Summary: Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo told Yle taking quota refugees was the best way to help people fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of the Interior will propose an increase of Finland's refugee quota to 2,000 in the government's budget negotiations, Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo  (Green) has told Yle.
 Finland's current refugee quota is 1,050 people. The quota system shares out refugees among EU member states according to a calculation based on key data such as GDP, unemployment figures and national population.
 The proposed increase has been prompted in part by the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Ohisalo said, following the Taliban's rapid advance and capture of much of the country.
 "There is a risk that people will start moving as soon as they get out of there," Ohisalo said in an interview with Yle's  Ylen Aamu  programme.
 The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)  said on Wednesday  that bringing Afghan refugees to Finland from Afghanistan's neighbouring countries would require a political decision on quotas.
 Ohisalo told  Ylen Aamu  she believed increasing the refugee quota was the right move as taking people into Finland directly from refugee camps through the quota system is the most effective way to help people fleeing Afghanistan.
 Ohisalo: EU more ready to accept refugees than in 2015
 According to Ohisalo, EU interior ministers gathered at a meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan this week appeared more open to receiving refugees than during the migrant crisis of 2015-16.
 "It is clear that Europe will see the movement of these people, and therefore every EU member state must be prepared for this," Ohisalo said.
 "We need to support people there as much as possible, but also take responsibility if people come here," Ohisalo added.
 On Wednesday a Migri official told Yle they were preparing for refugees to arrive from Afghanistan, but did not expect the situation to escalate suddenly.
 "It will be interesting to see how much and in what time frame the situation in Afghanistan affects us here in Finland. Probably to some degree, but the scale is hard to envisage at this point,"  Pekka Nuutinen , the director of Migri's reception unit said.

Interior Ministry to propose increasing Finland's refugee quota


Summary: Finland's top auditor had spent more than 5,000 euros on hairdressing and beauty services.

Finland's former Auditor-General  Tytti Yli-Viikari  has lodged an appeal with Helsinki Administrative Court against her sacking after parliament's oversight committee found her expenses claims problematic.
 She had to be removed by a vote of MPs in parliament, after months of reporting on her apparently lavish spending on travel and other services while heading up the National Audit Office.
 The court told news agency STT that Yli-Viikari had lodged an appeal against her sacking at the end of July.
 The former rugby union coach is also under investigation by police on suspicion of misusing air miles accrued during her official trips, as well as a work contract she drew up that allowed an official to be paid a salary for two years without doing any work.
 She was suspended by parliament's budgetary committee in April, when it emerged that the police were looking at the case.
 Her replacement is due to be named in the autumn. Matti Okko is currently serving as acting Auditor-General.

Expense scandal auditor Yli-Viikari appeals sacking


Summary: The Taliban is advancing across Afghanistan, leaving many in the country seeking a way out.

Finland is to evacuate up to 130 Afghan staff and family members from the country as concern grows about the advance of Taliban rebels across Afghanistan.
 At a press conference on Friday, Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green)said that Finland would evacuate 130 people, including staff who had worked for Finland in Afghanistan recently, and their families.
 The decision does not cover all staff who have worked for Finland in the two decades since it joined the international mission to stabilise Afghanistan.
 The government met on Friday afternoon to confirm the decision, which was made under the Aliens' Act's provisions for exceptional humanitarian assistance.
 The decision means Finland will endeavour to evacuate and grant residence permits to people who have recently been employed by Finland, Nato or the EU in Afghanistan along with their families, with a maximum of 130 people in total to be evacuated.
 Staff interpreting for and assisting Finnish forces attached to the Finnish presence in the country have been employed by other countries and Nato since 2008.
 Finland's embassy remains open for now, but the situation is under constant review as the Taliban advance continues.
 The hardline Islamist group has captured major cities throughout Afghanistan, including the second and third largest cities Herat and Kandahar.
 Britain, the US and Canada have announced plans to send troops to Kabul in order to safeguard the evacuation of diplomatic staff and others ahead of an expected battle for the capital in the coming weeks and months.
 Those who were employed by western forces in the 20 years since a US-led coalition took control of the country now fear retribution.
 The United States announced its withdrawal from the country earlier this year. Since then, the Taliban has taken control of large swathes of the country as Afghan government forces collapse.

Finland to evacuate 130 Afghans


Summary: Retailers say the worsening epidemic situation is responsible.

Finnish stores say they are selling increasing numbers of rapid Covid tests, as the epidemic situation continues to worsen.
 Finland's daily case count exceeded 1,000 on Wednesday, and testing and contact tracing services have been under strain.
 The S-Group chain of supermarkets says it has sold some 20,000 tests in the last week.
 German discounter Lidl told the STT news agency that the tests have run out at times in different parts of the country, but the company is re-stocking as fast as it can.
 Lidl said demand had started to rise in late May, when people began to attend multi-generational family events over the summer and wanted to ensure there was no risk of infection.
 "We're happy that we have been able to grant these wishes," said Lidl in a statement to STT. "The Covid test has been a relatively popular product, and they've sold well throughout the country."
 Fimea told STT that the retail tests do not replace PCR tests conducted by medical services, and a negative result from the retail test does not mean someone can end a quarantine period after exposure.
 However they can provide peace of mind to those not experiencing symptoms, according to Fimea inspector  Hanna Valo .

Retailers report high demand for home Covid tests


Summary: Party members voted for Purra by a clear margin at a conference in Seinäjoki.

The Finns Party's new leader is  Riikka Purra , who replaces  Jussi Halla-aho  after his four years in charge.
 The Kirkkonummi MP was the strong favourite from start to finish, and becomes the first woman to lead the party.
 She received 774 votes, around 59 percent of the 1,302 votes cast at the party conference in Seinäjoki.
 In second place was Tampere MP  Sakari Puisto  with 252 votes, and in third was Covid denialist Lohja councillor  Ossi Tiihonen  with 181.
 Purra takes charge of a party that is consistently polling among the top three political powers in the country, and has a chance of entering government after the next election which is due in 2023.
 Step towards government
 Purra's elevation to the leadership is seen as a boost to the chances of a right-wing government incorporating the National Coalition Party, which had refused to co-operate with Halla-aho when he assumed the leadership in 2017 due to his convictions for incitement and record of inflammatory statements.
 In her victory speech Purra said that her party would not enter a coalition government unless it took a harder line on immigration.
 "If a party is not ready to tighten immigration policy, then that's game over and we don't have a possibility of co-operating [with them]," said Purra.
 New chapter for the party
 Halla-aho said that he was pleased that there was a clear result on the first round of voting.
 "It's been a pleasure to work in the field with Riikka Purra over the last four years," said Halla-aho. "She is a well-known and loved figure to Finns Party members. I believe that this starts a good chapter for the party."
 Halla-aho announced his departure just before Midsummer in a surprise move for the party, which is aligned with the far-right National Rally in France and the Alternative for Germany in the European Parliament.
 He assumed the leadership in 2017 when he beat  Sampo Terho  in a leadership contest, prompting a split in the party, with the Blue Reform group forming from half the Finns Party MPs and remaining in government.
 The remaining MPs went into opposition, led by Halla-aho. Earlier this year Purra had a  complaint rejected by the Council for the Mass Media in Finland after Yle accurately reported her use of language associated with the far-right 'Great Replacement Theory '.
 Vice-chairs elected
 The conference also elected a new party secretary. Incumbent  Simo Grönroos  was ousted by deputy MP  Arto Luukkanen , who is an ordained Lutheran priest and a historian.
 Luukkanen won by 706 votes to 397.
 In elections to the vice-chair positions,  Leena Meri  renewed her mandate with 79 percent of the vote.  Mauri Peltokangas , a Vaasa MP currently facing charges of incitement to ethnic hatred, defeated  Arja Juvonen  in the election to the second deputy leadership by 649 votes to 259.
 The third vice-chair position was filled by  Sebastian Tynkkynen , who beat serving vice-chair  Juho Eerola . In 2019, Tynkkynen was  convicted of hate speech .

Riikka Purra elected Finns Party leader


Summary: Li Andersson also reiterated her desire for remote learning to be a last resort in Finnish schools.

Education Minister  Li Andersson  (Left) said on Saturday that she wanted schools to avoid distance learning this academic year if at all possible, and condemned protests by anti-vaccine activists at schools in Helsinki.
 On Friday police detained three protesters at a school in Helsinki after they tried to disrupt vaccination of 12-15-year-olds.
 Finland is offering Covid vaccines to children aged twelve and above, with the decision on whether or not to take the vaccine made by the child.
 "When you're talking about school pupils then I strongly disapprove of adults who come to disrupt pupils and teachers during the school day, especially during the pandemic when outsiders are not welcome in schools for any reason," said Andersson on an Yle talk show on Saturday morning.
 "It is obvious that pupils have the right to receive the correct information, based on science, and that they have the right to a peaceful school environment," continued Andersson. "Us adults should have enough sense to realise that regardless of our own opinions, we should leave children and young people alone."
 Andersson also said she expected the Regional Administrative Agency in Southern Finland (Avi) to row back on its decision to restrict indoor hobbies this week.
 The restrictions would make it very difficult for sports clubs to offer hobbies to children and others, if implemented, and were criticised strongly by politicians in the government.
 Andersson also emphasised that distance learning should be the last resort for schools during the pandemic, and said that local authorities can make those decisions themselves based on the epidemic situation in their area.
 "The government's guiding principle is that restrictions on children and young people's contact teaching and hobbies should be the last resort," said Andersson. "If restrictions need to be stepped up in the near future, they should be clearly directed at the adult population."

Education Minister condemns anti-vaccine protests around schools


Summary: The youngest people to die of Covid in Finland have been in their 30s, with the majority over age 80. The mortality rate has dropped significantly this year.

