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The Danish toy giant Lego has revealed that it has started production on a new line of sustainable bricks made from plant-based plastic – more specifically from sugar cane

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Initially, they will be incorporated into Lego’s softest brick pieces, such as small trees, bushes and leaves – which will no longer be produced from the oils usually used in Lego brick production. “At the LEGO Group we want to make a positive impact on the world around us, and are working hard to make great play products for children using sustainable materials,” said Tim Brooks, the deputy head of environmental responsibility at Lego.

“We are proud that the first LEGO elements made from sustainably-sourced plastic are in production and will be in LEGO boxes this year. This is a great first step in our ambitious commitment to make all LEGO bricks use sustainable materials.”

Energy self-sufficient
The step is Lego’s first towards attaining its ambition of producing all bricks and packaging from sustainable material by 2030.

Lego has embraced more sustainable models in recent years, such as earmarking a billion kroner to find sustainable materials in 2015 and investing 6 billion kroner in two wind turbine parks.

As a result, the energy production of Lego investments exceeded the energy consumption of all Lego factories, shops and offices globally in 2017.

Source: cphpost.dk

Property prices in Copenhagen and Aarhus will fall, bank predicts

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NordenBladet – Rising interest rates, a tightening up of the laws regarding credit, and falling prices in Oslo and Stockhom are among the factors contributing to falling apartment prices in Denmark’s two largest cities in the first quarter of 2018. Figures collected by Sydbank for Finans reveal that the property market is suffering its biggest setback since 2014 and that these lower prices might become a lasting feature, reports TV2 Nyheder.

“We are seeing a cocktail of factors that are together responsible for the biggest fall in prices that we’ve seen over the last four to five years,” said Søren Kristensen, a macro economist at Sydbank.

According to Sydbank’s model, property prices will fall by 1 percent over the first quarter and this will keep the annual increase down at 6.4 percent. That is rather lower than the 9 percent average gain since the start of 2014. Over the next year, the increase will be nearer 4 or 5 percent and that will primarily affect the prices of flats. Interest rates have been increasing since the start of December and this has hit those property owners who are most in debt hard, according to Nordea. These are often found in the bigger towns. “The tendency that we’ve seen regarding flats with price rises in the double figures over the last year is shifting. That time is over,” said Lise Nytoft Bergman, the chief analyst at Nordea.

In January, 12 percent fewer owner flats were sold in Copenhagen than during the same period last year. That is the first time figures have gone down since 2011. House prices that have not risen anywhere near as much as prices for flats are only predicted to rise by 1 percent in the first quarter, ending the year with a 3.5 percent rise. “Property prices have risen so much that a lot of people just can’t afford them. When interest rates rise and it is more difficult to get credit, it has an impact,” explained Nykredit chief economist Tore Stramer.

“We are now entering a period when price rises are going to be far more moderate and more in step with wage rates,” added Stramer.

Source: cphpost.dk

Estonian defense chief Riho Terras: Women can serve in all defense force roles

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NordenBladet – Women can serve in all roles in the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Gen. Riho Terras said on Thursday (01.March).

“Estonia is too small to leave half of our population out of national defense,” Terras said in remarks released ahead of a conference titled “Women, Peace and Security”. This is true for the defense forces as well — we have neither specialties nor units where women’s participation would be barred or restricted due to gender. Women do not have to be only medics or members of the signal corps; they can serve in all roles in the EDF.”

In his opening remarks at the conference, the Estonian defense chief said that the ideology of a popular military is central to Estonia’s defense forces.

Source: News.err.ee

Time left until March 31 to update Estonian ID cards’ digital certificates

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NordenBladet – If you haven’t updated your ID card’s digital certificates yet, you have until Mar. 31 to do so. After that, the certificates will be deleted, and the your card can’t be used for digital identification anymore.

So far 441,000 people have updated their ID cards’ digital certificates, 322,000 of them remotely, the Police and Border Guard (PPA) reported. Some 100,000 cards’ certificates still haven’t been updated though. These cards will still be useful beyond Mar. 31 as a physical means of identification, but their holders won’t be able to access e-services anymore.

More info: politsei.ee

Ice road between Estonian islands Saaremaa and Hiiumaa may open next week

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NordenBladet – While the ice road between the mainland and the smaller island of Vormsi was opened on Thursday, the islanders on Hiiumaa and Saaremaa still have to wait, as the ice between the two largest islands isn’t thick enough yet to take the weight of cars and trucks.

The ferry route between Rohuküla on the mainland and Heltermaa on the island of Hiiumaa is currently interrupted due to the very low water level in the shipping channel. A temporary connection between the island and the harbor of Virtsu has run since late on Thursday, but it is slow both because of the conditions along the route as well as the fact that the Saaremaa ferries are operating out of Virtsu as well.

The only other way Hiiumaa residents have to reach the mainland is by taking the much smaller ferry from Hiiumaa to Saaremaa first, and then to drive to Kuivastu and take the ferry from there. An ice road between the two major islands would make this a lot easier, but the ice isn’t yet thick enough to take the weight of cars and trucks.

Source: News.err.ee

Police to probe CEO statements on possible interference in RB Rail activity

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The Economic Crime Department of the Latvian State Police has launched a probe into recent statements made by Baiba Rubesa, CEO of the Baltic countries’ joint venture RB Rail, regarding interference in the company’s activity and shareholders’ conflict of interest.

After the probe is complete, the police will decide if there are substantial enough grounds for opening a criminal case, State Police spokesperson Gita Gžibovska said.

As previously reported, the Estonian and Lithuanian shareholders of RB Rail on Feb. 1 expressed no confidence in Rubesa; Latvian representative Andris Linužs, head of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, abstained from the vote. The matter will be discussed by the company’s supervisory board at its next scheduled meeting on March 22.

Following the censure motion, Rubesa said that some supervisory board members have a conflict of interests, citing that they make decisions while simultaneously serving in two positions.

Source: News.err.ee

Estonia expecting €15 million in extra tax income from immigration growth

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NordenBladet – According to the calculations of the Ministry of the Interior, approximately €15 million per year in tax income could be expected due to alleviation measures on immigration restrictions approved by the government at the beginning of February.

The government in February decided that the immigration quota will not be raised above 0.1 percent of the Estonian population, or 1,317 people per year. At the same time, however, top specialists will be excluded from the quota and the maximum limit of short-term employment in Estonia will be extended from a period of nine months to one year.

Based on the government’s decision, the Ministry of the Interior developed amendments to the Aliens Act, which the ministry sent out for coordination on Thursday. Based on the letter of explanation accompanying the amendments, it is expected that as a result of the amendments, the number of foreigners working in Estonia on a short-term basis will increase by 2,500 people, not including the 124 top specialists working here with a temporary residence permit.

Source: News.err.ee

Rain Rosimannus doesn’t have to pay Autorollo damages, court rules

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NordenBladet – Tallinn Circuit Court on Friday made a decision in a civil dispute related to the Autorollo bankruptcy case for a second time, finding that there are no grounds to claim damages related to the road haulage firm’s bankruptcy from Rain Rosimannus, son-in-law of Autorollo owner Väino Pentus.

The appeals court annulled the June 27, 2014 Harju County Court judgment in the part where €135,657.98 was adjudged from Rain Rosimannus and Rosimannus was ordered to pay his own procedural costs.

The appeals court did not grant the claim of OÜ Autorollo receivers Martin Krupp and Katrin Prukk on Rosimannus in the amount of 176,600 euros plus the penalty for delay and ordered the procedural costs incurred by Rain Rosimannus to be borne by Krupp and Prukk.

The circuit court also quashed the portion of the Harju County Court judgment which satisfied the plaintiff’s claim for the compensation, jointly and severally, by Siim Roode and NJORD Advokaadibüroo OÜ of the damage arising from the payment of the debt of OÜ Autorollo debtors to third persons in part, in the amount of 17,954.75 euros plus the penalty for delay, and left that claim fully unsatisfied.

A third portion of the original verdict quashed by the appeals court concerns a claim for 6,135.52 euros and the penalty for delay to be paid jointly and severally by Roode and NJORD Advokaadibüroo OÜ.

Source: News.err.ee

Kadri Simson: Free public transport on county lines is expected to enter into force on July 1, 2018

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NordenBladet – According to Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson (Center), free public transport on county bus lines in Estonia will enter into effect as of July 1, daily Eesti Päevaleht reports.

The minister told the newspaper that the idea of free rides on county bus lines has been moved forward with and free regional public transport will start in Estonia from July 2018. “We have taken a very thorough and long preparation period. It is important that regional public transport centers determine the bus schedules and everyday departures,” Simson said.

Simson said that meetings between the employees of public transport centers and the Estonian Road Administration have constantly taken place and work has been done to alter contracts with current carriers.

Source: News.err.ee

EU’s interest in development of Eastern Partnership countries affirmed

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NordenBladet – It was confirmed during the fifth annual Tallinn Conference on the Eastern Partnership held on Friday that the development of the countries of Eastern Partnership and their integration with the European Union continue to be important in Europe’s political agenda, ERR mediates.

“Eastern Partnership and the development of these countries are important for Estonia, which was demonstrated also by our presidency of the Council of the European Union. Estonia will continue to support Eastern Partners and to make sure that the bus will not drive away and we will try to help all Eastern Partnership countries to achieve your objectives of state building and economic development. We know ourselves how difficult these kind of reforms can be,” Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said.

The director of the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, Jaan Reinhold, said that the goal was to chart the expectations of the different parties that were supported at the summit and analyze the goals toward which to move with our expectations.

Source: News.Err.ee

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