Summary: Yle News' All Points North podcast asks if foreigners get paid less than Finns.

This week the podcast asks if Finland's workplaces have a pay gap, with foreigners earning lower salaries than their Finnish counterparts.
 Susanna Bairoh  from the TEK engineering union says that information from their members suggests it might be an issue.
 "What the results show at the moment or for some years is that those who come from a country outside the EU or ETA do tend to get less pay," Bairoh tells APN.
 "Now the problem is that it is not very straightforward to compare salaries of people because you have to take into account their position for example and their work experience. I think that if you compare people at the same level, for example expert levels, then the salaries are a little bit closer — at least that's the case between women and men — but at management level there are fairly large gaps."
 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 .
 Article continues after audio.
 This week the captain of the Finnish men's national football team,  Tim Sparv , said that he wanted to see more activism around the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
 Thousands of migrant workers have died constructing stadia for the 2022 World Cup in the middle-eastern country, and Sparv said in  an opinion piece  that it was time to talk about their fate.
 "Let's wake people up," wrote Sparv. "I'm sure there are many people in Finland alone who have no idea what’s going on in Qatar."
 We ask Norwegian journalist  Lars Sivertsen , who has reported on migrant workers from Qatar, how significant Sparv's intervention is.
 "I think obviously the Qatar issue has been a big issue for people who care about it for a long time, but outside of those activists and people who are engaged in the human rights question, there's not been much discussion at all," said Sivertsen.
 "And when a player like Tim Sparv raises the question then it pushes it into spheres where that discussion wasn't perhaps being had at all."
 Join the conversation!
 This week's show was presented by  Zena Iovino  and  Egan Richardson . The producer was  Mark B. Odom  and the audio engineer was  Anders Johansson .
 If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, just contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi and allpointsnorth@yle.fi.

APN podcast: Is there a foreigner wage gap?


Summary: The perpetrator was sentenced to life imprisonment last year after being found guilty on one charge of murder and 20 counts of attempted murder.

An appeal against the verdict in the 2019 Kuopio  school sword attack  case has begun at the Eastern Finland Court of Appeal on Thursday, with the hearing expected to last six days.
 Last November, the North Savo District Court  sentenced   Joel Marin  to life imprisonment after finding him guilty on one charge of murder and 20 counts of attempted murder.
 The attack took place at the Savo Vocational College in a classroom located in a Kuopio shopping centre. A young Ukrainian woman died while 10 other people — including the suspect — were injured in the incident.
 In its ruling, the district court found that Marin was of sound mind at the time of the attack and fully understood what he was doing. This verdict was based on a psychological evaluation carried out by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and backed up by evidence that he had planned the attack for more than a year.
 However, in his application to the Court of Appeal, Marin argued that he should be found guilty of a lesser charge and that his sentence should be reduced from a life sentence to a fixed prison term. The longest fixed prison term in Finland is 12 years, while a "life" sentence means an average of 14-15 years behind bars.
 "We are going to the Court of Appeal with largely the same arguments as were heard in the district court," Marin's defence lawyer  Matti Niiranen  told Yle.
 In addition to the perpetrator's appeal, six victims have also appealed the district court's verdict and asked for increased compensation for the injuries that they suffered in the attack.

Kuopio school sword attack appeal begins


Summary: Yle's first radio transmission was broadcast from a studio in downtown Helsinki on 9 September 1926.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle (Finnish:  Yleisradio ) marks 95 years of broadcasting on Thursday.
 "Yle is a sprightly 95 years old and in good condition," CEO  Merja Ylä-Anttila  said.
 The first ever radio transmission was broadcast from a studio on Unioninkatu in downtown Helsinki on 9 September 1926, when opera singer and journalist  Alexis af Enehjelm  told the nation that regular broadcasting activities in Finland had begun.
 The public service broadcaster now provides three national television channels, 13 radio channels and services, and 25 regional radio stations, and was  recently named  Finland's 'Brand of the Year' for 2021.
 "We are very grateful that our audience appreciates us, and we are ready to listen to what the audience wants and expects from us," Ylä-Anttila added.
 Looking to the future
 As Yle marks its 95th 'birthday', Ylä-Anttila said the company is looking to the future and wants to develop content to better meet the needs and interests of people living in Finland.
 "In my opinion, the duty of a public service broadcaster is to get closer to, listen to and interact with the public," she said, adding that Yle especially wants to hear more and more from younger people.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Yle CEO Merja Ylä-Anttila. Antti Haanpää / Yle
 "Our challenge is to look after the needs of young people who use media in a new way. It is important that we are a relevant communication channel for them, a source of education and entertainment," Ylä-Anttila said, citing the success of the award-winning series  Sekasin  as an example of how Yle has managed to attract new audiences that are traditionally difficult to reach.
 Aside from serving children and young people into the future, Yle will also focus on the development of digital platforms including the streaming platform  Yle Areena , Ylä-Anttila added, as the broadcaster seeks to build on the 95-year-strong bond with audiences in Finland.
 "We want to nurture this relationship and renew our offering so that even our loyal, slightly older audiences can find inspiring and interesting content on Yle," Ylä-Anttila said.
 Yle is not "shouting for more money"
 Since 2013 Yle has been funded by a public broadcasting tax, which replaced the previous licence fee model and is collected from private individuals and corporations on an annual basis.
 The company's turnover in 2020 was 487 million euros. Ylä-Anttila said she is following the discussion about Yle's financing closely, but did not wish to speculate on whether Yle's financing will be increased by the next government.
 "We make sure we live as sharply and smartly as possible. We are not shouting for more money," she said, adding that public finances are tight even as costs are rising and competition is fierce within the media sector, citing media rights for sports competitions as just one example.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Yle's investigative journalism unit MOT filming an interview in Pasila earlier this year. Silja Viitala / Yle
 Yle has a responsibility to provide television and radio channels to everyone on equal terms, Ylä-Anttila added, which increases the pressure.
 "We need to think about how we prioritise and how we use resources," the CEO said.
 History of Yle's English-language broadcasts
 Yle also provides news in English, via the Yle News unit. The company’s first English-language radio news aired during World War II.
 English-language broadcasts continue to the present day, with bulletins at 3:30pm on Yle Mondo and at 3:55pm on Yle Radio 1.
 Yle News was established in 1999 to replace the former Radio Finland and began broadcasting television news bulletins on Yle TV1 from 7 June that year, with the last television broadcast going out on 26 February 2017 as the unit switched to reaching its audience online.

 The unit now focuses on serving the English-language audience in Finland as well as people living abroad with an interest in the Nordic nation.
 Aside from the daily radio broadcasts, Yle News also provides online news articles via our  website , a  weekly podcast  called All Points North as well as a weekly email  newsletter .

Yle celebrates 95 years of public service broadcasting


Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) announced on Thursday afternoon that the government parties had reached agreement on climate and employment issues, allowing approval of the nearly 65-billion-euro budget blueprint for next year. It includes a deficit of nearly seven billion euros, which is lower than this year.
 According to Marin, the cabinet has approved the necessary steps to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 as stipulated in its programme. She said decisions had been made that will lead to 11 megatonnes of emission reductions in the coming years.
 In total, emissions are to be reduced by 14-15 megatonnes by 2035.
 Next year's budget will support this shift by financing investments in sustainable energy, research, development and innovation. The cabinet also plans investments in employment services and digitalisation.
 The PM said that investments will also be made to boost the availability of skilled labour, including from abroad.
 Immigration by skilled workers is to be accelerated by extending two-week fast-track electronic residence permit applications to specialists and start-up entrepreneurs.
 The government will extend the national D visa to cover researchers, students and their family members. The national D visa is based on the Schengen Convention, and allows individuals to live in the granting country for up to one year.
 Marin said the government will target employment investments to address labour shortages and matching of people with jobs.
 Expert evaluation of climate measures crucial to Greens
 According to Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo  (Greens), it is important for the Greens that the climate package is considered together with independent scientists and experts. This is important for the credibility of the package.
 Ohisalo said that the government is committed to making any necessary additional decisions to ensure that Finland is on its way to carbon neutrality in 2035, in accordance with the government's programme.
 Left Alliance chair and Education Minister  Li Andersson  said that Finland would become "the world's first carbon-neutral welfare state".
 Ohisalo said that as part of a compromise agreement, the government will carry out a review next March to determine whether the agreed emissions-cutting measures will be sufficient to reach the 2035 goal, based on analyses by the Finnish Climate Change Panel, ministries and research institutes – or whether more are needed.
 Mining tax, more funding for police
 The legislation adds an obligation for each municipality and region to draw up a climate plan.
 "Agricultural emissions will be reduced by measures such as increasing wetland cultivation. Next year, taxes on heat pumps will be cut. We will implement at least one offshore wind power demo project and put funding into the circular economy, subsidising household energy improvements and phasing out oil heating. Altogether half a billion euros in the budget will be devoted to climate measures in Finland," she said.
 Ohisalo said that the purchase tax on electric cars will be waived, but usage fees on new electric vehicles will be increased.
 Ohisalo said that from the beginning of 2023, a mining tax will be introduced in Finland. The new Mining Act will be presented to Parliament this year.
 The interior minister said that police budgets will be raised next year.
 Ohisalo added that the government is preparing to increase the number of quota refugees this year due to the situation in Afghanistan. The annual quota is now 1,050 refugees.
 Saarikko: Employment rate target close to being achieved
 Minister of Finance  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) said that the government's employment rate target is relatively close to being achieved.
 The budget totals 64.8 billion euros, with a deficit of 6.9 billion euros for 2022. That is almost five billion euros less than this year. It will bring the state debt to around 146 billion euros next year.
 The purchase of new fighter jets will expand the deficit by about one and a half billion euros, she said.
 The Ministry of Finance had to take into account almost a billion euros in unexpected additional expenditures, such as pandemic costs and funding to prepare for the  sote  healthcare and social services reform.
 According to Saarikko, public finances will be balanced if Finland attains an average economic growth rate of 2.25 percent and an employment rate of 78 percent.

