One of Finland’s most famous seafaring vessels, the titanic icebreaker Otso, was deployed on its first mission of the winter season last night, keeping sea routes open for the 22^nd year in a row.

Late in the evening of Christmas Day, Otso, the crowning glory of Arctia Oy’s extensive fleet, departed from Helsinki’s Katajanokka Harbour, heading north to the Bay of Bothnia.

RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OULU, in collaboration with scientists from Imperial College London, has determined that smoking during pregnancy can irreversibly alter foetal DNA, in one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted into the topic.

Researchers gathered data from over 18,000 subjects in a number of countries, including the UK and the US, exploring the effects of tobacco smoking on mothers and children both before and after pregnancy.