#a district in Oslo

[dlyarchitecture]

[mordrer]

VARG VIKERNES

And his attributes (PART 2)

The crosses were probably stolen from graves

All these items together(sorry for bad quality)

In November 2000, the Oslo Police District, headed by Chief of Police Anstein Gjengedal, deposited the Oslo Police Museum's collection to the Norwegian Museum of Law, now the Museum of Justice.

[mariacallous]

A California court has advanced a civil fraud case against a Norwegian company at the center of the state’s failure to build workable hydrogen fueling infrastructure, which has already left thousands of car owners in the lurch.

A case involving allegations of fraud against Oslo-based Nel ASA is moving toward a trial in October 2026, after a California judge left intact the core claims brought by a major player in the rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in the state, Iwatani Corporation of America, a subsidiary of one of Japan’s largest industrial gas companies.

The allegations center on a lesser-known aspect of the blundered roll-out: Iwatani is claiming that Nel duped it into buying faulty hydrogen fueling stations. And the case has provided a window into the extent to which these same stations were provided to and promoted by major players including Toyota and Shell—stations that have since been abandoned or shut down.

The judge’s ruling last month leaves Nel and its top executives—including current and former CEOs Robert Borin and Håkon Volldal—in the crosshairs. Iwatani’s central claim is that Nel, under pressure to sell a money-losing product, knowingly induced Iwatani into purchasing untested hydrogen fueling stations with false assurances of the technology’s real-world readiness.

Nel denies the allegations, and has put forward procedural arguments to get the case thrown out, saying that California does not have jurisdiction over the company or its executives.

In separate rulings, Judge James Selna of the Central District of California sided with Iwatani on the core claims while dismissing several others, finding that California does in fact have jurisdiction and that the allegations go beyond a simple breach of contract and into the realm of fraud in selling the equipment, known as H2Stations.

The judge ruled that there was “active concealment,” citing examples, including that Nel did not disclose the fact it had never built a working model of the H2Station nor sufficiently tested it in real-world conditions, and had no actual data to support their H2Stations’ performance claims.

After the lawsuit was filed in January, Nel abandoned the seven Iwatani hydrogen fueling stations and executed a corporate spinout of its fueling division—which Iwatani claims is a means of shielding those assets from a potential court judgment.

“The deliveries you are referring to were from a company now called Cavendish Hydrogen,” says Lars Nermoen, Nel’s spokesperson, in response to an email seeking comment, referring to the spun-off entity. “Nel no longer has any business in hydrogen fueling.”

The failure of novel technology in real-world settings is not unheard of. But for the hydrogen car industry, it came at one of the worst times: In 2019, California was investing heavily in hydrogen refueling infrastructure, attracting global automakers and oil and gas majors to the state.

At the time, Toyota was pushing for more fueling infrastructure to support the uptake of the Toyota Mirai, one of the earliest light-duty consumer hydrogen fuel-cell cars to hit the market.

So Toyota partnered with both Iwatani and oil major Shell to build more fueling stations. Shell brought on Nel as the station provider, and both Iwatani and Chevron partnered with Nel soon after. Representatives from Shell and Iwatani did not respond to requests for comment.

Lewis Fulton, director of the Energy Futures Program at the University of California, Davis, says the equipment failures in the passenger segment have led to a “near collapse of the system” in California. In addition to the abandoned Iwatani stations, Shell in February completely shut down its seven California hydrogen refueling stations and canceled plans to build 48 stations in the state.

Chevron had contracted Nel to create 16 stations, but did not provide a response on the status of those stations. The extent to which Nel provided the technology for these major players has not been previously reported on.

Meanwhile, Toyota, which has since deprioritized the California market for the Mirai, is facing a class action lawsuit from many drivers who already bought the hydrogen-powered vehicle. The lawsuit claims that, contrary to Toyota’s promises, hydrogen fuel for their cars is becoming more difficult to obtain, making the Mirai “unsafe, unreliable, and inoperable.” Toyota did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, there are 55 hydrogen fueling stations in California, but many of them experience frequent downtime. None of the hydrogen fueling stations provided by Nel are currently operating. Iwatani’s only functioning refueling stations were built by Linde, a large industrial gas company.

In the meantime, Fulton says California has pivoted to building infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses, with the hope that the passenger market can reboot with the help of a growing freight market.

By focusing on the heavy-duty market, California can, in theory, create a stronger supply of clean hydrogen that brings costs down and increases availability, says Fulton, who is also an adviser to Arches, the California hydrogen hub that has won $1.2 billion of conditional funding from the US Department of Energy.

“Arches is targeting 50 to 60 truck-oriented stations around the state by 2030, and with different fueling islands and pressure systems, those could also service light-duty vehicles,” he says.

California’s difficulties with hydrogen vehicle infrastructure have driven home some stark lessons about the wider use of the technology.

“The problem is, they’re expensive, and they require enormous amounts of maintenance,” says Jim Bowe, a Washington, DC–based partner at King & Spalding, an international law firm. “Fleets that have been looking at the possibility of hydrogen buses often balk when they realize how much more maintenance—not only for the refueling facilities, but also for the vehicles themselves—is required relative to internal combustion engines or batteries.”

California-based FirstElement Fuel, another hydrogen fueling station provider, is positioned as a potential winner amid the crisis for the sector. Operating under the name True Zero, it currently has the most operating hydrogen fueling stations in California, but is still working to become profitable, according to sources familiar with the company. (FirstElement executives did not respond to requests for an interview.)

According to Iwatani’s lawsuit, Nel was able to hide the fact that the stations it installed were not operational until early 2023, when continual failures led Iwatani to launch its own investigation.

Nel achieved this subterfuge by requiring Iwatani to enter into an exclusive maintenance contract with Nel, essentially shifting the cost of testing the stations to Iwatani, the lawsuit claims.

Nel’s current CEO, Håkon Volldal, an individual defendant in the case, acknowledged the failings around the same time. In an earnings call last year, he said of the hydrogen fueling stations: “I think it’s fair to say that the technology that was installed was immature, and that the quality was not good enough, and we struggle with all the work we have to do in order to keep these stations running, to fix issues, to send personnel out on site.”

In its investigation, Iwatani workers claimed they found shrapnel inside the fueling stations, and concluded that parts of the fueling apparatus were routinely exploding, spraying debris inside the station box. (Nel blames outside companies for installation failures.) Iwatani also claimed it found valves from third-party manufacturers that were never intended for use in a hydrogen fueling station.

The lawsuit details a months-long back and forth between Iwatani and Nel, in which Iwatani attempts to get Nel to fix the broken stations. Nel won’t—or can’t—fix the stations, triggering the lawsuit.

