Finland
Finland cut homelessness by 80 per cent with housing-first policy, Irish conference hears
Ireland, with a similar population, has thousands more homeless people
Irishman in Lapland: ‘I bought a house for €32,000. It’s a magic place to live’
‘In Finland, saunas are the great leveller. In Ireland they’re for people with a few bob’
Fiction in translation: Hafni Says by Danish writer Helle Helle is close to perfection
Plus new works by Pirkko Saisio, Felix Hartlaub, Karim Kattan and Angélica Gorodischer
Youth unemployment still well above pre-crash levels
New report underlines problems facing young people seeking work
Germany and ‘frugal’ allies signal budget compromise but reject further EU borrowing
Friedrich Merz and five other leaders demand spending cuts of ‘several hundred billion euros in a balanced manner’
How quickly could Ireland have a nuclear power plant (if the Government wants one)?
Analysis, public consultations and political wrangling could make delivery a lengthy process
The Irish Times view on Europe’s borders: frontline of a new reality
War does not begin when the tanks roll across the border
‘It has already begun’: Finland prepares for the unthinkable from Russia
Formerly neutral, the country is taking a whole-of-society approach to defending its people along the longest line of defence between the EU and Russia
Could primary school hours be changed under a new review by the Department of Education?
Current circular document, which dates back to 1995, details how many days each year schools must be open
The Summer Book review: Lovely moments in unhurried adaptation of treasured Tove Jansson novel
English-language film directed by Charlie McDowell is old-fashioned in both good and bad ways
Japan’s nuclear taboo faces its sternest test in decades
On the anniversary of Hiroshima, the only country to experience atomic attack is confronting calls to revisit assumptions about national security
Glen Hansard was a leader, an indomitable force and a natural disruptor
The Ballymun man’s sudden death has been deeply felt throughout the Irish music and arts community
How Russian password technology made its way into Irish State agencies
Password manager Passwork purports to be EU-based but has extensive links to a Russian company licensed by Russia’s security service
Irish in the EU: ‘The Italians enjoy life and savour what it has to offer’
Ireland could learn lessons from the adopted homes of its citizens
Irish in Europe: ‘I love how affordable it is. There’s none of your €8 pints’
Irish people living on the Continent talk about the cost of living, weather, language, proximity to war and what they would change about Ireland
Finland says Helsinki drone threat has ended as airport reopens
Traffic at the Finnish capital’s airport has resumed after three-hour suspension
Eurovision 2026: Australia through to grand final
Only 35 countries competing this year with Ireland among nations not taking part due to Israel’s involvement
Europe’s air temperatures becoming ‘dangerously high’, amid record heatwaves in 2025
Temperatures exceeded 30 degrees inside Arctic Circle as entire continent suffered extreme weather
Ireland needs to grow up and get serious about its interests
In the infantile recent debate about the Mercosur deal, for example, politicians from all sides fell over each other to criticise an agreement profoundly in Ireland’s interests
What might a more equal dialogue look like in a fractious and divided world?
Worldview: Creating an alternative progressive internationalism starts with listening
The Next World War by Peter Apps: Cautious optimism - for those who can defend themselves
The Next World War – The New Age of Global Conflict and the Fight to Stop It
The Triangle of Power by Alexander Stubb: Finnish president’s view of a fractured world
How ‘values-based realism’ shapes Stubb’s vision of international order
Ireland’s contributions to Ukraine ‘well below’ aid given by smaller EU states
Internal correspondence from top official acknowledges State has provided comparatively less help to Ukraine than other EU allies
‘This is homeland defence for the alliance’: How Nato is preparing for war in the Arctic
Nordic nations hope US fixation on Greenland will spur allies to catch up with Russian military build-up
Irish people are wrong about immigration, but are we ready for our own Trump?
Real question why Irish and Irish-American Trump supporters haven’t already died of embarrassment
Ireland co-ordinating closely with EU in response to tariff announcement, says McEntee
Eurogroup meeting in Brussels next week expected to be dominated by new economic threat from US
Why the world has started stockpiling food again
Governments are hoarding rice and grain as insurance against a world they increasingly view as unstable. But many economists believe it could be counter-productive
Happy Land: Finding My Inner Finn by Tim Bird – Brings a smile
How a population perceived as being dour and taciturn by their neighbours appear to have cracked the code of happiness
Top travel: the hottest destinations to visit in 2026
Plan your year with our perfect picks for international travel, from El Salvador to Mozambique
Small Finnish town that took on CRH hit with damages bill of almost €10m
Irish group’s subsidiary had long-standing contract with local council
I have decided to live like a Finn in the pursuit of happiness. Starting with saunas
What if a stranger wanted to talk to me? What if I sat in the wrong place or somehow poured a can of Fanta on the sauna stones?
