Authorities will check if the gas pipeline explosions affected a power cable connection with Poland
Authorities in Sweden are worried that sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines this week may have also damaged an important undersea power line.
The SwePol Link delivers electricity between Karlshamn in Sweden and Bruskowo Wielkie in Poland. The cable was shut down for maintenance during the incident with the pipeline.
Sweden’s power grid operator Svenska kraftnat plans to check the state of SwePol as it lies close to a section of Nord Stream. According to broadcaster SVT, the Swedish Security Service has launched its own investigation into the matter.
“Of course, we are wondering if something has happened to it. We got a picture quite quickly that it lies about 500 meters from one of the detonations,” Per Kvarnefalk, a senior official at Svenska kraftnat, told SVT on Thursday evening.
“We don’t know how serious the underwater detonation was. To ensure that nothing has happened, we will take measurements at the beginning of next week.”
The Swedish experts will work with their Polish colleagues, Kvarnefalk said. “We can manage without the cable for some time, but it will clearly have an impact [on Sweden] if it gets shut down for a longer period,” he added.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 routes, which deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany, lost pressure on Monday, after which four gas leaks were discovered. The EU and several of its member states said the damage looked deliberate, while the Kremlin described the incident as a terrorist act.
Nord Stream 1 was already shut down due to prolonged maintenance when the leaks appeared. Russian operator Gazprom blamed the lengthy delay on Western sanctions that were imposed on Moscow following its military operation in Ukraine.
The Nord Stream 2 was never fully operational because Germany halted certification in February in response to the Ukraine conflict.
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September 30, 2022 at 12:14AM
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The position of secretary general doesn’t entitle Antonio Guterres to make political statements, Moscow says
The UN secretary general shouldn’t try influencing the stance of the organization’s members, Russia’s delegation to the United Nations pointed out on Thursday, after Antonio Guterres branded the referendums in Donbass, and Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions as illegal.
Guterres claimed that the referendums, in which people overwhelmingly voted to join Russia, “can’t be called a genuine expression of the popular will” as they were held in areas “under Russian occupation.” He described the upcoming accession procedure of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, and the self-proclaimed states of Kherson and Zaporozhye as “a process of annexation of the Ukrainian regions.” The move by Moscow “cannot be reconciled with the international legal framework” as the UN Charter and the Friendly Relations Declaration of 1970 outlaw territorial acquisition “resulting from the threat or use of force,” the secretary general said.
Russia’s mission to the UN said that it regretted Guterres’ words, which in themself represented a violation of the UN Charter.
The UN’s principal document identifies the secretary general as the “Chief administrative officer of the Organization,” it reminded in a statement. “Administrative functions do not give the secretary general the right to make political statements on behalf of the UN as a whole – as it belongs to its member states – let alone to single-handedly deliver interpretation of the norms of the Charter and the documents of the General Assembly.”
The UN Charter also says that the secretary general and the secretariat should always act in an unbiased manner and “refrain from any action, which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization,” the Russian diplomats added.
However, when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, Guterres has been “consistently demonstrating the same selective approach as the countries of the collective West, literally putting himself in the lineup with them,” the statement read.
Instead of acting in line with his duties, the secretary general “chose to be instrumental in influencing the position of UN member states ahead of the anticipated initiation by the Western countries of the discussion of the issue of referenda,” Russia’s mission insisted.
Ukraine and its backers in the US and the EU have labeled the referendums a “sham,” vowing not to recognize their results and promising to slap more sanctions on Russia if it accepts new territories.
The official ceremony, in which President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign treaties on incorporating the two Donbass republics and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye into Russia, is scheduled to take place in Moscow on Friday.
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September 29, 2022 at 11:10PM
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The joint exercise with Japan and South Korea coincides with a renewed escalation with Pyongyang
The US, Japan and South Korea will hold a joint anti-submarine drill involving a nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan for the first time since 2017, amid tensions over North Korea’s recent missile tests.
The maneuvers, which begin on Friday, will involve the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan, the South Korean destroyer Menmu the Great, and a Japanese Asahi-class destroyer.
