One thing is clear: Shirin Ebadi (photo, Wikipedia) remains the 2003 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance human rights in her native Iran. She now claims, though, that Iranian authorities have confiscated her Nobel gold medal and presented her with a claim for more than USD 400,000 in taxes they say she owes on her Nobel Peace Prize winnings, which amounted to around USD 1 million six years ago. The government, she claimed, also has frozen her bank accounts and seized other items from her family's safe deposit box. Norway's Foreign Ministry summoned a top Iranian embassy official in Oslo on Thursday to protest the medal's seizure. "This is the first time a Nobel Peace Prize has been confiscated by national authorities," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said. "Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief." It's not the first time Norwegian authorities have protested the poor treatment of Ebadi and her husband in Iran. The Iranian government, however, denied any wrongdoing and said Ebadi had evaded taxes. Iranian officials rebuked Norway for interfering in its domestic affairs and taking a "hasty stand" on the "tax case." Geir Lundestad of the Norwegian Nobel Institute claimed on national TV Friday evening that Ebadi hasn't done anything wrong and called the Iranian government actions "shameful."
(Written November 27, 2009)
More challenges for Kai Eide in Afghanistan
The Norwegian diplomat who's the top United Nations official in Kabul, Kai Eide, faces more criticism, this time from the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. It claims Eide has ties to newly reelected Afghan President Hamid Karzai that are too close, and that he has neglected to investigate allegations that Karzai has abused his power. Eide came under harsh criticism earlier this fall for allegedly failing to crack down on corruption during the voting process. A highly public conflict with his deputy, Peter Galbraith, ended in Galbraith's dismissal. Eide has continued to have the support of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. A report from the International Crisis Group, however, is calling for Eide's resignation as UN special envoy. Eide had no immediate comment on the report.
(Written November 27, 2009)
The Norwegian diplomat who's the top United Nations official in Kabul, Kai Eide, faces more criticism, this time from the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. It claims Eide has ties to newly reelected Afghan President Hamid Karzai that are too close, and that he has neglected to investigate allegations that Karzai has abused his power. Eide came under harsh criticism earlier this fall for allegedly failing to crack down on corruption during the voting process. A highly public conflict with his deputy, Peter Galbraith, ended in Galbraith's dismissal. Eide has continued to have the support of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. A report from the International Crisis Group, however, is calling for Eide's resignation as UN special envoy. Eide had no immediate comment on the report.
(Written November 27, 2009)
Krekar wants bin Laden to lead a Islamic state
Mullah Krekar, who came to Norway as a refugee and since has been declared a threat to national security, was back in the news this week. He gave an interview with an Arabic TV station in which he called for the creation of "Muslims' own state" that he thinks could be led by Osama bin Laden and other radical Islamists. He said Muslims will "be like Jews in Europe" until they win their own state. "Without a state we have no value," he told al-Hiwar. Web site VG Nett reported that Krekar has no regrets over the interview and nothing to lose. "I get attention from north and south regardless," he told VG Nett. Siv Jensen, leader of the Progress Party, said Krekar's remarks show why Krekar should be held in custody until he can be deported back to Northern Iraq, where he came from. Jensen said Krekar should at the very least be prevented from "spreading propaganda."
(Written November 27, 2009)
Mullah Krekar, who came to Norway as a refugee and since has been declared a threat to national security, was back in the news this week. He gave an interview with an Arabic TV station in which he called for the creation of "Muslims' own state" that he thinks could be led by Osama bin Laden and other radical Islamists. He said Muslims will "be like Jews in Europe" until they win their own state. "Without a state we have no value," he told al-Hiwar. Web site VG Nett reported that Krekar has no regrets over the interview and nothing to lose. "I get attention from north and south regardless," he told VG Nett. Siv Jensen, leader of the Progress Party, said Krekar's remarks show why Krekar should be held in custody until he can be deported back to Northern Iraq, where he came from. Jensen said Krekar should at the very least be prevented from "spreading propaganda."
(Written November 27, 2009)
Businessman to build world's largest Viking ship
A businessman in the west coast city of Haugesund plans to launch construction early next year of what he claims will be the world's largest Viking ship. Newspaper Haugesunds Avis reports that Sigurd Aase, who's long been active in cultural and historical projects, is backing what's meant to be a replica of Olav Tryggvason's war ship Ormen Lange and have the same seaworthiness. The vessel will be made of oak, 35 meters long, eight meters wide with a 300-square-meter sail. According to the sagas, Tryggvason's ship had a crew of 574 persons. Aase's ship will be called Draken Harald Hårfagre and be built at Vibrandsøy. Once completed in 2013, he wants the vessel to spend most of its time at sea, to rekindle interest in the Vikings' maritime expertise. Aase earlier has been involved in Viking history and excavation projects at Avaldsnes.
(Written November 24, 2009)
A businessman in the west coast city of Haugesund plans to launch construction early next year of what he claims will be the world's largest Viking ship. Newspaper Haugesunds Avis reports that Sigurd Aase, who's long been active in cultural and historical projects, is backing what's meant to be a replica of Olav Tryggvason's war ship Ormen Lange and have the same seaworthiness. The vessel will be made of oak, 35 meters long, eight meters wide with a 300-square-meter sail. According to the sagas, Tryggvason's ship had a crew of 574 persons. Aase's ship will be called Draken Harald Hårfagre and be built at Vibrandsøy. Once completed in 2013, he wants the vessel to spend most of its time at sea, to rekindle interest in the Vikings' maritime expertise. Aase earlier has been involved in Viking history and excavation projects at Avaldsnes.
(Written November 24, 2009)
Norway's opposition Conservative Party has called Vietnam "a brutal communist dictatorship that sabotages human rights," and it wants the Norwegian government to consider cutting off all aid to the country. Conservative Member of Parliament Peter Gitmark himself was expelled from the country after having contacted an author who's been harassed in Vietnam, while recent photos from the country show prisoners being gagged in court and prevented from having a defense attorney. Vietnamese authorities also have cracked down on Internet bloggers and even blocked Facebook. Gitmark told newspaper Aftenposten that Norway's "dialogue" with Vietnam hasn't led to any success and that Norwegian development aid should be stopped. Cabinet minister Erik Solheim (photo), in charge of foreign aid, disagrees. He concedes that Vietnamese leaders have regressed in terms of human rights but doesn't think a cut in aid will help. Economic progress, Solheim said, is important for improving human rights. He also said he thinks efforts by Norwegian firms to secure oil contracts in Vietnam can also help, because they would support economic development.
(Written November 23, 2009)
Prosecutor demands new death sentences in Congo appeals trial
"I'm beginning to get a bit tired of being condemned to death," remarked Norwegian prisoner Joshua French, after prosecutors in the appeals trial of French and his partner Tjostolv Moland called for their convictions once again on charges of spying, conspiracy, illegal weapons possession and murder among other things. Both men were arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo last May after their taxi driver was found murdered. Their appeals trial has been delayed because of concerns over the state of Moland's psychiatric health. The prosecutor accused him of playing sick. Moland last week received a visit from his mother, who traveled to Congo from Norway with freshly baked bread and photo albums of family members. She has since returned to Norway but the two men are receiving assistance from Norwegian officials and defense counsel. Congolese officials are demanding compensation from Norway to the tune of NOK 4.5 billion, claiming the men were on a spying mission for the Norwegian government. Norwegian officials have summarily rejected the claim. The appeals court's ruling is expected sometime in the next week. (See earlier stories on the Congo trial below and here.)
(Written November 22, 2009)
"I'm beginning to get a bit tired of being condemned to death," remarked Norwegian prisoner Joshua French, after prosecutors in the appeals trial of French and his partner Tjostolv Moland called for their convictions once again on charges of spying, conspiracy, illegal weapons possession and murder among other things. Both men were arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo last May after their taxi driver was found murdered. Their appeals trial has been delayed because of concerns over the state of Moland's psychiatric health. The prosecutor accused him of playing sick. Moland last week received a visit from his mother, who traveled to Congo from Norway with freshly baked bread and photo albums of family members. She has since returned to Norway but the two men are receiving assistance from Norwegian officials and defense counsel. Congolese officials are demanding compensation from Norway to the tune of NOK 4.5 billion, claiming the men were on a spying mission for the Norwegian government. Norwegian officials have summarily rejected the claim. The appeals court's ruling is expected sometime in the next week. (See earlier stories on the Congo trial below and here.)
(Written November 22, 2009)
Personnel conflict rams National Hospital's neurology division
Top politicians are sounding alarms over a long-simmering personnel conflict within the neurological unit at Norway's National Hospital (Rikshospitalet), reports newspaper Aftenposten. Several surgeons have gone out on sick leave and many have quit because of what's described as a lack of leadership and poor treatment of employees. The complaints are directed at management of the hospital's Nevroklinikken, and state health authorities have launched an investigation because they fear it could affect the health of patients within the unit. Brain surgeons at the neurological unit conduct as many as 2,500 operations a year. Health officials have received "massive" amounts of complaints from employees, former employees and others involved with the clinic. Some of them also reached Sonja Irene Sjøli, a Member of Parliament for the Conservatives, and she has in turn alerted Health Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen of the Labour Party.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Top politicians are sounding alarms over a long-simmering personnel conflict within the neurological unit at Norway's National Hospital (Rikshospitalet), reports newspaper Aftenposten. Several surgeons have gone out on sick leave and many have quit because of what's described as a lack of leadership and poor treatment of employees. The complaints are directed at management of the hospital's Nevroklinikken, and state health authorities have launched an investigation because they fear it could affect the health of patients within the unit. Brain surgeons at the neurological unit conduct as many as 2,500 operations a year. Health officials have received "massive" amounts of complaints from employees, former employees and others involved with the clinic. Some of them also reached Sonja Irene Sjøli, a Member of Parliament for the Conservatives, and she has in turn alerted Health Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen of the Labour Party.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Royals win approval to discuss summer lease on public island
Politicians in Kristiansand have agreed to negotiate the rental of a summer house on a publicly owned island off their coast to Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her husband Crown Prince Haakon, but not all local residents support the plan. Opponents claim the public will be "chased away" from the island, called Dvergsøya, which is a popular destination during the summer months. A rental to the royals would cut off public access to around five acres of land surrounding the house and stretching down to the sea. "We won't give up on this," said Kurt Gjertsen, who's leading a group committed to keeping all of the island open to the public. "This is such an important issue on principle that we just have to continue working so that the area can remain open for hiking, crabbing and other activities. If the crown couple are allowed to rent it, public access will be severely limited." His group already has 2,000 member on social media site Facebook. Gjertsen said he questioned the royal couple's judgment when they "provoke people in this way." Politicians from both the Socialist Left and the Liberal parties voted against the proposed rental.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Politicians in Kristiansand have agreed to negotiate the rental of a summer house on a publicly owned island off their coast to Crown Princess Mette-Marit and her husband Crown Prince Haakon, but not all local residents support the plan. Opponents claim the public will be "chased away" from the island, called Dvergsøya, which is a popular destination during the summer months. A rental to the royals would cut off public access to around five acres of land surrounding the house and stretching down to the sea. "We won't give up on this," said Kurt Gjertsen, who's leading a group committed to keeping all of the island open to the public. "This is such an important issue on principle that we just have to continue working so that the area can remain open for hiking, crabbing and other activities. If the crown couple are allowed to rent it, public access will be severely limited." His group already has 2,000 member on social media site Facebook. Gjertsen said he questioned the royal couple's judgment when they "provoke people in this way." Politicians from both the Socialist Left and the Liberal parties voted against the proposed rental.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Students soon to receive paperless exams
Within two years the classic high school exams conducted with pen and paper in Norway will be swapped with exams to be delivered via a portable computer, reports newspaper Aftenposten. This year around 30 percent of exams were conducted via computer but education officials are aiming for 100 percent by 2012. Students, they say, have complained that they're allowed to use computers all school year but must switch to pen and paper for exams. No students, however, will be allowed Internet access during exams.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Within two years the classic high school exams conducted with pen and paper in Norway will be swapped with exams to be delivered via a portable computer, reports newspaper Aftenposten. This year around 30 percent of exams were conducted via computer but education officials are aiming for 100 percent by 2012. Students, they say, have complained that they're allowed to use computers all school year but must switch to pen and paper for exams. No students, however, will be allowed Internet access during exams.
