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☆ Many of the world’s happiest countries are also the best for women, research shows—here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the organization behind the World Happiness Report, uses six factors to score countries' happiness: social support, income, health, freedom, generosity and absence of corruption. The WEF compares countries' gender gaps across four dimensions: economic opportunities; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment. It's no coincidence that the world's happiest countries also champion gender equality socially and economically. How Nordic countries use social policies to promote gender equality and happinessIn its research, the WEF establishes a clear correlation between social policies, families' happiness and women's career advancement. The Nordic countries — Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway — have some of the most generous paid leave policies for parents in the world.

Persons: Alexa, Norway's, Linda Akeson McGurk, McGurk Organizations: UN Sustainable Development Solutions, Sweden, Organisation for Economic Co, Development Locations: American, Bergen, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, U.S, Swedish

☆ NATO navies can exploit a Russian fear and keep Putin from invading more neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today, NATO's naval power is far superior to Russia's. NATO may dominate the oceans, but that may not be much help if Russian tanks invade the Baltic States or Poland. Or more specifically, use naval power to scare Moscow into allocating its scarce resources to defending its huge coastlines rather than invading neighbors. "Rather than naval combat per se, the purpose of Russian sea power is to ensure that the Russian state can compete and engage in conflict safely and effectively," the essay said. In 2024, the fear is that NATO ships could launch long-range guided missiles at the Russian heartland.

Persons: Napoleon, Hitler fumed, Russia —, Kaushal, Rene Balletta, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Channel, Royal Navy, NATO, Alliance, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Russian Navy, Black, Century, Russia, Russian Army and Aerospace Forces, West, Baltic, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: British, Russia, Baltic States, Poland, Moscow, Britain, Europe, Asia, Russian, Crimean, Sevastopol, Ukraine, Russia's, Finland, Norway, Forbes

☆ ‘Backtracking:’ A year of climate failures ahead of a crucial summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And yet, even as the climate crisis inserts itself viscerally into people’s lives, experts say the year has seen alarming backsliding on climate action. Green policies have been watered down, huge new oil and gas projects have been greenlit and coal has had something of a resurgence. As countries gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate summit, there are “high expectations,” said Harjeet Singh, the head of global political strategy at nonprofit Climate Action Network International. It sent worrying signals about climate backtracking, said Elisa Giannelli, a senior policy advisor at climate think tank E3G. Around 50% of its total capital spending needs to go toward clean energy projects by 2030, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Harjeet Singh, Kaveh Guilanpour, Singh, Biden, “, Erik Grafe, Joe Biden, Countess, Norway —, Elisa Giannelli, “ It’s, Rishi Sunak, Joeri Rogelj, Flora Champenois, It’s, Bernd Lauter, ” Rogelj, Darren Woods, Bernard Looney, Fatih Birol, Guilanpour, Claire Fyson, ” Fyson, “ we’re, ” CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Ivana Kottasová, Gan Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Action, “, Climate, Energy Solutions, US Department of Interior, Imperial College London, Global Energy Monitor, GEM, Getty, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Exxon, IEA, Climate Analytics Locations: Canada, Libyan, Dubai, Alaska, Washington ,, Australia, Norway, Europe, Germany, China, Asia, Ukraine, Eschweiler, COP28

☆ Europe Moves to Fill Weapons Gap Amid Doubts About U.S. Commitment to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Lara Jakes | More About Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Faced with growing American reluctance to send more military aid to Ukraine, European leaders are moving to fill the gap, vowing new support for Kyiv as it battles Russia in a war in Europe’s backyard. Several countries — including Germany, Britain and Norway — are increasing production of weapons, especially the artillery ammunition that Ukraine so badly needs. Germany, once a laggard in providing aid to Ukraine, announced a week ago that it planned to double its support to $8.5 billion in 2024 and would deliver more crucial air-defense systems by the end of this year. And European Union states are gearing up to train an additional 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, bringing the total so far to 40,000. But that may be little comfort to Ukraine, where a counteroffensive against invading Russian forces has stalled as winter approaches, and officials say more support is needed now, even as many countries turn their attention to the Israel-Gaza war.

Persons: Kajsa Ollongren Organizations: Kyiv, Union, Clingendael Institute Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Britain, Norway, Israel, Gaza

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s central bank raised its key interest rate Thursday, saying that “inflationary pressures in the Swedish economy are still too high,” although there were signs that inflation had begun to fall. Sweden has been struggling with high inflation — it was 7.5% in August, down from 9.3% in July, but far from the 2% target set by Sweden’s central bank. Thursday's interest rate increase meant that the policy rate is at the highest level since October 2008, the Swedish news agency TT wrote. Norway's central bank also raised its policy rate by a quarter-point on Thursday, to 4.25%. “Persistently high inflation imposes substantial costs on society,” Norges Bank said, adding that ”a somewhat higher interest rate is needed to bring inflation down to target within a reasonable horizon.”The moves came on a busy day of central bank action.

