For the first time since the restoration of independence, the number of prisoners in Estonia has dropped below 2,000, BNS reports. There are now a total of 1,994 prisoners in Estonian prisons, with 202 of them serving sentences in open prisons. The number of offenders under the supervision of probation officers on a daily basis…
Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) has proposed legislation to ensure that media service providers uphold balanced and impartial reporting in news programmes, ERR reports. Currently, Estonian media service providers are subject to license supervision, but there is no provisional control for foreign channels. TTJA plans to consult with other state agencies, including…
The first group of children from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, a scene of Russian war crimes, has arrived in Lithuania’s seaside resort of Palanga for summer vacation, The Baltic Times reports. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Palanga mayor Sarunas Vaitkus welcomed the children and their accompanying adults. Simonyte wished the children "warm memories,…
More than 5,000 people took part in the Vilnius Pride march in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 1 July 2023, The Baltic Times reports. March participants deplored Lithuania’s slow progress in ensuring the rights of sexual minorities. Ajus Jurgaitis, co-founder of the Trans Autonomija association and one of the organisers of the march, expressed hope…
A jury in Estonia’s second-largest city, Tartu, has shortlisted six entries in an international architectural competition to design the Tartu Südalinna Cultural Centre (SÜKU), ERR reports. The jury, which is chaired by Tartu mayor Urmas Klaas, received altogether 107 entries for the competition. The award ceremony announcing the winning design will take place on 14…
Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nauseda, said that everyone has the right to "civilised relations," commenting on the Vilnius Pride march on 1 July 2023, ELTA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Nauseda expressed confidence that Lithuania would solve problems related to the question of civil partnerships. He argued that there was no reason to clash…
Around half of Estonian residents plan to go on vacation abroad in summer 2023, according to a survey by insurance firm If Kindlustus, BNS reports. Around 20% of respondents intend to go on vacation in a neighbouring country, while some 25% will travel farther away, including 7% to a holiday destination outside Europe. Meanwhile, 41%…
In a speech at the 13th Youth Song Celebration "Holy is the Land" in Tallinn on 2 July 2023, Estonia’s President Alar Karis insisted on the need for unity in preserving Estonian language and culture, ERR reports. There must be unity in protecting and respecting all people who live in Estonia, he said. "We do…
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the thousands of young people who performed at the Estonian Song Festival (Laulupidu) in Tallinn on 2 July 2023 instilled faith that the country’s future is in good hands, Postimees reports. “Nothing can compare to this feeling; I tried to hold back tears several times,” she said. There…