(Written November 22, 2009)
Åslaug Haga (photo), the former leader of the Center Party who resigned as cabinet minister after getting caught in tax and zoning irregularities, has written a book that she calls a "novel," about "the inner circles of government," in which the prime minister is portrayed as a cynical and boring man from west Oslo. Most political observers claim Haga's book is a thinly veiled description of Jens Stoltenberg's Labour-led government, in which Haga served as minister in charge of townships and oil and energy."My book isn't historical, it's fiction," Haga told reporters when it was released last week. Former Member of Parliament Lars Sponheim said he "didn't like the book's form," and called Haga "cowardly" for not simply "telling it like it is." The book is the second to be written by a former female government minister who left government service under unfortunate circumstances. Former Labour politician Karita Bekkemellem came out with a scathingly critical book, which included several direct jabs at Stoltenberg, late last month.
(Written November 20, 2009)
Rockslide blocks a key Oslo-Bergen route
A major rockslide near an entrance to a tunnel on the E-134 highway over Haukelifjell has forced a halt to all heavy vehicular traffic on the key east-west route. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports that a truck driver nearly was caught in the slide that now has closed the Austmannlit Tunnel near Røldal in Hordaland County. He was driving through the tunnel from the east at around 4am when he heard noise and suddenly was met by a wall of rocks and concrete blocks and dust. He managed to stop, throw his truck into reverse and back out the entire length of the tunnel. "He has calmed down a bit but was quite shaken," Svein Petter Garberg of the trucking company, Hardanger Transport, told NRK. Police and highway officials said that cars could use the old highway, weather permitting, but all heavy transport must find alternate routes between eastern and western Norway. Highway officials reported that the rock slide came down the mountainside and crashed into the tunnel's concrete entrance. It was unclear how long it would take to clear the rubble and rebuild the entrance, but officials expected the tunnel would remain closed for an extended period.
(Written November 20, 2009)
A major rockslide near an entrance to a tunnel on the E-134 highway over Haukelifjell has forced a halt to all heavy vehicular traffic on the key east-west route. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports that a truck driver nearly was caught in the slide that now has closed the Austmannlit Tunnel near Røldal in Hordaland County. He was driving through the tunnel from the east at around 4am when he heard noise and suddenly was met by a wall of rocks and concrete blocks and dust. He managed to stop, throw his truck into reverse and back out the entire length of the tunnel. "He has calmed down a bit but was quite shaken," Svein Petter Garberg of the trucking company, Hardanger Transport, told NRK. Police and highway officials said that cars could use the old highway, weather permitting, but all heavy transport must find alternate routes between eastern and western Norway. Highway officials reported that the rock slide came down the mountainside and crashed into the tunnel's concrete entrance. It was unclear how long it would take to clear the rubble and rebuild the entrance, but officials expected the tunnel would remain closed for an extended period.
(Written November 20, 2009)
CNN correspondent Jonathan Mann, who recently likened members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to a small group of socialists, won't be able to interview this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, as he has done for the past 14 years. Aftenposten.no reports that White House officials have dropped the interview with new Nobel Laureate Barack Obama from Obama's program while in Oslo to receive the prize on December 10. Geir Lundestad of the Nobel committee said they understood that Obama needs some time during the day to run the US, but called the cancellation "sad." Lundestad got in his own subtle jab at Mann: "If CNN had been granted the interview, I'm sure they would have sent one of their best correspondents, even though Mann is a good man, too," Lundestad told Aftenposten. The committee still hasn't heard back from the White House regarding when Obama will arrive, how long he will stay and whether he'll go along with the rest of the traditional Nobel program. The only things confirmed are Obama's attendance at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, his desire to have talks with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and attendance at the Nobel Banquet. He's not expected to attend the annual Nobel Concert held in the prizewinner's honor on the evening of the 11th. US officials reportedly have reserved the entire Grand Hotel plus two nearby hotels downtown, the Hotel Bondeheimen and the Rica Travel Hotel.
(Written November 18, updated November 20, 2009)
Obama faces huge car licensing fees in Norway
US President Barack Obama generally likes to register the vehicles he travels with in the countries he's visiting, as a sign of respect for his hosts. He may reconsider given the sky-high fees he would face in Norway, which taxes cars heavily. Newspaper Aftenposten calculated that a one-time registration fee for the "First Limo" in which Obama rides would amount to a staggering NOK 4 million (about USD 700,000) because of its weight and horsepower. The car weighs eight tons, setting off a huge CO2 emissions tax of NOK 2.2 million. In addition would come NOK 1.23 million for the weight of the presidential limo and NOK 603,530 for the car's powerful diesel motor. The car is due to arrive in Norway a few days before Obama's expected arrival on December 10. There also are several other cars in the Obama entourage that will be flown to Norway for the occasion. Given the costs involved for just the ride from the airport into town and a few short trips around town, Obama's staffers may accept the Norwegian state's offer of "loaner" license plates for the duration of his stay.
(Written November 18, 2009)
US President Barack Obama generally likes to register the vehicles he travels with in the countries he's visiting, as a sign of respect for his hosts. He may reconsider given the sky-high fees he would face in Norway, which taxes cars heavily. Newspaper Aftenposten calculated that a one-time registration fee for the "First Limo" in which Obama rides would amount to a staggering NOK 4 million (about USD 700,000) because of its weight and horsepower. The car weighs eight tons, setting off a huge CO2 emissions tax of NOK 2.2 million. In addition would come NOK 1.23 million for the weight of the presidential limo and NOK 603,530 for the car's powerful diesel motor. The car is due to arrive in Norway a few days before Obama's expected arrival on December 10. There also are several other cars in the Obama entourage that will be flown to Norway for the occasion. Given the costs involved for just the ride from the airport into town and a few short trips around town, Obama's staffers may accept the Norwegian state's offer of "loaner" license plates for the duration of his stay.
(Written November 18, 2009)
Foreign Ministry sets up crisis center
Norway's Foreign Ministry is setting up a crisis center in Oslo to help deal with the problems of Norwegians in distress around the world. The center will be staffed by around 10 to 20 persons, reports NRK, and be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre disclosed that as many as 80,000 Norwegians contact Norway's embassies and consulates a year when they run into trouble while abroad, and the crisis center aims to relieve the pressure. A ministry spokesperson said the embassies and consulates don't have the capacity to deal with the demands often placed on them by traveling Norwegians, even though "most cases can be resolved fairly easily." This month's kidnapping of a Norwegian journalist who'd ventured into dangerous territory in Afghanistan set off debate over whether Norwegians should be able to rely on the state to help them if they've defied official travel advice or taken unnecessary risks. Several politicians have called for their fellow Norwegians to assume more personal responsibility.
(Written November 18, 2009)
Norway's Foreign Ministry is setting up a crisis center in Oslo to help deal with the problems of Norwegians in distress around the world. The center will be staffed by around 10 to 20 persons, reports NRK, and be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre disclosed that as many as 80,000 Norwegians contact Norway's embassies and consulates a year when they run into trouble while abroad, and the crisis center aims to relieve the pressure. A ministry spokesperson said the embassies and consulates don't have the capacity to deal with the demands often placed on them by traveling Norwegians, even though "most cases can be resolved fairly easily." This month's kidnapping of a Norwegian journalist who'd ventured into dangerous territory in Afghanistan set off debate over whether Norwegians should be able to rely on the state to help them if they've defied official travel advice or taken unnecessary risks. Several politicians have called for their fellow Norwegians to assume more personal responsibility.
(Written November 18, 2009)
Polish workers killed in building blaze
A wooden house that was home to around 39 persons in Bergen burned to the ground over the weekend, claiming the lives of two Polish workers living on the top floor. "It was difficult for them to get out, because there were only roof windows," neighbor Jolanta Franszczuk told web site bt.no. The wooden structure was completely destroyed after the fire spread quickly. It was already consumed by flames when firefighters arrived shortly after they got the call. Franaszczuk said some of the residents, mostly contract workers from abroad, claimed the blaze started in a fuse box. "They tried to use a fire extinguisher but it didn't work," she said. "They started yelling for everyone to get out." The two victims reportedly were 27 and 32 years old, both of them fathers of small children at home in Poland. The old wooden house was registered as having one apartment on each of its four floors. Police said 25 persons were at home when the fire started, because the residents work various shifts and never are home at the same time. Officials launched an investigation into the blaze and safety standards in the building. Concerns are rising that foreign workers in Norway often live in substandard housing for which they are charged high rates.
(Written November 15, 2009)
A wooden house that was home to around 39 persons in Bergen burned to the ground over the weekend, claiming the lives of two Polish workers living on the top floor. "It was difficult for them to get out, because there were only roof windows," neighbor Jolanta Franszczuk told web site bt.no. The wooden structure was completely destroyed after the fire spread quickly. It was already consumed by flames when firefighters arrived shortly after they got the call. Franaszczuk said some of the residents, mostly contract workers from abroad, claimed the blaze started in a fuse box. "They tried to use a fire extinguisher but it didn't work," she said. "They started yelling for everyone to get out." The two victims reportedly were 27 and 32 years old, both of them fathers of small children at home in Poland. The old wooden house was registered as having one apartment on each of its four floors. Police said 25 persons were at home when the fire started, because the residents work various shifts and never are home at the same time. Officials launched an investigation into the blaze and safety standards in the building. Concerns are rising that foreign workers in Norway often live in substandard housing for which they are charged high rates.
(Written November 15, 2009)
Royals may only rent summer house off Kristiansand
Officials at the Royal Palace reportedly are negotiating the rental of Vogts Villa, a publicly owned house on the island of Dvergsøya off Kristiansand, on behalf of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. She's from Kristiansand and local officials have long hoped she and the crown prince would spend their summers in the area. "Now we hope we can find a solution that both they and other users of the island can enjoy," Kristiansand Mayor Per Sigurd Sørensen told local media. The young royals already have bought a summer house on another island, off Risør, also along the southern coast of Norway, but apparently have signaled interest in Dvergsøya as well. Local politicians will handle the matter this week.
(Written November 15, 2009)
Officials at the Royal Palace reportedly are negotiating the rental of Vogts Villa, a publicly owned house on the island of Dvergsøya off Kristiansand, on behalf of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. She's from Kristiansand and local officials have long hoped she and the crown prince would spend their summers in the area. "Now we hope we can find a solution that both they and other users of the island can enjoy," Kristiansand Mayor Per Sigurd Sørensen told local media. The young royals already have bought a summer house on another island, off Risør, also along the southern coast of Norway, but apparently have signaled interest in Dvergsøya as well. Local politicians will handle the matter this week.
(Written November 15, 2009)
Bronze Age sword found in southern Norway
Construction worker Ernst Skofteland of Vest-Agder County thought archaeologists were kidding when they recently told him what he'd found while digging a ditch near a marsh at Vallehei four years ago. It took time for the experts to verify their research, but it turns out Skofteland unearthed a sword from the Bronze Age, from around 1000BC. It's the first time such an ancient sword has been found in Skofteland's area of Agder in southern Norway, not far from the town of Vigeland in Lindesnes Township. Only three Bronze Age swords have been found in Vest-Agder, all of them around Lista further to the west. Only around 20 have been found in the entire country. The roughly 3,000-year-old sword has been turned over to authorities at the University of Oslo, and archaeologists at the university's Museum of Cultural History have thanked Skofteland for turning in the sword. It was missing its handle but is in otherwise good condition, measuring 57 centimeters long and 4.3 centimeters at its widest point.
See photos and more details on the museum's web site (text in Norwegian).
(Written November 15, 2009)
Construction worker Ernst Skofteland of Vest-Agder County thought archaeologists were kidding when they recently told him what he'd found while digging a ditch near a marsh at Vallehei four years ago. It took time for the experts to verify their research, but it turns out Skofteland unearthed a sword from the Bronze Age, from around 1000BC. It's the first time such an ancient sword has been found in Skofteland's area of Agder in southern Norway, not far from the town of Vigeland in Lindesnes Township. Only three Bronze Age swords have been found in Vest-Agder, all of them around Lista further to the west. Only around 20 have been found in the entire country. The roughly 3,000-year-old sword has been turned over to authorities at the University of Oslo, and archaeologists at the university's Museum of Cultural History have thanked Skofteland for turning in the sword. It was missing its handle but is in otherwise good condition, measuring 57 centimeters long and 4.3 centimeters at its widest point.
See photos and more details on the museum's web site (text in Norwegian).
(Written November 15, 2009)
Prisons guards went on strike
Guards at several prisons around Norway staged a two-hour strike Friday afternoon, to protest the government's budget for the prison system for 2010. They feel understaffed and overlooked by the justice ministry, which boosted funding for police districts nationwide. In Hedmark County, for example, 150 guards locked up prisoners in their cells and walked off the job at prisons in Kongsvinger, Bruvoll, Ilseng and Hamar. More than 20 guards struck at Vestoppland Prison in Gjøvik and Valdres. The government did boost funding by NOK 277 million, but prison officials said most of it went for improvements at a prison in Halden, leaving little for other prisons.
(Written November 13, 2009)
Guards at several prisons around Norway staged a two-hour strike Friday afternoon, to protest the government's budget for the prison system for 2010. They feel understaffed and overlooked by the justice ministry, which boosted funding for police districts nationwide. In Hedmark County, for example, 150 guards locked up prisoners in their cells and walked off the job at prisons in Kongsvinger, Bruvoll, Ilseng and Hamar. More than 20 guards struck at Vestoppland Prison in Gjøvik and Valdres. The government did boost funding by NOK 277 million, but prison officials said most of it went for improvements at a prison in Halden, leaving little for other prisons.
(Written November 13, 2009)
Norway's Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that a Norwegian freelance journalist had been released by Taliban captors in Aghanistan. Pål Refsdal (photo), age 46, and his Afghan interpreter were let go after having been kidnapped last week. International news organizations were aware of the kidnapping but had held off from reporting it for fear that would jeopardize their safety. The Taliban reportedly had demanded the release of 12 of their captured men and that Norwegian soldiers be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Neither demand was met. Aftenposten.no reported the two were released after a local council of elders in Kunar Province intervened, and a local governor claimed no ransom was paid. Norwegian foreign ministry officials said their policy is never to pay ransom, and claimed they had worked intensely to free Refsdal but wouldn't comment how. Ragnhild Imerslund denied any political demands were made or met. Refsdal, an experienced war reporter who was in Afghanistan to do research for a documentary, had ignored warnings against traveling into Kunar Province.
(Written November 12, 2009)
Politicians chided for speeding
A car carrying Norway's new trade minister, Trond Giske, was clocked at a speed of 140 kilometers per hour (84mph), well over the posted speed limit of 100kph while driving from one meeting to another on the E18 highway between Lillesand and Kristiansand. The local Agder Police District is investigating after the incident was revealed when a crew from TV2 tried to follow the speeding government minister's car. It all started when the minister's car passed TV2's car on the highway and the TV2 team tried to keep up with it, filming as they drove to prove the excessive speed. Both drivers face fines for speeding. Meanwhile, a majority of members of the parliament's transport committee admitted to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that they had received citations for speeding during the course of their driving careers. That set off criticism from highway safety advocates who claim the politicians who set the speeding laws should also set a good example for other motorists.
