A preliminary autopsy report indicates that a decaying human body found in a Norwegian trawler’s fishing nets in the Arctic last week was a man between the ages of 30 and 50, according to the Troms Police District. His identity remains unknown. “We have secured DNA and fingerprints,” inspector Ståle Luther told state broadcaster NRK. […]
‘Foundation laid for more cooperation’
April 10, 2019
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg described her meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as “good,” adding that it laid a foundation for further cooperation. Putin claimed he wanted to “focus on the positive” aspects of relations between the two countries that share a border in the far north. “We are good neighbours and […]
Accused spy faces 14 years in jail
April 9, 2019
A Russian prosecutor asked a Moscow court to sentence retired Norwegian border inspector Frode Berg to 14 years in prison as his speedy espionage trial wrapped up on Tuesday. Berg stands accused of spying for Norway but claims he was merely an unwitting courier. He’s already been languishing in one of Russia’s most high-security prisons […]
Trawler pulls up dead, decaying body
April 4, 2019
The crew on board a Norwegian trawler fishing in Arctic waters found a human body snagged in its nets when they pulled them up on Thursday. The vessel immediately headed for the mainland of Northern Norway to turn over the body to authorities. “We thought at first that there were some old clothes lying back […]
Cyber attacks high on defense agenda
March 20, 2019
Norway’s defense minister had the threat of cyber attacks high on his agenda when he met with foreign correspondents in Oslo earlier this week, and that was before news broke of the massive attack on industrial concern Norsk Hydro. Frank Bakke-Jensen referred to cyberspace as the new battleground that potentially poses more challenges than the […]
Muslims met by threats in Finnmark
March 19, 2019
Muslims arriving at mosques in Norway’s northern county of Finnmark this week were met by placards calling for “revolution” against Islam. The offensive notices promoting a right-wing extremist organization were also found on public buildings and schools in Alta and Sør-Varanger. “It wasn’t very nice,” the leader of the mosque in Alta, Ismail Omar, told […]
Rabies threatens Svalbard reindeer
March 1, 2019
Authorities on Norway’s Arctic island group of Svalbard have burned the carcass of a local reindeer suspected of being infected with rabies. The reindeer’s hind legs had become lame, an indication of the rabies virus. The burned carcass has sparked debate on Svalbard, for being what some call a “grotesque” response, but veterinarians and local […]
Finnmark mining protests underway
February 18, 2019
Government ministers arriving for the weekly Council of State at the Royal Palace on Friday were met by noisy and angry demonstrators, protesting their decision last week to allow a controversial mining and dumping operation in Finnmark. More protests were held through the weekend, in Alta, Tromsø, Hamar, Flekkefjord, Sunndal, Trondheim and Oslo. The decision […]
Norway won snow crab conflict
February 15, 2019
Norway’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from a Latvian fishing vessel that was convicted of illegally trapping snow crabs off Svalbard. The high court concluded that Norway, which has control over the Arctic island group through an international treaty, has exclusive rights to harvest the crabs. The Latvians’ legal complaint has been working its […]
Critics rage against new Amundsen film
February 15, 2019
Roald Amundsen remains one of Norway’s greatest heroes, a polar explorer who brought pride and fame to a newly independent country at the turn of the 20th century. A new film about him premiered nationwide in Norway on Friday, but got off to rather poor start. Norwegian critics have panned the film, calling it everything from […]
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