Numerous avalanches, two killed (Aftenposten)

Two people were killed and five injured when a party of Finnish rock climbers was caught in an avalanche at Lyngen in Troms county. Several of the party were swept almost 500 metres down a precipice. Two avalanches occurred at the Hemsedal ski centre and one at Geilo. "The danger of an avalanche being triggered has been increased by heavy falls of new snow combined with strong winds. It can be particularly dangerous to be moving about on steep overhangs," wards avalanche expert Ulrik Domaas.

Do not appreciate the dangers (Dagsavisen)

The vast majority of small avalanches are caused by skiers. People who cause avalanches after having been warned of the danger should be forced to pay for the cost of any rescue operations themselves. "People simply don’t care about the risk of avalanches," says avalanche expert Frode Sandersen. He believes that many people do not realize the risks involved in traversing the mountainside, or how serious an avalanche can be.

Masonic judges to be flushed out (Klassekampen)

In the new Courts of Justice Act, Justice Minister Hanne Harlem has proposed that judges be obliged to register if they are members of or hold office in any secret brotherhoods such as the Freemasons. The objective is to make it possible, for example, to investigate if a judge is a member of the same lodge as the defence council.

No to election lottery (Verdens Gang)

Yesterday general election candidate Ragnar Bøe Elgsaas (Labour) proposed that a NOK 2 million jackpot be set up to tempt voters to the polling stations. Mr Elgsaas’ idea was to give a lottery ticket to everyone who cast a vote, with the jackpot going in its entirety to one lucky winner. The proposal caused uproar in political circles yesterday. The Liberals’ Odd Einar Dørum went furthest in his condemnation of the proposal. "This is the worst example of disrespect for the voters that I have seen. The fact that Marianne Aasen Agdestein of the Local Government Ministry has dubbed the idea ‘bold’, just makes matters worse," says Mr Dørum.

Salmon exports an environmental problem (Dagsavisen)

Every week Norway sends 155 tonnes of salmon to Japan in specially chartered jumbo jets. Each kilo of exported salmon generates between five and ten kilos of CO ₂ emissions. Norway’s largest growth industry is becoming an environmental headache for Environment Minister Siri Bjerke, because while the salmon exporters rake in billion kroner profits, consumers have to pay in the form of a worsening climate.

Broad front against Agriculture Minister (Nationen)

The centre alliance parties have fired a broadside against Agriculture Minister Bjarne Håkon Hanssen and have pledged to cause trouble in the Storting for the Labour government if the farmers do not get a rise in income this year. The Christian Democrats, Liberals and the Centre Party are not happy with the signals being given by the Agriculture Minister ahead of this spring’s agriculture negotiations. They are calling for a statement of intent from the Labour Party, claiming that Mr Hanssen is out of step with last year’s report to the Storting on agricultural issues. He cannot beforehand dictate the result of the negotiations, they say.

Highest inflation for 10 years (Aftenposten)

For the first time in 10 years Norway’s annual inflation rate has reached four per cent, according to forecasts by several major stockbrokers. Norwegian inflation has been rising since the start of the year. "By itself this figure is a shock, not least compared to the inflation rate in the rest of Europe. Luckily the situation is temporary, I think," says DnB Markets’ chief economist, Øystein Dørum. "It is scary to see Norwegian inflation at four per cent. Young people will be hit because Government policy is for Norway to have higher interest rates than other countries. This means we are in the process of completely squeezing out those Norwegian industries which operate in competitive markets," says the Conservative MP, Per-Kristian Foss.

Worth Noting

• The Liberals will follow the Centre Party’s example and vote in favour of homosexuals being allowed to adopt. The issue caused internal dissention in the Centre Party, but the Liberals have so far remained calm. Ahead of next month’s annual party conference the Liberals’ national committee has unanimously given its support to a resolution which puts the Liberals more or less in line with the Centre Party. (Aftenposten)
• During the first three months of the year Norwegian seafood exports amounted to NOK 8.4 billion. This is an increase of NOK 1.3 billion or 18 per cent over the same period last year. (NTB)
• "Further cuts in working hours must be tailored to suit individual needs," says Gerd-Liv Valla, the next president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). She believes the time has passed when workplace reforms had to be the same for everyone. (Dagsavisen)
• Statoil’s chief executive, Olav Fjell, does not need to worry about the liberalization of the European gas market because Statoil will have an extremely powerful position in the market. The company will be selling state-owned gas as well as its own. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The ten largest skiing resorts in Norway have plans to invest around NOK 10 billion. The resorts want to increase the amount of hotel and rental accommodation available by 40,000 beds or 70 per cent over the next decade. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The Orderud murder case looks set to take centre stage in a future novel by Minette Walters, one of the world’s most famous crime writers. For over a year she has arranged for every last detail of developments in the Orderud case to be translated and sent to her. (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today’s comment from Nationen

Einar Enger hardly had time to get his feet under the table as chief executive of Norway’s national railway company, NSB, when a train ran a red light and only sheer luck prevented a catastrophe at Nittedal station. It almost beggars belief – even though NSB’s reputation was already worn paper thin. Mr Enger’s only crumb of comfort lies in the fact that his administration starts at rock bottom when it begins to build public confidence in NSB. It simply cannot get any worse – so the only way is up. And anyway, Mr Enger is himself so new to the job that he does not have to accept responsibility yet, at least if we follow the reasoning of Mr Enger’s counterpart at the National Railway Administration, Steinar Killi. Mr Killi is still shuffling part of the blame onto his predecessors. And since Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen clearly accepts Mr Killi’s arguments, Einar Enger obviously has a lot of room for manoeuvre. But that will not help much in relation to the public. We hope Mr Enger does not sink so low as to do a ‘Killi’. By accepting responsibility, Mr Enger will demonstrate that NSB has some guts and a willingness to go to work on the problems facing it. That, at least, would be something.