Sweden's news in English

Change edition:
Austria ·
Denmark ·
France ·
Germany ·
Italy ·
Norway ·
Spain ·
Switzerland

A Norwegian flight grounded in Oslo on Sunday. Photo: TT

800 staff sent home after Norwegian strike action

UPDATED: Hundreds of workers could be sent home without pay as Scandinavian airline Norwegian threatens a lockout of workers if a strike affecting Swedish and Norwegian staff is not resolved by Wednesday morning. READ

The four members of Abba as silicon dolls. Photo: Nora Lorek/TT

Mamma Mia! Abba reunite as silicon dolls

The dream of many an Abba fan (almost) came true on Tuesday afternoon as the four members reunited at a Swedish museum – as life size silicon dolls. READ

Sweden's Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson at a press conference on Tuesday. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

Sweden moves to scrap debated budget goal

The Swedish government announced on Tuesday that it wants to scrap the country's budget-surplus target, aiming to axe a policy that critics consider outdated. READ 6 comments

Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg at the Mobile World Congress. Photo: Björn Ewenfeldt/TT

Sweden leads the way in EU's 5G tech race

The mobile technology race is on with Swedish telecom giant Ericsson set to team up with academics and industry partners to have 5G broadband solutions ready for Sweden by 2020 as the EU pushes for greater connectivity across the continent. READ

Opinion

Migrants rescued in the Pozzallo harbour, Sicily last month. Photo: TT

Why can't refugees travel to Sweden legally?

Refugees should not be forced to make dangerous journeys to Europe in order to seek asylum, argues Liberal Party MEP Cecilia Wikström, who also wants to see other EU states joining Sweden and Germany in taking in more people from war-torn nations. READ

Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

'Sweden is not any closer to joining Danes in Nato'

Sweden’s new military co-operation agreement with Denmark should not be seen as a step closer to Nato membership, Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist has told The Local. READ

Emergency services outside the mine on Tuesday morning. Photo: TT

159 miners rescued from fire in central Sweden

A fire broke out at a mine in Garpenberg in central Sweden at around 9am on Tuesday morning, with 159 people rescued by 10.30am. READ

Four anti-Islam protestors turned up at the rally. Photo: TT

Just four protestors at Sweden anti-Islam rally

UPDATED: Counter-demonstrators dramatically outnumbered anti-Islam protesters at a Pegida rally in Linköping in southern Sweden, with reports that just four people turned up to support the right wing group, while up to 400 others rallied in support of diversity. READ 27 comments

02/03 Anti-racists set to swamp Pegida rally in Sweden »

Some passengers are already checked at Stockholm's Arlanda airport. Photo: TT

Sweden eyes fingerprint scanning to stop fraud

Sweden needs to beef up its border security with fingerprint scanning to stop passport fraud, a government inquiry has argued as the country grapples with unprecedented levels of immigration. READ

Budding Magnolia trees in Lund in southern Sweden. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Sweden in for 'warmer than usual' spring

Sweden could be just the place to soak up some sun this spring, as experts predict the country will see unusually high temperatures in March. READ

Features

The Local Recipes

Pyttipanna with pickled beetroot and a fried egg. Photo: John Duxbury

How to make a Swedish 'pyttipanna' fry-up

Famous Swedish meal 'pyttipanna' has seen a revamp in recent years. This traditional comfort food used to be a way of using up leftovers, but is nowadays often spotted in trendy restaurants. Food writer John Duxbury shares his recipe with The Local. READ

The Local List

Eight famous Swedish couples you didn't think would make it. Photo: Shutterstock

Eight surprising Swedish celebrity sweethearts

Following a week of romance, as two former politicians' revelations about their new sweethearts took Sweden's gossip scene by surprise, The Local has listed eight of the most unlikely Swedish couples. READ 5 comments

A Swedish father and daughter look at a computer. Photo: Kristin Lidell/Image Bank Sweden

Sweden is second most 'digital' nation in EU

While neighbouring Denmark took the top spot, Sweden was dubbed the second best country in the EU for 'digital performance' on Tuesday as a new Digital Economy and Society index was unveiled. READ

Opinion

Princess Estelle on her third birthday. Photo: Kungahuset

'Free Estelle Bernadotte from her royal burden'

For this week's debate article The Local hears from the Republican Association, which is calling on Sweden to abolish the monarchy and liberate Princess Estelle following her third birthday. READ 12 comments

My Swedish Career

UK-born Antonio Casamassa who makes apps in Sweden. Photo: Private

'It's my duty to give back and help others'

UK-born Antonio Casamassa, 32, moved to Sweden eight years ago and has launched a successful career as a freelance software developer. Now he has decided to combine his passion for creating game apps with a desire to help others. READ 3 comments

More News

Swedish police outside the Värner Rydén School on Monday. Drago Prvulovic/TT

Trouble-hit Malmö school to reopen after closure

UPDATED: A Malmö school that closed amid concerns of violence and criminality is set to reopen to pupils on Tuesday morning, after crisis talks were held between staff and directors on Monday. READ

