A BURST PIPE ON CENTRAL HELSINKI'S UUDENMAANKATU IN PUNAVUORI caused an "extreme" heat leak nd significant damage in the early hours of this morning, with buildings across the neighbourhood being flooded and dozens of households being left without water or power.

AROUND 150 MIGRANTS from various countries have jumped the border fence at Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, in one of the largest concerted crossings in recent history. 

A 150-METRE BUNGEE JUMPING CRANE SNAPPED AND COLLAPSED into the sea in Helsinki's Kaivopuisto earlier today. It is likely that the damage to the steel crane was sustained during last night's thunderstorms. 

A THICK VEIL OF FOG DESCENDED ON CENTRAL HELSINKI earlier this morning, covering much of the capital within ten minutes of arriving and staying for about an hour before dissipating completely.

A PACK OF ALASKAN HUSKIES enjoyed a pre-winter workout at the Bearhill Husky Farm in Rovaniemi today, with many of the puppies experiencing some training in preparation for their first ever winter in the population vacation destination. 

FESTIVE CROWDS GATHERED IN CENTRAL HELSINKI today to witness the annual switching on of the Christmas lights along Aleksanterinkatu, one of the city's main thoroughfares. Pop singer Saara Aalto sang some Christmas classics to the crowd at Senate Square, before the mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vaapavuori, switched on the lights. 

A GROUP OF AROUND 30 PEOPLE staged an anti-racism protest outside Pasila Police Station in Helsinki yesterday evening to protest racist police brutality in the US and around the world. 

ANTIFASCISTS AND ANARCHISTS FACED OFF AGAINST FAR-RIGHT GROUPS in Helsinki during Independence Day commemorations today, with several people being detained by authorities. Members of the extreme anti-immigrant group Soldiers of Odin organised a 150-strong march, whilst the antifascist group "Helsinki Without Nazis" led a 500-strong group of counterprotesters. 

THOUSANDS OF PROTESTORS GATHERED at Helsinki's Senate Square this evening to demonstrate against racism and anti-black police brutality, inspired by the current protests that are gripping the US. 

HURRICANE DORIAN IS DUE TO HIT the United States mainland shortly, prompting one of the largest mass evacuations in the country's history. An estimated eight million people across the Eastern Seaboard have been evacuated from the homes this week. 

A FIRE RIPPED THROUGH THE LEPSÄMÄ SCHOOL in Nurmijärvi, Uusimaa, early on Saturday morning. The blaze has destroyed large parts of the school, first opened in 2002, but there have been no reported injuries and it is believed that teaching will continue on the site as normal next week. 

 A LARGE CRANE COLLAPSED INTO AN UNDER-CONSTRUCTION APARTMENT BUILDING in Vantaa this morning, destroying much of the site and causing severe damage. Workers were on-site at the time of the collapse, but there have been no reports of any injuries. 

CROWDS GATHERED FOR FREEBIES at the opening of Helsinki Outlet shopping village in Vantaa last night, which was recently completed after a five-year building effort. The site aims to become the largest outlet mall in the Nordics, and is currently the only one in the Greater Helsinki area. 

A NUMBER OF FINNISH-CUBANS AND CUBANS LIVING IN FINLAND gathered at Helsinki's Central Railway Station yesterday evening to demonstrate against the government of Cuba and show solidarity with the escalating protest movement in the communist country. 

DRIVERLESS BUSES HAVE NOW BEEN MADE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL PASSENGERS in Helsinki starting today, as part of the EU-funded FABULOS project which seeks to bring automated public transport to cities across the continent. The new routes will be in place until the beginning of July. 

FINNISH AUTHORITIES ARE DUE TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION into a fire that ripped through an elderly care home complex in Jyväskylä in the early hours of Saturday morning. No deaths or injuries were reported from the blaze.

ESPOO CATHEDRAL HELD ITS ANNUAL MAUNDY THURSDAY service to an empty church today, instead choosing to broadcast the service via a live-stream to users in their homes. Social distancing measures necessitated by the spread of the COVID-19 virus has meant that churches are no longer accepting flocks. 

ONE OF THE WARMEST WINTERS IN RECENT MEMORY has fueled summer-like scenes across the country, complete with unusual animal migrations and the survival of flora that usually dies out during the onset of autumn. 

A FULLY-INHABITED APARTMENT BLOCK in Tampere is critically close to collapsing into off a steep cliff edge, after several days of severe weather combined with land erosion caused the foundations that the structure was built on to disintegrate completely. 

SEVERAL EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON MILITARY JETS, which east cost over €90 million to manufacture, were flown in the skies above Pirkkala Air Base yesterday in a display that was part of an attempt to secure a €10 billion contract from the Finnish Ministry of Defence.