The ruling Reform Party expects the speaker of the Riigikogu to take the lead in organizing discussions on the presidential election and believes the initiative in putting forward candidates should come primarily from the opposition.

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.

The ruling Reform Party expects the speaker of the Riigikogu to take the lead in organizing discussions on the presidential election and believes the initiative in putting forward candidates should come primarily from the opposition.

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.

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.

Many women avoid traveling alone after dark and adjust their daily routines because of safety concerns. A recent master's thesis suggests that people's sense of safety is also shaped by whether others are present in public spaces and whether help is available if needed.

Läti parteide ühenduse Uus Ühtsus peaministrikandidaadiks saab uudisteagentuuri LETA esmaspäeval avaldatud mitteametlikel andmetel seimi liige ja endine rahandusminister Arvils Ašeradens.

Eestlaste loodud ettevõte Starship Technologies kullerrobotid on Ameerika ülikoolilinnakutes toitu vedanud juba aastast 2019. Nüüd on otsustanud firma hakata oma masinaid rakendama laiemal turul, kuid üliõpilased jäävad neid igatsema.

Four women and a man were shot dead at the scene while a sixth person died in hospital, police say.

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

Andy Burnham's speech depicted a different way of seeing and running the UK, though there are many other questions about the detail.

The decision, seen as a win for central bank independence, sends the fight over removal back to the lower courts.

MANCHESTER — Andy Burnham painted the first broad strokes of his premiership on Monday — and it might be the closest look Brits get before he takes power. In a domestic-focused speech at a museum of left-wing political activism in Manchester, Britain’s presumptive next PM pledged to decentralize power from Whitehall, reindustrialize England’s forgotten towns and give the state a bigger role in housing, utilities and infrastructure. Burnham took no questions from the media and plans only a handful of big interventions between now and entering No. 10, none of which will be heavy on detailed policy, said a person with knowledge of his plans who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. This is deliberate; aides want to introduce Burnham to the public after nine years away from Westminster, as he takes power without an election. His broad-brush approach contrasts, though, with the aides working frantically to put a detailed program together behind the scenes. Formal “access talks” are under way between Burnham’s team and the civil service, two people with knowledge of them confirmed; his chief of staff James Purnell is playing a leading role. Former minister Miatta Fahnbulleh is also helping Burnham pull together policy ideas from think tanks, MPs and left-wing activists.  It has left Burnham essentially airing his thoughts in real time without showing his working. The message to diplomats, industry and a hungry media is: just give us time. Burnham’s book in speech form The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester is set to become Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on July 20 following Keir Starmer’s resignation, after a Labour Party leadership contest in which he is likely to be the only candidate. He vowed on Monday to “rewire” Britain and implement “the biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is run.” Yet Burnham fleshed out little policy detail in his 40-minute address, which he gave at a blank wooden lectern with no branding. While he made his priorities clear and shed some light on his intentions — including a new outpost of 10 Downing Street in Manchester — the speech was largely an overarching vision of a nation of “hope” and “possibility.” Almost quoting John Lennon, he asked the audience to “imagine.” Much of Burnham’s speech was a spoken version of his 2024 book “Head North,” which railed against Whitehall “bullying” of local government and the “50 or so people who run our country,” many of them unelected civil servants and political advisers. He also had light disdain for the Westminster journalists at the back of the room. Burnham name-checked the BBC’s political editor as he dismissed speculation about who will be his finance minister, promising only to announce jobs at the “end of this process.” But above all was a pledge to give up power from Whitehall — an unusual first act for a PM. Burnham promised regional leaders more control over infrastructure, housing, utilities, reindustrialization and the welfare state while a “more streamlined” Whitehall focuses on growth and regeneration. Some of this would be done through a “No. 10 North” in Manchester, he pledged. Its location and scale are not yet confirmed — although Burnham plans to have a deputy No. 10 chief of staff based in the outpost, said a person familiar with the planning. Aides are examining options for sites that are already under government control. Some of the ideas he put forward in “Head North” have been dialed back. While his book suggested “removing” the whipping system that enforces discipline for members of parliament, Burnham’s speech was more nuanced — saying he will let MPs be “authentic representatives” for their area and not use the system to “create fear or close down debate.” (One ally suggested this language was aimed at Labour MPs who will begin nominating their next PM next week — aides to Burnham want a rush of backers on the first day.) Likewise, Burnham’s book and speech alike said the government should be geared around achieving equivalent living conditions in all parts of Britain using a German-style basic law. But unlike his book, his speech did not propose a written constitution, which would tie him up in wrangling over its shape. Other key planks of the book — replacing the House of Lords with a Senate of Nations and Regions, and moving to a proportional voting system — were not mentioned at all. Nor did Burnham’s speech touch on migration, foreign policy or defense priorities (though a foreign future policy speech is in the works.) Huge questions unanswered There were areas where Burnham sketched out the destination but not the route. Like the outgoing Keir Starmer, he promised to extend his horizons across a decade. His key ally Louise Haigh, the left-wing former Cabinet minister, has suggested this could be done by changing the Treasury’s rolling five-year fiscal forecasts to 10-year ones. Burnham did not get into that level of detail. Similarly, Haigh has called for the Treasury’s functions to be split up with some budgeting powers handed to No. 10. Burnham appeared to hint at this — saying the push for growth will “be driven through the prime minister’s office” — but did not say it explicitly. Other areas needed deciphering. Burnham promised “the biggest council house building program since the post-war period,” after millions of state-funded homes were sold off under Margaret Thatcher’s right-to-buy policies. Aides later clarified that he meant the biggest program since the end of the post-war period — not since the end of the Second World War in 1945. Burnham’s book said all parts of England need a devolution deal by 2034; his speech was looser on timelines. His aides are looking at letting regional authorities keep and reinvest 100 percent of the income tax they generate in their area, but Burnham did not go this far (he said he would reform business rates). He was more aspirational than concrete in his ambition to “give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can” on the cost of living. He did not say if he meant reducing taxes, when he might do that, or whether the public finances would allow him to do it at all. There was hard policy, albeit without the detail yet of how hard and fast Burnham will go. He promised that public sector contracts, including in defense, would undergo a “proper social value weighting” test and pledged a “much greater” volume of 45-day work placements and apprenticeships. He promised to adopt a Finnish-style “housing first philosophy,” which offers rental housing to homeless people. He pledged “greater public control of essential services like water, housing, energy and transport,” though he stopped short of saying this would mean nationalization. There was also a hard edge to his aspirational rhetoric: “While the political direction I set is not up for negotiation, I will build an inclusive team at the very highest level,” he said. Not like Starmer Burnham’s soft-launch signals his first few weeks will look different to Starmer’s ascent to power in July 2024. Starmer had four years as leader and a painful policy process before he entered No. 10. Burnham’s allies are working quicker than they hoped — many only wanted to take power in September. And while Starmer hit the ground running in July 2024 with a NATO summit and a flurry of initial press releases, Burnham will take office on the first Monday of a six-week parliamentary recess. That means opportunities to question him — or his No. 10 operation — will be thin. But those around Burnham will see being different as a good thing. Starmer’s initial burst included policy blunders and soon gave way to a sense that he was unprepared for power. Even the vibe is more relaxed; unlike the suited-up, deliberative Starmer, Burnham gave his speech Monday in a black T-shirt under a suit jacket, swapping the autocue for a breezy charm. He was, as he put it, like a nightclub DJ firing up the crowd. Burnham opened his speech with the words: “Are you ready for this?” Many are still asking him exactly that question.

