I've had a soft spot for Finland since I first heard its rock music. It seems wild to my English eyes, with its endless forests, dark Winters and enigmatic predators.
I've needed sometime out recently, so - when my cousin introduced me to a church in Espoo, and they invited me over for five weeks - it was impossible to turn down. I worked there, in exchange for a place to stay, daily essentials and time to reflect.

Candles and people at the scene of the murder of a 16-year-old boy in Helsinki on 10 December 2020. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

OFFICERS at Helsinki Police Department have discovered indications that at least a degree of premeditation was associated with the deadly assault of a 16-year-old boy in Koskela, a northern neighbourhood in the Finnish capital, on 4 December.

“We've clarified the sequence of events,” Marko Forss, the detective chief inspector in charge of the pre-trial inquiry, stated to Helsingin Sanomat on 21 January.

The bodies were found in an accommodation facility in the centre of Oulu/Lehtikuva

Local newspapers reported the gruesome deaths of a woman and her two children, who were found in an overnight lodging facility in Oulu on Monday. Preliminary investigations into the suspected murder-suicide began yesterday.

In other news, the city of Helsinki is set to begin vaccinations for elderly residents who are 85 or older on Monday.

Paul brothers interviewed Mike Tyson about the Logan - Mayweather fight /screenshot of video

Boxing fans may be surprised at the upcoming exhibition bout between American YouTuber Logan Paul and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. After all, the records of the two could not be more different. Mayweather has a perfect record from 50 fights whereas Paul has yet to achieve a victory in his less than illustrious fledgling career.

Newspapers highlighted President Sauli Niinistö’s comments on the coronavirus pandemic and the current situation in Finland.

The local press also reported on the challenges facing schools in light of new regulations and attempts to jump the queue for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Passengers examining coronavirus-related instructions at Helsinki Airport on 7 January 2021. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

A FAILURE TO COMPLY with a quarantine order issued by a physician of infectious diseases may constitute a health protection violation in Finland, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

If the person is ruled to have transmitted the new coronavirus to others deliberately, their actions may be punishable under other sections of the criminal code – as, for example, endangerment of health or even assault.

Multiple newspapers carried stories about the declining mental health of high school and university students precipitated by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

A new study that highlights socioeconomic differences in smoking in Finland also received substantial attention.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) and President Sauli Niinistö were photograph participating in the annual Kultaranta Talks in Helsinki on 24 May 2020. (Handout / Matti Porre – President of the Republic)

THE ARREST OF ALEXEI NAVALNY appears to have, somewhat surprisingly, created friction between the powers to be in Finland.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) firmly condemned the arrest of the Russian opposition leader on Twitter on Monday, demanding that he be released without delay. President Sauli Niinistö delivered a similar message a couple of hours later in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat.

Household indebtedness has risen and it is increasingly concentrated to a small share of households. / Lehtikuva

Automatic stabilization and additional support by the government helped to limit economic losses in 2020. The chosen support measures for 2021, including providing financing to fight the corona crisis, are adequate.

We need a credible plan for maintaining fiscal space in the future after the appropriate stimulus.

87-year-old Marielotte Killian received a jab of a coronavirus vaccine in Wiesbaden, Germany, on 19 January 2021. (Arne Dedert – AFP/Lehtikuva)

MUNICIPALITIES in Finland are moving on with coronavirus vaccinations as if approaching a yellow light: some are accelerating to get through the intersection, while others are hitting the brakes, describes Helsingin Sanomat.

The variance arises from the much-publicised problems with vaccine deliveries.

Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo’s database was hacked in November 2018. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

THE OWNER of Psychotherapy Centre Vastaamo has requested that its acquisition of the hacking-embroiled company be nullified and the purchase price be returned, writes Helsingin Sanomat.

PTK Midco, a holding company owned by Intera Partners, continued to claim that Ville Tapio, the ex-chief executive of Vastaamo, knew about but did not disclose the hacking of the company and the attempts to use the sensitive client data for extortion when negotiating and agreeing to the acquisition.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) was photographed at a government news conference in Helsinki on Monday, 25 January 2021. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) is preparing to introduce tougher restrictions to prevent the spread of the new, more transmissible mutations of the new coronavirus in Finland.

Helsingin Sanomat on Monday revealed that the counter-measures could entail additional restrictions on restaurants and, in the most extreme case, movement.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru (SDP) folded a piece of paper in a government press conference in Helsinki on 14 January 2021. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

FINLAND will prohibit entry for all but essential work-related reasons, such as those linked to security of supply, as of Wednesday, 27 January.

The Finnish government announced at the end of last week it has decided to toughen entry restrictions in an attempt to reduce cross-border travel and prevent the spread of new, more transmissible variants of the new coronavirus.

A photojournalist wore a mask as the Finnish government detailed new measures to fight the coronavirus outbreak in Helsinki on 16 March 2020. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE PREPAREDNESS to combat a crisis such as the coronavirus epidemic was not at a particularly high level last spring in Finland, reveals a qualitative study carried out by Deloitte.

The London-based professional services provider interviewed a total of policy makers and central government officials for the study, finding that experiences from earlier drills could only be applied to the coronavirus-induced crisis to a limited extent.