The rest of the tech team have been working hard at Rouleur Live this week so keep your eyes peeled for a special round-up of the best stuff we spotted there. Don't fret though, there's plenty elsewhere for Tech of the Week We've got an app that might be able to turn your winter miles into your next upgrade an update on an old Tech of the Week favourite an incredibly popular Kickstarter lights campaign new glasses from Koo and an eye-catching bike parking solution which may soon be coming to UK cities Want to earn discounted cycling kit by riding your bike App partners with Garmin Connect to convert miles to virtual coins We've heard about similar tech to this before, in fact we did a Tech of the Week on another company called Muuvr and its rewards platform last year. Imatra offers a similar app and has this week signed a partnership with Garmin Connect, Bike Biz reported the platform which converts miles cycled into a 100 per cent green and human-generated digital currency joining forces with Garmin's own Connect app It plans to launch in the UK having already gone live in 31 countries For every 25km ridden you get 1 Imatra Coin which can be worth between €0.5 and €4 depending on what you spend it on On Imatra's marketplace there are more than 100 brands already Imatra founder and CEO Manolo Bianchini said: "We have worked hard to make tracking kilometres a regular habit for the users of the app Now it's even easier thanks to the integration with Garmin We see this as a significant milestone for everyone who will benefit from this collaboration both now and in the future – we are very excited about this partnership." Users can link the Imatra app to Garmin Connect meaning you can connect the app to your Garmin device and upload rides to the platform where the conversion to Imatra Coins takes place Read more on Imatra's website.. Strava has released two new heatmaps — 'Night' and 'Weekly' — to help subscribers make more informed route-planning decisions now the seasons are changing and the nights drawing in The ride-sharing app explains they work much like the other heatmaps available to subscribers with the night heatmap "showing heat from activities recorded from sunset to sunrise helping athletes easily find the most popular areas for outdoor activities during this timeframe" The weekly one does the same but showing heat from all activities over a seven-day period Strava adding that this can help inform athletes about trail or road popularity as the seasons change meaning you've got a heads up about routes that might be closed or less desirable to use during the dark we're not talking about summer in the UK...) "Now we've made it easier for our community members to build routes with confidence regardless of the season or time of day," said Matt Salazar "We are continually improving our mapping technology to make human powered movement easier for all skill levels." You might remember these from a Tech of the Week last month It's UK-based custom compression manufacturer Isobar's £198 recovery socks and £168 calf sleeves Since we first brought these to your attention we've heard more from Isobar CEO Clive Gunther who went deeper on the benefits of the product: "The truth is that many athletes using off-the-shelf compression wear are unaware of the actual recovery and performance benefits of effective compression therapy we've developed the world's first AI-powered body-sizing app specifically for compression wear A simple 40-second smartphone video captures a precise anatomically accurate 3D model of the limb This ensures that customers can confidently order their custom compression wear which is typically ready within 48 hours." Isobar adds that its products' benefits include: preventing swelling blood pooling and heavy legs when travelling improving blood oxygenation and increasing blood flow by 60 per cent to "boost muscle energy and stamina" As well as accelerating the removal of waste products like lactic acid Find out more on Isobar's website.. This week we also heard from the founders of UK-based start-up Bikedok Ltd who have a vision for changing how people park bicycles on city streets Russell Ingham and Chris Jardine have designed and tested a "highly secure" on-street bicycle parking solution that promises to do away with the need for carrying heavy expensive locks rather offering a bicycle parking system that "has been designed around convenience and security" and "will be awarded powered cycle diamond rating by Sold Secure" Bikedok is app-driven with live mapping and would be subscription-based or pay as you go The concept would essentially offer users a secure parking system similar to a hire bike service's docking station "Research has proven one of the biggest barriers to active travel in many cities is security It doesn't take long whilst researching secure cycle parking in cities to realise there is a huge demand for secure parking A simple walk around the many parking sites around the country also shows the problem cut locks and so on a so forth," Bikedok told us "We believe there is a place and a demand for our product on the streets in many cities where reducing cars and increasing active travel has become a priority unique solution will change the way our cities manage on street bicycle security." The founders say they've received "nothing but positive feedback from councils" and the plan has "sparked excitement with various city cycling campaigns" too Bikedok "hopes to start rollout of its product in spring/summer 2025 Check it out here.. If you've had even the most cursory glance at Kickstarter's cycling product crowdfunding campaigns then you'll know designers LOVE to create cycling kit/tech/accessories with lights integrated SideLights is a handlebar-integrated lighting system that offers 360-degree visibility and has "already generated great enthusiasm" it's hard to argue with that last point — after all SideLights hit its £8,869 funding goal within an hour and has been backed by more than 427 interested riders meaning it now has almost £55,000 in pledges with 12 days still remaining They fit into the end of the bars and are waterproof and "theft-resistant" a "BMX enthusiast and commuter cyclist" whose sister Zoé won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics The Kickstarter rewards section suggests you can pledge £115 to get one set (at 22 per cent off retail price) although all the usual disclaimers about Kickstarter campaigns apply Read all the product information on Kickstarter Premium Italian eyewear brand Koo has a new range out the cycling-specific Hype "featuring maximum ventilation for peak performance" This comes in the form of ventilation ports on either side of the frame as well as one in the centre of the glasses to "deliver consistent airflow to prevent fogging" The Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe riders wore them at Il Lombardia in the autumn and we'll have to get a pair in for test to see if indeed the Hype hype is real.. Cycling clothing brand Assos takes legal action against UK fashion giant Asos First ride: The new (old) roads in Zwift’s latest map update Cool things for chilly temperatures - five wintery items currently in for review from Scribe, TrainingPeaks, Abbey Bike Tools, Moon and JetBlack What makes a great kids bike? Beginner-friendly balance bikes to junior road bikes explained, plus a selection of our favourites "Post-Covid bike market remains very challenging, particularly for standalone stores": Long-running bike shop "no longer commercially viable", closes after 35 years in business Polartec Power Shield – the ultimate cycling fabrics for winter rides Lauf files patent for freehub that offers thousands of engagement points Dangerholm's Italian motorsport-inspired Scott Spark gets 3D-printed titanium handlebar Win a year's supply of mountain bike and gravel tyres with Kenda! please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99 Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way More selling of "ideas" rather than actual items of true function and utility The world is seeing an ever more rapid churn of such stuff in service to "growth" (better named "cancerous rotting") The only utility a lot of it has is in stuffing the landfills but it doesn't look like those bike docks would fit a bike with a pannier rack It also seems to rely on just hoops over the front and back wheels nothing holds the frame at all; one suspects that if a thief can reach in and release the wheels it would be relatively easy to wriggle the frame out I don't think I'd want to trust any of my bikes to anything that didn't hold the frame it's "how can we complicate this problem?" (almost always with a long-accepted "good enough" solution) I don't wish them ill but I hope little to no council money goes on this Of course by necessity / co- evolution the Dutch generally provide a fairly "one size fits standard bikes" parking solution - but eg with a few spaces for non-standard bikes (trikes Think that may need a human to monitor though as people who don't "need" anything but normal spaces may pinch these because "easier" or they're nearer the entrance/ exit No need to carry things in panniers because the phone does everything nanotech in clothing keeps you fresh and the weather has been fixed These things will finally make cities look like the artist's impression https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=040ejWnFkj0 these look to me like up-market bike locking devices I don't think people on relatively cheaper bikes are going to be wanting to pay to lock up their bikes and will be sticking with a D-Lock and a nearby fence or lamppost On the other hand presumably those hoops are pretty sturdy so they could prove just the ticket for securing one's machine with a U-lock or chain without paying a penny.. road.cc's audience Report an advert on road.cc Privacy policy Subscribe All material © Farrelly Atkinson (F-At) Limited, Unit 7b Green Park Station BA11JB. Tel 01225 588855. © 2008–present unless otherwise stated. Terms and conditions of use Biathlon: the selection of the Austrian national team for the 2025/2026 training season Biathlon | Nordic skiing : for the Olympic winter the French teams will once again be changing their overalls Biathlon | “Joining this group is a step forward in my project” : Bressaud Martin Botet talks about his arrival in the French B team Biathlon | “It was a tiring race”: Johannes Thingnes Boe reflects on his participation in the Grue Halvmaraton Biathlon | “Joining the federal group is not an end in itself”: the words of Guillaume Poirot Camille Grataloup-Manissolle and Antonin Delsol Cross-country skiing: the selection of the Swedish national team for the 2025/2026 season Cross-country skiing : Gustav Kvarnbrink’s fright after being hit by a car while training Cross-country skiing | Nordic skiing: the composition of the Austrian team for the 2025/2026 season Cross-country skiing | “It’s really nice to see progress” Jessie Diggins gives her news following plantar fasciitis Norway or Bessans : the full programme of French team training camps to prepare for 2025/2026 Nordic combined: the composition of the French teams for the 2025/2026 season Nordic combined: Ivar Stuan remains Norway’s boss for another 2 years… with an option until 2030 Nordic Combined: Florian Schabereiter becomes head coach of the Austrian women’s national team Nordic combined | Mo i Rana: Ida Marie Hagen and Jens Luraas Oftebro crowned Norwegian mass start and gundersen champions Nordic Combined : the full list of 2024/2025 World Cup winners Ski jumping | “Not the season I imagined” Ski jumping: Slovenia’s Bine Norcic takes over from Rune Velta at the helm of the Swiss team Ski jumping: Thomas Thurnbichler to coach Germany’s B team Ski jumping: the make-up of the French teams for the 2025/2026 season… with newcomer Louis Obersteiner and leaders Joséphine Pagnier and Valentin Foubert Ski jumping: Rune Velta decides to step down as Switzerland coach Rollerskiing | ASOP and Thomas Joly launch the HautDoubsLoppet a 42 km classic ski-wheel race: first edition on 27 July Rollerski | Soldier Hollow: the Schutzenski Festival free sprint for Jessie Diggins and Reid Goble Rollerski | Soldier Hollow: Luke Jager and Rosie Brennan win the individual classic at the Schutzenski Festival Rollerski | “There are many reasons”: why didn’t Arnaud Du Pasquier’s third Dupaski Festival take place this weekend Rollerskiing | “It’s very reassuring”: the satisfaction of Mathis Desloges after winning the French individual classic title in La Bresse Vu de Trondheim #2: Jarl Magnus Riiber stripped of his title From Trondheim #1 : Marit Bjoergen head coach for women’s sprint Vu de Norge #451 : Sturla Holm Lægreid stands up against homophobia Vu de Norge #449 : Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen improves his rifle Planète Nordic #29: Oleksandra Merkushyna appreciates Julia Simon’s gesture Planète Nordic #23 : Norwegian cross-country skiers take on footballer Erling Braut Haaland on his recovery techniques dog’s name… at the Tour de Ski Planète Nordic #21 : Sebastian Samuelsson donates his race number to Dmytro Pidruchnyi in support of Ukraine Nordic Planet #20 : Dorothea Wierer could do nothing about the individual short in Kontiolahti after suffering a back injury Ristomatti Hakola claimed her second victory of the Finnish Championships in Imatra (Finland) in the 10km classic Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Finland's