Finland should test shorter working hours across different sectors to assess their effects on employee wellbeing, ability to work and productivity, according to a report commissioned by the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK.
The report, written by researcher Anna Kuokkanen, reviewed international research and interviewed representatives of Finnish workplaces that have introduced shorter working hours.
Passengers at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
Finnish airports handled about 1.9 million passengers in July, the highest monthly passenger total since 2019, according to figures published by Statistics Finland on Wednesday.
Passenger numbers increased by 7 per cent from July 2025, with growth in both domestic and international air travel.
A stop in Kemi during the first train journey on the Oulu–Haparanda route on 10 August 2026. Photo: Jarno Vuorinen / Str / Lehtikuva
Finland and Sweden restored cross-border passenger rail services on Monday, 10 August, when the first scheduled VR train from Oulu crossed the border to Haparanda, ending a 38-year break in passenger services on the route.
The first train left Oulu shortly after 5am and travelled through Kemi and Tornio before crossing the Tornio River into Sweden.
Screenshot from the Flightradar24 service on its busiest day on record, 23 July 2026. Photo: Flightradar24
More than 153,000 commercial flights crossed the world's skies on 23 July, setting a new record for the highest number of commercial services tracked in a single day by Flightradar24.
The flight tracking platform said it recorded 153,359 commercial flights during the 24-hour period, surpassing its previous record of 137,225 flights, which was set on 13 July 2023. The new figure exceeded the earlier record by 16,134 flights, an increase of almost 12 per cent.
The University of Helsinki Main Building. Photo: Wikipedia
The University of Helsinki has dropped out of the world’s top 100 universities in the 2026 Shanghai Ranking, falling from 94th place last year to the 101–150 group.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities, known as the Shanghai Ranking, gives individual positions only to the first 100 institutions. Universities below that level appear in ranking bands.
Katarina Murto, president of the Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ), at OAJ's start of the school year briefing in Helsinki. According to OAJ's workplace survey, violence against teachers has increased. Photo: Jade Silpo / Lehtikuva
Violence against teachers and education staff has increased in Finland, with incidents reported most often in comprehensive schools and early childhood education, according to a new workplace survey published by the Trade Union of Education in Finland (OAJ).
The union said the findings point to growing safety concerns in schools and childcare settings, despite improvements in overall job satisfaction and workplace leadership.
Argentina's midfielder #05 Leandro Paredes (top) clashed with Spain's midfielder #09 Gavi during the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. Photo: Carly Triballeau / AFP / Lehtikuva
FIFA has launched a disciplinary investigation into Argentina following violent scenes after the 2026 World Cup final against Spain and a separate incident involving a political banner displayed after the semi-final against England.
Spain secured a 1-0 victory after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday to win the World Cup. The celebrations ended with confrontations involving several players and members of Argentina's coaching staff.
Alisa Vainio of Finland celebrates after winning gold in women's marathon in European Athletics Championships 2026 in Birmingham, on August 16, 2026. Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
Finland’s Alisa Vainio won the women’s marathon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Sunday, finishing almost five minutes ahead of her nearest rival and setting a championship record of 2:22:26. The 28-year-old led from the opening stages and completed most of the race alone.
Vainio finished four minutes and 55 seconds ahead of Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth, who took silver in 2:27:21.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino ahead of the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Canada and Morocco at the Houston Stadium in Houston on July 4, 2026. Photo: Paul Ellis / AFP / Lehtikuva
FIFA has abandoned plans to sell a stake in the commercial business behind the World Cup after opposition from three regional confederations left the proposal without enough support. The reversal places Gianni Infantino under pressure months before nominations close for the next FIFA presidential election.
Infantino confirmed the withdrawal in a statement issued early on Saturday, four days after reports disclosed plans to bring private investors into a new company responsible for FIFA competitions.
Spain's midfielder #16 Rodri lifts the trophy with his teammates after winning the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026. Photo: Odd Andersen / AFP / Lehtikuva
Spain won the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in New Jersey, sealing the country's second world title and ending a tournament that produced record income for FIFA while leaving questions over the cost of the event and the role of politics in football.
The match at New York New Jersey Stadium ended with celebrations for Spain, yet the trophy ceremony soon shifted attention elsewhere after US President Donald Trump remained on stage as the players celebrated.
Silja Kosonen of Finland celebrating after winning the final of the women's hammer throw at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England on August 12, 2026. Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
Finland’s Silja Kosonen won the women’s hammer throw at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Wednesday, taking her first senior championship medal with a throw of 76.28 metres.
The 23-year-old produced the winning mark in the third round. The result also opened Finland’s medal account at the championships after Kosonen entered the final as one of the contenders for a podium place.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (left) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (right). Photos: Florencia Tan Jun / Getty Images via AFP / Lehtikuva and Steffen Prößdorf via Wikipedia Commons
European football entered one of its biggest governance disputes after UEFA and its 55 member associations voted to boycott all FIFA competitions if the world governing body presses ahead with plans to sell ownership stakes in its flagship tournaments to private investors.
The decision followed an emergency meeting on Thursday called after FIFA unveiled proposals to establish a commercial company for its leading competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup.
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A paraphrasing tool may reduce some direct phrase matching. However, it cannot remove your duty to credit borrowed ideas. Proper source use requires careful notes and accurate citations. Software can support your process but cannot manage everything.
Young pupils arrive at Puistola Comprehensive School on the first day of school in Helsinki on 12 August 2026. Photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
Schools across much of Finland began the 2026–27 academic year on Wednesday, with pupils returning under new rules covering physical activity, learning support and language teaching. Helsinki, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Lahti and Rovaniemi are among the cities starting classes on 12 August.
Espoo and Vantaa start on Thursday, while pupils in Kokkola, Turku and Pori returned on Tuesday. Tampere started its term on 6 August, according to the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Let’s be honest. Sushi has spread to almost every corner of the world and to almost every city centre. At the same time, it has often become a victim of mass production. All-you-can-eat buffets and conveyor belt restaurants have turned what was once a carefully prepared dish into something dominated by thick layers of rice with only a small slice of fish on top.
People visit the Moonshot AI stand, featuring Kimi K3, during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 17, 2026. A model released on July 17 by Chinese startup Moonshot AI has fuelled buzz around the country's tech prowess, as experts said it could rival some of the more advanced offerings from US labs. Moonshot AI's "Kimi K3" is one of several from China growing in global popularity thanks to their lower costs and source code that programmers can customise. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP) / China OUT
China placed international cooperation at the centre of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, where governments, researchers, companies and international organisations gathered to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. The conference produced new agreements, new technology initiatives and fresh commitments aimed at expanding AI access across the world. It also marked the launch of a new international body dedicated to AI cooperation and governance.
