The Dispatch

Russian warship fired warning shot at Norwegian fishing boat

A Norwegian fishing vessel was menaced by a Russian warship earlier this month in a tense encounter in the Arctic Ocean, according to the fishing boat’s skipper. The incident, which…

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Sweden accuses Iran of hacking messaging service

Swedish authorities said on Tuesday that Iran hacked into a text messaging service last year and sent thousands of messages urging Swedes to take revenge against Koran burners. In 2023,…

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Denmark urges allies to permit Ukraine long-range strikes against Russia

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called Monday for Ukraine’s allies to greenlight the use of donated weapons for long-range strikes against Russia. “My suggestion is, let us end the discussion…

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Norway reports increase in radiation on border with Russia

Norway has registered a sharp increase in radiation levels on its border with Russia. Traces of Cesium-137 have been found, which may be due to reactor start-up or maintenance, as…

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Finland’s president wants end of single state veto at UN Security Council

Finland's President Alexander Stubb has called for expansion of the U.N. Security Council, abolition of its single state veto power, and suspension of any member engaging in an "illegal war"…

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Global index for free and fair elections suffers biggest decline on record in 2023, democracy watchdog says

Lower voter turnout and increasingly contested results globally are threatening the credibility of elections, an intergovernmental watchdog warned on Tuesday, as its sub-index for free and fair elections suffered its…

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Norway’s spy chief sees Russia more likely to attempt sabotage

The head of Norway's foreign intelligence service believes Russia has become more likely to try and sabotage its infrastructure, such as oil and gas, than a year ago as it…

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Sweden appoints new foreign minister

Sweden appointed Maria Malmer Stenergard as foreign minister, choosing the former migration chief to lead policy on Ukraine just six months after her predecessor helped secure traditionally non-aligned Sweden's accession…

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Sweden detains person suspected of terrorism offence

Swedish police on Wednesday detained a person suspected of a terrorism related crime, a national prosecutor said on Friday. "We are now working unconditionally and intensively on the investigation," senior…

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Swedish foreign minister Billstrom steps down

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said he will step down next week after almost two years in office, during which his traditionally non-aligned country joined NATO. "It is with a…

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Finland plans to ban Russians from buying property

Finland's government is proposing to ban most Russian citizens from buying property in the Nordic country in a move to protect national security, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said. Relations between…

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Nearly half of Finns prepared to pay more to combat climate change

Almost half of people in Finland approve of measures to mitigate climate change – even if it means additional costs for themselves, according to a survey published by the newspaper…

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Denmark and Sweden Pledge to Hunt Down Gang Leaders Who Recruit Child Assassins from Abroad

The Danish and Swedish justice ministers vowed to go after organized crime leaders abroad, whom they say have been hiring teenagers in Sweden to carry out deadly shootings in Denmark.…

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WHO confirms first case of new mpox strain outside Africa

Global health officials confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden and linked it to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its…

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Man who attacked Danish PM Frederiksen to be jailed and deported

A Polish man was sentenced to four months in prison on Wednesday for punching Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen while she walked through Copenhagen in June, in a case that…

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School year in Finland kicks off with mobile phone bans

As students return to school across Finland this week, many will no longer be allowed to use mobile phones. Several large cities are implementing phone bans during the school day…

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Halla Tómasdóttir to be sworn in as Iceland’s seventh president

A feminist entrepreneur who started an investment fund with the musician Björk at the height of Iceland’s 2008 financial crisis and gave a TED talk on applying “feminine values” to…

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Free Food and Activities for Eco-Tourists in Copenhagen

Tourists will be rewarded with free food and activities if they participate in environmentally friendly tasks while visiting Copenhagen, the city's tourist board has announced. The trial scheme, which begins…

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Sweden nominates EU minister as its next European commissioner

Sweden wants Jessika Roswall to be the country’s next European commissioner, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced Monday. Roswall, from Sweden’s governing Moderate Party, is no stranger to Brussels, having served…

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Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first

Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country…

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A second stabbing in Finland appears to be racially motivated

A second knife attack in less than a week in a shopping centre in the northern Finnish city of Oulu appears to have been racially motivated, police said on Wednesday,…

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Finnish law to halt migrants at Russia border makes progress in parliament

A Finnish government proposal to temporarily reject asylum seekers arriving across the country's border with Russia can be accepted by parliament if some amendments are made, an influential committee of…

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Finland suspects four Russian military planes violated its airspace

The Finnish Border Guard said on Friday it suspects four Russian military planes violated the Nordic country's airspace on June 10. On Monday, Finland's defence ministry said it suspected a…

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Finnish president says Mark Rutte likely to become next NATO chief

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will likely become NATO's next secretary general, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told a press conference on Thursday.

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Finland sees first NATO deployment as its jets join mission in Romania

Finland has just made its first deployment for NATO since joining the alliance in April 2023, sending seven F-18 fighter jets to a military base in southeastern Romania where they…

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Denmark’s PM says she recovers from assault, warns of rising public aggression

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday she was still recovering both physically and mentally from an assault in central Copenhagen last week and warned about more aggression in…

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Russian military plane suspected of entering Finnish airspace near Loviisa

Finnish authorities suspect a Russian military plane entered Finnish airspace without permission on Monday morning. The suspected violation occurred in the Gulf of Finland near the coastal town of Loviisa…

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen Assaulted: Shocking Incident in Copenhagen

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was subjected to an assault by a man in a Copenhagen square on Friday, as reported by her office. "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was struck by…

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No plans to send troops to Ukraine, Nato chief and Finnish president say

Nato does not plan to send troops to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's ongoing invasion, the defence alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. Stoltenberg made the comments…

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Norway’s top general says NATO has two to three years to prepare for confrontation with Russia