These Iwatani allegations were echoed by Kasey Hawk, who worked as a technician for Nel in California starting in 2021. An Army veteran who drove an Abrams tank in combat, Hawk was one of several veterans hired by Nel to service the California fueling stations. Though he alleges he had a strong mechanical background stemming from his military experience, Hawk claims he received only minimal training on the particularities of hydrogen fueling stations. (Hawk is not involved in the ongoing lawsuit and Nel has not commented on his allegations.)

“It was a little strange because it’s actually dangerous work—working with high-pressure gases and the potential for explosions,” he says in an interview with WIRED.

Hawk claims when he showed up to conduct the first repairs at Shell-owned stations in the Sacramento area, it appeared they hadn’t been maintained since commissioning, and there was already a backlog of work to be done. “I saw that the stations weren’t set up right from the beginning,” he says. He noticed, for example, that the pipes weren’t properly insulated, which would cause ice buildup within the fueling nozzle, since liquid hydrogen is stored and pumped at cryogenic temperatures.

A team of Nel technicians arrived from South Korea to help. But those technicians didn’t speak English, limiting what Hawk could learn from them, he says. And since Nel’s hydrogen fueling subsidiary was based in Denmark, the schematics for the stations were available only in Danish. In addition, ordering new parts often took weeks, meaning similar amounts of station downtime, he explains. “We were in situations every day where we did not know what to do next.”

[andiatas]

VG: Royal duty to testify investigated in 1994 – this was the conclusion

The police will now decide whether Crown Princess Mette-Marit can be summoned for questioning or not. A similar issue was thoroughly considered 30 years ago.

Just over a week ago, the attorney for Juliane Snekkestad – one of the women in the Høiby case – submitted a request to the Oslo Police District to summon the Crown Princess for questioning.

The attorney, Petter J. Grødem, informs VG that he has not yet received a response to the request from the police.

Ever since Marius Borg Høiby (27) was arrested in August, questions have been raised about whether members of the Royal House can be, for example, questioned.

The constitution grants certain special rights to royalty, and opinions have been divided on whether [members who married into the family] also have immunity.

Two experts VG spoke to believe that the police can summon everyone in the Royal House – besides the King – for questioning like all other citizens. However, as a mother, Mette-Marit does not have the duty to testify.

She can therefore refuse because she is close family to the accused.

It is section 37 of the Constitution that is relevant here: "The Royal Princes and Princesses shall not be responsible for their persons to anyone other than the King or whomever he appoints as judge over them."

In 1994, Princess Märtha Louise was summoned as a witness in a divorce case in England and was listed as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.

The case was widely reported in the media, and the legal department of the Norwegian Ministry of Justice prepared a study of the issue.

Their conclusion was that Princess Märtha Louise did not have an obligation to [testify].

[...]

A key point for this conclusion was that the Princess had been made a party to the case:

"Section 37 of the Constitution prevents a Prince or Princess from being made a general party in a divorce case without the King's consent."

The following section of the study may be relevant to the current issue:

"On the other hand, the provision can hardly be interpreted in principle as exempting the Princes and Princesses from giving ordinary witness statements in a civil or criminal case."

Excerpts from an article by Marianne Vikås, Nora Viskjer, Morten S. Hopperstad, Bjørnar Tommelstad, Hilde Kristine Misje, Siri B. Christensen and Gordon Andersen for Verdens Gang (VG), published Nov. 4, 2024, at 18:28 and updated the same day at 18:38. The excerpt has been translated and edited for clarity by me.

[beardedmrbean]

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — In 1965, a Norwegian woman gave birth to a baby girl in a private hospital. Seven days later she returned home with a baby.

When the baby developed dark curls that made her look different from herself, Karen Rafteseth Dokken assumed she just took after her husband's mother.

It took nearly six decades to discover the true reason: Rafteseth Dokken's biological daughter had been mistakenly switched at birth in the maternity ward of the hospital in central Norway.

The girl she ended up raising, Mona, was not the baby she gave birth to.

The babies — one born on Feb. 14 and the other on Feb. 15, 1965 — are now 59-year-old women who together with Rafteseth Dokken are suing the state and the municipality.

In their case, which opened in the Oslo District Court on Monday, they argue that their human rights were violated when authorities discovered the error when the girls were teenagers and covered it up. They claim Norwegian authorities had undermined their right to a family life, a principle enshrined in the European human rights convention, and demand an apology and compensation.

Rafteseth Dokken, now 78, was in tears as she described learning so many years later that she got the wrong baby, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

“It was never my thought that Mona was not my daughter," she said in court on Tuesday. “She was named Mona after my mother.”

Mona described a sense of never belonging as she grew up. That sense of uncertainty pushed her in 2021 to do a DNA test, which showed that she was not the biological daughter of those who raised her.

But the woman who raised the other baby knew long before.

A routine blood test in 1981 revealed that the girl she was raising, Linda Karin Risvik Gotaas, was not biologically related. The woman raising her, however, did not pursue a maternity case. Norwegian health authorities were informed of the mix-up in 1985, but refrained from telling the others involved.

Both women who were swapped at birth have said in interviews that it was a shock to learn about the mix-up, but the knowledge made pieces of their lives fall into place, explaining differences both in terms of appearance and demeanor.

Kristine Aarre Haanes, representing Mona, said the state “violated her right to her own identity for all these years. They kept it secret.”

Mona could have learned the truth when she was a young adult, but instead "she did not find out the truth until she was 57.”

“Her biological father has died. She has no contact with her biological mother,” added Aarre Haanes.

Circumstances surrounding the 1965 swap at Eggesboenes hospital are unclear, but media reports by NRK suggest there were several cases during the 1950s and 1960s where children were accidentally swapped at the same institution. At the time babies were kept together while their mothers rested in separate rooms.

In other cases the errors were spotted before the children were permanently placed with the wrong families, according to the reports.

An official from the Norwegian Ministry of Heath and Care Services said the state was unaware of similar cases and that there were no plans for a public inquiry.

Asgeir Nygaard, representing the Norwegian state, is fighting the case on the grounds that the 1965 switch took place in a private institution and that the health directorate in the 1980s did not have the legal authority to inform the other families when they discovered the error.

“Documentation from that time indicates that government officials found the assessments difficult, inter alia because it was legally unclear what they could do,” he wrote in a statement to The Associated Press ahead of the trial's opening. “Therefore, in court, we will argue that there is no basis for compensation and that the claims being made are in any case statute-barred.”

The trial is scheduled to run through Thursday, but it was not clear when a ruling is expected.

[wonder-worker]

"[Blanche of Namur] would seem to mark a turning point [in Swedish queenship]. The institution of the morning-gift had until then functioned as a personal insurance for the queen. It now became much more; to some degree it became an active share in the powers and prerogatives of the Crown: it became separate property, separately administered by the queen.

