Minister of Education Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200) said that as long as the war in Ukraine continues, the budget deficit cannot be reduced ahead of schedule, as this would mean cutting defense spending. Kallas added that after the war ends, it will be possible to reassess priorities.

Although the Baltic Sea is warming rapidly, increasingly intense cold spells have begun occurring in its coastal waters. A study by researchers at TalTech found that the phenomenon is driven by the combined effects of wind, shallow coastal waters and cold air.

Minister of Education Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200) said that as long as the war in Ukraine continues, the budget deficit cannot be reduced ahead of schedule, as this would mean cutting defense spending. Kallas added that after the war ends, it will be possible to reassess priorities.

The recently renamed Free Party has not yet decided whether it can afford to compete in the next Riigikogu election and will make that decision as circumstances develop, party leader Märt Meesak tells ERR.

Starting Wednesday, July 1, the cost of mixed municipal waste collection for households will increase by an average of 30 to 50 percent. The increase is tied to higher pollution charges on the incineration and landfilling of mixed municipal waste.

A new survey on religion shows that traditional church‑based religiosity in Estonia is continuing to decline, and most Estonian residents do not consider themselves followers of any religion. The study also found that attitudes toward religion differ sharply between Estonians and Russian‑speaking residents.

Läinud nädalal Venezuelat tabanud kaks võimast maavärinat kahjustasid või hävitasid enam kui 58 000 hoonet, selgub USA kosmoseagentuuri NASA teisipäeval avaldatud satelliidiandmete esialgsest hinnangust.

Aiapidajate seas suurt viha tekitanud regionaal- ja põllumajandusministeeriumi 1. juulist kehtima hakkav määrus, mis käsib üle 0,5 hektaril köögivilja kasvatavatel inimestel oma põld üles anda, läheb ikkagi ümbertegemisele.

The blast was caused by an explosive device which appeared to contain bolts and pellets, the head of Monaco's government said.

The male suspect who has been arrested was in a custody dispute over his baby daughter, police say.

Three in five homes listed for sale since January remain on the market, says property portal Zoopla.

The Fire (Financially Independent, Retire Early) movement sees followers save as much as possible.

Iran rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to cooperate on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, warning Paris against intervening in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the bid to have a group of countries, including France and the U.K., work together to demine the waterway, arguing it violated the existing provisional peace agreement Iran signed with U.S. President Donald Trump. “According to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, demining is carried out solely by Iran and by no other country, and we fundamentally do not permit any such thing,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. Calling the situation “sensitive and complex,” he added: “We strongly advise France not to complicate it further with its provocations.” The remarks were a direct response to Macron, who earlier on Monday said he had discussed the maritime mission with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and agreed to safeguard shipping and guarantee “free and unconditional passage” through the waterway. Tehran also cast doubt on the U.S.-Iran talks expected to take place in Doha this week. Following an exchange of strikes over the weekend, Washington and Tehran agreed to halt attacks and resume talks on Monday. President Trump announced discussions would take place in Doha, but on Monday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei insisted no negotiations with the United States were scheduled. “We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days,” he said. The latest disagreement underscores how fragile the ceasefire remains. The June 17 agreement gave Washington and Tehran 60 days to implement a 14-point memorandum covering navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and negotiations toward a permanent truce, but both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating its terms.

ASML builds the machines that make the world’s most advanced computer chips possible. Novo Nordisk pioneered the drug class, reshaping how medicine treats obesity. Mistral established a strong position in open-source AI. Each is a European champion. Each was built in Europe. What makes these achievements remarkable is that they emerged despite structural challenges, many of which Europe has to contend with. Europe’s venture capital pool is roughly 75 percent smaller than the US, and large European companies invest around €700 billion less per year in capital expenditure and research than their American peers. In fact, recent McKinsey Global Institute research confirms that investment cases are harder to make work in Europe than elsewhere across sectors—from pharmaceuticals to machinery. The fact that Europe produces world-leading companies despite this environment speaks to the quality of what is already here. It is proof of what European talent and institutions can produce. The opportunity now is to give companies like these the runway to sustain and extend their leads. Global capital increasingly sees Europe as a place to build, not simply to consume, frontier technologies. The momentum is already building. European venture capital volumes have grown roughly four- to five-fold over the past decade. Private equity fundraising reached record levels in 2024. Private credit assets have grown fivefold in a decade to more than €430 billion. Global capital increasingly sees Europe as a place to build, not simply to consume, frontier technologies. The task now is to accelerate what is already working. We see four themes that could help do exactly that. The first is giving world-class European companies the ecosystem they need to scale at home—backed by concrete public-private investment. When ASML committed to expanding its semiconductor cluster in Eindhoven, the Dutch government and regional partners responded with a €2.5 billion public-private investment covering energy, transport, housing, and talent. This is an inspiring model: targeted partnerships around an anchor company that build a world-class ecosystem faster than broad regulatory reform alone ever could. Europe would benefit from more of these. Imagine if Europe’s single market were as seamless as it sounds. The second is unlocking Europe’s internal market as a genuine home advantage. Like so many others before and after Spotify, a Swedish company with a world-class product, had to navigate 27 different licensing regimes before it could operate across Europe as a single business—and ended up scaling through the United States first. Imagine if Europe’s single market were as seamless as it sounds. Estimates suggest remaining barriers are equivalent to a 44 percent tariff on goods and more than 100 percent on services—meaning there is enormous upside simply in completing what has already been started. The most promising path is a Europe-wide “28th regime” of common, investment-friendly rules that scale-ups and multinationals can opt into. Progress on EU Inc. is encouraging; leaders could extend it into other arenas, for example, incorporation law into labor rules and product-market regulation. Third, Europe can mobilize more of its own considerable capital—starting with pension allocations to venture and growth funds. European households collectively hold more than €30 trillion in financial assets. Directing even a modest additional share toward growth companies, innovation, and infrastructure would transform the funding landscape. SoftBank’s plan to back what could become Europe’s largest AI facility in France shows the appetite is there. Progress on the Savings and Investment Union is promising; the same momentum can now unlock pension and institutional capital for venture and growth investment, as reforms in Sweden have shown, but at a European scale that matches broader ambition. The momentum is real and building. Fourth, Europe can use its public demand more strategically to propel technology leaps. At €2 trillion a year, EU public procurement dwarfs any venture capital or private equity pool—and it can more proactively spur new industries. Defense already demonstrates the power of this approach: since 2021, European defense spending has risen by roughly 75 percent, driving investment, innovation, and industrial expansion across sectors. What began as a security imperative is now strengthening advanced manufacturing, supply chains, skilled jobs, and frontier technologies. The same logic applies in healthcare, energy, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies—coordinated procurement can create the demand that scales promising companies into global leaders while strengthening both competitiveness and resilience. Europe’s strengths run far deeper than the three companies we highlighted. Its healthcare systems, infrastructure, industrial base, and talent are easily among the strongest in the world. On almost any measure of quality of life and living standards, Europe holds its own against other regions. The continent already has the ingredients that will matter most in the decades ahead: world-class companies, scientific excellence, industrial depth, engineering talent, and strong institutions. The momentum is real and building. The question is how quickly Europe can turn more of its breakthroughs into global champions. That will be a function of ambition, speed, and investment scale—and on all three, Europe is certainly well positioned and moving.

The outgoing PM succeeded in enabling genocide and failed miserably at improving the lives of ordinary Brits.

Paraguay's longshot win against Germany in the Round of 32 is the latest in a long line of World Cup knockout boilovers.

Thirteen countries with a free trade agreement with Brussels have their quota reduced by just one-thirdBusiness live – latest updatesThe EU has halved the amount of duty-free steel it will accept from abroad, but has agreed to higher levels of imports for more than a dozen trading partners including Britain.The curbs are designed to reduce cheap Chinese steel coming into the bloc. However, 13 countries with a free trade agreement (FTA) with Brussels, including the UK, have had their quota reduced by just one-third. Continue reading...

Normally safe principality left reeling from apartment blast, which also injured Vadym Iermolaiev’s wife and childPolice in Monaco are searching for a suspected bomber after a Ukrainian-born business tycoon, his wife and their child were injured in an unprecedented attack that has shaken the normally ultra-safe principality.The Monaco government said a suspect had left a parcel bomb in the lobby of a residential building that exploded shortly before 9pm on Monday, causing what officials described as a “powerful explosion”. Continue reading...

Decision to slash duty-free quotas and double rate to 50% follows similar moves by the UK, US and Canada

Paraguay declares national holiday after penalty shootout victory