Child in custody after shopping centre shooting
A child under the age of 15 is being held on suspicion of shooting a man at the Livli Kungens Kurva shopping centre, south of Stockholm, in the middle of the lunchtime rush on Monday. The teenager is suspected of attempted murder and aggravated weapons offences.
He was arrested in Stuvsta, about seven kilometres from the shopping centre, on Monday afternoon, an hour after police had received a call about an armed person in a nearby industrial area. Police are also investigating whether shots were fired in the industrial area.
The man who was shot was taken to hospital in an ambulance helicopter. He was conscious at the time, according to police.
The shooting is the third shopping centre shooting to take place in Sweden since the start of October. The first was in Kungsbacka in the south of the country on October 6th, with two 14-year-olds suspected of murder and assisting an attempted murder.
The second was in the food court of a different shopping centre in Sollentuna, close to Stockholm, on October 9th.
Swedish vocabulary: a suspicion – en misstanke
Sweden hit by largest mycoplasma outbreak in years
Sweden is seeing the largest outbreak in several years of mycoplasma infections, with many requiring hospital care.
Mycoplasma isn't generally dangerous and the symptoms are similar to those of a common cold: fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, with the exception that it also usually defined by a persistent cough. Most people receive relatively mild symptoms – although a cough that sticks around for a few weeks is of course annoying – and recover without antibiotics or hospital care, but some may develop serious pneumonia.
In September, around 500 people were in hospital with mycoplasma infection according to Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare, up from 200 which was the highest number in a single month before the pandemic.
"The likely explanation why we are seeing a lot of ill people now is that mycoplasma almost didn't spread at all in the first year of the pandemic. That has led to weakened immunity in society," state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén told the TT news agency.
It could take two to three weeks from the point of infection until you start noticing symptoms, so it's hard to stop an outbreak. According to Gisslén, if you're feeling unwell and have a fever you should stay at home, especially the first few days. Otherwise you can live as normal.
Swedish vocabulary: pneumonia – lunginflammation
Sweden's PM has his first phone call with Donald Trump
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Monday afternoon had his first phone call with US President Donald Trump, after the latter was reelected on November 5th.
"I have today had a good conversation with Donald Trump. Sweden and the US have been close partners for a long time," said Kristersson in a statement.
"We spoke of our collaboration in Nato and our common security interests. We spoke of Russia's war on Ukraine and I especially raised that the support of Ukraine is important to both Swedish and transatlantic security. We also discussed Sweden's and the US's economic cooperation in trade and technology. Sweden is the tenth largest investor in the US," he added.
"I look forward to continuing our close cooperation and we will meet when the opportunity arises."
Swedish vocabulary: a telephone call – ett telefonsamtal
Sweden's government to push ahead with work permit salary hike 'next year'
Sweden's government plans to push ahead with further tightening work permit requirements next year, the chair of the responsible parliamentary committee has told The Local.
Viktor Wärnick, Chair of the Committee on Social Insurance and Migration, said that the government would not submit the proposed law, New Rules for Labour Migration, to the Council of Legislation this year, meaning it is likely instead to reach its final form and go before parliament for a vote in the first few months of 2025.
"The government will present a legislative council referral next year regarding labour migration," Wärnick, an MP for the right-wing Moderate Party, told The Local. "Exactly what the legislative council referral will include in terms of proposals, regarding for example salary requirements and possible exceptions, remains to be announced by the government."
A government inquiry in February proposed setting the salary threshold for work permits at the median wage, currently 35,600 kronor a month. It also proposed that the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Migration Agency would then be responsible for drawing up a list of in-need professions eligible for exemptions.
Swedish vocabulary: next year – nästa år
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