Sunday, July 6, 2025
Economics

NATO Chief Stoltenberg Appointed to Run Norway’s Central Bank

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway’s central bank, Norges Bank, announced Friday it has appointed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to take over as its next governor after his term leading the military alliance ends later this year.

The central bank announced the appointment in a statement on its website, saying Stoltenberg had been appointed by Norway’s King Harald V. 

Stoltenberg will take over from current Norges Bank Governor Øystein Olsen, who is retiring later this month after holding the position since Jan. 1, 2011.

The 62-year-old Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, also served as finance minister from 1996 to 2000. He had previously said if he got the central bank governor position, he wouldn’t be able to start before leaving his NATO job on Oct. 1.

The central bank statement said it hopes Stoltenberg can start in his new role by Dec. 1. Until then, Norges Bank Deputy Governor Ida Wolden Bache will run the bank in an interim capacity beginning March 1.

In a statement, Norway’s current finance minister, Trygve Slagsvold, said he had been “concerned with identifying the best central bank governor for Norway, and I’m convinced that this is Jens Stoltenberg.”

The appointment ends speculation that Stoltenberg would stay on at NATO, and the search for a successor must now begin ahead of a meeting of member nation leaders in June this year.

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Defence

NATO confirms Norwegian F-35s and RAF Typhoons intercepted Russian aircraft over North Sea

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35s scrambled from Evenes airbase in Northern Norway to identify Russian aircraft operating in the High North, February 2.

The Norwegian Control and Response Center at Sørreisa ordered the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) scramble after multiple Russian aircraft were detected flying out of the Kola Peninsula.

The F-35s launched over the Finnmark coast, where they identified and shadowed a Russian A-50 Mainstay aircraft before returning to Evenes. The Russian group of aircrafts divided up, some returning to Russian airspace while others continued south into the North Atlantic.

Royal Air Force Typhoons were later scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in response to the incident and intercepted and shadowed two Russian Tu-95 Bear H, which are long-range bombers, and two maritime patrol Tu-142 Bear F.

The Typhoons were supported by a RAF Voyager tanker based out of RAF Brize Norton.

This is the first scramble for the Norwegian F-35s since they took over QRA duties from the F-16s earlier this year.

The Russian aircraft were not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, did not file a flight plan and did not communicate with air traffic controllers, posing a potential risk to other air users.

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Asia and Norway

Kazakh President Assures Fair Investigation Into Tragic Events; to Launch Political Reforms

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the recent violent unrest in Kazakhstan as a planned attempt to seize power, with the involvement of professional militants trained abroad. He emphasized a fair national investigation into what happened, as well as into concerns for alleged mistreatment of the detained would be thoroughly checked. Tokayev also emphasized he would serve as president a maximum of two terms, as per the Constitution of Kazakhstan, adding that there will be no changes to the legislation in this regard.

This and other statements were made in an interview to a Kazakh news channel, Khabar 24 on 29 January.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Commenting on who was responsible for the violence, Tokayev stated that the ongoing investigation should provide answers. He said: “I don’t want to predict the outcome of the investigation, that would be wrong. Many of the militants, including their leaders, left Almaty, some fled into the countryside, others escaped across the border to the neighboring countries.” In relation to the initial peaceful protests that began on 2 January, he said: “As for peaceful demonstrations, of course, they took place. There was no use of force against the demonstrators.”

Commenting on his decision on 7 January to give the order to shoot at armed terrorists, he clarified that law enforcement agencies did not have a plan of action during the unrest. It was, therefore, necessary for the President to take responsibility. Tokayev explained that by the time he gave the order, peaceful protesters left the streets, and only bandits remained.

Commenting on the negative reaction that his order received in certain international circles, Tokayev said: “I am a career diplomat, I knew that there would be such a reaction, but the interests of the state and the security of citizens are of utmost importance for me. I was focusing on restoring order in the country, the reaction [abroad] was of least concern.”

In this regard, the President stated that Kazakhstan does not seek international assistance to investigate the riots, as suggested by the European Parliament resolution. At the same time, Kazakhstan will continue to develop its cooperation with all its international partners, including the United States and China, he said. 

The President also informed that the issue of him taking over as head of the Security Council on 5 January was raised with the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, adding that “there was no bargaining about the division of powers with Nazarbayev and no talk about privileges.”

Commenting on claims that Kazakhstan owes Russia a favour for the temporary support that Kazakhstan received from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), President Tokayev categorically stated that there were no preconditions from the Kremlin and no discussions about Kazakhstan having to return any favours. He clarified that in addition to Russian forces, the CSTO peacekeeping contingent also included military personnel from Belarus, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. 

Switching to the topic of political reforms in the country, the President noted that Kazakhstan needs to reform its parliamentary and party system. He stressed that there should be several strong parties in parliament capable of developing political leaders. He said: “I am seriously deliberating reforming the parliamentary system in our country, and, of course, the party system.”

He confirmed that Kazakhstan will continue to follow the course of political modernisation, describing it as “his principled position”. 

Regarding judicial reforms, the President noted that the status of the Supreme Judicial Council is being strengthened and a collegium for administrative cases is being created. Kazakhstan’s law enforcement will also be substantially modernised as part of future reforms.

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Peace Talks

Oslo meetings an achievement – Taliban

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Senior Taliban leaders and diplomats from several Western countries have held landmark discussions on the current situation in Afghanistan behind closed doors in Oslo.

Led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban delegates met representatives from the European Union, the United States, Britain, Norway, Germany, Italy and France on Monday.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, wrote on his Twitter account that Afghanistan’s economy, humanitarian assistance, security, central bank affairs and other issues came up for discussion.

A Norwegian initiative, the talks represented the Taliban’s first contact with Western diplomats since their takeover of the country in August last year.

The unfolding humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, faced with hunger and poverty, was also in focus at the meeting the Taliban hailed as an “achievement in itself”.

The visiting foreign minister told journalists: “Norway providing us this opportunity is an achievement in itself because we shared the stage with the world.”

Muttaqi hoped they would win global support for Afghanistan’s humanitarian, health and education sectors as a result of the three-day talks in Oslo.

As expected, the Taliban delegates renewed their call for the release of $10billion in Afghanistan central bank’s assets blocked by the US and its allies.

In what is widely seen as the highlight of the delegation’s visit, the Taliban are meeting Norwegian officials on how Afghanistan could be steered out of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Also on Monday, ex-president Hamid Karzai characterised the Oslo meetings as a positive development with regard to Afghanistan’s future.

In an interview with CNN, he told the Taliban that the time had come to reopen all educational institutes across the country and put girls back in school.

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Peace Talks

British diplomats meet Taliban in Oslo

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

British diplomats have met the Taliban in Norway, as Afghanistan’s new rulers asked the West to drop sanctions and restart aid as the country slides into economic meltdown.

Boris Johnson’s special envoy to Afghanistan joined counterparts from America and others allies in talks with envoys from the victorious militant movement on their first European visit since taking power.

Taliban envoys arrived on an executive jet to take part in the closed-door discussions on the outskirts of the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

Critics said the meeting lent legitimacy to the newly-restored emirate, which has been accused of conducting reprisals killings against members of the former government and has blocked girls from secondary school in much of the country.

But diplomatic sources said the scale of the country’s economic crisis is so vast they had no alternative but to deal with the Taliban to prevent a humanitarian collapse and possible migration exodus.

Taliban sources said they would be calling for the resumption of aid and the unfreezing of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves, after sanctions in response to their takeover tipped the country into ruin.

“We are requesting them to unfreeze Afghan assets and not punish ordinary Afghans because of the political discourse,” said Taliban delegate Shafiullah Azam ahead of the talks.

“Because of the starvation, because of the deadly winter, I think it’s time for the international community to support Afghans, not punish them because of their political disputes.”

The UK delegation led by Nigel Casey was expected to press the Taliban on unfulfilled promises to safeguard women’s rights and prevent the country becoming a haven for al-Qaeda.

Millions of Afghans cannot feed themselves and many face starvation after aid stopped in the wake of the Taliban seizing power and the economy seized up. Sanctions have been slightly eased to allow aid agencies to deliver food and medicines, but commerce remains paralysed and unemployment has jumped.

The militants-turned-rulers are particularly keen to see nearly $9bn in foreign reserves unfrozen. But the White House has said the Taliban have only themselves to blame and were warned last year that aid would cease if they scorned talks with Ashraf Ghani and seized power by force instead.

“We will continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban regarding our concerns and our abiding interest in a stable, rights-respecting and inclusive Afghanistan,” US special representative Thomas West said ahead of talks.

The Taliban’s foreign minister said the talks were an achievement in themselves to the new rulers.

He said: “Norway providing us this opportunity is an achievement in itself because we shared the stage with the world… From these meetings we are sure of getting support for Afghanistan’s humanitarian, health and education sectors.”

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Terrorist

Islamic Emirate Meets With Envoys of 7 Nations, EU in Oslo

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and his delegation met with the envoys of the European Union and seven countries on Monday in Oslo, according to the Foreign Ministry.  

The Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Twitter that the delegation met with the EU special envoy plus those from the US, UK, Norway, Germany, Italy, France, and Qatar.  

“The meeting focused on discussions about the economy, humanitarian aid, security, the central bank, health and other relevant issues,” he said, “The discussions are in progress, a full report will follow.” 

The US special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West in a series of tweets on Sunday evening said that the US and allies were seeking ways to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.    

“As we seek to address (the) humanitarian crisis together with allies, partners, and relief organizations, we will continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban regarding our concerns and our abiding interest in a stable, rights-respecting and inclusive Afghanistan,” he said.  

Political analysts believe that such meetings could play a vital role in solving the problems in the country.  

“There is a need to take a constructive step inside Afghanistan for the formation of an inclusive and sustainable government,” said professor Sayed Baqir Mohseni.  

The Islamic Emirate characterized Norway’s initiative as preliminary steps for the recognition of the Afghan government, however, the Norwegian foreign ministry said that the meetings were “not a legitimation or recognition of the Taliban.” 

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Peace Talks

Talks With Taliban in Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

UN says famine has been threatening 23 million Afghans, demanding $4.4 billion from donor countries this year to address the humanitarian crisis.

Human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where hunger threatens millions, will be in focus at talks opening between the Taliban, the West and members of Afghan civil society.

In their first visit to Europe since returning to power in August, the Taliban will meet on Sunday in Oslo Norwegian officials as well as representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the European Union.

The Taliban delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

On the agenda will be “the formation of a representative political system, responses to the urgent humanitarian and economic crises, security and counter-terrorism concerns, and human rights, especially education for girls and women”, a US State Department official said.

The hardline group was toppled in 2001 but swiftly stormed back to power in August as international troops began their final withdrawal.

The Taliban hope the talks will help “transform the atmosphere of war… into a peaceful situation”, government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP news agency on Saturday.

No country has yet recognised the Taliban government, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt stressed that the talks would “not represent a legitimisation or recognition of the Taliban”.

“But we must talk to the de facto authorities in the country. We cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster,” Huitfeldt said.

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Terrorist

IEA asks Norway to take lead in recognition

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Deputy of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in economic affairs Maulaee Kabir meets with the Norwegian ambassador to Kabul Andreas Linedman and expressed hope that Norway would take lead in recognizing the interim government in Afghanistan.

The meeting took place on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

A spokesperson of the IEA Inamullah Samangani in a Twitter post cited Mulaee Kabir as he said that they have completed the criteria for recognition.

As per Inamulllah Samangani, “IEA has completed all the criteria for recognition and we hope that Norway will take the lead in recognizing them and will also do its part in releasing Afghanistan’s assets.” Said the Deputy PM.

The Norwegian ambassador said though the country does not have an active embassy in Afghanistan, it is engaged in all incidents currently happening in Afghanistan.

It has been nearly six months after the Taliban recaptured power in Afghanistan but they have not been recognized by any country yet.

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Terrorist

Norwegian prosecutors refuse release Anders Breivik, 2011 mass murderer

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Neo-Nazi Anders Breivik, who committed a 2011 mass murder in Norway that killed more than 80 people, has not improved during his time in prison and should remain behind bars, state prosecutor Hulda Karlsdottir said, Reuters reported.

On the final day of a three-day parole hearing, prosecutor Hulda Karlsdottir said in her closing argument that Anders Behring Breivik “has not shown any genuine remorse in court” and his behavior there is part of a “PR stunt.”

Breivik, 42, is serving Norway’s maximum prison sentence of 21 years, which can be extended indefinitely if the court decides he continues to pose a threat to society. Breivik is eligible to petition for parole and said he hopes he will eventually be released.

Breivik hopes he will be released somewhere between 2032 and 2070, he will be 91 years old by the end of 2070.

A prison psychiatrist testified Wednesday that Breivik’s ability to act violently has not diminished.

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Religion

Norwegian National Ballet refuses to drop insensitive ballet “La Bayadère”: Hindus to appeal PM Støre

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norwegian National Opera & Ballet has refused to discard its upcoming production of “La Bayadère”; scheduled for March 23-April 07, 2022 in Oslo; which protesting Hindus feel seriously trivializes Eastern religious and other traditions and is culturally insensitive. 

“We do not plan to cancel the production”, Norwegian National Opera & Ballet (Den Norske Opera & Ballett) Communications Director Kenneth Fredstie wrote to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spearheaded the protest. Fredstie, however, admitted in the email that “La Bayadère” features “fascination with, but also ignorance of, other cultures”.  Responding to Zed (who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism), Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality, which appoints the board of Norwegian National Opera & Ballet; has also declined to intervene, citing “artistic freedom”. 

We plan to appeal to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre as it is simply unfair, unethical and inappropriate to spend taxpayer’s money on caricaturing “other” cultures; Rajan Zed points out in a statement in Nevada (USA) today. We strongly felt that taxpayer funded Norwegian National Opera & Ballet; which was “wholly-owned by the Norwegian state”; should not be in the business of callously promoting appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of “others”; and ridiculing entire communities; Zed said. 

Rajan Zed indicated that this deeply problematic ballet was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibited 19th-century orientalist attitudes. Zed further said that Norwegian National Ballet, which claims to be “the only classical ballet company in Norway”, should have shown some maturity before selecting a ballet like “La Bayadère” (The Temple Dancer) displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic stereotyping. 

It was highly irresponsible for Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, whose “strategy” stated—”We will create and present operas and ballets which make an impact”; to choose such a ballet which had been blamed for patronizing flawed mishmash of orientalist stereotypes, dehumanizing cultural portrayal and misrepresentation, offensive and degrading elements, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, essentialism, shallow exoticism, caricaturing, etc. Norwegian National Opera & Ballet could do better than this to serve its diverse stakeholders; Rajan Zed stated. 

The Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality and its Minister Anette Trettebergstuen should also take its areas of responsibility—culture, equality and discrimination—more seriously, and have better understanding of the feelings of “others” to do the job more effectively.

Is not the issue of cultural stereotyping in “La Bayadère” visible to Trettebergstuen? Zed asked. Rajan Zed suggested Norwegian National Opera & Ballet CEO Geir Bergkastet, Board Chairperson Anne Carine Tanum, Ballet Artistic Director Ingrid Lorentzen to re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send its executives for cultural sensitivity training so that such inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.  

Moreover; Norwegian National Opera & Ballet collaborators like Norsk Tipping, FINN, OBOS, Red Bull should rethink their relationship with it if it continued with ballets like “La Bayadère”, which trivialized traditions of “others”; Zed added. Like many others, Hindus also consider ballet as one of the revered art forms which offers richness and depth.

But we are well into the 21st century now, and outdated “La Bayadère”, which was first presented in St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1877, is long overdue for permanent retirement from the world stage; Rajan Zed notes. 

Description of “La Bayadère” on Norwegian National Opera & Ballet website included: “ballet houses around the world are currently engaging in dialogue about whether this classic still deserves a rightful place in the repertoire”. 

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Asia and Norway

PRESIDENT TOKAYEV ADDRESSES PUBLIC CONCERNS, INTRODUCES NEW PM

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

As Kazakhstan recovers from an unprecedented outbreak of violence, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has outlined vital policies to address the crisis and support long-term development. He also presented to the Parliament the new Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov.

Almaty and other regions that suffered damage will be restored and rebuilt as soon as possible. Normal operation of the financial system, transport sector, food supply chains will be restored shortly. 

A special investigation task force has been instructed to bring to justice all the militants and their accomplices involved in crimes against civilians, reveal all causes and details of the tragedy. Help will be provided to the families of the deceased law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilians. The Government will provide housing and education allowances to those families and other forms of support.

The Government will provide financial assistance and other types of support to businesses during the crisis. Interest payments on loans, administrative fines, and penalties have been temporarily suspended for businesses.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

The President said that the Government would take every possible measure to restore the confidence of domestic and foreign investors and trade partners in Kazakhstan’s economy. “All Kazakhstan’s obligations and guarantees to investors will be strictly followed and fulfilled. A new Concept of Investment Policy will be developed to increase Kazakhstan’s investment attractiveness with due account of the increasing role of ESG requirements, global green energy transition, and technological transition”, he stressed.

The Government will make a special effort to address the issues of economic inequality in Kazakhstan. It will ensure that incomes of all groups of the population grow at pace with the growth of the national economy.

The Government will swiftly develop a new Social Code. The Government must adapt its social policies to the new reality, taking into account the challenges of the Covid pandemic and all other problems. The Social Code should become a key element of the new “social contract” in Kazakhstan.

President Tokayev has initiated a special fund, “For the People of Kazakhstan,” to support citizens at the time of need. The fund will be fully transparent and accountable to the public, and its funding will come from private and public sources.

Kazakhstan will press ahead with the President’s policy of swift political modernization. President Tokayev has already implemented four packages of political reforms. The fifth major package of political reforms will be unveiled in September after a thorough discussion with the expert community and civil society.

The Government will allocate educational grants for young people who live in densely populated provinces of Kazakhstan. The President instructed the Government to open overseas branches of at least five major foreign universities by 2025 and develop a program to attract the best teachers to provinces.

Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan will be subjected to detailed review and audit to ensure that their policies benefit the people of Kazakhstan. 

Full review and audit will also be conducted to combat corruption, ensure transparency and efficiency of customs and border control procedures at some of the key facilities on Kazakhstan’s border.

To strengthen national security and efficiently counter all types of threats, the entire national security system will be reorganized, including Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, national security agencies, and intelligence services. State borders will be strengthened, circulation of firearms in the country will be strictly monitored. “The entire national security system should work for one purpose – to ensure the most effective protection of Kazakhstan’s citizens, constitutional system, and national sovereignty against threats of any nature and scale,” President said.

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Science

Disruption at Arctic Circle undersea cable linking satellites to Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Service to one of the world’s key Arctic underwater cables providing a data lifeline to satellites orbiting the Earth has been disrupted.

One of the two cables has been out of service since Friday and Space Norwayconfirmed that repairs using an ocean-going, cable-laying ship would be needed.

The remote but vital Svalbard Undersea Cable System connects Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Circle, with mainland Norway, and is owned by Space Norway.

The twin submarine fibre-optic communication cables serve SvalSat park, the world’s largest commercial ground station, and provides support to operators of polar-orbiting satellites.

More than 100 satellite antennas are located on a nearby mountain, with the satellite park halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Norway, Svalbard, Longyearbyen, SvalSat Svalbard Satellite Ground Station near Longyearbyen, Viewed from ship in Isfjorden.

“There is a fault in the power supply … in an area where the cable goes steeply into the deep sea from approximately 300-metres to approximately 2,700-metres depth.

“How the damage occurred is not clarified, but this is being investigated further. To repair the damage, a larger, seagoing cable-laying vessel must be mobilised.”

Space Norway said the two cables act as a redundancy for each other meaning all data is being routed through the single working cable.

“Space Norway owns and is responsible for the socially critical fibre connection between Svalbard and the mainland,” the company said.

“The Svalbard fibre consists of two geo-redundant connections between Longyearbyen and Harstad. This means that the Svalbard fibre is fully functional if one of two connections fails, but it is then without reserve capacity.”

Norway’s Minister of Justice and Public Security, Emilie Enger Mehl, said: “I have been informed that an error has occurred on part of one of the two fibre connections between Svalbard and mainland Norway.

“Communication to and from Svalbard is still running as normal, even though one of the connections now has failed.”

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Environment

Norwegian recycling specialist appoints construction partner for £100m Sunderland plant

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Wastefront AS, the Norwegian waste tyre recycling company, today announced Technip Energies as its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner for the build of its £100m tyre recycling plant in Sunderland.

Technip Energies was selected following a competitive “Project Analysis and Execution Pathway” (PAEP) study phase that reviewed the earlier project development work and was designed to identify, eliminate, and mitigate project risk, and is now consolidating the engineering design.

Construction will commence in Q2 of 2022 and will be accompanied by Technip Energies until the plant’s opening, expected to be in Q1 of 2024.

Vianney Valès, CEO of Wastefront, commented: “Our mission is to solve complex environmental issues, through a solution that has demonstrated its full alignment with EU/UK Taxonomy targets.

“To succeed, a rigorous approach to Project execution is key. Having Technip Energies, one of the most respected EPC companies in the world, endorse our approach and support our Project is yet another step in our ambition to build a world scale green industrial platform.”

Wastefront and Technip Energies have also agreed on a strategic partnership to deploy Wastefront projects worldwide with the Sunderland plant being used as a blueprint for the global replication of a uniquely circular model.

With the aim of solving a “significant and grossly underreported but major cause of pollution”, Wastefront plans to build a global green industrial platform to recycle part of the 29m metric tonnes of end-of-life tyres produced annually, into high value products.

When fully commissioned the Sunderland plant, which utilises commercially proven technologies, will have a processing capacity of 80,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres per annum.

Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, added: “We are extremely pleased to support Wastefront in their development. This project which leverages both our engineering and project management capabilities, will be led by our teams in the UK.

“It is fully aligned with our strategy to deploy our know-how and our resources to scaling up solutions accelerating the energy transition journey as well as positioning our company as a leading player of the circular economy”.

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Science

Human infections decline in Norway but pathogens stable in food-producing animals

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Most pathogens decreased in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced travel, according to a report published by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.

Diseases transmitted between animals and humans are called zoonoses. The decline in humans was highest for campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and E. coli infections, mainly because of fewer travel associated cases. Occurrence of most pathogens in animals were stable compared to previous years.

It was already known that reported outbreaks halved in 2020 to 23 compared to 46 the year before. Another report found foodborne diseases dropped overall but there were domestic increases for Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium and Yersinia.

Salmonella and Campylobacter infections
The number of reported cases of salmonellosis decreased in 2020 to 440 compared to almost 2,000 in 2019. More than a quarter were caused by Salmonella Enteritidis, followed by other types such as Typhimurium, Newport and Stanley.

In Norway, food-producing animals are only rarely infected with Salmonella. The surveillance program includes testing live animals such as pigs, poultry and cattle and fresh pig and cattle meat.

From 8,882 fecal samples in 1,342 poultry holdings, one broiler flock was positive. One of 3,245 lymph node samples from slaughter pigs was positive. Three out of 2,973 lymph node samples from cattle were positive for Salmonella. A total of 5,905 swab samples of cattle and swine carcasses were examined, and one was positive.

A total of 2,422 cases of campylobacteriosis were reported, of which 1,513 contracted the infection in Norway. For 647 patients the place of infection was unknown. The total was 4,155 in 2019.

The number of people infected in Norway in 2020 was similar to 1,551 infections in 2019. However, at least 200 reported cases in 2019 were part of a large waterborne outbreak. Without these cases, there is a slight increase in domestic infections in 2020, which might be associated with more people spending summer in Norway and in nature because of the travel restrictions. This may have increased the use of untreated or water of poor quality and contact with livestock.

The prevalence of Campylobacter in broilers is low in Norway compared to other countries. Surveillance in poultry showed that 115 flocks were positive for the pathogen.

Carcasses from positive flocks were heat treated or frozen for at least three weeks before being marketed. In total, 1,893 flocks from 490 farms were sampled. Of all farms, 86 had positive flocks and of these, 24 had two or more positive flocks. This means that almost half of the positive flocks originated from less than 5 percent of the farms.

E. coli, Yersinia and Listeria
The number of reported E. coli infection patients decreased to 331 in 2020 compared to 511 in 2019. People developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) remained low at less than 10 cases per year.

The 83 cases of yersiniosis was a similar figure to that reported in 2019. All infections in 2020 were caused by Yersinia enterocolitica.

Three outbreaks occurred because of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3. The largest was reported in June 2020 with 25 cases. Patient interviews showed 23 people had eaten a pre-washed salad product that contained baby spinach or spinach the week before illness. However, the source of infection could not be confirmed by microbiological testing. The source of the other two outbreaks could not be identified but investigations indicated they were likely a food with a short shelf life and a pre-cut salad product, respectively.

