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Law and policy

What, in general terms, are your governments policies and practices regarding oversight and review of foreign investment?

The investment regime in Norway is liberal and open, and the government encourages foreign investments. The governments general policies and practices regarding oversight and review of foreign investments are limited to the National Security Act. However, the ability to review a transaction is not contingent on the nationality of the acquirer, rather the Norwegian regime is based on assessing a national security impact that applies in all circumstances, including acquisitions by Norwegian companies. Naturally, the identity of the acquirer will be relevant in a substantive assessment of whether the investment generates a risk with regard to national security. In this sense, an assessment will be made of the nature and type of activities of the target with regard to their inherent sensitivity from a national security perspective. This will be reviewed against the identity of the acquirer and whether there are any risks that can be linked to it.

Norway has no currency restrictions. However, there are several other regulatory approval schemes linked to transactions, including merger control by the Competition Authority.

What are the main laws that directly or indirectly regulate acquisitions and investments by foreign nationals and investors on the basis of the national interest?

The review of acquisitions and investments by foreign nationals and investors on grounds of national security in Norway are governed by the Norwegian National Security Act of 1 June 2018 No. 24 (NSA). The NSA is intended to help prevent, detect and counter activities that present a threat to national security, and ensure that security measures are implemented in accordance with the fundamental legal principles and values of a democratic society. The NSA is meant to exist as a dynamic framework for the most critical security interests in our society, without detailed safety regulations.

The key provisions of the NSA are:

Outline the scope of application of these laws, including what kinds of investments or transactions are caught. Are minority interests caught? Are there specific sectors over which the authorities have a power to oversee and prevent foreign investment or sectors that are the subject of special scrutiny?

The NSA does not distinguish between foreign and domestic investments. The rules of ownership control in the NSA are applicable regardless of the acquirers nationality, namely, the rules apply to both foreign and domestic acquirers without discrimination.

There are two facets to the Norwegian regime. This includes, on the one hand, the mandatory notification of investments in companies that have explicitly been made subject to the NSA, and, on the other, a broad general provision to order the notification of investments of concern.

First, as regards mandatory notification, investments must always be notified when the target is a company that has been made subject to the NSA by way of decision issued by a government ministry under section 1-3 NSA. Each ministry has a delegated authority, within its field of competence, to issue administrative decisions rendering a company subject to the NSA. This authority is discretionary, but limited to situations where a company:

Prior to issuing a decision, a ministry must first give notice to the company in question. The company is given the opportunity to present its comments to the ministry.

Examples of undertakings that are covered by the provisions on ownership control are companies in the defence, telecommunications, transport and energy sectors, food and water supply and health services. However, there is no public list or record of which companies have been made subject to the NSA.

Second, as regards the general prohibition, section 2-5 NSA allows the government to adopt decisions necessary to prevent activities that present a not insignificant threat to national security. This provision is purposefully broad and is designed as a safety valve to ensure a means of reviewing and, possibly, blocking transactions that raise national security concerns. However, the preparatory works to the NSA clearly state that it should only be used in limited and serious situations. To date, the provision is only publicly known to have been applied once.

How is a foreign investor or foreign investment defined in the applicable law?

The provisions on ownership control in the NSA are not directed specifically towards foreign investors or foreign investment as such, and apply both to foreign and domestic acquirers without discrimination. As a result, the NSA does not define terms such as foreign investor or foreign investment. Rather, the objective of the NSA is to guard against investments that raise a national security concern.

Are there special rules for investments made by foreign state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and sovereign wealth funds (SWFs)? How is an SOE or SWF defined?

There are no specific rules for investments made by foreign SOEs or SWFs. The provisions on ownership control are applicable regardless of the acquirers nationality.

Which officials or bodies are the competent authorities to review mergers or acquisitions on national interest grounds?

The competent authority to review mergers or acquisitions on national interest grounds is the individual ministry with competence for the sector in which the relevant undertaking is engaged. If the company does not fall within the sector of any ministry, the Norwegian National Security Authority has competence to conduct the review.

The ministries and the Norwegian National Security Authority have the power to approve an acquisition, but they cannot prohibit an acquisition. If an acquisition is to be prohibited, the decision must be taken by the government.

Notwithstanding the above-mentioned laws and policies, how much discretion do the authorities have to approve or reject transactions on national interest grounds?

The NSA is intended to provide a dynamic framework to address the most critical security interests in Norway, and although there is a not insignificant margin of discretion, any prohibition decision must still be adopted according to general principles of administrative law.

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Snapshot: foreign investment law and policy in Norway - Lexology

The K-drama Snowdrop has been a rollercoaster fictionally and in real life. Set during the '80s uprising for democracy in South Korea, it is Blackpink Jisoos first major acting role. She was cast opposite melodrama favorite Jung Hae-in. It started off with a bunch of controversies as the general public and activists called it out for its insensitive portrayal of the uprising and the relations between North Korea and South Korea. But it has finally ended with a high rating.

After the court and the Blue House (South Koreas presidential office) vetoed the cancelation petitions and lawsuits and gave their approval for the dramas broadcast, netizens finally gave the Jisoo-starrer K-drama a chance. Well, they did more as invested viewers are now torn over the ending which took place on January 30. This weekend was full of emotions as the production decided to air the last three Snowdrop episodes in 48 hours. And fans have a lot of questions like Su-hos death, the NSAs consequences, Young-ros fate and more.

READ MORE'Snowdrop': Stocks, viewership ratings increase after court rules in favor of K-drama

The problem with 'Snowdrop': Why South Koreans want Blackpink Jisoo's K-drama canceled

In Snowdrop, Jung Hae-in plays the North Korean spy Su-ho who has doubts about his mission after his party decides to kill him for hindering their plans. Blackpinks Jisoo plays student Young-ro who mistakes him for a student activist and who then unwillingly holds her hostage to protect his team. He decides to go rogue earning the wrath of his comrades and the NSA who have partnered up with North Korea. Su-ho teams up with the hostages, his comrade, Doctor Kang and NSA officer Gang-mu to ruin the political plans between North Korea and South Korea.

It is established that the North want to kill their spies for foiling the mission while the South want to kill all of the student hostages as it will get them sympathy votes which will help them win the upcoming election. In exchange, the South is ready to give 300 million dollars to the North. In Episode 15, it seems like Su-hos plan is working as Doctor Kang gets the money, comes back to flee the country with the comrades and help the hostages escape without the NSA killing them all.

However, we get the biggest plot twist in the finale which is Episode 16. While, Su-ho, Doctor Kang and his two comrades try to escape with the money, it turns out there was another sleeper agent in the hostel that foils their plans. Kim, the old doddering dorm manager who cowered in the beginning and was even beat up by the comrades, turned out to be a North Korean spy who is woken up to kill Su-hos team for failing their mission. He kills the two comrades Gyeok-chan and Eung-cheol but dies while trying to kill Su-ho.

Doctor Kang tries to convince Su-ho to continue with their escape plan, however, he decides to go back and save the student hostages escape alive as the NSAs Nam Tae-il brutally raids the place. Doctor Kang flees alone with the money and promises to take care of all of their families. The NSA is sent in to kill the students after the hot-headed Ha-na tells the public about South Koreas election scheme. Young-ros father Eun Chang-su who is NSAs president recovers from his gunshot that was ordered by Nam Tae-il and helps Ha-na escape with the students.

Ha-na takes the student hostages and leaves in a bus. However, Young-ro, headmistress Ms Pi, Bun-ok and cook Oh are left behind in the hostel. Oh accidentally sets off a bomb and the rest try to help her out. Su-ho saves them as they are surrounded by NSA agents but gets shot multiple times in the process. The three women leave except Young-ro who stays by the injured Su-ho. To make sure she is also not killed by Nam Tae-il, he tells the NSA where the 300 million is being kept and adds that the password to access it is only known to Young-ro.

The plan mildly backfires as Nam Tae-il orders the officers to anyway shoot them. Su-ho is fatally injured and gives Young-ro the tape he had recorded in response to her confessing she had fallen in love with him at first sight. He also says that he loves her and asks her to live her life. The NSA officers take away Young-ro as Su-ho watches. He dies after she leaves.

The election scheme fails anyway and the opposing party wins. The NSA leaders including Young-ros father is jailed. Her stepmother escapes with a hidden stash of money. In the meantime, Gang-mu and Ha-na are seen leaving everything behind and going off in their cars together. Young-ro is at the cafe where she had first seen Su-ho and listens to his tape while imagining the alternate life they could have had together.

Read the original post:
'Snowdrop' Ending Explained: Suhos escape plans and the NSAs raid clash - MEAWW

Stringent National Security Act (NSA) was invoked against a real estate businessman, who had allegedly raped and tortured his wife, and one of his accomplices in the crime committed in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Monday. The duo is currently lodged in a jail in Indore under judicial custody. District Collector Manish Singh has issued an order to invoke the NSA against the two and to keep them lodged in the Central Jail in Indore, officials said. The duo is facing multiple criminal cases in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, officials added. The 32-year-old woman, who hails from Chhattisgarh, was allegedly raped by her real estate businessman at his farmhouse in Kshipra area in Indore and his friends. They had allegedly committed unnatural sex and singed her private parts with cigarette butts. Police had arrested five accused in the case on January 16. All of them are lodged in jail under judicial custody. The district administration had already razed the illegally-constructed farmhouse As per the FIR, the accused businessman got in touch with the woman through a matrimonial website and married her despite being already married. The woman had alleged that her husband and his associates raped her and indulged in unnatural sex many times between November 2019 and 2021.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Original post:
NSA invoked against bizman who raped and tortured his wife with friends in Indore - Devdiscourse

Investors seek growth stocks to capitalize on above-average growth in financials that help these securities grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.

That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.

However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

Our proprietary system currently recommends National Storage (NSA Quick QuoteNSA - Free Report) as one such stock. This company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this real estate investment trust a great growth pick right now.

Earnings Growth

Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for National Storage is 12.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 18.8% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 8.8%.

Cash Flow Growth

While cash is the lifeblood of any business, higher-than-average cash flow growth is more important and beneficial for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, growth in cash flow enables these companies to expand their businesses without depending on expensive outside funds.

Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for National Storage is 51.7%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of -1.6%.

While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 25.4% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 11.1%.

Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions

Beyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

The current-year earnings estimates for National Storage have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.3% over the past month.

Bottom Line

While the overall earnings estimate revisions have made National Storage a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that National Storage is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

See the original post:
Is National Storage (NSA) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think " Yes " - Zacks.com

Pakistans National Security Advisor (NSA), Moeed Yusuf, said on Thursday that the safety of foreigners in the country is Pakistans responsibility, and concerns of Chinese workers and engineers working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are being taken seriously, Express Tribune reported.

The NSAs remarks came in an interview with the Beijing Review where he mentioned that some countries and their proxy actors do not want the CPEC to succeed, as they see the Pakistan-China partnership as a threat.

Yusuf acknowledged that there have been a number of attacks on the CPEC projects, highlighting that India supported and funded them through anti-Pakistan militant organisations operating from third countries, the report said.

Unfortunately, our enemies will continue to seek ways to target us, he added.

However, the NSA stated that regardless of these attacks, there is clear evidence that the Pakistan-China relationship is still going strong as the two countries came out stronger and further strengthened security protocols.

All inimical forces working at the behest of external powers to undermine the CPEC will be defeated, said Yusuf, adding that Pakistan now has a mechanism to ensure the security of every Chinese citizen in the country.

He emphasised that the full potential of the CPEC will only be realised when there is peace in the region, the report said.

Responding to a question, the Pak NSA maintained that Pakistan neither believes in camp politics, nor it wants to be pushed in that direction.

China has always counselled us to have good relations with everyone, and we have always maintained that Islamabads relations with Beijing are not exclusive, he said.

Read this article:
India supported and funded attacks on CPEC projects: Pak NSA - The Statesman