Summary: The Bank of Finland's Governor is reportedly on the shortlist, while other sources say Alexander Stubb is in the frame.

European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro

The shortlist of nominees for the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) next CEO has been narrowed down to four names, with the Bank of Finland's current Governor,  Olli Rehn , among the top candidates, according to the New York based financial newspaper the Wall Street Journal.
 The other shortlisted candidates are the former Dutch Minister of Finance  Jeroen Dijsselbloem , current President of the Eurogroup and Portuguese Minister of Finance  Mario Centeno , and the current Spanish Minister of Economy and Business  Nadia Calvino .
 The London based Financial Times, however, reports that former Finnish Prime Minister and current vice president of the European Investment Bank,  Alexander Stubb , is on the shortlist of candidates, probably instead of Dijesselbloem.
 The paper also reports that a previous favourite to land the top job at the IMF, current Governor of the Bank of England,  Mark Carney , is now no longer being considered for the position.
 The IMF's current CEO,  Christine Lagarde , will relinquish the role to take over as President of the European Central Bank.
 The shortlist of candidates will be discussed at a meeting of European G7 finance ministers in Chantilly, France.
 According to the Wall Street Journal, Rehn's candidacy is likely to receive more support from northern European countries, including Germany, while Centeno and Calvino are more popular in the south.
 Dutch Minister Dijsselbloem's suitability for the role has been questioned by southern European countries, after he refused to apologise for comments he made during the Eurozone crisis which suggested that crisis-hit countries had splurged their money on "drinks and women."

Olli Rehn strong candidate for IMF top job


Summary: The European Ombudsman is investigating corporate sponsorship deals as Finland’s BMW-sponsored leadership of the EU Council gets underway.

Kansainväliset organisaatiot ja sopimukset

Private businesses sponsoring the EU presidency are set to continue with German carmaker BMW supporting Finland’s leadership of the Council of the European Union.
 Finland’s EU presidency secretariat confirmed that the German car maker is providing 100 vehicles to transport delegations during EU presidency events in Helsinki.
 This week European Ombudsman  Emily O’Reilly  opened an investigation into the practice, saying the Council “does not have in place guidelines” to regulate it.
 Finnish Green Party MEP  Heidi Hautala  was the lead signatory on a letter from MEPs who oppose such sponsorships.
 Critics say sponsorships are a “conflict of interest”
 “100 MEPs addressed some months ago the incoming Finnish Council presidency, asking it to refrain from commercial sponsorship, only to discover soon that BMW was going to sponsor the Finnish presidency with cars,” Hautala told Yle News.
 “There is a clear conflict of interest between the sponsorship by BMW and the Council as lawmaker,” Hautala said.
 Story continues after photo.
 File photo of Finnish MEP Heidi Hautala. AOP
 Sponsorship of the rotating six-month presidency was branded “politically damaging” by MEPs  in a letter  which called on the Finnish government to “refuse all corporate sponsorship of the Finnish presidency and make a proposal to other member states that all future presidencies agree to such a rule.”
 In a statement to Yle News, the government said no money changed hands as part of its deal with BMW and that the manufacturer was only providing vehicles, not drivers or fuel. It did not disclose the equivalent monetary value of the sponsorship agreement.
 No guidance on sponsorships for EU member states
 In a letter addressed to Secretary-General of the EU Council  Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen  and seen by Yle News, the Ombudsman said she was opening an inquiry into corporate sponsorship of EU presidencies after receiving a complaint from food industry NGO Foodwatch International about Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of Romania’s EU presidency in the first half of 2019.
 The complaint is based on the claim that the Council of the European Union “does not have in place guidelines when it comes to Council presidencies being sponsored by private companies.”
 In response, the Council said that sponsorship deals with private companies were “in principle, a matter for the member state authorities concerned.”
 MEP Hautala welcomed the Ombudsman’s move.
 “I am happy to see that the Ombudsman has now opened an inquiry to this sponsorship which indeed can lead to dependency on undue commercial interests,” she said.
 The European Ombudsman is the authority responsible for promoting transparency and accountability in European Union decision making.
 No change during this presidency
 Finnish authorities say they do not intend to raise the issue of corporate sponsorships during their presidency.
 In a statement first reported by Brussels-based website  EUObserver , and repeated by officials to Yle News, a government spokeswoman said, “we do not foresee any discussions about corporate sponsorship of EU presidencies with other member states.”
 Anja Laisi , head of the Secretariat for Finland’s presidency of the Council of the EU, defended the decision to partner with BMW.
 In a statement to Yle News she said, “We have selected meeting venues that are easy to reach by public transportation. However, ministers can rarely use public transportation due to scheduling and security reasons, and we therefore organise car transportation for them.”
 “Following an EU-wide call for tenders, the Secretariat for Finland’s presidency concluded a contract with Oy BMW Suomi Ab – the Finnish subsidiary of BMW AG. No other contracts have been signed for the Presidency period,” she said.
 Asked whether representatives of BMW would receive opportunities to meet with European political figures as a consequence of the deal, Ms Laiti said, “Representatives of BMW do not have opportunities to meet with Finnish government ministers or political representatives during the Finnish presidency as part of the contract to provide the vehicles or otherwise related to this contract.”
 “Finnish civil servants – responsible only for practical arrangements for the presidency - are in contact with representatives of BMW as part of the management of the contract.”
 BMW’s EU Commission allegations
 In April BMW was one of three car makers accused of breaching EU competition regulations by working together to delay the introduction of new, emissions-reducing technologies in their vehicles.
 In a statement in April , EU Competition Commissioner  Margarethe Vestager  said, “companies can cooperate in many ways to improve the quality of their products. However, EU competition rules do not allow them to collude on exactly the opposite: not to improve their products, not to compete on quality.”
 Story continues after photo.
 EU Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager speaking at the Slush event in Helsinki.  Yle News / Tom Bateman
 Responding to the Commission’s allegations, BMW said, “The BMW Group will contest the EU Commission’s allegations with all legal means if necessary.”
 Setting out Finland’s aims for its presidency, Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  (SDP) told Parliament the main goal would be to commit the EU to carbon neutrality by 2050.
 Speaking in June, Mr Rinne said : “A key priority of Finland’s presidency is the EU’s global leadership in climate action,” adding that the EU should become “the world’s most competitive and socially inclusive low-carbon economy.”

Finland in spotlight as EU authorities probe Council presidency business links


Summary: Funds from the campaign will be channeled into conservation projects aimed at reducing the impact of destructive algae.

If Moomin creator  Tove Jansson  could see the Baltic Sea in 2019, she would do her best to improve it.
 That's the view of Moomin Characters' current artistic director, Tove Jansson's niece  Sophia Jansson .
 Moomin Characters Ltd, the limited liability company that controls the image and licensing rights of the Moomin characters, plans to raise one million euros next year to protect the Baltic Sea. Company CEO  Roleff Kråkström  first proposed the idea of using Moomins as patrons, when he witnessed the effect of blue-green algae on the water.
 Since then, more than 50 companies and organisations have become involved, including the John Nurminen Foundation, known for its protection campaigns in the Baltic Sea.
 Story continues after photo
 Moomin Characters' Artistic Director Sophia Jansson and Managing Director Roleff Kråkström believe that Moomins can inspire people to protect the Baltic Sea. Lehtikuva
 The Baltic Sea campaign will launch in 2020, and will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the publication of the first Moomin story,  The Moomins and The Great Flood . According to Sophia Jansson, the sea was an important element for Tove Jansson.
 "The sea is present in all of the Moomin stories, and was also a very large part of Tove's personality, production and heart. She lived by the sea and in the archipelago all her life," explains Sophia Jansson.
 Nutrients from agriculture lead to algae
 The biggest problem in the Baltic Sea is caused by eutrophication, which occurs when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, creating algae. When dead algae descends to the bottom, it consumes oxygen.
 In the Baltic Sea eutrophication has resulted in excessive growth of algae and record-breaking levels of oxygen depletion.
 "We are in a vicious circle that makes the eutrophication situation in the Baltic Sea difficult, despite the fact that much has been done to improve the situation on land," says  Seppo Knuuttila , Senior Research Scientist at Finnish Research Institute SYKE.
 Knuuttila cites the 60 percent drop in phosphorus loads in the Gulf of Finland since 2000, which he says is largely due to Russia's improved wastewater treatment, as evidence that much is being achieved. However, the phosphorus loads from agriculture are still a major problem.
 None of the Baltic Sea states have as yet significantly reduced their agricultural nutrient loads.
 "If this fails, HELCOM's (the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission's) goal of improving the ecological status of the sea will not be achieved," Knuuttila says.
 The effects of the blue-green cyanobacteria on the Baltic Sea were clearly evident in the summer of 2018. While the level of algae in the water this summer has not been on the same scale, Knuuttila warns that the conditions for cyanobacteria are still rife.
 "In terms of nutrition this summer, the conditions for vigorous cyanobacterial bloom are in place. The weather conditions have not been favourable for heavy cyanobacterial blooms so far, but the weather of the coming weeks may change that," says Knuuttila.
 "No time to wait"
 The money raised through the Moomin campaign will be channeled into conservation projects at the John Nurminen Foundation. According to the Foundation's agent  Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt , one way to reduce nutrient loads is by increasing the use of gypsum treatment.
 "It (gypsum treatment) can significantly reduce the nutrient loads in fields. This should be introduced in Finland in all suitable areas, and also tested in Poland and Sweden, which are major contributors to agricultural nutrient loads," says Arrakoski-Engardt, also adding that she believes the state of the Baltic Sea can be improved.
 "I know that the Baltic Sea can be saved. I am concerned about whether the measures are adequate and whether the pace is fast enough. Climate change has put pressure on marine protection, and we should do more. There is no time to wait," says Arrakoski-Engardt.
 Sophia Jansson believes that the Moomin characters can raise a great deal of interest in the Baltic Sea.
 "Moomins usually solve things in a very harmonious and good way, and with that positive attitude, I believe that a lot can be accomplished," says Jansson.

Moomins want to raise a million euros to protect the Baltic Sea


Summary: With little national news, most Finnish newspapers focus on world headlines and local items.

The largest provincial daily,  Aamulehti , looks at the US claim that it downed an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz and the sentencing of Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’. With the domestic news front quiet, the paper focuses on local stories such as suspicions around foreign asphalting companies and the Tammerfest music festival, which began under sunny skies on Thursday at Ratina Stadium featuring Finnish pop comet  Alma  and ‘90s Swedish band the Cardigans.
 Aamulehti also surveys the status of the wild berry harvest that began a couple of weeks ago in the surrounding Pirkanmaa region. According to the paper, blueberries (also known as bilberries) are now ripe, but this year’s crop is skimpy, mostly due to last summer’s drought. Orange cloudberries are also ripe and in bountiful supply. The red lingonberries (aka cowberries) won’t be ready for picking until August but should also be plentiful. Meanwhile the first wild mushrooms, the yellow chanterelles, are just becoming ready for harvesting with local amounts depending on rainfall.
 Kaleva: Recycling and road mishaps
 In the northern city of Oulu,  Kaleva  looks into the spread of ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forest fires in Siberia and Alaska amid record-hot, dry conditions.
 In local news, Kaleva spotlights millionaire  Veikko Lesonen , who has invented a plastic recycling system that is to be piloted by a housing company in Oulu this autumn. There’s a report of one local man who is suspected of driving while under the influence of drugs, without a driver’s licence – and with studded snow tyres still on his vehicle. Another motorist struck and killed an elk (known as a moose in North America) on Thursday night in Oulu, causing a traffic disruption and totalling the car but no other injuries.
 TS: Ambulance layoffs, river bacteria
 Turun Sanomat  likewise concentrates on its southwestern regional beat. Private healthcare firm the Med Group has begun redundancy talks with 57 employees because the public Southwest Finland health care district is taking over more ambulance transport services itself.
 Meanwhile the city’s Swedish-language university Åbo Akademi wants to expand its training programme for pharmacists to include head dispensers, as the nation faces a shortage of qualified pharmaceutical staff.
 The most-read stories on the TS site include traffic accidents such a fatal crash in the maritime municipality of Kustavi and a five-car pile-up in Naantali.
 Another popular item reports on the discovery of  E. coli  and other harmful bacteria in the Vähäjoki river in northern Turku. The Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment has banned swimming in the river and any other use of its water pending further tests. Fortunately for local swimmers the nearby Paattistenjoki – a dammed river – is still fine for a splash.

Friday’s papers: Plastic recycling, healthcare layoffs and wild berry prospects


Summary: In line with trends elsewhere, Finns are increasingly unsure about their stance on Nato.

Just over half of Finns polled, 51 percent, said they are against Finland joining Nato in a fresh survey. Supporters of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) tend to back Nato membership while most leftists oppose joining.
 The survey was published on Friday by three newspapers: Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, a rural paper with traditional ties to the Centre Party, the NCP-owned Verkkouutiset, and the main Swedish-language daily, Hufvudstadsbladet.
 Small sample
 However only about a quarter (26 percent) of those surveyed stated an opinion on Nato membership. As the poll covered just over 1,100 people, the support results are based on the views of fewer than 300 people.
 According to the poll, the strongest opposition was among backers of the Left Alliance, with 69 percent saying no to Finnish membership.
 The most positive were supporters of the NCP, with 57 percent saying Finland should join the western military alliance. In general, Nato support was highest among those respondents with higher incomes and education levels as well as those who described themselves as politically right-leaning.
 Finland joined Nato's Partnership for Peace in 1994, a year before joining the EU. In 2004 Finland and neighbouring Sweden stepped up cooperation with Nato, joining its Enhanced Opportunities Programme.
 More uncertainty worldwide
 Mika Aaltola , Global Security Programme Director at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, says the results indicate that trends in Finland are in line with those elsewhere.
 "Opposition to Nato has declined in recent years while the number of people who are unsure of their stance has increased," he said.
 "Nothing dramatic has happened. Twenty-six percent giving a position is a bit more than I expected but not a major change."
 The survey was carried out by pollster Kantar TNS, which questioned 1,106 people aged 15-74 in early June.
 The newspapers say that those who responded were Finns. The agency estimates the margin of error at three percentage points.
 In a poll taken nearly one year ago, one third of Finns surveyed said they would  support Nato membership  if President  Sauli Niinistö  endorsed it.

Poll: Narrow majority oppose Nato membership


Summary: A citizens' initiative is underway to reduce the waiting time for patients to access mental health services.

Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiiri

As wait times for mental healthcare services can be up to three months long in Finland, a citizens' initiative to decrease the waiting time has been signed by more than 40,000 people.
 At least 50,000 signatures are needed for the initiative to proceed to parliament for consideration. If successful, speeding up access to mental healthcare services would cost an estimated 35 million euros a year – a sum that mental health groups say would be recouped within a few years through improved workforce participation.
 A particular group of concern is Finnish youth, as one in five suffers from a mental health disorder requiring immediate help. Last year, more than one hundred thousand people aged 13 to 24 required mental health services.
 The umbrella association of mental health organisations (Mielenterveysjärjestöt) was responsible for kick-starting the citizens' initiative for a therapy guarantee that would ensure that long waiting times would become history. Their goal is to ensure that it's possible to gain access to psychotherapy or other forms of care within a month of an initial visit to a healthcare centre, and that an assessment of the need for treatment would be made immediately after the first request for assistance.
 Critical need for immediate access
 The critical need for immediate access to therapy is driving the citizens' initiative, according to project head  Alviina Alametsä  of the Finnish mental health pool (Mielenterveyspooli).
 ”If a person has self-harming tendencies or symptoms, or feels very bad, three months is an incredibly long time to wait for help,” she says.
 According to estimates, only half of those suffering from mental disorders receive the help they need.
 Number of patients growing, but number of doctors not
 Demand for specialised medical care for youth psychiatry is growing: in the capital region the number of referrals has increased by 40 percent over the past decade.
 According to  Laura Häkkinen , a youth psychiatrist and senior physician at Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUS), about 15 percent of young people in Finland are covered by basic services as their mental health problems are mild or moderate. Nevertheless, every tenth youth receives specialised mental health medical care. According to Häkkinen the problem is that the basic level of services doesn’t work as quickly as it should.
 “Youth mental health disorders are reasonably easy to identify and care for, so treatment should start as early as possible,” she says.
 Delays in access to treatment are largely due to a lack of labour resources.
 Resources for early intervention?
 The citizens' initiative aims to ensure early treatment and make it easier and quicker to access short-term therapy.
 Implementing the initiative would require hiring new employees and continuing with existing training. There is already a shortage of workers in specialised mental health care. Last year, of 68 youth psychiatric specialists' posts at HUS, 10-15 were unfilled.
 Though speeding up access to mental health services with the therapy guarantee would cost some 35 million euros, mental health organisations say that the investment would pay for itself within a few years as early intervention would decrease work absenteeism and sick leaves.
 Last year, mental health was the most common reason for people in their 20s to take sick leave.
 ”Specialised medical care is much more expensive than early intervention through therapy, for example,” says Häkkinen.
 Access to services is poor
 Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services  Krista Kiuru  and parliamentary Social Affairs and Health Committee vice chair  Mia Laiho  both support the therapy guarantee initiative.
 “Access to mental health services for children and adolescents in some parts of Finland is poor and not really optimal anywhere,” says Laiho.
 ”When there’s an emergency, whether it’s for a wounded knee or mind, it’s important to receive attention quickly,” says Kiuru.

More than 100,000 youth face mental health disorders, long queues for care


Summary: A storage facility at the Old Church was destroyed before firefighters were able to get the blaze under control.

Police suspect that a fire at the Old Church in the centre of Hyvinkää, a municipality located about 50 kilometres north of Helsinki, was started deliberately.
 "Based on our preliminary investigation, there is reason to suspect that the fire was intentionally ignited," said Crime Commissioner  Leif Malmberg  of the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department. "The case is currently being investigated as an act of arson."
 Malmberg added that as the investigation is currently ongoing, the police cannot yet provide any further details, but that no natural cause for the fire was found.
 "This was based on a technical investigation which has given us reason to suspect that the fire was intentionally started. There are no suspects at this stage," Malmberg said.
 The police have asked for the public's assistance in investigating the incident.
 Passerby raised alarm
 At approximately 2.30am on Friday, a passerby noticed a fire in a storage building behind the church and alerted authorities.
 When the Central Uusimaa Rescue Service arrived, the 30-square-metre warehouse was fully aflame. The storage unit contained gardening tools and supplies, said on-duty firefighter  Harry Häyrinen , and the warehouse and all of the supplies were completely destroyed by the fire.
 A blaze was also noticed to have started in the window frame of a 19th century log building, but firefighters were able to extinguish it before it spread.
 "The window was open, and there was hemp being used as insulation. Some smoke had got in, but it has now been ventilated," Häyrinen explained.
 The warehouse is about 15 metres away from the Old Church, and the log building is about 25 metres away.
 Story continues after photo.
 The storage building at Hyvinkää old church was completely destroyed by the blaze.  Pelastuslaitos
 Häyrinen therefore believes it is unlikely that the fire at the log building would come from sparks that had flown from the storage building.
 There was no reported injuries caused by the fire.
 Hyvinkää Old Church is a log building originally built as a prayer room in 1896, based on the designs of renowned Finnish architect  Yrjö Sadeniemi . The prayer room was enlarged in 1923 by master builder  Heikki Siikonen , and the building was consecrated in 1978.
 According to the Hyvinkää parish website, the Old Church is a popular location for weddings.

