'Sweden' - tagged features

Terrorism experts from around the world met for a conference in Stockholm recently. The delegates covered the entire spectrum of counter terrorism from senior soldiers and policemen, intelligence professionals, to diplomats and think-tank experts. They discussed a whole range of issues: How to define the ongoing conflict: is it a war on terror as US President George W. Bush has dubbed it or is it a "global insurgency" ? And how to defeat such an insurgency? 

Every year the Eurovision song contest captivates millions of viewers around Europe - and is famous catapulting bands like Abba or some one hit wonders to the top of the charts. For hopeful bands, a Eurovision campaign begins way before the finals that the world sees on television. In Sweden the selection took 6 weeks, 32 songs and millions of TV viewers and their votes. Last Saturday saw the final of Sweden's Melodifestival to select their entrant for Eurovision 2008 in Belgrade. Radio Sweden's Kris Boswell has all the details. 

Since 1908, International Women’s Day on March 8th has been a day to recognize the achievements of women around the world -- regardless of nationality, ethnic background, culture, economic status or political beliefs. The idea of having an international women's day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century. Rapid industrialization and economic expansion had led to protests over working conditions. 100 years ago, on March 8th 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay and voting rights. A century on, women around the world are still fighting for more rights. In Stockholm, Iranian, Iraqi, Swedish and other women - as well as supportive men - have now gathered to put forward their demands. Radio Sweden's Bill Schiller reports on a special appeal to mark the 100th anniversary of Women's Day. 

The world of Swedish knitting has left the rocking chair and come careering, like an out-of-control skateboard, into the streets and cafes of Stockholm. The old lady image is being replaced – now it’s a popular way for all ages to socialise as well as be a new form of graffiti or street-art. 

It’s celebration time for a remarkable anniversary. Sweden can boast 50 years of women priests. Radio Sweden's Alexander Hirschfelder examines how girl power once took the Swedish church by storm. 

It’s cold in Sweden at this time of year and the Swedes have been practicing the warm embrace since Christmas. The Swedish Red Cross has launched a hugging campaign aimed at helping the lonely – and once the Swedes got past the initial awkwardness, there was no holding them back. 

The Swedish government has adopted a new plan of action to fight child sex tourism. The measure has been welcomed by the main non-governmental organisation which highlights the problem. But campaigners feel more needs to be done to come to grips with the problem. 

Many communities in Europe are in conflict over mosque projects. But after a while, once they’ve been around, they tend to be welcomed. In Stockholm, despite growing Islamophobia, locals seem to have accepted and even welcomed their mosque. 

While Poland and Germany try to get to grips with their pasts, the United States seems intent on creating its own present-day controversy. The concept of rendition flights has appeared in our headlines in the last couple of years – terror suspects flown secretly, through different countries’ airspaces and interrogated in secret locations. Human Rights groups have complained bitterly that the practice is illegal on a number of levels. Sweden has produced its own negative headlines in relation to the alleged CIA-flights … but as Radio Sweden's Bill Schiller now reports there are some Swedish teenagers currently trying to draw attention to the problem - in their very own way. 

A few years ago, Sweden’s Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the furniture chain, IKEA, was proclaimed the richest man in the world, surpassing Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates. He’s not Sweden’s only rich man: Salvatore Grimaldi is the richest immigrant to Sweden. Grimaldi Industries is one of Europe’s top bicycle manufacturers. His story reads like one of those how-to-become a millionaire guides: move to a foreign country, buy companies and sell them off. And presto! 

Arn is the most expensive Swedish film ever. It opened on Christmas day, and it pulled in over 160-thousand spectators in the first two days. But can all these movie goers be wrong?  One critic doesn’t think this knight in shining armour will win the box office battle. 

But if the Blue Train isn’t your idea of a holiday outing – you might be thumbing through a stack of charter travel brochures – that’s a typical thing for a Swede to do – and this time of year – they’re all off looking for a bit of sun. But how do the Swedes behave when they’re far from home? Do Sweden’s restrictive alcohol laws encourage liquor-fuelled benders abroad? Radio Sweden’s George Wood asked Lisa Lenneman from one of Sweden’s largest tour operators. 

Nobel fever has been raging. On the 10th – laureates attended the Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm’s Concert House and received their medals from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf – that’s what went on on stage – but what about behind the scenes? As the laureates arrived in the Swedish capital, Radio Sweden’s Jasna Carlén talked to Annika Pontikis of the Nobel Foundation about the events that awaited the year’s greatest minds and their families during Nobel Week. 

The Swedish government’s sparked a bad tempered debate this week over how schools should deal with the era of communist history in Europe and Russia. Sweden’s Education Minister wants to make classes on communism and the Soviet regime’s crimes obligatory. Some opponents say that by setting a rigid history syllabus for schools is itself quite authoritarian. Stalin would approve perhaps, if the subject was something other than his reviled gulags. 

Who has more chance of getting a job in Sweden? Blue eyed Sven, or dark haired Mohammed? In an ideal world, and many feel Sweden’s the closest we’ve come so far, you'd be forgiven for thinking their chances were similar. But you’d be wrong. Several recent studies in the country have shown that if you have a foreign sounding name you have a 33 percent less chance of even being called to an interview. Let alone getting the job. Radio Sweden's Kris Boswell reports... 

Sweden’s the poster boy of social progress. It enjoys one the world’s most advanced welfare systems, Swedes live longer than almost anyone else and Swedish prison-cells are nicer than the average European budget hotel room. But has progress gone too far when it comes to the emancipation of women? A new book suggests Swedish women are conducting their campaign for equal opportunities at the expense of men. And the book even claims that Swedish men are the victims of outright discrimination. 

On the 26th of December 2004, 230 000 lives were swept away. And 543 Swedes never came home. How did family, friends and Sweden as a whole meet the grieving and cope with their loss? Gaby Katz reports on how one crisis organisation aired feelings, experiences and individual stories, almost three years after the devastating Asian tsunami. 

NATO defence ministers met this week to discuss the future of the International Security Assistance Force or ISAF in Afghanistan. Violence there has sharply increased over the past two years, and there've been numerous calls to beef up troops. But many NATO allies are reluctant to send additional soldiers. Sweden is part of ISAF and early next month 350 Swedish soldiers are being sent to northern Afghanistan, to replace the Swedish force currently serving there. Radio Sweden visited the unit as they're preparing for their mission. 

Most Swedes have a portrait by Alexander Roslin in their wallets. But while his famous portraits live on - on Swedish banknotes - his name does not. Radio Sweden's Gaby Katz explores the rediscovery of an artist who put unforgettable images on canvas but who's been forgotten both in Sweden and in his adopted country, France. 

The winners of this year’s Right Livelihood awards were announced in Sweden this week. Dubbed by the Swedish press as the alternative Nobel, this year’s prizes are awarded to individuals and organisations working in fields as diverse as anti-nuclear campaigning; conflict resolution and the promotion of solar energy. Ole von Uexkull is the Executive Director of the Right Livelihood Foundation. Here's what he had to say about laureate Christopher Weeramantry, a renowned Sri Lankan legal scholar. 

In Sweden, all films are subjected to the watchful eyes of one of the world's oldest film censors, Statens Biografbyrå from the National Board of Film Classification which is a governmental body. Now even though a movie hasn't been cut in over a decade, film Director Gunnel Arrbäck is opposed to the agency's censoring activity: Radio Sweden’s Elisavet Sotiriadou has this report 

Sweden has been a member of the EU since 1995. But did you know that one of the most contentious issues for the Swedes during the negotiations aside from the country's much vaunted neutrality - was whether or not Swedes would be allowed to keep their peculiar habit of snus - or oral tobacco. Now a decade on and smoking definitely out of favor - Snus is being marketed as smokeless tobacco and the question is whether it should be sold in other European Union member states. As Azariah Kiros explains, the Snus Empire wants to strike back... 

This week the Swedish parliament decided to scale down the number of countries it helps with foreign aid. It wants aid to be more closely tied to democracy and human rights in recipient countries. The number of recipient countries will be cut in half, from 70 to 33—Though the total amount of money will remain the same. Radio Sweden's Azariah Kiros has more. 

Diana was of course a dream come true for the tabloid press in Britain. More so than anyone else in the British royal family, the life of Diana generated endless public interest. Sweden also has a monarchy, but it's quite a different story there. The Swedish royal family is not the scandal ridden House of Windsor and the Swedish media has a very different relationship with its royals. 

More than 2,500 delegates from over 140 nations gathered in Stockholm this week for the annual World Water conference. Every year, scientists, government officials, campaigners and representatives from private industry converge on the Swedish capital to discuss water-related issues. Radio Sweden’s Azariah Kiros attended the opening ceremony and has this report. 

Look in your letterbox: Newspaper, bills, advertisements, a letter from your mother and ... a delivery of cannabis... Surprised? Maybe, but much to the dismay of customs officials in Sweden - getting drugs delivered directly into your letterbox has been a 21st Century problem. Using the Internet and the postal service is becoming an increasingly popular way of smuggling drugs into Sweden. 

Legend has it the Swedes can give the Brits a run for their beer money. When they travel many Swedes make use of their country’s charter travel industry. It’s one of the few ways to swap the rain and snow for a bit of sun. Add to that Sweden’s restrictive laws on alcohol and you’re left with the motivation for many Swedes to see holidays as opportunities for liquor-fuelled fun in the sun. 

For the first time, a court in Sweden has decided that a girl or woman can be granted asylum if she can prove she’s at risk of being forced into an arranged marriage abroad. A 15 year old girl has won her case in Sweden and lawyers say it could open the way for many other similar claims. But is Sweden really now a haven for girls facing forced arranged marriages? 

Stockholm's International Peace Research says too much focus on the possible possession of nuclear weapons by Iran and North Korea has diverted attention from the development of a new generation of sophisticated nuclear weapons by three countries in Europe - Russia, France and the UK. 

On Wednesday the much-heralded, long awaited Swedish Embassy opened in Second Life.. The ceremony took place both in the real world, at the Swedish Institute in central Stockholm, and within Second Life. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt cut the virtual ribbon at the real world press conference. An added attraction is that people in the embassy can listen to Radio Sweden’s daily broadcasts! 

It is a sticky issue that politicians across Europe are having to ponder, with the entry of far right parties into mainstream politics.  Sweden's far right party, the Sweden Democrats, burst into the limelight after success in the country's regional elections last autumn. They held their annual conference last weekend. While not so long ago, the event might have only recorded a minor headline or two, these days the anti-immigrant party is big news. So much so, that the country's politicians are now not only engaging in public debate with the party, they're receiving tips on how to do it. 

The Swedish government is being accused of reneging on its promise to support an international ban on cluster bombs. In February at a two-day conference in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, 46 countries pledged to work towards a new treaty banning them. But now in Sweden, the government is being accused of backtracking. As Radio Sweden’s Azariah Kiros reports, the government may stand behind some kind of a ban, as long as it doesn’t include Swedish designed bombs. 

Governments across Europe know all too well the need to have emergency plans in place to deal with possible terrorist attacks. This week a simulated terrorist attack was held on the Stockholm transport system. But while it might seem like a straightforward measure of prudent preparedness the simulation has unexpectedly sparked a heated discrimination debate. Radio Sweden's Azariah Kiros has more. 

It's two hundred years since Great Britain abolished the Slave trade. But there were countries at that time which instead of following this fine example, took advantage of it and expanded their transatlantic slave operations - one of those, you might be surprised to read, was Sweden. It didn't abandon the practice until nearly 40 years later, but how much do the Swedes of today know about their country's shameful past 

Religious leaders talking tough on abortion and threatening to use their political clout? It doesn't sound like liberal Sweden. But eyebrows are raised in Stockholm as abortion is suddenly back on the political agenda. A plan to allow foreign women to come to Sweden for abortions has infuriated some church leaders. Religious leaders talking politics in Sweden is highly unusual in a country that's usually considered to be at the vanguard of liberal reform. But as Radio Sweden’s Azariah Kiros found out, the Catholic Church and the evangelical Pentecostal Movement in Sweden are advising Swedes not to support one of the coalition partners in the government, the Christian Democrats, in the next election if the Party supports the proposal. 

It may be fairly well-known that the Swedish language thrives in neighbouring country, Finland, where more than 5 per cent of the population speaks it as their mother tongue. But while they are really only a "linguistic" minority, efforts are being stepped up to recognise people with a Swedish background in another nearby nation....Estonia. It too has a long common history with Sweden, and now a Cultural Council's been set up there to make full use of the "Estonian-Swedes" cultural autonomy rights. Tom McAlinden has more... 

Embracing the new is something Swedes like to think they're good at. Rightly or wrongly, this part of the world as long been associated with sexual freedoms but its also known to be at the vanguard of social legislation equating de-facto relationships and marriage under the law, promoting gender equality, and safeguarding the rights of children as unique from their parents.   But there are still some aspects of personal sexual and romantic freedoms that are controversial for some - Radio Sweden's Bill Schiller reports on the state of gay and lesbian rights in Sweden. 

Lobbyists: they’re active in politics, marketing and media. Yet Swedes don’t like the concept at all. Radio Sweden's Azariah Kiros met a lobbyist, and examines what lies behind the public's mistrust of the profession. 

Most Roma in Sweden don't finish school and truancy absenteeism rates are high. However, attitudes are now said to be changing, and more and more are recognizing the value of a good education. But now there are calls for schools to give Roma children more support. 

2007 marks a very special anniversary here in Sweden. And it's an event that the country will be celebrating on many levels, both here and abroad. Radio Sweden's Juan Navas filed this story. 

Workers from Poland who have move to Western Europe for work often get bad press, particularly in the British Tabloid media. For a change we head to Sweden where apparently Poles have less difficulty integrating. Last year, Poles were among the largest groups of immigrants in Malmö, Sweden's third largest and most ethnically diverse city, located at the very south of the county. The presence of polls in Malmö is not new, but Polish immigration has picked up significantly, since Sweden opened its doors to workers from the countries which joined the EU in 2004. 

The Swedish temperance movement has been increasingly concerned, with Western liquor companies and their clever PR advertisements, aiming at new markets in developing countries -- the growing middle class and especially women. In Sweden a new campaign called "Freedom Spirits" aims at reaching both Swedes and consumers abroad, about the dangers of alcohol consumption. ragic observations in many developing countries have noted those armies of poverty-stricken men in the sprawling city slums and in the countryside - spending all of their meagre wages on the local alcoholic brew - instead of on food for the family, badly-needed medicine or school books. But a more recent spotlight has focused on those Western-influenced ad campaigns on highway billboards and in magazines in Africa, Asia and Latin America - designed to capture new consumers with luxury scenes of the rising middle class enjoying expensive, imported spirits -- ads often for the first time including women. As a counter measure, the Swedish temperance movement has been using sophisticated-looking leaflets, brochures and even exhibitions offering free drinks from glamorous bottles of a brand called "Freedom Spirits" - containing no alcohol at all. 

Despite the lack of snow in Europe for a white Christmas, people across the continent are getting into the festive mood. In Germany drinking Glühwein - a hot spicy wine - at one of the many beautiful Christmas markets is a must in the run up to the festive days. In Paris you shouldn't miss the capital's famous Christmas decorations - every year the "Grands magasins" sees department stores battle it out for the most lavishly decorated and lit shop windows. But no matter where you are, how you celebrate Christmas often reflects both traditions and changes in society. Radio Sweden looks at how traditions in Sweden have changed over the years and the way Swedes now celebrate Christmas. 

The jewish community in Sweden dates back to several hundreds years ago and the Jewish migration has had several huge waves. Gaby Katz from Radio Sweden has visited the Jewish Museum in Stockholm and they special exhibitions portraying Jews. She investigated the place of the Jewish minority in Sweden. 

With the Alfred Nobel Awards Prize ceremony taking place in Stockholm on Sunday, the spotlight in Sweden this week has been very much centered on the Laureates themselves who are hosting a number of seminars and lectures in the capital before picking up their prize. However, there's another group of worthy winners who have arrived in Stockholm, picking up an award known called the Right Livelihood award – otherwise known as the Alternative Nobel prize. 

It's all done at a touch of a button. Instant loans via the internet or text message on your mobile phone. The business idea has been in Finland and North America for some time, but SMS instant loans were only launched in Sweden in spring this year. Clever and aggressive TV and Radio marketing by the private companies involved has meant it's already a smash hit amongst Sweden's tech-savvy youngsters, eager to snap up loans with low credit checks. 

Sweden has designated the fight against HIV/AIDS as a central focus of its development aid policy and is investing heavily on prevention in the fight against the killer disease in developing countries. But as countries around the world finally pour millions into the cause - coordination of the prevention efforts sometimes takes second place - with money being wasted - despite the best intentions. In the run-up to international aids day - and the 25th anniversary of the first confirmed case of HIV, senior representatives of aid organisations around the world gathered in Stockholm to compare notes on strategies in the international fight against HIV/AIDS. 

Far right political parties are making their presence felt in many parts of Europe - even in the "liberal" heartland of Scandinavia. Recent elections in Sweden have given the country's far right party, the Sweden Democrats, some unwelcome power, especially if you're an asylum seeker. Radio Sweden's Mark Cummins told Network Europe it’s tricky to nail down exactly what the Sweden Democrats stand for. 

Sweden is a proud parent this year, its baby is turning 50. Network Europe reports on the world's first fully automated mobile telephone system. 

One automatic response from people about what they fear is often ghosts. And what is Europe without its haunted castles? Now while we at Network Europe aren't setting out to prove or disprove the existence of the supernatural, this being the festival of halloween in many parts of the world, we thought it might be a good idea to indulge the idea and so sent two of our reporters to spend the night at what is considered to be Sweden's most haunted castle just outside the Stockholm. 

Anna Politkovskaja was mourned internationally, and indeed her funeral was attended by the head of the European Commission's delegation to Moscow along with representatives from the EU's current Finnish presidency and ensuing German presidency. And on Tuesday outside the Russian embassy in Stockholm, Swedish journalists demonstrated and lit candles in Politkovskaja's memory. The 48-year-old was one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most vocal critics. But in his first public comments on the shooting, Putin vowed to hunt down the perpetrators and said he believed the killers wanted to stir up anti-Russian feeling. And without a doubt, the murder cast a shadow over Putin's two-day visit to Dresden, Germany. The annual bilateral deliberations are aimed at fostering Russian-German ties. Talks between German chancellor Angela Merkel and Putin were, this time, also dominated by energy security and of course North Korea's nuclear crisis. 

Everyone loves to hear from Stockholm at least when it's Nobel time. The Peace Prize is the culmination of the week but Radio Sweden can fill us in now on the prizes announced in Stockholm. Mark Cummins takes us through the 2006 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. 

Monday kicked off Nobel Prize week in Sweden, when the country enjoys international coverage of the awards , the pinnacle of achievement, left to the world by the Swedish inventor of Dynamite Alfred Nobel back in 1896 to reward scientific and literary development. 

There are significantly less Muslims in Sweden than in France but that doesn't mean the 300,000 strong community isn't facing its own issues of integration. Sweden's official policy is multiculturalism. But just what that means is a source of constant debate. One product of Sweden's search for its own brand of multiculturalism is Gringo magazine, which turns prejudice on its head by using the language of the suburbs where most of Sweden's immigrant population lives. Meryam Can, managing editor of the magazine, draws on her own Turkish-Swedish backgound to discuss integration and discrimination in Swedish society. 

In Sweden, voters have sent the Social Democrats into opposition in last week-end’s general elections. Swedes normally refuse to go right, the Social Democrats have been in the driving seat for most of the last eighty years. But this time apparently, they thought it was time for a change. Frederik Reinfeldt, the leader of the centre right coalition and next prime minister, is working to form a new government which is due to take power on the fifth of October. Radio Sweden tells what people in Sweden can expect from the new team in power. 

Sweden's TV and computer game industry raked in a billion kronor last year, and 98% of that was thanks to exports.  The film and music industries better watch out, because that statistic means games are fast becoming Sweden's cash cow. What’s more, industry figures say things can only get better. 

In Sweden’s civil liberties take a knock after the authorities take preventive measures against possible terrorist attacks. There’s serious debate about whether it’s necessary to snoop into people’s internet research or phone calls. And self-censorship raises its ugly head. 

For years, the world seemed to ignore Somalia’s military and political battles. When the United States tried military intervention, it ended with a hasty retreat as clan warlords ordered dead American troops be dragged through the streets. Now there is renewed interest in trying to find a settlement and see the creation of a viable government. It’s fuelled by fears of a country without a real government becoming the perfect hiding place for terrorists and fanatics. Then there are worries over the conflict spreading beyond Somalia's borders - and the river of illegal arms flowing into the country, despite a UN weapons embargo. 

The Swedish media have been in a frenzy over a cocaine scandal involving some of the country’s top former athletes. The European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg earlier this month was Sweden’s most successful championships since World War II. That is if you ignore the fact that two former athletes were caught in a drug bust at a party during the championships. Now police are warning that cocaine is no longer just a party drug and that the number of seizures in Sweden is going up. 

