The Oslo District Court has ruled that Norwegian Air Shuttle was not obligated to meet its EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) requirements for 2020 during its financial reconstruction.

The court declared the NOK 400 million (€35 million) penalty for non-compliance unlawful, entitling Norwegian to a full refund with NOK 82.6 million (€7 million) in interest if the decision stands. Additionally, Norwegian was awarded NOK 9.8 million (€0.83 million) in legal costs.

CEO Geir Karlsen welcomed the verdict, emphasising the recognition of the company’s unique challenges during its restructuring. The ruling aligns with similar findings by the Irish High Court during parallel proceedings.

The decision is not yet final, as the Ministry of Climate and Environment may appeal. Norwegian will update stakeholders upon further developments.

The opening ceremony of a special exhibition commemorating this year’s Nobel Peace Prize going to Nihon Hidankyo, a group of hibakusha, was held at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo on Wednesday.

Some Nihon Hidankyo members attended the opening ceremony, including co-chair Terumi Tanaka, who gave a speech at the prize award ceremony on Tuesday.

The exhibition, named “A Message to Humanity,” aims to convey to the world the wish for nuclear abolition through exhibits highlighting the damage the U.S. caused in its 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. It will run until November 2025.

On display are photographs of the devastation after the atomic bombings and those of Nihon Hidankyo members sharing their stories, as well as drawings by hibakusha and notes by the late former Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Mikiso Iwasa about his experience of losing his mother, who had become trapped under their collapsed house, right before his eyes.

There is also a special installation created by noted Japanese architect Kengo Kuma featuring 1,000 objects made from cedar wood from Hiroshima, which represent the testimonies of 1,000 hibakusha.

The center has hosted special exhibitions related to the Nobel Peace Prize every year, attracting some 200,000 visitors annually.

Kjersti Flogstad, executive director of the center, said that the Peace Prize and related special exhibitions have the power to inspire people of various age groups and encourage them to take action.

A court in Pakistan has issued notices to a right-wing Norway tabloid and its journalist for publishing a false and defamatory story on Pakistani origin businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.

Additional District and Session court in Ferozwala has summoned Chief Editor of Verdens Gang (VG) tabloid, its reporter Mr Wold. J. Wideroe and a Pakistani small publication that reprinted the same false story.

The notices have been served by the court on the three defendants to appear before the court in Mr Zahoor’s defamation case on 17 December 20204 or action will be taken against the accused ex-parte. The notices have been served already in Norway at the anti-immigration and right-wing tabloid’s address.

The case says: “The defendants in collusion with each other have been running a malicious campaign against the plaintiff since long for his religion and race. It will not be out of place to mention here that the aforesaid VG Tabloid is known for publishing anti-Islam and anti-Pakistani content and the plaintiff has been the victim of the defendants since long as they are pressurizing and blackmailing the plaintiff as the plaintiff is suffering the propaganda of the defendants No.2&3, but now they have acceded all the limits.

“That the defendants No.2&3 have been targeting the plaintiff with malicious intent for the last fifteen years by publishing defamatory articles now and then. The defendants have also been witch-hunting the plaintiff since a long period due to the main reason for organizing the false campaign is Islam phobia, racism and personal score against the plaintiff.”

The claim seeks a total of Rs.605,000,000 from the defendants for causing harm to the reputation of Mr Umar Farooq Zahoor, who is a well-known business figure in the Middle East.

Umar Farooq announced defamation case in September last year after the tabloid accused that the state of Pakistan had awarded him with the Hilal-e-Pakistan for his role in Toshakhana case.

The legal notice/suit states that the “name of our client Umar Farooq Zahoor has been approved for conferment of civil award Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the president of Pakistan in acknowledgment of his efforts and meritorious services in bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in country as direct foreign investment.”

The notice says that “the main reason for orchestrating this false campaign is Islamophobia, racism and your personal score against our client. That article in question is an ongoing onslaught by your tabloid against our client in order to tarnish his reputation, dignity, honour, business and social status on account of racism, settling personal score and for illegal/unlawful purposes”.

The lawsuit says that the tabloid VG deliberately did not tell its readers that the Presiding Judicial Officer namely Arild Nesdal who gave passing remarks against Umar Farooq Zahoor, relied upon by the tabloid, while awarding sentence to one of the accused in the alleged fraud has himself been convicted in child pornography offences.  The lawsuit says that Wideroe is aware of the grave nature of the crime but the tabloid intentionally concealed this important fact while covering the Nordea Bank case.

The suit also reveals that the Norwegian tabloid registered a criminal case against Zahoor on allegations of threatening the tabloid but the case has also been dismissed by the Oslo Police after thorough probe vide notification dated 23.03.2023. “It is beyond imagination how our client can threaten your tabloid while not being in Norway”.

The lawsuit says Wideroe has been a proclaimed offender in Pakistan since 2015. “A criminal case bearing No 222/2015 was registered against him for depriving a Pakistani citizen Maqsood Ali of ten million rupees by making a false promise of getting him a Norwegian passport during his visit to Nawabshah, Pakistan.

It says: “After receiving hefty payment Mr Rolf J Wideroe firstly threatened Mr Maqsood Ali of dire consequences and finally managed to flee from Pakistan. The Law Enforcement Agency managed to secure non-bailable arrest warrants of Mr Rolf J Wideroe from the competent court of law. Subsequently, request for issuance of Red Warrants was made for Mr Rolf J Wideroe. He is still absconding from the process of law and [is] wanted by the law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. Your tabloid is continuously publishing stories of a proclaimed offender who intentionally distorts and conceals facts for his own personal gains.”

(News , nation.com.pk)

The Norwegian Government has said it wants to raise the age limit for social media used by teens in the country through an amendment of its Personal Data Act.

In Norway, the act means users must be at least 13 years old to consent to social media collecting personal data.

The government said it now wanted to change that age limit to 15 years but parents would still be able to consent for children younger than that.

Initially, the amendment of the act would concern data privacy but the government said it “will send a clear signal that children under the age of 15 should not use social media”.

In a press release on October 23, the Norwegian Government argued the proposed new legislation stemmed from its concerns about children’s well-being.

“Half of today’s 9-year-olds are on social media, and I share the concern that this can be harmful to children. We know that many parents find it difficult to avoid their children being on social media when so many other children are,” said Minister for Children and Family Affairs Kjersti Toppe.

“Parents cannot stand alone in the face of the technology giants. That is why we are considering stricter legislation,” she added.

Her plea was echoed by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in the country’s media.

“It sends quite a strong signal. Children must be protected from harmful content on social media,” Støre told Norwegian media outlet Verdens Gang on October 23.

“These are big tech giants pitted against small children’s brains. We know that this is an uphill battle, because there are strong forces here, but it is also where politics is needed,” he added.

According to Toppe, Norway is set to promote the idea in the European Union. Norway is not a member of the EU, but it is a member of the European Single Market.

“Parents cannot stand alone in the face of the technology giants. That is why we are considering stricter legislation,” she said.

“At the same time, the government is strengthening its supervision and information work for children’s digital upbringing, and will promote Norway’s views in ongoing processes in the EU on, among other things, systems for age verification.”

The EU already regulates tech giants under the Digital Services Act.

Many social media companies have been under investigation by the European Commission for allegedly failing to prevent addictive behaviour among users.