Sonja Leinamo surprised everyone by finishing eighth in the Biathlon World Cup sprint in Oberhof (Germany) Discover the names of the Finns selected for the cross-country skiing ski jumping and Nordic combined national teams for the 2025/2026 training season Discover the Finnish national biathlon team squads for the 2025/2026 training season The Finnish cross-country skiing championships held over the last few days in Taivalkoski came to a close on Sunday afternoon with a long.. The Finnish cross-country skiing championships in Taivalkoski drew to a close this Sunday morning for the women with a 30-kilometre individual skate race.. the international federations of cross-country skiing and Nordic sports announce a number of departures and.. The individual skate races of the Finnish cross-country skiing championships were held in Taivalkoski on Friday the 2025 Finnish Biathlon Championships came to a close in Kontiolahti (Finland) with the mass-starts Junior Achievement (JA) Finland´s Yrityskylä Secondary School is a Finnish gamified learning module for 9th graders that provides positive experiences about working life 9th graders in Southeast Finland will have the opportunity to work as the management team of Ovako Imatra and make business decisions in international markets students will lead the company through a simulated business year to customers across various industrial sectors young people will practice leadership skills and strategic thinking in a realistic business world simulation "We are delighted to be part of developing the future talents' skills Sustainability is a core part of Ovako's operations and this Yrityskylä concept provides a unique platform for young people to understand the importance of sustainable industry for society," says Head of Human Resources Yrityskylä offers students the opportunity to learn about different companies and industries while gaining insights into various job roles students are introduced to the evolving working life and responsible business practices The storyline of the learning experience takes students from job seekers to company employees and eventually to corporate leadership students will consider factors such as the costs of steel production and elements affecting the company's reputation they will face unexpected events and make investments in the company Yrityskylä is based on the Finnish core curriculum and is proven to be effective: approximately 90 % of all 9th graders in Finland Yrityskylä Southeast Finland in Lappeenranta reaches nearly all middle school students in South Karelia and Kymenlaakso areas Ovako’s game will especially be played by students from the South Karelia region – the home region of the Imatra mill can locally reach entire age groups and create a positive image of their operations for future job seekers and employees we can provide children and young people with broad economic regardless of their background or starting point," comments Johanna Peltovuori Partnership Manager at Yrityskylä Southeast Finland which is developing e-methane production plants have agreed to reserve approximately 13 hectares in the Pelkola industrial area The company's aim is to develop a plant in the area that would produce e-methane using electricity and bio-based carbon dioxide The plant would be connected to the Finnish and The e-methane it produces is intended to be distributed to heavy-duty vehicles as a replacement for fossil natural gas Freija is responsible for project development the plant could be operational by 2031.  Freija is part of the Norwegian Vanir Green Industries group which aims to develop and scale clean transition investment projects The company is currently developing a similar project in the Tampere region.    Fear town plan update has started last summer 2024 The goal is to complete the plan by summer 2026 An agreement has already been signed for the area area reservation agreement with Norwegian Norsk-e-FuelAfter Freija AS reserved the area the area is now practically fully booked.  -Freija brings strong expertise and the project relies on the strengths of the area which include good electricity connections logistics infrastructure and a gas network We are confident in the company's ability to develop a commercially viable plant in the area -Freija is looking for industrial sites with the right characteristics to produce clean fuel on a large scale at a competitive price The Imatra plant is ideal for e-methane production because it is located close to critical infrastructure such as the gas network We are very pleased with the area reservation made for Imatra and the support we have received from the city CEO of Freija AS Kristian Hauglum says.  The development of the Pelkola area will also require investments from the transmission grid company Fingrid "Discussions with Fingrid and also with the state leadership give confidence that the area's electricity supply will be secured," says Mayor Hilden.  The area reservation is scheduled to be discussed on Tuesday by the Economic Development and Urban Environment Committee and in April by the City Council.  matias.hildenimatra.fi (matias[dot]hilden[at]imatra[dot]fi) the airline Norwegian and several European technology companies Zoning of the area has been started in June Polku with the help of the new POLTE project the city of Imatra's employment processes and functions will be developed and enhanced The project's target group is the long-term unemployed in the Imatra region and those who have become unemployed from the peat sector or its related sectors The task of the job training offered to the target group is to act as a low-threshold springboard towards the open labor market and to improve the labor market position of persons in a weak labor market position The project will develop work trial and employment models small group activities including lifestyle guidance also taking into account training that is independent of time and place the project will start cooperation with private employment agencies and gather aggregated information about the needs of the unemployed in the peat sector and related sectors The project has received funding from the Just Transition Fund (JTF Fund) The current sports hall will not be renovated, the city council decided at its meeting on Monday, April 28.4. Instead, planning for the construction of a new sports hall in Ukonniemi will be initiated. According to the VE1 model the city council decided to initiate a zoning change the aim of which is to remove the conservation designation of the current sports hall and enable the use of the area for tourism and sports purposes.  The decision was made on Monday evening after a long and winding discussion.  the first of which proposed returning the sports hall decision to preparation and the second proposing launching a 5-year longer-term plan to renovate the current sports hall Decisions regarding the swimming pool will be made in the fall of 2025 Summary of decisions from the city council meeting Link's decision summary updated on April 28.4 at 22.30:XNUMX PM: Corrected voting result You will accept marketing cookies to see the included content The sports hall and swimming pool belong in their current location What's the point of moving the sports hall to Ukonniemi The city is already in debt and the population is decreasing If you want to revitalize the city center and at the same time move all the sports facilities to Ukkonniemi then couldn't you also move the city center there We are always thinking about how to increase the attractiveness of the city Revitalization does not require increasing attractiveness there was an error in the meeting announcement Here we have been considering with the family whether to stay in Imatra or move to Lappeenranta Now the training place for the child who does athletics will move further away Soon one of the children's indoor swimming pool hobbies will probably also be moved further away wherever the dead Ukonniemi is artificially resuscitated when the decision-makers' money is tied up there And Etuovi is full of homes for working-age people and children when there's no point in living here anymore This city doesn't need taxpayers and families with children Is there a mistake in that meeting summary Did the majority support the creation of a corrective plan The matter will be discussed at the city council on the 28.4 The free and open grandstand will open for the first time on Friday half an hour before the start of the KalPa–SaiPa final match The grandstand will close after the match.  The final matches will be shown live in the competition stands on at least the following match days: —We want to be part of the excitement of the neighboring city's final it's the whole province's business to bring the Canada Cup to South Karelia Says the tourism and event coordinator responsible for the event's arrangements Pauliina Kivinen the competition grandstand will also be organized on Saturday The competition grandstand area will accommodate approximately 250 seats so it is recommended to dress appropriately for the weather The event area is barrier-free and easily accessible on foot The event is organized in collaboration with the City of Imatra Welcome to join us in experiencing the final excitement and cheering SaiPa to become the Finnish champion Information about the event can be followed on the City of Imatra's website and social media channels Tourism and Event Coordinator Pauliina Kivinen stonyimatra.fi (pauliina[dot]kivinen[at]imatra[dot]fi)Marketing and Tourism Director Jaakko Jäppinen jaakko.jappinenimatra.fi (jaakko[dot]jappinen[at]imatra[dot]fi) Updated May 2.5nd at 10: Added information about Friday's grandstand It's an incredibly good thing that if you took the bus to Lappeenranta but now that it's at the edge of the rapids It's nice that you don't have to take the train to Lappeenranta I'd love to support Imatra and Imatra's services and jump on the bus.. Outreach work will join forces with the Finnish Association of Professional Skills (Työtaito) regarding facilities from August 2025 The goal is to increase and strengthen cooperation so that guiding and supporting young adults is more accessible and smooth.  — We have young people in common with the Työtaito youth workshop and NäittenPaikan It is natural to go where the young people are The new facilities are comfortable and easily accessible from the pedestrian street The goal of outreach youth work is to support and guide young people aged 18–28 into education or employment and help them access the services they need.  The Finnish Association for Skilled Work responds to the increased need for individual employment services rehabilitative work activities and personal support among young adults The purpose of the Association for Skilled Work is to meet and support young people individually towards education and working life Työtaito ry's cooperation with the City of Imatra Ohjaamo and especially Etsivä Youth Work opens up opportunities to develop activities even more effectively and support young adults from Imatra towards education and working life there will be changes to the use of Työtaito ry's facilities but both the youth workshop and NäittenPaikka will continue their operations as normal says Työtaito ry's acting executive director mervi.mikkonenimatra.fi (mervi[dot]mikkonen[at]imatra[dot]fi) 020 617 7402Acting Executive Director Kaisa Tuure kaisa.turetyotaitory.com (kaisa[dot]tuure[at]tyotaitory[dot]com) johanna.makinenimatra.fi (johanna[dot]makinen[at]imatra[dot]fi) The students of Vuoksenniska School will get into the May Day spirit on Monday Students serve donuts and mead in the lobby of K-Supermarket Vuoksenniska during the day from 10 am to 14 pm.  the young people have thought about questions in advance that relate to life guidelines they get to share their own thoughts on a good life according to the youth services representative The students are assisted by the school youth worker at Vuoksenniska School and the school curator at EKHVA The doughnut and mead service is provided by K-Supermarket Vuoksenniska.  young people themselves can enjoy the food: Vuoksi Grilli offers free grilled food and juice starting at 18 pm for the first 40 young people A group of Walkers Imatra adults and a Walkers car will be meeting the young people at the barbecue The collaboration between young people and entrepreneurs is intended to increase interaction Head of Education and Youth Minna Rovio says —Collaboration increases mutual security and trust I am very happy about this opening and hope that this type of activity will continue to expand A leak has been detected in the main water pipe at the Sports Center swimming pool The Sports Hall's maintenance staff has been monitoring the situation and taking the necessary precautions That's why the repair needs to be done now and we can't wait until the summer maintenance break The repair will not cause any interruption to the use of the sports center or swimming pool The sports hall and swimming pool will be renovated next summer maintenance repairsRepairs will begin in early May crowmitra.fi (heikki[dot]varis[at]mitra[dot]fi) The repairs are scheduled to be completed by August 30.8 A more extensive repair plan will be drawn up after it is known how long the buildings are expected to serve the residents Lappeenranta Regional Public Transport has operated as the regional public transport authority since the beginning of 2024 but the general travel conditions of Lappeenranta public transport and the travel conditions applied in practice in Imatra have not yet been uniform.  