Estonia

Estonia has elected its first female president following weeks of disagreement.

Politicians in the Baltic state failed to agree from a choice of four candidates in August and five last month.

Kersti Kaljulaid, 46, will be sworn in as president on October 10 and replace Toomas Hendrik Ilves who is stepping down after two five-year terms.

"I believe the whole of Estonia won today", Kaljulaid said.

Dramatic footage has captured the moment a bolt of lightning struck the side of the road and narrowly missed hitting a couple as they drove through the countryside in Estonia.

Screams can be heard on the video as Riho Ossep and his wife realise how close they had come to disaster.

The video was recorded on mobile phone by Rhio's wife and was posted to YouTube on August 7th.

Ossep said: "I asked my wife to make a videoclip for our first rainy day on vacation.

"My wife asks me when recording video do I want thunderstorms left on video and then suddenly lightning struck the ground next to us."

Prince Harry visited NATO soldiers in Estonia and observed joint military exercises on the second day of his trip to the Baltic nation.

Dressed in army fatigues, Harry gave awards for outstanding service to Estonian soldiers who had completed tours in Afghanistan.

Estonian servicemen have been based with British troops in the military base Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province, where Prince Harry also served.

The military exercises observed by the Prince are taking place about 100 kilometres from Estonia's south-eastern border with Russia. Around 600 NATO troops are taking part, with some 100 soldiers from Britain.

Earlier this week, Britain offered to deploy more fighter jets in the Baltic states to reassure its NATO allies in the face of tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine.

More: Prince Harry to meet troops in Estonia

Prince Harry has paid tribute to Estonian defence forces who served alongside British troops in Afghanistan during his two-day visit to the country and those who lost their lives in combat.

Harry laid a wreath at Freedom Square in the capital Tallinn with a signed handwritten note that read: "In memory of all those who gave their lives for their country."

Read: Prince Harry sends his first tweet

Over 100 British troops will travel to Estonia for a Nato exercise aimed at reassuring the Baltic states that they will be protected against any aggression from Russia.

The troops will reportedly come from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment and are set to leave the UK today.

They will be joined by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who will go on to visit RAF crews stationed in nearby Lithuania.

Read: RAF jets deployed in response to Ukraine crisis

An Estonian football team have come with a new goal celebration that gave them all a chance to join in.

Top tier club Nõmme Kalju displayed the novel move after Hidetoshi Wakui scored the opening goal in their match against rivals Flora.

After scoring the midfielder grabbed the ball and moved to the sidelines while his team-mates lined up for the strike.

As the ball flies towards them they fall about like skittles.

The snipers who shot at protesters and police in Kiev last month were allegedly hired by opposition leaders, according to a leaked recording of a phone call between the European Union foreign affairs chief Baroness Ashton and Estonia’s foreign minister Urmas Paet.

In a statement, Estonia's foreign ministry has confirmed its authenticity and said the conversation took place on February 26, after their minister's return from Kiev.

In the recording - which was broadcast online by the state-controlled TV channel Russia Today - Mr Paet claims he has been told of evidence that suggests the opposition hired the snipers which shot at protesters and police.

"Evidence shows that the people who were killed by snipers from both sides was the same snipers killing people from both sides," he is heard saying.

"There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind the snipers it was not Yanukovich but it was somebody from the new coalition."

A woman, believed to be Baroness Ashton, replied: "I think we do want to investigate. I mean, I didn’t pick that up, that’s interesting. Gosh.”

Estonia say they "reject the claim that Paet was giving an assessment of the opposition’s involvement in the violence."