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Food health star ratings can improve diets, study finds

More evidence has emerged that food labelling can encourage manufacturers to improve product nutrition, but University of Melbourne experts say the star labelling system must be compulsory to make a big difference.

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Research News

 

More evidence has emerged that food labelling can encourage manufacturers to improve product nutrition, but University of Melbourne experts say the star labelling system must be compulsory to make a big difference.

A team from the University of Melbourne, the University of Auckland, and the George Institute for Global Health analysed product nutrition labels in Sydney and Auckland supermarkets to see if the Health Star Rating system (HSR) made a difference to how the food industry formulates food.

Nutritional information is mandatory on the back of packaged Australian and New Zealand foods but HSR labels, which have appeared on the front since 2014 and rate a food from 0.5 (least healthy) to five (most healthy) stars, are voluntary.

The most comprehensive study of food industry response to the HSR system, published in PLOS Medicine, has confirmed that HSR labelling causes some products to become healthier.

The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation introduced the voluntary front-of-pack HSR and a published HSR calculator decides how many stars a food gets. HSR labels aim to improve diets by encouraging consumers to choose healthier products and prompting manufacturers to reformulate their products to be healthier.

This study looked at the reformulation effects of HSR labels. Researchers analysed nutrition and labelling information on packaged products in four major New Zealand supermarkets annually from 2013, and Sydney supermarkets Aldi, Coles, IGA, and Woolworths from 2014.

They tracked the nutrition information of 58,905 unique packaged food products to see if HSR labelling led to nutrient composition changes. Using the HSR calculator, they also scored unlabelled products to allow control comparisons.

Products that elected to display the HSR on-pack were 6.5 and 10.7 per cent more likely to increase their HSR score by 0.5 stars than those that didn't display the stars in Australia and New Zealand respectively.

New Zealand products with HSR showed a four per cent decline in salt content, while Australian products fell by 1.4 per cent. The HSR was associated with a 2.3 per cent decrease in sugar content in New Zealand and a statistically insignificant 1.1 per cent decline in Australia.

The healthiest products that would have scored four to five stars showed little healthier reformulation - most reformulation occurred in less healthy products with HSR labels.

In Australia, an average product with HSR that scored 0.5 to 1.5 stars lost 14kJ of energy per 100g (1.3 per cent), compared to a product that scored four to five stars which saw almost no changes in energy. Similar patterns were observed for almost all nutrients studied in both countries.

Lead author and University of Melbourne Research Fellow Dr Laxman Bablani said while the improvements sounded small, even modest changes could lead to big health impacts at a population level.

"If the labels were compulsory the impact could be much greater, as HSR adoption by the unhealthiest products was less than half that of the healthiest products," Dr Bablani said.

In 2019, around 15 per cent of products that scored two stars had HSR labels in both countries, compared to more than 35 per cent of those that scored four stars and above. Examples of positive reformulation included:

• A popular flavoured cracker now has six per cent less fat and roughly 10 per cent less sodium per 100g than before it adopted HSR labels in 2016. This took it from 1.5 to two stars.

• Several instant soup varieties cut sodium and energy to increase their rating from three to 3.5 stars in the year they were labelled.

• A major supermarket branded barbeque sauce cut sugar by 4.5g per 100g (9.6 per cent) in 2017 when it adopted HSR labels.

University of Auckland Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu said the HSR could have a much bigger impact if more unhealthy products adopted it.

"Our study suggests that the total effect of HSR on supporting healthier population diets could be markedly increased if it was adopted by many more products," Professor Ni Mhurchu said.

"In short, it suggests that making the HSR mandatory would generate substantially greater public health benefits than the current voluntary system."

Senior author and University of Melbourne Professor Tony Blakely agreed compulsory HSR labels could improve unhealthy foods.

"There is little incentive for manufacturers to label unhealthy foods voluntarily," Professor Blakely said.

"If it was compulsory, the quality of packaged food would improve, and consumers may possibly make better choices about healthy and unhealthy foods."

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Mysterious remains of a huge, 'ship-shaped' house discovered near the Viking ship grave at Gjellestad

Archaeologists suggest that the almost 40-metre-long building may have been a house for ancient rituals, or a feasting hall.

This is all that remains of the houses near Gjellestadhaugen. To the right you can see the holes that were discovered using ground-penetrating radar-technology. They imply that there once was a huge, 40-metre-long house at H3. Could this be an ancient feasting hall, or a place of worship? 

(Photo: Gustavsen et al/Antiquity 2020)

Lasse Biørnstad

JOURNALIST
Thursday 12. november 2020 - 

When archaeologist first examined Gjellestad in 2018, they were having a rather bad day at work, says Lars Gustavsen. He is an archaeologist at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU).

The archaeologists were examining the site with a ground-penetrating radar, an instrument that uses radar pulses to map patterns and artifacts found under the ground. The georadar is mounted on a small tractor or an ATV.

“It was so wet that day, that we kept getting stuck, and repeatedly had to get help getting out”, Gustavsen says to sciencenorway.no.

But as the data they had collected was transferred to the computer, the world underneath them started to reveal itself. The images showed them a place that was probably very important in the ancient history of Norway.

“So all of a sudden it was a very good day at work”, Gustavsen says.

Burial mounds used to be lined up here

The most famous part of the Gjellestad-site, is the grave containing the Gjellestad Viking ship. This ship is currently under excavation, making it Norway’s first Viking Ship excavation in 100 years. The archaeologists who examined the findings found that it had to be excavated as soon as possible due to extremely unfavourable conditions.

But this ship grave was one of the last things that were built at Gjellestad, which is to be found near the city of Halden in South-Eastern Norway, on the eastern shores of the Oslofjord.

Currently, the only burial mound left is the large Jell Mound, but once upon a time burial mounds were lined up one after the other on this site. A site that may have played an important role in the surrounding society for several hundreds of years.

The mounds were leveled to the ground several decades ago, due to modern farming.

