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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/economy/norwegian-schibsted-buys-swedish-tv4/

Economy

Norwegian Schibsted buys Swedish TV4

Published February 25, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Schibsted already owns or co-owns Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, Norwegian Aftenposten and TV2, among others.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Norwegian media group Schibsted buys Swedish TV4 and Finnish MTV. The company says the deal will strengthen "independent journalism" in both countries.

Schibsted is one of the largest media groups in the Nordic region and owns or co-owns a number of companies, including Aftonbladet, Svenska Dagbladet, Norwegian Aftenposten and TV2. The group also owns the loan site Lendo, the weather service Klart.se and the comparison site Prisjakt.

Schibsted has now reached an agreement to acquire both Swedish TV4 and Finnish MTV.

– Since Aftonbladet became part of Schibsted in 1996, we have been strongly committed to Sweden, making this a truly historic day for us. As competition in the media market intensifies, it is more important than ever to build complete and nationally anchored media positions with sufficient size and investment power to ensure editorial independence. This agreement marks a decisive step towards creating a leading Nordic media destination with strong independent media houses, said Siv Juvik Tveitnes, CEO of Schibsted Media in a press release.

"Fits our ambitions"

Schibsted already owns the Finnish online marketplaces Tori.fi and Oikotie.fi. The acquisition of MTV, one of Finland's most popular TV channels, is the company's first in the Finnish media market.

– MTV's strong position in the Finnish market and its attractive brands fit perfectly with our ambitions, and we look forward to contributing to the continued growth and development of news, sports and entertainment in Finland, says Juvik Tveitnes.

"Our democracies depend on independent journalism. That is our mission", Schibsted states in a press release.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finlands-border-fence-with-russia-nearing-completion/

Finland

Finland’s border fence with Russia nearing completion

The new cold war

Published today 12:34 pm – By Editorial staff
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

After nearly three years of construction, Finland's border fence with Russia is almost complete. The 200-kilometer barrier has been erected at strategically important locations to prevent hybrid warfare in the form of so-called instrumentalized migration.

Finland has chosen to expand its border security at locations where the risk is assessed to be greatest, despite the border with Russia stretching over 1,300 kilometers. The new fence covers only 200 kilometers of the total border length.

The 3.5-meter-high structure is designed to be impossible to climb and is equipped with barbed wire at the top. The area is also fitted with surveillance cameras and lighting, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

The purpose is to stop what is called instrumentalized migration, where Russia sends asylum seekers to Finland as part of alleged "hybrid warfare".

The prioritization of where to build the fence has been based on where infrastructure and roads exist on both sides of the border. The old border crossings in Finnish Lapland have also been equipped with fencing as they constitute natural entry routes.

Mikko Kauppila, commander at the Lapland Border Guard, notes that the local population is supportive.

— It's patriotism, he says.

However, he worries that people are leaving villages in the area, which means fewer eyes to notice irregularities. The risk that someone could get around the fence has also sparked discussions about extension, but financing is uncertain.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/denmark/denmark-takes-the-leap-into-space-will-map-the-moon/

Denmark

Denmark takes the leap into space – will map the Moon

Published today 10:07 am – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Danish government has allocated 125–130 million Danish kroner (approximately 17–18 million euros) to the Máni space mission – a satellite that will map the lunar surface to identify safe landing sites for future astronauts. The launch is planned for 2029.

The mission is led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with several Danish universities, satellite manufacturer Space Inventor, and international partners from Poland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, among others. The total budget amounts to approximately 50 million euros.

— It's a dream come true. That we're now reaching the starting line, where we'll begin building and developing the mission, is a fantastic feeling, says Jens Frydenvang, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen and project leader, to Danish public broadcaster DR.

Máni was selected this spring by the European Space Agency (ESA) to advance alongside nine other European projects. In mid-December, ESA is expected to make the final decision on which missions will be prioritized.

The satellite will be equipped with a specially built telescope to photograph the Moon's south pole in high detail. The area is particularly interesting because scientists believe there are large quantities of water there, which could be used both as drinking water and to produce rocket fuel.

Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund believes the investment marks Denmark as a space nation and strengthens the country's independence from large commercial players like SpaceX.

— That we in Denmark and Europe are strengthening ourselves in this area is very important for our independence, for our security, and for our competitiveness, she says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/report-thousands-of-swedish-gang-criminals-live-on-welfare-benefits/

Sweden

Report: Thousands of Swedish gang criminals live on welfare benefits

organized crime

Published yesterday 2:43 pm – By Editorial staff
According to the latest report from Försäkringskassan, over 4,000 gang criminals are estimated to have been granted benefits totaling approximately €320 million.
3 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A new report from Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) shows that around 4,000 individuals assessed by police as actively involved in gang crime receive their primary income through Swedish welfare systems. The report has sparked strong reactions within the government.

According to the report, the benefits primarily consist of sickness benefits, disability benefits, and activity support.

In total, approximately €320 million has been paid out in recent years to around 4,000 individuals in the gang criminal environment.

Among the benefit-related criminal schemes identified in the report are fake medical certificates and so-called sham separations, where couples register as separated but in practice continue living together.

Anna Tenje, Swedish Minister for Elderly Affairs and Social Insurance, has reacted strongly to the findings.

In a comment to the Swedish news agency TT, she says: – This is astonishing and deeply provocative. Our collective welfare funds should go to those with the greatest need. Instead, they end up in criminals' pockets and fuel gang crime.

Anna Tenje emphasizes that the findings confirm a problem the government has long been aware of, and points to several measures aimed at stopping welfare fraud linked to the gang criminal environment.

Pengar lön köpkraft
According to Försäkringskassan, several billion has been paid out to gang criminals in recent years. Press photo: Riksbanken

Stricter regulations

An important component, according to Anna Tenje, is the new legislation on confidentiality-breaking provisions that will take effect in December this year. This tool is intended to make it easier for government agencies to share information with each other.

She also highlights efforts against fake medical certificates and a stricter sanction system with benefit blocks for individuals who repeatedly commit welfare fraud.

The government estimates that between €1.3 and €1.7 billion is paid out incorrectly from welfare systems each year, of which approximately half is assessed to constitute outright welfare fraud.

– This is about maintaining the legitimacy of the systems. Hard-working people must be able to trust that the money goes to the right people. If we are to break the gangs, we must cut off this supply of our collective tax funds, says Tenje.

Försäkringskassan: "facade of legitimate income"

Nils Öberg, director general of Försäkringskassan, says in a press release that the report shows how gang criminals exploit the social insurance system to create a "facade of legitimate income".

​– We see increasing gang crime that attacks the entire society, and we are now working on a broad front to secure the welfare system. This report is a result of government agencies now being able to share information with each other to a much greater extent than before. This makes it easier for us to break down the criminal economy, he says in a comment to TV4, owned by Norwegian media company Schibsted.

The Swedish police's latest situation assessment shows that around 67,500 people are part of the Swedish gang environment.

Of these, 17,500 are classified as active gang criminals, while the remainder are assessed as having some form of connection to the networks.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/norway/three-out-of-ten-norwegian-adolescents-have-experienced-delusions-or-hallucinations/

Norway

Three out of ten Norwegian adolescents have experienced delusions or hallucinations

Published yesterday 1:31 pm – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A new Norwegian study shows that a surprisingly large proportion of adolescents have experienced mild psychotic symptoms. Researchers emphasize that for most people, these experiences are transient but may signal underlying psychological vulnerability.

Nearly 30 percent of Norwegian adolescents report having experienced mild hallucinations or delusions at some point. This is revealed in a new large-scale study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which includes nearly 50,000 participants.

— It's a surprisingly large proportion of adolescents, says researcher Viktoria Birkenæs, one of those behind the study, to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

The study is based on survey responses from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study – one of the world's largest health studies.

The data are evenly distributed between children and their parents, making it possible to compare generations.

Common to feel persecuted

The most common are paranoid delusions, such as feeling persecuted or monitored. Hallucinations, meaning hearing or seeing things that aren't there, are significantly less common, according to the research group.

The experiences vary greatly in both intensity and character. For some, it involves brief symptoms that don't significantly affect daily life, while others experience distressing episodes that greatly disrupt their functioning.

— Some people experience brief, transient symptoms that don't disturb them, while others have distressing experiences that greatly affect their daily lives, explains Birkenæs.

Sleep deprivation has an impact

For most people, these experiences occur during periods of high stress, strong emotions, sleep deprivation, or substance use.

When symptoms become so severe that they affect daily life, they can progress to serious clinical diagnoses. The study found no notable differences between genders.

Although the vast majority of those reporting such experiences don't develop mental disorders, psychotic symptoms at an early age can be a sign of underlying psychological vulnerability, according to Birkenæs.

— It may also indicate that some people are more sensitive to influences from their environment, which may require early interventions, she says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com