25.04.19 ... The first part of the newly arrived French contingent's battle equipment arrived in Tapa via rail on Wednesday afternoon. The French contingent replaced outgoing Belgian troops serving in NATO Battle Group Estonia.

24.04.19 ... In her speech at Kadriorg Palace just before the new coalition government became fact, President Kersti Kaljulaid called for 100 hate-free days from the new administration, hoping that politics might continue in the same vein after that.

23.04.19 ... President Kersti Kaljulaid on Tuesday continued to meet one-on-one in turn with candidates for minister in Prime Minister Jüri Ratas' (Centre) second government. The Estonian head of state first met with candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), then candidate for Minister of the Interior Mart Helme (EKRE) at Kadriorg on Tuesday morning.

18.04.19 ... President Kersti Kaljulaid met with her Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow on Thursday. In a short address before the meeting, President Kaljulaid said that Estonia is ready for a dialogue with Russia.

18.04.19 ... By noon on Thursday, the fully renovated Estonian Embassy in Moscow was ready to be formally reopened, on the occasion of which President Kersti Kaljulaid had arrived as well.

18.04.19 ... President Kersti Kaljulaid will on Thursday formally reopen the newly renovated Estonian Embassy building in Moscow.

16.04.19 ... A jury has selected "Roheline lina" by Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid as the winner of the architectural design contest for the new Television Building of Estonian Public Broadcasting.

15.04.19 ... The Kõigi Eesti initiative, which got its start on social media encouraging a more tolerant Estonia shared by everyone, organised a concert at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds on Sunday in support of its message, and more than 10,000 people turned up to support it as well.

10.04.19 ... Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis, who is currently in Estonia for a three-day state visit — his last as head of state — met with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid at Kadriorg on Wednesday morning.

10.04.19 ... The Estonian Broadcasting Council (RHN) on Tuesday discussed an appeal submitted by Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) deputy chairman and MP Martin Helme in which he demanded that Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) journalists who had "demonstrated bias" be "removed from the air." Following the council's meeting, however, RHN chairman Rein Veidemann said that there is no reason for ERR to make any changes.

08.04.19 ... The tripartite coalition consisting of the Centre Party, the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) and Isamaa, signed their agreement on Monday, in front of the press in a ceremony starting at 13.00 EET at Toompea castle, ERR's Estonian online news reports.

06.04.19 ... All three parties involved in ongoing coalition talks for the past three weeks or so met on Saturday, at separate locations, ERR's Estonian online news reports.

04.04.19 ... Late Thursday morning, members of the recently-elected XIV Riigikogu convened for its inaugural sitting. A total of 100 MPs were present and gave their oath of office on Thursday.

04.04.19 ... MPs convening for the opening sitting of the XIV Riigikogu on Thursday morning were met in front of Toompea Castle by protesters who showed up to remind them of the fundamental values of a free and democratic society.

02.04.19 ... The Estonian Film and Television Awards (EFTA) were presented at a gala event on Monday, 1 April. ETV earned a total of eight awards for various programmes, and "The Little Comrade" was crowned Best Film.

01.04.19 ... For many diaspora Estonians in North America, making it to the Laulu- ja Tantsupidu in Tallinn is a nearly religious pilgrimage — a must at least once in their lifetimes, whether singing, dancing, or simply spectating. For significant numbers of more recent Estonian emigrants, however, the Estonian Song and Dance Festival is still eagerly anticipated, despite the homeland being a relatively short plane-, train- or ferry-ride away. Ahead of the double-jubilee event, nearly three dozen choirs and folk dance troupes from Europe but also Turkey and even Australia are hoping to earn coveted spots in the festivals.

25.03.19 ... Thousands of candles were lit all over Estonia and by diaspora communities on Monday to commemorate the tens of thousands of victims of the 1949 March Deportation. Between 25-28 March, more than 22,000 people in Estonia alone were forced from their homes and deported east, many to never return.

18.03.19 ... ERR photographer Siim Lõvi was the first to ride the new rooftop Ferris wheel at the T1 Mall of Tallinn, and he took his camera with him. Take a peek, as the attraction won't be open to the public for another few weeks!

15.03.19 ... A ceremony marking the handover of the Yorkshire Regiment to the incoming King's Royal Hussars (KRH) took place at Tapa base on Thursday.

15.03.19 ... Students and schoolchildren gathered in front of Toompea Castle, the seat of the Riigikogu, in Tallinn and Tartu's Town Hall Square on Friday morning in order to protest and draw attention to climate change.

14.03.19 ... In honour of Native Language Day, Vikerraadio on Thursday hosted the 12th nationwide e-dictation contest, which was Song Festival-themed this year to mark the 150th anniversary of the Estonian Song Festival. In just half an hour, 7,969 submissions were received, smashing last year's record participation by more than 1,500.

13.03.19 ... Last Thursday, the Estonian Maritime Museum held a festive opening at the Seaplane Harbour in Tallinn for Dutch multimedia artist Saskia Boddeke's exhibit "Sex and the Sea," which focusses on sailors' lust and longing.

08.03.19 ... The board of the Centre Party convened on Friday morning to discuss whether or not to enter coalition talks with the 2019 Riigikogu election-winning Reform Party.

06.03.19 ... President Kersti Kaljulaid is on Wednesday meeting with each of the chairpersons of all five political parties elected to the Riigikogu in succession, beginning with Kaja Kallas, chairwoman of the election-winning Reform Party.

04.03.19 ... As expected, the board of the election-winning Reform Party has decided to meet with Isamaa and the Social Democratic Party as well as the Centre Party within the next few days in order to discuss possible cooperation.

24.02.19 ... Celebrations of the 101st birthday of the Republic of Estonia began early on Sunday morning, with well-attended festive sunrise flag-raising ceremonies held in both Tallinn and Narva.