Suspected arson at Hyvinkää church


Summary: Weekend and Flow announced new headliners on Friday as Cardi B and Swedish House Mafia pulled out.

Two of Finland's biggest music festivals, Flow and Weekend, hastily added new names to their line-ups on Friday following late cancellations by big-name acts.
 Weekend, which starts on Friday at the former Suvilahti power plant, announced in the early morning hours via Instagram the main headliner, electronic all-star trio Swedish House Mafia, would not appear. The group cited vague "production issues".
 Later in the morning, the nearly-sold-out festival announced that SHM would be replaced by  Alesso , another Swedish electronic act that rose to international stardom in the 2010s.
 Late-night cancellation
 "Yesterday we started to hear rumours that SHM was cancelling their appearance. We didn't get confirmation until around midnight when the artists forwarded a message about it," says Weekend Festival publicist  Tomi Lindblom .
 "Fortunately we had begun to prepare a bit so we got Alesso as a replacement very quickly."
 The planned SHM gig would have been their first in about five year, so some fans may have bought tickets specifically for that reason.
 Story continues after photo
 Swedish House Mafia Kiko Huesca / EPA
 Lindblom apologised on behalf of the festival but said that "if one artist cancels in a multiple-day music festival, tickets are not refunded".
 "For some artists it seems all too easy to change plans"
 Also on Friday morning, organisers of Flow, to be held at Suvilahti three weeks from now, announced a change at the top of the bill. US rapper  Cardi B  cancelled her European tour dates due to "scheduling conflicts", so Flow replaced her with another American R&B/hiphop star,  Solange .
 The younger sister of  Beyoncé , Solange was to have appeared at Flow back in 2013 but cancelled.
 Flow's artistic director  Tuomas Kallio  told Yle that the festival received confirmation of Cardi B's cancellation this week. Her European shows would have been between scheduled dates in Canada on 4 August and Mexico on the 16th.
 "According to international contract practices, these artists don't face cancellation penalties. And unfortunately for some artists it seems all too easy to change their plans regardless of contracts," Kallio said.
 Earlier in July, American rapper  Travis Scott   cancelled his appearance  at Turku's Ruisrock a day in advance. The festival quickly booked another US hip-hop act, Migos, to replace him, but they were unable to make it either due to airline delays.
 A year ago Weekend faced a much grimmer situation when a scheduled headliner, Florida rapper  XXXTentacion , was murdered two months before the festival. Swedish electronic star  Avicii , who also died last year, had headlined the festival in 2015 and 2016.

Helsinki festivals scramble for replacements as stars cancel


Summary: The former president was seen walking along the city's Esplanadi and Aleksanterinkatu thoroughfares.

Helsinki police have confirmed that fomer US President Bill Clinton was visiting Helsinki on Thursday.
 According to Yle journalist  Minna Rinta-Tassi , Clinton was seen walking in the often tourist-filled Esplanadi area, accompanied by his security detail.
 She said the former president blended well into the crowds, as he was dressed in summer attire.
 Helsinki police said that Clinton's visit to the Finnish capital was in an unofficial capacity and visiting as a private citizen.
 There are rumours on Åland that Clinton was on his way to the autonomous region in the Finnish archipelago on Thursday.
 The producer of a concert being held at Miramar park in Mariehamn on Thursday evening,  Peter Jägerhult ,told Åland Radio that a special surprise guest was in store at the event, according to Svenska Yle.

US President Bill Clinton spotted in downtown Helsinki


Summary: The MP took sick leave earlier this spring following a backlash regarding inflammatory comments he made on social media.

MP  Hussein al-Taee  of the Social Democratic Party will end his sick leave on Sunday. Al-Taee went on leave in May  following the backlash that arose surrounding inflammatory comments  he had made about homosexuals, Jews, Somalis and Sunni Muslims on Facebook several years earlier.
 At the time, al-Taee apologised for the posts and said he no longer held those opinions.
 When al-Taee went on sick leave in the beginning of May, SDP parliamentary group chair  Antti Lindtman  said that the leave was related to the uproar that had been caused when the MP's old Facebook writings surfaced.
 Al-Taee was hospitalised during his sick leave.
 Al-Taee is to take part in a political panel discussion at the Faces Festival in Karjaa, western Uusimaa, on 28 July along with Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  and  Mika Aaltola , programme director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

MP al-Taee to return to work following sick leave


Summary: The government's plans to increase the number of nurses providing 24-hour care to the elderly may leave gaps elsewhere.

Suomen lähi- ja perushoitajaliitto (SuPer)

Finland is facing a nursing crisis, according to the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses, as less people are choosing the profession due to the industry's working conditions and relatively lower rate of pay.
 The union's spokesperson  Johanna Pérez  told Yle that the current situation regarding nursing numbers is unprecedented in her experience.
 "It's really worrying that there's starting to be such a shortage of nurses, which has been unheard of during my career," said Perez.
 Pérez cites the demands of the job as the main reason younger people in Finland are increasingly eschewing the social and healthcare sector and choosing to work in other industries.
 "The job is a mix of being a bodyguard, a cleaner, a kitchen worker and a laundry worker. And this may come as quite a surprise, especially to younger nurses," explains Pérez.
 Government's planned changes might aggravate problem
 Pérez believes the nursing shortage might be further exacerbated by Prime Minister  Antti Rinne 's government's plans to roll out  changes which would see the nursing ratio in the elderly care sector raised to 0.7 . This means there would be seven nurses for every ten elderly people, and would therefore require more than 4,000 nurses.
 Krista Kiuru , Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, told Yle that the government is working on solutions to the shortage, and that one possible solution is to entice former nurses, who have left the profession to pursue careers elsewhere, back to the healthcare industry.
 "We can make a commitment that these professional working conditions change in a way that attracts former staff. Furthermore, we can also offer full-time working positions. These areas have the most significant potential for getting these things right," Kiuru said.
  Student nurses failing to finish their studies
 However, the industry faces significant challenges in recruiting the next generation of nurses to first apply for the relevant courses, and then to complete their studies.  Marko Kaira , a board member of the Finnish Student Association Tehy, explained that a pattern is emerging whereby student nurses drop out before graduating.
 "It is worrying to hear from all over Finland that students decide even during their studies, on the basis of practical training experience or even on the basis of teaching experience, that this is not their field, and they do not finish their studies," Kaira told Yle.
 The healthcare industry's attractiveness to new recruits has been further undermined by recent revelations about  pay cuts  and the  exploitation of Filipino nurses .

Finland facing acute shortage of nurses


Summary: From Helsinki to Lapland, temperatures will likely rise to +25 degrees Celsius -- and above.

From Helsinki all the way up to Lapland, the mercury will rise well into the mid-20s next week.
 For southwestern Finland temperatures of +27 degrees are in store, while in Lapland the forecast predicts +25 degrees in Kittilä and +24 degrees in Inari, according to Yle meteorologist  Matti Huutonen .
 ”Heat wave temperatures will be measured from the beginning of the week all the way up to Lapland,” predicts Huutonen.
 On Monday, from the southwest a zone of precipitation will approach, but it will dissipate before it reaches mainland Finland. Light rain is also expected in the archipelago.
 After Tuesday, Huutonen says he can’t promise anything for certain.
 On Wednesday it may rain in central and northern Finland.
 “The details are uncertain. Wednesday does look like it will see a zone of rain that goes across central and northern Finland,” he says.

Heatwave to hit Finland at the beginning of next week


Summary: Disney will soon begin recruiting Sámi voice actors for the film, which will be released in December 2019.

Walt Disney Animation Studios is planning to produce a Northern Sámi language version of the upcoming animated movie  Frozen 2 . The language known as Northern Sámi is one of nine distinct living Sámi languages. In 2002, it was estimated to have some 15,000 speakers spread over northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, accounting for more than 75 percent of all Sámi speakers.
 The Sámi-language version of the highly-anticipated film is the result of collaboration between the Sámi Parliamentary Council, the Saami Council and Walt Disney Animation Studios. The producers of  Frozen 2  have visited the Sámi region to consult with local representatives in preparation for the project.
 Spokespersons  Tuomas Aslak Juuso  (from the Sámi Parliament of Finland),  Åsa Larsson-Blind  (Saami Council),  Aili Keskitalo  (Sámi Parliament of Norway) and  Per-Olof Nutti  (Sámi Parliament of Sweden) released a joint statement in response to the Disney announcement.
 "We are proud and grateful for the collaboration with Disney Animation. We are delighted to give Sámi children the opportunity to see Frozen 2 in their own language. We are very pleased to be able to share this news now that the UN is celebrating the International Year of Indigenous Languages," the group stated.
 Left to right: Tuomas Aslak Juuso, Åsa Larsson-Blind, Aili Keskitalo, and Per-Olof Nutti. Sámediggi
 Animation Magazine's website  reported  on Friday that the first  Frozen  movie incorporated many elements of Sámi culture. For example, the film’s opening song features traditional Sámi joik singing, and creation of the character Kristoff drew on reindeer husbandry and traditional Sámi clothing.
 Walt Disney Animation Studios will soon begin the process of casting Northern Sámi voice actors for the film, which is scheduled to be released at the same time as the other Nordic versions, in December 2019.

Sámi language version of Frozen 2 in the works


Summary: A citizens' initiative to ensure swift access to mental health services has received enough signatures to be heard in parliament.

