TheNewsGuru

Tag: Finland

  • Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa released by Finnish police

    Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa released by Finnish police

    Pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, has been released by Police in Finland, hours after he was arrested on Thursday, according to HS.

    Earlier in the day, Ekpa was escorted out of his apartment in Lahti by Finnish policemen.

    He was later released after the police allegedly arrested him for a suspected crime.

    The Finnish Central Criminal Police has now confirmed Ekpa’s release on Thursday.

    The police claimed Ekpa’s arrest was in connection with the ongoing preliminary investigation.

    “The person being questioned today is suspected of a crime. We will return to the title on Friday,” Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police told HS during a phone interview.

    Ekpa, a self-acclaimed disciple of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had repeatedly ordered the people of the South-East to observe a sit-at-home and asked them to boycott the country’s general elections billed for Saturday.

  • Just In: Simon Ekpa arrested by Finnish govt

    Just In: Simon Ekpa arrested by Finnish govt

    Finnish authorities have arrested pro-Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa.

    According to a Finland news outlet HS, the police escorted the separatist out of his apartment in Lahti on Thursday.

    Criminal Investigator, Tommi Reen from the Central Criminal Police told the HS news outlet that the Keskusrikospoliisi (KRP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Finland had a police operation in a private apartment in the centre of Lahti.

    The platform claimed that they had gone to Ekpa’s residence for an interview but the Finland police, KRP, surprisingly answered when the HS team rang the separatist bell.

    Details to follow…

  • War: Russia threatens to attack Finland over decision to join NATO

    War: Russia threatens to attack Finland over decision to join NATO

    Vladmir Putin’s led Russia has issued out a threat to one of its neighbours Finland over its plans to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

    Russia warned Finland that it would attack if it ever joins NATO.

    Recall that Russia is in war with Ukraine over the latter’s decision to join the Western military alliance, NATO,

    The Russian Foreign Ministry made this disclosure via a signed statement on Thursday

    The statement read, “Finland joining NATO is a radical change in the country’s foreign policy.

    “Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to stop threats to its national security arising.”

    The statement comes immediately after Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said the country should apply to join NATO “without delay.”

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has shifted countries like Finland and Sweden’s calculus on NATO membership, with Finland also seriously considering lodging an application to join the alliance.

  • WAR: Russia threatens Finland, Sweden over plans to join NATO

    WAR: Russia threatens Finland, Sweden over plans to join NATO

    Amid the military operations in Ukraine, Russia has warned Finland and Sweden against joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO.

    The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said there would be severe military and political consequences if Finland and Sweden opt to join NATO.

    Both countries share borders with Russia in the Arctic Circle.

    Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Zakharova warned that mooting the idea of NATO would be detrimental to both countries.

    “Finland and Sweden should not base their security on damaging the security of other countries and their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences.

    “We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe,” Zakharova said.

    The decision of Ukraine to join NATO is believed to be responsible for Russia’s attack.

  • TRENDING: Finnish firm employs, flies 22 year old Nigerian drone maker to Finland

    TRENDING: Finnish firm employs, flies 22 year old Nigerian drone maker to Finland

    Ignatius Asabor, a twenty-two year old Nigerian who makes drones has been flown to Finland and given a job by a foreign company.

    Ignatius who makes special drones using local materials was flown to Finland by a foreign company and got employment with the same company.

    Breaking the news on Linkedin, the Managing Director of a Finland-based Radai Limited, Mr. Ari Saartenoja expressed happiness at having Asabor work with his company.

    Ari who shared the photo of the genius on arrival to Finland, Oulu, said that Asabor will strengthen the survey operations of his team in the future.

    His post reads:
    “Ignatius Asabor, young Nigerian drone talent has just arrived to Finland, Oulu. Ignatius will strengthen Radai’s survey team in future and bring more international expertise in the field.

    Welcome Ignatius Asabor to Radai Team!”

    Asabor confirmed his arrival to Finland as he posted a picture of himself in Oulu, Finland with the caption:

    “arrived in oulu city”.

  • Danish, Finnish fans test positive for coronavirus after Euro 2020 games

    Danish, Finnish fans test positive for coronavirus after Euro 2020 games

    Several Finnish fans have tested positive for the coronavirus upon their return from Russia following a Euro 2020 group stage game against Belgium on Monday in St Petersburg.

    Finnish media reported on Friday that 86 people had tested positive for the coronavirus so far.

