I founded Helsinki Times in 2007, at a time when Finland was a very different country. I had arrived more than a decade earlier and begun working as a doctor, in a period when the country had very few expatriates or immigrants.

I soon realised that integration into Finnish society was almost impossible without strong skills in the language. There were no accessible sources of information in English or other widely spoken languages. Building on this challenge, which I had first faced myself, I created Finland’s first English-language newspaper, SixDegrees.

Turkish President Tecep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shakes hands with Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov (R) during a signature ceremony of an initiative on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, in Istanbul, on July 22, 2022. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

Are the two separate agreements signed in Istanbul last Friday by Russia and Ukraine with the United Nations and Turkey that pave the way for the export of 22 million of Ukrainian grain which remained blockaded in three Black Sea ports, as well as the export of Russian grain and fertilizer, really a "beacon of hope" for millions of starving people, or just an illusory dream?

Huawei Talent Summit opening

The holiday season is not only a time of celebration, but of contemplation of things past, present and future. It's crystal clear that in this age of global pandemic, probable climate catastrophe and digitization and artificial intelligence that the world is at a global inflection point.

Two American F-15C Eagle -figther jets, three Finnish F/A-18C Hornet -fighter jets and a German Eurofighter Typhoon -figther jet in the air force practice common lap in Finnish air space on 17th of March 2021.

The choice concerns the fighter plane for Finland's future air defence. I am not competent to assess which criteria are most important in the selection, performance, or finances. Therefore, it is best to abstain, even if the price tag is something that any layperson can have opinions about.

A picture shows a child's shoe amidst the rubble of buildings, destroyed by Israeli strikes, in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip on May 21, 2021. - A ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Islamist group Hamas, came into effect after 11 days of airstrikes and rocket fire. LEHTIKUVA / AFP

So, it has happened again. Riots in Jerusalem. Random rocket fire and precision bombings, both with civilian casualties. The parties are involved in a spiral of revenge with the goal of exhausting the opponent. The pattern is repeated year after year. The outside world demands a cease fire; mediators sign up. This has been the case throughout my adult life. No lasting peace for Israel, no solution for the stateless Palestinians. Cease fire is fine, but for how long?

Generous social benefits aren’t enough to change the life prospects of kids from low-income families.

Nordic nations are proud of their social policies—justifiably so. As we know, high taxes fund social security, education, disability, housing and unemployment benefits that reduce inequality and increase social mobility.

Jace Eon Ilias in his care-home bed in Tuusula, Photo Credit: private archive

Jace Eon Ilias, 32, an American citizen with terminal Huntington’s disease, had to be carried from his care-home bed in Tuusula, Finland, into a chartered medical jet on Tuesday morning. The Finnish state spent upwards of €100,000 flying a bedridden patient some 4,000 miles across the Atlantic — not to a hospital of his choosing, but out of the country, because officials judged a man who cannot move unaided to be “a threat to the order and security of society.”

Photo: kostiolavi / pixabay.com

There is a very Finnish sport that requires no skis, no sauna and no summer cottage: arguing about who deserves what from the state. Should the unemployed keep their earnings-related allowance? Should municipalities or the new wellbeing counties pay for grandma's home care? Should an employee stuck indoors during a drone alert get paid for doing precisely nothing? We debate these questions with the seriousness other nations reserve for constitutional crises. Meanwhile, the actual balance sheet keeps quietly getting worse.

Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States fouls Tarik Muharemovic #4 of Bosnia and Herzegovina which is awarded as a red card foul a during the FIFA World Cup July 1, 2026. Judgment overturned later due to Trump / Infantino intervention. Michael Steele/Getty Images/AFP

The FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico is drawing to a close. It has been, in the century-long history of FIFA, both the most successful and the most controversial tournament ever staged. The expansion of participating teams and the number of matches set new records, as did attendance figures and commercial revenues. As FIFA's ninth president, Gianni Infantino has every reason to celebrate what he would call a series of "historic achievements."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on March 31, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. He emphasised: “No stupid rules of engagement,” along with “no nation-building quagmire,” “no democracy-building exercise,” and “no politically correct wars.” Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP

The United States of America and the Zionist regime, by attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran, have violated numerous human principles and international laws, including human rights and international conventions concerning the protection of civilians, universities, and religious figures. In this regard, Islamic Azad University, as one of the largest non-state, in-person universities globally, in order to inform international forums and document these crimes, points to just a few examples of the aggressive actions of these two hostile countries: