News Snippets from the European Press

Denmark: Hidden treasure Gustav Brunsgaard, a 22-year-old archaeology student, found seven silver bracelets while using a metal detector in Elsted, an area that was once a Viking settlement.  Experts said the ninth century bracelets weighing more than 500 grammes would have been a “considerable treasure” at the time.

Norway: Tit-for-tat Floating fjord saunas in Oslo’s Aker Brygge district could be removed or fined after two that are owned by the KOK company were found to be operating without permits.  The infringement came to light after city hall received a tipoff from rival sauna Mad Goats, which was fined earlier for lacking its own permit.

In a fix Norway’s Competition Authority took a tough line with the three companies that control 95 per cent of the country’s supermarkets, fining them a total of 4.9 billion krone (€417 million).  They had been breaking competition law “for years”, the Authority said, by exchanging information amongst themselves to agree prices.

Italy: Finally found A hiker in the Forcella Serauta mountains discovered the remains of two Italian soldiers who died there during the White War between Italy and Austria-Hungary (1915-1918). The bodies, exposed after the recent heatwave melted the ice which usually covers the area, will be buried in the Asiago military cemetery.

Dear Milan Renting a single room is more expensive in Milan than any other city, online estate agency Immobiliare.it found.  Monthly rents averaged €637 compared with the national average of €461 although in Garibaldi, Moscova and Porta Nuova, Milan’s most expensive districts, one room would cost a monthly €720.

Belgium: Home again A man who disappeared from an Ostend beach returned to his Aalst home in swimming trunks and caught a train where no tickets were checked.  Worried friends, unaware that he was safe, contacted the police who launched a search operation, prompting Ostend’s mayor to later question “some people’s sense of responsibility.”

Mass appeal When Pope Francis visits Belgium between September 26-29 he will say Mass before more than 35,000 in Brussels on the final day.  Free tickets offered to the public via the Ticketmaster platform on August 19 at 10am were snapped so fast that more will be printed for disappointed applicants.

Germany: Non grata Russia’s lower house, the Duma, proposed that Deutsche Welle, Germany’s state-owned international broadcaster, and the British Council should be put on  the list of “undesirable” organisations. Those cooperating or establishing contacts with them, will now be subject to “administrative and criminal liability.”

Chips ahoy The European Commission approved a €5 billion grant enabling Germany  to assist the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) in building and operating a microchip manufacturing plant in Dresden. Once operating at full capacity by 2029, the will be able to produce an annual 480,000 semiconductors.

Netherlands Nothing to do Two vulnerable girls aged 12 and 14 admitted setting fire to a shop, which was destroyed, and attempting to start fires in another six in an Alkmaar shopping centre.  “It’s the holidays, they have no school, nothing to do all day,” their lawyer said. “We cannot see inside the brain of an adolescent.”

Eagle shield An offshore Zeeland wind farm is the second in the province to use smart cameras which  automatically slow the turbine blades after spotting sea eagles and other big birds when they are 1.1 kilometres away. Fast-turning blades have killed numerous large birds, prompting calls for all wind farms to install protection systems.

France: Summer fire A wildfire fanned by strong winds in southern France forced thousands to flee before 600 firefighters brought the blaze under control, regional officials said on August 19.  They included 3,000 tourists from a campsite in Canet-en-Roussillon, near Perpignan, who were temporarily housed in a municipal building.

Loubo lives Loubo, a dog belonging to Alain Delon who died on August 18, will not be put down and buried with him as the late actor had wanted.  Responding to an outcry from animal protection groups, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced that Delon’s family had emphasised that his last wish would not be carried out.

Finland: Red skies Sunsets were redder than usual over Finland around August 20 when smoke from forest fires in Canada drifted over the country.  Fine particles were so high that they did not cause health problems or unusual odours, while the red skies were the result of particles filtering the rays of the setting sun, meteorologists said.

Berry permits Finland has granted 900 residence permits to seasonal Thai workers hired to bring in the 2024 fruit harvest.  Their eventual arrival in mid-August surprised the authorities as Thailand had previously barred their departure following reports that the Finnish berry farms allegedly exploited and mistreated Thai employees.

Ireland: Birds return Ireland now has 233 areas occupied by corncrakes, more than at any time since 1999, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) reported. Numbers of the shy and secretive birds with a distinctive call had increased by 45 per cent since 2018 thanks to cooperation from farmers and landowners, the NPWS said.

Great escape Anglers were concerned at the escape of up to 30,000 farmed salmon in Rosroe (County Galway) after the netting on one of the cages was damaged following a collision with a fish farm boat.  The massive escape posed a “serious risk” to the salmon genetics should they interbreed with wild salmon, experts said.

Portugal: Seal seen A healthyy seal was spotted at the Fisherman’s beach in central Cascais, further along the coast near the Monte Estoril boardwalk and also in Oeiras.  The local authorities warned members of the public not to approach it, as “seals look harmless and playful, but they bite if they feel threatened.”

Clammed up Olhao’s Maritime Police seized 10 kilos of coquina clams after a Portuguese Navy ship reported seeing a pleasure boat that was trawling in front of Culatra island in Faro. On reaching the boat and inspecting their catch, officers saw that the clams were still alive and returned them to their natural habitat.

Sweden: Whisky sour Swedish whisky distiller Mackmyra filed for bankruptcy, citing escalating problems with cash flow and profitability.  The company’s shares began sliding in mid-2021 but after reaching an all-time low in April this year, the newly-appointed board decided to cease operations on the company’s 25th anniversary.

Out of work The number of jobless university students in July was 33 per cent higher than during the same month last year, according to unemployment insurance fund Akademikernas a-kassa.  Spokesperson Alexandra Oljans Ahlin said unemployment always rose in the summer, but this year was unexpectedly higher.