03.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's new nationwide school admissions system, SAIS3, is behind schedule, forcing 9th graders to apply to vocational and high schools this spring using older platforms.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Pärnu fixture Vladimir Fetšin, better known by locals as Pudeli-Vovka, left his mark on the city, collecting bottles while quietly helping neighbors.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Stereotypes about groups like arrogant Mulks and jokester Hiiu islanders don't hold up: a unique study of 80,000 Estonians found personalities remarkably similar nationwide.

03.02.26 NEWS ... ERJK chief Liisa Oviir has sent an inquiry to the Reform Party over an unpaid invoice to software firm ADM Interactive, warning it could count as a prohibited donation.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Transporting critically ill newborns across the city puts lives at risk, pediatricians warn, calling for a maternity hospital next door to Tallinn Children's Hospital.

03.02.26 NEWS ... A ferry servicing Hiiumaa, Estonia's second-largest island, ran aground Tuesday morning amid worsening sea ice conditions.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta says the Danske Bank money laundering case revealed that corruption is not currently being adequately prevented in financial institutions.

03.02.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of the Interior plans to shift some firearms exam duties from the Police and Border Guard Board to private firms — a move prosecutors question and fear may raise costs.

31.01.26 NEWS ... Some of Estonia's islands are facing the worst ice conditions in a decade, halting ferries and forcing residents to rely on hovercraft of ATVs for deliveries of essentials.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's coldest winter in around 25 years is set to last through month's end, bringing a chillier-than-usual Independence Day on February 24.

03.02.26 NEWS ... According to state data, the average monthly cost of raising a child last year was nearly €600. There is no clear consensus on whether or how to offset this to boost birth rates.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Police have initiated over 1,000 misdemeanor proceedings for the public display of banned symbols of aggression since April 2022, when the new law was introduced. But one lawyer says the law has caused more problems than it solves.

02.02.26 NEWS ... With a ministerial decree, Estonia is raising its monthly conscript benefits by a third, boosting monthly support €35–75 depending on rank.

02.02.26 NEWS ... This year's winter fishing season on Lake Peipus may be one of the longest in recent memory. After several mild winters, severe frosts have set in, with fishers once again flocking to the ice.

02.02.26 NEWS ... 2026 in Estonia began with a much colder, drier and sunnier January than usual, ranking among the coldest starts to the year in the past 25 years.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Chef Orm Oja doesn't consider the concerns of the restaurant sector to be a national priority as there are far more pressing issues in society. However, he acknowledged that throughout his professional career, it's always been something — be it the financial crisis, COVID, tax hikes or wars — and he honestly doesn't know what "good times" in the restaurant business are supposed to look like.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise submitted a request to the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional parts of the Traffic Act that do not allow for partial refunds for the motor vehicle registration fee in cases where the vehicle is stolen, destroyed, or otherwise deemed unusable.

02.02.26 NEWS ... As the country's wintry trails get busier, walkers say skiers often intimidate them, while skiers complain casual walkers are damaging already groomed trails.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Stockpiling Agency holds crisis food reserves for a week for the whole population. The government has asked for this to be doubled, but the agency's funding will not reach that far. What is Estonia's actual ability to help its people in a crisis?

02.02.26 NEWS ... As Estonia's banks shrink branch networks in favor of online services, many residents, especially outside major cities, still struggle to manage their money digitally.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Spotify raised its prices in the Baltics by 18–25%, now charging nearly €12 per month. Estonia's authors' group sees gains, but critics say artists won't benefit.

02.02.26 NEWS ... On Friday, Tartu Circuit Court upheld a 2023 ruling acquitting Deputy Mayor Priit Humal and businessman Parvel Pruunsild of official misconduct charges.

02.02.26 NEWS ... While the Transport Administration has said it will not open official ice roads this year due to its budget, locals in Läänemaa have made their own and travel is at one's own risk.

01.02.26 NEWS ... A shop that has been operating for 100 years in Pärnu County is planning to close its doors due to falling revenue. However, the store is important for the residents of a nearby island, who want the state to support the business.

