Vilde Hernes is a senior researcher at Oslo Metropolitan University and an associate professor at the University of Oslo. Would you have rather come to Europe as a Syrian in 2015, or a Ukrainian refugee in 2022? That’s the question I asked my new students at the very beginning of lectures in 2023. And their response was almost unanimous: A Ukrainian refugee. But when I asked the same question at the end of our lectures, my students appeared to be evenly split between the two. Why was this the case? Many are of the opinion that Ukrainian refugees have been treated differently — and most often b ..read more

Just as the stock market’s record gains this year have been driven by anticipation of interest rate cuts, Donald Trump’s prospects have been propelled by an irrational exuberance in the political markets. This week demonstrated how the conventional wisdom around Trump’s inevitability has solidified — and why those assumptions, much like the ones around rate cuts, are due for a correction. It has been close to an open secret in the diplomatic corps that America’s allies and adversaries are anticipating a Trump restoration. Discussing who will fill his second-term Cabinet and White House isn’t j ..read more

Norwegian Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol quit her job Friday morning after her master’s thesis was revoked for plagiarism Thursday. “To continue as health minister I have to be a trusted person. I will resign from this fantastic job,” Kjerkhol, from the Labor Party, told reporters at a press conference Friday. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said it would have been hard to continue in the job and that he had “decided that Kjerkol should resign from the position,” according to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. Accusations of plagiarism against Kjerkol first surfaced at the ..read more

Norway’s northernmost region has asked the European Commission to grant it permission to establish a time zone with 26-hour days. Excuse me? Say that again. Traditional (boring) 24-hour days: out. Modern (revolutionary) 26-hour days: in. The bizarre plan, promoted by a local town mayor in the Arctic Circle near the Russian border, aims to boost local values, increase family time and attract new residents to the region. All nice ideas, but in practice, the details remain at best fuzzy. In its letter to the European Commission — which confirmed that it has received the request — the region is as ..read more

Six countries bordering the North Sea signed an agreement on Tuesday to protect critical underwater infrastructure from foreign sabotage and attacks. The agreement — signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and Denmark — aims to “strengthen cooperation” to protect energy infrastructure and increase security in the region. “The North Sea is the powerhouse driving Europe’s renewable and net zero ambitions, helping to bolster energy security on the continent,” said Andrew Bowie, British minister for nuclear and renewables, Reuters reported. “So, it’s crucial we prot ..read more

LONDON — England’s abortion laws could be headed for an overhaul. Brits probably won’t be taking to the streets. As the United States with the divisive fallout of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade and so ended the federal right to abortion, British lawmakers are gearing up to have their own debate on the hot-button issue. Under ancient English law it is a crime for a woman to “procure a miscarriage,” although a 1967 act of parliament allows for abortion up to 24 weeks into a pregnancy — so long as a number of conditions are met and two doctors provide a sign off ..read more

The Ukraine war and Vladimir Putin’s aggression has transformed Western security policy in countless ways. In Norway, that transformation has a new price tag: $152 billion. Norway on Friday unveiled a 12-year, $56 billion defense boost that ranks as the country’s most ambitious long-term commitment to its security in its history. The news comes as the NATO alliance faces unprecedented tests from both Russia’s war in Ukraine and a U.S. election that could bring new strains to the 75-year-old group. “We need a defense that is fit for purpose in the emerging security environment,” Prime Minister ..read more

The Norwegian government on Friday unveiled a proposal to increase defense spending by 600 billion kroner (€51 billion) in the next 12 years —calling it  a “historic boost.” “We need major investments in our forces, and 12 years will allow for a longer planning cycle and more predictability,” Deputy Defense Minister Anne Marie Aanerud told POLITICO on Thursday on the sidelines of the Norwegian-American Defense Conference in Washington. The country aims to spend 1.6 trillion kroner overall by 2036 — doubling the current defense budget — to boost its industrial base and grow its armed force ..read more

On cloudy days, from his house John Beard can see the fireballs lighting up the dark sky, flares from the distant fossil fuel plants where he once made his living as a technician. The fiery discharge of excess gas is a constant reminder of the industry that dominates life for Beard and his neighbors in Port Arthur, Texas, where one in four people live in poverty and the rate of cancer, heart and lung disease is well above the state average. Many locals blame the situation on the dark chimneys dotting the horizon.  “Texas is known for two things: barbecue and gas,” Beard said. “There’s mon ..read more

Thawing ice in the Arctic may open up new routes for internet cables that lie at the bottom of the ocean and carry most international data traffic. And more routes matter when underwater infrastructure is at risk of attack. Baltic Sea gas and telecoms cables were damaged last year, with a Chinese vessel a potential suspect. Red Sea data cables were cut last month after a Yemeni government warning of attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Over 90 percent of all Europe-Asia traffic flows through the Red Sea route. The problem of critical data relying on only one path is clear. “It’s clearly a kin ..read more