Friday, May 30, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Chemical levels vary widely among Swedish youth

Published 27 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Chemicals are found in products such as makeup and skincare.

Levels of chemicals in Swedish youth vary widely, according to a doctoral thesis from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Factors such as gender, place of birth and place of residence have a major impact on levels.

Chemicals are becoming increasingly common in our environment and accumulate in the human body through constant exposure. Despite their ubiquity, knowledge of their health effects is still limited.

In his doctoral thesis, Sebastian Pineda investigated chemical levels in Swedish adolescents, their exposure to these substances and potential health risks. The samples were collected via the Swedish National Food Agency’s project Riksmaten Ungdom.

Pineda’s research focused on long-lived chemicals that can stay in the body for years, including harmful metals and organic pollutants such as chlorinated, brominated or fluorinated substances, such as PFAS chemicals. He also studied short-lived chemicals that leave the body quickly but are found in everyday products such as makeup, skincare and plastics.

Country of birth can influence

The results show that Swedish adolescents are exposed to a “chemical cocktail” similar to that observed in other highly industrialized countries, such as the United States. However, factors such as gender and place of birth play a crucial role in the levels of different substances.

Young people born in Sweden or other industrialized countries had higher levels of persistent chemicals compared to young people born in developing countries.

– More surprisingly, country of birth also had a clear impact on levels of substances that are excreted from the body quite quickly. However, in our data, there is no information on possible sources of exposure that could help us explain this, said Pineda in a press release.

At the same time, some exceptions were noted, such as a breakdown product of DDT and a component of lindane two insecticides banned in Sweden. Young people born in developing countries had significantly higher levels of these substances compared to Swedish adolescents.

Different for girls and boys

The study revealed clear gender differences. For example, boys had higher levels of chromium, mercury and lead than girls. One possible explanation is that boys generally eat larger amounts of food and thus ingest more metals. Another explanation could be that older girls lose some chemicals through menstrual blood.

Girls generally had higher levels of chemicals found in makeup and skincare products, as well as higher levels of cadmium. In addition, the results showed that exposure to certain substances differs between northern and southern Sweden.

– Levels of these flame retardants and plastic chemicals were higher in young people in the north. We suspect that this is related to living conditions, as we know that the indoor environment is an important pathway for these substances, says Sebastian Pineda.

Chemical mixtures and the immune system

Pineda and his colleagues also investigated the potential impact of chemical mixtures on the immune system of adolescents in the context of vaccination. The study analyzed the link between exposure and antibody levels in the blood after vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP), and measles and rubella (MR). However, the associations were considered weak and uncertain.

– The mixture exposures did not seem to be high enough to have a clear impact on the levels of antibodies against DTP and MMR, but my thesis is only a first investigation of possible chemical mixture effects on the complex immune system in adolescents, says Pineda.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Swedish journalist files police report against major bank for theft

The crisis of confidence in banks

Published yesterday 15:25
– By Editorial Staff
Mattias Albinsson doesn't think he'll get his banking services back - but he'd like the bank to give back the money they took.

Samnytt reporter Mattias Albinsson has reported the Wallenberg-owned bank SEB for theft after the bank not only closed his account and blocked his Bank ID, but also seized the journalist’s own money on unclear grounds.

Albinsson suspects that he has been subjected to repression by the bank because he works for a newspaper whose reporting and editorial stance are disliked by SEB’s management.

In recent years, the Nordic Times has highlighted a very worrying trend in which people with regime-critical or otherwise inconvenient views are reporting that their accounts are being suddenly and arbitrarily closed – something that also happened earlier this month to Samnytt journalist Mattias Albinsson.

One day, he discovered that his Bank ID no longer worked and that he could not access his own money in his bank account.

According to the reporter, a bank official confirmed that the bank had moved his assets to one of its own “internal accounts”.

Simply stolen, in plain Swedish. I can’t claim it was a huge amount of money. But it would have been enough for a month’s worth of groceries, at least. Now it will probably end up in the bank managers’ golf fund”, he writes in a column.

“An excuse to shut me down”

Albinsson has been a customer of SEB for 24 years but has been living abroad for several years. Last fall, the Wallenberg bank contacted him and asked him to fill out a “customer knowledge” form, which he did, together with a female bank employee over the phone.

