• Sweden edition

Middle_east

The following articles have been tagged with "Middle_east":

Sweden 'an important partner': US ambassador

Analysis & Opinion: 1 Feb 12
Recently installed US ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski speaks to The Local's David Landes about US-Swedish relations and taking Swedish lessons from his two-and-half year old daughter. READ »

Malmö takes a stand against growing violence

Analysis & Opinion: 12 Jan 12
The grieving father of a murdered 15-year-old, attempting to climb down into his dead son's grave, was a sombre reminder of the consequences of the escalating violence in southern Sweden, reports contributor Patrick Reilly. READ »

'In a networked world, Sweden may be more powerful than the US'

Analysis & Opinion: 10 Jan 12
While Sweden's military power may be dwarfed by that of the United States, in a networked world, Sweden may nevertheless find itself better equipped than the US to exert influence on the global stage, argues contributor Stefan Geens. READ »

Immigrant homelessness on the rise in Sweden

Society: 10 Jan 12
While there are fewer people sleeping rough in Sweden today, the total number of people not qualifying on the ordinary housing market is rising, with those born outside of Sweden overrepresented among the homeless, a new study shows. READ »

A truly international education at the heart of Berlin

Education: 7 Dec 11
If you want to study, but dread the bureaucracy and red tape of a traditional academic institution, and fancy a spell in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities at the same time, the ECLA in Berlin could be just the place for you. READ »

Shopping for Christmas food in Stockholm

Lifestyle: 1 Dec 11
As the Christmas season approaches in Stockholm, it is very likely that festive food is uppermost in your mind. Luckily, contributor Gwen Ramsey has put together a list of great options for filling your holiday hamper. READ »

Sweden summons Iran envoy after storming

National: 30 Nov 11
The Swedish foreign ministry sent for the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday to discuss what officials described as the "unacceptable" attack on the British embassy in Tehran. READ »

Minister slams aid report for 'anti-Israel' bias

Politics: 8 Nov 11
Sweden's foreign aid minister has criticized the use of taxpayer money to fund a “one-sided” report on the conflict in the Middle East entitled “Colonialism and apartheid – Israel's occupation of Palestine”. READ »

'Iran may be spying on exiles in Sweden': agency

National: 7 Nov 11
New guidelines issued by the Swedish Migration Board reveal that Iran has both the ability and the inclination to keep tabs on political antagonists in Sweden. READ »

Bildt: UNESCO decision will 'hurt Palestine'

Politics: 1 Nov 11
Sweden voted against the Palestinian application to join UNESCO on Monday, arguing that the vote had come at the "wrong time" and would harm the Palestinian cause. READ »

Hijacked ship carried Russian chemical weapons: report

Science & Technology: 17 Oct 11
The Arctic Sea, a Finnish ship hijacked in Swedish waters in July 2009, was likely carrying materials stolen from Russia meant for the making of chemical weapons, Finnish researchers have claimed. READ »

Scania cuts output amid slowing global growth

Business & Money: 10 Oct 11
Swedish truckmaker Scania on Monday announced a cut in production by up to 15 percent starting next month due to lower demand caused by a global economic slowdown. READ »

Swedish feminists praise Peace Prize winners

Society: 7 Oct 11
Swedish women's rights activists and peace groups hailed the awarding of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize to three women who have been instrumental in promoting women's role in peace-building activities in Africa and the Middle East. READ »

One in five fathers rejects parental leave: study

Society: 5 Oct 11
Almost 20 percent of Swedish fathers don't take one single day of parental leave during the first four years of their children's life, according to fresh figures from Sweden's social insurance agency Försäkringskassan. READ »

Syrian poet tipped ahead of Nobel lit prize announcement

Lifestyle: 2 Oct 11
With the winner of the annual Nobel Prizes due to be announced in the coming days, speculation is rife over who will win the prestigious literature award this year, the AFP's Igor Gedilaghine discovers. READ »

Swedish men soon in the majority

National: 25 Sep 11
Centuries of female dominance in population statistics will be broken within the next four years. In 2015 the surplus of women in Sweden will be turned to a male surplus. READ »

Sweden terror suspects tied to Islamists: report

National: 12 Sep 11
The four terrorist suspects held in Gothenburg on Sunday have ties to the Somali Islamist movement al-Shabaab, according to a Swedish media report, with speculation that artist Lars Vilks could have been a target. READ »

'We were all Americans, at least for a while'

Analysis & Opinion: 9 Sep 11
On the tenth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks, The Local reaches out to a few Swedes and Americans for their thoughts about the attacks and their impact. READ »