The USS Ronald Reagan and three other US warships arrived in South Korea last week, with the carrier docking in the port of Busan on Friday.
“The training is part of the defense ministry’s steps to restore military cooperation among South Korea, the US and Japan to a level before 2017, so as to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Seoul said North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. A similar launch was reported last week, following a pattern of increased weapons tests by Pyongyang since the start of the year.
The escalation came as US Vice President Kamala Harris met South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as part of her Asian tour. Harris praised the partnership between the countries as a “linchpin of security and propensity” on the Korean Peninsula and on the world stage.
The White House said Harris and Yoon discussed joint responses to “potential future provocations, including through trilateral cooperation with Japan.”
Pyongyang has repeatedly said it considers military exercises around the Korean Peninsula that involve the US as a threat to its security. Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Monday, North Korean envoy Kim Song argued that the region was caught in “a vicious cycle of tension and confrontation due to the increasing hostility of the US.”
Kim added that the US-led drills increase the risk of an armed conflict in the region, calling international sanctions on Pyongyang unfair.
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September 29, 2022 at 12:39AM
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Moscow is not threatening anyone, but if it’s pushed into using nukes, Washington can’t hide behind an ocean, Anatoly Antonov says
The US is risking destruction by engaging in nuclear brinkmanship against Russia, Moscow’s envoy to Washington has warned. There can be no such thing as a limited nuclear conflict, Anatoly Antonov said.
The Russian ambassador claimed that American military planners “apparently hope that the United States would be able to take cover behind the ocean” if nuclear weapons are used in Europe, and warned against such a gamble.
“It is safe to assume that any use of nuclear weapons could quickly lead to an escalation of a local or regional conflict into a global one,” he wrote in an article published by The National Interest magazine on Wednesday.
The risk of escalation is coming from the US, and not Russia, Antonov said. Washington has been for decades encroaching on Russian borders with NATO expansion and dismantling various strategic arms control treaties with Russia, he pointed out.
Moscow’s complaints that its national security was being compromised were simply ignored, the diplomat added, which led the country to believe that the US simply wants “to gain security advantages, especially in confronting Russia” and “achieve global military dominance.”
The ambassador was involved with issues relating to nuclear reduction, military transparency and mitigation of strategic risks in the Russian Foreign Ministry before taking up his post in Washington.
According to Antonov, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine was caused by the continuation of the same policies, to which Moscow had to respond militarily. If Russia believes that its existence is threatened by the US and its allies, it will use nuclear weapons, as is stated in its military doctrine, he added.
US officials “twist the statements of the Russian leadership” about this stance to further escalate the situation, the diplomat said. Washington is seeking to intimidate its own people as well as others with “sham Russian ‘nuclear threats,’” Antonov claimed.
He urged the US to tone down its hostile rhetoric and policies, to respect Russian national security interests, and join it and other nuclear nations in reiterating a pledge to work towards avoiding any use of the weapons.
Speculation that Russia could use its nuclear arsenal to compensate for failures in a conventional conflict have been rife in Western media since before Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in late February. The latest round of speculation and warnings from senior officials came in response to a national address by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
He said the US wanted to partition Russia in the same way as the Soviet Union was broken up after its collapse, and warned that Moscow would use all tools at its disposal to protect its territorial integrity.
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September 29, 2022 at 12:38AM
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The Ju-Jitsu International Federation has indicated it will allow Russians to compete as neutrals
The international governing body for ju-jitsu has said it will reverse a ban on Russians from competitions, paving the way for them to appear under neutral status.
The Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) initially imposed a blanket ban on Russian participants back in March, following a recommendation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
At the time, the JJIF stated it wanted to prevent a scenario where Russian athletes could continue to compete while those from Ukraine were prevented from doing so because of the conflict in their homeland.
In a statement this week, the organization said that the situation had changed and now allowed for Russian athletes and officials to take part in its tournaments.
“Athletes, coaches or officials from Russia will be allowed to participate only as neutral athletes and athletes support personnel,” read a statement on the JJIF website.
