in this Nordic nation has dwindled to a scarcity.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=2010829

Swedish Teacher Accused of Sending Nude Pics to Seduce Student

2008-04-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

A teenage student in possession of sexually explicit photos of his Swedish school teacher claims the woman was trying to seduce him, reports the Göteborgs Tidning (GT) newspaper. The photos, which depict the teacher in sexually provocative positions, have now been circulated to several students at a school in Kungsbacka outside of Gothenburg, landing the teacher at the centre of a school-wide sex scandal.

http://www.thelocal.se/10950/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=18

More Elderly Swedes Prescribed Antidepressants

2008-04-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

The prescribing of antidepressants for people over 75-years-old has increased dramatically since 2000. In the last seven years, the number of daily doses has increased 29 percent according to statistics which Sweden’s state-run pharmacy monopoly Apoteket assembled for the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

http://www.thelocal.se/10986/20080409/

Swedish Guards Ignore Dying Prisoner

2008-04-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

The Swedish media has also ben giving much attention to criticized 3-year-old police investigation of the death of a 31-year-old detainee in jail in the small southern Swedish town of Nyköping 3 years ago.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1998998

Iranian Man Offers 200,000 Kronor reward For Job in Sweden

2008-04-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

Film-maker Shahram Afsar has offered 200,000 kronor ($34,000) for information leading him to a permanent job. Afsar claims that his Iranian name has forced him to take drastic measures. [...]

"Employers choose their friends within their network. It is almost impossible to get into this profession with the wrong name," Afsar said to Resume.se

http://www.thelocal.se/10936/20080406/

Swedish Green Party Policies Fail to Tackle Emissions

2008-04-02T02:35:00.000-07:00

Just because a party calls itself Green doesn't necessarily mean it has the most environmentally friendly policies, argues Nima Sanandaji of the Captus think tank.
[...]
The Green Party’s lukewarm stance towards economic development and modern technology leads to policies which considerably reduce our potential to limit emissions.

http://www.thelocal.se/10836/20080401/

German Lawyer Criticizes Swedish Police

2008-04-02T02:34:00.001-07:00

Swedish police have been criticized by the prime suspect's lawyer for their handling of the Arboga double murder case. The suspect (center) arrived for a hearing at a German court on Monday.

http://www.thelocal.se/10846/20080402/

Torture Report to be Investigated Again

2008-04-02T02:31:00.000-07:00

French authorities have decided to resume investigations into the alleged torture of a Congolese prisoner during a Swedish-French peace keeping mission in 2003. According to Swedish Television (SVT) the Supreme Commander of the French Armed Forces has made that decision after the visit of a Swedish delegation in France.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1987286

Record Number of AIDS Patients

2008-03-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sweden hasn’t seen statistics like this since the 1990s. Doctors have long been warning that the lax attitude towards safe sex here in Sweden is putting lives at risk. This morning’s edition of Dagens Nyheter reports that last year saw a record number of people contracting full blown AIDS.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1982765

Swedish Security Service Open Up about Al-Shabaab

2008-03-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Security Service is investigating three Swedish-Somalian men’s alleged activities within the militant Islamic organisation al-Shabaab. The men are suspected of financially supporting al-Shabaab. The day after their arrest, the al-Shabaab organisation made the USA’s terrorist list, even though it is not included on the United Nation’s or the European Communion’s lists. According to Swedish law, financing an organisation that promotes or supports terrorism is illegal.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1976284

Young Swedish Women Underweight and Unhappy

2008-03-27T11:43:00.001-07:00

According to a new report by the National Board of Health and Welfare, Swedes’ health and living standards are improving, with the exception of young adults and especially young women aged 15-24.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1976319

Sweden's Asylum System 'Stuck in Stone Age'

2008-03-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

The Swedish Migration Board has proposed changing the regulations for asylum seekers with Swedish families. Under the current system, asylum seekers denied asylum must return to their countries of origin to reapply for a residence permit even if they have children with Swedish nationals. "It's like the Stone Age for them to have to apply from home and be away from their child for up to a year when they have a right to be in Sweden because of their relation to the child," head of the Migration Board Dan Eliasson told Dagens Nyheter.

http://www.thelocal.se/10678/20080325/

Dozens of Swedes Wrongly Accused of Drunk Driving

2008-03-26T02:45:00.000-07:00

Around 100 Swedes may have been wrongly suspected--and possibly sentenced to prison--for drunk driving due to faulty breathalyzer test machines. As a result of the problem approximately 100 people subjected to breath tests between December and March gave readings over the legal limit for driving under the influence.

http://www.thelocal.se/10704/20080326/

Sweden: Centre Party Slash Child Benefits for High Income Earners

2008-03-26T02:44:00.000-07:00

The leader of the Swedish Centre Party Maud Olofsson has suggested that high income earners lose the monthly child benefit of 173 US dollars currently available to all parents, regardless of income.

http://www.sr.se/rs/english/

Childhood Poverty Down but Gap Between Sweden's Rich and Poor Widens

2008-03-26T02:42:00.000-07:00

According to a new report from “Save the Children Sweden” childhood poverty in Sweden is on the wane but discrepancies between rich and poor children is on the rise. Areas with little poverty in the early 1990s have become richer but high poverty areas are even poorer now. Children from single parent households with a foreign parent stand a one in two chance of sliding into poverty.

http://www.sr.se/rs/english/

UN Raps Swedish Plans to Deport Eritrean

2008-03-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

STOCKHOLM: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticised Sweden’s plans to deport a 23-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported yesterday. The human rights office has sent a fax to the Swedish foreign ministry demanding an explanation and urging authorities to try the man’s case again, according to the newspaper, which added that the fax has been partially classified.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=208914&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Skin Cancer Figures Rising in Sweden

2008-03-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

More Swedes are being diagnosed with skin cancer than in previous decades. Researchers at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg point out that today more people voluntarily expose themselves to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays than in years past.

“Many of us get sunburned outdoors in our free time--in the garden or on the lake, for example. And we shouldn’t overlook the increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation that comes from traveling overseas,” said Gunilla Wastensson of Sahlgrenska to Sveriges Television (SVT).

http://www.thelocal.se/10668/20080324/

Sweden: Principal Punched by Drunken Teacher

2008-03-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

A school in the central Swedish town of Västerås was the scene of an unusual school hall scuffle on Wednesday morning. Rather than a gang of menacing teenagers exchanging blows, this fight featured a drunken teacher who landed a punch to the face of the school’s principal. The 56-year-old teacher showed up at the school intoxicated and angry at having recently been suspended for inappropriate behavior toward other teachers, according to news agency TT.

http://www.thelocal.se/10588/20080319/

Members of Swedish State Televison Broadcasting Arrestged on Smuggling Charges

2008-03-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Six members of staff at the Malmö offices of state broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) have been indicted on alcohol smuggling charges. Five of the suspects were members of a committee tasked with organizing a party for the premiere of the reality TV programme Riket (Kingdom) on November 10th 2005, Skånska Dagbladet reports.

The committee members reportedly asked a sixth person, a props manager, to take a company car and travel to Germany to purchase 14 litres of strong liquor, 93 litres of wine and 103 litres of strong beer with licence-payers' money.

http://www.thelocal.se/10596/20080319/

Sweden: Father Arrested For Brutal Child Murders

2008-03-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

Two children were killed and their mother seriously injured after being stabbed in their home in Central Sweden late Monday. The four year old boy and his two year old sister died from their wounds in hospital. The mother, who’s 23 , is in a critical condition. Police say the children’s father, a 28 year old man, is the prime suspect. He was arrested around midnight on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Nyheter=&artikel=1959485

Study: Swedish Doctors Too Generous With Sick Leave

2008-03-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Many doctors agree to sign sick notes for patients who wish to go on sick leave despite not always believing their claims to be justified, a new study has shown. Eight out of ten patients who want to take sick leave are helped in doing so by their doctors. In some cases, sick notes are granted even in cases where doctors fear it may be counterproductive. “Many doctors have abdicated from their duties,” Lars Englund from the Centre for Clinical Research in Dalrna told Dagens Nyheter.

http://www.thelocal.se/10530/20080317/

Convicted Swedish Sex Offender Leaves Second Academic Post

2008-03-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

A professor previously convicted for sexual molestation has resigned from his position at Södra Älvsborg hospital in western Sweden. He will receive six months’ severance pay following his departure. It’s a good resolution for both parties,” said Marie Lindström of Södra Älvsborg’s human resources department to the Borås Tidning newspaper.