Originally Blanche was enfeoffed with the castle of Tønsberghus, the town of Tønsberg and the districts belonging to the jurisdiction of Tønsberghus, i.e. Vestfold and Skiensysla at the western side of Oslofjord. In Sweden she was enfeoffed with the bailiwick of Lödöse and the castle of Linholm at Hisingen, near the mouth of the border-river Götaelv. In 1353 her Norwegian fiefs and benefices were exchanged from the western part of Oslofjord to the eastern, i.e. she surrendered the castle of Tønsberghus to her husband acquiring instead the very important border-castle of Båhus, including the jurisdiction of the town Marstrand and the counties of Båhus len (Elvesysla, Ranrike, Vetteherred) and Borgarsysla, in other words the region between Oslo and present day Gothenburg. It is possible that she also acquired the Swedish territories of Dalsland and Värmland on this occasion, and which she certainly possessed in 1358.

From now on Blanche in fact was ruler of a Norwegian-Swedish domain - we could call it a 'queendom' of her own. In addition to this her husband had granted her in 1341 an annual rent of 2 marks of gold, and in 1346 he added an annual sum from the royal revenues of the Scania fair At the very latest Blanche took charge of her 'queendom' from 1353. As we see, the queen's morning-gifts changed radically from being a life insurance to becoming a political guarantee for the royal house, a sort of dynastic demesne under queenly rule, so to say. [...] She also took over the administration of the castle and bailiwick of Tønsberghus on behalf of her husband. In fact Blanche and Magnus controlled all Eastern Norway south of Oslo, including the adjacent Swedish regions."

-Steinar Imsen, "Late Medieval Scandinavian Queenship," Queens and Queenship in Medieval Europe : Proceedings of a Conference Held At King's College London, April 1995 (Edited by Anne Duggan)

[blueiscoool]

Viking Sword from Warrior's Grave Unearthed in Norway

The Viking Age weapon was discovered by a homeowner clearing land for an extension.

A man digging in his yard to build an extension of his house in southern Norway has unearthed the 1,100-year-old grave of a Viking warrior who was buried with weapons.

The finds include a rusty iron sword in two pieces; its hilt style enabled archaeologists to date the burial to the late 800s or early 900s, during the Viking Age, Joakim Wintervoll — an archaeologist who works for the local government of Agder County, where the relics were found — told Live Science.

"We have a good record of how the 'fashion' in the shapes of sword handles developed in Norway, from early ages up to more modern eras," he said. "Comparing it to other known sword handles, we believe this sword is from the late ninth century to the 10th century."

Other artifacts found in the grave included a long spear designed to be used on horseback, called a lance; glass beads and a belt buckle gilded with gold; and a bronze brooch. Neither human nor animal remains have yet been discovered there.

The artifacts seem to have belonged to a Viking warrior. "The lance suggests that this was someone that was proficient in combat from horseback," Wintervoll said. And the warrior was "definitely someone of means, based on the gold-gilded jewelry."

Viking burial

The grave and its artifacts were discovered in late June in the yard of a house in the mainly rural district of Setesdal, beside a lake about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Oslo. Homeowner Oddbjørn Holum Heiland had started using a mechanical digger to clear the spot in his yard where he and his wife Anne planned to extend their house, according to Science Norway.

"I wasn't going to dig a lot, just a little bit in the slope behind the house, to get some more space between the house and the land," he told the news outlet.

He first found an oblong slab just below the surface; it's now been recognized as a gravestone. Further digging revealed the hilt of the sword; Holum Heiland then realized his yard must hold other Viking artifacts, so he stopped digging and called the county archaeologists.

Wintervoll and Jo-Simon Frøshaug Stokke, an archaeologist from Oslo's Museum of Cultural History, visited the site a few days later. No Viking artifacts had been found before at the property, Wintervoll said, but a Viking grave containing a sword, spear, glass beads and a horse bridle were discovered on a nearby farm in the 1930s.

Although it's "a bit too early to say" whether these two graves have a connection, "it is interesting that they are relatively close and have almost identical finds in them," he said.

Ancient claim

It is possible that a Viking warrior was buried at the site as a way for their descendants to claim ownership of the land around it, Wintervoll said. Or, perhaps it had only family significance.

"No grave mound was known to have been on this homestead," Wintervoll said. In Norway, this type of grave is known as a "flatmarksgrav," which translates to "flat field grave," he added.

The person interred there might have been buried whole, or cremated ashes may have been laid down in the grave. "At this point in time, the practice varied a bit from place to place, but we have yet to find any burnt bones," he said.

The grave seems to have been dug on an almost east-west axis, which would align with sunrise and sunset, and the only grave marker seems to have been the oblong stone above it.

"Right now, we don't think this is a grave that was meant to be visible at a great distance," Wintervoll said. "These types of graves might have a more family or private function."

By Tom Metcalfe.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.16 (before 1910)

632 – Yazdegerd III ascends the throne as king (shah) of the Persian Empire. He becomes the last ruler of the Sasanian dynasty (modern Iran). 1407 – Ming–Hồ War: Retired King Hồ Quý Ly and his son King Hồ Hán Thương of Hồ dynasty are captured by the Ming armies. 1487 – Battle of Stoke Field: King Henry VII of England defeats the leaders of a Yorkist rebellion in the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses. 1632 – The Plymouth Company granted a land patent to Thomas Purchase, the first settler of Pejepscot, Maine, settling at the site of Fort Andross. 1745 – War of the Austrian Succession: New England colonial troops under the command of William Pepperrell capture the Fortress of Louisbourg in Louisbourg, New France (Old Style date). 1746 – War of the Austrian Succession: Austria and Sardinia defeat a Franco-Spanish army at the Battle of Piacenza. 1755 – French and Indian War: The French surrender Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians. 1760 – French and Indian War: Robert Rogers and his Rangers surprise French held Fort Sainte Thérèse on the Richelieu River near Lake Champlain. The fort is raided and burned. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: Spain declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. 1795 – French Revolutionary Wars: In what became known as Cornwallis's Retreat, a British Royal Navy squadron led by Vice Admiral William Cornwallis strongly resists a much larger French Navy force and withdraws largely intact, setting up the French Navy defeat at the Battle of Groix six days later. 1811 – Survivors of an attack the previous day by Tla-o-qui-aht on board the Pacific Fur Company's ship Tonquin, intentionally detonate a powder magazine on the ship, destroying it and killing about 100 attackers. 1815 – Battle of Ligny and Battle of Quatre Bras, two days before the Battle of Waterloo. 1819 – A major earthquake strikes the Kutch district of western India, killing over 1,543 people and raising a 6-metre-high (20 ft), 6-kilometre-wide (3.7 mi), ridge, extending for at least 80 kilometres (50 mi), that was known as the Allah Bund ("Dam of God"). 1824 – A meeting at Old Slaughter's coffee house in London leads to the formation of what is now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). 1836 – The formation of the London Working Men's Association gives rise to the Chartist Movement. 1846 – The Papal conclave of 1846 elects Pope Pius IX, beginning the longest reign in the history of the papacy. 1858 – Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois. 1871 – The Universities Tests Act 1871 allows students to enter the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham without religious tests (except for those intending to study theology). 1883 – The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England, kills 183 children. 1884 – The first purpose-built roller coaster, LaMarcus Adna Thompson's "Switchback Railway", opens in New York's Coney Island amusement park. 1897 – A treaty annexing the Republic of Hawaii to the United States is signed; the Republic would not be dissolved until a year later. 1903 – The Ford Motor Company is incorporated. 1903 – Roald Amundsen leaves Oslo, Norway, to commence the first east–west navigation of the Northwest Passage. 1904 – Eugen Schauman assassinates Nikolay Bobrikov, Governor-General of Finland. 1904 – Irish author James Joyce begins a relationship with Nora Barnacle and subsequently uses the date to set the actions for his novel Ulysses; this date is now traditionally called "Bloomsday".

[nep0b4by]

𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐄. 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐃. 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒.

when oslo was young, the games were much more...magical. the reapings were akin to a holiday. oslo, orion, and their parents would file into the presidential mansion and watch the reapings one by one. uncle cal would remind them of the importance of the games, they'd pick favorite tributes, and the adults would talk about the actual odds of them winning. but as he grew, like with all things, the magic dissipated. it changed when he became an escort. the first year it took him three weeks to find a reaping outfit, planning his introductory speeches, and all of the experiences he might give the tributes once they reached the capitol. district one produced good competitors, he knew that, and in fact, the lead up to the games was quite fun, like he was a kid again. oslo took pleasure in fawning over their gaudy parade outfits and cheering when the boy and girl both scored well. they performed like seasoned professionals through their interviews and he felt good that he might see one of them again at the end of all this. when the games had other plans though, oslo was wrecked. he tried a new formula each year, bracing for the impact of their deaths. and this year, he had concocted a new one. no more frills and cheering and excitement. maybe if he could communicate the lack of levity in the situation, they'd make it through. sure, he'd still insure his tributes had every meal, outfit, and desire they requested, but he'd do it privately. "this year i'll be different." oslo murmured to himself beneath his breath before climbing the steps to the stage. "good morning." his bright smile matched that of the hopeful tributes before him. "and happy hunger games! two of you are on the precipice of having your name scrawled in panem's history books. may the odds be in your favor on this fine morning. the smile fell the moment the reel about the rebellion began playing, and he turned his back so nobody could see the conflict, the anguish. as their history finished playing on the big screen, oslo turned without missing a beat. he was a proud citizen of the capitol ready to reap the tributes of what they once sowed, "shall we begin?" oslo's hand took up a majority of the bowl as he read out the first name-- only to be immediately cut off by a girl volunteering. this happened often on his visits. "how brave, truly inspiring." oslo complimented her before the crowd, though he truly felt like gritting his teeth, "now for the next." his hand plunged into another bowl before calling out, "satin bliss! satin, where are you? join us up here dear." he zoned out as a rather self important, dark-haired man joined them upon the stage. he seemed unphased by all of this while oslo thought about his uncle watching and wondering if cal thought he was doing a good job. "may both of you bring great pride to your district!" oslo announced as the other residents of district one began to cheer. he cared not that he had the pick of the litter, he didn't like their odds regardless. the games, after all, were designed to kill.

[theoddshq]

OSLO COPPERHEAD (jacob elordi fc) the odds are in your favor! Please report to your nearest Capitol Agent to be prepped for the 74th Annual Hunger Games!

ooc

Alias/Age/Pronouns/Timezone: Mikey, 22, They/Them, MST

Triggers: [REDACTED]

If you had to describe your muse as a canon Hunger Games character, or mix, who would you compare them to and why? Oslo has a lot of influences! The main three would be Haymitch, Effie, and Tigris. These are wildly different characters, you say– I know!! I find Oslo similar to Haymitch in the sense that he’s been an escort for four years now and the death of his tributes has begun to weigh heavily on him and he turns to alcohol and partying within the Capitols walls to sort of numb that. I do think he is a bit of Effie in the sense he’s an escort and excited to show the tributes the Capitol, wanting them to see the beauty in that. I threw Tigris in this mix too simply because of his close relation to the president yet simultaneous qualms with the games.

Anything else? N/A

basics

[JACOB ELORDI, CIS MAN, HE/HIM] The 74th Annual Hunger Games are upon us and here comes OSLO COPPERHEAD, the DISTRICT 1 ESCORT and PRESIDENT’S NEPHEW NEPO BABY. Word around The Capitol is that they’re WELL-MANNERED and INTELLIGENT but can also be ANGRY and IGNORANT. According to sources, they’re 22 and were once described as being seen and not heard, tabloid headlines, believing in kindness, inferiority complexes, and brainwashing. What a character! As we always say, may the odds be ever in their favor!

biography

Oslo’s parents were never important people. The extent of their importance was their relationship to the president, who did the real work, rising from the ashes of the rebellion to restore order to all of Panem. Oslo’s father, Romulus, was far younger than Calpurnius, and was perfectly content riding his big brother’s coattails. He married a beautiful bride, capitol citizen, of course, and enjoyed their lives gliding from event to event. Oslo was born second, doted over by his older brother and the maids who were around far more often than their parents. Oslo struggled as a boy in rooms full of adults. He’d stand on chairs and yelp with excitement to share only to be hushed by the cold gaze of his uncle at the end of the table. Yes, in the Capitol, the world was full of options for him, but only after he’d gone through his schooling. 

Oslo actually quite liked his education, history and literature being his favorites. However, there was a problem. Oslo and his brother weren’t quite as far apart in age as their Father and Uncle, so they went through school side by side. If Oslo were to get an exemplary mark, his brother’s was higher. If Oslo showed promise, the eldest showed more. If Oslo ran for any positions of power, he’d been beat out to a vicely position under his older brother. He didn’t blame his brother by any means, but it did irritate him. Through finishing school, primary education, important political dinners, Oslo never shined in comparison. It built resentment, this goal to achieve more than he ever had. Oslo was an intelligent boy, really, going onto higher education within the Capitol. But he was prone to fits of anger, unprofessionalism. Among the gilded halls of the Capitol, his outbursts of erraticism, weren’t always welcomed. Their Uncle favored his brother, what was he supposed to do when not even the President of Panem had enough faith in him to take him under his wing.

