Actor and director Dajan Ahmet, 44, was among three people killed in a horrific head-on collision on the Tallinn-Tartu highway, on Nov. 4. A Hyundai minibus was carrying Ahmet and six other people to the Vanemuine Theater in Tartu, where he was scheduled to perform in a play. It crashed into a Ford Mondeo, which was carrying four passengers, close to the town of Poltsamaa. The impact killed two people in the Ford, a man of 67 and a woman of 57, and injured two young children who were also in the vehicle. Ahmet was the only fatality in the minibus. Six of his fellow passengers, several of whom were also actors due to perform, were hospitalized with grave injuries.
As many as 12,000 Estonian residents are currently working in Finland, the Finnish STT news agency reported. Most are employed in construction, but many also work in shipbuilding, catering, hospitality, cleaning and medical industries. The majority of workers stay in Finland during the week and return home on the weekend. Figures show that the feared exodus of Estonian workers to richer EU countries is underway.
An 80-year-old man accused of helping the Soviets deport Estonians to Siberia nearly 60 years ago has been convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. The Parnu County Court found Vladimir Kask guilty of crimes against humanity for participating in deportations, the Baltic News Service reported. Kask allegedly helped compile a list of the names and addresses of hundreds of people who were deported to Siberia. Kask, a former agent of the Soviet security service, was also ordered to pay 7,500 kroons (479 euros) in compensation.
The ruling Reform Party launched a campaign to publicize its political vision under the heading "Let's make Estonia one of five most prosperous countries in Europe." The three-week television and street campaign will cost about one million kroons (64,000 euros), said party campaign manager Arto Aas. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who leads the Reform Party, said that, if the right policy is pursued, Estonia could become one of Europe's five most prosperous countires within 15 years. He added that this would require consistent and tenacious lowering of taxes, improvement of the enterprise environment and investment in children, education, research-intensive economy and rule of law. The Reform Party has published its program to bring this goal closer over the next four years.
