Alar Karis was sworn in on Monday
11. October as the 6th President
of the Republic of Estonia
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(Left to right: Konstantin Päts, Lennart Meri, Arnold Ruutel,
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Kersti Kaljulaid, Alar Karis.) |
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Cover photo:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kuldne_sügis.JPG
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COVID in the Baltics
- 1,061 in Estonia ⬆️ (954 last week)
- 2,142 in Latvia ⬆️ (1,695 last week)
- 2,736 in Lithuania ⬆️ (2,403 last week)
(BNN)
https://bnn-news.com/latest-covid-19-cases-in-baltics-2-142-in-latvia-2-736-in-lithuania-229121
“Fully vaccinated EU travelers will be able to enter the U.S. beginning Nov. 8.” - New York Times
“Peaminister Kaja Kallas: mina pooldan vaktsineerimata inimeste täiendavat piiramist.” - ERR
“Teadusnõukoda pooldab vaktsineerimata inimestele karmimaid piiranguid.” - ERR
Finnish media: “Caution urged for travellers to Baltic countries.” - Yle
“Baltian koronatilanne paheni jälleen nopeasti.” - Yle
“Valitsusel pole siiani üksmeelt inimesi vaktsineerima meelitamises.” - ERR
“President Karis: vaktsineerimine on ainuke tark viis kriisi seljatamiseks.” - Delfi
“Lätis on hõivatud 80 % Covid-patsientide voodikohtadest.” - ERR
“Koroonaviiruse andmestik.” - Eesti Terviseamet
- Friday 15. October 2021
Alar Karise visiit Soome jääb ära, kuna president Niinistöl tuli jääda eneseisolatsiooni
(Delfi)
“Inimene teeb plaani, jumal naerab. Alar Karise niigi viltuvedanud esimene välisvisiit jääb poolikuks: lisaks Läti presidendile kukkus ära ka kohtumine Soome riigipeaga.”
“Karis tahtis läikivaid nööpe.” - Õhtuleht
Rail Balticu maade omandamine on graafikust viis aastat maas
(ERR)
“Kõigist teadaolevalt vajalikest maadest oli tänavu teise kvartali seisuga omandatud veidi üle veerandi ning seejuures Harjumaal, kus maad kallimad, vaid kuus protsenti, kirjutas riigikontroll Rail Balticu elluviimise vahearuandes.”
What to watch in Estonia’s local elections
(New Eastern Europe)
“The 2021 Estonian local elections will be unprecedentedly fractured and may portend major changes to the small northern European nation’s electorate. Despite the rhetoric, most campaigns seek to address everyday concerns.”
https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/10/15/what-to-watch-in-estonias-upcoming-local-elections/
“GRAAFIKUD: Valimisaktiivsus Eestis.” - Postimees
“Tänavu saab valida kodule lähemal, nii telgis kui ka poes.” - Pealinn
“Reedest pühapäevani saab Tallinna volikogu valida oma linnaosas.” - Pealinn
“BLOGI: Lõuna-Eesti valimised.” - Postimees
Estonia will be the first country to regulate crypto-currency hubs
(Fortune)
“For the euro area and NATO member of 1.3 million it’s an urgent issue. The country is trying to move beyond a sprawling money-laundering scandal in 2018 that saw Danske Bank’s Estonian unit handle 200 billion euros ($232 billion) of suspicious transactions.”
—
“Since then, authorities have revoked about 2,000 licenses for crypto exchanges.”
https://fortune.com/2021/10/15/estonia-regulate-cryptocurrency-crackdown-digital-coins/
“Matis Mäeker: Estonia should scrap its current crypto regulations and start again.” - CoinDesk
“Intervjuu: Matis Mäekeri.” - Eesti Ekspress (paywall)
Polish parliament approves law for migrant pushbacks at Belarus border
(Politico-Europe)
“Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have reported spikes in migration inflows since summer this year, with people from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq seeking asylum. Poland and the EU have accused authoritarian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of destabilizing the border region by enhancing the migration influx as a retaliation measure against sanctions.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-parliament-approved-law-for-migrant-pushbacks-at-the-border/
- Thursday 14. Oct. 2021
3D model of MS Estonia to be developed
(BNN | ERR
“… approximately 25,000 photos were taken of the wreck, on the basis of which a 3D model of the wreck will be put together. The model will enable investigators to see the wreck as a whole and measure the size of the injuries. … the 3D model will take three to four weeks to complete.”
https://bnn-news.com/estonia-expedition-head-wrecks-3d-model-will-be-developed-229011
—
https://news.err.ee/1608367539/kurm-ferry-estonia-probe-difficult-due-to-wreck-s-shifting-on-seabed
Barbed wire deal with Estonia caused a political storm in Lithuania
(Postimees)
“Critics say that the Lithuanian government wasted taxpayer money when it procured barbed wire from Estonia for double the market price. The Estonian side considers the matter to be a political struggle inside Lithuania. Estonia initially donated 100 kilometers of barbed wire to Lithuania this summer.”
