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Finland

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Finland. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Helsinki

Head of State

President Alexander Stubb

Head of Government

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo

According to UN data on its Sustainable Development Goals, China has achieved "no poverty" and quality education while the US has achieved the target for industry, innovation and infrastructure. Photo: AFP

Science

China ‘on track to surpass United States’ in goals for human, planet health: UN

Report showing global progress on 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals shows gap between Chinese and US closed significantly since 2015.

25 Jun 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Architecture and design

Taichung’s Green Museumbrary: putting civic spaces under one striking roof

30 Jun 2026 - 7:13PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong parents in welfare custody case say 2-month-old baby sick in hospital

22 Jun 2026 - 11:02PM

Middle East

Energy security fears drive global surge in orders for Chinese storage firms

In the first two weeks of June, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL) bagged a combined 5.4 GWh of storage orders.

21 Jun 2026 - 3:00PM

China-Latin America relations

Latin America and Europe are bystanders in the US-China AI race: Lula adviser

Brazil’s Celso Amorim tells a Rio conference the Global South must answer via Brics, casting rare earths and data as matters of sovereignty.

17 Jun 2026 - 6:32AM

Hong Kong society

Court rejects Hong Kong couple’s challenge to daughter’s guardianship in Sweden

Swedish court dismisses challenge by parents of four-year-old Lily after welfare authorities seek to transfer her legal guardianship to foster family.

16 Jun 2026 - 8:30AM

Hong Kong society

Baby Danny parents to get 1-hour weekly visits, list 3 possible outcomes

Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin scheduled to meet government social workers and be granted supervised visits this week.

7 Jun 2026 - 8:05PM

Tsang Wai-bong (left) and Kwan Pui-sin show off Danny’s birth certificate from the Immigration Department. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong baby Danny’s future remains unclear despite birth registration progress

Despite DNA confirmation, child remains under court-ordered care as officials review parents’ capability, history and living conditions.

6 Jun 2026 - 7:51PM

Hong Kong society

Editorial | Baby Danny case shows gaps in Hong Kong’s laws around home births

Giving birth at home with no medical help is legal, but there are unresolved questions around how to best protect the newborn’s health.

6 Jun 2026 - 7:15AM

Hong Kong society

Baby Danny DNA case sparks calls for Hong Kong to introduce home birth rules

DNA test results confirm arrested couple are parents of unregistered two-month-old boy.

5 Jun 2026 - 8:42AMvideocam

Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that baby Danny is the son of “Save Lily” couple. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong society

Sweden outlines child care policy amid registration row over infant in Hong Kong

Government explains how decision to take child away from parents is reached, shedding light on Hong Kong couple’s custody battle for daughter.

3 Jun 2026 - 11:11PM

Kwan Pui-sin with Lily, who was born in Finland and is currently in the care of Swedish authorities. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong society

How a couple lost 3 kids in as many countries and were arrested in Hong Kong

Authorities to take baby boy into protection after parents initially refuse DNA test for birth registration, with sisters also victims of a troubled history.

3 Jun 2026 - 10:19PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Parents of undocumented Hong Kong baby have DNA samples taken after arrest

Baby Danny may later be placed in foster care until parents are deemed fit to regain custody, lawmaker says.

3 Jun 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Protection order sought for baby after parents arrested in DNA test refusal case

Security minister says mother of two-month-old Danny has so far been unable to provide any prenatal check-up or medical records.

3 Jun 2026 - 8:34AMvideocam

The parents of two-month old Danny have been arrested by Hong Kong police over alleged child neglect. Photo: Handout

Singapore

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.

1 Jun 2026 - 9:40AM

Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing (centre) with representatives from 16 partner countries during the launch of the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Laos

5 of 7 villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave found alive

A Thai-led rescue team broke through to an area where they found the five villagers on a muddy ledge, but two others remain missing.

28 May 2026 - 9:10AMvideocam

Music

Bulgaria’s Dara wins Eurovision contest, beating out Israel for top spot

The usually good-natured competition has faced a boycott by five countries over the Gaza conflict.

17 May 2026 - 8:59AM

Vietnam

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

16 May 2026 - 8:00AM

Vietnam’s To Lam waves after shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on May 6. Photo: EPA

Ukraine war

‘Stay inside’: Finland warns of drone scare near capital Helsinki

The early hours warning – the first for the capital city – said a drone could be heading towards an area on the south coast.

15 May 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Yuan

How Australia’s mining giants are helping China to globalise the yuan

Mining firms are increasingly using the yuan for financing and settlements, as China pushes to reduce its reliance on the US dollar.

13 May 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Hong Kong science and tech

Top Swedish universities eager to forge ties with city, Hong Kong minister says

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong says visit aimed at strengthening collaboration in innovation and technology.

13 May 2026 - 8:17PM

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong speaks at a roundtable luncheon hosted by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Stockholm. Photo: ISD

ByteDance

ByteDance raises 2026 capex by at least 25% amid AI boom, sources say

ByteDance is allocating a proportionally larger budget to domestic AI chips to mitigate geopolitical risks and heed Beijing’s call.

9 May 2026 - 2:00PM

Diplomacy

The big shift in Xi Jinping’s travel plans and what it means for China

Data analysis by the SCMP reveals a changing dynamic in Beijing towards high-level diplomatic meetings.

