News

Swedish coach apologises for losing his temper during live TV interview

2023-03-28 16:59 Sweden beat Azerbaijan 5-0 in the European Championships qualifier in Stockholm on Monday night.But the victory was overshadowed by an incident after the match, when the coach of Sweden's national men's team Janne Andersson lost his temper during an interview with a sports commentator.On Tuesday afternoon, Andersson apologised at a press conference, saying it was "extremely bad of (him)."

Government to fund SFI classes for Ukrainian refugees

2023-03-28 14:30 The Government announced today it would make 100 million kronor available to municipalities to fund Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) language courses for Ukrainians in Sweden.39 of Sweden's 290 municipalities have already been offering SFI courses to Ukrainians using their own funds, according to the Government."It's important that we improve the possibilities to learn Swedish when you are a refugee from Ukraine, and to give them a possibility to work in Sweden," says Minister for Employment and Integration Johan Pehrson from the Liberal Party.

Expert agency warned household electricity rebate could end up with businesses

2023-03-28 14:11 The Government was warned in December last year by its own expert agency that the electricity rebate to households could wrongly end up going to businesses.This is what ended up happening in cases where the electricity contract was held by an individual who is a sole trader. It's not yet clear how those sole traders should address the rebate on their tax returns.

Pro-Russian hackers shift focus from Ukraine to EU countries

2023-03-28 11:34 Russia's cyberwarfare has shifted focus from Ukraine to other countries in Europe, according to a report from the cybersecurity company Thales.Sweden, together with Poland and Latvia, has borne the brunt of these attacks since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.55 of the 60 cyberattacks against Sweden took place in February this year. The attacks mainly targeted the banking and finance sectors, but also transport infrastructure.

Police sharply criticised for how they work with 'special incident' operations

2023-03-28 08:00 The way the police work with 'special incident' operations for serious crimes risks causing more harm than good, according to a new critical report from the National Audit Office.'Special incident' operations are launched when things happen that go outside the ordinary police work, like a crime wave, a high-risk football match or a state visit that requires extra resources."It can be an efficient way for the police to manage the work for a few hours or a few days after a serious crime, but longer-term "special incidents" do more harm than good," says Linda Jönsson from the Audit Office.

Hungary expected to approve Finland's NATO membership application today, while Sweden must wait

2023-03-27 16:25 The Hungarian parliament is expected to approve Finland's NATO membership application Monday.However, the Central European country says it will hold off on ratifying Sweden's application.There are several reasons behind this, says Anamaria Dutceac Segesten, a senior lecturer in European Studies at Lund University, who adds: "Most of them have little to do with Sweden directly, despite the statements that emerge from the Hungarian officials".

Swedish chains want cinema tickets eligible for 'health and wellness grant'

2023-03-27 16:23 A 'friskvårdsbidrag' is a tax-free benefit offered by many employers to staff for activities beneficial to health. Most often, that means sports and other physical activities.Now a group of Sweden's largest cinema chains suggest that film tickets ought to be eligible under the system. "Maybe it's time to find a broader perspective on health and wellness," says Helena Eklund, Head of Marketing at Filmstaden, Sweden's largest cinema chain.But Pia Blank Thörnroos, Tax Lawyer at the Swedish Tax Agency says the law would need to be changed. "The benefit covers the most common physical exercise … but no cultural events. It wouldn't be possible under the current rules."

Tiktok banned from Swedish military's phones

2023-03-27 12:53 Swedish armed forces personnel have been banned from having the social media app Tiktok on their work phones or tablets.The app, which is owned by a Chinese company, collects user data and there is concern that the Chinese state has access to the data.The European Parliament, and governments in for example USA, Canada and Denmark have already banned government employees from having TikTok on their work phones, but no such blanket ban has been issued in Sweden.

More snow on its way - up to 20 centimetres locally

2023-03-27 11:38 Snowfall and strong winds are causing difficult conditions on the roads in east central Sweden, including Södertälje, Uppsala and Stockholm, up towards Gävle.SMHI has issued yellow weather warning, the lowest warning on a three point scale, which be in place for this area till Tuesday afternoon. Delays are expected on the roads as well for public transport and flights.

Police to target gang leaders in new operation

2023-03-27 11:14 Police are targeting those higher up in criminal networks in a new "national operation" which focuses on increased national and international co-operation.The many links between criminal networks in different parts of the country and abroad are forcing police to work together more in different parts of the country.The aim is to target people higher up in the gangs, who order the murders and crimes that others then carry out.