(Written November 13, 2009)
A car carrying Norway's new trade minister, Trond Giske, was clocked at a speed of 140 kilometers per hour (84mph), well over the posted speed limit of 100kph while driving from one meeting to another on the E18 highway between Lillesand and Kristiansand. The local Agder Police District is investigating after the incident was revealed when a crew from TV2 tried to follow the speeding government minister's car. It all started when the minister's car passed TV2's car on the highway and the TV2 team tried to keep up with it, filming as they drove to prove the excessive speed. Both drivers face fines for speeding. Meanwhile, a majority of members of the parliament's transport committee admitted to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that they had received citations for speeding during the course of their driving careers. That set off criticism from highway safety advocates who claim the politicians who set the speeding laws should also set a good example for other motorists.
(Written November 13, 2009)
Solariums face new age restrictions
Authorities in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland are calling for new restrictions that would prohibit use of solariums for those under age 18. They worry about the level of ultraviolet radiation from the tanning machines that can raise the risk of skin cancer especially in children and youth. A survey by the Norwegian Cancer Association (Kreftforeningen) showed widespread use of solariums by teenagers and also children. Many solariums are self-service, though, making age restrictions difficult to enforce.
(Written November 13, 2009)
Authorities in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland are calling for new restrictions that would prohibit use of solariums for those under age 18. They worry about the level of ultraviolet radiation from the tanning machines that can raise the risk of skin cancer especially in children and youth. A survey by the Norwegian Cancer Association (Kreftforeningen) showed widespread use of solariums by teenagers and also children. Many solariums are self-service, though, making age restrictions difficult to enforce.
(Written November 13, 2009)
Teachers regaining control in the classroom
Years of liberal reforms in Norwegian schools are often blamed for setting off unrest among students, many of whom long have showed a widespread lack of respect for teachers' authority. Newspaper Aftenposten reports that now seems to be changing. A new study shows that incidents ranging from tardiness to disturbing the class to quarrels with teachers and violence have declined from 1998 to 2008. The study covered 65 elementary schools with 10,500 students and 2,300 teachers. The study indicates teachers are winning back authority by demanding more discipline and better behavior from their students, who are rewarded for being polite and nice to one another as well. "In many ways we've just put common sense back into the classroom," said one teacher at Harestua School north of Oslo. "We're asking ourselves, 'why didn't we do this earlier?'"
(Written November 11, 2009)
Years of liberal reforms in Norwegian schools are often blamed for setting off unrest among students, many of whom long have showed a widespread lack of respect for teachers' authority. Newspaper Aftenposten reports that now seems to be changing. A new study shows that incidents ranging from tardiness to disturbing the class to quarrels with teachers and violence have declined from 1998 to 2008. The study covered 65 elementary schools with 10,500 students and 2,300 teachers. The study indicates teachers are winning back authority by demanding more discipline and better behavior from their students, who are rewarded for being polite and nice to one another as well. "In many ways we've just put common sense back into the classroom," said one teacher at Harestua School north of Oslo. "We're asking ourselves, 'why didn't we do this earlier?'"
(Written November 11, 2009)
Wenche Foss, known as Norway's only diva after a long life in the spotlight, was on hand for the release of yet another book on her life. The actress will turn 92 in a few weeks and basked in the center of attention at a press conference featuring champagne and her customary elegant attire. Her new book (Wenche Foss - Diva og Medmenneske) was dubbed a coffee-table sort of book, full of photographs from her life on and off stage. She flipped through its pages with the cameras rolling, talking non-stop but claiming that she now thinks her son (Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang) and grandchildren are most important.
(Written November 11, 2009)
Murder defendant allegedly wrote letter of confession
Tjostolv Moland, one of two Norwegians convicted of murdering a taxi driver in the Democratic Republic of Congo last spring, has written a letter confessing the crime to the murder victim's family, prosecutors claimed as their appeals trial resume this week. Moland's co-defendant, Joshua French, and their attorneys, however, maintain that Moland remains mentally ill and shouldn't be appearing in court at all. Their trial was suspended for 12 days while Moland underwent treatment after displaying bizarre behaviour in the courtroom. Moland's defense attorney claims the letter isn't a formal confession and that Moland was ill when it was written. The letter, if accepted as evidence, could make matters worse for Moland while he all but exonerates French in it. The trial continued on Wednesday.
(Written November 11, 2009)
Tjostolv Moland, one of two Norwegians convicted of murdering a taxi driver in the Democratic Republic of Congo last spring, has written a letter confessing the crime to the murder victim's family, prosecutors claimed as their appeals trial resume this week. Moland's co-defendant, Joshua French, and their attorneys, however, maintain that Moland remains mentally ill and shouldn't be appearing in court at all. Their trial was suspended for 12 days while Moland underwent treatment after displaying bizarre behaviour in the courtroom. Moland's defense attorney claims the letter isn't a formal confession and that Moland was ill when it was written. The letter, if accepted as evidence, could make matters worse for Moland while he all but exonerates French in it. The trial continued on Wednesday.
(Written November 11, 2009)
Oslo and Bærum schools best in English
Results of national exams given to 8th graders around Norway showed the highest scores in English coming from students at schools in Oslo and the western suburb of Bærum. On a scale of one to five, they scored 3.3. The lowest scores in English, 2.8, were found at schools in Østfold County, Hedmark in the east and Finnmark in the north. The students were also tested in reading and mathematics but those scores weren't yet available.
