Sfi

The following articles have been tagged with "Sfi":

House burns down after fire fighter exit

National: 10 Mar 10
A house in Hällefors in eastern Sweden burned to the ground on Sunday after fire fighters, satisfied that they had successfully extinguished a fire, left the still intact building. READ »

Blogger profile: Patrick Reilly

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Mar 10
New arrival and active blogger Patrick Reilly speaks to Peter Vinthagen Simpson about his nascent attempts to become a fully-fledged Swedetalker. READ »

US immigrant sent on Swedish bank run-around

National: 4 Mar 10
When US citizen Sylvie Acra arrived in Sweden and began her search for a job she decided it would be wise to open a standard bank account, but after three visits to three major Swedish banks she remains dissatisfied. READ »

Criminals threatened to blow up police station

National: 25 Feb 10
Two seasoned criminals threatened to blow up themselves and the police station in Kristianstad in southern Sweden on Thursday morning. The drama ended when the men gave up shortly before 5am. READ »

Swedes claim silver in cross country sprint

Sport: 23 Feb 10
Sweden claimed a valiant silver behind Germany in the women's cross country team sprint event at Vancouver Winter Olympics on Monday, the team's fifth medal in the sport. READ »

Dope smoker reports psychedelic hash to police

Society: 22 Feb 10
A 26-year-old man walked into a police station in southern Sweden last week to complain about the quality of his hash, asking for a lump to be tested for traces of LSD after his girlfriend took on the appearance of a dolphin. READ »

'Force councils to accept refugees'

Politics: 19 Feb 10
The opposition Social Democrats have called for legislation to force all of Sweden's municipalities to accept their share of refugees. READ »

Telia Sonera doles out billions on strong report

Business & Money: 11 Feb 10
Swedish-Finnish telecom firm Telia Sonera has reported a profit after financial items of 6.98 billion kronor ($947 million) for the final quarter 2009, with shareholders in line for a bumper pay out. READ »

Söderling claims comeback win

Sport: 9 Feb 10
Swedish tennis star Robin Söderling showed no signs of the elbow complaint which knocked him out of the Australian Open, firing 26 aces to earn a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Frenchman Florent Serra on Monday in the Rotterdam Open. READ »

Introducing... Anna Anka

Lifestyle: 2 Feb 10
Introducing... is The Local's guide to the Swedish celebrity. In this week's instalment Malin Nyberg profiles Anna Anka, the conservative trophy wife Sweden loves to hate. READ »

Taxes and jobs dominate party leader debate

Politics: 1 Feb 10
Sunday's televised debate between the five leaders of Sweden's major political parties was dominated by taxes and labour market policy, while exposing divisions within the opposing blocs. READ »

Ex-police chief remanded in sex ring probe

National: 28 Jan 10
A former police chief suspected of rape in an expanding sex ring investigation was remanded in custody on Thursday, despite his claims of innocence. A number of other well-known men are also said to be under investigation. READ »

Dutch billionaire could save Saab: report

Business & Money: 25 Jan 10
Dutch billionaire businessman Marcel Boekhoorn has upped his investment in Saab suitor Spyker, replacing the Russian bankers who represented a stumbling block to the deal for General Motors, according to Swedish media reports. READ »

Spyker boss to Sweden over Saab future

National: 23 Jan 10
Negotiations between General Motors and Dutch luxury car maker Spyker over the future of Saab were believed to have moved to Stockholm on Friday, with media reports stating Spyker CEO Victor Muller paid a visit to the capital. READ »

Swedish employers shun foreign grads: study

National: 18 Jan 10
The Swedish job market has become tougher for degree-holding immigrants in the last decade, a new report shows. READ »

Swedes rush to sell unwanted Christmas gifts

National: 26 Dec 09
As one of the busiest retail days of the year kicks off, one in every three Swedes will exchange their Christmas gifts this year, according to a survey. Many are also selling their unwanted presents online. READ »

What's On in Sweden: December 25th - 31st

Lifestyle: 23 Dec 09
What’s on in Sweden: Choral Christmas in Stockholm, a New Year's Eve run in Gothenburg and get your skates on in Malmö. READ »

'Feminists have better sex': Swedish party

Politics: 17 Dec 09
Sweden's feminist political party is hoping logo items featuring a bold claim about their supporters’ supposed prowess in the bedroom will raise awareness about the party during the holiday shopping season. READ »

