Norrbotten

The following articles have been tagged with "Norrbotten":

Calm weather expected for Christmas Day

Science & Technology: 25 Dec 09
A yuletide calm has settled over Sweden for Christmas, both on the roads and in the skies. READ »

Sweden risks facing severe labour shortages

Analysis & Opinion: 22 Dec 09
Over the next ten years, the number of native-born Swedes of working age will decline by 100,000. Without more immigrants, we will be unable to sustain our welfare standards, writes Olle Wästberg, head of the Swedish Institute. READ »

Swedish Rail Destinations: the surreal attractions of Piteå

Travel: 17 Dec 09
From sunbathing at midnight in summer to long walks over frozen ice in winter, Piteå is never short on fun and surreal activities. READ »

Workers pick Sweden's shrubs and data hubs

Jobs: 15 Dec 09
Thai berry pickers and Indian IT experts have been the primary recipients of work permits since Sweden's new labour force immigration laws came into force a year ago. READ »

Swedish town crowns Hong Kong man Santa of the Year

Society: 30 Nov 09
A Hong Kong man’s porridge eating skills helped him claim victory at the 2009 Santa Games in Gällivare in northern Sweden on Sunday. READ »

Swedish archaeologists celebrate ancient find

Science & Technology: 29 Nov 09
People lived in the Torne River Valley on the border with Sweden and Finland some 11,000 years ago, a 'sensational' new archaeological find has shown. READ »

Fury over three-year-old's retouched school photo

Society: 6 Nov 09
The father of a three-year-old girl from northern Sweden is outraged that school photographers have retouched his daughter’s school picture for the second year in a row. READ »

School in swine flu jab drive after young girl dies

National: 5 Nov 09
Medical authorities in Haparanda in northern Sweden have begun vaccinating all pupils at a school in the town following the swine flu-related death of an 8-year-old Finnish girl. READ »

Snow storms strike in northern Sweden

National: 7 Oct 09
Heavy overnight snowfalls have been playing havoc with traffic conditions in inland areas of northern Norrland on Wednesday morning. READ »

Swedish nurse suffers burns after hand gel rub

National: 24 Sep 09
A nurse at an eldercare home in Norrbotten in northern Sweden was left with burns to her left hand as residual traces of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant set alight while pushing a trolley. READ »

Smoking during pregnancy raises babies' asthma risk: study

Science & Technology: 15 Sep 09
Babies born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are up to six times more likely to develop asthma, according to a Swedish study. READ »

Stranded Thai berry pickers on their way home

National: 28 Aug 09
Some 200 Thai berry pickers left stranded in Sweden after staking their life savings to travel have had their return trips arranged for them through donations. The first of the berry pickers returned to Thailand yesterday. READ »

Freckles increase risk of cancer: study

Science & Technology: 6 Jul 09
People with freckles or birthmarks are at greater risk of developing skin cancer, according to a new study from Lund University. READ »

Man killed during Midsummer knife fight

National: 20 Jun 09
A man was stabbed to death on Friday during a fight on the island of Öland. But in many parts of the country, poor weather put a damper on the Midsummer festivities. READ »

Swedish politician sings Hitler's praises

Politics: 18 Jun 09
A local Christian Democratic politician in northern Sweden is in hot water after praising Adolf Hitler for his skill in solving economic crises. READ »

Activists arrested during NATO exercise

National: 10 Jun 09
Five people were arrested on Wednesday morning after entering a bombing range in northern Sweden being used as a part of a major NATO training exercise. READ »

Air force compensates farmer for hen massacre

Society: 8 Jun 09
The Swedish armed forces has agreed to compensate a poultry farmer in northern Sweden after an air force exercise frightened the life out of 31 of her chickens. READ »

'Missing' Swedish snowmobilers found in sauna

Society: 27 May 09
The search for three men reported missing while on a snowmobile trek in the mountains in northern Sweden was called off when a police helicopter discovered the men relaxing in a sauna. READ »

