Introspekt

Remote and often locked in ice, the Arctic Circle is one of the most variable, sensitive ecosystems on the planet. Now, several Norwegian institutions are joining forces to set up a network of sensors to monitor the underwater environment there and its renewable resources. The network — piggybacked on oil pipelines, seafloor platforms, cables and research vessels — could yield some of the best data yet on even the smallest changes…

You can hear some Bjork-inspired vocals in Kate Havnevik's songs, but in a photo on the Norwegian singer's MySpace page, it looks like she stole a few feathers from the Icelandic performer's famous swan costume for her hair. Being Bjork-influenced isn't a bad thing, and the singer, pianist and guitarist has her own gorgeous delicate vocals. She's also a favorite of the "Grey's Anatomy" tastemakers who put Havnevik's "Grace," used…

Ende einer langen Reise: Sechs Iraker wollten aus ihrer Heimat über Russland nach Norwegen auswandern. Kurz vor dem Ziel, am Grenzübergang zwischen Russland und Norwegen, wurden sie von russischen Grenzern aufgegriffen. Wie RIA Novosti bei der Grenzschutzbehörde des Gebietes Murmansk im Norden Russlands erfuhr, wurden am Grenzübergang Borisoglebski drei Männer, eine Frau und zwei Kinder festgenommen. Sie hatten falsche Pässe bei sich. Die…

The Polish Gas and Oil Co. announced Thursday it had bought a 15 percent stake in three mining licenses in the Norwegian continental shelf for $360 million. At a news conference, Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski called the deal a breakthrough and said it would help Poland diversify its sources of energy, the PAP news agency reported. Economy Minister Piotr Wozniak said Poland could begin mining natural gas and crude in 2011…

China National Petroleum Corp., the parent of PetroChina Co Ltd., said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for strategic cooperation with Norway's Statoil ASA. The accord may increase Beijing-based CNPC's ability to tap Norwegian state-owned Statoil's expertise in offshore exploration and production. The parent of overseas-listed PetroChina is keen to expand oil and gas output to meet energy demand in China’s…

Norway will provide 68 million Norwegian krone (11 million U.S. dollars) towards an international debt cancellation initiative for Liberia, according to reports reaching here from Oslo on Tuesday. "Liberia has developed in a positive direction since the peace agreement was entered into in 2003. The international donor community must provide further resources if this trend is to continue," Minister of International Development Erik…

Norwegian oilfield services group BW Offshore Ltd said on Wednesday that it had raised its stake in takeover target APL ASA to 24.9 pct, furthering the process of the Norwegian oil sector's consolidation. BW Offshore said it had bought 6.5 mln shares in APL, an offshore oil production systems developer, corresponding to about 14.8 pct of APL. BW Offshore said it had previously agreed to recommend to a merger of the two companies to…

Aker Kvaerner ASA said it has won a deal from BP to construct a steel substructure for Norway's Valhall oilfield, worth 450 mln nkr. The Norwegian engineering firm said it had won the deal from BP on behalf of the various licence holders in the Valhall Re-Development Project in the Norwegian North Sea. Under the terms of the contract, Aker Kvaerner said it will be responsible for the procurement, fabrication, load-out and sea-fastening…

Das vor rund einer Woche vor der norwegischen Küste auf Grund gelaufene Minenjagdboot der Deutschen Marine ist bei der Havarie kaum beschädigt worden. Die "Grömitz" habe Schäden davongetragen, die weit weniger schlimm ausfielen als zunächst befürchtet, sagte Korvettenkapitän Jan Ströhmer vom Flottenkommando der Marine am Dienstag in Glücksburg. Das Schiff sei noch mit eigener Kraft im NATO-Verband unterwegs und fahre zurück…

Torill Kove probably will be the only Canadian winner at the Oscars this year, according to a poll of Canadian film journalists released by CTV this week. But Kove doesn't share the journalists' optimism. In a phone interview Wednesday from her Hollywood hotel, the Montreal filmmaker said she had no idea whether she would be returning home with an Academy Award. Kove is one of five nominees for the best animated short Oscar for her…

