Take off to “happiest country in the world”
By Martin Banks Emirates has announced it will launch a daily flight between Helsinki and Dubai from 1 October 2026, expanding its “footprint” in the Nordics.
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TOURISM
January 15, 2026 -
HISTORY 
January 15, 2026 15 January 2026: This day in history
588 BC: Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem during Zedekiah’s reign. The siege lasts until July 23, 586 BC. 1535: King Henry VIII declares himself head of the Church of England 1559: Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey in London 1759: British Museum opens at Montagu House in London […]
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EUROPE
January 14, 2026 EU politicians tell Iran: “People have the right to peaceful protest”
By Martin Banks The European Green Party says it “strongly condemns” what it calls the Iran authorities’ “violent repression of peaceful protests that includes killings and mass arrests.” The pan-EU party has now called on the European Union to “move beyond statements and take decisive action against those responsible.” The demand comes with tensions still […]
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WORLD
January 14, 2026 Greenlanders brace for summit that could shape the Arctic’s future – and their own
It’s crunch time. The US Vice-President, JD Vance, is hosting the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers, as well as their US counterpart, Marco Rubio, in the White House on Wednesday. The focus of the talks: the future of the world’s biggest island, Greenland. There is a large digital news ticker tape running above the snow-covered […]
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EUROPE
January 14, 2026 Exclusive: The Netherlands to propose fresh sanctions against Iran after protest crackdown
The proposed sanctions would include the freezing of assets for new individuals involved in the recent crackdown, which has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives since protests began nearly two weeks ago in Iran.
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GREECE
January 14, 2026 Greece among passport leaders
Greece ranked fourth worldwide among the most powerful passports, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, using data from the International Air Transport Association. Greek passport holders can travel without a visa to 185 destinations, placing the country in a shared fourth position with nine other European nations.
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HISTORY
January 14, 2026 14 January 2026: This day in history
1526: Charles V and Francis I sign the Treaty of Madrid, forcing Francis to renounce his claims to Burgundy, Italy, and Flanders 1641: Dutch East India Company conquers the city of Malacca, killing about 7,000 people 1724: Spanish King Philip V abdicates the throne in favor of his 17-year-old son Louis I; he returns to […]
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EUROPE
January 13, 2026 Panto is back in Belgium…. oh yes it is
By Martin Banks It’s that time of the year again…oh, yes it is.
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EUROPE
January 13, 2026 Spectacular stage show is a stomping success and it’s heading to Belgium
By Martin Banks You would not, at first, think that making a lot of noise by banging rubbish bins could be a form of entertainment.
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WORLD
January 13, 2026 Trump to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at the White House
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday, the White House has confirmed. The visit comes just weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized in Caracas by US forces. But Trump declined to endorse Machado, whose movement claimed victory in 2024’s widely contested elections, […]
