16

Sep

Norway to help ease pain of rocketing power prices on businesses

OSLO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Norway's government on Friday presented a long-awaited package of loans and subsidies to help curb the impact of sky-high power prices for businesses, the latest move by a European country to help ease the energy crunch. Governments across the region have been racing to present measures to protect consumers and industry from more expensive energy bills. The subsidy scheme will cover companies whose power costs exceeded 3% of revenues in the first half of 2022, costing in total 3 billion Norwegian crowns ($292.50 million), Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre told a news conference. "On the…

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12

Sep

Norway PM says cap on gas price won’t solve Europe’s shortage

OSLO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Norway and the European Union have agreed to a closer dialogue on proposals to resolve Europe's energy crisis, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday following a telephone meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We're going into the talks with an open mind but are sceptical towards a maximum price on natural gas," Stoere said in a statement. "A maximum price would not solve the fundamental problem, which is that there is too little gas in Europe." EU energy ministers last week asked the European Commission to propose broad gas…

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07

Sep

Norway PM says open to discussing EU gas agreements, price cap – FT

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Norway is open to discussing potential long-term gas agreements and price caps with European partners to help ease the energy crisis, the country's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told the Financial Times on Wednesday. Norway has already increased gas supplies to Europe by 10% this year and wants to be recognized as a "predictable and long-term" partner, FT's report said. "I fully understand that Europe now has a profound debate about how energy markets work, how they can secure more affordable prices for citizens, families, industries, and how this shortfall of gas after Putin's aggression can…

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20

Aug

Norway’s power grid operator cuts its tariffs to zero to help consumers

OSLO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Norway's state-owned power grid operator Statnett said on Friday it would extend its policy of making no charge for use of its grid until the end of 2023 to cushion customers from high electricity prices. Statnett had said in February it would not charge consumption tariffs from April until the end of 2022 after record high electricity prices drove up its income from distributing power in Norway and to neighbouring countries.  That policy was now extended to the end of 2023, it said. It also said it would set another tariff it usually charges its customers relating to losses…

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17

Aug

Norway’s wealth fund loses $174 bln in first half of 2022

OSLO, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, made a loss of 1.68 trillion Norwegian crowns ($174 billion) in the first half of 2022, it said on Wednesday, as stocks and bonds were hit by global recession fears and rampant price inflation. The $1.3 trillion fund's return on investment was a negative 14.4% for the January-June period, although that was 1.14 percentage points ahead of the return on its benchmark index. "The market has been characterised by rising interest rates, high inflation, and war in Europe," said Chief Executive Nicolai Tangen of Norges Bank Investment Management,…

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10

Aug

Norway’s core inflation rises more than expected

OSLO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Norway's core inflation jumped in July to its highest level in more than two decades, exceeding forecasts as the costs of food soared 7.6%, Statistics Norway data showed on Wednesday. Core inflation, which strips out changing energy prices and taxes, rose 4.5% year-on-year, up from 3.6% in June, exceeding expectations in a Reuters poll of analysts predicting price growth of 3.8%. Headline inflation, which also includes energy prices, rose to 6.8%, while analysts had predicted a rise of 6.3%. Norway's crown currency strengthened on the news, trading at 9.91 against the euro at 0603 GMT from 9.93 just ahead of…

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05

Aug

Norway’s King Harald hospitalised with fever

OSLO, (Reuters) - Norway's King Harald is in hospital with a fever, the royal household said in a statement. The 85-year-old monarch was in a stable condition, the palace said. The king, who has been on the throne for 31 years, has suffered from a number of health problems recently, including Covid, knee surgery in 2021 and respiratory problems the year before. The king, whose duties are mostly symbolic, also underwent surgery in 2003 for bladder cancer, then another operation in 2005 for heart valve problems, a valve which was replaced in another operation in 2020. Despite his health issues,…

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25

Jul

Photo Story – Freya the walrus lounging in Norway

Freya the walrus in Frognerkilen bay, Norway. A 1,500-pound walrus named Freya has been lounging on boats off the coast of Norway, often damaging them and causing some to sink, after trying to get on and relax on them. EPA-EFE/TROND REIDAR TEIGEN

