Spanish woman 'is oldest mother'

A 67-year-old Spanish woman is reported to have given birth to twins according to hospital officials in Barcelona, becoming the world's oldest mother.
She gave birth to the twins, who have been placed in an incubator, by caesarean section early on Saturday.
The woman is one year older than Romanian Adriana Iliescu who gave birth in January 2005 to a baby girl.
It's too late to get children at that old age. She could die before the kids reach school age.
Who want to become a mother at the age of 67?

Ancient ice shelf adrift

A giant ice shelf has snapped free from an island south of the North Pole, scientists said , citing climate change as a "major" reason for the event.

The Ayles Ice Shelf - 66 square kilometers (41 square miles) of it - broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of the North Pole in the Canadian Arctic.
This is a dramatic and disturbing event. It shows that we are losing remarkable features of the Canadian North that have been in place for many thousands of years.
We are crossing climate thresholds, and these may signal the onset of accelerated change ahead.
Hell and high water (book to read by Joe Romm)
Dagbladet

Sentenced for hundreds of rapes

An Oslo man was sentenced to eight years in prison for the systematic rapes of his stepdaughter over an eight-year period.

The man was also ordered to pay the girl NOK 200,000 (USD 32,000) in compensation.

According to Oslo City Court the 46-year-old began the rapes when the girl was 12 years old. They continued for three to four times a week when the girl was younger, and once or twice a week in recent years.

My opinion is that the sentence is too mild..

Dagbladet (norwegian)

Oil Heather is dangerous to its surroundings

This Oil Heater is dangerous
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!
(600W Pro Oil Heater OH-76B.)

This oil heater shot a jet of scorching oil four meters into a living room.
"If my daughter had been a few yards closer to the heater she would have received very serious burns. The oil is 200C (392F) and would have blinded her if it had hit her in the eyes," said the owner of this heater.
A series of incidents involving leaks led to the attempted banning of 17 different types of oil heaters in November.
Aftenposten( Norwegian)

Two entirely differents winter

Last winter















This winter

Rime frost

Pictures taken this morning

Rime is ice formed when a damp, icy wind blows over flowers, branches and other surfaces. Rime frost looks like icing around the edge of petals and leaves.

Tunnel avalanche aftermath

No one appears to have been injured in the massive rock fall in the southbound part of a tunnel nearby my town late on Christmas Day.
The 1765-meter (5790-foot) long tunnel opened for traffic on Oct. 30, 2001 and is on the major E-18 highway. The avalanche was reported to police at 10:55 p.m. on Christmas Day, and the drone of falling rock could still be heard coming from the tunnel three hours later.
Authorities believe that it is highly unlikely that anyone was killed in the avalanche.

Norwegians worry more

Norwegians have growing concerns about their quality of life, and it is factors closest to home that worry them the most.
A survey found that men worry more than women and that the age group 30-44 stands out as the segment most concerned about their lack of time for family matters. The results also indicated that the more money earned, the greater the concern that time for the family is in short supply.
The youngest age groups named their greatest fears as dying in traffic accidents and climate change. The older generation was most afraid of climate change, electricity prices and traffic accidents.

Twin aim to thaw Norway's figure skating freeze

Norway produced the legendary queen of the ice Sonja Henie and is famed for its winter sports, but the country hasn't fielded a figure skater in the Olympics for more than 40 years. Two twin sisters from suburban Oslo hope to change that very soon.
Anne Line and Camilla Gjersem are only 12 years old, but they're taking their figure skating seriously. Their goal is to skate in the Winter Olympics in 2010 or 2014.

View from my place on Christmas Eve

Northen Lights make unusual southern apperance

It's not common for the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis, Nordlys) to glimmer in the skies as far south as Oslo, at least not as brightly as they did late Thursday Night.

Late Thursday, though, the Northern Lights suddenly sent their characteristic waves of green right over the capital.

The Northern Lights are generated when solar particles in space, guided to the magnetic fields of the Earth's north and south poles, are stopped by the Earth's atmosphere and collide with atmospheric gases. The collision energy between the solar particle and the gas molecule is emitted as a photon, or light particle, and many of them create an aurora, the waves of lights that appear to move across the night sky.
Article from nearby my place (norwegian)

Arctic ice melting away

As Norway entered yet another December week of unseasonably warm temperatures, experts were warning that all the ice in the Arctic may melt by 2040.
The Arctic ice is melting faster than even the most pessimistic forecasts of just a few years ago. Norwegian climate experts have worried about the Arctic for years, while also noting how glaciers on the Norwegian mainland are shrinking by the year.

A local ornithologist noted that birds have started singing again because of the warm temperatures, thinking it's time to establish their territory on the eve of a new nesting season.

The unseasonably warm temperatures have also led to sightings of insects normally dormant at this time of year, while lawns are green and some plants are starting to blossom again. There's even been a pollen report already, something that normally isn't necessary until March at the earliest.


Aftenposten, Norwegian

Security around Royal family

At least 14 persons are believed to be obsessed with Norway's Princess Martha Louise and police are beefing up security around all members of the royal family, especially the women.
The family's female members appear to be the main targets, and that the royal escorts even fear an assassination attempt.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Queen Sonja are also believed to be targets of possible attacks, while an alleged plot to kidnap Crown Prince Haakon several years ago was reported in late October.

Mystery "princess"

Police in Bergen(Norway) have asked for help to identify a mystery woman who claims to be the Princess of Jerusalem, and has remained unidentified for months.
The woman, who calls herself Anastasia Jerusalem, speaks Spanish and English and was first arrested in Oslo on July 15 this year. She was released on condition that she report in regularly and has since been in Bergen.
Authorities have been unable to identify her, and do not even know what country she is from.
She looks sad.....
Somebody knows this woman, just get in touch with me...
Updated 09.12.06: This woman is possible spanish, lives i Alcudia and have two children.Her name is Mari Carmen Arocas (45). Why on earth does she mess around in Norway?
Updated 11.12.06: Mystery ‘princess’ identified. It was Mari Carmen Arocas.
The 45-year-old woman was recognized by the mayor of L'Alcudia after he saw a local newspaper account of the homeless, unidentified woman in Norway who spoke Spanish.
Her brother told that his family was grateful the missing woman had been found in Norway. Arrangements were being made for her return.

Lack of snow

December snow hasn't been so difficult to find in Norway for at least 60 years. From Finnmark in the far north to the mountains of southern Norway, there's a decisive lack of the white stuff, and that's posing some economic concerns along with local disappointment.

And there's no snow in sight (hip hip hurrah! hurrah!)
For that matter, the snow can stay away the whole winter...

Neo-nazi clothing 'abuses' Norway's flag

The Norwegian flag

Norwegian authorities are trying to stop the improper use of the Norwegian flag by a German clothing company that caters to neo-Nazis.
The clothing line is called "Thor Steinar," and it features the Norwegian flag, runic lettering and Norwegian names. The clothing is popular within neo-Nazi circles, and opponents say that's because Norwegian symbols are viewed as being "Aryan and Germanic."

Symbol of friendship

The 60th annual Christmas gift of a massive Norwegian spruce for London's Trafalgar Square is on the way, and this year's ceremony aims to guarantee the tradition endures.
Schoolchildren attending the felling ceremony rush to count the rings and check the age of this year's tree.
The three is one hundred years old and 26 meters (85.3 feet) high.
The annual Christmas tree for downtown London is Oslo's tribute to the help extended to Norway by the English during the Second World War. This is the 60th time a Norwegian spruce will grace the city.