New raid in Germany in mystery of Nord Stream sabotage

German prosecutors have searched a home as part of an investigation into the sabotaging of Russian-controlled gas pipelines.

The search was linked to a theory suggesting operatives with connections to Ukraine were behind underwater explosions that knocked the Nord Stream pipelines out of action.

Local broadcasters said a potential witness, believed to be a partner of a Ukrainian suspect, was interviewed and had her phone seized at her home near the Polish border.

What do we know about the Nord Stream pipeline explosions?

The woman had DNA samples taken to compare them to those found on a yacht at the centre of the investigation, according to reports.

Leaks from the German investigation have suggested the yacht Andromeda could have been used by divers to reach the Nord Stream pipelines or as a decoy.

Federal prosecutors also confirmed they had searched the home of a woman who was not a suspect.

The explosions affected the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in September last year, seven months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The blasts, in Danish and Swedish waters, were picked up by seismic monitors before coast guards saw leaked gas bubbling to the surface of the Baltic Sea.

Nord Stream 2 was meant to double Russia's export capacity to Germany but never went into operation. Bloomberg

Nord Stream theories

Several theories have circulated as investigators in Germany, Sweden and Denmark try to unravel the underwater explosions.

Ukrainian officials have denied involvement amid speculation that a “pro-Ukrainian group” may have sabotaged the pipelines that were built to carry gas from Russia to Europe.

Kyiv had lobbied against the opening of Nord Stream 2 on the grounds that it would circumvent Ukrainian transit routes and tighten Moscow’s economic hold over the continent.

US officials dismissed suggested claims from Moscow that it was behind the high-risk act of sabotage.

Another theory suggested that Russia carried out the attacks to permanently cut off gas supplies and send a warning to western infrastructure.

The Danish military reported in April that it had spotted a Russian submarine rescue ship in the Baltic a few days before the blasts.

The Kremlin branded claims that their own forces blew up pipelines to a major revenue stream as “stupid”.

Neither pipeline was functioning at the time of the explosions, after Russian exporter Gazprom cut off gas through Nord Stream 1 in August.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the Nord Stream 2 project shortly before Russia’s invasion, with the pipeline never going into operation.

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYasmin%20Azad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESwift%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Company%20Profile

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?

Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'

How to increase your savings

Have a plan for your savings.
Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.

- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching