Norway

Norwegian Air may halt operations in early 2021 without more cash

OSLO/PARIS (Reuters) - Heavily indebted Norwegian Air NORR.OL might have to halt operations in the first quarter of 2021 as it struggles with a coronavirus travel slump unless it secures fresh funding, the budget carrier said as it reported third-quarter results.

The airline, a pioneer in low-fare transatlantic flights whose rapid expansion left it with big debts, held cash and cash equivalents of 3.4 billion crowns ($376 million) at the end of September, down from 4.98 billion crowns at the end of June.

Norwegian Air plunged into winter fight for survival

OSLO (Reuters) - Pandemic-hit Norwegian Air NORR.OL faces a battle for survival this winter, it said on Monday after the country's government declared that it will not provide additional financial support for the cash-strapped carrier.

Norwegian Air, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis and has grounded most of its fleet, said in August that it would run out of cash in the first quarter of 2021 unless it could secure fresh funds and has held talks with the government in the hope of winning support.

Norway: Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded Friday in Oslo

OSLO (AP) — The winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) in Oslo, with no shortage of causes or candidates on this year’s list.

While the Norwegian Nobel Committee maintains absolute secrecy about whom it favors for arguably the world’s most prestigious prize, that has never stopped speculation ahead of the announcement.

Norway to allow more sports, bigger crowds in easing of national COVID curbs

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway will allow most amateur team sports to resume in mid-October and permit larger crowds at matches, as the government looks to ease nationwide restrictions enforced to contain the coronavirus epidemic.

The changes will take effect on Oct. 12, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Wednesday, while warning that localised spikes in COVID-19 infections might require tighter restrictions on movement in some parts of the country.

Norwegian lawmaker nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO (Reuters) - A Norwegian lawmaker has nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 for helping broker a deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the second time he has put forward the U.S. president for the honor.

Thousands of people are eligible to nominate candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, including members of parliaments and governments, university professors and past laureates.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which decides on the award, declined to comment.

Sunken German World War Two battleship found off Norway

OSLO (Reuters) - The wreckage of a major German warship has been discovered off the coast of Norway some 80 years after it was sunk in a World War Two battle, Norwegian power grid operator Statnett and a maritime archaeologist said.

Identified this year from images and sonar scans of its hull and of details such as the position of gun turrets, the cruiser Karlsruhe was first detected in 2017 just 15 meters (50 feet) from a subsea power cable that has been operating since 1977.

Norway's wealth fund lost $21 billion in first half of 2020

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway’s $1.15 trillion sovereign wealth fund posted a loss of 188 billion Norwegian crowns ($21.27 billion) in the first half of 2020 as stocks and real estate holdings fell in value during the COVID-19 pandemic, it said on Tuesday.

The decline followed record earnings in 2019, when the fund raked in profits of $180 billion as global stock markets soared.

“Even though markets recovered well in the second quarter, we are still witnessing considerable uncertainty,” the fund’s deputy chief executive, Trond Grande, said in a statement.

Norwegian Air to resume first foreign route after lockdown

OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Air (NWC.OL) will resume flights between Copenhagen and the Danish city of Aalborg from July 1, making it the carrier’s first route outside Norway following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Norwegian has for several years been the market leader on this route,” the airline said as it announced it would fly three daily round trips between Denmark’s largest and fourth largest cities.

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