Finland’s aurora borealis, husky mushing and wintry wilderness bring a dream to life
Snow, sledding and the spectacular are all on the menu for my fantasy holiday in Lapland. I can die happy now
What will €410,000 buy in Turkey, Finland, Donegal, Crete and France?
One price, home and away: A villa in Turkey, an apartment in Lapland, a Donegal coastal home and more
New crime fiction: From a strong Michael Connelly work to a darkly funny Finnish road trip
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly; Silent Bones by Val McDermid; Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson; The Knives by Sean Phillips and Ed Brubaker; The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen
‘No country is safe’: Deadly Nordic heatwave supercharged by climate crisis, scientists say
Historically cool nations are now seeing hospitals overheating, surge in wildfires and toxic algal blooms
Finland charges Eagle S tanker captain, officers over cable cuts
Prosecutors say cable owners face at least €60m in repair costs
‘Going backwards’: Landmine treaty enters increasingly perilous territory as key states pull out
Finland, Poland and Ukraine have all moved recently to exit the 1997 Ottawa agreement
Ireland voices concerns over Lithuania’s withdrawal from cluster bomb ban
Poland, Finland and Baltic states due to withdraw from treaty on anti-personnel mines
Efforts to rearm Europe stumble as Trump ‘kicks over the chessboard’ of the Ukraine war
EU must take replace rhetoric with deeds and increase military power to ensure Putin takes heed, European commissioner for defence warns
Finnish minister in Dublin: ‘We never were under the illusion that Russia is no longer a threat’
Elina Valtonen reflects on her country joining Nato, shutting the Finnish border with Russia, and Vladimir Putin’s disregard for human life
A Finn on Inis Mór: ‘In Finland you just ignore everyone you don’t know. Even people you know sometimes’
Jenni Nikinmaa from Finland moved to Ireland in 2019
Underground cabling could answer challenge of keeping lights on after storms
Technical challenges and cost of extensive underground cabling would be enormous but ESB needs to produce a plan to cope with scale of climate change
Should Ireland revisit its neutrality? Prof Ben Tonra and Dr Raymond Murphy debate
Renewed international focus is coming on Ireland’s attitude to defence as Finland and Sweden join Nato
Ireland’s neutrality under attack: shifting geopolitics bring pressure to change
A policy of neutrality is increasingly being questioned by EU members
Forget the gym: Here’s four fitness lessons from around the world
From exercise parties to walking wherever you can, it is possible to stay healthy without signing up for a gym
What Ireland can learn from Finnish schools in tackling disinformation
The Nordic country is helping students learn about spotting false information. Is there space in the Irish curriculum to do the same?
State needs to invest in Navy and Air Corps to beef up our ability to protect vital undersea connections
Security of our vital marine interconnectors must be given high priority
We like our meats smoky: Nordics lobbied EU over flavouring ban
Documents show several states raised concerns about EU plan to phase out smoky flavourings for meats and crisps
Former Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin: ‘We are seeing conservative, masculine forces rising up’
Marin was speaking at the 2025 Pendulum Summit, held in Dublin’s convention centre on Wednesday
Nato to boost presence in Baltic Sea after suspected sabotage of power cable
Finnish investigators believe seized Russian ship caused outage of Estlink 2 undersea power and internet lines
It’s fishmas time again as aquariums deck the tanks and embrace scuba Santa
Planet Business: Instagram advertising forecast, Chrystia Freeland’s resignation and the highest-paid female sports stars
One in four adults in Ireland struggle with everyday maths such as calculating percentages
Finding comes as former taoiseach Leo Varadkar says many in politics and media do not understand numbers
Swedish authorities track Chinese vessel to scene of Baltic cable breaks
Prosecutors in Stockholm launch preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage, hours after Germany dubs cable failure part of a ‘hybrid operation’
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices