Thursday, October 9, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Swedish skin cancer cases fall for first time in half century

Published 12 September 2024
– By Editorial Staff
There are a number of different theories that have been put forth to explain the reasons for the decrease.
2 minute read

The number of skin cancer cases among adult Swedes under the age of 50 is falling, something that has not happened for more than 50 years.

It has been suggested that the mass immigration of non-Europeans with darker skin and the tendency of Swedes to spend more time indoors, engaging with digital devices, might be two possible explanations..

– Before we saw this, we were quite helpless because there has been such a steady increase in recent years, Hildur Helgadottir, chief physician and associate professor of oncology, told Swedish national broadcaster SVT.

Since the 1960s, there has been an almost uninterrupted increase in skin cancer cases, which has been linked to Swedes spending more time on the beach and traveling to sunny destinations.

Now, however, researchers at Karolinska Institutet say they are seeing a “trend reversal” – but it is not entirely clear what is causing it.

– Around 2015, the curves for melanoma incidence turned downward, Helgadottir continues.

Campaigns may have worked

The fact that it has taken a long time to see a reduction is because it usually takes several years for sun damage to develop into cancer – and the researchers wanted to be sure that this was not a temporary and insignificant reduction in skin cancer cases.

Why fewer people are getting skin cancer now is not entirely clear – but there are four possible explanations.

The first is that the information campaigns that began in the 1990s about protecting yourself from the sun, staying in the shade, and the like have actually worked.

– Before that, it was very common for children to burn themselves. You would often see children who had burned themselves several times, with scaling and blisters, she says.

Darker pigmentation more common

Another possible partial explanation is that there are fewer tanning salons today, and they have an 18-year-old age limit. At the same time, most bathhouses have removed their sunbeds.

The fact that Swedes spend more time indoors surfing the web or playing with computers and mobile phones may also have led to less exposure to sunlight.

A fourth explanation is that a large part of the Swedish population now has darker skin due to a generous mass immigration policy, and therefore does not get skin cancer as easily as ethnic Swedes.

It should be noted that similar reductions in skin cancer have also been reported in Australia and the US. However, Sweden is said to be the first country in Europe where a reduction has been confirmed.

– This is probably mainly because we have such good health registers in Sweden, where we can look at such correlations almost in real time, says Helgadottir.

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Three criminal networks responsible for half of gang violence in Sweden

organized crime

Published 7 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Rawa Majid, Mikael Tenezos and Ismail Abdo lead the groups that have committed the most violent crimes during the year.
3 minute read

Foxtrot, Dalen and Rumba – three criminal networks and their leaders bear responsibility for nearly half of all gang violence that has led to personal injuries or deaths in Sweden during 2025.

Despite extensive police operations following the major wave of violence in 2023, the same gang leaders continue to control their organizations and instigate violent acts from abroad, according to an internal situation report obtained by Bonnier newspaper Expressen.

The police report identifies three main actors: Foxtrot led by Rawa “Kurdish Fox” Majid, the Dalen network headed by Mikael “The Greek” Tenezos, and the Rumba network under Ismail “Strawberry” Abdo.

“There are over 50 mapped networks in Sweden that are assessed to have very high violence potential. In light of this, it is remarkable that only three networks are involved in nearly half of the violence that leads to personal injuries and/or deaths”, the police write.

Conflicts between the three networks have somewhat subsided since the 2023 wave of violence, which is reflected in statistics showing a sharp decrease in gun violence, but police simultaneously warn that this does not mean the networks have been weakened. Both Foxtrot and Dalen have instead focused on drug trafficking and carry out violent acts for payment.

Released on bail – now arrested again

The Rumba network is reported to have been weakened since leader Ismail Abdo was arrested by Turkish police in early July 2025. The arrest is considered a major success for Swedish police, as the network is suspected of extensive weapons smuggling and a long series of violent acts.

Abdo had previously been arrested in Turkey in May 2024, when he was armed with a loaded pistol and wearing a bulletproof vest. But he was released after paying the equivalent of approximately €550 in bail.

