Riga- The medium-term prospects for the economies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are the worst in the European Union, according to a European Commission report released Monday.

Formerly known as the "Baltic Tigers" for their dynamic rates of GDP growth and ability to attract investment, all three countries are now little more than mewling pussycats if the downbeat EC economic survey is to be believed.

Latvia looks in the worst shape of the 27 EU member states with GDP set to contract 6.9 per cent in 2009 and a further 2.4 per cent in 2010.

Tallinn - Herman Simm, a senior Estonian intelligence official awaiting trial on treason charges for allegedly spying for Russia, may have started selling his secrets in the mid-1990s, according to media reports Thursday.

Speaking in daily newspaper Eesti Paevaleht, the former commander of the Estonian defence forces, Johannes Kert, said he suspected Simm had set out to discredit him at that time.

"A rumour was leaked to Finland that I, as the then-commander of the Estonian defence forces, could not be trusted," Kert claimed.

Tallinn - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave a cautious assessment of Estonia's future prospects Monday, but said the Baltic nation does not need a bail-out package like the one recently requested by neighbouring Latvia.

"The most important aim at present is to achieve economies in budgetary expenditures," said Franciszek Rozwadowski, head of the IMF group which visited Estonia, at a press conference at the end of his trip.

"The most important aim at present is to achieve economies in budgetary expenditures," he said.

Tallinn - Estonia, the Baltic nation whose enthusiasm for all things related to the internet often sees it referred to as "E-stonia" has added another item to its cyber-portfolio by launching an online presidential blog Tuesday via the video website YouTube.

Visitors to YouTube can see Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves giving a five-minute chat to the nation on the subject of the economy in what is claimed to be the EU's first presidential videocast.

Vilnius  - Defence ministers from the three small Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania met in Birstonas, Lithuania, Thursday to discuss plans to pool their armed forced and create a joint infantry battalion.

Jaak Aaviksoo of Estonia, Vinets Veldre of Latvia and Juozas Olekas of Lithuania met keeping with their schedule of twice-yearly joint meetings.

Tallinn - Parliament and president were locked in a legislative stand-off in Estonia on Tuesday after the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, passed a bill on freezing the wages of deputies for a second time.

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves refused to sign the same piece of legislation last week.

The effort by Estonian parliamentarians to freeze their own salaries as part of a national austerity plan was blocked on November 24 when Ilves refused to sign the relevant bill into law, saying that it was contrary to the constitution.