Finland's moderate President Sauli Niinisto cruised to a rare first round election win on Sunday as his delicate balancing of ties with neighbour Russia and the US-led Nato military alliance resonated with voters.
The 69-year-old Mr Niinisto, known for cultivating good relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, won his second six-year term with an overwhelming 62.7 per cent of the vote. His closest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens of Finland, secured just 12.4 per cent.
"I am very surprised at this kind of support. I must think hard how to be worthy of it," Mr Niinisto said.
"I have no intention of making changes just for the sake of making changes. We will follow very closely what is happening outside of Finland, globally, and if needed, then we will surely react."
Pro-EU Mr Niinisto became the first candidate to win a first round victory since the electoral system was changed to a direct popular vote in 1994.
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Eurosceptic politicians, Laura Huhtasaari from the nationalist Finns Party and independent Paavo Vayrynen, won 6.9 per cent and 6.2 per cent of votes, respectively. Turnout was 69.9 per cent.
During his first term, Mr Niinisto was instrumental in maintaining relations with Moscow, despite the country backing western economic sanctions against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Finland, which shares an 1,340 km border and a difficult history with Russia, has also developed closer ties with Nato but stopped short of full membership in line with a tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia.
The president is in charge of foreign and defence policy together with the government, but otherwise the post has become largely ceremonial in the past few decades.
Mr Niinisto has appeared as a low-profile middle-man between East and West, in sharp contrast to his Baltic counterparts who regularly speak out against Moscow.
He was the first Western leader to meet Putin following the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, and he has also actively pushed for an air safety agreement in the Baltic region.
Mr Niinisto hopes for the EU to strengthen its defence cooperation, and declines to lock in a stance on Finland's future Nato membership.
"I think there is no reason to seek a (Nato) membership as long as circumstances are as they are now," Mr Niinisto said on Sunday. "But if there are crucial changes in the environment, then we might be in a different situation."
Mr Niinisto originally belonged to the co-ruling, centre-right National Coalition Party but campaigned this time around as an independent.
"When ties between European Union and Russia are tense, people are satisfied that Mr Niinisto has been able to maintain pragmatic and functional dialogue with Russia," said Markku Jokisipila, director at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku.
Apart from his long service in politics, Mr Niinisto also taps into sympathy from many Finns because of a series of personal dramas.
A lawyer by training, he was finance minister in the 1990s, becoming known for his government's austerity measures following Finland's recession, as well as the decision to join the euro area.
He lost his first wife in a car accident in 1995. He was in Thailand during the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and survived by climbing up an electricity pole with his son.
He expects a baby with his wife Jenni Haukio, 40.
"His habits reflect his experience and ordeal, and that combined with his very moderate policy statements makes him a kind of 'father of a nation' figure," said Juho Rahkonen, Research Manager at pollster Taloustutkimus.
The result underlined how presidential candidates are to a large extent given priority over their parties, analysts said.
Matti Vanhanen, a candidate from Prime Minister Juha Sipila's Centre Party, received only 4.1 per cent of votes, while the biggest opposition party Social Democrats' candidate, Tuula Haatainen, won just 3.3 per cent.
While around 20 per cent of Finns back the idea of joining Nato, the only pro-Nato candidate, Nils Torvalds from the Swedish People's Party, won only 1.5 per cent of votes.
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
More coverage from the Future Forum
