TOPIC

/ location

Finland

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Finland. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Helsinki

Head of State

President Alexander Stubb

Head of Government

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo

In December 2024, US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself standing on mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!”. Image: Truth Social/realDonaldTrump

Canada

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

11 Jan 2026 - 5:12AMvideocam

Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 9-11

7 Jan 2026 - 2:08PM

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump doubles down on Greenland after US intervention in Venezuela

5 Jan 2026 - 2:57PM

Crime

‘Criminal damage’: Finland police say ship seized after cable damage

Various energy and telecommunications infrastructure has been hit in recent years, with many leaders and experts suspecting Russia.

31 Dec 2025 - 9:45PMvideocam

Two Finnish officials on the deck of an oil tanker in December 2024 that was suspected of sabotaging a power cable linking Finland and Estonia. Photo: Handout via AFP

Nordic nations

2 dead as Storm Johannes batters Nordic nations, thousands left without power

One person was killed after being hit by a falling tree near Sweden’s Kungsberget ski resort, police said.

28 Dec 2025 - 3:05PM

SCMP Highlights

7 scientists, mathematicians, physicists and experts who moved to China in 2025

From a world-leading statistician to a mathematics luminary, here are some experts who made the move.

24 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM

Japan

Japan dismayed over Finnish beauty queen’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

18 Dec 2025 - 3:56PM

Finnish beauty queen Sarah Dzafce competes in the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand last month. Photo: EPA

Nordic nations

Finnish PM apologises for MPs’ ‘racist’ gestures in Miss Finland scandal

PM Petteri Orpo offers regrets to Japan, China and South Korea after MPs mimic ousted beauty queen Sarah Dzafce’s offensive squinting gesture.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:20PM

Racism and other prejudice

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

17 Dec 2025 - 1:36PM

Racism and other prejudice

Miss Finland loses her crown due to anti-Chinese racism scandal

Sarah Dzafce apologised after a photo surfaced of her making a gesture seen as derogatory to Asian people.

16 Dec 2025 - 2:43PM

Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce wears a swimsuit during the 74th Miss Universe 2025 preliminary competition in Thailand in November. Photo: EPA

Ukraine war

Ukraine sends US a revised peace plan as Trump blasts European allies

US president says ‘pretty strong words’ were used in his discussion with leaders from the UK, France and Germany.

11 Dec 2025 - 2:10PM

A cat protects a boy from a Russian missile with an umbrella, in a mural by Ukrainian artist Andriy Yarmolenko, seen by on Wednesday at a children’s hospital in Kyiv. Photo: EPA

Social media

Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

The digital world is part of young people’s lives; there is a need to limit risks without depriving children of the benefits of being online.

10 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

TikTok

TikTok to invest more than US$37 billion in Brazil data centre

China is Brazil’s top trading partner and is seeking to expand economic and political ties across the region amid tensions with the US.

4 Dec 2025 - 10:45AM

Ukraine war

‘Issues remain’: US-Ukraine talks advance, but Europe cautious on Russia deal

Trump hails ‘big progress’ in talks, while Germany confirms US plan was modified with Nato and territorial demands removed.

25 Nov 2025 - 1:03AM

Servicemen of the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire a Caesar howitzer at Russian troops near Pokrovsk in Donetsk on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Africa

Africa attracts smaller EU nations scrambling for influence

Estonia and Finland are among those seeking to boost their presence on the continent, revamping diplomatic and trade ties over the past five years.

23 Nov 2025 - 5:46PM

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks with EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen at the G20 Leaders’ Summit plenary session in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics

Readers discuss the Nexperia dispute between China and the Netherlands, a suit against the Malaysian government, and Hong Kong patient records.

14 Nov 2025 - 11:30AM

Technology

China dominates global patent race with record filings

China filed nearly half of all patents worldwide in 2024, outpacing the US by more than threefold, WIPO data show.

13 Nov 2025 - 6:13AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

How China is closing tech gap on West; rare earth find: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s ‘strategic new frontiers’ to scientists discovering rare earth minerals in a fern, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

12 Nov 2025 - 11:28PM

A Long March-3B rocket carrying a cluster of BeiDou satellites blasts off from a launch site in southwest China last year. Photo: Xinhua

Science

Rising star mathematician Wu Meng returns to China from Finland

Now affiliated with Hunan University, the award-winning professor solved a major part of Furstenberg’s conjecture dating to the 1960s.

12 Nov 2025 - 2:41PM

Vietnam

Avoiding ‘strategic suicide’: Vietnam’s US-Russia-China diplomatic dance

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s visit pushed military cooperation, but Vietnam wants to ensure it keeps all its geopolitical options open.

9 Nov 2025 - 1:30PM

China-Asean relations

Southeast Asia still under pressure amid US-China trade truce: analysts

Strategically vital region described as remaining on front lines of great-power competition with no easy path forward.

