In a tragic incident on Tuesday, a school shooting in a suburb outside Helsinki, Finland, left one child dead and two others seriously injured. The suspect, a 12-year-old pupil of the school, was taken into custody by the police without any further incidents in Siltamaki, located just 4 km south of Viertola school in the Vantaa district. The event has shocked the nation, known for its rare occurrences of gun violence among youths. Education Minister Anna-Maja Henriksson was visibly moved to tears as she addressed reporters following the attack.

Despite this sorrowful event, Finland continues to be recognized for its high quality of life, securing the top position in the World Happiness Report for the seventh consecutive year. The country, with a happiness score of 7.741, is celebrated for its strong sense of community, outstanding social welfare system, and the general well-being of its citizens. Finnish philosopher and psychology researcher, Frank Martela, attributes this happiness to the people's sense of relatedness, their commitment to doing good for others, and having a clear purpose in life. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Better Life Index highlights Finland's superior performance in education, work-life balance, environmental quality, social connections, and overall life satisfaction.

The report also notes significant movements among other countries, with Costa Rica and Kuwait making notable jumps to the 12th and 13th places, respectively, while the United States and Germany fell out of the top 20, with the U.S. dropping to 23rd place this year. This shift underscores the dynamic nature of global happiness rankings and the various factors contributing to a nation's overall happiness and quality of life.