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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/endangered-arctic-fox-is-on-the-rise-in-finland/

Finland

Endangered Arctic fox is on the rise in Finland

Published October 3, 2023 – By Editorial staff
Arctic foxes are making a comeback in Finland.
1 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Two new Arctic fox dens have been discovered in Finnish Lapland, adding nine new pups to the critically endangered species. This brings the total number of Arctic fox pups born in Finland this summer to 25.

According to the wildlife management agency Metsähallitus, this is positive news for the critically endangered Arctic fox. One of the dens, located near the Enontekiö mountains, is in the same place where a fox den was found last year for the first time in 25 years. A total of 16 cubs were found in the two new dens, bringing the total for all this year's litters to 25 Arctic fox cubs.

– We had also observed these nests for a long time, but it was only a few days ago that the wildlife camera images we received revealed the cubs to us, says nature conservation expert Tuomo Ollila in a press release from the Finnish Wildlife Agency, according to Finnish state channel Yle.

Both WWF and Metsähallitus have been running feeding stations in the mountain areas to support the survival of Arctic fox cubs and also help the adults to stay in the region, even when natural food availability is low.

Petteri Tolvanen, Program Director of WWF's Finnish branch, says the new discovery confirms that the Arctic fox is making a comeback in Finland.

– However, conservation efforts must continue in order to build on this positive development, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Facts: Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus)

The species is one of the oldest mammalian species on the Scandinavian peninsula, along with reindeer and arctic chamois. It is found in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland. In Scandinavia, it is mainly found in mountainous areas. It is critically endangered in Sweden and critically endangered in Finland.

Arctic foxes are monogamous and sometimes pups can stay with their parents for a year, and sometimes two Arctic fox families can live together in the same den.

The animals are largely scavengers and eat what they find. The color of their fur can be either white in winter and brown in summer or blue-black all year round.

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finlands-former-president-europe-should-speak-directly-with-putin/

Finland

Finland’s former president: Europe should speak directly with Putin

Published November 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Finnish former President Sauli Niinistö believes that Europe must remain European.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Finland's former president Sauli Niinistö believes that European leaders should engage in direct talks with Moscow instead of relying solely on information from Donald Trump. He also warns that Europe is losing its role as a global power.

Niinistö criticizes the current situation where European countries lack direct contact with Russian leaders, while US President Donald Trump negotiates with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine's future. Niinistö argues that Europe should instead initiate direct talks with Russia to influence the outcome of the war.

— French President Emmanuel Macron is likely the last one to have called, and before that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about a year ago. And he was criticized for it, Niinistö told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

He defended Scholz's decision to contact the Kremlin and describes the current situation as absurd.

— I defended him and still think that it is in a way an absurd situation that Europeans say they won't talk to the war criminal Putin. But Trump does it, and then we go and hear what they talked about, he explained.

Niinistö points out the paradox that Europeans are simultaneously worried that Putin and Trump will discuss Europe's future over the heads of the European countries themselves.

Europe has lost its global position

Furthermore, Niinistö notes that Europe's significance has decreased markedly during the 21st century. Today, it is primarily the US, China, and Russia that make the decisive decisions on the global stage.

When Finland joined the EU in the 1990s, the union was a voice that the world listened to. The situation was similar even after the turn of the millennium. Now, however, Europe has disappeared from the power quadrangle, according to Niinistö. He particularly points to how the US and China compete economically and divide the world between them in what he describes as a struggle for nations' loyalty.

— Europe must keep Europe European and must absolutely not submit to becoming an object of division, so that someone belongs to one camp and someone else to another, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/chinas-emissions-may-have-peaked-massive-investment-in-renewables/

Environment

China’s emissions may have peaked – massive investment in renewables

The modern China

Published November 6, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Aerial view of a solar power park installed by the state-owned Chinese energy company China Huadian Corporation (CHD) in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Xinjiang region in northwestern China.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

China accounts for over 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, but is simultaneously investing more than any other country in renewable energy and electric vehicles. New figures suggest that Chinese emissions may have peaked earlier than expected.

China emits an estimated 15.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents (carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases) annually, making the country the world's single largest emitter. But behind the figures, a comprehensive transformation is underway, reports AFP.

Chinese electricity production is still dominated by coal, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of generated power. But massive installations of renewable energy are rapidly changing the picture. China now has 1,482 gigawatts of installed solar and wind power capacity and aims to increase its capacity sixfold from 2020 levels to 3,600 gigawatts by 2035.

According to analysts' assessments, the goal is realistic – in fact, so realistic that the country may reach it earlier than planned. During 2024, China added significantly more than the 200 gigawatts per year that would be required to meet the target.

Electric vehicles taking over the market

In the automotive market, the transition has been even faster. Nearly half of all new cars sold in China during 2024 were either electric or plug-in hybrids. The country accounts for over 70 percent of global electric vehicle production and has, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), become the world leader in the field.

President Xi Jinping has stated that vehicles with "new energy" should become mainstream in the Chinese market – a goal that has essentially already been achieved.

Electric cars dominate new car sales in China, with prices that can be around €20,000 lower than European equivalents. Photo: The Nordic Times

Emissions may have peaked

In September, China presented concrete numerical targets for emission reductions for the first time: a reduction of 7–10 percent by 2035.

Some observers believe that Chinese emissions have already reached their highest level, or are close to doing so, thanks to the rapid expansion of renewable energy and nuclear power. Beijing has previously committed to reaching peak emissions by 2030 at the latest and to being "carbon neutral" by 2060.

In China, debate about the downsides of wind power is not common, and large amounts of wind power have been installed in desert areas and offshore in recent years.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-introduces-employment-requirement-for-citizenship/

Finland

Finland introduces employment requirement for citizenship

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

From December, those who rely solely on unemployment benefits or income support will no longer be able to obtain Finnish citizenship. During a two-year period, applicants may receive benefits for a maximum of three months.

The second phase of Finland's citizenship law reform now takes effect in December. The change means that citizenship can no longer be granted to people who support themselves solely through unemployment benefits or income support, i.e., social assistance, from Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland).

— Successful integration, employment, and respect for Finnish society's rules are conditions that must be met to be granted citizenship, says Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen in a press release.

In addition to the income requirement, the changes mean that those who do not actively contribute to establishing their identity cannot be granted citizenship. The conditions for loss of citizenship have also been tightened.

In practice, applicants must be able to support themselves financially without benefits for two years before they can begin the application process.

Strongly pushed the issue

During government negotiations, many parties agreed that the tightening was needed, and a majority of the current government strongly pushed the issue. However, the Swedish People's Party of Finland attempted to bring it down to a "reasonable level".

— This was politically an issue that the majority of the government very strongly pushed for, and where SFP tried as best we could to get it to a reasonable level somehow. But we were quite alone in that view, says Member of Parliament Sandra Bergqvist to Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

The tightening only applies to people of working age. The requirement for secure income does not apply to applicants under 18 years or people over 65 years.

For children, the law can still cause problems indirectly, since children usually apply for citizenship together with their guardian. If the guardian does not meet the income requirement, the child's application may also be rejected.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finnish-region-loses-millions-in-revenue-after-border-closure-with-russia/

Finland

Finnish region loses millions in revenue after border closure with Russia

The new cold war

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The border crossing between Russia (Svetogorsk) and Finland (Imatra)
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish region of South Karelia has been severely impacted economically since Finland closed its border with Russia at the end of 2023. Tourism revenue has decreased by approximately one million euros per day, and hotels, restaurants and shops stand empty.

South Karelia is located closer to St. Petersburg than to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, and has maintained extensive economic ties with Russia for decades.

The region's economy has been built on cross-border tourism, shopping, timber trade and local jobs within the forest industry.

Finland's decision to close the 1,430-kilometer land border with Russia was motivated by accusations that Moscow had deliberately created an increased migrant flow from Africa and the Middle East to Finland. Moscow has in turn dismissed the accusations as "completely groundless".

Impact on local businesses

Hotels, restaurants and shops in the region now stand largely empty, reports Bloomberg.

– Russian customers asked why we couldn’t stay open around the clock. They bought clothes in stacks – mostly the latest fashion and bling, but even winter coats were sold out by August, says Sari Tukiainen, who runs a shop in Imatra, a Finnish border town.

Due to decreased sales, Tukiainen plans to close the shop at the end of the year. Unemployment in Imatra has simultaneously risen to 15 percent, the highest in Finland, as factories and steel mills have reduced their workforce.

Historically, Finland has had a complex relationship with Russia. The country was part of the Russian Empire for over a century, and despite two wars with the Soviet Union during World War II, a friendly relationship was maintained during the Cold War.

After the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Finland was early to impose sanctions against Moscow. The country also abandoned its long-standing neutrality by joining the US-led military alliance NATO, a step that has further changed the economic and political dynamics in the region.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com