Fuel prices rise sharply
After renewed hostilities in the Middle East, petrol and diesel have quickly become more expensive.
In the past few days, the price of diesel has risen by almost 1.50 kronor per liter.
Prices rose in Sweden by 60 öre on Tuesday, another 80 öre per litre on Wednesday, in line with rising world market prices for oil.
While the price of diesel has risen sharply, the price of petrol is rising less, just over 50 öre per litre in two days, according to filling station chains' corporate prices listed on websites and as reported by Swedish newswire TT.
The new litre price will be around 18.60 for diesel and just over 15 kronor for petrol.
It was this weekend that the war between the US and Iran gained new momentum, with repercussions on oil transport through the all-important Strait of Hormuz.
Since the government reduced the fuel tax by 3 kronor per liter at the turn of the year, prices have remained at relatively low levels.
Swedish vocabulary: drivmedelspriserna ‒ fuel prices
Elderly over-represented in drowning accidents
Several people over 70 years of age have died in drowning accidents in recent days. Elderly people are over-represented in the statistics – and men in particular.
July is the month when the most people die in drowning accidents. A common reason why elderly people drown is that they do not use a life jacket when they are out in a boat, and alcohol is often also involved.
"Another reason is that people overestimate their swimming ability. Swimming skills deteriorate over time, but many who knew how to swim in school assume that it is innate, and it is not that simple with swimming," said Louise Brädde, an expert at the Lifesaving Society.
One of her pieces of advice is therefore to test your swimming skills and to wear a life jacket. Another is to always swim with someone, not alone.
The Lifesaving Society's statistics for 2025 show that 80 percent of the 103 who drowned during the year were men. The vast majority – 52 of 103 cases – were people who were 60 years of age or older.
The statistics also include some cases of illness, where it is difficult to determine what is cause and effect. For example, if someone suffers a cardiac arrest while swimming, it is counted as drowning even if it is the cardiac arrest that is the actual cause of death.
During the first half of this year, 22 people have died in drowning accidents, compared to 40 people during the same period last year.
Swedish vocabulary: simkunnigheten ‒ swimming skills
Social Democrats say home insurance must be secured for extreme weather
The government must take the initiative to ensure that homeowners do not risk being denied home insurance in places heavily affected by climate change and extreme weather, the Social Democrats said yesterday afternoon at a press conference.
"Either the industry has to solve it itself or the state has to ensure that there are certain rules for the companies that allow everyone to be covered, at a reasonable cost, even in the future," said Åsa Westlund, environmental and climate policy spokesperson for the Social Democrats.
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She said, at the press conference, that she does not really believe that the insurance companies or the market can solve it on their own.
"Really not. These customers will, without any reason, become very unprofitable for the companies. If we do not want individuals to pay the full price for climate change, we must take joint responsibility,' said Westlund.
She emphasised that the homeowners she is referring to are not those who, despite advice, have built houses in places that are exposed to erosion, flooding or other consequences of extreme weather.
The ones she is referring to are those who have older houses and which, when they were built, were not in exposed places but which have since become so, or where new risk assessments have been made.
In February this year, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Fi) issued a report on how climate change can affect the price of insurance and what a denied insurance can mean.
The inspection also emphasizes that the banks' willingness to grant or extend mortgages, with the house as collateral, depends on whether the house is insured.
Åsa Westlund criticizes the Tidö parties and the government for having reduced resources for climate adaptation since the 2022 election.
Swedish vocabulary: klimatanpassning ‒ climate adaptation
Fewer people given notice of dismissal
More people are getting jobs in Sweden, fewer are registered as unemployed, and notices of dismissal are decreasing.
“The positive development applies to both men and women, domestically and foreign-born, and in all counties, although there are still large variations,” wrote the Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) in a comment on the new monthly statistics.
The changes in recent months are marginal, but in over the past year there were 22,000 fewer people registered as unemployed – 344,000 at the end of June. In percentage terms, the proportion has decreased from 6.9 to 6.4 percent of the workforce.
This past June, 2,857 people were given notice of dismissal. This is a steady decrease during the spring and fewer than the 4,606 notified in June last year.
Swedish vocabulary: förändringarna ‒ the changes