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Hans India
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
World Champ Gukesh reaches Norway; calls face-off with Magnus Carlsen as ‘fun challenge'
The youngest world chess champion-ever Gukesh Dommaraju arrived in Stavanger on Saturday for the most-awaited contest of the year at the Norway Chess 2025, scheduled to begin on Monday here at the Sparebank 1 Sor-Norge headquarters. For the first time since he was crowned the world chess champion, after beating Ding Liren in a best-of-14-game match in Singapore last year, the 18-year-old will face off against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen in the classical format. Speaking about taking on the Norwegian icon Carlsen in his backyard, Gukesh said, 'I feel great being here (in Stavanger). I've had good memories of Norway. I am sure playing Magnus here in a classical game will be a fun challenge. Also, for the spectators, it is about the world champion versus the No.1 player in the world. It surely sounds very exciting, so it's surely something I am very happy to give to myself and the chess fans. And I hope it will be a treat.' The last time Gukesh participated in Norway Chess was in 2023, where he finished third, securing the crucial FIDE Circuit points needed to qualify for the 2024 Candidates Tournament. This achievement made him the third-youngest player in history to qualify for a Candidates tournament, following in the footsteps of Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen. By August 2023, Gukesh shattered another record, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve a rating of 2750. A month later, in September 2023, he surpassed Viswanathan Anand as India's top-ranked player, marking the first time in 37 years that someone other than Anand held this distinction. He was on song in 2024, starting the year with a first-place finish at the Tata Steel Masters in January, and dominated the Candidates Tournament, securing his spot in the World Chess Championship match. At the Olympiad, he led Team India to gold while earning an individual gold medal on board one with an outstanding performance. Elaborating on keeping up with the expectations, particularly after his recent success, Gukesh said, 'It is a new level. But when I see it as a challenge to prove to myself that I can handle this. Even though the expectations are high, I can meet them if I keep working hard and doing my best.' Among the challenges in a classical game, Gukesh feels one of the things to be wary of is fighting his own thoughts. 'In a classical game, you end up playing for five hours, and those are the times you cannot be fully thinking about the game. I think there are random thoughts that come into our minds, but the important thing is to stay in the game and come back to those thoughts later. This is the purpose of the note that you're making. And you can't afford to allow weak moments,' he explained. The draw for the Norway Chess 2025 and Norway Chess Women 2025 will be held later in the day. India's Arjun Erigaisi will also feature in the Norway Chess which will have one of the strongest line-up including Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Wei Yi (China) and in Norway Chess Women 2025, Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Koneru Humpy (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali R. (India) and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain) will fight for top honours.
Local Norway
16-05-2025
- Business
- Local Norway
Should consumers in Norway be worried about increased debt?
Norway is situated in the juxtaposition of being both a wealthy country and having high levels of household income to debt. The country's central bank has previously said that the high levels of debt to income was a key vulnerability in the Norwegian financial system While the debt is mostly linked to a culture of homeownership and most people having a mortgage, Gjeldsregisteret AS, a debt registry, has reported that the number of Norwegians with consumer debts like loans and credit cards was at record levels in May 2024. According to the register, some 3.43 million Norwegians had some form of consumer debt, an increase of 240,000 in the previous year. Egil Årrestad, press officer for the debt registry, told broadcaster TV 2 that the number of people with consumer debt wasn't worrying in itself, as those with credit cards make up part of the figures, regardless of whether the card had been used or not. However, TV 2 also reported that debt collection agencies have seen an increase in the number of cases they have been assigned. 'An increasing number of consumer loans and credit card use are having a clear impact. We are seeing an increase in debt collection cases of as much as 20 percent compared to the same period last year,' debt collection consultant Geir Grindland told TV 2. 'There are many who are unable to repay what they owe. When consumer debt increases so sharply, it is a warning light,' he added. In addition to seeing an increase in the number of payment notices issued, he has said he experienced a growth in the total amount owed, which he said indicated more and more people were in financial distress. 'The consequences can be dramatic for individuals,' he said. Among the consequences were payment notices which could affect the debtor's ability to get a mortgage, rent a home, get credit and enter into agreements with phone and utility suppliers. Advertisement Grindland also warned that overdue bills can lead to debt spirals where consumers take out loans and credit to pay off outstanding debts, and that such problems can affect one's personal finances for years and impact their mental health and quality of life. Consumer economist for Sparebank 1, Magne Gundersen, said the increase could be linked to high interest rates and an increased cost of living. 'There is a strong growth. There is no doubt that it is related to expensive times and high interest rates, which means that more people are under pressure now,' he said. What happens if you don't pay a bill in Norway? Generally, you can expect to receive a reminder if you miss a bill. This bill, normally with a small fee on top of the original bill, acts as a second chance to pay off the bill before it progresses further. Advertisement When you are issued a reminder, you will typically have 14 days to pay off the bill. If the reminder is ignored, the creditor can issue a formal debt collection notice, which also comes with a deadline. Should you fail to pay this, the bill will be transferred to a debt collection agency, and continual non-payment may lead to legal enforcement. You could also end up being issued with a betalingsanmerkning or payment remark. This can affect your ability to obtain credit. However, the remark is normally removed once the debt is fully repaid. READ MORE: What happens if you don't pay a bill in Norway?
