Saarde municipality said the halted Kikepera bog restoration can continue after determining the work does not qualify as construction, a reversal that ends a months‑long permit dispute but leaves the project at risk of missing its deadline.

Although a large share of Estonia's population is served by public water supply and sewerage systems, not all properties are connected to the network. For many property owners, the main obstacle is the high cost of connecting.

Parliamentary parties will spend this week discussing ways to agree on a joint candidate in an effort to elect the president in the Riigikogu. Members of the European Parliament elected from Estonia believe reaching a consensus is possible.

Several of Estonia's political parties have already begun campaigning for the next Riigikogu elections, hanging banners and ordering newspaper adverts, which will take place in March 2027.

Saarde municipality said the halted Kikepera bog restoration can continue after determining the work does not qualify as construction, a reversal that ends a months‑long permit dispute but leaves the project at risk of missing its deadline.

Although a large share of Estonia's population is served by public water supply and sewerage systems, not all properties are connected to the network. For many property owners, the main obstacle is the high cost of connecting.

Ühendkuningriigi teadlased tegid kindlaks, et siilid, tarbivad ohtrasti mikroplasti, ning üllatusena on peamiseks allikaks lemmikloomatoit. See avastus tekitab küsimusi nii lemmikloomade kui ka metsloomade tervise kohta.

Sri Lanka võitleb viimaste aastate ühe ulatuslikuma dengepuhanguga, kasutades droone sääskede sigimiskohtade tuvastamiseks ja likvideerimiseks, vahendab The New York Times.

The pilot and 10 passengers - including five first-time parachutists - died in the incident, local officials said.

An estimated 150 million people have been experiencing temperatures of over 35C across Europe.

The tobacco industry is grappling with declining demand for traditional cigarettes.

It comes as regional rivals like Taiwan, China and Japan are investing heavily in chip factories and other technology.

The July revision of the EU ETS Directive will determine whether the EU can reconcile it with industrial competitiveness. In short, whether it can achieve decarbonization without deindustrialization. EU’s global competitiveness gap is growing Europe now operates in a very different environment than when its climate policy was originally designed. According to forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), EU economies are expected to remain among the slowest-growing in the G20 in the coming years, while the gap between Europe and major competitors such as the United States and China continues to widen.[1] European industry faces structurally higher energy costs. This is not a short-term fluctuation but a trend. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Electricity 2026 report underlines the scale of the challenge. EU electricity prices for energy-intensive industries remained elevated in 2025, averaging more than twice American levels and almost 50 percent above those in China. Wholesale electricity prices followed the same pattern: the EU recorded the highest levels among the markets analyzed by the IEA, matching the twofold gap with the United States, while standing significantly above levels in India, Australia and Japan. The report also points to the role of EU ETS prices in maintaining upward pressure on electricity costs.[2] If European industry pays much more for electricity than its global competitors and, at the same time, bears higher climate-related regulatory costs, policymakers cannot simply take it for granted that companies will remain, invest and create jobs within the EU. The EU ETS revision: time to rebalance priorities A growing number of stakeholders are highlighting the rising cost burden imposed on EU citizens. The costs associated with the EU ETS already account, on average, for 11 percent of industry electricity prices in the EU. However, in many countries it is substantially more. Poland records that figure at around 50 percent, despite the country having already decommissioned 22 GW of coal-based capacity between 2010 and 2022.This cost is already proving to be an obstacle to accelerate electrification in many member states. If European industry pays much more for electricity than its global competitors and, at the same time, bears higher climate-related regulatory costs, policymakers cannot simply take it for granted that companies will remain, invest and create jobs within the EU. The fact that it is not just about the figures is illustrated by examples such as the latest report on the EU chemical industry (CEFIC). It shows that chemical plant closures in Europe have increased sixfold since 2022, reaching 37 Mt of capacity — around 9 percent of European production capacity — and leading to the loss of 20,000 direct jobs. The report also points to a sharp slowdown in new investments, with energy cost competitiveness cited as the main reason for closures in 49 percent of cases, ahead of demand-related factors (19 percent), overcapacity (9 percent) and regulation (8 percent).[3] “Business as usual” won’t work In this context, it is worth referring to the conclusions of the European Council of March 19, in which heads of state and government called for the EU ETS review to “reduce the volatility of the carbon price and mitigate its impact on electricity prices.”[4] This message was reaffirmed in the June European Council conclusions, which recalled the need to accelerate work on lowering energy prices.[5] The key to restoring Europe’s industrial competitiveness lies above all in affordable and secure energy. For many industries, it is the foundation of competitiveness. The EU’s climate policy model, based mainly on CO2 allowances cost pressure, might be rational in a world where the EU enjoyed a strong economic position, and had no serious competitors capable of scaling industrial production cheaper and faster. But that is not the world we live in anymore. The key to restoring Europe’s industrial competitiveness lies above all in affordable and secure energy. For many industries, it is the foundation of competitiveness. This is why EU competitiveness should not be built primarily on imposing high EU ETS costs on the European industries. Moreover, planned large-scale electrification requires particular attention to the energy sector. EU ETS reform: a solution for all 27 member states is needed Three elements should be at the heart of the upcoming reform. Addressing the link between carbon costs and power prices would bring down energy costs across the entire EU in a systemic way, which would be far more effective than the current subsidy race. In order to do so, we propose increasing the predictability of CO2 prices by making intervention in the EU ETS market more realistic. Moreover, a specific volume of energy directed to final customers should be exempted from the obligation to purchase allowances. In exchange, installation operators should reduce their emissions by a specified percentage to comply with the EU 2040 and 2050 climate targets. The volume of energy corresponding to the emission volume should be allocated directly to industrial end users, at a price that reflects the absence of carbon costs. Market liquidity needs to be restored. With the current EU ETS parameters, the supply of CO2 allowances on the primary market will end around 2040. The Market Stability Reserve (MSR) will be empty by that time and will not be able to mitigate supply constraints, which will probably occur due to economic recovery after the end of the war in Ukraine, the increase in EU defence capabilities and insufficient supply of decarbonized gases to replace natural gas. Therefore, to prevent a market squeeze, the EU ETS revision should, in the first place, substantially reform the MSR parameters. The already presented proposal to abolish the invalidation of allowances by the MSR is the right move, but more needs to be done. The current Total Number of Allowances in Circulation (TNAC) indicator is static and does not reflect the number of allowances held in speculative long-term positions. We suggest introducing a dynamic TNAC to better reflect market circumstances. We also recommend lowering the Linear Reduction Factor to reach climate neutrality by 2050, instead of the current 2040 target. What is more, peaking units, which ensure system stability and adequacy, should be exempted from the obligation to surrender allowances. International carbon credits should also be integrated with the EU ETS. A focus on affordability and investments is also needed.  Further decarbonization of power systems is becoming more challenging, as the remaining emissions are more costly and difficult to abate. The EU ETS auction revenues (estimated at €1.5 trillion by 2050) are expected to cover only 11 percent of the sector’s total investment needs. Since the whole economy benefits from energy infrastructure, initiatives such as the recently announced €30 billion ETS Investment Booster should support the energy sector. It is also of the utmost importance to maintain the Modernisation Fund in the post-2030 framework, which needs to be continued at the level of 4.5 percent of the total pool of allowances. Furthermore, the standard and additional allocation of free allowances for the district heating sector should continue after 2030. Key message The real test of the next EU ETS reform is not whether it drives decarbonization, but whether it can do so without driving industry away. Decarbonization has to strengthen the competitiveness of the entire EU, not only selected sectors, companies or member states. It should not be only for first movers, but for the entire European industry. [1] OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report March 2026 | OECD, [2] [3] [4] en-20260319-european-council-conclusions.pdf [5] en-20260319-european-council-conclusions.pdf Disclaimer POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT The sponsor is PKEE – Polish Electricity Association . The entity ultimately controlling the sponsor is PKEE – Polish Electricity Association. This article is linked to the revision of the EU ETS Directive. More information here.

The U.S. and Iran agreed Sunday evening to halt attacks in the Gulf and restart negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of strikes threatened their less-than-two-week-old ceasefire. Technical talks on the June 17 memorandum of understanding are expected to resume this week. Citing a U.S. official, Axios reported both sides had agreed to “stand down for now” and allow commercial vessels to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not publicly confirmed the agreement. The move to resume talks came after four days of renewed hostilities in the region, with Washington and Iran accusing one another of violating the June 17 ceasefire, which called for an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts.” After an Iranian projectile struck a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the U.S. military on Saturday said it had struck Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communications systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelaying capabilities. Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after fresh American strikes in southern Iran. The exchange of strikes prompted new threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump warned that if Tehran abandoned the agreement, “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist” and said the United States was prepared to “militarily finish the job.” Iran, meanwhile, threatened to suspend negotiations altogether. Washington has proposed this week’s talks take place in Doha. The discussions could begin as early as Tuesday and are expected to center around the use of the Strait of Hormuz. The latest round of negotiations is meant to build on the high-level talks held in Switzerland earlier this month. During those discussions, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Iranian officials to hammer out the ground rules for future negotiations that are expected to delve into complex issues including Iran’s nuclear regime and U.S. sanctions.

Historians and Greek community members say 1918 riots in Toronto reminiscent of anti-immigrant rhetoric, xenophobia now.

Two countries sign economic and security pact, as China expresses concern that the agreement may be targeted at it.

Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 40C on Sunday As a record-breaking heatwave swept across Europe, the Balkans remained on alert for sweltering temperatures on Monday, prompting health warnings and sparking wildfires, AFP reported.Although heat was easing in parts of western Europe, temperatures were expected to climb again in the continent’s east on Monday. Continue reading...

President says attacks on infrastructure are causing ‘obvious’ problems but that they are ‘not critical’Vladimir Putin has admitted Russia is facing fuel shortages as Ukraine steps up its long-range drone campaign, with repeated strikes setting oil refineries ablaze and forcing multiple regions to introduce unprecedented petrol rationing.Speaking to Russian state television late on Sunday, the Russian president acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure were affecting domestic fuel supplies. “Of course, they create problems, that’s obvious,” Putin said. “Right now we’re observing a certain shortage, but it’s not critical.” Continue reading...

Andy Burnham is right to argue for a shift in power but he has to manage political risk

State media increases pressure in advance of high-stakes negotiations with Brussels