Imatra's local transport will be transferred to the Waltti ticket and payment system from June 2.6.2025 so updating the travel conditions to be uniform was necessary says the public transport manager Terhi Koski − The general travel conditions for Lappeenranta public transport have been renamed the general travel conditions for Lappeenranta region public transport incorrect and missing information in them has been updated The most significant changes and updates to the travel conditions concern discount groups entitled to free travel which was previously subject to a fee in Imatra which was previously subject to a fee in Lappeenranta Passengers travelling with prams or strollers in the local transport area and passengers using a rollator/wheelchair are also entitled to free travel on public transport in the Lappeenranta region. In local children under 7 years of age accompanied by an adult and passengers presenting a military service order travel free of charge Other groups entitled to free travel and more detailed travel conditions are listed in the detailed travel conditions in the accompanying material. General travel conditions can also be found on the city's website at www.lappeenranta.fi/joukoThey are also available from the Lappeenranta customer service center Wink and the Imatra city customer service point Single-use and value-added products in the Lappeenranta region currently have a 60-minute exchange period School cards include two school trips per school day and already have a 90-minute exchange period When Imatra's local traffic switches to the Waltti ticket and payment system on June 2.6nd the transfer time for all ticket products and zone intervals will change from 60 minutes to 90 minutes “The implementation of a travel chain with longer transfer times will improve and facilitate regional travel especially when traveling across multiple zones,” says Koski terhi.koskilappeenranta.fi (terhi[dot]koski[at]lappeenranta[dot]fi) General travel conditions for public transport in the Lappeenranta region (pdf) More information and feedback on the Joukko website Jouko - Public transport in the Lappeenranta region The city of Imatra is testing a new type of technology in property and infrastructure monitoring some of the city's properties and sites will be monitored using robotic helicopters and a ground robot.  The robots record data in the surroundings of the monitored properties and sites The recordings are processed with data protection in the same way as recordings from fixed surveillance cameras The helicopters monitor multiple properties and can also operate as a group if necessary The devices move from one surveillance site to another automatically using artificial intelligence They do not record during the transitions.  —The movement takes place along a predefined route so that the device does not travel on roads or light traffic routes the security manager Samuel Venäläinen says Imatra's helicopters can be identified by LED lights that flash red at the back of the helicopter and green at the front the helicopters have orange warning lights on the sides They allow for real-time monitoring and quick response to potential alarms The system learns to understand its environment and looks for anomalies.  corresponding to signal monitoring Jani Hintikka from Rumble Tools Oy says Information about exceptional observations is provided to the property owner and The helicopters will be deployed in collaboration with Rumble Tools Oy The system's technology was developed by the company Other companies are also involved in the collaboration —Collaboration with other actors is a significant part of the new system and increases its efficiency the system will be put into trial use in Imatra the robotic helicopters will become a permanent way of monitoring in Imatra samuel.venalainenimatra.fi (samuel[dot]venalainen[at]imatra[dot]fi) The national traffic safety goal is that no one has to die or be seriously injured in traffic The municipalities of the Imatra region chose the region's traffic safety vision "Arrive safe and sound - that's what it's all about" which emphasizes everyone's shared responsibility for safe movement the structural safety of means of transport and the traffic environment The traffic safety work group of the city of Imatra is responsible for cross-administrative traffic safety work covering all age and movement groups and for monitoring the traffic safety situation The city is responsible for keeping the traffic environment in a safe condition for users and planning and building safe thoroughfares measures are aimed at improving the existing transport network The Southeast Finland ELY Center is responsible for road traffic safety improvements The traffic safety plans of the municipalities in the Imatra region were drawn up on behalf of the municipalities of Imatra Rautjärvi and Parikkala and the ELY center in 2019 the South-Eastern Finland Police Department and the South Karelia rescue service also participated in the work The common goal is to reduce the number of traffic accidents in the region and make movement safer an average of 3 people have died and 48 people have been injured annually in traffic in the Imatra region the goal has been set that in 2025 no one would die in traffic in the Imatra region and that no more than 23 people would be injured it would mean annual cost savings of over 10 million euros for society Accident costs include the costs of rescue operations and the loss of a person's ability to work and human well-being about a quarter of those injured and killed in traffic in the Imatra region were between the ages of 15 and 24 although teenagers and young adults make up only 6% of the region's population There were clearly more traffic accidents leading to personal injury in the Imatra region for people over 65 than the national average Traffic safety can be promoted in three ways: by influencing drivers the traffic environment and means of transportation The traffic safety plans of the municipalities of the Imatra region focus especially on the first two Action plans for traffic education and communication have been drawn up as part of the planning work where you can find tips for organizing trainings events and adventures for people of different ages and creating operating methods in the municipality Municipality-specific traffic environment improvement plans have been drawn up in cooperation between the municipalities' technical department and the ELY center The proposed improvement measures are mainly small and cost-effective measures that can be implemented in the next few years and emphasizing the duty to avoid with traffic signs and road markings The plan has taken into account in particular the improvement of pedestrian and cycling safety without forgetting the conditions of motor vehicle traffic All the municipalities in the Imatra region have an active working group dealing with traffic safety issues whose activities involve all administrative branches of the municipality as well as stakeholders The working groups deal with issues related to the traffic environment traffic education and communication as well as supervision Materials related to traffic safety plans can be found From the website of the Southeastern Finland ELY Center Traffic safety plans the transport environment action program for 2019 on a map. Open image viewerThe Norwegian company plans to build its fuel production facility on a forested area between the railway visible on the right and the road leading to the border crossing visible on the left Image: Mikko Savolainen / YleYle News5.12.2024 14:17Norwegian Norsk-e-Fuel is planning to build a synthetic aviation fuel production facility in Imatra The company has reserved a 35-hectare industrial area from the City of Imatra The facility could be up and running in the next five to six years at which point it could produce 80,000 tons of synthetic aviation fuel annually Synthetic aviation fuel is made by combining hydrogen with captured carbon and it can serve as a replacement for jet kerosene the company needs a large amount of electricity for hydrogen production as the element is extracted from water with electricity is available as a byproduct of Imatra's local pulp industry Norsk-e-Fuel said it is aiming to meet the EU's renewable aviation fuel targetsOpens an external website adding that it has agreements to supply synthetic fuel to carriers Norwegian and Cargolux This autumn Norsk-e-Fuel also made an industrial site reservation in Rauma in the southwest EU rules require that fuel suppliers gradually increase the proportion of synthetic aviation fuel (sustainable aviation fuels or SAF) in conventional jet fuel at airports within the bloc Watch: Norsk-e-Fuel's managing director talks about why the company chose Imatra for its new facility Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. 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Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here The Southeast Finland district of the Finnish Red Cross continues to maintain the reception center in Imatra SPR won the tender organized by the Immigration Office and in accordance with the requirements of the tender will move the center to the Imatra Rental Apartments property at Kaukopäänkatu 3 There are a total of 48 apartments in the building All apartments will be used by the reception center during 2025 The leases of the current tenants will be terminated and the tenants will be offered apartments from other Imatra rental apartments There are private tenants in 23 apartments —We have good apartments available and I sincerely believe that everyone can find a home they like at Imatra CEO of Imatra Vuokra-asunnot Oy Erik Forstén says.  Tenants were told about the upcoming change today Apartment leases are terminated during the beginning of the year residents have six months to move into a new apartment.  Kaukopäänkatu 3 was chosen as the property for the reception center as the occupancy rate of the property has been low.  we would have had to consider the future of the house as the rental income currently does not cover the costs of the property It is very likely that the current residents would have had to move out even if the reception center had not been added to the premises The first residents of the reception center will move into the vacant apartments at Kaukopäänkatu 3 during January The center will start operating at full capacity during late summer or early fall The center has places for 300 people and will employ about 18 people.  The operation of the reception center creates jobs directly at the destination the increasing need for other services is a positive development for the Imatra area It is also good to remember that a property rented at 100% occupancy eases the financial situation of the city's rental housing company the operation of the reception center will not cause changes to the leases of the current tenants.  SPR maintained a reception center in Imatra between 2015 and 2021 and again from spring 2022.2024 Migri terminated the contract for SPR's Imatra reception center and tendered the reception center operation The competition for South-Eastern Finland was won by SPR which has decided to establish a center in Imatra.   erik.forstenimatra.fi (erik[dot]forsten[at]imatra[dot]fi) 020 617 1050 Executive Director Mika Asikainen asikainenpinaineristi.fi (mika[dot]asikainen[at]punainenristi[dot]fi) If I hear of any minor incidents on public transport or in the surrounding area I will immediately take the necessary measures I scream until 4 in the morning and don't understand the rules or common sense They won't fit in here even years from now Now turn on some of those lights in the lust for money All the refugees come here to drain the rest of the real estate value Haven't we already learned that there has been nothing useful or positive about them here. the house has been so largely empty that all the time loss = threat of demolition And demand for both Vuoksenniska's and Rauti's services Although now the reduction of the 23 lines of local transport is a bad situation when VOK customers hardly have their own car and public transport is the only one.. And the Step school in Ruokolahti has a reasonable connection to that since the language courses of many of those who came to the country are there I think it's pretty rough to evict the old tenants Wouldn't that adjustment require interaction with the locals Imatra is the cycling latest app that turns kilometers into euros Then you can spend those coins for real products from almost 100 top cycling brands Brands you actually want to buy stuff from Most of the deals available give you significant 10-20% discounts where you’ll pay the balance in real money But there’s also gear that is entirely paid with the virtual currency you earn by riding like a pair of Alba Optics special edition Delta Ultra sunglasses that are free after riding almost 4500km… Spend those coins to buy real gear for free Or use them to get significant discounts off big-ticket cycling purchases from top brands At worst earning some dodgy cryptocurrency or NFT “The aim of using the app is to develop a good habit by promoting exercise and the outdoors.” But it’s still not entirely clear how they are monetizing your activity to justify giving you gear or deals I guess we’ll need to read the T&Cs Imatra is a free mobile ride tracking app – for Android or iOS And it will convert your pedal power into Imatra’s “100% green native digital currency” Use these Imatra Coins to buy select premium cycling gear or pair the coins with real-world euros to buy more expensive bikes and when I look at the site I see EUR€ prices and delivery estimates for Italy & the EU But Imatra says they are already set up in 31 countries and their digital Imatra Coins are “without territorial borders” But Imatra’s marketplace has a pretty impressive list of desirable cycling brands Imatra says their platform will also allow users to trade or sell digital coins amongst themselves Imatra says you will earn 1 Imatra Coin for every “25 normalized kilometers traveled”. The idea there, is that their algorithm calculates ‘normalized’ distance, based not only on how far you ride, but also how much you climb. So 25 flat Dutch kms won’t be worth the same as those 28 switchbacks of the Passo Stelvio each Imatra Coin is valued at between €0.50 and €4.00 but it depends on which product you are putting it towards you aren’t gonna ride yourself to a free bike with Imatra I might earn as little as 250€ a year riding But you may also land some pretty solid discounts Imatra.com Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com Cory has been writing about mountain bikes gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years even before the industry created some of these names Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability has designed bike shops & bike components Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes meeting with key European product developers industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed It doesn’t even have a marketplace on their app (at least the iOS version) so you can accrue all the credits/coins you want but there’s literally nothing to spend them on this app is essentially useless for its intended purpose right now you can’t shop on their app but (i assume you use safari) if you look up “imatra shop” it should pop up just log into your account and it should connect your coins balance to the shop but don’t want to deal with solvents Simpyfast claims their Lube Cube is the easiest way Peak Performance expands on their MTB specific clothing with new pants Apparently that’s an option when you’re designing products for the GOAT We spotted Cofidis racing an all-new prototype wireless 13-speed Campagnolo Super Record 13 WRL SC road groupset Canyon Bicycles is now selling select models directly through Amazon.com Want wireless shifting but don’t want to have to buy a whole new drivetrain Be protected from the sun with the new UV Hooded Trail Shirt… OrNot The new Van Nicholas Astraeus is a beautiful titanium road bike that’s limited to just 50 frames Ovako Imatra Oy Ab announced the start of change negotiations The preliminary estimate of the need to permanently reduce human resources is a maximum of 70 person-years and the need to reduce would apply to all personnel groups The need for possible layoffs is determined based on the development of the order book convened and led by the Southeast Finland ELY Center a group gathered consisting of representatives of Ovako Imatra Oy Ab the Southeast Finland ELY Center and the development company of the Imatra region There were also representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Economy The group reviewed the situation regarding Ovako and the Imatra region and agreed on helping people who might become unemployed between the employer and the Southeast Finland TE office during and after the change negotiations support and employment and training opportunities a local service point can also be opened at the factory.  The region of South Karelia has long suffered from a weakening of vitality bankruptcies and business closures has increased in the region.  The South Karelia sudden restructuring support application (ÄRM application) compiled by the regional coordination group was submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Economy on June 10 and is being processed by the ministry a representative of the Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs said that a decision on support will be made in the next few days Read the announcement on the website of the Southeast Finland ELY Center only civil servants will get work from that support We are living in exciting times at Imatra Library Heili Libraries' new library system Quria has been in full operation for a couple of months We have never received as much customer feedback as we do now about our new online service The feedback has been more colorful than complimentary And Arena does not deserve praise at this stage We believe and hope that the situation will improve it has developed into a great service that is growing rapidly I have comforted our customers that although our online service is difficult to use the new system used by the staff has also caused challenges but Imatra is boldly planning for the future One of the plans is the renovation of the Virta Cultural Center It will be necessary for the almost 40-year-old building the main library will move to the reserve facilities My own suggestion is that since Imatra has two excellent local libraries the main library could operate as a light version in the reserve facilities a newspaper reading room and the possibility of using computers Reserving books between Heili libraries is free so it is easy for the customer to get the desired book even if we operate in the reserve facilities with dimmed lights Except if it is Rämö's fairy tale about a new work everything is still open regarding the avoidance spaces We need our customers' help in planning the space for the renovated main library We have to think about what the library will be like in the future how the relationship between physical and digital materials will develop and how the use of the library as a whole will change We will ask for your wishes and listen to your suggestions.  One big change for the staff and customers of Imatra City Library is our immediate supervisor Ari has worked at the main library for almost the entire time it has been in its current location and the library and its highly praised service orientation have largely personified him Ari has been a good role model for the rest of us kahkonenimatra.fi (mika[dot]kahkonen[at]imatra[dot]fi)Tel: 020 617 6602  The librarian's other blog entries can be found here. Virastokatu 1, 55100 Imatra020 617 6609 (lending agency)020 617 6612 (information)pile libraryimatra.fi (paakirjasto[at]imatra[dot]fi) Suuntakatu 1, 55610 Imatra020 617 6613statue libraryimatra.fi (status library[at]imatra[dot]fi) Vuoksenniskantie 95, 55800 Imatra020 617 6614vuoksenniskan libraryimatra.fi (vuoksenniskankirjasto[at]imatra[dot]fi) Imatra library's Facebook Facebook of Heili libraries feed Give feedback Exciting moments were experienced at the Step education in Ruokolahti on Monday when local families and students from abroad met for the first time With the joint campaign of the city of Imatra and Step educationImatra found a good ten families who were interested in getting to know mainly Asians studying to become care assistants Education manager of the Ruokolahti unit of Step education Marika Lehvonen gives value to the successful start of friendship activities - It is really meaningful that we made friends from Imatra for international students this increases students' commitment and well-being Local contacts certainly support and support students' lives and studies on many levels International students can continue to be friends friendship activities will also be offered to Edusampo's international students who started in nursing positions in November so you can inform the city of your readiness for friendship activities right away says the participation coordinator Heikki Laine education manager Marika Lehvonen, Step education, p. 040 842 4191, (marika.lehvonen@step.fi) waveimatra.fi (heikki[dot]laine[at]imatra[dot]fi) katri.storhammarimatra.fi (katri[dot]storhammar[at]imatra[dot]fi) The city of Imatra and Step education are looking for friends for foreign students The aim of the friend activity is to make it easier for foreign students the city of Imatra received a donation of ten Välkky emergency warning devices from Lähi-Tapiola Southeast Finland The donation was part of the insurance company's nationwide traffic safety program campaign.  A Välkky is a flashing light pole that warns drivers of a pedestrian or cyclist approaching a pedestrian crossing The Välkky are already familiar to the people of Imatra the city will be able to improve the safety of pedestrian crossings by installing more Välkky pedestrian crossing warning lights in the urban environment It is great that the beacons were donated to us We received five pairs of devices for Imatra Now we want to hear residents' suggestions for where to place the beacons The views of the residents will help identify the most important sites and improve traffic safety says the city's maintenance engineer Kaisa Pohjola The survey is open on the city's website from February 17.2 to March 9.3.2025 The results of the placements will be published after the survey is completed in March Beanies with the Imatra logo will be raffled among those who responded to the survey We will send a reflector to everyone who left their contact information as a thank you for participating.You can respond via the link below Poll: For which pedestrian crossing do you want a Välkky warning device? pohjolaimatra.fi (kaisa[dot]pohjola[at]imatra[dot]fi) 11 at 56:XNUMX: Added thanks to the maintenance engineer's comment.  Flashing lights are installed on busy streets and intersections where pedestrian safety is to be improved LocalTapiola's regional companies have committed to donating a total of over 100 Välkkys across Finland The renovation of the central station has started The first thing to do in the area of ​​the central station is to protect the construction site and erect construction site fences and the removal of harmful substances, says the developer Pasi Huoponen from Mitra Imatran Rakennuttaja Oy the station's wing on the Tainionkoskentie side will be completely demolished the wing parallel to the station will be partially demolished: the first two floors will be renovated and the third floor will be demolished A new waiting area will be built to replace the demolished floor The central station is closed from Monday 22.7.2024 The cash machine at the central station is also out of use the parking spaces closest to Tainionkoskentie will remain within the construction site area but you can leave your car in the parking spaces on the Vuoksi side during the renovation tthe akistolpa's location changes to the side of Tainionkoskentie near the elevator leading to the station platform.  The bike racks at the central station will be moved to the vicinity of the parking spaces the same bike racks will also have a parking space for the central station for city bikes will be closed when the demolition work by machines starts There is a detour to the elevator that takes you to the station platform: if you leave your car in the station parking lot you must first go around the demolition site and cross Tainionkoskentie - A temporary crosswalk will be made near the elevator leading to the platform There will be a place to leave cars near the elevator and the escort point is also located near the elevator When the demolition work with machines begins the light traffic lane at the station and the second lane of Tainionkoskentie in the direction of Tainionkoski will be closed and The local bus stop along Tainionkoskentie will move towards Tainionkoski Long-distance buses normally go to the parking area of ​​the central station The renovation is estimated to be completed by the end of September 2025 pasi.huoponenmitra.fi (pasi[dot]huoponen[at]mitra[dot]fi) at 17.11: Added information that there will be a drop-off point near the elevator.  