Norway Mail

The coalition parties can’t make up their minds whether to support a new Olympic application or not

2008-09-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Representatives from SV (Socialistic Left), admits that the party still hasn’t decided whether they are going to support Tromsø’s application to host the winter Olympics in 2018 or not. The FRP (The Progress Party) is opposed to the application, and the three other opposition parties haven’t made up their minds yet.

Det Norske Veritas will present a price estimate of the costs involved of hosting the games in Tromsø in 2018, on next Tuesday, but the political parties which will eventually have to make a decision about whether the Government are going to support the games or not, still haven’t made up their minds.

Chairman of SV, Inge Ryan, supports Tromsø’s application, but very few of his colleagues in the party do.

Senterpartiet (The Centre Party) is a staunch supporter of the application and they will approve it.

Ap’s (Labour Party) Gunn Karin Gjul says that the Labour Party has already decided to support the application, but they still need to have a look at the new figures before they can make a final decision.

The response from the opposition parties has been less than enthusiastic, but FRP is so far the only political party to have gone on record and oppose the application.

- We can’t accept that the Government should take on the responsiblities for the economical aspects of hosting these games, FRP representative, Ulf Erik Knudsen says.

The tree other opposition parties Høyre (The Conservatives), Venstre (The liberals) og KrF (The Christian party) are still undecided on the issue.

Source: Dagbladet

Between 20 000 – 40 000 jobs could disappear in the building industry

2008-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

The current financial turmoil could lead to massive layoffs in the building industry. Some estimates shows that as many as 20 000 jobs could disappear, other estimates indicates that the number could be as high as 40 000.

Building industry suppliers have already started to notice the effects of the slowdown in the market. Building projects that have been started will be completed, but very few new projects are likely to go ahead as planned and big layoffs seem unavoidable.

A reduction of 15-20 percent of the workforce could be the result.

Source: Stavangeravisen.com

The EU asks Norway to show more solidarity and increase its financial contributions

2008-09-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

Brussels (NTB): The EU Commission has asked Norway to show more solidarity with poor European countries and increase its financially contributions to the European Economic Area (EEA).

Last Friday the EU Commission started formal negotiations with the three EEA countries, Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland about their financial obligations as signatories of the EEA agreement.

Head of the Commission, Alan Seatter, believes that increases in the financial contributions from the three countries, which are used to eliminate the social and economic differences within the EU, are needed more than ever. This has prompted the Commission to ask for a substantial increase of the annual Norwegian contribution, which at the moment is NOK 2 billion.

- The contributions have to be increased due to the new challenges faced, but also because the demand for funds is bigger than it used to be, and this will ensure that the money will be spent wisely, Seatter told Norwegian news agency, NTB.

The annual EEA contributions were increased by 1000 percent with the latest EU expansion, but Seater points out that the economic gap between the poor and the wealthy areas of the EU is still at 40 percent.

- The fact of the matter is that the challenges are increasing and not diminishing. How are we expected to respond to those challenges if we lower the financial contributions from the membership countries? It’s time to show solidarity, Seater says.

Source: NTB

Also read: http://thenorwaymail.blogspot.com/2008/09/30-percent-of-annual-norwegian-eu.html

Mullah Krekar says author deserves the death sentence

2008-09-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

Mullah Krekar verbally attacks the controversial author in a pod cast posted on the Kurdish internet site, Renesans.nu

According to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, the author in question has been living in hiding in Norway for a year and a half, and has been granted political asylum. The Kurdish author was sentenced to jail in absentia in Iraq last year for writing that the prophet Mohammad was guilty of murder and rape.

He is spitting on us

According to Aftenposten and its interpreter, who’s services are frequently requested by the Norwegian police, Mullah Krekar is comparing the author with Salman Rushdie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Krekar claims that the author is ‘spitting on us’ and describes him as a dishonest human being.

- One needs to ask why this person should be killed and which laws should be applied to this particular case.

Krekar also said that according to the principles of the Sharia law, the author would have the opportunity to defend himself against the accusations, and that he would have to show remorse in order to avoid getting the death sentence.

Death threats

The author claims to have received several death threats, and insists that a fatwa has been issued, sentencing him to death if he fails to ask for forgiveness for his writings.

The Islamic Committee in Northern Iraq, accused the author of insulting the prophet Mohammad, and in the court case from December last year an arrest order was issued, instructing the local police to arrest the author as soon as he returns to northern Iraq.

Could be seen as an encouragement to kill

Mullah Krekar’s Norwegian attorney, Brynjar Meling, insist that the Norwegian translation is inaccurate because the broader context is missing. Krekar however, still stands by his statements.

- Krekar claims that as a scholar, he only speaks about what the Koran say about these issues and that he himself didn’t suggest the fatwa, Meling says.

Religion historian, Kari Vogt, does not see Krekars’s statements as death threats or justifications to kill.

- But if someone who’s mentally unstable wanted to attack the author, they could find justifications for doing so in these types of statements, Vogt says

The secret service branch of the Norwegian police (PST) does not wish to make any comments on the matter.

Source: VG Nett

Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, releases draft for a new national prison reform

2008-09-26T03:58:00.000-07:00

In this draft the Government is proposing that more inmates should have the opportunity to serve their sentences in low security prisons and halfway houses.

The Government is also suggesting that those serving in maximum security prisons shouldn’t have the opportunity to be released straight back into society, but rather be transferred to halfway houses. They also want to give inmates suffering drug addictions the opportunity to go to rehab, and place more convicted criminals in halfway houses, according to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, told Dagbladet that prisoners convicted of murder and rape, will still have to serve in maximum security prisons.

Source: VG Nett

The Norwegian Police Directorate is considering allowing female police officers to wear hijab.

2008-09-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

A 23 year old woman from Sandnes in Rogaland, has sent a letter to the directorate asking them about their policy on female police officers wearing hijab on duty.

The 23 year old woman who’s originally from Algeria, arrived in Norway eight years ago and wants to become a police officer. However she fears that her career choice may not be fulfilled as she wears a hijab, a decision that she made a couple of years ago.

Spokesperson for the police directorate, Marianne Østensen, tells local newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad that the directorate doesn’t wish to comment on this particular case while it’s up for review. The directorate is currently looking at how other countries national police forces are dealing with the issue.

The written request is the first of its kind. The national police academy’s recruitment office has received similar inquiries, but these have always received negative replies.

In Sweden and England female police officers are allowed to wear hijab on duty.

- We implemented this policy many years ago, and it’s not an issue here anymore, a representative from the recruitment office of the Metropolitan Police in London says.

Female police officers in Denmark are not allowed to wear hijab.

Source: VG Nett

Start FC has to come up with NOK 38 million before the end of the weekend to avoid bankruptcy

2008-09-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Football Association has ordered the club to pay a fee of NOK 38 million by the end of September. If the club fails to comply with this order, Start FC will be declared bankrupt and could risk being relegated to the 2nd division.

The club called in the shareholders to an emergency meeting earlier today, but no solution was reached at this meeting.

- We will use the next couple of days to try and find a solution to this problem, Chairman of Start FC, Jan Oddvar Skisland, told local newspaper Fædrelandsvennen.

Manager and part-owner of Start FC, Erik Solér, will most likely leave the club, but he’s unwilling to make any comments on the issue.

- Are you sad to see the club like this?

- Yes of course I am. I had hoped that things would turn out differently, Solér told Fædrelandsvennen.

Oddvar Skisland is also refusing to confirm or deny rumours that Solér is about to leave the club. But he believes that a solution will be reached, and that the club will avoid bankruptcy.

Source: Dagbladet.no

Three year olds to be taught English in Norwegian kindergartens

2008-09-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

English will soon be part of the curriculum in ten state run kindergartens in Oslo. The proposal was passed earlier today at a council meeting.

- This project has been highly successful in other countries, and the feedback we’ve received from the parents have been good, head of the Oslo city council, Erling Lae, tells Dagbladet.no.

Ten kindergartens

Initially the scheme will only include ten kindergartens, but if it proves to be a success, more are likely to follow.

- English will be taught twice a week, by an English speaking teacher and an assistant. They are going to bring along ”Teddy’ the teddy bear, who will play an important part in the lessons, Lae says.

-Have there been any opposition to this proposal?

- No, I couldn’t imagine anyone being opposed to this idea. The lessons are intended for the older kids, and the idea behind it is to introduce them to the English language before they start school.

Fun

Lae emphasizes that the lessons will take place in a playful environment.

- This is not an attempt to introduce grammar school to kindergarten kids. The lessons are going to be combined with fun and games, Lae says.

Project to start soon

- We released the budget today. Funds are going to be allocated in the autumn, and we expect that the project can commence in the Spring of 2009.

NOK 1,5 million have been set aside for the project.

Source: Dagbladet.no

AP (The Labour Party) is Norway’s biggest political party in new poll

2008-09-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

AP is the biggest political party in Norway according to a recent poll carried out by Norstat on behalf of NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). The party’s approval rating is currently at 29.5 percent, compared to the FRP’s (The Progress Party) 29.2 percent. SV (The Socialistic Left) jumped from 6.0 percent to 8.4 percent.

The poll shows AP as the country’s biggest political party at the moment with a slightly higher approval rating than FRP. AP increased their lead by 0.2 percent to 29.5 percent, while the FRP went down 1.5 percent to 29.2 percent according to NRK.

Senterpartiet (The Centre Party) dropped 0.2 percent and is currently on 5.3 percent. KRF (The Christian Party) went down 0.5 percent and is currently on 13.8 percent, which means that the party is currently only half the size of the FRP.

The results from this latest opinion poll give the opposition parties 94 mandates, while the red-green coalition parties have 76 mandates.

Source: Stavangeravisen.com

Promises a more coherent official line on immigration

2008-09-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

Frp’s (The Progress Party) shadow minister for immigration, Per Willy Amundsen, categorically denies that the party is about to liberalize their stance on immigration, and promises that the party’s demand for a stricter national immigration policy will be a key issue in the lead up to the next general election in 2009.

Up until now the FRP has in their official party program proposed to limit the intake of asylum seekers to 1000 per year. However the FRP party committee, supported by deputy leader, Per Sandberg, have suggested discarding the proposal. They have also advocated scrapping a proposed ban on marriage between cousins.

FRP’s change of heart has been well received by Høyre (The Conservatives). The party’s shadow minister for immigration, Bent Høie, recently told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) that he’s pleased that FRP has finally decided to scrap these ‘unrealistic proposals’. He believes that FRP are starting to lean more towards Høyre on this issue.

Important issue

Per Willy Amundsen emphasizes that the proposals launched by the party committee are only proposals, and that it doesn’t involve a change in the official party line. He categorically denies that FRP has caved in to pressure from Høyre on this issue.

- Everybody who follows Norwegian politics closely, realise that Høyre has warmed to our policies, and not the other way around, Amundsen says.

He admits that it is vital for FRP to make their stance on this issue more obvious to the voters.

- This is a very important issue for us, and it is unfortunate if an impression has been created that we somehow have caved in to pressure from Høyre on this matter, he says.

He predicts that immigration will be a key issue at the next party convention which is going to be held next year, and he denies that there are conflicting views on this matter within the party.

Source: VG Nett

Fleichers Hotel in Voss damaged by fire

2008-09-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

The 120 year old timber framed structure suffered extensive damage after a fire started in the kitchen around 23 00 local time yesterday evening. The fire went undetected for almost two hours, and had by that stage managed to spread to other sections of the hotel via the ventilation system.

It is not yet known why the fire wasn’t detected earlier.

Personnel from the local fire department arrive on the scene after the fire alarm was set off. The flames were shooting up through the roof above the kitchen by 01 00.

The hotel’s sprinkler system was activated and it has flooded certain areas of the building. In some rooms there are more than 100 mm of water on the floor.

The 93 guests staying at the hotel have been transferred to Park Hotel at Vossevangen, according to BT.No

Source: Stavangeravisen.no

Council wants too ban smoking during working hours for all employees

2008-09-23T04:43:00.000-07:00

The municipality of Stavanger is considering introducing a ban on smoking for all its employees during working hours sometime next year.

The ban could also cover outside areas, including outside public buildings. If introduced, the ban would make it illegal for council workers carrying out maintenance work in public parks, or council workers working on road construction projects, to light up a cigarette during their lunch break.

Member of the city council in Stavanger, Inger Østensjø, writes in a memo sent out to politicians and all employees, that the dangers of smoking are well known and well documented.

- Smoking causes early deaths, serious illnesses and leads to a lower work attendance. It’s a personal victory for all those who manage to quit smoking, she says.

Chairman of the local branch of FRP (The Progress Party), Trond Birkedal promises to fight this proposal which he labels ‘Nanny State tactics’.

- This is too much. People have the right to decide whether they want to smoke or not. Is the council going to start checking people’s lunch boxes too, to ensure that their employees are only eating healthy foods?

Larvik and Levanger are the only two municipalities in Norway that have introduced similar bans.

Source VG Nett

Base jumper fined NOK 30 000 for base jumping from forbidden mountain

2008-09-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

A base jumper has been fined NOK 30 000 for base jumping from the mountain Trolltindene, in Romsdalen, Norway.In addition to the hefty fine, the court decided to confiscate his parachute and jumpsuit, which is worth NOK 32 000, according to the owner.

The verdict against Thomas Berg Hestad, the younger brother of Molde Football Club’s captain, Daniel Berg Hestad, was reached in Romsdal tingrett (The Romsdal county court).

There is currently a ban in place on base jumping from the moutain because of the high risks involved.

According to Romsdals Budstikke (local newspaper), Thomas Berg Hestad is horrified about the verdict.

- This is insane. I have to pay a hefty fine for doing a base jump, while others, who commit more serious crimes only get a slap on the wrist. I think this verdict is too harsh, the base jumper says.

Thomas Berg Hestad was also fined NOK 20 000 back in 2003, for having done a similar jump from the same mountain.

Hestad has however no plans of giving up base jumping, even after he was handed this unusually strict verdict from the court in Romsdal.

Source: NTB

Inmates are taking legal actions against prison management for the right to watch hardcore pornography.

2008-09-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

In Norway citizens over the age of 18 have the right to possess hardcore pornography, but that’s not the case for the inmates at the Ila prison complex on the outskirts of Oslo. This has angered the inmates and they are now taking legal action against the prison management to have this decision overturned.

Several inmates have demanded a change of policy.

- The right to possess hardcore pornography should be a human right. Even though society wants to lock us up and deny us any perks, I still think that they have sympathy for our needs, Tor Erik Larsen (43) tells Norwegian newspaper VG.

He is currently serving a murder sentence and he has spent almost a third of his life behind bars. He thinks the management are guilty of double standards when they allow inmates to watch violent movies, but not pornography.

The prison management have justified their decision, saying that allowing hardcore pornography inside the prison could jeopardize the safety of the inmates.

- What’s legal on the outside should also be legal on the inside. The prison laws at Ila are violating the individual’s right to privacy and they are violating the individuals human rights. We have to make a distinction between what’s legal and what isn’t, and not whether an individual is in prison or not, defence lawyer Ann Turid Bugge, who is assisting the convicted 43 year old inmate tells VG.

Source: VG Nett

Minister of Justice summoned to appear before Parliament.

2008-09-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

A growing number of police officers in Norway are refusing to work overtime and as a result they aren’t able to carry out their duties in a satisfactory manner. This has prompted members from the Norwegian Parliament to summoned Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget of the Labour Party to appear before Parliament and explain the situation.

It was representatives from Høyre (The Conservatives) that finally decided to take action.

- We have decided to summon the Minister of Justice, and he will have to appear before the Parliament tomorrow and explain why the police aren’t able to carry out their duties, Chairman of Høyre, Erna Solberg told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation).

- This lack of police officers on duty is especially noticeable in the bigger cities, and it is unacceptable, Solberg says.

Several positions are unfilled in the various police precincts, and the local police officers are refusing to work overtime until they receive a significant pay rise. Erna Solberg insists that it is the Minister of Justice’s responsibility to ensure that there are enough police officers on duty at any given time.

Storberget recently announced that the Oslo Police Department’s budget have been increased by nearly NOK 500 million since 2000, but in the same period only 80 new positions have been created. He made it clear that he wanted more police officers for the money.

Norwegian TV channel, TV2, reported last Monday that there were only 7 police officers on duty at the Oslo City Police Station last weekend, and that 65 incidents weren’t properly investigated.

Source: Stavangeravisen.com

Is considering taking legal action against foreign gambling companies

2008-09-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

The defence lawyer representing accused fraudster Bjarte Baasland, the son of Stavanger bishop Ernst Baasland, is considering taking legal action against the foreign gambling companies that allowed her client to gamble and lose between NOK 60-70 million on their internet sites.

We will look into whether it is possible to legally retrieve part of, or the entire amount of the money lost to the gambling companies, Bjarte Baasland’s defence attorney, Hege Birkeland Ersdal says to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

Baasland has according to his lawyer lost somewhere between NOK 60 -70 million to foreign internet gambling companies Bet365 and Centrebet.

Head of the Norwegian Lottery Commission, Atle Hamar supports taking legal action against the gambling companies.

Law Professor, Viggo Hagstrøm, head of the Bankklagenemnda (Norwegian appeal court for bank customers), is on the other hand doubtful as to whether Baasland would be successful if such a law suit ever made it to the courts.

–It is my understanding that Baasland placed these bets while he was living abroad in the Czech Republic. This is outside of Norwegian jurisdiction, and I seriously doubt that he would be able to reach a successful outcome in those countries, Hagstrøm says.

Source: Stavanger Aftenblad

Holmenkollen ski jump to be torn down

2008-09-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

One of Norway’s most popular tourist attraction is soon to become history. Those who wants to enjoy one last view of the city from the ski jump’s observation deck better hurry, because it’s about to be torn down.

The famous Kollen roar has died down, and the only noise coming down the hill at the moment is from the heavy machinery used in the demolition of the structure.

The stands where millions of Norwegians have cheered on their ski jumping heroes throughout the decades have already started to disappear, but it’s still not too late to get one last look of the city from a birds eye view.

- This weekend is one of the last times the observation deck on the top of the ski jump will be open to the public, Chairman of the Ski Association, Steinar Eidsaker tells VG Nett.

A gigantic crane will demolish the ski jump.

According to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, the ski jump will start to be demolished on October the 1st. This information is verified by Eidsaker.

- The tower will be demolished in October. We have hired one of northern Europe’s biggest mobile cranes. It’s almost 50 meters tall, and it will remove the tower in stages, Eidsaker says.

According to Aftenposten the tourist attraction will be completely gone by November the 1st. Over a million people have visited the famous landmark each year to get a view of the city.

See Oslo with the wind blowing through your hair

- Of course its sad to see the old ski jump disappear. But we are now focusing on the new ski jump, which is going to be top of the range. The new observation deck will cover over 120 square meters and it will be on two separate levels, and it is going to be a lot more spectacular that the one we’ve got today, Eidsaker says.

The new ski jump is schedueled to be ready by New Years eve next year. The upper section of the new observation deck will not be built in, giving the tourists the opportunity to feel the wind blowing through their hair.

- It is going to be an amazing experience to stand at the upper section of the observation deck and gaze out over the city below. I was a member of the jury that picked the winning design, and I can guarantee that the new ski hill will be something out of the ordinary, Eidsaker says.

A new display centre will open up

The winning draft for the new national monument which will look over the city was designed by a Danish-Belgium architect firm, and the Ski Association have already dubbed the new ski jump, the sport’s answer to the new opera house.

A second ski jump will be built about 300 meters from the old Midtstuebakken. The cross country trails will be upgraded, and so will the biathlon arena, in order to meet new international standards.

The ski museum will remain closed from October 1st. A new display centre will take its place, and contain scale models and drawings of the new ski jump. The centre will stay open Monday to Friday between 10 00 -15 00 and Saturday and Sunday between 10 00 – 16 00.

The observation deck will stay open every day in September, between 10 00 – 17 00.

Source:VG Nett

Norway to give humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe

2008-09-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

Norway has decided to give NOK 40 million in humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe, after President Robert Mugabe from the Zanu-PF political party and the leader of the opposition party, Morgan Tsvangirai reached an agreement about sharing power in the country on September 11. Norway will channel this humanitarian aid through the UN and the Red Cross.

The EU and the USA announced earlier this week that they intend to continue the trade embargo until real democratic changes have been introduced in Zimbabwe.

-This is about saving lives, it’s not about giving money to Mugabe, foreign minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre says to VG Nett.

He feels that Norway is obliged to support the new Prime Minister of the country.

- It is crucial that Prime Minister Tsvangirai receives international support so he can address the humanitarian situation in the country.

Warns against doing it alone

The FRP’s (The Progress Party) shadow foreign minister, Morten Høglund warns against a Norwegian solo effort in Zimbabwe. He expects Norway to co-ordinates the humanitarian aid with other international aid organizations.

- It is not in Norway’s best interest to act alone in this case, Høglund says to VG Nett.

Høglund is not opposed in principle to give foreign aid to the country, but emphasizes that Zimbabwe still has a long way to go before it is a real democracy.

- The new political situation in Zimbabwe is a big step forward, but Mugabwe is still pulling most of the strings in the country he says.

Humanitarian aid

Jonas Gahr Støre says that the consequences of not sending aid to the country could lead to the suffering of innocent people. He is not concerned about Norway being the first western nation to give humanitarian aid to the country.

- I have been in touch with the other Nordic nations, and we’re keeping the UN informed about our decision, Støre says.

The Foreign Minister travels to New York on Sunday to address the issue at the UN humanitarian aid donor conference.

Source:VG Nett

30 percent of the annual Norwegian EU contributions disappears

2008-09-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

As much as 30 percent of the annual Norwegian financial contributions to the EU are being wasted on bureaucracy, according to a new study.

The study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), found that between 10 to 30 percent of the funds that Norway contributes to the EU simply disappears. This is due to inflation and constant fluctuations in the currency rates, and it happens while the EU tries to decide how to spend the money, according to Norwegian newspaper Nationen.

The delay means that several EU projects could be 10 to 30 percent more expensive than initial estimates.

There is a huge potential for improvement on EU’s end in this case, the study concludes.

The study is based on figures from April this year, when less than half of the EU funds were set aside for actual projects. At the time only three percent of the funds had been used.

Representative from PwC, Ivar Strand, has serious doubts as to whether the funds will be used at all if EU doesn’t speed things up.

-There is a lot of work involved in EU’s evaluation process. It is a system that is obsessed with control, and if they don’t speed up things I suspect that they will have difficulties using the money.

The annual Norwegian payments of NOK 10 billion to the EU started in 2004 and will continue until 2009.

Source: Dagbladet

130 incidents of hate crime reported to the police last year.

2008-09-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

Almost 130 incidents of hate crime were reported to the police last year, but Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget suspects the numbers could be higher.

According to NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) the complaints were filed by victims who believe they were targeted because of their ethnicity.Twenty six incidents were reported in Oslo.

Storberget suspects the numbers could be even higher, as many victims don’t contact the police after they’ve been assaulted.He is concerned about the high numbers.

In 2006 The Norwegian police were ordered to start investigating hate crime related incidents. The police classify hate crimes as crimes committed towards people because of their sexual orientation, religion or ethnicity.

Source: VG Nett

PST (The Norwegian Intelligence Agency) has noticed an increase in right-wing extremism on the internet

2008-09-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

The PST has detected a growing number of Norwegian blogs and internet sites which contains racist material.

The PST is continually monitoring extremist organizations in Norway, but they do not see a link between blogs and extreme right-wing organizations.

- As of today we haven’t come across such a link, spokesperson for the PST, Martin Berntsen says to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

A twenty five year old Norwegian male arrested in connection with the murder of a forty six year old Somali male in Trondheim, has according to local newspaper Adresseavisen posted several anti-immigration articles on various internet discussion forums, and this is why the police decided to involve the PST in the case. But at the moment they have not managed to find any obvious links between the accused twenty five year old male and any of the extreme right-wing organizations in Norway.

The internet has become a popular arena for people with extreme political views, but Berntsen doesn’t believe that the increase in internet activity will boost recruitment for any of the extreme right wing organizations in the country. Extreme right wing organizations haven’t been very active in Norway in the last couple of years, he says.

Source: VG Nett

NAF (The Norwegian Automobile Association) is today launching a campaign against high petrol prices.

2008-09-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

NAF Chairman Magne Revheim, who represents an organization with more than 500 000 members, is today launching a campaign against greedy oil companies that are unwilling to lower their petrol prices.

The oil price is dropping, and so are the petrol prices in our neighbouring countries, but in Norway petrol prices remain unchanged. Yesterday the petrol station chain, YX Energy, raised their petrol prices. Today they are reducing them. But the recommended retail price on petrol is still at the same level as it was when the international oil price was at its highest, Nok 13.23 per litre for 95 Octane.

- This is unacceptable. The motorists in this country are being taken for fools. We are sick and tired of oil companies that refuse to lower petrol prices when the oil price drops. We are going to take direct measures against the oil companies, we simply won’t accept this behaviour anymore, Chairman of NAF, Magne Revheim says.

- What exactly does NAF intend to do?

- We will encourage motorists to only buy petrol from the stations that have the lowest prices, and from those stations that reduce their prices quickest.

Challenging StatoilHydro

A lot of members has contacted NAF in the last couple of days to vent their frustrations over the high prices.

- Yes, we do receive calls from people who’ve had enough. And I can understand their frustration. They are the ones who have to pay for it. With today’s low international oil price, petrol should only cost around NOK 10 per litre, Revheim says.

Revheim also feels that Statoil should be the first oil company to lower their petrol prices.

- Statoil is a partly State owned company, and that means that the Norwegian people are co-owners. I demand on their behalf, and on behalf of our 500 000 members that Statoil immediately reduce their petrol prices and bring it in line with the oil price.

