16.03.25 NEWS ... Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur on Sunday dismissed criticism from former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Kusti Salm, who claimed that not a single cent of the €1.6 billion Estonia has allocated for ammunition procurement has been spent so far.

16.03.25 NEWS ... Former Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary Kusti Salm sharply criticized Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur on Sunday over defense procurements, stating that the minister is focused on public image while failing to take concrete action.

16.03.25 NEWS ... This year's military exercise Siil, taking place from May 5 to 23 in various locations across Estonia, will involve more than 13,000 troops.

16.03.25 NEWS ... Tommy Cash has released a new music video for his Eesti Laul winning entry "Espresso Macchiato."

16.03.25 OPINION ... In Estonia, responsibility for demographic issues formally falls to the minister of social protection, but these issues make up only a small part of their portfolio. To mitigate the demographic crisis, the government needs a cabinet-level official dedicated to identifying the obstacles to having children and proposing solutions to remove them, writes Riina Solman.

16.03.25 OPINION ... Sometimes, even in what seems like the madness of our era, there may be an underlying system. But whether understanding it helps in any way — I wouldn't dare say. The times we live in are like looking through a kaleidoscope — one small turn and the picture changes, writes Raul Rebane in his daily commentary on Vikerraadio.

16.03.25 NEWS ... Last year, 34 people died in fires, the lowest number of fire-related deaths on record, according to data from the Rescue Board. Additionally, there were fewer fire incidents this past winter than usual, a trend that may be linked to the warmer-than-average weather.

16.03.25 NEWS ... The Baltic Sea, which has been used as a trade route for centuries and has been at the center of numerous wars, is a unique place in the world, according to marine archaeologist and diver Ivar Treffner. It holds an immense number of well-preserved shipwrecks.

16.03.25 NEWS ... The Parempoolsed party will participate in the upcoming autumn elections with its own candidate lists and does not plan to join electoral alliances, the party announced.

16.03.25 NEWS ... This week, a new technology was tested in Jõgisoo, Harju County, as part of a nearly €1.3 million research project. Using cosmic radiation and artificial intelligence, the technology aims to assess the technical condition of bridges without the need for destructive testing.

16.03.25 NEWS ... In the United States capital, Washington, protests have become a daily occurrence. On Friday, thousands of veterans gathered in the heart of the city, expressing their dissatisfaction with how President Donald Trump's administration treats those who have served the country.

15.03.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party and Eesti 200 started their coalition talks on Saturday, necessitated after the ejection of the Social Democrats (SDE) at the start of the week.

15.03.25 NEWS ... After a nearly two-month delay due to court proceedings, Estonian hunters failed to meet the annual quota nationwide, before the season ended on the last day of February, agricultural weekly Maaleht reported.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian disc golf star Kristin Lätt is in joint second place after her first event of this year's Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT), in Waco, Texas.

15.03.25 NEWS ... The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) is set to alter its official title, party leader Martin Helme said ahead of a congress to take place next month.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Former President of Finland Sauli Niinistö on Friday presented his European defense readiness report, ordered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to the Riigikogu in Tallinn.

15.03.25 NEWS ... A Türi student originally from Ukraine has won this year's Estonian as a second language olympiad.

15.03.25 NEWS ... The Trade Unions Confederation (Ametiühingute keskliit), the umbrella organization for unions in Estonia, has called for halting the Employment Contract Act draft, warning that flexible working hours could lead to financial uncertainty, workplace inequality, and long-term health risks for employees.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Leader of opposition chair Urmas Reinsalu has suggested Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) be replaced in his post, over an inability to make necessary decisions in national defense.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Estonia is phasing out stationary speed cameras, shifting to patrol cars fitted with artificial intelligence (AI) speed measuring, average speed cameras and automated enforcement.

15.03.25 NEWS ... A temporary road bridge in the Latvian town of Salacgrīva has been closed for a week for maintenance, public broadcaster LSM reported.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Measles (Rubeola) has been making a resurgence in Estonia, with three cases in two months, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Three patients at Narva Hospital may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) through contaminated medical equipment, prompting an urgent investigation into safety failures and the hospital's sterilization procedures.

15.03.25 NEWS ... The Riigikogu has been discussing presidential candidates ahead of next year's election, with current incumbent Alar Karis, former prime minister Andrus Ansip, and current Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise all mentioned.

15.03.25 NEWS ... The Reform- Eesti 200 coalition is moving forward with its plan to boost foreign labor numbers in Estonia, following the ousting from office of the Social Democrats (SDE), who had blocked the move.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian wrestler Richard Karelson battled his way to a silver medal at the Under 23 European Championships in Tirana, Albania, after going down to Ukraine's Yehor Yakushenko in the -97 kg Greco-Roman men's final on Friday.

