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05 May, 2017


“The Norfolk NATO Festival presented its annual Parade of Nations on April 29, 2017 in Norfolk, Virginia in which Estonia had a brilliant float displaying a traditional Estonian swing ("Eesti kiik") embellished with beautiful Estonian women in national dress. The NATO Parade is the longest continuous parade in Hampton Roads and the only Parade in the United States honoring NATO. Over 100 Parade Units participated with local and visiting high school bands, US and International Military bands, and colorful floats representing each of the 28 NATO Member Nations.” -  Anu Oinas 

- ‘Pillerkaar’ 

- The Norfolk NATO Festival

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NB! An email is reportedly making the rounds with an invitation to see a 'Google Doc' file. I do not use 'Google Doc' for EstoNews. If you happen to receive an Google Doc invite, do NOT click on anything. Delete it. It’s not from me. 


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Friday 5. May
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- Lavrovi Soome viinud lennuk rikkus Eesti Ă”hupiiri
(ERR | Postimees)
"Lennuki transponder oli sisse lĂŒlitatud, piiri rikkumise hetkel ei olnud lennukil Eesti lennuliiklusteenindusele esitatud lennuplaani ja puudus ka raadiokontakt. VĂ€lisministeerium on Venemaa Föderatsiooni saatkonda antud intsidendist teavitanud. See oli tĂ€navu esimene Eesti Ă”hupiiri rikkumine Venemaa Föderatsiooni lennuki poolt. Mullu esines sarnaseid juhtumeid seitsmel korral."
--
—
- Russian plane violates Estonian airspace over Gulf of Finland
(ERR)
"According to unconfirmed information, the plane was carrying Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, who was en route to Finland for an official visit."



- Estonia prepares for its first EU Presidency
(New Europe)

- Eesti Euroopa Liidu NÔukogu Eesistumine
(Euroopa Liidu NÔukogu)

- About the EU Presidency
(Council of the EU)

- Estonia is to introduce its culture, arts and science to Europe
(Estonian World)

- Brexit to be in focus during Estonia's EU presidency
(Baltic Times)

- Estonia expects digital package as central topic of presidency
(ERR)

- Remarks by President Jean-Claude Juncker
(European Commission - press release)



- EU: Brexit Could Disrupt Millions of Expats’ Lives
- Nearly 600 UK Citizens Living in Estonia May Be Affected
(Bloomberg)
"With the free movement of citizens—a basic tenet of EU law—curtailed or restricted, theoretically they could see bank accounts closed, employment terminated or rental agreements revoked - not to mention deportation."



- ERR Pariisis: soosik Macron rÀÀgib ĂŒha enam vajadusest reformida EL-i
(ERR)
"Prantsusmaa saab ĂŒlehomme endale uue presidendi ning viimased valimiseelsed pĂ€evad on nĂ€idanud, et suursoosik Emmanuel Macron rÀÀgib ĂŒha rohkem vajadusest reformida Euroopa Liitu."

- EU: Macron stretches lead in last throes of French presidential campaign
(Reuters)
"Sunday's election is seen as the most important in France for decades, with two diametrically opposed views of Europe and France's place in the world at stake."

- EU: Europe’s most decisive election of the year
(Washington Post)
"A victory by far-right candidate Marine Le Pen would shake the foundations of the Western world. President Trump's victory was seen as consequential in Europe, but a Le Pen win would be incomparably more significant, some liberals say. Whereas Trump has frequently changed his mind on issues, Le Pen's agenda has remained virtually unchanged for years. She has vowed to pull France out of NATO's military command, the euro zone and the European Union. Few doubt that she would deliver.”
—
"Her centrist opponent, Emmanuel Macron, who is leading in the polls, takes an opposing view: His pro-European agenda is based on a neoliberal economic approach and on a moderate stance on social issues. He would also be the most pro-American French president in a long time. With Macron as French president, the U.S. will encounter a much stronger, strategic, self-confident, forward-thinking France and therefore Europe."

- Opinion: EU Must Change After the French Election
(Bloomberg)



- Commentary: Looking further afield to emulate best examples for a Digital Jersey
(Jersey Evening Post)



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Thursday 4. May
_____________

✔ Russian Fake News Operation Seeks to Generate Baltic Opposition to NATO Presence
(by Paul Goble)
"Russian media outlets in Moscow and in the Baltic countries have stepped up their efforts to generate opposition among Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). These media sources have been putting out fake news stories suggesting that NATO was recruiting Russian speakers, especially in Latvia, to use “as guinea pigs” to test new “physical, biological and other techniques.” The goal of such “experimentation” is purportedly to prepare the Balts to help the Western alliance invade the Russian Federation."



