Record electricity prices expected in southern Norway

Electricity consumers in southern Norway are set to face the highest prices of the year as rates soar on Tuesday.

Regions spanning from Sunnhordland to Buskerud are expected to experience the steepest spot prices recorded thus far in 2024, with rates surpassing 2 kroner/kWh as early as 7am.

The surge in electricity costs also marks a notable peak in eastern Norway, where prices last reached this level on January 16th, according to reports from the energy site Europower.

Sbanken cuts mortgage interest rates

Sbanken has announced a cut in its mortgage interest rates by 0.15 percentage points, effective Tuesday.

The adjustment comes amidst a series of significant developments for Sbanken. In the spring of 2021, news surfaced of DNB’s interest in acquiring Sbanken, a proposal that received approval from the Norwegian Competition Authority in March of the following year.

More recently, DNB – Norway’s largest bank – disclosed plans to phase out Sbanken’s online banking platform in favour of a dedicated app.

This transition has drawn mixed reactions from Sbanken’s customer base, prompting some to switch banks.

NAV urges employers to welcome Ukrainian job seekers

With a notable percentage of Norway’s unemployed workforce hailing from Ukraine, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) is appealing to employers to open their doors to Ukrainian nationals and offer them opportunities for employment and integration.

Statistics reveal that seven percent of Norway’s 76,000 unemployed people are of Ukrainian origin.

 “It is crucial that as many Ukrainians as possible find employment. This fosters inclusion and integration within our society, enabling refugees to develop social understanding and language skills in Norway,” NAV director Hans Christian Holte told the Aftenposten newspaper.

Holte noted that, without employment opportunities, refugees may eventually become reliant on municipal social welfare programs, burdening local budgets.

Norwegian ‘sneaks in’ to Crown Prince Christian’s birthday

A young Norwegian with a record of identity theft and fraud managed to get into Denmark’s Crown Prince (then Prince) Christian’s 18th birthday in October last year, Norway’s Dagbladet newspaper reported.

The man is reported to have gained access under the pretence of being a journalist. According to the report, he has been arrested several times in Norway.

He can be seen in several photos of Crown Prince Christian’s birthday published by Danish media. He also took a photo of himself inside Christiansborg Palace, where the event was held. That photo was included in Dagbladet’s report.

Danish police intelligence service PET told Dagbladet that it considered the birthday party to have taken place “safely and securely”.