Toni Jalonen on Tuesday said he has submitted his letter of resignation as the second deputy chairperson of the Finns Party Youth. (Matias Rantala – Lehtikuva)

TONI JALONEN has asked to be relieved of his duties as the second deputy chairperson of the Finns Party Youth, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Jalonen has garnered a lot of negative publicity over the past couple of days after declaring himself an “ethnonationalist, traditionalist and fascist” – provoking applause from the audience – in a seminar organised in Estonia on Sunday.

Jyrki Hollmén (left), head of labour market affairs at Finnish Forest Industries, and Turja Lehtonen (right), deputy chairperson at the Industrial Union, met at the office of National Conciliator Vuokko Piekkala in Helsinki on 13 February 2020. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

THE INDUSTRIAL UNION has called off its strikes, overtime bans and other industrial actions in the mechanical forest industry after striking a new collective bargaining agreement with Finnish Forest Industries.

The agreement is based on a settlement proposal tabled by National Conciliator Vuokko Piekkala.

A police handout from an incident where a group of dogs were abandoned outside by their owners in Konnevesi (Image: Lehtikuva)

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF CENTRAL FINLAND have released a number of images depicting severe animal cruelty, in case that they have uncovered in recent months. The images were released as part of a large-scale awareness campaign about the crime of animal abuse, which the Poliisi say is on the rise.

THE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT MP PÄIVI RÄSÄNEN has been questioned by the Helsinki Police Department for alleged incitement, over an anti-LGBT+ booklet she published in 2004. The faith-based legal advocacy group ADF International, who is supporting Räsänen, claims that she was subjected to 'lengthy' questioning over the booklet.

Snow from Malmi Ice Hall was used to build a sled hill for the midwinter sliding festival, Laskiainen, in Viikki, Helsinki, on Sunday, 23 February 2020. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

PARTS of Southern Finland may finally get their long-awaited cover of snow, possibly a thick one, tells Markus Mäntykannas, a meteorologist at Foreca.

Mäntykannas on Friday wrote in a blog for the private weather forecasting company that the combination of easterly winds and warmer-than-usual sea surfaces may create the right conditions for a days-long snowstorm that could dump piles of snow in, for example, the capital region starting tomorrow evening.

The movie has its roots in the legend taken from a joke in a Finnish newspaper.

It’s already been several years since the chilling rumors of Russians who dug until hell started to flow around the internet. The story says that the drillers on the Kola Peninsula released something unidentified from the underworld, whereas the scientists recorded the sounds of sinners screaming. It’s hard to imagine a better idea for horror or thriller filmmakers, which has scientific context and has been a popular topic in many countries for years. 

Ministers Maria Ohisalo (Greens), Sanna Marin (SDP) and Katri Kulmuni talked about the conclusions of the government’s climate seminar, which according to recent reports widened the divide between the Greens and Centre. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

PETRI HONKONEN (Centre), a member of the Parliament’s Environment Committee, has urged the government to use common sense also in regards to its ambitious climate objectives.

“Responsible decision makers must also weigh up how the goals can be met in practice and how the measures will be visible in everyday lives – in the daily lives of people and businesses across Finland,” he pleaded in a press release on Sunday.

Maria Ohisalo (Greens), the Minister of the Interior, has voiced her satisfaction that the government has found an agreement to bring in up to 175 refugees from camps in Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT has decided to re-settle up to 175 people from refugee camps in Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta.

The Ministry of the Interior on Friday said the decision made by the ruling parliamentary groups enables the government to contribute to alleviating the humanitarian situation of asylum seekers in the member states surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Tattoos are not a taboo anymore. Image: Pixabay

As time moves on and attitudes change, so too does what is seen as acceptable within society. After all, how we view certain issues now, is much different than in the 1920s, for example. This change in attitudes has become even more fast-paced in recent years, with the effects that a growing globalisation has had. But what is globalisation? 

In simple terms, it is the process by which the world is becoming more connected and and nations around the globe have increasing influence on one another.

Maria Ohisalo, the Minister of the Interior, spoke to her fellow members of the Green League in Helsinki on Saturday, 22 February 2020. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR Maria Ohisalo (Greens) has voiced her frustration with the climate policy of the Finnish government.

Ohisalo on Saturday stated to her fellow party members that decision makers should concentrate less on the gross domestic product and more on the effects of their decisions on the environment, climate, equality and public well-being.

A shot from Helsinki's Chinese New Year festival last month (Image: Lehtikuva)

A NUMBER OF CHINESE-OWNED BUSINESSES in Helsinki have told the Helsinki Times that they are struggling to attract customers due to fears of the Wuhan Coronavirus.

A man lays candles and flowers in front of one of the bars targeted in a shooting in Hanau, Germany, on 20 February 2020. (Thomas Lohnes – AFP/Lehtikuva)

THE WHOLE of Europe should be alarmed by the rise of far-right organisations in the wake of the shootings that claimed the lives of nine and wounded four in Hanau, Germany on Wednesday, says Nils Duquet, a senior researcher at The Flemish Peace Institute in the Netherlands.

Duquet on Thursday highlighted to Deutsche Welle that far-right attacks differ from other mass shootings in that they are typically carried out with legally obtained firearms.

US President and First Lady Donald and Melania Trump outside the Taj Mahal today (Image: Lehtikuva)

IN TODAY'S BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with a shot of the Taj Mahal, which US First Couple Donald and Melania Trump visited today during their state trip to India. We also have the Rio Carnival, 'Free Assange' protests, and the Diamond Princess Cruise Liner. 

Child asylum seekers roam a makeshift camp on the Greek island of Chios (Image: Lehtikuva)

FINLAND'S INTERIOR MINISTRY has agreed to settle 175 asylum seekers currently living in makeshift camps in Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and Greece, with "particularly vulnerable" people from unsafe countries receiving priority treatment. 

A Finnish man has been acquitted of charges for running a business that sold 235,000 litres of alcohol from Estonia to Finland in 2014–2016. (Martti Kainulainen – Lehtikuva)

THE DISTRICT COURT of Helsinki has dismissed all charges in a case related to Vironviina, a website allowing consumers to order alcohol from Estonia and Latvia.

The Finnish owner of the business had been charged with aggravated tax fraud and aggravated alcohol offence for neglecting to pay around 1.65 million euros in taxes for the sales of more than 235,000 litres of alcohol between 2014 and 2016.