The alternative sports trend and social media craze ‘Mermaiding’ has made its way to Finland, with qualified ‘mermaid instructors’ now teaching classes in Helsinki and Espoo.

The sport, which is believed to have first gained prominence in the United States earlier this year, consists of swimming with the aid of a mermaid tail, allowing the user to move like a fish. 

JON SALLINEN, AN 18-YEAR-OLD HELSINKI LOCAL has experienced viral fame on the social media app TikTok as a result of his life-threatening stunts which involve him jumping off of buildings, bridges, and cliffs around the region and beyond. 

THE FESTIVE ATMOSPHEREin the Helsinki neighbourhood of Arabianranta was visibly subdued on Tuesday, as residents mourned the death of a local child who is believed to have been murdered.

While little information has been released to the public, it is known that the victim was murdered near their home on the night of Christmas Eve (December 24). The police apprehended a suspect at the scene of the crime, who has been confirmed as a 36-year old male. Whether the suspect was known to the victim has yet to be determined.

One of Finland’s most famous seafaring vessels, the titanic icebreaker Otso, was deployed on its first mission of the winter season last night, keeping sea routes open for the 22^nd year in a row.

Late in the evening of Christmas Day, Otso, the crowning glory of Arctia Oy’s extensive fleet, departed from Helsinki’s Katajanokka Harbour, heading north to the Bay of Bothnia.

As the world is preparing for the second wave of Covid-19, Finland’s MTV3 channel is launching the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars. The popular international TV format has lasted 12 seasons in Finland where it has been a launchpad for celebrities into politics and ex politicians and retired athletes to the stage under a different spotlight.

Even though Keeping the recommended two meters distance is impossible while dancing, it has not been restricted in the regulations of social distancing. Covid-19 has restricted and cancelled several of events in 2020. 

Why does the US Embassy in Helsinki need a big warehouse near Malmi Airport and what are the contents of thousands of kilograms of cargo sent to Helsinki from Baghdad? 

A dilapidated warehouse in Malmi is being used by the US Embassy for unknown operations after a Wikileaks release revealed its location.

The anonymous looking building on Takoraudantie is notable only for the new 427 meter perimeter fence that according to the Wikileaks' database was ordered by the US Embassy in April 2018.

LAST NIGHT SAW A SIGNIFICANT UPTICKin criminal incidents across Helsinki, as is typical during New Year’s celebrations. The Helsinki Police estimated that they were called out to a total of 360 separate incidents across the city, with drunken revellers being the main cause of trouble.

Dozens of people are believed to have been arrested or cautioned for violent behaviour while under the influence of alcohol, with an unusually high number of assaults being recorded on Monday evening. 

THE GLOBAL DESTINATION SUSTAINABILITY INDEX, which ranks hundreds of cities around the world based on their environmental and social sustainability, has placed Helsinki in joint-fifth place with the Swedish city of Uppsala in their rankings for 2019.

The index was first launched last year with the aim of highlighting how urban areas can continue to attract business and tourists without compromising on environmental health and social stability. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the top rankings are dominated by Nordic cities, although Glasgow in Scotland and Melbourne in Australia also broke into the top ten.