Free Republic

Christian Democrats want Bush campaignChristian Democrat MP Anita Apelthun Sæle wants enemies. She believes her party needs to take a page from the book of Bush election strategist Karl Rove and start getting tough in order to win back voters."We must make some enemies. Only then can we get more friends," Sæle told left-wing newspaper Klassekampen. The Christian Democrats have declined in popularity and are about 5-6 percent points below their 2001 election result and have their lowest voter loyalty figures ever."We have tried for too broad a profile and have a lot to correct for our core voters. This...

Woman charged with raping manA 23-year-old woman has changed her story after biological evidence on a man's underpants and penis demonstrated their physical contact. The woman no longer denies laying a finger on him but insists she has committed no crime.The 23-year-old woman told Bergen municipal court that she didn't force sexual contact on the man while he was asleep, newspaper VG reports."He wasn't asleep, he was awake the whole time and he gave me a smile," the woman told the court.The incident allegedly occurred in the apartment of the woman's current partner. He was present at the time but...

OSLO (AFP) - Norway's whaling season began with hunters allowed by the government to kill up to 797 of the mammals this year, the highest quota set by the government in more than a decade in defiance of repeated international criticism.Thirty-one boats were expected to participate in this year's hunt, Fishing industry publication Fiskeribladet reported on its website.The government announced last December that it would increase the catch quota to 797 this year from 670 last year, even though whalers failed to meet that target, mainly due to backlogs at processing factories on land.This is the largest quota allowed since...

Swedes tightest touristsForeign visitors come less often to Norway and spend less money than before. Japanese and US tourists are the most free with their money, and neighboring Swedes keep the tightest reins on their purse strings.Norway's tourism industry is gearing up for the summer trade and rolling out their souvenir trolls, but despite years of discussion about how to brand and market the country's charms, nothing seems to be working."In fact, there have been fewer tourists. And they have not spent more money since 1995. Development is at a standstill," said Arne Rideng at the Institute of Transport Economy,...

"Svorsk" baby boomWhile Norway may be experiencing a swell of national pride and heightened rivalry in the centennial year of independence from Sweden, the citizenry have warmer feelings that ever.The number of children born to Swedish-Norwegian (svensk-norsk or "svorsk") couples has risen 128 percent from 1990 to 2004, according to figures Statistics Norway (SSB) has prepared for newspaper VG.At the beginning of 2005 there were 24,648 persons in Norway who were the result of a union between a Norwegian and a Swede, and 12,369 of these were under the age of 18.In 1990 the comparable figures were 10,794 and 7,201....

Norwegians run amok in SwedenWhile debate rages over links between crime and foreigners in Norway, Swedish police are dealing with a sharp rise in troublesome foreigners of their own: Norwegians accounted for half of all criminal convictions in the border town of Stromstad so far this year.Stromstad is a popular destination for Norwegians shopping for items that are much cheaper in Sweden than in Norway, because of Sweden's lower taxes.Among those items are wine, beer and liquor, which many Norwegians apparently drink on the spot and then cause trouble. Swedish police report that most of the crimes committed by Norwegians...

Swedes seem to envy Norwegians' good fortuneSome Swedes apparently would rather restore a union with Norway than continue in the one they currently have with Europe. Fresh figures outlining the average wealth of Norwegians seem to have left many across the border green with envy."Let's take the horse and wagon and move to Norway!" wrote one Swede to the web site for Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri."Doing away with our union (between Sweden and Norway) in 1905 was Sweden's biggest mistake ever," wrote another.The occasion was a reader debate over figures recently released by Norway's Central Bureau of Statistics, and...

Killed, froze and shot lynxA man stands accused of violating hunting and animal preservation laws after he allegedly killed one with a knife, froze hit and then shot the corpse in a forest during hunting season.The lynx was likely taken before the hunting season began in Enebakk, in Akershus County. Authorities then believe the man transported the dead animal south to neighboring Østfold County, where the quota of lynx was not yet taken, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) reports.But when the predator administrator checked the animal, he suspected foul play."The man was a bit unwilling to display the animal. After a bit...

Finland wants wolf huntFinland has appealed to the European Union for permission to kill wolves that cause problems for their human population.A Finnish delegation lead by EU parliamentarian Henrix Lax asked the EU's environment commissioner Stavros Dimas for the right to shoot wolves and presented a petition signed by 21,000 Finns, newspaper Dagsavisen reports.The EU Commission ruled in January that Finland would stand trial for their wolf hunt.Lax said that it was incomprehensible that Finland's EU membership meant that citizens had to live in fear of wolves," Finnish Broadcasting YLE reported.

Dog-owner sued for moose damageA wild moose caused NOK 50,000 (USD 7,900) worth of damage to a swimming pool, and in a possible legal first, a dog-owner is being sued for responsibility.The bizarre episode occurred during a moose hunt in Bamble, Telemark, southwest of Oslo in mid-October 2003, NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting) reports.A group of hunters and their moose hound Nancy had chased a female moose and her calf but the party was not licensed to kill these animals and tried to set them free.Unfortunately, Nancy would not give up the scent and her owner failed to get control over the...

Crocodile seized in OsloPolice captured a crocodile in the capital on Monday. The young Nile crocodile was over a meter (39.3 inches) long and was being kept in violation of exotic animal regulations.Norway's Food Safety Authority and police went into action in Ulven and confiscated the animal, which they said behaved "aggressively" during the "arrest".Preliminary checks indicate that the apprehended reptile is a Nile crocodile, which can grow up to five meters (16.5 feet) in length. The owner of the apartment where the croc was living has been charged with illegally keeping exotic animals."This is definitely a lively specimen with...

Ice cream van under attackLars Dirks thought he had a safe job, but now he feels that some of the routes he covers as an ice cream truck driver are filled with risk, with some locals driven berserk by the traditional sound of ringing bells.Most of the time Dirks is content driving his Hjem-Is van to sell ice cream to expectant children, who come running at the sound of the truck's bells. But sometimes the job scares him."The job isn't always pleasant. When the kids come there are others who go completely berserk because I seem to disturb them. It...

Younger readers dropping newspapersThe 17 largest newspapers in Norway lost nearly 90,000 readers between the ages 20-39 last year. The younger generation appears to be losing the national passion for newsprint.The top papers lost 88,000 readers in this commercially attractive age group in the course of 2004, a development likely to have an impact on advertising revenues, financial daily Dagens Næringsliv reports.The main decline was in the 20-29 age group, where 52,000 stopped reading newspapers.Regional papers Stavanger Aftenblad and Trondheim's Adresseavisen are the big losers in this age segment, while Bergens Tidende is the newspaper with the greatest share of...

Norway mourns the death of the popeThousands of Norway's Catholics streamed to special services over the weekend while Norwegian leaders hailed the memory of Pope John Paul II, who died Saturday night after a long illness. Flags waved at half-mast at the country's Catholic churches and organizations.The flag hanging at half-mast outside a cloister in Oslo's Majorstuen district was just one example of the expressions of sorrow on Sunday, as news spread of the pope's death. St Olav's Church in Oslo had already held a special mass on Saturday, while the pope lay dying, and will also hold a requiem...

Raising the flag raises a flapNorway's military wanted to raise an historial version of the Norwegian flag during centennial celebrations in June. The Foreign Ministry, however, won't allow it, saying the flag used during Norway's unhappy union with Sweden, featuring Swedish colors, can no longer fly on any official Norwegian flag pole.The flag in question sports a mixture of Norwegian red-and-blue and Swedish blue-and-yellow colors in its top left corner. The insignia was commonly known as the sildesalat (herring salad), coined because the colors resembled a herring salad, common on the tables of both countries, which mixes the bluish herring...

Narrow majority say no to EU membershipFor the first time since last fall there is now a narrow majority against Norwegian membership of the EU.A survey made by Sentio for the newspapers Nationen, Klassekampen and Dagen shows that 45.1 per cent would vote no, while 43.3 are in favour, and 11.6 per cent are undecided.It is the first time since last August that the survey shows a majority against EU membership for Norway, and it is the highest no-percentage in three years.Both among women and in the country districts there is a clear majority against membership, according to the poll.

Norwegian ships attacked by piratesSeven Norwegian vessels were attacked by pirates last year, with Indonesian waters being the riskiest on the seven seas.Small bands of pirates dared to take on large vessels, and attacks and attempts to board were recorded on seven Norwegian ships, as well as a range of foreign ships with part Norwegian ownership, newspaper VG reports.The 48,000-ton "Syrena" was stormed by seven pirates armed with jungle machetes, who made off with valuables and supplies after threatening three crew members. The Syrena was boarded at night, when the ship anchored in Kalimantan in Indonesia.Ugland Shipping's 38,000-ton "Jorita" was...

Three-year-old runs over sisterA frighteningly precocious three-year-old managed to get hold of the family car keys and finally run over his five-year-old sister just outside their home.The young girl was flown to Trondheim's St. Olav's Hospital by air ambulance on Tuesday evening. According to local policeman Dagfinn Herskedal at Hitra, the five-year-old was in great pain after scrapes and broken bones, but was conscious when taken to hospital.A report from St. Olav's Tuesday night signaled that the girl was in stable condition with minor injuries.Deputy Arild Sollie said the girl had a guardian angel, and explained the incredible sequence of...

Record exodus to the mountains at Easter,Monday (2nd Day Easter) ends the Easter vacation in Norway, and it is already clear that a record number has visited mountain chalets, cabins and ski centers this year.The major alpine centers report an increase of 20-50 per cent, according to public broadcaster NRK.One reason for the record number taking to the mountains is the fact that Easter comes early this year. The other reason is the beautiful weather with perfect skiing conditions (particularly in the Southern part of the country), says Einar Oyo, manager of the Geilo Skilifts.The Norwegian Tourist Association (DNT) reports...

Have you heard of Norway's Gamalost (Old Cheese)? It was originally made by the Vikings over 1000 years ago, who believed it had many medicinal properties.But we'll let Janice Nieder tell you what else she discovered:"Phewww! That stuff is nasty -- smells like my dog's bed, but my Grandpa loves it!" was a typical answer when I asked some teens in Balestand, Norway, if they ate Gamalost cheese.I had just heard about this cheese originally made by Vikings over 1000 years ago. They believed it had many medicinal properties and would nibble on it during long voyages to provide energy...