Finnish

Energy group Fortum applies to build Finnish reactor

Fortum Helsinki - Finnish energy group Fortum on Thursday filed an application to build a new nuclear reactor power plant in Finland, the company and government said.

The planned location was near the city of Loviisa, some 90 kilometres east of Helsinki, where the group operates two of Finland's four nuclear power plants.

Five different plant alternatives were being considered, the group said, adding the design was to allow both heat and power production.

Advantages with the location near Loviisa included that construction would not change land ownership or protective zones, Fortum said.

Why do some people get violent after boozing

DrinkWashington, Dec 16 : Have you ever wondered how generally calm people suddenly turn violent after downing a drink? Well, Finnish researchers have got the answer for you: it''s caused by an over active gene which triggers aggression.

Finnish researchers have found that drinking and MAOA gene can help predict impulsive violent behaviour in men.

The monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is an outer membrane mitochondrial enzyme that breaks down monoamines such as serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine.

A common polymorphism in MAOA results in high- or low-activity MAOA that has been linked to aggression and violence.

Peace prize in right hands, Kosovo premier Thaci says

Nobel PrizePristina - The Nobel Peace Prize went to the right hands, said the premier of Kosovo, which declared independence on guidelines laid by the recipient, Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari.

"The Nobel Peace Prize accorded to President Ahtisaari is a prize given to the right person, to the man ... who contributed so much for global peace and especially for the cause of Kosovo," Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in Pristina.

Nokia to pull out of Japan

NokiaHelsinki - The world's largest mobile phone maker, Finnish- based Nokia, said Thursday it was to stop selling and marketing its mobile devices in Japan over poor sales.

"In the current global economic climate, we have concluded that the continuation of our investment in Japan-specific product variants is no longer sustainable," Timo Ihamuotila, Nokia executive vice president, said in a statement.

Nokia was to continue with its global research and development activities based in Japan. Sales of the Nokia-owned luxury brand Vertu were also to continue.

Nokia lowers outlook for global mobile phone market

Nokia Siemens Networks to trim jobsHelsinki - Finnish-based Nokia, the world's largest maker of mobile telephones, Friday lowered its forecast for the fourth quarter and revised its 2009 estimates for the global handset market.

Nokia said it expected fourth-quarter global handset sales to reach 330 million units, up from 310 million units in the third- quarter.

For full-year 2008, global sales were predicted to be 1.24 billion handsets instead of earlier estimates of 1.26 billion units. In 2007, some 1.14 billion units were sold worldwide, Nokia said.

Finnish petition calls for handgun ban

FinlandHelsinki - In the wake of two school shootings, a petition calling for a Finnish ban against handguns was handed over Tuesday to Interior Minister Anne Holmlund.

Some 57,000 people signed the online petition, Finnish news agency STT reported.

Finnish authorities have introduced stricter rules for gun permits including the rule that two police officers were to interview prospective applicants jointly.

A first-time applicant was also not to be allowed to get a license for a handgun without having been a member of a shooting club for at least a year.

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