Pope Francis names new Swedish cardinal
The first Swede ever to be named a cardinal in the Catholic faith was appointed on May 21, when Pope Francis called for the creation of five new cardinals from different parts of the world. Bishop Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm since 1998, will serve to advise the Pope. This honorable, historic appointment will be formalized at a ceremony at the Vatican on June 28. Arborelius, who is 67, became Sweden's first Catholic bishop of Swedish origin since the times of the Reformation.

Measles outbreak in Sweden
More than 40 municipalities are facing risk of measles outbreak due to the prevalence of parents refusing to vaccinate their children. After a dozen people died recently from a measles outbreak in Stockholm alone, the Nordic country, which used to have a 97 percent vaccination rate, isn’t taking any chances and is urging immediate proactive measures. Vaccination, however, has become not just a health issue but also a political one, and the push for national vaccinations as a matter of course faces opposition.

Record number of runners in Gothenburg
The Göteborgsvaret is the largest half-marathon in the world and the race turned out 60,000 runners on May 20 to compete for the top prize. The annual event that also draws large crowds of spectators brought 200,000 people to watch the runners compete. Kenyan athlete, Fancy Chemutai won the race in the women’s division and broke the world record with a time of 1:07:58.

Sun-loving Swedes at risk for cancer
The National Board of Health reports that cases of skin cancer are on the rise. Specifically, malignant melanoma is being diagnosed at an alarming rate with the number of cases almost doubling in less than a decade. It’s suspected that Swedes, who turn out in droves when the sun shines, fail to take precautions to protect themselves from over-exposure to the sun.

Gothenburg goes boom!
Businesses in Gothenburg report an uptick that has them looking to increase profit and new employees. On a scale of -100 to +100, a rating of 40+ is considered a “boom,” and the 1,000 businesses surveyed had a result of 43+. That means Gothenburg is thriving along with the rest of Sweden, and if the trend stays stable the economy points to a strong future.