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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 30 September 2022
NATO believes Baltic Sea gas leaks were sabotage

By JAN M. OLSEN that Russia recently turned
Associated Press off as it ramped up en-
COPENHAGEN, Denmark ergy pressure on Europe.
(AP) — The NATO military The other two are on Nord
alliance warned Thursday it Stream 2, which has never
would retaliate for any at- been used. The Danish and
tacks on the critical infra- Swedish governments have
structure of its 30 member said that they believe the
countries and joined other leaks were “deliberate ac-
Western officials in cit- tions.”
ing sabotage as the likely According to seismologists,
cause of damage to two the leaks were preceded
natural gas pipelines in the by explosions. A first explo-
Baltic Sea. sion was recorded early
The warning came as the Monday southeast of the
Swedish coast guard con- Danish island of Bornholm.
firmed a fourth leak on the A second, stronger blast
pipelines off southern Swe- northeast of the island
den, which is in the process that night was equivalent
of joining NATO. The first to a magnitude-2.3 earth-
leaks in the pipelines that In this picture provided by Swedish Coast Guard, the gas leak in the Baltic Sea from Nord Stream quake. Seismic stations in
extend from Russia to Ger- photographed from the Coast Guard’s aircraft on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Associated Press Denmark, Norway and Fin-
many were reported on land also registered the ex-
Tuesday, prompting energy allies’ critical infrastructure energy security in Europe which probably will not plosions.
companies and European would be met with a united come as Russia prepares start in earnest until next Speaking Wednesday be-
governments to beef up and determined response.” to annex four regions of week once the undersea fore the fourth leak was re-
security. They refrained from say- occupied Ukraine, a move pipelines are empty. ported, Swedish Prime Min-
The fear of further damage ing who they thought was widely condemned by the The two lines between Rus- ister Magdalena Andersson
to Europe’s energy infra- responsible, even though West. Russian energy gi- sia and Germany were not said it would have taken a
structure has added pres- some allies like Poland, and ant Gazprom heightened in operation. large explosive device to
sure on natural gas prices, many experts, have said uncertainty around en- Danish Defense Minister cause the damage.
which had already been they believe that Russia is ergy supplies Wednesday Morten Bødskov turned Norway was among the first
soaring. Russia, a major responsible. by threatening on Twitter to Twitter to call the NATO countries on Wednesday
supplier to Europe, cut off “All currently available in- to cease dealing with a statement a “joint con- to beef up the protection
deliveries earlier this year formation indicates that this Ukrainian company that demnation and very strong of its energy installations.
in retaliation for sanctions is the result of deliberate, controls one of the two re- signal from the alliance.” Finnish Finance Minister
imposed after its invasion reckless, and irresponsible maining pipelines that ship But NATO has made many Annika Saarikko said Thurs-
of Ukraine. That has caused acts of sabotage. These Russian gas to Europe. statements of resolve to day that security mea-
widespread economic leaks are causing risks to Rather than assigning defend its members and sures have been tightened
pain across the continent. shipping and substantial blame to anyone specific, their territory since Russia in- around the Balticconnec-
NATO ambassadors said environmental damage,” EU officials on Thursday said vaded Ukraine in February. tor line running in the Baltic
in a statement that “any the envoys said. they would await the out- Two of the leaks are on Sea between Finland and
deliberate attack against The rising tensions around come of an investigation, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline Estonia.q

India’s top court gives equal abortion access to all women

By BHUMIKA SARASWATI Supreme Court ruled on can obtain abortions up to tional Law School of India, basis of marital status.
Associated Press Thursday that all women, 24 weeks into their preg- who works on reproductive “The artificial distinction be-
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s regardless of marital status, nancies. Previously, under justice. In its judgment, the tween married and unmar-
India’s abortion law, mar- court “breaks away from ried women cannot be sus-
ried women could have the stigma that is attached tained. Women must have
abortions up to 24 weeks to single women getting autonomy to have free ex-
into their pregnancies, but pregnant,” she said. ercise of these rights,” Jus-
single women were limited Abortion has been legal in tice Dhananjaya Y. Chand-
to 20 weeks. On Thursday, India since 1971 under the rachud said.
the court extended the 24- Medical Termination Preg- The court said denying sin-
week period to all women. nancy Act. In 2021, the law gle women the same ac-
The judgment was cheered was amended to allow cer- cess to abortion violated
by reproductive rights ac- tain categories of women the right to equality before
tivists, who said the court -- including married women the law under India’s Con-
had ensured that the law who were divorced or wid- stitution.
does not discriminate and owed, minors, rape victims Abortion rights have been
expands the right to safe or mentally ill women -- to a contentious issue across
and legal abortions to sin- obtain abortions up to 24 the world, especially after
gle women. “Now, all the weeks, raising it from the the U.S. Supreme Court in
Pigeons fly past the dome of India’s Supreme Court building in
New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. India’s Supreme Court rights that married women previous 20 weeks. But the June overturned the Roe
ruled on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, that all women, regardless of have, single women will changes did not include v. Wade judgment which
marital status, can obtain abortions up to 24 weeks into their also have,” said Aparna single women, causing had established a consti-
pregnancies. Chandra, an associate many to question why the tutional right to abortion in
Associated Press professor of law at the Na- law differentiated on the the country.q