at 8.52: Added information about the location of the bike racks and the estimated duration of the renovation at 11.49: Structured from the announcement on at 22.7 in accordance with the changes that take place from now on and the changes caused by the demolition work done with machines 10.33 at XNUMX:XNUMX: Renovation information box added to the page 9.09 at XNUMX:XNUMX a.m.: Added information about the location of the escort point near the elevator 16.05 at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.: Updated map of the station in connection with the announcement a bus stop with a booth next to the station would be nice Welcome to Imatra! The local bus stop is along Tainionkoskentie, i.e. when you get off the station platform by elevator or stairs, you will find it along the aforementioned road. Lappeenranta and Imatra public transport schedules and maps can be found at routeguide.lappeenranta.fi someone go and think about how the light traffic flow to the station platform is organized Now I really have an eye and especially a sense of how the traffic has been implemented it is temporary and there is a clear reason to change the arrangements but what has been implemented now has not used any common sense the engineer looked at the map and it looks good where will the Onni bus to Helsinki pick up passengers Would it be possible to get such racks or arches for bicycles where the bike could be locked from the frame where do the local buses go after getting off the elevator First time on the way and immediately some additional problems Where will the Imatra - Lappenrantu bus stop a barracks (people with reduced mobility could also get there) Sometimes you may have to wait a long time for the train ramps will be made on the curbs at the temporary crosswalk Questions and answers about the renovation of the central station  The bidding process for construction contract calculation is about to start Demolition work can be done in early autumn at the latest The station's repair plan is supposed to be completed during the spring Construction costs have increased by a couple of million euros two-day winter trail event Saimaa Winter Trail will be organized in Ukonniemi this winter The event is organized by Oikma Reitti Oy from Rookolahta which specializes in endurance sports events The city has entered into an event partnership with the company covering the year 2025 the company undertakes to take care of the maintenance of Ukonniemi's winter trails The trails are already available to locals and tourists this winter The development of Ukonniemi is part of the city's strategy the cities of Imatra and Lappeenranta prepared a vision for the Rauha-Ukonniemi area Vision work was done in cooperation with GoSaimaa and other stakeholders one important factor was the year-round development of tourism in the region - One possibility emerged was to have a new event suitable for winter in the area which would raise the brand value of the area and be of interest to tourists The development of winter trails implemented by volunteers was also seen as an opportunity in the vision work says the city's director of marketing and tourism Jaakko Jäppinen The winter trails have also been a very popular daily exercise spot for the people of Imatra so it's great that we can get the trails implemented this winter as well The Saimaa Winter Trail event is built around trail running and mountain biking.  - The atmosphere of the event is certainly unique with its narrow paths CEO of Ojmaa Reitti Oy Mikko Reitti anticipate is expected to have participants from all over southern Finland The UNcycling team from Imatra and Finland's top cyclists will be there the event is open to all cycling enthusiasts a number of other partners participate in the realization of the event and the winter trails. - Among other things who have previously taken care of the winter trails as volunteers Director of Marketing and Tourism Jaakko Jäppinen mikkooikrereitti.net (mikko[at]oikereiti[dot]net) 13.09 at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.: Corrected Mikko Reitti's email address to the correct format.  Winter trails on the map a medium-sized Finnish town on the border with Russia high snow drifts ensconce a shopping outlet that sits barren apart from a large “for sale” sign Another sign on the building reads “Добро пожаловать!” — Russian for “welcome” — a reminder that just a few years ago travelers from across the border would flock here to buy prized Finnish products like coffee the once-steady stream of traffic from Russia initially hobbled by Covid-19 restrictions In mid-December, Finland closed all eight of its border crossings with its eastern neighbor over the arrival of around 1,300 asylum seekers and undocumented migrants since August.  Finnish authorities accuse the Kremlin of encouraging the asylum seekers to cross their shared frontier in a destabilization ploy — a “hybrid attack” Helsinki sees as Moscow’s retribution for having abandoned decades of military nonalignment by joining NATO.  While Finland’s political class has become fixated on the border closure making it one of the main debate topics during the recent presidential election it has had little tangible impact on life for ordinary Finns Yet for many of the country’s 93,000 Russian speakers — among them around 38,000 dual Finnish-Russian nationals — the shutdown has disconnected them from family and other ties to their home country and fomented feelings that they are unwelcome.  “Things have gotten really bad with this closure,” Andrei said in an interview at his home in Imatra “I think it will be closed for a long time.” He declined to share his surname due to the risk of repercussions In January, Finland extended the border shutdown until at least April 14 saying it saw “no signs that Russia is changing its behavior.”  Finnish border authorities estimate that up to 3,000 asylum seekers are still waiting to cross over from Russia.  “What upsets me is that nobody here in the government is talking about what options there are besides closing the border,” said Andrei “There’s no conversation happening.” Petersburg — less than 200 miles from the border with Finland — in September 2022 over fears he could be sent to fight in Ukraine amid Moscow’s “partial” mobilization drive.  Although he never ended up receiving a draft notice he and his wife decided to wait things out at their Imatra home which they bought in 2016 as a summer countryside retreat Andrei has reluctantly made a few trips to Russia for various responsibilities he has back at home.  he went back to help an elderly relative submit paperwork so that she could receive her state pension.  “What would typically be a couple of hours’ drive one way ended up taking me 22 hours this time,” he explained detailing his journey to Russia via Estonia which involved a combination of travel by train but this is the reality we face now,” he said Andrei said he feels frustrated with how Finnish authorities are handling the influx of asylum seekers and argues that other options besides a total and seemingly indefinite border shutdown should be weighed.  he believes that Russian authorities had sought precisely this kind of “blunt” response as he is also convinced of Moscow’s malicious intent.  He closed the border with Finnish hands,” Andrei said These sentiments are shared by some of the country’s Russian-Finnish dual nationals who lives 120 kilometers away from Imatra in the port city of Kotka “I think the border closure was necessary at first it was an emergency,” she said in an interview it shows that the Finnish government can’t come up with a real solution.” Volokitina moved to Finland over a decade ago with her boyfriend who the young couple could visit their home region northwestern Russia’s republic of Karelia traveling home is more complicated and expensive.  Volokitina also sees how the border issue and talk of “hybrid attacks” from Moscow are feeding into a recent trend in Finnish politics where Russian-Finnish citizens are increasingly cast as potential security risks Nowhere else has that been more apparent than during last month’s presidential election which saw former prime minister and staunch Ukraine ally Alexander Stubb win the presidency an office vested with the authority to shape and direct the nation’s foreign policy On the campaign trail, seven out of the nine presidential candidates, including the center-right Stubb, said they would support retroactively revoking dual nationals’ Finnish passports if they refused to give up their Russian citizenship arguing that Putin is “adamant” about his readiness “to protect” Russian citizens living abroad.  Finland’s Interior Ministry is currently preparing a report focusing on the issue of dual citizenship reciprocity that could pave the way for that kind of move “These kinds of retroactive laws remind me of those in Russia,” Volokitina said alluding to the frequent instances where Russian authorities prosecute individuals for breaching laws that were passed after the fact Heikki Patomaki, a political scientist at the University of Helsinki, said that suspicions toward Finnish-Russian citizens’ loyalty have been discussed in the media for years. But these concerns have taken on a new face amid the war in Ukraine and Moscow’s promise to create “problems” for Finland “This is totally in line with a Manichaean understanding of the situation of [viewing] this as a struggle between good and evil,” Patomaki said in an interview explaining his interpretation of the government’s thinking “So you have to choose what side you're on.” “If you’re very suspicious of Russia’s activities then you think that they might form some kind of a fifth column,” he added renouncing Russian citizenship is no easy task One must gather a large number of documents and show that they have no debts criminal charges or unfulfilled military service obligations in Russia They then need to present those documents at a government office or Russian embassy abroad.  Those who openly criticize the Kremlin could face the additional risk of criminal prosecution if they enter a Russian embassy many dual nationals do not want to give up their Russian citizenship for reasons including family and friends who still live back home or simply the hope of one day being able to return to a more democratic Russia if you say you want to keep your Russian passport people here call you a Putinist,” Volokitina said “But I just want at least one of my countries to look after my interests as a citizen.”  Beyond re-evaluating dual citizenship policies, Finnish authorities are also looking into banning Russians from buying property accusing Moscow of using “soft spots” to try to destabilize the country A government decision on that is expected this spring many Russian-Finnish citizens like Volokitina are left feeling caught in the middle of tectonic geopolitical shifts that they cannot control.  “The majority of people are pretty far away from politics but now they are forced to absorb these realities and they feel attacked,” said political scientist Margarita Zavadskaya in an interview at her office in Helsinki “This has also made them potential prey for Russian propaganda narratives.” herself a Russian-Finnish dual national who moved to the country in 2018 for an academic position at the University of Helsinki said many Russians living in Finland are likely to balk at openly criticizing the Finnish government on policies such as the border closure Doing so could open them up to accusations that they are being “instrumentalized” by the Kremlin Zavadskaya said she received “threats” from strangers who accused her of spreading Russian propaganda following an interview she gave to a local news outlet which she claimed took her comments out of context and caused a sensation “I cannot travel back to Russia,” said Zavadskaya who has openly criticized the invasion of Ukraine and often provides commentary and analysis to independent media banned inside Russia.  “The last thing I would expect is to be blamed for speaking my mind here in Finland especially considering the risks that me and my family face.” Some dual nationals choose to speak out anyway.  In January, a group of Russian-speaking activists calling themselves the Alexander Society gathered in central Helsinki to press the Finnish government to reconsider its decision to shut down the border with Russia.  but it was a rare visual reminder that the border closure is impacting lives even if it seems far away and inconsequential It is unclear if any of the government’s current proposals like retroactively revoking dual citizenship or imposing a ban on buying property But they have nonetheless fed into a growing atmosphere of mistrust and uncertainty for Finnish-Russian nationals who now wonder if they will have the same rights a year from now as they did when they first decided to make Finland their home who became a citizen of the Nordic country several years ago believing it offered the kind of political freedoms and quality of life she could not find in Russia the sense is that she is less welcome today.  “It’s not the same Finland I came to 12 years ago,” she said Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. The outstanding feature of the old hydropower plant buildings' red brick-clad facades is the rhythmic arrangement of window bays and doors. Rhythm also became the main feature of the new substation facades and powerline structures. The old air-insulated switchgear, completed in 1929, was coming to the end of its operational life cycle and had to be replaced with gas-insulated switchgear housed in a new substation building. © Max PlungerThe new substation building has a concrete frame and double-skin facades. The outermost facade layer consists of hand-made long bricks laid in a zigzag profile, a motif which the building shares with the triangular steel profiles of the new powerline towers and terminals. The inner layer of the double facade consists of in-situ and prefabricated concrete walls cut by a continuous strip window set behind the brick lattice. and the main design challenge was to form a coherent whole that fits in the setting The design breaks apart aspects of the built context and reassembles them in a new abstracted form The derived design language gives a unified identity to the new project and places it in the context You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The CEO of Mitra Management Oy has been elected with a long career in management and development positions in the construction and real estate industry Teijo Talka.  Talka has technical education in the construction industry and international business management education He has worked for several years in international companies buildingproductindustry in management positions in construction and real estate business he has experience working in the public sector as he has worked as an expert and project manager in Kirkkonummi municipality's facility services.  