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Norway

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Norway. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Oslo

Head of State

King Harald V

Head of Government

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre

Cannes Film Festival

‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a couple who have their children taken from them by child services for spanking them.

2 hours ago

Defence

Bordering Russia, Norway adopts ‘total defence’ mode, focuses on civil readiness

23 May 2026 - 3:52PM

SCMP Highlights

Xi hosts Putin over tea; rare earth find in northeast China: 7 highlights

22 May 2026 - 12:34PM

Malaysia

US denies role in Norway’s cancelled missile sale to Malaysia

Washington said it supported the deal after the row raised questions over US influence on weapons with American-made parts.

21 May 2026 - 3:11PMvideocam

Visitors gather next to a display of an NSM Naval Strike Missile made by Norwegian company Kongsberg, at the Euronaval show, in Le Bourget, France in 2014. Photo: AP

Malaysia

Did US restrictions sink Malaysia’s US$147 million Norway missile deal?

Analysts say US-controlled parts may have been a factor in Norway’s revoked export licences, underscoring risks for Asian defence buyers.

21 May 2026 - 3:24PM

Animals

Norway reports Europe’s first case of bird flu in a polar bear

The H5N5 variant was also found in a walrus found about 1,000km from the North Pole, and is thought to be the likely cause of death.

20 May 2026 - 1:40AMvideocam

European cinema

Review | Fjord: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve anchor ice-cold child welfare drama

Fjord, set in a remote Norwegian village with stunning backdrops, explores a religious couple’s clash with Norway’s Child Protection Services.

19 May 2026 - 4:45PM

Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan play a married couple with five children in the film Fjord, directed by Cristian Mungiu. Jonathan Ciprian Breazu (far left) and Vanessa Ceban (right) co-star.

India

India links up with UAE, Europe on Modi’s grand tour

Seizing on the UAE’s Opec exit and a new EU trade pact, India’s PM looks to lock-in long-term energy supply and economic dividends.

18 May 2026 - 6:21PM

Mainland China

Norway arrests Chinese national for alleged spying

Court orders suspect be remanded in custody for four weeks, in the second high-profile case this month.

18 May 2026 - 10:38AM

Malaysia

Malaysia weighs legal action after Norway blocks missile exports

The missiles are central to Malaysia’s troubled littoral combat ship programme as Putrajaya says it will seek an explanation from Oslo.

14 May 2026 - 10:36AM

The Naval Strike Missiles produced by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace are meant for the Malaysian navy’s littoral combat ships and two guided missile frigates. Photo: Kongsberg

Nordic nations

Norwegian police arrest Chinese citizen on spying allegations

Authorities allege the woman had a suspected role in spying on Norwegian satellite data.

8 May 2026 - 11:57AM

Police prosecutor Thomas Blom. Photo: NTB Scanpix via AP

China-EU relations

Two worlds collide: the regulatory battlefield hanging over EU-China ties

One side crafts regulation out of fear that the other side’s rules may expose its vulnerabilities.

4 May 2026 - 6:30PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

4 May 2026 - 1:17PMvideocam

Singapore

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law.

22 Apr 2026 - 7:21PM

Singapore at sunrise. The death penalty is mandatory in Singapore for drug trafficking above certain quantities, such as 500g (1.1 lb) of cannabis or 15g of heroin. Photo: Shutterstock

US-Venezuela conflict

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

The opposition leader called the US president a leader who ‘risked the lives of his country’s citizens’ for her nation’s freedom.

19 Apr 2026 - 4:10AM

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a rally in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Iran

Jailed Iranian Nobel winner ‘critical’ after heart attack

Supporters say the life of 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is at ‘immediate and irreparable risk’ in an Iranian prison.

16 Apr 2026 - 10:46AM

Britain

UK tracked Russian submarines in alleged Atlantic ‘covert’ op: defence secretary

John Healey said warships and military aircraft forced Russia to halt activity in UK waters near vital undersea cables and pipelines.

10 Apr 2026 - 4:23AM

China consumption

How ‘salmon’ raised in landlocked Xinjiang is netting fans in China

Aquaculture in the far-western region is expected to grow even more rapidly after a dependence on imported eggs is diminished or ended.

25 Mar 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

Workers process “Xinjiang salmon” at Xinjiang Tianyun Organic Agriculture’s processing plant in Yili, Xinjiang. Photo: Handout

Middle East

Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight

As traditional energy centres become less stable, the Arctic’s resources, shipping routes and infrastructure are growing in importance.

25 Mar 2026 - 11:05AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Overseas monitors struggle to track Iran’s war casualty figures

With official updates frozen since March 8, human rights groups say true casualty figures in Iran are unknown.

24 Mar 2026 - 7:56PMvideocam

Middle East

Many more to follow? As Iran hangs 3 young men, rights groups raise alarm

The three are the first to be executed from among tens of thousands arrested during a brutal crackdown on protests in January.

21 Mar 2026 - 5:40PMvideocam

In this image from video circulating on social media in January, protesters in Tehran, Iran, dance around a bonfire as they take to the streets. Photo: UGC via AP

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

Nepal’s Mera Glacier is among the handful of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region that meets the World Glacier Monitoring Service’s benchmark standards. Photo: Patrick Wagnon/ICIMOD

Jeffrey Epstein

Norway crown princess says she was ‘manipulated’ by Epstein

Recent polls show most Norwegians oppose the idea of Mette-Marit ever becoming queen.

20 Mar 2026 - 10:16PMvideocam

Crime

US House panel subpoenas Pam Bondi in Epstein probe

US attorney general faces accusations that the Justice Department has concealed the names of Epstein associates in its release of documents.

18 Mar 2026 - 3:52AMvideocam

United States

US launches trade probe into China and EU in bid to revive Trump tariffs

The Section 301 investigations could lead to another set of import taxes to replace those struck down by the Supreme Court.

12 Mar 2026 - 7:46AM

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in April 2025. Photo: Reuters

Nordic nations

Trio with Iraq links arrested for ‘terrorist bombing’ of US embassy in Norway

The siblings are Norwegian citizens, and police are investigating if they were working on their own or on orders from a foreign entity.

12 Mar 2026 - 2:47AM

Police vehicles are seen at the US embassy in Oslo, Norway, on Sunday after an explosion was reported at the site. Photo: EPA

Nordic nations

US embassy in Norway’s Oslo hit by explosion but no injuries, police say

The blast caused only ‘minor material damage’ to one of the building’s entrances.

8 Mar 2026 - 2:15PM

Australia

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

7 Mar 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

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Norway

‘Fjord’ by Romania’s Mungiu wins Palme d’Or at Cannes

The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as a couple who have their children taken from them by child services for spanking them.

Bordering Russia, Norway adopts ‘total defence’ mode, focuses on civil readiness

Xi hosts Putin over tea; rare earth find in northeast China: 7 highlights

US denies role in Norway’s cancelled missile sale to Malaysia

Washington said it supported the deal after the row raised questions over US influence on weapons with American-made parts.

Did US restrictions sink Malaysia’s US$147 million Norway missile deal?

Analysts say US-controlled parts may have been a factor in Norway’s revoked export licences, underscoring risks for Asian defence buyers.

Norway reports Europe’s first case of bird flu in a polar bear

The H5N5 variant was also found in a walrus found about 1,000km from the North Pole, and is thought to be the likely cause of death.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Review | Fjord: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve anchor ice-cold child welfare drama

Fjord, set in a remote Norwegian village with stunning backdrops, explores a religious couple’s clash with Norway’s Child Protection Services.

India links up with UAE, Europe on Modi’s grand tour

Seizing on the UAE’s Opec exit and a new EU trade pact, India’s PM looks to lock-in long-term energy supply and economic dividends.

Norway arrests Chinese national for alleged spying

Court orders suspect be remanded in custody for four weeks, in the second high-profile case this month.

Malaysia weighs legal action after Norway blocks missile exports

The missiles are central to Malaysia’s troubled littoral combat ship programme as Putrajaya says it will seek an explanation from Oslo.

Norwegian police arrest Chinese citizen on spying allegations

Authorities allege the woman had a suspected role in spying on Norwegian satellite data.

Two worlds collide: the regulatory battlefield hanging over EU-China ties

One side crafts regulation out of fear that the other side’s rules may expose its vulnerabilities.

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

UN alarmed by Singapore executions for drug-related offences

UN rights chief Turk said drug-related offences not involving loss of life did not meet the ‘most serious crimes’ standard by international law.

Venezuela’s Machado says ‘no regrets’ about giving her Nobel Prize to Trump

The opposition leader called the US president a leader who ‘risked the lives of his country’s citizens’ for her nation’s freedom.

Jailed Iranian Nobel winner ‘critical’ after heart attack

Supporters say the life of 2023 peace laureate Narges Mohammadi is at ‘immediate and irreparable risk’ in an Iranian prison.

UK tracked Russian submarines in alleged Atlantic ‘covert’ op: defence secretary

John Healey said warships and military aircraft forced Russia to halt activity in UK waters near vital undersea cables and pipelines.

How ‘salmon’ raised in landlocked Xinjiang is netting fans in China

Aquaculture in the far-western region is expected to grow even more rapidly after a dependence on imported eggs is diminished or ended.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight

As traditional energy centres become less stable, the Arctic’s resources, shipping routes and infrastructure are growing in importance.

Overseas monitors struggle to track Iran’s war casualty figures

With official updates frozen since March 8, human rights groups say true casualty figures in Iran are unknown.

Many more to follow? As Iran hangs 3 young men, rights groups raise alarm

The three are the first to be executed from among tens of thousands arrested during a brutal crackdown on protests in January.

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

Conflicts, such as the Iran war, are diverting global attention away from the ecological crisis, scientists warn.

Norway crown princess says she was ‘manipulated’ by Epstein

Recent polls show most Norwegians oppose the idea of Mette-Marit ever becoming queen.

US House panel subpoenas Pam Bondi in Epstein probe

US attorney general faces accusations that the Justice Department has concealed the names of Epstein associates in its release of documents.

US launches trade probe into China and EU in bid to revive Trump tariffs

The Section 301 investigations could lead to another set of import taxes to replace those struck down by the Supreme Court.

Trio with Iraq links arrested for ‘terrorist bombing’ of US embassy in Norway

The siblings are Norwegian citizens, and police are investigating if they were working on their own or on orders from a foreign entity.

US embassy in Norway’s Oslo hit by explosion but no injuries, police say

The blast caused only ‘minor material damage’ to one of the building’s entrances.

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

Review | Fjord: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve anchor ice-cold child welfare drama

Opinion | As the Gulf grows riskier, the Arctic is gaining strategic weight