Police off the hook for wrong number bug

Society: 12 Dec 09
A police officer in Malmö has avoided both prosecution and a disciplinary hearing after wiretapping the wrong telephone number and listening in to private telephone conversations over the course of a number of hours. READ »

Anna Anka faces split with Hollywood husband after latest row

Society: 7 Dec 09
Singer-songwriter Paul Anka has filed for divorce from his Swedish wife Anna following a violent spat at the couple’s Hollywood home last week. READ »

Swedes slam service at rail company SJ

Business & Money: 7 Dec 09
Passengers on Sweden’s national railway SJ have derided the company for poor service and punctuality, slapping SJ with one of the worst scores in the transit industry in a recent survey. READ »

File sharing in Sweden nears record high

National: 6 Dec 09
Following a severe drop in the aftermath of Ipred, Sweden’s new anti-piracy law implemented in April, illegal file sharing is once again on the rise, reaching record high levels. READ »

Telia forced to reveal file-sharing customer

Business & Money: 4 Dec 09
TeliaSonera has been forced to spill the beans on the identity of a customer, believed to be behind a file-sharing site, after losing a court case in the District Court. READ »

'All hope is not lost for Saab': official

Business & Money: 1 Dec 09
The head of Saab Automobile, Jan Åke Jonsson, confirmed that General Motors is actively looking for new owners for the company’s Swedish division, following a meeting with GM management on Monday. READ »

Flawless golf keeps Swedes in World Cup hunt

Sport: 27 Nov 09
Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson produced a scintillating display of golf for the second day running on Friday to keep the country in strong contention for the World Cup title in China. READ »

Swedish tax agency extends court battle over one krona dispute

Society: 23 Nov 09
One krona ($0.15) is apparently all it takes to get the ever-watchful Swedish tax authorities to set their lawyers in action, as the agency has opted to launch an appeal following a lower court ruling over a disputed payment. READ »

Italy down Sweden in Hamrén's coaching debut

Sport: 19 Nov 09
Despite a one goal loss to Italy in his first match at the helm of Sweden’s national side, Eric Hamrén was satisfied with his team’s efforts during an international friendly on Wednesday. READ »

SEB settles with wealthy widow over bad advice

Business & Money: 10 Nov 09
After a decade receiving misguided investment advice, an 89-year-old Swedish woman has negotiated a settlement with the SEB bank worth hundreds of thousands of kronor. READ »

Sweden gives all clear to Baltic Sea gas pipeline

National: 5 Nov 09
The Swedish government on Thursday gave its permission for German firm Nord Stream AG to lay down pipelines for transporting natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Swedish economic zone of the Baltic Sea. READ »

Hammarby relegated as AIK and IFK vie for title

Sport: 29 Oct 09
Stockholm club Hammarby, Swedish champions as recently as 2001, were relegated from the top flight on Wednesday night following a 2-4 defeat at Trelleborg. READ »

Man held over bomb threats in Skåne

National: 25 Oct 09
A 34-year-old man is being held by police on suspicion of making bomb threats against a number of addresses in Skäne, southern Sweden, among them the homes of police personnel and a prosecutor. READ »

Americans claim Nobel economics prize

Business & Money: 12 Oct 09
Two Americans have been awarded the 2009 Nobel economics prize for their research on economic governance, including the first woman to ever receive the prize. READ »

Seduction on the streets of Stockholm

Lifestyle: 8 Oct 09
Wooed into learning the art of seduction, The Local’s Christine Demsteader follows a group of men in pursuit of a pick-up artist’s secrets in Stockholm. READ »

Pirate Bay on the run as hosts jump ship

Science & Technology: 6 Oct 09
File sharing site The Pirate Bay was out of commission on Tuesday as it struggled to find hosting providers willing to serve the site. READ »

Swedish hospital performed eye surgery on wrong woman

Society: 6 Oct 09
A 70-year-old Swedish woman who went to hospital for a cataract examination ended up having surgery on her eyelid by mistake. READ »

American filmmakers take a crack at Swedish Midsummer

Lifestyle: 30 Sep 09
As Swedish cinemas prepare for Friday's opening of the romantic comedy “Äntligen Midsommar” ('Finally Midsummer'), The Local spoke with Ian McCrudden and Schif Musarra about how a pair of American filmmakers ended up making one very Swedish movie. READ »

Bias allegations mount in Pirate Bay case

Science & Technology: 24 Sep 09
Two of the three judges in the Pirate Bay case are biased, according to the defence counsel, Per E. Samuelsson, in a new submission to the appeals court. READ »

Party distances itself from Hollywood wife

Society: 18 Sep 09
The leader of the Christian Democrats has distanced him party from Hollywood wife Anna Anka, who described Swedish men as "tragic" for their "nappy changing" and "equality nonsense". READ »

Hollywood wife lays in to Swedish men

Society: 17 Sep 09
The Swedish-born wife of Las Vegas crooner Paul Anka has called Swedish men "tragic" for their "nappy changing" and "equality nonsense". LA housewife Anna Anka argues that she could be a role model for Swedish women to follow. READ »

Ibrahimovic shines in Inter stalemate

Sport: 17 Sep 09
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced his best performance yet in a Barcelona shirt as the champions were held to a 0-0 draw by Inter Milan in the Champions League Group F opener on Wednesday. READ »

Bosnian Serbs hail war criminal's release

Politics: 17 Sep 09
The Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik praised the decision of the UN war crimes court to grant early release to Biljana Plavsic, a convicted war criminal serving time in a Swedish prison. READ »

What's on in Sweden: September 11 - 17

Lifestyle: 9 Sep 09
What's on in Sweden: World Cup baseball & Cirque du Soleil in Stockholm; Coco Chanel & All Time Low (US) in Gothenburg; Macy Gray (US) in Malmö. READ »

Stockholm museum settles feud over art looted by Nazis

Society: 9 Sep 09
Stockholm’s Moderna Museet has settled a long-running dispute with the heirs of a Jewish businessman over a painting the man’s family claimed was looted by the Nazis during World War II. READ »

Stockholm traffic bypass gets green light

National: 3 Sep 09
The government has approved the controversial Bypass Stockholm traffic link that will cost the state around 27 billion kronor ($3.75 billion). The project has been strongly criticised on environmental grounds. READ »

Student skips school for a whole year

Education: 3 Sep 09
A seventh grade high school student was absent from school for a whole year, but neither the school nor the county council raised the alarm. READ »

Sweden mulls mandatory classes for refugees

Politics: 3 Sep 09
The government will shortly introduce reforms proposing that it be obligatory for all refugees arriving in the country to take part in a society orientation course to facilitate their establishment in Swedish society. READ »

Aid minister calls for debate over corruption

Politics: 24 Aug 09
Sweden's development aid minister Gunilla Carlsson, has called for an open debate over the role of aid money in the wake of a corruption scandal involving Swedish funds in Zambia. READ »

GM confirms Saab sale

Business & Money: 18 Aug 09
US automotive giant General Motors has confirmed that it has signed a stock purchase agreement with the Koenigsegg Group regarding the sale of Saab Automobile to the Swedish-led consortium. READ »

Ibrahimovic leaves Inter ahead of expected Barca signing

Sport: 24 Jul 09
Swedish football favourite Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left his Inter Milan teammates to return to Sweden in anticipation of signing a new contract with Spanish Champions Barcelona. READ »

Docs tell 83-year-old Swede she's 'too old' for treatment

Science & Technology: 24 Jul 09
An 83-year-old Swedish woman was forced to pay for back surgery out of her own pocket after doctors at her local public hospital told her she was too old for the treatment. READ »

EU's institutional woes could outshine Sweden’s priorities

Politics: 2 Jul 09
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt did his best on Wednesday to deflect attention away from the continuing institutional uncertainty which threatens to overshadow Sweden’s six-month European Union presidency. READ »

Increased support for government among businesses: report

Business & Money: 29 Jun 09
Support for the government has grown among Swedish companies, with almost six out of ten businesses expressing confidence in the current trade and industry policy, according to a new report. READ »

Malmö win for topless Swedish bathers

Society: 24 Jun 09
Women in Malmö have been given the right to bathe topless in the swimming pools of Sweden's third largest city. READ »

'Sex education a must for Swedish learners'

Society: 15 Jun 09
Sex education should form part of the curriculum for all adults attending Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes, a new government report has proposed. READ »

Education minister clamps down on high school repeats

National: 15 Jun 09
Swedish high school students will no longer be able to take courses at municipal adult education programmes in order to improve their grades, according to a new schools bill to be presented on Monday. READ »

