17.07.25 NEWS ... In Narva, 45 teachers will lose their jobs in August after failing to meet the Estonian-language requirements. Narva Municipality believes there will be no issue in finding enough teachers who can teach in Estonian by the start of the next school year, though does have concerns about their level of experience.

17.07.25 NEWS ... Private companies are not yet willing to accept digital verification with the eesti.ee app, ERR's Marten Hallismaa found this week. The Information System Authority (RIA) said the reluctance is likely due to the recent introduction of the system.

17.07.25 NEWS ... A manor house belonging to the Bank of Estonia, which had been on sale for a decade, has finally been sold for over €850,000.

16.07.25 NEWS ... Folklorist Piret Voolaid, who participated in an international humor conference held in Poland, said that Estonian humor is often quiet, sarcastic, and self-deprecating. Humor helps relieve tension during times of crisis and reflects societal attitudes and cultural characteristics.

16.07.25 NEWS ... While the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) reviewed over 11,000 reports related to money laundering and terrorism financing in 2024, only a small portion of these reached the analysis stage, and less than a tenth of a percent were forwarded to law enforcement agencies.

16.07.25 NEWS ... Estonian legislation on banking confidentiality is in need of a review, in order to protect the public and to maintain confidence in the banking sector, the lynchpin of the Estonian economy, chair of the Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon) Kilvar Kessler.

16.07.25 NEWS ... U.S. streamer IShowSpeed's visit to Tallinn was a successful and cost-effective move in terms of introducing Estonia to young audiences, a University of Tartu social media researcher has said. Other forms of marketing often cost hundreds of thousands of euros.

16.07.25 NEWS ... The number of births in the first six months of this year decreased by 455 compared with the same period last year, according to preliminary data from Statistics Estonia and the Ministry of the Interior.

16.07.25 NEWS ... Mushrooms usually only seen in late autumn are already popping up in Estonia's forests due to the rainy summer weather. This may create problems in the fall, scientists say.

16.07.25 NEWS ... It is a popular misconception that the current enforcement register system allows unvetted access to all bank accounts in Estonia, officials from the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs said.

15.07.25 NEWS ... The Palestine solidarity group in Estonia held a demonstration in Tallinn on Tuesday to express support for Palestinians.

15.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia has reduced the number of days a visa refusal, annulment, or cancellation can be appealed from 30 days to 10. The new rule comes into force on July 18.

15.07.25 NEWS ... YouTube sensation "IShowSpeed" met with Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform), tasted kohuke and tried traditional folk dancing during the Estonian leg of his European tour on Tuesday.

15.07.25 NEWS ... The number of traffic accidents has fallen in 2025 and the weather is likely due to the unusual weather conditions, the Transport Administration says.

15.07.25 NEWS ... Two cases of human trafficking were discovered during a large-scale anti-human trafficking operation organized by Estonian authorities through June, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said.

14.07.25 NEWS ... Facing constant predator threats, Estonian farmers have been turning to alternative methods to keep wolves at bay, with some choosing llamas as an alternative guard animal to dogs, Maaleht reported.

14.07.25 NEWS ... The initiator of a petition to lower Estonia's VAT rate on food to 10 percent says she hopes the venture can remain a civic initiative and has little interest in entering politics. More than 60,000 people have signed the petition so far.

14.07.25 NEWS ... On Tuesday (July 15), the Kangru traffic junction, located on the border of Kiili and Saku municipalities, will be largely opened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

14.07.25 NEWS ... Estonian senior citizens in Canada can be surrounded by the language and culture of their homeland every day at the Ehatare center in Toronto. ETV went to find out more.

14.07.25 NEWS ... Although the transition to Estonian-language education has been underway for a year, experts say a big issue is students' motivation to learn. The Ministry of Education said it was not possible to address all concerns in the first year.

14.07.25 NEWS ... The widespread spread of nitazenes, a powerful synthetic opioid, has largely been behind a tripling in the number of drug overdose deaths in Estonia in recent years. The drug so far has proved much more widely used in all three Baltic states than elsewhere in Europe.

12.07.25 NEWS ... Severe thunderstorms rolled through the country Friday evening, knocking out power to about 15,000 households. By Saturday morning, around 4,000 — mostly in Southern Estonia — were still affected, and with more storms in the forecast, Elektrilevi warns more outages are likely.

12.07.25 NEWS ... As it continues supporting the relaunched Tartu–Helsinki air route, the City of Tartu hopes airlines will eventually open more market-based routes from the city. With the Tartu–Riga train launch still delayed, many foreign visitors continue to travel to Estonia's second city by bus.

12.07.25 NEWS ... For the past three months, apartment associations have been eligible for state support to buy generators, and interest has been strong — funding has already been approved for 70 projects, the Rescue Board said.

12.07.25 NEWS ... It's not just your imagination — butterflies really are scarcer than usual in Estonia this year, and monitoring data confirms it. According to University of Tartu entomologist Erki Õunap, the unusually cool and rainy spring is likely to blame.

11.07.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of the Interior wants to amend Estonia's Names Act to make legal name changes faster and fully digital. However, local governments warn that speed should be the last priority when it comes to name changes.

11.07.25 NEWS ... Finland's justice ministry is weighing up a prison rental agreement with Estonia similar to the deal made between Estonia and Sweden last month, Helsingin Sanomat reported. Several other NATO countries have also approached Estonia, Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta (Eesti 200) said.

11.07.25 NEWS ... Thunderstorms are expected in Estonia on Friday evening and overnight, with the possibility of hail, the Environment Agency has said. Meteorologist Kairo Kiitsak advises people to be prepared for dangerous weather conditions and to keep an eye on weather updates.

11.07.25 NEWS ... A recently defended master's thesis has found that not a single public space in Tallinn is fully accessible to disabled people — and many so-called accessibility features actually fall short.

11.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) are handing out "postcards" from Death this summer as part of a new campaign to encourage safe driving and "give Death a day off" against a backdrop of rising road fatalities.

11.07.25 NEWS ... Experts are drawing up an action plan to improve the condition of dry forests in Estonia. One option is conducting controlled burning.

11.07.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of the Interior is preparing to amend current law to prevent convicted murderers, rapists, traitors, drug traffickers, and other perpetrators of serious crimes from changing their name.

11.07.25 NEWS ... Ministries and other institutions in Estonia may be violating the law in assigning tasks to unpaid interns which essentially amount to paid work, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

10.07.25 NEWS ... The wooden desks in the Session Hall of the Riigikogu are getting an update this summer while Estonia's parliament is out on recess. As wiring inside the desks is being replaced, hand-scrawled notes left by various politicians and visitors over the years have come to light.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Previously, property owners in Estonia could only hand over unused properties to the state. Now, the government has approved an amendment to the Law of Property Act allowing unwanted real estate to be transferred to local governments instead.

10.07.25 NEWS ... The Mulgi Experience Center in Southern Estonia is collecting urine to produce a traditional dye known as "pot blue," once commonly used in local folk dress in the Mulgimaa region, Lõuna-Eesti Postimees writes.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Two helicopters which collided in a fatal accident in Finland in May and which killed five Estonian citizens were not following formation flying procedures, the Finnish Safety Investigation Authority (OTKES) has announced in a preliminary report, public broadcaster Yle reported.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Lawyer Paul Keres has called for official oversight to be issued towards the Internal Security Service (ISS), Õhtuleht reported, claiming the authority's monitoring of individuals during the course of investigations is illegal.

10.07.25 NEWS ... An Estonian student company founded by three Põlva high schoolers has placed fourth at a European Junior Achievement competition in Greece with their innovative edible birthday candles, Lõuna-Eesti Postimees writes.

10.07.25 NEWS ... Estonian saunas continue to be a vital part of the daily routine of volunteers, many of them Estonian, serving in Ukraine, "Ringvaade" reported.

09.07.25 NEWS ... The Center Party has proposed making public transport free for all residents in Tartu, following Tallinn's example. Mayoral candidates from other parties in this fall's local elections disagree.

09.07.25 NEWS ... In 1985, Olev Muska released his groundbreaking debut album "Old Estonian Waltzes" — widely considered the first Estonian electronic dance album. Now, 40 years later, the Australian-born artist is back with its sequel, "New Estonian Waltzes."

09.07.25 NEWS ... This fall, more international students are expected to begin studies at Estonian universities than in recent years, with the largest numbers coming from Azerbaijan and Ukraine and strong interest in business, the humanities, the arts and ICT, among other fields.

09.07.25 NEWS ... By midday Wednesday, more than 50,000 people had signed a citizens' initiative calling on the Riigikogu to lower the value-added tax on food products to 10 percent.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Much of Estonia's forests are open to hikers, campers and other visitors. Forest management experts shared practical tips for responsibly enjoying nature — from bringing your own firewood to keeping noise down and pets leashed.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Belarusians in Estonia celebrated midsummer, known as Kupalle, on Sunday (July 6) with a concert at Paavli Culture Factory in Tallinn.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Like many previous festivals, last week's Estonian Song and Dance Festival in Tallinn was largely muddy, leaving singers' and dancers' folk dress in need of careful cleaning. While many performers care for their own folk dress, a small cleaner's just outside Tallinn has a professional who specializes in it.

09.07.25 NEWS ... Veteran conductor Neeme Järvi is recovering in the hospital this week after a fall on the conductor's podium during the final encore of the Song Festival in Tallinn on Sunday night.

09.07.25 NEWS ... The number of children in need in Estonia has risen by 28 percent compared with four years ago. School and child protection support networks are already overloaded.

08.07.25 NEWS ... In the Setomaa village of Miikse, St. John's Day according to the Julian calendar was marked on Monday with the reconsecration of the village's strikingly renovated Orthodox church, the Southern Estonian edition of daily Postimees writes.