The number of listeriosis cases continues to increase with 37 in 2020 versus 27 in 2019. One outbreak affected four people but the source could not be identified.

Listeria monocytogenes was detected in four sheep. The Institute of Marine Research examined 135 samples of seafood from Norway for Listeria monocytogenes and four were positive, but at less than 100 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g). Another 57 samples of imported fish products were analyzed and four were positive at levels below 100 cfu/g.

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Asia and Norway

Kazakh official: CSTO forces will stay for a short period

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

“Peacekeeping troops comprising of multinational forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states were deployed and will remain for a short period of time until the stabilization of the situation in Kazakhstan,” said Erzhan Kazykhan, Kazakh President’s Special Representative for International Cooperation.

The legal framework for deploying collective peacekeeping forces is based on Articles 2 and 4 of the Treaty on Collective Security, the Agreement on Peacekeeping Activities, and military assistance requested by Kazakhstan.

The peacekeeping troops are not involved in eliminating militant groups and terrorists, and their main tasks are the protection of strategic sites and administrative buildings, Mr.Kazykhan explained.

Armed attacks vs. peaceful protests 
President’s Representative urged the media to distinguish a peaceful demonstration from armed attacks. “The story that run this week in international media leaves the readers with falls impressions that Kazakhstan government has been targeting peaceful protestors. Our security forces have been engaging violent mobs who were committing brazen acts of terror,” Kazykhan said.

Addressing public grievance over the inflation and overall social and economic problems, the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has decided to regulate petroleum prices and essential products and services.

“Regretfully, peaceful demonstrations in Almaty and some other regions were hijacked by perpetrators and both local and foreign terrorist groups. The escalation triggering riots and attacks against administrative buildings, military bases, and civil facilities, seizure of the Almaty airport, local and foreign airplanes. This shows the high level of preparedness and coordination of the perpetrators. No protest or demonstration in a democratic society can justify the attacks and killings of law enforcement officers,” he added.

According to the latest data, 18 law enforcement officers were killed by extremists and terrorists. More than 700 police officers, military personnel, and 1,000 civilians were injured and hospitalized.

“Those, who name the extremists to be part of peaceful protestors, may they know that two of young soldiers were beheaded staying on their knees. They also attacked first responders, including medical emergency teams and firefighters”. 

The President’s envoy stressed that “Kazakhstan has repeatedly expressed its commitment to the rule of law. All actions taken or supported are and will be in accordance with our Constitution, our laws, and our international commitments.”

The full statement is available on the following video link and the text below-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wnerUn3JN4

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Religion

Hindus urge Norwegian National Ballet to drop culturally insensitive ballet “La Bayadère”

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Hindus are urging Norwegian National Opera & Ballet to discard its upcoming production of “La Bayadère”; scheduled for March 23-April 07, 2022 in Oslo; which they feel seriously trivializes Eastern religious and other traditions. 

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that taxpayer funded Norwegian National Opera & Ballet (Den Norske Opera & Ballett); which is “wholly-owned by the Norwegian state”; should not be in the business of callously promoting appropriation of traditions, elements and concepts of “others”; and ridiculing entire communities. 

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that this deeply problematic ballet was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibited 19th-century orientalist attitudes.

He also urged Norwegian National Opera & Ballet to apologize for such an inappropriate selection. Norwegian National Ballet, which claims to be “the only classical ballet company in Norway”, should have shown some maturity before selecting a ballet like “La Bayadère” (The Temple Dancer) displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic stereotyping, Rajan Zed noted. 

It was highly irresponsible for Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, whose “strategy” stated—”We will create and present operas and ballets which make an impact”; to choose such a ballet which had been blamed for patronizing flawed mishmash of orientalist stereotypes, dehumanizing cultural portrayal and misrepresentation, offensive and degrading elements, needless appropriation of cultural motifs, essentialism, shallow exoticism, caricaturing, etc. Norwegian National Opera & Ballet could do better than this to serve its diverse stakeholders; Zed stated. 

Rajan Zed also urged Norwegian Minister of Culture and Equality Anette Trettebergstuen; who is “responsible for cultural policy, equality- and discrimination policy”; to seriously look into this issue of cultural stereotyping by Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, whose board is appointed by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture. 

Zed suggested Norwegian National Opera & Ballet CEO Geir Bergkastet, Board Chairperson Anne Carine Tanum, Ballet Artistic Director Ingrid Lorentzen to re-evaluate its systems and procedures and send its executives for cultural sensitivity training so that such an inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.  Moreover; Norwegian National Opera & Ballet collaborators like Norsk Tipping, FINN, OBOS, Red Bull should rethink about their relationship with it if it continued with ballets like “La Bayadère”, which trivialized traditions of “others”; Rajan Zed added. Like many others, Hindus also consider ballet as one of the revered art forms which offers richness and depth. But we are well into 21st century now, and outdated “La Bayadère”, which was first presented in St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1877, is long overdue for permanent retirement from the world stage; Zed points out. Tickets for this two hour 50 minutes long “La Bayadère” are priced up to 900 kroner. Its description on Norwegian National Opera & Ballet website includes: “ballet houses around the world are currently engaging in dialogue about whether this classic still deserves a rightful place in the repertoire”. 

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Asia and Norway

Kazakhstan President vows to crush Terrorism

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared that order had largely been restored in Kazakhstan but vowed to push ahead with a deadly mass protests that had swept the country.

Dozens have died and public buildings across Kazakhstan have been ransacked and torched in the worst violence in its 30 years of independence.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said foreign-trained terrorists were responsible for the unrest.

“The militants have not laid down their arms, they continue to commit crimes or are preparing for them,” he said in a televised address.

“Whoever does not surrender will be destroyed. I have given the order to law enforcement agencies and the army to shoot to kill, without warning.”

