Norway’s powerful farmers’ lobby often claims how farmers need their subsidies and protection from foreign competition, in order to ensure domestic food production. Now comes news they’re producing far more meat than the Norwegian market can absorb, without much if any price relief for consumers at the grocery store. Last summer, even in the midst […]
Storm builds around Norway’s EU deal
January 14, 2019
Complaints from some of Norway’s biggest labour organizations, combined with no small dose of Norwegian populism, have been fueling dissatisfaction over Norway’s trade deal with the EU. Debate has been fueled by both uncertainty over Brexit and new questions over whether Norway should simply join the EU after all, and thus gain a stronger voice […]
More strong winds hit traffic, services
January 14, 2019
Roads were closed, flights grounded again and the popular tourist destination of Geiranger was isloated on Monday, following more strong winds and snow in the mountains of Southern Norway. The latest batch of bad weather was due to last at least through the day, and was stranding people and causing damage. Most mountain passes were […]
New government platform ‘delayed’
January 14, 2019
Red and blue lights were blinking again during the weekend over the fate of Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s non-socialist government. As of Monday morning, Solberg still hadn’t managed to win agreement to finally form an expanded conservative coalition that finally would give it a majority in Parliament. There have been few leaks from the government […]
Wolf debate ‘blown out of proportion’
January 12, 2019
It was the wildlife preservationists’ turn on Saturday to demonstrate by the thousands in favour of protecting Norway’s roughly 60 surviving wolves. As their demonstrations to halt a highly controversial wolf hunt took place in towns and cities around the country, researchers claim the debate over wolves in Norway has become unreasonably bitter and is […]
Coach charged with assaulting boys
January 11, 2019
A reportedly well-known Norwegian athletics leader and coach from Hedmark County is suspected of sexually assaulting dozens of boys over the past 30 years. He’s been formally charged with nine assaults, including attempted rape, and several of his victims were young asylum seekers put under his care. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported Friday afternoon that police […]
Kidnapping silence spurs media debate
January 11, 2019
NEWS ANALYSIS: Norwegian police said Friday that they’ve received more than 250 tips from the public in the two days since they finally confirmed the suspected kidnapping 10 weeks ago of a wealthy investor’s wife. Norwegian media outlets that were aware of the case stayed silent, too, but now both the police and the media […]
NATO’s Stoltenberg scolds homeland
January 11, 2019
Jens Stoltenberg addressed the annual conference hosted by Norway’s employers’ organization NHO many times when he held government power in the country. This week he was back in his role as secretary general of NATO, and he wasn’t at all pleased with his homeland’s defense spending. His address to Norway’s business leaders, top politicians and […]
Kidnapping shocks ‘naive’ Norwegians
January 10, 2019
“Norwegians are naive when it comes to their own security,” claimed a former police investigator to newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN), after the kidnapping of a wealthy Norwegian’s wife was finally made public this week. Security consultant Johnny Brenna said he’s only surprised that such kidnappings haven’t occurred earlier, while others including potential targets don’t want […]
Wealthy man’s wife held for ransom
January 9, 2019
The 68-year-old wife of one of Norway’s wealthiest but low-profile investors has been missing since October 31, when police believe she was abducted from the couple’s relatively modest home northeast of Oslo. Her family has since received threats and a demand for a ransom payment to be made in a crypto currency. “Our main theory […]
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