Man in Norway wakes to find huge container ship in garden
A man in Norway woke up to find a huge container ship had run aground and crashed into his front garden.The 135m-ship (443ft) missed Johan Helberg's house by metres at about 05:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Thursday.Mr Helberg was only alerted to the commotion by his panicked neighbour who had watched the ship as it headed straight for shore, in Byneset, near Trondheim."The doorbell rang at a time of day when I don't like to open," Mr Helberg told television channel TV2.
"I went to the window and was quite astonished to see a big ship," he added, in an interview with the Guardian."I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was so unreal."
Neighbour Jostein Jorgensen said he was woken by the sound of the ship as it headed at full speed towards land, and ran to Mr Helberg's house."I was sure that he was already outside, but no, there was no sign of life. I rang the doorbell many times and nothing," said Mr Jorgensen."And it was only when I called him on the phone that I managed to contact him," he told TV2.
The Cypriot-flagged cargo ship, the NCL Salten, had 16 people on board and was travelling south-west through the Trondheim Fjord to Orkanger when it went off course. No one was injured in the incident, AFP news agency reported.It is not known what caused the crash and Norwegian police are said to be investigating.
"It's a very bulky new neighbour but it will soon go away," Mr Helberg added.According to reports, the shop had previously run aground in 2023 but got free under its own power.
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Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
A-ha singer Morten Harket has Parkinson's disease
The lead singer of A-ha has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Morten Harket, the Norwegian synth-pop band 's frontman, released a statement on Wednesday about his diagnosis of the progressive neurological disorder and its effect on his career. The Take On Me singer, 65, admitted he was 'uncertain' about his future as a vocalist as he was 'trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline'. Harket, a father of five, underwent several rounds of brain surgery last year to manage his physical symptoms of the condition. A lengthy statement published on the band's website on Wednesday, written by their biographer, read: 'In recent years, Morten Harket has also been a man battling his own body. 'This isn't the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson's disease.' Harket told the biographer Jan Omdahl that he had wanted to reveal his condition to fans earlier, but that his need for 'peace and quiet to work has been stopping me'. He added that 'problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future'. Symptoms of Parkinson's, which is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, include tremor, slowness of movement and muscle rigidity. It is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. About 153,000 people in the UK have Parkinson's, but cases are predicted to rise to 172,000 by 2030 as the population ages. 'Managing side effects of medication' 'It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects,' Harket explained. 'There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.' The brand's frontman, who has been performing since the 1980s, said that at the moment, he did not 'feel like singing', explaining that 'for me, that's a sign'. He added: 'I'm broad-minded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. 'The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future.' Harket said he had 'taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works''. However, the musician has been making use of advanced technology in treating the disease, including using a method called deep brain stimulation (DBS). The neurosurgical procedure, which he had done in June and December last year, included implanting electrodes into the two sides of his brain. A-ha's biographer wrote that these surgeries 'led to a dramatic improvement in his symptoms'. 'The procedure had the desired effect: with the right electrical impulses now reaching Morten's brain, many of his physical symptoms practically vanished,' Mr Omdahl added. Harket's neurologist in Norway, Dr Christina Sundal, was previously a research fellow with the Parkinson's team at the Mayo Clinic. Mr Omdahl, who observed the lead singer at his summer home in Norway, described the symptoms as a 'never-ending roller-coaster ride'. Discussing his future as A-ha's vocalist, Harket said he 'can't answer' whether his voice is the best he could hope for following the DBS treatments. Impact of dopamine The vocalist, who is known for his unique singing voice and technique, explained: 'When we tune the frequencies and direction of the electrodes, it is also able to affect the region of the voice, but we're not yet able to capture and control it. 'The voice problem comes especially when I take dopamine supplements. If I don't take dopamine, my voice settles down – but then the general underlying symptoms become more pronounced.' The band, which was formed in Oslo in 1982, comprises guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, keyboardist Magne Furuholmen and lead singer Harket. A-ha have had nine top 10 singles in the UK chart, including the chart-topping track The Sun Always Shines on TV, and seven top 10 albums. Furuholmen said in an Instagram post on Wednesday: 'It is a day of sad news in A-ha world. Having known about Morten's diagnosis for some time does not take the force out of the blow, nor diminish the impact it has had, and will continue to have, on us – as people and as a band. 'Our thoughts are first and foremost with Morten and his family at a difficult time adjusting to the changes that this condition has brought into their lives. 'As the news brings sadness, it is worth to remember through the hurt that there is also a lot of gratitude: for all the amazing memories, for how our combined creative efforts as a band have been so generously embraced by the world, and for how lucky we are that people continue to find meaning, hope and joy in our shared musical legacy. 'All future A-ha-related activities will, of course, be tuned to suit Morten's situation, but together we will work to try and find ways to give you the best of ourselves. Thank you, everyone, for all your support, your kind words and consideration.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
A-ha frontman Morten Harket diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
A-ha frontman Morten Harket has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The 65-year-old has been lead singer of the Norwegian band since it was founded in 1982 - and sung the track "Take On Me" which remains one of the most popular songs of the 1980s. In a statement on the band's website, and confirmed by record label Sony Music, Harket said he had undergone several rounds of brain surgery and that he was managing the symptoms of the disease. Parkinson's causes deterioration in the brain's nervous system, leading to tremors and other symptoms that can become progressively worse over time. The disease can be treated with surgery and medication, but there is no cure. Harket said he underwent neurological procedures to have electrodes implanted inside his brain last year and that this had reduced the symptoms. Known for the wide range of his voice, Harket said he did not know if he would be able to perform again. "I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis," he said, adding that it was difficult to balance medication and managing side effects of the treatment. "I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline," Harket said. Formed in 1982 by Harket and his friends Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, A-ha saw a global breakthrough in 1985 with their debut album "Hunting High and Low" featuring "Take On Me" and the hit "The Sun Always Shines on TV".
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
A-ha star Morten Harket diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
A-ha frontman Morten Harket has been diagnosed with Parkinson's news was announced on Wednesday on the Norwegian synth-pop band's official website in an article written by their biographer Jan Omdahl, which also revealed the singer had already undergone brain surgery 65, said he had "no problem accepting the diagnosis". He added: "With time, I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works'".A-Ha are best known for their megahit Take On Me, taken from their 1985 debut album Hunting High and Low which peaked at number two in the UK chart. Omdahl, who penned the A-ha biography The Swing of Things, wrote: "You know him as A-ha's iconic frontman, a divinely gifted singer, reluctant pop star, solo artist, songwriter, eccentric thinker, father of five and a grandfather too, but in recent years Morten Harket has also been a man battling his own body."This isn't the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson's disease." He went on to note how the singer's condition had until now remained strictly private, but for a few people in his immediate circle who knew he was also wrote about how the "unpredictable consequences" and stress of going public with the illness had led him holding off making an announcement."Part of me wanted to reveal it," Harket told him. "Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn't a problem for me; it's my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me."I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline. It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. "There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general."According to the NHS website, Parkinson's disease is caused by "a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra" which leads to "a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain."Dopamine plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body, and so symptons can include involuntary shaking, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles; as well as depression and anxiety. 'I don't feel like singing' Omdahl stressed that while Harket will have to live with the disease for the rest of his life, medication and brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the US have, he said, "softened the impact of his symptoms".He said the star underwent an advanced neurosurgical procedure - called deep brain stimulation (DBS) - in June last year, in which "electrodes were implanted deep inside the left side of his brain."In December 2024, Harket underwent a similar procedure on the right side of his brain, he added, which was also he can still drive his car, Harket is less sure about his future as a singer."The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future," he biographer described how, on good days, Harket shows "virtually no sign of many of the most familiar physical symptoms of Parkinson's" but still requires a "round-the-clock effort" to balance medication, signals from the electrodes in his brain, sleep, blood sugar and his mindset - to keep the symptoms at bay."This isn't always successful, and is more like a never-ending rollercoaster ride," added by the writer if he can sing now at all, Harket replied: "I don't really know. I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign."I'm broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. "As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future."He added: "I see singing as my responsibility, and at certain moments I think it's absolutely fantastic that I get to do it."But I've got other passions too, I have other things that are just as big a part of me, that are just as necessary and true." The article highlighted how other stars who have lived with Parkinson's include fellow singer Ozzie Osbourne, actor Michael J Fox and late boxing champion Muhammad said he was now going to "listen the professionals", urging fans "don't worry about me"."Spend your energy and effort addressing real problems, and know that I am being taken care of."He revealed he has been working on new song lyrics but was "not sure" if he'll be able to finish and release them."Time will tell if they make it. I really like the idea of just going for it, as a Parkinson's patient and an artist, with something completely outside the box."It's all up to me, I just have to get this out of the way first."He concluded: "It used to bother me to think about my sickness becoming public knowledge. In the long run it bothers me more to have to protect something that is strictly a private matter by treating it as a secret."Harket, who also enjoyed a solo career and co-hosted the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, was knighted in Norway in 1992 - along with his A-ha bandmates Pål Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen - for their services to Norwegian music and international success.
