Newsweek in plain Finnish | Sunday 12.7.2026

Berry jams. Restaurant area. Balconies. Tango kings. United at the Olympics.

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The price of berries is rising

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Photo: Janne Järvinen / Yle

First, news about the berry shop.

The price of wild berries will rise this summer. The reason is that berry pickers from abroad are not coming to Finland.

There has been exploitation and other abuses in the operations of berry companies

The restaurant industry is doing badly

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Restaurant Kairo in Kotka. Photo: Antro Valo / Yle

Then about restaurants.

The restaurant industry is doing badly right now. The situation is the worst in the entire history of statistics.

Last year, a record number of restaurants filed for bankruptcy, over 300. For the first time, more restaurants closed than were opened.

For example, the coronavirus pandemic, rising prices, and the economic downturn have affected the restaurant industry.

Dangerous balconies

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Politicians will examine the balcony railing in Hietalahti, Helsinki, in the fall of 2025. Photo: Kristiina Lehto / Yle

Now about dangerous balconies.

The real estate company Sato has banned the use of 1,600 balconies in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Turku and Tampere.

The bans are based on a report from the Accident Investigation Board Otkes about a potential accident. The report concerned balconies with a fall protection system made of cement fiberboard.

The background is an accident in Hietalahti, Helsinki last September. A woman died when she stumbled and fell through a balcony railing to the ground.

In June, a man died in Tikkurila, Vantaa, when he fell through the glass railing of a balcony.

The building inspectorates in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area have issued a warning to housing companies: The safety of balconies and terraces must be checked, even if they have glass railings.

The new tango kings

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The new tango queen is Raija Mäntyniemi. Juho Punkeri was elected as the Tango King. Photo: Jouni Soikkeli

Still culture.

On Saturday evening, the new tango kings were elected. The tango market was held in Seinäjoki in South Ostrobothnia.

The new tango queen is Raija Mäntyniemi. Juho Punkeri was elected as the Tango King.

Mäntyniemi’s victory is historic. She is the first Roma woman to win a tango final.

Combined at the Olympics

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Eero Hirvonen, Minja Korhonen, Ilkka Herola and Wille Karhumaa in a combined photo collage. Photo: Getty Images, Lehtikuva, EPA

Finally, sports.

The United States will not participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. The decision was made by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.

Combined is a sport that combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping.

The sport has been part of the Winter Olympics since the very first games, which were held in Chamonix in 1924.

The decision is unfortunate for Finland, because last winter the Finns were very successful in the sport.

This was the news week in plain Finnish. See you again, bye!