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, addresses the nation (January 7, 2022)

  • In his live speech at the national television, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev informed that the anti-terrorist operation is underway in Kazakhstan. “The police, the National Guard and the Army are carrying out a large-scale and well-coordinated work to establish law and order in accordance with the Constitution”.
  • According to President Tokayev, around 20K criminals and terrorists attacked Almaty alone. “Their actions showed the presence of a clear plan of attacks on military, administrative and social facilities almost everywhere, well-coordinated coordination of actions, high combat readiness and cruelty.” “In addition to the militants, there were people carrying an ideology sabotage, skilfully using disinformation or fake news to manipulate people’s mind.”
  • The Committee of National Security and the General Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the preparation and management of these unlawful actions.
  • The situation in the cities of Almaty, Aktobe and Almaty Region has stabilized. The state of emergency is giving its results: constitutional legality continue being restored throughout the country. However, the militants did not yet lay down their arms and continue to commit crimes, damage state and private property, and the use of weapons against citizens. “Law enforcement agencies and armies will continue carrying out their work.”
  • The CSTO peacekeeping contingent arrived in Kazakhstan for a short period to assist in establishing constitutional order.
  • The tragic events highlight the problems of democracy and human rights in a new way, which does not mean permissiveness and incitement to unlawful actions. The law and order are the main guarantees of the well-being of the country.
  • He said that the operations are not an attack on civil liberties and human rights. The tragedy of Almaty and other cities of Kazakhstan has shown that the non-observance of laws and anarchy lead to the violation of human rights (in May 2020, Kazakhstan passed a law on peaceful assemblies of citizens, marking a big step in promoting democracy, as it provides for announced rallies and assemblies). President noted that the irresponsible actions of individual activists led to the unleashing of a tragedy in Kazakhstan and became their accomplices. The main goal now is not to allow these events repeat in the future.
  • Following the stabilization of the situation, the government provided the Internet connection in certain regions with certain time intervals.
  • President Tokayev concluded that the there is a lot of work ahead and lessons to learn from the tragedy, including the improvement of socio-economic situation. He underlined that the demands of peaceful rallies were heard, and that the actions on acute social and economic problems will be announced soon.
  • The head of state is to announce the next steps in his address to the Parliament on January 11, 2022. He thanked the citizens for following the law and the order in these days, and expressed his belief that the nation will become stronger, with economy and social conditions becoming better in the future.
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Diplomatic relations

Security Council to discuss Libya situation and UNSMIL mandate

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The representative of the Kingdom of Norway to Libya said that Libya will be at the top of the Security Council’s agenda in January, after Norway assumed the council’s rotating presidency.

It is expected that the fate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, whose mission was extended last September until the end of January 2022, will be discussed.

Norway joined the Security Council as a non-permanent member, along with Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, the United Arab Emirates, India, Ireland, Kenya and Mexico.

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Media Freedom

Ransomware Attack Forces Norway Newspaper to Shut Presses

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

A ransomware attack has disrupted the operations of Norway-based media company Amedia, which publishes more than 70 newspapers for 2 million readers.

The Tuesday attack on the company’s computer systems forced it to shut the presses, says Amedia’s executive vice president of technology, Pål Nedregotten.

In a Wednesday update, the company said it would “take time before the situation is normal.”

Although the attackers left a ransom note on the media company’s infected computers, Amedia has no intention of paying ransom, the statement says. It says the company has shared the ransom note with the police.

As the central information systems of the company are still encrypted and out of order, alternate arrangements to reinstate production of the paper-based newspaper are being made, and only 20 of all the titles published by the media company will be printed on Thursday, the update adds.

“Alternative production of the paper newspaper on Thursday will apply to about 20 newspapers, while it is not yet possible for other newspapers to get the newspaper out. Efforts are being made to make the solution available to everyone from Friday,” Amedia says.

The company did not respond to Information Security Media Group’s request for additional details, such as the ransom amount sought, the infection vector and the identity of the attacker.

Initial Investigation
Amedia’s initial investigation confirms that the “problems are limited to the systems managed by Amedia’s central IT company, Amedia Teknologi,” and that “Amedia’s other systems work as normal.”

If no newspapers can be published, it affects readers as well as advertisers who cannot place new orders for ads or see the ordered ones published, Nedregotten says.

Amedia’s latest update confirms that its central information systems, which were targeted in the attack, contain personal data. The subscriber data includes name, address, mobile number, email address and subscription history, while employee data includes employment conditions/agreements, Social Security numbers and salaries.

“We do not yet know whether this information has actually been misused or not and are now working to map such matters in more detail,” Amedia says. “It seems obvious that such data has been downloaded and we will inform the Norwegian Data Protection Authority about it.”

On Tuesday, Nedregotten said that there was “no reliable information” on whether personal information of subscribers and employees had been compromised, but that “if personal information has gone astray, those affected will be informed as soon as possible.”

PrintNightmare Vulnerability Exploited?
“People [attackers] have been in our systems for several days,” local news platform Digi.no reported Nedregotten as saying in a digital press conference on Wednesday. “There is a known security hole in Windows that has been exploited, and it is therefore Amedia’s Windows servers that have been affected.”

Nedregotten did not mention the vulnerability exploited. A Twitter user who uses the name “cyb5r3Gene” and claims to be a security researcher from Norway says the threat actor exploited CVE-2021-1675 – the PrintNighmare vulnerability – to gain initial access and for subsequent lateral movement.

‘Yes, There Are Backups’
While Amedia acknowledges that it is experiencing “serious” problems, the media group says it was ready with a disaster recovery plan. “Yes, there are backups. We are looking at how we can use these,” Amedia says.

The process may take a while, as its team is looking at safe backup configurations while ensuring that it doesn’t trigger a malicious script that initiates the attacks again. “We have engaged experts to help us in this area to ensure the safety of such solutions. We will provide new information on this as soon as we are ready,” Amedia says.

Ransomware, a Persistent Problem
Businesses need to stop thinking that ransomware is somehow different from any other attack, Simon Edwards, CEO of security company SE Labs, tells Information Security Media Group.

“The hacker’s playbook hasn’t changed much over the years. Run some reconnaissance, gain access, escalate privileges and steal or destroy information. Attackers don’t use magic because they don’t need to. Tried and trusted hacking methods rule the day, as seems the case in this particular incident,” Edwards says.

“People tend to think that hacking involves super-secret programs and the kind of arcane knowledge known only to a handful of shadowy computer nerds. But you can set yourself up as a pretty competent attacker with a handful of widely available books, some free software and access to YouTube,” says Edwards.

Rather than fixating on one issue such as ransomware, Edwards recommends that organizations focus on ensuring that their environments are locked down sufficiently to prevent any type of attack, regardless of its payload. “Confirming that security measures and policies still meet the needs of the business on a regular basis will help shore up defenses,” he tells ISMG.

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Africa and Norway

Statement on Sudan from the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Three years ago tomorrow, the people of Sudan started a country-wide uprising for freedom, peace and justice. After months of determined and fearless efforts through peaceful protests – often led by women and youth – the revolution succeeded in overturning an authoritarian military regime. Friends of Sudan in the international community, including Norway, joined in celebrating this historic change.

The military take-over on the 25th October struck at the core of the transition that we have supported. The civilian-military partnership and the constitutional order was set aside. A broad spectrum of the Sudanese society now demands the restoration of a civilian-led transition. Norway echoes their fear of return to authoritarian rule and is concerned about the situation for rule of law and human rights. 

Ahead of the 3rd anniversary, we continue to hold the security forces responsible to prevent violence against peaceful protesters and protect civilians across the country.

We urge the military to rebuild confidence by reversing unilateral actions and appointments made after the coup. Accountability for violence against civilians and peaceful protesters will prove that the era of impunity is over. Moving forward, transferring the Chair of the Sovereign Council to a civilian is key. Further, more transparency and oversight of the economy are needed. Such actions will also contribute to a conducive environment for a national dialogue, reconciliation and transitional justice.

We welcome renewed commitments to free and fair elections. This requires respecting freedom of speech and assembly, and respect for free and independent media. Organising the constitutional conference and establishing the election commission will be critical.

In the current political process, a diverse set of voices should have a say, including Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), political stakeholders, civil society and resistance committees. Active participation of women is a prerequisite. This will strengthen legitimacy and build trust. We call upon political actors to engage in a constructive manner given the fragility of the situation.

The risks of non-action are high, and time is of essence. Only with a legitimate government and legitimate institutions, the international community can fully reengage and support Sudan in the economic recovery that it so urgently needs.

The deteriorating situation in Darfur and the political crisis in the East are very worrying. Fundamental change must benefit the whole population. The military-led Sovereign Council carries a heavy responsibility to protect civilians, prevent further escalations and find sustainable solutions for conflicts across the country. In an unstable region, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan remain of fundamental importance.

Norway stands with the Sudanese people as they commemorate this monumental day and courageously continues to demand a civilian-led path towards democracy.

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Crimes

Norway data authority fines Grindr €6.4M over illegal data sharing

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (DPA) Monday fined the popular queer dating app Grindr for sharing users’ personal data with third parties, including ad tech companies MoPub, Xandr, OpenX, AdColony and Smaato.

The decision stems from a complaint filed by the Norwegian Consumer Council (NCC), a nonprofit organization, in January 2020 alleging that the app shares location, IP address, gender, age and device information with several different companies and advertising partners.

The DPA found that Grindr violated Articles 6(1) and 9(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for disclosing personal data without legal basis and disclosing special category personal data without valid exemptions. Grindr argued it had the consent of its users as a legal basis for sharing personal data, but the DPA disagreed and found that users were not properly informed about the company’s privacy policy and consent was not properly given.

Further, access to the app was conditional on consenting to data-sharing with third-party advertising even though it was unrelated to the performance of Grindr’s dating services. Users were only given the option to withdraw their consent upon paying a subscription fee, which could unduly affect their decision on granting and revoking consent.

The NCC welcomed this decision as a victory for the movement against surveillance-based advertising:

This sends a strong signal to all companies involved in commercial surveillance. There are serious repercussions to sharing personal data without a legal basis. We call for the digital advertising industry, which is responsible for tracking and profiling consumers on a massive scale, to make fundamental changes to respect consumers’ rights.

The DPA has imposed a fine of 65 million NOK (€6.42 million), subject to appeal before the Norwegian Privacy Appeals Board. The European Center for Digital Rights (Noyb) filed a similar complaint against Grindr before the Austrian DPA last month.

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Nobel Peace Prize

Journalists Dmitry Muratov, Maria Ressa receive 2021 Nobel Peace Prize

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Chief Editor of Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper Dmitry Muratov and Philippine journalist Maria Ressa have received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony held at the city hall in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

In October, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the two journalists “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

OSLO, NORWAY – DECEMBER 10, 2021: Filipino-American journalist, co-founder and CEO of Rappler Maria Ressa (L) and Russian journalist, Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov are awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”, at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall. Sergei Bobylev/TASS Íîðâåãèÿ. Îñëî. Ëàóðåàòû Íîáåëåâñêîé ïðåìèè ìèðà çà 2021 ãîä ôèëèïïèíñêàÿ æóðíàëèñòêà Ìàðèÿ Ðåññà è ðîññèéñêèé æóðíàëèñò, ãëàâíûé ðåäàêòîð “Íîâîé ãàçåòû” Äìèòðèé Ìóðàòîâ ïåðåä íà÷àëîì öåðåìîíèè âðó÷åíèÿ Íîáåëåâñêîé ïðåìèè ìèðà â ðàòóøå. Ìàðèÿ Ðåññà è Äìèòðèé Ìóðàòîâ íàãðàæäåíû “çà óñèëèÿ ïî çàùèòå ñâîáîäû ñëîâà, ÷òî ÿâëÿåòñÿ ïðåäïîñûëêîé äëÿ äåìîêðàòèè è ïðî÷íîãî ìèðà”. Ñåðãåé Áîáûëåâ/ÒÀÑÑ

Winners always receive the award in Oslo on December 10, the day that marks the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Last year, the ceremony was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize is awarded “to the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.” Unlike with other Nobel prizes, the Peace Prize award ceremony is held in Oslo instead of Stockholm.

This year, a total of 329 candidates were nominated for the Nobel Prize, including 234 individuals and 95 organizations. According to tradition, the full list of candidates is kept secret and can be made public only 50 years after the award was granted.

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Diplomatic relations

Norway again hardens COVID-19 curbs to try to halt spread

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian government introduced stricter rules on Tuesday to limit the spread of COVID-19, including a cap on the number of visitors in private homes and shortening the hours bars and restaurants can serve alcohol.

The Nordic country has seen a surge of COVID-19 infections in recent weeks, followed by a rise in the number of hospitalisations. 

“We really wished we were done with the pandemic. But the situation is now so serious that we must put in place new measures to keep control,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference.

“Therefore it will be a different Christmas holiday this year as well,” he said.

