Summary: The canal was completed in 1856, linking Finland's largest lake with the Baltic Sea via the port of Vyborg.

Russia still plans to end transports of timber via the Saimaa Canal, with a bilateral economic policy body failing to resolve the issue on Thursday.
 If realised, the move would reduce traffic on the canal by a third from the start of November. Finland was keen to get Russia to reconsider at a meeting of a bilateral trade body on Thursday.
 Ville Skinnari  (SDP), Finland's Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, said on Thursday evening that progress had been made but no solution had yet been found.
 "The problems mostly relate to technical details," said Skinnari after a meeting of the Finnish-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Co-operation, which is co-chaired by Skinnari and Russia's Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.
 Lappeenranta MP  Jukka Kopra  (NCP) said on Thursday that the move by the Russian government was surprising but not unheard of.
 "These kinds of issues happen from time to time around border issues, and they have been resolved together with the Russians," said Kopra.
 The decision came about because Russia has introduced new rules governing which border posts can handle timber products.
 "And in this case it happens that the Russian customs post on the Saimaa Canal has been taken off that list," said  Mikko Kivikoski , Deputy Director General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
 Progress was made, however, according to Skinnari.
 "We now have a joint picture of the issue, and we see how important the Saimaa Canal is to us both," said Skinnari.
 Finland is now aiming to send additional information to Russia on the canal's timber transports and other freight that passes through the canal.
 The 42km canal runs from the Saimaa Canal in Lappeenranta through Lake Nuijamaa on the border with Russia to the port of Vyborg.

No deal yet on continuing Russian timber transports through Saimaa Canal


Summary: Migri says it is processing permits quicker in 2021.

Finland's immigration agency, Migri, says it is processing work-based residence permits more quickly than last year.
 Residence permits submitted by people who are working, or want to work, in Finland are being processed nearly twice as fast as they were in 2020, with the wait time down to 77 days from 143 days last year.
 Migri's goal, which was set by the government, is to get the wait time down to one month. It aims to achieve that during the course of 2023, in part by automating part of the process.
 The agency has been heavily criticised for long waiting times at service points and delays in getting permits for workers who want to move to Finland.

Migri: Work-based residence permit processing times shorten in 2021


Finnish state railway firm VR plans to open passenger rail service to Russia at the south-eastern border crossing of Vainikkala by Christmas, according to the company.
 Rail traffic at Finland's eastern border was shut down in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
 VR's announcement came a day after the Finnish government decided that the Vainikkala border point would be  open to rail traffic  from Monday 18 October.
 "VR is preparing to open rail service connections with Russian railways," said  Viktoria Hurri,  the director of VR's Finnish-Russian passenger services.
 The Finnish rail firm said it planned to provide more details about the conditions and starting date of the resumption of services at the beginning of next week.
 Return of Tolstoy trains also likely by Christmas
 Hurri said VR was negotiating with Russian Railways about resuming train service to Finland.
 "We agreed on which trains will operate and on what schedule and under which conditions passengers can be transported," Hurri explained.
 Russian Railways' service to Finland, which is branded as 'Tolstoy', is also expected to start operating by the Christmas season.
 Story continues after photo.
 Russia's Tolstoy trains are also set to resume by Christmas.  AOP
 "However, it is entirely up to our partner Russian Railways' decision when Tolstoy trips will start," she noted.
 The Vainikkala border crossing in south-eastern Finland only serves rail traffic.
 In terms of coronavirus-related issues and restrictions, rail traffic will be handled on the same terms as air or bus traffic.
 "In other words, we agreed on how passengers will be transported by trains safely and in accordance with entry restrictions. It's great that we're able to start train service after such a long break," Hurri enthused.
 Finland's Border Guard has said it is prepared to resume necessary border checks.
 On Thursday the Finnish government also decided to remove all entry restrictions on passengers arriving in Finland from any of the countries or regions on the EU's ' green list '. Other entry restrictions will remain in force until 7 November.

VR aims to restart Russian services by Christmas


Summary: The company says it needs to save 15 million euros annually by 2024.

Finland's state-owned gambling monopoly Veikkaus announced on Friday that co-determination restructuring talks with worker representatives had been finalised and that between 125-190 jobs at the company would be cut.
 The company said that the downsizing was due to a roughly 40 percent decrease in gaming volumes at its physical sales channels, and that it needs to save about 15 million euros per year by 2024.
 In November 2020, the company  shut down  thousands of slot machines across the country for an extended period due to the coronavirus crisis, following guidelines from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 Veikkaus initiated the  lay-off talks  in August of this year, negotiations that potentially affected around 830 employees.
 On Friday the company said that the exact number of terminations was not final, as talks with individual employees about job transfers within the company were still ongoing.
 The company noted that the employment terms of about 50 of its white-collar workers and 60-110 other employees will change significantly.
 Some arcades shutting down
 The firm said that a significant share of the 15 million euros it needs to save will be based on the closure of 15 of its gaming arcades, due to a decrease in profitability.
 Jari Heino , Veikkaus' SVP of channels and sales, said the company aimed to build "a sustainable, modern, and efficient company that enjoys the support of the Finnish people."
 Veikkaus is a significant source of funds for cultural, veterans’, youth, sporting and social and health care organisations.
 Earlier this week the Ministry of Education and Culture announced there would be funding cuts for the arts, culture, science and sport sectors in its 2022 budget, due to declining revenue from the state gambling monopoly.
 The specific cuts were announced by education and culture minister  Antti Kurvinen  on  Tuesday , but by  Thursday  leaders of three of the five parties in government had said they want a re-think.

State gambling firm Veikkaus cutting up to 190 jobs


Summary: Nearly 500 cases of the mosquito-borne viral infection have been diagnosed so far this autumn.

Public health agency THL has reported a rapid rise in the number of cases of Pogosta disease — a mosquito-borne viral infection with flu-like symptoms that is unique to Finland — during autumn this year.
 In the middle of last month, the agency recorded 151 infections but this number had jumped significantly, to 467, by mid-October.
 Some 83 cases have been found in blood tests carried out in Eastern Finland's North Savo region, which is the highest number of regional infections detected so far.
 There have also been 65 cases registered in Central Finland, 64 in North Ostrobothnia and 56 in the Pirkanmaa region.
 The last time such high numbers of the virus were detected nationwide was nearly 20 years ago, when 597 infections were recorded.
 "This is now clearly a 'Pogosta year'," professor of virology at the University of Helsinki  Olli Vapalahti  told Yle.
 The disease tends to be cyclical, meaning cases remain very low for about seven years and then there are suddenly hundreds of cases in one year.
 The highest number of infections ever recorded in Finland was in 1995, when more than 1,300 cases were diagnosed.
 Pogosta disease is caused by a virus that is transmitted through a mosquito bite, and the symptoms usually include a rash, mild fever and other flu-like effects — but in more extreme cases can lead to a painful arthritis.
 The disease was first detected in 1974 in the North Karelian village of Ilomantsi, located on Finland's eastern border with Russia, and the word 'pogosta' derives from the Russian term for the area around the village church.

Virus unique to Finland sees biggest outbreak in decades


Summary: Finland's Covid pass entered into force at midnight on Friday.

Finland's Parliament has voted to approve the temporary Covid pass law at a plenary session on Friday afternoon. MPs also approved the continuation of Finland's border entry restrictions during the same session.
 The proposal was approved by 105 votes to 33, with the Covid pass expected to enter into force from midnight on Friday after the legislation has been signed into law by President  Sauli Niinistö .
 The basic purpose of the pass is to allow businesses, such as restaurants or gyms, to circumvent regional coronavirus restrictions by ensuring that customers have been fully vaccinated against the virus, have recently tested negative or have recovered from the virus.
 An age limit of 16 years old has also been set, and the pass will only be used in areas where coronavirus restrictions are in effect.
 Furthermore, businesses and public spaces can decide themselves whether or not they will request that customers show a Covid pass.
 While it remains to be seen how widespread use of the pass will be, the types of establishments which could request the pass include: sports venues, gyms, swimming pools, theatres, museums and similar cultural spaces as well as bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
 Bars, restaurants may ask for pass from midnight
 According to a government  press release  on Friday morning, there are currently six regions where restrictions on the opening hours and operations of bars and restaurants still apply: Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Päijät-Häme and the Helsinki metropolitan area.
 This means that if a restaurant, for example, requires that customers show a Covid pass, the regional restrictions do not apply. However, if the restaurant does not ask customers for passes, then the establishment still needs to comply with regional Covid restrictions.
 A bar or restaurant that does require customers to show the passes will be able to stay open longer and serve alcohol later than establishments that do not use the pass system.
 Riku-Matti Lehikoinen , the Head of Avi's Alcohol Management Unit, told Yle that the agencies will begin monitoring compliance with the new regulations from midnight on Friday.
 "The Covid pass makes it clear that if the pass is in use, there are very few rules but if the pass is not in use, then there are quite a lot of rules and restrictions," he said, adding that inspectors can instruct restaurant or bar staff to check a customer's pass.
 "If we suspect that someone has not been asked for a pass, we can instruct staff to check the matter. People without a pass must be ordered out [after the closing time designated by the regional restrictions]," Lehikoinen said.
 Protestors gather outside Parliament
 Before MPs voted on the draft bill, an estimated 250-300 people gathered outside Parliament around noon on Friday to protest against the introduction of the pass.
 Story continues after the photo.
 Protestors from the 'For Freedom' movement outside Parliament. Benjamin Suomela / Yle
 The protest was organised by the  Vapauden puolesta  (roughly translated as 'For Freedom') movement.
 In Parliament, all of the members of the opposition parties who were present for the session from the Finns Party and the Christian Democrats as well as  Ano Turtiainen  of the one-man Power Belongs to the People (VKK) party voted against the bill.
 However, the 21 members of the opposition National Coalition Party that attended the session voted in favour, as did  Harry Harkimo  of Movement Now.

