https://www.facebook.com/826077577247441/

Tfe News, Helsinki (2026)

01/06/2026

Finland’s far-right Blue-and-Black movement officially launched its parliamentary election programme on Saturday in central Helsinki, unveiling a controversial proposal to educate pupils with immigrant backgrounds separately from native Finnish students.

The launch event took place at Narinkkatori square in the Kamppi district, where the party also announced its first 18 election candidates as it formally enters the race for seats in Finland’s next parliamentary election.
The education proposal is among the most attention-grabbing elements of the programme, calling for a division in classrooms along background lines. The policy has drawn immediate criticism and concern from those who view it as a form of institutional segregation.
The event did not pass without incident. Counter-protesters gathered at Narinkkatori in response to the rally, and tensions escalated into disturbances that resulted in at least four arrests, according to Finnish police.

No further details on the nature of the arrests or injuries have been confirmed at this time.
The Blue-and-Black movement is positioning itself ahead of Finland’s upcoming parliamentary election, where it aims to secure representation in the Finnish parliament for the first time.

The proposals and the events surrounding Saturday’s launch are expected to fuel ongoing debate around immigration policy and integration in Finland in the weeks ahead. Reporting by TFE News

25/05/2026

Finland’s Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz has put forward a bold proposal to overhaul the school calendar: push the start of summer holidays back by roughly two weeks to mid-June and introduce a new spring break in late April. The goal? Better align children’s holidays with parents’ summer leave and break up the long, uninterrupted spring term.

But the plan is already running into headwinds. The proposal is not part of the government programme, meaning it would require agreement from all four coalition parties and the Finns Party and Christian Democrats have not been enthusiastic. Teachers are also pushing back hard, warning that pupils and staff are already exhausted by the end of the academic year and that extending the spring term could make things worse. Nearly 80% of teachers’ union OAJ members have previously rejected the idea of delaying summer holidays.

If approved, the earliest the changes could take effect is 2028,under the next government.

22/05/2026

A WWII Relic Causes a Scare in Small-Town Finland
Finnish authorities had quite the headache this week when an old Russian wartime bomb — the kind that’s been sitting in the ground since World War II — suddenly vanished from a site near a sports complex in Riihimäki.

For nearly 24 hours, nobody knew where it was, prompting police to warn the public and open a criminal investigation. Turns out, someone had actually picked it up and moved it. After officers tracked down and questioned a suspect, the bomb was recovered close to where it had originally been found.

The culprit now faces charges for an explosives offence. Probably not the smartest souvenir decision.

20/05/2026

Helsinki's regional transport authority HSL is set to pilot a new ticketing system this autumn where fares are calculated based on the straight-line distance travelled rather than zone boundaries.

The experiment will involve between 5,000 and 7,000 passengers selected to represent a broad cross-section of HSL's customer base.

Under the current zone model, passengers must hold a ticket covering at least two zones even for short trips within a single zone. Fares can also vary for journeys of the same length depending on how many zone boundaries the route crosses.
HSL has explored numerous alternative zone models over the years without finding a better solution, according to unit head Rauno Sarkkaaho. The new pilot takes a different approach entirely.

Participants will use a purpose-built app to start and end their journey, with the fare charged automatically based on the distance travelled in kilometres as the crow flies. No new card readers or hardware will be required. Sarkkaaho has not yet disclosed at what distance the new pricing would become cheaper or more expensive than the current two-zone single ticket, and prices may be adjusted during the trial period.

The pilot is expected to run for around six months. If the results are not promising, HSL says it will look for other alternatives.

Distance-based pricing is already used in public transport systems such as London's, where it offers a simpler experience for occasional users and tourists compared to zone-based models. HSL hopes that if the system proves easier to use, it could boost ridership and reduce the need for future fare increases.

19/05/2026

Turku is set to get its trams back. The Turku City Council voted on Monday, 18 May to build a 12-kilometre tramway running from the harbour to the Varissuo district via the city centre and Kupittaa. The vote passed 36 to 31, and the project — estimated at around 465 million euros — is the largest single investment in the city’s history.

Trams last ran in Turku on 1 October 1972, when the final line was replaced by buses. The closure was widely seen as a mistake at the time, and has been debated ever since. Now, more than 50 years later, the city has finally voted to bring them back.

Tram services are expected to begin in autumn 2033, after the line is completed in 2032 and goes through testing and trial operation. During peak hours, trams will run every 7.5 minutes, with the journey between the two end stops taking roughly 35 minutes.

