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Not the playground in this story. Photo: TT

Builders dig up guns at Gothenburg preschool

A bag of guns has been unearthed by construction workers digging up a preschool playground in west Sweden. READ

Video

Sam, 10, who used to be known as Iris. Photo: SVT

Meet the Swedish boy who used to be a girl

Born as a girl called Iris, a brave Swedish 10-year-old has spoken out about his decision to change his gender and live as a boy by the name of Sam – in a video which has gone viral in Sweden. READ

A UK polling station. Photo: Matt Dunham/TT

Swedes eye uncertain and tight UK election

Swedish politics-watchers were poised for one of the tightest election races in history on the other side of the North Sea on Thursday, in a poll which many believe could mirror Sweden’s last fragmented national vote. READ

A Swede raised tens of thousands for beggars on Twitter. Photo: Oskar Kullander/SvD/SCANPIX

Swede raises thousands for beggars on Twitter

A Swedish lawyer has told The Local how he raised tens of thousands in just a few hours after starting up a social media campaign in response to southern Swedish residents' attempt to outmanoeuvre a group of beggars from other parts of the EU in their town. READ

The court in Uppsala after the threat. Photo: TT

Bomb threat before Swedish Nazi trial

A district court in the Swedish city of Uppsala had to be evacuated on Thursday morning after a bomb threat believed to be linked to a high profile Nazi trial. READ

Boat houses in west Sweden. Photo: Fredrik Broman/Image Bank Sweden

Sweden crashes in global tourism rankings

Transport links, prices and the quality of Sweden’s hotels have been called into question in a global report that has ranked the Nordic nation 23rd in the world for travel and tourism compared to 5th place in 2011. READ

A Norwegian plane had to turn back to the airport. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Swedes tell of fear after lightning strikes plane

A Norwegian plane carrying Swedish passengers was forced to turn back to the airport after it was struck by lightning just minutes after take-off, as a massive thunderstorm continued in southern parts of Sweden. READ

What's on in Sweden

Colour me impressed! A very special race is coming to Sweden this month. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

What's on in Sweden: May 7th - 14th

The most colourful race on the planet is coming to Sweden, so get your running shoes (and smiles) on. We've also picked out two great gigs for you this week, as well as a fascinating exhibition on Sweden's role after the Second World War. READ

Swedish UN worker Anders Kompass. Photo: AP Photo/Moises Castillo

Swedish whistleblower's suspension lifted by UN

A UN tribunal has ordered the reinstatement of Swedish official Anders Kompass who was suspended for leaking a report to France about child abuse by French soldiers sent to the Central African Republic in 2014. READ

Students in Sweden. Photo: Sofia Sabel/Image Bank Sweden

Push to stream foreign media sites in Sweden

Music and video streaming sites such as the BBC iPlayer, could become legally available for expats living in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe if EU officials get their way, while more Swedish media content may become accessible to foreigners. READ

Features

The Local List

Medieval town Ystad is located in southern Sweden. Photo: Shutterstock

Six cute Swedish towns you've never heard of

The streets of Stockholm and Gothenburg are often jam-packed with tourists, but further afield there are plenty of adorable Swedish towns you've probably never heard of, but which all offer some unique experiences. READ

Opinion

Ever been offered help on Stockholm's subway? Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/Image Bank Sweden

'Swedes are great friends but terrible strangers'

After eight months of living in Stockholm, The Local's Editor Maddy Savage has embraced the city's nature, eaten her bodyweight in meatballs and made some wonderful friends. But she's not so impressed by the (lack of) kindness of strangers in her adopted city. READ

The Local List

Julia Adams. Photo: Gustav Wiking

The Local's top Swedish songs of the month: May

The Local's music guru, Paul Connolly, has a bumper crop of great new Swedish songs for you to enjoy during these early summer nights. READ

Opinion

Dawit Isaak is a Swedish-Eritrean journalist. Photo: Kalle Ahlsén/SCANPIX

'Time to free Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak'

Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak has spent the past 13 years imprisoned in Eritrea, which has been criticized by several human rights organizations. In this week's exclusive debate article for The Local, US campaigner Kerry Kennedy writes that it is time for the Swedish government to step up the fight to secure his release. READ

My Swedish Career

David Lynch and the players he coaches. Photo: TT

'Swedes need to just let their kids be kids'

Scottish-born David Lynch, 53, is making a name for himself as a children's football coach in Sweden after his list of tips designed to stop Stockholm's "helicopter" parents from mollycoddling their children went viral. READ

More News

Astrid Lindgren pictured at home in 1978. Photo: TT

Astrid Lindgren family plans apartment museum

The Stockholm apartment that was home Sweden's most famous children's author Astrid Lindgren is set to be turned into a tourist attraction, her family has announced. READ