Local Norway
15-04-2025
- Local Norway
What's open and what's closed in Norway over Easter
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are four of the most anticipated days in Norway, as it typically means five days off work for most. Many also like to use their annual leave around this time to maximise their days off. Aside from skiving off work, Easter in Norway is fantastic as the country is normally treated to milder temperatures – making trips out to the mountains or out into nature fantastic. However, the downside of all these public holidays is that everything closes. This makes it pretty easy to find yourself in a pinch if you fail to stock up properly. Shops Maundy Thursday is a public holiday, meaning all but small convenience stores will be shut. The same applies to Good Friday and Easter Monday. Easter Sunday, being a Sunday and public holiday, also means stores will be closed. Even though Saturday is a 'normal' day, reduced operating hours will be in place at most shops and supermarkets. Expect supermarkets to close at around 4pm, and for smaller independent shops to stay completely closed. This means there won't be any normal trading hours between Wednesday, April 16th and Tuesday, April 22nd. Advertisement Some areas with large numbers of tourists (excluding big cities like Oslo and Bergen) have special rules that allow stores to remain open. In resort towns like Hemsedal, you can expect stores to remain open, albeit with reduced hours. Alcohol sales Norway's wine monopoly, the only place to buy alcohol stronger than 4.75 percent for home consumption, will have reduced opening hours on Wednesday, April 16th. It will then close on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Polet' as it's affectionally called, will reopen on Saturday, April 19th, but close at 3pm – an hour earlier than usual for Saturdays. No stores in Norway can sell any alcohol on the public holidays. Several local areas will also have different hours for when they can sell beer. Oslo Municipality: Wednesday before Maundy Thursday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Easter Eve, 9am - 6pm Bergen Municipality: Wednesday before Maundy Thursday 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Easter Eve 8am – 3pm Trondheim Municipality: Wednesday before Maundy Thursday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Easter Eve, 9am – 3pm Stavanger Municipality: Wednesday before Maundy Thursday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Easter Eve 8am – 6pm Tromsø Municipality: Wednesday before Maundy Thursday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Easter Eve 8am – 3pm Banks It's best to sort out your banking needs as soon as possible. If you want to send someone money via your bank account, you will need to do so fairly early on the Wednesday before Maundy Thursday. Different banks have different opening times and deadlines; for example, Nordea has ordinary deadlines, but Sparebank 1 has a deadline of 1.30pm unless sending money to someone with the same bank . Advertisement Should you make a payment after this date, the recipient won't receive the money until Tuesday, April 22nd. There will also be tighter deadlines for sending money abroad. Healthcare and pharmacies Doctor's offices will close on public holidays and Saturdays, and they will likely have reduced operating hours on Wednesday before Maundy Thursday. Pharmacies will be closed on public holidays too. If you need medical care, you can try the out-of-hours medical service. The number for this service is 116 117. Every local authority in Norway has its own out-of-hour medical room if you need to see a doctor. Alternatively, if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you should contact the medical emergency number in Norway, 113, and the service will send an ambulance to your location. Bars, restaurants and coffee shops This will be hit-and-miss in many locations. In tourist areas and big cities, you can expect a reasonable number of locations to remain open. However, many of the places staying open may be booked up over the Easter break, so a bit of preparation may be required when finding something to eat. Attractions Practically every attraction will close over the public holidays. However, ski centres, where there is enough snow, and other Easter favourite attractions will remain open.
