LIFE NEWS
A donkey in China’s Shandong Province has become an internet sensation after being painted with black stripes to resemble a zebra. Visitors spotted the animal at Qingyun Mountain Folk Custom Amusement Park in Anqiu, Weifang.
In the spring of 2026, Estonia will pilot a new assistance model for the first time: mobile social emergency response teams. The pilot program will launch in Pärnu County, aiming to solve a problem that emergency services have been highlighting for years: police and rescue crews are increasingly dispatched to calls that are essentially social rather than life-threatening emergencies.
Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Chairman of the Narva City Council, called Vladimir Putin "luck for Russia" in a published video, questioned facts about Bucha established by international investigations, and claimed the "destruction of Estonia's economy"; Narva Mayor Katri Raik responded publicly, stating that "the border of freedom runs along the Narva River," turning the conflict from a political dispute into a question of geopolitical choice.
In the peak of the heating season, dry firewood has virtually vanished from the Estonian market. Suppliers have sold out of stock, production has been slashed due to high electricity costs, and retail prices for dry wood have hit €75–€80 per cubic meter.
A native of Kohtla-Järve born in 1982 has been detained in Ivangorod. According to investigators, on February 10, the suspect threatened his employer with an object resembling a Makarov pistol, forcing him to withdraw 48,000 rubles (approx. €530.88) from an ATM as "unpaid wages." The court has ordered the man to remain in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO) until April 10, 2026.
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern has stated that the administration of US President Donald Trump will not automatically invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty in the event of a military provocation by a member state against Russia, including a hypothetical conflict surrounding the Kaliningrad region. This statement comes amid diplomatic signals from Washington regarding a pivot in priorities concerning its European allies.
Early in the morning on February 17, Polish border guards closed the Dołhobyczów checkpoint after discovering a grenade without a fuse in the possession of an Estonian citizen. Nineteen people were evacuated, cross-border traffic was completely suspended, and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident has been launched.
Latvia's National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) has submitted an initiative to the Saeima (Parliament) to gradually phase out private Russian-language radio stations over the next eight years. The regulator links this proposal to the use of state radio frequencies and the country’s language policy.
What Happened — Facts in Brief
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, has drafted a comprehensive list of demands for Russia. This document is currently being used by European diplomats as a working framework for discussing a potential peace agreement regarding Ukraine.
Developed by EU structures and discussed by diplomats on February 17, 2026, the document is set to be the centerpiece of the upcoming meeting of EU Foreign Ministers.
Starting April 1, the average monthly old-age pension in Estonia will increase by 5.3%. The national pension (for individuals without the required years of pensionable service) will rise to €414.10 per month. This adjustment is driven by the annual indexation formula, which accounts for the rise in consumer prices and social tax revenues.
Finnish and Estonian authorities are recording steady activity by Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea. Vessels with opaque registration and disabled tracking systems continue to traverse key maritime routes, exploiting loopholes in international law and leaving coastal states without effective deterrence mechanisms. This data is confirmed by official statements from the Finnish Ministry of Defence, national agencies, and investigative reports from regional media like Narva News and Yle.