A citizens' initiative billed as a "Therapy Guarantee" has garnered the support of 50,000 Finnish citizens as of Friday evening, 19 July. This means it will proceed to the Finnish Parliament for consideration. The initiative would set a one-month deadline for people to gain access to mental health services.
 A coalition of 24 mental health groups is behind the proposal, which was submitted in February by Helsinki city councillor  Alviina Alametsä .
 Public debate in recent weeks about  widespread mental health issues among young people in Finland  provided the needed impetus for the citizens' initiative to meet its target, with some 10,000 signatures added to the proposal in the span of one week.
 Specialist referrals no longer necessary
 The therapy guarantee seeks to put an end to people in need of mental health services not receiving care. Some findings posit that only one in two people with mental health problems receive the care they need in Finland. Other figures show that half of the population faces some kind of mental health issue at some point in their lives.
 The new law being called for would improve accessibility and equity of mental health services, so patients could receive the needed help and support as quickly as possible.
 It would require patients to be given access to help immediately after their first visit to a health care centre. In other words, patients would no longer be required to show a specialist doctor's diagnosis, as the judgement of a basic health care professional would be considered enough to warrant a referral.
 Treatment within one month of clinic visit
 Psychotherapy or some other form of psychosocial treatment to address the acknowledged symptoms would then begin at the latest within one month of the initial health clinic visit.
 "The therapy guarantee would build an effective network of mental health services within the basic health care framework of Finland. It would supplement the current system by providing faster, easier and more customer-oriented assistance," the proposal reads.
 The proposed guarantee would also promote equity, as access to the required therapy would be guaranteed for all patients, regardless of their economic means.
 Early care could create millions in savings
 The new law is also projected to generate significant savings with time. Earlier access to the proper treatment would prevent longer sick leaves, for example.
 The OECD estimates that the  direct and indirect total cost of mental health disorders in Finland cost the state 11 billion euros each year .
 The organisations behind the citizens' initiative predict that the reform would promote the rehabilitation of 7,500 individuals, who could then return to the job market.
 The annual cost of the therapy guarantee is estimated at approximately 35 million euros. Even so, the authors of the initiative have calculated that the resulting decrease in benefits and increase in tax revenue would create close to ten times this amount in savings, or 340 million euros.
 "A mental health services system with a low threshold to treatment is much more cost-effective than one that relies on specialist care. Early access to treatment is known to have a pre-emptive effect on the worsening of symptoms and disorders, in addition to reducing the need for other health care services," the proposal states.

Mental health 'therapy guarantee' initiative reaches 50K target


Summary: Finland's Pekka Haavisto says recent activity in the Strait of Hormuz threatens world trade and resembles piracy.

Finnish Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  says recent interference with safe passage in and around the Strait of Hormuz should be globally condemned.
 "It is extremely concerning when one of the world's most important sea routes is exposed to activity akin to piracy," he said.
 The minister's comments refer to the  seizure of the Stena Impero oil tanker , sailing under a British flag, which was boarded and captured by Iranian forces on 19 July.
 It was later revealed that the  tanker was seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in retaliation for the British seizure of an Iranian tanker , intercepted on 4 July in Gibraltar on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions.
 British authorities claim a  second tanker  was also seized on Friday. Iran said the vessel was boarded because it was involved in an accident,  an explanation Britain rejected .
 In an earlier incident in mid-June, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also accused Iran of being behind attacks on two other oil tankers in the strait. Iran denied the accusations.
 "Diplomacy is needed"
 Haavisto said that it is in the best interests of countries like Finland who are dependent on world trade to defend the freedom to navigate and condemn attacks on ships. He said the incidents were clearly meant to attract attention, obstruct shipping in the waters off Iran and make maritime traffic unsafe.
 The Finnish foreign minister said that the most important thing at the moment is to secure the safety of the crew on the captured vessel and proceed along diplomatic channels.
 "This is also the position of the British foreign office," Haavisto said.
 Haavisto pointed out that the European Union has been in support of a constructive and peaceful policy with regard to Iran. He considers it unfortunate that the US abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which had been negotiated for 12 years.
 "But Iran has now started to pose a threat and exceed the agreed-upon uranium limits, which is even worse," he said.
 "EU must stand united"
 Britain has told its ships to avoid entering the strait for the time being, and  France  and  Germany  have joined Britain in condemning Iran's activity.
 A third of the world’s liquefied natural gas and almost 20 percent of total global oil consumption passes through the strait between Iran and the Arabian peninsula, making it a highly important strategic location for international trade.
 "If maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is hampered and vessels begin to seek out alternative routes, it will greatly impact not only Iran but also the other countries in the region. The EU must stand united behind the principle that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is preserved, and that no ships from EU member states or any other country fall victim to these kinds of attacks," Haavisto said.

Finnish Foreign Minister: Safe maritime passage must be preserved in Middle East


Summary: A known leader of the notorious motorcycle club was detained in Helsinki on suspicion of dealing in "very dangerous" drugs.

The Helsinki District Court reached a decision in a closed trial on Saturday, 20 July to remand a suspect who is believed to be a leading figure of Finland's Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. He was detained on suspicion of a string of aggravated drug offenses that dated back to the start of 2018 and continued until the present.
 The leader of the criminal investigation characterized the case as unprecedented in its scope.
 "There are elements of the case that make it quite exceptional, to say the least. Perhaps even in terms of all of Finnish criminal history," said chief inspector Kaarle Lehmus.
 "We are talking about a drug that has been classified as very dangerous. For investigative reasons, I can't say anything about the quality or quantity or provide any more details," he said.
 The news agency STT reports that the suspect was known to be a leader of the Hells Angels in Finland, but investigators were unable to confirm his current links to the organisation.
 Friday rulings perhaps related
 On Friday, the Helsinki court remanded several other suspects on suspicion of aggravated drug offenses, among other charges. The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports that some of the suspected crimes from the Friday case occurred in the same time frame of the crimes associated with the case heard on Saturday.
 The Netherlands became the first country in the world to completely ban the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in May 2019. Germany has banned local chapters in the past, but not the entire organisation. The United States Department of Justice considers the club to be an organized crime syndicate.
 The case will now proceed to the prosecution, which is expected to file charges in the case in early 2020.

Hells Angels kingpin detained, suspected of drug offenses


Summary: The victims were hit by an oncoming truck after exiting their car on the motorway near the municipality of Luumäki.

Two individuals were killed on Sunday when a lorry struck them early in the morning on motorway 6. The incident occurred near the village of Jurvala, in the eastern Finland municipality of Luumäki.
 The car that had transported the deceased reportedly stopped on the road - somewhat blocking traffic - shortly before 2am, when three of the four occupants exited the vehicle to settle an apparent dispute.
 Two of the three were instantly killed when an oncoming truck slammed into the car and people. The third person who was standing outside the vehicle was injured, and the driver who had remained in the car was unhurt.
 Police are investigating the incident. Because it was dark on the road when the collision took place, authorities are trying to determine whether the lorry driver had any possibility of seeing the people or the car before hitting them.
 Updated at 5pm on 21 July to include new information.

Two people killed by lorry in eastern Finland


Summary: Andrey Fedorov told the daily Helsinki Sanomat that Finnish decision-makers were never told of the plan.

Ministerit, ministeriöt ja valtioneuvosto

Leadership of the Russian Federation seriously considered selling the Republic of Karelia back to Finland in 1991, according to an  interview  with former Russian deputy foreign minister  Andrey Fedorov  in the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. The territory in question, located beyond the eastern border of Finland, was ceded to the Soviet Union during WWII.
 In opposition to his earlier statements on the matter, however, Fedorov now told the paper that the Finnish government was never informed that such an option was even on the table.
 In July of 1991, it had been 18 months since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Soviet Union had crumbled and newly appointed President  Boris Yeltsin  struggled to hold the Russian Federation together.
 His fledgling government compiled a list of territories with nationalist factions that could potentially rise up and demand autonomy or create border disputes. The Republic of Karelia was included due to what was perceived as rising insurgency in the area, Fedorov told the paper.
 Later that same year, the state coffers of the former USSR were running low. At this juncture, Yeltsin and his team went to so far as to calculate a 15-billion-dollar asking price for the ceded territory, Fedorov said, with the aim to possibly offer it to Finland.
 Adjusted for inflation, the modern-day equivalent of the price that was settled on by the Russian authorities is 22.5 billion euros.
 Contradictory statements
 This is not the first time Fedorov has gone public with his claims. The former deputy minister of foreign affairs first spoke of old Russian designs to sell Karelia in August 2007.
 At that time, he claimed that then-Finnish President  Mauno Koivisto  and Foreign Minister  Paavo Väyrynen  were aware of unofficial discussions on the matter, but now he told the paper that the deal was never revealed to anyone outside of Russia.
 "The discussions in the Russian government were held behind closed doors," he told the paper in 2019.
 Väyrynen has also said he has no recollection of ever discussing the matter with Russian officials.
 Fedorov said the Russian Federation decided later, in 1994, that the so-called " Karelian question " was officially closed.

Former Russian minister: Yeltsin considered selling ceded Karelia territory to Finland in 1991


Summary: Higher prices for a litre of 95 octane petrol were charted in only Italy, Greece, Denmark and the Netherlands.

