Sweden Today:

Support for former extremists / Local politicians susceptible to threats / Churches as alternative camping grounds / Sperm lost on delivery / Beware the angry moose 

  • Support for former extremists
    (National) The city of Lund is implementing a program which helps individuals who have returned to Sweden after leaving extremist groups in Syria and Iraq. Assistance is provided to these individuals in the form of housing, employment and financial rehabilitation, and is modeled after a similar program used with people who leave criminal gangs. Approximately 140 people have returned to Sweden under such circumstances. Malmö, Borlänge and Örebro have similar views on help.

  • Local politicians susceptible to threats
    (National) The Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting, SKL) reports that local politicians are increasingly susceptible to threats and harassment mainly due to the growth of social media. "This is an expression of a worsening tone in the political conversation,” said Emil Broberg, Left Party Deputy Chair of SKL. The organization wants a new law to counteract what it sees as a threat to democracy and will submit a report to the government in November.

  • Churches as alternative camping grounds
    (Lifestyle) Is a new camping craze coming to Sweden? Maybe — with overnight lodging in some of Sweden’s underused churches. "Champing” began in the UK to help bring in money to protect and give new life to historic churches at risk. Heikki Ranta, heritage officer in the diocese of Lund, would like to see the trend continue in Sweden. "We have to find new uses for those churches which are underutilized. Swedish churches must become more flexible and imaginative. The Champing idea is brilliant,” Ranta told Radio Sweden.

  • Sperm lost on delivery
    (Lifestyle) Frozen sperm from top stallion Irco Mena was to be delivered to its new owner in Boden but the delivery never arrived. Sperm from the deceased stallion had been frozen for over 20 years and came at a cost of SEK 25,000. But something went very wrong with delivery and the stallion’s DNA ended up on a shelf in a grocery store. The owner notified PostNord that the delivery never arrived and was told the messenger had attempted to deliver the package, and even left a note in the mailbox. According to the addressee, no car from PostNord was seen on site.

  • Beware the angry moose
    (Only in Sweden) It was Wednesday afternoon when outside a grocery store in Vendelsö Haninge an angry moose chased a man up a light pole. Why exactly the moose was so irate is unknown. Traffic came to a stop as passersby witnessed the incident and stopped along the road to assist. Finally, it was the blaring of a car horn which caused the moose to move along allowing the man to descend from his perch.