Finland

Germany leads joint military drills in the Baltic Sea amid Russia threat fears <\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//11//13//nordic-and-baltic-allies-to-fund-joint-430mn-purl-military-package-for-ukraine-nato-says/">Nordic and Baltic allies to fund joint \u20ac430m PURL military package for Ukraine, NATO says<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2><strong>Similar incidents<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many experts and political leaders have viewed suspected sabotage of undersea cables as part of a hybrid war carried out by Russia against Western countries.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2024, Finnish authorities boarded the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S which investigators said had damaged power cables and telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea by dragging its anchor along the seabed.<\/p>\n<p>That case was dismissed by a Finnish court in October after prosecutors failed to prove intent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//51//09//75//808x539_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg/" alt=\"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane patrolling the Baltic Sea as part of NATO&#x2019;s &#x201C;Baltic Sentry&#x201D; mission, 23 January, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/384x256_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/640x427_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/750x500_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/828x552_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1080x720_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1200x800_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1920x1280_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane patrolling the Baltic Sea as part of NATO&#x2019;s &#x201C;Baltic Sentry&#x201D; mission, 23 January, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia, have been on high alert following a series of incidents that damaged undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines.<\/p>\n<p>Those incidents have generally been regarded as deliberate acts of sabotage suspected of being linked to Russia and have <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//01//14//nato-to-bolster-baltic-military-presence-after-christmas-day-power-cable-cuts/">prompted NATO to boost its presence in the region<\/a> with patrol frigates, aircraft and naval drones.<\/p>\n<p>Both NATO and the EU have also been on high alert following a string of airspace violations, thought to be from Russia.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1768217819,"updatedAt":1768219145,"publishedAt":1768219117,"firstPublishedAt":1768219117,"lastPublishedAt":1768219117,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/99\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_484c76d8-e198-59a9-915e-d730c842560c-9609984.jpg","altText":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","caption":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_130c3202-8f05-58fb-971e-6bf891f99c99-9599963.jpg","altText":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","caption":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg","altText":"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane patrolling the Baltic Sea as part of NATO\u2019s \u201cBaltic Sentry\u201d mission, 23 January, 2025","caption":"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane patrolling the Baltic Sea as part of NATO\u2019s \u201cBaltic Sentry\u201d mission, 23 January, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":18498,"slug":"baltic-sea","urlSafeValue":"baltic-sea","title":"Baltic Sea","titleRaw":"Baltic Sea"},{"id":29770,"slug":"undersea-cable","urlSafeValue":"undersea-cable","title":"undersea cable","titleRaw":"undersea cable"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"War in Ukraine","titleRaw":"War in Ukraine"},{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2858991},{"id":2858699},{"id":2822780}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP, AFP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":4137,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2026\/01\/12\/cargo-vessel-suspected-of-damaging-undersea-cable-allowed-to-leave-finland","lastModified":1768219117},{"id":2859701,"cid":9602284,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NEXT FINLAND AI LITERACY","daletPyramidId":3781805,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"After decades of teaching media literacy, Finland equips students with skills to spot AI deepfakes","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"How Finland is teaching schoolchildren AI literacy","titleListing2":"After decades of teaching media literacy, Finland equips students with skills to spot AI deepfakes","leadin":"As deepfakes proliferate online, Finland adds AI literacy to its school curriculum to help children as young as 3 to recognise AI-generated fake news.","summary":"As deepfakes proliferate online, Finland adds AI literacy to its school curriculum to help children as young as 3 to recognise AI-generated fake news.","keySentence":"","url":"after-decades-of-teaching-media-literacy-finland-equips-students-with-skills-to-spot-ai-de","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2026\/01\/05\/after-decades-of-teaching-media-literacy-finland-equips-students-with-skills-to-spot-ai-de","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The battle against fake news in Finland starts in pre-school classrooms.\n\nFor decades, the Nordic nation has woven media literacy, including the ability to analyse different kinds of media and recognise disinformation, into its national curriculum for students as young as 3 years old.\u00a0\n\nThe coursework is part of a robust anti-misinformation program to make Finns more resistant to propaganda and false claims, especially those crossing over the 1,340-kilometre border with neighbouring Russia.\n\nNow, teachers are tasked with adding artificial intelligence (AI) literacy to their curriculum, especially after Russia stepped up its disinformation campaign across Europe following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.\u00a0\n\nFinland's ascension into NATO in 2023 also provoked Moscow's ire, though Russia has repeatedly denied it interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.\n\n\"We think that having good media literacy skills is a very big civic skill,\" said Kiia Hakkala, a pedagogical specialist for the City of Helsinki.\u00a0\n\n\"It's very important to the nation's safety and to the safety of our democracy,\" she added.\n\nAI literacy becoming a vital skill\n\nAt Tapanila Primary School, in a quiet neighbourhood north of Helsinki, teacher Ville Vanhanen taught a group of fourth graders how to spot fake news.\u00a0\n\nAs a TV screen beamed a \"Fact or Fiction?\" banner, student Ilo Lindgren evaluated the prompt. \"It is a little bit hard,\" the 10-year-old admitted.\n\nVanhanen said his students have been learning about fake news and disinformation for years, beginning with reading headlines and short texts. In a recent class, the fourth graders were tasked with coming up with five things to look out for when consuming online news to ensure it's trustworthy. Now they are moving onto AI literacy, which is quickly becoming a vital skill.\n\n\"We've been studying how to recognise if a picture or a video is made by AI,\" added Vanhanen, a teacher and vice principal at the school.\n\nFinnish media also play a role, organising an annual \"Newspaper Week,\" where papers and other news are sent to young people to consume. In 2024, Helsinki-based Helsingin Sanomat collaborated on a new \"ABC Book of Media Literacy,\" distributed to every 15-year-old in the country as they began upper secondary school.\n\n\"It's really important for us to be seen as a place where you can get information that's been verified, that you can trust, and that's done by people you know in a transparent way,\" Jussi Pullinen, the daily newspaper's managing editor, said.\n\nDemocracy is challenged through disinformation\n\nMedia literacy has been part of the Finnish educational curriculum since the 1990s, and additional courses are available for older adults who might be especially vulnerable to misinformation.\n\nThe skills are so ingrained into the culture that the Nordic nation of 5.6 million people regularly ranks at the top of the European Media Literacy Index. The index was compiled by the Open Society Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria, between 2017 and 2023.\n\n\"I don't think we envisioned that the world would look like this,\" Finnish Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz said. \"That we would be bombarded with disinformation, that our institutions are challenged \u2014 our democracy really challenged \u2014 through disinformation.\"\n\nAnd with the rapid advancement of AI tools, educators and experts are rushing to teach students and the rest of the public how to tell what's fact and what's fake news.\n\n\"It already is much harder in the information space to spot what's real and what's not real,\" Martha Turnbull, director of hybrid influence at the Helsinki-based European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, said. \"It just so happens that right now, it's reasonably easy to spot the AI-generated fakes because the quality of them isn't as good as it could be.\"\n\nShe added: \"But as that technology develops, and particularly as we move toward things like agentic AI, I think that's when it could become much more difficult for us to spot.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The battle against fake news in Finland starts in pre-school classrooms.<\/p>\n<p>For decades, the Nordic nation has woven media literacy, including the ability to analyse different kinds of media and recognise disinformation, into its national curriculum for students as young as 3 years old. <\/p>\n<p>The coursework is part of a robust anti-misinformation program to make Finns more resistant to propaganda and false claims, especially those crossing over the 1,340-kilometre border with neighbouring Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Now, teachers are tasked with adding artificial intelligence (AI) literacy to their curriculum, especially after Russia stepped up its disinformation campaign across Europe following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//12//15//is-and-other-extremist-groups-use-ai-to-produce-fake-content-and-recruit-new-members/">IS and other extremist groups use AI to produce fake content and recruit new members<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//12//12//cheap-online-fake-accounts-make-misinformation-a-thriving-underground-market-study-finds/">Cheap online fake accounts make misinformation a \u2018thriving underground market\u2019, study finds<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Finland's ascension into NATO in 2023 also provoked Moscow's ire, though Russia has repeatedly denied it interferes in the internal affairs of other countries.<\/p>\n<p>\"We think that having good media literacy skills is a very big civic skill,\" said Kiia Hakkala, a pedagogical specialist for the City of Helsinki. <\/p>\n<p>\"It's very important to the nation's safety and to the safety of our democracy,\" she added.<\/p>\n<h2>AI literacy becoming a vital skill<\/h2>\n<p>At Tapanila Primary School, in a quiet neighbourhood north of Helsinki, teacher Ville Vanhanen taught a group of fourth graders how to spot fake news. <\/p>\n<p>As a TV screen beamed a \"Fact or Fiction?\" banner, student Ilo Lindgren evaluated the prompt. \"It is a little bit hard,\" the 10-year-old admitted.<\/p>\n<p>Vanhanen said his students have been learning about fake news and disinformation for years, beginning with reading headlines and short texts. In a recent class, the fourth graders were tasked with coming up with five things to look out for when consuming online news to ensure it's trustworthy. Now they are moving onto AI literacy, which is quickly becoming a vital skill.<\/p>\n<p>\"We've been studying how to recognise if a picture or a video is made by AI,\" added Vanhanen, a teacher and vice principal at the school.<\/p>\n<p>Finnish media also play a role, organising an annual \"Newspaper Week,\" where papers and other news are sent to young people to consume. In 2024, Helsinki-based Helsingin Sanomat collaborated on a new \"ABC Book of Media Literacy,\" distributed to every 15-year-old in the country as they began upper secondary school.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's really important for us to be seen as a place where you can get information that's been verified, that you can trust, and that's done by people you know in a transparent way,\" Jussi Pullinen, the daily newspaper's managing editor, said.<\/p>\n<h2>Democracy is challenged through disinformation<\/h2>\n<p>Media literacy has been part of the Finnish educational curriculum since the 1990s, and additional courses are available for older adults who might be especially vulnerable to misinformation.<\/p>\n<p>The skills are so ingrained into the culture that the Nordic nation of 5.6 million people regularly ranks at the top of the European Media Literacy Index. The index was compiled by the Open Society Institute in Sofia, Bulgaria, between 2017 and 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\"I don't think we envisioned that the world would look like this,\" Finnish Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz said. \"That we would be bombarded with disinformation, that our institutions are challenged \u2014 our democracy really challenged \u2014 through disinformation.\"<\/p>\n<p>And with the rapid advancement of AI tools, educators and experts are rushing to teach students and the rest of the public how to tell what's fact and what's fake news.<\/p>\n<p>\"It already is much harder in the information space to spot what's real and what's not real,\" Martha Turnbull, director of hybrid influence at the Helsinki-based European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, said. \"It just so happens that right now, it's reasonably easy to spot the AI-generated fakes because the quality of them isn't as good as it could be.\"<\/p>\n<p>She added: \"But as that technology develops, and particularly as we move toward things like agentic AI, I think that's when it could become much more difficult for us to spot.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767603353,"updatedAt":1767605757,"publishedAt":1767604926,"firstPublishedAt":1767604926,"lastPublishedAt":1767604926,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/60\/22\/84\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d12137f0-2133-542e-8925-90106c2d06d7-9602284.jpg","altText":"Ten-year-old fourth grade student Ilo Lindgren works during a media literacy class at Tapanila Primary School in Tapanila, Finland.","caption":"Ten-year-old fourth grade student Ilo Lindgren works during a media literacy class at Tapanila Primary School in Tapanila, Finland.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/James Brooks","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12661,"slug":"artificial-intelligence","urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","title":"Artificial intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence"},{"id":22394,"slug":"deepfake","urlSafeValue":"deepfake","title":"deepfake","titleRaw":"deepfake"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":29634,"slug":"scolarisation","urlSafeValue":"scolarisation","title":"education","titleRaw":"education"},{"id":14796,"slug":"media-literacy","urlSafeValue":"media-literacy","title":"media literacy","titleRaw":"media literacy"},{"id":12724,"slug":"school","urlSafeValue":"school","title":"school","titleRaw":"school"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2853803},{"id":2846097},{"id":2845934}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews with AP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news\/tech-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","url":"\/next\/tech-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":40,"urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/next\/2026\/01\/05\/after-decades-of-teaching-media-literacy-finland-equips-students-with-skills-to-spot-ai-de","lastModified":1767604926},{"id":2858991,"cid":9599963,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND RUSSIAN STEEL","daletPyramidId":3760540,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Ship seized in Finland suspected of cable damage was carrying sanctioned Russian steel","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Officials: Ship seized in Finland carried EU-sanctioned Russian steel","titleListing2":"Ship seized in Finland suspected of cable damage was carrying sanctioned Russian steel","leadin":"Countries in the Baltic Sea region have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.","summary":"Countries in the Baltic Sea region have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.","keySentence":"","url":"ship-seized-in-finland-suspected-of-cable-damage-was-carrying-sanctioned-russian-steel","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/01\/01\/ship-seized-in-finland-suspected-of-cable-damage-was-carrying-sanctioned-russian-steel","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A vessel seized in Finland suspected of damaging an undersea telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn was transporting Russian steel subject to European Union sanctions, Finnish customs officials said on Thursday.\n\nOn Wednesday, Finnish police detained the Fitburg, a\u00a0132-metre-long cargo ship en route from St Petersburg in Russia to the Israeli port of Haifa.\n\nIts 14 crew members were also detained following suspicion the ship's anchor had damaged the telecoms cable in the Gulf of Finland.\n\n\"Preliminary information indicated that the cargo consisted of steel products originating in Russia, which are subject to extensive sanctions imposed on Russia,\" Finnish Customs said in a statement.\n\nThe agency had carried out an inspection of the ship's cargo late on Wednesday.\n\n\"According to the assessment of experts at Finnish Customs, the structural steel in question falls under the EU's sectoral sanctions,\" it said.\n\n\"Import of such sanctioned goods into the EU is prohibited under EU sanctions regulations.\"\n\nFinnish Customs said it was still investigating \"the applicability of EU sanctions legislation to this case.\"\n\nThe steel remained impounded pending clarification, it said, and Finnish Customs has opened a preliminary inquiry \"with a view to launching a pre-trial investigation into a potential sanctions violation.\"\n\nFinnish police said on Wednesday they were investigating the damaged cable incident as \"aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications.\"\n\n'Hybrid war'\n\nThe Fitburg is flagged from St Vincent and Grenadines and its 14 crew members - from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - were detained and are to be questioned by Finnish police.\n\nTwo of the crew members were placed under arrest on Thursday and two others were placed under a travel ban, police said, refusing to disclose their nationalities or roles in the crew.\n\nEnergy and communications infrastructure, including underwater cables and pipelines, have been damaged in the Baltic Sea in recent years.\n\nSince Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many experts and political leaders have viewed the suspected cable sabotage as part of a \"hybrid war\" carried out by Russia against Western countries.\n\nEU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Europe \"remains vigilant\" as its critical infrastructure was \"at high risk of sabotage\".\n\n\"The EU will continue to fortify its critical infrastructure, including by investing in new cables, strengthening surveillance, ensuring more repair capacity, and moving against Moscow's shadow fleet, which also acts as a launchpad for hybrid attacks,\" she wrote on X.\n\nThe cable damaged Wednesday is owned by Finnish telecoms group Elisa and located in Estonia's exclusive economic zone. Elisa said its services were rerouted and the damage did not impact customers.\n\nSimilar incidents\n\nIn December 2024, Finnish authorities boarded the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S which investigators said had damaged a power cables and telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea by dragging its anchor along the seabed.\n\nThat case was dismissed by a Finnish court in October after prosecutors failed to prove intent.\n\nThere are eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia, and they have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.\n\nThose incidents have generally been regarded as deliberate acts of sabotage suspected of being linked to Russia and have\u00a0prompted NATO to boost its presence in the region\u00a0with patrol frigates, aircraft and naval drones.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A vessel seized in Finland suspected of damaging an undersea telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn was transporting Russian steel subject to European Union sanctions, Finnish customs officials said on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Finnish police detained the Fitburg, a 132-metre-long cargo ship en route from St Petersburg in Russia to the Israeli port of Haifa.<\/p>\n<p>Its 14 crew members were also detained following suspicion the ship's anchor had damaged the telecoms cable in the Gulf of Finland.<\/p>\n<p>\"Preliminary information indicated that the cargo consisted of steel products originating in Russia, which are subject to extensive sanctions imposed on Russia,\" Finnish Customs said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The agency had carried out an inspection of the ship's cargo late on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//59//99//63//808x539_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg/" alt=\"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/384x256_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/640x427_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/750x500_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/828x552_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/1080x720_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/1200x800_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/1920x1280_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"According to the assessment of experts at Finnish Customs, the structural steel in question falls under the EU's sectoral sanctions,\" it said.<\/p>\n<p>\"Import of such sanctioned goods into the EU is prohibited under EU sanctions regulations.\"<\/p>\n<p>Finnish Customs said it was still investigating \"the applicability of EU sanctions legislation to this case.\"<\/p>\n<p>The steel remained impounded pending clarification, it said, and Finnish Customs has opened a preliminary inquiry \"with a view to launching a pre-trial investigation into a potential sanctions violation.\"<\/p>\n<p>Finnish police said on Wednesday they were investigating the damaged cable incident as \"aggravated criminal damage, attempted aggravated criminal damage, and aggravated interference with telecommunications.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//31//authorities-investigating-damage-to-undersea-telecom-cables-between-finland-and-estonia/">Authorities investigating damage to undersea telecom cables between Finland and Estonia<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//08//11//finland-charges-officers-of-russia-linked-eagle-s-ship-that-damaged-undersea-cables/">Finland charges officers of Russia-linked Eagle S ship that damaged undersea cables<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>'Hybrid war'<\/h2>\n<p>The Fitburg is flagged from St Vincent and Grenadines and its 14 crew members - from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - were detained and are to be questioned by Finnish police.<\/p>\n<p>Two of the crew members were placed under arrest on Thursday and two others were placed under a travel ban, police said, refusing to disclose their nationalities or roles in the crew.<\/p>\n<p>Energy and communications infrastructure, including underwater cables and pipelines, have been damaged in the Baltic Sea in recent years.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2006705137335574551\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many experts and political leaders have viewed the suspected cable sabotage as part of a \"hybrid war\" carried out by Russia against Western countries.<\/p>\n<p>EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Europe \"remains vigilant\" as its critical infrastructure was \"at high risk of sabotage\".<\/p>\n<p>\"The EU will continue to fortify its critical infrastructure, including by investing in new cables, strengthening surveillance, ensuring more repair capacity, and moving against Moscow's shadow fleet, which also acts as a launchpad for hybrid attacks,\" she wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>The cable damaged Wednesday is owned by Finnish telecoms group Elisa and located in Estonia's exclusive economic zone. Elisa said its services were rerouted and the damage did not impact customers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//51//09//75//808x539_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg/" alt=\"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane as part of the NATO Baltic Sentry exercise, 23 January, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/384x256_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/640x427_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/750x500_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/828x552_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1080x720_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1200x800_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/1920x1280_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane as part of the NATO Baltic Sentry exercise, 23 January, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2><strong>Similar incidents<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In December 2024, Finnish authorities boarded the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S which investigators said had damaged a power cables and telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea by dragging its anchor along the seabed.<\/p>\n<p>That case was dismissed by a Finnish court in October after prosecutors failed to prove intent.<\/p>\n<p>There are eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia, and they have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.<\/p>\n<p>Those incidents have generally been regarded as deliberate acts of sabotage suspected of being linked to Russia and have <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//01//14//nato-to-bolster-baltic-military-presence-after-christmas-day-power-cable-cuts/">prompted NATO to boost its presence in the region<\/strong><\/a> with patrol frigates, aircraft and naval drones.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767287940,"updatedAt":1767289193,"publishedAt":1767289166,"firstPublishedAt":1767289166,"lastPublishedAt":1767289166,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f367b1e3-8efc-5353-9866-e646aad91102-9599963.jpg","altText":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","caption":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/99\/63\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_96fbb010-3e60-582a-84ea-e6e04c23559f-9599963.jpg","altText":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","caption":"Seized vessel Fitburg in the harbor of Kirkkonummi, 1 January, 2026","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/51\/09\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_55f8baf3-89f5-55f0-9847-f6840ffdb029-9510975.jpg","altText":"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane as part of the NATO Baltic Sentry exercise, 23 January, 2025","caption":"Crew members aboard a French Navy Atlantique 2 surveillance plane as part of the NATO Baltic Sentry exercise, 23 January, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":105,"slug":"european-union","urlSafeValue":"european-union","title":"European Union","titleRaw":"European Union"},{"id":12824,"slug":"sanctions","urlSafeValue":"sanctions","title":"Sanctions","titleRaw":"Sanctions"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"War in Ukraine","titleRaw":"War in Ukraine"},{"id":29770,"slug":"undersea-cable","urlSafeValue":"undersea-cable","title":"undersea cable","titleRaw":"undersea cable"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"twitter","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2851319},{"id":2846356},{"id":2849359}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AFP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":4137,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2026\/01\/01\/ship-seized-in-finland-suspected-of-cable-damage-was-carrying-sanctioned-russian-steel","lastModified":1767289166},{"id":2858699,"cid":9598996,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND ESTONIA CABLE DAMAGED","daletPyramidId":3751431,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Authorities investigating damage to undersea telecom cables between Finland and Estonia","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Authorities investigating damage to undersea cables in Gulf of Finland","titleListing2":"Authorities investigating damage to undersea telecom cables between Finland and Estonia","leadin":"Helsinki police have opened an investigation into potential aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.","summary":"Helsinki police have opened an investigation into potential aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.","keySentence":"","url":"authorities-investigating-damage-to-undersea-telecom-cables-between-finland-and-estonia","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/31\/authorities-investigating-damage-to-undersea-telecom-cables-between-finland-and-estonia","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Authorities are investigating damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland that occurred early on Wednesday between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.\n\nFinnish authorities seized and inspected the vessel suspected of causing the damage, the border guard said in a statement.\n\nIts anchor was lowered when it was discovered in Finland\u2019s exclusive economic zone.\n\nThe Fitburg ship was sailing under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines and had departed from the Russian port of St Petersburg, a police spokesperson said.\n\nAccording to MarineTraffic data it was headed for Haifa in Israel.\n\nPolice said 14 crew members are currently being held for questioning and reported their nationalities as Russian, Georgian, Kazakh and Azerbaijani.\n\nHelsinki police have opened an investigation into potential aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.\n\nThe cable belongs to telecommunications service provider Elisa and is considered to be critical underwater infrastructure.\n\nThe damage occurred in Estonia's exclusive economic zone, police said.\n\nFinland's President Alexander Stubb thanked all the agencies involved in the operation in a post on X.\n\n\"We are monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the government. Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds and we respond to them as necessary,\" he wrote.\n\nEstonian authorities are cooperating with their Finnish counterparts to decide whether they should initiate a separate criminal case or move forward in a joint prosecution.\n\nThe justice ministry in Tallinn said that a second telecoms cable connecting the country to\u00a0Finland, operated by Swedish company Arelion,\u00a0was also damaged on Wednesday.\n\nSimilar incidents\n\nIn December 2024, Finnish authorities boarded the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S which investigators said had damaged a power cables and telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea by dragging its anchor along the seabed.\n\nThat case was dismissed by a Finnish court in October\u00a0after prosecutors failed to prove intent.\n\nThere are eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia, and they have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.\n\nThose incidents have generally been regarded as deliberate acts of sabotage suspected of being linked to Russia and have prompted NATO to boost its presence in the region with patrol frigates, aircraft and naval drones.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Authorities are investigating damage to an undersea telecommunications cable in the Gulf of Finland that occurred early on Wednesday between the capitals of Finland and Estonia.<\/p>\n<p>Finnish authorities seized and inspected the vessel suspected of causing the damage, the border guard said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Its anchor was lowered when it was discovered in Finland\u2019s exclusive economic zone.<\/p>\n<p>The Fitburg ship was sailing under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines and had departed from the Russian port of St Petersburg, a police spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>According to MarineTraffic data it was headed for Haifa in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Police said 14 crew members are currently being held for questioning and reported their nationalities as Russian, Georgian, Kazakh and Azerbaijani.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.664\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//59//89//96//808x535_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg/" alt=\"Gulf of Finland Coast Guard and police officers at a press conference in Helsinki, 31 December, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/384x255_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/640x425_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/750x498_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/828x550_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/1080x717_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/1200x797_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/1920x1275_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Gulf of Finland Coast Guard and police officers at a press conference in Helsinki, 31 December, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Helsinki police have opened an investigation into potential aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.<\/p>\n<p>The cable belongs to telecommunications service provider Elisa and is considered to be critical underwater infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>The damage occurred in Estonia's exclusive economic zone, police said.<\/p>\n<p>Finland's President Alexander Stubb thanked all the agencies involved in the operation in a post on X.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the government. Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds and we respond to them as necessary,\" he wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"2006319626603413696\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Estonian authorities are cooperating with their Finnish counterparts to decide whether they should initiate a separate criminal case or move forward in a joint prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>The justice ministry in Tallinn said that a second telecoms cable connecting the country to Finland, operated by Swedish company Arelion, was also damaged on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Similar incidents<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In December 2024, Finnish authorities boarded the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S which investigators said had damaged a power cables and telecommunications links in the Baltic Sea by dragging its anchor along the seabed.<\/p>\n<p>That case was dismissed by a Finnish court in October after prosecutors failed to prove intent.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//54//04//808x539_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg/" alt=\"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, 30 December, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/384x256_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/640x427_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/750x500_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/828x552_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1080x720_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1200x800_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1920x1280_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, 30 December, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Jussi Nukari\/Lehtikuva<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>There are eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea, which also borders Russia, and they have been on high alert following a string of incidents which saw undersea power cables, telecoms links and gas pipelines damaged.<\/p>\n<p>Those incidents have generally been regarded as deliberate acts of sabotage suspected of being linked to Russia and have <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//01//14//nato-to-bolster-baltic-military-presence-after-christmas-day-power-cable-cuts/">prompted NATO to boost its presence in the region<\/strong><\/a> with patrol frigates, aircraft and naval drones.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1767188895,"updatedAt":1767211347,"publishedAt":1767195191,"firstPublishedAt":1767195191,"lastPublishedAt":1767204843,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"The seized vessel Fitburg rests in the harbour in Kirkkonummi, 31 December, 2025","callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"caption":"The seized vessel Fitburg rests in the harbour in Kirkkonummi, 31 December, 2025","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6b77a195-ac94-551a-9ee1-1cf4701b1c16-9598996.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":911},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Gulf of Finland Coast Guard and police officers at a press conference in Helsinki, 31 December, 2025","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Gulf of Finland Coast Guard and police officers at a press conference in Helsinki, 31 December, 2025","url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/59\/89\/96\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ae12d7df-8410-513a-ab0d-6c03310e6317-9598996.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1328},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Jussi Nukari\/Lehtikuva","altText":"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, 30 December, 2024","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, 30 December, 2024","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1280}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"sheludkova","twitter":"@irinasheludkova","id":688,"title":"Irina Sheludkova"},{"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","twitter":null,"id":2972,"title":"Gavin Blackburn"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"estonia","titleRaw":"Estonia","id":87,"title":"Estonia","slug":"estonia"},{"urlSafeValue":"finland","titleRaw":"Finland","id":114,"title":"Finland","slug":"finland"},{"urlSafeValue":"telecommunication","titleRaw":"Telecommunication","id":7866,"title":"Telecommunication","slug":"telecommunication"},{"urlSafeValue":"russia","titleRaw":"Russia","id":239,"title":"Russia","slug":"russia"},{"urlSafeValue":"sabotage","titleRaw":"sabotage","id":19440,"title":"sabotage","slug":"sabotage"},{"urlSafeValue":"undersea-cable","titleRaw":"undersea cable","id":29770,"title":"undersea 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SANTA CLAUS DEPARTURE","daletPyramidId":3673978,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Santa Claus is coming to town! Father Christmas leaves Lapland headquarters for delivery duties","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Be good for goodness sakes! Santa Claus is coming to town","titleListing2":"Santa Claus has reportedly left his headquarters in Lapland and is heading to a chimney near you.","leadin":"As reported by Finnish public broadcaster YLE, Santa Claus has left his hometown in Korvatunturi, Lapland ahead of his round-the-world journey delivering presents.","summary":"As reported by Finnish public broadcaster YLE, Santa Claus has left his hometown in Korvatunturi, Lapland ahead of his round-the-world journey delivering presents.","keySentence":"","url":"santa-claus-is-coming-to-town-father-christmas-leaves-lapland-headquarters-for-delivery-du","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2025\/12\/22\/santa-claus-is-coming-to-town-father-christmas-leaves-lapland-headquarters-for-delivery-du","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Ho! Ho! Ho!\n\nMeteorologists might predict a snow-free Christmas in southern Finland, but that's not the case up north!\n\nAs Finnish public broadcaster YLE reports, once again Santa Claus has taken off from his headquarters in Korvatunturi, Lapland, to deliver a happy Christmas to all, and presents to all boys and girls who have been nice for the past twelve months.\n\nAccording to YLE, who call themselves Santa's official TV station, his sleigh, now made from the most advanced technology, cannot be deterred by GPS spoofing, jamming or any malicious AI-assisted software.\n\nSo far all who've been good for goodness sake, you better not cry as Santa can cross seas, oceans and mountains with no interference to his mission of true peace, love and understanding.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Ho! Ho! Ho! <\/p>\n<p>Meteorologists might predict a snow-free Christmas in southern Finland, but that's not the case up north!<\/p>\n<p>As Finnish public broadcaster YLE reports, once again Santa Claus has taken off from his headquarters in Korvatunturi, Lapland, to deliver a happy Christmas to all, and presents to all boys and girls who have been nice for the past twelve months.<\/p>\n<p>According to YLE, who call themselves Santa's official TV station, his sleigh, now made from the most advanced technology, cannot be deterred by GPS spoofing, jamming or any malicious AI-assisted software.<\/p>\n<p>So far all who've been good for goodness sake, you better not cry as Santa can cross seas, oceans and mountains with no interference to his mission of true peace, love and understanding.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1766387330,"updatedAt":1766423814,"publishedAt":1766423777,"firstPublishedAt":1766423777,"lastPublishedAt":1766423813,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/08\/12\/83\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bf61a0af-fcf0-559c-bb4f-365afdfa00de-8128328.jpg","altText":"Santa Claus","caption":"Santa Claus","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Laura Haapamaki\/AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":750}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":29398,"slug":"babbo-natale","urlSafeValue":"babbo-natale","title":"Santa Claus ","titleRaw":"Santa Claus "},{"id":30260,"slug":"lapland","urlSafeValue":"lapland","title":"S\u00e1pmi","titleRaw":"S\u00e1pmi"},{"id":24466,"slug":"father-christmas","urlSafeValue":"father-christmas","title":"father christmas","titleRaw":"father christmas"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2856541},{"id":2854779},{"id":2710178}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"DRpjrPTGM_U","dailymotionId":"x9w7x38"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":45000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":9847442,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/32\/23\/94\/06\/ED_PYR_3223946_20251222170741.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":45000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":13389660,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/32\/23\/94\/06\/SHD_PYR_3223946_20251222170741.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"},{"duration":45000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":36719025,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/32\/23\/94\/06\/FHD_PYR_3223946_20251222170741.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"1080p"}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"YLE 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news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/culture\/2025\/12\/22\/santa-claus-is-coming-to-town-father-christmas-leaves-lapland-headquarters-for-delivery-du","lastModified":1766423813},{"id":2855365,"cid":9586285,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC5 FINLAND SANTA READY FOR XMAS JOURNEY LONG","daletPyramidId":3635644,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":6},{"id":8},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"From Lapland, Santa prepares to deliver gifts worldwide","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Santa gets ready in Lapland to deliver gifts worldwide","titleListing2":"Finland\u2019s Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi is buzzing with early Christmas preparations, as visitors gather in Lapland despite late winter sunrises.\n\n","leadin":"Finland\u2019s Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi is buzzing with early Christmas preparations, as visitors gather in Lapland despite late winter sunrises.","summary":"Finland\u2019s Santa Claus Village near Rovaniemi is buzzing with early Christmas preparations, as visitors gather in Lapland despite late winter sunrises.","keySentence":"","url":"from-lapland-santa-prepares-to-deliver-gifts-worldwide","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/17\/from-lapland-santa-prepares-to-deliver-gifts-worldwide","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"At this time of year the sun rises late, often close to 11am, but preparations for Christmas Eve are already well underway. Elves sort through hundreds of thousands of letters sent by post, proof that many still prefer writing to Santa the old fashioned way.\n\nWith his list almost complete, Santa says most children have behaved well enough this year. He adds that doing your best matters more than being perfect.\n\nThe village draws more than 700,000 visitors each year, many seeing deep snow for the first time. Tourists from Europe, Asia and Australia describe the place as magical, even surprising for those used to warm Christmases.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>At this time of year the sun rises late, often close to 11am, but preparations for Christmas Eve are already well underway. Elves sort through hundreds of thousands of letters sent by post, proof that many still prefer writing to Santa the old fashioned way.<\/p>\n<p>With his list almost complete, Santa says most children have behaved well enough this year. He adds that doing your best matters more than being perfect. <\/p>\n<p>The village draws more than 700,000 visitors each year, many seeing deep snow for the first time. Tourists from Europe, Asia and Australia describe the place as magical, even surprising for those used to warm Christmases. <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765977087,"updatedAt":1765979996,"publishedAt":1765979220,"firstPublishedAt":1765979220,"lastPublishedAt":1765979220,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/58\/62\/85\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_79b44882-a88d-59ab-adcb-835d2c0ace70-9586285.jpg","altText":"Santa enters final countdown to Christmas","caption":"Santa enters final countdown to Christmas","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":176,"urlSafeValue":"caraco","title":"Alexis Caraco","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"id":176,"urlSafeValue":"caraco","title":"Alexis Caraco","twitter":null}]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":29398,"slug":"babbo-natale","urlSafeValue":"babbo-natale","title":"Santa Claus ","titleRaw":"Santa Claus "},{"id":5312,"slug":"christmas","urlSafeValue":"christmas","title":"Christmas","titleRaw":"Christmas"},{"id":4221,"slug":"tourism","urlSafeValue":"tourism","title":"Tourism","titleRaw":"Tourism"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2853979},{"id":2853471},{"id":2855534}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"nalPtOdl7qQ","dailymotionId":"x9vvyfe"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/31\/93\/62\/01\/ED_PYR_3193621_20251217132003.mp4","editor":"","duration":120000,"filesizeBytes":20996555,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/31\/93\/62\/01\/SHD_PYR_3193621_20251217132003.mp4","editor":"","duration":120000,"filesizeBytes":31243749,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/31\/93\/62\/01\/FHD_PYR_3193621_20251217132003.mp4","editor":"","duration":120000,"filesizeBytes":96056216,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/12\/17\/from-lapland-santa-prepares-to-deliver-gifts-worldwide","lastModified":1765979220},{"id":2853560,"cid":9578829,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NATO DRONES FINLAND by Shona","daletPyramidId":3564579,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Ukraine's kamikaze drones hit the front line as manpower shortage bites","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Drone technology is critical to Ukraine's fight against Russia ","titleListing2":"Ukraine's kamikaze drones hit the front line as manpower shortage bites","leadin":"Recent incursions into NATO territory and manpower shortages faced by the Ukrainian armed forces have accelerated advances in drone technology. No longer just complementary to traditional warfare, they are a necessity on the frontline against Russia \u2013 and increasingly on Europe\u2019s eastern flank.","summary":"Recent incursions into NATO territory and manpower shortages faced by the Ukrainian armed forces have accelerated advances in drone technology. No longer just complementary to traditional warfare, they are a necessity on the frontline against Russia \u2013 and increasingly on Europe\u2019s eastern flank.","keySentence":"","url":"ukraines-kamikaze-drones-hit-the-front-line-as-manpower-shortage-bites","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/12\/ukraines-kamikaze-drones-hit-the-front-line-as-manpower-shortage-bites","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In the garrison town of\u00a0Riihim\u00e4ki in Finland, a small place with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants, the Defence Innovation Network Finland (DEFINE) is showcasing drone technology from 17 different companies already in use or soon to be deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine.\u00a0\n\nJan-Erik Saarinen, founder of Double Tap investments, has just returned from a\u00a0six-week stint on the frontline in Kherson with the Ukrainian armed forces. His technologies are having an active impact on how soldiers engage against the invading Russian army.\u00a0\n\nHe explained to Euronews drones and unmanned vehicles are the most important tools to keep Ukraine defending its territory given the scale of the manpower ratio of Russian to Ukrainian men.\n\nThat disparity is compounded by the \u201cmeatgrinder\u201d tactics deployed by the Russian army, which sends thousands of poorly trained soldiers to the front in order to detect Ukraine's firing line with no care for how many come back. The loss of Russian soldiers thus averages around 1,200 per day, and some days as many as 2,000.\n\n\u201cWe were testing some technologies there, with the very innovative teams in the battalions on the east of Ukraine,\u201d Saarinen told Euronews in Riihim\u00e4ki. \u201cWe have acoustic sensors out there that alarm the\u00a0drones, we\u00a0have counter tactics, countermeasures that directly target the Russians.\u201d\n\nHis smaller hand-held kamikaze drones have technology which can clear a trench, much like a hand grenade or artillery shell but from a far greater distance \u2013 and soldiers can carry several at a time for greater effect with far less risk.\n\n\u201cSince (the Russian army) have more men, we need to clear trenches without losing our men\u201d, he explained.\u00a0\u201cThink of it like a hand grenade, but it can go 500 metres; several soldiers can throw the small drones ahead. It's far more effective.\"\n\n\"These drones are small enough so you have two or three in a backpack, but once we develop\u00a0the technology to make them even smaller, soldiers will be able to carry even more.\"\n\nIn addition, Double Tap is also developing kamikaze drones for operating on rivers, as well as detecting and destroying landmines.\u00a0\n\nAccording to the UN, Russia has laid millions of mines across Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in 2022, making it \u201cthe most dangerous place for unexploded weapons today.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis will be a huge thing for the future\u201d, said Saarinen.\u00a0\u201cWe need to provide them with better technology \u2013 and\u00a0remember, the\u00a0enemy\u00a0is good as well. You know,\u00a0their technology is good, and when they find something that works, they ramp it up\u00a0really fast.\u201d\n\n'It's a very smart enemy'\n\nOleksandr Voitko, a Ukrainian soldier on two weeks leave from the frontline in Kherson, said modern technology is\u00a0\u201chighly\u00a0critical\u00a0because we\u00a0don't\u00a0have much of our infantry now\u201d.\n\n\u201cWe\u00a0rely mostly\u00a0on drones now\u201d, he said.\u00a0\u201cWe use all types of drones. Small kamikaze FPV\u00a0(First-Person View) drone\u00a0bombers, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) drones\u00a0and middle strike kamikazes \u2013\u00a0all\u00a0types\u00a0of drones\u201d.\n\nBut he also warned that the enemy is evolving with just as much determination.\n\n\u201cRussians are learning all the time too. They improved their\u00a0drones\u00a0too.\u00a0So,\u00a0it's\u00a0not\u00a0a dumb\u00a0enemy,\u00a0it's\u00a0a very smart enemy,\u201d he told Euronews.\u00a0\n\nVoitko, who currently serves as Deputy Commander of the 413th Unmanned Systems Forces Regiment, first volunteered for the army in the east of Ukraine after Russia\u2019s initial invasion in 2014.\n\nHe conceded it will be difficult for Ukraine to recapture the territory taken by Russia, but at least with drone technology to hand, Ukraine\u2019s position in any negotiations will be strengthened.\n\n\u201cAt least we can kill so many Russians so Russia will\u00a0agree\u00a0to peace talks,\u201d he said. \u201cModern war is a war of\u00a0drones\u00a0now, and\u00a0I\u00a0think soon there\u2019ll be flying drones with a ground\u00a0robotic system.\u00a0Maybe we\u00a0will see some (humanoid) robots with rifles in several years.\u201d\n\nDefending Europe\n\nOn NATO\u2019s eastern flank, frontline states such as the Baltics and Poland have seen a high volume of drones and weather balloons violating European airspace in recent months.\u00a0\n\nFrom October to November, Lithuania's airspace was restricted for one-quarter of the working days at Vilnius and Kaunas airports at peak hours, according to the country's defence ministry.\n\nAnd on 9 December, Lithuania declared a \"nationwide emergency situation\"\u00a0following months of provocations\u00a0from weather balloons carrying pallets of cigarettes coming from Belarus.\n\n\u201cAlready in eastern countries, we see a danger of drones or balloons coming from Russia from Belarus,\u201d Gediminus Guoba, CEO of Lithuanian drone tech company Granta Autonomy, told Euronews.\u00a0\n\nHe said that plans to establish a so-called \u201cdrone wall\u201d comprised of various systems from interceptors to \u201cdestroyers\u201d\u00a0will be a useful development for defending European airspace, though he also warned of the potential damage caused by shooting drones down, which could pose a threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure.\u00a0\n\n\u201cWe imagine (the) drone wall as a system of systems which could protect us from hostile drones and other measures,\" he said. \"Because balloons, currently at least in Lithuania from where I came, are the biggest threat these days.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe simplest way of course is just to penetrate, destroy the balloon and shut it down in that way. But at the same time it's really dangerous, because they bring 40-50 kilogram boxes and they fly at 8 kilometre or even higher altitudes.\"\u00a0\n\n\"If you destroy the balloon, it means a 40 kilogram box falling down from 8 kilometres' altitude. It can create really huge damage.\"\u00a0\n\nThe solution to these latest version of hybrid threats is only at its inception given European defence forces are constantly responding to threats as opposed to anticipating what may lie ahead.\u00a0\n\nGuoba said that Europe needs to learn how to use drones as countermeasures, and fast.\n\n\"It's a new challenge for everyone.\u201d\n\n","htmlText":"<p>In the garrison town of Riihim\u00e4ki in Finland, a small place with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants, the Defence Innovation Network Finland (DEFINE) is showcasing drone technology from 17 different companies already in use or soon to be deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine. <\/p>\n<p>Jan-Erik Saarinen, founder of Double Tap investments, has just returned from a six-week stint on the frontline in Kherson with the Ukrainian armed forces. His technologies are having an active impact on how soldiers engage against the invading Russian army. <\/p>\n<p>He explained to Euronews drones and unmanned vehicles are the most important tools to keep Ukraine defending its territory given the scale of the manpower ratio of Russian to Ukrainian men.<\/p>\n<p>That disparity is compounded by the \u201cmeatgrinder\u201d tactics deployed by the Russian army, which sends thousands of poorly trained soldiers to the front in order to detect Ukraine's firing line with no care for how many come back. The loss of Russian soldiers thus averages around 1,200 per day, and some days as many as 2,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were testing some technologies there, with the very innovative teams in the battalions on the east of Ukraine,\u201d Saarinen told Euronews in Riihim\u00e4ki. \u201cWe have acoustic sensors out there that alarm the drones, we have counter tactics, countermeasures that directly target the Russians.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His smaller hand-held kamikaze drones have technology which can clear a trench, much like a hand grenade or artillery shell but from a far greater distance \u2013 and soldiers can carry several at a time for greater effect with far less risk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//88//29//808x539_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg/" alt=\"A Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the third assault brigade pilots an FPV drone in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/384x256_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/640x427_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/750x500_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/828x552_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1080x720_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1200x800_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1920x1280_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the third assault brigade pilots an FPV drone in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cSince (the Russian army) have more men, we need to clear trenches without losing our men\u201d, he explained. \u201cThink of it like a hand grenade, but it can go 500 metres; several soldiers can throw the small drones ahead. It's far more effective.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"These drones are small enough so you have two or three in a backpack, but once we develop the technology to make them even smaller, soldiers will be able to carry even more.\"<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Double Tap is also developing kamikaze drones for operating on rivers, as well as detecting and destroying landmines. <\/p>\n<p>According to the UN, Russia has laid millions of mines across Ukraine since the full-scale invasion in 2022, making it \u201cthe most dangerous place for unexploded weapons today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis will be a huge thing for the future\u201d, said Saarinen. \u201cWe need to provide them with better technology \u2013 and remember, the enemy is good as well. You know, their technology is good, and when they find something that works, they ramp it up really fast.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>'It's a very smart enemy'<\/h2>\n<p>Oleksandr Voitko, a Ukrainian soldier on two weeks leave from the frontline in Kherson, said modern technology is \u201chighly critical because we don't have much of our infantry now\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe rely mostly on drones now\u201d, he said. \u201cWe use all types of drones. Small kamikaze FPV (First-Person View) drone bombers, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) drones and middle strike kamikazes \u2013 all types of drones\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But he also warned that the enemy is evolving with just as much determination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRussians are learning all the time too. They improved their drones too. So, it's not a dumb enemy, it's a very smart enemy,\u201d he told Euronews. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////images.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//57//88//29//808x539_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg/" alt=\"A Ukrainian drone operator from the Kraken 1654 unit, callsign Imla, left, flies a Vampire drone as other soldiers watch in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/384x256_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 384w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/640x427_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 640w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/750x500_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 750w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/828x552_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 828w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1080x720_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1200x800_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/1920x1280_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A Ukrainian drone operator from the Kraken 1654 unit, callsign Imla, left, flies a Vampire drone as other soldiers watch in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Voitko, who currently serves as Deputy Commander of the 413th Unmanned Systems Forces Regiment, first volunteered for the army in the east of Ukraine after Russia\u2019s initial invasion in 2014. <\/p>\n<p>He conceded it will be difficult for Ukraine to recapture the territory taken by Russia, but at least with drone technology to hand, Ukraine\u2019s position in any negotiations will be strengthened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least we can kill so many Russians so Russia will agree to peace talks,\u201d he said. \u201cModern war is a war of drones now, and I think soon there\u2019ll be flying drones with a ground robotic system. Maybe we will see some (humanoid) robots with rifles in several years.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Defending Europe<\/h2>\n<p>On NATO\u2019s eastern flank, frontline states such as the Baltics and Poland have seen a high volume of drones and weather balloons violating European airspace in recent months. <\/p>\n<p>From October to November, Lithuania's airspace was restricted for one-quarter of the working days at Vilnius and Kaunas airports at peak hours, according to the country's defence ministry. <\/p>\n<p>And on 9 December, Lithuania declared a \"nationwide emergency situation\" following months of provocations from weather balloons carrying pallets of cigarettes coming from Belarus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlready in eastern countries, we see a danger of drones or balloons coming from Russia from Belarus,\u201d Gediminus Guoba, CEO of Lithuanian drone tech company Granta Autonomy, told Euronews. <\/p>\n<p>He said that plans to establish a so-called \u201cdrone wall\u201d comprised of various systems from interceptors to \u201cdestroyers\u201d will be a useful development for defending European airspace, though he also warned of the potential damage caused by shooting drones down, which could pose a threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//12//ukrainian-drone-strike-injures-seven-in-russias-tver-causes-fire-evacuation/">Ukrainian drone strike injures seven in Russia's Tver, causes fire, evacuation<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//12//11//ukrainian-sea-drones-reportedly-hit-another-russian-shadow-fleet-vessel-in-black-sea/">Ukrainian sea drones reportedly hit another Russian shadow fleet vessel in Black Sea<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cWe imagine (the) drone wall as a system of systems which could protect us from hostile drones and other measures,\" he said. \"Because balloons, currently at least in Lithuania from where I came, are the biggest threat these days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe simplest way of course is just to penetrate, destroy the balloon and shut it down in that way. But at the same time it's really dangerous, because they bring 40-50 kilogram boxes and they fly at 8 kilometre or even higher altitudes.\" <\/p>\n<p>\"If you destroy the balloon, it means a 40 kilogram box falling down from 8 kilometres' altitude. It can create really huge damage.\" <\/p>\n<p>The solution to these latest version of hybrid threats is only at its inception given European defence forces are constantly responding to threats as opposed to anticipating what may lie ahead. <\/p>\n<p>Guoba said that Europe needs to learn how to use drones as countermeasures, and fast.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's a new challenge for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765391347,"updatedAt":1765536731,"publishedAt":1765536326,"firstPublishedAt":1765536326,"lastPublishedAt":1765536730,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/89\/57\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cdab6f60-50b6-583d-9d14-82aef9efcf18-9578957.jpg","altText":"A soldier tests land drones in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.","caption":"A soldier tests land drones in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Andriy Andriyenko\/Ukrainian 65 Mechanized brigade","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":683},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_10129be0-df61-58b5-927e-1089cf74e11c-9578829.jpg","altText":"A Ukrainian drone operator from the Kraken 1654 unit, callsign Imla, left, flies a Vampire drone as other soldiers watch in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine.","caption":"A Ukrainian drone operator from the Kraken 1654 unit, callsign Imla, left, flies a Vampire drone as other soldiers watch in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/88\/29\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e429d401-65ed-5651-9562-68c11bc2e0f7-9578829.jpg","altText":"A Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the third assault brigade pilots an FPV drone in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine.","caption":"A Ukrainian FPV drone operator from the third assault brigade pilots an FPV drone in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":1982,"urlSafeValue":"murray-s","title":"Shona Murray","twitter":"@ShonaMurray_"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":15550,"slug":"innovation","urlSafeValue":"innovation","title":"innovation","titleRaw":"innovation"},{"id":68,"slug":"defence","urlSafeValue":"defence","title":"Defence","titleRaw":"Defence"},{"id":12609,"slug":"drones","urlSafeValue":"drones","title":"Drones","titleRaw":"Drones"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"GXCOjpLU01Y","dailymotionId":"x9vkhyq"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/31\/35\/79\/04\/ED_PYR_3135794_20251212091724.mp4","editor":"","duration":174760,"filesizeBytes":26143152,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/31\/35\/79\/04\/SHD_PYR_3135794_20251212091724.mp4","editor":"","duration":174760,"filesizeBytes":39315621,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/31\/35\/79\/04\/FHD_PYR_3135794_20251212091723.mp4","editor":"","duration":174760,"filesizeBytes":134257528,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/12\/ukraines-kamikaze-drones-hit-the-front-line-as-manpower-shortage-bites","lastModified":1765536730},{"id":2853529,"cid":9578638,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND STADIUM FIRE","daletPyramidId":3563139,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Teen admits starting blaze that destroyed famous Finnish football stadium stand","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Teen admits to arson destroying famous Finnish football stadium stand","titleListing2":"Teen admits starting blaze that destroyed famous Finnish football stadium stand","leadin":"FC Haka is one of Finland's most successful clubs, having won nine Finnish championships and 12 cup titles since its founding in 1934.","summary":"FC Haka is one of Finland's most successful clubs, having won nine Finnish championships and 12 cup titles since its founding in 1934.","keySentence":"","url":"teen-admits-starting-blaze-that-destroyed-famous-finnish-football-stadium-stand","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/12\/10\/teen-admits-starting-blaze-that-destroyed-famous-finnish-football-stadium-stand","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A teenager has confessed to starting a fire that destroyed a stand at the stadium of a storied Finnish football club, police said on Wednesday, though the suspect cannot face criminal charges due to age.\n\nThree minors, all under 15, were present when the blaze began at FC Haka's Tehtaan kentt\u00e4 stadium in Valkeakoski, some 150 kilometres north of Helsinki, on Sunday evening, according to Finland's Sis\u00e4-Suomi police.\n\nOne of the three admitted to igniting an object that sparked the fire, which completely destroyed the end stand and damaged portions of the artificial turf, Detective Inspector Maijastiina Tammisto said in a statement.\n\nThe incident is being investigated as arson, though Finnish law exempts anyone under 15 from criminal prosecution.\n\n\"However, the absence of criminal responsibility does not mean freedom from liability for damages,\" Tammisto said. \"There is no minimum age for compensation liability in Finland.\"\n\nTammisto urged public restraint about the case, after the incident has sparked harsh reactions on social media.\n\n\"The police hope that discussion about the matter remains appropriate and reminds people that inappropriate and personal communications can themselves lead to a criminal investigation,\" she said.\n\nThe fire broke out around 8 pm on Sunday and spread rapidly through the wooden structure, which held 400 spectators at the 3,200-capacity stadium built in 1934.\n\nMarko Laaksonen, chair of FC Haka, said the damage costs have not yet been calculated but will be substantial.\n\n\"We certainly didn't need this, that's clear,\" Laaksonen told Finnish media. \"We have already received a lot of support from people and we will continue to need it in the future.\"\n\nThe blaze comes just weeks after the club \u2014 which has won nine Finnish championships and 12 cup titles since its founding in 1934 \u2014was relegated from Finland's top-tier Veikkausliiga to the second division.\n\nThe stadium, known as \"Factory Field\" in English, sits in central Valkeakoski, a town of about 20,000 people, and has been FC Haka's home since the 1930s.\n\nThe venue is owned by the city of Valkeakoski, whose representatives have said they will be looking into repairing the pitch as soon as possible.\n\n\"We are truly saddened by the fire at Tehtaas Field. Tehtaas is a beloved place for the people of Koski, and the city is committed to maintaining Tehtaas Field,\" said Joni Kumlander, Chairman of the City Council.\n\n\"Now our task is to find out what it takes to get the field back into playing condition,\" Kumlander added in a press release published by FC Haka on Monday.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A teenager has confessed to starting a fire that destroyed a stand at the stadium of a storied Finnish football club, police said on Wednesday, though the suspect cannot face criminal charges due to age.<\/p>\n<p>Three minors, all under 15, were present when the blaze began at FC Haka's Tehtaan kentt\u00e4 stadium in Valkeakoski, some 150 kilometres north of Helsinki, on Sunday evening, according to Finland's Sis\u00e4-Suomi police.<\/p>\n<p>One of the three admitted to igniting an object that sparked the fire, which completely destroyed the end stand and damaged portions of the artificial turf, Detective Inspector Maijastiina Tammisto said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The incident is being investigated as arson, though Finnish law exempts anyone under 15 from criminal prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>\"However, the absence of criminal responsibility does not mean freedom from liability for damages,\" Tammisto said. \"There is no minimum age for compensation liability in Finland.\"<\/p>\n<p>Tammisto urged public restraint about the case, after the incident has sparked harsh reactions on social media.<\/p>\n<p>\"The police hope that discussion about the matter remains appropriate and reminds people that inappropriate and personal communications can themselves lead to a criminal investigation,\" she said.<\/p>\n<p>The fire broke out around 8 pm on Sunday and spread rapidly through the wooden structure, which held 400 spectators at the 3,200-capacity stadium built in 1934.<\/p>\n<p>Marko Laaksonen, chair of FC Haka, said the damage costs have not yet been calculated but will be substantial.<\/p>\n<p>\"We certainly didn't need this, that's clear,\" Laaksonen told Finnish media. \"We have already received a lot of support from people and we will continue to need it in the future.\"<\/p>\n<p>The blaze comes just weeks after the club \u2014 which has won nine Finnish championships and 12 cup titles since its founding in 1934 \u2014was relegated from Finland's top-tier Veikkausliiga to the second division.<\/p>\n<p>The stadium, known as \"Factory Field\" in English, sits in central Valkeakoski, a town of about 20,000 people, and has been FC Haka's home since the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p>The venue is owned by the city of Valkeakoski, whose representatives have said they will be looking into repairing the pitch as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are truly saddened by the fire at Tehtaas Field. Tehtaas is a beloved place for the people of Koski, and the city is committed to maintaining Tehtaas Field,\" said Joni Kumlander, Chairman of the City Council. <\/p>\n<p>\"Now our task is to find out what it takes to get the field back into playing condition,\" Kumlander added in a press release published by FC Haka on Monday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1765385763,"updatedAt":1765386763,"publishedAt":1765386736,"firstPublishedAt":1765386736,"lastPublishedAt":1765386736,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/57\/86\/38\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a607d17c-0ebe-56be-8353-5dd5805cb73e-9578638.jpg","altText":"The burned down stand of FC Haka's \"Football Factory\" stadium in Valkeakoski, 8 December 2025","caption":"The burned down stand of FC Haka's \"Football Factory\" stadium in Valkeakoski, 8 December 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"FC Haka press release","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1300,"height":731}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":8257,"slug":"football","urlSafeValue":"football","title":"Football","titleRaw":"Football"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":9433,"slug":"arson","urlSafeValue":"arson","title":"Arson","titleRaw":"Arson"}],"widgets":[],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/12\/10\/teen-admits-starting-blaze-that-destroyed-famous-finnish-football-stadium-stand","lastModified":1765386736},{"id":2846438,"cid":9547859,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC9 FINLAND SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE","daletPyramidId":3302439,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"First snowfall brings excitement to Santa Claus Village in Lapland","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":null,"titleListing2":"First snowfall brings excitement to Santa Claus Village","leadin":"Lapland\u2019s long-awaited first snowfall arrived after one of the warmest Septembers on record, delighting visitors and locals hoping winter conditions will finally settle in.","summary":"Lapland\u2019s long-awaited first snowfall arrived after one of the warmest Septembers on record, delighting visitors and locals hoping winter conditions will finally settle in.","keySentence":"","url":"first-snowfall-brings-excitement-to-santa-claus-village-in-lapland","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/11\/14\/first-snowfall-brings-excitement-to-santa-claus-village-in-lapland","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Lapland has finally seen its first snowfall of the coming winter, bringing excitement to both children and tourists visiting Santa Claus Village. Many hope the snow will stay, after an unusually long and warm autumn.\n\nFollowing the third-warmest September on record \u2014 surpassed only by 2023 and 2024 \u2014 the wait for winter conditions stretched longer than usual.\n\nFinland\u2019s Meteorological Institute reported on 1 October that average temperatures were 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than they would have been without climate change.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Lapland has finally seen its first snowfall of the coming winter, bringing excitement to both children and tourists visiting Santa Claus Village. Many hope the snow will stay, after an unusually long and warm autumn.<\/p>\n<p>Following the third-warmest September on record \u2014 surpassed only by 2023 and 2024 \u2014 the wait for winter conditions stretched longer than usual. <\/p>\n<p>Finland\u2019s Meteorological Institute reported on 1 October that average temperatures were 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than they would have been without climate change.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1763054471,"updatedAt":1763104715,"publishedAt":1763104254,"firstPublishedAt":1763104254,"lastPublishedAt":1763104254,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/54\/78\/59\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_26410132-8878-5f0f-93c9-93425c465de2-9547859.jpg","altText":"In this March 2013 photo, A Sami handler in traditional clothing holds two of his herd in Saariselka, Finnish Lapland.","caption":"In this March 2013 photo, A Sami handler in traditional clothing holds two of his herd in Saariselka, Finnish Lapland.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Copyright 2013 AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1466}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":29398,"slug":"babbo-natale","urlSafeValue":"babbo-natale","title":"Santa Claus ","titleRaw":"Santa Claus "},{"id":8275,"slug":"snowfall","urlSafeValue":"snowfall","title":"Snowfall","titleRaw":"Snowfall"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":5312,"slug":"christmas","urlSafeValue":"christmas","title":"Christmas","titleRaw":"Christmas"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2847311}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"cuE5-A4YuMo","dailymotionId":"x9tqfe6"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/29\/28\/15\/00\/ED_PYR_2928150_20251113172624.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":11433006,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/29\/28\/15\/00\/SHD_PYR_2928150_20251113172624.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":15855958,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/29\/28\/15\/00\/FHD_PYR_2928150_20251113172624.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":48232773,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/11\/14\/first-snowfall-brings-excitement-to-santa-claus-village-in-lapland","lastModified":1763104254},{"id":2843887,"cid":9536243,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"HEALTH ANTIBIOTIC SCHIZOPHRENIA","daletPyramidId":3201559,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Common antibiotic may lower schizophrenia risks, study finds","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Common antibiotic may lower schizophrenia risks, study finds","titleListing2":"Common antibiotic may lower schizophrenia risks, study finds","leadin":"The researchers said their findings were \u2018tentative but exciting\u2019.","summary":"The researchers said their findings were \u2018tentative but exciting\u2019.","keySentence":"","url":"common-antibiotic-may-lower-schizophrenia-risks-study-finds","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/health\/2025\/11\/05\/common-antibiotic-may-lower-schizophrenia-risks-study-finds","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A common antibiotic may help lower the risk of some young people developing schizophrenia, a new study suggests.\n\nTeenagers undergoing mental health treatment who were prescribed the antibiotic doxycycline were 30 per cent to 35 per cent less likely to develop schizophrenia in adulthood compared with teenagers who were treated with other antibiotics, according to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.\n\nThe research team described the results as \u201ctentative but exciting\u201d.\n\nSchizophrenia affects approximately 23 million people worldwide. It causes psychosis marked by delusional beliefs, hallucinations, disorganised thinking, and other cognitive problems, which can be disabling.\n\nThe mental disorder typically emerges in early adulthood, and while it can be managed with medication, there is no cure.\n\nThe study included more than 56,000 adolescents in Finland, including more than 16,000 who were prescribed doxycycline, which is commonly used to treat infections and acne.\n\nIt was not a randomised trial, meaning it cannot prove that doxycycline actually prevents schizophrenia.\n\nBut the researchers believe the drug may help by reducing inflammation in the brain and influencing synaptic pruning, which is when the brain removes neurons and synapses it does not need. Abnormal synaptic pruning has been linked to schizophrenia.\n\nThe findings are \u201can important signal to further investigate the protective effect of doxycycline and other anti-inflammatory treatments in adolescent psychiatry patients,\u201d Ian Kelleher, the study\u2019s lead author and a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said in a statement.\n\nHe added that this approach could \u201cpotentially reduce the risk of developing severe mental illness in adulthood\u201d.\n\nHowever, independent experts cautioned against drawing concrete conclusions from the study, saying additional research would be needed to confirm any link between doxycycline and schizophrenia.\n\nDominic Oliver, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Oxford, noted that \u201cmany other treatments have shown early promise and have ultimately shown not to be effective in large-scale trials\u201d.\n\nMeanwhile, Dr Katharina Schmack, a psychosis researcher at The Francis Crick Institute in the United Kingdom, said that while the study\u2019s findings were statistically significant, \u201cthe absolute numbers are modest\u201d when it comes to schizophrenia risk reduction.\n\nFifteen years after doxycycline treatment, \u201cinstead of about five out of 100 people, now roughly two to three out of 100 would develop schizophrenia,\u201d she said.\n\nNeither Oliver nor Schmack were involved with the study.\n\nSchmack said the findings should serve as the basis for more research into brain development, inflammation, and other biological processes that could affect schizophrenia risk.\n\n\u201cUncovering clinical associations in studies like this is important because this can direct further biological investigations,\u201d she said.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>A common antibiotic may help lower the risk of some young people developing schizophrenia, a new study suggests.<\/p>\n<p>Teenagers undergoing mental health treatment who were prescribed the antibiotic doxycycline were 30 per cent to 35 per cent less likely to develop schizophrenia in adulthood compared with teenagers who were treated with other antibiotics, according to the study, which was published in the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////psychiatryonline.org//doi//10.1176//appi.ajp.20240958/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>American Journal of Psychiatry<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The research team described the results as \u201ctentative but exciting\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Schizophrenia affects approximately 23 million people worldwide. It causes psychosis marked by delusional beliefs, hallucinations, disorganised thinking, and other cognitive problems, which can be disabling.<\/p>\n<p>The mental disorder typically emerges in early adulthood, and while it can be managed with medication, there is no cure.<\/p>\n<p>The study included more than 56,000 adolescents in Finland, including more than 16,000 who were prescribed doxycycline, which is commonly used to treat infections and acne.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//health//2025//08//26//highly-potent-cannabis-products-tied-to-risk-of-psychosis-schizophrenia-and-addiction-stud/">Highly potent cannabis products tied to risk of psychosis, schizophrenia, and addiction, study finds<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>It was not a randomised trial, meaning it cannot prove that doxycycline actually prevents schizophrenia.<\/p>\n<p>But the researchers believe the drug may help by reducing inflammation in the brain and influencing synaptic pruning, which is when the brain removes neurons and synapses it does not need. Abnormal synaptic pruning has been linked to schizophrenia.<\/p>\n<p>The findings are \u201can important signal to further investigate the protective effect of doxycycline and other anti-inflammatory treatments in adolescent psychiatry patients,\u201d Ian Kelleher, the study\u2019s lead author and a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>He added that this approach could \u201cpotentially reduce the risk of developing severe mental illness in adulthood\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>However, independent experts cautioned against drawing concrete conclusions from the study, saying additional research would be needed to confirm any link between doxycycline and schizophrenia.<\/p>\n<p>Dominic Oliver, a psychiatry researcher at the University of Oxford, noted that \u201cmany other treatments have shown early promise and have ultimately shown not to be effective in large-scale trials\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//health//2025//10//13//one-in-six-bacterial-infections-is-now-resistant-to-standard-drugs-who-warns/">One in six bacterial infections is now resistant to standard drugs, WHO warns<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Dr Katharina Schmack, a psychosis researcher at The Francis Crick Institute in the United Kingdom, said that while the study\u2019s findings were statistically significant, \u201cthe absolute numbers are modest\u201d when it comes to schizophrenia risk reduction.<\/p>\n<p>Fifteen years after doxycycline treatment, \u201cinstead of about five out of 100 people, now roughly two to three out of 100 would develop schizophrenia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Oliver nor Schmack were involved with the study.<\/p>\n<p>Schmack said the findings should serve as the basis for more research into brain development, inflammation, and other biological processes that could affect schizophrenia risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUncovering clinical associations in studies like this is important because this can direct further biological investigations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1762260796,"updatedAt":1762330240,"publishedAt":1762329627,"firstPublishedAt":1762329627,"lastPublishedAt":1762329652,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/53\/62\/43\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bda27806-460a-5bcc-9647-661d05208715-9536243.jpg","altText":"A teenage girl takes a pill.","caption":"A teenage girl takes a pill.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1616,"height":909}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3108,"urlSafeValue":"galvin","title":"Gabriela Galvin","twitter":"@mg_galvin"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":14104,"slug":"mental-health","urlSafeValue":"mental-health","title":"Mental health","titleRaw":"Mental health"},{"id":18190,"slug":"child-development","urlSafeValue":"child-development","title":"Child Development","titleRaw":"Child Development"},{"id":139,"slug":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health","titleRaw":"Health"},{"id":15642,"slug":"antibiotics","urlSafeValue":"antibiotics","title":"antibiotics","titleRaw":"antibiotics"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2842172},{"id":2843791},{"id":2844415}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"health-news","urlSafeValue":"health-news","title":"Health News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/health\/health-news\/health-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"health","verticals":[{"id":12,"slug":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":12,"slug":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health"},"themes":[{"id":"health-news","urlSafeValue":"health-news","title":"Health news","url":"\/health\/health-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":43,"urlSafeValue":"health-news","title":"Health news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/health\/2025\/11\/05\/common-antibiotic-may-lower-schizophrenia-risks-study-finds","lastModified":1762329652},{"id":2836598,"cid":9498564,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NEXT_Finalnd drone surveillance","daletPyramidId":2913996,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland is using drones and AI to tackle congestion. Is it safe?","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finland is using drones and AI to tackle congestion. Is it safe?","titleListing2":"Finland is using drones and AI to tackle congestion. Is it safe?","leadin":"The drones track cars, trams, bicycles, electric scooters, and pedestrians. Eventually, the data gathered from the drones will feed information on congestion formation and traffic flow into the AI to create simulations.","summary":"The drones track cars, trams, bicycles, electric scooters, and pedestrians. Eventually, the data gathered from the drones will feed information on congestion formation and traffic flow into the AI to create simulations.","keySentence":"","url":"finland-is-using-drones-and-ai-to-tackle-congestion-is-it-safe","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2025\/10\/08\/finland-is-using-drones-and-ai-to-tackle-congestion-is-it-safe","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Finland\u2019s capital, Helsinki, is turning to drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to help tackle one of the city\u2019s trickiest challenges - keeping traffic moving smoothly.\n\nHelsinki\u2019s West Harbour is Europe\u2019s second busiest port, handling about 6 million ferry passengers annually.\n\nNow, new technology is giving city planners a bird\u2019s-eye view of how that movement unfolds and how it could be improved.\n\nSince 2023, drones have been taking to the skies above the major transport hub, linking ferries, trams, metro lines, and trains.\n\nDrones collect information on passengers' route choices to improve connections between different modes of transport and reduce peak congestion, according to Forum Virium Helsinki, the city\u2019s innovation company.\n\n\u201cThe project is to improve traffic flow with AI solutions and create a basis for more sustainable urban mobility,\u201d Eero Jalo, a\u00a0 project manager at Forum Virium Helsinki, told Euronews Next.\n\nThe drones track cars, trams, bicycles, electric scooters, and pedestrians. Each round involved three to six drones capturing video footage of traffic during cruise ship arrivals and departures, when traffic is at its busiest.\u00a0\n\nEventually, the data gathered from the drones will feed information on congestion formation and traffic flow into the AI to create simulations.\n\nPrivacy questions still hover\n\nThe Swiss start-up, Mobilysis, handles the data processing, using AI to detect and classify vehicles and track their movements, such as how fast they\u2019re going, where they\u2019re heading, and how they interact with one another.\n\n\u201cOur data can provide insights on how ferry passengers arrive at the terminal or continue their journeys \u2013 whether they board trams or buses, take taxis, walk to nearby parking, or even use scooters and bicycles,\u201d Manos Barmpounakis, Mobilysis\u2019s CEO and co-founder, told Euronews Next.\n\n\u201cThese insights are crucial for designing better intermodal connections and making travel through the port area smoother and more sustainable,\u201d Barmpounakis added.\n\nThe processed and analysed data are then integrated into AI-powered digital twins, which are \u201ca highly complex virtual model that is the exact counterpart of a physical thing,\u201d according to IBM. That \u201cthing\u201d could be anything from a car or a bridge to a jet engine.\n\nIn this case, the digital twin will allow city regulators and engineers to test different traffic management strategies virtually before applying them in the real world, the Helsinki company said.\n\n\u201cThis process is crucial for transforming raw video data into actionable insights. That can be used to predict traffic flow, identify congestion and develop more efficient management strategies,\u201d Jalo said.\n\n\u201cThe core of the AI function is the simulation\u2026, providing analysis of travel behaviours and their impact on traffic flow,\u201d he added.\n\nMobilysis said the raw videos are never shared externally - only the \u201canonymised, AI-processed trajectory data\u201d is used for analysis, and the data collection complies with Europe\u2019s data protection laws.\n\n\u201cThe drones are positioned at fixed observation points and record bird\u2019s-eye-view videos of multimodal traffic,\u201d Barmpounakis said.\n\n\u201cThis perspective is ideal for understanding how different transport modes interact in busy urban areas. This bird\u2019s-eye-view also allows us to have GDPR compliance, as no faces or license plates are visible,\u201d he added.\n\nStill, some experts warn that even GDPR compliance doesn\u2019t eliminate all privacy concerns.\n\n\u201cWhat is noteworthy in the case of GDPR-compliant drone surveillance is that the citizens seeing a drone in the sky have no way of knowing whether it collects data in a manner that does not violate rights to privacy and security,\u201d Alina Wernick, a group leader of the Law, AI and Society Group at the University of T\u00fcbingen in Germany, told Euronews Next.\n\nShe also flagged potential cybersecurity risks and the danger of combining datasets in ways that could, in theory, reveal personal details.\n\nThe city said it is keeping residents in the loop.\n\n\u201cThere have been many questions [from the citizens],\u201d Jalo said.\n\n\u201cWe are sharing this information on what happens in our test areas with drones. It always generates good interest from citizens. And also how to use them, we keep this open and develop how to share this information for the citizens,\u201d he explained.\n\nEU-funded project\n\nThe pilot project will test how \u201csoft measures\u201d such as route recommendations or incentives to travel at off-peak times can help improve city-wide traffic flow. It also aims to explore how new technology can support climate goals by encouraging more sustainable journeys.\n\nIt will also trial an app that offers alternative modes or routes to test users, based on the simulation data.\n\nThe ACUMEN project, short for AI-aided decision tool for seamless multimodal network and traffic management, is funded by the European Union\u2019s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.\n\nIt\u2019s led by the Aalto University in Finland and brings together eight EU countries as well as Switzerland. Similar trials are underway in Athens, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg.\n\nHelsinki\u2019s final toolkit and policy recommendations are expected in May 2026, when the ACUMEN project wraps up.\u00a0\n\nWhile this could pave the way for AI-guided traffic management across Europe, some experts argue that the right to security should carry more weight when assessing the impact of such projects.\n\n\u201cOn one hand, digital twin technologies, which are used for simulations and mentioned in connection with ACUMEN, are criticised for being unable to provide accurate representations of the complexity of a city,\u201d Wernick said.\n\nShe added that collecting more precise data may help the municipality to fulfil citizens\u2019 human rights, or to ensure that the digital model accounts for the more diverse needs of citizens.\n\n\u201cOn the other hand, the public perception of certain technologies may change, as in the case of the use of drones in the city environment\u201d.\n\nFor more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Finland\u2019s capital, Helsinki, is turning to drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to help tackle one of the city\u2019s trickiest challenges - keeping traffic moving smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>Helsinki\u2019s West Harbour is Europe\u2019s second busiest port, handling about 6 million ferry passengers annually.<\/p>\n<p>Now, new technology is giving city planners a bird\u2019s-eye view of how that movement unfolds and how it could be improved.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2023, drones have been taking to the skies above the major transport hub, linking ferries, trams, metro lines, and trains.<\/p>\n<p>Drones collect information on passengers' route choices to improve connections between different modes of transport and reduce peak congestion, according to Forum Virium Helsinki, the city\u2019s innovation company.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe project is to improve traffic flow with AI solutions and create a basis for more sustainable urban mobility,\u201d Eero Jalo, a\u00a0 project manager at Forum Virium Helsinki, told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>The drones track cars, trams, bicycles, electric scooters, and pedestrians. Each round involved three to six drones capturing video footage of traffic during cruise ship arrivals and departures, when traffic is at its busiest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, the data gathered from the drones will feed information on congestion formation and traffic flow into the AI to create simulations.<\/p>\n<h2>Privacy questions still hover<\/h2>\n<p>The Swiss start-up, Mobilysis, handles the data processing, using AI to detect and classify vehicles and track their movements, such as how fast they\u2019re going, where they\u2019re heading, and how they interact with one another.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur data can provide insights on how ferry passengers arrive at the terminal or continue their journeys \u2013 whether they board trams or buses, take taxis, walk to nearby parking, or even use scooters and bicycles,\u201d Manos Barmpounakis, Mobilysis\u2019s CEO and co-founder, told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese insights are crucial for designing better intermodal connections and making travel through the port area smoother and more sustainable,\u201d Barmpounakis added.<\/p>\n<p>The processed and analysed data are then integrated into AI-powered digital twins, which are \u201ca highly complex virtual model that is the exact counterpart of a physical thing,\u201d according to IBM. That \u201cthing\u201d could be anything from a car or a bridge to a jet engine.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, the digital twin will allow city regulators and engineers to test different traffic management strategies virtually before applying them in the real world, the Helsinki company said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis process is crucial for transforming raw video data into actionable insights. That can be used to predict traffic flow, identify congestion and develop more efficient management strategies,\u201d Jalo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe core of the AI function is the simulation\u2026, providing analysis of travel behaviours and their impact on traffic flow,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Mobilysis said the raw videos are never shared externally - only the \u201canonymised, AI-processed trajectory data\u201d is used for analysis, and the data collection complies with Europe\u2019s data protection laws.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9488337\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//09//30//which-countries-in-europe-have-spotted-suspicious-drones-in-their-airspace/">Which countries in Europe have spotted suspicious drones in their airspace? <\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cThe drones are positioned at fixed observation points and record bird\u2019s-eye-view videos of multimodal traffic,\u201d Barmpounakis said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis perspective is ideal for understanding how different transport modes interact in busy urban areas. This bird\u2019s-eye-view also allows us to have GDPR compliance, as no faces or license plates are visible,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Still, some experts warn that even GDPR compliance doesn\u2019t eliminate all privacy concerns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is noteworthy in the case of GDPR-compliant drone surveillance is that the citizens seeing a drone in the sky have no way of knowing whether it collects data in a manner that does not violate rights to privacy and security,\u201d Alina Wernick, a group leader of the Law, AI and Society Group at the University of T\u00fcbingen in Germany, told Euronews Next.<\/p>\n<p>She also flagged potential cybersecurity risks and the danger of combining datasets in ways that could, in theory, reveal personal details.<\/p>\n<p>The city said it is keeping residents in the loop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere have been many questions [from the citizens],\u201d Jalo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are sharing this information on what happens in our test areas with drones. It always generates good interest from citizens. And also how to use them, we keep this open and develop how to share this information for the citizens,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n<h2>EU-funded project<\/h2>\n<p>The pilot project will test how \u201csoft measures\u201d such as route recommendations or incentives to travel at off-peak times can help improve city-wide traffic flow. It also aims to explore how new technology can support climate goals by encouraging more sustainable journeys.<\/p>\n<p>It will also trial an app that offers alternative modes or routes to test users, based on the simulation data.<\/p>\n<p>The ACUMEN project, short for AI-aided decision tool for seamless multimodal network and traffic management, is funded by the European Union\u2019s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s led by the Aalto University in Finland and brings together eight EU countries as well as Switzerland. Similar trials are underway in Athens, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9388027\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//07//25//denmark-to-drive-gdpr-simplification-scaleups-must-not-be-forgotten/">Denmark to drive GDPR simplification: Scaleups must not be forgotten<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Helsinki\u2019s final toolkit and policy recommendations are expected in May 2026, when the ACUMEN project wraps up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While this could pave the way for AI-guided traffic management across Europe, some experts argue that the right to security should carry more weight when assessing the impact of such projects.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn one hand, digital twin technologies, which are used for simulations and mentioned in connection with ACUMEN, are criticised for being unable to provide accurate representations of the complexity of a city,\u201d Wernick said.<\/p>\n<p>She added that collecting more precise data may help the municipality to fulfil citizens\u2019 human rights, or to ensure that the digital model accounts for the more diverse needs of citizens.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the other hand, the public perception of certain technologies may change, as in the case of the use of drones in the city environment\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.<\/strong><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1759758701,"updatedAt":1759912828,"publishedAt":1759911971,"firstPublishedAt":1759911971,"lastPublishedAt":1759911971,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/85\/64\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b788525e-2794-515c-9752-72e001102576-9498564.jpg","altText":"Helsinki city is using drones and AI to track traffic.","caption":"Helsinki city is using drones and AI to track traffic.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Forum Virium Helsinki","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2612,"urlSafeValue":"min","title":"Roselyne Min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[{"id":2612,"urlSafeValue":"min","title":"Roselyne Min","twitter":"@MinRoselyne"}]},"keywords":[{"id":20684,"slug":"traffic-jam","urlSafeValue":"traffic-jam","title":"traffic jam","titleRaw":"traffic jam"},{"id":12661,"slug":"artificial-intelligence","urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","title":"Artificial intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence"},{"id":20532,"slug":"sustainable-innovation","urlSafeValue":"sustainable-innovation","title":"Sustainable innovation","titleRaw":"Sustainable innovation"},{"id":389,"slug":"technology","urlSafeValue":"technology","title":"Technology","titleRaw":"Technology"},{"id":12609,"slug":"drones","urlSafeValue":"drones","title":"Drones","titleRaw":"Drones"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2835371},{"id":2837634}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Z0cCMnHPy-E","dailymotionId":"x9rq9ci"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/26\/17\/47\/02\/ED_PYR_2617472_20251006135141.mp4","editor":"","duration":52640,"filesizeBytes":10279111,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/26\/17\/47\/02\/SHD_PYR_2617472_20251006135141.mp4","editor":"","duration":52640,"filesizeBytes":13848317,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/26\/17\/47\/02\/FHD_PYR_2617472_20251006135141.mp4","editor":"","duration":52640,"filesizeBytes":40253779,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"mobility","urlSafeValue":"mobility","title":"Mobility","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/mobility\/mobility"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"mobility","urlSafeValue":"mobility","title":"Mobility","url":"\/next\/mobility"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":45,"urlSafeValue":"mobility","title":"Mobility"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/next\/2025\/10\/08\/finland-is-using-drones-and-ai-to-tackle-congestion-is-it-safe","lastModified":1759911971},{"id":2835742,"cid":9493975,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Europe needs a \"sense of urgency\" on defence - Finnish defence minister","daletPyramidId":2883304,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Europe needs a 'sense of urgency' on defence, Finland's defence minister says","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Europe needs more urgency on defence, Finland's defence minister says","titleListing2":"Europe needs a 'sense of urgency' on defence, Finland's defence minister says","leadin":"Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen is urging European and NATO allies to speed up purchasing of weapons defence systems amid increasing incursions into NATO airspace.","summary":"Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen is urging European and NATO allies to speed up purchasing of weapons defence systems amid increasing incursions into NATO airspace.","keySentence":"","url":"europe-needs-a-sense-of-urgency-on-defence-finlands-defence-minister-says","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2025\/10\/03\/europe-needs-a-sense-of-urgency-on-defence-finlands-defence-minister-says","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Finland's Defence Minister Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen says Europe is in a race against time to improve its defence capabilities and build its so-called drone wall to counter a growing number of incursions, believed to be from Russia.\n\n\"When they [Russia] were running out of missiles they started to produce lots of drones, which is why this has changed the threat picture,\" H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said.\n\nHe said Europe faces a number of problems from the wave of recent airspace violations by Russia which saw drones enter countries like Poland and Denmark.\n\nH\u00e4kk\u00e4nen pointed to the huge expense in disabling them and the danger they pose to the population if they're shot down in civilian areas.\n\n\"Everyone has a challenge on how to counter drone threats in a cost effective way without too much collateral damage especially if it's happening nearby the airport,\" he explained.\n\n\"It\u2019s hugely challenging to drop a drone in a civil area without collateral damage, using all the force in the military with full spectrum warfare,\" he said.\n\nH\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said Russia will always exploit weakness, especially if Europe and the West is \"disjointed and unprepared.\"\n\n\"We know that Russia has always, throughout history, operated aggressively when they see the window of opportunity,\" he said.\n\n\"If they believe the West is a bit weak and politically a bit messed up, maybe not in good shape in defence, and they think they have an opportunity to take some more land again,\" then they will, he pointed out.\n\n\"That\u2019s what they thought in 2014 and 2022,\" he said.\n\n2014 refers to Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, while 2022 is the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country, a war that is ongoing to this day.\n\n\"So to avoid that threat Europeans must speed up investments. Real investments. There must be a sense of urgency,\" he advised.\n\nWhat is the drone wall?\n\nBacked by the European Commission, the drone wall aims to combine detection and strike systems that would need to stretch along the borders of at least 10 countries including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.\n\n\"The drone wall is not a wall, but a system of systems,\" Sven Kruck, co-CEO of the German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems told Euronews.\n\n\"Reconnaissance, sensor fusion and defence, integrated across thousands of kilometres,\" Kruck explained adding that \"at its core, the project is a network of sensors and defence systems aimed at securing NATO's eastern flank.\"\n\nIt's a centrepiece of Europe's defence plan for the coming years but there have already been disagreements over how long it would take to be operational.\n\nEvika Sili\u0146a, Latvia's prime minister, for instance told reporters that she believes a drone wall along the eastern flank could be \"doable\" within \"one year, year and a half.\"\n\nThis directly contradicts comments made earlier this week at the Warsaw Security Forum by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius for whom such a project wouldn't be \"realised in the next three to four years.\"\n\nWhatever the timeline, both Europe and NATO strongly suspect Russia is behind the recent spate of airspace violations as part of its hybrid war which includes the spread of misinformation and cyberattacks.\n\nDefence spending\n\nH\u00e4kk\u00e4nen says NATO needs to \"immediately\" start implementing a commitment to spend up to 5% of GDP on defence within as short a timeframe as possible.\n\nAll 32 NATO allies agreed to increase defence spending from 2% to 5% of GDP at the NATO summit in The Hague in July, at the urging of US President Donald Trump.\n\nThe 5% figure is split with 3.5% going to core defense spending and 1.5% to \"defence and security-related spending.\"\n\n\"We're hoping the new NATO commitment in spending to 3.5-5% is speeding up fast,\" he said.\n\n\"The NATO agreement was you have to be fully ready to 3.5% spending in 10 years. No, no, you have to start immediately,\" H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen warned.\n\nH\u00e4kk\u00e4nen is defence minister of one of NATO's newest member countries. In response to the full-scale of invasion of Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden ditched decades of neutrality and jointly submitted applications to join the alliance.\n\nFinland officialy joined in April 2023, with Sweden joining early the next year.\n\n\"NATO collective defence has some gaps. Those gaps need to be filled fast,\" he said.\n\nThe Trump administration has repeatedly told Europe that its defence priorities lie at home and that Washington can no longer be relied upon to guarantee European security.\n\nWashington has also stopped military aid packages to Ukraine, although the US is expected to announce a substantial deal on the purchasing of potentially long-range weapons which will be paid for by Europe.\n\nNonetheless, it's a sharp deviation in contrast to the Biden administration when Congress approved over $40 billion in military aid in a single package.\n\n\"The US says they are shifting the balance to the Indo Pacific area and their homeland security,\" explained H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen.\n\n\"And we are seeing the results. The Europeans must pay their fair share and buy the equipment to fill the US gaps,\" he told Euronews.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Finland's Defence Minister Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen says Europe is in a race against time to improve its defence capabilities and build its so-called drone wall to counter a growing number of incursions, believed to be from Russia. <\/p>\n<p>\"When they [Russia] were running out of missiles they started to produce lots of drones, which is why this has changed the threat picture,\" H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said.<\/p>\n<p>He said Europe faces a number of problems from the wave of recent airspace violations by Russia which saw drones enter countries like Poland and Denmark.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen pointed to the huge expense in disabling them and the danger they pose to the population if they're shot down in civilian areas.<\/p>\n<p>\"Everyone has a challenge on how to counter drone threats in a cost effective way without too much collateral damage especially if it's happening nearby the airport,\" he explained.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//39//75//808x539_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg/" alt=\"Firefighters tackle the blaze after a Russian air attack that hit at Barabashovo market in Kharkiv, 1 October, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/384x256_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/640x427_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/750x500_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/828x552_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1080x720_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1200x800_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1920x1280_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Firefighters tackle the blaze after a Russian air attack that hit at Barabashovo market in Kharkiv, 1 October, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"It\u2019s hugely challenging to drop a drone in a civil area without collateral damage, using all the force in the military with full spectrum warfare,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen said Russia will always exploit weakness, especially if Europe and the West is \"disjointed and unprepared.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"We know that Russia has always, throughout history, operated aggressively when they see the window of opportunity,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>\"If they believe the West is a bit weak and politically a bit messed up, maybe not in good shape in defence, and they think they have an opportunity to take some more land again,\" then they will, he pointed out. <\/p>\n<p>\"That\u2019s what they thought in 2014 and 2022,\" he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//39//75//808x539_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg/" alt=\"Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers a speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/384x256_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/640x427_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/750x500_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/828x552_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1080x720_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1200x800_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1920x1280_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers a speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>2014 refers to Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, while 2022 is the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country, a war that is ongoing to this day.<\/p>\n<p>\"So to avoid that threat Europeans must speed up investments. Real investments. There must be a sense of urgency,\" he advised. <\/p>\n<h2>What is the drone wall?<\/h2>\n<p>Backed by the European Commission, the drone wall aims to combine detection and strike systems that would need to stretch along the borders of at least 10 countries including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.<\/p>\n<p>\"The drone wall is not a wall, but a system of systems,\" Sven Kruck, co-CEO of the German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"Reconnaissance, sensor fusion and defence, integrated across thousands of kilometres,\" Kruck explained adding that \"at its core, the project is a network of sensors and defence systems aimed at securing NATO's eastern flank.\"<\/p>\n<p>It's a centrepiece of Europe's defence plan for the coming years but there have already been disagreements over how long it would take to be operational.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//22//31//808x539_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg/" alt=\"Police officers look at the engine of a drone after a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 27 September, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/384x256_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/640x427_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/750x500_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/828x552_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/1080x720_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/1200x800_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/1920x1280_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Police officers look at the engine of a drone after a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 27 September, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Evika Sili\u0146a, Latvia's prime minister, for instance told reporters that she believes a drone wall along the eastern flank could be \"doable\" within \"one year, year and a half.\"<\/p>\n<p>This directly contradicts comments made earlier this week at the Warsaw Security Forum by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius for whom such a project wouldn't be \"realised in the next three to four years.\"<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the timeline, both Europe and NATO strongly suspect Russia is behind the recent spate of airspace violations as part of its hybrid war which includes the spread of misinformation and cyberattacks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9491960,9492231\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//10//02//defending-the-skies-how-can-ukraine-help-europe-build-its-drone-wall/">Defending the skies: How can Ukraine help Europe build its drone wall? <\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//10//02//europes-drone-wall-against-russia-political-puzzles-and-bureaucratic-hurdles/">Europe's drone wall against Russia: Political puzzles and bureaucratic hurdles<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Defence spending<\/h2>\n<p>H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen says NATO needs to \"immediately\" start implementing a commitment to spend up to 5% of GDP on defence within as short a timeframe as possible. <\/p>\n<p>All 32 NATO allies agreed to increase defence spending from 2% to 5% of GDP at the NATO summit in The Hague in July, at the urging of US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The 5% figure is split with 3.5% going to core defense spending and 1.5% to \"defence and security-related spending.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"We're hoping the new NATO commitment in spending to 3.5-5% is speeding up fast,\" he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//39//75//808x539_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg/" alt=\"Finland&#39;s President Alexander Stubb speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 8 October, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/384x256_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/640x427_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/750x500_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/828x552_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1080x720_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1200x800_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/1920x1280_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Finland&#39;s President Alexander Stubb speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 8 October, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"The NATO agreement was you have to be fully ready to 3.5% spending in 10 years. No, no, you have to start immediately,\" H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen warned.<\/p>\n<p>H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen is defence minister of one of NATO's newest member countries. In response to the full-scale of invasion of Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden ditched decades of neutrality and jointly submitted applications to join the alliance.<\/p>\n<p>Finland officialy joined in April 2023, with Sweden joining early the next year.<\/p>\n<p>\"NATO collective defence has some gaps. Those gaps need to be filled fast,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration has repeatedly told Europe that its defence priorities lie at home and that Washington can no longer be relied upon to guarantee European security.<\/p>\n<p>Washington has also stopped military aid packages to Ukraine, although the US is expected to announce a substantial deal on the purchasing of potentially long-range weapons which will be paid for by Europe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//48//71//52//808x539_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg/" alt=\"Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 28 September, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/384x256_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/640x427_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/750x500_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/828x552_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/1080x720_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/1200x800_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/1920x1280_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 28 September, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Nonetheless, it's a sharp deviation in contrast to the Biden administration when Congress approved over $40 billion in military aid in a single package. <\/p>\n<p>\"The US says they are shifting the balance to the Indo Pacific area and their homeland security,\" explained H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen.<\/p>\n<p>\"And we are seeing the results. The Europeans must pay their fair share and buy the equipment to fill the US gaps,\" he told Euronews.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1759420388,"updatedAt":1759465830,"publishedAt":1759465805,"firstPublishedAt":1759465805,"lastPublishedAt":1759465829,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f687602a-77df-5de4-bf60-274921518705-9493975.jpg","altText":"Finland\u2019s Defence Minister Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025","caption":"Finland\u2019s Defence Minister Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers his speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0b0dbb0c-9e23-59c9-a37a-6c95fa9f53c7-9493975.jpg","altText":"Finland's President Alexander Stubb speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 8 October, 2024","caption":"Finland's President Alexander Stubb speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, 8 October, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e83254df-d2f4-5da8-bb56-351796dfe2e1-9493975.jpg","altText":"Firefighters tackle the blaze after a Russian air attack that hit at Barabashovo market in Kharkiv, 1 October, 2025","caption":"Firefighters tackle the blaze after a Russian air attack that hit at Barabashovo market in Kharkiv, 1 October, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/39\/75\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6fb3664f-c7ec-57e5-ba78-1331b4176cfd-9493975.jpg","altText":"Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers a speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025","caption":"Antti H\u00e4kk\u00e4nen delivers a speech during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, 31 May, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/22\/31\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b15c3e70-b5c4-5ed7-af58-81db86138359-9492231.jpg","altText":"Police officers look at the engine of a drone after a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 27 September, 2025","caption":"Police officers look at the engine of a drone after a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 27 September, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/71\/52\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d49384c4-b3ee-56ec-91ec-718ba85e55f8-9487152.jpg","altText":"Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 28 September, 2025","caption":"Rescue workers extinguish a fire of a house destroyed by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 28 September, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":1982,"urlSafeValue":"murray-s","title":"Shona Murray","twitter":"@ShonaMurray_"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":68,"slug":"defence","urlSafeValue":"defence","title":"Defence","titleRaw":"Defence"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"War in Ukraine","titleRaw":"War in Ukraine"},{"id":26330,"slug":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","urlSafeValue":"ukraine-russia-border-crisis","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine ","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine "}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":5},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2835455},{"id":2835863}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":4137,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/my-europe\/2025\/10\/03\/europe-needs-a-sense-of-urgency-on-defence-finlands-defence-minister-says","lastModified":1759465829},{"id":2835224,"cid":9490598,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Finland's Stubb hails \"ingenius\" proposal to confiscate Russian assets","daletPyramidId":2859090,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland's president hails 'ingenious' plan to seize frozen Russian assets for Ukraine","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finnish president hails 'ingenious' plan to use frozen Russian assets","titleListing2":"Finland's president hails 'ingenious' plan to confiscate frozen Russian assets","leadin":"Alexander Stubb has hailed an EU proposal to confiscate frozen Russian assets unless Russia agrees to pay war reparations to Ukraine. But Belgium calls the plan \"problematic.\"","summary":"Alexander Stubb has hailed an EU proposal to confiscate frozen Russian assets unless Russia agrees to pay war reparations to Ukraine. But Belgium calls the plan \"problematic.\"","keySentence":"","url":"finlands-president-hails-ingenious-plan-to-seize-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraine","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2025\/09\/30\/finlands-president-hails-ingenious-plan-to-seize-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraine","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The plan which is now gaining ground in Germany would see the EU transfer around \u20ac140 billion to Ukraine in the form of a loan on behalf of EU member states, ideally meaning each country would share the risk.\n\nThe sum would be made available to Ukraine while the war is ongoing, and is based on the Russian assets held in Western - mainly Belgian repositories.\n\n\"It's my understanding is that the proposal is something to the effect that instead of giving a blank cheque to Ukraine you frame it as war compensation,\" Finland's President Alexander Stubb told journalists in Helsinki.\n\n\"Which basically means that you give the money out as an interest free loan to Ukraine,\" he said.\n\n\"And if or when Russia never pays war reparations then that money is basically given to Ukraine.\"\n\nThe majority of frozen Russian assets are held in the Euroclear financial repository in Belgium which holds over \u20ac190 billion.\n\nHowever, the Belgian government has so far ruled out any overtures by the EU to release the money as it believes the move would severely harm Belgium's international credibility in the area of financial services.\n\n\"The ideas currently on the table seem problematic to us,\" a Belgian official told Euronews.\n\n\"They would immediately eat into the extra profits on the frozen assets, reducing their long-term value,\" they said.\n\n\"In practice, this would be almost like an advance on future reparations from Russia, money that is actually intended for the reconstruction of Ukraine, but would now already be used up.\"\n\n\"And in the meantime, the financial risks would fall entirely on the Member States,\" the official added.\n\nHowever, MrStubb said he believes the plan is within the limits of international law and Belgium would not be alone in taking the risk.\n\n\"It stands to international law and were there to be any complications then there would be burden-sharing beyond Belgium,\" he said.\n\n\"So it's not only Belgium that is held liable, because you're giving out a loan against the member states. I think the idea is ingenious and I think it\u2019s going to work and will help Ukraine to fund itself.\"\n\nStubb also said he welcomes new proposals by European Council president Antonio Costa to end unanimous decision-making among EU member states when it comes to EU Enlargement.\n\nThe plan has emerged in response to consistent blocking by Hungary of Ukrainian progress on its candidacy of the European Union.\n\n\"Any decision that gives more flexibility and less possibility to block I personally welcome,\" he said. \"And never more so than with Ukraine.\"\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The plan which is now gaining ground in Germany would see the EU transfer around \u20ac140 billion to Ukraine in the form of a loan on behalf of EU member states, ideally meaning each country would share the risk. <\/p>\n<p>The sum would be made available to Ukraine while the war is ongoing, and is based on the Russian assets held in Western - mainly Belgian repositories.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's my understanding is that the proposal is something to the effect that instead of giving a blank cheque to Ukraine you frame it as war compensation,\" Finland's President Alexander Stubb told journalists in Helsinki.<\/p>\n<p>\"Which basically means that you give the money out as an interest free loan to Ukraine,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>\"And if or when Russia never pays war reparations then that money is basically given to Ukraine.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//05//98//808x539_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg/" alt=\"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/384x256_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/640x427_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/750x500_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/828x552_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1080x720_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1200x800_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1920x1280_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/Ukrainian Emergency Service<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The majority of frozen Russian assets are held in the Euroclear financial repository in Belgium which holds over \u20ac190 billion.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Belgian government has so far ruled out any overtures by the EU to release the money as it believes the move would severely harm Belgium's international credibility in the area of financial services.<\/p>\n<p>\"The ideas currently on the table seem problematic to us,\" a Belgian official told Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\"They would immediately eat into the extra profits on the frozen assets, reducing their long-term value,\" they said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9488649,9487763\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//09//29//alaska-summit-was-a-victory-for-putin-finlands-foreign-minister-elina-valtonen-says/">Alaska summit was a 'victory' for Putin, Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen says<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//09//29//viktor-orban-questions-ukraines-sovereignty-amid-spat-over-hungarian-drone-incursion/">Viktor Orb\u00e1n questions Ukraine's sovereignty amid spat over Hungarian drone incursion<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"In practice, this would be almost like an advance on future reparations from Russia, money that is actually intended for the reconstruction of Ukraine, but would now already be used up.\" <\/p>\n<p>\"And in the meantime, the financial risks would fall entirely on the Member States,\" the official added.<\/p>\n<p>However, MrStubb said he believes the plan is within the limits of international law and Belgium would not be alone in taking the risk.<\/p>\n<p>\"It stands to international law and were there to be any complications then there would be burden-sharing beyond Belgium,\" he said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//49//05//98//808x539_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg/" alt=\"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/384x256_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/640x427_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/750x500_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/828x552_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1080x720_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1200x800_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/1920x1280_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP\/Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"So it's not only Belgium that is held liable, because you're giving out a loan against the member states. I think the idea is ingenious and I think it\u2019s going to work and will help Ukraine to fund itself.\"<\/p>\n<p>Stubb also said he welcomes new proposals by European Council president Antonio Costa to end unanimous decision-making among EU member states when it comes to EU Enlargement.<\/p>\n<p>The plan has emerged in response to consistent blocking by Hungary of Ukrainian progress on its candidacy of the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>\"Any decision that gives more flexibility and less possibility to block I personally welcome,\" he said. \"And never more so than with Ukraine.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1759250951,"updatedAt":1759736526,"publishedAt":1759254656,"firstPublishedAt":1759254656,"lastPublishedAt":1759736526,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f9737aae-f9a2-555b-a752-d5fb058c7688-9490598.jpg","altText":"Finland's President Alexander Stubb","caption":"Finland's President Alexander Stubb","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Shona Murray\/Euronews","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1440,"height":810},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a2cebb44-3f89-5fb1-8ce6-321929631669-9490598.jpg","altText":"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025","caption":"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/49\/05\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a05a4132-a9c5-5bd9-9197-41e202a83e10-9490598.jpg","altText":"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025","caption":"Firefighters put out the fire following a Russian drones attack in Dnipro, 30 September, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Ukrainian Emergency Service","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":1982,"urlSafeValue":"murray-s","title":"Shona Murray","twitter":"@ShonaMurray_"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":17186,"slug":"alexander-stubb","urlSafeValue":"alexander-stubb","title":"Alexander Stubb","titleRaw":"Alexander Stubb"},{"id":288,"slug":"ukraine","urlSafeValue":"ukraine","title":"Ukraine","titleRaw":"Ukraine"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"War in Ukraine","titleRaw":"War in 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News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/my-europe\/2025\/09\/30\/finlands-president-hails-ingenious-plan-to-seize-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraine","lastModified":1759736526},{"id":2834295,"cid":9485323,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Travel_Helsinki sustainable tourist destination","daletPyramidId":2825552,"channels":[{"id":12},{"id":14},{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":3},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10}],"status":2,"title":"How this European city became the world\u2019s most sustainable tourist destination","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"This European city is the world\u2019s most sustainable tourist destination","titleListing2":"How this European city became the world\u2019s most sustainable tourist destination","leadin":"Alongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, overtourism is proving disastrous for the environment.","summary":"Alongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, overtourism is proving disastrous for the environment.","keySentence":"","url":"how-this-european-city-became-the-worlds-most-sustainable-tourist-destination","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/2025\/09\/27\/how-this-european-city-became-the-worlds-most-sustainable-tourist-destination","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Dozens of destinations around the world are grappling with the problematic effects of overtourism.