The price of 95 RON fuel in Finland is the fifth highest among the 28 member states of the European Union this week, according to fresh  figures  from the European Commission.
 As of 15 July 2019, the average price per litre was 1.56 euros, placing Finland in fifth position overall in the weekly report, behind Italy (1.60), Greece (1.62), Denmark (1.66) and the Netherlands (1.69).
 In contrast, the cheapest prices for the same grade petrol this week were recorded in Bulgaria (1.11), Lithuania (1.14) and Latvia (1.18).
 At the start of the week, petrol was being sold for 1.36 euros per litre in Estonia, or 20 cents cheaper per litre than in Finland. The price per litre difference between the neighbouring countries for diesel fuel was much lower, at only four cents.
 Finland's average price for diesel of 1.37 euros per litre comes nowhere near the top of the EU's diesel fuel price ranking, as prices are currently higher in Sweden, the UK, France, Italy, Belgium and Greece. Sweden topped the charts in this area, with an average price per litre of 1.50 euros.
 Distinct regional differences
 The European Commission's colour-coded map of petrol prices is clearly divided into three areas: the less expensive east, the mid-priced centre, and the more expensive west and north. The only exceptions to this rule are the Mediterranean countries of Italy and Greece, which have high averages prices for both fuels.
 In Finland, taxes represent 63 percent of the final price tag for 95 octane petrol and 53 percent of the total for diesel fuel. Taxes on fuel tend to be high in Europe. According to the website GlobalPetrolPrices.com, the  average price  for a gallon of gasoline in the US on 15 July was 2.76 euros, which is equivalent to 0.73 euros per litre.
 The weekly chart of consumer prices of petroleum products in the EU is compiled from data reported by the individual member states.

Finnish petrol takes fifth place in weekly EU price ranking


Summary: The Finnish Bar Association says an official repository for last will and testaments would reduce inheritance disputes.

The interest group of lawyers known as the Finnish Bar Association has put out a call to establish a nationwide register for last will and testaments. The group says establishment of an official network of repositories run by Finnish authorities would cut back on inheritance disputes and improve the legal protections of deceased persons.
 There is currently no standardized procedure for storing such documents in Finland.
 "It is ultimately up to chance and, to some extent the honesty of the heirs, to produce the will and fulfil the last wishes of the deceased," says deputy chair of the Finnish Bar Association  Hanna Räihä-Mäntyharju , a lawyer specializing in family and inheritance law.
 The lawyers propose the system could be administered by Finland's nine existing local register offices. Submission of the last will and testaments to the register would be carried out on a volunteer basis.
 Tricky questions need answers
 The idea was proposed once before in Finland, in 2004. During the last parliamentary session, two MPs submitted a written request to Justice Minister  Antti Häkkänen  to explore the possibility once again.
 Häkkänen said at the time that many issues would have to be settled before the proposal could move forward, such as the question of whether last will and testaments in the register would be considered more valid than other, perhaps updated versions that might be turn up after a person dies.
 "For example, if someone draws up an emergency will just before his or her death, there's a good chance it would never be filed in the register," Häkkänen said.
 Justice ministry department head  Antti Leinonen  comments that no major drawbacks have been noted that would necessitate making changes to the current system.
 "It would be quite unfortunate if the authors of last will and testaments had to worry about getting official stamps and re-submitting the documents to a register every time they wish to make changes or tweaks," he says.
 Register would make them easy to find
 Last wills and testaments are currently found in many places in Finland – in safety deposit boxes, lawyer's offices, and under mattresses. Sometimes news that the author has died never reaches the storage location and papers are forgotten.
 "It's a good idea to tell someone that you've drawn up a will and inform them about where it is kept. There's no need to reveal anything about its content," says the Bar Association's Räihä-Mäntyharju.
 She adds that the benefit of an official register will increase as the population grows older and memory disorders become more common.

Finnish lawyers propose setting up official register for wills


Summary: Criticism of Finland's press and judiciary, scarcity of berry pickers affecting harvest, and Finland is warmer than Spain.

Leading daily Helsingin Sanomat reports on yet another article  by Hungarian news website  Origo  which is highly critical of Finland’s judiciary and media freedom . The latest piece, entitled “ I bet you didn’t know this about Finland ”, was written by  Zoltán Kovács , Secretary of State for International Relations and Communications at the office of the Prime Minister  Viktor Orbán .
 According to HS, the  Origo  news website is owned by Orbán’s populist Fidesz party and has produced a string of critical articles since Finland took over the EU presidency at the beginning of July.
 In the latest tirade, Kovács writes that Finns “preach water, drink wine” which HS interprets as an accusation that Finns are hypocrites about matters like freedom of the press. The article further states that the plurality of voices in Finnish media is "seriously threatened", that Finland does not have a constitutional court, and that the independence of the Finnish judiciary is "non-existent", according to HS.
 Päivi Nevala , of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, responded to the article on Twitter by linking Kovács to the Reporters Without Borders and World Justice Project reports for 2019.  Finland tied for second place  in the 2019 Press Freedom Index rankings published by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Hungary ranked 87th.
 Berries left to rot
 Many newspapers describe the problems facing the berry industry this summer, with Turku daily Turun Sanomat reporting that the  low numbers of Thai berry pickers in Finland this year will have an effect on the overall harvest .
 Authorities in Thailand  limited the amount of pickers who could apply for visas to Finland to 2,400  - the same figure as last year - despite appeals from the industry for an increase in applicants. In 2015, there were 4,000 berry pickers from Thailand in Finland for the summer season, and the smaller number of pickers will have a detrimental effect on the harvest, according to  Janne Naapanki , Managing Director of the Kainuu-based Arctic International.
 The 2018 conviction of a  berry firm owner for trafficking 26 Thais into Finland  may have influenced the Thai authorities' decision to refuse the ministry's request.
 “There is a risk that the current amount of pickers will not be enough to collect the berries, even if there are some in the forest,” Naapanki tells Turun Sanomat. “We would need hundreds more pickers in addition to the hundreds of Thai pickers now coming. Sales would grow even more if we could get the raw material.”
 Despite the best efforts of the pickers currently working in Finland's forests, bilberries and lingonberries will be left to rot if there are not enough people to pick them, according to TS.
 Tampere hotter than Las Palmas
 Many newspapers also carry weather-related stories, as Finland prepares for temperatures of over 30 degrees this coming week.
 According to tabloid Ilta-Sanomat,  many Finns are now regretting their hasty decisions to book foreign holidays  after the much cooler start to the summer in Finland. Many of the tourist resorts popular with Finns will be cooler than parts of Finland.
 The Canary Islands resort of Las Palmas, for example, will be 23 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while it will be a full 10 degrees warmer in the Finnish city of Tampere. Other popular resorts, such as the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Rhodes and the Croatian seaside cities of Split and Dubrovnik, will not exceed 30 degrees.

Monday's papers: Hungary's anti-Finland propaganda, unpicked berries, and the heatwave continues


Summary: Bonuses and pension payments helped CEOs' incomes rise to 48 times that of regular employees.

The CEOs of large companies in Finland earned approximately 48 times the salary of a regular employee last year, according to a report by Finland's biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. In 2010, the difference was 37 times.
 The wedge has been widened by the awarding of larger bonuses to bosses, but increases in CEO salaries have also been a contributing factor.
 According to the HS survey, CEOs' fixed basic salaries have risen by 20 percent since 2010. During the same period, the average salary of an ordinary employee increased by 14 percent.
 Since 2005, Helsingin Sanomat has been monitoring the remuneration (basic salary plus bonuses) received by the CEOs of about 40 major companies. In 2010, the report also began to include share-based bonuses and supplementary pension payments.
 According to the survey, companies have slowly shifted the focus of remuneration towards equity bonuses. Stock bonuses and retirement payments almost doubled the CEO's earnings to an average of 2.1 million euros per year.

Wage gap between bosses and workers widens, paper reports


Summary: The agency said officer patrols were avoiding the area because the bear was still devouring its prey.

Rare images of a brown bear attacking and killing an elk was captured by a camera in northeast Finland operated by the Border Guard over the weekend, according to a tweet issued by the agency on Monday.
 Images from the surveillance camera located deep in the forest of Kuusamo municipality often show wildlife roaming around the border area, but grisly scenes like the one captured on Saturday are rare, according to  Jussi Voutilainen , director general of the Kajaani Border Guard.
 The footage showed the bear biting into the neck of the elk, killing the animal and then scurrying away.
 "Now she's eating it at the same location," Voutilainen said.
 The surveillance camera is triggered by a motion detector and takes photos when it senses movement.
 "Our patrols are now trying to avoid the area. The bear certainly wants to defend its prey, so safety precautions need to be taken into consideration," Voutilainen explained on Monday.

Border Guard camera catches bear killing elk near Russia


Summary: Mounting Hungarian criticism appears to be motivated by Finnish-led talks that consider tying EU funding to the rule of law.

Hungarian Prime Minister  Viktor Orbán  has criticized Finland at a political event in Romania, accusing the Nordic country of double standards.
 "We have to bite our lip when our Finnish friends criticize the state of our legal system. We can't smile or laugh – we have to stay cool and give good answers," Orbán told a crowd of thousands at the Tusványos Festival, located in a part of Transylvania with strong Hungarian roots.
 Orbán said that Finland – which recently assumed the rotating presidency of the European Council – has a very problematic legal system. He singled out Finland's lack of a separate court for dealing with matters of constitutional law and the presidential authority to appoint judges.
 In light of this, he implied that Hungarians find it ridiculous when Finland calls attention to Hungary's enforcement of the rule of law.
 Concern about loss of funding
 Mounting  Hungarian criticism  appears to be motivated by Finnish plans during its term of European Council presidency to weigh tying EU funding to the rule of law. Hungary is traditionally one of the largest beneficiaries of EU aid.
 Finnish public broadcaster Yle spoke with Hungary's Justice Minister  Judit Varga  in Tusványos. She said the attacks on Finland were not orchestrated by the Hungarian government, although a former state secretary  Zoltán Kovács  was shown to be behind earlier blog posts that made the same critique of Finland's legal system.
 Saturday marked the first time that Prime Minister Orbán himself made such accusations.
 He also used the occasion to say that Hungary must stay strong in its dealings with Finland.
 The annual Tusványos Festival is a music gathering with political overtones. As a proponent of national conservatism, Hungary's populist prime minister has used the forum to deliver several keynote speeches. In 2014, for example, he declared Hungary's official transition to an "illiberal democracy" there.
 Minister: Finland fulfilling EU-appointed responsibility
 Finland's Minister of European Affairs  Tytti Tuppurainen  commented that she hasn't yet studied Orbán's specific comments, but said she is familiar with Hungarian opposition to the plans to make EU funding dependent on the rule of law.
 "This is not a process that was set in motion by Finland against Hungary, but rather an initiative of the European Parliament. The Parliament made a decision a year ago that obliged the Council to discuss Hungarian matters and hear Hungary out," she said.
 Tuppurainen said Finland was simply fulfilling its mandate dictated by the European Parliament.
 "Finland is now doing what we are required to do as the country serving as European Council President. We lead the conversations; we are by no means prosecutors," she said.

