Arctic football team Bodø/Glimt to meet Sporting in Round of 16

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.

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.

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 Finnmark Conservative Party of Northern Norway is presenting six key demands regarding the government’s 2027 state budget, aimed at reducing costs and strengthening local communities and the business sector. The Finnmark county board also prioritizes the reopening of the Sydvaranger mine.

"We have no trains, trams, or subways serving Finnmark. Cars, planes, and boats are essential for daily life. The government must make it cheaper to live, work, and run a business here," says Bård Bredal-Olsen of the Finnmark Conservative Party, according to a press release.

The Finnmark Conservative Party is making six demands of the government:

• Strengthen the Finnmark tax scheme and measures to support settlement and recruitment.

• Permanently abolish the road usage tax to reduce transport costs for individuals and businesses.

• Grant a permanent exemption from the CO₂ tax on marine diesel for fishing and hunting vessels, ferries and high-speed passenger boats in public scheduled service, ambulance and emergency response vessels, and maritime operations already subject to emissions quota obligations.

• Abolish the air passenger tax and strengthen the FOT (public service obligation) route network. Air travel is essential public transport in Finnmark.

• Strengthen the Norwegian State Housing Bank’s regional support measures so that more people can build and own homes in areas with weak housing markets.

• Prioritize the expansion of power generation and grid infrastructure to facilitate new jobs and business development.

“These demands are a top priority for the county board. They are about ensuring people can afford to stay, enabling us to recruit the workforce we need, and allowing businesses to grow,” says Bredal-Olsen.

The Finnmark Conservative Party also calls for priority to be given to the following projects:

• Strømmen Bridge in Sør-Varanger.

• Funding and commencement of the Rv. 94 project (Saragammen–Rypefjord to Hammerfest), which is already prioritized in the National Transport Plan.

• Avalanche protection and upgrades for county roads that serve as the sole connection to local communities.

• A new emergency preparedness and multi-purpose quay in Alta.

• Extension of the runway at Alta Airport, where Alta Municipality has already carried out part of the necessary land reclamation work.

• Breakwater construction at the Hallvika industrial area in Måsøy.

• Commencement of the ready-to-build pedestrian path along the E45 from Øvre Alta to the Skillemo industrial area.

• A new bridge over the Transfarelva river on the E6.

• An emergency preparedness facility in Sør-Varanger.

Furthermore, the county branch aims to establish Finnmark as a national hub for the development, testing, and production of drone technology, and to consider the county as a pilot area for new regional and industrial policy measures.

Two Danish F-35 fighter jets landed in Greenland for the first time on Wednesday, at Kangerlussuaq Airport, reports KNR.

They are training alongside American F-16s and Canadian F-18s.

A Danish F-35 pilot tells the Danish Defence that Arctic conditions pose particular challenges for operations. The weather can be harsh and unpredictable, while distances between airfields are vast.

The operation is also supported by a French aerial refuelling aircraft, a Danish surveillance aircraft and a NATO AWACS aircraft.

US President Donald Trump has previously criticised Denmark for insufficient security measures in Greenland, citing threats from Russia and China.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will welcome the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, to Ottawa, Ontario from September 20 to 21.

During the visit, the leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen the Canada-Norway partnership across key sectors, such as energy, critical minerals, and sovereign technology – including artificial intelligence and aerospace, a press release states.

“Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Støre will also advance Canada and Norway’s defence and security partnership. As Arctic nations and NATO Allies, they will discuss efforts to strengthen security and resilience in the Arctic and North Atlantic, modernise our defence capabilities, and bolster secure and resilient defence supply chains that support our collective security," states the press release.

“Canada and Norway are strong partners with growing ties in energy, defence, and technology. I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Støre as we deepen our economic relationship, strengthen the NATO Alliance, and create new opportunities for Canadian and Norwegian workers and businesses,” says Prime Minister Carney.

On Tuesday, the Canadian government announced that it will invest 405 million Canadian dollars in the Mackenzie Valley Highway project in the Northwest Territories.

The investment is being made through an Arctic Infrastructure Fund, and represents an important step toward establishing a continuous all-season transportation connection between the village of Wrigley and the city of Norman Wells.

