President Petersen (Dagbladet)

"I would like to moderate the considerable expectations which we have seen signs of at home," said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen before he took his place in Norway’s chair on the UN Security Council – behind the sign ‘President’. The sign will stay there for the whole of March.

Call for Labour to move to the left (Aftenposten)

Two out of three Labour politicians at local and county government level believe the party should take a step to the left. Four out of five consider the Socialist Left Party as a natural partner for Labour to work with. A poll carried out by Opinion among 400 local and county politicians from around the country shows that 60 per cent feel Labour should move to the left politically.

Minister to end nurses’ strike (Dagbladet)

Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg signalled on Tuesday evening that she would put an end to the nurses’ strike by imposing compulsory arbitration. Health authorities could no longer rule out that continued strike action might pose a danger to the public. The majority of nurses will therefore be back at work during the day.

Female executives don’t care about family (Dagsavisen)
Women bosses more effective (Verdens Gang)

Dagsavisen: Female executives are much less considerate of their partners and husbands than their male counterparts, according to the most comprehensive survey of female executives so far carried out.

Verdens Gang: Senior female executives work less than their male counterparts, but are more effective and more satisfied with their own performance.

Per Orderud denied new counsel – will get a better defence (Aftenposten)

Per Orderud has been refused permission to replace his defence lawyers, as he had requested. Those same defence lawyers have now been given such a free hand that they can follow their own defence strategy. At the same time the Norwegian Bar Association is unhappy with the way Veronica Orderud’s defence counsel, Frode Sulland, has handled the Orderud case, and has said it will take action. "Mr Sulland is meddling in the other defence counsels’ choices and strategies, which he has no business doing," said Helge Aaarseth, chairman of the Bar Association. Per Orderud and his wife Veronica are among four defendants currently appealing their conviction on charges of conspiracy to murder Mr Orderud’s mother, father and sister at their family farm two years ago.

Labour admits its failings (Dagbladet)

The Labour Party has now admitted that it is not good enough at developing political solutions together with other parties. On a number of occasions Labour has refused to join the Socialist Left Party’s proposal for a NOK 1,500 cap on nursery fees. A number of Labour MPs feel they were caught napping when the Socialist Left Party and the Progress Party presented their joint commitment on this issue.

Storebrand cupboard is bare (Dagens Næringsliv)

After two years of falling share prices and catastrophic results Storebrand cannot service its debts without borrowing more billions. The Banking, Insurance and Securities Commission has refused Storebrand permission to pay a dividend to its shareholders. Two years of poor results have forced Storebrand to apply to the Banking, Insurance and Securities Commission for dispensation from the Financial Institutions Act in order to pay off a NOK 1.8 billion loan.

Uproar over Bondevik’s ‘arrogance’

‘Angst-ridden’, ‘cantankerous’, and ‘frantic’ were among the words used by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik to describe his opponents in TV2’s debate on the country’s moral values on Monday. A number of women have now reacted to Mr Bondevik’s choice of epithet. "I reacted to his accusation that the others were suffering from angst. Primarily because it should be beneath a prime minister’s dignity to stoop to such a level in a public debate," said Kristin Halvorsen, chairman of the Socialist Left Party.

Worth Noting

• Trond Giske has a clear lead over his fiercest rival, Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, in the battle to become Labour’s new deputy leader. 46.5 per cent prefer Mr Giske, while 33 per cent prefer Mr Hanssen. (Verdens Gang)
• Norwegians spent NOK 12.7 billion on pharmaceuticals last year. This is NOK 1 billion more than the year before. The elderly spend most on medicines. (Nationen)
• Amnesty International has warned against handing over al-Quaeda soldiers to the USA. "Norway and the other countries who are participating in the offensive in Afghanistan have an individual responsibility for the prisoners of war they capture, says Amnesty’s Norwegian branch. (Vårt Land)
• Advertising guru Ingebrigt Steen Jensen believes this is the perfect opportunity for the Crown Prince and his wife to take a year’s break from Norway. The Palace announced on Monday that the Crown Prince will be taking his young family to London for a year in order to study for a Master’s degree. (Verdens Gang)
• The majority of Penal Code Commissioners believe the time is right to ban the arrest and remand of suspected criminals under the age of 16, because they strongly object to putting young people in prison. "Meaningless," says Oslo’s Chief Constable, Anstein Gjengedal. (Aftenposten)
• A support group for homosexual and lesbian members of the Church of Norway says it is afraid of the consequences if the Church is disestablished. Erlend Torjussen, who leads the group, believes it will lead to a severe setback for gay rights within the Church. (Klassekampen)
• A much higher proportion of doctors who are found out to be substance abusers keep their jobs compared with nurses and nursing auxiliaries in the same situation. Recent figures from the Norwegian Board of Health show that barely one in ten doctors loses their job, while as many as one in four nurses and nursing auxiliaries are dismissed from their posts. (Verdens Gang)
• The film, ‘I am Dina’ is an exceptionally upbeat melodrama which gradually becomes a bigger and bigger embarrassment – despite Marie Bonnevie’s rock solid performance, according to Aftenposten’s film critic. The film is the most expensive Nordic co-production to date. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagbladet

Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said in this newspaper yesterday that he was prepared for the fact that Norwegian soldiers could be killed in Afghanistan. He reminded us that Norway is in fact at war and is taking part in a global military and political battle against terrorism. Norwegian losses would be a consequence of the commitments we have made in this connection, he added. The Prime Minister’s words were certainly a wake-up call, but what was perhaps more unexpected is the reality which has suddenly become a genuine possibility – that Norwegian soldiers could be brought home in body bags. It is a very long time since Norwegian mothers and fathers have had to worry about their sons away at the front. It is a very long time since young Norwegians have taken part in that kind of action. The Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan belong to special forces units. They are volunteers. Norwegian conscripts would never be sent on such a mission. Those same forces have previously been under fire – for example in Kosovo. Nevertheless the ground operations underway in Afghanistan represent something new – both for them and for us. Emergency anti-terrorist measures here at home have so far had little impact on our daily lives. But young men risking their lives under foreign skies are a highly visible reminder that the war against terrorism is a life and death struggle.