Norway forced to pause plans to mine deep sea in Arctic

Small Socialist Left party threatens to block budget if government becomes first to issue licences for deep-sea exploration

The Norwegian government has paused its plans to mine the deep sea in the Arctic, after pressure from a small leftwing party.

The agreement was reached after the Socialist Left (SV) party said it would not support the government's budget unless it halted the first round of licences for deep-sea mining exploration, planned for the first half of 2025.