“No national symbols, colors and flags shall be displayed anywhere, be it on gis or sports equipment, and the Russian national anthem shall not be played.
“The Russian Ju-Jitsu Federation shall be registered without any reference to ‘Russia’ be it in full or as an acronym.”
The organization reiterated that it “condemns” Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but added that it does not want to “punish athletes for the decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them.”
The JJIF noted that it would not allow officials from the Russian Ju-Jitsu Federation to take part in any non-sporting events, including congresses, and would continue its ban on holding events in the country.
The removal of the ban comes after Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said that many sporting organizations were realizing they were at a “dead end” with the suspensions imposed on Russian athletes.
American Olympic official Susanne Lyons revealed earlier this month that the IOC had already sounded out members regarding a potential “pathway” back to competition for Russians.
Some sports have continued to allow Russians to compete in a neutral capacity despite the IOC’s recommendation for a ban.
Judo had been among those to clear Russians for competition, although the authorities recently reversed that decision ahead of the next month’s World Championships in Uzbekistan, amid boycott threats from Ukraine.
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September 29, 2022 at 12:12AM
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The Bank of England’s intervention on bond markets has dragged the currency down
Bond-market intervention announced by the Bank of England on Wednesday sent sterling sliding by more than 1% to 1.0763 against the US dollar after temporarily recovering by nearly 5% from the historic lows it reached earlier this week.
The regulator said it would carry out temporary purchases of bonds and postpone the planned commencement of its gilt sale program. It indicated that it would buy as much as £5 billion ($5.4 billion) per day of long-dated government bonds until October 14.
The bank spent nearly £1 billion on Wednesday as 30-year gilt yields dropped 105 basis points (bps), the biggest decline ever, according to Refinitiv records stretching back to 1992.
UK government bonds have cratered in recent days after newly appointed finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng said his ministry would slash taxes and ramp up borrowing. The announcement sent yields, which move inversely to prices, surging.
On Monday, Kwarteng’s fiscal statement, along with a vow that there was more to come, sent sterling crashing to a record low of $1.0327. On Tuesday, the pound reduced some of its losses after Huw Pill, the Bank of England’s chief economist, suggested the regulator would have to hike interest rates sharply in November.
Oleg Matytsin said Russian athletes will be given the necessary protection in some areas, but should not enjoy special status
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has said certain categories of the nation’s athletes will be exempt from the ongoing partial military mobilization, but added that sport should not consider itself as “separate” from the rest of society.
“Sport cannot be singled out as a separate community that should enjoy some kind of exclusive privileges,” Matytsin said at the ‘Russia – A Sporting Power’ forum in the city of Kemerovo on Thursday, according to TASS.
“We see that our athletes in previous years, and I hope during this period, show themselves to be patriots.
“It was announced many times at the start of the special military operation, they supported the president and expressed an absolutely unequivocal opinion that sport is a single family.
“All the problems, difficulties and tasks that the state is now solving, sport will solve together with everyone,” added the minister.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization last week with the aim of calling up 300,000 reservists, reports have emerged of athletes across numerous sports receiving draft summonses.
Prominent sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev claimed on Wednesday that the number included Russian biathletes who had “climbed the podium of the world’s biggest competitions, including the World Championships.”
Matytsin said measures were being taken to ensure athletes in some categories were not being drafted, but reiterated that sport should not enjoy “exclusivity.”
“I can’t answer unequivocally now about the [exemption system],” Matytsin said.
“There will not be and should not be any exclusivity. Yes, we understand that athletes and coaches are a ‘golden fund’, especially those who are preparing for the Olympic Games and members of national teams.
“Certain protection measures for certain categories will possibly be given a deferment while we are in discussion with the government.
“I hope that the sports system will continue to develop actively despite the situation,” added Matytsin.
The sports minister’s words echo those of Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) president Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who said last week that athletes have an “honorable duty” to serve their country, just like other citizens.
