Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Norway faces “cocaine tsunami” as crack cocaine use soars

Published 26 July 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Crack cocaine is a smokable form of cocaine, first cooked together with bicarbonate of soda.
3 minute read

According to Norwegian police, the country is experiencing a “cocaine tsunami” from abroad, and many addicts are also choosing to cook the drug into crack cocaine.

At the same time, there are reports that widespread abuse is leading to more threats and violence, with fights involving knives and guns becoming an increasingly common feature of Oslo’s streets.

Last fall, the city of Oslo began handing out crack pipes, and drug use at Prindsen has only increased each month since.

– The reason it’s called crack is because it sounds like you’re frying bacon when you cook it, one toothless addict told NRK.

Along with others in his situation, they usually gather in a park in central Oslo to get high.

– I can show you how to cook and smoke it, he tells the reporter.

“Taken over the urban environment”

In the past, heavy drug use was most visible on a few busy streets, but that is not the case today, and many testify that the drug has spread throughout the city.

– It seems that crack has taken over the entire urban environment, one woman told the state broadcaster, explaining that she had lost 25 kilos since she started using the drug.

– You can’t eat. Yes, you wither away, she continues.

Norway has the third highest cocaine consumption in Europe, according to the Norwegian state broadcaster. In 2023, police seized larger quantities of the drug than ever before – while it is becoming increasingly common among young people.

Crack cocaine provides a short but intense high. Photo: DEA

“Can’t make it hip”

The Prindsen Reception Center has long tried to alert the authorities to the situation – but at the same time they give addicts equipment so they can cook the crack themselves.

– Harm reduction is not contagious. It is an approach to something that is already there. We can’t make it hip to use the users’ room, even if we tried, says Christina Livgard, a specialist at the clinic run by the city of Oslo.

According to the state broadcaster, the municipality prefers that addicts cook crack with baking soda in the reception center than with other means on the streets.

“Getting desperate for more”

Arild Knutsen, head of the Association for a Humane Drug Policy, says that most people still use powder cocaine – but that many have also started to “cook” it into crack.

He says he has noticed a sharp increase in drug use over the past year and now often sees people openly smoking the drug in broad daylight, right in the center of town.

Knutsen says that what is happening now is completely new for Norway and Oslo, and that the market is completely flooded with cocaine, which is becoming more accessible, cheaper and more potent than before. At the same time, heroin has become harder to get, which is one of the reasons why many addicts are now choosing to smoke crack cocaine instead.

– People go through withdrawal very quickly and become desperate to get more… There is increased mental illness among users. More aggression. More impulsivity. More desperation.

Abuse is a common sight on Oslo’s Storgata. Photo: Helge Høifødt/CC BY-SA 4.0

Threats and violence

Other addicts say that violence has also increased as crack has become more popular and knives and guns have become more common. One 51-year-old man described the trend as “sad”.

According to the Norwegian police, Norway is about to be hit by a “cocaine tsunami” from abroad, with drugs being smuggled directly from South America to the Norwegian coast – often with the help of minors.

– This leads to an increase in knife use, shootings, threats and violence among street gangs, Knutsen continues.

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Telenor faces lawsuit over human rights abuses in Myanmar

Mass surveillance

Published today 11:00
– By Editorial Staff
Telenor's information chief calls the demand a "PR stunt" and argues that the matter has already been handled by police and the judicial system.
3 minute read

Over a thousand people may have been persecuted, tortured, arrested or killed when Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor handed over sensitive customer data to the military junta in Myanmar. Now victims and relatives are threatening to sue and demanding millions in damages.

On Monday, Telenor’s management received a notice of lawsuit where the compensation claim is motivated by the telecom company illegally sharing sensitive personal data with Myanmar’s military junta.

“We ask for a response on whether the basis for the claim is disputed as soon as possible, but no later than within two weeks”, the letter stated.

Behind the claim stands the Dutch organization Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (Somo) together with several Myanmar civil society organizations.

After the military coup in February 2021, the junta forced telecom operators like Telenor to hand over sensitive information about their customers. The information was then used to identify, track and arrest regime critics and activists.

Politician executed

Among those affected is a prominent politician and Telenor customer, and after the company handed over the data, the man was arrested, sentenced to death and executed in prison.

— We know that the potential group of victims is more than 1,000 people, says Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, director and lead negotiator at Somo to Norwegian business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv.

He emphasizes that some of the victims are dead and executed, while several are arrested.

— We are in contact with their family members and demand financial compensation from Telenor for what they have been subjected to.

Claim worth millions

Lawyer Jan Magne Langseth, partner at Norwegian law firm Simonsen Vogt Wiig, represents Somo in the case. He states that the claim will be extensive.

— We have not yet set an exact figure, but there is little doubt it will amount to several hundred million kroner, he says.

Both individuals and organizations working for the democracy movement in Myanmar are demanding compensation.

— We have the number lists that were handed over to the junta, but we don’t have all the names of the subscribers yet, says Langseth.

The notice establishes that Telenor systematically handed over personal data to the military junta, well aware that this would lead to human rights violations – including persecution, arbitrary arrests and elimination of opponents.

“This can be documented with extensive evidence”, the document states.

Telenor: “No good choices”

Telenor’s communications director David Fidjeland dismisses the matter and claims that the issue has already been resolved.

“The tragic developments in Myanmar have been the subject of several investigations within the police and judiciary without leading anywhere. Telenor Myanmar found itself in a terrible and tragic situation and unfortunately had no good choices”, he writes in an email and continues:

“That journalists from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to Marienlyst [Telenor’s headquarters in Norway] received this notice long before we ourselves received it unfortunately says something about where Somo has its focus. This unfortunately seems more like a PR stunt in a tragic matter than a serious communication”.

Sold operations in 2022

Telenor received a mobile license in Myanmar in 2014. In a short time, the company became a major mobile operator with over 18 million customers in the country. After the military coup in February 2021, when the previous government was overthrown, Telenor chose to sell its mobile operations in Myanmar to Lebanese M1 Group – including customer data. The sale was completed in March 2022.

According to local media, M1 Group’s local partner has close ties to the military junta.

Lawyer Langseth addresses the question of whether a refusal to hand over data would have affected local employees.

— The employees at Telenor Myanmar did not need to be involved. It could have been controlled from Norway or other countries in the group. Witnesses have told us that there was internal resistance among several of the key local employees at Telenor Myanmar against handing over data to the junta, he says.

Center-left coalition wins election in Norway

Published 9 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to the forecasts, the center-left bloc will receive 89 seats in the Storting (Norwegian Parliament). 85 seats are required to achieve a majority.
1 minute read

The red-green coalition secured victory in yesterday’s election in Norway. This means that Jonas Gahr Støre remains as prime minister.

Yesterday’s election to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) went roughly as predicted – the social democratic Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) became the country’s largest party with 28.2 percent of the votes, reports Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Meanwhile, the right-wing Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) achieved its best election result ever, with 23.9 percent of the votes, becoming the country’s second-largest party.

It’s fantastic. We’re doing better than the opinion polls predicted. So it’s incredibly good, says Sylvi Listhaug, the Progress Party leader.

According to NRK’s forecast, the red-green bloc receives 89 seats, and 85 seats are required for a majority in the 169-seat Storting. In addition to the Labour Party, the red-green coalition includes the Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti), the Centre Party (Senterpartiet), the Red Party (Rødt), and the Green Party (Miljøpartiet de Grønne), all of which cleared the four percent electoral threshold.

Norway commits €600 Million to Ukraine air defense systems

The war in Ukraine

Published 24 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the American Patriot air defense system.
2 minute read

Norwegian and German leaders are joining forces to finance two American Patriot systems for Ukraine. The price tag for the country’s citizens amounts to seven billion Norwegian kroner (approximately €600 million).

The announcement comes just over a month after Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor Party) met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.

— Together with Germany, we are now ensuring that Ukraine receives powerful air defense systems. Germany and Norway cooperate very closely to support Ukraine in the fight to defend the country and protect the civilian population against Russian air attacks, Støre states in a press release.

The package includes two Patriot systems including missiles. Norway is also contributing to the purchase of air defense radar from German manufacturer Hensoldt as well as air defense systems from Norwegian company Kongsberg.

The American-manufactured Patriot system has been something that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly requested, and US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to provide Ukraine with the systems provided that Europe foots the bill.

— This is a major investment in effective air defense. The support will give Ukraine important tools to protect Ukrainian lives and contribute to a stronger defense, says Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik.

“Devastating power”

According to the Norwegian government, Patriot is “a highly effective air defense system that can combat multiple threats, particularly tactical ballistic missiles”.

— These missiles have great destructive power and cannot be stopped by conventional air defense. Patriot has long-range radar, missiles with very high speed and long range. These characteristics combined enable Patriot to combat ballistic missiles, according to the government’s statement.

— Based on our excellent cooperation with Norway, we are very grateful that we are collaborating on this support measure, and that we will thereby together significantly strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capability, comments German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Hundreds of billions from the West

Critics have pointed out that Western countries have so far delivered weapons packages to Ukraine worth hundreds of billions of euros – money that comes from European taxpayers while many countries are implementing welfare cuts and domestic investments are being postponed.

Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed that the country would purchase American weapons for around $100 billion – financed by Europe – in exchange for American security guarantees after a potential peace agreement with Russia.

The total support from the EU and US to Ukraine since February 2022 is difficult to determine exactly – different sources and calculation methods yield different figures. At the turn of the year, analysts estimated the sum to be between $290 and $400 billion.

Norwegian party leader wants to expel Greta Thunberg

The exaggerated climate crisis

Published 19 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Norwegian Progress Party politician Sylvi Listhaug has grown tired of Greta Thunberg "repeatedly" returning to Norway to participate in climate activist actions.
2 minute read

Climate activist protests at Norway’s largest oil refinery have triggered harsh criticism from opposition leader Sylvi Listhaug, who is now demanding that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg be expelled from the country.

Monday’s blockade at Equinor Mongstad outside Bergen, Norway, gathered approximately 200 demonstrators from the widely media-covered group Extinction Rebellion. The activists blocked roads to the refinery, which is the country’s largest and primarily produces gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel.

Progress Party leader Sylvi Listhaug launches a fierce attack against Thunberg in a podcast with Bergen newspaper Bergens Tidende. She is upset that the Swedish activist repeatedly travels to Norway to participate in protests and actions, and believes that enough is enough.

Listhaug, who often profiles herself as a tough law-and-order politician, believes that Thunberg’s repeated demonstrations constitute a serious problem requiring drastic measures.

— I believe she should be expelled, says Listhaug, who even describes Thunberg as a “Swedish gang criminal”.

Thunberg, who temporarily left the demonstration to return on Tuesday, explained the action’s purpose in a press release:

“We are here because there is no future in oil. Fossil fuels lead to death and destruction”, it states.

“Breaks the rules of the game”

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre tries to navigate between fundamental rights and practical consequences. In Bergen newspaper Bergensavisen, he emphasizes that Norway stands firm on freedom of expression and demonstration, but simultaneously signals that the activists’ methods are unacceptable when they prevent ordinary people from getting to work.

— It breaks the rules of the game. There are people going to work and they shouldn’t have to experience insecurity with that, the prime minister emphasizes.

The view of Thunberg among European leaders has changed markedly since she was celebrated as a teenager at summits around the world.

After she expanded her activism to include criticism of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and other political issues, she has increasingly begun to be regarded as a disruptive element and an “extremist” who must be stopped or restricted – a sharp contrast to how she was previously portrayed as a hero and role model for young Europeans.

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