05.10.24 NEWS ... 68 percent of Estonian citizens see the future of the EU in a positive light, according to the results of the European Parliament's first Eurobarometer survey since this summer's EU elections.

05.10.24 NEWS ... Nature guide Bert Rähni says that nature tourism is a growing trend. He shares the charms of Estonia's untouched nature with visitors from Western Europe, the U.S. as well as India.

05.10.24 NEWS ... In mid-September, a puppy mill with 87 dogs was discovered operating in Tallinn. While the dogs are currently under the care of the nonprofit Varjupaikade MTÜ, the dogs' owner has taken the matter to court, blocking them from being rehomed.

05.10.24 NEWS ... The country's biggest ever evacuation exercise is currently underway in Southern Estonia, rehearsing the evacuation of 800 people out of a danger zone on Saturday.

05.10.24 NEWS ... The new joint Paide Courthouse-State House, which opened its doors Friday, offers a modern working environment under one roof for 15 state institutions previously spread across several locations around town.

04.10.24 NEWS ... Vikerraadio's new show "Abroad and at Home" tells the stories of families that have been in the Canadian Estonian diaspora for generations. Host Ave-Marleen Rei learned a lot about their community, including how they, and their ties to the homeland, have changed over time.

04.10.24 NEWS ... In a proposal submitted to Minister of Culture Heidy Purga (Reform) by the mayor, Narva City Council's Narva group has stated that if city representatives appointed to Narva Museum's supervisory board aren't granted veto rights, then the city wants to withdraw from the museum foundation. The minister found the proposal baffling.

04.10.24 NEWS ... Changes made by the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (MPEÕK) to distance itself from Russia are insufficient, the Ministry of the Interior said this week. It also disagrees with its proposed new name.

04.10.24 NEWS ... Two major state agencies pulling their physical presence out of the South Estonian town of Põlva has raised fears both in the town, the surrounding area, and for other rural areas, of vital services being insufficiently provided.

04.10.24 NEWS ... In Estonia, pensions are paid out once a month, usually on the 5th. Until now, on months when the 5th fell on a weekend, the Social Insurance Board (SKA) would pay out pensions on the preceding Friday. Starting next year, however, this system will change somewhat.

04.10.24 NEWS ... One of the largest solar parks in the Baltic States opened on Thursday in Lääneranna Municipality, Pärnu County.

03.10.24 NEWS ... This Friday, October 4, a new series will premiere on Vikerraadio that tells the story – through the lives of diaspora Estonian families living in Canada –of remaining Estonian abroad.

03.10.24 NEWS ... Members of the Estonian government said on Thursday that it may not make sense to appoint a new special representative for Ida-Viru County, following the recent resignation of Jaanus Purga after less than a year a his post.

03.10.24 NEWS ... An expert assessment has revealed that the potential negative impact of the expansion of the Estonian Defense Forces' (EDF) Nursipalu Training Area as well as activity there on area protected natural objects is largely preventable – and that in cases where prevention isn't possible, compensatory measures can still be taken to mitigate harmful effects.

03.10.24 NEWS ... The Environment Agency wants to change the law so it is only obliged to assist protected species in distress, rather than all animals, to save resources.

03.10.24 NEWS ... Rising prices and competition have seen the use of Tartu's self-service public Tartu Smart Bike Share system fall by a little over a quarter compared to its first year in service. Even so, the city has no plans to scale its bikeshare back.

03.10.24 NEWS ... Secretly filmed footage shown by investigative show Pealtnägija revealed appeared to reveal brutality and unsanitary conditions at on of Estonia's largest egg farms.

03.10.24 NEWS ... Next week, Tallinn Social and Healthcare Department will host a conference and fair for residents with a migrant background to provide information and integration support.

03.10.24 NEWS ... Under agreements made within the Estonian government, the Social Insurance Board (SKA) must cut nearly €800,000 from its budget for next year. The agency is closing several service offices as well as slashing funding intended for things like family mediation services or support for families offering foster care. In the years to follow, SKA will be expected to make even bigger budget cuts.

02.10.24 NEWS ... Rail Baltic Estonia (RBE) on Wednesday announced an international procurement for the construction of the Rail Baltica railway from Ülemiste in Tallinn to the Estonian border in Ikla. The large-scale procurement is divided into two parts, with a total estimated value of €932 million.

02.10.24 NEWS ... In a recent panel discussion, former Supreme Court Justice Eerik Kergandberg and attorney Oliver Nääs found that the collection of information in criminal proceedings should be more clearly regulated by law. Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) ex-chief Arnold Sinisalu says info collection is less frequent than people might think.

02.10.24 NEWS ... This year marks 75 years since the popular snack kohuke first went on sale in Estonia. But while it is viewed by some as a national dish, the small curd bar's roots lie elsewhere.

02.10.24 NEWS ... The City of Tallinn will redevelop part of Pärnu maantee into a "European-style urban space" and designs can be reviewed until October 15.

02.10.24 NEWS ... On Wednesday morning, Foodsharing Tartu chief Kerly Ilves told ETV's "Terevisioon" that instead of throwing food away, some supermarkets in Tartu now give it directly to food rescuers to distribute to community fridge and cupboards across town. Everyone, however, can save food right at home by using up ingredients that are about to expire.