Persons: Ida Wolden Bache, — Organizations: STOCKHOLM, U.S ., TT, Norges Bank Gov, ”, ” Norges Bank, Bank of England, Swiss National Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve Locations: Swedish, Sweden, Ukraine, Norway

☆ Women’s World Cup: New Zealand Takes Aim at Another First
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Claire Fahy | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Hannah Wilkinson after New Zealand’s 1-0 win over Norway, its first-ever win at the Women’s World Cup. The South Koreans have made it to the knockout stages once in three previous World Cup appearances, in 2015. New Zealand vs. Philippines New Zealand’s players shocked many people — including themselves — by upsetting Norway, 1-0, in the opening match of the World Cup. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/WGhond6p7h — Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) July 21, 2023 The Philippines lost, 2-0, to Switzerland in its World Cup debut. The Norwegians are led by Ada Hegerberg, the 28-year-old striker — and former world player of the year — who sat out the 2019 World Cup in protest of her federation’s treatment of women’s soccer.

Persons: Hannah Wilkinson, Andrew Cornaga, Norway —, —, “, WGhond6p7h, Jeff Carlisle, Alen Stajcic, Ada Hegerberg, Ramona Bachmann, Germain Organizations: Football Ferns, New, Associated Press New, New Zealand, Copa América, Ireland, ”, Ferns, FIFA, United, Switzerland, European, Paris St Locations: Philippines, Colombia, South Korea, Norway, Associated Press New Zealand, New Zealand, Wellington, Switzerland, Korea Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, ” Colombia, China, Sydney, Australia, United States, America, Australian, ” Switzerland, Norway Norway, Swiss

Here is a look at the F-16, why Ukraine wants it and why the Biden administration is hesitant to supply it. It has flown in American conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and on homeland defense missions in U.S. airspace. There are approximately 3,000 currently in active military service worldwide, including hundreds in the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Without modern fighter jets, “no air defense system will be perfect,” President Volodymyr Zelensky told European leaders gathered at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, this week. He also said it would be unlikely for Britain, with its “special relationship” with America, to push ahead with trying to provide F-16s if the Biden administration was not at least somewhat on board.

☆ In Norway, the Electric Vehicle Future Has Already Arrived
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jack Ewing | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BAMBLE, Norway — About 110 miles south of Oslo, along a highway lined with pine and birch trees, a shiny fueling station offers a glimpse of a future where electric vehicles rule. Chargers far outnumber gasoline pumps at the service area operated by Circle K, a retail chain that got its start in Texas. During summer weekends, when Oslo residents flee to country cottages, the line to recharge sometimes backs up down the off-ramp. Last year, 80 percent of new-car sales in Norway were electric, putting the country at the vanguard of the shift to battery-powered mobility. It has also turned Norway into an observatory for figuring out what the electric vehicle revolution might mean for the environment, workers and life in general.

☆ NATO's newest member means Russia's 'unsinkable aircraft carrier' will be even more isolated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Finland also extends NATO's border along the Baltic Sea, which has been called a "NATO lake." That further isolates Russia's Kaliningrad region, which is surrounded by NATO member countries. Kaliningrad is a major military outpost, hosting Russia's Baltic Fleet and other forces, and has been called an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" that allows Moscow to project power deep into NATO and EU territory. However, some Baltic Fleet units were redeployed to Ukraine where they have reportedly suffered very high casualties. Russia's Baltic Fleet is based in Baltiysk and is composed of warships — mostly corvettes and a number of support ships — infantry and armored units, and aviation and air-defense forces.

☆ Norway’s fossil fuel bonanza stokes impassioned debate about how best to spend its ‘war profits’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It has ignited an impassioned debate about international justice, with many questioning whether it is fair for Norway to rake in record oil and gas revenues at the expense of others' misfortune. Norway's Finance Ministry expects the state's revenues from oil and gas sales to climb to 1.38 trillion Norwegian krone ($131 billion) this year. "They are war profits," Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, director of the Norwegian Climate Foundation think tank, told CNBC via telephone. Oil companies are getting richer and richer, but we don't see that money — and who is really paying for this? The so-called Government Pension Fund Global, among the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, was established in the 1990s to invest the surplus revenues of Norway's oil and gas sector.

☆ Why a top Roche scientist is leaving after 25 years to join a rising biotech startup using fungi to make new drugs
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After 25 years at the pharma giant Roche, the drug hunter Martin Stahl is leaving to join a biotech. CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — A longtime drug-hunting veteran is leaving one of the largest drugmakers to lead the science division at the biotech startup LifeMine Therapeutics, Insider has learned. FogPharmaThe big draw for Stahl was LifeMine's approach to discovering drugs. With its genetic-database approach, LifeMine hopes to greatly speed up how long it takes to develop fungi-derived drugs. Stahl said LifeMine's approach leaned on nature, rather than medicinal chemists, to design the drugs.

Seierstad works a small miracle here, rigorously detailing how a lonely boy became a lonely, dangerous man while creating just as much space to tell the stories of those affected by the massacre. We learn about the high school sweethearts, madly in love, who raise two sons the community adores. We meet parents who named their firstborn daughter after a snowfall in a hospital without electricity, years before they emigrate to Norway. I'll warn you that it was difficult to read about a mass shooting when our nation has so many. But Norway's communal spirit, and the humanity recreated through Seierstad's perspective, managed to elicit an unlikely feeling of hope in me.

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