Latest UpdatesCountries Why Join?IL MagazineFree Daily E-LetterVideoOur ExpertsTestimonialsFAQsTopics Tricia Pimental never dreamed she’d see so much of the world when she left her hometown of Brooklyn As any expat living abroad—especially in Europe—can tell you easy and economical access to neighboring countries is a major plus we had only the briefest brush with Sweden we drove over the Öresund Bridge into Malmö (about a 15 minute drive) the few hours we had in Sweden barely gave us a hint of what it offers When we later met a friendly Swedish couple on vacation in the Algarve and began comparing countries we decided to pull up stakes and check Sweden out As far as the capital cities are concerned the combined metro and urban populations of Lisbon and Stockholm are comparable at about 3.5 million Both have a cornucopia of cultural offerings but the overall cost of living in Stockholm is roughly 30% higher than if you were to live in Lisbon Learn more about the best places in the world to retire in our daily postcard e-letter Simply enter your email address below to sign up for our free daily postcards and we'll also send you a FREE report on The World's Top 10 Retirement Havens we chose the Ljusdal municipality of central Sweden Our only neighbors for miles in this heavily forested region are a Swedish family living here part time and a German man who raises chickens and employs a crew in the summer berry-picking season when lingonberries and blueberries are in abundance We have yet to encounter a bear here—even though we live among the highest ursine population in all Sweden which lies across the road from a picturesque lake Here we discovered house prices are considerably lower than in the cities we purchased our property with two buildings on it for about half the price of our quinta in central Portugal—about $90,000 One structure is a farmhouse dating from 1906 which needed—and could still use—some work painted a traditional bright red with doors and windows trimmed in white is that in Portugal even in the countryside it’s common to be able to stroll to the nearby village That is not the case where we are in Sweden and several more are an hour or so in other directions so we plan outings and grocery shopping trips carefully it’s a world away from life in Portugal… both geographically and culturally The Swedes have lots of traditions and social norms that are very different from life in Portugal A guiding principle in the Swedish mind is the concept of lagom The "Lagom Way" encompasses moderation and refraining from exaggeration or bragging There’s an essential "middle-of-the-roadness" inherent in it which ties in with the fact that Swedes by nature are reserved even new acquaintances often hug each other Although if you meet someone with whom you are not already acquainted you are expected to shake hands—to not do so may be regarded as an insult Although the Portuguese appear taciturn at first get a local started in a conversation and you may well spend a couple of hours in discussion literally "cold talk." They believe conversation should be productive But raising controversial issues is frowned upon If you do get involved in a close encounter of the conversational kind—say in an elevator—talking about the weather is acceptable consider this: the Swedish way is aimed at avoiding confrontation and displaying respect for others if someone is upset with a neighbor—perhaps one who blasts music late at night—the accepted way of dealing with it is to write an arg lapp or "angry note." It’s expected that the offending party will take the hint and turn down the volume.Our property cost $90,000.Courtesy extends to removing shoes before entering someone’s home (even in good weather)… not jumping in front of someone else in line… and inviting guests on a "house inspection walk," or gåhusesyn the protocol is to text an explanation and ETA hopefully no longer than five minutes after the appointed time Sign up for IL's postcards and get the latest research on the best places in the world to retire Including boots-on-the-ground insights on real estate and rental trends Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you a FREE report - The World's Best Places to Buy Real Estate a practice instituted in 2008 as a brilliant marketing scheme by an online pizza-delivery service By far the favorite type of pizza here is kebab pizza—regular pizza with tomato sauce and cheese topped with kebab meat and more sauce (The Swedes love sauces on everything and have an endless array of them in little squeezy tubes in the supermarkets.) Waffle Day is celebrated annually on March 25 while August brings kräftskiva (crayfish) parties and the third Thursday of the same month is Surströmmingspremiär You won’t catch many self-respecting locals skipping their daily fika—coffee with cake or cookies Some businesses organize weekly Friday fikas make sure you don’t take the last cookie or piece of cake It’s an old tradition to reflect that the host has provided enough for all guests while some beer can be bought at grocery stores and supermarkets anything containing more than 3.5% alcohol is available only at the state-run Systembolaget stores This was a big change from the easy availability of wine and liquor in stores everywhere in Portugal Sweden’s favorite drink is not beer or hard liquor and more than half of what is sold through "Systemet" is packaged in three-liter boxes Despite having lived