Most papers are dominated by pop singer Saara Aalto’s latest successful appearance on the X Factor UK television talent contest, and by the latest twist in the long, strange American presidential campaign, which was revealed late Sunday Finnish time: FBI director James Comey – a long-time Republican –declaring that a newly-discovered batch of Hillary Clinton-related emails contained no evidence of crime.
Following his announcement about a week earlier that the investigation was being re-opened, her lead in the opinion polls had dropped from double-digits to razor-thin. With tens of millions of Americans having already voted and Election Day proper on Tuesday, there is much speculation on how this eleventh-hour drama will affect the outcome, and the possible reasons behind it.
Ilta-Sanomat and most other Finnish papers cover Republican candidate Donald Trump’s angry response to Comey’s announcement and his claim that there is no way the FBI could have examined 650,000 emails in eight days. Meanwhile the New York Times reported on Sunday that Trump “does not use a computer” and that his campaign staff has in recent weeks blocked him from direct access to his Twitter account.
IL: Finns Party split, defence confab
Turning to domestic politics, the tabloid Iltalehti a look behind the scenes at the populist Finns Party, published on Sunday by the online newsmagazine Long Play. The story predicts that the party’s founder, Foreign Minister Timo Soini, will face a leadership challenge next summer. Insiders interviewed in the article say there is a widening split between Soini’s bloc of veterans of the old Finnish Rural Party (SMP, 1959-95) and the more radically anti-immigrant wing led by Jussi Halla-aho, a Member of the European Parliament who has been convicted of ethnic incitement. It says that the relatively moderate Soini, who has led the party since 1997, may well be ousted by the nationalist camp, who want a tougher line on asylum seekers.
IL also previews President Sauli Niinistö's address to the annual National Defence Course at the House of Estates in Helsinki. Also speaking will be the Chief of Defence, Gen. Jarmo Lindberg. Taking part in the course are civilians and military top brass, who are being briefed on Finland's foreign, security and defence policy.
TS: Mail deliveries, snow and ice hockey
Old-school Turku broadsheet Turun Sanomat covers the US election and future postal deliveries in rural Finland, while warning that snow will make driving hazardous on Monday afternoon in southern and south-western Finland due to blowing snow. Temperatures will range between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius, but strengthening, gusty winds will make it feel considerably colder.
TS also devotes plenty of column inches to Sunday's 4-1 victory for the Finnish men's ice hockey team over Sweden in the Euro Hockey Tour in Helsinki – while overlooking the fact that win left the Lions in an ignoble third place out of four teams in their home tournament.
