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A potential strike deadline has been extended to 8am. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Swedish flights cancelled as strike threat looms

At least 11,000 passengers are set to be hit by flight cancellations as a potential pilots' strike threatens to go ahead early on Thursday morning. As overnight crisis talks between Swedish unions and Scandinavian Airlines continue it remains unclear whether or not a resolution is in sight. READ

Interview

The problem is not confined to Sweden. Here Severine Ali Mehenni holds pictures of her daughter Sahra who left France to join jihadists. Photo: AP/TT

Why Swedish girls are leaving home for Isis

More girls and women than ever before are leaving Sweden to fight with terrorist groups like Isis. The Local speaks to terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp from the Swedish Defence University about what’s luring them to leave one of the safest countries in the world to wage jihad. READ

Karl Ove Knausgård in 2012. Photo: Berit Roald / Scanpix

Knausgård savages the 'Cyclops' Swedes

Norwegian literary star Karl Ove Knausgård has launched an extraordinary attack on the Swedes, damning them as a race of narrow-minded “Cyclops” who cannot tolerate ambiguity, have no understanding of literature, and are “full of hate and fear”. READ

The Swedish Migration Board's offices in Malmö. Photo: Drago Prvulovic/TT

Migration Board worker took bribes for passports

A court in Malmö has jailed a former Migration Board worker and his accomplice for taking bribes in exchange for residence permits and passports for asylum seekers desperate to stay in Sweden. READ

Image: Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

Two million Swedes design 'house of clicks'

A team of award-winning architects have joined forces with two million Swedes to design the country’s most sought-after home. READ

Presented by ConnectSweden

Singer Kristin Amparo. Photo: Hugo Thambert

Kristin Amparo: 'Swedes are afraid to be proud'

Sweden might just win Eurovision – but that's not enough to "take back the flag". Singer Kristin Amparo tells The Local why Sweden needs to increase connectivity, but also learn to be proud of its traditions. READ

Photo: Cloetta

Swedish secret stashes help parents hide candy

A Swedish sweet maker has devised an ingenious range of household items with secret compartments to help parents keep their precious candy stashes hidden from their children. READ

More Swedes are in favour of joining Nato than ever before. Photo: AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu

Nearly one-third of Swedes want to join Nato

Support for Nato membership remains unusually high in Sweden. Nearly one in three thinks the country should join the defence organization, according to a new poll. READ

An aircraft similar to the one that went missing. Photo: AP Photo/FAS

Missing plane found in Baltic Sea without pilots

The wreckage of a civilian aircraft which disappeared en route from Sweden to Lithuania has been found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, authorities have said. However, its two pilots are still missing. READ

The Local List

Björnö island just outside Stockholm. Photo: Maddy Savage/The Local

Nine perfect hiking spots on Stockholm's doorstep

Sweden has one of the cleanest, greenest capitals in the world, boasting a total of 26 parks. But you don't have to go too far outside the city centre to find some even more magical beauty spots. Alec Forss shares his favourite hiking locations just a short bus or train ride away. READ

Features

Opinion

Sweden's neutrality is not its own choice, argues Bruce Acker. Photo: Magnus Hjalmarson Neideman/SvD/TT

'Sweden's smug wisdom of neutrality is a farce'

Sweden's ability to defend its borders remains a hot topic as fears of an aggressive Russia grow stronger. In this week's debate article, defence expert Bruce Acker argues that the Nordic country's neutrality plays right into the hands of its eastern neighbour, which is unlikely to launch a military attack on Sweden as long as it is not in its interest to do so. READ

Analysis - Sweden's school crisis

Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Low marks for Sweden's muddled teacher training

Serious failings in Sweden's teacher training system go a long way to explaining the country's steep drop in school rankings, according to a new OECD report. READ

Summer in Stockholm

Enjoy a picnic at Monteliusvägen in Stockholm. Photo: Susanne Walström/imagebank.sweden.se

Eight great Stockholm summer secrets

What is there to do in Stockholm when you've done everything on the tourist trail? Actually, some of the best activities are the least known. READ

My Swedish Career

Finnish businesswoman Sara Vilkko, who now lives in Stockholm. Photo: Martina Klimesova

‘I brought my childhood summerhouse to life’

After growing up in Rovaniemi in Finland before enjoying an advertising career in London, Sara Vilkko, 38, chose Stockholm as the city from which to launch a new app game for toddlers based on her own childhood holiday experiences. READ

The Local Travel

Summer camping at the foot of Sweden's tallest mountain Kebnekaise. Photo: TT

The Local's ultimate guide to travel in Sweden

Visiting one of the world's most beautiful countries? Want to make the most of living in Sweden? Here at The Local we've pulled together our top travel tips, from luxury bars to bargain backpacker hostels and hearty hikes in the Nordic nation. READ

More News

The wreckage of the crashed plane. Photo: Josef Vostarek/CTK/TT

Two pilots eject from Swedish-made fighter jet

Two pilots survived unscathed after they were forced to eject from a Swedish-made fighter jet that veered off a landing strip and crashed in a field on an air base in the Czech Republic on Tuesday. READ

Who is this Lucy with the lovely curls?

