Tallinn is raising back-to-school benefits for city schoolchildren this fall, with payments for first graders starting school nearly doubling.

A draft Family Law Act would require adoptive families to inform children of their adoption and would grant children the right to obtain information about their biological parents without the latter's consent.

Several new Estonian ambassadors to European nations have been appointed, including to Ukraine.

The chances of Estonia's next president being elected in the Riigikogu are slim, as the level of trust between political parties is extremely low, finds Social Democratic Party deputy chair Jevgeni Ossinovski.

Tallinn is raising back-to-school benefits for city schoolchildren this fall, with payments for first graders starting school nearly doubling.

A draft Family Law Act would require adoptive families to inform children of their adoption and would grant children the right to obtain information about their biological parents without the latter's consent.

2022. aasta 24. veebruaril alustas Venemaa režiimi juht Vladimir Putin sissetungi Ukrainasse. Pärast seda, kui Ukraina lõi tagasi pealetungi Kiievile, on lahingute kese kandunud Ida- ja Lõuna-Ukrainasse. Postimees kajastab 1540. sõjapäeva sündmusi allolevas blogis.2026/ukraina-kalender 

Suurbritannia peaminister Winston Churchill pidas 13. mail aastal 1940 Briti parlamendi ees ühe oma kuulsamatest kõnedest, mille meeldejäävaim rida oli «veri, vaev, pisarad ja higi,» mis on saanud aja jooksul ka kõne pealkirjaks.See oli Churchilli esimene kõne pärast peaministriks saamist.

Andriy Yermak was named by Ukraine's two anti-corruption agencies as a suspect in a money-laundering scheme.

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Bardella’s next dream: A Franco-German reset National Rally heavyweights cite the Merz-Meloni working relationship as proof that they, too, can work with Berlin. By MARION SOLLETTY and SARAH PAILLOUin Paris Photo-Illustration by Natália Delgado/POLITICO Jordan Bardella wants to break through Germany’s far-right firewall. As he prepares for a potential run for the presidency in 2027, the 30-year-old leader of France’s far-right National Rally is trying to soften his party’s historically hostile posture toward Germany and present himself as a leader with whom the country’s political establishment could one day do business. Bardella secretly met with the German ambassador to France earlier this year, and two senior National Rally officials — speaking on condition of anonymity to talk about internal party discussions — suggested he could make a trip to Germany in the coming months. Bardella “considers Germany an indispensable partner of France, therefore dialogue is necessary,” said Thibaut François, the National Rally’s secretary in the European Parliament and its point person for European affairs, confirming the party’s outreach to Berlin. There is “a very clear intent to have a relationship with the countries that matter, who are ahead of the pack in terms of population or wealth and steering things at EU level,” François said. For Bardella, reaching out to Germany is a chance to burnish his international credentials and signal to voters that he can manage relations with France’s partners in the EU. The far-right leader’s critics point to his youth and lack of executive experience as reasons he is not fit for France’s highest office. The party also knows it needs to reassure economically conservative voters who don’t share its defiance towards the EU and other European power centers. Rassemblement National (RN) president Jordan Bardella arrives to deliver a speech during the “Fête de la nation” gathering in Macon on May 1, 2026. | Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images Building ties with Berlin will require Bardella to overcome the German political establishment’s taboo against working with the far-right. Since the end of World War II, the country’s mainstream parties have agreed not to cooperate with parties like the far-right Alternative for Germany in governing or passing legislation. On the international stage, Berlin has shown more flexibility, working by necessity with nationalist leaders like former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. While the two National Rally figures cited above voiced hope that Bardella could meet with some government or CDU-affiliated figure, political and diplomatic etiquette makes such a meeting unlikely before the presidential election. As a sign of sensitivities in Berlin, the National Rally’s meeting with German ambassador Stephan Steinlein in February was kept under wraps until last week, when the AFP broke news of the visit. “It is part of an embassy’s role to talk to all political forces in its host country,” said a spokesperson for the embassy, declining to comment on what was discussed. A press representative for the party said no visit to Germany was in the works as of now, but Bardella’s inner circle has an example in mind for constructive collaboration with the EU’s economic powerhouse: The working relationship between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Meloni, who has recast herself in office as a more moderate figure after years on the political fringes. Bardella has publicly cited Meloni as an inspiration, and hopes are growing within his party that if he were to become president, he could work with the German and Italian leaders to push the EU in a rightward direction. In an interview with the German newspaper FAZ Tuesday, Bardella hinted at his hope of forming a power triangle with Berlin and Rome, citing migration as an issue on which the three capitals could have a common cause. “France and Germany, with Italy’s support, can consider new forms of cooperation on this issue,” he said. “Chancellor Merz is cooperating very pragmatically with Giorgia Meloni’s government,” said National Rally MEP Fabrice Leggeri, one of the party’s top figures in Brussels, noting ongoing tensions between Berlin and Paris under French President Emmanuel Macron. Bridge building A French appeals court will decide in July whether Marine Le Pen, the National Rally’s longtime de facto leader, will be able to stand in next year’s French presidential election. If Le Pen is barred from running for office. Bardella is the party’s official Plan B. Marine Le Pen arrives to deliver a speech during the “Fête de la Nation” meeting in Macon on May 1, 2026. | Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images One of his strengths is that he is seen as more free-market oriented than Le Pen, who rose to prominence as an anti-establishment figure who pledged to leave the eurozone. Bardella is seen as more appealing than his mentor to center-right, economically conservative voters — and more palatable to establishment figures in countries like Germany. As the leader of his party’s delegation in the European Parliament, Bardella hasn’t shied from criticizing the EU as too favorable to Berlin. Last month, he vowed to defend France’s interests in Brussels “in order to regain the comparative advantages that other European countries are already enjoying.” But National Rally officials think they can build bridges with the government in Berlin, citing the willingness of Merz’s Christian Democrats to push through policy in the European Parliament with the National Rally and other far-right parties. In the Parliament, the Christian Democrats are part of the European People’s Party, the dominant center-right force, while the National Rally belongs to the Patriots group, a collection of nationalist parties that bills itself as “the main opposition party in the European Union.” An official close to Bardella pointed to collaboration between the two on efforts in the European Parliament to slash EU bureaucracy and cut down on “punitive” green rules, even as they disagreed on other topics like energy policy.  Bardella told FAZ that he was ready to work with Merz on issues ranging from green rules and other business regulations to migration. “Beyond our differences of opinion, Franco-German relations form the foundation of Europe,” he said. “They are essential for securing the independence and strategic autonomy of European nations.” A high-profile breakup between the National Rally and the Alternative for Germany is also cited by National Rally officials as a factor that might make the Christian Democrats see their party as a more palatable working partner. “We can talk to everyone,” Leggeri said, describing the party’s role as a “bridge” between various right-wing groups in a fractured European Parliament. In addition to reaching out to Germany, Bardella is building a rapport with U.K. right-wing populist Nigel Farage, whom he congratulated on his election gains last week. The pair shook hands in London last December during one of Bardella’s most high-profile international trips to date. Bardella also traveled to Israel last year in a milestone for a movement marred by a history of antisemitism, and both he and Marine Le Pen have met with U.S. ambassador in Paris Charles Kushner.

