Gang members are turning up at unemployment centres in Copenhagen with body guards and bullet proof vests, according to social workers. Read the full story

The predicted savings Reykjavik City will make by merging pre- and elementary schools and better-utilising school buildings, will amount to under one percent of their total operating bill. The biggest savings will come from changed use of schoolhouses. Read the full story

The Icelandic parliament has voted through the national budget for 2011 — the last major task before Christmas each year. The budget includes widespread cutbacks as expected. Read the full story

A growing number of children in Finland’s major cities are seeking the help of the country’s child protection services. More than eight percent of youngsters in the six largest cities in Finland have been assisted by the welfare authorities, with this figure shooting up to more than 10 percent in Vantaa. Read the full story

Schoolgirls in Sweden are tearing their hair out over homework and exams more than boys, according to a new report. Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyran) revealed the results of a study this week that suggest female students get far more stressed than their male counterparts. Read the full story

A woman was yesterday given a three-month suspended prison sentence at the Reykjavik District Court for breaking her four week-old son’s foot. Read the full story

A fraudster, who claimed to be crippled by cerebral palsy, has been sent to jail after being caught taking part in a table tennis tournament. The 32-year-old man, who claimed to be confined to a wheelchair, was sentenced to three years in prison by a Swedish court after it heard that he had conned country’s Social Insurance Agency out of millions of kroner. Read the full story

A home help boss has been fired in Denmark after a hidden camera documentary uncovered widespread negligence throughout the organisation’s workforce. Several other staff members of the Handvaerkerhaven care centre in northwest Copenhagen were also suspended after the exposé slammed workers for spending their time eating out, shopping or relaxing at home instead of looking after patients. Read the full story

A committee of the European Union will recommend that EU member states open up houses for abused children based on the Icelandic model. The head of the Agency for Child Protection said the news is highly satisfying. Read the full story

Following the recent stabilisation requirements ordered by the European Commission, Denmark has unveiled a new ‘restoration plan’ to save millions by freezing welfare payments. Read the full story