15.06.25 NEWS ... On Sunday morning, the flame for the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival "Iseoma" was lit in the park of the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. The sunrise ceremony marked the beginning of an 18-day journey for the flame through Estonia's counties. It will arrive in Tallinn on July 2.

15.06.25 NEWS ... The world's largest axe throwing center was opened Saturday in Mäetaguse, Ida-Viru County, during the Estonian national championships. The construction of the facility was supported by the Just Transition Fund.

14.06.25 NEWS ... Estonia's official swim season is here. From June 1 through August 31, dozens of beaches across the country officially open for swimming are carefully maintained and regularly tested to ensure safe, enjoyable visits for everyone.

14.06.25 NEWS ... A unique new exhibit arrived at the Haapsalu Railway and Communications Museum on Friday — a one-of-a-kind MEV-1 switcher locomotive, which was transported to the coastal city from the rail depot in Pääsküla.

14.06.25 NEWS ... With admissions fast approaching, university students in Tartu are on the hunt for rental housing — whether in a dorm, where demand remains high, or on the broader rental market.

13.06.25 NEWS ... To mark the 84th anniversary of the Soviet Union deporting thousands of Estonians to Siberian prison camps, events and ceremonies are being held in Tallinn, Tartu and across the country this weekend to honor the victims.

14.06.25 NEWS ... Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, who was scheduled to perform at Unibet Arena in Tallinn on June 21, announced on social media that she is postponing the Tallinn concert and three other upcoming European tour dates after developing laryngitis.

14.06.25 NEWS ... In just a few weeks, a total of 41 choirs, 38 dance troupes and four wind ensembles from abroad will take part in the Estonian Song and Dance Festival, including ensembles from both within and outside diaspora communities. Eneli Vaasna, the festival's curator for foreign groups, says what unites these groups is a deep love for Estonia.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will strengthen regional cooperation in cross-border evacuations planning, developing joint mass evacuation plans, and ensuring the timely exchange of information, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported on Friday.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Last year, a total of 6,361 marriages and 2,893 divorces were registered in Estonia — a 2 percent drop in marriages and a more than 9 percent increase in divorces, according to figures from Statistics Estonia.

13.06.25 NEWS ... According to data provided by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, 1,279 deaths were registered in the country this May, and only 784 births.

13.06.25 NEWS ... The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner has raised concerns over what it sees as discriminatory treatment in Estonian prisons, noting that women inmates have been allowed to dye their hair since 2017, while male inmates are not.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Along the edge of the historic Old Town, the City of Tallinn is transforming Aia tänav into a green, vibrant public space for the summer, featuring trees, shrubs and dedicated areas for leisure and play.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Just days before the first installment deadline for Estonia's new motor vehicle tax, one-third of those liable have yet to pay. The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) is reminding affected vehicle owners that they have until Monday, June 16, to pay at least half of their annual car tax.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Estonian residents spent more on weight-loss drugs like Ozempic than any other medication last year, with one in every 50 people using them regularly, says the State Agency of Medicines. Likewise significantly up is the use of ADHD medications.

13.06.25 NEWS ... A new campaign aims to raise awareness among foreign workers about their rights and to encourage them to seek help when necessary. Foreign men most frequently turn to the support line for labor exploitation, data shows.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Voting via a smartphone app at this October's local elections in Estonia will not be possible, the state electoral committee (VVK) decided Thursday.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn libraries have reported a blight of alcohol consumption on-site, and which sometimes disturbs other readers. Some librarians feel the issue should be dealt with by a legal amendment.

13.06.25 NEWS ... Another trail camera, this time in Viljandi County, captured a fascinating meeting between a lynx and a beaver, which ended happily enough for the latter, Maaleht reported.

12.06.25 NEWS ... A new awareness campaign in Estonia's second city aims to improve conditions for Tartu's urban hedgehog population, with campaign leader Katariina Kuusaru emphasizing the crucial role city residents can play.

12.06.25 NEWS ... This spring, the Tallinn Education Department piloted a project in schools aimed at alleviating the shortage of mathematics teachers. Whether the project will continue in the same form this fall is still under discussion, but in Ida-Viru County, a similar approach is being considered to address the shortage of physics teachers.

12.06.25 NEWS ... The first section of Rail Baltica's Ülemiste Linda Terminal — a new platform — opened to passengers Thursday. The milestone marks visible progress on the international railway project, with full construction of the main line, scheduled for completion by the end of 2030, set to begin next year.

12.06.25 NEWS ... Supermarkets in Estonia are being targeted by increasingly brazen repeat shoplifters. This year, police have already registered more than 3,200 shoplifting incidents — 600 more than during the same period last year.

12.06.25 NEWS ... Prison guards tested their problem-solving skills at the Raadi military barracks near Tartu, rehearsing scenarios that officers encounter in their daily work, at a time when the service may need to hire new staff.

12.06.25 NEWS ... Last week, the Estonian Padel Association was accepted as a member of the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK). The tennis-like sport originating in Mexico is gaining popularity in Estonia as well, where court operators' businesses are thriving.