FILE PHOTO: Jonas Gahr Store, Prime Minister of Norway, speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool

Households should not invite more than 10 visitors, and people must keep a distance of at least one metre from anyone who is not a member of the household. The serving of alcohol must stop at midnight (2300 GMT) every day, he added.

The measures, imposed for an initial four weeks, are less strict than in European countries such as Latvia or Austria, which imposed full lockdowns, but tougher than in neighbouring Sweden, which on Tuesday recommended, rather than imposed, the use of face masks in public transport. 

A one-off exception will be made during the upcoming Christmas holidays, where each household can pick a single day to have as many as 20 visitors, the prime minister said.

Schools are exempt from the distance rules, but must prepare to introduce them if required.

Companies hit by the restrictions will receive compensations from the government, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said.

For the first quarter of the year, the government also plans to suspend a per-seat tax normally imposed on airlines.

 (Reuters)

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Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel winner Ressa to Oslo

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Philippine Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa will fly to Oslo to collect the award in person, after a third court approved her application to attend Friday’s ceremony.

Ressa, an outspoken critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were named in October as the winners of this year’s award for their efforts to “safeguard freedom of expression”.

She is on bail pending an appeal against a conviction last year in a cyber libel case, and was required to apply to three courts for permission to pick up the prize in person.

The Court of Tax Appeals ruled that Ressa, co-founder of news website Rappler, can travel to Norway from December 8 to December 13, according to the decision published Monday.

The veteran journalist told AFP on Tuesday she felt “great” after clearing the final legal hurdle.

The Court of Appeals, which is handling the cyber libel case, last week approved her trip after rejecting government lawyers’ claims that she was a “flight risk”.

Ressa has already received permission from a regional trial court in another case, according to Francis Lim, one of her lawyers.

She faces a total of seven court cases.

They include the appeal against the conviction in the cyber libel case, for which she faces up to six years in prison.

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Science

The Norwegian Government introduces new national measures

by Nadarajah Sethurupan
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The Norwegian Government is introducing national measures to keep the pandemic under control. The most important measure is offering people over the age of 65 a booster dose as soon as possible.

‘The pandemic is not over, but it has entered a new phase. We need to learn to live with COVID-19. We can tolerate a higher infection rate in society because we have vaccines. On the one hand, we need to avoid hospitals becoming overwhelmed and a health service that is overburdened. On the other hand, people must live as normally as possible. We must constantly find the right balance between different measures,’ says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The infection rate is rising. The health and care service is under pressure, both in the municipalities and in hospitals. The Norwegian Government is therefore introducing national measures to keep the situation in check.

‘People who have received a booster dose are at considerably lower risk of being admitted to hospital. The most important measure now is for people to accept the doses they are offered,’ says Mr Støre.

The Norwegian Government is introducing several new measures. The measures will enter into effect on 1 December, and the recommendations will enter into effect immediately. They will apply for the time being, and are based on advice and recommendations from the Norwegian Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

New national measures

We are now introducing two new rules:

  • If you live with a person who has COVID-19, you need to quarantine until you have received a negative test result (also applies to corresponding close relations, e.g. romantic partners who do not live together). This applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated adults. If you are vaccinated, you can leave quarantine early if you present a negative result from a test, but you are under an obligation to take a new test within 7 days. If you are unvaccinated, you can leave quarantine early if you present a negative result from a test, but are under an obligation to get tested every day for 7 days using a rapid antigen test or every other day using a PCR test. Children who live with a person who has COVID-19 do not have a duty to do this, but it is recommended.
  • If you contract COVID-19, you must go into isolation for 5 days, regardless of whether you are vaccinated or not. Until now, the requirement has been 2 days for vaccinated people without any symptoms. You also need to be fever-free for 24 hours before you can leave isolation.

Here are new national recommendations:

  • We are also introducing a national recommendation to wear a face covering when you are in contact with the health and care service.
  • The Norwegian Government is introducing a national recommendation to wear a face covering on public transport, in taxis, shops, and in shopping centres if it is not possible to keep a distance.
  • We are also keeping the recommendation to regularly test students at schools in areas where the infection rate is rising and there is a great burden on the health and care service.
  • The Norwegian Government asks that municipalities with a rising infection rate and great burden on the health service consider asking people to work from home to a greater extent.

This is in addition to the measures that the Norwegian Government introduced on Monday 29 November to limit the spread of the Omicron variant.

‘Municipalities with a rising infection rate and increasing burden on the health and care service should also consider the need to introduce their own stricter local measures. Where necessary, the municipalities in a region should coordinate their efforts,’ says Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol. 

Municipalities will be under an obligation to makes vaccines easily available
The Norwegian Government is now asking municipalities to increase the pace of vaccination. Municipalities must offer vaccinations without the need to book an appointment. It must also be possible to get vaccinated outside regular office hours. Examples of this are drop-in services outside ordinary office hours or vaccination at home.

‘Several municipalities have implemented many good and creative solutions to make it easier for people to get vaccinated. Regulations will soon be adopted to ensure that vaccines are made as easily available as possible. We will also establish a national vaccination hotline that can answer vaccine-related and practical questions in different languages,’ says Ms Kjerkol.

The Norwegian Government has asked the municipalities to offer a booster dose to all people over the age of 45 once all people over the age of 65 have been offered a dose. Everyone who works in the health and care service will also be offered a booster dose.

‘The most important measure today is that all people over the age of 65 will be offered a booster dose as soon as possible. This will considerably reduce the need for invasive measures. Vaccination is the way out of the pandemic,’ states Ms Kjerkol.

The Norwegian Government plans for the entire Norwegian population to receive a booster dose before Easter. This means that municipalities must make plans to administer 400 000 doses per week.

Revised strategy and emergency preparedness plan
The Norwegian Government is revising the current strategy and emergency preparedness plan for handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘This is a strategy that makes provisions for continued good preparedness and room to tighten measures quickly in order to keep the pandemic in check. This means that we need to adapt our everyday lives to developments in the pandemic, ensure that there is capacity in the health service, and protect our economy and workplaces,’ states Mr Støre.

The overarching objective of the strategy now is to keep the pandemic in check, so that the disease burden does not become too large and the capacity of the municipal health service and the hospitals is not overwhelmed. Children and young people should be protected from the impact of measures as much as possible, public services must operate at an appropriate level, and the economy must be protected. The emergency preparedness level will be kept at the current level until next April.

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