However, the project is not fully greenlit yet. The decision is conditional on the national government providing 30 percent of the total funding, to be decided in the next round of MAL negotiations between the Finnish government and major cities. Turku has said it will begin those negotiations immediately. The city must also wait for any potential legal appeals against the council decision to be resolved before construction can begin.
In the meantime, the first phase of work in 2026–2028 will focus on renovating the Tuomiokirkkosilta bridge and adjoining streets, along with archaeological excavations in the area.

The vote comes after decades of debate. The possible recreation of a tram network has been discussed since the closure in 1972. Tampere already launched its modern tram system in 2021, adding pressure on Turku to follow.

Trams will begin running in Turku in 2033, pending state funding confirmation. Please note: ℹ️ Illustrative image created with AI.

18/05/2026

Have you ever experienced the midnight sun phenomenon before? The midnight sun has officially returned to Finland’s northernmost regions 🌞🇫🇮

In Utsjoki, above the Arctic Circle, the sun will now stay above the horizon 24/7 for more than two months, creating one of the world’s most beautiful natural phenomena.

The midnight sun can be experienced across large parts of Finnish Lapland during the summer season, turning rivers and landscapes golden even at midnight.

15/05/2026

Finland experienced an highly unusual morning on Friday after authorities detected suspected drones entering Finnish airspace over the Uusimaa region, forcing Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to suspend all flights and prompting a public emergency warning across southern Finland.

The emergency alert was issued at 3:49 a.m., with around 1.8 million residents told to stay indoors and away from windows. Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet jets were scrambled over Uusimaa and off the Helsinki coastline as authorities worked to assess the situation.
Several flights were disrupted. Two morning arrivals from Tokyo were diverted — one to Stockholm, one to Rovaniemi. Flights from Hong Kong, Singapore, Osaka and Malaga were also rerouted. A Berlin departure was delayed by several hours. The airport suspended operations from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., with normal traffic resuming at 7:19 a.m.

Police confirmed drone sightings in southern Finland throughout the morning. The suspected area was between Helsinki and Porvoo, near Neste’s oil refinery on the south coast.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo addressed the public after the alert was lifted, calling the situation highly exceptional. He acknowledged that many people were left uncertain about what to do on a normal work and school morning and said the government needs to improve how it communicates during such incidents so guidance is clearer for the public.

Orpo was clear that Finland was not under direct military threat. The drones were not sent against Finland nor heading here intentionally — they are believed to have strayed from overnight Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure near the Gulf of Finland.

“Most importantly, this morning ended well,” the PM said.

📹 Source: Yle
— The Finnish Express (TFE)

14/05/2026

Finland is set to prohibit 17-year-old drivers from operating vehicles between midnight and 5am, under new licensing rules aimed at cutting road accidents among young motorists.

The government submitted the legislative changes for approval on 13 May, with the law expected to take effect on 29 May 2026 following presidential confirmation.

Young drivers caught breaking the night-time restriction will typically face a fine and a driving ban.

12/05/2026

Finland’s Family Federation has proposed giving every newborn in the country a €5,000 state-seeded investment fund but families won’t be able to touch the money until that child grows up and has children of their own.

The advocacy group says the 20 to 30 years of growth time is the point. By the time the fund matures, it would be worth significantly more than the initial amount, and the financial boost would go directly toward the next generation.

The federation estimates the scheme could result in 15,000 additional births per year in Finland. They argue that financial insecurity is one of the main reasons people delay starting families, and a guaranteed future fund would signal the state’s long-term commitment to children and families.
The proposal comes just a day after the Finnish government announced plans to overhaul child benefits, moving toward a flat rate of €100 per month until age 18 while cutting higher payouts for larger families.

Finland has been struggling with a historically low birth rate, though figures released in April showed a slight uptick from the record low.

11/05/2026

Finland wants to overhaul its child benefit system — one flat rate, every kid, until they turn 18.

A government-commissioned report published Monday is calling for a major shake-up of Finland’s child benefit system, recommending a flat €100 monthly payment for every child regardless of birth order, up to age 18.

Currently, the benefit ranges from around €95 for a first child to over €190 for a fifth, and stops when a child turns 17.

The two experts appointed by Social Affairs Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen also propose splitting the payment equally between both parents and extending coverage by one year to age 18.
The reform would cost an estimated €55 million more than the current system. Experts warned it should not be introduced without broader changes to housing allowance and child support to protect lower-income families.

Minister Grahn-Laasonen said she wants the benefit to remain universal, but confirmed the current government will not implement the reform before the next election. Political parties are now being asked to study the proposals ahead of the next term.

Tfe News

01/06/2026

25/05/2026

22/05/2026

20/05/2026

19/05/2026

18/05/2026

15/05/2026

14/05/2026

12/05/2026

11/05/2026

Osoite

Nettisivu

Hälytykset

Ota Yhteyttä Yritys

Oikopolut

Jaa

Kategoria