Esa Rautalinko: Finnish defence industry has shown good resilience in crisis situations   Patria’s CEO and President Esa Rautalinko believes that Finland’s recent NATO membership is a significant reinforcement for the military alliance ‘Our level of activity in defence has remained high even when other EU countries have prioritised different matters.’  only the Baltic countries and Poland have adequately prepared for ground warfare and invested sufficiently in artillery capabilities ‘The wake-up call due to the Ukrainian war has certainly been felt in various places.’  The most prominent aspect of Finland’s military preparedness is the order of F-35 fighters from the USA. Patria is involved in the fighter programme in various ways, including assembling F135 engines and components between 2025 and 2030.  ‘This is followed by maintenance of F-35 fighters starting 2030 Roughly 50 people will be immediately employed due to this agreement,’ Rautalinko explains Necessary assembly and maintenance lines will be established in Nokia’s Linnavuori in Finland.  ‘Construction work in Nokia is already underway,’ reports Rautalinko.  Additionally, Jämsä will host an F-35 front fuselages production facility, where up to 400 fuselages will be assembled, with most destined for export. ‘We will also manufacture landing gear doors in Jämsä.’  The goal of this collaboration is to transition to comprehensive national maintenance capability supporting the operational requirements of the Finnish Air Force in the coming decades the F-35 industrial participation programme in Finland contributes valuable expertise through security of supply and is also significant for national economy.    Esa Rautalinko has served as Patria’s CEO since 2019 including the Ukrainian war and the pandemic.  we have emerged from crises relatively unscathed the pandemic demonstrated that our defence industry is highly resilient there has been a need for a production ramp-up New directions are constantly being explored. Patria recently acquired a Finnish drone company specializing in the production and training of professional drone systems. The expertise of Nordic Drones Oy nicely complements Patria’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) offering.  ‘It is also essential to continuously develop this aspect,’ evaluates Rautalinko.  Rautalinko emphasizes the need to strengthen collaboration among various players in the industry. A good example of this is the eALLIANCE initiative led by Patria and co-financed by Business Finland eALLIANCE aims to enhance cooperation between Finnish civilian and defence technology companies with the goal of creating transformative digital solutions ‘Efficient information exchange and the construction of a comprehensive digital virtual world play a central role in the project This leap in available situational information takes us to an entirely new level.’  As a leading technology company in the field Patria has excellent foundations and resources to lead this rather unique ecosystem which is being built together with over 30 partner companies and other collaborators."  we have various-sized players with different specialisations which allows for significant contributions,” evaluates Rautalinko and other industry collaboration partners also play an important role in the ecosystem.  Additionally, Patria serves as the industrial coordinator in the European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems (FAMOUS) programme The programme aims to enhance the performance of both new and existing armoured vehicles with EU funding The consortium involves 9 countries and 18 leading European defence companies.  Good process has been made in the FAMOUS project in a quick schedule’ Patria has been a sponsor of the Kouvola Security Conference from the beginning Kouvola offers a broad and knowledgeable target audience:  ‘The opportunity to meet various stakeholders has been significant in Kouvola The Kouvola Security Conference has had a national focus but always with an international dimension,’ he reflects.  Rautalinko has also been impressed by the high-quality nature of the event since the first seminar.  Now the opportunity is already widely quoted - and industry players are clearing space for it in the calendar."  [email protected] yet-unidentified drugPolice have issued a warning because the drug is so potent that it poses a high risk of fatal overdoses Open image viewerA vial that contained the identified synthetic opioid 12:55Police in Kouvola say that several people have died in the city so far year due to possible overdoses of a drug known in street trade as "Tippa" that only a small amount of the highly potent drug has made its way to the city "The substance may have been smuggled in or ended up in Kouvola some other way," says Detective Inspector Lari Rönkä of the South-East Finland Police Rönkä added that the matter came to light during a cause of death investigation The police do not normally disclose details relating to the investigation of cause of death to the public but decided in this case to issue a public warning about the drug because "It is likely to be a small batch and not a major problem But we didn't want to wait and see," Rönkä said Police do not yet have precise information about the chemical composition of the substance it has been established in laboratory tests that it is a synthetic opioid there are two reasons why the drug is so dangerous which can cause problems when consumed along with other drugs "Combined use can cause unconsciousness followed by respiratory distress Rönkä said its street name stems from the fact that it is sold one drop at a time "A very small amount is bought and one drop is used for several doses the risk of overdose is very high," he explained The police are not aware of any overdose deaths from this drug elsewhere in Finland Open image viewerA syringe showing traces of the drug being called "Tippa" Image: Kaakkois-Suomen poliisiLives could be savedJenny Kaasinen-Wickman of the A-Clinic Foundation an organisation that works to prevent and reduce the harmful impacts of substance abuse and addiction told Yle that there has been a mistaken belief in Finland that a rapid large scale spread of synthetic opioids in the illicit Finnish drug market is unlikely Kaasinen-Wickman has years of experience working in the field have a very serious problem with synthetic opioid use," she pointed out adding Finland should be prepared for more widespread problematic use of opioids Among those preparations could be the introduction of drug consumption rooms for people at risk as well as the use naloxone substance abuse counsellors working on the streets would save lives Officials of the regional Kymenlaakso wellbeing services county are aware that the drug is in circulation in the area head of the psychiatric and substance abuse services says they have heard from individuals who told them they have a friend who has used the drug "Patients have spontaneously told us that they are worried about a friend," she says until now staff did not have a name for the drug causing the concern "Some patients said that there is a really strong drug available as drops Now we have concluded that it is the same substance," Eerola said Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here Tokmanni     Press release     26 November 2024 at 2:25 p.m Tokmanni invests in a comprehensive product offering The photo above is from the Tokmanni store opened in December last year in Katajaharju in Kouvola The refurbishments in Kuusankoski were not only driven by Tokmanni’s goal of improving the shopping experience but also on the extensive renovation of the commercial building by the property owner The renovation of the commercial building started in the spring of 2024 new main doors were installed at the store’s main entrance Due to the renovation needs of the commercial building part of the store’s retail selling space was out of use for a quite long time What is particularly important for Tokmanni customers is that the retail selling space is now in use again as tools groceries and products related to clothing leisure and home electronics that were temporarily removed from the product range has been brought back for sale Tokmanni has modernised its Kuusankoski store The store has been designed in line with Tokmanni’s newest store concept emphasising convenient and pleasant shopping experience shelf layout and displays of products and product categories have been substantially renewed The shopping experience has also been improved a more service-oriented checkout area and more comprehensive customer signage The store of around 4,950 square metres of space and the garden department of around 550 square metres of space are now much better suited to the needs of both customers and Tokmanni “To our customers, our Kuusankoski store appears to be more versatile, more modern, more service-oriented and more spacious – or in other words, better in every way,” says Timo Heimo “We warmly welcome all our customers to come and do their smart shopping with us” Customer service at the Kuusankoski store is provided by a team of around 20 retail professionals led by Store Manager Helena Korppi The store is open on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm on Saturdays from 8 am to 7 pm and on Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm The store is located at the address Kiltatie 10 Convenient services and smart energy choices In addition to offering a comprehensive and affordable product assortment and a pleasant shopping experience Tokmanni focuses on services that make customers’ daily lives easier and on smart energy choices The variety discount retailer purchases fossil-free electricity for its Tokmanni stores and uses energy-efficient LED lightning Tokmanni is one of the most biggest toy sellers in Finland The photo