This didn’t mean being the Nephew of the President came without perks though. Despite a close eye constantly on what tabloids had coined, “The Presidential Family.” the general public didn’t know their inner workings. Oslo skyrocketed to the vip list of every restaurant, club, party, and bar. Random citizens adored him despite his ruggedness. The headlines about his rowdy nights out or less than regal behavior around the city didn’t deter his most loyal followers. His parents, brother, and naturally Uncle had plenty to say about this. When Oslo officially finished his education at eighteen, he had dreams of going on a charity tour in the districts, but was forbade from going. Instead, Uncle Cal gave Oslo his pick of the litter– Which tributes did he want to escort through the games? 

District One seemed like the obvious choice for Oslo. Often, those were career tributes, and if Os had done his math correctly, they were statistically less likely to die. He could save himself the guilt of watching them die year after year. Unfortunately, math didn’t factor in human emotion, and when he lost his first two tributes at age eighteen during the 70th games, he only spiraled further. Sure, he could clap his hands and have anything he wanted, yet Oslo chose to get obliterated amongst Capitol elite, sometimes tributes, and swallow his grief. Those were the sentiments of a rebel sympathizer and he was loyal to the Capitol– to his family. Oslo, sadly, was unable to abandon angry outbursts in his youth. 

Desdemona Herion was Oslo’s closest ally. They had grown up close, even dated for a time before Oslo’s sexuality revealed itself. They remained attached at the hip after that, but it wasn’t a guarantee Des would be available following every shortcoming and humiliation Oslo endured. Still, she understood his burden. As a stylist, she lost tributes year after year too, and it only galvanized their bond. Around the games every year, headlines would flare up around Oslo’s name, he’d ignore them, and carry on distracting himself from the horrors by every mean possible. 

As proper as Oslo knows how to be, this year he’s been fighting apathy towards the games. District One’s Tributes look as promising as they do every year, and while it would be much easier to shut down and prevent the pain of loss, he also wants to show them the glory of the Capitol to it’s fullest extent before they may leave him.

 writing sample

[REDACTED]

stats

Deceive- 2Fight- 2Lore (knowledge)- 3Notice - 1Physique - 3Provoke - 1Rapport - 2Resourcefulness - 1Stealth - 1Will - 3

extras

PINTEREST / PLAYLIST

[cloverpatchwork]

After reading this I had to know more definitely which US state has the most “capital” cities. I checked and if we’re only counting exact matches including accent marks then Ohio is the winner. If accent marks don’t matter Illinois and Ohio are tied. If we count partial matches like “New Paris” Ohio wins by a lot. Full results below.

