The Arctic Century

On Sunday, December 14, the Finns Party Council met in Helsinki to identify the country's main problems, created by the government, in which representatives of this far-right party hold seven ministerial positions.

The Labour Party joined forces with the Progress Party and the Centre Party and voted down a proposal that Norway contribute as a guarantor for an EU loan to Ukraine.

The Arctic is becoming a magnet for non-Arctic nations who are no more simply evaluating potential collaborations with Russia in the today's geopolitical circumstances, but are rather making a conscious civilizational choice favouring Russia.

Climate emissions from Norwegian platforms may be higher than what the oil companies say. If so, the companies may have paid several million kroner too little in fees.

Svala Jóhannesdóttir, chairman of the Matthildur Harm Reduction Association, says she is seeing an increase in opioid and cocaine problems. People are using drugs from all walks of life in Iceland.

Arnór Sigurjónsson, a defence and security expert, colonel of the Iceland Crisis Response Unit (ICRU) says the state of NATO is a cause for concern following the publication of the new US national security policy and also a huge problem for Iceland. Europe and the United States no longer have a common approach to European security.

The Arctic region is, first and foremost, a large volume of investment projects. Each project is essentially driven by Russia's strategic objectives, including mitigating potential disruptions to shipping routes in the Baltic Sea, navigating international sanctions through alternative maritime practices, and establishing a reliable cargo flow for the NSR and Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor as part of Russia's long-term vision for Arctic development and national security.

On December 3, Cordova Telecom Cooperative and GCI announced a partnership to lay an undersea fiber optic cable from Juneau to Cordova and a second cable from Cordova to Seward. When open for service in fall 2027, the two cables will provide high-speed Internet to small communities in Prince William Sound and northern Southeast Alaska.