King Harald to have a permanent pacemaker fitted 

Norway’s King Harald will be fitted with a permanent pacemaker early next week, the palace announced earlier this week. 

He was fitted with a temporary pacemaker after falling ill with an infection while on holiday in Malaysia. 

It has also been reported this week that the king’s condition was steadily improving. 

King Harald and Queen Sonja also thanked the public for their support. 

“We feel a great need to thank you for all the care, help and support in connection with the king falling ill on our holiday in Malaysia,” the king and queen said in a statement.

“We have felt the warmth flowing from the Norwegian people during this time. The great commitment has moved us, and strengthened us. Many thanks to everyone for the consideration you have shown us in the family,” the statement added. 

Ski star to represent Brazil rather than Norway 

Norwegian skier Lucas Braathen, last season’s World Cup slalom champion, said that he would represent Brazil in future events following a dispute with the Norwegian federation. 

The move comes after he announced his shock retirement at the age of 23 last year following a long-running conflict over image rights. 

“I’m going to come back and ski for Brazil. I’m very proud of it,” Braathen, who has five World Cup victories in his career, told a press conference organised by his sponsor in Salzburg, Austria.

Braathen is eligible for Brazil as his mother is Brazilian. His middle name, Pinheiro, is Portuguese for pine tree, paying tribute to his parent’s heritage.

Brazil’s winter sports chiefs hope that Braathen’s switch of allegiance could have a long-running impact on winter sports in the country. 

READ ALSO: Why a Norwegian world champion skier has switched his allegiance to Brazil

Tax season begins 

Norway is known for its high taxes as well as its high wages, and on Thursday, March 7th, the Norwegian Tax Administration began sending out tax returns for residents to fill out. 

 As many as 2.7 million taxpayers may be eligible for a rebate this year, while 1.2 million may owe the taxman money. 

Last year, 2.9 million received a rebate, while 900,000 had to pay back taxes. 

Norwegian tax returns are only partially pre-filled, and taxpayers are required to check that all the relevant information is included and accurate. 

The Local has published many articles and guides on Norwegian taxes, which you can see here. However, beware that some of the older articles may contain outdated information or figures. 

READ ALSO: Five things to do when you get your Norwegian tax return

Norway’s krone could impact wage increases 

The first rounds of talks between unions and employer organisations on wage increases are set to begin in the coming weeks. 

Norway’s krone could impact the raise that workers receive this year. For some sectors of the Norwegian industry, the weaker krone has actually been good news. This is because Norwegian exports have become cheaper and, therefore, more attractive. 

Norwegian exports becoming more attractive has resulted in a healthier balance sheet for many companies in Norway. 

The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) is one of the largest parties representing employers at the negotiating table. 

One of its three principles heading into negotiations is to secure businesses and jobs. For this to happen, any wage rises must ensure that Norwegian industry remains competitive.

A fluctuating krone would threaten Norwegian competitiveness if wage increases are too high. 

READ MORE: How Norway’s weak krone could affect your wages this year

Norway’s language council to consider making loan words ‘more Norwegian’ 

The Language Council of Norway, the state administrative body that deals with language issues, is urging citizens to embrace a more Norwegian approach to language, starting with the term “tako.”

Instead of the original “taco”, the council proposes using “takofredag” to reflect the dish’s popularity and Norwegian pronunciation, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) reported on Tuesday.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Language Council, which has submitted several proposals for language changes for public consultation.

Among these proposals are suggestions like “kava” for “cava” and “kampus” for “campus.”