Ministers: Budget plan to slash emissions, reduce deficit, boost labour market and police funding


Summary: Hundreds of thousands more doses of seasonal influenza vaccine will be available in Finland compared to a year ago as high rates of take-up are expected.

Jyväskylä daily  Keskisuomalainen reports  that health authorities have ordered larger consignments of the seasonal flu vaccine than in 2020 after supplies ran out in several cities last year.
 The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL reports that two million doses of Vaxigrip injectable vaccine have been ordered for the national vaccination program and 118,000 doses of the FluenzTetra nasal spray for children are also on order.
 THL Chief Medical Officer  Hanna Nohynek  told the paper that the private sector will also be procuring vaccine for 600,000 jabs.
 Last winter the rate of seasonal flu was at an extremely low level due to the health safety  measures in place to impede the spread of the coronavirus . Researchers are uncertain if that means that  the seasonal flu this year  will be a minor health issue or threaten to turn into a major epidemic.
 Seasonal flu vaccinations are made available free of charge to social and health care staff, pregnant women, anyone over the age of 65, children under the age of 7, people in at-risk groups, military conscripts, and women performing voluntary military service.
 _ Would you like a summary of the week's top stories sent straight to your email inbox every week? Then  sign up  for our weekly newsletter! _
 Testing cost strains
 According to Tampere's  Aamulehti , the money spent on Covid testing in that city this year would have funded two full-service public healthcare centres.
 In total, the City of Tampere estimates that the coronavirus epidemic has increased direct costs by 28.1 million euros. Taking into account other effects on the city's economy, the total tab is 62 million euros.
 It is estimated that Tampere will incur costs of approximately 11.6 million euros this year due to coronavirus testing alone.
 In addition, there have been increased costs associated with the pandemic in social welfare services, early childhood education and basic education. Rising unemployment has increased spending and reduced municipal tax revenues.
 Aamulehti also reports that students at colleges and universities in Tampere can now access coronavirus vaccination services on campuses. International students are eligible for the free vaccinations, as well.
 The move is part of an effort to increase the level of vaccination uptake among young adults. On-campus vaccination facilities can handle around 300 people a day.
 Undercutting employment?
 Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) announced on Thursday that the government parties had reached agreement on climate and employment issues, and can now move ahead with  approval of the a state budget draft  for next year.
 In a Friday analysis of the draft budget,  the daily Helsingin Sanomat  first points out that the government wants to ease a labour shortage by temporarily raising student income limits and increasing tax incentives for pensioners to work.
 HS calculates that making it more advantageous for students to work could bring an additional 15-20 million euros into the public coffers, but only next year.
 On the other hand, it notes that according to the Ministry of Finance, giving people over the age of 60 a tax break will turn out to be a drain on the treasury.
 Helsingin Sanomat writes that the meagre benefits of these employment measures are likely to be an embarrassment for the Centre Party, which has vowed to apply the brakes on increased state debt.
 The government stated on Thursday that it will decide on employment measures next February aimed at boosting public finances by 110 million euros by the end of the decade.
 It is therefore surprising, writes HS, that the government is launching an employment measure that will weaken public finances. The paper continues by saying that it is particularly surprising that the move has been pushed specifically by Finance Minister  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) and the Centre Party - despite opposition from Ministry of Finance officials.
 In this paper's view, such an inconsistent approach to employment measures may be explained by politics: a tax carrot for people over the age of 60 is a nice bonus for many Centre Party voters, even if it further weakens public finances.
 Helsingin Sanomat also provides  an online calculator  to give readers an indication of how the government's budget is likely to impact their wallets.
 This week's APN podcast looked at the budget discussions, worker exploitation in Qatar, and Finlan's foreigner wage gap. 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 .
 Article continues after audio.
 Strange light in the sky
 Tabloid  Iltalehti  is among the papers carrying the news, photos and videos of a strange light seen in the sky over large parts of Finland Thursday night and especially in Finnish Lapland.
 "I was outside and noticed a really strange ball of light was moving in the sky, followed by three smaller ones," Iltalehti reader  Sirpa Määttä  told the paper. "The ball progressed steadily downwards and changed shape. Its tail disappeared and the ball first brightened into a small point of light, after which it turned into a larger ball of misty light that disappeared behind the fell."
 Satellite researcher  Matias Takala  reported on Twitter that what people saw was a Russian rocket launch.
 "It seems to have been the launch of a Soyuz 2.1V rocket carrying a military satellite from the Plesetsk cosmodrome," Takala tweeted.

Friday's papers: Flu jabs, budget impacts, and a strange moving light in the sky


Summary: More focus on cyber threats and a restructuring of combat forces are key elements in the latest official report on developing Finland's defence capabilities.

Finland's latest national defence policy report, covering actions up to the end of this decade, was approved by the government on Thursday for submission to Parliament.
 Presenting the policy report to the media this week, Minister of Defence  Antti Kaikkonen  (Cen) highlighted the growing importance of cyber defence, strategic communications and information defence.
 "Our cyber defence must be strengthened and given [the needed] tools," Kaikkonen said.
 In practice, upgrading capability in these areas will mean hiring additional personnel and acquiring new technology.
 500 additional person-years
 The report proposes an increase in staff for the Defence Forces equivalent to 500 new members by the end of the 2020s. Agreement has already been reached that hiring of the first 100 will be implemented during the current governmental term.
 Kaikkonen voiced concern about staffing levels in defence administration, saying that the current number of employees is simply not enough in the long run.
 While new, developing areas will receive more attention and more resources, the basis of Finland's defence will continue to be  military conscription , a trained reserve, a strong  will to defend  the country, and the concept of nation-wide defence, according to Kaikkonen.
 Concerns near and far
 The report describes Finland's defence environment as being "tense and difficult to predict." It emphasises the growing strategic importance of Finland's neighbouring Arctic areas and the perception of Northern European defence as a whole.
 The report furthermore points to intensified competition between the great powers affecting Finland's security. China’s rise as a global player has changed the balance of power.
 "The effects of the means of influence used by China on the security of the target countries are of growing concern," said  Esa Pulkkinen , Director General of the Ministry of Defence.
 NATO is described in the report as an "actor promoting security and stability", and states Finland retains the option to apply for NATO membership.
 The United States is mentioned as "an important and close partner for Finland". Sweden and Norway are also mentioned as important allies, with whom defence co-operation will be increased.
 Regarding Russia, the policy report states, "Russia's actions ...show that its threshold for using and exerting military force...has been lowered."
 "Finland is not facing any immediate military threat. However, preparations must be maintained to counter the use or threat of military force," Pulkkinen added.
 Structural reform
 Changes are also in the works for the force structure in the Defence Forces. In the future, wartime troops will be divided into operative and local troops.
 The number of local troops will be increased beginning from 2025 by transforming the majority of the regional troops into local troops. At the same time, the range of duties of local troops will expand and the standards will rise.
 The role of local forces will include co-operation with civil authorities, control and security operations and action against special forces. Operational forces will be well equipped and designed for demanding, mobile combat missions.
 The change will not affect the overall strength of wartime troops, which remains at 280,000.
 Cost savings imposed on the Defence Forces in previous years and the resources currently in use pose challenges in maintaining operations and preparedness at the current level, and according to the report, limit preparedness for a long-term crisis and warfare.

Government proposes 500 new jobs for Finnish Defence Forces


Summary: Left Alliance city councillor Suldaan Said Ahmed replaces outgoing party colleague Paavo Arhinmäki in Parliament.

Suldaan Said Ahmed  (Left) has been officially sworn in as a Member of Parliament, becoming Finland's first Somali-background MP.
 The Helsinki city councillor replaces party colleague and outgoing MP  Paavo Arhinmäki  (Left), who left Parliament to take up a role as Helsinki Deputy Mayor.
 Said Ahmed told Yle News that he still "cannot quite believe" he is now an MP.
 "If someone had told the refugee-background, single-mother raised, teenage Suldaan, that you would one day become a Finnish legislator, I would not have believed it," he said. "There were no people like me in Parliament when I was growing up."
 He added that he intends to help "build a better Finland" during his time in Parliament.
 "I want a Finland where every young person, regardless of their background or starting point, can pursue their dreams. I hope that my selection here will send a message to young people that anything is possible," he added.
 Said Ahmed and two other incoming MPs —  Atte Kaleva  (NCP) and  Jari Kinnunen  (NCP) — were officially announced as Members of Parliament by parliamentary speaker  Anu Vehviläinen  (Cen) at a plenary session on Thursday afternoon.
 Kaleva and Kinnunen are replacing party colleagues  Anna-Kaisa Ikonen  and  Juhana Vartiainen , who became mayors of Tampere and Helsinki respectively.
 Said Ahmed was born in Somalia in 1993 and moved to Finland in 2008. He was elected to Helsinki City Council at the municipal elections in 2017, garnering over 1,000 votes, and was re-elected to the council at the last municipal election in June, increasing his vote count to 1,634.

Finland's first Somali-born MP sworn in


Summary: The government agreed in the budget to support regional aviation.

