💰 CSN defrauded of 100,000 - six people prosecuted

Six people have been charged with their involvement in tricking the Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) of more than 100,000 kronor.

One of the suspects, located in Nyköping, allegedly used a forged admission certificate from an Australian university to apply for full-time student funding and received a total of 100,044 kronor.

However, the scam was discovered, and it was also confirmed that the money was transferred to the accounts of five other people, all of whom are now facing charges of money laundering.

What is CSN?

The Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) is the government agency that manages Swedish student finance such as grants and loans for studies. These are normally paid out in advance per week or for a whole semester at once.

Almost 900,000 students apply for student finance every year. To be eligible for this financial support, both the educational institution and the student must meet certain criteria, which can vary depending on factors such as qualifications, study plan, location, and citizenship.

In the past, similar cases have been uncovered in Nyköping and Eskilstuna, where people have tried to get easy money from the CSN through false admissions for studies in Australia.

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by TT | edited by Riedia

The lack of police dogs is a recurring problem for the police in Sweden. The police authority needs around 75 new dogs a year. However, breeding for the Swedish Armed Forces has decreased considerably in the past 25 years. Before, around 7,000 German Shepherd puppies were born in Sweden. Today, only 1,500.

Experts from the National Police Dog Service believe that the solution is to extend the breeding program among private breeders and the Armed Forces, which breeds around 200 German Shepherd puppies a year.

But there are logistical challenges. The current breeding plant used to produce puppies that match the police profile is too small to expand the number of puppies — not to mention the money and costs that need to be added.

Swedish law enforcement knows how to bark

There are over 400 police dogs and dog handlers in Sweden. These dogs complete between 25,000 and 30,000 missions each year.

Dogs are divided into patrol dogs, which are the most common type of police dog and usually German or Belgian malinois; and special search dogs. The latter breeds can be trained to look for anything from weapons and narcotics to semen, dangerous substances, or dead bodies.

The issue with the dog shortage is that there is no dog team available to be sent out in an emergency and life-threatening situations, such as when searching for an injured missing person.

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by Alice Nordevik/TT | edited by Riedia

Europe's first orbital launch complex for satellites has officially opened in Kiruna, in Northern Sweden.

Together with King Carl Gustaf, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the President of the European Council Ursula von der Leyen opened the new Esrange space base for satellites, which will be the first satellite launching facility on European soil.

In addition to launching satellites in orbit, the base will also be used for EU testing projects with reusable rockets.

The hope is that the first satellite launch will take place on the base outside Kiruna within a year.

“This really puts Sweden on the space map, not only in Europe but globally," says astronaut Christer Fuglesang.

Von der Leyen: The future of Europe’s space force will be written in Sweden

Until today, Europe’s only point of access to orbit has been the spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana, run by the European Space Agency in Paris.

It’s from this French territory that Europe launched its Galileo and Copernicus satellite constellations into orbit.

Today, few countries, such as China and the United States, as well as France and Kazakhstan, have the capability to launch satellites.

This event officially inaugurates Sweden's Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers in the spring of 2023, which includes other important discussions on the ground such as a tough spring with the continued war in Ukraine and concern for the economic competition from the US.

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by Wiktor Nummelin/TT | edited by Riedia

Former Afghan MP Mursal Nabizada has been shot dead in her home in Kabul.

Chose to stay

Former Afghan MP Mursal Nabizada, along with her bodyguard, has been shot to death in her home in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. Two other people were injured in the attack on Sunday.

32-year-old Mursal Nabizada was one of the few female MPs who stayed in Kabul after the Taliban took power in August 2021, when women were largely removed from public life.

Former Member of Parliament Mirian Solaimankhil paid tribute to Mursal Nabizada on Twitter, “Despite being offered to leave Afghanistan, she chose to stay and fight for her people. We have lost a diamond, but her legacy will live on."

According to a police spokesperson, the security forces have initiated an investigation into the incident.