02.10.24 NEWS ... Under a recent legislative amendment, inmates in Estonia's prisons will have more freedom of movement within prison facilities than they had before.

02.10.24 NEWS ... The social sector's biggest cost driver, pensions, remained untouched by cuts due to Social Democratic Party (SDE) opposition, because cutting pensions or reducing the pension index in Estonia is inconceivable, Minister of Health Riina Sikkut (SDE) said in an appearance on ETV's "Esimene stuudio" on Tuesday.

02.10.24 NEWS ... The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has yet to establish ownership of a controversial monument which commemorates those who fought for the Nazi German side in World War Two and which the authority seized a month ago.

01.10.24 NEWS ... Tallinn city government has made the fundamental decision to buy out the Kalamaja Basic School building from its private partner, the Urmas Sõõrumaa-owned Vivatex Holding. Valued at €5.15 million, the deal will make it possible to move ahead with building an addition onto the Põhja-Tallinn school building.

01.10.24 NEWS ... The average air temperature in Estonia in September was a record-high 15.8 degrees Celsius (C), falling 0.2 degrees short of the record broken just last year. Several other daily temperature records were set last month as well.

01.10.24 NEWS ... The Academy of Sciences' Cybersecurity Commission did not identify any "very high" risks in e-elections, but found possible "medium risk" threats a new report published on Tuesday shows.

01.10.24 NEWS ... The Estonian government's planned tax hikes will bring with them an additional 2 percent tax on payouts from second and third pension pillars.

01.10.24 NEWS ... Based on an updated curriculum, starting this year, basic school shop and crafts classes in Estonia are required to be gender-neutral. While the transition is still underway in many schools, according to the Ministry of Education and Research, the bigger concern is in parents' mindsets.

01.10.24 NEWS ... Since August, the number of thefts that have occurred in Southern Estonia has gone up significantly. Police have managed to catch several of the culprits with the help of public surveillance cameras.

01.10.24 NEWS ... The new year will likely be bringing with it a more limited train schedule in Estonia, thanks to €3 million in planned cuts to passenger rail operator Elron's budget combined with rising energy prices and infrastructure charges.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Tallinn Deputy Mayor for Education Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) recently discussed with the private Open School (Avatud Kool) the possibility of the latter continuing operations at a municipal school housed in a new building under construction on Karjamaa tänav.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Ukraine has developed its own version of Estonia's e-Residency project aiming to attract foreign investments and bring the country closer to the EU's digital market. The scheme has been created with the e-Governance Academy (eGA).

30.09.24 NEWS ... Next year, the Ministry of Social Affairs will be reducing the budget for implementing various social projects by half a million euros. To be cut by 20 percent is funding intended for issues including suicide and addiction prevention, child protection, family welfare as well as elderly advocacy.

30.09.24 NEWS ... The Tallinn Migration Center will begin operations at its new location on Endla tänav in Kesklinn from October 3.

30.09.24 NEWS ... This week, many people noticed that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) was auctioning off luxury gold coins and jewelry online. "Aktuaalne kaamera: Nädal" looked into why and what is being sold.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Local government and state representatives on the supervisory board of Narva Museum have once again ended up butting heads. The City of Narva wants to have more say in the running of the museum, but critics of the city administration see this as a conflict of values – one in which no concessions can be made to Narva.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Tartuvians can vote for ways to improve their city this week when voting opens for the participatory budget. This year there are 22 ideas to choose from.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Students and teachers are divided over a proposal to limit children using smartphones during school hours. Last week, dozens of psychologists and educators issued an appeal to the government for new rules.

30.09.24 NEWS ... Due to asphalt paving on Valukoja Street, the routes and stop locations of several bus lines in Ülemiste City will be temporarily altered on October 1 and 2.

29.09.24 NEWS ... According to the explanatory memorandum for next year's state budget, the budget of the Education and Youth Board (Harno) will increase by one-fifth. However, a representative of the agency stated that the state's actual spending is not increasing, and the growth in personnel and operating costs shown in the budget is due to technical adjustments.

28.09.24 NEWS ... A memorial service was held in Tallinn on Saturday in remembrance of the victims of the MS Estonia ferry disaster, on the event's 30th anniversary.

28.09.24 NEWS ... For as long as we remain focused on assigning blame in society, people in Estonia won't find solutions, Triin Käpp, minister of the University of Tartu's St. John's congregation (Jaani kogudus) said on Saturday.

28.09.24 NEWS ... The Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon), the Prosecutor's Office, and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) have all announced they have taken no steps to clarify the actions of a businessman who facilitated hundreds of small investors' funds into car rental platform Planet42, a firm which has reported financial difficulties.

27.09.24 NEWS ... On Saturday (September 28), the anniversary of the sinking of the MS Estonia ferry will be marked in Tallinn to remember the hundreds of people who lost their lives in the disasater.

27.09.24 NEWS ... Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church worldwide, has elevated the apostolic administration of Estonia to the status of a diocese, Postimees reported.

27.09.24 NEWS ... New and controversial questions will be removed from Estonia's driving theory test next week, the Transport Administration said on Friday. State fees will also be scrapped for anyone who took the updated test.