According to police, a 50-year-old Estonian man transported the puppies in a cardboard box stowed in the rear of a car, which was stopped at a ferry terminal in Helsinki's Katajanokka district on arrival from Estonia on Sunday.

Police suspect the man intended to sell the puppies in Finland and said he had been caught smuggling undocumented dogs into the country before.

The man is suspected of smuggling, according to the Helsinki police department.

Story continues after photo.

No documentation

"He could not produce documents about where the dogs came from, about their health status or if they had been vaccinated or not. The dogs did not have pet passports or ID chips," police superintendent Anne Hietala said in a press release.

"The dogs had to be put down because they could have posed a significant health risk for people as well as other animals," she said.

Customs' animal crimes investigative team works to prevent animal smuggling in various ways, including cooperating with other authorities and agencies.

A heightened inspection of animals imported at Helsinki's seaports carried out by authorities last month found that the illegal pet trade and puppy-farmed dogs remain a problem in Finland.

"It is irresponsible to buy pets from smugglers or a puppy factory and also causes animals to suffer. As long as there is demand for these puppies, there will be a supply. Buyers need to meet their responsibilities and ensure their new pets come from reliable breeders and that they are healthy," Hietala said.

In 2018, 70 percent of Finns lived in a municipality that charged the maximum fee stipulated in health centre regulations for seeing a doctor. In 2016, the corresponding figure was 44 percent.

Typically, municipalities can charge residents for three doctor visits per year — a maximum of 20.60 euros per visit. The study found differences between the fee collection methods of municipalities — with nearly half of Finns living in municipalities, where they also have to pay for treatment by a nurse.

THL investigated the customer fees and collection practices at health centres in 2013-18.

New govt programme aims to reduce fees

The healthcare fee cap was raised significantly in early 2016 — the maximum cost of a visit to a health centre was hiked from 16.10 euros to 20.90 euros. Following this, index adjustments have been made for payments.

The new government in its programme has set a goal of renewing the Act on social and health care client fees, as it intends to expand the scope of free services available and reduce fees.

The post The daily brief: 13 June 2019 appeared first on Good News from Finland.

Civilian aviation authority Finavia recommends that passengers arrive at least two hours before all flights. Queues are likely, particularly for security checks.

Airport Operations Centre head Jani Ceder urges travellers to familiarise themselves with the changes before arriving at the airport.

"It's worth reserving some time to find out about these things, so that the changes don't come as a surprise," he says.

Finavia's website offers detailed information on how arrangements have changed at the airport.

Infrequent flyers should study changes

If it has been several months or more since you have been to the airport, expect significant changes. For instance the bus and taxi stands are in different places, and driving routes have been changed.

Ceder says that airport officials have tried to avoid detours that force people to walk long distances. A moving walkway has also been installed from the new bus station, which has been moved from its previous location in front of the Scandic Hotel.

The traveller drop-off points for those arriving by car are now lower down, as the ramp to the main entrance to Terminal 2 is being dismantled. There are also changes to parking places for people with disabilities.

Short-term parking is now in parking garage P3, as P1 and P2 parking areas are closed. According to Finavia, there are still enough parking places at the airport though.

The airport's capacity is being expanded by enlarging terminals and redesigning existing spaces.

Finavia says the work should be completed by 2022.

Helsinki Airport is located in Vantaa, some 20km north of the city centre.

The government's programme came in for sharp criticism on a floor debate on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the course of that debate the National Coalition Party, the Finns Party and the Christian Democrats each filed a motion of no-confidence.

As this paper points out, the Finns Party is critical of moves by the government which it says will raise the costs of housing and motoring, while the National Coalition Party has come down hard on the cabinet's economic policy proposals and is demanding action to improve employment.

The government, which includes the SDP, Centre, Greens, Left Alliance and Swedish People's Party, commands 117 votes in the 200 member parliament. In addition, Harry Harkimo, who is the sole MP of the Movement Now (Liike Nyt) group, has also announced his support for the government. The no-confidence vote is scheduled for early Thursday afternoon.

Network services still down in Lahti

Lahti's Etelä-Suomen Sanomat reports that network connections for the health and social services operations of the City of Lahti and the Päijät-Häme region have been suspended to prevent the spread of malware that infected Lahti's public sector computer system on Tuesday.

According to the paper, the infection started with a single computer and spread to around another one thousand.

Etelä-Suomen Sanomat tells its readers to expect significant disruptions in services at public healthcare centres and dental clinics. Clients of social services offices will also be impacted.

Patients in need of acute care are being advised to phone health advisory services. Appointments already booked at healthcare centres are being handled, but officials say that some procedures may not be possible and will require a new visit at a later date.

As of Thursday morning, computer-based patient records, laboratory results and x-ray images were unavailable, and the system of e-prescriptions was offline.

Officials are as of yet unable to say how long the disruptions may last. Further information is to be made available on Friday.

Impact of new rape law

Turun Sanomat presents some expert legal opinion on what newly proposed legislation redefining rape may mean in the courts.

If passed by parliament, the new rape law would be based on a lack of consent rather than threats or violence, as is the case now.

Matti Tolvanen, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Eastern Finland, told Turun Sanomat that he does not believe that redefining rape will lead to significantly more convictions. He pointed to the fact that it will not change the problem of evidence, that there are rarely eyewitnesses to rape and cases often come down to one person's word against another's. This is very difficult for prosecutors.

Tolvanen added, though that while the change in the number of convictions may remain small, it will undoubtedly affect attitudes.

"In the long run, the effect may be quite significant. The message to society is that individuals have the right to self determination and that must be respected," said Professor Tolvanen.

Tolvanen also believes that the new law may lower the threshold for people to report rapes to the authorities.

Budget threads

Ask the average Finn where they got their latest summer apparel, and you're likely to hear something like, ”just past the sporting goods section, three aisles over from the frozen fish counter".

The capital daily Helsinki Sanomat reports on a fresh survey by the Finnish Commerce Federation showing that the most popular place for people in Finland to buy clothing is at hypermarkets and discount retailers.

The survey, carried out in March-April of this year found that first place was held by Prisma chain hypermarkets where 34 percent of shoppers said they had purchased clothing over the past year. In second place were the Tokmanni discount stores and in third were Citymarket chain hypermarkets.

Swedish-based clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz came in fourth.

HS points out that instead of fashion sense, the main criteria for Finnish shoppers is price. Finnish households spend less on average on clothing and footwear than most EU consumers.

In addition, according to Terhi-Anna Wilska, a professor of sociology at the University of Jyväskylä specialised in consumerism, the hypermarket phenomenon probably reflects the ageing population. The older one gets, she says, the more comfort takes precedence over fashion.

What Finnish consumers say they are looking for when they shop for clothes is comfort, practicality, and outfits that can be worn in as many different settings as possible.

MPs lose bid to stop crashing out of EU with a no-deal Brexit

DF-Xinhua Report

A bid by opposition politicians to stop Prime Minister Theresa May's successor from taking Britain out of the European Union without a deal was defeated Wednesday in the House of Commons.     MPs voted 309 to 298 against the measure which would have enabled politicians to size control of the House of Commons later this month. If they had succeeded it would have enabled them to force a debate on introducing a new law to prevent the government leaving the EU on Oct. 31 without a deal.     The Guardian newspaper in London described the result as a boost for Conservative leadership contenders hoping to force Britain's exit from EU by Oct. 31.     The decision is seen as a victory for former foreign secretary Boris Johnson and some of the other nine contenders bidding to succeed Theresa May as prime minister.     Johnson said earlier launching his leadership manifesto that he wanted to agree a withdrawal deal with Brussels, but wanted to keep the option of a no-deal Brexit.     A number of leadership hopefuls have also said they want the option of a no-deal departure if Brussels rejects a deal with Britain.     Led by the main opposition Labour Party, the cross-party motion was backed by other opposition parties, including the Liberal Democrats, Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, and the Greens.     With the government weakened by resignations, and left with only 313 MPs, supporters of today's move had the scent of victory.     During today's debate in the Commons, the Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said if it had succeeded it would have meant two members of Parliament, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Speaker John Bercow, being able to strip the government of its ability to control the business of the House of Commons.     Opening the debate today Labour's shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer called the measure a safety valve so MPs could begin legislation to stop a new prime minister suspending parliament.     During the debate the former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve told MPs that if a point was reached where a prime minister was intent on taking Britain out of the EU without a deal, the only way of stopping that prime minister would be to bring down that prime minister's government.     Grieve, who sided with the opposition in the vote, told MPs: "And I simply have to say here and now I will not hesitate to do that if that is what is attempted, even if it means my resigning the whip and leaving the party. I will not allow this country to be taken out of the EU on a no-deal Brexit without the approval of this house."  

Japan ready to help ease tensions in Mideast

DF-Xinhua Report

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that Japan is ready to play a role in easing tension in the Middle East region.     Abe said that peace and stability in the Middle East region are of high importance for the world.     "Tension is escalating and there is a possibility of war in the region, but the efforts should be done to avoid any war," the visiting Japanese prime minister made the remarks in a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.     Abe arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Wednesday with a plan to help ease tensions between Iran and the United States.  

British PM front-runner Johnson doesn't want no-deal Brexit

DF-Xinhua Report

Former British foreign secretary Boris Johnson launched his bid Wednesday to become Britain's next prime minister, insisting that he does not want a no-deal Brexit.

   Outlining his own manifesto in central London, Johnson, the hot favorite to win the keys to 10 Downing Street next month, said Britain must prepare for a no deal outcome.

   Johnson said a no-deal Brexit was a last resort but the best way to avoid that outcome was to prepare for it.

   "I am not aiming for a no-deal outcome, but it is only responsible to prepare vigorously and seriously for no-deal," he said.

   Johnson added: "I think it is right for our great country to prepare. I will hit the ground running and engage in friendliest possible way with friends across channel."

   Out of 10 contenders seeking to succeed Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party, Johnson's leadership launch has been eagerly awaited.

   He insisted the government must deliver the decision of the British people who voted to leave the European Union, and Britain must leave on Oct. 31, the deadline set by Brussels.

   "If we now block it (Brexit) we will reap the whirlwind, we will face mortal retribution from the electorate. It is now time to end the debilitating uncertainty," Johnson said.

   He said he would not pretend everything was going to be plain sailing, adding he believed that maturity and sense of duty will prevail to get Brexit done.

Cyber security ward off threats during polls

National

DF Report

A report has concluded that the preparedness work to support cyber security in the parliamentary elections was a success. 

Major attempts to interfere with the elections were not detected,said a government press release.

It was concluded, however, that cooperation arrangements among authorities, deepening the research know-how in social media and the ability to ensure citizens’ access to information need to be addressed and further developed. 

Among other things, the working group proposed that the electoral system should be defined as part of the critical infrastructure and training on how to counter election interference should be incorporated into the training of election officials. 

It is also important  to develop the information technology expertise among authorities since the social media and related algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence are undergoing significant changes; these will have a great impact on the information that reaches citizens.

Mobile key to replace key codes on OP-mobile

DF Report

Mobile key will replace the paper key code list entirely on OP-mobile this week.This is as a result of the amended Payment Services Act,said OP bank in a bulletin.

After the change, OP customers will no longer use OP-mobile without the Mobile key.

OP has advised its customers to keep using the key code list since they will be  needed when using the op.fi service or third-party services, such as MyTax or Kela, or for shopping online. 

The keys will also be needed to enable OP-mobile or OP Business mobile on other devices.

New ministers to assume roles in the Council of Ministers

National

DF Report

Timo Harakka, Minister of Employment; Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health; and Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services will take part in the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting in Luxembourg on 13-14 June.

The meetings will be chaired by the Romanian Presidency,said an official government press release.

The EPSCO Council will approve the establishment of a new EU agency, the European Labour Authority (ELA). In connection with the Council meeting, government representatives will decide on the official seat of the agency. Bratislava, Riga, Sofia and Nicosia have offered to host the seat.

Two directives on working life regulation will also be adopted at the meeting: the directive on transparent and predictable working conditions, and the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers.

The ministers will discuss the employment and social policy aspects relating to the country-specific recommendations of the European Semester, and progress towards meeting the Europe 2020 strategy targets.

In the field of social policy, the ministers are expected to adopt conclusions on the closing of gender pay gap and on the changing world of work. The Health Council is expected to adopt conclusions on combatting antimicrobial resistance. The ministers will also discuss the use of EU funds in the social welfare and health care sector for investments that would improve the health care service systems in the Member States.

Finnish ministers will provide the councils an overview of Finland’s work programme on employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs.

Finland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU from the beginning of July until the end of 2019. The first EPSCO Council meeting during Finland’s Presidency will be held in Brussels on 8 July.

Talks started with EP leaders on next president of Commission

DF-Xinhua Report

Talks started with EP leaders on next president of CommissionDonald Tusk, president of the European Council, said here on Wednesday that talks have started with European Parliament leaders on the next president of the European Commission.     "Consultations with leaders on appointments are advancing. Talks now also started with European Parliament (EP) leaders on the next president of the European Commission," said Tusk.     The president held "good discussions" with Guy Verhofstadt (candidate of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); Nathalie Loiseau (top candidate on French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance list in this May's European elections); and Udo Bullmann (president of the Socialists & Democrats group in the EP), he said on Twitter.     "Tomorrow I'm seeing Manfred Weber," lead candidate of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the EP.     The landscape of European politics is changing as far-right and nationalist politicians made strong gains in the European Parliament elections although parties committed to strengthening the Union retained over two-thirds of the seats.     For four decades, the EP has witnessed a "grand coalition" of the center-right and center-left parties, as they controlled over half the seats in the EP.     This year, both of them -- the Group of European People's Party (EPP) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) -- lost dozens of seats, being deprived of a majority for the first time.     The centrist ALDE Group and the Greens ranked third and fourth in the EP, with 107 and 70 seats respectively.     This year's elections saw a record-high turnout as nearly 51 percent of the 426 million eligible voters in the 28-member bloc voted from May 23 to 26.  

Biggest LNG terminal in the Nordics opens in Tornio

DF Report

The biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Nordics opened on Tuesday in Röyttä harbour, Tornio. 

The new terminal answers to the growing demand for low emission LNG and strengthens LNG’s security of supply in the Northern Nordics, said energy company Gasum in a press release.

The new terminal significantly enhances the area’s competitiveness by ensuring the availability of energy that is affordable, has low emissions and can be used by the local industry, as well as maritime and heavy-duty traffic.

The deployment of Tornio’s new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal will ensure shipments to Northern Finland and Sweden. The terminal is the result of multiple companies working together for several years through Manga LNG, a Joint Venture consisting of Outokumpu and SSAB steel companies, EPV Energy and the energy company Gasum. Wärtsilä was selected as the main contractor. 

“Tornio terminal is a ground-breaking collaboration between several companies and its opening is a long-awaited milestone for all of us. The deployment of the new LNG terminal significantly supports the emission goals of Finland, as well as the entire Nordics. The shift to cleaner fuel solutions is a worldwide trend that needs to be accelerated in every way possible. With the use of LNG, we reduce the local pollutant emissions of maritime and heavy-duty traffic, while keeping the industry of Northern Finland competitive by offering energy that has low emissions and is affordable to the needs of different operators,” said Kimmo Rahkamo, Vice President, Natural gas and LNG, Gasum. 

“Tornio’s LNG terminal is the biggest in the Nordics. Previously, the only LNG terminal in Finland was in Pori – some 600 kilometres to the south. The Tornio terminal is equipped with bunkering stations for LNG vessels, regasification equipment for liquefied natural gas, as well as a storage unit that is 50,000 m3 in volume,” said Mika Kolehmainen, Chief Executive Officer, Manga LNG Oy. 

The number of vessels that utilise LNG as a fuel in maritime traffic is growing globally. Rahkamo believes that the new terminal will attract even more operators to utilise LNG. 

“The transition to a carbon neutral future does not happen overnight which is why each step is important. Building distribution infrastructure will make it easier for new operators to start using LNG. In the future, the same gas infrastructure can be used to shift to the use of liquefied biogas (LBG), which will further reduce emissions,” pointed out Rahkamo. 

With the use of LNG, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by as much as 20% compared to traditional fuels. In addition, LNG produces no local pollutants and with its use, maritime traffic can reach the ambitious emissions goals set within and outside of the EU. With the use of renewable and domestic biogas, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by as much as 85%. 

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo remains major threat to East Africa: WHO

DF-Xinhua Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains a major threat to the health and socio-economic wellbeing of the people of East Africa.     Tigest Ketsela Mengestu, WHO Country Representative for Tanzania, urged the East African Community (EAC) region to continue engaging in national and regional contingency plans needed to strengthen prevention, response and mitigation of health security risks.     She said the Ebola virus outbreak in the DRC has so far infected over 1,900 people and caused more than 1,300 deaths.     She was speaking at Namanga on the Tanzania-Kenya border during the official opening of a large-scale cross-border field simulation exercise, a fictitious outbreak of rift valley fever.     "The regional EAC cross-border field simulation exercise is a unique opportunity to test our collective public health preparedness and response capacities, clarify roles and responsibilities between different sectors and agencies and learn from each other," she said.     Mengestu added that the exercise will help the EAC countries to identify weaknesses and areas for further improvements in their response system and will equally help them identify the strengths needed to be sustained.     Ummy Mwalimu, Tanzania's Minister for Health, said cross-border field simulations will help to assess pandemic preparedness status and to identify existing gaps that compromised their efficiency in prevention, response and mitigation.     Mwalimu said the field simulation exercise was being convened at time when the Ebola epidemic in the DRC stood at the threshold of EAC and presented a major challenge to the health and socio-economic wellbeing of the people of East Africa.     "The outcome of the field simulation exercise will allow us to facilitate practical corrective actions at all levels," said the minister.     She said the Ebola virus has always been a stumbling block to human progress and it continued to foment massive loss of lives and livelihoods and disrupted economic and social lives across the world.    

Fuel prices rise in 1st Q as coal price slides

DF Report

Prices of fuels rose in nearly all energy products in the first quarter of 2019, according to Statistics Finland's data.

The exchange price of electricity was in March considerably lower than last year.

The price of motor gasoline was three per cent higher and that of diesel oil nine per cent higher than one year earlier. The corresponding price change in light fuel oil was a ten per cent rise that was affected by the tax increases at the beginning of the year. The taxes remained unchanged for motor gasoline and diesel fuel.

The tax-free price of hard coal remained, on average, on level with the previous year in 2018. In the last quarter of the year, the tax-free price of hard coal was five per cent higher than in the previous year. The tax-free price of natural gas continued growing in 2018. In December, the tax-free price of natural gas was 12 per cent higher than the previous year. The price of natural gas has been rising evenly since 2016.

The taxable price of coal was one per cent lower in March compared to one year earlier. The corresponding price change for natural gas was a nine per cent rise. In Finland, the fuels for electricity production are tax-free while excise duty is paid on fuels used in heat production. The taxation for combined heat and power production was changed from the beginning of the year. The changes tightened the taxation of coal and lightened the taxation of natural gas in combined production.

The prices of forest chippings and milled peat used in electricity and heat production increased by one and eight per cent respectively in the first quarter compared with the corresponding period of the year before. The price increase of milled peat was affected by tax increases.

Customer prices for district heat for detached houses were two per cent higher in January than one year earlier. The corresponding price rise was four per cent for terraced houses and five per cent for blocks of flats. The consumer price of wood pellets was four per cent higher in February than in the corresponding period in 2018.

The system price of the Nordic electricity exchange derived from the sell and buy bids on the exchange made a clear downturn in the first quarter. In January, the average system price was still 63 per cent higher than one year earlier but in March, the price was already six per cent lower compared to 2018. The corresponding average Finnish area price was 12 per cent lower in March than in the corresponding period last year.

The decrease in the exchange price of electricity was not yet visible in customer prices. In March, the electricity prices for households rose by 10 to 12 per cent depending on the consumption category compared to March 2018. 

For enterprise and corporate customers, the prices of electricity rose by one to eight per cent except for one consumption category, where the price fell by two per cent. Household customers’ electricity prices are based on the obligation to deliver prices published by the Energy Authority, while the prices of enterprise and corporate customers are based on Statistics Finland's price inquiry on electrical energy. The obligation to deliver price reacts slowly to changes in electricity prices on the Nordic electricity exchange.

Global foreign direct investment slips for third straight year: UN report

DF-Xinhua Report

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows slid by 13 percent in 2018, to 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars from the previous year in its third straight annual decline, a key United Nations report said Wednesday.     The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2019 said the contraction was triggered mainly by United States' multinational enterprises repatriating earnings from abroad.     In 2019, FDI is, however, expected to recover in developed economies as the effect of the U.S. tax reforms winds down, said the UN agency.      Hardest hit by the earnings repatriation were developed countries, where flows fell by a quarter to 557 billion U.S. dollars -- levels last seen in 2004.     "FDI continues to be trapped, confined to post-crisis lows. This does not bode well for the international community's promise to tackle urgent global challenges, such as abject poverty and the climate crisis," UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said at a UN media conference here.     "Geopolitics and trade tensions risk continuing to weigh on FDI in 2019 and beyond," he noted.     Kituyi said the main drag on FDI in Europe is the "negative pull of Brexit in Britain," where the country is embroiled in extracting itself from the European Union following a referendum in the country that has created considerable uncertainty.     By contrast, developing country flows managed to hold steady (rising by 2 percent), which helped push flows to the developing world to more than half (54 percent) of global flows, from 46 percent in 2017.     FDI inflows to China increased by 4 percent in 2018, to an all-time high of 139 billion USD, accounting for more than 10 percent of the world's total FDI flow.      Despite the FDI decline, the United States remained the largest recipient of FDI, followed by China and Singapore.     In terms of outward investors, Japan became the largest, followed by China and France.     Greenfield project announcements - indicating forward spending plans - point to a rise in 2019, as they were up 41 percent in 2018 from a low in 2017.     Nevertheless, the weak underlying trend indicates that a rise in FDI may be relatively modest and may be reined in by factors, such as geopolitical risk, escalating trade tensions and a global shift towards more protectionist policies.     UNCTAD said the underlying global FDI growth trend has been anemic since 2008.     "If one-off factors such as tax reforms, mega deals, and volatile financial flows are stripped out, FDI over the past decade averaged only 1 percent growth per year, compared with 8 percent between 2000 and 2007, and more than 20 percent before 2000," said UNCTAD's investment and enterprise director, James Zhan. 

Finland ranks top in EU’s digital comparison index

National

DF Report

Finland ranked number one in this year’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) comparison of digitalization, said a government press release.

 The DESI compares the progress of EU countries in the use of digitalisation with 13 indicators. Finland ranked the first place followed by Sweden and Denmark: last year Finland came third in the comparison.

The European Commission’s annual Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) describes the digital performance and its development in each EU country.

The maximum score in the DESI comparison is 100. Finland's score this year was 69.9, which is well above the average for EU countries, 52.5.

“We have long been near the top. Systematic and long-term work to advance digitalisation has borne fruit. Broad-based cooperation between various parties of society is the key to us being here now,” said Anna-Maija Karjalainen, Director General of Public Sector ICT at the Ministry of Finance. 

“Finland's success in the global operating environment depends on the ability of citizens, businesses and communities and public administration to produce, protect, understand and utilise information. With systematic information policy Finland is able to act as a leader in use of information as well,” said Karjalainen.

The high competence level is one of Finland's strongest competitive advantages: 76 per cent of the population have at least basic digital skills, which is a long way above the EU average (57%).

Although fixed broadband access is offered to almost all households, its use in Finland is below the EU average (Finland 58%, EU 77%). In mobile broadband use, Finland ranks first by a clear margin to the next country. The connectivity is nearly double compared to the EU average.

Overall, Finland is among the leading countries in digitalisation. Other top countries in digitalisation are Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Belgium and Estonia.

EBRD invests 13.5 billion euros in Ukraine

DF-Xinhua Report

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested 13.5 billion euros (15.3 billion U.S. dollars) in Ukraine, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said on Wednesday.

After meeting with visiting EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti, Groysman said that he would work towards achieving macroeconomic stability in Ukraine and continue the course of reforms, according to a press release of the cabinet of ministers of Ukraine.     "I really appreciate the level of our cooperation. I am glad that this year we are demonstrating good growth momentum. We appreciate the support we receive in implementing the reforms. Of course, we appreciate the funds that the bank invests in the economy of the state. Your visit is another confirmation that we will strengthen cooperation despite the upcoming elections," Groysman was quoted as saying at the meeting.     Chakrabarti praised the EBRD's work in Ukraine, which he said is one of the top five country partners of the bank.     The EBRD is one of the biggest investors in Ukraine, having been involved in 427 projects.  

LABOUR MARKET ORGANISATIONS have shed light on the measures they believe will be necessary to raise the employment rate to 75 per cent ahead of their much-anticipated negotiations with the government of Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP).

Jyri Häkämies, the chief executive of the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), told Uusi Suomi on Monday that the objective is extremely important.

THE MINISTRY of Education and Culture has continued to chew over the fate of the state aid of the Finns Party Youth.

Uusi Suomi in May reported that officials at the ministry have concluded that it is possible to suspend and claw back state aid from the political youth organisation due to a series of controversial public statements made by its members.

CONCERNS about the trend of the global economy are casting a shadow over the economic outlook for Finland.

The Bank of Finland on Tuesday announced it has slashed its growth forecast for the national economy from 1.9 to 1.6 per cent for 2019 and from 1.7 to 1.5 per cent for 2020, saying the growth will rest largely on domestic consumption and investment.

Police intervened when flares were set off as a procession of home fans made their way towards the city's Ratina stadium before the game kicked off.

Visiting supporters not fined

However, the Central Finland police have been asked on their official Twitter account why Finnish fans were fined, but supporters of the visiting team Bosnia-Herzegovina - who also used flares - were not.

According to police, hundreds of Bosnia and Herzegovina supporters left from in front of the Ilves hotel in Tampere city centre on Saturday afternoon, and lit a number of flares as they proceeded towards Ratina Stadium.

A win for Finland

However, the supporters responsible for lighting the flares were in the very middle of the procession and police were unable to reach them. They were also unable to identify the offenders, and therefore could not fine them afterwards.

Finland won the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday thanks to two goals from Finland's player of the year Teemu Pukki, and followed up this victory with another 2-0 win away to Liechtenstein yesterday evening. The huuhkajat, or 'Eagle Owls', are now second in their European Championship qualifying group with the next round of games due to be played in September.

