Norwegians – frequent buyers in Sweden
Norwegians like to shop in Sweden, and more so now than ever, according to Handelns utredningsinstitut, HUI (The Swedish Retail Insitute). Shopping across borders is price and salary-related, but it’s also about the experience of shopping in a different environment. More than every fourth Norwegian visited Sweden during the first 6 months of this year. Norwegians living close to the border, were coming more often. And among the Norwegians living near the border, almost 60% visited and shopped in Sweden.

Robyn guest stars on “Gossip Girl”
Swedish pop star Robyn is set to guest star on the popular American TV series “Gossip Girl”. The “Show Me Love”-hitmaker will appear as herself and perform as a surprise guest at Blair Waldorf’s (played by Leighton Meester) 18th birthday party in an episode airing later this season. Said Robyn about the shoot: “I react more than I act. I don’t know much about the series since I’m Swedish. I had no lines.” “Gossip Girl” is a series about rich kids on the Upper East Side in New York.

8.2% unemployed
Last month there were 370 000 unemployed in the ages 15-74 according to Sweden statistics. That means the number of unemployed workers is decreasing. The number of employed workers has increased since last August with 73 000 people. Among the younger people, age 15-24, there were 124 000 unemployed last year or 18.7%, of them 33 000 are today full time students. Among the 370 000 currently unemployed, 125 000 had been so for more than 26 weeks.

Leftist striptease
When the Left party in Järna, south-west of Stockholm, arranged a cabaret one of the artists took off her clothes on the stage. Although this caused some dislike, the Left party defends the show. The theme of the cabaret in Järna was "under the surface we are all socialists" and supposedly this explains the striptease show. The artist Miss Cookie described her show: “I came on stage and I had a 'Moderate' M symbol (Moderate Party is the leading center-right party) pitched on my butt. When the music started I shook my butt so the M fell off. Then I began to undress until I had only tights, fishnet-stockings and hot pants. When I took off my bra, I showed the Left party's logo on my bare breasts.” Some in the audience were offended by the show. But Miss Cookie defends her action: “In this show it is not about sexuality. It is instead about humor and to de-dramatize nakedness.” Miss Cookie, commonly known as Linda Kumlin, now temporarily world renowned, i.e., in Sweden, was interviewed on Swedish TV: http://svt.se/2.33538/1.2146599/kvinnor_ska_ocksa_kunna_ta_plats?lid=senasteNytt_1765014&lpos=rubrik_2146599

OK with wine in movie theaters
Regeringsrätten (the Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden) has approved serving wine in movie theaters, but only when opera and classical concerts are transmitted live there. This is thanks to Framtidens mötesplats AB (The meeting place of the future Inc), a company that was inspired by the Metropolitan Opera’s live cast transmissions of opera. Framtidens mötesplats argued that the audience at these cultural transmissions is the same as at regular opera and theater and that they thus should be offered the same - “a glass of wine” - as is the custom during intermissions at the opera and theater.