26.07.25 NEWS ... With the recent hot spell prompting the Environment Agency to issue a weather warning, weekly Maaleht listed many of the best places to cool off with a dip, both by the sea and at freshwater sites by rivers and lakes.

26.07.25 NEWS ... Another outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been detected on an Estonian farm and will require the slaughter of thousands of infected livestock.

26.07.25 NEWS ... The position of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) on the obtaining of banking details via the official enforcement register is that it has done so legally, the authority's head, Matis Mäeker, told ERR.

26.07.25 NEWS ... LHV Pank issued a penalty claim of €247,000,000 to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) because the bank had to respond to the fact its client data had been misused, the bank's chief, Kadri Kiisel, said.

26.07.25 NEWS ... While the state Health Insurance Fund currently does not monitor doctors' business activity, it plans to change the current funding model starting next year in the context of financial shortages in healthcare at a time when some family doctors make substantial profits via other means.

26.07.25 NEWS ... The national poison information hotline has received nearly 60 calls relating to suspected poisoning from toxic berries and mushrooms so far this summer, with a worrying trend arising around the number of small children ingesting such plants.

25.07.25 NEWS ... Estonian bank LHV Pank is claiming €247,000,000 from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) over the alleged unlawful access of the bank's data, including transactions and bank account statements, over a five-year period.

25.07.25 NEWS ... Emergency rooms at Estonia's larger hospitals report they are still overloaded despite a fourfold hike in the specialist medical care referral fee earlier this year.

25.07.25 NEWS ... Initiating supervisory proceedings over the Internal Security Service (ISS) in connection with surveilled phone calls remains unjustified, and a prominent lawyer recently calling for these proceedings was merely trying to influence a client's court case, Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said.

24.07.25 NEWS ... Light vehicle traffic accidents have fallen by 45 percent in Tallinn during the first half of the year, data from the Transport Administration shows.

24.07.25 NEWS ... The number of people being admitted to the University of Tartu Hospital's Psychiatric Clinic emergency department is higher than usual this summer, says Henel Paadik, head of general psychiatry. He added that summer is always a difficult time.

23.07.25 NEWS ... Two men installed the flag of occupied Soviet Estonia on the wall of the writer's house in Tallinn on Tuesday afternoon for a second time. Riigikogu member Jaak Valge (ERK) said that he and poet Andres Aule were responsible. Police have initiated criminal proceedings.

24.07.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of the Interior is not initiating administrative oversight over the Internal Security Service (ISS) on the covert surveillance of individuals. Lawyer Paul Keres said the reasons for this as given by the ministry amount to "demagoguery."

24.07.25 NEWS ... Moscow's 1980 Olympic Games took place 45 years ago this week, and the sailing regatta was held in Tallinn. Former sports commentator Kalev Vapper covered the event and believes the capital made good use of the opportunity.

24.07.25 NEWS ... Wednesday saw the 85th anniversary of the publication of the Welles Declaration, which the United States used to condemn the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

23.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's Enterprise and Innovation Foundation (EIS) said streamer IShowSpeed's team confirmed there are no plans to go to Russia, after online rumors circulated that riled officials in Latvia and Lithuania.

23.07.25 NEWS ... If organizations opt to require employees to come to the office, the benefits of doing so should be clearly explained to employees, occupational psychologist Triin Hellamaa said.

23.07.25 NEWS ... The Health Board (Terviseamet) is taking new water samples from a beach near Tallinn's ferry harbor after three children who had been swimming in the area had to go to hospital after falling sick.

23.07.25 NEWS ... A seven-story residential and commercial building is under construction near the newly opened bridge in Estonia's summer capital Pärnu, which will open in July 2026.

23.07.25 NEWS ... A petition to reduce the VAT rate on food products from 24 percent to 10 percent has now gathered a record-breaking 70,000 signatures.

22.07.25 NEWS ... A red flag has been flying at several of Estonia's popular swimming beaches in recent days due to poor water quality, thought to be the result of this summer's heavy rain.

22.07.25 NEWS ... Drinking stations have been opened across Tallinn for hedgehogs and other small animals to find clean water.

22.07.25 NEWS ... Starting January 1, 2026, having qualified lifeguards on duty will become mandatory for all water parks and swimming pools. The requirement will also apply to pools in schools and kindergartens, which may lead to additional costs for local governments.

22.07.25 NEWS ... Estonia's wild boar population in Estonia's forests is now too large, and a higher hunting quota, of up to 18,000, is needed for this season, to halt the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), the Environmental Board (Keskkonnaamet) said.

21.07.25 NEWS ... The Prosecutor's Office will take a fraud case concerning former high-ranking police officials to the Supreme Court, arguing that several key pieces of evidence were overlooked.

21.07.25 NEWS ... Tallinn has launched a new pilot project to redevelop the oldest apartment blocks in the Mustamäe district, revamping the exteriors and making the interiors more energy-efficient. But the plans come at a price – reduced parking spaces.

21.07.25 NEWS ... The Ministry of Social Affairs wants hospitals and care homes to stop using ambulances as a taxi service to transport non-emergency patients. But who will pay for an alternative service?

21.07.25 NEWS ... Drivers caught speeding by the police will once again be offered the choice between a 45-minute "time out" period or a fine as the force looks for ways to influence Estonia's driving culture.

21.07.25 NEWS ... On Sunday, the renovated Munamäe Park in downtown Pärnu was opened, now featuring two playground areas.

20.07.25 NEWS ... On Saturday evening, the Rescue Board evacuated 17 people from an apartment building in Rummu, Harju County due to a chemical contamination, and two of them were sent to the hospital for medical evaluation.

19.07.25 NEWS ... A trail camera in Ida-Viru County picked up a bull elk with a bit of a health problem, Maaleht reported.

18.07.25 NEWS ... Instances of forest blueberries damaged by fungal growth have not yet been seen in Estonia, though this does not mean it is not present, experts say.

18.07.25 NEWS ... The recent visit to Estonia by famous YouTuber IShowSpeed has brought focus on some of Estonia's own influencers, including Mallukas, Brigitte Susanne Hunt and Kristina Pärtelpoeg, and more specifically their financials.

18.07.25 NEWS ... A man and a small child died after an ATV was found to have driven into a culvert in Peipsiääre municipality, Tartu County on Thursday morning.

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.