FARUKH SHEHZAD

OSLO, FEB 12: Norway has decided to lift essentially all remaining Covid-19 restrictions. After already substantially easing the rules almost two weeks ago, almost all of the remaining restrictions are now to be lifted, including compulsory mask-wearing and the one-metre social-distancing rule.

“Distance between us is no longer necessary,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre declared in Oslo on Saturday. In a symbolic gesture, he tucked his mask away inside his jacket pocket.

The pandemic no longer poses a major health threat to most people, Støre said. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes milder courses of the disease and the vaccinations protect well, he added.

Two recommendations remain, however: Only adults with symptoms should get tested and anyone who tests positive as an adult should stay home for four days, Støre told reporters.

All entry requirements for travellers to the country are being lifted.

At the beginning of February, Støre had already announced that a number of restrictions would fall away, including limits on serving alcoholic beverages or on sports and other recreational activities.

However, Norwegians still had to keep their distance from each other and continue to wear masks in shops, on public transport and in other crowded situations.

-------------------------------------------

Courtesy Anews

--------------

OSLO/NORWAY, NOV 10: Energy price records in Norway were set once again on Monday, with prices expected to soar throughout the winter. But costs vary at different times of the day.

Energy power exchange Nordpool has said the price of electricity in Norway on Monday was set to peak at 2.79 kroner per kilowatt-hour, the highest hourly rate seen this year.

This figure is without accounting for grid rent and other fees, meaning consumers will pay around 4 kroner per kilowatt-hour.

Power price analyst Tor Reier Lilleholt, from Volue Insight, has told public broadcaster NRK that the peak price was probably a record for the month.

“I do not think we have seen such prices in November before,” he told NRK.

Unfortunately, for those already fretting over the size of their electricity bills, record prices could become a weekly fixture this winter.

“I think there may be new records with every week that comes,” Lilleholt said.

Prices will crescendo between 4pm and 7pm. The peak price will apply to Oslo, Bergen and Kristiansand. For a number of reasons, prices in the north don’t reach the same dizzy sights as the south.

Throughout the day, the price will fluctuate greatly, averaging around 1.22 kroner per kilowatt-hour in total.

With surging prices threatening to cost users a fortune throughout the winter, it’s helpful to know which times of day are most expensive so you can save electricity when prices are peaking.

Earlier in the autumn, peak times for energy prices in Norway were between 8am, and 9am, with prices topping out at around 2.20 kroner per kilowatt-hour.

However, while prices will remain high in the morning hours, they will actually peak in the late afternoon and early evening throughout the winter.

“It is common for prices to be higher for a few hours in the morning and afternoon due to higher consumption,” Stina Johansen, from Nordpool, explained to NRK.

“The price is highest in the hours when it gets dark because then all the lights are turned on. So there is an extra peak in consumption. In addition, people are coming home and having dinner,” Lilleholt added.

The most expensive times to use electricity this winter will be between 8-11am and 4-7pm. Prices typically bottom out later in the evening, hitting their lowest price just before 11, where they are around a third of the cost compared to the peak. This means you should consider putting on your home appliances just before bed if they are quiet enough.

If we were to take a 10-minute shower during peak times as an example, then a quick rinse would cost around 2 kroner between 5-6pm. Were you to make this a daily habit at this price. It would cost 7,300 kroner per year.

As the days get shorter, darker and colder in Norway, the daily price peak is also expected to change to align with the sun going down.

In addition, as temperatures plummet into the minuses, the increased consumption and demand puts more pressure on prices.

This will be exacerbated by the lower than usual supply level due to record energy exports to the continent, which is also in the midst of an energy price crisis and exceptionally low hydroelectric stocks caused by a dry summer and autumn.

----------------------------------------------------

Courtesy thelocal.no

------------------

OSLO, OCT 24: With international travel to the US finally being officially back on the table from November, Norwegians can look forward to a direct route taking them straight from Bergen to New Jersey’s Newark airport in 2022.

United Airlines will be flying the new route three times a week from May 20, 2022.

Part of a bigger expansion

According to the airline, next year marks “the largest transatlantic expansion in its history.”

