Ukraine’s drone strikes over the Gulf of Finland have prompted the defence forces to call in reservists.
The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) say they have stepped up measures to protect the country. The move follows Ukrainian drones straying into southeast Finland.
The news is that reservists who have consented to refresher training will be called up for exercises. The stated aim is to help monitor and protect Finland’s territorial integrity, Helsingin Sanomat reports.
“There is no military threat to Finland. The current situation results from Ukraine’s justified defence to counter Russia’s unlawful aggression,” the FDF said in a statement.
The Defence Forces are being tight-lipped about the details, according to HS. There is little information on the locations of the drills, the number of reservists involved, or their duration.
Loosening privacy protections
Protections regarding people’s privacy are being opened up in a sweeping legislative package, according to Hufvudstadsbladet.
Three draft laws focus on the sanctity of the home, serious crimes, national security and intelligence gathering.
Officials insist that this does ‘not amount to mass surveillance’. At the same time, far-reaching changes to legislation governing surveillance and espionage are in the works.
Rewriting the constitution will require a broad majority in parliament.
Among the aims is to allow surveillance that intrudes upon the sanctity of the home at an earlier stage than is currently allowed, and not only during criminal investigations, but as a preventive measure against threats to national security.
There’s an app for that
Finland has long stood at the digital frontier, and that early adoption is now extending to store-issued receipts for refundable recyclable bottles.
German retailer Lidl says it will be the first in Finland to roll out digital deposit receipts for bottles across all its stores.
Talouselämä explains that the system works through Lidl’s app, allowing customers to scan their deposit receipts directly into the app.
The digital receipt can be used as payment at either a staffed checkout or a self-service till.
