Clear News | Thursday 28.5.20206

Berry Cartel. Battery-powered devices. Plain Language Day. Weather forecast.

Berry cartel

First, news about price agreements in the berry industry.

There has been a large cartel, or secret agreement on prices, in the wild berry industry.

Five major berry companies secretly agreed on how much they would pay pickers for berries. The berry companies’ cartel continued for at least 10 years.

The cartel was uncovered by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

Authorities found thousands of text messages that prove the companies exchanged information about prices. Such activity is prohibited.

There has been a large cartel in the wild berry industry.

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority is demanding that four berry companies be ordered to pay millions of euros in fines.

One company is pardoned because it helped authorities uncover a cartel.

Battery devices

Now the news about battery device fires.

Fires involving battery-powered devices are increasing in Finland.

Battery-powered devices are causing 30 percent more fires than 4 years ago, according to insurance company Lähi-Tapiola.

One reason is that people order a lot of cheap electronics, for example from the Temu online store.

Local Tapiola took cheap devices for testing.

For example, the leaf blower charger was dangerous.

Fires involving battery-powered devices are increasing in Finland.

The most dangerous step is often charging the battery.

The electronics in cheap devices are not always proper, which creates a high risk of fire.

Experts advise that it is worth supervising the first charging of a new device.

Plain Language Day

Finally, some news about plain language.

Today is International Plain Language Day.

Plain language is a form of Finnish that is easy to read and understand.

Plain language contains familiar words and short sentences.

Plain language helps people for whom ordinary Finnish is too difficult.

Plain language also helps you learn Finnish.

Today is International Plain Language Day.

In Finland, many people need plain language every day.

Plain language is used, for example, in news, books, and official texts.

Friday weather

Still a weather forecast.

The weather is warming up.

Friday will be breezy and sunny in most parts of the country.

There will still be showers in the east and southeast.