MS Estonia uuringute eel peeti uurimislaeval mälestuspalvus

(Postimees)

“Estonia laevavraki uurimistööde eel toimus selle hukkumispaigas piirivalvelaeva Kindral Kurvits pardal palvus, mille viis läbi Eesti Evangeelse Luterliku Kiriku piiskop Tiit Salumäe. Salumäe luges ette EELK peapiiskop Urmas Viilma pöördumise seoses uuringute toimumisega.”

https://www.postimees.ee/7289282/estonia-uuringute-eel-peeti-uurimislaeval-malestuspalvus

“BLOGI ⟩ Käivitus Estonia vraki eeluurimine.” - Postimees

“Estonia vraki uurimine algas.” - Delfi

“Halb ilm sundis Estonia vrakki uurivad laevad tomivarju minema.” - Postimees

“Estonia vraki eeluurimine: miks rootslased ilma eestlasteta juba öösel hukkumispaigas käisid?” - Postimees

Mälestuspalvus | Screenshot - Delfi TV

Sweden and Estonia begin new inspections of MS Estonia

(Euronews | France24)

“Survivors and relatives of the victims have long demanded that the inquiries be reopened. The new inspection will use an array of different sonar devices to examine the position of the ship on the seabed, authorities said.”

https://www.euronews.com/2021/07/08/sweden-and-estonia-begin-new-inspections-of-wreckage-of-1994-ferry-disaster

—

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210709-new-probe-launched-into-1994-ms-estonia-ferry-disaster-1

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COVID in the Baltics 

- 58 in Estonia ⬆️ (39 last week)

-50 in Latvia     ⬆️ (40 last week)

- 34 in Lithuania ⬆️ (30 last week)

(BNN)

https://bnn-news.com/latest-covid-19-cases-in-baltics-latvia-50-lithuania-34-estonia-58-226348

“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet

“Valitsus ei plaani kolmanda koroonalaine korral ühiskonda täielikult sulgeda.” - ERR

“Estonia may see as many as 130 covid cases per day by early August.” - ERR

“Soomes tuvastati ööpäevaga 302 koroonanakkust.” - ERR

“The Shocking Enormity of Russia’s Botched Pandemic Response.” - Foreign Policy

“USA ei kiirusta reisipiirangute mahavõtmisega.” - ERR

“Fake COVID vaccine certificates sold on dark web for €150.” - Euronews

— Friday 9. July —

Eesti üüri ja eluaseme hinnakasv on olnud võrreldes 2010. aastaga Euroopa Liidu kõrgeim

(Postimees)

“Kui võrrelda 2021. aasta esimest kvartalit 2010. aastaga, tõusid eluasemete hinnad rohkem kui üürid 17 ELi liikmesriigis. Majahinnad tõusid 23 liikmesriigis ja langesid neljas, enim tõusid Eesti (+126,8%) ja Luksemburg (+108,2%).”

https://majandus.postimees.ee/7289572/eesti-uuri-ja-eluaseme-hinnakasv-on-olnud-vorreldes-2010-aastaga-euroopa-liidu-korgeim#_ga=2.17329657.1589583259.1625800768-17610518.1623280166

Report: Estonian house prices rose by 126.8% over the past decade

(ERR)

“The report, published by European Commission statistics directorate Eurostat Thursday, found that in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2021) compared with 2010, house prices rose by close to 130 percent over that period, while rents rose by even more, by 140 percent, 2010-Q1 2021. The EU average for the two categories stood at 30 percent and around 15 percent respectively … only Luxembourg (nearly 110 percent growth) and Hungary (circa 100 percent) came close to Estonia's figures.”

https://news.err.ee/1608272079/report-estonia-house-prices-rents-grew-most-across-eu-over-past-decade

Järgmine nädal toob Eestisse uue kuumalaine

(ERR)

“Uuel nädalal tõusevad temperatuurid 33 kraadini (91.4F), pole välistatud ka kuni 35-kraadised temperatuurid. Kuumus leeveneb alles nädala lõpu poole.”

https://www.err.ee/1608272553/jargmine-nadal-toob-eestisse-uue-kuumalaine

Opinion: NATO Is an Alliance Divided

(Wall Street Journal)

“Some observers look back fondly on the Cold War, when NATO members’ goals were tightly aligned. That time has passed. U.S. power has been depleted by globalization and deindustrialization, decades of war in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and political polarization at home. As American global leadership falters, Europe has been increasingly adrift as it tries—somewhat awkwardly—to weigh its options. Russia has exploited these fissures while China has transformed itself into a power in Europe by investing in European technology companies.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nato-is-an-alliance-divided-11625608606

Finland’s Hushed Energy Dealings with Russia

By Cordelia Buchanan Ponczek, CEPA

“In the growing disputes between Russia and the West, Finland is wedged between a rock and a very hard place. The government describes itself as militarily non-allied, a traditional Finnish position underlined by its regular role as a summit host, like the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit in 2018. That underlines its geographic reality — despite being a European Union (EU) member, Finland has not joined NATO, and is also on Russia’s doorstep. That can lead to some peculiar outcomes, like Finland’s quiet role in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.”

