The global economy will continue to drop through 2023, and Sweden is no exception.

A continuing high inflation and a rise in unemployment rates are just around the corner, according to the OECD assessment, which argues that the worst is yet to come in 2023 due to the biggest energy crisis since the 1970s.

If there’s a global growth to be expected, this time neither Europe nor the US will be the engine of growth, but Asia instead.

If inflation is not dealt with, problems will only get worse

Sweden's economy is not expected to grow in 2023, but instead to decline by 0.6 percent and then grow back in 2024.

According to OECD figures, unemployment in Sweden will increase up to 8.3 percent by the end of the year, and then continue to rise to 8.5 percent in 2024.

These figures come after the corona pandemic, which led to an increase in unemployment, that Sweden has not yet recovered from.

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The number of children and adults receiving help in sheltered housing in Sweden has almost doubled in just a few years, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare's figures from 2020.

New legislation, which is planned for next summer, is aiming to improve this situation, but the problem is that the government's funding is far from solving the problem.

Solving a problem with another problem

Sweden's Municipalities and Regions (SKR) are critical of the funding and argue that they will need to cut back on other activities, which automatically translates into people not receiving the support they need.

They argue that children should receive their own support and attention from social services and should also be allowed to attend preschool and school in a new location if they need to be relocated into a shelter after abuse or violence.

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For the first time, a compilation of food waste in the EU has been collected. Sweden was found to be one of the least wasteful countries.

Top five

Sweden has been measuring food waste since 2012, and the findings show that Sweden is one of the least wasteful countries. A typical Swede throws out an average of 87 kilos of food waste a year. Slovenia came in first with an average of 68 kilos per year. Cyprus, Greece, and Denmark were found to be the worst at managing food waste.

According to Christina Anderzén, waste analyst at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, measuring food waste can be tricky. There are various factors and interpretations that can cause uncertainties and inaccuracies, but trying to measure food waste remains important because it provides governments with insight on how to reduce food waste.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that winter in Ukraine may be very dangerous for residents.

Dangerous without electricity

Half of Ukraine’s infrastructure has been destroyed in the war, and nearly ten million inhabitants are without electricity. "This winter may be about survival," warns Hans Kluge, Regional WHO Director.

Winter temperatures in Ukraine can get as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, and without electricity or heat, this can be a very dangerous situation. The electricity crisis extends into other sectors, like hospitals that need electricity for nearly everything, such as ventilators, refrigerators, and incubators.

The WHO says three million people are expected to leave their homes for warmth this winter.

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🏛️ Social Democrats want to reintroduce free entrance into museums in Sweden again. Additionally, the party is proposing for culture and sport SEK 600 million more than the actual government.

🛍️ Online shopping has decreased significantly in Sweden compared to last year. However, it is apparent that Swedes remain some of Europe’s most frequent online shoppers.

🔌 Monday’s massive snowfall left thousands without electricity. On Tuesday morning, Eon had 7,200 customers without power.

🇸🇾 A power station in northeastern Syria was bombed by a Turkish aircraft on Sunday. Now, Russia is urging Turkey to hold back.

🇺🇲 Congress gets to see Trump's tax returns. Since 2019, the House committee had been requesting Trump’s income statements. Trump has tried to keep his tax information confidential, but has now lost three separate appeals.

🇨🇳 The spread of the coronavirus has gained new momentum in China. Over 253,000 new cases of infection have been reported in the last three weeks.

👮 Two were arrested for illegal intelligence activities in Stockholm. The suspects were arrested in a raid on Tuesday morning. The operation was carried out by both the Police Authority and the Swedish Armed Forces.

🦉 Two owls have escaped from Skansen Zoo in Stockholm. Since darkness has fallen over Sweden, finding them seems to be an impossible task.

🎭 Novelist and playwright Elaine Eksvärd will make her stage debut. Her new play, "Can I join you?", opens on February 24th next year, at Scalateatern in Stockholm.

⚛️ Billion-dollar project ESS (European Spallation Source) is calling a crisis meeting. Several setbacks have affected the construction of Europe's major research center for advanced material research outside Lund.

🕒 The world's time authorities decided to scrap leap seconds on Friday at a meeting in Versailles, France. The leap second has caused problems for technology companies, among others. But now, some science calculations, including navigation systems, will face new problems.

🌌 Two very early galaxies have been discovered by the advanced James Webb telescope, one of which may have formed "only" 350 million years after the Big Bang.

Latest Results

🇦🇷 Argentina 1 - 2 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

🇩🇰 Denmark 0 - 0 Tunisia 🇹🇳

🇲🇽 Mexico 0 - 0 Poland 🇵🇱

🇫🇷 France 4 - 1 Australia 🇦🇺

Latest News

🇮🇱 Another day, another controversy. Several Jewish organizations state that Qatar bans kosher food during the World Cup.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia made a shocking victory when they defeated the World Cup favorite Argentina with 2-1. Now the country is announcing a national holiday on Wednesday.

🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo terminated his contract with Manchester United with immediate effect. This comes after the interview with Piers Morgan, where he criticized his own club, owners and coach.

What to expect today

🇲🇦 Morocco - Croatia 🇭🇷 11:00

🇩🇪 Germany - Japan 🇯🇵 14:00

🇪🇸 Spain - Costa Rica 🇨🇷 17:00

🇧🇪 Belgium - Canada 🇨🇦 20:00

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Sweden’s long-established cold bath tradition is not for the faint-hearted.

Jump into the icy cold water for a “refreshing” swim, and then warm yourself up in an 80°C sauna room. And repeat. That’s an authentic Nordic experience.

Its fans praise its health benefits. Early studies have shown that winter swimming can improve general well-being and potentially treat depression .

If it sounds like your cup of tea, here are some unique cold bath houses you can try out in Sweden, and here are places to take such icy dips and therapeutic saunas in Stockholm.