In addition to Norway’s second-largest city Bergen, the airline will fly from Newark, USA, to Ponta Delgada in the Azores Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Tenerife in the Canary Islands. United has also introduced a new route from Washington DC, USA to Amman, Jordan.

United Airlines will also be adding new routes to existing European destinations, with senior vice president of international network and alliances at the company Patrick Quayle saying:

“Given our big expectations for a rebound in travel to Europe for summer, this is the right time to leverage our leading global network in new, exciting ways.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Courtesy norwaytoday

----------------------

OSLO, OCT 14: Norway’s incoming government on Wednesday presented the key policies and proposals it will plans to implement when it takes over the reins.

Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre and his counterpart from the Centre Party, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, unveiled their government policy platform.

“Now Norway will have a government that will listen to the people. We will not overtake people but work to reduce the differences socially and geographically,” Vedum told the press at the reveal.

The incoming government will pursue tax cuts for lower earners, cheaper childcare and more affordable electricity.

Tax cuts (but not for everyone)

The government wants to reduce income tax for those on incomes less than 750,000 kroner per year. This was a key promise that the Labour Party made throughout the election, and the Centre Party also said that it wanted a tax cut.

Whether the tax cut will be in addition to the proposed bracket tax cuts for those on low-to-middle incomes the outgoing government announced on Tuesday remains to be seen.

While those on lower incomes may pay less in tax, higher earners can expect to be taxed more.

Working life

The incoming government wants to tighten the Working Environment Act to improve working conditions, cut down on the number of temporary positions, and regulate the staffing and recruitment industry more closely.

Other tax changes

There will be other changes to taxes, including bad news for anyone hoping to purchase an electric car soon.

VAT will be applied to new EV’s sold for more than 600,000 kroner, while the new minority coalition proposes lowering deductibles on the wealth tax to ensure the wealthiest in society pay more.

EEA and immigration

The eurosceptic Centre Party is a vocal critic of Norway’s membership of the European Economic Area or EEA. Before the election, it said it wanted to regulate labour immigration and pull Norway from the Schengen agreement renegotiate with the EEA.

The new government has said it will remain part of the agreement, but it will be examined and investigated to see whether there is any room to manoeuvre within it. This will come as a relief to many foreign residents in Norway, knowing their right to live and work in Norway will be protected.

More affordable childcare

The maximum price for kindergarten places will be lowered during 2022, and families won’t have to pay for a third child to attend at the same time as their siblings.

In addition, the two parties have agreed to gradually introduce a healthy daily meal into schools and more daily physical activity.

Free afterschool activities for all first-graders could also be implemented, although there are currently no details on when this could happen.

Cheaper electricity

More affordable power is also on the agenda. The coalition has promised to lower taxes on electricity, increase housing support and introduce a geographical price equalisation of grid rent.

This is as well as strengthening consumer rights, increasing the output of Norwegian energy and ensuring no new cables transferring power are constructed.

Climate

The government will continue looking for oil in new areas, a policy point that caused the Socialist Left Party to leave negotiations to be part of the coalition.

Despite that, there’s still green policy. Norway’s CO2 tax will gradually increase to around 2,000 kroner per tonne by 2030. Greenhouse gases will be cut by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and this obligation will apply to sectors of the economy subject to climate quotas. This will bring Norway in line with EU climate targets.

Healthcare

Ullevål hospital will be closed and replaced by new hospitals at Gaustad and Aker that will need to be built.

Dental care looks set to become cheaper. Free dental care will be extended to those aged between 19-21, and the cost of dentistry will be subsidised to the tune of 50 percent for those aged between 22-25.

The health trust model will also be put under the microscope with the parties examining whether the current system is fit for purpose.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY thelocal.no

---------------

OSLO, SEPT 25: The global council against all travel that is not strictly necessary to countries outside the EU/EEA, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland will not be extended when it expires on October 1.

“There is no longer a basis for such a global travel council. We are now going back to assessing whether each country should have its own travel advice,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide (H) stated on Friday.

The assessment will be made based on the state of the pandemic, the health situation, and the security in each country.

