Monday, September 15, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Severed Baltic Sea communication cables prompt sabotage investigations

Published 21 November 2024
– By Ivana Bratovanova
The damaged cables were located near Öland, an island off Sweden’s southeastern coast.
2 minute read

Undersea telecommunication cables linking Finland and Germany, and Sweden and Lithuania have been severed within a 24-hour period. Significant communication breakdowns have been caused between the countries.

Investigations are underway, with authorities considering the possibility of sabotage.

On November 18 disruption to the C-Lion1 cable led to service outages, primarily affecting internet and data transmissions between Finland and Central Europe. Cinia, which manages the cable, has yet to confirm whether the damage was accidental or the result of external factors. The Finnish National Cyber Security Centre is also investigating the incident.

In a separate incident on Sunday, a cable running between Lithuania and Sweden in the Baltic Sea was damaged. The Swedish Prosecution Authority opened a preliminary investigation into a potential “sabotage”. NATO’s Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure is also working closely to assess the situation.

Disturbances occur from time to time and there can be various reasons. For example, they are susceptible to weather and damage caused by shipping, said Samuli Bergström, communications chief at the Finnish National Cyber Security Centre.

– Fishing vessels accidentally damage cables with anchors, shared Martin Sjögren, a spokesperson for Telia, the Swedish telecommunications company affected by the damage.

– The timing is odd of course but we haven’t been able to examine it so we don’t know what caused it.

Meanwhile, another maritime incident occurred off Norway’s coast when a US submarine, the USS Virginia, became entangled in fishing nets while leaving Tromsø on November 18. The incident has prompted an investigation by the US Navy, but no injuries were reported.

Tapio Frantti, a professor of cybersecurity, pointed to the likelihood that the C-Lion 1 cable cut could be intentional, noting that Russia might have a motive for such actions.

– When a cable breaks, it raises questions as to why it happened [and] who might have a motive to do something like this, he added.

Meanwhile, European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell does not want to speculate on the nature of the incident.

It would be irresponsible from my side to attribute this, let’s say incident or accident or whatever you want to call it, to anyone.

The unresolved destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea in 2022 has heightened concerns about sabotage targeting critical infrastructure in the region,

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Swedish teachers’ union warns: Threats and violence becoming normalized in schools

Published yesterday 11:36
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

An increasing number of teachers are being subjected to threats and violence in their professional roles, according to a report from Sveriges Lärare (Swedish Teachers’ Union). Staff working in after-school programs are the worst affected.

One in three teachers has been subjected to threats or violence in the past year. Meanwhile, four out of ten have witnessed a colleague being subjected to the same.

The report also shows that violence is becoming increasingly normalized – many teachers have stopped reporting incidents due to lack of support from school management and unclear procedures.

Threats and violence in schools are no longer isolated incidents – this is a systemic failure. That we teachers cannot feel safe at work is unacceptable and must never be normalized. The limit of what we teachers can endure has been exceeded, says Anna Olskog, chairperson of Sveriges Lärare in a press release.

Problem worst in after-school programs

Teachers in after-school programs are the worst affected – six out of ten have been subjected to harassment, threats or violence. Half of all teachers experience high stress, one in three suffers from depression and one in five is considering leaving the profession. The report also shows a clear connection between increased exposure and staff shortages.

Sveriges Lärare demands zero tolerance for threats and violence from school management and that authorities address the problem.

Threats and violence in schools are not just a school issue, it’s a societal issue. When teachers hesitate to report incidents and when colleagues leave the profession, we lose both quality and safety in schools. We have long demanded a national effort – from the state, from school management and from society as a whole – to reverse this development, says Olskog.

More Swedish adults worry about children’s mental health

Published 12 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Mental illness among children has become a widespread societal problem, experts warn.
2 minute read

Nearly half of Swedish adults have felt concern for a child’s mental wellbeing, according to a survey conducted by Verian on behalf of Bris (Children’s Rights in Society), a Swedish children’s helpline. At the same time, many don’t know how to get help for the child.

A large portion of calls from children who contact Bris concern mental health issues. During the summer, for example, 46 percent of calls dealt with this theme, showing a stable trend. Last year, the proportion of calls about mental health issues was 44 percent, confirming that these issues have been prominent for several years.