The journalist explains to the bank that he needs Bank ID in order to access official mail and other important services, and they agree that other “risky banking services” such as cards, Swish, and international payments will be deactivated – precisely to avoid problems with the bank in the future.

Despite the fact that one of the bank’s own employees helped Albinsson fill out the document, the bank is not satisfied and soon sends out a new “customer knowledge” form, demanding an explanation as to why the journalist wants a bank account in Sweden in the first place. This is also filled out, but new forms continue to arrive.

Customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge. In the end, I can’t reasonably respond any further to SEB’s demands for ‘customer knowledge’. I’ve already responded several times. I’m starting to get an idea of what they’re after. They want an excuse to shut me down”, he says.

“I feel that they have support from Rosenbad”

His fears proved to be well-founded, as SEB soon kicked out the Swedish expat – even though he had already answered their questions on several occasions.

SEB did not allow him to get his own money back in a straightforward manner with the help of a relative who visited one of the bank’s offices with power of attorney. Instead, they demanded that he fly to Sweden himself and appear in person to get his seized assets back. A trip that would likely be more expensive than the money he had lost.

He himself believes that it is very likely that the reason he was targeted is because he works for a newspaper that SEB’s managers disapprove of, and points out that they have acted in a similar way towards others in the past.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Sweden, regardless of the political color of the government, is moving in an increasingly totalitarian direction where freedom of the press is being stifled step by step. In more ways than one. It’s not just about ‘alternative media’. The ‘Foreign Espionage Act’, for example, can be seen as primarily targeting so-called established media”, he argues, continuing:

So SEB probably feels that it has the support of Rosenbad (Swedish government) when it cracks down on Swedish journalists abroad. In particular, those who write about the wrong things, are suspected of harboring the wrong opinions, or whatever else they choose to focus on”.

To protest the bank’s actions, Albinsson has decided to report SEB to the police for theft or fraud. He does not believe that this will lead anywhere, but sees it as “a way of showing that we will not silently accept theft”.

For my part, I don’t think I’ll get my Bank ID back. Or my bank account. But I am more than happy to get back the money that SEB has stolen”, he emphasizes.

Report: Sweden and the Social Democrats deeply infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood

The Islamization of Europe

Published yesterday 11:51
– By Editorial Staff
Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson and Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Leader Mohamed Badie.

A new French report warns that the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement known for its radical interpretation of Islam and its grand political ambitions, has even greater influence in the Western world than previously known – and Sweden is singled out as particularly infiltrated.

The Islamist movement is said to have particularly strong ties to the Social Democrats – but the party itself strongly denies that this is the case.

Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism researcher and critic of Islam who is frequently quoted in the media, believes that the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence risks damaging Swedish democracy and that the Islamist group’s values are completely incompatible with those of Sweden.

– It goes against our religion, which is the rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, and above all women’s rights and equality, Ranstorp said on Swedish TV4’s Efter fem program.

The government report reveals that the Muslim Brotherhood controls at least 200 mosques in France and has infiltrated both schools and sports activities. The movement, which seeks to establish an Islamist society, is believed to have spread its influence to over 70 countries, including Sweden.

According to the report, Sweden serves as a base for an active part of the movement, and Ranstorp points out how individuals linked to the Brotherhood have positioned themselves as intermediaries between authorities and Muslim organizations.

– They do this by obtaining funding from municipalities and other government agencies, which allows them to gain power and facilitate the process of trying to segregate society.

– The Muslim Brotherhood in particular can be a breeding ground for radicalization. They build a ‘us and them’ society, he says.

S: “Could be based on old information”

Sweden’s largest party, the Social Democrats, is also said to have particularly close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, something they themselves deny.

There is no connection. It could be based on old information. We are looking into what this report might be based on”, writes the Social Democrats’ press service in a comment.

The same message was echoed by the party’s press secretary Tobias Baudin, who claimed that the Social Democrats “have zero tolerance for ties with extremist organizations“.

– That policy is crystal clear within our party, they claim.

However, it recently emerged that Social Democrat MP Jamal El-Haj attended a conference organized by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and personally tried to influence the Migration Agency with the aim of getting a radical Egyptian imam to stay in Sweden. He was subsequently asked to leave the party.

Government demands Social Democrats to investigate themselves

Moderate Party Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard says it is “deeply concerning” that Sweden is being singled out as a stronghold for radical Islamists and that the Social Democrats are said to have particularly strong ties to the group.

