The Tallinn city government is setting up the new ticket control department, which will use municipal police. It will do random ticket checks and fine stowaways. In connection with that the number of workers will rise to 145 from 79. Difficulties with the tram service have been going on since May 16, when the Supreme Court decided it's unlawful for a municipal authority to delegate the fining of passengers to a private company. That made it impossible for the city to continue the contract with AS Uhisteenused (Joint Services), which did the ticket controlling so far. A total of 51 ticket controllers lost their jobs as a result of that.
British historian and professor, Antony James Beevor received the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 3rd class. The Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Margus Laidre, handed the decoration to him on Monday, June 2. The ambassador said in his speech that the honorary award recognizes the professor's great work and comprehensive research on World War II and the 20th century in general. Beevor said he is deeply touched and very grateful to the president and the people of Estonia for the great honor. The decoration was bestowed to Beevor by Toomas Hendrik Ilves on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.
King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium are to visit Estonia from June 10-12. On June 10 the king will meet President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, as well as Chairman of the Parliament, Ene Ergma. The royals will have dinner with the Estonian presidential couple. On June 11 the royals will go to the Estonian Open Air Museum and Tallinn University. Then they will tour in the old town and meet Toomas Vitsut, chairman of the city council. The king and the queen will attend a concert in KUMU art museum in the evening.
Erik Heldna, chief of the criminal investigations department of the North Prefecture, was appointed as director general of the central criminal police on June 3. The job was offered initially to the outgoing head of the national security police, Aldis Alus, who turned it down. The appointment of Heldna is part of a major reshuffle in the top police ranks of Estonia, triggered by the ending of the five-year term of Alus as director of the security police. The Interior Minister Juri Pihl did not offer Alus a second term in that job. As part of the reshuffle, the current National Police Chief Raivo Aeg will take over as chief of the national security police and head of the North Prefecture. Raivo Kuut will get Aeg's job. The current head of the central criminal police, Elmar Vaher, was appointed as chief of the North Prefecture, the police authority in charge of North Estonia.