    Hundreds of Finns had travelled to Russia to follow the match.

    Denmark meanwhile reported 16 coronavirus positive tests from fans who watched their final group game against Russia in Copenhagen, including four with the more infectious Delta variant.

    All fans who watched that match from behind the goal in Stand B are being asked to take PCR tests.

    Nine fans tested positive for the Delta variant following the previous match with Belgium.

    Not all tests taken at the Finnish border have been analysed yet and a further increase in cases is expected.

    About 800 people entered the country without being tested because the testing capacities at the border were not sufficient.

    The Finnish health authority THL advised fans returning from Russia to get tested no more than 72 hours after the trip and to avoid contacts in the meantime.

    The pandemic situation in Russia got worse rapidly in June.

    New infection numbers rose across the country, including in major cities such as Moscow and Euro 2020 host city St Petersburg.

    Lothar Wieler, president of German disease control body, Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said on Friday it does not make sense for people to travel all over Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    Wieler also criticized the staging of knock-out games in London and showed little sympathy for full stadiums.

    “From the point of view of infectious medicine, this is not a good idea,” he said.

    Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin expressed concern about the situation and also about people returning from a European Union summit in Brussels.

    Finland has long had one of the lowest infection incidences in Europe.

    Without specifying Euro 2020, the World Health Organisation’s lead coronavirus expert Maria Van Kerkhove said big events were a big risk.

    “The events that are happening will have consequences. We are already starting to see some consequences of these events with increasing transmission again,” she told reporters.

    “There is a lot that all of us want to be doing, but there is not a lot that we need to be doing right now.”

  • Finland confirms first adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccine

    Finland confirms first adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccine

    The Finnish Medicines Agency says it has received the first report of an adverse reaction to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against coronavirus.

    This is coming one week after Europe started its mass immunisation campaign.

    The Finnish YLE broadcaster reported on Saturday, quoting the agency’s Chief Physician, Maija Kaukonen, as saying, “when there are at least five such reports, we will put information on our website about the type of reactions that have occurred’’.

    Kaukonen told the broadcaster that no further details could be disclosed due to patient confidentiality.

    At the same time, Kaukonen noted that reports of allergic or adverse reactions were likely to increase.

    The EU member states launched the bloc-wide vaccination programme on Dec. 27, 2020.

    This is a day after member states began receiving their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine following the European Commission’s authorisation.

    So far, COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to healthcare workers in Finland’s five largest hospital districts of Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Kuopio and Oulu, according to YLE.

  • Coronavirus: Finland declares state of emergency

    Coronavirus: Finland declares state of emergency

    Finland, on Monday, declared a state of emergency to combat the coronavirus pandemic, including closing schools and banning visits to nursing homes and institutions, the government said.

    Prime Minister Sanna Marin says the 19-point programme to be formally approved on Tuesday will also allow immediate closure of the borders if necessary, with exceptions for Finnish residents returning to home and for goods and medicine.

    The closure of schools and universities would take effect from Wednesday, and would be in force until April 13.

    Public gatherings would be limited to at most 10 people, while cultural institutions, sports and youth centres would also be closed.

  • Finland pledges continuous economic relations with Nigeria in 2017

    The Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Pirjo Suomela- Chowdhury, on Friday announced his government’s plans to increase trade and economic ties with Nigeria in 2017.

    Suomela-Chowdhury told newsmen on the sidelines of the celebration of Finland’s 99th Independence Day anniversary in Lagos that more Finnish companies were getting interested in Nigeria’s business environment.

    The Envoy, who expressed satisfaction at the current growing relations between Nigeria and Finland, said that there had so far been positive results in the trade and economic relations between the two countries.

    “We strongly believe that the New Year, 2017, would hold more promising opportunities for fostering more result-oriented trade and economic relations between our two countries.

    “We will, therefore, keep on promoting trade and economic relations with Nigeria in the new year and beyond.

    “We are already seeing the results in our countries’ trade and economic relations, so far.

    “Let me say that there is so much interest of Finnish companies and businesses to invest more in Nigeria in 2017 and in the years ahead”, she said.

    Suomela-Chowdhury said that the celebration of her country’s 99th Independence anniversary in Nigeria was another opportunity for strengthening relations between Nigeria and Finland.

    The Ambassador also said that the celebration of the anniversary in Nigeria had provided a new platform of interaction for members of the Nigerian-Finnish Association, as well as other Nigerians and the Finnish.