News

Norway condemns the suicide attack in Sistan-Baluchistan province in southeastern Iran on Thursday 15 July. “Norway deeply deplores this act of terrorism,” said State Secretary Gry Larsen. Read more

Today, State Secretary Espen Barth Eide summoned the Iranian Ambassador, Seyed Hossein Rezvani, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with two death sentences in Iran: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has been sentenced to death by stoning for infidelity, and Mohammad Reza Haddadi has been sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committed when he was a minor. Read more

On Sunday, Iran executed five Kurdish activists in the Evin prison in Teheran. The executions were carried out at a critical point prior to the anniversary of the 2009 election. Read more

In the UN Human Rights Council today, Norway criticised the human rights situation in Iran on behalf of more than 50 countries. The joint statement was timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the controversial presidential election in Iran. Read more

Norway hosts a great variety of popular festivals during the summer months, extending across the entire music spectrum, from the more classically-based Bergen International Festival to the modern Øya Festival in Oslo. Read more

In a statement in the Human Rights Council March 15 the Norwegian Ambassador Bente Angell-Hansen said that Norway is deeply concerned about the ongoing, systematic and serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and association and freedom of opinion and expression in Iran. Read more

De siste dagene har en rekke opposisjonspolitikere og demonstranter blitt arrestert i Iran i forbindelse med markeringen av den sjiamuslimske høytiden Ashura. Brutal behandling av demonstrantene har medført tap av flere menneskeliv. - Norge er bekymret over situasjonen i Iran, sier utenriksminister Jonas Gahr Støre. Read more

Twenty years after the Samediggi (the Sámi parliament) was established, the number of individuals registered as part of the Sámi population has risen from 5 500 to almost 14 000. Read more

On the day of the Nobel Award Ceremony Norway and Sweden call attention to the treatment of Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Read more

Norway has reacted strongly to the news that the Iranian authorities have confiscated the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Shirin Ebadi in 2003. The Iranian Chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday November 25. Read more

The Norwegian director Jens Lien was awarded a special mention for his film "Every day is a fish day" ("Høydepunkter") at the Tehran International Short Film Festival. Read more

After nearly three decades together, Norway’s most renowned pop group is splitting up. Read more

The fjords of Norway have once again been crowned the world’s top travel destination in the annual survey of National Geographic Travelers panellists. Read more

Norway condemns terrorist attack in Iran Norway condemns the suicide attack in Sistan-Baluchistan province, in southeastern Iran, in which 57 people lost their lives. "This is a very tragic situation," said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Read more

Norway condemns the execution of 21-year-old Iranian Behnoud Shojaee, who was sentenced to death for a crime committed when he was a minor. Read more

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Read more

During a ceremony in Oslo on 10 December, President Barack Obama received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Read more

On 29 September, President of the Norwegian parliament Thorbjørn Jagland was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Now he intends to modernise what he describes as the world’s most important human rights organisation, and make it more effective. Read more

On 14 September, the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party and Centre Party received the majority of votes in the national election, giving them a mandate to govern for another four-year period. “We will focus on securing jobs, renewing and improving the welfare society, and playing an active role in climate issues,” says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Read more

The world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine – known as Hywind – was officially opened on 8 September off the southwest coast of Norway. “This is an important step towards creating a new Norwegian energy industry at sea,” declared Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen. Read more