Finland's land border with Russia is the longest in Europe, but crossings were closed in 2023 because of the war in Ukraine. Towns that relied on Russian tourists are now struggling.

Imatra

The sealing of the Finland-Russia border since 2023 has led to significant economic hardship for Finnish border towns such as Imatra. Once thriving on Russian tourism and cross-border trade, these towns have seen businesses close and unemployment rise as the flow of visitors and goods abruptly stopped.

Local business owners are attempting to adapt by repurposing their offerings and reaching out to European and global customers. Meanwhile, border security remains strict, with authorities maintaining high alert due to ongoing tensions between Finland and Russia.

Finland-Russia border towns suffer with closure of crossings

This is a new fence Finland erected to stop the surge in crossings from Russia. The government accuses Moscow of trying to flood the country with migrants. The border has been sealed since 2023. We're able to meet with the Russians and for example discuss every border incident and see what has happened there. And we may not agree on everything but every case can be examined together. Hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists used to visit Finland every year. Border towns like Imatra thrived and malls, hotels and restaurants were built. But now it's almost deserted. Shops have closed and many businesses have gone bankrupt. Tomas Rautio bought this mall and has tried to repurpose it to attract local and European tourists. We have the biggest and cleanest lake in Finland. The people come here on their way to their summer houses and this is the last place where people can do their shopping before the wilderness starts, where there are no more small shops. So this is where they'll have to buy food and all necessary goods. Back in the days when business with Russia was booming, Finns used to import huge quantities of timber. But all that came to an end when the borders were closed. The cargo trains used to transport the logs are now lying idle here, waiting for the day when trade resumes. The mayor faces the daunting task of helping local businesses recover their losses. The Russian tourists used to spend one million euros every day here in South Karelia. So the effects have been quite huge. Tina Kakasund owns a clothing shop. She refused to close. Her colourful fabric designs are still attracting customers. I've renewed the brand, reinvented the product and made a few changes to the name so it appeals to international customers. And last spring I took my business online globally. On the border, security is tight. The patrols are on high alert. The situation is calm but remains tense. Hashim al-Bara al-Jazeera, Imatra, on the Finnish border with Russia.

Online platforms will ping Australian teenagers through over a million accounts in coming days offering a choice: download data, freeze profiles or lose the lot when a world-first ban on kids using social media starts on December 10. TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, Instagram and Threads are poised to deactivate accounts registered by users under 16, according to insiders.

Council of the City of Sydney

Big Tech starts complying with Australia's teen social media ban

Protesters stormed the COP30 climate conference in Brazil, clashing with security and overshadowing discussions earlier in the day California Gov. Gavin Newsom slamming America’s current stance on climate change.

Belém

Protesters storm into COP30 climate conference in Brazil

ByHeart is recalling all batches of its baby formula products after at least 15 infants were sickened. Dr. Steven Abrams, professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin, joins CBS News to discuss how parents can keep their children safe.

New York

ByHeart recalls baby formula amid growing botulism outbreak

Israel’s parliament has passed the first reading of a bill that would introduce the death penalty for “terrorism”.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel parliament passes first reading of death penalty for ‘terrorism’ law

The super typhoon has left devastation in the Philippines just days after another typhoon killed 232 people.

Cebu City

Typhoon Fung-wong leaves Philippines with ten dead, millions displaced

A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane with at least 20 personnel on board crashed in Georgia after taking off from Azerbaijan. Authorities reported an unspecified number of casualties and said rescue workers were headed to the site.

Sighnaghi Municipality

Turkish military plane crashes in Georgia

A car bomb rocked Islamabad, Pakistan resulting in 12 deaths and 27 injuries, just one day after a car exploded in New Delhi, India. Authorities in both countries are investigating the incidents as possible terrorist attacks.

Islamabad

Bomb rocks Pakistan's capital one day after car explosion in India

Drone strikes were reported in several Ukrainian cities, as fighting rages on the frontline with Russian forces closing in on the key city of Pokrovsk.

Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

Russian drones hit energy sites in Ukraine's Odesa

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New Delhi

Indian police invoke ‘terrorism’ law after Delhi blast kills nine

The Senate passed a bill on Monday night to end the government shutdown, bringing Congress one step closer to ending the impasse. CBS News political reporter Hunter Woodall has the latest.