The staggering price increases were also reflected in light fuel oil, which was affected by tax hikes that took effect at the beginning of this year. In the case of this fuel, the price rise was 10 percent on the previous year. Meanwhile price increases in motor petrol and diesel were not due to tax hikes.

By contrast, the price of coal fell by one percentage point from last year, while natural gas prices went up nine percent over the one-year period. Fuel used for electricity production is not subject to taxation, however it is subject to an excise tax if it is used to produce heating.

Wood chips and milled peat used to produce electricity and heating saw price increases of one and eight percent respectively. In the case of milled peat, the price rise was affected by steeper taxation.

Households fork out more for electricity

In January, residents of single family homes paid two percent more for district heating than they did one year earlier. Meanwhile residents of semi-detached homes and apartments contended with a five-percent price increase for district heating. Consumers using wood pellets for heating their homes also faced a four-percent increase in the price of that commodity.

Nordic electricity exchange system prices were volatile at the beginning of the year. In January, system prices were on average more than 60 percent higher than the previous year, but by March they were six percent lower than the same period in 2018.

The average corresponding price of electricity in Finland in March was 12 percent lower than a year earlier. According to the statistical agency, electricity exchange prices were not yet reflected in the prices paid by household customers. Instead, in March, households paid 10 to 12 percent more for electricity than they did the year before.

Householder electricity prices are based on data published by Finland’s Energy Authority, which publishes supply obligation prices. These prices are typically slow to react to price fluctuations in energy markets.

The document was handed over to parliament's legislative director Tuula Kulovesi by Greens MP Iiris Suomela, one of the main drivers of the initiative.

"We want to ensure that everyone's right to autonomy over their own bodies is fully protected by the [proposed] reforms. When we started the consent campaign, I would not have believed that the goals of the initiative would be in the government's programme one-and-a-half years later," Suomela said in a release.

Changes on the way

A Justice Ministry working group already announced in January that an amendment to rape laws was in the works. The group said it aimed to ensure that sex without consent would always be punishable under the law. At the time, the group was expected to hand over a legislative proposal on the matter once the new parliament was in place.

As the Consent2018 campaign team was collecting supporters, it said it wanted the law to reflect each individual's right to self determination.

More than two dozen organisations supported the campaign, including Amnesty International Finland, women's rights and child welfare groups, universities, student unions and others.

Malware was detected on a single machine, from which it could have potentially spread to about a thousand workstations. Anti-virus software however prevented further infection.

"Malware has been detected," the city said in a Wednesday morning press release. "Anti-virus software has isolated the malware to a number of infected machines."

Health care customer service delays

The connection between the city of Lahti and the Päijät-Häme welfare group in southern Finland was cut off as soon as the intrusion was detected, to prevent the spread of malware. The disconnection may cause a delay in the provision of service to customers, the group warned.

"There are currently no known issues that directly endanger patient safety. We will continue to monitor the situation, and communicate further if the situation changes," Päijät-Häme said in a bulletin.

The closure of connections had also caused disruptions to the welfare group's human resources and financial systems.

The city of Lahti has filed a criminal report, and experts are currently investigating the origin of the attack in collaboration with police.

The prosecutor has called for life sentences in the murders, which took place at an apartment in a residential area of the town. Rescue services were alerted to a fire alarm at the flat and after extinguishing it, discovered the bodies of two men.

According to police, the victims had been brutally assaulted before their deaths and the suspects had attempted to conceal their crimes by setting the apartment on fire.

Story continues after map.

Police claim that the suspects then took one of the victim's cars to escape the scene. The vehicle - which had also been set ablaze - was later found by police about 25 km northeast of the city, in the neighbouring town of Akaa.

Following an investigation into the burned car, the suspects - both from the city of Tampere - were later apprehended by police in Akaa. The male suspects and victims were all between 30-40 years of age at the time of the killings.

Prosecution calls for life sentences

The prosecutor characterised the crimes as particularly callous and cruel, and called for life sentences for the two suspects. The prosecutor alleged that the victims had been severely beaten before their deaths.

The suspects face additional charges of aggravated assault, arson as well as theft and causing damage to a motor vehicle.

A third defendant also stands accused of helping the suspects evade police, and faces paying a fine. The prosecutor said the third defendant allowed the two murder suspects to stay at his home, permitted them to burn the items used in the crimes and gave them a change of clothing.

Both of the suspects have been in custody since being caught by police in January.

"Because of an error in a system update at the Police Traffic Safety Centre, some customers may have received triple speeding fines or warnings. Fines with the same date and reference number should be paid just once. The rest can be ignored," police tweeted on Wednesday morning.

As a result of the system error, a total of 5,000 fines and warnings were issued. Of them, 3,500 were double notifications, while 1,500 represented triple notices. Director of the Police Traffic Safety Centre Dennis Pasterstein said that the notifications were issued on three consecutive days.

Police said later on Wednesday that the error had now been fixed. Pasterstein added that he did not believe that anyone would have paid the extra fines.

"You can see as soon as you open them that they are the same. They are completely identical. The Legal Register Centre will provide a refund to anyone who has paid multiple times," the police officer pointed out.

Extra payments to be refunded

Pasterstein said that his understanding is that the Legal Register Centre tracks bank transfers and if several payments have the same reference number, the Centre will refund the money to the bank account from which the extra was paid. He said this procedure was being used because the issue affected only a small number of people.

The traffic safety chief said that the department had already received enquiries from members of the public about the matter. He noted that many people wanted to make sure that the Centre was aware of the problem.

"It seemed that after the double [fines] nothing else would happen. But then on Monday morning when there were triples, then people started to react. It appeared that the people who called didn’t take it badly. No one was raging," he explained.

"However it has created unnecessary work for us here as well as for those who have received these notifications. It is unfortunate," he concluded.

168 intoxicated drivers held across country

DF Report

The police arrested 136 drivers for drunk driving and 32 for driving under the influence of drugs across the country during an intensified monitoring from June 6 to June 9, said an official press release.

According to National Police Board Chief Superintendent Heikki Ihalainen, the number of arrestees is somewhat normal for the summer.

"The number of those who had consumed alcohol but remained under the incriminating limit was 821. This figure is similar to the number recorded during last month's drunk driving monitoring," said Ihalainen.

He said 39,000 breathalyser tests and 78 quick drug tests were carried out during the monitoring and around 2,000 working hours were allocated to run the tests.

Last year around 19,000 drunk drivers were caught in Finland.

NBI not to probe against Nordea

DF Report

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will not start criminal investigation against Nordea Bank Plc for Hermitage Capital Management Ltd's allegation of the bank's involvement in money laundering.

According to the request for investigation filed by Hermitage Capital Management, Nordea Bank and certain Finnish companies had committed aggravated money laundering when Nordea received money transfers to corporate customer accounts from Danske Bank in Estonia and Ukio Bank in Lithuania, said a press release.

“It is claimed that the funds received by the Baltic banks had been gained by committing an offence committed in Russia in 2007.”

The National Bureau of Investigation has conducted a preliminary inquiry of the case under the Criminal Investigation Act.

According to the request for investigation, the allegedly suspicious acts were committed in Estonia and Lithuania, and so Finnish authorities have no jurisdiction in the matter. Also, the money transfers in question were largely made more than 10 years ago; so the suspected criminal acts, if any, have also fallen under the statutes of limitation.

In respect to more recent dates given in the request for investigation, the police have no reason to suspect that Nordea Bank or the account holders would have been aware of any suspicious operations in the Baltic countries.

VTT finds better plastics recycling method

DF Report

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland complements the selection of sustainable recycling methods with chemical recycling based on pyrolysis, which will turn nearly all plastics and their mixtures into oil – the raw material of fuels, plastics and other chemicals.

Mechanical recycling suits the most common plastic bottles, bags and wraps. They are sorted, washed, melted and moulded into new products. However, 40 to 60 per cent of separately collected plastic waste in Finland ends up incinerated. Apart from economic reasons, there are technical reasons for mechanical recycling to fail. It can be difficult and occasionally even impossible to separate various types of plastics used, for example, in multi-layer plastic films. The quality of plastic also weakens with use and the number of recycling loops and eventually it proves unfit for use.

"By chemical recycling, however, plastics and their mixtures can be broken down into separate raw materials, whose quality is equal to that of respective virgin materials," explains VTT Senior Principal Scientist Anja Oasmaa.

VTT demonstrated in its two-year Business Finland WasteBusters' project that chemical recycling offers an ecologically sound alternative to incineration and possibly to mechanical recycling as well. Oasmaa points out that legislation in Finland and the EU does not recognise chemical recycling of plastics as being equal to mechanical recycling. VTT is currently compiling an account of chemical recycling of plastics for the Ministry of Environment.

Fiat still looking for merger partners after collapse of proposal with Renault

DF-Xinhua Report

In the wake of collapsed merger talks with French rival Renault, options for Italian-American carmaker Fiat-Chrysler to jump to the top tier of global automobile manufacturers are limited.

   Analysts said Fiat-Chrysler's dramatic merger proposal with Renault last month had the potential to reshape the worldwide auto sector. It would have created the sector's third largest company in terms of vehicle production and revenue, a company with a significant presence in every vehicle category and in almost every major car market.

   The planned "merger of equals" could have created the economy of scale to make the combined company a player in the emerging market for electric and hybrid vehicles as well as self-driving cars. Only Germany's Volkswagen and Toyota from Japan would have produced more vehicles per year than the combined company.

   On its own, Fiat-Chrysler is the world's eighth biggest carmaker, one spot ahead of Renault. The consensus among market analysts is that over the long-term the global auto industry can support only five or six large, diversified auto makers.

   But Fiat-Chrysler withdrew its proposal last week, after the French government -- Renault's largest shareholder -- delayed a vote on the merger and reportedly demanded Nissan, Renault's Japanese alliance partner, be directly involved.

   The government also said Renault stakeholders should receive a regular financial dividend after the merger and that any job losses would come from Fiat-Chrysler's side.

   "It has become clear that political conditions in France do not currently exist for such a combination to proceed with success," Fiat-Chrysler said in a statement.

   In its own statement, Renault said it would not make a decision on the merger proposal "due to the request expressed by representatives of the French state to postpone the vote."

   According to Fiat-Chrysler analyst Paolo Bricco, the company's management sent a letter to employees after the merger deal with Renault fell through, stressing the company can survive on its own.

   But Bricco -- who is also the author of a biography on the late Sergio Marchionne, the architect of the merger deal between Italy's Fiat and Chrysler in the United States-- concurred with media reports saying that Fiat remains on the lookout for other potential mergers, even if there is no other potential partner that would be as neat a fit as Renault.

   Bricco speculated that South Korea's Hyundai could be a long-term merger option for Fiat-Chrysler, dramatically strengthening the company's presence in Asia. He also said Peugeot, another French car maker, smaller than Renault, could not be ruled out. Bricco even said a new deal with Renault, possibly including Nissan, might yet re-emerge.

   Economist Riccardo Puglisi from the University of Pavia, said a merger deal with General Motors from the United States could also be a long-term possibility. Marchionne pushed for a deal with General Motors, but was rejected. Puglisi also speculated that Nissan, Renault's Japanese partner, could warm to a merger deal at some point.

   "For a while it looked like the deal with Renault would happen quickly," Puglisi said in an interview. "Whatever eventually happens, I don't think it will happen quickly."

   Bricco said that a merger was almost certain, even if it isn't imminent.

   "The Agnelli family, the largest shareholder in Fiat-Chrysler, is known to be looking to de-emphasize the auto sector in its portfolio," Bricco told Xinhua. "One way to do that is to go from a large shareholder in a medium sized company to a medium-sized shareholder in a very large company."

1 million tickets sold for FIFA Women's WC

DF-Xinhua Report

FIFA announced on Tuesday that over one million tickets have been allocated worldwide for the ongoing 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

   The world's football governing body said that four days after the tournament kicked off, over one million tickets have been allocated to fans worldwide.

   FIFA revealed that 14 out of the 52 matches have been sold out, including the tournament opener between hosts France and South Korea in Paris last Friday as well as several matches later in the competition.

   FIFA said that tickets are still available through its official website with price starting from nine euros.

   The 14 sold-out matches also include semifinals and the final held in Lyon.

   The quadrennial football tournament is underway from June 7 to July 7 in nine French cities.

Vague global trend to slow Finnish growth

DF Report

Uncertainty about the global economic trend will subdue the Finnish economic outlook, according to a forecast published by the Bank of Finland on Tuesday.

GDP will grow 1.6% in the current year and 1.5% in 2020. In 2021, growth will slow down to close to its potential of 1.3%, said the Finnish central bank in a press release.

Economic growth will be subdued both in the euro area and around the world, and the uncertainty will undermine the corporate sector’s willingness to invest.

Growth in Finland’s export markets will decelerate, but in the baseline forecast the reasonable level of growth in the euro area, improved competitiveness of Finnish exporters and relaxed financing conditions will continue to sustain the export growth.

During the forecast period economic growth will rest on domestic demand, i.e. consumption and investment.

Improved employment figures, pay hikes and the prevailing low inflation will bolster growth of purchasing power and hence private consumption. In addition, households’ financial room for manoeuvring will benefit from the low level of interest rates. Uncertainty over the direction of the economy in general will, however, subdue households’ appetite for consumption.

Finland, ROK to jointly foster startups

DF-Xinhua Report

Cooperation between Finland and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in nurturing startup activities and promoting new business development was highlighted as President Sauli Niinistö and ROK President Moon Jae-in both addressed a seminar here on Tuesday.

The conference on startups was the largest event during President Moon's two-day state visit to Finland.

Niinistö noted that Finland and the ROK face many common challenges. "We both need to work hard on maintaining our competitiveness and the sustainability of our societies. Global problems like climate change affect us both. By innovating together, we are better able to rise up to these challenges."

Moon recalled that the two countries have agreed on creating a joint venture investment system that will help startups in both countries. He said he expected this synergy to be beneficial to both sides. He also noted that his country was the "first to make 5G commercial," and that Finland was the "first to start 6G network research."

Moon also highlighted Finland's successes in innovation and transformation in the wake of being dependent on Nokia. The change in Finland "resonates in (the Republic of) Korea, whose own economic structure was centered on conglomerates," Moon said.

Among the agreements signed during the visit was a plan to set up an ROK startup center in Finland. ROK media said this would be the third center of its kind. The previous two are in the U.S. and in India. The center would help speed up the entry of ROK startups in the north European market.

Niinistö said Finland has a lot to offer in this field. "Our startup ecosystem has developed immensely in the past decade. Today, Helsinki and Finland at large are internationally renowned as a hub of startups and angel investors."

Niinistö noted that the role of the public sector in this development has mainly been to remove obstacles. "Active serial entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial societies established by students in many universities have been the real driving force."

Niinistö said that the annual not-for-profit startup and tech "Slush" event organized in Helsinki is the most visible proof of this development. "In 10 years, it has grown from a 300-person conference into one of the leading global startup events with over 20,000 attendees from over 130 countries."

17 arrested in Venezuela attempted coup

DF-Xinhua Report

Venezuelan authorities said Tuesday that 17 people have been arrested and charged in the coup attempt on April 30.

   A total of 34 people are being investigated for the failed coup d'etat, said Venezuela's Prosecutor General Tarek William Saab when he presented a review of Public Ministry's actions from January to May.

   He praised the ministry's leading role in maintaining "democratic stability and preserve peace."

   Saab previously said that the coup was stirred by opposition leaders Leopoldo Lopez and Juan Guaido while backed by renegade soldiers.

   In the case of a failed assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro in August 2018, 38 people have been charged and 31 of them have been imprisoned, said Saab.

   He noted that some of the accused are not in the country and urged Colombia and the United States to turn over Venezuelans who were under investigation.

Mexico to name "special team" to curb immigration

DF-Xinhua Report

Mexico's government will appoint a "special team" to offer advice on stemming the flow of undocumented migrants from Central America, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday.

   The move is included in the agreements reached in recent talks with the United States in a bid to head off punitive tariffs on Mexican imports, added Lopez Obrador.

   During his daily press conference, the president said his administration will also seek to address the causes of the mass immigration, including poverty and violence.

   "If developed countries help poor countries, then it is possible to deal with the immigration phenomenon ... If they are abandoned, if we turn our backs on them, if the international financial agencies do not cooperate and there is no support for the development of poor countries, then the immigration phenomenon cannot be dealt with," Lopez Obrador said.

   "Coercive measures" alone will not prevent undocumented migrants from fleeing poverty, he added.

   Mexico and the United States have set a time frame of 45 days to gauge the impact of their plan to discourage mass immigration.

   Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the special team, which he will head, will seek to reinforce security measures along Mexico's southern border and speed up asylum application proceedings at the U.S. border by assisting the U.S. side.

   Mexico's newly-created national guard will also help support immigration agencies to better control the entry of migrants into Mexico, he said.

   "We intend to apply Mexican law, which says that whoever enters our territory has to register," Ebrard said, adding that they also planned to increase investment in Central America.

   Mexico hopes "to prove that it is possible to regulate the flow (of migrants) with a set of measures," he said.

   According to Ebrard, the complexity of the immigration issue lies in the divergent attitudes of Lopez Obrador and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.

   "The complexity here is that we have to coexist with a country that has one idea about immigration while we have another, and we have to coexist, it's complex," said the minister.

   "The consensus in the United States is that they do not want migrants," he added.

   The Mexican government will also seek to bring "development and welfare" to the southern region of the country, a measure for which it expects mainly the cooperation of the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

   Lopez Obrador said that, as part of the strategy, his government will seek to expand the "Sembrando Vida" program, meaning "sowing life," which aims to plant timber and fruit trees on 1 million hectares of land in rural Mexico and will offer jobs to migrants.

   The president said that they could add another 200,000 hectares in the state of Chiapas, on the Mexican border with Guatemala, which would result in the creation of another 80,000 jobs.

   "Sembrando Vida" also offers jobs in the southern states of Tabasco and Campeche, the president added.

   "With production, work and well-being, we can keep migrants in their hometowns, with their families, where they were born, where their traditions are -- that is the approach," he said.

   The flow of Central American migrants fleeing poverty and crime has increased since the end of 2018, with caravans of thousands crossing Mexico, mainly on foot, to head to the U.S. border.

Merkel urges world to "turn economic growth into social progress"

DF-Xinhua Report

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that the world must work further to improve working conditions and turn economic growth into social progress.

   Merkel was among some 40 world heads of state or government and political leaders who are addressing the International Labour Organization' (ILO's) annual International Labour Conference (ILC).

   "We want social standards to apply to all people of this world," said Merkel.

   This year the ILO is marking the 100th anniversary of the organization in Geneva in a conference that runs from June 10-21.

   "The ILO is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago," Merkel said.

   "Today, we must further improve working conditions. Economic growth must be turned into social progress. Multilateral action is bringing us forward, and we are all dependent on it."

   Merkel also condemned the use of child labor and lent her support to the ILO campaign against it the day before World Day against Child Labor that falls on June 12.

   "Many children have to work in a nightmare," said the German leader. "We need social peace; we need fair conditions of labor; we need the preservation and respect of human dignity."

   The ILO has the fight against child labor as one of its priorities. Merkel said the ILO has achieved a lot, "but still, a lot remains to be done." 

Germany crush Estonia 8-0 in 2020 UEFA Euro qualifier

DF-Xinhua Report

A brace from Serge Gnabry and Marco Reus helped Germany to cruise 8-0 past Estonia following the third round of the 2020 European Qualifiers in Group C on Tuesday.

   The Germans took the reins from the kickoff and pressed the visitors from Estonia into the defense.

   It took the hosts only 10 minutes to break the deadlock as Marco Reus tapped home Thilo Kehrer's cross from very close range.

   Germany remained aggressive and doubled their lead only seven minutes later when Leroy Sane's square pass allowed Serge Gnabry to make it 2-0.

   The Estonians were unable to keep Germany out of danger zone as Leon Gorezka headed Joshua Kimmich's cross into the top left corner with 20 minutes played.

   Things went from bad to worse only six minutes later as Joonas Tamm felled Goretzka inside the box, allowing Ilkay Gundogan to slot home the subsequent foul play penalty from 11 meters.

   Germany remained on the front foot and made it four just before the break as Reus curled a free kick over the wall to extend the lead against hapless visitors.

   After the restart, Germany extended the lead in the 62nd minute when Gnabry tapped home his brace from close range.

   Estonia could not hold the pace with relentless Germans, who made it 7-0 in the 79th minute when Timo Werner chipped the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Sergei Lempmets.

   Germany were still not done with the scoring as Leroy Sane rounded off the victory on home soil in the dying minutes of the game.

   With the result, Germany reaped their third win in as many games to stay on the second place in Group C. Meanwhile, Estonia sit on the 5th place after suffering the second defeat.

   "We wanted to delight the spectators and I think we were able to do so. The team staged a faultless performance. Also, the trainings sessions went very well despite the absence of head coach Jochim Low," Germany's assistant coach Marcus Sorg said.

Italy to seek compromise with EU on debt to avoid disciplinary procedure

DF-Xinhua Report

The Italian government will seek a compromise with the European Union (EU) on debt to avoid a possible disciplinary procedure, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria said on Tuesday.

   "The Italian government' attitude will be constructive; we will reiterate our reasoning to the other European countries... and we will try to find a reasonable meeting point," Tria told the parliament at a hearing.

   "While remaining convinced the EU budget rules need to be deeply improved and simplified, it is in our own interest to reach a compromise," the minister added.

   He specified the Italian government also aimed at "definitively normalizing" the conditions of Italy's government bonds, whose spread has sensibly risen in latest weeks as markets nervously watched tension running high between Rome and Brussels over Italy's public finances.

   The normalization of the spread and the solidity of the government bond market were considered crucial "not only for savers and the country's financial institutions, but first and foremost for a real recovery of the economy," according to Tria.

   Earlier this month, the European Commission suggested to open a disciplinary action against Italy for not sticking to the promised path of reduction of public debt, which amounted to 132.2 percent of GDP in 2018 (against 131.4 percent in 2017), and was the second highest in the EU after that of Greece.

   EU rules require all member states to follow budgetary guidelines, including keeping their debt below 60 percent of GDP, or -- in case of higher debt -- to stick to a constant reduction plan in agreement with EU authorities.

   While issuing its European Semester 2019 Spring Package on June 5, the Commission said an excessive deficit procedure would be justified because of "Italy's non-compliance with the EU's debt rule in 2018."

   Addressing the two houses of the parliament on Tuesday, Tria also declared that, according to latest estimates, Italy's deficit would head towards 2.1-2.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019.

   This would be an improvement from both 2.4 percent officially forecast by the Italian government and 2.5 percent projected by the Commission for this year.

   The Italian minister specified he was certain of full support from the government, although both Deputy Prime Ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio -- respectively leaders of ruling League and Five Star Movement parties -- have so far expressed no intention to take a step back from some promised flagship reforms.

   Such planned policies, the European Commission said in its communication on June 5, might worsen the sustainability of Italy's public finances in the medium term.

   Speaking before the biannual assembly of Italy's Association of Joint Stock Companies (Assonime) on Tuesday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also restated the government's commitment to debt reduction.

   "I am absolutely confident in the ability to dialogue of our government and of the EU Commission," Conte said.

   "An infringement procedure would be extremely damaging to both our country's growth perspective and that of the whole Eurozone."

   "The government's commitment is to constantly update our EU partners to achieve a credible and sustainable path of debt reduction, in the name of social sustainability and avoiding recessionary maneuvers that would contradict the growth agenda we are working on since the beginning," Conte added.

   This position had already been expressed in a cabinet's short statement released on Monday night, after a meeting between Conte and his Deputy PMs Salvini and Di Maio.

   The statement in fact referred to the need "to develop a strategy to be adopted in the dialogue with Europe, aimed at avoiding an infringement procedure, and outline a shared economic maneuver."

The first suspected act of arson was reported on Monday morning. Police said a wall adjacent to the main entrance of a Swedish-language youth club, Jungsborg, had been sprayed with a flammable liquid and ignited. There were people inside the building when it was set on fire, according to police.

On Tuesday, a paper recycling container was set alight at the Kattholmantie recycling depot and a little later, another container was ignited near a similar depot at a local Prisma shopping outlet.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, fire engulfed a deserted wooden house near the city's ice hall on Kaarlenkatu.

Police believe all of the fires were started intentionally, saying that eyewitness reports identified the same suspect in each incident.

A local man was taken into custody late on Tuesday evening and will be questioned on Wednesday.

The most serious charge relates to the fire at the Jungsborg youth centre, because the building was occupied at the time.

Groups of children queue patiently for their turn to be served, holding bowls and plates brought from home as cheerful city workers chant a lunchtime rhyme before ladling out the day’s special — salmon casserole.

The park is one of two locations in Vantaa selected for a free lunch pilot this summer.

Children in the Finnish capital of Helsinki have been able to get free lunches during the summer months since 1942. That service started out as a wartime measure to prevent hunger, but it continued in playgrounds across the city as part of the municipality’s services to families.

While Helsinki is in its 77th year of offering free lunches — in around 60 playgrounds in the city — the neighbouring municipality of Vantaa is only just testing the waters at Havukoski in the east of the municipality and Martinlaakso in the west.

The rationale is simple: kids normally get a free lunch at school, and during the long summer holiday, they don’t, so the municipality pitches in to help while parents are still at work. The food is generally a soup, stew or casserole and is usually served after some form of song or group activity.

Story continues after photo.

"It is really good food — It's a great service and it's great for the community," gushed Vantaa parent Joni Niemi as he fed his two little girls lazing on a picnic blanket under the shade of a tree on the warm afternoon.

"Good service for working parents"

City officials have been serving more than 200 free lunches in Vantaa every day since school ended two weeks ago — 120-150 in Martinlaakso and 60-100 in Havukoski. Authorities estimate that the cost for the entire duration of the trial will be around 25,000 euros.

Riikka Åstrand, Director of Youth Services in Vantaa, said that there are multiple reasons for municipalities to offer free lunches to anyone under 16 years of age. "First of all, many people have asked for the same kind of service as is available in Helsinki;" Åstrand said.

"Secondly, it is a good service for parents who might not be able to cook so easily during the week when they are at work and children have long holidays. And thirdly, our youth workers have noticed during our summer activities in previous years that there were children who seemed to be hungry and we wanted to support them in this way," she explained.

“It is also a good way for both children and those parents who are at home during the day, to get together, meet others and find friends in their own neighbourhood,” Åstrand added.

While some of the children might go hungry otherwise, many use the service for convenience and use the opportunity to see their friends at a local playground. In that sense it is not food aid as such, but part of the patchwork of universal Finnish services such as free education, subsidised healthcare and more.

"We have the idea that people in Finland pay a lot of taxes and they should get a lot of services for those taxes," Åstrand noted.

"However, we did choose the locations where we offer this lunch service in such a way that it is most easily available for those families who most need it," she continued.

Story continues after photo.

For many families, it’s one more reason to spend the day outdoors during the brief Finnish summer. "It is nice to be outside when the weather is good. The children also eat better when they are playing outside. And it's free," Vantaa parent Riikka Svennevig said.

Not the first time in Vantaa

Vantaa first served free summer lunches in the 80s.

"I enjoyed the service as a child, but it ended in the 90s during the economic depression. A few years ago, Vantaa experimented with it again on a smaller scale, but it never took off — the lunches were served in an area where the people didn’t seem to need the service at that time," Åstrand said.

Story continues after photo.

City officials are still pondering whether or not it will be possible to offer a long-term service.

"That’s a decision the Vantaa City Council has to make. There wasn’t the budget to offer free lunches all through the summer this year, but the council decided to fund it as a pilot to check out the response," the youth services director added.

While Vantaa is taking baby steps with its summer lunch programme, Helsinki's established scheme will serve hundreds of thousands of children.

"We expect to be serving 160,000 to 200,000 children this season. The whole program is estimated to cost anything between 190,000 and 200,000 euros," food services specialist Sirpa Jalovaara from the City of Helsinki said.

"We feel it is a big success"

Meanwhile Vantaa officials are hopeful about the future of the trial. Mervi Pykäläniemi, director of the Patotie Kindergarten in Vantaa, who organises the lunches in Martinlaakso in Vantaa described the trial as a big success.

"Food connects people. One of the mothers told me she is so happy to see her 12-and 13-year-old boys here with their friends — without phones, computers and tablets. I hope this continues because we feel it is a big success," Pykäläniemi said.

Story continues after photo.

"This is the first time we are here, but we are definitely going to be here next summer too if this continues," Svennevig remarked as she enjoyed the sunny day with her young daughters.

Lunches are available at Helsinki playgrounds ((in Finnish) on weekdays until 2 August, and at Vantaa’s (in Finnish) two locations until 12 July. In the city of Kerava (in Finnish), the service is available until 26 July at three locations — in the yards of the Ahjo and Savio schools and in front of the central library. Children just need to turn up at a participating playground with a bowl or deep plate and cutlery by 12 noon.

The post The daily brief: 12 June 2019 appeared first on Good News from Finland.

The post Finland is Europe’s most digitally advanced country appeared first on Good News from Finland.

"The NCP didn't fit in because we refused to fall for this huge bluff," Orpo reportedly said, criticizing the Social Democratic premier for a government programme that adds to the deficit and "showers money on more than a hundred different targets".

Rinne said that his government aims to create 60,000 new jobs that will strengthen the economy and make it possible to fund the "necessary added expenditures", therefore creating what he calls "social sustainability". The paper says Orpo was visibly irritated during the lengthy exchange, while Rinne remained calm.

The Finns Party, now the largest opposition party in Finland, in turn criticized the government's plans to add several more ministerial assistant positions and increase development assistance levels, HS reports. The populist party was also critical of agenda policies that would make housing costs and car use more expensive.

"You, dear government, are leading Finland along the path to destruction, in direct defiance of the people's wishes," Ville Tavio, the parliamentary chair of the Finns Party said on Tuesday.

Debate of the government programme continues Wednesday. Parliament will hold a vote on the plan on Thursday, and since Rinne's five-party coalition enjoys a comfortable majority the programme is expected to pass.

Taken by the ankles

The Tampere-based newspaper Aamulehti looks at the new government's plan to extend the use of ankle monitors to persons who have received negative asylum decisions in Finland.

Criminal Sanctions Agency (Rise) senior specialist Pia Andersson tells the paper that if this added electronic monitoring is added to the responsibilities of the agency "it would require legislation granting that power and additional resources to manage it." The government programme proposes expanding the use of ankle monitors as a more-liberating alternative to detention that is nevertheless appropriate to safeguard public safety. The monitor is connected to a device in the person's home that tracks their coming and going. Any deviations from approved routines are then reported to Rise's national monitoring system.

Ankle monitors can also be linked to GPS devices for clear monitoring of the wearers' location at all times, the paper writes. Trips outside of an approved area, for example, trigger an alarm, as does any attempt to remove the device.

Top levels of trust again

And the Lahti-based paper Etelä-Suomen Sanomat contains a story on how Finland came out on top once again in an international survey of 38 countries' trust in the news media. The 2019 Digital News Report from Reuters Institute found that 59 percent of Finnish residents say that they can trust Finnish news sources.

"This is probably due to the Finns’ general trust in social institutions and the fact that the mainstream news media are not politically divided. It seems, though, that even in Finland things are slowly changing. Overall trust in the news is now down nine percentage points from 2015, though trust in ‘news I consume’ dropped only 2 percentage points," University of Tampere researcher Esa Reunanen says.

This year's survey also suggests that more than half of Finland's residents regularly get their news online. Some 62 percent report using smartphones to access news on a weekly basis, while 43 percent say mobiles are their main devices for accessing news content, up from 39 percent last year. Further, 39 percent indicated they access news from social media feeds.

The report ranks the weekly reach of Finland's news agencies, with public broadcaster Yle on top in the category of TV, radio and print outlets, while tabloid papers Ilta-Sanomat and Iltalehti are the most widely used sources for online news.

The post “The USA Last”& “The Nordics First” appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

The post Helsinki Airport – An even worse building site… appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

Pimiä declared that the youth group violated the ban on discrimination based on ethnic origin or had at least offended the human dignity of dark-skinned Finns.

She was responding to a post on the youth branch's Twitter account last month. It showed a dark-skinned family with a text urging people to vote for the FP in the European Parliament election "so that Finland's future doesn't look like this".

The Ministry of Education and Culture had asked the Ombudsman for a determination as to whether the FP youth organisation's action was compatible with the Non-Discrimination Act. Pimiä wrote in her statement that the action was in clear violation of the equality clause of the Youth Act.

State may withdraw subsidy

The ministry may claw back 115,000 euros in state aid granted to the FP youth for this year due to the tweet.

The youth group has responded to this threat by saying that the post was "an individual member's Twitter post made in error, which does not represent the organisation's stance". The tweet was posted by the group's deputy chair, Toni Jalonen.

The youth wing later deleted the tweet and said it was thoughtless and contrary to accepted moral principles.

According to Pimiä, the comments in response to the tweet indicated that at least some of those in leadership positions in the FP youth group believed that the post was intended to spread an "ethno-nationalist" message emphasising the status of the white population.

Concerns raised earlier in spring

"It is worth noting that the post was published on a communications channel of the youth organisation of the second-largest party in the Finnish Parliament, and that comments related to the message that are offensive to human dignity have not been deleted," Pimiä said in her statement.

The Ombudsman says that the actions demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for dark-skinned people and are offensive to these people.

Police are also investigating the case.

In March, well before the social media post, the Education Ministry had already summoned a representative of the FP youth to discuss the ministry's concerns about the group's previous statements on immigration, which it suspected were in violation of the aims of the Youth Act.

Finns Party chair Jussi Halla-aho and a number of other FP politicians have been convicted of online hate speech over the years. The party is one seat short of being the largest in the new Finnish Parliament, and has led public opinion polls in recent weeks.

3 MPs share tasks of social affairs and health ministry

DF Report

The president on Monday appointed Aino-Kaisa Pekonen as minister of social affairs and health and Krista Kiuru as minister of family affairs and social services for the social affairs and health ministry.

Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist will be responsible for gender equality matters of the social affairs and health ministry, said an official press release.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru is responsible for matters related to steering and services of healthcare and social welfare. She is also responsible for matters concerning occupational healthcare, farm relief services, services for disabled war veterans, rehabilitation for war veterans, and the Advisory Board on Veterans' Affairs in Finland. 

Minister of Social Affairs and Health Aino-Kaisa Pekonen is the head of the ministry of social affairs and health and is responsible for all other matters under the ministry's jurisdiction, such as pharmaceutical services, social security and labour protection.

Country sees unusually heavy rain in May

Finland saw an unusually high level of precipitation in May. Rainfall for the entire spring, that is from March till May, was also exceptionally high in many places, said an official press release.

Rainfall in May varied between approximately 40 and 100 millimetres. The amount of monthly rainfall was higher than average almost throughout the country. The most rain fell in the central and eastern parts of the country and in parts of Southern Lapland, where the monthly precipitation level was more than twice as high as usual.

The precipitation volumes were unusually high in many places, which means that this heavy rain is received in May only once in 10 years or even less frequently. In places, the amount of rainfall was even exceptional, which means that such heavy rain has been experienced in May no more than thrice in a century.

At the Sulkavankylä observation station in Alavus, for example, the May precipitation was the highest in the station's 50 years of measurement history. The month's highest amount of precipitation, 121.8 millimetres, was measured at the Koli observation station in Lieksa.

The lowest levels of rainfall were recorded in the southwest coast and in the eastern parts of Lapland. The month's lowest rainfall, 32.4 millimetres, was measured in Artukainen, Turku. The highest rainfall per day in May was 33.3 millimetres, and it was measured at the Joutsjärvi observation station in Sysmä on 11 May.

The average temperature in May was approximately 8–10 degrees in the southern and central parts of the country and 4–8 degrees in the northern parts. The average temperature for the month was very close to the long-term averages. The highest temperature in May, 27.8 degrees, was recorded on 20 May in Tulkkila, Kokemäki, and on 21 May in Artukainen, Turku.

Growth in Finnish economy to slow amid uncertainty

Business

DF Report

Uncertainty over the trend in the international economy subdues the outlook for the Finnish economy, according to the Bank of Finland forecast published on Tuesday.

GDP will grow 1.6% in the current year and 1.5% in 2020. In 2021 growth will slow to close to its potential of 1.3%, said a press release.

Economic growth will be subdued both in the euro area and around the world, and the uncertainty will undermine the corporate sector’s willingness to invest.

Growth in Finland’s export markets will slow, but in the baseline forecast the reasonable level of growth in the euro area, improved competitiveness of Finnish exporters and relaxed financing conditions will continue to sustain export growth.

During the forecast period economic growth will rest on domestic demand, i.e. consumption and investment.

Improved employment figures, pay rises and the prevailing low inflation will bolster growth in purchasing power and hence private consumption. In addition, households’ financial room for manoeuvre will benefit from the low level of interest rates. Uncertainty over the direction of the economy in general will, however, subdue households’ appetite for consumption.

Abe holds phone talks with Trump ahead of Iran visit

DF Xinhua Report

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held telephone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss the Gulf situation prior to the Japanese leader's visit to Iran a day later.

   According to Japan's top government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the two leaders discussed a number of issues, including the situation regarding Iran.

   Abe will make a two-day visit to Iran from Wednesday, amid rising tensions in the Gulf between the United States and Iran over an international nuclear agreement, the government previously announced on June 6.

   At a meeting of members of a lower house steering committee, it was provisionally decided that amid tensions in the region, Abe would visit Iran with the prime minister believing he could help deescalate the situation as Japan has friendly ties with both Washington and Tehran.

   Abe, during Tuesday's talks, is believed to have discussed with Trump his plans to meet with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani and his intentions to try and urge Iran to stick to an international nuclear accord inked in 2015 between Iran and six other countries.

   Trump, however, has since pulled the U.S. out of the international nuclear deal and restored sanctions against Tehran that were scraped under the 2015 deal.

   Suga underscored the fact Tuesday, however, that this year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and Iran.

   He also mentioned during a press briefing on the matter that the last Japanese prime minister to visit Iran was Takeo Fukuda in 1978.

   Japan's top government spokesperson also said that in light of the escalating tensions in the region, Japan will seek to use the summit-level talks to try and urge Iran to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue.

   During the 20-minute phone call Tuesday, the two leaders are also believed to have confirmed their cooperation for the success of the upcoming Group of 20 summit to be held in Osaka, Japan, later this month.

   Abe garnered the support of Trump to try and help mediate the situation with Iran while the U.S. leader was here for a state visit recently.

   Last month, Japan formally expressed its concern over the mounting tensions in the Gulf in talks in Tokyo held between Abe and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

   Abe, at the time, said the issue was becoming increasingly more tense, but maintained that Japan wanted to continue to develop amicable ties with Iran.

Heavy rain leaves 16 dead, 12 missing in China

DF-Xinhua Report

Sixteen people were killed and 12 are still missing after torrential rains caused havoc in southern China, local authorities said Tuesday.

   In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, week-long downpours have triggered floods in six cities and 32 counties, killing nine and affecting over 360,000 people, according to the regional emergency management department.

   The floods have toppled or damaged more than 1,300 houses and caused nearly 17,000 residents to evacuate.

   The regional meteorological bureau issued a yellow alert at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, forecasting heavy rain to persist for the following 24 hours.

   In neighboring Guangdong Province, seven people were killed and one is still missing as of 10:00 a.m. Tuesday as heavy rain destroyed roads and toppled houses.

   Three counties in Heyuan city are among the worst-hit areas in the latest round of rainstorms that have persisted over a week. More than 110,000 people were affected and 956 houses were damaged.

LI ANDERSSON (Left Alliance), the Minister of Education, has responded to an open letter addressed to her by Arno Kotro, the chairperson of the Ethical Committee for the Teaching Profession.

The letter has received widespread attention on social media after its publication last week on Puheenvuoro.

AINO-KAISA PEKONEN (Left Alliance), the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, has confirmed that the activation model for unemployment security will be scrapped.

Abolishing the much-berated model was one of the main campaign promises of the Social Democratic Party, the winner of the parliamentary elections held in Finland in April. The compromise found by the five ruling parties, however, has stirred up doubts about whether the government is willing to deliver on the promise.

THE FINNISH COMMERCE FEDERATION has expressed its strong reservations about a tax on plastic packaging proposed by the government of Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP).

The Finnish government has promised to thoroughly explore the possibilities to use tax policy to promote the transition towards a circular economy by the framework budget session scheduled for the first half of next year.

In October last year, an American-born London financier William Browder filed a request for investigation with Finnish authorities, alleging Nordea Bank failed to prevent money laundering activities.

Browder's investment firm, Hermitage Capital Management, claimed that some 527 Nordea accounts had been involved in money laundering schemes involving more than 200 million euros in suspicious funds.

However, following a preliminary inquiry into the matter, the NBI said on Tuesday that it did not have jurisdiction in the matter since the "allegedly suspicious acts" had been committed in Estonia and Lithuania.

Browder responds

The NBI also said that the money transfers under scrutiny had mostly been made more than ten years ago.

"So the suspected criminal acts, if any, have also fallen under the statutes of limitation," the bureau said in a press release issued Tuesday.

"In respect to more recent dates given in the request for investigation, police have no reason to suspect that Nordea Bank or the account holders would have been aware any suspicious operations in the Baltic countries," the NBI stated.

The law enforcement agency said Browder's request did not reveal evidence that supported claims that Finnish recipients of the payments under scrutiny were aware that the funds were gained from "aggravated tax fraud or some other offences committed in Russia."

In response to the news, Browder said in a tweet on Tuesday that he plans to appeal the decision.

Story continues after image.

Finnish police have said that appeals are not possible in the case. However Browder is able to submit new charges or take the case to higher authorities.

"They claim the money never touched Finland and was beyond the 10 year statute of limitations. Both are untrue. We plan to appeal," Browder wrote on Twitter.

Vapaavuori said the shared goal is to get 10,000 unemployed residents, as well as small business operators, into the study programme.

"We're helping jobseekers and entrepreneurs in Helsinki to improve their digital skills. It can advance their careers and possibly make it easier for them to get jobs," he said.

The exact location of the planned education centre remains unclear, but Vapaavuori confirmed that it will be in the centre of the city.

Google will fund the educational effort, while the city's role will be promoting the various courses offered, setting up staff as well as determining who will be able to take part in the courses.

Google has trained 10 million people around the world at similar tech education centres in Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the past four years.

10m students so far

The company's project was first rolled out in Spain, a country with a large proportion of unemployed young people.

Brittin - one of Google's top executives and lead spokesperson for the company about digital skills in Europe - came to Helsinki for the announcement and said he's pleased with the results of the firm's educational efforts.

He said that 45 percent of those who'd taken Google courses had received promotions, founded new companies or expanded their existing businesses.

"Half of [those who took part] were women. In the tech sector the proportion of women is usually around 25 percent. This shows there's a demand," Brittin said.

"Finnish residents make purchases and manage their banking online, but small companies are still lagging in digitalisation," he said, noting that improved digital skills will help local firms grow.

Google employs some 300-400 people in Finland. The tech giant recently announced plans to invest 600 million euros at its server farm in Hamina, which Brittin said was one of the highest-quality data facilities in Europe.

On Tuesday the central bank forecast growth of 1.6 percent this year, edging down to 1.5 percent next year and 1.3 percent in 2021.

The bank's head of forecasting, Meri Obstbaum, says that this year's growth prognosis may have to be lowered yet again in light of fresh employment figures that are weaker than expected.

Global risks for Finnish consumers

The economic outlook is overshadowed by global economic uncertainty and the threat of trade wars.

On the other hand, expected rises in wages and the employment rate in Finland, along with low interest rates, should all boost consumers' buying power.

Still the BoF says that uncertainty is already encouraging people in Finland to save more and spend less.

It says that economic growth in Finland had begun to reach its limits as more and more sectors faced labour shortages. As growth is slowing, so is the rise in demand for labour, the bank observes.

The BoF expects the increase in the employment rate will be correspondingly slow, too. It predicts that the unemployment rate will decline to near six percent by around 2021.

Bank of Finland Governor Olli Rehn, a former EU economic affairs commissioner, points out that the public sector finances have improved but are still running a deficit. Another challenge is the ageing of the population and the correspondent rise in medical and care costs.

Employment rate "should be 75-78%"

Rehn, a former deputy chair of the Centre Party, says that the improvement in the jobs picture of late has partly been due to the economic upswing and partly thanks to the policies of the previous Centre-led government. He notes that growth in employment has not continued at the same pace this year.

The new government, which also includes the Centre, has a set an employment target of 75 percent, which Rehn says would be barely sufficient.

"Over the long term, Finland’s employment rate should be raised to a good Nordic standard. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark employment stands at about 75-78 percent," Rehn said.

He added that Finland's economy will not be sustainable unless the employment rate rises "significantly" from the current 72.4 percent.

The post Finland develops sustainable plastic recycling technology appeared first on Good News from Finland.

Helsinki's RobobusLine, a project led by the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, is an autonomous bus experiment which takes passengers on five-minute journeys in the city's Kalasatama district.

The vehicle is steered with the use of lidar (a laser-based version of radar) as well as satellite-based GPS technologies, and travels at a maximum speed of 14 km/h.

The little bus takes passengers on a pre-programmed route around the neighbourhood, making four stops along the way, using its lasers to scan and measure distances from edges of the road and buildings - as well as to avoid obstacles.

The bus makes three trips an hour, shuttling between the Redi shopping centre (at Englantilaisaukiosquare) and Isoisänsilta ("Grandfather’s Bridge"). Rides are cancelled if the weather is exceptionally rainy, however.

Test rides will continue on weekdays through November. Schedules for the route (number 26R) can be found on Helsinki Regional Transport's (HSL) journey planner. https://reittiopas.hsl.fi/en

The city celebrates Helsinki Day on Wednesday, and is offering rides on the bus to mark the occasion from 9:00am - 3:00 pm.

The rides are free of charge and the boxy, driverless bus is able to carry up to eight passengers at a time.

Smart city effort

RobobusLine's project leader, Eetu Rutanen, said that the Kalasatama district was chosen for testing due to its suitable street layout, and because of other "smart city" projects going on in the area.

Helsinki is one of three European cities that are currently testing autonomous public transport vehicles. The effort is part of the mySMARTLife project, which aims to make cities more environmentally sustainable by cutting carbon emissions and boosting the use of renewable energy.

The mySMARTLife project is funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Safety first - and an XBOX controller

Even if the robot bus technically navigates and drives itself, it is not entirely autonomous at this stage. A human operator is always aboard the bus during the trips to ensure the bus gets to its destination safely.

Story continues after photo.

If something doesn't go to plan, the attending operator can steer the bus with the help of an Xbox game console controller when needed.

"Safety is an important part of the project. The bus only goes 14 km/h and if it detects something is in the way, it brakes - hard. There hasn't been anything close to an accident that's happened," Rutanen said.

Rutanen said that people should anticipate potential cancellations, as the bus is sensitive to weather conditions.

"This bus doesn't do well in sleet or rain. But we hope that the technology can be developed so that it can become a permanent part of the city's public transport network," he said.

The scheme required the unemployed to either enrol in a training programme, bill a minimum of 241 euros or perform 18 hours of paid work in each three-month period. Failure to do so resulted in the authorities docking their unemployment benefit by 4.65 percent a month, amounting to a 32.40-euro cut in the 696-euro benefit from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela).

During the first review period after the model was introduced by Juha Sipilä's administration at the beginning of 2018, roughly 94,000 people suffered benefits cuts for failing to meet the criteria.

On Monday, Pekonen took to Twitter to signal that work was underway to strike down the scheme.

"The activation model is being dismantled. Many have asked and I want to answer clearly. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is already preparing to terminate the model and the change will be implemented as quickly as possible, while paying attention to good legislative practice and the need for changes in Kela's systems," the minister tweeted.

Questions over administration's plans

Kela, Finland's principal benefits agency, was responsible for rolling out two of the previous government's flagship labour market reforms, the activation model and a widely-publicised basic income experiment.

The new administration's plans to bin the activation model have raised some questions. According to the government programme, the model will be discontinued when the cabinet has concluded certain "employment-related measures".

Before the election, current government partners, the Left Alliance and Prime Minister Antti Rinne's Social Democratic Party had promised to eliminate the model, which was widely seen as unjust.

A citizens' initiative to dismantle the scheme gathered broad support and was handed to lawmakers soon after the model was introduced.

Fazer said in a release that it wants to focus on consumer products and direct-to-consumer business, adding that it will use the proceeds of the sale to invest its growth strategy.

As part of the deal the Finnish baked goods and confectionery company said it will license the Fazer Food & Co brand to Compass Group for three years to ensure a smooth transition.

The company said that the conclusion of the deal is subject to approval by EU Commission competition authorities. It added that the transaction would include all of the food services' division workers, approximately 7,000.

Fazer Food Services currently has operations in Sweden, Denmark and Norway as well as a production kitchen in Estonia and had revenues of 600 million euros last year.

Compass is the largest contract food supplier in the world, has operations in 45 countries, employs 600,000 and reported turnover of around 26 billion euros in 2018.

The post The daily brief: 11 June 2019 appeared first on Good News from Finland.

The post Health warning – Italy and UK will harm EU! appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

The post How Rockfest Taught Me What Makes a Finn Happy appeared first on Finland Today.

Fida, which engages in missionary and development work, said on Tuesday that it will end its programmes in North Korea because sanctions imposed by the US in the past few months have made operations increasingly difficult.

The round of sanctions target international banking, which Fida said is making it impossible for the organisation to implement projects in the pariah state.

"We are disappointed that the tightening of sanctions has suddenly begun to prevent global humanitarian operations. Leaving North Korea was a difficult decision for us because there is a great need for aid in the country. We will have to end the long-term work that has made our operation functional," said Fida secretary general Harri Hakola.

Food aid for rural communities

Fida will terminate its Finnish Foreign Ministry-funded national programme in North Korea in June. It had budgeted 414,000 euros for its work there. The development programme has improved food security and access to care and was due to continue to 2021.

The NGO said that it had just delivered 412 tonnes of maize and soy beans in emergency aid to 134 day care facilities in Kangwon in the west of the country. It will satisfy the daily dietary needs of 12,000 people until the end of September.

Earlier this year, Pyonyang had requested aid from Finland to help ease a worsening food shortage.

Fida has assisted with the development of potato farming in North Korea since 2001. It said that the crop has provided additional nutrition for rural communities and reduced malnutrition among children.

In Finland, Fida is well known for its chain of second-hand clothing stores, which was established in 1979. It is also the country's largest development aid and missionary organisation.

The paper's reporting is based on a memo acquired by the Lännen Media news consortium, which contains an analysis of the current prison network. The agency handed the document over to the Justice Ministry in April, Kaleva noted.

"We are hoping for a decision in next year's budget schedule, or by the end of this year," said Rise development manager Pauli Nieminen.

According to the analysis, there are roughly 7,000 convicts in the prison system, with 3,000 of them in custody at any given time. The proposed reforms would reduce the annual number of occupants by 1,000 a year in 20 years. At the same time the number of open prisons and the use of ankle monitors would increase to cover half of the system's inmates, compared to one-third today.

Rise's overhaul of the prison system also calls for complete renovations to existing prisons. In the future, two-thirds of convicts would do time in new facilities. Rise expects that the rationalisation of the prison network would reduce annual spending by up to seven percent or 32 million euros in 20 years. Kaleva wrote that the vision also involves preventing recidivism or repeat offences by devoting an additional 260 person-years in resources to working with inmates, thereby further decreasing the annual prison population by 1,000 in 20 years.

Baby bonus goes bust

The tiny town of Sulkava in southeastern Finland found itself on the wrong side of the local administrative court when it tried to boost its population by introducing a kind of baby bonus, reports the tabloid daily Ilta-Sanomat.

The paper writes that with a population of just 2,500 give or take, city officials agreed to introduce a baby bonus in the form of a tax rebate. However the measure proved to be illegal because it set families on an unequal footing. City leaders agreed to the measure last February, however one councillor opposed it and filed a complaint with the local administrative court.

The Eastern Finland Administrative Court sided with the complainant and revoked the benefit, which would have refunded taxes paid by families with babies born last year or this year as a fixed "stipend". It also blocked the city council from paying out any gratuities.

The court estimated that a resident earning 1,500 euros a month would have paid 900 euros in local taxes last year, while another with a monthly salary of 5,000 euros would have contributed 11,600 euros in taxes. Both would have received the same stipend. IS concluded that residents in Sulkava apparently "got busy between the sheets" but got no baby bonus.

Worries over apartment block suburbs

Finland's 600-plus apartment block suburbs are in social and economic decline and pose a challenge to the incoming government, according to research highlighted by capital-based daily Helsingin Sanomat.

The paper unravels the work of Helsinki University researcher Mats Stjernberg, whose urban geography dissertation argued that concentrations of multi-story flats feature higher levels of unemployment and lower incomes than other areas. Stjernberg also found that on average residents of such communities also fell ill more often and died younger than people living in other areas.

Apartment blocks constructed in the 1960s and 70s account for one-third of all residential buildings in the country. However they are now coming to the end of their useful lives, Stjernberg said. That means a cycle of costly renovations to homes that are less likely to sell on the real estate market. While it makes sense to spend on home improvements in Helsinki, homes are likely to be demolished in other locations experiencing population loss, the dissertation argued.

HS writes that the new administration led by Antti Rinne is worried about the situation. It aims to build new transportation connections and affordable housing as well as strengthen local democracy. It has developed a cross-governmental programme to promote wellbeing and inclusiveness and to revitalise residential areas.

The price of a ticket to Parliament

With the deadline approaching for MPs to declare their political campaign spending, IS runs an analysis of incoming lawmakers' campaign budgets. Topping the list of big spenders was the National Coalition Party's Pauli Kiuru, whose overall ticket to parliament cost 76, 852 euros, of which 18,096 came from donors. According to IS, Kiuru's out-of pocket spending -- around 59,000 euros -- could buy a fancy car or even pay off a loan. The paper asked Kiuru if it made sense to invest that much in a job.

"Before the election, Ilta-Sanomat wrote a story saying that Pauli Kiuru has the cheapest car of all MPs, a 1,500-euro Mazda. I have no loans and I have a second [investment] home. Now I also have a job for four years," Kiuru countered.

Prime Minister Antti Rinne was also a major league spender with a declared campaign budget of 62,691 euros, all of it coming from well-wishers.

At the far end of the spectrum, NCP MP and former television personality Jaana Pelkonen got more bang for her campaign buck than any of her parliamentary colleagues. According to her declaration, she spent just 872 euros on her campaign, more than half of which (487 euros) came from donors.

IS noted that with the filing deadline due on 17 June, just one-third off elected MPs had filed campaign spending declarations.

Turkey slams Iceland's "disrespectful" treatment of Turkish footballers at airport

Europe

DF-Xinhua Report

Turkey's players celebrate winning the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier Group H soccer match between Turkey and France in Konya, Turkey, on June 8, 2019.

DF Report

Turkey strongly criticized Iceland on Monday for "disrespectful" treatment of its national football team at Reykjavik Airport upon their arrival ahead of a Euro 2020 qualifying game.

   The Turkish team was kept waiting for several hours at passport control on Sunday night and subjected to intense security checks, while the airport officials did not explain the reasons, the football players were quoted by Turkish media as saying.

   The airport officials insisted on searching the bags of all players and staff, and the immigration control took a very long time to check the passports of the team members, according to the public broadcaster TRT, describing the airport's practice as "racist."

   On his Twitter account, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin slammed the "disrespect" against the national team as "unacceptable."

   "Our state and our people stand by the national team, which will give the best response on the field," he said.

   Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, also said the treatment was "not in line with diplomatic courtesy or sportsmanlike conduct."

   The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a diplomatic protest note to Iceland via the Turkish Embassy in Norway, Turkish diplomatic sources in Ankara told Xinhua.

   It's the Turkish Embassy in Norway that deals with Turkey's diplomatic and trade matters with Iceland as Ankara doesn't have an embassy in Reykjavik.

   Turkish Ambassador to Norway Fazli Corman has left for Iceland to express Turkey's discomfort over the developments, Anadolu Agency reported.

   There was no immediate explanation for the delay at the airport passport control.

   "We have been waiting for three hours. They took everyone's bags," Turkey's midfielder Emre Belozoglu tweeted at the airport. "What they have done is disrespectful."

   While speaking to media on his way out of the airport, Belozoglu was accosted by a man, apparently a local, who held a toilet brush toward his face as a makeshift microphone, a move considered "provocative" and "racist" by the Turkish media.

   Furious Turkish internet users took to social media to protest against the treatment of their national squad. The hashtag #sleazbagIceland on Twitter was a trending topic.

   In response to similar treatments of Turkish football teams in foreign countries in the past, the Turkish authorities would let customs officials do prolonged searches of the visiting teams from the country concerned. 

Country experiences unusually heavy rain in May

Finland saw unusually high levels of precipitation in May. Rainfall for the entire spring, that is from March till May, was also exceptionally high in many places, said an official press release.

Rainfall in May varied between approximately 40 and 100 millimetres. The  amount of monthly rainfall was higher than average almost throughout the country. The most rain fell in the central and eastern parts of the country and in parts of Southern Lapland, where the monthly precipitation level was more than twice as high as usual.

The precipitation volumes were unusually high in many places, which means that this heavy rain is received in May only once in ten years or even less frequently. In places, the amount of rainfall was even exceptional, which means that this heavy rain is received in May no more than three times in a century.

 At the Sulkavankylä observation station in Alavus, for example, the May precipitation was the highest in the station's 50 years of measurement history. The month's highest amount of precipitation, 121.8 millimetres, was measured at the Koli observation station in Lieksa.

The lowest levels of rainfall were received on the southwest coast and in the eastern parts of Lapland. The month's lowest rainfall, 32.4 millimetres, was measured in Artukainen, Turku. The highest rainfall per day in May was 33.3 millimetres, and it was measured at the Joutsjärvi observation station in Sysmä on 11 May.

The average temperature in May was approximately 8–10 degrees in the southern and central parts of the country and 4–8 degrees in the northern parts. The average temperature for the month was very close to the long-term averages. The highest temperature in May, 27.8 degrees, was measured on 20 May in Tulkkila, Kokemäki, and on 21 May in Artukainen, Turku.

German FM pledges EU's support for Iran in benefiting from nuke deal

DF-Xinhua Report

Visiting German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday that Britain, France and Germany are working to help Iran benefit economically from the 2015 international nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

   Maas, who is in Tehran after his regional tour over the past days, made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

   The position of three European states is to remain obliged to their JCPOA commitments and to support the atomic accord, said Maas.

   "We want Iran-Europe trade to expand and Iran's economic growth to increase through INSTEX, and it is Iran's right to enjoy the financial benefits of the nuclear deal," he noted.

   In January, the EU announced the establishment of a payment channel, known as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX), to secure trade with Iran and skirt U.S. anti-Iran sanctions after Washington pulled out of the 2015 landmark nuke deal in May 2018.

   The EU was doing its utmost to help Iran gain benefits from the deal, Maas said.

3 ministers share tasks of Social Affairs and Health

DF Report

The President on Monday appointed Aino-Kaisa Pekonen as Minister of Social Affairs and Health and Krista Kiuru as Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist will be responsible for gender equality matters, said an official press release.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru is responsible for matters related to steering and services of healthcare and social welfare.

She is also responsible for matters concerning occupational healthcare, farm relief services, services for disabled war veterans, rehabilitation for war veterans, and the Advisory Board on Veterans' Affairs in Finland. 

Minister of Social Affairs and Health Aino-Kaisa Pekonen is the head of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and responsible for all other matters in the Ministry's sector, such as pharmaceutical services, social security and labour protection.

Finland to host new pan-European supercomputer

DF Report

Finland will host a new pan-European supercomputer that will help build world-class computing and data services.

The EuroHPC supercomputer will provide major benefits for research, industry, knowledge development, employment and competitiveness in Finland and Europe, said an official press release.

“The decision to place the supercomputer in Finland in CSC’s Kajaani datacentre came about as a result of joint effort by eight European countries. For Finland, EuroHPC Joint Undertaking is a massive opportunity that will lift our national data management and computing to a new level and that will also increase our competitiveness in cutting-edge research. This investment will place Finland among the leading datacentres not only in Europe but in the world,” said Permanent Secretary Anita Lehikoinen from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

“We seek to encourage businesses to use more high-performance computing in their activities. A supercomputer hosted in Finland will increase awareness of the possibilities of high-performance computing and support our efforts to attract top talent to Finland,” said Permanent Secretary Jari Gustafsson from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

The pan-European supercomputer, which will be deployed by the end of 2020, will be about ten times more powerful than the most powerful supercomputer currently in Europe. Both Italy and Spain will host similar supercomputers besides Finland.

The European Union and its Member States have committed to investing approximately EUR 1.4 billion in these projects. The budget for the data ecosystem placed in Kajaani will be around EUR 200 million, half of which will come from the European Union and half from the consortium countries led by Finland. Finland’s share of this financing will be EUR 50 million. Finnish scientists and public users will have guaranteed access to 24 per cent of the supercomputer’s operating time.

6 killed in shootings across U.S.

DF-Xinhua Report

Multiple shootings across the United States on Sunday killed six and injured several more.

   In the eastern city of Philadelphia, six shootings left one man killed and eight more injured, said local police.

   In one shooting incident in West Philadelphia in the afternoon local time, a gunman opened fire at a 21-year-old man and two 28-year-old men, said the police.

   The younger man was shot one time in the chin while the two others were shot in the back and the right leg respectively.

   All three were taken to a local hospital and are in critical condition, police said.

   Another shooting took place during a drug purchase, said the police, in which two sellers shot two buyers.

   One of the buyers was shot in the neck and was in critical condition, while the other was in stable condition with a shot in the shoulder.

   In the early evening local time, a 42-year-old man was shot multiple times. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.

   Three more men were shot in three separate shootings in the evening, said the police, adding that no suspects were caught yet.

   In the state of Georgia, two people died after being shot at their DeKalb County home, DeKalb police spokesman J.D. Spencer said Sunday.

   In Atlanta, Georgia's largest city, one man was killed by shots to his chest, Atlanta police spokeswoman Stephanie Brown said, adding that another man was injured during the incident.

   In the state of Ohio, an 18-year-old male was killed in an early morning shooting in Montgomery County, local police said.

   The United States is known worldwide for its slack gun control laws. According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39,773 people were killed by guns in 2017, making it the deadliest year for gun victims since 1968.

Finland to support Korean peninsula peace process

DF-Xinhua Report

President Sauli Niinistö said Monday that Finland is ready to offer support for the peace process on the Korean peninsula.

Niinistö made the remarks here at a press conference together with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is in Finland for a two-day state visit.

During the Finnish presidency in the European Union, which will start in July, "ways of how to support the peace process on the Korean peninsula will certainly be discussed," Niinistö said.

Answering a question about the possibility of a third meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-un taking place in Finland, Niinistö said there are "no specific proposals for the time being."

Moon expressed his gratitude for the support Finland has given to the peace process on the Korean peninsula, while Niinistö described the peace process there as "very demanding" and said Finland gives great value to the work of Moon in attaining peace.

Also on Monday, the two sides signed protocols related to "talent boost" cooperation, which will facilitate exchange of talent in a wide range of areas.

The opening of an air route between Helsinki and Busan was also confirmed. There are currently commercial flights between Helsinki and Seoul.

Both Niinistö and Moon will address a business forum here Tuesday.

The post Privatising basic healthcare increases prices… appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

The post Vuolearning: Revolutionising Business Training in Digital Age. appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

RAISING the employment rate to the target of 75 per cent will require that approximately 74,000 people join the ranks of the employed in Finland, estimates Sami Pakarinen, the chief economist at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

“You have to adjust more than a couple of notches to be better on course towards this target,” he commented on Twitter on Sunday.

THE IMPLICATIONS of the Finnish government’s intent to rein in private-label products remain unknown also to grocery retailers, says Mikko Helander, the chief executive of Kesko.

The government states in its newly published government programme that it is planning on improving the position of farmers in the food chain the limit the dominant bargaining position of large retail chains with legislative measures on, for example, private-label products.

If you have not heard of the Singularity University, it’s time to do a Google or Youtube search and dig into it. Not because it’s great or it sucks; but because it is definitely worth acknowledging.

This university does not give you a degree as such, but will try to open your mind and widen your horizon. Granted that this trend has been around for a while and TED talks are a good example of a non-profit intellectual sharing economy of thoughts and ideas. Singularity University based and founded in the Silicon Valley, however is geared towards management level, will charge you for it and promises to deliver more.

EX-PRIME MINISTER Matti Vanhanen (Centre) has been appointed as the new Speaker of the Finnish Parliament.

Vanhanen on Friday received a vote of approval from 141 Members of the Parliament. Tuula Haatainen (SDP) was appointed as the First Deputy Speaker and Juho Eerola (PS) as the Second Deputy Speaker of the Parliament later on Friday.

The Helsinki police department has said such investigations will continue after the unit is closed, but going forward, individual probes will be carried out based on the arrival of criminal complaints.

"My unit uncovers crime. No one willingly goes to the police to report human trafficking or gang-related extortion. We talk with people and try to get them to understand why they should not accept what they are being subjected to. This job is done on the street and takes time," Eriksson said.

Eriksson, 58, has led the unit for the past two decades, during which time the investigative team has ranged in size from four to 10 police officers.

"We live in a society where there are rules that everyone needs to follow. Then we have a number of people who play by their own rules. If we don't intervene, that means society accepts that there's a shadow society with its own rules. That kind of criminality needs to be uncovered. It's a question of serious crimes," Eriksson said.

According to recent a report published by a group from the Council of Europe, the number of victims of human trafficking has tripled in Finland over the course of just three years.

Eriksson's grim outlook

"If nothing is done it'll be a disaster within a year. The human trafficking and pimping business will flourish. Pimps called me when they heard I was retiring. They have ended the conversations saying 'next year freedom.' That tells you exactly what this is about. If we don't intervene it will be a mess," Eriksson warned.

Story continues after photo.

Detective chief inspector Jonna Turunen, who heads up the Helsinki police department's criminal investigation unit, confirmed that after the unit is shut down, probes will be chiefly carried out into crimes and cases that have been reported.

"We will continue to be responsible for investigating organised crime, human trafficking and pimping. For the most part we will ensure that crimes that have been reported to us are investigated. After that we will see what resources we have to invest in uncovering [criminal] operations," Turunen said.

"We still have units that are engaged in uncovering criminal activities, but they are responsible for many different types of crimes, including all organised crime. Unfortunately, [this type of] uncovering activity is what the police had to sacrifice when faced with scarce resources," she said.

When asked for her take on Eriksson's opinion that human trafficking will flourish in Helsinki after the unit is shut down, Turunen said: "He has a lot of experience and is a professional in his field. Kenneth Eriksson knows what he's talking about."

However, Turunen said that the closure of the unit was not an indication that the department was giving up.

No surrender

"Our responsibility continues and we will use the resources available to us. But human trafficking is just a part of the criminality that such units investigate. We're not surrendering," Turunen said.

Eriksson said he wanted to emphasise that Turunen herself is not to blame for the situation, and that the problem was a lack of resources.

"The police department needs to serve everyone and since there's a staff shortage, this is the decision that was reached," Eriksson said.

Whether Finland's newly-minted government plans to improve the situation remains to be seen. According to the proposed government programme, a police unit will be established to reveal and investigate human trafficking crimes, but exactly where the unit will operate - as well as its level of funding - remains unclear.

"This job is based on knowing people. Victims, regular people and prostitutes contact me. Since I know what's going on in the field, I know when we should intervene. Gangs come to me and I have no problem visiting their clubs to talk to them," Eriksson said, adding that it is time for him to move on.

Leaving the pack

"At some point you need to make room for the younger generations. The wolf pack is led by an Alpha male but the day he doesn't have the spark, it's time to hand over that job to someone younger," he said, adding that he doesn't really see himself as an Alpha wolf.

"No, but I am a unit leader. That means you should have a certain hunger. Earlier I was a good hunter but now I feel more like a scavenger. You [increasingly] settle for lesser results," he said.

Eriksson will end his police department career later this summer but will officially retire at the end of the year. However, he doesn't have plans to stop working entirely.

"I'm considering starting my own security company to work as a consultant," he explained.

He ran unsuccessfully in last spring's general elections as a Swedish People's Party candidate, garnering less than 250 votes, and said he is unsure of his future in politics.

"I was asked to run [last spring] and also ran as a candidate in a municipal election in the '90s," he explained.

"Even though it didn't go very well it was a pleasant and interesting experience. I got to know new people. It was an experience - and you learn a lot from every experience," he said.

Police across the country carried out a heightened patrol for impaired drivers last weekend. The effort caught 136 drunk drivers and 32 others who were operating vehicles under the influence of drugs, police reported on Monday.

Additionally, last weekend's roadside breathalyser tests revealed that 821 drivers had alcohol in their systems, but below legally-permitted blood alcohol concentration levels (BAC) of 0.5 promille (mg per ml of blood).

Police said they caught significantly fewer intoxicated drivers last month during a similar heightened weekend-long patrol, with 65 drivers over the legal alcohol limit and 19 drivers who were under the influence of drugs.

Police inspector Heikki Ihalainen said an increase in impaired drivers on the roads is common during the summer.

He said that police will closely patrol areas and roadways around summer cottages in the runup to the Midsummer holiday, when many residents head out to the countryside for summertime celebrations.

Police carried out last weekend's heightened patrol from Thursday until Sunday.

After holding talks, the two heads of state held a joint press conference. Besides bilateral issues, the two said they had discussed North Korea. Moon expressed optimism about Pyongyang's dialogue with the United States, and Niinistö offered to help further as needed. Some low-profile talks between the two sides have been held in Finland, but no more are planned.

Story continues after photo

The presidents also agreed to open direct flights between Helsinki and Busan, a city of 3.5 million that has so far not had a direct air link with Europe.

Startup culture and corporate forum

Moon's schedule for Monday also included a meeting with Speaker of Parliament and former prime minister Matti Vanhanen and a visit to Aalto University in Espoo to find out about Finnish startup culture, which South Korea reportedly wants to emulate. The scheduled activities of the day end with a state banquet at the palace.

Story continues after photo

On Tuesday, Moon is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Antti Rinne and address a corporate forum along with Niinistö.

Police have issued warnings for traffic disruptions in central and western Helsinki as some streets are closed off for official motorcades.

Niinistö visited Seoul in 2012 to take part in an international Nuclear Security Summit.

The last visit to Finland by a Korean president was in 2006, when Tarja Halonen hosted Roh Moo-hyun.

Moon, who took office two years ago, leaves Finland on Wednesday, continuing on to Sweden and Norway.

"The price offered by Loxam presents an attractive cash premium to our shareholders. With a history of making acquisitions and integrating companies, I believe Loxam offers a good home for Ramirent," Ulf Lundahl, Ramirent's board chair, said in a press release.

Loxam is Europe's largest equipment rental company, with over 700 branches in 13 countries. The company posted revenue of 1.48 billion euros in 2108, and has more than 8,000 employees.

Ramirent Group's turnover last year was more than 700 million euros. The Finnish company was founded in 1955, employs around 2,900 people and operates in nine countries.

"The combination of Ramirent and Loxam represents a unique opportunity to build a truly pan-European leader in the equipment rental market. Loxam has known, followed and highly regarded Ramirent for a number of years, and appreciates its experienced management team and employees, as well as its strong positions in all the markets where it operates," said Gérard Déprez, president and CEO of Loxam.

According to the new count, Finland will need to raise its carbon sink sequestration numbers by another 10 percent beyond the numbers in its original estimate.

The correction means that logging volumes of Finnish forests will have to be reduced by another 1-2 million cubic metres.

The state-owned research institute's new recommendation puts the ceiling at 81-82 million cubic metres for the 2012-2025 period, down from the figure of 83 million proposed in December.

Luke says the calculation error accounts for the equivalence of 3 million tonnes of CO2, both with and without wood products.

"This means that we have to enact changes in the land use sector that would reduce greenhouse gases and add more carbon sink capacity quickly," says Aleksi Lehtonen, an associate professor at Luke, which operates under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Finland committed to EU emissions reduction target

In October 2018 the UN climate council published a special report on the impact of global warming of 1.5 °C. The European Union had earlier set an emission reduction target of 20 percent in relation to the year 1990. The EU has also committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

Finland drew up a Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) plan, and in the summer of 2018 an agreement was reached on the specific targets, based on Luke's original calculations of the reference level for Finnish forests' carbon sequestration.

On 6 June 2019, after experts pointed out a problem, Luke announced that it had decided to revise its calculation methods for determining the reference level for carbon sink capacity by accounting differently for forest areas that it deems ready for final felling.

Controversial expansion of pulp market

EU directives require that logging activities relative to the tree population remain unchanged, with consideration for the different development phases in forests, whereas Finland's plans appear to raise logging intensity significantly.

Several new pulp mills are being planned that would increase the commercial use of forest products significantly. Debate over state approval of a pulp mill extension in Kemi animated recent government formation talks. Last week new Environment Minister Krista Mikkonen from the Greens Party said it wasn't likely that all of the pulp mill investment projects in the pipeline will end up being implemented, angering many representatives of the Centre Party.

Along with Poland, Finland has received the most warnings from the EU about the accuracy and transparency of its carbon sink benchmark calculations.

"It's difficult to estimate, as it depends on what kinds of emissions reductions Finland will be able to carry out. Will the Kemi pulp mill be the only one that increases wood intake? We need to know more about the other factors," Lehtonen says.

The EU Commission has asked Finland to specify future logging amounts and assess whether its current calculations for wood use are appropriate in light of alarming rises in greenhouse gas emissions.

Luke says it will submit its new figures to the EU and expects the Commission to request corrections again in June or July. At the end of the year, the EU will then set a final carbon sink benchmark for the country.

The post President Niinistö to His South Korean Counterpart Moon, Who is Visiting Finland: We are Happy to Share the Finnish Innovation of ‘Sisu’ with You appeared first on Finland Today.

The post The daily brief: 10 June 2019 appeared first on Good News from Finland.

These waders usually live along the coast, but they have also settled in along the shores of Näsijärvi, a large lake just north of the hub. In the past few years they have begun nesting right in the city centre.

"These birds find places to nest on the roofs of apartment blocks, where foxes can't climb," explains Jukka T. Helin, president of the Pirkanmaa Ornithological Society.

Story continues after photo

Helin says that there are signs of oystercatchers moving into urban centres elsewhere in Finland.

Olympic Stadium owl

Jackdaws, highly adaptable members of the crow family found all over Europe and parts of Asia and Africa, are continuously spreading into new areas. They find endless opportunities for places to nest in human structures, as well as a wide variety of food sources, including other birds' eggs.

Some birds of prey or raptors are finding food and even places to nest in urban environments as natural areas shrink. So while city birds are safe from human hunters, but may be at risk from other birds.

Owls, for instance, nest in urban areas where there are old trees. Helin says he hopes that city officials and private landowners think twice before cutting down trees that offer good nesting places.

Story continues after photo

Helsinki is home to a number of owls. In 2007, a men's European Football Championship qualification match was paused when an eagle-owl landed in the Olympic Stadium. The national men's team has since been nicknamed the Huuhkajat (Eagle-owls).

Hunting-free zones

Wood pigeons, which are larger than regular city pigeons, were once solely forest-dwellers as their name suggests. Now they too are moving into suburban and urban areas.

They produce many young, known as squabs, which have a better chance of surviving to adulthood in cities, where there are fewer predators.

Story continues after photo

"The wood pigeon's success in the cities may also partly be an adaption to the early start of the hunting season," Helin suggests. They are among the first species that can be legally hunted as the autumn season gets underway, usually beginning on 10 August.

Wood pigeons, which have several broods during the summer, usually still have squabs at this point. Breeding females in cities are safe from human hunters, though.

Park life

A pair of red-necked grebes are nesting on a pond in a park in the Viinikka district, near one of Tampere's busiest thoroughfares. They too are typically coastal birds, known for their courtship displays and loud mating calls.

Story continues after photo

Helin says that so far this seems to be a one-off case rather than a broader move toward city life for the species.

"They've gotten very used to people and nested here for many years, but I would hope that they are not unnecessarily bothered. In particular, dogs shouldn't be allowed to harass the birds," he says.

Helin believes it is only a matter of time before goshawks begin nesting in Tampere as they have in other cities, at which point smaller urban birds will face a new challenge.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and his wife Jenni Haukio will greet their guests today at a ceremony at Helsinki's Presidential Palace. The ceremony will begin at 10 am, weather permitting, and the public will be able to follow the proceedings from Helsinki's Market Square.

Niinistö's office says the presidents will discuss bilateral relations, regional questions and multilateral cooperation on a global level. The leaders will hold a joint press conference once the talks have finished.

The previous presidential visit from the Republic of Korea took place in 2006. Niinistö last visited South Korea when he attended the international Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul in 2012.

Who walks the talk?

Oulu-based newspaper Kaleva features answers from some of Finland's new ministers about their lifestyle choices with respect to the government programme's new climate agenda.

The ministers were asked where they lived, in what kind of home, and how they heated it. They were also asked what kind of transportation they used. Examples include Left Alliance chair and education minister Li Andersson, whosays she lives in a wooden oil-heated row house in Turku and has an apartment in Helsinki with district heating that she buys from renewable energy sources. She says she primarily uses the train or walks.

Defence minister Antti Kaikkonen from the Centre Party says he lives 30 kilometres north of Helsinki in Tuusula in an electrically-heated detached home and primarily uses a car for travel. Sanna Marin, transport and communications minister from the Social Democratic Party, lives in a district heating-warmed apartment in Tampere and says she uses a car when necessary.

Green Party chair and interior minister Maria Ohisalo says she lives in a duplex with district heating in Helsinki's Viikki district and mostly get around by bike or public transport. Swedish People's Party chair and justice minister Anna-Maja Henriksson lives in the city of Jakobstad in western Finland in a detached home with direct electric heating and an air source heat pump. She also has a small apartment where she stays in Helsinki. She says she travels from her hometown to Helsinki by plane or train.

The state provides chauffeur-driven cars to all ministers for reasons of safety and expedience. Most of the ministers responding to the questions say they will still try to walk and use public transport whenever they can.

Filling a public physician void

The nation's most widely-read daily, Helsingin Sanomat, has a story on government's plans to hire 1,000 new doctors to work at public health care centres. The paper reports that the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) recently revised its estimate of how many more doctors are required to bring public services up to speed to between 1,100 and 1,800.

"Municipalities have started to count on people of working age using occupational health care services and half of children being covered by private sickness insurance. The increased popularity of the active population opting for private services illustrates a deep mistrust of basic services," says Kati Myllymäki of the Finnish Medical Association, a professional organisation for doctors.

