Shooter Veikko Tihvan has made Estonian sports history by winning the FITASC Compak Sporting World Championships in Rio Salso, Italy.

A bill aimed at clarifying the Financial Intelligence Unit's (FIU) access to banking data and restoring its ability to conduct on-site inspections has passed its first reading in the Riigikogu.

An internal security advisory to the interior minister urges basic background checks for people in critical posts, a need heightened by recent security developments. Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) calls for a separate law to resolve the legal issues.

The pre‑shoots for the historical film "Ümera jõel" ("On the Ümera River"), based on Mait Metsanurk's novel and held in Ida‑Virumaa, gave the filmmakers a sense of what the Estonian‑Latvian‑Finnish co‑production might become.

Sunday marked 87 years since the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed. The agreement, between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, paved the way for Estonia's over 50 years of occupation.

Saaremaa Municipality has preserved a key piece of local heritage by completing a €3.4 million renovation of the over 200-year-old Laimjala manor house, which now brings a local district center, library, school, and kindergarten together under one roof.

Before beginning negotiations with Sweden on the prison‑rental agreement, the Ministry of Justice commissioned an analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to assess under what conditions renting out Estonia's prison places would be economically reasonable, and it turned out that this begins from 300 places.

Seventy-four members of the Riigikogu will nominate Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise for president on Monday as the nomination period draws to a close.

Top Estonian chess player Mai Narva defeated Chinese grandmaster Zhu Jiner in both rapid and blitz finals at the WR Women's Chess Tour event in Maputo, Mozambique.

Russia's behavior has remained unchanged in the nine decades since the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

By August 31, an additional traffic lane will be added at the Hipodroomi intersection in Tallinn, restoring two lanes of traffic in each direction instead of the current 2+1 traffic arrangement.

Revised GDP figures showing Estonia's economy performed better than previously thought should prompt the government to reconsider past spending cuts and restore funding disproportionately taken from culture, Kaarel Tarand writes.

Healthcare workers often have to resolve language barriers with non‑Estonian‑speaking patients on their own, because the healthcare system lacks a structured translation service and funding, writes Jekaterina Maadla.

Renouncing Russian citizenship has become several times more expensive since August. Interior Minister Igor Taro said it is too early to assess whether the price increase will also lead to a decline in the number of applicants.

"Lihtsad uudised," meaning easy or simple news, is for anyone who wants to improve their Estonian language skills. Listen and read a selection of this week's news stories below.

Russia is still attacking Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and pressuring the front but losing more troops than it recruits, Estonian military intelligence said Friday.

Many still face barriers using Estonia's 112 emergency line, including deaf people and those unable to speak safely in an emergency, as full accessibility is pushed to 2027.

Estonian residents most prefer Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise for president among the candidates presented so far, according to an Emor survey commissioned by ERR. Madise was the most popular choice among voters of every party except EKRE.

Poland's success shows that rapid economic growth is entirely possible even with a more complex tax system and a progressive income tax. It would be nice if we could shed the dogma before the elections that the only virtue of a tax system is simplicity, not to say primitiveness, Indrek Neivelt writes.

Estonian government plans to make a fundamental decision during September's state budget talks on the scope and supplier of long‑range air defense systems, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

Kino Sõprus cinema chain showed its first film at Priisle Park in Tallinn's Lasnamäe district last week and is planning several outdoor screenings across the city in the coming weeks.

The Kaamos art scholarship, awarded for the first time last year, is this year intended for artists over 60. The amount of the scholarship is 25,000 euros.

Although Tallinn has fewer direct destinations, Tallinn Airport is still the largest airport in the Baltics in terms of revenue, surpassing both Latvia and Lithuania, says airport chief Riivo Tuvike. Last year Tallinn Airport's revenue was 74 million euros.

A total of 7,500 people, a record number, took part in Ironman events in Tallinn and Harju County, backed by volunteers who supported athletes on land and water.

The Estonian Artists' Association (EKL), together with an expert commission consisting of art historians, critics and art‑market specialists, selected the works that will go to an emergency auction to partially cover the financial damage caused by a fraud scheme. The auction will also include 124 newly donated works from artists.

President Alar Karis and Sirje Karis arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning to take part in events marking Ukraine's Independence Day.

Tallinn's Fringe Festival marks its 10th anniversary this year, and writer Todd Williams explains how to make the most of the month-long event taking place around the Estonian capital until September 18, and why there's something for everyone.

Estonian athlete Henry Räppo won the Ironman Tallinn 70.3 for the second year running. In the women's race, Italy's Marta Bernardi took victory, with Liis Kapten finishing third.

