On Tuesday night, the Ostrobothnian trio KAJ successfully advanced to the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
Helsingin Sanomat suggests that enthusiasm for the sauna serenaders may, however, be cooling. According to the paper, the international press showed less excitement for KAJ's performance compared to others like Poland or Spain. Nonetheless, the public remains highly supportive of Sweden's act (from Finland).
The band's odds of winning are strong, with betting markets giving them nearly a 50 percent chance of victory.
KAJ's upcoming performance will surely have both Finns and Swedes sweating, HS noted.
This is Eurovision week, and from nul points to cha-cha-cha, the All Points North podcast traces Finland's ESC revival as two Finnish acts prepare to take the stage in Basel.
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Bagging the habit
In March, German retailer Lidl raised the price of plastic bags at all its stores in Finland to 39 cents.
This nine-cent increase was too much for many shoppers, reports Talouselämä.
In March and April, the share of purchases excluding plastic bags increased by 2.6 percentage points and now stands at 76.3 percent, according to the business magazine.
The price of plastic bags increased across several retailers in Finland this spring.
The EU has set a goal for people to not buy more than 40 plastic bags per year, marking a decrease from the current average of 60 bags annually, according to Lidl.
Pollen bomb
Seasonal allergy sufferers are having a difficult time this week, reports Ilta-Sanomat, which suggests there's a "pollen bomb" about to implode.
"Spring has been progressing slowly, but the warm days at the beginning of the week have likely contributed to an increase in pollen levels," Foreca meteorologist Anna Latvala, told IS.
Relief isn't likely either, despite cooler weather and approaching rain.
Pollen forecasts show that birch flowering is ongoing in southern and central areas of the country, as well as in northern Ostrobothnia. In Kainuu, the birch season is just beginning, with air currents carrying pollen as far north as Lapland.
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