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Defence

1,000 elite Royal Marine commandos in Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 16, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Prince Harry is preparing to attend winter war-games in Norway, lending his support to elite British troops as they practice a massive mock counterattack against Russia.

The Royal will join more than 1,000 elite Royal Marine commandos to practice a defence of the Scandinavian nation against a putative Russian invasion, which is seen as being a potential site of invasion by the Kremlin.

It is reportedly set to be one of Britain’s biggest Arctic military exercises in 20 years.

The demonstration is designed to be seen as a show of strength against Putin’s Russia=, amid fierce geopolitical tensions resembling the worst of the Cold War.

In 2017, Prince Harry replaced the Duke of Edinburgh as ceremonial head of the Royal Marines.

The 34-year-old former Army Captain will spend several days observing the multi-million pound war games, with his appearance signed off by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. 

It is not clear if Prince Harry’s pregnant wife Meghan will be making the trip to Norway or staying in Britain. 

A military source last night confirmed that Prince Harry would be attending the war games on an official visit.

‘He won’t be in uniform, it is a visit. He’s going to show his support for the troops’, the source told the Mail.

A senior military source told the Mirror: ‘It will be high-tempo, extremely realistic and his involvement is good news for the Marines, who will see his involvement as a very positive message of encouragement to the Corps.

‘They are the main force who will protect Europe’s northern flank in the event of a conflict, the tip of the spear, and it is important Harry is among the troops.’

The 8000-strong demonstration will reportedly include light-armoured Marine vehicles, mortar, rocket, artillery and anti-tank attacks. The ‘battle’ is said to involve special forces and commandos leading a retaliation against a Russian invasion.

Prince Harry, who has previously fought for the army and discussed killing Taliban insurgents while piloting an Apache helicopter in Afghanistan, reportedly told close friends he is overjoyed at being back in the military fold.

A royal insider told the Mirror: ‘The duke is relishing his role with the Royal Marines and taking it extremely seriously.

‘His grandfather Prince Philip carried out his duty with the Marines with such distinction, which Harry particularly admired.

‘Throughout his military career, Harry always had the greatest of respect and admiration for the Marines and he has always been fascinated by their valour and courage.’

It comes amid increasingly fraught and tempestuous relations between Russia and Europe, with frequent Russian incursions reported in UK airspace.

Relations have been at an all-time low since two Kremlin agents attempted to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the Salisbury novichok attack last year.

And Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday issued a further warning to Moscow after it emerged that a man arrested on espionage charges in Russia has joint American-British citizenship.

Mr Hunt said that that Paul Whelan, 48, should not be used as a ‘pawn in diplomatic chess games’ after he was accused by the Kremlin of obtaining state secrets.

Prince Harry is set to fly out to Norway from RAF BRIZE Norton jn Oxfordshire in the coming weeks.

He will then head out to a remote military base to join British troops from 42 Commando, American, Dutch and Norwegian combat marines.

Around 8000 soldiers will be involved in the demonstration, including forces from both the US and Europe.

(dailymail)

 

January 16, 2019 0 comments
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Environment

Electric car sales hit 31.2% of all sales in Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 14, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

New electric vehicles (EVs) sales in Norway rose to a new record high, accounting for about a third of the total number of vehicles sold in 2018, according to official data.

The independent Norwegian Road Federation (NRF) said Wednesday that battery-driven vehicles’ sales surged to 31.2% of all sales recorded in 2018, from 20.8% in 2017 and 5.5% in 2013, while sales of fossil-fuelled cars plunged, Reuters reported.

EV sales soared 40% to 46,092 in 2018, whereas sales of diesel and petrol vehicles tumbled 28% and 17%, respectively.

Generally, new car sales in Norway dropped 6.8% to 147,929 vehicles in 2018, the NRF’s data indicated.

“It was a small step closer to the 2025 goal,” according to NRF head Oeyvind Solberg Thorsen, who added that Norway’s parliament was hoping to make all new cars emissions-free.

Norway’s share of EVs accounted for 39% in 2017, followed by Iceland with 12% and Sweden with 6%. Meanwhile, such electric cars had a 2.2% share in China in 2017 and 1.2% in the United States, data by the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicated.

January 14, 2019 0 comments
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Norwegian Aid

Norway provides NOK 75 million to UN Peacebuilding Fund

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 12, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway is providing NOK 75 million to the UN Peacebuilding Fund. A good deal of this funding will be channelled to the vulnerable Sahel region.

 ‘The Peacebuilding Fund works to prevent and resolve conflicts in countries affected by fragility in regions close to us, such as the Sahel. We are therefore making an additional contribution to the Fund,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The Peacebuilding Fund has proven itself to be one of the UN’s most effective tools for stabilising countries that are emerging from conflict, and for preventing conflicts from flaring up again. The Peacebuilding Fund has intensified its efforts in the Sahel region considerably in 2018, which accords well with Norway’s own priorities.  

‘The countries in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions are badly affected by conflict, poverty and the impacts of climate change. Because of the Sahel’s proximity to Europe, the situation in the region also affects Europe’s security and welfare, and is doing so to an increasing degree,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.

Weak state structures and porous borders have enabled Islamist terrorist groups to gain a foothold in the Sahel. Conflicts are threatening stability in several countries in the region, and have caused the civilian population enormous suffering. The human cost of people smuggling and irregular migration to Europe through the Sahel is huge.

On 10 September, the Government launched a strategy for Norway’s efforts in the Sahel regionfor the period 2018-20, and the increased support for the Peacebuilding Fund is part of the follow-up of the strategy.

The UN Peacebuilding Fund was established to strengthen the UN system’s capacity for strategic, long-term peacebuilding. Norway has contributed to the Fund since its launch in 2006.

January 12, 2019 0 comments
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Norwegian American

Signing of U.S. – Norway Bilateral Maritime Arrangement

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 12, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

January 9th 2019, the United States and Government of Norway signed an Arrangement which advances maritime threat response collaboration between the two nations. At a ceremony, hosted by the White House National Security Council, the Arrangement was signed by the Norwegian Defense Attaché to the US Rear Admiral Ole M. Sandquist and the Director of the U.S. Global Maritime Operational Threat Response Coordination Center, Scott Genovese.

Norway and The United States signed a Bilateral Maritime Arrangement. Credit: FD

The Arrangement provides Norway and the United States the ability to fully coordinate on emerging maritime threats affecting both nations.

The innovative Arrangement between the national level operations and coordination centers of the United States and Norway will improve the response to maritime terrorism, piracy, drug and human trafficking, maritime cyber attacks, public health threats, marine pollution, and related wide ranging Arctic challenges.

The signing of the Arrangement is important as it complements and reinforces the long-standing cooperation between our nations.

January 12, 2019 0 comments
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Economics

Kongsberg to integrate SeaProc e-procurement platform

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 11, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway-based fleet management company Kongsberg has announced partnering with iMarine Software to integrate the its SeaProc e-procurement platform.

K-Fleet, Kongsberg’s existng system, offers solutions to optimise and assist users’ working processes within planned maintenance, inventory management, procurement, QSE, documentation, forms, certificates, voyage reporting and fleet operations.

With the announcement of full integration between the SeaProc e-procurement platform and Kongsberg K-Fleet Purchase, buyers are now offered speed, accuracy and ease in handling transactions. requests for quote, quotations, purchase orders, contracts, invoicing and delivery receipts are directly interfaced. This allows buyers to conduct their daily activities within the K-Fleet procurement system as all communications, transactions and negotiations can be handled internally.

iMarine Software developed and manages SeaProc, a source-to-settle cloud procurement solution powered by Amazon Web Services. SeaProc connects ship operators with over 50,000 vendors globally and provides a unified platform for managing and monitoring technical trading, contract management, e-invoicing, logistics, business reporting and trading rule management in a scalable and secure environment.

January 11, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and Norway

Malaysia warns Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 10, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Malaysia urged Norway to review its decision to ban palm oil-based biofuels and flagged such a move will be a hurdle to successful conclusion of ongoing talks with the four-nation European Free Trade Association.

The stand against palm oil will “adversely affect” bilateral trade relations between Malaysia and the European Free Trade Association that includes Norway, Malaysia’s Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said in a statement Friday.

Norway’s move “would be a major obstacle towards a successful conclusion of the Malaysia-EFTA partnership talks,” Kok said. “Malaysia would factor in such actions carefully in our deliberations with the EFTA.”

The European Free Trade Association consists of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The four nations are non-members of the European Union. Malaysia suspended negotiation with the European Union on free trade in 2012 and had sharply protested earlier this year the E.U.’s decision to ban the use of palm oil in motor fuels from 2021.

A large part of palm oil shipments to the E.U. are used as a substitute for the crude oil to make bio-fuel. A curb on such usage threatens the palm oil industry as it could potentially choke global demand for the edible oil that is used in everything from lipsticks to ice creams. The E.U, which was the second largest export destination of Malaysian palm oil in 2017 after India, accounted for 12% of the commodity’s overseas shipments.

Malaysia’s latest response follows the Norwegian parliament’s vote early this month to limit and phase out palm oil through measures and taxing biofuels beginning 2020. The vote will make Norway the first country in the world to ban biofuels based on palm oil over links to deforestation.

Malaysia and Indonesia, which together produce over 80% of the global supply of the edible oil, have long complained that measures to restrict palm oil are discriminatory and unjustified.

“Malaysia-EFTA partnership agreement must provide fair market access to all of the countries involved, including fair treatment of sustainable palm oil produced in Malaysia,” Kok said. “Without this fair market access, it will not be in the interest of Malaysia to pursue what will be a bad deal for the country and its people.”

Malaysia and Indonesia, which together produce over 80% of the global supply of the edible oil, have long complained that measures to restrict palm oil are discriminatory and unjustified.   © Reuters

The Southeast Asian country shipped a mere 846 tons of its palm oil to Norway, according to data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Exports of palm oil to EFTA countries meanwhile account for less than 1% of its total 15.1 million tons sold abroad.

However, environmentalists have been pushing other countries to emulate Norway’s move, raising concerns in Malaysia where livelihood of some 650,000 smallholders are at stake.

“The Norwegian parliament’s decision sets an important example to other countries and underlines the need for a serious reform of the world’s palm oil industry,” Nils Hermann Ranum of Rainforest Foundation Norway said in a statement.

On its part, Malaysia said the government is implementing measures to ensure its entire palm oil production and supply chain are sustainable. The government has also pledged to halt any expansion of oil palm estates to maintain at least 50% of its land as forest cover.

Negotiations for EFTA are still ongoing with Norway though bilateral talks, including that on palm oil, said Malaysia’s International Trade Minister Darell Leiking. “We hope that Norway will continue with what we agree upon,” he said without elaborating on the terms.

Malaysia responded to an earlier European Union proposal to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels by threatening to scuttle free trade talks between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which it is a member, and the bloc. Collectively, the EU bought 1.82 million tons of palm oil from Malaysia.

The Asean, which includes 10 countries, and the EU agreed last year to try and revive trade negotiations, which were suspended in 2009. Since then, the EU has started bilateral negotiations with some individual countries.

(asia.nikkei)

January 10, 2019 0 comments
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Crimes

Missing Wife of Norwegian Tycoon Was Likely Kidnapped as Captors Demand Ransom: Police

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 9, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The wife of a Norwegian multimillionaire missing since Oct. 31 probably has been kidnapped, police said Wednesday, adding that her suspected abductors have demanded a ransom reported to be over $10 million.

Police say they have no suspects in the disappearance of Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, the 68-year-old wife of Tom Hagen — a media-shy real estate investor and owner of an electric company.

He is number 172 on a list of Norway’s wealthiest people published by the financial magazine Kapital, with a fortune that amounted to nearly 1.7 billion kroner ($200 million) in 2018, according to Norwegian news agency NTB.

This is an undated handout picture distributed by Norwegian police on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019 of Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, the wife of the Norwegian billionaire Tom Hagen. Norwegian police say the missing wife of one of Norway’s richest men has been abducted, and that her suspected kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 9-million euro ($10.3-million.) it was reported on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. (Norway Police via AP)

Justice Minister Tor Mikkel Wara told NTB that he was told about her disappearance right after it happened.

“The reason for us to go public with this case now is that, despite a broad and extensive investigation, we need more information,” chief police investigator Tommy Broeske told a news conference.

Police have been “on the case for several weeks,” but have no suspects, Broeske told a news conference. Police have received no signs whether Falkevik Hagen was still alive, “but we haven’t either received any sign that she is not alive,” he added.