The survey shows that five out of ten adults have at some point felt concern about a child’s mental wellbeing. Of these people who felt concern, 64 percent say they know how to get help for the child. At the same time, 22 percent are uncertain and 14 percent say they don’t know.

We know that many adults want to act, but the fear of doing something wrong can sometimes become an obstacle. We often give the advice that as an adult, you don’t need to be an expert on everything. The most important thing is that you reach out to the child, says Sara André in a press release.

In recent years, mental health issues have increased among children and young people. Among other things, the number of young people seeking help for depression and anxiety has increased, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare. The proportion of ADHD diagnoses has also increased markedly among children, where it increased by 50 percent just between 2019 and 2022.

Swedish government proposes prison from age 13

Deteriorating safety

Published 10 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Despite decades in the corridors of power, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has failed to tackle gang crime – but now things will be different, he claims.
3 minute read

The age of criminal responsibility will be lowered from 15 to 13 years for particularly serious crimes such as murder and serious bombings. This is promised by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson together with the party leaders of Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals.

In a debate article in the Bonnier publication Expressen, they argue that the law change should be time-limited to five years and only apply to the most serious crimes.

“In the serious situation we are in, we must try new measures. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we have always done, things will keep turning out the way they always have”, the party leaders write.

The party leaders point out that the number of suspected crimes involving children under 15 has doubled in a decade and that those suspected in life-threatening shootings have become increasingly younger.

“This development must be stopped”, they state, arguing that serious crime is creeping down to younger ages.

At the same time, they highlight that the total number of shootings has decreased since 2022 and that they have more than halved so far this year compared to the record year of 2022. “But we still have levels of violence that no decent society can accept”, they write.

Three reasons for the reduction

The Swedish government and Sweden Democrats cite three main reasons for lowering the age of criminal responsibility. First, they argue that the chance of a child breaking a criminal lifestyle is greater the earlier appropriate measures are implemented.

“By lowering the age of criminal responsibility, we open up the entire toolbox of police and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service at an earlier stage”, it states.

Second, it concerns the state’s obligation to protect citizens from crime. Sanctions such as community service, youth care, youth supervision or prison enable more control and recidivism prevention measures, the party leaders argue.

Third, the sanction is important for the victim’s vindication and the legitimacy of legislation, particularly for young crime victims who are most severely affected by young criminals.

“Today’s system is not sufficient”

“It is obvious that today’s system for young criminals is not sufficient”, the party leaders write, directing criticism at previous policies. They argue that preventive measures should have been implemented ten years ago when today’s young criminals were small children.

The party leaders point out that several other countries have lower ages of criminal responsibility. In Ireland it is 12 years, and 10 years for certain serious crimes. In the Netherlands the age of criminal responsibility is 12 years and in England 10 years.

In addition to lowering the age of criminal responsibility, the government and Sweden Democrats highlight several other measures that have been implemented or are planned, including the establishment of youth prisons and the abolition of the so-called youth discount for young adults.

Police will also be able to use secret and preventive coercive measures against children under 15 in order to reach those who order crimes and prevent crimes before they are committed. In addition, secrecy barriers between schools, social services and police have been removed so that authorities can collaborate more easily.

Center-left coalition wins election in Norway

Published 9 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to the forecasts, the center-left bloc will receive 89 seats in the Storting (Norwegian Parliament). 85 seats are required to achieve a majority.
1 minute read

The red-green coalition secured victory in yesterday’s election in Norway. This means that Jonas Gahr Støre remains as prime minister.

Yesterday’s election to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) went roughly as predicted – the social democratic Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) became the country’s largest party with 28.2 percent of the votes, reports Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.

Meanwhile, the right-wing Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) achieved its best election result ever, with 23.9 percent of the votes, becoming the country’s second-largest party.

It’s fantastic. We’re doing better than the opinion polls predicted. So it’s incredibly good, says Sylvi Listhaug, the Progress Party leader.

According to NRK’s forecast, the red-green bloc receives 89 seats, and 85 seats are required for a majority in the 169-seat Storting. In addition to the Labour Party, the red-green coalition includes the Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti), the Centre Party (Senterpartiet), the Red Party (Rødt), and the Green Party (Miljøpartiet de Grønne), all of which cleared the four percent electoral threshold.

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