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☆ Brian Eno is planning his first-ever solo tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At the age of 75, legendary musician and producer Brian Eno is planning to embark on his first-ever solo tour. “‘Ships’ features an orchestral adaptation of Eno’s acclaimed 2016 album, ‘The Ship’ as well as new and classic Eno compositions,” the post reads. Known for his ambient compositions, Eno was a founding member of British art rock band Roxy Music, which shot to fame in the early 1970s. He will appear alongside Baltic Sea Philharmonic, with Estonian-American conductor Kristjan Järvi orchestrating and conducting a performance commissioned by the Venice Biennale, the Instagram post adds. “This performance marks Brian Eno’s first live tour in a five decade solo career and also his first appearance with orchestra,” it continues.

Persons: Brian Eno, “, Eno’s, Eno, Laurie Anderson, James, Jane Siberry, Kristjan, Brian Eno’s Organizations: CNN, Venice Biennale Musica, Music, Coldplay, Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Estonian, Venice Biennale, biennale Locations: Berlin, Paris, Dutch, Utrecht, London, American, Venice

ABUJA, June 2 (Reuters) - Nigeria's main labour union said on Friday it plans to go on strike from Wednesday to protest against a tripling of fuel prices in what would be the first big test for new President Bola Tinubu after he scrapped a costly fuel subsidy. The price increase has led to a sharp rise in transport fares and Estonian ride-hailing and food delivery startup Bolt said it had hiked its prices in Nigeria, citing increased operating costs due to higher fuel prices. Nigeria's fuel subsidy cost the government billions of dollars annually but was popular as it helped keep prices low in Africa's biggest oil producer, which is still grappling with high poverty rates among residents. But Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) president Joe Ajaero, after an emergency meeting of the union's executive council in Abuja, said the state oil company NNPC should reverse the price hike. On Friday, the president said Nigeria needs to review its minimum wage of 30,000 naira ($65).

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Bolt, Joe Ajaero, Ajaero, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Kirsten Donovan, Angus MacSwan, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Nigerian Bureau, Statistics, World Bank, Labour Congress, Nigeria Labour Congress, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Abuja

"All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against NATO enlargement," Stoltenberg told reporters as NATO foreign ministers gathered in Oslo, seeking to dispel any signs of discord ahead of the summit. At the Vilnius summit, NATO leaders aim to send a strong message of support to Kyiv. But with only six weeks to go, pressure is building for allies to find common ground on what exactly to offer Ukraine. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Kyiv had suffered two invasions while waiting for an answer from NATO for 14 years. "Ukraine needs to get a clear path, and the next steps, on how to enter NATO," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Margus Tsahkna, Annalena Baerbock, Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn, Sabine Siebold, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alezander, Boldizsar, Bart H, Meijer, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Lithuania's, Estonian, Thomson Locations: OSLO, Moscow, Ukraine, Vilnius, Oslo, Moldova, Kyiv, Europe, United States, Germany, Russia, Estonian, Luxembourg, Hungary, NATO, Brussels, Alezander Tanas, Chisinau, Olena, Budapest

☆ Eyeball to eyeball: Estonia stares down Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Jill Dougherty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It sits high on the western bank of the Narva River, its 13th-century castle proudly flying the blue, black and white flag of Estonia. We think we know roughly what makes them tick.”Like parts of Ukraine, Estonia was illegally annexed and occupied by the Soviet Union. Estonians at the conference were adamant: Unless Russia is utterly defeated in Ukraine, there is no reason to expect Putin will change his strategic objective. Jill Dougherty/CNNSeveral Russians at the conference said they feel personally responsible for the horrors Russia is unleashing on Ukraine. What’s more, Vladimir Putin is winning support for the war from so-called “swing states” and nations in the Global South.

☆ 5 ways Russia's been sidestepping Western sanctions and keeping its economy alive, from switching to the Chinese yuan and dabbling in ghost trades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A fleet of aging oil tankers that do not turn on their tracking signals is suspected of secretly transporting sanctioned Russian oil globally. Russia has also put together a "shadow fleet" of more than 100 oil tankers to skirt the sanctions, the FT reported in December. By August, such gray market sales reached nearly $6.5 billion, said Denis Manturov, the Russian trade and industry minister, according to an Interfax report. Russian oil is still getting into Western countries, thanks to intermediaries. Western nations that banned Russian oil have collectively imported nearly $46 billion worth of Russian oil products, according to a study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, published in April.

☆ Uber rival Bolt seeks to turn profitable next year, IPO in 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

STOCKHOLM, May 8 (Reuters) - Estonian ride-hailing and food delivery startup Bolt expects to turn profitable in the next 12 months and be ready for an initial public offering in 2025, its Chief Executive Officer Markus Villig said in an interview. The company, a rival of Uber (UBER.N), was valued at over $8 billion when it raised 628 million euros from investors in January last year. "We expect to be the first European mobility platform that will be fully profitable over the next 12 months," said Villig, who doesn't have a driving license. Bolt, run by 29-year-old Villig, does not plan to raise external capital through another funding round but will get ready for an IPO instead. It also expects its grocery business to break even or turn profitable in two or three years.

☆ Belgium's only cryptocurrency platform suspends activities
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Marine Strauss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, April 27 (Reuters) - The first and only Belgian cryptocurrency lending platform, Bit4You, said it was suspending its activities after CoinLoan, one of its main service providers, was declared insolvent by an Estonian court. CoinLoan, a crypto lending company based in the Baltic state, also no longer has the required registration as a custodian of virtual currencies, Bit4You said in a statement on its website. "To date, we have no indication that the virtual currencies held on behalf of our customers with CoinLoan cannot be recovered," Bit4You added. As proportions of Bit4You's customers' investments, CoinLoan holds around 85.66% of Ripple (XRP) coin, around 81.45% of top cryptocurrency bitcoin and 67.32% of Ethereum, according to the statement. The company had limited user withdrawals in July 2022 to $5,000 per 24-hour period to stave off a run on its funds.

☆ Frontline Ukrainian soldiers say they are running low on ammo and can only fire a few rounds with their most effective guns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian soldier in Bakhmut said they were low on ammunition and had to limit their firing. Officials in Europe are worried Ukraine doesn't have enough supplies to push back Russian forces. Russian troops have been slowly pushing back Ukraine's troops for months, in what commanders on both sides have called a "meat grinder." Another Ukrainian soldier in the area told the BBC that his men had to ration rounds on their L119 light artillery gun. NATO's chief, Jens Stoltenberg, also gave a warning in February that Ukraine was using ammunition faster than its allies could produce it.

☆ China says it respects ex-Soviet nations after envoy’s 'unacceptable' comments on sovereignty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China said Monday it respects the independency of former Soviet nations after remarks by its ambassador in France were deemed "unacceptable" in Europe. It comes as the 27 members of the European Union reassess their diplomatic and economic relationship with Beijing. That sentiment was echoed by Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna, "We are an independent country, member of the EU, of NATO. Speaking also in Luxembourg, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said the comments of the Chinese ambassador were "totally unacceptable." This is just the latest episode in a series of controversial events between China and the European Union.

☆ Front-line NATO allies worry they could be next after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are getting ready for a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. More boots on the groundSome leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said.

☆ The cap on Russian oil is unlikely to change soon — despite opposing views on whether it’s working
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

G-7 nations have so far decided not to revise their cap on Russian oil. She called for policymakers to lower the level of the price cap to continue to pressure the Kremlin's finances. Is the price cap working? Ultimately, Kirkegaard said there was no explicit way to determine whether the oil cap is effective or not. India, China snap up Russian oil

☆ Estonia PM focused on defence spending and same sex marriage law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks to the media as she attends the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna GeronTALLINN, April 12 (Reuters) - Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday she was focused on her next term as Estonian prime minister despite media speculation she could be in the running to lead NATO, with plans including legalising same sex marriage and increasing defence spending. Taxes will be raised to fund the spending in a time of economic contraction, Kallas has said. The new government will also legislate same sex marriage equality "as fast as possible", Kallas said, becoming the first Central European country to do so. I'm the prime minister of Estonia, and I try to solve all the problems that we have here."

☆ Fact Check-Estonia’s ex-president not related to person at award ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo of former Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid standing on a stage with writer and social activist Mikk Pärnits is being falsely claimed online to show Kaljulaid with her son. The picture was captured at an award ceremony in Tallinn on Aug. 18, 2020, where Pärnits - who is wearing a pink dress and hooped earrings – received an award from then president Kaljulaid (here). Mattias Tammet, an advisor for the former president, told Reuters via email that Pärnits has no relation to anyone on stage in the picture. We are not related in any way.”According to Estonian reports, Kaljulaid has three sons (here, here and here). The photo shows former Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid standing next to writer and social activist Mikk Pärnits.

☆ Russia's Sibur exports LPG to Africa, Middle East and Asia as EU cuts buying
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, April 5 (Reuters) - Sibur, the largest producer and exporter of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Russia, redirected exports to Africa, the Middle East and Asia in the past three months, industry sources said. In the first quarter of last year, countries outside EU and UK accounted for only 18%, or 43,000 tonnes, of LPG shipped from Ust-Luga. Redirecting quite a few of Sibur's LPG cargoes from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) trading hub outside Europe has significantly increased the round trip for gas carriers, ship-tracking data shows. To avoid higher freight costs Sibur and trader Trafigura have engaged larger vessels to ship LPG outside the EU, three LPG traders told Reuters. Sibur LPG cargoes arriving from Ust-Luga are being sold to Trafigura, which reloads them at Paldiski to MGC (medium gas carriers, about 22,000 tonnes) or LGC (large gas carriers, 44,000 tonnes) vessels, the LPG traders said.

☆ How Ukraine's closest allies turned the tide on sending advanced tanks, and could do the same for military jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Their success, an expert told Insider, shows how Europe's balance of power has shifted eastwards since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Sergei Grits/APEstonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu told Insider that Ukraine's allies had been "too slow" when deciding to send weapons to Ukraine. AP Photo/Martin Meissner, FileReinsalu, Estonia's foreign minister, told Insider that he had repeatedly engaged with his German counterpart about the decision. Kallas and Šimonytė, the two prime ministers, both told Insider that they support Ukraine getting military jets. "Ordinarily, on less critical matters, peer pressure happens but the public sees very little of it or none of it," he told Insider.

☆ Estonia says China's peace plan to end Ukraine's war is 'extremely unfair'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowChina's peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine is "extremely unfair," since the plan doesn't respect the territorial integrity of the country, said the permanent secretary of Estonia's Ministry of Defense. Beijing issued a 12-point peace plan in February. But China's plan hasn't been fair to Ukraine's people, he said. "That is something I would say [is] extremely unfair to Ukrainian people who have been fighting for their freedom." No breakthrough at Xi-Putin meetingChinese President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to Russia concluded on Wednesday.

☆ China's peace proposal for Ukraine lacks 'key ingredients,' says Estonian official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's peace proposal for Ukraine lacks 'key ingredients,' says Estonian officialKusti Salm, permanent secretary of Estonia's Ministry of Defense, discusses how Estonia has helped Ukraine in the war with Russia and gives his take on China's 12-point peace plan.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Russia attacks along Ukraine front
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A destroyed Russian tank remains on the side of the road near the frontline town of Kreminna, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Luhansk region, Ukraine March 24, 2023. * Russia's defence ministry said its forces had destroyed a hangar housing drones belonging to Ukraine's armed forces in the southwestern Odesa region of the country. DIPLOMACY* Russia's parliament speaker proposed banning the activities of the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crimes. * Democratic and Republican U.S. senators urged the Biden administration to share information with the ICC as it pursues war crimes charges against Putin. * U.S. President Joe Biden, appearing in Ottawa with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said he would continue to pressure Putin and help Ukraine.

