A Polish court has blocked the extradition of a Ukrainian diver wanted by Germany in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline explosions, a handover that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this month was not in his country’s best interests.
The Warsaw District Court rejected the extradition of the man, only identified as Volodymyr Z, on Friday and ordered his immediate release.
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The government had previously said that the decision about whether Volodymyr Z should be transferred to Germany was one for the courts alone.
Tusk has said the problem was not that the undersea pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany, were blown up in September 2022, but that they were built at all.
The explosions ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was inaugurated in 2011 and carried Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea until Russia cut off supplies in August 2022.
They also damaged the parallel Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Gas leak at Nord Stream 2 as seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor at Bornholm, Denmark on September 27, 2022 [File: Danish Defence Command/Forsvaret Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters]
The explosions largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe, marking a major escalation in the Ukraine conflict and squeezing energy supplies.
Germany’s top prosecutors’ office says Volodymyr Z was one of a group suspected of renting a sailing yacht and planting explosives on the pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
He faces allegations of conspiring to commit an explosives attack and of “anti-constitutional sabotage”.
His Polish lawyer rejects the accusations and says Volodymyr Z has done nothing wrong. He has also questioned whether a case concerning the destruction of Russian property by a Ukrainian at a time when the countries are at war is a criminal matter.
Volodymyr Z’s wife has told Polish media her husband is innocent and that they were together in Poland at the time the pipelines were blown up.
He is one of two Ukrainians whose extradition German judicial authorities have been trying to secure in the case.
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Robshaw and his family have suffered another tragic setback ahead of Strictly Come Dancing’s live show tomorrow night, a source has revealed to The Mirror
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Chris Robshaw has been hit with devastating family news
Strictly Come Dancing star Chris Robshaw has dealt heartbreaking family news ahead of tomorrow’s live show. The rugby player, 39, is due to perform a salsa with professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova tomorrow – but behind-the-scenes, he’s been dealing with a family emergency.
Chris and his wife Camilla have been “an emotional mess” after their dog Rico became unwell with kidney failure. The 13-year-old canine, who Strictly’s Chris calls his first child, is said to be declining rapidly following his shock diagnosis.
“Chris is holding it together as best he can but he’s a huge softy at heart and Rico’s diagnosis has knocked him for six,” a source told The Mirror. “Camilla and Chris are trying to stay strong for their two boys, but it’s been an emotional time.
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“He’s been wearing sunglasses where possible to hide his eyes, as it’s been so upsetting.” They added that Chris is worried that he won’t be there in case Rico’s health becomes worse.
“Camilla has been posting the dog a lot on her socials, without much context, but the diagnosis has been tough to swallow,” they said. “Chris hates fuss, so he’s been keeping things quiet.”
Despite the tough news, Chris will be performing tomorrow night as he “doesn’t want to let the viewers down”. The source said: “Whilst being professional and turning up for rehearsals, staying late and dancing for more than eight hours a day, he’s feeling deflated at the moment.”
It’s yet another blow to the family after Chris was targeted by an alleged female stalker ahead of his Strictly debut. The sportsman is said to have almost pulled the plug on his time at the BBC competition before it began over fears that the woman would become a threat.
A spokesperson for Chris told the Mirror in August: “This is an ongoing police investigation, and therefore we are unable to comment at this time. Chris will not be commenting further.”
Last month, Chris revealed that his singer wife Camilla laughed at him when he revealed that he would be signing up to Strictly. The couple married in France in 2018 and share sons Wilding, four, and one-year-old Hunter.
Chris told Heat magazine that his wife knows “all about my dance moves” but later reassured him that she backed his decision. He explained: “She was like, ‘Look, it’s a great opportunity. It’s amazing, so go and do it, we’ll support you’.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues tomorrow on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Apple has won the rights to broadcast Formula 1 in the United States for the next five years in deal said to be worth about $750m (£558m) in total.
The agreement, which starts in 2026 and for which insiders say Apple is paying approximately $150m (£111.6m) a year, will make F1 available to all Apple TV subscribers in America as part of their standard monthly fee.
It is the first time Apple have ventured into sports broadcasting in this manner.
It provides coverage of US Major League Soccer but that is for an additional charge over and above Apple TV’s basic subscription.