A note found in the couple’s house, east of Oslo, said Falkevik Hagen would be killed if the ransom wasn’t paid in the cryptocurrency Monero or if the police got involved, according to Norway’s VG newspaper.

Broeske declined to comment other than saying “the threats (in the note) were of a very serious character.”

Police did not give a figure for the ransom, but the newspaper reported it was 9 million euros ($10.3 million.)

Those behind the abduction “have chosen to communicate digitally and we have had no other type of contact,” Broeske said. Police urged the family not to pay any ransom.

The couple lived “a rather anonymous lifestyle,” according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Svein Holden, Hagen’s lawyer, told reporters the abduction was “a cruel and an inhuman act.”

“It is demanding and exhausting to be in such a situation over a long period of time,” he said.

Police believe she disappeared from the couple’s home, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Swedish border. Broeske said they were working with Europol and Interpol on the case.

January 9, 2019 0 comments
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Defence

Lithuania to step up air defense with air missiles

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 9, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Lithuania is to purchase additionally battle and training missiles to its Nasams air defense system from the Norway’s Defense Ministry to step up air defense, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The representatives of Lithuanian and Norwegian defense ministries signed a technical agreement on procuring battle and training missiles for mid-range air defense systems Nasams from Norway’s defense ministry, according to the announcement from the Lithuanian Defense Ministry.

The agreement to purchase battle and training missiles is a supplement to last year’s agreement worth 110 million euros to purchase air defense systems Nasams from Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg.

“This additional purchase is one more step closer to implementation of Nasams mid-range air defense system in Lithuanian Army,” Colonel Dainius Guzas, commander of Lithuanian Air Defense, said in a statement.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry didn’t disclose the terms of additional purchase of the battle and training missiles from the Norway’s Defense Ministry, though noted that the agreement had been made “on very favorable terms”.

The Nasams mid-range air defense systems purchased by Lithuania are capable of destroying aircrafts and missiles at the range of “dozens of kilometers”, according to Lithuanian Defense Ministry.

(delfi)




January 9, 2019 0 comments
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Spy War

Plots of the Mullahs’ Intelligence Ministry and Embassy in Norway

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 9, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Statement of the Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Norway

The clerical regime’s terrorist plot in Europe in 2018, organized by the diplomats and embassies of the religious fascism ruling Iran, has made a review in relations with this regime ever more necessary. In 2018, the regime’s terrorist plots spanned over Albania, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. In the same year a terrorist-diplomat of the regime was arrested in Germany and handed over to Belgian judiciary, the regime’s ambassador and the head of Iran’s Intelligence station in Albania, and three other diplomat-terrorist of this regime were expelled from France and the Netherlands.

Developments in 2018 showed that the clerical regime and its ambassadors and diplomats in Norway, severely abuse the embassy and facilities to advance their terrorist and spying purposes. That includes imposing two agents by the names of Bahareh Heydari and Mohammad Davoodzadeh as refugees, entrapping the Minister of Fisheries of Norway through the same female agent and bringing him to Iran and getting his information through his mobile phone. The representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in this regard calls for the opening of a judicial case in Norway.

The NCRI representative also stresses the need and urgency of listing the mullahs’ Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) as terrorist entity, and the prosecution and sentencing of agents and mercenaries of the religious fascism and expelling them from Norway and other European countries and in particular the revocation of their refugee status. The agents and mercenaries of the mullahs’ religious fascism in Norway and those who, under any pretext, directly or indirectly, interact with the Iranian regime and co-operate in some ways with it and at the same time use refugee or asylum seeker status, are not entitled to asylum. They are criminals who undermine the security of real asylum seekers and Iranian dissidents, undermine the dignity and the right to asylum for freedom loving and noble Iranians, and also threaten the security of the host Per Sandberg country and its citizens. The following facts are remarkable:

1. Bahareh Heydari, wo was sent to Norway in 2006, has pursued a specific mission for many years. She, who has close ties with the ambassador, the embassy and regime officials, after having acquired a Norwegian citizenship, entrapped Norway’s Fisheries Minister, Per Sandberg. To this end, she established a fisheries trade company and a Norwegian-Iranian Friendship Association. According to the Norwegian press, the first meeting of this association was held at the office of the Minister of Fisheries. Bahareh Heydari accompanied Sandberg at a party of the regime’s ambassador in Oslo for Nowruz 1397 and then visited Iran at least twice. This ultimately led to the resignation of Sandberg from the government and his expulsion from his party. Trapping through women is a well-known method of the mullahs’ Intelligence that it has used repeatedly.

2. According to Aftenposten on December 21, the Norwegian Committee for “investigation into quarantine of government authorities,” condemned the meeting of Norwegian Fisheries Minister accompanied by Baharegh Heydari with an advisor to Rouhani at presidential palace of the mullahs in Tehran and promises of cooperation with the regime at this meeting as a clear violation of the laws of Norway and abuse of official authority.

3- At the Nowruz celebration of 1397 of the embassy, in addition to Bahareh Heydari and Per Sandberg, another intelligence agent, Mohammad Davoodzadeh, is also present in the front row and close to the regime’s ambassador. Davoodzadeh was arrested upon his return from Iran on October 21 at the Gothenberg airport in Sweden at the request of the Danish government on suspicion of involvement in terrorist plots against Iranian dissidents. He was sent to Norway in 2008 to pose as a refugee and obtain Norwegian citizenship, which provided him with a lot of facilities for performing the duties assigned by the Ministry of Intelligence. He traveled frequently to Iran despite having refugee status. This is a betrayal of all refugees and based on the Geneva Convention and the laws of Norway completely revokes his refugee status.

Davoodzadeh was tasked to get close to the PMOI and NCRI in Norway, but further research highlighted the suspicion of being a mercenary; the issue was communicated with Norwegian officials to prevent future terrorist plots and espionage.

4. As the scandal about relations with the religious fascism ruling Iran spread, Bahareh Heydari, along with Per Sandberg, try desperately to cover up this scandal by attacking the PMOI and the NCRI. In a book that the two published entitled “Foreign powers have entered,” they shamelessly claimed “Bahareh says she is neither affiliated with nor connected to the Iranian regime, and suspicions against her, indicating that she is a spy or secret agent, is only ludicrous.” On page 211 of the book, Per Sandberg ridiculously made himself loved by the mullahs and without providing any date or time or document, claimed that the tone of the representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, with “Bahareh was humiliating and ugly.” As if the representative of the Iranian Resistance has to praise the agents and collaborators of religious Gestapo!

5. The female agent, in order to hike her price for the mullahs, while claiming that she has no relationship or affiliation to the mullahs’ regime, in an interview with the Norwegian media says, “we want to go to Iran, but I’m worried that the PMOI will target me inside Iran.” Female agent shamelessly adds, “I have notified Iranian government officials about this and they assured me that during my visit to Iran they would protect me!!” (Aftenposten, August 27, and Adresseavisen, August 25, 2018).

6. The female agent, in a dirty scenario and lie claims, “Both on Facebook and Instagram has been threatened to be killed. His brother in Germany received a phone call from an active member of the PMOI in Norway that if he does not make her sister choke, they will not be silenced. He warned her (i.e. Bahareh) not to go out.” This criminal defamation is a ground for terrorism and further crimes by the mullahs against the Iranian Resistance and was categorically denied at the time from the NCRI Representative in the Aftenposten newspaper. (August 27, 2018)

7. The embassy of a regime that has executed thousands of PMOI heroine women and every day arrests scores of women for malveiling or being unveiled, and fines them and whips them, a regime that even forces foreign female officials to wear hijabs in teir trips to Iran, has accepted the cost of Bahareh Heydari’s clothing to participate in “Miss Iran!” contest in Europe! The same regime inside Iran throws acid on the faces of malweiled women who do not fully cover their hair, while none of them have the slightest resemblance in clothing to this “Miss Norway!” in the Norwegian “Se og Hør” magazine. (7 to 14 August 2018). To the confession of the female agent in the same magazine, the ambassador and embassy of the very same regime in Norway congratulated her on her victory in “Miss Norway” contest, and appreciated and welcomed her!

8. Vulgarity peaks when the female agent and Per Sandberg resort to another exposed agent, Trond Ali Lynstad, to slander foul against the PMOI. He became Shiite with the mullahs ruling Iran and repeats their slanders against the Iranian resistance; Repeated despicable charges such as torturing disenfranchised members, sect, the cult of personality, people’s hatred towards the PMOI and NCRI, treason, participation in the suppression of Iraqi Kurds and Shiites (pages 210 to 214 Same book).

Lynstad, the only Norwegian, who defends the two men in the service of the religious Gestapo, was for many years a member of the NKP party, a Norwegian version of the hated and traitor party of Tudeh, and a fierce “communist”. He, like Kianouri and Tabari – Tudeh Party leaders –became Muslim and Shiite overnight and declared Khomeini as his leader, changing his name to Trond Ali.

9. The invalidity of the lies that the religious Gestapo relays through the female agent and Per Sandberg that have been repeated thousands of times in the mullahs regime media in Iran, has been proven in dozens of courts in the US and Europe. According to the verdicts of the same courts, the United States and the European Union and the United Kingdom abolished the terrorist label against the PMOI and the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The Norwegian government announced from the onset that it did not accept the EU terrorist list and only accepts UN terrorist list.

10. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance for the transition of governance to the Iranian people, in one of her travels to Norway in December 2009, met with Gunnar Sønsteby, the national hero of the Norwegian resistance against Hitler’s fascism, which was reported in Aftenposten December 6, 2009. When the reporter of Aftenposten asked the national champion of Norway about charges of terrorism and demonization against the Iranian Resistance, the Great Gunnar, pointing to Mrs. Rajavi said: “All resistances – that are fighting against dictatorships and for democracy – are poised to these accusations. Don’t listen to these things – we and the resistance movement and the Norwegian Milorg were also terrorists and anarchists and aggressors and torturers and so on!”

11. In December 2018 the Norwegian media wrote that the book has not sold more than fifty copies and the rest has remained unsold. The notorious authors of this book, angered by the credibility of the Iranian Resistance in Norway wrote:

– “Parviz Khazaei is known in Norway and by Norwegian media as a trusted source and expert, and political authorities and the parliament and even the Progressive party attach him to their chest and worship him like God.”

– “Neither Khazaei, nor other members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, are willing to distance themselves from past actions of this group, be it the killing of civilians or being a close ally of Saddam Hussein in the fight against Iraqi Kurds and Shiite Muslims. Khazaei says: ‘We have carried out a legitimate war.’ (pages 213 and 214 of the same book). “

12. The National Council of Resistance of Iran and all its members are proud of having a history and record full of patriotism and freedom loving, and their actions not only were in line with freedom and popular sovereignty in Iran but also with peace in the region and the world, and preventing the spread of fundamentalism and terrorism and the formation of an “Islamic empire” and obtaining of atomic bombs by the religious fascism ruling Iran. In May 2011, a French judge announced in his decision that based on the French laws, the PMOI operations inside Iran were resistance operations and in Ashraf and Iraq has been the performance of a regular army, none of which is considered terrorism. As such, the case that the French government had opened against the Iranian resistance at the request of the Iranian regime in 2001with spending tens of millions of Euros under the pretext of terrorism, was closed forever.

13. Another patriotic pride of the Iranian Resistance is the exposing the regime’s nuclear sites and projects that have been acknowledged times and again by Western officials and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). When the NCRI at a press conference in Washington, DC, in 2002 disclosed sites in Arak and Natanz, no one in the world was aware of the efforts of the regime to obtain nuclear weapons, and the Iranian Resistance defused the project to obtain nuclear bomb by the religious fascism. Rouhani in his book titled “National Security and the nuclear diplomacy” wrote the IAEA had promised that by 2003, about 54 thousand centrifuges would work but the press conference of the PMOI and false accusations stalled everything.

14 – The mullahs’ foreign agents and enablers forget that Khomeini’s thesis was the Islamic version of the so-called “Mine Camp” of Hitler and explicitly called for a “global caliphate of Islam”. This idea has been named in the Introduction of the constitution of the regime as “The Union of Islamic Republics”. Iraq, with its 1,200 km border with Iran and the majority of the Shiite population was the first loop. The goal was shattered by the NCRI peace plan and the National Liberation Army (like Milorg of Norway) and forced Khomeini to drink the chalice of ceasefire and to end the eight-year war with deceptive slogans of conquest of Jerusalem via Karbala.

15 – The NCRI peace plan that was adopted in March 1983 had the support of 6,000 political leaders, government officials and parliamentarians, especially in the US and Europe, and was published as a book at that time. The NCRI peace plan fully secured Iran’s national interests, and put the 1975 Algiers accord, which the Iraqi government at the beginning of the war had declared null and void, as the basis for peace, and put getting compensation also on the agenda. At that time, many Arab countries announced they were ready to contribute to Iran’s compensation payments. But Khomeini and his anti-national policy of “war, war until victory” led to the point where today, 37 years after the Council’s peace plan, while it is 16 years that the puppets of the clerical regime rule in Iraq, the Iranian regime has failed to sign a peace deal with this government.
The NCRI representative points out once again that the demonization campaign of the clerical regime in Norway against the PMOI is part of the espionage and terrorism plans of the mullahs in Europe. The machine of disseminating fake news and demonization by this regime, using the “friendly journalists” of the Ministry of Intelligence, and thousands of fake Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google and other social media accounts and internet facilities, provides the grounds for espionage and terrorism plots.

The intelligence, terrorist and spy agents of religious fascism should not be allowed to commit further crimes. The time has come to expose and publish the names of the mercenaries and the affiliates of the regime and the trial and expulsion of them.

Representative of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Oslo – January 6, 2019

January 9, 2019 0 comments
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Economics

India, Norway agree to collaborate on SDGs, ocean economy

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

India and Norway on Tuesday agreed to closely collaborate on ocean economy and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, while vowing to step up bilateral trade, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg. Modi and Solberg held delegation-level talks and discussed ways to give “new energy and direction” to bilateral ties. 

The two countries also signed an MoU for holding an India-Norway Ocean Dialogue. Solberg, who arrived here Monday on her maiden India visit, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning before talks with Modi. “We reviewed all areas of our cooperation, and discussed ways of giving new energy and direction to bilateral ties,” Modi said in his press statement after talks with Solberg.

He said they also had “fruitful discussions” on all aspects of ocean economy. 

India and Norway have strong cooperation at the international level and both the countries coordinate closely on issues such as UN Security Council reforms, multi-lateral export control regimes and terrorism, Modi said. Talking about the Sustainable Development Goals, Modi said they were completely in consonance with India’s development goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals set by the United Nations in areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and peace and justice. 

India and Norway are successfully cooperating in the field of mother and child health under the Norway-India partnership initiative, Modi said. “When I had met Prime Minister Solberg in the G-20 Summit in 2017, she gave me a football as a gift…The meaning of that was different. That football was not for the the goal that we have in the sport but was a symbol of Sustainable Development Goals,” Modi said. 

Solberg, in her press statement, said given the importance of India’s economy and the size of its population, the world will not be able to reach the sustainable goals unless “India is on board”. “I have seen impressive improvements on the work done in India, especially on women’s empowerment,” she said.  Solberg said she discussed with Prime Minister Modi ways to accelerate progress toward the sustainable development goals and steps to further ties. 

Hailing India-Norway trade ties, Modi underlined that the Norway Government Pension Fund Global has made a portfolio investment of USD 12 billion.  “I am confident that in the future, both in portfolio investment and foreign direct investment, Norwegian companies will make use of vast opportunities in India. Specifically under India’s Sagarmala programme, Norwegian companies will get a lot of opportunities in ship building, ports and port-led development,” he said. 

Asserting that for India’s development and progress, the sector of ocean economy was very important, Modi said the bilateral ocean dialogue will give direction to cooperation in sectors related to the ocean economy. Solberg also said both Norway and India have agreed to intensify cooperation on issues relating to the seas. 

The Norwegian prime minister said cooperation in the fields of energy, climate change and environment was also discussed in the meeting with her Indian counterpart. “As the world’s largest democracy, India plays an important role both regionally and globally. We had an open and constructive dialogue on how we can work more closely together to protect rules-based international governance. 

“I think it is important that both big countries like India and smaller countries like Norway join forces and talk about multilateralism in times when there is increased protectionism,” she said. 

The Norwegian government had recently announced a new strategy for engagement with India which is a testimony to how important Norway regards its relations with the country, Solberg said. “The partnership between our countries is moving in the positive direction,” she said. 

January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Environment

Globalisation has not benefited all: Norway PM

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The loss of faith in the international order and institutions is one of the big challenges the world faces, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Tuesday, inaugurating the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) annual “Raisina Dialogue”.

“Many people feel left out by globalisation,” said Ms. Solberg, kickstarting the conclave organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). “It can undermine confidence in international institutions and cooperation. Eventually, it could weaken respect for international law, human rights and even our security architecture,” she added.

In remarks apparently aimed at U.S. where President Trump has threatened to walk out of the WTO, and at China for violating the international rules-based order in maritime disputes, Ms. Solberg said both Norway and India would “stand to lose” if rules-based international law is undermined.

Taking “exception” to the remarks, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said European countries had contradicted their own push for “rules-based order”.

The exchange set the course for the first day of the three day conference that will include more than 600 delegates from 93 countries. The theme for the 2019 edition of the conclave is “A World Reorder: New Geometries, Fluid Partnerships, and Uncertain Outcomes”.

January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and Norway

Indian External Affairs Minister and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg discussed ways of expanding bilateral ties

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in New Delhi on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed ways of expanding bilateral ties.

“Good exchange of views on expanding ties across all sectors,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

“Immense opportunity to cooperate in blue economy, shipping, fisheries and aquaculture and renewable energy,” Mr Kumar said.

Earlier, PM Solberg was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.COMMENT

PM Solberg also met PM Modi today. She arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit.

January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Racism in Norway

Poland grants asylum to Norwegian woman: report

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Poland has granted asylum to a Norwegian woman who fears officials in her home country would take her young child away, her lawyer has been cited as saying by Polish media.

“With this move, Poland has confirmed that protecting the family requires a decisive international response,” the woman’s lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, was quoted as saying by Polish public broadcaster tvp.info.

The Norwegian woman, Silje Garmo, arrived in Poland with her daughter Eira, four months old at the time, in May 2017 after being warned by friends that her child would probably be taken away, according to tvp.info.

Norway’s Barnevernet child welfare service accused Garmo of overusing painkillers and of suffering from chronic fatigue, the Polish broadcaster added.

Eira Garmo is now almost two years old and has been living in Poland for most of her life, tvp.info reported.

The broadcaster added that the Barnevernet service has been widely criticised internationally.

Poland’s Nasz Dziennik daily reported last year that Garmo had already had her older daughter taken away by the Norwegian authorities.

It added that Garmo had managed to escape from a special centre for young mothers and come to Poland.

The BBC reported in 2016 that the case of a couple in Norway whose five children were taken away by officials had prompted rising concerns in the country and abroad over its child protection practices.

(pk/gs)

Source: tvp.info

January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and NorwayPeace Talks

Norway has not offered to mediate between India and Pakistan

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

India and Pakistan are big enough countries to ensure that they can decrease bilateral tensions without help from outside, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Monday.Solberg made the remarks during a media interaction after the inauguration of a new green compound at the Royal Norwegian Embassy here.

Asked if Norway could play the role of a mediator having a reputation of resolving conflicts, she said Norway had done a lot of work on mediation for peaceful settlement of disputes, but her government’s policy was clear –to help someone when asked for it.

“Nobody from the outside can create peace or make changes. It has to come from inside,” she said.So if there is a movement in India and Pakistan for greater talks together, other countries may help, but the process has to be “partner driven”, Solberg said.

“It’s true Norway has done a lot of work on the peaceful settlement. Nobody from outside can create peace. It has to come from inside. So if there is a movement in India and Pakistan for greater talks together, of-course countries can help, if there is a possibility”, the Norwegian prime minister said.

“It has to be those who are part of the conflict. I think both Pakistan and India are big enough countries to make sure that they can decrease tension between them without help from outside,” the Norwegian prime minister said.

Later, Norwegian ambassador to India Nils Ragnar Kamsvg, in a tweet, clarified that Solberg had not offered to mediate between India and Pakistan.

Norway has neither been asked nor offered to mediate, he said.

Solberg, while replying to a question on whether a military solution was possible in the Kashmir Valley, said, “I personally don’t believe that military solutions can solve problems, I believe in peaceful solutions. I believe in the participation of women and youth in peace negotiations.” She said military solutions are not always long lasting.

“There is no change in the government’s consistent and principled position that under the Shimla Agreement (1972) and as reiterated in the Lahore Declaration (1999), both India and Pakistan are committed to addressing all outstanding issues bilaterally. There is no scope for any third party role or mediation”, Sushma Swaraj had emphasized.

Solberg said that good relations with neighbours can also provide an opportunity for using less money on military and allocating more funds on health and education sectors.

The Norwegian prime minister, who arrived here this morning for a three-day visit, will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday on a host of issues with an aim to expand the multi-faceted bilateral partnership.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-kv_afD6-A
January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and Norway

Norwegian PM inaugurates Embassy building in India

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 8, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

In a unique move a new green compound at the Royal Norwegian Embassy here was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg. She is in the capital for a 2- day official visit.

The embassy has obtained a Green Rating for Integrated Habitat by the Government of India. High sustainability and environmental ambitions were key goals for the architect. The building is adapted to the local climate and take into consideration Indian environmental concerns. Locally available building materials were used in the construction process. 95% came from local markets in New Delhi.

“It has been an exciting challenge, not just the architectural design, but the whole construction process” says the architect, Terje Grønmo from Terje Grønmo Arkitekter AS.

Ensuring sustainable water management and energy efficiency have been a major concern. The new compound is constructed with wells for rainwater harvesting. Geothermal wells are used for cooling by circulating water in 30 wells sunk 100 meters into the earth. Water is heated using solar panels, which produce 200kWh energy per day. This is equivalent to powering a 40w bulb for almost 7 months or a 3W LED for around 7, 5 years.

The handling of materials and preservation of green areas have also been important, including the environmental concerns for the trees. Trees, probably more than 60 years old, have been shifted, allowing for conservation of as much of the green space as possible.

“The inauguration today marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation between our two countries. As a green embassy, I hope it can serve as an inspiration for our shared efforts to achieve the green transition and the Sustainable Development Goals. I look forward to seeing our partnership bear more fruits, in business, politics and development”, said Prime Minister Solberg.

January 8, 2019 0 comments
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Svalbard

Four tourists missing in Norway avalanche

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 7, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Four tourists from Sweden and Finland remain missing a day after they were feared to have been swept away by an avalanche in Arctic Norway, police say.

The avalanche occurred on Wednesday in the northern Norwegian region of Troms in an area popular with skiers.

Three Finns and a Swede were skiing in the area and were reported to police as missing in the afternoon, police said.

Weather conditions did not allow rescue crew to continue their work on Thursday, although the searches were not called off.

“The snow mass is huge. There is a high risk of triggering a new avalanche … and there is a small storm in the area,” Troms Police Chief Astrid Elisabeth Nilsen told a news conference.

Ski tracks were spotted going into the avalanche but not coming out.

“Police assume that the four were taken by the avalanche,” Troms police said in a statement earlier on Thursday.Source AAP

January 7, 2019 0 comments
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KillingTerrorist

Swiss suspect arrested over killing of Norwegian in Morocco

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 7, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

A Swiss-Spanish dual national has been arrested in Morocco on suspicion of aiding terrorists who beheaded a Danish and a Norwegian hiker in the Atlas mountains.

The Swiss foreign ministry said it was in contact with the authorities in Morocco, Spain, Denmark and Norway to help in the case and exchange information. 

The Federal Police Office (Fedpol) said on Monday that the suspect had a criminal record for a number of offences committed in Geneva between 2007 and 2013.

Convicted of several crimes, including drug use, robbery and domestic violence, the suspect emigrated to Morocco in 2015, according to a police spokeswoman.

According to a statement by Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, the accused was “steeped in extremist ideology” and is “suspected of having taught some of the people involved communication tools stemming from new technologies and of having trained them to shoot”. 

He was allegedly part of an operation to recruit people to commit terrorist acts in Morocco. 

A 24-year-old Danish student and her friend, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were killed on the night of December 16 in southern Morocco, where they were on holiday. Their bodies were discovered in an isolated area in the High Atlas, in an area popular with hikers. Both victims were beheaded. 

18 arrests

The Moroccan authorities have already arrested 18 people for their alleged links with this double homicide designated as a “terrorist incident”. 

The four main alleged perpetrators, arrested in Marrakech in the days following the double murder, belonged to a cell inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State group but “without contact” with representatives in Syria or Iraq, Moroccan counter-terrorism chief Abdelhak Khiam was quoted as saying. 

One of them, a 25-year-old street vendor, is suspected by investigators of being the head of this “terrorist cell”. He is seen speaking in a video shot a week before the murder, in which the four main suspects pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State. 

So far, Morocco has been spared Islamic State-related terror attacks. However, it is no stranger to terrorism with major attacks in Casablanca (33 deaths in 2003) and Marrakech (17 deaths in 2011).

January 7, 2019 0 comments
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Norwegian Aid

Government increases humanitarian efforts

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 7, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

‘Once again, it seems likely that humanitarian needs will reach record heights. The UN global humanitarian appeal estimates that more than 130 million people will need humanitarian assistance in 2019. As 2018 draws to a close, Norway has disbursed an additional NOK 240 million from the humanitarian budget to alleviate the worst and most underfunded crises,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The Government has been stepping up its humanitarian efforts for a number of years. With the allocation for 2019, support for humanitarian efforts will have increased by nearly 65 percent since 2013. In August 2018, Foreign Minister Eriksen Søreide launched a new humanitarian strategythat will form the basis for Norway’s humanitarian policy and aid in the years to come.

‘We need to increase humanitarian efforts in order to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect those who are most vulnerable in the many protracted, complex crises we are facing. At the same time, humanitarian aid cannot be our only response. Our new humanitarian strategy sets out an integrated approach to preventing humanitarian crises and reducing humanitarian needs. The Government will therefore increase development aid to states and regions affected by conflict and fragility in 2019,’ Ms Søreide Eriksen said.

Venezuela is one of the crises that have been given high priority for humanitarian aid towards the end of 2018. The humanitarian situation in Venezuela has gone from bad to worse during the course of the year, and has resulted in a rapidly growing refugee crisis with a major impact on the region.

Norway has also provided an additional year-end contribution to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), bringing the total for the year to NOK 455 million. CERF is a vital mechanism for rapid response to acute and underfinanced crises.

Norway’s humanitarian aid is channelled through the UN, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and Norwegian humanitarian organisations.

January 7, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and Norway

Norwegian PM Erna Solberg in India

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 7, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg will be in India from Monday for a three-day visit, making her the first foreign leader and head of government to visit New Delhi in 2019.

During her visit, she will call on President Ramnath Kovind,Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, which is the main day of engagement. She will leave on Wednesday.

According to a release by Norway’s embassy, “Business cooperation, sustainable use of the oceans and implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals will feature high on the Prime Minister’s agenda.”

Her other engagements include an address at the Indian-Norwegian Business Summit, the opening of the new “green embassy” compound and visit to a school in Ghaziabad, with special emphasis on efforts to further education for young girls. Solberg will also deliver the Inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue.

January 7, 2019 0 comments
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Asia and Norway

Norway PM to visit India

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 6, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg will pay a three-day visit to India next week during which she will hold talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on a host of issues with an aim expand the multi-faceted bilateral partnership.

Solberg, who will arrive in India on January 7, will deliver the inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue and address India-Norway Business Summit during her visit, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

She will also call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, besides holding talks with Prime Minister Modi.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also call on Solberg during her India visit.

The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Solberg will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review the progress in bilateral cooperation and discuss ways to further expand the multi-faceted partnership in areas of common interest, the MEA said in a statement. 

“India and Norway enjoy close and multi-faceted ties. Economic and technical cooperation are important facets of our bilateral relation. More than 100 Norwegian companies have invested in India in areas such as ship-building, petroleum related services, hydropower, clean energy and IT services,” it said.

Several major Indian companies are also present in Norway. India and Norway have shared interest in sustainable use of ocean resources for growth of the two countries’ economies, the statement said.

January 6, 2019 0 comments
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Spy War

“Keep looking out for him is our message”

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 6, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Four months after Dutch cyber security expert Arjen Kamphuis disappeared in Norway, his friends and family believe that he is still alive and that he chose to disappear himself. He previously also disappeared from the radar, they said to newspaper AD.

“We take into account that Arjen might have been in a mental emergency”, Ancilla van de Leest said, speaking on behalf of the missing man’s friends and family. “His stressful life, combined with high intelligence and sitting on your own for weeks, could lead to that.” Kirk Wiebe, NSA whistleblower and a colleague of Kamphuis, believes the same. “There are indications for the scenario that Arjen wanted to disappear from the radar himself.”

The 47-year-old man, a worldwide authority on cyber security and espionage, has been missing since August 20th, when he left his hotel in Bodo, Norway. His kayak was later found in a nearby fjord. There are several indications that Kamphuis may be in Germany. A German SIM card was placed into his phone shortly after his disappearance. Witnesses saw him in Denmark. And he made a payment to Deutsche Bahn shortly before he left to holiday in Norway. 

Kamphuis also previously disappeared for a time after a private setback, “people involved” said to AD. Though at that time he did tell some of his friends where he was going. This past period was stressful for Kamphuis and his friends believe he may have done the same thing now. 

At the same time, his friends don’t rule out the other possibilities – that he fell victim to an accident or crime. The Norwegian police are also keeping all the options open. A spokesperson said to AD that they consider one of the scenarios more likely than the others, but he did not want to say which one. 

Next week friends and colleagues will make another attempt to find Kamphuis by handing out 60 thousand “Find Arjen” stickers at a big hacker conference in Leipzig. “Keep looking out for him is our message”, initiator Jos Weyers said to the newspaper. “And perhaps we’ll reach Arjen himself. If he is still hanging around somewhere, it might be among like-minded people. And around 17 thousand of them will come to Liepzig between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.”

January 6, 2019 0 comments
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Environment

Oslo starts its year as European Green Capital 2019

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 5, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

Today, Oslo, the capital city of Norway, has officially become the 2019 European Green Capital. In 2019 and beyond, it will act as an ambassador for sustainable urban development, sharing and promoting best practices that have been tried and tested in this Norwegian city to inspire others to make meaningful environment changes.

At a ceremony in the world famous Nobel Peace Prize Hall at Oslo City Council, Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, handed over the Green Book to Oslo’s Governing Mayor Raymond Johansen, to officially mark the start of the city’s year as European Green Capital 2019.  

Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said:“Any city can dream of being green, but it takes determination and political leadership to find solutions for the big environmental challenges we are facing today. That is what makes Oslo special. In a country known for its wealth of energy resources, Oslo is making great strides in transitioning to a society free of fossil fuel emissions. Its success in increasing public transport and prioritising people over cars is truly inspiring. Today’s events show how Oslo is approaching its role as European Green Capital 2019 – actively seeking to inspire and motivate other cities to go green.”

Governing Mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, added: “We are very proud to officially become the 2019 European Green Capital. Combatting and adapting to climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and it can’t be left to someone else, at another time, in another place. In 2019, we want to invite the world to Oslo – to share and to learn together. We aim to use our European Green Capital year to spread knowledge, inspire and mobilise our citizens and businesses to make more environmentally friendly choices.”

Oslo’s European Green Capital 2019 programme has brought together almost 200 partners to deliver more than 350 planned events, ranging from large, international conferences to small neighbourhood events for locals, to engage the entire city.

Oslo’s Opening Ceremony and Opening Weekend as European Green Capital 2019 aims to celebrate the people of Oslo who, through their initiatives, creativity, innovative solutions and bold decisions, have made Oslo a role model for sustainable city development, as well as a better city to live in.

Why did Oslo win?

·         The restoration of Oslo’s waterways: the city’s waterways have been subject to a new revolutionary strategy which has completely reversed the previous approach of enclosing rivers and streams to make space for a growing city. 3,000m of biodiversity-rich streams and rivers have already been re-opened in order to make them accessible to the public, facilitating the development and restoration of habitats and helping to efficiently manage storm water.

·         The city aims to cut emissions by 36% (compared to 1990), by 2020, 95% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050.

·         Zero emissions transport: the city has become the ‘Electric Vehicle Capital of the World’ with 60% of all new vehicles sold in the city being electric in the first half of 2018.

·         Improvements in cycling and public transport infrastructure: 56% of all public transport journeys are powered by renewably energy on zero-emissions trams, train and metro, and public transport journeys have increased by 50% since 2007.

·         Biogas produced from bio-waste and city sewage is used to fuel city buses and waste trucks.

·         Oslo’s ‘Climate Budget’, an initiative consisting of 15 separate measures across five sectors, including energy/building, heating, transport, and congestion from other mobile resources and the maritime sector. The Budget counts carbon dioxide in the same way that a financial budget counts money, aiming to cut greenhouse gases by 36% by 2020.

·         Citizen participation is an integral part of city planning process: Oslo pursued an active and innovative approach to connecting with and including its citizens in their plans.

·         A ‘Business for Climate Network’ fosters cooperation between the city and its business community, citizens and NGOs in addressing the impact business operations have on the climate.

January 5, 2019 0 comments
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KillingSrilanka and Norway

Norwegian goes missing at beach in Sri Lanka

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 5, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

A 23-year-old Norwegian national, who had been bathing in the sea area off the Bay Beach in Weligama in Sri Lanka, has gone missing at around 4.00 p.m. last evening.

He had, reportedly, been bathing in the sea area along with two other foreigners at the time of the incident.

A joint rescue operation in search of the missing youth has been launched by Weligama Police, personnel of Sri Lankan Mirissa Navy Camp and coastal guards.

Sri lankan Weligama Police is conducting further investigations.

January 5, 2019 0 comments
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Economics

Ship from Norway first to enter Port of Montreal in 2019

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 5, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

The cargo ship Virginiaborg became the first seagoing ship to enter the limits of Port of Montreal in 2019, reaching the threshold of the port at Sorel at 3:50 a.m. Wednesday and mooring at the Logistec terminal in Montreal later that morning.

The vessel left Porsgrunn in Norway on Dec. 20 and its captain, Volodymyr Yurchenko, on Thursday is to receive the gold-headed cane awarded to the master of the first ship to reach the port each year, a tradition that in 2019 is marking its 180th anniversary.

“It’s a precious object that he will keep for the rest of his career,” said Mélanie Nadeau, director of communications for the Port of Montreal. The 14-karat head is engraved with the name of the captain and his ship.

Yurchenko has three decades of experience in sea navigation.

The two pilots of the Saint-Laurent, which escorted the ship from Trois-Rivières to Montreal, will also be honoured during the ceremony, with the port’s president Sylvie Vachon in attendance.

According to Nadeau, the tradition started in 1840 when a top hat was given to the captain of the first ship to enter the port after its reopening in the spring. The cane made its first appearance around 1880.

Since these days, the St. Lawrence River is navigable all year long, the first ship of the year arrives at the beginning of the year.

January 5, 2019 0 comments
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Norwegian Aid

Norway to provide an additional NOK 49 million to alleviate the refugee crisis in Bangladesh

by Nadarajah Sethurupan January 5, 2019
written by Nadarajah Sethurupan

‘The large number of refugees that have come to Bangladesh has put pressure on the refugees themselves, the local villagers and the natural resources in the area. Funding from Norway will be used in efforts to find better alternatives to the firewood that is currently being used as fuel in and around the refugee camps. At the same time, the environment will be restored through reforestation,’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide said.

The funds will go to a UN project to provide Rohingya families in refugee camps in Bangladesh and in the local communities safe access to alternative fuels. This will stop deforestation and mitigate environmental damage in the areas surrounding the camps. Planting trees will also give families, and particularly women who are breadwinners, the opportunity to earn an income.

‘Through this UN project, we are helping to provide income to vulnerable refugee families and at the same time reducing deforestation. This will improve living conditions for both the refugees and the local villagers, while restoring the landscape,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.

Since August 2017, more than 700 000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee Rakhine state in Myanmar. They are now living in refugee camps in Bangladesh in areas, that used to be forest land. A scarcity of fuel for cooking means that the refugees have to leave the camps to find firewood. This causes damage to the environment and is a safety risk, particularly for women.

Norway has provided NOK 224 million (approximately USD 26 million) in humanitarian aid to alleviate the acute situation for the Rohingyas. Of this total, NOK 184 million (approximately USD 21 million) has been allocated to refugees in Bangladesh. The reforestation project is a partnership between the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

(MFA)

January 5, 2019 0 comments
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101207 The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 to Japan’s Hiroshima bomb survivor group Nihon Hidankyo.

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Norway opens market for Sri Lankan fish exports...

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Editor’s Picks

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