The commander of the Norwegian Armed Forces stated that Russia's positions near Norway's borders have remained largely unchanged over the past year, enabling Oslo to meet NATO's requirements for bolstering…

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Free contraception helps Finland reduce teenage abortions by 66%

The number of teenage abortions in Finland fell by 66% between 2000 and 2023, its public health institute THL said on Monday, attributing the reduction to the offer of free…

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Sweden gives radar surveillance planes to Ukraine air force

Sweden will donate two radar surveillance and command aircraft to Ukraine to boost its defences in the war with Russia, the Swedish government said on Wednesday, its largest aid package…

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Stubb: Nato ground forces may come to Finland

During a press conference in Tartu, Estonia, Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced that Finland aims to establish a NATO ground force sub-headquarters on its territory. This move could potentially lead…

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Danish PM calls for 15+ age limit for social media in EU

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wants the European Union to impose an age limit of 15 years old to use social media, in an effort to better shield young smartphone…

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Norway to block entry for most Russian tourists

Norway will further restrict access for Russian tourist travellers due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, blocking almost all entry, the Nordic country's justice ministry said on Thursday. NATO member…

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Finland calls for EU-wide solutions to prevent migrant flow from Russia

Finland wants the European Union to find common measures to prevent what it calls instrumentalised migration, meaning a flow of migrants arriving from Russia without valid travel documents, Prime Minister…

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Finland to present plan to push back migrants on Russian border

Finland will propose a law next week allowing border agents to block asylum seekers trying to enter from Russia, the prime minister said, a decision that could cause Helsinki to…

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Suspected gunshots near Israeli embassy in Stockholm, synagogue arson averted in Rouen, France

Swedish police have detained several people and cordoned off an area in Stockholm after a patrol heard suspected gunshots, they said on Friday, with the Israeli embassy located in the…

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Retailers in Finland want to place restraining orders on unruly customers

A group of Finnish retailers has called on the government to introduce a law allowing businesses to apply for restraining orders to prevent unruly customers from entering their premises. If…

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Finland is stockpiling military equipment in Norway and Sweden

Finland has started storing military equipment in neighbouring Norway and will soon begin doing the same in Sweden, the Financial Times has reported. Lieutenant General Mikko Heiskanen, deputy chief of…

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Israel issues Sweden Eurovision travel warning amid planned protests

By Jacob Gronholt-pedersen Planned protests against Israel taking part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest have made members of the Jewish community in Swedish host city Malmo anxious and prompted…

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Finnair suspends flights to Estonian city following GPS disruptions

Finland's national airline Finnair has announced the suspension of flights to the Estonian city of Tartu for a period of one month. The move comes after two Helsinki-Tartu flights had…

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Norway calls on donors to resume funding to Palestinian UNRWA agency

Norway called on international donors on Tuesday to resume payments to the UN agency for Palestinians refugees (UNRWA) after a report found Israel had yet to provide evidence that some…

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Global defence budget jumps to record high of $2440bn

Global military expenditure has reached a record high of $2440bn (£1970bn) after the largest annual rise in government spending on arms in over a decade, according to a report. The…

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UPDATED: Copenhagen’s historic stock exchange in flames

Denmark's historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen has been engulfed by fire. The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city's oldest buildings and onlookers gasped…

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Sweden expels Chinese journalist over national security fears, lawyer says

Swedish authorities have ordered the expulsion of a Chinese journalist, saying she could pose a serious threat to national security, a lawyer representing the woman said. The 57-year-old Chinese woman…

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Norway plans to massively increase military spending

Norway plans to increase its defense budget by NOK 600 billion (about EUR 51,6 bn) by 2036, which would set its military spending to 3% of GDP, the Oslo government…

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Iceland prime minister resigns to run for president

Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced her resignation and said that she will run for president, a ceremonial post that is mostly above the daily political fray. It was not…

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Finland under no special military threat

Commenting on the nation's current security situation, the new Chief of Defence and Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Janne Jaakkola, said on Thursday that Russia poses no particular…

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Finland extends Russia border closure indefinitely

By Essi Lehto Finland will indefinitely extend the closure of land border crossings with Russia and add several ports to a list where travel from its eastern neighbour is prohibited,…

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Finnish police say bullying was motive for school shooting

Finnish police said on Wednesday the motive for a school shooting on the outskirts of Helsinki on Tuesday, in which one 12-year-old died, was bullying. "The suspect has said during…

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Several people injured in Finnish primary school shooting

Several people were injured in a shooting at a primary school in Finland early on Tuesday, and a suspect was later apprehended, Finnish police said in a statement. The shooting…

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Terrorism threat against Denmark has increased, security service says

COPENHAGEN, March 21 (Reuters) - The threat of terrorism in Denmark and against its interests abroad has increased, the Nordic country's PET security and intelligence service said on Thursday. The…

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Iceland volcano erupts again, spewing fountains of lava

A volcano in Iceland erupted on Saturday for the fourth time since December, the country's meteorological office said, spewing smoke and bright orange lava into the air in sharp contrast…

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Finland moves to block asylum seekers from entering via Russia

By Essi Lehto HELSINKI, March 15 (Reuters) - Finland plans to adopt temporary legislation that will allow its border authorities to block asylum seekers seeking to enter its territory from…

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Denmark to start conscripting women for military service

Denmark will boost its defence budget by 40.5 billion Danish crowns ($5.9 billion) over the next five years to meet NATO targets and address major defence shortcomings "in a world…

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Helsinki Airport likely to face a shortage of aviation fuel

Helsinki Airport is likely to face a shortage of aviation fuel by the beginning of next week, if political strikes by logistics workers continue for the planned two-week period. "Normally,…

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