Finnish fighter jet crashes in Arctic town, pilot ejected

A Finnish Air Force F-18 multirole jet fighter takes off during the NATO's Ramsteign Flag 2025 exercice. (File/AFP)
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Updated 07 May 2025
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Finnish fighter jet crashes in Arctic town, pilot ejected

  • The road leading to the airport was closed to traffic, and police blocked access to the airport

ROVANIEMI : A Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed Wednesday near the Rovaniemi airport in Finland’s Arctic north, but the pilot was rescued after ejecting, the armed forces said.
No details were available about the cause of the crash, which occurred “in the Rovaniemi airport area” around 11:00 am (0800 GMT), the military said.
Dark smoke could be seen rising from the scene and several emergency vehicles were dispatched to the area, public service broadcaster YLE said.
The road leading to the airport was closed to traffic, and police blocked access to the airport, it added.
Airport operator Finavia told AFP that it did not expect civilian flights to be affected by the accident for the time being, with the next flight not expected for several hours.


US might keep or might sell oil seized near Venezuela, Trump says

Updated 9 sec ago
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US might keep or might sell oil seized near Venezuela, Trump says

  • “If he ‌wants to do something, if ‍he plays tough, it’ll ‍be the last time he’s ever able to ‍play tough,” he said

PALM BEACH, Florida: US President Donald Trump said on Monday it would be smart for Venezuelan President Nicolas ​Maduro to leave power, and the United States could keep or sell the oil it had seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.
Trump’s pressure campaign on Maduro has included a ramped-up military presence in the region and more than two dozen military strikes on vessels allegedly trafficking ‌drugs in ‌the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea ‌near ⁠the ​South ‌American nation. At least 100 people have been killed in the attacks.
Asked if the goal was to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think it probably would... That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for ⁠him to do that. But again, we’re gonna find out.”
“If he ‌wants to do something, if ‍he plays tough, it’ll ‍be the last time he’s ever able to ‍play tough,” he said.
“He’s no friend to the United States. He’s very bad. Very bad guy. He’s gotta watch his ass because he makes cocaine and they send it ​into the US“
In addition to the strikes, Trump has previously announced a “blockade” of ⁠all oil tankers under sanctions entering and leaving Venezuela. The US Coast Guard started pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday, in what would be the second such operation this weekend and the third in less than two weeks if successful.
“Maybe we will sell it, maybe we will keep it,” Trump said when asked what would happen with the seized oil, adding it might also be used ‌to replenish the United States’ strategic reserves.