Helsingin Sanomat is among the documents reporting that the Russian Embassy in Finland sent an official diplomatic note to the Finnish Foreign Ministry following confiscation of Russian state property in Finland.

In an email to HS, the Russian embassy said it had not received any official notification from the Finnish Foreign Ministry about the move.

The note, according to the embassy, ​​expresses “strong protest against the actions of the Finnish authorities” and calls for a review of the decisions of the National Enforcement Authority of Finland.
Helsingin Sanomat reported on Tuesday that so far the value of seized property in Finland, including real estate, is 35.5 million euros. The decision was made on Thursday last week.
The Russian Embassy in Finland says it only received the list of items on Tuesday of this week. According to the embassy, ​​half of the properties are diplomatic property, as they are “used for official and representative purposes of the embassy”.
The National Enforcement Authority said properties enjoying diplomatic status were excluded from seizure.
The seizures follow a ruling by the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Russia is said to have to pay the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz more than five billion euros in compensation for the damage caused to it by the occupation of Crimea.

Iltalehti reports that on Tuesday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova threatened Finland with retaliatory measures over confiscation of Russian state assets.

He referred to a report by the new Tass agency, which quotes Zaharova as saying: “A legal assessment of the actions of the Finnish side will be made after receiving answers to our requests. Any illegal decisions will not go unanswered.”

The press secretary of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov also confirmed on Tuesday that Russia will challenge Finland’s decision to seize the properties.

Fiscal card adjustments

Online Uusi Suomi news service reminds readers that the 2025 tax cards will come into effect from the start of the new year and that the income caps for the cards will now be calculated for all 12 months of the year.

Until now, the tax cards came into force at the beginning of February.

Päivi Ylitalosenior procedural administrator for the Internal Revenue Service, says the change is meant to make it easier to track tax rates and income caps.

“Based on our own observations and feedback we have received, the 11-month income cap on the fiscal card is difficult for customers to understand. About half of the questions we receive at the Tax Administration are related to fiscal cards,” Ylitalo said in a release this week.

Tax cards for 2025 will be available through the Tax Administration’s OmaVero (MyTax) online service from mid-December.

According to Ylitalo, the change of the fiscal card will also make the payment of salaries by companies more efficient.

Labor shortage

Ilta-Sanomat analyzes which sectors of the Finnish economy suffer from the greatest shortages of skilled workers.

It reports that the latest data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment found that Finland’s most pressing needs are for more nurses, general practitioners, early childhood education school teachers, app designers, welders, agents security, psychologists, earthmoving machine operators and social workers. .

Among the most sought-after skills are digital skills and expertise in customer service, healthcare, networking, teaching and languages.

In the Uusimaa region, which includes the capital, there is a shortage of employees with first aid skills, teaching and nursing expertise, skills to work in a multicultural environment and digital skills.

The region needs, for example, early childhood education teachers, health professionals, restaurant and catering workers. The paper provides a region-by-region breakdown of what workers are most in demand.

The paper notes that there is particularly high demand in Lapland for nurses, restaurant and catering workers, earthmoving and truck drivers, cleaners, construction foremen and welders.

Five points about winter tires

A warmer than usual autumn has been kind to Finnish drivers this year. As near-summer driving conditions continue, the thought of switching to winter tires probably hasn’t crossed many drivers’ minds yet.
Now, however, winter is threatening to catch drivers by surprise. The forecast for the rest of the week is for freezing temperatures with the possibility of snow showers in various parts of the country.
Helsingin Sanomat offers its readers a five-point checklist for the start of the winter tire season.

– Change your tires on time

From the beginning of November, winter tires must be used if the weather or road conditions require it.
With more winter weather in the forecast towards the end of the week, winter tires may be needed very soon.

– Check if your old winter tires are legal

The main tread groove of winter tires must have a depth of at least 3 mm.
If you use studded tires, they must all have studs, and the difference in the number of studs between the tires must not exceed 25 percent. However, the difference can be greater if the number of studs on each tire is at least 75 percent of the number of studs on a corresponding new tire.

– Consider whether friction or studded tires are a better choice

When it comes to purchasing new winter tires, drivers must choose between studded and friction tires.
Conformable Sami Kivilätraining advisor at the Liikenneturva traffic safety organization, the choice depends on driving needs and there is no single correct answer to the question of whether friction or studs are better.

– Normal winter tires are suitable for electric cars

Tire manufacturers have special models of winter tires designed specifically for electric cars. Should an electric car driver buy tires specifically designed for an electric car?
According to Kivilä, not necessarily.
He points out that the weight difference between an electric car and an internal combustion engine car, for example, is not necessarily so great that different tires are needed.

– Adapt your driving style and speed to the weather

When the temperature is close to zero in the morning, the road can be clear and dry in some places and icy and slippery in others.
Motorists are advised to keep their speeds low and widen the distances between vehicles on the road as the weather turns to winter.
“Let’s be prepared for the fact that the weather is not what it was in the last six months,” Kivilä told HS.