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26 January, 2018


✔ “Paike”, a magazine for children and young adults, featured the above painting on it’s front cover. It depicts the festivities for Eesti’s 20th anniversary of it’s 1918 independence. It is signed by painter Erich Leps (b. 1901 Tallinn - d. 1965 Chicago) who lived in PĂ€rnu at the time.


✔ "Estonia has no doubts on Trump's commitment to NATO.” - JĂŒri Ratas during a CNBC interview at Davos Economic Summit


✔ Finland’s far-right Finns Party candidate Laura Huhtasaari, 38, hates the EU, cheered Brexit, supports Trump, and believes Finland needs her brand of populism - Politico Europe


✔ Russia banned the film ‘The Death of Stalin’  | Vene politsei tegi filmi 'Stalini surm' nĂ€idanud kinole haarangu - Various articles


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- 2014 to 2018 Archive:

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Friday 26. 
January
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- Eesti ei jĂ”ua Euroopa Liidu tĂ€htajaks pĂ”hjavee olukorda parandada
(Maaelu/Postimees)
"Peamiselt pĂ”levkivi kaevandamise ning pĂ”llumajandusega seotud mĂ”jude tĂ”ttu vĂ”tab seni veel halvas seisundis olevate pĂ”hjaveekogumite olukorra parandamine kauem aega, kui on jÀÀnud Euroopa Liidus ĂŒldsihiks seatud aastani 2021."



- Finland’s Marine Le Pen: Laura Huhtasaari
(Politico-Europe)
"Of the eight contenders to be Finland’s next president, none stand out quite like Laura Huhtasaari. The candidate of the far-right Finns Party is an outlier in both style and substance. She won’t win Sunday’s presidential election but she’s using her time in the spotlight to push her party’s anti-immigrant, anti-establishment message."



- Interview at Davos: JĂŒri Ratas
(CNBC)
"Estonia has no doubts on Trump's commitment to NATO."
—
"It is necessary to make the European Union a better, safer place."

- Ratas: Estonia expected to contribute to digital development
(ERR)

- Off Topic: Behind-the-scenes at the Davos Economic Summit
(Politico-Europe)
"The snow was so heavy and constant many couldn’t find the WEF registration center: a building as big as a football field. 
 Davos was supposed to be hard for protesters to reach, but it seemed (the) elite had finally outwitted themselves. 
 One hour delay turned into several hours for many, losing battery and patience on clogged mountain roads and lifeless helipads. 
 Life without helicopters sucks, doesn’t it?"



- Lithuanian president: Russia is engaged aggressively around the world
(CNBC)




- Mida tĂ€hendab tatjanapĂ€ev?
(Pleier)
“TĂ”rviku rongkĂ€iguga Tartu Ülikooli Narva kolledĆŸi juurest ehitatava Vaba Lava juurde algas Tatjana pĂ€eva tĂ€histamine Narvas."



- Teaduste Akadeemia looduskaitse komisjon: jĂ€tkusuutmatu metsandus vajab muutmist
(Heureka/Postimees)
"Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia (TA) Looduskaitse Komisjoni hinnangul pole tĂ€nane metsamajandus tervikuna oma praeguses suundumuses jĂ€tkusuutlik, ei taga elurikkuse hoidmist, arvestab vĂ€he ökosĂŒsteemi teenustega ja vajab seetĂ”ttu muutmist."
--



- Kremlin's efforts to influence opinion increasingly focusing on Sweden
(ERR)
"Behind the increased activity targeting Sweden is the Kremlin's strategic aim to keep the country as well as also Finland from moving closer to NATO, and also the attempt to destroy bilateral cooperation and unity between them."





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'The Death of Stalin -
A Comedy of Terrors'
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- Vene politsei tegi filmi 'Stalini surm' nĂ€idanud kinole haarangu
(Postimees)


- Russia banned the film ‘The Death of Stalin’
(Meduza)

Jeffrey Tambor (Malenkov), Steve Buscemi (Khrushchev), and Simon Beale (Beria)
Movie trailer screenshot - Youtube
- 'Death of Stalin’ movie trailer
“Our Secretary General is lying in a puddle of indignity! | "He’s feeling unwell, clearly."


- 'The Death of Stalin: A Comedy of Terrors', is presenting some real problems for the Russian authorities
(Window on Eurasia)


- How 'The Death of Stalin' plays Russian roulette with the truth
(The Guardian - Oct. 2017)
“One historian asks: is farce really the best way to understand the dictator’s murderous regime – or its legacy in Russia today?”


- 'The Death of Stalin' Is About a Nation Terrified of Its “Delusional Narcissist” Leader
(Slate - Sept. 2017)
- Video: Stalin suri Ă€ra ja miks see oluline oli
(Pleier - 12. jaanuar 2018)


- Armando Iannucci’s Soviet-era satire is full of grand absurdity and violent dread
(Financial Times - Oct. 2017)





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Thursday 25. 
January
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- Davos: Ilves sĂ”itis Davosi majandusfoorumile
(Postimees)
"Ilves lendas teisipÀeval Ơveitsi, Maailma Majandusfoorumile, kus ta kÔneleb mitmetes infotehnoloogia, majanduse ja julgeoleku tulevikku puudutavates aruteludes."

- Ilves: paljudel riikidel on suur nÀlg Eesti e-lahenduste jÀrele
(Postimees)

- Davos: Maailm vaatab digiidentiteedi arendamisel Eesti poole
(Postimees)
"Peaminister JĂŒri Ratas kĂ”neles tĂ€na Davosis Maailma Majandusfoorumi aastakoosolekul liidritele Eesti digiĂŒhiskonna, digitaalse identiteedi ja sellega seoses e-residentsuse arendamisest."
—

- Davos: Lithuanian president warns against globalist-protectionist divide
(Baltic Times)



- Meet “Kanye East,” the Estonian Rapper Who Spoofs American Pop Culture
(Vogue)
"Tommy Cash [Tomas Tammemets] has never been one to follow rules. From coining his own genre of sinister-meets-sexy “post-Soviet rap” to his money-obsessed social media presence, the Tallinn, Estonia–based artist clearly delights in his own absurdity."



- Five cultural differences between Estonia and the UK
(Estonian World)



- Investigation into claims of atrocities by Finnish SS during WW2
(Yle | JTE)
"Between 1941-1943, 1408 men were recruited in Finland to serve in the Viking Division of the Waffen-SS. Earlier this month, President Sauli Niinistö received an appeal from the chief Nazi-hunter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Holocaust historian Efraim Zuroff, to launch an official inquiry into the participation of Finnish volunteer Waffen-SS soldiers in war crimes during their service in Ukraine in 1941."
--
"The request followed the release of new research by Finnish historian André Swanström."
—
Reportedly there was "... discovery of written testimony by a Finnish Waffen SS officer who said he actively participated in the mass murder of Jews in Ukraine."

- Simon Wiesenthal Center’s letter to President Niinistö
Dated 4. January 2018

- Suomalaiset SS-miehet ja sotarikokset
(Suomen kirkkohistoriallinen seura)




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Wednesday 24. 
January
_____________


- Narva could become Estonia's next success story
(Baltic Times | BNN)
"The qualifications of the northeast Estonian regional capital Narva are impressive and the city could be the country's next great success, President Kersti Kaljulaid said on Tuesday at an event held to mark the occasion of Narva running to become European Capital of Culture 2024.”
—
"Industry will never return here, just like it will never return to any other post-industrial city in Europe. A new motor needs to be found to get things going, and culture, creativity, and small business is the way to go.” - Helen Sildna, founder of Tallinn Music Week



- Great Power Competition is Back
by Edward Lucas
(CEPA)
"Three practical questions stand out in the run-up to the alliance’s summit in Brussels this summer [11 and 12 July 2018]. The first is whether the U.S. can or should deploy troops to the Baltic states. This is the number one request from Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian leaders.”
—
"That raises the second question: reinforcement. In a crisis a heavy armored division—the sort of force you would need to fight a real land war with Russia—cannot be magicked out of thin air. Bringing it from the U.S. would take months. Even moving ammunition and other equipment across Europe takes weeks.”
—
"Russia knows that, which raises the third question: deterrence. NATO’s decision-making and resources in response to an armed attack are not yet fully credible."



- Uuendatud on 400,000 ID-kaarti
(ÄripĂ€ev)
"Peatatud sertifikaadiga ID-kaarti saab uuendada 31. mĂ€rtsini. 1. aprillist sertifikaadid tĂŒhistatakse ning ID-kaardi elektrooniliseks kasutamiseks tuleb taotleda uus dokument. Eelmisel aastal kasutas ID-kaarti elektrooniliselt vĂ€hemalt korra aasta jooksul ca 520 000 inimest."

- Estonia's ID card: 'We've no intention of letting a good crisis go to waste’
(ZDNet)
"The vulnerability and the update of the ID card certificates have already forced the government and private companies, who provide around 5,000 e-services, to think about new and even more sophisticated security arrangements for their services, find even more convenient alternatives, and implement updates at a fast pace."



- Finns headed to advance polling stations in record numbers
(Helsinki Times)
"Helsingin Sanomat reported yesterday that as many as 1,532,640 people cast their vote in advance 
 the relative popularity of advance voting has increased sharply since the turn of the millennium."

- 723 Finnish citizens living in Estonia cast their vote in the first round of voting of the Finnish presidential election
(ERR)



- British study paints a sad picture of Russians in Estonia
(Postimees)
“Socially passive”. “Disgruntled.” “Regards corruption as the only problem in Russia.” “The European Union has failed, NATO is hostile.” “ETV+ is counterpropaganda, PBK covers events in Russia objectively.” “Russia is more successful than Estonia also in promoting human rights,” “Estonia and Russia should cooperate.”
--
"Those are the words, sentences, and generalizations that make up the summary of a study ordered by the British government that interviewed 4,000 people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania."



- Finland plans to rebury civil war dead in churchyard
(Yle | BBC)
"The VierumÀki district of Heinola was the scene of heavy fighting between the Whites and the Red Guard in the spring of 1918, during the final weeks of Finland's Civil War."
—
"The grave site at Heinola, 140 km (87 miles) north of the capital Helsinki, is currently in the middle of an industrial park with a stone marker 
”
—
"The Heinola Lutheran parish is taking part in the project and if the plan goes ahead, the remains are likely to be reinterred in one of the parish's three cemeteries."





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Tuesday 23. 
January
_____________


- President Kaljulaid Narvas
(ERR | Delfi)
"Narva ei ole mingi eriliselt depressiivne koht, vaid olnud aastaid postindustriaalses lĂ”ksus, millest tuleb ĂŒheskoos vĂ€lja rabeleda. 
”
—

- President Kaljulaid visits Narva
(ERR)
"Kaljulaid said that Narva doesn't deserve its reputation as a depressing place, but that the city has a lot of potential and needs help to get out of what she called its post-industrial trap."



- Militarily, Baltic Region is Stable; But in Terms of Information War, It’s Not, Latvian Expert Andis Kudors Says
(Window on Eurasia)
“
 because Vladimir Putin is interested in the first instance in maintaining the status quo in Russia, something that would be threatened by an attack on Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 
 (but) Russia’s information war forces the Baltic governments to focus on it rather than devoting their energies to resolve basic domestic problems. That too is exactly the kind of thing Moscow hopes for and then exploits."



- NATO on balti rahvastele ohtlik okupatsioonivĂ€gi, usub umbkaudu veerand Eesti muukeelseist
(Delfi)



- Estonia to send leaflets to residents on how to act in a war
(Baltic Times)
"When it will be issued, I don't know. But work is in progress to have it," Brig. Gen. Martin Herem, endorsed by the government as the next commander of the Estonian defense forces, said."

- 300 Airmen from 180th Fighter Wing deployed to Estonia
(WTOL)



- Estonia’s ‘sustainable timber’ could lose its certification
(Climate Change News)
"Thousands of ancient sites are at risk of logging because the government will not pay to have them mapped, according to Tiit Kaasik, board member of the country’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)."



- Rail Baltic uues etapis: algab projekteerimine ja maade vÔÔrandamine
(ERR)



- Rail Baltica enters next phase
(ERR | others)
"Rail Baltica's next phase started on Tuesday with the chief executives of the project's subdivisions in the three Baltic states introducing their schedules for 2018. Preliminary analyses are complete, and up next is the marking-out of the new route."
—
"We have entered the design phase of the Rail Baltica project in three Baltic states."
—
—





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Monday 22. 
January
_____________


- Vene hundid kipuvad Eestisse
(Postimees)
"Nii hullu olukorda ma ei mĂ€letagi,» rÀÀkis MĂ€e jahtkonna esimees, 30aastase jahistaaĆŸiga Aare Poolak. «Hunt on meile siin Vene piiri ÀÀres vĂ€ga suur probleem. Seakatk on Venemaal laastanud sadades tuhandetes hektarites maad, huntide söögilaud on tĂŒhi ja nad rĂ€ndavad Eestisse."



- Work underway on MaarjamĂ€e memorial
(Postimees)



- Campaigners in Estonia warn of new threats to its unique forests
(The Ecologist)
"The most recent environmental report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveals that Estonia is using its unique forests intensively. Forestry exports have increased and now make up five percent of exports."



- Finland: Inside a European Center to Combat Russia’s Hybrid Warfare
(Foreign Policy)
"The center is part of a larger effort by NATO and the EU to knit together their members’ expertise and help them adapt quickly to the changing face of conflict. Amid growing reports of Kremlin-linked meddling across the West, from the “little green men” used in Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 to allegedly interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Russia’s evolving playbook has been propelled to the top of the security agenda. NATO has increased its presence along its eastern flank, and many of its members are increasing defense spending. But exactly how valuable the center’s ivory tower approach can be remains to be seen."







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Russia
“Trust No One"
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- Venemaa saab kĂŒmme hiiglaslikku tuumapommitajat
(Postimees)
[Russia will receive ten new Tu-160M nuclear bombers.]
—
"Venemaa president Vladimir Putin allkirjastas 160 miljardi rubla (2,3 miljardi euro) suuruse maksumusega lepingu, mille abil hangitakse Venemaa Ă”hujĂ”ududele kĂŒmme tuumapommitajat Tu-160M2."



- Putin Again Spending Far More to Host an International Athletic Meet
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)
"Just as was the case with the Sochi Olympics in 2014, Vladimir Putin’s regime has already spent far more on preparations for the 2018 World Cup than any other host country in history, not only boost his and Russia’s prestige but also and perhaps even more important to use the event to pay off his cronies 
"

- Russian Hotels Hike Prices by up to 5,000% for 2018 World Cup
(The Moscow Times)
"Hotel Agora, in Russia’s westernmost exclave of Kaliningrad, topped the agency’s blacklist released on Tuesday. It listed a price of almost 130,000 rubles ($2,300) for a room on a booking website instead of the state-regulated 2,400 rubles ($42)."



- Lavrentiy Beria’s ‘Bet on the Republics’ in 1953 Contributed to End of the USSR in 1991, Mlechin Says
(Window on Eurasia)



A Footnote: Lavrentiy Beria was chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus (NKVD) under Joseph Stalin during World War II, and was promoted to deputy premier under Stalin in 1941. Nikita Khrushchev wrote in his memoirs that Beria had, immediately after Stalin's March 1953 stroke, gone about "spewing hatred against Stalin and mocking him.” Shortly after Stalin's death, Beria announced triumphantly to the Politburo that he had "done Stalin in" and "saved us all", according to Molotov's memoirs. Beria was arrested on 26. June 1953 and on 23. December 1953 was found guilty of treason, terrorism, and 'Counter-revolutionary activity’. He was shot the same day.  -  Various sources
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