near the Canadian border and in the snowy northwest of the U.S. we have found it a challenge to navigate Swedish winters One factor is the light; it seems unnatural for the sun to set at 3:30 p.m that happens only in the deepest part of winter (December and January) But you will find yourself dealing with snow and ice for six or seven months of the year I certainly wish I had known earlier on about those handy little ice-grippers that the wise strap onto their boots when the weather turns wild I would have avoided executing an inadvertent triple axel on a Stockholm street a month into our life here.) While you may not consider living full-time here in view of the winter climate you should know that summer is glorious in Sweden More than two-thirds of the country is forest it offers almost limitless opportunities for fishing the days are short and nights are long and dark great emphasis is placed on the concepts of trivel (well-being A critical part of achieving this ambience is the use of light trimming the outside of homes and businesses with lights and the pervasive use of candles in both private and public places it is inconceivable to the Swedish mind to stay inside You must passa på—take advantage of all you can what we’ve done is not just seize the day or season The winter months of November to February/March and seeing the Northern Lights farther north Spring and fall are the rainy seasons and the weather can be quite chilly but it’s warmer than winter and less touristy than in June Temperatures in the summer months range from roughly 65 F to 85 F It’s the perfect time to participate in water sports the upper region offers something special in summer: the legendary midnight sun Getting to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport from major U.S From Los Angeles travel time is about 15 hours (with one stop) United/Lufthansa fly to Stockholm and depart LA at 6:40 p.m the following day (there’s a nine-hour time difference) From New York’s JFK on American/Finnair it’s 11 hours (also with one stop) and costs about $1,100 Iceland Air has a direct 10-hour flight to Stockholm for around CAD $1,250 but it’s easy to get to the city center by bus you will find lots of public transport options including a well-designed metro system (a word of warning the metro system ticket machines often don’t take cash so you’ll need a card to pay your fare) Podcast: Sweet on Sweden – An Inside Look at Scandinavian Life Schengen Visa: What Countries Are in the Zone? The Best Towns and Cities to Retire in Europe SearchNews Product Reviews By John Milbank Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial the Halvarssons Ljusdal gloves are named after a municipality in Sweden Date reviewed: May 2022 | Tested by: John Milbank | RRP: £99.00 | halvarssonsmc.com The Halvarssons Ljusdal gloves on review here are claimed to be all-season which given their short-cuff design is a challenge but for those who aren’t hard-core winter riders I’ve been wearing them on my 2001 Honda VFR800 2019 BMW S1000XR and the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT for around 600 miles to find out if they’re any good… BOA-style Windwire a little awkward at times but I’m very impressed with the Halvarssons Ljusdal gloves as the finger length and overall size is spot-on for me Feel is good; there is more material between your palm and the controls I was pleasantly surprised with the Nudud touch-screen lump on the Ljusdal’s right forefinger – it does add some precision to the gloves when using what can be quite small controls on some smartphone apps The whole tip of the forefinger on the left and right hands are both touchscreen-compatible It doesn’t work miracles – you still have to position your finger with some care – but it really can help when using apps like Google maps on the bike and found that above 20°C they were a bit too warm for me to be comfortable While the Outlast lining can help regulate the temperature to some extent there’s only so much it can do before the 60g Innoborn lining becomes too toasty I suffered from sweaty hands as a teenager so I don’t like getting too hot (incredibly Helen still married me even after I left a sweaty handprint on her leg on an early date); how deep into summer you feel like riding with these will vary but I can’t see anyone preferring these to a pair of single-layer leather gloves when the temperatures climb I started to get chilly fingers after 20 minutes or so on the VFR This will be influenced to some extent by the short cuff design which means there’ll always be something of a draft around the wrists with its hand guards blocking much of the wind to the hands I was fine throughout a long Sunday ride at about 11°C Tested to Level 1 and for knuckle protection under EN13594:2015 the Halvarssons Ljusdals include the company’s HI-ART (High Abrasion Resistant Textile) on the palm beneath the goat leather the overall construction and well-padded knuckles do inspire confidence For everything you need to know about the safety labels in your motorcycle kit, click here> The Ljusdals are fastened with a Windwire system that you press down to lock which draws a fabric thread through a series of smoothly-curved runners to tighten the wrist though doesn’t really cinch the back down that snugly without being too tight around the wrist It’s a very similar system to the BOA seen on some other products (and motorcycle gloves) I’ve not seen any signs of wear on this tough fabric ‘wire’ yet but I will update the review if anything changes though the elastic in the underside of the wrist means they can still be pulled off though not too easily and they do pass certification The edge of the wheel isn’t silicone-coated like the BOA so the hard plastic outer can be a little more fiddly to get a good grip on but I can’t help thinking a simple strap could have been more effective The Halvarssons Dryway+ waterproof membrane helps keep your hands dry in a shower but you can’t seal a short-cuff glove under or over your jacket’s sleeves so they’re never going to be that good at keeping you properly dry There’s a less wicking material around the inside edge of the Ljusdal cuffs which certainly helps and is something other brands could benefit from A wiper on the left forefinger helps with clearing rain from your visor and is a welcome addition The lining just inside the cuff is less prone to wick water up than what’s deeper inside – a thoughtful touch The soft lining is very comfortable and slides smoothly over the hand which sees the lining of the fingers bonded in place meaning it’s far less likely to pull out when removing the gloves A great feature that I look for in any lined gloves Think about what kind of conditions you really ride in The Oxford Mondial gloves cost £99.99 The Furygan TD21s are waterproof short-cuff gloves that cost £69.99 The fabric on the fingers tends to fray a bit quickly though The Held Twin II gloves are the closest I’ve found to true ‘all-season’ but you can still definitely forget summer in them These gloves have two entry holes – one being more heavily lined than the other – they’re properly waterproof and they’re good for deep winter to early Spring and later autumn but worth every penny if you ride through the year These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the gloves we’ve tested here and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership I struggled to understand the reasoning behind the Halvarssons Ljusdals at first – they might be waterproof the short cuffs limit their practicality in ‘proper’ rain But they’ve ended up on my hands more than any other gloves for a lot of my leisure rides over the past few months chilly Spring trips in my riding jeans and a leather jacket have been great with the Ljusdals as they offer just the right balance of comfort If your jacket’s sleeves fit reasonably well they do find that sweet spot between long winter gloves and short summer ones The Halvarssons Ljusdals are unlikely to be the only pair of gloves you need but for anyone who doesn’t ride in the deepest winter cold they could prove a great compliment to a pair of short summer gloves Do you have a pair of these gloves? Email us at enquiries@bikesocial.co.uk to tell everyone what you think of them… We search our panel of insurers to find you our best price for the cover you need Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The father and son were pursuing a bear during one of the largest culls in decades I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A teenager saved his dad's life by punching a bear in the face in Sweden. The pair were reportedly pursuing a 22-stone female bear in Ljusdal, 180 miles north of Stockholm when it suddenly turned around and pinned the father But the son managed to hit the bear in the head as it lacerated his father's face said Jonny Sjoblom who is leading a local cull of the bear population Although the bear turned and bit the young man on the wrist were taken to hospital after the incident on Monday The father's injuries are said to be serious but not life-threatening and the son is being treated for a broken wrist Mr Sjoblom told TT Agency: "The bear probably switched victims so that the father had time to fire a shot at the bear “It’s damn unusual for something like this to happen - but here something has gone wrong." The hunt leader also said the injured man is an experienced bear hunter in his forties He was talkative on Tuesday and he called the hunting team from the helicopter that was taking him to hospital to ensure the bear's hide was taken care of, The Telegraph reported. Mr Sjoblom added: "He’s a tough guy, he’s mentally tough and will handle this well. I think more about his son’s well-being." Benny Gafvert, from the World Wildlife Fund, said the bear was relatively small compared to others killed in the cull. He told a local broadcaster: "It wasn’t a giant bear, but if you compare it to a dog, for example, it was significantly bigger, stronger and with more power in its jaws." This year authorities have licensed hunters to kill up to 649 bears. This is the largest cull in decades. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies We don’t flood you with panic-inducing headlines or race to be first We focus on being useful to you — breaking down the news in ways that inform We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today wildfires are spreading amid a brutal heat wave by Umair Irfan LinkAerial image showing forest fires burning near Ljusdal, Sweden, on July 18, 2018. Some of Sweden’s fires this summer have ignited even further north, inside the Arctic Circle. Maja Suslin/AFP/Getty ImagesUmair Irfan is a correspondent at Vox writing about climate change He is also a regular contributor to the radio program Science Friday he was a reporter for ClimateWire at E&E News.It’s so hot Temperatures this month reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit well inside the Arctic Circle in Sweden, where the worst fires the country has seen in decades are now burning. More than 50 fires have ignited across the country Finland and Norway are also fighting flames “This is a serious situation and the risk for forest fires is extremely high in the whole country,” Jakob Wernerman, operative head of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, told the Associated Press So far, no deaths from wildfires have been reported in Scandinavia, but Greece hasn’t been so fortunate. The country has declared a state of emergency as raging forest fires have killed at least 81 people and injured more than 190 “There are no words to describe the feelings of all of us these times,” said Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during a televised address Tuesday “The country is going through a tragedy.” The government suspects arsonists may be behind the fires. But there’s also been intense heat across Europe this summer and climate scientists say we can expect more of this extreme weather with global warming High temperatures forced the Acropolis to close for several hours this week. The Greek government can close public attractions when temperatures reach 96.8°F, according to the Associated Press Greece’s intense heat has helped dry out shrubs and trees fire risks remain high in the coming weeks according to the European Forest Fire Information System: While warm temperatures and dry conditions crop up sporadically throughout Europe during the summer it’s highly unusual that so many places are experiencing such hot dry conditions for so long at the same time: A corollary is that summers also spark wildfires in Europe on a regular basis but rarely in so many places at the same time As for the rest of the world, heat this summer has already proved deadly in countries including Japan, Pakistan, and Canada Despite thousands of miles and an ocean in-between, many of the same trends behind the ongoing wildfires in Colorado, Oregon, and California are at play in Europe. As in the United States, Europeans are also building in increasingly fire-prone regions Humans are also igniting most of these conflagrations Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. The aggressive push to privatize public lands, explained. A federal program killed nearly 2 million wild animals last year. The reason might surprise you. Why early season heat waves are becoming more common and more dangerous. You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed An intense heat wave is sweeping over Europe But Greece isn't the only European country sweltering Roaring temperatures and weeks of drought contributed to several major wildfires across Sweden over the last week and according to AccuWeather, Madrid and Stockholm are expected to have their highest temperatures of the year this week This is every country in Europe battling fires right now: Wildfires are raging in regions around Athens and have affected numerous towns including Mati dry temperatures exacerbated by high winds caused flames to spread throughout the region on Monday "It's like we're at war," a Greek firefighter told local media On Tuesday, the bodies of 26 adults and children were found close to the sea in Mati and appear to have died sheltering each other from the fire Source: The BBC Almost 100 people were forced to leave their homes as more than 80 wildfires ripped through the country over the last week The number of fires in the region were reduced to around 20 by Tuesday but in that time Sweden lost an estimated 25,000 hectares of forest The country usually experiences mild weather and generally lacks the resources required to deal with large fires The government has reached out for help from the military and other nations as fires spread above the Arctic Circle.  European nations sent hundreds of firefighters to tackle the worst blazes that Sweden has ever seen Source: The Local Britain is continuing to experience its longest heat wave since 1976.  with just two inches of rain falling between June 1 and July 16 Satellite photos released by the country's national weather service shows the country has been so hot and dry that it has turned from green to brown.  The conditions have been blamed for several wildfires which have spread across northwestern England over the last month Source: The Washington Post Norway experienced its hottest temperatures on record in May, and at least 40 separate forest fires raged across the country earlier this month On July 15 a firefighter was killed trying to containa a blaze in Nes A wildfire that crossed the border in Inari caused the border crossing between Finland and Russia to be shutdown on Friday Several fires threatened Finland's northernmost Lapland region and one fire burned 6 hectares of forest near the region's capital of Rovaniemi Rovaniemi is a popular tourist destination and is best known for its Santa Claus village one of Spain's islands in the Mediterranean experienced a blaze over the weekend.  The fire burned through over 5 hectares of land, and over 100 people were evacuated as a precaution, local media reported Fires have raged in Latvia for nearly a week and destroyed over 1,o00 hectares of forest Officials on Monday confirmed that EU members stated would be called on for international assistance to extinguish a fire in the western Talsi district Dry weather and strong winds made it difficult for firefighters to extinguish the blaze A runway at Germany’s Hannover airport was damaged by extreme heat The closure was expected to last until Wednesday The temperature is predicted to continue to continue to climb this week with a top of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday Source: Associated Press France's national weather agency placed areas in the Paris region and country's north on an orange alert for heatwaves until Wednesday.  Northern France is in the core of the heat wave and those in the region will be continue to be at high risk for heat-related illnesses The Netherlands institute for public health also issued a warning that the country's air quality will be worsened by the heat.  Source: The Times The Swedish chain Rusta is starting the spring with a phase of expansion: the discount store has planned to open a total of six new stores The 220th Rusta store was opened in Upplands-Bro Another location is also planned for Germany this year The eleventh German Rusta store is to be opened in Dortmund in autumn as announced by Country Manager Christof Sauck these openings are in line with Rusta's revised expansion forecast for the next three years the discounter is planning to open 50 to 80 new stores up from the previous target of 40 to 60 stores Rusta has a total of 223 stores in the four markets in which the chain operates: Sweden "The store openings are a central part of our long-term growth strategy and contribute to strengthening our position as a leading player in the Nordic discount market The opening in Ljusdal also feels extra special since one of Rusta's founders had his roots in the town," says Göran Westerberg All important international markets at a glanceThe unique data collection on the worldwide do-it-yourself trade DIY International+Well informed at all times.  The online magazine publishes regularly updated reports features and analyses from the global DIY industry The subscription gives you full access to the premium content marked DIY+ on this website Print issueThis is an indispensable aid to assortment design in DIY stores and specialist stores with home improvement and garden departments Statistical officeNegative quarterly figures in GermanyThe German DIY and garden trade ended the first quarter with a decline in sales Largest "STadtgarten" in the Adrian regionBauhaus opens its fourth location in SloveniaAround ten months after the start of construction Bauhaus has opened its fourth location in … SwedenClas Ohlson opens third store in UppsalaAnother Clas Ohlson store has opened in Uppsala DIY sets up in South AfricaThe Malaysian retail chain is preparing its market entry on the African continent Brico in BelgiumBrand times fiveThe Belgian DIY market leader Brico uses five size concepts from city stores to DIY project stores… high regulatory density: the Belgian market is considered … All FieldsNow a Benelux playerBelgian service provider All Fields works for manufacturers and retailers in the DIY sector  IPM EssenPlant Power at IPM ExpressThis year IPM Essen will be offering new formats on the subject of plants play iconSweden, where the brutal attack took place, is currently vying for Nato membership A Swedish man who was attacked by a bear while hunting with his son has taken “ultimate revenge” on the animal by killing it – then turning it into kebabs were hunting in woods near the central Swedish town of Ljusdal last August when they were attacked by the brown bear The duo saw the predator approaching them before it came for Pär knocking him down and savaging his face in an attack which ripped off his right cheek Evert heroically tried to stop the bear – hitting the bear on its head before the predator turned on the teenager and bit his arm in a diversion which saved his dad’s life The 42-year-old killed and ate the brown bear With the bear and Sundström’s son locked in a brutal tussle the 42-year-old father was able to grab his rifle and shoot the animal dead who has undergone reconstructive surgery and is still waiting for more has spoken out about the ordeal – and what happened to the bear the pair had their furry attacker butchered and took delivery of bags of its frozen meat to their home The gruesome attack took place in picturesque woodland like this near Ljusdal we made bear meatballs for Christmas and bear meat sauce” He continued: “We had decided from the beginning that if we kill a bear “And the bear we killed had mostly eaten plants so the meat is fine to eat… Bears that have lived on carrion You can smell it in the forest when they have just been there Sundström still requires more reconstructive surgery after the attack “Making tacos from a bear that bit me in the face must be the ultimate revenge.” Both father and son have found fame following the attack; Evert said he had had to tell the story to schoolmates around twenty times and the pair were invited to a hunting gala in the mountain village of Järvsö But the 42-year-old said the attack which hospitalised him left him with nightmares Sundström said: “I had nightmares for the first few days “Then I started dreaming about when I get back on my feet when the bear bites Evert and I hear Evert's screams of anguish while he's fighting for his life… This went on for a while The father’s initial treatment left him breathing through a valve in his nose and attracting unwelcome stares in public scheduled for later this year in the city of Uppsala a new nose and corrective surgery around his eyes He said: “[The bear] didn't have a lot of teeth project manager at the Communications Office at Umeå University "It's a solid programme that meets the more than four thousand people interested in studying teachers and study and career counsellors who come to visit There will be over one hundred and thirty information sessions on study programmes and a lot of university staff are working to the last minute on the preparations," says Susanna Löfgren In addition to lectures on different programmes visitors are invited to try out various activities and clever experiments Guided tours are also offered to the Artistic Campus by the river and the Iksu training facility as well as the neighbouring Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) which is also present in Lindellhallen at Umeå University Student and career counsellors and other staff also receive their own skills development during a lunch meeting with the university's education leaders "We know from our evaluations that the open house is both an appreciated and effective way of communicating our activities so even though it's a lot of work and a lot of people involved from Umeå University It is also very rewarding to meet all those interested in studying who are often very curious about both student life and what it is like to study at a university," says Susanna Löfgren One part of student life that always gets a lot of attention is student housing and the municipal housing company Bostaden is therefore also on site showing what a student room looks like and telling everything about how the prospective students should go about solving the housing issue "Students are a very important target group for us and for us it is very valuable to meet prospective students partly to tell them about our more than 4,200 student housing units but also to hear their thoughts and expectations the focus is on getting as many people as possible to join our housing queue and we also show what a student room looks like in real size we also take the opportunity to welcome all young people to our beautiful city," says Anders Hugosson The student room in real size at Öppet hus 2023 "We look forward to welcoming all these visitors to the university and hope that everyone who comes will have an informative and inspiring day Our hope is that many will be so inspired that they will return in a year or two as students at Umeå University or at another university," says Susanna Löfgren - High school students are bussed in 40 buses from Ljusdal - All travellers by bus will receive information about the day on the bus - For those travelling from Umeå and the surrounding area the day starts with an introductory session at 9.30 it is not necessary to be registered in advance 132 information sessions will be held on everything from the Pharmacy Programme to the Theology Programme and everything in between - Visitors are greeted by a mobile-friendly website where they can bookmark their favourite lectures to attend and a special map app with all the buildings and rooms mapped out so that everyone can find their way around - The information sessions are half an hour long and are given every hour starting at 10.30 - There is plenty of time between the sessions to visit the Student Life Fair in Lindellhallen and Universum talk to students and teachers and listen to several live podcasts Find us Media relations Departments and units About the website Accessibility of umu.se Personal data Cookie settings Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube LinkedIn head of operations at the Civil Contingencies Agency says Sweden is still in an exceptional situation and society is also overstretched by the very warm weather There are 19 fires still burning in Sweden The one in Gävleborg’s Ljusdal is by itself the biggest ever recorded in Älvdalen could become much worse during the next few days as strong winds on Saturday may sweep the flames across the fire-breaks “We see Saturday as a decisive 24 hours and if we can hold through that period we will be very positive,” says fire chief Johan Szymanski to Swedish Radio P4 Dalarna It is only on Sunday and next week that the weather might make a difference Johan Szymanski estimates about 100 millimeters is needed to get the fire under control Assistance via the EU has been helping hold the fires to a standstill There are water-bombing planes from France and Portugal working here while Italian planes are leaving to help fight the fires in Greece that have killed at least 83 people Sweden’s government is now asking for help via the NATO Partnership for Peace network and a plane from Turkey will head to Sweden as soon as the weather allows Canada: This year’s exceptional heat is becoming the new normal, scientists warn Finland: Wildfires: Finland’s hesitation in assisting Sweden criticized Norway: European Arctic swelters under tropical temperatures, breaks heat records Russia: Forest fires are raging across the Barents region Sweden: Sweden to call for NATO’s help with fighting wildfires United States: Alaska’s firefighters are ready for wildfire season For more news from Sweden visit Radio Sweden and website in this browser for the next time I comment The information on this page is intended for journalists If you click NO you will come back to Mynewsdesk.com Green Cargo’s investment in the market’s largest and most efficient timber wagon has