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04

Jul

UPDATED: SAS warns survival at stake as pilots strike over wages

STOCKHOLM, July 4 (Reuters) - Wage talks between Scandinavian airline SAS  and its pilots collapsed on Monday, triggering a strike that puts the future of the carrier at risk as the summer vacation period begins. After months of acrimony between employers and unions across Europe, the action is the first major airline strike to hit when the industry is seeking to capitalise on the first full rebound in leisure travel following the pandemic. "This is very bad news," SAS CEO Anko van der Werff told reporters. A strike could cost SAS some 80 million to 90 million Danish crowns ($11.2 million-$12.6 million) per…

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02

Jul

SAS and its pilots extend wage talks until Monday

STOCKHOLM, July 2 (Reuters) - Scandinavian airline SAS and its pilots have agreed to extend their wage talks until Monday in the hope of averting a strike, a company executive told reporters on Saturday. Close to 1,000 pilots in Denmark, Sweden and Norway plan to strike if talks break down, according to the unions, which SAS had said could leave some 30,000 passengers stranded each day.  "We need to sleep, none of us have slept for a really long time," SAS' lead negotiator Marianne Hernaes told reporters after the latest round of talks which ran through the night. A strike would comes at a…

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30

Jun

Russia threatens retaliation against Norway over access to Arctic islands

Russia said that restrictions imposed by Norway were blocking goods for Russian-populated settlements on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, and threatened unspecified "retaliatory measures" unless Oslo resolves the issue. Svalbard, midway between Norway's north coast and the North Pole, is part of Norway, but Russia has the right to exploit the archipelago's natural resources under a treaty signed in 1920, and some settlements there are populated mainly by Russians. Norway, which is not in the EU but applies EU sanctions against Russia, has said sanctions would not affect the transport of goods by ship to Svalbard. But much of the…

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26

Jun

Photo Story: Norway in mourning after fatal Oslo shooting

People lay flowers and rainbow flags next to a crime scene in the aftermath of the shootings in the center of Oslo, Norway. Two people were killed and at least 21 were injured when a gunman fired shots outside the London Pub, a gay bar and nightclub, and surrounding areas. The man was detained shortly after and charged with murder and terrorism. Investigators said the suspect, identified as a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran. The annual Pride Parade and related events in Oslo, scheduled for 25 June, were called off for security reasons. The deadly rampage by a gunman…

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25

Jun

Gunman opens fire at Oslo gay bar, killing two on Pride parade day

OSLO (Reuters) - A gunman went on a terrifying rampage in a gay bar and the surrounding streets in Oslo on Saturday, killing two people and injuring more than 20 on the day the city's LGBTQ community was due to celebrate its annual Pride parade. The attack took place in the early hours, with victims shot inside and outside the London Pub, a well-known gay bar and nightclub open since 1979, as well as at one other bar in the centre of the Norwegian capital. "Many people were crying and screaming, the injured were screaming, people were distressed and scared…

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18

Jun

Photo Story: Belated birthday celebrations for Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexandra

Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra toasts as she delivers a speech next to King Harald (R) during the gala dinner celebrating her 18th birthday at the Palace in Oslo, Norway, on Friday. Princess Ingrid Alexandra turned 18 on 21 January 2022. The celebrations were postponed until June due to the infection situation and the coronavirus restrictions. EPA-EFE/Hakon Mosvold Larsen / POOL

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03

Jun

Photo Story: Sculpture The Mother placed outside Oslo Munch Museum.

The sculpture 'The Mother' by British artist Tracey Emin is lifted into its place outside of the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. Via EPA-EFE/Heiko Junge

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21

May

Earthquake hits north of Norway’s Svalbard

OSLO, May 21 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6 earthquake struck north of the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard on Saturday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said, though police said there were no reports of any injuries or damage. The quake happened 725 km (450 miles) north of Svalbard at a depth of 2 km, EMSC said. "We have had no reports of any incident," a police spokesperson at the Svalbard governor's office told Reuters. He added there were usually "many ships" sailing around the island, but did not know how many there were at the moment. "As of now we have no…

