- Storm Helene kills 44, threatens more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement
- Iran 'news' sites, hackers target Trump ahead of US election
- US ports brace for potential dockworkers strike
- Japan's speedy, spotless Shinkansen bullet trains turn 60
- US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more 'catastrophic' flooding
- Global stocks mostly rise, cheering Beijing stimulus
- Europe en route for Moon with new simulator, says astronaut Pesquet
- Fireworks forecast if comet survives risky Sun flypast
- Argentina judge orders dictionary to delete pejorative definition of 'Jewish'
- Global stocks rise on rate hopes, Beijing stimulus
- S.African woman turns 118, among the oldest in the world
- UK clears $4 bn AI partnership between Amazon, Anthropic
- Barca fans barred from Champions League away game over racist banner
- Chinese stocks extend surge, Europe higher on Beijing stimulus
- Pope says Church must 'seek forgiveness' for child sexual abuse
- China caps week of 'bazooka' stimulus for ailing economy with rate cut
- Cuts, cash, credit: China bids to jumpstart flagging economy
- France's debt weighs heavier ahead of budget debate
- Iran treads carefully, backing Hezbollah while avoiding war
- Return to sender: waste stranded at sea stirs toxic dispute
- 'Broken' news industry faces uncertain future
- On remote Greek island, migratory birds offer climate clues
- Taken from mother by nuns, victim seeks answers as pope visits Belgium
- China cuts amount banks hold in reserve to boost lending
- Hong Kong, Shanghai extend surge as China optimism boosts markets
- Vietnam president reiterates support for Cuba during official visit
- Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
- Stay or go? Pacific Islanders face climate's grim choice
- Florida bracing for 'unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene
- Poverty rises to over 52 percent in Milei's Argentina
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala Harris
- Champagne houses abuzz over English sparkling wine
- Macron, Trudeau pledge to work for 'decarbonized' economies
- Hurricanes, storms, typhoons... Is September wetter than usual?
- China stimulus, tech optimism boost stock markets
- 'Unsurvivable' Hurricane Helene races towards Florida
- Macron meets Trudeau in Canada as both face political setbacks
- South Korea surges in UN innovation index
- Chloe's see-through look may not be for Kamala
- Floods threaten Niger's historic 'gateway to the desert'
- China economy hopes boost global equities
- Ubisoft shares sink after 'Assassin's Creed' delay
- German economy to shrink again in 2024: think tanks
- Hong Kong's New World Development replaces CEO Adrian Cheng
- Swiss central bank cuts rate again amid strong franc worries
- Germany's BASF to focus on 'core units' in major overhaul
- China admits economy facing new 'problems', vows to fix property sector
- Stock markets boosted by China hopes, tech rally
- Bangladesh revolution sparks new hopes among Rohingya
12-year-old opens fire in Finnish school, injuring three
A 12-year-old opened fire Tuesday at a school outside the Finnish capital Helsinki injuring three other children of the same age, police said, adding that the attacker was in custody.
The Viertola school in Vantaa, Finland's fourth largest city, has around 800 pupils and 90 staff. Children in grades one to nine, or aged seven to 15, attend the school.
"All those involved in the shooting incident are minors. According to police's current information, there are three injured," a police statement said.
Police specified that both the suspect and the injured were all 12 years old.
A witness told the Iltalehti newspaper that shots echoed across the schoolyard.
"At first I didn't understand it was a weapon. Then a terrible scream could be heard and children ran across the yard," the witness said.
The city of Vantaa's crisis group was activated following the shooting. Images from the scene showed a large number of police at the school.
In an update, police said the suspect, who was carrying a gun, had been arrested in Helsinki in a "calm manner."
Iltalehti published a video filmed from a passing car showing two police officers pinning down a child by the side of a road in a residential area.
Parents of pupils told journalists that the shooting had occurred in a classroom.
- 'Shocking' day -
Police had urged the public to stay away from the area and remain indoors.
"Do not open the door to strangers," they said in a statement.
Shortly after noon, police had begun letting in parents who were waiting outside the school to see their children, according to an AFP video reporter at the scene.
Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said in post to X that the day had started in a "shocking way".
"I can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are experiencing at the moment," she said.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he was "deeply shocked", adding that his thoughts were with the victims, their relatives and the other students and staff.
Police did not provide details about the severity of the injuries but announced that a press conference would be held in the afternoon.
Finland witnessed two gruesome school shootings in the early 2000s.
In November 2007, an 18-year-old man opened fire at a secondary school in Jokela, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Helsinki, killing the headmaster and nurse along with six pupils -- before turning the gun on himself.
Since then, hundreds of schools have received shooting threats, according to an article published in the Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention.
The article pointed to mental health problems as the main reason behind the phenomenon.
A.Zimmermann--CPN