Summary: The infection rate among unvaccinated people is around 700 per 100,000 inhabitants — almost four times the national infection rate recorded during the worst stage of the pandemic.

The number of Covid-19 patients being treated in hospitals in Finland is rising sharply, with Helsinki University Hospital reporting that their Covid patient intake has doubled over the course of the last month.
 On 21 September, the hospital was treating 37 patients for the virus. That figure is now 74.
 The need for intensive care treatment has also increased significantly, with the hospital currently treating 14 coronavirus patients on ICU wards.
 The number of Covid patients requiring hospital treatment is still considerably lower than last spring, but healthcare authorities are concerned that the figure is higher than the previous infection peak in August.
 They added that the increase in the need for hospital treatment is due to the spread of the virus among unvaccinated people.
 "The risk of an unvaccinated person getting sick is now higher than perhaps ever before," Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district's (HUS's) infectious disease specialist and chief physician  Asko Järvinen  told Yle.
 Infection rate among unvaccinated multiple times higher
 According to data provided by public health agency THL, the infection rate among unvaccinated people is currently around 700 per 100,000 inhabitants — almost four times the national infection rate recorded during the worst stage of the pandemic.
 Finland's national infection rate has remained below 200 per 100,000 inhabitants throughout the pandemic, although the rate in Helsinki has peaked at just over 500 during the worst stages.
 Infection rates are again on the rise, but remain significantly lower than during the previous infection peak in August. However, hospitalisations are higher.
 Furthermore, there is now a much higher threshold for being tested for the virus, which could mean that many cases are going undetected and not appearing in the official statistics.
 "The number of tests being carried out has clearly reduced by just under one half. Now in October, a large portion of infections are not being detected, as people are not applying to take a test. Therefore, the number of infections cannot be directly compared between August and October," Järvinen said.
 Previously, the rise in the infection rate was an early indicator of an increased burden on healthcare services.
 "As you can clearly see from the data, the need for hospital care has followed the increase in the infection rate, with a slight delay, during the previous waves of the pandemic," Järvinen said.
 Unvaccinated Covid survivor urges people to get jab
 Kalle Suvanto , a 32-year-old man from Hämeenlinna, told Yle that he was in excellent health until he contracted Covid in September, and was then bedridden.
 "Recovering from Covid took several days. In addition to the fever, my hands and feet and even my eyes ached. All bets were off and I couldn't do anything for a few days," Suvanto said, adding that he had not been vaccinated when he contracted the virus.
 "Speaking now after having the disease, I have to say that I should have taken the vaccine," he said.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Covid survivor Kalle Suvanto encourages unvaccinated people to get the jab. Antti Ruonaniemi / Yle
 Even though he has now recovered from the infection, the virus has left a nasty aftereffect.
 "My sense of taste and smell are still partially missing. I can taste certain things, like sweet and bitter things, but my sense of smell is non-existent," Suvanto said.
 While recovering from the infection, Suvanto was isolated from his partner and one-year-old son for ten days, which he said was an emotionally tough experience for the entire family.
 "It can't be explained to a child that age what Covid is and why dad is staying away," he said.

HUS doc: Covid infection rate multiple times higher among unvaccinated population


About a month ago, 16- and 15-year-old  Elyorbek Rayimov  and  Javohir Zokirov  moved from Uzbekistan to Finland to attend Rautjärvi High School, located in the rural region of South Karelia.
 Their curriculum is the same as their local counterparts, with all lessons in Finnish.
 "Learning Finnish is easier for us than English. We studied Finnish for half a year and English for three years, but we know Finnish better," Rayimov explained.
 The boy's arrival to the small, rural high school was not a fluke — they are participants in an effort to prevent small Finnish high schools from shutting down.
 The number of secondary school students in Finland is expected to continue to significantly decrease over the coming years. For example, just three locally-based students enrolled at Rautjärvi High last year — an historic low that frightened local decision makers.
 Municipality leaders want to keep the school open, but to remain financially viable, at least 10 students need to be enrolled in each class. If the school doesn't attract more students, the institution's future is at stake.
 With the arrival of 11 new students, the school just barely managed to meet enrollment requirements, and it would not have succeeded without the arrival of the Uzbek youths.
 Their arrival was facilitated by the Finnish and Vietnamese-based consulting group Finest Future, co-founded and chaired by business leader  Peter Vesterbacka , who's likely best known for his job as chief marketer of the Angry Birds game at mobile gaming company Rovio.
 Story continues after photo
 Peter Vesterbacka Annu Passoja / Yle
 According to its website, Finest Future aims to prevent the closure of rural schools prompted by Finland's dwindling population by annually attracting thousands of young people from abroad to attend high school in the country.
 "The number of students has halved over the years. We have 20,000 vacancies in high schools every year. But maintaining facilities and teachers [at under-used schools] is a poor use of resources. We're practically running the school system at half-power," Vesterbacka said.
 As high school student numbers continue to decline, Finland is also faced with a labour shortage. The consultancy group's aim is to alleviate the latter problem by bringing students to Finland from abroad, in hopes they will stay in Finland after graduation.
 According to Vesterbacka, you need to reach international students when they're young in order to attract them to Finnish universities. Students in China and India, for example, make plans to study abroad much earlier than when they're ready to start university.
 In its first efforts, Finest Future helped to bring 15 high school students to Finland this year, seven from Vietnam and eight from Uzbekistan. The firm has agreements with seven municipalities for this academic year and plans to bring about a hundred foreign students to Finnish schools next year.
 However, the firm's efforts have not been problem-free. In January, the municipality of Virolahti rejected the idea of bringing in 20 Uzbek students to its high school — where 49 local students are currently enrolled — this autumn. The number of students at the institution has continued to dwindle over the past two decades, from a time when there were still 90 students enrolled.
 Tuition for the Uzbek students in Rautjärvi is free, and they received permission to live in a municipal rental apartment, where other high school students also reside.
 Story continues after photo
 Kalle Purhonen / Yle
 The teens pay for other expenses, like meals and hobbies.
 Rayimov enjoys chess and Zokirov works out at the gym. They said they would like to get jobs for more pocket money, adding that everyday life has gotten off to a good start.
 Families were sought to host the teens, but none were found. Instead, local tutor  Mirva Kajova-Pukkinen  acts as their support person.
 "I help them with everyday things in my free time. In the first few days we practiced shopping and how to seek health care services, like making an appointment for a toothache," she explained.
 The boys said they liked living in the area right away.
 "Finnish education is different from Uzbekistan. There's more free time here and everyone is happy," Rayimov said, with Zokirov adding that he likes his classmates.
 "I'm glad to be able to study here because [the education] is better quality than in Uzbekistan," he said.
 The school's principal,  Janne Hirvonen , said he was also pleased with the way things have gone for the boys.
 "They've been really well received. Their classmates have taken good care of them," he said, adding that nothing unexpected has happened.
 The boys' arrival to the school has gone so well that the municipality aims to do it again next year.
 After graduation, Rayimov said he plans to study maths or economics at a Finnish university, while Zokirov is considering going to college in Finland or perhaps abroad, in the UK or US, to study marketing or business.

Finland importing students to prevent rural high schools from closing


Summary: The situation in Finland could follow the same path as in Sweden and Denmark, according to the National Bureau of Investigation's Detective Superintendent.

Detective Superintendent  Christer Ahlgren  of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told Yle's A-studio current affairs programme on Wednesday evening that he believes there will be an increase in gang violence in Finland over the coming years.
 Fears that the situation with crime gangs in Finland may follow the same path as other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, are justified, Ahlgren added.
 "There's been violence and more of it will occur in Finland," he said. "It is growing, internationalising and strengthening."
 Ahlgren cited one example from earlier this month, when police successfully managed to prevent two street gangs from clashing in the centre of Helsinki. On that occasion, police arrested 10 gang members and two men in their twenties were imprisoned.
 He also referred to a group known as Mantaqa, operating in the Espoo area of the capital region, as a prime example of an increasingly tough and internationalised group.
 "Mantaqa is a more exceptional gang than what we are used to dealing with, in that they do not wear vests, colours or other gang symbols. However, it is still a hierarchical criminal organisation," Ahlgren said, adding that the group has a particularly striking anti-social stance against the police and other authorities.

NBI top cop: Crime gangs "growing, internationalising and strengthening" in Finland


Summary: The company's objective is to assist people with limited employment prospects due to disability or illness.

Finland's government is aiming to establish a state-owned company that would employ about 1,000 people who have a partial ability to work.
 The objective of the company — which the government proposes calling  Työkanava  (roughly translated as Work Channel) — is to help people with limited employment prospects due to disability or illness and assist them in finding a way into the labour market.
 At a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment,  Tuula Haatainen  (SDP), said the government's parties had submitted the proposal to Parliament.
 "The right and opportunity to work according to their abilities is important not only for people with partial work ability but for Finnish society as a whole," Haatainen said. "From this group of people,  Työkanava  will be able to employ the most disadvantaged people, whose employment prospects have so far not markedly improved despite different measures and services."
 The company is based on a similar model — called Samhall — which has been operating in Sweden for a number of years.
 The Finnish government aims to begin rolling out the company's operations in stages from next year, once the project receives the green light from Parliament.

Government proposes state-owned company to employ people with limited work capacity


Summary: The man had been fined for his involvement in a counter-protest against the far-right group in Tampere in 2019.

An appeal court in Turku has overturned a district court's decision to fine a man for his involvement in a counter protest during a  demonstration by far-right group Soldiers of Odin  held in Tampere in May 2019.
 The defendant had been fined 300 euros by Tampere district court in February 2020 for his role in the counter protest, which had included eggs and stones being thrown at — but not striking any of — the far-right group members.
 Two other defendants in the case had the charges against them dismissed by the Tampere court.
 In its ruling, the court of appeal said that the defendant had shouted at the far-right demonstrators, but his actions did not meet the legal definition of participating in a violent protest — the charge for which he was fined.
 The appeal court therefore squashed the 300 euros fine, but he will have to pay some of his own legal costs.
 The case can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Appeal court dismisses charges against Soldiers of Odin counter-demonstrator


Summary: Ambassadors from ten countries, including Finland, were summoned to Turkey's foreign ministry earlier this week after jointly demanding the release of a Turkish activist.

Turkish President Recep  Tayyip Erdoğan  has threatened to expel Finland's ambassador, along with ambassadors from nine other countries, after they jointly issued a petition demanding the release of a Turkish activist.
 The ambassadors' petition called for the immediate release of the Turkish philanthropist and human rights activist  Osman Kavala  who has been jailed for years, without being convicted.
 The ten ambassadors were  summoned to Turkey's foreign ministry  earlier this week to explain the statement, which called for a "just and speedy resolution to Kavala's case".
 In addition to the Finnish ambassador, the ambassadors of Germany, the United States, France, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand have also been threatened with expulsion.
 Turkish media reported on Thursday that Erdoğan told the country's foreign minister that Turkey does not have the "luxury of accommodating them in our country", although it was unclear how serious Erdoğan was with his threat.
 Diplomatic relations between Finland and Turkey have been cordial, so the expulsion of an ambassador would be exceptional in the history of relations between the two countries.
 Finland's Ambassador to Turkey,  Ari Mäki , did not wish to comment when contacted by Yle.
 Speaking to the news agency AFP last week about his continued imprisonment, Kavala said he felt he was being used by Erdoğan in an attempt to portray the domestic opposition as a foreign conspiracy.
 "I think the real reason behind my continued detention is that it addresses the need of the government to keep alive the fiction that the [2013] Gezi protests were the result of a foreign conspiracy," Kavala said.

Turkish President threatens to expel Finnish ambassador


Summary: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and members of the North Atlantic Council began a two-day official visit to Finland on Monday.

Military alliance NATO's Secretary General,  Jens Stoltenberg , began a two-day official visit to Finland on Monday along with the North Atlantic Council, which consists of NATO ambassadors.
 The occasion marks the first time that members of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's principal political decision-making body, have visited Finland in an official capacity.
 Finnish President  Sauli Niinistö  discussed bilateral relations with Stoltenberg at the Presidential Palace on Monday morning, which was followed by a joint press conference where the secretary general said the door remained open for Finland to join the military alliance.
 "Finland is one of NATO's closest partners and we very much appreciate the fact that we have been able to strengthen this partnership over the last years," Stoltenberg said. "While we work closely together, NATO also fully respects Finland's strong independent security policy."
 President Niinistö has  previously stated  that Finland becoming a member of NATO is a possibility, and noted during the Monday afternoon press conference that relations between the Nordic nation and NATO have developed in recent years and "continue to develop".
 "We have a lot of common understandings about how we can guarantee the most important thing in ordinary people's lives, that is peace," Niinistö said.
 However, Finland's neighbour Russia  has become increasingly uneasy  with what it sees as NATO’s encroachment on its  natural sphere of influence .
 Stoltenberg's visit to Finland comes at a time when NATO-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War, the secretary general noted.
 News agency Reuters  reported  earlier this month that NATO expelled eight members of Russia's mission to the alliance as they were considered to be "undeclared Russian intelligence officers".
 Russia responded earlier last week by announcing that it would close its NATO mission in Brussels and withdraw diplomatic accreditation from NATO's Moscow offices, as  reported  by the BBC.
 Stoltenberg and the council members will also meet with Finland's Prime Minister,  Sanna Marin  (SDP), Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green), Minister of Defence  Antti Kaikkonen  (Cen), Speaker of Parliament  Anu Vehviläinen  (Cen) as well as the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence before departing to Sweden on Tuesday.
 Meanwhile the Presidential Office confirmed on Monday that Niinistö will travel to Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian President  Vladimir Putin .
 "As for NATO-Russia relations, deterrence is at a good level, but the dialogue is not working very well. In my discussions with Russian leaders, I have emphasised the need for a dialogue between Russia and the West," Niinistö told the press conference on Monday afternoon.

NATO chief visits Helsinki, leaves door open for Finnish membership


Summary: Most of Finland is slammed by various combinations of stormy winds, heavy rain, sleet and snow ahead of the weekend.

A strong autumn storm that swept across much of Finland on Friday -- featuring high winds, rain, sleet and snow -- is expected to continue into Saturday.
 As of mid-morning on Friday, the most powerful winds lashed the southern seaside town of Porvoo, where wind speeds reached 30.1 m/s.
 The weather conditions have prompted warnings to be issued for dangerous conditions across the Gulf of Finland and possibly dangerous conditions around the Turku Archipelago. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), wind speeds of 17 m/s were measured in sea areas along Finland's western coast.
 Hard winds have brought down power lines, cutting off electricity to households in Southeast Finland, in areas surrounding the municipality of Salo.
 Heavy rain has also increased risks of flooding on smaller rivers, particularly south of Salo.
 The stormy weather also cut power, at least intermittently, to more than 5,200 customers in around 27 municipalities in other parts of the country.
 The precipitation in the form of snow and sleet have  prompted warnings  for slippery road conditions to be issued across much of the country. Warnings for poor driving conditions were issued on Friday in the regions of Satakunta, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, Kainuu, North Savo, North Karelia as well as Ostrobothnia.
 The storm is expected to continue for the remainder of Friday in southern and central areas, as the low pressure system causing it slowly moves eastward. The precipitation will likely turn to sleet in some areas as cooler air from the north arrives later in the day.
 This article may be updated.

Autumn storm lashes Finland on Friday


Summary: "[Healthcare staff] being unvaccinated significantly increases the risk of patients becoming ill and endangers patient safety," the hospital's diagnostic services director said.

The distribution of Covid vaccinations in Finland has slowed down, and as of this week there were still roughly 730,000 people over the age of 12 who have not yet sought their jabs.
 Some of the unvaccinated work in the healthcare sector, which Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district's (HUS's) diagnostic services director,  Lasse Lehtonen , finds problematic.
 According to him, it would be justifiable to require those workers to take Covid vaccines.
 Making the comments on Yle TV1's breakfast programme, he noted that he was not a big supporter of such coercion.
 "Using a Covid pass in healthcare settings could be a good solution," referring to Finland's recently-introduced  system  that ensures people have been fully vaccinated against Covid, have recently tested negative for the disease, or have recovered from it.
 "Then, we could ensure that those caring for sensitive patients, for example, have been adequately protected by being vaccinated," he explained, adding that unvaccinated healthcare workers who treat patients are comparable to surgeons performing procedures on patients without wearing face masks or surgical gloves.
 "[Healthcare staff] being unvaccinated significantly increases the risk of patients becoming ill and endangers patient safety," he said.
 Mandated vaccines have worked in the past
 Lehtonen noted that the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has suggested that physicians and nurses use Covid passes when they come to work, saying such a practice was also justified.
 He said that mandatory vaccinations have worked for Finland in the past, referring to the smallpox vaccine in the 1920s and tuberculosis vaccine in the 1950s.
 "By mandating vaccination, these serious diseases were eradicated. However, I believe that Finns are now smart enough that we will also get adequate vaccination coverage against coronavirus as well," he said.
 On the same morning show on Friday, the Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health,  Kirsi Varhila , said Finland should find increasingly creative ways to encourage people to get vaccinated. One suggestion she proposed was to organise vaccination buses in sparsely populated areas, saying that reaching young adults was particularly important.
 "For example, we have advertised on the [online dating site] Tinder. Vaccines should be available as easily as possible, reaching young people where they are — whether it's a football or hockey match," she said.
 The ministry has also considered sending text messages to people who haven't been vaccinated yet, but there are data protection laws regarding personal medical information which would pose legal problems.
 Such data laws do, however, allow for a text message to be sent to all of the country's residents, and the matter is still being considered by ministry officials.

HUS boss: Mandatory Covid vaccines for healthcare workers justifiable


Summary: Opposition parties the Finns Party and Movement Now submitted a motion of no confidence over the government's handling of immigration into Finland.

The government won a confidence vote in Parliament on Friday afternoon by 89 votes to 68, with 42 abstentions.
 The vote was prompted by a  motion of no confidence  submitted by the Finns Party and Movement Now over the government's handling of immigration, in particular planned changes to Finland's policy on the granting of asylum based on family reunification.
 In the motion, the opposition parties had argued that Finland would become "too attractive" an option for people seeking humanitarian asylum in comparison to other western European countries.
 The parties also criticised the government's asylum seeker quotas as well as querying how prepared the current administration was for a possible future immigration crisis.
 The two other opposition parties in — the National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Christian Democrats — did not join the motion, but both parties expressed their lack of trust in the government's handling of the issue.
 During a plenary debate on Wednesday, Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo  (Green) denied the opposition parties' charge that Finland was moving away from the wider European line on immigration policy.
 "It is clear that the current situation on the borders with Belarus and the uncertainty about the future of Afghanistan are challenging the EU and its member states in many ways. At the same time, solutions are being sought to ensure that asylum in the EU continues to be possible in accordance with our international commitments," Ohisalo told Parliament on Wednesday.
 The five government parties are still negotiating the terms of a draft proposal that would facilitate family reunifications for those who have been granted asylum in Finland.

Government wins confidence vote over immigration policy, family reunification


Summary: According to reports, the Faculty of Theology approached four students about an open position and informed them they had been selected because of their Finnish surname.

The University of Helsinki is investigating accusations that a department engaged in discriminatory recruitment practices when choosing students to fill open positions.
 According to a  report  (in Finnish) by tabloid Iltalehti, the Faculty of Theology approached four students about the possibility of providing lessons on Islam at a primary school and informed them they had been selected based on their 'Finnish-sounding' surnames.
 The paper wrote that the practice first came to light when one student  tweeted  a question to the faculty, requesting confirmation of rumours that several students had been called about the position based on their surnames.
 The faculty's official account replied to confirm that, based on a preliminary probe, this information was correct, and further noted that the preferential treatment for students with Finnish surnames was completely inappropriate.
 Dean of the faculty  Antti Räsänen  admitted to Iltalehti that a mistake had been made, but pointed out that the investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
 "This procedure was wrong. There is of course no reason for such a procedure and it is not part of the faculty's policies. On the contrary, we are very strict about fairness and equal treatment for everyone," Räsänen told IL.
 An extensive University of Helsinki report, published in 2019, had  highlighted the extent  to which Finnish employers choose interview candidates based on their surnames.
 The episode marks the second time this week the university has been at the centre of a controversy, following the  debate  that followed reports first year geography students at the university had dressed as Star of Africa characters to attend a game-themed, student-organised event.
 Yle News' weekly podcast All Points North looked into the issue of discriminatory hiring practices in 2019. You can listen to the full episode using the embedded player here, via  Yle Areena ,  Spotify  or  Apple Podcasts  or on your usual podcast player using the  RSS feed .

Iltalehti: Helsinki University offered jobs to students based on 'Finnish-sounding' surnames


Summary: According to Yle sources, Prime Minister Sanna Marin invited about 20-30 guests back to her official residence after an event in Helsinki in September.

Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) has faced questions about a gathering of musicians, friends and acquaintances at her official Kesäranta residence in September.
 The PM had attended a record release party at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki and afterwards invited about 20 to 30 people back to Kesäranta for an after-party. According to Yle sources, the identities of the guests were not checked by security staff on arrival.
 However, Marin's security director told Yle that protocol is always followed when private events are held at the official residence, but did not wish to comment on the specifics of the party in September as that event pertained to the PM's private life.
 "Protocols have always been followed. There are events in Kesäranta every day. We have agreed on the way to maintain these arrangements and their safety as required," the PM's Security Director  Ahti Kurvinen  told Yle.
 Changing attitudes within party
 According to Yle sources, the furore over the Kesäranta event comes as some within Marin's own party — the Social Democratic Party — are beginning to question the Prime Minister more closely.
 Marin has been extremely popular within the SDP, due in particular to her handling of the Covid pandemic, but sources close to the party say they have noticed changes in attitudes as the Covid pandemic moves further down the political agenda.
 Yle understands that Marin was questioned and openly criticised at a party meeting on 14 October about a  recent dispute  with governing coalition partner the Centre Party.
 Marin had criticised Culture Minister  Antti Kurvinen  (Cen) for  publishing a list of spending cuts  even though he knew the government was planning to revisit them. At the party meeting, SDP members pushed the PM for answers on the Kurvinen dispute as well as issues related to state gambling monopoly Veikkaus and the reversal of the budget cuts.
 A previous minor scandal involving Marin — " breakfastgate " — has also  recently re-emerged  after the Chancellor of Justice requested clarification from Marin about free meal benefits she had received at her official residence until earlier this year.

PM's party at official residence presented no safety risk, security chief says


Summary: Patients who have recovered from the virus and have been vaccinated once have not previously been entitled to a second dose.

Patients who have recovered from Covid are now permitted to receive a second dose of the vaccine, according to updated guidelines from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL.
 In the past, the public health agency has recommended only one vaccine dose for patients that have recovered from the virus.
 However, only one is not enough for people to obtain a Covid pass and therefore be eligible to travel abroad, for example. An EU Covid certificate, which also serves as a Covid pass in Finland, can only be obtained if a person has received two doses of the vaccine, been infected with Covid within six months, or received a negative test result within 72 hours.
 Not all municipalities have given a second dose to those have been infected more than six months ago. About 30,000 people in Finland have fallen through these administrative cracks and say they find the situation unfair.
 The only way these 30,000 people can get a Covid pass has been to obtain a negative test certificate valid for 72 hours.
 THL specialist  Mia Kontio  told news agency STT that THL has not banned a second dose of the vaccine, but has based their recommendation on medical grounds, as a second dose of the vaccine is not needed for protection in people who have already been infected.
 "Now we have changed the instructions to reflect that those who want it, can be vaccinated, whatever the reason," Kontio said, emphasising that THL's guidelines are recommendations and not binding agreements for municipalities.
 She further added that those who have recovered from the virus and have been vaccinated once are not technically medically entitled to a second dose of the vaccine. However, THL hopes that the new guidelines will be taken into account by municipalities.
 "The situation is exceptional and somewhat difficult," Kontio said.
 Helsinki deputy mayor has been contacted by those ineligible for Covid passes
 Deputy Mayor of Social and Health Affairs of the City of Helsinki,  Daniel Sazonov , told STT that the city has been acting on the basis of THL's instructions.
 "The City of Helsinki has already outlined that if THL changes its guidelines in this regard, we will act in accordance with the changed guidelines," Sazonov said.
 The deputy mayor also said he has been contacted by people who have found themselves in problematic situations in which a Covid pass would have been required, but the document has not been accepted as valid with one single vaccine dose, even though the recovery from the virus has been documented.
 "We are now at a point where so many people have been infected, that this is no longer a question of a few individuals," said Sazonov.
 The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently looking to create a solution for those who have recovered from Covid more than six months ago, as well as received a single dose of vaccine, to obtain a Covid pass.
 Work also continues to make the combination of recovery from the virus and one single dose of vaccine sufficient for an EU Covid pass. This decision, however, is up to the European Union.

THL: Recovered patients can receive second dose, Covid pass


Summary: World football's governing body FIFA has proposed holding a World Cup finals every two years, a change from the current rotation of every four years.

The Finnish Football Association has issued a statement alongside the five other Nordic nations opposing world football's governing body FIFA's proposal to stage the World Cup finals every two years.
 The statement was released a few days before the 55 member nations of European football's governing body UEFA met with FIFA President  Gianni Infantino  on Wednesday, where they expressed their strong opposition to the plans.
 News agency AFP  reported  after the meeting that up to a dozen European nations are considering rescinding their membership of FIFA if the body proceeds with plans to hold biennial World Cups for both men and women. Currently finals are held every four years.
 The statement — signed by Finnish FA chief  Ari Lahti  and the presidents of the football associations of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Iceland — said the Nordic nations will consider taking serious action unless the proposal is shelved.
 "If a majority in FIFA decides to adopt a proposal on biannual [sic] FIFA World Cups, the Nordic football associations will need to consider further actions and scenarios that are closer to our fundamental values than what the current FIFA proposal stands for," the  press release  stated.
 The president of the Swedish football association,  Karl-Erik Nilsson , told Sweden's nationwide evening newspaper Expressen that there is strong opposition to the proposal coming from South American countries as well as from the Europeans.
 "The proposal is completely unacceptable," Nilsson said.
 According to the  BBC , Infantino said after Wednesday's meeting that a possible boycott by European countries was never raised.
 Story continues after the photo.
 FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Harold Cunningham - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
 "Discussions were heated but they were positive," Infantino said. "I understand that. I am a passionate football person myself, and there can be many different views. It is so important for everyone to make their voice heard. Boycotts were not discussed today."
 Saudi Arabia's football federation formally asked FIFA to conduct a "feasibility study" into holding World Cups every two years and the proposal received support from 166 countries at a remotely-held annual meeting of member associations in May. Some 22 nations were against the idea.
 Although FIFA has not set a formal date for a decision on the proposal, a meeting of all 211 national members is expected to be held in December, where it will be discussed further.
 The World Cup finals will be next played in Qatar in 2022, while the 2026 World Cup has been jointly awarded to Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Finland stands with Nordic nations against FIFA's biennial World Cup proposal


Summary: Slightly less than half of the survey respondents said they were satisfied with the government's communication during the Covid crisis.

The majority of people in Finland have trusted the information provided by medical specialists during the Covid pandemic, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Municipal Sector Development Foundation (KAKS).
 Some 65 percent of respondents rated the communication by medical specialists as being either very good or fairly good in the survey, which asked members of the public to provide feedback on how key stakeholders have provided information during the Covid crisis.
 The survey also found that slightly less than half of respondents were satisfied with the government's communication during the pandemic, and an even smaller proportion — 42 percent — were pleased with the performance of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 Meanwhile some 38 percent of respondents reported being especially dissatisfied with the communication provided by Minister for Family Affairs and Social Services  Krista Kiuru  (SDP).
 Finns Party supporters have less trust in Covid information
 The survey results also highlighted how a respondent's party affiliation was often a factor in how much or how little they trusted the official channels of information.
 Supporters of Prime Minister  Sanna Marin 's Social Democratic Party (SDP) were overall quite satisfied with the communication coming from all stakeholders while Finns Party voters were less inclined to trust the information provided by official sources.
 Meanwhile supporters of the National Coalition Party (NCP) praised the performance of medical specialists in particular while Centre Party voters were more trusting with the information provided by Regional State Administrative Agencies (Avi's).
 Pollster Kantar TNS conducted a total of 1,000 interviews between 11 and 15 September. September to compile the survey.

Survey: Finns have high trust in expert medical opinion


Summary: The Finnish economy will grow by 3.5 percent this year and by 2.9 percent in 2022, the credit ratings agency said.

The credit ratings agency Fitch has maintained Finland's creditworthiness at AA+, the second-best rating possible, and said the outlook for the Finnish economy was stable.
 In its latest analysis, the agency added that it expects Finland's economy to grow by 3.5 percent this year, which is lower than the average of 4.5 percent for AA+ countries.
 However, Fitch also noted that the Finnish economy contracted less last year compared to other countries. The decline in Finland was 2.9 percent, according to Fitch's figures, while the average in the EU was 6.4 percent and 6.1 among other AA+ countries.
 The Finnish economy is forecast to expand by 2.9 percent next year, the report added, noting that Finland's GDP exceeded the pre-pandemic level in the second quarter of this year.
 Furthermore, employment has  returned  to pre-pandemic levels.
 However, uncertainty caused by the ongoing pandemic and concerns over Finland's declining working-age population continue to cast a shadow over the outlook.

Fitch maintains Finland's credit rating, predicts economic growth


Summary: Finland's Interior Minister also said she was concerned about reports people are harassing hospitality and culture sector staff over the need for a Covid pass.

Interior Minister and chair of the Green League  Maria Ohisalo  told Yle's Ykkösaamu breakfast show on Saturday morning that police officers have been called to schools to protect children from anti-vaccine groups.
 "I have to say that we have had the police in school yards in order to ensure that children can get to school safely," Ohisalo said, adding that people should always turn to the police for help if they feel threatened.
 During the interview, the minister also said she was concerned about reports people are harassing hospitality and culture sector staff over the need for a Covid pass, and appealed on behalf of businesses and workers in both sectors for this harassment to stop.
 Ohisalo: Government parties not in crisis
 Internal wrangles between the five coalition parties within Finland's government have been making headlines throughout the autumn.
 Ohisalo's own party has  clashed  with coalition partner the Centre Party over the use of  peat for energy , which also led to a long delay during last spring's budget talks.
 Tensions were also high over proposed budget cuts for the culture sector, with Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP)  openly criticising  Minister of Culture  Antti Kurvinen  (Cen) for  publishing a list of spending cuts  even though the governing parties were still discussing them.
 However, Ohisalo denied there are any sizeable rifts between the parties.
 "I do not think we are on the verge of a crisis here," she said.
 Greens change position on nuclear power
 The Green League has twice previously left a government coalition because of disagreements over nuclear power, but is now part of the current administration which has  lobbied the EU  to declare nuclear power a sustainable energy source.
 Ohisalo told Ykkösaamu that her party's position on the matter has changed because the situation has changed, saying that the Greens now believe nuclear power is needed because climate change must be tackled by all means necessary.
 "Along with [Finance Minister and Centre Party chair  Anikka ]  Saarikko , we have sought to determine at the EU level, and based on research data, whether nuclear power is a form of energy that meets the boundary conditions of the Paris Climate Agreement and does not cause significant harm to biodiversity," Ohisalo explained.
 Yle News' weekly podcast All Points North discussed the Finnish government's decision to lobby the EU on declaring nuclear energy a sustainable power source.
 You can listen to the full podcast using the embedded player here, via  Yle Areena ,  Spotify  or  Apple Podcasts  or on your usual podcast player using the  RSS feed . Story continues after the audio.
 The government's decision to lobby the EU on this matter was decided at a meeting of ministers on 9 July, but was not made public.
 According to Ohisalo, there were preliminary discussions with other countries and the details of these are not usually disclosed.
 Subsidies reform for agriculture sector
 Speaking about the agriculture sector, Ohisalo said the system of subsidies should be reformed so that the sector can meet emissions targets.
 The sector receives a lot of different subsidies, the minister pointed out, but they are partly inefficient and do not support the requirements for a 'green transition'.
 Ohisalo therefore did not rule out the possibility that farmers would receive additional subsidies in order to maintain climate-friendly production and biodiversity, although agricultural subsidies are mainly decided by the EU.
 Ohisalo to become Minister of the Environment
 Ohisalo will be on maternity leave from next month and when she returns she will take over as Minister of the Environment, telling Ykkösaamu that her objective in the role will be to increase the presence of environmental issues within the government.
 "Of course, the Minister of the Environment's portfolio is one of the heaviest in this world. I would like to give even more weight to those issues as party chair, so that those issues are certainly there at the table of the five [coalition parties]," she said.
 Tampere MP  Iiris Suomela  will be Ohisalo's  interim replacement  as Green League leader while she is on maternity leave and current Minister of the Environment  Krista Mikkonen  will  take over  as Interior Minister.

Ohisalo: Police called to schools to protect children from anti-vaccine groups


Summary: The construction of the controversial power plant in Pyhäjoki on Finland's northwest coast has been marred by delays since its inception.

Finland's Ministry of Defence has called for a risk assessment to be carried out on the controversial Hanhikivi 1 nuclear power plant in Pyhäjoki on Finland's northwest coast.
 The plant is being built by the Fennovoima power consortium, which includes the Russian nuclear firm Rosatom.
 In a statement, the ministry highlighted the economic and geopolitical risks associated with the project and also called for the plant's fuel to be supplied from other sources rather than coming exclusively from Russia.
 "Carrying out such risk analyses has become somewhat more common. We see more clearly than before that there could be a reason for this in this context," the ministry's  Sara Kajander  told news agency STT.
 Kajander added that the assessment could be compiled by a group composed of several different authorities and specialists, but would not comment on whether the assessment could put the long-delayed project in jeopardy.
 Earlier this year, the Fennovoima consortium  announced  that it is hoping to obtain a building license by the summer of 2022 and that construction of the power plant might begin in the summer of 2023.
 The ministry has suggested that the risk assessment could be carried out in conjunction with the license permit decision.
 The project has been marred by a long list of delays and controversies since its inception, including  investors pulling out  and  environmental groups protesting  the plans.
 In addition to timeline issues, the consortium also previously announced that the cost of the project could rise by as much as one billion euros, from the previous estimate of between 6.5 and 7 billion euros to between 7 and 7.5 billion euros.

Defence Ministry demands risk assessment of Fennovoima plant, cites ties with Russia


Summary: In international diplomacy, the use of the term is usually followed by expulsion from the country.

Turkish President  Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  has instructed his foreign ministry to declare ten diplomats — including Finland's ambassador to the country — to be "persona non grata" or "undesirable persons".
 The use of the term in international diplomacy is usually the first step towards expulsion.
 "I gave the necessary order to our foreign minister and said what must be done: these 10 ambassadors must be declared persona non grata at once. You will sort it out immediately," news agency Reuters  reported  Erdoğan said in a speech in the city of Eskisehir in northwest Turkey on Saturday.
 Earlier this week, Erdoğan  threatened  to expel the ten ambassadors after they jointly issued a petition demanding the immediate release of Turkish philanthropist and human rights activist  Osman Kavala . Kavala has been in jail for years, without being convicted.
 The ten ambassadors had previously been  summoned to Turkey's foreign ministry  to explain the statement, which called for a "just and speedy resolution to Kavala's case".
 In addition to the Finnish ambassador, the ambassadors of Germany, the United States, France, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and New Zealand are now also facing expulsion.
 Diplomatic relations between Finland and Turkey have been cordial, so the expulsion of the ambassador would be exceptional in the history of relations between the two countries.
 Kavala was acquitted in February 2020 of charges related to protests in Gezi Park in Istanbul in 2013. However, that ruling was overturned earlier this year and the charge was combined with another case related to a coup attempt in 2016.
 Kavala has denied the charges and his next appearance in court is scheduled for 26 November.

Turkish president labels Finnish ambassador, nine other diplomats "undesirables"


Summary: The winning photographer said he couldn't see through the lens when he took the shot, so he just had to hope he had lined it up correctly.

An image captured underwater of a smooth newt has been named Finland's nature photograph of the year for 2021.
 The award's jury said the image provided a unique insight into the exotic habitat of the newt, saying the amphibian appears as if floating in space.
 "The landscape on the other side of the surface of the water seems to draw the animal from its everyday environment," the jury said.
 Winning photographer  Pekka Tuuri  said he was swimming just centimetres from the newt when it went to the surface for air.
 "At that point, I couldn't see anything through the lens, so I just had to hope that the manual settings were correct and the subject was in the right place," Tuuri said.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Photographer Pekka Tuuri poses with his award-winning Liskomies (Lizard Man) photo at the Nature Photo of the Year event in Helsinki on 23 October. Lehtikuva / Jussi Nukari
 Espoo resident Tuuri is the fifth photographer in the history of Finland's nature photo competition to claim the award more than once. He last won 11 years ago.
 The results were announced at an event in Helsinki's Finlandia Hall on Saturday evening, as the competition celebrated its 41st year.
 A photo taken by Timo Vesterinen called 'Lehdet ja etana' (Leaves and a snail) won the Plants and Mushrooms category. Timo Vesterinen
 Stefan Gerrits' snap 'Kamppailu' (Struggle) was the winner of the Birds category. Stefan Gerrits
 Aku Kankaanpää's photo Vesihämäkit (Water Spiders) was the Landscapes photo of the year. Aku Kankaanpää
 Viimeinen laskeutuminen (The final landing) by Juhani Kosonen was the winner of the Nature's Details and Shapes category. Juhani Kosonen
 Jussi Ahokka's photo Suomalaista elämää (Finnish Life) won the Nature and People category. Jussi Ahokas
 The under-18 category was won by Julius Isotalo with this image.  Julius Isotalo
 Sydämeni on kevyt kuin perhonen (My heart is as light as a butterfly) by Hannu Ahonen won the Free and Creative category.  Hannu Ahonen

Newt snap wins Finland's nature photo of the year award


Summary: Finland's government is currently drafting a bill which would allow urban municipalities to charge road congestion fees.

