Helsinki

Kavita Pillay wears a red coat and stands near a sign that says "To the ice" in Finnish.

‘It’s never too late’: How learning Finnish taught me to embrace vulnerability 

It’s relatively easy to get by in Finland's capital, Helsinki, without speaking Finnish. But meeting an American opera singer and a refugee from Iraq here taught reporter Kavita Pillay to embrace the vulnerability of learning a new language. 

‘It’s never too late’: How learning Finnish taught me to embrace vulnerability 
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson talks during the parliamentary debate on the Swedish application for NATO membership, in Stockholm, Monday, May 16, 2022. 

In historic shift, Sweden will join Finland in requesting NATO membership

In historic shift, Sweden will join Finland in requesting NATO membership
Pedestrians walk along Aleksanterinkatu, the main shopping street, in Helsinki, Finland.

Helsinki’s mayor thinks English should be the city's official language

Helsinki’s mayor thinks English should be the city's official language
Blue and white flag flutters in the air against the sky

Finland's national word 'sisu' conjures new meanings for tough times

Finland's national word 'sisu' conjures new meanings for tough times
portrait

As the Arctic warms up, a 'new ocean' is bringing new commerce to the top of the world

As the Arctic warms up, a 'new ocean' is bringing new commerce to the top of the world
Activists dressed up as characters from "The Handmaid's Tale" are shown back lit from a low perspective.

The red cloak of 'The Handmaid's Tale' is becoming a symbol for reproductive rights

Author Margaret Atwood says “everyone seeing these groups of women know what they mean.”

The red cloak of 'The Handmaid's Tale' is becoming a symbol for reproductive rights
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is seated next to President Donald Trump who has his arms folded.

White House struggles to contain political outcry over Trump-Putin summit

The White House struggled on Wednesday to contain a political outcry and confusion over US President Donald Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, denying Trump ever meant to say that Moscow was no longer targeting the United States.

White House struggles to contain political outcry over Trump-Putin summit
US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland on July 16, 2018.

Did Trump commit treason in Helsinki?

There's a serious word that's been thrown around a lot since Donald Trump held a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. It's the word "treason." The thing is, Trump is not guilty of treason as the US Constitution defines the term.

Did Trump commit treason in Helsinki?
Putin and Trump having fun at a press conference.

Trump sees no reason to believe Russia behind election meddling

At the news conference Trump was invited by reporters to offer even a single criticism of Russia, but repeatedly declined.

Trump sees no reason to believe Russia behind election meddling
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017.

As Trump-Putin summit looms, Russia eyes its return to global power status

How is the Kremlin viewing the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin? It's Russia’s symbolic return from international isolation to a global powerbroker and America needs to negotiate once more.

As Trump-Putin summit looms, Russia eyes its return to global power status
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, March 17, 2017.

Germany's relations with Russia and the US are a delicate balancing act in the Trump-Putin era

President Donald Trump shocked Germans during the NATO summit in Brussels this week by accusing their country of being in bed with Russia. As Trump heads to Helsinki for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany is in many ways stuck between a rock and a hard place.'

Germany's relations with Russia and the US are a delicate balancing act in the Trump-Putin era
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are seen walking side-by-side surrounded by other officials.

For Putin, Helsinki talks with Trump a win before he even sits down

For US President Donald Trump, a summit with Vladimir Putin risks a political backlash at home and abroad. For the Russian president, however, the fact the summit is even happening is already a big geopolitical win.

For Putin, Helsinki talks with Trump a win before he even sits down
women walking down the street in Helsinki

Finland’s street harassment law imposes immediate fines for harassers caught in the act

Finland has a law on the books that allows street harassers to be fined on the spot. But it's not as comprehensive as you might think.

Finland’s street harassment law imposes immediate fines for harassers caught in the act
Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic show team are seen performing in 2015. Finland says Russian jets like these have probed its airspace.

Finland opens a new center to fight 'hybrid threats' from Russia and beyond

Heightened tensions between Russia and the West have spurred the European Union to create a special kind of think tank on "hybrid war" in its northernmost member country.

Finland opens a new center to fight 'hybrid threats' from Russia and beyond
People walk past Stockmann shopping center in Helsinki, Finland, on May 6, 2017.

How one city plans to steer residents away from driving

Countries from the UK to China are rolling out extraordinary plans to eliminate fossil-fuel-guzzling automobiles. But one Nordic capital city is mixing tech and urban planning to make sure citizens do not need a car at all.

How one city plans to steer residents away from driving