Sweden Today:

Gothenburg continues to seek solution for gang violence / Sweden's most vulnerable areas / Summer heat remains in Sweden / SVT shatters Kristallengalan 2016 / Climate change is affecting Sweden's water. 

  • Swedish drinking water – not as clean as you may think.
  • Gothenburg continues to seek solution for gang violence in Biskopsgården
    (Göteborg) Biskopsgården made headlines again this summer when an 8-year-old boy from the UK was killed as he slept in his bed — the boy, in Sweden to visit relatives, was the victim of a grenade which had been thrown through the bedroom window. The district is struggling to find solutions to curb drug trafficking, gang violence, loitering and the fear of its citizens who claim they can not go out after dark.

  • Stockholm water may be cleaner and better than bottled ... and Swedes in general believe they have the greatest tap water in the world. But it may be getting more expensive.
  • Sweden's most vulnerable areas
    (National) A report from the Police National Operations Department (NOA, polisens nationella operativa avdelning) has identified 15 areas in Sweden which are considered the country’s most vulnerable areas due to crime and socioeconomic factors resulting in parallel societies and violent religious extremism. Six of these areas are located in Gothenburg, more than any other city in Sweden.

  • Poseidon statue by Carl Milles, Götaplatsen, Göteborg. Photo: Lisa Mikulski
  • Summer heat remains in Sweden
    (Weather) Sweden isn’t ready to call it quits on summer just yet. September has brought lovely weather with brilliant sunshine and temperatures at 24-25˚C (75˚ F). Swedish nights tend to be chilly. Residents and tourists alike are taking advantage of the wonderful weather and can expect autumn to reach the Nordic country by end of the month.

  • The Swedish Emmies were broadcast live on Sweden's Channel 5 on Sept. 4.
  • SVT shatters Kristallengalan 2016
    (Culture) In this year’s equivalent to the U.S. Emmys, SVT captured a total of 14 of the 18 awards handed out in Stockholm on Sept. 4. This year’s best actor was Kjell Bergqvist for Spring River SVT; best actress, Cilla Thorell for The Most Forbidden, SVT. The Swedish broadcaster also received awards for TV personality, lifestyle programming, sports TV, TV drama, children’s programming and documentary.

  • The Kristallen gala hosts, Christine Meltzer and Carina Berg. Photo: Magnus Ragnvid/Channel 5
  • Climate change is affecting the quality of Sweden’s drinking water
    (Environment) The high quality of Sweden’s drinking water has always been without question. This year, however, residents in several cities have been required to boil their water due to high levels of bacteria, parasites and viruses. According to Sweden’s National Food Agency, this is due to the decreased availability of safe drinking water, increased rainfall and flooding, dry summers, changes in sea levels and increased pressure on sewage treatment plants.