Some 25 million visits to public health care centres were registered last year, 6.4 million involving the centres' doctors. Only eight percent of people in lowest income bracket have bought private insurance, compared with 30 percent of people in the highest income level.

THL research director Maria Vaalavuo tells the paper that many high earners don't know what it is like to wait in line at a public health care centre "because they have never done it". She says that the lines are mostly filled with the unemployed, seniors and children without private coverage – groups that have "little political clout" that would urge municipalities to remedy the deteriorating situation.

Warmer than usual, perhaps?

And the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat has made a prediction concerning the weather for the Midsummer weekend of 21-23 June, when most Finns head to their summer cottages from some rest and relaxation.

Although "it's hard to make forecasts in advance", IS says the current prediction is looking good for the cherished holiday.

"Based on the monthly forecast you could say that southern Finland might see warmer temperatures than normal, so there's hope," Foreca meteorologist Kristian Roine tells the paper.

Temperatures of around 24 degrees Celsius are being predicted for the Helsinki area's Midsummer weekend at present, while central and northern areas have forecasts of "normal weather" for the season, with temperatures around 20 degrees.

The post Trash tourism hits Japan and now Finland? appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

Jesus brace helps Brazil to 7-0 rout of Honduras

DF-Xinhua Report

Gabriel Jesus struck twice as Brazil fine-tuned their preparations for the Copa America with a 7-0 win over Honduras on Sunday.

   Thiago Silva, Philippe Coutinho, David Neres, Roberto Firmino and Richarlison also netted for the hosts at Estadio Beira-Rio in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.

   The visitors were forced to play most of the match with only 10 men after Romell Quioto was shown a straight red card for a two-footed tackle on Arthur just before the half hour mark.

   Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho earned his second consecutive man of the match award following his impressive display in Brazil's 2-0 win over Qatar last Wednesday.

   Most of the South American team's best attacking moves involved the former Liverpool playmaker, who again relished a central midfield role with the Selecao.

   "We feel like we're improving with every match and today's performance was better than the one against Qatar," Coutinho said after the match.

   Brazil didn't appear to miss talismanic forward Neymar, who was ruled out of the Copa America after suffering an ankle ligament injury against Qatar.

   The Selecao will kick off the continental tournament against Bolivia in Sao Paulo on Friday.

   It took just six minutes for Brazil to open the scoring against the Central American team, with Jesus heading in after Dani Alves and Richarlison combined skilfully on the right flank.

   Former Selecao captain Thiago Silva doubled the hosts' advantage by glancing in a header following Coutinho's corner to the near post.

   Richarlison was then trampled upon by Emilio Izaguirre and referee Andres Cunha did not hesitate to award a penalty. Coutinho coolly converted from the spot as Brazil took a 3-0 lead.

   Manchester City striker Jesus netted his second goal on the stroke of halftime, latching onto Richarlison's headed flick and lashing in with his left foot from a tight angle.

   Neres scored his first goal for Brazil, poking in from close range following Felipe Luis's precise through ball. Firmino, a 55th-minute replacement for Jesus, then deftly lofted a shot over goalkeeper Luis Lopez to make it 6-0.

   Richarlison completed the rout in the 70th minute by turning in Everton's cross from the right with 10 minutes remaining.

Henriksson re-elected RKP Chairperson

DF-Xinhua Report

The Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People’s Party of Finland-RKP) elected on Sunday Anna-Maja Henriksson again as its chairperson.

There were no contending candidates in the party convention in Vaasa. After four years in opposition, the party returned to the cabinet this week.

Henriksson is the minister for justice in the new cabinet. Another party member Thomas Blomqvist is the minister for Nordic affairs and equality.

Henriksson dismissed criticism on Sunday that the party had gone "to a leftist" cabinet. She reminded that the government under the Social Democratic prime minister Antti Rinne includes besides the two leftwing parties also the Center and the Greens and her party that she described as "to the right of center."

Finland has a six-percent Swedish speaking minority and the country is officially bilingual. The Swedish party has been in nearly all governments, but in 2015 the then prime minister Juha Sipilä dropped it. Sipilä's government included the populist Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) with their agenda against bilingualism.

The program of the new cabinet this past week included measures improving the position of Swedish language.

Tokayev wins Kazakhstan's presidential election

DF-Xinhua Report

Kazakhstan's incumbent President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has won Sunday's presidential election by gaining some 70 percent of the vote, according to exit poll results.

   The exit poll by Kazakhstan's Public Opinion Research Institute showed that Tokayev took the lead in the race by garnering 70.13 percent of the ballots, followed by his opposition rival, Amirzhan Kosanov from the United National Patriotic Movement "Ult tagdyry" with 15.39 percent of the votes.

   The voting kicked off at 07:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) and ended at 09:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) in the day.

   In the Kazakhstan voting system, the candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote shall be considered elected.

   On March 19, former President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced his decision to step down and name Toyakev interim leader. Nazarbayev had served as Kazakhstan's president for nearly three decades since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

   Tokayev, 66, a career politician and diplomat in Kazakhstan, took oath of office a day after the announcement.

Trade balance shows €305m deficit in April

DF Report

The trade balance showed a deficit of 305 million euros in April, according to the preliminary statistics of international trade in goods provided by Finnish Customs.

 Calculated from January to April, there was a deficit of 20 million euros. Under the same period last year, the balance of trade showed a deficit of 780 million euros. Last year the trade balance for April showed a surplus of 140 million euros.

According to the preliminary statistics of international trade in goods provided by Finnish Customs, the value of Finnish exports decreased by three per cent while the value of imports increased by five per cent in April year-on-year.

The value of Finnish exports in April was slightly over 5.4 billion euros and the value of imports was 5.7 billion euros. Calculated from the beginning of the year, exports increased by four per cent year-on-year, while imports remained at the level of the previous year.

Exports to EU member states decreased by 12 per cent in April while exports to non-EU countries increased by 12 per cent.

Imports from EU-countries increased by four per cent and imports from non-EU countries by five per cent in April. Calculated from the beginning of the year, exports to EU increased by three per cent and to non-EU countries by five per cent. During the same period, imports from EU member states rose by two per cent but decreased from other countries by three per cent year-on-year,

Nadal wins record 12th French Open title over Thiem

DF-Xinhua Report

Rafael Nadal claimed his record-extending 12th title at the French Open with a four-set victory over Dominic Thiem in the men's singles final here on Sunday, becoming the first player in history to win 12 singles titles at any Grand Slam event.

   Nadal triumphed 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a rematch of last year's final over the 25-year-old Austrian.

   "The first set has been so tough with high intensity and great points. It was impossible to hold that thing during the whole match. In the second set, we were winning our serves with comfort. Then he played a good game, I played a bad game in the 6-5, and that's it," Nadal pointed out.

   "Then I went to the bathroom. I was able to think a little bit about what's going on and just came back with clear ideas," he added.

   Nadal improved his tournament record to 93-2. After converting his second match through a long forehand from Thiem, he emotionally lay on the ground of the Court Philippe Chatrier in spectators' cheering.

   It was the Spaniard's third title at the tournament in consecutive years and 18th Grand Slam champion in total.

   "After two sets, I dropped a little bit in my level. Then Rafa, who won this tournament 12 times, stepped on me," Thiem commented.

   Earlier on Sunday, second-seeded Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic outclassed Chinese pair of Duan Yingying/Zheng Saisai in the women's doubles final 6-2, 6-3.

Ronaldo wins top scorer trophy at UEFA Nations League Finals

DF-Xinhua Report

Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick in Portugal's 3-1 victory over Switzerland in the semifinals, won the Alipay Top Scorer Trophy at the UEFA Nations League Finals here on Sunday.

   Ronaldo is presented the tropy by Eric Jing, CEO of Ant Financial Services Group, the operator of Alipay, at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto after Portugal's final victory over the Netherlands.

   Ronaldo's teammate Goncalo Guedes, who scored the winner in the final, won the silver trophy while England striker Marcus Rashford took the bronze one.

   "Congratulations to Cristiano for adding the Alipay Top Scorer Trophy to his collection," Jing said. "We've been inspired by the passion for football and digital experiences that we've seen over the past week in Portugal. We look forward to promoting further integration between football and technology in our partnership with UEFA, bringing more fun, energy and inclusion to the game."

   In November 2018, Alipay became UEFA's sponsor for the men's national team events, including UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA EURO 2024, the European Qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League Finals.

New car registration slides by 13% in May

DF Report

A total of 19,376 new motor vehicles were registered in May, 2019, of which 12,661 were automobiles, according to Statistics Finland.

First registrations decreased by 9.2 per cent from the corresponding month of the previous year.

In May the number of new private cars registered was 10,884, which was 12.8 per cent down from the year before. The share of new diesel-driven passenger cars was 19.4 per cent.

These data are based on the Traffic Affairs Register of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) and they have been produced by Statistics Finland. The numbers are exclusive of the vehicles on the Åland Islands.

In the January to May period of 2019 a total of 84,141 vehicles were first registered. Compared to the year before, there was an decrease of 6.2 per cent.

The number of passenger cars first registered in the January to May period was 49,734, which is 14.2 per cent down from the year before.

The most common passenger car makes first registered in the January to May period were Toyota, Skoda and Volkswagen.

Volume of round wood, price of pulpwood slide

DF Report

The slowdown in global economic growth and increasing instability have curbed the demand for forest industry products, according to Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

Production volumes, however, will not decrease much this year. Compared with last year, the felling volumes of industrial roundwood and the stumpage prices of pulpwood are declining, said a Luke press release.

The most significant factors of uncertainty in the forest industry product market are linked to the international tensions in trade policy that increased during the spring, the confused Brexit situation and debt problems. It is also possible that growth in the global economy and trade will slow down faster than expected.

Exports of sawnwood to China continued to decrease in the beginning of this year, whereas export volumes to North Africa and Germany have increased.

High volumes of timber damaged by storms and insects have flooded the market in Central Europe, which has lowered the average market prices of sawnwood in the area. Domestically, the consumption of sawnwood will remain at last year’s level.

This year, the production of sawnwood in Finland is estimated to decrease slightly to 11.6 million cubic metres. The average export price of sawnwood is estimated to decrease by four per cent compared with the peak of the economic cycle of last year.

The average unit price for Finland’s wood pulp exports will remain lower compared with last year due to the weakened market situation. However, the price of pulp will remain high. Pulp exports from Finland will continue to grow, the production volume will remain at last year’s level and the capacity utilisation rate remains high.

Despite the declining market situation in cardboard, the Finnish production and export volumes, as well as the average unit price for exports, are still growing this year, but growth rates are clearly lower compared with last year.

The production volumes of forest industry products and consumption of roundwood in Finland have stabilised for the moment, due to realised increases in capacity. This year, the felling volumes of industrial roundwood will decrease by five per cent to 65 million cubic metres due to unloading of wood stocks and increasing imports of roundwood.

The decreasing export prices of sawnwood are reflected to the stumpage prices of softwood logs, which are estimated to decrease by 6 to 7 per cent. Despite the decline in paper production, growth in pulp and cardboard exports will strengthen the stumpage prices of pulpwood by 1 to 2 per cent. The use of forest chips and their average plant prices are expected to increase slightly this year.

An air crash in the mid-west city of Leiria in Portugal caused two people dead on Sunday, bringing the number of people killed in air accidents in the southern European country in 2019 to four, local media reported.

   The two men, 67 and 41 years old, were identified as a pilot and his student, but their identities have not been known, according to SIC TV.

   The light plane crash triggered a forest fire near the Jose Ferrinho aerodrome in Leiria. Nearly three hours later, the fire was extinguished by firefighters.

   The incident occurred at 4:48 p.m. local time under circumstances which are still under investigation.

   The crash is the second of its kind in 2019, bringing the total number of casualties in such incidents in Portugal to four. The previous air crash occurred in March in Braganca and killed two people.

The post My career: From start to Finnish appeared first on Good News from Finland.

Eight of the cruise ships will be making their maiden call to Helsinki.

In late April, the Port of Helsinki opened the new LHD cruise quay at Hernesaari, the southernmost tip of mainland Helsinki. As international cruise vessels are growing in size, the new dock can accommodate ships of 360 metres.

That is much larger than the familiar passenger ferries that ply the Helsinki-Stockholm route such as the Silja Serenade (203 metres) and Viking Mariella (175 metres).

The port's core areas in the heart of Helsinki, such as Pakkahuone Quay near the Indoor Market and Katajanokka Quay across from it, can only manage vessels of up to 215 metres, explains the port's director of passenger business operations, Sari Nevanlinna.

Tallinn and Stockholm routes also busier

Nevanlinna notes that the regular routes between Helsinki and the Swedish and Estonian capitals of Stockholm and Tallinn are also much busier this summer. Families with children in particular tend to book cruises from around the Midsummer holiday (June 21-22) through early to mid-August, when schools re-open.

Marika Nöjd, communications chief at Estonian-owned ferry operator TallinkSilja, says that Finns seem to be more interested than ever in travel to nearby areas.

"Especially during the summer season we've set records in each of the past few years," Nöjd says.

Besides Finnish families, local cruises on the Baltic are attracting greater numbers of Asian tourists.

"About 13 percent of passengers come from outside our home market," she says. "Cruises are part of their northern European experience."

The new owner of the Jokerit KHL club, Jari Kurri, who officially took over in May 2019, is determined to obtain the financial support of Finnish businesses. At the moment, the hockey club is experiencing serious financial problems due to the destructive management of its previous owners.

Earlier, 49% of Jokerit’s stocks belonged to companies in the American sanction list. 

Last week Henriksson resumed her old post of justice minister, which she held in two cabinets between 2011 and 2015.

Henriksson said that the results of the two elections this spring showed that the small language-based party remains relevant.

"The results of this political spring speak for themselves. There is clearly a demand for our policies. Finland needs the SPP and its liberal, bourgeois policies".

Support between 4.5 and 6.3%

The small, middle-of-the-road Swedish People's Party has just returned to its familiar spot as a junior government partner after a rare term in the opposition.

An Yle opinion poll released on Friday showed the party gaining a slight rise in popularity up to 4.5 percent voter approval. That is the same level of support it garnered in April's parliamentary election, allowing it retain its nine seats in the 200-seat legislature – and its status as seventh largest of the eight parties in Parliament.

The SPP performed slightly better in May's European Parliament election, picking up 6.3 percent of voters and holding on to its one seat among a baker's dozen Finnish MEPs.

According to Statistics Finland, 5.2 percent of the population spoke Swedish as a mother tongue in 2018, down from 6.3 percent in 1980.

Adlercreutz leads parliamentary delegation

As the smallest of the five parties in the new coalition government, the SPP has two cabinet seats out of 19. The second went to Thomas Blomqvist of Raseborg, western Uusimaa, who is now minister for equality and Nordic cooperation.

Henriksson hails from Jakobstad, 100 km up the coast from Vaasa, where she has been a town councillor since 1997. The 55-year-old lawyer has been in Parliament since 2007, becoming the SPP's first female chair in June 2016.

The party elected three deputy chairs on Sunday: Sandra Bergqvist, Silja Borgarsdóttir Sandelin and Henrik Wickström. Former deputy chair Anders Adlercreutz, an architect from Kirkkonummi, was elected as leader of the SPP parliamentary group, taking over from Blomqvist.

Boy drowns in Pori Lake Lavijärvi

DF Report

A minor boy was drowned in the Lake Lavijärvi in Pori on Friday afternoon, national broadcaster Yle reported.

The boy of seven years old was drowned when he was swimming at the Lake with his family.

The Southwest Finland Police said that the incident took place in front of several  other swimmers in the lake.

The law enforcers failed to disclose anymore information in this regard.

Lake Lavijärvi is situated in what used to be the municipality of Lavia, which merged with the city of Pori in 2015.

UN chief for gender equality to meet ocean challenges

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged the international community to promote gender equality and the rights of women and girls as a crucial contribution to meeting ocean challenges.

   In his message on World Oceans Day, the UN chief said that confronting gender inequality is essential to achieving the ocean-related goal and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

   According to Guterres, the effects of pollution and climate change on the oceans have a disproportionate impact on women. Women represent half the work force engaged in the catching and harvesting of wild and farmed fish, yet are paid substantially less than men.

   Women are also often segregated into low-skilled and unrecognized labor, such as fish processing, and are denied a decision-making role, he said, adding that similar treatment occurs in related sectors such as shipping, coastal tourism and marine science, where the voices of women are frequently not heard.

   "For too long, women have been unable to share equally in ocean-supplied benefits," said Guterres.

   "We must ensure an end to unsafe work conditions and guarantee that women have an equal role in managing ocean-related activities," he added.

   Designated by the UN, the World Oceans Day takes place every June 8, and this year's observance highlighted the gender dimensions of people's relationship with the ocean.

   The UN chief also called on sectors to "act across an array" to address the conflicting demands from industry, fishing, shipping, mining and tourism that are creating unsustainable levels of stress on marine and coastal ecosystems.

   Oceans and seas connect and sustain human, and they are home to vast biodiversity and are a vital defence against the global climate emergency, Guterres said. "Yet today the oceans are under unprecedented threat."

   As the secretary-general stated, in the past 150 years, about half of all living coral has been lost, and in the past four decades, plastic pollution in oceans has increased tenfold.

   One third of fish stocks are now overexploited. Dead zones - underwater deserts where life cannot survive because of a lack of oxygen - are growing rapidly in extent and number, he added.

   The "Call for Action" adopted at the United Nations Oceans Conference in 2017 helps to point the way, look ahead to the next such gathering in Lisbon in 2020. The secretary-general urged everyone to do "utmost to protect and preserve this essential resource for sustainable development".

Mongolia to host reindeer festival to attract tourists

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

Mongolia will hold an annual reindeer festival on July 6-7 at Dalai Tour tourist camp located on the West shore of Khuvsgul lake, the Governor's Office of Khuvsgul Aimag said on Saturday.

    The festival is aimed at promoting the unique culture of reindeers, protecting the animal and attracting both domestic and foreign tourists to the provincial capital of Mongolia's northernmost province Khuvsgul well-known as "Mongolian Switzerland."

    The two-day event includes an art exhibitions, showcases of relevant handicrafts and the dwelling of reindeer herders, a reindeer relay competition and mini Naadam festival.

    According to the country's National Statistics Office, the reindeer population in Mongolia reached 2,396 at the end of 2018, increasing by 167 heads compared to the previous year.

    Mongolia has set a goal of hosting 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars in tourism in 

Germany nip 1-0 win over China to open Women's WC

DF-Xinhua Report

Giulia Gwinn's hour-mark goal gave two-time winners Germany a 1-0 win over China who wasted several great chances in their Group B opener of FIFA Women's World Cup here on Saturday.

   The SC Freiburg defender, who turns 20 in 24 days, hit a clean effort in the 66th minute when she took a touch on the edge of the box and sent the ball past Peng Shimeng and into the up corner of the net. The Chinese defenders were just too slow to close down.

   "It's great that Giulia Gwinn got better and better in the match and it's definitely very important that the young players played this very difficult match," German head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said after the match.

   "Now they have the experience and know what it's like to play a World Cup match with all the difficulties that brings," she added.

   It's deja vu for Gwinn as the German teenager scored against China in last year's Women's U-20 World Cup - also to make it 1-0 and also in the group stages.

   Dominating throughout the game, the Germans claimed a 62% possession and shot 18 attempts against China's four. But it was China that could have had some breakthroughs in as many shooting attempts.

   Starting forward Yang Li squandered two huge opportunities for the 1999 runners-up before interval, and former Paris Saint-German star player Wang Shuang created China's best chance after the break by earning and launching a free kick.

   "Just now we had a debriefing and recognized our players' performance. We told them that we did well in our attacking and defensive work, we just need to keep working on it," China coach Jia Xiuquan commented.

   Into the second half from the bench, Wang Shuang did not make much differences until she was tackled by Germany's substitution midfielder Lena Oberdorf eight minutes from clock.

   The 24-year-old stepped up to kick from the spot herself, but failed to pick out anyone in a clear shooting position in front of the goal and midfielder Zhang Rui's late makeup shoot went just over the bar.

   Defender Sara Doorsoun was the heroine for Germany before the halftime, leaping across to deny Yang Li who had the goal gaping and really should have scored in the 15th minute.

   Yang's another chance came on 45 minutes when China's playmakers Gu Yasha and Zhang Rui combined nicely to set up Yang in front, but the 28-year-old forward sent the ball to the pole.

   Just seconds before the halftime whistle, Yang played a nice one-two with her attacking partner Wang Shanshan before Gu Yasha received the ball but hesitated to make a successful shooting effort.

   "There was a lot of pressure on our defence, and in our attack we created opportunities. All of this is what we worked on in training and today this was reflected on the pitch, but of course we need to do much more," Jia said.

   "Compared to Germany we are not at the same level, but it does not mean we cannot fight," he added.

   The game started with Germany pushing harshly on the Steel Roses' defensive line and continuing to stack up chances throughout the first half, during which Carolin Simon once hit the crossbar for the Germans.

   China, on the other hand, earned just 39% ball possession before the break, but managed to hold firm and created opportunities in counter-attacks, despite having struggling midfielder Lou Jiahui leaping off after just 34 minutes into the game.

Messi brace helps Argentina to 5-1 win over Nicaragua

DF-Xinhua Report

Lionel Messi struck a first-half brace as Argentina warmed up for the Copa America with a 5-1 win over Nicaragua on Friday.

   Messi gave the hosts the lead at Estadio Centenario in central-western Argentina by latching onto a Giovani Lo Celso pass and dancing around three defenders before coolly firing past Justo Lorente.

   A minute later, Sergio Aguero's shot from a tight angle was parried clear by Lorente only for Messi to slide in the rebound.

   Messi and Aguero were replaced at halftime by Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez and it was the latter who made the most of his chances.

   The Inter Milan forward thumped in his team's third goal after the ball fell to him from a corner, and he struck again 10 minutes later by slotting in at the far post after Ramiro Funes Mori's flicked header.

   Roberto Pereyra tapped in the hosts' fifth goal following Rodrigo De Paul's run and cross from the left flank.

   Nicaragua pulled a goal back in stoppage time when Juan Barrera sent his spot kick into the top right corner after a Nicolas Otamendi handball.

   Argentina's next match will be their Copa America opener against Colombia in Salvador on June 15. Nicaragua face Costa Rica in their CONCACAF Gold Cup curtain-raiser.

   Meanwhile, Uruguay also registered a comfortable win in their last outing before the Copa America, overcoming Panama 3-0 in Montevideo.

   Luis Suarez brushed off any concerns about his fitness by coming off the bench to score in the 69th minute in his first match since undergoing keyhole knee surgery on May 10. Maxi Gomez and Federico Valverde were also on target for the Celeste.

   Uruguay will begin their Copa America campaign against Ecuador in Belo Horizonte on June 16.

President arrives at Kultaranta summer residence

DF Report

President Sauli Niinistö along with First Lady Jenni Haukio, and their young son Aaro on Saturday arrived  the official summer residence of the president at Kultaranta in Naantali from their Helsinki residence.

The President family was accorded a reception on their arrival at the evening.

Niinistö will host the Kultaranta Talks on 16-17 June this year. The topic of the event focusing on foreign and security policy will be "The world at a turning point – where will Europe go, how will Finland cope?"

The Kultaranta Talks will begin on June 16 , with opening remarks by President Niinistö and President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

On June 17, there will be two public discussions.

Organised for the seventh time, it will gather together about a hundred experts and opinion leaders from various sectors of society.

NASA's Mars Helicopter passes key tests

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

NASA's Mars Helicopter flight demonstration project has successfully passed a number of key tests recently, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

   In 2021, the small, autonomous helicopter will be the first vehicle in history to attempt to establish the viability of heavier-than-air vehicles flying on another planet.

   "Nobody has built a Mars Helicopter before, so we are continuously entering new territory," said MiMi Aung, project manager for the Mars Helicopter.

   This January, the team operated the flight model in a simulated Martian environment. Then it was moved to Lockheed Martin Space in Denver for compatibility testing with the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.

   The system will hold the 1.8-kg helicopter against the belly of the Mars 2020 rover during launch and interplanetary cruise before deploying it onto the surface of Mars after landing.

   As a technology demonstrator, the Mars Helicopter carries no science instruments. Its purpose is to confirm that powered flight in the tenuous Martian atmosphere, which has 1 percent the density of Earth's, is possible and that it can be controlled from Earth over large interplanetary distances.

   "We expect to complete our final tests and refinements and deliver the helicopter to the High Bay 1 clean room for integration with the rover sometime this summer," Aung said.

   The Mars Helicopter will launch with the Mars 2020 rover in July 2020 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

   When it lands in Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, the rover will also be the first spacecraft in the history of planetary exploration with the ability to accurately retarget its point of touchdown during the landing sequence. 

U.S. envoy's remarks on annexing parts of West Bank outrage Palestinians

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

The Palestinians condemned and rejected on Saturday U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman's remarks, which consider annexing parts of the West Bank an Israeli right.

   Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee Saeb Erekat wrote on Twitter that "the vision of the American side to annex occupied territories is a war crime according to the international law."

   Friedman had earlier told the New York Times that it is the right of Israel to annex parts of the West Bank territories and not all the West Bank, and blamed the Palestinian Authority for the current stalemate in the peace process with Israel.

   Nabil Shaath, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for foreign affairs and international relations, told Voice of Palestine Radio that the statements of the American ambassador "are totally rejected by all the Palestinians."

   "We won't accept any American or Israeli steps and measures," Shaath said, adding that the Palestinians "are sticking to their territories and will carry on with their struggle until they topple all the plots that aim at eliminating the Palestinian cause."

   Shaath, a veteran Palestinian negotiator also said that "practically, Israel still occupies areas (C) in the West Bank, and any Israeli measures will be a violation to the international law."

   "U.S. President Donald Trump protects and encourages the Israeli side to keep occupying other people's territories and violate the international law," said Shaath, clarifying that "any peaceful solution must end the Israeli occupation."

   Friedman's remarks were made few days before holding a U.S.-sponsored Economic Workshop in Bahrain called "Peace for Prosperity." The Palestinians announced that they are boycotting the workshop.

   Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of Fatah Party's Central Committee, said in a press statement that "Freidman's remarks unveil the reality of the Deal of the Century that aims at eliminating the Palestinian cause and devoting to the occupation."

   The Palestinians want to end an Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip which started in 1967 and want to establish a Palestinian state on these territories with East Jerusalem as its capital.

   Meanwhile, Bassem Na'eem, a senior leader in Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza said in an emailed press statement that "Friedman's remarks are totally rejected and reflect the colonial mentality of the extremist American administration."

   "Implementing Friedman's remarks on the ground will direct a fatal strike to the stability in the Palestinian territories and in the entire region as well as to the so-called international legitimacy," said Na'eem.

   The less-influential Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza said in a press statement "Freidman shouldn't be an ambassador; he is working as an agent to the Zionists to implement their colonial projects."

   President Abbas had slammed Friedman several times and called him "the child of the dog" for defending the Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank. The Palestinians had repeatedly slammed Friedman for his biased remarks on Israel.

   The Palestinian Authority had severed its ties with the United States since Trump's declaration in late 2017 that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. 

Police probe into after blast in Sweden deemed deliberate

DF-Xinhua Report

Police are investigating several leads after a powerful explosion in southern Sweden on Friday morning was found to be deliberate, reported Swedish news SVT on Saturday.

   The explosion, which injured several people and damaged over 200 apartments in the city of Linkoping, appears to have been caused deliberately, police said during a press conference Friday. So far there is no suspect and police are following leads as well as seeking tips from the public.

   "We suspect that someone has placed an explosive charge just outside one of the properties, but we do not know exactly when this has happened," Bjorn Oberg, police press officer, told SVT.

   There has been speculation of gang violence, according to SVT, but police have refused to comment on any of the leads currently being investigated. The police's national operational department is assisting local police.

   Approximately 250 apartments suffered severe damage, SVT reported. Some parts of the area remain blocked off while the forensic investigation continues.

   In total, seven people were taken to hospital Friday with mild to moderate injuries. Two of them are currently still under observation. 

Bulgarian authorities have detained a 16-year-old boy suspected of terrorism, and seized many bombs made by him, an official said here on Saturday.

   During the operation, which was held on Wednesday in Plovdiv after the authorities were alerted by the teen's relatives, many improvised explosive devices ready for use and under construction were found in two rooms used by the boy, Deputy Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev said at a press conference.

   The largest of the bombs was under construction and contained 14.5 kg of explosive, Geshev added.

   Such an explosive has been used in some attacks in Belgium and France, and also in the terrorist act at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria in 2012, Geshev said.

   Authorities also found many instructions for preparing explosives and bombs, as well as a flag of Islamic State, according to Geshev.

   The investigation has established that the teen was recruited by the Islamic State via internet, Geshev said.

   The bombs were made of publicly available ingredients, and the boy said he had made the bombs within seven or eight days, Geshev added.

   "We are talking about a single case. This is an individual case of radicalizing a super intelligent child of a good family," Geshev said.

   The investigation is ongoing.

   In 2012, a Lebanese-born terrorist blew himself up near an Israeli-packed tourist bus at the Burgas airport, killing five tourists, their Bulgarian driver and himself.

1 killed in shooting in Ottawa

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

One man was killed in a shooting in downtown Ottawa Friday night, Ottawa police said Saturday.

   The shooting occured in well-known Byward Market in downtown Ottawa around 10 p.m. Friday. Bars and restaurants in the area were busy with people watching the Toronto Raptors game.

   Access to Byward Market Square was closed Saturday morning as police were still collecting evidence.

Repair crews are working on Sunday to fix power outages following bands of thunderstorms on Saturday evening and overnight. According the industry group Finnish Energy (ET), the number of households without electricity on Sunday has see-sawed between 1,000 and 6,000, mostly in Pirkanmaa as well as central and eastern Finland. On Saturday evening nearly 20,000 customers were without electricity.

Lightning bolts struck Finland about 16,000 times on Saturday. Yle meteorologist Matti Huutonen says that is a large number for this time of year, equivalent to nearly half of the monthly average for June.

"Trees may be knocked down"

On Sunday thundershowers are expected in eastern and northern parts of the country. They are bringing heavy rain and lightning, which may cause damage in Northern Karelia, Kainuu, Northern Savo and Northern Ostrobothnia.

"Trees may be knocked down by wind gusts," says FMI meteorologist Hannu Valta.

Western Finland will be mostly dry and sunny in the afternoon. Central and northern Lapland will shiver with a chilly northeasterly wind and temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius.

Eastern areas meanwhile may heat up to around 28 degrees as the rest of the country enjoys moderate readings of around 20.

Snow may create traffic hazard

Early next week, colder conditions, with a chance of snow in northernmost Finland on Monday afternoon or evening. Snow may accumulate enough to hamper driving conditions on Monday night in northern Lapland, especially as most drivers are using summer tyres.

Temperatures in southern and central Finland should be near 20 on Monday, and again on Tuesday in the south, while cooler air will move into central areas. Wednesday night may even bring severe frosts to central and northern parts of the country.

It all started with someone calling the police last summer when a woman went topless in a beach in Hyvinkää, a small city near Helsinki Finland.

Säde Vallarén 30, and Sandra Marins 28 decided to hit back with arranging a “tits flashmob” to raise awareness on equality and women’s right to their own body.

You may not have ever been to Lithuania or have heard much about it, but this small baltic country of 2.9 million is going to surprise you in the near future.

Lithuania, is probably the most courageous and progressive of the Baltic states at the moment. With a young workforce and vibrant startup atmosphere the country is railing towards a fast modernisation and economic development.

The “Startup Fair”, arranged for the third time in the capital Vilnius is a testimony to this ongoing development. The two day event attracted over 2500 attendants on 29th and 30th of May. Lithuanian and international startups and investors gathered to listen to speakers and panels, to meet one-to-one, and make deals.

The police say they have no further information at this time.

Lake Lavijärvi is located in what used to be the municipality of Lavia, which merged with the city of Pori in 2015. It is about an hour's drive east of the city.

The southwest town that hosts the residence will arrange an official welcoming ceremony for the presidential family in its marina on Saturday at 6:30pm. The brief annual event is open to the public.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle will broadcast the ceremony live on its Yle Areena streaming service starting at 6:25pm.

A busy summer in store

The President will work from the Naantali residence through the summer months. His work agenda includes the seventh-annual Kultaranta Talks event in mid-June. The topic of this year's security summit will be “The world at a turning point – where will Europe go, how will Finland cope?”

On 16 June, Niinistö will be joined by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier to give the event's opening remarks, and the public discussions of this year's theme will continue into the next day.

Finland will also take over the rotating six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1. The country holding the presidency is responsible for advancing the Council's work on EU legislation and policy initiatives and ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda. It also represents the Council in relations with the other EU institutions, such as the Commission and the European Parliament.

The post PICTURES: Slipknot Gives a Thunderous Performance for Thousands in Hyvinkää appeared first on Finland Today.

The post One of the Biggest Festivals in Metal and Rock and Roll Begins in Hyvinkää With an Amazing Crowd and Line-up appeared first on Finland Today.

Blooming of blue-green algae likely to increase in sea

DF Report

Significant risk of blue-green algae blooms in summer across Finnish sea areas as warm and sunny summer may dramatically increase the blooming, according to Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

The Institute predicted the risk as the nutrient situation has remained largely the same in the sea like the previous year, said a press release.

This summer brings with it a substantial risk of blue-green algae formations in the Gulf of Finland, the northern part of the Baltic Proper and most of the Finnish Archipelago Sea.

The risk is moderate in the south east Bothnian Sea. In other parts of the Bothnian Sea and the Bay of Bothnia, the risk is low. The weather conditions during the summer, however, will determine whether or not the risk is realised.

Ex PM Vanhanen elected parliament speaker

DF-Xinhua Report

Parliament on Friday elected Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland) MP Matti Vanhanen as the new speaker. Vanhanen, 63, served as the prime minister in 2003-2010.

The change of speakers is a routine procedure following the general election. Initially the chairman of the largest party is the speaker, until a government is formed.

After the election in mid-April, SosialidemokraattinenPuolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) leader Antti Rinne became the speaker until he was officially appointed as the prime minister on Thursday.

Social Democratic MP Tuula Haatainen was elected on Friday as the first deputy speaker and Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party)  MP Juho Eerola became the second deputy speaker.

The election of speakers involved the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP)  in parliament. There were 39 blank votes in the ballot box when Vanhanen was elected. The conservative National Coalition MPs said they had voted blank as a protest against having been left without any positions among the speakers.

The Perussuomalaiset  was also displeased as they thought they, as the largest opposition party, should get the speaker's position.

The tradition is that the speaker comes from the second-largest group in government. The center is now the second largest ministerial group in the newly appointed government under Prime Minister Rinne.

Addressing the parliament after his election, Vanhanen noted that this July marks the centenary of the Finnish Republican constitution.

In a joint press conference, the new speaker and deputy speakers underlined the need for mutual respect in the debates in the plenary hall.

Poll shows nearly half Czechs tolerant about homosexuality

DF-Xinhua Report

Nearly half, 48 percent, of Czechs consider admitting one's homosexuality does not cause any problems in coexistence with others, according to a poll result released here Friday by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CVVM).

   On the other hand, 42 percent of Czechs, mostly elderly, residents living in small cities and those with lower education, believe this would cause a problem.

   A total of 39 percent of respondents said they have some homosexual friends while half of respondents (50 percent) said they don't have any homosexual friends.

   The conviction that homosexuality causes no problems has been growing by the year. In 2008, the opinion was expressed by 37 percent, in 2013 by 41 percent and last year by 46 percent.

   Concerning the rights of homosexuals, 75 percent of adult Czechs recognize the homosexuals' right to conclude registered partnership, while one-fifth is against it.

   When it comes to homosexuals' marriages, the public is split about evenly. The idea is approved of by 47 percent and disapproved by 48 percent.

   The mentioned rights of homosexuals are more often supported by respondents in the age category 15 up to 44 years, respondents assessing their standard of living as good, people happier with his life and claiming to be center and right-wing political orientation.

   The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,026 people between May 4 and 14.

Trump says there's "good chance" of deal with Mexico to avert tariffs

DF-Xinhua Report

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday there is a "good chance" that the United States and Mexico can reach a deal to avert the tariffs on all Mexican imports.

   "If we are able to make the deal with Mexico, & there is a good chance that we will, they will begin purchasing Farm & Agricultural products at very high levels, starting immediately," Trump tweeted.

   "If we are unable to make the deal, Mexico will begin paying Tariffs at the 5% level on Monday," he added.

   The  United States plans to issue notice Friday to pave the way for tariffs on Monday, but could decide before then to delay the move as talks continue over a surge in illegal migration, according to Bloomberg, citing a top White House aide.

   A high-level Mexican delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is in Washington this week to hold talks with U.S. officials to discuss the tariffs and immigration.

   "I'm optimistic, I believe we will reach an agreement," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday. "We have always said dialogue is the best."

   Trump said last week that he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to stop the flow of undocumented migrants crossing the border, and will gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied, drawing extensive criticism both domestically and abroad.

   "The president's proposed tariffs would hurt American workers, businesses, and consumers. Commandeering U.S. trade policy to influence border security is an abuse of power," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal said Thursday in a statement.

   "If the President does declare a national emergency and attempt to put these tariffs into place, I will introduce a resolution of disapproval to stop his overreach," Neal said.

Italy clashes with EU leaders may cost it with European Commission post

By Eric J. Lyman, Xinhua

Over the last year, Italy has clashed with the European Commission over the country's deficit and spending plans. Soon, the country will discover if those problems will cost it in terms of representation on the commission itself, analysts said.

   Last month, citizens across the 28-nation European Union voted for 751 members of the new European Parliament. Next, each member state will nominate a representative to the European Commission and then the members of the European Parliament will decide the role each will take.

   For the past five years, Italian Federica Mogherini has been the commissioner for foreign affairs and vice-president of the commission.

   According to Lorenzo Castellani, a professor specializing in the history of political institutions at Rome's LUISS University, Italy would probably like to have its representative to the commission appointed to another top role.

   Most likely, Italy will push for an area where it can promote the government's political priorities, such as a commissioner with a portfolio related to economic policy, European integration, or migration.

   All three are areas where the Italian government led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has repeatedly clashed with the European Commission.

   "Italy could end up with a smaller role than it should be based on the size of the economy and the country's population," Castellani told Xinhua. "If lawmakers vote to put Italy's representative in a second-tier position or one far from the government's main priorities, I think we could see a conflict."

   According to Lucio Levi, a political analyst with the Einstein Center for International Studies in Turin, a smaller role for Italy's representative on the European Commission would be in line with recent trends.

   "Thanks to the government's controversial policies, Italy's role has been diminished already," Levi said in an interview. "Italy has isolated itself within the European Union and so it has less influence than it should have. A diminished role in the European Commission would not be out of line."

   Last year, Italy locked horns with the Commission over the size of the country's budget deficit for eight weeks before agreeing to a compromise. Now, Italy faces the prospect of fines for not respecting the terms of the compromise agreement.

   Since the Conte government took over a year ago, Italy has maintained the strictest rules in the European Union limiting arrivals from would-be asylum seekers. In April, the country also warned European neighbors that as many as 700,000 potential migrants were set to launch for Europe from Libya, but the threat has yet to materialize.

   Italy has also expressed doubts on most recent measures that would have drawn it closer to Europe, such as the high-speed train line between Turin, Italy and Lyon, France.

   "Italy has not been shy about standing up to European officials," Gian Franco Gallo, a political affairs analyst with ABS Securities in Milan, told Xinhua. "It will not be a surprise to see European officials do the same."

Swedish, Estonian PMs congratulate Rinne

DF Report

Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven and Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas on Friday congratulated the newly appointed Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne, said an official press release.

Löfven made a phone call to Rinne and congratulated him when they emphasised the extremely close relationship between Finland and Sweden.

They also noted how important Nordic cooperation is to both countries and the importance of closer cooperation between Finland and Sweden. The two Prime Ministers agreed to meet soon.

Estonia’s Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Prime Minister Antti Rinne confirmed that the two countries enjoy good and close relations.

The two Prime Ministers highlighted the close neighbourly relations and friendship that help to resolve issues together at the EU table as well. They also agreed to meet as soon as possible.

UN General Assembly elects 5 new SC members

DF-Xinhua

The UN General Assembly on Friday elected Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam as non-permanent members of UN Security Council, which will serve a two-year term starting from Jan. 1, 2020.

    The five seats available for election according to the regular distribution among regions were two seats for the African Group, one seat for the Asia-Pacific Group, one seat for the Latin American and Caribbean Group, and one seat for the Eastern European Group.

    All members of the United Nations General Assembly attended the secret ballot, with Estonia beating Romania 132-58 to get the seat for Eastern European Group, while the other four candidates ran unopposed.

    Niger and Tunisia both received 191 votes in favor, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 185 and Vietnam 192.

    A country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session in order to secure a seat on the Council, regardless of whether the election is contested. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting.

    Out of the five newly-elected members, Estonia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have never served on the Security Council.

    The new  members will replace the retiring members of Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Cote d'Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea.

    The 15-member Security Council has five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.

    The Security Council's powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations and international sanctions as well as the authorization of military actions through resolutions. It is the only body of the UN with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states. The Council held its first session on Jan. 17, 1946. 

Hosts France crush South Korea 4-0 in Women's WC opener

Hosts France kicked off a flying start at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, putting the quadrennial event underway with a 4-0 victory over their Group A rivals South Korea here on Friday.    Eugenie Le Sommer scored the tournament's first goal, Wendie Renard made a double and skipper Amandine Henry added the fourth, as 45,261 fans watched the one-sided encounter at Parc des Princes.    Just nine minutes into the opening match, Lyon striker Le Sommer was picked out by her club teammate Henry and cooly trucked away to open scoring for Les Bleues.    The goal also marked the fastest score in history, dating any of the first goal records of all seven previous editions of the quadrennial competitions.    "I'm so happy to have scored the tournament's first goal," Le Sommer said.    "It means a lot for us to win the opening match," she added. "The victory gave us a boost in confidence and proved what we are capable of."    The star forward of the newly crowned UEFA champions League winners described the match "a perfect start" for France to kick off the World Cup on home soil and praised her squad to have played a "magnificent game".    "We start strong, especially in the opening 15 minutes, having created a bunch of opportunities even before my scoring," Le Sommer said.    Another Lyon player Griedge Mbock Bathy could have made it two, but the 24-year-old defender's effort on 27 minutes was canceled after Uruguay referee Claudia Umpierrez ruled it offside after a VAR review.    Eight minutes later, however, Wendie Renard converted in Gaetane Thiney's corner with a header to double France's advantage.    And two minutes into the stoppage time of the first half, the 1.82-meter tall center back, the tallest of these finals, jumped high to power home Amel Majri's corner from the penalty spot, 3-0.    Les Bleues skipper Henry wrapped the opening victory up as the midfielder, also playing for Lyon, picked up possession out of the box and curled an unstoppable shot beyond the reach of South Korean goalie Kim Minjung.    Having called up seven Lyon players in her 23-strong squad, France's coach Corinne Diacre opted to send them all among the starting 11.    Her counterpart of the South Korea team, Yoon Dukyeo, stood most of the second half on the edge of his technical area, trying to get the players to find their rhythm, but his players kept struggling to find their feet though to the end of the tournament opener.    The tournament set to fully begin on Saturday with a slate of three games. 

The audit covered the months of January to August last year.

The report suggests that internal monitoring of two billion euros in procurement in the organisation was lacking in 2018, while a November summary from HUS leadership states that the audit implies blatant negligence of the legal provisions associated with public procurement. According to the audit, the network's logistics operations, administration and various units all knew of the problem.

A working paper from an internal audit in September shows that HUS directly purchased 1.7 million euros in DNA analyses from a private company in 2017 and 2018 without first putting the work up for tender. The audit also found that no kind of contract was ever drawn up for this work.

FCAA investigating the claim

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority's public procurement supervision unit has started an investigation into the case, and will not comment further.

An EU directive on public procurement was enacted in 2014, as the absence of proper regulation was seen to generate economic inefficiency and had a negative impact on getting the best value for public money.

Finnish law requires competitive bidding be arranged for all social and health care service purchases worth over 400,000 euros.

HUS board chair Ulla-Marja Urho says that if the audit's observations are true, then the oversight must be a mistake. She says she has not seen the auditors' report, as they report to the HUS CEO. Aki Lindén was the HUS CEO when the audit was completed, but he has since moved on to be elected to the Finnish Parliament as a Social Democratic Party representative.

The network's new CEO Juha Tuominen says he won't comment on the past, but will take immediate action to enforce a clearer procurement policy in order to use public money cost-efficiently.

Finland's largest health care provider

HUS is a local strategic partnership, with 24 member municipalities in the capital city area and beyond. The 22 hospitals in the network provide medical care to more than half a million patients annually, and it is the central hub for the treatment of many rare and severe diseases in Finland.

It is the biggest health care provider and the second largest employer in the country, boasting over 25,000 employees.

Another northwest coastal city was close behind, as 31.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Kokkola.

Temperatures that surpassed 30C were also measured in the west coast cities of Vaasa and Pori, as well as the southern inland city of Tampere on Friday.

Yle meteorologist Matti Huutonen tweeted an image of Finland awash with the orange colours that indicate hot temperatures on Friday afternoon.

The forecast for Saturday and Sunday predicts that the high temperatures will continue through the weekend, with an addition of thunderstorms throughout the country.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) says storms will develop in the western and central parts of the country in the afternoon and evening. Heavy rains will fall, up to 20 mm per hour in some places, leading to possible flooding. The thunderstorms could bring severe weather to Lapland.

"The thunderclouds will start to gather at around noon; they could arrive quickly, too," says Ari Mustala, a FMI meteorologist.

The hottest temperatures in the country on Saturday will be in eastern areas, where the 30-degree mark is expected to be broken once again. Things are coolest in Lapland, but even there, the mercury will shoot up past 20 degrees.

Thunderstorms will continue in most areas on Sunday, with temperatures in the low twenties predicted for southern and western areas.

MUCH OF THIS WEEK’S international coverage of Finland concerned the formation of the national government, which will be bringing the first left-wing prime minister in over 20 years into power. 

Much of the coverage from major publications concerned the progressive and ambitious policy proposals of the incoming government, as well as the fact that the majority of the cabinet is female.  

JARI LEPPÄ (Centre), the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, has addressed concerns voiced by consumers and retailers about the government’s approach to private-label brands such as Kesko’s Pirkka and S Group’s Rainbow.

Leppä told Uusi Suomi on Thursday that the current approach to private-label brands promotes equality in the food system by preventing retailers from creating a dominant bargaining position.

Helpful tips for budding entrepreneurs

• Do your marker research and work on a comprehensive business plan.
• Sign up with the trade register and the tax register.
• Any company/freelancer with annual turnover exceeding 10,000 euros must pay Value-added tax (VAT) of 24% to the state.
• Entrepreneur pension insurance (YEL) is compulsory, but depending on your sector, you may have to sign up for additional ones — patient insurance, environment insurance, traffic insurance, etc. Check with local banks and pension providers for offers.
• Reach out to organisations like Startup Refugees, Finnish Enterprise Agencies (Uusiyrityskeskus), NewCo Helsinki, Federation of Finnish Enterprises (Suomen Yrittäjät) for free services, events and specific guides for different sectors.
• Approach your local municipality for help — even the smallest of towns employ at least one person to serve entrepreneurs.
• Entrepreneurs in certain sectors are required to obtain permits including occupational safety card, hygiene passport, etc.
• Entrepreneurs are eligible for a startup grant of nearly 700 euros, pre-tax.

Even as immigrants turn to entrepreneurship, foreign-background business owners in Finland say it's a daunting path to navigate.

"I was told everyone communicates through email and you need an appointment to get in touch with anyone here. But on a friend’s advice, I printed out my CV, walked into restaurants where I aspired to work and asked to see the chefs. I didn’t land a job, but I definitely made myself known among the head chefs of high-end restaurants," said food designer Vahid Mortezaei, who now runs a creative catering service that uses food as a medium to make art.

Active networking took the budding food connoisseur far on his entrepreneurship journey but the odyssey was riddled with challenges. Mortezaei is one of a growing number of immigrant-background people changing the landscape of entrepreneurship in Finland.

Immigrants create low-wage, low-productivity jobs

Mortezaei’s story is likely by no means unique. As of 2016, the total number of companies started by immigrants was 3,941, of which 3,103 provided services such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food service activities —almost half of these businesses are located in the Helsinki metropolitan area, according to data from a study by the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA) in collaboration with Statistics Finland that examined the growth of immigrant-owned firms in Finland from 2007–2016.

"We found that immigrant-owned enterprises account for a few percent of all firms and about one percent of all labour in the business sector. Their job creation rates are exceptionally high and the growth of the real value added is markedly higher than other groups like local, domestic and global firms."

"However, we also found that immigrant-owned firms have created a lot of low-productivity and low-wage jobs," Statistics Finland’s Head of Research Satu Nurmi said.

"Networking in Finland is a bit like blind dating"

Mortezaei was a mining engineering in Iran before he moved to Finland to study visual communications, but his culinary journey began when he started dumpster diving with friends to make dinners for a sustainability initiative. The momentum he received bagged him a job in a kitchen in Helsinki, but when he decided to venture into the wild world of entrepreneurship he didn’t know where to begin.

Story continues after photo.

"One time, if not for my Finnish partner who helped me with translations and paperwork, I wouldn’t even have realised that I had to pay 5,000 euros to the tax office. I remember being in a state of panic all the time," added Mortezaei who said most business advisory services were in Finnish when he started.

The entrepreneur said that one of the cultural challenges he faced in Finland is that no one tells you anything if you don’t ask. " After a harrowing amount of paperwork, I received a start-up grant, only to learn that the amount was half of what I could get if I just took an unemployment benefit. No one tells you the exact picture until you ask specific questions,” elaborated Mortezaei who said he realised he needs to start networking agressively to make it.

"Left with not much choice, I wooed top management of companies that I wanted to work with by constantly emailing, calling them and asking them out for coffee. It was a bit like blind dating! But it worked. People began to recognise who I am," he added.

Build a plan before a business

Startup Refugees is an organisation that guides immigrants like Mortezaei — refugees or otherwise — to find their professional footing in Finland. "Honestly, the most common question we are asked is — ‘can you help us find a store for our business? That is the least of their worries if you ask me. We urge them to focus more on background research. Most of them are not aware of who their potential customers are," Kati Lappeteläinen, Business Program Manager at Startup Refugees, said.

Story continues after photo.

Being a single-person business is hard — “Everyone wants scalability”

In Finland, micro enterprises or companies employing fewer than 20 employees —17 percent of all businesses — generated turnover of 70 billion euros in 2017, according to data from the Federation of Finnish Enterprises (Suomen Yrittäjät). The outgoing government has attempted to lower the threshold for small firms to hire new employees to boost employment and scale up their businesses, by making it easier for them to fire staff. However the measure came in for heavy criticism from union leaders and it remains to be seen how far it has incentivised entrepreneurs like Mortezaei.

The food designer said he was forced to run the show himself as he felt it was practically impossible to hire employees .

"When my income was measly, I had to take care of everything. I had to cook, network with people, market my work online and keep my business afloat. I have been trying to find someone to partner with, but I have been unsuccessful so far. I use food as a medium to tell stories and create experiences. It was so hard to explain this to anyone. I didn’t want to be dismissed as just another artist, as I am also a businessman who needs to pay my bills," Mortezaei said.

Story continues after photo.

Mortezaei’s clients run the gamut from universities and museums to creative agencies. He says he is happy being a one-man show collaborating with the industry’s best. "Instead of hiring people and having to worry about the overheads, I work as a B2B business which comes together with other vendors for a project and then moving on after that. This way, I don’t have to worry about paying someone’s pension, wages, etc," Mortezaei added.

Lappeteläinen agreed that the cost of hiring employees can come as a huge surprise to many immigrants who want to start businesses. "Depending on the size and sector of business, an employer has to bear the added costs of around 40-70% on top of existing wages. So if you are paying an employee 1,000 euros, the actual cost can be anywhere between 1,400-1,700 euros if you include fees for pension, social security, sick leave, maternity leave, etc.," Lappeteläinen added.

“You will always be an outsider”

Mortezaei said he learnt the hard way that being a foreigner and not knowing the language also keeps him out of the circles that exist in the business world. "Finland is a very closed market. I don't want to call it a mafia, but the truth is that there are circles of every kind of job you can imagine — bubbles of designers, clubs of restaurateurs — as long as you are not a member, you are a total outsider."

"Of course, not speaking Finnish is a huge problem too. I feel the first step towards entrepreneurship should be a language camp maybe. Yes Finns speak English, but when it comes to business, many key decisions are taken in moments when they speak Finnish— like in the sauna," he continued.