paid off in a new agreement with Holmen Skog “Golden Bullet 2.0,” is the result of a joint development with ExTe in Ljusdal Holmen Skog will be the first customer to use the wagon for roundwood transportation in Sweden Green Cargo offers Holmen and the roundwood market a dedicated roundwood organization with the goal of always exceeding the stringent expectations for flexibility and regularity Green Cargo has a long history of collaborating with Holmen on the transportation of pulpwood and saw logs between regions in northern Sweden increased demand and growing volumes have contributed to more destinations in the system we needed to plan ahead of time for customers’ orders These days we’re so fast that it’s roundwood customers who scarcely have the time to get their timber to the terminals,” says Johan Roswall Now the partnership with Holmen is being extended through an entirely new agreement that also entails the introduction of an entirely new timber wagon After the joint development with ExTe in Ljusdal and some specially selected customers It has an increased payload thanks to its large load limit since there is room for more timber per meter there is less wear of the Swedish Transport Administration’s facilities “The wagons that seemed new and innovative a few years ago already feel dated One remark from the trials is “This is the absolute best wagon we’ve handled and we’ve tested all kinds of wagons available in the market”,” says Johan Roswall Uncomplicated construction makes it easier to maneuver the wagon during maintenance and repairs Golden Bullet 2.0 is developed specifically for the Swedish market and survived the extreme cold of northern winters without any problems “Holmen Skog will be the first in Sweden to use the most modern transportation solution for roundwood transportation Just around the corner are more technological developments that we’ll be presenting in the future,” says Johan Roswall Green Cargo is a sustainable logistics partner and crucial for Scandinavia's trade and industry Electric trains make up over 95 percent of our ton kilometrage meaning the climate impact is next to zero replacing around 8,500 truckloads on the road network and with our partners we reach all of Europe have 1,800 employees and annual sales of about SEK 4 billion (2020) Green Cargo provides the business sector with safe and sustainable transport services to around 200 locations in Scandinavia we reach nearly 1,000 destinations across the rest of Europe our transport volume amounted to 9.7 billion net tonne-kilometres Nearly 98 percent of our total transport work is carried out using electric locomotives powered exclusively by fossil-free electricity we operate 31 million net tonne-kilometres replacing approximately 9,000 truck journeys on the road network We have 1,750 employees and an annual turnover of SEK 4.2 billion (2024) When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings To learn more about this, please read our Privacy Policy, which applies to our use of your personal data, and our Privacy Policy for Contacts which applies to the use of your personal data by the owner of the newsroom you follow Please note that our Terms of Use apply to all use of our services You can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing or deleting your account The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Stockholm police in car chase after three shootings Three shootings took place in the scope of half an hour in Stockholm last night gunshots were fired at an apartment in Brandbergen in southern Stockholm at around 9.30pm police reported that shots were fired at "one or several people" in Farsta There were no reports of injuries in any of the shootings although police said that there were people inside the apartment in Brandbergen at the time Just before midnight police chased a car through central Stockholm but had to interrupt the chase due to the risk to bystanders The vehicle was later found empty after having crashed Police said they believed the car was connected to the Farsta shootings Several people are being held in connection with the incidents Swedish vocabulary: a car chase – en biljakt Swedish health agency proposes free chickenpox vaccinations for children Sweden should make chickenpox part of the national free vaccination programme for children the Public Health Agency proposes in the final draft of a report submitted to the government this week which would see Sweden following in the footsteps of neighbouring Finland The agency says that the measure would save money in terms of parents not having to spend as many days off work to care for sick children and minimising the spread of chickenpox in society would protect those for whom an infection could end up being serious Chickenpox is usually a relatively mild disease for young children albeit with irritating and itching blisters and it could even be life-threatening for some groups such as cancer patients with weakened immune systems The Public Health Agency proposes that the vaccine should be given to children at their regular health check-up at the age of one-and-a-half when they're given the vaccine against MMR (measles The second dose should be given together with the second MMR shot in year one or two of school It's already possible for children to get vaccinated against chickenpox at private clinics If it becomes part of the national vaccination programme for children Swedish