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by TT | edited by Riedia

🚿 The water in Askersund is safe to drink again. Water samples have been approved as safe, and the boil water order has been lifted. The water was temporarily shut off in large parts of the municipality last week after a leak on a water main in Hammar.

🍩 According to the Swedish Food Administration data, more and more people are getting worse health problems due to bad eating habits. Therefore, the agency is considering increasing taxes on soft drinks and other sweets to make society eat healthier and improve public health figures.

🐶 Police are warning of dangerous lethal pet buns in Malmö, which are filled with broken glass and pieces of metal. Several dog owners have raised the alarm about these buns found in and around Pildammsparken in Malmö. This isn’t the first time bread delicacies with dangerous materials inside have been found around the city. However, there are still no suspects, and it is unclear whether one or more perpetrators are behind it.

🛩️ Russia and Belarus have begun a joint military exercise that will last until February 1st. This has raised concern about a new Russian offensive even though Minsk has emphasized that the military exercise is only defensive and will focus on reconnaissance and defense.

🇳🇵 At least 68 people died after a plane crash in central Nepal on Sunday. On board, there were 72 people, including 68 passengers and 4 crew members. On Monday, the country announced a national day of mourning , while rescue workers continue their search for those who are still missing. The aircraft's black box has been found, as well as flight data and sound recordings from the crash. So far, 63 people have been found and sent to the hospital. Rescue efforts continue, but the fog has made the search harder.

🇪🇬 Archeologists have found yet another royal tomb from ancient Egypt , notifying the country's authorities. The discovery was made by an Egyptian-British research team in the city of Luxor on the western shore of the Nile. Piers Litherland of Cambridge University states that it may be the last resting place for a wife or princess in the Thutmosis dynasty.

🚨 A new report from Stockholm University found that a declining number of young people in Stockholm commit violent crimes. The report offers a possible explanation - the overall decline in the number of teenagers living in the capital city.

🍕 World's ‘ cheapest pizzeria ’ is opening in Stockholm. The pizza will be baked by Sweden's Master Chef and cookbook author Jimmy Guo and will cost only 10 kronor. The pizzeria is opening on the 23rd and 24th of January, between 11:30 and 14:00 at Kungstensgatan 60 in Vasastan.

🏚️ Mass shootings in Stockholm are negatively impacting property prices. According to KTH experts on urban development, the value of a home in the capital of Sweden can decrease by 200,000 kronor after a shooting has occurred nearby.

🏦 The General Complaints Board (ARN) received a 32% increase in cases in 2022, largely due to the deteriorating economic situation in Sweden. The largest increase was seen in the banking department, where cases more than doubled. ARN expects an even greater increase in cases in 2023.

🚗 Volvo Cars is concerned about the new climate and environmental subsidies from the Biden administration in the US because it includes tough demands for both production and inputs to come from the US. Volvo has factories in both China and the US alongside its major European plants, and is worried that foreign companies with a global production apparatus can be disadvantaged by the new laws.

🇨🇳 Chinese internet giant Tencent's shares have almost doubled in value in three months, from October to January, increasing by 95%. This is due to a softening of regulatory policies in Beijing towards the internet and gambling sector, which has led to a series of new permits and launches. Tencent is once again among the world's top ten companies.

🌡️ Who invented the Celsius scale? A Swede named Celsius

Today the temperature in Stockholm is a warm (for January 🤣) 4°C, in Gothenburg, it’s 5°C, and in Jönköping, it’s 3°C. But did you know that this universal scale (nearly universal… we’re looking at you US, Liberia, and the Cayman Islands) was invented by a Swede?

The Celsius temperature scale, also known as the Centigrade temperature scale, was invented by Anders Celsius in 1742. Before the invention of the Celsius scale, temperature measurement was based on various systems, such as the use of different liquids that expanded or contracted with temperature changes.

Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer, proposed a temperature scale in which the freezing point of water was set at 0 degrees and the boiling point at 100 degrees. This scale is known as the "Celsius scale" in honor of its creator.

by Julia Powanda/Riedia