A citizens' initiative opposing the introduction of congestion charges in Finland has garnered the required 50,000 signatures of support and will move to Parliament to be debated by MPs.
 The initiative called on the government to suspend the drafting of a bill allowing urban municipalities to charge road congestion fees as well as zonal charges and tolls.
 Prime Minister  Sanna Marin 's (SDP) government  began drafting  the bill in 2019, which would be aimed at reducing traffic emissions and helping Finland reach the target of being carbon neutral by 2035.
 However, the citizens' initiative argued that the introduction of congestion charges would have a negative and discriminatory effect, especially on motorists living in urban or suburban municipalities. It would also act as a deterrent against the mobility of labour and have a knock on effect on employment, the initiative said.
 Critics of the proposed bill have organised a number of different protests, most recently when motorists gathered outside Parliament House to  honk their horns  at the beginning of October.
 A survey conducted by news group Uutissuomalainen last year found that about 58 percent of respondents were against the introduction of congestion charges, while 30 percent supported the proposal.

Citizens' initiative opposing congestion charges moves to Parliament


Summary: The United Nations charter entered into force on 24 October 1945.

Flags are flying in Finland on Sunday to commemorate United Nations Day.
 The Charter of the United Nations came into effect on 24 October 1945 and United Nations Day has been celebrated since 1948.
 The intergovernmental organisation was established to maintain international peace and security following the end of the Second World War.
 Finland celebrates more than 20  flag days  every year, when the state flies the national flag and encourages citizens nationwide to do the same.

Flags fly in Finland to mark United Nations Day


Summary: As temperatures drop, capital city residents are seeing heating prices rise.

News outlets across Finland report that Monday is the first back-to-school day for many pupils and students after the autumn break, and it's also the first day people vaccinated against Covid-19 can take off their masks inside schools, reports  Swedish-language daily HBL .
 The Finnish institute for health and welfare (THL) has lifted its recommendation on masks in schools for pupils in grade 6 and up as of 25 October.
 The paper writes that the risk of contracting coronavirus in daycares, schools and other educational institutions is now small, according to the THL.
 This also means that school personnel are no longer required to wear a mask if they are fully vaccinated against the virus. The THL, however, still recommends face masks for unvaccinated people over the age of 12.
 _ Do you want the main stories from Finland curated and delivered straight to your inbox? Then  sign up for our weekly All Points North newsletter ! _
 Helsinki's district heating hike
 Helsinki City energy company Helen has raised district heating costs far more than other major cities in Finland, reports  Helsingin Sanomat .
 In September Helen, which enjoys a near monopoly on district heating production in Helsinki, announced a 30 percent price increase through the end of the year. But this is just one hike of several during the past decade, according to HS.
 From 2015 to 2020 Helen paid out 280 million euros in dividends to the city.
 The paper suggests that Helen's prices have risen as a result of the city's lackadaisical approach to managing its energy company. It also suggests that Helsinki lacks a clear policy on whether Helen's role is to turn a profit for its owner or produce affordable district heating for residents.
 Restaurant industry labour shortage
 Finland's hospitality sector is struggling to find workers as it reopens, a development which may trigger wage rises in the sector, reports  Taloussanomat .
 Finland has lifted most Covid restrictions on bars and restaurants, and the country's typically busy pre-Christmas party season is now gathering pace.
 Taloussanomat, however, notes that precarious work situations over the past year and a half have led to up to a fifth of restaurant workers transitioning into other sectors.

Monday's papers: Kids unmask, expensive heat and the flight of hospitality workers


Summary: The government in 2018 suspended the granting of arms export licenses to the UAE and Saudi Arabia due to the countries' involvement in Yemen hostilities.

Finland granted permits totalling 139.3 million euros in March 2020 for the export of military vehicle parts to the United Arab Emirates. The deal accounts for almost all of Finland's total arms exports last year.
 The information was contained in the latest Finnish Arms Control  Report  produced by independent SaferGlobe, a Finnish think-tank.
 The recipient of the parts was the UAE company Calidus, which used them in the manufacturing of military vehicles. Finnish authorities have no influence over where the company sells the vehicles once they're assembled.
 "Finland has given the UAE company free rein to export Finnish components as parts of its military products for decades," SaferGlobe researcher  Kari Paasonen  said.
 The permits issued by the government for the deal are noteworthy not only for the value, but also for the agreed duration. The export license for vehicle axles is valid until the end of 2039 and the license for gearboxes until the end of 2050.
 Previously, permits issued between 2017 and 2020 have been valid for an average of only two years. Only one percent of export licenses are valid for more than ten years.
 Finland  suspended  the granting of arms export licenses to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in 2018 due to the countries' involvement in hostilities in Yemen.
 The UAE announced its withdrawal from Yemen in 2019, but said in February 2020 it would continue air operations.
 Civilian arms exports exceed military materials
 According to the data provided by SaferGlobe, the total value of Finland's arms exports in 2020 was 161 million euros, the lowest level since 2011 and a drop of about 20 percent compared to the previous year.
 The decline was evident in both exports of military vehicles and other military products as well as civilian weapons.
 However, despite the decrease, the value of Finnish arms exports in 2020 was still double the value when SaferGlobe began gathering data in 2002.
 The think-tank also noted that the value of civilian arms exports exceeded the value of military materials for the first time in the 20 years SaferGlobe had been compiling statistics. Exports of civilian arms amounted to about 81 million euros while military materials totalled about 80 million euros.
 Civilian arms are mainly exported for the purposes of hunting or shooting sports while military materials have been developed primarily for military use. In addition to weapons, vehicles and explosives, these also include security materials, production technology and software.
 The SaferGlobe think-tank has collected export statistics from Finland's Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs as well as from Customs.
 However, 2020 marked the third consecutive year that the National Police Board was unable to provide SaferGlobe with export statistics, citing issues with the compiling of data.

Finland exports military material worth €140m to UAE


Summary: Both companies said passengers can continue to wear face coverings if they wish to do so in accordance with the national mask recommendation.

In a  statement  released on Monday morning, Finland's national rail carrier VR has announced that it will no longer mandate passengers to wear masks on all long-distance and commuter services from 25 October.
 Instead, the company said that passengers may wear masks if they wish, in line with the national recommendation on the use of face coverings.
 Separately, Helsinki's Regional Transport Authority (HSL) also announced on Monday that it will end the obligation for passengers to wear masks on its services, but also said commuters can continue to wear them if they want.
 "We have managed to keep trains safe throughout the Covid crisis," VR's Director of Passenger Traffic,  Topi Simola , said. "We will also continue with our proven safety measures, such as enhanced cleaning."
 Staff working on VR's services will continue to wear masks, the company said.
 HSL  introduced  the mask mandate in March this year, as Finland's infection rate spiralled, but said it was moving from obligation to recommendation in line with the easing of wider societal restrictions.
 "We align our guidelines with those of the health authorities. We recommend wearing of face masks on public transport in line with the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Welfare [THL]," HSL Executive Director  Mika Nykänen  said in a  press release .
 The statement added that HSL staff and workers at service points will continue to wear masks for tasks that require direct customer contact.
 "The National Institute for Health and Welfare has assessed the risk of infection on urban public transport to be low," Nykänen said, adding that research conducted by the Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT also supported this viewpoint.
 The THL on Monday also lifted its recommendation on  masks in schools  for pupils in grade 6 and above.

Transport operators VR, HSL end mandatory mask order


Summary: The Prime Minister's clap-back at criticism over her social media activities came after some sniping from within her own party.

Prime Minister  Sanna Marin 's (SDP)  Instagram story  over the weekend sparked a minor media storm in Finland.
 The premier posted an Instagram story on Saturday in which she poses with fellow Social Democratic Party MP  Ilmari Nurminen  to the backdrop of Finnish pop singer  Benjamin Peltonen 's lyrics "Hey boom-boom-boomer, stay calm, be cool."
 Domestic media have interpreted the post as Marin pushing back at criticism for recently hosting an  after-hours party  at her official residence, though noting that in a broader context the PM's reaction signals the end of a Covid honeymoon period during which she has faced little criticism from within her own party.
 Finnish media outlets have been busy explaining that the English-language boomer term in a Finnish context refers to the post-war generation born between 1945 and 1950, with tabloid  Iltalehti  pointing out that the term is used to refer to people "stuck in the past."
 The post came after an Yle story last week reported concern within the SDP's parliamentary group over Marin's handling of a U-turn on cuts to culture and NGO spending.
 SDP sources told Yle that the PM had changed during the Covid crisis, and that she had shifted the government's policy away from the harder line on Covid taken by SDP Health Minister  Krista Kiuru .
 "I want to shake up the institution"
 Speaking on Sunday at the monthly Prime Minister's question hour show on Yle's Radio 1, Marin denied any jabs at older generations, saying the post was a quip at tabloids scrutinising her life outside the office.
 "More than anything, this was a reference to the discussion about my free time. It was a quip about people taking offence to everything so easily. Maybe us politicians can have a sense of humour too. My take on the matter is that anything I do becomes news," Marin said.
 However while saying on Sunday that being at the centre of attention was tiresome, Marin also said she wanted her  social media activities  to shake up the institution of the prime minister.
 "I would hope I could shake up this institution. As a 35-year-old mother I represent the younger generation. I try to live like people my age," she said.
 While the PM portrays a carefree image on social media, Marin—whose  popularity has been high  throughout the Covid crisis—is increasingly drawing criticism, including from within her own administration.
 The " breakfastgate " scandal over taxpayer-funded free food at her official residence was the first chink in Marin's armour this spring. More recently, the PM has been at odds with her own cabinet over  culture sector budget cuts  amid state-run gambling monopoly Veikkaus' falling revenues.
 She has also drawn criticism for  boosting the political career  of her good friend, 30-year-old SDP MPNurminen, featured in the controversial Boomer post. Nurminen, a first-term Tampere city councillor, now chairs the city's council, a position previously occupied by Marin.

"Boomer, be cool": Sanna Marin's IG post sparks minor media storm


Summary: A new survey found that nearly 60 percent of respondents considered Russia a military threat.

Finnish residents are increasingly critical of Russia, according to a values and attitudes survey commissioned by the think tank Eva, the Finnish Business and Policy Forum.
 Slightly more than one-third of respondents had a positive opinion of Russia, while 45 percent held a negative opinion of the country.
 Meanwhile, a similar survey in 2012 found that 63 percent had positive attitudes and just 19 percent had negative attitudes towards Russia.
 The new survey found that favourable attitudes about Finland's large eastern neighbour had fallen by around 30 percentage points — and negative attitudes grew by 26 percentage points during that nine-year period.
 60% think Russia is military threat
 According to Eva's Research Manager,  Ilkka Haavisto , the shift in attitudes was in line with other Western countries, adding that Finns follow Russian domestic and international activities and tend to react to negative developments.
 In recent years, the biggest shifts occurred after events such as Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria as well as the assassination attempt on opposition leader and anti-corruption activist  Alexei Navalny , according to Haavisto.
 Story continues after photo
 Alexei Navalny Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP
 The think tank's new survey also found that nearly 60 percent of respondents considered Russia as a military threat.
 Haavisto said it was too early to say if the shift towards more negative attitudes was permanent, noting that the last time attitudes toward Russia saw improvement was in 2018. The research chief said he suspected the reasons for that uptick was due to the country hosting the FIFA World Cup as well as the summit between Russian President  Vladimir Putin  and his US counterpart  Donald Trump .
 Younger adults more negative
 Negative attitudes towards Russia were more common among the survey's younger respondents, with Haavisto saying that might be indicative that such opinions might be long lasting.
 The age demographic with the most positive attitudes towards Russia was around 65 years old.
 Regarding cross-border trade, Eva's survey found that 43 percent of respondents said that business should not be weakened due to problems unrelated to the economy, while 32 percent of those surveyed disagreed with that sentiment.
 More than 2,000 people between the ages of 18-79 took part in the survey, which was carried out during March and April by market research firm Taloustutkimus. The survey's margin of error is two to three percentage points in either direction.
 The non-profit group has carried out its values and attitude surveys since 1984.

Finns increasingly critical of Russia, survey finds


Summary: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and members of the North Atlantic Council began a two-day official visit to Finland on Monday.

Military alliance NATO's Secretary General,  Jens Stoltenberg , began a two-day official visit to Finland on Monday along with the North Atlantic Council, which consists of NATO ambassadors.
 The occasion marks the first time that members of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's principal political decision-making body, have visited Finland in an official capacity.
 Finnish President  Sauli Niinistö  discussed bilateral relations with Stoltenberg at the Presidential Palace on Monday morning, which was followed by a joint press conference where the secretary general said the door remained open for Finland to join the military alliance.
 "Finland is one of NATO's closest partners and we very much appreciate the fact that we have been able to strengthen this partnership over the last years," Stoltenberg said. "While we work closely together, NATO also fully respects Finland's strong independent security policy."
 President Niinistö has  previously stated  that Finland becoming a member of NATO is a possibility, and noted during the Monday afternoon press conference that relations between the Nordic nation and NATO have developed in recent years and "continue to develop".
 "We have a lot of common understandings about how we can guarantee the most important thing in ordinary people's lives, that is peace," Niinistö said.
 However, Finland's neighbour Russia  has become increasingly uneasy  with what it sees as NATO’s encroachment on its  natural sphere of influence .
 Stoltenberg's visit to Finland comes at a time when NATO-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War, the secretary general noted.
 News agency Reuters  reported  earlier this month that NATO expelled eight members of Russia's mission to the alliance as they were considered to be "undeclared Russian intelligence officers".
 Russia responded earlier last week by announcing that it would close its NATO mission in Brussels and withdraw diplomatic accreditation from NATO's Moscow offices, as  reported  by the BBC.
 Stoltenberg and the council members will also meet with Finland's Prime Minister,  Sanna Marin  (SDP), Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green), Minister of Defence  Antti Kaikkonen  (Cen), Speaker of Parliament  Anu Vehviläinen  (Cen) as well as the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence before departing to Sweden on Tuesday.
 Meanwhile the Presidential Office confirmed on Monday that Niinistö will travel to Moscow on Friday to meet with Russian President  Vladimir Putin .
 "As for NATO-Russia relations, deterrence is at a good level, but the dialogue is not working very well. In my discussions with Russian leaders, I have emphasised the need for a dialogue between Russia and the West," Niinistö told the press conference on Monday afternoon.

Nato chief visits Helsinki, leaves door open for Finnish membership


Summary: Nearly all of the two dozen companies at the top of the Helsinki stock market said they planned to reduce the amount of money and time devoted to business trips, compared to before the crisis.

It appears very unlikely that Finland's business travel will return to pre-Covid levels, according to an informal Yle survey of more than two dozen of the country's top-listed companies.
 Yle asked 30 firms listed at the top of the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange about their plans for the future. A total of 25 replied to the survey, with nearly all of them saying that, looking ahead, they are planning significantly less business-related air travel than before the Covid crisis began.
 Nearly half of the companies estimated that business travel and related expenses would be 20-40 percent lower than before the global pandemic.
 Faced with coronavirus-related recommendations for remote working, employees began working from home and used video conferencing to even take care of things like production and technical issues. Meanwhile, video chats were also used to replace business trips, a practice the majority of companies said they plan to continue.
 Video conferencing will continue to be used for routine internal meetings, according to many of the companies, including energy firm Fortum, where it's expected that business trips will decrease by as much as 30 percent compared to pre-Covid times.
 Remote meetings work
 Eveliina Dahl , Fortum's human resources VP, said regular meetings, and even ones concerning big projects, can be conducted remotely "very well."
 Similar sentiments came from  Hannu Mäntymaa , the president and CEO of Wärtsilä, which among other things is a marine power service company that serves customers around the world.
 After the pandemic, the company began to remotely monitor activities of ships in faraway places like the coast of West Africa from Finland.
 "[That] means we can monitor and support customers remotely without having to send service engineers to support customers," Mäntymaa explained.
 The company estimated that after the pandemic finally subsides, business trips abroad will be about 20 percent below pre-Covid levels.
 Wärtsilä manufactures and services power sources for the marine and energy markets around the world. In addition to meetings, the firm has remotely carried out engine testing, maintenance as well as inspections.
 Responding to whether remote meetings could replace ones that previously required travel, the vast majority — 13 of the companies— said they could do it "rather often." Six said "occasionally," four firms said "often" and one company was "unable to answer the question." Just one company said that could "never" happen.
 "Sometimes it is good to meet"
 However, there are situations that call for face-to-face encounters, according to many of the companies, including insurance firm Sampo Group communications manager,  Maria Silander .
 "Especially when meeting new colleagues or key stakeholders," she said.
 In-person meetings are considered by telecom firm Telia to be important in boosting community spirit at the company, but business trips at the company are expected to decrease by 20-40 percent compared to before the crisis.
 "Sometimes it is good to meet. Creative cooperation and community-building gatherings will certainly be the main reason for business trips immediately after the coronavirus [crisis] ends," the company said.
 There are benefits in cutting down business travel, including saving money as well as time spent on the road, in airports and in the sky, according to Fortum's Dahl.
 "If you travel to [Central] Europe twice a week, it means you have to wake up early in the morning and the week's rhythm becomes a challenge. So, between that and efficient uses of time, it's important to avoid travel," Dahl said.
 Similar opinions were heard from chemicals company Kemira.
 "We especially invest in the well-being of our staff and this applies to travel now and in the future. Constant travel is difficult and stressful," the company said.
 Another side effect of reducing business travel is reducing carbon emissions, an effort in which many of the companies are committed.
 Financial service firm Nordea said reducing travel was one of the ways it is meeting its emissions targets. By the year 2023, the Nordic bank aims to reduce its 2019 level of carbon emissions by 30 percent.
 In carrying out its informal survey, Yle asked 30 companies with the largest market capitalisation on the Helsinki Nasdaq stock exchange at the end of August about the firms' post-pandemic international business travel plans.
 A few of the companies ended up being excluded from the survey due to essentially operating exclusively domestically.
 The survey was carried out during the second half of September.

Finnish business travel won't return to pre-Covid levels, survey finds


Summary: The Finnish and Russian presidents are meeting face-to-face for the first time in more than two years, with some fraught issues possibly on the agenda.

Finnish President  Sauli Niinistö  meets with his Russian counterpart  Vladimir Putin  on Friday at the Kremlin in Moscow. The meeting comes just as the Russian capital heads into lockdown amid record-high daily Covid-19 death tolls.
 Due to the pandemic, this is their first face-to-face meeting since Putin visited Helsinki in August 2019. The two have held telephone conversations since then.
 The presidents have usually met once or twice a year since they both took office in 2012 (Putin previously held the post from 1999 to 2008).
 Trains and timber
 A brief statement from Niinistö's office simply said that " in addition to bilateral relations…the presidents will discuss regional and international issues".
 Bilateral issues on the table may include the impact of Russia's coronavirus surge on cross-border traffic during the upcoming holiday season.
 Article continues after photo
 Due to Covid restrictions, the Allegro train has not operated between Helsinki and St. Petersburg for a year and a half.  Petri Kivimäki / Yle
 Allegro express trains between Helsinki and St. Petersburg are  due to resume traffic before the Christmas season . Last week Russian media reported that the service might re-start on 12 December, but this depends on agreement on Covid restrictions between the two countries' authorities. Unlike neighbouring Estonia, Finland does not allow entry by visitors who have received the Russian Sputnik vaccine rather than EU-approved jabs.
 Another possible bilateral topic is timber trade. Russia intends to  stop the export of raw timber  via the cross-border Saimaa canal and two other border crossing points, but Finland still wants to negotiate the issue. Russia also aims to restrict the export of softwood timber to Finland.
 Article continues after photo
 Russia intends to stop the export of raw timber via the Saimaa Canal. Jari Tanskanen / Yle
 International tensions
 Major international issues are likely to dominate the presidential talks, such as Belarus, the occupation of Crimea and the war between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine. The issues have led to tensions with the EU, including sanctions and counter-sanctions. Niinistö has signalled that Finland would be prepared to mediate in the conflict.
 In late August, he attended the Crimea Platform summit in Kiev and met with Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelensky . As in the past, Niinistö may also raise human rights issues such as the treatment of Russian opposition leader  Alexei Navalny .
 Relations between Russia and the military alliance Nato are also at a historical low. While Finland is not a full Nato member, it is a close partner, as seen during this week's visit to Helsinki by Nato Secretary General  Jens Stoltenberg  and the North Atlantic Council ambassadors.
 Just after the Nato meeting, Niinistö's office announced that he would visit the Kremlin a few days later.
 Kristi Raik , director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, suggested that Niinistö intended to send a message that Finland has not forgotten its relations with Russia, despite its close ties with Nato.
 Article continues after photo
 Sauli Niinistö (right) and Vladimir Putin (left) dined at Suomenlinna in August 2019. Roni Rekomaa / Tasavallan presidentin kanslia
 Niinistö may also reiterate to his proposal for a summit in 2025 to mark the 50 th  anniversary of the historic Helsinki Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). It brought together an unprecedented grouping of leaders from East and West.
 The successor to the CSCE, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), holds a ministerial meeting in Stockholm in December, when Finland may formally propose such a summit.
 Black carbon threatens Arctic
 Niinistö has discussed environmental issues on several occasions with Putin, focusing on black carbon in the Arctic. Typically generated from flaring in oil and gas fields as well as shipping, black carbon or soot plays a threatening role in the fragile Arctic environment and global warming.
 Russia currently holds the Presidency of the Arctic Council. Finland, for its part, took over the presidency of the smaller Barents Euro-Arctic Council  this week , so there are hopes for cooperation on the issue.
 On Monday Niinistö heads to Glasgow, Scotland, to attend the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference.

Niinistö meets Putin in Moscow: Trade, transport and climate on the table


Summary: The majority, around 227,000 students, have paid the fee on time. However, students need to pay the fee on their own initiative as it is not directly billed by the social insurance agency.

Finland's Social Insurance Institution (Kela) announced that it has sent around 44,000 students notifications regarding unpaid health care fees amounting to just under 36 euros per term.
 According to a statement issued on Monday, Kela said university students can expect to receive a payment reminder if they registered as students by 30 September but had not paid the health care fee by then.
 Kela does not directly send bills for the health care fee, but rather it is paid by the students' own initiatives, via the agency's online platform OmaKela.
 Students who had not paid the fee by 30 September will get a letter reminding them about it, as well as a five euro late fee.
 If students did pay the fee after 30 September, the agency said they will still receive a late fee bill.
 The majority of students, around 227,000 people, have paid the fee on time.
 Regarding students who end up not paying the health care fee even after receiving the reminder Kela said it would deduct the sum of the fees from their study grants without consulting them.
 The health care fee is used to pay for students' health care services. The Finnish state finances 77 percent of higher education student health care costs and the remaining 23 percent is financed via the health care fee, according to Kela.
 All students attending universities and universities of applied sciences that are entitled to use the Finnish Student Health Service (abbreviation in Finnish YTHS) are compelled to pay the health care fee. To find out about the fee, Kela's website has  more information  on the topic.

Kela sends late health care fee reminders to 44,000 students


Summary: Tuesday's papers follow a theme from Monday's Nato visit.

Most of the papers  carry  news of think tank Eva's poll about Nato membership, which suggests that slightly more Finns now think it would be a good idea for Finland to join the alliance.
 Some 40 percent of respondents said they don't want Finland to become a Nato country, while 26 percent said they thought the country should join the western military club.
 That support is up four percentage points from the 22 percent figure recorded a year ago. It comes after Nato Secretary-General  Jens Stoltenberg  visited Helsinki on Monday,  reminding Finland that they have a close partnership  — but it's not as good a security guarantee as membership.
 Eva also  published a poll  on Monday suggesting that Finns are increasingly critical of Russia, with 60 percent of those answering the survey saying they consider Russia a military threat.
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 Border shopping slump
 Retailers along the eastern border, meanwhile, are hoping for a less-threatening invasion, with tourists returning to the shopping centres and retail parks set up to cater to their needs.
 Helsingin Sanomat has  been to Vaalimaa , one of the big three border points, to see how the 'Zsar' shopping centre is doing.
 It has not turned a profit since it opened in 2019, and with visitor numbers down and only 25 of 60 units rented out. The centre is an 'outlet' location, aiming to sell last year's designer items at a discount while looking for a customer mix of 25 percent Russian visitors and 75 percent domestic shoppers.
 That's not working so well with Covid restrictions limiting travel between the two countries. In 2019 more than 5.5 million people passed through the checkpoints on the eastern border, and this year that's down to half a million.
 Scooter injury crisis eased
 Iltalehti  reports  that the scooter injury crisis, which had filled Helsinki's emergency departments with injured scootists, has eased somewhat.
 In July some 80 patients arrived at Helsinki and Uusimaa region hospitals after an accident on an electric scooter, prompting concerns among health officials about the rental mobility aids.
 In September that number was 15, and since new restrictions on rentals were introduced there has been a further decline — just 6 scooter-related injuries in October so far.
 That same month, Helsinki agreed with the scooter rental firms that they would not be available after midnight on weekends, in an effort to limit their use by inebriated riders.

Tuesday's papers: Nato support, border shopping and scooter injuries


Summary: Finland's local elections were postponed because of the Covid crisis.

Turnout in the 2021 municipal election was down among voters with lower incomes and lower education levels compared to previous elections, according to a  new report  from Helsinki Graduate School of Economics.
 The report found that advance voting was more popular than usual, especially in areas with high Covid case counts.
 The 2021 elections were originally scheduled to be held in April, but were postponed until June because of the escalating pandemic.
 Election officials made several changes to try to maintain turnout levels even though in-person campaigning was much reduced from a normal election year, when candidates tend to throng market squares handing out leaflets and coffee as they discuss politics with voters.
 Advance voting periods were extended, with extra locations added to encourage turnout. The GSE report suggests that was a successful policy decision, but warns that it may have contributed to exacerbating previous disparities in voting enthusiasm.
 Finland is set to hold regional elections in January, to elect representatives to 21 new assemblies responsible for health and social care. Non-citizens resident in Finland are eligible to vote in those elections, subject to the qualifying period of residency.

Report: Low-income voter turnout down in municipal elections


Summary: Cancer cases rose by about 20 percent between 2011 and 2019, but applications for financial support ballooned by nearly 1000 percent.

The number of people dealing with cancer diagnoses seeking financial support from the Cancer Society of Finland has increased tenfold over the past decade, according to the organisation.
 In 2011 the society received a total of 160 applications on behalf of cancer patients needing financial help. Last year the number of grant seekers reached 1,731. The group noted that the number of new cancer diagnoses did not grow at such a rate during that time.
 Figures on Finland's cancer rates at the Finnish Cancer Registry are currently updated until 2019. By that year, there were just under 20 percent more cancer cases registered than in 2011, but applications for financial support ballooned by nearly 1000 percent, according to the society.
 People and families dealing with cancer apply for the assistance with the help of hospital cancer ward social workers. The Cancer Society's grants help patients pay for things like health care fees, medication and travel expenses.
 The Cancer Society's advisory services chief,  Taina Häkkinen , said that the resulting economic impact of cancer comes as a surprise to many families and a diagnosis can result in a family's financial collapse.
 Payment ceilings
 "Even if many families often live paycheck to paycheck, many do not have savings for unexpected situations. Families may have had hard financial times even before becoming ill, and cancer can cause a collapse," Häkkinen said.
 Despite Finland's generally free health care system, there is a medical cost payment ceiling of 680 euros per year that patients need to pay themselves. In addition to those expenditures, there is also an annual 580-euro ceiling for prescription drugs and a yearly 300-euro threshold for travel costs, which must come from a patient's own funds.
 The payment ceiling period is based on the calendar year, not from the time of diagnosis.
 "If a patient falls ill in October, for example, he or she might not have time to accrue the amount required to reach those payment ceilings by the end of the year and won't be able to access [services and medicine] free-of-charge," Häkkinen explained.
 "Since the ceiling is tied to the calendar year, that patient would still have to pay his or her costs in January," she said, adding that if people are already struggling with low incomes or pensions, these costs easily become difficult to deal with.
 Last year the Cancer Society distributed nearly 690,000 euros in financial support to people with cancer, which is about 12 times more than the organisation granted in 2011. The group has 12 regional cancer associations and six national patient organisations.

