Nord News - The Nordic Daily

Online shopping has become more common, but Finns return products less often than before. https://nord.news/2023/12/26/finns-return-fewer-online-purchases/?feed_id=61536

A child in Korpilahti was buried under the snow on Christmas Eve, when the snow plow destroyed the snow cave. https://nord.news/2023/12/26/a-police-dog-finds-a-missing-child-in-a-pile-of-snow/?feed_id=61515

After Christmas spent with loved ones, Boxing Day offers many people the opportunity to go outside. https://nord.news/2023/12/26/pond-hockey-downhill-sledding-and-ballroom-dancing-fun-after-christmas-in-finland/?feed_id=61508

During the year, Laleh did his biggest summer tour ever. In addition, she became the first Swedish female solo artist to perform at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm. Hear large parts of the concert with Laleh from Tele2 Arena on August 19, 2023. https://nord.news/2023/12/25/vma-in-vasteras-vastmanland-county-4/?feed_id=61487

Taxpayers' take-home pay will be slightly increased due to revisions in taxation. https://nord.news/2023/12/25/the-tax-changes-will-come-in-january/?feed_id=61480

Are the post-Christmas sales still the most important seasonal shopping event? https://nord.news/2023/12/25/post-christmas-offers-no-one-is-waiting-for-anttilas-list-anymore/?feed_id=61452

The P4 Country Christmas Special presents a cozily homely and sometimes surprising cavalcade of the best new and classic Christmas country. The program is broadcast from a stable, with the horses quietly munching in the background. From the chimney, guest Jill Johnson comes down and sums up the year, looks into the crystal ball and sings as beautifully as only she can. Two hours of pure country joy, listen and enjoy! https://nord.news/2023/12/24/get-the-best-christmas-country-with-jill-johnson-in-the-stable/?feed_id=61424

The musician and singer Nils Landgren visits the Christmas host, talks about the music and the relationship with his red trombone. "Because my name is Nisse, I can have a red trombone all year round," he says. He also plays "White Christmas" and "Silent Night" for Thomas and the radio listeners. https://nord.news/2023/12/24/the-trombonist-treats-thomas-and-the-listeners-to-christmas-classics/?feed_id=61403

Ukraine's decision earlier this year to officially move Christmas from January 7 to December 25 was welcomed by many of Finland's Ukrainian diaspora. https://nord.news/2023/12/24/finnish-ukrainians-welcome-the-christmas-shift-from-january-to-december/?feed_id=61389

The Finnish defense minister says in his greeting to the peacekeepers that the war in Ukraine will decide the future of all of Europe. https://nord.news/2023/12/24/defense-minister-hakkanen-there-is-no-quick-end-to-the-war-in-ukraine-in-sight/?feed_id=61375

Finland's timeless tradition of declaring Christmas peace at Turku's Old Market Square continues when the holiday season has officially begun. https://nord.news/2023/12/24/see-finland-brings-christmas-peace-to-large-crowds-in-turku/?feed_id=61368

Why are behaviors such as generosity and generosity linked to a holiday, and what happens to us when we see the suffering of others? Hear conversations and analyzes about the Swedish and foreign contemporary world in Godmorgon world. https://nord.news/2023/12/24/get-an-international-outlook-with-godmorgon-world/?feed_id=61361

Listen to an up-and-coming evening in the spirit of rock with host Magnus Broni. Call in and tell us about your most significant rock memories. https://nord.news/2023/12/23/call-in-and-tell-us-about-your-best-rock-memories/?feed_id=61347

Nearly 300 people ate skata for lunch today at Múlabergi Bistro & Bar at the Kea Hotel in Akureyri. A total of 100 kilograms of skat was served. There has been a tradition of offering skat for dinner at Þorláksmessa at the Kea Hotel for decades, but in the evenings there is a return to the regular menu. According to Hlyn Halldórsson, chef at Múlaberg, most locals come to eat skata. […] https://nord.news/2023/12/23/tourists-run-away-from-the-skat/?feed_id=61326

Today, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., there will be a Christmas fair at the Loft. It is a special holiday event where crafts, holiday treats, unique services and the spirit of generosity unite people who want to make a difference in the world for the better. The income from the fair will be allocated to the charity activities of the Granica Group. The Granica Group was established in reaction to […] https://nord.news/2023/12/23/a-christmas-market-for-a-good-cause-2/?feed_id=61312

Today, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., there will be a Christmas fair at the Loft. It is a special holiday event where crafts, holiday treats, unique services and the spirit of generosity unite people who want to make a difference in the world for the better. The income from the fair will be allocated to the charity activities of the Granica Group. The Granica Group was established in reaction to […] https://nord.news/2023/12/23/a-christmas-market-for-a-good-cause/?feed_id=61305

Heavy snowfall has affected flights during the holiday week. https://nord.news/2023/12/23/several-flights-were-delayed-at-helsinki-vantaa-airport/?feed_id=61291

As she approaches her 80th birthday, the former president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, rejects claims about Finland's naivety in Russian foreign policy. https://nord.news/2023/12/23/halonen-the-former-president-of-finland-reflects-on-russias-relations-and-nato-membership/?feed_id=61277

Today was the winter solstice. This is worth celebrating because it will only get brighter from now on. Sunrise in Reykjavik today was at 11:23 and sunset was at 15:30. However, the further north you go, the later the sunrise occurs. For example, on Grímsey m at the northernmost point of Iceland, the sun rose that day […] https://nord.news/2023/12/22/winter-solstice-the-shortest-day-of-the-year/?feed_id=61228

Quirky robot couriers have become a common sight on the streets of Finnish cities in recent months. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/see-delivery-robots-face-the-bottom-test-finnish-winter/?feed_id=61221

There were 26,000 more unemployed people last month than in November 2022, and the unemployment rate for people aged 15-74 in Finland is now 7.6 percent. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/finlands-unemployment-rate-continues-to-rise/?feed_id=61193

This multinational study, published in the journal Science, is a collaboration of researchers from universities and research institutes in Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, Germany and the United Kingdom. The research is based on previous genetic study , which developed a more efficient population genomics approach. This method was used to test various hypotheses about the connections between octopus populations in Antarctica. "Continued genetic similarities between the present-day Turquet octopus populations in the Weddell Sea, Ross Sea and Amundsen Sea are only possible with the disappearance of the WAIS. The breakup of the ice sheet opened a seaway connecting these otherwise distant regions," explains. Professor Phillip Watts from the University of Jyväskylä. This study provides answers to the long-standing debate about whether the WAIS collapsed during the last ice age. "The research is significant in predicting the effects of c...

There have been many videos posted online of people eating very spicy foods, including the Hot-Chip Challenge tortilla chips. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/the-food-agency-ordered-it-to-be-removed-dangerous-spicy-chips-from-the-finnish-market/?feed_id=61179

Some services and many businesses will be closed or have limited opening hours over the long Christmas holiday weekend. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/holiday-reminder-christmas-brings-changes-to-opening-hours/?feed_id=61158

The move is the result of Yle's investigation, which revealed that, in the opinion of some taxi drivers, the ranks have become territorial and violent. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/helsinki-plans-urgently-solve-problems-at-the-central-stations-taxi-rank/?feed_id=61151

Finland has given Ukraine military aid of around 1.6 billion euros since Russia invaded the country almost two years ago. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/finland-sends-the-21st-military-aid-package-to-ukraine/?feed_id=61137

The comedy drama has enjoyed great success and accolades since its release. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/kaurismakis-fallen-leaves-was-nominated-for-an-oscar/?feed_id=61123

Santa Claus lives in his workshop near Korvatunturi in the Lapintunturi in Northern Finland, although he is not on his annual trips around the world. https://nord.news/2023/12/22/see-santa-claus-leaves-lapland/?feed_id=61102

The very spicy tortilla chips were removed a few days after they arrived. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/finnish-supermarket-stops-selling-the-hottest-in-the-world-denied-for-security-reasons/?feed_id=61081

The show unpacks Finnish Christmas traditions and hears about Ukrainians in Finland who symbolically change when they celebrate. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/apn-podcast-christmas-special/?feed_id=61067

Yle's presidential election compass offers an insight into how the candidates position themselves on different issues. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/find-your-candidate-with-yles-election-compass/?feed_id=61053

Inclusive education for a diverse student body Kood/Sisu's philosophy emphasizes accessibility and inclusiveness in technology education. Prospective students are not required to have previous experience or training in the field, which makes the school an attractive option for career changers and beginners. It is noteworthy that 40 percent of the applicants registered for the upcoming sprints already have a university degree, which shows that the school is of interest to many learners. Continuous registration and limited sprint spots The school's unique admissions process includes an online exam followed by an intensive three-week programming sprint. The test is available all year round, but sprint places are limited to 175 applicants per session. The first sprint planned for Kuopio at the end of January has already filled more than 70% of its capacity, and there have been plenty of registrations for the next sprint in February. Those who were successful in S...

A blanket of snow can cover slippery streets, and victims of falls cause spikes in emergency clinics in the capital region on Thursday. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/in-commuter-traffic-fall-injuries-increase-when-the-capital-freezes-and-the-sidewalks-become-slippery/?feed_id=61011

Like every year, the Zabiegani Reykjavik Foundation is involved in, among other things, preparing Christmas Eve for the homeless, needy and lonely people. This year is exceptionally difficult for the organizers, so a thousand dollars from you makes a big difference. We would like to thank everyone who has already supported this campaign and we would like to thank everyone in advance who decides to join us. If you would like to join the Zabiegani foundation […] https://nord.news/2023/12/21/together-we-can-do-more/?feed_id=61004

The Taxpayers' Association calculates that the purchasing power of middle-income earners will rise in 2024 after three years of decline. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/the-purchasing-power-of-middle-income-earners-will-increase-by-750-euros-next-year/?feed_id=60990

The veteran politician says he will give up his membership in Keskusta. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/paavo-vayrynen-leaves-party-politics/?feed_id=60983

According to a recent security policy survey by the University of Helsinki, more than 80 percent of Finns support the nation's NATO membership. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/vote-support-for-nato-is-still-high-in-finland/?feed_id=60969

The next president's most important task is to keep Finland on the world map, writes Thursday's Aamulehti. https://nord.news/2023/12/21/thursdays-papers-the-role-of-the-president-asylum-applications-welcome-speeches/?feed_id=60948

The European Commission is currently preparing its proposal for climate targets for the next decade, and is expected to call for accelerating emissions reductions. The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has recommended a goal of 90-95 percent, after receiving support from the member of the European Commission responsible for climate action, Wopke Hoekstra . The current goal is to reduce emissions from the 1990 level by 55 percent by 2030. Mykkänen said on Monday that he emphasized to his colleagues that setting the goal to 90 percent requires the union to reform its climate policy in a way that promotes the introduction of more cost-effective reduction measures throughout Europe. "It cannot be the case that the burden-sharing sector is divided in such a way that some member states have a 10 percent target for reducing emissions and others a 50 percent target, as in Finland and Sweden at the moment," he said. to the newspaper. As the 27-na...

"Although the number of companies that went bankrupt in the last year is the highest in 25 years, it is still clearly below the bankruptcy figures of the 1990s recession," he reminded. For example, in 1992, the courts declared a total of 7,391 companies bankrupt. Compared to the financial crisis, the number of bankruptcies has been high in agriculture, fishing, forestry and services, unchanged in construction and little in industry. The numbers are also grim from last month, the number of bankruptcies rose from the previous year by 112 to 345, i.e. the same level as in March 2014. The last time the monthly number of bankruptcies was higher was in October 1997. The construction industry has been worrying for much of the year. Statistics Finland on Tuesday reported that in August-October, the number of cubic meters of permits for new construction projects fell by 36 percent year-on-year to six million cubic meters. The number of permitted dwellings fell ...

BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The following are the central rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or yuan, against 24 major currencies announced Thursday by the China Foreign Exchange Trading System: Currency unit Central parity rate in yuan US Dollar 100,710.12 Euro 100,777.75 Japanese Yen 100 4.9553 Hong Kong Dollar 100 90.984 British Pounds 100,898.58 Australian Dollar 100,478.93 New Zealand Dollar 100,444.79 Singapore Dollar 100,533.54 Swiss francs 100,824.31 Canadian dollars 100,532.23 Malaysian Ringgit 65,625,100 Rubles 1,274.26 100 rubles Rand 257.68 100 Korean Won 18,276,100 UAE dirham 51,692,100 Saudi Riyal 52,771,100 Hungarian forint 4,942.14,100 Polish zlotys 55,937,100 Danish kroner 95.97 100 Swedish kronor 143.13 100 Norwegian kroner 145.69 100 Turkish lira 410.022 100 Mexican peso 241.49 100 Thai baht 491.21,100 The central rate of the yua...

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trade Wednesday as U.S. consumer confidence rose to a five-month high in December. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, rose 0.24 percent to 102.4171 in late trade. U.S. mortgage rates fell below 7 percent last week, data from the Mortgage Bankers' Association indicated on Wednesday, taking 30-year home loan costs to 6.83 percent, the lowest levels since June amid the historic December rally in the bond market. Sales of previously owned homes rose 0.8 percent in November from the previous month to an annual pace of 3.82 million units, snapping a five-month losing streak, according to new data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. That marked the slowest pace of sales since August 2010. Meanwhile, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose to 110.7 in December, up from a downwardly revised 101.0 in November. "The biggest ...

TEHRAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Sweden's charge d'affaires in Tehran to strongly protest the life sentence of a former Iranian judiciary official. The Swedish envoy was summoned by Majid Nili Ahmadabadi, director general for Western Europe at the ministry, after a Swedish court on Tuesday upheld the life sentence against Hamid Nouri, who was arrested in 2019 in Sweden for alleged human rights violations, which were dismissed as "baseless" by the Iranian side , according to a statement from the ministry. Ahmadabadi vehemently condemned the move against Nouri, saying the verdict allowed judicial mechanisms to be misused for the political goals of "toxic and destructive circles". The Iranian official said his country was determined to follow up on the matter until "Nouri is freed from the grip of injustice," adding that the country reserves the right to take proportionate measures. ...

Football Champions League group stage ladies 21.00 Häcken–Chelsea (Susanna Andrén and Johan Elmander) Program managers: Samuel Sillén and Bengt Skött https://nord.news/2023/12/20/right-now-hecken-can-secure-cl-promotion-meets-chelsea/?feed_id=60850

Over the past decade, several case studies have reported that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who started antiretroviral therapy for HIV (to keep the virus in check) later found that their MS symptoms either disappeared completely or that the course of the disease slowed significantly. These findings forced researchers to ask whether HIV or antiretroviral drugs might affect the risk of developing MS. According to our latest study published in the Annals of Neurology, the answer is yes. It is very difficult to be sure whether HIV or antiretroviral drugs can affect MS because large groups of people living with HIV, with detailed medical information about both HIV and MS, need to be followed over a long period. Three studies previously asked this question but had either too few patients or no access to information on antiretroviral treatment. Consequently, previous studies have not provided definitive answers. For this study, we used large population-based health databases...

Culture editor's Karsten Thurfjell takes the listeners into the Swedish Academy's holiday gathering when the new members, linguist David Håkansson and writer Anna-Karin Palm, succeed Sture Allén and Kjell Espmark. https://nord.news/2023/12/20/follow-the-swedish-academys-festive-gathering/?feed_id=60836