24.02.19 ... Over 900 people in uniform from Estonia and allied countries took part in the parade dedicated to the 101st anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, held this year at Tallinn's Freedom Square.

24.02.19 ... Over 6,000km and the Atlantic Ocean stand between North America and the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, but until 1990, it was the Iron Curtain that rendered the Estonian Song and Dance Festival completely unreachable to diaspora singers and dancers. This year, more than a dozen diaspora Estonian choirs and folk dance troupes from the US and Canada alone are trying out for a chance to perform in the double-jubilee festival, and even those who don't speak the language know at least three words: Laulu- ja Tantsupidu.

11.02.19 ... The purpose of the Enterprise Estonia representation opened in Dubai on Sunday is to strengthen Estonia's economic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and increase the export opportunities of Estonian businesses in the Gulf region, Enterprise Estonia CEO Alo Ivask said in a press release.

08.02.19 ... Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, who took over as head of the Latvian government late last month, paid his first foreign visit to Estonia, meeting with Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) in Tallinn on Friday.

07.02.19 ... ERR News hosted a live pre-election debate on Thursday featuring panellists Yana Toom (Centre), Riina Sikkut (SDE), Keit Pentus-Rosimannus (Reform), Eva-Liisa Luhamets (Isamaa) and Liina Normet (Estonia 200), and moderated by ERR News' Aili Vahtla. Those who missed the live stream can watch it here.

02.02.19 ... In a speech on the 99th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Tartu between Estonia and Soviet Russia, which marked the end of the War of Independence, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser described the events leading up to the signing of the treaty as a major historical victory of nascent Estonian diplomacy, as it established the foundation for Estonia's international recognition as an independent state.

25.01.19 ... Hosted by Triinu "Lepatriinu" Paometsa and musician Reigo Ahven, the Estonian Music Awards gala was held at Tallinn's Saku Suurhall on Thursday night, where awards were handed out in a total of 17 categories.

22.01.19 ... The National Electoral Committee on Monday registered all candidates for the upcoming Riigikogu elections, determining the order of parties and independent candidates by drawing lots.

20.01.19 ... The first official Women's March to be held in Estonia took place in Tallinn on Saturday afternoon, in which hundreds of demonstrators marched through Tallinn's Old Town to Telliskivi Creative City via Baltic Station.

19.01.19 ... Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) and Minister of the Interior Katri Raik (SDE) on Friday visited the point in Southeastern Estonia where the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Russia meet and where construction of Estonia's modern eastern border will begin.

11.01.19 ... The coalition Social Democratic Party (SDE) on Friday became the second party to submit its candidate lists and other required paperwork to the State Electoral Office ahead of the 2019 Riigikogu elections.

09.01.19 ... Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) representatives Jaak Madison and Henn Põlluaas submitted their party's candidate lists to the State Electoral Office on Wednesday.

07.01.19 ... Some 200 people participated in hikes on Sunday along the historical battlefront of the Estonian War of Independence in commemoration of key battle victories that changed the course of the war.

03.01.19 ... The Estonian Weather Service on Wednesday issued a Level 2 storm warning for the the country's western and island counties which by afternoon spread to include its northern coastal counties as well. High winds and near whiteout conditions resulted in disruptions to ferry and even air travel and left thousands of households without power.

26.12.18 ... ERR readers submitted snapshots of their Christmas celebrations, which were made especially festive by a thick blanket of snow that fell in time for the holidays this year.

12.12.18 ... A number of choirs gathered at the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn at dawn on Wednesday to sing in memory of the legendary Estonian composer and choir conductor Gustav Ernesaks on what would have been his 110th birthday.

10.12.18 ... The Smart and Healthy Estonia (Tark ja Terve Eesti) movement held a protest at Freedom Square on Sunday against the UN Global Compact for Migration and in support of the freedom of speech. At the same time, Estonia 200 convened at the adjacent Wabadus Café, promising an alternative to fearmongering politics.

04.12.18 ... An official ceremony was held on the grounds of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces in which Gen. Riho Terras handed over command of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) to Maj. Gen. Martin Herem.

08.11.18 ... Continuing a tradition of public Christmas trees going back centuries in Tallinn, this year's official tree, a spruce found growing on Kibuvitsa Street in the capital's own Kristiine District, was cut down at 9:00 this morning and reached Town Hall Square around midday.

06.11.18 ... Prime Minister Jüri Ratas on Tuesday opened the Alzhir memorial stone in Astana, Kazakhstan, dedicated to the victims of political repressions and totalitarianism. While in Kazakhstan, he also visited Petrovka, a 125-year-old village with Estonian roots.

24.10.18 ... Team Estonia earned the bronze medal in sitting volleyball at the Invictus Games in Sydney, Australia after defeating Poland 2:0 in the bronze medal match.

15.10.18 ... The all new Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa east of Tallinn is opening its doors to the public on Wednesday this week. The centre's new building is the latest in a by now long line of cultural efforts made in Estonia's centennial year.

15.10.18 ... For the 14th time, the Ministry of Education and Research recognised Estonia's best teachers, students and supporters of education, crowning Teachers of the Year in a total of 11 categories. Ülo Vooglaid was also the first recipient of the ministry's Lifetime Achievement Award.

14.10.18 ... Earlier this year, news broke of an extraordinary find of medieval artifacts in Tallinn — not in the famous Old Town, but outside of its walls, in what is the now trendy district of Kalamaja. The thousands of artifacts uncovered at the construction site of the new Mündriku Residents complex at Jahu 6/Väike-Patarei 1 have since reached the hands of the Estonian History Museum, among others, but just two months ago, the priceless objects were still being dug up and bagged up by hand — by students.