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Drink Up, Ladies

Aug 19, 2010
There are three kinds of studies we hear about. (1) Something incredibly obvious turns out to be true. (2) Something you like is good for you. (3) Something you like is bad for you. Obviously we prefer No. 2s, like this study out of Norway that says drinking wine -- especially if you're a woman -- might make you smarter.

Compromise Would Legalize Commercial Whaling

Jun 21, 2010
The international community has totally failed to convince Japan, Iceland and Norway to stop hunting whales, including those facing extinction. A new proposal would allow the rogue nations to drop the pretense of scientific research in exchange for a reduction in kills, but environmentalists are skeptical.

Portugal’s Gay Marriage Proposal

Dec 19, 2009
Portugal is likely to become the sixth European nation -- after Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands -- to legalize gay marriage. The Portuguese government has proposed to change the country's official definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.

Cluster Bomb Treaty Steps Forward

Dec 3, 2008
It looks like a pact to ban current cluster bomb designs will take another step forward, with more than 100 countries slated to sign the treaty in the next couple of days. However, the U.S., Russia and China -- the largest cluster bomb manufacturers -- so far have refused to sign on.

In Norway Stripping Is an Art Form

Dec 7, 2006
An appeals court in Norway ruled in favor of the owners of a go-go bar in Oslo who had refused to pay taxes on entry fees on the grounds that striptease dancers are stage artists like sword swallowers and comedians and deserve the same status. According to the BBC report, the court ruled that "[s]triptease, in the way it is practised in this case, is a form of dance combined with acting" and should be exempt from the value-added tax.

Noah’s Ark in the Arctic: Doomsday Vault for Seeds

Jun 19, 2006
Norway is starting construction on a massive subterranean complex on the Arctic island of Svalbard to store seeds of all known crops in the world. More than 100 countries have signed on to the project, which is designed to reestablish plants in the wake of an apocalyptic manmade or natural attack. Norway's Agriculture Minister Terje Riis-Johansen called the vault a "Noah's Ark on Svalbard."