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20

May

UPDATED: Two people stabbed in case of domestic violence in Norway

OSLO (Reuters) -A Syrian man stabbed and wounded his wife and another man in a small village in southeast Norway on Friday, police said, adding that the attack was a domestic dispute and there was no danger to others. The two victims and the attacker were all wounded in the attack, which had triggered a major response by emergency services fearing a larger incident, and one of the victims was in a critical condition, police said. “The initial victim was a woman married to the attacker,” a police spokesperson told reporters. “There is no longer danger to other people.” Officials…

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11

May

Norway to ramp up offshore wind in drive to go green

OSLO, May 11 (Reuters) - Norway unveiled plans on Wednesday for a major expansion in offshore wind energy by 2040, aiming to turn a country that has built its wealth on oil and gas into an exporter of renewable electricity. The centre-left government, which has come under fire from environmentalists for continuing to support the oil and gas industry, set a target to develop 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2040. "This would nearly double our power output," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. Norway, which says the world still needs its oil in gas during the…

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03

May

Norway sovereign wealth fund CEO warns of rocky times

Norway's $1.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, expects difficult market conditions in the time to come, affected by geopolitical events and inflation, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Inflation, already on the rise before the conflict in Ukraine, has continued to increase, while interest rates are still very low and share prices remain high, said Nicolai Tangen. "The geopolitical consequences of the war are difficult to predict, but we probably face the greatest changes for 30 years," he said told a parliamentary hearing. "There is little doubt that growing frictions between superpowers and a reversal of globalisation will affect the…

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29

Apr

Norway shuts borders, ports to Russian goods, exempts fishing vessels

OSLO, April 29 (Reuters) - Norway will close its borders and ports to Russian trucks and ships, joining sanctions imposed by the European Union over the war in Ukraine, the Norwegian foreign ministry said on Friday. Russian fishing vessels, which often land their catch at ports in northern Norway, will receive exemptions from sanctions. Norway's Arctic Svalbard archipelago, which operates under a 1920s treaty allowing expanded foreign access, will also be exempted, the ministry said.

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23

Mar

NATO Arctic drill takes on new significance after Russia invasion of Ukraine

EVENES, Norway, March 23 (Reuters) - The scenario for the NATO military exercise in the Arctic circle has been similar for years now: Norway is attacked by a fictional country, triggering the alliance's collective defense clause and leading to troops from the United States and more than a dozen partners coming to the defense of the country. But this year, the bi-annual exercise, known as Cold Response, has taken on an added significance for some of the roughly 3,000 U.S. Marines taking part in it because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Corporal Sean Galigan, a 21-year Marine from New Jersey who is…

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19

Mar

Four Americans die as military aircraft crashes in Norway

OSLO (Reuters) -All four people on board a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in northern Norway on Friday have died, local police said on Saturday. The MV-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps was taking part in a military exercise called Cold Response when it crashed in a remote region. Rescue services reached the crash site by land early on Saturday after helicopters were unable to land due to poor weather conditions. "Police reached the crash site at around 0130 CET (0030 GMT). It is regrettably confirmed that all four on board the plane have perished," Ivar Bo…

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18

Mar

Norway economy faces negative impact from Ukraine war, statistics agency says

OSLO, March 18 (Reuters) - The Norwegian economy has recovered from the coronavirus pandemic but now faces a negative impact from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Statistics Norway (SSB) said as it released fresh forecasts on Friday. "The war in Ukraine is significantly curbing the growth outlook for our trading partners in Europe, which in turn is having a negative impact on the Norwegian economy," the agency said. The Norwegian central bank will likely hike rates four times this year and once next year, hitting 1.75% by the end of 2023, SSB added. Gross domestic product (GDP) for the mainland economy, which excludes…

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18

Mar

Norway prepares for up to 100,000 Ukraine refugees, PM says

OSLO, March 18 (Reuters) - Norway believes the country will receive around 30,000 Ukrainian refugees this year but is preparing for a situation in which up to 100,000 may arrive as more people flee the Russian invasion, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told parliament on Friday. If arrivals in Norway were to approach the highest of those forecasts, the nation of 5.4 million people would have to house refugees in sports arenas, warehouses and even tents, he added. "That's not the most probable outcome but we must have plans and be prepared because it could happen," Stoere said. Refugees who…

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14

Mar

UK to host Baltic, Nordic leaders to find new ways to isolate Russia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host leaders from countries along Russia's northwestern flank to discuss ways they can respond to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including finding new ways to isolate Russia's economy. The leaders from countries in the Joint Expeditionary Force, a British-led grouping made up of Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will meet for talks in London on Tuesday. The leaders are expected to agree to more military exercises in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea and will discuss the war in Ukraine and energy security, Johnson's office said.…

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14

Mar

Norway government says economy booming, must curb spending

OSLO, March 14 (Reuters) - The Norwegian economy is booming and public spending must be constrained in order to prevent interest rates from rising even faster than signalled by the central bank, the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday. Mainland gross domestic product (GDP), excluding the impact from Norway's oil production, is now expected to grow by 3.6% in 2022, slightly less than the 3.8% forecast made in October.  "Now that the Norwegian economy is booming, we must hold back on fiscal spending. If not, the economy could overheat and give even higher inflation and call for even higher interest rates," Finance…

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14

Mar

NATO launches defence exercise in Norway

Some 30,000 troops, 200 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 nations will take part in the Cold Response 2022 exercise in Norway on March 14, the largest exercise involving NATO troops this year. The manoeuvres will enable Western nations to hone their combat skills in Norway’s cold climate, including in the Arctic, on the ground, at sea and in the skies. The exercise will be held just a few hundred kilometres from the Russian border, and while it was planned long before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, it now has added significance because of the war. The guardian of NATO’s northern…

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02

Mar

Norway bans Russian alcohol

OSLO, (Reuters) - Norwegian liquor stores are removing Russian-made alcoholic beverages from their shelves following the invasion of Ukraine, Norway's alcohol monopoly revealed. Vinmonopolet's shops are the only ones allowed to sell wine and hard liquor in Norway, except for duty-free stores at airports. The ban means that Russian vodka will no longer be on sale at Vinmonopolet's stores and that customers will no longer be able to buy Russia-made wines and beers that had been available on order. "This is a decision taken because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," a spokesperson for the monopoly told Reuters. The move…

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14

Feb

Arctic seed vault to receive rare deposits

OSLO  (Reuters) - A vault built on an Arctic mountainside to preserve the world's crop seeds from war, disease and other catastrophes will receive new deposits on Monday, including one from the first organisation that made a withdrawal from the facility. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, on Spitsbergen island halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is only opened a few times a year to limit its seed banks' exposure to the outside world. On Monday, gene banks from Sudan, Uganda, New Zealand, Germany and Lebanon will deposit seeds, including millet, sorghum and wheat, as back-ups to their own…

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12

Feb

Norway to end most pandemic curbs

OSLO, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Norway will scrap nearly all its remaining COVID-19 lockdown measures as high levels of coronavirus infections are unlikely to jeopardise health services, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Saturday. The Nordic country, which removed most curbs on Feb. 1, will still keep some rules for the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The new rules will take effect from Saturday at 1000 CET (0900 GMT). "We are removing almost all coronavirus measures," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. "The coronavirus pandemic is no longer a major health threat to most of us. The…

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04

Feb

UPDATED: Stoltenberg says fully committed to NATO until his term ends

OSLO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will devote his full attention to leading the alliance until his term expires at the end of September, he told a news conference on Friday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will become Norway's new central bank chief, the government said on Friday, despite opposition worries that the appointment of the former prime minister could weaken Norges Bank's independence. While the job is open from March 1, Stoltenberg has said he would first serve out his term at NATO, which runs until Sept. 30. Norges Bank separately said it expects the new…

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02

Feb

Norway bans breeding of British Bulldog and King Charles Cavalier spaniel over cruelty to animals

A court in Norway this week ruled that breeding British Bulldogs should be illegal in the country, effectively banning the historic breed. In a landmark ruling, Oslo Discrict Court ruled that breeding the dog contravened the country’s Animal Welfare Act, effectively banning the dog in the country. “This is first and foremost a victory for our dogs," said Åshild Roaldset, the vet who leads Animal Protection Norway, the animal rights group which took the case to court. "It is a historic verdict that attracts international attention. The man-made health problems of the bulldog have been known since the early 20th…

