Category: Norway

Russia Deploys Ships With Tactical Nuclear Weapons for First Time in 3 Decades: Norwegian Intelligence

Russia has begun deploying ships armed with tactical nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea for the first time since the Cold War, the Norwegian Intelligence Service said in a report on Feb. 13. According to the report (pdf), the vessels belong to Russia’s Northern Fleet. “With weakened conventional capability, the importance of nuclear weapons for Russia…


Norway Official Who Spied for the Soviets Has Died in Moscow

COPENHAGEN, Denmark—Arne Treholt, the former Norwegian Foreign Ministry official who was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union in what became Norway’s biggest Cold War espionage scandal, has died, authorities said Monday. He was 80. In 1985, Treholt was sentenced to 20 years for giving Norwegian and NATO defense plans along with sensitive political information…


This 800-Year-Old Medieval Wooden Church in Norway Looks Like Fantasy—But Was Built for This Apostle

This Medieval wooden church is in such excellent condition it’s hard to believe it was built over 800 years ago. Happening upon Borgund Stave Church in Norway, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked onto the set of a Tolkien fantasy film or a scene from “Game of Thrones.” One of Norway’s most visited landmarks,…


Norway Aims to Donate Over $7 Billion in New Financial Aid Package to Ukraine

Norway unveiled on Monday a plan proposing to donate 75 billion Norwegian crowns (about $7.3 billion) to Ukraine as part of a five-year support package. Jonas Gahr Store, prime minister of the Scandinavian country, said during a news conference that the proposed package will be put to a vote in parliament, noting that he expects…


Germany, Norway Reach Agreement on Blue Hydrogen Supplies

A major Norwegian energy company has reached an agreement to supply Europe’s largest economy with “blue” hydrogen. Norway’s Equinor announced an agreement on Jan. 5 to supply the German power utility, RWE, with low-carbon hydrogen, in the first step towards replacing natural gas and coal, reported Deutsche Welle. The Norwegian supplier agreed to build hydrogen fueled power…


Crane Crashes Onto Mall in Norway Amid High Winds; 1 Dead

COPENHAGEN, Denmark—A construction crane crashed onto a shopping mall in central Norway on Friday amid strong winds, killing one person and injuring at least two others, police said. The winds likely caused the unmanned crane, which was at least 50 meters (165 feet) high to slam onto the mall in Melhus, which is south of…


Awash in Maritime Heritage and Salty Charm, Bergen Beckons

Bergen’s old Hanseatic Quarter has a crude yet romantic charm. I crouch under creaky timbers as I wander through the Hanseatic Museum. The oversized cupboards around me once housed humble workers – each minuscule “bedroom” giving them darkness and warmth through the cold and short Nordic night. Primitive paintings of buxom maidens with come-hither smiles…


Norway to Boost Security of Vulnerable Undersea Cables After Nord Stream Sabotage

Norway has announced it’s going to bolster security around vulnerable undersea fiber optic cables that are critical to the country’s oil and gas production after the recent explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines were found to be an act of sabotage. Norway’s communications regulator Nkom said on Nov. 29 that it will allocate an additional $4.4…


2 Dead, 1 Injured as Helicopter Crashes in Central Norway

HELSINKI—A helicopter on a leisure flight crashed in central Norway Tuesday killing both passengers and severely injuring the pilot, authorities said. Norwegian police identified the dead passengers as a Norwegian man and a woman in their 60s. The pilot was found alive at the crash site just outside the town of Verdal, and was rushed…


The Success of Norwegian Prison Systems

The Norwegian prison system is highly effective at rehabilitating offenders, with the country achieving one of the lowest recidivism rates globally. Norwegian Correctional Services employ a prison system that is quite different to a lot of countries, emphasizing the future reintegration of prisoners and emphasising measures to ensure a smooth transition back into society. In…