Sunday, November 9, 2025
Environment

Legislation to restore nuclear cooperation agreement with Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Congress passed legislation earlier this week to renew the nuclear cooperation agreement with Norway, paving the way for U.S. access to Halden Reactor Project.

“Norway’s Halden Reactor Project is a critical asset for U.S. companies,” said Daniel Lipman, Nuclear Energy Institute vice president for suppliers and international programs. “Research and testing conducted at that unique facility enables U.S. firms to continue to innovate and maintain technology leadership as they compete in the global nuclear energy market. With the agreement now in force with this important NATO ally, the research and testing can continue.”

The original agreement between the United States and Norway expired in 2014, restricting U.S. access to Norway’s Halden Reactor Project. The Halden reactor was constructed in 1958, with the help of the United States, and is supported by 19 countries.

The Halden Reactor Project, partly financed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is a 20-megawatt facility used to test and develop next-generation reactor fuel and test reactor components. The facility provides valuable services that are important to the development of international nuclear power plant safety and reliability aspects.

Access to the facility is critical for U.S. companies as it ensures they have an equal footing with nuclear products in the global marketplace. The United States has Section 123 nuclear cooperation agreements with over 20 nations and securing a similar agreement with Norway will help U.S. businesses prosper.

(dailyenergyinsider.)

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Defence

Norway to Privatize Non-core Military Support Services

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway is set to become the next Nordic country, after Finland, to use privatization as a fiscal tool to reduce costs and achieve greater all-round efficiencies in its military organization.

The Norwegian Defense Forces Command (NDFC) is responding to a government directive, which is included in the recently approved Long Term Defense Plan (LTDP), to find cost savings of $4.62 billion in the defense organization over the next 20 years.

The next-stage in the initiative will result in the NDFC drafting a plan to identify what non-core service areas within the defense organization could benefit from privatization and outsourcing to the private sector.

Military support areas provisionally identified by the NDFC include IT services, personnel training, administration, spare parts and storage.

In the case of Finland, support services with a non-core life cycle outsourced to the private sector include armored vehicle and weapons maintenance, as well as material procurement, storage and distribution of spare parts.

The review, said Norwegian Chief of Defence Haakon Bruun-Hanssen, would explore opportunities for privatization of services in “all areas” connected to defense support and administration.

The NDFC plans to cooperate with service suppliers that have the capacity to deliver in crisis and war situations. Outsourcing solutions, said Bruun-Hanssen, would require “financial savings advantages for the military organization” and the provision of services by private suppliers at a cost level below what the Norwegian Defense Forces can currently deliver.

The $4.62 billion in cost savings sought under the LTDP are linked to a broader government plan to add a total of $19 billion to annual defense budgets over the next 20 years.

Norway’s defense organization has already dipped its feet into the private sector services delivery pool. Wilhelmsen Group, a Norwegian marine industry company, has been contracted to provide logistics services and support to the country’s Home Guard quick mobilization force.

The military officers organization Befalets Fellesorganisasjon (BFO) has cautioned the NDFC against adopting privatization-related decisions and positions on strategy that could reduce the NDF’s crisis and war-readiness capabilities.

BFO director Jens Jahren questioned the need for the NDF to outsource services, even if the scope of the proposed privatization plan is limited to non-core military areas.

“There are signals that services affected may include vehicle maintenance,” Jahren said. Such a move, he said, could reduce the defense organization’s expertise in critical areas.

Finland’s Armed Forces Command (AFC) has broadened the terms of its outsourcing arrangement with Millog Oy, its strategic private sector partner company controlled by the state-owned defense group Patria.

(defensenews)

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Africa and Norway

Norway Donates US$11.5m for Education in Northeast

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Government of Norway has donated $11.5 million, (approximately N3.6 billion) to improve basic education and support girls and women who had been victims of sexual violence by Boko Haram in the conflict-affected northeast Nigerian states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe.

The UNICEF in a statement yesterday, said the funding was part of the Safe Schools Initiative in northern Nigeria.

In 2013, Norway was a pioneer member of the Safe Schools Initiative committee established in response to Boko Haram attacks on schools in the northeast and the urgent need to provide a safe learning environment for children.

The Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Jens-Petter Kjemprud, said with UNICEF support, about 100,000 children were currently accessing education through Temporary Learning Spaces and schools in northeast Nigeria.

Kjemprud said the fund would further boost access to education for an additional half a million boys and girls in internally displaced persons’ camps, host communities and areas of Borno State that have recently become accessible areas to humanitarian assistance.

“We believe in the importance of doing what we can to break the cycle of violence in northeast Nigeria.

“This funding will provide more children complete basic education in a good learning environment and will provide much-needed counselling for girls who have suffered unimaginable trauma at the hands of Boko Haram”, he added.
Also, the Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Børge Brende, attended the signing ceremony to formalise the grant.

Brende said the funding from Norway would provide children, especially girls affected by the conflict, with uniforms to wear to school and will enable them to learn in secure, safe and protected environments.

According to him, teachers will be trained to improve their skills so they can deliver quality teaching and improve learning results for children; school systems will be improved through training and mentoring of head-teachers on management knowledge and skills.

He said that school Based Management Committee (SBMCs) members will be trained in school planning, including disaster risk reduction to make schools a safer place for children.

Rest of the statement noted that “the funding will also support approximately 1,600 of the thousands of girls and women that UNICEF estimates have been raped, abducted and forcibly married as a result of the conflict. Not only have these victims of violence suffered the trauma of their experiences when they were held by Boko Haram, but when they have managed to escape or have been liberated, they often face rejection by their communities and families.

“Instead of being welcomed back, they frequently face stigma, discrimination, and in some cases violence, especially when they return pregnant or with children born out of that sexual violence. In addition to traditional stigma associated with sexual violence, many communities are afraid that girls and women who have been held by Boko Haram may have been indoctrinated by their captors. Part of the Norwegian funds will be used in Borno State to help these women and girls to reintegrate with their families and communities and rebuild their lives. The funding will also help to empower these women and girls to engage in the community peacebuilding process.”

“Tackling the crisis in northeast Nigeria requires a broad coalition of support from all”, said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, “The Government of Norway was with us at the beginning of this crisis, providing support, and they are still here. This latest funding will go a long way to get thousands of children back in school and will help to reintegrate girls and women who were victims of Boko Haram back into their communities”.

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China and Norway

Norway, China normalise ties

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norwegian Foreign Minister said the two countries would immediately resume negotiations on a free-trade deal.

Norway and China on Monday normalised diplomatic and political ties, frozen since 2010 when Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Boerge Brende said the two countries would immediately resume negotiations on a free-trade deal. “Through meticulous and numerous conversations, the two sides have over the last years reached a level of trust that allows for resumption of a normal relationship,” they said in a joint statement.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a separate statement after meeting Brende in Beijing that in recent years relations had taken a serious step backwards. “Norway deeply reflected upon the reasons why bilateral mutual trust was harmed, and had conscientious, solemn consultations with China about how to improve bilateral relations,” Wang said.

Both sides reached an important consensus on the lessons learned and restoring mutual trust, which accords with the interests of Norway and its people and the correct direction of relations, he added, without mentioning Liu. “Norway has made its stance clear on key and significant issues regarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement posted later on the ministry website.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in his meeting with Brende, said China was willing to start free trade talks, China’s Foreign Ministry said, also without mentioning the Nobel laureate.

Liu, 59, a dissident involved in the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests crushed by the Chinese army, was jailed for 11 years in 2009 on subversion charges for organising a petition urging an end to one-party rule. He remains in prison.

The peace prize is chosen by a committee in Oslo, while other categories of the annual awards are decided in Stockholm. Shares of Norwegian salmon exporters, which have largely been shut out of the lucrative Chinese market, rose on Monday, with Grieg Seafood and Marine Harvest up 2.1 and 1.1% respectively.

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Norwegian Aid

Norway gives $11.5mn for basic educational, others in northeast Nigeria – UNICEF

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway has donated $11.5 million approximately N3.6 billion to improve basic education, support girls and women who have been victims of sexual violence by Boko Haram in conflict-affected northeast states.

Ms Doune Porter, United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) Chief of Communication, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Porter said that the benefiting states are; Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe.

She said that the fund was part of the Safe Schools Initiative in the northern Nigeria.

She said that in 2013, Norway was a pioneer member of the Safe Schools Initiative Committee established in response to Boko Haram attacks on schools in the areas.

Porter said that UNICEF, however, noted that there was an urgent need to provide a safe learning environment for children in northeast.

She said that through the support of UNICEF about 100,000 children were currently accessing education through Temporary Learning Spaces and schools in northeast Nigeria.

“This fund would further boost access to education for an additional half a million boys and girls in internally displaced persons’ camps, host communities and areas of Borno that have become accessible to humanitarian assistance.’’

Porter quoted Jens-Petter Kjemprud, Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria in the statement as saying that: “We believe in the importance of doing what we can to break the cycle of violence in northeast Nigeria.

“This funding will provide more children complete basic education in a good learning environment and will provide much-needed counselling for girls who have suffered unimaginable trauma in the hands of Boko Haram,” Kjemprud said.

Also, Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr Børge Brende said that the generous funding from Norway would provide children, especially girls affected by the conflict, with uniforms to wear to schools.

He said that the fund would also enable them to learn in secure, safe and protected environment.

He said that teachers would be trained to improve their skills, so they could deliver quality teaching and improve learning results for children.

According to him, school systems will be improved through training and mentoring of head-teachers on management knowledge and skills.

Brende stressed that School Based Management Committee (SBMCs) members would be trained in school planning; including disaster risk reduction to make schools a safer place for children.

“The funding will also support approximately 1,600 of the thousands of girls and women that UNICEF estimates have been raped, abducted and forcibly married as a result of the conflict.

“Not only have these victims of violence suffered the trauma of their experiences when they were held by Boko Haram,

“But when they have managed to escape or have been liberated, they often face rejection by their communities and families.

“Instead of the escaped victims of violence being welcomed back, they frequently face stigma, discrimination, and in some cases violence, especially when they return pregnant or with children born out of that sexual violence.

“In addition to traditional stigma associated with sexual violence, many communities are afraid that girls and women who have been held by Boko Haram may have been indoctrinated by their captors.

“Part of the Norwegian funds will be used in Borno to help these women and girls to reintegrate with their families and communities and rebuild their lives.

“The funding will also help to empower these women and girls to engage in the community peace building process, ‘’Porter quoted the Norwegian Foreign Minister as saying in the statement.

Similarly, Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Nigeria Representative explained that tackling the crisis in northeast Nigeria required a broad coalition of support from all.

“The Government of Norway was with us at the beginning of this crisis, providing support, and they are still here.

“ This latest funding will go a long way to get thousands of children back in school and will help to reintegrate girls and women who are victims of Boko Haram back into their communities.”

(businessdayonline)

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Srilanka and Norway

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute continues to support Sri Lanka’s NBRO on disaster management

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), continuing its support to Sri Lanka’s National Building Research Organization (NBRO) on disaster management, recently handed over some high tech equipment to be used in the Disaster Risk Reduction program.

Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether, Ambassador of Norway to Sri Lanka, handed over some equipment to Mr. S.S. Miyanwala, Secretary to the Minister of Disaster Management to be used in the Disaster Risk Reduction program. The event took place during the inaugural session of the National Building Research Organization, International Symposium 2016.

The advanced borehole antennas handed over at the occasion will be used to scan the ground between two boreholes. These antennas have been especially fabricated at NGI for use by NBRO to perform geotechnical investigations at geo-hazard sites and at upcoming infrastructure projects in the country.

A tailor made high computing machine, which was recently handed over to NBRO, under this technical cooperation will now be used to analyze vast amount of data collected from various landslide prone areas in Sri Lanka. The high computing machine will make quick and efficient three dimensional models of the mapped site in an accurate manner in a Geographical Information System (GIS) platform.

Under the Technical Cooperation facility, the Norwegian Embassy has supported the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to work together with the NBRO on disaster management issues since 2012. NGI and NBRO have worked very well together and made use of advanced Norwegian technology such as ground penetrating radars (GPR) and early warning systems through automatic weather stations which helped Sri Lanka in their disaster risk reduction efforts.

In his speech, Ambassador Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether said he is happy to know that this project continues successfully, in the area of climate change and natural hazards and this cooperation is a very good example of how experience and knowledge successfully can be shared between institutions.

(N.Sethu)

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Farming

Norway salmon prices seen rising further next week

by Geir Yeh Fotland
written by Geir Yeh Fotland

Salmon price in Taiwan is this week still the same as in 2012. Photo: Geir Yeh Fotland

The average price of Norwegian farmed salmon could hit a new record next week in a volatile trade ahead of the Christmas holidays, industry sources told Reuters on Friday.
This week, average prices rose to 74-75 Norwegian crowns amid strong demand and lack of supply.
“Some people talk about 100 crowns ($11.5) per kilo. That’s too much. We assume 75 crowns per kilo for the smallest fish of 2-3 kilo next week and up to 85 crowns for the biggest fish above 6 kilo,” said a producer who declined to be named.
An exporter, also he unnamed, indicated a price of above 80 crowns for fish of 3-6 kilo next week, which are the main sizes, and 90 crowns or more for bigger ones.

“Because of the high prices, it’s actually very quiet. I fear that there will be a backlash,” the exporter said.
Prices have been volatile this year and hit a record in July above 80 crowns per kilo. Prices then proceeded to fall to just above 50 crowns before turning higher.
Production costs in Norway have risen sharply in recent years to around 30-31 crowns per kilo on average.
Norway is the world’s top salmon exporter, with leading producers including Marine Harvest, Salmar, Leroy Seafood, Grieg Seafood and Norway Royal Salmon.
Companies and analysts have predicted that the global supply of salmon will fall by 6-7 percent in 2016 due to declining production in Norway as well as in Chile, the world’s second largest producer. ($1 = 8.6779 Norwegian crowns)
(Dec 16, 2016 Reuters. Reporting by Ole Petter Skonnord, editing by Jussi Rosendahl)

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Defence

How Norway Is Building One of the World’s Most Lethal Missiles (And It Could End Up on the F-35)

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The modern age of the missile at sea was arguably kicked off in October 1967, when the Israeli destroyer Eilat, sailing fourteen miles off the coast of Port Said, was ambushed by a pair of Osa-class guided missile boats. The missile boats launched four missiles, three of which hit the ex–Royal Navy destroyer, sinking her and killing forty-seven sailors.

The sinking of the Eilat was an earthquake in the world of naval warfare, and set off an arms race in the field of antiship missiles. Within ten years all major navies had their own ship-killing missiles, a rivalry that continued until the end of the Cold War. Now, with the Chinese and Russian navies resurgent, many countries (including the United States) are looking to replace their aging antiship missile arsenals with a new, modern design.

One of the newest tactical missile designs around is built by the Norwegian firm Kongsberg. A Russian neighbor with a very long coastline, Norway required a modern missile capable of defending that coastline. The result is the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), a clean-sheet design that Kongsberg describes as “the only fifth generation long range precision strike missile in existence.”

NSM is launched from a helicopter or ship platform by a solid rocket fuel booster that quickly accelerates the missile to cruising speed. Seconds later, the turbojet engine kicks in and the missile continues on to target. NSM has a range of just over one hundred miles.

Unlike supersonic missiles such as the Russian P-800 Oniks, which is capable of Mach 2.5, NSM stays well below supersonic speeds. Kongsberg, according to an industry rep interviewed at the 2013 DSEI show in London, England, believes in “smart missiles, rather than speedy missiles.” This philosophy has created a totally different missile than existing designs. Rather than attempt to overcome enemy defenses with a fast missile, Kongsberg instead made its missile more difficult to detect—and therefore more difficult to shoot down.

NSM is designed to be low-observable—not entirely stealthy, but Kongsberg made design decisions to reduce the missile’s radar signature. Other antiship missiles such as the American Harpoon and French Exocet are not stealthy at all. NSM combines this with a sea-skimming capability, flying low over the wavetops to stay off enemy radar until the last possible moment.

Most antiship missiles on the global arms market use an active radar seeker to home in on their targets. Although effective, this broadcasting of a radar signal gives defenders another means of detecting an inbound missile with their electronic support measures equipment. NSM uses passive imaging infrared sensors that don’t radiate an identifiable signal.

Passive countermeasures aren’t the only tools in NSM’s toolbox. The missile is capable of high-G maneuvers in the terminal phase, making its path difficult to predict. This is especially useful against gun-type close-in weapon systems, such as Phalanx CIWS or the Chinese Type 730, that fire on predicted missile paths.

Moments from impact, the missile’s Autonomous Target Recognition searches an enemy task group for the exact ship to target. Furthermore, Naval Strike Missile has target hit point selectability, meaning it can be programmed to strike a certain part of a certain enemy ship, such as the bridge. On impact it delivers a 276-pound high-explosive warhead. The warhead has a programmable fuse, allowing it to detonate on contact with an enemy ship or deep within an enemy ship’s interior. The missile is described as having a titanium warhead, which is likely to help penetrate enemy hulls.

NSM is currently in service with the Norwegian Navy, where it arms the Fridtjolf Nansen–class Aegis frigates and the Skjold fast attack boats. It is also operational with Poland’s Coastal Missile Division, which employs a truck-mounted version. The U.S. military, searching for a replacement for Harpoon, is very interested in this versatile missile, which could go on to arm Seahawk helicopters, cruisers, destroyers and the littoral combat ship (LCS). The missile was test fired from the USS Coronado in 2014, striking a mobile test ship target off the coast of California. Kongsberg apparently thinks NSM has a bright future in the United States as it has already firmed up plans to manufacture them in Kentucky in cooperation with Raytheon.

Kongsberg has developed a variant of the NSM known as the Joint Strike Missile (JSM). JSM is meant for long range strike against both land targets and ships. The missile was designed to fit in the internal weapons bay of the F-35 Joint Strike Missile. To accomplish this, the turbojet’s air intake was moved from the bottom of the missile to both sides of the aircraft, and the missile’s fins were altered.

A consequence of making the JSM fit inside the F-35 is that it is now compatible with the Mk.41 vertical launch system. The Mk. 41 VLS is the standard missile silo for U.S., NATO and other allied naval vessels. Previous missiles, such as Harpoon, were bolted onto the superstructure or deck of a ship where space allowed. This not only limited the number of missiles that could be carried but was detrimental to a ship’s radar cross section. Most ships with Mk.41 modules have scores of them, meaning even a destroyer-type ship such as the Arleigh Burke class could theoretically carry up to ninety of them.

The Naval Strike Missile may not be widely fielded now, but it looks to have a bright future ahead. Adoption by U.S. forces appears certain, if only to complement Lockheed’s larger, heavier, longer-range Long Range Anti-Ship Missile. Once that happens, other navies will fall in line, and missile factories in Kentucky will likely be humming far into the night.

Kyle Mizokami is a defense and national-security writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in the Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring and the Daily Beast. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch.

(nationalinterest)

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Norwegian Aid

NOK 380 million to the UN’s Emergency Response Fund

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

‘The many large-scale, protracted humanitarian crises in the world today have created a tremendous need for emergency aid. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund ensures that aid can quickly reach those who need it when acute crises arise, and provides sorely needed funding for underfunded emergencies. Norway is therefore providing NOK 380 million for this Fund in 2017,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provides immediate funding for life-saving assistance when humanitarian crises arise. Norway has been one of the largest contributors to the Fund since it was launched ten years ago. Norway’s contribution for 2017 will be announced at a donor conference at the UN in New York today.

‘Never before has the UN asked for such a large amount for humanitarian aid. At present 130 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and protection due to conflicts and natural disasters. Norway contributes substantial amounts to alleviate suffering throughout the world, not least to those affected by the Syrian crisis,’ Mr Brende said.

On average, 20 million people receive urgent medical assistance through CERF each year, and 10 million people receive food aid. In addition, funding channelled through CERF provides clean water and access to sanitary facilities for eight million people, improved living conditions for five million people, and shelter for another one million people.

More than 65 million people – many of them children – have been forced to flee from their homes. More than half of CERF’s funds are allocated to provide humanitarian protection and assistance to people who are fleeing from conflicts and natural disasters. In 2016, CERF funds have been used in South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Ethiopia, north-eastern Nigeria, the Lake Chad region and Haiti. CERF also provides support for cooperation and coordination at country level.

(Norway)

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Science

Kongsberg and DSME develop LNG regas controls for BW FSRU

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway-based Kongsberg has signed a joint development agreement with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) to create a simulator to design a regasification control system for the BW LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) being built at South Korea’s Okpo shipyard.

DSME will develop a high-fidelity dynamic simulator for the regasification plant to be installed on the unnamed newbuilding. It will use Kongsberg’s K-Spice dynamic-process simulator and K-Chief automation and control system to verify the design parameters.

The two companies also plan to work together to market the new LNG FSRU regasification control system. Kongsberg has supplied control systems to more than 200 LNG carriers and developed several gas-handling concepts. Simulation studies are increasingly important to verify design parameters to create robust designs.

DSME has delivered nearly 100 LNG ships. It first installed Kongsberg ship-control systems on this ship type in 2002. The FSRUs on its books include the 170,000m³ vessel to be delivered to BW in 2019 and Mitsui OSK’s giant 263,000m³ FSRU to be deployed off Uruguay from 2018.

Kongsberg Maritime Korea managing director Tore Wean (left) signed the agreement with DSME naval and energy system R&D vice-president Young Bok-choi.

(mpropulsion)

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Africa and Norway

Rugunda hails Norwegian investors

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has hailed the Norwegian investors for establishing Child Africa, an organisation running centres for the rehabilitation and education of street kids and other vulnerable children in Uganda.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda has hailed the Norwegian investors for establishing Child Africa, an organisation running centres for the rehabilitation and education of street kids and other vulnerable children in Uganda.

Child Africa started in 1991 in Kabale Town with a centre for needy children before establishing other centres at Equator, Tororo, Kampala and Kasese, which benefit more than 15,000 needy children through providing them education and other essential needs.

Dr Rugunda’s message was delivered last Friday by the State minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Ms Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, during celebrations to mark 25 years of Child Africa Junior School in Kabale.

Continued support
Dr Rugunda promised continued government support towards funding the activities of Child Africa in Uganda because of its role in giving hope to young and vulnerable people.

He also asked all local governments in areas where Child Africa operates to work together with the organisation in order to overcome some of the challenges.

“Challenges faced while implementing Child Africa activities require collective approach so that they can continue with the community desired services. I thank Child Africa for their approach to help the needy and vulnerable children in Uganda,” Dr Rugunda said.

The founder of Child Africa in Uganda, Ms Julie Solberg, said donations specifically from Norway and other European countries and United States of American have enabled the organisation to achieve its dream.

She asked government for tax exemptions so that they can deliver more service to the needy and vulnerable children of Uganda.

“I want to thank our international partners for their continued financial support to help in funding the education of the needy vulnerable children in Uganda and it’s our dream to establish a university that shall offer vocational education to avail these children with hands on skills for self-employment,” Ms Solberg said.

The mayor for Kabale Municipality, Mr Byamugisha Sentaro, hailed Child Africa for supplementing government programmes of universal primary and secondary education.

He asked government to quickly rehabilitate all children remand homes so as to cater for increasing number of street kids resulting from domestic violence and HIV/AIDS scourge.

About Child Africa

Child Africa is a non-profit organisation established in 1991 and is dedicated to help disadvantaged children in East Africa to enhance their lives through education. With support from sponsor parents the organisation helps hundreds of children in Uganda and Africa at large, with food, clothing, medicine, education and sometimes even homes.

(monitor)

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Norwegian American

Kissinger: Give Trump International Order A Chance

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger spoke Sunday in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize forum about the upcoming Trump administration and warned critics to judge Trump on his policies, rather than his rhetoric.

He described Trump as “a personality for whom there is no precedent in modern American history.” Kissinger warned against judging Trump on his campaign rhetoric and said he was hopeful about the future: “I hope and believe that in the decades ahead, the United States will continue to fulfill its history and tradition of building world peace.”

“An opportunity should be given to the new administration to put forward its vision of international order,” he said.

HENRY KISSINGER: No doubt, the president-elect is a personality for whom there is no precedent in modern American history. And his campaign in cluded rhetorical elements challenging patterns heretofor considered traditional.

Before postulating an inevitable crisis, an opportunity should be given to the new administration to put forward its vision of international order.

The international debate should be over evolving American policy, not over campaign rhetoric. But the overriding quest for peace and stability has dominated every American presidential administration I have studied and known.

Many of the contemprary structures of peace have had either American support or American origin. I hope and believe that in the decades ahead, the United States will continue to fulfill its history and tradition of building world peace.

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Norwegian American

Embassy Hosts Event On Arctic Security Policy

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Security Policy in the Arctic was the main topic of this year’s Henry Bacon event. The event is held in memory of the efforts of the crew of SS. Henry Bacon during the Second World War.

On February 23, 1945, the U.S. merchant ship S.S. Henry Bacon, on her way from Murmansk to Scotland with 19 Norwegian refugees aboard, was sunk by German torpedoes. With two of the ship`s four lifeboats damaged, the crew, including the captain and chief engineer, bravely gave their seats to the civilians, who were eventu­ally saved. Of the crew of 68, 15 merchant sailors and seven Navy Armed Guards were lost. The Norwegian Embassy hosted the Henry Bacon seminar at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C Dec. 08. The seminar was titled “The North Atlantic: Old Security Landscape Reemerging?”. Henry Bacon has been an annual event since 2003.

The event started with presentations from Lt. General Morten Haga Lunde, Director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, and Christine Wormuth, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the US Department of Defense. This was followed with a panel discussion lead by Executive Vice President at the Atlantic Council Darmon Wilson. Participants in the panel was Magnus Nordenman from the Atlantic Council, Dr. Kristian Åtland from the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment and Dr. Katarzyna Zysk from Norwegian Defense University College/Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies.

“Today we look at an extraordinary American sacrifice made in 1945, while also looking forward toward the need for continued stability in the Arctic region”, Ambassador Kåre R. Aas said in his introduction speech.

(Royal Norwegian Embassy USA)

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Spy War

Unidentified drones spotted above Nordic military exercises

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

A series of unidentified drones have been reported hovering above armed forces during military exercises in Sweden and Norway.

Officials said unmanned aircraft were spotted above Swedish territory on three separate occasions.

In June, a remote-controlled craft flew over a Nato training exercise in Sweden, while another flew over an air base in Hagshult in early September and a drone was spotted during a naval exercise in November .

“We have information that on two occasions at night there was some kind of unmanned aircraft over Uto,” Philip Simon, the Swedish armed forces chief press officer, said in relation to the unmanned-crafts spotted during the Nato exercise, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported.

Norway also reported similar incidents and there have been sightings of “more than 10 drones” during military exercises in Oslo, according to Swedish paper Svenska Dagbladet.

“We have noticed what has happened in Sweden, and when we do not know the identity, we can not exclude the possibility that a foreign power can stand behind the drones in Norway,” Lt Col Johan Ole Skogmo, from the Norwegian army, said.

“The drones were close and behaved in a way that drones do when filming an activity.”

While there is no direct evidence linking Russia to the drones, the sightings of the unmanned aircraft will raise speculation around Moscow’s involvement.

Fredrik Westerlund, security policy analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, told Svenska Dagbladet that reports of Russian research into the military use of drones was potentially significant.

“This is a confirmation that Russia sees modern warfare as a dependent of an information advantage, the drones are often used for information gathering,” he said.

Gustav Gerdes, the chairman of the organisation Unmanned Arial Systems Sweden, said the sightings were most likely private drones used by members of the public.

“If you are sitting on an island in the archipelago and have a drone, there’s a lot of life in the area. Well [you can] fly there and check what it is,” Mr Gerdes said.

(independent)

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Terrorist

Abu Sayyaf leader behind the kidnapping Norwegian was killed in Sabah clash

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

An Abu Sayyaf leader tagged as behind the kidnappings of two Canadians and a Norwegian in Samal Island was among those killed by Malaysian authorities in a sea battle off Sabah’s Semporna district.

Philippine army Army Major Filemon Tan, military spokesman, identified the slain leader as Abraham Hamid, who led about a dozen gunmen in the kidnappings of Canadians Robert Hall and John Ridsdel and her Filipina girlfriend Maritess Flor, and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad on Samal Island in Davao del Norte province in September last year.

Hamid was killed on December 8 along with two others, whose identities were not immediately known, after they attacked several trawlers off Semporna. Two other Abu Sayyaf gunmen captured by Malaysian forces have been identified as Samsung Aljan and Awal Hajal, according to Tan.

Malaysian authorities rescued an abducted skipper of a trawler, but said two Abu Sayyaf members managed to escape bringing with them a fishing boat captain they seized in Semporna.

“Per validation made by this Command, the shootout resulted in the killing of Abraham Hamid, leader of the Samal kidnapping incident and two of his cohorts. Two Abu Sayyaf members Samsung Aljan and Awal Hajal were also apprehended,” Tan said.

Both Hall and Ridsdel were beheaded by the bandits after the Canadian government rejected ransom demands by the Abu Sayyaf group. Flor and Sekkingstad have been freed separately after private negotiators paid huge ransoms to the notorious group tied to the Islamic State.

“The death of Hamid is a big blow to the Abu Sayyaf group. It will degrade their capability for spotting and kidnapping victims in the future,” Tan said.

Malaysian media said the fighting injured a policeman. At least seven gunmen on speedboat entered Sabah from Tawi-Tawi and seized the two skippers.

Unknown to the gunmen, a boat operated by General Operations Force Tiger Platoon was in the area and protecting the fishing boats, and engaged the raiders in a sea battle.

(manilatimes)

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Nobel Peace Prize

Santos: Colombia Achieved What Seemed Impossible

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

President Juan Manuel Santos affirmed upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize that the Colombian people is making possible what seemed impossible: ending a conflict that has lasted more than half a century.

During the awards ceremony, the president recalled that only six years ago, neither he nor his countrymen dared to imagine the end of the war they had suffered, the only one and most prolonged of the continent.

‘After serious, and often intense, difficult negotiations I can announce with deep humility and gratitude that the Colombian people, with the support of our friends, are making possible what they believed impossible,’ Santos said during his speech.

The head of state and the leader of the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP), Timoleón Jiménez, signed on November 24th the final agreement, with which they pledged to end the long confrontation.

The Congress validated then that second agreement, derived from the initial one, formalized in Cartagena de Indias and subsequently rejected during the October plebiscite by the majority of voters.

Santos mentioned some of the benefits derived from the conclusive consensus, including the possibility of declaring the country free of antipersonnel mines by 2021, and the new approach to the fight against drug trafficking, focusing on strategies such as the progressive substitution of illicit crops with other plantations.

‘I receive this award on behalf of about 50 million Colombians, my compatriots, who finally see end a nightmare (…) which only brought suffering, misery and backwardness to our nation,’ stressed Santos.

(hr/l2p/oda/ap)

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Nobel Peace Prize

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos receives Nobel Peace Prize

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Nobel laureates have gathered to witness the award ceremonies for this year’s Nobel prizes. Peace Laureate Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is receiving his award in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

Juan Manuel Santos has been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize on Saturday at Oslo’s City Hall. The ceremony, aired live on YouTube, was attended by the royal family, members of the Norwegian government, representatives of families who suffered during the Colombian government’s standoff with members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and former FARC prisoners, Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas.

Speaking at the occasion, Santos described the award as a “gift from heaven” and dedicated it to all citizens of his country.

“I should confess that this news [of winning the Nobel] was like a gift from the heavens…The Nobel Prize was the wind that could propel us to our destination, to the achievement of peace,” he said. The Nobel Peace Prize was a “vote of confidence in the faith and future of our country,” Santos added.

The Nobel Peace Prize comes with a gold medal, a diploma and a check for 8 million Swedish kronor (824,000 euros, $871,000). Santos promised to use the sum for victims of the war.

Santos’ award was recognition for his contribution towards sealing a peace deal between FARC and the government, ending a 50-year-long civil war.

Speaking to the Agence France-Presse news agency before the ceremony began, Santos said he was not sure whether he could repeat his success with Colombia’s second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN). “I cannot guarantee that we will finish before the end of my mandate … I will do my best but to establish a timeframe is always counterproductive in negotiations of this sort,” he said.

Another ceremony was planned in the Swedish capital of Stockholm later on Saturday to honor laureates in the fields of science, economics and literature.

This year’s literature laureate, Bob Dylan, declined to attend the ceremony. His decision is being seen as a slight by the Nobel Foundation, especially since the singer and poet only acknowledged the award two weeks after it had been announced. A member of the Nobel Academy called the behavior “impolite and arrogant.”

Swedish dailies also took to commenting on Dylan’s no-show, with the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper joking about his “pre-existing commitments” and asking, “But what is Bob Dylan doing instead of going to the Nobel ceremony?”
Dylan has sent a thank you note instead and singer-songwriter Patti Smith will sing his “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall” at the ceremony in Stockholm’s concert hall. The Nobel Foundation says his prize should be presented to him in person in 2017, either in Sweden or abroad.

Other Nobel laureates this year include Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrom, who won the Nobel in economics for their contributions to contract theory. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sauvage, British scientist Fraser Stoddart and Dutch scientist Bernard Feringa, jointly won the Nobel in chemistry for their work on molecular machines.

David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz won the prize in physics for their research on superconductors and other unusual states of matter.

The Nobel in medicine this year goes to Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his work on autophagy, the “self-eating” process which lets a cell break down and recycle its contents.

(mg/jlw AFP, AP)

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Srilanka and Norway

Sri Lankan model was extensively studied – Colombian President Santos

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who will be handed this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to achieve a peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas, says that although the Sri Lankan model was extensively studied they did not think it was the correct procedure for Colombia. Beginning with a ceasefire agreement in early 2002, for almost five years a series of peace talks, facilitated by Norway, took place between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. The Colombian President’s agreement with FARC put an end to 50 years of civil war.

Responding to a question by “N.Sethu from NORWAY NEWS – NIPS” at a press conference after arriving in Oslo on Friday for his acceptance of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, President Santos said that each conflict has its own dynamics and its own conditions.

“We did not follow the Sri Lanka process in many respects.

We did not think it was the correct procedure for the Colombian case but we studied it,” he said. “We studied it very much and we have been having past conversations with Sri Lanka about reintegration.”

The 65-year-old said that Colombia has very good experience with reintegration because they have reintegrated more than 58,000 combatants both from guerilla and paramilitary groups.

“And so I think we have some experience there and we have shared this with the Sri Lankan government.”

“We took from the different processes what we thought was applicable for Colombia,” he added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9msvVVzyQW4

(Nadarajah Sethurupan)

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Nobel Peace Prize

Santos Awaits Fast Approval for Peace Legislations

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan
FOTO: Poppe, Cornelius / NTB scanpix

FOTO: Poppe, Cornelius / NTB scanpix

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos expressed his confidence that the Constitutional Court approves the use of the fast track, or mechanism in the Congress to apply and use of the peace legislations.

‘I hope that the next Monday the court gives its approval to the fast track procedure, to implement the agreement with the rebels of the FARC-EP as soon as possible,’ commented Santos in a press round in this capital Friday.

Santos arrived in Oslo, Norway Friday, to receive the Peace Nobel Prize of 2016, accompanied by a group of victims of the conflict in Colombia and other personalities that supported the dialogues with the FARC-EP, in a ceremony that will be held on Saturday.

At the start of his speech, President Santos reasserted that the pact with the FARC-EP was approved for the majority of the Colombian Parliament.

The FARC-EP members, Santos added, will be starting to move right to the zones of Colombia where the disarming process will begin.

After he knew he was the winner of the Peace Nobel Prize, President Santos dedicated the award to all those directly affected people by the war, which has left 300,000 dead, almost 7 million displaced and at least, 45,000 disappeared people in Colombia.

He promised to donate the 8 million Swedish crowns of the Nobel Prize (975,000 dollars) for the repair of the damages caused to victims of war and relatives.

Previous to the ceremony at the Oslo City Hall, where the delivery of the Nobel prize will be held, Santos will be receieved by King Harald V and Queen Sophia of Norway, at the Royal Palace.

Later, he will visit Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Italy.

In Italy, Santos will meet Pope Francis, someone who has encouraged Colombians to keep going for the search of peace and national reconciliation.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Italy to support Colombia

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Rome – Following the historic peace accord with the FARC (the Revolutionary Amed Forces of Colombia), Colombia is pressing ahead in developing business activities.

It is placing a special focus on Italy, “a country of excellence, home to incredible entrepreneurs and engineers”.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Saturday in Oslo. He will then continue his journey to Brussels, Madrid and Rome, arriving in the Eternal City on December 15.

Colombia’s new ambassador to Italy, Juan Mesa Zuleta, informed AGI about President Santos’ mission to Italy. “I arrived in Italy three months ago and have held meetings with over 100 entrepreneurs.

They are from all the Italian regions, and are interested in investing in Colombia. Italy has cutting-edge products and its entrepreneurs are interested in investing and networking at an international level,” said the ambassador.

President Santos’ three-day mission to Italy will include institutional meetings, talks with President Mattarella, a visit with Pope Francis, and a business forum with Italian entrepreneurs who see great potential in post-FARC Colombia.

“Currently, bilateral relations between Italy and Colombia are still limited, as trade accounts for 1.2 or 1.3 billion euro. Colombia exports fuels, mineral oils, coffee and bananas to Italy. Italy in turn exports to Colombia, above all, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, electrical materials and equipment. Italian enterprises have expressed a great interest in increasing trade, especially in the agricultural sector and the fashion and clothing industry.

Enterprises such as Enel, Impregilo, Salvini, Autostrade are the major stakeholders. Top Italian designers are coming to Colombia to utilise local labour forces. This is an industrial sector with great potential.” The market is actually very large. “Following the free trade agreement signed in 2012 and enforced in 2013 between the European Union, Peru and Colombia, custom taxes have been considerably reduced,” added the ambassador.

Colombia is a gateway to Latin America and Korea, thanks to the Pacific Alliance (the free trade area including Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile) and the recently enforced trade deal signed with South Korea. The Pacific Alliance area represents a market of 200 million people.

Colombia’s position is strategic, as it has coasts on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. Its climate enables all-year-round farming.”. .

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Nobel Peace Prize

Colombian President in Oslo to Receive Nobel Peace Prize

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, accompanied by 20 special guests, arrived today in this capital, where he will be awarded tomorrow the Nobel Peace Prize of 2016.

When leaving Colombia, Santos declared he will receive the award on behalf of all Colombians, but mainly in remembrance of the victims of the conflict that lasted more than 50 years.

The entourage of Santos, who arrived aboard a Colombian Air Force plane, is made up of about 30 people, including guests who are victims of the internal armed conflict, officials and family members.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says he has brought no members of the leftist FARC rebel group to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony because he doesn’t want to “create problems” for the Norwegian government.

Santos told reporters Friday that the rebels, with whom he recently reached a peace agreement, “will be here in heart and spirit.”

He said a Spanish lawyer that served as a chief negotiator for FARC would represent the rebels at the ceremony on Saturday.

After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the Colombian president will carry out a European tour of several days comprising Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Italy, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis.

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Environment

Norway’s new ‘Bicycle Hotel’ turns storage unit into new public space

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway is promoting cycling across the country by investing in ‘bicycle hotels’ – storage facilities by railway stations that double as new public spaces.

Oslo studio Various Architects have designed the a prototype Lillestrøm, which is frequently voted Norway’s best cycling city.

Commissioned by real estate firm ROM Eiendom and The Norwegian National Railways, the Lillestrøm Bicycle Hotel consists of a glass box in which to store bikes and a free form wooden roof which can be accessed by the public via a ramp. The latter, covered by green sedum roofing, acts as a viewpoint and meeting space that faces towards the main square.

The transparent glass walls allow natural light to filter through during the day and transform the building into a glowing box at night. The use of other exposed and raw materials, such as concrete, steel, wood and green sedum, reference the local context.

“The principle of the design concept, the materials and the structure of the building was to create something exposed and honest,” said Various Architects in a statement. “The shape
of the roof is a simple single curved structure, with a diagonal slope to maintain its dynamic form and to allow rain drainage. The wooden roof lays on thin steel columns, liberating the roof to be perceived as a separate floating element.”

The adjacent Lillestrøm Train Station is one of the largest and most important transport hubs in the Skedsmo municipality, which is in the process of improving its cycle network in the city centre.

If the Bicycle Hotel is a success, the model could be expanded elsewhere in the country.

(healthclubmanagement)

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Svalbard

Telenor says Svalbard has Norway’s most modern networks

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Telenor said Svalbard archipelago is Norway’s most modern community, and its communications network is now entirely free of copper. Digital telephony started in Longyearbyen in 1990, with the arrival of Alcatel System 12 exchanges, replacing radio and satellite calls with delays to conversations. Telenor now provides 4G all over Svalbard, it said.

Svalbard now uses IP telephony or mobile communications for everything from ordinary voice calls to fire alarms, emergency calls and other specialised services. Digitalisation saves on energy, space and support costs.

Telenor has approximately 1,000 residential fibre customers, with 750 IPTV customers. The operator provides private clients with services at 25 Mbps to 500 Mbps, and corporate clients with services up to 100 Mbps.

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Economics

Norway invited to develop investment cooperation with Belarus

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Belarus invites companies of Turkey and Norway to develop investment cooperation, Director of the Business Education Center of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marina Artimovskaya told the media ahead of the investment forum Open Windows on 8 December.

“Attending today’s forum are guests from Turkey and Norway. We plan to attract investments in Belarus from these countries,” said Marina Artimovskaya. In her words, the investment forum Open Windows has a promising future.

It is expected that the number of foreign investors partaking in the forum will continue increasing.

According to Marina Artimovskaya, the forum will welcome representatives of investment companies, big business and also young companies which projects need investment.

“Our goal today is to provide them with an opportunity to establish ties and discuss possible cooperation,” she added.

The investment forum Open Windows is an open large-scale platform for companies to offer directly and in the real-time mode their ideas to investors.

(BelTA)

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Crimes

Norway jails man over child sex abuse committed live on Skype

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

A Norwegian court sentenced a 66-year-old man to eight years in prison on Thursday for inciting dozens of children in Norway and the Philippines to commit sex acts on Skype, media reports said.

The man was found guilty of having sent money to a family in the Philippines in exchange for organising sex acts between children, some of whom were under the age of 14. The scenes were filmed live on Skype.

He “knew that the underage victims and their families were poor, and as such dependent on the money he paid for these sex acts,” a court in the western town of Bergen found, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported.

The man, who lives off of disability benefits in Bergen, also passed himself off as a teenager on various internet communications services, in order to trick young Norwegians and win their trust so they would undress in front of a webcam.

The man partially confessed to the crimes.

The prosecution, which claimed there were a total of 20 victims in the Philippines and 42 in Norway, had called for a prison sentence of eight years, which the court handed down.

( AFP)

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