http://www.thelocal.se/10550/20080317/

Swedish Soldier Tied to Neo-Nazi Groups

2008-03-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

A soldier in the Nordic Battle Group is a well known Nazi sympathizer from western Sweden. The man has been photographed adorned in Nazi regalia, and was listed on a website for people expressing hostility to foreigners, reports the Borås Tidning (BT) newpaper. On the site he described himself as a rebel who wears military-style clothes and listens to resistance-rock. His interests included “race biology”. “There is no doubt about the sort of circles in which this person runs,” Mikael Ekman from the anti-racism organization Expo told BT.

http://www.thelocal.se/10448/20080313/

Shots Fired at Swedish Prosecutor's Home

2008-03-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Shots were fired early on Friday morning at the apartment of chief public prosecutor Mats Mattson. Mattson, who works for the Swedish Economic Crimes Bureau, is active in the fight against organized crime, police sources said. Earlier this year, he appeared at a press conference following a raid on a number of address connected to the Bandidos motorcycle gang. Shortly before 1am on Friday, shots were fired through the window of the prosecutor's fourth floor apartment in central Malmö.

http://www.thelocal.se/10476/20080314/

Swedish Schools Employing Sex Offenders

2008-03-12T09:31:00.001-07:00

Careless employers have allowed at least 75 convicted sex criminals to work as substitutes in Swedish schools and daycare centers since 2003. Minister of Education Jan Björklund is now planning to put harder sanctions in place.

The 75 convicted sex offenders have received substitute positions within schools and childcare centres, despite the existence of a 2001 law requiring new hires to submit to criminal background checks.

According to TV4’s investigative news program Kalla Fakta, several are repeat offenders. Altogether the situation involves 85 different sex crimes, 30 of which were directed toward children, according to the investigation.

http://www.thelocal.se/10372/20080310/

Young Swedes Trapped by SMS Loan Debt

2008-03-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Fire off a simple text message, wait 15 minutes and presto, 3000 kronor ($500) land in your account; the simplicity of obtaining SMS loans in Sweden is increasingly luring youths into debt.

"The first (SMS) loan was given in the middle of March 2006," said Janne Åkerlund, a spokesman for Sweden's debt recovery agency Kronofogden, adding that the first bill collectors were sent out just three months later. Since then, the number of un-repaid text message loans has soared: in 2007, Kronofogden was tasked with collecting debts from 20,000 such loans, 35.9 percent of which were granted to people aged 18 to 25.

http://www.thelocal.se/10416/20080312/

Iran Kicks Out Swedish Diplomat

2008-03-07T02:30:00.000-08:00

Iran has expelled a Swedish diplomat from his post in Tehran, marking another move in a quiet diplomatic dispute that has been brewing for weeks. Iran has expelled a Swedish diplomat from his post in Tehran, marking another move in a quiet diplomatic dispute that has been brewing for weeks.

http://www.thelocal.se/10308/20080306/

Sweden: Malmö Rocked by Morning Crime Wave

2008-03-07T02:29:00.000-08:00

Police in Malmö have created a special unit to investigate a wave of crimes in the city on Thursday morning that included the discovery of a car bomb, a bank robbery, a burning car and a suspicious bag. "We got a tip-off that a number of explosive devices were to be detonated in Malmö and at the same time we were also alerted to the bank robbery, which was soon followed by a new alert and an explosive device outside the police station," said police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford.

http://www.thelocal.se/10312/20080306/

Swedish Socialite Jailed in Australia

2008-03-07T02:27:00.000-08:00

A Swedish-born socialite was jailed in Australia for nearly four years Friday for plotting to murder two witnesses in her boyfriend's drug trial. Charlotte Lindström, 23, who was a regular in the social pages of Sydney's newspapers, had pleaded guilty and agreed to give evidence against others involved in the case. She was accused of offering AU$200,000 dollars (US$185,000) to an undercover policeman to kill two men who were scheduled to give evidence against her boyfriend Steven Spaliviero.

http://www.thelocal.se/10320/20080307/

Foreigners Can't Bank on Swedish ID

2008-03-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

Foreign students continue to feel marginalized by Swedish society as a result of confusion regarding the issuing of Swedish identity cards. "I walk around every day with a sense of fear," said Dzmitry Fando, a Belorussian national and masters student at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

http://www.thelocal.se/10278/20080305/

Swedish Pentecostalist Pastor Bans Transvestite

2008-03-05T22:55:00.000-08:00

A 58-year-old transvestite from southern Sweden has been told by a pastor in Hässleholm that he is not welcome to hold a lecture at the local Pentecostalist church hall. Claes Schmidt, who also goes by the name Sara Lund, had been invited by the Zonta women's organization to hold a talk about human rights in a hall rented from the town's Pentecostalist community. But on hearing that the International Women's Day event would include a talk from Schmidt, Pastor Magnus Jonegård told Zonta they would need to find another venue. "He cancelled their booking," said Schmidt.