“Safe and dependable transportation infrastructure is essential to strong, connected communities across Canada’s North and Arctic. This investment will help build more dependable connections, strengthen supply chains, create economic opportunities and improve access to essential services," says Steven MacKinnon, Canadian Minister of Transport, continuing:

"Through the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, we are investing in infrastructure that responds to the needs of northern and Indigenous communities while strengthening Canada’s resilience, security and sovereignty in the Arctic.”

From September 14th to 18th, the world's largest open GNSS resilience test (jammertest) will be held on Andøya, Northern Norway, for the fifth year in a row.

The event gives public and private actors the opportunity to hone modern positioning technology against jamming and spoofing attacks. The goal of the test is to develop more robust navigation systems.

This year, over 200 actors from around the world have applied to join the event.

The organizers are the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom), the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, the Norwegian Metrology Service, the Norwegian Space Agency, the Norwegian Mapping Authority and Avinor.

According to Nkom, results from previous years show that the test has contributed to clear improvements at both system and component level in several sectors – such as telecom, the automotive industry, the maritime sector and aviation.

"Critical societal functions are increasingly dependent on accurate position, navigation and time. Therefore, it is gratifying that all the testing actually makes the products better and our society safer," says Espen Slette, Department Director at Nkom.

In no other Norwegian county is access to and use of uncultivated land as extensive as in Finnmark, Northern Norway. This is according to a new report prepared by NORCE for Finnmark County Council.

"The report shows that the uncultivated land is an important part of living a good life in Finnmark. Access to nature, harvesting and outdoor activities provide quality of life, belonging and activity. These are values that can contribute to people wanting to live and stay in the county," says County Mayor Hans-Jacob Bønå (Conservative) in a press release.

The report also points to the need for updated knowledge, planning capacity, cooperation and a clear understanding of roles among the actors who facilitate the use of the uncultivated land.

"We would particularly like to highlight new knowledge that has emerged from the mapping of outlying industry actors. This is an industry with great development potential, but where most actors have limited growth ambitions and are satisfied with the current scope. The belief in employment growth is greatest within outdoor tourism, where Finnmark companies facilitate hunting and fishing for visitors," says Vigdis Nygaard, senior researcher at NORCE.

The report can be read here.

North Norwegian company Nordasfalt has entered into an agreement with Skanska for the execution of asphalting, milling and moisture insulation on the extensive work on the new road project E6 Megården – Sommerset.

This is reported by Nordasfalt in a press release, reproduced in a number of media, including Avisa Nordland.

The road project is located in Sørfold municipality, north of Fauske in Nordland.

The contract will be the largest single contract in the company's history.

"The assignment shows that Nordasfalt is strong as a total supplier in the asphalt field, and that our expertise across disciplines is noticed. Through close and constructive dialogue with Skanska, solutions have been facilitated that strengthen both the quality and environmental profile of the project," says CEO Kevin Slettmyr.

Nordasfalt has its head office and department in Bodø, in addition to departments in Fauske and Narvik.

For the second season in a row, the Northern Norwegian football team Bodø/Glimt has qualified for the Champions League.

It became clear after Bodø/Glimt won 3-0 against Dutch NEC Nijmegen on Tuesday evening in the return match at Aspmyra. Overall, the score was 6-1.

"Fantastic. It's an indescribable feeling to be standing here again and ready for the Champions League. The greatest tournament in the world. It's incredible. We shouldn't forget how big this is," says Glimt player Fredrik André Bjørkan in a news release from the football club.

The draw for the next round of the Champions League will take place next Thursday.

From September 8, the game is on.

The Norwegian Environment Agency has uncovered multiple repeated environmental violations at Kirkenes Airport, in Northern Norway, and is requesting immediate improvements from Avinor, reports the local newspaper iFinnmark.

Inspections revealed deficiencies in chemical management, storage of hazardous substances, waste management, and internal controls.

The agency considers the situation serious and has set a deadline for Avinor to resolve the non-conformities.

Airport management acknowledges that its environmental efforts have been insufficient and states that measures have been initiated to regain control over routines and storage.

Norway has eased restrictions that previously prevented allied surveillance aircraft from tracking Russian nuclear submarines operating out of bases on the Kola Peninsula, reports the Barents Observer.

