30.03.23 NEWS ... According to Center Party leader Jüri Ratas, callis for an extraordinary congress have caused some confusion among party members. Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart, who is running for the position of party chair, says, that if he were in Ratas' position, he would have stepped down following Center's poor results in the recent Riigikogu elections.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Eesti Energia subsidiary Enefit Green has purchased a Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm development from its parent company, at a price tag of close to €6.2 million.

30.03.23 NEWS ... The rise and, if not fall, at least lateral movement of Henrik Hololei is the subject once again of a piece on Politico's website, following his announcement earlier this week that he would be standing down as EU's Directorate-General (DG) for Mobility and Transport.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Eurozone companies are paying up to twice as much in annual interest on their loans, owing primarily to the increase in base rates. Despite the fact that borrowing costs have risen by the same amount across Europe, it was already more expensive for Estonian businesses to borrow than in other European countries, due in part to the threat of war.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Estonian basketball team BC Kalev/Cramo won its FIBA Europe Cup semi-finals first leg encounter with Cholet Basket (France) 80:73, at home in Tallinn Wednesday.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Retail turnover fell by 6 percent at constant prices, on year to February, and stood at €740 million, state agency Statistics Estonia says.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Finnish Air Force (FAF) pilots took part in a joint NATO exercise over Estonia and the Baltic States region this week, flying out of Ämari Air Base, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reports.

30.03.23 NEWS ... Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) Member of the European Parliament will continue in Brussels, and not take up a Riigikogu seat, the party's leader, Martin Helme, says.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The interest in learning the Estonian language has grown considerably over the last year but would-be students are hindered by a shortage of teachers.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Estonian official Henrik Hololei, who stepped down from his role as the EU's transport chief on Wednesday, said he did so as the scandal was affecting his department and its work.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Minister of Finance Annely Akkermann (Reform) called for state-owned energy company Eesti Energia's supervisory board to review performance bonuses for its outgoing managers. She said cooperation has been insufficient.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Almost 30 of Tallinn's bus routes will be diverted between April 4 and May 31 due to the construction of the Vanasadama tram line. Tramlines will be interrupted later in the month.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise was approached by a parent who was upset that her children were not taken outside in the evenings. According to the Chancellor of Justice, there are no laws dictating when kindergartners must be outside, despite the fact that kids benefit from the increased physical activity that comes with outside play.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Although timber prices fell in the fourth quarter of last year, timber market surveys show that the price of firewood remains relatively high.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The coalition-to-be plans to cut the state budget deficit by €400-450 million per annum, Minister of Finance Annely Akkermann (Reform) says.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Rapid inflation has also driven up the price of tires and tire services. The price difference between premium European tires and the cheapest Chinese alternatives has grown.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets (SDE), who is participating in the coalition talks, said he was surprised by the Reform Party's conservatism on the issue of marriage equality. The minister also said that the SDE stands up for the income stability of low-income earners.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Russian president Vladimir Putin's threat of moving nuclear weapons to Belarus shows that he has begun to understand just how poorly his army is doing in Ukraine, historian Andrei Hvostov suggested. But Ukraine's plans for the future also raise more than a few questions.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The Estonian Green Party (Rohelised) leadership and board has resigned wholesale.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The leadership of the Center Party, which saw its mandate significantly reduced at the March 5 Riigikogu election, is likely to come down to a two-horse race, current leader and one of those two candidates Jüri Ratas says.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Since Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine began last February, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board has identified around 3,000 attempts by private individuals and legal entities to circumvent the sanctions imposed in response.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The latest round of EU sanctions will further reduce the flow of goods to Russia. One of the side effects of the sanctions is the additional challenges it will cause for haulage companies in Ida-Viru County, most of which are involved in transporting goods to and from Russia.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Director General of the EU's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport Henrik Hololei is to step down from his position, news portal Politico reports, following reports he had accepted flights paid for by the Qatar state.

29.03.23 NEWS ... The record voter turnout at the March 5 Riigikogu elections has also sparked interest in investigating motivation in voting.

29.03.23 NEWS ... A roundup of Estonian news and events taking place around the world from March 29 to April 5 inclusive.

29.03.23 NEWS ... According to the chief whip of the Reform Party's Riigikogu group Mart Võrklaev, the party is in favor of adopting the implementation legislation for the Registered Partnership Act. Speaking on ETV show Esimene Stuudio, Võrklaev said, that the main issue during the recent Riigikogu election campaign had been security, not marriage equality.

29.03.23 NEWS ... A report Tuesday which stated that Estonia had been upgrading its own defenses at the expense of other European Union Member States does not mean that Estonia has acted in any way other than "completely legally", Politico, which published the initial article making the claims, said Wednesday.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Residents of Estonia made over a million outbound overnight trips in 2022, a rise on year of over 90 percent and indication of a move towards pre-pandemic levels of travel, though these still have yet to be fully attained, state agency Statistics Estonia says.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Eesti 200 has overtaken the Center Party in terms of support, at least over the past week and by a small margin, according to a recent survey.

29.03.23 NEWS ... While Tallinn's plan to achieve fossil fuel free public transport by 2035 remains in force, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis require certain concessions and possibly the continued use of diesel buses in the coming years.

29.03.23 NEWS ... Use and installation of the TikTok app is to be banned from smartphones issued by the state, to officials, outgoing Minister of IT and Foreign Trade Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) told daily Eesti Päevaleht (EPL).

29.03.23 NEWS ... Lasting stability, peace and security in Europe can only be achieved by expunging "gray zones" and acting decisively at the political level, in order to pave the way for both NATO and European Union expansion, President Alar Karis says.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Estonia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to keep restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes in place for the duration of the war in Ukraine.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Kaimo Kuusk, Estonia's current ambassador to Ukraine, is set to become the next Estonian ambassador to Lithuania.

28.03.23 NEWS ... On Tuesday, the Estonian government confirmed, that amount to be paid out in dividends by state-owned energy group Eesti Energia for 2022 will be €68.9 million.

28.03.23 NEWS ... District heating prices have gradually dropped over recent months and the compensation measure is due to end in April. However, the geopolitical risks that pushed up prices have not disappeared and customers may see their bills rising again in the future.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Estonia's digital health website Patient Portal (Digilugu) is undergoing a €1.1 million redesign and will be relaunched next month.

28.03.23 NEWS ... The coalition negotiators from Reform, Eesti 200 and SDE started to discuss financial issues, such as cuts and spending, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said. Discussions about same-sex marriage are still to come.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Marika Linntam has been appointed as the new Estonian ambassador to Germany, replacing Alar Streimann.

28.03.23 NEWS ... There are thousands of applicants for the most popular upper secondary schools in Tallinn, with seven to eight young people applying for a place. There are also pupils who take examinations to test their knowledge and do not intend to go to one of these schools. Statistics show that about 3,600 upper secondary level pupils need places in Tallinn.

28.03.23 NEWS ... The Eesti 200 party, after accepting a major donation from businessman Oleg Ossinovski who is currently on trial in Latvia, said that it treats all donations as ideological and that it does not accept illicit contributions.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Estonia issued €125 million worth of six-month and €125 million worth of 12-month bonds at a low-bid auction on Tuesday, with interest rates several times higher than last year.

28.03.23 NEWS ... The Bank of Estonia's investments made a loss of €157 million last year for the worst ever result.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart on Raadio 2 refuted statements given in court by fellow Center Party member Jaanus Karilaid according to which Kõlvart must have had in-depth knowledge of the party's financial situation a few years ago.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Peter Stano, leading spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS), when asked to comment on allegations made in Politico according to which Estonia has misused the European Peace Facility when sending aid to Ukraine, said that he has no information to suggest misuse.

28.03.23 NEWS ... A temporary outdoor sports park is set to be built on the site of the former Kristiine District Administration building in Tallinn. The City of Tallinn is also planning reconstruction works on the site next to the Kristiine Center in the coming years.

28.03.23 NEWS ... The willingness of people in Estonia to make environmentally friendly choices on a daily basis has declined over the past year, according to a survey commissioned by Orkla Group. Grete Arro, a research fellow at Tallinn University, said that it is dangerous when a few of Eco-friendly practices create a false sense of security.

28.03.23 NEWS ... The Estonian men's national football team lost 2-1 away to Austria on Monday in the opening game of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. It took a late Michael Gregoritsch to seal the three points for Austria, who were forced to come from behind after Rauno Sappinen had given Estonia a 25th minute lead.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Estonia's Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur in an interview with German weekly "Der Spiegel" renews his demand for Germany to spend more on its military in order to fullfill its duty within NATO. The minister also rejects the fear at times communicated in German public debate that European neighbors might be suspiscious of a heavily armed Germany.

28.03.23 NEWS ... Deputy Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board Egert Belitšev will receive a base salary of €7,000 per month from the Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets (SDE), while serving in that capacity.