Finland

HBO's two-for-one biopic "Hemingway & Gellhorn," which would more appropriately reverse the order of those names, dramatizes the stormy coming together and falling apart of the famous novelist and his third wife, war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. The film, which premieres Monday, is a big-name affair, with Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman in the leads and Philip Kaufman directing a screenplay by Barbara Turner ("Pollock") and Jerry Stahl ("Bad Boys II"). But - though it is clearly based on research, with dialogue that scavenges the principals' own writing - it is never quite believable, either as history or drama.

Suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , claiming the league's top executive made false statements that tarnished Vilma's reputation and hindered his ability to earn a living playing football. The suit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans claims Goodell, "relied on, at best, hearsay, circumstantial evidence and lies" in making comments about Vilma while discussing the NFL's bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints.

Finland rallied from a two-goal third-period deficit to beat Slovakia 5-3 at Canada Hockey Place to win the bronze and deny Slovakia its first Olympic medal in any team sport. The fourth-place finish is Slovakia's best Olympic result. "It's just a tough pill to swallow," Marian Hossa said, "because I thought we had an unbelievable tournament, and we should be proud of ourselves, but the result is not what we wanted." Olli Jokinen scored two goals for Finland, while Slovakia fell despite a goal and assist from Hossa.

The first official Angry Birds Land will open Saturday at Sarkanniemi Adventure Park in Finland with rides and games themed to the popular smart phone app. PHOTOS: Angry Birds Land at European theme park Located about two hours north of Helsinki, Sarkanniemi has partnered with Finnish-based gamemaker Rovio to bring the virtual world of battling birds and pigs into the fantasy world of a theme park. With more than 500 million downloads, the iPhone and Android cellphone game challenges players to launch birds at towering pig fortresses in hopes of destroying the defensive structures and recovering pilfered eggs.

French President Francois Mitterrand arrived Wednesday for a two-day visit to Finland that includes talks on East-West affairs with President Mauno Koivisto, officials said.

An exhibition of Salvador Dali's art in Helsinki, Finland, was canceled as police stepped in to confiscate the works, several of which they suspected to be counterfeit. Collectors who had bought Dali's print works at the exhibition had suspected them to be fake and notified the police, which prompted an investigation, police said Tuesday. All of the roughly 400 works displayed are under investigation.

Finland is the world's most competitive economy, followed by the United States, Sweden, Taiwan, Denmark and Norway, according to a report released Wednesday. The annual Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum ranks the economic growth prospects of countries based on technological progress, the quality of public institutions and the macroeconomic environment.

In 1940, Helsinki received an unexpected visitor: Bertolt Brecht. Eventually to be known as the most famous German playwright after Goethe, Brecht was also a committed communist on the run from the Nazis, believing that Hitler personally wanted him dead. The picture of Brecht's arrival in Finland is almost comical: He arrived with his wife, his mistress, his children and 26 bags of luggage.

Sweden joined Finland on Monday in urging the United States and the Soviet Union to discuss a ban on cruise missiles, 10 days after a stray Soviet cruise missile accidentally crashed in Finland. Prime Minister Olof Palme said Sweden would welcome a ban on the missiles, adding he hopes that the issue will play a central role in the Geneva talks between Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko and Secretary of State George P. Shultz.

Freed of the influence of the Soviet bear and mired in its deepest recession since the 1930s, Finland is expected this week to join the parade of countries seeking entry into the European Community. Following Austria and Sweden, Finland would be the third member of the European Free Trade Assn. to seek entry into the much larger, 12-nation EC.

In the upcoming HBO movie "Hemingway & Gellhorn," actors Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman bring to life the passionate and stormy relationship between Ernest Hemingway and World War II correspondent Martha Gellhorn — the inspiration for the writer's classic novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls. " But the real star of the cable network's film, which premieres May 28, is San Francisco and the Bay Area. Although the movie takes place in nine countries, it was shot over 40 days last spring entirely on location within about 20 miles of the Northern California city.

Angry Birds ... in ... spaaaaace! On March 22, our furious red feathered friends are set to go to the moon and beyond in a new game called Angry Birds Space, according to Rovio, the Finnish company that created the Angry Birds empire. "It's one small fling for a bird, one quantum leap for birdkind," the game maker says in an online launch teaser. On its company's blog, Rovio said Angry Birds Space will be an entirely new game, but regular players will still notice lots of familiar elements.

Crave the cold? KLM has a round-trip fare from LAX to Helsinki, Finland, for $793, including all taxes and fees. It is for travel Mondays through Thursdays between Jan. 16 and March 31; you must stay a Saturday night, and it is, of course, subject to availability. Info: KLM , (800) 225-2525 Source: Airfarewatchdog.com

The United States continues to outpace other developed economies globally with one of the biggest divides between rich and poor, according to a new report. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that the average income of the richest 10% in developed nations is nine times that of the poorest 10%, up from five times as large in the 1980s. The difference between the highest and lowest paid is greater in the United States than in most other wealthy countries, while inequality has risen faster in others such as Sweden and Finland, the report says.

The celebratory homecoming for one Finn could not have gone better or more smoothly. Not only did he score a goal but his team emerged with a one-sided victory in its NHL opener Friday in Helsinki, Finland. It was Ville Leino and the Buffalo Sabres doing the scoring and the winning, not national hero Teemu Selanne and the Ducks. Buffalo, behind three power-play goals, defeated the Ducks, 4-1, at Hartwall Arena. Thomas Vanek led the Sabres with two goals and an assist. This was the arena with a big mural on the outside of Selanne, the favorite son of Finland, who, at age 41, was returning home to play an NHL regular-season game for the first time.

The Kings and Ducks filled out their prospect lists Saturday in the final six rounds of the NHL entry draft, with each choosing a goaltender named Gibson in the second round. The Kings, who had traded their first-round pick, took goalie Christopher Gibson of Finland and Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the 49th overall selection. The Ducks, who traded the 22nd pick for the 30th and 39th picks, chose John Gibson from the U.S. under-18 team 39th. Michael Futa, the Kings' co-director of amateur scouting, said Christopher Gibson was the top-rated goalie on their list.

Last August, Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead warned that we face a national security crisis because of what were then proposed cuts by Congress in the foreign affairs budget. These cuts have now come to pass, and I fear that we may soon be entering that period of crisis. We must, of course, reduce government expenditures to get the federal budget deficit under control. But this, it seems to us, should not be done at a heavy expense of the foreign affairs budget. We have too much at stake in the world to be able to afford to do that.

The Soviet Union's major afternoon newspaper has criticized neighboring Finland letting American and British companies film "anti-Soviet" movies in its territory. Izvestia newspaper warned that "one should listen to the opinion" that "such cinema does not contribute to strengthening the spirit of good neighborliness between the two countries." The paper listed "Gorky Park" and "White Nights" as "anti-Soviet" films shot in Finland.

MONTANA Winter Sports in the Rockies Luxury meets Big Sky country ruggedness during Triple Creek Ranch's four-night "Ski the Northern Rockies" getaway, featuring downhill and cross-country skiing in a remote corner of the mountain range. Dates : Through ski season (until Feb. 28 and parts of April, but not March) Price: Starting at $2,890, double occupancy, including lodging, daily ski passes and equipment, transportation to the slopes, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, hiking, snowshoeing, meals throughout, including a seven-course dinner for two, alcoholic beverages and a bottle of wine on arrival.

Train travelers can zip from Helsinki, Finland, to St. Petersburg , Russia, in less than four hours, thanks to a new high-speed rail service . Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last week inaugurated the new route, the first such link to cross the former Iron Curtain. With top speeds of 140 miles per hour, the new Allegro train shrinks the 250-mile journey from five-and-a-half hours to about three-and-a-half hours. Round-trip fares sold by Rail Europe , (800)