☆ 18 countries sent sharpshooters to a US military base in Germany to see who has the best sniper team in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 version of the European Best Sniper Team Competition was one of the largest ever. The European Best Sniper Team CompetitionEstonian troops in a replica of a downed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. An Italian sniper team in a replica of a downed helicopter during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. The winnersCompetitors in the "1917" event during the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 6. Snipers and modern warfareA Finnish Army sniper team at the European Best Sniper Team Competition on August 7.

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - European Union countries on Monday agreed a 2 billion euro plan to send 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine over the next year by digging into their own stockpiles and teaming up to buy more shells. The joint procurement will be limited to companies from the EU and Norway, which has close economic ties to the bloc. Some EU governments wanted the initiative to be open to a broader market, arguing this would help get munitions more quickly to Ukraine. But others said EU money should go to EU companies and insisted they would have capacity to meet demand. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, whose country is taking part in the joint procurement initiative, described it as "new territory" for the EU.

☆ Fighter jets are 'worthless' over Ukraine, and it's a sign of what US pilots and troops may face in future battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As a result, neither side is able to provide close air support to its troops on the front line. US pilots and ground troops may face a similar situation in future wars, US Air Force leaders say. They're not doing a whole lot because they can't go over and do close air support," Hecker said. "Close air support in a contested environment, that's not what we do, no matter who you are," Brown added. William GreerSince taking over as the top Air Force officer in August 2020, Brown has stressed that future battlefields will be more complex and deadly for the Air Force.

☆ Estonia’s Premier Wins Second Term After Pro-Ukraine Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Drew Hinshaw | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has argued that should Ukraine lose the war, Moscow would pivot to her country next. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas , one of Ukraine’s staunchest backers among Western leaders, was re-elected on Sunday, handily defeating an opposition that had questioned her government’s arms deliveries to Ukraine and signaling continuing support for Kyiv in Europe’s east. The center-right leader’s Reform Party was set to hold 37 seats in the Baltic country’s Parliament, three more than it secured in the last election four years ago, according to results published Monday by the Estonian National Electoral Committee. Her principal opponents, the more right-wing Conservative People’s Party, took just 17 of the chamber’s 101 seats, two fewer than it previously controlled.

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies U.S. stocks add to Thursday's gainsTreasury yields and dollar pull backEuropean, Asian stocks also advanceCrude oil prices fallMarch 3 (Reuters) - Wall Street stocks opened higher while Treasury yields and the dollar pulled back on Friday as risk appetite was boosted by data pointing to economic growth, even as expectations for rate hikes kept bond yields near multi-year highs. The recovery in euro zone business activity gathered pace last month, PMI survey data showed, in the latest piece of data to suggest the bloc will avoid a recession. U.S. Treasury yields paused their rally. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.007%, down from Thursday's high of 4.091% . The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 0.5 basis points at 4.909%.

REUTERS/StaffLONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - European stocks rose in early trading on Friday, as investor risk appetite was boosted by signs of an economic recovery in China, even after expectations for European Central Bank rate hikes kept government bond yields at their highest in years. Investors are trying to gauge the path for Federal Reserve rate hikes, after strong U.S. data in recent weeks suggested rates may need to be higher for longer. But stock markets rose on Wall Street overnight, in a move analysts attributed to Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic saying on Thursday that the Fed should stick to "steady" quarter-point rate hikes. The recovery in euro zone business activity gathered pace last month, PMI survey data showed. Euro zone government bond yields were still near their highest in years after euro zone inflation data on Thursday drove market expectations for the ECB's terminal rate to around 4%.

☆ Estonia reported bird flu outbreak on poultry farm, WOAH says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, March 3 (Reuters) - Estonia has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus on a farm in the northern part of the country, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Friday. The poultry farm, located in the village of Urge in the Rapla County, had 161 birds, including laying hens, ducks, geese, pigeons and peacocks, WOAH said, citing Estonian authorities. On Feb. 15, one laying hen suddenly died and was sent to the laboratory. The World Health Organization described the situation as "worrying" after two confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu were found among one family in Cambodia. Argentina this week suspended its poultry exports after a first industrial case of bird flu was confirmed.

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