Finland’s parliament on Wednesday voted to lift a decades-old ban on nuclear weapons, approving a major defense policy shift aimed at aligning the country more closely with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deterrence strategy.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said a strong majority backed the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act, calling it a “historic reform” that strengthens Finland’s security and that of the alliance.

“The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,” Häkkänen said in a post on X. “This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.

In April 2023, Finland joined NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of military non-alignment. The move, aimed at securing Finland’s collective defense, roughly doubled NATO’s border with Russia.

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“The overall nuclear weapons policy has been one of the most challenging issues in the Ministry of Defence during this parliamentary term. Years of study, discussions with nuclear-weapon states and other allies, and assessments of how Finland’s security can best be strengthened in NATO,” Häkkänen said.

The measure repeals provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives.

If enacted, the legislation would allow nuclear weapons to be transported, supplied or possessed in Finland where the country’s military defense requires it.

FINLAND’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS UKRAINE ‘IS NOW HOLDING THE CARDS’ AS RUSSIA SIGNALS TALKS

According to Euro News, 125 deputies backed the government proposal, 61 voted against it and 13 abstained.

The bill now moves to the president for final approval.

“I thank all the Members of Parliament who supported our legislative proposal for their strong backing,” Häkkänen said. “Thank you to the defense administration professionals at home and abroad for their high expertise also in this project.”

Despite the bill passing, the proposal has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who warned it could escalate tensions, make Finland a potential primary target, and break from regional norms, noting that several neighboring countries have rejected hosting or permitting nuclear weapons.

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The introduction of the proposed law also provoked a strong reaction from Russia last March, according to Reuters.

“This is a statement that leads to an escalation ​of tensions on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a ​vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying ⁠nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

The dispute between US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and the public broadcaster ZDF is causing a major stir across Germany.

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In its coverage of last week’s anti-immigrant riots in Belfast, an edition of “ZDFheute live” said that Musk had called for “a migrant hunt” in his social media posts about Northern Ireland.

On Monday, Musk called ZDF’s characterisation of his words a “terrible lie” and said he was pursuing legal action against the broadcaster, which has since removed the contested passage.

On 9 June, Musk shared a post by British far-right activist Tommy Robinson in which Robinson, following the knife attack by a Sudanese man in Belfast, called for protests.

Musk commented: “Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!”

ZDF has since confirmed “that Elon Musk, via a German law firm, demanded a cease-and-desist declaration concerning the opening presentation of the 12 June 2026 edition of ‘ZDFheute live’ entitled ‘Riots in Belfast – How Musk is fuelling the protests.’ ZDF has complied and removed the disputed passage from the introduction. As early as Saturday, ZDF had added a corrective transparency note to the programme.”

The broadcaster added a disclaimer to the online version of the broadcast in question in which it admitted that its words were “imprecise and potentially misleading.”

According to the BBC, the US-based Centre for Countering Digital Hate said social media had played a “key role” in stoking the violence in Belfast.

At the same time, the organisation accused Musk of having amplified “anti-migrant narratives” spread by others and extended their reach to millions of users.

Support from the German right

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came out in support of Musk in the row with ZDF.

Joining in on the debate, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel posted on X saying: “Defamation shouldn’t go without consequences. Don’t let them get away with it.”

Musk has been a vocal supporter of the AfD in recent years and has also backed other far-right parties in Europe.

The row is being further fuelled by editor-in-chief of the right-wing news portal, Julian Reichelt.

The former editor-in-chief of the daily tabloid Bild wrote on X: “Lerchenberg is a fortress of lies. ZDF simply invents the claim that Elon Musk ‘called for a hunt for migrants.’ In fact, Musk wrote on X: “Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!” How much longer are we going to accept that this state forces us to pay for the propaganda lies it tells us? And how can it be that at ZDF heute there is constant lying, deception and manipulation with words and AI, without any personal consequences?’”

In his statement in support of Musk, Reichelt also mentioned Germany’s public broadcasting licence fees, whose abolition the AfD has made one of its flagship policy points.

Additional sources • AFP

SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO NETWORKS  — such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube — have emerged as the leading source of news, even surpassing the websites and apps of established news organizations. A new study has warned that news consumers around the world are turning away from traditional media outlets, posing a risk to old-style business models.

As per the 15th edition of Reuter’s Institute Digital News Report 2026, trust in news globally is at its lowest since 2015. At the same time, consumers display a preference of using third-party platforms such as social media apps and other video networks to get access to news rather than through websites and television channels of established news brands.

The Digital News Report 2026 is a collaborative study between Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, which analyzed over l lakh people across 48 markets worldwide using an online survey to assess their news consumption patterns and preferences.

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Reuters Report Highlights Shift in Global News Consumption 

The study reveals that the global consumption pattern has seen a shift, marked by audiences’ increasing withdrawal from news consumption. However, trust in established news brands and support for the idea of impartial news still exists. Despite all this, social media and video networks such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have emerged as the most widely used means for accessing news, even ahead of news organization’s own websites and apps. 

54% of the respondents said they get news from social media and video platforms, which rose to 56% if AI chatbots like ChatGPT were included. That surpassed the 52% who picked TV news, 51% for newspaper apps or websites, and 21% for radio.

The trend of using social media and video networks as the primary source for news is more evident among young people, however the study found that the same is prevalent across all other age groups as well. It was also reported that young consumers are more likely to mimic the news consumption patterns of their parents, such as reading a newspaper. The older generations are, in place, adopting the consumption habits of the younger generation (using social media and video networks).

AI Chatbots Emerging as a New Source of News 

The study also found a starting statistic that points out the correlation between Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots and news consumption. 10% of the study’s respondents, who are below 35 years of age, reported to use AI chatbots to access news.

Paradoxically, as the credibility of traditional news outlets decline amid the rise of social media and video platforms, users also reported to be concerned about misinformation and put less trust in the news they come across.

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Online Video News Consumption Continues to Rise 

Consumption of video-based news has also seen a marked shift, the study stated. 77% of the respondents reported consuming online news videos every week. This consumption of online news videos is happening on third-party platforms like YouTube and Facebook, and not on the websites and apps of traditional media outlets.

Influencers Play a Growing Role in News Distribution 

The study also highlighted the role digital content creators and influencers play in the news ecosystem, with 27 % of respondents revealing them as their news sources. Influencers have not wholly replaced traditional media, instead, they complement them. 

While influencers reported to have less credibility in their news dissemination ability, they were able to compensate for that by being interesting and entertaining in the way they present news, making them easier for the audience to comprehend as well. The study stated that these findings mean users are not wholly shying away from consuming news from traditional media outlets, instead they want news presented to them in an accessible and relatable manner.