The meaning of the site at Gjellestad is now being discussed in a recent scientific article in the journal Antiquity. Sciencenorway.no has spoken to Lars Gustavsen, who led the work with the new study.

What was in that big building?

From the radar images, the archaeologists could see that four buildings were placed close to the burial mounds. You can see this yourself in the illustration at the top of this article.

This has not been excavated yet, so the researchers are left to interpret what the buildings may have been based on the images from the radar pulses.

Not much is left from the buildings, but you can se rows of holes. These are postholes. These holes were for solid posts that held up the entire roof of the building, Gustavsen explains.

One of these buildings, called H3, is being highlighted by the researchers as something special. It’s very large compared to other buildings found from this same period of time in this same area. The building is 38 metres long and seven metres wide. The placements of the postholes suggest that the building had outwardly curved walls, convex walls, sort of in the shape of a ship.

The postholes are so big that it is likely that this was a very tall and large building. The placement of the building would have made it visible in the landscape, so it could have had the function of a landmark.

Finally, there are no signs of this being a building where people lived. There are for instance no findings of a fire pit. In the article, the researchers argue that this could have been a cult house or a feasting hall.

“It could have been like a high seat of a chieftain, where perhaps everything from networking to religious rituals took place. There could have also been abundant drinking and brawls here.


“The other buildings that surround this large one are also odd, which draws our interpretations toward a house of rituals”, says Gustavsen.

In the scientific article, the archaeologists argue that Gjellestad could have been a so-called high-status ‘central-place’ in the Late Nordic Iron Age (AD 550–1050) in this part of Norway. But what does that mean?

To the left you can see a diagram showing all the burial mounds in Gjellestad. To the right you can see the pictures from the geo-radar. The Ship-grave can be seen clearly at the bottom of both pictures. 

(Photo: Gustavsen et al/Antiquity 2020)

Wealthy people?

As the name suggests, this could have been an important place.

The typical features of such places are that there are burial mounds with rich findings, possible ritual buildings, and also trade and production of goods, says Gustavsen.

The researchers aren’t sure that trade and production took place nearby, but Gustavsen believes there are good chances it did.

“This is a place that expresses a position of power in the landscape”, he says.

“The family or the people who made these buildings, are maintaining their position of power by showing off with these buildings and these burials mounds”, says the archaeologist.

Several other features also suggest that this was a seat for the elite. In the Gjellestad mound, where the ship was buried, they have used turf collected from a different location – which suggests that great resources were used here.

You can read more about this in this article from The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research: The Gjellestad burial mound belonged to the Iron Age elite.

But the timeline for this place is still not clear.

The ship grave was the last addition

Several clues suggest that the first burial mounds are from around 500 AD. This is called the age of migration in Norway, and is part of the Norwegian Iron Age.

But there are few good datings from this place. Archaeologists cannot date the place based on the images from the georadar. In order to date the place properly with a carbon dating, they need biological material which has not been contaminated, for instance coal from a fire pit.

The Viking ship has so far been dated to having been built some time between late in the 700s and early in the 900s, in other words early Viking age.

“We can with certainty say that this ship grave is one of the last things that happens on this site”, says Gustavsen.

He tells sciencenorway.no that this can be interpreted in different ways. Either this is a dominant family fortifying its position by placing a large and eye-catching ship grave on the site.

“Or it could be another family coming in and taking over. They are then demonstrating the take-over by placing their ship grave in an already existing site of power”, he says, adding that:

“We may never know which it is”.

If this area is to be excavated in the future, Gustavsen believes it would be useful to get good carbon dating from the different buildings and the burial mounds. Then we could find out if the buildings were built here at the same time, or if it was a place that developed over centuries.

“We also don’t know why this place was important. Did they perhaps have control over the sea lane, or control of the roads?”.

There are still many unanswered questions about Gjellestad.

Translated by: Ida Irene Bergstrøm

Reference:

Gustavsen et al: Gjellestad: a newly discovered ‘central place’ in south-east Norway. Antiquity, 2020. DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2020.39.

Remains of what may be a temple where Norse gods were worshiped have been found in Norway

Researchers believe they have found the remains of a pagan temple, where Vikings made sacrifices to gods like Thor and Odin. If so, then this would be the first Norse temple identified in Norway.

South of the settlement was the cult house, which here is illustrated using planks. (Photo: University of Bergen)

Simen Høseggen

JOURNALIST
Wednesday 14. october 2020 - 10:42

The find was uncovered during an excavation of the Ose farm in Ørsta, in Møre og Romsdal County. The regional bureau of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, NRK, was first to report on the find.

Researchers found evidence that people have been calling the location home for a long time, perhaps as far back as the 6th century.

But it’s not the remains of houses and longhouses that got people’s attention.

Instead, it was evidence on the ground of a large structure, as long as fourteen metres and eight metres wide, with evidence of thick walls and smoky rituals.

The researchers believe this was a so-called god's temple or pagan temple. A place where people made sacrifices to Odin and his extended family, before Christianity came to Norway.

Very rare

“This is the first of its kind in Norway,” Søren Diinhoff said to sciencenorway.no.

Diinhoff is a researcher at the University of Bergen who is in charge of the dig.

The researchers started their excavation because new homes were going to be built in the field, but Diinhoff says that he and his colleagues had suspicions that they would find something even before they put a shovel in the ground.

“The northern part of the area already contains a historic yard for the Ose farm, so we knew there was a high likelihood of at least finding a medieval settlement,” he said.

And it is precisely in the northern part of the field that researchers have now uncovered evidence of several buildings. The team has not yet sent pieces of charcoal for dating, but the settlement probably dates back to the 6th century AD.

“It has been difficult to find this settlement for many years,” Diinhoff said.

He says this is probably because Viking-era buildings were located inside and under the current farm yard.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that often that archaeologists have the opportunity to dig in places like this. Being able to excavate Ose is of great value,” he said.

