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points out Mari K. It?s unfair, but politicians have only so much leeway,. Some may even consider his playful approach grotesque. ?Even when Stubb makes a more serious appearance, it fails to bolster his credibility because he?s considered dull. Supporters of the Social Democrats, in contrast, are more disappointed with the achievements of their party of preference. The wider public is less generous in its appraisal of the National Coalition: With nearly half of respondents voicing their dissatisfaction with the party, the share of dissatisfied respondents has grown by 15 percentage points since last summer. The popularity of Alexander Stubb?s Government is languishing at 16 per cent. Meanwhile, the endeavours of the Social Democrats received roughly as much praise and criticism as six months ago. The Christian Democrats, in turn, are by far the most unpopular party in the Government, according to the poll. Public opinion of the National Coalition, however, has changed particularly rapidly. H T thE PoPUlaRItY of the Government has fallen in the wake of the appointment of Alexander Stubb (NCP) as Prime Minister, finds a poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and carried out by TNS Gallup between November and December. The Government is now exceptionally unpopular, summarises Sakari Nurmela, a director at the market research company. ?The Government of Jyrki Katainen (NCP) received a positive evaluation from 38 per cent of respondents no more than two years ago. ?As recently as last summer, the National Coalition was clearly the party with the best buzz. All of the sudden, the mirror ball is no longer spinning,. Nurmela highlights. As many as 13 per cent of respondents also indicated that they are very dissatisfied with the Government . ?Which, of course, is not true,. It has even offered its help to the Government.? Sipilä, she adds, has presented himself as a saviour who transcends party politics. ?Whenever the economic situation is off-track, you turn your attention to whoever is running the country. The National Coalition has recently replaced both its party secretary and the chairperson of its parliamentary group. Moreover, several visible members of the National Coalition have been guilty of gaffes. ?Wetland policy represents the latest blunder,. www.hElSInkItImES.fI Available by subscription, on board more than 350 Finnair flights, on Allegro trains and in all top-quality hotels in Finland. ISSUE 51/52 (386) . H S a l E k S I t E I va I n E n . explains Niemi. Although economic growth was sluggish already during the tenure of Katainen, crisis awareness did not sweep over Finland until after the summer. What is crucial for the popularity of politicians is their ability to explain the difficult conditions, estimates Niemi. ?3 . she explains. Erkka Railo, a senior researcher at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku, reminds that Stubb is also only asserting his control over the National Coalition. The situation is difficult for the incumbent Prime Minister for a number of reasons: the economic conditions are precarious. Helsinki Times is also available for sale in more than 140 kiosks across Finland. Roughly half of Finns are dissatisfied with the Government of Alexander Stubb (NCP), finds a poll by Helsingin Sanomat. food aid & Russian aircraft The need for food aid continues to grow in the Capital Region. 7 JANUARY 2015 . The parliamentary elections are practically right around the corner. ?The Finns Party is the barking mutt, but the Centre isn?t against every proposal. Niemi says. ? TNS Gallup canvassed the views of Finns on the actions of the Government and Prime Minister Alexander Stubb (NCP) at the request of Helsingin Sanomat. ? A total of 1,000 people were interviewed between November and December. ? The margin of error of the poll is +/-3.0 percentage points.. 18 DECEMBER 2014 . Railo says, referring to a decision by Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (NCP) to suspend preparatory work on an anticipated wetland protection programme Helsinki Times would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Next issue is on stands 8 January next year. soon after her appointment as Minister of the Environment. ?A National Coalition minister stopping a carefully drafted bill does create an impression of utter disorganisation,. Railo adds. transcending party politics Elsewhere, over one-third of respondents indicated that they are pleased with the efforts of the Centre and nearly one-fifth that they are pleased with those of the Finns Party. The constructive leadership style of Juha Sipilä, the chairperson of the Centre, appears to conform to the difficult times, estimates Niemi. The largest party will shoulder most of the responsibility,. Concerns raised after near collisions over the Baltic Sea. Page 3 BUSInESS Recession woes & debt trap Finland's recession set to drag on. Public sector jobs adding to economic woes. Pages 6, 7 EaT & DrInk tapas in helsinki A quiet opening is in contrast to the range of flavours on offer at this tapas restaurant in the capital. Page 12 Singlee tickets andd day tickets Validity from 2 hours to 7 days. Buy from ticket machines, bus and tram drivers, as well as conductors on commuter trains or by mobile phone. Today, the corresponding number is 16,. describes Niemi. Economic woes to blame The two experts in political science estimate that the waning popularity of the Government is attributable especially to the uncertain economic conditions. ?Katainen had already learnt the art of explanation, but Stubb as a new Prime Minister is finding it harder to offer plausible explanations.? Another problem faced by Stubb is the fact that his dynamic and positive leadership style fails to conform to the prevalent economic conditions, gauges Niemi. a share that according to Nurmela corresponds to the modest public support enjoyed by the Government of Esko Aho (Centre) amid the depression of the 1990s. When Katainen stepped down as Prime Minister in June, roughly 25 per cent of Finns were pleased and only 8 per cent very dissatisfied with the actions of his Government. ?The changes reflect the support ratings of parties,. Niemi, a senior researcher at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku. Growing discontent On the other hand, most supporters of the National Coalition remain adamant that the party has exercised its responsibilities in the Government successfully. You can transfer from one vehicle to another with a single ticket within the validity of the ticket. www.hsl.fi AN T TI HÄ M ÄL ÄINEN Government's popularity nosedives DOMESTIC J a a n a S av o l a I n E n
I actually think that the EU is committing economic suicide. I think [continuing the recession] is avoidable but it?s not being avoided. In a recession government tax revenue always goes down, because income is down. The reason is a very simple-minded view that says if your income is down, you reduce your spending. If you apply that logic to the government it doesn?t work. This is not a phenomenon that?s going on in Finland alone, it?s the general trend and it has been for over 30 years. He hosted talks in Finland at the parliament and at Helsinki University on topics ranging from alternative economic systems, the theory of Participatory Economics that he co-founded, climate change, and the state of the global recession and policy inside Europe and the eurozone. I think that if people are making decisions they care about, which tend to be where they have the most knowledge, I see no reason to believe that the quality of economic decision making is going to deteriorate significantly from what?s going on right now. Some might argue that ordinary people can be more short term oriented. There is a conservative elite that is running energy policy in Canada. These reasons motivated me to think seriously about better ways to organise the economy. Could you explain what economic democracy is and why it is important? Some people say that means everybody should have total freedom to do with their person and property whatever they wish. The PIGS: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain have carried out massive cuts in government spending because they were told they had to. That created a tremendous amount of hardship . Partly that?s because you were the most equal in the first place. The medicine doesn?t work. Yet the traditional political parties seem locked in to a mentality that is increasingly obviously not working, which is why you see that traditional parties keep losing big percentages of their traditional vote. Why do they do it? It is powerful bad thinking. you have unemployment rates at 25 per cent in Greece and 22 per cent in Spain for years now. That was standard economic wisdom. I?m under no illusions that we could quickly adopt a participatory economy in the US. The answer is always ?we can?t afford it? . You can?t afford it because that productivity is being spent on something else. In fact it?s being spent on private consumption . If the response is the government reduces its spending in order not to have the deficit go up, then there?s even less demand for goods and services, then there?ll be even less goods and services produced, and therefore the income and tax revenues will go down further. In Europe the austerity plan has been pursued the most aggressively. the growing inequality is where the productivity is going, that?s making it feel like we can?t possibly afford the continued providing stipends for free university education. That is serious social dislocation. Was that necessary. I think that actually is a way of thinking about economic democracy that doesn?t work because what immediately happens is are incapable of making good decisions. The financial system is just as dangerous today as it was in 2007. There are some economic decisions that affect all of us more or less equally, and then we should all have equal say. I think the goal of economic democracy is to try and arrange decision-making power in proportion to the degree that anybody is affected. Do you think that everyone can make those economic decisions? There?s a common notion that particularly when it comes to economics, ordinary people HELSINKI TIMES terrible long-term consequences. We have a two party system where it?s virtually impossible for a third party to grow because we don?t have proportional representation.. They are turning Canada in to a fossil fuelled burning machine. We now have 10 years to do something dramatic about climate change or else we?re in real trouble. How well do you think it?s working out? Usually the decisions that affect you the most are the ones where you actually have more information. It?s a very convenient mindset for the decisionmaking elites. We have a system where these intelligent elites, these Wall Street wizards are making these decisions. Our political system is sufficiently undemocratic and in gridlock that I despair of our ability to, through the electoral process, change our policies dramatically. They have imposed austerity that was painful and counter productive, just like the centre right parties. The evidence is overwhelming that it doesn?t work and it loses you votes. So you have to ask, can a traditional social democratic party come to its senses and change its thinking and policy and its campaigns, and not only change its rhetoric, but if it becomes part of the government, change its policies. In the US, we cannot make progress electorally, we have no chance. Occupy finally broke the taboo, saying that for the past 30 years all the productivity gains in the global economy have essentially been captured by the top 1 per cent, leaving the bottom 99 per cent to be stagnant even though productivity is increasing. The current is always towards greater inequality because that?s the natural dynamic of the system. So why are we doing the opposite? The second reason is that the powers . Even fewer banks are too big to let fail, emboldened by the fact that they were bailed out. The other reason is that the response to the recession has been this mind numbingly counter productive austerity. Fewer people making decisions more often than not will find ways to make sure that they are the ones who benefit from increases in everybody?s productivity. Before the crisis and the Occupy movement in the US it was almost like it couldn?t be talked about; it was impolite to bring it up. Our electoral system is completely polluted by money. how serious the public debt problem is ?is more than double now than it was in 2007, before the austerity was imposed. To do something like that requires massive public support. In every country the traditional social democratic country could come to its senses, remember what it used to know how to do, and reject the austerity nonsense. I think in most countries . The greater the inequality the more difficult it is to keep market economies from suffering from crises. For 30 years the Nordic countries imposed regulations and restrictions, but you?re always swimming upstream. The last thing is that clearly this kind of economy is wreaking havoc with the environment. Your countries are the ones where inequality is increasing the most rapidly. But even so, this is a great tragedy. Why. and Finland may be an exception to this . but you?re twice as productive as you were 30 years ago. I actually think that the EU is committing economic suicide. our economic freedoms start to conflict. A better way of thinking about it is there are some economic decisions that affect only a few people, and they should be the ones that make them. The debt of those countries was supposed to come down. The debt to GDP ratio of the PIGS . His stay in Helsinki was organised by Parecon Finland. A remedy for the north A L I C I A JE N S E N H E L S INK I T I M E S What problems do you see in how the economy is currently organised? I think the current systems arguably don?t provide meaningful economic democracy. All these decisions in government policy that people used to be able to vote on are now handled through an undemocratic arbitration procedure that is immune to popular pressure. At a more basic level, most decisions that are made about what you will produce when you work and how you will go about it are not made by the people who actually do the work. 7 JANUARY 2015 Q&A tive evidence indicates that we are going back even more severely. ALIcIA JENSEN Robin Hahnel is a Professor at Portland University, and was previously Professor at American University. If people will buy the idea that in tough times we need to cut out the programmes that they like why shouldn?t we? It took 50 years of people fighting for these changes to get them in place, and now they?re very rapidly being eliminated in a crisis where the excuse is that we have deficit problems. How do you achieve meaningful change? Changing the entire economic system is just not on the table at the moment. You?ve given up a lot of the social welfare benefits that you had. This is a violation of true economic democracy. The most outstanding thing that economic historians will presumably be writing about when they look back is this dramatic growth in economic inequality both within countries and between countries. We?re seven years in to a great recession and all the objec- Why is Europe going back into recession? One reason is that you have not succeeded in any financial reform that prevents the profitable but risky things that brought on the last crisis. both corporations and the wealthy . The responsible behaviour for a government in a recession is to increase spending, not to cut it. Why have you taken these terrible steps backwards towards a more neo liberal free market. the social democratic parties have discredited themselves in the eyes of the electorate, that there is little hope in my mind that there will be a change in policy through them. And if you find that unacceptable within the system, you con- stantly have to work hard to swim against the current to prevent inequality from getting out of hand. Keynes is the hated man with the bad ideas. Keynes taught us that the common wisdom about what?s responsible for a household doesn?t translate to what is socially re- sponsible behaviour. That?s very short run thinking that has ble, but are very detrimental in the long run. What do you think are the biggest obstacles in Finland? The Nordic countries did the best to make capitalist economies more democratic, fair and more humane, and the great tragedy for you all is that much of that has eroded. In some sense I think you were the envy of the world. The question is why did you stop. That?s not a democratic decision, and ordinary people and organisations are finding that they are powerless to prevent this from happening. The Wall Street financial banks set up a system where they were concentrating on short run profits irrespective of what sort of systemic risks were being created that might bring on the kind of financial crisis that came in 2008. These are examples where in both energy policy and the financial system, ordinary people exhibit common sense, whereas the undemocratic elites have made the decisions that have been focused on the short run and what is immediately profita- So that?s not why you can?t afford it. never wanted a welfare state. Corporations never wanted protection for workers. They?re taking shameless advantage of a crisis to change things that are in their interest regardless of how completely counter productive they are in serving the interests of everybody else. Keynes is the new Marx . 2 18 DECEMBER 2014 . It is a failure of people who are thinking about economics issues to remember lessons that we once learned in the depression
People should be helped more, argues Hursti, as the ongoing poverty affects the health of families and people and could be the cause of depression. At the time of the interview, the charity was also preparing for the traditional outdoor concert and soup kitchen on Hakaniemi Square in Helsinki to celebrate Independence Day on 6 December. Besides this well-known event, they organise another special happening: they have held a Christmas party for people who need help in Helsinki since 1967, the year when the association was established. says Valtonen. H S A L E K S I T E I vA INE N . And now, just before Christmas, he finds it nice that they are distributing Christmas packages. 7 JANUARY 2015 3 M arK Ku uL aNdEr MErLE MuS T Who: James Hirvisaari From: Finland Famous for: Proposing that same-sex marriage bill be rejected in Parliament The 54-year-old former Finns Party member and current independent MP for the Muutos 2011 party moved to overthrow the same-sex marriage bill on 10 december. he said. vEIKKO ja Lahja Hurstin Laupeudentyö is one of the few places offering help for people in Helsinki. More people always come towards the end of the month when wages and subsidies have run out, and also before Christmas. Together with the growing need for help, the organisation has started to receive more donations as well. Hursti says that each year more companies and people have heard about them and offer a helping hand. ?As a Christian I also believe that when there?s more need for help, God also gives it. call the friendly volunteers, one of them wearing a Christmas hat. says Hursti. Besides this, the organisation couldn?t function without help from people. after this, the Parliament voted on the bill again on 12 december, having already done so in late November and approved it with the vote of 10592. Now in a wheelchair, he soon discovered that the governmental pension he had started to receive wasn?t sufficient. ?The pension is so small and accommodation so expensive,. says Heikki Hursti, the main organiser at the charity organisation Veikko ja Lahja Hurstin Laupeudentyö in Kallio. Risikko stated. A transponder is a signalemitting device installed in aircraft to allow air traffic controllers to identify and locate the aircraft. In a number of other countries, civilian and military air traffic management fall under the purview of two separate agencies. Military aircraft flying with their transponders switched off are only visible on the ra- PAULA RISIKKO dars of military aircraft, not on those of commercial aircraft. Besides them also students, the unemployed, single parents and people on low-paid jobs need help. Hursti explains that it is possible to donate money, come to help as a volunteer or give them food and other items. ?Now, the elderly knit socks and hats, send them to us and we put them into the Christmas packages,. 45.8% View details and this week?s question at www.helsinkitimes.fi Risikko voices concerns over reported nearcollisions over Baltic Sea T O M I P E U R A KOS K I . We have never run out of food. Risikko also lauded Finnish air traffic controllers for ensuring that no near-misses have occurred in Finland. She pointed out that there has been no need to instruct air traffic controllers on how to deal with the Russian aircraft due to the extent of co-operation between civilian and military controllers in Finland. ?Come, come,. H T (NCP), the Minister of Transport, has voiced her grave concerns over reports that air traffic controllers in Finland have had to order civilian aircraft to alter their course in order to avoid collision with Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea with their transponders switched off. On 12 December, a passenger flight operated by SAS was ordered to alter its course for the same reason while flying over southern Sweden, en route from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Pozna , Poland. ?Russian aircraft not using their transponders is unacceptable,. ?Every single nation must make sure that these military planes pose no danger to other traffic. In my opinion, the responsibility also extends to international airspace. he says and explains that after paying his rent and taxes, he?s left with 280 euros. in a household in which disposable income, when adjusted for family size and composition, is less than 50% of the national median income. ? The child deprivation rate is 2.5% in Finland, meaning that these children lack several important items in their household, like three meals in a day and quiet place with enough light for homework.. Often they speak Russian or Estonian but not a word in Finnish,. Just before going to the office of the warehouse-sized building on Helsinginkatu to talk to me, Heikki Hursti delves into the refrigerator and hands some packaged meat to the lady. The elderly are only one group who come to the charity, explains Hursti. People have a great urge to help.? Food has never run out Besides food, Veikko ja Lahja Hurstin Laupeudentyö distributes clothes, laundry and sheets, which brings around 300 people every Monday. The need for this help has grown as well, but not so rapidly compared with the number of people who come on the food distribution days, which have multiplied. Hursti believes that one certain reason for this is the rising number of unemployed, but now people also have the courage to come and aren?t as shamed of it as they may have been previously. DOMESTIC HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER 2014 . ?With these slow-moving bureaucracy wheels, it can take half a year until they get help,? says Hursti, ?but meanwhile they don?t have any money for food.? When people come to the charity, they are able to receive staple foods and other necessary things that are stacked all around the building. Each year more than a thousand people gather for a musical programme, traditional dinner and also receive gift packages with food and clothes. A great help People who utilise the charity have different stories to tell. Timo Valtonen, 61, who visits once a week for basic food items, explains that he suffered from stroke a year ago. After spending the following six months paralysed in hospital, he returned home. Once again the the citizens. They also have contracts with big companies, like Saarioinen or Unilever. ?Now every day when we?re open, we get 2,400-2,600 people from all around Helsinki.? Yes . ?Also people come who have moved to Finland for work. says Hursti. Twice a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00-14:00, they distribute food, and on Mondays they give clothes. On 3 December, a small, elderly lady is waiting for the clock to turn to 11:00 ? then it?s possible to collect food. The organisation is cooperating with many stores who give them leftover goods with best-before dates that are nearing expiry. It?s markedly more tense than it has been for a long, long time,. ?We have nonetheless stepped up our preparedness because of what has taken place,. 54.2% M E R L E M US T H E L S IN K I T I M E S No . says Hursti. ?And families come, with children.? For some, the charity is a constant need, but others just need to get by until they start receiving governmental support, for example, after losing a job. Risikko added. The Minister of Transport has asked Pekka Henttu, the Director General of Civil Aviation at the Finnish Transport Safety Agency (Trafi), and Harri Pursiainen, a permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, to contact their Russian colleagues regarding the issue. In addition, Risikko believes the activities of Russian aircraft warrant the attention of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Although he doesn?t need to pay for medication, this sum is still not enough to live off, so he has been coming to the charity for the last half a year. ?It?s a big and good help for me,. The Grand Committee backed the bill two weeks ago. Besides food, the association has been useful for clothes as well, he says, pointing to his winter coat. She steps closer. ?We couldn?t work without all of these companies,. initiative bill trumped with a vote of 101-90. The second vote is a regular procedure, as the law is needed to pass through the Grand Committee of Parliament, a large committee of party leaders after the initial law. The law requires wide changes in legislation, meaning that it won?t take effect until 2016 at the earliest. Question of the week Once again the Corruption Perceptions Index has ranked Finland as the third least corrupted country in the world. Is this an accurate representation of the level of corruption in Finland? Heikki Hursti from Veikko ja Lahja Hurstin Laupeudentyö stands next to food and other necessary items that will be put into people?s Christmas packages. Need for food aid has spiked ?When I took over this organisation from my father in 2005, about 300, maximum 600 people came every time,. he explains. Although rents and taxes have increased, support has remained the same, he adds. The situation of people who lose their income can be made immediately less dire with the help of such a service, whilst waiting for the slow moving bureaucratic wheels to turn that enable them to receive subsidies. Therefore, the issue must be discussed thoroughly in international arenas to ensure that transponders are switched on when flying in international airspace.? Prime Minister Alexander Stubb (NCP) has viewed that the fly-overs and activity over the Baltic Sea are an indication of tensions arising from the crisis in Ukraine. ?As such, Finland is not facing a direct security threat, but in light of the fly-overs and activity over the Baltic Sea it can be said that the situation is tense. Even once when 3,100 people came, this coincided with more donations given the same day.? Hursti believes that poverty is a big problem and, although it has always existed, the gap between the rich and the poor has now grown. ?The rich become richer and the poor poorer,. ?Thankfully we?re in a situation that even more help is offered than we can receive. ?Yes, it?s going to be a good Christmas,. he adds. Poverty in Finland ? Based on the OECD statistics from 2012, the Finnish poverty rate was 6.6%, meaning that more than 358,000 people earned less than half of the median income (approx ?2,850). ? According to Eurostat, 11.8% of Finnish population was at risk of poverty, meaning that their disposable income, adjusted for family size and composition, was below the riskof-poverty threshold that is set at 60% of the national median as of 2013. ? UNICEF report ?Measuring child poverty? with the data from 2009 shows that 5.3% of Finnish children live in relative poverty
said Paatero. the humanitarian field, from acute ongoing crisis,. In this work, the party, which shows ingratitude for the privileges it enjoys out of proportion with its size, also enjoys support from the main media. fINNTASTIC Christmas to all of you! Work for priests has significantly decreased over the last few years. gregations become poorer. The inauguration can be performed only if the priest already has a position or a long term temporary post. This year, 56 priests have been inaugurated. He is also accused of using his position to manipulate the firms. Yet Aarnio has said that he will make an appearance. A similar promise was expressed by a 54 year old man from Espoo, also among the main people accused. country. Finding employment within the church requires exceptional effort,? researcher Kati Niemelä from the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki says. For a long time, the church was known as an excellent employer. MIKKO VIRTA Minister Paatero on additional cuts at Yle: ?An incomprehensible idea? A gUEST at Yle?s TV programme Ykkösaamu, the Minister of Development and Corporate Governance Sirpa Paatero (SDP) said additional cuts planned by the Committee of State Finance were unbelievable. Virtanen is also a composer and musician. The budget report on 12 December published by the Committee of State Fi- According to her, the three million euros may be taken out of humanitarian work funds. ?We have long-term ongoing projects, which we have committed ourselves to for several years ahead. sales to authorities: to customs, the Helsinki police, the Security Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The gains from trade were worth approximately 1.2 million euros, according to the prosecutor. So, INSTEAD of praising Finland, which in so many ways is truly a model country for equality and human rights, on the European and global arena, RKP, shown to be the most right-wing party in Finland, continues to spread fictional propaganda concerning discrimination even abroad. 4 fRoM fINNISH PRESS 18 DECEMBER 2014 . as a genetically inferior race, represented by Freudenthal continued long into the 1900s, even after World War II. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES compiLed by mari storpeLLinen L E H T I K U VA / M I K Ko S T I g ILTALEHTI 15 December. PETRI ELONHEIMO Aarnio finally in the courtroom Pertti ?Veltto. There are no jobs for priests as people resign from church in growing numbers and the conL E H T I K U VA / S A r I gU S TA F S S o n ACCoRDINg to recent political studies, the most right? wing party in Finland is the Swedish People?s Party (RKP), followed by the ruling National Coalition Party. It is possible that the three million euros must be taken from nance proposed cuts from the development cooperation funds amounting to three million euros. are the least racist nations in Europe. It is surprising that the vouchers are only seen as an expense. The man has sat in prison for years on drug related offences. Last spring, during a meeting on spending limits, the government already decided to cut 50-100 million euros annually from funds towards humanitarian work between 2015-2018. KARJALAINEN 14 December Priests inaugurated notably less than previously THIS YEAR, new priests are in- augurated notably less than in previous years. In the years before that, the amount has climbed over a hundred. In reality, RKP will probably continue to award the medals, not perhaps yearly but still... In this connection, it should be mentioned that the original Swedish Party was established in the 1880s on a foundation created by Mr Freudenthal?s writings. To this date, the fact that Finland?s minority representatives both at OSCE and at a national level, are politicians who belong to Finland?s Swedish?speaking minority . KASPERI SUMMANEN ?Lunch vouchers not to be discontinued on light grounds? Yrittäjänaiset (The Women Entrepreneurs of Finland) objects to the tax office?s plans to discontinue the use of lunch vouchers. ?Discontinuing the use of lunch vouchers would reduce the amount of lunches bought in restaurants, increasing unemployment in the catering business and decreasing tax revenue,. He knows police chief Aarnio personally. the chairperson for Suomen Yrittäjänaiset Seija Estlander states in the organisation?s bulletin. SUoMEN According to Estlander, the estimated savings on taxes would at worst cause greater unemployment expenses. The lunch vouchers and cards are used annually by approximately 600,000 people. The rest of the year will still see the number increasing by just a few. Previously they were also regarded as a positive contributor to the employee?s and their family?s food culture,. In his early years he was the godfather of Finnish punk. The study results show that the seating order in the plenary chamber in the Finnish Parliament is spot on. The savings would be used for improving the representation network of the ministry for foreign affairs. ?In my opinion, the idea is completely incomprehensible,. continues to complicate Finland?s domestic policy and tarnish its reputation internationally. During the last years, unemployment in the theology field has increased notably. As its ammunition, this blame campaign mainly used a couple of isolated stories picked from social media. Lunch vouchers are used annually by approximately 600,000 people. THE fRAUD trial against Helsinki?s former narcotics police chief Jari Aarnio and eight other individuals begins in the Helsinki District Court on 16 December. At this preliminary stage in the proceedings, the accused are not required to appear at court. They reduce the state?s tax revenue by approximately 30 million euros. ?What also needs to be taken into account is that apart from the jobs created by the additional revenue, investment in healthy eating is also at stake. The racial doctrine, and particularly the scorn for Finnish-speaking ?Mongols. In 2008, as many as 145 priests were inaugurated. ?New posts are rarely created, and old ones re- main unfilled. a minority that fares the best in the world . Last year, 84 priests were inaugurated, while the year before the number was 90. Furthermore, a global study on racism found that the Nordic countries . The unemployment rate for theologists is approximately five per cent at the moment.. the Finns Party . Besides his political and musical career Virtanen is also known as a poet and writer. finland as a model(?) country for equality and human rights qualified psychologist and social scientist, I would like to make the English-speaking audience aware of a dilemma with grave consequences to Finland, an issue which, for reasons related to domestic policy, is painting a distorted image of Finns and Finland on the international arena. Despite this (and because of reasons to do with domestic policy and through abuse of RKP?s position on the government stretching back decades), while serving as the Minister of Migration and European Affairs, Astrid Thors, the current OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, launched a campaign against Finland, criticising it for being a ?racist. According to the Deputy Prosecutor General, Aarnio had, with the help of a dummy company, financed Trevoc Oy. According to Freudenthal, Sami and Baltic people were also among the dregs of society in Europe. The matter also concerns a citizens. Paatero frets. As an example, she mentions the Anti-Ebola work in West Africa, which might be affected by the cuts. The minister said receiving the notice of the upcoming additional cuts was a complete surprise. reflects the executive director of Suomen Yrittäjänaiset Heli Järvinen. Suomen Yrittäjänaiset reminds that the resolve of the restaurant business has already been tested by many recent decisions, such as raising the VAT and alcohol tax and the terrace legislation. ILTALEHTI 13 December. Virtanen is a Member of Parliament for the Finns Party (independent). In fact, in Finland, we have relatively recently reached a situation where the leaders of the Sami Parliament are also members of RKP because of political tactics. VERKKOUUTISET 13 December. The situation for currently graduating theologists wishing to become priests is poor. He is, according to rumours, also the chief of the United Brotherhood gang. In the preliminary trials, police chief Aarnio will respond to charges of aggravated abuse of public office, aggravated fraud, aggravated bribe taking, and registry entry crimes. All the accusations are associated with Trevoc Oy, a tracking device manufacturer in Vantaa. and Finland in particular . the scapegoat, even though the party is situated in the centre, or slightly left of the centre, politically as well as physically in the plenary chamber. Inexplicably publicised to the rest of the world, the campaign made mainly one party . initiative to abolish mandatory Swedish tuition, aimed at bringing the Finnish democracy up to date and calling into question the Finnish power structures. AS A foRMALLY AT THE SAME time, it can be said that the Finns Party is to thank for getting RKP to see the light and abolish, at least seemingly, a questionable tradition it had continued until the 2010s: awarding medals in honour of Axel Olof Freudenthal, a Swedish speaker and a racist wellknown across Europe