Talka's know-how and experience are useful in Mitra Management states the chairman of the board Veikko Hämäläinen.  - He has the type of know-how and experience that the company needs in this situation I would also like to thank all the people who are interested in the position and who have applied for it.  Talka will start in the position on 4.11.2024. His monthly salarywill be 9000 euros.  Talka who kois originally froma Talka has closely followed the development of Southeast Finland and South Karelia.   many Business premises managed by Mitra Management have remained empty as a result of the closing of the eastern border and the general development of the economy.  - Such a situation will not continue forever Our task is to look ahead and make sure that we are ready when the economic development takes a turn for the better The duties of the CEO of Mitra Management became vacant in the summer when the previous CEO Lassi Nurmi resigned from his position As the temporary managing director has served the mayor Matias Hilden.  teijo.talkakolumbus.fi (teijo[dot]talka[at]kolumbus[dot]fi) veikko.hamalainenimatra.fi (veikko[dot]hamalainen[at]imatra[dot]fi) Mitra Management Oy is a company owned by the City of Imatra focused on selling renting and developing office and business premises The chairman of the company's board is Veikko Hämäläinen Mitra Imatra Rakennuttaja Oy is a real estate organization owned by the city of Imatra The company manages its real estate companies and commissions and builds their property maintenance Mitra Imatra's Rakennuttaja commissions and builds the land construction and area management services ordered by the technical department of the city of Imatra.  The company's CEO works Johanna Nevalainen and as chairman of the board Tommi Matikainen.  business premises and apartments used by the city of Imatran The company is owned by the city of Imatra.  Acts as the chairman of the board Arja Kujala.   The parent company of Imatra Vuokra-asunnot Oy is the city of Imatra The company owns approximately 1600 rental The managing director is a city engineer Erik Forstén and as chairman of the board Lilla Saaristo.  City engineer Erik Forstén was appointed as a new member of the board of Imatran Toimitilat Oy leaders are also named for the areas of responsibility according to the new group structure Nurmi is committed to doing his job until the end of June administrative director Johanna Nevalainen will be the managing director one of master modernist Alvar Aalto's works is in danger; Tiina Laakkonen has set up a fundraiser to help save it despite being set in the small town located at the southeastern part of the country Although on the shortlist to become a Unesco World Heritage site the church has suffered major water damage and the consequences of years’ worth of deferred repairs and maintenance decaying in front of local residents’ eyes.  which consists of three consecutive halls designed to suit a multitude of gatherings and social activities the church includes a marble-adorned interior and site-specific furniture from the architect’s original design It continues to attract visitors and design pilgrims have been received from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland the repairs needed to save it are estimated to be between €3 and €4 million.  the Amagansett-based tastemaker behind Tiina the Store witnessing the demise of Aalto’s masterpiece was not an option Laakkonen has set up a fundraiser with a goal of €100,000 to help aid restoration efforts.  ‘I always felt that great design and architecture was everywhere in Finland and part of people’s homes and everyday life It didn’t feel like design was a kind of luxury that only the wealthy could afford but that was part of life,’ she says ‘Aalto’s work is the perfect example of this His work is still very much present in his public buildings The Church of the Three Crosses is considered to be Aalto’s greatest church and it’s wonderful that it happens to be in Imatra we are proud to have such an important architectural work by Aalto in our hometown.’ ‘The church congregation in Imatra has taken a €2.5 million bank loan I feel that the government is the main funding method behind arts and culture in Finland The local organisers in Imatra are not used to this type of fundraising and I feel like they need help It’s my way of giving back to my hometown.’  One of the church’s most pressing issues is to have its exquisite roof and structure repaired ‘The roof lacks the correct ventilation and leads to water seeping in when the snow melts in the spring,' says Laakkonen who has been working closely with the main fundraising team in Finland ‘Some of the problems are related to Aalto’s exquisite design I believe that the church is a national treasure that needs to be preserved.’  Save the Church of the Three Crosses escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox tiinathestore.com Open image viewerFinland's eastern border zone Image: Pyry Sarkiola / YleYle News10.12.2024 9:50The Southeast Finland Border Guard reported on Monday that it had detained a Finnish citizen who crossed the eastern border into Russia and then returned to Imatra A local Imatra resident had tipped off border officials on Monday morning border guard patrols proceeded to the scene and apprehended the individual who is now suspected of committing a border offence The border guard said it is investigating the case and will not provide further information at this time Finland's land border crossings with Russia have been closed for about a year, due to Russia funnelling asylum seekers from third countries to the border The practice is called instrumentalised migration The team BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni officially inaugurated its fourteenth season with a special event held at the Girolamo Magnani Theater in Fidenza organized in collaboration with Fidenza Village sponsors and institutional representatives to celebrate the start of a new year of competitions emphasizing the value of sport as a tool for growth and promotion The event was opened by institutional greetings from the mayor of Fidenza and the Business Director of Fidenza Village Both highlighted the importance of sport not only as a competition but also as an opportunity for personal and collective development The team presentation was entrusted to Andrea Berton who accompanied the fifteen athletes in their official entrance on stage the Technical Commissioner of the Women's National Team expressed words of appreciation for the work of the BePink team underlining the value of the team in supporting young cyclists and in the growth of the women's movement in professional cycling Testifying to the importance of the evening there were also prominent figures of Italian cycling and sports institutions member of the management committee of the International Cycling Union (UCI) President of the Lombardy Regional Committee Their support reaffirmed the growing attention towards women's cycling which is acquiring ever greater importance at a national and international level One of the most anticipated moments of the evening was the presentation of the team's new official bicycle: the Lemma RT Team Edition 2025, made by Mattio's Office The bike's livery is inspired by serpentinite a tribute to nature and the Italian territory the time trial bike that will accompany the athletes in time trials took the floor to underline the value of the partnership between the world of cycling and the industrial one According to the representatives of the sponsors investing in sport is not just a matter of visibility but a way to promote values ​​such as determination the team and guests continued their day through the streets of Fidenza Village known for hosting boutiques of Italian and international brands The relaxed atmosphere allowed the athletes to interact with fans and supporters concluding the event with a toast to a season full of challenges and satisfactions The fourteenth season of BePink-Imatra-Bongioanni therefore starts with great expectations thanks to the support of important sponsors and the enthusiasm of athletes ready to give their all on the roads of national and international competitions Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited It is mandatory to indicate the link to the page © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited and I graduated from Imatra High School in 2017 I developed a strong interest in international business and I wanted to build my career in a field that combines leadership I began my studies at LAB University of Applied Sciences where I completed a Bachelor's Degree in International Business with Management as my major I got my first job in my field at Stora Enso at the Imatra factory as a logistics coordinator but I continued working after the summer and did my thesis for Stora Enso This experience not only gave me my first exposure to working life in my field but also a deeper understanding of the complexities of logistics and supply chains I graduated from LAB University of Applied Sciences in December 2020 I started working for Metsä Fibre in Joutseno as a customer service coordinator I gained valuable experience in using the company's ERP system in an international business environment I worked for Metsä Fibre for a year until I was offered a place to study at LUT University's Master's Degree in Supply Management I continued working for Metsä Fibre full-time at the beginning of my studies and worked for the company for a total of two years I graduated from LUT University with a Master of Science in Economics I started working at LUT University as a junior researcher where I am writing my doctoral dissertation in the field of industrial economics I am involved in the KEKE project (Kymenlaakso food sector sustainable development leap) where my expertise focuses on the value networks of natural products and the multiple use of forests The topic of my doctoral dissertation is the dynamics of demand and supply of natural food products as part of a sustainable supply chain I have been working at LUT University for about seven months now and the estimated time to complete my dissertation is about four years I have had my first conference paper accepted and I will be participating in the ICITS'25 conference in Mexico in January 2025 The conference paper forms the first building block of my dissertation My duties also include developing the Kouvola Master's Programme in Innovation and Logistics and assisting with teaching I believe that my current work and my doctoral thesis provide an excellent foundation for achieving this dream Principal  Johanna Ovaska  p. 020 617 5813 Assistant Principal  Kristina Heikura  p IB Coordinator  Sanna Prior  p School secretary  Merja Heiskanen  p High school contact information list Public transport in the Lappeenranta region has started at the beginning of 2024 as the competent regional authority for road transport Public transport in the Lappeenranta region includes public transport within Lappeenranta and Imatra public transport between cities and school transport in Lappeenranta Lappeenranta and Imatra currently have different ticket products and prices There are also differences in payment methods Lappeenranta region's public transportation together with a consultant and in cooperation with the city of Imatra has made a report on Lappeenranta region's public transportation ticket products The work has analyzed the current travel numbers of Lappeenranta and Imatra and the generation of ticket revenues alternatives with new ticket products and zoning have been examined the public transport board of the Lappeenranta region approved the area's new ticket products The decision cancels all previous decisions of the cities of Lappeenranta and Imatra regarding public transport ticket products and prices Uniform ticket products and prices for public transport in the Lappeenranta region will be introduced in stages Imatra will use the ticket product selection familiar from Lappeenranta - The ticket prices on Imatra will rise slightly from the current prices but the low-time pricing makes traveling during the low-time even more affordable says the public transport manager of the Lappeenranta region Terhi Koski Ticket prices will rise by only two percent from the 2023 Lappeenranta ticket price level Quiet time when traveling with all value tickets is on weekends public holidays and also on weekdays after 17.30:9 p.m Seniors also have quiet time on weekdays from 14 a.m Travel zones will be reduced from four to three the C-zone of Upland merges with the B-zone Imatra local transport area D and other regional area B This clarifies travel and ticket products in the regional area the rest of the regional area will still consist of zones B and C until the system enables the unification of the zones into zone B The zone boundaries are visible In the Jouko route guide. from Lappeenranta to Imatra with a 3-zone ticket and with a 2-zone ticket from Lappeenranta to Joutseno or Ylämaa Contactless payment will be the new payment method and pricing Local payment means that you can buy a travel ticket by showing your bank card to a travel card reader you can buy a one-time ticket with a contactless payment the ceiling price of which is a day ticket 7-day or 30-day tickets with contactless payment the local payment feature will initially only be available on Imatra contactless payment products will be introduced at a separately announced