Alabama

Exact Matches: 6

Athens

Berlin

Cardiff

Douglas

Hamilton

Madrid

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Arizona

Exact Matches: 1

Douglas

Close Matches: 1

San Jose

Partial Matches: 2

La Paz Valley

Washington Park

Arkansas

Exact Matches: 10

Damascus

Georgetown

Havana

Jerusalem

Kingston

London

Manila

Paris

Victoria

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

Lake Hamilton

California

Exact Matches: 9

Dublin

Georgetown

Jamestown

London

Manila

Monrovia

Plymouth

San Marino

Washington

Close Matches: 1

San Jose

Partial Matches: 10

Douglas City

Fort Washington

Hamilton Branch

Hamilton City

North San Juan

San Bernardino

San Juan Bautista

San Juan Capistrano

South Monrovia Island

West Athens

Colorado

Exact Matches: 3

Georgetown

Jamestown

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

North Washington

Romeo

Connecticut

Exact Matches: 1

Georgetown

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

New London

Delaware

Exact Matches: 1

Georgetown

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

District of Columbia

Exact Matches: 1

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Florida

Exact Matches: 4

Havana

Lisbon

Panama City

Wellington

Close Matches: 1

Valparaiso

Partial Matches: 5

Lake Hamilton

Mount Plymouth

Nassau Village-Ratliff

Panama City Beach

Washington Park

Georgia

Exact Matches: 12

Athens

Berlin

Cairo

Damascus

Douglas

Dublin

Georgetown

Hamilton

Kingston

Rome

Vienna

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

Douglasville

East Dublin

Idaho

Exact Matches: 4

Georgetown

Moscow

Paris

Stanley

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

New Plymouth

Illinois

Exact Matches: 20

Athens

Berlin

Brussels

Cairo

Georgetown

Hamilton

Havana

Kingston

Kingston

Lima

Lisbon

Ottawa

Paris

Plymouth

Rome

Victoria

Vienna

Warsaw

Washington

Wellington

Close Matches: 1

San Jose

Partial Matches: 8

Kingston Mines

Kingston Mines

London Mills

New Athens

New Berlin

New Douglas

Romeoville

Washington Park

Indiana

Exact Matches: 11

Dublin

Edinburgh

Freetown

Georgetown

Hamilton

Jamestown

La Paz

Monrovia

Plymouth

Warsaw

Washington

Close Matches: 1

Valparaiso

Partial Matches: 6

Berne

New Amsterdam

New Paris

New Washington

Rome City

St. Bernice

Iowa

Exact Matches: 10

Hamilton

Kingston

Lisbon

Madrid

Moscow

Plymouth

Rome

Stanley

Tripoli

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 5

Bernard

Muscatine

New London

New Vienna

North Washington

Kansas

Exact Matches: 9

Bern

Hamilton

Havana

Jamestown

Moscow

Ottawa

Victoria

Washington

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

Douglass

Kentucky

Exact Matches: 7

Georgetown

Jamestown

London

Paris

Stanley

Warsaw

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 3

Douglass Hills

East Bernstadt

Mount Washington

Louisiana

Exact Matches: 7

Athens

Georgetown

Jamestown

Lisbon

Stanley

Vienna

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 3

Bernice

Romeville

Vienna Bend

Maine

Exact Matches: 2

Belfast

Lisbon

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

Lisbon Falls

South Paris

Maryland

Exact Matches: 9

Adamstown

Berlin

Damascus

Georgetown

Kingstown

Lisbon

Monrovia

Moscow

Vienna

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

Fort Washington

Washington Grove

Massachusetts

Exact Matches: 0

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

East Douglas

North Plymouth

Michigan

Exact Matches: 6

Athens

Douglas

Gibraltar

Kingston

Paris

Plymouth

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

Lake Victoria

Romeo

Minnesota

Exact Matches: 10

Belgrade

Georgetown

Kingston

Montevideo

Nassau

Oslo

Plymouth

Roseau

Victoria

Warsaw

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

New London

New Prague

Mississippi

Exact Matches: 6

Bridgetown

Dublin

Georgetown

Hamilton

Paris

Victoria

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

New Hamilton

Missouri

Exact Matches: 10

Amsterdam

Cairo

Hamilton

Jamestown

Kingston

Paris

Vienna

Warsaw

Washington

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 5

Bernie

Moscow Mills

New London

New Madrid

Old Jamestown

Montana

Exact Matches: 6

Amsterdam

Belgrade

Hamilton

Lima

Philipsburg

St. Pierre

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Nebraska

Exact Matches: 7

Belgrade

Cairo

Douglas

Madrid

Plymouth

Prague

Washington

Close Matches: 1

Valparaiso

Partial Matches: 0

Nevada

Exact Matches: 1

Kingston

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

New Hampshire

Exact Matches: 1

Berlin

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

New Jersey

Exact Matches: 4

Berlin

Kingston

Vienna

Washington

Close Matches: 1

Bogota

Partial Matches: 6

Bernardsville

Hamilton Square

Kingston Estates

Kingston Estates

Washington Crossing

West Berlin

New Mexico

Exact Matches: 4

Jamestown

Kingston

Madrid

Stanley

Close Matches: 1

San Jose

Partial Matches: 2

Bernalillo

Santo Domingo Pueblo

New York

Exact Matches: 5

Amsterdam

Copenhagen

Jamestown

Kingston

Rome

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 13

East Kingston

East Kingston

East Nassau

Hamilton College

Jamestown West

Nassau Lake

Port Washington

Port Washington North

South Cairo

South Lima

Washington Heights

Washington Mills

Washingtonville

North Carolina

Exact Matches: 8

Dublin

Hamilton

Jamestown

Kingstown

Plymouth

Stanley

Warsaw

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 4

McAdenville

New Bern

New London

Washington Park

North Dakota

Exact Matches: 7

Berlin

Douglas

Hamilton

Havana

Jamestown

Lisbon

Stanley

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Ohio

Exact Matches: 21

Amsterdam

Athens

Berlin

Bridgetown

Cairo

Damascus

Dublin

Georgetown

Hamilton

Jamestown

Jerusalem

Kingston

Lima

Lisbon

London

Moscow

Ottawa

Plymouth

Rome

Warsaw

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 18

Adena

Berlin Heights

Limaville

New Athens

New London

New Paris

New Vienna

New Washington

North Lima

Old Washington

Ottawa Hills

Port Washington

South Vienna

St. Bernard

St. Paris

Vienna Center

Washington Court House

Washingtonville

Oklahoma

Exact Matches: 5

Douglas

Kingston

Lima

Prague

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 1

Bernice

Oregon

Exact Matches: 1

Damascus

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Pennsylvania

Exact Matches: 16

Adamstown

Athens

Dublin

Georgetown

Georgetown

Georgetown

Gibraltar

Jamestown

Kingston

Lima

Moscow

Paris

Philipsburg

Plymouth

Rome

Washington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 18

Bernville

Douglassville

East Berlin

East Washington

Fort Washington

New Berlin

New Berlinville

New Jerusalem

New Kingstown

New Paris

New Tripoli

New Washington

Newton Hamilton

North Philipsburg

Plymouth Meeting

South Philipsburg

Washington Boro

Washingtonville

Puerto Rico

Exact Matches: 3

San José

San Juan

Santo Domingo

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 2

Hacienda San José

Punta Santiago

Rhode Island

Exact Matches: 1

Kingston

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

South Carolina

Exact Matches: 2

Georgetown

Jamestown

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

South Dakota

Exact Matches: 2

Stockholm

Vienna

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 0

Tennessee

Exact Matches: 5

Athens

Jamestown

Kingston

Moscow

Paris

Close Matches: 1

Bogota

Partial Matches: 2

Kingston Springs

Kingston Springs

Texas

Exact Matches: 10

Athens

Dublin

Georgetown

Hamilton

Havana

Paris

San Juan

Tunis

Victoria

Wellington

Close Matches: 0

Partial Matches: 7

Douglassville

East Bernard

La Victoria

Nassau Bay

New Berlin

New London

Victoria Vera

Utah

Exact Matches: 6

Kingston

Manila

Moroni

Plymouth

Washington

Wellington

The United States has 3 times as many Jerusalems as Israel

[tommyoboe]

OSLO 2024.

Hiya. How are you doing. I'm OK, just a bit exhausted after what has been a draining year. I reflected on a deeper level in my Year Two entry but I have spent much of the time feeling quite unhappy.

Not to shut this away, but I did go to Oslo three weeks ago, and had a fantastic time.

This is an underated city with much to give, and this post summarises a few of my personal highlights during three whirlwind days in the Norwegian capital.

The purpose of the visit was to audition for a coveted oboe spot in a top orchestra. To be selected to take part was exciting for sure. However, I felt a sense of unease as I approached my Airbnb in the district of Grønland, with the outside of the building this tall unwelcoming gate, and inside an austere courtyard revealed itself. I had to take a few moments to really calm myself once inside, as this was my first solo trip abroad since the pandemic of 2020. I then realised the need to take control and make this trip one that I could look back on fondly, so I began to do that.

The Airbnb I chose was ideal for my short trip. My host was highly responsive and helpful and good to chat to. I ended up having a much more comfortable stay than anticipated, with a large cosy room that I could happily retire to at the end of the day with sofa and double bed. Grønland itself is a diverse part of town, with many amneties in walking distance, including huge supermarkets, coffee shops and next door to us was a beautiful bakery that supplied my breakfasts! Backstube had a fabulous array of goods to choose from each day. I honestly don't think I've seen much like this in the UK, and to have this just next door was a delight.

I enjoyed exploring the neighbourhood of Grünerløkka. Here I took in colourful streets in pastel blues and yellows; starry lights hooked to otherwise shedded trees; streetlights aplenty, and the world's best coffee shop, Tim Wendelboe. My fascination and love of coffee is no secret, so I was in my happy place in this cosy corner of the city. I just had a filter coffee (from a filter menu, yes please!) to accompany my walk, but oh my god it was amazing. Fruity and warming and just uplifting.

Oslo really knows how to light up its streets. The sun doesn't rise in winter until almost 9am and by 3:30pm it has just about set, but you don't feel this at all when you're hugged from every angle by these vibrant lights. Some are more Christmassy than others with it being December, but not overtly so. As I transversed on to narrow paths, I was surrounded by apartments characterised from above by their lit facades, and this was really lovely.

After a brief practice of the material for the following day's audition, I took myself out for a solo meal. I did feel soemwhat strange going to a restaurant by myself, but if I do more travelling around Europe, it's definitely something I would do again. I felt the warm embrace of Mamma Pizza straightaway, and the carbonara was possibly the best I have had in all my years in this existence. I returned to the flat with a full and satisfied stomach and mind as I settled down for the night.

I had the pleasure of staying with another oboist doing the same audition as me during my time in Oslo. It was a surprise when I found out but we quickly got chatting and were supportive of each other in our joint aim. We fuelled ourselves on the audition morning and embarked to the Opera House for the main event. Here we met around twenty other oboists before we were taken to a waiting room. We then drew lots to decide the order of play. I was third so was escorted to a practice room to warm up. I proceeded to play a bit, mostly little scales and long notes, before putting my oboe down and relaxing briefly. Things were taking a while, and my understanding was that when the first person to audition was selected, we would move rooms. I was incorrect in this assumption, and was hasty when I was informed it was time to do the audition. In that moment I felt I fucked it, as when I went to the room to play behind a screen, I was shaky and nervous, not feeling composed as I bumbled through an accurate but under confident set of excerpts. I knew by the end of the audition it hadn't gone to plan, but that's OK.

The news came a couple of hours later, once I had had time to relax and socialise with some of the other oboists. Just five of the candidates reached the second round, so the rest of us were on our way, including me and my new flatmate. It was actually fine, and I know not to make assumptions again. I was happy in the moment to have just put myself out there and do something properly meaningful.

We walked through the striking Barcode Project and back to the Airbnb to debrief. That didn't stop me from heading swiftly back out to explore. I immediately set myself up at Papegøye with a filter coffee and chocolate chip cookie, and there I embraced yet more cosiness, letting the world go by with a book. It was basically perfect. I took a long walk back to Grünerløkka to browse shops and survey food options. I didn't stay long with the impending rain, but bought some small gifts and some pasta for my tea back at the flat. And then I gave myself ample time to sleep for once in my life, which felt terrific.

My final day was one to simply relax and enjoy everything Oslo had to offer. I enjoyed yet more pastries and carbs for breakfast with a warming tea, as I looked over the neighbourhood rearing itself up for the day. I particularly liked being right in the middle of the action, which feels far more common in European cities to UK ones. The UK seems desperate (tragically) to be more like the US and build vast swathes of surburban land with no real life in the most remote places, rather than idyllic little villages and communities within cities, as the Europeans triumph in.

I stuck to the centre on this last day, taking in a beautiful sunrise followed by coffee and a sandwich at Fuglen. This was perhaps my favourite moment of the trip. It was so comfortable in this charming coffee shop, with a positively vintage feel in decor and atmosphere. It was here I gave myself time to properly reflect on the last couple of days, realising the audition had made me a better musician and want to be more spontaneous and life affirming.

Continuing through the elegant streets, I found the main shopping district, with personal heavyweights of wonder including glorious Paper and Tea, Cos, Zara, Fjällräven and Rains. There was even a Marimekko store, which I chose not to go in but looked very cute indeed.

Oslo was just a wonderful place. It was full of inspiration; a lovely mix of old and modern; superb coffee; and just a severe lack of anything bad. Even with Grønland appearing slightly more rough around the edges compared to the rest of the city, it was still a great place to stay. And I would happily make the return.

I go home for Christmas tomorrow. All I can think about currently is how heavy my suitcase is so I'm going to distract myself with a shower and hot chocolate and see you in the new year for my next entry!

Before I go, here are my favourite tracks of the season:

Guess Who's Back - Midnight Generation

Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode

Enemies - Magic City Hippies

Kurrajong Hotel - Butter Bath

Dark Love - Miami Horror, Danny Pratt

Electric Company - Hector Gachan

Halilim Halilim - Sababa 5, Yurika Hanashima

Beautiful Faces - Declan McKenna

In The Dark - Roosevelt

Unforgettable Feeling - Munan

Can't Be What You Think - Sports

Perfect People - courtship.

Within You, Within Me - Meltt

Shotput - Still Woozy

NQA - tomy wyne

Half the Man - Tokyo Tea Room

3AM - DRAMA

Brincadeira De Amor - Marizinha

Zizia - Kainalu, moonfruit

Cortes Modernos - CLUBZ.

Ha det.

[andiatas]

NRK: Høiby arrested again – charged with rape

Marius Borg Høiby was arrested again yesterday, the police said in a press release. The charges against him have also been expanded. He is now also charged with rape of a new victim.

Høiby was arrested by the police at 23:12 on Monday evening in a car together with the victim from the Frogner incident, the police wrote in a press release.

According to NRK, he was arrested in a car near Skaugum. The police write that they have conducted a search and seized the scene.

Høiby is now in the central detention centre at Grønland in Oslo.

It is not known how he will respond to the charges.

Five victims

The charge concerns sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act.

– It applies to sexual intercourse without intercourse. The victim must have been unable to resist the act, writes police attorney Andreas Kruszewski in the Oslo Police District.

This woman is not among the previous victims. The accusation stems from a relationship in Oslo, NRK learns.

An investigation into the relationship was decided on 6 November 2024, the police say.

There are now a total of five victims, four women and one man, in the cases in which Høiby is charged.

– She's having a tough time.

The lawyer for the new victim tells NRK that the client has been questioned.

– She is having a tough time, and it is heavy. She is not the one who reported the incident, it was the police who opened a case, says lawyer Hege Salomon to NRK.

Salomon states that the victim is a woman in her 20s.

– She has not sought out the public eye. She did not know the accused or the other victims in this case prior to the incident mentioned in the press release. And she wants to be protected, she says.

Regarding the investigation, Salomon will not go into further detail about when and where the incident occurred.

- We do not go far back in time, but it is a bit back in time. I can say that there was an incident that happened this year, she says.

The police security service, which is responsible for the Royal Family's bodyguard service, says they are aware of the matter.

– PST is aware of the arrest. Beyond that, we have no comment, says Eirik Veum of PST to NRK.

NRK has attempted to contact Høiby's defense attorney Øyvind Bratlien, but has not received a response. The Palace would rather not comment on the new arrest.

– We ask for your understanding that we cannot comment on the matter. We refer you to the police and Marius Borg Høiby's lawyer, writes communications manager Guri Varpe at the Palace in an email to NTB.

Excerpts from a continuously updating article by NRK. First version of the article was published on Nov. 19, 2024, at 07:53. Translation and slight editing for clarity by me.

Just to recap, these are the different charges against Marius (copied from NRK):

Frogner woman: Ex-girlfriend of Høiby. Høiby is charged with domestic abuse, violence, damage, reckless behaviour, and violation of a restraining order against her. The violent incident occurred on August 3rd of this year in Frogner. She was in a car with Høiby when he was re-arrested on November 18.