Søreide encouraged people to download the new Travel Ready app, which provides access to travel advice, travel information, and travel registration in one place.

--------------------------------------

COURTESY NorwayToday

----------

OSLO, SEPT 4: Oslo aims to vaccinate everyone between the ages of 12 and 15 by the fall holiday in early October, city council chief Raymond Johansen said Friday.

On Thursday, the government decided to follow the National Institute of Public Health’s recommendation to provide a single dose of corona vaccine to all children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15.

In Oslo, the goal is for everyone between the ages of 12 and 15 to be vaccinated on the autumn holidays that begin on Monday, October 4th in the capital.

To reach the goal, Oslo must be vaccinated with a sufficient amount of Pfizer vaccine, Johansen emphasized.

--------------------------------------------

COURTESY worldakkam

-----------

OSLO, AUG 6: Several municipalities are resorting to creative solutions during this year’s “pandemic” parliamentary elections. In Oslo, people will be able to vote from their car at drive-in premises if they are in quarantine.

“Everyone who wants to vote must be allowed to vote, regardless of whether they are ill, in quarantine, or in isolation,” the communications manager for elections in Oslo, Ingvild Åsgard, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

Oslo Municipality has set up a record number of premises for advance voting for those who are afraid of ending up in quarantine or becoming ill on election day.

One of the premises allows people to vote from their car.

“If you are in quarantine, you can vote via drive-in at Valle Hovin. Then you vote in your car, and then the election staff comes and takes your vote through the window,” Åsgård noted.

---------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

--------------

OSLO, JUL 15: The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) is asking Norwegians to prepare for strong waves of influenza, pertussis, and RS virus infection. Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.

“The National Institute of Public Health considers that, in the coming autumn and winter, there is a high probability that the incidence of respiratory infections other than COVID-19 will be much higher than in normal seasons.

“This applies in particular to influenza, RS virus infection, and pertussis. Young children and the elderly are most vulnerable,” the FHI writes in a new risk assessment.

Weakened immunity

The main reason is that the immunity of the population against these diseases has fallen during the pandemic period, as strict infection control measures have led to few cases.

That could lead to significantly more hospitalizations of young children (RS virus infection, pertussis, and influenza) and the elderly (influenza and pneumonia) than in normal winter seasons. There may also be more deaths. The primary health service will also have an increased burden, the FHI warns.

It is emphasized that FHI has “moderate confidence” in the risk assessment.

Increased preparedness recommended

On average, the FHI estimates that 900 people die from influenza in Norway during a normal season, but in some seasons, the number has been close to 1,500.

In the risk assessment, the FHI recommends increased surveillance of respiratory infections other than COVID-19, strengthened vaccination and infection control measures, and strengthened preparedness and vigilance in the health service.

Both influenza and RS virus normally cause outbreaks during the winter season, while pertussis is most often seen in late summer and autumn.

------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

---------------------

OSLO, APR 19: NASA’s mini helicopter Ingenuity might embark on its first flight on Monday, after a week of delays due to a possible technical fault.

“NASA’s target for the first flight with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter is no earlier than Monday, April 19,” a statement from the agency notes.

The flight could take place at approximately 9:30 AM on Monday Norwegian time. Data from the flight can then be expected to arrive a few hours later.

If the flight is carried out according to plan, NASA will hold a briefing later on Monday at 8:00 PM Norwegian time.

The mini helicopter was supposed to take off on its first flight on Sunday, April 11. The date was then postponed to April 14. Finally, NASA picked Monday, April 19, as the new date.

Technical issues

The reason for the postponement was that a possible technical problem with a rotor was discovered during a test. A new test later showed that the error had been corrected.

The helicopter arrived on Mars with the rover Perseverance in February. It weighs 1.8 kilos and is remotely controlled from the ground by, among others, the Norwegian Håvard Fjær Grip in NASA.

Since the distance between the two planets means that it takes several minutes for the signals to arrive, Grip will not be able to control the helicopter in real-time.

“The only criterion for success for us is whether we manage to fly on Mars for the first time in history. We believe there is a high probability of making it happen,” Grip told NTB last year.

