“SINCE IT implemented huge education reforms 40 years ago, Finland’s school system has consistently come at the top of international rankings for education systems.

So how do they do it?

It’s simple — by going against the evaluation-driven, centralised model that much of the Western world uses.

1. Finnish children don’t start school until they are 7.

“COULD FINLAND be the newest source of rough diamonds? Positive sampling results indicating that a diamondiferous kimberlite could exist at the Riihivaara target in Finland boosted the share price of Karelian Diamond Resources last week.

Karelian announced that sampling conducted by the Geological Survey of Finland at the Seitaperä kimberlite pipe had revealed the existence of 12 diamond indicator minerals. Karelian Diamond Resources is an exploration company involved in the development of mineral exploration opportunities, principally in Finland...”

ISRAELIDIAMOND.CO.IL 12 December

“FINLAND’S general government debt increased in the third quarter, data released by Statistics Finland showed last week.

The general government debt increased to €89.35 billion in the third quarter from €85.01 billion in the second quarter. In the third quarter of 2010, the value of public debt was €83.26 billion.

The value of central government debt was €79.2 billion during the quarter, while local government debt totalled €10.1 billion.

The Finnish government’s net financial assets diminished by €14.2 billion to €102.9 billion in the third quarter...”

NASDAQ.COM 16 December

“Le Havre is Finland’s official entry into the Academy Awards for best foreign-language film. It’s good enough to be one of the five that will be nominated. Whether its director, Aki Kaurismäki, will show up in support of his film is another question.

Twice before his films have won nominations, and twice before he’s declined to appear – both in protest of former President George W. Bush’s foreign policy.

“A few months ago, Finland asked Greece to back up its debt with gold as collateral. The proposal was shouted down at the time, but there are still analysts who think the idea has real promise as a way to save the euro from its current crisis of confidence. Rich Tullo of New York research firm Albert Fried & Co. recently noted that Greek bonds lost half their value between March 2010 and September 2011, while gold surged nearly 70%. As a result, each Greek bond was now worth roughly one ounce of bullion.

“The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) and the Embassy of Finland recently signed a N$ 889,600 funding agreement, which is aimed at developing the Walvis Bay Corridors and the Port of Walvis Bay further. The agreement was signed in Windhoek by the Finnish Charge d’ Affaires, Anne Saloranta and Daniel Nghidinua, board member of WBCG.

“A Santa Claus from Finland made a visit to a kindergarten in Iwate Prefecture to give out books and sweets in one of the cities hardest hit by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.

Accompanying Santa’s trip to Kamaishi on Wednesday was a chorus group also from Finland and several Japanese university students who performed traditional Finnish music and recited picture books for some 250 children and adults at the school.

The event was organized by the university students in Tokyo and others who volunteered to help survivors in Kamaishi in August…”

THE JAPAN TIMES
ONLINE 9 December

“Norwegian developer Arthur Buchardt, in cooperation with the hotel and restaurant company Palace Kämp Group, based in Helsinki, will start a major hotel project designed by Architects Davidsson Tarkela Oy. As a result, a 26,000 square meter hotel and conference centre will be opened in Jätkäsaari in November 2014. Kämp Tower will also become a lively tourist attraction: its vantage point at the height of 120 meters will be the highest viewpoint in central Helsinki.

“Written in ‘alien’ characters, illustrated with sketches, and dating back hundreds of years, the Voynich Manuscript has puzzled cryptographers, historians and bibliophiles for centuries.

And now the mystery has finally come to an end, according to a businessman from Finland Veikko Latvala, a self described “prophet of god,” who says he has decoded the book and unlocked the secrets of the world’s most mysterious manuscript.

Latvala’s business associate, Ari Ketola told FoxNews.com the meaning of the crazy characters he described as ‘sonic waves and vocal syllables’…”

FoxNews.com 2 December. Sasha Bogursky

“The government on Tuesday said India has received information on about 1,500 bank transactions from Denmark and Finland under the respective Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is examining it.