The Dispatch

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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Finland joins Swedish, French navies for submarine threat drills

The Finnish, French and Swedish navies will participate in joint anti-submarine threat countermeasure drills off of Sweden's west coast, starting later this week. Finland will take part in the Marex…

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Malta among countries who participated in Europewide police operation against depictions of child sexual abuse

Malta was one of the countries that participated in a Europol coordinated operation child sexual abuse that led to the arrest of over 50 people. The foundation of the operation…

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Finland to participate in ASPIDES and Prosperity Guardian operations in Red Sea

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the government's Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy have decided that Finland will participate in joint military operations to restore security in the Red…

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Sweden joins NATO as war in Ukraine prompts security rethink

WASHINGTON/STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - Sweden joined NATO in Washington on Thursday, two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced it to rethink its national security policy and conclude that support for…

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Sweden police arrest suspected Islamists believed to prepare attack

STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - Swedish police on Thursday apprehended four people on suspicion of preparing a terrorist crime tied to violent Islamist extremism, the Sapo security service and prosecution agency said.…

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Finland joins first NATO collective defence drill

The Nordic Response 24 military exercise led by Norway begins on Monday in the northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The 12-day drill is significant for Finland as in…

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Norway’s King Harald on his way home from Malaysia

OSLO, March 3 (Reuters) - Norway's King Harald was discharged from a Malaysian hospital on Sunday and was flying home on a medical evacuation plane, according to Norwegian media reports,…

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Finland inaugurates Alexander Stubb as president for the NATO era

By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, March 1 (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb took office as Finland's president on Friday, ready to oversee a new era after it joined NATO in response to…

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Hope Norway’s king may soon return home from Malaysia

Norway's King Harald may return home from Malaysia in a few days following his hospitalisation, the Norwegian royal household said . "His majesty the king's physician reports today that the…

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Finland declares that Ukraine is free to use its weapons to bomb Russia

Ukraine can use weapons provided by Finland to hit targets on Russian soil, senior officials in Helsinki said. Finland's Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said his country has not set any restrictions…

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Finland in recession as GDP drops again

HELSINKI, Feb 29 (Reuters) - The Finnish economy again fell into recession during the second half of 2023, the national statistics agency said on Thursday, as high inflation and soaring…

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Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession

Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's NATO accession on Monday, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country whose neutrality lasted through two world wars and the simmering…

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To increase interest in national defense, Finland plans to open 300 shooting ranges.

Finland has announced it will open 300 shooting ranges in a bid to encourage citizens to take a greater interest in national defence. A member of Finland’s defence committee said…

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Sweden has around 62,000 persons linked to criminal gangs, police say

STOCKHOLM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - About 62,000 persons are active in, or have connections to, criminal networks in Sweden, the police said on Friday, where the authorities have struggled for…

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Russia is biggest security threat to NATO-hopeful Sweden, security service says

STOCKHOLM, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Russia is the main international security threat to Sweden, and foreign enemies may try to exploit an elevated risk of extremist violence from Islamists and…

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Finland says thousands of migrants are seeking to enter via Russia

Finland said on Tuesday that "thousands" of third-country migrants were waiting to cross the border onto its territory from Russia. Finland closed all crossings on its 1,340 km (830 mile)…

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Hungary to vote on Sweden’s NATO accession on Feb 26

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will travel to Budapest on Friday to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban before Hungary's parliament takes a long-delayed vote on Sweden's bid for NATO…

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Norway ready to step up defence needs

Norway is "ready to stand up and be counted" on defence spending ahead of a NATO Washington summit in July, the Nordic country’s prime minister told Reuters on Saturday, adding…

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Sweden must join NATO now, German defence minister says

BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Sweden's planned joining of the NATO military alliance is overdue and needs to happen now, Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. "Any further…

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Finland’s new president sees no limit to NATO ties, Ukraine support

By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb declared himself winner of Finland's presidential election on Sunday after a campaign built on promises to make the most of his country's…

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Iceland volcano fades but leaves residents in the cold

Iceland's latest volcanic eruption waned on Friday but left a trail of damage to roads and pipelines, cutting hot water to parts of the Reykjanes peninsula during freezing temperatures. The…

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Sweden ends investigation into Nord Stream pipeline blasts

STOCKHOLM, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday they would drop further investigation into explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, confirming earlier media reports.…

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Swedish economic growth ‘subdued’ in 2024, IMF says

OSLO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Sweden's economic growth is projected to remain subdued in 2024 following a mild recession last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a regular…

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Finland joins NATO operations with fighter jets, mine clearing vessel

HELSINKI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Finland will send up to eight fighter jets and a mine hunting navy vessel to take part in NATO's joint operations in 2024, the country's…

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Finnish workers begin strikes against labour reforms, welfare cuts

HELSINKI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Some 290,000 Finnish workers will begin two days of strike action on Thursday to protest against the right-wing government's planned labour market reforms and proposed…

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Olli Rehn to return to Bank of Finland, ECB Jan. 31

HELSINKI, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Olli Rehn, whose campaign to become Finnish president ended on Sunday, will on Jan. 31 return to the position of governor of the Bank of…

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Danish frigate departs for the Red Sea to assist US-led operation

By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen KORSOR NAVAL BASE, Denmark, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Denmark on Monday sent a frigate to the Red Sea, where it will participate in a U.S.-led coalition to…

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Stubb and Haavisto continue to second round in Finland’s presidential race

By Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto Centre-right Stubb wins first round Stubb will face liberal Haavisto in 2nd round Second round will be held on Feb. 11 HELSINKI, (Reuters) -…

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What you need to know about the 2024 Finnish presidential election

By Elviira Luoma and Canan Sevgili (Reuters) - Finland holds a presidential election on Jan. 28 in a new era marked by the country joining the Western military alliance NATO…

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