New sysselmester for Svalbard

Trøndelag / Trondheim news from the last 48 hours is marked by an institutional appointment: Jens Olav Vestgøte Sæther, 58, from Overhalla in Trøndelag county, becomes sysselmester of Svalbard. NRK Trøndelag also reveals the central role of the island of Curaçao in online casinos, while Adresseavisen reports a case of measles and asks the people concerned to get checked.

Trøndelag news: a new sysselmester for Svalbard

The appointment was made official on Friday. Jens Olav Vestgøte Sæther, 58, from Overhalla in Trøndelag, takes over as head of the Sysselmester of Svalbard, the position of the highest representative of the Norwegian state on the archipelago. The announcement was formally made by the King in Council (Kongen i statsråd) on Friday, reports NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim. He succeeds Lars Fause, 61, who has held the position since June 2021.

Sæther is a lawyer by training and worked as a lawyer before joining the public prosecution service. He already knows the archipelago, having been deputy sysselmann from 2014 to 2016, the Sysselmester states. The position is a fixed-term mandate of three years, with the possibility of extension for three additional years. It was the website Politiforum that first revealed the information (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

“I think I will follow the same line as Fause, and make sure to have a good relationship with everyone who lives and stays in Svalbard,” says the future sysselmester, quoted by NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim.

Economy: a Norwegian billionaire linked to a casino licensed in Curaçao

NRK revealed on Tuesday, based on leaked documents, how Curaçao became a hub for online casino operations. According to Lotteritilsynet, the Norwegian Gaming Authority, these operators are not allowed to operate in Norway: only Norsk Tipping can offer casino games in the country. In total, 115 online casinos holding a Curaçao licence have been blocked for Norwegian users (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

The Norwegian billionaire Morten Klein has for several years held a stake in the gambling group ComeOn Group, through a series of other companies. The group operates several online casinos under a Maltese licence. The data leak obtained by NRK shows that ComeOn Group also owns a company holding a Curaçao licence. A confidential document filed by the group with the Curaçao gaming authorities in 2024 details the structure of the consortium; Morten Klein appears there as the largest individual shareholder (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

Health: a confirmed measles case, call for vigilance

Adresseavisen reports on Saturday that a case of measles has been diagnosed and that people who have visited the location concerned are asked to get checked. The information was published on Saturday 26 September in the mid-afternoon by the regional daily (Adresseavisen).

In Trondheim: Svartlamon and the Nidelva

Adresseavisen states that “nothing dangerous” has been found at Svartlamon, Trondheim's alternative neighbourhood (Adresseavisen, 26 September). The same day, the newspaper publishes an explanation about the objects floating in the Nidelva, the river that runs through the city (Adresseavisen).

📌 Local briefs

A head-on collision occurred in a tunnel on the E6 on Friday, in the early afternoon. One person is seriously injured and the three people involved were taken to St. Olav's Hospital in Trondheim; the road was closed in both directions before reopening. The police initially mentioned a truck, before clarifying that it was two cars (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim). According to operations leader Kristine Stølen, one of the vehicles is said to have crossed the centre line and hit an oncoming vehicle (NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim).

Sources: NRK Trøndelag / Trondheim, Adresseavisen, The Local Norway — Period: 26 September 2026 and 27 September 2026