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TODAY IN NORWAY

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

A new law for dog owners, higher pension payments and Crown Prince Haakon embarking on an expedition are among the main stories from Norway on Thursday. 

Pictured is a yorkshire terrier atop a mountain.
Read about a new law for dog owners, an expedition to Greenland and more in today's roundup of important news. Pictured is a Yorkshire terrier atop a mountain. Photo by Darya Tryfanava on Unsplash

New law for dog owners 

Next week a new law that puts stricter requirements on dog owners will be put into place in Norway, public broadcaster NRK reports. 

The proposal was agreed upon on Wednesday and will likely be finalised in parliament on May 24th, NRK writes. The legislature changes will mean dog owners will be required to prevent dogs from being put in situations where they can harm or damage people, property, and things. 

Owners will also be required to have the necessary competence and knowledge of the dog’s needs, breed and natural instincts and ensure the dog is adequately trained. 

Kongsberg trial continues 

The trial of Espen Andersen Brathen, who has pleaded guilty to having stabbed five people to death and having fired arrows at others in an attack in Kongsberg last year, will continue today. 

The prosecution and the defence argued that he could not be held criminally responsible and advocated a psychiatric commitment rather than a prison sentence.

According to the prosecution, Brathen was armed with a bow, 60 arrows and four knives on the day of the attacks. His victims were four women and one man aged from 52 to 78.

READ MORE: Dane pleads guilty to killing five in knife attack in Norway

Crown Prince Haakon in Greenland expedition

The Norwegian Crown Prince, Haakon, Norwegian skier Vegard Ulvang and several researchers will take part in an expedition to Greenland, which begins Thursday. 

The trip will see the party travel east to west across Greenland. The first part of the expedition will take three weeks, and the group will travel on skis using wind kites, newswire NTB reports. 

The second leg of the trip will see the group use kayaks along the coast, but the Crown Prince will not participate in this part of the expedition. 

The purpose of the trip is to gain knowledge and insight into Arctic nature, undertake research and learn about polar history. 

Pension settlement agreed

The annual state pension in Norway will increase by 4.12 percent on an annual basis, the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion announced Wednesday.

For those with the lowest state pension, this corresponds to an increase of around 600 kroner per month. 

Several pension associations and pressure groups have said the increase isn’t enough. In contrast, the government have said the settlement is in line with parliament’s decision to ensure pensions are regulated in line with wage growth. 

READ ALSO: Can you claim your Norwegian pension from another country?

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TODAY IN NORWAY

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

Norway's egg shortage likely to persist throughout the year, warnings issued for grass and heather fires in parts of eastern and western Norway, and other news making the headlines on Friday.

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

Shortage of Norwegian eggs expected to last throughout 2024

Norwegian supermarkets have grappled with a widespread shortage of eggs since last spring, with the shortages making national headlines numerous times over the past 12 months.

READ MORE: Why there are currently no eggs in supermarkets in Norway

On Friday, Nortura, the agricultural cooperative in Norway responsible for the egg market, said there may be a slight shortage of Norwegian eggs in the shops until 2025.

The reason is that too few eggs are produced in Norway.

“In an attempt to recruit more producers, Nortura has increased the price we pay for eggs to our producers,” communications advisor Matilda Aronsson at Nortura said in a press release.

The shortage of Norwegian eggs will be addressed with imported eggs, according to Nortura.

Yellow danger warning for grass and heather fires in parts of Norway

Meteorologists have issued a yellow danger warning for grass and heather fires, which applies to parts of eastern and southwestern Norway.

“Vegetation can easily catch fire, and large areas can be affected,” the meteorologists said.

The danger warning applies from Thursday afternoon until “significant” rainfall occurs.

“Be especially careful with open fires where there is dry grass or leaves from last year,” they added.

The Norwegian Directorate for Emergency Preparedness has decided to deploy two additional forest fire helicopters from May 3rd to May 5th.

Passengers forced to leave Widerøe flight after fire alarm went off

Passengers had to leave the plane after a Widerøe flight that was supposed to travel between Bergen and Kristiansand Airport Kjevik ran into problems on Thursday.

The reason for the plane’s evacuation was that the fire alarm went off in the toilet, according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).

The issue occurred before the plane took off.

New fraud wave in Finnmark

The police department in Finnmark has issued a warning about a surge in fraud attempts across the region.

There have been multiple reports of scammers attempting to get access to people’s sensitive information like BankID.

The fraudsters impersonate both law enforcement officers and bailiffs.

Lars Rune Hagen, the operations manager at the Finmark Police Department, said it was important for people to stay vigilant.

“If you encounter unusual inquiries regarding your BankID or other sensitive data, exercise caution,” he said, adding that police never request account numbers or BankID information over the phone.

The perpetrators employ a technique known as spoofing, which enables them to pretend to call from Norwegian numbers.

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