Test sites named for Swedish language-learning bonus

Society: 11 Jun 09
Thirteen Swedish municipalities have been chosen to participate in the first phase of a plan to reward newly arrived immigrants who perform well in state-funded language classes. READ »

Young Swedish workers reject collective wage deals: study

Business & Money: 4 Jun 09
Eight of ten young workers in Sweden favour negotiating their pay individually rather than having their wages set by a central agreement, a new study shows. READ »

'Swedish state should not educate imams': report

Society: 1 Jun 09
The Swedish state should not engage in the training of imams, a commission of inquiry into the issue has concluded in its report submitted to the government on Monday. READ »

'Cut taxes to boost competition': Experts

National: 25 May 09
Sweden's Globalisation Council has proposed 28 billion kronor in reforms to taxes and social insurances in its final report published on Monday. READ »

Belgium aids Volvo in bid to protect jobs

Business & Money: 25 May 09
The Flemish government has responded positively to an appeal from Volvo Cars CEO Stephen Odell to support its Belgian operations including guaranteeing European Investment Bank loans. READ »

Goose shooter cleared over wayward toilet seat pot shot

Society: 20 May 09
A hunter from western Sweden has been cleared of charges of endangering human life after accidentally shooting a distant toilet seat rather than the goose at which he had taken aim. READ »

Ernman upbeat after Eurovision loss

Society: 17 May 09
Sweden and Malena Ernman could only manage a 21st place and 33 votes in Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest. Nordic neighbours Norway however had a perfect start to national day celebrations by claiming the title. READ »

Language-learning bonus 'unfair' to struggling immigrants

Society: 13 May 09
A proposal to offer performance-related bonuses to immigrants who complete state-funded language courses within one year has raised concerns from both students and teachers. READ »

An uncommonly calm Valborg

National: 1 May 09
Beefed up security efforts on Walpurgis Night paid off this year. Police and parents on patrol, piles of confiscated liquor and teenagers escorted home resulted in a Valborg without major incident. READ »

Gang rapists jailed

National: 30 Apr 09
Six young men have been jailed for their parts in the group rape of several young girls in Södertälje, near Stockholm. READ »

Sweden prepares for swine flu pandemic

Science & Technology: 30 Apr 09
Sweden is preparing for the onset of a swine flu pandemic after the WHO raised the warning level to phase five. Although no cases have yet been confirmed in Sweden the government has moved to secure vaccines. READ »

Swedish metal band trashes Vienna hotel room

Society: 15 Apr 09
Swedish rock band Hammerfall have admitted to smashing up a Vienna hotel room on their European tour. READ »

Stockholm bartender jailed for pimping

National: 6 Apr 09
A 35-year-old bartender has been sentenced to a year's imprisonment for the pimping of 118 Swedish women for sex-buyers in Stockholm. READ »

The Local at Five: 'It's not cool and it's not funny'

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Apr 09
The Local's founder and CEO Paul Rapacioli talks about the birth of Sweden's News in English, conversational silences and his inherent lack of coolness. READ »

Staying safe in the Swedish sun

Lifestyle: 31 Mar 09
With sunny weather just around the corner (fingers firmly crossed), The Local's Stuart Roberts gets some valuable safe sunbathing tips from a prominent Swedish cancer expert. READ »

Swede in US school exchange nightmare

Education: 23 Mar 09
Swedish international education company EF has been ordered to pay 10,000 kronor ($1,200) to a high school student from Stockholm who was initially housed with criminals during an academic exchange programme in the United States. READ »

Two men stabbed in Stockholm

National: 15 Mar 09
Two men were stabbed in Stockholm on Saturday night. A man was found stabbed in a cellar in Skärholmen and another man was stabbed in the back in a fight on Hötorget in the centre of the city. READ »

Sweden to reward quick learning immigrants

Education: 13 Mar 09
The Swedish government has announced the launch of a performance-related bonus for immigrants pursuing state-funded language courses. READ »

Swedish chimp's attacks show primate planning prowess

Science & Technology: 10 Mar 09
A chimpanzee who collected rocks to throw at visitors to a zoo in eastern Sweden shows that primates plan for the future in ways similar to humans, according to a Swedish researcher. READ »

Crews remove Davis Cup paving stone threat

Sport: 5 Mar 09
Road crews in Malmö have succeeded in removing piles of paving stones which police said would stop them from providing security for Sweden’s upcoming Davis Cup tennis match against Israel in Malmö. READ »

