Health Minister has master’s withdrawn after plagiarism verdict

The master’s thesis of Ingvild Kjerkol has been rejected after it was found that the work may have been plagiarised.

The board for student affairs at Nord University voted unanimously on the matter after it had previously launched an investigation into her master’s thesis.

An investigation was launched into Kjerkol shortly after it was revealed that former Universities Minister Sandra Borch had cheated on her thesis.

Following the verdict, there is growing pressure on Kjerkol to step down. Over the past two years, the current government has been hit by several scandals that have led to ministers’ resignations.

The number of rental properties in Norway continues to shrink

Norway’s rental agency Utleiemegleren has warned that a shrinking housing pool will only be met with increased demand.

“Lack of rental properties and high demand are helping to push prices significantly higher. This is a development we do not want, and the lack of rental properties in Oslo will lead to rental prices continuing to rise in the future,” Stian Carlsen, managing director of Utleiemegleren, said in a press release.

He urged those with rental properties to keep them and not sell. Compared to five years ago, there were 12.4 percent fewer rental homes and second properties in Oslo.

One in five would struggle with an unforeseen expense

A survey on living conditions has revealed that more people than before are struggling with financial difficulties.

One in five told the survey that they could only pay an unforeseen expense if they took out a loan.

“2023 was characterized by increased interest and price levels. The standard of living survey shows that the proportion who state that they cannot afford material and social goods has increased in recent years, and the same applies to the proportion with payment problems,” Håvard Bergesen Dalen from Statistics Norway said.

Norway’s Dovre line to reopen in May

The Dovre line in Norway will reopen in its entirety on May 20th. The full extent of the line had been closed since the Randklev bridge in Ringebu collapsed in the wake of Storm Hans last year.

Due to the bridge collapsing, night trains have been cancelled, and a bus replacement service has been put in place for part of the line.