Swedish News:

New name for Stockholm Arlanda? Lundqvist honors daughter on radio. Nick Carter: "I'm Scandinavian!" Diabetics live longer. Sweden won't back down on infection prevention. 

  • The result of a study led by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy shows that diabetics live longer today. The reasons are believed to be increased medication, better control of blood sugar and earlier detection of the disease.
  • New name for Stockholm Arlanda?
    Some 30 Swedish politicians suggest a new name for Arlanda Airport, and their suggestion is to call it Raoul Wallenberg International Airport. The purpose of the name change would be to honor the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Budapest during the later part of WW2. A few years ago, a Moderate member of parliament suggested that the airport be called Alfred Nobel Airport.

  • Not long ago the name Raoul Wallenberg International Airport was being considered a good one for Arlanda International Airport in Stockholm, starting a movement to change the names of other Swedish airports, too. Now many have both English and Swedish names. Photo: Andreas Trepte
  • Lundqvist honors daughter on radio
    When it was NHL star Henrik "Henke" Lundqvist turn to host the popular radio program 'Sommar' on July 10, he spoke of his dramatic car accident in New York and dedicated a song to his daughter Charlise, who turned one (also July 10). “This is for my birthday girl,” Lundqvist said, and played “My Hero” by Foo Fighters. “I cannot write my own songs, but if I had been able to, perhaps it would have sounded something like this,” he said about the song. “I’ve never been someone who loves children. Strollers and screaming babies have never appealed to me. But I felt ready for a new chapter,” Lundqvist said about the birth of his daughter. He also admits the first weeks were tough: “I didn’t understand what people were talking about, that it was so fantastic. I walked around like a zombie, not knowing anything. Once I was going to walk my dog Nova, but when I was in the elevator I realized something was missing. At first I couldn’t understand what it was then I realized: I had forgotten the dog.” Eventually his love for Charlise emerged. Lundqvist also spoke about his accident back in 2009, when he crashed his Lamborghini on a New York highway. “First everything happened in slow motion,” he says. “Then it went very, very fast. I was unharmed and felt a combination of fear and happiness, but I was also irritated and upset that the car was damaged.” He called his wife Therese, who was sad to hear about the accident. “Life is brittle,” Lundqvist said. “Everything can change in a second.”

  • NHL-star Henrik Lundqvist spoke about his daughter Charlise when he hosted the popular radio show “Sommar” on Swedish Radio’s P1.
  • Nick Carter: 'I’m Scandinavian!'
    The popular American boy band Backstreet Boys (most famous during the 1990’s) is releasing a new album towards the end of the month called “World Like This”, and have as previously worked with Swedish producer Max Martin. One of the band members, Nick Carter, is looking forward to touring Sweden for a particular reason: “I wanted to come back and record the album in Sweden, but Max and the other guys move to Los Angeles. All my friends move to Los Angeles, but I want to move to Sweden.” Carter reveals he’s had a DNA test done for fun. “I was told I have Scandinavian relatives on my mother’s side. I’ve done some research, I don’t know where in Scandinavia my mother’s family is from, but it may very well be Sweden,” he says.

  • Nick Carter of the boy band Backstreet Boys loves Sweden and has Scandinavian genes. When all his friends move to Los Angeles, Carter says he wants to move to Sweden.
  • Diabetics live longer
    People suffering with diabetes live longer lives than diabetics used to. The risk of premature deaths has halved, according to an international study led by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy. The study was conducted in Canada and England between 1996 and 2009. The improvement applies to both genders and all age groups. The reasons are believed to be increased medication, better control of blood sugar and earlier detection of the disease. The results are presented in the journal Diabetologia, according to Göteborgs-Posten.

  • Sweden won't back on infection prevention
    Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs Eskil Erlandsson is disappointed with the European Union commission, which has decided to drag Sweden to court for testing imported cattle. “We won’t back down,” Erlandsson says. “We want to keep our great system of protection.” This past week, the EU commission stepped up the fight against Sweden’s testing, done in order to control imported cattle for paratuberculosis, a chronic bowel disease. Brussels believes the testing goes against the import regulations, and is now pulling Sweden to court to stop it. “I’m disappointed that from the EU’s side they don’t realize we have a great disease protection, and very little antibiotics treatment in our country, and that we want to keep it that way.” According to Erlandsson, the action of the EU may be such that Sweden in the future risks spreading disease to other parts of Europe, where it is not yet found. “I think we ought to act in a preventative manner instead, keeping areas, in our case Sweden, free of diseases we do not yet have. The way I see it, that must come before free mobility.” The government has long fought to keep the testing of the animals, and had support from Swedish farmers in doing so. The decision by EU this past week won’t deter Sweden, says Erlandsson. “We are ready to go to court.”