Police officer drunk in charge of firearms unit

National: 21 May 09
The commanding officer of a police firearms unit in Luleå in northern Sweden was drunk when his colleagues opened fire with an automatic weapon hitting cars and houses last year, it has emerged. READ »

Rare owl convalescing in southern Sweden

Science & Technology: 26 Apr 09
A Lapland Owl was found injured in a ditch in southern Sweden in March. The species is very rare in these parts and the bird is now convalescing after receiving hospital treatment. READ »

Transsexual granted right to change name to Immanuel

National: 9 Apr 09
The Swedish administrative court of appeals has granted a 28-year-old Sandviken transsexual the right to be called Immanuel, overturning a decision by the Swedish Tax Agency that the male moniker was unsuitable for a woman. READ »

Sweden set to break wind farm record

Science & Technology: 6 Apr 09
Sweden looks likely to play host to Europe's largest wind farm after a northern county gave its seal of approval to a major new energy project. READ »

Snowmobilers' deaths remain a mystery

National: 30 Mar 09
Police in northern Sweden remain baffled over a couple found dead beside their snowmobile on Sunday on a lake outside of Kiruna. READ »

Swede held in Colombia sends video message

National: 1 Feb 09
Relatives of the 69-year-old Swedish man kidnapped in Colombia in 2007 have received a video message from him. Ingrid Betancourt has now been approached to help secure the man's release. READ »

Blocket ads worth more than Estonia

Business & Money: 14 Jan 09
Business is thriving on Swedish buy-and-sell site Blocket.se as the market for second hand goods soars in the wake of the economic crisis. READ »

Dogs save Swedish man from hostile elk

National: 28 Dec 08
A 75-year-old Swedish man escaped with minor injuries after a pack of dogs chased off an aggressive elk from an orchard in the center of Gällivare in northern Sweden on Saturday evening. READ »

Thousands still without electricity

National: 14 Dec 08
Thousands of households in areas of northern Sweden were still without electricity on Sunday morning. Heavy snow and thick layers of ice are hampering repair work. READ »

Thousands lack power after heavy snow

National: 13 Dec 08
After heavy snowfalls across Sweden on Friday thousands of people were left without electricity on Saturday morning. Icy road conditions were forecast for Saturday in Stockholm and northern areas. READ »

Warning for icy roads across Sweden

National: 4 Dec 08
Weather forecasters in Sweden are warning drivers for slippery roads throughout the country on Thursday, with snow to blame in the north and ice in the south. READ »

Cross-dressing Swedish man can be named Madeleine

Society: 10 Nov 08
Jan-Olov Ågren, a cross-dresser from Norrbotten in northern Sweden, has been handed a victory by the county administrative court in his bid to go by the name Madeleine. READ »

Woman beaten to death in northern Sweden

National: 2 Nov 08
A young woman was beaten to death in Gällivare in northern Sweden in the early hours of Sunday. A man in his thirties has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. READ »

Smuggling charges dropped when couple revealed party plans

Society: 22 Oct 08
The busy social life of an elderly couple from Piteå in northern Sweden has helped free them of smuggling charges after being caught transporting thousands of litres of alcohol from Germany into Sweden. READ »

Suspected killer to face remand hearing

National: 19 Oct 08
The 50-year-old man held on suspicion of murdering 29-year-old Carolin Stenvall in northern Sweden will face a remand hearing on Sunday. He continues to deny the murder and Stenvall's body remains undiscovered. READ »

Evidence mounts in missing woman case

National: 18 Oct 08
The prosecutor confirmed on Saturday that blood belonging to 29-year-old Carolin Stenvall, has been found in a car owned by the 50-year-old man held on suspicion of her murder. READ »

Search for missing Swedish woman intensifies

National: 22 Sep 08
Police are expanding their search for 29-year-old Carolin Stenvall, who disappeared more than a week ago in Norrbotten in northern Sweden. READ »

Concern over magic mushroom use among Sweden's youth

Society: 18 Sep 08
Police in Gällivare in northern Sweden have been informed that the liberty cap mushroom is being picked and used as a drug by the area’s young people. READ »

Police fear for safety of missing woman

National: 14 Sep 08
A 29-year-old woman is missing in the north of Sweden. The woman has not been seen since leaving her home in Piteå on Friday and police fear for her safety after her car was found abandoned on Saturday afternoon. READ »

Military units given government reprieve

Politics: 14 Sep 08
The government has performed a u-turn and confirmed that no changes to the organization of the Swedish military are necessary. A reprieve has therefore been given to several units threatened with disbandment. READ »

Mountain rescuers locate missing boy

National: 4 Sep 08
The 10-year-old boy who disappeared on Wednesday afternoon from a school outing in the mountains near Kvikkjokk in northern Sweden has been found alive. READ »

Bugged man reports FRA to Sweden's Chancellor of Justice

National: 25 Jul 08
Sweden's National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) has been reported to the Chancellor of Justice by one of those on a classified list of people bugged in the 1990s for doing business with Russia. READ »

Moped in close encounter with wall

National: 13 Jul 08
A Swedish man was injured Saturday when he crashed his moped into a wall. READ »

Swedish traders warm to euro

Society: 10 Jul 08
Acceptance of euro notes and coins is becoming more and more widespread in Swedish businesses, according to a new survey. READ »

Son suspected of killing mother

National: 17 May 08
A woman was found dead in an apartment in Luleå on Friday. Police suspect the woman's son of being responsible for her death. READ »

Green cars hit record highs

Business & Money: 16 May 08
Green is the new black as sales of environmentally friendly cars hit the roof in Sweden. READ »

Flooding threatens northern Sweden

National: 7 May 08
The national weather service, SMHI, has issued a warning for extremely strong currents in streams near the coast in southern Norrbotten in northern Sweden. READ »

Sweden's military plans further cuts

National: 23 Apr 08
Eksjö, Luleå, Karlsborg and Uppsala will soon be without any military activity, announced Armed Forces Director General Marie Hafström on Wednesday. READ »

Reindeer herder’s lasso toss saves ice fishing Swede

National: 21 Apr 08
When the ice started crumbling beneath him, Mikael Vikström thought his ice fishing days were over until a quick-thinking reindeer herder happened to pass by. READ »

Health workers union steps up strike pressure

Business & Money: 16 Apr 08
The Swedish Association of Health Professionals (Vårdförbundet) approved an additional round of industrial action on Wednesday. READ »

More elderly Swedes prescribed antidepressants

National: 9 Apr 08
The prescribing of antidepressants for people over 75-years-old has increased dramatically since 2000. READ »

31-year-old charged with child porn offences

National: 28 Mar 08
A 31-year-old man in the north of Sweden has been caught with 11,000 pictures depicting child pornography on his computer. READ »

Skin cancer figures rising in Sweden

National: 24 Mar 08
More Swedes are being diagnosed with skin cancer than in previous decades. READ »

Swedish police forced to release murderer

National: 19 Mar 08
Swedish police have been forced to release a convicted murderer after French police failed to arrive in time to collect him. READ »

Swedish women close to bottom of EU business start-up rankings

Business & Money: 18 Feb 08
While Sweden usually ranks high in matters of gender equity, a new study reveals an exception when to comes to business. READ »

Major reduction in sick leave claims

Politics: 6 Feb 08
A sharp drop in the number of people claiming sick benefits has begun saving Sweden billions of kronor. READ »

Wave of Christmas break-ins in southern Sweden

National: 26 Dec 07
Police in southern Sweden have reported a wave of break-ins over the Christmas holiday. 49 burglaries were reported in Skåne, Blekinge and Halland. READ »

'World's largest elk' to be built in Sweden

Society: 26 Nov 07
Officials in northern Sweden have just given the all-clear for the construction of the world's largest elk. READ »