above is from the Tokmanni store in Katajaharju in Kouvola one of Tokmanni’s cooperation partners and suppliers will be organising a liquorice candy tasting on the opening Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm At the Kuusankoski store ceremonies on Thursday 28 November Tokmanni will be represented by Hanna Saarinen The Tokmanni Group’s network of stores will continue renew in many ways On 28 November, Tokmanni will celebrate not only in Kuusankoski but also in Espoo, as a new Tokmanni store opens its doors for the first time in the Entresse shopping centre in the Espoon keskus district which will increase the number of Tokmanni stores to 203 will replace a Tokmanni store that was closed in the neighbouring Espoontori shopping centre last summer new Tokmanni stores will be celebrated in Nikkilä in Sipoo and Sodankylä this year the new store will replace the current store As a result of this year’s store openings the number of Tokmanni stores will increase to a record-breaking 204 stores In addition, Tokmanni Group will close its stores dedicated to Miny lifestyle brand in the Jumbo shopping centre in Vantaa in the Trio shopping centre in Lahti and next to the Central Square in Tampere the Miny stores will serve their customers until the end of December the Miny store will close its doors for the last time at the end of January A similar shop-in-shop department will also be opened in the new Tokmanni store in the Entresse shopping centre in Espoo Miny products are also available in the Tokmanni online store The latest new Dollarstore store opened its doors in Karlstad in September this year The latest new Big Dollar store was opened in Frederikshavn in May this year New Dollarstore stores will be celebrated next in the Strömpilen shopping area in Umeå and in Burlöv municipality on Friday 29 November new Big Dollar stores will be celebrated in Randers and Grena (or Grenå) on the same day Tokmanni Group has announced that it will open several new stores in 2025–2026 as well. More information about the stores can be found on the Group's website This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Copyright © techoraco and its affiliated companies 2025 is located 139km northeast of Helsinki and 52km from the city of Hamina The project aligns to atNorth’s growth strategy and will be the company’s tenth data centre in the Nordics and its fourth campus in Finland “This agreement is yet another hallmark moment for atNorth Kouvola is a critical location for our next site as we continue to expand and meet the growing demand for high performance services,” said Eyjolfur Magnus Kristinsson “We are in ongoing discussions with several AI companies hyperscalers as well as international organisations requiring High Performance Computing who see the clear benefit of moving to the Nordics to decarbonise their IT workloads we are leading the way in future-proofed data centre infrastructure across the Nordics.” FIN04 will boast a power supply of 60MW in its first phase of development and is due to become ready for operation in the second half of 2025 The site has also the capability have several hundred megawatts of power when fully built It will cater to both colocation customers and build-to-suit projects We welcome business investment from responsible companies like atNorth who see the benefit in helping to advance digitalisation in an environmentally responsible way,” said Marita Toikka “We are excited to collaborate with atNorth to bring innovation digital competitiveness and sustainability to the forefront.” The city of Kouvola promotes a circular economy throughout its infrastructure design and architecture FIN04 with the city of Kouvola and energy partner enabling the recovery of excess heat from the data centre to be recycled for reuse within the local community “We are excited to work with atNorth to implement a heat reuse practice that can serve as an inspiration for other businesses striving to meet sustainability targets and contribute to a better world,” added Marko Riipinen You have reached the limit for gifting for this month Nordic data center provider atNorth has announced a hyperscale facility in Finland and could expand to "several hundred megawatts" when fully built The site will be the tenth data center for atNorth, which spun off from Nordic services company Advania in 2017 and has been acquiring and building data centers backed by Swiss investor Partners Group, which bought atNorth in 2021 The campus is intended for colocation customers as well as large built-to-suit projects for hyperscalers "This agreement is yet another hallmark moment for atNorth Kouvola is a critical location for our next site as we continue to expand and meet the growing demand for high-performance services," said atNorth's CEO "We are in ongoing discussions with several AI companies hyperscalers as well as international organizations requiring high-performance computing who see the clear benefit of moving to the Nordics to decarbonize their IT workloads." The city of Kouvola has a district heating system run by the local energy company said: "We are excited to work with atNorth to implement a heat reuse practice that can serve as an inspiration for other businesses striving to meet sustainability targets and contribute to a better world." City Mayor Marita Toikka lauded the region's circular economy measures: "Kouvola is a sought-after We welcome business investment from responsible companies like atNorth who see the benefit in helping to advance digitalization in an environmentally responsible way." AtNorth recently acquired two Finnish data centers, FIN01 and FIN03, in Vallila and Espoo, from its former parent Advania and has also announced the construction of a third 15MW facility in Espoo The company is also building a 30MW facility in Denmark, due to open at the end of 2024. The company bought Swedish HPC firm Gompute in August Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Finland returns for World RX 2021 but no new promoter yet FIA firms up draft 2021 World RX calendar but a replacement for IMG as promoter remains unconfirmed Photography by Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool Words by The latest World Motor Sport Council meeting has produced a provisional World Rallycross Championship calendar for next season though a replacement promoter for the outgoing IMG is still yet to be confirmed Kouvola retains its place on the calendar for 2021 after being brought in at late notice this year as a replacement for other canceled events and is one of eight European locations in the planned 10-round schedule All of those eight European rounds take place between May and September with the final two events taking place in the Middle East (October 15-16) and South Africa (November 27-28) One of the European rounds in August remains unconfirmed while both Portugal and Latvia are notable absences compared to the original 2020 schedule Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix venue Yas Marina Circuit is expected to host the aforementioned Middle East race having made its World RX debut last year and been on the original 2020 calendar Though there had been hopes that a new World RX promoter would be announced at this meeting of the WMSC DirtFish understands that two candidates are still in discussions with the FIA to take over promotion duties for the championship The top class of the European Rallycross Championship supports World RX at the Spa-Francorchamps season opener [May 22-23] Barcelona [July 24-25] and Lohéac [September 4/5] As a result of its calendar being reduced to just two rounds by the coronavirus pandemic Euro RX lost championship status this year and therefore neither Supercar star Oliver Eriksson or Super1600 dominator Yuri Belevskiy have been crowned for their 2020 achievements which will use electric cars and replaces the outgoing RX2 series The Super1600 category has been renamed Euro RX3 for 2021 Lohéac and the eighth European round which does not currently have a venue attributed to it Germany August 21/22 TBA (Europe) September 4/5 Lohéac France October 15/16 TBA (Middle East /Asia) November 27/28 Killarney Tags: , , , , 2020 DirtFish https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2020/12/SI202008300250_news.jpg December 16 Sign up today and be the first to know about special offers Legal • Pettymys Vantaa win fifth Fullmoon Snow Volley in a row • Let It Snow Espoo and OG Komodos Kouvola complete the podium • The Fullmoon Snow Volley competition was first held 24 years ago The team of Pettymys Vantaa triumphed at the annual 2024 Fullmoon Snow Volley tournament in Finland topping the podium for the fifth time in a row Despite the challenging playing conditions all eight teams put on a spectacular display on the courts in Kouvola Olli Nurmes and Ville Heikkila on the squad 15-7) victory over Let It Snow Espoo to claim the trophy Pettymys reached the gold medal match after a hard-fought semi-final battle against OG Komodos Kouvola in which they mastered a glorious comeback from a set down to win by an impressive 2-1 (17-19 Five-time Fullmoon Snow Volley winner Pettymys Vantaa (Photo credits: Kayski Beach Volley – 99) 15-11) sweep of their encounter with Venla Lahti to secure their spot on the podium snatched the bronze after a hard-fought 2-1 (12-15 16-14) comeback against Venla in the third-place match Volley 2 Lahti and Volley 1 Lahti lined up in the places from fifth to eighth in the final standings The first two editions of the Fullmoon Snow Volley tournament were held back in 2000 and 2001 organised by the Käyski Beach Volley – 99 club resumed in 2017 at the Kayralampi Beach Volley stadium in Kouvola and has been held each year ever since when it was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.  The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of Volleyball on a global level Working closely with national federations and private enterprises to develop Volleyball as a popular media and entertainment sport FIVB Fédération Internationale de Volleyball Château Les Tourelles Edouard-Sandoz 2-4 1006 Lausanne Switzerland Phone: +41 213 453 535 Fax: +41 213 453 545 Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative The information on this page is intended for journalists If you click NO you will come back to Mynewsdesk.com Hitachi Rail (at the time Thales Ground Transportation Systems business) was awarded a contract by the Finnish Transportation Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) to provide a new Signalling System to the train line Kouvola-Kotka/Hamina in Finland for test purpose only This ETCS L2 trial track has been completed by Hitachi Rail’s experts The business also delivered the interlocking renewal for this project which has been in commercial operation since November 2023 Hitachi Rail initiated the design phase by convening technical working groups on both sides to delineate the requirements and specifications for ETCS Level 2 implementation Hitachi Rail provided robust support to FTIA in establishing tailored training programs Hitachi Rail adeptly managed variation orders to accommodate evolving needs while demonstrating unwavering commitment and passion in overseeing the Digirail digitalization program within an Integrated Program Team (IPT) This project serves as a benchmark in railway signalling in Finland laying a solid foundation for future deployment of ETCS Level 2 technology in the country while significantly enhancing local expertise in ETCS technology said: “To deliver such complex and time critical projects requires a full committed team and a strong collaboration with the customer and all stakeholders Applying the skills and knowledge at the right time ensured to achieve this exceptional performance This project was delivered by Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems business (GTS) which is now part of Hitachi Rail. On 31 May 2024, Hitachi Rail completed the acquisition of GTS in a €1,660 million deal. For more information, please see here [1] The Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) is a global telecommunications system envisioned by UIC in collaboration with various stakeholders in the railway sector FRMCS serves as a pivotal catalyst for the digitalization of rail transport Hitachi Rail is committed to driving the sustainable mobility transition and has a clear focus on partnering with customers to rethink mobility customer and community enjoy the benefits of more connected With revenues of over €7bn and 24,000 employees across more than 50 countries Hitachi Rail is a trusted partner to the world’s best transport organisations but the business is local - with success built on developing local talent and investing in people and communities Its international capabilities and expertise span every part of the urban mainline and freight rail ecosystems – from high quality manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock to secure digital signalling famous for Japan's iconic high speed bullet train draws on the digital and AI expertise of Hitachi Group companies to accelerate innovation and develop new technologies Hitachi Group is present in 140 countries with over 270,000 employees and global revenues of €54.55bn / ¥8,564 bn For more information, visit hitachirail.com global provider of rail solutions with international capabilities that spans every part of the urban When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings To learn more about this, please read our Privacy Policy, which applies to our use of your personal data, and our Privacy Policy for Contacts which applies to the use of your personal data by the owner of the newsroom you follow Please note that our Terms of Use apply to all use of our services You can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing or deleting your account Thales has secured a contract from the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) to design deploy and test the signalling and European Train Control System (ETCS) L2 test systems for the Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina line The company has already supplied the new signalling solutions for Finland will become the first ETCS L2 test track in the country The new signalling systems will be used commercially from 2023 FTIA will examine the radio networks delivered by commercial telecom operators for communicating ETCS data between the rolling stock and the Radio Block Centre FTIA will commence its preparation for the launch of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) according to EU standards Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Finland aims to support the development of a radio network-based ETCS This project will also provide an opportunity to enhance the capabilities of Finnish signalling system experts at ETCS L2 During the post-signature specification stage develop and design the specific content of the ETCS section FTIA projects division director Esa Sirkiä said: “The Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina railway is a very important route for Finnish freight traffic We will finally get the safety of a modern signalling system on the track we take a leap towards the future by building the ETCS test track.” FTIA Finnish ERTMS programme project manager Juha Lehtola said: “Finland is a pioneer in the digitalisation of railways we are taking a significant leap towards the modern radio network-based ETCS system that Finland is seeking The system is based on 5G technology and it aims to be compatible with FRMCS I’m sure that test results will arouse great interest all over Europe.” Last month, Thales introduced its new Distributed Intelligent Video Analytics (DIVA) solution for facilitating crowd management at railway stations and on-board trains Nominations are now open for the prestigious Railway Technology Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation This is your chance to showcase your achievements Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network About us | Advertise with us | Contact us Posted: 27 April 2021 | | No comments yet By installing a ETCS L2 test track on the Kotka-Kouvola-Hamina line FTIA will launch a nationwide train control system update to ETCS L2 The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has awarded a contract to Thales for the design, delivery, installation and test of a signalling system and European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 (L2) test system for its Kouvola-Kotka-Hamina line The Kotka-Kouvola-Hamina line will be the first ETCS L2 test track in Finland and will launch a nationwide train control system update to ETCS L2. In this project, FTIA will test the radio networks provided by commercial telecom operators for the transmission of ETCS data in the communication between the RBC and the rolling stock The test system will be ground-breaking in Europe and the goal is to prepare for the introduction of the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) as soon as European Union (EU) standards allow Finland’s aim is to build this test track to support the goal of building a radio network-based ETCS covering the entire country. Another key goal of this project is to develop the competence of Finnish signalling system experts at ETCS L2 A key element will be the post-signature specification phase where the more precise content of the ETCS part will be defined developed and designed jointly with Thales The aim is to find a generic ETCS L2 solution that best supports the project and Finland’s future goals “The Kotka-Kouvola-Hamina railway is very important route for Finnish freight traffic. We will finally get the safety of modern signalling system on the track. At the same time, we take a leap towards the future by building the ETCS test track,” said Esa Sirkiä, Division Director of Projects at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency “Finland is a pioneer in the digitalisation of railways The system is based on 5G technology and aims to be compatible with FRMCS I’m sure that test results will arouse great interest all over Europe,” said Juha Lehtola Project Manager of the Finnish ERTMS programme at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency , , , By No comments yet All subscriptions include online membership giving you access to the journal and exclusive content By By By By Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "aab3140ccc30c6801eb4f6174fe38b13" );document.getElementById("j0f0bb4fb4").setAttribute( "id" Write for us | Advertise with us Global Railway Review is published by: Russell Publishing Ltd.Court LodgeHogtrough HillBrasted © Russell Publishing Limited Website development by e-Motive Media Limited Open image viewerThe Sairaalanmäki sanatorium was built in 1933 Image: Antro Valo / YleYle News21.11.2024 16:29A historic sanatorium in southern Finland the sanatorium is one of the oldest buildings in the area The building is Eino Forsman's design (1879–1958) His other works include the Sibelius Academy building and the Laakso Hospital in Helsinki Matti Meriluoto,The former sanatorium came under the ownership of Hamina-based T&T Invest last year The sanatorium served as a military hospital during the 1940s the building still housed a children's psychiatric hospital The property totals some 2,700 square metres in addition to housing a 900 square metre in the basement Earlier this year, Helsinki sold a historic 200-year-old manor to a hospitality firm for 70,000 euros TPS Turku is primarily utilizing forward Viivi Iso-Kouvola for her defensive prowess and forechecking ability but she believes that she can add a layer of offense in the years ahead she is primed for neutralizing opposing offenses “I guess you could say I have that role with our team “At this time with our team I’m mostly focused on defense and I also play on the penalty-kill But I think that I could also score if I’m called to play a different role with our team At this time I have the defensive-forward role.” Nearing the end of her second full season in the Naisten Liiga for TPS Iso-Kouvola has many more years to go in her career Finland native will turn 21 years old in mid-March She sat down for a chat with THW on how she is developing her game Like a number of Finnish women’s hockey players – perhaps most notably Olympian Susanna Tapani – Iso-Kouvola has excelled at a different ice game in addition to playing hockey “This is my seventh or eighth year playing hockey,” she said. “Before that I played ringette for 11 years In Finland younger girls play with boys because there aren’t so many girls teams but I think it is good for the girls who really want to succeed There are so many boys teams near Turku that every girl can play who wants to.” In total, Iso-Kouvola has played six seasons for TPS. From 2016-17 through 2017-18, she served as an alternate captain for the hockey club as they fought for advancement out of Mestis – the second-highest level of women’s hockey in Finland – into the Naisten Liiga, which is the country’s premier level Iso-Kouvola and TPS have remained in the top league since 2018-19 “Competition is much harder in the Naisten Liiga than in Mestis,” she said “Between the different teams themselves quicker and you have to work every day to reach your goals Only working out isn’t enough – you have to eat right and rest enough You have to live like an athlete if you want to succeed.” Iso-Kouvola is a battler and is downright ornery at times. In 57 games for TPS in the Naisten Liiga she has a fire in her belly that carries over into being a leader on the bench as well “I hate losing – I really can’t stand it,” said Iso-Kouvola “I think that’s one of my biggest strengths my strengths are skating and fighting for the team in every situation no matter what” Iso-Kouvola has scored four goals and six assists for 10 points Tapani (24-8-32 in 16 games) was the club’s leading scorer in 2018-19 This current season the top point-getter has been sizable forward Uche Udeh Between the pipes is goaltender Isabella Portnoj who is a winner of three Finnish championships in her career TPS is captained by stalwart defender Minni Lehtopelto who also leads them in penalty minutes this season too “There is every kind of player on our team,” said Iso-Kouvola There are no quiet moments in the locker room and we like to have fun.” For as self-motivated and determined as Iso-Kouvola may be she has never relinquished the idea of finding inspiration in hockey heroes Playing alongside a high-caliber player such as Tapani certainly paid learning dividends to the younger Finn Iso-Kouvola has long tried to embody one of her country’s all-time greats “I have many players who I admire,” she said. “The biggest is Teemu Selänne which you can see is my reason for wearing my number-8 I also admire players who can really skate and score I don’t try to be someone else though – I just try to develop my own style to play with my own strengths.” Iso-Kouvola is focused on wrapping up the 2019-20 Naisten Liiga season and putting her best foot forward for TPS that she would not consider an opportunity to play either NCAA collegiate hockey and/or professional women’s hockey in the NWHL “so I have many little dreams and also very big dreams for hockey It would be amazing to be able to win a Finnish championship I also hope that I could play in the USA some day But first of all I want to find the best way to train and play my style of hockey so that I can make myself better and better.” The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide our articles are read millions of times every month You can read this article in 4 minutesTrans.INFO New drone footage has revealed the construction progress at the site of Finland's Kouvola intermodal terminal a 42-hectare facility that will be able accommodate freight trains 1,100 metres long The terminal is expected to be up and running by 2023 the facility will be tasked with meeting Finland’s growing national and international goods traffic demands Besides making it easy for trailers to be moved to and from trains and trucks the terminal will utilise new cargo-handling methods using robotics and digitalisation that shall generate time and cost savings The City of Kouvola has invested €28 million in the project which has also received €9 million in funding from the EU as well as  €4.4 million from the Finnish Government the terminal’s loading dock is under construction The terminal area is about 42 hectares in size while the business and logistics area to be built next to it spans another twelve hectares The latter can be expanded if deemed necessary The terminal is to be split into zones marked with alphabets and numbers which will then be leased to different operators for unloading More than 60% of the terminal area is currently completed; the entire facility is expected to be completed by the end of next year Everything could be up an running in early 2023 As project manager Tero Valtonen told Finnish website Yle there is no such terminal yet constructed in Europe: A terminal is under construction in Hungary which I remember will have berths as long as in Kouvola Valtonen added that according to European standards terminals should be able to unload 750-metre trains It is impossible to build terminals so long in many places the Kouvola road and rail terminal has long been marketed as a crossroads for Chinese trains rail freight traffic on the route between Kouvola and Xi’an in China the terminal operators believe rail freight from Russia could fill the gap.  Valtonen told Yle that Railgate Finland who will operate the terminal in the future is currently in active discussion with various actors about what traffic could enter the terminal Chinese trains are one – they may be in the future but they have never been a big percentage of Finnish container traffic All operators and traffic flows are a bit of a wait-and-see attitude I would think that things would start to happen then Valtonen also believes that traffic will be received from Russia to the terminal: so I think some bulk stuff will come and go from here and there We must not forget that we have a double track to Vainikkala The axle weight has been raised to 25 tons Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 6.05.2025 Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Fragrance on the Fly: Why Pocket Perfumes Are Perfect for Airplane TravelSponsored Article 6.05.2025 to provide heat and hot water to the surrounding community atNorth is a leading Nordic data center services company that offers sustainable scalable colocation and high-performance computing services across Iceland The company operates seven data centers in strategic locations across the Nordics Finland in Q3 2024 and in Denmark in Q4 2024 as well as its tenth site ready for operation in Kouvola atNorth's data centers run on renewable energy resources and support circular economy principles All atNorth sites leverage innovative design and intelligent operations to provide long-term infrastructure and flexible colocation deployments The tailor-made solutions enable businesses to calculate train and visualize data workloads in an efficient investigators sayA plane crashed into a forest after the pilot attempted to perform a difficult aerobatic maneuver Open image viewerThe accident occurred in July 2023 near Selänpää Airport in Kouvola Image: Antro Valo / YleYle News11.6.2024 14:33A plane crash that claimed the life of a pilot in Kouvola last summer was caused by human error Finland's Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) has said following the completion of an investigation into the incident The accident occurred in July 2023 during an airshow near the city's Selänpää Airport when the plane crashed into a forest Otkes noted that the pilot's aerobatic performance was not planned in advance but was carried out at the request of the audience but his license had only been upgraded one month prior to the crash "The pilot made a flat spin during the presentation where he started the corrective action at too low an altitude and the plane crashed into the forest," lead investigator Janne Kotiranta said A flat spin occurs when an aircraft descends in tight circles while remaining almost horizontal "It's one of the most demanding aerobatic feats," Kotiranta said Otkes further noted that the organisers had not applied for a permit from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom which could have led to the appointment of an event director to oversee the airshow a director could have prevented the pilot from undertaking an unplanned flight at the request of the public Partnership species in forests are nature’s own network of cooperation where different organisms have formed relationships with each other but necessary for the survival and success of the species networks support forest biodiversity and health which are an essential part of the balance of nature One of the best-known pairs of partnership species is fungi and trees we would have no forests as a tree needs a fungal partner to grow where the fungal rhizomes are fused to the tree and its root system This relationship is mutually beneficial: the fungi get carbohydrates from the tree’s root system and the tree gets nutrients and water from the fungi Pollinators and flowering plants are another important partnership species in forests butterflies and other pollinators collect nectar and pollen from flowers This partnership not only supports plant reproduction but is also an essential part of food production for humans Partnership species are not limited only to plants and animals also form important relationships with different plants release nutrients into the soil and help maintain forest health By understanding the importance of partnership species we can protect and maintain the diversity and sustainability of our forests for future generations More contacts The City Hall entrance and information desk open on weekdays from 7:45 AM to 3:00 PM (G-door Summertime opening hours from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM The telephone switchboard is open on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Tokmanni     Press release     1 December 2023 at 2:05 p.m The Tokmanni variety discount retailer chain is opening a new store in the Katajaharju retail park in Kouvola at 8 am on Tuesday 5 December 2023 the pleasant and modern Tokmanni will perfectly fill the gap in the store network left by the Tokmanni store that was approximately half the size of the new store and closed in the area at the end of last year the opening of the 201st store will have plenty of wonderful special offers and free surprise buckets filled with product gifts The new Tokmanni store will offer a very diverse product range focusing in particular on home improvement Kouvola’s newest Tokmanni store also has shop-in-shop departments with products of the Miny lifestyle brand launched by the Tokmanni Group last year and products of the Click Shoes store chain that was acquired this year which will be seen in the Kymenlaakso region for the first time wellbeing and interior decoration products and other surprising and interesting things to buy sells dozens of different types of footwear “We warmly welcome all our customers to come and do their smart shopping with us,” he adds The Tokmanni store in Katajaharju in Kouvola will have a shop-in-shop department dedicated to the variety discount retailer’s popular Miny lifestyle brand Tokmanni is already familiar with Kouvola’s popular retail park as a store site as the variety discount retailer had a store about half the size of its new store in the Veturi shopping centre in the area until the end of last year will allow us to better meet the expectations of our customers in the Kouvola region our product range will be significantly wider in practically all of our key product categories than in our previous shopping centre store,” Heimo says Customer service at the Tokmanni store in Katajaharju in Kouvola will be provided by about 20 retail professionals under the leadership of Store Manager Sanna Ollikka The store will serve customers with long opening hours: on weekdays from 9 am to 8 pm The shop-in-shop departments of the Click Shoes store chain which was bought by the Tokmanni Group last spring offer plenty of different type of footwear The photo above is from the Click Shoes shop-in-shop-department located in the Tokmanni store in Seppälänkangas in Jyväskylä Similar shop-in-shop-departments can be found in Tornionmäki and Kuusankoski as well as Katajaharju in Kouvola Handy services and a focus on energy choices In addition to offering comprehensive and affordable product selections and a pleasant shopping experience Tokmanni purchases only zero-emission electricity for its Tokmanni stores At all Tokmanni stores energy-efficient LED technology is used in the lighting As is the case with numerous other Tokmanni stores the store in Katajaharju in Kouvola will also have a recycling point for electrical and electronic equipment waste where customers can bring their light bulbs batteries and small broken electrical appliances Tokmanni stores offer an extremely wide range of products Special offers and surprise buckets with product gifts in true Tokmanni style Tokmanni will celebrate the opening of its new store with opening offers most of which will be available from Tuesday 5 to Sunday 10 December 2023 not only in Katajaharju but also in the Tokmanni stores in Kuusankoski and Tornionmäki Tokmanni will be handing out 1,000 of its famous surprise buckets filled with product gifts for free to the first customers at the Tokmanni store in Katajaharju at the opening on Tuesday 5 December A Tokmanni gift voucher worth EUR 100 has been hidden in two of the buckets Tokmanni will reveal its opening offers closer to the store opening ceremonies At the opening of the new store on the morning of Tuesday 5 December, in addition to the store personnel, Tokmanni will be represented by Mika Rautiainen The Tokmanni store in Katajaharju in Kouvola is about double the size of the Tokmanni store that was closed in the nearby Veturi shopping centre at the end of last year this means above all more products to buy and more low prices The Tokmanni Group’s network of stores will continue to grow and renew The construction of the Tokmanni stores in Pälkäne and Sipoo is underway and the store openings are planned for the spring of 2024 Construction of the Tokmanni store in Eurajoki is scheduled to start next year and the opening is planned for the autumn of 2024 Tokmanni and Villen Kauppa serve their customers in a commercial centre that was opened in 2017 in Elovainio in Ylöjärvi Tokmanni will take control of the acquired business on 1 January 2024 Villen Kauppa will be incorporated into the Tokmanni that is located under the same roof in early 2024 The newest stores opened their doors under the Big Dollar brand in Denmark in Hjørring and Holbæk in November Kouvola has a logistically ideal location with railway connections to all cardinal points and main road connections in six directions Railway logistics is among Kouvola’s main strengths The capacity of the largest Finnish cargo marshalling yard and the volume of cargo handled makes Kouvola the most central location for railway transport in Finland Around 100 logistics companies operate in the Tehola-Kullasvaara logistics area; nearly 300 in the entire Kouvola region The logistics sector has nearly 2000 employees Kouvola was ranked as the best logistics centre in the Northern Europe Kouvola RTT is the only Finnish railroad terminal in the EU’s core transport network it is comparable in significance to the main Finnish ports and airports A modern intermodal terminal is under construction in Tehola in Kouvola Please accept all cookies to see this content or watch content here. The City Hall entrance and information desk open on weekdays from 7:45 AM to 3:00 PM (G-door, street level). Summertime opening hours from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The telephone switchboard is open on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Open image viewerThe Visa Service Centre is located in the Pohjola Talo building in central Kouvola Image: Antro Valo / YleYle News25.4.2024 11:35Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs has announced the closure of its visa processing centre in the southeastern city of Kouvola with operations set to move to Helsinki starting from the beginning of 2025 The decision followed redundancy negotiations that led to 19 of the 40 staff members opting for severance packages varying from five months to one year's salary based on the duration of their service The remaining staff have been offered positions at the new Helsinki location The negotiations were prompted by a significant decrease in visa applications following Finland's restriction on Russian citizens entering the country in September last year The Kouvola centre primarily handles residence permits and visa applications roles that will now be transferred to Helsinki as part of an effort to centralise operations The ministry cited operational reasons for the closure reflecting broader trends in decreased demand for visa services amidst geopolitical tensions A freight train loaded with timber set off on a 9110km journey from Finland to China for the first time on Friday A freight train loaded with timber sets off from Finland to China on Friday.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] left Kouvola in southeastern Finland and is expected to arrive in Xi'an via Kazakhstan and Russia in 17 days The Kouvola-Xi'an link is the first railway link to join China with the Nordic countries It is operated by Kazakhstan Railway (KTZ Express) and jointly organised by Xi'an International Trade & Logistic Park and Kouvola Innovation Ltd with one train departing from Kouvola on Thursdays and another from Xi'an on Wednesdays More Scandinavian goods including electronic devices and agricultural specialties such as blueberry and salmon will be exported to China through Xi'an and equivalent cargos from Western China will be exported to the Nordic countries said he is extremely pleased to see the new route opening between Kouvola and China are going to have a significant impact also on the logistics and transport services of the future," he said "The new route will enhance the efficiency of transportation and bring a competitive edge to rail transport I am convinced that this new Silk Road between Finland and China will prosper and flourish." As the starting point of the original Silk Road trading route Xi'an plays an important role in the Belt and Road initiative and is also a major road transport hub general director from Scan-China International Link said that Xi'an is poised to "connect east and west" as the new route provides both reliability and efficiency Your browser does not support all the necessary functions Please update your browser to its latest version to ensure the best user experience Kotka and Port of Kotka changes to VR commuter traffic on 5 January 2022 Kotka and Port of Kotka will be changed to VR commuter traffic on 5 January 2022 The change will clarify and standardise travel as the routes are already served by commuter rolling stock The terms of travel and tickets will also be updated as a result of which most of the prices will be lower and commuter train conductors will start travelling on the trains The traffic from Lahti to Kouvola and from Kouvola to Port of Kotka is already served by VR’s commuter rolling stock Ticket products and the service model will also be updated in line with commuter traffic A new O train code will be introduced for the route from Kouvola to Port of Kotka Long-distance trains will continue to stop in Kouvola Same fare means that the ticket price will always be the same for each route the price changes depending on how close to the departure the ticket is bought and how full the train is the changes mean up to 20% lower ticket prices There will also be changes in the discounts for special groups pensioners and off-duty conscripts and non-military servicemen will receive a 50% discount on the price of single and multi-tickets There will also be a 50% discount on children’s season tickets Children under the age of seven travel for free Additional services subject to a charge in long-distance traffic We have created trip chains in cooperation with local traffic operators. Passengers can buy combo tickets that are accepted both on trains and in other public transport from Waltti, the city transport system of Kouvola and Kotka. Learn more about first and last mile connections. Commuter train tickets can be purchased in the VR Matkalla mobile app, on vr.fi websites, at ticket vending machines and at any of the 600 R-kioski shops in Finland. Tickets cannot be purchased on the train; it must be purchased in advance before boarding the train. On VR’s commuter trains, an inspection fee of €80 may be imposed on customers without tickets. Learn more about commuter traffic. As the Kouvola-Kotka route becomes a commuter traffic area we will exceptionally refund long-distance season multi and single tickets purchased for the area If you have a season ticket for long-distance traffic between (Helsinki or) Lahti and Kouvola but want to use only commuter trains in the future you can cancel the ticket by contacting our customer service The same applies if you have a season ticket for long-distance traffic between Kouvola and Kotka The unused journeys on the ticket will be refunded If you have a multi-ticket for the route between (Helsinki or) Lahti and Kouvola and want to use only commuter trains in the future after which you can buy a new multi-ticket for commuter traffic If your ticket is for the route between Kouvola and Kotka the remaining journeys on the long-distance ticket will be cancelled and you can buy a multi-ticket for commuter traffic If you have bought a single ticket for commuter traffic on the Z-train between 30 December 2021 and 4 January 2022 you can exceptionally cancel the single ticket for commuter traffic and receive a refund by contacting customer service This is because the change in commuter traffic will enter into force on 5 January 2022 the ticket price and ticket conditions of the Z-train will change on 30 December 2021 (thus the previous conditions will apply on Z-trains from 30 December 2021 to 4 January 2022) The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s Espoo Rail Line project will cause changes in train traffic between Helsinki and Turku there will be a traffic interruption between Helsinki and Karjaa Trains between Karjaa and Turku will run at longer intervals Due to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s Helsinki–Riihimäki track renovation project there will be changes to the use of Ainola station as well as short interruptions during Easter and the summer The railway project will also affect the use of Järvenpää and Saunakallio stations Pännäinen railway station will be known as Pietarsaari-Pedersöre Give us feedback and enable us to build a better service together HELSINKI FINLAND JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 58 Stora Enso’s Anjalankoski integrated production site in Kouvola The Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer said this week it plans to shut down one of the two paper machines at the site citing high production costs and low demand for paper STORA ENSO on Wednesday revealed it is considering permanently shutting down one of its two paper machines in Anjala The Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer said it will launch consultative negotiations covering all roughly 500 employees at the integrated site which consists of a paper production unit and a packaging board production unit The statutory negotiations with employee representatives are scheduled to start next week and last at least six weeks The Anjalankoski site utilises two paper machines to produce coated and uncoated book papers coated magazine paper and improved newsprint has drawn up a plan to concentrate all book paper production to one line due to low demand for paper and the high cost of production inputs Closing one of the two machines is estimated to affect about 110 employees and dent the annual revenue of the site by around 100 million euros While the closure is presently scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year no final decisions on the closure or staff cuts will be made until the negotiations have been concluded Hannu Kasurinen, the head of packaging materials at Stora Enso, said in a press release that the decline in demand for newsprint and publication paper has accelerated further in the past six months also reaching the previously more stable book paper market “I’m sure that the decline in demand is ultimately the result of digitalisation. At the same time, cost inflation has resulted in our clients – all kinds of publishers and printing houses – determining that it’s smarter to move from print to digital media,” he commented to YLE on Wednesday He added that although outlook for the paper industry remains bleak the packaging board market is continuing to grow the chief shop steward at the integrated production site pointed out to the public broadcasting company that the shutdown plan was announced fairly quickly after the company had scrapped its plan to divest the production unit Stora Enso in March 2022 revealed that it intends to give up on its paper business but it abandoned the plan to sell the unit in January 2023 “They seem to be in a bit of a hurry. Even the snow didn’t have the time to melt before they moved to another phase,” he said Punakivi estimated that news of the shutdown plan came as a surprise to at least some of the staff Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Fazer’s organic oat drink in a supermarket in Espoo in November 2020 The Finnish food giant said this week it is considering focusing exclusively on oat-based products at its production facility in Kouvola FAZER on Tuesday announced it will launch consultative negotiations concerning a total of 226 employees at its production facility in Kouvola The Finnish food giant estimated that the negotiations could result in the termination of up to 95 full-time positions as it seeks to shift the focus of the plant away from dairy processing exclusively to oat-based products the head of non-dairy and dairy business at Fazer said the company is considering pulling the plug on the dairy processing operation out of necessity to improve the efficiency of the production facility “As a small scale dairy processor, we are no longer competitive, and the recent inflation development has compounded our profitability challenges further,” she commented in a press release “Discontinuing the dairy processing operation would enable us to focus on our plant-based core business in which the facility will have a key role in future.” “After a difficult year, the consultative negotiations weren’t a shock, but it was a shock to find out how big a part of the personnel they’ll concern,” the chief shop steward representing dairy professionals at the facility, Altti Sormunen, stated to YLE on Wednesday The decision affects not only employees but also said similarly that the announcement came as a shock “The situation is unfortunate especially for the employees but also for whole Kouvola,” he said to the public broadcasting company “The city will look to make sure that all those who’ll possibly lose their jobs can find a new job or study place as soon as possible.” are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Katherine Leigh Beltz to Niko Joonas Reunanen of Kouvola Katherine is the granddaughter of Georgia Perkinson Beville of Colonial Heights and the late Marvin Oliver Beville formerally of Petersburg Niko is the grandson of Orvokki Köngäs and the late Johannes Köngäs of Lapland Katherine is a graduate of Midlothian High School She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Ohio State University spending a year of study at the University of Bonn in Cologne She received her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina She is employed with the CorVel Corporation Niko is a graduate of Valkealan Lukio High School and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Data Telecom-munications and Industrial Engineering and a Master's Degree in Intelligent Computing at the Lappeenranta University of Technology The couple recently relocated to Lappeenranta 15.4.2025 | The planning of the business center envisioned for Kotka’s Kantasatama is progressing The City Board has decided to participate in funding the business center planned for the building at Laivurinkatu 10 with an amount just under €33,000 The planning work is commissioned by Kotkan Julkiset Kiinteistöt Oy (JuKi) which has conducted a tender process for architectural and HVAC engineering design and selected Arkkitehdit Tommila Oy and Insinööristudio Oy as contractors The total cost of these services is €98,500 The design costs will be divided into three parts between JuKi the final renovation needs and total costs of the property will be clarified Only then can conclusions be drawn about whether it is appropriate to locate the business center at Laivurinkatu 