By Steve Roman

Photo: Peeter Langovits/Postimees

British journalist and political commentator Abdul Turay (on the photo) has accepted an offer by the Social Democratic Party to stand as one of its candidates for the Tallinn City Council in October, a move that makes him the first black man, and one of the first Western expatriates, to run in local elections in Estonia.
Speaking to ERR News, the 46-year-old from Chelmsford in Essex confirmed that he will be running as a candidate for the opposition party in the City Center district, the most high profile of the capital's electoral zones.
In the four years that he has been living in Estonia, Turay has become known for his political columns, published by a prominent national daily, and his book, "Small White Nation." He raised his political profile further this June by taking part in a one-on-one debate with Martin Helme, board member of the fringe Conservative People's Party, over the latter's anti-immigrant, “If you're black, go back” remarks.
Turay said that he was approached by the Social Democratic Party's mayoral candidate for Tallinn, Andres Anvelt, two months ago with the offer to run partly because of the party's desire to have a more international image, as well as its agenda to give the city a more international image.

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Published: October 05 2013

(L-R) Haley Segura, Alexa Thompson, Mari Käärid and Hanna Laanemaa Berrytree.  Seedrioru Suvekodu 2013.

As I was christened on the porch steps of my grandparents cottage at Seedrioru on July 11, 1970, I instinctively knew I was home.  My older sister called this place Eestimaa, the smell of warm wood and the song of high birds tell me how fortunate I am to have such a place in my life.  I wasn’t born in Eesti.  I have travelled to Eesti once, back in 1994.  Something about Seedrioru always tells me that I am home.

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Published: October 02 2013

GE (NYSE: GE) has announced the opening of the 45 MW Paldiski Wind Farm on the Pakri peninsula in north western Estonia in a ceremony attended by facility owners Eesti Energia and Nelja Energia.
With 18 GE 2.5-100 wind turbines, the Paldiski Wind Farm marks the commercial debut of the company’s wind turbine technology in the country. GE representatives were joined at the ceremony by officials from Eesti Energia AS and Nelja Energia AS , the owners of the wind farm, as well as President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

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Published: October 02 2013

ERR News - The Estonian Internal Security Service (KaPo) has detained one of its own former officials, Vladimir Veitman, whom the agency suspects of having gathered classified information for years on behalf of a Russian intelligence service.
Detained on Wednesday, August 7, the former KGB official joined the Estonian intelligence service in 1991. He worked there as a specialist with clearance to classified information until he retired in 2011. Officials said he secretly worked for a Russian intelligence service up until his retirement, but would not yet reveal how long he had been an agent. Nor would the Internal Security Service reveal which organization and who specifically had recruited Veitman.

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Published: October 02 2013

Kristiina Ehin and her husband musician Silver Sepp will be travelling to the US and Canada for four weeks in September and October to present their work. Public appearances have so far been planned at:

- Toronto Tartu College, seminar and reading/concert, September 20
- Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Cambridge, Mass., Friday, September 27, 7 pm
- Congregation Darech Amuno, NY, Sunday, September 29, 12 midday
- Long Island University Poetry Center, Tuesday, October 1, 12.20 pm
- Baruch College, NY, Thursday, October 3, 7 pm

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Published: October 01 2013

by Ben Rooney

The tiny state of Estonia, one of Europe's smallest, might be the role model for what a technology-enabled country looks like in the 21st century.
Estonia, population just 1.29 million, is well known as punching considerably above its weight as a startup champion - it was the birthplace of Skype. But its embrace of technology goes way deeper than just 20-something entrepreneurs designing apps for iPhones; it is woven into the very fabric of the state.

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Published: October 01 2013

I have been playing golf in Estonia every year now for about the last 20 years and witnessed its development. I spend my summers in Estonia and winters in Florida. There are now six high quality courses for you to enjoy and more are being built. These courses offer a wide variety of play and in general are more beautiful and challenging than most courses in the USA. I’m sending this information because I’m amazed that I seem to be the only “väliseestlane” who is aware of and taking advantage of what is there.

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Published: October 01 2013

ERR News - “In and Out of Estonia's Doors,” a new book by the University of Tartu's ethics center, describes the emergence of a new generation of people living abroad who have Estonian roots but no longer have ties to Estonian culture or language.
One of the project's initiators, the ethics center's director Margit Sutrop, said Estonia must quickly find ways to bridge the gap with those who have moved abroad.

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Published: October 01 2013