NATO boss on whirlwind visit

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and members of the North Atlantic Council were making the rounds of Norwegian military installations, Arctic research centers, government ministers’ offices and the Royal Palace this week, on an official visit that included Liberation- and Veterans’ Day ceremonies on Wednesday. Climate change and military preparedness were on the agenda. Norwegian... 
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Government steps on the gas

Oil & Energy Minister Ola Borten Moe remains as bullish as ever in his drive to step up oil and gas exploration and production in Norway’s Arctic areas. Despite low gas prices and opposition from both industry professionals and environmentalists, Moe and his government colleagues are poised to open up Norway’s newly defined southeastern portion of the Barents Sea for petroleum activity. Oil... 
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Skiers shot polar bear on Svalbard

Two skiers with dogs said they felt forced to shoot a polar bear on Svalbard Thursday evening when it ran towards them while they were out trekking over a wide-open stretch of snow and ice. They viewed it as an attack, and shot the bear at close range. Two skiers claim they felt forced to shoot this polar bear Thursday evening as it ran towards them and appeared to be on the attack. PHOTO: Sysselmannen... 
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Polar bear shot during break-in

An overly curious and determined polar bear made the mistake of his life when he tried to break into a hytte (cabin) on Svalbard over the weekend. Attempts by the couple inside to scare off the bear failed, and they felt they had no choice but to shoot to kill. A six-year-old, marked polar bear was shot and killed after trying to break into this hytte on Svalbard. PHOTO: Sysselmannen på Svalbard “They... 
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Film team fined on Svalbard

A film team working for the BBC on Norway’s Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is being fined NOK 50,000 (nearly USD 10,000) for allegedly disturbing a polar bear mother and her two cubs. Local officials are concerned about the increasing number of film crews, both Norwegian and from abroad, that are perhaps too keen to film the protected polar bears in action. Polar bears on Svalbard are protected,... 
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Arctic drilling dispute heats up

As top government officials and business leaders huddled in southern Norway this week to discuss energy and environmental issues, oil and gas exploration plans continue to swirl around Norway’s northern areas. The government’s willingness to consider exploration in colder, deeper and more remote waters than ever before is fueling more debate over the risks of spills and concern for sheer... 
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South Pole expedition ends in court

An expedition to the South Pole led by one of Norway’s most famous adventurers, Børge Ousland, continued in an Oslo court this week, after Russian members of the trek sued Ousland claiming delays, deficient equipment and bad food. Financier Igor Grisjkov and his assistant Victor Bobok are demanding compensation after taking part in the expedition last winter that was supposed to reach the South... 
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All stories

This page lists every news story published on Views and News from Norway in 2013. The dropdown menu that took you here contains similar menus for every year since 2009. Please note that news briefs may not be listed. Try the archive search window if there’s something you can’t find. ‘Gratulerer med dagen!’ MAY 17, 2013 ‘Hurra’ for all on the 17th of May  MAY 17, 2013 17th... 
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Rig tax evasion case underway

The largest tax evasion case in Norwegian history was due to enter its second week on Monday, with prosecutors claiming that tax advisers for Houston-based rig firm Transocean must have known they were misleading tax authorities. Transocean has been a major player in the rig market on the Norwegian continental shelf for many years. PHOTO: Statoil/Harald Pettersen Raids on Transocean’s offices... 
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SAS ‘saved,’ at least for now

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) was able to avoid filing for bankruptcy on Monday after the last of nine key labour unions finally agreed to go along with pay and pension cuts, along with more demanding work rules. The agreement ended a weekend drama that some say put the entire Nordic transport system at stake. SAS would be taking off as usual this week, after winning new cost-cutting concessions from... 
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CO2 levels rise again on Svalbard

The impact of global warming has mostly fallen off the front pages of Norwegian newspapers recently, but new evidence from Norway’s far northern archipelago of Svalbard suggests it’s as worrisome as ever. Researchers are distinctly uneasy over the levels of CO2 in the air, and fear global warming is getting warmer all the time. The Zeppelin research station near Ny-Ålesund on Svalbard... 
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Early winter weather hits the north

Stormy and wintry weather blew over northern Norway on Wednesday, resulting in several car accidents, closed runways at airports and cancelled voyages of the coastal shipping line Hurtigruten. More strong winds and snow were expected during the night on Wednesday and into Thursday. State meteorologists warned of a polar low-pressure system that can cause serious damage in the days ahead. The areas... 
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‘Fish and oil don’t always mix’

The secretary general for environmental organization WWF in Norway isn’t backing down from concerns over huge new efforts to find more oil and gas off the Norwegian coast. She’s worried about the effect on the country’s next-largest industry, fishing. Statoil has announced plans for more oil exploration in the Barents Sea, like that done here with the rig "Polar Pioneer."... 
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Arctic drilling plans called ‘immoral’

Environmental organizations were quick to vent their fury over new plans, announced Tuesday by Norwegian oil company Statoil, to dramatically expand oil exploration activity in the northern reaches of the Barents Sea. One activist called Statoil “immoral” while conservation authorities are worried. Statoil has used the drilling rig "Polar Pioneer" in the Barents Sea, but now plans... 
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Norway’s emerging Arctic capital

Norway’s northern city of Tromsø has been called “The Paris of the North” for years, but now it’s taking on entirely new significance as the “Capital of the Arctic.” The country’s venerable coastal shipping line still calls twice a day like clockwork, and we thought it was time to pay a visit, too. A coastal voyage ship belonging to the Hurtigruten line glides... 
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