Photo: Marek Lumi / Unsplash

News

Mystery object off Helsinki delays Tallinn ferry by 6 hours

On Saturday evening the Finnish Coast Guard found a drifting funnel-shaped metal object. Passenger shipping was halted.

Key facts

  • The object was found near Kustaanmiekka island, a few kilometres from central Helsinki, on a passenger shipping route.
  • The 8 pm ferry to Tallinn left six hours late, and the waterway to the Suomenlinna fortress was closed.
  • The navy examined the object. Its initial assessment is that it is an old mechanical part from a shipwreck.

What's next

  • The object has been towed away and an investigation is under way.
  • The Gulf of Finland was heavily mined during past wars. Shipping lanes have been cleared but are still monitored.

Source: PAP, Interia, Polsat News (4 Oct 2026)

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From chains to 4 m² kennels: row over Poland's new rules for dogs

The agriculture ministry has drafted minimum kennel sizes. Animal welfare groups warn dogs will get less space than they had on a chain.

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Key facts

  • Proposed minimums: 4 m² for a dog under 40 cm at the shoulder, 5 m² for 40–59 cm, 8 m² for 60–70 cm and 10 m² for dogs over 70 cm.
  • Each additional dog in a kennel adds half the area required for the largest one.
  • The chain ban, which outlaws keeping dogs tethered, takes effect on 28 July 2027.
  • According to animal welfare groups, a chain of at least 3 m gave a dog about 28 m² of space.

What's next

  • "In practice, instead of chains the ministry wants to lock dogs in very small cages," says Anna Zielińska, head of the Viva! Foundation.
  • Public consultation on the draft runs until 7 October. The ministry says it is open to changes.

Source: Agriculture ministry draft regulation, Bankier.pl (4 Oct 2026)

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147 killed on Polish roads in September as police urge pedestrians to wear reflectors

In the first month of the school year, Poland recorded 1,988 road accidents. 147 people were killed and 2,227 injured.

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Key facts

  • A year earlier, the same period saw 2,097 accidents, 158 deaths and 2,403 injuries, so the figures have improved.
  • Accidents involving e-scooters fell from 228 in August (3 deaths) to 157 in September (2 deaths).
  • The data comes from the Road Traffic Bureau of Poland's National Police Headquarters.

What's next

  • From October until the end of the year, police are running a campaign urging pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter riders to wear reflectors.
  • "Even a small reflective element can save a pedestrian's life," says Robert Opas of the police Road Traffic Bureau.

Source: Polish National Police, Bankier.pl (4 Oct 2026)