Fresh weather warnings for Sweden in wake of Storm Boelo
Storm Boelo moved in over Sweden's west coast and the coastal stretches of Skåne and Blekinge in southern Sweden early on Sunday, bringing severe gale-force gusts. Multiple train services were cancelled ahead of the storm, and several ferry departures to and from Gotland were delayed due to the high winds.
"The strongest winds remained right on the coast and did not push as far inland as we had anticipated," Hilda Westberg, meteorologist at Swedish weather agency SMHI, told the TT newswire.
By 6pm, conditions in the south had eased considerably, moving north.
Sweden's mountain ranges also faced strong winds and rain before conditions subsided overnight.
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Meanwhile, a new yellow weather alert was put in place along the Halland and Bohuslän coast for Sunday evening and into Monday.
"The low-pressure system is shifting, and winds will strengthen again overnight and continue until around 1pm on Monday," Westberg explained.
The severe gusts will mainly hit coastal regions and stretch slightly inland. There's also a flooding warning in place for the west coast.
"Götaland, and particularly eastern Svealand, will also see strong gusts [on Sunday evening] and on Monday morning," she added. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: morning – (in this article, referring to the period after early morning but before noon) förmiddag; otherwise, usually morgon (the earlier part of the morning – the time when you wake up and have breakfast)
Fire services called in to transport victims after garage blaze in western Sweden
Ambulances were stretched beyond capacity when seven teenagers needed urgent transport to hospital following a serious garage fire in Fristad, near Borås in western Sweden, on Friday evening. Instead, three of the casualties had to be brought to hospital in fire engines, regional newspaper Borås Tidning (BT) reports.
"Given the scale of the incident and with seven people seriously injured, seven ambulances would ideally have been needed. That is a considerable amount of resources," Fredrik Iwanson, incident commander at the Southern Älvsborg rescue services, told the newspaper.
The teenagers struggled to escape the burning building, eventually managing to force a door open with assistance from people outside, according to an incident report cited by BT.
Once the flames were extinguished, firefighters stepped in to support paramedic crews.
"It is a matter of prioritisation handled alongside the healthcare staff depending on the severity of the injuries. Together with medical personnel, an assessment is made on whether they can be transported in vehicles other than an ambulance," Iwanson told BT.
All seven were initially taken to Southern Älvsborg Hospital in Borås, after which three were transferred to specialist facilities.
One teenager is currently being treated for life-threatening injuries at Linköping University Hospital, where their condition remained unchanged on Sunday morning, according to an update from Region Östergötland.
Two patients treated for minor injuries at Queen Silvia Children's Hospital in Gothenburg were discharged on Sunday, Sahlgrenska University Hospital's press office confirmed.
Of the four patients remaining at the hospital in Borås, two were assessed as seriously injured on Saturday, though all were reported to be in a stable condition. One of those patients has since been discharged, according to Borås Tidning. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: a hospital – ett sjukhus
14-year-old girl remanded in custody as probe widens into Stockholm sports hall killing
A 14-year-old girl is being held in connection with the murder of a 24-year-old woman at a sports hall in Älvsjö, southern Stockholm.
She is detained on Sweden's higher level of suspicion (på sannolika skäl) for aiding and abetting murder.
The detention hearing took place on Sunday afternoon, and the girl denies the charges.
According to the prosecutor, a major crimes investigation team is working "day and night" on the case.
"When it comes to the remand of such a young person, work is specifically focused on investigating her situation. The aim is to eventually be able to replace detention in custody with some form of placement via social services or other measures," prosecutor Lukas Tigerstrand told TT.
The 24-year-old woman was shot dead on Friday, October 16th. At the time of the shooting inside the sports complex, both a floorball match and a football match were taking place nearby, with a large crowd present.
Two teenage boys have already been remanded in custody on suspicion of murdering the woman. Another boy is also in detention, suspected of offences including aiding and abetting the murder.
"There are several suspects and people detained in the case, and as far as we have seen so far, we have found no indication that they knew the victim," Tigerstrand said.
A further teenage boy has also been remanded in custody, but in connection with conspiracy to commit murder against an entirely different person. However, he is suspected jointly with the third boy who was detained over the Älvsjö murder. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: on probable cause – på sannolika skäl
Far more children tied to gang violence in Sweden than previously thought
The number of children and teenagers involved in serious offences linked to organised crime is significantly higher than expected, according to a new study by Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare.
According to the agency, 264 children and young people were prosecuted or tried for serious violent crimes – such as murder or arson – linked to gang violence between 2020 and 2024. One in ten of them was under the age of 15, reports public radio broadcaster Sveriges Radio's news programme, Ekot.
Prior to the study, the estimated figure stood between 150 and 200 children.
The board will now investigate all 264 cases to gain a clearer understanding of why certain children are drawn into organised crime.
"We want to identify the risk factors, background circumstances, and upbringing conditions that are vital to map out, as well as what sort of contact they have had with various public services, in order to pinpoint where society has failed these children," Johanna Kumlin, head of department at the National Board of Health and Welfare, told Ekot. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: children – barn
Man held on suspicion of aggravated assault following major Uppsala police raid
Eight people were seized in a major police operation in the university town of Uppsala on Sunday.
One of them is being held on suspicion of aggravated assault, while the other seven have been released, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
The first arrest took place shortly after 11am on Sunday in the Sala Backe neighbourhood.
Images from the scene showed an individual dressed in healthcare scrubs and a plastic apron being led away. At the time, however, police declined to elaborate on the circumstances or disclose what offences were being investigated.
"No, unfortunately not. The only thing I can confirm is that eight people have been arrested," Emil Sandberg, duty officer with Uppsala police, told TT on Sunday.
Police have declined to provide any details regarding potential victims. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: assault – misshandel
Swedish parliament speaker to meet Centre Party leader on Monday
Speaker Andreas Norlén is set to meet Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist at 10am on Monday October 26th.
Last Monday, Thand Ringqvist was tasked by the speaker with exploring the conditions for a centrist government.
At that time, she stated that she planned to meet with the leaders of all parties represented in the Riksdag.
Throughout the week, she has shared photos on social media showing meetings with, among others, Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson and, somewhat controversially, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson.
At a press briefing on Friday, Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch described the meeting she had with Thand Ringqvist as "fruitful," though she noted that the Centre Party has offered no new developments regarding the formation of a government.
"It is clear that they support Magdalena Andersson as Prime Minister, but we do not," Busch said.
According to the speaker's office, further information would be provided following Monday's meeting. (TT/The Local)
Swedish vocabulary: to meet – att träffa
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