Washington

Senate passes bill to end shutdown, sending it to house

The COP30 climate conference kicked off in Belém, Brazil, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pushing back against climate deniers even though a discussion of reduced reliance on fossil fuels isn’t on the agenda.

Brazil’s president pushes back against climate deniers to start COP30

President Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa at the White House as ties between the U.S. and Syria appear to strengthen. CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab reports.

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A deadly car explosion in Delhi, India, killed at least eight people and injured at least 19 others on Monday, police said. Devina Gupta of the BBC, a CBS News partner, has more.

Deadly car explosion rocks India's New Delhi, eight killed

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to be released from prison after serving 3 weeks of a 5-year sentence for criminal conspiracy.

Paris

Ex-French President Sarkozy released from prison

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to meet with President Trump at the White House after leading a surprise attack that toppled the Assad regime. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meeting Trump at White House

Super Typhoon Fung-wong slammed into the Philippines, bringing dangerous conditions to the country for the second time in a matter of days. CBS News' Anna Coren reports.

Manila

Super Typhoon Fung-wong batters the Philippines

Senate Republicans and some Democrats appear to have a plan to end the government shutdown. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.

Democrats, Republicans reach deal that may end government shutdown

The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has resigned after a row over the editing of a speech made by U.S. President Donald Trump on the day of the 2021 attack on the United States Capitol.

London

BBC boss Tim Davie resigns after criticism over Trump speech edit

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California

Anduril's unmanned AI-powered fighter jet 'Fury' makes first flight

The U.S. Senate is voting on a bill to fund and reopen the government. Earlier Sunday, the Trump administration ordered states to "undo" SNAP benefits payments amid the funding halt.

Trump admin orders states to 'undo' SNAP payments ahead of Senate vote

Israeli settlers attacked a group of Palestinian villagers, activists and journalists on Saturday (November 8) who had gathered during an attempt to harvest olives near a settler outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, witnesses said. Two Reuters employees were among those injured in the attack by the men who wielded sticks and clubs, and hurled large rocks at them.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, journalists in West Bank

Ukrainian energy companies reported a complete power outage after two thermal power plants supplying the Kyiv and Kharkiv were struck overnight by Russia. Officials in Kyiv also shared that their forces carried out strikes targeting the Kremlin's energy sector, which it says funds the invasion.

Kyiv

Ukraine and Russia trade overnight strikes on energy facilities

A tragic Saturday in Tenerife left three people dead and at least 15 injured as exceptionally high waves gripped the Canary archipelago. Officials are reporting waves that can reach as high as four metres.

Tenerife

Three dead as giant waves lash Tenerife

COP30 has kicked off in Belem, Brazil, drawing 50,000 participants to the gateway to the Amazon rain forest. One key topic of the summit is adapting to a warmer world, as well as who will bear the costs for that.

Brazil welcomes world leaders to Amazon for COP30

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State of emergency declared as Super Typhoon approaches Philippines

This time last year, Ahmed al-Sharaa was wanted by the U.S. with a 10-million-dollar bounty on his head. Today, he's preparing to hold talks with Donald Trump in the White House as the president of Syria. Sharaa arrived in Washington a day after the U.S. removed him from a blacklist.

Damascus

Global sanctions on Syria eased as leader visits U.S.

At least 6 people are dead and 750 people injured after a tornado tore through a town in southern Brazil. Rescuers are still searching for survivors from under the remains of homes and businesses hit by the powerful storm.

Rio Bonito do Iguaçu

Brazil cleans up after deadly tornado

The U.S. government shutdown is now at 40 days—the longest in American history—with no sign of it ending soon. That’s led to chaos at airports but also knock-on effects across industries.

Miami

No end in sight for longest government shutdown in U.S. history

Delays are stacking up across the U.S. Throughout the day, ground stops have been put in place and lifted, fluctuating with staffing levels at several major airports. With more airline flight cuts coming, things will only get worse for flyers. Andres Gutierrez reports.

John F. Kennedy International Airport

Flight cuts could double if shutdown drags into Thanksgiving

Millions of Americans who depend on federally funded food assistance programs, known as SNAP, remain in limbo as the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a full payment of SNAP benefits for now.

Breakdown