Finland approves Covid pass


Summary: The Finnish Football Association will submit a bid to host the tournament jointly with Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

The Finnish Football Association will participate in a joint Nordic bid to host the UEFA Women's European Championship in 2025.
 Finland will therefore join forces with the football associations of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to earn the right to host the tournament, with support also coming from football authorities in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
 "The European Championship finals bid, together with the other Nordic countries, is a key part of our goal to strengthen football as a sport for women and girls," the football association's Development Manager  Heidi Pihlaja  said in a press release.
 "We share the same values and goals with the other Nordic countries, and this project is a natural demonstration of building sustainable growth and co-operation - and to set a trend for the whole of Europe."
 Chair of the Danish Football Association  Jesper Möller  told Danish broadcaster DR and tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet at a press conference on Friday that his association has now abandoned its original plan to host the tournament independently.
 Applications must be submitted to European football's governing body UEFA by August next year, with the successful bid expected to be announced in December 2022.
 So far, only Poland has filed a confirmed bid to UEFA.
 The Nordic region's football associations have previously discussed submitting a joint bid to host the Women's 2027 World Cup, but Möller said these plans are now on hold as the associations await more information on the application process.
 Finland's national team,  Helmarit  (or Pearl Owls), have played in the European Championships on three previous occasions — in 2005, 2009 and 2013 — and will  make a fourth appearance  next summer when the tournament is held in England.

Finland joins Nordic bid to host Women's Euro 2025


Summary: Yle explores the inner workings of Finland's newly-introduced health pass.

Finland introduced a  national Covid pass on Friday . The basic purpose of the pass is to allow businesses, such as restaurants or gyms, to circumvent regional coronavirus restrictions by ensuring that customers have been fully vaccinated against the virus, have recently tested negative or have recovered from the virus.
 How does it work?
 Businesses use THL's reader app to scan Covid passes. Scanners can only see an individual's name, vaccination and test details. The reader app will turn green if a pass holder is fully vaccinated or has a recent negative test result. If these conditions aren't met, the reader app will flash red.
 Covid pass QR codes, however, contain more information than THL's reader app displays, according to researcher  Mikko Hyppönen  at cyber security company F-Secure.
 The pass holder's full name, date of birth and whether Covid protection is based on vaccination or a recent negative test result are embedded within the QR code. It also includes information on what type of vaccine a person has received and when.
 Hyppönen told Yle it's not too difficult to draw this information from a QR code.
 "Just as with other personal identification details, it's not wise to paste one's Covid pass QR code online or on social media," he said, though adding that identity theft would also require access to additional information.
 Fake apps, false certificates
 Juhani Eronen , a leading expert at the National Cyber Security Centre, noted it was important that businesses download public health institute THL's  official reader app  as counterfeit ones have also emerged.
 "Counterfeit apps are circulating. Restaurateurs and event organisers must ensure that they download the official Covid pass reader from a reliable app store. You have to watch out for criminal applications aimed at misusing personal information," Eronen explained.
 Black markets for fraudulent health passes have sprung up in many countries, including Finland. But is it actually possible to fake a Finnish QR-based Covid pass?
 Cyber security experts told Yle that while it's possible to fake something that looks like a Covid pass, a fraudulent QR code will not contain officials' digital signature, meaning THL's reader app is able to spot fraudsters.
 The digital signature makes it nearly impossible to use a valid Covid pass to forge a fake one, according to Hyppönen.
 "A Covid pass protected with a digital signature is as secure as Finnish online banking," he said.
 This hasn't, however, stopped some 10,000 sellers peddling false Covid certificates on messaging service Telegram, according to a study by IT security company Check Point.
 It's unclear how many people have actually purchased these certificates.
 "We've seen the adverts, but transactions occur in private chats, not on a public forum,"  Jarno Ahlström , a cyber security expert at Check Point explained.
 Event organisers are supposed to check that a person's identity matches the name on their Covid pass.
 "Those doing the checking need to establish that the names match up. This means you also need to carry a personal ID in addition to the Covid pass," Eronen explained.
 Criminal law professor  Kimmo Nuotio , however, said that someone attempting to borrow a friend's Covid pass will not face official sanctions, as showing a fake ID to a bouncer or store clerk is not criminalised.
 However, forging Covid passes or attempting to pass them off to the authorities or police is against the law.
 Businesses are unable to use the Covid pass reader to record how often patrons frequent their venues. Health officials meanwhile do collect anonymised data on health pass use, meaning they do not record information on individuals' specific movements.

Security considerations emerge as Finland adopts Covid pass


Summary: Regional authorities say upbeat Covid messaging may lead some residents to believe they don't need the vaccine.

Heikki Mäki , head of Southwestern Finland's Regional State Administrative Agency (Avi), told Yle he's been surprised by politicians' recent statements in light of Finland's current coronavirus situation. Regional state agencies are tasked with managing local Covid containment measures.
 The pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, while hospitals are  increasingly burdened by Covid patients .
 Earlier this month Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) said in an Yle interview how nice it was to once again visit cafés and restaurants. Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat also quoted the premier saying she hoped "all Finns could now feel that they can go out, do things and spend time with friends and family."
 "From where we are sitting, this is a surprising message," Mäki told Yle.
 He said that while he understood politicians want to paint a bright picture, this type of messaging has caused parts of the population to believe they don't need the Covid vaccine, and that it's not important to protect themselves or others from the virus.
 The government began  relaxing Covid restrictions on bars and restaurants  at the end of September. Around this time public health institute THL also said individuals should exercise their  own judgement  about using face masks.
 The Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland told Yle that there's a risk many citizens are misinterpreting recent Covid recommendations.
 "Bans on public gatherings were lifted and so were most restaurant restrictions. When mask guidelines changed and with remote work recommendations now ending, people can easily draw the conclusion that the situation is over," said  Riku-Matti Lehikoinen  of the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland.
 Regional authorities mull new restrictions
 Finland's network of regional state agencies are now trying to find a way of convincing residents to get vaccinated against Covid. Agencies in regions with the highest incidence of new cases are also considering whether to reintroduce some Covid mitigation measures.
 Southwestern Finland's Avi said it's asking experts to offer their assessments of the current Covid situation to help the agency formulate a position on new restrictions.
 The number of hospitalised Covid patients has risen sharply since the summer, even though 75.3 percent of people over the age of 12 were fully vaccinated against coronavirus as of Saturday.
 Local governments are now working to mitigate the spread of new infections. Marin's cabinet is, however, not instructing regional and local officials to take stricter measures to control the spread of new cases.
 Pasi Pohjola , a director at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, said "hitting the emergency brake" by asking local governments to introduce measures was far off at this point.
 "That would be a last resort. We'll do many other things before we start considering the 'emergency brake'," Pohjola told Yle's Ykkösaamu show on Friday.

PM's positive Covid outlook surprises regional state agencies


Summary: Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) says Finland will not cut arts and culture funding next year.

Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP) said political party leaders have reversed spending cuts aimed at sports and culture groups that have been beneficiaries of funding from state gambling firm Veikkaus which has seen shrinking revenues.
 The move follows  public disagreements this week within her cabinet  over culture cuts.
 Marin said the state will step in to fill Veikkaus' multimillion euro funding hole "100 percent" in the 2022 budget.
 "This is the shared view of all five coalition partners," Marin said, adding that the funding to shore up culture fits into the existing budget framework.
 Marin said that last spring when the cuts were planned, the cabinet did not have enough information about how much such measures would impact the sector.
 Earlier this week the Ministry of Education and Culture announced plans to cut funding for the arts, culture, science and sport sectors in its 2022 budget, due to declining revenue from state gambling monopoly Veikkaus.
 The cuts prompted widespread criticism from the culture sector, with threats of job losses and services contracting due to the austerity measures.
 Veikkaus shrinking
 The state betting and lottery firm has meanwhile announced it's cutting up to 190 jobs to help save 15 million euros annually by 2024. The company said that the downsizing was due to a roughly 40 percent decrease in gaming volumes at its physical sales channels.
 Last fall, the company shut down thousands of slot machines across the country for an extended period due to the coronavirus crisis, following guidelines from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
 While the cabinet has sorted out next year's shortfall in arts and culture funding, the government will face the same problem in 2023 as Veikkaus' revenue declines.
 "I hope the events of the past week have clarified the need for long term reform. From 2023 onwards, the situation will be even more difficult," Culture Minister  Antti Kurvinen  (Cen) tweeted of the arts and culture funding deficit.

Government reverses planned cuts to culture budget


Summary: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has red-listed Finland in its latest coronavirus update.

Finland went from  yellow to red  in the ECDC's situation report this week. Red countries indicate 75 to 200 new Covid infections per 100,000 inhabitants and a test positivity rate of four percent or more over the past 14 days.
 This means that the European agency does not recommend travel to Finland due to the deteriorating coronavirus situation.
 Other red zones induce Germany, Ireland and northern areas of Norway.
 In Europe, dark red zones are occupied by the Baltic countries and Romania, which have incidence rates of around 900 per 100,000 residents.
 The Finnish institute for health and welfare (THL) has reported Finland’s Covid incidence rate to be around 140 per 100,000, whereas Sweden’s figure is 80.
 On Saturday HUS' Director of Diagnostic Services,  Lasse Lehtonen , told  Ilta-Sanomat  that Finland was in a fifth wave of the pandemic, causing hospitals in the Helsinki and Uusimaa district to delay non-urgent care.