Suddenly, we the Nigerians were brought out and deported without committing any offence.? According to him, the Nigerian Embassy in Finland refused to come to their aid after they had paid 1,500 euro to the embassy officials. Another deportee, simply called Jackso, told The Guardian that the Nigerian Embassy officials in Finland colluded with some Finnish Immigration authorities to extort money from asylum seekers in the camp, promising to assist them to get a work permit from the country?s authorities. Similarly, a female deportee simply called Esther said she and her husband had been in Finland for over 14 years but was surprised that they were deported, alongside their seven-year-old daughter without committing any offence and without any compensation. . which represents companies including Apple, Bose and Canon ? said it was ?unfortunate that countries feel the need to push ahead on their own. FI Institute of A dul t Ed uc atio n in He lsin ki Töölöntul l i nk atu 8, 002 5 0 He lsin ki who has won more than one million dollars on the live tournament circuit is forced to fold the winning hand! Although Bardah is feeling it from a few fellow poker pros, he?s taking it all with a smile. rights, agreed that increased compensation for artists was a positive element, saying ?private copying compensation is part of the ecosystem and is essential.? Meanwhile, speaking at a meeting of tech industry in Brussels on Thursday, Swedish liberal MEP Cecilia Wikstrom said the entire EU copyright system needs to be overhauled. ?How would Abba suffer from me making a private copy of my CD so I can listen to it on my mp3 player while I?m jogging. concept, where a player spends time ?behind bars. However, The Guardian learnt that three men among the deportees were arrested for violence and taken to the police station at the MMIA, while some others have been taken to Alagbon for travel offences...? Miss Finland Sara Chafak outplayed a World Series of Poker 2012 winner. SPORTING NEWS 11 December Miss Finland bluffs poker pro Ronnie Bardah in amazing hand ?SHARK CAGE is a made-forTV poker event produced by online poker giant PokerStars. ?I said I wanted to work and live a normal life in Finland, so he told me to seek asylum and I did.? ?I was taken to the asylum camp and was there for over a year processing documents that will permit me to work; there were other African nationals there, with four Ni- The Finnish MEP Henna Virkkunen said that the new system of paying artists directly would be ?fairer to consumers and better for artists because they will get more compensation this way.? Desbrosses, general manager of GESAC, which represents authors. The debate about copyright levies has deliberately been muddled to convince us (lawmakers) to perpetuate an absurd system,. Ejiofor said he was earlier in Greece but went to Finland to seek asylum to enable him to get documents to work in the country. ?The policeman asked me what I wanted since I had no criminal record to warrant my deportation,. HT] Ronnie Bardah as Chafak?s play confuses Bardah so much, that the man THE REGISTER 12 December. John Higgins, head of DigitalEurope . IBE UWALEKE Finland deports 100 Nigerians from asylum camp gerians. and a ?shark cage. M us i c. Even Veronique Su om e n k i e l i j a o h j a u s - N u o risotak uuk oulutus. HELSI NGIN A IKU ISOPIS TO H ELA O . he disclosed. JENNIFER BAKER Finland ditches copyright levy on digital kit, pays artists directly ?FINLAND has decided to ditch copyright levies on digital devices... EUwide rules should be steering member states towards this sort of reform...??. He even tweeted out that the episode was now available for public consumption?? L E H T I K U VA / S E P P O S A M U L I ?ABOUT 100 Nigerians, including women and children, even immediate family members, were deported from Finland yesterday after seeking asylum in Europe. The asylum seekers arrived in the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos at 7 am in a cargo airline called Privilege Gourment. However, a deportee, Mr. Isaac Ejiofor, told The Guardian that they had no criminal records in Finland and wondered why he should be deported after spending over a year in their asylum camp. and let the taxpayer foot the bill. Most EU countries, with the exception of the UK and Ireland, operate a similar scheme, however two years ago Spain dumped its law and set up a government compensation fund similar to the one adopted in Finland this week. . FINLAND IN THE WORLD PRESS HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER 2014 . if they fold the best hand on the river. One highlight that has many in the poker world talking pits Miss Universe Finland, Sara Chafak, with 2012 World Series of Poker bracelet winner [meaning that he?s also the winner of the annual World Series of Poker event . Hand c rafts . 7 JANUARY 2015 5 CoMPilEd by MERlE MUST L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O THE GUARDIAN (NIGERIA) 11 December. Ph o to graph y. S pan ish. The TV-show pits poker pros with celebrities and members of the general public in a series of single-ta- COM E AND EN J OY L E A RNI NG ! Su omi . F in ni s h for Forei g n e rs. Instead a special government fund will be set up to compensate artists for private copying of music and movies. Following the national Parliament vote, Finnish MEP Henna Virkkunen said the new system would be ?fairer to consumers and better better for artists because they will get more compensation this way.. she said. The new European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has vowed that copyright will be one of the issues he will tackle in his new role. Eng l i s h. Calligraph y. Dan ce. 2D Game Graph ics. ble poker tournaments with the eventual winner taking home 1,000,000 dollars (more than 800,000 euros). The show also offers up a few twists and turns along the way like a ?shot clock
Cord (david@helsinkitimes.fi) is a writer, journalist and columnist for Helsinki Times. 6 BUSINESS 18 DECEMBER 2014 . Fin- land needs to tear down the existing system and rebuild a new one for the 21st Century. Yet at the heart of terrible projections is the opportunity for a rebirth for the Finnish economy. To START with the dark predictions: the central bankers see the recession continuing throughout 2015, with slow growth only returning in 2016. HS A L E K S I T E I VA I N E N . If traditional methods to stimulate the economy won?t work, we need to look at other options. In fact, a time of crisis is the best opportunity for a revolution. nothing should be off the table. The labour market, pension system, education, taxation . ?A counter-cyclical strengthening of domestic demand through fiscal policy measures would simply weaken the balance of the economy,? they write. We need to brainstorm with crazy ideas, like Risto Siilasmaa of Nokia?s idea to make English an official language. H T THE BANK of Finland downgraded its outlook for gross domestic product growth in Finland on 11 December, forecasting that national output will contract by 0.1 per cent in 2015 and grow by 1.0 per cent in 2016. In June, the central bank predicted that the output would increase by 1.4 per cent in 2015 and by 1.5 per cent in 2016. One reason for the revised forecast are changes introduced to national accounting practices. Erkki Liikanen, the Governor of the Bank of Finland, emphasised that policy-makers must take determined action in the face of alarmingly sluggish economic growth. The key obstacles to economic growth according to him are the weak productivity of work, lack of investments and shrinking labour force. ?Finnish exports have decreased by roughly 20 per cent since the onset of the global financial crisis,. The Bank of Finland?s latest economic outlook is notable for its grim bleakness. ?The measures would probably just feed a rise in prices, undermining competitiveness.? I HAVE a few doubts about their idea of demand-side inflation, but the overall gist of their thinking is clear. The central bank is pessimistic and doesn?t believe traditional means to stimulate the economy will work. NoW that the bad news is out of the way, it is time for the good news. One might even say that a crisis is necessary for a revolution. early 1990s Finland underwent a similar economic catastrophe. There should be no sacred cows. I hope everyone remembers this when they go to the polls early next year. Erkki Liikanen, the Governor of the Bank of Finland, emphasised that policy-makers must take determined action in the face of alarmingly sluggish economic growth. Bank of Finland expects recession to drag on Deficit in public finances to remain considerable and public debt to continue to accumulate PE TRI SA JARI . He also argued that it is necessary to reduce public spending because stimulus measures have proven ineffective in addressing the structural problems of the economy. The Bank of Finland acknowledges in its forecast that the four years of contraction and the subsequent period of sluggish growth are exceptional both historically and internationally. Domestic reasons Finnish industries should also not expect great help from abroad due to the relatively bleak outlook for global economic growth. Liikanen pointed out. Policy-makers, he cautioned, must brace themselves for difficult but necessary reforms because sustained measures are required over the next ten years to generate sustainable economic growth. He is also a private investor with over ten years of experience. A dystopian reality averted IT IS NoT quite as bad as a dystopian novel, but it doesn?t look good. Capital investment will be low, foreign trade will be weak and household purchasing power will not improve. UNEMPLoYMENT will officially remain about the same, but only because ?there is a constant stream of people leaving the labour market who have abandoned searching for work due to the negative labour market situation.. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A r I David J. In particular, economic recovery has been slower-than-expected in the Pehr Hilleström euro area, which has had a notable impact on the entire continent. The reasons for the prolonged recession are nonetheless largely domestic, stressed Juha Kilponen, the head of forecasting at the Bank of Finland. On the other hand, the weakening euro and decline in oil prices may according to the central bank encourage faster-than-expected growth. They believe our long-term growth after inflation will be 1%, and as our population is growing at about 0.5% that means our per capita growth will only be half of one percent. At present, the debt is forecast to creep up to 64 per cent of gross domestic product in 2016, after hovering around 59 per cent in 2014 and rising to 62 per cent in 2015. Finnish GDP in numbers ? National output will contract by 0.1% in 2015 and grow by 1.0 in 2016. ? Unemployment rate will be 8.5% in 2015, improving to 8.2% in 2016. ? Finnish exports have decreased by roughly 20% since the onset of the global financial crisis.. Regardless, structural reforms are necessary to bolster the competitiveness of Finnish industries, which, in turn, will require reforms in the labour market especially to increase the availability of work. The Bank of Finland predicts that the unemployment rate will stand at 8.5 per cent in 2015 before improving to 8.2 per cent in 2016. The lacklustre economic growth will also ensure that the deficit in public finances will remain considerable and that public debt will continue to accumulate. Our debt will reach 64% of Finland needs GDP, breaking the rules of the to tear down EU Stability and Growth Pact. the existing Oh, and the Russian economic situation could only make system and things worse. rebuild a new one for the 21st Century. To DRIVE the final nail in the coffin, the Bank of Finland says that traditional Keynesian fiscal policy stimulus measures won?t work. The general government deficit will be worse for 2014, and the austerity measures won?t improve the situation like we had expected. I don?t know if that particular idea will work, but the spirit of it is right: to think of anything which could help us. It emerged stronger than before, thanks to a radical transformation of the economy. Finland had traditionally been a protectionist nation, but around the last depression authorities made a concerted effort to open up. IN THE NoW is the time for a similar economic revolution
I know we have the right players to turn the economy around, but we need an even playing field. WoRKINg think that?s what Teemu Selänne would have said to his teammates in the final period when they were down a goal and their opponents were aggressively pursuing the win? Do YoU ?LISTEN up! Everyone seems to think you?re a competi- tive team, but they?re wrong, you probably won?t succeed. as exports and investments fell, the statistics office said Friday. pared with a national average of 8.3 per cent. public sector as a whole The five-year job security law was implemented in 2007 to encourage municipal mergers and prevent resistance from employees fearing for their jobs. Half of all local government spending goes on wages and other staff expenses. With key economists predicting our economy contracting at 0.4% this year and growth forecasts in 2015 among the lowest in Europe at 0.6%, it seems that we?re losing the game. at an international business hub like Amcham, every day I speak to top business leaders that are really doing amazing things. Employees have had job security since 2006, when the town absorbed Vehmersalmi, a nearby village of 2,000 inhabitants. ?It does add a certain mental rigidity,. BUSINESS HELSINKI TIMES finns who can?t be fired show debt trap at work fINLAND is a nice place to be if you work in the public sector. But laws that protect municipal workers from the hard reality of a faltering economy are adding to the debt burden in a country that had its credit rating cut just two months ago. In some towns, no publicsector staff can be fired until as late as 2022. For team sport lovers we?re in a great time of year. half its growth pace in the three months through June . ?The objective is not to increase red tape . We need coaches and committed players. You wouldn?t either. 044 990 0009 7 Alexandra pasternak-Jackson is Amcham Finland?s Helsinki-based managing Director, a dual-citizen and third culture kid, who actively works with the international business community to increase investments and improve the Finnish market. THAT?S why it shocks me to repeatedly read in both international and Finnish media, prominent figures being consistently negative about Finland?s potential future growth and competitive edge. Rantala said. Adding to the cost, wages are often harmonised in a merger, meaning that employees from lower-paid locales can look forward to a raise. The state should refrain from pushing more responsibilities down to the local government level and allow towns more flexibility in setting up their service offerings, Kuopio?s Pirhonen said. ?There are surely things that are important as such, yet could be handled well through the private sector,? he said. As a dual-citizen I casually follow both. said Olli Koski, the chief economist at SAK. ?It would introduce some realism if dismissals would be a potential tool.? Kuopio has been able to overcome at least some of the burden by encouraging staff to take additional unpaid vacations while its relatively diversified business sector has endured tough times better than more narrowly focused towns. the Ministry of Built Environment. The action plan unveiled by SAK, Hyvää (t)yötä Suomi, places a particular emphasis on employment and the quality of working life. The new ministry would according to SAK bring jobs and employees closer together. We can do this. This article is provided by Helsinki Business Hub www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi. Even so, the town estimates its budget deficit will increase to 22 million euros next year. The seaside town of Oulu, once a main engineering site of Nokia, has locked in its public employees until 2018. Unemployment there grew to 16 per cent in October, com- K A S p E R v I I TA BloomBerg Ne w S 18 DECEMBER 2014 . I don?t think you?ll make one goal to tie, let alone two to win.? No, HE WoULDN?T. Three quarters work in health care, social security or education and four in five are women. Jarmo Pirhonen, the mayor?s deputy in Kuopio, said of the job-cut quarantine. Koski also estimated that one minister would be enough to run the ministry. Overall, the action plan of SAK is underlain by concerns about growing job insecurity. H T no difference how well the government is doing if municipalities are in the gutter,. Many municipal employees enjoy a five-year immunity in case their town is merged with another. In addition, the central organisation would cut income taxes on low-income households to ensure that people who return to the working life are not punished by taxes. ?25 STAR Painting and service - 15% TING FROM Winter tyre change Niittytie 27b, 01300 Vantaa Tel. it makes CENTRAL Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) believes a new ministry should be established to spur economic growth and the creation of jobs in Finland. l e H T I K U VA / V e S A m o I l A N e N THE Finland should continue pursuing broad labour market settlements, views Lauri Lyly, the president of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK). SAK on Thursday laid out its objectives for the upcoming parliamentary elections, proposing that all matters pertaining to housing, transport and land use be transferred under the purview of the new ministry . I hear about new research projects, innovative technology and smart products. may keep their jobs until 2022, if all planned mergers are completed. It?s tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his jacket on.? THIS oUR boat is leaking. I don?t understand this when there are so many opportunities where Finland could show leadership, increase support for foreign direct investors and help our companies succeed. SAK would set up new ministry to spur economic growth M AR JUKK A LIITEN . Lauri Lyly, the president finland, get your game face on! season in the US and hockey season here. Yet more than twothirds of Finnish towns have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, according to the Finnish municipalities website. The government is implementing tighter financial oversight of municipalities and wants to rein in spending growth by centralising responsibility for services such as health care to five regional units, compared with about 200 municipal organisations today. ?The public sector must be viewed as a whole . In October, Standard & Poor?s cut Finland to AA+ from AAA as the state?s debt exceeds the 60 per cent limit to gross domestic product permitted inside the European Union. GDP slowed to 0.2 per cent last quarter . Meanwhile, Finnish local government debt has tripled to 16.3 billion euros since 2000. It will grow by another 10 billion euros by 2018, the Finance Ministry estimates. ?The government and municipalities have the same problem: the income base has collapsed while expenses have continued to grow,. We all need to sit down and start rowing. NoW I?m up to three different sport references, are you still with me? economy, our livelihoods, do not need faultfinders. on the contrary, to reduce it,. For those of us who follow the Finnish economy, not so much. IT?S fooTBALL fINLAND is in a fragile place. The number of towns has fallen by 96 since then. ?There will surely be a discussion on to what extent the public sector can offer taxpayer-funded services and to whom in the future.? One in five Finnish workers is employed by a local government. Let?s fight for our economic health, for foreign direct investments and internationalisation. Start talking like a coach, a star player and a fan. gET YoUR game face on and focus on the win. You?d say, ?It doesn?t matter what the score is now, let?s step up our game, anything is possible! Focus on the win, we can do this!? recently published an article on the contagiousness of negativity, which talks about how when leaders are actively negative, it kicks off an endemic cycle of complaining that does nothing to ease anxiety or enact positive change. YLE NEWS Stubb has described Finland?s plight as a ?lost decade?. of the central organisation, reminded that up to 80,000 jobs have disappeared form Finland during the recession. ?Must it be the town?s responsibility if someone?s cat gets sick?? l e H T I K U VA / H e I K K I S A U K Ko m A A Existing laws hampering competitiveness As the government struggles to squeeze more competitiveness out of its labour force, existing laws are hampering its efforts. Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has described the country?s plight as a ?lost decade. To add one final sport, boxing champion Muhammed Ali said of his career, ?Its lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.? oUR fINLAND, it?s time to believe in ourselves. CoLLECTIvELY we should be loud and proud of our accomplishments. as manufacturing fails to spur growth for a third consecutive year. Adding to the country?s woes is the economic pain spreading through its eastern neighbor as exports to Russia collapse. Among Finland?s 320 towns, the smallest ones may merge several times ? giving those workers another five years of job protection each time. In the northern lakeside town of Kuopio, as many as 5,578 municipal workers ? plus future newcomers from smaller locales . Anssi Rantala, chief economist at Aktia Bank, said by phone. As more people retire than join the workforce, Finland?s recession shows no sign of easing. Lyly also urged Finland to hold fast to its established practices of agreement-making and pursue a broad labour market settlement supported by measures to improve economic growth and purchasing power. The regulatory, financing and tax environment should be rationalised to remove obstacles to economic growth, SAK argues. HS A L E K S I T E I vA I N E N . 7 JANUARY 2015 brings to mind a quote I read in college by Lou Holtz, a legendary American football coach, who said ,?If you don?t make a total commitment to whatever you?re doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking
Dujarric told reporters at Wednesday?s [10 December] noon briefing. But the questions seemed never ending . we can still draw some stark conclusions about the failures to eradicate this serious international crime, for which there should be no statute of limitations and no impunity,. a view with which also faith organisations gathered in Vienna agreed. US faulted for undermining torture convention WASHINgTON DC THALIF DEEN . iP s L E H t i K u VA / FA B r i C E C O F F r i N i THE TIMINg was inadvertently impeccable as two stinging reports on harsh interrogation techniques . also coincided with Human Rights Day, which the United Nations commemorates annually on 10 December. ?Strange coincidence indeed,. 8 18 DECEMBER 2014 . the third after the Oslo (Norway) gathering in 2013 and Nayarit (Mexico) earlier this year. Unlike the previous conferences, the United States and Britain . particularly the 22 interrelated disarmament steps . Kawasaki added. US ambassador Scheinman sought to reassure in a statement prepared for the general debate: ?The United States fully understands the serious consequences of nuclear weapons use and gives the highest priority to avoiding their use. and this is the start of a process,. ?There is an open debate . It has compelled us to keep in mind the horrific consequences that would result from any use of nuclear weapons.? Questioning the rationale behind nuclear weapons, Ban . participated in the Vienna conference. But Washington?s diplomatic jargon was far-removed from the highly emotional impact of statements by survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and of nuclear testing in Australia, Kazakhstan, and the Marshall Islands. of Wildfire, a Geneva-based disarmament initiative. It has energised civil society and governments alike. he added. The release of the two reports . said Prashad, who has written extensively on international politics and is the author of 15 books. ?They knew they were outside the lines, they concealed it from their own people, and yet no one will be held accountable,. by a US Senate committee on the CIA?s interrogation tactics, and also the systematic human rights violations in Brazil as revealed in a report by the country?s National Truth Commission . Governments simply cannot listen to this evidence and hear these human stories without acting,? said Akira Kawasaki, from the Japanese NGO Peaceboat. ?The only solution is to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons and we need to start now,. And it is not for the Secretary-General to say it is a definitive report,? he shot back. he added. The United States ratified the 1987 UN Convention Against Torture back in October 1994 and Brazil in September 1989. Responding to the two reports, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra?ad Al Hussein, urged the UN?s 193 member states to act unequivocally in their effort to stamp out torture. He said the US report shows torture is still taking place in quite a few of the 156 countries that have ratified the Convention and have domestic legislation making torture illegal. ?To have it so clearly confirmed that it was recently practised as a matter of policy by a country such as the United States is a very stark reminder that we need to do far, far more to stamp it out everywhere,. He was making a statement at the final session of the conference in the Austrian capital on 8-9 December . has been very disappointing. ?Since the entry into force of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in 2011,. They gave powerful testimonies of the horrific effects of nuclear weapons. Ambassador Adam Scheinman, special representative of the US president for non-proliferation, assured that ?underpinning all of our efforts, stretching back decades, has been our clear understanding of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use.? This claim not only left a large number of participants unimpressed but also failed to give reason for hope that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference next year would bear fruit. All the more so, because as the US-based Arms Control Association, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Union of Concerned Scientist pointed out in a joint statement, ?nearly five years after the successful 2010 NPT review conference, follow-through on the consensus action plan . had ?managed to members of the nuclear club, along with France, Russia and China . two of the five VIENNA, AustriA K ARLOS ZURUTUZ A . the publication of the Senate Committee?s summary report on the CIA?s Detention and Interrogation Programme, as well as the report of Brazil?s National Truth Commission which documents the extensive use of torture, among other gross and systematic human rights violations, over a 42-year period, including the 1964-85 military dictatorship. The report on the CIA said terrorist suspects, after the 11 September, 2001 attacks on the United States, were subjected to sleep deprivation (as long as a week), water-boarding, rectal-hydration, with some prisoners ?literally looked like a dog that had been kenneled.? The CIA defended its techniques by arguing that its brutal treatment of suspects was aimed at protecting the country from further terrorist attacks. Zeid said: ?Although there are very significant differences between these two exceptionally important reports, not least in their scope and the periods they cover, I commend the governments of Brazil and the United States for enabling their release.? Few countries, he pointed out, will admit their state apparatus has been practising torture, and many continue shamelessly to deny it . he continued. This has been true at the best of times, he added. It is particularly true during this period of rising international terrorism, when it has shown a tendency to slither back into practice, disguised by euphemisms, even in countries where it is clearly outlawed, said Zeid, a former permanent representative of Jordan to the United Nations. However, he ?warmly welcomed. Vijay Prashad, professor of international studies at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, told IPS. He said the report by the US Senate Intelligence Committee shows they were well aware the revelations ?stink?. ?There is a very telling section [in the report] where they say that [then US Secretary of State] Colin Powell must not be informed, because if he is, he would blow his stack,. even as he refused to be pinned down. ?No, I do not believe the Secretary-General had direct communication with anyone in the US administration [after the report was released Tuesday].? ?No, no one is taking the report as gospel. the statement added, ?Russia and the United States have failed to start talks to further reduce their still enormous nuclear stockpiles, which far exceed any plausible deterrence requirements.? 2015 will also mark the 70th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the consequences of which are still being felt by hibakusha (survivors) and their families, as Setsuko Thurlow, Hiroshima Peace Ambassador and survivor of the atomic bombing explosion on 6 August, 1945, illustrated in an impassioned statement. ?The consequences of any nuclear weapon use would be devastating, long-lasting, and unacceptable. If they commit rape or armed robbery, they are prosecuted and jailed. ?If they order, enable or commit torture recognised as a serious international crime they cannot simply be granted impunity because of political expediency.? When that happens, Zaid said, ?We undermine this exceptional Convention, and as a number of US political leaders clearly acknowledged yesterday, we undermine our own claims to be civilized societies rooted in the rule of law.?. Zeid declared. He also said one question neither report can answer on its own, is how both countries will fulfill their obligation to ensure accountability for the crimes that have been committed. In all countries, he pointed out, if someone commits murder, they are prosecuted and jailed. This emphasised that maintaining nuclear forces on alert doesn?t provide safety but increases the likelihood of accidents. dispel the considerable goodwill the US had garnered by its decision to participate? in Vienna Conference on Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. The speaker was Richard Lennane, who prefers to call himself the ?chief inflammatory officer. Upholding doctrines of nuclear deterrence does not counter proliferation, but it makes the weapons more desirable. Growing ranks of nuclear armed-states do not ensure global stability, but instead undermine it . 7 JANUARY 2015 INTERNATIONAL NEWS HELSINKI TIMES L E H t i K u VA / s A r i Gu s tA F s s O N Nuclear states face barrage of criticism in Vienna The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had sent a message to be presented in the conference. who is known to be committed to nuclear disarmament . said that keeping the horrific consequences of nukes in mind was essential in confronting those who view nuclear weapons as a rational response to growing international tensions or as a symbol of national prestige. In his widely noted message, he criticised ?the senselessness of pouring funds into modernising the means for our mutual destruction while we are failing to meet the challenges posed by poverty, climate change, extremism and the destabilising accumulation of conventional arms.? Besides, he added, maintaining forces on alert does not provide safety, but it increases the likelihood of accidents. even when it is well documented by international human rights treaty bodies, and the scars are all too vis- ible on the victims who manage to escape. ?While it will take time to fully analyse the contents of these two landmark reports ? and I do not wish to pre-empt that analysis . by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States and former military regimes in Brazil ? UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra?ad Al Hussein notes that few countries will admit their state apparatus has been practising torture, even when the scars are all too visible on the victims who manage to escape. were released on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention Against Torture. Not surprisingly, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric was peppered . The United States stands with all those here who seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.? Irrespective of the veracity of the US claim, Scheinman?s dry and rather formulaic remarks stood in stark contrast to passionate pleas made by representatives of 44 out of 158 participating states, that as long as nuclear weapons exist, the risk of their use by design, miscalculation or madness, technical or human error remains real. Echoing worldwide sentiments, Pope Francis called in a message to the conference for nuclear weapons to be ?banned once and for all.? In a message delivered by Angela Kane, High Representative of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna initiatives had ?brought humanitarian considerations to the forefront of nuclear disarmament. iP s SARCASTIC LAUgHTER erupted when a civil society representative expressed his ?admiration for the delegate of the United States, who with one insensitive, ill-timed, inappropriate and diplomatically inept intervention. and metaphorically tortured ? with a barrage of non-stop questions on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon?s response to the charges. ?The Secretary-General believes the prohibition of torture [by the UN convention] was absolute and nonnegotiable,
losing it meant becoming part of Russia. Tourism entrepreneur Jussi Mendelin explains that the island of Västerö, on the coast of Vårö, has been a strategically important location. As the first world war began, so began plans to acSoNja oNNEL a ON THE COAST of the Gulf of Bothnia lies a municipality which played an important role in Finnish history . 7 JANUARY 2015 9 Discovering Swedish-speaking municipalities: Vörå ALICIA JENSEN HEL SINK I TIMES . It provides a tour of the area where the Battle of Oravais took place. An old Colonel?s residence called the Tottesunds mansion is also nearby, its ancestry dating to the 1600s. It was used as an administrative building in the late 1900s and early 2000s and is currently used as the board office of building and environment. One of the main battles to change the fate of Finland was the battle of Oravais, which took place in Vörå during the Finnish War of 1808-9. Weapons were unloaded with success, and the Russians didn?t find out. A week later, Lenin led the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. The Vörå Church is the oldest wooden church in Finland, built in 1626. The Maxmo Church was built in 1825 with a belfry which was part of an older church built in the 1700s. Museums include, among others, a doll and Christmas elf museum and an old school museum. Vörå is also host to a stone park which holds over one hundred pieces of stone gathered from mountains around Finland. 12.4 % 781.31 km2 of land 9.38 km2 of fresh water 709.22 km2 of salt water Women: 3266 Men: 3430 For more fun, visit: www.vora.fi Nature There are many nature trails to follow in Vörå, where it?s possible to find a varied nature including bays and forests. About 2000 Finns travelled to Germany to join the Jägers military movement to get military training. Following the trail in Västerö, one will also find a beautiful view of the Mickelöarna, or Mickel islands, and the open sea. The Mickel islands are part of the Kvarken archipelago, and are part of a protected UNESCO world heritage site.. On 10 June 1892 Finland?s national composer Sibelius married Aino Järnefelt at Tottesund. Vörå also has beautiful churches and museums to visit. The oldest piece is approximately 3500 million years old. Vörå Residents with Swedish as mother tongue approx. it is estimated that there were at least 1,000 Finnish and Swedish and 800 Russian casualties. They didn?t, however, have weapons until 1917. both in its occupation by Russia, and its independence. Vörå, or Vöyri in Finnish, is a bilingual municipality with a majority of Swedish speakers. It is incidentally also where Jean Sibelius got married. History Until 1809, Finland was under Swedish rule. During the course of the battle, Russian troops attacked the Swedish troops located in Oravais, causing the latter to retreat. The Battle is considered one of the bloodiest of the war Fänrik Ståls centre at Vörå. tualise the dream of an independent Finland. To avoid the Russians they used secret roads, one of which passed through the island of Västerö. The battle was also a critical one for Finland?s future . LIFESTYLE HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER 2014 . In late October, a German occupied English ship called Equity left Danzig, laying their anchors by the beach of Västerö four days later. On 6 December the Finnish parliament declared independence, yet struggles beginning on 27 January to remove the Russians or ?reds? from Finland continued until Finnish general Mannerheim was able to declare the war over on 16 May. Business In Vörå, primary industries employ 15.5 per cent of the population, 32.9 per cent of people work in the industrial sector, and 50.3 per cent of people work in the service sector. Culture The Fänrik Ståls centre in Vörå is an officer?s residence from the Swedish period. 82.6 % Residents with Finnish as mother tongue: approx. As such, it was an important area for the beginnings of the Finnish Jäger Movement. Finnish fighters were then secretly trained by returning Jägers in Finland
In Finland, many low-income people still have access to it. She was examined for signs of cancer during the year. I haven?t tried! While drinking my morning coffee, I read new messages and comments in Jouluapua group. ? Christmas church Going to church divides Christmas Eve into the day and the evening. It breaks your heart.? Miettinen?s son Christoph is glued to the Christmas calendar programme on television every evening. The nine-year-old loves Danish Christmas dishes, such as duck and sugar-browned potatoes. An adult can shrug their shoulders to materialism and spend Christmas intangibly, but it?s too much to ask from a child, says Miettinen. That?s why she founded specifically Jouluapua, instead of a charity dedicated to birthdays or summer holidays. A time of illness Some years ago, Heidi Miettinen sat in a hotel conference room and laughed. The cold can harm sick bones.? Things that she won?t give up ? Morning coffee I don?t know how I would be without coffee . Many of them lack a support network completely: there?s no one who would give even one gift. The letters from single parents make Miettinen especially sad. This is the second year when the page is working. What is not known about her? Her hobby is knitting. ?I?m a man and men don?t cry, but now tears just come to my eyes,. Santa Claus always came. Her mother saw poverty the closest, when she visited small villages as a home-caretaker. ?She never told us children about this in detail, but she pointed out that we should be happy with what we have, because not everyone is in the same situation.? With Jouluapua she saw clearly what her mother had only alluded to. ?Many are asking for hygiene products, shampoo and things like that, for presents for their children. Establishing Jouluapua had taken a few months. This is perhaps the secret of Jouluapua?s success. ?Many people want to help the residents of their own village or city . Even if she were able to initiate some kind of Christmas present gathering, she wouldn?t be able to store the things at home, nor would it be simple to send the things to Finland. But the idea wouldn?t leave her alone. In a one-person household this means less than 1,170 euros as a monthly income. While the use of money varies, people who send messages to Jouluapua agree on one thing: there is so little money, that there?s nothing in life that could be considered as a luxury. ?A good example is the Internet. And even if others can afford an Internet connection, they don?t have enough to go to the cinema or take the children swimming.? Miettinen has noticed that this year there are more long-term unemployed amongst people who ask for help than last year. H T was halted by the news: ?Tens of thousands of Finnish homes can?t afford Christmas food or gifts without help from others. She hopes for food aid and hygiene products to give as a gift to her 17-year-old son.? ?The mother of a family of seven is on sick leave. The pain was so severe that updating the page was possible only while lying in bed. The doctor informed her by phone that they had discovered that Miettinen has a rare bone disorder, fibrous dysplasia. Some advise that the family of ten should be left without help because they have had so many children. Others think that those who can afford to feed a dog don?t deserve support. Miettinen has one message for people writing such things on forums: there?s no point to criticise. She receives families. Christmas wishes by e-mail and selects those people who need the help most urgently. Close assistance For those caring and helpful Finns, they can choose a family that lives in the same area from a map. really the very closest ones.? Last year, 12 per cent of Finns were considered to be low-income earning. 130,000 children live below the poverty line,. tales appear to be too heavy to read, Miettinen thinks of her husband's words from a night when she was completely overwhelmed of families? bad situations, and had seriously contemplated whether she could continue. ?He said that I have to accept the situation of the families. She spent a couple days behind the computer. She set up a Facebook group that is trying to fix this situation. ESSI LEHTO . The donations don?t circle through intermediaries, but the helper and the recipient can get directly in contact with one another. Around 400 Finnish families have received gifts and food during this and last Christmas. There have been about 1,000 helpers, Miettinen estimates. Any organisation would be pleased if it would have 25,000 supporters online. The children get to choose gifts and then they go and eat together.? ?And there are many of those who will donate although they don?t have more than used things to give and can?t even afford the postage.? The pleasure derived from offering this assistance encourages her to continue. Now it seems from this that children?s wishes have been heard and at Christmas there are both grateful children and happy parents. Then it started. ?The mother of a family of 12 asks for help. HS M E R L E M US T . how many of them stand quietly in the school yard after the holidays to listen what all the gifts their friends have received, wondered Miettinen at her home in Aalborg, Denmark. ?I thought that if I could only help these families in some way.? But this seemed to be a difficult task. a father wrote recently. Sometimes, however, when families. 7 JANUARY 2015 PEOPLE HELSINKI TIMES L ARS MØLLER Low-income people?s Christmas gift wishes for children: Shampoo and soap Heidi Miettinen established the Facebook group Jouluapua. Heidi Miettinen knows that not all Finnish families can afford to buy Christmas presents for their children. Then you can talk about poverty.? At the time of going to print, Miettinen?s Facebook group has 53,000 members. The idea is simple: everyone who wants to can send or take gifts or food directly to the door of people who need them. There?s no support network to help and she lives on income support. She hopes for assistance and support with the upcoming baby.? ?A single mother has financial difficulties. The doctors were puzzled. Miettinen remembers exactly when the diagnosis came. At her childhood home in Nilsiä, vegetables were grown in their own garden, but there was no skimping: at Christmas, her father lit big candles in the yard of the country house and the mother put ham, casseroles and porridge on the table. It isn?t possible to heal completely from it, but it wasn?t cancer and it?s not fatal. ?I told the doctor that he gave me the best birthday present ever.? This Miettinen, who had laughed about the health insurance to the insurance clerk, couldn?t imagine that misfortune could fall upon her. Now Miettinen freezes up when those who request help are criticised in Internet forums. Through this page, anyone who wants can deliver Christmas food or presents directly to people who need help in Finland. Often there are a few days in a month when the family eats HEIDI MIETTINEN only bread, as there?s not enough money to buy food.? Such messages are on the Jouluapua (Christmas Help) Facebook page that Miettinen subsequently founded. But then there are also families who even don?t have this. That I shouldn?t become gloomy, but to be happy that I have the opportunity to help.? This article is also based on interviews with people who have received and given help through Jouluapua. Jouluapua Facebook group: www.facebook.com/pages/ Jouluapua Jouluapua map of families in need: www.map.karttapalvelut.fi/ jouluapua Heidi Miettinen, 35, is a Finnish-Danish hotel manager, who lives in Aalborg, Denmark together with her son, her Danish husband and his two children. But Jouluapua is a good reason to get out of bed, says Miettinen. People?s astonishing kindness ?One family helps the same family this Christmas as last year and also brings them food other times during the year. reported YLE?s website. 130,000 children . I would knit a skirt for myself for winter months from that. It felt awful that people have things this way.? Different perspective Miettinen understood that she has a privileged life. One helper offered to take the whole family Christmas shopping. Here low-income families can send their wishes for Christmas gifts. When Miettinen saw the first posts, she was tempted to cancel the whole project. The situations of the families were worse than she would ever have imagined. Having worked in the hotel industry no one had prepared Miettinen to face people?s miseries. ?I wondered if I could carry on reading these messages. The insurance company clerk had suggested that she take health insurance. ?I said that I don?t have time to get sick. My son can?t go to sleep without this.. There is a reason for everyone?s beliefs. ?If you suddenly fall ill or become unemployed, it doesn?t take away the members of your family!" The pain makes most of her hotel manager work impossible. During the day, you can still be busy, but when you step out from the church, the daily bustle has been forgotten and the Christmas peace descended. ? Night-hug We have a bedtime ritual with my children and husband: a kiss and a hug. Their economic situation has become desperate, after the father of the house fell seriously ill.? ?A young student is pregnant and alone. She moved to Denmark 16 years ago, after falling in love with a Danish man. What is known about her? She established a charity page Jouluapua (Christmas help) on Facebook. It was 19 December 2013, her birthday. I was thinking of working until I?m 65 years old.? Two years ago, however, she fell ill. The pain felt like someone was beating her hipbone with a hammer. 10 18 DECEMBER 2014 . From these you can often draw that the other parent doesn?t participate in giving children Christmas presents at all. ?Divorced parents aren?t always able to talk about their children?s Christmas between each other. ?I wish for some great wool yarn as a Christmas gift. Miettinen was on a long-term sick leave from her work as a hotel manager. In comparison: the Finnish Red Cross has more than 50,000 Facebook like?s. ?I thought at first that if I get a few hundred people who like the page and I can help a couple of families, it would already be good.? Miettinen is running Jouluapua by herself from her home in Denmark
Castillo explains. The statistics of The Association for Finnish Work show that experience gifts are also valued by Finns. There?s even a special website elamuslahjat.fi, two permanent and two temporary shops where people can buy experience gifts. These cards can be sent via e-mail or post on a Facebook wall or of course, print out, send or give it yourself to a friend or family member and wish them ?Merry Christmas!? Helsinki Airport Terminal 2 Open every day +358 (0)9 586 5058, airport@moominshop.fi FORUM Mannerheimintie 20, Helsinki Mon?Fri 9?21, Sat 9?18, Sun 12?18 +358 (0)40 192 0720, forum@moominshop.fi ITIS Itäkatu 1-5, Helsinki Mon?Fri 9?21, Sat 9?18, Sun 12?18 +358 (0)44 971 9126, itis@moominshop.fi All Things Moomin . 7 JANUARY 2015 4 ?2014 10 DECEMBER 2014 1111 Experience gifts provide time together and avoid Christmas with useless things M E R L E M US T HE L S INK I T I M E S ?EXPERIENCE GIFTS, yes, of course, I have given them!? says Villu Tommula who walked around the Christmas market on Senaatintori in Helsinki on 11 December. He and his wife had bought pants and socks with Angry Birds from there for their son?s Christmas present, but they also plan to go to a spa together with the family. By giving gifts that are services, experiences or time spent together can be environmentally friendlier than unnecessary goods. ?Yes, being together with our parents and family is most important during Christmas,. On average, Finns intend to send 16 Christmas cards this year. Favourite Christmas foods are ham, rutabaga, potato or carrot casserole, beetroot salad, salmon, herring. The subscription starts on 8 January 2015. The suggested services aren?t connected to any one company. are quite popular in Spain. They enable families to spend time together, she reflects. Their family might plan a trip from their home city Barcelona to the mountains or go to a dinner to a special restaurant. ?Something that we all can do together,. www.moomin.com A gift that keeps coming Subscribe to Helsinki Times as a gift to your friend or family member for a special price: ?16 for 2 months / ?39 for 6 months / ?64 64 for 12 months Make a saving of nearly 47% on the regular subscription price. Cut out this voucher and give it to your friend at Christmas. Christmas Gift Voucher Dear has subscribed to Helsinki Times as a gift to you for: 2 months 6 months 12 months E-mail your own contact information and the contact information of the person you wish to receive Helsinki Times (name, address, e-mail address, telephone number) to subscribe@helsinkitimes.fi. Please write ?Christmas gift. Last year, Finns bought 7 million kilos of ham for Christmas. AIRPORT Sources: Joulupuuseura, Kauppapuutarhaliitto ry, Itella, Lihatiedotos, Taloustutkimus es Authority (HSY) is offering many ideas for that on their campaign?s website www.annajotainmuuta.fi (translated in English as ?give something else?). According to HSY, Christmas presents don?t need to be expensive to be valuable. Helsinki Region Environmental Servic- How do Finns spend their Christmas? Based on a survey by Nordea, Finns. 32% of people plan to buy some gifts online. Desired gifts vary: men wish for electronics, music, movies and hobby gear; women for gift cards, home and interior decoration, jewellery and watches, can be read from the research from The Association of Finnish Work. This Christmas, Finnish homes will have around 1.5 million Christmas trees, as they are planned to get in 54% of homes. Besides trees, Finns also favour flowers at Christmas time. Last year?s most bought flowers were hyacinths (2.4 million flowers), poinsettias (1.9 million) and amaryllises (0.9 million). Finns like to send their Christmas greetings via postcards and e-cards: 87% of people were planning to do both. Elämyslahjat.fi Finland?s Country Manager Kadri Lepiku says that the now four-yearold company is growing quickly: 60 per cent compared with last year and the expected increase for this year is even greater. From their page it?s possible to buy the likes of a massage, a tandem parachute jump or a chocolate making workshop, among other things. For those who have everything Lepiku sees that people are buying experience gifts to be different, give something special and show that they care about the present?s recipient. These gifts are also valued by people who already have everything and don?t need more things in their homes, she adds. he points to his family. The offer is valid until 24 December and for new subscriptions within Finland only.. in the subject field. Christmas spending has decreased. Castillo confirms. That?s why experience gifts . she says. It?s also possible to give experience gifts without spending money. Castillo explains that her children want toys to play with as gifts. On the page it?s possible to browse through different ideas, like a breakfast at a café, going fishing or skiing together, or spending an evening with grandparents, choose the favourite one and download gift card templates for it. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING HELSINKI TIMES HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER . Especially popular is ham, which will be on 70 per cent of Finnish tables during the celebrations. ?These gifts won?t be put to the darkest corner of closets or to the shelves to just gather dust,. Pointing to the goods that they have just bought he states, ?These are one thing, but going to a spa together, that is better for the soul!? Eva Garcia Castillo, her husband and two daughters were also visiting Helsinki and the Christmas market from Spain. But there?s something more important. She turns to her husband. ?Amore, love! These people, to be with them!. This year they plan to spend around ?517 per person, which is ?33 less than last year. something non-material, like a trip, a visit to a hairdresser or a beauty salon or an evening at a restaurant . From this, ?311 will be spent on gifts, whereas last year they spent ?323 and in 2012 around ?330 on presents
Third came peppers, and the last addition to my now very colourful setting was paella. The paella was so smooth. The mussels were soft and tasted like the ocean they came from, bringing the dish back to the Spanish palate. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES AliciA Jensen B O N N I E S . Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of the orange (about 1 tablespoon). Reduce the heat to low; stir in the garlic and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant, then add the crushed red pepper flakes, orange zest and tomato paste, stirring for a minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the skillet, then the drained sausage pieces. The warmth and Southern European vibe beckons the desire for a smooth glass of wine, the cold outside just about forgotten. I arrive for the interview earlier that day. It is a windy, finger-numbing cold outside but inside it is an easy Mediterranean evening: the combination of warmth, foodies of all ages chatting energetically, and a dash of turquoise on the walls is reminiscent of Southern Europe, a vibrant restaurant by the ocean. cook for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, to form a slightly thickened sauce. First were crunchy pork cracklings with strong pineapple flavoured syrup on the side. if the mixture seems too thick, squeeze in the juice from half of the orange. Use a spoon to make 4 shallow wells in the skillet mixture. in Catalan, paying tribute to the Catalonian and Basque flavours they use, and Torchio?s years spent working in Barcelona and Giorna. Paella impressed with its flavoursome mussels. A slow start Despite Torchio?s relaxed demeanour, the restaurant didn?t have the smoothest of beginnings. Instead, by 9 pm every table is full. I tried four tapas that arrived from the kitchen one by one until I had a meal in front of me. We add some deco so it looks a little bit finer. They took too long to open; people were waiting for the place to open for months, and once it finally did, it did so quietly. If you want something different come here for the paella, a glass of the fresh Spanish white Frank Massard Herbis Verdejo 2013 for example, and the ambiance. I finished my tapas at a leisurely pace, and upon leaving, the restaurant has significantly quietened down. A few tables still hold customers enjoying their last glass of wine, not yet willing to face the cold reality outside and happy to stay in this Mediterranean corner for a while longer. Mercat tue-Fri: 17:00-23:00 sat: 16:00-23:00 korkeavuorenkatu 4 00150 helsinki tel. Yet rather than opting for a live show of fish, this restaurant decided to give its customers a circus of chefs: one-third of one wall is a window into the kitchen. An excellent upgrade from the open kitchens we are familiar with, you can almost touch the ?modern?. Into the Spanish kitchen Mercat is not Torchio?s first project. Basic plates; different flavours. ?We play with Asian, Mediterranean and Mexican flavours, and do the preparation in a better way. He coowns the restaurants with his girlfriend and her parents. They also have a taco truck Tacobot that operates in the summertime. Torchio is a chef, businessman, designer, builder, and father. cook for about 8 minutes, until browned. carefully crack each egg on the counter and open one into each well. He also owns Patrona, the popular semi-fine dining Mexican restaurant, and the Mexican street food takeaway joint Cholo. It did, however, come with three slices of bread with a delicious, garlic and tomato paste. All the recipes come from Torchio?s imagination, inspired by the time he spent in Spain and, of course, with some Latin influence. He also wants the food to be of high quality. cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are just set. While the eggs are cooking, coarsely chop the mint. Uncover the skillet and remove it from the heat. Scatter the mint over the eggs and sauce. says Torchio. he says. Even if the flavour is amazing people don?t want to pay that.? So Torchio took back the kitchen, and a new team who he?s sure will follow his line. Since then, he says, they?ve gotten much more positive comments on TripAdvisor and TableOnline. The flavours Testament to this, when I return for dinner later that day the place is bubbling like a freshly opened bottle of Cava. The restaurant opened in November with barely a whisper. ?We started a little bit with the wrong leg,. Next a plate of ham, but beyond the beautiful way the thin flakes rested coiled on the wooden slate there was nothing particularly new about the dish. 044 0562677 reservations@mercat.fi www.mercat.fi Ingredients ? 3 cloves garlic ? 1 tablespoon olive oil ? 140 grams (2 or 3 links) fresh merguez sausage (or another spicy sausage) ? 1 navel orange ? Pinch crushed red pepper flakes ? 1 tablespoon tomato paste ? 800 grams canned crushed no-salt-added tomatoes, with their juices ? Fine sea salt ? Freshly ground black pepper ? 4 large eggs, preferably farm-fresh ? 60 grams crumbled feta cheese (optional) ? ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Steps Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Discard the casings from the sausage; pinch off bite-size pieces, letting them fall into the skillet as you work. Torchio says he first hired a fine dining team, but the portions had been too small to justify the prices, a critique mentioned in earlier reviews. ?Of course if you pay 8 euros and you have one pea, it?s like ?what the hell?!. 12 EAT & DRINK 18 DECEMBER 2014 . We play a lot with colours. You see it and you think wow, I want to eat that.. The room has an aquarium. Everything at Mercat is made on site, and a lot of products are free range and from organic farming. Torchio was inspired to bring new concepts to Helsinki since he moved to Finland six and a half years ago. In his opinion, there was a lot missing in the culinary scene. ?This was the most boring place on the planet.? But project Mercat wasn?t just about the food. Manu Torchio serves up his latest batch of flavours. Developing a taste for tapas modern tapas restaurant launches quietly in helsinki. ALICIA JENSEN hel sink i times ?HOLA!? taking flavours from around the world, and making it Spanish by using the Spanish tapas as a base. Simple. ?That?s really boring. serve hot, in the skillet. nutrition | Per serving: 270 calories, 14 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 210 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fibre, 7 g sugar. Baked eggs with sausage, tomatoes and mint.. No decoration, plain as that,? comments Torchio, ?Spanish tapas are the same flavours all the time.? The idea of Mercat is to bring something else. B E N w I C K ? T H e W A S H i n g T o n P o S T P H o T o f o R T H e W A S H i n g T o n P o S T b y D E B L I N DS E Y Dinner in 30 minutes: Baked eggs with sausage, tomatoes and mint the combination of orange and mint sets this recipe apart from other eggs-in-tomatoes dishes you might have tried. the flavours seem to serve up breakfast for dinner in one neat package. to make this vegetarian, replace the sausage with diced, sauteed eggplant. serve with a salad and warm flatbread for swiping the plate. Adapted from smashing Plates: Greek Flavors Refined, by maria elia (kyle, 2013). 4 servings An artist at work. People are only slowly discovering it. Another challenge was finding the right staff. To Torchio, that modern touch means AliciA Jensen The waitress greets each customer who steps through the door of Mercat. He has designed and built the restaurant himself, with the help of his girlfriend?s father. I follow owner Manu Torchio down the hall, past the turquoise walls, the bar to my right and tables for two to the left, past a somewhat overly jovial Spanish man with a pan painted on the wall and into a smaller room with just one table. Torchio introduces this as the ?chef table?. But from his tattooed arms to the way he speaks about the ?décor? and how a plate should look, it becomes clear that he is first and foremost an artist. At Mercat he uses this skill to draw together traditional Spanish food and modernity. The restaurant?s namesake means ?market. He points to the Chef Table. ?We have an awesome charcoal oven, it gives a really good flavour,. scatter the feta around the eggs, if using. I was expecting a quiet evening; a few passers-by feeling adventurous. ?It?s the whole concept,. season lightly with salt and pepper. he adds. A 101 of tapas The universal notion of tapas is that it is a portion of food; a plate with olives, a plate with Manchego. you know. He points to the bar, which he says adds authenticity to their tapas style. Something a little finer, with a modern touch