Apple TV customers will have access to live coverage of all on-track sessions and all content produced by the sport’s in-house channel F1 TV.
Commentary arrangements have not been decided – Apple will not initially produce its own commentary and is likely to buy either that of F1 TV or the UK’s Sky network.
The popular Drive to Survive documentary series on rival streaming service Netflix will not be affected.
The F1 movie that was released earlier this year starring Brad Pitt was a significant contributing factor in securing this deal.
The film has been a big hit for Apple. It has taken about $630m (£470m) at the box office and is said to be both the biggest grossing sports movie ever, and Pitt’s biggest grossing movie.
F1’s previous US rights deal was with sports network ESPN, for about $80m (£60m) a year.
A statement from F1 said the deal would “amplify the sport across” all Apple’s outlets – News, Maps, Music, Sports and Fitness+.
F1 chairman Stefano Domenicali said: “This is an incredibly exciting partnership for both Formula 1 and Apple that will ensure we can continue to maximise our growth potential in the US with the right content and innovative distribution channels.”
BBC Sport journalist at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
The great and the good of women’s football were among hundreds of mourners who said an emotional farewell to former Liverpool manager Matt Beard at his funeral service.
Beard, who led the Reds to successive Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, died on 20 September at the age of 47.
The Beard family and friends were joined by leading figures from across women’s football, including United States boss Emma Hayes, for the mass at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.
“Please, please, please let Matt’s passing be a lesson to us all,” his brother Mark, the former Millwall and Sheffield United midfielder, said during the service.
“We are only human.”
He added: “Matt had a beautiful soul and a one-in-a-million personality. He always found a way to make you laugh and smile.”
Beard’s wife, Debbie, children Harry and Ellie, step-son Scott, and mother Margaret were joined at the service by Liverpool’s first-team squad, along with manager Gareth Taylor and his coaching staff, and sporting director Richard Hughes.
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There were several former Liverpool players from Beard’s title-winning sides, including Natasha Dowie and Fara Williams. Ian Rush, Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer, was also present along with ex-Reds and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.
Dowie said he was like a father figure to her. She told BBC Sport: “He had a cheeky smile, someone that made you laugh, a twinkle in his eyes, an ‘alright darling’, a big hug which made you feel like a million dollars.
“We’ll make sure as a family, his family are looked after and he won’t be forgotten, absolutely won’t be forgotten.”
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner, Canada boss and ex-Liverpool player Casey Stoney and former England forward Lianne Sanderson were among those in attendance.
Stoney told BBC Sport: “You can see from the turnout and the amount of people that have travelled far and wide to come and pay their respects and show their love to a wonderful man [how respected he was]. He was kind, funny, caring, cheeky.”
Also present were Arsenal’s former Liverpool players Olivia Smith – women’s football’s first £1m player – and Taylor Hinds, who played for the Gunners in Portugal on Thursday against Benfica in the Champions League.
Many at the service wore red after Beard’s family invited fans to attend wearing football shirts or casual clothes.
21 September
21 September
29 September
Richard Elliott and his daughter Anna travelled from Brampton, near Carlisle, to be at the service.
“He was the nicest bloke ever who always made time to speak to fans,” said Richard.
“When he learned where we travelled from to watch Liverpool games home and away, he’d say: ‘Wow, it’s you again!
“Before one game he took my daughter’s scarf into the the dressing room to get it signed.”
Another fan, Fiona Wedgner-Thorpe, who attended the service after travelling to Durham to watch Liverpool win 2-1 in a Women’s League Cup tie on Thursday, described Beard as a “trailblazer”.
“He gave everything to the women’s game. He was so giving to the fans.”
Beard was being laid to rest in a private ceremony and invited guests were heading to Anfield for a reception.
An inquest into Beard’s death was opened and adjourned on 29 September.
At the hearing in Ruthin, North Wales, coroner John Gittins said paramedics were called to Beard’s home in Flintshire after he was found hanged. Beard was taken to hospital in Chester, where he died at 21:15 BST on 20 September.
Beard’s family requested that instead of flowers, gestures of remembrance be made through donations to a mental health charity.
In Liverpool’s first game after Beard’s passing, a 5-0 Women’s League Cup win over Sunderland on 24 September, one banner read: ‘Liverpool was made for Matt and Matt was made for Liverpool.’