--------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

----------------

OSLO, APR 18: The middle of a worldwide pandemic, with the aviation and tourism industries in ruins, would not, perhaps, seem the best time to launch a new airline. The new Norwegian airline, FLYR however, has done just that. A heavy focus on technology, for both customers and operations, is behind the plan to make this new airline nimble, sustainable, customer-friendly, and low cost…everything that they feel the current airlines in Norway are not.

FLYR: A Norwegian verb and now an airline

The Norwegian domestic airline industry has, in recent years, seen the emergence of new companies wanting to take on the established order. Traditionally dominated by the former government-controlled Scandinavian Air Service (SAS) and the now newly part Chinese-owned, Norwegian Air Shuttle, FLYR, a new airline which hopes to start flights by the end of June, is the latest entrant in an increasingly crowded market.

FLYR, as its website proudly announces, “is the Norwegian word for ‘flying’ and embodies us perfectly…(as)…it challenges traditional conventions of air travel”. Headed by C.E.O Tonje Wikstrøm Frislid, it is the brainchild of “enthusiastic aviation experts with extensive experience” who have worked in the Norwegian domestic and international airline industry. It will service both domestically, within Norway, and abroad, to so-called “popular destinations in Europe”, like Alicante, Malaga, and Spain.

Pandemic decimating tourism and aviation sectors in Norway

FLYR hopes to capitalize in an industry where there is as much turbulence on the ground as up in the air. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has absolutely decimated both the aviation industry and, to a lesser extent, the Norwegian tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on air travel.

Norway is still, more than a year since the emergence of the coronavirus in its borders, struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. Borders are closed. Both local municipalities and the national government have, at times, locked down the entire country, restricting and severely limiting both national and international travel.

However, the government has, recently, unveiled its “four-stage” blueprint to open up Norwegian society. FLYR hopes to capitalize on a post-pandemic travel boom, and its website states that the company was “built for the Norwegian market after the coronavirus pandemic…we built an airline from scratch…with a size, organization, and business model that is adapted to this future”. The future may be looking even brighter as many of its future competitors have been on shaky ground lately.

FLYR: A new entrant in an increasingly crowded, and troubled, market

The past few years have seen drastic change for the Norwegian aviation sector. Breaking what was once almost a duopoly has been the emergence of low-cost carriers, of which FLYR is just the latest. Both low-cost carriers, against which FLYR will compete, and other more traditionally prestigious carriers, have had hard times in Norway of late.

The very epitome of low-cost carriers, Ryanair has seen a scaling back of its Norwegian operations. It was forced to move from Rygge Airport, in 2016, to Gardermoen blaming a government-enforced departure fee (of NOK80 for every passenger) as being an “environmentally unfriendly tax…”, according to a Routes Online article.

Wizz Air, the Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier, had its maiden flight last November but its entry into Norway has been anything but smooth. A plethora of problems ranging from Norwegian pilot union concerns over the company’s human rights record to worries over its planes being coronavirus superspreaders to the closing of its Trondheim base has all seen the first 6 months of operation be one full of turbulence.

Both SAS and Norwegian have seen dramatic year-on-year passenger number declines whilst Norwegian itself has seen drastic financial restructuring, with help from the Chinese state, through a subsidiary, according to Forbes.

IPO raises NOK 600 million whilst stressing Norwegian distinctions

FLYR is keen to represent itself as everything that these other airlines servicing the Norwegian market are not. It is a private company (with no government partnership or support, unlike SAS) which was recently floated on the Oslo Stock Exchange gathering some NOK 600 million in its initial price offering (IPO) last month. The company, according to Reuters, now has a market cap of approximately NOK 700 million, which is not a bad result for an airline without a single plane in flight yet.

It is also keen to stress its affinity for Norway and the Norwegian market. The company will be based in Norway and will possess, according to its website, “an aircraft fleet, organization and business model intended for the Norwegian market.” After two “foreign” companies expanding, with mixed success, into Norway (Ryanair and Wizz Air), FLYR is presented as very much a Norwegian company.