The change means that allies can now operate closer to Norwegian areas than before, provided the missions are coordinated with Norwegian authorities.

The adjustment comes in response to an increased allied need for situational awareness in the Barents Sea and a more challenging security environment in the High North.

Norwegian authorities emphasize that operations will remain controlled and predictable.

Eirik Wikan will take over as acting CEO of the Kimek companies, which are engaged in ship repair and industrial services in Kirkenes, Northern Norway. Kimek AS announces this on its Facebook page.

Former CEO Greger Mannsverk is ill and will be absent from his position indefinitely.

Wikan comes from the position of finance manager at Kimek and has been part of the company's management for 18 years.

The Canadian Coast Guard's largest and most powerful icebreaker, CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, reached the North Pole on August 16.

The transit supports Canada's efforts to define its continental shelf and map its outer limits under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. During its voyage, the icebreaker collects high-resolution geoscientific and hydrographic data.

“The arrival of CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent at the North Pole is an important milestone that reflects Canada’s enduring commitment to the Arctic. Supported by the expertise of Canadian Coast Guard personnel, this mission advances scientific knowledge, strengthens our presence in the North, and reinforces Canada’s sovereignty and security,” says David J. McGuinty, Canadian Minister of National Defence.

The finalists for Norway's Young Farmer of the Year 2026 are now ready, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food announced in a press release.

Ambjørg Skibdalen from Telemark, Joar Straume from Nordland and the farming couple Iselin Mentzoni Eliassen and Jørgen Juul Thomassen from Troms have been selected from over 500 nominees from across the country.

Joar Straume (22) moved from Western Norway to the Helgeland coast in Northern Norway to realize his dream of owning his own farm. He now runs Nordbostad Farm in Mindland in Nordland with his wife Elena.

In Troms, Northern Norway, Iselin Mentzoni Eliassen (27) and Jørgen Juul Thomassen (29) run Buktenes farm in Kvænangen. The farm is the municipality's last dairy farm.

The winner of Young Farmer of the Year 2026 will be announced during Dyrsku'n in Seljord on September 11th.

Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), hosted Gen. Michael Hyldgaard, the Kingdom of Denmark’s Chief of Defence, for strategic visits to key military installations in Alaska, August 12-14.

That is stated in a press release from Alaskan Command Public Affairs.

The multi-day visit focused on combined Arctic operations, airspace defense, operational integration, and interoperability.

"Showcasing our operations in Alaska demonstrates to our Allies the benefit of the NORDIC bridge which ties the US and NATO partners to deter and defend the Northern Approaches and the Arctic as a whole," said Guillot and added:

"Cooperation in this demanding environment ensures our combined forces remain ready to defend our nations at a moment's notice."

The visit began at Eielson Air Force Base on August 13, where both leaders suited up to participate in separate flight profiles in F-16 Fighting Falcons.

On August 14, the defense leaders transitioned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for high-level bilateral discussions at Alaskan Command Headquarters. The generals also met with Alaskan defense leaders to discuss shared security challenges, the defense of Greenland, and initiatives to enhance domain awareness across the Arctic.

The Government of Greenland has received inquiries that cruise ships sailing in certain fjord areas are perceived as a burden on the local population and the affected natural areas. The inquiries concern, among other things, the impact on wildlife, noise pollution and the desire to preserve the areas' natural and recreational values.

This is stated by the Greenland government, Naalakkersuisut, in a press release.

In the statement, the government writes that it views positively the growing interest in Greenland as a travel destination and recognizes that cruise tourism contributes significantly to the development of the tourism industry, but also emphasizes that tourism development occurs on a sustainable basis and with respect for the local population, nature and wildlife.

Against this background, the Government of Greenland recommends that cruise ship navigation in fjord areas be avoided or limited as much as possible.

"The purpose of the recommendation is to limit the impact on vulnerable natural areas and wildlife, and to accommodate the wishes of the local population to preserve the areas' recreational values ​​and opportunities for hunting and fishing."

The Arctic football team Bodø/Glimt won 3-2 against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday evening in the second leg against the Belgian team. The aggregate score ended 6-5.

With the victory, playoff in the Champions League against awaits, and Glimt will meet the Dutch team NEC on August 19 in the Netherlands.