Two years after the first Covid-19 diagnosis in Finland, there are signs that the worst may be over for the latest surge.

Finnish director Alli Haapasalo's Girl Picture was honoured at the leading US film festival on Friday and has earned positive early reviews in the US.

A major blizzard is bringing strong winds and heavy snow or sleet to most of Finland.

The Finnish Wildlife Agency issued the hunting exemptions at the end of December as authorities aim to cull a total of 18 wolves this year.

The Allas Sea Pool will remain closed for the time being, even after Covid restrictions are scheduled to end next week.

Three industrial heavy-hitters announced strong late-2021 sales on Friday.

No date has yet been announced for the planned action and the city's police chief said the group's plans would be illegal if they were to be carried out.

Tytti Yli-Viikari was dismissed from her role as head of Finland's National Audit Office by Parliament last year.

Parks in Lapland and Northeast Finland proved to be especially popular with nature enthusiasts last year.

The hospitality lobby chief also characterised the government's plan as cosmetic and not enabling establishments to operate profitably.

Early February will bring some relief from coronavirus restrictions as the government announced some changes late on Thursday and decisions from regional authorities are expected soon.

Consumers in the Helsinki region were most upbeat about the economy.

Government ministers have extended restaurant opening hours and recommended a lifting of restrictions on low-risk cultural and sporting events and facilities.

The Social Democratic Party has picked Aki Lindén as the interim Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services.

The discovery by the Turku University Central Hospital laboratory marks the first time the BA.2 subvariant has been detected in Finland.

The city, however, recommends its own staff stay at home for five days if testing positive for the virus.

A district court had previously handed down a 20-month suspended sentence in the case, which was reduced to 16 months by the appeals court.

All Points North explores the concentration of political power in Finland, unpacks Finnish divorce practices, goes litter picking and probes Posti.

The institute has proposed easing restrictions in low-risk environments such as outdoor dining establishments.

Officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) say there is still reason to be cautious.

Although a final decision is not expected until the end of this year, the Finnish forestry company said the operating environment in the Dutch port city is "more favourable".

The new certificate would include vaccines against diseases other than Covid-19.

The facility had been due to begin operating at 30 percent capacity by the end of January, but an unplanned shutdown during testing has led to a further delay.

The ministry argues the practice is due to a lack of staff.

An "exceptionally high" level of net migration added to the increase in the number of people living in Finland last year.

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases in Finland often take years to get to trial.

It will be important to relax restrictions gradually, while monitoring the situation, according to the acting managing director of Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.

However, an economist pointed out that the long-term unemployment figure increased last month.

First-time buyers are set to get a boost if this proposal goes through.

However, the Finnish Immigration Service report also noted the number of submitted asylum applications were at an exceptionally low level last year.