- Rootsi ohvrite omaksed nĂ”uavad Eestilt Estonia laevahuku uurimise taasavamist
(Postimees)
"Estonia katastroofi Rootsi ohvrite ĂŒhendus SEA (Stiftelsen Estoniaoffren och Anhöriga) on juba pikalt tahtnud teada saada, mis ikkagi juhtus ning soovinud uurimise taasavamist. "Pole olemas ĂŒhtegi uuringut, kus oleks mÀÀratletud Ă”nnetuse pĂ”hjus."



- Eesti mehe eraomandis on suures sĂ”jas kĂ€inud tank T-34
(ERR | “PealtnĂ€gija" video)
“..,. 49 aastane Mikk LĂ”hmus on vandeadvokaat tuntud bĂŒroos, aga ĂŒhtlasi ĂŒks Eesti vĂ€heseid tankiomanikke. Veel enam: Punaarmee lahingumasin, mida ajaloohuviline jurist ĂŒle 20 aasta suurema kĂ€rata oma militaartehnika kollektsioonis hoidis, on ĂŒrikute vĂ€itel ainus sĂ€ilinud omataoline."
--
"Teadaolevalt on see mehe sÔnul hetkel maailmas viimane tank, mis 1945. aastal 25. aprillil Elbel Ameerika vÀgedega kohtus."



- Enhancing NATO’s Forward Presence
(Carnegie Europe - 27. April)
"Over recent days and weeks, NATO member states have begun implementing an enhanced forward presence across the Baltic states and Poland. For the first time, the alliance is basing combat forces east of the former East-West German border on a continuous basis. Admittedly, the deployments to northeastern Europe will be rotational, not permanent, but they represent a strengthening of the alliance’s deterrence and reassurance posture. However, while the enhanced forward presence in its current form is a necessary initiative, it’s not yet clear whether it is sufficient 
"



- Patarei vanglast tehti tĂ”etruu 3D-mudel
(Delfi)
[Using drone video and 3D software a realistic 3D model of the Patarei jail in Tallinn was made.] 



- Interview: Author Agnia Grigas  
The 'New Russian Empire' and the Baltic States
(Deep Baltic)
Agnia Grigas is the author of "Beyond Crimea: the New Russian Empire”, 
"a book that demonstrates how Russia, under both Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin, has pursued policies of deliberately undermining and destabilising the former Soviet states 
"



- Letter from Siberia: Through sands and mountains in search of a gulag ghost-town
(Calvert Journal)
  Article begins: "Some friends and I set off from Krasnoyarsk to the Trans-Baikal region on the Baikal-Amur Mainline, eager to see the Chara Sands desert and the harsh Kodar Mountains, home to numerous glaciers and an abandoned Gulag camp. Our 10-day journey through desert, taiga and mountain gave us a taste of a terra incognita that remains virtually unknown across Russia and even within Siberia itself.”
—
[The article includes a set of truly incredible photos.] 



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Wednesday 3. May
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✔ EU keeps visa-free travel for US visitors
(EU Observer | New York Times)
"Right now, United States citizens generally do not need visas to enter any of the union’s 28 member nations, but citizens of five of those nations — Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania — need visas to travel to the United States. That disparity has been the subject of a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Brussels that threatened to escalate in March, when the European Parliament asked the commission, the bloc’s executive body, to retaliate by ending visa-free travel to Europe for Americans. The Parliament’s resolution was nonbinding, and the commission said Tuesday that it would not comply with the request.” 
--



- Tallinna sadamaala ideekonkursi finaali jĂ”udnud tööd
(ERR)
"Tallinna Sadam avalikustas kolm arhitektuurset lahendust, mis jĂ”udsid sadamaala masterplaani ideekonkursi lĂ”ppvooru. Milline tuleb ellu viidav lahendus, loodetakse lukku lĂŒĂŒa septembriks. .. Tallinna Sadama vĂ€lja kuulutatud masterplaani ideekonkrusil osales kuus pakkumist 
 Tööd jĂ€tkatakse Alver Arhitektide, Kavakava ja Alejandro Zaera-Polo & Maider Llaguno Architecture ĂŒhistöö (Eesti ja Suurbritannia) ja Zaha Hadid Architectsi (Suurbritannia) kavandiga."



