Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
King Harald leaves hospital, the odds of power rationing this winter, a teacher strike when the kids return to school, and other news from Norway on Tuesday.
King Harald leaves hospital
Norway’s King Harald was discharged from hospital last night after he was admitted for an infection last week, the Royal Palace said.
The 85-year-old was said to be in good health after leaving the hospital, where he received antibiotics.
Harald, whose duties are mostly symbolic, has suffered from a number of health problems recently, including Covid, knee surgery in 2021 and respiratory problems the year before.
The king also underwent surgery in 2003 for bladder cancer, then another operation in 2005 for heart valve problems, a valve which was replaced in another operation in 2020.
Chances of power rationing are lower than at the beginning of summer
The likelihood of power rationing being brought in before next spring is now lower than it was at the beginning of the summer, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland has said.
Low reservoir filling levels and a European energy market crisis led to an increased chance of power rationing in Norway. However, this risk has now decreased.
“The situation now is better than at the start of the summer,” Aasland told business and financial site E24.
Aasland said power producers had followed the government’s request to try and stop reservoirs from being too depleted.
Teachers’ strike to escalate
The Norwegian Education Association has announced an escalation of the teachers’ strike starting when kids return to school.
“We have made a plan. I cannot reveal where, when and how many people will be affected by a strike. But it is only natural to imagine that an escalation will take place in connection with the start of school,” Steffen Handal, head of the Norwegian Education Association, told public broadcaster NRK.
Teachers decided to strike following the wage negotiation for the public sector in Norway. Teachers felt as if they had gotten the raw end of the deal during the last few collective bargaining agreements.
While the overall package was accepted by the trade union representing the public sector, teachers decided to strike.
The employer organisation for the public sector, KS, said that the money teachers want had been “used up”.
One in three think it is safe to cycle in Oslo
The number of people who believe that Oslo is a safe city to cycle in has increased, but less than a third feel it is safe to cycle.
This figure had increased massively from 2014 when just nine percent of people said it was safe to use a bike in Oslo.
It is obviously an improvement, but it was a rather deplorable starting point. Much remains to be done before Oslo is a real cycling city. The goal is that cycling should be experienced as safe for everyone, whether you are eight or eighty years old, says Environment and Transport Councilor Sirin Stav (MDG) in Oslo to Aftenposten.
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King Harald leaves hospital
Norway’s King Harald was discharged from hospital last night after he was admitted for an infection last week, the Royal Palace said.
The 85-year-old was said to be in good health after leaving the hospital, where he received antibiotics.
Harald, whose duties are mostly symbolic, has suffered from a number of health problems recently, including Covid, knee surgery in 2021 and respiratory problems the year before.
The king also underwent surgery in 2003 for bladder cancer, then another operation in 2005 for heart valve problems, a valve which was replaced in another operation in 2020.
Chances of power rationing are lower than at the beginning of summer
The likelihood of power rationing being brought in before next spring is now lower than it was at the beginning of the summer, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland has said.
Low reservoir filling levels and a European energy market crisis led to an increased chance of power rationing in Norway. However, this risk has now decreased.
“The situation now is better than at the start of the summer,” Aasland told business and financial site E24.
Aasland said power producers had followed the government’s request to try and stop reservoirs from being too depleted.
Teachers’ strike to escalate
The Norwegian Education Association has announced an escalation of the teachers’ strike starting when kids return to school.
“We have made a plan. I cannot reveal where, when and how many people will be affected by a strike. But it is only natural to imagine that an escalation will take place in connection with the start of school,” Steffen Handal, head of the Norwegian Education Association, told public broadcaster NRK.
Teachers decided to strike following the wage negotiation for the public sector in Norway. Teachers felt as if they had gotten the raw end of the deal during the last few collective bargaining agreements.
While the overall package was accepted by the trade union representing the public sector, teachers decided to strike.
The employer organisation for the public sector, KS, said that the money teachers want had been “used up”.
One in three think it is safe to cycle in Oslo
The number of people who believe that Oslo is a safe city to cycle in has increased, but less than a third feel it is safe to cycle.
This figure had increased massively from 2014 when just nine percent of people said it was safe to use a bike in Oslo.
It is obviously an improvement, but it was a rather deplorable starting point. Much remains to be done before Oslo is a real cycling city. The goal is that cycling should be experienced as safe for everyone, whether you are eight or eighty years old, says Environment and Transport Councilor Sirin Stav (MDG) in Oslo to Aftenposten.
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