Given Wizz Air’s recent troubles with outsourcing and low wages, FLYR’s mission statement is timely. It will hope to soothe those Norwegian politicians, legal and aviation experts, and those in the general public, who want businesses run in Norway to adhere to Norwegian business and legal standards and practices.

Sleek business model and agile infrastructure ready for demand

FLYR also hopes to be a more agile airline than its competition. What is seen as its main competitor, Norwegian, is in the process of scaling back its fleet from 150 to 40 planes due to the impact of coronavirus on the travel and aviation industry. With plans drawn up before its IPO, FLYR aims to buy a fleet of 8 jets and expand to 28 within the next 3-4 years.

Possessing no aging fleet, or having a large infrastructure to maintain during this crisis, will see FLYR be poised for growth. Chief Executive, Tonje Wikstroem Frislid, told Reuters, during its IPO, that “…due to the availability of aircraft and crew, a rapid and demand-driven scale-up is possible…” She also added that FLYR’s business model “…will enable us to pursue opportunities in a changing market and a recovering airline industry.” Its first aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, will be delivered in May with additional aircraft arriving in June with a view to expanding its fleet by this autumn.

Technology means smarter and greener flights

What will set FLYR apart from its rivals is that it hopes to rely heavily on technology. FLYR hopes to make the whole travel experience a lot simpler less time-consuming and more efficient with the use of its app. The entire booking and boarding process can be in the palm of your hand. This will help keep traditionally expensive overheads (like staff) at a minimum meaning potential lower prices for customers. Pricing hasn’t been set yet but as Norwegian is seen as its main rival, a similar pricing model should be expected.

This app will then help to learn customer habits which helps in its mission to be a sustainable airline. Specifically targeted flights to popular destinations are part of FLYR’s environmental philosophy of smarter and “greener” flying. This business model, it believes, will help FLYR remain “profitable without relying on more passengers flying often.”

Paradoxically, flying less often is what you would expect of a new airline. This is, though, exactly what FLYR would want: an agile, modern, sustainable, and proudly Norwegian airline that is on course to take advantage of an expected post-pandemic travel boom.

----------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

----------------

OSLO, APR 10: On Friday, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) apologized once again for breaking the infection control rules. She said she would pay the NOK 20,000 fine.

“Of course, this is embarrassing for me. I am very sorry and should not have done this,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg told NTB.

“I have previously said that if the restaurant visit results in fines, we would, of course, pay them. I apologize for what happened and will pay the fine,” she said.

Her husband Sindre Finnes will not be fined, but Solberg will thus have to pay NOK 20,000 kroner after gathering her family for her birthday party in Geilo during the winter holidays.

Maintaining public trust in the rules

Solberg herself did not participate in the dinner in Hallingstuene. Still, the police believe she was involved in the decision that led the family to eat out, that she knew how many people would participate, and that she chose which restaurant they should book a table at.

The police justified the decision by saying that it is appropriate to impose a fine in order to maintain the public’s trust in the infection control rules.

“Even though the law is the same for everyone, not everyone is the same,” police chief Ole B. Sæverud said when the police informed the public about the case on Friday.

------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

-------------

• 
  
  
  
• The head of government was fined 20,000 Norwegian kroner, or about $2,300

OSLO, MAR 26: On Wednesday, Norway’s Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement on Yemen. On Monday, Saudi Arabia announced it would present a plan for an UN-monitored ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen.

“Norway welcomes the Saudi announcement expressing readiness for a nationwide ceasefire and a comprehensive political solution in Yemen,” Søreide said.

“This is in line with the UN proposal. We call on all parties to engage in unconditional talks to end the suffering of the Yemeni people,” the Minister said.

According to Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, the plan means that the main airport in the capital Sana will reopen. 

He said the ceasefire could be implemented immediately if the Houthis accept it.

“Nothing new”

But the Houthis’ first reaction was that there is nothing new in the plan. They said that the air and sea blockade of the country must be lifted first.

“Saudi Arabia must declare an end to the aggression and lift the blockade completely.

“Presenting ideas that have been discussed for a year is nothing new,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told the rebels’ TV channel Al-Masirah.

The war in Yemen has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world.

----------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

-------------