Culture Minister Heidy Purga has signed an order granting cultural‑monument status to the Burman Villa in Mustamäe district, Tallinn — a building whose owner sought demolition permission last year.

"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.

A group of well‑known Estonian public figures on Friday proposed retired major general Riho Ühtegi as a candidate in the country's upcoming presidential election, saying Estonia needs a direct, trusted leader with strong security credentials.

The ruling Reform Party would support Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise's presidential candidacy if she opts to run, party leader and Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.

A fresh fruit retail chain has been offloading products past their best-before date without adequately notifying the public.

The Muraste viewing platform in Harku Municipality, built to connect the community, has turned out far more popular than expected. But locals say the beautiful view is overshadowed by poorly parked cars, noise and litter problems.

Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus sõlmis Euroopa rahutagamisrahastu (EPF) rakendajana Moldova kaitseministeeriumi ja Kanada kaitseettevõttega Roshel lepingu Moldovale soomustransportööride hankimiseks.

Egiptuse koondis saabus neljapäeva hommikul Dallasesse, et valmistuda sõelmänguks Austraaliaga, kuid kohalikku hotelli jõudes ootas neid ees ebameeldiv seik.

Forecasters are warning of further extreme temperatures on the continent in the next few days.

Monaco's prosecutor's office says the suspect is no longer in Monaco.

Employers are being urged to use their "common sense" to allow staff to work flexibly where they can.

Wedding lists are being replaced by cash requests, but guests are divided over how much to give.

Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu announced his resignation on Friday, putting an end to the pro-European government he led since last November. “I accepted the proposal to be Prime Minister with great responsibility and with the firm belief that I can contribute to changing things for the better,” he wrote in a post on his Facebook page. “But the moment I understood that I could no longer exercise my mandate in accordance with the principles and beliefs I have, I chose to leave.” Moldovan President Maia Sandu appointed Munteanu to the premiership in November of last year. Both politicians backed policies geared toward facilitating the Eastern European country’s speedy accession into the EU. But Munteanu’s stint as head of the country’s government was undermined by scandals that have rocked Moldova’s ministries and state-owned enterprises. Last month Dumitru Vangeli, head of the MOLDATSA civil aviation safety agency, was dismissed after his university diploma and pilot’s license was determined to be forged. On Thursday Ministry of Agriculture State Secretary Tatiana Nistorică was detained on suspicion of bribery. Vangeli publically denied the accusations, while Nistorică has not yet commented on her case. At the press conference following Munteanu’s resignation Sandu said she expected “greater involvement in difficult decisions, a stronger public presence to listen to people’s concerns.” She also pushed back against Munteanu’s statement implying that he had not been free to address the challenges the country faces. “Speculation that he wanted to combat abuses but was not permitted to do so is false,” she said. “The prime minister had a free hand to run the government as he saw fit.” The president also said she would hold consultations with party leaders next week in a bid to name the country’s next prime minister, whom she said would also focus on pro-European policies. “Moldova’s path remains unchanged: reforms and EU accession,” she wrote on X. Moldova was accepted as a candidate for EU accession in 2022, and last month the bloc’s member countries voted in favor of opening the first cluster of accession negotiations with Chișinău. Sandu has been the most visible face of the pro-EU drive, and leads the political opposition to the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, which is currently the country’s second-largest party.

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White insisted Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire was left spotless after his lavish celebration marking 250 years of American independence, as Belgian authorities probe whether fireworks damaged one of the capital’s historic buildings. “We are in immediate contact with the Belgian company that was hired to coordinate all event logistics, including the fireworks company,” White wrote on X on Friday. He said the contractor would “remediate where it is required” and insisted that “Cinquantenaire has never looked any cleaner than it was the day after we cleaned up after our event,” posting photographs of the park looking immaculate. More than 8,800 invited guests attended the June 28 celebration — one of the biggest diplomatic receptions ever staged in Brussels — organized by White, featuring a large fireworks display beneath the triumphal arch and a gala held in Cinquantenaire’s Royal Museum of Art and History building. The ambassador’s response came after Flemish newspapers De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad reported that Belgium’s Buildings Agency had opened an investigation into possible damage to the museum. According to the newspapers, inspectors found firework debris on the roof, scorch marks on parts of the building and minor damage to a statue. A spokesperson for the Buildings Agency declined to comment to the Belgian outlets on the scope of any repair work: “That will depend on the results of all analyses.” Belgian Buildings Minister Vanessa Matz has urged caution, saying investigators must first determine whether any damage was caused by the fireworks display or by the severe thunderstorm that swept across Brussels the previous night. The celebration reportedly cost around €5 million, with White raising the money from roughly 220 Belgian and American companies.

Argentina fans flood Miami for Cape Verde match

Iran begins seven-day state funeral for late ayatollah as some 100 foreign delegations arrive under a tense ceasefire

Suspect seen in Germany after attack apparently targeting tycoon Vadym IermolaievThe main suspect in a Monaco bomb attack this week that seriously injured a Ukraine-born business tycoon and two of his family members is a Ukrainian woman living in Germany who disguised herself as a man, authorities have said.Interpol, the international police organisation, on Friday issued a red notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, aged 39, describing her as German-speaking with dark hair and a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow. Continue reading...

Numerous wildfires are raging across parts of France and Spain, after record temperatures in Europe caused dry conditions and a worsening drought. Two thousand firefighters battled several wildfires fanned by strong winds along France's Mediterranean coast on Thursday, while Spain’s military emergency unit (UME) said it had deployed more than 100 personnel and about 40 vehicles to support firefighting efforts in the Aragon regionWeather tracker: Heatwave breaks June temperature records across Europe Continue reading...

Prosecutors issue international arrest warrant for woman believed to have fled to Germany

Proposed EU law threatens investment in the bloc, warns carmaker Xpeng