time when introduction is possible for the system A ticket bought with local payment is always cheaper than a ticket bought from the driver Only one person's trip can be paid for by local payment The exchange time for single and value tickets and contactless payment products is 60 minutes the iLippu system will still be in use in Imatra and the Waltti system in Lappeenranta The possible unification of ticket and payment systems will be announced separately later Travel cards can still be loaded with value as well as 30-day seasonal products or The value added tax rate for the charging fee will change from 1.9.2024 percent to 24 percent on September 25,5 and the updated prices for travel cards will be EUR 5 from August 4,50 and the charging fee on buses will be EUR XNUMX Ticket products can still be downloaded at customer service points and in the online store without a service fee Imatra residents can buy seasonal products from the Imatra public transport area and Lappeenranta residents can buy seasonal products from the Lappeenranta public transport area Both municipalities can buy seasonal products between Lappeenranta and Imatra As far as the student's seasonal product is concerned The prices of seasonal products are uniform in the regional public transport area with the exception of children's seasonal products which are cheaper in Imatra than in Lappeenranta Imatra's children's seasonal product is gradually being unified towards a uniform price level so that the one-time increase does not become too large a one-zone day ticket for zones A and D and a two-zone day ticket for Lappeenranta area AB will be used Other day tickets will be introduced at a time to be announced separately The customer groups for the ticket products are adults The key changes for Imatra ticket products are the unification of ticket products according to Lappeenranta ticket products the introduction of quiet time pricing for value tickets the introduction of an age-based senior 65+ customer group a separate value ticket for students and the introduction of a loading fee for buses and a paid travel card 14-day and 5-day ticket products are no longer on sale The key changes for the people of Lappeenranta are the introduction of contactless payment as a payment method ticket pricing and the age-independent customer group seniors which will be introduced at a separately announced time in Lappeenranta The attached file is the new ticket products and prices of the Lappeenranta region's public transport area from August 8.8.2024 More information about the public transport services of the Lappeenranta region and the city of Imatra can be found at: From the website of the city of Lappeenranta. City of Lappeenranta, terhi.koskilappeenranta.fi (terhi[dot]koski[at]lappeenranta[dot]fi) Price list (pdf) Route guide - Group the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris FeatureWorried about tensions with their neighbor a majority of the inhabitants of the border area in Finland support Helsinki's application to NATO 270 km East of Helsinki and 200 km West of St The few motorists who show up are redirected to Lappeenranta the only crossing point in the region still open Only trucks not registered in Russia or Belarus are allowed to enter Finland hundreds of wood transport wagons form a long unmoving snake over several kilometers a consequence of the embargo on Russian wood The naturally jovial Anna Helminen is chairwoman of the municipal council of Imatra a small town of 26,000 inhabitants located three kilometers from the border crossing She does not hide her pessimism regarding the iron curtain that came down between the two countries on February 24: "I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel," she said the 46–year–old member of the conservative National Coalition Party who has long been undecided on whether Finland should join NATO "I think it's a good solution to ensure security in the region and reassure investors who might be worried about our proximity to Russia." Anna Helminen is not the only one to have changed her opinion: according to a poll published on May 9 76% of Finns are now in favor of membership compared to less than 30% before the war in Ukraine which should lead the country of 5.5 million inhabitants to announce its application for NATO membership by the end of the week You have 74.42% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial The upgradation will increase energy savings and reduce emissions at Stora Enso Imatra Mills Pulp and paper technologies supplier Valmet has been contracted to upgrade the coating section of the board machine 5 at Stora Enso Imatra Mills Valmet will add electric heated OptiDry Coat air dryers and increase the drying capacity in the coating section The company will also add a new wire loop to the existing dryer group and automation the upgradation will increase energy savings Valmet EMEA senior mill sales manager Kimmo Vehmas said: “The delivery helps the customer to take another step forward on their path to a CO2 free future “By replacing the old gas heated dryers by modern electric heated air dryers the customer can reduce energy consumption for the existing board grades and ensure higher production capacity Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis “The new wire loop will create an additional draw point for the web and allows controlled operating in the modified area This will bring more safety in tail threading and minimize oil leakages.” Financial value of the order has not been disclosed but deliveries of this size are typically worth approximately €5–8m Valmet will start installations in the fourth quarter 2023 Stora Enso Imatra Mills comprises  two production units The mill is one of the largest producers of consumer packaging board in the world with annual production capacity of 1,200,000t of consumer packaging board 1,300,000t of pulp and 455,000t of polymer coating In September this year, Cheng Loong Binh Duong Paper Company, a subsidiary of packaging company Cheng Loong, ordered key technologies from Valmet for its new board machine in Vietnam Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network. political pay and women's swimmingDid Russia try to capitalise on a shooting tragedy in Imatra vakoilua ja valtiollista vaikuttamista (Lies espionage and state-backed influencing) and written by Jouni Mölsä and Markku Mantila Mölsä served as head of communications for President Sauli Niinistö so had a front row seat in watching this unfold The 2016 shooting saw three women shot by a man in the eastern Finland town Soon afterwards troll accounts on social media began posting false claims that the women had been Russian and the perpetrator had worked for Finland's Defence Forces Those false claims had to be debunked by Finnish officials but were likely aimed at Russians inside and outside the country The authors ask whether the Imatra operation was part of attempts to persuade Russians that they were under attack outside Russia offering them a reason to assist Russians outside the country with money and weapons Get a weekly roundup of the top stories by signing up for Yle's newsletter service with your Yle ID Business daily Kauppalehti leads with a pieceOpens an external website on ministerial advisors The paper checks on Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) claim that the preceding government led by Sanna Marin (SDP) had spent too much money on too many advisors KL finds that the Orpo administration has managed to reduce the numbers including 47 special advisors and 11 state secretaries had a total of 79 advisors composed of 65 special advisors and 14 state secretaries The state secretaries all get 10,971 euros per month with the exception of Orpo's right hand man Risto Artjoki Special advisor salaries range from just under 5,000 euros per month to just under 9,000 euros per month Helsingin Sanomat goesOpens an external website to a swimming pool in Espoo that has started to offer women-only sessions on Sundays The paper finds plenty of happy swimmers queueing up outside with staff estimating that between 120 and 150 people turn up each week for the sessions They are the first sessions held by the municipality of Espoo but there are sessions offered in the Helsinki suburb of Jakomäki and at Vantaa's Korso swimming hall HS interviewed swimmers who said the sessions were fun, and they would immediately sign up for swimming tuition if that were an option Some of the swimmers were of immigrant background but HS also interviewed a white Finn who said she had not swum for ten years because she did not want to wear a swimsuit during the normal swimming sessions The current run of Sunday swimming for women is a trial running until the end of November Dainese introduces the new women’s Imatra suit and the men’s Laguna Seca suit is upgraded The following is a press release from Dainese… the world leader in protective wear for motorcycle athletes and enthusiasts known for incorporating style and design with premium safety features introduced two new racing suits for the 2021 riding season Named after the Finnish road races where performance is key, the new Imatra Perforated Women’s Race Suit is built with D-skin 2.0 full-grain cowhide leather with strategically placed Tri-Axial and three-way stretch leather inserts that allow for great freedom of movement while guaranteeing top-level abrasion resistance Other features include aluminum shoulder plates and an aerodynamic hump designed to hold a hydration kit Localized perforation in the leather helps keep the suit breathing A Nanofeel liner with a special silver ion treatment helps keep odors at bay The Laguna Seca 5 is the latest evolution of the iconic racing leather suit Made entirely from premium full-grain cowhide leather ready for any challenge on the track with total confidence Built to give maximum freedom of movement on the saddle the Tri-Axial system on the back and three-way stretch leather inserts allow for perfect mobility while guaranteeing the same level of abrasion resistance The Laguna Seca 5 also features the latest-generation protection from MotoGP with aluminum seamless shoulders and RSS 2.0 elbow sliders these two new racing suits bring new graphics and improved functionalities including the new D-Tech Racing Core inner suit for both men and women For more information, visit www.dainese.com Falling tree limbs in Birmingham kills one person HELSINKI (TND) — The Parliament of Finland has reportedly voted in favor of increased security along its border with Russia amid rising concerns Moscow could send large numbers of migrants and enable the closure of the border from asylum seekers allowing only "exceptional circumstances" to pass The move came just days after the signing of formal protocols for Finland and Sweden to join NATO which has reportedly angered Russian leaders Russia has previously made clear it is against the two Nordic countries joining NATO Both Finland and Sweden have expressed increased interest in joining NATO since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine Concern that Russia would once again attempt to influence Finland by sending large numbers of asylum seekers to its border Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is reportedly set to sign the new border law amendments on Friday Man held in custody after local politician and two journalists shot with rifle in centre of small town A mayor and two journalists have been shot dead by a gunman in the town of Imatra in south-east Finland The three women were shot in the head and chest by a sniper who opened fire on a pedestrian area in the nightlife district just before midnight on Saturday Police confirmed that a 23-year-old man had been taken into custody after Imatra city council chair and the two reporters were killed outside a restaurant in what appears to be a random shooting They said he obeyed orders and did not resist arrest had sustained multiple gunshot wounds from a hunting rifle and that no motive had been established for the attack said the suspect had a criminal record including for violent incidents and theft but declined to identify him or give details “There is no indication of a political motive It seems the gunman and victims didn’t know each other,” said Tielinen “All indications are that he chose his victims randomly.” Investigators said the suspect arrived outside the restaurant in his car and shot the three women as they stepped out of the restaurant He then waited in the car until police arrived and accompanied officers silently and peacefully is about 140 miles (230km) east of the Finnish capital Witnesses said there were many people around at the time of the attack which has left the town in a state of shock “We decided to open a crisis centre after the shooting occurred right in the middle of the town centre near restaurants and nightclubs,” said Saara Raudasoja a spokeswoman for the South Karelia social and health care district it’s quite a huge incident and many people were shocked.” There are 650,000 officially registered gun owners in Finland which has a population of 5.4 million people The country has a history of strong hunting traditions but gun laws have been tightened following two fatal school shootings in the last decade Finland -- The construction of barbed-wired fence along Finland's long border with Russia -- primarily meant to curb illegal migration -- has broken ground near the southeastern town of Imatra less than two weeks after the Nordic country joined NATO This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing The construction of Ukonniemi's first snow ski track started on Wednesday the track will be built to a length of just over two kilometers.  