Lilly Korpiola and Hanna Nikkanen offer their perspective on the Arab Spring in a new book detailing the complexities of the issue.

The Arab Spring, which turned into summer, autumn and winter, draws on. As the revolution unfolds into its second spring, countless questions are still demanding answers.

It’s springtime – get your bikes out! But remember that bicycle thieves are also on the move.

BIKE THEFTS have a special place among the other ordinary crimes that complicate our lives. To start with, any cineaste recognises stealing bikes as part of classic cinema imagery, thanks to the Italian neorealist film classic The Bicycle Thieves. The film depicts the events after an unlucky fellow, whose employment depends on his bike, has that very bicycle stolen.

War is just not a good investment, Obama admits.

Wild, cheering crowds gathered today in Helsinki’s Senatentori to hear visiting US president Barack Obama announce a surprise immediate 25 per cent (US$170 billion) cut in military spending. His speech, culminating in the words, “War is just not a good investment,” is expected to send shock waves around the world.

The cuts will see all US military personnel currently based outside the US returned home, with military bases closing in Japan, Korea and Germany, amongst others.

The current economic situation seems to have had an unexpected positive effect in promoting the sales of second-hand goods. Be it established charities or regular flea markets, the trade of second-hand items has many positives that come with every transaction.

While the economic downturn is damping the trade of clothing retailers, with the sales of businesses such as the iconic “fashion for all” company H&M going steadily downhill, charity shops selling second-hand items are enjoying steady, or in some cases even rocketing, growth.

David J. Cord’s enthusiasm for the written word has seen him recently document the rise and fall of Muxlim.

Originally from Indianapolis, USA, it has been in Finland where David J. Cord’s life has taken some unexpected turns, as he slowly moved away from his initial career in finance to try his hand at journalism. A regular contributor to Helsinki Times since its inception, with his opinionated and popular column appearing in all but one issue, it was this change of direction that eventually led him to Mohamed El-Fatatry, the driving force behind Muxlim, the world’s first online social network site specifically for Muslims.

What’s up with celebrating on aatto?

Finns love to celebrate. Whether the reasons are religious, cultural, sporting or otherwise, the flag is generally raised around the country at least once a month to honour various traditions.

And so, as we round the corner to vappu celebrations once again, it can’t be overlooked that not only do Finns love each particular annual day of celebration, it is also the night before that gets a major – if not more significant – mention on occasion.

AURA River is one of Turku’s focal points in the summer time. With a series of boats lining its winding length, it’s here that revelers gather during the long, warm days to enjoy a beverage or two in the sun.

“Turku is a small town with a beautiful canal and a good vibe,” explains manager Isaac Visser, taking a break from renovating the site of the next Aussie Bar, which is set to open in a boat located on Aura River on 1 May.

You’ve probably heard about surveys ranking Helsinki as the best place to live. Now the city will bring the fight for that title to the streets in the form of a festival called Ihana Helsinki (Wonderful Helsinki).

Commencing this year, the festival is planned to become an annual explosion of flowers and events returning to the city every spring. Ihana Helsinki will take place in the downtown Helsinki area for five days commencing on 9 May and ending on the 12th, which is Mother’s Day in Finland.

Helsinki-based English speaking amateur drama society, the Finn-Brit Players, is a tight-knit community. Their new comedy Single Bride comes out in April and deals with modern issues of independency.

Creating a solid group of friends out of thin air in a new country is an overwhelming task for anyone. When you add to the mix a solitary job and a strange language, it might feel like trying to open an iron door with no key. For Finn-Brit Players the missing key is a theatre hobby.

Screening over 20 films, Artisokka Film Festival is being held in Helsinki between 29 March and 1 April.

The founder of the quirky revolutionary lo-fi outfit Half Japanese in 1975, Jad Fair is set for his début performance in Finland on 12 April. He will perform alongside a long-time associate, Gilles Rieder.

Annual festival swings its way into Espoo.

IN its 26th year, and remembering its late founder Mape Lappalainen, April Jazz promises an explosive line up this year. Tapiola will be the jazz hub of both Finnish and international artists performing mainly their own original music, with the bill also seeing some exclusive album release concerts.

Legendary drone giants Earth return to Finland on 6 April alongside two exciting indie names from North America Mike Elverum’s Mount Eerie (US) and Geneviève Castrée’s – who is also known for her graphic novellas – Ô Paon (CAN).

My hometown is Dunedin, a city around the same size as Oulu, on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Dunedin is a university town and is famous for its student culture. During the academic year, from February to November, the local population swells by more than 15,000, as students (known as “Scarfies”) from around the country head south to Otago University to experience its unique lifestyle.

Everything except the painting of your pet, that is.

IN light of increasing competition from fellow artists, one wonders how easy is it to make a living as an artist without any formal credentials. Michaela Kei, a young self-taught photographer, painter and graphic designer, says she won’t paint your pets but she will offer you a “vision”.

A mythical birth of Easter traditions.

EASTER, the deeply significant Christian festival, has become steeped in many traditions and rituals. I’m sure we are all aware of the religious connotations of many of these customs but I don’t remember a bunny in the Bible or children painting eggs with all the colours of the rainbow. So what is all this about?

While Nokia hopes to rival Apple’s domination in design with its new Lumia phone – which aims to win the approval of the masses with cutting-edge design – a trend has emerged that seems to be nodding towards a wholly different temporal direction.

Fashion is a sector of very few winds, meaning that it has to bring back the past every now and then. Be it called vintage or retro, we all love to reminisce about all things old, however garish and uncomfortable they may look and feel like.

Local publication switches off the presses.

When the Finnish government imposed value added tax on magazine subscriptions beginning from this year, media houses were concerned about the future, given the expectable drop in subscription income. There is grotesque life irony, however, in that the first casualty should be a publication that is handed out free of charge – not your typical VAT bait per se.

Nazis, the moon and modern life come together in the latest film from director Timo Vuorensola.

Taking the Berlin Festival by storm when it premiered there earlier this year, Timo Vuorensola’s Iron Sky is hardly the type of film that seasoned cinemagoers have become accustomed to. Following up his acclaimed Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning, here Vuorensola’s wild sci-fi/historical mash up sees the Nazis emerging from their hiding place on the dark side of the moon, where they have been residing since 1945, to wreak havoc on Earth.

Futures studies may have existed before at the fringes of the scientific world, but it has since evolved into an influential societal force. SixDegrees looks into how the mysterious-sounding study came to have its own research centre in Finland – and parliamentary committee.

If you ever meet a futurist, make sure not to ask him or her about “predicting the future”. You’ll be swiftly and determinedly corrected. “We don’t predict the future – that’s for a wholly different type of professionals,” Anita Rubin, adjunct professor at the Finland Futures Research Centre, instructs. “What we work on is foresight of the future.”