international

A European flag flies at the entrance of the EU Commission in Brussels on May 21,2014. (Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images)

An EU army is not realistic says Finland’s foreign minister

Yle News
Posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 15:48 — Last Updated: Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 20:29
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Weighing in on EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s idea of a European Union military force, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja

U.S. defense secretary, Ashton Carter, testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill March 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

General Politics Politics (Russia) Russia Special Features

U.S. needs Arctic military strategy says defense secretary

Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media
Posted: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 14:04 — Last Updated: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 20:34
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U.S. secretary of defense, Ash Carter, affirmed on Tuesday the need for a U.S. military strategy for the Arctic as

Business Business (USA) General Special Features USA

Sanctions against Russia have cost ExxonMobil $1bn

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 21:20 — Last Updated: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 16:47
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The American oil major lost big money after cooperation with Rosneft in the Arctic, Black Sea and Western Siberia was

NATO's CMX 2015 crisis management exercises are non-military and will not involve the deployment of troops or military hardware. (Alex Turunen / Yle)

Finland General Politics Politics (Finland)

Finland to participate in NATO crisis management exercises

Yle News
Posted: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 16:42 — Last Updated: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 16:47
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Finland is to participate in a series of crisis management exercises with NATO and its partners, starting Wednesday. The non-military

Two sheep walking down an empty road in Iceland's East Fjords. (iStock)

Blog General Iceland Politics Politics (Iceland) Special Features

Blog: China’s year in the Arctic

Mia Bennett
Posted: Monday, March 2, 2015 at 20:47 — Last Updated: Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 19:33
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Thursday marked the first day of the Year of the Sheep (or ram or goat, depending on how you translate it).

Western sanctions have created major problems for Rosneft’s Arctic drilling plans. (Rosneft)

Business Business (Russia) General Russia

Risks too high with Rosneft, Norwegian drillmen say

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Monday, March 2, 2015 at 13:46 — Last Updated: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 16:47
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The North Atlantic Drilling Ltd believes there are “significant risks” related to its $4.1 billion Arctic contracts with Rosneft. The company,

(L-R) Finland's Defence Minister Carl Haglund, Sweden's counterpart Peter Hultqvist, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja pose for a photo upon arrival for a dinner at the government headquarters Rosenbad, in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 10, 2014. (Pontus Lundahl/AFP/Getty Images)

General Politics Politics (Sweden) Sweden

Sweden and Finland to bolster military co-operation

Radio Sweden
Posted: Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 16:23 — Last Updated: Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 20:54
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Sweden and Finland are to intensify their military co-operation, both country’s defence ministers announced on Tuesday. A joint study by

Business Business (Canada) Canada General Special Features

New guidelines for polar shipping

Marc Montgomery, Radio Canada International
Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 14:32 — Last Updated: Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 21:59
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As more and more ships travel through polar waters, new training guidelines for their masters, navigators, and crews have been

UTair at the airport in Naryan-Mar. (Thomas Nilsen/Barents Observer)

News

Economic crisis hit airlines hard in Russia’s western Arctic

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 20:02 — Last Updated: Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 20:05
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It will be a tough year for air companies flying in Barents Russia, including Transaero, UTair and Nordavia. UTair, with hub in

Shared police cars is part of the plan. (Thomas Nilsen/Barents Observer)

Finland General Society Society (Finland)

Finnish-Swedish police launch cross-border cooperation

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 21:17 — Last Updated: Friday, January 23, 2015 at 21:39
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Burglars on the run get harder times in the Swedish – Finnish borderland as police forces will be allowed to

A Norwegian F16 in the air at the aircraft base in Bodoe, northern Norway on August 21, 2008. At the base, situated above the Arctic Circle, two F16s are permanently mobilized ready to scramble within 15 minutes to encounter a potential threat. (Pierre-Henry Deshayes/AFP/Getty Images)

General Norway Politics Politics (Norway)

Russian air activity stable near northern Norway

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Friday, December 19, 2014 at 14:59
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The Norwegian Air Force on Thursday sent out two F-16 fighter jets from NATO’s Quick Reaction Alert in Bodø to identify

Countries are jockeying for position in the Arctic as climate change opens the region up to increased resource extraction. (The Canadian Press)

General Politics Politics (Russia) Russia Special Features

Russia to follow Denmark with Arctic shelf claim in March 2015

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 15:11
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Russia will file a claim with the UN by the end of March 2015 to expand the boundaries of its continental shelf

Finland General Politics Politics (Finland)

Finland’s air traffic control directed civilian planes to evade Russian military aircraft

Yle News
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2014 at 20:37 — Last Updated: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 18:57
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On Wednesday, Finnish air traffic control spotted Russian military planes flying with their transponders switched off. Civilian aircraft were directed

This is a Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014 file photo provided by Britain's Royal Air Force of a Russian military long range bomber aircraft photographed by an intercepting RAF quick reaction Typhoon (QRA) as it flies in international airspace. (Royal AIr Force/AP)

General Politics Politics (Sweden) Sweden

Sweden and Denmark protest to Russia

Radio Sweden
Posted: Monday, December 15, 2014 at 18:19 — Last Updated: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 18:57
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The foreign ministers of Sweden and Denmark are calling in the Russian ambassadors to Stockholm and Copenhagen, over a reported

There will be no joint naval exercise POMOR in 2015, as Norway puts military cooperation with Russia on ice. Photo from POMOR 2012. (Trude Pettersen/Barents Observer)

General Norway Politics Politics (Norway) Special Features

Norway suspends military cooperation with Russia until end of 2015

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 at 15:18 — Last Updated: Monday, December 15, 2014 at 20:43
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The Government has decided to continue the suspension of all bilateral military activities until the end of 2015. Military bilateral cooperation between