1 May 2026 - 6:02AMvideocam

US-EU relations

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

27 Apr 2026 - 7:07PMvideocam

China-EU relations

Exclusive | China’s Russia ties mean EU trade deal is off the table, Finland says

Tough talk from foreign minister shows the nation could provide a de facto veto on China’s efforts to launch a deal.

23 Apr 2026 - 7:20PMvideocam

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said Beijing’s support of Russia has violated principles of the UN Charter and “is something that we cannot accept”. Photo: dpa

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing this year as Trump’s trade war spurs US allies to look for new ties.

15 Apr 2026 - 5:45PM

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Xinhua

China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Finland’s president says Ukraine talks may be at ‘end of the road’

He says the war in Iran is ‘drawing a lot of attention away’ from the Ukraine war, and that Ukraine talks are ‘not making further progress’.

26 Mar 2026 - 7:40PMvideocam

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Finland

China ‘on track to surpass United States’ in goals for human, planet health: UN

Report showing global progress on 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals shows gap between Chinese and US closed significantly since 2015.

Taichung’s Green Museumbrary: putting civic spaces under one striking roof

Hong Kong parents in welfare custody case say 2-month-old baby sick in hospital

Energy security fears drive global surge in orders for Chinese storage firms

In the first two weeks of June, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL) bagged a combined 5.4 GWh of storage orders.

Latin America and Europe are bystanders in the US-China AI race: Lula adviser

Brazil’s Celso Amorim tells a Rio conference the Global South must answer via Brics, casting rare earths and data as matters of sovereignty.

Court rejects Hong Kong couple’s challenge to daughter’s guardianship in Sweden

Swedish court dismisses challenge by parents of four-year-old Lily after welfare authorities seek to transfer her legal guardianship to foster family.

Baby Danny parents to get 1-hour weekly visits, list 3 possible outcomes

Tsang Wai-bong and Kwan Pui-sin scheduled to meet government social workers and be granted supervised visits this week.

Hong Kong baby Danny’s future remains unclear despite birth registration progress

Despite DNA confirmation, child remains under court-ordered care as officials review parents’ capability, history and living conditions.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | Baby Danny case shows gaps in Hong Kong’s laws around home births

Giving birth at home with no medical help is legal, but there are unresolved questions around how to best protect the newborn’s health.

Baby Danny DNA case sparks calls for Hong Kong to introduce home birth rules

DNA test results confirm arrested couple are parents of unregistered two-month-old boy.

Sweden outlines child care policy amid registration row over infant in Hong Kong

Government explains how decision to take child away from parents is reached, shedding light on Hong Kong couple’s custody battle for daughter.

How a couple lost 3 kids in as many countries and were arrested in Hong Kong

Authorities to take baby boy into protection after parents initially refuse DNA test for birth registration, with sisters also victims of a troubled history.

Parents of undocumented Hong Kong baby have DNA samples taken after arrest

Baby Danny may later be placed in foster care until parents are deemed fit to regain custody, lawmaker says.

Protection order sought for baby after parents arrested in DNA test refusal case

Security minister says mother of two-month-old Danny has so far been unable to provide any prenatal check-up or medical records.

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.

5 of 7 villagers trapped in flooded Laos cave found alive

A Thai-led rescue team broke through to an area where they found the five villagers on a muddy ledge, but two others remain missing.

Bulgaria’s Dara wins Eurovision contest, beating out Israel for top spot

The usually good-natured competition has faced a boycott by five countries over the Gaza conflict.

Beyond bamboo: Vietnam’s To Lam mounts a diplomacy offensive

The security chief turned paramount leader is chasing the markets and capital required to reach high-income status by 2045.

‘Stay inside’: Finland warns of drone scare near capital Helsinki

The early hours warning – the first for the capital city – said a drone could be heading towards an area on the south coast.

How Australia’s mining giants are helping China to globalise the yuan

Mining firms are increasingly using the yuan for financing and settlements, as China pushes to reduce its reliance on the US dollar.

Top Swedish universities eager to forge ties with city, Hong Kong minister says

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong says visit aimed at strengthening collaboration in innovation and technology.

ByteDance raises 2026 capex by at least 25% amid AI boom, sources say

ByteDance is allocating a proportionally larger budget to domestic AI chips to mitigate geopolitical risks and heed Beijing’s call.

The big shift in Xi Jinping’s travel plans and what it means for China

Data analysis by the SCMP reveals a changing dynamic in Beijing towards high-level diplomatic meetings.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen insists on the importance of national sovereignty, saying ‘we react through the means we have’.

Exclusive | China’s Russia ties mean EU trade deal is off the table, Finland says

Tough talk from foreign minister shows the nation could provide a de facto veto on China’s efforts to launch a deal.

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing this year as Trump’s trade war spurs US allies to look for new ties.

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

Finland’s president says Ukraine talks may be at ‘end of the road’

He says the war in Iran is ‘drawing a lot of attention away’ from the Ukraine war, and that Ukraine talks are ‘not making further progress’.

Editorial | Baby Danny case shows gaps in Hong Kong’s laws around home births

Exclusive | Territorial integrity is ‘red line’ for Europe, Finland warns after US Greenland threats