The three-day Lennart Meri Defense and Security Conference will take place in Tallinn from Friday, drawing top politicians and experts to the event. You can watch the discussions live on ERR News.

Current Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has been in office as a government minister for a total of 4,227 days, while Marko Mihkelson just became the longest-serving Riigikogu member over 23 years and six compositions of the parliament.

The three-day Lennart Meri Defense and Security Conference will take place in Tallinn from Friday, drawing top politicians and experts to the event. You can watch the discussions live on ERR News.

Current Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has been in office as a government minister for a total of 4,227 days, while Marko Mihkelson just became the longest-serving Riigikogu member over 23 years and six compositions of the parliament.

The government has approved new pet identification rules requiring dogs and cats to be microchipped and recorded in a nationwide registry.

The U.S. will not appeal the fraud conviction and lenient punishment of Estonian crypto millionaires Ivan Turõgin and Sergei Potapenko, allowing them to return to Estonia.

Swedbanki 2026. aasta tööstusuuringu kohaselt peavad Eesti tööstusettevõtjad peamisteks riskideks konkurentsivõimelise omahinna tagamist ning piisava likviidsuse säilitamist. Samal ajal tõusetub üha teravamalt küsimus tööjõu järelkasvust – kust tuleb järgmine põlvkond töötajaid ning kuidas neid tööstussektorisse tuua.

Eesti Saalihoki Liit teatab, et mõneaastase pausi järel kokku kutsutavat U19 koondnaiskonda hakkab peatreenerina juhendama endine tipplaskesuusataja Krista Lepik.

Two children are among at least 16 killed in Ukraine's capital in massive Russian drone and missile attacks, officials say.

Drones bound for Russia crashed down in Latvia last week, prompting a political fallout.

Analysts say the moves have been fuelled by concerns a Burnham-led government would increase government borrowing.

The regulator say the energy supplier breached licence conditions aimed at protecting customers in vulnerable situations.

KYIV — Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war on Friday, each freeing 205 people as part of a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that is expected to involve 2,000 prisoners in total. “Today, warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning from Russian captivity. This is the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement. Most of the Ukrainian soldiers who returned today had been in Russian captivity since 2022, according to Ukraine’s state coordination hub for the treatment of prisoners of war. “They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at Azovstal, in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kyiv sectors, and at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Zelenskyy added. Trump announced earlier this month he had brokered a three-day ceasefire, which included the prisoner exchange deal between Kyiv and Moscow. But Russia’s Ministry of Defense made no mention of a U.S. role when it confirmed 205 Russian soldiers had returned home Friday, crediting the United Arab Emirates with having provided “humanitarian mediation efforts.” President Zelenskyy thanked “everyone working to bring our people home.” This is the second time the U.S. brokered a 2,000-prisoner exchange since May 2025, when the sides agreed on a deal without a ceasefire. The swap started as Russia and Ukraine continued attacks on each other’s territory.

It’s the big, bright annual event that is supposed to bring Europeans together around their television sets. But, beyond the stage, the Eurovision Song Contest has an unmistakably political side. As preparations get underway for Saturday’s final in Vienna, EU leaders — and national broadcasters — say that’s something they know well. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told POLITICO that the most “emblematic” Eurovision song of all time is ABBA’s 1974 hit “Waterloo.” The Swedish classic was “more than just a Eurovision winner,” she said, “it became part of European cultural heritage and launched one of the most iconic pop groups in history.” The song that “moves me the most,” the German politician went on, “is ‘Ne partez pas sans moi’ by Céline Dion, which won [for Switzerland] in 1988. What a voice, what emotion.” And, from the more recent entries, “I think the energy in ‘Euphoria’ by Loreen in 2012 is unmatched!” The song won for Sweden, and Loreen went on to win the contest again in 2023. A spokesperson for European Council President António Costa said that his favorite Eurovision entry is Portugal’s 1974 chanson “E depois do adeus” by Paulo de Carvalho. While the song failed to win the contest, it became the anthem for the Carnation Revolution just three weeks later, ushering in the country’s democratic transition. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas did not respond to a request for their favorite Eurovision songs. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the participation of the Baltic states, Poland and Ukraine in Eurovision has been seen as a symbol of the continent’s unity. Kyiv’s 2016 entry, “1944” by Jamala, won the contest with lyrics in the Crimean Tatar language testifying to the Stalin-era deportation of her great-grandmother from the peninsula, illegally occupied by Russia since 2014. Eurovision is traditionally marked by parties and viewings hosted by Brussels’ diplomatic corps — last year, for example, the incoming Danish presidency of the Council of the EU threw a joint reception with the embassy of Switzerland. This year, however, is a more muted affair. Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia declared they would boycott the competition over the continued inclusion of Israel, which is represented this year by Noam Bettan. Brussels hosted a “United for Palestine” event on Tuesday that was billed as an alternative to Eurovision. Bettan has spoken of his “shock” after his semi-final performance on Tuesday night was disrupted by boos and chants of protest. According to Israeli officials, there have been tens of thousands of antisemitic posts online in the lead-up to the contest. Miki Zohar, Israel’s minister of culture and sports, has said calls for a boycott are “shameful and hypocritical.” The contest, he said, “is a celebration of music, culture and brotherhood between nations, not a platform for scoring political points.” Bookmakers have Finland’s “Liekinheitin” as the favorite to win Saturday’s grand final, with the top entry selected by both national juries and a public vote.

The world's third-largest oil importer announced increased fuel prices and austerity measures due to the energy crisis.

Displacement and violence haunt Palestinian Bedouins, forced from their homes repeatedly since the Nakba of 1948.

The death toll included three children, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy saidBack to Ukraine, 36 countries and the European Union have backed plans for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.It looks like the tribunal, long in the making, is now getting closer to being actually established. Continue reading...

Under aviation regulator proposals rival companies would bid to design and build parts of airport expansionBusiness live – latest updatesHeathrow could be forced to allow other companies to design and build its third runway and new terminal after the UK aviation regulator argued that rival bids could keep construction costs down.A long-awaited review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) proposes changes to the regulatory model that governs how Heathrow runs and covers its costs. Continue reading...

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch remains a wild card in May 22 vote for Dublin seat

Plus, crypto’s not money