On Saturday, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported four more deaths attributed to the coronavirus. That brought the total to  1,002  over nearly 17 months. On Sunday one more fatality was reported for a death toll of 1003.
 Most of the deceased have been elderly, but the total also includes some middle-aged people and young adults. More men have died than women. The majority have had some form of long-term illness.
 About 60 percent of people who died of Covid-19 have been over 80 years of age. There have been 606 such patients.
 However, there have also been middle-aged as well as young adults among the deceased. The youngest people to die in Finland have been in their 30s.
 In contrast to deaths, infections have been highest in younger age groups, now and throughout the pandemic. The highest number of infections has been among people in their 20s, followed by those in their 30s.
 On Sunday, the THL reported 535 new coronavirus infections. Over the past two weeks, more than 3,000 more new infections have been reported than in the previous fortnight. To date, a total of 117,531 confirmed infections have been diagnosed in Finland.
 Most have had long-term illnesses
 Somewhat more men than women have died from Covid-19. The fatalities include 539 men and 463 women.
 According to THL, detailed health information has been available for 52 percent of those who died. More than 95 percent of them have had one or more long-term illnesses.
 According to THL, the underlying conditions related to coronavirus deaths have not yet been properly investigated. However, the risk of serious Covid-19 is increased by chronic diseases that significantly impair lung or heart function or the body's resistance.
 The first coronavirus death was reported in the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS) on  21 March 2020 . The number of Covid-related deaths rose rapidly during the following month.
 The first pandemic spring was followed by a lull during the summer and early autumn, but the number of deaths began to rise again in November and December 2020.
 100 deaths in past four months
 During the spring of 2021, the number of new deaths gradually decreased due to restrictions and vaccinations. Inoculations  began in late December  but did not gain steam until spring.
 Although infection rates are currently high, the number of deaths associated with coronavirus has not risen at the same rate as infection rates in recent months, as coronavirus vaccinations protect most people from serious cases of the illness.
 The 900-death threshold was passed nearly four months ago.
 As of Sunday, nearly 69 percent of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine, with more than 42 percent fully inoculated.
 12.09 and 14.04: Updated with Sunday figures.

Finland passes grim milestone: More than 1,000 Covid deaths, more than half over age 80


Summary: The foreign minister said that the rapidly developing situation posed "challenges" for the evacuation of Afghans to Finland, as decided by the government on Friday.

Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) has urged all Finns to leave Afghanistan immediately.
 In a virtual press conference on Sunday afternoon, Haavisto declined to say how many Finns are still in Afghanistan, citing security concerns. He also did not respond directly when asked whether an official decision had been made to evacuate the Finnish embassy.
 He said that Finland was still attempting to evacuate up to 130 people, including staff who had worked for Finland in Afghanistan recently, and their families.
 However, he said, the current, rapidly developing situation posed "challenges" for the evacuation of Afghans to Finland as decided by the government on Friday.
 "Tremendous number of queries" from Afghans
 Haavisto said that Finnish officials had received "a tremendous number of queries" from people who have been in contact with Finns in the country and were now seeking protection.
 "We now have limited opportunities to provide this protection," Haavisto said, adding that no more than 130 Afghans would be evacuated to Finland.
 Haavisto said that he could not have guessed on Friday that the situation would escalate so quickly.
 On Friday the government approved efforts to evacuate and grant residence permits to people who have recently been employed by Finland, Nato or the EU in Afghanistan along with their families, up to a maximum of 130 people.
 Since then, though, the situation on the ground has changed dramatically, with Islamist insurgents making a lightning advance across the country. On Sunday, Taliban fighters entered the last government stronghold, the capital Kabul. The BBC quoted the acting interior minister as saying that a "peaceful transfer of power to a transitional government" was being prepared.
 Over €700m in aid over two decades
 Locals who worked for western forces in Afghanistan now face likely retribution from the hardline Islamist group.
 According to the Foreign Ministry, Afghanistan has received the largest development support from Finland in this century, totalling 385 million euros between 2002 and 2020.
 Finland spent another 315 million euros in military support to the Afghan government over two decades. Two Finnish peacekeepers died and 15 were injured in the effort.
 As of Sunday, Finland's embassy in Kabul was still open.

Haavisto: Finland has "limited opportunities to provide protection" to Afghans as Taliban enters Kabul


Summary: The nationalist party leader called for stricter rules on family reunification and gaining citizenship.

Newly elected Finns Party chair  Riikka Purra  laid out her agenda in a speech to a party congress on Sunday afternoon.  A day earlier , she was chosen to succeed  Jussi Halla-aho , who announced his surprise resignation in June after four years at the helm.
 Purra, whose candidacy was backed by Halla-aho, said she would not change the nationalist party's policies, but aimed to express them more clearly.
 In her policy speech, Purra said that the party seeks a tightening of immigration policy.
 She proposed reducing the number of asylum seekers to zero and making stricter rules for family reunification. Purra also said that the conditions for obtaining citizenship should also be tightened.
 No "friends or enemies" among other parties
 Purra reiterated her earlier assertion that the party would only join a future government that is willing to toughen immigration policy. She added that her party would not have any "friends or enemies" among other parties, but would "cooperate when it is profitable and beneficial".
 "Any party that is not ready to tighten Finnish immigration policy is not ready to be in the same government as the Finns Party," she said.
 Purra said that she wanted the party to be nationalist and patriotic rather than populist.
 According to Purra, the party wants to change the legislation on hate speech, which has sparked charges against many party members and officials over the years.
 At a press conference on Sunday morning, Purra commented on the judgments and charges of the Finns Party elected a day earlier as deputy chairs.
 Sebastian Tynkkynen , elected third deputy chair, has been convicted of incitement against an ethnic group, which  Mauri Peltokangas , who was elected second deputy chair, has recently been charged with the same offence.
 According to Purra, it seems that when Finns Party politicians speak out, they often run into trouble with the Prosecutor General, without mentioning  Raija Toiviainen  by name. She dismissed a reporter's question as to whether it was appropriate for a lawmaker to comment on decisions by the independent judiciary.
 NCP now only major party with all-male chairs
 In a victory speech on Saturday, Purra said she intended for the party to win the 2023 parliamentary election, and that she would be ready to become prime minister. However, she said the party would only form a coalition government with parties committed to a tougher stance on immigration.
 Purra received nearly 60 percent of votes at the party congress in Seinäjoki, western Finland.
 The party has consistently been one of Finland's three largest for the past several years.
 Purra, 44, is the party's fourth leader since it was founded in 1995, and the first woman.
 With her, the other main opposition bloc, the National Coalition Party (NCP), is the only major Finnish party that has never had a female leader.

New Finns Party leader Purra seeks tougher line on immigration


Summary: Finland's press report on how the rapidly-worsening situation in Kabul affects Finnish diplomats, citizens and workers.

Many of Finland's papers on Monday report on the situation in Afghanistan after Taliban forces seized control of the capital Kabul on Sunday. Helsingin Sanomat closely followed the rapidly-changing developments overnight via a  live blog  and a series of accompanying articles.
 HS writes that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs released a press statement just after midnight to announce that Finland's embassy in Kabul had been closed indefinitely and diplomatic staff were to be evacuated from the country.
 Finnish citizens living in Afghanistan have also been advised to leave the country as soon as possible, but HS writes that preparations for evacuation are still ongoing, amid widely-reported  scenes of chaos  at Kabul International Airport.
 The paper also  reports  that Finland's government decided on Sunday evening to increase the number of residence permits granted to people, and their families, who have recently been employed by Finland, Nato or the EU in Afghanistan. A total of 170 Afghans will now be granted asylum in Finland, up from the  previous figure  of 130.
 "I could not have guessed on Friday evening that the situation would escalate so quickly. International assessments had talked about weeks or even months," Finland's Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) said on Sunday afternoon.
 40 climate protestors taken into police custody
 Tampere-based Aamulehti  writes  that there is currently "no information" on the possible continuation of a protest in the city by  Elokapina , the Finnish branch of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion, which led to 40 protesters being taken into police custody.
 An estimated 100 demonstrators blocked the intersection of Hämeenpuisto and Satamakatu in the centre of Tampere from 2pm until about 8pm on Saturday, calling on Finnish authorities and the City of Tampere to take more action on climate change.
 Review continues after the photo.
 Extinction Rebellion protesters in Tampere on Saturday. Maria Salovaara / Yle
 Chief Inspector  Tero Halmela  told the paper that the police have not been notified of any plans for a follow-up protest, but noted that the organisers of Saturday's demonstration did not inform the police in advance either.
 "We will monitor the situation, and if something happens, the police will react to it. If the police are needed somewhere, we will go there," Halmela said.
 IL: Summer "not over yet"
 Although there are dark clouds and heavy rain on the horizon for this week, tabloid Iltalehti  reports  that the sun is due to make a comeback, with meteorologists predicting the mercury could breach the 25-degree mark again some time next week.
 "Summer is not over yet," the tabloid boldly proclaims.
 However, a low pressure front will bring heavy rain showers particularly in the south this week, with some areas getting up to 30 millimetres of rainfall.
 "It is possible that a high pressure front will arrive in Scandinavia around the end of August. This could mean warmer weather than usual. It is also possible that the warmer than usual weather may continue into September," FMI meteorologist  Jani Sorsa  told IL.

Monday's papers: Afghanistan evacuations, climate protest and late summer sun


Summary: Football clubs and others view the Opera's reopening as a test case.

A plan for the Finnish National Opera to let in a paying crowd without the multiple additional separate entrances, toilets and refreshment stands currently required by the letter of the law has been approved by the State regional Administrative Agency (Avi) for Southern Finland.
 The Opera had earlier announced its plan to let in 300 people to the 1,300 capacity auditorium, but was not planning to seat them in separate blocks with their own entrances and toilets.
 As a consequence, the regional Avi asked Helsinki's municipal inspectors to check the arrangements complied with Covid restrictions. They gave the green light, partly because the opera house is such a big space for the 300 people allowed in.
 "In Avi's decision there is a reference to blocks, for example so that sanitary facilities can be used in staggered intervals so that it can be ensured that groups have the opportunity to remain separate," said the head of Helsinki's food safety unit,  Riikka Åberg .
 "Spaces should be cleaned and disinfected between the groups. It depends what kind of premises it is — what kind of toilets and how large the building is — there are different ways of complying with the Avi decision."
 The premiere of  Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci  is therefore going ahead as a double bill on Friday, as planned.
 Helsinki football club HJK view the Opera arrangements as a test case, and have announced that they plan to let in some 4,000 fans for their Europa League play-off second leg against Fenerbahce next Thursday.
 They have divided their Töölö stadium into 81 'blocks' and hope that will be enough to satisfy the Covid regulations.
 On Thursday, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health had said that Avi officials could exclude children and young people's hobbies from Covid restrictions, after suffering severe criticism when hobbies were apparently banned and then allowed again in the Helsinki region.
 On Friday morning the Culture minister Antti Kurvinen (Cen) said that he hoped Finland could ease all restrictions, following the lead of the United Kingdom.

Opera's Covid reopening plan approved


Summary: An estimated 30 employees were exposed to the chemical at the Atria plant in Seinäjoki.

Nineteen workers have been hospitalised following an ammonia leak at a poultry slaughterhouse run by Finnish food processing firm Atria near the city of Seinäjoki.
 The hospitalised employees had mild respiratory symptoms,  Raimo Jokisalo  of Seinäjoki Central Hospital told Yle, adding that 30 employees in total had been exposed to the chemical due to the leak at the Nurmo plant.
 "It was lucky that in this incident the symptoms were only very mild," Jokisalo said. "After all, ammonia is a strong irritant, especially to the respiratory tract, and at its most serious can even be life-threatening."
 Rescue services in the region responded to a call from the plant at 5am on Monday morning, and chief executive officer of regional rescue services  Harri Setälä  told Yle that there was a strong pungent smell on the premises when the rescue teams arrived.
 However, specialised divers quickly located the cause of the leak -- reported to be a fault in the plant's piping system -- closed the valves and ventilated the premises.
 Repair work has already begun and will continue throughout Monday once the plant has been fully ventilated, Atria's vice-president of Technology  Reijo Äijö  said.
 "Fortunately, leaks of this size are really rare. The plants are constructed in such a way that every effort is made to minimise the risks," Äijö said, adding that the leak posed no danger to the rest of the environment.

Factory workers hospitalised following ammonia leak


Summary: Meanwhile, Afghan nationals who helped Finnish troops will be evacuated by Tuesday at the latest, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto.

According to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Finnish diplomats in Afghanistan were evacuated on Monday, reportedly to a nearby country.
 The paper reported that the embassy workers left Afghanistan aboard a US military aircraft.
 Helsingin Sanomat also reported that Defence Minister  Antti Kaikkonen  (Centre) did not confirm whether the diplomats had been evacuated, however.
 Earlier on Monday, Finnish Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) told Yle that the country aimed to evacuate Finnish nationals in Afghanistan over the course of the day.
 In just over a week, militant group the Taliban has seized power in the war-torn country, with the organisation's officials declaring victory on Monday.
 On Sunday the country's president  Ashraf Ghani  fled the country as Taliban forces took over the capital city of Kabul, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, according to news outlet Reuters.
 Haavisto said that  Afghan nationals who assisted Finnish troops  in the country over the years would also be evacuated by Tuesday at the latest.
 Finland decided  to increase the number of residence permits granted to people, and their families, who have recently been employed by Finland, Nato or the EU in Afghanistan. A total of 170 Afghans will now be granted asylum in Finland, up from the  previous figure  of 130.
 Finland began participating in the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2002, and subsequently its successor mission Operation Resolute Support, until withdrawing on 8 June this year. During that period, a number of Afghan nationals worked alongside Finnish personnel, in the capacity of interpreters or translators, for example.
 Finland announced late on Sunday night that the Finnish embassy in Kabul had been closed indefinitely and that diplomatic staff were to be evacuated from the country. Additionally, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs urged all Finnish citizens who were in Afghanistan to leave the country.
 On Monday morning Haavisto said that the country's diplomats in Afghanistan were safe.
 "[The ministry] has been in contact with Finnish citizens and foreigners with a permanent residence in Finland who have submitted their travel plans to Afghanistan. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will assist those who have requested consular assistance as far as possible," the ministry said in a statement issued on Monday.
 Chaos broke out at Kabul's civilian airport on Sunday night and into Monday morning after hundreds of Afghans thronged the facility's runway area, trying to climb aboard the final commercial flight out of the country, according to media reports including from Reuters.
 Finnish national airline Finnair joined many other international airlines in suspending flights over Afghanistan airspace, according to tabloid Iltalehti. The Finnish carrier normally flies over the country on routes to Bangkok and Singapore.
 Some countries, including Turkey and France, announced on Monday morning that they would evacuate their own nationals as well as Afghan citizens during Monday.
 Kaikkonen: Lessons to be learned from Finnish involvement
 Defence Minister  Antti Kaikkonen  (Cen) said on Monday that the security of Finns in Afghanistan and of Afghans who have worked for Finland is "the number one priority for Finland in the near future and the coming days".
 Speaking at the opening of a national defence course in Helsinki, Kaikkonen said that the deterioration of the security situation since the withdrawal of western troops has been faster than expected.
 Kaikkonen said he has commissioned the Defence Ministry to carry out a study of the lessons learned from Finland's nearly two decades of crisis management work in Afghanistan.
 "Crisis management operations in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021 can provide rich, up-to-date empirical data on what can be achieved through military crisis management and what is not reasonable to achieve," Kaikkonen said.
 According to Kaikkonen, in future whenever Finnish soldiers are sent to join crisis operations abroad, there must be a clear understanding of their goals and the likelihood of achieving them.
 "When making an assessment of possible participation, we must carefully consider whether an external military operation will improve or weaken the security situation in the crisis area," Kaikkonen said. "Military action always has unpredictable side effects," he added.

Finnish diplomats evacuated from Afghanistan, HS reports


Summary: The new measures are set to come into effect from Friday 20 August.

The Regional State Administrative Agency (Avi) for Southern Finland has clarified that  new guidelines announced last week  do not mean that sports facilities in the capital region must close their doors or that hobby activities must be suspended.
 The new measures had been widely understood to mean it would be virtually impossible to pursue a wide range of hobbies and recreational activities in the region, similar to the restrictions introduced during the spring.
 However, Avi has released a statement saying that indoor activities can go ahead if sports facility operators can ensure that participants are able to keep a safe distance from each other. The measures therefore do not prohibit sports or hobbies from taking place, but places the onus of responsibility on the owners or operators of the facilities to ensure safety measures are possible to follow.
 "The decision obliges those responsible for the management of the premises to enable the participants to maintain safe distances from each other, if they so wish," Senior Inspector  Oona Mölsä  of Avi's Health Care Unit said in the press release.
 This means therefore that, in practice, gym goers can decide for themselves whether they are in close contact with others while working out.
 The clarification was welcomed by  Sandra Roos , chair of the board of GB Gym, which organises activities such as wrestling, boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
 "On the other hand, the information has been confusing, and this has made the situation challenging. We have already been called by many customers who were surprised to learn that hobbies are not being stopped again," Roos said.
 Not "always possible" to avoid close contact
 Despite the fact that safety distances from others will be left to the participants' own discretion, Avi recommends that enthusiasts of close contact activities such as martial arts and wrestling consider focusing instead on performing technical exercises.
 "In many martial arts, it is not possible to avoid physical contact, because wrestling, for example, cannot be done alone. Sure, fitness training can be done, but it’s not a sport in itself," Roos said, adding that GB Gym has already been providing customers with the opportunity to avoid close contact and recommends the use of face masks.
 "However, customers are also given the opportunity for close contact. The recommendation is to avoid it, but I would believe that more than 90 percent of customers will continue to train with close contact," she said.
 The new restrictions will however have an impact on the number of people using the facility, as a maximum of 25 people are allowed to attend public events indoors from Friday 20 August.
 Roos said she regrets that the latest restrictions will once again effect exercise activities and hobbies.
 "I do not deny that sports could have caused infections, but the participants act responsibly and want to ensure that their own activities can go ahead. We have had isolated cases where a customer has been diagnosed with an infection, but they have actively reported them themselves and the infection chains have been halted," Roos added.

Helsinki authorities clarify restrictions on indoor sports


Summary: Lapland's chief infectious diseases doctor says this is the worst case of non-compliance with quarantine regulations he has seen during the pandemic.

Berry picking companies Arctic International and Polarica have moved at least 260 foreign berry pickers from Lapland to eastern Finland even though most of them have been infected by or exposed to the coronavirus, said the Lapland Hospital District.
 In Rovaniemi, up to 70 percent of foreign berry pickers have been infected with Covid-19. On Friday, the city ordered the companies to isolate harvesters who had fallen ill and to place those exposed under quarantine.
 According to  Markku Broas , chief infectious diseases doctor of the Lapland Hospital District, quarantine rules and the Communicable Diseases Act were violated during the transfer to Kainuu and North Karelia.
 According to Broas, he has not encountered such a large-scale non-compliance with quarantine regulations throughout the entire coronavirus pandemic.
 "Health safety is now at stake here. There is a high risk that the disease will continue to spread within the group and beyond," he told Yle on Monday.
 Article continues after photo
 Markku Broas, chief infectious diseases doctor of the Lapland Hospital District (file photo). Mikko Koski / Yle
 He is concerned that sick and exposed berry pickers will continue to work.
 Authorities unaware
 On Friday, berry companies received orders on how to handle the isolation and quarantine of berry pickers infected with and exposed to the virus. The city of Rovaniemi arranged appropriate facilities for the affected berry pickers.
 Under the Communicable Diseases Act, quarantine must be carried out in one's own home or in another place approved or designated by authorities.
 The city of Rovaniemi did not know about the transfer in advance – and nor did North Karelia's joint municipal authority for social and health services (Siun sote).
 "On a general level, I would say that quarantine regulations are the same everywhere and that criminal complaints can be filed if they are violated," said the region's chief infectious disease doctor,  Jennifer Sieberns .
 Broas said the Communicable Diseases Act is unambiguous, and that quarantine and isolation orders are official regulations.
 "Municipal infectious disease authorities are responsible for their implementation, including monitoring and directing compliance with quarantine and isolation rules," Broas said.

Berry companies moved pickers around Finland, though many infected or exposed


Summary: Finland's foreign minister said there is no "magical way" to protect Afghans who have worked for the country if they are not at Kabul Airport.

According to Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green), 18 Finns were evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday morning, including employees of the Finnish Embassy.
 They were flown to Doha, Qatar, on a US military plane. The embassy has been closed and all of its Finnish employees have been evacuated from the country, he said.
 Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, Haavisto said that the rapid shift in power surprised many. He noted that the president has fled the country and that the Taliban now effectively control Afghanistan.
 "I would like to thank [the diplomats at the embassy] for keeping our representation in Kabul open until the end, in order to ensure the safety of other Finns in the city until the end," said Haavisto.
 Finland depends on its connections with foreign powers and military aircraft for evacuations, as commercial aircraft are no longer allowed in Afghan airspace, said the minister. US forces are handling air traffic control at Kabul Airport.
 Haavisto described the evacuation process as rough. Those being evacuated may not take any luggage and must sit on the floor of a military plane, he said.
 About 20 Finns had informed ministry officials that they were in Afghanistan and more messages have been received in recent days. Some are Finnish citizens of Afghan background. The ministry is trying to help them to the best of its ability, he said.
 170 Afghans to be brought to Finland
 The ministry has decided that Afghans with fairly recent employment contracts with the Finnish state will receive residence permits. However, those who helped Finland 10 years ago, for instance, will not receive help from Finland, he said.
 About 170 people are to be brought, include spouses and dependent children.
 The ministry is in contact with those Afghans who are to be brought to Finland for safety. For security reasons, Haavisto declined to say where they are, or how many were at the airport awaiting flights.
 Those seeking asylum in Finland must get themselves to Kabul Airport for the evacuation flights. This has been difficult due to the chaotic situation.
 According to Haavisto, there is no "magical way" to protect Afghans who have worked for Finland if they are outside the airport.
 Not all evacuees have travel documents, but the aim is to get them in order before arrival in Finland, where the Afghans are to be taken to reception centres.
 The evacuations could be done in two days if it were up to Finland, said Haavisto. However, the timetable is affected by the confusing situation at the airport and the whole country.
 Finland has no plans to send diplomats to Afghanistan in the near future, Haavisto said. The EU's relationship with the new administration will determine the course of diplomatic relations in the future.
 According to Haavisto, the building of relationships will depend partly on how the Taliban guarantees the rights of women, for example.

Haavisto: Kabul Embassy closed, 18 Finns evacuated, 170 Afghans to be brought to Finland


Summary: This year's intake includes men, as well as women volunteers, who were born in 2003.

The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) have begun the process of calling up this year's conscripts to complete their compulsory military service.
 According to Finland's Conscription Act, every male Finnish citizen must serve either armed or unarmed military service for a period of about six months up to one year. As an alternative, they can also opt for a longer spell of non-military civilian service.
 Women can also volunteer if they want, but they have no obligation to serve.
 Call-ups are organised every year between August and December, and this year a total of 490 call-up events will be held across the country.
 The call-up events, scheduled for about 250 locations, will determine where each one of the roughly 36,000 young people will fulfil their service and to which task they will be assigned.
 Career plans and skill sets taken into account
 The events will also be attended by hundreds of outreach youth workers from specialised services provider Into, who will offer support and advice to the young conscripts under a project called Time Out!
 Each appointment takes place in the form of an interview along with a medical examination assessing factors such as fitness, state of health and personal preferences. Conscripts' career plans and skill sets are also taken into account in the process of assigning their military training and service tasks.
 In 2020 around 17 percent of those called up were given exemptions, with almost half granted due to behavioural and mental health issues, according to FDF statistics.

Defence Forces calls on tens of thousands of young men for conscription


Summary: The improvement was partly due to more use of renewable energy – as well as mild weather and the pandemic.

Last year, municipal greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 7.4 percent from the previous year, according to the preliminary data from the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke). Emissions from electricity use fell the most, by more than 20 percent.
 The reasons included the shift from fossil fuels to wind power as well as the weather: 2020 was warmer, so electricity consumption for heating was lower.
 Emissions from road traffic also decreased in almost all Finnish municipalities. In addition to the increasing use of electric and hybrid vehicles, the pandemic reduced driving.
 Emissions only rose in five of Finland's 309 municipalities, including the northern city of Tornio.
 The decline in greenhouse gas emissions has continued since 2005, except for a couple of years. During this period, the reduction has been around 24 percent.
 "No room for complacency"
 So, is a drop of more than seven percent a good or modest year, since the pandemic and mild weather helped to curb emissions?
 "A very good question, and there's no unequivocal answer to it. But 7.4 is a good decrease, because even in this exceptional year, society did not come to a complete halt," said  Santtu Karhinen , a senior research scientist at Syke.
 According to Karhinen, it remains to be seen whether road traffic will return to pre-pandemic levels and how the replacement of the nation's vehicle fleet with cleaner vehicles will affect emissions. Rail traffic looks set to grow from last year, as does passenger ship traffic.
 Karhinen points out that emissions from electricity production are still falling, district heating is shifting away from fossil fuels, energy efficiency is improving in road transport and the proportion of electric and hybrid vehicles is on the rise.
 "If we can continue on this path, we'll be fine. But there's no room for complacency – we must continue to work hard to achieve our national climate goals," Karhinen told Yle. Finland has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2035.
 In 2020, road transport accounted for 26 percent of municipal climate emissions, agriculture for 20 percent, district heating for 15 percent and electricity consumption for 11 percent.
 Syke's emissions calculation system, known as Hinku, includes emissions that can be directly or indirectly affected by local authorities. As a result, most emissions from industry and transport, such as bus and freight traffic, are missing from the calculations.
 Pyhäjoki boasts biggest drop
 Pyhäjoki in Northern Ostrobothnia boasted the largest cut in emissions, when the so-called wind power compensation is included.
 Wind power construction is still in its infancy in the municipality, and Mayor  Matti Soronen  believes that the figures will look even better in the coming years.
 Work is also being done in other sectors, and in strong agriculture and forestry, for example, according to Soronen, there is room for significant improvement.
 Per-capita greenhouse gas emissions also vary greatly between regions.
 The lowest per capita emissions are in the southern provinces, while the highest have long been in Southern and Central Ostrobothnia in western Finland.
 There emissions remain high due to agriculture, which has not been able to cut its emissions like other sectors. Another factor explaining emissions in Southern Ostrobothnia, is the burning of peat, which is still provides a large portion of district heating. There will be sharp emission reductions in the future, but there is another side to it.
 "Here, too, it must be borne in mind that peat extraction is linked to livelihoods. It is not simple to try to reduce emissions while at the same time trying to take care of employment and the vitality of each municipality," said Karhinen.

Emissions drop in nearly all Finnish municipalities


Summary: There's one big story in the media on Tuesday.

Finnish media was dominated once again on Tuesday by news from Kabul and Washington, as the United States hands over Afghanistan to the Taliban and flees the country.
 Overnight US President  Joe Biden  insisted  in a televised address that his decision was the correct one, and that no other course of action could have prevented scenes of desperate Afghans  clinging to planes  as they evacuated the lucky few.
 His speech was received with some scepticism by  Iltalehti , which has an opinion piece headlined 'responsibility for the fall of Afghanistan lies with Biden, even if maybe it shouldn't'.
 The paper points out that  Donald Trump  was the one who agreed a deal with the Taliban and continued to withdraw even as Taliban forces failed to follow its terms.
 Helsingin Sanomat has an editorial noting that the abandonment of Afghans is a defeat for Finland too, after the country spent twenty years and nearly a billion euros on supporting western efforts in the country.
 The paper concludes that Finland has offered to evacuate a small minority of the people who assisted Finns in the last two decades and are now at risk of retribution from Taliban forces.
 "Hopefully at least this promise will be kept," writes  HS.
 Fully vaccinated must still quarantine
 The  more infectious  Delta strain of Covid-19 has raised the level of concern among health authorities. Ilkka-Pohjalainen reports that in Vaasa, vaccinated people still have to quarantine after exposure.
 This is despite THL's recommendation that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to quarantine after exposure.
 "Positive cases have also been reported in people who have received both doses. The Delta variant spreads as easily as chickenpox, so there will be a lot of infections regardless," Chief Vaasa Physician  Heikki Kaukoranta  told IP.
 With current doses' protection waning six months after administration, Finland could see third doses introduced as soon as early 2022, the newspaper added.
 Cottage sales boom drawing to a close
 The hottest summer  in a hundred years  also saw a red-hot holiday housing market,  Ilta-Sanomat  (IS) reports, but it is now expected to cool down.
 This summer witnessed a holiday home purchasing boom and subsequent spike in prices  by 20 percent .
 With a heavy majority of cottage-owners above the age of 60, it remains to be seen whether younger generations will be as interested in the city-life escapism to keep the holiday housing market alive, credit institution Hypo economist  Juhana Brotherus  told the paper.

Tuesday's papers: Biden blame, fully-vaxxed quarantine, cabin boom about to end


Summary: Europe will have to decide how many Afghan refugees it can take in and integrate, said the president.

According to Finnish President  Sauli Niinistö , the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban shows that western countries failed in their goals of building democratic governance and civil society in the country.
 Interviewed by Yle on Monday evening, the president declined to say whether leaving Afghanistan was a mistake by the US and other western countries. In his opinion, it is clear that Afghans who have served Finland will be helped.
 "I guess the lesson from this is that it is quite difficult to take on a completely new kind of social structure and thinking. It takes generations, and of course there was a well-equipped extremist movement in Afghanistan all along," Niinistö said.
 The president was asked whether western countries made mistakes by going into Afghanistan 20 years ago or by leaving this year. The last Finnish troops withdrew  in June .
 "I wouldn't talk so much about mistakes. The end result is that the [western] goal was not achieved. After all, there was a belief that events were moving in a positive direction. Now we face the fact that it is extremely difficult to change an entire country," Niinistö said.
 In Niinistö's view, it is clear and reasonable that Finland should provide protection to those who have served Finns in Afghanistan.
 Niinistö said that he was also relieved that the first plane with 18 Finnish evacuees left Kabul on Monday morning. However, there are still at least 20 Finnish citizens in Afghanistan.
 Europe faces refugee question
 The most immediate consequence of the situation, he said, will be the flow of refugees out of Afghanistan. Some of them will head for Europe, but that may take time and their numbers are difficult to estimate, he added.
 "At that point, we will face the question of how many Finland and Europe will be able to take in, while ensuring that people can be properly integrated," he said.
 At the moment, however, the refugee flow seems to be directed toward the east rather than the west, he said.
 Another question is what role the Taliban takes once it comes to power.
 "During their previous regime, they remained in Afghanistan and apparently settled for that, but still provided a kind of refuge for terrorists. If that continues, the impact from Afghanistan could potentially extend to the entire globe," he observed.
 However, Niinistö does not believe that the change of regime in Afghanistan will have direct, immediate consequences on the overall patterns of world politics.
 Niinistö noted that China and Russia have shown a desire to maintain a dialogue and retain their embassies in Kabul. He said it would be problematic if Afghanistan were to be isolated from the rest of the world while maintaining ties with only those two countries.
 "I think that some kind of dialogue – though not a diplomatic one – is worth trying to build over time," Niinistö suggested.

Niinistö: Western countries failed to reach goals in Afghanistan


Summary: Low wages and lack of internship funding are driving potential mental healthcare professionals to the private sector.

Psychology course enrolments have spiked in recent years in Finnish universities – yet while there are more psychologists graduating in Finland than retiring, professionals do not end up where they are needed the most.
 Inconsistencies between the needs of municipalities' health services and professionals are straining the public sector, especially in more remote areas.
 The city of Oulu has attempted to address the shortages by introducing new psychology training programmes.
 "The new psychology training programme starting in September will be of great importance for the entire northern region. The shortage of psychologists is constant here,"  Kati Mäkitalo , Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Oulu, said.
 Apart from the University of Oulu, students can also study for a master's degree in psychology at universities in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Turku, Tampere and Joensuu.
 A total of 345 students will begin their studies at the seven universities this autumn, an increase of 73 compared to the 2020 intake.
 The increase in student admissions may not translate into lessening shortages, however. Finland has one of the highest densities of psychology professionals in terms of population in the world and already has an excess of psychology graduates, according to  Jari Lipsanen , vice-chair of the Finnish Psychological Association.
 "There are many psychologists, and the number is more than sufficient. On the other hand, the sector is so diverse that we believe that everyone will eventually find employment," Lipsanen said.
 Wide scope, remote locations and low pay deter professionals from public sector
 Deficient mental health support in schools is currently the biggest problem area, according to Lipsanen.
 "The biggest reason for the shortage of school psychologists is the scope of the task. Schools are the first to face [psychological] issues, and one psychologist may be assigned to many schools simultaneously," he said.
 Kymenlaakso and Central Ostrobothnia are currently experiencing the worst shortfalls.
 According to Lipsanen, the remote location of job postings, low level of support and monitoring as well as poor wages affect the amount of job applications received by public mental health centres.
 "The Psychological Association is struggling with issues related to pay. As this is a female-dominated sector, wage developments may not have been as rapid as in other sectors," he said.
 Improved internship opportunities a possible solution
 The Psychological Association is collaborating with the universities' psychology training departments' umbrella body Psykonet to fix the problem.
 A joint report published in May revealed that more flexibility in various respects and better pay are driving job applications away and into the private sector.
 The study also concluded that info sessions could attract more new applicants to less popular locations and work experience opportunities could be utilised to attract interns to stay after graduation.
 Psychology studies include a mandatory five-month internship. There are, however, severe shortages of internships nationwide, as hospital districts do not receive adequate funding from the government.
 According to Åbo Akademi psychology professor  Petra Grönholm-Nyman , better-supported internships could direct students to different fields and locations.
 "The shortage of psychologists is a local issue and degree programmes cannot influence students' choice of job postings. Working conditions and pay are thus of great importance," she said.
 Mika Hintsanen , a psychology professor at the University of Oulu, added that more effective cooperation between small municipalities could be another way of solving the regional shortage of psychologists.
 "By providing an internship place for a student, a small locality could attract psychologists to stay. But there is also a need for job guidance from older professionals, as the challenges at hand are often complex and the work can be mentally demanding," Hintsanen explained.
 Finally, recent years have seen training programmes invest in technological solutions in the sector. Remote receptions are becoming increasingly common and could provide yet another solution to the mental health staff shortages in more remote areas, the professor added.

Psychology graduates shun municipal sector


Summary: Both of the suspect's children were under school age, according to police.

A man is suspected of having killed his two small children in Rovaniemi on Thursday 12 August, according to local police.
 The following day Lapland District Court ordered the 37-year-old held on remand on suspicion of the homicides of his two children, both under school age.
 Police said an ongoing preliminary investigation would examine the course of events that led to the children's deaths.
 There are no other suspects, according to police, who noted that the victims' family members were offered crisis assistance.
 Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, police said they would not provide further information about the criminal case.

Father held over killings of two children


Summary: Finns Party leader Riikka Purra says Finland should target Afghan aid to the country's neighbouring regions.

Finns Party leader  Riikka Purra  on Saturday said Finland should channel Afghan aid efforts to the country's neighbouring regions dealing with an influx of people fleeing the Taliban.
 Speaking on Yle's Ykkösaamu talk show on Saturday, the leader of the opposition party claimed that Finnish military resources were being used to repatriate Afghans living in Finland who were visiting their former home country.
 "Finnish military is also securing the return of people awarded refugee status in Finland, but then returned to Afghanistan to vacation, or whatever," she said.
 Purra was, however, unable to specify how many individuals she was referring to in this statement.
 On Friday, Finland said it would  send troops to Kabul airport  to support the activities of its evacuation team there. Finnish troops are tasked with operating at the airport in Kabul. They will not venture beyond its immediate surroundings.
 Purra noted that Finnish authorities urged its citizens to leave Afghanistan weeks ago.
 "I wouldn't deploy the Finnish Defence Forces to pick people up now. They should leave on their own," she said.
 She, however, noted that Finland should help locally hired staff at the mission in Kabul leave "if they risked their lives to serve Finland."
 Purra said she would like to see humanitarian aid targeted to areas surrounding Afghanistan, and that the party does not want to see the Afghanistan crisis spark a refugee influx to Europe.
 "Immigration is not the efficient means of helping, neither from a financial nor humanitarian standpoint," she said, adding that "Finland, the EU and the international community should focus on helping those fleeing Afghanistan to meet their basic needs in areas near Afghanistan."
 "Zero refugees"
 Purra has called for abolishing Finland's refugee quota. That said, the nationalist party does not support nearly doubling Finland's annual refugee quota from 1,050 to 2,000,  as proposed earlier this week  by Interior Minister  Maria Ohisalo  in light of the Afghanistan crisis.
 Purra moreover criticised Finland for being poorly prepared to handle any growth in asylum cases.
 Finland's current refugee quota is 1,050 people. The quota system shares out refugees among EU member states according to a calculation based on key data such as GDP, unemployment figures and national population.
 _This week's  All Points North podcast  discussed the situation in Kabul and its impact on Finnish policy._
 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 .

Finns Party affirms "zero refugee" policy amid Afghan crisis


Summary: Krista Kiuru told Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that Finland may need vaccination cover of 90 percent to fully reopen.

Family Affairs and Social Services Minister  Krista Kiuru  (SDP) told Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday that vaccine coverage in Finland needs to rise in proportion to new infections.
 She said a surge in cases this autumn would necessitate vaccination coverage of up to 90 percent before society could freely reopen.
 "The risk in opening up is that if we don't get this fourth wave under control, we'll need even higher vaccination cover to keep society open. Right now it appears that it's very difficult to achieve coverage of more than 85 percent. This threat is real," Kiuru told the daily.
 However earlier this week, Culture Minister  Antti Kurvinen  (Cen) said Finland should  continue to ease  coronavirus restrictions to hasten the return of society back to normality. He suggested Finland adopt the British model of abandoning coronavirus restrictions as the vaccination rollout progresses.
 The government previously outlined an 80 to 90 percent vaccination target for everyone 12 and older.
 On Friday, Finland's institute for health and welfare (THL) reported 70 percent of the population had received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

HS: Full reopening of society may require 90% vaccination cover, minister says


Summary: The prosecution initially sought day fines for the defendant, but the court issued a harsher ruling.

Western Uusimaa District Court has handed down a 30-day suspended sentence to an Espoo man for inciting ethnic hatred on social media. His posts threatened the lives of certain ethnic groups.
 The court's ruling in the case was exceptional, as it handed down a harsher sentence—a suspended prison sentence—than the fines sought by the prosecution.
 The case hinged on the defendant's social media posts dating back to 2019, when he discussed killing immigrants in comments on a friend's public Facebook page. The man said he hoped violence would drive migrants out of Finland.
 In addition to threats, the man made derogatory comments about foreigners.
 Criminal law expert: "Ruling was well-founded"
 Criminal law professor  Kimmo Nuotio  noted that European legal practices separate violence-threatening hate speech from that which is insulting and derogatory in nature.
 Nuotio noted that the Western Uusimaa court acted in accordance with this custom.
 "The district court's ruling was merited and well-founded," he explained.
 The defendant still has the ability to appeal the court's decision. During the trial he denied committing any crime, claiming his posts fell under the right of freedom of speech.
 The court, however, found that the man could not claim freedom of speech for comments that were not not only violent hate speech but also reinforced stereotypes.
 Ninety-three percent of the time, courts in Finland hand out fines (ranging from 30-50 days) in cases involving the incitement of ethnic hatred, according to data compiled by Statistics Finland.
 In this case, the prosecution sought a punishment amounting to 50 day fines. But Western Uusimaa District Court found fines to be insufficient in light of the crime.
 "In this case, the incitement crime was more serious as the posts threatened the lives of people of certain ethnicity," explained Western Uusimaa District Court judge  Teemu Vanhanen .

Suspended sentence for man who incited ethninc hatred on Facebook


Summary: The financial situation of households has improved despite the crisis, according to the bank.

The Finnish economy has recovered from the coronavirus crisis faster than expected, the OP-Pohjola Financial group (OP) said.
 OP economists forecast that Finland's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 3.6 percent this year, rather than 3.3 percent as predicted earlier.
 "The faster-than-expected recovery of the Finnish economy can be primarily attributed to the recovery in consumption," OP's chief economist  Reijo Heiskanen  said in a press release.
 Household financial situations have improved despite the pandemic, with consumption expected to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels by next winter, the financial group said.
 Exports and investments have on the other hand suffered from bottlenecks in production.
 According to OP, this is a return to the moderate growth trend that was interrupted by the global pandemic.
 "The good news is that the recovery is rapid considering the expected recession and the financial crisis seems to be receding without any bigger or more permanent consequences," Heiskanen added.

OP Bank: Finland's economic growth above pre-pandemic levels


Summary: The opera's production director said that the idea of police interrupting a performance "would be an absurd scenario".

The Finnish National Opera intends to go ahead with its season premiere on Friday, following all coronavirus restrictions except a segmenting requirement announced  last week . Regional authorities said that any event with over 25 people must be divided into separate sections with their own entrances, services and staffing.
 According to  Gita Kadambi , general director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, such blocks would be impossible to implement.
 She said the state-funded company will start its performance season with safety distances of two metres but does not intend to section off the theatre, regardless of the restriction announced last week by the State Administrative Agency (Avi) for Southern Finland. The new rules take effect on Friday, the day of the premiere.
 The Avi decreed that any event with more than 25 spectators must be sectioned into separate blocks of 25 people. Each block must have separate access routes and sanitary and catering facilities, while also observing two-metre safety distancing.
 Article continues after photo
 Gita Kadambi, general director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet Jani Saikko / Yle
 Kadambi said the National Opera will allow fewer than 300 spectators into the main hall, which has 1300 seats. She told Yle the decision was based on quick measures  promised by government ministers .
 "We look forward to decisions this week"
 Lilli Paasikivi , the opera's artistic director, said that last week's decision caused confusion.
 "However, the government has very clearly promised that relief is on the way, and we expect it to come this week," Paasikivi said.
 With four days to go before the premiere of season opener  Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci , there is no word yet on easing the restrictions or removing the segmenting requirement.
 Article continues after photo
 Lilli Paasikivi is the opera's artistic director. Mårten Lampén / Yle
 Minister of Culture  Antti Kurvinen  (Cen) promised on Friday that the government intends to instruct the regional administrative authorities to waive the two-metre safety distance.
 According to Yle has learned that the government does not plan to amend the Communicable Diseases Act, but may instead issue an instruction to regional authorities.
 Paasikivi said that theatres and the events industry in general have been paralysed since March 2020 and are now awaiting conditions in which they can work.
 "We work with very long lead times. These large productions move like continental plates, and can't be shifted back and forth just like that. We've always been able to act with extreme caution and safety above all. We hope we can continue the same this autumn," she told Yle.
 Paasikivi argued that the premiere can be held as it takes into account two-metre safety distancing and mask recommendations and since the audience members remained seated and still.
 "Our audience is not a freely moving uncontrolled group of people. This is our interpretation of the situation, and next Friday we will present  Cavalleria rusticana &   Pagliacci ," said Paasikivi.
 Decisions had to be made
 Timo Tuovila , the opera's production and technical director, said the company has undergone an overall risk assessment.
 "Of course, our decision was influenced by ministers' statements that the new regulation will be amended," Tuovila said.
 However, he clarified that the opera has no information other than ministers' media comments that Avi would be instructed to change its restrictions.
 "We had to make decisions based on the existing information, because the premiere is on Friday," Tuovila said.
 Constitutional law expert  Pauli Rautiainen  tweeted on Monday that "soon we'll see whether Helsinki Police will allow a performance at the National Opera where audience members are sitting two metres apart wearing masks" or whether the singers will be taken from the stage and into detention.
 Tuovila said the idea of police interrupting a performance "would be an absurd scenario".
 Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci  are to open the National Opera's season on Friday, August 20, the same day that the stricter restrictions take effect. The two Italian operas are typically performed as a double bill.
 Last year the National Opera and Ballet had a budget of nearly 64 million euros, with 62 percent paid for by the state, and eight percent by Helsinki and nearby cities.

National Opera plans Friday premiere, defying coronavirus restriction


Summary: "If the Taliban stay here and form the next government, other countries will pay the price for it. That has happened before," the young man said.

Abdul*  is one of at least 20 Finnish nationals who are trapped in Afghanistan amid a takeover of the country by the Taliban militant group.
 Abdul first arrived in Finland as an underage asylum seeker from Afghanistan in 2015, eventually going on to gaining Finnish citizenship.
 Now in his 20s, he returned to his home country a few weeks ago to help his family move to the capital, Kabul, due to the deteriorating security situation in their hometown.
 With help from the United States military, 18 Finnish citizens were airlifted from Afghanistan early Monday morning, but Abdul was not among that group.
 Finnish Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) told Yle on Monday evening that it still could take days to repatriate the Finnish citizens who were still in Afghanistan.
 Abdul told Yle that the Taliban was guarding the gates at Kabul airport and was unable to enter the facility.
 His description of the chaotic scene of throngs of people at the airport on Monday, trying to find a way out of the country, was similar to video footage shown on news outlets.
 Abdul estimated there were 10-15,000 people struggling to enter the airport's guarded gates, including families, men, women and children, with some trying to scale the walls.
 Story continues after photo.
  Taliban stands guard outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport as people walk to the airport to flee the country after rumors that foreign countries are evacuating people even without visas, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 16 August 2021.  EPA
 "You can't get into the airport. The Taliban fired into the air as people tried to break through the gate. People were injured. Either they were caught in the crowd or shot," Abdul explained.
 "Walking through the airport gates is not possible. And we cannot tell the Taliban that we're Finnish citizens," he said, adding that the militant group's forces were now driving vehicles on patrols that were previously only used by the Afghan army and police.
 When he spoke with Yle at about 5pm on Monday, Abdul had already left the airport area to wait for further instructions from Finnish authorities. But by that time he had not heard anything and does not know when he will be able to leave the country — or how.
 Wants help to evacuate relatives
 Arriving in Finland as an underage asylum seeker in 2015, Abdul attended school, got a job and eventually became a citizen. He said he went back to Afghanistan a few weeks ago despite the inherent risks involved because he hadn't seen his relatives in the country in six years.
 Abdul contacted the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to ask whether he could bring family members along during his eventual evacuation.
 "It's OK if they can't stay in Finland, just as long as they can get out of this hell, even temporarily, then the [Afghanistan] situation could be re-examined," he explained.
 However, he had not yet heard back from the ministry by Monday evening.
 Story continues after photo.
 People queue to withdraw money at a Kabul bank on 15 August, 2021, as Taliban forces seized power in the capital city. STELLA Pictures / ddp
 Abdul described the mood among Kabul residents as "fearful" and that no one was protecting normal people, saying that locals were also scared that the situation would prompt criminal activity on the streets.
 He said all of the city's schools were closed and that women did not dare to go outdoors, at least on their own, saying there were many long-bearded, gun-toting Taliban militants on the streets.
 "I'd say I've seen thousands of [Taliban members]. And the question is, how did so many of them appear overnight? I wondered if they were here before or if they just arrived," he explained.
 The actual situation was difficult to interpret, he said, because it was unclear with any certainty whether all the men who claimed to be members of the Taliban in the city were actually representatives of the extremist group or whether they only looked the part.
 Taliban 'darkness'
 Story continues after photo.
 Taliban militants forced families in northern parts of Afghanistan to flee their homes and live in tents. Hedayatullah Amid / EPA
 .
 Abdul pondered the idea that some of the Taliban members may include non-Afghan members.
 "Outside the airport, a person from our group went to talk with a Taliban member. My friend recognised the individual as Iranian. There are also rumours that members of the Pakistani Taliban were also being seen here," he said.
 Abdul said he wanted to convey a message that he hoped the international community, including the UN and EU countries would do something about the perilous situation facing Afghanistan's civilian population.
 "I hope they don't leave these innocent people, girls, women and civilians in this darkness," he told Yle.
 Although the Taliban has sought to soften its public image, Abdul said he doubted the group has actually changed its ideology and also does not believe that the Taliban would lead the nation towards democracy or create an egalitarian society.
 "This time it is different, but the Taliban movement is the same ideology as before. The status and rights of women and minorities are at stake in particular. If the Taliban stay here and form the next government, other countries will pay the price for it. That has happened before," Abdul said.
 * Abdul's real name was not used in this article for security reasons.

Finnish citizen, former asylum seeker trapped in Afghanistan "hell"


Summary: Heavy rain and cool, windy weather is expected over the next couple of days.

Starting on Tuesday, much of Finland is set to get wetter, colder and windier, according to Yle forecasters.
 "I'd rather not say this in mid-August, but it seems that Autumn is coming. Rain, wind and cool temperatures are in store," Yle meteorologist  Anniina Valtonen  said on Tuesday afternoon.
 The first precipitation of the weather system began on Tuesday at around 3pm, and will gradually and uniformly spread across southern Finland into the evening.
 After midnight, the Helsinki metropolitan area will be quite rainy," Valtonen said.
 A low-pressure system over the Gulf of Bothnia, along the west coast, will spread north, bringing rain across the entire country on Wednesday.
 "On Wednesday afternoon, Lapland will get heavy, steady rain. There will be quite intense thunderstorms in the south and west, which will later move northward," she said.
 Thursday and then into weekend
 The rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue into Thursday across the country, but they will be less intense as the previous day's deluge.
 Temperatures will drop across the country as well, ranging from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. But it will be cooler when it's raining, Valtonen explained.
 The heaviest rain on Wednesday is expected in regions west of the cities of Helsinki, Lahti, Jyväskylä and Nivala.
 "There, rainfall could reach 20 to 50mm. In the east and north, rainfall levels between 5 to 20mm," she said.
 Strong winds are also in store, according to Valtonen, with gusts gradually increasing in strength during the course of Tuesday night, with wind speeds of 15m/s expected.
 It will be even windier on Wednesday night, when even stronger winds are expected, with wind speeds exceeding 20m/s are expected in coastal areas.
 The low-pressure system will continue to cause rainy conditions into the weekend, but Saturday's precipitation is primarily expected in southern and eastern areas.
 Meanwhile, regions in the north and west will likely get rain on Sunday, according to Valtonen's forecast.

Midweek autumn storm in store for Finland


Summary: The United States' exit from Afghanistan continues to dominate Finnish headlines on Wednesday.

Helsingin Sanomat  reports that Finland is not evacuating Afghan security workers and bodyguards who protected Finnish politicians, diplomats and the embassy itself, because they were not directly employed by the Finnish state.
 Finland had purchased security services from a Finnish-owned Afghan security contractor, which supplied security staff to the embassy in Kabul. The arrangement means that the 57 workers in question were not directly employed by Finland and therefore did not make it on to evacuation lists.
 Foreign Minister  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) had previously promised that Finland would help locally hired staff and their families relocate to Finland. HS reports that Haavisto himself had visited Afghanistan and been protected by the security guards now left under Taliban rule.
 Last Sunday the Foreign Ministry said Finland was committing to  relocating a total of 170  locally recruited Afghans working at the embassy in Kabul.
 A Finnish man familiar with the contractor said Haavisto had responded to concerns via text message saying, "I’ve relayed all of the information to civil servants, but the situation in Kabul is very difficult right now."
 Free school breakfasts
 The capital is launching a free breakfast pilot scheme in four schools with more than 500 pupils. On Tuesday Helsinki's Education Committee greenlighted the motion to allocate funds for the breakfast pilot in next year's budget.
 The pilot was put forward by city councillor  Mai Kivelä  (Left).
 "We know that kids who don't eat breakfast at home are more restless than those who do. We see this as a preventative measure," she said.
 The idea of a universal school breakfast programme in the capital is expected to raise debate, writes Swedish-language daily  Hufvudstadsbladet , reporting that serving a simple breakfast of just oatmeal in all schools would cost the city 4.6 million euros annually.
 Windy Wednesday
 Parts of Finland will see wind gusts of up to 20 metres per second, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). The agency has issued wind warnings for most land and sea areas, reports  Ilta-Sanomat .
 Southern parts of the country as well as the coastline will see the strongest gusts. South Savo and North Karelia can expect winds to reach 15 metres per second.
 Heavy rain and  cool, windy weather  is expected over the next couple of days.
 The tabloid also reports of a "blue" forecast in the coming weeks as temperatures are expected to be a  few degrees below  end of August averages.

Wednesday's papers: Stranded Afghans, free school breakfast and strong winds


Summary: So far, about 50,000 youngsters in Finland have had a Covid jab.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Tuesday reported that some 50,000 of Finland's roughly 250,000 youngsters in the 12-15 year-old age group had received one shot of a coronavirus vaccine.
 The THL has outlined that  young teens can decide  whether or not to get the jab.
 Teens talking to Yle said their friends' opinions weighed the most in their decision to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
 Fifteen-year-old  Anttoni Lindgren  from Vantaa told Yle he wasn't sure about getting the coronavirus vaccine.
 "If someone I know gets it, then I'll get it too. I believe it's safe," he said.
 In Vantaa and Espoo some 60 percent of 12-15 year-olds have received their first vaccine dose. In Helsinki around half of kids in the age group have had the injection.
 City officials told Yle that vaccinating teens in schools has been effective. In Vantaa two-thirds of youngsters have received their shot in school, according to  Piia Niemi-Mustonen  of Vantaa's preventive health care services.
 "Vaccinations are progressing well in this age group. We met our goal of making vaccines available in the first week of school," she explained.
 Niemi-Mustonen also said young people do not seem to be influenced by online coronavirus vaccine disinformation campaigns — a sentiment echoed by vice principal  Petra Sundell  at Vantaa's Jokiniemi school.
 Sundell said schools have been focusing on media literacy skills, though there hasn't been a special focus on vaccine disinformation.
 On Friday police detained three protesters at a school in Helsinki after they tried to disrupt the vaccination of 12-15 year-olds.

"I'll get it if my friends do": One fifth of teens in Finland receive first Covid vaccine dose


Summary: More than 200 Thai berry pickers in Finland have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since the beginning of this month.

Thailand has demanded an explanation from Finnish authorities regarding a series of Covid outbreaks among Thai nationals working as berry pickers in Finland this summer.
 More than 200 of the pickers have been diagnosed with Covid since the beginning of August.
 On Tuesday,  it was reported  that berry companies Arctic International and Polarica transported at least 260 foreign berry pickers from Lapland to eastern Finland even though most of them were infected by or exposed to coronavirus.
 In response to the ongoing situation, Thailand's Ambassador to Finland,  Chavanart Thangsumphant , said that the berry picking firms which hired Thai pickers signed an agreement that they would protect their health amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic.
 The agreement was intended to safeguard the pickers, who are not regarded as employees under Finnish law and therefore don't get many of the protections due to those in an employment relationship.
 "We are now waiting for authorities to find out whether the companies fully and properly complied with the agreement's conditions or not," Thangsumphant said.
 The  terms of the agreement  oblige the berry companies to take care of the pickers, as well as provide appropriate treatment and compensation if they do get Covid. The terms also spell out conditions regarding companies' obligations to provide health insurance, accommodation and transportation.
 The agreement also stipulates that pickersneed to be paid compensation if they are ordered into quarantine and obliges firms to pay out compensation if a picker dies of the disease while in Finland.
 According to the contract, companies are compelled to pay the equivalent of roughly 25,500 euros to a picker's family in the event of their Covid-related death.
 Freelancers vs employees
 Thangsumphant said Thailand hopes Finnish berry companies would recognise their hired pickers as employees, thus granting them rights in line with local employment laws.
 "In this way, pickers could be guaranteed fair and equal rights to, among other things, well-being and health, similar to the rights that Finnish workers have," Thangsumphant said.
 The ambassador also said Thailand wants to expedite the exchange of information with Finnish authorities in cases where the Thai workers are faced with problems with their health or working conditions. Thangsumphant said the embassy hopes that the Finnish foreign ministry will take swift action.
 Thangsumphant noted that Thailand has been in contact with Finnish authorities since the berry pickers' first Covid infections were detected. The embassy has requested that Finnish authorities investigate their residential quarters to discover the reason for the infection outbreaks.
 The ambassador said she believes the authorities in Finland were doing their best to protect the berry pickers. She noted that in her opinion, providing the safeguards is required by  Finnish law  aiming to prevent the exploitation of foreign labourers.
 Rules and regulations
 Some of the coronavirus outbreaks took place in Lapland, and the region's State Administrative Agency (Avi) plans to investigate safety-related measures carried out at berry picking outfits, according to the agency's local chief physician,  Sari Kemppainen .
 She said that the Avi was under the impression that the berry companies had jointly planned with the Lapland Hospital District about how to handle the pickers once they arrived in the country.
 "Those kinds of guidelines were prepared and issued by the THL (the Institute for Health and Welfare) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The responsibility for carrying out the guidelines belongs to the berry companies," Kemppainen explained.
 Employment ministry government advisor  Olli Sorainen  said that the instructions given to berry companies were clear, adding that the firms were also responsible for ensuring the pickers' accommodations were safe and up to regulatory standards.
 Sorainen said Finland should consider whether to amend those types of regulations in order to ensure the health and safety of workers.
 "A separate project is set to be launched in the autumn regarding the authorities' supervision of foreign workers' conditions, as well as possible sanctions that could be imposed for non-compliance," Sorainen said.
 THL Senior Expert  Jari Jalava  said that laws should address the conditions under which workers are brought to the country. Health authorities are unable to intervene and the Communicable Diseases act does not address the matter.
 Coronavirus infection clusters began to spread rapidly among berry pickers at the beginning of this month, despite the fact that the workers were tested when they arrived in Finland.
 Earlier this week, chief infectious diseases doctor of the Lapland Hospital District,  Markku Broas , noted that quarantine rules and the Communicable Diseases Act were violated during the transfer of ill workers to Kainuu and North Karelia.
 Broas said that he suspected the root cause of the infection clusters were due to Covid tests being taken as the workers arrived in Finland. The tests did not immediately identify emerging infections, which resulted in a rapid spread of the virus among densely populated groups.

Thailand demands answers over berry pickers' Covid outbreaks


Summary: The initiative launched just over a month ago and by Monday had gained the support of more than 50,000 people.

A citizens' initiative to ban sexual orientation and gender identification conversion therapy in Finland reached the required 50,000 signatures on Monday, which means it will now be referred to Parliament for consideration.
 Supporters of the initiative said they want MPs to ban treatments and therapies aimed at converting homosexuals, transgender and other sexual minorities into cisgender heterosexuals. Cisgender refers to people whose gender identities remain the same as the genders they were assigned at birth.
 Perttu Jussila , the individual in charge of the initiative, voiced satisfaction with the support it received. Jussila started the initiative on 19 July of this year.
 "It's insane that conversion treatments have not been banned yet. After all, the regulation of alternative therapies was included in [Prime Minister  Sanna Marin 's (SDP)] government's programme. A couple of years have passed now since the government was established, and nothing has really happened. The EU has condemned conversion therapies in its policy, and Malta already banned the treatments in 2016. I simply came to the conclusion that the issue wouldn't be addressed without a citizens' initiative," Jussila explained.
 Although Jussila was glad that the initiative was heading to Parliament, the moment was also bittersweet.
 "I find it sad that we are talking about the rights of sexual and gender minorities," the initiative's main backer said, adding that each advance the LGBTQIA+ community has made in Finland has required the use of citizens' initiatives to prompt MPs' actions.
 Ban would apply to adults and children
 Jussila's initiative calls for the banning of conversion therapies for both adults as well as children.
 Acknowledging that it might be difficult to legally restrict an adult's decision to voluntarily undergo conversion therapy, Jussila said it should not prevent the drafting of a law.
 "It's hardly the easiest legal issue in the world, but it is not impossible either. Human rights really are a black and white thing. We can't avoid something because it is difficult. Moreover, we have examples from around the world that show it's possible, for example, in Malta. It's unfathomable that we can't manage to do it [in Finland] but Malta could," Jussila said.
 Similar efforts to criminalise conversion therapies are underway in Germany, Canada and some US states.
 Teemu Kärnä , chair of the Finnish Psychiatric Association's ethics committee, said he considers the passing of the citizens' initiative to be appropriate and balanced.
 "Traditionally, conversion therapy refers to attempts to influence a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. With regard to the therapies, it is important to note that there is no researched evidence that such attempts to change these things could be successful, even theoretically," he said.
 The inherent problem with such therapies, Kärnä said, was the fact that they do not work. Additionally, he noted that there is growing evidence of the suffering that they cause.
 "There is a clear view in Western medicine that homosexuality is a healthy and natural part of human sexuality in the same way that transsexuality and transgender sex are healthy and natural parts of human gender diversity. When a person's healthy phenomena become associated with suggestions that there is something bad or wrong with them, it naturally causes people to suffer," Kärnä said.
 Kärnä noted that conversion therapies harm the development of children, saying that they are known to cause suffering, depression and functional impairment that can continue into adulthood.
 Regarding adults who seek out such therapies for one reason or another, Kärnä said a healthier approach would be to offer them support so they could accept their sexual orientations or gender identities, rather than try to change them.
 The Finnish Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, the Royal College of Psychiatrists as well as the American Psychoanalytic Association have all ceased the practice of conversion therapies due to their harmful effects.

Citizens' initiative to ban sexual conversion therapy heads to Parliament


Summary: Under the Finance Ministry's budget proposal, funding for a pivotal film financing hub would almost be halved.

Finnish cinema is gaining recognition around the world. Many films by recent Cannes Festival  award winner   Juho Kuosmanen , for instance, have received support from the Centre for the Promotion for Audiovisual Culture (Avek).
 The centre is the main funding hub for Finnish film, documentary and video productions, distributing 3.4 million euros last year. Filmmakers say its support is the lifeblood of the industry. An average of 140 film and media art works receive support from Avek annually.
 Among the productions that received support in 2020 were an  Alvar Aalto  documentary directed by  Virpi Suutari ,  Antti Holma 's short film  Kill Anneli  and  Maija Blåfield 's experimental documentary  The Fantastic .
 Under a budget proposal unveiled by the Finance Ministry, funding for the AV centre would be almost halved.
 Most of Avek's resources come from compensations for private copying levies. Since 2015, that sum has been set as part of the state budget.
 The Ministry of Education and Culture has proposed keeping the support unchanged, but the Finance Ministry aims to cut it from 11 million euros to seven million. For Avek, this would be a major setback.
 Article continues after photo
 Ulla Simonen was a producer and festival director before being head of Avek in 2019. Suvi-Tuuli Kankaanpää
 "We're already in a situation where funds are insufficient," said Avek director  Ulla Simonen .
 Support for experimental work unavailable elsewhere
 According to Simonen, Finnish documentary filmmakers lobbied for their own funding last year, arguing that both the Finnish Film Foundation and Avek should get at least a million euros more money.
 Simonen said that the global rise in recognition for Finnish documentary films that began in the 1990s was a direct result of the establishment of Avek.
 In the state budget, a cut of four million euros is a drop in the bucket, but for any cultural sector in Finland, the amount is huge.
 "It must also be remembered that every creator spreads around the funds they receive. This money is spent to buy essential services to create a film or video," Simonen told Yle.
 Article continues after photo
 Held in early March 2020, just before the pandemic hit Finland, the Tampere Film Festival featured many domestic short films and documentaries. Tampereen elokuvajuhlat
 The future of Avek has been a matter of great concern in the audiovisual sector. The industry has collected signatures for a petition over the summer and issued a statement expressing its concerns.
 Avek's support is considered to be particularly important in the sector, also because it has been flexible. Even a small amount of aid, sometimes granted quickly, has saved productions that would otherwise have been interrupted. Many experimental productions or small festivals do not get support from anywhere else.
 Simonen estimates that the planned cuts would lead to a drop in investments and losses in tax revenue that would outweigh the intended savings.
 The government begins its budget negotiations on 7 September.

Finance Ministry aims to slash film industry funding base


Summary: Migri says the capacity at reception centres is now around 3,500, down from a peak of 33,000 six years ago.

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) is preparing for refugees to arrive from Afghanistan, but  Pekka Nuutinen , the director of the reception unit, does not expect the situation to escalate suddenly.
 "It will be interesting to see how much and in what time frame the situation in Afghanistan affects us here in Finland. Probably some to degree, but the scale is hard to envisage at this point," he told Yle on Wednesday.
 Nuutinen pointed out that due to the coronavirus situation, travelling is not easy at the moment. The first wave of refugees is targeting Afghanistan's six neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and several Central Asian states.
 Migri does not expect a repeat of 2015, when a record  32,478 asylum seekers  arrived in Finland.
 "Since 2015, travel across Europe has become more difficult. It is difficult to imagine a situation where large groups could walk through Europe," he said.
 Nuutinen said the reception of Afghan refugees from Afghanistan's neighbouring countries will require a political decision on quotas.
 Nuutinen said that Migri is now in a better position to handle the arrival of refugees than during the last major European refugee crisis.
 Up to 170 Afghans to be evacuated
 Finland has promised to  evacuate Afghans  who worked for the Finnish state recently and to offer them residence permits, along with their immediate families — a total of 170 people.
 "This kind of urgent operation begins at the reception centres. We assume that these people will not remain in reception centres for very long, but will move to various municipalities as soon as possible after obtaining residence permits," he said.
 Migri declined to say exactly where the 170 evacuees will be housed to allow them an opportunity to settle in Finland in peace.
 Tens of thousands could be handled if need be
 Due to the coronavirus crisis, exceptionally few asylum seekers and refugees have arrived in Finland of late. In the spring of 2016, there were more than 33,000 beds in the country's reception centres. Currently, the capacity is 3,500 beds. There are about 1,000 of these immediately available.
 At present, the Uusimaa region's reception centres are in Helsinki and Vantaa. There is also a group home in Espoo for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. These reception centres have a total of about 600 beds. Of these, some 200 are now free.
 "In a dire situation, it would be possible to expand the reception system and receive up to tens of thousands of people. In an emergency, people need to be protected and covered by certain basic services," said Nuutinen.

Finnish Immigration Service prepares for Afghan refugees, sees repeat of 2015 as unlikely