15.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian pentathlete Pippi Lotta Enok placed third at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, scoring 4,375 points for her college, the University of Oklahoma.

14.03.25 NEWS ... The Reform Party and Eesti 200 will start negotiations on a new coalition agreement this weekend. While a large number of points related to security and the economy are already clear in advance, both parties say the new coalition agreement has to be even more precise and any overly general language discarded.

14.03.25 NEWS ... On Friday, March 14, artist Ave Vellesalu's installation "Rodeo," which critiques and imitates work culture, opened at the Konteiner Gallery in Tallinn's Telliskivi Creative City.

14.03.25 NEWS ... From March 31 to April 3, Estonia will be the Guest of Honor at the prestigious Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF). The BCBF is the oldest and largest children's literature event in the world, and provides a unique opportunity to showcase original Estonian children's literature on the global stage.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Estonia's 2023 Eurovision contestant Alika was in the Raadio 2 studio this week. The "Bridges" star performed two songs live for the Mini-live show.

14.03.25 NEWS ... According to Reform Party MP Toomas Kivimägi, a major reshuffle of Riigikogu standing committees will soon begin. To ensure the Reform-Eesti 200 governing coalition has majority in as many as possible, Kivimägi said some of the current committees could be merged.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian music industry pioneer Jüri Makarov will share memories of the legendary "Rock Summer" festival, the early days of the Baltic music industry and more at the 2025 Tallinn Music Week (TMW) conference.

14.03.25 NEWS ... For the first time in more than ten years, Tallinn residents' satisfaction with their living environment has dropped below 90 percent, with ratings down for traffic, waste management, roads and public transport.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian basketball player Henri Veesaar's 19-point performance powered his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team, the Arizona Wildcats, to the Big 12 semifinals with a 88:77 win over the Kansas Jayhawks.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Minister of Culture Heidy Purga (Reform) is to take part in the world's largest video game and interactive entertainment conference, taking place next week in Northern California.

14.03.25 NEWS ... A total of 10,807 entries were received by Vikerraadio in Estonia's 18th Native Language Day live e-dictation contest Friday morning, coming in just short of the previous two years' participation numbers.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Estonian ski jumper Artti Aigro secured 19th place at the world cup stage in Oslo on Thursday.

14.03.25 NEWS ... "Lihtsad uudised," meaning easy or simple news, is for anyone who wants to improve their Estonian language skills. Listen and read a selection of this week's news stories below.

14.03.25 NEWS ... The Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center confirms that an organized withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region is underway, said Lieutenant Colonel Janek Kesselmann, second in command of the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) Intelligence Center (Kaitseväe luurekeskus) said Friday.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Hungary's voting rights at the European Union should be suspended under Article 7 after that country has once again gone against the bloc's majority will on Ukraine and taken a stance more favorable to Russia, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said Friday.

14.03.25 NEWS ... The Environmental Board planned to protect forests to offset the environmental impacts of the Rail Baltica railway project, but internal mismanagement led to the issuance of logging permits for substitute areas meant to protect wood grouse habitats in southern Pärnu County, where 17 hectares of forest were cleared, the National Audit Office said. As a result, Rail Baltica planning was delayed by nearly seven months.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Greco-Roman wrestler Richard Karelson is one match away from U23 European Championship win in Tirana, Albania.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Final exams at Estonia's basic schools will be held two months earlier this year to reduce the need for separate high school entrance exams. The Education and Youth Board (Harno) plans to roll out e-exams in 2027, however the math e-exam will take longer to develop.

14.03.25 NEWS ... An unusually high number of classic and luxury cars were registered in Estonia last year, ahead of the introduction of the car tax.

14.03.25 NEWS ... The Reform-Eesti 200 coalition is facing a €250 million revenue shortfall after scrapping planned corporate and personal income taxes, requiring cuts and new sources of income to balance the state budget.

14.03.25 NEWS ... Friday, March 14 marks Native Language Day in Estonia, which is being celebrated with a variety of activities and events throughout the country and diaspora. Tune in live to the Estonian president's all-day reading marathon, and try your best at writing in Estonian in Vikerraadio's annual e-dictation exercise starting at 10:25 a.m.!

14.03.25 NEWS ... Thousands of people have flocked to join Estonia's opposition parties in recent years, in marked contrast with joining rates for the coalition parties, who have not seen such a membership surge.

14.03.25 NEWS ... The ruling Reform and Estonia 200 parties have said they want to break down the draft climate bill, the domestic legislation which puts in place European Union climate goals, into sections, and to assess how far these sections align with economic aims.

14.03.25 NEWS ... A total of 59 percent of citizens currently support holding Riigikogu elections on an extraordinary basis, while 52 percent said that Kristen Michal (Reform) should resign as Estonia's prime minister.