03.07.20 ... On Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) called for compliance with the COVID-19 resolution at the UN Security Council's open debate on pandemics and security.

03.07.20 ... On Friday, at the invitation of Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center), a charity event was held in the Tallinn Botanic Garden that brought together representatives of fields that assisted the government in resolving the coronavirus crisis.

03.07.20 ... Municipal media doesn't solve a single public problem, while it helps those in power stay there with the help of public funds and constitutes unfair competition for private newspapers, Erik Gamzejev finds in Vikerraadio's daily comment.

03.07.20 ... The government of Estonia decided to accept the request of the Tallinn council and give Roosikrantsi 12 building for use in the capital. The value of the property is estimated at €2.6 million. The city will have the building at its disposal this fall.

03.07.20 ... The Estonian football men's national team will host Lithuania on October 7 at A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn. Because the match is played under UEFA auspices, they will also decide the spectator capacity.

03.07.20 ... During the emergency situation, there was a surge in the number of online shoppers and the number of people who regularly shop online grew 80 percent compared with the April-May period of 2019, A study carried out by pollster Kantar Emor shows.

03.07.20 ... The period of heavy rain following heatwaves in late June and early July flooded many streets around Estonia and everyone from drivers to cyclists were affected. This occurence, however, is an unfortunate consequence of outdated systems and climate change.

03.07.20 ... EKRE Congress is taking place on Saturday where seven party members will run for the three positions of deputy chairman of the party. No opponent has run as a chairman of the party to Martin Helme, who is running for chairman.

03.07.20 ... A writer and journalist has been told to retract and an article written in 2009 detailing alleged harassment by the lawyers of National Opera Estonia director Aivar Mäe, whom several former and current female employees of the national opera have anonymously accused of harassment.

03.07.20 ... The government has not made any official decisions on the use of the hydrogen-powered train, but if hydrogen is tested on the railway, the Tallinn-Viljandi line would be the best fit for the pilot section, said Ahti Kuningas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MKM).

03.07.20 ... Over the past 24 hours, 393 tests of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were analyzed in Estonia, with one case of COVID-19 diagnosed.

03.07.20 ... Former Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi (Reform Party) said hiring US lawyers means the hope of making money is small and Estonia will suffer from reputational damage.

03.07.20 ... Minister of Finance Martin Helme (EKRE) has entered into an agreement with the U.S law firm Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan LLP to provide legal services to the Estonian state in international money laundering investigations. The state will pay €3 million for two years of legal aid.

03.07.20 ... An unprecedent operation has been launched against Aivar Mäe the result of which is the destruction of the reputation of a respected person, Paul Keres, attorney to the national opera theater's director, says in an interview to ERR.

03.07.20 ... Estonia's first nuclear power plant would not start operating before 2035, according to a memorandum from the Ministry of the Environment (Keskkonnaministeerium), which the government will discuss later this summer.

03.07.20 ... MP Kert Kingo (EKRE) sent a letter to Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps (Center), in which she asked an array of questions about the sex education preschoolers receive.

03.07.20 ... Telliskivi Creative City in Tallinn (Telliskivi Loomelinnak) opened its doors to a museum about video games called LVLup! Warp Zone. Visitors can also play a number of games on consoles provided by the museum.

03.07.20 ... Municipalities in Southern Estonia expect the WRC phase will bring a lot of benefits to the region's economy. A lot of accommodation has already fully booked for the first week of September.

03.07.20 ... This year's Estonian Hip-Hop Festival takes place from August 13 to 15 in Elva. Many well-known artists will perform there.

03.07.20 ... In June, Tallinn Airport was visited by 25,103 travelers, making up just eight percent of the total number of passengers of June of last year. Compared to May however, the airport serviced an additional 14,580 passengers.

03.07.20 ... Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Liisa Pakosta has said the National Opera Estonia (Rahvusooper Estonia) will emerge stronger from the current scandal involving sexual harassment allegations concerning director Aivar Mäe.

03.07.20 ... Financial info portals which generate personal stories automatically will have to rearrange their actions in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act. Currently, the way stories are generated does not comply with regulations.

03.07.20 ... The Estonian Institute of Economic Research (Eesti Konjunktuuriinstituut) predicts a recession of 8 percent for the rest of 2020, on the assumption a second wave of COVID-19 will not hit the country.

03.07.20 ... There are more than a 1,000 people in Estonia who have arrived from abroad and must spend 14 days in isolation, but following the rules depends on people's own conscience as the state no longer organizes active control on and outside the borders.

03.07.20 ... Ivari Ilja, the new chairman of the council of the Estonia National Opera, said that director Aivar Mäe's merits in Estonian culture are extraordinary, but they do not reduce the weight of the accusations made against him by Estonia Theater employees.

03.07.20 ... More than 7,500 Russian nationals in Estonia voted in Russia's constitutional referendum with the majority backing the proposals which could keep President Vladimir Putin in power until 2036.

02.07.20 ... Migrant workers will not be allowed to stay in Estonia after July 31, Minister of Finance Martin Helme (EKRE) said on Thursday. Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Center) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), however, said exceptions can be made for people working in the agricultural sector.

02.07.20 ... NATO jets involved in Baltic air policing duties, were involved in intercepting a Russian Federation plane over the Baltic earlier in the week.

02.07.20 ... Since the beginning of April, the Kredex foundation has concluded 67 agreements on direct loans and 120 agreements on loan guarantees within the framework of crisis measures, while Estonian companies have been financed in the total amount of €179 million.

02.07.20 ... On April 30, The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 819 names in their list who are invited to join the Academy in 2020. In this list, editor Tambet Tasuja was invited to join.

02.07.20 ... Nordecon Betoon's construction of German discount store Lidl in Tartu will cost €3 million and will be finished in July, 2021.

02.07.20 ... The Council of National Opera Estonia (Rahvusooper Estonia) agreed to suspend general director Aivar Mäe's employment contract for two months on Thursday during a four-hour meeting. The chairman of the theater's council also resigned at the meeting.

02.07.20 ... On Wednesday, the Estonian Authors' Society (Eesti Autorite Ühing) gathered in The Russian Cultural Center (Vene kultuurikeskus) to elect a new management board, with Mikk Targo, who was the chairman of the board, being forced to step down from the position. The previous management board was accused of poor communication within the association, ERR's culture portal reports.

02.07.20 ... All seven vessels of Finnish shipper Viking Line will return to passenger service by Thursday, July 2, while the number of departures between Tallinn and Helsinki will be higher than in previous high seasons.

02.07.20 ... The Estonian government at its sitting on Thursday authorized Finance Minister Martin Helme to approve the division of state-owned energy group Eesti Energia AS in order to transfer the Tootsi wind farm project to Enefit Green AS.

02.07.20 ... Lux Express will restore its twice-daily connection between Tartu and Riga from July 8, the company said on Thursday.

02.07.20 ... One new case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was diagnosed in the last 24 hours, data from the Health Board shows.

02.07.20 ... Journalist Raimo Poom writes in an Eesti Päevaleht analysis (link in Estonian) that Andrus Ansip's efforts to add a measure of blue, black and white patriotism to the Reform Party and render it a mass political platform started the inevitable decline of Estonia's previously go-to conservative party Isamaa (formerly IRL), which work incoming EKRE chairman Martin Helme has a good chance to finish.

02.07.20 ... The government approved the lifting of travel restrictions for residents of 14 non-European Union countries on Thursday. The government will start issuing visas from July 6.

02.07.20 ... The constraints of the coronavirus crisis have led schools to figure out how to hold graduation ceremonies when large gatherings are not allowed. The Viljandi Culture Academy of the University of Tartu found a particularly clever solution to the situation - 80 graduation ceremonies took place in person.

02.07.20 ... Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo Cars, owned by China's Geely, announced on Wednesday it was recalling nearly 2.2 million cars, over 4,300 of which are being recalled in Estonia.

02.07.20 ... The organizers of Rally Estonia and WRC promoter GmbH confirmed on Thursday that the currently suspended World Rally Championship (WRC) season will continue in September with Rally Estonia. The government has allocated a total of €2.5 million to support the WRC round.

02.07.20 ... Toomas Sepp, who has served as Tallinn city secretary since April 1992, will resign on August 31. Sepp noted that Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart (Center) did not entrust him to lead major personnel changes.

02.07.20 ... On Thursday, July 2, a major exhibition, "Doomsday Cathedral" (Viimsepäeva katedraal) by Estonian artist Edward von Lõngus is to open, as part of the Tallinn Biennial in Ülemiste City.

02.07.20 ... Apartment prices have not dropped significantly and are almost the same as before the coronavirus crisis. More apartments were purchased in June 2020 than June 2019 and a price drop is not expected in the future.

02.07.20 ... The Azerbaijani community in Estonia has criticized recent media reports in the wake of a fatal road accident in Tallinn last month. The driver at fault, who is currently in custody, is an ethnic Azerbaijani living in Tallinn, which community groups say have led to two pieces, on portal Delfi and the Eesti Ekspress website, which unfairly portray all Azerbaijanis in Estonia as being linked to criminal activities.

02.07.20 ... From Wednesday, nightclubs, hookah cafes and other similar entertainment establishments can reopen their doors. Clubs can host up to 100 people at a time.

02.07.20 ... AS Viru Õlu, the third-largest beer producer in Estonia, will stop producing brewed beers in Estonia due to years of losses.

02.07.20 ... NATO has endorsed the updated defense plan for Poland and the Baltic states after coming to a compromise with Turkey regarding problems in the Middle East, Minister of Defense Jüri Luik said on Wednesday.

02.07.20 ... One lucky Estonian hit the jackpot in Wednesday's Viking Lotto draw, claiming an Estonian record-breaking €10.8 million. By comparison, most domestic lottery top prize hauls are in the hundreds of thousands of euros.