The northern part of the excavation. Here, the researchers found traces of long-term settlement. To the right you can see rows of posts from a large longhouse dated to the middle of the Iron Age. To the left are ten pillars from a longhouse from around the 13th century. (Photo: University of Bergen)

Viking religious life

Several sources provide an insight into the northerners' religious life during the Iron Age, including traces of burial customs and rituals, sacrificial sites in the landscape, and buildings that show evidence of cults or worship.

Other researchers have previously presented what they believe are similar findings. Diinhoff says it’s not that simple.

“Just because you have found a fireplace and a gold bracteate (a type of gold jewellery) it doesn’t mean you have found what we found. A spade may be a spade, but not everything is a house for the worship of the gods,” he said.

Some of the finds that provide evidence of the northerners' spiritual life are pits — cooking pits. Large clusters of cooking pits were common during the middle of the Iron Age in the areas between farms.


Diinhoff himself believes that these places, with their raised terraces and water views, are what are called "horg" in old texts. Researchers have found these kinds of places in Hardanger, for example.

“These were a ritual sacrificial site where consecrated meals were prepared for religious celebrations,” he said.

Read more about one such possible sacrificial site in this article, produced and financed by NTNU: More than 1000 cooking pits of yore found in one area. Was this a ritual gathering place?

Gods like Odin and Thor could have been honoured in buildings like this. This reconstruction is modest, as the researchers want to wait until they get more information about the dating of the site. (Photo: Ragnar Børsheim / University of Bergen)
Upheavals

Researchers have found evidence of major societal changes throughout the Roman Iron Age.

Contact with the aging Roman Empire and Germanic tribes in the south increased, and the farms with the best soil expanded considerably — some were up to seven times larger than they were before.

An elite of rich peasant families held power, farmers with large landholdings left behind rich graves, imported goods and large farms.

“It was expected that the families on the large farms would seize power and control in society. The big farmer (chief) was now the lawgiver, warlord and leader of the cult,” says Diinhoff.

During this period, the cooking pit fields and parties moved indoors — into large halls, under the chief's control.

“We see this in Ose. We have what is probably a large longhouse from the middle of the Iron Age, and we have a cooking pit field. We also have a strange circular enclosure with a small hut in it in the southern part of the longhouse,” he said.

“This find has quite a few parallels in southern Scandinavia, where it is also considered to be evidence of worship,” says Diinhoff, who added that a ritual penis-shaped stone had been found at Ose earlier

This is how the inside of the structure may have looked, when the gods were given tributes. “When we have more information on the dating, we can add more information about the furnishings that would be inside,” says Diinhoff.

 (Photo: University of Bergen)

Large temple

“All in all, it’s clear there was a large farm established at Ose sometime towards the end of the older Iron Age, and this farm has had a central function in the cult in the area,” Diinhoff said.

“Then, later in the younger Iron Age, we have the distinctive building that we see as a place of worship,” he said.

This is where the big house of the gods comes in.

It was fourteen metres in length, and seven metres in width. The walls were strong, and four posts in the centre of the building supported an elevated central section. In short, a significant building.

“There are really no other parallels than a handful of buildings from southern Scandinavia that are this kind of place of worship. They have been found in a few very large settlements, such as Uppåkra (in Skåne, in southern Sweden) and Tissø (in Sjælland in Denmark).

“These structures appear at a time when we have the first indications of the worship of Odin, and thus the Nordic gods. And since this is a house of worship that belonged to the elite of society, there is little doubt that this is the foremost house of worship in the Norse religion,” he said.

"Osehuset" is a clear parallel to the southern Scandinavian structures, the researcher said.

“It has the same size, the same appearance. It is surrounded by thick, charcoal-containing layers of coke, and had it not been for the acidic soil, then surely many animal bones,” he said.

Danish archaeologist not quite convinced

Søren Sindbæk, professor of archaeology at Aarhus University in Denmark, says that the newly discovered building is reminiscent of a house of the gods like the one found in Skåne.

“At Uppåkrå and other areas that have been said to be places of worship and houses of the gods, a number of objects and sacrificial offerings have also been found that support the theory. But I don’t see that they have found these things in Ørsta,” Sindbæk said to the website videnskab.dk.

“The most common feature of localities we have recognized as pre-Christian cult buildings is the discovery of destroyed weapons, which appear to have been part of the cult. We have seen this both at Tissø and Uppåkrå,” he said.

“So if they had found three or four curved spearheads in Ørsta, I would have been very excited about the find. But without having found those kinds of objects, it is difficult to be convinced that it is a place of worship,” Sindbæk said.

However, the archaeologists have found the same kinds of gold objects that have been found in Sweden and Denmark. Diinhoff believes this is due to the fact that Osehuset dates to the Viking Age, while the other gold finds have been made in temples from the age of migration.

“Had the floor layer in our house been preserved, we would probably also have found objects offered in sacrifice,” Diinhoff says.

This is how the researchers worked: an excavator removed the top soil layer. Behind it came researchers who combed the area, and mapped all finds. 

(Photo: University of Oslo.)

Unique?

The findings are described by the University of Bergen as “unique”; but Diinhoff is more modest. When asked if this is a fantastic find, he answers:

“Not really. At least it shouldn’t be. The fact is, however, that it is the first of its kind in Norway,” he said.

He points out that there has been discussion about similar finds having been made in Norway, but says that he doesn’t think that is the case, even though he says that some colleagues have been close.

“For example, when gold foil figures (small thin pieces of beaten gold that have been stamped with a motif) have been found under medieval churches, it is probably a house of worship like this that was once there. But the buildings themselves have not been found until now,” he said. “So yes, the find is rare.”

Read more about gold foil figures in this article: The mystery from pre-Viking days: Only the most powerful had these little pieces of gold

When the Norse religion disappeared, and Christianity came to the elites, these places of worship perhaps disappeared under the churches, and were thus wiped out.

“It is also a strange coincidence that we also find cooking pit fields near the early churches. The connection is that these were the place where people worshipped for a long time,” says Diinhoff.