http://www.thelocal.se/10290/20080305/

Assaulted Man Died in Sweden

2008-03-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

The man who was found in an apartment in Lilla Edet outside of Trollhättan died on Tuesday.
Two females that is already arrested for the assault is now also suspected of involentary manslaughter. The charge may be changed to murder. The man, 48 years old, was severly beaten and was treated on a respirator before he died.

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=748816

Swedish Police Arrested For Abuse of Woman

2008-03-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

A policeofficer in Östergötland was arrested for "kvinnofridskränkning" - abuse of a related woman which can include assault, sexual harassment and threats. [The term "kvinnofridskränkning" is considered when a woman is abused repeatedly and on several occasions by a man that is or was closely related]

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=748787

Repeated Attacks Agains Gay Students in Sweden

2008-03-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

Since August, the door to the office of the United Gay Students office in Stockholm has been smeared with feces five times. The events have been reported to the police and handed over to the hate crime unit. The events has not been preceded by threats or other messages.

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1298&a=749039

Swede Dies in UN Helicopter Crash

2008-03-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

UN arms monitors from Sweden, Gambia, Indonesia and South Korea died when their UN helicopter crashed in the mountains of eastern Nepal, the world body said Tuesday. The crew -- two Russians and a Belarussian -- were also killed in Monday's crash along with three Nepalese nationals, it said in a statement.The chopper went down amid poor weather conditions.

http://www.thelocal.se/10252/20080304/

Sweden: Step-father Arrestested For Rape

2008-03-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

A 50-year old man was arrested suspected of raping his 12-year old step-daughter. He is accused of raping her on several occasions. He denies the allegations.

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=748532

Swedish Neo-nazis Arrested Near Kosovo Demonstration

2008-03-03T00:20:00.000-08:00

A group of 20 neo-Nazis were detained by police in Stockholm on Saturday. The neo-Nazis were on their way to disrupt a demonstration by 400 Serbs protesting Kosovo's independence. The neo-Nazis, members of the Swedish Resistance Movement (SMR), were stopped by police on their way to Myntorget in the Gamla Stan area of Stockholm on Saturday afternoon. "They were stopped near Riksbron.

They were behaving badly and were armed with golf-clubs and stones," said police spokesperson Ann-Charlotte Wejnäs to TT.A demonstration arranged by the Serbian youth organization in Sweden was being held at the time on the nearby square. 400 Serbs had gathered to demonstrate against Kosovo's declaration of independence. Police arrested two of the neo-Nazis, one for violent resistance and the other for intent to commit assault. The remainder were dispersed.

http://www.thelocal.se/10210/20080302/

Swedish Football Hooligans Clash in Gothenburg

2008-03-03T00:19:00.000-08:00

Fighting broke out between rival fans of football clubs Gais and IFK Norrköping outside of Gothenburg on Saturday afternoon. Police detained four people for drug-testing. According to police there were between 20 and 30 football hooligans involved in the fighting which started at 2pm in central Landvetter.

http://www.thelocal.se/10212/20080302/

Swedish Restaurant Evacuated After Bomb Threat

2008-03-03T00:17:00.000-08:00

A restaurant in Gothenburg was evacuated on Saturday evening after a bomb threat. 30 guests were eating in the restaurant at the time. The restaurant, in the Gårda area of the city, has been the target for several bomb threats recently."We had a similar incident at the same restaurant a couple of weeks ago. Then an explosive charge was found on the building's facade or at the front door. As threats have been made before we take this very seriously," said Thomas Fuxborg at the local police to news agency TT.

http://www.thelocal.se/10214/20080302/

Muslim Mum Discrimination Case Headed to Swedish Supreme Court

2008-02-28T01:46:00.000-08:00

The City of Gothenburg has appealed to Sweden’s highest court to avoid paying damages to two Muslim mothers who were kicked out of a swimming pool for not removing their veils. A month ago, the Court of Appeal for western Sweden found the city guilty of ethnic discrimination and ordered it to pay the women 20,000 kronor ($3,230) each in damages. The city had been sued by the Discrimination Ombudsman (DO).The women, Houda Morabet and Hayal Eroglu, were at the pool accompanying their children but had no intention of swimming themselves.