Doctor 'gave near-poisonous overdose of anti-depressants'

Society: 25 Nov 07
A doctor in northern Sweden has been given a warning after he gave overdoses of anti-depressants to a patient. READ »

'Lawnmower man' completes epic journey

Society: 15 Nov 07
Truck driver Kjell Fundin has done what no man has ever done before by travelling almost the entire length of Sweden on a lawnmower. READ »

Northern town remains in darkness

National: 15 Nov 07
Residents of a northern Swedish town will have to stock up on candles after the Swedish Market Court ruled in favour of an energy company that has kept the streetlights switched off for over a year. READ »

Beer-buying pensioner asked for proof of age

National: 31 Oct 07
A pensioner buying a crate of light beer in northern Sweden couldn't believe his ears when a supermarket cashier ask to see some ID. READ »

Dark days ahead for northern town

National: 17 Oct 07
The town of Övertorneå is facing a second winter of unrelenting darkness after a court rejected pleas from two local councils to have their streetlights turned back on. READ »

'Lawnmower man' embarks on Swedish road trip

National: 2 Oct 07
It's a long, long way from Haparanda to Ystad, particularly for the man who is making the journey on his lawnmower. READ »

More snowmobiles in Sweden than people in Norrbotten

National: 17 Sep 07
Norrbotten county council has been keeping count of the number of snowmobiles in Sweden. Interestingly, the results show that Sweden has more of the winter vehicles than Norrbotten has people. READ »

Bear victim's family gets compensation

National: 22 Aug 07
After three years of uncertainty, the family of a 40-year-old man killed by a bear has finally learned that it will receive financial compensation from the state. READ »

Baby born feet first in hospital dash

Society: 6 Aug 07
Annica Sandström from Piteå in northern Sweden was forced to give birth at the side of the road after her husband was informed that there were no ambulances available. READ »

Record tourism to Sweden in 2006

National: 10 Jul 07
Increasing numbers of foreign tourists are choosing to holiday in Sweden - and they are spending more money than ever, according to new figures from Visit Sweden. READ »

Lapping up the Swedish wilderness

Travel: 4 Jul 07
Is there any truth to the rumour that Sweden’s northern wilderness is populated by thumb-sized mosquitoes and contact-seeking bears? Alec Forss separates the facts from the spin while trekking the peaks of the Polar region. READ »

Fewer new companies in Sweden

Business & Money: 25 Jun 07
The rate at which new companies are being started in Sweden is declining. The reason, according to ALMI Företagspartner, is that the labour market is improving and more people choose to take jobs rather than go it alone. READ »

House prices continue to rise

National: 8 Jun 07
Swedish house prices are continuing to rise, according to new statistics released on Friday. Apartments have risen in value by 25 percent over the past twelve months. READ »

Faulty ejection seat caused fighter plane crash

National: 4 Jun 07
Saab has revealed that a stiff and poorly placed lever was the cause of a JAS Gripen crash in northern Sweden on April 19th. READ »

73-year-old Swede scares off bear with stones

National: 28 May 07
A 73-year-old man from northern Sweden has told of how he fended off an attacking bear by pelting it with stones. "I thought this would be my last journey," said Tord Forsberg. READ »

Swedish media divided over Liberal spying convictions

Politics: 28 Apr 07
A schoolboy prank that got out of hand, or the low point of Swedish political debate? Sweden's newspapers are divided over the convictions of three people following the attempt by Liberal Party officials to access the Social Democrats' computer network. READ »

Plane crash caused by pilot's outfit

National: 25 Apr 07
The crash of a Swedish Air Force fighter jet in northern Sweden last week was probably caused by the pilot's G-suit, according to an investigation. The pilot ejected from the plane, which crashed to the ground. READ »

Swedish fighter plane crashes

National: 19 Apr 07
A JAS Gripen fighter plane has crashed at Vidsel military base in the Arctic circle. The pilot ejected with a parachute, according to sources. READ »

