Newsletter: Happy Holidays From High North News!

Let us start with Editor-in-Chief Arne O. Holm's New Year's resolution: Understanding where it went wrong. 

"Next year, I will first and foremost talk to people I disagree with to understand where we who believe in democracy and international cooperation went wrong," the Editor-in-Chief writes in this year's final commentary. 

In the U.S., work is being done with both icebreakers and territories. 

This week, the U.S. Department of State announced plans to move forward with extended continental shelf claims in the Arctic. 

And U.S. Congresswoman for Alaska, Mary Peltola, urges the U.S. Congress to fund icebreakers in Alaska to meet the increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic. 

Business news from the North 

It has been a challenging year for Svalbard's tourism industry, leaving behind a difficult year of a decreasing number of guests, unclear regulatory processes, the climate crisis, and a war also affecting the Arctic (Norwegian only). 

The traffic along the Russian Northern Sea Route, however, is increasing. 

Northern Sea Route shipping activity during the summer of 2023 included the first regular container service between Asia and Europe. 

Norwegian company Freyr Battery is two steps closer to Giga America - the company's US-based battery factory, as they leave Europe behind. 

The Norwegian Ministry of Finance wants to establish a state fund in Tromsø and suggests that the fund should manage NOK 15 billion. 

And again, an iron ore train derailed on the Iron Ore Line between Kiruna in Northern Sweden and Narvik in Northern Norway. 

Read about this and more at High North News. 

We of the editorial staff want to thank you for following us in 2023 and are taking some holiday time off until the new year. We have many exciting plans for 2024, so stay tuned! 

On behalf of the editorial staff, we wish you happy holidays and a joyful New Year! 

Best, News Editor, Trine Jonassen