—
“However, it soon turned out that Lithuania, having become a target of a hybrid campaign orchestrated from Belarus, needs a lot more. The additional barbed wire was procured from Estonia, which deal the Lithuanian media and opposition are now criticizing. …”
Antisemitism still common in the EU
(Deutsche Welle)
“A new study published by the European Jewish Association (EJA), an alliance of Jewish communities and organizations, clearly shows that antisemitism is deep-rooted — and even increasing — in the European Union some 80 years after the Holocaust. Rabbi Slomo Koves is presenting this report at the annual meeting of European Jewish leaders in Brussels. It is based on a survey of 16,000 people in 16 EU member states conducted by the market research agency IPSOS.”
https://www.dw.com/en/antisemitism-still-common-in-the-eu-study/a-59494091
- Wednesday 13. Oct. 2021
Hiidtuuleparkide vastu vaidlemiseks ei jäta seadused kohalikele võimalusi
Ülle Harju, Postimees (paywall)
“Seadus annab absoluutse õiguse ja võimaluse sellega (tuuleparkide arendusega – toim) tegeleda,» märkis mitme tuulepargi rajamise eest võitlev Harry Raudvere. Nii tema kui ka teised arendajad on kohtus võitnud tuulikute püstitamist takistada püüdnud kohalikke omavalitsusi. Takistus on olnud kaitseministeeriumi veto põhjendusel, et tuulikud segavad radarite tööd. «Kui poleks seda tsirkust tegema hakatud ja kõik tuulepargid, mis seisavad, oleksid valmis ehitatud, oleks Eestis elektri hind praegu absoluutselt teistsugune!» põrutas ettevõtja, kes on enda sõnul tuuleparkide teemal kohtus vaidlemisele kulutanud mitu miljonit eurot.”
Estonia Is About To Aim Missiles At A Key Russian Weakness
(Forbes)
“The Estonian military is buying a 200-mile-range anti-ship cruise missile. … But in the crowded waters of the Baltic Sea, 200 miles is a long way. That’s especially true for Estonia. A Blue Spear missile launching from Estonia can range across the entire Gulf of Finland, that branch of the Baltic that connects the Russian port of St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad, Russia’s coastal exclave lying between Poland and Lithuania.”
“Estonia’s Getting A Powerful Cruise Missile. Now It Needs Some Way To Find Targets.” - Forbes
Why NATO Must Transform for the Twenty-First Century
(National Interest)
“NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg bluntly sums up the key problem: “Just look at the numbers: eighty percent of NATO’s defense expenditure comes from non-EU allies.” Thus, the strategic perspective and priorities of the three principal non-EU NATO states—Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States—runs up against the conflation of NATO’s mission with the defense of “Europe.”
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-nato-must-transform-twenty-first-century-195027
European Union to seek ban on oil and gas exploration in the Arctic
(CBC)
“The European Commission proposal reflects the EU's efforts to boost its role on the global stage, although it has limited influence in the Arctic. It is not a member of the Arctic Council, which is the regional co-ordinating body, though three of its states — Denmark, Finland and Sweden — are.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/eu-oil-gas-1.6209007
What is driving Europe’s energy crisis?
(Financial Times)
“If you live in continental Europe or the UK the natural gas that heats your home this October is costing at least five times more than it did a year ago. The reasons are varied: among them are earthquakes in the Netherlands, China’s attempt to clean up its air and Russian president Vladimir Putin’s power politics.”
—
“But the impact is clear. The record prices being paid by suppliers in Europe and shortfalls in gas supply across the continent have stoked fears of an energy crisis should the weather be even marginally colder than normal. …”
https://www.ft.com/content/72d0ec90-29e3-4e95-9280-6a4ad6b481a3
“Venemaa: gaasitarne suurendamiseks Euroopasse on uusi lepinguid vaja.” - ERR
“EU probes possible energy-price manipulation.” - EU Observer
“Russia denies weaponising energy amid Europe gas crisis.” - BBC
The West Still Needs Russia’s Energy
(Foreign Policy)
“As natural gas prices have surged throughout Europe and as the United Kingdom has faced fuel shortages, there has been an increasingly heated battle between Russia and the West over energy supply. Officials in the European Union and United States have blamed Russia for purposefully holding back natural gas exports to Europe for political purposes, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of sowing “hysteria and confusion” with its drive toward energy decarbonization. Only in recent days has Moscow hinted at a willingness to raise export volumes to Europe, albeit with strings attached.”
“Europe’s energy crisis highlights dangers of reliance on Russia.” - Atlantic Council
“Europe’s gas price surge is about to push up the price of food.” - Politico
“EU to target high energy prices.” - Baltic Times
“EU Leaders Pledge Support For Ukraine, Help In Ensuring Reliable Gas Supplies.” - RFERL
“Russia can help Europe, not using gas as a weapon says Putin.” - Reuters
Elektriauto laadimisvõimalused arenevad suure kiirusega
(Delfi)
“Juba mõnda aega suurt kuulsust ja populaarsust kogunud elektriautode puhul on üheks olulisemaks küsimuseks selle laadijad ja laadimisvõimalused. See teema on oluline nii potentsiaalsete autohuviliste kui ka arendajate jaoks. Tanklad on Eestis üle riigi laiali, aga kuidas on lood võimalusega oma elektriautot laadida?”
