Bäckadräkten (pronounced [ˈbɛ̂kːaˌdrɛktɛn] ^ⓘ) is Sweden's first unisex folk costume, designed in 2022 by musician Fredy Clue and textile designer Ida Björs. The design merges elements that are traditionally considered either male or female, such as the vest that is also a bodice and the culottes that present as a skirt. Bäck is the Swedish word for 'stream', referring to the primary theme of flowing water present throughout the outfit. It otherwise borrows heavily from older folk costumes representing regions throughout Sweden. Clue mentioned that Bäckadräkten aims to encourage broader participation in Swedish folk traditions by offering an outfit that is not limited to a specific gender or geographic region.

Discussions about a potential unisex design for Sweden started in the early 2010s, and Clue first devised the idea that led to Bäckadräkten in 2018. Their partnership with the Textile Museum of Borås grew into a six-month design and production process which involved input from non-binary Swedes and assistance from other clothing and accessory specialists. The resulting single copy is for Clue to wear on stage. Clue released a sewing pattern in 2023 and started taking custom orders by 2024, encouraging users to make modifications as they see fit. By mid 2026, up to 300 people had produced or were producing their own Bäckadräkten. Because of the geographic distribution of its influences, the outfit is considered more a product of Sweden's national queer community than of any individual region. (Full article...)

Avalanche Studios Group is a Swedish video game developer and publisher based in Stockholm. It is a parent company that includes Avalanche Studios, Expansive Worlds, and Systemic Reaction. Founded by Linus Blomberg and Christofer Sundberg in March 2003, Avalanche Studios focuses on developing open world projects and bases them on their proprietary Apex game engine (formerly known as Avalanche Engine). The company is best known for developing the Just Cause and theHunter game series.

Formed after the collapse of Rock Solid Games, the studio gained early success with the first Just Cause title. The team then began Just Cause 2's development, but the company suffered from financial problems due to the cancellations of two contracted projects. Despite missing the release window twice, Just Cause 2 was both a critical and financial success for Avalanche Studios. The company then opened a studio in New York City to work on Just Cause 3, while the Stockholm team began working on Mad Max in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The company announced two titles in 2017, Rage 2 with id Software and a self-published title named Generation Zero. Nordisk Film acquired the company in 2018, having invested in it the year prior. (Full article...)

8 July

• 1709 – Great Northern War: Swedish forces under Charles XII are decisively defeated by Russian troops led by Peter the Great at the Battle of Poltava.
• 1859 – Charles XV becomes King of Sweden and Norway following the death of his father Oscar I.
• 1923 – Although not considered complete, the Gothenburg Botanical Garden (pictured) is officially inaugurated in connection with the city's jubilee exposition.

• ... that Erik Sparre is known as "the father of Swedish constitutional law"?
• ... that after some of Anders Årfelt's lion sculptures were struck during the 2017 Stockholm truck attack, the city ordered new versions weighing 3 tonnes?
• ... that Swedish footballer Taha Ayari made his Allsvenskan debut by coming on as a substitute for his older brother?
• ... that between 1985 and 1988, Televerket spent 2 million kronor paying youth sports teams to monitor payphones for vandalism?