10.If the project is deemed feasible the property will be transferred from the city’s direct ownership to the management of JuKi The Kantasatama Business Center is defined in the city strategy as a key development project In the “Home Port for Businesses” project implemented by Cursor Oy a concept for the business center’s operations was created The content-based operations of the business center are currently being initiated within the ongoing Eagle Accelerator project a solution for business center premises in Kantasatama has been pursued The business center is planned to include rentable office spaces A few larger operators have expressed interest in long-term rental which would support the project’s financial viability for JuKi The property is a three-story brick building with a protected façade currently used as storage and office space Converting the building into a business center will require a major renovation including repairs to the yard deck and foundation structures and a complete overhaul of interior spaces and technical systems The City Board has decided to send an inquiry to Kouvola’s City Board regarding the funding of Kymi Sinfonietta The shareholder agreement jointly approved by the cities of Kotka and Kouvola in winter 2021 includes provisions on the minimum funding level for the orchestra company until 2025 The agreement obliges the shareholders to negotiate the company’s funding for the coming years no later than spring 2025 The basis for these negotiations is to ensure the stable continuation of the orchestra’s operations Kouvola’s Sports and Culture Committee decided on the funding level for the Kymenlaakso Orchestra for 2026–2027 The decision was to set the annual funding at €480,000 for those years and to continue negotiations with the City of Kotka ensuring that the funding agreement adheres to the aforementioned principles aiming to maintain stable long-term funding for the company to maintain funding for the Uuno Klami Composition Competition Kouvola’s decision means that the city’s annual contribution to Kymenlaakso Orkesteri Oy will decrease from €580,000 to €480,000 for 2026–2027 The orchestra’s operations and funding are affected not only by the contributions of the owners but also by reductions in state subsidies the first of which will already impact 2025 it must also be noted that reducing orchestra activities on Kouvola’s side would jeopardize the orchestra’s extra state subsidy which is designated for promoting regional activities the orchestra has started planning the necessary adaptation measures Kouvola’s significant reduction in grant levels requires additional measures the scope of which will also depend on what decisions the City of Kotka makes in response to the decision by Kouvola’s Sports and Culture Committee The City Board will approach Kouvola’s City Board with a letter in order to gather responses that will help the city of Kotka form its own position and make decisions on the matter Top of the page     Privacy Policy     Sitemap Open image viewerThe plane crashed into a forest near the Selänpää Airport in in Kouvola. Image: Sara Ylönen / yleisökuvaYle News16.7.2023 15:58•Updated 16.7.2023 15:59A person flying an aerobatic plane died in a plane crash in Kouvola, when the plane crashed into a forest near the Selänpää Airport. The Southeast Finland Police reported the incident. According to the police, the plane had been taking part in an airshow at the airport. The aerobatics display, organised by the Kouvola Flying Association, was taking place in Selänpää. The police said they will start an investigation into the accident at the scene. The police added that they will provide more information on the progress of the investigation if necessary, but not before Monday. Police said the spectators at the show were in no immediate danger from the accident, and no other people were injured in the crash. Risto Jokinen, the person in charge of the event and former chair of the Kouvola Flying Association, did not comment on the incident to Yle. He briefly said that the event was interrupted after the accident. According to Jokinen, several hundred people were present. The annual event has been held in Kouvola for about the last 20 years. according to the Institute of Seismology at Helsinki University Open image viewerThe earthquake swarm occurred in the city of Kouvola in southeast Finland Image: Benjamin Suomela / YleYle News3.1.2021 10:52•Updated 3.1.2021 10:56A series of minor earthquakes hit the city of Kouvola in southern Finland early on Sunday morning according to a press release from the Institute of Seismology at the University of Helsinki "The first earthquake occurred as early as 2:49 a.m and the strongest earthquake in the morning had a magnitude of 2.0 [on the Richter scale] seismic stations had registered 10 earthquakes," the press release read The regional emergency response centre received several reports after five in the morning of loud banging noises and buildings shaking in the Koria residential district of the city Both the police and rescue services have begun investigations into the matter but no accidents or incidents related to the series of quakes have so far been detected "Citizens who reported this experienced their building shake or heard banging noises," on-duty firefighter Asko Rouhiainen told Yle "There has been nothing concrete yet like cracks appearing anywhere There have occasionally in the past been similar series of earthquakes here in the Kouvola area." earthquake swarms -- sequences of seismic events occurring in a localised area within a short period of time -- do occur from time to time in the rapakivi granite area of south-eastern Finland and this overnight case may be the latest example A more detailed analysis will be carried out over the coming days dozens of earthquakes have been recorded every year in the Kouvola region but a few have received national media attention other areas of seismic activity in Finland include Kuusamo in the Northern Ostrobothnia region and the Tornio River Valley in Lapland The Institute of Seismology has previously estimated that there are about one hundred earthquakes in Finland every year all of which typically register less than 3 in magnitude on the Richter scale Midnight earthquake startles residents in central Finland Published 20172017Undersea earthquake felt in Finland, SwedenPublished 20162016Sources: Yle Haworth Tompkins has won a competition to rebuild a theatre in Kouvola, Finland, alongside Finnish practice ARCO Architecture Company Finland involves rebuilding the original existing theatre to create a ‘state-of-the-art 400-seat auditorium’ It will also transform a neighbouring 1950s community education building and sports hall by local architect Eero A Kajava into a new studio theatre Haworth Tompkins said the new theatre represented ‘a bold sustainable transformation that both respects the integrity and cultural history of the existing buildings while radically opening up the theatre to the city creating a strong cultural landmark for Kouvola’ The proposal was one of five submissions to the competition with the winner chosen by a combination of a panel of judges and a public vote following a two-week exhibition of the entries in November The theatre’s operation manager Riku Hämäläinen said theatre staff also favoured the winning design The practice said judges had praised its ‘innovative sustainable and modern approach while respecting the integrity spirit and culture of the original buildings and surrounding area creating a strong Kouvola identity’ Director Roger Watts said the practice was ‘thrilled’ by the win adding: ‘Our design aims to draw on the architectural and cultural memory of the buildings whilst radically transforming the production spaces and stages and opening up the foyer to the city.’ Last week, Haworth Tompkins announced its founders, Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins, would be stepping back from the practice from March, more than three decades after they co-founded it. Read our interview with them here.  Tags BDP’s College of Arts & Society at Coventry University has been named… Lewisham Council has given Turner Works planning permission for a mixed-use regeneration… Wandsworth Council has given Gehry Partners planning permission for two more residential… Southwark Council has approved tp bennett’s plans for a 25-storey student tower… Open image viewerKouvolan ja Kiinan välinen konttijunayhteys avattiin kolme vuotta sitten Image: Kouvola Innovation Yle News2.12.2019 18:27A direct freight rail connection between the southeast Finland city of Kouvola and Xi’an in central China revved up in 2017 However traffic on the route has almost come to a standstill even as the city is investing tens of millions in new terminal facilities Yle’s investigative journalism programme MOT has revealed that the profitability of the direct freight link from southeast Finland to China relies almost exclusively on Chinese funding this is a risky situation given that China alone decides on the magnitude of the grants financial backing from Beijing could reduce by up to half the prices paid by European freight operators it helps China to increase trading relations with Europe there was an explosion of freight traffic between China and Europe much of it inspired by the generous contributions of the Chinese state However China soon realised that it was also paying for empty containers to be delivered to its cities from thousands of kilometres away in Europe As a result the central government in Beijing tightened the rules for granting funding in mid-2018 The first year of full operations for the freight line was still reasonable last year 24 trains travelled between Kouvola and Xi’an in China However he admitted that the trains were not full There were trains that were only one-third or a