Finland turns red on European Covid map


Summary: Finland's yoga federation says practitioners should look into their teachers' credentials.

Finland does not have set criteria for yoga instructors or teachers. That said, anyone can start teaching a yoga class in the country.
 The Finnish yoga federation ( Suomen Joogaliitto ), which also runs its own programme for aspiring teachers, said it now wants Finland to establish national standards for yoga teacher training.
 The association told the Finnish News Agency STT that numerous yoga teacher training courses—ranging in duration from a few months to several years—have cropped up in Finland over the past decade.
 "There's a broad range of skill level when it comes to yoga professionals in Finland. Generally yoga teacher courses are more time-intensive than ones geared at future instructors," said  Sirpa Immonen , who runs the Finnish yoga federation's teacher training courses.
 Immonen said applicants to the federation's teacher training course must have two years' experience practicing with a certified teacher before applying for the programme lasting five to six years.
 She pointed out that teachers with relatively little training may not have enough knowledge of the type of yoga they're teaching, as the ancient form of fitness encompasses many different aspects.
 "Very physically challenging types of yoga require good knowledge of postures and anatomy. Overextending in certain positions can lead to joint problems," Immonen explained.
 From side hustle to full-time job
 Minna Lahdenperä , president of the Finnish yoga federation, said it's difficult to estimate how many yoga instructors and teachers are active in Finland as new teacher training courses are starting all the time.
 "Our federation alone has trained 900 teachers in Finland," she said.
 Ten years ago, most yoga teachers taught classes on the side, according to Lahdenperä. Finland has, however, seen many private yoga schools established in recent years, with many teachers also running their own businesses. This means more people are making a full-time living by teaching what has become a popular form of physical exercise.
 Yoga, tied to ancient Indian philosophy, first arrived in Finland in the 1950s. The country experienced a yoga boom in the early 2000s, and the practice has continued to attract followers since.
 "People are looking for a way of balancing their hectic pace of life. They want to calm down but also maintain their physical health," Lahdenperä added.

Federation: Anyone can be a yoga teacher in Finland


Summary: The autumn holiday for Finnish schoolchildren may seem more like a winter vacation with subzero temperatures in Lapland and snow making an appearance in central parts of the country.

There are sunny skies in the forecast for the early part of the autumn holiday week, but as of Wednesday, a powerful low-pressure front is likely to bring a change to the weather.
 In most parts of Finland, schoolchildren are enjoying a week's break from classes but in some areas, many will be dressing for winter weather.
 The week is expected to be a real mixed bag, kicking off with mostly sunny skies around the country, then on to rain, sleet and snow, and nighttime temperatures below freezing even in southern areas.
 According to Yle Meteorologist  Joonas Koskela , the best days for outdoor activities will be at the start of the week.
 "Looking at our forecast, the prettiest day will be Tuesday when it will be sunny throughout much of the country, with subzero temperatures in the north and temperatures well above freezing in the south," Koskela said.
 Winter in Lapland, snowy days further south
 By mid-week, however, those brisk, sunny autumn days will give way to snow, sleet and high winds as the weather becomes increasingly variable.
 "A low-pressure area will be stationary over Finland, with precipitation coming and going. The timing and the exact locations are still uncertain, but in much of the country we will get rain for the rest of the week," Koskela explains.
 Northern Lapland saw about 20 centimetres accumulation of snow cover in many places over the weekend. In Kittilä, one weather observation station reported 48 centimetres of snow on the ground. More snow is on the way in Lapland, another 20 to 30 centimetres if the current forecast holds true.
 "It is not unheard of, but there is quite an unusual amount of snow in the current forecasts for October," Koskela pointed out.
 In southern regions, the type of precipitation – rain, sleet or a mix of the two - will depend on the direction of the prevailing winds.
 In contrast, an area extending from Northern Ostrobothnia into Eastern Finland is very likely to get 10 centimetres of snow on Wednesday. Western parts of the country may see snow on Wednesday night.
 However, the wintry weather in these regions won't last, as warmer air pushes in, turning the snow to rain.
 Slippery roads
 As for temperatures during the week, Koskela describes the forecast as "interesting" in southern parts of the country, with the thermometer bouncing between subzero readings at night and up to +10C during the day.
 Motorists should take note of the nighttime frosts in much of the country from the beginning of the week which will make for slippery roads in the mornings.
 In Lapland, temperatures will drop again on Monday and stay below freezing for the remainder of the week. Depending on the wind and cloud cover, Lapland will see nighttime temperatures of around -10C to -15C during the early part of the week.
 Holidaymakers planning to enjoy outdoor activities may want to schedule them for the start of the week, or put them off until the coming weekend, after the wet windy weather starting Wednesday has passed.

Autumn school holidays turning wintry


Summary: A suspect shot at police in the courtyard of an apartment building in the city of Hämeenlinna last month, and officers returned fire.

The prosecutor's office in Hämeenlinna has indicated that it will not launch an investigation into the use of a police firearm during an incident at an apartment building in the city in September.
 Police were  responding to a call  in the Kettumäki area at about 11.30pm on a Friday night at the end of last month when one officer was shot in the courtyard of the building. In response, the Häme police department said at the time that "police used a service weapon to stop a dangerous person".
 Regional prosecutor  Juha-Mikko Hämäläinen , who is leading the probe, said in a press release that according to the emergency centre's incident report, the officers were not aware in advance that the call could involve a particularly significant threat of violence.
 When officers arrived at the scene they found five people gathered in the courtyard of the building. The situation seemed calm until one suspect pulled a gun from his pocket and shot at the police from a distance of about one metre, the bullet grazing the forehead of one of the officers.
 Police then returned fire, shooting a total of six bullets, two of which hit the suspect.
 The injured officer was taken to hospital, but released soon after.
 The regional prosecutor was informed of the incident, as is required whenever a police service weapon is used in the line of duty.
 The prosecutor said that the officers had been subjected to an unlawful attack and as the gun was still in the possession of the suspect, the situation posed an immediate and serious danger to the life and health of the people present. Given the sudden escalation of the situation, the prosecutor added, there was no time for the officers to react by any other means.
 Therefore, the prosecutor ruled, there is no reason to suspect either police officer present of having committed any crime.

Prosecutor: No investigation into use of police firearm


Summary: For reasons not entirely clear, too few young men in Finland are donating blood and stem cells that could help save lives.

Over six litres.
 That's how much of himself  Antti Lehtinen , 24, a Kuopio resident, has donated to help provide medical care for others. Starting while he was doing his national military service, he has so far given blood ten times and made one donation of stem cells.
 The stem cell donation took place in the spring of 2020. The experience was a memorable one.
 "The stem cell registry called and said that my particular cells could help someone who was seriously ill. I understood my responsibility immediately," Lehtinen recalls.
 Stem cell transplants are used to treat leukemia, among other diseases. It is often a patient’s last hope when all other treatments have been exhausted.
 Lehtinen underwent a procedure in Helsinki in which a litre of marrow was removed from his pelvic bone. Less than a year later, an anonymous, emotional letter dropped into Lehtinen's mailbox.
 "My donation had saved the life of a little boy somewhere. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get from knowing that," he says.
 The letter Lehtinen received did not reveal the identity of the boy he saved, and the boy will never know about Lehtinen. The donors and recipients of stem cell donations always remain anonymous  Toni Pitkänen / Yle
 Youth and gender are advantages
 Lehtinen is a rarity among tissue donors. By age and gender, he belongs to a group in short supply as donors of blood, stem cells and reproductive cells.
 "Young men are, by physiology, ideal donors in many respects. It is unfortunate that they as a group are not more active," says  Mika Gissler , a research professor at the Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
 Of Finland's more than 115,000 annual blood donors, less than 40 percent are men. The national Stem Cell Registry includes about 55,000 people, only around 30 percent men. The younger the age group, the fewer men there are.
 According to  Liisa Romo , of the Finnish Red Cross' blood bank service, young men could make a larger contribution to the security of supply. In part, this is because men can donate blood more often than women, and young people can potentially donate more than their older counterparts.
 Women donate more blood in Finland than do men. Silja Viitala / Yle
 Young men are especially high-value donors of stem cells.
 "Men are selected as donors more often than women. This is due to compatibility issues," explains  Matti Korhonen , Chief Physician at the Stem Cell Registry.
 "Women are also important donors, but male tissue types are suitable for a larger proportion of patients. In terms of age, a younger donor is usually better than an older one," he continues.
 Sperm imports from Denmark
 Last year, 217 men in Finland registered to donate semen. That is less than a third of what is needed for fertility treatments in the country as a whole.
 According to THL's Gissler, the situation has led to the majority of women in need of treatment being fertilised with sperm cells imported from abroad.
 THL's Mika Gissler is unable to say how more Finnish men could best be motivated to donate sperm. Yle/Taisto Lapila
 "A lot of [the needed] sperm cells are imported, especially from Denmark. This allows the treatments to be done. However, in terms of the child’s legal rights, sperm from domestic sources would be a better option," Gissler says.
 According to the law governing fertility treatments in Finland, a child has the right to know the identity the donor of the sperm or egg cells used in his or her conception after reaching the age of 18. Gissler points out that this is easy in Finland, but sometimes difficult when the cells are sourced from abroad.
 He adds that this law, which came into force in 2007, is one of the reasons why Finnish men are not too keen to donate sperm.
 "Many men in their twenties are not ready for the idea that a descendant could come knocking on the door later. This is the case, even though the donor has no support, inheritance or visitation obligations," he says.
 Continuing decline
 Attempts have been made in recent years to increase the enthusiasm of more young men to donate blood, stem cells and sperm. The issue has been brought to the fore at various public events, trade fairs and educational institutions, including the use of celebrity influencers and even a heavy metal band.
 Despite these efforts, the number of young men among donors has always been relatively small. For blood donations, it has even dropped.
 "Ten years ago, the proportion of men providing blood donations was a few percentage points higher. In other words, today's young people do not have the same enthusiasm for helping others as the age group that is now retiring," says  Liisa Romo  of the Red Cross' blood bank service.
 Meanwhile, Antti Lehtinen intends to continue to donate blood as long as he is allowed to do so. Under current age limits, that could be for the next 40 years.
 According to Antti Lehtinen, there are misconceptions about donating stem cells that he wants to dispel by sharing his experiences. Toni Pitkänen / Yle
 "In principle, I could get another request to donate stem cells. If I can save someone's life, then of course I'd agree," Lehtinen says.

Finland suffering shortage of younger blood, stem cell, sperm donors


Summary: Finland's President Sauli Niinistö tweeted on Monday that he has tested negative after being exposed to the coronavirus last week.

In a tweet on Monday, President  Sauli Niinistö  announced that he has tested negative for the coronavirus and is resuming his regular routine, adding, "Indeed vaccination provides protection. Awaiting a third."
 Niinistö was exposed to the coronavirus last Wednesday at an international holocaust forum held in Malmö, Sweden where he attended breakfast with his Latvian counterpart  Egils Levits . President Levits later tested positive for the virus.
 President Niinistö's office said on Thursday that he would remain in voluntary quarantine, avoiding contact over the weekend before being tested.
 The first visit to Finland by Estonian President  Alar Karis,  scheduled for last week, was cancelled because of Niinistö's exposure and subsequent quarantine.

President Niinistö Covid-free, resumes schedule


Summary: The Finnish Defense Forces says that if conditions allow, training will return to near-normal routines in January.

Restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus within the Finnish Defense Forces are to be lifted in four different stages. The first is the waiving of the current requirement to use a face mask and safety distancing of two metres outdoors.
 These first restrictions are scheduled to be lifted in November, after all conscripts have had access to two doses of a vaccine. The pandemic will also have to be judged to be under control before the plan is rolled out.
 In the second phase, canteens, social and sports facilities will be opened for use unit by unit. The requirement of maintaining a two-metre safe distance will also be waived for indoor activities. In addition, training will resume in larger groups than at present.
 Overall, conscript training is return to near-normal operations in early January, if the situation allows.
 In the third phase of the military's plan, training and leave routines will return to standard practice. This is likely to happen in the second half of January. The fourth stage, likely to be implemented in February, will see the Defense Forces return to full pre-coronavirus operations.
 The Defense Forces says it is constantly monitoring the effects of dismantling restrictions. The situation is being monitored locally, so restrictions can be lifted in different units at different rates. The phased lifting of restrictions is intended to maintain defense capabilities and protect the health of personnel and conscripts.

Finland's military planning to dismantle coronavirus restrictions


As Finland's Covid situation improved, children were no longer required to be completely free of cold symptoms to attend daycare. But many parents are left wondering if it is OK to bring their kids to daycare if they're recovering from a cold, among other things.
 During most of the coronavirus crisis, Finland maintained a strict policy that kids who came down colds or the flu could only return to daycare centres if their symptoms had significantly faded and also tested negative for Covid.
 The testing requirement has been waived. According to  Emmi Sarvikivi , chief physician at the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), requirements for kids to be asymptomatic was unreasonable, because young children get a lot of respiratory infections and their symptoms often linger for quite a while after they recover.
 "If being totally asymptomatic was required, in practice, children under the age of three wouldn't be able to go to daycare at all during cold and flu seasons," Sarvikivi explained.
 Story continues after photo
 Emmi Sarvikivi YLE / Juha Heikanen
 The THL's latest  coronavirus guidance for parents of young children  now recommends that daycare kids should stay home when initial cold symptoms appear. But after a few days of improvement, the agency said it was okay to head back to daycare.
 Some of the institute's guidance is subject to interpretation, so Yle asked Sarvikivi for help with navigating the recommendations.
 1. Mild early symptoms
 In its new guidelines, THL recommended that youngsters stay home from daycare and school if they have new symptoms of a viral infection. However, Covid testing of kids under 12 is no longer being recommended, except under exceptional circumstances.
 "The instructions clearly state that kids can't go back to daycare or school with early symptoms, no matter how mild they may be. That's when it's good to stay at home," Sarvikivi said.
 In the days before coronavirus became a part of daily life, going to work, school or daycare with a runny nose or mild cough was common. But that's not recommended now, because viral infections are their most contagious when symptoms first appear.
 Sarvikivi said she hopes that people will follow this guidance even after the pandemic subsides, pointing out that staying home during the onset of cold or flu symptoms helps to prevent the spread of viral infections in general.
 2. Fever = stay at home
 A child who has a fever or has green-coloured nasal mucus should not attend daycare or school, according to THL.
 "If a child has a fever or green snot, it means that the child isn't well. That's when it's time to stay at home," Sarvikivi said.
 3. What to do as symptoms improve
 Unlike in the spring, Finnish daycare centres no longer require children to be fully asymptomatic or have tested negative for Covid. The THL's updated guidelines say that kids can go back to daycare or school after their symptoms have improved. However, this guidance leaves room for interpretation.
 It is very challenging to assess when it's OK for kids to return, according to  Taina Markkanen , the director of the early childhood education unit at the Nurmi Castle Nursery daycare centre in Kouvola.
 "We just have to trust what the parents say. If they say that the child was in worse condition when they were at home and that they are clearly better, yes, we trust that," Markkanen explained.
 Story continues after photo
 Taina Markkanen Antro Valo / Yle
 Sarvikivi pointed out that it is difficult to create these kinds of guidelines so that there's no room for interpretation. According to THL, the recommendations are meant to be used as a general guide which may be subject to various interpretations.
 "Symptoms cannot be scored or given a [time scale], as their onset is often difficult to determine. In practice, the risk of infection decreases sharply after the onset of symptoms and is low after the first couple of symptomatic days," Sarvikivi said.
 Similarly, like other viral diseases, the infection risk of coronavirus rapidly decreases after the onset of symptoms.
 4. When it's OK to head back
 Children can return to daycare after spending a few days at home, when parents should keep an eye on their symptoms.
 "[It is OK for kids to return] if they have a bit of a runny nose or cough. But if, for example, the cough is severe and distracting to the child, it's not nice to be in daycare. The situation must always be assessed in terms of the child's ability to cope [with the situation]," Nurmi Castle Nursery's Markkanen said.
 A child's condition is also assessed by daycare staff.
 "If, in our opinion, we see the child not having the energy to play, for example, then we'll make a telephone call home," Markkanen explained.
 If children's runny noses are caused by allergies or such symptoms go away after they come indoors, THL has advised they can continue attending daycare, given that their health is otherwise good.

Sniffles no longer keep kids from daycare — THL doc explains updated guidance


Summary: The 218 patients currently receiving hospital care is in excess of 100 more than one month ago.

The number of people in Finland suffering from Covid-19 who require hospital care has risen significantly since last month, according to the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
 On Monday there were 218 people receiving hospital care for Covid, which is 26 more patients than on Friday and an increase of more than 100 patients a month ago, when there were 78 Covid patients in hospitals across the country.
 A total of 33 patients were in intensive care units in various parts of Finland as of Monday.
 THL reported four additional coronavirus-related fatalities over the weekend, bringing the country's Covid-19 death toll to 1,120.
 THL also noted on Monday that 1,310 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases were diagnosed across Finland since Friday, the last time the agency released new case numbers.
 The largest number of cases (541) were reported in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.
 Incidence rate up
 Finland's coronavirus infection incidence rate has risen slightly . This week the incidence rate stood at 138 per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, while a couple of weeks ago the incidence rate was 120 per 100,000 residents.
 On Sunday it was reported that Finland's classification in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's situation report changed from  yellow to red  this week.
 Countries deemed 'red' indicate 75 to 200 new Covid infections per 100,000 inhabitants and a test positivity rate of four percent or more over the past 14 days.
 That classification meant that the European agency does not recommend travel to Finland due to the deteriorating coronavirus situation.
 The highest incidence rate (248 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks) was in southern Finland's region of Päijät-Häme.
 Meanwhile the lowest incidence rate over the past two weeks (12.5 cases per 100,000 residents) was in East Savo.
 However, Finland's overall number of lab-confirmed coronavirus cases declined by just under 100 to 7,626 cases over the past two weeks.
 Covid vaccine coverage of residents over the age of 12 reached 75.7 percent by Monday.

Finland's Covid hospitalisations rising, THL reports


Summary: The company behind the arena project said decisions about the facility's naming rights were still being discussed.