'Satan’s mother' places ad in Swedish paper

A baptism notice heralding the arrival of Lucy, a little girl with 666 curls, slipped unnoticed by editors onto the family pages of one of Sweden’s main daily newspapers on Tuesday. READ

The Swedish state now owns two Pirate Bay domain names. Photo: Vilhelm Stokstad/TT

Sweden now owns Pirate Bay domain names

The Swedish state became the unlikely new owner of two domain names used by The Pirate Bay after a court ruling on Tuesday. READ

The Local List

Sweden's Eurovision star Måns Zelmerlöw. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Five top facts: Sweden's Eurovision entry

Just three years after winning Eurovision, Sweden is again tipped as one of the favourites to take home the crown on Saturday. Here, The Local brings you the five things you need to know about the 28-year-old Swedish heartthrob who has stirred up quite the social media buzz in Vienna. READ

Locals gathered in central Karlskrona on April 30th to commemorate Yara Alnajjar on the first anniversary of her death. Photo: Charlotte Nilsson/TT

Couple jailed for murder of eight-year-old girl

Sweden's court of appeal has ruled that eight-year-old Yara Alnajjar was murdered by her uncle and his wife. READ

Presented by Bupa Global

File photo: Bupa Gobal

Healthcare: 9 questions every expat should ask

We all know living abroad brings lots of adventure and excitement, but also raises lots of questions. And when it comes you and your family's health, we often don’t know what questions to ask until an unforeseen event prompts us to look for answers. READ

Presented by Malmö University

Photo: Martin Magntorn

Why Malmö 'has it all' for international students

Over coffee in their apartment, students Karolína Marcinová and Jenni Uimonen tell us why Malmö is the perfect university city - and offer some tips for settling in. READ

Photo: Hasse Holmberg/TT

Swedish banks 'make life easy for terrorists'

Sweden’s financial watchdog has hit two of Sweden’s biggest banks, Nordea and Handelsbanken, with heavy fines for their failure to prevent money laundering. READ

Spotify will allow Starbucks to create playlists for its stores. Photo: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Swedish Spotify teams up with US cafe chain

Starbucks customers could soon be listening to Spotify lists as they sip their lattes, after the coffee giant announced a new partnership with the Swedish streaming leader. READ

A company partly owned by a Swedish firm is being investigated for alleged diaper cartels. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

Swedish firm SCA in Colombian diaper probe

A company owned by scandal-hit Swedish industry giant SCA is suspected of having been part of two secret cartels to push up the price of, among other things, toilet paper and diapers in Colombia, according to a Swedish newspaper. READ

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From our other editions:

Once again the Rathaus will be lit up for the Life Ball. Photo: Wien.info

Stars head to Vienna's Life Ball charity event

Vienna’s Ringstrasse will be partially closed to traffic on Saturday as the Rathaus hosts the Life Ball charity event, to raise money for the fight against HIV and AIDS. READ

Photo: Kevin Rachel

Ferrari driver nabbed at 250 km/h keeps car

A Zurich resident caught speeding in a Ferrari on a French highway at 250 kilometres an hour escaped with just a fine for his violation of traffic laws, gendarmes said on Thursday. READ

GDL members in Munich station on May 7th 2015. Photo: DPA

Train drivers to strike from Wednesday: union

Train drivers' union GDL said on Monday that members would strike on goods trains from Tuesday and passenger services from Wednesday in a long-running battle with rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB). READ

Waging jihad while collecting unemployment. Photo: Stringer/Scanpix

Danish jihadists cashed in on welfare benefits

Thirty-two Danes have collected nearly 400,000 kroner worth of unemployment benefits while fighting in Syria, it was revealed on Monday. READ

Photo of a man in the hot sun:Shutterstock

Spain's May heatwave breaks records

Temperatures have risen to record breaking levels in the north eastern region of Catalonia, while elsewhere the searing heat has claimed its first victim. READ

Paris is easyBus's first service in continental Europe. Photo: Shutterstock

Super-cheap airport shuttle takes on Paris

Catching the Paris-bound bus from the Charles de Gaulle international airport got a whole lot cheaper as British low-cost giant easyJet launched its competitive shuttle service easyBus on Friday. READ

Sobuj Khalifa was given a one-year-residency permit for saving a drowning woman from Rome's River Tiber. Photo: Polizia di Stato/Questura di Roma

Migrant gets permit for saving drowning woman

A 32-year-old homeless illegal migrant who jumped into Rome’s Tiber river to save a drowning woman has been given a year-long permit to stay in the city. READ

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