Postimees Digest, Tuesday, April 2
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Six women sign up for service on the first day.
The Defense Resources Board (KRA) received six applications for voluntary military service from women on Monday as legislation that allows women to serve in the Defense Forces on equal terms with men entered into force. The defense minister's regulation allows the Defense Forces to accept 16 women this year whereas that figure will climb to 38 by next year.
Servicewomen will not be given a choice of location at first and will have to start their training in the Kuperjanov Battalion in Võru County due to lack of proper facilities in other units. A recent survey that questioned 600 high school age girls revealed that 7 percent of them are definitely interested in military service while around 25 percent would consider it. PR adviser at KRA Marke Treppor said that women should not take military service lightly as they will remain persons liable to serve in the Defense Forces until their 61 year and will have to participate in reserve training just as men do.
Mining permits should be auctioned.
The Competition Board announced that it believes the state should abolish the advantages of current oil shale miners in securing mining permits and put the latter up for auction to boost state revenue and distribute the resource more evenly. Oil shale mining volume is currently divided between four miners whereas state-owned energy giant Eesti Energia holds most permits.
Ilves calls for clear cyber defense chain of command.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said at yesterday's National Defense Council meeting that Estonia must be prepared to fend off a cyber attack and needs to lay down corresponding strategic decision-making capacity, including private and public sector cooperation, as soon as possible. "Efficient organization of cyber defense must become a matter of the heart for key ministries," the president said.
It’s Hunt-ing season, at NFL
NFL coaches at pains to figure out Margus Hunt worth. New York Jets head coach flies to Dallas to train with the Estonian.
Margus Hunt has become the curiosity of NFL for the simple reason of even experts failing to determine his real worth. Mr Hunt might be a future Hall of Fame guy. Or, he might be a loser. To get a measure of clarity, for instance, the New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan flew to Dallas, in person, to train with the Estonian. A defence specialist, he actually – physically – tried colliding with our guy.
Tourist flees fines
With help from debt collection company Julianus Inkasso, city of Tartu hopes to be able to forward parking fine claims all the way to citizens of Latvia, Lithuania and Finland – who, up to now, have felt quite comfortable with unpaid parking.
For the first two months of 2013 only, parking fines have been filed for 75 vehicles with foreign number plates. Last year totalled 274 such judgements (60 of those paid), the year before had 177 (30).