There’s a New Motorcycle on the Road – and it’s Estonian!

The Estonian made Renard motorcycle

I know a few motorcycle enthusiasts out there who should appreciate this article.  The new Estonian-made Renard motorcycle is now available retailing at €45,000 each. To learn more about this exciting new product, click here: http://estonianworld.com/technology/theres-a-new-motorcycle-on-the-road-and-it-is-estonian/ Source: Estonian World

Estonia Ranks No.1 in the 2015 International Tax Competitiveness Index

The latest figures are out and Estonia has been found to have the most competitive tax system in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The International Tax Competitiveness Index scores the 34 member countries of the OECD based on the following five categories in order to rank the most competitive tax codes in the industrialised world.

To read the full results, please click here: http://taxfoundation.org/article/2015-international-tax-competitiveness-index?mc_cid=0475683e0e&mc_eid=3b6d74cb96

Remembering the Victims of the MS Estonia Ferry Disaster

Twenty-one years ago Europe suffered its worst ever maritime disaster during peacetime. 852 people lost their lives whilst travelling on board MS Estonia as she sailed from Tallinn to Stockholm on the night of 27th - 28th September 1994. Today we remember these lost souls.

Memorial in Tallinn.

The Broken Line monument in Tallinn.

50 Countries with the Most Powerful Passports. The Ultimate Passport Ranking.

The top ten world passports are:

1. Sweden

2. Finland

3. Germany

4. United Kingdom

5. USA

6. Denmark

7.Canada 

8. Spain

9. Belgium

10. Netherlands

I have dual citizenship with Estonia and Australia. Not a bad combination to have.

To read the full list, please click here:

Source: http://www.goeuro.co.uk/ultimate-passport-ranking

Great News! Kohver Released and Back Home in Estonia | News | ERR

Abducted Estonian security officer Eston Kohver has been released after 13 months of wrongful imprisonment in Russia. His family and Estonia are relieved to see him finally free!  Welcome home Eston!

To read the full ERR story, please click here: Kohver released and back in Estonia | News | ERR

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves expressed his joy at seeing Eston Kohver released and thanked all those involved in ensuring his safe return to Estonia.

http://news.err.ee/v/eston_kohver_crisis/689cef9b-41c8-4d74-a455-d801784a485f/president-thanks-allies-for-solidarity-and-support

http://news.err.ee/v/politics/98092dd1-d376-4109-b788-d58bd68dc9f0/kaljurand-kohver-thought-he-was-forgotten-about

A Look Inside the Estonia Pavilion at Milan's Expo 2015

If there is one place I've been keen to visit recently it's undoubtedly the Estonian pavilion at the Expo 2015 in Milan. For months, Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds had been tempting me with highlights of cultural events and I soon found myself planning a road trip to Milan. My youngest brother came to visit from Australia last week and I thought a trip to Milan would be the perfect opportunity for us to catch up and have some fun at the same time.

The Expo 2015 in Milan runs from 1st May to 31st October 2015 and has 145 countries participating. Fascinating pavilions from numerous countries can be found at the Expo but I was very surprised to find that Australia did not feature among them.

After reading so much about the Estonian Pavilion it was great to finally check it out for myself.

The Estonian pavilion known as “Gallery of Estonia” is designed to present Estonia as a young, dynamic and rapidly developing country in northern Europe. The pavilion features more than thirty Estonian companies, Estonian music, Estonian design and a street food restaurant called "Rye Restaurant" serving Nordic cuisine inspired by local nature. The pavilion is a melting pot of high-tech and low-tech, presenting Estonia as a dynamic country where ancient traditions and unspoilt nature meld with technological innovations such as digital signature and e-residency.

The Estonian pavilion consists of three floors.

The ground floor has the Rye Restaurant and power generating swings.

Gift shop.

The first (middle) floor is an exhibition showcasing themes which are important to Estonia.  

It also features Estonia's innovations and achievements.

Estonia is the largest exporter of wooden houses in the EU.

These timber booths contain a wealth of information about Estonia and its people.

The top floor of the Estonian pavilion is dedicated to nature.

Here you will learn about Estonian flora and fauna.

Visitors are encouraged to sit down and enjoy the sounds of nature. 

Wildlife videos can also be viewed.

The Estonian Rye Restaurant is located on the ground floor.

The Estonian sport of kiiking has proven to be a crowd favourite. 

Kiiking in action. Not for the faint hearted. 

On 16th September 2015 Kaspar Taimsoo became the new Guinness World Record holder for kiiking. He broke the record at the Estonian Pavilion.

If you can't make it to Milan to visit the Expo, this video is the next best thing.

For more information about the World Expo, please click here: World Expo 2015

Milan http://www.expo2015.org/en/participants/countries/estonia

Most Popular Baby Names in Estonia for 2014 | News | ERR

Estonian Ministry of the Interior has published a list of most popular baby names of 2014. Rasmus and Sofia continue to top the chart.

Whereas the top five of the boys names is very much unchanged, with the exception of Oliver being overtaken by Markus, in the girls category Eliise (perhaps inspired by the popular pre-Eurovision song contest entry "Für Elise" by Traffic) has undergone a great rise and is now the second most popular name for a little girl.

New in the list for boys, compared to 2013, are Karl, Hugo and Kirill, pushing Kaspar, Gregor and Mattias out of the top 25. Trends for girl names are only slightly more variable, Diana, Annabel, Emilia and Emily making room for Lenna, Elisabeth, Marleen and Nora.

Top 25

Boys:

Rasmus (91), Artjom (89), Robin (83), Martin (80), Oliver (74), Romet (71), Sebastian (70), Robert (68), Artur (64), and Maksim (63), Markus (60), Marten (60), Karl (58), Kristofer (58), Oskar (57), Daniel (56), Hugo (56), Henri (55), Mark (54), Nikita (53), Kirill (52), Sander (52), Kevin (51), Aleksandr (50), Daniil (50).

Girls:

Sofia (102), Eliise (74), Maria (73), Mia (71), Lisandra (60), Mirtel (59), Sandra (58), Emma (55), Laura (55), Darja (50), Arina (49), Milana (48), Alisa (47), Anastasia (47), Lenna (47), Liisa (47), Anna (45), Viktoria (45), Elisabeth (44), Polina (44), Marta (42), Aleksandra (39), Marleen (38), Hanna (37), Nora (37).

Source: Most popular baby names of 2014 | News | ERR