High North News - English

Drilling for hot water is under way in Laugardalur, Iceland, reports RUV. There is almost certainly hot water beneath the site, as several existing boreholes are located nearby. Work officially began October 15.

"We hope this will increase our production capacity by as much as 40 per cent, if everything goes according to plan," says Sólrún Kristinsdóttir, managing director of utilities firm Veitur, to RUV.

There has been no drilling for hot water in Laugardalur for 44 years, since 1982. The area has supplied Reykjavík residents with hot water for almost a century, with the first boreholes drilled near Þvottalaugarnar.

The EU paid an estimated €1.92 billion for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Yamal project in the third quarter of 2026, according to new Urgewald analysis of Kpler data.

EU ports received a record 12.18 million tonnes between January and September, an increase of 9.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.

EU ports received 2.21 million tonnes between July and September, as Washington approaches a deadline to review sanctions on the vessels sustaining Russia's gas trade.

Although third-quarter import volumes were 13.6 per cent lower than in Q3 2025, the EU's estimated bill for the first nine months reached €7.88 billion.

Urgewald's analysis shows that 167 Yamal cargoes were delivered to EU ports between January and September. Europe received 85 per cent of the project's recorded deliveries by volume, remaining by far its largest market.

Bodø Business Forum is organizing a dedicated defense conference titled "The Defense Plege for Northern Norway 2026". The conference is being held in collaboration with the Harstad Region Business Association, the Bodø Region Development Company, and Kunnskapsparken Bodø.

It will take place on November 10 at the Stormen Concert Hall in Bodø.

The press release states that "Northern Norway is at the center of one of the largest defense initiatives in modern times." The conference will bring together key stakeholders from the Norwegian Armed Forces, the defense industry, academia, and the political sphere to discuss current security policy challenges, the future of defense in the North, and the opportunities this initiative creates for the business sector and societal development in the region.

State Secretary at the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, Andreas Flåm, will open the conference. Read more about the conference here.

The total quota for Northeast Arctic saithe for 2027 has been set at 127,807 tonnes, announces the Norwegian Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Fisheries.

This quota is 22 percent lower than in 2026 and in line with advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

"We are following the management plan for saithe. The decline is noticeable, but necessary for the spawning population to grow again," says Minister of Fisheries and the Ocean Policy Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Labor).

The spawning stock has declined in recent years, but is still above the precautionary level. With the new quota, it is expected to increase from 2027 to 2028.

Because the saithe quotas have not been fully fished in recent years, the quota reduction will probably have less of an impact on the actual catch than 22 percent, according to the ministry.

In late September, the seven Western Arctic countries met in the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) to discuss how they can address the changes in the region in terms of security and preparedness.

"The Arctic is evolving in ways that increasingly link traditional coast guard services with broader maritime security considerations," states the Joint Arctic Command in Denmark, which is leading the forum in 2026.

At the meeting, the countries agreed to expand the work of the forum by establishing a new working group on maritime security. It will focus on emerging challenges, bring together experts and explore new practical approaches to address changes in the region. This work will initially be led by the Canadian Coast Guard.

The ACGF was established in 2015 to foster safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic. The cooperation focuses particularly on search and rescue, environmental protection measures, and assistance in the event of major maritime incidents.

ALSO READ: The Norwegian Coast Guard on Comprehensive Operation to Strengthen Arctic Cooperation

Norwegian businesses are increasingly exposed to targeted fraud attempts. In Northern Norway, the increase is also significant and some businesses have suffered major financial losses as a result of such attacks, reports SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge.

"The attacks are often carried out in several steps where the fraudsters combine SMS, emails and phone calls to build trust and gain access to the company's online banking and make payments," says Gjermund Koi, fraud specialist at SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge.

The scam often starts with an SMS or email in which the fraudster pretends to represent public services or well-known businesses. The goal is to get the recipient to click on a link and provide sensitive information, such as BankID password.

After a couple of days, the initial contact is often followed up with a call from people who may claim to be from the bank, the police or other authorities.

"The scammers often claim that the business is vulnerable to fraud and that it is urgent to take measures to secure the money. Through social manipulation, they get the customer to provide sensitive information, or approve actions with BankID, which in reality gives the scammers the opportunity to make payments," Koi outlines.

While housing prices are falling across large parts of the country, new figures from Real Estate Norway show an unusal price surge in several municipalities in Northern Norway.

Hammerfest recorded the strongest growth in the entire country during the third quarter of 2026, with an increase of 4.5 percent, followed by Tromsø and Narvik.

Looking at the last four quarters combined, Narvik stands out with the hghest price growth in the nation at a staggering 14 percent. Tromsø (11.4 percent) and Hammerfest (10.5 percent) have also experienced exceptionally strong growth over the past year.

Henning Lauridsen, CEO of Eiendom Norge, points to major industrial investments and hew developments as the primary driver behind the northern municipalitiea setting themselves apart. Among other projects, he highlights Equinor’s gas investments in Hammerfest and Nscale’s data center in Narvik as key market drivers.

Local authorities and tourism operatora in South Iceland are pushing back against plans to introduce a nature and infrastructure fee for tourists visiting the popular Golden Circle, according to the Icelandic national broadcaster RUV.

Ingunn Jónsdóttir, Managing Director of the Association of South Iceland Municipalities (SASS), criticizes the fact that the fee targets just three specific sites in South Iceland rather than applying to all state-owned tourist destination across the country.

The local community considers it unfair that these destinations are being taxed more heavily simply because of their success in attracting visitors, and they are calling for dialogue with the government to find a solution that works for the entire industry.

Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen, has decided to usse a new decree from the Ministry of Defence regarding the use of Defence Forces vehicles.

”With the new decree, we are promoting military mobility in the changed security environment. With the reform, we will ensure that the operating conditions of the Defence Forces, traffic safety and military mobility, which is central to Finland's defence, form a functional whole,” Häkkänen said in a press release from the Ministry.

According to Yle, the reform will make it easier for Norwegian and Swedish military vehicles to enter Finland without special control measures at the border.

The same practice will also be introduced in ports and airports.

King Haakon VIII of Norway will visit the city of Narvik in Northern Norway on Tuesday, October 13.

This is the first official municipal visit for Norway's new king.

After the visit to Narvik, King Haakon will visit the Norwegian Armed Forces in Finnmark on October 13 and 14. There, he will visit several units in the Finnmark Brigade, which was established in 2025.

"In 1940, some of the fiercest fighting on Norwegian soil took place precisely in Narvik, and the city is once again an important hub for Norwegian and Allied preparedness. Narvik is the most important shipping port for mineral resources in Norway and Scandinavia. The port is also one of four Nordic ports for receiving Allied reinforcements. In addition, Narvik is the terminus of the Ofot Line, which ensures a train connection to Kiruna in Sweden," states the press release about the visit to Narvik.

Total defence, democracy, and how we together build safe and strong local communities will be a natural framework for the King's visit to Narvik, it further reads.

The US Navy commissioned its newest destroyer, the USS Ted Stevens, into active service during a formal ceremony in Whittier, Alaska, on October 3.

That is reported by U.S. Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and the US Department of War.

The ship and its commissioning location honor the legacy of the late Sen. Ted Stevens, a decorated combat aviator and lifelong champion for the state of Alaska and the nation's armed forces, the press release states.

Selecting the strategic deep-water port of Whittier highlights Alaska's enduring maritime significance and the historic partnership between the state and the Navy.

"From the Pacific campaigns of World War II to modern Arctic maritime operations, the Navy and Alaska share a deep commitment to homeland defense. The commissioning in Whittier emphasizes the Navy's persistent operational presence in high-latitude environments to deter northern flank aggression and safeguard critical maritime routes," it further reads.

Following post-commissioning operations, the USS Ted Stevens will transit to its permanent home port in Norfolk, Virginia, fully prepared to deploy worldwide.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) has appointed Navarana Beveridge as its new chief executive officer, Nunatsiaq reports.

The organisation represents Inuit in the Canadian territory of Nunavut and works to ensure that the rights and benefits outlined in the Nunavut Agreement are upheld.

Beverdige will take up the position on October 13, succeeding Kilikvak Kabloona, who left the role in June this year.

Beveridge was born and raised in Greenland and has worked for 17 years at the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, most recently as senior director of strategic planning.

In 2021, she was appointed honorary consul in Nunavut by the Kingdom of Denmark.

The shrimp stock and quotas for shrimp fishing have fallen significantly in the waters around Greenland, reports Greenland's broadcasting company KNR.

At Royal Greenland's factory in Sisimiut, the number of shrimp has dropped so sharply that the workforce has been reduced by nearly 50 people.

Last year, the company had 137 employees, today, that figure has fallen to between 90 and 95.

In March, factory manager Hans Lars Olsen said that operations had gone from 17 hours a day, six days a week, to 12 hours a day, four days a week.

Working hours have now been forther reduced to 10 hours a day.

Today, the norwegian government will present next year's national budget.

In 2026, the Sámi Parliament received over 800 million Noregian kroner for the first time. Now the Sámi Parliament has decided that it needs an additional 767,5 million kroner, meaning a total of more than 1,5 billion kroner from the state in 2027, according to NRK.

This demand follows the historic report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commision. The Sámi Parliament is calling on the state to take responsibility for closing the gap between the formal rights of the Sámi people and what is actually implemented in practice.

Because the Sámi Parliament is an elected body, it is recuested that the funda not earmarked, so the Sámi community itself can decide what it needs most.

Among other things, they want to use the money for nred museum buildings, a Sámi language Commisioner, and efforts to rebuild in the aftermath of the Norwegiansation policy.

A series of internal Department of National Defence documents suggest Canadian troops were ill-prepared and occasionally ill-equipped for the harsh conditions they faced last winter during a major training exercise with American forces in Alaska.

This according to CBC.

The evaluation reports, obtained by CBC News, show the military has a lot to learn and a long way to go to rebuild its capability to defend the Arctic.

The training involved over 400 members of the 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment (3RCR) which was folded into a much larger U.S. Army brigade during Exercise Global Response in February at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, north of Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Carney government has committed to an almost year-round presence in the Far North and the reports indicate, among other things, that troops will need to learn to rely less on technology and more on basic skills in order to fight and survive, according to defence experts.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) will travel to Iceland on October 5. There, Rubio is set to meet with Icelandic politicians in Reykjavík to discuss cooperation on the economy and security.

The Secretary will then travel to Greece to lead the US delegation at the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, aiming to strengthen the partnership on key administration priorities, including defense cooperation as well as regional and energy security.

Afterwards, Rubio will travel to Lisbon to meet with Portuguese representatives and promote cooperation in the fields of defense, the economy, and technology.

John Gunnar Broks, from Honningsvåg and Alta in Finnmark, Northern Norway, has been nominated for the "Gullklypa" (Golden thongs) environmental award. Gullklypa recognizes efforts to combat littering. This year’s winner will be announced as early as the end of October, according to Hold Norge Rent (Keep Norway Clean), a Norwegian non-profit organization dedicated to fighting litter.

The five finalists for the 2025 Gullklypa award are:

Silje Østby Thune (Larvik)

• Patrick Dahle Bjørsvik (Flatanger, Kvaløyseter)

• Norwegian Diving Clubs, represented by the Norwegian Diving Federation (nationwide)

• John Gunnar Broks (Honningsvåg and Alta)

• Christopher McDade (Stavanger)

Hold Norge Rent presents this award annually. The honor pays tribute to a dedicated individual or organization that has made an extraordinary effort to combat littering over the past year. The five finalists were selected based on the following criteria:

• Continuous and systematic cleanup efforts over time

• Volume of waste removed

• Collaboration in the fight against litter

• Serving as a source of inspiration

• Contribution to national cleanup drives

• Knowledge regarding littering

The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has registered growing interest from state threat actors in Norway's coastal and maritime areas.

"We are seeing very significant interest in the Arctic and the High North from a number of countries. This mainly concerns Russia, but also China," Jon Fitje Hoffmann, director at PST, tild the norwegian broadcaster NRK.

According to Hoffmann, Russia is seeking to map Norwegian ports, communications cables, ans the thousands of kilometres of oil and gas pipelines on the seabed.

He said this could be part of general intelligence gathering, but could also serve as preparation for potential acts of sabotage.

PST is now urging the public to report unusual activity, including incidents that fall outside the normal pattern and people or vessels behaving suspiciously.

PST also advises individuals and businesses to be alert to unexplained friend requests on social media.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) has initiated legal proceedings against the Icelandic authorities.

In a press release, ESA states that it is reffering Iceland to the EFTA Court because, in ESA's assessment, Icelandic law has failed to adequately meet the country's obligations.

The case concerns Protocol 35 of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, which requires Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein to ensure that EEA rules implemented in national law prevail over other conflicting national provisions.

ESA finds that Iceland has not established the legal safeguards necessary to ensure that individuals and companies can fully exercise their EEA rights.

ESA first raised concerns in 2012 and initiated infringement proceedings in 2017.

Since then, two different governments have announced legislative changes, and proposals have repeatedly been submitted to parliament, yet no legislation has been adopted.

It is now up to the EFTA Court to rule on the matter.

The parliamentary election of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation (CAFN) was scheduled to take place on october 22 in Yukon.

CBC Canada now reports that the election has been postponed.

According to the broadcaster, the postponement is due to the mass resignation of members of the elction board. It is unclear why the board members are stepping down, or how long it will take to appoint a new board.

Yukon First Nation consist of a total of 14 Indigenous communities with roots stretching back 12,000 years in Canada's Yukon territory.

CAFN is a self-governing Indigenous community with more than 1,200 residents in the region.

The incumbent chief, Barbara Joe, is running for re-election, alongside Shadelle Chambers, executive director of family preservation Service.

Voters will also elect six council members.