Finland International

A Finnish woman, missing since 9th January, has been found in Edinburgh, Scotland. But her unexplained disappearance and subsequent return leaves many questions unanswered. Riina Elisabeth Sjögren was last seen at Edinburgh Airport where she bought a ticket to Amsterdam. But…

Plans by Muslim developers to build a Grand Mosque complex in Helsinki never really gained any support from local government due to fears about Middle Eastern funding for the estimated €140m project; and concerns about how divisive it would…

When the Russian rouble collapsed, and EU sanctions hit the economy, Russian visitors to the eastern Finnish city of Lappeenranta dried up almost overnight. When the tourists disappeared, so did their money. And jobs. Investment. Livelihoods. But now things are…

Foreign Minister Tim Soini (Blue) is in Myanmar for a two day visit. During his visit, Soini will attend the ASEM Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting in Naypyidaw; open a new Finnish embassy; and meet Myanmar’s de-facto ruler Aung San Suu Kyi. The…

The US embassy in Helsinki’s Kaivopuisto district will get a new Ambassador next year – if his appointment is approved by the US Senate. Donald Trump’s nominee is businessman Robert Frank Pence, who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars…

A politician from the Faroe Islands tells a joke. "What’s the difference between the Nordic Council and a camel?" "A camel can work for a week without eating or drinking. But the Nordic Council can eat and drink for a week,…

The share of Finnish weapons exports going to the Middle East reached a new high last year, according to a report by the SaferGlobe think tank. Some 63% of Finland’s total military exports last year went to the region, with…

A Finnish journalist who was sentenced to more than two years over an article she wrote for the Wall Street Journal has appealed her sentence. Ayla Albayrak was convicted last week in absentia, of spreading ‘terror propaganda’ about a banned Kurdish separatist…

Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini will discuss the case of a Finnish journalist, sentenced to prison in Turkey, during meetings with EU colleagues today. Foreign Ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to talk about EU-Turkey relations, among other topics, and Soini…