Sweden in Focus

In this week's episode: foreign minister steps down, new screen use recommendations, why the government is scrapping flight tax, and Sweden's biggest ever toxic waste scandal. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSwedish foreign minister Tobias Billström to step down and leave politicsSwedish government to scrap flight tax from next summer Health'The situation is dramatic': Sweden issues new advice on screen time for youngsters Environment11 people on trial in Sweden's biggest toxic waste scandal Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. 

In this week's episode: foreign minister steps down, new screen use recommendations, why the government is scrapping flight tax, and Sweden's biggest ever toxic waste scandal. For Membership+ subscribers: gigantic wind power project in limbo, breakthrough for Indians seeking Swedish citizenship, government pushes ahead with repatriation plans.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSwedish foreign minister Tobias Billström to step down and leave politicsSwedish government to scrap flight tax from next summer Health'The situation is dramatic': Sweden issues new advice on screen time for youngsters Environment11 people on trial in Sweden's biggest toxic waste scandal EnergySweden's Vattenfall halts offshore wind power project Indians in Sweden 'Stateless' Indian children in Sweden set to benefit from new guidelines ImmigrationSweden could push migrants to go home with health and school guarantees 

In this episode of Sweden in Focus Extra we catch up with two Indian dads who explain why they, unlike many of their countrymen, decided to take full advantage of Sweden's generous paternity leave.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by The Local 's Nordic correspondent Richard Orange. The episode also features interview with two Indian fathers, Sundarrajan Santhanagopalan and Jignesh Sindha. 'Best time of my life': Indian dads push countrymen to take Swedish parental leave 

In this week's episode: Government backtracks on biofuels. How happy is the right-wing coalition at the half-way point of its tenure? Church politicians push to ban practice of fathers 'giving away the bride'.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Emma Löfgren and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsWill a U-turn on biofuels win the government back green voters?Swedish traditions Seven totally Swedish wedding traditions ARCHIVE: What are Sweden's church elections and how do they work? Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. 

In this week's episode: Government backtracks on biofuels. How happy is the right-wing coalition at the half-way point of its tenure? Church politicians push to ban practice of fathers 'giving away the bride'. For Membership+ subscribers: New baggage restrictions at Arlanda, and what Indians are saying about why so many are leaving Sweden. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Emma Löfgren and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsWill a U-turn on biofuels win the government back green voters?Swedish traditions Seven totally Swedish wedding traditions ARCHIVE: What are Sweden's church elections and how do they work? Travel Stockholm's Arlanda Airport to tighten baggage rules Indians in Sweden What Indians should consider before moving to Sweden Indians in Sweden hit back after 'exodus' statistics go viral 'Best time of my life': Indian dads push countrymen to take Swedish parental leave 

Shopping is not merely about filling your cart with food and other necessities — where in Sweden you choose to shop also reveals quite a bit about you.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by The Local Sweden's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Traditionally Sweden's population has been divided into two camps: Coop loyalists and ICA loyalists. The two chains were the mainstay of Sweden’s retail landscape for years, competing with each other in terms of ideology, prices and overall quality of their products.Nowadays though the market is shared by a broader spectrum of stores, all of which have their own selling points and idiosyncrasies. Richard recently wrote an article about the local supermarket landscape and in this week's episode we delve further into Sweden's aisle culture and what it says about you.What your choice of Swedish supermarket says about you  

Interest rate cuts, why the government is pleased with its 'paradigm shift' on immigration, why gangs in Denmark are recruiting young Swedes for violent attacks. Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:MoneySweden's mortgage war heats up as banks race to cut ratesSweden's Riksbank slashes interest rate, predicts further cuts this yearImmigrationPolitics in Sweden: Despite a bump, Sweden's shift on immigration is going smoothly For the first time, more Indians are leaving Sweden than arriving CrimeSweden and Denmark announce joint response to gang crime escalation Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. 

Interest rate cuts, why the government is pleased with its 'paradigm shift' on immigration, why gangs in Denmark are recruiting young Swedes for violent attacks, readers’ experiences of paternity leave, and tips on making the most of late summer in Sweden.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:MoneySweden's mortgage war heats up as banks race to cut ratesSweden's Riksbank slashes interest rate, predicts further cuts this yearImmigrationPolitics in Sweden: Despite a bump, Sweden's shift on immigration is going smoothly For the first time, more Indians are leaving Sweden than arriving CrimeSweden and Denmark announce joint response to gang crime escalation Parental leave 'A great opportunity to bond': Foreign fathers on the joys of Swedish parental leave OPINION: I still carry so much with me from Swedish parental leave 12 years ago Sweden’s 480 days of parental leave: What you need to know Still summerWhy August is an underrated month for summer holidays in Sweden 

What are the sounds and noises you'll hear in Sweden that are all around us but can take time to decode? In this week's Sweden in Focus Extra we continue our exploration of the everyday utterances you need to know. Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by The Local Sweden's Becky Waterton and Emma Löfgren. As our resident Swede, Emma is the noisemaker general while Becky also gives her insights on what she's learned about a range of Swedish sounds since moving here. Make sure to read Richard Orange's article for more background:12 strange noises you can make in Swedish to sound like a local