Norwegian Polar Institute strengthens collaboration with Japanese institute

Icelanders will go to the polls on 29 August to vote on continuing accession talks with the European Union.

That is reported by Ruv.is.

Alþingi, the Icelandic Parliament, approved the foreign minister’s parliamentary resolution proposal by 34 votes to 8, last week, on Thursday afternoon.

The [directly translated, ed. note] question on the ballot paper will be: “Should Iceland begin again accession negotiations with the European Union?” reports RUV.

The foreign minister’s parliamentary resolution proposal, that a referendum be held on resuming EU accession talks, had to be approved by Thursday at the latest, in order for it to be possible to hold the vote on 29 August.

A new survey from Indikator Opinion for the Swedish Radio channel P4 shows that only 1 in 5 Swedes would consider moving north for work if they were offered 100,000 Swedish kroner (appr. 10,000 USD) in relocation assistance, reports Sveriges Radio.

The survey was conducted among a random sample of Swedes over the age of 18 and 2,044 people responded.

One of the questions was: Would you consider moving to Northern Sweden to work if you were offered a relocation allowance of SEK 100,000?

22 percent answered yes, 40 percent answered no, 13 percent did not know, and for 25 percent the question was not applicable (i.e. do not work/already live in Northern Sweden).

High North News has previously reported that the Swedish government will investigate a relocation allowance to make it easier for the unemployed to move to other parts of the country, including Northern Sweden.

Arctic temperatures over the next five winters are expected to be three and a half times higher than the global average, reaching 2.8 degrees above the average temperatures for 1991-2020, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization and the UK Met Office.

The report also predicts further reductions in sea ice concentration in the Barents Sea, Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in March (the time of maximum ice extent) over the next five years.

Arctic warming could also disrupt weather systems and prompt more severe weather events, especially in northern parts of the world, says Melissa Seabrook, a research scientist at the UK Met Office, to Reuters.

Eight US senators and their staff visited the Norwegian Arctic archipelago Svalbard last weekend. This is reported by Svalbardposten, among others.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski led the delegation, which was invited by UiT, the Arctic University of Norway.

"We are here with a bipartisan message about the importance of our allies, and Norway is obviously one of them. The challenges in the Arctic are enormous, the Arctic is an enormous region, and the United States cannot solve everything alone. It is important that we can work together with our allies to solve the challenges we have in the Arctic," Shaheen tells the newspaper.

According to Svalbardposten, the agenda included a presentation of Arctic climate research, as well as visits to Isfjord Radio and UNIS - the university centre in Svalbard.

"When we see the Arctic warming and new dangers emerging in the Arctic, it is very important for us to get a better understanding of what those challenges are and to ensure that we have a bipartisan understanding of what the United States can do," says Shaheen.

In connection with the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Helsingborg, Sweden on Friday, Arctic Allies in NATO issues a Joint Statement on Arctic security.

The Arctic Allies, which consist of Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States, and the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, agree to deepen dialogue on security challenges in the Arctic and the High North.

"Recognizing the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Arctic and the High North, the Arctic Allies met to discuss our efforts to build a secure and prosperous region," the statement reads.

"The Arctic is quickly becoming a sphere of increasing geopolitical strategic importance. With Russia´s increased military activity and China´s growing strategic interest, we seek to bolster stability in the Arctic region."

It is furthermore noted that the Arctic Allies are enhancing military presence, surveillance capabilities, and joint training in the region. They furthermore emphasize that they do so in a coordinated and calibrated way.

"We support NATO’s increased presence in the region through activities such as Arctic Sentry, Air Policing in Iceland, and Forward Land Forces Finland, as well as the ongoing strengthening of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, a new CAOC in Norway and the ongoing modernization of NORAD."

"With new opportunities opening up, and new challenges emerging, close cooperation on Arctic security and economic development among our nations is more important than ever – as Europe and Canada are assuming a greater responsibility for deterrence and defense across the region."

The Arctic countries also recognize the importance of economic and resource development in the Arctic and have tasked experts to coordinate more closely on these issues, including research security, investment screening, and critical infrastructure modernization and protection.