A fifty seat plane landed at Jyväskylä airport on Wednesday carrying just three passengers. One passenger boarded the return flight to Helsinki.
 "Jyväskylä's flight link has been created with international connections in mind, and because of the Covid situation passenger numbers are really low," says  Pipsa Eklund  from Traficom, the Finnish Communications and Transport Agency.
 Before the pandemic around 80 percent of passengers from Jyväskylä transferred to another plane at Helsinki Airport.
 Traficom pays the Estonian airline NyxAir 5,577 euros for each return flight between Helsinki and the Central Finland hub. With present passenger numbers, therefore, the public subsidies for this link run at more than a thousand euros per passenger.
 Story continues after photo
 Jari Tanskanen / Yle
 Helsinki Airport is just over three hours from Jyväskylä by train, with tickets available in advance for around 20 euros, but the flight link takes 45 minutes and currently costs less than a hundred euros each way.
 Traficom's subsidies were brought in to prop up the route, given that ticket revenues were not close to covering its costs.
 In the spring Finnair ended flights from Helsinki to Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Kokkola-Jakobstad, Kajaani and Kemi-Tornio.
 The government is still ploughing some 13.8 million euros into keeping those airports afloat to ensure they retain their links to Finland's main aviation hub via other airlines.
 Statistics Finland says that domestic aviation causes 0.2 of a megatonne of greenhouse gas emissions annually, double the emissions of all rail transport in Finland. Sitra  estimates  that international aviation attributable to Finland comes in at 5.2 megatonnes, attenuated by non-CO2 pollutants.
 Finland's total emissions are more than 50 megatonnes per year, and the country's government has stated it wants to be carbon neutral by 2035.
 Support continues past next summer
 In the spring it was hoped that passenger numbers would recover before the turn of the year, with traffic becoming profitable again. That hope has proven forlorn as the pandemic continues and travel restrictions continued.
 The government agreed on Thursday that these subsidies would continue until mid-August 2022.
 "Sure some flights would have become profitable anyway, but the subsidies are a very relevant factor for customers to understand that the plane will still be flying in a fortnight's time," said Pipsa Eklund from Traficom.
 Story continues after photo
 Jari Tanskanen / Yle
 Highest passenger numbers have been seen on the Kajaani-Helsinki route, with every flight in August carrying at least 20 passengers. On flights to Joensuu, Kokkola-Pietarsaari and Kemi-Tornio an average of eleven passengers boarded each flight, while for Jyväskylä the average was three.
 "The timetable for Joensuu flights is not currently optimal, because it's based on flights to Europe which are currently very few in number," said  Erik Salen  of Amaplaflyg, which operates the Joensuu route.
 Domestic aviation unprofitable for another year
 Danish airline DAT flies a 40-seater plane between Kajaani and Helsinki. The company's Managing Director  Jesper Rungholm  says that transport will not recover by the end of the year.
 Without continued state subsidies, airlines would have stopped flying to provincial towns at the end of the year.
 "The subsidies continue until August [2022], after that we can take care of it on market terms," said Rungholm.
 During the winter the route sees some international arrivals coming to see Kainuu's icy wilderness. DAT has a so-called 'Interline' contract with Finnair, allowing Finnair to sell tickets all the way to Kajaani using the DAT link.
 A third of all travellers on the Kajaani route currently change to another flight at Helsinki.
 Meanwhile in Jyväskylä, it's hoped business travellers will start travelling in greater numbers.
 "If we have a good airline in Jyväskylä, good timetables and transfer partners, the aviation link from Jyväskylä out into the world will liven up," said  Ari Hiltunen  of the city's Chamber of Commerce.

Loss-making regional aviation routes get continued €1,000+ per passenger subsidies


Summary: The three convicted teenagers have until 4 October to decide whether or not to appeal the court's verdict.

A third teenager  convicted of murder  by Helsinki District Court last week has expressed his dissatisfaction with the court's verdict, the first step towards appealing a sentence.
 Earlier this week, the two other convicted teens also  indicated that they were unhappy  with the ruling.
 The court had sentenced the three to prison sentences of ten years and one month, nine years and two months, and eight years and two months.
 Expressing their dissatisfaction does not automatically mean that the convicted teenagers will appeal, but the dissatisfaction must be reported within 7 days of the verdict and an appeal must be filed within 30 days.
 If they had not expressed their dissatisfaction, the right to appeal would have lapsed. Instead they now have until 4 October to decide whether or not to lodge an appeal.
 Meanwhile, the relatives of the victim and the prosecutor have both expressed their approval of the district court's ruling.
 "We will not be expressing dissatisfaction [with the verdict]. If the defendants appeal the verdict, we will consider filing a counter-appeal," district prosecutor  Satu Pomoell  told Yle.
 Last week, the district prosecutor said that the court provided adequate justification for its decision, but noted that the prison sentences could have been longer. The prosecution had demanded longer sentences of 12, 9-and a-half and 11 years.
 The court ruled that the three teenagers were  criminally responsible  for their actions but they were not given the full sentences demanded by the prosecutor because they were 16 years old at the time of the murder.

Third teen convicted of Koskela murder may appeal sentence


Summary: Finland's government has declared it wants the country to be carbon neutral by 2035, but has not said how that will be achieved.

On Thursday Finland's government announced that it had agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 14-15 million tonnes, but experts have criticised the measures announced as insufficient.
 Marita Laukkanen  of the VATT Institute for Economic Research told Yle that "the climate measures lack substance", and that "the government is too reliant on the hope of electrifying transport".
 "There is talk of measures, but in reality there are just reports and working groups," said Laukkanen. "There is a desire to reduce emissions, but it's not stated how [that will happen]."
 Yle went through the climate measures announced in the budget and compared them to a memo obtained by Yle that was prepared before budget talks began.
 Officials in the Environment Ministry in August suggested several measures to the government's climate and energy policy ministerial working group.
 Some of the measures made it into the package announced on Thursday, but many of them — especially those relating to transport — did not.
 Some of the measures proposed by officials but left out of the final package by politicians included:
 Higher taxes on heating fuels, to be raised in stages by 2030. This would have resulted in a 0.5 megatonne reduction in emissions, with 0.15 of a megatonne of that coming from industry and other emissions, 0.1 Mt from industrial machinery and 0.15 Mt from the heating of buildings.
 Several changes to taxation related to driving, including a switch away from vehicle tax towards taxes on petrol and diesel (producing a 0.1-0.5 Mt cut in emissions), removing tax breaks on diesel (0.1-0.9 Mt) and index increases in petrol taxation (0.2-0.9 Mt).
 Road tax switching to a usage-based model based on kilometres driven and road classification, or to a national carbon trading scheme. The trading scheme would involve distributors of fuels purchasing rights to sell fossil fuels from the government, thus increasing their cost.
 A clearing charge, to be paid when forests are cut down for agriculture or construction. Withdrawal in stages of a tax break for energy use by farmers.
 Measures on the table during 'budget barn'
 According to Yle's sources, the Greens and the Left Alliance proposed the officials' suggestions during the budget talks, but they were rejected by the other parties. The Centre Party in particular was a strident opponent of new taxes on petrol.
 The Greens and Leftists wanted to create a mechanism whereby these measures would automatically be enacted if emissions did not fall in line with Finland's targets.
 That mechanism was discussed on Wednesday in meetings between the Greens and Centre, the two main protagonists in the dispute.
 National emissions trading and road tax adjustments were both part of the government's roadmap to a fossil fuel-free future, which was published at the start of the year. The roadmap, however, only talks of preparatory work on such measures, rather than a timetable for their introduction.
 The Centre Party, meanwhile, proposed soft loans for low-income families to switch away from oil heating systems, as well as bigger tax breaks for work done to switch away from oil-based domestic heating systems.
 In the end Prime Minister  Sanna Marin's  (SDP) proposal included a promise to look again at emission reductions in March 2022, with a cross-party working group established in parliament to agree measures.
 Centre Party sources told Yle on Thursday they were surprised that the promise was sufficient to get agreement from the Green party, as it does not include any concrete measures via which emission reductions would be achieved.
 Story continues after photo
 The Centre Party preferred to talk about livestock feed than petrol taxes. Henrietta Hassinen / Yle
 Green sources meanwhile said that the inclusion of expert evaluation from the Finnish Climate Panel made the commitment significant for them.
 "In practice this means decisions on tax increases and emissions trading, if the current measures are not enough," a green source told Yle.
 The centre has been resistant to exactly those measures, however. SDP sources told Yle that in practice the can had been kicked down the road, and that wrangling would continue until next March.
 At a press conference on Friday, Environment Minister  Krista Mikkonen  (Green) claimed that the package agreed this week could mean Finland becomes a net carbon sink.
 "We have agreed on a package that makes it possible to become carbon neutral or even carbon negative by 2035," said Mikkonen.
 Speaking at the same press conference, Transport Minister  Timo Harakka  (SDP) said that private motorists had 'nothing to fear', before Agriculture Minister  Jari Leppä  (Centre) said that he was aiming to ensure Finnish farmers produced feed for Finnish livestock.
 "A soya-free Finland is a significant thing when we talk about the climate impacts of livestock feed," said Leppä.

Officials' leaked climate action list ignored by government


Summary: Turnover from major events has decreased by more than 90 percent due to the coronavirus crisis, according to the stadium foundation's CEO.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a "significant impact" on the finances of the recently renovated Olympic Stadium in Helsinki.
 Turnover from major events is more than 90 percent lower than expected because of the pandemic, according to  Ari Kuokkanen , CEO of  Stadion-säätiö , the foundation responsible for the stadium.
 Kuokkanen told Yle that, under normal circumstances, 800,000 tickets to major events at the stadium would have been sold from the time of its re-opening in August 2020 to the present day.
 During the pandemic the best the foundation can hope for is to sell about one tenth of this figure by the end of 2021, he said, adding that even this projection depends on the further easing of coronavirus restrictions.
 If restrictions are relaxed or lifted, the foundation can expect sell-out crowds for the Finnish football team's 2022 World Cup qualifying games against Ukraine on 9 October and against France on 16 November.
 Story continues after photo
 Matti Raivio/All Over Press
 "If we are allowed to take spectators into the  Huuhkajat  [Eagle Owls] matches at the end of the year, almost as normally, we will still only have sold about 80,000 tickets during the coronavirus period," Kuokkanen said.
 Even this best-case scenario would still leave the foundation facing a huge financial headache, he added.
 "Everyone understands that a 90 percent drop in turnover will have significant negative effects on the foundation's finances," he said, adding that the foundation had hoped the Finnish government would have relaxed restrictions earlier this year.
 "Of course, we wish that the government would have taken such measures and decisions in the summer, and we would have been able to use the full capacity of the Olympic Stadium without any restrictions, for example with the help of a Covid passport," he said.
 The renovation of the Olympic Stadium, which  cost more than 300 million euros  and took over four years, was finally completed last summer.
 However, the coronavirus pandemic has led to smaller crowds for some events at the stadium.
 According to Kuokkanen, only six people attended one event in the 39,000 capacity arena.
 He added that since August last year, 130,000 people have visited the stadium, and there have been no Covid infection chains or any other issues.
 "This shows that in the 90,000 square metres of the Olympic Stadium, we can organise Covid-safe stadium events for a group larger than six people," Kuokkanen said.

Covid pandemic hits Helsinki Olympic Stadium finances


Summary: Finnish politicians often hold multiple roles in different decision-making bodies.

Finland votes in elections for new regional assemblies in January, and MPs will be among those who run for office.
 Nearly half those asked by Yle said they had not yet decided, while almost one in three said they would run.
 Some 115 MPs answered Yle's survey on candidacies for the new assemblies, which will decide health and social care policies.
 Opposition MPs were more likely to consider a tilt at regional office than those in government, and Finns Party MPs were most likely of all to say they will run in the regional elections.
 Ten Finns Party MPs said they would run, with four saying no and four still on the fence. They were the only party to have a majority of legislators declare they plan to run.
 MPs declining to enter the race gave different reasons, including demands on their time in parliament and local councils (Finnish MPs often hold local councillor positions in their home municipalities), as well as potential conflicts of interest.
 Others said they were keen to be on the spot to help make decisions on important matters.
 The new bodies will be elected in 20 of 21 new regional authorities created to manage social and healthcare services. Helsinki will form one of these regions, with the local council taking the decisions without a need for new elections.
 The elections are slated to take place on 23 January, with eligibility criteria the same as for municipal elections. That means voters do not need Finnish citizenship to qualify, with residence of two years sufficient for those from outside the EU and just 51 days required for people from EU countries, Iceland or Norway.

Yle survey: One in three MPs wants to run for new regional assemblies


Summary: A van carrying six people slid off a road on the west coast, killing one person. Police do not believe that alcohol was involved.

One person died and three were seriously injured when a van carrying six people swerved off a road late Friday in Kokkola on Finland's west coast.
 According to the Ostrobothnian police department, the accident occurred when the van, heading from Kannus, Central Ostrobothnia, slid off Route 28 into a ditch, toppling several trees. The Rescue Department was alerted to the crash around 9.30 pm.
 There were five people in the vehicle besides the driver. One of the passengers died from injuries sustained during the crash. Three other passengers were seriously injured.
 The police and the Safety Investigation Authority are investigating the accident.
 Police Commissioner  Stefan Nordman , who is heading the police probe, declined to reveal the age or gender of the deceased passenger, or to comment on the possible causes of the accident at this stage.
 However, he told the Finnish News Agency that police did not believe that alcohol played a role in the incident.
 The accident happened on Kajaanintie in Kälviä, near the border of Kannus and Kokkola. The road was closed for an hour.
 Eastern Uusimaa crash claims one life
 Earlier on Friday evening, the driver of a car died in a traffic accident in Sipoo, east of Helsinki.
 Eastern Uusimaa police said on Twitter that one passenger car was involved in the accident. According to an eyewitness, a small car had driven into a ditch.
 The Rescue Department received a report of the accident shortly after 7 pm. It took place on Keravantie (Route 148) near the Inex Partners' logistics centre, between Nikkilä and Kerava.
 Timo Tuomainen  of the Eastern Uusimaa Rescue Department told local paper Itäväylä that units from the Eastern and Central Uusimaa Rescue Services participated in the rescue and clearing work, which slowed traffic for about two hours.
 Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Two killed, three seriously injured in Kokkola, Sipoo crashes


Summary: The acting party chair will be chosen from among three deputy chairs elected on Saturday. Of these, climate researcher Atte Harjanne gained the most votes.

Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo  has been re-elected for another term as chair of the Greens, as expected. She was unopposed at the party meeting, held remotely on Saturday.
 She is to lead the party until 2023, but will begin parental leave within the next few weeks.
 One of the three deputy chairs elected later on Saturday will take over as Ohisalo's interim replacement as party chair until next year.
 The decision on who from the party will become acting interior minister is still open and will be made at a later date. Green Party rules do not require that the party chair or vice chairs must take up the role of interior minister. The party may also choose to reshuffle its cabinet seats.
 Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change  Krista Mikkonen  are also Greens MPs.
 It is still unclear whether the party might choose two replacements for Ohisalo, one to serve as interior minister and another as party leader – a critical role in the run-up to the first-ever regional elections on 23 January.
 The deputy chair nominees were MPs  Atte Harjanne ,  Hanna Holopainen ,  Inka Hopsu  and Iiris Suomela , as well as deputy MP  Mika Flöjt , Helsinki City Councillor  Fatim Diarra,  Tampere City Councillor  Jaakko Mustakallio  and Greens campaign manager  Markus Drake .
 Diarra and Mustakallio are incumbent deputy chairs, along with  Riikka Karppinen .
 Harjanne wins most votes as deputy chair
 On Saturday evening, Harjanne, Suomela and Holopainen were elected as deputy chairs.
 Harjanne garnered the most votes, placing him in a strong position to serve as Ohisalo's replacement. He is a 37-year-old MP and Helsinki City Councillor who works as a climate researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
 Veli Liikanen  will continue as party secretary while Silja Keränen will carry on as leader of the party's parliamentary delegation. Both were also unopposed for their posts.
 The party has the fifth-largest group in the legislature with 20 seats. More than 400 party members are taking part in the virtual convention.
 Third parental leave during cabinet term
 Ohisalo, 36, has been Greens leader, interior minister and an MP since 2019.
 In July, Ohisalo announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child in December.
 At the time, Finance Minister  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) congratulated her on Twitter, adding: "I wonder if there are other countries in the world where three government leaders have had babies during the same legislative term?".
 Saarikko had a baby in late 2019, followed by another party chair and cabinet minister,  Li Andersson  (Left), last January. All five government parties are led by women, as are two of the opposition parties.
 12.9: Updated with new deputy chairs.
 14.9 11.42am: Updated to clarify that the party's decision on who to propose for the role of acting interior minister is still open.

Ohisalo unanimously re-elected as Greens leader, parental leave replacement to be named


Summary: A war crimes trial at Pirkanmaa District Court in Tampere, which began early this year, is being extended.

A Sierra Leonean man who has lived in Finland since 2008, is accused of murder, aggravated rape and aggravated war crimes during the 1999-2003 civil war in neighbouring Liberia.  Gibril Massaquoi , 51, has denied all charges.
 Due to new revelations about alleged atrocities, court officials will travel to West Africa for the second time to hear witnesses. Hearings there are scheduled to begin next week.
 According to the criminal indictment, Massaquoi ordered the murder, torture and mutilation of civilians and participated in their cannibalisation.
 Massaquoi was one of the leaders of the Sierra Leonean rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which took part in both the Sierra Leonean and Liberian civil wars.
 Massaquoi later testified against fellow combatants at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone. As a result, he was not charged with war crimes in Sierra Leone and made his way to Finland, where he worked as a cleaner and postman.
 In March 2020, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested him in a Tampere Prisma parking lot after investigating his suspected links to war crimes in Liberia.
 The new hearings will focus on Massaquoi's whereabouts during the summer of 2003.
 Finnish prosecutors had believed that his suspected crimes had ended by March 2003 when Massaquoi, who had agreed to testify against his former brothers-in-arms, moved to the Sierra Leone Special Court Shelter in Freetown.
 "Now, in the course of the process, doubts have arisen as to whether this conclusion was correct after all. Several witnesses have reported that the suspect was still in the Waterside area (of the Liberian capital, Monrovia) in the summer of 2003, just before the end of the war. Based on that, we have extended the time period of possible crimes," State Prosecutor  Tom Laitinen  told the news agency STT.
 He added that the trial, which began in February, could be wrapped up before the end of this year.

Sierra Leonean man's war crimes trial extended, more hearings in West Africa


Summary: Many workers have expressed concern about a move toward privatisation, which they say would undercut working contracts, quality and safety.

Tram and metro workers in Helsinki are threatening a two-day strike next week unless the city reconsiders a plan to incorporate the city transport authority HKL.
 Tram and Metro Staff Union president  Petri Lillqvist  called the plan to turn the municipal authority into a limited company in January "an extreme measure".
 The new firm would at first be owned by the cities of Helsinki and Vantaa.
 The Tram and Metro Staff Union says that unless the city commissions a new study of the proposal, it will launch a shutdown on Thursday and Friday, 16-17 September.
 "We really hope that the city employer understands the seriousness of the matter for the employees and all residents of Helsinki. The last thing we want to do is to cause inconvenience to our passengers. But this is a cry for distress on behalf the traditional HKL, which is something that we all share," said.
 Last Tuesday, tram and metro maintenance staff staged a 24-hour walkout to protest the incorporation plan.
 The Helsinki City Council was to have considered the plan at its meeting last Monday, but left it on the table.
 Last summer, more than half of HKL's 1200 employees signed a petition questioning the incorporation plan. Many have expressed concern about a slide toward full privatisation, which they say would lead to weaker working contracts, quality and safety.

Helsinki tram and metro staff threaten strike for Thursday and Friday


Summary: The film marks a comeback for Poikolainen, who was a successful stage actor before becoming blind and partly paralysed due to MS.

