Päivän Sanomat

Leader

France invites Finland to join nuclear deterrence initiative

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo says Finland is interested in cooperation, but any decision will come only after more details are provided.

By Päivän Sanomat Desk

France has invited Finland to join its nuclear deterrence initiative, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told Yle News. Orpo said the invitation came from French President Emmanuel Macron. Finland has not made a final decision on participation, but Orpo said the government is very interested in cooperation. He added that no decision will be taken until Finland has more information about what the initiative would mean in practice.

Orpo said he and Macron agreed that Finland would receive more information soon. Only after that will Finland discuss whether to join the arrangement. For now, the matter remains in a preparatory phase: Finland has signalled interest, but it has not made any commitment. Yle News reported that Orpo stressed cooperation and did not suggest that Finland was ready to decide without further clarification.

News

Government proposes new integration benefit for unemployed migrants

The daily allowance would be 33.64 euros for jobseekers in Finland for less than three years and would sit below the general social security benefit.

By Finland Desk

The Finnish government is proposing a new integration benefit for unemployed migrants who do not meet the previous work requirement. According to Yle News, the model would replace the general social security benefit for jobseekers who have been in the country for less than three years, giving them a lower level of support while they look for work.

finland

Finland keeps eastern border closed while pushing for tougher visa rules on Russians

Finland’s eastern border checkpoints have been closed since December 2023, and the government says they will remain shut for now. The closure was introduced after authorities suspected that Russia was deliberately directing migrants toward Finnish border crossings. The government’s current…

finland

THL: primary care queues lengthened, children’s care guarantee was missed

Patients had to wait longer for treatment in primary health care last year, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, THL. The deterioration was especially clear among children and young people, for whom the statutory two-week care guarantee was not met. THL said 56 percent of…

finland

Only half of Finland’s dogs are registered, breeders say the system falls short

Only about half of Finland’s estimated 800,000 dogs have been entered into the dog register, even though registration has long been part of the official system. From now on, failing to register a dog can result in a 300-euro penalty, but the measure has not persuaded all owners to comply.

world_business

Freedom Ship mega-vessel plan resurfaces with $16.2 billion price tag

Plans for the Freedom Ship mega-vessel have resurfaced, HS reports. The project is linked to Freedom Cruise Line International Inc. and would aim to create a ship with room for 80,000 people. The estimated cost has been put at $16.2 billion, placing it far beyond ordinary cruise-ship construction…

Finland

Kaikkonen set for another term as Centre Party leader

The party congress is also weighing a universal service obligation and changes to how the presidential candidate is named.

By Finland Desk

Antti Kaikkonen is expected to be re-elected as chair of the Centre Party at the party congress. The meeting will also set the tone for the party’s next phase, as delegates decide what issues the Centre wants to emphasise in the years ahead.

The party’s goal is to make Finland the safest country in the world by 2030. The Centre links that objective to security, preparedness and the resilience of society, and wants those themes to play a more visible role in its profile.

finland

Storm Hannes leaves power companies with bill topping €40 million

Storm Hannes at the end of the year caused more than 40 million euros in costs for Finnish electricity network companies. The total consists of standard compensation paid to customers and the cost of repairing storm damage. The burden was heavy across the sector, but it did not fall evenly:…

finland

Xi Jinping to visit North Korea next week

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8–9, Iltalehti reports. The trip will be Xi’s first foreign visit of the year, which gives it added international significance.

finland

Housing companies urged to inspect balcony barriers for safety

Finnish authorities are urging housing companies to check the safety of balcony barriers and to consider restricting balcony use until structures have been verified. The renewed focus follows a fatal fall from a fifth-floor balcony in Helsinki last autumn, which brought wider attention to the…

World

Two politically charged events set for Hamina on Saturday

Hamina Pride will gather in Kesapuisto at noon, while the Sinimusta liike is holding a regional activity day in the town.

By Päivän Sanomat Desk

Hamina will host two separate events on Saturday that carry political and social significance. Hamina Pride is scheduled to take place in Kesapuisto at noon, while the Kaakkois-Suomi district of Sinimusta liike is holding an activity day in the town starting at 10 a.m. Hamina Pride chair Wilma Heino says police have been informed in advance.

Business

Residents in Espoo’s Suurpelto frustrated by prolonged vandalism

Residents say a group of underage boys has been causing disturbances in apartment buildings since February, with no lasting solution in sight.

By Finland Desk

Residents in Suurpelto, Espoo, say their daily lives have been disrupted by months of vandalism in local housing companies. According to Ilta-Sanomat, residents describe a group of underage boys who have urinated in stairwells, kicked doors and taken property belonging to the housing company. They say the behaviour has recurred repeatedly and has created a growing sense of insecurity in the area.

world_business

Peptides trend on social media as expert warns of risks

Social media is now buzzing about peptides and their alleged ability to build muscle quickly. The trend has gained attention online, but according to Helsingin Sanomat it also comes with a clear warning: a doping expert describes their use as, in practice, an experiment on humans.

world_business

Finland blocks 14 property deals over security concerns

Finland has blocked 14 real estate transactions involving foreign nationals or companies owned by them. Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen announced the decisions in a press release. The cases were rejected after authorities concluded that the planned acquisitions could pose a risk to national…

culture_opinion

23-year-old from Sri Lanka steals the show in Rome

A Diamond League athletics meeting in Rome was dominated by a 23-year-old athlete from Sri Lanka, who became the evening’s main talking point. According to HBL, he stole the show in a competition that had no Finnish presence.

France invites Finland to join nuclear deterrence initiative

Government proposes new integration benefit for unemployed migrants

Finland keeps eastern border closed while pushing for tougher visa rules on Russians

THL: primary care queues lengthened, children’s care guarantee was missed

Only half of Finland’s dogs are registered, breeders say the system falls short

Freedom Ship mega-vessel plan resurfaces with $16.2 billion price tag

Finland and Politics

Kaikkonen set for another term as Centre Party leader

Storm Hannes leaves power companies with bill topping €40 million

Xi Jinping to visit North Korea next week

Housing companies urged to inspect balcony barriers for safety

World, Business and World

Two politically charged events set for Hamina on Saturday

Residents in Espoo’s Suurpelto frustrated by prolonged vandalism

Peptides trend on social media as expert warns of risks

Finland blocks 14 property deals over security concerns

Culture, Opinion and Culture

23-year-old from Sri Lanka steals the show in Rome