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

Fra taubanesentralen, Longyearbyen. Foto: Sveinung Lystrup Thesen.

Svalbard: The End of the Last Norwegian Coal Mine

At the end of June, Mine 7, the last Norwegian coal mine, will be closing down on Svalbard. This marks the end of over 100 years of Norwegian coal production on the Arctic island.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

Trump Wants to Pull Troops Out of Europe. To Use Them Against His Own People?

Comment: Donald Trump continues to threaten aid for Ukraine. Instead, he sends soldiers against his own people. Whether or not he, as president, is allowed to do so is apparently besides the point.

New Study Aims to Put Arctic Food on the Global Menu

A new Canada–Norway study aims to highlight Arctic food innovation — with potential to improve food security and create jobs in northern communities.

Notices

SCIENCE / 16.06.2025

Mercury Pollution in The Arctic Has Reached Toxic Levels

Human activities have caused large-scale mercury (Hg) pollution in the…

POLITICS / 13.06.2025

Joint Arctic Command: "Ready if Russia or China Change Course"

This summer, the Joint Arctic Command will increase its presence in…

The Norwegian Royal Couple will visit Svalbard and Mine 7

His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen are embarking on a new…

Politics / 04.06.2025

Finnish MoD Stops Real Estate Sale to Chinese-owned Company in Lapland

On Wednesday, Finland’s Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen decided to…

macron in greenland

France Ready for Joint Arctic Exercises, Will Open Consulate Says Macron During Visit to Greenland

France is ready to step up its engagement in the Arctic through joint exercises and economic and social partnerships, French President Macron announced during a visit in Nuuk. The country will also open a general consulate in the Greenlandic capital.

Gruppeutstillinga Framtidslandet i 15 og ½ kapittel setter ifølge Havremagasinet «kunsten i sentrum som hjerte, vitnesbyrd og følgesvenn for refleksjoner rundt den nordlige geografien i ei tid med omfattende endringer.» (Foto: Mats Engfors/Havremagasinet)

Addressing the Northern Geography in Major Exhibition

The art gallery Havremagasinet in Northern Sweden has filled a whopping 3600 square meters with art created by various artists from the High North. The works offer diverse views of the northern land of the future.

Researcher Anka Ryall Highlights Female Voices in the Norwegian Polar History

Anka Ryall's research career has been marked by a series of coincidences, but women's travel literature has remained a recurring theme throughout. In the book Polar Women, she sheds light on the women in what is usually a very masculine representation of the Norwegian polar history.

High North News investigates: The Russian Gas Flow

EU Sanctions Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels Routinely Passing Through Norwegian Waters, Stopping at Honningsvåg

A liquefied natural gas carrier working for Russia’s Yamal LNG project stopped in…

Also see

EU Imports of Russian LNG Decrease by One-Third During Month of April

China Looking to Buy More Russian Arctic LNG as EU Aims to Announce Plans in May to Phase Out Imports

Russia Continues Working on Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 With Wison Power Modules Installation and Gas Flaring

Yamal LNG

Russia to Earn $160bn in Taxes From Northern Sea Route by 2035, Arctic Region Accounts for 7.5 Percent of GDP

New government figures highlight the critical role the Arctic plays in Russia’s…

Fluxys Zeebrugge Terminal

EU Proposes Russian Gas Ban for 2027 But Imports on the Rise Again, Norway Remains Top Supplier

After years of debate the European Commission aims to ban Russian gas by the end of…

Yamal LNG exports

Russia’s Arctic ‘Yamal LNG’ Gas Plant Saw a Record 287 Cargo Loadings in 2024

While Western sanctions have impeded or complicated much of Russia’s energy economy…

Norske F-35 jagerfly i formasjon i arktisk luftrom mandag mens resten av teamet deres får drivstoff fra et amerikansk tankfly av typen KC-135R Stratotanker. (Foto: Andrew Sinclair/US Air National Guard)

The Major Arctic Challenge Exercise 2025 is Cancelled

The fighter jet exercise Arctic Challenge was to take place in May-June across Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, with US participation. The decision to cancel the exercise was made in unity by the Nordic air force chiefs, informs the Norwegian Air Force.

Illustrasjonsbilde av den sirkumpolare sjøfuglen tyvjo på Svalbard. (Foto: Per Harald Olsen/Wikimedia commons.)

Birds Have Been Nesting in the Arctic for Almost 73 Million Years

A new study has found that birds have been nesting in the Arctic region for almost 73 million years, more than 25 million years longer than previously thought.

Den danske fregatten HDMS Niels Juul passerte torsdag Færøyene på vei til Grønland. (Foto: Simon Elbeck/Danmarks forsvar)

Denmark's Armed Forces Increases Its Presence in Greenland

The Danish Armed Forces will be more visible in and around Greenland in the near future. A frigate and two helicopters are now in place to strengthen the military operations in the Arctic. Deployment of fighter jets will also follow.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

The Fascists, Autocrats, and Dictators Looking to Ruin Our Democracy Are Creeping Closer

Comment: It is not the fear of a military war in the Arctic that frightens me most. It is the increasingly extensive attack on our democracies that keeps me awake at night. The war is already underway and will not be stopped by expanding weapon arsenals.

Frankrikes president Emmanuel Macron (Renaissance) vil gjeste Grønland på søndag. (Foto: Laurent Blevennec/Frankrikes presidentembete)

France’s President to Visit Greenland

The French President Emmanuel Macron will go on an official visit to Greenland on June 15th. Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, will also participate in the visit. Security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic are at the top of the agenda.

Nyutnevnt sjef for Finnmarksbrigaden, brigader John Olav Fuglem. Brigaden er under etablering med nye kapasiteter tilpasset oppdraget i Finnmark. (Foto: Synne Kvam/Forsvarsdepartementet)

Brigadier John Olav Fuglem Becomes the First Commander of the Finnmark Brigade

On Tuesday, John Olav Fuglem was appointed Brigadier and Commander of the new Finnmark Brigade on NATO’s northern flank. "We will have a very capable and experienced commander in Fuglem," says the Chief of the Norwegian Army.

Arc7 at Sabetta

Deliveries of Russian LNG from Yamal Hold Steady, EU Transshipment Ban Showing Little Effect

Following the EU’s transshipment ban on Russian LNG it remains business as usual for Novatek’s Yamal project. New data show that it shipped out 120 loads compared to 123 last year.

Delegasjon fra EU-parlamentets sikkerhets- og forsvarskomité på besøk i Kirkenes. Den inkluderte parlamentarikere fra Tyskland, Frankrike, Spania, Kroatia og Hella. (Foto: EUs delegasjon til Norge)

EU Visit to the Norwegian-Russian Border: “A Threat in This Region Is a Threat to European Security"

A delegation from the EU Parliament's Committee on Security and Defense recently visited the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes to gain insights into the hybrid threat landscape. The committee chair emphasizes that the border with Russia is also the EU's Schengen border and that the threats in the North are a European matter.

Sjef for JFC Norfolk besøker Bodø

“Our Goal Is to Maintain the Arctic as a Stable Place”

Reitan (High North News): Norway and the Nordic region are about to be placed under NATO's Joint Force Command Norfolk in the US. Its establishment in 2019 was a response to a resurgent Russia operating in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. "Events since have only reinforced and validated the decision to establish the command," says the JFC Norfolk commander.

Vågehvalen i Nord-Atlanteren er grunnlaget for den norske småhvalfangsten som startet på slutten av 1920-tallet. Den kan bli rundt 9 meter lang, veier omtrent 5-8 tonn og er lett gjenkjennelig på de hvite båndene over sveivene. (Foto: Kjell-Arne Fagerheim/Havforskningsinstituttet)

Calls for Arctic Policy Action on Underwater Noise

A new Arctic Council report from the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment working group predicts a significant increase in underwater noise from shipping in the Arctic Ocean by 2030. This poses a dramatic risk to whales and other noise-sensitive species.

U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker

U.S. Coast Guard’s New Icebreaker ’Storis’ Departs on Maiden Voyage Bolstering Presence in Arctic

The U.S. Coast Guard has taken a first key step in strengthening its Arctic posture. Icebreaker 'Storis' is joining the USCG fleet after a six months conversion process to turn the commercial ice-capable supply vessel into an icebreaker.

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

Alaska Open For Business As Trump Moves to Reverse Biden Era Oil and Gas Restrictions

The Trump Administration plans to open up large swaths of land on Alaska’s North Slope to oil and gas exploration. The proposed change would undo policy protections put in place by the Biden Administration which blocked or limited exploration across the entire Alaska National Petroleum Reserve.

Statens fond i Tromsø, som forvaltes av Folketrygdfondet, skal snart i gang med sine investeringer. Kontoret i de tidligere lokalene til Mack ølbryggeri ble offisielt åpnet mandag av finansminister Jens Stoltenberg (Ap) sammen med tidligere finansminister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) og Tromsø-ordfører Gunnar Wilhelmsen. (Foto: Astri Edvardsen)

Opened State Fund in Tromsø, Northern Norway

Tromsø (High North News): On Monday, the Norwegian Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg opened the State Fund in Tromsø, which will invest in Nordic small-cap listed companies. This establishment will strengthen Northern Norway's financial environment, says Stoltenberg.