Delicious food with tandoor Welcome to Satkar Fredrikinkatu 46, 00100 Helsinki (Kamppi, Autotalo) tel. Suitable for parties . 7 JANUARY 2015 Nepalese 13 Restaurant The best Nepalese Restaurants in Helsinki . 2 3 E t e l ä i n e n H e s p e r i a n k a t u 2 2 , 0 01 0 0 H e l s i n k i + 3 5 8 9 612 8 5 2 0 0 | w w w. 09 646 080 cuisine in Helsinki 1st to 23rd DEC 2014 MON?TUE 11.30 ?22, WED ?FRI 11.30 ?24, SAT 14?24 Sofiankatu 4, Helsinki . Eat & Drink topics? Let us know your suggestion at: info@helsinkitimes.fi Serving traditional Japanese food in Helsinki for 25 years menú NAViDAD christmas menu 18 DECEMBER 2014 . T h u 11 . f i. r o y a l r a v i n t o l a t . (09) 694 4207 gRouNd fLooR Mon-fri 10.30-21.00 Sat 10.30-20.00 Sun 11.00-18.00 BEST STEAKS IN TOWN H E L S I N K I ? L A H T I Welcome! ? T A M P E R E w w w . +358 9 6128 5900 w w w.royalr avintolat.com Lunch time 10:30-15:00 Monday-Friday Opening hours mon-thu 10:30-22:00 fri 10:30-23:00 sat 12:00-23:00 sun 12:00-22.00 tel/fax: 09-693 3010 e-mail: yetinep@gmail.com www.yetinepal.fi Salomonkatu 19, Helsinki Tel. 09 694 0750 Mon-Fri 11-23, Sat 12-23, Sun 12-22 Itämerenkatu 12, Helsinki Near Ruoholahti metro station www.tandoor.fi CAFÉ FOOD MARKET À LA CARTE CHAMPAGNE DESSERT Stockmann Department Store Aleksanterinkatu 52 00100 Helsinki T +358 20 729 6803 www.fazer.fi/8thfloor Karl Fazer Café ALA A HI M Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu 7 mon: 11:00-15:00 Helsinki, tel: 045 325 0850 tue-fri: 11:00-22:00 www.daynite.fi sat:12:00-22:00, sun: closed Y Kluuvikatu 3 00100 Helsinki T +358 20 729 6702 Transforming Finnish gifts of nature in an innovative manner to suit modern tastes. Korkeavuorenkatu 27 Helsinki Tel. tel. +358 9 611 077 +358 44 261 1 777 www.satkar.fi Nepalese Japanese Restaurant Koto L. +358 9 611 077 +358 40 707 1140 Alvar-Allonkatu 3 A 00100 Helsinki Near the railway station tel. c o m Eteläesplanadi 24 tel. 01, S a t 13 . 01, S u n 13 . Fully licensed . +358 9 635 732 www.juuri.fi Nepalese Cuisine Open Mon-Fri 7.30-22.00 Sat 9.00-22.00 Sun 10.00-18.00 www.karlfazercafe.fi Since 1993 The Oldest Nepalese Restaurant in Finland Welcome to enjoy our exotic food Open Mon-Fri 11-23, weekends 12-23, Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-15 Contact: Ratakatu 1B, 00120 Helsinki. Book your table tel. nnrotinkatu 22, Helsinki t. EAT & DRINK HELSINKI TIMES Happy with Helsinki Times. (09) 647 551, mob 040 7347 638 www.himalaya.fi Since 1891 Restaurant Idän Piste Turunlinnantie 14 00930 Helsinki Finnish restaurant classic s i n c e 19 3 2 Late night bar & restaurant www.idanpiste.fi M o n . 2 4 , F r i 11 . m a n h a t t a n s t e a k h o u s e . (09) 611 217 Mon-Tue 10.30-23.00 Wed-Sat 10.30-24.00 Sun 12.00-23.00 Forum Mannerheimintie 20 tel
Kultabassokerho Grande Finale Rap Ääniwalli Pälkäneentie 13 Tickets ?14.50 www.facebook.com/Aaniwalli Wed 31 December New Year?s Eve with Antero Lindgren Folk rock Bar Loose Annankatu 21 Tickets ?8.50 www.barloose.com Fri 2 January The Macho Party: Minutian, Blate, Dear Nemesis Metal Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 www.semifinal.fi Fri 2 January Yournalist Rock/pop On The Rocks Mikonkatu 15 Tickets ?5 www.ontherocks.fi Sat 3 January Beverly Girl, Ten After Dawn, Loistava Polku Pop Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets ?7.50 www.semifinal.fi Sat 3 January Subsonics, Salmonsnake Pop/rock On The Rocks Mikonkatu 15 www.ontherocks.fi THEATRE & DANCE Thu 18 December Maija Mustonen: The Greatest Dance Hits 10 dancers, 10 pieces of music, 10 interpretations Zodiak - Center for New Dance Tallberginkatu 1B Tickets ?14/22 www.zodiak.fi Thu 18 & Sat 20 December The Nutcracker and the Mouse King The traditional Christmas time ballet Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets ?21.50-107.50 www.opera.fi Thu 18 December-Wed 7 January Winter Circus Dream Magical winter circus with acrobats, sleep walkers, magicians and virtuosos of every kind Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 A www.hurjaruuth.fi EXHIBITIONS Until Sun 21 December Anna Tuori: There Is No Place Like Home Captivating paintings by Anna Tuori Galerie Anhava Fredrikinkatu 43 Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entry www.anhava.com Until Sun 4 January Artists 2014 The exhibition of Artists´ Association of Finland Kunsthalle Helsinki Nervanderinkatu 3 Open: Tue, Thu, Fri 11:00-18:00 Wed 11:00-20:00 Sat, Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets ?0/7/10 www.taidehalli.fi Until Sun 11 January Ceramics & Space Exhibition of contemporary Finnish ceramics Design Museum Korkeavuorenkatu 23 Helsinki Open: Tue 11:00-20:00 Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00 Tickets ?0/5/8/10 www.designmuseum.fi Until Sun 11 January Tuomas A. or better described, a collaborator ? is as natural as working with an actor to make the story come alive. Association of Finland, The Last Artists is the association?s 119th annual exhibition, and probably the last of its kind. The Masquerade Helsingin Kaivohuone Iso Puistotie 1 Tickets ?7.50-16.50 www.helsinginkaivohuone.fi Wed 31 December Kuudes Linja NYE 2015 Stockers! , Erkko & Harvest Kuudes Linja Hämeentie 13 Tickets ?7/10 www.kuudeslinja.com Wed 31 December Uus Uus Uus Vuos . The featured artists are Markus Copper, Elina Juopperi, Dzamil Kamanger & Kalle Hamm, Jukka Korkeila, Kalle Lampela, Harrie Liveart, Kimmo Modig & Jaakko Pallasvuo, Mimosa Pale in cooperation with the Other Spaces live arts collective, Pink Twins, Seppo Salminen, Suohpanterror and Pilvi Takala, representing different media and generations. Until Sun 4 January Kunsthalle Helsinki Nervanderinkatu 3 Tue, Thu, Fri 11:00-18:00 MUSIC Thu 18 December Swinging Christmas Antti Sarpila Swing Band, feat. model: Veena malik. Wed 31 December NYE: Horse Meat Disco (UK) Italo disco, house Kaiku Kaikukatu 4 Tickets ?8/14 www.clubkaiku.fi which the real life person gets to experience their own story line and perhaps go beyond it. Traumatic experiences, fears, mental barriers and stressful life situations have proven a fertile springboard to creating an evolving art piece that lasts for all involved as something of value. It is emotional alchemy. One in VESA K IVINEN Flower of Life, artevo edition, 2013. Association of Finland, has come to an end. Is the institution still needed. The traditional annual exhibition has provoked hot debates for more than hundred years. How to transform the negative into something creative and positive both personally and societally; letting go of things that no longer serve us. I?m professionally curious and seem to be driven by leaving this place somehow better or at least not worse by being here. The LUX and the Veena Malik projects were a good push towards this direction. Currently my family inspires me as well as the awareness that just by walking in nature for five minutes consciously you are likely to be more astonished than anything that I can ever do in art. Sat 20 & Sun 21 December Rajaton Joulu 2014 A cappella Christmas concert Helsinki Music Centre Concert Hall Manneheimintie 13 Helsinki Tickets ?41.50 www.musiikkitalo.fi Thu 25 December Musta Joulu (?Black Christmas?) Rap, r&b and dancehall rhythms The Circus Salomonkatu 1-3 Tickets ?10 www.thecircus.fi Fri 26 December The Souls Rock Bar Loose Annankatu 21 Tickets ?11.50 www.barloose.com Fri 26 December Roope Salminen & Koirat Hip hop/pop Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets ?11.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Fri 26 December Teknojoulu ?Techno Christmas. 3 Fear of Domination, Turmion Kätilöt, One Morning Left, 2 Times Terror Nosturi Telakkakatu 8 www.elmu.fi Wed 11:00-20:00 Sat, Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets ?0/7/10 www.taidehalli.fi Wed 31 December Macdeth Tribute to Megadeth On The Rocks Mikonkatu 15 Helsinki Tickets ?6.50 www.ontherocks.fi Suophanterror: Suohpangiehta Fri 19 December The Mutants, The Voltas Rock Bar Loose Annankatu 21 www.barloose.com Fri 19 December Metsatöll (EST), Avra Folk metal On The Rocks Mikonkatu 15 www.ontherocks.fi Sat 20 December Kasimir Pop/soul The Circus Salomonkatu 1-3 www.thecircus.fi Fri 19 December Death in June (UK) ?Neo-folk? Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 B www.korjaamo.fi Fri 19 December Mastodon (USA) Progressive metal The Circus Salomonkatu 1-3 www.thecircus.fi Sat 20 December Kuningasidea Blend of rap and reggae Sello Hall Soittoniekanaukio 1A www.sellosali.fi Fri 19 December FaltyDL (USA) IDM/drum and bass/house Kaiku Kaikukatu 4 www.clubkaiku.fi Fri 19 December-Fri 2 January Johann Strauss: Die Fledermaus Classic operetta with bubbly music Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 www.opera.fi Sat 20 December J Mascis (USA) Musician known from the legendary Dinosaur Jr Nosturi Telakkakatu 8 Helsinki Tickets ?30.50 www.elmu.fi Emotional alchemy for all HEL SINK I TIMES ?Vesa?s art is amongst the most integrally advanced in the history of Western abstraction . Humans today are so brand orientated that fighting against it seems like a waste of energy. Rather than abstraction as a fleeing from life, his works are a diving into the incarnate mystery of human being . The ability of Elon Musk and Peter Sage to make commercially viable products out of the most necessary things for our collective evolution is something worth pursuing. My background is in filmmaking, so working with the model . Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Artists. with top Finnish djs Virgin Oil CO. Mannerheimintie 5 Tickets ?11.50 www.virginoil.fi Mon 29 December & Sat 3 January Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème One of the world?s most beloved operas Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets ?21.50-107.50 www.opera.fi Mon 29-Wed 31 December Helldone 2014 Paradise Lost (UK), Children of Bodom, HIM etc Tavastia & Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets ?63-253.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Wed 31 December Von Hertzen Brothers Rock Virgin Oil CO. Mannerheimintie 5 Helsinki Tickets ?24/25 www.virginoil.fi Wed 31 December NYE Concert Soprano Carolyn Sampson Helsinki Music Centre Manneheimintie 13 www.musiikkitalo.fi Wed 31 December NYE at Kaivohuone . This is only part true, as currently even amongst the world?s best, it is rare that the expression goes beyond aesthetic beauty and visual trickery to tangible intellectual content and emotional processes. direct celebrations of the fullness of Life.? Michael Schwartz, Professor of History and Philosophy of Art, Augusta State University, March 2014 is mostly associated with women having BODYPAINTING their breasts painted as footballs in sporting events in order to sell beer. no small claim, but one backed up by the works themselves. In a field as intangible as art this can be completely transformative when successful. Laitinen: Fundamental Matter Wide-ranging installations combining sound, light and moving image EMMA . My work is to create a world, a frame in which the story can naturally take place for the character. Usually the models don?t get to offer much more than their bodies as a canvas. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES compiled by anna-maija lappi S U O P H A N T E R RO R The Last Artists Exhibition Wed 31 December We Love Helsinki Uudenvuodentanssit New Years´ Eve dance Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 B Tickets ?16.50 www.korjaamo.fi The traditional annual ARTISTS exhibition, organised by the Artists. And what are the principles behind the exhibition? First founded in 1893, the aim of the exhibition was to illustrate the state of contemporary art in Finland. Instead of the traditional open call, the Last Arists Exhibition features 12 artists and groups selected by curators Marketta Haila and Villu Jaanisoo. 14 WHERE TO GO 18 DECEMBER 2014 . Espoo Museum of Modern Art Ahertajantie 5 Open: Tue, Thu, Fri 11:00-18:00 Wed 11:00-20:00 Sat, Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets ?0/10/12 www.emma.museum Until Mon 12 January Anita Snellman Retrospective on the avid colourist Anita Snellman Amos Anderson Art Museum Yrjönkatu 27 Mon, Thu, Fri 10:00-18:00 Wed 10:00-20:00 Sat, Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets ?0/2/8/10 www.amosanderson.fi Until Sun 18 January #snapshot Photographs taken by ordinary people, images sourced from the internet, historic snapshots and selfies as well as an overview of the history of the selfie The Finnish Museum of Photography Tallberginkatu 1 Tickets ?0/6/8 Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00 Wed 11:00-20:00 www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi OTHERS Wed 31 December New Year´s Eve at the Senate Square Live music, circus performances and fireworks show Senate Square Free entry www.facebook.com Sun 4-Thu 8 January Lux Helsinki 2015 Light art festival Free entry www.luxhelsinki.fi. What keeps me up at night is how to make Artevo into an investment-worthy brand like Tesla and the even more emerging Space Energy by Sage. Johanna Iivanainen Savoy Theatre Kasarmikatu 46-48 Tickets ?32/35 www.savoyteatteri.fi Fri 19 December MetalOrgy Goes Xmas Vol
Commuter trains will run less frequently than on a normal Sunday, until about 11am, after which a normal Sunday service will resume. The Suomenlinna ferry will run according to a normal Sunday schedule throughout the day. The new service will replace the existing HSL Journey Planner and the national Matka.fi service run by the Finnish Transport Agency. ?We are now developing a mobile-friendly journey planner. On the night of Boxing Day, night services will be operated on the bus, tram and the Metro routes. Night Metro to run for the last time On New Year?s Eve, 31 December, HSL will operate a Friday service. The cooperation enables the use of the HSL Travel Card as a loyalty card for the Kliento member companies. The price of the 30-day internal season ticket will rise to ?49.50. No changes will take place in the price of day tickets popular among tourists and other passengers using public transport irregularly. While the HSL Journey Planner is still among the best-known and most popular Finnish online services, customers are now looking for functionalities designed for mobile devices, real-time information during their journey and information on prices. Commuter trains will also run some services on the night of Christmas Day. On Boxing Day, 26 December, public transport will run a Sunday service. All these reforms will considerably improve services available to passengers. HSL has started cooperation with Kliento Oy who has developed a loyalty program for local brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants. The Metro night service trial is set to end at the beginning of next year. 18 DECEMBER 2014 . explains HSL project manager Jari Honkonen. Passengers will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on a test version towards the end of summer 2015. On Christmas Eve, 24 December, buses, the Metro and trams will operate a Saturday service until around 4pm, while commuter trains will operate a reduced service and stop running at around 5.30pm. In Helsinki, buses, trams and the Metro will operate a Sunday service, while elsewhere in the region only some of the bus routes will be in operation. The Suomenlinna ferry will run according to a Saturday timetable throughout the day. On Christmas Day, 25 December, public transport will start running at around 11am. Buses will run additional services on New Year?s Eve and the Metro will continue to run two hours longer than usual. The prices of single tickets will mainly remain the same. The prices were revised because of the significant public transport projects carried out in the region. The Ring Rail Line, new trains that have been ordered and the new trunk route 560, scheduled to start operating in autumn 2015 will increase the public transport operating costs by some ?11.6 million in 2015 and this is reflected in the ticket prices. The journey planner based on open data, interfaces and source code will also benefit other services,. 09 4766 4000 (Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm) Advice on public transport routes, timetables and tickets, Travel Card assistance and lost Travel Cards HSL Helsinki Region Transport PO BOX 100, 00077 HSL www.hsl.fi Public transport services over Christmas and New Year Public transport in the Helsinki region will wind down on Christmas Eve but additional services are available to party-goers late into the night on New Year?s Eve. A journey planner for the whole country under way HSL and the Finnish Transport Agency have joined forces to develop a national journey planner. Set to be completed in 2016, the new, open journey planner will offer help for travellers planning their travel routes and provide information on possible traffic disruptions and estimated departure times from stops. Designed for use during journeys, the new service utilises real-time travel information. If need be, the service changes the route according to the traffic situation and also provides information on the fares for the journey in question, when available. New companies join Kliento all the time. All you have to do is to show your Travel Card when you make a purchase but you can also register your Travel Card to the Kliento service at www.kliento.net.. New Year?s celebrations are expected to attract a large number of visitors to the Senate Square, causing many of the trams to be diverted to alternative routes. Ticket prices to go up HSL Travel Card is now also a loyalty card HSL travel fares are set to go up by 3.8 per cent on average at the beginning of next year. The cooperation is part of HSL?s customer program to be launched next spring. At the moment, for example Cafe Ursula, Ciao!Caffé, Wrong Asian Kitchen, Funky Burger and 4Runners are included in the service. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES 15 Customer service points Rautatientori Metro Station (by Central Railway Station) Itäkeskus Metro Station Pasila, Opastinsilta 6A Monthly review HSL Customer service tel
USA/2010. 23.00 Spartacus: Vengeance (K18) 00.05 Nana (K18) FILM 01.55 At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story FILM saturday 19.12. 14.00 X Factor UK 19.05 Suburgatory 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Inception FILM Directed by: Christopher Nolan, USA 2010. Starirng: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page. USA/2010. 23.50 Suburgatory 00.15 Grimm (K16) 01.15 Shameless JIM 11.30 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 12.30 Dinner Impossible 13.25 Man vs. Food 14.25 Shark Tank USA 15.20 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.15 Modern Marvels 17.10 Man vs. (K16) 00.25 Grimm NELONEN Inception Sub 21.00 07.00 Children?s Programming 08.20 Wizards of Waverly Place 08.50 Animal ABC 09.50 Clean House New York 13.50 How to be a Gentleman 14.30 Once Upon a Time 15.30 Pawn Stars 16.00 Frasier 16.30 The Santa Clause FILM Directed by: John Pasquin. Starring: Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd. Starring: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Krumholtz. USA/2002. 22.25 NCIS 00.25 Rescue Me TV5 07.00 Dogs 101 07.55 MacGyver 08.50 Matlock 12.45 Michaela?s Animal Road Trip 13.35 Disappeared 14.30 MacGyver 15.25 Matlock 16.20 Columbo 19.10 It?s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie FILM Directed by: Kirk R. Thatcher. Elmo FILM 14.05 Dawson?s Creek 14.55 Smack the Pony Christmas Specials 15.55 Sister Wives 16.25 My Crazy Obsession 17.00 Megalodon: The New Evidence 17.55 Top 20 Funniest 18.50 Roxanne FILM 21.00 American Gangster (K16) FILM Directed by: Ridley Scott. Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Denzel Washington, Josh Brolin. USA/2007. 00.00 Dracula (K16) 00.55 Carnal Cravings (K18) FILM 02.50 Knight Rider 03.45 Rules of Engagement 23.12. MTV3 NELONEN 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Auf Wiedersehen, My Pet! 14.35 Modern Family 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 21.00 The Mentalist 22.35 C.S.I. USA/2007. 21.00 Fun with Dick and Jane FILM Directed by: Dean Parisot. USA/2005. 22.45 Animism: The People Who Love Objects 23.50 Roxanne FILM 01.55 Spartacus: Vengeance (K18) A Christmas Carol Nelonen 21.00 07.30 Children?s Programming 08.30 Sea Rescue 10.10 Zoo 13.10 Ramsay?s Best Restaurant 14.10 Pawn Stars 14.40 How to be a Gentleman 17.55 Once Upon a Time 21.00 A Christmas Carol FILM Directed by: Robert Zemeckis. New York (K16) 23.35 Person of Interest 00.35 Glades 01.35 Homeland (K16) SUB 15.00 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Range 18.00 Supersize vs Superskinny 19.05 Raising Hope 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 The Blind Side FILM Directed by: John Lee Hancock. Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci. USA/1997. 23.25 C.S.I. Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, Peter Stormare. USA/Czech Republic/2002. 23.25 Oz (K16) 00.30 Frasier 01.00 Ice Road Truckers 03.00 The Deadliest Roads TV5 08.00 Children?s Programming 10.25 Grand Designs 11.25 Jamie at Home Christmas Special 12.55 A Family Thanksgiving FILM 16.35 Euro Hockey Tour: Finland-Sweden SPORT In Finnish. 19.45 Night at the Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian FILM Directed by: Shawn Levy. USA/2009. 01.10 Gates (K16) 02.10 Homeland SUB 11.00 The Simpsons 14.00 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) 15.00 Ladies of London 16.00 Glee 17.00 Pretty Little Liars 18.00 X Factor UK 19.00 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown 20.00 Mythbusters 21.00 Independence Day FILM 23.45 C.S.I. 00.45 The Originals (K16) JIM 09.05 MasterChef Australia: All Stars 10.30 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 12.20 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 13.15 Mountain Men 14.10 Talent USA 15.05 Undercover Boss 16.00 Kitchen Nightmares 20.00 Undercover Boss 22.00 American Pickers 23.00 Strange or What? 00.00 American Restoration 00.30 Ball Boys 01.00 Prison Police 02.30 Modern Marvels NELONEN 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Double Your House For Half The Money 14.35 Mike & Molly 15.15 The House That £100K Built 16.15 Undercover Boss 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 22.40 Ransom (K16) FILM Directed by: Ron Howard. USA/1996. 01.05 Crisis (K16) 02.05 Homeland SUB 14.00 14.55 16.00 18.00 Top Chef Mythbusters Walker, Texas Ranger Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown 19.05 How I Met Your Mother 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 I Love You, Beth Cooper 22.50 Arrow 23.50 Cheaters 00.55 How I Met Your Mother 11.10 Ink Master 12.05 Dangerous Encounters with Brady Barr 13.10 Man vs. Food 18.10 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.05 Shark Tank USA 20.00 American Pickers 21.00 Posh Pawn 22.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.30 Pawn Stars 23.00 Shark Tank USA 23.55 Ice Road Truckers 00.50 Border Security: Australia?s Front Line 01.20 Prison Police The Blind Side SUB 21.00 07.00 Children?s Programming 08.20 Animal ABC 09.50 Clean House New York 14.20 Beverly Hills Nannies 15.20 Pawn Stars 15.50 Frasier 16.20 The Santa Clause 2 FILM Directed by: Michael Lembeck. Starring: Reese Witherspoon,Vince Vaughn, Robert Duvall. USA/Germany/2008. 00.20 American Pickers TV5 06.20 Growing Up 07.15 Smack the Pony Christmas Specials 08.15 Dawson?s Creek 12.05 Oliver! FILM Directed by: Carol Reed. Starring: Harry Secombe, Jack Wild, Mark Lester. UK/1968. 16.25 Monk 17.20 Knight Rider 18.20 House 19.20 Beethoven?s 2 FILM USA/1993. 21.00 Get Him to the Greek FILM Directed by: Nicholas Stoller. Food 18.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.00 Shark Tank USA 20.00 Hotel Hell 22.00 Posh Pawn 23.00 Shark Tank USA 00.00 Last Chance Driving School 00.30 Bad Ink 01.00 Cajun Pawn Stars monday 21.12. MTV3 MTV3 JIM 06.45 Bad Dog! 07.40 MacGyver 08.35 Matlock 12.30 The King of Queens 13.25 Disappeared 14.15 MacGyver 15.10 Matlock 16.05 Rules of Engagement 16.35 Everybody Loves Raymond 17.05 Married. Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron. USA/2009. 23.25 Raising Hope 23.50 Nikita (K16) 00.50 Shameless JIM 13.25 Man vs. Food Shark Tank USA MasterChef Australia: All Stars 16.00 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.00 Man vs. Voices: Jim Carrey, Gay Oldman, Colin Firth. 16 TV GUIDE 18 DECEMBER 2014 . USA/2011. 22.35 The Patriot (K16) FILM 01.45 Operation Repo 02.35 Rules of Engagement 11.00 Modern Family 12.00 Two and a Half Men 14.00 Undercover Boss USA 15.00 Top Chef 16.00 Supersize vs Superskinny 17.05 How I Met Your Mother 17.30 X Factor UK 19.05 Catching Hell 20.00 Top Gear 21.00 Lethal Weapon 4 (K16) FILM Directed by: Richard Donner. 7 JANUARY 2015 HELSINKI TIMES Helsinki Times TV Guide offers a selection of English broadcasting on Finnish television. thursday friday 18.12. MTV3 NELONEN 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Property Brothers 14.35 Ground Floor 15.15 Jamie?s Food Escapes 17.30 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 20.05 Undercover Boss 23.45 Mind Games 00.45 Homeland SUB 14.00 Top Chef 14.55 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Ranger 18.00 Top Chef 19.05 2 Broke Girls 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Arrow 22.00 Extant 23.00 The 100 00.00 2 Broke Girls 00.25 Supernatural (K16) JIM 11.25 12.20 13.15 13.45 14.40 Ink Master Modern Marvels Man vs. USA/2007. 22.50 Chicago Fire 00.40 Evan Almighty FILM. Starring: David Arquette, Joan Cusack, Matthew Lillard. USA/2002. 21.00 Evan Almighty FILM Directed by: Tom Shadyac. Starring: John Goodman, John Michael Higgins, Jonah Hill. Food 18.10 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.05 Shark TankUSA 20.00 Kitchen Nightmares 21.00 Roast - Charlie Sheen 22.30 Cajun Pawn Stars 23.00 Pawn Stars 23.30 Shark Tank USA 01.20 Ice Road Truckers 02.15 Posh Pawn NELONEN SUB Ransom NELONEN MTV3 22.40 07.00 Children?s Programming 08.20 Wizards of Waverly Place 08.50 Animal ABC 09.50 Clean House New York 13.50 For Rent 14.20 Hoarders 15.50 America?s Next Top Model 16.50 Pawn Stars 17.20 Frasier 17.50 Ramsay?s Best Restaurant 21.00 Freaky Friday FILM Directed by: Mark Waters. Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Harmon. With Children 17.45 The King of Queens 18.45 Hollywood Homicide FILM 21.00 Priest FILM Directed by: Scott Stewart. Starring: Brad Dourif, Cam Gigandet, Christopher Plummer. Starring: Colm Meaney, Elisabeth Moss, Jonah Hill. Starring: Laz Alonso, Chris Brown, Loretta Devine. USA/1994. 23.25 Frasier 23.55 Oz (K16) TV5 06.30 Michaela?s Animal Road Trip 07.25 MacGyver 08.20 Matlock 12.15 The King of Queens 13.05 Disappeared 14.00 MacGyver 14.55 Matlock 15.55 Columbo SERIES BEGINS. 18.40 This Christmas FILM Directed by: Preston A. WhitmoreII. With Children 18.00 The King of Queens 19.00 America?s Worst Tattoos 20.00 Top 20 Funniest 21.00 Deck The Halls FILM Directed by: John Whitesell. USA/2006. 23.15 Best of Anna Nicole Smith (K16) 00.30 Julie & Julia FILM NELONEN Four Christmases Nelonen 21.00 07.30 10.30 11.00 13.20 14.20 14.50 Red Caps Sea Rescue Zoo Body of Proof Pawn Stars A Lot Like Love FILM Directed by: Nigel Cole. USA/2005. 21.00 Four Christmases FILM Directed by: Seth Gordon. USA/2000. 00.00 White Chicks FILM 02.15 Frasier 02.45 Castle 03.40 Ice Road Truckers TV5 06.30 Dogs vs Cats 07.25 MacGyver 08.20 Matlock 12.15 The King of Queens 13.05 Disappeared 13.55 MacGyver 14.55 Matlock 15.45 Rules of Engagement 16.15 Everybody Loves Raymond 16.45 Married. USA/2009. 00.00 Prime Cut (K18) FILM 01.50 American Pickers TV5 JIM 09.15 MasterChef Australia: All Stars 12.10 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 13.10 American Restoration 13.40 Ball Boys 14.10 Ice Road Truckers 15.05 Ice Road Truckers 16.00 Gordon?s Great Escape Gordon Ramsay takes the trip of a lifetime, setting out on gastronomic adventures in India and South East Asia. 17.00 American Pickers 18.00 Undercover Boss 19.00 Kitchen Nightmares 20.00 Posh Pawn 21.00 Guinness World Records 22.00 Aussie Pickers 23.00 Pawn Stars 02.00 Modern Marvels tuesday 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.30 Amazing Race 14.30 The Millers 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 21.00 The Mentalist 22.35 Rizzoli & Isles 23.35 The Good Guys 00.35 Homeland SUB MTV3 08.05 Children?s Programming 21.00 Amazing Race 22.15 Lottery and Joker 01.40 Homeland (K16) 22.12. MTV3 20.12. 06.40 Must Love Cats 07.35 Top 20 Funniest 08.25 Disappeared 12.15 St. Food 14.25 Shark Tank USA 15.20 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.15 Modern Marvels 17.10 Man vs. Food 18.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover Anthony Bourdain arrives in a new city each week with only 24-48 hours to show viewers the insider places, people and foods. 19.00 Shark Tank USA 20.00 Talent USA 21.00 Undercover Boss 22.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.30 Pawn Stars 23.00 Shark Tank USA sunday Bad Company Nelonen 21.00 07.00 Children?s Programming 08.20 Wizards of Waverly Place 08.50 Animal ABC 09.50 Love Handles 13.50 For Rent 14.20 Bill?s Food 15.50 America?s Next Top Model 16.50 Pawn Stars 17.20 Frasier 17.50 Ramsay?s Best Restaurant 21.00 Bad Company (K16) FILM Directed by: Joel Schumacher. Food 14.10 Shark Tank USA 15.05 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.00 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.00 Man vs
7 JANUARY 2015 17 Helsinki Times TV Guide offers a selection of English broadcasting on Finnish television. wedneday MTV3 NELONEN 08.00 Children?s Programming 10.35 The Bold and the Beautiful 11.00 Emmerdale 14.40 How I Met Your Mother 15.25 Cosmos 17.30 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 19.10 From All of Us to All of You 2014 21.50 Ocean?s Eleven FILM Directed by: Steven Soderbergh. Starring: Matt Demon, Penélope Cruz, Henry Thomas. Food 18.10 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.05 Shark Tank USA 20.00 Bad Ink 23.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 23.30 Pawn Stars saturday thursday 24.12. From All of Us to All of You MTV3 19.10 07.00 Children?s Programming 08.00 Animal ABC 11.25 The Search for Santa Paws FILM 13.10 Grandview FILM 15.10 Pawn Stars 16.10 Frasier 16.40 Pretty Bird FILM Directed by: Paul Schneider. Starring: Billy Crudup, Paul Giamatti, Kristen Wiig. USA/2008. 00.25 Castle 01.20 Frasier TV5 07.10 MacGyver 08.05 Matlock 11.55 Dogs 101 12.50 Disappeared 13.40 MacGyver 14.35 Columbo 17.20 Hook FILM Directed by: Steven Spielberg. USA/2011. 00.00 Royal Pains 00.55 Revolution (K16) 01.50 Homeland (K16) SUB 14.00 Jamie?s Dream School 14.55 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Ranger 18.00 Kitchen Nightmares USA 19.05 New Girl 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Top Chef 22.00 NCIS: New Orleans 23.00 Jennifer?s Body (K16) JIM 10.35 Ink Master 11.30 Modern Marvels 12.25 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 13.20 Man vs. Food 14.20 Shark TankUSA 15.15 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.10 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.10 Man vs. Food 18.10 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.05 Shark TankUSA 21.50 World?s Disasters DOC 22.40 Posh Pawn 23.35 Shark Tank USA 00.30 Bad Ink monday 28.12. MTV3 26.12. Ocean?s Twelve MTV3 22.25 07.20 Animal ABC 08.20 A Boy Named Charlie Brown FILM 10.00 Snoopy Come Home FILM 11.30 Minutemen FILM 13.15 Love Handles 14.10 MasterChef USA 16.55 Race to Witch Mountain FILM Directed by: Andy Fickman. UK/2001. 23.00 Deadly Affairs 23.55 My Crazy Obsession 00.30 Fun with Dick and Jane FILM Directed by: Dean Parisot. Starring: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, Alec Baldwin. USA/2005. 02.05 At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story FILM MTV3 NELONEN 08.05 Children?s Programming 15.40 Nigel Marven?s Venom Hunters 16.40 Top Gear 22.15 Lottery and Joker 00.30 Homeland (K16) SUB 11.00 12.00 13.31 14.30 15.30 16.25 16.55 19.05 20.10 21.00 Modern Family Two and a Half Men Undercover Boss USA Top Chef USA Supersize vs Superskinny How I Met Your Mother X Factor UK Catching Hell The Simpsons Sea of Love (K16) FILM Directed by: Harold Becker. Starring: Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman. USA/1989. 23.10 C.S.I. Food 17.40 Man vs. Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Miriam Margoyles. USA/1993. 23.40 Dracula 00.40 Girl for Girl (K18) NELONEN 08.00 Children?s Programming 10.35 The Bold and the Beautiful 11.00 Emmerdale 13.40 From All of Us to All of You 2014 14.40 Ground Floor 15.25 Property Brothers 16.25 Jamie?s Food Escapes 17.30 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 19.10 Apollo 13 FILM Directed by: Ron Howard. USA/1995. 21.45 Water for Elephants FILM 00.05 Mind Games 00.55 Homeland (K16) SUB 14.00 Top Chef 14.55 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Ranger 18.00 Top Chef 19.05 2 Broke Girls 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Arrow 22.00 Extant 23.00 The 100 (K16) 00.00 2 Broke Girls 00.25 Supernatural (K16) JIM 11.30 12.25 13.20 14.20 15.15 Ink Master JIM D: Modern Marvels Man vs. USA/Czech Republic/2006. 23.25 Young Guns (K16) FILM Directed by: Christopher Cain. Food 14.20 Shark Tank USA 15.15 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.10 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.10 Man vs. Food 16.15 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 17.10 American Pickers 18.05 Undercover Boss 19.00 Kitchen Nightmares 20.00 Posh Pawn 21.00 Guinness World Records 22.00 Trigger Happy T V 23.00 Pawn Stars 02.00 Border Security: Australia?s Front Line 03.00 Modern Marvels MTV3 The Age of Innocence T V5 21.00 07.55 Children?s Programming 08.25 Sea Rescue 08.50 Zoo 10.30 Kids Rock 2014 12.10 David Blaine: Real or Magic 13.30 How to be a Gentleman 19.00 Once Upon a Time 21.00 The Rock (K16) FILM Directed by: Michael Bay. Starring: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris. USA/1996. 00.35 A Man Called Horse (K16) FILM 02.50 American Pickers TV5 07.15 Must Love Cats 08.10 Top 20 Funniest 09.00 Disappeared 12.50 Boys and Girls FILM 14.25 Dawson?s Creek 15.15 My Crazy Obsession 15.45 Sister Wives 17.15 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles FILM 19.00 The End of the Affair FILM Directed by: Neil Jordan. Starring: Ian Hart, Jason Isaacs, Julianne Moore. USA/1999. 21.00 The Age of Innocence FILM Directed by: Martin Scorsese. Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov. USA/1988. 01.05 Homeland (K16) SUB 11.00 The Simpsons 14.00 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) 15.00 Ladies of London 16.00 Glee 17.00 Pretty Little Liars 18.00 X Factor UK 19.00 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown 20.00 Mythbusters 21.00 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World FILM Directed by: Peter Weir. Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D?Arcy. USA/2003. 23.40 C.S.I. Food 14.00 Shark Tank USA 15.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.00 Modern Marvels 17.00 Man vs. New York (K16) 22.35 Die Hard (K16) FILM Directed by: John McTiernan. Starring: Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts. Starring: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips. USA/1988. 01.35 American Pickers TV5 09.00 Dawson?s Creek 12.50 Matilda FILM 14.30 My Crazy Obsession 15.25 United States of Bacon 15.55 Sean Saves the World 16.20 Monk 17.15 Knight Rider 18.15 House 19.10 Son of the Pink Panther FILM 21.00 Big Daddy FILM USA/1999. 22.50 Spartacus: Vengeance (K18) 23.55 Step Brothers FILM Directed by: Adam Mckay. Starring: Will Ferrell, Ken Jeong, Ken Killen. USA/2008. 01.45 The Age of Innocence FILM NELONEN 08.00 Children?s Programming 10.35 The Bold and the Beautiful 11.00 Emmerdale 14.40 Mike & Molly 15.25 The House That £100K Built 16.25 Jamie?s Festive Feast 17.30 The Bold and the Beautiful 19.20 E.T. TV GUIDE HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER 2014 . Food Shark Tank USA Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.10 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.10 Man vs. (K16) 00.40 The Originals (K16) JIM 10.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 12.30 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 13.30 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 14.30 Talent USA 16.10 Kitchen Nightmares 20.00 Undercover Boss 23.00 American Pickers 23.55 American Restoration 00.25 Ball Boys 01.25 Border Security: Australia?s Front Line MTV3 NELONEN Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Sub 21.00 08.05 Children?s Programming 10.30 Sea Rescue 11.00 Zoo 12.15 Pawn Stars 13.40 The Body of Proof 17.05 Skyrunners FILM 21.00 The Pink Panther FILM Directed by: Shawn Levy. Starring: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyonce Knowles. USA/2000. 23.10 Strippers 00.05 The Age of Innocence FILM 02.30 Son of the Pink Panther FILM. USA/1991. 20.30 Brooklyn 99 21.00 About a Boy FILM Directed by: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz. Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Anna Sophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig. USA/2009. 21.00 A Knight?s Tale FILM 00.25 Little Big Man (K16) FILM 03.00 Castle TV5 07.10 Michaela?s Animal Road Trip 08.05 MacGyver 09.00 Disappeared 12.50 Bad Dog! 13.40 Disappeared 14.30 MacGyver 15.30 Matlock 16.25 Columbo 19.10 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles FILM 21.00 Step Brothers FILM Directed by: Adam Mckay. Starring: Will Ferrell, Ken Jeong, Ken Killen. USA/2008. 22.55 A Few Good Men FILM Directed by: Rob Reiner. Starring: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson. USA/1992. 01.35 Click FILM 29.12. MTV3 08.05 Children?s Programming 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Animals Behaving Worse 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Nigel Marven?s Venom Hunters 14.35 The Millers 15.15 Lucky Dog 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 21.00 The Mentalist 22.35 Rizzoli & Isles 00.05 The Good Guys 02.05 Homeland SUB 14.00 X Factor UK 19.05 Suburgatory 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Clash of the Titans FILM Directed by: Louis Leterrier. Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes. USA/2010. 23.00 Pitch Black (K16) FILM 01.10 Suburgatory JIM 11.00 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 12.00 Dinner Impossible 13.00 Man vs. Food 18.10 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.05 Shark Tank USA 20.00 Talent USA 21.45 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.15 Pawn Stars 22.45 Shark Tank USA 00.35 Guinness World Records sunday 27.12. friday 25.12. Water for Elephants MTV3 21.45 08.00 Animal ABC 09.00 The Fox and the Hound 2 FILM 10.20 Lemonade Mouth FILM 12.30 Silver Bells FILM 14.15 Frasier 14.45 The Visitor FILM 18.40 David Blaine: Real or Magic 22.25 Oz (K16) 23.30 Rio Lobo (K16) FILM Directed by: Howard Hawks. Starring: John Wayne, Jorge Rivero, Jennifer O?Neill. USA/1970. 01.40 Frasier 02.10 Ice Road Truckers TV5 06.40 Bad Dog! 07.35 MacGyver 08.30 Disappeared 12.25 My Cat from Hell 13.15 Disappeared 14.10 MacGyver 15.05 Matlock 16.00 Columbo 18.55 Click FILM Directed by: Frank Coraci. USA/2006. 21.00 A Few Good Men FILM Directed by: Rob Reiner. Starring: Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson. USA/1992. 00.10 Animism: The People Who Love Objects 01.15 It?s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie FILM 02.55 Score 08.00 Children?s Programming 11.40 Grand Designs 13.10 Ice Bear 14.10 500 Days of Summer FILM 21.00 C.S.I. . (K16) 00.10 Grimm (K16) JIM 09.45 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 11.25 Dinner Impossible 12.20 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 13.20 American Restoration 13.50 Ball Boys 14.50 Ice Road Truckers 15.45 Man vs. Food 18.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.00 Shark Tank USA 20.00 Kitchen Nightmares 21.00 Aussie Pickers 22.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.30 Pawn Stars 23.00 Shark Tank USA 01.00 Posh Pawn NELONEN Clash of Titans Sub 21.00 08.20 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 09.50 Clean House New York 13.50 For Rent 14.50 Love Handles 15.50 How to be a Gentleman 16.20 Once Upon a Time 17.20 Frasier 17.50 Gordon?s Great Escape 19.00 David Blaine: Real or Magic 20.00 America?s Next Top Model 21.00 In Bruges (K16) FILM UK/USA/2008. 23.10 Oz (K16) 00.20 Frasier 00.50 MasterChef USA TV5 07.10 Michaela?s Animal Road Trip 08.00 MacGyver 08.55 Matlock 12.50 Growing Up 13.45 Disappeared 14.35 MacGyver 15.30 Matlock 16.25 Columbo 19.05 Trail of the Pink Panther FILM 21.00 All The Pretty Horses (K16) FILM Directed by: Billy Bob Thornton. The Extra-Terrestrial FILM 22.25 Ocean?s Twelve FILM Directed by: Steven Soderbergh. USA/Australia/2004. 00.55 Crisis (K16) 01.50 Homeland (K16) SUB 14.00 14.55 16.00 18.00 Top Chef Mythbusters Walker, Texas Ranger Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown 19.05 How I Met Your Mother 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Miss March FILM 22.40 Arrow 23.40 Cheaters JIM 10.30 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 11.25 Ink Master 12.20 Dangerous Encounter with Brady Barr 13.20 Man vs. Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon
USA/2009. 01.20 New Girl JIM Ink Master Britain?s Best Bakery Man vs. 09 3101 3300. Food Shark Tank USA Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.00 Gordon Ramsay?s F Word 17.00 Man vs. Wanha Kauppahalli (?Old Market Hall?) at the Market square and Hakaniemen Kauppahalli (?Hakaniemi Market Hall?) are the most popular. 09 471 72432; Töölö hospital, Topeliuksenkatu 5, tel. Food Shark Tank USA Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 16.00 Modern Marvels 18.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.00 Shark Tank USA 20.00 American Pickers 21.00 Posh Pawn 22.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.30 Pawn Stars 23.00 Shark Tank USA 00.00 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations wednesday 08.05 Children?s Programming 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Cosmos 14.35 How I Met Your Mother 15.15 Grand Designs 16.15 Double Your House For Half The Money 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 22.40 Mythbusters 23.45 Royal Pains 00.45 Revolution (K16) SUB 14.00 Jamie?s Dream School 14.55 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Ranger 18.00 Kitchen Nightmares USA 19.05 New Girl 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 Top Chef USA 22.00 NCIS: New Orleans 23.00 Notorious (K16) FILM Directed by: George Tillman Jr. For more information, see www.hsl.fi. Tourist Information. Dial 112. 09 4711. Children in need of urgent medical treatment should be taken to Lastenklinikka children?s hospital. For non-urgent ambulance services, dial 09 394 600, and non-urgent police matters, dial 09 1891. Market halls. Finnair?s airport bus operates daily between Helsinki Airport and Helsinki city centre (platform 30 at Helsinki Central Railway Station, just beside the restaurant Vltava), 35 minutes, ?6. On its way to the centre it stops several times but on the way to the airport only at Scandic Hotel Continental, close to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. sudoku TV5 07.00 My Cat from Hell 07.55 MacGyver 08.50 Matlock 12.45 Dogs 101 13.35 Disappeared 14.25 MacGyver 15.20 Columbo 18.05 Ghostbusters II FILM Directed by: Ivan Reitman. Starring: Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd. USA/1989. 20.30 Brooklyn 99 21.00 Take Me Home Tonight (K16) FILM Directed by: Michael Dowse. Starring: Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, Dan Fogle. 09 471 67371; Espoo: Jorvi hospital, Turuntie 150, tel. The Tourist Bureau provides information about the city and its sights. Pharmacies. Yliopiston apteekki (tel. Post offices are usually open Mon-Fri 8-20 and SatSun 10-14. Public phones are scarce. Food 18.00 Anthony Bourdain: The Layover 19.00 Posh Pawn 20.00 Bad Ink 21.00 American Pickers 22.00 Cajun Pawn Stars 22.30 Pawn Stars 23.00 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservation Weather Banks and Bureaux de Change. Both telephone cards and Finnish SIM cards for mobile phones can be bought at R-kioski shops. fares: Helsinki (one zone) ?2.80/?2.20 from ticket machine, Helsinki-Espoo or Helsinki-Vantaa (two zones) ?4.50 and whole area (three zones) ?7.00. Stenbäckinkatu 11, 09 471 72783 (between 6:00 and 22:00), 09 471 72751 (between 22:00 and 6:00). 0 ?9 0 Tue 12/23 ?19 ?9 ?9 ?6 ?4 ?1 ?4 0 Wed 12/24 ?16 +9 +8 +8 +11 +10 +9 +16 +16 +15 +16 +11 +14 +16 +27 +29 +30 +32 +27 +27 +32 +16 +16 +15 +13 +12 +13 +13 +2 +4 +1 +3 +6 +4 +7 +10 +11 +6 +6 +9 +9 +8 +12 +10 +8 +6 +10 +9 +8 +7 +11 +8 +4 +4 +8 +7 +21 +21 +20 +19 +20 +16 +19 +8 +7 +5 +4 +8 +7 +6 +18 +18 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +24 +21 +21 +21 +20 +22 +20 +12 +10 +6 +6 +8 +8 +7 +9 +12 +10 +6 +8 +10 +9 +11 +9 +4 +6 +9 +9 +7 +16 +12 +20 +21 +17 +20 +22 +11 +12 +9 +12 +7 +7 +10 +14 +14 +14 +13 +13 +13 +14 +12 +9 +9 +8 +12 +11 +9 +17 +17 +17 +19 +21 +22 +20 +17 +17 +16 +17 +17 +18 +18 +11 +10 +11 +10 +10 +9 +8 +17 +17 +17 +18 +16 +17 +17 +26 +28 +29 +30 +29 +28 +27 +22 +22 +20 +22 +21 +20 +19 0 ?5 ?10 ?5 ?4 ?4 ?3 +2 +1 +3 +2 ?3 ?1 +1 +11 +12 +6 +5 +7 +9 +8 +7 +3 +2 +5 +5 +6 +5 ?2 ?1 ?3 ?4 ?1 ?2 ?3 +12 +11 +8 +8 +9 +9 +9 ?4 ?4 ?5 ?1 ?1 ?5 ?7 +31 +30 +31 +33 +32 +25 +26 +14 +14 +15 +15 +13 +14 +14 ?3 +1 0 ?1 +1 0 +5 +31 +30 +31 +29 +30 +30 +29 +2 +3 +2 0 +2 +2 0 +1 +2 +2 ?2 ?2 ?1 ?4 +1 +3 +2 ?2 ?1 ?1 ?2 +6 +8 +8 +7 +6 +7 +6 +4 +5 +7 +9 +6 +6 +2 +8 +8 +7 +9 +8 +7 +5 +9 +13 +8 +6 +6 +9 +7 ?15 ?13 ?10 ?5 ?4 ?5 ?4 Thursday 12/18 9:21 am 3:10 pm 10:24 am 2:02 pm 9:34 am 3:19 pm 11:03 am 1:23 pm 9:40 am 3:02 pm Telephone. Hietaniemen kauppahalli (?Hietaniemi Market Hall?) holds until summer 2014 the majority shops from Wanha Kauppahalli. Restaurants. USA/2011. 22.50 Deadly Affairs 23.40 My Crazy Obsession 00.10 Take Me Home Tonight (K16) FILM 01.50 Trail of the Pink Panther FILM Fri 12/19 +12 SOLUTION ON PAGE 23. Most hotels as well as the Helsinki Tourist Office and Helsinki?s General Post Office have a computer terminal. Finland?s international country code is +358 and to ring abroad from Finland dial 00. 0300 20200, calls are charged), Mannerheimintie 96, is open 24 hours; its branch at Mannerheimintie 5/Kaivopiha is open daily 7-24. Public Transport. Includes commuter trains, buses, trams and metro. Helsinki?s General Post Office is also open at the weekend 10-18. At these public terminals internet use is usually free of charge. ?11 ?10 ?9 ?4 ?4 ?4 0 +1 Sat 12/20 ?12 ?12 ?11 ?6 ?5 0 ?3 +1 Sun 12/21 ?16 ?17 ?13 ?12 ?7 ?7 ?8 ?5 Mon 12/22 ?18 ?13 ?12 ?9 ?10 Health advice and information call centre (if you are unsure of what to do) . Grocery stores in the Helsinki Central Railway Station tunnel are open Mon-Sat 7-22 and Sun 10-22. Post Offices. Health centres around the country are open Mon-Fri 8-16. See www.posti.fi Emergency Numbers. Banks are usually open Mon-Fri 10-16:30 except for the bank at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which is open 6-22 daily. 09 471 87383; Vantaa: Peijas hospital, Sairaalakatu 1, tel. In the evenings and at weekends adults in need of urgent medical treatment in Helsinki should go to emergency health centres at Haartman hospital (Haartmaninkatu 4) or Maria hospital (Lapinlahdenkatu 16). Emergency clinics in Helsinki and Uusimaa area hospitals that are on call 24 hours a day: Helsinki: Meilahti hospital, 2nd floor, Haartmaninkatu 4, tel. 7 JANUARY 2015 NELONEN Notorious Sub 23.00 08.20 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 09.50 Clean House New York 14.50 Love Handles 16.20 David Blaine: Real or Magic 17.20 MasterChef USA 18.25 Frasier 19.00 David Blaine: Real or Magic 01.00 Castle 01.55 Frasier 02.25 Rescue Me Grocery stores. Both are open Mon-Fri 8-18 and Sat 8-16 but are closed on Sundays. Most grocery stores are open Mon-Fri 7-21, Sat 7-18 and Sun 12-21. Restaurants in the Helsinki area can be found from the internet service www.eat.fi, which provides information on restaurants, their menus, opening hours and some user rating etc. Internet. See www.forex.fi for more information. Thu 12/18 ?10 ?8 ?3 ?3 ?7 Thu 12/18 Fri 12/19 Sat 12/20 Sun 12/21 Mon 12/22 Tue 12/23 Wed 12/24 ?3 0 +2 New Year?s Eve Sub 21.00 08.20 Ocean Mysteries with Jeff Corwin 09.50 Clean House New York 13.50 Beverly Hills Nannies 14.50 Love Handles 16.20 David Blaine: Real or Magic 17.20 MasterChef USA 18.25 Frasier 19.00 David Blaine: Real or Magic 21.00 NCIS 23.00 Rescue Me 23.55 Frasier 00.55 MasterChef USA TV5 07.00 Dogs 101 07.50 MacGyver 08.45 Matlock 12.40 Michaela?s Animal Road Trip 13.30 Disappeared 14.25 MacGyver 15.20 Matlock 16.15 Columbo 18.55 Curse of the Pink Panther FILM Directed by: Blake Edwards. Starring: Robert Wagner, Joanna Lumley, Herbert Lom. USA/1983. 21.00 Man of the Year FILM Directed by: Barry Levinson. Starring: Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, David Alpay. USA/2006. 23.05 Chicago Fire 00.50 Big Daddy FILM 02.20 Chicago Fire 31.12. MTV3 HELSINKI TIMES Finland inFo 30.12. MTV3 11.00 12.00 13.00 14.00 15.00 TV GUIDE 18 DECEMBER 2014 . Helsinki City Tourist & Convention Bureau (Pohjoisesplanadi 19, Aleksanterinkatu 20) is open Mon-Fri 9-20 and Sat-Sun 9-18 between 15 May and 14 September; at other times of the year, Mon-Fri 9-18 and Sat-Sun 10-16, tel. Operator number 118. New York (K16) 23.35 Person of Interest 00.35 The Glades 01.35 Homeland (K16) SUB 14.55 Mythbusters 16.00 Walker, Texas Ranger 18.00 Supersize vs Superskinny 19.05 Raising Hope 19.30 Two and a Half Men 20.00 Big Bang Theory 20.30 The Simpsons 21.00 New Year?s Eve FILM Directed by: Garry Marshall. USA/2011. 23.15 Dragonball: Evolution 01.00 Raising Hope 01.25 Nikita (K16) JIM 12.00 13.00 14.00 15.00 Britain?s Best Bakery Man vs. The Forex desk at Helsinki Central Railway Station is open Mon-Fri 8-20 and Sat-Sun 9-19. The currency exchange counter at the harbour in Katajanokka, Helsinki is open everyday (Mon-Fri 15-17:30 Sat-Sun 10-11, 15-17:30). Public transport operates in Helsinki and its surrounding regions from around 5:30 (6:30 at weekends) until midnight. In a number of Finnish towns public internet posts are quite rare due to extensive per-person internet use at home. Night buses operate extensively at weekends. Night buses have an extra fee. For more information, see www.visithelsinki.fi. Single ticket solution sudoku 51% of enterprises use chargeable cloud services Statistics Finland Helsinki Times iPad edition Airport buses. 18 tuesday NELONEN 08.05 Children?s Programming 09.45 The Bold and the Beautiful 10.10 Emmerdale 11.10 Doctors 13.35 Auf Wiedersehen, My Pet! 14.35 Modern Family 15.15 Jamie?s Food Escapes 16.15 Undercover Boss 17.25 The Bold and the Beautiful 18.00 Emmerdale 22.35 C.S.I. 09 100 23. Medical services
Free? . In Finland, like the rest of Scandinavia, we have a ?comprehensive. Anyway, for those of you enjoying a ?free. (75?) 60 min And many other treatments... XIE XIE . Those approximately 70-80 per cent of us who are foolish enough (and fortunate enough?) to quit studying and go to work, though over 50 per cent of us don?t find work that really matches our studies. welfare system, which means that pretty much every one of us gets some welfare benefits whether or not we want or need them, creating a wideranging dependency on the State. One-third of Finnish students are over 30 compared to the EU average of 17 per cent. So, who pays. I have my own business which sepa- In this series expatriates write about their lives in Finland. Send us your story to expatview@helsinkitimes.fi rately pays hundreds of thousands of euros per year so the State can give away all these things for ?free?. I?m not complaining (well, maybe a little...). I think as far as bureaucracies go, Finland?s is comparably well run and the Scandinavian ideals would be worthy goals if they weren?t just so, well... Finland has quite a long list of taxes, including earned income tax, indirect income tax, dividend and capital gain taxes, corporate taxes, property taxes, VAT (24 per cent!), excise (?sinners?) taxes, inheritance tax, pension fees and even a church tax. My own income tax is 30 per cent and I wonder just how much tax I pay when all these taxes are added together, but I suspect it?s 5070 per cent, meaning I mainly work in serfdom and servitude to ?the State?. education. Households, companies, housing cooperatives. New cleaning deals now available! Also window cleaning! Service number: 045-8011 579 . The series continues to receive excellent feedback from readers. 15.11-23.12.2014 Back and neck massage: 32. (69?) 50 min Fullbody massage 60. maybe. certainly not! As a 27 year resident of Finland I take almost native pleasure in casting down imaginations and can tell you nothing, especially in Finland, is free. We talk about ?paid by the State. but what does that mean. idealistic. In addition to ?free? education, students in Finland receive 300-335 euros per month ?student money?, 200 euros per month housing support (which is why many young Finns already live independently though studying in the same city where their parents live), meal subsidies and loans of up to 400 euros per month secured by ?the State?. None of this is ?free?. . (39?) 30 min Foot massage 48. education in Finland, I urge you, for the sake of those ideals, to complete your studies quickly, go to work (preferably in Finland!) and pay back in taxes at least that which you?ve taken out of the system so it can continue to survive and so that future generations can also enjoy this wonderful, ?free. 7 JANUARY 2015 19 WELLBEING A CARING CHRISTMAS PRESENT The perfect gift for your expat friend! Why not donate good feelings and energy for the whole year to yourself and your loved ones this Christmas? -20% Want to know if you should compliment your girlfriend on being plösö or paksuna? Sick of not knowing your Kossu from your skumppa? Not sure whether to käydä vieraissa or to käydä vierailulla? Finnish After Dark is here to help, with everything from cool slang to chat up lines, tips on how to avoid being beaten up in taxi queues and the latest excuses for why you are late for work. Finnish After Dark is a humoristic look at various Finnish-language terms and phrases that are almost impossible to translate. These are the spices of late night conversation among Finns, which are almost always missed by foreigners. The book is based on the Finnish After Dark series published in SixDegrees over the past few years. I hope so. Sanna Rautavirta Inquiries and orders e-mail: myynti@keradur.fi Suolakivenkatu 5, 00810 Helsinki www.keradur.fi. Wonderful. And it is quite common in Finland to remain a university student a decade or longer, with the average age of graduation being 29. CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICES HELSINKI TIMES 18 DECEMBER 2014 . (59?) 50 min Meridian massage 56. see you at Liangtse! The Liangtse Finland Team Special Christmas offer! ?10 (+shipping & handling) China Liangtse Wellness Oy Buy online: www.6d.fi/fad EXPAT VIEW Open: Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-20:00 (02.11-21.12.2014) Arkadiankatu 17 LH B, Helsinki Tel: 09 454 6301 I info2@liangtse.fi Iso Roobertinkatu 8, LH 1, Helsinki Tel: 09 278 4201 I info@liangtse.fi Kauppakatu 40 D 6th floor, 53100 Laapenranta Tel: +358 544 3111, lpr@liangtse.fi www.liangtse.fi SERVICES Originally from the USA, Todd Proctor has been managing a language services company in Finland since 1995. Free education? I oFTEN hear young foreigners and Finns alike ideating over Finland?s wonderful free education system
swimming pool on 8 December in Montegrotto Terme, northeastern Italy. The swimming pool is built over thermal sources bringing after cooling down a water at 32-34 degrees Celsius. A giraffe enjoys its Christmas treats as they discover some giftwrapped food treats and other tasty decorations in their exhibit at Taronga Zoo, in Sydney on 9 December. No reproduction or reprinting is allowed without permission from ©Helsinki Times Itd. 441 895 Painotuote the week in pictures L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / J AY D I R E C T O W EDNE SDAY Different human rights group burn an effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino to mark International Human Rights Day in a rally staged near the presidential palace in Manila on 10 December. www.helsinkitimes.fiISSN 1796-8321. Concerts with choirs of children dressed in white dresses and holding candles are typical. Runners wearing Santa Claus costumes take part in the Santa Claus Run (Carrera de PapaNoel) near Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on 13 December. Helsinki Times can also be read at www.lehtiluukku.fi Publisher Helsinki Times Oy Vilhonvuorenkatu 11 B 00500 Helsinki Finland tel. The group accused Aquino, whose government is battling communist and Muslim insurgencies, of abetting human rights abuses. MONDAY T UE SDAY T HUR SDAY L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / O L I V I E R M O R I N L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / W I L L I A M W E S T L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / I N T I O C O N Italian former legend of free diving, Umberto Pelizzari swims up during an apnea course at the ?Y-40 The Deep Joy. ALV). Price ?3 (incl. Around 10,000 people dressed as Santa Claus and his elves ran the mini-marathon, each contributing 1 euro per participant to a charity that buys Christmas gifts for underprivileged children around the world. Miss Finland Krista Haapalainen (centre) dances during the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant at the Excel London ICC Auditorium in London on 14 December.. 035535-1451 14051 ISSUE 51/52 (386) . +358 9 689 67 425 info@helsinkitimes.fi Advertisement enquiries adv@helsinkitimes.fi Subscription and delivery enquiries: tel. The inhabitants of the area are against the construction of an inter-oceanic canal by Chinese company HK Nicaragua Development, which implies expropriation of large swathes of land and is scheduled to begin on 22 December. FRIDAY S AT URDAY SUNDAY L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / J O N AT H A N N A C K S T R A N D L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / G E R A R D J U L I E N L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / L E O N N E A L Children and teenagers from the Neptun synchronised swimming club perform during a Saint Lucia concert at the Forsgrenska pool on 12 December in Stockholm. +358 3 424 65 366 12-month continual subscription ?96 subscribe@helsinkitimes.fi www.helsinkitimes.fi Editor-in-chief Alexis Kouros Editorial team James O?Sullivan, David Cord, Yannick Ilunga, Alicia Jensen, Eva Czechanowski, Anna-Maija Lappi, Merle Must, Aleksi Teivainen Proofreading Jesse Karjalainen, Andy Kruse Layout & graphic design Andrei Kuzmin Webmaster Mahmoud Assiabi Translations Meri Rantala, Annika Rautakoura, Mari Storpellinen, Aleksi Teivainen, Niina Woolley Sales Bob Graham, Aiman Kaddoura, Andre Roots, Ethan Shadabi, Printhouse Sanomapaino Forssa. All articles, pictures, adverts and graphics are subject to copyright. Animals at the zoo were quick to pounce on the festive-themed enrichment items prepared by keepers, showing off their natural foraging skills to uncover the food inside while some seemed just as happy playing with the cardboard box packaging. A young boy plays near two fishing boats along the shore of Cocibolca lake in Rivas, Nicaragua on 11 December. Saint Lucia is a celebration of light that sees every school and day care picking one Lucia. 18 DECEMBER 2014 . 7 JANUARY 2015