Bildt makes shock Palestinian envoy move

National: 8 Sep 11
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has angered his coalition partners by unilaterally recognising the Palestinian representative in Stockholm as ambassador. READ »

Making the most of the 2011 Malmö Festival

Lifestyle: 18 Aug 11
As Sweden's southern metropolis of Malmö gears up for this year's Malmö Festivalen, contributor Caroline Bursell previews some of the event's main attractions. READ »

Ex-minister pens his way to holiday travel fame

Society: 16 Aug 11
The name of Sweden's disgraced former labour minister, Sven-Otto Littorin, is back in the spotlight after Littorin won a travel agency's essay contest with his poetic description of a “dream holiday” to the Middle East. READ »

The Local’s Quick Guide to Stockholm Pride 2011

Lifestyle: 1 Aug 11
As Scandinavia’s biggest pride festival begins on Monday in Stockholm, contributor Katherine Dunn provides a look at some highlights of the week-long celebration READ »

Academy blocks Iranians from flight training

National: 9 Jul 11
An aircraft pilot training academy will no longer teach students from Iran Air following recent sanctions brought by the Americans against the airline. READ »

Networking site Linkedin to open Stockholm office

Business & Money: 15 Jun 11
Professional networking site Linkedin revealed on Wednesday plans to open a Stockholm office to further the Scandinavian market and offer better services to members in the Nordic countries. READ »

Yemeni blogger seeks asylum in Sweden

National: 15 Jun 11
A Yemeni blogger who has received death threats for criticising President Ali Abdullah Saleh has applied for asylum in Sweden amid mounting political violence in the country. READ »

Many young Swedes favour dictatorship

National: 3 Jun 11
Over 25 percent of young Swedes think that it would be “good or very good” for Sweden to be ruled by a strong and dictatorial leader, and one in five would be willing to sell their vote, according to a new study. READ »

Scania signs Iraq truck agreement

Business & Money: 24 May 11
Swedish truck maker Scania announced on Monday that it had signed a contract to supply 4,000 vehicles to Iraq over the next five years in a deal worth $470 million. READ »

Yusuf set to give Sweden a Cat Stevens 'homecoming'

Lifestyle: 5 May 11
Yusuf Islam, known to many as singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, is set to kick off his first European tour in 35 years in Sweden, a country he cites as instrumental in shaping his career, contributor Oliver Gee discovers. READ »

Sweden issues Syria travel warning

National: 14 Apr 11
Sweden's foreign ministry on Thursday issued a warning against travel to Syria as pro-reform demonstrations in the autocratic Middle Eastern country gained strength. READ »

Sweden projects budget surplus build-up

Business & Money: 13 Apr 11
The government expects a budget surplus by the end of the year, although Sweden's 2011 growth rate may not be as strong as previously forecast, according to the spring budget bill released on Wednesday. READ »

Arms spending slows: Swedish think tank

Business & Money: 11 Apr 11
Global military spending last year grew by the slowest rate since 2001 as defence budgets shrank in the wake of the world economic crisis, Swedish think-tank SIPRI reported on Monday. READ »

Swedish weapons used by Libyan rebels: report

National: 14 Mar 11
Libyan rebels have been seen using Swedish-designed weapons in their battle to oust Muammar Qaddafi from power. Swedish arms export officials suspect the weapons arrived via the UK. READ »

Halal or Haram? A new council gives advice to Muslims in Sweden

Analysis & Opinion: 14 Mar 11
The newly-formed Swedish Fatwa Council sets out to help Muslims in Sweden seeking advice about how to live in accordance with Islam, but not everyone is convinced the group is necessary, The Local's Karen Holst discovers. READ »

India leads arms imports: Swedish think tank

Business & Money: 14 Mar 11
India has been the world's biggest importer of weapons over the past five years, with Asian countries making up four of the top five, according to a new report from Swedish think tank SIPRI. READ »

Sweden ends arms sales to two Mideast states

Politics: 10 Mar 11
Sweden has halted the deliveries of weapons to two Middle Eastern and North African countries due to the civil unrest gripping the region, the head of a government agency said on Wednesday. READ »

'God's House' being built in suburban Stockholm

Analysis & Opinion: 2 Mar 11
As religious tensions continue to cause friction in Sweden and elsewhere, Lutherans, Catholics, and Muslims near Stockholm have come together to present a new model for religious tolerance, The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers. READ »

Palme conspiracy theories refuse to die

Analysis & Opinion: 28 Feb 11
Like many other high-profile murders, the killing of Olof Palme has spawned more than it's fair share of conspiracy theories, The Local's Geoff Mortimore discovers. READ »

Libyan evacuation a 'priority' for Sweden

Politics: 25 Feb 11
Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt has underlined that the country's first priority is to help nationals flee war-torn Libya, while migration minister Tobias Billström accused Italy of exaggerating any impending refugee wave. READ »

Assange to be extradited to Sweden: UK court

National: 24 Feb 11
A UK court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden to face questioning over sex crimes allegations. His lawyers have said they will appeal the decision. READ »

Lockerbie ordered by Qaddafi: Swedish paper

National: 23 Feb 11
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi ordered the 1988 terror attack that downed a Pan Am airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, the Libyan leader's former justice minister told a Swedish reporter on Wednesday. READ »

Foreign-born denied benefits more frequently

Society: 23 Feb 11
Foreign-born applicants are denied sick benefits by Sweden's social insurance agency more often than applicants born in Sweden, statistics from the agency reveal. READ »

Global arms sales on the rise: Swedish think tank

National: 21 Feb 11
The world's largest arms dealers sold weapons for more than $400 billion in 2009, with US sales accounting for the majority, a Swedish think tank revealed on Sunday. READ »

Swedish forced marriage laws 'not strong enough'

Politics: 17 Feb 11
Sweden's laws against forced marriages and child marriages are not effective, the country's migration board stated in a report to the government on Wednesday. READ »

Jews still struggle to feel at home in Malmö

Analysis & Opinion: 16 Feb 11
A year after claims about an exodus of Jews from Malmö made global headlines, many Jewish residents still don't feel safe in southern Sweden, The Local's Karen Holst discovers. READ »

Swedes still keen on finding love abroad

Lifestyle: 14 Feb 11
While Swedes no longer take to Viking longboats in search of foreign booty, research shows they remain adept at bringing back trophies of love from their adventures abroad, The Local's Ben Kersley discovers. READ »

Water shortages to force Middle East cooperation

Politics: 11 Feb 11
A report jointly funded by the Swedish and Swiss governments warned on Thursday of acute water shortages in the Middle East that would force feuding neighbours in the region to cooperate to address them. READ »

Gothenburg murder suspect found in Canada

National: 7 Feb 11
A man detained in absentia for 14 years for a murder in Gothenburg has been arrested in Canada, according to a media report on Monday. READ »

Swedish reporter stabbed in Cairo drama

National: 3 Feb 11
A journalist with Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Television was mysteriously detained and stabbed while reporting from Cairo on Thursday. Meanwhile, Egypt's foreign minister told Carl Bildt his government was open for dialogue. READ »

India worst for stomach ailments for Swedes

Science & Technology: 5 Jan 11
Sweden's infectious disease control agency has determined that India is the worst country for stomach ailments for Swedish travellers. READ »

Palme prize awarded to Palestinian psychiatrist

Society: 4 Jan 11
A Palestinian psychiatrist has been awarded the 2010 Olof Palme Prize for his efforts to foster “common sense, reconciliation, and peace" in the Middle East the award’s Swedish jurors announced on Tuesday. READ »

Sweden probes suicide bomber's Facebook

National: 17 Dec 10
Sweden's intelligence agency said Friday it was looking at the Facebook account of the man behind the suicide bomb attack in Stockholm on Saturday in order to identify possible accomplices in the act. READ »

Sweden attack shows more needed to combat extremism: UK PM

Politics: 15 Dec 10
UK Prime Minister David Cameron admitted on Wednesday that his country needed to do more to fight domestic Islamic extremism following reports that a Swedish suicide bomber lived and studied northwest of London. READ »

Islamic extremism 'a threat' to Sweden: Säpo

National: 15 Dec 10
Violent Islamic extremism is a threat to Sweden that shouldn't be underestimated, a report published on Wednesday by Swedish security service Säpo has found. READ »

Sweden bomber 'friendly' immigrant turned radical

National: 13 Dec 10
The man suspected of being the suicide bomber behind two Stockholm bombings on Saturday was described on Monday as an ordinary friendly young immigrant to Sweden who drastically changed after moving to the UK to study. READ »

Suicide bomber was 'unknown' to Säpo

National: 13 Dec 10
Swedish intelligence officials on Monday said they are "98 percent" certain about the identity of the man who blew himself in central Stockholm on Saturday, adding he was "completely unknown" to intelligence agencies. READ »

UK police search home of Swedish suicide bomber

National: 13 Dec 10
British police are continuing the search of a home northwest of London on Monday in connection with Saturday's bombings in Stockholm in light of reports that the perpetrator used to live in the area. READ »

Bomber believed to be former sports student

National: 12 Dec 10
Saturday’s suicide attack in Stockholm is believed to have been carried out by a 29-year-old man from the town of Tranås in southern Sweden, who studied sports science in England. READ »

One dead after suicide bombing in Stockholm

National: 11 Dec 10
Two nearly simultaneous explosions rocked central Stockholm on Saturday evening, killing one person and injuring two others in what is believed to be a suicide attack. READ »

H&M opens world's largest store in Vegas

Business & Money: 11 Dec 10
Swedish clothing retailer H&M will open its largest store in the world in Las Vegas on Saturday. READ »

Swedish diplomat: new WikiLeaks 'regrettable'

Politics: 29 Nov 10
Over 800 secret American documents about relations with Sweden have been released by WikiLeaks, according to Swedish media reports. READ »

Google sets sights on Sweden

Business & Money: 19 Nov 10
US search engine giant Google has invested significantly in Sweden in the past decade and forecasts that more acquisitions could be in the pipeline. READ »

'The world’s most complete partnership'

Analysis & Opinion: 18 Nov 10
On the eve of three important international summits, US ambassador to Sweden Matthew W. Barzun emphasises the importance of the transatlantic partnership as well as Sweden’s constructive role in promoting international engagement. READ »

Roxette to embark on new world tour in 2011

Society: 3 Nov 10
Veteran Swedish pop duo Roxette will embark on their first world tour since 1995 next year ahead of a new album release in the spring. READ »

A November guide to live music in Stockholm

Lifestyle: 29 Oct 10
Contributor David Stavrou checks out some of the highlights awaiting Stockholm music lovers in October. READ »

Malmö police probe two weekend shootings

National: 24 Oct 10
At least one shot was fired in a residential area in the Malmö district of Husie on Sunday, the latest incident in a series of shootings that have rocked the city in recent weeks. READ »

US Jewish centre seeks ban on Malmö mayor

Politics: 14 Oct 10
US Jewish organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Center has called for the disqualification of Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu from the World Mayor 2010 prize, citing his comments in the spring regarding the city's Jewish population. READ »

Global activists honoured with 'Alternative Nobel' prize

Society: 30 Sep 10
Activists from Nepal, Brazil and Nigerian as well as Israeli doctors, have been awarded the 2010 Rights Livelihood prize, often called the "Alternative Nobel" prize, the Sweden-based organisers announced on Thursday. READ »

What do the Swedish Gaza activists hope to achieve?

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Jun 10
The Ship to Gaza incident was, to say the least, badly handled by Israel. The blockade of Gaza is wrong. But Swedish activists need to ask themselves tough questions about the consequences of their actions, says Stockholm-based Israeli journalist David Stavrou. READ »

US must close foreign bases: opposition

Politics: 25 May 10
Sweden will 'demand' that the United States closes all foreign military bases if the red-green opposition wins power. READ »

Social media brings power to the people

Analysis & Opinion: 10 May 10
By forging links with bloggers and social media in the Middle East, Sweden is helping to promote democracy in the region, writes Javeria Rizvi Kabani of the Swedish Institute. READ »

Humans bred with Neanderthals: study

Science & Technology: 7 May 10
A Swedish-led team of scientists has drafted a genome sequence for the Neanderthal and believes its results show that the extinct 'great apes' interbred with humans. READ »

Liberal leader meets embattled Malmö Jews

Politics: 25 Apr 10
Education minister Jan Björklund met with representatives of the Jewish Community in Malmö on Saturday to discuss a recent rise in the level of harassment and threats faced by Jews in the southern city. READ »

Sweden tenth most attractive nation — again

Analysis & Opinion: 20 Apr 10
Sweden retains its position as the tenth most attractive country in the world, but its outdated image needs a facelift, writes Liselott Bergman of the Swedish Institute. READ »

Royal pilot suspended for medical check miss

Politics: 22 Mar 10
A Swedish pilot who has flown members of the royal family, ministers and high ranking military officers has been suspended for neglecting a series of obligatory medical check ups. READ »

What's On in Sweden: March 12th - 18th

Lifestyle: 11 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: Fly Fishing in Stockholm, Josh Rouse (pictured) in Gothenburg and the scouts hold a jumble sale in Malmö. READ »

What's On in Sweden: March 5th - 11th

Lifestyle: 3 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: The Middle East Peace Orchestra play Stockholm, Women's Arm Wrestling in Gothenburg and Tindersticks in Malmö. READ »

Sahlin raps Malmö mayor over Jew comments

Politics: 25 Feb 10
Social Democrat party leader Mona Sahlin has described as "unfortunate" comments made by Malmö mayor Ilmar Reepalu regarding a recent spate of attacks on the city's Jewish population. READ »

Swede awarded UN top job in Afghanistan

National: 28 Jan 10
Long-serving Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura has been appointed by UN chief Ban Ki-moon as his new envoy to Afghanistan. READ »

Jews flee Malmö as anti-Semitism grows

Society: 27 Jan 10
Threats and harassment are becoming increasingly commonplace for Jewish residents in Malmö in southern Sweden, leading many Jews to leave the city out of fear for their safety. READ »

More layoffs at Ericsson as profits plunge

Business & Money: 25 Jan 10
Swedish telecom giant Ericsson on Monday reported a 92 percent drop in net profits for the fourth quarter, adding that it would now cut 6,500 jobs under its restructuring plan. READ »

Eriksson to stay with Notts County despite Backe's departure

Sport: 16 Dec 09
Sven-Göran Eriksson has vowed to continue as director of football at English fourth-tier side Notts County despite the decision by fellow Swede Hans Backe to quit as the club's trainer. READ »

Letter to the Editor: UK MPs back Sweden over Palestinian capital

Analysis & Opinion: 7 Dec 09
As EU foreign ministers gather in Brussels to debate the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations, a group of British MPs have come out in support of a Swedish proposal to establish East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. READ »

UK MPs back Swedish presidency on Jerusalem

Politics: 7 Dec 09
A group of nearly 50 members of the British parliament have written a letter voicing their support for a controversial Swedish EU presidency proposal to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. READ »

Stockholm falls as Dubai shocks global markets

Business & Money: 27 Nov 09
The Stockholm stock exchange fell by 3.1 percent on Thursday in response to an announcement that Dubai World has requested deferment on its $59 billion mountain of debt. READ »

Lawyers explain Pakistan trip by 'Guantánamo Swede'

National: 23 Nov 09
Lawyers representing a former Swedish terror suspect who spent time in the United States’ Guantánamo Bay prison, claim their client was not traveling to any trouble spots when he was arrested in Pakistan in August. READ »

Reinfeldt pushes for consensus on EU leader

Politics: 19 Nov 09
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt made a last ditch effort on Wednesday night to get EU leaders to agree on a candidate to become the European Union’s first president. READ »

Too early to recognize Palestinian state: Bildt

Politics: 17 Nov 09
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, has said it is "premature" to recognize a Palestinian state. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 6 - 12

Lifestyle: 4 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: Selam African festival & gospel munificence in Stockholm; Cirque du Soleil and MJ Thriller in Gothenburg; Oumou Sangaré in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Swedish reporter meets hostile Israeli crowd

Society: 2 Nov 09
Swedish journalist Donald Boström told an angry audience in Israel on Monday that he stood by his call for an investigation into claims that Israel harvested the organs of dead Palestinians, despite confessing he had no proof. READ »

Organ theft article 'a perversion of journalistic standards'

Analysis & Opinion: 26 Oct 09
Amid an ongoing uproar over accusations that Israel harvested the organs of dead Palestinians, media watcher Andrea Levin issues a fresh plea to Aftonbladet to correct "the factual errors that litter the article". READ »

Obama Nobel win shocks Swedish peace group

Politics: 9 Oct 09
The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society has classified as "shameful" the decision by the Nobel Committee in Oslo to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to Barack Obama. READ »

Israel: Bildt to scrap scheduled visit

Politics: 6 Sep 09
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has cancelled his upcoming visit to Israel, the Israeli foreign ministry announced on Sunday, amid strained relations between the two countries over a controversial newspaper story. READ »

Sweden says EU ready for 'talks or confrontation' with Iran

Politics: 5 Sep 09
The Swedish EU presidency is ready to talk to or confront Iran over its nuclear programme, characterizing as a “provocation” the appointment of a terror suspect as the country’s defense minister. READ »

Sweden navigates complex waters of EU foreign policy

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Sep 09
With an important meeting of EU's foreign ministers taking place in Stockholm this weekend, David Stavrou examines the changing roles of Sweden and the EU in world affairs. READ »

Italy: EU should condemn Aftonbladet article

Politics: 31 Aug 09
Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, says he has met with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt to iron out a strategy for resolving the crisis which flared after the publication of a controversial article in the Aftonbladet newspaper. But Bildt denies the crisis was discussed. READ »

Sweden's free speech tradition draws Israeli ire

Analysis & Opinion: 27 Aug 09
Sweden's fervent defence of free speech has sparked a diplomatic storm with Israel over the government's refusal to condemn an article accusing Israeli soldiers of smuggling dead Palestinians' organs, write AFP's Igor Gedilaghine. READ »

Swedish tabloid reported for racial agitation

National: 25 Aug 09
Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet has been reported to the Chancellor of Justice after publishing an article forwarding claims about the alleged organ harvesting of dead Palestinians by Israeli defence forces. READ »

Reinfeldt rejects Israeli calls to condemn paper

National: 24 Aug 09
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt rejected demands from Israel on Monday to condemn claims put forward in an article in a Swedish tabloid about alleged organ harvesting. READ »

Israel awaits stronger reaction from Bildt

Politics: 22 Aug 09
Israel doesn’t plan on canceling a scheduled visit by Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, despite his refusal to apologize for a controversial newspaper article alleging that Israeli soldiers harvested organs from dead Palestinians. READ »

Transgender belly dancer helps launch Arab gay initiative

Lifestyle: 21 Aug 09
As a human rights group publishes details of a bloody campaign of hate being waged against gays in Iraq, Rami Abdelrahman speaks to members of a recently founded initiative for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Arabs in Sweden. READ »


Highlights from Follow Sweden

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

How far can English take you in Sweden?

Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »


Blog Update: Julie's Nordic Island

12 February 21:30

The consciousness of one »

"The ice dripped in the winter sun. It was the first day when the light had been intense enough to cause dripping in the sunlight. To hear it was an extraordinary wakeup call. The cycle was happening again as it always does, always will (or so we think). I imagined that on my summer island, the bees..." READ »

Highlights
Photo: Rachel Davies/Flickr
DATING »
The Local helps shed some light on the tantalizing mystery known as the strong, silent Nordic type.
The Local
SOCIETY »
The Local's Oliver Gee finds out why the star of Sweden's version of 'The Office' thinks Sweden is the most PC country in the world
Micheal Brauer/Flickr (File)
SCIENCE & TECH »
'Drunkorexia' on the rise in Sweden: report
Alexander Lervik and Johan Carper
LIFESTYLE »
Seven Swedish designs that will blow your mind
Eva Rinadi Celebrity and Live Music Photography/Flickr
SOCIETY »
Star Wars in Swedish causes fan outrage
www.dotoday.se
LIFESTYLE »
What's On: The Local's guide to upcoming attractions and events in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.
OLIKA Publishing
OPINION »
The Swedish language needs a new pronoun free of preconceived notions about gender, a Swedish linguist and representatives from a publishing house argue
Madonna set for July 4th concert in Sweden
SOCIETY »
Madonna set for July 4th concert in Sweden
TV4
GALLERY »
An inside look at 'The Office' in Swedish
Georgios M.W (File)
SOCIETY »
Swedish mother gave 3-year-old cigs and beer
Photo: Fredrik Persson/Scanpix
SOCIETY »
A duvet cover designed to look like cardboard boxes, on sale at a luxury department store in Stockholm, has some arguing that the city's homeless are being exploited for profit.
Ann Catrin Brockman/Flickr (File)
LIFESTYLE »
Five Swedish songs that never made Eurovision
Q&A with Swenglish comedy star Ben Kersley
LIFESTYLE »
Swenglish comedy star Ben Kersley explains how ‘three bespectacled English guys’ plan to make Swedes laugh
Photo: Screenshot YouTube
SOCIETY »
Move over Bugs – a Swedish bunny is rapidly becoming the most popular rabbit in the world!
Photo: Sony Pictures
SPONSORED ARTICLE
How Millennium films tap deep into Swedish angst
Photo: Helena Wahlman
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Braving the cold: Ten reasons to spend winter in Sweden
Photo: ECLA
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A truly international education at the heart of Berlin
Highlights from Follow Sweden
Swedish word of the day

fin

adjective

Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.


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Highlights from Follow Sweden
New book about Sweden – get to know the country

Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth is a book about Sweden today. A country of natural beauty and open space, and a society focused on equality, human rights and sustainability. Meet regular and astonishing Swedes, supercars and indie rock bands, vampires and royalties.

Buy your copy of Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth from Sweden Bookshop

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