A different pig farm. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/TT

Pig farm plan to push away Muslim immigrants

Anti-immigration campaigners in Gullberg in southern Sweden are plotting to build a pig farm next to an asylum centre in a last-ditch effort to deter would-be Muslim immigrants, who might find the animals offensive. READ

Analysis

Swedish military in Stockholm in April 2015. Photo: TT

'Sweden's current military state is alarming'

A leading British defence expert has reignited debates about Sweden's preparedness for a potential invasion by Russia. Keir Giles from Chatham House – a London-based independent policy institute – has told several Swedish media outlets, including The Local, that he's convinced an attack on the Nordic nation "could come soon". READ

Presented by Akademikernas a-kassa

Have your Swedish friends told you about a-kassa? Photo: Shutterstock

A-kassa: The Swedish secret no one tells you

Foreigners face a unique set of hurdles in the Swedish job market, but few understand how unemployment insurance can help. One UK native tells The Local how Akademikernas a-kassa made his working live in Sweden easier. READ

Should Swedes cut down on sweet snacks? Photo: TT

Obesity set to balloon across Sweden by 2030

UPDATED: Swedes might want to start cutting down on meatballs and cinnamon buns, following a warning that the nation's overweight population is set to swell over the next 15 years, as an obesity crisis sweeps across the EU. READ

A home in southern Sweden burned down after lightning struck. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Heavy rain and lightning strikes in Sweden

Swedish weather forecasters predict that the sun may peek out from behind the clouds on Wednesday, after heavy rain and thunder storms battered parts of Sweden and much of Europe on Tuesday evening. READ

EU judges have ruled that the Skype name is too similar to British broadcaster Sky. Photo: AP

Sweden's Skype 'too similar' to UK's Sky

Sweden-founded video chat giant Skype has come out on the losing side in an EU court battle – in which judges ruled that its name is too similar to Rupert Murdoch's television corporation Sky and could confuse the public. READ

Not the Swedish dog in this case. Photo: TT

'Racist dog' owner avoids Swedish jail term

A man who instructed his dog to attack young people with non-Swedish ethnic backgrounds has been found guilty of inciting racial hatred and instructed to carry out 120 hours of community service. READ

Analysis

Photo: Ola Ericson/TT

Why Sweden's economy is 'brightening' in 2015

Sweden's economy is set to get a boost in 2015 and the coming years, with "strong investment and a brightening outlook for exports", according to a key EU report released on Tuesday. The Local looks at why the Nordic nation is on the up. READ

Glasses, the usual form of eyesight correction. Photo: TT

'Fake' eyesight course pulled by Sweden school

An evening course that promised to teach students how to improve their own eyesight has been pulled by Sweden's largest adult education organization after opthalmologists described it as "pure quackery". READ

Read older articles »

From our other editions:

Photo: Saatchi + Saatchi

Magazine printed with HIV+ blood ink

An Austrian magazine has used ink infused with the blood of three HIV+ people to print a special edition of their current issue. READ

Photo: Commune de St. Gingolphe /Facebook

More rain renews flood and landslide risks

UPDATED: Many parts of western Switzerland remained on alert as weather forecasters called for additional rain on Tuesday, heightening the risk of more flooding and transportation disruptions. READ

Photo: DPA

Germany braces for longest-ever rail strike

German train drivers found themselves under fire from industry and the government on Monday after announcing their longest walkout in the history of rail operator Deutsche Bahn. READ

The Danish Way

The author contends that Danes are less likely to drop 'A-bombs' on each other. Photo: Colourbox

What Americans can learn from humble Danes

The Local's new opinion columnist Jessica Alexander writes that her fellow Americans would benefit from taking a lesson in humility from the Danes. READ

The Local list

Photo of Union Jack and Spanish flag: Shutterstock

The ten greatest things about Spain (in the UK)

As a long time Spanish resident in the UK, director of Modern Languages at Northumbria University Dr Carlos Solares reveals some of the Spain-UK links you never knew existed. READ

Photo: Shutterstock

Trial after Frenchman dies downing 56 shots

The owner of a bar in France will stand trial on Monday charged with “manslaughter” over the death of one his patrons, who died breaking the bar’s record for the number of shots downed in one evening. It comes as France moves to get tough on binge drinking. READ

A demonstrator throws a smoke bomb to police in downtown Milan, during a demonstration against the Universal Exposition Expo Milano 2015. Photo: AFP

Italy PM says riots will not ruin Milan Expo 2015

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi warned on Saturday that stone-throwing protesters who clashed with police in Milan during the Expo 2015 opening would not ruin the world fair. READ

Lofoten's Unstad beach. Photo: Spesialsnorre/Flickr

Norway's extreme surfers brave Lofoten

The water is icy cold and it's windy, but the intrepid group dives in: far from California's sunny beaches, die-hard surfers flock to Norway's idyllic Lofoten Islands to catch the Arctic's cool waves. READ

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