Finland launches criminal investigation into Google’s clearing of forest for datacentre site

29 October 2026 at 17:51

Authorities allege company may have breached Finnish environmental laws by forgoing required impact assessment

‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentre

Finnish ⁠police have launched a criminal investigation into possible breaches ⁠of the country’s environmental ⁠laws at the site of a planned Google datacentre in rural northern Finland.

Authorities allege that Tuike Finland, a Google subsidiary, cleared and drained 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest at the planned site in Muhos before environmental impact assessments required by Finnish law had been completed.

Finland launches criminal investigation into Google’s clearing of forest for datacentre site

The Guardian

By: Jon Henley

29 October 2026 at 17:51

Authorities allege company may have breached Finnish environmental laws by forgoing required impact assessment

‘Pure arrogance’: anger in Finland as Google illegally fells 250,000 trees for datacentre

Finnish ⁠police have launched a criminal investigation into possible breaches ⁠of the country’s environmental ⁠laws at the site of a planned Google datacentre in rural northern Finland.

Authorities allege that Tuike Finland, a Google subsidiary, cleared and drained 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest at the planned site in Muhos before environmental impact assessments required by Finnish law had been completed.

Pragmatic or pointless? Europe’s rift over whether to pick up the phone to Putin

World news | The Guardian

By: Pjotr Sauer

29 October 2026 at 15:55

With no single European representative negotiating directly with Moscow, some leaders are establishing their own channels – with messy results

The Nordic countries rarely fall out in public over foreign policy, least of all over Russia.

But a 90-minute phone call this week to Vladimir Putin by the leaders of Finland and Norway drew an unusual rebuke from their Danish and Swedish neighbours.

Pragmatic or pointless? Europe’s rift over whether to pick up the phone to Putin

The Guardian

By: Pjotr Sauer

29 October 2026 at 15:55

With no single European representative negotiating directly with Moscow, some leaders are establishing their own channels – with messy results

The Nordic countries rarely fall out in public over foreign policy, least of all over Russia.

But a 90-minute phone call this week to Vladimir Putin by the leaders of Finland and Norway drew an unusual rebuke from their Danish and Swedish neighbours.