Every newspaper carries news of the weekend slaying of a man in Otanmäki, Kajaani, and the subsequent arrest of two Iraqi men on suspicion of killing him. Reporters have been asking locals about the case, and their feelings towards asylum seekers in general have turned somewhat more negative than they were before.
Helsingin Sanomat met Sari Lahdelma, who lives locally, and found that she's now angry at asylum seekers whereas before she had several friends at the Otanmäki centre. They have now moved away, and the weekend's events have ensured Lahdelma now takes a very negative view. She even worries now whether she can head out for a walk in the woods.
"I have a dog but it's no help as it's so nice," said Lahdelma.
HS also spoke to asylum seekers at the centre who deeply regretted the killing, and said the atmosphere at the centre had deteriorated in recent months, with a deep divide between Arabs and Kurds resident there.
Avapolis open, but empty
The Ring Rail opened last year to great fanfare and much excitement. It linked up Helsinki's airport with the rail network and the city centre, and also opened up a swathe of Vantaa to rail passengers. The idea was that thousands of people would commute to and from Vantaa, but some of the stations have been better-used than others.
For instance Aviapolis in Vantaa is home to a slick and stunning, yet eerily quiet train station--and not much else. Helsingin Sanomat reports that the station is used by just 2,700 passengers a day on average.
Commuters who work in the area say the distance from the station is too far, and maybe even too boring--there is little built above ground just yet, as the business parks and apartment blocks planned for the district are still in the planning stage.
There is an attempt to try and solve the problem with lift and taxi sharing apps, but even they might struggle to bring life to one of the capital's quietest public transport hubs.
Ban on berry-pickers
Iltalehti reports on a strange phenomenon in a Finland of open forests and 'everyman's rights': landowners trying to ban people from picking berries. Journalist Minna Saarinen recounts recent occasions she's been chased off land by people claiming she is in their 'backyard'--even though on one occasion she's actually standing in a stream.
It's a thorny issue and the Outdoors Association of Finland says people have the right to traverse uncultivated terrain that isn't too close to dwellings. Another issue is 'no entry' signs and blocked roads. If somebody does own the land, says the association, they can block the road--but you can check that from the land registry and try to reach an agreement on driving onto the property.
Even if you can't, you're allowed to walk across private land as that is enshrined in everyman's right.
Kuqi sees red over sending-off
Former Ipswich striker Shefki Kuqi is one of the more strident voices in Finnish football, and he's now managing his second club this season. Inter Turku are in danger of relegation, and on Monday they played HIFK, the other club at risk of finishing in the relegation play-off place.
It was a dull 0-0 draw, but Inter midfielder Bajram Nebihi was sent off in the second half and that made Kuqi very angry indeed. Nebihi had retaliated when Jani Backman flicked his heels in an off the ball incident, and Kuqi saw dark forces at work in the red card that subsequently appeared.
"I've wondered for a while now," said Kuqi as reported by Ilta-Sanomat. "This is quite clear. Everyone wants HIFK to stay in this league. Even the referees. It's really quite clear."
Kuqi's conspiracy theory is that HIFK and HJK play the biggest matches in Finland, bring attention and media coverage to the wider league, and nobody therefore wants to lose the Helsinki derbies. The idea was quickly shot down by HIFK coach Antti Muurinen, but it remains to be seen what if any punishment the FA hands out to Kuqi, who has been at odds with the authorities before.
