- “Tallinna linnamüür on enim uuritud ehitusmälestis Eestis, kuid siiski on selle kujunemisloos palju uurida ja avastada ka tänapäeval, kirjutab arheoloog Erki Russow.”
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Friday 21. June
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Eesti jäi kliimalubaduste jagamisel EL-is viimaste hulka
(ERR)
“Eesti ei olnud valmis Euroopa Liidu ülemkogul lubama kliimaneutraalset majandust aastaks 2050 nagu soovis valdav enamus riike. Eesti toetab aga liikumist kliimaneutraalse majanduse suunas ja peaminister Jüri Ratas loodab pärast keskkonnaministeeriumi analüüsi valmimist sellega edasi liikuda.”
President Kaljulaid näeb uue valitsuse tekitatud mainekahju Eestile
(ERR)
"Mis puudutab Eesti mainet, siis mina küll ei saa eitada, et minu käest on küsitud, et mis erakond see selline on ja mis toimub ja mis käemärgid ja mis suured pealkirjad Bloombergis, et Eesti ajab taga mingit rassipuhtust. On ikka küsitud.”
A Conversation with Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid
(The National Interest)
“I don’t think we immediately inherited a difficult neighbor. When the Soviet Union broke down, our understanding was that we would all develop in a democratic way: the Baltic states, and all former Soviet Socialist Republics, including Russia.”
Q1 2019 sees property price rises across Estonia
(ERR)
“The Dwelling Price Index increased by 5.9 percent y-o-y in Q1 2019, according to Statistics Estonia, continuing an upward trend for the past nine years. House prices in particular rose.”
Rail Balticu vastased jäid ka teises kohtuastmes kaotajaks
(Postimees | Ärileht)
“Tallinna Ringkonnakohus leidis täna avaldatud otsusega, et kodanikuühenduse Avalikult Rail Balticust ja Eesti Looduskaitse Seltsi väited, justkui oleks uue raudtee maakonnaplaneeringutega rikutud seadust ja õigusi, ei ole põhjendatud.”
—
European election voting problems ‘were evident five years ago’
(The Guardian)
“Leaked letter from the EU shows UK promised to act after polling mistakes in 2014. … The letter, from the EU justice commissioner, Vĕra Jourová, acknowledged that British authorities faced “practical challenges” because of the last-minute Brexit delay, but concluded this should not have affected “the obligation of the United Kingdom to respect the right to vote of EU citizens”. Theresa May said she did not want the UK to participate in European elections …”
Book: “NATO at 70 and the Baltic States: Strengthening the euro-atlantic alliance”
Edited by Mark Voyger
(Baltic Defence College)
“… (PDF) book places special emphasis on the increased security of the Baltic States within NATO, with several of authors offering a detailed assessment of the last 15 years coupled with recommendations for adapting NATO to better serve its expanded mission in the region in the 21st century.”
How to Save the Transatlantic Alliance: Waiting Out Trump Won’t Be Enough
(Foreign Affairs)
“Trump has wreaked severe damage on the transatlantic relationship. But Europeans have some responsibility to bear, too.”
Atlantic Drift
(CEPA)
“Edward Lucas considers if the state of the U.S.-German relationship is an inflection point for the Alliance.”
European roadmap further decouples Estonia electricity grid from Russia
(ERR)
“Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) joined governmental leaders from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in signing the implementation roadmap for the Baltic power grid synchronization with the continental European system, further reducing Estonia's links with the Russian grid.”
5 takeaways from EU’s leadership failure summit
(Politico-Europe)
“EU leaders gather(ed) in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for a summit at which they discuss(ed) top jobs, the bloc's long-term budget, climate change and disinformation. On Friday, talk turn(ed) to the eurozone.”
Crimea: They Cheered Russian Rule. Now Some Have Buyer’s Remorse
(The Atlantic)
“This sanctioned peninsula is more and more cut off from the outside world. Simferopol’s new airport markets itself as international, but can only receive flights from the Russian Federation. International bank cards and cellphones no longer work here. Yet Putin’s publicity still finds a receptive audience.”
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Thursday 20. June
__________
Tallinn 800: kindel linn ehk kuidas tekkis Tallinna linnamüür?
(Postimees)
“Tallinna linnamüür on enim uuritud ehitusmälestis Eestis, kuid siiski on selle kujunemisloos palju uurida ja avastada ka tänapäeval, kirjutab arheoloog Erki Russow.”
—
“Praeguseks on Tallinna linnamüür Visby kõrval üks kõige paremini säilinud ja eksponeeritud keskaegse kindlusarhitektuuri näiteid Põhja-Euroopas, kuid mitte ainult. Linnamüür on enim uuritud ehitusmälestis Eestis ning mujalgi lähikonnas ei leidu teist sedavõrd üksikasjalikult käsitletud kaitserajatist.”