Nora Haukland: Girlfriend with Høiby from summer 2022 to 2023. Høiby is charged with domestic abuse against her.

Juliane Snekkestad: Girlfriend with Høiby from 2018 to 2022. Høiby is charged with domestic abuse against her.

Woman in her 20s: Høiby is charged with rape without intercourse against the woman. She did not know Høiby before she met him that day. The incident occurred earlier in 2024. An investigation into the matter was decided on November 6, 2024.

Man in his 20s: Høiby is charged with threatening to kill the man in his 20s. The threats were made in a phone call and a message on Instagram. The man has moved abroad.

[beardedmrbean]

OSLO, Norway (AP) — A Norwegian student in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and Iran while working as a guard at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, authorities in Norway have said.

The man, who has not been identified, was ordered to be held in custody for four weeks. He runs a security company jointly with a dual national of Norway and an unspecified eastern European country, according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

Oslo police said Friday they would review the company’s operating license.

Norway’s domestic intelligence agency, PST, said Thursday night that the man was arrested in his garage at home on Wednesday on suspicion of having damaged national security with his intelligence-related activity.

The arrest warrant from the district court, says, among other things, that the police found records of the man’s assignment dialogue with a person who was apparently guiding his espionage activity, according to NRK.

The man has admitted to collecting and sharing information with Russian and Iranian authorities, the court order says, according to NRK.

It is too early to talk about the details of the man’s activity, PST spokesman Thomas Blom told a news conference Thursday night. PST has confirmed the man was employed as a security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo. There are no other suspects in the case at this point.

The suspect’s attorney, John Christian Elden, told NRK that the man admits he worked for a foreign country but does not plead guilty of espionage.

“He is charged with having obtained information that could harm the security situation of third countries,” Elden said.

It was revealed Friday that the man is studying for a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University, UiT.

It is a second such case at UiT in recent years, according to NRK.

One of the people the West swapped with Russia in a major prisoner exchange in August was a UiT guest researcher who claimed to be a Brazilian named José Assis Giammaria, arrested on espionage allegations in 2022. The police revealed him to be Russian, Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin.

Norway has a 198-kilometer (123-mile) -long border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has heavily restricted entry for Russian nationals.

In September, the Norwegian government said it was considering a plan to build a fence along all or part of its border with Russia.

[ejesgistnews]

Cameroonian Separatist Leader Lucas Ayaba Cho Arrested in Norway Amid Ongoing Conflict. Lucas Ayaba Cho, a prominent figure in Cameroon’s Anglophone separatist movement, was arrested in Norway on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the ongoing armed conflict in the Central African country. His lawyer revealed that the arrest was made on "charges based on his various expressions on social media."   Cho has been a key player in the push for independence from Cameroon, where violence since 2016 has resulted in over 6,000 deaths and nearly a million displaced individuals. Many residents in the English-speaking regions claim discrimination at the hands of the French-speaking majority. Read Also: PIDOMNigeria’ Trial: Court Fixes Date for Isaac Bristol’s Bail Application Hearing Global human rights organization Amnesty International has accused both government forces and armed separatists of human rights abuses, including killings, rapes, and torture of civilians.   A Cameroonian official indicated to the BBC that Norway and Cameroon have a security agreement which may facilitate Cho's extradition in the near future. However, his lawyer stated that he was unaware of any extradition request.   Describing himself as a liberation leader, Cho is known for commanding the Ambazonian Defence Forces (ADF) from his base in Norway. He has been linked to a recent campaign that included a two-week lockdown aimed at boycotting schools. His militant approach has drawn criticism, particularly after ADF fighters targeted taxi drivers, demanding they repaint their vehicles to reflect the colors of the proposed state of Ambazonia.   The ADF’s political branch, the Ambazonia Governing Council, has also instituted a “liberation tax” on residents in the Anglophone regions to fund their conflict against the government. Cho's history of anti-institutional radicalism dates back to the 1990s, including an expulsion from the University of Buea for protest activities.   Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service (KRIPOS) stated that Cho "had a central role in an ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon." On Wednesday, Norwegian investigators sought his custody from the Oslo District Court, with prosecutor Anette Berger noting, "We are in an early phase of the investigation, and there are several investigative steps that remain."   Emmanuel Nsahlai, a US-based lawyer representing victims of the Anglophone crisis, called Cho's arrest a "significant victory" against separatist violence. He remarked, "This arrest marks a critical step in holding him accountable for his actions and bringing justice to the victims of his violence."   Cho is not the first separatist leader to face arrest abroad concerning the violence in Cameroon. The Cameroonian government has consistently urged foreign nations to assist in repatriating separatist leaders for trial, following the extradition of Julius Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and others from Nigeria in 2018.

[head-post]

Norway increasingly alarmed by Swedish gangs

Norway is increasingly concerned about Swedish criminal gangs, already known for their offences in Denmark, where they operate throughout the country, according to Euractiv.

Kjetil Tunold, head of the organised crime division at the Norwegian National Bureau of Investigation, stated:

“It is serious. We are afraid that the development we have seen in Sweden will infect us.”

One of the cases in which Swedish gang criminals are suspected of involvement is a house bombing at an apartment complex in Dröbak, south of Oslo, last autumn. Following the incident, three Swedes linked to the gang were charged with attempted murder.

According to Tomas Staerk, head of investigations for Norway’s Eastern Police District, several Swedish criminal organisations have established themselves in the area.

We are worried about the gross use of violence and that the Swedish gangs will recruit vulnerable young people to join them. It is money laundering, economic crime, violence and threats.

Swedish gangs can now be found in all twelve police districts in Norway and may be linked to the importation and distribution of drugs in the country, according to a Norwegian police report on the national threat of criminal gangs. The Norwegian police have now asked the government for support to start joint patrols with Swedish police in border areas that are particularly prone to Swedish gang crime.

“If the level of violence increases in one place, it can spread so that you strike back with the same coin. It becomes a kind of spiral of violence.”

Denmark announced Friday that it would impose border controls with Sweden following renewed Swedish gang violence that had spilled over into Denmark in recent weeks. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said on 14 August:

The reality right now is that not only Denmark but large parts of the Nordic countries are feeling the consequences of Sweden’s long-standing failed immigration and legal policies, and we take that extremely seriously.

Sweden’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer says Denmark also bears some responsibility for its own gangs, but agrees with much of the criticism of the gang issue in Sweden.

In response, a Nordic hub of police officers from Finland, Norway, and Denmark will be established in Stockholm. Norwegian and Finnish officers are already involved, with Danish officers joining in a few weeks.

Sweden, with a population of only 10 million, has the highest per capita rate of gun violence in the EU.

Read more HERE