“First as a cooking pit field (horg), then a house of the gods (hov), and finally a church. At Ose, the house of the gods was preserved because the first church was not built here, but on one of the neighbouring farms,” he said.

Translated by: Nancy Bazilchuk

Record high levels of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere over Norway in 2019

For the 19th year in a row, record high levels of CO2 and methane were measured in the atmosphere over Norway, according to new numbers.



Pictured here is the Zeppelin observatory in Spitsbergen, the largest of the islands in Svalbard. (Photo: Ove Hermansen/Nilu)

NTBNORWEGIAN NEWS AGENCY
Friday 20. november 2020 - 13:30

The observations from 2019 show that the annual average CO2 concentration in the atmosphere that year was 411,9 parts per million (ppm) at Zeppelin in Svalbard. This is 2,6 ppm more than the year before.

At Birkenes in Agder, the concentration is 416,1 ppm, which is 0,9 ppm higher than the year before.

This is according to a report by NILU, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency.
Concentration of CO2 is increasing

“We have observed new CO2-records at Zeppelin every year since 2001”, says Cathrine Lund Myhre from NILU in a press release.


“As long as we keep emitting more CO2 than that which is stored, the concentration in the atmosphere will continue to increase”, she says.

If the world is to keep the temperature below the 2 degree limit, the concentration of CO2 needs to stabilize at a level below 400 ppm over time.
Increased concentration of methane

When it comes to methane, the annual average was measured to 1961,2 parts per billion (ppb) at Birkenes, and 1952,9 ppb at Zeppelin.

Compared to 2018-levels, this represents an increase at Zeppelin of 14,3 ppb, the highest annual increase ever registered. At Birkenes, the increase was also considerable, at 8,2 ppb.

According to Lund Myhre, the increase in the concetration of methane is still a mystery to the researchers.

“We don’t know for certain whether the increase is due to emissions of methane from human activity, or if it is because climate change has started processes in nature that release more methane into the atmosphere”, Lund Myhre says.

Translated by: Ida Irene Bergstrøm

The far left: What happens when activist groups are labelled violent extremists?

Little research has been done on extreme left activists. Now, two researchers have looked at what happens when they are labelled as violent. Researchers who study extremism believe that the findings can be transferred to activists on the far right.

The Swedish Syndikalisterna (Central organisation of the Workers of Sweden) and the Revolutionary Front are among the groups on the far left that Swedish authorities believe society should be on guard against. But research shows that branding them as violent could lead to further radicalization. The same probably applies to the far right, says one researcher. (Photo: HENRIK MONTGOMERY / NTB)

Siw Ellen Jakobsen

JOURNALIST
Sunday 25. october 2020 

#Following terrorist attacks in the early 2000s, many countries introduced various measures to prevent radicalization and violent extremism.

Sweden – more so than Norway – has named organizations that they believe society should be wary of.

Four of these groups are to be found on the left side of politics.

The goal of the authorities and the security police has been to prevent recruitment and mobilization in these groups.
Created debate


Groups have been named in public reports and documents. These have not only been disseminated among the police, but also among teachers and social workers who work preventively. The names have also spread to the public.

This created debate in Sweden, both in the media and in local communities.

When the Swedish government made the names public in an action plan against extremism in 2015, 15 Swedish professors were among those who reacted.

In an opinon piece in the national Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter they wrote that it was wrong to label non-violent political activism against injustice and oppression as violent, even if activist actions included breaking the law.

Rune Ellefsen has studied far left activists. 

Little research has been done on them until now. (Photo: UiO)

Interviewed 31 people

Two researchers have now studied the Swedish groups that were so labelled.

The groups they targeted are: Antifascistisk aktion (Anti-Fascist Action, AFA), Syndikalistiska Ungdomsförbundet (Anarcho-Syndicalist Youth Federation, SUF), Revolutionära Fronten (Revolutionary Front, RF) and Förbundet Allt åt Alla (Association Everything to Everyone, AåA).

“These groups were all very active in the early 2000s. Today the RF has disbanded, and AFA is less active. The other two groups are still active,” says Rune Ellefsen, a criminologist and researcher at the University of Oslo.

Ellefsen and Jan Jämte, a political scientist at Örebro University in Sweden, interviewed 31 people connected to the far left in Sweden.

Twenty of them are from the four groups named above. The others are part of the left-wing radical movement around them.

The researchers also reviewed almost 4000 actions carried out by these groups and categorized them based on whether they were conventional (legal), transgressive (on the border between legal-illegal) or violent (towards property or persons).
Two groups use violence, two are more peaceful

Two of the groups studied have used a lot of violent tactics, although they have also carried out many conventional and transgressive actions.

Violence has mainly been directed at people the activists consider neo-Nazis and fascists.

One example is the 2014 conviction of eight people from the Revolutionary Front for gross abuse of Nazis, according to svt.se.

The researchers found that Antifascistisk aktion also employed a lot of violent tactics.

On the other hand, their findings show that the other two groups – Syndikalistiska ungdomsförbundet and Förbundet Allt åt alla – almost never use violence. In a few actions, they have destroyed private property.

These groups have a broader political commitment. They are engaged in issues such as racism and fascism, but are to a greater extent also involved with labour market, welfare and housing issues.

Double effect

In the interviews, the researchers were interested in the consequences of stigmatizing these activists as violent extremists.

How has labelling and stigmatization affected their activism at the individual level and at the organizational level?

The goal of the Swedish authorities and the security police has been to disrupt and limit activists’ activities, but the researchers believe this approach has been shown to have a double effect.

“Labelling groups has made it more difficult for them to pursue activism. For example, they’ve been banned from school events where they used to have permission to distribute brochures to students. It’s also become more difficult for activist groups to rent public spaces for events,” says Ellefsen.

But the consequences seem to be greatest for individuals. Many of them fear that being part of a group stigmatized by the authorities could lead to more sanctions from the police, problems in the workplace or more harassment from right-wing extremist groups.

At the same time, researchers have found that some people see the label as a feather in their cap.

“They’ve received positive confirmation that they’re considered a threat by the authorities, which is something they want. The labelling boosts their self-image. Some of the interviewees said it’s motivating.”
May have a radicalizing effect

The activists who do not use violent tactics and who work more openly to engage people politically, find being branded as violent to be the biggest problem, says Ellefsen.

"They've experienced problems with the 'wrong people' being attracted to their group. Suddenly they ave to deal with people who come because they want to take part in militant actions", he says.

Ellefsen believes that the stigma of being labelled as violent has marginalized and isolated them more.

They have become more cautious about being open about their political involvement, both private and public, even if they don’t employ violence.

“We know from other research that when groups become more isolated, this can contribute to radicalization,” the researcher says.

It’s paradoxical that the groups that operate the most openly and non-violently are the most negatively affected, says Ellefsen.

“These are the groups the authorities woul wish to impact the least. The most militant groups aren’t affected that much. They’re already covert organizations, but could become more so and more radicalized."
Don’t know much about what measures work

The whole Nordic region underwent massive mobilization efforts to prevent violent extremism between 2013 and 2015.

This work was primarily aimed at militant Islamists who might become foreign fighters who would go to support the Islamic State (IS).

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, says Ellefsen, a large amount of research has been done on radicalization and what happens when a person is radicalized.

“But we know less about which measures actually work. There’s a lot of trial and error here. Often we don’t know whether the measures fulfil the authorities' intention or if they instead bring about undesirable results.”

Ellefsen thinks it’s natural to ask whether Sweden’s approach might be working against its purpose and in fact trigger further radicalization.

“We should also question what scientific basis the authorities have based their assumptions on since they’ve identified groups that are mainly non-violent,” he says.
Less active in Norway

Norway has taken a different approach in tackling radicalization, Ellefsen says.

The Norwegian authorities have not been as open about naming the groups that they believe pose a threat. This topic is primarily discussed in communications between the Police Security Service (PST), the police and the other actors who play important roles in preventing radicalization and violent extremism both locally and regionally.

The left wing radical groups Tjen Folket (Serve the People) and Antifascistisk aksjon (Anti-Fascist Action) are probably the main groups of concern, to the extent they are a topic at all.

“We recently published a study in which we interviewed people in Sweden who work with prevention, the police and locally. Our interviewees believe that the level of activity in the Swedish groups is low now. They don’t see them as a threat like they see militant Islamists and right-wing extremists,” says Ellefsen.

From his own research on the prevention of radicalization in Norway, he believes that the situation is quite similar there.

Jacob Aasland Ravndal is researching the far right. He believes that repressing them could also lead to radicalization. (Photo: UiO)

“The level of activity can change quickly, however, and largely depends on the activity among the far-right groups that their actions are aimed at,” he says.
Do results also apply to the far right?

Jacob Aasland Ravndal is a researcher at the University of Oslo’s Center for Extremism Research (C-REX). He has read Ellefsen’s and Jämte’s article and finds it interesting, for two reasons in particular.

First, there is generally little research on the far left. Secondly, research on counter-reactions, or repression, among activists is limited.

Ravndal's topic of research is right-wing extremists.

He thinks it's interesting that the public acceptance is higher for the authorities to repress actors from the far right versus the far left.

A basic assumption in terrorist research and other research is that extremist attitudes are often about perceived repression. But it isn’t seen as quite so legitimate to explain right-wing extremism in this way, Ravndal believes.

“Most people agree that the far right has to be suppressed and find it problematic when some people claim that the measures against the far right can have the opposite effect.”

But Ravndal believes there are grounds to expect that repression can also have a radicalizing effect on right-wing extremists.

“It would have been interesting to conduct a similar survey among activists on the right,” he says.
More difficult to research the far left

“There are probably several reasons for the limited amount of research on the far left,” says Ravndal.

“One is that they’re pretty marginal, relatively speaking. Besides, they don’t have the same historical cloud hanging over them as the right-wing extremists do here in the West. In addition, far more people agree on the issues that far left extremists are fighting for.”

Gaining access to these groups can also be more difficult, Ravndal believes. The radical left can be sceptical of researchers.

“It probably has something to do with their anti-systemic and anti-state stance. They see the whole system as an adversary that they don’t want to work with. Researchers therefore have to work long hours to gain access to far left groups,” Ravndal says.

Reference:

Jan Jämte and Rune Ellefsen: The consequences of soft repression, Mobilization, Volume 25, 2020.

The Ferguson Report: The psychic Donald Trump should have listened to


Tim Ferguson dishes up the week in fake news. Photo: TND
Tim Ferguson@RealTimFerguson


PSYCHIC SAW HER INABILITY TO SEE IT COMING
“I predicted my predictions would be wrong and I was right,” said a psychic who’ll believe anything but facts.

“I can read palms, especially ones with a phone number written on them.”

She was charged with assault after grabbing Peter Dutton by the skull. She claimed she was merely consulting the crystal bald.


She says that from now on, she will only read people’s pasts.

The psychic was last seen meeting a tall dark stranger.
ROBODEBT & BURIED AT YOUR EXPENSE

The government has denied being liable for Robodebt while paying $1.2 billion settlement for it.

A government spokeswoman ran backwards on a treadmill as she read liable quotes.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit debt!”

A Robodude said, “We crunched the numbers until they screamed for mercy. Christian Porter was in charge of it at the time, but he … ahem … had his hands full. (Cough.)”

Meanwhile, an odd numbers man stated that algorithms are incapable of error, but he was just adding insult to perjury.

PM Scott Morrison claimed algorithms don’t count, but quickly subtracted the statement.

YOU CAN LEAD THEM TO HOLY WATER…

An ANU survey found people who are religious are more likely to resist being vaccinated against COVID-19.

A baffled bishop said, “I guess God Almighty creating a vaccine isn’t miraculous enough.”
WELFARE CUT TO PIECES

An extra 330,000 people will be tossed under the poverty line when PM Scott Morrison reduces the coronavirus supplement after Christmas.

Morrison claimed the reductions are needed to “incentivise” people to take up work, such as begging outside Centrelink.

“They can take up Poverty Line Dancing, with no boots, no music and no lunch.”

“JobKeeper has given people a false sense of insecurity. We want them to know exactly where they stand. Over there, a little bit further, a little bit further, bit more, bit more… good.”
WORLD TELLS TRUMP TO GO GET FACT

US President Donald Trump claims the recent US election was rigged by millions of voters cheating one at a time.

Trump claims his loss means the death of democracy. He went to buy some big, big, huge flowers for its grave, but he couldn’t see the florist for the trees.

Voters were looking forward to seeing the back of Trump until they saw it.
In other news…

US ACTIVIST LOSES ARGUMENT BY COMPARING NAZIS TO NAZIS

CONSPIRACY THEORIST SO DELUDED HE BELIEVES THE POLLS

SLEEPING DOG LIES. PANTS CATCH FIRE.

GOVT ADMITS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO QUARANTINE IS SECURITY GUARDS

WOKE NON-GENDER BINARY PARROT SPEAKS: “WHO’S A PRETTY HE/SHE/THEY, THEN?”

‘I won the election’: Celebs pile on Trump tweet with their own crazy claims

Play Video
Trump Reportedly Told Advisers He'll Consider 2024 Bid After Certified Biden Win

According to 'The New York Times' Trump told some of his advisers that if Biden is officially declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Cassandra Tassios


In a lesson on faking it ’til you make it, Donald Trump has falsely claimed he “won” the election – and celebrities have jumped on board with ridiculous claims of their own.

“I WON THE ELECTION!” Trump tweeted on Monday (local time).

Twitter was quick to flag the tweet as factually incorrect, adding a note clarifying that “multiple sources called this election differently”.


Despite losing to Democratic candidate, President-elect Joe Biden, by more than five million popular votes and a projected 74 electoral college votes, Mr Trump is refusing to concede.

In fact, the 74-year-old has doubled down on his faux victory, claiming the election was “rigged” and “stolen”.

Nothing says ‘losing gracefully’ like an all-caps Twitter tirade and allegations of theft.

Play Video
Twitter: 300,000 tweets flagged over election

The CEO of Twitter says the service flagged some 300,000 tweets as part of efforts to combat disinformation in the period around the 2020 election between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. (Nov. 17)

Since the tweet went viral, hundreds of thousands of Twitter users and celebrities alike have used the opportunity to pile on with their own comical and absurd claims.

Australian Idol’s season two runner-up Anthony Callea joined in to rectify his devastating loss to Casey Donavan.

TND also suspects the 2004 Idol voting was “rigged” and “stolen” and intends to investigate further.


I WON AUSTRALIAN IDOL! https://t.co/1Y7QBNPPWv

— ANTHONY CALLEA (@AnthonyCallea) November 16, 2020


Two and a Half Men’s Jon Cryer wanted us to know that he is a part-time actor, part-time vegetable.


I AM MADE OF CORN! https://t.co/QvlQsxlJxV

— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) November 16, 2020

Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community) wants to thank the Academy for his belated win.


I WON THE OSCAR! https://t.co/CWzf0fA8PP

— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) November 16, 2020

Ever the opportunist, The West Wing’s Josh Malina used the chance to manifest a dream role on Netflix’s hit show The Crown.


I’VE BEEN CAST IN THE CROWN! https://t.co/VMlzpTUhU8

— (((Joshua Malina))) (@JoshMalina) November 16, 2020

Coraline graphic novelist had a magical (and equally believable) revelation to share with fans.


I CAN CONTROL UNICORNS WITH MY MIND! https://t.co/a6MckoBFjq

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 16, 2020

Also spreading the magic was Supernatural’s Misha Collins.


I CAN FLY!! https://t.co/hN7F4tb5WK

— Misha Collins (@mishacollins) November 16, 2020

When the world needed him most, actor Tom Payne from The Walking Dead revealed his true identity.


I AM BATMAN! https://t.co/JNlj8bFE3D

— Tom Payne (@justanactor) November 16, 2020

Eighties singer Richard Marx reminded fans that wherever you go, whatever you do, Mark Ruffalo will be right here waiting for you.


I AM MARK RUFFALO! https://t.co/8mD9MwE7oW

— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) November 16, 2020

Like Callea, British football star Gary Lineker had a devastating loss of his own to clear up.


I WON THE WORLD CUP. https://t.co/VOYvlCAySi

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 16, 2020

YouTuber, LGBTQIA+ rights advocate and proud lesbian Shannon Beveridge had some good news for her male followers.
I DATE MEN! https://t.co/GzUL2I4STu
— Shannon Beveridge (@nowthisisliving) November 17, 2020

Desperate Donald Trump pursues new strategy to overturn ‘hoax’ election


The New Daily@TheNewDailyAU


Donald Trump is escalating his attempts to undermine the US election, calling it a ‘HOAX’ as he pursues a new strategy to flip states to Republican.

Mr Trump is summoning Republican leaders from key states to the White House in an increasingly desperate bid to switch the outcome amid a failing legal strategy.

According to people familiar with the plan, the Trump team wants to pressure Republican-controlled legislatures in battleground states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania not to certify the election results.


The idea was to press Republican lawmakers to intervene by appointing their own Trump-supporting electors.

The president’s outreach to state officials represents a shift for his re-election campaign, which has been unable to produce evidence to support his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud.

Michigan’s Republican legislative leaders, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, will visit the White House on Friday (local time) at Mr Trump’s request, according to a source in Michigan.

CNN reports there are also discussions underway about inviting Pennsylvania’s Republicans.

