Records and decisions concerning the use of disciplinary measures on children in child welfare institutions are not being made or are left incomplete, according to a report by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health Valvira.
 The failure to keep these records jeopardises the best interests and rights of the child, the authority said.
 The measures can include restrictions on communication and freedom of movement, personal checks and inspections, as well as placing a child in isolation or detention. Valvira's report revealed that there were more than 8,000 personal inspections carried out in private child welfare institutions last year, and over 6,000 detentions.
 Personal inspections can be carried out, for example, when a child is suspected of using drugs, and may involve the child undergoing a breathalyser test or providing a blood, urine, hair or saliva sample.
 The shortcomings in keeping records as identified by the supervisory authority applied to both private and public child welfare units.
 Use of measures should be discussed with the child
 Vavira's report further found that child-centred assessments, which are intended to discuss the use of the discipline with the child after it has been handed out, have also been neglected by the institutions.
 Finland's Child Protection Act requires that each institution must assess the use of the measure together with the child as soon as the child is able to understand the significance of the subject matter.
 "This is probably partly due to ignorance of the law, that these arbitrations are not done, but it is always possible that it is also a question of exercising power," Valvira's legal expert  Päivi Vuorinen  said.
 The recording of decisions and measures, as per the law, ensure a degree of monitoring and control, Valvira added. The information is further required when assessing the help and support a child needs.
 Valvira added that the authority has already addressed some of the shortcomings identified in the reporting standards with the institutions involved.
 Number of children placed in care is rising
 The supervisory authority also identified shortcomings in the way in which social workers responsible for children monitor their treatment during foster care placements.
 There is a danger that inappropriate treatment or illegal restraint of a child will go unnoticed by a social worker, Vuorinen said.
 According to statistics provided by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL, the number of children placed outside their homes has been growing steadily in Finland since the early 1990s.

Authority finds child welfare units keep inadequate records on use of disciplinary measures


Summary: Finland holds regional elections in January.

The Centre Party launched it's regional election campaign on Monday, announcing a desire to win control of a majority of the new regional authorities.
 Enthusiasm for the elections could be low, according to  a recent survey , but for the Centre Party they are a joyful event.
 The party has long advocated for another layer of elected government, and finally got its wish with the new assemblies set up to control health and social care services on a regional basis.
 Ilta-Sanomat  reports  that party leader  Annika Saarikko  said that her party's goal was to ensure every municipality retains a health centre, even as  pressure grows to cut costs and streamline services .
 That pressure is likely to fall on tiny rural municipalities that tend to elect large numbers of Centre Party councillors, so her party has more skin in the game than most.
 "The last experience of a new election in Finland was linked to the EU elections some twenty years ago," said Saarikko. "Now in the same way a new election culture is being created, and we're encouraging people to vote. If the problem with EU elections was that issues felt distant, now we are coming very close to people's everyday affairs."
 Strike warning
 Iltalehti  carries a warning  of industrial action that could disrupt export industries this winter. The problem is in the industrial sector, where negotiations on a new collective agreement have not even started.
 The employers association Technology Industries of Finland has said that its members now have the choice of joining a new organisation to negotiate a sector-wide agreement, or negotiating workplace-by-workplace.
 Just 391 companies have signed up to be bound by the joint talks, with the remainder of the 1,600 firms in the association preferring to negotiate locally.
 This means that there will soon be a situation where workers are no longer covered by a collective agreement and can legally go on strike to improve their terms and conditions. Employers too can call lockouts as part of their negotiating strategy.
 If employers and unions representing more than half of a sector's employees agree a deal, it will be ruled binding even on firms that weren't part of the talks. That has in practice been the situation for the vast majority of Finland's workforce, but that situation appears to be changing.
 Prolonged industrial strife could herald a more unequal Finland, in which universal annual pay increases play a smaller role in reducing income differences.
 That's part of the plan, according to Iltalehti, with employers' organisations and influential right-wing thinkers suggesting in recent years that binding agreements and universal pay norms should be challenged.
 House prices high
 Finland's national estate agent association released a forecast on Monday that suggested the housing market is set to continue its long boom.
 Helsingin Sanomat  reports  that agents don't see any downward pressure on prices, with a shortage of newer, larger properties making life harder for buyers in many regions.
 The association said that some sellers had raised asking prices too much, however, and that meant they'd have to wait longer to sell their properties.

Tuesday's papers: Regional elections, winter of discontent, and real estate prices


Summary: Onshore wind energy is the most cost-effective alternative to meet both the country's increasing energy demand and climate goals, the Finnish Innovation Fund has found.

Finland is most likely to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 and carbon negativity soon after by heavily investing in onshore wind farms, according to the latest  report  by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
 The switch recommended by the report would see fossil fuels used in industry, transport and heating fully replaced by zero-emission electricity. The body suggests that cleanly produced hydrogen or sustainable biomass be used instead of fossil raw materials in cases where it's not possible to switch to clean electricity
 Increased demand will require more flexibility
 Electricity consumption is expected to almost double by 2050, and Sitra's report sees that the most cost-efficient way to cover increased production is onshore wind power.
 "To meet the rise in consumption, Finland’s electricity generation capacity would need to more than triple from the current level of about 20 gigawatts to more than 70 gigawatts by 2050," Sitra's press release reads, adding that "in the main scenario, most of the new generation would be onshore wind power, which is a cheaper way to produce electricity than other zero-emission generation technologies."
 A 'wind power generation' would however require flexibility both in electricity generation and consumption. This could also translate into fluctuations in consumers' electricity bills.
 "However, the overall energy bill for the consumer will be slightly smaller compared to the current situation when less fossil fuel is used,"  Janne Peljo , Sitra's Project Director, told Yle.
 Large scale investments would also be needed in electricity storage, such as in hydrogen and battery technology, and good transmission connections within Finland and its neighbouring countries, the report adds.
 Clear vision needed
 Published on Tuesday, the report aimed to offer clear, clean energy solutions for the government to take into account when discussing its latest climate strategy. The report's authors further added that ramping up wind power for a green transition will require a 'clear vision.'
 "To make the electrification of the energy system possible, the necessary prerequisites must be in order. Now decision-makers need to have a clear outlook of the future," Peljo said.
 Sitra's report was conducted by an international working group that included modellers and consultants from the Compass Lexecon and Enerdata consultancies along with researchers from Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology.

Sitra: Onshore wind could help Finland meet its climate targets


Summary: Climate activists announced their demonstration plans 10 days ago.

Counter-demonstrators have notified Helsinki police of their intention to hold a protest in the Finnish capital aimed at Extinction Rebellion activists.
 The rival demonstrations are scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
 Panu Huuhtanen , a local election candidate who got 47 votes in Vihti in 2021 who has also been involved in protests against immigration and Covid restrictions, announced on Twitter that he intended to protest against Extinction Rebellion.
 The Extinction rebellion protest is scheduled to take place on Mannerheimintie, the capital's main thoroughfare, for ten days.
 Police said the planned protest could cause significant disruption to traffic.
 Police noted that they had asked the demonstration's organisers to move to a site off the main road, but they had declined. Police are legally able to stop marches or end demonstrations if they believe they contravene the law, endanger public safety and order or blocks traffic.
 Last September, Extinction Rebellion blocked traffic in front of government offices on Snellmaninkatu, and they stopped traffic on Mannerheimintie in June.
 In October last year police  pepper-sprayed activists in Kaisaniemi after they had blocked traffic for several hours .
 Extinction Rebellion are demanding that the government declare a climate emergency and move climate action forward to aim for carbon neutrality by 2025.
 This article has been edited to add details about the counter-demonstration's organiser.

Extinction Rebellion, counter-protesters to face off in central Helsinki


Summary: The man imported narcotics from the Netherlands and sold them on.

Southwest Finland District Court has handed down a four-year jail term to the son of a Finns Party politician for importing and selling drugs.
 The 27-year-old man is to serve his sentence at Turku prison. He will also have to pay the state the financial benefits he gained from his crimes.
 He had imported more than a kilogramme of amphetamines and smaller amounts of other drugs from Holland, using contacts made on the dark web.
 He had kept some of the drugs for his own personal use and sold some on to others. The man admitted importing and re-selling drugs during the trial.
 Prosecutors had sought a six-year sentence for numerous drug offences and a weapons offence, in relation to an airgun recovered during the investigation.
 Finns Party MP  Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo  is the man's mother, and had  commented on the case  last week on Twitter.
 Slunga-Poutsalo was the Finns Party Secretary from 2013 to 2019, when she entered Parliament. There she is vice-chair of the Intelligence Oversight Committee and chair of the Parliamentary Trustees of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), while also serving as deputy chair of the Lohja city council.

PS politician's son gets four-year prison sentence over drug offences


Summary: The new arrangement is reliant on the personal responsibility of passengers, according to a city official.

The City of Helsinki's ports are no longer checking the Covid status of all arriving passengers, according to the director of the city's health and substance abuse service,  Leena Turpeinen .
 Instead, passengers need to select one of three different lanes as they queue to enter the country.
 The 'green lane' is primarily for passengers who are returning from so-called 'mini cruises' who did not disembark in another country. This lane can also include some groups including maritime workers and diplomats, for example.
 The 'yellow lane' is for passengers who are fully vaccinated against Covid, or who have recovered from the illness within the last six months.
 Meanwhile, the 'red lane' is meant for all other passengers.
 Staffing resources at Helsinki ports are currently being allocated to primarily monitor red lane passengers — those who arrive without proof of Covid vaccination, recovery or a recent negative test for the disease.
 Personal responsibility
 However, Turpeinen noted that if it became necessary due to congestion, inspections of all of the lanes could be relaxed, which could enable some passengers to enter the country without needing to show certificates or negative test results.
 "Some will be able to just walk through," Turpeinen said.
 She said passengers who intentionally choose the wrong lane to circumvent inspection could face penalties, at least in principle.
 "If someone is caught without a Covid certificate or proof of negative test results and then refuses to be tested, we will notify the Border Guard and the communicable disease authorities.
 "In principle, there is a possibility that they could face penalties, although it is quite unlikely these people will be tracked down," Turpeinen said.
 She emphasised that the new rules at the city's ports were reliant on the personal responsibility of passengers.
 A  similar change  was made at Helsinki Airport over the weekend, when a green lane was set up to expedite processing of fully-vaccinated travellers due to increased passenger volumes.

Helsinki ports switch to spot-checking arrivals' Covid status


Summary: Prices are expected to rise by 1.8 percent, which is more than the projected rise in overall consumer prices.

Rising production costs and a poor harvest year will translate into a 1.8 percent increase in food prices, according to a forecast from the Pellervo Economic Research group.
 Food prices in Finland will significantly increase over the course of next year, according to a report from economics research institute Pellervo Economic Research (PTT).
 "The rise in food prices in Finland will be moderate in 2021, at about 0.3 percent, but will begin to rise exponentially towards the end of the year,"  Sari Forsman-Hugg , PTT's research director, said in a statement.
 Prices are expected to rise by 1.8 percent, which is more than the  projected rise in overall consumer prices .
 PTT noted that poor harvests and production cost hikes were behind the anticipated increase. The increasing cost of fertilizers, feed and construction, in particular, are to blame, the group said.
 "The income of agriculture entrepreneurs will fall dramatically this year, by as much as one-fifth, and next year the decline is predicted to continue by another eight percent," Forsman-Hugg said.
 However, the group's report noted that the rise in food prices will be balanced out by wage increases.

PTT: Grocery bills to grow next year


Summary: Finland's regional elections will see representatives elected to new assemblies.

Finland's new regional authorities will be elected in January, and some smaller localities could end up without representation on the new bodies.
 That's according to Yle's analysis of what might happen in elections for the 21 new assemblies based on the results of the last municipal elections.
 The analysis suggests that voters could be forced to weigh up which is more important: a candidate's party affiliation or where they live?
 Location could be important, given that the new bodies would be dividing resources previously allocated to individual municipalities, and some towns could be left without services that were previously provided locally.
 It remains to be seen how that dynamic might play out, but Yle applied the results of the last municipal election to the 21 new regions to figure out who would win if voting patterns remained exactly the same.
 Yle found that the National Coalition would top the poll nationwide, securing 281 representatives. They would be followed by the Centre Party, the SDP and the Finns Party, all with more than 200 representatives nationwide.
 Next would come the Greens, the Left Alliance, the Swedish People's Party and then the Christian Democrats.
 That pattern is unlikely to be replicated at January's election, however. A recent poll found that  only 43 percent of respondents said they were sure to vote in the elections , but past experience from voting polls show that the turnout could be as low as 40 percent.
 Election figure projection
 Election researcher  Sami Borg  from Tampere University said that Yle's forecast is a decent rough guide to the election, even though it is not a forecast.
 Lots could change before January, however.
 "Candidate lists, campaigning and voter enthusiasm will be decisive," said Borg.
 Regional elections in January Regional elections will pick representatives for 21 regional councils responsible for arranging social and health care as well as emergency services in their areas. Each assembly will have between 59 and 89 representatives, depending on population. Helsinki won't hold elections because the existing local council will retain responsibility for these services. Each party's list can be a maximum of 1.25 times the number of representatives on the assembly in that area. The official campaigning period began on 23.7.2021. Parties have to submit candidate lists by 14.12.2021. There's no requirement to be a Finnish citizen to vote or run as a candidate in these elections. Residence for two years, or 51 days for citizens of EU countries, Iceland and Norway, is enough. The official election day is 23.1.2021.
 Marianne Pekola-Sjöblom  from the Finnish Association of Municipalities said that Yle's forecast is good at mapping party allegiances, but any electoral pacts were not factored into the calculations.
 "Will MPs and other vote-getters run for these new assemblies? This could also affect the parties' balance of power," said Pekola-Sjöblom.
 For now at least large numbers of MPs are unsure if they'll be candidates in the election. That could have a detrimental impact on turnout.
 "I don't know if I am too optimistic, but I hope that we get about the 40 percent number," said Borg.
 Some municipalities could be left without reps
 Some in smaller municipalities have been concerned that candidates from the bigger cities in their regions would hoover up votes and small towns would be left without any representation.
 Borg and Pekola-Sjöblom say the fear is not without foundation.
 According to Yle's projection based on municipal election results, most of those elected to the new assemblies came from bigger towns.
 Pekola-Sjöblom says, however, that she's not sure regional centres will take up quite so many of the places on new assemblies.
 "On the other hand the main city hosts more than half the population in nine of the new regions," said Pekola-Sjöblom. "Some 87 percent of the population of the new Vantaa-Kerava regional authority lives in Vantaa, for instance, and Kokkola has 70 percent of the people living in the Central Ostrobothnia region. Candidates from those towns will have an advantage.
 Story continues after photo
 Sami Borg works at Tampere University.  Kirsi Matson-Mäkelä / Yle
 The National Coalition Party think tank Toivo has published  analysis  that suggests eight of the new regions would see a simple majority of representatives from the biggest town in the region.
 The report, which is based on the results of the 2017 local elections, suggests that some 60 small municipalities would be left without representatives on the new assemblies.
 "It's quite probable that some small municipalities will be left without representatives," said Borg. "On the other hand, regional assemblies decide on the whole region's not just single municipalities' issues."
 In practice politicians' place of residence does impact the decisions they make, according to Pekola-Sjöblom.
 "Municipality of residence should not be significant, but in reality the number of representatives population centres get will have an influence," said the researcher.
 Story continues after photo
 Marianne Pekola-Sjöblom from the Finnish Association of Municipalities said that some towns could lack representation after regional elections in January.  Ronnie Holmberg / Yle
 Voters' choice: Place or party?
 Small municipalities' residents' voting behaviour could be analysed based on the results of the 2008 local elections.
 They took place after several mergers of smaller municipalities to join Hämeenlinna, Kouvola and Salo.
 "In those elections the numbers of those elected from the small municipalities that joined larger towns were consistent with their population or even greater," said Pekola-Sjöblom.
 Voters in smaller towns could then be forced to consider whether it is more important to vote according to their party allegiance or their hometown.
 The electoral system ensures parties are represented according to their support, but does not allocate spots according to geography.
 For example, in the last local election fewer than a thousand people in Juupajoki voted. In the Tampere suburb of Hervanta alone the figure was ten times that.
 If that pattern were repeated in January's regional elections, it would place Juupajoki candidates at a disadvantage in the Pirkanmaa regional elections.
 Under Finland's d'Hondt proportional representation system, parties will have to carefully consider which candidates they put forward for election. Is it worth picking candidates from smaller towns? Or could they even be an advantage in the complicated electoral arithmetic.
 In the end, though, the choice is with the voters.
 "But that's the case in every election," said Borg.

Smaller towns could lack representation in new regional assemblies


Summary: Finland's police are better funded than they were, but still say they need to cut staff.

Helsingin Sanomat has  analysis  of the police budget that aims to answer the burning question in budget debate week: why are police looking to cut staff when their funding has actually risen?
 Police have seen their budget increase from 738 million euros in 2018 to a planned 808 million euros in 2022, but still say they  need to reduce their headcount by between 200 and 250 .
 Finland currently has some 7,475 police officers, close to the government's target of 7,500. A reduction of more than 200 would put numbers back below the 7,279 officers employed in 2019 when this five-party coalition government entered office.
 This puts the government in a tight spot, and on Tuesday ministers said in parliament that they would allocate extra money to the police if necessary in 2022.
 But behind the scenes, government sources tell HS they wonder where all the money has gone. Expensive IT projects are one money pit, and a leaky budget is a problem, according to one retired officer who wrote a paper on the issue.
 The government sources have also wondered at the public lobbying operation undertaken by the police, alongside private events where police figures have urged legislators to make more of a noise on their behalf.
 HS points out that police have received extra money to raise police numbers but that seems to have gone on other expenditure, and it's therefore difficult for decision-makers to raise spending again.
 Rally raving?
 Jyväskylä paper Keskisuomalainen  reports  that this weekend's Rally of Finland, which is held in and around the Central Finland city, is expected to draw crowds of visitors at levels rivalling those seen before the Covid pandemic.
 That's good news for the hoteliers and restaurateurs in the region, but it could also be a bit of a Covid risk.
 KSML interviews  Ilkka Käsmä , a doctor in the city who says Jyväskylä has seen an increase in Covid cases in recent weeks with many of those cases coming from restaurants and nightclubs.
 He urges motorsports enthusiasts to think twice about the kind of booze-fuelled partying that has characterised previous editions of the event.
 The paper interviews the manager of a karaoke bar in the city who admits it may be difficult to maintain safe distances from other customers as the rally crowds gather.
 He did say that they would aim to disinfect the microphone between each karaoke singer, however.
 Finland's health agency THL  says  that coronavirus is spread through aerosols in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, in addition to surface contact and droplet transmission.
 Unusually warm
 It's been a pleasant autumn so far, but the start of October will see some unseasonably warm weather, according to current forecasts.
 Iltalehti  says  that temperatures could hit 15 degrees at the beginning of the month, describing those numbers as 'mediterranean'.
 Finland saw the hottest June on record this year, and the summer as a whole was the warmest in 80 years.
 Climate change is expected to bring warmer temperatures to the country, but also more unpredictable,  wetter weather and dangerous flooding .

Wednesday's papers: Poor police budgeting, rally partying, and a warm October


Summary: Certificates are generally available from the My Kanta healthcare portal, but not necessarily for all.

With Finland's vaccination rollout progressing and the autumn break approaching, authorities have issued a reminder to people planning trips abroad to ensure that they have all the correct documentation in order, based on the requirements of the destination country.
 This generally means having a certificate showing that the holder has received two doses of a Covid vaccine, has recovered from the virus or has a recent negative test result.
 Adults in Finland can access the EU's digital vaccine "passport" from the healthcare portal  My Kanta , and can then choose whether to print out the certificate or display it on the screen of a mobile device.
 Anyone who cannot access the online service can request a certificate of vaccination from their local healthcare provider in print.
 However, the paper issued at the point of vaccination is not a sufficient document for crossing international borders, as it does not contain personal data.
 How to access the EU's digital Covid certificate:
 Log in to My Kanta using authentication such as an online banking ID. From the menu on the left, select Covid-19 Certificate (or Koronatodistus in Finnish). There is also a direct link to the certificate section from the My Kanta home page. Press the pdf link to open the Covid-19 certificate. It should open in a new tab. Save the pdf file to your phone or other device. You can also print out a hard copy of the certificate.
 Children's Covid vaccination certs
 Only some parents or guardians of children in Finland will be able to view their child's Covid certificate in electronic form and print it from the My Kanta portal.
 This is because many children aged over 12 have received the vaccine, and the My Kanta services complies with the Finnish law on age limits for patient confidentiality. According to the law, not all health information related to children aged 10 and over is automatically visible to parents and guardians.
 "In most situations, the best option is to ask for a child's coronavirus vaccination certificate in writing. Some municipalities have provided an email address through which they can be contacted," Kela's specialist  Mari Holmroos  advised.
 However, she added that different municipalities employ different practices, but each region's precise instructions can be found via the websites maintained by the municipalities or by the regional hospital districts.
 As an example, Holmroos cited the City of Helsinki's website, which  advises  that certificates can be printed out at the vaccination point by showing a personal ID or Kela card.
 By contrast, the guidelines in Kuopio are to contact a local health centre to obtain the certificate while residents of North Karelia are advised to request a certificate via an application form or by calling a provided phone number.
 In the case of children, if the young person already has a bank ID or mobile certificate, they can use the My Kanta portal themselves.
 For privacy reasons, a Covid vaccination certificate cannot be sent to a parent's email either.
 However, some parents and guardians may be able to view information about their children over the age of 10, such as information about the coronavirus vaccination.
 This is because different health services have, at different rates, introduced the possibility to record health information that the child is willing to share with their parents or guardians.
 The  Re-open EU website  provides up-to-date information on travel instructions and restrictions related to EU Member States.

Travelling abroad? Kids may need Covid vaccination certs too


Summary: "Demands for action will be pretty tough. There will surely be demands for resignation," Nils Torvalds said.

What are the Pandora Papers? The Pandora Papers are a data leak containing nearly 12 million confidential documents from tax haven-based companies, mostly from 1996-2020. The data comes from 14 companies that sell tax haven services. The data was handed over to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Yle's investigative team MOT is the only Finnish media that has access to the data. Altogether more than 600 journalists from more than 117 countries have used the material. They represent some 150 media outlets.
 The massive data link known as the Pandora Papers revealed secret financial arrangements of billionaires and also drew attention to the Czech Republic's Prime Minister  Andrej Babiš , over ownership of a luxury villa in the south of France.
 The documents showed that Babiš acquired a villa on the French Riviera valued at more than 20 million euros through a complex arrangement of ownership, some of which at least were partially based in tax havens.
 Finnish MEP  Nils Torvalds , who is a Swedish People's Party (SPP) member, told Yle Radio 1's morning show on Monday that he planned to bring up the matter with Babiš.
 The SPP belongs to Renew Europe, a European Parliamentary political group in which Babiš's party ANO 2011 also belongs.
 Torvalds said that he thinks the matter will be discussed at Renew Europe's meeting on Monday.
 "Demands for action will be pretty tough. There will surely be demands for resignation," Torvalds said
 According to news agency Reuters, Babiš denied any wrongdoing during a TV debate ahead of parliamentary election later this week.
 Hautala: Authoritarian countries seek out former heads of state
 The Pandora Papers are a data leak containing nearly 12 million confidential documents from tax haven-based companies, mostly from 1996-2020.
 The dealings of more than 300 politicians and public officials were included in the leak, including 35 former or current heads of state, as well as the tax haven activities of dozens of wealthy Russian business leaders.
 Finnish MEP  Heidi Hautala  (Green), also spoke to Yle Radio 1 on Monday morning. She said that former heads of state were highly sought after public relations advisors to authoritarian governments, pointing to two former Finnish Prime Ministers in particular.
 "I do not find it unproblematic, on the contrary, that  Paavo Lipponen , for example, has acted as an advisor to the [Russian gas pipeline project] Nord Stream. Similarly,  Esko Aho  is on the board of Sberbank [a state-owned Russian banking and financial services firm]," Hautala said.
 The Green Party MEP said that the biggest problem at the EU level was due to the member states' differing goals — not everyone seems to want to get rid of financial secrecy.
 "The main problem is that member states have interests that prevent them from pushing for and enforcing EU anti-money laundering legislation," Hautala explained, adding that the exchange of tax information and country-specific tax reporting is also opposed by some member states.

Finnish MEP: Czech PM's Pandora link will be raised at party meeting


Summary: Finnish residents will pay some 40 euros per person per year over the next 30 years to finance the EU's Covid stimulus package.

European Commission President  Ursula von der Leyen  is visiting Helsinki on Monday in connection with  Finland's two billion euro Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) , part of the EU's 750-billion-euro coronavirus recovery package, also known as Next Generation EU.
 On Monday, von der Leyen and Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) are making a quantum technology-focused visit to the VTT Technical Research Centre. The visit ties into an additional 250 million euros in funding Finland will receive for digitalisation, research and innovation initiatives.
 Finland's total funding for 2021–23 is estimated at 2.1 billion euros, although the exact figure will not be known until mid-2022.
 Next Generation EU is made up of both loans and grants to finance recovery spending. Finland’s share accounts for 13 billion euros, a mix of debt repayment and loan guarantees payable if a member state defaults on their payments.
 Over the next 30 years Finland will repay some 6.6 billion euros, or 1,200 euros per resident. This comes out to roughly 40 euros per person per year, plus interest.
 Von der Leyen will travel to Tallinn on Tuesday. Estonia is set to receive some 800 million euros in coronavirus stimulus funding, which will in part be used to support the Rail Baltica project aimed at integrating the Baltic States into the European rail network.

Finland welcomes EU Commission President, eyes green transition funding


Summary: Clearview AI uses publicly-posted social media photos scraped from the web for use in law enforcement agency investigations.

The office of the Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman has issued a reprimand to the Police Board over its use of the controversial Clearview AI facial recognition software.
 The programme relies on illegal processing of people's personal data including publicly-posted social media photos scraped from the web in order to help law enforcement agencies in their investigations.
 Last spring, it was revealed that the the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) had used Clearview AI, even though its use was not widely known within the organisation. Among other applications, the programme can be utilised to enter the images of sexual abuse victims in efforts to identify and protect them.
 The NBI has said that the agency's child exploitation investigations unit used Clearview AI in late 2019 and early 2020. During its use, four individuals at the NBI carried out a total of 120 searches on the system over the period of one month.
 Deputy Ombudsman: App doesn't comply with Finnish law
 The NBI decided to try Clearview AI after it was recommended at a meeting hosted by European law enforcement group Europol in 2019.
 In the reprimand issued to the NBI on Tuesday, the Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman noted that the police had used a facial recognition programme without adequately ensuring in advance that the app complied with data security or data protection legislation.
 The Finnish Police Board has taken the data protection ombudsman office's reprimand seriously, according to the Board's information management chief  Annina Hautala .
 "We will also ensure that the measures set out in the [office's] remark are implemented. We are in the process of developing our expertise and procedures so that this does not happen again in the future," Hautala told Yle by telephone.
 The office of the Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman instructed the police to notify the individuals in the images that were used in Clearview, if their identities were known. Police were also directed to request Clearview to delete the information that it uploaded to the company's servers.
 Clearview under scrutiny
 US-based publication Buzzfeed  approached the NBI  last March to inquire if Finnish authorities had used the controversial app. The NBI denied that Clearview AI had been used in Finland.
 About a week later, Buzzfeed told the NBI that, according to their information, the Finnish police had used the software about 120 times. The Police Board and the NBI immediately launched an investigation and found that Buzzfeed's information turned out to be correct.
 The NBI informed the Data Protection Ombudsman about the app's use, saying the agency would stop using it.
 Last week, online magazine Politico reported that  Clearview AI had subpoenaed documents  from organisations that had exposed the company's controversial activities.
 According to Politico, the subpoenas could cause a chilling effect on other groups from reporting about Clearview AI or other firms working on "potentially problematic technologies."

Data protection ombudsman raps Finnish police over controversial facial ID app


Summary: Prompted and accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU is donating 200 of the devices to hospitals across the bloc.

