The third song of this year’s Uuden musiikin kilpailu (UMK) has been released You can listen to the song ”Paskana” (”I’m a f***ing wreck”) by Sara Siipola here: Sara Siipola is a Finnish singer-songwriter who is known for her powerful voice and strong interpretations Siipola was born in 1997 and she spent her childhood years in Laihia during Siipola’s childhood years in Laihia it wasn’t easy to find oneself and in school those with big dreams were quickly put into their place In 2016 Siipola graduated with a vocational qualification in business and shortly thereafter really started to put invest on her singing career In 2019 Siipola made a recording deal with Sony Music Her debut single ”Rohkee Sydän” (”Brave Heart”) was released in September 2019 Siipola’s first album ”Kaunis kun itken” (”Beautiful when I cry”) came out in March 2021 I really want people to be able to listen to my songs whenever they want to feel self-confident and connect with others” Siipola’s UMK entry ”Paskana” is about a friend who loses their father and the feelings that the loss stirs up During one social evening Siipola watched how her friend tried to be present in shared moment even though they were in the middle of a huge mourning process ”Paskana” is about grief and gives a listener a permission to feel heartbroken: why do other people go to grocery shopping and go on with their lives when my own world has stopped moving According to artist herself the power of the song stems from the fact that it doesn’t romanticize the idea of grief This is what the jury of UMK24 said about ”Paskana”:’’ Sara Siipola is one of Finland’s rising vocalists with a stunning voice offering both tender vulnerability and uplifting power because each and every one of us has felt low (paskana) at some point The lyrics and interpretation are full of raw emotion for which the modern production gives a lot of space and support What do YOU think of ”Paskana” by Sara Siipola Would you like to see it winning UMK24 and carry the Finnish flag in Malmö Let us know in comments or our social media channels A Finnish woman with a huge passion for Eurovision My favourite ESC-memory is when the victory was FINALLY brought to Finland by Lordi and ”Hard rock hallelujah” in 2006 my all-time favourite Eurovision song is ”Waterloo” by Abba I love Eurovision because it brings whole Europe (and some other countries as well) together with music and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Open in Spotify to get all the Eurovision news as they happen Finland — At the train station in this small village where the rail link between Finland’s capital Helsinki and Russia’s northern metropolis St which for years passed here four times a day carrying hundreds of passengers in both directions border guards rather than international travelers made up what was left of rush hour.  “We spent 20 years building this business and now we’re fighting to survive.”  Laihia’s travails are a sign of something locals here have been feeling for weeks if not months: Finland’s relations with Russia are entering a deep freeze.  In a historic sign of how bad things have gotten following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Finland’s leaders said on Thursday that their country should join NATO definitively breaking with a long-held form of military neutrality designed to strike a balance between east and west Russia responded on the same day with a promise of “military-technical” retaliation against Finland. On a Kremlin-backed television network, a high-profile host spoke of a “new iron curtain” falling.  which lies on a southern stretch of Finland’s 1,340-kilometer border with Russia signs of the spreading frost were apparent earlier this week.  There wasn’t a single patron in the nearby Cafe Finlandia The well-paved highway between the border and the Finnish capital Helsinki was also quiet Gaps between cars often lasted several minutes at the road’s eastern reaches the other end of the rail link from Vainikkala the Allegro trains’ regular departure point The four high-speed machines — which are painted in the colors of the Finnish and Russian flags — now sit in a depot in Helsinki where Finnish engineers maintain them.  who leads Finland’s rail company VR — the Finnish partner in the joint Finnish-Russian venture that operated Allegro — said that public pressure to shut the service began growing quickly after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.  Once the service had helped Finnish expats leave Russia following the invasion The last Allegro rolled into the Finnish capital on March 28.  we condemn the Russian aggression and war in Ukraine so we don’t want to do business with Russia so we shut down the service,” Simola said.  When the Allegro trains were inaugurated in December 2010 by Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the then-Finnish President Tarja Halonen there was much pomp and ceremony and hope for the future “The high-speed train traffic which begins today will improve the opportunities for different types of people to meet,” Halonen said adding that she hoped her countrymen would now be able to “discover their neighbor in a new way.”  the service was regarded as a great success with more than 4 million passengers using Allegro between December 2010 and March 2022 a period that includes an almost two-year suspension because of the pandemic Two services ran in each direction between Helsinki and St Petersburg each day with each train able to carry up to around 360 people Double trains carrying over 700 people ran to coincide with holidays like New Year’s Day.  VR chief Simola said the service was particularly popular with business travelers and tourists who valued the short travel time and the chance to avoid the more climate-unfriendly option of flying.  “It is a great service if you think about it Petersburg in 3.5 hours from city center to city center,” he said.  Simola said it was clear that public sentiment was turning against cooperation with Russia generally and shutting down the service was the right thing to do Finland’s leaders were planning a dramatic shift in defense policy with their decision to back an application to NATO.  Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said it was Russian aggression that had forced Finland’s hand 19-year-old Felix Halabi was collecting money for a charity supporting Finnish army veterans.  