Sweden reopened honorary consulate in Tromsø

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 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.

On Monday morning, NRK reported that the Norwegian government will establish the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) North in Tromsø and allocate NOK 20 million for its establishment.

An additional location will also be established on Andøya. FFI already has two locations in Eastern Norway.

The funding will be used, among other things, for premises, a managing director and the first employees. The goal is to build a research environment with around 40 security-cleared researchers in Tromsø. The institute is scheduled to be fully established by 2036.

Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik (Labour) says the initiative will strengthen Norway’s defence capabilities.

“Now we are building up the Armed Forces and strengthening Norway’s defence capabilities. Research that makes our Armed Forces even stronger is an important part of this,” Sandvik says.

Sweden’s Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson is giving up her attempt to form a new government, Swedish Yle reports.

She was given the task after the left-green opposition won the parliamentary election by a narrow margin.

The decision comes after the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) announced that it would support the Moderate Party’s candidate, Andreas Norlén, for the position of Speaker of the Riksdag.

Government negotiations were expected to be challenging, as both the Left Party and the Centre Party (Centerpartiet) have said that they cannot sit in the same government.

Andersson says that the Left Party’s support for Norlén has created a new political constellation in the Riksdag. She therefore believes that there are no longer sufficient conditions for the government negotiations to succeed.

Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar rejects in an interview with Expressen that the party has entered into an alliance with the Moderate Party.

The Social Democrats have not yet announced whom the party will nominate as Speaker. Norlén is therefore the only candidate at the moment.

The task of forming a new government will now be given to someone else.

Canada has signed a non-binding agreement with the Swedish defence and technology company Saab to purchase six GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, reports Forsvarets forum.

The aircraft will be built in Canada ans used mainly for surveillance in the Arctic. The agreement also includes the purchase of GlobalEye systems and training.

Canada had been in talks with several U.S. companies about similar agreements, but ultimately chose Saab as its supplier.

Kebnekaise’s ice-covered southern peak continues to melt, although at a much slower rate than in recent years, reports SVT.

This year’s measurement puts the peak at 2,088.3 metres above sea level, 10 centimetres lower than at the same time last year.

The ice-free northern peak, which stands at 2,096.8 metres, has therefore been Sweden’s highest point for the eighth consecutive year.

"This year’s limited melting is small compared with previous years, but the peak is still losing height despite the cold summer," says Johanna Dahlkvist of the Tarfala Research Station at Stockholm University.

The southern peak has lost around 30 metres since systematic measurements began in 1951. Last year, it lost 1.5 metres, while melting reached as much as 3.4 metres in 2024.

Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen visited Boden, Sweden earlier this September.

The topic of the visit was Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation (FISE), particularly from the perspective of Forward Land Forces Finland (FLF Finland).

As HNN has reported, NATO's Forward Land Force Finland (FLF Finland) was officially established during a ceremony in Boden in June 2026.

The core of NATO Forward Land Forces Finland (FLF) is a battle group in the Norrbotten Brigade, in Boden, Northern Sweden. It will be able to move rapidly to Finnish Lapland to conduct operations under a multinational staff element in Rovaniemi.

The Chief of Defence Command Finland inspected the battlegroup and met with its commander.

“The unit specialises in Arctic conditions, which is important not only to Finland but to the entire Alliance’s deterrence and defence. I was impressed, seeing the trained and motivated unit in action”, Lieutenant General Virtanen said.

“Our cooperation with Sweden has advanced steadily, which we can now see as concrete steps in operational planning and activities. I want to thank the Swedes for their commitment. Finland and Sweden are working side-by-side and we are stronger together”, he concluded.

During the visit Lieutenant General Virtanen and his hosts also had broader conversations on developing bilateral cooperation and cooperation in the High North. The conversations also included cooperation on the monitoring and safeguarding of territorial integrity, which Finland announced late August.

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.

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 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.

The Swedish government is standing by its decision to grant the mining company Boliden an extraction permit for the planned copper mine in Laver, outside Älvsbyn municipality in northern Sweden, reports SVT.

The decision was originally made in September 2025 but was appealed by two environmental organizations.

The government has now rejected the appeal, ruling that the national interest in valuable metals outweighs considerations for nature conservation and reindeer herding.

In 2025, 61 per cent of young people in Northern Norway between the ages of 15 and 22 had a summer job. This is almost 10 percentage points more than in 2015 and well above the national average of 53 percent, according to the Knowledge Bank in SpareBank 1 Northern Norway.

Furthermore, 44 per cent of young immigrants had summer jobs compared to 71 per cent of Norwegian-born with two Norwegian-born parents.

The proportion of young people with summer jobs also varies significantly between municipalities. Beiarn (85 percent) and Båtsfjord (79 percent) had the most young people with summer jobs while Nesna (39 percent) had the fewest.

On May 15, a Chinese citizen was arrested in Norway, suspected of attempted illegal intelligence activities against state secrets.

The man is alleged to have stayed in a bunker near the military section of the airport in Bodø, Northern Norway.

The accused was remanded in custody for four weeks.

TV 2 reports on Friday that the accused Chinese citizen is now being released.

"PST is releasing the Chinese citizen who was arrested in May 2026 and charged with attempted illegal intelligence activities against state secrets. The arrest occurred in connection with the accused taking up residence in a bunker near Bodø air station," police prosecutor Kathrine Tonstad in Norway's Police Security Service (PST) tells TV 2.

"The basis for suspicion against the accused is considered weakened through the investigation that has been carried out so far. The investigation will be completed and then forwarded from PST to the National Authority for Prosecution of Organised and other Serious Crime for a prosecutorial decision, Tonstad adds.

Will be arrested again

According to Tonstad, the Nordland Police District will now arrest the accused of violating the Immigration Act and prepare a case for deportation or expulsion from Norway.

PST adds that there is no information indicating that there is any connection between this case and the woman who was arrested on Andøya, suspected of complicity in an attempted act of serious intelligence activity against state secrets a few weeks ago, writes TV 2.

Vice Admiral James Morley, Deputy Commander of NATO Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC Norfolk), visited Sweden’s Northern Military Region from 7 to 9 June.

During the visit, the JFC Norfolk Deputy Commander gained first-hand insight into the operational environment of the High North - an area of growing strategic importance for the Alliance, a press release states.

The delegation, which also included Major General Stefan Sandborg, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations of the Swedish Armed Forces, visited eastern Norrbotten and the headquarters of the Northern Military Region in Boden.

There, military leaders met with representatives from Sweden’s North Civil Defence Region and Police Region North, highlighting the close cooperation between military and civilian authorities that forms the foundation of Sweden’s total defence concept.

"It has been valuable to see the progress made in integrating Sweden into the Alliance enterprise. Sweden's significant combat power and total defence concept - encapsulated brilliantly in the work at Regional Command North - adds significant capability to the Alliance," said Vice Admiral Morley.

"Sweden's stand-up of Forward Land Forces Finland and the transfer of authority to SACEUR marks another significant milestone and will further enhance NATO's defensive posture on the northern flank," he added.

Statistics Norway (SSB) released population projections on Friday.

Continued population growth, strong population aging and a larger and more established immigrant population are the main findings from the national population projections.

According to the projection's main alternative, all counties, except Nordland, are expected to experience population growth up to 2050.

In the period between 2026 and 2050, a population decline of approximately 7,400 people is expected in Nordland, one of the three counties in Northern Norway.

In the other two counties, Troms and Finnmark, the population is expected to increase by approximately 4,700 and 1,200 people, respectively.