http://www.thelocal.se/10128/20080227/

Swedish Government Recruitment Shrouded in Secrecy

2008-02-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

The Swedish government has failed in its commitment to adopt an open appointment process when recruiting top-level civil servants, TV4 reports. In October, the minister responsible for the appointment procedure, Mats Odell (ChrDem) said in a Riksdag debate that "documents handed in by a candidate will of course be in the public domain". Just three days later, however, the trade ministry signed an agreement with a recruitment firm to find a new director general to head the state energy utility Svenska Kraftnät. The agreement included a non-disclsurere clause. According to Mats Odell, this was a mistake that will not be repeated. "It's completely wrong, it goes against regulations," he told TV4.

http://www.thelocal.se/10146/20080228/

Swede: 'I Was Demoted For Defending Israel'

2008-02-26T23:38:00.000-08:00

A Swedish Migration Board employee with 20 years' experience is charging that he was demoted due to his pro-Israel political views. Lennart Eriksson, 51, has had what he describes as a long and relatively happy career with the Migration Board (Migrationsverket).

In his spare time he also operates a personal blog in which he expresses his support of democratic freedoms and espouses support for the cause of Israel in particular.“I want to defend freedom and democracy. I try to be humble and just. Therefore I must—as every good democrat must—defend Israel,” reads a passage describing the content of Eriksson’s blog, Sapere aude!.

http://www.thelocal.se/10112/20080226/

Sweden: Man Dies After Two Hour Wait For Ambulance

2008-02-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

Despite a woman’s repeated calls to Sweden’s emergency number, SOS Alarm, it took two hours before an ambulance arrived to care for son. The 34-year-old man died shortly after paramedics arrived.The woman believed her son was having a heart attack, prompting her to call SOS Alarm five times as she waited for help to arrive.“

I said that I needed an ambulance and that there was something wrong with my son. I explained that he was lying on the floor, that he had stinging in his arms and pain in his chest,” said the mother to the Sydsvenskan newspaper.When the ambulance finally arrived the man collapsed and died in the hall.

http://www.thelocal.se/10126/20080227/

Sweden: Increase in Bestiality or Sex With Animals

2008-02-25T00:04:00.000-08:00

The Swedish Animal Welfare Agency reports a rise in documented cases of animals suffering psychologically and physically from sexual abuse by Swedes. Smaller animals suffer injuries to their genitalia due to vaginal and anal penetration. The emotional traumas horses suffer are difficult to asses.

Cut and stab wounds are also a worrisome problem. Bestiality is not illegal in Sweden. A ban on the practice was lifted in 1944, along with a ban on homosexuality. However, a person can be found guilty of cruelty if prosecutors can prove that the animal suffered physical or psychological injury.

http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=1357&date=20050429

Sweden’s Latest ‘Epidemic’, Self Molestation by The Young Growing Out of Control

2008-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

The number of young Swedish girls ‘cutting’ themselves continues to increase. This expanding phenomenon, nicely called self-injury or –harm, leaves the authorities helpless. Girls make three out of four cases as boys went their anxiety and desperation through abusive behavior, fights and drunkenness.

One girl, the father an alcoholic and mother a fanatic, saw ‘cutting’ as the only way to relieve her otherwise unbearable feelings. The cutting amongst girls, Dagens Nyheter reports, has become a popular fad, a stage that can begin with slight self-inflicted pain, like putting drops of dish-liquid in the eyes or just scratching the skin until bleeding commences to willful breaking of ones own bones.

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=745288 http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=745063 http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=745060

Sweden: “We're living dangerously" Says Expert as Radiation Leaks Are Discovered

2008-02-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

The radiation leaks at a nuclear reactor north of Stockholm went undetected for three years, and the leaks were only the latest in a series of mishaps. Some analysts argue that the outcome was a matter of luck and that a serious accident — even a meltdown — could have happened.

A highly critical internal report from Forsmark plant criticized what it called an "extensive and profound degradation" of the safety culture, describing, among other things, how an alcohol test of 25 workers at the plant resulted in three being sent home for drunkenness.

"It's a bit like a lottery," said Lars-Olov Hoglund, an engineer who was involved in the construction of the plant. More nuclear power plants have since been shut down over the serious safety problems encountered. "These reactors are old," said Lennart Daleus, the secretary general of Swedish Greenpeace. "We're living dangerously."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/14/business/sweden.php

Swedes Afraid of Returning to Its Drunken Past Due to EU Directives

2008-02-24T23:54:00.000-08:00

A nation with a tradition of drinking to the point of drunkenness and a history of abuse going back to the miseries of 19th-century industrialization, Sweden has been able through stringent laws and enforcement to stabilize the alcohol consumption of its citizens.

During the worst period of abuse in Sweden in the mid-1800's, the country had more than 175,000 distilling machines for a population of about eight million, and consumption was estimated at almost 49 quarts of alcohol per adult per year compared with about 9.5 ten years ago. But the European Union is extending its reach and to harmonize its policies. Stretching from freezing climates to desert regions and incorporating vastly different cultures, the union is seeing that what may be a market commodity in one country is a health issue in another.

"Here we come from a tradition of drinking where people beat each other up and even get killed over drinking. You talk to the Italians and they don't see that. Drinking has been a part of their way of life for 1,000 years and they think young people need to be taught to drink." Says Dr. Gunar Agren, the executive manager of Sweden's National Institute of Health.Lennart Johnk, who has worked with alcoholics for 20 years says, "The world is changing and that is good, but as social workers I think we are going to have more problems."

http://janda.org/b20/News%20articles/alcohol_in_sweden.htm

Sweden: Assar The Ugly Lynxs Has to Die

2008-02-24T23:53:00.000-08:00

The Stockholm zoo Skansen has found a ’better’ lynxs, the big wild cats of the Scandinavian forests, to take Assars place. Assar is young and healthy but has to make way for better specimen. One of Skansen’s animal care workers expressed him/her self under anomity:

”Its discusting to kill them. One can wreck and destroy cars but not living beings”.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article1903619.ab

Disturbed Attacks on Taxi Drivers in Sweden

2008-02-22T00:28:00.002-08:00

Violence and robbery of taxi drivers in Sweden is not only on the increase but motives shift from the criminal towards those in mentally and psychologically deranged minds. Dagens Nyheter Monday Feb 18

http://www.dn.se/

The Invisible Children in Sweden

2008-02-22T00:28:00.001-08:00

Up to 10.000 innocent children of imprisoned parents are being called the “invisible ones” as they do not appear on any statistics in Sweden. Thus they fall outside of any state-support or control.Svenska Dagbladet Monday Feb 18

http://www.svd.se/

Sexual Molestation of Children by Other Children in Stockholm

2008-02-22T00:27:00.001-08:00

Svenska Dagbladet reports 20 Feb a noticeable increase in sexual molestation of children by other children in Stockholm. This pediatric form of child abuse, perpetrated by another child, is on the increase especially in the kindergartens. Part of the problem is that pre-school staff does not receive sufficient training to notice any warning signals.

http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_891405.svd

Swedish Lecturer Fined For Slapping Student

2008-02-22T00:20:00.000-08:00

A lecturer from Uppsala University has been fined the equivalent of 60 days' wages for striking a medical student across the face during a practical demonstration. The incident took place during a lecture attended by 70 to 80 medical students. As part of the day's lesson, the lecturer selected one member of the class to participate in a demonstration on how to act when checking patients' levels of consciousness. With 70 to 80 of her peers in attendance, the student was asked to lie on her back on the lecturer's desk. The lecturer, who also works as a neurologist at Uppsala University Hospital, then proceeded to slap her repeatedly across the face while her classmates looked on and laughed.

http://www.thelocal.se/10060/20080221/

Swedish Students Convicted in Bullying Case

2008-02-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

Five teenage boys have been convicted in Malmö for binding their 14-year-old classmate with tape last May. The teens were found guilty of unlawful detention and sentenced to between 35 and 120 hours of community service.

http://www.thelocal.se/10061/20080221/

Swedish Heraldists Want Penis Reinstated on Military Badge

2008-02-22T00:16:00.000-08:00

Sweden's chief heraldists remain dissatisfied with a decision by the Nordic Battlegroup to remove a lion's penis depicted on its coat of arms. But staff at the National Archives are hopeful that the Nordic Battlegroup will reconsider its position and re-erect the lion's member on its insignia. "They stepped over the line when they made alterations to the badge without consulting us. It was a clear breach of copyright," state heraldist Henrik Klackenberg told The Local.

