**Norway News Round‑up – Tuesday, 8 September 2024**
**Airlines cancel flights to Oslo for King Harald V’s funeral**
SAS and Norwegian Air Shuttle have cancelled a number of flights to and from Oslo Airport, Oslo, in preparation for the funeral of King Harald V. According to TV 2, the state airport operator Avinor has requested a reduction in air traffic on Wednesday morning and afternoon to accommodate official arrival flights. Norwegian has cancelled 16 flights, mainly on domestic routes such as Oslo–Bergen, Oslo–Stavanger and Oslo–Trondheim. Avinor said it is working closely with the airlines to keep regular flights running smoothly alongside the ceremonial traffic. Avinor communications adviser Camilla Haugen Walla told the newspaper VG that a total of about 40 flights have been cancelled and that affected passengers have been contacted directly by their airlines.
**Roadblocks and traffic restrictions ahead of the funeral**
Police have established roadblocks on highway 159 and lane narrowings will remain in place throughout the morning and afternoon on Tuesday. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s Department Director Anne Grethe Hestenes warned that traffic will be “very demanding” on 8 and 9 September and urged drivers to avoid Oslo if possible. Restrictions also affect the E6 motorway between Gardermoen Airport and Oslo, with traffic limited from 6 am to 8 pm on Tuesday and from 7 am to 8 pm on Wednesday.
**Progress Party remains largest in latest opinion poll**
A Norstat poll conducted for NRK, Dagbladet and Vårt Land shows the Progress Party holding steady above 30 percent, making it the country’s largest political party for the tenth consecutive time. The Labour Party fell slightly to 22 percent, while most other parties remained about the same as the previous month. Political debate has largely paused following the king’s death.
**Detention of Marius Borg Høiby extended**
Oslo District Court extended the pre‑trial detention of 29‑year‑old Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Queen Mette‑Marit, until 5 October. Høiby had previously agreed to continued custody under electronic monitoring. The court’s ruling requires him to undergo mandatory drug testing on a schedule set by the prosecution in cooperation with the Norwegian Correctional Service. Despite the extension, Høiby has been granted special permission to attend King Harald V’s funeral service on 9 September.
**Yara launches first commercial cross‑border carbon‑capture project**
Norwegian fertiliser company Yara has begun capturing CO₂ emissions at its Sluiskil plant in the Netherlands, launching the world’s first commercial cross‑border carbon‑capture and storage (CCS) project. The facility will capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, roughly 0.5 percent of the Netherlands’ total annual emissions. The CO₂ will be liquefied and transported by specialised vessels to the Northern Lights reception terminal in Øygarden, Norway, where it will
Article and image source: thelocal.no