Are blaming the market

But Statoil has done nothing about petrol prices even though the international price of oil has dropped dramatically. When the oil peaked at US$ 146 per barrel in July, petrol prices in Norway rose dramatically. It peaked at NOK 13,83 at Statoil’s filling stations. Today the retail price is NOK 13.23

Since July the international price of oil has fallen by 37 percent. Statoil’s retail price on petrol has however only fallen by 4.4 percent.

Denmark is different

- The international price of oil is only one of the factors that determine petrol prices. Because there is so much competition in the petrol market, the price of petrol hasn’t fallen as much as the oil price, spokesperson for StatoilHydro, Knut H. Hansen says.

Today petrol prices in Denmark will drop by NOK 0.50. XY Energy’s CEO Christian Hoff, who himself is based in Denmark explains why Norwegian motorists won’t see a similar reduction in petrol prices in their country.

-Denmark is a very different market. The competition in Denmark is so fierce that in the last couple of years the oil companies simply haven’t made any money on petrol at all. In Norway we only have to deal with the Norwegian market.

The price of petrol at Shell’s filling stations in Norway yesterday was NOK 13,39 per litre 95 octane.

This price could be adjusted later today, spokesperson for Shell Norway, Kim Bye Bruun says.

- We will make a decision, and most likely adjust the price on Thursday. I don’t know now by how much. I will have to go over the petrol reserve numbers from the USA first, Bruun says

Source: VG Nett

Generic drugs can cause side effects

2008-09-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian State is forcing sick people to use generic drugs in an attempt to save money, even though a recent study has found that one out of every three patients experiences unwanted side effects when they start using the generic brand.

A recent study conducted by the University of Oslo, concludes that one third of the patients experiences problems when they start using generic drugs. In many cases the change of drugs also leads to the wrongful use of the medication, according to Norwegian newspaper Vårt Land.

The use of generic drugs has gone up by almost 500 percent in the last seven years. Norwegian pharmacies were in 2001 ordered by the State to replace all prescription drugs with cheaper generic brands.

This arrangement has reduced the costs for both the Norwegian State and the patients concerned, but the change is problematic, according to Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Medical Association, Ove Edvard Strand.

- A doctor who prescribes a drug to a patient has no idea what kind of drug the patient eventually will end up with, and that’s definitely a problem, Strand says.

The doctor will prescribe a specific drug, but the pharmacist is obliged to replace the prescribed drug with a cheaper generic brand and give it to the patient.

The risk of wrongful use increases with age.

- The older the patient is, the higher the odds are of wrongful use. Even though the new pills may look different, not everybody understands that they are to be used instead of the old pills. Some old patients end up taking both pills just to be on the safe side, Professor at the University of Oslo, Else-Lydia Toverud says.

Source: VG Nett

NOK 5,8 billion to Amazon fund

2008-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced today that Norway will donate NOK 5.8 billion (US$ 1 billion) to the newly established Amazon fund. The money will be used on measures that will help slash greenhouse gas emissions.

-Stopping deforestation in Brazil is the most cost effect way of reducing CO2 emissions, the prime minister said.

The rain forest will be kept under constant observation with the aid of satellites, and this will give us a unique opportunity to observe the extent of the deforestation in Brazil.

- We will however only transfer money from the fund once we have solid proof that the deforestation has stopped. This way we’ll be able to control that the money goes to their intended purpose, the prime minister who’s currently on an official visit to Brazil said.

Source: NRK

The cost of renovating state owned buildings, NOK 142 billion

2008-09-16T03:59:00.000-07:00

The cost of renovating all state owned buildings in Norway and bring them up to a satisfactory standard is a whopping NOK 142 billion, according to a study carried out by the companies Multiconsult and PwC, on behalf of KS (Norwegian municipality’s interest grop).

The failure to carry out maintenance work on state owned buildings have proven to be costly.

- It will cost NOK 142 billion to get all the buildings up to a satisfactory level. If however one allows for some minor defects to go unfixed, the bill will drop to NOK 94 billion over a ten year period, Chairman of KS, Olav Ullern tells Norwegian newspaper Nationen.

The study includes more than 10 000 buildings in 116 municipalities and 11 state regions.

One third of the buildings are in a good or a satisfactory condition. Another third of the buildings are in a reasonably good condition and are in need of some maintenance work. The remaining third of the buildings are in an unsatisfactory condition and are in urgent need of attention.

The responsibility of the municipalities

- The State is responsible for allocating funds for renovations, but the municipalities are responsible for making sure that the renovations goes ahead, and the municipalities have failed to do so, Ulleren says.

The municipalities claim that they need to prioritize more pressing short term needs over long term maintenance work to state owned buildings. Many municipalities also feel that the State doesn’t allocate sufficient funds for this purpose. Ulleren also points out that there isn’t much political prestige involved in renovating kinder gardens, school buildings and hospitals.

- The odds of getting re-elected are a lot higher if a politician inaugurates a new building, rather than allocating much needed funds to renovate old buildings.

Source: VG Nett

A 21 percent reduction in new asylum applications in a week

2008-09-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

The number of people applying for political asylum in Norway has dropped by 21 percent in the last week. That’s the largest weekly reduction so far this year.

There has been a strong increase of people applying for political asylum in Norway lately, and the Norwegian Government estimates that 15 000 people will apply for political asylum in Norway in 2008.

On September 3 rd, the Norwegian Government announced that they would introduce stricter asylum policies. The following week saw the number of new asylum seekers drop from 434 to 341, according to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

That’s a 21 percent reduction from the week before, and it’s the biggest weekly reduction so far this year.

The police immigration department says that it’s too soon to tell if this reduction is permanent, and as a direct result of the announced changes of the policies regarding asylum seekers.

Bad weather

- We’ve seen similar trends in previous years, where there has been a significant reduction of people applying for political asylum at the end of the summer, spokesperson for the police immigration department, Roar Hansen says.

He also believes that bad weather can contribute to the reduction of new asylum seekers queueing up outside the offices of the police immigration department.

Minister of labour and inclusion, Dag Terje Andersen (AP/ The labour party) is happy with the new numbers.

-It’s too early to draw any conclusions yet. There are just too many variables, but it’s positive that there has been a reduction in the numbers of people applying for asylum since the Government decided to introduce stricter legislation in this area, Andersen says.

Source VG Nett

Panic is spreading

2008-09-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Oslo Stock exchange saw a loss of NOK 77 billion yesterday.

For a brief period yesterday the Oslo Stock exchange dropped by almost 7 percent, in what appeared to be the worst day in the main index’s history. But the situation stabilized itself in the afternoon, something which helped ease some of the panic felt by the traders. And when the trade ceased for the day the main index was only down by 4,49 percent to 354,06 points.

The drop at the stock exchange still means a loss of NOK 77 billions. At one stage the loss was down to NOK 110 billion.

- This is a dramatic fall. The stock exchange has indeed had a very bad day. The financial crisis that we’re currently in is the worst the world have seen since the 30’s, stock analyst in Landsbanki, Terje Nyborg told E24.

Finance crisis

Yesterday saw big losses all over the world, but none quite as heavy as the loss that the Oslo stock exchange suffered. The major stock exchanges in Europe fell by 2.5 to 3.5 percent. The reason behind the big loss at the Oslo stock exchange was caused by the drop in the international price of oil, which fell by US$ 5 to US$ 92 per barrel.

Selling oil

The market is going through a period of uncertainty, and there are two reasons why oil prices are falling at the moment. Many financial experts believes that the global growth in the economy will slow down, making oil an unattractive investment object. The investors are instead putting their money into ‘safe’ commodities like obligations and gold.

The stocks that saw the biggest drop in value yesterday at the Oslo stock exchange was Sevan Marine (SEVAN) which fell by almost 19 percent to NOK 27.70, and the Tandberg (TAA) which fell by 11 percent to NOK 106.

Source: E24

Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget (Ap/Labour) tells bishop to clean up his act.

2008-09-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

The criticism from the Justice minister is a response to Oslo bishop Ole Christian Kvarme’s refusals to marry gay couples. Storberget claims that the massive media attention this case has received is contributing to the spread of hatred against gay people.

Leads to hatred

Last week the bishop tried to stop a same sex wedding in Kampen kirke (Kampen church) in Oslo. Storberget is upset with the bishop’s actions, and he fears that this behaviour can lead to an increase in hate crimes.

–Hatred towards gays is a big problem, and every one of us have a responsibility to discourage such behaviour, and the church has a particular responsibility to do so, Storberget tells Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

The Justice Minister fears more prejudice against gays.

– The Norwegian Parliament introduced tougher hate crime legislation earlier this year, but because the church keeps on criticizing homosexuality they are in fact facilitating prejudice and hatred against gays, Storberget says.

Needs to address this issue

Storberget says that the church needs to change their attitudes.

– The church really needs to address this issue. We can’t interfere and tell them what to do. It’s up to the church to come up with satisfactory solutions, Storberget says.

He believes that it is important to speak out before it becomes too late to fix the problem.

– As members of the Norwegian church, we need to make the church’s leadership aware that we won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour. The church must be inclusive and not shut out certain groups. Bishops are humans too, and it’s about time someone told them to get rid of their old fashioned views

Kvarme, however defends his actions, and points out that he is only acting in accordance with the church’s own policies on this matter, and he feels that Storberget needs to respect this.

Source: BT.no

Man accused of starting four fires in Bergen

2008-09-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

A man has been arrested by police in Bergen suspected of having started several fires this afternoon. Four other individuals were apprehended in connection with the arrest and escorted down to the police station.

- The four men were heavily intoxicated so we decided to take them down to the police station to sober up, head of operations at Hordaland police Department Asbjørn Andersen said.

The four individuals are not suspected of being involved in any of the fires.

The fires were quickly put out

Within a short period of time several fires broke out. The first reported incident was in a storage shed in a basement in no. 51 Ibsens gate. Then a second one was reported in no 9 Edvard Griegs vei.The two houses are only 100 meters apart, just south of Danmarksplass.

At 19.15 a third fire was reported in Ibsens gate, this time in no 55. And then fifteen minutes later a fourth fire was reported, once again in no 9 Edvard Griegs vei.

- A man has been arrested suspected of having started all four fires, head of operations Asbjørn Andersen said.

Technical evidence found at the scene has led the police to formally charge the man in connection with the incidents.The Bergen fire department managed to extinguish the fires before they could cause any serious damage to the buildings. All four fires started in the basements of the buildings.

No one was hurt.

The residents were evacuated, but they were allowed to return to the buildings shortly afterwards.

Source: NRK

The Norwegian Government wants to ban online gambling

2008-09-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Government wants to ban online gambling and make it a punishable offence for Norwegian banks to engage in monetary transactions with foreign online gambling companies .

Several foreign online gambling companies are actively marketing products that are illegal in Norway to Norwegian internet users. The Norwegian Government wants to put an end to this, and it intends to make it a punishable offence for Norwegian banks to engage in monetary transactions with these companies.

- We decided to do this because the services provided by some of these companies can, in some cases lead to a gambling addiction. Several people have lost everything they own due to excessive gambling, and after the recent ban on slot machines in Norway, these online gambling sites have now become the biggest source of gambling addiction in Norway, Minister of Culture, Trond Giske told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation).

Spokesperson for The Association of Businesses in Norway, Leif Osland, doesn’t believe that the ban will have the desired effects.

He believes that people will go on playing regardless of such a ban.

-These gambling companies will most likely start to offer their Norwegian customers the options of setting up foreign bank accounts, and the use of foreign payment systems. This will make it next to impossible for the Norwegian Government to control this activity.

Source: VG Nett

Muscat nuts are the latest drug of choice with the young

2008-09-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

Muscat nuts have become the latest drug of choice with the young people in Asker and Bærum. If consumed in large amounts the product can cause a strong hallucinogenic effect.

-At times it’s been next to impossible to get hold of Muscat nuts, because the shops selling the product are sold out, police superintendent, Kjell Thune, from the Asker and Bærum Police Department tells local newspaper Budstikka.no.

The nut has a strong hallucinogenic effect that can last for several days. However the drug is not popular with heavy drug users because of its severe side effects.

-Kids have been using this drug on and off for a long time. Some years we see several cases, and other years hardly any at all. The nut causes a hallucinogenic effect very similar to that of happy mushrooms and LSD, representative from The Norwegian National Drug Research Institute, Torbjørn Busæt tells VG Nett.

It takes up to six hours before the drug starts to work, and the effects can last up to three days. The drug is considered lethal in heavy doses.

Source: VG Nett

14 year old boy apprehended by the police, accused of attempted rape and a string of indecent assaults

2008-09-13T04:39:00.000-07:00

The police in Bergen have apprehended a 14 year old boy, believed to be responsible for one incident of attempted rape, and a string of indecent assaults in the city.

The serial attacker has been targeting women in Bergen for the last few days. He is accused of indecently assaulting ten different women. The victims have told the police that a young boy approached them from behind, and started touching their breasts and placing his hands on their crotch.