A Finnish film won the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday night.
 The Blind Man Who Didn’t Want to See Titanic  was directed by  Teemu Nikki . It stars  Petri Poikolainen  as a blind man in a wheelchair who travels alone to visit the woman of his dreams.
 The Armani beauty Audience Award is a new prize, awarded in the Venice Festival’s Orizzonti Extra (Horizons Extra) category.
 The 82-minute film tells the story of a blind man in a wheelchair who travels solo to visit the woman of his dreams.
 While the film was still in production last year, it won the Eurimages Lab Project Award at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund.
 Article continues after photo
 Poikolainen during the shooting of The Blind Man Who Didn’t Want to See Titanic in the Tampere area. Niina Virtanen
 The film marks a comeback of sorts for Poikolainen, 46. After graduating from the Uniarts Helsinki's Theatre Academy in 2000, he had a successful career as a stage actor before becoming blind and partly paralysed due to multiple sclerosis about eight years ago.
 The Blind Man  is Nikki’s second feature film, following the dark 2017 drama  Euthanizer , which wasFinland’s nominee for the 2018  foreign-language Oscar  Award.
 The movie, which was shot in the Tampere-Nokia region, opened in Finnish cinemas on Saturday, and opens in Italy and elsewhere next week.

Finnish movie wins audience award at Venice Film Festival


Summary: The Greens have become the first party in the Finnish government – and Parliament – to call for legalisation of marijuana.

On Sunday, the second day of a virtual party conference, the Greens approved various initiatives, including one calling on the government to declare a climate emergency. Another – potentially more controversial – one called for the legalisation of cannabis in Finland.
 This would mean that the use, possession, manufacture and sale of the cannabis plant would be decriminalised, explained party secretary  Veli Liikanen .
 The initiative was approved by the narrowest possible majority, 183-181.
 "The vote was close. It was decided by a margin of only two votes. That, of course, indicates that there are different positions on this policy within the Greens," Liikanen noted.
 With the vote, the Greens became the first party in the Finnish Parliament to call for legalisation of marijuana.
 The opposition National Coalition Party's youth wing made a similar call last year.
 In 2019, Greens chair and interior minister  Maria Ohisalo  said that the use and possession of small quantities of illicit drugs should not be punishable.
 Two potential interior ministers voted 'yes'
 Ohisalo is beginning parental leave soon, and will be replaced as interior minister by one of the three deputy chairs elected on Saturday: MPs  Hanna Holopainen ,  Atte Harjanne  and  Iiris Suomela .
 Of these, the latter two voted in favour of legalisation. The Interior Ministry oversees Finland's police.
 According to the initiative, criminal convictions for cannabis use should be scrubbed from citizens' personal data registers.
 THL professor: "A significant statement"
 Liikanen says that the current drug policy based on penalties and restrictions has not succeeded in reducing harm.
 "The Greens have focused on shifting drug policy from punishment to harm reduction. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have urged the same for years," he said.
 "Of course, this is a significant statement when you consider that this is one of Finland's governing parties taking such a position," THL research professor  Pekka Hakkarainen  told Yle.
 "Based on a 2018 survey, 18 percent of Finns thought that cannabis should be legally available. Personally, I have considered it more important that the criminalisation of use be abandoned. This would not just apply to cannabis, but to all substances, and we could better address problem use," said Hakkarainen.

Greens call for end to cannabis 'prohibition'


Summary: Newspapers look at reactions to a proposal to legalise marijuana and some of the political implications for the Greens.

Several papers carry initial reactions to Sunday's approval by the Green party conference of an initiative  calling for the legalisation of cannabis  in Finland.
 The Helsinki tabloid  Ilta-Sanomat  reports that the youth wing of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) immediately voiced support for the initiative. This group itself issued a call last autumn for legalising the cultivation, sale and possession of cannabis for self-medication.
 Matias Pajula , the chair of the NCP youth organization, late on Sunday urged his party to also update its position on cannabis as soon as possible.
 However, there are also other positions within the NCP. Party MP  Arto Satonen  tweeted that cannabis-related accidents nearly doubled in Colorado in the USA following the legalisation of cannabis. He described the Green's initiative as further proof that the Greens are "removed from reality".
 The paper also quotes Christian Democratic MP  Päivi Räsänen , who also expressed concern about the move by the Greens: "Has Interior Minister  (Maria) Ohisalo  not listened to the warnings of the police administration she oversees about its consequences? Wrong signal."
 In  a bylined analysis , Aamulehti news manager  Vesa Laitinen  writes that with this decision, the Greens have painted themselves into a corner and assured that they will remain a marginal player in Finnish politics.
 He argues that in order to broaden their support, the Greens need no more push on climate or drug policy. Instead, the party needs credible economic and foreign policy, responsible action addressing groups beyond its own core supporters.
 Laitinen writes that on the other hand, it is good that party democracy works and that the rank-and-file make their voices heard. It is fair to outsiders, such as potential voters, he says, that initiatives such as this one expose the party's true colours.
 Labour shortage exaggerated?
 Finland's largest circulation daily,  Helsingin Sanomat , Monday explored the state of the Finnish labour market.
 The paper writes that politicians and various interest groups are  alarmed by the labor shortage  plaguing Finland, but some researchers say it may not even have one.
 The economy is recovering strongly from last year's recession and the number of job vacancies has increased.
 According to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, there were an average of 149,000 job vacancies per month in January—July. During the same period, there were an average of 356,000 unemployed jobseekers per month.
 Antti Kauhanen , Director of Research at the ETLA Economic Research Institute, told HS that it is still too early to say that there will be a long-term labour shortage in Finland.
 "I would assume that the increase in the number of job vacancies is somewhat temporary. The coronavirus pandemic abroad has led to an exceptionally strong redeployment of labour. Workers have begun to move between industries on a larger scale than before," Kauhanen noted.
 In other words, those who have been forced to move to new jobs during a pandemic may no longer want to return to their old job.
 "I would think that this is also the case in Finland. Friction in the labor market has increased momentarily, but is likely to ease over time."
 ETLA's Kauhanen stressed to Helsingin Sanomat that there are really no simple solutions to acute labour shortages.
 One standard response is to pay employees more. But, Kauhanen pointed out that since no one yet knows for sure whether there is a temporary or long-term labour shortage, companies are hardly ready to compete for workers through wage increases just yet.
 Space defence
 Last week the Finnish government signed off on  a new defence policy report  which among other things calls for a restructuring of the nation's combat forces, and developing capabilities in "cyber and information environments and space".
 Jyväskylä's  Keskisuomalainen  is among the papers which carries a syndicated article looking at what role space has in Finland's defence.
 Karoliina Honkanen , who chaired the body that drew up the latest defence reportpointed out that the functioning of society as a whole are increasingly linked to space-based systems.
 "Defence activities also depend on, for example, the ability to coordinate the use of one's own satellite services and to identify the satellite services used by a potential opponent," Honkanen says.
 According to the Finnish Defence Forces, the key issue is leveraging the performance of military and commercial satellites for intelligence, communications, and positioning use.
 According to the article, the Defence Forces do not want to say what parties pose a threat to Finland's space defense.
 The Defence Forces are developing their ability to maintain a 24-hour space situational picture, in cooperation with other authorities and international partners, the report says.
 The key players are ministries, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Traficom, universities and research institutes, the business community, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union's SatCen satellite centre.
 The article notes that the official report released last Thursday contains no further information about space defence.
 Snow tires already?
 Monday's weather forecast is for rain and high, gusty winds in most parts of the county, and the chance of snow in Finnish Lapland.
 The tabloid  Iltalehti  spoke with  Pyry Poutanen  of the Finnish Meteorology Institute who reported that the forecast for Lapland includes the accumulation of up to ten centimetres of snow in some areas by Tuesday morning.
 Even though most of the snow is expected to hit higher elevations on the fells, and not stay on the ground for very long, Poutanen added that it will make driving conditions hazardous.
 This time of year, Lapland draws a lot of tourists who go north to enjoy the vivid colours of the Arctic autumn. That said, using summer tyres over the next day or two may require extra special caution.
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Monday's papers: Legal marijuana, labour shortage questioned, worries about threats in space


Summary: The healthcare district said the situation was "unusual" but stressed that it had no impact on the availability of first and second doses in Uusimaa.

Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) said on Friday it was starting to offer third doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as it races to use the jabs before they go out of date.
 In a statement, HUS said it would immediately begin offering the third dose of vaccine to fully-vaccinated individuals at high risk from complications of infection as well as healthcare staff who care for Covid patients.
 HUS and the Uusimaa regional coronavirus coordination group, including municipalities covered by the healthcare district, came to the joint decision on Thursday, the statement read.
 HUS Pharmacy currently has 15,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in stock with an expiry date of 22 September.
 Permission granted
 "Starting the third round of vaccination before regulations enter into force is unusual, but we considered the ageing of the vaccines to be sufficient justification for this decision," said  Jari Petäjä , chairman of the Uuisimaa regional coordination group.
 According to Petäjä, HUS has already received verbal permission to start offering the third doses from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 The hospital district said it had worked to use the expiring vaccines as first and second doses, and had offered them to municipalities, private healthcare providers and the military. However, some 15,000 still remained in stock.
 HUS said it was hoping for an "early decision" on an official third jab programme so that vaccinations could continue after the expiring bath of Moderna was used up.
 The healthcare district said that the availability of vaccines in Uusimaa was "excellent", adding that the decision to begin offering third doses had no impact on the availability of first or second doses for the region's residents.

HUS offers third Covid vaccine doses before vials go out of date


Summary: Surveys indicate a minority of Finns are ready to see cannabis become legal, though many welcome the debate.