Hungary's PM Orbán harshly criticizes Finland, accuses it of "double standards"


Summary: Iranian authorities reportedly removed 23 crew members from the ship, claiming the vessel violated international maritime rules.

Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made a request at the Finnish Embassy in Tehran, Iran to look into the situation of a Latvian citizen who was detained by Iranian officials following a fuel tanker incident in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
 Twenty-three crew members of the tanker Stena Impero were detained by Iranian authorities on Friday after the ship was approached by smaller vessels and a helicopter, according to the owner of the vessel, UK-based shipping firm Stena Bulk.
 "Soon after the vessel was approached by unidentified small naval craft and a helicopter during her transit of the Strait of Hormuz in international waters at approximately 1600 hrs BST [Friday], the vessel suddenly deviated from her passage to Jubail and headed north towards Iran," the firm said in a statement issued on Friday.
 The company announced on Sunday it had formally requested permission to visit the crew members and was waiting for a response.
 Officials at the Finnish embassy in Tehran said that one of those detained included a Latvian man who had worked aboard the UK-flagged tanker.
 No word yet
 Laura Vanhanen , the Finnish embassy's Deputy Head of Mission, said the Latvian foreign ministry had made a request for assistance over the weekend, first verbally then in writing.
 Latvia, a Baltic neighbour of Finland, does not have an embassy in Iran, and requested assistance in accordance with EU treaty rules.
 "We will actively pursue such matters in cases when an EU member state approaches with such a request," Vanhanen explained to Yle by phone.
 "We have been in contact with the Iranian foreign ministry. We have a good working relationship there. In addition, we have been in constant contact with our Latvian colleagues," Vanhanen said, noting that the embassy has been in contact with the Iranian foreign ministry over the weekend and as recently as Monday morning.
 Vanhanen said the Mission was not aware of any health related issues concerning the detained crew members and that it is unclear when the matter would be resolved.
 "We are watching the situation develop," Vanhanen explained.
 In addition to the Latvian national, other crew members taken into custody included citizens of India, Russia and the Philippines, according to French news outlet AFP.
 Iranian authorities have claimed that the tanker's crew violated international maritime rules.

Latvia asks Finland for help reaching tanker crew member in Iran


Summary: The government is looking to introduce measures aimed at tackling the increasing levels of household debt in Finland.

Poll results show that 42 percent of Finnish residents would support the introduction of a debt ceiling, while 47% are opposed to the idea, according to results of a survey commissioned by Yle about household debt.
 Debt ceiling legislation being mulled by the government would affect household mortgages, housing company loans, and consumer loans, and while it would not prevent borrowing, it would limit the amount of a loan an individual can take in the event of a payment default.
 The idea of setting up debt ceilings has become a hot topic in the debate over the increasing rate of  personal debt problems in the country . The Bank of Finland proposed that the country should implement debt ceilings at the beginning of this summer.
 Story continues after graphic.
 Mikko Airikka / Yle
 While roughly half of those surveyed favoured the debt ceiling and half did not, 11 percent of respondents were unwilling or unable to express their views. This group included a particularly large number of 15-24 year olds, many of whom are still relatively inexperienced in lending.
 The results showed that support for a debt ceiling increased among older age groups. Those under the age of 49 with the most loans had a negative attitude towards a debt ceiling. People over 50, on the other hand, were more supportive of the measure.
 Yle took to the streets of Helsinki to ask people for their opinions.
 Story continues after photo.
 Mikael Friskopf, Helsinki: "I don't have a direct position. If you can't take care of yourself, it's good to have someone take care of you. But a debt ceiling could limit the opportunities for some groups of people to buy - and to plan their lives." Markku Pitkänen / Yle
 Housing company loans increasingly a source of debt
 The level of Finnish residents in debt grew rapidly during the 2000's, although the pace has slowed somewhat in recent years.
 The main sources of debt are mortgages, consumer loans and, increasingly, housing company loans. That's why the Bank of Finland has called for a broad debt ceiling.
 Story continues after graphic.
 Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) Mikko Airikka / Yle
 Currently, the only available debt ceiling is related to home loans. Mortgage loans are granted on the basis of the borrower's collateral and savings. On the other hand, household and consumer loans are not granted on that basis, allowing consumers to more readily get over their heads in debt..
 The government has pledged to work on reducing over-indebtedness and debt-related problems, and the issue is set to be discussed after the parliamentary holiday season ends in late August. A Treasury Task Force is also scheduled to submit a report on what measures should be taken to curb over-indebtedness.
 The option of introducing a consumer debt ceiling is one of the measures on the government's table.
 Story continues after photo.
 Briitta Korhonen, Espoo: "The debt ceiling is of course part of that old-fashioned control society, but it would provide more security. Everything is based on consumption nowadays, and the only talk is of growth. It's a problem." Markku Pitkänen / Yle
 Positive Credit Register
 The fine details of how a debt ceiling might work are yet to be resolved; such as ways to set up a low debt ceiling, and how to create the ability to legally access information about residents' debt levels.
 Implementing a debt ceiling would also require setting up a positive credit register or similar system. A positive credit register is a database from which lender companies can see a borrower's loan amounts as well as income information - in real time. Currently, lenders only see data regarding a potential borrower's possible  payment defaults , if there are any to be seen.
 Despite those needed changes, a positive credit register is widely expected to be introduced to Finland during the government's term.
 Story continues after photo.
 Sofia Aalto (left) and Jonna Sorvisto, Helsinki: "Sounds good. We work in a bank and the debt of young people is worrying. We want everything and don't seem to realise that it needs to be paid off at some point." Markku Pitkänen / Yle
 "It is absolutely necessary to address it now"
 Real action is on the way, says  Anu Raijas , Research Manager at the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.
 "We are constantly seeing different statistics showing that households are having problems with credit. It is absolutely necessary to address it now," Raijas told Yle.
 Raijas is a long-term debt researcher and one of the experts on the Ministry's working group. She points out that limitations on borrowing are only meant to root out problems, not place restrictions on people's sovereignty.
 "Ultimately, it is always up to each household to decide whether or not to borrow. But there is also a need for some regulation and responsible lending," Raijas added.
 Story continues after photo.
 Hannu Mäensivu, Tampere: "Debt ceiling sounds pretty good to me. You have to get someone to stop your debt. Goods are sold too easily now and on too good terms." Markku Pitkänen / Yle
 The fastest increase in household debt levels took place in Helsinki. Between 2012 and 2017, household debt in the capital increased by an average of 17 percent, compared to only four percent in the rest of the country.
 Timo Cantell , Helsinki City Information Manager, said he is not worried about debt trends in the capital.
 "Not at all. The cost of housing is largely responsible for the level of debt, and it is known that house prices here are going up - or at least staying level. Mortgages are also about increasing your wealth and not as risky as anywhere else in the country," Cantell explains.
 Net assets are growing not only in Helsinki but elsewhere in Finland. Nevertheless, all loans are subject to economic fluctuations.
 "Mortgages are bigger in euros, but the biggest risks are hidden on the consumer credit side. And if the finance ministry's rhetoric is followed, then people will be encouraged towards more private consumption," Raijas said.
 The survey, commissioned by Yle and carried out by polling firm Tilastokeskus, queried 982 residents over the age of 15 by telephone at the beginning of June. The poll had a margin of error of around three percentage points in either direction.

Yle poll: Nearly half in Finland want a household 'debt ceiling' established


Summary: Russia is said to be rolling out free electronic tourist visas for some areas, but it's not yet clear who'll be eligible for them.

