Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Environmental organisation announces a lawsuit against Norway over seabed mining, pressure on PM to speed up aid to Ukraine, and more news from Norway on Thursday.
WWF announces seabed mineral lawsuit against the Norwegian state
The environmental organisation the WWF has said that they will sue the state over the decision to allow seabed mining for minerals in Norwegian seas.
The formal decision to allow such mining activities was made last week, making Norway one of the first countries in the world to permit it, despite international criticism.
"Norway's decision to go ahead with opening huge areas of the sea for mining is an administrative scandal without parallel. Never before have we seen a Norwegian government so arrogantly override all professional advice and defy the warnings of a unified marine research community," Karoline Andaur, Secretary General of the WWF World Wide Fund for Nature, said in a press release.
Outgoing health minister says the GP crisis is on the way to being fixed
Ingivld Kjerkol, who announced her resignation last week after it was announced that her master's would be revoked due to plagiarism, said that the GP crisis in Norway had lessened.
"The government's move to save the GP scheme is yielding results. The GP crisis is heading towards the end," Kjerkol said.
New figures from the Norwegian Directorate of Health show that the number of people without a GP has fallen from 228,000 to 181,000, despite Norway accepting 75,000 refugees from Ukraine.
"We took over a GP scheme in crisis. It began as a regional problem and gradually developed into a national problem," Kjerkol said.
"The government is aware that more must be done to ensure lasting sustainability, as announced in the National Health and Cooperation Plan," she said.
Pressure on PM to speed up aid payments to Ukraine
The Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Progress Party and Christian Democratic Party have all proposed that Norway speed up its aid payments to Ukraine.
"The government has increased military support in the past. Now, it has to do it again. The most important thing for Norway's security is that Ukraine wins," Conservative Party leader and former PM Erna Solberg said to Dagens Næringsliv.
PM Jonas Gahr Støre said DN has said that support to Ukraine would increase and funds had previously been accelerated.
Princess Märtha Louise announces she will no longer talk to the press
Princess Märtha Louise and her fiancé, Durek Verrett, have said the couple will no longer speak to the press.
"We know that parts of the press will tell lies about us as the wedding approaches. As we prepare for the big day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other," the Princess wrote on Instagram.
The romance between the Princess, who stepped back from the royal family in 2022 but retained her title, and Verett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, has attracted controversy in the Norwegian media.
Verett is a self-described "sixth-generation shaman" who has made numerous spiritual health claims in the past but has said that he has been a victim of racism at the hands of the Norwegian press.
Meanwhile, Märtha Louise has previously claimed she could communicate with angels.
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WWF announces seabed mineral lawsuit against the Norwegian state
The environmental organisation the WWF has said that they will sue the state over the decision to allow seabed mining for minerals in Norwegian seas.
The formal decision to allow such mining activities was made last week, making Norway one of the first countries in the world to permit it, despite international criticism.
"Norway's decision to go ahead with opening huge areas of the sea for mining is an administrative scandal without parallel. Never before have we seen a Norwegian government so arrogantly override all professional advice and defy the warnings of a unified marine research community," Karoline Andaur, Secretary General of the WWF World Wide Fund for Nature, said in a press release.
Outgoing health minister says the GP crisis is on the way to being fixed
Ingivld Kjerkol, who announced her resignation last week after it was announced that her master's would be revoked due to plagiarism, said that the GP crisis in Norway had lessened.
"The government's move to save the GP scheme is yielding results. The GP crisis is heading towards the end," Kjerkol said.
New figures from the Norwegian Directorate of Health show that the number of people without a GP has fallen from 228,000 to 181,000, despite Norway accepting 75,000 refugees from Ukraine.
"We took over a GP scheme in crisis. It began as a regional problem and gradually developed into a national problem," Kjerkol said.
"The government is aware that more must be done to ensure lasting sustainability, as announced in the National Health and Cooperation Plan," she said.
Pressure on PM to speed up aid payments to Ukraine
The Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Progress Party and Christian Democratic Party have all proposed that Norway speed up its aid payments to Ukraine.
"The government has increased military support in the past. Now, it has to do it again. The most important thing for Norway's security is that Ukraine wins," Conservative Party leader and former PM Erna Solberg said to Dagens Næringsliv.
PM Jonas Gahr Støre said DN has said that support to Ukraine would increase and funds had previously been accelerated.
Princess Märtha Louise announces she will no longer talk to the press
Princess Märtha Louise and her fiancé, Durek Verrett, have said the couple will no longer speak to the press.
"We know that parts of the press will tell lies about us as the wedding approaches. As we prepare for the big day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other," the Princess wrote on Instagram.
The romance between the Princess, who stepped back from the royal family in 2022 but retained her title, and Verett, a Hollywood spiritual guru, has attracted controversy in the Norwegian media.
Verett is a self-described "sixth-generation shaman" who has made numerous spiritual health claims in the past but has said that he has been a victim of racism at the hands of the Norwegian press.
Meanwhile, Märtha Louise has previously claimed she could communicate with angels.
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