Sunday, June 1, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Hundreds of volunteers try to save the coast from oil

Published 4 November 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Much of the relief work involves trying to save the injured birds.

After running aground three times, the passenger vessel Marco Polo has caused an environmental disaster off the coast of Blekinge. With thousands of oil-damaged birds and coastlines covered in thick oil, volunteers and authorities are now struggling to clean the affected area.

The passenger ship Marco Polo ran aground off the coast of Blekinge on Sunday, October 22. The ship first made a grounding that caused oil leakage over several nautical miles, then it grounded again but got stuck. The crew did not use a working GPS and did not make use of other navigational aids on the ship. A week later, the weather caused the ship to drift and run aground again.

– It’s borderline parodic, I’ve never experienced the same ship running aground three times. I believe it’s a world record, says Ulrik Nielsen from the Coast Guard, to the Bonnier newspaper DN.

This has created a massive oil spill that has spread around Pukavik Bay and Hanö Bay. The thick oil has spread in the water and drifted towards the land where it has contaminated, among other things, beaches and vegetation. Above all, the area’s wildlife has been affected, with over a thousand birds reported to have been oil-damaged.

Must wash oil-damaged birds

The Coast Guard is now struggling together with other organizations and hundreds of volunteers to clean up the oil from nature. A significant part of the work is about trying to save the oil-damaged birds.

There were two swans here yesterday, black with oil. They swam in the bay out here, says Bengt-Arne Nilsson, a rehabilitator at the organization Disaster Aid – Birds and Wildlife in Blekinge, who is out looking for oil-damaged birds, to WWF.

The birds that can be taken care of are washed by hand in large plastic tubs with 41-degree water and dish soap. Before the washing, the birds get to rest and eat.

– It’s very strenuous for the birds to be washed, and they need all the energy to handle it, says Pernille Kragenskjöld, who organizes the washing of the birds at the organization.

Washing a swan requires four people to wash and two to clean the tubs while someone changes and refills with new tempered water. Since the oil is very thick, new water must be added all the time. Washing a swan can take two hours, and during that time, the water may need to be changed up to 20 times. Afterwards, the birds lie in a quiet drying room to rest before being released again. If one sees an oil-damaged animal, one is urged to report it.

Hundreds sign up to help

Through Sölvesborg’s municipality, you can sign up as a volunteer to help with the cleanup work, which over 700 people have done. On the beach, numerous volunteers work to clean the nature from the oil. One of them is Hampus Södergren, who grew up in the area and helps out with his group of friends.

– We’re passionate about this stretch of coast and love this area, Hampus tells Blekinge County Newspaper.

Around 50,000 liters of oil have been collected so far, but much more remains to be cleaned up. The work with the cleanup could, in the worst case, continue for several years.

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Tests reveal imported honey in Sweden is fake

Published today 11:34
– By Editorial Staff
According to EU rules, real honey should only contain honey - and nothing else.

All honey imported into Sweden is fake, new tests show. Instead, the “honey” contains mostly sugar and syrup.

The industry organization Biodlingsföretagarna has tested 40 honey products available on the Swedish market. A new form of DNA technology was used to test the honey.

36 of the products, all imported, did not contain real honey, the tests showed. Instead, the products contained sugar and syrup. Only four of the products tested contained real honey and all were produced in Sweden.

We consider this to be extremely serious. We knew there were fake products on the market, but we are shocked by the scale of it, says Yngve Kihlberg, chairman of the Swedish Beekeepers’ Association, to the tax-funded SVT.

“Must await EU decision”

In the EU, a product called “honey” must contain only honey. It is okay to mix honey from different origins, but not to add other ingredients. According to the trade association, most of the imported “honey” comes from China, where they have found ways to cheat to allow products to pass controls even though they contain very little honey.

Swedish grocery retailers will not replace the honey products identified as fake at this stage, as they have passed the current controls.

We would like to replace the current testing methods if they do not work. But we have to wait for the EU’s decision on the accreditation of the DNA tests, says Martin Andersson, who is responsible for industrial policy at the Swedish grocery trade, to SVT.

Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published 30 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

Swedish journalist files police report against major bank for theft

The crisis of confidence in banks

Published 29 May 2025
– 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 29 May 2025
– 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.

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