- 28. Sept is the 25th anniversary of the MS ESTONIA sinking | 28. septembril möödub 25 aastat Estonia katastroofist
- Owl photo used with permission. Photographer Remo Savisaar’s webpage:
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Friday
27. September
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Estonia laevaohvrite täielik nimekiri
(Eesti Päevaleht)
“Estonia parvlaev uppus 1994. aastal 28. septembri öösel reisil Tallinnast Stockholmi. Laevaõnnetuses hukkus 852 inimest, pääseda õnnestus 137 inimesel. Päästjad leidsid 95 surnukeha. Kõige rohkem jäi kadunuks rootslasi - 501. Eestlasi hukkus 284.”
✔︎ Rail Balticu uuring: peame arvestama 40-kraadiste [104 F] kuumalainetega
(Postimees)
“Rail Balticu ühisfirma RB Raili tellitud uuringu kohaselt võivad kliimamuutused oluliselt mõjutada raudtee ehitamist, hooldamist ja käitamist.”
✔︎ Finland: Wet winters, warming Baltic Sea, forested fells
(Yle)
“A rise in winter temperatures will also increase the destruction of forests. When the forest floor is not frozen, trees are more likely to be downed by the winds of winter storms. Forests are likely to be confronted by new insect pests, as well, a development already being observed in southern parts of Finland.”
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“Changes are being registered in the Baltic Sea. … Decades of data show transformations in surface waters, the topmost layer usually going down around 20 metres. The salinity of these sea waters has declined half a per mille, while at the same time, the temperature of surface waters has risen by around 1.5 degrees …”
An Estonian message appeared in Russian media
(Propastop)
“… media coverage was received by Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu’s statement that Estonia was occupied on 22. September 1944 and that Russia continues to disseminate false information by calling it a liberation.
This message spread on Monday in most major and smaller Russian propaganda publications. … this is a small victory in a great propaganda war, because this time the Russian media succeeded in spreading the Estonian position as well as spreading the idea that in 1944 Estonia was occupied.”
Eesti jõudis sõnumiga Venemaa meediasse
Estonia’s 2020 draft defence budget
(ICDS)
“All in all, the 2020 draft defence budget supports the continuing modernisation of the Estonian Defence Forces. Still, with the evolving security environment kept in mind, questions remain as to whether this will be sufficient in the evolving security environment.”
Putin Regime Sees Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact as Model for International Relations
by Paul Goble - Window on Eurasia
“By its praise for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Hitler and Stalin, the Putin regime dishonors Russia not only because such praise is intended to reinforce the principle that the actions of the state are beyond public criticism and because the regime wants to eliminate “the chimera of conscience” among those its rules, Yury Skobov says.”
Transcript: Garry Kasparov Keynote Address, Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 80th Anniversary
Toronto September 12, 2019
(UpNorth)
“The Nuremberg Trials were underway at the time of Churchill’s famous Iron Curtain speech. Joachim von Ribbentrop became the first man sentenced to death by hanging to be executed. Von Ribbentrop’s sentencing included “crimes against peace” and “deliberately planning a war of aggression”, along with his involvement in the final solution. Some legal purists criticized Nuremberg for a lack of clear legal grounds. But good riddance, I say.”
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“The real problem with hanging von Ribbentrop after Nuremberg was that Vyacheslav Molotov was not hanging next to him. … Molotov lived to the ripe age of 96 …”
The Hanging of Ribbentrop
“Night Without Dawn”
(Time Magazine via George Washington University)
16. October 1946: “Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitler’s foreign minister, was the first to go. At 1:11 a.m. he entered the gymnasium, and all officers, official witnesses and correspondents rose to attention. Ribbentrop’s manacles were removed and he mounted the steps (there were 13) to the gallows. With the noose around his neck, he said: “My last wish … is an understanding between East and West. …” All present removed their hats. The executioner tightened the noose. A chaplain standing beside him prayed. The assistant executioner pulled the lever, the trap dropped open with a rumbling noise, and Ribbentrop’s hooded figure disappeared. The rope was suddenly taut, and swung back & forth, creaking audibly. …”
European Parliament ties denial of totalitarian crimes to info wars
(ERR)
“The European Parliament passed a resolution concerning crimes of totalitarian regimes … The resolution directly mentions Russia, referring to it as the "greatest victim of communist totalitarianism" and emphasizes that its "development into a democratic state will be impeded as long as the government, the political elite and political propaganda continue to whitewash communist crimes and glorify the Soviet totalitarian regime."
Useful Nordic airspace info is not being shared with Estonia
(ERR)
“Is it possible Nordic countries do not want Estonia there?”
Russia fumes over Belarus’s refusal to host air base
(EURACTIV.com with Reuters)
“Russia and Belarus are members of a largely symbolic union state and are in talks to deepen their integration, but the air base spat illustrates the limitations of their alliance as Moscow’s ties with the West have plunged to post-Cold War lows. Russia props up the Belarusian economy with cheap energy and loans, but Minsk is wary of allowing Russia too much influence, fearing that could eventually pose a threat to its sovereignty.”
How the Trump probe is playing in Ukraine
(Politico-Europe)
“It’s not a good image for Ukraine, particularly as Zelenskiy gears up for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which broke out in 2014.”
Ukraine’s Top Corruption Fighters Shocked
by Anna Nemtsova - Daily Beast
“Many in Ukraine were upset by revelations of Zelensky’s “painful” answers to Trump, especially when Zelensky said: “The next prosecutor will be 100 percent my person, my candidate, who will be approved by parliament and will start as a new prosecutor in September.”
Russia distorts history: The reaction of the Estonian diplomacy
(Warsaw Institute)
“The 75th anniversary of the Red Army incursion to Estonia and related statements made by Russians sparked a sharp reaction in Tallinn. The issue of the takeover of Estonia by the Soviet army in 1944 and consequent almost half a century of occupation are one of the fields of tension in the relations between Russia and Estonia. The historical policy of Moscow is also a matter of dispute with many other countries. Russia defends the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact …”
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Thursday
26. September
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Former Estonian regulator: Danish authorities did not take Danske Bank concerns seriously
(City A.M. - London)
“His comments came after the body of Aivar Rehe, the former boss of Danske in Estonia, was found on Wednesday, an apparent suicide according to reports. Rehe was a witness in the case, but was not considered a suspect, prosecutors confirmed.”
Former Danske Estonia boss found dead amid money laundering inquiry
(Reuters | other sources)
“Police in Estonia discovered the body of Aivar Rehe, who ran the Danish bank’s Estonian business between 2007 and 2015 and had been among those questioned as a witness in a probe by Estonian prosecutors, following a search which began on Monday.”
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“Mr. Rehe’s death is another twist in the money-laundering scandal, which prompted a criminal investigation and forced Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest lender, to withdraw from Estonia and other Baltic countries.”
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Is Europe Eyeing a ‘Reset’ With Russia?
(The American Conservative)
“While U.S. pols cling to Cold War posturing, leaders like Emmanuel Macron are finally facing new multipolar realities.”
Rootsi: Kuidas sai Greta Thunbergist globaalne fenomen?
(Postimees)
“16-aastane ema Malena Ernman Thunberg on ooperilaulja, metsosopran, kes oli rahvusvahelise karjääri 2016. aastani, kuid siis loobus naine sõita, sest see kahjustab keskkonda. Viimastel aastatel on ta esinenud ainult oma riigis, ja mõnes Euroopa riigis. Svante Thunberg tüdruku isa on näitleja, lavastaja ja kirjanik, samuti Olof vanaisa on näitleja.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wandered into a mess
(The Guardian | The Atlantic)
“Sitting down in front of cameras at the UN, Zelenskiy looked miserable …”
 |
“Better to be on TV than on the phone,” he joked, though nothing about his demeanour suggested that was true. He looked unhappy from the beginning, and when Trump turned to him and declared: “I really hope you and President Putin get together and can solve your problem”, Zelenskiy looked like he was going to be sick.”
Tallinna ja Peterburi kohtumised
(Pealinn)
“Kahe linna vahelise suursündmuse raames külastab Tallinna Peterburi ametlik delegatsioon eesotsas asekuberner Vladimir Knjagininiga.”