A new cleaning device is being trialled at Turku University Hospital (Tyks). It's Uve, Finland's first UV (ultra violet) disinfection robot, an 80,000 euro device which the facility received as a donation from the EU.
 Administrative manager of Tyks' hospital hygiene unit,  Tiina Kurvinen , said she was pleased with the EU's donation.
 "The patient rooms have a lot of surfaces that get touched a lot. Even the bed is quite challenging to clean. You can't get into all of the corners very easily, even with a cleaning cloth," Kurvinen explained.
 Story continues after photo.
 Tyks' plant maintenance chief Hannele Mattila guides the ambulatory cleaner through the hospital's intensive care unit ward as she learns how the system works. Minna Rosvall / Yle
 The first UV disinfection robot was developed in Denmark about six years ago. Prompted and accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU is donating 200 of the devices across the bloc.
 Mika Kujala , CEO of hospital equipment importer Fine Medical, said that UVC robots can play an important role in fighting hospital-borne bacteria even after the end of the Covid crisis.
 Type C ultraviolet radiation
 UVC radiation has been used for decades to disinfect air, water, and nonporous surfaces.
 "According to studies, [UVC] cleans up to 99.99 percent of viruses and pathogens. UVC light is artificially produced by fluorescent tubes. The light has a certain wavelength that breaks down the bacteria's DNA structure and is deadly for it," Kujala explained.
 Despite carrying a hefty price tag of 80,000 euros, the device quickly pays for itself, according to Kujala.
 Many other staff members are also getting acquainted with the new robot. One of the first rules is to keep out of the rooms the device is cleaning, as the UVC light is harmful to humans as well as animals.
 Not a replacement for hands-on cleaning
 "If you're exposed to the light it feels like clear sunshine. Your eyes start to hurt," Kujala said.
 According to the device's manufacturer UVD Robots, the device can disinfect a 25-square-meter room in about 10 minutes.
 Story continues after photo.
 Uve the disinfecting robot does not move at very high speed. Minna Rosvall / Yle
 Hygiene unit chief Kurvinen underscored that manual cleaning of the hospital would not be compromised because of Uve, as the device is only meant to be part of the maintenance team's cleaning equipment.
 "The cleanliness of room surfaces and the air play a really important role when we have patients needing isolation at the hospital every day. It's important that we can be confident that surfaces are clean when one patient moves out and a new patient is admitted," Kurvinen said.
 Trials of similar equipment are expected to begin later at hospitals in Vaasa and Espoo.

Finland's first UVC disinfecting robot cleans up in Turku


Summary: Finland's Cancer register's director of statistics Janne Pitkäniemi says the numbers are a concern.

Finland's Cancer register has seen some 1,200 fewer cases reported for 2020 than during 2019, according to initial figures.
 The register's director of statistics  Janne Pitkäniemi  says the numbers are a concern.
 "It is concerning when you think that we expect a 1-2 percent rise in cancer cases each year as a result of ageing in the population," said Pitkäniemi. "We have to remember that these numbers are preliminary and the figure will become more accurate."
 Several hospital districts have recorded more cancer cases than normal. In the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS), referrals after a first appointment have risen 19 percent from the exceptionally low number recorded in 2020.
 The figures are up 10 percent on the last 'normal' year, in 2019.
 "Spring 2020 saw clearly fewer referrals and there was also a clear decline in cancer samples being tested," said  Johanna Mattson  of HUS. "There was a correction beginning in autumn 2020, but now the patient numbers have clearly increased in 2021 and it looks like any possible care backlog has been reduced."
 The number of new patients has grown this autumn compared to the same period in 2019, and the growth is expected to continue for the rest of the year.
 At the end of August patient numbers were up three percent in HUS cancer centres compared to 2019, for example.
 Similar upticks in referral numbers have been seen in Oulu and Tampere as well. Doctors told Yle that their impression was that they're seeing more cases where cancer has spread further, but that data is not yet available.
 The true impact of Covid on cancer treatment and fatality might not be clear for years, according to Pitkäniemi.

Finland recorded fewer cancer diagnoses than expected in 2020


Summary: Tweets sent in 2016 had called for violent acts to be committed against 'fascists' and 'climate change deniers', among others.

A prosecutor has dropped charges of ethnic agitation against a former executive director of the Left Alliance party's Western Finland branch.
 The party's former official,  Misha Dellinger , was suspected of the charge because of tweets posted in 2016 to the micro-blogging website Twitter.
 The tweets called for violent acts to be committed against 'fascists' and 'climate change deniers', among others.
 Police in southwestern Finland launched a preliminary investigation into the case last year, and Dellinger denied he had sent the tweets during the course of the pre-trial probe.
 However, Finland's Prosecutor General ruled that no crime was committed, as the groups of people described in the tweets — climate change deniers, fascists, Nazis — were not sufficiently fixed or well-defined to form a group of people as defined and protected by Finland's ethnic agitation legislation.

Prosecutor drops ethnic agitation charges against former Left Alliance official


Summary: Bringing a sliding scale to parking fines would require a change to Finnish law, however.

Some city officials in Helsinki and Tampere want to introduce escalating fines for parking violations that pose safety hazards.
 If parking violation fines were staggered, there would be higher fees for parking too close to a tram track or a zebra crossing compared to leaving a vehicle at a parking space too long.
 Currently parking fines in Finland's larger cities are generally two-tiered, depending on whether they're in the downtown or on the outskirts, but do not take into account the dangers or inconvenience posed by improper parking.
 For example, parking violation fines in Helsinki and Tampere are 60 euros but in the priciest zones they can be up to 80 euros.
 However, bringing a sliding scale to parking fines would require a change to the law.
 The conversation about changing parking violation fine arrangements was sparked earlier this month after the City of Helsinki published a report on the city's revised parking policy, which was  covered  by newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
 Prepared by experts, the report stated that parking violation fines should be staggered according to the seriousness of the offence — so that fines would be higher for violations that endangered road safety.
 Story continues after photo.
 One of Tampere's new trams. Antti Eintola / Yle
 The experts wrote that fines should be at least equal to road traffic fines handed to drivers found to have not complied with road traffic signs. The current traffic violation fine for such non-compliance on the roads is 100 euros.
 Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee is considering a bill that would limit the monitoring of parking to being a public endeavour. According to a Helsinki parking working group, such an arrangement would allow escalating fines to be established.
 The City of Tampere's parking inspector,  Sami Hurinki , said the city should examine the possibility of implementing staggered or escalating fines.
 Tampere's nearly brand-new tram system has already caused parking-related problems.
 Hurinki explained that some cars park too close to the tracks when they stop to unload vehicles.
 When a mode of public transport like a tram is held up, it can cause delays to many people with the potential to cause major penalties and costs for society, but the maximum parking violation fine is currently 80 euros.
 "Sometimes it seems that 60 or 80 euros is not enough of a deterrent to change things," Hurinki said.
 Noting that he's in favour of staggered parking fines, he said people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to bad parking decisions by other drivers.
 "In situations that involve the risk of danger or inconvenience, the fines could well be doubled," Hurinki said.

Report: Councils should introduce sliding scale for parking fines


Summary: An 18-year-old high school student's football tricks have garnered her thousands of social media followers.

The freestyle football skills of Helsinki resident  Lubna Omar  have attracted thousands of followers on social media, and the 18-year-old high school student hopes her success will inspire other Muslim women to follow their dreams.
 Freestyle football is a combination of football tricks, dance, acrobatics and music, and Omar's seemingly effortless mastery of the art earned her a place at the Freestyle Unlocked Africa Competition last year.
 Omar — who speaks Arabic as her mother tongue — represented Sudan and finished in second place in the tightly contested female category of the continent-wide competition.
 The silver medal was the culmination of years of training that began when Omar first discovered the freestyle branch of the sport while playing for Porvoo-based FC Futura, when a team of freestyle footballers performed their skills at one of the team's annual events.
 "Immediately after that, I started following lots of freestylers on social media. In football, we are part of a team, but freestyle is all about the individual. There is no coach to force me to train, which suits me," she laughs.
 Now living in Vuosaari, Helsinki, Omar currently plays her club football with FC Kontu but still finds time to hone her freestyle skills, much to the delight of her thousands of Instagram and TikTok followers.
 'Around the world'
 According to the World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA), the sport's umbrella organisation, it is impossible to determine exactly how or when freestyle football began.
 However, games that have many similarities — such as  Chinlone  and  Sepak Takraw  — are believed to have been played in southern and southeast Asia some 2,000 years ago.
 World-famous circus artists  Enrico Rastelli  and  Francis Brunn  were also known to perform with footballs as part of their acts during the early part of the last century, including tricks that are now known as the 'Neck Stall' and the 'Around The World'.
 Story continues after the photo.
 The high school student hopes that others might follow in her footsteps. Antti Kolppo / Yle
 But the sport's real breakthrough came in the 1990s, when Brazilian footballing icon  Ronaldinho  demonstrated his football juggling skills alongside freestyle pioneer  Mr. Woo  in TV adverts for US sports equipment giant Nike.
 Around the same time, street performers began posting their videos to the internet, and more and more young people were attracted to the sport. The advent of social media has taken exposure to and popularity of the sport to an entirely new level.
 Omar told Yle she hopes that her story will motivate others and show everyone they can play the sport, regardless of religion or gender.
 "If the motivation is right, nothing can stand in the way," she said.

Award-winning freestyle footballer seeks to inspire young Muslim women


Summary: The estimated 1,000 protestors are calling on Finland's government to declare a climate and environmental emergency.

A climate protest organised by the Finnish branch of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion,  Elopkapina , began on Wednesday evening on Helsinki's main thoroughfare Mannerheimintie.
 The 'August Rebellion', or  Syyskapina , is calling on Finland's government to declare a climate and environmental emergency, and to create binding legislation that will achieve carbon neutrality by 2025, a decade ahead of the government's current goal of 2035.
 The organisers have indicated that the demonstration may last up to 10 days, or until Friday 8 October, with police warning that the protest could cause significant disruption to traffic as there are an estimated 1,000 protestors involved.
 Speaking on Yle's Uusimaa regional news bulletin on Wednesday evening, shortly after the demonstration began, Helsinki police superintendent  Jarmo Heinonen  said the police have ordered the organisers to end the event.
 "The police have now ordered an end to the demonstration, insofar as we have considered this to be a legal demonstration," Heinonen said. "Now there is a crowd here that from the police's point of view should not be there, and our job is to somehow disperse that crowd in some way."
 Story continues after the photo.
 Climate protestors on Helsinki's Mannerheimintie, Wednesday 29 September. Petteri Sopanen / Yle
 Prior to the beginning of the protest, Helsinki police chief  Heikki Porola  told Yle that the police had asked the organisers to move the demonstration to Kansalaistori square, where there would be less disruption to city centre traffic, but the request was refused.
 Porola added that the police do not intend to allow the protestors to remain on traffic lanes.
 "If we can move the demonstrators to the footpath, for example, the demonstration may continue. When there is an unreasonable inconvenience to traffic, we cannot allow the demonstration to continue because it does not comply with the Assembly Act," he said.
 Extinction Rebellion activist  Elok Sloan  told Yle that the protestors refused the police's request because the demonstration is intended to cause disruption.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Activists Eeva Rajakangas and Elsi Sloan. Petteri Sopanen / Yle
 "That is its purpose and it is reasonable in relation to the thing we are demanding. If we were at the Kansalaistori square shouting our case, it would not get the same media attention as we are getting now," Sloan said.
 "We want to be in a place where politicians cannot bypass us," activist  Eeva Rajakangas  said. "We are living in a climate crisis. Either we as a society take responsibility for it or this descends into chaos. I don't want that. I want to think that there is still hope."
 Politicians widely condemn movement's methods
 Earlier in the day, Finnish politicians from both government and opposition parties had criticised the movement's plans to disrupt traffic in the capital for up to 10 days.
 The opposition National Coalition Party's (NCP) vice chair  Antti Häkkänen  stated that everyone has a right to protest, but not in any location under any conditions.
 "Other people have the right to live a normal life, go to work, daycare and hobbies, and to enjoy freedom of movement. In other words, no one has the right to unreasonably infringe on the rights of others," Häkkänen said.
 Among the government's coalition parties, MPs from both the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Centre told Yle that they disapproved of the group's protest methods.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Helsinki police superintendent Jarmo Heinonen told Yle that the police have ordered the protestors to end the demonstration. Petteri Sopanen / Yle
 "There are many ways in Finland to express an opinion other than by blocking the traffic on Mannerheimintie for several days, even 10 days," chair of the SDP's Parliamentary group  Antti Lindtman  said.
 Li Andersson , chair of coalition partner the Left Alliance party, told Yle she was too busy to be interviewed about the protest, but her party colleague MP  Mai Kivelä  said the protestors have a right to demonstrate.
 "Demonstration is a civil right guaranteed by the constitution," Kivelä said. "If it is a matter of peaceful civil disobedience, then that is part of democracy."
 President calls for "responsibility"
 Finland's President  Sauli Niinistö  indirectly commented on the Extinction Rebellion demonstration in a post on his official Facebook page, which his Twitter account also shared.
 "Finns are deeply concerned about climate change," the President wrote. "In Finland, law and order and its administrators are also highly valued. Let's take responsibility for both at the same time."
 Finland's President  raised the topic  of climate change during a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
 "We are indeed at a critical juncture. If humanity is to make the right choice, a breakthrough rather than a breakdown, we have to shoulder our human responsibilities. Responsibilities for our common future," Niinistö said.
 A  similar protest  involving members of the Extinction Rebellion group last October was broken up by police after about six hours, during which  officers used pepper spray  to disperse the protesters.

Climate activists begin 10-day protest in downtown Helsinki


Summary: Some 140 Extinction Rebellion activists were detained on Wednesday.

Tabloid  Iltalehti  reports that Finland's so-called "dancing ban" will stay in effect until Covid vaccination coverage exceeds 80 percent, according to authorities. The current rules mean that staff at bars and restaurants need to ensure each customer sits in their own seat when indoors.
 The tabloid writes that the public is now confused as to why the ban will continue to be in force despite the loosening of gathering restrictions at the beginning of October.
 Gathering restrictions are set out by the "Avi" regional government agencies. Restaurant restrictions, on the other hand, are in the hands of the national government, which issues a weekly decree on what kind of restrictions apply, Iltalehti explains.
 While the country anticipates the total lifting of coronavirus restrictions, slowing vaccination rates are causing concern,  Helsingin Sanomat  writes.
 Achieving the goal of 80 percent coverage among those aged 12 and over in October is still possible, but it now rests on people's desire to get the jab, leading expert at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL),  Mia Kontio  told the daily paper.
 Vaccination rates are looking good in older age groups with more than 90 percent of over-60s having received the first dose and 86 percent the second dose. Vaccine coverage is, however, lower in younger age groups.
 "For example, among those aged 20 to 35, we are still well behind the target," Kontio said.
 Mannerheimintie protest broken up, 140 activists detained
 Police Finland detained some 141 activists of the Finnish branch of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion ( Elokapina  in Finnish), during Wednesday's Helsinki demonstration, according to  Helsingin Sanomat .
 The environmental group kicked off their "Autumn Rebellion" at 6 pm on Wednesday by occupying the capital's main thoroughfare, Mannerheimintie. The protest was however deemed illegal by police and was broken up by authorities an hour after it started.
 "The arrests were conducted peacefully," the department  tweeted .
 According to Elokapina, the demonstration is scheduled to last 10 days, unless the government responds to the movement's demand that it declare a climate emergency. Helsinki Police reportedly told  Ilta-Sanomat  that they are already preparing for the activists to return to the area in front of the Parliament building.
 Agriculture sector facing "acute" crisis
 Rising production costs and a poor harvest year will mean a challenging autumn lies ahead for farmers, Tampere-based  Aamulehti  reports. In proportion to the number of farms, the pork industry is suffering more than most, the paper writes.
 A price increase by 20 cents per kilogram would offer some quick relief, pig farmer  Reijo Keskinen  told Aamulehti. "This would mean an additional 10 cents per meat portion of half a kilo. That should not be an insurmountable jump in my opinion," Keskinen said.
 The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) wants more money for farmers. MTK chair  Juha Marttila  wants banks to ease up on financing policies for farmers who need some flexibility.
 "The anguish is severe for many. We are not talking about months but weeks. Bills are piling up," Marttila told the paper. "The harvest is gone, the feed is still to be paid, investments in fertilisers and seeds are pending, but the banks are not handing out a penny," he added.
 15:38 Correction: 80 percent coverage among those aged 12 and over in October, not whole population by October.

Thursday's papers: Dancing ban, civil disobedience, farmers in despair


Summary: The crash took place during morning rush hour at an unguarded level crossing that locals say was known to be dangerous.

Seven young people and a bus driver were hospitalised after a rail accident in Kaskinen, Ostrobothnia, on Tuesday morning. The crash took place shortly before 8am at an unguarded level crossing that the local mayor said was known to be dangerous.
 According to health officials, none of the injuries were life-threatening.
 The bus was taking pupils to secondary schools in Kristinestad (Kristiinankaupunki), another west-coast town some 25km to the south.
 Article continues after map
 Kaskinen (Kaskö) is a small island municipality in Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. Leena Luotio / Yle
 The track maintenance vehicle consisted of a locomotive and one wagon. The locomotive derailed, while the bus was pushed about 30 metres along the track.
 According to rescue officials, 12 people were involved in the accident. All eight people on the bus were hospitalised.
 According to emergency care director  Joacim Tuuri , the injured had fractures and other minor injuries including neck and chest wounds.
 One injured person was transported to Tampere, four to Vaasa and three to a health centre in the nearby town of Närpes.
 "The eight injured patients include seven minors and the bus driver. At the moment, no one is in danger of death," Tuuri said.
 Safety Investigation Authority begins probe
 The locomotive that collided with the bus weighs more than 30 tonnes. The track machine was scanning the track and measuring its width among other tasks.
 According to police and rescue officials, the track machine was moving slowly when it struck the middle of the school bus and derailed.
 The Safety Investigation Authority will conduct a preliminary investigation into the accident. Two officials were on their way to Kaskinen to investigate the crash scene.
 The clearing of the accident site will not begin until documentation and on-site investigation has been completed.
 Crisis counselling on offer
 The municipality of Kaskinen has opened a crisis centre at the local health clinic, which is providing counselling to those who need it. Schools are also providing counselling for students.
 According to Mayor  Minna Nikander , the whole town was shocked by the accident. She noted that there are several unguarded level crossings in central Kaskinen, where accidents and injuries have occurred before. The site of Tuesday's crash has been known as a dangerous place, she said.
 Nikander said that the municipality has worked with the Finnish Road Safety Council (Liikenneturva) and road maintenance firm Destia to improve their safety.

School bus hit by track maintenance vehicle, 8 hospitalised


Summary: Some slopes in Ruka are opening this coming weekend — with help from last winter's snow.

Ruka, situated in Finnish Lapland's Kuusamo, aims to open three slopes for downhill skiers at the end of this week — even though the first flakes have yet to stick to the ground.
 This is why Ruka Ski Centre is busy spreading out snow saved from last season. It's using frozen white stuff it has stored all summer to blanket slopes ahead of schools' autumn breaks this month.
 "At the beginning of the summer we had stored 140,000 cubic meters of snow, but around a third of that melted so we have 90,000 cubic meters left," explained  Matti Parviainen  of Ruka Ski Centre.
 The centre's slope manager,  Anssi Lakela , said workers use white gauze and sawdust to keep the snow insulated during warmer months.
 Ruka's slopes generally stay open until Mother's Day in May.
 The Levi Ski Centre in Kittilä is also set to start its winter season next weekend.

Recycling snow in Lapland for October skiers


Summary: Finland should not be naive about foreign and security policy, said the president.

Finland's President Sauli Niinistö says Finland needs to ensure its response to security threats is consistent with the other Nordic countries and should avoid a 'softer' line than others.
 Speaking at a seminar to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Finnish Institute for International Affairs (FIIA), Niinistö said that states have pursued their own interests in response to the Covid pandemic and the refugee crises.
 "If others around us operate on the basis of their national interests, pure altruism from our side makes us more vulnerable," Niinistö said.
 "Finland must not end up in a situation where, simultaneously, our assessment of internal and external security risks is less vigorous and our legislation less rigid than those of our peers," continued Finland's twelfth president. "For good reason, we consider it self-evident that our Nordic friends are liberal democracies. We should also pay close attention to how seriously, and by what means, they address their security these days. Finland must not diverge from that path."
 Niinistö has previously referenced migration policy and responses to the  2015 refugee crisis in this context .
 He went on to discuss Finland's security policies in relation to a changing international environment, stating that the AUKUS deal on submarines demonstrated that things are not set in stone.
 That agreement, for  Australia to source submarine technology from the UK and US  and break a contract to buy submarines from France, prompted the French government to withdraw its ambassadors from Australia and the US.
 Although Finland is not a member of Nato, the country's military has deepened co-operation with the alliance in recent years.
 Niinistö said that Finland's defence relationships and agreements are also developing all the time, and that he saw a "broad variety" of new relationships as a positive development.
 "We will not automatically participate in all new initiatives that emerge," said Niinistö. "But those that serve our interests, will help us further improve our interoperability with chosen partners. And they are complementary reinforcements to the two essential components of the second pillar of our security: our EU membership and our close partnership with NATO."
 The entire speech, which was delivered in English, can be read at the  president's official website .

President Niinistö warns Finland against a soft line on security risks


Summary: Covid-19 case numbers have started to rise again after a downward trend in recent weeks.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has further relaxed recommendations to use face coverings to emphasise differing risk levels and individuals' own judgement.
 In its weekly Covid briefing on Thursday, the THL announced that the new recommendations suggest people consider using masks in high-risk situations, especially if they are unvaccinated.
 In practice that means using a mask in enclosed public spaces where people are close to each other, and especially on public transport.
 The recommendation applies to those aged 12 and above. An earlier version of this story said the age limit was 16, but THL Chief Physician  Otto Helve  later clarified his comments. THL says that the risk of transmission in schools is very small.
 Small rise in case numbers last week
 At Thursday's briefing, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the THL said that the decline in case numbers had stopped.
 "The long downward trend has come to an end and there was a small rise," said  Pasi Pohjola ,director of Covid-19 issues at the ministry.
 The positivity rate for Covid test samples was 3.4 percent last week, up from 2.9 percent the week before. The numbers are not comparable though because of changes in the testing strategy, with mild cases among vaccinated people now unlikely to lead to tests.
 Waste-water testing has also revealed an increase in Covid cases in Espoo, Helsinki and Kuopio.
 Covid wards were treating 81 people last week, of whom 25 were in intensive care. By Thursday evening, the register of Covid-related deaths had recorded 1,072 fatalities linked to the pandemic.
 The majority of those in hospital with Covid are completely unvaccinated.
 "Please get the vaccinations that are on offer, and make sure you get both doses," urged Helve.
 Pohjola said it was likely that hospitals would continue to treat similar numbers of Covid patients for a while yet. Reducing the workload for healthcare providers would require much higher vaccine coverage and a decline in case numbers.
 70 percent vaccinated
 More than 70.2 percent of the over-12s in Finland have now received both doses of an approved Covid vaccine.
 "Vaccine coverage rose over 70 percent today, but that's still far from the target," said Helve.
 Helve said it would not be possible to remove the remaining Covid restrictions yet.
 "It is good to remember that there is still a burden on hospitals and there are lots of unvaccinated people," said the doctor. "If the disease spreads, a large part of the population is unprotected. Guidance to wash your hands and stay home if sick cannot be quickly removed."
 Mask recommendations will be re-evaluated when 80 percent of those aged 12 or over have been fully vaccinated. Restrictions on bars and restaurants, however, are decided by the government.
 EDIT An earlier version of this story stated that the THL mask recommendation applied to over-16s. Otto Helve clarified later that he had misspoke, and the recommendation actually applies to those aged twelve and over.

THL: Use your judgement on masks, schools 'low-risk'


Summary: Finland's population is set to reach its peak in 2033, at just over 5.6 million, the number-crunching agency predicts.

An estimated 700,000 more people will die than be born in Finland by 2060, according to a forecast published by Statistics Finland on Thursday
 The forecast predicts that Finland's population will begin to decline in 2034, when the estimated population will have reached 5.6 million, without immigration to increase the number of people living in the country.
 If current trends continue, only 15 regions, including Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Åland in southern Finland, will observe more births than deaths annually by 2040.
 "Birth rates are at a very low level. Over the past 200 years, similar levels have only been observed last year and the year before," said  Markus Rapo , a senior statistician at the agency.
 According to Rapo, in 2015 Finland was among the 10 EU countries with the highest birth rates. Finland's current ranking stands at seventh to last. Of the Nordic countries Sweden and Denmark are still among the top 10, however non-EU states Norway and Iceland's birth rates have fallen sharply.
 "In the long term, the birth rate is not sustainable in terms of Finland's age structure," the agency's  press release  reads.
 Long-term impact on number of workers and youngsters
 This is the fourth consecutive year during which fewer than 50,000 children were born in Finland.
 Low birth rates are quickly reflected in a decline in the number of young people and the 'demographic dependency ratio,' which is the number of those aged 15 or under and 65 or over per 100 working age persons.
 From the 2040s onwards, according to Statistics Finland's forecast, low birth rates will also be evident in the size of the working-age population.
 Over the next two decades, it is projected that the working-age population will decrease by 76,000, after which the decline is set to accelerate further. By the end of 2060, the working-age population could go down to 3.1 million people, roughly 310,000 fewer people than now.
 Brief pandemic baby boom not enough to counter declining trend
 For the past years, Finland's population has been growing solely thanks to immigration. The number of deaths began to exceed the number of births in 2016.
 The number of babies born increased by six percent in 2020 - this was the first rebound in nine years. The ' mini baby boom ' was partly attributed to the pandemic.
 Still, the number of deaths outpaced the number of births by nearly 10,000 in 2020.
 "The pandemic year is just one year among other years. Considering the trend of the past five years, it has only a small effect on the overall situation," Rapo said in the press release.
 Forecast gives 'chance for decision-makers to react'
 Statistics Finland's forecast makes nationwide projections up to 2070 and regionally up to 2040. According to the press release, the agency did not factor the impact of economic, socio-political regional policy into its predictions on population development.
 "The task of a population projection is to provide tools with which decision-makers can assess whether measures need to be taken to try to influence the population development," the press release reads.

Statistics Finland: Falling birth rates cannot maintain population


Summary: As of Friday, all restaurant restrictions, except those regarding hygiene, are to be waived in areas in the acceleration phase.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services  Krista Kiuru  (SDP) said on Thursday afternoon that the government has decided to ease restrictions on restaurants and other catering businesses.
 In areas of the country in the community transmission phase of the epidemic, the ban on karaoke and dancing will be lifted, she said on Twitter.
 Meanwhile all restrictions on drinking and opening hours will be abolished in the areas in the more moderate "acceleration phase".
 "In line with our hybrid strategy, we are continuing to incrementally lighten restrictions in a safe manner," wrote Kiuru, one of the cabinet's two health ministers.
 According to Yle sources, ministers from the five governing parties held negotiations before a full session on Thursday and decided on various steps to loosen restrictions.
 Opening hours of the restaurants in the community transmission phase are to be extended by an hour, while the ban on dancing and karaoke is to be lifted altogether. They also decided to end the seating requirement on outdoor terraces – although with temperatures dropping in Finland that is unlikely to be a major issue in the coming months. Indoors, all guests must still have their own seats.
 Bars and restaurants in the community transmission phase, including many parts of southern Finland, will be allowed to remain open until 1 am, but must stop serving alcohol at midnight.
 Dining-oriented restaurants may allow in three quarters of their regular maximum capacity, while alcohol-oriented bars may still only use half of customer seating.
 Changes in regional phase settings possible
 As of Thursday, the areas in the community transmission include the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district (HUS) as well as Southwestern Finland, South Karelia and the Vaasa and Kuopio regions.
 Those in the acceleration phase are: Pirkanmaa, Päijät-Häme, Kanta-Häme, Kymenlaakso, Central Ostrobothnia, East Savo and most of North Savo. The rest of the country is deemed to be at the baseline level.
 However these designations may change as of Friday.
 Yle has learned that Uusimaa – except for the Helsinki metropolitan area – may be downgraded from the community transmission phase to the acceleration phase, while Southern Ostrobothnia is to move from the acceleration phase to the baseline level.

Singing and dancing to be allowed at restaurants as government relaxes Covid rules


Summary: This week's show delves into the world of cyber espionage, facial recognition and shadowy parts of the internet.

The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) recently reported that Finland is a  continuous target  of state-sponsored cyber espionage.
 "We see that Russia and China are the most active actors in that space,"  Veli-Pekka Kivimäki , an intelligence researcher at Supo told APN, adding that ransomware attacks are a growing concern from a national security standpoint.
 Article continues after audio.
 APN also looks at  controversial facial recognition software  called Clearview AI that's been in the news again after the Data Protection Ombudsman rapped the police board for law enforcement's improper use of the app. APN talks to Finland's Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman,  Jari Råman , to find out what the police did wrong.
 A disturbing  new Finnish study  has meanwhile found that some 40 percent of people who seek out child sex abuse material (CSAM) online have sought direct contact with children after viewing illicit images.
 "We really see this causal relationship between viewing the material and actually going and directly abusing and exploiting children,"  Tegan Insoll  of NGO Protect Children explained of the organisation's survey of CSAM users in the dark web.
 APN also explores comments and suggestions from listeners, including the trials and tribulations of banking when you're a foreigner, tips for learning Finnish and kids' smartphone usage in Finland compared to other countries.
 Join the conversation!
 This week's show was presented by  Zena Iovino  and  Ronan Browne . The producer was  Mark B. Odom  and the audio engineer was  Juha Sarkkinen .
 If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts, just contact us via WhatsApp on +358 44 421 0909, on our Facebook or Twitter accounts, or at yle.news@yle.fi and allpointsnorth@yle.fi.

APN podcast: Who's spying on Finland?


Summary: The man imported narcotics from the Netherlands and sold them on.

Southwest Finland District Court has handed down a four-year jail term to the son of a Finns Party politician for importing and selling drugs.
 The 27-year-old man is to serve his sentence at Turku prison. He will also have to pay the state the financial benefits he gained from his crimes.
 He had imported more than a kilogramme of amphetamines and smaller amounts of other drugs from Holland, using contacts made on the dark web.
 He had kept some of the drugs for his own personal use and sold some on to others. The man admitted importing and re-selling drugs during the trial.
 Prosecutors had sought a six-year sentence for numerous drug offences and a weapons offence, in relation to an airgun recovered during the investigation.
 Finns Party MP  Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo  is the man's mother, and had  commented on the case  last week on Twitter.
 Slunga-Poutsalo was the Finns Party Secretary from 2013 to 2019, when she entered Parliament. There she is vice-chair of the Intelligence Oversight Committee and chair of the Parliamentary Trustees of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), while also serving as deputy chair of the Lohja city council.

FP politician's son gets four-year prison sentence over drug offences


Summary: The Finnish Fur Breeders' Association will start vaccinating minks in the next few weeks.

Finland is set to vaccinate fur production animals against Covid. The Finnish Breeders' Association (FIFUR) will be vaccinating minks against coronavirus in the coming weeks, after being granted a conditional license by the Finnish Food Authority.
 The vaccine covered by the license was developed by a research team at the University of Helsinki. In addition to the university's laboratories, the vaccine has been tested at a fur farm in Kannus, Central Ostrobothnia.
 FurcoVac is classed as an experimental vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and has been granted a conditional license although it still lacks a trading license.
 The process of developing the vaccine has been challenging, with a tight schedule only adding to the pressure, according to  Jussi Peura,  the FIFUR project's research director. FurcoVac utilises the same raw materials that are needed to produce the vaccines used in humans.
 "There were challenges in manufacturing the vaccines and acquiring the raw materials, as human vaccines were also being produced at the same time and they largely required the same raw materials that we used," Peura told Yle.
 According to the research director, skinning on the Kannus fur farm is due to begin in the next few weeks, after which they can begin vaccinating the remaining breeder animals.
 "We have enough vaccine doses to vaccinate all Finnish breeding mink twice. A booster vaccine will also be needed," Peura said.
 About half a million doses of vaccine have been set aside for the process.
 No infections on Finnish farms
 There have been no recorded cases of coronavirus infections in minks at Finnish farms. Farms in other EU countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain, culled millions of mink to prevent the infection from spreading to humans after cases were detected.
 According to FIFUR, minks and raccoon dogs, which are bred for fur in the country, are susceptible to the virus, as are cats and white-tailed deer.
 "We will continue tackling the epidemic and protecting against the disease in cooperation with the authorities. Having been granted permission for use, this mink vaccine is part of protection measures. This has been a strenuous time for producers who have had to isolate themselves while ensuring workers' protection," Peura said.
 Studies suggest that minks could transmit the virus back into humans.
 “Having these mink farms is a big risk because it makes it much more difficult to manage the epidemic and creates such big reservoirs of susceptible hosts,”  Francois Balloux , a geneticist with University College London and co-author of a paper on Covid-19 transmission in minks, told Reuters.

Finland to vaccinate fur-farm animals against Covid


Summary: Researchers said that the proportion of second-generation immigrants among suspected sexual offenders is small.

The share of foreign-born people in sexual offense statistics has increased in recent years, according to a government-commissioned study.
 The study, published on Wednesday, highlights links between sexual crime and adolescence, social deprivation, and foreign background.
 In their study, the Finnish Youth Research Network and the University of Helsinki's Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy (Krimo) examined the risks related to the background of sex offenders, the factors influencing the occurrence of sexual offenses and proposals for measures to prevent sexual offenses.
 The  148-page publication  is based on previous studies, registers, a juvenile delinquency survey and interview material collected for the project.
 The researchers found that last year nearly 38 percent of rape suspects in Finland were foreign-born.
 According to the study, there were just over 367,000 first-generation immigrants in Finland in 2020. In proportion to Finland's population at year's end, their share of the population was less than seven percent.
 Sharp rise in sexual abuse cases
 According to the study, people born abroad were over-represented in child sexual abuse statistics as well.
 The proportion of foreign-born individuals among child sexual abuse suspects has risen even more sharply in recent years than among suspected rapists.
 Overall, during the 2011-20 study period, 27 percent of all rape suspects were foreign-born. The corresponding figure for those suspected of child sexual abuse was 15 percent.
 The authors of the study said that the sexual exploitation of children is primarily a crime committed by young men, in which minors are also a significant group of perpetrators.
 Low rate among second-generation immigrants
 Low social status and social deprivation were clearly highlighted among the suspects, as in crime in general.
 However in regard to suspects of foreign background, the researchers point out that their significant over-representation in the statistics is not explained solely by social deprivation.
 They said that proportion of so-called second-generation immigrants among those suspected of sexual offenses is small. The study defines a second-generation immigrant as a person born in Finland to immigrant parents.

Immigrants over-represented in sex crime statistics, says government study


Summary: Birds in Finland offer a clue about environmental problems.

Helsingin Sanomat launches a new approach to environmental reporting on Friday, appointing a correspondent for biodiversity. HS  says  the decision to create that role was made after readers voted overwhelmingly for that option in a public poll.
 The paper also says it will place a special emphasis on environmental issues this autumn, kicking off that effort with  a look at birdlife in Finland .
 Bird researchers in Hanko tell the paper that things are not going well for Finland's avian population. Half of the 250 species of bird that nest in Finland are now on the endangered list, and the biodiversity correspondent  Petja Pelli  shares his own experience of the decline.
 As a child he'd often spotted the Eurasian golden oriole in eastern Finland. It's an exotic bird for Finland, yellow in colour with a distinctive call.
 But now he personally hasn't spotted one for 20 years, and Finland's population has declined 90 percent in the last 35 years.
 The reasons are unknown, but probably related to the bird's winter habitats in East Africa. The point is clear, though: the sixth global mass extinction is underway, and Finland is going to feel its effects.
 Payday loans get more costly
 Payday loan borrowers could get a nasty surprise from today, when the interest rates on their loans could double.
 Iltalehti  reports  that the Consumers' Union is warning that a temporary ceiling on interest rates expired on Thursday, and from 1 October the interest rates on some loans could rise.
 The temporary ceiling of ten percent was imposed as a measure to help people through the Covid pandemic, but from 1 October it rose to 20 percent.
 So consumers with a loan where the contracted interest rate is above ten percent should be aware that an increase is on the way.
 The Consumers' Union says it wants the ten percent limit to be made permanent, saying that changing interest rates are confusing for consumers.
 To mask or not to mask?
 Finland adjusted face mask recommendations on Thursday, placing greater emphasis on consideration of risk levels in various different situations.
 Employers, business-owners, schools and universities are to set their own rules on face coverings, with THL saying the unvaccinated should take extra care to wear them.
 Otherwise risk levels should be assessed, with enclosed public places considered the riskiest for coronavirus infection.
 But what does that mean for the weekly shopping trip? Ilta-Sanomat  asked  the big three grocery firms (Lidl, K-group and S-group) what they plan to do.
 The answer is: no change, yet. All three chains want to ensure they have similar rules, according to the industry association and that means they won't change rules just yet.
 So this weekend shoppers are still being asked to wear face masks in the supermarkets.

Friday's papers: Birds in trouble, masks in shops, and payday loan interest spike


Summary: The changes apply to threats made against people because of their job or public position.

Those making an 'illegal threat' can now be prosecuted without a complaint from a victim, thanks to a change in the law that came into force on 1 October.
 The change affects threats made against people working in customer service or admin, health and social care, retail work, teaching, police work or the justice system.
 The rules also apply to threats made against researchers, journalists and artists as well as municipal politicians and officials and members of parliament.
 Authorities want to improve the position of victims and allow better action against intimidation of people in key positions.
 According to Finnish law, an illegal threat is made when an individual has reason to fear for their safety or that their property may be in danger.
 Until this law change, victims needed to make a complaint for police and prosecutors to take action in such cases.
 Legislative changes are part of a broader effort to prevent and fight organised, aggressive, targeted harassment that threatens freedom of speech, research, journalism or the work of public officials.

Finland tightens laws on illegal threats


Summary: As of Friday, there were no restrictions or caps on crowd sizes recommended by authorities in any part of Finland.

Coronavirus-related restrictions that halved the number of people permitted to gather at swimming halls and concert venues in the capital region were officially lifted by local authorities on Friday.
 While some of the facilities may have remained open as the restrictions were in place, sports facilities and theatres can now once again operate at full capacity.
 The Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) updated its guidance on the use of face masks on Thursday, but left decisions about using them up to  individuals' own judgement.  THL said its new recommendations suggest people consider using masks in high-risk situations, especially if they are unvaccinated.
 Petteri Huurre , the City of Helsinki's sports director, said he was pleased that the lifting of restrictions came at just the right time. He explained that the October-November period was normally the busiest time of year for activities at the city's swimming halls and for exercise groups.
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 The City of Helsinki's sports director Petteri Huurre. Jouni Immonen / Yle
 The restrictions also affected gyms and multi-purpose sports facilities, but Huurre noted that the unnecessary close contact between customers must still be avoided in the restriction-free setting.
 "You should not take part in any activities if you have the flu," he noted.
 Helsinki resident  Vesa Vatanen  has used the indoor public pool in Pirkkola since he was a child.
 "Some people are celebrating the recent relaxation of restaurant restrictions but for me these sports venues are really important," Vatanen said.
 As he was already used to working from home before the pandemic, Vatanen said the restrictions on sports facilities were the most difficult for him to deal with during the crisis.
 "Exercise, especially swimming, is a good counterbalance to work," he explained.
 Story continues after photo.
 Vesa Vatanen  Jouni Immonen / Yle
 Public events at concert halls, cinemas and theatres also saw the removal of crowd restrictions on Friday 1 October.
 As of that date, there were no restrictions or caps on crowd sizes recommended by Regional State Administrative Agencies (Avi) in any part of the country.
 However, official recommendations on general hygiene are still in force, and affect public places such as shopping centres and grocery stores. For example, workers and customers must be given the opportunity to wash their hands and efforts should be made to ensure that individuals can be spread apart from each other as much as possible.
 Authorities' justifications for lifting of restrictions included expanded Covid vaccine coverage and the improvement in the epidemic situation in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
 For example, the need to hospitalise Covid sufferers in the metropolitan area appears to have stabilised at a relatively low level for some time. As the situation at hospitals seems to be under control, the goal is to open up society again, with no broader restrictions by local authorities on the horizon.
 Helsinki resident  Paula Klemola  said she thinks some people will continue to be cautious about their behaviour in public places for some time, even after the restrictions are entirely lifted.
 Story continues after photo.
 Paula Klemola Jouni Immonen / Yle
 "A bit of caution will still be there. I think more attention needs to be put towards hand washing, for example. Avoiding close contact with others feels pretty natural," Klemola said, adding that she thinks it is important to finally open up society.
 It was also announced on Thursday that the government decided to ease  restrictions on restaurants . The country's work-from-home recommendations are also  set to end  in mid-October.

Full capacity at sports halls, theatres again as capital area dismantles crowd restrictions


Summary: A nearly year-long preliminary probe into the 2020 incident is complete and the Deputy Prosecutor General will decide whether to take the case to court.

Six Helsinki police officers are suspected of crimes for pepper spraying protesters during a climate change protest in the capital last October.
 Three of the officers are suspected of assault and breach of duty while another three are suspected of the same offences for making the decision to pepper spray the protesters who blocked traffic for hours on a major road in the Kaisaniemi neighbourhood.
 A preliminary investigation into the early October 2020 incident has been closed, and the case is headed to the prosecutor's office.
 All of the officers have denied having committed the offences.
 According to special prosecutor  Heidi Savurinne , who headed up the preliminary probe, the central question in the case was whether the officers' use of force was in line with the law and whether the use of pepper spray was proportionate to the situation.
 "The prosecution will assess whether use of the spray was in breach of, or in accordance with, the officers' official duties as well as whether the individuals involved had been harmed intentionally, for example were caused pain and suffering," Savurinne said.
 The Deputy Prosecutor General will decide whether to take the case to court.
 The incident in question took place on Saturday 3 October, when the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion ( Elokapina  in Finnish) held a protest at the intersection of Kaisaniemenkatu and Unioninkatu, blocking traffic for about six hours. Several police patrols responded to the protest, which called for action on climate change.
 More recently, the activist group began a  10-day protest  on Helsinki's busiest thoroughfare on Wednesday evening. The group has demanded that the government declare a climate and environmental emergency.
 Last year the incident sparked heated commentary on social media, with several lawmakers, including the  interior minister , weighing in on the discussion.
 2.10: Name corrected to Savurinne.

Six Helsinki police officers suspected of crimes for pepper spraying protesters


Summary: Two officers are charged with service crimes over their treatment of female colleagues.

A captain in the Finnish army who served as a head of HR is suspected of service crimes and disclosing confidential information.
 According to the prosecutor in the case, the captain repeatedly used sexist and offensive language towards and about women serving with him.
 The crimes are suspected to have taken place during and before a 2019 deployment as part of a crisis management operation in Iraq. The defendant has denied all charges.
 Several witnesses say the man repeatedly referred to one woman as an "idiot" and a "damn stupid civilian woman", among other insults. Witnesses say another woman was called a "stupid old bitch" and a "pub whore". A third woman was referred to as "Little Miss", according to the witnesses.
 Gender equality role
 The man served as the "Gender Focal Point" role, which meant he was responsible for gender equality during the deployment.
 Prosecutors charge that the man used a belittling tone when talking about women, and that he had stated that the biggest problem in the deployment group was likely to be the women.
 They added that the man also talked about a 'number ten club', which he would join if ten people on the deployment dropped out before the planned end of their service.
 He was charged with breaching official confidentiality over an alleged disclosure of one woman's medical data.
 One other person is also suspected of offences, but charges in relation to that case have not yet been disclosed.
 Petri Hulkko , Commander of the Finnish Army, declined to comment on the ongoing legal case. He did admit that treatment of women had been an issue in some previous peacekeeping operations.
 Inappropriate language and bad taste jokes were the problem, according to Hulkko.
 "There haven't been any actual rapes or anything like that," said Hulkko.
 The general said that cases had been reported by women and action had been taken.

Finnish officers charged over sexist behaviour during Iraq deployment


Summary: Finland midfielder Glen Kamara was racially abused by Czech player Ondrej Kudela during a club game last season.

Finnish footballer  Glen Kamara  was repeatedly booed in a stadium containing mostly schoolchildren in Prague on Thursday, in his first game in the Czech Republic since he was the victim of racist abuse from a Czech international.
 The booing took place during his club side Glasgow Rangers' Europa League game against Sparta Prague on Thursday evening.
 Last season, Kamara was the victim of racial abuse by defender  Ondrej Kudela  of Slavia Prague — Sparta's city neighbours — which led to the Czech international receiving a 10-game ban by European football's governing body UEFA.
 Kamara received a three-game suspension after he was found guilty by UEFA of assaulting Kudela in the tunnel after the incident.
 The game between Sparta and Rangers had been due to be played behind closed doors following a separate charge of racism against Sparta involving French club Monaco’s  Aurelius Tchouameni  earlier this season.
 However, UEFA ruled that about 10,000 schoolchildren — alongside a small number of accompanying adults — could attend.
 Several media outlets, including  The Guardian  and  Sky Sports , reported that there was very audible booing whenever Kamara touched the ball.
 Kamara's lawyer,  Aamer Anwar , released a statement after the game criticising the Czech club over the fans' behaviour towards the Finnish player.
 "This evening should be an embarrassment for the Czech side that, despite their fans being banned, it still made little difference that the stadium was filled with 10,000 schoolchildren," the statement said.
 "A huge proportion of those children booed Glen's every touch of the ball along with every other black player for Rangers. Tonight shows yet again that Prague has a serious problem with racism and as usual UEFA is nowhere to be seen."
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 Kamara and other Rangers players 'took the knee' before the game began in a show of solidarity against racism. Getty Images
 Rangers manager  Steven Gerrard  told a post-match press conference that he didn't notice the boos during the game, but explained he had been focused on coaching the team and making tactical switches.
 "If they were targeting Glen, then it’s extremely disappointing," Gerrard said. "If they’re facts and that is the truth, I’m extremely disappointed - but not surprised."
 Gerrard added that more needs to be done to tackle racism in the sport.
 "Not just myself, everyone across the world is asking for bigger and more extreme punishments in terms of racism. It needs to be eradicated," he said. "But until the powers that be do more and treat it more seriously, we're going to be dealing with these questions for a long time."
 Kamara was booked in the first half of the game and received a second yellow card, meaning a red and dismissal from the field, with 15 minutes left to play. Sparta eventually won the game 1-0.

Racial abuse victim Kamara booed by stadium of Czech schoolchildren


A sword believed to be from the Bronze Age — between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago — has been found in a garden in the Satakunta region of western Finland.
 The discovery was made with the use of a metal detector by  Matti Rintamaa  in the village of Panelia.
 The sword was found in about seven different pieces, which were scattered around the yard.
 Although Rintamaa found the artefact at the end of July, the discovery has only just been revealed by Satakunta Museum and the Finnish Heritage Agency.
 "The object was probably broken and then transported to the site along with some arable land transferred in connection with a construction project years ago," the museum and the agency said in a joint press release. "The original context of the sword can only be guessed at, but possibly it was once sacrificed to the coastal waters of the ancient Gulf of Panelia."
 A rare find
 Bronze Age artefacts are rare discoveries, as only about 200 objects from the era are known to have been found in Finland.
 This number includes about 25 swords and daggers, two of which were also found in Panelia.
 "During the Bronze Age, the area around the ancient Gulf of Panelia was densely populated, as evidenced by the area's numerous burial mounds. Panelia also houses Finland's largest known Bronze Age burial mound, Kuninkaanhauta (roughly translated as  the Royal Tomb )," the press release stated.

Bronze Age sword found in western Finland garden