Boycotts, protests and fears about vote-rigging are threatening to overshadow this week’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. At the center of the storm: Israel. Europe’s premier annual evening of camp culture, watched by tens of millions of people across the continent, has become embroiled in a societal clash over Israel’s military operations in the Middle East — and how to balance criticism of the country without fueling antisemitism. With groups planning to protest in the Austrian capital against Israel’s participation, Viennese police are ramping up security precautions “far beyond the usual level,” the force’s vice president Dieter Csefan told POLITICO. Event organizers have desperately attempted to quell the furor — and preserve what they say should be a politics-free night of European entertainment — after it flared into full crisis late last year when five countries declared they would boycott this year’s Eurovision competition if Israel were allowed to take part. “We’ve got five members of our family missing this year, and we miss them, and we love them, and we hope they come back,” Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, told reporters Monday in Vienna. Green said the contest remains “in conversations” with Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland. He said that while Eurovision will “do anything in our power” to bring them back into the fold in future years, “ultimately, it’s up to them.” Director of The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) Martin Green speaks during a press conference for the announcement of the host city of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest on August 20, 2025 in Vienna. | Tobias Steinmaurer/APA/AFP via Getty Images The countries sitting out this year’s 70th anniversary contest at the spaceship-esque Wiener Stadthalle say their decision is due to Israel’s war in Gaza — sparked by a violent attack on Israel by Hamas militants — and the resulting humanitarian crisis it triggered. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of 113 public service media across 56 countries that runs Eurovision, has repeatedly underlined that the song contest is nonpolitical and takes place between broadcasters rather than governments. The EBU has said that as long as Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, plays by the rules, it won’t be blocked from participating. Israel advanced from the semifinal on Tuesday and will take part in the final on May 16. Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board at Slovenia’s national broadcaster (RTV), noted that Russia got kicked out in 2022 for invading Ukraine. Israel, she said, should face the same consequences for its war in Gaza. She added that “there should be the same rules for all countries” acting aggressively toward another. Gaming the vote Changes to the voting structure followed suggestions that the Israeli government unfairly influenced last year’s results through a mass voting campaign. Moderator Austrian singer Cesar Sampson holds a draw for Israel during the draw session for the two semi-final events of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on stage at the Vienna’s city hall in Vienna on January 12, 2026. | Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images Israel dominated the public vote, and only lost out when Austria reclaimed ground with points from national juries. Broadcasters in Belgium, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland and Iceland raised concerns about the public vote, with some requesting an audit. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said it was “not involved in any prohibited campaign intended to influence the results of the latest contest, in which Yuval Raphael came second — as confirmed by the EBU itself.” The Israeli government did not at the time make any official comment about the concerns that were raised. KAN has strongly pushed back against calls to recuse itself or be removed from the 2026 contest. Golan Yochpaz, KAN’s CEO, told fellow EBU members in December that a “cultural boycott” of Israel could harm “freedom of creation and freedom of expression.” “A boycott may begin today — with Israel — but no one knows where it will end or who else it may harm,” he said. He insisted that Israel hasn’t been involved in any prohibited campaign to influence Eurovision results. “We are proud of the artists and songs we have sent to the contest, many of which have achieved global success. I will not stand here and apologize for our success,” Yochpaz said. Gorščak commended the EBU’s efforts to overhaul voting rules, brought in this year. Among the changes, the EBU has taken steps to reduce the number of votes each member of the public can cast, and fans are being encouraged not to concentrate their votes on one act. But, she noted, politically charged voting in the song contest is now “something that you cannot escape.” Last weekend, the EBU issued a formal warning letter to KAN, after the artist