http://www.thelocal.se/10064/20080221/

Swedish Football Hooligans Clash in Helsingborg

2008-02-22T00:14:00.000-08:00

Fighting broke out between rival Danish, Swedish and Dutch hooligans at a pub in central Helsingborg on Thursday evening. Police made two arrests and removed a further 24 people from the area after Thursday's UEFA Cup match between Helsingborg and PSV Einhoven, Skånska Dagbladet reports.

http://www.thelocal.se/10066/20080222/

Sweden Accused of Persecuting Civil Servant For Pro-Israel Views

2008-02-20T04:23:00.000-08:00

An employee of the Swedish Migration Board sued the organization last month for what he considers unlawful demotion for his support of Israel and the U.S., which he expressed in his personal Web site. The parties met last week at the Goteborg District Court for a first hearing on the case. Lennart Eriksson, 51, told Haaretz by phone that his boss, Eugene Palmer, had demoted him last September from the position of manager of an asylum assessment unit - which he had held for six years - to manager of one of the board's shelters. Eriksson maintains that in effect, the demotion constitutes dismissal.

The board - the government body handling immigrants - disagrees with this. Eriksson, who is not Jewish, also said he viewed his demotion as a form of political persecution. According to Eriksson, Palmer told him he had seen Eriksson's Web site and that Eriksson's views were both "unusual and controversial." According to Eriksson, Palmer told him he was being demoted because of the Web site, and that running such a site was inappropriate for a senior official of the migration board. He said his site "does not and has never contained hateful or acrimonious ideas."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/955964.html

Swede Caught in UK Welfare Scam

2008-02-20T04:11:00.000-08:00

A Swedish citizen falsely claiming to have 18 children managed to cheat UK welfare authorities out of more than £20,000 ($39,000/247,000 kronor) before getting caught. Caockmari Omoike, 36, a naturalized Swedish citizen from Gambia who has no children of her own, deceived officials from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs using multiple UK addresses and false names, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

http://www.thelocal.se/10049/20080220/

Swedish Hospital in HIV Needle Mix up

2008-02-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

A nurse at Sahlgrenska University Hospital injected a patient with a syringe previously used on a patient infected with HIV. Officials believe that the oversight may have resulted in the man being infected with the HIV virus.Sweden’s Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has issued a sharp criticism against the hospital, according to the newspaper Göteborgs Posten. The two patients, one hospitalized with HIV and the other with severe head injuries, were housed in the same room at the hospital.

http://www.thelocal.se/10040/20080219/

Prison Time For Sweden's Mentally ill

2008-02-18T01:45:00.001-08:00

The government wants to discard the ban on prison sentences for those with serious psychological problems. Currently, mentally ill offenders are sent to mental health facilities.Under the government's new plan, courts would have the option of prison sentences in certain cases, allowing for more flexibility in the sentencing process.

http://www.thelocal.se/10020/20080218/

Pessimism Rises Among Swedish Store Owners

2008-02-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Confidence in the development of retail sales is at a record low among Sweden’s merchants. “The public debate about a possible economic slow down presumably plays a major role in the panel’s view of the business environment,” said Swedish Trade Federation vice president Yvonne Ingman in a statement. According to the barometer, merchants believe that jewelry, electronics, and furniture stores will be hit hardest by an economic downturn.

http://www.thelocal.se/9990/20080215/

More Young Swedes Depend on Welfare

2008-02-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

More young Swedes than ever before are never making it into the job market, instead finding them stuck in welfare dependency.

http://www.thelocal.se/9980/20080214/

Swede Held For 'al-Qaeda Ties'

2008-02-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

23-year old Swedish citizen is in custody in France for suspected ties to a group linked with al-Qaeda. The man was arrested by French police on February 1st on his way back to Sweden. Sweden’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the arrest and tells the newspaper that the embassy is awaiting permission to visit the man.

http://www.thelocal.se/9984/20080214/

Stressed Out Swedish Students Tired of Studying

2008-02-12T04:06:00.000-08:00

Close to half the students in Sweden’s system of higher education have been near or have seriously considered quitting school. In its annual Student Barometer study, Sweden’s United Student Unions (SFS) asked 6,642 students questions about completing their education, and how they view the work and working conditions at institutions of higher learning. Many of the respondents who considered giving up studying had ethnic backgrounds other than Swedish, were gay or bisexual, or had disabilities.