\n\nAlongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, the phenomenon is proving disastrous for the environment.\n\nAuthorities have been forced to experiment with mitigation measures like visitor caps and restricted access to natural sites.\n\nBut some destinations have managed to protect themselves from mass tourism thanks to decades of sustainable strategies.\n\nThe international Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index is an annual ranking that uses 70 different indicators to identify the world\u2019s most sustainable tourist destinations.\n\nA European city topped the ranking. Here\u2019s the strategy behind its winning tourism model.\n\nThis European city is the most sustainable tourist destination in the world\n\nThe GDS compares over a hundred cities around the world that are committed to sustainability.\n\nIts assessment is broken down into four key categories: destination management, supply chains, social sustainability, and environmental performance.\n\nSpecific indicators within these categories include visitor management, environmental impact of airports, safety, and climate change commitment.\n\nFor the second year in a row, Helsinki has been ranked first in the GDS Index.\n\n\u201cHelsinki continues to raise the bar by defining the \u2018next practices\u2019 of regenerative destination management,\u201d says Guy Bigwood, CEO of GDS-Movement.\n\n\u201cThrough bold climate action, pioneering sustainability strategies, and a steadfast commitment to transparency, the city demonstrates exceptional vision.\u201d\n\nInside Helsinki\u2019s winning sustainable tourism strategy\n\nSeveral sustainability-related projects have helped Helsinki to claim the title. It measures the carbon footprint of tourism, promotes the city\u2019s climate roadmap for tourism, and supports tourism businesses on the path to sustainability.\n\nEnsuring the participation and well-being of residents is also an important factor in the development of sustainable tourism.\n\n\u201cWe are promoting tourism with all areas of sustainability in mind, reducing negative impacts and increasing positive ones. The aim is for Helsinki to be a better place when a visitor leaves than it was before they arrived,\u201d says Helsinki\u2019s tourism director, Nina Vesterinen.\n\nHelsinki\u2019s sustainability as a tourist destination is also the result of cooperation between many different operators, according to local authorities.\n\nFor example, the increasing number of companies with environmental certifications and the more climate-friendly production of district heating and electricity have helped the city reach the top of the list.\n\n\u201cUp to 99 per cent of the rooms of hotels with more than 50 rooms in Helsinki are environmentally certified. This level is significantly higher than in Europe in general,\u201d says Vesterinen.\n\n\u201cSimilarly, more and more destinations, meeting and conference facilities, tour operators and others have environmental certifications.\u201d\n\nHelsinki\u2019s sustainable strategy draws tourists\n\nIn March, Helsinki also became the first city with over half a million residents to be awarded the Green Destinations certification, which has some of the strictest criteria in the world.\n\nThe certification is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and is an independent recognition of a destination\u2019s efforts, achievements and positioning as a place that takes good care of its environment, people and culture.\n\n\u201cFor Helsinki, it is essential that sustainability is transparent. Sustainability must be more than just marketing-level greenwashing, which is already demanded by EU legislation requiring environmental claims to be reliable and verifiable,\u201d says Vesterinen.\n\n2025 has already been a record-breaking year for tourism in Helsinki. According to Statistics Finland, the number of nights spent by international tourists increased by 19 per cent in the first seven months compared to the same period last year.\n\n\u201cInternational surveys show that a growing number of tourists are looking for more sustainable services and destinations,\u201d says Vesterinen.\n\nBooking.com\u2019s 2025 Sustainable Travel Report, for example, found that more than half of travellers are now conscious of tourism\u2019s impact on local communities as well as the environment.\n\nWhat\u2019s more, 93 per cent of respondents to the survey, which included thousands of people across six continents, said they want to make more responsible choices and have already taken steps to do so.\n\nThe tourism director says the aim now is to continue improving Helsinki\u2019s sustainability credentials.\n\n\u201cA large proportion of international tourists visiting the city arrive by boat or by air, the climate impacts of which we acknowledge,\u201d she says.\n\n\u201cAccordingly, we are aiming to attract more and more tourists from Finland and neighbouring European regions.\u201d\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Dozens of destinations around the world are grappling with the problematic effects of overtourism.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, the phenomenon is proving disastrous for the environment. <\/p>\n<p>Authorities have been forced to experiment with mitigation measures like visitor caps and restricted access to natural sites. <\/p>\n<p>But some destinations have managed to protect themselves from mass tourism thanks to decades of sustainable strategies. <\/p>\n<p>The international <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////publish.ne.cision.com//l//nwivyxdqc//www.gds.earth//index//ranking-and-results/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index<\/strong><\/a> is an annual ranking that uses 70 different indicators to identify the world\u2019s most sustainable tourist destinations. <\/p>\n<p>A European city topped the ranking. Here\u2019s the strategy behind its winning tourism model. <\/p>\n<h2>This European city is the most sustainable tourist destination in the world<\/h2>\n<p>The GDS compares over a hundred cities around the world that are committed to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//08//21//how-these-european-cities-are-using-innovative-rewards-to-boost-sustainable-tourism/">sustainability. <\/p>\n<p>Its assessment is broken down into four key categories: destination management, supply chains, social sustainability, and environmental performance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9154818,8687872\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2024//08//29//helsinki-is-building-the-worlds-largest-heat-pump-to-keep-its-homes-warm/">Helsinki is building the world\u2019s largest heat pump to keep its homes warm <\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//green//2025//04//01//finland-ahead-of-schedule-on-coal-phase-out-as-helsinkis-salmisaari-plant-closes/">Finland \u2018ahead of schedule\u2019 on coal phase out as Helsinki\u2019s Salmisaari plant closes<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Specific indicators within these categories include visitor management, environmental impact of airports, safety, and climate change commitment. <\/p>\n<p>For the second year in a row, Helsinki has been ranked first in the GDS Index.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelsinki continues to raise the bar by defining the \u2018next practices\u2019 of regenerative destination management,\u201d says Guy Bigwood, CEO of GDS-Movement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough bold climate action, pioneering sustainability strategies, and a steadfast commitment to transparency, the city demonstrates exceptional vision.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2>Inside Helsinki\u2019s winning sustainable tourism strategy<\/h2>\n<p>Several sustainability-related projects have helped Helsinki to claim the title. It measures the carbon footprint of tourism, promotes the city\u2019s climate roadmap for tourism, and supports tourism businesses on the path to sustainability. <\/p>\n<p>Ensuring the participation and well-being of residents is also an important factor in the development of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//01//04//responsible-travel-turns-25-looking-back-on-a-pioneering-tourism-company/">sustainable tourism<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are promoting tourism with all areas of sustainability in mind, reducing negative impacts and increasing positive ones. The aim is for Helsinki to be a better place when a visitor leaves than it was before they arrived,\u201d says Helsinki\u2019s tourism director, Nina Vesterinen. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9234112\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//04//25//brew-festivals-and-ethical-cafes-why-coffee-lovers-should-head-to-helsinki-this-year/">Brew festivals and ethical cafes: Why coffee-lovers should head to Helsinki this year<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Helsinki\u2019s sustainability as a tourist destination is also the result of cooperation between many different operators, according to <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//09//24//why-amsterdams-embattled-residents-are-suing-the-city-over-mass-tourism/">local authorities<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>For example, the increasing number of companies with environmental certifications and the more climate-friendly production of district heating and electricity have helped the city reach the top of the list. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cUp to 99 per cent of the rooms of hotels with more than 50 rooms in Helsinki are environmentally certified. This level is significantly higher than in Europe in general,\u201d says Vesterinen. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimilarly, more and more destinations, meeting and conference facilities, tour operators and others have environmental certifications.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Helsinki\u2019s sustainable strategy draws tourists<\/h2>\n<p>In March, Helsinki also became the first city with over half a million residents to be awarded the Green Destinations certification, which has some of the strictest criteria in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The certification is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and is an independent recognition of a destination\u2019s efforts, achievements and positioning as a place that takes good care of its environment, people and culture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor Helsinki, it is essential that sustainability is transparent. <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//09//01//cheap-flights-costly-choices-how-extreme-day-trips-are-fuelling-overtourism-and-climate-da/">Sustainability must be more than just marketing-level greenwashing, which is already demanded by EU legislation requiring environmental claims to be reliable and verifiable,\u201d says Vesterinen. <\/p>\n<p>2025 has already been a record-breaking year for tourism in Helsinki. According to Statistics Finland, the number of nights spent by international tourists increased by 19 per cent in the first seven months compared to the same period last year. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"7919984,6814500\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2023//09//25//sustainable-tourism-this-nordic-nation-is-introducing-tourist-tax-to-protect-its-unspoilt-/">Sustainable tourism: This Nordic nation is introducing tourist tax to protect its \u2018unspoilt nature\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2022//07//04//could-turkiyes-first-carbon-neutral-hotel-chain-help-kick-start-its-sustainable-tourism-re/">Could T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s first carbon-neutral hotel chain help kick-start its sustainable tourism revolution?<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cInternational surveys show that a growing number of tourists are looking for more sustainable services and destinations,\u201d says Vesterinen.<\/p>\n<p>Booking.com\u2019s 2025 Sustainable Travel Report, for example, found that more than half of travellers are now <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//travel//2025//04//24//from-rising-rents-to-rewilding-how-tourists-are-rethinking-their-impact-on-the-places-they/">conscious of tourism\u2019s impact<\/strong><\/a> on local communities as well as the environment.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, 93 per cent of respondents to the survey, which included thousands of people across six continents, said they want to make more responsible choices and have already taken steps to do so.<\/p>\n<p>The tourism director says the aim now is to continue improving Helsinki\u2019s sustainability credentials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA large proportion of international tourists visiting the city arrive by boat or by air, the climate impacts of which we acknowledge,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccordingly, we are aiming to attract more and more tourists from Finland and neighbouring European regions.\u201d <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1758894844,"updatedAt":1758959664,"publishedAt":1758949235,"firstPublishedAt":1758949235,"lastPublishedAt":1758949251,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tapio Haaja","altText":"Alongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, the phenomenon is proving disastrous for the environment. ","callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"caption":"Alongside sparking housing crises and overwhelming infrastructure, the phenomenon is proving disastrous for the environment. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/48\/53\/23\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ee2a9963-f7f5-550f-b007-48d3c565facc-9485323.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"hughes","twitter":null,"id":2460,"title":"Rebecca Ann Hughes"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","titleRaw":"Helsinki","id":4137,"title":"Helsinki","slug":"helsinki"},{"urlSafeValue":"over-tourism","titleRaw":"overtourism","id":25684,"title":"overtourism","slug":"over-tourism"},{"urlSafeValue":"sustainable-tourism","titleRaw":"Sustainable tourism","id":13868,"title":"Sustainable tourism","slug":"sustainable-tourism"},{"urlSafeValue":"tourists","titleRaw":"Tourists","id":21034,"title":"Tourists","slug":"tourists"},{"urlSafeValue":"climate-change","titleRaw":"climate change","id":15386,"title":"climate change","slug":"climate-change"},{"urlSafeValue":"environmental-protection","titleRaw":"Environmental protection","id":9507,"title":"Environmental protection","slug":"environmental-protection"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2832268}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"destinations","urlSafeValue":"destinations","title":"Destinations","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/travel\/destinations\/destinations"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"travel","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"travel","id":7,"title":"Travel","slug":"travel"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":7,"slug":"travel","urlSafeValue":"travel","title":"Travel"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"destinations","id":"destinations","title":"Destinations","url":"\/travel\/destinations"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":28,"urlSafeValue":"destinations","title":"Destinations"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":[],"slugs":[]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/travel\/2025\/09\/27\/how-this-european-city-became-the-worlds-most-sustainable-tourist-destination","lastModified":1758949251},{"id":2827900,"cid":9445719,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"SIMON EKPA FINLAND SENTENCED","daletPyramidId":2588086,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland sentences Nigerian separatist leader to six years in prison","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finland sentences Nigerian separatist leader to six years in prison","titleListing2":"Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa sentenced to six years in prison in Finland","leadin":"In 2024, the Nigerian military declared Simon Ekpa wanted as part of nearly 100 people sought on charges of terrorism. After his arrest in Finland, the Nigerian government sought his extradition.","summary":"In 2024, the Nigerian military declared Simon Ekpa wanted as part of nearly 100 people sought on charges of terrorism. After his arrest in Finland, the Nigerian government sought his extradition.","keySentence":"","url":"finland-sentences-nigerian-separatist-leader-to-six-years-in-prison","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/09\/02\/finland-sentences-nigerian-separatist-leader-to-six-years-in-prison","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court for terrorism, tax fraud and an ethical violation.\n\nEkpa, who lives in Finland, heads the\u00a0Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) group, which has been allegedly responsible for killings and abductions of hundreds of people in Nigeria's south-eastern region.\n\nThe Finnish court said on Monday that Ekpa was sentenced to prison for participating in the activities of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit a crime for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud and violating the provisions of the Lawyers Act.\n\nThe court said he pushed for the independence of a separatist region in Nigeria through \"illegal means\" and \"equipped the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contact network.\"\n\nIn 2024, the Nigerian military declared Ekpa wanted as part of nearly 100 people sought on charges of terrorism. After his arrest in Finland, the Nigerian government sought his extradition.\n\nFor years, IPOB has sought to reignite a failed secession push by former Biafra. Biafra was a short-lived country that comprised Nigeria's south-eastern states, including future oil-producing areas.\n\nThe Nigerian military government rejected the secession, which led to a civil war between 1967 and 1970, in which at least 3 million people died.\n\nThe group was banned in Nigeria in 2017.\n\nEkpa took over from Nnamdi Kanu, the group's founder who was arrested by Interpol in a sting operation in 2021 in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria. Kanu has since been in prison, with his trial still ongoing.\n\nIn response to Kanu's arrest, the group forbade any commercial activity every Monday in the region, a disruption that has been ongoing since 2021. \n\nThe \"sit-at-home\" protests led to 700 deaths, according to a count by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical risk advisory, and cost the Nigerian economy 7.6 trillion naira (\u20ac4.09 billion).\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Nigerian separatist leader Simon Ekpa has been sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court for terrorism, tax fraud and an ethical violation.<\/p>\n<p>Ekpa, who lives in Finland, heads the\u00a0Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) group, which has been allegedly responsible for killings and abductions of hundreds of people in Nigeria's south-eastern region.<\/p>\n<p>The Finnish court said on Monday that Ekpa was sentenced to prison for participating in the activities of a terrorist group, public incitement to commit a crime for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud and violating the provisions of the Lawyers Act.<\/p>\n<p>The court said he pushed for the independence of a separatist region in Nigeria through \"illegal means\" and \"equipped the groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition through his contact network.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.675\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//44//57//19//808x546_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg/" alt=\"Ibo refugees from the breakaway Nigerian state of Biafra carry goods on their heads as they flee advancing Nigerian troops near Owerri, September, 1968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/384x259_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/640x432_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/750x506_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/828x559_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/1080x729_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/1200x810_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/1920x1296_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Ibo refugees from the breakaway Nigerian state of Biafra carry goods on their heads as they flee advancing Nigerian troops near Owerri, September, 1968<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>In 2024, the Nigerian military declared Ekpa wanted as part of nearly 100 people sought on charges of terrorism. After his arrest in Finland, the Nigerian government sought his extradition.<\/p>\n<p>For years, IPOB has sought to reignite a failed secession push by former Biafra. Biafra was a short-lived country that comprised Nigeria's south-eastern states, including future oil-producing areas.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian military government rejected the secession, which led to a civil war between 1967 and 1970, in which at least 3 million people died.<\/p>\n<p>The group was banned in Nigeria in 2017.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9442621,9426798\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//08//19//finnish-mp-eemeli-peltonen-found-dead-in-helsinki-parliament-in-apparent-suicide/">Finnish MP Eemeli Peltonen found dead in Helsinki parliament in apparent suicide<\/a><\/li><li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//08//29//finland-will-remove-swastikas-from-its-air-force-flags-to-avoid-awkwardness-with-western-a/">Finland will remove swastikas from its air force flags to avoid 'awkwardness' with Western allies<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Ekpa took over from Nnamdi Kanu, the group's founder who was arrested by Interpol in a sting operation in 2021 in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria. Kanu has since been in prison, with his trial still ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Kanu's arrest, the group forbade any commercial activity every Monday in the region, a disruption that has been ongoing since 2021. <\/p>\n<p>The \"sit-at-home\" protests led to 700 deaths, according to a count by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical risk advisory, and cost the Nigerian economy 7.6 trillion naira (\u20ac4.09 billion).<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1756751239,"updatedAt":1756810249,"publishedAt":1756810220,"firstPublishedAt":1756810220,"lastPublishedAt":1756810220,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_be859323-2261-5145-a88a-7198914b361a-9445719.jpg","altText":"Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra protest near the venue of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, 23 August, 2023","caption":"Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra protest near the venue of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, 23 August, 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/57\/19\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_84e3b9d7-d907-5f7c-99dd-f44e14889368-9445719.jpg","altText":"Ibo refugees from the breakaway Nigerian state of Biafra carry goods on their heads as they flee advancing Nigerian troops near Owerri, September, 1968","caption":"Ibo refugees from the breakaway Nigerian state of Biafra carry goods on their heads as they flee advancing Nigerian troops near Owerri, September, 1968","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1350}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":214,"slug":"nigeria","urlSafeValue":"nigeria","title":"Nigeria","titleRaw":"Nigeria"},{"id":13254,"slug":"separatism","urlSafeValue":"separatism","title":"separatism","titleRaw":"separatism"},{"id":274,"slug":"terrorism","urlSafeValue":"terrorism","title":"Terrorism","titleRaw":"Terrorism"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1},{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2841412},{"id":2845648},{"id":2849210}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/09\/02\/finland-sentences-nigerian-separatist-leader-to-six-years-in-prison","lastModified":1756810220},{"id":2827275,"cid":9442621,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND AIR FORCE SWASTIKAS","daletPyramidId":2569673,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland will remove swastikas from its air force flags to avoid 'awkwardness' with Western allies","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finland to remove swastikas from air force flags to avoid awkwardness","titleListing2":"#Finland will remove #swastikas from its #AirForce flags to avoid 'awkwardness' with #Western allies","leadin":"Blue swastikas on white backgrounds that have featured on the flags of various Finnish Air Force units since 1918, which officials say is in no way connected to Nazi Germany, are being gradually phased out in an effort to enhance integration with Western allies following NATO membership.","summary":"Blue swastikas on white backgrounds that have featured on the flags of various Finnish Air Force units since 1918, which officials say is in no way connected to Nazi Germany, are being gradually phased out in an effort to enhance integration with Western allies following NATO membership.","keySentence":"","url":"finland-will-remove-swastikas-from-its-air-force-flags-to-avoid-awkwardness-with-western-a","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/08\/29\/finland-will-remove-swastikas-from-its-air-force-flags-to-avoid-awkwardness-with-western-a","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Finland\u2019s Air Force, now part of NATO, is preparing to phase out swastikas which still fly on a handful of unit flags, largely to avoid awkwardness with their Western allies.\n\nThe history of the Finnish air force\u2019s use of the swastika, which since the 20th century has largely been associated with Nazi tyranny and hate groups, is more complex than at first appearance.\n\nIt\u2019s an ancient symbol and Finland's air force began using it many years before the birth of Nazi Germany. Change has been underway for years. A swastika logo was quietly pulled off the Air Force Command\u2019s unit emblem a few years ago.\n\nBut swastikas have remained on some Finnish air force flags, raising eyebrows among NATO allies, tourists and other foreigners who spot them at military events.\n\n\u201cWe could have continued with this flag, but sometimes awkward situations can arise with foreign visitors. It may be wise to live with the times,\u201d said Tomi B\u00f6hm, the new head of Karelia Air Wing air defence force, speaking to a state-run broadcaster.\n\nBad look for a new NATO member\n\nThe Defence Forces, in an email to The Associated Press on Friday, said a plan to renew the air force unit flags was launched in 2023, the year Finland joined NATO, but said it was not linked to joining the alliance.\n\nThe aim, it said, was \u201cto update the symbolism and emblems of the flags to better reflect the current identity of the Air Force.\u201d\n\nIt was in reference to an article in the daily Helsingin Sanomat on Friday, which revealed that the reason behind the axing of the controversial emblem was a perception that the swastika has been an \u201cembarrassing symbol in international contexts.\u201d\n\nThe Air Force and the Finnish public generally had for years insisted the swastikas used in Finland\u2019s air force \u201chave nothing to do with the Nazi swastika,\u201d said Teivo Teivanen, a professor of world politics at the University of Helsinki, who this month had a book published whose Finnish title translates as \u201cHistory of the Swastika.\u201d\n\nBut now, following Finland\u2019s integration with NATO, policymakers have decided \u201cthere\u2019s now a need to get more integrated with the forces of countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and France \u2014 countries where the swastika is clearly a negative symbol,\" he added.\n\nFinland's air force adopted the swastika emblem in 1918 soon after country gained its independence after more than a century of Imperial Russian rule.\n\nThe Finnish air force soon after adopted a blue swastika on a white background as the national insignia on all its planes from 1918 to 1945. After the war, the imagery remained for decades on some Air Force unit flags and decorations as well as on the insignia of the Air Force Academy.\n\nThe Finnish air force stressed that its use of the symbol had no connection to Nazi Germany.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Finland\u2019s Air Force, now part of NATO, is preparing to phase out swastikas which still fly on a handful of unit flags, largely to avoid awkwardness with their Western allies.<\/p>\n<p>The history of the Finnish air force\u2019s use of the swastika, which since the 20th century has largely been associated with Nazi tyranny and hate groups, is more complex than at first appearance.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an ancient symbol and Finland's air force began using it many years before the birth of Nazi Germany. Change has been underway for years. A swastika logo was quietly pulled off the Air Force Command\u2019s unit emblem a few years ago.<\/p>\n<p>But swastikas have remained on some Finnish air force flags, raising eyebrows among NATO allies, tourists and other foreigners who spot them at military events.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.646484375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//44//26//21//808x521_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg/" alt=\"FILE - The flag of Finnish Air Forces during a parade at the Santahamina garrison island in Helsinki, Finland, on July 31, 2019\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/384x248_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/640x414_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/750x485_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/828x535_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1080x698_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1200x776_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1920x1241_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE - The flag of Finnish Air Forces during a parade at the Santahamina garrison island in Helsinki, Finland, on July 31, 2019<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Martti Kainulainen\/Lehtikuva<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cWe could have continued with this flag, but sometimes awkward situations can arise with foreign visitors. It may be wise to live with the times,\u201d said Tomi B\u00f6hm, the new head of Karelia Air Wing air defence force, speaking to a state-run broadcaster.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bad look for a new NATO member<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Defence Forces, in an email to The Associated Press on Friday, said a plan to renew the air force unit flags was launched in 2023, the year Finland joined NATO, but said it was not linked to joining the alliance.<\/p>\n<p>The aim, it said, was \u201cto update the symbolism and emblems of the flags to better reflect the current identity of the Air Force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was in reference to an article in the daily Helsingin Sanomat on Friday, which revealed that the reason behind the axing of the controversial emblem was a perception that the swastika has been an \u201cembarrassing symbol in international contexts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Air Force and the Finnish public generally had for years insisted the swastikas used in Finland\u2019s air force \u201chave nothing to do with the Nazi swastika,\u201d said Teivo Teivanen, a professor of world politics at the University of Helsinki, who this month had a book published whose Finnish title translates as \u201cHistory of the Swastika.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6337890625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//44//26//21//808x511_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg/" alt=\"FILE - Finnish aerobatics group Midnight Hawks performs during a celebration marking the Russian air force&#39;s 100th anniversary in Zhukovsky, Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 11, 2012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/384x243_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/640x406_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/750x475_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/828x525_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1080x684_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1200x761_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/1920x1217_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">FILE - Finnish aerobatics group Midnight Hawks performs during a celebration marking the Russian air force&#39;s 100th anniversary in Zhukovsky, Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 11, 2012<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Misha Japaridze\/Copyright 2012 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>But now, following Finland\u2019s integration with NATO, policymakers have decided \u201cthere\u2019s now a need to get more integrated with the forces of countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and France \u2014 countries where the swastika is clearly a negative symbol,\" he added.<\/p>\n<p>Finland's air force adopted the swastika emblem in 1918 soon after country gained its independence after more than a century of Imperial Russian rule.<\/p>\n<p>The Finnish air force soon after adopted a blue swastika on a white background as the national insignia on all its planes from 1918 to 1945. After the war, the imagery remained for decades on some Air Force unit flags and decorations as well as on the insignia of the Air Force Academy.<\/p>\n<p>The Finnish air force stressed that its use of the symbol had no connection to Nazi Germany.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1756493189,"updatedAt":1756573116,"publishedAt":1756497384,"firstPublishedAt":1756497384,"lastPublishedAt":1756573116,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_1182c423-e009-565f-93c0-cfa4fc8ef759-9442621.jpg","altText":"FILE - Flags of Finnish Air Forces are seen during a parade in Jyvaskyla, Finland in November 2024","caption":"FILE - Flags of Finnish Air Forces are seen during a parade in Jyvaskyla, Finland in November 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Anttonen\/Lehtikuva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":576},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5acc2629-d17a-52ad-bd39-2073a058ab5b-9442621.jpg","altText":"FILE - Finnish aerobatics group Midnight Hawks performs during a celebration marking the Russian air force's 100th anniversary in Zhukovsky, Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 11, 2012","caption":"FILE - Finnish aerobatics group Midnight Hawks performs during a celebration marking the Russian air force's 100th anniversary in Zhukovsky, Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 11, 2012","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Misha Japaridze\/Copyright 2012 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":649},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/44\/26\/21\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b53b29db-8d11-5168-8cb0-820cf3df95a8-9442621.jpg","altText":"FILE - The flag of Finnish Air Forces during a parade at the Santahamina garrison island in Helsinki, Finland, on July 31, 2019","caption":"FILE - The flag of Finnish Air Forces during a parade at the Santahamina garrison island in Helsinki, Finland, on July 31, 2019","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Martti Kainulainen\/Lehtikuva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":662}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3270,"urlSafeValue":"fouda","title":"Malek Fouda","twitter":"themalekfouda"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":26696,"slug":"swastikas","urlSafeValue":"swastikas","title":"Swastikas","titleRaw":"Swastikas"},{"id":10487,"slug":"air-force","urlSafeValue":"air-force","title":"Air force","titleRaw":"Air 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News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/08\/29\/finland-will-remove-swastikas-from-its-air-force-flags-to-avoid-awkwardness-with-western-a","lastModified":1756573116},{"id":2825390,"cid":9431133,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC2 FINLAND AIR GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIP","daletPyramidId":2492521,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":6},{"id":8},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finalists rock invisible riffs at Air Guitar World Championships","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finalists rock invisible riffs at Air Guitar World Championships","titleListing2":"Finalists rock invisible riffs at Air Guitar World Championships","leadin":"Passionate performers from around the world are gathering in Finland this week, competing not with instruments in hand but with invisible guitars.","summary":"Passionate performers from around the world are gathering in Finland this week, competing not with instruments in hand but with invisible guitars.","keySentence":"","url":"finalists-rock-invisible-riffs-at-air-guitar-world-championships","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/08\/22\/finalists-rock-invisible-riffs-at-air-guitar-world-championships","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The 28th Air Guitar World Championships opened on Thursday in Oulu with qualifying rounds featuring contestants from 13 countries. \n\nEach hopeful is judged on two one-minute performances, combining technical precision, originality and sheer \u201cAirness.\u201d Costumes and props are permitted, but real instruments are strictly banned. \n\nThe final on Friday will see reigning champion Zachary \u201cIchabod Fame\u201d Knowles of Canada face rivals including US champion Saladin \u201cSix String Sal\u201d Thomas and Germany\u2019s Patrick \u201cVan Airhoven\u201d Culek. \n\nA five-member jury of performing arts professionals will award the crown and a \u201cFlying Finn\u201d guitar crafted by luthier Matti Nevalainen.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The 28th Air Guitar World Championships opened on Thursday in Oulu with qualifying rounds featuring contestants from 13 countries. <\/p>\n<p>Each hopeful is judged on two one-minute performances, combining technical precision, originality and sheer \u201cAirness.\u201d Costumes and props are permitted, but real instruments are strictly banned. <\/p>\n<p>The final on Friday will see reigning champion Zachary \u201cIchabod Fame\u201d Knowles of Canada face rivals including US champion Saladin \u201cSix String Sal\u201d Thomas and Germany\u2019s Patrick \u201cVan Airhoven\u201d Culek. <\/p>\n<p>A five-member jury of performing arts professionals will award the crown and a \u201cFlying Finn\u201d guitar crafted by luthier Matti Nevalainen.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1755855482,"updatedAt":1755865636,"publishedAt":1755865532,"firstPublishedAt":1755865532,"lastPublishedAt":1755865532,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/43\/11\/33\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d9cac050-93f0-5bd1-960a-73c884e5f822-9431133.jpg","altText":"SCREENSHOT - Passionate performers seek air guitar glory at world championship in Finland","caption":"SCREENSHOT - Passionate performers seek air guitar glory at world championship in Finland","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Video","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":11534,"slug":"guitar","urlSafeValue":"guitar","title":"Guitar","titleRaw":"Guitar"},{"id":18080,"slug":"world-championship","urlSafeValue":"world-championship","title":"world championship","titleRaw":"world championship"},{"id":11646,"slug":"music","urlSafeValue":"music","title":"Music","titleRaw":"Music"},{"id":15986,"slug":"yar-sma","urlSafeValue":"yar-sma","title":"competition","titleRaw":"competition"},{"id":9813,"slug":"video","urlSafeValue":"video","title":"Video","titleRaw":"Video"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2824574}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"ZIATQYUVEw4","dailymotionId":"x9p95tq"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/22\/85\/74\/03\/ED_PYR_2285743_20250822094244.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":11802806,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/22\/85\/74\/03\/SHD_PYR_2285743_20250822094244.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":16408024,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/22\/85\/74\/03\/FHD_PYR_2285743_20250822094244.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":48736883,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/08\/22\/finalists-rock-invisible-riffs-at-air-guitar-world-championships","lastModified":1755865532},{"id":2824919,"cid":9428043,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"UPDATE FOREVER CHEMICALS EU RULES","daletPyramidId":2473580,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Crackdown on 'forever chemicals' expands ahead of EU rules overhaul","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Crackdown on 'forever chemicals' expands ahead of EU rules overhaul","titleListing2":"Crackdown on PFAS expands ahead of EU chemical rules overhaul","leadin":"As the EU prepares a broader reform of its chemical legislation, the European Chemicals Agency has updated its proposal to restrict \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d adding new sectors to the scope of its planned ban.","summary":"As the EU prepares a broader reform of its chemical legislation, the European Chemicals Agency has updated its proposal to restrict \u201cforever chemicals,\u201d adding new sectors to the scope of its planned ban.","keySentence":"","url":"crackdown-on-forever-chemicals-expands-ahead-of-eu-rules-overhaul","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/2025\/08\/20\/crackdown-on-forever-chemicals-expands-ahead-of-eu-rules-overhaul","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on Wednesday expanded its proposal to restrict so-called \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from eight new industrial and commercial sectors as the long-awaited revision of the EU\u2019s flagship chemical safety law, REACH, continues to gather pace.\n\nFirst manufactured in the 1940s, \u00a0per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are prized for their water, grease, and heat resistance, making them essential in everything from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing to semiconductors and firefighting foams.\n\nHowever, their extreme persistence in the environment has earned them the label \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d\n\nStudies have linked PFAS exposure to serious health conditions, including liver disease, hormonal disruption, and certain cancers, raising alarm among scientists and regulators alike.\n\nA restriction proposal of these chemicals was originally submitted in January 2023 by five European authorities\u2014Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.\n\nThe group of countries, collectively known as the \u2018dossier submitter\u2019, revised its plan targeting over 10,000 PFAS substances after evaluating more than 5,600 comments gathered during a public consultation.\n\nNew sectors under review\n\nThe ECHA's expanded proposal now covers printing, sealing, and machinery applications, as well as certain medical uses such as immediate packaging and pharmaceutical excipients.\n\nMilitary and explosives applications are also added, alongside technical textiles and broader industrial uses, such as solvents and catalysts.\n\nThese sectors join a growing list of industries facing possible restrictions under what could become the world\u2019s most comprehensive ban on PFAS.\n\nWhile the central thrust of the proposal remains a broad ban, ECHA has also assessed more flexible regulatory options.\n\nThese include allowing continued use of PFAS in certain industries (such as electronics, energy, and transport) provided that risks can be adequately controlled.\n\nAnother updated document detailing these scenarios now serves as the basis for opinions by ECHA\u2019s scientific committees, which may further refine the plan.\n\nThe road to REACH reform\n\nThe ultimate goal is a near-total phaseout, with time-limited derogations for essential applications in healthcare, defence, and high-tech sectors where no alternatives currently exist.\n\nThe broader revision of REACH is expected in December 2025, when the European Commission will present a formal legislative proposal, setting the course for Europe\u2019s chemicals policy in the decades to come.\n\nThis review is expected to modernise and simplify EU rules, introducing changes such as time-limited registration validity, mandatory dossier updates, digital safety data sheets, and stronger enforcement measures.\n\nEarly drafts were already shared with national experts in April 2025, marking the final stages of internal consultation.\n\nThe Commission has already confirmed on several occasions that the REACH revision will include provisions clarifying the regulation of PFAS, though a universal restriction is expected to follow separately.\n\nIn parallel, sector-specific measures, such as the existing ban on PFAS in firefighting foams, continue to advance under the current framework.\n\nThe updated ECHA proposal marks a decisive step in what could become one of the most significant chemical regulatory efforts in Europe\u2019s history.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on Wednesday expanded its proposal to restrict so-called \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from eight new industrial and commercial sectors as the long-awaited revision of the EU\u2019s flagship chemical safety law, REACH, continues to gather pace.<\/p>\n<p>First manufactured in the 1940s, \u00a0per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are prized for their water, grease, and heat resistance, making them essential in everything from non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing to semiconductors and firefighting foams.<\/p>\n<p>However, their extreme persistence in the environment has earned them the label \u201cforever chemicals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Studies have linked PFAS exposure to serious health conditions, including liver disease, hormonal disruption, and certain cancers, raising alarm among scientists and regulators alike.<\/p>\n<p>A restriction proposal of these chemicals was originally submitted in January 2023 by five European authorities\u2014Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.<\/p>\n<p>The group of countries, collectively known as the \u2018dossier submitter\u2019, revised its plan targeting over 10,000 PFAS substances after evaluating more than 5,600 comments gathered during a public consultation.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>New sectors under review<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>The ECHA's<\/strong> expanded proposal now covers printing, sealing, and machinery applications, as well as certain medical uses such as immediate packaging and pharmaceutical excipients.<\/p>\n<p>Military and explosives applications are also added, alongside technical textiles and broader industrial uses, such as solvents and catalysts.<\/p>\n<p>These sectors join a growing list of industries facing possible restrictions under what could become the world\u2019s most comprehensive ban on PFAS.<\/p>\n<p>While the central thrust of the proposal remains a broad ban, ECHA has also assessed more flexible regulatory options.<\/p>\n<p>These include allowing continued use of PFAS in certain industries (such as electronics, energy, and transport) provided that risks can be adequately controlled.<\/p>\n<p>Another updated document detailing these scenarios now serves as the basis for opinions by ECHA\u2019s scientific committees, which may further refine the plan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9389057\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//health//2025//07//28//study-finds-forever-chemicals-in-reusable-period-products-how-much-do-we-know-about-these-/">'Forever chemicals\u2019 found in reusable period products. What do we know about their health impact?<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2><strong>The road to REACH reform<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The ultimate goal is a near-total phaseout, with time-limited derogations for essential applications in healthcare, defence, and high-tech sectors where no alternatives currently exist.<\/p>\n<p>The broader revision of REACH is expected in December 2025, when the European Commission will present a formal legislative proposal, setting the course for Europe\u2019s chemicals policy in the decades to come.<\/p>\n<p>This review is expected to modernise and simplify EU rules, introducing changes such as time-limited registration validity, mandatory dossier updates, digital safety data sheets, and stronger enforcement measures.<\/p>\n<p>Early drafts were already shared with national experts in April 2025, marking the final stages of internal consultation.<\/p>\n<p>The Commission has already confirmed on several occasions that the REACH revision will include provisions clarifying the regulation of PFAS, though a universal restriction is expected to follow separately.<\/p>\n<p>In parallel, sector-specific measures, such as the existing ban on PFAS in firefighting foams, continue to advance under the current framework.<\/p>\n<p>The updated ECHA proposal marks a decisive step in what could become one of the most significant chemical regulatory efforts in Europe\u2019s history.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1755695530,"updatedAt":1755703339,"publishedAt":1755699015,"firstPublishedAt":1755699015,"lastPublishedAt":1755699015,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/42\/80\/43\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_588783ea-9742-5345-a315-9241abc2d845-9428043.jpg","altText":"Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, ECHA is the EU's chemical safety agency.","caption":"Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, ECHA is the EU's chemical safety agency.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"European Union - Atte Kajova","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2880,"urlSafeValue":"fortuna","title":"Gerardo Fortuna","twitter":"@gerardofortuna"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":29232,"slug":"eu-policy","urlSafeValue":"eu-policy","title":"EU Policy","titleRaw":"EU Policy"},{"id":51,"slug":"chemicals","urlSafeValue":"chemicals","title":"Chemicals","titleRaw":"Chemicals"},{"id":90,"slug":"eu-commission","urlSafeValue":"eu-commission","title":"European Commission","titleRaw":"European Commission"},{"id":25940,"slug":"chemical-pollution","urlSafeValue":"chemical-pollution","title":"chemical pollution","titleRaw":"chemical pollution"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"related","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2808346},{"id":2728102},{"id":2836843}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"green-news","urlSafeValue":"green-news","title":"Green News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/green\/green-news\/green-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"green","verticals":[{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},{"id":12,"slug":"health","urlSafeValue":"health","title":"Health"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":8,"slug":"green","urlSafeValue":"green","title":"Green"},"themes":[{"id":"green-news","urlSafeValue":"green-news","title":"Green News","url":"\/green\/green-news"},{"id":"health-news","urlSafeValue":"health-news","title":"Health news","url":"\/news\/international"},{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":35,"urlSafeValue":"green-news","title":"Green News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/green\/2025\/08\/20\/crackdown-on-forever-chemicals-expands-ahead-of-eu-rules-overhaul","lastModified":1755699015},{"id":2824721,"cid":9426798,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND MP SUICIDE","daletPyramidId":2465783,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finnish MP Eemeli Peltonen found dead in Helsinki parliament in apparent suicide","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finnish MP found dead in Helsinki parliament in apparent suicide","titleListing2":"Finnish MP Eemeli Peltonen found dead in Helsinki parliament in apparent suicide","leadin":"Finland's parliament is currently in summer recess but Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suspended all political work on Tuesday as a mark of respect.","summary":"Finland's parliament is currently in summer recess but Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suspended all political work on Tuesday as a mark of respect.","keySentence":"","url":"finnish-mp-eemeli-peltonen-found-dead-in-helsinki-parliament-in-apparent-suicide","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/08\/19\/finnish-mp-eemeli-peltonen-found-dead-in-helsinki-parliament-in-apparent-suicide","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Finnish politician Eemeli Peltonen was found dead in the parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday in what authorities believe was a suicide, local media said.\n\nThe death of the 30-year-old Social Democratic Party MP has sent shockwaves through Finland\u2019s political sphere with politicians on all sides expressing their sadness.\n\n\"He was a much-loved member of our community and we will miss him deeply. A young life has ended far too early,\" Tytti Tuppurainen, the chair of the Social Democratic parliamentary group, said in a statement.\n\nFinland\u2019s parliament is currently in summer recess but Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suspended all political work on Tuesday as a mark of respect.\n\nOrpo also held a minute's silence for Peltonen, public broadcaster YLE said.\n\nParliament speaker Jussi Halla-aho said in a post on X that Peltonen was a \"well-liked colleague who was respected across party lines\".\n\nPolice were called to the parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday morning and Peltonen\u2019s death was confirmed a few hours later in an official parliamentary statement.\n\nPolice said they suspected no foul play was involved.\n\nPeltonen\u2019s political career started early and he became a city councillor for Jarvenpaa when he was just 18 years old.\n\nBut he had been out of the political spotlight in recent weeks and in June said \u201ca kidney problem\" and subsequent infection had kept him away from work.\n\n\"I'm already discharged from hospital, but due to the situation I'm on summer sick leave and I'm now fully focused on recovering from the illness,\" he said in a social media post.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Finnish politician Eemeli Peltonen was found dead in the parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday in what authorities believe was a suicide, local media said.<\/p>\n<p>The death of the 30-year-old Social Democratic Party MP has sent shockwaves through Finland\u2019s political sphere with politicians on all sides expressing their sadness.<\/p>\n<p>\"He was a much-loved member of our community and we will miss him deeply. A young life has ended far too early,\" Tytti Tuppurainen, the chair of the Social Democratic parliamentary group, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Finland\u2019s parliament is currently in summer recess but Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suspended all political work on Tuesday as a mark of respect.<\/p>\n<p>Orpo also held a minute's silence for Peltonen, public broadcaster YLE said.<\/p>\n<p>Parliament speaker Jussi Halla-aho said in a post on X that Peltonen was a \"well-liked colleague who was respected across party lines\".<\/p>\n<p>Police were called to the parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday morning and Peltonen\u2019s death was confirmed a few hours later in an official parliamentary statement.<\/p>\n<p>Police said they suspected no foul play was involved.<\/p>\n<p>Peltonen\u2019s political career started early and he became a city councillor for Jarvenpaa when he was just 18 years old.<\/p>\n<p>But he had been out of the political spotlight in recent weeks and in June said \u201ca kidney problem\" and subsequent infection had kept him away from work.<\/p>\n<p>\"I'm already discharged from hospital, but due to the situation I'm on summer sick leave and I'm now fully focused on recovering from the illness,\" he said in a social media post.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1755622322,"updatedAt":1755679026,"publishedAt":1755622991,"firstPublishedAt":1755622991,"lastPublishedAt":1755678991,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/42\/67\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_90ab4c06-f862-5b29-850b-57fe3d1e6f5e-9426798.jpg","altText":"An official picture of the Finnish politician Eemeli Peltonen","caption":"An official picture of the Finnish politician Eemeli Peltonen","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Eemeli Peltonen\/Facebook","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":10529,"slug":"finland-politics","urlSafeValue":"finland-politics","title":"Finland politics","titleRaw":"Finland politics"},{"id":4137,"slug":"helsinki","urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki","titleRaw":"Helsinki"},{"id":12233,"slug":"suicide","urlSafeValue":"suicide","title":"Suicide","titleRaw":"Suicide"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2824351},{"id":2823323},{"id":2822780}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"pFaUpFUtnLg","dailymotionId":"x9p3zii"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/22\/64\/67\/03\/ED_PYR_2264673_20250820081543.mp4","editor":"","duration":45000,"filesizeBytes":9481646,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/22\/64\/67\/03\/SHD_PYR_2264673_20250820081543.mp4","editor":"","duration":45000,"filesizeBytes":12689846,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/22\/64\/67\/03\/FHD_PYR_2264673_20250820081543.mp4","editor":"","duration":45000,"filesizeBytes":35514442,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/08\/19\/finnish-mp-eemeli-peltonen-found-dead-in-helsinki-parliament-in-apparent-suicide","lastModified":1755678991},{"id":2824351,"cid":9424612,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NEXT FINLAND AI EDUCATION","daletPyramidId":2448882,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland\u2019s war on fake news starts in schools. AI could make that a lot harder","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"How AI could set back Finland\u2019s war on fake news in schools","titleListing2":"Finland\u2019s war on fake news starts in schools. AI could make that a lot harder","leadin":"While Finnish students learn how to discern fact from fiction online, media literacy experts say AI-specific training should be guaranteed going forward.","summary":"While Finnish students learn how to discern fact from fiction online, media literacy experts say AI-specific training should be guaranteed going forward.","keySentence":"","url":"finlands-war-on-fake-news-starts-in-schools-ai-could-make-that-a-lot-harder","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2025\/08\/19\/finlands-war-on-fake-news-starts-in-schools-ai-could-make-that-a-lot-harder","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"In a Finnish classroom full of children under six earlier this year, a teacher suggested writing a story as a group using a new online tool \u2013 artificial intelligence (AI).\u00a0\n\nWith the teacher\u2019s help, the children decided the genre (horror), the story\u2019s plot, and the characters to include.\u00a0\n\nThe teacher wrote all of the children\u2019s suggestions into a prompt for an AI system. It not only generated the text, but also some images to illustrate the horror story \u2013 to the delight and surprise of the kids, according to an AI literacy expert who watched the exercise.\n\nThe story exercise is one way the Nordic country, which lands at the top of an index tracking resilience to fake news across Europe, is starting to teach its youngest citizens how to interact with AI.\n\nMedia literacy creates a public that is \u201cboth critically and digitally literate,\u201d making it easier for them to assess information they encounter online, according to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).\n\nFor decades, media literacy and critical thinking skills have been ingrained in Finnish schools, from math to history and science courses. But Finland\u2019s education experts say the country is still trying to figure out how to integrate AI into their curricula.\n\n\u201cThe students need skills to understand AI and understand how it works,\u201d Nina Penttinen, counsellor of education at the Finnish National Agency for Education, told Euronews Next. \u201cIn schools, they need to produce texts without AI\u201d.\u00a0\n\nMedia literacy as a life skill\u00a0\n\nFinland started teaching its citizens about media literacy in the 1970s, focusing back then on how to interpret radio and TV programmes, experts told Euronews Next.\u00a0\n\nThe most recent curriculum update in 2014 \u2013 coincidently, just months after Russia illegally annexed Crimea, prompting a flurry of disinformation in Finland and nearby countries \u2013\u00a0 brought the world of social media and smartphones into the fold.\u00a0\n\nThe curriculum works around a concept called \u201cmultiliteracy,\u201d the idea that understanding, evaluating, and analysing different sources of information is a skill for life and not an individual course that children can take.\n\nThe curriculum is complemented by approximately 100 different organisations that promote media literacy throughout the country. They also contribute teaching materials to classrooms, according to the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI).\u00a0\n\nIn their system, children as young as three start to understand the digital environment by researching some images or sounds that they find funny.\u00a0\n\nBy ages seven or eight, children start to receive guidance from their teachers about whether the information they find online is reliable or not.\u00a0\n\nA couple years later, students who are nine or 10 begin learning how to put together research, with emphasis placed on which perspectives they are selecting and which they could be leaving out.\u00a0\n\nLeo Pekkala, KAVI\u2019s deputy director, said teachers might explain in math class how algorithms work and how they\u2019re made.\u00a0\n\nUltimately, Penttinen said it\u2019s up to the teachers to decide how to integrate critical thinking into their subjects and lessons and to evaluate whether students are meeting expectations.\n\nPekkala said their approach appears to be working, citing the\u00a0 limited success of disinformation campaigns in Finland.\n\nMost people \u201cseem to recognise really well\u201d that it is malicious, he said.\n\n\u201cThere were certain international conspiracy theories [during the COVID-19 pandemic] that were also spread in Finland, but they never kind of spread very largely and people recognised them rather easily and there was discussion that, yeah, that's absurd,\u201d Pekkala said.\u00a0\n\nLiteracy skills will help with AI, experts say\u00a0\n\nDeepfakes are one AI-related challenge in the classroom. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) defines deepfakes as videos or images that synthesise media by either superimposing human features onto another body or manipulating sounds to generate a realistic video.\u00a0\n\nThis year, high-profile deepfake scams have targeted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto, and several celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Joe Rogan, whose voices were used to promote a scam that promised people government funds.\n\nThis material is \u201cvery, very difficult to separate from real material,\u201d Pekkala said.\u00a0\n\nThe hope is that students will be able to use the skills they learned in school to identify that content in an AI-generated video could potentially be \u201coff\u201d. To confirm that suspicion, students would check another source to verify whether that video was truthful or not.\u00a0\n\n\u201cThe surface technology [of AI] which is developing at high speed, doesn\u2019t take away the need for basic critical understanding of how media works,\u201d Pekkala added.\u00a0\n\nChildren will also learn some signs that a video, picture, or audio clip is fake, for example if it generates a \u201creally emotional reaction,\u201d Penttinen added.\u00a0\n\nDespite the risks, she added that children need to learn \u201chow AI works and [how] the companies are developing it\u201d.\n\n\u2018It\u2019s a huge task ahead of us\u2019\n\nKari Kivinen, an education outreach expert for the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (EUIPO), said Finnish teachers are already changing how they work with AI in the classroom.\n\nThat could include asking for handwritten assignments in class instead of online essays or specifying that AI can be used for tasks like brainstorming, but not for a final assignment. He cited the teacher's horror story exercise as a way to introduce young children to AI.\n\nThe government introduced some AI guidelines, including recommendations for early education teachers, earlier this year.\n\nThe document suggests that teachers disclose how and when they use AI in their own work and to tell their students what errors and biases could come from its use.\u00a0\n\nPettinen pointed to some flaws in the guidelines, saying that because they are not baked into the curriculum, schools and teachers may not adopt them. A curriculum-wide review typically happens every 10 years, she added, but it has not yet started.\u00a0\n\nKivinen said he is working on a joint AI literacy framework for the European Union and other developed countries, which could provide some more guidance.\u00a0\n\nThe framework, to be published in early 2026, will provide guidelines for how students should use AI, how to communicate that they are using AI, and how to get more reliable results from AI.\u00a0\n\nEventually, it aims to eventually measure the AI skills of 15-year-olds in 100 countries, he added. He said the AI literacy framework is \u201caligned with the Finnish approach\u201d.\u00a0\n\n\u201c[AI use is] not only a Finnish problem, it\u2019s a problem all over Europe and the world at this moment,\u201d Kivinen said. \u201cThe AI tools have been developing so fast that the education systems have not been able to follow it sufficiently so far\u201d.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a huge task ahead of us\u201d.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>In a Finnish classroom full of children under six earlier this year, a teacher suggested writing a story as a group using a new online tool \u2013 artificial intelligence (AI).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With the teacher\u2019s help, the children decided the genre (horror), the story\u2019s plot, and the characters to include.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The teacher wrote all of the children\u2019s suggestions into a prompt for an AI system. It not only generated the text, but also some images to illustrate the horror story \u2013 to the delight and surprise of the kids, according to an AI literacy expert who watched the exercise.<\/p>\n<p>The story exercise is one way the Nordic country, which lands at the <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////osis.bg//?p=4491&lang=en\%22 target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>top<\/strong><\/a> of an index tracking resilience to fake news across Europe, is starting to teach its youngest citizens how to interact with AI.<\/p>\n<p>Media literacy creates a public that is \u201cboth critically and digitally literate,\u201d making it easier for them to assess information they encounter online, <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////edmo.eu//areas-of-activities//media-literacy//the-importance-of-media-literacy-in-countering-disinformation///" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>according<\/strong><\/a> to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).<\/p>\n<p>For decades, media literacy and critical thinking skills have been ingrained in Finnish schools, from math to history and science courses. But Finland\u2019s education experts say the country is still trying to figure out how to integrate AI into their curricula.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe students need skills to understand AI and understand how it works,\u201d Nina Penttinen, counsellor of education at the Finnish National Agency for Education, told Euronews Next. \u201cIn schools, they need to produce texts without AI\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Media literacy as a life skill<\/h2>\n<p>Finland started teaching its citizens about media literacy in the 1970s, focusing back then on how to interpret radio and TV programmes, experts told Euronews Next.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The most recent curriculum update in 2014 \u2013 coincidently, just months after Russia illegally annexed Crimea, prompting a flurry of disinformation in Finland and nearby countries \u2013\u00a0 brought the world of social media and smartphones into the fold.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The curriculum works around a concept called \u201cmultiliteracy,\u201d the idea that understanding, evaluating, and analysing different sources of information is a skill for life and not an individual course that children can take.<\/p>\n<p>The curriculum is complemented by approximately 100 different organisations that promote media literacy throughout the country. They also contribute teaching materials to classrooms, according to the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI).\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9385553\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//07//23//exclusive-elon-musks-x-fails-to-deal-with-russian-disinformation-breaching-eu-rules-study-/">Exclusive: Elon Musk\u2019s X fails to deal with Russian disinformation, breaching EU rules, study says<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>In their system, children as young as three start to understand the digital environment by researching some images or sounds that they find funny.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By ages seven or eight, children start to receive guidance from their teachers about whether the information they find online is reliable or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A couple years later, students who are nine or 10 begin learning how to put together research, with emphasis placed on which perspectives they are selecting and which they could be leaving out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Leo Pekkala, KAVI\u2019s deputy director, said teachers might explain in math class how algorithms work and how they\u2019re made.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"8914818\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2024//12//17//which-europeans-have-better-skills-in-literacy-math-and-problem-solving/">Which Europeans have better skills in literacy, math and problem-solving?<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Ultimately, Penttinen said it\u2019s up to the teachers to decide how to integrate critical thinking into their subjects and lessons and to evaluate whether students are meeting expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Pekkala said their approach appears to be working, citing the\u00a0 limited success of disinformation campaigns in Finland.<\/p>\n<p>Most people \u201cseem to recognise really well\u201d that it is malicious, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were certain international conspiracy theories [during the COVID-19 pandemic] that were also spread in Finland, but they never kind of spread very largely and people recognised them rather easily and there was discussion that, yeah, that's absurd,\u201d Pekkala said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Literacy skills will help with AI, experts say<\/h2>\n<p>Deepfakes are one AI-related challenge in the classroom. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) defines deepfakes as videos or images that synthesise media by either superimposing human features onto another body or manipulating sounds to generate a realistic video.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This year, high-profile deepfake scams have targeted US Secretary of State <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//07//13//ai-scams-can-now-impersonate-your-voice-heres-how-to-avoid-them/">Marco Rubio<\/strong><\/a>, Italian defense minister <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2025//02//10//scammers-clone-italian-defence-ministers-voice-with-ai-in-ransom-scheme/">Guido Crosetto<\/strong><\/a>, and several celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Joe Rogan, whose voices were used to promote a scam that promised people government funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The surface technology [of AI] which is developing at high speed, doesn\u2019t take away the need for basic critical understanding of how media works.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Leo Pekkala\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Deputy Director, Finnish National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI)\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>This material is \u201cvery, very difficult to separate from real material,\u201d Pekkala said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The hope is that students will be able to use the skills they learned in school to identify that content in an AI-generated video could potentially be \u201coff\u201d. To confirm that suspicion, students would check another source to verify whether that video was truthful or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe surface technology [of AI] which is developing at high speed, doesn\u2019t take away the need for basic critical understanding of how media works,\u201d Pekkala added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"8752890\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2024//09//26//italy-pilots-ai-in-schools-looking-to-boost-tech-based-learning/">Italy pilots AI in schools looking to boost tech-based learning<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Children will also learn some signs that a video, picture, or audio clip is fake, for example if it generates a \u201creally emotional reaction,\u201d Penttinen added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite the risks, she added that children need to learn \u201chow AI works and [how] the companies are developing it\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018It\u2019s a huge task ahead of us\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Kari Kivinen, an education outreach expert for the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (EUIPO), said Finnish teachers are already changing how they work with AI in the classroom.<\/p>\n<p>That could include asking for handwritten assignments in class instead of online essays or specifying that AI can be used for tasks like brainstorming, but not for a final assignment. He cited the teacher's horror story exercise as a way to introduce young children to AI.<\/p>\n<p>The government introduced some AI guidelines, including recommendations for early education teachers, earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>The document <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.oph.fi//fi//teemat-ja-kehittaminen//tekoalysuositukset//velvoitteet-ja-suositukset/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>suggests<\/strong><\/a> that teachers disclose how and when they use AI in their own work and to tell their students what errors and biases could come from its use.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">The AI tools have been developing so fast that the education systems have not been able to follow it sufficiently so far<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <div class=\"widget__authorText\">\n Kari Kivinen\n <\/div>\n <div class=\"widget__author_descriptionText\">\n Education Outreach Expert, European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (EUIPO)\n <\/div>\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Pettinen pointed to some flaws in the guidelines, saying that because they are not baked into the curriculum, schools and teachers may not adopt them. A curriculum-wide review typically happens every 10 years, she added, but it has not yet started.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Kivinen said he is working on a joint AI literacy framework for the European Union and other developed countries, which could provide some more guidance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id=\"9392576\" data-event=\"widget_related\">\n <div class=\"c-widget-related__title\">\n <b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b>\n <\/div>\n <ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n <li class=\"c-widget-related__item\"><a class=\"c-widget-related__article\" href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//next//2025//07//28//how-can-people-fight-back-against-realistic-ai-deepfakes-more-ai-experts-say/">How can people fight back against realistic AI deepfakes? More AI, experts say<\/a><\/li>\n <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The framework, to be published in early 2026, will provide guidelines for how students should use AI, how to communicate that they are using AI, and how to get more reliable results from AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, it aims to eventually measure the AI skills of 15-year-olds in 100 countries, he added. He said the AI literacy framework is \u201caligned with the Finnish approach\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[AI use is] not only a Finnish problem, it\u2019s a problem all over Europe and the world at this moment,\u201d Kivinen said. \u201cThe AI tools have been developing so fast that the education systems have not been able to follow it sufficiently so far\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a huge task ahead of us\u201d.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1755510590,"updatedAt":1755581910,"publishedAt":1755577846,"firstPublishedAt":1755577846,"lastPublishedAt":1755577915,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/42\/46\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e65847a9-9eba-5b39-a159-d7d572dac8e3-9424612.jpg","altText":"AI could change the fight against disinformation that is being waged in Finnish schools, experts say.","caption":"AI could change the fight against disinformation that is being waged in Finnish schools, experts say.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Canva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1618,"height":910}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2860,"urlSafeValue":"desmarais","title":"Anna Desmarais","twitter":"anna_desmarais"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":12661,"slug":"artificial-intelligence","urlSafeValue":"artificial-intelligence","title":"Artificial intelligence","titleRaw":"Artificial intelligence"},{"id":28266,"slug":"ai","urlSafeValue":"ai","title":"AI","titleRaw":"AI"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"quotation","count":2},{"slug":"related","count":4}],"related":[{"id":2823514},{"id":2824721}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":null,"freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/tech-news\/tech-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"next","verticals":[{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":9,"slug":"next","urlSafeValue":"next","title":"Next"},"themes":[{"id":"tech-news","urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News","url":"\/next\/tech-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":40,"urlSafeValue":"tech-news","title":"Tech News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/next\/2025\/08\/19\/finlands-war-on-fake-news-starts-in-schools-ai-could-make-that-a-lot-harder","lastModified":1755577915},{"id":2822995,"cid":9416867,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"Culture Moomins anniversary","daletPyramidId":2398305,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Moomins turn 80: Fans flock to Finland to celebrate the beloved cartoon clan","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Fans flock to Finland to celebrate as Moomins turn 80","titleListing2":"Moomins turn 80: Fans flock to Finland to celebrate the beloved cartoon clan","leadin":"Eight decades after their debut, the Moomins remain Finland\u2019s most treasured literary export. Fans flocked to the official Moomin Museum to honour the impact of the beloved characters.","summary":"Eight decades after their debut, the Moomins remain Finland\u2019s most treasured literary export. Fans flocked to the official Moomin Museum to honour the impact of the beloved characters.","keySentence":"","url":"moomins-turn-80-fans-flock-to-finland-to-celebrate-the-beloved-cartoon-clan","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2025\/08\/12\/moomins-turn-80-fans-flock-to-finland-to-celebrate-the-beloved-cartoon-clan","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"80 years on, the Moomins are still going strong.\n\nFinland\u2019s most beloved literary family, the Moomins, mark their milestone birthday this year with a joyful celebration in Tampere, home to the world\u2019s only Moomin Museum. The white, hippo-like characters created by Tove Jansson have been winning hearts since 1945, when \"The Moomins and the Great Flood\" first introduced readers to the curious little Moomintroll and his doting Moominmamma.\n\nEight books, multiple TV shows, two theme parks and countless mugs later, the fandom is going strong.\n\nFor Rosa Senn, who travelled from the UK with her wife Lizzie, the celebrations last weekend were more than just a fan pilgrimage \u2013 it was a full-circle moment.\n\n\u201cMoomins have been such a special thing in my life, my whole life,\u201d Senn said, recalling how her Norwegian mother read the books to her as a child. When she and Lizzie spent the first year and a half of their relationship long-distance, a Moomintroll plush helped bridge the miles \u2013 and even made it into their wedding as ringbearer. \n\nTheir Instagram account documenting Moomin adventures has even made them minor celebrities in the fandom, connecting them with other enthusiasts \u2013 like Stefanie and Michael Geutebr\u00fcck, a couple from Germany whose apartment, according to Stefanie, \u201clooks like a Moomin shop\u201d.\n\nAnd they\u2019re not alone. Moomin merchandise is big business, from mugs and plush toys to stationery and limited-edition collectibles. \n\n\u201cThe Moomin mug is one of the best-known collector items worldwide,\u201d said Selma Green, director of the Moomin Museum.\n\nBut behind the fuzzy nostalgia lies a deeper story...\n\nTove Jansson, who created the characters in the aftermath of World War II, wove in themes of love, resilience, and the search for safety. The first book was published as Finland emerged from wartime trauma, and Jansson used the Moomins to offer comfort \u2013 without shying away from darker undertones.\n\n\u201cHer first Moomin book came out in a dark era. She felt it was very difficult to paint, and she started writing what she called a fairy tale,\u201d said Sirke Happonen, a Moomins scholar and associate professor at the University of Helsinki. \u201cI think she wanted to make a contrast \u2013 Tove Jansson loved contrasts \u2013 by writing about this beautiful world, full of friendship and love.\"\n\nJansson\u2019s own life also made its way into the stories. Her long-time partner, artist Tuulikki Pietil\u00e4, was immortalised as the practical, no-nonsense character Too-ticky. Queer themes and fluid gender roles quietly infuse Moominvalley, making it a quietly radical world wrapped in whimsy.\n\nThat world, however, has faced modern scrutiny. Debate was stirred this summer when it emerged that the character Stinky \u2013 a mischievous, fuzzy creature \u2013 was temporarily removed from a New York library mural over concerns it might be interpreted as racist.\n\n\u201cTo me, this became quite a big surprise,\u201d said Happonen. \u201cI have more thought about Stinky being close to a mole or a vole.\u201d\n\nStill, fans are undeterred. As the Moomins hit 80, the sense of community around them feels stronger than ever.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>80 years on, the Moomins are still going strong.<\/p>\n<p>Finland\u2019s most beloved literary family, the<a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//culture//2024//10//28//groundbreaking-exhibition-on-tove-janssons-public-art-opens-in-helsinki/"> <strong>Moomins<\/strong><\/a>, mark their milestone birthday this year with a joyful celebration in Tampere, home to the world\u2019s only Moomin Museum. The white, hippo-like characters created by Tove Jansson have been winning hearts since 1945, when \"The Moomins and the Great Flood\" first introduced readers to the curious little Moomintroll and his doting Moominmamma.<\/p>\n<p>Eight books, multiple TV shows, two theme parks and countless mugs later, the fandom is going strong.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//68//67//808x539_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg/" alt=\"Fans celebrated the 80th anniversary of &quot;The Moomins and The Great Flood&quot; and the birthday of the author Tove Jansson.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/384x257_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/640x428_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/750x501_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/828x553_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1080x721_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1200x802_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1920x1283_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Fans celebrated the 80th anniversary of &quot;The Moomins and The Great Flood&quot; and the birthday of the author Tove Jansson.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>For Rosa Senn, who travelled from the UK with her wife Lizzie, the celebrations last weekend were more than just a fan pilgrimage \u2013 it was a full-circle moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoomins have been such a special thing in my life, my whole life,\u201d Senn said, recalling how her Norwegian mother read the books to her as a child. When she and Lizzie spent the first year and a half of their relationship long-distance, a Moomintroll plush helped bridge the miles \u2013 and even made it into their wedding as ringbearer. <\/p>\n<p>Their Instagram account documenting Moomin adventures has even made them minor celebrities in the fandom, connecting them with other enthusiasts \u2013 like Stefanie and Michael Geutebr\u00fcck, a couple from Germany whose apartment, according to Stefanie, \u201clooks like a Moomin shop\u201d.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//68//67//808x539_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg/" alt=\"&#39;The Moomins and the Great Flood&#39; was Tove Jansson&#39;s first Moomin story, published in 1945.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/384x257_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/640x428_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/750x501_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/828x553_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1080x721_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1200x802_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1920x1283_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">&#39;The Moomins and the Great Flood&#39; was Tove Jansson&#39;s first Moomin story, published in 1945.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>And they\u2019re not alone. Moomin merchandise is big business, from mugs and plush toys to stationery and limited-edition collectibles. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Moomin mug is one of the best-known collector items worldwide,\u201d said Selma Green, director of the Moomin Museum.<\/p>\n<p>But behind the fuzzy nostalgia lies a deeper story...<\/p>\n<p>Tove Jansson, who created the characters in the aftermath of <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//tag//world-war-ii/">World War II<\/strong><\/a>, wove in themes of love, resilience, and the search for safety. The first book was published as Finland emerged from wartime trauma, and Jansson used the Moomins to offer comfort \u2013 without shying away from darker undertones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//68//67//808x539_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg/" alt=\"Fans travelled from far and wide for the celebration.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/384x257_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/640x428_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/750x501_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/828x553_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1080x721_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1200x802_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1920x1283_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Fans travelled from far and wide for the celebration.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cHer first Moomin book came out in a dark era. She felt it was very difficult to paint, and she started writing what she called a fairy tale,\u201d said Sirke Happonen, a Moomins scholar and associate professor at the University of Helsinki. \u201cI think she wanted to make a contrast \u2013 Tove Jansson loved contrasts \u2013 by writing about this beautiful world, full of friendship and love.\"<\/p>\n<p>Jansson\u2019s own life also made its way into the stories. Her long-time partner, artist Tuulikki Pietil\u00e4, was immortalised as the practical, no-nonsense character Too-ticky. <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//tag//lgbt/">Queer themes and fluid gender roles quietly infuse Moominvalley, making it a quietly radical world wrapped in whimsy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//68//67//808x539_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg/" alt=\"There is a strong community of Moomin fans, many of whom travelled to Tampere for the anniversary celebration.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/384x257_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/640x428_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/750x501_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/828x553_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1080x721_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1200x802_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/1920x1283_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">There is a strong community of Moomin fans, many of whom travelled to Tampere for the anniversary celebration.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>That world, however, has faced modern scrutiny. Debate was stirred this summer when it emerged that the character Stinky \u2013 a mischievous, fuzzy creature \u2013 was temporarily removed from a New York library mural over concerns it might be interpreted as racist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me, this became quite a big surprise,\u201d said Happonen. \u201cI have more thought about Stinky being close to a mole or a vole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, fans are undeterred. As the Moomins hit 80, the sense of community around them feels stronger than ever.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1754997495,"updatedAt":1755007545,"publishedAt":1755007533,"firstPublishedAt":1755007533,"lastPublishedAt":1755007533,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8251ffe5-e4d1-53f9-9b82-aff75f3c940a-9416867.jpg","altText":"Finland Moomins Fans celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication of the Finnish children's classic, 'The Moomins and The Great Flood'..","caption":"Finland Moomins Fans celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication of the Finnish children's classic, 'The Moomins and The Great Flood'..","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":684},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ab6102c4-6a6d-5016-ba68-2396adc5cf86-9416867.jpg","altText":"There is a strong community of Moomin fans, many of whom travelled to Tampere for the anniversary celebration.","caption":"There is a strong community of Moomin fans, many of whom travelled to Tampere for the anniversary celebration.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":684},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bdb7fd65-a7cf-5fee-869a-e2177e306d7b-9416867.jpg","altText":"Fans travelled from far and wide for the celebration.","caption":"Fans travelled from far and wide for the celebration.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":684},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_67aa3468-26a4-5f57-a46d-8366b6f8c0d4-9416867.jpg","altText":"'The Moomins and the Great Flood' was Tove Jansson's first Moomin story, published in 1945.","caption":"'The Moomins and the Great Flood' was Tove Jansson's first Moomin story, published in 1945.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":684},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/68\/67\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_02db597c-3543-5a8b-b19a-5f4aaba049fc-9416867.jpg","altText":"Fans celebrated the 80th anniversary of \"The Moomins and The Great Flood\" and the birthday of the author Tove Jansson.","caption":"Fans celebrated the 80th anniversary of \"The Moomins and The Great Flood\" and the birthday of the author Tove Jansson.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Tommi Ojala\/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3106,"urlSafeValue":"morton","title":"Elise Morton","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":4153,"slug":"literature","urlSafeValue":"literature","title":"Literature","titleRaw":"Literature"},{"id":3590,"slug":"tampere","urlSafeValue":"tampere","title":"Tampere","titleRaw":"Tampere"},{"id":12832,"slug":"fans","urlSafeValue":"fans","title":"fans","titleRaw":"fans"},{"id":18188,"slug":"toys","urlSafeValue":"toys","title":"Toys","titleRaw":"Toys"},{"id":5006,"slug":"anniversary","urlSafeValue":"anniversary","title":"Anniversary","titleRaw":"Anniversary"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":4}],"related":[{"id":2822692},{"id":2822149},{"id":2822742}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"AP","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"culture-news","urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/culture-news\/culture-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"culture","verticals":[{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":10,"slug":"culture","urlSafeValue":"culture","title":"Culture"},"themes":[{"id":"culture-news","urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture news","url":"\/culture\/culture-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":53,"urlSafeValue":"culture-news","title":"Culture news"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":3590,"urlSafeValue":"tampere","title":"Tampere"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/culture\/2025\/08\/12\/moomins-turn-80-fans-flock-to-finland-to-celebrate-the-beloved-cartoon-clan","lastModified":1755007533},{"id":2822780,"cid":9415404,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND EAGLE S OFFICERS CHARGED","daletPyramidId":2389829,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland charges officers of Russia-linked Eagle S ship that damaged undersea cables","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finland charges officers of Russia-linked ship that damaged cables","titleListing2":"Finland charges top officers of Russia-linked Eagle S ship that damaged undersea cables","leadin":"The damage to the Estlink 2, which can provide about half of Estonia's electricity needs in winter, did not disrupt service, although it drove up energy prices in the Baltic nations.","summary":"The damage to the Estlink 2, which can provide about half of Estonia's electricity needs in winter, did not disrupt service, although it drove up energy prices in the Baltic nations.","keySentence":"","url":"finland-charges-officers-of-russia-linked-eagle-s-ship-that-damaged-undersea-cables","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/08\/11\/finland-charges-officers-of-russia-linked-eagle-s-ship-that-damaged-undersea-cables","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Authorities in Finland said on Monday that they have charged the captain and two senior officers of a\u00a0Russia-linked ship that allegedly damaged undersea cables\u00a0last year connecting Finland with Estonia.\n\nThe Finnish deputy prosecutor general said in a statement that charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications were filed against the\u00a0captain and first and second officers\u00a0of the Eagle S oil tanker.\n\nTheir names were not made public. A statement said the men had denied the allegations.\n\nAuthorities have said the vessel dragged its anchor to damage the Estlink-2 power cable and communication links between\u00a0Finland and Estonia on 25 December.\n\nThe Kremlin previously denied involvement in damaging the infrastructure, which provides power and communication for thousands of Europeans.\n\nThe Eagle S is flagged in the Cook Islands but has been described by Finnish customs officials and the European Union\u2019s executive commission as part of\u00a0Russia's shadow fleet of fuel tankers.\n\nThese are aging vessels with obscure ownership, acquired to\u00a0evade Western sanctions\u00a0imposed following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine\u00a0and operating without Western-regulated insurance.\n\nFor the West, such incidents are believed to be part of\u00a0widespread sabotage attacks in Europe\u00a0allegedly linked to Moscow.\n\nThe undersea cables and pipelines that crisscross one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe link Nordic, Baltic and central European countries.\n\nThey promote trade, energy security and, in some cases, reduce dependence on Russian energy resources.\n\nMonday's statement alleges that \"the Eagle S, which left Russia\u2019s Ust-Luga with a cargo of oil products, is suspected of cutting five submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland by dragging its anchor on the seabed for about 90 kilometres.\"\n\nProsecutors said the owners of the cables have suffered a total of at least \u20ac60 million in repair costs.\n\n\"The disruption of electricity transmission and telecommunications cables with very high transmission capacity is also suspected to have caused a serious risk to energy supply and telecommunications in Finland, although services could be secured by using alternative connections,\" the statement said.\n\nIt added that the defendants \"consider that Finland lacks jurisdiction in the case, as the locations of the cable damages are outside Finnish territorial waters.\"\n\nThe damage to the Estlink 2, which can provide about half of Estonia's electricity needs in winter, did not disrupt service, although it drove up energy prices in the Baltic nations.\n\nThe cable is about 145 kilometres long and reaches 90 metres at its deepest point.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Authorities in Finland said on Monday that they have charged the captain and two senior officers of a\u00a0Russia-linked ship that allegedly damaged undersea cables\u00a0last year connecting Finland with Estonia.<\/p>\n<p>The Finnish deputy prosecutor general said in a statement that charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications were filed against the\u00a0captain and first and second officers\u00a0of the Eagle S oil tanker.<\/p>\n<p>Their names were not made public. A statement said the men had denied the allegations.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities have said the vessel dragged its anchor to damage the Estlink-2 power cable and communication links between\u00a0Finland and Estonia on 25 December.<\/p>\n<p>The Kremlin previously denied involvement in damaging the infrastructure, which provides power and communication for thousands of Europeans.<\/p>\n<p>The Eagle S is flagged in the Cook Islands but has been described by Finnish customs officials and the European Union\u2019s executive commission as part of\u00a0Russia's shadow fleet of fuel tankers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//54//04//808x539_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg/" alt=\"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, 30 December, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/384x256_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/640x427_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/750x500_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/828x552_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1080x720_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1200x800_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1920x1280_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, 30 December, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Jussi Nukari\/Lehtikuva<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>These are aging vessels with obscure ownership, acquired to\u00a0evade Western sanctions\u00a0imposed following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine\u00a0and operating without Western-regulated insurance.<\/p>\n<p>For the West, such incidents are believed to be part of\u00a0widespread sabotage attacks in Europe\u00a0allegedly linked to Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>The undersea cables and pipelines that crisscross one of the busiest shipping lanes in Europe link Nordic, Baltic and central European countries.<\/p>\n<p>They promote trade, energy security and, in some cases, reduce dependence on Russian energy resources.<\/p>\n<p>Monday's statement alleges that \"the Eagle S, which left Russia\u2019s Ust-Luga with a cargo of oil products, is suspected of cutting five submarine cables in the Gulf of Finland by dragging its anchor on the seabed for about 90 kilometres.