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The European Commission plans to prohibit social media use by children under 13 and restrict personal accounts for those under 15, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her State of the Union address in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Children aged 13 and 14 would instead use accounts created and supervised b
Finland had 34,000 more employed people in August than a year earlier, while the number of unemployed fell by 5,000, according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey . The figures add to signs that economic growth is starting to reach the labour market after a weak period for employment. The number of employed peo
Finland has the second-highest reported rate of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in the European Union, according to a survey from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. The study found that 45% of workers in Finland had experienced these problems because of their work or said work had made them w
Finnish authorities are investigating whether logging at two Google data centre sites breached environmental rules, after the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation raised concerns over work in Muhos and Kajaani. Google denies wrongdoing and says tree felling complied with Finland’s Forest Act. The dispute comes d
Ireland will stay out of the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year, with public broadcaster RTÉ confirming that it will neither participate in nor broadcast the 2027 competition in Bulgaria. RTÉ announced the decision on Thursday and said its position had not changed since Ireland withdrew from Eurovisi
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen faces a no-confidence move in parliament after his visit to Israel and meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz prompted criticism from opposition parties. The Greens have questioned who approved the meeting and whether it reflected the government’s wider policy towards Israel.
Germany’s Alternative for Germany won the state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday, while far-left Die Linke finished first in Berlin, dealing another electoral setback to Chancellor Friedrich Merz ’s Christian Democratic Union. The AfD secured about 38.2 per cent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, ahea
Finland’s economy has entered a stronger period of growth, but the recovery will not stop public debt and deficits from rising, according to a new forecast from the Ministry of Finance. The ministry expects gross domestic product to grow by 1.6 per cent in 2026, 1.8 per cent in 2027 and 1.5 per cent in 2028. Revised st
Finland’s economy is set to grow by 1.7% this year as exports, investment and household consumption strengthen, according to separate forecasts from research institutes Etla and Labore. Both organisations raised expectations for economic activity while warning that unemployment and public debt remain high. Investment a
The European Parliament has called for stronger protection of the EU’s external borders and closer cooperation with Morocco after mass irregular crossings into the Spanish city of Ceuta, where 141 people died at sea during events on July 30 and 31. Lawmakers adopted the resolution on Thursday by 339 votes to 225, with
Sweden’s opposition has won the parliamentary election by 176 seats to 173, according to public broadcaster SVT , prompting Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to submit his resignation on Thursday. The result gives the opposition parties a three-seat advantage in the 349-member Riksdag after a count that lasted for several
President Alexander Stubb called on world leaders to recommit to international law and proposed reforms to the UN Security Council as Finland launched its bid for a seat on the body for 2029–2030. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Stubb framed the choice facing governments as one between coope
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