The snow will be plowed intensively for a week - The track is illuminated every day from 6 am to 22 pm The starting point and customer service can be found at the connection to the Ukonniemi arena sports tourism manager Jaakko Jäppinen says.  The official opening will take place on Saturday 19.10.2024. The opening program is available from this link.  The snow coming to First snow ski track has been stored last winter About one meter of snow is driven onto the track base.  Season pass in advance at a special price  Before you can go skiing you have to have a skiing track pass.   Season passes valid for the whole season are on sale in advance in the online store you can get yourself a season pass at a special price of 115 euros (normal price 125 euros).  track passes are on sale not only in the online store but also in the Imatra spa and Saimaa Sport other ticket products will also be on sale.  Sports and wellness manager Henna Jääskeläinen henna.jaaskelainenimatra.fi (henna[dot]jaaskelainen[at]imatra[dot]fi) See the program at this link about two kilometers of track will be built Finland’s border guards walk at construction site of the border barrier fence between Finland and Russia near Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra Finland’s border guards stay at construction site of the border barrier fence between Finland and Russia near Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra The construction site of the Finland-Russia eastern border barrier fence near Pelkola crossing point in Imatra In Pelkola the construction of a pilot fence of approximately three kilometres has started on both sides of the Imatra border crossing point Finland’s 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia is the longest of any European Union member Finland’s border guards stay at construction site of the border barrier fence between Finland near Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra An excavator works at construction site of the border barrier fence between Finland and Russia near Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra and Russia is seen in a forest near Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra A view of Russian border crossing point Svetogorsk from Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra A Russian border guard officer checks a car at Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra A Russian border guard officer walks at Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra and “Russia” are seen at the Russian border crossing point Svetogorsk from Pelkola border crossing point in Imatra Excavators work at a construction site of the border barrier fence between Finland Finland (AP) — The construction of barbed-wired fence along Finland’s long border with Russia - primarily meant to curb illegal migration - has broken ground near the southeastern town of Imatra less than two weeks after the Nordic country joined NATO as the 31st member of the military alliance The Finnish Border Guard on Friday showcased the building of the initial three kilometer (1.8 mile) stretch of the fence to be erected in Pelkola near a crossing point off Imatra a quiet lakeside town of some 25,000 people Construction of the border fence is an initiative by the border guard that was approved by Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government amid wide political support last year The main purpose of the three-meter (10-foot) high steel fence with a barbed-wire extension on top is to prevent illegal immigration from Russia and give reaction time to authorities Moscow attempted to influence Finland by organizing large numbers of asylum-seekers to northern Finnish crossing points in the Arctic Lapland region Russian authorities were seen deliberately ushering thousands of asylum-seekers - mostly from Iraq Afghanistan and other Middle East nations - to those border crossing points The move was seen as a show of muscle by Moscow The issue was settled when Finnish President Sauli Niinistö held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin The flow of migrants stopped shortly thereafter This is a scenario that Finland - a nation 5.5 million people that officially became a NATO member on April 4 - wants to prevent from repeating itself that it was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24 last year - the main reason for Finland’s quick push to join NATO after decades of military nonalignment - that prompted construction of the border fence “Border barrier fence was no kind of political topic before the war (in Ukraine) it wasn’t a kind of plan of the Finnish border guard,” Brig head of the technical division at the Finnish Border Guard “All changed after the attack (of Russia against Ukraine).” The pilot section of the fence is scheduled to be completed by this summer while the barrier will eventually be extended to a maximum of 200 kilometers (124 miles) It will cover areas - in bits and pieces of separate length - mainly in southeastern Finland near the main border crossing points with Russia but it will also have sections up in the Arctic north in Lapland we must have much more credible and much more independent border control,” Tolppanen said And the fence is necessary in order to manage Imatra is located a mere seven kilometers (4.4 miles) off the Russian industrial town of Svetogorsk in the Karelia region and is a few hours’ drive away from Russia’s second city of St The town has a long history in dealing with Russians - tourists day-trippers and permanent residents alike we’re not so afraid about Russians because the border has always been there and it has never been open like between European countries,” said Antero Lattu He stressed that locals aren’t afraid of Russians “but we’re happy because of that fence.” agreed but also stressed Finland’s military capabilities NATO membership gives Finland “a strong back but we have a very strong army it’s a very modern army here because of Russia.” The border fence project is estimated to cost a total of 380 million euros ($422 million) and is scheduled to be completed by 2026 Finland’s long eastern frontier runs mainly through thick forests In some places the Finnish-Russian border is marked only by wooden posts with low fences meant to stop stray cattle Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this article Warm weather increases the likelihood of blue-green algae The blue-green algae situation on the beaches is monitored daily and Imatra's real estate and regional service inspects the Swimming Beaches in the mornings the blue-green algae situation may change quickly during the day and therefore every beach visitor should visually check the swimming water before going for a swim The notice boards at the swimming beaches of Ukonniemi, Lempukka, Immalanliette and Rauti have instructions for identifying blue-green algae. Instructions are also available about this news If blue-green algae is found on the beaches it will be announced on the beach notice boards and on the city's website at imatra.fi/uimarannat If a citizen sees blue-green algae on the beach, they are expected to notify the address health controlimatra.fi (health control[at]imatra[dot]fi). In addition, the notification can also be made to the Finnish Environment Agency observations were sent A small amount of blue-green algae can be seen in the water as green or yellowish stick-like particles, and narrow strips of algae can drift onto the beach. A large amount of blue-green algae forms green or yellowish algae rafts on the surface of the water and accumulates on the shore as a dark mass. Algae can be identified using the tumbler test or stick test water is put in the glass for about an hour it usually rises to the surface of the water you try to lift the algae mass into the air with a stick Tests for the identification of blue-green algae are also sold in shops and pharmacies health controlimatra.fi (health control[at]imatra[dot]fi) health controlimatra.fi (Swimming beaches) The observation of blue-green algae in water areas is based on the observations and reports of individual persons as well as the sampling carried out by the authorities and Dainese has announced subtle revisions to its flagship men’s Laguna Seca 5 suit while simultaneously introducing a new suit for women Iconic Dainese Leather Suit Gets an Upgrade and The All New Women’s Imatra Named after the Finnish road races where performance is key the new Imatra Perforated Women’s Race Suit is built with D-skin 2.0 full-grain cowhide leather with strategically placed Tri-Axial and three-way stretch leather inserts that allow for great freedom of movement while guaranteeing top-level abrasion resistance The Laguna Seca 5 is the latest evolution of the iconic racing leather suit The Laguna Seca 5 also features the latest generation protection from MotoGP with aluminum seamless shoulders and RSS 2.0 elbow sliders these two new racing suites bring new graphics and improved functionalities More by Press Release The domestic water of the properties in the bear veins and the streets directly connected to it no longer needs to be boiled for use — The warning to cook was given as a precaution The water was sampled on Sunday and the results were ready at the beginning of the week environmental manager Sanna Hämäläinen says No deviations have been observed in other areas — The domestic water samples had a high iron content which most likely caused the water to change color the last results of the quality assurance analyzes of domestic water were received It is suspected that the discoloration in the water was caused by the power outages of the pumping caused by Friday night's thunderstorms when the pressure shocks on the network released iron from the pipeline into the water water supply manager Kari Pietarinen From the water of Imatra says Possible observations can be reported by e-mail to the address health controlimatra.fi (health control[at]imatra[dot]fi) or breast milkimatra.fi (imatranvesi[at]imatra[dot]fi) Imatra water and the city of Imatra apologize for the inconvenience caused to the residents hamalainenimatra.fi (sanna[dot]hamalainen[at]imatra[dot]fi) kari.pietarinenimatra.fi (kari[dot]pietarinen[at]imatra[dot]fi) 15 at 36:XNUMX p.m.: Discontinuation of the cooking warning and the reason for the discolouration of domestic water updated in the bulletin 14 at 20:7.8 p.m.: Added Hämäläinen's comment about the iron content of household water samples and the arrival of the last results on August XNUMX 13 at 52:6.8 p.m.: Added information to the ingress about taking water samples and their ongoing investigation Also added is information on where to report possible observations and that the matter will be informed next time on August XNUMX All food and drinking water must be boiled for 5 to 10 minutes.  it no longer needs to be boiled separately Water from water and beverage dispensers connected to the water supply network should also not be used unboiled.  The water in the coffee maker or kettle does not boil enough The water used to dilute the juice must also be boiled Ice cube machines connected to the domestic water network may not be used You can boil a larger amount of water at once and use it cooled later Unboiled water can be used for washing and laundry as long as the water has a normal color and smell Dishes can also be washed with unboiled water make sure that the washed dishes and Cutting Boards dry properly before the next use Stora Enso has confirmed that the company started fully ramping down its Imatra and Oulu mills on Sunday due to ongoing political strikes that are hitting ports and transportation in Finland The company expects the mills to be fully closed by the beginning of Easter With this move Stora Enso reacts to the decision by the Finnish Transport Workers’ Union AKT to continue the political strikes until 1 April. The industrial action started on 11 March and led to a shutdown of Finnish ports This resulted in both a shortage of wood supply and space at finished goods warehouses at Finnish forestry and paper companies Stora Enso already announced the shutdown of its Varkaus mill as well as paper production at the Anjalankoski site board production at the Anjalankoski mill has continued The impact of the strikes on the Finnish paper and board industry has been severe so far and the announced extension of the strikes will only exacerbate the situation Metsä Board has already announced the closure of its Finnish board mills, and other companies that had been able to continue production until now cannot exclude similar steps either Service Customer Service+49 7224 9397-701servicenoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.de Editorial Team+49 7224 9397-0papernoSpam@GO-AWAYeuwid.com Get the latest news about developments and trends in the industry sent to you once a week free of charge by newsletter Sign up for our newsletter We use cookies and external services on our website others enhance your user experience or help us improve this website You can change your privacy settings any time by clicking privacy policy Necessary cookies are required for the correct functioning of the website Content from video platforms and map services is blocked by default. 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