- Countess of Wessex on two-day visit in Estonia
(The Daily Mail)
[She visited the British Brigade Training Wing in Tapa, visited PallipĂ”nn Pre-School in Tallinn, and met with Prime Minister JĂŒri Ratas at Stenbock House.]
—




_____________

Tuesday 2. May
_____________


- Peaminister Ratas: SÔjalist ohtu Eestile tÀna ei ole
(ERR)
"Kas ida poolt on meile kĂ”ige tĂ”enĂ€olisem sĂ”jaline oht? Loomulikult on. Ma ĂŒtlesin ka seda vĂ€ga selgelt, et meie vĂ€lisluure andmed ĂŒtlevad 2017. aastal, et see oht on madal. Minu ĂŒlesanne valitsusjuhina ja peaministrina ei ole kĂŒlvata ei siin riigikogu ees ega Eesti ĂŒhiskonnas sĂ”jahĂŒsteeriat. Minu ĂŒlesanne on, kui see oht tĂ”useb, koheselt informeerida sellest ĂŒhiskonda. Aga tĂ€na ei ole seda ohtu."



- Eestis oli 40 aasta kĂ”ige kĂŒlmem aprill
(Postimees)
"Eesti keskmine Ă”hutemperatuur oli +3,0 kraadi, mis on 1,6 kraadi madalam kui paljuaastane keskmine, milleks on +4,6 kraadi. Õhutemperatuuri maksimumiks registreeriti 10. aprillil VĂ”rus +17,9 ning miinimumiks 16. aprillil JĂ”hvis -11,1 kraadi."




_____________

Monday 1. May
_____________


- Tee virtuaaltuur allveelaevas Lembitu
(Postimees)
[A virtual tour of the submarine Lembitu. 
I have been in it and it is worth the visit.]



- NĂ€dalavahetuse torm viis Patareilt katuse
(Postimees)



- North Korea owes Finland millions for transactions dating back to the 1970s
(Yle)
"North Korea ordered paper machines and other assorted equipment from Finland that it never paid for. The total bill climbed to over 26 million euros owed to the Finnish state, and another six million that was never paid to private Finnish businesses. Officials in Pyongyang haven't forgotten this debt."




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- Russia -
"Trust No One"
_____________


- Who Is Terrorizing Russia's Opposition and Why Is No One Being Held Responsible?
(The Moscow Times)

- Alexei Navalny Is Now Russia's Outlaw Presidential Candidate
(Moscow Times)



- Five Faces of May Day in Russia
(Paul Goble)
"May Day has become a holiday in which the official slogans and the balance between official and opposition may be less instructive about what is going on in Russia than the ways in which various groups have used the day to promote their cause and how the authorities have responded."



- Dmitry Medvedev’s fate foreshadows Russia’s
(BNE - Mark Galeotti)
"In the immediate term, he is probably not going anywhere, as Putin cannot appear to be swayed by protests. The chance of him lasting to next year’s presidential poll and the consequent change of government, though, look slender, especially as he is definitely an electoral liability now."



- Russia Rehearses For Very Cold War In The Arctic
(RFERL video)



- The Kremlin’s California Dream
(Slate)
“
 in tacking toward both fringes of the U.S. political spectrum, and in a not-too-subtle nod to the Soviet Union’s crack-up, the Kremlin recently began funding efforts to organize and encourage American secession movements outright. Last year, the Kremlin granted tens of thousands of dollars to the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, a group that, over the past two years, has put together a pair of Moscow-based conferences to organize numerous American and European secessionists ranging from Venice and Northern Ireland to Hawaii and Texas."



- Seven Theories: What Do We Really Know about L’Affaire Russe and What Could it All Mean?
(LawFare)
An 
 "overview of the facts to those most directly related to Russia’s interference in the election and the possible links between Trump associates and the Russian government."

- Trump et L'Affaire Russe: A Resource Page
(Lawfare)
"This resource page compiles ongoing revelations on President Donald Trump and his associates’ alleged ties to Russia."



- Film Screenings of ‘Nemtsov' to be Held in the U.S.
(Institute of Modern Russia)
"Nemtsov chronicles a remarkable political life. It is a story told by those who knew Boris Nemtsov at different times: when he was a young scientist and took his first steps in politics; when he held high government offices and was considered Boris Yeltsin’s heir apparent; when he led Russia’s democratic opposition. The film contains rare archival footage, including from the Nemtsov family. Nemtsov is a portrait. It is not about death. It is about the life of a man who could have been president of Russia."

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