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//41//54//04//808x539_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg/" alt=\"Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attends a press conference in Helsinki, 26 December, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/384x256_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/640x427_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/750x500_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/828x552_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1080x720_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1200x800_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/1920x1280_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attends a press conference in Helsinki, 26 December, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Prosecutors said the owners of the cables have suffered a total of at least \u20ac60 million in repair costs.<\/p>\n<p>\"The disruption of electricity transmission and telecommunications cables with very high transmission capacity is also suspected to have caused a serious risk to energy supply and telecommunications in Finland, although services could be secured by using alternative connections,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n<p>It added that the defendants \"consider that Finland lacks jurisdiction in the case, as the locations of the cable damages are outside Finnish territorial waters.\"<\/p>\n<p>The damage to the Estlink 2, which can provide about half of Estonia's electricity needs in winter, did not disrupt service, although it drove up energy prices in the Baltic nations.<\/p>\n<p>The cable is about 145 kilometres long and reaches 90 metres at its deepest point.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1754921102,"updatedAt":1754922028,"publishedAt":1754921996,"firstPublishedAt":1754921996,"lastPublishedAt":1754921996,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0f3e9c75-d974-59f9-8b25-6f0bfc47ea0f-9415404.jpg","altText":"The oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of the disruption of the Finland-Estonia power cable Estlink-2, is anchored near the port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, 7 January, 2025","caption":"The oil tanker Eagle S, suspected of the disruption of the Finland-Estonia power cable Estlink-2, is anchored near the port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, 7 January, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1620,"height":911},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6590b022-2a7f-5c5c-8743-5abdbd84de8a-9415404.jpg","altText":"Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attends a press conference in Helsinki, 26 December, 2024","caption":"Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo attends a press conference in Helsinki, 26 December, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/41\/54\/04\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0a21f773-0cc5-5b13-ab74-5b310f4047da-9415404.jpg","altText":"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, 30 December, 2024","caption":"The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo, 30 December, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Jussi Nukari\/Lehtikuva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1280}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":26692,"slug":"war-in-ukraine","urlSafeValue":"war-in-ukraine","title":"War in Ukraine","titleRaw":"War in Ukraine"},{"id":18498,"slug":"baltic-sea","urlSafeValue":"baltic-sea","title":"Baltic Sea","titleRaw":"Baltic Sea"},{"id":87,"slug":"estonia","urlSafeValue":"estonia","title":"Estonia","titleRaw":"Estonia"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2766056},{"id":2824721},{"id":2852016}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":1875,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/08\/11\/finland-charges-officers-of-russia-linked-eagle-s-ship-that-damaged-undersea-cables","lastModified":1754921996},{"id":2820016,"cid":9397770,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"HELSINKI AT 50 CONFERENCE","daletPyramidId":2287407,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Moscow 'stuck in another century,' Zelenskyy says at Helsinki Accords anniversary","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Moscow is 'stuck in another century,' Ukraine's president says ","titleListing2":"Moscow is 'stuck in another century', Zelenskyy says at Helsinki Accords anniversary","leadin":"Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy's comments come after a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv overnight killed six and injured more than 50 people.","summary":"Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy's comments come after a Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv overnight killed six and injured more than 50 people.","keySentence":"","url":"moscow-stuck-in-another-century-zelenskyy-says-at-helsinki-accords-anniversary","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2025\/07\/31\/moscow-stuck-in-another-century-zelenskyy-says-at-helsinki-accords-anniversary","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the confiscation of Russian assets and said the leadership in Moscow is \"mentally stuck in another century\" as officials and politicians gathered in the Finnish capital for the Helsinki+50 conference.\n\nMoscow is still living in a time of \"brutal violence disregard for human rights and equality,\u201d Zelenskyy said. \n\nHe added: \"We know that such ideas and such times must never return to Europe\" via video-link at the meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords.\n\nThe Helsinki Accords, singed in 1975, were a set of agreements focused on principles of international cooperation, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs. \n\nThe agreements \u2014 signed between 35 countries including the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War \u2014 laid the groundwork for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). \n\n\"It's time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them, and use them to serve peace, not war,\" the Ukrainian leader said.\n\nHis comments come a day after a large overnight Russian missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv killed six, including a six-year-old boy and injured at least 52 people. \n\nZelenskyy's Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb called on European countries to choose between \"spheres of interests and the use of force, or the sovereignty of states and common rules and principles.\"\n\nHe touched on the legacy of the Helsinki agreement, telling the conference: \"Even though the world has changed significantly in 50 years, the same rules still apply to basic human interaction.\" \n\nHe added, \"The best solutions can be found through dialogue and listening to one another.\" \n\nDuring his speech, Zelenskyy thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts to broker a ceasefire deal. \n\n\"President Trump is truly interested in ending the war and we have to do everything we can to make sure the United States and Europe act together for security,\" the Ukrainian leader said. \n\nOn Tuesday, Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to agree on a truce. He announced he would reduce a 50-day deadline he previously set for Moscow to agree to peace in Ukraine to a new limit of 10 to 12 days. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the confiscation of Russian assets and said the leadership in Moscow is \"mentally stuck in another century\" as officials and politicians gathered in the Finnish capital for the Helsinki+50 conference.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow is still living in a time of \"brutal violence disregard for human rights and equality,\u201d Zelenskyy said. <\/p>\n<p>He added: \"We know that such ideas and such times must never return to Europe\" via video-link at the meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords.<\/p>\n<p>The Helsinki Accords, singed in 1975, were a set of agreements focused on principles of international cooperation, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic affairs. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//39//77//70//808x539_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg/" alt=\"UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, 31 July, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/384x256_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/640x427_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/750x500_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/828x552_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1080x720_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1200x800_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1920x1280_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, 31 July, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The agreements \u2014 signed between 35 countries including the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War \u2014 laid the groundwork for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). <\/p>\n<p>\"It's time to confiscate Russian assets, not just freeze them, confiscate them, and use them to serve peace, not war,\" the Ukrainian leader said.<\/p>\n<p>His comments come a day after a large overnight <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//07//31//russias-missile-and-drone-strike-on-kyiv-kills-six-including-a-child-and-injures-52/">Russian missile and drone attack<\/a> on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv killed six, including a six-year-old boy and injured at least 52 people. <\/p>\n<p>Zelenskyy's Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb called on European countries to choose between \"spheres of interests and the use of force, or the sovereignty of states and common rules and principles.\"<\/p>\n<p>He touched on the legacy of the Helsinki agreement, telling the conference: \"Even though the world has changed significantly in 50 years, the same rules still apply to basic human interaction.\" <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//39//77//70//808x539_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg/" alt=\"A residential building heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, 31 July, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/384x256_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/640x427_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/750x500_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/828x552_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1080x720_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1200x800_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/1920x1280_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">A residential building heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, 31 July, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>He added, \"The best solutions can be found through dialogue and listening to one another.\" <\/p>\n<p>During his speech, Zelenskyy thanked US President Donald Trump for his efforts to broker a ceasefire deal. <\/p>\n<p>\"President Trump is truly interested in ending the war and we have to do everything we can to make sure the United States and Europe act together for security,\" the Ukrainian leader said. <\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's failure to agree on a truce. He <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2025//07//28//trump-says-hes-reducing-50-day-deadline-for-putin-to-agree-to-peace-in-ukraine/">announced he would reduce a 50-day deadline he previously set for Moscow to agree to peace in Ukraine to a new limit of 10 to 12 days. <\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1753951309,"updatedAt":1754398334,"publishedAt":1753961922,"firstPublishedAt":1753961922,"lastPublishedAt":1754398334,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6fa4d8b5-e77d-59a3-aabb-9724fbdfb374-9397770.jpg","altText":"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses online the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, Finland, Thursday, July 31, 2025. ","caption":"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses online the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, Finland, Thursday, July 31, 2025. ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Mikko Stig\/Lehtikuva","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8a3f20cc-d619-5e5c-bd70-0e4a52e2bd90-9397770.jpg","altText":"A residential building heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, 31 July, 2025","caption":"A residential building heavily damaged by a Russian strike in Kyiv, 31 July, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e43b0e55-afce-5fe9-bded-5f569862ddad-9397770.jpg","altText":"UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, 31 July, 2025","caption":"UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, 31 July, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/39\/77\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_5b700a10-ca1f-58a0-93eb-90bca24b2c8f-9397770.jpg","altText":"Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, right, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha meet during the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, Finland Thursday, 2025.","caption":"Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, right, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha meet during the Helsinki+50 Conference in Helsinki, Finland Thursday, 2025.","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1125}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2940,"urlSafeValue":"paternoster","title":"Tamsin 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Guterres"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":2}],"related":[{"id":2695744},{"id":2451992},{"id":2424304}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":4137,"urlSafeValue":"helsinki","title":"Helsinki"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/my-europe\/2025\/07\/31\/moscow-stuck-in-another-century-zelenskyy-says-at-helsinki-accords-anniversary","lastModified":1754398334},{"id":2816258,"cid":9372533,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"NC3 FINLAND SAMI RAP","daletPyramidId":2130846,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"S\u00e1mi artists perform at midnight sun rap festival in Finland","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"S\u00e1mi artists perform at midnight sun rap festival in Finland","titleListing2":"S\u00e1mi artists perform at midnight sun rap festival in Finland","leadin":"A music festival in Utsjoki, Finland, is bringing together rap artists from across the region, including performers using the Indigenous S\u00e1mi language.","summary":"A music festival in Utsjoki, Finland, is bringing together rap artists from across the region, including performers using the Indigenous S\u00e1mi language.","keySentence":"","url":"sami-artists-perform-at-midnight-sun-rap-festival-in-finland","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/07\/15\/sami-artists-perform-at-midnight-sun-rap-festival-in-finland","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Rapper Yungmiqu, also known as Mihkku Laiti, founded the event in Utsjoki to share S\u00e1mi culture through music. He performs in S\u00e1mi, a language spoken by Europe\u2019s only recognised Indigenous people.\n\nDespite changing weather in the fells, audiences gathered late into the night under the midnight sun on 6 July. Performers from across Lapland took the stage, mixing rap, folk and even tango.\n\nHeld near the Arctic Ocean and just across the river from Norway, the festival offers a rare stage for S\u00e1mi voices in contemporary music.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Rapper Yungmiqu, also known as Mihkku Laiti, founded the event in Utsjoki to share S\u00e1mi culture through music. He performs in S\u00e1mi, a language spoken by Europe\u2019s only recognised Indigenous people.<\/p>\n<p>Despite changing weather in the fells, audiences gathered late into the night under the midnight sun on 6 July. Performers from across Lapland took the stage, mixing rap, folk and even tango.<\/p>\n<p>Held near the Arctic Ocean and just across the river from Norway, the festival offers a rare stage for S\u00e1mi voices in contemporary music.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1752575565,"updatedAt":1752579282,"publishedAt":1752579183,"firstPublishedAt":1752579183,"lastPublishedAt":1752579183,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/37\/25\/33\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_7c7f8a15-5c70-5d54-a6b1-6e6c4318313e-9372533.jpg","altText":"SCREENSHOT - Finland's Indigenous S\u00e1mi rap under a midnight sun +REPLAY+","caption":"SCREENSHOT - Finland's Indigenous S\u00e1mi rap under a midnight sun +REPLAY+","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Video","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":11646,"slug":"music","urlSafeValue":"music","title":"Music","titleRaw":"Music"},{"id":10843,"slug":"music-festival","urlSafeValue":"music-festival","title":"Music festival","titleRaw":"Music festival"},{"id":17264,"slug":"rap","urlSafeValue":"rap","title":"Rap","titleRaw":"Rap"},{"id":18046,"slug":"indigenous-people","urlSafeValue":"indigenous-people","title":"Indigenous peoples","titleRaw":"Indigenous peoples"},{"id":9813,"slug":"video","urlSafeValue":"video","title":"Video","titleRaw":"Video"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2815194},{"id":2814004}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"G00z5kPrWvA","dailymotionId":"x9mxqek"},"hasExternalVideo":1,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":1,"video":1,"videos":[{"format":"mp4","quality":"md","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/ED\/19\/98\/51\/01\/ED_PYR_1998511_20250715110130.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":11950324,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"hd","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/SHD\/19\/98\/51\/01\/SHD_PYR_1998511_20250715110130.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":16914940,"expiresAt":0},{"format":"mp4","quality":"1080p","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/FHD\/19\/98\/51\/01\/FHD_PYR_1998511_20250715110130.mp4","editor":"","duration":60000,"filesizeBytes":48429291,"expiresAt":0}],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"No Comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/video\/2025\/07\/15\/sami-artists-perform-at-midnight-sun-rap-festival-in-finland","lastModified":1752579183},{"id":2813453,"cid":9355653,"versionId":6,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND STABBING","daletPyramidId":2024836,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Several people stabbed and one arrested at shopping centre in southern Finland","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Several people stabbed at shopping centre in southern Finland","titleListing2":"Several people stabbed at shopping centre in southern Finland","leadin":"The stabbing happened in Tampere, Finland's third-largest city, which is 180 kilometres northwest of the capital Helsinki.","summary":"The stabbing happened in Tampere, Finland's third-largest city, which is 180 kilometres northwest of the capital Helsinki.","keySentence":"","url":"several-people-stabbed-at-shopping-centre-in-southern-finland","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2025\/07\/03\/several-people-stabbed-at-shopping-centre-in-southern-finland","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"An assailant in Finland stabbed several people near a shopping centre in the southern city of Tempere on Thursday afternoon, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported.\n\nIt was not immediately clear how many people were injured in the attack, but police said the situation no longer posed a danger to others.\n\nVictims were given first aid at the scene.\n\nYle said that one person was detained, without giving further details.\n\nVideo by Yle showed a heavy police presence and ambulances in front of the cordoned-off mall.\n\nDaily paper Aamulehti reported that police blocked all doors of the Ratine shopping mall and people were not allowed to enter or leave.\n\nWitnesses of the attack were taken to the second floor of the mall for questioning.\n\nYle also reported that employees from the social and crisis emergency services had arrived at the mall to attend to victims and bystanders.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>An assailant in Finland stabbed several people near a shopping centre in the southern city of Tempere on Thursday afternoon, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported.<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately clear how many people were injured in the attack, but police said the situation no longer posed a danger to others.<\/p>\n<p>Victims were given first aid at the scene.<\/p>\n<p>Yle said that one person was detained, without giving further details.<\/p>\n<p>Video by Yle showed a heavy police presence and ambulances in front of the cordoned-off mall.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//35//56//53//808x539_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg/" alt=\"Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/384x256_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/640x427_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/750x500_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/828x552_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/1080x720_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/1200x800_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/1920x1280_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Daily paper Aamulehti reported that police blocked all doors of the Ratine shopping mall and people were not allowed to enter or leave.<\/p>\n<p>Witnesses of the attack were taken to the second floor of the mall for questioning.<\/p>\n<p>Yle also reported that employees from the social and crisis emergency services had arrived at the mall to attend to victims and bystanders.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1751555600,"updatedAt":1751564185,"publishedAt":1751556013,"firstPublishedAt":1751556013,"lastPublishedAt":1751564185,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c837ec0b-b715-5438-884c-0cf306a45015-9355653.jpg","altText":"Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025 ","caption":"Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025 ","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1125},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/35\/56\/53\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a474b5c9-9a18-5906-a30a-834042162aa0-9355653.jpg","altText":"Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025","caption":"Police cordon off the area outside the Ratina shopping centre in Tampere, 3 July, 2025","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":2972,"urlSafeValue":"blackburn","title":"Gavin Blackburn","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":13518,"slug":"stabbing","urlSafeValue":"stabbing","title":"stabbing","titleRaw":"stabbing"},{"id":14192,"slug":"knife-attack","urlSafeValue":"knife-attack","title":"Knife attack","titleRaw":"Knife attack"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2812733},{"id":2819609}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","online":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/europe-news\/europe-news"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"my-europe","verticals":[{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"},"themes":[{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/my-europe\/europe-news"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":56,"urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":{"id":3590,"urlSafeValue":"tampere","title":"Tampere"},"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["84121001"],"slugs":["news"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/my-europe\/2025\/07\/03\/several-people-stabbed-at-shopping-centre-in-southern-finland","lastModified":1751564185},{"id":2810026,"cid":9335577,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":null,"owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"daletEventName":"FINLAND LEAVES LAND MINE TREATY","daletPyramidId":1878898,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Finland's parliament votes to withdraw from landmine treaty due to Russia threat","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Finland votes to withdraw from landmine treaty due to Russia threat","titleListing2":"Finland votes to withdraw from landmine treaty due to Russia threat","leadin":"Several countries bordering Russia \u2014 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland \u2014 have recently pulled out of the Ottawa Treaty or announced plans to do so.","summary":"Several countries bordering Russia \u2014 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland \u2014 have recently pulled out of the Ottawa Treaty or announced plans to do so.","keySentence":"","url":"finlands-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-from-landmine-treaty-due-to-russia-threat","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2025\/06\/19\/finlands-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-from-landmine-treaty-due-to-russia-threat","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Finland's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to withdraw from an international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing the threat posed by Russia.\n\nFinnish lawmakers voted 157-18 in favour of a government proposal to leave the Ottawa Treaty. The 1997 agreement, which prohibits the use, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines, has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 countries.\n\nNATO member Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre land border with Russia, has said landmines could be used to defend its vast and rugged terrain in the event of an attack.\n\nRussia has not joined the Ottawa Treat, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned the war-torn country into the world's most mine-laden nation, according to analysts.\n\nSeveral other European and NATO nations bordering Russia \u2014 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland \u2014 have recently pulled out of the treaty or announced plans to do so.\n\nFinland's President Alexander Stubb defended the decision. \n\n\"The reality in the endgame is that we have as our neighbouring country an aggressive, imperialist state called Russia, which itself is not a member of the Ottawa Treaty and which itself uses landmines ruthlessly,\" he said.\n\nEarlier this week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a global campaign to boost support for disarmament and mine action.\u00a0He said he was \"very concerned\" by announcements and steps by several UN member countries to leave the Ottawa Treaty.\n\nIn response, Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the \"government and parliament have a duty to take measures that reduce Finland's risk of being attacked.\"\n\n\"Protection against the Russian threat takes priority,\" he wrote on X on Tuesday.\n\nUnder the treaty's rules, the withdrawal will take effect six months after Finland formally notifies the UN, at which point the country will be permitted to stockpile landmines.\n\nThe US, China, India, Pakistan and South Korea are among the major nations to not have joined the pact.\n\nAccording to NATO, nearly 70 countries and territories are still affected by the presence of some 110 million land mines, which can remain dormant under the ground for many years before being triggered.\n\nAt least 5,757 people \u2014 mostly civilians \u2014 were killed or wounded by landmines and unexploded ordnance in 2023, the NGO Landmine Monitor said.\n\n","htmlText":"<p>Finland's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to withdraw from an international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing the threat posed by Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Finnish lawmakers voted 157-18 in favour of a government proposal to leave the Ottawa Treaty. The 1997 agreement, which prohibits the use, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines, has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 countries.<\/p>\n<p>NATO member Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre land border with Russia, has said landmines could be used to defend its vast and rugged terrain in the event of an attack.<\/p>\n<p>Russia has not joined the Ottawa Treat, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has turned the war-torn country into the world's most mine-laden nation, according to analysts.<\/p>\n<p>Several other European and NATO nations bordering Russia \u2014 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland \u2014 have recently pulled out of the treaty or announced plans to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Finland's President Alexander Stubb defended the decision. <\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//09//33//55//77//808x539_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg/" alt=\"Ukrainian servicemen install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar, 30 October, 2024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/384x256_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/640x427_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/750x500_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/828x552_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/1080x720_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/1200x800_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/1920x1280_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Ukrainian servicemen install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar, 30 October, 2024<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>\"The reality in the endgame is that we have as our neighbouring country an aggressive, imperialist state called Russia, which itself is not a member of the Ottawa Treaty and which itself uses landmines ruthlessly,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres launched a global campaign to boost support for disarmament and mine action.\u00a0He said he was \"very concerned\" by announcements and steps by several UN member countries to leave the Ottawa Treaty.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the \"government and parliament have a duty to take measures that reduce Finland's risk of being attacked.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"Protection against the Russian threat takes priority,\" he wrote on X on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Under the treaty's rules, the withdrawal will take effect six months after Finland formally notifies the UN, at which point the country will be permitted to stockpile landmines.<\/p>\n<p>The US, China, India, Pakistan and South Korea are among the major nations to not have joined the pact.<\/p>\n<p>According to NATO, nearly 70 countries and territories are still affected by the presence of some 110 million land mines, which can remain dormant under the ground for many years before being triggered.<\/p>\n<p>At least 5,757 people \u2014 mostly civilians \u2014 were killed or wounded by landmines and unexploded ordnance in 2023, the NGO Landmine Monitor said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1750345316,"updatedAt":1750780087,"publishedAt":1750348002,"firstPublishedAt":1750348002,"lastPublishedAt":1750780087,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_2a66dde9-f9e0-5a60-8b0a-0ab6b71ceb49-9335577.jpg","altText":"FILE: A sign that reads \"Mines\" is seen in the village of Kamyanka, on the outskirts of Izium, Ukraine, Feb. 19, 2023","caption":"FILE: A sign that reads \"Mines\" is seen in the village of Kamyanka, on the outskirts of Izium, Ukraine, Feb. 19, 2023","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Vadim Ghirda\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"height":576},{"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/33\/55\/77\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d2be46a0-eeb4-597f-a0da-8ef23491d89a-9335577.jpg","altText":"Ukrainian servicemen install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar, 30 October, 2024","caption":"Ukrainian servicemen install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar, 30 October, 2024","captionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":2000,"height":1333}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"id":3238,"urlSafeValue":"guilbert","title":"Kieran Guilbert","twitter":null}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"id":205,"slug":"nato","urlSafeValue":"nato","title":"NATO","titleRaw":"NATO"},{"id":114,"slug":"finland","urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","titleRaw":"Finland"},{"id":239,"slug":"russia","urlSafeValue":"russia","title":"Russia","titleRaw":"Russia"},{"id":26698,"slug":"russia-ukraine-invasion","urlSafeValue":"russia-ukraine-invasion","title":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine","titleRaw":"Russia's invasion of Ukraine"},{"id":29734,"slug":"landmines","urlSafeValue":"landmines","title":"landmines","titleRaw":"landmines"}],"widgets":[{"slug":"image","count":1}],"related":[{"id":2772140},{"id":2771740}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"hasExternalVideo":0,"hasInternalOrExternalVideo":0,"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"startDate":0,"endDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"AP","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"World News","online":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"season":"","episode":"","episodeId":"","vertical":"news","verticals":[{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},{"id":2,"slug":"my-europe","urlSafeValue":"my-europe","title":"Europe"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"id":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World","url":"\/news\/international"},{"id":"europe-news","urlSafeValue":"europe-news","title":"Europe News","url":"\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":104,"urlSafeValue":"europe","title":"Europe"},"country":{"id":114,"urlSafeValue":"finland","title":"Finland","url":"\/news\/europe\/finland"},"town":[],"contextualSignals":{"doubleVerify":{"ids":["80023001","80122003","80122009","80222003","80222009","84111001","84112001"],"slugs":["aggregated_all_moderate_content","human_made_disasters_high_and_medium_risk","human_made_disasters_high_medium_and_low_risk","law_government_and_politics","law_government_and_politics_general","violence_high_and_medium_risk","violence_high_medium_and_low_risk"]}},"grapeshot":null,"versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"article-video","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"autoPublished":0,"autoLocalised":0,"isReviewed":0,"path":"\/2025\/06\/19\/finlands-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-from-landmine-treaty-due-to-russia-threat","lastModified":1750780087}]">

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