Government wants to scrap mandatory student unions

Education: 25 Feb 09
A new government proposal calls for compulsory membership in student unions to be made voluntary for students enrolled in Swedish colleges and universities starting in July 2010. READ »

Nuder to leave Riksdag

Politics: 23 Feb 09
Pär Nuder, a prominent Social Democrat and former finance minister, has announced he won’t seek re-election to the Riksdag in 2010. READ »

Most Swedes favour more nuclear power

Politics: 13 Feb 09
As energy policy talks between the government and opposition parties continue, a new poll shows that six of ten Swedes are in favour of building new nuclear power plants. READ »

Warbling opera singer mistaken for assault victim

Society: 11 Feb 09
Police in northern Sweden broke open the door of a hostel on Friday night after they mistook the sound of an opera singer practising her scales for the heartrending screams of a woman under attack. READ »

Reforms proposed for Sweden's immigrant language classes

Education: 6 Feb 09
Sweden’s subsidized language courses for immigrants have been given a failing grade by a state quality control agency, despite recent attempts to improve the programme’s curriculum. READ »

Pärson settles for third in skiing world cup

Sport: 17 Jan 09
Sweden's Anja Pärson had to make do with third place in the super combined World Cup race at Zauchensee on Saturday. Lindsey Vonn of the United States survived a near fall to win with Austrian Kathrin Zettel in second. READ »

Ex-cop convicted of smuggling oil in ancient vessel

National: 13 Jan 09
A 40-year-old former police officer was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for charges including oil smuggling by a court in western Sweden on Monday. READ »

'Our three million members do not want us to sell wine'

Analysis & Opinion: 9 Jan 09
Wine merchant Mark Majzner is angered by his treatment at the hands of Sweden's powerful cooperative union after a lucrative deal fell through at the eleventh hour. READ »

Record number of sexist ads

Politics: 6 Jan 09
Scantily dressed women in soft drink ads and a satisfied wife guarantee from a drill manufacturer are just some of a record number of adverts to fall foul of Sweden's Trade Ethical Council against Sexism in Advertising. READ »

Lush scents incur allergy group wrath

Society: 30 Dec 08
The Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association has argued that the scents emanating from the Luleå branch of the international chain Lush are a health hazard and the store should be ordered to close its doors. READ »

Do you know who I am?

Lifestyle: 23 Dec 08
When the Swedish tabloids appear more interested in the celebrities of London and Hollywood than their own home-grown offerings, is it any wonder that we foreigners can find it hard to learn who's who in Sweden, asks Ben Kersley. READ »

EU approves Sweden's Carnegie package

Business & Money: 16 Dec 08
Sweden on Tuesday received approval from the European Commission to move forward with its planned bailout of the troubled Carnegie investment bank. READ »

Le Clézio travels into 'the forest of paradoxes'

Analysis & Opinion: 7 Dec 08
Nobel literature laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio explores the paradoxes of his profession and argues that the eradication of hunger and illiteracy go hand-in-hand, writes Charlotte West. READ »

Are Swedish taxes too high?

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Dec 08
Every week we ask a panel of readers for their views on a particular topic relating to life in Sweden. This week, we wonder whether Swedish taxes rock the panelists’ cradle or have them wishing for an early grave. READ »

Violence erupts at nationalist march

National: 1 Dec 08
Police in Lund in southern Sweden faced paving stones, bottles, and torches flying through the air as they attempted to restore order following demonstrations on Sunday marking the death of King Karl XII. READ »

Blow-up doll behind Halmstad bomb scare

Society: 30 Nov 08
High jinks at a stag night led to an area of central Halmstad being cordoned off on Saturday night as police responded to a bomb scare. A blow-up doll and the stag's false nose were found at the scene. READ »

Would you ever consider becoming a Swedish citizen?

Analysis & Opinion: 26 Nov 08
Ever week we ask a panel of readers to give their views on a particular issue concerning the international community. This week we wonder whether the panelists are keen to get their hands on a Swedish passport. READ »

'Swedish car makers should come home'

Analysis & Opinion: 25 Nov 08
With Ford and GM, the respective owners of Volvo and Saab's car divisions, struggling for their survival, Sweden needs to regain the initiative and nationalize its auto industry, argues Rolf Wolff, dean of the School of Business, Economics and Law at Gothenburg University. READ »