Superficially, it would seem that Sin City and one of the crown jewels of Scandinavia don't make for a good fit.
But Norway's Consul General was acting diplomatic and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was playing the gracious host at a meeting of seemingly incongruous, desirable destinations.
"It's probably easier to find things that are different than things that are similar," says Sten Arne Rosnes, Consul General of Norway. "But I think we have one thing in common and that is attractiveness. The American lifestyle is very attractive to Norwegians. We try to learn from that in how we promote interests and Norwegian business."
Both officials agreed there was much to be gained from such an alliance.
"I'm sure we can learn from an economy that only has three percent unemployment right now," adds Mayor Goodman. "In Las Vegas we have 13 percent and we're suffering as a result of it."
While most foreign visitors head straight for the Strip, the Consul General from green-leaning Norway went straight in the opposite direction.
"We went out to the solar panels at Nellis. I felt that Norway is important, not because we have sun - we don't have 300 days a year of sun - but we have been introducing some of the products that are necessary for solar panels."
Norway is about the size of California. With just under five million people, it ranks near the top in quality of life surveys.
Friday, 25 September 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Norwegian govt re-elected - But only just
Norway's center-left coalition government has won parliamentary elections. The race was tight and turnout was lower than in 2005, but Norwegian voters ultimately credited the bloc with steering them through the economic crisis.
The left-leaning government has narrowly won reelection in Norway, official results show. The three-party coalition led by Labor Party Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg became the first sitting government to be re-elected in Norway in 16 years. With 99.9 percent of votes counted, Stoltenberg's bloc had taken 86 of the 169 seats. The final tally is expected to be announced later this week.
Voter turnout in the oil-rich nation was estimated at about 69 percent among the some 3.5 million eligible voters, around 9 percent lower than in 2005.
Stoltenberg's government, which has been in power since 2005, had campaigned against tax cuts and privatization proposals made by the center-right parties, arguing that such measures would be detrimental to healthcare, education and care for the elderly.
The right-wing opposition, dominated by the populist Progress Party, had vowed to cut taxes and launch a privatization program. Norwegian taxes are among the highest in the world.
Stoltenberg's center-left government has resorted to tapping a multibillion-euro oil fund to cushion the blow of the global economic downturn. Norway's oil fund, designed to finance the social welfare state, was worth 277 billion euros ($395 billion) at the end of June.
The left-leaning government has narrowly won reelection in Norway, official results show. The three-party coalition led by Labor Party Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg became the first sitting government to be re-elected in Norway in 16 years. With 99.9 percent of votes counted, Stoltenberg's bloc had taken 86 of the 169 seats. The final tally is expected to be announced later this week.
Voter turnout in the oil-rich nation was estimated at about 69 percent among the some 3.5 million eligible voters, around 9 percent lower than in 2005.
Stoltenberg's government, which has been in power since 2005, had campaigned against tax cuts and privatization proposals made by the center-right parties, arguing that such measures would be detrimental to healthcare, education and care for the elderly.
The right-wing opposition, dominated by the populist Progress Party, had vowed to cut taxes and launch a privatization program. Norwegian taxes are among the highest in the world.
Stoltenberg's center-left government has resorted to tapping a multibillion-euro oil fund to cushion the blow of the global economic downturn. Norway's oil fund, designed to finance the social welfare state, was worth 277 billion euros ($395 billion) at the end of June.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Norwegian radar goes into space on Mars probe
A Norwegian designed radar will be installed on the European Space Association's Mars probe ExoMars to look for ice and water under the surface. The radar is currently being tested on Svalbard.
The radar, named WISDOM (Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observations on Mars), is able to detect geological structures under the surface, and is able to creaate high resolution pictures from down to 2-3 metres. It is also ableto differenciate between liquid water and ice.
WISDOM will be the first so-called geo-radar on the surface of Mars, says Svein-Erik Hamren from the Norwegian Defence Research Institute (FFI), where the radar has been developed.
