Sweden

Gothenburg promised to optimise school admissions with a piece of code. The resulting chaos showed how unaccountable systems are ruining livesWe like to imagine that injustice announces itself loudly. That when something goes wrong in the public system, alarms go off and someone takes responsibility or is held accountable if they do not. But in 2020 in […]

Scientists find annual sea surface temperatures across Europe reached highest levels recorded, while deadly wildfires set large parts of continent ablazeThe Nordic heatwave that pushed temperatures above 30C (86F) in the Arctic Circle in July was part of a record-breaking year that saw abnormal heat sear more than 95% of Europe, a report has found.Parts of […]

The Great Moose Migration has become a ‘slow TV’ sensation, keeping audiences worldwide glued to the beasts’ epic trek – even if they’re rarely spotted on screen. We go behind the scenes with its makers On a crisp bright early spring afternoon on a small uninhabited island in the Ångerman river in northern Sweden, the stars of The Great Moose […]

There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around worldThe number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent […]

Ragnhild Ekner’s documentary weaves together breathtaking collective displays around the world, but soft-pedals its less photogenic aspects Here is a visually epic and surprisingly positive documentary about a maligned subculture: football ultras. Director Ragnhild Ekner is an IFK Göteborg fanatic, but she is even more of an ultra for ultras overall, and […]

I tried not to think about the 1,300 metres of solid rock over my headRunning has always been a passion of mine. I started as a child in the Yorkshire Dales, moving to cross-country at university, then graduating to marathons. I loved the challenge. After my wife, Stephanie, and I married in 2012, and went on to have two daughters, Grace and Rose, I still […]

For his project ‘De Oförtrutna’ (The Relentless), photographer Christer Björkman pictured Swedish scientists working in the spirit of Carl Linnaeus, the botanist who created the modern taxonomic system that classifies organisms based on appearance. Each scientist brought to the shoot a book and an item of importance to their work Continue reading...

Thirteen of the Damallsvenskan’s 14 teams are based in the south. For Piteå IF, rising costs are now the priorityPiteå IF are entering their 17th season as a top-division side in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, but the challenge for them is getting tougher and tougher every year.And it is not a small budget compared to clubs such as Hammarby and Häcken who […]

Born into slavery, Adolf Ludvig Couschi Badin became part of Swedish royal court and left legacy of books and lettersIn 1760, a Black child around 10 years old arrived at the Swedish royal court as a “gift” to the queen. Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albrecht Couschi, who became known as Badin (derived from the French for joker or prankster), later held […]

Swedish artist, now regarded as predecessor to Kandinsky and Mondrian, died thinking world was not ready for her work The Swedish artist Hilma af Klint died believing the world was not ready for the mystical paintings that would shock the art world half a century later.The painter, now credited with pioneering the abstract art movement, did not seek […]

This blog is now closedBack to Trump’s frustration with European allies – although it doesn’t involve a Nato member this time – Austria is the latest country to risk the US president’s wrath after a defence ministry spokesperson confirmed it denied all US requests for military overflights related to the Iran war.“There have indeed been requests […]

Party, which has neo-Nazi roots, will hold ‘important ministerial posts within immigration’ if four-party coalition wins in SeptemberThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said that he will allow the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) into government for the first time – and give its members key ministerial posts – if his coalition wins the […]

John Skoog’s monochrome film is based on an art installation, and that shows in the pacing, but his central character is intriguing and utterly uniqueDenis Lavant is an intriguing and vulnerable presence, somewhere between Quasimodo and Nosferatu, in this beautifully shot monochrome feature from Swedish artist, photographer and film-maker John Skoog, […]

Officials understood to be investigating use of visas by company linked to Ahmadi Religion of Peace and LightThe Home Office is investigating a company linked to a religious sect based in Cheshire over its use of immigration visas.The company under investigation is linked to the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), a sect that blends tenets of Islam […]

Sweden’s V-Dem Institute warns that the US is no longer a liberal democracy. And autocracy is creeping across Europe tooThe US is no longer a democracy. One of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at Gothenburg University reaches the alarming conclusion in […]

Recognition for Scandi film-making has long focused on Sweden and Denmark but critics say Norwegian film is entering a new eraSentimental Value’s victory at the Oscars on Sunday has been hailed in Norway as the moment the country stepped out of the film industry shadow cast by its Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Denmark.Joachim Trier’s film became […]

Magnusson’s 2017 bestseller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning turned the Scandinavian decluttering practice into a global phenomenonSwedish author and artist Margareta Magnusson, whose book on “death cleaning” became a global phenomenon, has died aged 92.Magnusson’s 2017 book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, introduced international […]

As energy prices tripled in the 1970s due to Middle Eastern wars, Scandinavia, France and the Netherlands sped up green transitionWhen Middle Eastern wars sparked an oil crisis in the 1970s, tripling energy prices and throwing economies into chaos, some countries looked beyond short-term solutions. The French made nuclear the pillar of their power system. […]

France suspects Russian ‘provocation’ amid worries Moscow will interfere in European elections as part of broader strategy against Ukraine. What we know on day 1,466The Swedish military confirmed on Friday that a drone it jammed near a French aircraft carrier this week was Russian, amid concerns Moscow is deploying hybrid war tactics against European […]

Authorities mounted rescue operation after group of five lost control of ice sheet in Stockholm archipelagoFive people have been rescued from an ice floe carrying a sauna tent, a motorised saw and an onboard motor after they lost control of their DIY vessel in the Stockholm archipelago.Swedish authorities believe the passengers, who were German tourists, […]