🇳🇴Week of November 2

An expert committee led by Bent Høie has proposed a new sugar tax and measures to make healthy food cheaper, arguing that too few people follow official dietary advice. The committee's report was submitted to the government as the Matsystemutvalget (Food System Committee) investigation.123

The committee also warns about Norway's food preparedness and proposes that farmers maintain emergency stockpiles. Nationen reports the panel wants both cheaper healthy eating and a preparedness store for farmers.45

Aftenposten reports the proposal includes a chocolate tax, quoting the committee's message that "we eat far too much sugar." As health minister, Høie had taken part in removing the tax on chocolate and soft drinks.6

The government received the Matsystemutvalget report, which sets out the case for changing how food is priced and stocked in Norway.3

Attributed claim: A new round of bomb threats against flights in Europe forced a series of aircraft to divert on Thursday. Aftenposten put the number of European flights forced to land at no fewer than 12, while its earlier report and other Norwegian outlets said at least five.123

Dagens.no reported that at least seven new flights were hit during the day, describing flight chaos across Europe. Finansavisen and fvn.no also reported that a number of flights were diverted after the new threats.456

fvn.no quoted a warning that a malicious actor could be behind the threats, without naming a suspect or a country. No cited outlet reported injuries, arrests or a confirmed device.6

Attributed claim: The accounts differ on scale rather than on the core event: Aftenposten's later figure of at least 12 flights forced to land is more than double the at least five it reported earlier the same day, and Dagens.no counted at least seven new flights affected on Thursday. All the cited outlets agree that bomb threats prompted diversions of European flights.214

Israel's election authorities have rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allegations of fraud in the vote, according to Aftenposten. The commission's dismissal follows Netanyahu's claim that the election was rigged, a charge ABC Nyheter reported he would now have to answer for. No bloc won a majority in the election, and Netanyahu's bloc is the largest but remains far from a majority.12

Netanyahu has proposed a broad government with himself as leader, folkebladet.no reported. The proposal comes as the opposition promises to remove him quickly, though adressa.no reports it is unclear how that would be done. fvn.no asks whether Israel is heading toward political paralysis.345

Arab parties are described as decisive in the election result, and they have been accused of foreign interference, an allegation reported alongside the outcome. The same coverage states that their voters refuse military service and do not study mathematics.1

The Kremlin has confirmed that Ukraine talks will be held in Abu Dhabi next week, with the United States mediating between Russia and Ukraine. The White House said Melania Trump is bringing together Russian and Ukrainian representatives for the meetings.1234

Norwegian outlets reported the confirmation on Tuesday, with the Kremlin's acknowledgement and the White House's account of Melania Trump's role carried side by side. The talks are framed as US-brokered contact between the two delegations in the Emirati capital.452

The reports name Abu Dhabi as the venue and place the sessions in the coming week, without stating a precise date or the level of the representatives involved.126

The Socialist Left Party (SV) has called Norway's defence minister in for questioning at the Storting over a new satellite agreement with Starlink covering the armed forces, police and security services. The deal is valued at 450 million kroner.1234

SV is demanding answers about the defence sector's new satellite agreement, and the party's move was reported across Norwegian outlets on the same day.234

E24 raised the dependency question directly, writing that once you become dependent on Starlink, you cannot get out.5

A Norwegian company has received approval to build a pilot plant at Fensfeltet in Telemark, moving the rare-earth project from laboratory test tubes to real testing at industrial scale. The investment totals 250 million kroner. Industry minister Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) called the development "very good."12

The investment is framed against China's tightening hold on critical minerals. Aftenposten reports that China uses rare earths as a global instrument of power, while a Norwegian company puts 250 million kroner into the Telemark site. Børsen.no describes the 250 million kroner going to Telemark as intended to weaken China.34

Dagens Næringsliv reports the company is hunting rare earths with the 250 million kroner investment, and Finansavisen says the money is meant to bring Fensfeltet into production. Anlegg.no reports the same 250 million kroner going to a pilot plant at the site.567

Kanalen reports the milestone was celebrated with cake and big words.2

Norway's NVE (Norwegian Water and Energy Directorate) has warned that data centres will push electricity prices significantly higher. Aftenposten reported the warning under the assessment that the situation is "unacceptable".12

Tekna wants the allocation of power to new data centres halted, Aftenposten reported. The demand follows NVE's warning about the price effect of data-centre demand.32

Data centres could raise the power price by 55 percent, Investornytt reported. Experts gave the government a clear message that data centres will increase people's electricity bills, Bergens Tidende reported.45

Nearly all data-centre value creation in Norway is foreign-owned, Head Topics reported, at the same time as NVE warns of significantly higher power prices. Dagens Næringsliv reported calls for the authorities to examine a data-centre tax, with the argument that the sector "must give more back to society".67

Politicians were urged to think carefully, with the warning that "panic is no strategy", fjt.no reported. The appeal came as the power-price warning and the push to stop new data-centre allocations moved onto the political agenda.82

Refrigeration and freezer systems at Swedish grocery stores malfunctioned, with cooling units reported to have been set to 50 degrees. Store managers described spoiled frozen goods worth several hundred thousand kroner, according to E24.12

Outlets in Norway reported the disruptions at Swedish food stores and said a data attack is suspected as the cause. The problems were described as affecting grocery stores in several countries.345

On Thursday, TV 2 reported that several countries had been hit by data attacks, extending the story beyond the Swedish stores.6

Bulgaria's presidential election has produced a new head of state: Iljana Jotova, whom Norwegian outlets describe as friendly toward Russia. She will not support aid to Ukraine, a position that defined the race.123

The vote went to a second round, held while disagreement over the Ukraine question divided the country. Jotova emerged as the winner of that runoff.45

Nettavisen framed the result around her refusal to back Ukraine, while Aftenposten and NRK reported her victory and described her as Russia-friendly. ABC Nyheter cast the outcome as a win for a candidate aligned with Russia.1423

Separately, Russia resumed attacks on Kherson after a ceasefire, according to Nettavisen.6

Russia resumed attacks on Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Monday after a ceasefire in Oleshky ended, the longest truce of the Ukraine war. The truce collapsed in the Russian-occupied town, and fighting restarted there.12

More than 200 people got out of the Russian-occupied town, and evacuees have left the city. A flight carrying evacuees has arrived in Belarus.345

One evacuee reunited with family described the experience: "We have come back from hell." Others said they had to boil weeds to survive.65

People in the area fear worse fighting than before the truce. Ukrainian forces are also reported to be pushing Russia back and inflicting record troop losses.78