who said he was 139 days into a 357-day period of military service said it was probably right for Finland to join NATO.  but I think it’s probably a good idea because Putin is so unpredictable,” he said Finland fought two brutal wars against the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1944 and lost a big chunk of its eastern territories in the process.  the marks of that conflict are well-preserved Trenches and machine-gun positions are dug into the woods along what is known as the Salpa Line of fortifications which runs north from the Baltic Sea.   It was this militarized history that Finnish and Russian leaders were seeking to leave behind when they moved to strengthen trade links in this border zone following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991.  Last week, Finland and a number of NATO allies, including the U.S. and U.K., began the military training exercise Arrow 22, which saw lines of tanks moving in formation across an open landscape in Finland’s west.  After watching some of the action, U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace vowed that his country would defend Finland and Sweden, which is also expected to submit a NATO application, “if they were ever attacked.”  Behind his counter at the train station restaurant in Vainikkala, Laihia said he still hopes the political tension with Russia will ease and passengers instead of border guards can once again gather at his tables.  “But that all depends on Mr. Putin over there,” he said, nodding toward the border.  Like other socialist parties in Europe, Sweden’s center left has lost ground to the far right. It’s hoping to turn that around. It’s feared Russia could use the church as cover for future intelligence or sabotage operations. Shootings by Swedish gang members in other countries ups pressure on government in Stockholm. A surge in gang violence during a brutal summer spells trouble for the ruling parties. Open image viewerCovid infections among children are becoming increasingly common Image: Arash Matin / YleYle News13.1.2022 10:27A primary school student has died in the Ostrobothian city of Laihia This is the first case of a coronavirus-related death of a child in Finland It is still unclear whether the young student's death was directly caused by the virus Laihia Education Director Markku Laukkonen confirmed that the child was at elevated risk from coronavirus "A sad incident that has deeply shocked me," Laukkonen said of the death Parents and students at the Laihia school have been informed of the incident via a message on the Wilma system The story was first published by Vaasa local paper Ilkka PohjalainenOpens an external website on Wednesday Open image viewerA passenger car was damaged in a collision with a train in Laihia Image: Hans-Mikael Holmgren / Yle7.2.2018 16:24The collision between an InterCity train and a passenger car occurred in the afternoon at a level crossing in Laihia One person was severely injured in the accident according to local public safety officials did not notice the train approaching from the direction of Vaasa The train was going at around 100 kilometers per hour and even though its emergency brakes were deployed Train traffic has been at a standstill on the Vaasa tracks with passengers diverted to bus transportation since the accident took place The train in the collision sustained damage and remains on the tracks at the collision site Open image viewerAn Easter bonfire in Laihia, western Finland in 2017. Image: Tuomo Rintamaa / YleYle News20.4.2019 16:00•Updated 20.4.2019 16:03Bonfire bans issued in several municipalities could put a damper on hopes for traditional Easter bonfires this weekend Finnish law currently prohibits lighting open fires if the Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI has issued a forest or brush fire warning FMI has so far issued advisories for large parts of southern and western Finland covering the entire coastal area of Kymenlaakso in the southeast all the way to Ostrobothnia on the west coast The fire warnings also cover the inland regions of Kanta-Häme and Päijat-Häme The bonfire ban does not affect Helsinki’s Seurasaari – as long as winds remain calm However fire officials in coastal Ostrobothnia have banned Easter bonfires although they may be lit in central southern Ostrobothnia Easter bonfires are an old Ostrobothnian tradition that many locals gather to enjoy during the holiday however the situation is entirely different as there is still snow on the ground There has been no rain for some time," FMI duty meteorologist Ari Mustala said on Saturday The ground is also beginning to dry up inland in the Tampere region so FMI is calling on members of the public to check for brush fire warnings before starting Easter bonfires As snow cover recedes during the spring in Finland it exposes grass that is dry and highly flammable Brush fire warnings mean that it is forbidden to start open fires in such areas This year’s advisories are stricter in the past as warnings did not previously ban open fires Rescue officials decided on a more rigorous approach given the large number of brush fires that have ignited especially if dried grass has been cleared The flip side is that the wind can easily blow where it is not meant to Then fire officials have to be called to the scene," Mustala expanded.Easter bonfires will only be allowed in special cases that have been agreed with local fire officials Burning branches and other vegetation is also banned while the warnings are in force Residents getting their summer cottages ready are therefore being asked to wait to clear up their yards and gardens Grilling – another sure sign of spring and fine weather – should also be practiced with care and users should keep the grill covered as much as possible "It’s worth exercising care to ensure that sparks do not fly from the grill to the ground," Mustala pointed out they should allow the grill to cool properly before ensuring that it is turned off It is also not advisable to dispose of glowing charcoal in rocks because of the brush fire risk The acrid smoke is thought to scare off evil spirits The day before Easter is a day of bonfires in the historical province of Ostrobothnia which once extended to include a large part of western and northern Finland The ritual dates back to a pre-Christian tradition where a burning fire and the resulting smoke was thought to ward off witches and trolls and bring in a good harvest Residents are required to inform rescue services about large bonfires that are planned but smaller fires in people's yards require no permit A bonfire is also lit in the metropolitan region each year on the day before Easter at the open-air museum island of Seurasaari