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September 28, 2022 at 11:08PM
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Pyongyang could conduct its seventh nuclear detonation within weeks, according to a Seoul lawmaker
North Korea could test a nuclear device at some point between October 16 and November 7, a South Korean lawmaker has claimed, citing the country’s foreign intelligence agency.
The assessment was allegedly part of a closed-door briefing that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) gave to the parliamentary intelligence committee, and was made public on Wednesday by Yoo Sang-beom, a legislator from the ruling People Power Party, who sits on the oversight body.
The timeline was identified based on the dates of scheduled political events in China and the US, the MP explained. On October 16, the Chinese Communist Party will start its 20th National Congress, and November 7 is the eve of the midterm elections in the US.
The intelligence agency claimed the probability of a test was increased by the recent completion of Tunnel 3 at the Punggye-ri test range, Yoo told journalists.
North Korea’s six nuclear tests between October 2006 and September 2017 were all conducted at the underground facility in the northernmost North Hamgyong Province. North Korea watchers assessed this summer that the southern Tunnel 3 appeared fully ready for a new test, based on satellite images.
Last week, Seoul reported a North Korean test of a short-range ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan. The exercise was conducted as US Vice President Kamala Harris was on her way to visit regional allies Japan and South Korea.
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September 28, 2022 at 01:19AM
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In a case that could be a referendum on the insurrection, "prosecutors are really going for the three-pointer" against an untested, controversial defense.
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September 28, 2022 at 01:00AM
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The figure skater is set to learn her fate in October, according to RUSADA general director Veronika Loginova
Hearings on the results of the investigation conducted into Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva are “tentatively” planned for October, according to the head of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
RUSADA announced earlier in September that it had completed its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Valieva’s positive test for the banned heart drug trimetazidine, and that the matter would be taken up by a disciplinary anti-doping committee (DAC).
“There is a procedure for processing the results, we cannot name the date [of the hearings] yet,” said RUSADA general director Veronika Loginova at the ‘Russia – A Sporting Power’ forum in Kemerovo on Wednesday.
“The investigation was in relation to the staff, the coaching staff is included in it. Tentatively, October is the date for the announcement of the result.”
Loginova noted that the anti-doping code provided for a lengthy suspension in certain cases, but refused to second-guess what the outcome might be.
“In the code, we can see which sanctions can be applied for certain violations. There is a standard term of four years. But what the DAC decides – due to different circumstances, the decisions may be different,” Loginova added, according to RIA Novosti.
Valieva found herself at the center of scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, when it emerged she had tested positive for trimetazidine based on a sample collected around six weeks previously at the Russian Championships.
The delayed result was reported by a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in Stockholm, Sweden, and only appeared after Valieva had starred in her country’s gold medal success in the figure skating team event in Beijing.
Aged 15 at the time, Valieva was cleared to compete in the Olympic women’s individual event following an emergency hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), despite the objections of WADA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Skating Union (ISU).
The CAS panel cited Valieva’s status as a “protected person” due to her age in ruling that she should be allowed to participate, although the ordeal took its toll as she finished a disappointing fourth despite being the strong favorite for gold.
Valieva’s team – which includes renowned trainer Eteri Tutberidze – have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and have suggested that contamination from heart medication her grandfather was taking may have caused the positive test result.
Questions have also been asked about the lengthy delay of the test result, while Russian officials said Valieva had passed numerous other doping tests.
RUSADA chief Loginova said on Wednesday that Valieva’s age may also mean that the result of the disciplinary hearings is not disclosed.
“There are special rules for public disclosure regarding a protected person. I can’t say yet whether it will be published or not,” said the anti-doping official.
WADA has said it is closely monitoring the investigation in Russia and has reserved the right to take legal action should it not be satisfied with the procedure.
Valieva, now aged 16, returned to action last weekend at the Russian national team test skates in Moscow, where her two routines drew upon the theme of emotions from her Olympic scandal.
More broadly, Russian skaters remain banned from international competition due to a ban imposed by the ISU because of the conflict in Ukraine.
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September 28, 2022 at 12:28AM
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