L'Office national du film du Canada (ONF) a récolté son douzième Oscar avec le court métrage d'animation de Torill Kove,
The Danish Poet/Le poète danois, coproduit par MikroFilm AS (Lise Fearnley, Norvège) et l'ONF (Marcy Page). "C'est une victoire remarquable pour Torill Kove. Son film, The Danish Poet, a séduit les auditoires du monde entier, a déclaré Claude Joli-Coeur, commissaire du gouvernement à la cinématographie et président de l'ONF pa…

Deep sea divers who complain that their health was ruined by Norway's thirst for offshore oil sued the government Monday, claiming it knowingly risked their lives for profit. The cases brought by four so-called pioneer divers could be followed by a rash of similar claims if they win. The case is to take about one month, and the Oslo district court said 31 more cases are pending. When Norway, now the world's third largest oil exporter after…

A Norwegian artwork featuring thousands of pounds worth of banknotes glued to a canvas has been stolen from the Oslo gallery where it was on show. The artwork, entitled Relative Value, was made up of 100,000 notes of 1,000 kroner (£83; 124 euros) each, belonging to the artist, Jan Christensen. The robbers got into the gallery by breaking a window. They then cut each note off the canvas individually and left the 6.5-by-13ft (two-by-four-metre)…

Torill Kove's animated short film "The Danish poet" broke Norway's 56-year dry spell at the Academy Awards, becoming the country's first Oscar-winner since adventurer Thor Heyerdahl won for his documentary "Kon-Tiki." Kove's film tells the story of a young Danish poet who travels to Norway to find inspiration by meeting Norwegian writer and Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset. The tale was narrated by Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann, who was…

LM Ericsson AB said it has bid 106 nkr per share in cash for Norway's Tandberg Television ASA, and that it already holds 11.7 pct of the Norwegian firm and has 'irrevocable' acceptances for a further 13 pct of the shares. Ericsson said the bid is a 'significant step toward (a) world leadership position in IPTV', and that Tandberg will expand its customer base to include cable and satellite operators as well as broadcasters. Ericsson said…

Bei einer Konferenz in Oslo haben sich vergangene Woche 46 Staaten darauf geeinigt, bis 2008 ein verbindliches Abkommen zum Verbot von Streubomben zu erreichen. 46 der 49 Teilnehmerstaaten der Konferenz stimmten der Schlusserklärung zu. Nur Japan, Polen und Rumänien verweigerten ihre Zustimmung. Russland, China und die USA waren nicht auf der von der norwegischen Regierung organisierten Konferenz vertreten, weil sie nur…

Nya gasledningar till havs förutsätter noggranna förberedelser i nära samarbete med miljövänner, yrkesfiskare och kustkommuner. Alla som nu kräver större öppenhet kring det rysktyska projektet i Östersjön kan stödja sig på erfarenheterna i Norge. I dag finns 780 mil rörledningar på havsbotten från gasfält på den norska kontinentalsockeln i Nordsjön och Norska havet till Storbritannien och kontinenten. Det jättelika…

Heftige Schneefälle haben Skandinavien im Griff. Es gab mehrere Tote; eine Bohrinsel wurde wegen eines Orkans evakuiert. Schneestürme haben auch am Freitag zu einem Verkehrschaos im Süden Skandinaviens geführt. In Dänemark und in einzelnen norwegischen und schwedischen Bezirken mussten Autobahnen wie am Vortag komplett gesperrt werden. Meterhohe Schneewehen legten den Bahn- und Flugverkehr teilweise lahm. Zwei Menschen kamen ums Leben…

Das Bruttoinlandsprodukt Norwegens ist saisonbereinigt im vierten Quartal um 0,5 % gestiegen. In Mainland fiel die Expansion mit +1,2 % qoq stärker aus. Im Jahr 2006 insgesamt ist das Bruttoinlandsprodukt Norwegens um 2,9 % (2005: 2,7 %) gewachsen. Für Mainland war die Wachstumsrate mit 4,6 % höher. Wegen des niedriger als erwartet ausgefallenen statistischen Überhangs besteht Abwärtsrevisionsdruck auf unsere BIP-Prognose für das…

Dozens of royal guests arrived Friday to take part in the ongoing celebrations of Norwegian King Harald on his 70th birthday. The king turned 70 on Wednesday and was celebrated by parliament while the government hosted a banquet, but celebrations were due to continue over the weekend, including a ball for visiting European royalty. Among royal guests spotted Friday at Oslo's Gardermoen airport were Swedish King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia…