THE ESTONIAN SHIPPING COMPANY TALLINK HAS ABRUPTLY ANNOUNCED that is will be suspending its services from Turku to Tallinn effective Friday 28 August, citing a drop in passenger numbers as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Three minorshave confessed to starting a fire at the Moomin World theme park on Christmas day. The fire began when the teenagers lit combustible materials on an open-air theatre in the park, which is located on the island of Kailo, next to Naantali (Southwest Finland). 

Police were notified when passersby travelling along the bridge that leads to Moomin World spotted the flames and noticed three people fleeing the scene, one of whom wore an orange jacket.

Meteorologists predict that temperatures in Finland could rise to over 10℃ for the first time this year next week, after a prolonged spell of icy weather. 

Scattered snow showers and subzero temperatures will likely continue across the country for the next few days. According to MTV, the mercury is expected to plunge to -10℃ in Southern Finland and -15–20℃ in Lapland on Friday night.

The gloomy forecastof rain and snow for the coming week will likely be followed by summery conditions as meteorologists expect a heat wave from Southern Europe to hit Finland by next Sunday. 

The warm front could lead to temperatures exceeding 10℃ in southern parts of the country on Sunday, 9 May (widely celebrated as Mother’s Day in Finland).

THE WORLD AIR GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIPS kicked off in Oulu this week, drawing thousands of enthusiasts who demonstrated that you don't need to learn an instrument to become a rock god. 

The results of a pollconducted by Finnish language magazineMe Naiset revealed that a majority of Finns believe “äiti” (mother) is the most beautiful word in the Finnish language.

The magazine provided readers with a list of 75 “beautiful” words to choose from, requesting them to consider how the words sound as well as what they mean when selecting their top pick. Around 21,500 people participated in the poll.  

 Today, local newspaperswarned readers about the threat of a third wave of COVID-19, which promises to wreak havoc if it hits the country before an adequate section of the population has been vaccinated. 

News outlets also touched upon the upcoming cold wave in Finland, with the freezing temperatures already leading to numerous accidents and mishaps involving thin ice.  

RECENT DATA FROM THL HAS REVEALED THAT Finland has experienced a small spike in coronavirus cases over the course of the weekend, with 17 new infections being recorded on two consecutive days. 

Research by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) indicates a clear link between pathological or problem gambling and the need for financial support from the state. 

According to a research article that was recently published in theEuropean Journal of Public Health, one in three respondents (31 percent) in THL’s Gambling Survey who suffered from or were at risk for problem gambling had applied for social benefits from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) in 2016.

THL HAS RAISED THE ALARM after a traveler on a busy Tallink cruise ship from Helsinki to Tallinn last week tested positive for the coronavirus. It is believed that the individual could have exposed a number of people aboard the vessel to the virus.

THL HAS ATTRIBUTED THE RECENT SURGE IN COVID CASES to increased activity among "socially active" young adults, with data showing that the majority of new cases are occurring in people aged 20 to 29. 

THE COLLAPSE OF BRITISH TRAVEL GIANT THOMAS COOK has resulted in its Finnish subsidiary, Tjäreborg, having to cancel a number of flights. Thousands of Finnish residents who booked trips abroad using the agency are now stranded in countries such as Greece and Spain, whilst numerous flights from Finland have been cancelled. 

A LARGE FIRE HAS ENGULFED A 1000-SQUARE FOOT agricultural building in Masku, Southwest Finland. An estimated 7000 chickens being housed in the building have likely been incinerated, as authorities continue to fight the blaze.

The Finnish governmenthas announced that it will implement a three-week shutdown from 8 to 28 March, during which time bars and restaurants will be closed and secondary and upper secondary schools will shift to distance learning. 

At a press conference today morning, Prime MinisterSanna Marinrevealed that the new measures are aimed at containing the recent COVID-19 outbreak. 

A pasta dishconceptualised by a Finnish food blogger made waves this week when it went viral on the popular video sharing platform TikTok.

“Uunifetapasta,” as it is known in Finnish, involves baking a mixture of tomatoes, olive oil and an entire block of feta cheese in the oven, adding in other ingredients, along with the pasta, once it has fully melted. 

IN TODAY'S BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with the story of 'Megxit', which has sent the British press into a frenzy after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they would be 'taking a step back' from the royal family. We also have a photo of Vladimir Putin off the coast of Crimea, snow in Athens, and a bird formation in Israel. 

In today's round-up of photos from around the world, we have disgruntled Thomas Cook employees (pictured) protesting in London against their former employer, whose top bosses took in millions of pounds in bonuses as the company was facing collapse. In addition, protests are heating up in Hong Kong and becoming increasingly violent, Typhoon Mitag is expected to hit South Korea tonight, and Harry and Meghan are on tour in South Africa. 

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.

IN TODAY'S ROUND-UP OF THE BEST PHOTOS from around the world, we lead with a photo of the Berlin Wall, which is being painted over in large swathes to prepare for the anniversary of its fall. We also have a tribute to Lenin in Moscow, wildfires in California, and a drug seizure in Florida. 

YOUTH MEMBERS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF FINNISH AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY surprised commuters in Helsinki today by bringing a group of cows into the city centre. The cows consisted of a Jersey-breed named Orawa and a Holstein named Okadi, and were brought to Helsinki University in protest against Unicafe's recent decision to remove beef products from their menu.