quarter full At the time China still allowed this," he added He commented that the main reason that the freight trains were empty was a decline in the price of pulp and the deteriorating economic situation in China Although trains have not been running to China city officials in Kouvola are still building what will be Finland’s longest loading dock for locomotives The construction of the terminal is predicated specifically on freight traffic to Asia The project has a price tag of 40 million euros with taxpayers in Kouvola contributing nearly 30 million especially given that the city still needs to cut spending on basic operations by roughly 20 million euros The financial situation may even put the city at risk of becoming one of the country’s crisis municipalities that is unable to finance operations However city officials have been pointing the finger of blame towards China "Over at the Chinese end they have not been as enthusiastic about traffic in this direction A train should be full in both directions," said Kouvola Innovation development director Simo Päivinen Päivinen added that the slowdown in rail traffic is merely a matter of teething problems The city of Kouvola is currently trying to expand the rail connection to another Chinese city Image: Kari Saastamoinen / YleYle News2.4.2019 17:08The chair of the Kouvola city council in southeast Finland has apologised for the confusion and disappointment caused by Facebook comments in which he used racist slurs including the "n" word as well a derogatory term for Finland’s Roma minority In defence of the terms that he used about one week ago Leppänen had written that they were perfectly normal and even "beautiful" words that he intended to continue using "It seems utterly inconceivable that in our country we are forbidden to use terms such as [n-word] ...," the 61-year-old wrote two Saturdays ago adding that the country's deterioration could be linked to "the suffocation caused by stupid rules and prohibitions" -- largely at the hands of liberals who had been given too much power Yle reported last Monday that Facebook deleted the post because it apparently violated their terms relating to the use of derogatory language However on Monday evening the National Coalition Party politician took to the social media site to write that he would no longer be using the expressions "I no longer wish to explore the idea that I proposed in my writings because apparently it was a bad idea which goes against my nature and my aspirations and I see that I was stupid and thoughtless," Leppänen said in the update Leppänen’s choice of words whipped up a furore among members of the Kouvola church council of which he is also a member Council member Jutta Hartikainen called on the city council chair to apologise for his choice of words "It’s not at all pleasant to work with someone who uses these kinds of expressions about certain segments of society It was not appropriate language [to use] in a civilised society," Hartikainen told Yle last week a coordinator of Kouvola’s multicultural centre Saaga also commented on the incident "It was rather sad to read that the chair of a city council thinks that [the term] is normal language and that he intends to use it although efforts have been made to ban it using "liberal nonsense" It kind of makes you speechless," Vainio remarked National Coalition Party communications chief Kirsi Hölttä also condemned Leppänen’s language saying that his comments do not represent the views of the party "The National Coalition Party’s fundamental position is that we must refer to all people respectfully We think it is wrong to use [that word]," she added last week Vicar of the Kuusankoski parish in Kouvola Kimmo Ylikangas had come out in Leppänen’s defence last week saying that he did not believe that the city councillor’s comments contained any racist motives Maybe it’s good to talk about how it is not appropriate to use such words But I hardly think this would be a matter to be raised at a meeting," Ylikangas told Yle last week Leppänen could not be reached for comment when Yle first reported on the matter last Monday Open image viewerImage: Tommi Pylkkö / YleYle News21.1.2021 12:28The government's Ministerial Committee for Economic Policy has approved a plan to move ahead with a new train route across southeast Finland linking Helsinki and the Russian border via Porvoo and the inland city of Kouvola An alternate route that would have gone along the coast through Loviisa and Kotka now looks less likely although Kotka officials have argued that a connection to its port would be crucial A proposal for a more northerly route from Lahti to Mikkeli also appears to be off the table Open image viewerState Railways VR forecasts strong growth in train travel after the pandemic Image: Yle / Lukas RuskThe Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Thursday that it will continue negotiations with the municipalities that would benefit from the new track line and other possible players about setting up a rail connection planning project company The firm is to be responsible for planning and financing the project through its completion Initial estimates put the price tag at around 70 million euros The project company would be at least 51 percent state-owned while the other stakeholders would have to commit to covering 49 percent of the cost Eventually Parliament must approve state funding for the project The centre-left government led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP) has pledged to invest heavily in Finland's rail services as part of its ambitious emissions-cutting agenda Virtually all of State Railways VR's trains all run on electricity generated by hydropower The cities along the proposed eastern route have already decided how much they are prepared to pony up for the venture while Kouvola says it is ready to invest nearly five million euros temps of 30C predicted for MondayA temperature of 27.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in the southern city of Kouvola on Mother's Day and even warmer temps are forecast for Monday Open image viewerHelsinki residents at the Kumpula Outdoor Swimming Pool on Sunday Image: Jussi Nukari / LehtikuvaYle News13.5.2018 17:51•Updated 14.5.2018 10:11Finland saw temperatures shoot up to more than 25 degrees Celsius on Sunday everywhere but in Lapland says public broadcaster Yle's meteorologist Matti Huutonen The balmy day also brought the warmest temperature ever recorded in Finland on a Mother's Day: 27.7 degrees Celsius in the southern city of Kouvola Huutonen says the previous record was set in 1996 when a temperature of 26 degrees was noted in the southern inland cities of Salo and Lapinjärvi Records of Mother's Day temperatures go back to 1960 in Finland the Finnish Meteorological Institute reports that it measured a temperature of 25.6 degrees in the eastern city of Lappeenranta already at 11 am Yle's Huutonen predicts that there are even warmer days ahead as the mercury could soar to 30 degrees on Monday in southern and central areas He says that Finland will enjoy the warm summery weather until at least Wednesday making things a bit cooler and possibly bringing rain the temperatures will stay above 20 degrees for the whole week everywhere but in the north," he says a large showcase for Chinese import and other businesses Open image viewerImage: YLE / Jani Aarnio11.11.2009 14:30•Updated 12.11.2009 17:12Police took seven suspects into custody who are suspected of arranging for tens of residence permits under false pretences for would-be Chinese immigrants "What's happened is that they got a school or business or private individual to sponsor a visa for someone Then this visa was misused to obtain a residence permit on the false grounds," explains the head of the investigation Paila says the residence permits were supposedly obtained by a business needing workers from China But some of the applicants knew nothing about the company they were ostensibly coming to work for Authorities also found illegal immigrants in the China Centre Around 150 officials participated in the raids They targeted the China Center (Kiina Center) in Kouvola and the Leishi centre in Valkeala Police are now trying to work out whether the China Center and the Leishi centre were taken advantage of by the scams or whether they played a part in them The Nordic China Center was set up a few years ago as a commercial bridge between east and west the China Centre has been devoid of customers as has the old mental hospital that they were planning to convert into a Chinese-style spa Paila says they are now trying to get to the bottom of how much Some of the illegal immigrants may have already moved on to other Schengen countries Former Kouvola Mayor Suspected of Involvement in Illegal Immigration of being involved in obtaining residence permits on false pretences The suspicions are linked to Wednesday's raids on several Chinese sites in the city Open image viewerKouvolan entinen kaupunginjohtaja Aimo Ahti on allekirjoittanut kymmeniä viisumikutsuja Matkailupäällikkö Raija Siermanilla on tallessa kaikki viisumikutsut Image: YLE / Jani Aarnio12.11.2009 15:17•Updated 12.11.2009 16:49The Border Guard suspects that Ahti collaborated with criminals organising illegal immigration for Chinese nationals wanting to get to into Europe through Finland in August of 2008 Ahti says it's possible his signature was forged Ahti and the director of a business promotions agency Yritysmagneetti say they have signed dozens of visa invitations for Chinese visitors police formally arrested seven people who had been detained for questioning during raids on several Chinese sites in Kouvola which they believe were used to organize illegal immigration into Finland The identities of those arrested were not immediately made public China Center in Kouvola Raided by Border Guard