https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed With just days left before Sweden carries out the most radical citizenship reforms in years, an administrative backlog means 100,000 long-term residents are losing the race against time. The Local speaks with some of the applicants who are watching their future plans slip away as the government continues to rewrite immigration rules. https://www.thelocal.se/20260529/its-a-gut-punch-time-running-out-for-100000-applicants-as-swedens-citizenship-deadline-nears Fri, 29 May 2026 06:32:53 +0200 its-a-gut-punch-time-running-out-for-100000-applicants-as-swedens-citizenship-deadline-nears In this week's podcast: Sweden Democrats demand major role in next government, work permit exemption list a letdown for many immigrant workers, smoking reaches record low, half-price transport tickets, and councils stop expensive gifts for teachers. https://www.thelocal.se/20260529/what-happens-if-sweden-democrats-get-top-jobs-in-next-government Fri, 29 May 2026 09:46:01 +0200 what-happens-if-sweden-democrats-get-top-jobs-in-next-government Large fire breaks out in southern Stockholm, food manufacturers warn of rising food prices, and more news from Sweden on Friday. https://www.thelocal.se/20260529/today-in-sweden-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-229 Fri, 29 May 2026 08:35:28 +0200 today-in-sweden-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-229 The UN climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was "a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis". https://www.thelocal.se/20260527/europe-heatwave-a-brutal-reminder-of-climate-change Wed, 27 May 2026 15:22:09 +0200 europe-heatwave-a-brutal-reminder-of-climate-change Malmö police rushed to the city centre following reports of a corpse on a cart. Imagine their relief when they realised it was in fact a sex doll. https://www.thelocal.se/20260527/malmo-corpse-triggers-major-police-operation-turns-out-to-be-sex-doll Wed, 27 May 2026 10:20:27 +0200 malmo-corpse-triggers-major-police-operation-turns-out-to-be-sex-doll Europe, which is in the throes of a record-smashing heatwave this week, is the world's fastest-warming continent and stretches into an even more rapidly heating Arctic. https://www.thelocal.se/20260526/explained-why-europe-is-the-worlds-fastest-warming-continent Tue, 26 May 2026 21:00:20 +0200 explained-why-europe-is-the-worlds-fastest-warming-continent This week’s episode of Sweden in Focus Extra is unlocked for all listeners and features interviews with four applicants for Swedish citizenship. https://www.thelocal.se/20260526/devastated-swedish-citizenship-hopefuls-fear-for-the-future-as-deadline-looms Tue, 26 May 2026 14:30:50 +0200 devastated-swedish-citizenship-hopefuls-fear-for-the-future-as-deadline-looms A Swedish prosecutor has called for a 10-year prison sentence against a man on trial for allegedly prostituting out his wife to around 120 clients. https://www.thelocal.se/20260526/swedish-prosecutor-urges-prison-for-man-charged-with-prostituting-his-wife Tue, 26 May 2026 09:23:09 +0200 swedish-prosecutor-urges-prison-for-man-charged-with-prostituting-his-wife Sweden has reached its target of fewer than five percent of the population smoking regularly – and is consequently considered "smoke-free". https://www.thelocal.se/20260525/incredible-milestone-reached-as-sweden-becomes-a-smoke-free-country Mon, 25 May 2026 08:36:36 +0200 incredible-milestone-reached-as-sweden-becomes-a-smoke-free-country A self-driving bus was involved in a crash with a tram on its first day carrying passengers in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. https://www.thelocal.se/20260525/self-driving-bus-in-gothenburg-crashes-with-tram-on-first-day Mon, 25 May 2026 14:15:57 +0200 self-driving-bus-in-gothenburg-crashes-with-tram-on-first-day A two-year-old boy who went missing on Sunday morning at Nyåker, 60 kilometres west of Umeå in northern Sweden, has been found alive. https://www.thelocal.se/20260525/missing-toddler-in-northern-sweden-found-alive-after-over-14-hours Mon, 25 May 2026 08:31:09 +0200 missing-toddler-in-northern-sweden-found-alive-after-over-14-hours Sweden's government plans to spend 500 million kroner (€46m) on flight subsidies in a new emergency budget aimed at lessening the impact of the global energy crisis. https://www.thelocal.se/20260522/sweden-announces-500-million-kronor-air-ticket-subsidy Fri, 22 May 2026 10:37:39 +0200 sweden-announces-500-million-kronor-air-ticket-subsidy In this week's podcast: latest on teen deportations and citizenship voting scandal, Sweden loosens alcohol laws and Åkesson calls for Sunday opening for Systembolaget, Sweden to buy warships from France, and India and Sweden strike strategic deal. https://www.thelocal.se/20260522/how-relaxed-alcohol-laws-could-spice-up-swedens-nightlife Fri, 22 May 2026 09:57:01 +0200 how-relaxed-alcohol-laws-could-spice-up-swedens-nightlife We asked The Local's readers to tell us about something good that happened to them in Sweden in the past year. They shared stories about friendship, citizenship, work, love and much more. Here's what they said. https://www.thelocal.se/20260522/made-a-new-swedish-friend-good-things-that-happened-to-the-locals-readers-in-the-past-year Fri, 22 May 2026 08:58:44 +0200 made-a-new-swedish-friend-good-things-that-happened-to-the-locals-readers-in-the-past-year An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale, which hit Denmark on Wednesday afternoon, could be felt in Malmö and other parts of southern Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20260521/denmarks-biggest-earthquake-in-14-years-felt-in-sweden Thu, 21 May 2026 09:58:06 +0200 denmarks-biggest-earthquake-in-14-years-felt-in-sweden In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed. https://www.thelocal.se/20260520/ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks Wed, 20 May 2026 14:37:30 +0200 ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks The end of the requirement for bars to serve food will mean Jessica Mihai can finally open her planned natural wine bar, seven years after she first had the idea. She tells The Local why she thinks the reform will transform Sweden's cities. https://www.thelocal.se/20260520/stockholm-is-going-to-be-like-paris-or-copenhagen Wed, 20 May 2026 12:04:27 +0200 stockholm-is-going-to-be-like-paris-or-copenhagen EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4th. https://www.thelocal.se/20260520/eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Wed, 20 May 2026 09:15:17 +0200 eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Sweden's government is set to buy four new frigates for its navy from France's Naval Group in what it called "a very large international defence-industrial deal". https://www.thelocal.se/20260519/sweden-to-buy-four-new-frigates-from-france-in-major-defence-deal Tue, 19 May 2026 10:38:06 +0200 sweden-to-buy-four-new-frigates-from-france-in-major-defence-deal This week’s episode of Sweden in Focus Extra features an interview with Mikael Odenberg, a Moderate Party veteran and former Swedish defence minister. https://www.thelocal.se/20260519/a-mistake-to-commit-to-a-government-with-sweden-democrats Tue, 19 May 2026 08:45:50 +0200 a-mistake-to-commit-to-a-government-with-sweden-democrats