The radar, named WISDOM (Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observations on Mars), is able to detect geological structures under the surface, and is able to creaate high resolution pictures from down to 2-3 metres. It is also ableto differenciate between liquid water and ice.
WISDOM will be the first so-called geo-radar on the surface of Mars, says Svein-Erik Hamren from the Norwegian Defence Research Institute (FFI), where the radar has been developed.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Is Think Still a Norwegian Car Company?
The Norwegian electric car maker Think is back on the road.
The company on Thursday said it had exited bankruptcy protection and secured $47 million in new financing to restart production of the Think City, a highway-capable urban runabout with a range of about 112 miles.
Think had shut down its assembly line outside of Oslo late last year when the global financial crisis cut off access to new capital.
But is Think still a Norwegian automaker? The company did get some local street cred Thursday: among its new shareholders is Investinor, an investment fund backed by the Norwegian government.
Still, in another sign of the globalization of the nascent electric car industry, the Think City will now be made in Finland at the plant of one of its new investors, Valmet Automotive. (Valmet assembles the Porsche Boxster and Cayman and will begin producing the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric sports sedan.)
Think’s Norwegian assembly facility will be shuttered and its 85 employees dismissed.
An existing investor, the American company Ener1, which owns the lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel, now becomes Think’s largest shareholder with 31 percent of the company. EnerDel supplies batteries to Think, and in July, the two companies began a joint venture to sell electric car drivetrains.
Other Think investors include General Electric and the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The company’s primary market is Europe, but Think plans to build a factory in the United States and has applied for an Energy Department loan guarantee to finance the project.
Think, which was formerly owned by Ford, took pains Thursday to emphasize its Norwegian roots. “Think, however, remains a truly Norwegian company, with its senior management, sales, marketing, design and engineering staff still located at the company’s Oslo headquarters,” the company said in a statement.
Think’s chief executive, Richard Canny, born in Australian, added, “This means we can restart production of the Think City as soon as possible.”
The company on Thursday said it had exited bankruptcy protection and secured $47 million in new financing to restart production of the Think City, a highway-capable urban runabout with a range of about 112 miles.
Think had shut down its assembly line outside of Oslo late last year when the global financial crisis cut off access to new capital.
But is Think still a Norwegian automaker? The company did get some local street cred Thursday: among its new shareholders is Investinor, an investment fund backed by the Norwegian government.
Still, in another sign of the globalization of the nascent electric car industry, the Think City will now be made in Finland at the plant of one of its new investors, Valmet Automotive. (Valmet assembles the Porsche Boxster and Cayman and will begin producing the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric sports sedan.)
Think’s Norwegian assembly facility will be shuttered and its 85 employees dismissed.
An existing investor, the American company Ener1, which owns the lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel, now becomes Think’s largest shareholder with 31 percent of the company. EnerDel supplies batteries to Think, and in July, the two companies began a joint venture to sell electric car drivetrains.
Other Think investors include General Electric and the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
The company’s primary market is Europe, but Think plans to build a factory in the United States and has applied for an Energy Department loan guarantee to finance the project.
Think, which was formerly owned by Ford, took pains Thursday to emphasize its Norwegian roots. “Think, however, remains a truly Norwegian company, with its senior management, sales, marketing, design and engineering staff still located at the company’s Oslo headquarters,” the company said in a statement.
Think’s chief executive, Richard Canny, born in Australian, added, “This means we can restart production of the Think City as soon as possible.”
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Secret Norwegian letter blasts UN leader
Norway's ambassador to the United Nations has accused Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a confidential letter of weak leadership, lack of charisma and angry outbursts, the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten newspaper reported Wednesday.
The newspaper published what it said was a letter to Norway's foreign ministry from Mona Juul.
"At a time when the U.N. and multilateral solutions to global crises are more needed than ever, Ban and the U.N. are notable by their absence," the letter read.
Juul and her husband Terje Roed-Larsen — now a U.N. special envoy — had key roles in secretly brokering the now-failed 1993 Oslo peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Juul wrote that Ban showed "weak handling" of international challenges. She said he was a "passive observer" to Myanmar's arrest of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and she blasted his slow reaction to the civil war in Sri Lanka.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marte Lerberg Kopstad refused comment on the authenticity of the letter. She referred reporters to Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere's comment to Aftenposten that he had noted the matter, and that he saw Ban as "hard working" and a "good listener."
Juul's Norwegian-language letter was published halfway through Ban's term as U.N. secretary-general. He is due on an official visit to Norway starting Aug. 31.
The newspaper published what it said was a letter to Norway's foreign ministry from Mona Juul.
"At a time when the U.N. and multilateral solutions to global crises are more needed than ever, Ban and the U.N. are notable by their absence," the letter read.
Juul and her husband Terje Roed-Larsen — now a U.N. special envoy — had key roles in secretly brokering the now-failed 1993 Oslo peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Juul wrote that Ban showed "weak handling" of international challenges. She said he was a "passive observer" to Myanmar's arrest of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and she blasted his slow reaction to the civil war in Sri Lanka.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marte Lerberg Kopstad refused comment on the authenticity of the letter. She referred reporters to Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere's comment to Aftenposten that he had noted the matter, and that he saw Ban as "hard working" and a "good listener."
Juul's Norwegian-language letter was published halfway through Ban's term as U.N. secretary-general. He is due on an official visit to Norway starting Aug. 31.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Norway 4-0 Scotland: Scots Crushed By Norwegian Efficiency
Norway pulled off a deserved and emphatic 4-0 win over ten-man Scotland as they rescued their World Cup hopes at the expense of those of the visitors.
Norway seemed the team more likely to score in the opening stages, as Gary Caldwell had to work hard to keep tabs on the lofty John Carew.
Just as it seemed Scotland had dodged a bullet after Riise's awful miss, tragedy stuck the Tartan Army. Gary Caldwell was penalised for the final time after a series of fouls on John Carew and subsequently found himself dismissed from the pitch. Then to rub salt in the wounds, John Riise stood over the free-kick and sent a deflected thunderbolt straight into Marshall's net.
Ross McCormick was then sacrificed to make way for a replacement centre-back in the form of Christophe Berra. During the time the Scots were trying to adjust to their new line-up and praying for half-time, tragedy struck once more when Morten Gamst Pedersen found enough space in the visitors' box to take the score to 2-0 as the whistle blew for the break.
Still reeling from the loss of his brother, Steven Caldwell was subbed off soon after the restart when he brought Carew down on the edge of the box. The temperament of the Caldwells was poor on the night, and the ensuing free kick from the reckless challenge almost allowed Carew to add his name to the scoresheet.
After a catalogue of failed attempts, Carew looked like he would finally get himself on the scoresheet after 60 minutes had passed. The giant Villa striker was to be denied again though as his strike came off both posts and rolled to the feet of Erik Huseklapp. The Norwegian made no mistake scoring from 6 yards into the open net. 3-0 Norway.
Carew's luck began to become something of a comedy as he managed to lose out on a sure thing yet again. The Norwegian stuck for goal, hitting the bar in the process. The ball dropped onto the line and looked as though it had crossed, but the linesman said nothing doing as Carew put his head in his hands. Eventually Egil Olsen took pity on the striker and opted to take him off the pitch.
As the Norwegian's continued to bombard Scotland into the dying stages of the game, a poor challenge from Graeme Alexander awarded Morten Gamst Pedersen one last chance at goal before the final whistle. The perfectly taken free-kick was swung round the wall by the Blackburn Rovers man and easily found the top left corner of Marshall's net before the whistle was blown and the Scots were allowed to leave the pitch that they were so badly humiliated on.
Norway seemed the team more likely to score in the opening stages, as Gary Caldwell had to work hard to keep tabs on the lofty John Carew.
