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.

08.07.25 NEWS ... More than 70 percent of foreign tourists visiting Estonia stay within Harju County, and few who reach Tartu travel further southeast. Southern Estonia as a whole is also seeing an increase in visitors who spend only a day or just one night in the region.

06.07.25 NEWS ... The final concert of the "Iseoma" Song and Dance Festival took place on Sunday with more than 32,000 performers and an audience of nearly 58,000 gathering at Tallinn's Song Festival Grounds.

08.07.25 NEWS ... On Monday, memorial benches honoring Estonia's legendary captains were unveiled with a ceremonial event at the Port of Tallinn's Old Harbor (Vanasadam).

08.07.25 NEWS ... The number of applicants using SAT scores for special admission to the University of Tartu has risen 38 percent over the past year. The Estonian university credits the increase to greater awareness of the popular U.S. standardized test and a broader rise in bachelor's program applicants.

03.07.25 NEWS ... On Monday, July 7, the official Eesti.ee app launched its feature allowing users to verify their identity directly via smartphone by submitting the digital data from their ID card or passport within the app.

08.07.25 NEWS ... Women make up the majority of readers in the Tallinn Central Library system, where visitors in 2024 borrowed not only books, but also everything from guitars and gardening tools to yoga mats, blood pressure monitors and seeds.

08.07.25 NEWS ... Last weekend's 28th Song Festival "Iseoma" mostly took place in the pouring rain – and not for the first time. The Environmental Agency installed a temporary rain gauge at the Song Festival Grounds to measure how much precipitation fell.

08.07.25 NEWS ... A legislative amendment that took effect in Estonia this month bans vehicles from stopping or parking on sidewalks to load goods — a practice previously allowed as an exception. For many Tallinn businesses, the change has made deliveries more difficult.

07.07.25 NEWS ... Amid practical concerns, Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) said the city government will need opposition support to eliminate kindergarten fees in the capital, as his party won't be backing the proposal.

07.07.25 NEWS ... An unusually cool summer and rising prices have led to a drop in tourism and a noticeable decline in revenue for small businesses in Southeastern Estonia in recent months.

07.07.25 NEWS ... Starting Monday, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) will begin sending SMS reminders to parents of children in the target group to get their kids vaccinated against HPV. The single-dose HPV vaccine is free for youth aged 12–18.

06.07.25 NEWS ... According to a master's thesis defended at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, some healthcare workers in Estonia do not trust their Russian-speaking colleagues in the event of an armed conflict.

06.07.25 NEWS ... Several universities received the highest number of applications in recent years. The most popular fields of study are related to medicine, psychology and education.

04.07.25 NEWS ... A bust of President Arnold Rüütel, created by sculptor Endel Taniloo, stands in the Rose Garden of the Presidential Palace in Kadriorg from Friday.

04.07.25 NEWS ... A newly approved government regulation stipulates that, starting next September, the school day will generally begin at 9 a.m. or later. This change will also impact Estonia's bus services, which are already struggling with a funding shortfall.

04.07.25 NEWS ... An Estonian volunteer fighting in Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade was killed in action last week near Borova in Kharkiv region, his unit confirmed Thursday.

04.07.25 NEWS ... It took nearly a month for Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna to respond to a written inquiry from MP Raimond Kaljulaid regarding the continued tourism trips to Tallinn by Belarusian nationals. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are in no hurry to sit down together to find a solution to the issue.

04.07.25 NEWS ... On Thursday, the government approved the establishment of a knowledge center for the crimes of communism and imperialism at the site of Patarei Prison in Tallinn. The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory will receive funding for the project.

04.07.25 NEWS ... The latest politician trust survey by Kantar Emor shows that Estonian residents continue to place the most trust in Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur, followed closely by Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi. Prime Minister Kristen Michal ranks only sixth and his trust rating has declined compared to the end of last year.

03.07.25 NEWS ... The Estonian government has approved new changes to the regulations on schools and the educational environment. The most significant change is that from September 2026, the school day will generally start at 9 a.m. or later.

03.07.25 NEWS ... A "dangerous" level two weather alert has been issued across northern Estonia by the Environment Agency as storms and strong winds are forecast later on Thursday.