Bars may be forced to close earlier

The rise in alcohol-related violence in Norway means that bars, also in Oslo, may be ordered to stop serving at 2am. Many now keep pouring much later than that. Newspaper VG reported this week that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is now convinced that a nationwide ban halting the sale of alcoholic drinks earlier than is [...]

Hot summer for asylum officials

Norwegian officials charged with taking care of asylum seekers in Norway have had a busy summer. More unrest broke out at an asylum center in Hedmark this week, while controversy continues over attempts to deport others. Police arrested four persons after a brawl at the Haslemoen asylum center in Hedmark. Police officers from both Elverum [...]

Violence grows in Norwegian homes

An estimated 20,000 women are subjected to violence and abuse in Norway every year, and officials are sounding alarms that the numbers are rising. Reports of violence within the home tripled from 2006 to 2009, according to national crime unit Kripos. No one can say for sure what’s behind the increase, but some officials and [...]

Abolish idyllic notions of Norway

COMMENTARY Foreigners arriving in Norway sometimes seem surprised that this country suffers from crime just like everywhere else. They can’t always seem to mesh the idyllic images of fjords, towering mountains and an egalitarian social welfare state with the often harsh realities of everyday life. Here’s what was playing on NRK’s local radio newscast for [...]