Pekka Hakkarainen , a research professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), considers the cannabis legalisation initiative  approved by the Green Party's weekend conference  to be a significant, but not very surprising move.
 "There is a growing debate in the world about cannabis, and in several countries policy has changed radically. This is also reflected in Finland, says Hakkarainen, who studies drug use and drug policy.
 The Greens are the first parliamentary party in Finland to push for the legalisation of cannabis, although the party conference vote was passed by a very slim margin of 183 and 181.
 According to Hakkarainen, only about one-fifth of Finns believe that cannabis should be legally available. Legalisation is most popular among young adults: 34 percent of 25-34 year-olds believe that cannabis should be legally available for any purpose. The data is from a 2018 population survey.
 Attitudes towards cannabis have become more permissive over the years, says Hakkarainen.
 According to THL, the proportion of those who have tried cannabis has also grown rapidly from generation to generation. Eight percent of people in Finland born in the 1950s reported having tried cannabis, compared with 42 percent of those born in the 1980s.
 Finns "not ready"
 Hakkarainen has a cautious approach to legalising the use, possession, production, and sale of cannabis.
 "In my opinion, the Finnish population is not ready for that yet. There is no broad support for it. We have had a total ban on [illicit drug use] for more than 50 years, and when it is changed, we will not know exactly what will follow," Hakkarainen told Yle.
 Pekka Hakkarainen, a research professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), is in favour of decriminalising cannabis, but he has reservations about it legalisation. Seppo Ahava / Yle
 Canada, Uruguay, and several U.S. States, among others, have legalised cannabis use. According to Professor Hakkarainen, Finland should closely monitor the experiences gained in these countries.
 According to Hakkarainen it is still too early to draw clear conclusions on the consequences of legalisation, as it will take time for people's behavior to stabilise. However, some developments are already evident.
 "Prisons have been significantly emptied. There has been more need for [drug-related] hospital care, but [cannabis]use by young people does not seem to have increased, and the changes seem to affect the adult population," he pointed out.
 Willingness to re-evaluate
 Kimmo Nuotio , Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Helsinki, said he believes that a move to rethink political positions on some of the issues surrounding drug use is a good thing. He called the initiative by the Greens both welcome and interesting.
 "For a good fifty years, we have had a very strong view in favour of criminalisation, that is that all drug use and possession should be punished. I think it is great that there is a willingness in political circles to re-evaluate this type of thing," said Nuotio.
 Kimmo Nuotio, Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Helsinki, believes that a bigger question than the legalisation of cannabis is whether drug users should be punished at all.  Kari Likonen
 There has been a debate in Finland in recent years about allowing the use of cannabis or, more precisely, removing its criminalisation. One reason for this was a citizens' initiative on the issue which was handed over to Parliament last November.
 Among the feedback on that initiative was a statement filed in February of this year by Detective Superintendent  Jari Kinnunen  of the Central Finland Police Department. He wrote that the effects of cannabis cultivation and use on non-users and their living environment are "very negative."
 The initiative has not progressed since it went to Parliament, and it remains to be seen how the Green Party will push for legalisation. There is no mention of cannabis in the programme of the current coalition government of which the Greens are a member.
 The Greens' initiative goes beyond the citizens' initiative call for decriminalisation. The Greens are looking to establishe comprehensive regulation of cannabis, similar to current rules governing legal intoxicants. Sales of cannabis could also generate tax revenue.
 Support for decriminalisation
 Pekka Hakkarainen, like many other researchers, advocates the decriminalisation of cannabis.
 In a 2018 blog post, Hakkarainen along with THL Research Programme Director  Tuukka Tammi  wrote that the use of cannabis and other illicit drugs should be decriminalised. In practice, this would mean that drug use would not carry penalties.
 "Nowadays, even the very occasional user of cannabis can be caught and sanctioned by the police or the judiciary. This has a significant impact on the lives of young people. If criminality were waived, the issue of drug use could be raised more easily, for example, in schools or occupational health care. Current policies drive people to hide their use to the bitter end," Hakkarainen says.
 Professor Kimmo Nuotio also supports a reassessment of sentences handed out to cannabis and other drug users. In this regard, he considers the cannabis initiative by the Greens as taking too narrow a view of the issue.
 "At the moment, the big question is about punishing users of hard drugs. The number of overdose deaths is considerable, and Finland is lagging behind, for example, by not having legislation covering legal supervised injection sites. The bigger question than legalising cannabis is whether we have on the whole grounds to punish drug users," Professor Nuotio sums up.

Debate on legal cannabis welcome, but cautious


Summary: Luumäki in South Karelia is covering one family's €660 rent for depicting small-town life on social media.

Many small municipalities in Finland  face a bleak future  owing to declining populations and migration to bigger cities. However, one small municipality is attempting to harness the power of social media to buck this trend.
 At the beginning of this year, Luumäki said it was looking for a family to sing the praises of the municipality on social media. The town selected  Sami Sivonen  and  Laura Kiretti 's family for the 12-month project, which entailed making weekly posts.
 "We felt like this wasn't nearly enough to keep followers interested," Sivonen told Yle.
 The family said it quickly realised that making live posts took a long time. For that reason, they decided to collect material during the day and do their posting later.
 "If we’re at an amusement park, you lose that moment when you have to start thinking about images and GIFs for videos," Sivonen said of their decision.
 At the beginning of this year the family was still living in Pirkkala in the Pirkanmaa region, contemplating a change. After seeing an article about Luumäki's social media project, the couple applied by making a video about themselves.
 Neither had a job lined up in the area, but they decided to take the plunge anyway.
 In Luumäki, they moved in to a freshly renovated 75m2 three-room row house with a sauna in Jurvala.
 Covid restrictions had, however, closed many places during their first few months in the area.
 "We've now been happy to notice that we get invites to different events, but even if we don't we just show up with a reporting mindset," Kiretti said.
 Rural living means driving
 Both parents eventually found work, though that has meant long commutes for Sivonen, who works within a 100-kilometre radius of Luumäki.
 "When you drive a lot, you end up spending a surprisingly large amount of money on gas and diesel. I'm surprised this did not really occur to me before," he explained.
 Now, about six months into the project,  Koti Luumäellä  has more than 1,400 followers on Instagram and 700 on Facebook, with the family becoming small-time local celebrities.
 The municipality told Yle it has been pleased with the visibility it has gained so far, saying it has also drawn positive feedback for trying something new.
 Erik Forstén , Luumäki's technical director, told Yle that the family's posts have all stemmed from their own experiences and observations.
 More people have moved to the area this year, but this phenomenon is most likely due to people swapping city life for the countryside during Covid, according to  Veera Heikkilä , who works for a housing management company in Luumäki.
 Kiretti said it was unlikely that the family's posts would have already drummed up demand for housing in the area.
 "This is just a good place to live," she said.
 The family said it has come to appreciate the close proximity to nature.
 "It's the fact that you can step out of your house and see trees and a lake. This feels like a much nicer living environment than the city suburb in which we were living before," Sivonen said.
 The family said it plans to put down roots in Luumäki after the year of free housing ends. Their six-year-old preschooler,  Hugo , is set to start first grade in Luumäki next autumn.

Village pays family's rent in exchange for social media presence


Summary: The first ice crystals of the season fell in Finnish Lapland on Monday.

Two centimetres of the white stuff covered the village of Näkkälä in Enontekiö, northwest Lapland, on 13 September around 10am.
 However, because the flurries weren't recorded before 9am, Yle meteorologist  Seija Paasonen  said Monday's sprinkling does not officially qualify as the first snow of the winter season.

Watch: Finland sees first snow sprinkles


Summary: Most cleaning agents will wipe coronavirus off surfaces, according to new research by the University of Tampere.

Coronavirus appears to adhere to surfaces with varying degrees of intensity, with some materials being easier to clean than others. The type of cleaning agents used also affected the results, according to preliminary findings of a study headed by the University of Tampere.
 The study was a joint project carried out by Tampere Universities Community and enterprises, a group aiming to gather evidence-based data on the effectiveness of various cleaning agents on eliminating coronaviruses and other pathogens from surfaces. The study's findings are intended to help the restaurant, tourism and care sectors during and after the Covid crisis, according to the group.
 In the laboratory tests, various surfaces were contaminated with endemic coronavirus samples and then were cleaned with various cleaning agents. The researchers found that no method was totally effective.
 "Generally, it can be said that disinfectants were the most effective cleaners. All detergents [tested] cleaned the virus from surfaces moderately effectively. Overall, all cleaning agents played a major role in helping to keep surfaces clean,"  Sami Oikarinen , a Tampere University senior research fellow, said in a statement.
 Buffet utensils
 The researchers also studied the effectiveness of cleaning agents in wards that treat Covid-19 patients at Tampere University Hospital.
 The study found that cleaning did reduce virus amounts on surfaces in the hospital setting, it did not always eliminate them completely. But, according to the researchers, due to their low concentrations, the virus left on cleaned surfaces using any of the tested agents would not be enough to cause infection.
 The study found that there was a decreased infection risk in restaurant settings as diners were placed further apart from each other and when the serving utensils at buffets were replaced with clean ones every half hour.
 The study's partners include Tampere University, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Kemvit, Berner, Kiilto Clean, Poistoa and Norlandia Care, as well as other domestic partners.
 The researchers said further results of their study would be released later.

Study: Surface cleaning removes most coronavirus


Summary: Nationwide autumn matriculation exams began in Finland on Monday with precautions in place even for students who have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Although Finland is  gradually opening back up , with many of the restrictions imposed to hinder the  spread of the coronavirus being lifted , the national Matriculation Examination Board continues to follow a strict set of precautions.
 "If there are any symptoms related to the coronavirus, you are not allowed to participate in the exams," says  Tiina Tähkä , Secretary General of the Matriculation Examination Board. Exam monitors are also banned from taking part if they are ill or exhibiting even minor symptoms.
 While this applies to all participants, a second dose of a coronavirus vaccine, no less than a week before sitting the exams, does prevent students who have been exposed outside their family circle from being subjected to quarantine.
 Two vaccinations do not, however, free students from the requirement to use facemasks.  Ari Huovinen , the principal of Helsinki's Ressu High School, says that students are being allowed to bring a supply of masks, hand disinfectant and transparent bags for clean and used masks into the examination room. Huovinen's school is also advising students to bring snacks and water from home.
 Entrance to examination rooms is also being staggered to avoid close contact.
 Avoiding delay
 The matriculation examination is a series of exams generally taken at the end of the upper secondary school to qualify for entry into university. Its purpose is to measure the knowledge and skills required by the upper secondary school curriculum and to evaluate whether they have reached an adequate level of maturity in line with the goals of general upper secondary education.
 A delay in sitting and passing the examination can set back plans to apply for higher education.
 Yle found that some high school graduates, for example in the west coast city of Kokkola, brought forward their appointments for a second vaccination because their original times would have come very close to the start of exams. Even a minor reaction to the jab could prevent participation.
 Asked by Yle, both Ressu high school's Huovinen and the the principal of Vaasa Lyceum in the city of Vaasa,  Jaakko Perttu , agreed that students displaying reactive symptoms from a fresh vaccination have to stay away.
 "It's not worthwhile getting a vaccine jab the day before. It's bad timing, Perttu said.
 In Seinäjoki, however, school officials are being more lenient.
 "Those [post-jab symptoms] start quickly after vaccination, and if the symptoms can be clearly linked to the vaccination, then I don't think it will prevent taking part in the exams," local principal  Teijo Päkkilä  told Yle.
 In these cases, the national Matriculation Examination Board is willing to leave the decision up to local health authorities.
 Special arrangements
 Some high schools have been able to arrange for quarantined students to participate in student exams by setting up separate facilities where they can be isolated from their peers.
 One such school is Vaasa Lyceum, where principal Perttu explained that the practice, formulated in cooperation with health authorities in the spring of 2021, requires some special arrangements.
 Any quarantined student wishing to sit the exams must take a coronavirus test the day before. He or she is not permitted to use public transport to get to the exam site. The quarantine hall has its own entrance.
 "It leads to a kind of intermediate holding area, where healthcare officials check the previous day's test results, take the student's temperature and evaluate their general well-being," Perttu explained.
 If no symptoms are evident and the test result is negative, the student is allowed to continue into the quarantine facility for the exam.

Fully vaccinated or not, restrictions continue during student exams


Summary: The institution said it needs to save 14 million euros annually but noted that teaching and research jobs are not at risk.

The University of Tampere announced on Monday that it had initiated negotiations with worker representatives about aims to reduce up to 215 jobs at the institution.
 Employees at risk of losing their jobs include support service staff. A total of 1,100 workers are part of the negotiations, but the university noted that research and teaching jobs would not be cut.
 A portion of the reductions will be made through redundancies but some operations will be outsourced. The university said it aimed to save 14 million euros annually.
 The university said it planned to partially outsource some of its financial, payroll, sales invoicing and travel management services to the accounting services firm Certia, starting next year. This change will affect 40 employees. Certia is owned by Finnish universities.
 Negotiations between the institution and union representatives are scheduled to begin next week.
 'Complete surprise'
 The institution's support services include administrative-, library- and IT-related jobs. President  Mari Walls  said support services were central to the university's research and education efforts.
 "We are striving to ensure that the workload for teaching and research staff will not increase. However, it is foreseeable that there will be a certain transition phase, but through that process we will work to ensure that we continue to provide the necessary support services for faculty in a new arrangement," Walls said.
 The reshuffle and redundancies are expected to start rolling out early next year.
 Operations Management Specialist and union shop steward,  Jorma Viikki , said staff were notified about the university's plans via email on Monday afternoon.
 "The news came as a complete surprise. It's dumbfounding that this news came in an email," Viikki said, who added that the administration's job cut demands were "shockingly large" in scope.
 "I don't know how the University of Tampere will be run in the future. The amount [of planned cuts] is about as shocking as it could be," he said.
 Last week, as the school opened for the autumn period, university president Walls said that the institution faced pressure to balance its finances through savings and increased revenues.
 Basic state funding for the university is set to decrease from 196.5 million euros this year to 190.9 million euros in 2022.

Tampere University plans more than 200 job cuts


Summary: People in more than half a dozen neighbourhoods of the city said they heard the sound at just before midnight.

A loud explosion-like sound was heard across many neighbourhoods of Helsinki late on Saturday night, but the source of the bang remained a mystery on Monday.
 The boom prompted discussion on social media, from people in the neighbourhoods of Oulunkylä, Kumpula, Käpylä, Arabia, Kulosaari, Metsälä, Meilahti and Kulosaari claiming to have heard the noise at around 11:45pm on Saturday.
 Speculation as to the source of the sound has also been broad. Some have suggested that it could have been a meteor crashing into the atmosphere, an earthquake or even a supersonic bang caused by an Air Force fighter jet. However, these possibilities have been all but ruled out.
 Helsinki police began receiving reports from residents around the Oulunkylä district shortly before midnight. People described the noise as a "hollow explosive sound" and "a large gunshot."
 A police unit was sent to Oulunkylä but officers were unable to find a reason that would explain the sound.
 Meteor, earthquake, war games ruled out
 A group from the amateur astronomy association Ursa was also looking into the possibility that the noise came from a meteor incident. However, based on the images caught on the group's network of cameras, there was no indication so far that the sound came from a meteor, according to Ursa spokesperson  Anne Liljeström .
 "The current opinion is that it was most likely not caused by a meteor, but of course that can't be ruled out," she said.
 The loud boom was not related to Defence Forces operations either, the military agency's communications chief  Max Arhippainen  told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
 He told the paper that there was no military flight activity at the time the bang was heard that could have caused it.
 Some have also pondered whether the explosive sound may have been related to the ongoing Zapad military exercises in Russia and Belarus. However, Arhippainen said that would be difficult to imagine since the drills were being conducted so far away from Helsinki.
 Still others have speculated that the mysterious sound could have come from a seismic event like an earthquake. However, seismologist from the University of Helsinki,  Tuija Luhta , said that most likely did not happen.
 "In all probability, it was not any type of earthquake. We still have a more detailed analysis of that day [to examine], but we looked at it quickly over the weekend and it doesn't show any clear [seismic activity] at our stations in Helsinki," Luhta said.
 "If it was an earthquake, it would primarily appear in large seismometers and would have been heard," she said, adding that was not the case.

Source of Saturday night's loud boom still a mystery in Helsinki


Summary: Newspapers report a new government coronavirus testing plan, and that Covid passports might not be needed after all.

The Helsinki tabloid  Ilta-Sanomat reports  it has received information that a new coronavirus testing strategy prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health was approved on Monday. The plan is aimed at freeing up testing capacity and shifting more human resources into diagnosing and treating other diseases.
 According to the paper, once rolled out, the new plan will not carry a recommendation for testing otherwise healthy people with mild symptoms who have been fully vaccinated and who are not in a special risk group.
 The same applies to anyone who has recovered from Covid more than six months previously and has received at least one dose of vaccine.
 However, anyone showing symptoms or suspects they are infected will continue to have the opportunity to be tested.
 A lower threshold for testing will be applied to fully vaccinated social and health workers, all those at special risk, and all patients entering hospital or emergency care.
 The paper points out that reduced testing requires adequate vaccination protection for the population and a good regional epidemic situation. Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) has on several occasions  referred to 80 percent vaccination coverage in the population  over the age of 12 as a significant milestone.
 According to Ilta-Sanomat, on Monday, 82.8 percent of the population aged 12 and over had received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 64.1 percent had received two doses.
 The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is expected to announce its new testing policy in the near future.
 Covid passports still coming?
 With a continuing rise in vaccination uptake and falling rates of infection,  Helsingin Sanomat looks at whether or not  a national vaccination certificate, or "passport" will still be needed in Finland.
 The paper points out that some other countries, such as the UK and Denmark have recently suspended plans for vaccination documents which would have allowed access to certain events and venues.
 Although the UK plan for England is not being rolled out at present, officials there have said it is being kept "in reserve".
 Helsingin Sanomat writes that like in the UK, a Covid passport plan in Finland has not been launched, is still under consideration, and would require legislation that could enter into force in October at the earliest.
 On the other hand, there is a plan in place to further open up society when 80 percent of residents over the age of 12 have received two vaccinations, or made available to the entire population. This is expected to take place at the end of October.
 The director of the THL Department for Health Security,  Mika Salminen  told the paper that even with the improved situation, continuing preparations for a Covid passport rollout are worthwhile.
 "If a Covid passport is needed, it would exist," Salminen told HS. "Whether or not to introduce it, and whether or not it is needed are questions that will then be assessed."
 Helsingin Sanomat also points out that if a Covid passport is introduced, it would be short-lived. The government’s most recent strategy referred to it as an " intermediate solution" before fully opening up society.
 In  a separate item,  Mika Salminen told HS that it is "quite safe" for anyone fully vaccinated to travel, espcially in Europe and the rest of the EU.
 "Travel in itself is no longer a major risk," he said. "Of course, you should always look at the situation in each country yourself. But a categorical recommendation to avoid travelling has come to an end."
 THL is expected to update its official recommendations concerning travel sometime this week.
 Helsinki transport strike
 The Swedish-language  Hufvudstadsbladet  is among the morning papers reporting that  a strike by tram and metro drivers in Helsinki  planned for Thursday and Friday will go ahead.
 The drivers are protesting a plan to incorporate the city transport authority HKL that excludes the metro system. The say that the most recent restructuring scheme does not correspond to what was agreed upon between city management and drivers' representatives in the co-operation negotiations this past spring. Drivers called the strike after a demand for an investigation and review was rejected.
 The two day strike will begin at 4am on Thursday, and according to HKL CEO  Ville Lehmuskoski , that will bring all tram and metro traffic to a standstill.
 The Helsinki Regional Transport Authority told Hufvudstadsbladet that it will not be providing extra bus or commuter train services during the strike.
 Another phishing scam
 Iltalehti carries  an article warning  of a new email scam targeting Nordea Bank customers.
 Finland's National Cyber Security Centre says that the emails, which look authentic at first glance, inform recipients that a new payment services directive requires account log-in and acceptance of terms or the customer's account will be closed.
 The message is totally false, and the Cyber Security Centre says that anyone who provided log-in information via the link in the email should contact their bank immediately.
 A second, almost identical email scam is also in circulation.
 If you have entered your password, you should change it as soon as possible. And, if you believe you have been scammed, you can also report the crime to the police.

Tuesday's papers: New testing strategy, Covid passports, Helsinki transport strike


Summary: Genome sequencing of positive coronavirus samples in Finland has detected the Mu variant.

Last month the World Health Organisation designated Mu a "variant of interest." Now the strain has been detected in some 40 countries, including Finland.
 The WHO homed in on Mu after reports that it has a " constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape " that need to be studied further.
 A Finnish virologist, however, said Mu most likely does not pose additional threats compared to other variants.
 "All variants that can evade protection conferred by previous infection or vaccine-provided immunity are potentially worrying, or ones that we have to monitor—and that's the case with Mu as well," said Turku University virology professor  Ilkka Julkunen .
 The variant was first identified in Colombia earlier this year. A few Mu cases have been detected in Finland since the summer.
 Julkunen noted that studies have indicated that two doses of a vaccine provide enough protection to prevent serious cases of Covid.
 "More than 90 percent of fully vaccinated people don't develop serious infections, so in this sense vaccines provide ample protection against variants. It's very likely that this Mu variant is the same, so it doesn't suggest any substantial additional risk or worry compared to other mutations," he explained, adding that it was still too early to know how extensively this particular strain would spread.
 The Delta variant, initially reported in India, remains the dominant mutation in Finland at the moment.
 Finland currently performs genetic sequencing on some 10-15 percent of positive samples. The Delta variant of Covid-19 has been found in 95 percent of the samples sent for sequencing.

Finland sees first cases of Mu


Summary: Due to tight living conditions that caused local outbreaks, nearly 300 berry pickers were diagnosed with Covid-19 in July and August.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has announced plans to participate in improving operating models for companies that hire foreign berry pickers.
 This summer there were several isolated outbreaks of Covid-19 among nearly 300 berry pickers in Finland, most of whom were from Thailand. As the situation worsened, the Southeast Asian country  demanded an explanation  from Finnish authorities in August about the migrants' living conditions.
 It was determined that one reason the infections spread so rapidly among the pickers was due to people who were ordered into quarantine were living in the same quarters as others who were not ordered to isolate.
 Employment ministry government advisor  Olli Sorainen  said that, going forward, more attention will be paid to matters surrounding the pickers' living conditions and that new regulations can be expected to be rolled out.
 "At the end of this year's berry-picking season, authorities will discuss with berry picking firms to assess what went well and what went wrong over the season. The conclusion drawn from those conversations will have a direct impact on the procedures and conditions that will need to be followed next year," Sorainen said.
 Roughly 3,000 Thai nationals arrived in Finland to pick berries in July and August. Local authorities were supposed to have been informed about where the berry pickers' residential camps would be located, but those details did not come to the attention of all affected municipalities or health care districts.
 Clear instructions lacking
 This lack of information led to proper contingency plans not being made, prompting the outbreaks to worsen. According to the chief infectious diseases doctor of the Lapland Hospital District,  Markku Broas , the berry picking firms should have given clear instructions well in advance of the pickers' arrivals.
 "It would have been possible to work together to develop safety guidelines and to examine the operations environment, and to discuss what actions to take if there are [coronavirus] infections," he said.
 Broas said the problems could have been avoided if local health authorities had received information about the arrivals in a timely manner.
 "It would have been possible to consider [things like] isolation and quarantine facilities, where they would be located and whether they were appropriate for such use," he said.
 In some cases Covid-positive pickers were  transferred to different locations  around Finland by berry picking firms — against the guidance of health authorities.
 The localised outbreaks were worst among pickers in Rovaniemi, where more than 180 out of 262 were diagnosed with Covid-19.
 Broas said that the berry pickers were tested for coronavirus infections three times during the process of coming to Finland but that cases were missed.
 "A third negative test on the third day of [incubation] does not rule out the possibility that an infection has started. Our interpretation is that this is what happened," he said, adding that he thinks the pickers brought the illness as they arrived.
 "We did not see infections outside of the berry picking groups [in the region]. That suggests the infections originally came from Thailand," Broas said.

Employment ministry to help set up safety measures for next year's migrant berry pickers


Summary: While in general Finland's coronavirus vaccine take-up is approaching target levels, some communities are lagging far behind, and could be subject to continuing restrictions as the rest of society opens up.

It now looks likely that even though Finland's coronavirus vaccination programme has turned out to be a success, there are -- and are likely to continue to be -- pockets of anti-vaccination sentiment where the vaccination rate are well below the national average.
 For example, according to THL statistics, there are twenty municipalities in the North Ostrobothnia region where the coronavirus vaccination rate is currently below 70 percent and in some less than 60 per cent.
 One reason that the rate for the population as a whole in North Ostrobothnia is the large number of children under the age of 12 in the region, who are not yet vaccinated. The area is home to many adherents of the Laestadian evangelical Lutheran revival movement, known for large families and conservative values.
 According to healthcare personnel, there are also high levels of vaccine hesitancy in some municipalities.
 The lowest figure for coronavirus uptake in the country is in Sievi, a small semi-rural community of fewer than 5,000 residents, where 54.8 percent of the population currently has had a coronavirus vaccine jab. In the municipality of Larsmo (Luoto in Finnish) in Ostrobothnia, the figure is 56.8 percent.
 There are six municipalities with vaccination coverage of less than 60 percent in Finland. Four of those are in North Ostrobothnia. In addition to Sievi, they include Liminga (55.5), Tyrnäva (56.8) and Merijärvi (57.4).
 Risto Olli , Chief Physician of the regional social services and healthcare provider Kallio, told Yle that anti-vaccine sentiments are affecting the willingness of people in younger age groups to get vaccinated against the virus.
 "There are strong personalities working in the background who have the time and desire to promote their own ideology on social media. Unfortunately, there are also some health professionals among them. There may also be financial motives behind these activities," Olli said.
 He added that vaccine resistance is also evident in another North Ostrobothnian town, Nivala, where the infections are currently spreading.
 Targeted restrictions a possibility
 The National Institute for Health and Welfare THL is well aware of the low level of vaccination coverage in parts of North Ostrobothnia and the situation is being monitored," according to THL specialist  Mia Kontio .
 Kontio told Yle in an email that every effort is being made in the municipalities to increase vaccination coverage.
 "At present, efforts are being taken to make vaccination as easy as possible in order to reach at least all those who do not actively oppose vaccines," she wrote, adding that a dense area with low rates of vaccination allows for the emergence of larger chains of infection.
 "The disease is likely to be present in the area until all non-vaccinated people have contracted it. And of course, some of those already vaccinated will also get it," she said.
 According to Kontio, the combination of low vaccination coverage and clusters of infection may lead to the imposition of local restrictions by regional decision-makers.
 Anti-vaxxers propagandising kids
 Kai Korhonen , the newly-appointed city manager of Sievi, said that he has been surprised by the amount of vaccine hesitancy in the municipality.
 "I hope that the information [in circulation] will be based on facts provided by the authorities and so increase understanding," he said.
 Korhonen also hoped that getting vaccinated will become easier in the municipality. At present, vaccinations are available mainly at the local healthcare centre.
 "They should be brought closer to the residents, to libraries, schools or various places where the vaccine can be obtained as easily as possible and as walk-ins," he pointed out.
 According to Risto Olli, Sievi has not yet started vaccinating young people in schools, as it would require healthcare personnel already occupied elsewhere.
 In addition, there are safety issues to consider.
 Risto Olli, Chief Physician of the social services and healthcare provider Kallio, believes that vaccination coverage in the region will increase when society begins to open up. Paulus Markkula / Yle
 He said that  anti-vaxxers have gone to schools to distribute leaflets to pupils  urging them not to take the vaccine, and asking to take the leaflets home to their parents so that they inform can inform healthcare authorities that their children should not be vaccinated. There have been similar actions elsewhere in Finland, as well.
 "We have been considering whether vaccinations in the schools could become a problem because of these outside influences," Olli explained.
 Fresh outbreaks could overcome hesitancy
 Arto Nieminen , an infectious disease specialist with Kallio, has noticed that vaccinating children and young people is viewed with a critical eye by many residents in the region, especially in many large families.
 "This means that the number of non-vaccinated people multiplies quickly, as there are a lot of [large] Laestadian families," he pointed out.
 Terhi Nevala , Chief Physician at Oulu University Hospital, said that in areas with a lot of unvaccinated children, it would be important for adults to take the vaccine.
 "Children under the age of 12 are for the most part only very mildly affected by the coronavirus, but the virus does remain with us. Vaccinating adults is what we can do," she noted.
 Meanwhile Risto Olli believes that Sievi's vaccination coverage, for example, will begin to increase when restrictions are lifted and the disease spreads to the unvaccinated population.
 "When the use of masks ends, and the use of hand disinfectant decreases, the number of respiratory infections will grow, including coronavirus infections and its most severe forms. Maybe that will wake people up to the need to get vaccinated," he predicted.

Pockets of anti-vaccination sentiment may see locally-targeted restrictions