The announcement made on Thursday by the Finnish postal service Posti that it will introduce a grass-cutting service by postal carriers generates much humour in Friday morning’s papers. Karlsson, editorial cartoonist for the main Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, features a sketch of two men chatting over a fence with the first man admiring the other man's evenly trimmed lawn to which the second man says: “Yes, the postman always cuts twice.”
Meanwhile, Sihto’s editorial cartoon in Tampere’s Aamulehti features a bikini-clad woman reclining in a chair with a drink beside a postman leaning on a lawn mower asking her: "Is there anything else Madame would like taken care of in her garden?"
According to Helsingin Sanomat’s news story on the topic, customers will soon be able to order a lawn-mowing service in conjunction with postal delivery on Tuesdays when there is less mail to deliver than on other days. In an interview with the paper, Posti's chief shop steward for distribution Juha Torvinen says, "This was a surprise to us (postal employees) …. But I would rather say ‘yes’ than ‘no’….And as you can guess, this news did make many people smile.”
Declining support for government
On a more serious note, tabloid Iltalehti leads with a two-page spread on the declining support for Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s coalition government following this week’s release of a TNS Gallup poll that found 69 percent of respondents felt the current government has poorly carried out its task of running and reforming the country.
According to political science professor emeritus Heikki Paloheimo, it's quite unprecedented that Finns are displeased with both the current government and the opposition. He says that part of the problem is that politicians seem to be uncertain about what to do to pull Finland out of its current economic slump.
“We’re living in a new time, when from year to year the economy is faltering and national debt is rising,” said Paloheimo, adding "no one seems to have a problem-free political platform, and the public has little faith in the opposition's alternatives."
Mourning a pop legend
Both tabloids Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat devote their covers to the news about American pop music legend Prince’s death. Prince was found dead at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota at the age of 57 on Thursday morning. A music icon who defied genre, Prince was known for songs such as “Kiss” and “Purple Rain.” No cause of death has been released yet, though in the preceding week he reportedly cancelled appearances owing to the flu. According to Ilta-Sanomat, "Pop's brightest star has passed on."