vocabulary: chickenpox – vattkoppor 'Trauma' for Swedish town after sexual abuse of nine preschool children A man who worked at preschools in Ljusdal over the course of several years sexually abused nine girls The incidents have been described as "a trauma" for Ljusdal The man was informed of the suspicions when police raided his house in June Police found a large number of indecent images showing the sexual abuse of children in the man's computer Nine preschool children in Ljusdal were identified and their parents or legal guardians informed the man was hired as a preschool teacher in 2012 and had been employed at four preschools in the municipality The municipality said it had followed all the standard hiring practices in asking for criminal records and there had been no suspicions or complaints made against this man prior to the summer He was reportedly a popular member of the community "Could we have done more?" asked municipal manager Linnea van Wagenen "It if turns out we followed our routines and this still happened we have to change them," she told a press conference attended by police and municipality chiefs on Wednesday The municipality is planning information meetings for concerned residents and parents Swedish vocabulary: a preschool – en förskola Please log in here to leave a comment This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page In an experiment to try to limit one of the uncontrollable wildfires Swedish warplanes have dropped a bomb in an effort to snuff out the flames The two JAS Gripen planes carried out their mission at noon which is burning in the Trängslet military shooting range The military said in a statement in the afternoon that the attempt seemed to have worked extremely well There was more good news on Wednesday morning as two of the big fires are under control and reportedly close to being extinguished On Friday the authorities had said there were four fires that were too large to be put out The two which can still not be put out are those in the shooting range in Dalarna and around the evacuated village of Kårböle in Gävleborg's Ljusdal The two which will soon be out are that in Jämtland County's Fågelsjö/Lillåsen in Härjedalen and the fire in Brattsjö outside Örnsköldsvik in Västernorrland County These fires are on their way to being extinguished and will soon no longer be the responsibility of the fire service but will be handed over to landowners to be fully doused As temperatures rise to over 30 degrees Celsius the Civil Contingencies Agency has recommended that all counties make their fire bans as strict as possible Anneli Bergholm Söder said counties and municipalities wiith fire bans should now also ban all kinds of outdoor barbecues on people's own property The only exception is grilling using electrical elements There are already fire bans in almost all of Sweden All coastal trains have been cancelled in Kalmar County because of the risk of sparks igniting fires did break out but swift action was able to put it out there is a meeting today for those evacuated from Ljusdal municipality The fire in Dalarna's Älvdalen is still out of control Water bombing by all four planes in service along the edges of the fire continued until dark The two planes from Portugal have not yet arrived The 50 German firefighters who arrived late on Tuesday afternoon are now working in Mora The international help has been arriving as part of the EU coordinating its biggest ever effort of this kind The EU Commission says in a press release there are "7 firefighting planes 60 vehicles and over 340 personnel have been offered through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism thanks to Italy The press release adds that there is no competition between Greece and Sweden for help as other countries are helping Greece fight the serious fires there the centre-left Social Democrats and centre-right Moderates say they are content with the EU coordination but the Christian Democrats and Liberal parties also want Sweden's government to ask for help via Nato plus weekly summary on Fridays at 4.30pm on P2 (P6 89.6FM in Stockholm) Kontakta gärna Sveriges Radios forum för teknisk support där vi besvarar dina frågor vardagar kl BAN ON OPEN FIRES.There is currently a complete ban on open fires in many parts of Sweden and can even apply to your own garden.This is due to the extremely high risk of ground and forest fires breaking out across the whole country due to the long period of warm and dry weather The ban on open fires means that when you are out in the forests and fields you are not allowed to light a campfire It is also forbidden to light fires or have a barbecue at campsites.In some areas in others you are only permitted to have a barbecue on your own property if the grill is an electric one Others still allow barbeques in your own garden as long as it is in a safe location where any flames will not spread Check with your local county board to see which rules currently apply where you live The evacuation orders have been withdrawn for parts of northeastern Ljusdal and part of Härjedalen The decision means that residents of Kårböle Gammelvallen and Degerkölsvallen outside the new evacuation zone can return to their homes Road 84 from Vänsjö should be used for transport in Kårbole Road 84 between Kårbole Östra-Laforen and large areas is still closed For more information see the Ljusdal municipality homepage and listen to Sveriges Radio P4 Göteborg