Helsingin Sanomat is among the papers reporting that the Finnish branch of Extinction Rebellion (known in Finnish as Elokapina) has announced that it will be holding a week of protests in Helsinki and Tampere starting Monday, 9 October.
According to the groups, the marches will disrupt traffic in both cities.
"The purpose of the slow-moving processions is to slow traffic to a near standstill. With these slow marches, demonstrators are demanding that the use of forests in Finland be restored to a sustainable level," Elokapina stated in a press release quoted by the paper.
The marches are part of an autumn campaign by Elokapina pushing for the prioritization of the natural environment and diversity, and the ending of state subsidies that are destructive to the environment.
Finnair suspends flights to Israel
Finland's national airline Finnair has cancelled its regularly scheduled flights between Helsinki and Tel Aviv for the period of 9-14 October, due to the conflict in the region, reports Ilta-Sanomat.
According to the paper, for the time being Finnair will not use Israeli airspace for any of its flights. The company added that it is closely monitoring the situation and following instructions from authorities.
Finnair also announced that passengers with reservations on this route between 15 and 31 October 2023 can make changes to their bookings, if they so wish, or cancel and request a refund.
Tackling street gangs
The Joensuu-based daily Karjalainen presented its readers on Monday morning with a review of some media comments by national officials on measures they suggest to deal with criminal activities by street gangs.
The paper notes that among the suggestions, Justice Minister Leena Meri (Finns) wants to use to address the problem is extending criminal liability to 14-year-olds.
In an interview with Iltalehti, Meri pointed out however that this change is not a part of the current government's programme, which means that moving forward would would require wider political support.
The change has come up for discussion as street gangs are known to try to recruit young people under the age of 15 to commit crimes because they cannot be prosecuted.
"Currently, arrest, imprisonment or travel bans cannot be imposed on anyone under the age of 15. The possibility of using coercive measures should be expanded," Meri told Iltalehti.
Karjalainen notes that the government is preparing several changes in legislation aimed at combating street gang crime. One change will bring stiffer sentences for crimes committed as a gang member. In addition, sentences for aggravated assault and carrying an illegal weapon are to be increased.
The paper also notes that Maria Ohisalo (Green), a former Minister of the Interior, told Helsingin Sanomat that the police did not tell decision-makers about their concerns related to street gangs until the middle of the government term in 2021.
Ohisalo said that she is ready to support many of the measures being pushed by the current government, such as tougher punishments, and that she believes they will easily be backed by a large majority in parliament.
Cabling the countryside
According to Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, there are still an estimated 1.4 million households in Finland without access to high-speed fibre optic cable services.
At the turn of last year, less than 60 percent of properties had fixed broadband access in South Savo, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, North Karelia, Central Finland, South Ostrobothnia and Lapland.
An estimated one third of a 32 million euro grant from the EU to develop these services has still not been spent. The government target is to ensure a one-gigabit internet connection for all citizens in 2030.
The government has stipulated the level of the contributions that local authorities have to make to building broadband networks in areas where they are not commercially viable. Municipalities are divided into three groups, whose shares are either 8, 22 or 33 percent of the costs.
According to Elina Ussa, CEO of the IT sector interest group FiCom, this development now depends on municipal decision-makers and whether or not the required permits will finally be available from a "one-stop shop" as promised by the Orpo government.
"Permit processes now take too long. The country's 309 municipalities have very different practices, and the network is often built in the area of several municipalities. The various requirements for permits are a challenge, and shallow cable installation, for example, may be restricted in residential areas," Ussa pointed out.
Ussa also noted that choice is another issue slowing coverage.
"Broadband subsidies - which only apply to the fixed network - have made fibre connections available to a total of 130,000 households, but only a third have subscribed. You have to pay for the connection, even if the network was built and brought to the property for free. Not everyone wants to pay more if online services work in other ways," she told MT.
Slippery morning roads
Iltalehti writes that roads may be "deceptively slippery" after nighttime sleet in some places.
Sleet and slush has made driving potential hazardous in an area stretching along the northwestern coast.
Monday is starting out cloudy in most parts of the country, but will become sunnier during the day. The most persistent cloud cover is expected in Kainuu, North Karelia, and eastern Lapland.
There may be rain showers on the west coast, and some sleet in Ostrobothnia.