this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
62 points (97.0% liked)

Europe

1505 readers
532 users here now

News and information from Europe 🇪🇺

(Current banner: La Mancha, Spain. Feel free to post submissions for banner images.)

Rules (2024-08-30)

  1. This is an English-language community. Comments should be in English. Posts can link to non-English news sources when providing a full-text translation in the post description. Automated translations are fine, as long as they don't overly distort the content.
  2. No links to misinformation or commercial advertising. When you post outdated/historic articles, add the year of publication to the post title. Infographics must include a source and a year of creation; if possible, also provide a link to the source.
  3. Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. Don't post direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments. Don't troll nor incite hatred. Don't look for novel argumentation strategies at Wikipedia's List of fallacies.
  4. No bigotry, sexism, racism, antisemitism, dehumanization of minorities, or glorification of National Socialism.
  5. Be the signal, not the noise: Strive to post insightful comments. Add "/s" when you're being sarcastic (and don't use it to break rule no. 3).
  6. If you link to paywalled information, please provide also a link to a freely available archived version. Alternatively, try to find a different source.
  7. Light-hearted content, memes, and posts about your European everyday belong in !yurop@lemm.ee. (They're cool, you should subscribe there too!)
  8. Don't evade bans. If we notice ban evasion, that will result in a permanent ban for all the accounts we can associate with you.
  9. No posts linking to speculative reporting about ongoing events with unclear backgrounds. Please wait at least 12 hours. (E.g., do not post breathless reporting on an ongoing terror attack.)

(This list may get expanded when necessary.)

We will use some leeway to decide whether to remove a comment.

If need be, there are also bans: 3 days for lighter offenses, 14 days for bigger offenses, and permanent bans for people who don't show any willingness to participate productively. If we think the ban reason is obvious, we may not specifically write to you.

If you want to protest a removal or ban, feel free to write privately to the mods: @federalreverse@feddit.org, @poVoq@slrpnk.net, or @anzo@programming.dev.

founded 4 months ago
MODERATORS
 

China has, for the first time, acknowledged that the Chinese-owned cargo ship Newnew Polar Bear was responsible for damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline last October, according to a report by the Chinese media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP). Chinese authorities stated that the damage caused by the ship was accidental, resulting from a severe storm. An internal investigation by China has been conducted, with the findings shared with relevant parties, SCMP reported.

However, the report produced by Chinese investigators cannot be used as evidence in ongoing investigations by Estonia and Finland.

In an interview with the SCMP, Kairi Küngas, head of public relations for the Estonian prosecutor's office, confirmed that Estonia had not received the report. She stressed that "in no case can it be used as evidence in Estonia's criminal investigation," as Chinese authorities had not invited Estonian investigators to participate in the probe.

"We have submitted a request for legal assistance to collect evidence from the vessel and its crew. To fulfil this request, Chinese authorities can either conduct the investigation themselves or involve Estonian investigators," Küngas said. "The Chinese authorities have yet to respond to the request."

UPDATE:

China's explanations on last autumn's rupture to the Balticconnector gas pipeline are questionable, Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur has said


(Archived)

Pevkur added that China's admission of culpability was not in and of itself a surprise as there had always been a strong belief. from the outset, that a ship's anchor had caused the damage to the Balticconnector pipeline.

He also expressed skepticism about China's claim that a severe storm was to blame in the incident.

"Personally, I find it very difficult to understand how a ship's captain could fail to notice for such a long time that its anchor had been dragging along the seabed, but it is up to the Prosecutor's Office to complete the investigation," the minister went on.

top 1 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] CaptObvious@literature.cafe 8 points 3 months ago

Wait… Can China conduct the investigation without Estonian involvement or not? I’m confused.