Sweden: Swede becomes YouTube star after saving duck
A man in eastern Sweden who jumped into chilly water in his underwear to save a duck in distress, becoming a minor YouTube sensation in the process, is our choice for Swede of the Week. ... (Read more)
The Local
Chile: Graphic novels, urban hives deployed in fight to save Chile’s bees
US Embassy joins local efforts to arrest declining honeybee populations by challenging youngsters to solve a case and report it in comic strip style.
In 2006 U.S. beekeeper David Hackenberg coined the term colony collapse disorder (CCD) to describe a mysterious phenomenon occurring in his country — the mass die-off of honeybees. Now, eight years later, the U.S. Embassy is joining local efforts to prevent the same from happening in Chile. ... (Read more)
The Santiago Times
France: French woman wins right to marry dead fiancé
A grieving French woman has been granted permission by the French President to marry her former fiancé, who tragically died in 2012, just a month before they were due to wed. The marriage is possible thanks to one of France’s little known laws.
In a few weeks time a heartbroken French woman will stand alone before the mayor of her village for what will be an emotional ceremony, the likes of which are rarely seen. ... (Read more)
The Local
Nepal: Nepal to force Mount Everest climbers to collect rubbish
The rule, one of several new measures for mountaineering in the Himalayan nation, will apply to climbers ascending beyond Everest’s base camp from April onwards, said tourism ministry official Madhusudan Burlakoti.
Climbers scaling Mount Everest will have to bring back eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) of garbage under new rules designed to clean up the world’s highest peak, a Nepalese official said on Monday. ... (Read more)
Khaleej Times
Germany: Volunteers help refugees feel welcome
With appeals for asylum in Germany on the rise, one organization of volunteers is doing everything in its power to make refugees feel welcome in their new country, despite the legal hoops and hurdles.
Verena Landes felt the need to take action after seeing a German play titled “Asylum Monologues,” which gives insight into the emotional world of asylum seekers. Portraying real-life stories, the actors tell of torture, oppression and war in the refugees’ home countries. ... (Read more)
DW
Norway: Ancient Norse rune code cracked
Norwegian scientist helps shine more light on the secrets of the Vikings.
A Viking rune code that had baffled scholars for centuries has finally been cracked, but instead of revealing dark secrets, the inscriptions are mostly lighthearted banter. “Kiss me”, one of them reads. ... (Read more)
The Copenhagen Post
Switzerland: Sri Lankan keeps Swiss sledge tradition alive
When Tamil Kavithas Jeyabalan arrived in Chur in the canton of Graubünden from his native Sri Lanka in 1984, he had never seen snow and didn’t speak a word of German. Now, the talented expat carpenter is using his skills to keep the Swiss sledge tradition alive.
Known as “Kavi” by everyone in the area around his workshop in Peist (Arosa), Jeyabalan is a shining example of what foreigners can do in Switzerland. ... (Read more)
The Local
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