Mr Trump has been fixating on Michigan, claiming Joe Biden received a “dump of 134,886 votes” a day after the election.

“We will use these charts in court,” he Tweeted. “The Election was a HOAX.”


Will use these charts in court case. The Election was a HOAX. Thank you Justin! https://t.co/9Ue7ysDIVb

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2020


However Mr Biden’s campaign legal adviser Bob Bauer said it was “not possible” and “not legal” for Michigan’s Republican legislature to overturn the result.

“No state legislature in our country’s history ever has done what Donald Trump is apparently agitating for the Michigan state legislature to do, which is to ignore the results of a popular vote,” Mr Bauer said.

“It cannot be done.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Friday (local time) denied Mr Trump was trying to pressure state legislators, saying his meeting with Michigan representatives was “not an advocacy meeting”.

“There will be no one from the campaign there. He routinely meets with lawmakers from all across the country,” she said.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany says Donald Trump is not holding ‘advocacy’ meetings with Republican state officials. Photo: Getty

Meanwhile a hand recount of Georgia’s roughly five million votes affirmed Mr Biden’s victory there, while judges in three states rejected bids by the campaign to challenge vote counts.

Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, officially certified Joe Biden’s victory in the state on Friday (local time).


it's official. Georgia has certified its election results. pic.twitter.com/CsF4pCoZdQ

— Justin Gray (@JustinGrayWSB) November 20, 2020

Mr Biden called Mr Trump’s latest attempts “totally irresponsible”, though he has expressed little concern they will prevent him taking office on January 20.

The president-elect spent the week putting together his team. His incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, told CNN that Mr Biden would announce more White House officials on Friday.

Despite the setbacks, the Trump campaign has not abandoned its legal efforts to overturn the election results.

Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, told a news conference on Thursday (local time) he planned to file more lawsuits, accusing Democrats of masterminding a “national conspiracy” to steal the election while offering no evidence to support the claim.

Mr Giuliani’s son Andrew, who was at the tightly packed press conference, has confirmed he has tested positive to the coronavirus and has mild symptoms.

-with AAP

Mocked it, then copped it: Elon Musk and the coronavirus cynics who tested positive


Elon Musk is the latest big shot to catch coronavirus after mocking it.

 Photo: Twitter / Getty / TND

Cassandra Tassios

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is the latest COVID-19 cynic to catch the virus, and the internet has branded him with the embarrassing nickname ‘Space Karen’ as a result.

Mr Musk earned the moniker after he complained about, and attempted to discredit, one of the rapid coronavirus detection tests.

“Something extremely bogus is going on,” Mr Musk tweeted on Friday.


“Was tested for COVID four times today. Two tests came back negative, two tests came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.”


Play Video
Elon Musk Casts Doubt on COVID-19 Testing After Receiving Positive and Negative Results

Musk took to Twitter on Thursday night to reveal that he might have COVID-19.

Dr Emma Bell, an academic who specialises in bioinformatics, jumped in to explain why the test might have been inconsistent.

“Rapid antigen tests trade sensitivity for speed,” Dr Bell tweeted.

“They return a result in less than 30 minutes, but can only detect COVID-19 when you’re absolutely riddled with it.

“What’s bogus is that Space Karen didn’t read up on the test before complaining to his millions of followers.”

Rapid antigen tests trade sensitivity for speed. They return a result in <30 minutes, but can only detect COVID-19 when you're absolutely riddled with it. What's bogus is that Space Karen didn't read up on the test before complaining to his millions of followers. pic.twitter.com/a1Snfpm03h

— Emma Bell PhD (@emmabell42) November 14, 2020

Mr Musk’s newly established alter-ego even received some hilarious, Karen-inspired art to help fans visualise him in all his ‘can-I-speak-to-the-manager’ glory.

Space Karen is trending.

Keep it alive.#SpaceKaren pic.twitter.com/imtHSaqSNs

— Dr. Mike 😷Wear a Mask😷 (@EmergMedDr) November 16, 2020

Due to coronavirus concerns, “Space Karen” was unable to attend the historic launch of his SpaceX rocket on Sunday (US time). It has taken four astronauts to the International Space Station.

Mr Musk doubled down on his COVID-19 scepticism by playing down his symptoms.
“My symptoms are that of a minor cold, which is no surprise, since a coronavirus is a type of cold,” he tweeted.

And after months of questioning the virus’ “extremely low” probability of death and touting conspiracy theories online, some are appreciating the irony of his infection.

But “Space Karen” isn’t the only celebrity in the ‘mocked-it-then-copped-it’ camp.
Donald Trump

Recovered coronavirus patient Donald Trump has been outspoken in his scepticism of SARS-CoV-2.0, which he often calls the “China virus”.

After initially claiming the virus was “under control” and would not affect Americans, the 74-year-old outgoing US President went on to tell citizens that masks were voluntary.


My Karen cartoon was a work in progress. Here it is finished. #TrumpMeltdown #Karen #Karenstrikesagain #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/R6VgUtLsrY

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) November 18, 2020

“The CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure,” Mr Trump said in an April 3 speech at the White House, a few months before catching the virus.

“It’s voluntary. You don’t have to do it. They suggested for a period of time, but this is voluntary. I don’t think I’m going to be doing it.”
Related: What to wear to a coup: Kirstie Clements reviews Melania Trump’s FLOTUS wardrobe choices

On October 2, Mr Trump and first lady Melania tested positive for the virus, joining more than 43,000 US citizens who also tested positive on the same day.


Great reviews on our handling of Covid 19, sometimes referred to as the China Virus. Ventilators, Testing, Medical Supply Distribution, we made a lot of Governors look very good – And got no credit for so doing. Most importantly, we helped a lot of great people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
Doja Cat

Doja Cat, the artist behind the viral TikTok song, Say So, drew backlash in March for shaming coronavirus precautions and comparing it to the flu during an Instagram Live video.

“I’m gonna get corona and then I’m gonna get a Corona, cause I don’t give a f— about corona, b—-,” the rapper told her followers.

“It’s a flu. You just take some Mucinex and drink water and tea and sleep – that’s all you gotta do.

“Y’all are so scared of some damn corona. Y’all are so scared of corona that I need a Corona.”

In July, the 24-year-old revealed to British radio station, Capital XTRA, that she had contracted the virus.

“I got COVID,” she said.

“Honestly, I don’t know how this happens but I guess I ordered something off of Postmates, and I don’t know how I got it but I got it.

“I’m OK now. It was a four-day symptom freakout, but I’m fine now.”
Rudy Gobert

French professional basketballer Rudy Gobert made headlines early on in the pandemic for his blatant disregard for health and hygiene guidelines.

Gobert, who was later credited as being sports’ patient zero for the virus, was diagnosed after jokingly handling microphones at a media conference.

The public outrage and scrutiny was further exacerbated when the Utah Jazz player tested positive just days later.

“The media portrayed it like I caused the NBA to shut down,” Gobert told The Washington Post in July.

“Instead of saying that it’s a pandemic and Rudy Gobert tested positive. For a lot of people who don’t think further than what’s put in their faces, they really thought I brought the coronavirus to the United States.”


Video shows Rudy Gobert, an NBA player who reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, touching microphones with his hands after speaking with reporters on Monday https://t.co/ekxauQo8KV pic.twitter.com/pd7Q9vJkCz

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 12, 2020

Immunity to Covid-19 may last years, scientists say

Washington, Nov 19 (Prensa Latina) A new study reveals that the number of immune cells that provide defense against Covid-19 could decline at a slow rate.

These cells may persist for a very long time in the body of people who have recovered from the infection, according to a research published on Biorxiv.

Scientists showed that eight months after infection, most people who have recovered had enough immune cells to fend off the new coronavirus.

Survivors of another coronavirus still carry certain immune cells 17 years after recovering, the research suggests.

That amount of memory could prevent the vast majority of people from being hospitalized many years after contagion, the new study notes.

Researchers from the University of Washington suggested that this kind of cell can persist for at least three months in the body.

Another study also found that people who have recovered from Covid-19 have immune cells even when antibodies are not detectable.

jg/iff/tgj/joe/cvl

Taxi drivers and health workers are among 

the most exposed to the coronavirus

Bartenders, waiters, drivers, nurses and dentists.

 People with occupations that require contact with customers and patients are more exposed to the coronavirus.

Healthcare personnel are among the employees with higher infection rates for COVID-19 compared to the general population of working age. 

(Photo: Gorm Kallestad/NTB)

Ida Irene Bergstrøm

JOURNALIST
NTB NORWEGIAN NEWS AGENCY
Saturday 14. november 2020 - 

Those who work in the healthcare services, in bars and restaurants, and in public transport are among the workers who have been the most exposed to the coronavirus, according to a new study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH.

Healthcare personnel had the most confirmed cases per 1000 employees before this summer, while workers in bars and restaurants have had the most confirmed cases per 1000 employees after the summer.

Taxi drivers, bus drivers and tram drivers have also been more infected than in the rest of the population of working age.
1,5-three times more infections

Between February and July, there were 2,3 registered cases of COVID-19 per 1000 people aged between 20-70 in Norway.

For healthcare personnel the corresponding number was 3,5-6,5 cases per 1000, and for taxi drivers it was 3,4-5,5 cases.

This equals 1,5 to three times more infections than the general population.

Between July and November, the spread of the virus increased somewhat in Norway, to 2,6 cases per 1000 people aged between 20-70 years.

In this period, workers in bars and restaurants, as well as flight and boat attendants, were the most exposed to COVID-19. In these groups, registered cases were between 6,2-8,9 per 1000 employees.

During this period the rates of infection among health workers were the same as for the general population.

Teachers had the same level of infection as the general population both before and after the summer.

Schools were closed in Norway during the lockdown that started on March 12th, and only opened up just before summer holidays started. Schools have been open during the fall and are still open, despite the stricter measures that have been implemented in Norway during recent weeks.
Testing criteria and better protection

"The difference between the first and second wave may be due to changes in the test criteria," says Karin Magnusson in a press release from NIPH. She is a researcher at the NIPH and the first author of the study.

During the first period of the pandemic in Norway and elsewhere in the world, there was a shortage of test equipment, and patients, risk groups and healthcare personnel were prioritized for testing. But this fall there has been no lack of testing equipment or facilities in Norway, and close contacts and people with mild symptoms can get tested.

Another explanation, according to Magnusson, could be that fewer people have travelled abroad.

“The high proportion of doctors who were infected in the first period may, for example, have been infected on holiday in Italy, and not in Norway at the doctor's office”, Magnusson says in the press release.

“One explanation could also be better protection of healthcare personnel”, she says.

More hospitalisations among dentists


There were no differences between occupational groups for severe COVID-19 disease and admissions to hospital. One exception was dentists who had more hospital admissions than other occupational groups.

“This raises the question of whether being infected with a large dose of virus from an individual increases the risk of developing a more serious disease”, Magnusson says in the press release, adding that “but the numbers are low and therefore uncertain”.

Infections on the rise

Norway has experienced a severe increase in infections, as the rest of Europe, during the past few weeks. Strict measures are in place, both nationally and locally, for instance in the largest cities Oslo and Bergen.

Border controls have become stricter, with demands of ten days at a quarantine hotel as well as testing. Home office when possible is mandatory, and there are limits as to how many people are allowed to meet in private homes - five in Bergen, and ten in Oslo. Authorities have also warned that people will be fined if they violate the rules.

At home and at the office

Norwegians are now most often infected in private homes – this represents 41 per cent of cases. Then comes work and universities, with 17 per cent of the cases, followed by private events with 10 per cent of cases.

4 per cent of the cases have been traced to bars and restaurants and 3 per cent to kindergartens and schools.

The source of infection is unknown in 15 per cent of the cases.