Finland

Finland to roll out stricter rules on permanent residence permits from January

The conditions around obtaining a permanent residence permit in Finland will become stricter from 8 January 2026, the interior ministry has said in a press statement. The new rules will…

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Finnish Workplaces See Rapid Rise in Foreign Recruitment

A big shift is underway in Finnish working life — and not even poor employment numbers have managed to slow it down. Finnish working life is undergoing internationalisation. Workplaces now…

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Finland says no to more joint EU debt

Finland is opposed to a European Commission proposal that the European Union be able to take on more joint debt, Finance Minister Riikka Purra said on Friday. The European Commission…

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Finland Plans Major Military Buildup, Raising Reservist Age Limit

The government of NATO-member Finland wants to raise the upper age limit of its army reservists to 65, it said, which would add 125,000 troops to the its wartime strength…

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Finland to keep Russia border closed until further notice

Finland announced it had decided to keep its eastern border against neighbouring Russia closed until further notice. Finland shut its land borders with Russia in late 2023 amid a growing…

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Kremlin expresses openness to restoring Finland-Russia relations

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin was open to the idea of restoring relations between Finland and Russia, which it accused Helsinki of reducing to "nearly zero"…

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US happiness ranking hits all-time low

The United States has fallen to its lowest happiness ranking ever, according to the annual World Happiness Report released Thursday to mark the International Day of Happiness. The United States'…

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NATO membership only credible security guarantee for Ukraine, Finnish foreign minister says

Membership in NATO is the only credible long-term security guarantee Ukraine can receive against future Russian aggression, Finland's top diplomat said. Donald Trump's return to the White House on Jan.…

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NATO sends a fleet to guard Baltic Sea cables

NATO will send around 10 ships to guard important underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea by the end of the week, Finnish newspaper Yle reported.The ships will remain at sea…

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Finland investigates outage of undersea power link to Estonia

Finnish police said on Thursday they are investigating whether a foreign ship was involved in the damage of an undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia following a sudden outage…

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Finland considering exiting anti-personnel landmine treaty

Finland is considering pulling out of an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines because of Russia's use of such weapons in Ukraine, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said. Leaving the 1997 Ottawa…

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Finnish Government Proposes Stricter Citizenship Requirements

The government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has released a draft proposal outlining significant changes to Finland's citizenship requirements. The amendments, published this week for public comment, aim to…

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UPDATED: Germany says damage to Baltic underwater cables should be presumed sabotage

The damaging of two undersea telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea should be presumed to be sabotage, Germany said on Tuesday, while Lithuania's armed forces boosted surveillance of its waters…

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Nordic neighbours release new advice on surviving war

On Monday, millions of Swedes will start receiving copies of a pamphlet advising the population how to prepare and cope in the event of war or other unexpected crises. “If…

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Half the people in Finland feel that life’s too uncertain to have kids

Half of respondents to a survey said they feel that life is too uncertain to consider having children, according to a survey commissioned by the Foundation for Municipal Development (Kaks).…

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Finland warns of hostile activities by Russia

Finland is experiencing suspicious acts of sabotage and disruption and believes Russia is engaged in broad-ranging influence operations against it and other European countries, Finland's Minister of Interior Lulu Ranne…

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Finland plans tougher rules on detention, deportation and entry of foreigners

The Finnish government, led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, has presented a bill to Parliament proposing stricter regulations for non-citizens, aiming to tighten immigration and asylum policies. The bill seeks…

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NATO to set up northern land command in eastern Finland

NATO will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border next year, tasked with leading the alliance's land force operations in northern Europe in the event…

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Finland has seen rising threats to Baltic Sea subsea infrastructure

Finland has seen increased threats to subsea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea area in recent years, the Nordic country's Environment and Climate Minister Kai Mykkanen said on Friday. Finland and…

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Finland’s president wants end of single state veto at UN Security Council

Finland's President Alexander Stubb has called for expansion of the U.N. Security Council, abolition of its single state veto power, and suspension of any member engaging in an "illegal war"…

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Finland plans to ban Russians from buying property

Finland's government is proposing to ban most Russian citizens from buying property in the Nordic country in a move to protect national security, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said. Relations between…

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Nearly half of Finns prepared to pay more to combat climate change

Almost half of people in Finland approve of measures to mitigate climate change – even if it means additional costs for themselves, according to a survey published by the newspaper…

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School year in Finland kicks off with mobile phone bans

As students return to school across Finland this week, many will no longer be allowed to use mobile phones. Several large cities are implementing phone bans during the school day…

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Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first

Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country…

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A second stabbing in Finland appears to be racially motivated

A second knife attack in less than a week in a shopping centre in the northern Finnish city of Oulu appears to have been racially motivated, police said on Wednesday,…

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Finnish law to halt migrants at Russia border makes progress in parliament

A Finnish government proposal to temporarily reject asylum seekers arriving across the country's border with Russia can be accepted by parliament if some amendments are made, an influential committee of…

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Finland suspects four Russian military planes violated its airspace

The Finnish Border Guard said on Friday it suspects four Russian military planes violated the Nordic country's airspace on June 10. On Monday, Finland's defence ministry said it suspected a…

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Finland sees first NATO deployment as its jets join mission in Romania

Finland has just made its first deployment for NATO since joining the alliance in April 2023, sending seven F-18 fighter jets to a military base in southeastern Romania where they…

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Russian military plane suspected of entering Finnish airspace near Loviisa

Finnish authorities suspect a Russian military plane entered Finnish airspace without permission on Monday morning. The suspected violation occurred in the Gulf of Finland near the coastal town of Loviisa…

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Free contraception helps Finland reduce teenage abortions by 66%

The number of teenage abortions in Finland fell by 66% between 2000 and 2023, its public health institute THL said on Monday, attributing the reduction to the offer of free…

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Stubb: Nato ground forces may come to Finland

During a press conference in Tartu, Estonia, Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced that Finland aims to establish a NATO ground force sub-headquarters on its territory. This move could potentially lead…

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Finland calls for EU-wide solutions to prevent migrant flow from Russia

Finland wants the European Union to find common measures to prevent what it calls instrumentalised migration, meaning a flow of migrants arriving from Russia without valid travel documents, Prime Minister…

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Finland to present plan to push back migrants on Russian border

Finland will propose a law next week allowing border agents to block asylum seekers trying to enter from Russia, the prime minister said, a decision that could cause Helsinki to…

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Retailers in Finland want to place restraining orders on unruly customers

A group of Finnish retailers has called on the government to introduce a law allowing businesses to apply for restraining orders to prevent unruly customers from entering their premises. If…

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Finland is stockpiling military equipment in Norway and Sweden

Finland has started storing military equipment in neighbouring Norway and will soon begin doing the same in Sweden, the Financial Times has reported. Lieutenant General Mikko Heiskanen, deputy chief of…

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Finnair suspends flights to Estonian city following GPS disruptions

Finland's national airline Finnair has announced the suspension of flights to the Estonian city of Tartu for a period of one month. The move comes after two Helsinki-Tartu flights had…

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Finland see drastic drop in Summer job opportunities

Finland is seeing a notable shortage of summer job openings this year, with nearly half the number of positions that were on offer last year. In March, job search engine…

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Finland under no special military threat

Commenting on the nation's current security situation, the new Chief of Defence and Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Janne Jaakkola, said on Thursday that Russia poses no particular…

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Finland extends Russia border closure indefinitely

By Essi Lehto Finland will indefinitely extend the closure of land border crossings with Russia and add several ports to a list where travel from its eastern neighbour is prohibited,…

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Finnish police say bullying was motive for school shooting

Finnish police said on Wednesday the motive for a school shooting on the outskirts of Helsinki on Tuesday, in which one 12-year-old died, was bullying. "The suspect has said during…

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Finland moves to block asylum seekers from entering via Russia

By Essi Lehto HELSINKI, March 15 (Reuters) - Finland plans to adopt temporary legislation that will allow its border authorities to block asylum seekers seeking to enter its territory from…

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Helsinki Airport likely to face a shortage of aviation fuel

Helsinki Airport is likely to face a shortage of aviation fuel by the beginning of next week, if political strikes by logistics workers continue for the planned two-week period. "Normally,…

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Finland joins Swedish, French navies for submarine threat drills

The Finnish, French and Swedish navies will participate in joint anti-submarine threat countermeasure drills off of Sweden's west coast, starting later this week. Finland will take part in the Marex…

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Finland to participate in ASPIDES and Prosperity Guardian operations in Red Sea

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the government's Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy have decided that Finland will participate in joint military operations to restore security in the Red…

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Finland joins first NATO collective defence drill

The Nordic Response 24 military exercise led by Norway begins on Monday in the northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The 12-day drill is significant for Finland as in…

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Finland inaugurates Alexander Stubb as president for the NATO era

By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, March 1 (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb took office as Finland's president on Friday, ready to oversee a new era after it joined NATO in response to…

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Finland declares that Ukraine is free to use its weapons to bomb Russia

Ukraine can use weapons provided by Finland to hit targets on Russian soil, senior officials in Helsinki said. Finland's Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said his country has not set any restrictions…

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Finland in recession as GDP drops again

HELSINKI, Feb 29 (Reuters) - The Finnish economy again fell into recession during the second half of 2023, the national statistics agency said on Thursday, as high inflation and soaring…

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To increase interest in national defense, Finland plans to open 300 shooting ranges.

Finland has announced it will open 300 shooting ranges in a bid to encourage citizens to take a greater interest in national defence. A member of Finland’s defence committee said…

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Finland says thousands of migrants are seeking to enter via Russia

Finland said on Tuesday that "thousands" of third-country migrants were waiting to cross the border onto its territory from Russia. Finland closed all crossings on its 1,340 km (830 mile)…

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Finland’s new president sees no limit to NATO ties, Ukraine support

By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb declared himself winner of Finland's presidential election on Sunday after a campaign built on promises to make the most of his country's…

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Centre-right’s Stubb wins close-fought Finnish presidential election

By Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto HELSINKI, (Reuters) - Alexander Stubb of the centre-right National Coalition Party narrowly won Finland's presidential election on Sunday, defeating liberal Green Party member Pekka…

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Finland joins NATO operations with fighter jets, mine clearing vessel

HELSINKI, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Finland will send up to eight fighter jets and a mine hunting navy vessel to take part in NATO's joint operations in 2024, the country's…

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Finnish workers begin strikes against labour reforms, welfare cuts

HELSINKI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Some 290,000 Finnish workers will begin two days of strike action on Thursday to protest against the right-wing government's planned labour market reforms and proposed…

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Olli Rehn to return to Bank of Finland, ECB Jan. 31

HELSINKI, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Olli Rehn, whose campaign to become Finnish president ended on Sunday, will on Jan. 31 return to the position of governor of the Bank of…

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Stubb and Haavisto continue to second round in Finland’s presidential race

By Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto Centre-right Stubb wins first round Stubb will face liberal Haavisto in 2nd round Second round will be held on Feb. 11 HELSINKI, (Reuters) -…

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What you need to know about the 2024 Finnish presidential election

By Elviira Luoma and Canan Sevgili (Reuters) - Finland holds a presidential election on Jan. 28 in a new era marked by the country joining the Western military alliance NATO…

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