Estonia's Air Force received its first IRIS-T SLM mobile air defense missile system unit on Monday, which will boost the country's air defense allowing it to engage threats at a greater distance.

The Estonian Defense Forces want to retain the right to search civilians' phones and smart devices under new legislation drawn up by the Ministry of Justice to reduce the scope of checks.

Estonia plans to become the first country in the world to introduce digital identities for AI agents to better regulate the industry, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) has said.

A campaign post featuring EKRE founder Mart Helme was removed from social media after using Alo Mattiisen's 1988 hit "Isamaa ilu hoieldes" unauthorized.

The Estonian Defense Forces want to retain the right to search civilians' phones and smart devices under new legislation drawn up by the Ministry of Justice to reduce the scope of checks.

Estonian universities will launch new programs and revise admission criteria for the 2026/2027 academic year, aiming to update curricula and address labor market needs while keeping study places largely unchanged.

Kujutage ette mobiilimasti, mis ei seisa maa peal ega lenda kosmoses, vaid hõljub kuude kaupa 20 kilomeetri kõrgusel taevas. Just sellist lahendust valmistuvad katsetama ettevõtted, kes usuvad, et tuleviku internet võib tulla stratosfäärist. Idee lubab paremat levi, väiksemat viivitust ja lihtsamat ühendust olemasolevate telefonidega. Ent enne suurte lubaduste täitumist tuleb tõestada, et süsteem töötab ka päriselus. Kas seni ulmena kõlanud kontseptsioon võib peagi muutuda igapäevaseks sideinfrastruktuuriks?

Bigbank/Kalev ja treeneritöö jätkamine samas organisatsioonis oli Kris Killingu jaoks loogiline samm, mis toetub nii klubi pikemale visioonile kui ka isiklikele ambitsioonidele. Uus leping, mis näeb ette koostöö jätkumist mitmeks hooajaks, kinnitab tema rolli meeskonna abitreenerina ka lähitulevikus.

The heatwave conditions are forecast to intensify in the coming days across central and western Europe.

If Kostyantynivka falls, Russian forces would be able push towards Ukraine's last remaining strongholds in the east.

The airline describes the latest bid approach from Castlelake as "highly opportunistic".

As chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan became the world's most high-profile banker.

LONDON — The Keir Starmer era is over. And Andy Burnham is preparing for power within weeks. Britain — heading for its seventh leader in a decade — has become used to the familiar spectacle of prime ministerial resignations. But the speed of events Monday still shocked even seasoned observers. Assuming no-one else can muster the 81 MP nominations required to launch a Labour leadership bid, Burnham — the popular former mayor of Greater Manchester who found a path back to parliament through a decisive special election win late last week — will now walk to a Labour coronation on 17 or 18 July. That’s right after parliament closes for recess. If there is a contest, the new PM is expected to be in post once parliament returns on September 1. Starmer’s resignation Monday capped days of intense deliberations, and months of turmoil in his governing Labour Party, which is tanking in the national polls less than two years after winning an election landslide and desperately looking for a way to turn things around. The outgoing prime minister — who will stay on to oversee the transition to a new leader — spent the weekend speaking with his closest allies and his wife Victoria. Despite vowing to stay on and fight, he arrived at the realization that no reasonable route to staying in office existed. Some aides said the inevitable was clear when it became even harder than usual to find ministers willing to bat for the PM on the media following the result of the Makerfield by-election. “That was one sign among many,” said one. Events then moved quickly. Special advisers received the instruction Sunday night to be in No.10 for 9 a.m. Monday — all-but-confirming that the PM intended to resign. Aides were quiet as they shuffled into the state banquet room to wait for news. Soon, Co-Chief of Staff Vidhya Alakeson appeared and read out a statement to confirm what was happening and how the process would unfold, according to numerous people who were there, granted anonymity to speak freely. At one point she choked up and had to pause. The decision to go had been kept tight enough not to leak until a little before Starmer’s statement. Civil servants in the building said it felt different to the past few prime ministerial resignations, arguing that Starmer is departing in a dignified manner rather than amid scandal or after losing an election. Still, the decision is a heavy one. Once Alakeson had imparted the news, aides moved to the entrance hall and waited behind the No.10 door for the signal. Starmer’s Co-Chief of Staff Jill Cuthbertson told people not to hide at the back of the crowd if there was a risk they might break down in tears. Then the team filed out onto the pavement to listen to Starmer make his speech at 9.30 a.m. “The question being asked now is not who was best placed to change the Labour Party, to take us into power and to begin the vital work of improving lives for millions of people,” Starmer said after listing his achievements in opposition and in government. “Those questions have been answered. The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.” After pledging to remain in post until a successor is confirmed and to give that successor “unequivocal support,” the PM fought back tears as he said: “When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad, and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children who are my pride and my joy.” After the PM returned through the famous black door of No.10 Downing Street with Victoria, he made another speech thanking staff — in particular those who have been there from the start. He said the super-human effort, moments of kindness and extra hours worked were all for the good of the nation and had been noted and appreciated. “It will make a difference to people who you will never meet, who will never know what you did,” he told them, according to one paraphrased account that others confirmed. “That’s what really matters.” He also thanked those who worked in the building to look after his wife and kids, and spent time talking to people one-on-one in the garden over teas and coffees. Starmer then returned to his office, but is spending time Monday night with those closest to him for another thanks. Once the resignation was announced, Starmer allies David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, Richard Hermer, the attorney general, and Jenny Chapman, international development minister, were soon out on the street singing his praises to the cameras. There were also warm words on social media too from a host of cabinet colleagues — including some who had been urging him to quit just days before. Burnham and Streeting make their moves Then came the two most important tweets in SW1. It was 11 a.m. when Burnham confirmed he will indeed seek to enter No.10. Then Streeting — who had talked up his own leadership bid and resigned from Starmer’s cabinet just weeks ago — confirmed minutes later he was rowing in behind Burnham. “We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our Party and our country needs,” Streeting said in a statement. Streeting spoke to Burnham twice in the past week before deciding to pull out — including one-on-one over the weekend. It means Labour’s leadership contest appears to be over before it has begun. Potential challenger Al Carns, who quit last week as a defense minister, has still not ruled out a run — although there is doubt he could amass the 81 nominations from Labour colleagues needed to make it on to the ballot. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester who quit Westminster in 2017 as Labour struggled under leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn, arrived at Manchester station around 11.20 a.m. for an Avanti train that was supposed to arrive at London’s Euston at 1.09 p.m. It was, like many British rail services, late. A news helicopter diligently followed the train from above. “Everyone has lost their minds,” said one Labour aide about the footage. After arriving in London, Burnham brushed off a reporter asking whether he might call an election, before slipping into a cab via the Euston goods exit. Burnham reached parliament around 2.15 p.m. and entered via the route next to the Red Lion, a popular Westminster pub. Around 15 minutes later he was being sworn into the Commons chamber — in a rare suit and tie for a man who has made everyman dress a trademark — to huge cheers from colleagues and a heckle from the opposition. He went from there to parliament’s Westminster Hall for a selfie with Labour MPs — where he gave a little fist pump and signed an autograph for a member of the public on a visit. He posed for a few more individual selfies and shared hugs with colleagues. Even Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the top finance minister widely expected to be removed by Burnham, turned up for the celebrations. Nigel Farage — whose poll-topping Reform UK might benefit from such a vote — was quick to demand a general election, something Burnham, if he wins, is under no obligation to offer. Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said Brits are “sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them.” This account originally appeared in London Playbook, POLITICO’s twice-daily guide to what’s driving the day in British politics. Dan Bloom contributed reporting.

ATHENS — Belgian authorities issued a European arrest warrant for Greece’s former European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in connection with the Qatargate scandal, according to two senior Greek officials involved in the judicial process who were granted anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the issue. The Qatargate scandal broke out in December 2022 — after Avramopoulos had left the Commission — when Belgian police launched a series of raids on properties and offices in Brussels, arrested key suspects, and seized bags of cash in one of the biggest corruption investigations to hit the EU. The core allegations are that suspects linked to the European Parliament accepted money or gifts in exchange for doing Qatar’s bidding. “The former commissioner is charged with participation in a criminal organization, with authorities linking the case to the income he received from a nongovernmental organization at the heart of the scandal,” said one of the senior Greek officials. Belgian authorities summoned the former commissioner to testify almost a year ago, but he did not show up, said the second senior Greek official. Former member of the European Parliament Pier Antonio Panzeri, former MEP Eva Kaili and her husband Francesco Giorgi were arrested and are facing charges of corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization as part of the Qatargate investigation. They have been released from jail pending trial, but there has been little progress in the case over the last couple of years. Avramopoulos — who is currently a member of the Greek parliament and served as migration commissioner from 2014 to 2019 — was an honorary board member of the Fight Impunity NGO, which Panzeri founded. Avramopoulos resigned from the organization as soon as the scandal broke out. Belgian authorities called on the former commissioner to testify last year, but he did not follow up. “My involvement in Fight Impunity was from the beginning completely without executive or management responsibilities,” said the former commissioner in a statement when he resigned. He said he was paid €73,000 by the NGO between February 2021 and February 2022. “This case never had anything to do with me,” said Avramopoulos in a statement issued on Monday. “The issue that was attempted to be linked to my name was closed three years ago, with full institutional transparency and the seal of approval from the European Commission, following a decision signed by its president, Ursula von der Leyen. Any attempt by the Belgian authorities to reopen it and implicate my name in any issue concerning Fight Impunity — whether through baseless allegations or the distortion of facts — is arbitrary, unacceptable, suspicious and will be met with every legal means available.” For the arrest warrant to be executed, the Greek parliament would have to vote to lift Avramopoulos’ immunity. “Although this is a completely baseless matter, I state unequivocally that I will not invoke any parliamentary immunity. On the contrary, I will personally turn to the Greek justice system, requesting that the matter be fully investigated and a ruling be issued,” he added.

Petrol prices lead the surge with a 33.2 percent price increase on an annual basis.

Israeli attacks intensify across southern Lebanon despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

José Luis Ábalos found to have taken bribes on Covid-era public contracts in damaging blow to Pedro SánchezSpain’s supreme court has jailed the former transport minister José Luis Ábalos for 24 years for taking bribes on public contracts for sanitary equipment such as ‌face masks during the Covid pandemic.Ábalos’s aide, Koldo García, was jailed for 19 years in a trial that is one of several scandals to have enveloped the government of Pedro Sánchez over recent months. Continue reading...

Russia intercepted 300 Ukrainian drones across the country and temporarily suspended operations from Moscow airportUkraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to Starmer setting out his plans to resign as Britain’s PM, telling him he would always be “a welcome guest” in Ukraine for his support to the wartorn country.In a statement on his social media, he said:“Keir, thank you for all our cooperation, your support, and the joint decisions that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger. The United Kingdom has been, is, and will remain among the world’s leaders. Here in Ukraine, we deeply value Britain, and every meeting and every conversation we have had has always been filled with real substance. Continue reading...

Juan Carlos Peinado has led criminal probe into Begoña Gómez for the past 2 years

Herta Müller’s The Village on the Edge of the World is a searing chronicle of resilience and humanity that offers a corrective to nostalgia for communism