Politics

Gallery: Farmers protest at Riigikogu demanding more support

Farmers protested at Toompea in Tallinn on Tuesday demanding politicians take a more serious attitude towards agricultural and food production and for more domestic and EU support.

Paper: Järvik 'bugging' device a simple WiFi signal amplifier

An alleged bug former rural affairs minister Mart Järvik (EKRE) says he found in his office shortly before being released from the post, turned out to be a device for amplifying WiFi signals.

Gallery: Baltic prime ministers united on moving Rail Baltic forward 

Prime ministers of all three Baltic States have pledged their support for Rail Baltic, the planned high-speed electric rail connection linking Tallinn to the Polish-Lithuanian border.

Gallery: President appoints Arvo Aller next rural affairs minister

President Kersti Kaljulaid formally appointed Arvo Aller (EKRE) the next minister of rural affairs on Tuesday.

Kersti Kaljulaid named 2019 Friend of the Press for defending free speech

The Estonian Association of Media Enterprises selected President Kersti Kaljulaid as the winner of the annual Friend of the Press title on Tuesday.

Bill abolishing pharmacy reform submitted to Riigikogu

A bill seeking to amend the Medicines Act was submitted to the Riigikogu on Tuesday, featuring changes introduced last week which abolish rules around pharmacy ownership which come into force in April 2020.

Riigikogu passes 2020 state budget 

The Riigikogu passed the 2020 State Budget Act bill on Wednesday. The bill was supported by 55 MPs and opposed by 44 delegates.

Riigikogu reverses ban on Election Day political ads

The Riigikogu voted on Wednesday in favor of reversing the ban on outdoor political advertising on Election Day.

Prime minister congratulates Boris Johnson on election victory

Prime minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) congratulated his United Kingdom counterpart Boris Johnson on Friday, following Thursday's general election landslide victory.

Business and economy

Credit agency S&P: Estonia long-term rating AA-, outlook stable

Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's has affirmed Estonia's rating at AA-/A-1+ on long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit.

Infrastructure minister: Rail Baltic will be completed on time

Rail Baltic will be completed by the 2026 deadline and there is no reason to fear the loss of european money, said Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas (Centre) after an audit published last week suggested the target date would be missed.

AirBaltic announces four new direct routes from Tallinn 

Latvian airline airBaltic on Tuesday announced the launch of four new direct destinations from Tallinn and five new destinations from Vilnius. In total, the airline will be adding 13 new routes to its 2020 summer season.

Saaremaa boat builder wins €50 million Oman police contract

Saaremaa-based boatbuilder Baltic Workboats AS has been awarded a contract to build 14 patrol vessels for the Omani police.

Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland opened

The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland was opened on Wednesday, marking more than a decade of development in the energy market.

Opinion

Kivirähk: Ratas' levelheadedness seeing support for Centre recover 

Sociologist Juhan Kivirähk, appearing on ERR broadcast Otse uudistemajast on Wednesday, found that supporters of the Centre Party have begun to return to the party's fold courtesy of the conduct and manner of Prime Minister Jüri Ratas.

Jüri Ratas: Europe must celebrate hope for the future

The year 2019 should not go down in history as the one when a new metallic cover started to settle over the window of Europe, PM Jüri Ratas said when giving the Riigikogu an overview of the government's European Union policy.

Sport

Austrian criminal investigation into ski coach Mati Alaver terminated

A criminal investigation in Austria into former Estonian national ski coach Mati Alaver has been terminated.

Margus Hunt's Indianapolis Colts in another narrow defeat

Estonia's sole representative in the NFL, Margus Hunt, saw his team, the Indianapolis Colts, slip further away from a playoffs berth after a close defeat at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

Other news

Czech prime minister cancels visit to Estonia following shooting in Ostrava

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis was due to visit Estonia Tuesday and Wednesday, but the trip had to be canceled following a shooting at a hospital in Ostrava that left several dead.

Health authorities issue rabies reminder warnings after Latvian fatality

The Health Board (Terviseamet) and Veterinary and Food Board (VTA) have issued a public reminder to exercise caution around wild or unknown domestic animals in Estonia, particularly if they exhibit unusual behavior, due to the risk of rabies infections.

Burial site ties major Viking swords find to warriors from Rävala

Last year, Estonia's largest Viking sword fragments find was unearthed on the country's northern coast. Burial artifacts found in the same area this year suggest that the swords were used by local warriors from the ancient county of Rävala.

Family of five dies in Tartu house fire

Five people, including three young children, died in a house fire in Tartu on Tuesday night.

Ratas meets Czech air force at Ämari Air Base 

Prime Minister Jüri Ratas visited Ämari Air Base to meet the Czech air force participating in the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. Ratas also expressed his condolences over the Ostrava shooting.

Gallery: First refugee Christmas bazaar takes place in Tallinn

For the first time ever the non-profit organization the Estonian Refugee Council (Eesti Pagulasabi) organized a Christmas bazaar for refugees in Tallinn.

And finally…

ERR News is hiring 

ERR News, the English-language portal of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), is hiring an English-speaking journalist for a part-time position.

ERR News brings 24-hour Raadio Tallinn music and news

ERR News now carries a button linking readers to ERR's Raadio Tallinn, which presents wall-to-wall music as an accompaniment to day-to-day activities such as being at work, home, driving, and all the other things, as well as late-night news in English and French.

Also check out our "what the papers say" section for more news and views.

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