ICA recalls hamburger cheese – may contain metal

ICA is recalling a batch of cheddar-flavoured hamburger cheese.

The product may contain metal pieces, according to the food giant.

The product is ICA-brand hamburger cheese with cheddar flavour (smak in Swedish) in 200 gram packages, with a best before date of 03-05-2027 and with batch number B6 131 LAP V.

"In connection with planned maintenance of the affected production line, a deviation occurred during reassembly that may have led to the presence of metal particles in the product," said Niklas Larsson, quality manager at ICA Sweden, in a press release.

Customers can return the product to the store where it was purchased or complain online or by phone.

Swedish vocabulary: återlämna ‒ return

Criminals laundering money with Pokémon cards

Criminal theft gangs are increasingly targeting valuable Pokémon cards, according to the Swedish police.

"We have found large quantities of Pokémon cards in several investigations recently and we have also had several thefts of valuable cards in the region," said Tamara Fuentes.

Individual Pokémon cards can be sold for tens of thousands of kronor on the secondary market.

There is much evidence that the cards are being used to launder money.

"The trade is taking place unregulated on buy-and-sell sites, which gives criminals the opportunity to make private transactions without receipts," said Fuentes.

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Fuentes added that criminals have also been stopped with Pokémon cards at border crossings.

"They are easy to carry around," she said.

Last year, Pokémon cards worth over one million kronor were stolen from stores in Varberg and Torslanda. A man was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for the theft.

"We urge holders of valuable cards to be extra vigilant and ask questions of the buyer, especially if the purchase is to be made with cash," said Fuentes.

Swedish vocabulary: korten ‒ the cards

Petrol prices rise again

The price of oil rose sharply earlier in the week and several filling station chains are now raising petrol and diesel prices by 50 and 85 öre per litre, respectively.

The price of oil was stable on Tuesday after Monday's increase. A barrel of North Sea oil costed just over 87 dollars, compared to 83 dollars at the end of last week.

The development of the oil price affects prices at the pump.

The new petrol price for private customers will therefore be around 15 kronor per litre, while diesel will be around 19.50 kronor.

This compares to approximately 15 and 17 kronor per litre before the war in the Middle East started on February 28th. The current price is affected by the temporary tax cuts that were introduced on May 1st and July 1st.

Swedish vocabulary: oljepriset ‒ the oil price

Half a billion state money for ammunition

The government is spending 500 million kronor on strengthening the supply of ammunition to the Swedish Armed Forces.

"Sweden will individually and together with the other Nordic countries ensure a robust and sustainable supply of ammunition in peace, crisis and war," said Minister of Defense Pål Jonson of the Moderates in a press release.

The money will provide state co-financing when the companies Eurenco Bofors, Sweden Ballistics, Norma Precision, Nammo Sweden and Junghans Microtec apply for EU funds for investments in greater production capacity in the area.

This involves increased production of propellant charges and fuses for the Archer artillery system, fine-calibre ammunition and explosives.

Swedish vocabulary: pengarna ‒ the money

Christian Democrats propose 'behaviour grades' and detention to for Swedish schools

Grades for orderly behaviour, more opportunities for detention and the green light for school uniforms – The Christian Democrats are going to the elections on shifting the focus in the education debate away from for-profit schools to discipline.

At a Tuesday press conference, party leader Ebba Busch presented the proposals in the ten-point program.

"We want to turn the discussion away from the form of operation," she said, referring to the heated debate over for-profit and independent schools (friskolor) in Sweden. "There are completely different things that determine whether a school succeeds in its basic mission."

One thing her party wants to do is introduce grade points for orderly behaviour. Busch said it should be investigated in which years the grades should be introduce, however, she is convinced that it will be beneficial for younger students in some form.

The party proposals also include increased possibilities for detention, for example, for students who repeatedly do not do their homework. According to party secretary Liza-Maria Norlin, teachers need more tools to be able to maintain order.

"We want to show that there are consequences when you don't do what you're supposed to do," she said.

The Christian Democrats also want to reduce screen use among younger students by abolishing individual tablets and computers, and introduce half an hour of cardiovascular exercise every school day.

The party also wants to establish so-called "no excuses" schools. The education model, which is taken from the US and England, is based on strict discipline and high demands. It often includes longer school days, teaching on Saturdays and compulsory summer school, as well as compulsory school uniforms - something that is currently against the Education Act.

Swedish vocabulary: kvarsittning ‒ detention