http://www.thelocal.se/9952/20080212/

Sweden: Mother Suspects Daughter Was Victim of Honour Killing

2008-02-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

The mother of the 16-year-old Malmö girl who died a week ago Sunday after falling from a balcony says her daughter was the victim of an honour killing. In an interview on the newsmagazine program Aktuellt, the girl’s mother explained that she long had concerns about her 19-year-old son, who has been in custody on suspicion of murder since last Wednesday, along with the girl’s 38-year-old stepfather.“I had contacted both social services and the school several times about the problems with my son, the girl’s brother,” the mother said to Aktuellt.“But they told me my son was my problem.”

http://www.thelocal.se/9958/20080212/

Swedish Teacher Accused of Making Beer Run for 15-year old Students

2008-02-11T03:32:00.000-08:00

A Stockholm middle school teacher has been charged for purchasing alcohol for two of her female students. The 37-year old woman is accused of buying an undisclosed amount of beer and strong cider for the two students, both 15-years old at the time.

http://www.thelocal.se/9944/20080211/

Governments in Sweden Shun Privatization Experts

2008-02-11T03:27:00.000-08:00

A new survey shows that both centre-right and social democratic governments do a poor job at consulting experts when planning the sales of state-owned companies. As the government made preparations for the sales of OMX, SBAB, TeliaSonera, and Vin & Sprit last year, it was criticized by the Swedish National Audit Office (SNAO) for not taking the views of agencies affected by the planned sales.

http://www.thelocal.se/9941/20080211/

Wave of Illegal Weapons Hits Sweden

2008-02-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Weapons crimes have increased by 20 percent in Sweden since 2000. There are an increasing number of weapons in circulation in Sweden and smuggling continues apace. A case involving four men accused of smuggling 40 pistols in their car over the Öresund bridge in October 2007 reached its conclusion in Malmö this week. The verdict is expected to be delivered during next week. Rolf Bårdskär at the customs and excise criminal investigation unit (Tullkriminalen) in Malmö described the case as "exceptional."

http://www.thelocal.se/9928/20080209/

Swedish Neo-Nazis Become More Violent

2008-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Sweden's three largest neo-Nazi groups were busy in 2007 conducting 1,142 activities. The Security Service, Säpo, warns that Nazis are becoming more violent. The magazine Expo has examined the activities of the National Socialist Front (NSF), the Swedish Resistance Movement (SMR) and Info-14 and found that neo-Nazi activities occurred in 19 of Sweden's 21 counties in 2007. Only Kronoberg and Jämtland were free of neo-Nazi activities.

http://www.thelocal.se/9932/20080209/

TeliaSonera AB to Cut 2,900 Jobs in Sweden and Finland

2008-02-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Swedish-Finnish telecomms operator TeliaSonera AB issued its year-end report on Friday (8 February), posting net sales of SEK96,344m, a 5.8% increase compared to 2006. The operating income amounted to SEK26,155m, up from SEK25,489m in the previous year. Earnings per share increased from SEK3.78 to SEK3.94. Despite recently having completed a programme to cut annual costs by SEK1.5bn, TeliaSonera announced new plans to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

The new programme aims at cutting an additional SEK5bn off costs, mainly by reducing a further 2,900 jobs in Sweden and Finland. Two-thirds of the new job cuts will take place in the Swedish organisation.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/257143423?-2646&Session=3UVkQ0t_qg1UGUF-NYRWnvMVAJ-

Swedish Teacher Fined For Flashing Boobs

2008-02-08T07:35:00.000-08:00

A teacher in Sweden has been fined for flashing her breasts at a male pupil. She was convicted of sexual harassment after exposing her breasts to the boy in retaliation for the boy covering the blackboard with swear words and sexual drawings.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=98017&in_page_id=2&ito=newsnow

Swedes Hit With Massive Tax Bill

2008-02-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Swedes handed over a whopping 577 billion kronor of their income in taxes in 2007. No wonder the Finance Minister is smiling. In all, Swedes handed over 577 billion kronor ($88 billion) of their 2007 income to the guardian of the state funds. This represented an increase of 5.4 percent on figures for 2006. Most of the total was made up of local government income tax contributions.

http://www.thelocal.se/9913/20080207/