Finns increasingly seek help with cancer costs, group says


Summary: Finland takes the reins of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in Norway at a tense moment in international relations.

Finnish Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) meets with his Russian counterpart  Sergei Lavrov  on Tuesday during a meeting of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in Tromsø, northern Norway.
 Haavisto holds talks with Lavrov just after meeting with Nato Secretary General  Jens Stoltenberg   a day earlier in Helsinki . Also on Monday, Lavrov met with Norway's new foreign minister,  Anniken Huitfeldt . Haavisto and Huitfeldt will also hold talks.
 Swedish Foreign Minister  Ann Linde , meanwhile, is not attending the Tromsø summit, opting instead to stay in Stockholm to meet with Stoltenberg and other Nato representatives.
 The Haavisto-Lavrov negotiations come just days before Finnish President  Sauli Niinistö  meets his Russian counterpart,  Vladimir Putin , in Moscow on Friday. Niinistö also holds talks with Estonia's new president,  Alar Karis , on Tuesday.
 Nato-Russia relations tense
 Lavrov is on his first visit to a Nato member country since Russia said it would close its Nato mission in Brussels and Nato offices in Moscow.
 That came in response to Nato's expulsion of members of the Russian delegation to Nato headquarters in Brussels. The military alliance said that the delegates were intelligence officers.
 According to former Finnish foreign minister  Ilkka Kanerva  (NCP), who now chairs the Parliamentary Defence Committee, the deterioration of Nato-Russia relations represents a deterioration of Finland's security environment.
 Finland plays a key role as Barents chair
 At the meeting, Finland takes over the presidency of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) from Norway. The BEAC member states are the five Nordic countries, Russia and the EU. The presidency rotates every second year between Norway, Finland, Russia and Sweden.
 Russia, meanwhile, is currently chairing the larger Arctic Council, which includes the five Nordic countries as well as Canada and the United States.
 When Russia took over the presidency of the Arctic Council in May, Lavrov strongly criticised western activities in the Arctic.
 "It's long been well known to everyone that this is our territory, this is our land, we are responsible for ensuring that our Arctic coast is safe. And everything our country does there is absolutely legal and legitimate," he said at the time.
 Moscow has especially directed criticism toward Norway, which it considers to be allowing Nato into the Arctic region.
 The tense international situation brings particular pressure to Finland's two-year presidency. As a non-Nato EU member state, Finland could act as a facilitator of dialogue between Russia and the West during its term.
 Since the Ukraine crisis and related sanctions it brings, Arctic cooperation is one of the few forums where Russia and western countries still sit at the same negotiating tables.
 The Finnish Presidency will be led by Ambassador to the Barents and Northern Dimension,  Jari Vilén , a former NCP trade minister.

Haavisto meets Russian foreign minister as Finland takes over Euro-Arctic presidency


Summary: While many said efforts to reduce poverty and inequality were important, most did not see development programmes as efficient or effective.

A clear majority of people in Finland said they felt sad about the situation of women and girls living under the Taliban in Afghanistan, according to a survey commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
 The survey, carried out by market research firm Taloustutkimus, found that 86 percent of respondents thought the situation of females in Afghanistan was either "somewhat" or "completely" sad.
 Around 1,200 people took part in the survey, which was carried out at the end of August, as international forces, diplomats and others evacuated the war-torn country, leaving the Taliban in power, raising fears about the uncertain future of Afghan women and girls.
 According to the survey, around 75 percent of respondents agreed somewhat or entirely that Finland should provide emergency aid to Afghanistan, such as food, shelter and water.
 On the other hand, just 39 percent said they somewhat or completely agreed that Finland should make immediate efforts towards long-term development programmes in Afghanistan. Forty-eight percent of women and 31 percent of men were in favour of such goals.
 Party divides
 The survey responses often differed due to party affiliation. Around 79 percent of Green Party supporters were in favour of immediately resuming development programmes in Afghanistan, while only 10 percent of opposition Finns Party adherents supported the idea.
 About two-thirds of respondents said they thought development programme cooperation was very or quite important but, at the same time, one quarter said their attitudes had become more negative about Finland offering that kind of support.
 Among supporters of various Parliamentary parties, the most critical of the idea of Finland offering aid to Afghanistan were faithful to the Finns Party and Movement Now party — with 70 percent saying they were not in favour or indifferent to aid efforts.
 Around 80 percent of Green Party supporters and 70 percent of Left Alliance supporters said development cooperation was very important.
 Good but ineffective
 The majority of those surveyed said they think Finland's development cooperation efforts over the 20 years it spent in Afghanistan had improved the standing of women and girls there.
 The ministry noted that while many respondents said they thought Finland's efforts to reduce poverty and inequality were important, a majority did not think development programmes were efficient or effective.
 "We must listen to this concern carefully and make sure that people get enough information about our work and its effectiveness in future. Prolonged conflicts and disasters, for example, may give rise to doubt whether we can achieve sustainable results at all. Based on our own monitoring, we know that we have achieved results," Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade,  Ville Skinnari  (SDP), said in a statement.
 The ministry is to submit a report about the effectiveness and results of Finland's development cooperation to Parliament next autumn.
 A total of 1,173 people from across Finland took part in the survey, which was carried out with online panels and in-person interviews. There was a 2.7 percent margin of error in either direction, according to the ministry.

Foreign ministry survey on Afghan aid reveals party splits


Summary: Building management firms were found to receive commissions on contracts from housing company spending.

The Finnish Real Estate Management Federation says it has work to do to improve trust after an Yle investigation uncovered commissions paid to building management firms for services it purchased with housing company money.
 Yle's investigative programme MOT saw documents suggesting the Realia property management company got a four percent commission on contracts for lift maintenance.
 Some three million people in Finland live in properties owned by housing companies, in which individual property owners hold shares.
 These housing companies usually buy building management services from real estate management firms, who then commission services from other firms and advise on maintenance schedules.
 This means the real estate companies use housing company money, and are paid a fee for their services — so should not be accepting commissions on any contracts they are involved with.
 The federation says its member firms have work to do in building trust and proving loyalty to their clients, the housing companies.
 "The Federation of Real Estate Management Companies does not approve of bribery or corruption in any form," said the federation's Managing Director  Mia Koro-Kanerva  in a press release.
 Yle's investigation uncovered the commission payments and procurement from related companies that occurred without tendering, which risks forcing housing companies to overpay for products and services.
 The federation condemned these practices, and said building management companies need to ensure they work for their clients, and are fully transparent about their agreements.
 Koro-Kanerva also said that housing companies should decide which firms get contracts they are paying for, and that they can reject the building managers' recommendations if they prefer another option.
 The federation said that it is reviewing its ethical guidelines and oversight system, along with other organisations, to improve transparency and deal with any conflicts of interest.

Building management firms admit problems after Yle investigation


Summary: Authorities seized more than 500 kilos of drugs, dozens of weapons and hundreds of thousands of euros in cash.

Twelve people have been charged in Finland as part of Operation Greenlight/Trojan Shield, a sprawling international probe that led to seizures of large amounts of drug and weapons, the Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday. The charges are mostly for serious drug offenses. Six of the accused remain in custody.
 According to the Prosecutor's Office, the charges now brought concern one string of crimes in Southern Finland, which has been investigated by the Helsinki Police Department.
 The charges relate to the massive operation led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During the operation, the FBI gained access to the encrypted messaging of criminals operating in different countries and passed the information to the authorities of the cooperating countries.
 In the global sting, organised crime gangs were sold encrypted phones with software called ANOM that law enforcement officials could monitor. Authorities said in June that it had led to more than 800 arrests and the confiscation of drugs, weapons, cash and luxury cars.
 According to the prosecutor's office, the investigation has also revealed other crimes for which two people have been charged. However, according to the Prosecutor's Office, these crimes are not connected to Operation Greenlight.
 Prosecutions around Finland
 Greenlight-related charges were filed earlier this autumn in various parts of Finland. Some cases have already been heard at district courts.
 In June, police announced that Finnish authorities had arrested almost 100 people in connection with the preliminary investigations related to Operation Greenlight. In addition, authorities had seized more than 500 kilos of drugs, dozens of weapons and hundreds of thousands of euros in cash.
 Customs announced the completion of its preliminary investigation in September. Its operations included a search of storage premises in Tampere where 3D printers were being used to manufacture firearm parts. Two active firearms, a large number of firearm parts and a large amount of ammunition were seized from the premises.
 The international Operation Greenlight was led by the FBI, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Europol and police in 16 countries, including Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.

12 charged in Finland through FBI-led sting operation