Fencing off parts of the border could backfire by fueling organised crime, a researcher warns.
The notion of building fences along portions of Finland's long border with Russia seems to have wide support, but Helsingin Sanomat reports that's not the case.
One of the few who are highly critical about the plans is researcher Jussi Laine from the Karelian Institute, according to the paper (siirryt toiseen palveluun).
Border fences and walls are expensive and they do not serve the purpose for which they are built, Laine noted. According to the researcher, if there is a will to cross it, people will figure out a way.
"People will get past the fences no matter the method," Laine tells HS, adding that those determined to cross will only find more dangerous methods and fall into the hands of smugglers and traffickers.
Therefore, building barriers could endanger people's lives and end up supporting organised crime, according to Laine.
"I'm not saying that Finland's border fence is completely useless, but I consider the disadvantages to be significantly greater than the benefits claimed," he says.
Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb published a YouTube video in which he reflects on Finland's post-Cold war failures regarding Russia, tabloid Ilta-Sanomat (siirryt toiseen palveluun) writes.
In the video, the veteran politician admits he made four such mistakes while in office.
"I was wrong about visa freedom for Russians, Nord Stream, Rosatom, and about not being able to promote Finland's Nato membership as Prime Minister," Stubb says in the video.
Visa freedom did not genuinely improve Russo-Finnish relations and Nord Stream should never have been built, according to the former PM. He also adds that more could have been done to enhance Finland's nuclear energy sector. However, not advancing Nato membership while in office is perhaps one of Stubb's biggest regrets, the paper explains.
The longtime National Coalition Party politician Stubb served in multiple offices throughout his career including as Foreign Affairs Minister in 2008–2011 and Prime Minister in 2014–2015. He also served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Europe in 2011–2014 and member of the European Parliament 2004–2008.
"In politics, it is very difficult to admit your mistakes, because mistakes are not allowed. Still, many politicians, myself included, make mistakes," Stubb says.
The Junior Chamber International in Finland nominated Social media cleaning sensation Auri Kananen as one of this year's Outstanding Young Person of the Year title, Tampere-based Aamulehti (siirryt toiseen palveluun)reports.
This places her and two others in the broader international programme, Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP), which recognises young people who excel in their chosen fields or represent the best attributes of the world's young people.
Kananen has drawn a huge international following with cleaning videos she posts on the social media platform TikTok. The 28-year-old began cleaning people's homes for free while filming the process, a couple of years ago.
"Everything happened by accident. A couple of years ago, I started posting my own cleaning videos on Tiktok. Through that, I was contacted by a single parent of three children whose husband had committed suicide. She asked for help. Then, one weekend, I went to clean her house and uploaded a video on the subject to Facebook, where I told her story. The video got 13 million views," the social media star explains.
The 'queen of cleaning' has raised awareness about mental health as well as inspired appreciation for cleaners' work, which landed her the nomination, according to the paper.
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Friday's papers: Tighter border controls, more rental properties, the joy of housecleaning
Sources: Yle, Helsingin Sanomat, Ilta-Sanomat, Aamulehti