Kidnapping stumps local police
Police in Asker and Bærum, just west of Oslo, worked through the weekend in a vain effort to locate a young Pakistani-Norwegian woman abducted from a bus stop at Høvik last week. Police are investigating the case as a kidnapping, but have been unusually reluctant to publicize details of their probe.
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Police in Asker and Bærum, just west of Oslo, worked through the weekend in a vain effort to locate a young Pakistani-Norwegian woman abducted from a bus stop at Høvik last week. Police are investigating the case as a kidnapping, but have been unusually reluctant to publicize details of their probe.
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Inger Lise Hansen, a young deputy leader of Norway's unpopular Christian Democrats (KrF), has been at the center of a political storm since urging liberal reforms of the party that once even objected to color TV. On Monday Hansen won the public support of a former prime minister from the party, Kjell Magne Bondevik (photo), and for that she's grateful.
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Krekar doesn't want to leave Oslo,
Norwegian Film 'proud' of Oscar nomination for 'Burma VJ,'
Ice breakers pressed into service on the Oslo Fjord
NEWS ROUNDUP
Norwegian Film 'proud' of Oscar nomination for 'Burma VJ,'
Ice breakers pressed into service on the Oslo Fjord
NEWS ROUNDUP
SUNNY SUNDAY ON SKIS: The sun shone over most of southern Norway for the first time in a long time on Sunday, and with temperatures "only" down at around minus-8C, Norwegians headed outdoors for the traditional Sunday ski trek. This was the late-morning scene at Losby in the northern portion of Østmarka, the forest on Oslo's east side.
PHOTO: Views and News
PHOTO: Views and News
stab at Eurovision
Norwegians clearly weren't ready for black metal representation at the Eurovision Song Contest. The first black metal band to make it into Norway's run-up to the gala international event lost out to a clean-cut young man in a white dinner jacket (photo, NRK).
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Norwegian weapons sales skyrocket
Norway nurtures its image as a "peace nation," but its weapons industry is booming. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported Friday that weapons sales last year amounted to NOK 3.1 billion, up from NOK 646 million in 2001. News magazine Ny Tid noted that exports to the US have increased 20 times since 2001, when the war on terror began. Critics say it's a dilemma for Norway, home of the Nobel Peace Prize, to have an active weapons trade. State officials say Norway has no reason to be ashamed of its defense industry, and has strict rules governing exports.
Norway nurtures its image as a "peace nation," but its weapons industry is booming. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported Friday that weapons sales last year amounted to NOK 3.1 billion, up from NOK 646 million in 2001. News magazine Ny Tid noted that exports to the US have increased 20 times since 2001, when the war on terror began. Critics say it's a dilemma for Norway, home of the Nobel Peace Prize, to have an active weapons trade. State officials say Norway has no reason to be ashamed of its defense industry, and has strict rules governing exports.
ski jump
on track
for re-opening
After months of construction, the first ski jumper is due to soar off the new Holmenkollen on March 3. Voting is underway in local media to advise the city on who should have the honour. Leading the pack: Norway's top female ski jumper Anette Sagen.
PHOTO: Views and News
'More spying than during Cold War'
The head of Norwegian intelligence agency PST (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste) told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that foreign countries are "spying more on us now than during the Cold War." PST boss Janne Kristiansen and her colleagues in other state security agencies are on guard, and consider the spying a major threat.
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The head of Norwegian intelligence agency PST (Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste) told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that foreign countries are "spying more on us now than during the Cold War." PST boss Janne Kristiansen and her colleagues in other state security agencies are on guard, and consider the spying a major threat.
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COLDEST JANUARY IN 23 YEARS: It's official: Southern Norway has just shivered through its coldest January since 1987, with average temperatures of minus-8.1C at the main recording station at Blindern in Oslo. State meteorologists told newspaper Aftenposten that the official average was 3.8 degrees colder than normal. Temperatures outside the capital included some of the lowest logged since record-keeping began 110 years ago. Strong winds earlier in the week died down Thursday and milder temperatures were expected through the weekend. "It will be a fine skiing weather," said meteorologist Kristian Gislefoss. PHOTO: Views and News
Foreign Minister talks tough in Russia
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told his Russian counterpart in Moscow last week that Norway is worried about repeated violations of human rights in Russia. The Norwegian foreign ministry used an unusually "tough tone" in his talks with Sergei Lavrov.
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Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told his Russian counterpart in Moscow last week that Norway is worried about repeated violations of human rights in Russia. The Norwegian foreign ministry used an unusually "tough tone" in his talks with Sergei Lavrov.
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Statoil considers spinning off
its stations,
Swedish shopping center plan upsets Norwegian officials
BUSINESS NEWS
its stations,
Swedish shopping center plan upsets Norwegian officials
BUSINESS NEWS
Police nab 18 Romanians in major raid
Oslo police raided three houses in the capital's Carl Berner district Thursday morning and arrested 18 Romanians in what they called a "targeted action against foreign criminals." The 18 suspects, mostly men, were charged with various forms of vinningskriminalitet, crimes against property such as robbery and burglary.
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Oslo police raided three houses in the capital's Carl Berner district Thursday morning and arrested 18 Romanians in what they called a "targeted action against foreign criminals." The 18 suspects, mostly men, were charged with various forms of vinningskriminalitet, crimes against property such as robbery and burglary.
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Central bank keeps interest rates low
Norway's central bank decided against raising interest rates, opting to keep its key policy rate at 1.75 percent. The executive board of the Bank of Norway (Norges Bank) cited a need for stability and a goal of keeping rates within an "interval" from 1.25 to 2.25 percent. "We have chosen to keep the key policy rate unchanged at this meeting," said bank governor Svein Gjedrem.
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Norway's central bank decided against raising interest rates, opting to keep its key policy rate at 1.75 percent. The executive board of the Bank of Norway (Norges Bank) cited a need for stability and a goal of keeping rates within an "interval" from 1.25 to 2.25 percent. "We have chosen to keep the key policy rate unchanged at this meeting," said bank governor Svein Gjedrem.
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to cut sick leave costs
A group of health care and labour experts handed over their recommendations for lowering sick leave costs to government ministers. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (photo) has been leading the charge to get more Norwegians back to work, but it also has emerged that the ministers don't always follow sick leave rules themselves.
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Jens-Anton Poulsson, one of the last surviving members of the Telemark sabotage operation during World War II that blocked German development of an atomic bomb, died last week, just over a month after the death of fellow war hero Knut Haugland. Poulsson was 91.
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'Unacceptable' that soldiers are for hire
Defense Minister Grete Faremo says it's "unacceptable" for Norwegian military personnel to take part in private security operations, even when they're on holiday. It's becoming more clear, however, that such freelance activity through "informal networks of colleagues" is nothing new. The question is whether Faremo can stop or even control it.
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Defense Minister Grete Faremo says it's "unacceptable" for Norwegian military personnel to take part in private security operations, even when they're on holiday. It's becoming more clear, however, that such freelance activity through "informal networks of colleagues" is nothing new. The question is whether Faremo can stop or even control it.
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Use of special forces
in custody dispute
sparks 'scandal' and
'diplomatic crisis'
A bitter custody dispute involving a Norwegian woman and her former Moroccan husband led to the use of Norwegian special forces to spirit the couple's children back to Norway last summer, reported newspaper VG over the weekend. Now the entire affair is setting off what some are calling a "scandal" involving three Norwegian government ministries and an alleged "diplomatic crisis" with Morocco. It's all landed in the lap of Defense Minister Grete Faremo (photo).
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