Russia is planning to reform it's tourist visa system, and introduce an online, free-of-charge visa for travel to certain areas, according to reports from a number of Russian media outlets.
 In the northwestern Leningrad region, which includes the cities of St. Petersburg and Vyborg, the proposed reform would come into effect from the beginning of October this year.
 The Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg told Yle on Sunday that no information about the proposed visa changes has yet been received through official channels. Therefore, the consul was unable to confirm when the e-visa will be introduced and whether it will apply to people living in Finland.
 "But if Russia's President  Vladimir Putin  has signed the declaration, as the press reports say, then it can be considered pretty certain at this point," said Consul  Sebastian Gahnström .
 It is however considered likely that people living in Finland are one tourist group that the reform will be seeking to attract.  Alexander Drozdenko , governor of the Leningrad region, told the Russian news agency TASS in an interview last week that the reform will significantly increase tourist numbers from Finland and the Baltic countries.
 Russia already has an electronic visa system in place for the Kaliningrad and Vladivostok regions which, according to Gahnström, works relatively well.
 "It's fast, I think it's free and it's completely online, so for the applicant the process is really much smoother than the standard visa procedure. However, we do not yet know whether a similar arrangement will apply to the Leningrad region," Gahnström said.
 How the e-visa differs from the current visa
 Saimaa Travel, a tour operator based in the eastern Finnish city of Lappeenranta, has organised cruises to Vyborg and connecting links to St. Petersburg for over twenty years. Cruise trips to both these cities are currently visa-free, but travelers on the Allegro train still need a visa to enter the region.
 Kirsti Laine , Managing Director of Saimaa Travel, is confident that e-visas will increase tourism - especially as tourists' interest in Russia has grown in recent years.
 "There will no longer be any difficulties when preparing to travel", Laine told Yle.
 Under the current system, a visa is usually applied for through a travel agency. Applicants must send their passports and photographs to the agency and pay a processing fee. Currently, travel agencies charge approximately 80 euros for a single tourist visa.
 The new system could allow travelers to apply for their own visa online, and at no cost.
 Suvi Palosaari , from Oulu, said the new system sounded "promising" as she boarded the train to St. Petersburg on Sunday.
 "We had to take normal visas and I had to get an express visa. It was quite expensive," Palosaari said.
 Ellen, Anna and Mikael Anthoni boarded the Allegro train to St. Petersburg on Sunday morning.  Jari Pussinen / Yle
 However, the electronic system is not without challenges. Last week, tabloid newspaper Ilta-Sanomat  tested the Kaliningrad online visa application form , and encountered problems when attempting to upload images.
 "We hope it works. Of course, there's always the other side of these issues, whether the visa application works as easily as it's supposed to," said Saimaa Travel's Laine.
 "It's easier to get here than to Berlin"
 Finnish tourists are increasingly interested in travelling to St. Petersburg, as is evident at Helsinki Central Station on Sunday morning as the Allegro train waits to depart. The train is fully booked to the very last seat, according to staff, as have been many other connections during this summer.
 Finns are not the only nationality on the Sunday morning Helsinki to St. Petersburg train. There are also a large number of Russian travelers returning from trips to Finland, as well as tourists from other countries - including a group of Australians.
 According to Consul Sebastian Gahnström, in addition to visiting the traditional cultural sites, Finnish tourists are now turning to places like St. Petersburg to experience a new kind of urban culture with its restaurants and events. The proposed e-visa system will very likely lead to an increase the number of people travelling from Finland to St. Petersburg, according to Gahnström.
 "For some travelers, obtaining a traditional visa has been a costly and lengthy process. If the e-visa is implemented according to the Kaliningrad model, St. Petersburg will seem a lot closer. It will be easier to get here than Berlin," Gahnström said.
 Russia has made a number of attempts to simplify the visa application process in recent years. At last summer's football World Cup Finals,  it was possible to purchase a visa and a train ticket at the same time . Gahnström thinks that such experiments are still ongoing.
 "According to Russian authorities, the organisation of the World Cup went well and now they want to expand this type of experiment," Gahnström explained.

Russia's visa reform could make St. Petersburg trips easier and cheaper


Summary: The 50-euro note is the most popular option among counterfeiters, according to the Bank of Finland.

Since the beginning of this year, 426 counterfeit euro banknotes have been discovered in circulation in Finland, the Bank of Finland announced on Friday. This number is a slight increase on the number of fakes found over the same period last year, but the number of counterfeits in Finland is still low in comparison to other Eurozone countries.
 "There is very little circulation of counterfeit notes in Finland. Usually they arrive here from abroad before being quickly discovered," said banknote specialist  Olli Vehmas  from the Bank of Finland.
 Of the fakes, 260 were discovered to be forged 50 euro notes, while 90 were found to be bogus twenties.
 In total, authorities found more than 830 counterfeit notes in Finland last year – with around 340 seized during the first half of the year, and nearly 500 found in the second half. In 2017, authorities found about 770 counterfeit notes in total.
 In June, police  warned people to be on the lookout  for fake movie prop notes which had found their way into the circulation of cash in Finland.
 Using counterfeit money is a criminal offence that can carry a prison sentence of up to one year.

Over 400 fake notes found in Finland so far this year


Summary: Police do not believe that more sex crimes are being committed, but rather that more are being reported.

The number of reports of sexual offences increased by more than 16 percent in the first half of 2019, according to a statement issued by Finnish police.
 However, police do not believe that more sex crimes are being committed, but rather that more are being reported.
 "It should be noted that these figures refer only to the number of reported crimes and do not therefore indicate whether the number of offenders has increased. In other words, the same offender may be the suspect in more than one case," the police's  press release  stated.
 The increase has also been attributed to the filing of several reports over a short period of time, for example when a suspect is held on suspicion of committing one crime, but earlier offences are subsequently added to the suspect's charge sheet.
 According to the police statistics, the suspect was known to the victim in about 67 percent of the reported sexual offenses.
 Furthermore, approximately three quarters of the suspects were Finnish nationals, while just over one quarter were foreign nationals, an increase of about six per cent compared with last year.
 100 percent increase in sex crime reports in Oulu
 According to Chief of Police  Seppo Kolehmainen , the year-on-year difference has been driven by an increased concentration of reporting around specific population groups and in certain regions.
 In Oulu, the total number of sexual offence reports increased by more than 100 per cent in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, with 205 sexual offences being brought to the attention of the Oulu Police Department from January to June this year.
 Of these reports, the number of rapes was almost twice as high as in January to June last year, and the number of reported child sexual abuse cases was 42 percent higher than in the corresponding period of 2018.
 However, Oulu is not the only place where the reporting of sex crimes has increased.
 In the area patrolled by the Western Uusimaa Police Department, the number of sexual offence reports increased by almost 65 percent. There was a particular spike in the reporting of cases involving the sexual exploitation of a child, with 131 reports filed, an increase of almost 105 percent.
 The number of rape reports in the region also increased, by almost 29 percent, with 45 separate cases recorded.
 Elsewhere in Finland, the number of sexual offence reports is similar to last year, or has decreased. Reports to the Eastern Finland Police Department were down by almost 13 percent in January to June this year, with 23 fewer incidents being brought to the police's attention than in the corresponding period last year.

Police: reporting of sex offences up 16 percent


Summary: The new high-end plant is scheduled to start operating in 2022 and will significantly increase UPM's pulp production.

Finnish forest industry company UPM has announced the firm plans to invest heavily in a new pulp mill in Uruguay.
 A 2.1 million tonne greenfield eucalyptus pulp mill will be built near the city of Paso de los Toros on the banks of the Rio Negro river in central Uruguay. The investment is reportedly worth approximately 2.4 billion euros.
 The increased use of pulp, for example in consumer and industrial packaging, has seen  Finland's pulp industry thrive over the past decade .
 In addition to the mill investment, UPM will also invest approximately 310 million euros in developing the port operations of the capital city Montevideo, which is located approximately 260 kilometres away.
 The company also said it plans to invest in a new residential area in Paso de los Toros, as well as improve the city's municipal waste water treatment plant and restore the municipal landfill.
 The investment is intended to increase UPM's pulp capacity by more than 50 percent when the plant begins operating in the second half of 2022.
 According to UPM, the conditions for the investment were carefully planned and prepared with the Uruguayan government.
 "During the past decade UPM has developed additional plantation areas in Uruguay and created a market driven pulp business with wide customer base in growing end uses," said  Jussi Pesonen , President and CEO of UPM, in a statement issued Tuesday.
 "At the same time, we have consistently improved our financial performance and achieved a truly industry leading balance sheet. We are now in an excellent position to take this transformative step and capture the opportunities of attractive, growing markets in a sustainable and highly competitive way," Pesonen said.

Finland’s UPM to build €2.4bn pulp mill in Uruguay


Summary: The press dives under the Baltic Sea surface, examines the troubled return of an embattled politician, and finds Finnish success at Comic-Con.

Main daily Helsingin Sanomat’s climate correspondent  Piia Elonen  goes  "under the surface"  of the Baltic Sea around the Finnish archipelago to witness at first hand the devastating effects climate change and eutrophication are having on the sea water as well as plant life and fish. The biggest problems, according to HS, are caused by eutrophication, which occurs when water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients - much of which comes from agricultural runoff. This in turn creates oxygen-depleting levels of algae, ultimately spreading “silent death” along the bottom of the sea.
 The article describes the problems facing the "wonderful, miserable, unique, vulnerable" Baltic Sea; from the "greenish yellow porridge" on the beach to the slimy green algae that obscures the view to the seabed. Canoeists and sailors have begun to steer clear of the Archipelago Sea in July, according to HS, and fish caught there may not be suitable for consumption by children or pregnant women.
 The Baltic Sea is however "beautiful in its own special way, and worth saving," and efforts to conserve the sea have been ongoing since the 1974 signing of the Convention for the Protection of the Baltic Sea. The problems, however, are becoming further exacerbated by climate change and the time for action is now, the paper’s climate correspondent concludes, before it is too late.
 Fresh scandal for embattled politician
 Many papers report on the continued troubles of Social Democratic Party politician  Hussein al-Taee , who has only just  returned to work from sick leave after controversial comments  he had made on Facebook several years ago about homosexuals, Jews, Somalis and Sunni Muslims came to light.
 Now a fresh storm is brewing, as a report by tabloid Iltalehti accuses al-Taee  of falsifying or “at least embellishing” his educational information on his LinkedIn page  and on the parliamentary website.
 According to the paper’s investigation, the Iraqi-born politician claimed to have completed two Master's Degree programs at the University of Warsaw: one in Leadership, and another in International Relations and American Studies. However, the university confirmed to the tabloid that al-Taee never completed either of these courses. The univerisity confirmed that the MP did receive a degree from the institution for a 2016 thesis on the role of Iraq's pension system in supporting stability and growth of the country.
 Furthermore, the paper reveals that al-Taee’s claim to have received a diploma in ‘International Relations and Diplomacy’ from the University of Lincoln in the UK was also not corroborated by the awarding university, which instead has a record of al-Taee studying International Management.
 IL report that al-Taee’s LinkedIn page was updated after they began their investigation, and the paper asked the politician to explain how and why this happened in an email exchange on Monday.
 “I have not been active on LinkedIn, so my profile information was incomplete and inaccurate,” al-Taee told the tabloid.
 'Cartoon Oscar' for Finnish artist
 Turku daily Turun Sanomat reports on the success of local cartoonist  Max Sarin , who was awarded two Eisner awards - often known as the Cartoon Oscars - at the Comic-Con event in San Diego.
 According to TS, Sarin and his fellow cartoonists  John Allison  and  Julia Madrigal  won in both the 'Best Continuing Series' and the 'Best Humor Publication' categories for their comic series  Giant Days . Sarin and his co-cartoonists' victory was made all the more impressive by the fact that they beat comic book heavyweights DC’s  Batman  and Marvel's  The Immortal Hulk  to the prize for 'Best Continuing Series,' according to TS.
 Sarin has been working on Giant Days since 2015, which follows the fictional lives of three university students; Susan, Esther and Daisy. Max Sarin

Tuesday's papers: Deep archipelago troubles, fresh storm for al-Taee, and Finnish cartoonist wins big


Summary: However, there were 16,000 more employed people in June than the same month a year ago.

