SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TODAY IN NORWAY

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

Dozens of Norwegian tourists evacuated from Greek holiday island of Kos, Grindr slapped with a 65 million kroner fine after losing a privacy court case in Norway, and other news making the headlines in the country on Tuesday.

Kos
A forest fire on the Greek island of Kos has led to the evacuation of numerous tourists. Photo by Christian Klose on Unsplash

Norwegian tourists evacuated from Kos due to forest fire

A major forest fire on the Greek holiday island of Kos has prompted the evacuation of tourists.

On Tuesday morning, the travel company TUI reported that they had relocated 40 Norwegian tourists overnight. In total, over 70 Norwegian tourists have been evacuated so far.

Anne Mørk-Løwengreen, TUI’s communications manager, informed the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that the evacuations were conducted following recommendations from authorities.

The guests from the Kardamena area on Kos were moved to safer locations in other hotels outside the affected zone.

Grindr loses privacy court case, must pay 65 million kroner fine

Grindr, the popular LGBTQ+ dating app, has lost its case in the Oslo District Court and must pay a 65 million kroner fine imposed by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority for violating the Personal Data Act.

The court also ordered Grindr to cover approximately half a million kroner in court costs.

Government attorneys Hanne Bjurstrøm Jahren and Thea Westhagen Edell hailed the ruling as a significant victory for privacy, stating that Grindr’s practices breached privacy regulations.

Grindr expressed disappointment with the court’s decision. Kelly Peterson Miranda, a top executive at Grindr, stated that the company is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal.

Norwegian citizen released on bail in Somaliland

A Norwegian citizen arrested in Somaliland has been released on bail due to illness but must remain in the unrecognised country until his court case is heard.

His lawyer, Farid Bouras, confirmed that the charges against the man in question stem from allegedly making inappropriate remarks about the president.

Arrested on June 20th, the man is not allowed to leave and has surrendered his passport.

Man imprisoned after threatening bus passengers in Oslo with a knife

A 38-year-old man has been remanded in custody after threatening bus passengers with a knife at Carl Berner Square in Oslo on Saturday.

He was arrested nearby shortly after the incident.

The man faces charges of two counts of making threats with a knife and violence against the police, including kicking, spitting, and threatening officers during his arrest.

He has a history of convictions for violence, threats, and drug offences.

His lawyer told the newspaper Avisa Oslo that the man has struggled with drug problems and is now receiving assistance from the healthcare system.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TODAY IN NORWAY

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

Discovery of illegal fishing tourism in Norway, power issues on Svalbard, and the government to cut Ozempic prescriptions.

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

Power issues on Svalbard

The Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard has been having issues with the diesel engines that provide the town with electricity.

The issues have caused the main power plant to go down, and the Governor of Svalbard has called an emergency response council on two occasions.

The company responsible for providing power, Svalbard Energi, has hired specialists to diagnose engine breakdowns and obtain spare parts for the power plant.

Norway’s government to cut Ozempic prescriptions

Some 15,000 people who receive a prescription for the diabetes drug Ozempic may lose their prescription.

The drug has also been used to aid weight loss in recent times. The government will cut the number of people using blue prescriptions.

“We estimate that at least 25 percent of the patients who get Ozempic on a blue prescription today do not have the right to get the drug on a blue prescription,” department director Steinar Mathisen in the Directorate of Health told the newspaper Aftenposten.

In order to prescribe Ozempic on a blue prescription, doctors must now send an application to Helfo.

The state partially covers blue prescriptions. The new rules could affect dome diabetics who only use Ozempic as their primary medication.

Illegal tourism fishing discovered

Foreign criminals are operating illegal fishing tourism in parts of Finnmark in north Norway, public broadcaster NRK reports.

“It is profitable to fish for free in Norway and then sell the fish on abroad. There are very high prices for cod,” Magnus Nilsen at the A-crime centre for Troms and Finnmark said.

Large quantities of cod have recently been seized at the Norwegian border. The illegal fishing tourism industry has a high proportion of foreigners who come from Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.

Maximum sentence for Oslo Pride shooter

Zaniar Matapour has been found guilty of opening fire outside two bars on the eve of the 2022 Oslo Pride celebrations. Two people were killed, and a further nine were injured.

Matapour was handed the maximum of 30 years behind bars – with possible extensions – for committing an “aggravated act of terror”.

“The attack undoubtedly targeted gay people,” the Oslo court said in its verdict. “The goal was both to kill as many gay people as possible and to instill fear in LGBTQ people more broadly.”

SHOW COMMENTS