“Europe’s electric cars risk running out of juice.” - Politico-Europe
- Tuesday 12. Oct. 2021
Zapad 2021 Suggests Moscow Could Seize Baltics but Lose Kaliningrad
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“From an informational warfare standpoint, Zapad 2021 was, at least in part, intended to frighten the West and raise questions about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) ability to defend its three Baltic members—Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. However, the exercise also exposed doubts about Russia’s ability to defend Kaliningrad.”
—
“But according to Moscow-based commentator Dmitry Rodionov, the exercises showed that “Russia, without difficulty, could seize the countries of the Baltic but that it could not do this except at the risk of losing Kaliningrad if the Western allies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were to join the battle.”
“Россия может захватить Ригу и Таллин, но потерять Калининград.” - Svobodnaya Pressa
Poles demonstrate in support of EU membership
(The Guardian)
“Up to 100,000 people gathered in Warsaw alone after a Polish court ruling that raised fears of a Brexit situation.”
Piiriületajad siirduvad Venemaale talvekorterisse
(Õhtuleht)
“Soome piirivalve jagas imearmast fotot, kus emakaru koos poegadega suundub Soomest Venemaale talvituma.”
https://loodus.ohtuleht.ee/1045512/foto-tabatud-piiriuletajad-siirduvad-venemaale-talvekorterisse
Russia | Venemaa
Scientists Want Out of Russia
By Natalia Antonova, Foreign Policy
“In spite of the Kremlin’s lofty pronouncements that Russia has triumphantly “gotten off its knees” due to Putinism, brain drain continues—and has picked up speed again. In fact, the number of scientists who have left Russia has risen fivefold since 2012.”
—
“The Russian Academy of Sciences explains this as a funding problem. And while it does have a point—if scientists can get paid much better abroad, why wouldn’t they leave—there is another problem lurking under the surface, one of fear. The pervasive paranoia of the Russian state means that anyone in sensitive sectors is in real danger of being accused of espionage—even if it’s just by an ambitious underling who wants their job.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/10/14/scientists-space-russia-paranoia-elite-corruption/
“Число уезжающих из России ученых выросло в пять раз с 2012 года.” - Kommersant
Russia’s population undergoes largest ever peacetime decline
(The Guardian)
“Analysis finds natural population fell by 997,000 between October 2020 and September 2021 – with Covid cited as principal cause.”
“Смертность в России установила рекорд с развала СССР.” - Finanz
“Russia Marks Record 12-Month Population Decline.” - Moscow Times
“Five million people have left Russia during the 20 years of Putin’s rule.” - Moscow Times
Burning peat and wildfires bring unseasonal smoke apocalypse to Urals and Siberia
(Siberian Times)
“Middle of October in Russia is the time when snow starts setting across vast expanses of Siberia, and in the Urals. To have peat fires and wildfires active this late into the autumn makes season 2021 one of the longest in the recorded history.”
Medvedev echoes Putin’s dangerous Ukraine obsession
(Atlantic Council)
“The new pastime of the Russian elite appears to be penning abusive essays about Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin set the tone in summer 2021 with a 5000-word epic that questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine’s borders and laid bare his own imperial ambitions. Former Russian president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has now published a Ukraine hit piece of his own. While significantly shorter than Putin’s effort, this latest text is arguably even more poisonous.”
“Почему бессмысленны контакты с нынешним украинским руководством.” - Kommersant
“Putin‘s Brutal Letter to Ukraine under Medvedev’s Byline.” - Jamestown Org.
Russians Have More Trust In Army Than In President Putin
(Warsaw Institute)
“According to a survey by the independent Levada Center, which released the results on October 6, public trust in the president fell to 53 %. It has not been lower since October 2012 (51 %). It was 71 % in September 2017. At its peak, public trust in the president was 80 % in 2015 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine that eventually elicited a wave of euphoria across the country.”
https://warsawinstitute.org/russians-trust-army-putin/
Navalny says his status has been changed to 'terrorist' in prison
(Reuters | The Hill)
“In an Instagram post, the jailed opposition leader said a commission at the prison located in the Vladimir region voted unanimously to alter his status.”
—
“Opinion: Alexei Navalny’s Chance Will Come.” - The Moscow Times
“Navalny Urges Associates Who Have Fled Russia To Continue Anti-Corruption Work From Abroad.” - RFERL
Aeroflot: a photo history of the Soviet airline
(The Guardian)
“Estonia was a popular holiday destination for Russians. The cover of a timetable from summer 1960 features an Ilyushin Il-14 flying over the Tallinn skyline and beach.”
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