(Written November 10, 2009)
Results of national exams given to 8th graders around Norway showed the highest scores in English coming from students at schools in Oslo and the western suburb of Bærum. On a scale of one to five, they scored 3.3. The lowest scores in English, 2.8, were found at schools in Østfold County, Hedmark in the east and Finnmark in the north. The students were also tested in reading and mathematics but those scores weren't yet available.
(Written November 10, 2009)
The Christian Democrats party (Kristelig Folkeparti, KrF), trounced in the last parliamentary election, is seeking salvation through a new strategy aimed at less prohibitions and more freedom. Party leader Dagfinn Høybråten (photo) is even willing to debate the party's loyalty demand that all those representing the party be Christians. "I don't believe that changing the loyalty paragraph will get us more voters, but take the debate," he told news bureau NTB. The Christian Democrats won only 5.5 percent of the vote in September, its worst results ever, and lost many voters to the conservative Progress Party. Høybråten recognizes that his party seems outdated, out of touch and has an image as favoring controls and regulations. Observers think a debate on a new strategy will pit the highly conservative and religious side of the party against those more tolerant.
(Written November 8, 2009)
Online poker players scared off by Baasland case
The number of Norwegians playing poker over the Internet declined last year, according to state lottery officials. They link the reduction to the case of Bjarte Baasland, son of a Norwegian bishop who gambled away around NOK 60 million, much of it provided by his parents who had solicited loans from friends. Baasland was sentenced to four years in prison, his parents forced into bankruptcy and his father resigned as a bishop after the fraud became known. Baasland broke his silence over the weekend, appearing on the TV talk show Skavlan Friday night and portraying himself as a victim of compulsive gambling who never got help to break the habit. He also has written a book on the subject and says he now is considering studying so he can help others to deal with compulsive gambling.
(Written November 8, 2009)
The number of Norwegians playing poker over the Internet declined last year, according to state lottery officials. They link the reduction to the case of Bjarte Baasland, son of a Norwegian bishop who gambled away around NOK 60 million, much of it provided by his parents who had solicited loans from friends. Baasland was sentenced to four years in prison, his parents forced into bankruptcy and his father resigned as a bishop after the fraud became known. Baasland broke his silence over the weekend, appearing on the TV talk show Skavlan Friday night and portraying himself as a victim of compulsive gambling who never got help to break the habit. He also has written a book on the subject and says he now is considering studying so he can help others to deal with compulsive gambling.
(Written November 8, 2009)
NATO boss leaves with no new promises
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg refused once again to send more troops to Afghanistan during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Oslo on Friday. Rasmussen made a courtesy call on Stoltenberg officially to discuss NATO's overall strategy, but he seized the opportunity to ask for more support from Norway in Afghanistan. Stoltenberg turned him down. "We are already making a considerable contribution in Afghanistan," Stoltenberg said, noting that from a military standpoint, Norway is among the countries contributing the most in relation to its population, "and we will continue with that." Rasmussen, meanwhile, stressed that NATO will end its mission the day the Afghanistan government can manage itself.
(Written November 7, 2009)
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg refused once again to send more troops to Afghanistan during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Oslo on Friday. Rasmussen made a courtesy call on Stoltenberg officially to discuss NATO's overall strategy, but he seized the opportunity to ask for more support from Norway in Afghanistan. Stoltenberg turned him down. "We are already making a considerable contribution in Afghanistan," Stoltenberg said, noting that from a military standpoint, Norway is among the countries contributing the most in relation to its population, "and we will continue with that." Rasmussen, meanwhile, stressed that NATO will end its mission the day the Afghanistan government can manage itself.
(Written November 7, 2009)
UN's Norwegian envoy stands by anti-corruption demands in Kabul
Kai Eide, the Norwegian diplomat who's the UN's chief in Afghanistan, stood up over the weekend to criticism of his own criticism of the Afghan government. The country's foreign ministry complained loudly after Eide demanded that the government led by incumbent President Hamid Karzai clean up rampant corruption. They claimed Eide went too far in his criticism, and showed little respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty. Eide refused to back down from his statements that the Afghan authorities can't expect continued support from international donors unless they reduce corruption and bribery within the ranks. Eide also said that Afghanistan's warlords must be kept out of Karzai's government, saying it should consist of "competent, reform-minded persons who can push through reforms." He added that Karzai's government needs to do more to improve Afghanistan's legal system and remove the culture of punishment that pervades the country. Several other national leaders have made similar demands, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the leaders of the US and France. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told journalists that he thinks Karzai himself is corrupt. Earlier in the week Eide had officiated at the funerals of UN workers killed by suicide bombers, and called for far better security from Afghan forces.
(Written November 7, 2009)
Kai Eide, the Norwegian diplomat who's the UN's chief in Afghanistan, stood up over the weekend to criticism of his own criticism of the Afghan government. The country's foreign ministry complained loudly after Eide demanded that the government led by incumbent President Hamid Karzai clean up rampant corruption. They claimed Eide went too far in his criticism, and showed little respect for Afghanistan's sovereignty. Eide refused to back down from his statements that the Afghan authorities can't expect continued support from international donors unless they reduce corruption and bribery within the ranks. Eide also said that Afghanistan's warlords must be kept out of Karzai's government, saying it should consist of "competent, reform-minded persons who can push through reforms." He added that Karzai's government needs to do more to improve Afghanistan's legal system and remove the culture of punishment that pervades the country. Several other national leaders have made similar demands, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the leaders of the US and France. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told journalists that he thinks Karzai himself is corrupt. Earlier in the week Eide had officiated at the funerals of UN workers killed by suicide bombers, and called for far better security from Afghan forces.
(Written November 7, 2009)
Women in Stavanger advised against taking taxis alone
Police in Stavanger don't think women should take taxis home alone from the city center after a night on the town, following reports of rapes and reported rapes by taxi drivers. Police have received reports of six sexual assaults or attempted assaults in the past year, while another case was dropped because the victim couldn't identify her attackers. The latest report of attempted taxi rape came in last month so now police are advising women to share a taxi with someone going to the same area. "Unfortunately it's no longer safe for young women to take a taxi on their own from downtown," prosecutor Jørgen Berner Torstensen told newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. Police have filed charges against five taxi drivers while a sixth was convicted to more than two years in prison after assaulting an 18-year-old passenger in the summer of 2007.
(Written November 6, 2009)
Police in Stavanger don't think women should take taxis home alone from the city center after a night on the town, following reports of rapes and reported rapes by taxi drivers. Police have received reports of six sexual assaults or attempted assaults in the past year, while another case was dropped because the victim couldn't identify her attackers. The latest report of attempted taxi rape came in last month so now police are advising women to share a taxi with someone going to the same area. "Unfortunately it's no longer safe for young women to take a taxi on their own from downtown," prosecutor Jørgen Berner Torstensen told newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad. Police have filed charges against five taxi drivers while a sixth was convicted to more than two years in prison after assaulting an 18-year-old passenger in the summer of 2007.
(Written November 6, 2009)
18-year-old confesses to murder of fellow teen
Police near Trondheim were holding an 18-year-old soldier in isolation on Tuesday after he admitted murdering a 15-year-old girl who was a friend and neighbor. Their families and acquaintances are baffled over what led to the murder and police said they had no motive. The soldier was home in Skaun, southwest of Trondheim, over the weekend on leave after joining the military earlier this year. Friends said he'd visited a relative Sunday evening and then planned to meet 15-year-old Oda Moe for a movie date. Instead he killed her, dumped her body on the grounds of a horseracing track in Børsa in Skaun Township and then confessed the crime to police. He has no earlier police record, reportedly was doing well in the military and wanted to be a fighter jet pilot. The murder has shocked the small community of Skaun and defense attorney Torfinn Svanem said he had no explanation or motive either. A local court ordered the soldier to be held in isolation for the next four weeks while police continue to investigate.
(Written November 3, 2009)
Police near Trondheim were holding an 18-year-old soldier in isolation on Tuesday after he admitted murdering a 15-year-old girl who was a friend and neighbor. Their families and acquaintances are baffled over what led to the murder and police said they had no motive. The soldier was home in Skaun, southwest of Trondheim, over the weekend on leave after joining the military earlier this year. Friends said he'd visited a relative Sunday evening and then planned to meet 15-year-old Oda Moe for a movie date. Instead he killed her, dumped her body on the grounds of a horseracing track in Børsa in Skaun Township and then confessed the crime to police. He has no earlier police record, reportedly was doing well in the military and wanted to be a fighter jet pilot. The murder has shocked the small community of Skaun and defense attorney Torfinn Svanem said he had no explanation or motive either. A local court ordered the soldier to be held in isolation for the next four weeks while police continue to investigate.
(Written November 3, 2009)
New questions raised over triple-murder case
One of Norway's most celebrated murder cases ever, a triple murder at the Orderud Farm north of Oslo in 1999, is attracting new attention after Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that victim Anne Orderud Paust had accepted "dangerous" assignments from a state intelligence agency. She and her parents were all gunned down inside her parents' home on the farm, which had been the subject of a family inheritance quarrel. Her brother Per Kristian Orderud, his wife Veronica Orderud and two others are all still serving prison terms after being convicted of involvement in the murders after a lengthy trial. Now a parliamentary commission that looks into intelligence matters is launching a probe of Anne Orderud Paust's and her husband Per Paust's connection to the intelligence agency. Per Paust, who died of cancer shortly before his wife and her parents were murdered, was a longtime employee of Norway's Foreign Ministry and had served overseas, including in New York. Both he and his wife had been targets of two assassination attempts in the year leading up to his death and her murder. Tore Taraldsen, a cousin of Per Paust, told NRK's Brennpunkt program that Paust had confided in him about the allegedly dangerous assignments he and his wife had taken on. It wasn't immediately clear why Taraldsen hasn't come forward before.
(Written November 3, 2009)
One of Norway's most celebrated murder cases ever, a triple murder at the Orderud Farm north of Oslo in 1999, is attracting new attention after Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that victim Anne Orderud Paust had accepted "dangerous" assignments from a state intelligence agency. She and her parents were all gunned down inside her parents' home on the farm, which had been the subject of a family inheritance quarrel. Her brother Per Kristian Orderud, his wife Veronica Orderud and two others are all still serving prison terms after being convicted of involvement in the murders after a lengthy trial. Now a parliamentary commission that looks into intelligence matters is launching a probe of Anne Orderud Paust's and her husband Per Paust's connection to the intelligence agency. Per Paust, who died of cancer shortly before his wife and her parents were murdered, was a longtime employee of Norway's Foreign Ministry and had served overseas, including in New York. Both he and his wife had been targets of two assassination attempts in the year leading up to his death and her murder. Tore Taraldsen, a cousin of Per Paust, told NRK's Brennpunkt program that Paust had confided in him about the allegedly dangerous assignments he and his wife had taken on. It wasn't immediately clear why Taraldsen hasn't come forward before.
(Written November 3, 2009)