6 Nov 2025 - 5:02PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaks in Kuala Lumpur as spectators wave Malaysian national flags on October 27. Photo: AFP

France

Louvre jewels may be irrecoverable as French police race against time

Police hunt for Louvre raiders before priceless Napoleonic jewels are melted down and cut into untraceable individual stones.

21 Oct 2025 - 12:54PMvideocam

The boarded up window where thieves entered the Louvre to steal priceless royal jewellery. Photo: AFP

South Korea

Is South Korea’s school smartphone ban the answer to teen tech addiction?

The nationwide ban comes after a government survey found nearly 43 per cent of teenagers have trouble controlling their phone use.

21 Sep 2025 - 11:15AMvideocam

Germany

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

20 Sep 2025 - 7:26PM

China-EU relations

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

17 Sep 2025 - 5:01PMvideocam

Some of China’s manufacturing industries, including the new-energy sector, have been plagued by low-price competition, or involution. Photo: Xinhua

China's military weapons

Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US President Donald Trump says America deserves more credit for helping China gain its freedom.

4 Sep 2025 - 10:45PMvideocam

Military personnel take part in a parade in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. Photo: AP

Ukraine war

Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

The US president also said that he still believed a deal to end Russia’s war on Ukraine was in sight.

26 Aug 2025 - 11:20AMvideocam

United States

Trump says he will arrange Putin, Zelensky meeting after speaking with both

After meetings with Zelensky and top European leaders in White House, Trump says trilateral meeting is also in the works.

19 Aug 2025 - 10:34AMvideocam

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Finland

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 9-11

Trump doubles down on Greenland after US intervention in Venezuela

‘Criminal damage’: Finland police say ship seized after cable damage

Various energy and telecommunications infrastructure has been hit in recent years, with many leaders and experts suspecting Russia.

2 dead as Storm Johannes batters Nordic nations, thousands left without power

One person was killed after being hit by a falling tree near Sweden’s Kungsberget ski resort, police said.

7 scientists, mathematicians, physicists and experts who moved to China in 2025

From a world-leading statistician to a mathematics luminary, here are some experts who made the move.

Japan dismayed over Finnish beauty queen’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

Finnish PM apologises for MPs’ ‘racist’ gestures in Miss Finland scandal

PM Petteri Orpo offers regrets to Japan, China and South Korea after MPs mimic ousted beauty queen Sarah Dzafce’s offensive squinting gesture.

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

Miss Finland loses her crown due to anti-Chinese racism scandal

Sarah Dzafce apologised after a photo surfaced of her making a gesture seen as derogatory to Asian people.

Ukraine sends US a revised peace plan as Trump blasts European allies

US president says ‘pretty strong words’ were used in his discussion with leaders from the UK, France and Germany.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

The digital world is part of young people’s lives; there is a need to limit risks without depriving children of the benefits of being online.

TikTok to invest more than US$37 billion in Brazil data centre

China is Brazil’s top trading partner and is seeking to expand economic and political ties across the region amid tensions with the US.

‘Issues remain’: US-Ukraine talks advance, but Europe cautious on Russia deal

Trump hails ‘big progress’ in talks, while Germany confirms US plan was modified with Nato and territorial demands removed.

Africa attracts smaller EU nations scrambling for influence

Estonia and Finland are among those seeking to boost their presence on the continent, revamping diplomatic and trade ties over the past five years.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics

Readers discuss the Nexperia dispute between China and the Netherlands, a suit against the Malaysian government, and Hong Kong patient records.

China dominates global patent race with record filings

China filed nearly half of all patents worldwide in 2024, outpacing the US by more than threefold, WIPO data show.

How China is closing tech gap on West; rare earth find: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s ‘strategic new frontiers’ to scientists discovering rare earth minerals in a fern, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

Rising star mathematician Wu Meng returns to China from Finland

Now affiliated with Hunan University, the award-winning professor solved a major part of Furstenberg’s conjecture dating to the 1960s.

Avoiding ‘strategic suicide’: Vietnam’s US-Russia-China diplomatic dance

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s visit pushed military cooperation, but Vietnam wants to ensure it keeps all its geopolitical options open.

Southeast Asia still under pressure amid US-China trade truce: analysts

Strategically vital region described as remaining on front lines of great-power competition with no easy path forward.

Louvre jewels may be irrecoverable as French police race against time

Police hunt for Louvre raiders before priceless Napoleonic jewels are melted down and cut into untraceable individual stones.

Is South Korea’s school smartphone ban the answer to teen tech addiction?

The nationwide ban comes after a government survey found nearly 43 per cent of teenagers have trouble controlling their phone use.

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US President Donald Trump says America deserves more credit for helping China gain its freedom.

Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

The US president also said that he still believed a deal to end Russia’s war on Ukraine was in sight.

Trump says he will arrange Putin, Zelensky meeting after speaking with both

After meetings with Zelensky and top European leaders in White House, Trump says trilateral meeting is also in the works.

Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics