New species of fungus discovered in Swedish forest
Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have discovered a new species in the Swedish forests. It is a fungus that parasitises lichens.
“It was great fun. We celebrated with bubbly,” said ecologist Raul Vicente.
The find is one of 24 new species and was made in Hälsingland during an inventory of forests in Sweden and Finland.
The species resembles small brown warts and grows on lichens that it parasitises through its spores, which, under a microscope, look like earthworms.
“It is unusual, so we understood when we saw it that it could be something new,” said Vicente.
The fungus has been given the Latin name Epithamnolia lumbricispora (from lumbris, the Latin word for earthworm). The Swedish name will be decided by a naming committee at a later date.
Even though the mushroom has now been identified, there is much evidence to suggest that it has been present in Swedish forests for a long time.
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"It may have been present for a long time in both Sweden and perhaps also in other parts of Europe and Asia. It has probably just been waiting to be discovered," said Vicente.
Raul Vicente and his colleagues have high hopes that even more mushroom species will be found in Swedish forests.
"These species are poorly researched, so I think there is enormous potential," he said.
Swedish vocabulary: ny art ‒ new species (singular)
Resistant bacteria spread in neonatal ward
Eight cases of multi-resistant bacteria were found in the neonatal ward at Mälar Hospital in Eskilstuna.
The incident is now being reported under lex Maria, a Swedish regulation requiring healthcare providers to report any incidents which caused (or had the potential to have caused) serious patient harm.
Eight cases of the multi-resistant bacteria MRSA were identified in the ward between January and July last year, Region Sörmland wrote in a press release.
The spread likely occurred via healthcare personnel or parents who used shared spaces such as toilets, lounges and kitchens, according to the region.
None of the children suffered symptoms, but are at risk of continuing to carry the resistant bacteria.
MRSA is a staphylococcus that is resistant to the antibiotic usually used against staphylococcus. You can carry the bacteria without symptoms, but it can also cause infections with swelling or oozing wounds. More serious infections occur, but are uncommon.
Swedish vocabulary: neonatalavdelningen ‒ neonatal (premature infants) ward
Swedish electric aircraft gets test flight in the US
Swedish electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace has been given the green light by the US aviation authority FAA to test fly in the US.
“This achievement reflects the meticulous work carried out by Heart’s engineering and flight test team, as well as the close collaboration we have built with the FAA. With our certificate now in hand, our full focus is on the flight,” said Anders Forslund, CEO and founder of the now Los Angeles-based company, in a press release.
The certificate applies to the X1 demonstrator aircraft, which will represent the company’s electric hybrid model ES-30, a regional plane for 30 passengers.
The company describes the X1 as the “largest electric aircraft ever flown”.
Hearts Aerospace was founded in Gothenburg in 2018, but moved its entire operations to the US last year.
Swedish vocabulary: elflygplan ‒ electric aircraft
New phone scam: robotic voice claims to be calling from the police
The police are being called by people who say they have received fraudulent calls, when a robotic voice claims to be calling from the police.
"Your national ID card has been stolen and you are involved in a criminal investigation" is an example of what the voice says.
The police have said that they never call people in that way.
"When [a call] is from an automated voice, just hang up," said Björn Seeth of the police's national fraud centre.
This is one of several waves of this type of fraudulent calls. It is mainly to the police regions East, West and North that the reports have come in from worried people.
"This type of fraud has several variations. The voice can also say that it is from your bank or that you have debts," said Björn Seeth.
Swedish vocabulary: robotröst ‒ robotic voice
Energy Minister says Sweden should be a leading mining nation
Energy and Energy Development Minister Ebba Busch (of the Christian Democrats) has said that more mines should be opened in Sweden for the country's sake, as well as to secure Europe's access to critical minerals.
Busch said at a press conference on Thursday July 23rd that Sweden should be a leading mining nation and the government's new mineral strategy and mining money for local communities can pave the way.
The mineral strategy details how more mines should be opened in Sweden and states that the deposits of minerals found in the Swedish bedrock should be exploited.
The strategy lists what the government has done and what will happen in the future, if the Tidö government remains in office after the election on September 13th.
An investigation will begin in August, according to Busch, to review the state mineral fee. It is paid by those who operate the mines. The investigation will examine the size of the fee and whether the money can go to municipalities or regions where a mine is located or established. Today, landowners receive most of the money, the state a quarter, municipalities zero.
Both regions and municipalities could be relevant, said Busch, with reference to welfare funding.
Today's fee does not provide much money – rather little in relation to the welfare needs Busch is talking about: in 2025, just under 23 million kronor was paid in.
The government also wants to establish a new environmental authority, so that it will be faster to obtain mining permits, and wants to see more private mines opened, possibly with the help of a state company that helps with establishing mines.
Swedish vocabulary: en ledande gruvnation ‒ a leading mining nation.