Osa Abhaasia eestlastest on enese teadmata sünnijärgsed Eesti kodanikud
(Postimees)
Vladimir Putin vastas otse-eetris rahva küsimustele
(Delfi)
[Küsimusi tulid telefonist, sõnumiga, mobiiliäpis, jne.].
Ambitious 2050 climate goal relegated to footnote at EU summit
(Reuters)
“A push by most European Union nations for the world’s biggest economic bloc to go carbon neutral by 2050 was dropped to a footnote at a summit on Thursday after resistance from Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Hungary.”
Kaljulaid: Estonia could be climate crisis trailblazer
(Postimees)
“Over the past six months, the UN has completed two comprehensive studies that conclude the planet is on the verge of a climate disaster. Kersti Kaljulaid is the first Estonian president to have a climate adviser and who is direct in describing the planet as experiencing a climate crisis.”
EU Commission finds national climate plans insufficient
(Deutsche Welle)
“EU member states are not doing enough to meet the bloc's 2030 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions … Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Lithuania and Portugal offered "significantly high contributions" in reaching the renewable energy goal, the Commission said, but the bloc as a whole might miss its target. The EU could also miss its target for improving energy efficiency, as only five member states have proposed "sufficient contributions."
Soome vetes laiub 15-kilomeetrine õlilaik
(ERR)
“Lääne-Soome rannavalve sai teate õlilaigust neljapäeva hommikul. Asja saadeti uurima piirivalve lennuk Dornier, mis Euroopa Meresõiduohutuse Ameti (EMSA) satelliidi leidu ka kinnitas.”
__________
Wednesday 19. June
__________
Eesti elanike tarbimisvõimekus oli mullu ELi viimaste seas
(Postimees | ERR)
“Eesti oli mullu Euroopa Liidus (EL) elanike ostujõudu arvestava tegeliku individuaalse tarbimise (AIC) tasemelt 23. riik, Eestist tahapoole jäid vaid viis liikmesriiki.”
—
Ukraine: Taking Stock of Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Presidency
(Carnegie Europe)
“Two months after his clear election victory and one month after his inauguration as president, Ukraine and the rest of the world continue to puzzle over the personality, outlook, and expertise of political newcomer Volodymyr Zelenskiy. After only thinly veiled skepticism in the run-up to the second round of the election on April 21, most national and EU officials are now trying to give Zelenskiy the benefit of the doubt. …”
Opinion: What if the U.S. could fight only one war at a time?
(Japan Times)
“The (U.S.) Department of Defense has been working to overhaul the “two-war” defense strategy of the past quarter-century, in favor of one that focuses on winning a single high-stakes fight against China or Russia. … the U.S. is now building a force not around the demands of two regional conflicts with rogue states, but around the requirements of winning a high-intensity conflict with a single, top-tier competitor — a war with China over Taiwan, for instance, or a clash with Russia in the Baltic region.”
Russia Will Not Have a New Aircraft Carrier for at Least 15 Years—and Maybe Never
by Paul Goble - Jamestown Org.
“The saga of Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, has lurched from one embarrassing episode to another.”
—
“The Kuznetsov embarrassed Moscow in late 2016, when it was deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean to support Russia’s intervention in the Syrian civil war. As usual, the carrier had to be accompanied by tug boats in case of mechanical problems. The vessel is not nuclear powered, and a faulty engine resulted in the Kuznetsov spewing a thick, black column of oil smoke as it rounded the European peninsula. Moreover, during the course of the mission, several naval jets ended up crashing into the sea … Last year, the floating drydock that was to be used to refit it sank, damaging the ship. And Russian yards, which have not built an aircraft carrier in decades, are too small to handle the job.”
Bluster: Russia 'Ready To Respond' If U.S. Opens Military Bases Near Its Border, Russian Official Warns
(Newsweek)
“… some really talented people from Washington have had these ideas during the presidency of [former Ukrainian President Pyotr] Poroshenko,” said Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the Russian State Duma's International Affairs Committee. "However, this hasn't been done. In any case, Russia is ready to respond to such developments. Today, our armed forces are as capable as ever. So not a single hair on any Russian citizen's head would be harmed.”
__________
Tuesday 18. June
__________
From AI judges to robot bartenders, is Estonia the dark horse of digital tech?
(ABC-Australia)
“… in less than 30 years, Estonia has made the transformation from a struggling post-Soviet state to one of the most digitalised nations in the world. It has digitally streamlined an unprecedented number of public services, with 50 new government Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects set to come online by next year.”
Sadakond loodusobjekti võib jääda riikliku kaitseta
(ERR)
"Meil on eesmärk aastaks 2023 kõik alad, millel pole veel kaitsekorda, kehtestatud looduskaitseseaduse alusel üle vaadata. Me eelkõige teeme uue kaitsekorra neile aladele, kus on looduskaitseväärtused ilmselgelt olemas. Mida lähemale jõuame sellele tähtajale, seda rohkem tuleb ette selliseid olukordi, kus vana kaitsega alad on küsitava väärtusega. …”
Graphic: Changes in EU populations over the past 70 years
(Euronews)
Chlorpyrifos: Most dangerous pesticide you've never heard of
(EU Observer)
“The poisonous effect of chlorpyrifos on insects is not disputed.
The unresolved question is to what extent the usage of chlorpyrifos is dangerous to all living organisms like fish in nearby waters or farm workers in the fields, or to anybody eating the treated products.”
Graafikulugu: kes näeb Eesti kõige karmimaid jaanipäevi?
(ERR)
DOD Announces $250M to Ukraine
(U.S. Department of Defense)
“The new funds will provide equipment to support ongoing training programs and operational needs, including capabilities to enhance: maritime situational awareness and operations as part of ongoing U.S. efforts to increase support for Ukraine’s Navy and Naval Infantry; the defensive capacity and survivability of Ukraine’s Land and Special Operations Forces through the provision of sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and counter-artillery radars; command and control; electronic warfare detection and secure communications; military mobility; night vision; and, military medical treatment.”
__________
Monday 17. June
__________
Without a NATO-wide effort, the skies along the northeastern flank could be in peril
(Defense News)
“Confronted by what they perceive as Russia’s increasingly belligerent activities in Eastern Europe, the three Baltic states are moving toward tightening their air-defense cooperation, and they view NATO’s air-policing mission in their skies as a major part of their security. This is perhaps a sensible approach, as local observers say that without the alliance’s support, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania would be unable to field sufficient capabilities.”
—
“NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission was launched March 30, 2004, one day after Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the alliance. More than 15 years later, the three states still depend on other allies, as they lack their own fighter jet fleets that could be deployed to safeguard their skies.”
Andrus Ansip resigns from European Commission to take MEP seat
(Politico-Europe)
“European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip handed in his resignation to take up the European Parliament seat he won in last month's election.”
Swedbank stresses commitment to Baltics after suspending two senior Estonian executives
(Reuters)
“Swedbank’s proposed new chairman, former prime minister Goran Persson, said he hadn’t even contemplated Swedbank pulling out of the Baltics.”
—
“It’s three neighboring countries I as prime minister was deeply involved in bringing in to the European community from the former communist oppressors,” he said. “To tell them now ‘sorry, we have problems and we have to leave’, that hasn’t even crossed my mind”.”
Taani Kuninganna Margarethe II Tallinnas
(etv)
Estonia’s Government AI Starts in Healthcare
(Mac Observer)
“Estonia worked with Microsoft and the World Bank on a solution that scans healthcare records to help doctors figure out when to schedule a patient’s next checkup. In another project, the AI would create personalized sports advice for teenagers, taking into account puberty and recommend an appropriate workout plan.”
Esto Film "Gulag 113”
“EstDocs @ESTO esitleb Kanada eestlase Marcus Kolga dokumentaalfilmi oma vanaisast Eduard Kolgast. Dokumentaalfilm “GULAG 113” jälgib 89-aastase Kanada eestlase Eduard Kolga eluteed. Eduardil õnnestus pääseda nõukogude GULAG-ist. Film jutustab väga liigutava loo Eduard Kolga reisist Kanadast paikadesse sügaval Venemaal, kus talle ja miljonitele teistele idaeurooplastele said osaks kohutavad läbielamised 70 aastat tagasi.”
Estonia’s Foreign Ministry: Sanctions against Russia must be continued
(Ukrinform)
“Urmas Reinsalu believes that sanctions continue to be one of the most effective tools for responding to Russia's violation of international law.”
From professional to reliable journalists: the evolution of Russian media
(Riddle - 14. June)
“Russia’s media landscape is a minefield. Readers are overly sensitive, jaded or cynical after years of toxic debates encouraged by the state. Journalists (and media professionals in general) are sharp-elbowed and defensive. Even to neutral criticism of their activity or motives. They themselves are usually subject to public vilification, accused of venality or readiness to serve hidden external forces. So even a hint at anyone trying to ‘blamestorm’ them stirs up emotional counterattacks. Sometimes these skirmishes get labelled as a ‘media shitstorm’.”
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