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02

Feb

Norway ends most curbs despite rising COVID infections

Norway will scrap most of its remaining COVID-19 lockdown measures with immediate effect as a spike in coronavirus infections is unlikely to jeopardise health services, the prime minister said. Restaurants will again be allowed to serve alcohol beyond 11 o'clock at night, working from home will no longer be mandatory and the limit of 10 visitors in private homes will be removed, Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. "Even if many more people are becoming infected, there are fewer who are hospitalised. We're well protected by vaccines. This means that we can relax many measures even as infections are…

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01

Feb

Court rejects mass killer Breivik’s parole application

A Norwegian court has rejected mass killer Anders Behring Breivik's parole application, it said in a ruling on Tuesday, ordering that he must stay in prison. Breivik, an anti-Muslim neo-Nazi, killed 77 people in Norway's worst peacetime atrocity in July 2011. He killed eight with a car bomb in Oslo and then gunned down 69, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party youth camp. "The risk of violence is real and significant and equal to what it was when (Breivik) was first sentenced," the district court in Telemark said in a unanimous verdict. Breivik, 42, is serving Norway's maximum…

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17

Jan

High gas prices push Norway’s December trade surplus to record

OSLO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Norway's trade surplus rose to a new record in December, boosted by soaring prices for its natural gas exports, national statistics agency data showed on Monday. The December surplus hit 106 billion Norwegian crowns ($12.09 billion), beating a previous record of 84.5 billion set in October. With a daily output of around 4 million barrels of oil equivalent, almost equally divided between oil and natural gas, Norway has been a winner from the spike in global energy prices. Exports totalled 181.8 billion crowns last month, of which 52% of came from natural gas and 19%…

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14

Jan

Norway will start COVID vaccination for children aged 5-11, government says

OSLO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Norway will offer COVID-19 vaccines to all children aged 5 years and above, the government said on Friday. It had previously only offered vaccines to children aged 12 and older. "We are following the National Institute of Public Health's (FHI) recommendation, and will offer free vaccination to children where parents and guardians want it," Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol said in a statement. Some 90% of adults in Norway have received at least two vaccine doses against COVID-19, according to FHI data. (Reporting by Victoria Klesty, editing by Terje Solsvik)

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14

Jan

Norway eases COVID rules

The Norwegian government will partly reverse a ban on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants, one of several policy changes as it seeks to relax COVID-19 restrictions, the prime minister said. "We can ease some restrictions, but not all," Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. Bars and restaurants will be able to serve alcoholic drinks until 11 p.m. local time (2200 GMT), a partial reversal the total ban introduced in December which has hit the Nordic country's hospitality industry hard. An outbreak of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in late November was traced back to a super spreader…

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10

Jan

Norway to further raise household electricity subsidy

OSLO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Norway's minority government plans to further increase its subsidy for household electricity bills amid a spike in winter season power prices, the energy ministry said. A rise in the cost of electricity to record highs, part of a Europe-wide surge, has put pressure on the centre-left government to find ways to cushion the blow. The coalition of the Labour Party and the Centre Party first introduced a subsidy in December, but opposition critics had said that scheme was insufficient. The cost of the plan will now rise to an estimated 8.9 billion Norwegian crowns ($1.01…

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08

Jan

Electric cars take two-thirds of Norway car market, led by Tesla

The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48%, ensuring that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery powered and making Texas-based Tesla Inc the top selling brand. Seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on rivals using internal combusion engines (ICE). Tesla grabbed an 11.5% share the overall car market, making it the number one brand for the first time on a full-year basis ahead of Germany's Volkswagen with 9.4%. The U.S. auto…

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13

Dec

UPDATED: Norway to tighten COVID restrictions

OSLO, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Norway will further tighten restrictions this week in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told news agency NTB on Monday. "The situation is serious. The spread of infection is too high and we have to take action to limit this development," he said. The prime minister's office was not immediately available for comment. Norway is setting record highs both in terms of new COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations, partly due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus. In a risk assessment released on Monday, the Norwegian…

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08

Dec

Photo story: 50 cm of snow in Norway

A man shovels snow off his car after 50 centimetres of snow have fallen in the past 24 hours, in Tvedestrand, Norway. Via EPA-EFE/Tor Erik Schroeder

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04

Dec

Omicron outbreak at Norway Christmas party is biggest outside S. Africa

At least 13 people in Oslo have been infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus following a corporate Christmas party described as a "super spreader event", and their numbers could rise to over 60 cases, authorities said. The outbreak took place at a Christmas party on Nov. 26 organised by renewable energy company Scatec , which has operations in South Africa where the variant was first detected. "This party has been a super spreader event," Preben Aavitsland, a senior physician at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, told Reuters by email. "Our working hypothesis is that at least half…

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02

Dec

Outbreak of Omicron virus variant confirmed in Oslo

OSLO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - An outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in Oslo, Norwegian media reported on Thursday, citing a statement by the Oslo municipality. One person was confirmed positive for the Omicron variant on Thursday, following a company Christmas party in Oslo, the reports said, with more positive cases expected.

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01

Dec

UPDATED: Norway detects its first 2 cases of Omicron variant, municipality says

Norway has identified its first two cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, the west coast municipality of Oeygarden said on Wednesday. The two people who were infected had been on a trip to South Africa. Both of them were currently recovering from the infection, mayor Tom Georg Indrevik said in a statement. Norway on Friday decided to impose a quarantine on any travellers arriving from South Africa or neighbouring countries, following a similar decision by neighbouring Denmark and many other countries around the world. The new variant has caused concern as its mutations could potentially reduce the effect of…

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21

Nov

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: : Oslo Norway

Drone photo of the Christmas market 'Christmas in Winterland' in Spikersuppa in Oslo city centre, Norway. The Norwegian Parliament, Stortinget, is seen in the upper center of the image. Photo - EPA-EFE/HEIKO JUNGE

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16

Nov

Norway suspects bird flu found at second farm

Norway reported on Tuesday a suspected outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu at a second farm, just days after the country's first confirmed case led to a cull of some 7,000 poultry. The two farms are neighbours in the Rogaland county of south-west Norway, a key farming region, the country's Food Safety Authority said in a statement. The poultry on the second farm will also be slaughtered, and a curfew has been placed on all domestic birds in the area, it added. Several outbreaks in Europe and Asia have been reported in recent days to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), in a sign…

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12

Nov

Norway plans third vaccine dose for all adults, “corona passes”

OSLO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Norway will offer a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to everyone aged 18 and older and will give municipalities the option of using digital "corona passes" as a way to beat back a surge in COVID-19 infections, the government said on Friday. Norway has so far only given a third dose to those aged 65 and older. "Everyone aged 18 and older will be offered a third dose next year," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference. Norway in late September ended the last of its domestic coronavirus lockdown measures, which for 18 months…

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03

Nov

Norway hopes to join euro payment service

OSLO, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Norway's central bank said on Wednesday it plans to launch formal discussions with the European Central Bank (ECB) on participation in the euro system's TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) service. "So far, the assessment is that participation in the Eurosystem's TIPS service will ensure the best way forward for instant payments in Norway in the coming years," Norges Bank said. Norway is not a member of the European Union but cooperates closely with the bloc through the European Economic Area agreement. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche)

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01

Nov

Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to go ahead, the only in-person Nobel award this year

The Nobel Peace Prize laureates will be able collect their awards in Oslo in December, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, unlike in Stockholm where the other Nobel ceremonies have been cancelled due to the pandemic for the second year running. Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, who braved the wrath of the leaders of the Philippines and Russia to expose corruption and misrule, won the Nobel Peace Prize this year, in an endorsement of free speech under fire worldwide. All but one of the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm. The Peace Prize is the only one awarded in Oslo.…

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23

Oct

Green hydrogen to account for 20% of European power demand by 2050 -Statkraft

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources will account for 20% of Europe's power consumption in 2050, and for 10% globally, a report published by Norwegian power company Statkraft this week showed. Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules with a current of renewable electricity in electrolysers. The gas is touted as a clean replacement for fossil fuels in industries that are otherwise hard to decarbonise. European power demand will rise to just over 5,000 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2050, with green hydrogen production accounting for around 1,000 TWh, up from current demand of around 30 TWh, Statkraft's sixth annual…