Just as it seemed Scotland had dodged a bullet after Riise's awful miss, tragedy stuck the Tartan Army. Gary Caldwell was penalised for the final time after a series of fouls on John Carew and subsequently found himself dismissed from the pitch. Then to rub salt in the wounds, John Riise stood over the free-kick and sent a deflected thunderbolt straight into Marshall's net.
Ross McCormick was then sacrificed to make way for a replacement centre-back in the form of Christophe Berra. During the time the Scots were trying to adjust to their new line-up and praying for half-time, tragedy struck once more when Morten Gamst Pedersen found enough space in the visitors' box to take the score to 2-0 as the whistle blew for the break.
Still reeling from the loss of his brother, Steven Caldwell was subbed off soon after the restart when he brought Carew down on the edge of the box. The temperament of the Caldwells was poor on the night, and the ensuing free kick from the reckless challenge almost allowed Carew to add his name to the scoresheet.
After a catalogue of failed attempts, Carew looked like he would finally get himself on the scoresheet after 60 minutes had passed. The giant Villa striker was to be denied again though as his strike came off both posts and rolled to the feet of Erik Huseklapp. The Norwegian made no mistake scoring from 6 yards into the open net. 3-0 Norway.
Carew's luck began to become something of a comedy as he managed to lose out on a sure thing yet again. The Norwegian stuck for goal, hitting the bar in the process. The ball dropped onto the line and looked as though it had crossed, but the linesman said nothing doing as Carew put his head in his hands. Eventually Egil Olsen took pity on the striker and opted to take him off the pitch.
As the Norwegian's continued to bombard Scotland into the dying stages of the game, a poor challenge from Graeme Alexander awarded Morten Gamst Pedersen one last chance at goal before the final whistle. The perfectly taken free-kick was swung round the wall by the Blackburn Rovers man and easily found the top left corner of Marshall's net before the whistle was blown and the Scots were allowed to leave the pitch that they were so badly humiliated on.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Preparing for Mars expeditions on Svalbard
The Norwegian archipelago Svalbard has been chosen as test bed for life-detection technology to fly on future missions to Mars.
The 2009 AMASE (Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition) will be taking place from August 1st to 24th.
Since 2003 six AMASE expeditions have been carried out. This year’s expedition includes more than 30 scientists and engineers from USA, Norway, Germany, Spain and UK. The participants come from different disciplines like microbiology, geology, biogeochemistry and robotics, SpaceRef.com reports.
The participants will carry out very different activities: from testing equipment that eventually would fly in future Mars missions to study the conditions in which extremophiles thrive in glacial ice and develop and test protocols to search for past and present habitable environments on icy planets.
The main research will be carried out in Svalbard fjords rich in carbonates, clays, basalts or water-ice that are considered good Martian analogue.
The 2009 AMASE (Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition) will be taking place from August 1st to 24th.
Since 2003 six AMASE expeditions have been carried out. This year’s expedition includes more than 30 scientists and engineers from USA, Norway, Germany, Spain and UK. The participants come from different disciplines like microbiology, geology, biogeochemistry and robotics, SpaceRef.com reports.
The participants will carry out very different activities: from testing equipment that eventually would fly in future Mars missions to study the conditions in which extremophiles thrive in glacial ice and develop and test protocols to search for past and present habitable environments on icy planets.
The main research will be carried out in Svalbard fjords rich in carbonates, clays, basalts or water-ice that are considered good Martian analogue.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Norwegians tell of crop circle gun incident near Devizes
Two Norwegian crop circle enthusiasts have told how armed police officers swooped on a farm at Allington near Devizes after they were confronted by an angry man with a gun. But the farmer whose land it was says the gunman was legitimately shooting pigeons.
Norwegian language school teachers Eva-Marie Brekkesto and Guro Parvanova, were visiting a crop circle on land at Manor Farm, Allington, on Monday afternoon when they heard shooting.
Mrs Brekkesto, who is the founder of the Norwegian Crop Circle research group, said: “When we came into the crop circle formation we heard a gunshot, quickly followed by one more. We were a bit shocked, it was quite close, then a man appeared shouting ‘ get out of the field, you are on private land’.”
They started to leave the field but Mrs Brekkesto, 52, went back to speak to the gunman to find out what the problem was.
She said: “I said ‘sorry, why are you shouting?’ I asked him if he was the farmer. He said no but had been hired by the farmer to prevent people from going into the crop circle.
The Norwegian ladies have visited Wiltshire for the last ten years viewing crop circles and are staying in a holiday cottage in Devizes.
Norwegian language school teachers Eva-Marie Brekkesto and Guro Parvanova, were visiting a crop circle on land at Manor Farm, Allington, on Monday afternoon when they heard shooting.
Mrs Brekkesto, who is the founder of the Norwegian Crop Circle research group, said: “When we came into the crop circle formation we heard a gunshot, quickly followed by one more. We were a bit shocked, it was quite close, then a man appeared shouting ‘ get out of the field, you are on private land’.”
They started to leave the field but Mrs Brekkesto, 52, went back to speak to the gunman to find out what the problem was.
She said: “I said ‘sorry, why are you shouting?’ I asked him if he was the farmer. He said no but had been hired by the farmer to prevent people from going into the crop circle.
The Norwegian ladies have visited Wiltshire for the last ten years viewing crop circles and are staying in a holiday cottage in Devizes.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Iceland’s EU Application Has Impact in Norway
Iceland’s application for membership to the European Union will without a doubt have an impact in Norway and give the right-wing parties a reason to discuss the EU again, according to Norwegian journalist Ingrid Skjoetskift, who specializes in EU matters.
Norway has twice applied for membership to the EU and on both occasions the membership agreement was rejected in referendums.
Skjoetskift, who writes for Norwegian newspapers Adresseavisen, Bergens Tidene and Stavanger Aftenblad, believes that Iceland’s application alone won’t change much about the attitude of Norwegians towards the EU.
However, once Iceland’s membership agreement is on the table, it might change the debate in Norway, especially the part that concerns the fishing industry.
What lies ahead might change the attitude of many Norwegians and draw attention to the fact that Norway might end up as the only Nordic nation outside the European Union. With Iceland’s admission, Norway would also be the only Nordic nation left in the EEA cooperation.
Norway has twice applied for membership to the EU and on both occasions the membership agreement was rejected in referendums.
Skjoetskift, who writes for Norwegian newspapers Adresseavisen, Bergens Tidene and Stavanger Aftenblad, believes that Iceland’s application alone won’t change much about the attitude of Norwegians towards the EU.
However, once Iceland’s membership agreement is on the table, it might change the debate in Norway, especially the part that concerns the fishing industry.
What lies ahead might change the attitude of many Norwegians and draw attention to the fact that Norway might end up as the only Nordic nation outside the European Union. With Iceland’s admission, Norway would also be the only Nordic nation left in the EEA cooperation.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Introduction to Norway
The most accurate observation made about Norway is that it is a land of contrasts.
The landscape is both beautiful and brutal, barren rock gives way to soft fertile plains and majestic mountains tower above mirror like fjords. Norway is a truly enchanting land for one of the oldest civilisations in Europe.
The once war like vikings have given way to a people of peace where technology rubs shoulders with a passion for the environment and traditional values.
Join me as I try and discover more about this magical country, it’s people, places, language, culture and traditions.
The landscape is both beautiful and brutal, barren rock gives way to soft fertile plains and majestic mountains tower above mirror like fjords. Norway is a truly enchanting land for one of the oldest civilisations in Europe.
The once war like vikings have given way to a people of peace where technology rubs shoulders with a passion for the environment and traditional values.
Join me as I try and discover more about this magical country, it’s people, places, language, culture and traditions.
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