"We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our common goal of a secure, prosperous, and peaceful Arctic," the statement concludes.

Over the past week, NATO has conducted the computer-assisted command post exercise Steadfast Deterrence, in which all allied command structure headquarters and 32 member states participated.

The exercise stress-tested NATO’s integrated military plans under the concept for deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area, focusing on the Arctic and the High North.

"Steadfast Deterrence 2026 was designed to replicate the complexities in the Arctic and the High North, integrating real-world plans, cutting-edge simulation technologies and AI-enabled warfighting platforms," says Major General Ruprecht von Butler, Commander of NATO Joint Warfare Centre and the Exercise Director.

"Overall, the exercise played a major role in operationalizing NATO's Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area, demonstrating that we train to fight and win," Butler adds.

Norway's role in the High North was central when General Alexsus G. Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), visited Norway last week.

“Norway holds a unique geostrategic position and plays a central role as NATO’s eyes and ears in the Arctic. We could not do our job without Norwegian support,” said Grynkewich.

After meetings in Oslo with the Norwegian chief of defense, prime minister and minister of defense, the general travelled to Bodø, Northern Norway, to visit NATO's new combined air operations centre. There he received first-hand briefings on how Norwegian and allied air forces operate together in the High North.

ALSO READ: CAOC Bodø Completes First Major Exercise as a Fully-Fledged NATO Headquarters

Norway and Japan are expanding their polar cooperation through a new agreement between the Norwegian Polar Institute and Japan's National Institute of Polar Research.

The press release states that the agreement will be signed on June 1 during a seminar in Tokyo, attended by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. The aim is to strengthen joint research on climate, sea ice and ecosystems in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Japanese researchers have been active in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, since 1991, and the institutions collaborate, among other things, in the RINGS project, which examines the ice cover in Antarctica to better understand future sea level rise.

The Norwegian and Canadian coast guards have signed a new cooperation agreement, which will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the Arctic.

The agreement was signed during the Arctic Coast Guard Forum in Copenhagen last week.

In a post on Facebook, the Norwegian Navy informs that the agreement facilitates increased and long-term cooperation in education, training and exchange of personnel.

This is part of a broader international effort to strengthen security, preparedness and situational awareness in the Arctic, it further states.

Other states that participated in the forum in Copenhagen were Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the USA.

On Thursday this week, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the first two Arctic Security Cutters will be homeported in the State of Alaska.

"Anticipating delivery of the first Arctic Security Cutters by the end of 2028, the Coast Guard has begun planning to ensure necessary infrastructure and support are in place to receive two icebreakers. Ensuring these vessels are supported by trained and ready crews, and ready homeport facilities including housing, will be essential to delivering full, enduring operational capability required to meet emerging Arctic security challenges," a press release from the USCG reads.

“Homeporting Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska underscores the United States’ leadership as a maritime power in the Arctic,” said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard.

“By strategically positioning these state-of-the-art icebreakers in Alaska, the Coast Guard will maximize our ability to defend our northern border and approaches, while reinforcing America’s maritime dominance in a crucial region of strategic importance," Lunday added.

The homeporting of the first two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska builds on the historic expansion of the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet and underscores an unprecedented investment in the Arctic, the press release states.

The announcement is furthermore described as a national milestone in U.S. Arctic capability, following contract awards for up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters.

On April 1st, Norwegian whalers could commence this year's minke whale hunt.

The quota is 1,641 animals, an increase of 235 from the previous year. Last year, 428 animals were caught.

10 vessels participated in last year's whaling. This year, 14 vessels have registered. So far, only "Reinebuen" from Lofoten in Northern Norway has begun the hunt, reports Lofotposten.

This year's physical edition of the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable (ASFR) was held in Iceland at the end of March.

The forum – co-chaired by Norway and the US European Command – brings together senior military leaders from the seven allied Arctic states, as well as from the observer states of France, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Also present were representatives of the US Northern Command and NATO JFC Norfolk, which has now been granted permanent observer status in ASFR.

The military leaders exchanged views on security challenges in the Arctic, with a focus on building shared situational awareness and coordinated approaches to deterrence and defense in the region. The NATO Arctic Sentry initiative was highlighted in this context.

They also visited Keflavík Air Station and gained insight into Iceland's defense-related roles and responsibilities. Last year's conference took place in Kirkenes, Northern Norway.

The European Capital of Culture year in Oulu, Northern Finland, opened in January. Now, Oulu2026 announces that the ambitious E75 Art Bus will soon will depart from city’s town hall.

On April 9th, the rolling art festival will begin its journey through 20 cities and villages along Europe’s eastern edge (the E75 road). While the southernmost stop is in Crete, Greece, the art bus will round off its journey at the Finnmark coast, Northern Norway, with festivities in Vardø on May 16th.

At the various locations, artists on the bus will create performances, exhibitions, workshops and discussions around topics such as democracy, the climate crisis, diversity, and community.

Among them is a dancer who sheds light on folk dance as a form of resistance, a ceramic artist who collects people's sorrows across Europe to release them into the Barents Sea, as well as a media artist who researches migration and invites the audience to sing with birds.

The project connects people, cultures and perspectives from the Arctic to the Mediterranean in a time when contact, mobility and hope are more important than ever, writes Oulu2026.

Thirteen conscripts suffered frostbite during an exercise in Norrbotten, Northern Sweden, in February after the heater in their tent stopped working, according to SVT.

The number of people affected by frostbite in the Swedish defense sector has increased significantly this winter.

During the first two months of the year, 134 cases of frostbite were reported. In comparison, 47 cases of frostbite were reported in all of 2025.

This year's sea ice maximum is set to be the second lowest since satellite measurements began, only to be turned off in 2025, reports the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research.

Since 1979, satellites have been monitoring sea ice in the Arctic and measuring how extensive the ice has been at its greatest extent. In their first year, the measurements showed an extent of over 16.5 million square kilometers of sea ice, from the first measurement until this year the ice has been reduced by a full 1.5 million square kilometers.

Only 2018 and 2025 have had similar low values ​​at this time of year.

For the first time, Innovation Norway is organizing its largest annual event outside of Oslo, when the Innovation Speech will be held on May 12, 2026 in Bodø, Northern Norway.

The choice of Bodø is not accidental, reports Innovation Norway.

"In a time of increased geopolitical tension and a demanding security situation, Northern Norway is in a special position. Not only geographically, but also strategically," the press release states.

The Innovation Speech 2026 focuses on the geopolitical tension and how preparedness and business development are interconnected. Innovation Norway's Director Håkon Haugli says that security, preparedness, innovation and business development are closely linked.

Two Transport Desgagné ships are stuck in the Persian Gulf as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz.

The sealift ships manage annual seaborne supplies to Nunavut and Nunavik in Canada.

The ships arrived in the Gulf just days before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th. The attack led to an immediate blockade of the 34-kilometer strait that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

"Our crews are safe," says David Rivest, president and general manager of trans-Arctic operations for Transport Desgagné's shipping company to Nunatsiag.

According to Rivest, the situation is tense:

“There are hundreds of ships in the area and we are waiting for the appropriate conditions and instructions to depart the region safely."

Each vessel has between 15 and 20 crew members.

“At this point, it is difficult to do hypothetical scenarios in terms of how long and what the impact could be” on Arctic sealift operations, says Rivest, who states that the company is working on contingency plans.

In 2025, short-term rentals through Airbnb amounted to nearly NOK 1.4 billion in Tromsø, Lofoten, Bodø and Alta in Northern Norway.

This is an increase of 28 percent from the previous year, according to a new report from Kunnskapsbanken.

Tromsø dominates in the winter season, and singlehandedly accounted for NOK 905 million of the turnover, an increase of 36 percent from the previous year.

Lofoten is undisputedly the largest in the summer season and accounted for NOK 385 million, up from 338 million in 2024.

Bodø/Glimt is to meet the portuguese team Sporting in the Champions League Round of 16.

The Arctic football team from Bodø, Northern Norway, advanced in the Champions League after an aggregate result of 5-2 against Inter Milan.

The first game in the Round of 16 will be played at Aspmyra Stadium in Bodø on the 11th of March. The second match is to be played in Lisboa on March 17th.