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Wednesday
25. September
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The Real Balts Stand Up and Light Fires - Including in Russia
by Paul Goble
“Tomorrow, the Latvians and Lithuanians will each mark the Day of the Unity of the Balts by lighting fires and remembering when by their common efforts the Baltic tribes were successful in resisting the Northern Crusade in 1236. But they will not be the only people to do so …”
Balts at the UN General Assembly
Family of Putin's chief of staff found to own 1.6 billion rubles in real estate
(Meduza - Riga)
“The family of Anton Vaino, the chief of staff of Russia’s presidential administration, reportedly owns properties in Moscow and the Moscow region that are worth a total of 1.6 billion rubles ($25 million).”
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[Anton Vaino is of Estonian descent. He is the grandson of the former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Estonia Karl Vaino.]
✔︎ Kliimamuutus numbrites: miks ja mis on juhtunud
(Novaator)
“Eesti on soojenenud sarnaselt mitmetele teistele kõrgematel laiustel asuvatele piirkondadele maailma keskmisest kiiremini. Näiteks aastatel 1966–2010 võis näha soojenemist kõigis ilmajaamades nii aasta keskmisena kui ka jaanuari, aprilli, juuli ja augusti puhul. Aasta keskmine õhutemperatuur tõusis 1,6–2 °C, jaanuari temperatuur aga isegi üle 5 °C.”
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“Vaatluste põhjal on teadlased 99,9999 protsenti kindlad, et praegu nähtavate kliimamuutuste puhul mängib juhtrolli inimtegevus. “
More climate change articles
Macron’s coalition of European militaries grows in force
(EURACTIV)
“The French-led initiative was officially formed in June 2018, when defence ministers from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK signed a letter of intent in Paris, establishing the cooperation outside of the existing structures such as NATO or the EU’s defence arm. Finland joined the military coalition in November 2018, when the initiative officially became operational. At the coalition’s second meeting held in the Netherlands on Friday (20. September), the ten defence ministers welcomed Norway and Sweden into the fold.”
Joint NATO-Estonian combat diving exercises ongoing in Tallinn Bay
(ERR)
“Estonian combat engineer divers and their NATO counterparts from the British-led battlegroup are engaged in a joint training exercise in Tallinn Bay this week, including sonar search capabilities.”
Why are interest rates negative in Europe?
(Deutsche Welle)
“For anyone in need of money, Germany seems to be a paradise on earth these days … Lenders are giving out one-year €1000 ($1100) loans for as low as -0.5%, meaning you have to pay back only €995, while a €250,000 mortgage can be taken out for about 0.52% for 10 years.”
Cost of five years of war in Donbas
(New Eastern Europe)
“Beyond the catastrophic economic price Ukraine has been forced to pay, the war in Donbas has taken a terrible toll on the lives of millions of ordinary Ukrainians. Nothing but a lasting peace and reintegration can turn this situation around.”
Militarism Increasingly Dominates Moscow’s Thinking
(Window on Eurasia)
“… independent analyst Aleksandr Golts says in a new book, Military Reform and Russian Militarism (St. Petersburg, 315 pp. An obvious case of this, he says, is Moscow’s approach to Ukraine.”
Russian aircraft violates airspace of NATO member Estonia
(ABCNews | Washington Post)
“Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-34 fighter spent less than one minute in Estonian airspace late Monday near the Baltic Sea island of Vaindloo. It said the plane’s transponder was switched off, no flight plan had been filed and the pilot failed to keep radio contact with Estonian air navigation officials.”
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https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-aircraft-violates-airspace-nato-member-estonia-65818448
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Monday
23. September
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Estonia is making medicines affordable and accessible for all
(World Health Org.)
“All patients in Estonia expect to make a co-payment towards their prescriptions at pharmacies. However, before 2018, the system left some of the poorest and oldest people in the population having to pay significant amounts to obtain the medicines they needed. An overly bureaucratic system for reimbursement compounded the issue as many decided not to claim reimbursements they were entitled to. This all changed in 2018, when the government introduced a more people-centred approach …”
Kremlin-managed research center is selling services that can deanonymize anyone in Russia
(Meduza)
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