Finland

HELSINKI, July 13 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Thursday gave his assurance that the United States would stay committed to NATO despite "extreme elements" of the Republican Party, in remarks during a visit to Finland to welcome it as the alliance's latest member.

"I absolutely guarantee it," Biden told a press conference when pressed by a Finnish reporter about the U.S. commitment to NATO given political instability in the United States. Biden's predecessor, Republican former President Donald Trump, threatened to take the United States out of the alliance.

HELSINKI (AP) — President Joe Biden said he and other NATO leaders showed the world that the military alliance remains “more united than ever,” as he on Thursday capped off a trip in Europe meant to demonstrate the force of the international coalition against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The allies “understand that this fight is not only a fight for the future of Ukraine,” Biden said, noting that it’s also about sovereignty and security.

HELSINKI (AP) — Network infrastructure and 5G technology provider Nokia has signed a new long-term patent license agreement with Apple to replace the current deal between the two companies that is set to expire at the end of 2023.

The deal, which enables Apple to use the Finnish company’s technology in its products, covers Nokia’s inventions in 5G and other technologies. The terms of the agreement announced late Friday remain confidential.

HELSINKI (AP) — The deputy mayor of Finland’s capital is facing possible legal action, and calls for him to pay compensation for damages and to resign, after he was caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti in a railway tunnel last weekend.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency told public broadcaster YLE on Wednesday that cleaning up graffiti illegally painted by Paavo Arhinmäki, one of the four deputy mayors of Helsinki, cost the city around 3,500 euros ($3,830).

HELSINKI, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The new government of Finland, led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, took office on Tuesday.

The government consists of the prime minister and 18 ministers from the National Coalition Party, the Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democrats.

Orpo said in his speech during the government's welcome visit to the presidential palace that the Finnish people have "voted for change." The government parties are united in their view of the state of public finances, he said, adding: "We must tighten our belts."

HELSINKI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The new government of Finland unveiled its policy program and division of ministerial posts on Friday, highlighting a commitment to safeguarding the welfare society.

The new government will safeguard the welfare society, ensure adequate services for all, and promote the balanced development of the national economy, said the government's press release on Friday.

It will make adjustments to taxation, lowering personal income tax and increasing value-added tax on items such as pharmaceuticals, sports services, film screenings, etc, it said.

HELSINKI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Up to 24 people, mainly school pupils, were injured when a pedestrian bridge near Helsinki collapsed on Thursday morning, said regional authorities.

The Helsinki region health authority HUS confirmed the number of the injured, saying they had been taken to hospitals. Some have serious injuries, but no one was in critical condition.

The bridge near a building site was a temporary construction but is open for general use.

HELSINKI (AP) — Two dozen people, many of them schoolchildren, were injured when a temporary pedestrian bridge collapsed in the southern Finnish city of Espoo on Thursday, police and media said.

Police said the bridge crossing a construction site in Espoo’s Tapiola region collapsed mid-morning. No one was killed, but 24 people were injured, 10 of them seriously. Espoo is a neighboring city of the capital, Helsinki.

“Several people fell a few meters when the bridge collapsed. The situation is being investigated,” police said in a statement.

11 May 2023; MEMO: Finland has clarified that it does not share Turkiye's view that the Syrian-Kurdish militant group, the People's Protection Units (YPG), are part of a terrorist organisation, two months after Ankara approved Helsinki's entrance into the NATO alliance.

HELSINKI, April 26 (Reuters) - Russia seized temporary control of assets of Finnish energy group Fortum and its former German subsidiary Uniper, sowing confusion over the fate of other Western companies in Russia as pressure grows to hit Moscow with more sanctions over Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday signed a decree establishing temporary control of the Russian assets of the two European state-owned energy firms. Fortum (FORTUM.HE) said it was "investigating" and both Uniper (UN01.DE) and the German finance ministry had no immediate comment.