The most serious incident took place on Monday, when the boy followed a woman into her flat after having asked her for a glass of water. Inside the flat he tried to rip of her clothes. The woman managed to fend him off and eventually chase him out of the flat.

Rare

The police apprehended a 14 year old boy earlier to day, that they believe is responsible for the attacks. - It is very unusual to see people this young, involved in cases like this. As a matter of fact I can’t ever remember coming across a similar case, Carl Petter Leganger, head of the crime unit at the Bergen police station says.

The boy is a minor, and can’t be charged for the crimes.- He will be questioned later today. We have contacted social services, and it is up to them to decide what’s going to happen with the boy, Levanger tells VG Nett.

Source: VG Nett

Police are interviewing local residents in connection with the latest fire in Bergen.

2008-09-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Police officers from the Bergen Police Department are currently carrying out a door knocking operation in the area to take witness statesments that can be used in the investigation, according to VG Nett.

- Local residents noticed several individuals outside the building before the fire broke out. These observations are obviously of interest to us, and we are currently going through this information, Head of Operations at the Bergen Police Station, Gustav Landro says to Bt.no. He is not willing to reveal specific details.

Are keeping the area under police supervision this weekend.

Head of investigation, Ragnar Lissand confirms that detectives are currently working in the area.

- This is standard procedure. We interview as many people as possible in the early stages of the investigation, he tells VG Nett.

Police officers will be present at the scene throughout the weekend until the fire fighters have finished their job.

Could burn for days

The fire started just before 15.00 on Friday, and fire fighters managed to extinguish the blaze at 17.40. Fire fighters will however remain at the scene for several days to prevent any potential flare ups. We don’t expect to send in fire investigators until some time after this weekend, Lissand says to VG Nett.

Still evacuating people from the area.

Residents in the building next door, Måseskjærveien 20, are not allowed to move back into their building for a couple of days.

- This used to be an old cod liver oil factory, so the timber structure has a relatively high oil content, and this is a contributing factor to the thick smoke rising from the site. Therefore it’s too soon to allow the residents in the neighbouring buildings to move back home, Lyssand says.

This is the second fire affecting an old historical timber building in Bergen within a couple of days. On Saturday night several old timber houses were damaged in a fire in Skuteviken.

- Could this be the work of an arsonist?

-No, so far we have no reason to suggest that it was the work of an arsonist. Out of the last five fires we’ve had in Bergen, we’ve managed to establish the cause of fire in two of the cases, and none of those were deliberately lit. It could just be a coincidence that we’ve had two big fires in the city in a such a relatively short period of time.

Properly secured

According to Bergens Tidende (Norwegian newspaper), members from the city council contacted owners of heritage listed buildings in the city on Friday, to make sure that the buildings were properly secured and fitted with satisfactory fire preventive devices.

The council will now go through all the relevant technical building data on all the heritage listed buildings in the city with members of the national heritage list board.

A message posted on the Bergen council’s web pages, urges residents in Måseskjæret to keep all windows and doors shut.

- The old building was used in the production of cod liver oil, and as a result the old timber structure of the building has been saturated with oil. This means that the smoke rising from the site will continue for several days. People in the area are therefore urged to close all windows and keep doors shut to protect themselves from the smoke.

Source: VG NETT

Also read: http://thenorwaymail.blogspot.com/2008/09/old-timber-houses-are-burning-in-bergen.html

SAS: - We are currently involved in negotiations

2008-09-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

Representatives from the Scandinavian airline company SAS, confirmed this Friday that the company is involved in talks with other airline operators about possible ‘structural solutions’. The representative was however not willing to reveal which companies were represented at the negotiations.

Spokesperson for SAS, Claus Sonberg told Reuters that it’s up to the owners, and not the management to decide whether SAS should continue as an independent airline company or not.

The stock markets have now resumed its trading of ‘SAS’ stocks, after they suspended the trade after take-over rumours earlier today. The SAS stock has gone up by 18 percent, to NOK 48 at the Oslo Stock exchange, and the SAS AB stock is now valued at SKR 56 at the Stockholm Stock exchange.

Norwegian Minister of Trade, Sylvia Brustad told Reuters that she has been informed about the company’s plans to include ‘other owners’.

SAS could become German

On Friday afternoon information emerged that German Airline company Lufthansa, Europe’s second largest airline company, is considering buying SAS-NOR. Lufthansa estimated market value is seven times higher than the market value of SAS, which is approximately NOK 6.5 billion.

Rumours of a possible take over of SAS, by Lufthansa have circulated in the financial world for a long time. Both companies are members of the world’s largest airline alliance, Star Alliance.

While Lufthansa has managed to survive reasonably well in a turbulent airline market dominated by high fuel costs, the story is quite different for SAS. The company has been struggling with rising operating costs for many years.

If the sale goes ahead, Lufthansa will become equal in size with Air France KLM.

Source: E24

Police failed to check fake passport

2008-09-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

A Ukrainian man equipped with a fake passport managed to obtain work and residence permits at the police station in Drammen on five separate occasions. On Wednesday this week a verdict was reached in the criminal case against the man, in which Justice Rolf B. Merckoll, criticized the management at the Drammen Police station in harsh words.

Not enough time

Even though it only takes a few minutes to check if a passport has been reported stolen with the Schengen Information System – SIS, the police still can’t find the time to do so. This really concerns the Court.

In a separate comment on the verdict the court wrote:

-If this kind of unwillingness to face up to ones responsibilities is prevalent in other police districts, there’s a real reason for concern.

Asylum seeker

The 28 year old Ukranian man arrived in Norway in the summer of 2001 as an asylum seeker. His application for asylum was finally rejected in May 2003, but he still chose to remain in Norway. One of the reasons for this decision was that he had started a relationship with a Ukrainian woman living here.

Fake Passport

In the spring of 2004 he was contacted by some people who offered him a fake passport, and the opportunity to obtain a new identity. He bought a passport that a Lithuanian man had reported stolen in January in 2004. He paid 100 Euros for the passport. This passport was reported stolen and the passport number was listed in the Schengen Information System.

Never bothered to check

With his new passport the Ukrainian man applied for a work and resident permit at Drammen Police station in April 2004. He was granted a six month permit, and at the end of this period he re-applied for a new permit, which he was also granted. All in all the man applied for a permit five times, without the police bothering to check his passport details up against the Schengen register.

This information can quickly be obtained by the police with a few simple key strokes on the computer keypad, and it only takes a few minutes to do so.

Assault charges

The real identity of the man was eventually discovered when he was arrested for having punched his girlfriend in the face on June 20th this year. The incident occurred in his girlfriends flat in Drammen. The man was arrested and placed in police custody where he had his fingerprints taken. It was only when the police checked his prints up against the prints in their own register that they discovered his real identity.

In court

Last Monday the man stood trial in Drammen and pleaded guilty to all the charges laid against him. It was supposed to be an ordinary assault case, but the court was so shocked when they discovered that the police had failed to check the man’s passport, that they decided to make a reference to this in the verdict.

In the verdict the court refers to a police officer at the Drammen police station who told the court that the police simply didn’t have the time to check the details up against the Schengen register. Not once, in a period of four years from 2004 to 2008, did the police bother to do this.

Prison

The court also made a reference to the fact that it is common knowledge in police circles that many foreigners are living in Norway illegally with fake documents.

The man received a reduction in punishment because of his confession. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail for the incident involving his girlfriend, of which he had already served 78 days.

Source: DT.no

Thommessen gives Sponheim a 'left‘ uppercut

2008-09-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

‘Even the Gods fail in their attempts to cure stupidity’. When you are dealing with a person like Lars Sponheim, who only cares about himself, it’s impossible to win the leadership of a political party, former Norwegian politician Olaf Thommessen writes in a new book, according to Nettavisen.

Thommessen was a candidate for the role as Party Chairman of Venstre (The Liberal Party), a position that Sponheim currently holds. Thommessen alleges in his new book that Sponheim put his foot down when he learned this and told his fellow party members that Thommessen would make a bad leader.

Made threats

In his new book Thommessen writes that Sponheim made serious threats to the members of the election committee when they considered giving the leadership to Thommessen. Sponheim allegedly threatened to pull the party out of the Government coalition if he himself wasn’t given the position.

Thommessen also writes in his book that he would only run as a candidate for the leadership if Sponheim pulled out of the race and wholeheartedly supported his candidacy. Sponheim did neither, and Thommessen eventually pulled out and ran for the job as deputy leader.

-Soon after the appointment of Lars Sponheim as the new leader of the party, Lars started his own campaign to gain popularity, and he did it at my expense. He portrayed me as a weak person, who backed down in the face of pressure. Thommessen denies that this was the case.

Thommesen warns people against Sponheim

Thommessen also uses the opportunity to warn people against Sponheim.

"One thing is certain, and that is that Lars Sponheim never goes into battle for anyone but himself. At least he didn’t do this for me. Whoever turns his back on Sponheim, should be very careful and always be on his guard. An attack from Sponheim never comes from the front, and it’s never honest, Thommesen writes.

Source: NRK

Man arrested in connection with the murder of a 46 year old Somali male in Heimdal

2008-09-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

A man in his 20’s was today arrested and charged in connection with the murder of a 46 year old Somali male in Ringvålveien in Heimdal. The suspect, an ethnic Norwegian male from Trondheim, did not resist arrest when he was picked up by the police earlier today, according to leader of investigations, Terje Lunde. The man will be charged with premeditated murder, or with assisting a premeditated murder.

Do not wish to clarify

- The man has been arrested based on information gathered in the course of the investigation. Due to the ongoing investigation, the police do not wish to make any further statements at the present time, leader of investigations Terje Lunde, told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.

As a result of this arrest the investigation has now entered a new phase, but it is still a long way from being concluded. The police can now start the process of interrogating the suspect and focus their efforts on gathering technical evidence.

The suspect is known to the police, but Lunde does not wish to elaborate on this.

The murder weapon has not been found

The police have in the course of the investigation, confiscated several weapons belonging to local residents, but they have so far not managed to find the murder weapon.

-It is crucial to the investigation that we find the weapon, and we are going to continue searching for it.

The interrogation will continue throughout the evening

The suspect was interrogated on Thursday evening, but no defence lawyer has been appointed for him yet.

-We are currently searching the suspect’s house, and we will continue to do so in the coming days, Lunde says.

An unusually brutal murder

The victim, a 46 year old Somali male, was killed in Ringvålveien in Heimdal on August 23rd

Source: Nrk

More tourists complain about their holidays in Norway

2008-09-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

The minister of tourism is concerned after several complaints this summer.

The Norwegian Minister of Tourism, Sylvia Brustad, is concerned over the recent increase in number of complaints from foreign tourist to official tourism boards in Norway.

‘Innovasjon Norge’, the organization responsible for marketing Norway as a holiday destination abroad on behalf of the Norwegian state, has informed the minister that there has been an overall increase in the number of complaints from foreign tourists this summer.

More people complain

- We don’t keep a record of the complaints, or what the tourists complain about, but the feedback we get from the tour operators, travel agencies and letters sent to us by the tourist themselves, indicates that there has been an increase in complaints this summer, former Director of ‘Innovasjon Norge’, Per-Arne Tuftin says.

Minister of Tourism, Sylvia Brustad believes that Norway does live up to the expectations of the tourists, but she is still concerned about the feedback she gets from the travel industry.

Because prices are so much higher in Norway than in many other countries, the travel industry really needs to focus on delivering good quality products.

- A gap has started to appear between those who deliver good quality products and those who don’t. This gap just keeps growing, and that worries me, Brustad says.

The minister discussed this matter with representatives from the travel industry at a seminar in Oslo today.

She fears that some companies may not be able to match the high expectations of the tourists that decide to come to Norway.

- We have several companies in Norway at the moment that delivers high quality products. This is a positive thing, but it means that the gap to those who can’t keep up gets bigger, Brustad says.
Demand for high quality

The minister praises the travel industry for what they have managed to achieve in the last 10-15 years, which has seen big improvements in the overall travel experiences offered to the tourists.

Brustad fears that those companies that can’t keep up, and deliver a product that is satisfactory to the tourists, will eventually go under.

- It is a big challenge for the industry to lift everyone up to an acceptable level. We want the tourists to talk about the good time they had in Norway when they return home to their own countries, Brustad says.

Source: Dagbladet.no

2000 people die in Norway each year as a result of hospital accidents

2008-09-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

No one knows the exact number because some of the affected patients are already suffering from other serious illnesses, and a lot of medical accidents never get’s reported to the hospital management.

- We need more transparency at every level. We need to admit that there is a problem, and the authorities have to accept that the numbers are quite high, chairman of the interest group ‘national unity and patient safety’, Øystein Flesland, says to NTB.

On Wednesday the first major conference focusing solely on patient safety issues was held in Oslo.

-Medical conference should in the future focus more on patient safety issues, in both the primary health sectors and in the mental health sectors, Mr. Flesland said.

- To be able to improve patient safety records, we need to analyse the survival rates from every hospital in the country. We also need to keep track of all the hospital infection outbreaks, and be prepared to report medical accidents occurring in the hospitals, he said.

Infections in the hospitals wards and the use of wrong medication are among the most common mistakes made in Norwegian hospitals, and in a lot of cases this leads to serious illnesses and the loss of patient’s lives.

Are afraid to report mistakes

Failure to report medical accidents in Norwegian hospitals, is a big problem, and it prevents the affected hospitals from solving these issues and improve their professional conduct.

- Many of these problems can be solved without spending a fortune, but some problems require substantial financial means. One example is the labelling of morphine bottles. The labels on these bottles are very similar, but the dosages are very different. Why can’t the labels be improved or perhaps even be given different colours, Flesland said.

Director of Helse Sør-Øst (The south/east hospital region), Bente Mikkelsen, believes that patient safety is a very important issue.

- There is no time to lose. We need to implement the necessary changes straight away, and overcome the problems that we are currently experiencing, Mikkelsen told the delegates at the conference.

10 percent

Chairman of the Norwegian Health Department, Dagfinn Sundsbø from Sp (The Centre Party), estimated that one out of every ten hospital admission resulted in some form of ‘unwanted incident’ and in some cases even the loss of patients lives.

- We need to have a look at how the system works. Too many patients believe that the quality of the services provided by the various health departments differs too much. The new hospital reform can’t only focus on financial aspects. It should also focus on patient’s safety, Sundsbø said.

He was of the opinion that we still have a long way to go before we have a hospital environment in Norway, where we are able to learn from our mistakes, something which is imperative if improvements are to be made.

He also suggested that the organization ‘national unity and patient safety’ which was established in 2007, needs to continue working on achieving more openness in Norwegian hospitals, so that more people get the courage to report mistakes and errors.

- There are no organizations or departments at the present time that keep records of these incidents at a national level, Sundsbø said.

The fourth most common cause of death

Head of Department at Rikshospitalet, Anders Baalsrud, said that Norway is known worldwide for its focus on technology and safety in the oil sector, so why not become equally well known for being top of the class in hospital safety issues?

Medical accidents are the fourth biggest cause of death in Norway, only beaten by heart diseases, cancer and respiratory illnesses, according to Baalsrud.

Source: Dagbladet.no

Stock market tries to recover

2008-09-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

The Oslo Stock Exchange was ticking back upwards on Wednesday morning, regaining some of the heavy losses suffered Tuesday because of lower oil prices. Then share prices fell once again. Some analysts called Tuesday's 5.57 percent decline an all-out "collapse.”

Investors woke up Wednesday, however, to a better day. Following a few early losses just after the market opened, key shares like StatoilHydro and Norsk Hydro were up 0.66 and 0.77 percent respectively, while Aker Solutions was up 3.62 percent by mid-morning.

After rising early in the day, however, the main index of the Oslo Stock Exchange was down again nearly 1 percent by noontime. Analysts predicted a continued period of ups and downs.

The early gains were fueled by news that oil prices, which had dipped below USD 100 a barrel, jumped to nearly USD 105 on Wednesday after OPEC countries agreed to a small but unexpected production cut. Reuters reported that some analysts believed OPEC was showed its resolve to keep prices above USD 100.

Most analysts, according to Reuters, had expected the group to maintain formal production targets at its meeting in Vienna, although some had suggested that its members could tighten compliance to help stem a near 30 percent slump in oil prices since July.

Falling oil prices are good news for many companies, not least airlines, and they cheered many stock markets. Not in Oslo, however, where many shares traded on the local exchange are heavily tied to the oil industry. They've been on a roll in recent years, soaring in line with soaring oil prices. Now the fall in oil prices is hitting them hard.

It's all relative, though, and Norway's economy remains strong despite worldwide financial turbulence. Recent reports indicate vigorous purchasing power, continued employment activity and major capital investment programs in the public sector despite declines in consumer confidence and the housing market

Source: Aftenposten.no

Companies are paying for hypnosis sessions.

2008-09-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

An increasing number of Norwegian companies are picking up the bill for hypnosis sessions aimed at helping staff quit smoking, according to one hypnosis therapist.

Kari Skjelstad is a fully licensed hypnotist, trained by the same teacher who taught the famous English hypnotist Paul McKenna. She’s the owner of the ‘Hypnosesenteret’ in Hamar, and she is constantly being contacted by companies that want to help staff quit smoking.

According to Skjelstad, hypnosis therapy has become increasingly more popular in the last couple of years.

- I have treated several employees of insurance companies, an entire department from NAV (Centre Link) and several care workers employed by a local municipality, Skjelstad says.

Can you guarantee results?

- No, I can’t guarantee anything. The client has to be motivated and willing to quit, but hypnosis is a good tool that can help them achieve that goal, Skjelstad says.

Sceptical

‘Nortura’, in Elverum, is one of the companies that are picking up the tab for the hypnosis sessions. The company pays the bill of NOK 2600, provided that their employee’s manages to stay smoke free after having completed the treatment. Human resources manager, Roger Løberg, believes that it is money well spent.

- We want to help our staff quit smoking, and we’re doing so by paying the bill, he says.

Only five employees from Nortura have signed up for the hypnosis sessions so far. One of them is Kåre Lersveen, who has just finished a four hour treatment program.

-Initially I was sceptical, but it seems to be working, Lersveen says. He has managed to stay smoke free after starting the treatment.

Source: NRK

Olav Thon is set to give away his 21 billion NOK fortune.

2008-09-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

Real estate tycoon, Olav Thon is set to transfer large chunks of his fortune, which estimated value is considered to be close to NOK 21 billion, to a trust named after him.

This is confirmed by Thon’s solicitor, John Christian Elden.

This information will also be presented in Olav Thon’s new upcoming autobiography, penned by Norwegian author Hallgrim Berg, writes Norwegian newspaper VG.

– I can’t take the money with me when I die, but I have made arrangements as to how I want the money to be distributed, the famous billionaire from Ål in Hallingdal says.

The tycoon is not ready yet to reveal which charities that are going to receive funds from the trust.

– Thon’s fortune will not be donated to private individuals or companies. They will be spent on future generations. That’s the only thing I’ve been authorized to say, Elden says.

Author, Hallgrim Berg, can reveal that donations from the Thon trust, will be made on a routinely basis.

– Thon has drawn up a plan on how he wants his fortune to be spent. It is my belief that donations from this trust will be made on a routinely basis, and that the average person will see the benefits of these donations, Berg says to NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation).

Source: DN.no

No immigrant representatives in the Norwegian Parliament after 2009?

2008-09-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Parliament could be made up of only ethnic Norwegian politicians after next year’s general election. The political parties in Norway have at the present time only nominated politicians from Norwegian backgrounds for the top Parliament positions. This has happened despite the fact that one out of every ten citizen in the country has a minority background.

The nomination process has begun

The political parties have now started the process of nominating representatives for the Parliament before next year’s general election.

So far according to NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) not a single politician from any of the ethnic minorities in the country has been nominated for any of the top positions.

Afshan Rafiq representing Høyre (The Conservatives) is the only politician from a minority background who has been a full time member of Parliament (2001 – 2005).

Saera Kahn AP (Labour) and Akhtar Chaudhry SV (Socialistic Left) are the only current non Norwegian part-time members of Parliament.

These are the ethnic minority representatives, that have the best odds of being elected to Parliament next year. All of them are from Oslo.

1. Akhtar Chaudhry SV. He’s competing for one of the top spots on SV’s nomination list, but he’s up against well known politicians like Heidi Sørensen and Heikki Holmås.

2. Mazyar Keshvari Frp. (The Progress Party). He’s currently representing Frp in the Oslo City Counsel. The odds of him securing a Parliament position is relatively slim.

3. Saera Kahn Ap. She’ll have to compete for the 5th spot on the Oslo branch's nomination list, something that can prove to be quite tricky.

4. Afshan Rafiq H. She will have to compete for the 4th spot on the party’s nomination list. At the present time, the Oslo branch has only got three representatives in Parliament.

Source: Nrk

Hit a car and a road sign before crashing into a boom gate inside the tunnel.

2008-09-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

The police in Oslo received a phone call yesterday evening at 22.34, from a motorist who had been involved in a car crash at Granfossen near Fornebu, Oslo.

At 22.40 the police received a second telephone call informing them that the motorist involved in the previous crash, had hit a boom gate inside the Festningstunnelen (The Fortress tunnel) in the Oslo CBD, and that the driver was stuck inside the crashed car.

The driver had also managed to hit a road sign used to warn motorists of a closed lane, before he smashed into the boom gate. He is currently receiving treatment at the intensive care unit at Ullevål University Hospital. His injuries are described as serious.

- According to eyewitness reports the motorist, a man in his 30’s, was speeding, leader of operations at the Oslo police department, Tor Grøttum told Dagbladet.no.

Everything happened within a period of 3 – 4 minutes.

- The driver was stuck inside his car after crashing into the boom gate, and the car had to be cut apart to get him out, Grøttum said.

The man is currently receiving treatment at the Ullevål University Hospital. His injuries are critical, but he’s in a stable condition, according to a spokesperson from the hospital.

The police have asked for blood samples to be taken of the man, to establish whether he was driving under the influence of alcohol or any other drugs. The 35 year old driver will be charged with reckless driving by the police.

Source: Dagbladet.no

The Norwegian Post is accused of logo plagiarism

2008-09-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Post’s new logo, is almost identical to the one used by the British finance company, London Clearing House.

- The new logo used by the Norwegian Post is pure plagiarism, brand expert, Christian Sinding says.

The Norwegian Post has recently changed its company name and started using a new logo. The company has invested almost NOK 300 million on branding so far this year.

The new logo is a newer version of the old postal horn, but the royal crown has been left out. The logo is almost an exact copy of the one used by the British financial company. The only difference is the colours.

Pure plagiarism

- There is no question about it. The new logo is pure plagiarism, brand expert Christian Sinding in Brand Consulting, tells DN.no (Norwegian newspaper) after having studied both logos. He describes the case as dramatic.

- This is unacceptable. The Norwegian Post is a big reputable company. They simply can’t copy other company’s logos. The designer company ‘Grow’, has in this case simply not done a satisfactory job. The Norwegian Post should stop using this logo straight away, get a refund and demand that they design a new logo for them.

Have received a lot of criticism

Several prominent businessmen have praised the Norwegian Post for the choice of its new company name, ‘Bring’.

The new logo, however, have been heavily criticized:

Sven Skaara in Brandlab told Norwegian magazine, Kampanje, that the new logo, which is a toned down version of the old traditional yellow postal horn, reminds him of the ghastly 70’s style of architecture. He is not the only one critical of the choice of the new logo. The designer community association, ‘Grafill’, was highly critical of the Norwegian post’s decision to give the task of designing a new logo to a Swedish company. Given the fact that the Norwegian Post is a state owned company, ‘Grafill’ feels that a Norwegian company should have been given the job.

The Swedish brand designer company Grow was eventually given the job

- People can have different opinions about logos, but plagiarism is unacceptable. This is unheard of, and it needs to be stopped immediately, Christian Sinding says.

Are awaiting the situation

Spokesperson for the Norwegian Post, Kjell S. Rakkenes , says that it is the responsibility of the Swedish designer company to answer any questions relating to plagiarism.

- A company logo has to be seen in a broader context. We feel confident that the designer company has gone through a thorough and meticulous process, Rakkenes says.

- Is the company going to pursue this issue?

- No, not at the present time. We will await the situation, Kjell S. Rakkenes says after being shown copies of both logos.

‘Grow’ dismisses claims of plagiarism

The designer company ‘Grow’, categorically dismisses the criticism directed towards them.

- I’m very confident that this is not a case of plagiarism. The new design contains symbols, logos and text, and it needs to be seen in that context. The new logo is based on a newer version of the old logo. We have never seen the logo used by London Clearing House until today, creative director of ‘Grow’, Ulf Sandberg says to DN.no (Norwegian newspaper).

He has followed the debate in Norway closely, and he is aware that several individuals have expressed concern about the choice of the Norwegian Post’s new logo.

-But these are all things that we expect to come across in our line of business. There are lots of different opinions, and a willingness to look for errors. But I’m 100 percent behind the choice of the new logo, which we decided on after an intense and long process. The new logo can’t be seen as a single element, but as an integral part of the new identity of the Norwegian Post, and its twin soul, ‘Bring’, Sandberg says.

He points out that he respects that Christian Sinding may have a different opinion if he hasn’t seen the logo in a broader context.

The Death star and Pokemon

Several bloggers have also shown an interest in the new logo.

On Monday, Dagbladet.no wrote that the computer game blog ‘Joystig’, compares the new logo to the one used by the computer game ‘Marathon’ developed by the creators of ‘Halo’, and the death star which appears in the Star Wars movies. The similarity to the famous Pokemon ball has also been pointed out.

Source: NRK

More articles on the same subject: http://thenorwaymail.blogspot.com/2008/09/norwegian-post-has-spent-nok-300.html

Base jumper dies

2008-09-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

The base jumper who was stuck on a rock ledge on the Troll Wall in Romsdalen, died when he fell several hundred meters down the mountain side during a rescue attempt involving a rescue helicopter. The helicopter has now returned to base, leaving the deceased man up on the mountain. The police decided to call off the rescue attempt when it got dark.