BRUXELLES — Emmanuel Macron a chargé le gouvernement de trouver de nouvelles taxes européennes pour financer le prochain budget à long terme de l’UE, qui s’élèvera à 2 000 milliards d’euros, selon cinq responsables publics au fait des discussions. Sans accord sur de nouvelles taxes, Paris serait contraint de verser davantage d’argent à Bruxelles, ce qui donnerait des arguments au Rassemblement national, actuel favori des sondages à l’élection présidentielle. Cette initiative française intervient alors que les gouvernements européens n’ont pas réussi à s’accorder sur un ensemble de nouvelles recettes proposé par la Commission européenne en juillet dernier, ce qui a conduit cette dernière à rechercher des solutions alternatives. Contrairement à d’autres pays riches comme l’Allemagne et les Pays-Bas, la France n’est guère encline à réduire le budget de l’UE, qui accorde de généreuses subventions à son puissant secteur agricole. Le président français presse même l’exécutif européen de lever davantage de fonds via des taxes à l’échelle du continent, notamment sur les géants américains de la tech et les pollueurs étrangers, plutôt que de compter sur une hausse des contributions des Etats membres. Car, en tant que troisième pays le plus endetté de l’Union, la France n’a pas de marge de manœuvre pour augmenter considérablement la sienne. Les propositions fiscales initiales de la Commission — qui comprennent la taxe carbone aux frontières, le marché carbone européen, des taxes sur les déchets électroniques et le tabac, ainsi qu’une contribution forfaitaire des entreprises — se sont heurtées à la résistance des gouvernements opposés à des mesures qui pénaliseraient de manière disproportionnée leurs industries nationales. Alors que les négociations sur le prochain budget 2028-2034 de l’UE s’éternisent, la France cherche à rallier des soutiens à travers l’Europe en faveur de taxes alternatives qui, selon elle, auraient plus de chances d’obtenir l’appui unanime des 27 Etats membres, ont déclaré des responsables ayant souhaité garder l’anonymat pour évoquer ces questions diplomatiques sensibles. La mise en place de nouvelles sources de recettes pour l’UE — appelées “ressources propres” dans le jargon bruxellois — est la “condition sine qua non pour adopter le budget”, a déclaré aux journalistes, au début du mois, le ministre français chargé des Affaires européennes, Benjamin Haddad. “Nous ne pouvons pas compter uniquement sur les contributions nationales, personne n’en a les moyens.” La fiscalité reste toutefois l’un des sujets politiques les plus sensibles dans les négociations, ce qui rend peu probable toute avancée décisive avant les dernières phases des pourparlers. Le président du Conseil européen, António Costa, qui préside les réunions des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement de l’UE, espère parvenir à un accord global sur le budget lors d’un sommet qui se tiendra en décembre prochain. La mission irlandaise António Costa a chargé l’Irlande, qui prendra mercredi la présidence tournante du Conseil de l’UE, d’accélérer les négociations sur les nouvelles taxes en vue du sommet européen d’octobre prochain. Lors d’une réunion qui s’est tenue ce mois de juin, le Conseil européen a demandé à l’Irlande de “présenter un ensemble de mesures ambitieuses et équilibrées concernant les nouvelles ressources propres d’ici le [sommet européen] d’octobre”, selon un responsable de l’UE. Ces nouvelles recettes devraient rapporter environ 400 milliards d’euros entre 2028 et 2034, soit environ un cinquième du prochain budget à long terme de l’Union. Des députés européens participent à un vote lors d’une séance plénière à Strasbourg, en France, le 16 décembre 2025. | Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images Pour sortir de l’impasse sur cette question des ressources propres, le Parlement européen a proposé en mai de nouvelles taxes sur les entreprises de cryptomonnaies, les géants du numérique et les jeux d’argent en ligne. La France et l’Espagne ont apporté un soutien de principe. Mais cela ne suffit toujours pas aux yeux de Paris. L’exécutif tricolore teste de manière informelle l’intérêt suscité par une proposition — initialement avancée par Air France-KLM — visant à renforcer les obligations en matière de climat imposées aux compagnies aériennes étrangères, selon deux diplomates de l’UE. Toutefois, cette idée ne devrait générer que peu de recettes supplémentaires, ont-ils précisé. “La France est favorable à un élargissement du débat, et nous présenterons des propositions à ce sujet dans les prochains jours”, a fait savoir Benjamin Haddad la semaine dernière. Pour la France, l’objectif est d’éviter d’avoir à choisir entre augmenter sa contribution au budget de l’UE et réduire les subventions agricoles. “Ils veulent le beurre et l’argent du beurre”, résume un diplomate européen. Mais, selon un haut diplomate d’un pays traditionnellement contre de nouvelles ressources propres, la campagne menée par la France constitue une “manœuvre tactique astucieuse”. “Ils font partie de ceux qui comprennent que sans nouvelles ressources propres, il n’y a pas de [budget]”, estime-t-il. Des responsables de la Cour des comptes française se sont même rendus à Berlin et à Varsovie pour discuter d’éventuelles créations de taxes, indique un diplomate. A l’issue de leur rencontre à Antibes la semaine dernière, Emmanuel Macron et la Première ministre italienne, Giorgia Meloni, se sont également engagés “à avancer sur la voie de nouvelles ressources propres”, notamment une taxe sur le numérique. Mais l’Allemagne et d’autres gouvernements plus prudents restent opposés à cette mesure, craignant qu’elle ne provoque des représailles américaines. Cet article a d’abord été publié par POLITICO en anglais, puis a été édité en français par Jean-Christophe Catalon.

Israeli strikes continue as the new Israel-Lebanon agreement faces opposition.

Thousands in Lebanon attempt to return home, yet rampant destruction leaves many trapped in displacement centres.

Red warnings issued in Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Balkans, with authorities urging people to stay indoorsParts of central, eastern and southern Europe sweltered on Monday as the “heat dome” behind last week’s record-breaking temperatures shifted east, bringing dangerous conditions to a new swathe of the continent.Budapest is forecast to exceed 40C on Tuesday, according to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Continue reading...

German police say two people were apprehended after ‘numerous’ shots were fired at a youth care facility in StadeMeanwhile, Ukraine is bracing to absorb the impact of the heatwave on its energy network, already pummelled by Russian attacks over more than four years of war, AFP reported.Grid operators in at least five regions – from Ivano-Frankivsk in the west to Zaporizhzhia on the frontline in the south – announced temporary restrictions on energy usage would be in force during parts of Tuesday. Continue reading...

Péter Magyar says his predecessor ‘lied’ about 2026 shortfall of 8% of GDP

UK’s likely next prime minister gave the clearest indication yet of his policy priorities — but left many questions unanswered