News that Australia has, for the second year in a row, come second — behind Norway — in the United Nations’ Development Program’s Human Development Index is an opportunity for reflection, writes freelancer David Ritter.
Norway
Rundle: ideology aside, free speech is worth fighting for
Following the Norway massacre, three dominant arguments have emerged on the Left.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Reprehensible reporting of Norway massacre
Crikey readers have their say.
Norway: the campers on the other side of the lake
A group of campers next to a lake in Norway were having a quiet afternoon when terrified teenagers appeared from the water explaining that a gunman was killing people on the island just 600m from them. The campers immediately jumped into a boat…
Breivik? It’s not a Muslim name
Shakira Hussein waits to hear the name of the perpetrator of each atrocity, bracing herself against the inevitable backlash if it should be a Muslim name. But, says Hussein, we need to break this mood of instinctive defensiveness.
The rise of Norway’s hard right
Crikey media wrap: Norway is left reeling not only from the death of 93 people but also the implications of a homegrown terrorist intent on killing innocent citizens to fight against the “mulculturalism” of Europe.
Living on the Norwegian edge
Weaving through the Nordic coast line where the roads were windy, the cliffs were steep and houses were painted a compulsory white, Sarah Baker hiked up the famous Pulpit Rock, where daring climbers can dangle their legs over the end of the world.
PHOTO GALLERY: Norway’s new green-roofed hotel
In 2008 a European architectural company won a competition to design an eco-friendly Two Seasons Hotel in Norway. The result: a rather spectacular and weird looking Dali-esque building with an undulating green roof.
Video of the Day: Scenes from a Norwegian rooftop
No, these aren’t miniature toy people, it’s video shot from a rooftop in Bergen, Norway. The video’s creator, Paul Johannessen, has written on Back in a Bit about what it’s like to live in the whaling nation.
Living in a whaling nation: Norway’s long, cold winter
Norway is known for perhaps only a few things: fjords, whaling, smoked salmon, and being one of the richest countries in the world. And of course the whole blonde blue-eyed thing, writes Paul Johannessen.
The world’s most humane prison
Flat-screen TVs, minifridges, stainless steel kitchens, music lessons and cooking classes. It isn’t a holiday resort — it’s Norway’s Halden Fengsel Prison.
Russian missiles in Norway? The truth is out there…
No-one has come up with an explanation for a very strange sight over northern Norwegian skies early yesterday morning, with some suggesting Russian missiles or lasers, while others have another explanation… Ben Sandilands investigates.
Australia: the (second) best place to live on Earth
The UN has released its latest Human Development Index, placing Australia just behind Norway in its ranking of desirable places to live. Well sure, if you like herring and Vikings…
Norway keeps out the hard Right — for now
The fate of Norway’s government is likely not a matter of importance unless you happen to be Norwegian. But what the election revealed about the state of its Opposition is of much more general interest.
Oslo’s new opera star
The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet house, set on the waterfront, is becoming the centre of public life. The architectural marvel is the most visible symbol of a city set on reimagining itself, says Christopher Hume.
