Norway's governing Labour Party said on Wednesday it had reached agreement with four left-wing parties in parliament on a 2026 fiscal budget, ending a standoff that had threatened to bring down Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere's cabinet.

www.reuters.com/world/norway...

Norway's Labour government failed to win backing for its 2026 draft budget by an end-November deadline but talks will resume in parliament to find a compromise over oil drilling and the wealth fund's Israeli investments.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Brilliant piece on Norway's wealth tax, its pros and cons and if it can be applied elsewhere.

"Not having a wealth tax leads to greater inequality, having one means less capital for startups ... Politics needs to strike a balance."

www.reuters.com/business/nor...

A human rights foundation gave its annual prize to the Emergency Response Rooms, a Sudanese network of community groups providing aid, for "their courageous work".

4 past laureates of the #Raftoprize went on to win the #NobelPeacePrize, announced on Oct. 10.

www.reuters.com/world/africa....

Norway plans to raise overall spending on defence and broader security to 5% of gross domestic product, its PM said on Friday, in line with a planned common goal among #NATO states.

Norway's parliament on Wednesday rejected a proposal to have the country's $1.9 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, divest from all companies with activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, as expected.

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The ethics watchdog for Norway's $1.9 trillion wealth fund is scrutinising Israeli banks' practice of underwriting Israeli settlers' housebuilding commitments in the occupied West Bank in a review that could prompt up to $500 million in divestments.

www.reuters.com/business/fin...

EXCLUSIVE - For months it has been a heated debate in Norway about whether its $1.8 trillion fund should divest from all companies with activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Now parliament has decided: there will be no blanket ban.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Israel's plans to evacuate Palestinians from Gaza would be illegal forceful displacement, would lead to more violence and would undermine efforts to create a Palestinian state, Norway and Iceland said.

www.reuters.com/world/israel...

Opposition efforts to allow Norway's $1.8 trillion wealth fund to invest in large defence companies appear to be faltering, according to lawmakers involved in the process.

This is happening despite ex-NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg being in charge at finance ministry.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Belgians looking at Germans complaining about there being no government.

Swedish PM says NATO members are discussing having two spending targets:

One for core defence spending - could be 3.5%

Another for civil defence etc - could be 1.5%

(Which just happens to make 5% - goal proposed by Trump.)

As spotted by our Stockholm correspondent Simon Johnson 👇

Greenland's new government calls for unity before visit by US Vice-President Vance, coming amid continuing interest by President Trump to annex the island

#Arctic #Greenland #Denmark #US

www.reuters.com/world/us-vic...

Norway’s defence minister says he believes the United States remain committed to Europe’s defence but the continent must take a bigger share of the costs of defending itself if Washington is going to live up to its commitments.

#NATO #Ukraine #Europe #USA

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

It could be an episode of Borgen. Jens Stoltenberg is back in power as finance minister and his party, Labour, could win elections as a result.

It is a political phenomenon that the media here have called «Stoltenback».

With thanks to @andrewramsaygray.bsky.social

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

On a cold December morning in 1975, #NobelPeacePrize laureate Andrei Sakharov met a Norwegian diplomat on a Moscow street to hand over his acceptance speech for the prize, so his wife could read his words at the Oslo award ceremony he was forbidden to attend.

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Edvard Munch’s beautiful frescoes at the University of Oslo. Probably the most beautiful venue in Norway to hold a conference at…