Helsinki Times - Helsinki Times

Government websites and online services across Europe and other parts of the world were taken offline on Wednesday, after researchers using artificial intelligence discovered two critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language supporting an estima…

The Finnish government has abandoned plans to introduce a tourist tax after coalition parties failed to agree on a proposed levy of 2–5 per cent on accommodation costs.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has called for direct negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States over disputed territories and security guarantees, as US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir…

A mysterious metal object discovered floating in the sea near Helsinki earlier this month has been identified as part of a Soviet naval torpedo dating from the Second World War, Finnish police confirmed on Tuesday.

Government websites across Finland have been taken offline after authorities identified two critical security vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language used by websites worldwide.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia on Wednesday to present proposals for ending the war in Ukraine following negotiations in Oslo involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Mi…

Finnish lift manufacturer Kone has been named Finland's most reputable company in 2026, while electric carmaker Tesla has recorded an improvement in public perception across the Nordic countries, according to a survey published by Reputation and Trust Ana…

Finland plans to acquire one million anti-personnel landmines at a cost of approximately €100 million, following its withdrawal from the international treaty banning the weapons.

Finland's unemployment rate climbed to 10.5% in September 2026, with 298,000 people out of work, according to figures published by Statistics Finland on Tuesday.

Finland's net contribution to the European Union budget increased to €394 million in 2025, equivalent to €70 per resident, according to figures published by the Ministry of Finance on Monday.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced cuts to food assistance in Gaza, leaving 500,000 Palestinians without its monthly support as funding shortages threaten efforts to prevent hunger across the territory.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called for curfews in parts of the country following a weekend of riots and looting that left thousands of businesses damaged, nearly 2,400 people arrested and almost 1,000 police officers injured.

Finland will experience temperatures 2–5 °C above seasonal averages this week as southerly winds bring warm air across the country, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Finland is considering restrictions on homeschooling, including a permit system and a possible ban, after a government report found gaps in supervision and concerns over children's access to education.

Helsinki plans to increase spending on education, healthcare and public transport in 2027 while keeping municipal taxes unchanged, under a budget proposal presented by Mayor Daniel Sazonov on Monday, 19 October.

One person died and three others suffered serious injuries when a car veered off a motorway in southern Finland early on Sunday, police confirmed.

France began clearing damaged streets and buildings on Sunday after protests over living costs and public services descended into riots, leaving one demonstrator dead, more than 500 emergency personnel injured and 1,800 people arrested across the country.

US President Donald Trump has suspended a sweeping package of sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia just days before the measures were due to take effect, citing American national interests.

Airports in Finnish Lapland expect passenger numbers to increase by 5–10% during the coming winter season, prompting airport operator Finavia to recruit 20% more seasonal workers and expand facilities to accommodate growing international tourism.

Finland's ruling National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) has unveiled proposals to significantly tighten immigration policies, including moving asylum processing outside the European Union, restricting immigrants' access to social benefits and introducing str…

Finland will introduce a new emergency warning system on 1 November 2026, allowing authorities to send alerts directly to mobile phones in areas affected by emergencies.

US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Ukraine for resuming attacks on Russian oil refineries, calling the strikes a "disgrace", as reports emerged that the White House had ordered restrictions on a satellite communications system essential to U…

A Finnish court has fined an 81-year-old man nearly €2,000 for keeping his parents' bodies in freezers for almost three decades at a property in Turku.

Finland will introduce a citizenship test from 1 March 2027, requiring most applicants aged between 18 and 64 to demonstrate knowledge of Finnish society, laws and history before obtaining citizenship.

South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, who spent decades pursuing accountability for war crimes and human rights violations, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to international law.

Finland faces heavy rainfall, strong winds and possible snowfall as a low-pressure system moves across the country on Friday, 9 October, with the first measurable snow of the autumn expected in parts of the northeast by Saturday morning.

Helsinki will require pupils, teachers and other staff to keep their faces visible in schools and nurseries under new safety guidelines, while rejecting proposals for a blanket ban on headscarves and other face-covering clothing.

A Russian air strike on two passenger buses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk killed at least 33 people and injured 18 on Thursday, 8 October, Ukrainian authorities said.

French artificial intelligence infrastructure company Sesterce has announced plans to invest more than €10 billion in a data centre campus at the former Kaipola paper mill in Jämsä, central Finland, with construction scheduled to begin before the end of 2…

The Finns Party has overtaken Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s National Coalition Party (NCP) in Yle’s latest opinion poll, marking the first time the two governing parties have exchanged positions during the current parliamentary term.

Finland has rejected six applications involving buyers from outside the EU and European Economic Area seeking to acquire properties in four municipalities, with one transaction blocked over concerns about national security and security of supply.

Armed Israeli settlers beat an AFP photographer and took his camera equipment while he covered violence involving Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank, according to the news agency.

Nokia plans to cut up to 253 positions in Finland as the network equipment maker seeks to reduce costs and direct investment towards areas including defence, artificial intelligence and data centres, Helsingin Sanomat reported on Wednesday.

The World Health Organization has asked Russia for more information about the death of a 28-year-old laboratory worker at a Siberian institute that studies plague, while Russian authorities say testing has found no cases of the disease and no risk of an e…

France has suspended police use of stun grenades during school protests after a 15-year-old boy lost a hand, as demonstrations over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and school buildings continue across the country.

Finland’s finance ministry has proposed raising the minimum retirement age to 70 and abolishing the home-care allowance as part of a programme aimed at strengthening public finances by €8–11 billion during the next parliamentary term.

Finnish authorities have ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland to halt work affecting the environment at planned data centre sites in Muhos and Kajaani until environmental impact assessments are completed.

Finland’s Immigration Service has imposed financial penalties on six employers for employing third-country nationals who were staying in the country illegally.

The Finnish Refugee Council will start change negotiations covering 21 employees as the organisation prepares for cuts to state funding.

Strong autumn winds swept across Finland on Tuesday, cutting electricity to thousands of households and bringing gusts above 20 metres per second to western parts of the country.

Finnish wildlife photographer Tapani Linnanmäki has reached the final of the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards with a photograph of a white-tailed eagle walking across ice in southwest Finland.

Finnish workers are reporting stronger work ability than a year ago, but more than a quarter remain at increased risk of burnout, according to new research from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

The share of young boys starting ADHD medication in Finland has more than doubled since 2017, with use remaining above comparable levels in Sweden and Norway, according to data published by Finland’s Social Insurance Institution, Kela.

American scientist Karl Deisseroth and German researchers Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries that gave scientists a way to control nerve cells using light.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a general election for 29 November after parliament rejected his government's housing measures, bringing an early end to a legislature marked by weak parliamentary support and growing protests over rents and…

Kazakhstan is holding AI MONTH from September 23 to October 23 as part of the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.

A metal object found floating in a shipping channel off Helsinki triggered a police and coastguard operation that stopped passenger ship traffic for several hours before authorities determined that the object posed no danger.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Kyiv on Sunday as air raid sirens and explosions sounded across the Ukrainian capital, where another Russian drone strike hit the Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River.

Sixty-two Finnish citizens are serving in the Israeli military, according to figures obtained by Swedish public broadcaster SVT from the Israel Defense Forces.

Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday to demand action on housing, a day after parliament rejected two government decrees covering evictions, rental contracts and property investment.