Eesti in brief - 2007-08-29

  • 2007-08-29
Gerd Kanter won the gold medal in discus at the Athletics World Championship in Osaka, Japan, on Aug. 28. Kanter, 29, took the event with a throw of 68.94 meters. He previously won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Another Estonian, Aleksander Tammert, came in eighth in the same event in Osaka with a throw of 64.33 meters.

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has been named the European Personality of the Year by a British business magazine. The periodical "fDi," which is published by the Financial Times newspaper group, praised Ansip for his business-friendly economic and tax policies which had "contributed to Estonia's highly attractive investment environment, impressive GDP growth, booming export sector and technological prowess." The prime minister's office said he was unable to attend the awards ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, but would send an honorary consul in his place.

Photos posted on the Internet have helped prosecutors successfully convict another looter from the Bronze Soldier riots. On Aug. 27 the Harju County Court sentenced a man known as Sergei, born in 1974, to a one-year suspended sentence. The court found Sergei hurled a large boulder at the police cordon at Tonismagi during the riots in late April. Police had been unable to find the man, but used Internet photos to identify and locate him.

Only months after the completion of the Estlink power cable, Economic Affairs Minister Juhan Parts has advocated the construction of a second undersea electricity connection to Finland. Parts met with Finnish Trade and Industry Minister Mauri Pekkarinen on Aug. 21 to discuss the possibility of "Estlink 2." He said it was necessary to lay a second connection to allow Baltic Sea nations to develop a common power grid.

The exclusive Padaste Manor on Muhu island played host to minor European royalty during August. The resort recently confirmed that Prince Alexander and Princess Astrid of the tiny constitutional monarchy of Liechtenstein visited with their family there. Liechtenstein, which is bordered by Switzerland and Austria, is the fourth smallest country in Europe.