Norway

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, has elected its youngest leader ever: Jørgen Watne Frydnes, 39; he led the revival of the Utøya site and first joined the committee in 2021 as one of the Labour Party’s choices

The government intends to invest about 500 million Norwegian kroner (€42.939.000) a year in church restoration over the next three decades

Over half of Norwegian teenagers enrolling in high schools in the country listed crafts and vocational trades as their first choice of study; government officials are pleased and relieved given the country's shortcomings

Biologists are providing Arctic foxes, remote dog species on the brink of extinction in Hardangervidda National Park, with feeding programmes; some scientists question whether it makes sense to support animals in landscapes that can no longer sustain them

Bergen's municipal government has voted to ban overnight camping in public parks, open spaces, along streets, squares and other public areas; critics say the aim is to keep homeless people off the streets

Over half of Norwegians believe that 'everyday racism', characterised by derogatory comments related to ethnicity, is widespread in Norway while only 2% think it's not widespread, a new poll indicates

Annual catches have dropped to a new low, worrying locals and nature lovers, as well as wealthy anglers; "it's dramatic," says Evensen, general secretary of Norske Lakseelver, which represents 123 groups that manage rivers known for their wild salmon

The Norwegian government detailed plans to ban fur farms by 2025, offering financial compensation to farmers who called it a 'historic betrayal'

Airports were closed, bus services cancelled and train services disrupted in much of southern Norway due to blizzards that dumped more snow than the clearing teams could handle

Officials confirmed a new donation of $50 million to help Brazil reduce deforestation in the Amazon; it is the first donation since 2018, when funds were cut off due to the former Brazilian president's disinterest in the cause