representing Israel this year (Noam Bettan) published social media videos with an on-screen instruction to “vote 10 times for Israel.” Israeli singer Noam Bettan poses for photographers on the turquoise carpet for the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 at the City Hall Square in Vienna on May 10, 2026. | Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images The EBU said it was satisfied this was not a “large-scale funded third-party campaign” by Israel to influence the outcome of this year’s competition, but added the call to action to vote 10 times for one artist or song is still “not in line” with Eurovision rules. KAN said that the videos were an “independent initiative” carried out by Bettan’s team “without any prohibited financing, similar to activities conducted by other contestants as well,” in a statement responding to the EBU’s warning letter, and shared with POLITICO. The Israeli broadcaster said the artist immediately stopped using the videos following an EBU request, and added that it “follows all EBU rules and remains in constant contact with the organization.” ‘Watershed moment’ As the votes from the public and juries roll in on Saturday, Irish European Parliament liberal lawmaker and former Eurovision presenter Cynthia Ní Mhurchú told POLITICO that it will be a “watershed moment” for the song contest. “The EBU need to take stock, more stock than they’ve taken, in the run-up to the finale on the 16th. I understand the arguments that they make, that it’s arts, it’s culture, it has nothing to do with politics. But unfortunately, we live in a world now where every vehicle will be used to inform a political message, or misinform,” Ní Mhurchú said. “You can’t just broadcast in a vacuum,” she said, adding that allowing Israel to participate amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza chips away at the European values the contest was founded on. The establishment of the EBU and the first Eurovision contest in 1956 brought European countries and broadcasters together in the aftermath of World War II. To this day, the contest’s motto is “united by music.” But the boycott brings the number of participating countries (35) to its lowest level in more than two decades — and the scale of the boycott is unprecedented in Eurovision’s history. Some former Eurovision winners have also been distancing themselves from the competition. “If there was a trophy I could give back, I would. I think the European Broadcasting Union should wake up to this whole thing, it’s crazy,” Charlie McGettigan, who won the 1994 contest for Ireland with the song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids” performed with Paul Harrington, told POLITICO. For McGettigan, you can’t separate music and politics. “Some people will say Eurovision isn’t political, it’s entertainment and fun, but music in my life has always been political … artists use their music as a means of communicating their distaste with what’s happening in the world, to make a voice for themselves against war and against violence,” he said. Austria’s public broadcaster says it would be a shame if that brought Eurovision to an end. Michael Krön, Eurovision executive producer with ORF, told POLITICO that “art is never without any political statement,” but the song contest “could still serve to bring people together, to have a week to forget about the cold and hard world we’re living in, and have a good time.” “It would be very, very sad if Eurovision would vanish … What’s wrong in trying to entertain people and having them in a good mood for a week? I think there’s nothing wrong with that, and I think we should do the utmost that the world’s politics cannot interfere into that,” he said.

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Health officials in Paris say French woman who contracted disease on MV Hondius is on ventilator in intensive careThe head of the World Health Organization has told countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases as authorities in Paris said a French woman who contracted the virus onboard the MV Hondius had the most severe form of the disease and had been put on a ventilator.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Spain for the “compassion and solidarity” it had shown by taking in the stricken cruise ship and urged authorities to follow the WHO’s advice and recommendations, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts. Continue reading...

Albrecht Weinberg spent years teaching students about Nazi atrocities after being imprisoned at Auschwitz and BelsenThree Auschwitz survivors tell their storiesAlbrecht Weinberg, who survived a series of Nazi concentration and death camps and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s, has died.Weinberg died in Leer, north-western Germany, weeks after his 101st birthday and the premiere of a film about his life, Es Ist Immer in Meinem Kopf (It Is Always in My Head). Continue reading...

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