A recently unveiled draft bill would oblige residential buildings with at least four parking spots to provide residents with access to charging points for electric vehicles. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

A ROW HAS ERUPTED between the Centre and Green League over the development of the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Finland.

Krista Mikkonen (Greens), the Minister of the Environment, last week unveiled a draft bill that would oblige property managers to increase the number of charging points or, at least, add the wiring required for easy installation of charging points.

Ville Tavio (right) and Jussi Halla-aho (left) of the Finns Party attending a plenary session in the Finnish Parliament on 4 October 2019. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNS PARTY has proposed that the tax allowance granted to the parents of underage children be reinstated in Finland.

Finnish parents used to be entitled to a child tax allowance of 50 euros per child and single parents one of 100 euros per child, but the allowance was abolished at the beginning of 2018, in spite of the protests voiced by the populist, right-wing opposition party.

A trial offering long-term unemployed people a wider range of support services has been launched in Uusimaa, Southern Finland. (Roni Rekomaa – Lehtikuva)

AN AMBITIOUS trial to find work for job seekers who have struggled to find employment has been launched in Uusimaa, Southern Finland.

Organised by the TE Office, City of Helsinki, Uusimaa ELY Centre and Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities, the trial will provide services to 600–900 job seekers who have received the labour market subsidy for more than 300 days and are over the age of 30.

A protestor in the Lebanese industrial town of Dora strikes a pose (Image: Lehtikuva)

IN TODAY'S BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with a protestor in the Lebanese industrial town of Dora, where protests continue over the government's attempt to force through tax hikes and austerity measures, including a recently-scrapped attempt to tax Whatsapp calls. We also have a burning train in Santiago, an oil spill in Brazil, and a campaign rally in Buenos Aires. 

Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP) spoke to reporters upon his arrival to a summit of EU leaders held in Brussels on Thursday, 17 October 2019. (Anniina Luotonen – Lehtikuva)

PRIME MINISTER Antti Rinne (SDP) was careful with his words in commenting on the agreement found on Brexit by the EU and the UK on Thursday.

“We have no objections at the moment, knowing what we know and that [the agreement] has been reviewed by Coreper [the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the EU],” he stated in arriving for the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.

An indoor surfing centre inside the mall (Image: Lehtikuva)

HELSINKI'S NEWEST MALL, The Mall of Tripla, opens in Pasila on Thursday. The gargantuan space adjoining the Pasila railway station will host 250 shops and restaurants and provide employment for up to 7000 people. Upon opening it will be the largest mall in the Nordic countries, a record previously held by the Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm, Sweden. 

A float from an anti-Brexit rally in London today, depicting Prime Minister Johnson being manipulated by his chief advisor Dominic Cummings (Image: Lehtikuva)

IN TODAY'S BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with an image from an anti-Brexit demonstration in London today, where thousands of protestors have gathered amid a crucial vote in the British Parliament, which will decide whether to accept the Brexit agreement struck between the UK and the EU this week. We also have a soldier in Syria, protests in Chile, and an Elizabeth Warren rally in Virginia. 

A photo of an unrelated mine in Northern Finland (Image: Lehtikuva)

A FINNISH-AUSTRALIAN MINING COMPANY, Latitude 66 Cobalt, has applied to conduct cobalt mining operations in a territory spanning 5700 square kilometres in northeastern Finland. The company aims to secure exclusive extraction rights to an area that covers Lapland, Kainnu, and Koillismaa. 

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru (SDP) spoke in a press conference dealing with the long-discussed social and health care reform in Helsinki on Tuesday, 15 October 2019. (Martti Kainulainen – Lehtikuva)

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP) has shed further light on its plan for the long-awaited social and health care reform in Finland.

The government yesterday unveiled its draft proposal for disbursing the roughly 70 million euros in state subsidies set aside for municipalities and joint municipal authorities for developing social and health care services in 2020.

A newborn panda cub at the Berlin Zoo (Image: Lehtikuva)

IN TODAY'S BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with a photo of the first giant panda to ever be born in Germany. The cub pictured is one of the twins born today at the Zoologischer Garten in Berlin, to parents Meng Meng and Jiao Qing. We also have photos of female astronauts, protests in Beirut, and protest art in Hong Kong.

Emma Kari, the chairperson of the Green Parliamentary Group, says the recent debate is evidence of the ideological nature of meat-eating. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

MEMBERS of the Centre Party have continued to lambaste the decision to take beef off the menus of cafés and restaurants at the University of Helsinki.

Anne Kalmari (Centre), the chairperson of the Parliament’s Agriculture and Forestry Committee, wasted no time in reacting to the announcement by Unicafe on Tuesday, labelling the decision as inexplicable and unsustainable and expressing her support for domestic beef producers.

Having meat-free options at the front of the self-service counter has been proven as an effective way to encourage students to choose vegan and vegetarian options. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

UNICAFE has announced it will take beef off the lunch menus of its cafés and restaurants at the University of Helsinki in February 2020.

“The idea came from the staff as we were thinking about our next responsibility action. We realised that this is a way to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions significantly,” Leena Pihlajamäki, the chief operating officer at Unicafe, explained to YLE.

People in the capital region are more likely to think that the government has delivered on its promises than their northern compatriots, finds a survey by Alma Media. (Heikki Saukkomaa – Lehtikuva)

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP) has thus far succeeded in delivering on at least some of its campaign promises, view the majority of respondents to a survey commissioned by Alma Media.

Alma Media on Thursday reported that 57 per cent of respondents estimated that the government has succeeded in delivering on some of its promises.

Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne (SDP) spoke to reporters in connection with the upcoming summit of EU leaders in Helsinki on Tuesday, 15 October 2019. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

FINLAND, the current holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU, has come under fierce criticism from a handful of eastern members of the EU.

Euractiv reported on Wednesday that diplomats from the Visegrád Four – Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – have criticised the country for a draft document that is set to serve as the basis of discussion at the EU summit held in Brussels between Thursday and Friday.

Employees in many sectors may have to wait a while for details of their new collective bargaining agreements, hints Jorma Malinen, the chairperson at Trade Union Pro. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

JORMA MALINEN, the chairperson of Trade Union Pro, estimates that the upcoming collective bargaining negotiations in the forest, chemicals and design and consulting industry will be extremely difficult.

“This won’t be an easy winter for anyone,” he predicted on Monday.