Estonia

Funding for extracurricular education has decreased by a third in the last five years, and most hobby schools are now concentrated in larger municipalities; the Saare County has seen a 60% decline

To contrast the city's off-season slump, Pärnu entrepreneurs have proposed building an indoor bathing facility downtown

Services accounted for 68% of Estonian GDP 15 years ago and this year they will reach 74,5%; the service sector of the economy is growing steadily, while the share of industrial activities is declining

Radio 2 has launched a new Christmas music channel, R2 Jõulud, a station broadcasting Christmas music 24/7 until the end of the holiday season

Starting next year, Tallinn will no longer allow advertising on the exteriors of buses, trams and trolley buses; there may only be a few exceptions, like the possibility of maintaining messages on the back of buses that encourage use of public transport

Rules for hiring foreign labour will be relaxed under new plans proposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs; companies will be able to hire 1.300-2.500 workers who earn at least the average Estonian wage

The four parties of Tallinn's governing coalition have yet to finalise and present to the City Council the city's budget for next year, with an allocation of around €10 million that has been the subject of hours of discussion also this week

A new book entitled 'With Love for Football', created by football fans in Sillamäe, Ida-Viru County, presents a selection of rare archive photos and numerous stories of local players and coaches

A draft law that provides a basis for limiting the possibility of citizens of countries considered high-risk to become Estonian e-residents has been prepared by the Ministry of the Interior

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the MS Estonia tragedy, the largest peacetime maritime disaster in the Baltic and in European waters: the ferry, en route from Tallinn to Stockholm, sank in about half an hour with 989 passengers, of which 852 perished

Demand for Estonian government bonds reached €821 million, four times more than the €200 million offered, involved 28 professional and 7.304 retail investors - the Ministry of Finance said