Amsterdam

Toronto – October 01, 2026 -- Travelzoo has rolled out four new travel packages for its Canadian Club Members this fall, with prices starting at $219 for a countryside retreat near Quebec's Lac Brome.

Amsterdam trip includes flights for $999

Members can book six nights in the Dutch capital with roundtrip flights, hotel, taxes and fees included, priced at $999. Travelzoo says the package saves 40% compared to booking directly.

Canary Islands package cuts costs by 30%

A six-night trip to the Tenerife region costs $1,399 and includes flights, transfers, hotel accommodations and a trip manager. The deal represents a 30% saving, according to Travelzoo.

Quebec farmhouse stay starts at $219

A family-owned farmhouse near Lac Brome, about 60 minutes from Montreal, is listed at $219. The package includes extras such as a massage credit and wine, positioned as a base for exploring Quebec's Eastern Townships.

Albuquerque, N.M. – September 20, 2026 -- Shelby Steudle, president of Pavlus Travel & Cruise, will christen Viking's new river ship, the Viking Fjolvar, at an official ceremony in Amsterdam on October 15. Viking selected Steudle as the vessel's "godmother," a maritime tradition dating back thousands of years meant to bless a ship and protect those who sail aboard it.

Seven new Viking vessels will be named that day in Amsterdam, with Steudle and six other godparents each christening one ship. The 168-passenger Viking Fjolvar will sail Seine River itineraries between Paris and Normandy, while the other new vessels will operate on the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers in Europe, and on Egypt's Nile River.

Amsterdam – September 17, 2026 -- Royal Philips has partnered with Red Bull and athlete Marco Waltenspiel to complete what the companies call a world's first: a wingsuit slalom flown between seven hot-air balloons above Cappadocia, Turkey.

Waltenspiel jumped from 2,800 meters and hit speeds up to 200 km/h

Known for his distinctive moustache, Waltenspiel navigated the balloon-filled skyline at varying heights, adjusting his path in split-second decisions as wind conditions shifted. Fellow Red Bull athlete Marco Fürst flew alongside him to film the flight from the air.

Amsterdam -- Lexar and Leica opened a photography exhibition on September 11, 2026, at Leica Gallery Amsterdam, titled Threads of Time: A Journey Through Silk and Lens.

The show documents Suzhou kesi, a traditional Chinese silk weaving craft, through the lens of Leica award-winning photographer Jing Huang. Huang's images follow Hao Naiqiang, known as Jingwei, a young kesi artist and custodian of the craft, as he works thread by thread to create intricate silk patterns.

Kesi weaving turns patience into visible art

Suzhou kesi differs from printed or embroidered textiles because artisans hand-weave each thread to build color and texture. Jingwei described the craft as one built on restraint, created within the order of warp and weft rather than through free gesture.

Amsterdam – September 12, 2026 -- Euro NCAP awarded the AION UT electric hatchback a five-star safety rating on September 2, covering all left- and right-hand-drive variants and configurations.

New four-stage protocol shapes the 2026 score

Euro NCAP's revised 2026 testing framework evaluates vehicles across four stages: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety. The AION UT scored 66% in safe driving, 74% in crash avoidance, 91% in crash protection, and 88% in post-crash safety, earning its overall five-star rating.

Amsterdam – September 12, 2026 -- The AION UT electric hatchback sedan has received a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP under its revised 2026 testing protocol, with the score published on September 2 applying to both left-hand and right-hand drive versions of the car.

Euro NCAP now tests four separate safety stages

The 2026 protocol breaks vehicle safety into four categories: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety. Each stage evaluates a different phase, from how a car assists a driver before a collision to how it protects occupants during impact and supports rescue operations afterward.

The AION UT scored 66% for safe driving, 74% for crash avoidance, 91% for crash protection, and 88% for post-crash safety, with the overall five-star rating reflecting combined performance across all four areas.

San Diego – September 11, 2026 -- Sony Electronics has introduced the SEL814G, its first fisheye zoom G Lens for full-frame Alpha E-mount cameras, with pre-orders opening Sept. 8, 2026 at 7 AM PST.

The lens covers an 8 mm to 14 mm zoom range with a constant f/3.5 aperture, shifting from circular fisheye at the wide end to diagonal fisheye at 14 mm. Both settings produce a 180-degree angle of view, letting photographers and filmmakers adjust framing without swapping lenses.

The lens weighs just 314 grams for all-day handheld use

Measuring roughly 63.1 mm in diameter and 82.8 mm in length, the SEL814G is built for mobility across handheld, gimbal, and rig-based shooting. An inner zoom mechanism keeps the center of gravity stable while zooming, and a fluorine coating on the front element paired with dust- and moisture-resistant construction supports outdoor use.

Mainz – September 07, 2026 -- German broadcaster 3sat will air "Das Ich-Zeitalter: Zwischen Selbstverwirklichung und Selbstoptimierung," a documentary examining the booming self-optimization trend, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. The film, directed by Isabella Purkart, will remain available in the 3sat Mediathek for 90 days after broadcast.

The documentary follows several people who have built their lives around the pursuit of a "better self," a movement heavily promoted by influencers on social media.

A 26-year-old plans to be cryogenically frozen after death

In Frankfurt am Main, filmmaker Lena Hager meets Vimal Kamaraj, 26, who has arranged to have his body frozen after he dies. He hopes future medical advances will one day revive him, and he already structures his daily routine around longevity practices.