High North News - News, analysis and debate about politics and business in the North

Norge Mineraler

Australian Owner Sells Graphite Producer in Northern Norway

Through its Norway-based subsidiary, the UK-registered Norge Mining has entered into an agreement to acquire Skaland Graphite.

Den finske statsministeren Petteri Orpo (i midten) har invitert EU-ledere til Nord-Finland for drøfting av sikkerhetsspørsmål: (f.v.) Sveriges statsminister Ulf Kristersson, EUs høyrepresentant for utenriks- og sikkerhetspolitikk Kaja Kallas, Italias statsminister Giorgia Meloni og Hellas’ statsminister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. (Fotokollasj: Finlands regjering)

Finland to Organize EU Leaders Summit in Lapland

“Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security," says Finland's PM Petteri Orpo. This weekend, he will host minister colleagues from EU countries and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Northern Finland, near the border with Russia.

Notices

BUSINESS / 20.12.2024

Luleå Industrial park: "Crucial For the Future of Critical Minerals"

The Swedish mining company LKAB have submited its application for an…

POLITICS / 20.12.2024

Will Spend 900 Billion on US Defense Next Year

The Senate of the US Congress has decided that just under 900 billion…

Politics / 20.12.2024

Allied Chiefs of Defence Meeting With Partners in January 2025

NATO’s highest Military Authority, the Military Committee, will meet in…

Business / 17.12.2024

Mining company LKAB in Northern Sweden to build office in Kiruna's new city centre

The Swedish mining company LKAB, which operates iron ore mines in Northern…

putin at belokamenka

Exclusive: Senior Novatek Official Traveled to Washington DC For Discussions on Arctic LNG Sanctions

Could the upcoming Trump U.S. administration offer an opportunity to reverse or lighten sanctions targeting the Russian LNG sector? Novatek appears to think so, dispatching a senior executive to Washington DC to pursue the matter.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

When Green Initiatives Kick the Legs Out From Under Local Businesses

Comment: The bankrupt estates of a couple of the largest and most unsuccessful green industrial ventures in the north are barely enough for a leftover dinner. The accounts of local suppliers are already dripping with blood.

Canadas utenriksminister Mélanie Joly presenterer en ny arktisk strategi med fire hovedsøyler: suverenitetshevdelse, pragmatisk diplomati, lederskap innenfor arktisk samstyring og inkluderende diplomati. (Foto: Mathieu Girard/Global Affairs Canada)

Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy

"The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," says Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.

High North News investigates: The Russian Gas Flow

putin at belokamenka

Exclusive: Senior Novatek Official Traveled to Washington DC For Discussions on Arctic LNG Sanctions

Could the upcoming Trump U.S. administration offer an opportunity to reverse or…

Also see

Germany Rejects Vessel Carrying Russian Arctic LNG, But Continues Indirect Imports Via EU Neighbors

European Commission’s Von Der Leyen Suggests EU Could Replace Russian LNG with U.S. Supply

Trump Presidency Could be Good News for Russia’s Arctic LNG Projects, Though Exact Policy Shift Hard to Predict

Arctic LNG 2 Facing Vessel Shortage as Zvezda Shipyard Delays Delivery, Japanese MOL Exits Charter Contract

Russian Arctic LNG Carrier Out of Commission Following Maintenance Struggles, Underscores Key Role of EU Yards

Russia’s fleet of ice-capable LNG carriers keeps the gas flowing to Europe. But now…

Jian Yang Cheng Xiang heavy lift carrier

Cargo Shipment from Belgium to Russia Highlights Continued Flow of LNG Technology from EU

A cargo delivery from Antwerp to Yamal LNG plant raises questions about the…

zvezda scf vessel arc7

Russian Sovcomflot to Operate Sanctioned Zvezda Arc7 LNG Carrier for Arctic LNG 2

Despite mounting Western sanctions Russia’s largest shipping company Sovcomflot…

Fra Bodø flystasjon

Possible Future Military Role for Bodø's New Airport

The Norwegian Ministry of Defense has decided to acquire options in Avinor's construction project so that the new airport in Bodø, Northern Norway, could potentially have a future military role.

Illustrasjon av SSABs nye stålverk i Luleå, Nord-Sverige

Steel Producer Receives Billion Grant for Green Transformation in Northern Sweden

The Swedish steel producer SSAB has been granted SEK 1.45 billion for the green transformation of its Luleå operations. The steel plant in the Northern Swedish city currently accounts for Sweden's largest carbon emission.

Why Smart City Dreams May Not Survive The Arctic

Op-ed: When Arctic cities try to get smart, they discover that southern solutions don't work in northern conditions.

Russian Arctic LNG Carrier Out of Commission Following Maintenance Struggles, Underscores Key Role of EU Yards

Russia’s fleet of ice-capable LNG carriers keeps the gas flowing to Europe. But now one of the vessels, Christophe de Margerie, is out of commission as it struggles to receive maintenance and spare parts in European shipyards.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

We Were Going to Save the Ocean and Free Ourselves From China, but Instead Ended Up in a Timeout

Comment: Norway's proposal to open up for deep-sea mining was never even close to being realized. Now, Norway may instead have been a door opener for a major Chinese attack on the same minerals. That does not serve the ocean nation of Norway well.

zooplankton GoNorth

Pharmaceuticals Pollute Arctic Marine Ecosystems

Scientists have found significant evidence of the presence and accumulation of pharmaceutical pollution in Arctic marine ecosystems. A new study shows that pharmaceutical pollution constitutes a significant threat to Arctic marine species and that the concentration and possible consequences of pharmaceuticals in the Arctic Ocean have not been researched enough.

På nyåret presenteres stumfilmen Med ackja och ren i Inka Läntas vinterland (By Sledge and Reindeer in Inka Länta's Winterland) med livemusikk under Tromsø internasjonale filmfestival. (Pressebilde)

To Show Silent Film from 1920s Sápmi With New Tunes

Sámi musicians will put the nearly 100-year-old silent film By Sledge and Reindeer in Inka Länta's Winterland from Northern Sweden into a new context. The silent film concert will be performed during January's Tromsø International Film Festival.

Ice floes in the Arctic Ocean on the west side of Greenland

The First Ice-Free Day in the Arctic Ocean Could Occur Before 2030, Says Researchers

Researchers have now given the first projections of when the first ice-free September day in the Arctic Ocean could occur. Based on simulations, researchers say that the first ice-free day could occur before 2030.

Et amerikansk B-52 bombefly flyr over Bergen på vei nordover for trening med norske og britiske styrker. (Foto: Jacob Cabanero/USAs luftforsvar)

US, UK and Norwegian Air Forces Exercise in the High North: F-35s Integrate With B-52

Fighters, bombers, and surveillance aircraft from the US, the UK, and Norway are now exercising to protect the High North. "The Arctic is a critical region for our collective security and global stability," says the commander of US Air Forces in Europe.

Jian Yang Cheng Xiang heavy lift carrier

Cargo Shipment from Belgium to Russia Highlights Continued Flow of LNG Technology from EU

A cargo delivery from Antwerp to Yamal LNG plant raises questions about the effectiveness of EU sanctions. The Antwerp shipment is part of a much larger problem; European companies have supplied more $600m worth of equipment to Russia since 2022.

Vinterbilde av Kirunas nye sentrum

The Arctic Mining City Kiruna Can Become the European Capital of Culture

On Friday, it will be decided whether Kiruna in Northern Sweden will be the European Capital of Culture in 2029. If so, it will be the third Arctic city to receive the title this decade.

Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier: “Directly Impacts Norwegian Security”

Researchers at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI) have researched how climate change can function as a threat multiplier for security in the Arctic. They emphasize that uncertainty is the biggest security threat and that they cannot observe any major changes in the security situation in the north so far.