1) CBC News in Canada reveals a story of an Inuk woman, Qapik Attagutsiak, and how she and her family contributed to getting Canada through World War II. Ms Attagutsiak, a 99-year-old indigenous female, like many of her Canadian compatriots, helped gather materials for war supplies during the War. She will be honored at a ceremony where Inuit people were thanked and acknowledged for their contributions during the war.
2) Given the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, Nordic countries have become more aware of the severity of the trans-border crisis. Both Finland and Iceland have taken measures in order to prevent and control the spread of the virus to in their countries, including providing guidelines for foreign visitors and informing relevant domestic institutions.
3) The Straits Times, a Singapore-based news agency, published an article on the relationship between the Arctic and Singapore, a tropical country who was accepted as an observer in the Arctic Council in 2013. The author, Anita Nergaard, who is the Ambassador of Norway to Singapore, outlines the relationship between the two countries regarding Arctic cooperation, such as via joint scientific research, and how it has benefited the far north.
4) Sermitsiaq, a Greenlandic local news service, reports on the government of Greenland’s ongoing ambition for preparation for water exports.
5) The newly elected Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, calling for a fight against climate change and stressing the significance of the Arctic Council in terms of regional governance. She also noted that it is not advisable to regard the thawing Arctic as an ‘opportunity’, but should consider climate change from a longer-term perspective, according to yle.
6) An open access book entitled Relate North: Collaborative Art, Design and Education, has been published by the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design (ASAD). This peer-reviewed book shares the outcomes of art, design and education-related studies and research in the High North region.
7) According to Reuters, the lobby group Greenpeace lost a case in Oslo over a potential Norwegian Arctic oil project. Greenpeace, founded in 1971, is a non-governmental organisation specializing in environmental affairs and advocacy.
Over the Circle 