Smuggling hand grenades from the Balkans

Foxtrot, which is assessed to be the most violence-driven network, has according to police “an established logistics chain for smuggling weapons and hand grenades from the Balkans”. The network has carried out several attacks per month during 2025, primarily to strengthen its position in the drug market.

Among the notable incidents is a series in western Sweden where a shooting and four arson attacks were carried out after the network’s accomplices stole over 30 kilos of cocaine. In another case, three bombing attacks were carried out against a person’s relatives as pressure for that person to start dealing Foxtrot’s narcotics.

Rawa Majid, who left Turkey in autumn 2023, remains at large. Reports have claimed that he was detained in Iran and he has also been accused of orchestrating attacks against Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.

In January, Majid’s uncle was murdered in Husby, a Stockholm suburb. In an interrogation, Majid’s father said his son had promised not to seek revenge.

— He promised me not to do anything, the father said. When police asked where the son got information about who ordered the murder, the answer was: “He knows everything”.

Police assess that “a critical dependency for the Foxtrot network’s use of violence is likely the strategic persons who are located abroad”.

New wave of violence expected

Mikael Tenezos, the former hockey talent who leads the Dalen network, is in turn wanted in absentia but controls his network from Mexico. Despite repeated appeals from Swedish authorities, most recently in February 2025, he has not yet been arrested.

The Dalen network dominates drug trafficking in northern Sweden, with Gävle as the new central distribution point. The network also carries out violent acts for payment, primarily threats, violence and debt collection for financial criminals. The weapons used have largely come from the Rumba network’s smuggling from Turkey.

Police warn of the risk that a new major conflict could break out if Foxtrot and Dalen clash in the drug market. Both networks are assessed to have the ability to quickly scale up and carry out multiple violent acts in a short time.

Gävle restaurant shooting: Arrested 13-year-old known to police

Deteriorating safety

Published 6 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The image is an archive photo.
3 minute read

The arrested 13-year-old suspected of Friday’s restaurant shooting in Gävle, Sweden, was previously known to both police and social services. The incident has sparked strong concern among local residents and led to increased police presence in the area.

Police and social services have confirmed that the suspected 13-year-old is not unknown to authorities and acknowledge having had previous contact with the boy. He is now suspected of six counts of attempted murder and aggravated weapons offenses.

Information from social authorities shows that the boy has connections to a criminal group in Gävle, which has once again highlighted the vulnerability of children and young people and their involvement in gang crime.

Several local residents have expressed their fear and frustration about violence directed at the public in media interviews, calling for both immediate action and long-term solutions.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer are reportedly scheduled to visit Gävle on Monday. During the visit, they are expected to meet with police, municipal representatives, and visit the crime scene on Södra Kungsgatan where six people were injured.

The visit is intended to demonstrate the government’s commitment and willingness to show support, while also reviewing the security situation in Gävle.

Translation: “As I said. We have a f*cking uphill battle to walk, when this is what someone writes to their caseworker at social services after just having shot six people, with unclear outcome regarding survival.

‘Check the news hehe’“.

Translation: “The suspected 14-year-old behind the mass shooting in Gävle Sweden is linked to a local gang in the Sätra district, G15. The gang has previously been involved in several shootings”.

Police: Clear picture of the sequence of events

Following Friday’s shooting, police have increased their presence in the area to create safety and stability.

This type of incident creates insecurity, which is why we will continue to be visible and available to the public in places where many people move around, says a representative from the investigation section in Gävleborg County.

The investigation is ongoing at full capacity, and police report that they have a clear picture of the sequence of events.

Meanwhile, responsibility for the boy now also lies with social services, which must decide what measures should be taken. It remains unclear whether the arrested boy will continue to be held in custody.

Friday’s serious violent crime in Gävle has once again focused attention on the problem of young people involved in serious crime and gang criminality. Municipal representatives in Gävle have promised to intensify efforts to support vulnerable youth and prevent them from falling into criminal paths.