Finland's employment rate increased only very slightly during the first half of this year and currently stands at 72.4 percent, according to revised figures published by the national statistical institution Statistics Finland.
 The number crunching agency reported that Finland's unemployment rate currently stands at 6.5 percent.
 The employment rate measures the share of employed people in the population aged 15-64, and the statistics take account of seasonal and random variations in the employment situation over the course of the six month period.
 Government's target is 75 percent
 The total number of people employed in Finland in June was 2.6 million, and the current employment rate is a slight increase on the rate recorded in June 2018, of 71.7 percent.
 Statistics Finland also reported that there were 16,000 fewer unemployed people in June than during the same month last year.
 The rate of employment in Finland is constantly tracked, and it has been seen as a key measure of the success or failure of each government's employment initiatives.
 The previous government led by  Juha Sipilä  achieved its target of a 72 percent employment rate  at the end of last year . The current government has set itself a target of 75 percent, a goal which has been seen as challenging given the current slow rate of economic growth.
 Prime Minister  Antti Rinne  announced at the government and social partners' employment seminar in June that the 75 percent employment rate  target  is the government's primary objective for all economic activities.
 "If necessary, decisive action will be taken to achieve this objective. No options are excluded," Rinne commented at the time.

Finland's employment rate stagnated in first half of the year


Summary: The berry pickers were headed to work when an inebriated driver crashed head-on into their van, according to police.

Two people are reported to be in critical condition, and a number of others seriously injured, after a minibus carrying Thai berry pickers was involved in a high speed crash with another vehicle near Peräseinäjoki in the Southern Ostrobothnia region of western Finland.
 According to police, 11 people were involved in the accident which occurred at approximately 5am on Tuesday on a stretch of road in the village of Kihniänkylä - including ten Thai workers in the minibus and the sole occupant of the passenger car, who needed to be cut out of the damaged vehicle.
 Police suspect the driver of the car of traffic endangerment, causing bodily harm, and aggravated drunk driving.
 Fire chief  Kaj Ny  of the Southern Ostrobothnian Rescue Service said the accident was a high-speed, head-on collision, and confirmed to Yle that all of the passengers on the minibus were Thai berry pickers.
 "It's impossible to say what the real speed was, but probably about 60 to 80 kilometres per hour at least," Ny said.
 Story continues after photo.
 The crash occurred in the village of Kihniänkylä, near Peräseinäjoki in Southern Ostrobothnia.  Yle Uutisgrafiikka
 According to preliminary information from the police, the car was travelling from the town of Virrat towards the Puräseinäjoki river when it veered onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into the minibus, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
 The most seriously injured were passengers in the minibus, police confirmed.
 "The most important thing is that everyone survives"
 The Thai workers involved in the accident were berry pickers hired by Polarica, and were on their way to today's picking location, according to  Jukka Kristo , the CEO of the food company. Kristo added that he is shocked by what happened this morning.
 "The most important thing is that everyone survives. That is the top priority for us right now,” Kristo commented.
 Polarica has provided information on the identities of all the occupants of the minibus to the police, as well as to Seinäjoki Central Hospital.
 Polarica has hired 580 pickers in Finland, of which 350 are currently working in the South Ostrobothnia area, while others are located in Lapland.
 Two in critical condition
 Field Manager  Olli Laitala , of the Ostrobothnia Hospital District Emergency Services, told Yle that this was a very serious incident.
 "In the context of the region of Southern Ostrobothnia, we are talking about a major accident," Laitala said.
 Story continues after photo.
 The injured have been taken to Seinäjoki Central Hospital for treatment. Hans-Mikael Holmgren / Yle
 Jouko Kähkönen , chief of the intensive care unit at Seinäjoki Central Hospital, confirmed that the injuries sustained by the two people in critical condition are life threatening.
 "We have a couple of critically injured patients who are still in danger," he said.
 The other nine people involved in the accident also suffered injuries, according to Kähkönen. Initially, it was investigated whether there was a need to transfer patients, but so far all of the victims have been treated at Seinäjoki Central Hospital. The hospital has handled the situation well, Kähkönen added.
 Rescue units from the nearby municipalities of Jalasjärvi and Peräseinäjoki were called to the crash scene and a number of ambulances as well as a medical helicopter were also required. The minibus has since been removed from the scene.

Drink driver behind serious Thai berry picker van crash, police say


Summary: Two people were injured in a shooting incident Tuesday, police said they have apprehended one suspect and are investigating.

A shooting took place in downtown Helsinki injuring two people on Tuesday afternoon, according to police. The incident occurred on the street of Hietalahdenkatu in the city's Kamppi district.
 Members from the police, fire and rescue services departments were called to the scene.
 Police announced at 5:43 pm one suspect was in custody and said earlier that the injuries sustained by the shooting victims were not life-threatening.
 Police tweeted at 5:23 pm that "Currently, no acute danger is known in the center of Helsinki. We continue to investigate the incident."
 Evening tabloid newspaper Iltalehti reported that an eyewitness said three shots had been fired.
 Story continues after tweet.
 Iltalehti published a photo of an ambulance and police vehicle at the location of the incident, and quoted an eyewitness saying that there were at least five police vehicles at the site.
 According to news service STT, an eyewitness said a person was lying on the street, receiving first aid from rescue workers, while another individual was reportedly seen holding the midsection of his or her own body.
 Story continues after photo.
 Several police units as well as rescue services responded to the scene. Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
 STT also reported that a passenger aboard a tram which was in the area as the incident occurred said the streetcar stood still for about ten minutes. People reportedly approached the tram stop, saying they had heard shots fired.
 The news agency reported that a number of police officers were seen in the area of the Ruoholahti metro station at about 4:30pm, which is a few blocks from where the shots were reportedly fired.
 A Twitter user named Howard Guo responded to the Helsinki police department's tweet about the incident.
 "A white car stopped at that intersection, i heard three gunshots, and then two men started walking away from the vehicle at normal pace, after hearing the gunshots passengers disembarking from Ruoholahden Villat tram stop started to run," Guo tweeted at 4:40pm Tuesday.
 This story may be updated as it develops.

Two hurt in downtown Helsinki shooting, police say


Summary: The head physician at a city hospital said patients hurt on e-scooters have arrived on a nearly daily basis.

As the number of rentable e-scooters increases on the streets of greater Helsinki, so too have the number of  scooter-related accidents  in the area, according to a local hospital.
 In a relatively short period of time e-scooters have become part -  some say scourge  - of the city landscape since their debut earlier this year. Earlier this month scooters from the US-based firm Lime became the most recent option for prospective e-scooter riders on Helsinki streets, joining ones from Germany's TIER and Sweden's VOI.
 Renting a scooter is relatively easy. Riders simply open a mobile app and activate the devices and hop on. But riding them safely appears to be a bigger challenge for some.
 The most common types of scooter-related injuries seen in the city include head and facial injuries as well as broken limbs, according to the head physician at Töölö Hospital,  Kaisa Virtanen .
 Injuries often lead to surgery
 Virtanen said that since the beginning of June until Monday (22 July) the facility had treated 30 patients who'd fallen off their scooters.
 "That's four or five a week, nearly one per day," Virtanen explained, noting that a significant number of patients required surgery.
 "Out of 30 of the most recent patients who were hurt on scooters, 11 had gone to the operating room. That's more than a third," the physician said.
 Twelve of the patients had injuries to the head, face or teeth, according to Virtanen. After that, injuries to the upper body, often broken arms, were the second most common, and broken legs were the third most common.
 She said it is unlikely that the number of accidents will go down any time soon.
 "I think as long as people use e-scooters there will be accidents," Virtanen said.
 Story continues after photo.
 Rentable e-scooter from US firm Lime on pavement in Brussels, Belgium. Anna Karismo / Yle
 However, despite the accidents, the e-scooters appear to be very popular and people can be seen whisking along on them day and night across the city.
 Helsinki resident  Raija Rahkila  said she hasn't tried out an e-scooter and doesn't plan to.
 "It surprises me that more accidents haven't happened, particularly when you think about how fast people ride them through crowds," she said.
 "I haven't seen any bigger crashes, but have definitely seen people fall when they try to ride over big kerbs," Rahkila said.
 Meanwhile,  Felicia Sahrman  and  Freddy Kellerman , tourists from Gothenburg, Sweden, said they're used to the way people ride e-scooters from experiences back home.
 "Mostly the problem is that people rarely use helmets," Sahrman said, with Kellerman agreeing. However, neither said they'd actually witnessed a scooter accident.

Rent-a-scooter injuries increasingly common in Helsinki