For many musicians, file sharing is a contentious issue. Some support the practice arguing it's one of the only ways for alternative bands to become known in a market often saturated with big names from the US and the UK. Other musicians condemn the practice, arguing that file sharing is causing record sales to plummet. In Sweden, the issue has even caused the formation of a political party. The Pirate Party, which started up after Swedish police closed down one of the world's biggest file-sharing sites - The Pirate Bay, has candidates standing in Sweden's September election. 

Taking off for your summer holidays abroad, it would probably not cross your mind that you could end up on the street - begging for money and food. Yet in Stockholm this seems to be the case... Volunteers who work with homeless people in Stockholm say the problem has become worse this summer, also because of the number of foreign tourists who are finding themselves sleeping rough in the city. They claim embassy staff aren't always doing enough to help people who get robbed of their cash and passports leaving them stuck in Sweden with no other choice but to beg for money and food. 

Finally, a monarchy that is alive and well, and which continues to play a large role in peoples lives. Sweden's monarchy stretches back some thousand years, and since the early 19th Century the Bernadotte dynasty has been on the country's throne. Despite a 1000 years of tradition, the Swedish Royals have managed to honor the traditions of the past while at the same time being able to modernize itself and stay in touch with the needs and wants of a 21st Century Society. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, which means that the monarch's duties are regulated by the country's constitution. Today's Royal Family includes Sweden's Head of State - King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia. The couple have three children; heir to the throne Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Madeleine. 2006 has been a big year for the royals here. In April, King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrated his 60th Birthday and his wife Siliva, celebrated her 30th anniversary as the country's Queen. To honor the occasion a special exhibition is currently on display at Stockholm's Royal Palace. "Our Queen" is a look at some of the most glamorous and exquisite gowns worn by the German-Brazilian born Silvia Renate Sommerlath. 

You usually go to your library to borrow a book. How about borrowing a human being instead? Maybe an obese person, a bouncer, a Moslem or why not a politician? Then you should head to the Swedish Travelling Exhibition's Prejudice Library. 

Sweden gained headlines earlier this year - when it declared it would be oil-free by 2020.A special commission made up of industrialists, car makers, energy experts and the Prime Minister himself was set up to make recommendations on how to bring the vision about. Earlier this month the white paper was published - but it all turned out to be a bit more modest. Radio Sweden's Dave Russell was at the launch, and joins us in the studio. 

Sweden has entered into its annual summer break but this year's holidays coincide with the last intense months of campaigning before the country's national elections in September. One reoccurring issue in the debate this year is the perceived failure of the present government to integrate immigrants into Swedish society. The opposition Liberal party has resurrected a controversial set of proposals which were credited with winning the party votes last election but also gained unwanted support from anti-immigrant elements in Swedish society. The proposal was demand that people be able to speak Swedish before they are granted citizenship. Radio Sweden reports. 

Europe's Roma community suffer arguably even worse discrimination than immigrants do. Journalism is frequently responsible for blackening the name of this minority, who often live on the fringes of mainstream society. But it can equally be used to inform, as prejudice is often born simply out of ignorance. Radio Sweden reports on a meeting of Romani journalists from accross Europe that took place in Stockhom recently, and found out about the special difficulties faced by reporters from this community. 

Swedish Police have closed down one of the biggest file-sharing websites on the net, dealing a huge blow to internet users who download music, films and games, for free. Three people were detained in several raids across the country. It is being claimed that powerful US lobby groups, forced the hand of the Swedish authorities. The justice minister is under fire, and so too it seems is the Swedish government's website, which has been subject to attacks over the internet. Radio Sweden reports. 

Tickets for the World Cup aren't the easiest to get a hold of and they aren't all that cheap. And then there are travel expenses, hotels and food that football fans have to finance. The Swedes have come up with a clever idea. Hoards of football fans there are planning on caravaning around Germany during the World Cup. It's certainly a good way to get to the various games which are being held in 12 different cities, as Radio Sweden discovers. 

Well, Teachers at a school north of Gothenburg in Sweden decided in March to fail pupils in Social studies for demonstrating nazi or racist views in the classroom - which they argue "go against Sweden's Democratic values upheld in the curriculum". Now, the controversial decision has been supported by Sweden's National Agency for Education. Radio Sweden has the details.