Chairwoman Chatrine Pålsson Ahlgren with Jakob Forssmed, left, and Ebba Busch Thor, right, at a press conference. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

Christian Democrat party leadership race heats up

The leadership battle in Sweden’s right-wing Christian Democrat Party is heating up. On Monday the contest was narrowed down to two candidates, Ebba Busch Thor and Jakob Forssmed. READ

Accelerated for Ice Music

Charlie Sexton strums an ice bango at the City of Songs Ice Music concert in Luleå on February 27th, 2015 co-founder. Photo: Luleåfotograferna

Dylan guitarist makes music history in Sweden

Bob Dylan guitarist Charlie Sexton helped write a piece of musical history in northern Sweden at the weekend with the world premiere of new compositions written expressly for ice instruments performed at the Ice Music City of Songs concerts in Luleå. READ

Madonna performing at the Brit Awards 2015. Photo: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

Madonna set for debut gig in Swedish capital

Madonna fans across Sweden were getting ready to party like a virgin as the superstar announced she was heading to Stockholm in November – her first solo gig in the Swedish capital. READ

Ikea's design centre in Älmhult. Photo: TT

Ikea turns furniture into wireless phone chargers

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has become the first global budget retailer to launch a set of desks, tables and lamps that will wirelessly charge phones and other devices. READ

A drone in use in Oslo. Photo: TT

Drones tested by police forces across Sweden

Police in Sweden have purchased several unmanned aircraft to test how authorities might use them as part of their work in future. READ

My Swedish Career

Joshua Ng and Julieta Talavera in Malmö. Photo: Private

'Swedes have a different kind of creativity'

A space where global meets local, where people come together to make both the world and their own neighbourhood a better place – such was the dream of two international students living in Sweden two years ago. Here, they tell The Local how they are on their way to making it happen. READ

The body of Boris Nemtsov on a bridge near the Kremlin. Photo: Pavel Golovkin/AP

Sweden calls Nemtsov killing 'an execution'

Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallström has described the killing of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov of further evidence of "Putin's reign of terror with regards to security, human rights and democracy". READ

MMR vaccine. File photo: Eric Risberg/AP

Measles outbreak spreads to Sweden

Sweden has recorded its first case of measles linked to the recent massive outbreak across Europe with healthcare services responding with calls for extra vigilance. READ 3 comments

Photo: TT

Sweden's Ericsson sues Apple in patent spat

Swedish telecoms group Ericsson announced Friday a lawsuit against US tech giant Apple claiming that its technology was used in iPhones and other wireless devices despite a lapsed licencing agreement. READ

Read older articles »

From our other editions:

Simon Bacher. Photo: Sue Bacher

UN weighs in on 'unjust' disabled access case

The United Nations has asked Austria for an explanation after a British woman complained that her 25-year-old disabled son has been left stranded in their home every time there is bad weather because of bureaucratic red tape. READ

Dmitry Rybolovlev with unidentified woman at Monaco football game last year. Photo: AFP

Swiss businessman charged in art fraud case

A prominent Swiss businessman was on Saturday charged in connection with an alleged art fraud targeting Russian oligarch and football club owner Dmitry Rybolovlev. READ

Edathy in court on Monday. Photo: DPA

Court lets child porn MP Edathy off with fine

A court has decided to fine former MP Sebastian Edathy €5,000 after he admitted on Monday to downloading child pornography images and video onto his official parliamentary laptop. READ

Photo: Colourbox

Denmark may introduce porn to public schools

A sexology professor is calling on schools to show students porn so that they can learn to tell the difference between real-life sex and what they see in online films. READ

Anna Allen appearing on Spanish programme, Pasapalabra. Screen grab: YouTube/bogo xoer.

Exposed: actress who faked Oscar glory

The invented life of a Spanish actress has been revealed after Spanish media discovered she had not actually attended the Oscars, but used Photoshop to place herself on the red carpet. READ

Drones

A drone soars above the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and captures some spectacular images. Photo: Screengrab YouTube/Stalin Velasquez

VIDEO: Paris by drone - banned but beautiful

While police in Paris are trying to solve the mystery of who is flying drones over specific landmarks in the capital, a quick search on the internet reveals it's not the first time the unmanned aircraft have taken to the skies over the City of Light. READ

Video

Dino Ferrari with the giant catfish. Photo: Sportex Italia

Purrfect catch: Italian twins land giant catfish

Twin Italian brothers came within a whisker of a European record when they reeled in a catfish weighing 127kg in northern Italy’s River Po – with just a fishing rod. READ

Norwegian Chairman Bjørn Kise grilled by press ahead of Monday's emergency board meeting. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

Norwegian Air pilots braced for bankrupcty

Norway’s pilot unions were braced on Monday for Norwegian Air Shuttle to bankrupt its local subsidiary in a strategy they decried as “outrageous union-busting”. READ