Neither snow nor sleet nor the Corona virus could stop the 40th Norwegian dogsled race known as Finnmarksløpet. It took off over the weekend from Alta, along with a week-long winter festival that involves many local municipalities. The toughest competitors run 1,200 kilometers with their dogs over a course that stretches east from Alta via […]
Russia turns up the heat on Svalbard
February 21, 2020
Norway is resisting being drawn into a power struggle that’s heating up over important areas of the chilly Arctic. Russia, China and the US are all vying for more control in the region where Norway plays a major role through the Svalbard Treaty, which Russia accused Norway on Friday of violating. It’s the latest offense […]
Norway on edge over its own ‘ice edge’
February 13, 2020
NEWS ANALYSIS: Norway is caught in the midst of battle over its so-called Arctic “ice edge,” which experts claim really isn’t an edge at all. It’s rather meant to define a particularly sensitive area of the Arctic under Norway’s control, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be protected from oil and gas activity despite […]
Svalbard worth more than ever
February 7, 2020
Nearly a million Norwegians have been sitting through hours of more “slow TV” this week on a daily basis, apparently mesmerized by the beauty and history of Svalbard. Sunday marks 100 years since a post-World War I treaty gave Norway sovereignty over the wild and scenic archipelago, where new underwater discoveries may make the area […]
Russia complains about Svalbard
February 4, 2020
UPDATED: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asked for “bilateral consultations” with his Norwegian counterpart, Ine Eriksen Søreide, to discuss what Russia sees as limitations on its activities on Svalbard, the Arctic archipelago that’s subject to an international treaty but administered by Norway. It’s the latest sign of tension between Russia and Norway, which also […]
Tempers rise in line with temperatures
January 27, 2020
As Oslo sweats through a “frighteningly” warm winter, its large chapter of the Conservative Party made some hotly contested decisions over the weekend to help reverse climate change. The decisions to protect Arctic waters from more oil industry activity provoked other chapters and will challenge the party’s new Oil & Energy Minister, but cheered junior […]
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