The naming rights sponsor of the Tampere Arena project, technology firm Uros, has failed to pay several small bills since July, according to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
 The paper said it obtained the information about the company's unpaid bills from the digital business information firm Asiakastieto, adding that small overdue notices were issued in the summer and autumn.
 Based in Oulu, Uros is the Tampere Arena project's main sponsor and once built, there are plans to put the company's logo above the facility's entrance.
 However, the company's financial situation is uncertain. Among other problems, news agency STT reported that Uros faced paying around 15 million euros to debtors including the state treasury, Nordea Bank and the OP Oulu bank, which had filed claims at Helsinki District Court.
 Uros produces and sells mobile solutions and industrial internet systems, devices and services. The firm said last spring it had moved its headquarters from Oulu to Switzerland. At the time, the company had nearly 100 employees. However, HS  reported  that according to the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, Uros was still based in Finland.
 The company behind the Arena project is expected to decide on the naming rights sponsorship, with the firm's CEO  Marko Hurme  telling Yle that the matter was still pending.
 Uros executives have not issued statements about the company's financial status to Yle, despite numerous requests for comments.
 The Tampere Arena is a 13,455 capacity multi-purpose stadium located in the centre of the city, and is scheduled to open to the public in December.

HS: Tampere Arena project's main sponsor leaving minor bills unpaid


Summary: A day in a Finnish prison costs the same as a stay in a top hotel. Officials now favour cheaper ways for offenders to serve their sentences.

The price of a day in a Finnish prison has risen over the past decade, spurring a move to the expanded use of open prison facilities and probation for offenders.
 Every inmate in a closed prison facility costs society 82,500 euros a year. That works out to more than 225 euros a day, and a 10 percent increase in the past decade.
 For the same price, a guest can stay in a high-quality room in a hotel in the centre of Helsinki.
 However, the number of inmates in prisons has fallen by more than 500 during the past ten years, bringing down spending by tens of millions of euros. Nevertheless, the price per prisoner per day continues to climb.
 "Among other things, this is due to the fact that, for example, salaries and facility operational costs are high in relation to variable expenditure. If the number of prisoners falls, the unit price increases. 100 euros spent when there are three prisoners is 33 euros each and for four 25 euros," is how  Mika Ulmanen , Accounting Manager of the Criminal Sanctions Agency, explains it.
 In other words, the fixed costs of prisons do not fall even when the number of prisoners declines.
 Keeping more prisoners in open penal facilities would be much cheaper for society. A day in open prison costs 168 euros per prisoner. Supervised probation costs 63 euros per prisoner per day.
 Ageing population, fewer criminals
 Almost two-thirds of prisoners in the country are serving their sentences in closed facilities.
 The total number of prisoners, including those in closed institutions, open prisons and on supervised probation, averaged 2,800 last year. There were 152 fewer prisoners in 2020 than during the previous year.
 According to the Criminal Sanctions Agency, the numbers were temporarily affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which limited the start of some short-term prison sentences and sentences that were changed from fines to prison time. Those restrictions ended this past summer.
 Over the longer term, a significant factor in the fall in the number of prisoners is the ageing of the general population. Overall, the number of crimes reported to the police has decreased for many types of serious offences.
 The number of inmates in Finnish prisons has been steadily declining. Jaani Lampinen / Yle
 Open facilities and probation
 With the aim of cost savings, the Criminal Sanctions Agency has been moving to place more and more prisoners in open facilities and on supervised probation.
 Agency officials see  a number of advantages in open prisons compared to closed penal institutions . Good results have been achieved in open prison rehabilitation efforts, breaking the prison spiral, which also has the effect of reducing costs.
 The target for the occupancy rate of open prisons is 90 percent. This year, it has fallen to 84 percent. In order to improve the occupancy rate, officials are considering allowing more inmates to start their sentences in open facilities, rather than transferring after an initial period behind bars.
 Supervised probation is also a means to facilitate the adjustment of prisoners to normal life, and even less expansive than a stint in an open prison.
 Supervised probation can be granted up to six months before parole or the end date of a full sentence.
 The Criminal Sanctions Agency's target for the number of prisoners on supervised probation this year is 235, next year 240.
 Unauthorised leaves on the rise
 Since open prisons lack physical barriers inmates can't "escape" from these facilities, but some do avail themselves of the temptation to take "unauthorised leave".
 Last year, 73 prisoners walked out of open penal institutions without permission. That was twice as as many as in 2019. The Criminal Sanctions Agency believes the most likely explanation for the upswing was a significantly tightened exit permit policy implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 Leaving an open facility is not treated as escape. However, once apprehended a prisoner who has left an open institution without authorisation can be sentenced to a maximum of 10 days solitary confinement.

High cost of incarceration spurs more alternatives to prison


Summary: Making the Nazi or Heil Hitler salute is an offence in modern-day Germany, punishable by up to three years in prison.

Two Finnish tourists made Nazi salutes at a memorial site to the Dachau concentration camp in the Bavaria region of southern Germany on Sunday, according to reports by German media, including the nation's largest news site  Der Spiegel , as well as the news agency DPA.
 The Nazi salute, Hitler salute or  Sieg Heil  salute was a greeting used during the 1930s and 1940s and performed by extending the right arm into the air with a straightened hand. It is illegal in modern-day Germany and considered an offence punishable by up to three years in prison.
 German police told local media that two Finnish men, aged 50 and 52 years old, had photographed each other making the salute in front of the memorial site's visitor centre. A third man in their party also took photos of the incident, police added, before eyewitnesses reported to the police.
 A police spokesperson told the media that the Finnish men admitted making the salute but meant it as a "joke". The tourists were believed to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time, the spokesperson added further.
 The Finnish men also said they were unaware that making the salute was a punishable offence in Germany.
 "But maybe they could have got the idea that this is not welcome in Germany," the police spokesperson told the media, adding that criminal proceedings have been initiated in the case.
 All three men involved have been given lifetime bans from the memorial site.

German media: Finnish tourists give Nazi salute at concentration camp memorial


Summary: Although in the top ten for reliability, in terms of the adequacy of pensions, the Finnish system came in 13th place.

The Finnish pension system has been ranked seventh in a comparison of 43 countries carried out for the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index.
 Iceland's pension system was number one in the comparison, followed by the Netherlands and Denmark.
 The Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index is an annual comparison now in its 13th year. The index assesses pension schemes from the perspectives of pension adequacy, system sustainability and integrity.
 While Finland's total points improved slightly from last year's survey, it slipped down two places in the ranking. All of the Nordic countries are in the top ten, with Norway in fifth place and Sweden in eighth place.
 The administration of Finnish pensions was once again deemed the most reliable and transparent in the world, but the country came in at 13th in terms of pension adequacy.
 The Finnish pension system is seen as straightforward and transparent. The accrued pension follows the employee, despite change of workplace, and the accrued amount can be checked at any time on the pension record.
 "Comparing neighbouring countries is always interesting. Slightly surprisingly, Norway ranked last among the Nordic countries in sustainability. Less surprising was that Sweden ranked last among the Nordic countries in pension adequacy. Finland ranked fourth among the Nordic countries in both sub-indices,"  Ismo Risku , Head of the Planning Department at the Finnish Centre for Pensions said in a Tuesday press release.
 Last week, Yle News' All Points North podcast explored Finland's pension funding issues with economists who have differing ideas on how the country can balance growing pension outlays with other social protections.
 Article continues below podcast player.
 Long careers in Iceland
 According to the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the Icelandic occupational pension scheme is fully funded, as is the case in Denmark and the Netherlands. In addition, Icelanders have long careers with a retirement age of 67 and a high employment rate for older workers. Iceland's minimum pension benefits are also considered to be at a good level.
 In order to rise in this comparison, Finland should improve minimum pension security, the rate at which older members of the population are employed, as well as increase the savings rate of households and the funding rate of employment pension contributions.
 The employment rate of older workers in the 55–64 year-old age group has increased significantly, by ten percentage points, in Finland over the past decade.
 "Despite this, it is still clearly lower than in the other Nordic countries. In Sweden, for example, the employment rate of older people was almost ten percentage points higher than in Finland last year," the Finnish Centre for Pensions points out.
 Risku told Yle radio on Tuesday morning that although Finland's seventh place among the 43 mainly developed countries surveyed is quite good, there are also features that could be further developed.
 He pointed out that the top countries in the comparison, Iceland, the Netherlands and Denmark, stand out because their employment rates for older people are remarkably high, and they have been more willing to provide pension funding than in Finland.
 Of the main three areas assessed in the comparison, Finland's lowest points came in the sustainability of the system. Risku said that this latest comparison backs  the findings of a recent report  which said current payments in Finland will not enough to cover future pensions.

Finnish pension system ranked 7th globally


Summary: The remains of 82 people were taken from Finnish graveyards in the 19th century for studies in support of race theory.

Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture is preparing an official request for the repatriation of human remains removed from abandoned churchyard cemeteries in Finland nearly 150 years ago and shipped to Sweden for race studies.
 Most of the human remains, mainly skulls, which are still held in the collection of Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, were taken from the cemetery of a ruined church in Pälkäne in Finland's Pirkanmaa region in 1873. Some of the remains are from graves in the cemeteries of parish churches in Eno, Pielavesi and Rautalampi.
 In 2019, the Karolinska Institute issued an apology for their removal from Finland, but has not returned the remains despite numerous requests from organisations and private individuals.
 Joni Hiitola , Senior Ministerial Adviser at Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, told Swedish public radio last weekend that the remains are to be re-interred where they were excavated. If the cemetery where they were taken from is no longer in use, the remains will be buried in the current cemeteries of the parishes from which they were taken.
 MP  Pauli Kiuru  (NCP), who has filed a formal written question with the government about the issue, says that repatriation will be examined again this autumn.
 Efforts to convince the Karolinska Institute to return the remains, including those of the parish of Pälkäne, have been stalled for several years.

Sweden pressed to return Finnish skulls taken for race studies


Summary: "We want to protect our most fragile populations from dying of coronavirus. That will be best achieved by giving them a third dose," the institute's chief physician, Hanna Nohynek, said.

The Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) issued recommendations on Tuesday that people over the age of 60 and those belonging to medical risk groups be offered third doses of the Covid vaccine, also known as boosters.
 The institute's recommendations also apply to people residing in institutions and nursing homes, regardless of their age.
 THL's chief physician and vaccinologist,  Hanna Nohynek , said the effectiveness of Covid vaccines decrease over time in people who are more than 60 years of age.
 "This has been observed in Finland and around the world," Nohynek told Yle.
 She noted, however, that the vaccine provides very good protection for the majority of the population against severe reactions to coronavirus infections for at least six months. But the effectiveness of the vaccines appears to decline in those who are at greater risk of complications from a coronavirus infection, as well as the elderly.
 "Medical literature on the immunogenicity of the vaccines support this. We want to protect our most fragile populations from dying of coronavirus. That will be best achieved by giving them a third dose," she said.
 To date, every fully-vaccinated person who died of Covid in Finland was over the age of 60, according to the chief physician. A third dose improves the protection of these groups against both the risk of being infected as well as suffering from severe complications from an eventual infection.
 Nearly 2 million booster doses
 Nohynek said that vaccines provide 80 to 90 percent protection against suffering from severe complications to people in younger age groups, adding that there was no need yet to offer boosters to people under 60.
 More than one million people in Finland are over the age of 60 and there are about 700,000 people belonging to medical risk groups. The Nordic country's total population is about 5.5 million people.
 "So we are talking about booster doses for nearly two million people," Nohynek pointed out.
 A booster, or third, dose of the Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna vaccines can be administered at least six months after the second dose. It is preferable for boosters to be the same vaccine as the first two, but if necessary another type may be provided, according to the THL.
 Individuals in medical risk groups include people with ailments that predispose them to severe complications from Covid. These groups include, for example, recent organ transplant recipients, cancer patients currently undergoing treatment, people with severe immune system disorders, severe chronic kidney, heart or lung disease.
 THL has previously issued guidance to offer booster shots to severely immunocompromised individuals. Around 77,000 third doses have already been administered across Finland to at-risk groups, health care personnel as well as nursing home residents and staff.

THL recommends third Covid doses for over-60 set


Summary: The ambassadors of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Canada and New Zealand were also summoned by Turkey's foreign ministry.

The foreign ministry of Turkey has summoned the ambassadors of 10 countries, including Finland, to be reprimanded after their embassies jointly issued a petition demanding the release of a Turkish activist.
 The ambassadors' petition called for the urgent release of the Turkish philanthropist  Osman Kavala  who has been jailed for years, without being convicted.
 According to news service  Reuters , the statement called for a "just and speedy resolution to Kavala's case", saying the matter "cast a shadow over respect for democracy."
 Along with the ambassador of Finland, the ambassadors of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Canada and New Zealand were summoned by Turkey's foreign ministry.
 Jailed for years
 Kavala has been imprisoned since 2017, with rights groups saying his incarceration was part of President  Tayyip Erdogan 's crackdown on dissent.
 The embassies of the ambassadors who took part in the petition referred Kavala's situation to the European Court of Human Rights, to which Turkey is also committed, calling for a solution to the matter.
 The Council of Europe has threatened to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Turkey if Kavala is not released by the beginning of December at the latest.
 According to news outlets including Reuters and AFP, the meeting of the diplomats was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
 Turkey's Interior Minister  Süleyman Soylu  and Justice Minister  Abdulhamit Gül  criticised the ambassadors' involvement in the matter.
 "Your recommendation and suggestion cast a shadow on your understanding of law and democracy,"  Soylu  said on Thursday in a  tweet .

Turkey summons Finnish ambassador over support for political prisoner


Summary: The Deputy Physician of the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district noted that Finland has still not reached the target of 80 percent vaccination coverage.

Coronavirus restrictions should have been lifted in a more controlled way, Deputy Chief Physician of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS)  Eeva Ruotsalainen  told Yle's A-studio current affairs programme on Tuesday evening.
 The increasing number of Covid patients requiring hospital treatment across the country has led to vital surgeries being delayed for other patients. In the HUS district, for example, a number of heart surgeries scheduled for last week had to be postponed, while surgical procedures have also been postponed in the Päijät-Häme region, which currently has the highest infection rate in the country.
 During her appearance on A-studio, Ruotsalainen pointed out that vaccination coverage in Finland has still not reached 80 percent, which was the goal set by the government for the lifting of Covid restrictions.
 Instead, most restrictions were relaxed as early as the beginning of October, even though vaccine coverage was still far from the target at the time.
 "Yes, I would say that the restrictions should have been lifted in a more controlled way, because our vaccination coverage is still not even at the 80 percent that was considered a kind of target," Ruotsalainen said, adding that even 80 percent coverage might not be sufficient to prevent the spread of infections.
 Chief physician of the Päijät-Häme region  Tuomo Nieminen  also took part in the discussion on A-studio, and agreed that the measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus were lifted too quickly.
 "The plan for lifting the restrictions was certainly good, but then it was implemented too soon," Nieminen said.
 Health ministry official: Situation is "worrying"
 Kirsi Varhila , Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, told Yle earlier on Tuesday evening that she was worried about the current coronavirus situation and that regional authorities have a responsibility to take action.
 "Now we should start thinking about well-targeted restrictive measures in areas where the capacity of hospital care, in particular, is beginning to be put into jeopardy," Varhila said.
 However, she added that a nationwide "emergency brake" is not needed for the time being as regional measures can be introduced first, in line with the government's current hybrid strategy.

HUS doc: Restrictions should have been eased in more controlled manner


Summary: Costumes worn by University of Helsinki students at a game-themed event have led to a wider societal debate about the popular Star of Africa game.

The popular Finnish board game  Afrikan tähti , or the Star of Africa, has been at the centre of a lively social media debate in recent days.
 The discussion began when tabloid Iltalehti  reported  (in Finnish) that a number of first year geography students at the University of Helsinki dressed as Star of Africacharacters to attend a game-themed, student-organised event. Their choice of outfits was criticised by a German exchange student on the photo sharing social media platform Instagram.
 The post quickly ignited a wider debate about the game and the era of colonialism it represents.
 Fatim Diarra  (Green), chair of the City Council of Helsinki,  wrote  on Twitter that the game is "very dear" to her, especially as her father is from Mali, which only gained independence from French colonial rule some seven years after Star of Africa was released.
 Diarra added that she welcomes conversations about racist elements that present themselves within Finnish society and the increased recognition of certain stereotypes and behavior as negative.
 On Tuesday, the University of Helsinki's official Twitter account  wrote  that the students had been caught up in an "unreasonable social media storm" and that everyone should be given "room to make mistakes and learn from them".
 "There is still a lack of understanding about racism in Finnish society and at the University. We do not always understand how social practices and structures feel to people who experience racism continuously in their lives," the university tweeted, adding that a three-day anti-racism training programme had already been prepared for staff, as well as a section on anti-racism in tutor training.
 However, many other commenters have questioned the relevance of such a debate over a board game and questioned whether the 'classic' game will now be banned.
 Yle therefore asked researchers and specialists for their opinions on how the 70-year-old game looks in 2021.
 Tarzan books influenced game creator
 Star of Africa was developed in the late 1940s by  Kari Mannerla , then only 19 years old, and was released in 1951, at a time when large parts of the African continent were still under European colonial rule.
 The main objective of the game is to find the legendary giant diamond, the Star of Africa, while 'exploring' the continent and collecting other gemstones, but avoiding robbers.
 Once the diamond has been located, the players must race to the northern African cities of either Cairo in Egypt or Tangier in Morocco, which are the start and end points of the game.
 University of Turku researcher  Olli Löytty  told Yle that he first started participating in discussions about the colonialism aspect of the board game in the late 1990s.
 At that time, Löytty said he received a deluxe version of the game from Mannerla in the mail, with a cover letter enclosed. In the letter, Mannerla explained that he had been a "victim" of the writings of Tarzan creator  Edgar Rice Burroughs  when he created the game and that he was not as familiar with African history as he would later become. Mannerla died in 2006.
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 For many Finnish people, the board game provided their first impressions of Africa. Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle
 Burroughs had been a strong supporter of eugenics and scientific racism, writing the Tarzan series to reflect his beliefs.
 "The game features a collection of images from adventure books and exploratory travel dating back to the 19th century. It was released during the 'golden age' of colonialism," Löytty said.
 Colonialism refers to the policy or practice of people or states acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying the territory with settlers, intervening in the local society and culture, and exploiting it economically.
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 The game starts and finishes in northern Africa. Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle
 "In the game players are looking for the biggest treasure in Africa, which is what was really done there. It’s easy to see the connection with colonialism," Löytty added.
 During the 1940s and 1950s, many Finnish people had a very scant understanding of the continent of Africa, most of which was based on depictions in popular culture, such as from Burroughs’ Tarzan books.
 "At that time, there was little information about Africa available on television, but perhaps only from some adventure films or books or travelogues," University of Turku history researcher  Essi Huuhka  told Yle.
 "Some Finns also did missionary work there, especially in Namibia. In schools, something might be taught, especially about African nature, but of course everything happened within a colonialist framework."
 African countries began to win their independence from colonial powers during the late 1950s and 1960s.
 Game takes a colonialist viewpoint
 When playing Star of Africa, the player assumes the position of a colonialist: they search for gemstones in "wildest" Africa, avoiding potential robbers, and at the end of the game they return back north, or at least to the port cities of North Africa.
 African people only appear in the game as caricature-like illustrations on the board.
 "Africa is depicted as an empty region with no states or kingdoms, only exciting nature where it is good to go on an adventure. It’s an exotic place, and the people have also been depicted as exotic," Huuhka said.
 Story continues after the image.
 African people were depicted on the board in caricature-like illustrations. Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle
 In fact, the period of colonial rule and the colonialism of the African continent by European countries led to not just economic exploitation, but also caused enormous human suffering, for example through the slave trade, famines, and tyrannical rule.
 The mining of gemstones and the diamond trade have also caused a lot of problems in Africa, and continue to do so.
 "It is too much to expect a 1950s board game to comment on these things. However, that does not preclude a critical debate on it now. The game may well be played, but it’s good to recognise its context and what kind of imagery it represents," Huuhka added.
 Significance of effects on worldview cannot be denied
 The Star of Africa board game is arguably Finland's most famous and best-known depiction of Africa, and for many Finnish people it is their first contact with the continent.
 According to researcher Löytty, the cultural and historical significance of the game cannot be denied, especially as it is aimed at children.
 "Yes, it affects the worldview. Games espouse the things that affect how you see the world," Löytty said, adding that he does not understand why some people think that if things are criticised, it would mean that they must be banned altogether.
 "Cultural history cannot and should not be erased. The game is a great opportunity to have a discussion about how the world has been previously seen," he said.
 During the course of the debate sparked by the student event at the University of Helsinki, some have argued that Finland has never had a colony in Africa, and therefore Finnish people can play the game with a clear conscience.
 "That's a pretty simplistic argument," Löytty said. "Finland was part of the world culture and shared a worldview in which, until recently, it was a normal thing to take over and exploit other countries."
 Huuhka pointed out that the debate about the Star of Africa board game is part of a wider discussion that has been going on for several years about Finnish products and their racist imagery.
 "It is good that this debate is taking place," he said.

Student racism row ignites colonial board game debate


Summary: Uros, the company with naming rights for the arena, said they did not violate any of the terms or conditions of the funding agreements.

Finnish technology firm Uros deliberately withheld information and provided false details in order to secure millions of euros in product development funding during the early 2010s, state investment agency Business Finland has said.
 From 2011 to 2013, the company received almost 5 million euros in loans as well as a grant of 1.25 million euros from Business Finland's predecessor Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
 The agency demanded at the end of last year that Uros repay the money immediately, but the tech firm has made an appeal to the Helsinki Administrative Court.
 In a statement submitted to the court, Business Finland said that in 2019 and 2020 it became aware that Uros had concealed information that would have led to the grants and loans being denied.
 "The company has applied for and received financing for a proposed licensed business, which, according to the information provided, it did not intend to implement," the statement said, adding that Uros had secretly agreed to transfer the resulting funds to a Luxembourg subsidiary.
 Uros was established in the city of Oulu in 2011, and has built its business around consumer and IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity, as well as cloud-based service platforms and connected hardware.
 The company came to public prominence in March 2020, when it was announced that the 14,000-seater multi-purpose Tampere Arena — set to be completed in December this year — would be named the Uros Live Arena, as the firm had secured a naming-rights deal.
 However, news agency STT reported earlier this month that Uros has only paid the interest on its Business Finland loans for the past ten years and only on a part of them, a total of less than 400,000 euros.
 The non-payment of the loans is especially curious, STT noted, as the company claims to have made a total operating profit of more than 300 million euros between 2017 and 2019 alone.
 Earlier this week, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat wrote that the company has  failed to pay several small  bills since July, while STT reported that Uros faced paying around 15 million euros to debtors including the state treasury, Nordea Bank and the OP Oulu bank.

Business Finland: Tampere Arena sponsor secured loans, grants on false pretences


Summary: The charges relate to people arriving into Finland from abroad but failing to take one or both of the two Covid tests mandatory for people not fully vaccinated or coming from a country with a high infection rate.

Prosecutors have filed charges in Helsinki District Court against three defendants over their refusal or failure to take a mandatory Covid test on arrival into Finland, the first such cases of their kind in the country.
 The charges relate to a temporary section added to the Communicable Diseases Act during the summer, according to which an adult who intentionally or through gross negligence fails to take a Covid test will face a fine.
 The law change allowed travellers from abroad who are fully vaccinated, have recovered from Covid within the previous six months or come from a country with a low infection rate to freely enter Finland. Other passengers must take a test on arrival, self-isolate for three days, and then take a second test.
 News agency STT asked other district courts around the country if they have handled similar cases, but none were discovered. However, more charges are likely, as Finland's number-crunching agency Statistics Finland had recorded the filing of 63 criminal reports over the failure to take a mandatory test by the end of September.
 Turku man fined for breaking quarantine order
 Previously, people who refused to take a Covid test at the border could be fined for committing a health violation, which could also apply to cases where a person leaves quarantine before the allocated time had expired.
 Earlier this month, the District Court of Southwest Finland dealt with a case in which a Turku man, who had returned to Finland from a business trip, was ordered to self-isolate. However, he admitted to the court that he broke the order by visiting a grocery store.
 In its ruling, the court said that, given the circumstances and the danger the man's actions posed to the health of others, a fine was an adequate punishment, and he was ordered to pay an income-linked day fine of 150 euros.

Finland files first criminal charges over refusal to take Covid test


Summary: Local residents had complained that veteran Green Party politician Anni Sinnemäki influenced the decision to grant a special building permit to an acquaintance.

Helsinki's Deputy Mayor and veteran Green Party politician  Anni Sinnemäki  was cleared of a dereliction of duty charge by the Supreme Administrative Court on Wednesday.
 The charges had related to the granting of zoning permits in an area of old villas in Helsinki's Meilahti neighbourhood, as some local residents said they suspected Sinnemäki of helping her friend  Pihla Viitala  acquire a special building permit in the historical area in 2016.
 However, the court ruled that the relationship between Sinnemäki and Viitala — an actor who co-owns the property with her sister — was not so close that it would have prevented the deputy mayor from participating in the decision to grant the permit.
 According to Finland's Administrative Procedure Act and Local Government Act, a councillor may be prevented from involvement in a matter under city or council consideration if it concerns a person who is particularly close to him or her. This generally means a family member or other close relative.
 Several complaints were made to the Supreme Administrative Court about Sinnemäki's involvement in the granting of the permit, alleging that she and Viitala were close friends. Viitala's participation in Sinnemäki's election campaign was cited as an example of their close relationship, as well as their connection on social media.
 The complaints led to police  opening a preliminary investigation  into the matter in June.
 Sinnemäki and Viitala rarely met
 Sinnemäki denied that she was close friends with Viitala, but rather had a wide circle of acquaintances which included Viitala.
 Viitala had also been married to Sinnemäki's former husband.
 However, the court ruled that this did not affect their acquaintanceship, and that they generally only met about once a year or less.
 On this basis, the higher court upheld the ruling of the administrative court, which previously found that the matter did not represent a conflict of interest for Sinnemäki.

Court clears Helsinki deputy mayor of influencing zoning decision


Summary: This would mark the first attempt in Finnish history to ban a nationally-operating organised crime biker group.

Prosecutors are seeking to ban the motorcycle gang Cannonball MC -- widely considered an organised crime group -- and its subsidiary Squad 32, marking the first time that attempts have been made to dismantle a national biker gang.
 In the recent past,  neo-Nazi organisation Nordic Resistance Movement  and  crime gang United Brotherhood have been banned  in Finland. For United Brotherhood, the court's decision is not yet final, but the organisation is temporarily banned from operating.
 On October 20, prosecutors filed a lawsuit in Päijät-Häme District Court to ban Cannonball MC, in its entirety, along with its subsidiary organisation Squad 32. Prosecutors consider Cannonball MC to be an illicit association according to Section 3 of the Associations Act, acting in a manner contrary to the law and good behaviour.
 "The primary purpose and goal of this gang is to obtain financial gain through criminal means," says special prosecutor  Timo Honkahuhta .
 According to Honkahuhta, the complaint is similar to that demanding the dissolution of the United Brotherhood. Both are, according to the prosecution, militarily organised crime groups.
 Prosecutors say Squad 32 is contributing to Cannonball MC's illegal activities. The complaint asks that both associations be temporarily suspended. A temporary injunction is a measure that can be ordered by a district court even before a possible injunction can be issued.
 Several Cannonball-related preliminary examinations and trials are currently underway.
 Defendant in custody
 Prosecutors have named  Esko Eklund , director of Cannonball MC, as the defendant in the complaint.
 Born in 1976, Eklund has previously been convicted of crimes he committed as part of Cannonball MC and has allegedly been in charge of the gang for a number of years. Cannonball MC itself has not publicly announced a leader of the organisation.
 Eklund is currently in custody on suspicion of aggravated drug offences.
 Organised crime group
 Cannonball has been identified as an organised crime group in several Finnish courts, including the Supreme Court, usually in relation to stiffer sentences for gang members.
 One of the grounds for the harsher sentencing of a defendant is that the crime was committed as part of the activities of an organised crime group.
 Penalties for Cannonball members have often been hardened on the basis of this section in the Finnish penal code.

Prosecutors aim to dissolve motorcycle crime gang


Summary: The Prime Minister said last week that Finland should re-think attitudes towards debt, especially in terms of funding a so-called 'green transition' to fight climate change.