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22

Oct

Norway to boost financial support for most vulnerable amid power price spike

OSLO, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Norway's new centre-left government on Friday proposed a one-off payment of up to 3,070 crowns ($369) for people receiving housing support in southern Norway to offset the impact of record-high power prices. The country is the latest to try to mitigate the impact of high power prices on its citizens. On Thursday, France announced a 100-euro ($116) payment, while the European Union recently announced a number of measures it would consider to shield consumers. "We see that the high power prices can be a big burden, especially for those with weak finances," Minister for Local…

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18

Oct

Deaths in Norway attack came from stab wounds, not bow and arrow, police say

OSLO (Reuters) - Five people killed in a small Norwegian town last week were all stabbed to death and not shot with a bow and arrows as initially suspected, police said on Monday. Four women and one man, aged between 52 and 78-years-old, were killed in the Oct. 13 attacks in Kongsberg, a town about 70 km (40 miles) west of the capital Oslo. Three people were also injured, including an off-duty police officer who was shot with the bow and arrow in the early phase of the 35-minute rampage. But the assailant then appeared to have discarded this weapon,…

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17

Oct

Norwegian police cast doubt on Islamist motive

Norwegian police investigating Wednesday's deadly attack in the southeastern town of Kongsberg said that they were moving away from initial suspicions that Islamist motives were behind the bow-and-arrow shootings. Speaking at a press conference, police inspector Per Thomas Omholt said there was reason to believe that the suspect, who is in custody, was not a convinced convert to Islam as was initially thought. "The thinking is that he did not take (the conversion) very seriously. By this we mean that he did not follow or practice the traditions that are common in this culture and religion," the inspector said.   Omholt said the killing…

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17

Oct

Pope condemns attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain, following Amess stabbing

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain, in an apparent reference to the stabbing death of parliamentarian David Amess. "Last week, various attacks were carried out, for example, Norway, Afghanistan, England, which caused many dead and wounded," he said at his weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square. "I express my closeness to the families of the victims and I pray, please, abandon the path of violence, which is always a loss, a defeat for everyone. Let us remember that violence begets violence," he said. At least 41 people were killed and 70 wounded in a…

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15

Oct

Norway bow-and-arrow attack suspect transferred to health services

A man suspected of killing five people with a bow and arrow and other weapons in Norway was in the care of health professionals on Friday, police said. Investigators have named the suspect as Espen Andersen Braathen, a 37-year-old Danish citizen who has lived for most of his life in Kongsberg, where the attacks took place on Wednesday. He has acknowledged killing the victims, investigators have said. He was "transferred into the care of health services after an assessment of his health situation," police said. They did not go into further details on his condition. Later on Friday, a court ruled he…

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14

Oct

Photo Story: Change of government in Norway

Norway's Solberg government meets King Harald (R) and Crown Prince Haakon (L) at the Palace in Oslo, Norway, 14 October 2021. A minority coalition of the leftwing Labour Party and the rural Centre Party took power on Thursday after beating here the ruling Conservative-led government in last month's election. While climate change was a major issue debated during the campaign for parliament, Labour has said it wants to ensure any transition away from oil and gas, and the jobs it creates, towards green energy is a gradual one L-R and around the table: Crown Prince Haakon, Minister of Education and…

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14

Oct

UPDATED: Suspect in Kongsberg killings had converted to Islam, police say

The man suspected of killing five people in a bow-and-arrow attack in Norway had converted to Islam and police had been worried over signs of his radicalisation, regional police chief Ole Bredrup Saeverud told a news conference on Thursday. A 37-year-old Danish citizen here is suspected of carrying out the attacks here, police have said. He is in custody and is believed to have acted alone. Two people, including an off-duty police officer, were wounded in the Wednesday evening attacks, which took place in different locations in the town, 68 km (42 miles) southwest of the capital, Oslo. "The police…

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08

Oct

Norway’s Labour, Centre agree to form minority government

OSLO, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Norway's leftwing Labour Party and the rural Centre Party said on Friday they have agreed to form a minority government, the culmination of almost four weeks of negotiations following last month's election win. The deal paves the way for Labour leader Jonas Gahr Stoere to become prime minister next week, replacing Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg who said after losing the election that she plans to step down. The new government will present a detailed policy document on Oct. 13, Stoere and Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum told a news conference. Left-leaning opposition parties…

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