A fundraiser to support his family organised by journalist Jacqui Oatley has raised more than £61,000.
Zohran Mamdani, the favourite in the race to be elected mayor of New York has faced off against his rivals in a televised debate. In a heated exchange over Israel’s war on Gaza, Mamdani said he was the first to call for a ceasefire and dismissed accusations of antisemitism.
As a first-time mum I’ve been looking for ways to make feeding time easier, and this hands-free warming breast pump has been pain-free and easy to use on the go
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We trialled the Eufy breast pump (Image: Miranda-Alix)
As any new mum knows, you can often be inundated with advice, social media adverts and a constant stream of what you should buy and shouldn’t. So when my sister, Miranda-Alix, was awaiting the birth of her first child, she decided to put Eufy’s brand new wearable smart breast pump – the S1 Pro to the test to see whether it lived up to expectations.
The breast pump claims to be the world ’s first warming wearable breast pump for extra comfort and milk, which offers hospital-grade performance and suction, designed to fit all nipple sizes. For British mums that have given birth in a UK NHS hospital, you’ll be privy to the joys of using a pump which is similar to high Street brand Calypso. These pumps are incredibly effective in terms of suction measurement and speed, however the suction edges can be uncomfortable against the breast, and the design doesn’t always live up to expectations.
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The Eufy S1 Pro
What we love
Comfortable for daily wear on delicate and sensitive-prone skin
Stylish design including portable charging case lasts up to 5 days
Speedy pumping
Easy decanting
Heated for comfort and encouragement of milk production
What we don’t
Not completely discrete under clothing
As soon as she started using the S1 Pro, my sister was very impressed by the sleek and compatible size, not to mention the design of the product which was easy to pack away and use, which was quite a high priority for her. She compared both the hospital pump she was given and the Eufy which comes in at £269.99 from eufy.com and was incredibly impressed at the ease of use, speed pumping, effective pumping, sound, size and great design.
The soft silicone edges glide smoothly across the skin with absolutely no friction whatsoever, with the exception of the gummy surface which helps with skin to skin connection. No leaks here! With this comes a modern, almost futuristic design.
The design of the S1 Pro even stretches to the beautiful carry case which you could easily carry off as a stylish clutch. The carry case is also its charging port, which you charge up using a USB charge for convenience then retains power for up to 5 days making it easy to use on the go.
Miranda-Alix’s thoughts
As a new mum of a baby boy Kai, I have been using the Eufy S1 Pro day and night between feeds to express milk in an attempt to exclusively breastfeed. Whether or not you want to combine this with formula feeding too, it is an absolute dream in terms of getting the milk at any time of the day while seated, moving around or doing anything that I need to do.
I have been using the Eufy S1 Pro since returning home and followed all the setup which took me less than 30 mins, and within that time-frame I was able to use it right away. I tested the pump initially feeding on the other breast and using one pump, as they individually turned on and off.
I individually adjusted to suction strength and also heat level to get to the right level for me, and I tested with both inside multiple differing bras, all of which had no issues other than being slightly visible underneath clothing. This electric pump can be worn under any maternity bra with complete access to the controls on the top of the pump.
These are subtle and easy to use and take up little to no space whilst still having the capacity to collect a good and generous amount of milk. The Eufy S1 Pro has hospital grade suction capability, so you’re able to withdraw as much milk as you can produce, then without even taking the pump apart you can simply pour from the top into storage or a bottle to save for later.
All of this can be tracked in the app alongside. The app is a little bit fiddly if you aren’t used to it, but you get used to it very quickly and before you know it becomes second-nature to have it up. You can see how the product is working, the charge levels of the device, and personalise everything for a tailored-to-you experience.
Final verdict
The price tag is hefty compared to other brands such as the Momcozy All-in-one M5 Wearable Breast Pump which is a little easier on the bank balance. However, if you’re going to invest over £100 in a pump, the added 5 day portable charge, heated capability and the low decibel sound of the Eufy S1 Pro is worth the bigger price tag in my opinion.
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I would say it is definitely possible to exclusively breastfeed if wanted with ease and speedy milk delivery. The Eufy S1 Pro would be your best bet at trying to do so, and that is coming from a first-time mum who is sceptical about products being offered to her constantly.