Minister of Finance  Annika Saarikko  (Cen) told Yle that she is not in favour of making changes to Finland's framework on public sector borrowing, for example in order to finance climate investments that could lead to the state taking on more debt.
 Last week, Prime Minister  Sanna Marin  (SDP)  said  she wanted to re-think the country's attitude towards debt, especially in terms of funding a so-called 'green transition' to fight climate change.
 However, in an interview with Yle on Wednesday, Saarikko said it would be difficult to determine the necessary investments. In practice, she added, each party could propose to move a wide range of costs and investments outside of the framework, which in turn would increase spending and add to the country's debt.
 Traditionally in Finland, each government has set a spending limit at the start of its four-year term in office, but the current government has had to breach its own limits due to the coronavirus crisis.
 "It would be a slippery slope that could lead to broader definitions of what exactly green debt means," Saarikko said, citing as an example the funding of efforts to tackle the marginalisation of young people could also be justified as an investment in the future, outside of the agreed framework.
 "Could we trust each other that there would be no temptation to define new projects as investments," she asked.
 Speaking at a  climate debate  organised by Helsingin Sanomat last week, PM Marin suggested that investment in projects aimed at tackling climate change could be excluded from the framework procedure.
 "I would be careful not to break Finland's own framework system. Even if the expenditure were outside the framework, it would require taking on debt," Saarikko said, adding that shifting expenditure outside of the framework would lead to a "hole" in the system, or a leak in the framework and therefore a need to take on additional debt.
 "I am not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of making my own framework system full of holes," the minister added.

Finance minister at odds with PM Marin's green transition spending proposal


Summary: Turku, Mariehamn and Helsinki have been selected as host ports in 2024 for the annual sailing competition.

Sailing competition series Tall Ships Races makes its way to Finland once again in 2024, it was announced on Wednesday. The host ports for the Tall Ships Races in Finland are Turku, Mariehamn and Helsinki.
 The announcement was made by the city of Rauma, which did not get the hosting gig it had wished for.
 Turku will mark the start and finish port of the competition series, but, in actuality, the start and finish line will be in open waters near Utö. The ships can be seen in Turku from 18 to 21 July, in Helsinki from 4 to 7 July and in Mariehamn from 24 to 27 July 2024.
 "I am thrilled that Turku will once again have the opportunity to host this wonderful maritime event after last summer's cancellation. We can take advantage of the preparations we had made earlier, so we are already well on our way," said Turku Mayor  Minna Arve  in a press release.
 The Tall Ships Races, which were set to take place in Turku and Mariehamn in the summer of 2021, were cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The cities chosen for the 2024 races are the ones that were due to host the 2021 regatta, which also include Klaipeda in Lithuania, Szczecin in Poland and Tallinn in Estonia.
 Turku has been the host port of the Tall Ships Races in 1996, 2003, 2009 and 2017. Helsinki, on the other hand, has been the destination port of the Tall Ships Races in 1972, 1988, 2000 and most recently in 2013.
 Tall Ships Races is a large sailing competition held, on average, every four years on the Baltic Sea. The event is expected to attract around a hundred entrants and attracts about half a million spectators in each host city.
 The event is organised by the non-profit organisation Sail Training International (STI). STI's main focus is on youth work and promoting the cooperation of young people, regardless of nationality, cultural background, religion or social background.

Tall Ships Races make their return to Finland in 2024


Summary: President Niinistö said the demilitarisation of Åland remains important for continued stability in the Baltic Sea region.

The Åland Convention of 1921 remains an important agreement for ensuring stability in the Baltic Sea region, President of Finland  Sauli Niinistö  said on Wednesday at a ceremony celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Åland Non-Fortification and Neutralisation Convention.
 "The Åland Convention is a stabilising force for peace in the Åland Islands. It is not a historical relic, but a living entity and a much-needed agreement for the Baltic Sea region," said Niinistö.
 October 20 marks the centenary of the signing of the treaty on the demilitarisation and neutralisation of Åland by the member states of the League of Nations, in which Finland was also to guarantee the tradition of the Swedish language, the island's local culture and its system of self-governance.
 The question of Åland's autonomy nearly resulted in an open conflict between Finland and Sweden more than a hundred years ago, as cited by Niinistö in his speech.
 "I am happy to note that an issue that was once in danger of generating conflict has been successfully solved in a manner that is favourable to all," Niinistö said, adding that the Åland Convention has a strong foundation in international law and Finland continues to work to ensure that the international system that supports the agreement remains strong in the future as well.
 Bad weather prevents the president from attending in person
 Deputy Minister for the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs  Robert Rydberg  and Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs  Pekka Haavisto  (Green) also spoke at the event. Topics included the international importance of demilitarisation, European defence and the security of the Baltic Sea.
 President Niinistö and Foreign Minister Haavisto were unable to make it to Åland because of bad weather, instead delivering their speeches virtually.

Åland celebrates 100-year anniversary of demilitarisation


Summary: In July of 2021 alone, 80 victims – two to three visitors a day – sought help from the HUS Women's Clinic's Support Centre, Seri.

The number of visitors at a Helsinki support centre for victims of sexual violence has reached a notably high level. In July of 2021 alone, 80 victims – two to three visitors a day – sought help from the HUS Women's Clinic's Seri Support Centre.
 "That is a lot of cases for a single month and quite a burden for this centre. We were able to handle all cases, but if this was the norm, we would lack the capacity," psychologist  Pertti Hakkarainen  told Yle.
 In November 2020, Yle reported on the centre's rising numbers. At the time, Hakkarainen said he found the number of 60 rape victims, who sought help in June 2020, to be shockingly high.
 Hakkarainen and his colleagues now expect this winter to be equally as busy.
 "There seem to be two factors that increase our number of visitors throughout the year: one is warm weather, and the other is a celebration and the use of alcohol, which means we expect increasing numbers of visitors at the beginning of the Christmas party season," he said.
 Story continues after photo
 Psychologist Pertti Hakkarainen Petteri Juuti / Yle
 On the other hand, Hakkarainen noted that it is good that victims are seeking assistance. The more people seek help, the less chronic trauma occurs, which in turn can often cause depression, anxiety and fear.
 "If the increased number of visitors indicates a lowered threshold for seeking treatment, that is a good thing," he said.
 Queue shortened by creating small support groups
 Associations such as rape crisis centres Tukinainen and Loisto Setlementti’s  Tyttöjen Talo  (Girls' House) bear the greatest responsibility for follow-up care of sexual violence victims.
 Tyttöjen Talo's experts assist girls and young women between the ages of 13 and 28.
 An increased need for support forced the organisation into a tight spot last fall when no new visitors could be checked in.
 However, the gathering of small support groups, a programme that was being piloted at the time, has proved to be a workable solution, according to  Tommi P. Pesonen , the director responsible for sexual violence support.
 Because of these groups, there has been no need to turn away visitors this year, although another hundred people have sought out the organisation for assistance and advice.
 "We are pushed to the brink at all times. We are barely able to handle the people who come to us," Pesonen said.
 Story continues after photo
 Tommi P. Pesonen, director in charge of sexual violence support at the Loisto Setlementti’s Girls 'and Boys' Houses  Petteri Juuti / Yle
 During professionally supervised small group meetings, young women receive information about how sexual violence affects a person and how symptoms can be tolerated and alleviated.
 "The support group has received really good feedback. Even though there are only five meetings, people have gained a lot of new information and a sense that they are not alone," Pesonen added.
 A couple of new groups start each month, which make the wait-times a month at their longest. The downside is that the organisation can no longer offer long-term help the way it used to.
 Trauma treated in the early stages reduces suffering
 Nearly 80 percent of those arriving at the Seri Support Centre are young women under the age of 30. Assistance is typically sought within one to three days of the incident.
 According to Hakkarainen, the perpetrator of sexual violence is almost always a person known to the victim. One third of the perpetrators met the victim that same evening.
 As many as 40 percent of victims have previous experience of sexual violence.
 Pesonen finds the situation worrying.
 "When a person has more than one experience of sexual violence over a longer period of time, he or she is very traumatised. These people still seem to fall through the cracks when it comes to getting help," he said.
 Hakkarainen noted that one solution could be to increase trauma skills in primary health care. For example, health centres should be staffed with trauma experts.
 "It should be understood that if a traumatic event is treated at an early stage, it will prevent long-term mental health problems, mental anguish and reduce suffering. It is a worthwhile investment," Hakkarainen said.

Helsinki rape support centre reports record number of victims


Summary: As of the middle of this week, Finland's overall Covid-19 death toll reached 1,133.

As of Wednesday, Finland recorded 572 coronavirus-related fatalities so far this year, according to data from the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), more than the country's total number of Covid deaths in 2020.
 Last year Finland reported a total of 561 coronavirus-related deaths.
 These figures are based on THL data, but Statistics Finland's preliminary figures on Covid deaths differ slightly from the health institute's. The country's statistics agency is scheduled to publish an official tally of 2020's Covid fatalities in December.
 The country first rolled out  Covid vaccines  to front-line health care workers at the end of 2020.
 Most of those who succumbed to Covid-19 in Finland were over the age of 80, accounting for about 60 percent of all deaths related to the viral disease. Some middle-aged and younger adults also died from Covid — eight of whom were under 40-years-old.
 Slightly more men (596) died from coronavirus infections than women (537).
 As of Thursday an overall total of 1,133 deaths have been linked to Covid-19 in Finland.
 The first coronavirus-related fatality in Finland was reported on 25 March, 2020, meaning that last year's deaths accumulated over the course of less than nine months, according to preliminary data.

This year's Covid fatalities surpass 2020's virus death toll