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

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Monday 
A lynx at a nature park in Trones, Norway. Photo by Eirik Olsen on Unsplash "

Find out what's going on in Norway on Monday with The Local's short roundup of important news. 

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Leaders of the big three take part in another election debate 

The leaders of Norway's three largest parties engaged in another prime ministerial debate last night. 

Prime Minister Erna Solberg, leader of the Conservative party, went toe to toe with Labour leader Jonah Gahr Støre and Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum. 

Both the wealth tax and the potential combinations of parties in government under a red-green coalition were on the agenda. 

READ ALSO: What Erna Solberg’s seven election promises mean for foreign residents in Norway

Labour leader Støre pressed Solberg on her pledge to cut the controversial working capital tax, commonly referred to as the wealth tax. 

Later in the debate, Solberg put the two other candidates for PM under the microscope, putting Vedum, particularly, under scrutiny.

Solberg claimed that it was unclear for voters which parties would be in government under a red-green coalition and which of Støre or Vedum would be prime minister. 

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Seven out of ten young people suffer from loneliness

Up to 70 percent of people aged between 16 and 19 have said that they are lonely, according to a new report from the Red Cross. 

The Red Cross has said that no other age group has reported being as lonely in such high numbers. 

As many as 82 percent of girls who responded to the Red Cross said they were lonely. 

READ ALSO: Immigrants in Norway more likely to be affected by loneliness

Benedicte Andersen from the Red Cross National Youth Council in Norway said more needed to be done to protect young people's mental health in Norway. 

She also added that it was important that free leisure activities were available to young people and that a person's finances shouldn't be a barrier to being involved in groups, clubs and activities outside of school. 

Centre Party leader wants state to invest in hydropower 

Centre Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Trygve Slagsvold Vedum has pledged to make the state a majority shareholder in Norsk Hydro. 

His election promise would see an investment of 20 billion kroner to increase the state's share of the business, which is responsible for around ten percent of renewable energy production in Norway, from 34 to 50.1 percent. 

"Hydropower is Norway's jewel of natural resources and the basis for many of the industrial adventures we have in Norway. The battle for natural resources will get tougher and tougher. We must not be naive – we must secure ownership of the basic natural resources," Vedum told reporters at an election event this weekend. 

326 Covid-19 cases in Norway

On Sunday, 326 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Norway. This is 201 fewer than the average for the previous seven days, which is 527. 

In Oslo, 59 new Covid-19 infections were registered, 28 fewer than the day before. 

Case numbers in Norway tend to be lower on weekends when fewer people get tested, and fewer samples get processed.

Total number of Covid-19 cases in Norway. Source: NIPH

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