12.06.25 NEWS ... Japanese high schoolers Musubi Miyashita and Jiu Miura came to Estonia as exchange students after being captivated by the Song and Dance Festival. In just ten months, the two teens learned to speak Estonian — and will be singing in the Song Festival next month.

11.06.25 NEWS ... In a letter to the Finance Committee of the Riigikogu, Minister of Justice Ülle Madise noted that the committee still hasn't yet initiated a bill that would bring Estonia's car tax law into compliance with the Constitution, exempting vehicles from the motor vehicle tax that were destroyed or confiscated during the past year.

11.06.25 NEWS ... MP and Social Democrat (SDE) Züleyxa Izmailova has filed a request with the Data Protection Inspectorate to investigate whether the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs acted appropriately in classifying a draft of the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Act commissioned from the law firm Sorainen.

11.06.25 NEWS ... A University of Tartu student has come up with a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem using origami. While folding paper is already used — even in basic school — to demonstrate the well-known geometric principle involving right triangles, Karl-Robert Mõttus managed to do it without ever touching a pair of scissors.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Riigikogu opposition parties will submit a no-confidence motion on Wednesday against Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta, citing the minister's failure to initiate criminal proceedings against Pihlakodu AS and her misleading the public regarding the planned transfer of 600 Swedish prisoners to Tartu.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Invasive slugs spreading across Estonia have been spotted in the wild several months earlier than usual this year. The Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) is now firmly established locally, and the only effective way to control them is through consistent collection and destruction.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Harju District Court found Estonian citizen and journalist Svetlana Burceva guilty of violating international sanctions and treason for contributing to Russian online publications, sentencing her to six years in prison.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Public transport will be free to use in the capital city during this summer's song and dance festivals.

11.06.25 NEWS ... Under a plan by the Ministry of Social Affairs, starting in September, pool operators will be able to choose for themselves how they purify their water.

11.06.25 NEWS ... A trail camera installed in the forest in Kohtla-Nõmme, Ida-Viru County, captured a delightful moment when an elk treated itself to a bit of a luxury spa mud bath, "Maaleht" reported.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Following a tip, the Agriculture and Food Board (PTA) uncovered and halted the illegal religious slaughter of sheep at a property in Aseriaru, Viru-Nigula Municipality last week.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn's ambulance bike patrol is back on duty for another summer season in the Estonian capital, where the team has already responded to 21 calls since June 1.

10.06.25 NEWS ... The early arrival of warm weather followed by subsequent rains in Estonia this spring have provided the perfect conditions for wild mushrooms to grow — and not just spring and summer mushrooms, but some fall species too.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Elva Municipality wants to build a spa hotel and swimming pool by Lake Arbi, in the heart of Elva. The local government envisions laying the groundwork for the construction of the facilities with a detailed plan, but would leave the construction and later operation of the complex up to the private sector.

10.06.25 NEWS ... The Museum Card will soon see a €10 price increase, meaning the cost has risen by a quarter compared with when it was first introduced two years ago. The hike is being driven by more expensive museum ticket prices and a value-added tax rate increase that takes effect in July.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Since Estonian criminals continue to commit crimes even while in prison, there's no reason to assume that inmates transferred here from Sweden would behave any differently, which would place an additional burden on the Prosecutor's Office, said Prosecutor General Astrid Asi.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Cutbacks are prompting all court proceedings in Pärnu to be consolidated into a single building, leaving one of its two courthouses — the one on Rüütli tänav — to close its doors after nearly a century.

10.06.25 NEWS ... There are an estimated more than one billion cats in the world, fewer than half of which live in homes. Yet even well-fed cats hunt when outdoors, resulting in the deaths of millions of birds and other animals each year.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Renting out prison space in Estonia to countries such as Sweden will help build a stronger state, while dealing with the associated risks is manageable, according to Rait Kuuse, deputy secretary general for prisons at the Ministry of Justice.

10.06.25 NEWS ... A lynx was sighted late last week in Tallinn, part of a spate of recent appearances in the capital and other major Estonian towns of wildlife usually to be found only deep in the forest.

10.06.25 NEWS ... According to the prosecution and the police, people in Estonia result to weapons to resolve conflicts or fire weapons in public spaces an average of one to three times a day. In many cases, the weapon in question is not a firearm but rather an air gun or a starter pistol permitted for civilian use.

10.06.25 NEWS ... An IT service disruption affecting agencies under the Ministry of the Interior is impacting the work of the Emergency Response Center and border crossings. Border control has stalled at both Tallinn Airport and land border checkpoints.

10.06.25 NEWS ... Tallinn will increase public transport capacity around the Song Festival Grounds during major summer events to improve access and ensure convenient travel to and from concerts and festivals. Night bus services will also run more frequently on weekends with large events.

09.06.25 NEWS ... On Monday, June 9, a new photo exhibition "Loneliness doesn't ask for age" opened at the Kolme Puu (Three Trees) Gallery in Tallinn's Telliskivi Creative City. The exhibition is part of Loneliness Awareness Week, which is taking place for the first time in Estonia and looks at the nature of feeling lonely, the stigmas associated with it as well as ways of coping.

09.06.25 NEWS ... An unusually large number of wild boar, including over 40 small piglets, were recently caught on a trail camera in Viljandi County, central Estonia.