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TODAY IN NORWAY

Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday 

Inflation at its highest level since 2008, high trust in digital public services and new health advice for children are among the main news stories from Norway on Tuesday. 

Lofoten, north Norway.
Read about inflation, digital services and new health advice in today's roundup of important news. Pictured is Lofoten. Photo by Fabian Jung on Unsplash

Inflation rises to highest level since 2008

Inflation in Norway has risen to its highest level since 2008, with higher inflation not being measured since 1988, figures from Statistics Norway have found. 

“It is first and foremost increased prices for electricity and airline tickets that mean that we get this increase in overall inflation,” Espen Kristiansen from Statistics Norway said of the figures. 

In total, inflation, or the consumer price index (CPI), rose by 5.4 percent between April last year and last month. 

The most significant rises were in electricity prices which rose by 14 percent, and airline tickets which have increased in cost by 39 percent. 

Inflation has risen beyond Norway’s central bank, Norges Bank, estimates. The raising of the key interest rate may be accelerated as a result, newspaper Aftenposten writes

New health advice discourages screen time for young children

The Norwegian Directorate of Health has issued new guidelines for physical activity, which for the first time includes limits on screen time, public broadcaster NRK reports

The new guidelines recommend that children under the age of two should not have any screen time, while children over two should be limited to one hour a day. 

The new health advice said that sitting still should be limited as much as possible for people of all ages, while adults should train strength twice a week. 

Adults were also recommended to be physically active for between two and a half and five hours a week. 

Insurance problems keep Russia linked ship stuck in port

Coastal cruise liner Halvilla Capella has been beset with more problems as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refused to insure the vessel, public broadcaster NRK writes

The boat was meant to operate on the Bergen Kirkenes route. 

Halvilla Capella was previously unable to leave port as a Russian lending firm financed it. Last month the ship received dispensation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sail for six months. 

However, as the boat hasn’t been insured, it will be unable to sail. The ship has been rejected insurance because any potential payout would go to an individual who the Norwegian government has sanctioned. 

High confidence in public digital services

Norwegians believe that security and privacy are properly taken care of by digital public services, but trust has taken a dip, according to a new report. 

The report from the Norwegian Digitalisation Directorate found that just under half of respondents to a survey said that they had “some or a high degree” of trust in online public services’ security measures. 

This is down 3 percent from the previous survey. The reason for the dip, according to the report, is that the public has increased knowledge and expectations of digital security.  

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TODAY IN NORWAY

Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Norwegians stockpile eggs in Sweden, Storm Hans pushes up cabin insurance claims, Quran burner moves from Sweden to Oslo and more news from Norway on Thursday.

Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Norwegians stockpile eggs over border in Sweden 

The continuing shortage of eggs in Norway has led to hordes of Norwegians crossing over the border to Sweden to stock up for their easter celebrations, the Nettavisen newspaper has reported.

According to the online newspaper, eggs have already sold out at the Maximat supermarket in the Swedish town of Svinesund, while the nextdoor Nordby Supermarket is limiting purchases to a maximum of three 20-pack cartons per household.

Many Norwegians do their shopping for Easter, Christmas and other holidays at border supermarkets in Sweden due to the lower prices for sweets, chocolate, and food. 

Norwegian vocabulary: at hamstre – to hoard (literally “to hamster”) 

Norwegian man wins nearly 150m kroner in Viking lotto

A Norwegian man on Wednesday won 148m kroner in the Viking Lotto, the 15th largest sum ever won in a lotto in Norway, all of which are run by Norsk Tipping, the government-run gambling company. 

She said that it was important that people shut off the water to their cabins if they are going to be away for more than three days in the winter or more than 15 days in the summer. 

She also advised people not to leave computers, iPads, jewellery, watches and other expensive items in their cabins, especially if they are visible through the windows. 

Norwegian vocabulary: skadeøkning – increase in claims

Controversial Quran burner moves from Sweden to Norway

An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who stoked international outrage by repeatedly desecrating the Quran last year said Wednesday he was leaving the country for neighbouring Norway after Sweden revoked his residency permit.

Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi who burned Qurans at a slew of protests in Sweden over the summer, told AFP that he had left Sweden and arrived in Norway, where he planned to seek asylum.

“I left Sweden because of the persecution I was subjected to by government institutions,” Momika told AFP in a text message.

Momika’s Quran burnings sparked widespread outrage and condemnation in Muslim countries.

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