Six people were injured in the shooting. All were taken to hospital by ambulance, and three of them are still receiving hospital care. The injuries are mainly to the lower body, but police report that none of the injured have life-threatening injuries. The injured are young adults, and one or more are under 18 years old.

Study: Diet crucial against obesity – not activity level

Published 6 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The problem is not a sedentary lifestyle – but too much and the wrong kind of food, according to the researchers.
2 minute read

Sedentary and physically active people can burn almost the same amount of energy per day, shows a new American study. The researchers therefore argue that the fight against obesity must focus more on diet – and less on exercise.

In the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, researchers compared data from 4,200 people from different continents with different lifestyles – including herding cultures in Siberia, hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, as well as people from both low-income and high-income countries. In total, they compared 34 different population groups.

The results show that total daily energy expenditure did not differ significantly between the different population groups. This means that, for example, a hunter-gatherer used the same amount of energy as an office worker in Sweden during a day.

Even when people live different lifestyles, once we account for the effects of body size, we do not see meaningful differences in the total number of calories people burn, says Amanda McGrosky at Elon University in the US, who is the lead author of the study, in a press release.

McGrosky points out that obesity is therefore primarily about increased calorie consumption, not decreased activity expenditure.

If you are worried about excess body fat, focus on calories in, not calories out, the researcher suggests.

Westerners eat too much

Obesity and overweight are growing health problems in the Western world, something often linked to the increasingly sedentary culture. However, this study suggests that sedentary behavior is not the biggest problem causing obesity, and McGrosky believes the study offers hope in the fight against obesity. Instead, one should look at diet and especially reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods and increase the proportion of healthy ones.

The researchers therefore suggest that it is not sedentary behavior that is the culprit in Western countries’ obesity epidemic, but rather that people simply eat too much and too unhealthily.

Exercise is still important

However, the researchers point out that this does not mean one should exclude exercise and movement, as it has a range of health-promoting benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death, and also improves mental health.

A key takeaway from the study is that increases in body fat that accompany changes in lifestyle are primarily linked to changes in energy intake, or diet. Physical activity is still very important for all-around health and should be considered complementary to diet, says McGrosky.

Swedish Police: Children killed while carrying out bombings for criminals

Deteriorating safety

Published 2 October 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Police urge parents to be present in their children's lives - both physically and digitally.
2 minute read

The number of bomb attacks in Sweden has increased dramatically – and increasingly, children are being exploited by criminal networks to carry them out.

Swedish police are now sounding the alarm after several young people have been injured and at least one killed while handling hand grenades and explosive charges.

The increase is dramatic. Up to August this year, 119 detonations have occurred in Sweden, compared to 76 during the same period last year, and increasingly it is children and teenagers who are carrying out bombing and arson attacks for gang criminal clients.

There are several documented cases where young people have been seriously injured, and at least one death has occurred when young people have handled explosives and flammable liquids.

— Handling flammable liquids and explosives can be deadly or cause, for example, serious burns, hearing damage or blown-off hands, emphasizes Dan Windt, operational coordinator at the Swedish police’s national operations center.

Hand grenades at preschools

Due to the ruthless exploitation, the Swedish Police Authority has launched a social media campaign targeting young people. The message is clear: never take assignments from criminals and never handle explosives – it is life-threatening. Police also urge parents to be vigilant and recognize warning signs.

— Parents and other important adults need to continue being present in children’s lives both physically and digitally. Ask lots of questions and ask for help. Contact social services in your municipality if the child is contacted by criminals, or alert police at such an early stage if you suspect your child is about to commit a crime, so we can prevent it together, Windt continues.

Many of the bombings have been carried out with smuggled hand grenades used for both revenge and extortion. On several occasions, unexploded hand grenades have been found in residential areas – even at or near preschools.

— An explosive charge or hand grenade can look many different ways. If you discover a suspected dangerous object, you should under no circumstances touch the object, keep a safe distance, warn others and alert police by calling 112, Dan Windt concludes.

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