However, her solution is not an external and independent investigation – instead, she suggests that the party itself investigate whether or not it has been infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Social Democrats must conduct a thorough investigation into this information. Referring to the fact that it may be based on old information gives strong grounds for suspicion. This is about Sweden’s security – we cannot be this lax”, she writes on X.

Jacob Wallenberg: “Of course we have a lot of power”

Published yesterday 7:16
– By Editorial Staff
Jacob Wallenberg defends his family's influence by saying that "there are many others who also have a lot to say".

In an interview with Swedish state television SVT’s Aktuellt, Swedish oligarch Jacob Wallenberg, head of the powerful Wallenberg family, speaks openly about his family’s direct contact with Sweden’s political elite, including the prime minister.

He also openly acknowledges his family’s significant influence over the Swedish economy, but denies that he has more political power than Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).

– I can get in touch with the prime minister. I can get in touch with Magdalena Andersson, Wallenberg says.

Contact is made directly, without intermediaries such as press secretaries, and can take place several times in a short period of time depending on the situation and the issues to be discussed. Wallenberg describes it as a natural part of the family’s prominent role in society.

Wallenberg also talks about how the family is preparing the sixth generation, known as G6, to take over important positions within their extensive business empire. A “family contract” and regular meetings ensure that power remains within the family.

– We have an annual meeting and about one meeting a month where three from our generation and three from the new generation meet and go through what’s happening, he explains.

“A great responsibility”

The selection of heirs takes place within a closed circle of family members, and according to Jacob Wallenberg himself, there are strict requirements for education and experience.

The family controls large companies such as SEB, Investor, Ericsson, AstraZeneca, and Electrolux through foundations, which gives them enormous influence without direct ownership. This system, Wallenberg believes, gives the family a unique position in Swedish business and society.

– I try to balance the notion that we decide everything. Of course, it’s not quite that simple, it’s much broader and more complex than that, he asserts, continuing:

– Of course, we have a lot of power. We have a lot of say – and with that comes great responsibility

Controls a third of Sweden’s GDP

However, the Swedish oligarch denies that he has more power than Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, claiming instead that he “has a lot of say in a certain segment of the business world”.

– But there are many others who also have a lot to say. That’s how I see my everyday life and my reality, he defends himself.

The family, whose motto Esse non videri can be roughly translated as “to be, not to seem”, has long been described as perhaps Sweden’s most influential, and through its industrial empire, Wallenberg is believed to indirectly control a third of Sweden’s total GDP.

A criticized family

Criticism of the Wallenberg family’s influence has mainly focused on their unique position of power in Swedish economics and politics, which many believe is exercised without transparency or any popular mandate.

Through foundations, the family controls several of Sweden’s largest companies without having to publicly account for their decisions. Critics argue that this creates a parallel secret power system where a closed circle of heirs has disproportionate influence over the development of Swedish society.

The fact that the family has direct access to top politicians and other powerful figures, without formal channels, has also raised questions about transparency, corruption, and how much of the power in society is exercised quietly behind closed doors.

Christer Gardell, billionaire and founder of investment giant Cevian, goes so far as to claim that it is the Wallenberg family, not Sweden’s elected politicians, who have the most power and influence in Sweden.

– The Wallenbergs have a lot of power. Through Investor, the foundations, the connection to EQT and so on. So it is inevitable to put them at the top, he argues.

Use of obesity drugs surges in Finland

Published 27 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Sales of obesity medication have skyrocketed in Finland in just a few years.

The use of obesity medication increased significantly in Finland last year – many more Finns were treated for obesity compared to 2023. At the same time, opinions are divided on the effectiveness of the treatment.

A total of 75,000 Finns used medicines for weight loss or obesity treatment in 2024. This is an increase of 20% compared to 2023, according to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). In five years, the number of users has increased more than elevenfold.

Semaglutide, sold under brands such as Ozempic and Wegovy, is the most popular. Originally designed as a drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, this type of medicine is not reimbursed if it is used for obesity alone. This means that Finns have to foot the bill themselves, which can be over €260 each month.

It is also unclear how effective this type of weight loss medication really is, but Pia Pajunen, an expert physician at Kela, says it is not a quick fix for losing weight.

If you stop using the obesity medication, the weight often starts to increase again quickly. It’s important that both doctors and patients are aware that research shows these medications generally need to be used long-term, she says in a press release.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.