Mortezaei was quick to add that the picture is not all that depressing either. "Even if there is bureaucracy here, it is a functioning one. We enjoy good infrastructure, endless free services and more. I would only recommend budding entrepreneurs to build a team right from the beginning and not be too attached to their ideas. I learnt the hard way that if something doesn’t work, one needs to accept it and move on," Mortezaei said.

Putin, Xi lead bilateral ties into new era

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia showed that the consensus on deepening mutual trust between the two countries is unbreakable and that China's belief in win-win cooperation is unshakable, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday.

   Xi wrapped up a three-day visit to Russia on Friday, during which he also attended the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). It is his eighth visit to Russia since 2013 when he was elected Chinese president, which came as the two countries are embracing the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

   During the trip, the Chinese president attended nearly 20 events in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which has delivered fruitful results, Wang noted.

   NEW ERA FOR BILATERAL TIES

   As the most important political achievement during his visit, Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on elevating the China-Russia ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

   When meeting with Putin, Xi proposed that China and Russia should cement strategic support based on mutual trust, deepen converging interests and jointly achieve common revitalization, promote people-to-people exchanges and consolidate foundation for lasting friendship, and shoulder more responsibility for global peace and stability.

   The ties between China and Russia has become a major-country relationship featuring the highest degree of mutual trust and the highest level of strategic coordination, thus making a key contribution to preserving world peace and stability, said Wang.

   According to Wang, leaders of the two countries have agreed to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen strategic communication, intensify mutual support and firmly stick to the strategic direction of advancing bilateral relations.

   Both leaders have also agreed to firmly uphold the international system based on international law and with the United Nations at its core, Wang said.

   China and Russia have vowed to strengthen contemporary global strategic stability in a joint statement signed by the two heads of state, Wang noted.

   Recognizing that the current international security is facing serious challenges, China and Russia are ready to deepen strategic mutual trust and strengthen strategic coordination to firmly safeguard global and regional strategic stability, according to the joint statement.

   The fact has proved that China and Russia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination to maintain global strategic stability and the balance of international power, said Wang.

   CLOSER BOND BETWEEN CHINA, RUSSIA

   Xi, together with Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, comprehensively projected China-Russia pragmatic and friendly cooperation, planned top-level design, outlined specific arrangements, and agreed to further promote the alignment of the two countries' development strategies, deepen the integration of their development interests in the spirit of pioneering innovation, mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, Wang said.

   The two sides will continue to dock the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Eurasian Economic Union, support each other to build the BRI and the initiative to forge a greater Eurasian partnership, in a bid to jointly promote regional integration and regional economic integrated development, he said, adding that both sides will promote two-way trade to reach 200 billion U.S. dollars.

   The two sides agreed to hold the China-Russia year of scientific and technological innovation from 2020 to 2021, in a bid to jointly improve their independent research and development capabilities, Wang said.

   During his visit, Xi was awarded an honorary doctorate from Russia's St. Petersburg State University, Putin's alma mater, which wrote another episode of exchanges between Chinese and Russian heads of state, as well as in the fields of people-to-people exchanges and education, Wang said.

   The two heads of state also witnessed the signing of nearly 30 bilateral cooperation documents in a wide range of fields such as economy and trade, energy, science and technology, aerospace, agriculture and education, he said.

   COMMITMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

   During his visit, the Chinese president addressed the plenary session of the SPIEF which is an important platform for the international community to share views on global economic development.

   Xi highlighted sustainable development as the "golden key" to solve global problems, and the best entry point to cooperation for shared interests worldwide, Wang said.

   He called for joint efforts in creating an open world economy, people-oriented and inclusive societies, and a beautiful homeland with harmonious coexistence between human and nature, so as to hold the "golden key" of sustainable development to solve global problems.

   Xi underlined that China will continue to further opening-up, preserve the multilateral trading system, and carry out trade cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, Wang added.

   Xi said that China is willing to share latest scientific achievements, including 5G technology with other countries, promote communication and cooperation in such areas as poverty reduction and social security, and join hands to tackle global climate change and other issues, Wang added.

   It is widely held that China has been trying to achieve universal benefits through positive interactions with other countries instead of pursuing selfishness or playing a zero-sum game, said Wang.

   This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over the past seven decades, the Chinese diplomacy, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has achieved remarkable success, Wang said.

   China will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and make unremitting efforts to promote the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, and open up new prospects for China's diplomacy in the new era, so as to make more significant contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as well as peace and development of the world, Wang said. 

Debate on climate-safe use of forest flares up

DF-Xinhua Report

The Natural Resources Institute of Finland (LUKE) on Thursday reduced its earlier estimate about the carbon sink potential of Finnish forests.

   The adjustment downwards means that the safe amount of forest consumption in Finland will be one or two million cubic meters less than the 83 million cubic meters the institute gave last December. The mistake in the earlier calculations were discovered by other scientists in Finland and then LUKE promised a correction.

   While the current usage remains at around 73 million cubic meters, there are major industry plans that would require more.

   The release of the new figures from LUKE coincided with a fresh disagreement on the forest issue between the Greens and the Center ministers in the new government.

   Krista Mikkonen, the new environment minister and a Green League member, said Thursday on a TV morning show that "probably not all of the Finnish biomass plant plans would be carried out".

   Katri Kulmuni, the Centrist minister for economic development, responded in the media that "there will be enough wood". Mikkonen said after her appointment that she would adhere to her view.

   Markku Ollikainen, chairman of the Finnish climate panel, reminded on national radio Yle that under Finnish law the forest companies can go ahead with their investments, if they find financing.

   Ollikainen noted that there are three fairly concrete major projects now, in the northern towns of Kemi and Kemijarvi and in the central eastern town of Kuopio.

   Most Finnish forests are privately owned and the owners have the right to sell. Ollikainen said that the government could enter an agreement with the industries that they would not purchase more than a certain amount.

   The agreement could be enforced with financial sanctions. Alternatively the government could auction carbon sink rights. The program of the new left-center government does not take a direct stand on the forest sufficiency issue, but says it will be investigated.  

Finland incurs loss of €328m annually due to counterfeiting, piracy

DF News Desk

The annual losses due to counterfeiting and piracy in Finland are estimated at EUR 328 million, equivalent to 3.7% of sales in the 11 sectors, according to a new estimate from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The losses in the EU at up to EUR 60 billion each year, said a press release.

Taken as a whole, the total value of the lost sales in Finland is equivalent to EUR 60 per Finnish citizen per year, according to the analysis.

This is the second sector-wide assessment of the economic impact of counterfeiting and piracy in key economic sectors known to be vulnerable to intellectual property rights infringement released by the EUIPO.

The study estimates that, since the first analysis in 2018, the amount of lost sales has dropped at EU level in all but two of the sectors studied: clothing, accessories and footwear; and cosmetics and personal care.

The clothing, footwear and accessories sector:

The clothing, footwear and accessories sector is the largest of all the sectors studied in terms of sales volume and employment.

According to the estimate, the sector has EU-wide lost sales equivalent to approximately EUR 28.4 billion each year, or 9.7% of all sales.

In Finland, lost sales in the clothing, footwear and accessories sector due to counterfeiting are estimated at around EUR 141 million annually, or around 5% of sales.

The cosmetics and personal care sector:

The presence of counterfeit goods in the marketplace leads to an estimated loss of EUR 7 billion per year for the cosmetic and personal care sector in the EU, according to the report. This is equivalent to 10.6% of all sales in the sector.

In Finland, the estimated loss for the cosmetics and personal care sector is EUR 42 million, equivalent to 7.7% of all sales in the sector.

 “Europe depends on industrial sectors like the 11 sectors studied here for its growth and job creation. But our research work shows how counterfeiting and piracy can put growth and jobs at risk. We carry out this analysis, and our wider body of research, to support policy makers in devising solutions to this problem, and to help make EU consumers aware of the economic consequences of counterfeiting and piracy at a wider level,” the Executive Director of the EUIPO, Christian Archambeau, said.

The estimates are contained in the 2019 Status Report on IPR Infringement, released on Thursday, which brings together EUIPO’s reporting work at EU and at global level.

It includes research on the volume of counterfeit and pirated goods in international trade, as well as showing the economic contribution of intellectual property-rights intensive industries to economic growth and jobs. The report also contains new research outlining how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that use intellectual property rights like trade marks, designs and patents have a greater probability of achieving high-growth than other SMEs.

Death toll in India due to storm, lightning goes up to 19

Worldwide

DF-Xinhua Report

 The number of deaths in Thursday's high-intensity thunderstorm and heavy rains, coupled with lightning, in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh has gone up to 19, and 48 persons were injured, said a high ranking state official on Friday.

   "As per data collected, 19 casualties (deaths) from 12 districts and 48 injuries have been reported due to thunderstorm yesterday. (I) have spoken to collectors, assistant district magistrates and they have been told to compensate the affected as soon as possible," said Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner G.S. Priyadarshi while addressing the media in state capital Lucknow.

   The most affected areas fall in the districts of Mainpuri, Kasganj, Etah, Agra, Rampur, Badaun and Pilibhit.

   According to media reports, while some of the people died in the incidents of lightning, others died from falling trees or walls.

   Local administrations in each of these districts have announced a compensation of 400,000 Indian Rupees (around 5,700 U.S. dollars) to each of the families whose members died in the inclement weather, reported the daily "Hindustan".

   Besides, a large number of cattle also reportedly died in the storm. Efforts are being made to assess the loss of lives and property in all the affected areas.

Reported cases of domestic violence on rise

DF Report

A total of 9,900 cases of domestic and intimate partner violence were reported to the authorities in 2018, posting a 3.6 per cent rise year on year, according to the data of Statistics Finland.

Half of the domestic violence and intimate partner violence directed at adults took place between married or cohabiting couples.

Of the adult victims, 76.5 per cent were women. Of all the victims, 24.4 per cent were minors and the age of 0.3 per cent is unknown.

Of all the suspects, 77.6 per cent were men. The statistics include only the cases reported to the authorities. By no means all cases of domestic and intimate partner violence are reported to the authorities.

In all, 37.5 per cent cases of domestic and intimate partner violence recorded in 2018 was violence between married or cohabiting couples, which is 1.4 percentage points higher than in 2017. The share has been decreasing from 2009, when it was 44.7 per cent. In 2018, one-sixth of domestic and intimate partner violence took place between former married or cohabiting couples. In slightly over 80 per cent of the cases of violence between married or cohabiting couples and former married or cohabiting couples the victims were women. Violence between married or cohabiting couples and former married or cohabiting couples increased by close on 200 cases (3.8 per cent) from the previous year.

In 2018, the reported number of such cases was 5,400. In these statistics, persons are considered former cohabiting couples if they have lived together in the year preceding the statistical reference year but not in the statistical reference year.

The number of recorded cases of domestic and intimate partner violence directed by parents against their underage children has increased. In 2018, a total of 2,400 cases of violence directed by parents against their underage children were recorded, which is 24.3 per cent of all the recorded cases of domestic violence. The growth in the number of such cases from 2017 was 200. Close on 500 cases of violence between siblings were recorded. In one-quarter of such cases, the victims were minor.

91% bathing water in Finland found to be good

DF Report

Public bathing water in Finland is of good quality, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) citing the European Environment Agency’s bathing water report.

Most of the country's bathing water, that is over 91 per cent, was classified as being of either excellent or good quality. Approximately two per cent of Finland’s bathing water was categorised in the 'sufficient water quality' class. The water quality of only one beach was described as poor.

According to the report, the microbiological quality of Finnish bathing water has either remained on the same level or improved slightly.

"The water quality of certain individual coastal and inland beaches has been improved over the past few years. The quality of bathing water can improve remarkably when the flow of wastewater to the beach is prevented and the turnover of water is enhanced. However, it should be kept in mind that even high-quality bathing water is not drinkable," said THL Senior Planning Officer Outi Zacheus.

The quality of bathing water can be classified if the water’s concentrations of bacteria indicating intestinal contamination have been monitored regularly over four swimming seasons. The monitoring of bacteria concentrations enables, for example, assessing the impact of wastewater on the bathing water.

European beaches’ basic data, bathing water bacteria monitoring results and bathing water classification based on the monitoring are accessible through the European Environment Agency’s online services.

The services can be used for inspecting the bathing water quality development of a planned holiday destination or as background data for the official supervision of bathing water quality. The long-term monitoring of individual bacteria results allows the authorities to evaluate the changes to bathing water quality.

However, the online services’ data is not updated during the swimming season. Information on the water quality is provided at the beaches and, for example, on municipalities' websites.

Even though municipal health protection authorities monitor the occurrence of blue algae in bathing water, the abundance or frequency of blue algae occurrences is not taken into account when defining bathing water quality, and blue algae results are not included in the report.

THL reports the results of municipal health protection authorities' bathing water monitoring to the European Commission annually. The recently published report is based on the monitoring in the swimming seasons of 2015–2018. The report consolidates country-specific bathing water quality summaries and the monitoring results of total 22,000 European beaches.

In the summer of 2018, Finland had a total of 301 public beaches, 225 of which were inland and 76 coastal beaches.

Matti Vanhanenof the Centre took the top job, with SDP MP Tuula Haatainen and Finns Party legislator Juha Eerola chosen as deputies.

The National Coalition Party (NCP) protested at being left outside the speakership by abstaining from the confirmatory vote. By convention the speaker comes from the second-largest party, with his or her deputies providing a balance.

In the last parliamentary term however, all three spots went to government parties--which were also the three largest parties in parliament.

This time round the Finns Party had demanded that the speakership be a Finns Party MP, as they are the second largest group of MPs in parliament.

Discussion culture

In his acceptance speech Vanhanen touched on the more direct style of political debate that has emerged in recent years.

“Our century-old form of government is currently producing some creative tension between the government and parliament,” said the 63-year-old. “Let’s use that for the common good. As speaker I will work to advance a culture of debate in which differences of opinion are not hidden, but we value others’ motives and avoid deliberate misunderstandings.”

He also expressed the hope that MPs would reform the workings of committees in parliament.

In her speech, Haatainen said that she hoped parliament would provide a good example of a culture of discussion and debate, and that MPs should respect one another and remember that parliament is a workplace.

Eerola, on the other hand, said that stressing hate speech had the effect of restricting freedom of speech.

Vanhanen took 141 votes in the closed ballot, with 39 abstensions. Three candidates got one vote each and two ballot papers were rejected.

Comeback kid

A political veteran who was once voted ‘sexiest man in Finland’ by readers of a gossip magazine, Vanhanen was first elected to parliament in 1991 before resigning his seat in 2010 along with the post of Prime Minister after a bruising campaign financing scandal.

He ran for president in 2018 but didn’t make the second round, polling just 4.1 percent of the vote.

In other parliamentary business, the Centre Party group elected Antti Kurvinen as its leader, replacing Antti Kaikkonen who will be Defence Minister in the new government. The Left Alliance chose Paavo Arhinmäki to lead its MPs replacing Aino-Kaisa Pekonen who has been named as the minister in charge of social affairs and health.

The Swedish People’s Party’s MPs will be led by Anders Adlercreutz, while the Finns Party has nominated Mika Niikko to lead the Foreign Affairs committee.

The post Letter from a strange Japan – #2 appeared first on FinnishNews & NordicWeek.

Earlier this year, THL carried out wastewater tests to find that residents used well over 300kg of amphetamines in 2018.

The study also found regional drug preferences within Helsinki — the proportion of amphetamine use was higher closer to the centre, but in Eastern Helsinki, buprenorphine was on an average, more prevalent. Buprenorphine, a central nervous system depressant, is also sold under the brand name Subutex.

No heroin found in Helsinki

The findings revealed that no heroin was found in any of the returned drug syringes that were tested. "The drug situation in Finland differs significantly from many other European countries where the most common injected drugs are heroin and cocaine," Teemu Gunnar, Head of Forensic Toxicology Unit at THL, said in the release.

The needles and syringes used in the study were randomly picked from social and health counselling points from across Helsinki. This was the first time that a multinational research was carried out with this new methodology of investigating intravenous drug use.

While THL was responsible for the research in Finland, other countries that participated include France, Holland, Switzerland, Hungary and Scotland.

Cocaine hits the streets

Meanwhile, cocaine availability is at an all-time high in Europe, according to the 2019 drug report released by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) in June. In 2017, a record 140,000 kilos of cocaine was seized in the EU — double the number in 2016.

The use of cocaine is on the rise in Finland too, according to authorities. “Not only has the use increased, but the reach of the drug is geographically wider. For instance, the drug has been observed in Rovaniemi,” senior researcher at National Bureau of Investigation Jari Leskinen said.

"Cocaine in the market is purer than before. But the biggest change is that cocaine can be bought from street vendors too now," added Leskinen.

However, compared to other Nordic countries where cocaine use is higher, Finland's choice of hard drugs is amphetamine, methamphetamine and ecstasy.

"In the Finnish drug culture, there is a significantly higher rate of abuse of prescription medication than in the rest of the EU. Drugs such as opioids and amphetamines are injected more here than other countries," Senior Planning Officer Sanna Rönkä from THL said.

Finland — 7th higest number of drug deaths in EU

According to the EMCDDA drug report, Finland has the seventh highest number of drug deaths in the EU, relative to population. Most drug deaths are reported in northern European countries — Estonia, Sweden, Norway, UK, Ireland, Denmark and Finland.

In Finland overdose deaths are most commonly associated with the use of buprenorphine, alcohol and benzodiazepines whereas elsewhere in Europe, overdose deaths are mostly caused by heroin.

It was reported in 2018 that drug poisoning is one of the leading cause of death among men under 40 in Finland. There were 194 deaths due to drug overdose in 2016 — 77 percent of which were men — according to EMCDDA, based on data provided by Statistics Finland.

The post PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS: The New Government Is Appointed – Here are the New Ministers appeared first on Finland Today.

Rönni-Sällinen (born 1976) is a lawyer and has had long and considerable experience working with the trade unions. Prior to this she had been working as a Director for the Law and Environment Department at the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK. PAM is a member union of SAK.

She has also been working since 2002 in various posts at PAM’s central office, as Bargaining Manager among other things.

Previous rulings from the Vaasa District Court and regional authorities denied the mining company an environmental permit, citing significant damage to the surrounding waterways caused by the mine's operations. The fish and crayfish population of Lake Ala-Jalkajärvi was destroyed, for example.

Dragon Mining appealed the earlier decisions because it wanted to continue its operations, while the local government ELY Centre petitioned for a temporary environmental permit in order to wind down the operations in a controlled fashion.

The Supreme Administrative Court dismissed both appeals, saying Dragon Mining had not applied for an environmental permit to wind things down, but in order to continue mining.

Dragon Mining will now be responsible for submitting a plan within six months of the decision coming into effect, detailing how the surrounding waterways and land will be protected and waste will be handled. Once this plan has been submitted, the regional authorities will make a decision about closing the mine.

Illegal dumping ground under investigation

The gold mine in Orivesti began operations in the 1990s. The Finnish steel manufacturer Outokumpu was the original owner, but gave up its mining activities in 2003. The mine was reopened in 2007 under the current ownership.

Orivesi produced some 17,000 kilos of gold concentrate during these two periods. The ore was processed at a plant in Vammala, 80 kilometres southwest of the mine.

The mine has made headlines several times since Dragon Mining took over the operations. For example, in October 2018, the local ELY Centre discovered an illegal dumping ground in the area. The rubbish collection point contained oil barrels, explosive boxes, plastic materials and scrap metal. A police investigation into the infraction is still in progress.

Dragon Mining announced in the spring that it would be discontinuing its operations at the Orivesi mine. The company said at the time that the ore reserves at the Orivesi mine had already been almost exhausted.

"Mining of ore will continue as planned at the company's other mines in Valkeakoski and Huittinen, and at the ore processing centre in Vammala. The [court] decision will not have any effect on the company's production plans," said Dragon Mining's mining manager in Finland, Petteri Tanner.

The court sentenced the defendant, Javad Mirzad, to three years and four months in prison after he was found guilty of aggravated child sexual abuse.

The court found that the offences occurred at a private residence in the Oulu region last August and that the victim and the defendant had been in contact via a messaging service.

The conviction is the fourth in a series of similar cases in which the same 13-year-old girl is believed to have suffered abuse at the hands of of eight different foreign-background men between June and October last year. On Wednesday, another defendant -- a 22-year-old man -- received a three-year sentence after conviction on similar charges.

Defendant likely to appeal

Oulu district prosecutor Kaisa Kytömäki said that she hadn’t fully reviewed the court’s arguments for the sentence, but remarked that it was in line with previous sentencing handed down in the series of related cases, adding that it aligned well with the prosecutor’s demands.

"The sentence appears to be well-reasoned," she continued.

Defence attorney Heikki Aspegren said that he had not yet spoken with his client, but told Yle that he believed that they would appeal the sentence.

"There is justification for an appeal. The prison sentence seems rather long. I believe that the sentence has been a disappointment for my client," Aspegren added.

Tabloid daily Iltalehti reported on Friday that the defendant denied the charges against him and told the court that he believed the girl was 16. In Finland, the legally-defined age of consent is 16.

Edit 7.6.2019 The original headline erroneously stated that the sentence was 30 months.

The paper reported on Friday that the proportion of newborns getting baptised began to fall after 2000, in line with a decline in church membership.

Before 2000, the proportion of newborn babies baptised hovered around 90 percent nationwide. However the percentage has dropped by more than 20 percentage points over nearly 20 years since then.

Researcher Veli-Matti Salminen of the Church Research Institute said that there is a direct link between weaker relations with the church and the fact that people think that church membership is a purely personal matter.

The number of newly-baptised children fell short of the number of church members for the first time in 2014 and has since then fallen faster than church membership. The state-backed Lutheran church also relies on membership contributions collected as a tax on income.

Legal reforms, politics, same-sex marriage test members

Back in 2005, officials attributed an accelerated falloff in church membership to new legislation that allowed people to quit the institution immediately, rather than wait for one month before their resignations took effect.

Officials also speculated that people were less enthusiastic about paying one percent of their annual income in parish taxes to the state-supported church.

There was another spike in departures from the church in 2013, following broad opposition to statements by then-Interior Minister and Christian Democratic Party chair Päivi Räsänen, who spoke of abortion as butchery in a speech and also suggested that the bible could supersede the law of the land.

The church's position on same-sex marriage also tested members’ faith, particularly after parliament passed legislation legalising gender-neutral marriage in Finland.

At the same time, the church also lost members displeased when former Archbishp Kari Mäkinen expressed support for marriage equality in a television interview in 2014.

MINISTER OF TRANSPORT Sanna Marin (SDP) has reminded that the newly appointed government will only have time to complete the planning stages of the three massive rail infrastructure projects to be launched in Finland.

“Because we’re talking about such long-distance lines, this government surely won’t be able to start implementing them, but we’re talking primarily about planning,” she told Uusi Suomi on Thursday.

KRISTA MIKKONEN (Greens), the newly appointed Minister of Climate and the Environment, has opened old wounds between the Centre and Greens.

Mikkonen on Thursday said to MTV that she considers it unlikely that all of the pulp mill projects on the drawing board can be carried out as climate and environmental objectives will curtail the use of forest resources.

The new voter approval survey shows the outgoing PM Juha Sipilä’s Centre Party with greatest movement of all of the major political parties – albeit downward by 0.9 percentage points – settling at 12.4 percent backing and continuing a months-long slippage.

On the other end of the spectrum, the nationalist Finns Party posted the biggest gains, with support rising 0.7 percentage points to 19.5 percent. It is now Finland’s most popular political party with a lead of more than two percentage points over the second place SDP.

"New Finns Party supporters have woken up this time around, meaning that they didn’t vote in the elections. But if we consider this party, it is mainly stripping backing from the Centre Party," Taloustutkimus research director Jari Pajunen said.

Greens see spike in ex-chair's hometown, Turku

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto’s Green Party overtook the Centre to occupy fourth place in the poll with 13.9 percent backing. Former Greens chair Ville Niinistö’s successful run for an MEP seat was reflected in the poll results, which showed strong spike in support for the party in Niinistö’s hometown, Turku, Pajunen noted.

Taloustutkimus gathered responses for the survey during government formation talks involving the SDP, Centre, Greens, Left Alliance and the Swedish People’s Party, with the last of the responses recorded on Tuesday.

This means that the poll does not reflect possible reaction to the government agenda, which was formally announced on Monday. All the same, the new government coalition enjoys a combined level of support of 56 percent of voters.

Now in opposition, the National Coalition Party led by former finance minister Petteri Orpo holds third place in the survey with 16.7 percent voter approval. Relegation to the opposition benches does not appear to have boosted the party’s popularity, but may have been a disappointment to supporters, the pollster speculated.

Similarly, the Left Alliance did not appear to benefit from its participation in coalition formation talks as just eight percent of voters backed it. Voter enthusiasm for the party now stands at 7.8 percent, making it the first time since last summer that backing has fallen below eight percent.

Voters bolder about declaring support

However, another junior government party, the Swedish People's Party, did enjoy a slight, 0.5-percentage-point bump in voter support to arrive at 4.5 percent voter approval.

Backing for the Christian Democrats remained almost steady at 3.6 percent, while the one-MP party Movement Now registered 1.7 percent voter support.

The Blue Reform, which splintered from the Finns Party in 2017, did not see any MPs re-elected to parliament, so it does not appear in the poll.

As was the case one month ago, a larger than usual proportion of respondents – more than 76 percent compared to the usual 60-odd percent – were prepared to disclose their party affiliations.

According to Taloustutkimus voters’ readiness to declare their intentions increased during the April parliamentary election and the European Parliament election that took place in May.

A new Speaker of the Parliament will be named Friday and the MT delves into disagreement brewing over the appointment. It seems the government parties have interpreted the tradition of awarding the seat to the second largest party as meaning the second largest party in government, and has recommended former Centre Party leader and two-time PM Matti Vanhanen for the position. The Finns Party, on the other hand, has contested this logic, saying that as the party that came in second overall in the April elections, a representative of the Finns Party should be given the job.

"Simple mathematics"

Weekly Suomen Kuvalehti features an editorial from Jarmo Raivio saying that the new government programme can be boiled down to two sentences. "Enact a 1.2-billion-euro increase in state expenditures while keeping public finances in balance".

He predicts problems with this equation, as the 75-percent employment rate that is necessary to fuel the agenda will be hard to reach in an increasingly sluggish economy. Raivio says it also comes down to "simple mathematics", as the task to find more people jobs will become more difficult as the target grows more ambitious. Former PM Juha Sipilä's government managed to push the rate to 72, but now many of the best carrots and sticks have been used and the "people who find it very hard to secure employment" are the only ones left without work.

Early infighting

Helsingin Sanomat covers a statement from the new Green Party environment and climate minister Krista Mikkonen, who before she was officially appointed as minister, said that she doesn't think it's "probable" that all of the pulp mill investment projects in the pipeline will end up being implemented.

Appearing on a morning television interview on Thursday, Mikkonen added that "there aren't enough trees", because the government must also consider its climate and diversity targets.

The paper notes that specific numbers about how many cubic metres of forest can be harvested in Finland were a major sticking point between the Greens and the rural-backed Centre Party during government formation talks. No specific targets were included in the final version of the government agenda, but the coalition did promise that Finland would be carbon neutral by the year 2035, a vow that made headlines in the international press.

Centre Party politicians wasted no time in registering their indignation, with one MP accusing Mikkonen of sabotaging the government proposal straight out of the gate. After she was sworn in as minister, Mikkonen was asked to comment on the reaction. She said she stood by her comments.

Swimming season has started!

Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat runs a story on how quickly inland lakes have warmed up, due to the balmy summer weather Finland has been enjoying.

Measurement of several inland lakes to a depth of 20 centimetres found that water temperatures were already approaching 20 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees higher than average for this time of year.

The Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, found the warmest lake water in the lakes of Päijänne and Tuusulanjärvi in central and southern Finland, respectively.

The tabloid says that many eager outdoor swimmers may have to sit out the weekend, as thunderstorms move over many central and northern areas of the country, but if sunny skies are back next week, no one will have an excuse to not "throw off their winter fur", as the Finnish saying goes, and jump in a lake for a swim.

Finland sees spiralling human trafficking

National

DF Report

The number of victims of human trafficking went up by three times in the country over the last three years, according to a report published Wednesday by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).

The evaluation report focuses on new trends in trafficking in human beings (THB) and on the vulnerability of children to trafficking.

As many as 52 people were suspected to have been victims of human trafficking in 2015, while the number jumped to 163 in 2018, said the report.

A total of 572 victims of human trafficking including 53 children who received care from aid organisations in 2015-2019.

The majority of the victims were from Nigeria, Somalia, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Iraq. At least seven of the victims were Finnish citizens.

GRETA welcomes the measures taken by the Finnish authorities and organisations concerned to increase awareness and the opening of an Assistance System for victims of human trafficking in Oulu as well as Finland’s participation in the international fight against trafficking in human beings.

According to GRETA, Finland should prioritise the following measures: Adoption of an action plan and/or strategy against THB, preparation of a comprehensive data collection system, and additional measures to prevent trafficking in children.

In addition, GRETA urges Finland to take various measures to improve identification and help victims of THB, to give guidance to the police and border guard authorities in observing the recovery and reflection periods of victims, to ensure that all victims of THB are covered in the Act on Compensation for Crime Damage, and to take additional actions related to impunity.

This is the second evaluation report released by GRETA on Finland. GRETA visited Finland for evaluation of the human trafficking situation in June 2018.

Neymar injured in friendly tie

DF-Xinhua Report

Brazil's preparations for the Copa America suffered a blow on Wednesday when star forward Neymar was injured during a friendly with Qatar.     Neymar limped off the pitch in the 22nd minute of the match at Mane Garrincha stadium after appearing to injure his right ankle in a tackle.     The 27-year-old was later seen crying while being evaluated by medical staff on the Brazil bench.     Neymar missed most of the second half of the 2018-19 season with Paris Saint-Germain because of a fractured metatarsal in his right foot. He started Wednesday's match despite a police investigation launched last Friday into accusations that he raped a women in a Paris hotel.     The Copa America will be played in five Brazilian cities from June 14 to July 7. Brazil have been drawn in Group A alongside Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela. 

Over 90% of Finland’s bathing waters are of excellent quality

DF Report

Public bathing water in Finland is of good quality said the National Institute For Health and Welfare-THL citing the European Environment Agency’s bathing water report.

Most of the country's bathing waters, that is, over 91 per cent, were classified as being of either excellent or good quality. Approximately two per cent of Finland’s bathing waters were categorised in the ‘sufficient water quality’ class. The water quality of only one beach was described as poor.

According to the report, the microbiological quality of Finnish bathing waters has either remained on the same level or improved slightly.   “The water quality of certain individual coastal and inland beaches has been improved over the past few years. The quality of bathing water can improve remarkably when the flow of wastewater to the beach is prevented and the turnover of water is enhanced. However, it should be kept in mind that even high-quality bathing water is not drinkable,” said Outi Zacheus, Senior Planning Officer at the National Institute for Health and Welfare.   The quality of bathing water can be classified if the water’s concentrations of bacteria indicating intestinal contamination have been monitored regularly over four swimming seasons. The monitoring of bacteria concentrations enables, for example, assessing the impact of wastewater on the bathing water. 

European beaches’ basic data, bathing water bacteria monitoring results and bathing water classification based on the monitoring is accessible through the European Environment Agency’s online services.   The services can be used for inspecting the bathing water quality development of a planned holiday destination or as background data for the official supervision of bathing water quality. The long-term monitoring of individual bacteria results allows the authorities to evaluate the changes to bathing water quality.    However, the online services’ data is not updated during the swimming season. Information on the water quality is provided at the beaches and, for example, on municipalities’ websites.

Even though municipal health protection authorities monitor the occurrence of blue algae in bathing water, the abundance or frequency of blue algae occurrences is not taken into account when defining bathing water quality, and blue algae results are not included in the report.

The National Institute for Health and Welfare reports the results of municipal health protection authorities’ bathing water monitoring to the European Commission annually. The recently published report is based on the monitoring in the swimming seasons of 2015–2018. The report consolidates country-specific bathing water quality summaries and the monitoring results of altogether 22,000 European beaches. 

In the summer of 2018, Finland had a total of 301 public beaches, 225 of which were inland and 76 coastal beaches.

Patria acquires Belgium Engine Center

DF Report

International defence company, Patria has acquired 100% of the shares of Belgium Engine Center SPRL (BEC) from AIM Norway in order to further strengthen BEC’s capabilities and business, said an official press release from Patria.

BEC is a military jet engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center that services the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine which powers F-15 and F-16 aircraft around the globe. The center also provides material management services for those engines. BEC has its operating base in Herstal in Belgium, and has about 90 employees.

This acquisition is part of the execution of Patria’s strategy in which the main growth area is international maintenance and life-cycle support business, particularly in Europe.

“The purchase of BEC is an important milestone for Patria. Growth in international maintenance operations is at the core of our strategy. Patria has a long history and solid know-how in aircraft maintenance, including their engines, both in Finland and other Nordic countries, and now with this acquisition this business will be expanded. We are committed to continue the excellent work done so far in BEC, as well as the high-quality standard customers expect from us. I also want to welcome BEC’s personnel to be part of Patria, and I’m convinced that together we will develop this business further. We have complementary competencies, which make us all stronger and more competitive”, states Jukka Holkeri, President of Patria’s International Support Partnerships business unit.

“On behalf of BEC I want to welcome Patria as a new Nordic owner of this company. We look forward to working together and ensuring our customers even larger services in future”, says Hugo Vanbockryck, Managing Director of Belgium Engine Center.

The acquisition does not change customer contracts or terms of employment for BEC employees or other commitments of the company and is in full compliance with legal requirements.

As a consequence of this acquisition, the official name of BEC will be changed to Patria Belgium Engine Center SRL, and communications will be built around the Patria brand. This unit will be an essential part of International Support Partnerships business unit at Patria. A few months’ transition period to implement Patria’s brand to the new unit is foreseen.

Huawei obtains 46 commercial 5G contracts in 30 countries

DF-Xinhua Report

Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said Thursday that it had obtained 46 commercial 5G contracts so far in 30 countries globally.

It has shipped more than 100,000 5G base stations, ranking top in the world, according to the company.     Huawei said it was well prepared for China's 5G commercial use. In February last year, it made the world's first 5G call and launched the first 5G terminal device.     Headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, privately-owned Huawei is a world leading telecommunication solution provider and also one of the world's major smartphone brands.     China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology granted commercial-use 5G licenses Thursday to China Broadcasting Network and the country's top three telecom operators -- China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom.  

Cases of domestic violence on the rise

National

DF Report

There were 9,900 victims in domestic violence and intimate partner violence offences reported to the authorities in 2018, which is 3.6 per cent more than in the previous year,according to Statistics Finland's data. 

In domestic violence and intimate partner violence directed at adults, one-half took place between married or cohabiting couples. 

Of adult victims, 76.5 per cent were women. Of all victims, 24.4 per cent were minors.

There were 9,900 victims in domestic violence and intimate partner violence offences reported to the authorities in 2018, which is 3.6 per cent more than in the previous year. Among these victims, 75.3 per cent were adults. In all, 24.4 per cent were minors and the age of 0.3 per cent is unknown. Of adult victims, 76.5 per cent were women. 

Of all suspects, 77.6 per cent were men. The statistics include only cases reported to the authorities, by no means all cases of domestic violence and intimate partner violence are reported to the authorities.

In all, 37.5 per cent of domestic violence and intimate partner violence recorded in 2018 was violence between married or cohabiting couples, which is 1.4 percentage points higher than in 2017. The share has been decreasing from 2009, when it was 44.7 per cent. In 2018, one-sixth of domestic violence and intimate partner violence took place between former married or cohabiting couples. In slightly over 80 per cent of cases of violence between married or cohabiting couples and former married or cohabiting couples the victim was a woman. Violence between married or cohabiting couples and former married or cohabiting couples increased by close on 200 cases (3.8 per cent) from the previous year. 

In 2018, the number of cases reported was 5,400. In these statistics, persons are considered former cohabiting couples if they have lived together in the year preceding the statistical reference year but not in the statistical reference year.

Recorded cases of domestic violence and intimate partner violence directed by parents against their underage children has increased. In 2018, a total of 2,400 cases of violence directed by parents against their underage children was recorded, which is 24.3 per cent of all recorded cases of domestic violence and intimate partner violence. The growth compared to 2017 was 200 cases. Close on 500 cases of violence between siblings was recorded. In one-quarter of such cases, the victim was a minor.

Arts education key to sustainable development

DF Report

The three-day Arctic Arts Summit 2019 wrapped up on Wednesday in Rovaniemi emphasising the need for arts education to build up creative capability for sustainable development in the Arctic.

The more than 450 participants coming from 22 countries also stressed that the Arctic people should own the discourse about the Arctic region and have an open dialogue with every stakeholder concerned. For example, ecological issues were discussed as both key challenges to and opportunities for the arts on the Arctic theme. For instance, the participants pointed out that creative capability-building is based on expectations of growth in the creative industries as opposed to growth in the use of raw materials and natural resources.

Different aspects of cultural sustainability in the Arctic were highlighted by several experts from various points of view. Cultural sustainable development was a major sub-theme in the summit covered by presentations and panel discussions on the importance of cultural sustainability, cultural politics and strategies, arts-infused city development, and art and design practices for the wellbeing of people and cross-sectoral cultural tourism.

Many views and definitions of sustainable development were voiced in the forum. Three aspects of sustainable development are well-known: ecological, social and economic sustainability. In the Arctic, discussions on sustainability are often connected to natural resources and ecological and economic dimensions. In today's world, cultural sustainability must be seen as an important fourth pillar, said some of the speakers.

“Culture is a principle of who we are: From cultural heritage to creative industries, it shapes our identity. We may ask: Is the focus on Arctic culture just the fourth pillar of sustainable development or is it even more than that? Conceptually, culture incorporates social and economic sustainability. Culture is both an enabler and a driver of the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development,” said Timo Jokela, the summit chair.  

Questions on the roles and tools of arts and culture in securing a sustainable future for the Arctic and the North reverberated throughout the summit. Do we need changes in arts and culture to take into account simultaneous ecological, social and economic challenges for the Arctic and the North, asked many participants?

The event, held at the University of Lapland and the Lappia Hall, aimed at strengthening and promoting arts and culture as a spearhead in the circumpolar cooperation and building lasting networks for development and interaction in arts and culture, cultural education and community life in the Arctic.

The theme of this year's summit: "Sustainability – Arctic laboratory” – refers to sustainability as a wide issue, meaning that sustainability can be developed in the Arctic and be applied elsewhere, too.

Arts and culture was seen by the summit as an important part of the regional development in the Arctic.

The Arctic Arts Summit 2017 held in northern Norway was the first convocation in which all the eight Arctic countries took part highlighting circumpolar arts and culture.

The summit is as a biennale planned to travel through the Arctic countries to facilitate and establish the ownership of the perspectives and the important role of arts and culture in Arctic development.

Rinne appointed PM as new gov't named

National

DF Report

The President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö on Thursday appointed Finland’s 75th Government. 

At the same time, the President of the Republic released the ministers of Juha Sipilä’s Government from their duties,said a government press release.

The Government led by Prime Minister Antti Rinne has 19 ministers. The Social Democratic Party has 7 ministers, the Centre Party 5, the Greens in Finland 3, the Left Alliance 2, and the Swedish People’s Party of Finland 2.  

In its first plenary session on Tuesday 6 June, the Government made decisions on the division of duties among the ministers, the members of the statutory Ministerial Committees and the deputies for the ministers. The Government of Prime Minister Rinne also gave the Government Programme as a statement to Parliament.

The deputy for the Prime Minister will be the Minister of Finance Mika Lintilä. In the beginning of the session, 7 ministers took an oath of office and a judicial oath and 4 ministers made equivalent affirmations.

Nationwide police action against posting of online hate comments in Germany

DF-Xinhua Report

Fighting against hate comments on the internet, German police were deployed in more than a dozen federal states on Thursday, according to the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).     In 38 individual cases, apartments had been searched and suspects were questioned, the German criminal office announced.      Those are accused of having posted hate comments on the internet "such as public calls to commit crimes, insults to public officials or anti-Semitic insults" which are illegal under German law and can be sentenced to up to five years in prison.     According to the BKA, 77 percent of cases were from the right-wing extremist spectrum while only 9 percent of the comments were from left-wing extremist.      The remaining 14 percent would be classified as "foreign or religious ideologies" or could not be assigned to any political motivation, the BKA announced.     This week, the violent death of Kassel's district president Walter Luebcke who was strongly supporting refugees had triggered questionable comments in the social networks by right-wing circles.     "This is simply cynical, tasteless, horrible, repugnant in every way," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier commented on the online responses by those who enjoyed and downright applauded Luebcke death.       Facebook vowed not to tolerate such content and told German public broadcaster ZDF, that "comments glorifying this act of violence have no place on Facebook. When we become aware of such content, we remove it."     Defaming deceased people in Germany with strong language and malice is against law and can lead to a sentence of up to two years in prison.       In 2017, the BKA registered 2,270 cases of online hate crime, compared with only 1,472 cases in 2018.  

Danish PM visits Queen to formally dissolve government

DF-Xinhuaa Report

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has visited the Queen of Denmark to formally dissolve government, Danish news DR reported Thursday morning.     Lokke Rasmussen conceded defeat late Wednesday night, and now in line with tradition has made an official visit to Queen Margrethe II to formally announce the government's dissolution.     "I have just informed the Queen and the Crown Prince about the result of the general election yesterday, which, ultimately, means that there is no majority behind my government. Therefore, I have requested the government's departure," said Rasmussen in front of Amalienborg palace after his meeting with the Queen, reported DR.     Now, the process of forming the new government will begin. Queen Margrethe II will this afternoon convene a meeting at Amalienborg with each of the parties one by one. Each party sends two representatives to meet with the Queen and put forward their nomination for Denmark's future prime minister. The candidate with the most support must then try to win support from a majority of incoming members of parliament.     Mette Frederiksen, leader of the Social Democrats, is expected to emerge as the prime minister. And as the party with the largest mandate, the Social Democrats have the privilege of first meeting with the Queen.     "Now a process starts, in which Mette Frederiksen herself has a lot of leash. She must start the negotiations, and at some point she must return to the Queen and report on how it has gone," said DR's political analyst Jens Ringberg.     The process will take "the next few days, maybe even weeks," Ringberg added.  

Trump says progress made in U.S.-Mexico talks "not nearly enough"

DF-Xinhua Report

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the progress which has been made in U.S.-Mexico talks on tariffs and immigration is not enough, renewing his threat to impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods next week.     "Immigration discussions at the White House with representatives of Mexico have ended for the day. Progress is being made, but not nearly enough!" Trump tweeted Wednesday afternoon, noting that talks would resume Thursday.     "If no agreement is reached, tariffs at the 5% level will begin on Monday, with monthly increases as per schedule," the president said.     U.S. Vice President Mike Pence hosted the meeting in his office with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and other senior U.S. and Mexican officials.     Ebrard told reporters that the conversation during Wednesday's meeting focused on immigration, while tariffs were not discussed, CNBC reported.     According to official figures released Wednesday, U.S. law enforcement officials apprehended more than 130,000 people trying to cross the southern border illegally in May, hitting a 13-year high for the month.     The statistics, usually announced in the second week of each month, were released before the Wednesday meeting, as the U.S. government is pressuring Mexico to curb the flow of immigrants, many of whom originated from central American countries.     In an interview with CNN prior to the talks, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said the threatened tariffs against Mexican goods "may not have to go into effect" if the country can take necessary measures to halt undocumented migrants crossing the southern U.S. border.     Trump said last week that he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to stop the flow of undocumented migrants crossing the border, and will gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied, drawing extensive criticism both domestically and abroad.     "If the Congress lets Trump get away with this, he will be free to slap tariffs on any country or any product at any time for whatever reason he dreams up," Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a blog post, adding that the president's decision to link trade to immigration and refugee concerns is an "especially dangerous escalation."  

Sudan gov't says 46 killed in clashes

DF-Xinhua Report

Sudan's government on Thursday officially announced that 46 people were killed during the dispersing of the sit-in in front of the army's headquarters in the capital Khartoum, official SUNA news agency reported.     "The number of people killed did not exceed 46," Suleiman Abdul-Jabar, undersecretary of Sudan's Health Ministry was quoted as saying in SUNA's report.     However, the opposition said the death toll has exceeded 100.     Khartoum has witnessed security incidents near the army's headquarters, where thousands of Sudanese protesters have been staging a sit-in since April 6.  

Macron, May mark D-Day anniversary

DF-Xinhua Report

As part of ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed British Prime Minister Theresa May to inaugurate a memorial to honor the sacrifice of British soldiers.     The commemoration ceremony started at 7:26 a.m. local time (0526 GMT), when a lone piper played a lament on a section of the Mulberry Harbor to mark the exact moment the first British soldier landed on Gold Beach in Normandy 75 years ago.     "We are where on June 6, 1944 nearly 25,000 British soldiers landed to liberate France from the barbarous yoke of the Reich," Macron addressed the gathering.     "This memorial is the symbol of the links between the United Kingdom and France and nothing will ever erase these links made of bloodshed..." he said.     As Britain is preparing to quit the European Union (EU), the French president recalled the spirit of the D-Day to promote Paris-London ties and stressed the need to keep bilateral links after Brexit.     He told British attenders: "Whatever it takes, we will always stand together, because this is our common destiny."     In her last major international event before quitting office, May, for her turn, paid tribute to the "raw courage" of soldiers who had been engaged in "one of the greatest battles for freedom this world has ever known."     "If one day can be said to have determined the fate of generations to come, in France, in Britain, in Europe and the world, that day was the 6th of June 1944," she said.     Honoring almost 25,000 British soldiers who landed on Gold Beach in the summer of 1944, the two leaders have laid the first stone of a new memorial site at Ver-sur-Mer, one of the key sites for British troops during the D-Day landings.     Later, Macron joined his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the Normandy American Cemetery.     Wreaths, parades, parachute-landings and fireworks will be staged to mark the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy during which U.S., British and Canadian troops waded ashore to confront Nazi Germany's forces, hastening its defeat during the World War II.  

The post New Government’s Tax Policy Brings No Major Changes for Entrepreneurship, Fiscal Policy More Concerning appeared first on Finland Today.

Dubbed the "Famous Five" by Swedish People's Party Anna-Maja Henriksson, the new cabinet was sworn into office by President Sauli Niinistö on Thursday afternoon, bringing an end to weeks of discussions involving Rinne's SDP, the Centre Party led by former PM Juha Sipilä, Pekka Haavisto's Green Party, the Left Alliance led by Li Andersson, and the SPP.

Following a parliamentary election in April, Korpinen had tapped Petteri Orpo's National Coalition Party to join a Rinne-led administration. However Teivainen observed that the parties proved to be too far apart on key issues to allow them to cooperate in government.

Korpinen noted that while the Centre Party may have had to concede ground on some issues, it did emerge a winner as it is still in government and was also able to push through its goal of creating 18 regional administrations to deliver social and health care services as part of an ambitious reform package.

Boost for Haavisto's possible presidential aspirations

With Rinne as premier, the Centre's Mika Lintilä, a former economic affairs minister, will assume the finance minister portfolio, while the Greens' Haavisto will be foreign minister. Teivainen noted that Haavisto will be surfing the Green wave that characterised the Finnish general election as well as recent European Parliament elections. Finnish foreign policy will more closely resemble EU foreign policy, particularly on climate issues, he added.

According to Teivainen, as a skilled and well-respected international negotiator, Haavisto's foreign minister portfolio could well help set up another presidential election bid for the Greens chair.

With the Finns Party now the largest party in opposition, Teivainen said voters can expect to see chair Jussi Halla-aho adopt an even tougher stance on immigration as well as on social welfare issues. Korpinen said that if the NCP, which is now also occupying opposition benches, finds common ground with the Finns Party, it could drive more liberal NCP voters toward the Greens.

APN returns in autumn

All Points North will take a break for the summer. However if you have any questions, or would like to share something on your mind, just contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi.

The All Points North podcast is a weekly look at what's going on in Finland. Subscribe via iTunes (and leave a review!), listen on Spotify and Yle Areena or find it on your favourite podcatching app or via our RSS feed.

This week's podcast presenters were Denise Wall and Mark B. Odom. The episode was produced by Priya Ramachandran D'souza and the audio engineer was Mikko Majanen.

ANTTI RINNE, the chairperson of the Social Democrats, has been formally elected as the Prime Minister of Finland by the Finnish Parliament.

A total of 111 Members of Parliament voted in favour and 74 against the notification presented at 10pm this morning by President Sauli Niinistö, officially removing the suffix ‘elect’ from the title of Rinne.

JUSSI HALLA-AHO, the chairperson of the Finns Party, has announced his willingness to lead the populist right-wing party for at least another two years.

The Finns Party, he explained yesterday, is currently in need of continuity, because its first deputy chairperson won election to the European Parliament and both its party secretary and political strategist won election to the Finnish Parliament.

THE CENTRE PARTY has unveiled its nominees for the ministerial positions it is to have in the government of Antti Rinne (SDP).

The Centre announced yesterday evening that its nominee for minister of finance is Mika Lintilä, for minister of economic affairs Katri Kulmuni, for minister of defence Antti Kaikkonen, for minister of culture and science Annika Saarikko and for minister of agriculture and forestry Jari Leppä.

POSTI on Wednesday announced it will lay off nearly 100 employees after completing consultative negotiations with its administrative and managerial staff.

The Finnish state-owned postal services provider revealed it will reduce its headcount by 94, highlighting that the number of redundancies is lower than the estimate of 120 provided at the start of the negotiations.

The use of facial ID tech, enabled in Finland by a surveillance law approved earlier this year, allows authorities to compare people's faces captured by surveillance cameras to images of individuals stored in official databases.

According to Finland's recently updated data protection act, however, facial recognition tech can only be used by law enforcement agencies to prevent, detect or investigate crimes — or to reach wanted suspects.

Police claim that investigations can be carried out more quickly when such images are screened by computers rather than humans, and Customs director Sami Rakshit said he shared that opinion.

"Our view is that the new system will make it easier for people to search through a stream of passengers," Rakshit said.

Permit in place, but tech not up to date

Authorities said that despite having the permission to use the software, Finland's current tech infrastructure doesn't yet support the use of automatic facial recognition. Currently, humans — and not artificial intelligence programs — handle surveillance camera images, according to the police and customs.

"Of course, we have cameras, but they don’t automatically identify anyone. We don’t have face recognition technology in our cameras yet," inspector Pekka Sallinen from the National Police Board of Finland said.

"Our camera equipment is being gradually updated to enable biometric face identification," Rakshit added.

While the Finnish Border Guard has had the rights to use face recognition tech for years, they said its scope has been limited.

"Automatic face detection is not yet available for large-scale use. We use it to the extent it makes sense to do so. This is an emerging technology field that will continue to develop," the head of the Border Guard's border control unit, Lieutenant Colonel Tuomas Laosmaa said, adding he did not want to reveal how the technology was used, as it is a "tactical and technical secret".

Big brother monitoring?

Liisa Mäkinen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Turku, studies the use of surveillance cameras and said she is concerned about the developments in Finland.

Story continues after photo.

"It's two completely different things to use surveillance cameras to monitor public disturbances versus using a system that can identify people from images and match them to information in existing databases," she said.

However, inspector Sallinen who said he constantly encounters talk of "Big Brother" constantly monitoring citizens, said Finland is nowhere close to such a world.

"We are a long ways away from becoming an Orwellian society, where people can be controlled with cameras," he said.

"This won't impact ordinary people"

Some experts and citizens in the country have been reportedly wary of the use of face recognition tech — for instance, the small Pirate Party has expressed concern about the threat of losing privacy in the past. Researcher Mäkinen approved of people's wariness on the matter.

"I think it is good that citizens are critical of [issues like] who has access to the data, where the information will be used and how these are combined. I think it's good to ask such questions" Mäkinen said.

She also said there is no clear evidence of camera surveillance regularly helping to carry out criminal investigations. "Research on this is very contradictory. In some cases, camera surveillance may be useful, but not always," Mäkinen added.

However, according to Rakshit, automatic face recognition is only used for crime prevention and investigation and said the new permissions granted in June do not undermine citizens' legal protections.

"All of the material is entirely in our possession. Camera- or system-vendors do not have access to the captured images. The law amendment won’t largely impact lives of ordinary people because we do not save their images. Citizens' legal protection will improve as government action can better target the right people," he said.