A Norwegian woman in her 20s who was bitten by a dog while traveling in Southeast Asia two months ago died Monday night. Hospital officials confirm that the woman was infected with the deadly rabies virus. She’s the first person to have contracted rabies on the Norwegian mainland since 1815. Rabies is extremely seldom on […]
Bunads turn into new battle gear
May 2, 2019
Regional Norwegian costumes known as a bunad have long been a symbol of national pride and identity, and worn on special or formal occasions. In recent weeks, however, they’ve suddenly become a symbol of protest by women battling to preserve local health care services and maternity wards. It all started earlier this year with a […]
Heart and lung association in trouble
March 15, 2019
Norway’s heart and lung association has run into serious financial trouble tied to losses on its hospital at Gardermoen. Employees were called into an emergency meeting this week to warn them of cost cutting, postponed investments and a pay freeze. Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) referred to the trouble as an “economic crisis,” brought on by […]
Salmonella confirmed in ‘Exotic Mix’
March 12, 2019
A mixture of dried fruits imported from Italy has been confirmed to contain the salmonella bacteria that likely sickened several Norwegians aged two to 91 earlier this winter. The mixture was pulled from the market on March 6. Investigators interviewing some of those who became ill noticed that three of them had in their homes […]
Pollen season starting early
March 8, 2019
Warm temperatures in February have led to warnings of an early pollen season, with some traces of pollen already drifting around areas of Southern Norway, according to the state asthma and allergy federation (Norges Astma- og Allergiforbund, NAAF). “The first pollen has been registered and the season is in its start phase,” wrote NAAF on […]
Salmonella alarm tied to ‘exotic mix’
March 6, 2019
Norway’s fruit and produce supplier Bama has recalled an “Exotic Mix” of dried fruit and nuts, after at least 21 people in 10 Norwegian counties have been infected by salmonella. Several of them had eaten the product labelled as Eksotisk miks. It was still too early to conclude whether the fruit and nut mixture sold […]
Prime minister’s spouse fends off cancer
February 12, 2019
Prime Minister Erna Solberg and her husband, Sindre Finnes, were on Norway’s national newscasts Tuesday night, urging everyone watching to check any changes in their skin. He and Solberg revealed this week how he received a cancer diagnosis just before the Christmas holidays. “The word kreft (cancer, in Norwegian) is always so frightening,” Solberg told […]
New Year’s babies in Tønsberg and Elverum
January 2, 2019
Norway’s New Year’s babies arrived at 12 minutes past midnight on January 1st, in both Tønsberg and Elverum. A total of five babies were born with the first hour of 2019. The first two arrived at the same time, a girl in Tønsberg and a boy in Elverum. “It’s always extra special to help deliver […]
Extended sick leave aims to cut it
December 19, 2018
The Norwegian government, national employers’ organization NHO and major national labour federations have agreed to extend employees’ rights to call in sick, but don’t fear the system will be abused. Rather, enhanced confidence in employees aims to keep them healthier, and reduce the work load on physicians. Workers earlier have been able to call in […]
Multi-challenged man runs for mayor
December 5, 2018
Torstein Lerhol is a 32-year-old politician for the Center Party who hopes to become the next mayor of Vang, a scenic mountain municipality in Oppland County. He weighs less than 40 pounds and lies in a wheelchair, but doesn’t see that as a problem. “I have joked that the only tasks I don’t think I’ll […]
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