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| ICT news: |
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Against all odds, broadband internet continues to grow in the EU
With more than 11 million new fixed lines laid in a year, the take up of broadband internet continues to grow in Europe. According to a report published today by the European Commission, 24% of the EU population had a broadband access line subscription in July 2009, up from 21.6% in July 2008. Read more |
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Internet Governance Forum: Commission welcomes landmark step towards a truly global internet
At the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), the European Commission has welcomed a landmark step towards a truly global (and local) internet: the announcement that "Internationalised Domain Names" will be introduced at the top level. Until now, internet domain names were either fully or partly in the Latin "a to z" alphabet. Read more |
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| Finance, market and government news: |
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Energy-saving buildings: agreement reached
All buildings built after 31 December 2020 must have high energy-saving standards and be powered to a large extent by renewable energy. Public authorities will lead the way two years earlier and part of the funding for these changes will come from the EU. Read more |
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Energy efficiency label: MEPs and Council Presidency agree on classes for white goods
Any advertisement promoting price or energy efficiency of fridges, washing machines or ovens will have to indicate the product's energy class, MEPs agreed with the Swedish Presidency on Tuesday. Read more
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Commission monitoring report on protectionist measures taken by key trading partners: worst-case scenario avoided
According to a new monitoring report published today by the European Commission, the European Union's major trade partners have taken more than 220 potentially trade restrictive measures between October 2008 and October 2009. Measures range from classical trade barriers such as import bans or tariff increases to more sophisticated measures such as "buy national" policies. Read more |
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Pollution: new European register gives public access to information on emissions from European industrial facilities
The European Commission and the European Environment Agency has launched a comprehensive new European pollutant release and transfer register – E-PRTR. The register contains information about the emissions of pollutants to air, water and land by industrial facilities throughout Europe. Read more |
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NEW EU PRESIDENT AND HIGH REPRESENTATIVE TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Following the decision taken by the European Council yesterday, BUSINESSEUROPE congratulates Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton on their appointment as new permanent President of the European Council and the new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Read more |
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Commission adopts communication on releasing the potential of public private partnerships
The Commission has set out a framework for encouraging the use of public private partnerships (PPPs) to meet existing and future needs for investment in public services, infrastructure and research in Europe. When properly managed in the current and future public interest, PPPs can bring immense benefits. Read more |
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EURES: matching people with jobs for 15 years
The European network of employment services (EURES) celebrates 15 years of helping people find a job in another European country. EURES brings together public employment services from 31 European countries and offers direct online access to over 700,000 job vacancies every day. In parallel, job mobility experts from around the EU are gathering in Brussels to discuss the future shape of the service and its role in tackling unemployment in Europe. Read more |
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Recession comes to an end
Eurozone countries emerge from recession in the third quarter, according to Eurostat. The economy of the EU has returned to growth after five consecutive quarters of contraction, according to preliminary figures published by Eurostat, the European Commission's statistical office. Read more |
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OECD: Norway out of the financial crisis by 2011
Norway will be the first country to completely recover from the financial crisis, and its economy should be back to full capacity by 2011, according to the Organisaation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Read more |
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| Various Norwegian-British news: |
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Prime Minister Stoltenberg gives speech at LSE
The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, gave a speech on energy and the environment at the London School of Economics on Friday 20 November.
Jens Stoltenberg gave a speech as one of the LSE European Institute “Perspectives on Europe” with his lecture entitled "The Copenhagen Challenge: Reconciling Energy and the Environment". Read more |
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Population increase still high
The population of Norway increased by 17,100 persons in the third quarter and has now reached 4,843,000. A little more than 60 per cent of the increase is due to immigration. Read more |
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Chess: Carlsen wins World Blitz Championship
Norwegian chess ace Magnus Carlsen (18) on Wednesday won the World Blitz Championship 2009 - FINAL in Moscow, and became the world's youngest world blitz champion. Read more |
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| External events: |
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Christmas Concert at the Norwegian Seamen's Church 5 December
Musicians: Ketil Bjørnstad & Gisle-Børge Styve. Read more |
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Annual JCC & McGuireWoods Christmas Party!
Kick-off the Christmas celebrations Swedish style with the always popular JCC & McGuireWoods Christmas Party on the 28th November. Read more |
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"Mood Paintings of the North"
The works of one of Norway’s most distinguished landscape painters, Ørnulf Opdahl, will be exhibited at Kings Place Gallery from November to February. Read more |
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Susanna and the Magical Orchestra
Talented Norwegian duo with gigs in London and Brighton.
The music of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra has a retro-futuristic edge to it, the arrangements evolving and varied, the words reflecting such topics as inner conflicts, human relations, outer space, stars and planets, journeys to unknown galaxies and more. The band consists of Susanna Wallumrød on vocals and Morten Qvenild on keyboard. Read more |