The impending arrival of Saturday's storm saw kitesurfers head out to catch the wind and the waves ahead of it making landfall.

French triathlete Remi Conte won the full-distance Tallinn Ironman on Saturday. The first Estonian finisher placed 10th.

There is a high probability that 50-100 millimeters of rain could fall in Tallinn and the surrounding area this evening and overnight. The heavy rainfall could cause disruptions or overloads in the sewer system.

It increasingly seems that Estonia is becoming a victim of its own past success. There is too much nostalgia for the successful models of decades past and too little willingness to take risks or engage in open debate about the challenges of a new era, Tõnis Saarts finds.

The shopping center in Kryvyi Rih that was hit by a Russian drone attack on Friday belongs to a company called Arricano Real Estate, which is owned by Estonian investors.

Estonian politician Siim Kallas, a former prime minister, foreign minister and vice president of the European Commission who also held several other senior positions, died overnight Friday into Saturday.

Iceland Square, located in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Tallinn, was formally opened on Friday with a new Iceland‑inspired appearance.

Estonia's lower level of agricultural support was taken into account when calculating funding for the next EU budget period. This increased Estonia's allocation by roughly €546 million. The European Commission left it to Estonia to decide how to use this opportunity, writes Hendrik Johannes Terras.

After five years in Kadriorg, Estonian President Alar and First Lady Sirje Karis are looking ahead to what's next, with plenty of chores to catch up on at home.

On Friday morning, the period during which members of the Riigikogu can submit presidential candidates officially began, but Ülle Madise's supporters plan to deliver her documents to the National Electoral Committee only on Monday.

District heating will cost more this winter, with higher wood-chip prices expected to push up heating bills in many parts of Estonia.

A rare trio of calf triplets born in late July took their first trip outside this week, at a farm in Järva County.

A week before the start of the new school year, 1,893 basic school graduates in Estonia are without a school place; of them, 761 live in Tallinn, said Kadi Serbak, adviser at the Ministry of Education (HTM).

The government will begin discussions on next year's budget and the state budget strategy at Stenbock House on Tuesday.

British electronic act Morcheeba is to return to Estonia next spring. The band last performed in Tallinn just last year.

The Americanized Estonian has become a fixed stereotype in Estonian culture through which people express fear of the disappearance of the Estonian language and identity, according to a study.

The rental market has picked up as autumn and the start of the school year approach, but the number of available living spaces has decreased by almost 10 percent this year and prices have risen.

Support for the opposition Social Democrats (SDE) rose four percentage points to 18 percent in August, according to a recent survey.

Forty-three percent of respondents support frontrunner Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise becoming Estonia's next president, while 36 percent do not, according to a Norstat poll commissioned by the Ühiskonnauuringute Instituut.

A book of condolences has been opened at the Stenbock House in memory of former prime minister Siim Kallas, who passed away at the start of the weekend, aged 77.

Ukraine must receive everything it needs to defend itself, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said as he arrived in Kyiv for an NB8 summit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Level 2 storm which hit Estonia on Saturday has started to subside, though strong winds and rain are still forecast for Sunday.

Special needs may vary, but barriers often arise in the same places, write young people with special needs Diana Põder and Remi Gregori Sassi.

80 percent of serious electric scooter accidents do not happen because of a collision with another vehicle or person, but because the rider loses balance and falls, said ER doctor‑resident Kadri Ustav.

The Ministry of Education and Research wants to end automatic payments between local governments when children attend schools outside their home municipality.

The Finance Ministry says farmers' fears of losing more than €100 million in EU agricultural funding are unfounded, with €2 billion planned for the sector for 2028–34.

The law currently prevents the state from publishing a list of companies that conduct business with Russia and Belarus, said Minister of Economic Affairs Erkki Keldo (Reform Party). He also could not say whether the law should be amended for that purpose.

Environment Agency forecasts heavy rain, thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 20 meters per second over the weekend and at the start of next week. More difficult weather conditions may lead to trees and branches breaking and cause power outages, grid operator Elektrilevi warns.

The Canadian Estonian community is already celebrating the long-awaited KESKUS International Estonian Center in Toronto as construction enters its final stretch.

Practically the same number of voters prefer Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu and Estonian Center Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart as a potential prime minister.

On Monday morning, Estonian police handed over eight men from Somalia to the Latvian border guard at the Ikla checkpoint.

The 35th anniversary of the restoration of Estonia's independence was also marked by a concert on Toompea featuring several well-known acts to the public.