The Finnish team celebrates their victory over Russia in the world juniors/Lehtikuva

Finland’s performance at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships drew significant attention from the global press this week. After suffering a heartbreaking defeat against the U.S., the team rallied to beat Russia and win the bronze medal on Tuesday.

While Russia initially gained a 0-1 lead less than seven minutes into the game, the Finns came back with four unanswered goals. 

Twenty-nine years ago, the Republic of Kazakhstan became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then sweeping reforms have been made in many areas including state-building, advancing democracy, economic progress, human capital development. New constitution, legal and institutional frameworks have paved the way to a new social order.

Vilhelm Junnila in front of a polling station.

TWO FINNISH MEMBERS of parliament participated in the short-term election observation mission organised by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

Snow blankets the ground by a sign welcoming drivers to Scotland at the border between England and Scotland near Jedburgh on December 31, 2020. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

The Scottish Government has launched a public information campaign to provide support and guidance following the change in its relationship with the EU. A factsheet published in the context of this campaign, titled: EU-UK negotiations: outcome analysis, details an early assessment of what the outcome of the EU-UK negotiations means for Scotland.

In this file photo taken on January 13, 2009 Spectators watch the Liiga (Professional Finnish league) Ice Hockey match from a sauna at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki. - The sauna tradition in Finland's has been inscribed on the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage on December 17, 2020. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Finland’s Christmas-themed football club FC Santa Claus was in the spotlight this week, with multiple news outlets covering the popular team’s journey through the national football league. 

The club, which was formed in 1993 and is based in Rovaniemi, enjoys a large fanbase among local as well as global audiences. 

While the team has not met with much success on the field and is currently in the fourth division of the league, it is known for its festive spirit. 

A view of Almaty

Kazakhstan is firm on its path of structural reforms that the country embarked on at the dawn of its independence. At the opening of the Parliament on September 1, 2020, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his State of the Nation Address presented a comprehensive plan of action. It embraces a new form of governance and a new economic course.

Critics of the Erdoğan government abroad have been facing surveillance and harassment/Lehtikuva

A scheme offering foreign professionals the opportunity to live in Finland for a fixed time received substantial international coverage this week as it garnered thousands of applications. 

Helsinki Business Hub, an international trade and investment promotion agency based in the Finnish capital region, launched the “90 Day Finn” programme in November. The programme enables U.S. tech specialists and their families to relocate to Finland for a period of 90 days.  

Acceptance of Rule of Law “compromise” gives Fidesz more than a year to change Hungarian laws, constitution and to channel public funds into private foundations “controlled by his [Orbán’s] cronies”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has, it appears, “caved to Hungarian and Polish extortion” by brokering a compromise on rule of law at the EU summit that “constitutes the worst of all possible worlds”, according to philanthropist and financier, George Soros.

File image of army conscripts /Lehtikuva

The Finnish military was the target of international criticism this week for using a training manual that described homosexuality as an “obstacle” to service and categorised it as a mental disorder. 

A report by the Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman attributes the controversial material to the Centre for Military Medicine, which is responsible for the health of conscripts and the Finnish Defence Forces personnel. The Defence Command maintained that the military does not consider homosexuality to be a mental illness. 

Over the last two decades, Kazakhstan has been one of the fastest-growing transition economies. It has taken steps towards institutional integration in the global economy, joining the World Trade Organization and signing an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union in 2015. The nation has been working to adapt best practices and standards recommended by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Onkalo is located next to the nuclear power plant on Olkiluoto island

Onkalo, Finland’s spent fuel repository, made headlines this week when the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency called the project a game-changer for the nuclear industry. 

Onkalo will be the world’s first deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel. It is currently under construction in Eurajoki, West Finland, and will be situated close to the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. 

Icebreakers primarily bring goods to Northern Finland and Sweden in wintertime./Lehtikuva

A new collaborative project between Finland and Sweden made international news this week. The two countries are working together to develop a new kind of icebreaker—a ship designed specifically for navigating through ice. 

The new generation of icebreakers must fulfill the requirements of the shipping industry while also being more sustainable and eco-friendly in keeping with the latest standards.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks during the debate at the Scottish Parliament on the trade and co-operation agreement between the UK and the EU (European Union) on December 30, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

"Scottish Parliament does not give consent to damaging deal."
"The UK Government’s damaging Brexit trade deal does not have the consent of the Scottish Parliament," says a statement by the Scottish government.

Finland contributed 18.4 million euros to water supply program (WaSH) in Ethiopia. /Embassy of Finland in Addis Ababa

International news media highlighted Finland’s role as a lucrative business destination this week, pointing out how the country offers much in the way of government support and infrastructure.

Start-up grants and guaranteed networking opportunities make it a particularly attractive proposition for entrepreneurs.

Artists impression of LUMI, HPE's Cray EX - supercomputer / image: Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Finland received attention from international news outlets this week when the parliament debated whether to make unsolicited sexting an offense punishable by law. Finnish lawmakers claimed that sending someone explicit photos without their permission constitutes sexual harassment and is comparable to unwanted physical contact. 

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin was also the subject of speculation this week,