—

“Finland’s broader role in Nord Stream 2 is sometimes forgotten. The pipeline passes through 374km of Finnish territorial waters, something Finland’s prime minister described in 2016 as primarily an environmental issue.”

—

“Not that Finland is under any illusions about Russia. … Finland recognizes that Russia presents the likeliest threat to its security (there is a reason Finland still has conscription and the strongest land force among the Nordics).

https://cepa.org/finlands-hushed-energy-dealings-with-russia/

Siim Kallas: Finland has never decided to support Estonia in risk situations

(ERR)

"The Finnish people have been invaluably useful to the Estonian people, having opened the West to us. We must be very-very grateful to the Finns. But the Finnish government has never made decisions that would support Estonia in risky situation," said Kallas, currently a member of the Riigikogu. … this was also apparent when Finland did not rush to recognize Estonia as an independent state and later, when Finland did not wish to grant Estonia visa freedom.”

https://news.err.ee/1608270567/former-pm-finland-has-never-decided-to-support-estonia-in-risk-situations

— Thursday 8. July —

Russia Expels Estonian Consul On Spy Charges Estonia Calls ‘Provocative'

(RFERL)

“Russia says it has given an Estonian diplomat 48 hours to leave after briefly detaining him for allegedly receiving classified documents in what the Baltic state called a "setup."

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on 7. July that Consul Mart Latte had been declared "persona non grata" for "intelligence-gathering activities incompatible with diplomatic status.” The Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Latte, the consul in St. Petersburg, on July 6 but did not say what he supposedly received or from whom. Estonia's Foreign Ministry called the detention another example of Russia choosing confrontation with the European Union, characterizing it as "unlawful and provocative."

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-estonia-consul-expelled/31346056.html

“Eesti vastab Venemaa diplomaatilisele sammule.” - ERR

“Russia detains Estonian consul after he allegedly received classified material.” - Deutsche Welle, 6. July

“Eesti saadab vastusammuna Vene diplomaadi riigist välja.” - ERR

“Estonian diplomat's detention in Russia "a set-up", Estonia says.” - Reuters

Leedu minister: okastraattõkke rajamine Valgevene piirile algab peagi

(Postimees)

“Tõenäoliselt juba täna, kõige hiljem homme algab, kuid muidugi alles algab. Nii palju, kui mina tean, on tootjaettevõtteile juba antud ülesanne alustada traadi kerimist, ja kui tuleb ülesanne katta kogu piir, välja arvatud mõistagi need alad, mis on juba kaetud, siis see venib pisut, sest iga ettevõte toodab viis kilomeetrit päevas.”

https://maailm.postimees.ee/7288930/leedu-minister-okastraattokke-rajamine-valgevene-piirile-algab-peagi#_ga=2.46736871.1589583259.1625800768-17610518.1623280166

“Leedu saadab vastusammuna välja suurema osa Valgevene diplomaatidest.” - ERR

“Leedu migrandid on Valgevenesse sõitnud ‘turistid’." - Delfi

“Hispaania peaministri pressikonverentsi Leedus katkestas Vene sõjalennuk.” - ERR

“Pabrade väikelinnast on saanud migratsioonikriisi tulipunkt.” - ERR

Vilnius Declares Emergency to Block Middle Eastern Migrants from Belarus, Enlists NATO’s Help

By Paul Goble

“Over the last few months, Minsk has been flooding Lithuania with illegal immigrants from the Middle East as Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s hybrid retaliation for Vilnius’ support of the Belarusian opposition.”

—

“The immigrants fly from Baghdad or Istanbul to Minsk and then with the assistance of the Belarusian government travel overland to the Lithuanian border where they avoid border posts and cross into that European Union posing a challenge to its government and hoping to travel on to other EU countries posing challenges to them. …”

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/07/ilnius-declares-emergency-to-block.html

“Lithuania Starts Border Fence To Stem Migrant Surge From Belarus.” - RFERL

“Kallas: It is Estonia's role to be good partner to Lithuania.” - Baltic Times

“Isamaa leader: Estonia must help Lithuania stop migration pressure.” - Baltic Times

“Lithuania to start building barrier on border with Belarus this week.” - Latvian Broadcasting

“Vilnius asks most Belarusian diplomats to leave, responding to expulsion from Minsk.” - BNN

“Massive Migrant Surge From Belarus Into The EU.” - RFERL

“Lithuania Gives Belarusian Opposition Official Status.” - RFERL

Lukashenk’s migrant warfare against the EU - specifically against Lithuania

By Mark Galeotti, The Spectator

“When you have already forced a plane down with spurious claims of a bomb threat, just to arrest one dissident journalist, where do you go from there? For the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, a man looking to punish the European Union after it imposed sanctions on Belarus, it seems that exploiting would-be migrants and asylum seekers is the way forward. Last week, the dictator threatened to send masses of migrants to the EU, in retaliation for the bloc’s sanctions against Belarus. ‘We will not stop anyone’, Lukashenko said, saying migrants would be on their way to a ‘warm and comfortable Europe’ soon.”

—

“His goal in particular appeared to be to hit back at neighbouring Lithuania …”

—

“According to Vilnius, Minsk has moved from permission to provocation. It is now directly helping migrants get into the EU and helping them cross the border into Lithuania. Most of the migrants are reportedly coming from Turkey, and others have been offered cheap flights to Minsk by ‘travel agencies’ in Baghdad and elsewhere, for that very purpose.”

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/lukashenko-s-migrant-warfare-against-the-eu

Technology Is Key to Helping Women Around the World: Estonia President

(Bloomberg interview, 5. July)

“Kaljulaid discusses how technology is key to helping mothers around the world and addressing the challenges they face amid the pandemic.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-07-06/technology-is-key-to-helping-women-around-the-world-estonia-president-video

“Estonia has ranked ninth in the world in terms of equal opportunities for women.” - Baltic Times

— Wednesday 7. July —

Estonia: A Baltic Backlot for Movie Blockbusters and Beyond

(Hollywood Reporter)

“Hands up who understood Tenet. Anyone? … But at least one of Nolan’s directorial decisions is easy to explain: the choice to shoot Tenet in Estonia.”

—

“The country’s rebate scheme, introduced in 2016, provides up to 30 percent cash rebate on local expenses, with the full amount applied if a production uses local crews and/or sets the film in Estonia. Nolan did both — the car chase scene is deliberately labeled “Tallinn, Estonia” — and even threw in a few extra lines of dialog in the local language.”

—

“Tenet has acted as a $200 million Imax-sized billboard promoting Estonia to producers worldwide. …”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/estonia-backlot-blockbusters-tenet-productions-1234977909/

“Estonia hums new tune as tourist Mecca.” - Canada,com

British Army used Artificial Intelligence for first time in live-firing drill in Estonia

(Evening Standard | Government Computing)

“Soldiers from the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade used an AI engine during Exercise Spring Storm, as part of Operation Cabrit … the AI technology can be used via the cloud or operate in independent mode. The engine can rapidly cut through masses of complex data to provide efficient information on the environment and terrain, allowing the Army to plan better.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/artificial-intelligence-british-army-estonia-nato-b944167.html

—

https://www.governmentcomputing.com/national-security/news/british-army-uses-ai-in-estonias-live-firing-drill/

“The U.S. says humans will always be in control of AI weapons.” - The Washington Post

In Finland, Sami people protect native land against logging

(Christian Science Monitor)

“In the northern forests of Finland, the semi-nomadic Sami people's way of life is under threat. Under a draft revision of Finland's main forestry certification program, logging could increase by 30%, shrinking the forests that the Sami depend on for reindeer grazing.”

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2021/0701/In-Finland-Sami-people-protect-native-land-against-logging

“Climate change: Planting extra trees will boost rainfall across Europe.” - BBC

Lapland records hottest day since 1914

(The Guardian)

“Nordic countries have registered near-record temperatures over the weekend, including highs of 34C (93.2F) in some places. The latest figures came after Finland’s national meteorological institute registered its hottest temperature for June since records began in 1844.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/06/heatwave-hits-nordic-countries-lapland-temperature-?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Providing Poland With the M1 Abrams Would Secure NATO’s Eastern Flank

(National Interest)

“NATO members on the front line with Russia—the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania—have taken concerted steps to enhance their capabilities to confront the threat posed by improving Russian conventional forces. The Baltic states and Poland have each met or exceeded the NATO defense spending goal of two percent of their GDP. All have sought to replace their aging Soviet-era equipment with modern Western systems that also provide enhanced interoperability.”

—

“To pose the kind of deterrent that would dissuade Russia from military adventurism, Poland needs to finish modernizing its tank fleet before Russia can achieve an overwhelming advantage in conventional forces. Poland’s army still operates some five  hundred obsolete Russian-designed tanks that are more than thirty years old.”

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/providing-poland-m1-abrams-would-help-secure-nato’s-eastern-flank-189084

“Why Russia's "Little Green Men" Should Fear Britain’s Special Reconnisance Regiment.” - National Interest

“Russia’s Much Vaunted T-14 Tank Just Might Enter Mass Production.” - National Interest

— Russia —

Russia in Review: June 23 – July 6

 By Mason Clark, ISW

http://www.iswresearch.org/2021/07/russia-in-review-june-23-july-6.html

COVID-19: Moscow Says US Waging Biological War Against Russia

By Paul Goble

“Infections and deaths from COVID-19 are again reaching critically high levels in the Russian Federation even as such indicators are mostly declining elsewhere in Western countries, and especially in the United States. Faced with this troubling reality, various Russian commentators and even senior officials have begun suggesting that “this cannot be a coincidence” and must be evidence of the West conducting biological warfare against Russia and its population …”

https://jamestown.org/program/moscow-says-us-waging-biological-war-against-russia/

Putin Regime Now Striking Out at Organizations Helping Younger Scholars

(Window on Eurasia)

“Russian prosecutors have labeled several Russian institutions which have been helping younger scholars “undesirable organizations,” … Some of the young Russian scholars joke that they will have plenty of time in prison to write their dissertations … but this is no laughing matter because the Kremlin thereby destroying not just their careers but the future of the country.”

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/07/putin-regime-now-striking-out-at.html

Geopolitical Gaming: ‘War in the East 2’

(Foreign Policy, 4. July)

“War in the East 2, from publisher Matrix Games, is as titanic as the conflict it depicts. … Across a digital map divided into a grid of 45,000 hexagons, German and Soviet players control more than 6,000 divisions, brigades, and aircraft squadrons. War in the East 2, an expanded upgrade of the original 2010 edition, even has a 520-page manual, bound in hardcover like a college textbook.”

—

“The game is a number cruncher’s dream, tracking everything from the number of operable tanks and trucks, to the combat and administrative competence of individual generals, to whether sufficient raw materials are reaching arms factories. Although War in the East 2 actually isn’t super difficult to play (the computer’s artificial intelligence handles a lot of the details), to say this is the definitive simulation of the Eastern Front may not be an overstatement.”

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/04/war-in-the-east-2-wargame-russia-stopped-hitler/

Moscow’s Aspirations in North Melting Along With Permafrost

By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.

“The climate change–induced melting of the permafrost layer in the Russian High North is now proceeding so quickly that Moscow will have to spend at least 172 billion rubles ($2.6 billion) per year for the foreseeable future to patch up the buildings, highways, rail lines, and oil and natural gas pipelines under threat there. But even if the Russian government can come up with the money, an unlikely prospect, such spending will not prevent the collapse of cities in the region caused by outmigration, which in turn undermines long-term prospects for the Northern Sea Route. …”

https://jamestown.org/program/moscows-aspirations-in-north-melting-along-with-permafrost/

As Siberia's Permafrost Thaws, Scientists Marvel At The Treasures Beneath

(RFERL)

“Permafrost covers 95 percent of Yakutia, and as it thaws, it is attracting international researchers eager to study the remains of mammoth and other ancient specimens that the Earth is coughing up.”

https://www.rferl.org/a/siberia-permafrost-thaw-mammoth/31342051.html

Understanding Russia’s Cyber Strategy

By Josephine Wolff, FPRI

“Going all the way back to the 2007 denial-of-service attacks directed at Estonian infrastructure, Russia’s cyber activities have been more high-profile and deliberately publicly visible than those attributed to any other country, with the possible exception of North Korea.”

—

“Many countries, including the People’s Republic of China and the United States, have relied primarily on cyber capabilities for covert espionage or sabotage efforts that could be executed over the course of months, or even years, without detection. By contrast, Russia’s exploits in cyberspace, including the 2016 breaches of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the 2017 NotPetya attacks, often drew immediate attention, by design. Bilyana Lilly and Joe Cheravitch describe how the visibility of Russia’s cyber operations increased over time with the gradual shift in leadership of those operations from the FSB, Russia’s domestic security agency, to the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, which “brought with it a culture of aggression and recklessness” and a “high tolerance for operational risk” that was unusual in the cyber domain. More recently, increased activity from Russia’s civilian foreign intelligence service, SVR, has suggested a growing emphasis on long-term, covert cyberespionage operations. …”

https://www.fpri.org/article/2021/07/understanding-russias-cyber-strategy/

Putin’s Blunt Message For Germany: Forget Ukraine

(WorldCrunch)

“Putin speaks of a deteriorating security system, of excessive tension, and mentions the risks of a new arms race. What is he suggesting: cooperation? Not if you can read between the lines. When he mentions the concept of a Greater Europe — from Lisbon to Vladivostok — he certainly remembers its founder. No, not General de Gaulle, but philosopher McKinder, who said that Russia is a European heartland, which should influence Europe and manage its geopolitical processes.”

—

“When Putin suggests cooperation, he means not a united Europe, but a Europe that depends on Russia.”

https://worldcrunch.com/world-affairs/putin39s-blunt-message-for-germany-forget-ukraine

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