Hundreds of Immigrants Busted for Sham Marriages

Sham marriages for the sake of residence permits have become a lucrative business in Finland. The daily Turun Sanomat reports that courts rejected 300 residence permit applications last year that were based, say authorities, on marriages of convenience.

All in all last year, 1,930 people applied for residence permits on the basis of marriage to a Finn.
Increasingly, marriages are being arranged for large sums of money. The newspaper interviewed one Moroccan man, who says that the cost of a marriage runs from thousands to tens of thousands of euros.

http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2008/12/hundreds_of_immigrants_busted_for_sham_marriages_435123.html

Nearly Half of Population Queuing for Doctors' Appointments

The findings are the conclusion of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health. Forty-five percent of the population lives in areas where on a weekly basis, some patients are unable to see a doctor even if their condition has warranted an appointment.

http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2008/12/nearly_half_of_population_queuing_for_doctors_appointments_421330.html

Finnish Police Who Questioned Kauhajoki Shooter Suspected of Offence in Office

A police officer who questioned the man responsible for the Kauhajoki school shooting is suspected of neglecting duties of office. Prosecutor Timo Luosma has decided to move forward with consideration of charges. The Office of the Prosecutor General will determine whether or not to press charges.

http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2008/12/police_who_questioned_kauhajoki_shooter_suspected_of_offence_in_office_422555.html

Senior Physician Criticises Finnish Social Insurance Institution Kela's Evaluation Procedures

Senior physician Risto Pelkonen has criticised the procedure for evaluating the working capacity of some sick leave applicants used by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution Kela. Although a doctor caring for a patient might recommend sick leave, Kela's medical consultants may dismiss the application without even seeing the patient.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id109560.html

A Fifth of Finnish Young Men are Problem Drinkers

Some twenty percent of men below the age of 35 have at some point struggled with alcohol-related problems, such as work absenteeism, relationship woes and addiction, reports Helsingin Sanomat. Young men who drink heavily in their 20s usually tend to lower their consumption as they get older. However some men don't cut back on drinks with age.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id109627.html

Finns Opt Out From Cluster Bomb Ban Treaty

Finland has decided to opt out of the treaty banning cluster weapons, which is being signed in Oslo this week. The Finnish Defence Forces say that cluster weapons are a necessary replacement for the infantry land mines that Finland has agreed to give up, somewhat reluctantly. However, the treaty means that considerably less development and trade in the weapons will be taking place, and that cluster weapons might not be as easily available as the Finnish military would like.

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Cluster+weapon+ban+treaty+could+end+development+and+trade+in+weapons+sought+by+Finland+/1135241660858

Alcohol Main Cause of Death in Finland

The number of people who die from alcohol-related diseases or alcohol poisoning continues to rise. Alcohol remains the most common cause of death for men and women in Finland.
A total of 2,184 people died of alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related diseases last year. The number is up nearly nine percent from 2006.

Coronary heart disease is the second leading cause of death for Finnish males between the ages of 15 and 64. For women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death. However the number of people under 65 who die as a result of coronary heart disease has dropped by half over the past 20 years. Meanwhile death from breast cancer has remained unchanged over the past decade.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id109354.html

Nine Finnish Police Officers Suspected of Malfeasance

A preliminary investigation into activities of some members of the Helsinki Drug Squad and the National Bureau of Investigation has been completed. Nine officers are suspected of offences including the misuse of their authority. The case centres on fake drug purchases by the drug squad police.Five police officers at the National Bureau of Investigation are suspected of breaking confidentiality rules and malfeasance.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id108628.html

Thousands of Chickens Die in Finland after Attack on Poultry Farm

Suspected radical animal welfare activists raided a poultry farm in Närpiö in the southwest of Finland Thursday night. The raiders broke eggs, and destroyed electric equipment, causing the ventilation system to break down. Up to 5,000 of the 26,000 chickens are believed to have died for lack of air.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id108863.html

Organised Crime in Finland on the Rise

Crimes committed in Finland by professional gangs from eastern Europe are on the increase. The upswing in crime stems from the expansion of the passport-free Schengen area last year. The National Bureau of Investigation says this type of crime poses a considerable threat to Finland. The free movement of people between the 24 countries of the Schengen area within the EU has opened the door to professional criminals.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id91926.html

Majority of Finns Believe Politicians Can Be Bought

A clear majority of Finns see nothing wrong with business people or trade organisations offering financial support to political campaigns. Nevertheless, an even greater number of Finns say they believe politicians' opinions can be bought, according to a survey commissioned by YLE.

MORE

Finns Show Little Interest in European Health Card

Finns appear to have little interest in the European Health Insurance Card offered by the Social Insurance Institution (KELA), This free card allows travellers to obtain basic medical services in other EU countries at the same charge as local residents.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id91451.html

Finnish Conscripts' Hearing Worsening

number of Finnish military conscripts are suffering from hearing loss. A report in the Finnish Medical Journal, one in five conscripts has trouble hearing. Mild hearing problems were found in two-thirds of conscripts. A loss of hearing is mainly due to exposure to loud music and shooting hobbies.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id91485.html

Kids Queue for Finnsh Day Care

The shortage of day care centres is infuriating parents with young children. Parents are especially perturbed by local authorities' poor preparation to meet childcare needs in unexpected situations, such as in the Nokia water crisis last winter.
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Finland: Romanian beggars Set up Camp on Open Land Between Highways

A group of Romanian beggars who arrived in Helsinki from Poland a week ago have set up camp on an unused area of land between major highways. On Monday afternoon the mothers of the Matei and Varga families kept a campfire burning, accompanied by two young children. The men were in the centre of the city panhandling. The families had heard about the tough line taken by Helsinki officials toward children begging in the streets. The official stance taken by Helsinki is that children accompanying beggars will be taken into foster care. “We cannot keep children in the streets. That is why we are here and not in the streets”, said Margareta Matei on Monday.

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Romanian+beggars+set+up+camp+on+open+land+between+highways/1135236488236

Finnish Prime Minister Warns of Political Crisis

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen says Finland faces the threat of a political crisis amid revelations that dozens of Members of Parliament have flouted campaign finance laws. He called on lawmakers to re-check their campaign funding reports and release any information that might be missing by the end of this week. MORE

Finnish Patria Suspected of Bribery in International Contracts

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has launched a preliminary investigation into aerospace and defence group Patria's deals in Egypt.The aim of the investigation is to determine whether Patria's subsidiaries or personnel are guilty of bribery in connection with the company's field gun manufacturing technology sales in Egypt.

Public claims have been made that "incentive money" changed hands. The NBI is also making a preliminary investigation into Patria's tank deals in Slovenia, in which the company is also suspected of having given bribes.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id90666.html

Finns Worried About Elder Care

The majority of Finns are concerned about the quality of elder care, according to a poll commissioned by the Union of Practical Nurses (SuPer). A total of 83 percent of Finns are concerned about the care of the elderly. Nearly half say they are extremely concerned, according to the poll.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id90562.html

Food Crisis Hits Finland's Poorest

Countries and international organisations around the world are recognising the problem of rising food prices and their impact on the poor. Here in Finland, the "silent tsunami" as it's being called, is beginning to make itself felt among society's vulnerable groups.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id89791.html

Racist Online Agitation Spreads in Finland

With the rise of crimes motivated by racism in Finland, the internet has become an increasingly significant sounding board for extremist groups and anti-minority organisations in Finland. Law enforcement officials see online extremism to be a growing threat to everyday security. Kirsi Westphalen of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs fears that racist crimes is on the increase, and like all negative phenomena, racism appears to have infiltrated the internet as well.

http://www.yle.fi/news/id89805.html