01.02.26 NEWS ... The Estonian state plans to create smaller pig farms in the future to protect farmers against African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks, but the continued spread of the disease in Europe and falling pork prices are making investments difficult.

31.01.26 NEWS ... A full closure of Estonia's eastern border is one option in response to Russia's illegal border crossing last month, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

31.01.26 NEWS ... A major sting operation overseen by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led to 28 arrests in Estonia, while at least one suspect is still on the run.

30.01.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Social Affairs wants to change the law on student vaccinations in schools, giving young people more rights to make decisions about their own health. School nurses have been waiting a long time for the change, while parents believe a public discussion is needed first.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Ahead of Independence Day, President Alar Karis will award a record 203 state decorations to Estonians across diverse fields and supporters abroad.

30.01.26 NEWS ... From March 16, public transport fares in Northern Estonia will go up as a new joint ticket is launched allowing unlimited travel across trains, city lines and county routes.

30.01.26 NEWS ... An MP brought a Bolt Food bag into the Riigikogu this week, sparking a brief standoff, though a bill on foreign labor being processed still passed, Postimees reported.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Healthcare providers have been required for just over a year to carry liability insurance, but speech therapists and dentists say premiums have risen too much.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's colder-than-average January shows no sign of letting up, as a prolonged spell well below freezing tests public transport and utilities and prompts safety warnings.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Henrik Hololei was released from office over a probe into gifts received from Qatar, Politico writes.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia is moving to make school vaccinations opt-out, not opt-in, as nurses emphasize letting students have a real say in their health-related decisions.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Chairman of the management board of Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) Erik Roose speaks candidly about the organization's severe financial strain and what it means for ERR and Estonian culture more broadly. Roose notes that ERR's services cost each Estonian just eight cents per day, yet the organization's inflation-adjusted budget has shrunk by one-third over the past 18 years.

29.01.26 NEWS ... The sunny weather on Thursday allowed a NASA satellite to capture images of Estonia and its surrounding area. It is estimated that nearly 90,000 square kilometers of the Baltic Sea are currently covered with ice.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Estonian officials are considering legislative changes that would prevent convicted domestic violence offenders from legally changing their name, Delfi reports.

29.01.26 NEWS ... With temperatures continuing to plunge across Estonia, locals are using the bitter cold as a time-honored way to air out their woolens, sheepskins and other textiles.

29.01.26 NEWS ... As rigid ideas about how women should behave persist, Estonian choreographer, poet and critic Sveta Grigorjeva says feminism is actually vital for all genders to thrive.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Banks in Estonia are weighing up whether to adopt an upgraded version of the Smart-ID authentication tool, due to be rolled out next month.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Officials in Estonia remain opposed to allowing over-the-counter drugs in supermarkets, even as they consider permitting home delivery directly from pharmacies.

27.01.26 NEWS ... King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary wrapped up a two-day state visit to Estonia on Wednesday, stressing the importance of a strong friendship in unpredictable times.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Bolt taxi drivers in Ida-Viru County have this week gone out on strike, in protest over the low fares they are able to charge via the platform.

28.01.26 NEWS ... The cold winter has led to Pärnu Bay freezing over as far as the island of Kihnu, as well as a solid layer of ice in many other places, Maaleht reported.

28.01.26 NEWS ... A resident of the South Estonian town of Valga getting surprised by the appearance of a drone outside their third-floor window late at night has raised the question of how the right to privacy is governed when it comes to drones, Lõuna Postimees reported

28.01.26 NEWS ... Income tax declarations start on Feburary 16 this year and refunds will begin at the start of March for those who submit them online, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board said on Wednesday.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Kersti Kaljulaid told ERR in an interview she has not considered running again for president of Estonia. However, she noted that some politicians have previously told her she is seen as a highly competent leader in foreign affairs — but a nuisance domestically.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Civil defense in Estonia has been addressed at a snail's pace by the government given the war in Ukraine is nearing its fourth anniversary, Rescue Board Director General Margo Klaos said.

28.01.26 NEWS ... A planned hearing on e-voting audit system flaws was blocked by coalition MPs Monday, but officials overturn claims that 8,000 voided e-votes were vulnerable.