Big rescue attempt

A big rescue attempt was launched when the accident was reported at 18.00 yesterday evening.

The police was informed about the accident shortly afterwards. A police spokesperson informed the press that they hope to bring down the man from the mountain side as quickly as possible.
Police and rescue workers have been on the scene throughout the evening.

A rescue helicopter from Ørlandet and staff from Romsdal Alpine Rescue Team, are also present at the scene, Sigvart Sivertsen, from Nordmøre and Romsdal police department said.

- We hope to bring the man down with the help of our rescue helicopter, if however this fails, we’ll have to send up climbers from the alpine rescue team, the leader of operations from Nordmøre and Romsdal police department said.

Reported the accident

Several people who witnessed the accident called the police and informed them about the accident.

According to the police, the man jumped off the mountain at Stabbeveggen, just south of the Troll Wall, in an area where base jumping is still legal.

There was recently a debate in the local media whether the police should have to expose themselves to the dangers of rescuing base jumpers who crashes into the mountain side on the famous mountain in Rauma.

At the time, the chief of police in Nordmøre and Romsdal, Arnstein Nilssen, said that he was reluctant to expose staff members to the perils of rescuing base jumpers. He pointed out that the base jumpers are in fact committing an illegal act when they decide to jump from the mountain.

Several incidents

Two climbers from the Czech Republic were rescued from the Troll-rygguta in the Troll Wall about two months ago.

In August a man from Molde was given a fine of NOK 30.000 for base jumping from the Troll Wall.

Source: NRK

DnB Nor are threatening municipalities with legal action in Terra Securities case

2008-09-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

DnB Nor will not give up on the NOK 1,5 billion loan they issued to the seven municipalities involved in the Terra scandal without a fight.

- If the municipalities decide not to honour the conditions of the loan, and pay back the instalments within the set deadlines, we’ll be forced to cancel the loan contract and demand that the municipalities pay back the entire loan immediately. If necessary we will take legal action to make sure that we get our money back, says CEO, Trond Bentestuen, in a press release.

The seven municipalities involved in the so-called Terra Scandal, informed the media on Monday that they do not intend to honour the loan commitments.

The municipalities argues that DnB Nor should have known that the loans were illegal.

- It is DnB NOR’s opinion that there is legal agreements that needs to be honoured by both parties, the bank writes in a press release.

- DnB NOR has not been involved in or offered any advise to the municipalities in relations to any of the financial investments made by the municipalities in this case. The municipalities will have to accept full responsibility, along with Terra Securities, for the consequences of their financial dispositions, the bank writes in the press release

Illegal

The Norwegian department of Justice has earlier concluded that the loans were illegal.
The municipalities borrowed approximately NOK 1,5 billion for investment purposes. After a liquidation sale and the Terra Securities bankruptcy, more than NOK 1 billion has been lost, and the municipalities are left with only NOK 434 million from the bankruptcy liquidation fund, which is the profits from the forced sale of the bank obligations.

The municipalities argues that DnB Nor has a responsibility to make sure that the loan agreements are in accordance with the law.

Not a big loss

In a worse case scenario DnB Nor will lose NOK 1 billion. This will lead to a loss of about 50 øre (approximately 10 cent US) in the value of DnB Nor stocks next year, according to Reuters, that are quoting an anonymous financial analyst.

- DnB NOR would probably contest this, but it is not a major drama for the bank. And it is definitely not a ‘killer’, the anonymous source tells Reuters.

The stock market is not concerned about the Terra Scandal. The DnB Nor stock rose by 1,9 percent to NOK 58,30, while the main index fell by 1 percent at the same time.

Source: e24.no

Marit Bjørgen hits back

2008-09-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

Marit Bjørgen hits back at critics claiming that she’s finished as a top international cross country skier.

Some sports commentators and experts have claimed that the 27 year old athlete is worn out, as a result of a too rigorous training regime, and that she is finished as an international cross country skier.

The former champion world cup cross country skier has finally decided to answer her critics.

- A lot of them have absolutely no knowledge what so ever about my training program. I personally know that they are very wrong in their criticism, and it would be very tempting to answer some of this criticism, Bjørgen says to Dagbladet.

She has deliberately refused to make any comments about it, in order to prevent unwanted publicity.- I’ve been around block a few times, and I knew that this was the only way to prevent the issue from getting even more publicity, Bjørgen says.

The girl from Rognes categorically dismisses claims that she started the preparations for this years cross country skiing season too late.

- If things work out ok in the world championship this winter, which I’m focusing all my attention on at the moment, it would hopefully be enough to silence the critics. Maybe I will answer some of the criticism later on. I’ll have to think about it, Bjørgen says.

Source: VG

Pirates attack Norwegian ship

2008-09-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

A Norwegian tanker owned by shipping tycoon John Fredriksen has become the latest target of pirates who tried to hijack it in the Gulf of Aden.

The tanker Front Voyager was sailing through the gulf Saturday morning when alert crew spotted a speed boat closing in on the vessel.

The pirates on board the speedboat, believed to be from Somalia, came up alongside the large tanker and attempted to board while firing between 10 and 15 shots, according to reports from the scene.

"Fortunately no one (on board the vessel) was hit," said Dag Christoffersen of V Ships Norway, which manages the vessel.

The crew of the Front Voyager, trained to fend off pirates, contacted the Danish naval vessel Absalon stationed in the area to fight a wave of piracy in the gulf. The Danish ship sent an armed helicopter to the Front Voyager while the tanker's crew used water canons to keep the pirates from scrambling up the sides of the ship.

"These water canons are very powerful," Christoffersen told Aftenposten.no.
The helicopter arrived, the pirates were eventually captured and taken to an American battleship also stationed nearby.

Christoffersen praised the crew of the Norwegian-owned vessel, comprised of around 25 Russian officers and Filipino seafarers. The vessel continued sailing to Singapore after the drama subsided.

The Gulf of Aden, along with the Straits of Malacca, has become a site of frequent pirate attacks, with 24 reported just between April and June. Saturday's attack on the Front Voyager was the fourth in three days, according to Jesper Lynge of the Danish navy.

Source: Aftenposten

Norwegian bishops are opposed to stricter asylum policies.

2008-09-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

Several Norwegian bishops are highly critical of the new proposed shift in asylum policies, as announced by the Norwegian Government.

Their main concern is the tightening of the rules relating to family reunification and the rights of asylum seeker children, according to Dagsavisen (Norwegian newspaper).

- I fear that the effects of the introduction of this new approach by the Norwegian Government will be a more inhuman process. Norway is one of the richest countries in the world, and we have a responsibility to help the poor, says Laila Riksaasen, bishop of Tunsberg parish.

The bishop of Agder and Telemark, Olav Skjevesland, is of the opinion that Norway should be a lot more generous in its asylum policies.

- This new approach has elements of cold heartedness, says Skjevesland.

Not very generous

The bishop of Hamar, Solveig Fiske, is especially concerned about the children.

- I’m afraid that this new policy of deterrence will lead to a very ungenerous treatment of asylum seekers.The bishop of Oslo, Ole Christian Kvarme, is highly critical of returning asylum seeker children, once they’ve turned eighteen.

- It’s important that we do our upmost to protect them, but also that we treat the children with respect when they arrive in this country, Kvarme says.

Horrified

Tor Berger Jørgensen, points out that taking the side of the weak and the oppressed is a very important element of our Christian values.

-I think it is horrific that Norway is going to introduce asylum policies that will focus on reducing the stream of asylum seekers rather than generosity, Jørgensen says to Dagsavisen (Norwegian newspaper).

The new bishop of Møre, Ingeborg Midttømme, and former biskop of Nidaros, Finn Wagle, are criticizing the Government’s proposed changes to the current asylum policies.

Mellomkirkelig råd (a Norwegian Church organization) will deliver a written protest to the Norwegian Government this coming Monday, where they express grave concerns over the proposed tightening of the Norwegian asylum policies, as announced by the Norwegian Government.

Source: VG

Man armed with a sword threatened three women in Oslo.

2008-09-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

A police hunt for the suspect has been launched, but so far he is still at large.

The police are as of late Monday night, still on the lookout for the man who intimidated three young women between the ages of 19 to 20, in front of the apartment buildings at the Granstangen housing estate, in the suburb of Furuseth in Oslo.

The women, one of whom was pushing a pram, have told the police that they perceived the incident as an assault.

- Three young women between the ages of 19 to 20, one of them pushing a pram, were accosted by a man with a sword strapped to his back. The man was aggressive, and the three girls were very frightened, says leader of operations for the police, Lasse Alver, to Dagbladet.no

The three women were terrified, but they managed to escape into one of the buildings in the estate, and none of them were hurt.

The man did not physically assault the women, according to the police.

Armed police response units were searching a large area for the man, but according to the leader of operations for the police, no observations of any possible suspects were reported.

- At the moment we’re looking after the girls, and we are searching for the armed man in the neighbourhood where the incident took place. The suspect has been described as a Pakistani man. He was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans, with the hood covering most of his face, according to the police.

The police scaled down the hunt for the man at 23.15, and so far they have still not managed to find the suspect.

Source: Dagbladet

Intensifying efforts to stamp out taxi fraud

2008-09-08T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Agency for Business Development Services (ABDS) in Oslo does not have the power to revoke taxi permits from drivers who have committed financial fraud, because this information is confidential.

The authorities are currently busy working on an amendment to the legislation that will allow the ABDS to revoke taxi permits from taxi drivers before any criminal convictions have been reached. The Oslo police department has promised to intensify their effort in cracking down on the widespread fraud plaguing the taxis community in the city. The so-called ‘Taxiteam’, a new committee made up of 16 members from the police department, the tax department and NAV (Centre link), is going to scrutinize the taxi community.

- Our goal is to clean up this mess once and for all. The co-operation between the different departments will hopefully enable us to process complaints of taxi fraud a lot quicker. And we’re not going to give up until we’ve managed to stop the extensive fraud in the taxi community in the city, chief of the Oslo Police Department, Anstein Gjengedal, says to VG (Norwegian newspaper).

Fraud is still widespread in the business, according to the tax office.A 33 year old taxi driver who was convicted of fraud 6 years ago, has once again been convicted, this time for failing to report a taxable income of approximately 1.6 million NOK to the tax department. He is still working as a taxi driver today.

He is not the only one who’s deliberately failing to report taxable incomes to the tax department. According to figures from the tax office, nine individuals convicted of fraud in the big ‘taxi raid’ in 2002, continued to work as taxi drivers after their convictions.

Out of these, six are still working as taxi drivers today. Information about tax fraud are confidential, and can’t be shared with the ABDS, the agency responsible for revoking taxi permits. As a result of this, the widespread taxi fraud among the taxi drivers in the city is allowed to continue, at least until an eventual criminal conviction has been reached.

-It is very unfortunate that these individuals have been allowed to get away with this for so long, says Jan-Egil Kristiansen, leader of the tax fraud department at the Oslo tax office.The tax office is currently preparing 40 new cases of tax fraud committed by taxi drivers, and an additional 20 cases are being looked into.

Kristiansen are proposing three major changes to the current legislation:

* The confidentially laws regarding tax fraud committed by taxi drivers must be scrapped. Five different departments are currently working on an amendment that will make it possible to revoke taxi permits before a criminal conviction has been reached.

*Introduce new and better taxi meters, and have these meters checked on an annual basis.

*The tax companies should submit yearly operating information to the tax department, and be audited once every year.

Source: VG

Four people treated for CO poisoning in Oslo

2008-09-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

Four men between the ages of 37 and 58 were taken to hospital on Sunday night after suffering CO poisoning from using a petrol driven generator in Oslo.

When the police arrived at the scene, at 23.30, they found the men lying on the sidewalk outside an old bomb shelter in St.Hanshaugen in Oslo.

- The four men were immediately rushed to Ullevål University Hospital, says Britt Børve, from the Oslo Police Department to Dagbladet.no.

The bomb shelter is currently rented out to the car parking company, Euro Park. According to police officers at the scene, the four men were hired by the company to clean the building. The men used a petrol driven generator and this resulted in a build up of CO inside the building, and the men were slowly being asphyxiated as a result of this.

The four men are in a critical, but stable condition. They are currently in the intensive care unit Ullevål sykehus.

Source: Dagbladet

Norwegians are more pessimistic than ever

2008-09-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Almost one out of three Norwegians believe that they’ll be financially worse off next year, according to a recent opinion poll. That’s an increase of almost 100 percent in 18 months.

Sales figures from shopping malls show a dramatic drop in sales. The sale of new cars have also dropped, and the real estate market has almost come to a stand still. The amount of people who intend to spend money on luxury goods, such as holiday trips, gifts or cars have dropped from 25 percent in 2006, to 16 percent in 2008, according to a recent opinion poll carried out on behalf of VG (Norwegian newspaper).

43 percent believe that their personal spending power in 2009, will remain the same as it is today. That’s identical to figures from 2006.

Editor Tom Staavi in ‘Dine Penger’ (Your Money) interprets this as sign that most Norwegians are up to date with the latest economic developments.

- These figures are completely logical, and they are a direct result of higher interest rates and lower wage increases.

Source:VG

Twenty year old male is in a critical condition after falling from 8th floor balcony

2008-09-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

A twenty year old male was critically injured after he fell from a balcony on the 8th floor of an apartment building in Majorstua in Oslo, on Saturday. The twenty year old male fell 16 meters before he hit the ground.

Ullevål University Hospital reports that the man is in a critical and unstable condition. He was still in the operating theatre as of 04.00 this morning.

The police are describing the incident as an accident

-There was a party in the apartment where the accident occurred. The twenty year old male was sitting on the handrail on the balcony when he fell, according to Vidar Hjulstad, leader of operations at the local police station in Majorstua.

According to watch duty officer Tone Bærland, the man landed on a patch of grass.

-We have interviewed all the people who attended the party, and we’ve managed to establish what happened by going through this information.

The police was informed about the accident at 23.20 on Saturday night.

Source: VG

Old timber houses are burning in Bergen.

2008-09-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

12 people have been evacuated from the old Skutevik houses.

All available fire fighting personnel in Bergen and the surrounding areas are battling to gain control of a massive blaze which has spread to several old timber houses in the Skuteviken area, in the Bergen CBD.

12 people have been evacuated, but no injuries have so far been reported.

-The fire department was notified of the fire at 04.15. At 07.30 the fire fighters at the scene had managed to contain the fire to house numbers 11 through to 14, according to leader of operations, Ragnar Lyssand, from the Hordaland Police Precinct to Dagbladet.no.

The fire started at number 13. The affected houses are used as businesses and residential dwellings.

According to BT.no, several rescue vessels and a coast guard vessel is assisting the fire fighters from the harbour which is right next to the buildings.

42 fire fighters are currently at the scene. A roof on one of the buildings has collapsed.
There is a huge plume of smoke spreading across the area.

Source: Dagbladet.no

Magnus Carlsen is currently the best chess player in the world.

2008-09-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

He is the first 17 year old chess player to achieve this. Carlsen’s exceptional feat can be compared to Bjørn Dæhlie’s achievements during a long career as a highly successful international cross country skier, the president of the Norwegian Chess Association says.

Despite his tender age of only 17, Magnus Carlsen from Lommedalen in Bærum has been somewhat of a sensation on the international chess scene for the last few years.
At the moment Carlsen is the highest ranked chess player in the world, according to Nettavisen (Norwegian online newspaper).

- This is an enormous achievement. There are a lot more people playing chess in the world than people skiing and skating, and Carlsen’s achievements in the chess world can certainly be compared to what Bjørn Dæhlie achieved as an international cross country skier, says Jøran Aulin-Jansson, president of the Norwegian Chess Association to Dagbladet.no.

- Carlsen’s achievement can also be compared to the Norwegian national football team’s victory over England in the early eighties, and the Norwegian national football team’s victory over Brazil in the FIFA World Cup in 1998.

Carlsen is even stronger than Kasparov used to be, when he was 17.

The young boy is currently 2nd in the chess tournament, Final Chess Masters, in Spain, behind Bulgarian player Véselin Topálov. Carlsen has two victories, two remis og one loss so far.

But at the Chess Live rating’s current ranking list, Carlsen is ranked number 1. This has never happened to such a young player before.

- Even Garry Kasparov, who is considered to be the best chess player of the twentieth century, was not even close to Carlsen’s level when he was that age, says Aulin-Jansson, who emphasizes that the margins dictating the chess ratings are tiny, and that the rankings could change quickly.

- A remis, or a lost game is all it takes, he says.

- Surprised if Carlsen doesn’t top the next official ranking.

On the previous official world chess ranking, the young boy from Bærum was ranked number 6.

- If the quality of his game doesn’t drop I’m confident that he will top the next official chess ranking. And after watching him play against Levon Aronian, I would almost be surprised if this doesn’t happen, Aulin-Jansson says.

The next official world chess ranking from the world’s chess federation (FIDE) is published on the 1st of October.

- Just the fact that he is among the five best players in the world is a feat in itself. We’ve never seen anything like this in Scandinavia before. I’m over the moon about this, a jubilant Aulin-Jansson says.

Facts

The five top ranked players as of 05.09-2008:

1) Magnus Carlsen, Norway- 2791,3
2) Viswanathan Anand, India - 2790,9
3) Alexander Morozevich, Russia - 2787,0
4) Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria - 2786,2
5) Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukraine - 2781,8
(Source:Chess.liverating.org)

MAGNUS ØEN CARLSEN
Born: 30. November 1990
Place of birth: Husvik in Tønsberg
Previous Titles:

2004: Winner of the C-group in Corus Chess, Wijk aan Zee
2005: 2nd place in the B-group in Corus Chess, Wijk aan Zee
2007: Shared 2nd place in the super tournament in Linares/Morelia.
-Winner of the chess tournament in Biel, Switzerland. Shared victory with the American chess player Onistjuk, who was defeated in the blitz round.
-Defeated by Levon Aronian in the quarter finale in the candidate tournament in Elista, Russia. The match ended in a draw, but Carlsen lost in the blitz round.
-Defeated by Gata Kamsky in the quarter finale in the World Championship tournament in Elista, Russland. Carlsen defeated players like Naiditsch, who is considered to be Germany’s strongest player, and he also defeated Great Britain’s strongest player, Michael Adams.
-Carlsen has previously also beaten some of the world’s strongest players in single matches.

Source: Dagbladet.no

Norwegians have some of the worst roads in Northern Europe

2008-09-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

A Swedish road safety expert, currently working for the Swedish Highway Department, is appalled by the poor standards of the Norwegian roads. In his opinion the worst road is the E6 in Gudbrandsdalen.

In a time when we’re experiencing an increase in traffic, it is especially important to improve the standards of the roads, says Ingemar Eriksson to VG Nett.

Eriksson has 20 years of experience behind him working with road safety issues in Sweden. He is currently working for the Swedish Highway Department.

He has visited Norway on a numerous of occasions, and driven on the notorious E6 road in Gudbrandsdalen.

- It is difficult to feel safe on that road. The heavier the traffic is, the more important it is for the other motorists to be patient. I don’t feel safe at all when I’m on that particular road, Eriksson says.

Recommends that a median fence gets built.

Ingemar Eriksson points out that E6 in Gudbrandsdalen is a very busy road. He would like to see a median fence being built to separate the two lanes, and eliminate the risks that the oncoming traffic poses on some of the narrower sections of the road.

-Nobody seriously believes that there isn’t enough money to build proper roads in Norway, the Swede says.

Source: VG

The Norwegian Post has spent NOK 300 million on a new company name.

2008-09-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Post will in the future be known under the name ‘Bring’ in Scandinavia. The company has so far this year spent NOK 300 million on changing their name.

The company considered more than 3000 names, before reaching their decision.

- The name ‘Bring’ was chosen because it has a relevance to our business. It is easy to pronounce and it is easy to understand in many languages, says CEO of The Norwegian Post, Elisabeth H. Gjølme.

Renewing the logo

– The name Posten (Norwegian for Post office) will not work outside Norway, because the name could easily be mistaken with other countries Postal services, says company director, Dag Mejdell.

The Norwegian Post will still use the old name in Norway, but it will renew the company logo and bring it more in line with the new ‘Bring’ logo.

The total costs involved in changing the name will exceed NOK 300 million this year alone. The company’s vans and other products will all get a makeover over a three year period

Twin souls.

The change of logos is an important investment for the future. Our Scandinavian strategy is to have a clear and strong profile, and to help our customers see the benefits of this change, says Mejdell.

The new logos contains the same symbol, but one is a mirrored image of the other, like two twin souls, The Norwegian Post writes in a press release.

The inspiration for the new logo was the old traditional postal horn, the company’s history and the company’s future development in an international market.

Source: NTB

Stoltenberg wants to spend more on road and rail construction

2008-09-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

Labour Party Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, is promising tens of billions of Norwegian Kroner to roads and railways over the next ten years.

This winter, the government will put forward its proposal for a new national transport plan for 2010 to 2019. At a meeting of the Labour Party National Committee, Stoltenberg underlined the importance of the plan and promised significant improvements in Norwegian infrastructure in the coming years.

This takes the Labour Party (AP) and the Government into an area where their ideological enemy, the Progress Party (FrP) has been active for a long time.

The Prime Minister is unwilling to admit that the Government has started its election campaign against FrP.

"Transport has always been important to AP. We need to place more emphasis on upgrading the railways and Norwegian roads," says Stoltenberg to news bureau NTB.

He would not comment on how much of the new investment would be included in next year’s national budget. Nor was he willing to say how the money would be divided between rail and road spending.

"The details will be made public in the National Transport Plan," he says.

"The economy, Norwegian jobs and the environment need significant improvements in transport infrastructure," says Roar Flåthen, head of the Norwegian trade union congress Lands Organisasjonen.

Stoltenberg said Thursday that three measures have to taken in order to achieve improved infrastructure: government spending has to be increased, projects have to be carried out more efficiently by ensuring continuity in funding and sufficiently large projects, also capacity and competition in the construction industry has to improve.

Centre Party Transport Minister, Liv Signe Navarsete, wants to take money from the Norway's sovereign global investment fund and turn foreign shares into physical assets in the form of transport infrastructure.

When asked what she specifically wants to use this oil revenue to build, she answers that she wants to build Kyststamveien, a system of roads to improve communications on the west coast, as well as railways around Oslo.

Source: Aftenposten.no

Threatening Telenor with legal action to gain control over company.

2008-09-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Nobel peace prize recipient, Muhammad Yunus, is considering taking legal action against Norwegian telecom company Telenor, to gain full control over its sister company, Grameen phone.

Dissapointed

Muhammad Yunus, is a co-owner of the company, and he reacted strongly when he saw pictures of child workers in one of the plants owned by one Grameen phone’s sub contractor in Bangladesh.

- Neither I nor Grameen phone can accept this conduct. Twice the authorities in Bangladesh have found the company not to be in compliance with the current legislation of the country, Yunus writes in a press release.

Muhammed Yunus was in a meeting with Telenors CEO, Jon Fredrik Baksaas in Oslo last Thursday. Before the meeting Yunus told TV2 that he was dissapointed about these latest revelations.

- Telenor assured me that they would sort out these issues, but this has not happened. I had hoped that the company would be more selective and careful when chosing their business partners in Bangladesh after this, Yunus told TV2.

-Will look into working conditions

Chairman of the board of directors in Telenor, Harald Norvik, promised after the meeting to look into the working conditions for workers employed by distributors and sub contractors, according to NTB (Norwegian News Service).

- The board of directors are happy with the current business conduct of Telenor in Bangladesh, but it is unrealistic to expect us to single handedly change the Bangladeshi society.

It was NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) that uncovered the use of child labour in one of the factories owned by one of Telenor’s sub contractors in the country. The TV channel claims that they have pictures and video footage proving this from a plant in Dhaka in Bangladesh

The footage shows children under the age of 14 manufacturing parts for mobile telephone masts.

Telenor owns 62 prosent of the shares in Grameen phone.

Source: Dagbladet

Academic posts reserved for women

2008-09-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Minister for Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland, is willing to break European rules by reintroducing academic positions reserved for women.

Tora Aasland plans to discriminate in favour of women, in order to promote sex equality in academia.

Aasland confirmed that next year's national budget will contain money earmarked academic posts reserved for women, during an annual lecture at the University of Oslo.

She pointed out that women still have far to go before they can compete on equal terms with men in academia, particularly in science and technology subjects.

"We used this method in the 1990's and I believe that this is why we had so many women doing post-doctoral work when the scheme was ended in 2003. I hope that earmarked funds will be a useful tool," says Aasland.

The last scheme was stopped because the EFTA court, whose rulings apply to members of the European Economic Area, banned the allocation of professor's jobs according to sex. As a result of this the new scheme will focus on short-term positions, such as Ph.D and post-doctoral jobs.
Aasland says that the Government will continue to lobby the EU in order to lift the ban against allocating professorships specifically to women.

Source: Aftenposten

Will not make any promises.

2008-09-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Minister of Transportation, Liv Signe Navarsete, are not willing to give any promises to struggling Norwegian ferry company Hurtigruten.

The Minister of Transportation had a meeting with the management of Hurtigruten this Thursday.

- The Transportation Department will address the issues presented to us at this meeting, and we are going to consult with the other members of the Government before we reach a final decision, Navarsete said.

When asked about what could be done to save the company, she said :

- In the short term we’ll have to look at a compensation for the increase in fuel prices. In the long run we’ll have to renegotiate the existing contract with the company.

Navaresete told NA 24 Bergen that one possible consequence of the financial difficulties the company is currently in, is that some ports will no longer receive ships on a daily basis.

- What is your view on the current crisis in Hurtigruten?

- With the current budget deficits, the company is without a doubt in a very difficult financially situation. But this is not the Governments fault. The current contract with the company was agreed upon by two equal parties.

- Hurtigruten has recently spent a lot of money on upgrading its fleet, and this has contributed to the budget deficit.

Navarsete doesn’t want to make any comments on the previous management of the company.

- But, my personal experience is that the new management is very pragmatic and are willing to make the necessary economic changes.

The reason why the company asked for a meeting with the Minister of Transportation, is the difficult economic situation that they are currently in.

CEO of Hurtigruten, Olav Fjell, was very happy with the meeting, which he describes as positive.
- I’m very pleased that the Minister of Transportation was willing to listen to our concerns and with the fact that she promised to contribute to reach a solution. What is important now is to come up with a plan that we all can agree on, he said.

During the first 6 months of the year the company lost NOK 186 millions, and traditionally the last 6 months of the year are always the worst ones. Hurtigruten has so far this year been the biggest loser on the Norwegian Stock Exchange, suffering a net loss of nearly 56 percent.

Many commentators feel that the new criteria set out by the Government is the only way to save the company from bankruptcy.

The Minister of Transportation held a press conference after the meeting to inform the media about the result of the meeting.

Source: BT

Labour is closing the gap on FRP (The Progress Party)

2008-09-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Labour Party saw a 3.1 percent increase in popularity in a recent political poll. The party now enjoys a 29.3 percent approval rating in the population.

The Frp (The Progress Party) saw a 1.5 percent drop in support in the same poll, but it is still the largest political party in Norway.

The FRP received a 30.7 percent approval rating in the political poll carried out by Norstat in August this year, on behalf of NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). The two political parties are now almost equal in size, one year ahead of the next general election.

Prime minister Jens Stoltenberg (Labour) is a careful optimist.

– I’m very pleased with the result of the poll. It confirms that it is possible for the coalition parties to win next years general election, Stoltenberg told NRK.

Despite Labour’s sudden jump in popularity, the two other coalition parties, SV (Socialistic Left) and SP (The Centre Party), are losing voters, and had this been the election result, the conservative parties would have secured a solid majority in Parliament.

SV received a 6 percent over all approval rating in the poll, a loss of 1 percent. SP only received 5.5 percent, an increase of 0.5 percent. The poll gives the coalition parties 73 seats in Parliament, and 96 seats for the four conservative parties.

Høyre (The Conservative Party) also performed poorly in the poll. The party only got a 13.8 over all approval rating, a loss of 2.4 percent compared with the result from the previous poll carried out by Norstat.

KrF (The Christian Party) received 6.5 percent, an increase of 0.7 percent, while Venstre (The Liberals) received 5.4 percent, an increase of 0.3 percent.

Source: BT

Svein Mathisen is furious about Erik Mykland article in VG.

2008-09-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

The manager of Start football club, Svein Mathisen, is furious after VG yesterday chose to publish excerpts from a private telephone conversation where former national football star Erik Mykland allegedly made arrangements to purchase drugs from a drug dealer.

VG broke the story about Mykland’s alleged drug purchase on Wednesday.

The newspaper published excerpts from a telephone conversation Mykland had with a well known drug dealer. In this conversation Mykland allegedly made arrangements to buy cocaine.

The manager of Start Football Club, Svein Mathisen, is stunned.

- I am very shocked. This is unheard of, and it most certainly violates Norwegian confidentiality laws. Whatever crime Mykland is guilty of pales in comparison to what has happened here, Mathisen says to TV2.

- The people behind this leak, whether it’s the local police or the lawyer, should sort out their own mess. This is a very serious matter. We can’t allow incidents like this to take place in our society. We can’t accept that private telephone conversations are reprinted word by word in the media. Whoever’s responsible for this should lose their job.

- What actions are the club going to pursue?

- We will have to discuss this, because this is the worst case of media harassment I’ve ever seen. Erik has received a very unfair treatment. The impression that the readers are left with after having read the article in VG, is that it is David Toska (notorious Norwegian criminal) who’s been caught buying drugs, and not Erik. The newspaper chose to reveal the identity of Erik, but the drug dealer’s identity is kept secret. You can’t even tell if it is a man or a woman when you look at the picture printed in the paper, Mathisen says angrily.

- The former football player understands that this particular case gets the media’s attention, but he urges the media to respect Mykland’s privacy.

- I have been a journalist myself, and I understand that VG is excited about a big story like this. But they need to show some consideration for Mykland’s closest family. In this case the hunger for a big story simply got out of hand. I saw the same raw cynicism and hunger for a story on the TV 2 news last night.

- Will this incident have an impact on Mykland’s eventual comeback as a football player?

- I can’t promise you that it won’t, but I don’t believe that it will. We are going to ride this storm out.

Source: VG

Government tries to limit stream of refugees to Norway

2008-09-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

Faced with record numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Norway, the government on Wednesday announced moves to make it harder for them to stay in the country. Refugee sympathizers were shocked by the moves.

They include politicians from one of the government's own coalition parties, the Socialist Left. It opposed moves to make it harder to win asylum in Norway, but party leaders said it was "impossible" to come to terms with its two other government partners, Labour and the Center Party.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg from Labour and his party colleague Dag Terje Andersen, the minister in charge of immigration issues, said it was "necessary to limit the number of asylum seekers who have no need for protection" in Norway.

He noted that while 6,500 would-be refugees arrived in Norway last year, around 15,000 are expected this year. The country of 4.5 million residents is having trouble absorbing them all.
Stoltenberg and Andersen presented a 13-point plan to tighten asylum policies. Cases will be handled, for example, on an individual basis and asylum won't be automatic simply because an applicant comes from a troubled country.

Norway will also more closely follow other European countries’ asylum policies, and families will only be reunited if a successful asylum seeker undergoes four years of education or work experience in Norway.

The government also intends to send more asylum seekers back to the country where they first sought asylum. Most refugees already have applied for asylum elsewhere before landing in Norway.

'Shocked'The new policy has caused dissension within the government. "I'm shocked and think this is very uncomfortable," said Rolf Reikvam of the Socialist Left. He referred further questions to party leader Kristin Halvorsen.

Halvorsen confirmed her party disagreed with the government's new policy and said it would exercise its right to dissension when it needed to propose a law change on the family reunification issue.

"It was unfortunately impossible for us to agree on two points, one involving how children would be treated and another regarding how closely we'll follow UN guidelines for refugees," Halvorsen said.

She conceded the disagreement was "very serious," but claimed her party colleagues weren't demanding that SV leave the government because of it.

Source: Aftenposten

Can’t survive on NOK 320 000 a year

2008-09-03T03:47:00.000-07:00

Police officers are leaving the force in droves, heading for better paid jobs in the private sector.

Many police officers are resigning from the police force because they simply feel that they can’t manage to survive on a meagre police salary.

Twelve highly experienced police officers in the Bergen region resigned last year, according to NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation).

The salary of a newly graduated police officer is NOK 320 000.

The majority of those who resign find jobs in the private sector, where they experience a substantial increase in pay, and get to work more normal hours.

Director of the Police Ingelin Killengreen, admits that it is a problem that more police officers are leaving the force now than earlier. (NTB)

Source: Dagbladet

Hardly any of the asylum seekers arriving in Norway have passports

2008-09-03T03:45:00.000-07:00

95 percent of the asylum seekers arrive without a passport, and as a result of this Norway has no idea which country to return them to.

There has been a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Norway in the last twelve months. And despite loud demands of a swift repatriation for the individuals concerned by some politicians, the Norwegian police department responsible for handling these cases, are experiencing difficulties.

The difficulties stem from the fact that the majority of the asylum seekers do not possess a passports or travel documents. This makes the identification a very painstaking and time consuming process.

And even after a presumed correct identification has been made, it’s not a straight forward process to deport the asylum seeker. The presumed native country of the asylum seeker will first have to agree to the repatriation of the asylum seeker, and that means that the native country will have to issue a passport for the person in question.

- It is a very painstaking process to repatriate an asylum seeker. Not all countries have the ability to verify the authenticity of the alleged identity of the asylum seeker, says spokesman for the police department responsible for asylum seekers, Roar Hansen.

A lot of asylum seekers, especially those from Eritrea, try to prevent a positive identification by cutting, grinding or burning their fingertips. This however is useless, as the police will arrest those individuals who resort to using those methods, and keep them in police custody until their scars have healed and their fingerprints can be taken, a process that normally takes three weeks.

Source: Dagbladet

Energy crisis puts pressure on Norway

2008-09-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

The global shortage of oil could change Norwegian foreign policy. The increasing need for energy resources could mean a tougher role for Norway in the world, according to a new book, co-authored by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

The book, put out by the Department of Foreign Affairs, is titled "Norwegian Interests" (Norske interesser).

It states that as one of the world's leading oil exporters, Norway finds itself in the midst of the fight for energy.

This could lead to a far larger pressure on Norway from various sides.

- We find ourselvs in an exposed situation, since we are neighbours with Russia, not a member of the EU and in alliance with the US. We will become even more in the spotlight, and must be prepared for the global conflict situaton which could arise, says Leiv Lunde, another co-author of the book to NRK.

Source: Norway Post

New signs emerge of a weakening economy

2008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Purchase orders are falling off, experts think the housing market is heading into a lengthy period of decline and economic growth is likely to be lower than expected. As the price of oil slipped below USD 110 a barrel on Tuesday, gloomier economic predictions are emerging for Norway as well.

Norway's building boom of the past few years is already tapering off.

Just last week, some forecasters claimed Norway wouldn't be so adversely affected by the financial turbulence spreading around most of the rest of the world. On Tuesday, however, came a string of reports suggesting otherwise.

A Norwegian purchasing managers' index (PMI), for example, fell in August to its lowest level since the index began, reported Reuters. That pointed to a further slowdown in industry in the third quarter, according to data released Tuesday.

The seasonally adjusted index fell to 48.4 points in August from 51.7 points in July, the Norwegian purchasing managers and logistics association NIMA and Fokus Bank said in a statement. The index goes back to February 2004 and is down from a peak of 63.2 points registered in November 2006.

"This is the lowest index value measured," NIMA and Fokus Bank reported. "It may therefore seem that industrial activity will fall in the third quarter," they said, but added that uncertainties around the July figures meant that caution was needed in interpreting the trend.

Housing market fallingAnother round of statistics came out this week, meanwhile, showing declines in real estate prices in many key markets around Norway. Seasonally adjusted prices overall were down by 1.1 percent, reported the Norwegian real estate brokers’ association (Norges Eiendomsmeglerforbund).

Several economists interviewed by Aftenposten think the Norwegian housing market is in for a period of sustained decline. "More economic factors are pointing downwards," said Hans Petter Skogstad of Makrosikt, which predicts average housing prices will be down 2.5 percent by the end of the year, and another 4 percent by the end of 2009.

People are more pessimistic, he believes, and sellers face a bleak market this autumn. Nordea Markets, meanwhile, thinks the Norwegian economy will grow at a slower rate than earlier predicted, and that the danger of an abrupt slowdown has increased.

Interest rates may still riseNordea now predicts GNP growth from mainland activities (excluding offshore energy resources) of 2.9 percent this year and 1.4 percent next year, down from 3.4 percent and 1.8 percent predicted last spring.

Nordea's economists point to weaker domestic demand and export growth. Their outlooks for the economies of neighbouring Sweden and Europe are also considerably weaker than they were in April.

Nordea nonetheless predicts that Norway's central bank will boost interest rates at least once more before the end of the year, to 6 percent, because inflation is higher than expected and the Norwegian crown is weakening. Nordea predicts a core inflation rate of 2,6 prosent this year and 2.5 prosent next year, up from 2.3 og 2.5 percent respectively in its last economic report.

Source: Aftenposten.no

Parliament launches external pension probe

2008-09-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian Parliament agreed Tuesday to set up an independent commission to investigate its own controversial pension system. Critics think it's too little, too late.

A pension uproar broke out last week at the Norwegian Parliament.

The parliamentary authorities are under pressure after the leader of the left-wing Red Party reported six former members of parliament to the police, charging them with possible pension fraud.

"Some of them should be put behind bars," party leader Torstein Dahle told news bureau NTB on Monday. He's among many politicians calling for a reform of the parliament's generous pension benefits.

Dahle's move raised the level of conflict over the controversial pension system, which also has been called "complicated" and "open to interpretation." Politicians have disagreed themselves over how its benefits can be paid out, and who's eligible for what.

The conflict broke loose last week after news emerged that state auditors were claiming that several former MPs had collected millions of kroner worth of pension benefits to which they weren't entitled.

The commission will now review all cases highlighted by state auditors, along with all pension payments issued in accordance with a controversial provision that can allow politicians as young as 47 to retire with full benefits.

The commission will also be asked to examine the entire pension system, which the president of the parliament, Thorbjørn Jagland, has suggested may be outdated.

Jagland also said he was sorry that several former MPs had been singled out and criticized over the amount of pension benefits they'd collected, before they were given a chance by the parliament to respond to auditors' charges of overpayments.

Source : Aftenposten.no