Sweden sets seal hunt quota of 200

Society: 12 Apr 07
Sweden's annual seal hunt begins on Monday with the aim of killing off grey seals that damage fishermen's nets and equipment. This year the Environmental Protection Agency has set a quota of 200. READ »

Young woman killed in snowmobile accident

National: 7 Apr 07
A 20-year-old woman died early on Saturday after being involved in a snowmobile accident north of Pajala. It took two hours for help to arrive from the nearest hospital. READ »

Goats blamed for barn blaze

National: 18 Feb 07
For years Sweden's goats have watched with dismay as their proudest symbol, the Gävle straw goat, is burned to the ground at Christmas. Now, representatives of Sweden's caprine community have got their own back. READ »

83-year-old charged with rape

National: 31 Oct 06
An 83-year-old man from northern Sweden has been charged with raping a disabled woman at his home during the summer. READ »

Man drowns as car plummets into harbour

National: 3 Sep 06
A car was driven off the edge of the quay in Luleå's south harbour just after 9pm on Saturday. One man died. READ »

"Sweden's worst forest fire in modern times"

National: 16 Aug 06
Forest fires which started at the end of last week are continuing to rage in northern Sweden. And it could be several weeks before the blazes are fully out, say fire officials. READ »

Forest fire rages in Norrland

National: 14 Aug 06
Four villages in northern Sweden were evacuated on Sunday after a fire tore its way through 500 hectares of pine forest. READ »

Conscript badly burned during exercise

National: 12 Aug 06
A conscript in the Swedish army sustained serious burns during an exercise in northern Sweden on Friday night. READ »

House prices up again

Society: 11 Jul 06
Buying your own piece of Swedish real estate is still getting more expensive. House prices went up 3 percent between the first and the second quarter, according to new figures. READ »

Borås 'best place to be gay' in Sweden

Society: 15 May 06
It might not be the most obvious international gay destination and there's only one gay disco, but if you're a homo in search of a home you should apparently head to...Borås. READ »

Snow machines behind Swedish fish carnage

National: 9 May 06
The spring thaw has unlocked a grisly secret in Kyrktjärn, a lake in the northern Swedish county of Jokkmokk. Thousands of dead fish rose to the surface, and winter sports enthusiasts are to blame, say locals. READ »

Tourist offices around Sweden

Travel: 3 May 06
A handy list of Sweden's tourist offices, along with their phone numbers, email addresses and web sites. READ »

Valborg violence mars celebrations

National: 1 May 06
In most areas across Sweden the traditionally raucous Valborg celebrations were peaceful, but a series of assaults and gang fights cast a shadow over the evening. READ »

Swedish police chief quits in nude pics storm

National: 17 Feb 06
A senior Swedish police officer resigns after posting "nude pictures" of himself on a dating site last week. In no defence of himself whatsoever, he claims he was in fact wearing skimpy blue trunks. READ »

Baylan and Östros rise to party leadership

Politics: 1 Nov 05
Schools minister Ibrahim Baylan and trade minister Thomas Östros are voted onto the Social Democrats' Executive Committee - but Gothenburg will no longer be represented at the top table. READ »

Soviet World War II soldier to be buried in Sweden

National: 23 Sep 05
A Soviet soldier from World War II, whose remains have been in limbo since they were found last year in a remote northern area of Sweden, could be buried near where he was found. READ »

Swedes return to Systembolaget

National: 13 Jul 05
Anitra Steen, managing director of Systembolaget, announces an upturn in the fortunes of Sweden's state-owned alcohol monopoly. No champagne yet, though. READ »

Drinking water alarms in Stockholm and Norrland

National: 20 May 05
Tranquilisers in the capital's tap water and arsenic in the wells of Piteå - but no discernible affect on the respective populations. Yet. Stockholm Vatten try to calm fears caused by a bit of ultra-sensitive measuring equipment. READ »