Just like ordinary Brits, the rich and famous are facing a battle to keep their pristine gardens alive and watered amid a record-breaking summer.

Large swathes of the country have turned from a tapestry of greens to a monotone brown after weeks with no rain and scorching temperatures. 

Parts of Britain have gone 46 days without any rainfall, with half of England and all of Wales now officially in drought.

Hosepipe bans are in place across eight water companies and a warning of extremely high risk of wildfires remains as Britain’s gardeners are facing a battle to keep their beloved patches alive.

Even properties at repeated risk of flooding have not been spared by the heat, as Brits battle the increasingly extreme weather brought about by climate change. 

And images show how the likes of the Beckhams, Clooneys and Ellen DeGeneres are facing just the same struggle at their luxury properties across the south of England.

In a quiet corner of leafy Berkshire, a sprawling Grade II-listed mansion sits on the riverbank at Sonning-on-Thames.

DeGeneres: Ellen and wife Portia De Rossi recently won a planning battle to construct stables at the property

Soho Farmhouse is just about managing to maintain some green grass, despite being surrounded by thoroughly yellowed fields

In a social media post, DeGeneres joked her lawnmowing skills were ‘not great’, and said she and wife De Rossi would use sheep instead to keep the grass in check

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George Clooney and his wife Amal evacuated their luxury French estate after a fast-moving wildfire raced towards their home this week (Pictured in France in May)

It is the marital home of Hollywood’s George Clooney and his high-flying international human rights lawyer wife Amal.

The couple are thought to have spent millions on a major renovation project after purchasing the property in 2014.

And despite its idyllic location, it has not all been plain sailing since. 

Its setting on the nearby riverbank means it is prone to flooding, which happened in 2024 when floodwater took over the majority of their garden. 

Fortunately, the couple’s property is thought to have remained unaffected.

But it’s a different problem this summer, as large parts of the county haven’t seen any rain since a light shower on July 2.

Despite being surrounded by tall trees which offers some shade to the edges of their garden, the central grass has completely yellowed in scenes reflected across Britain’s back gardens.

But even with a local hosepipe ban from Thames Water, the Clooneys’ thick forestry has left them better off than some of their compatriots – in the UK at least.

The family faced having to evacuate their vineyard home in the south of France this week amid huge blazes, including one just nine miles from Bordeaux.

They have no idea whether their property there is still standing, it is reported. It is not known where the Clooneys are currently staying. 

These extraordinary images of David Beckham’s 40-acre Oxfordshire estate show the shocking scale of the aridity that has hit so much of the UK

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Now the only visible areas of green left appear to be the family’s five-a-side football pitch – which is thought to be made of artificial grass – a few more resilient trees and that cherished vegetable patch

The Beckhams have been on one long, almost-unbroken holiday this summer (Pictured on a break in Formentera this week)

Seven weeks after gushing to his followers about his beloved vegetable garden before jetting off to watch the World Cup, Sir David Beckham faced a stark reality upon his return, with images showing his parched, yellowed garden surrounded by barren fields in Oxfordshire. 

The 40-acre Cotswolds estate has been abandoned by the Beckhams amid weeks of no rain, as they instead enjoy virtually non-stop holidays throughout the summer months.

From a yacht trip in the Mediterranean in May, to the World Cup in June and more recently Ibiza, the jet-setting family perhaps prefer to avert their eyes from their usually green and luscious lawns.

Now the only visible areas of green left appear to be the family’s five-a-side football pitch – which is thought to be made of artificial grass – a few more resilient trees and that cherished vegetable patch. 

Their head gardener, Carly Holmes, is thought to have been paying special attention to the patch amid a Thames Water hosepipe ban affecting many Oxfordshire homes. 

But the rest of their property is a grass wasteland, broken up only by patches of green around the Beckhams’ large pond.

Elsewhere in the Cotswolds, a farmhouse bought by former TV chat host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia De Rossi is similarly beleaguered by the tough conditions, although the couple are having better luck than many.

Having purchased the property in 2024 following President Donald Trump’s election win, the couple initially looked to sell it following difficulties with flooding and a high-profile planning row over stables for De Rossi’s beloved horses.

Despite a drought having been declared in Oxfordshire, Ellen DeGeneres’ garden is an oasis of green amid its surrounding brown fields

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi moved to the UK in 2024 following President Donald Trump’s election win

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The River Windrush flooded much of the surrounding land, and the pair even briefly moved to a new property in 2025. 

But the couple are now set to remain in their first UK home for the ‘long term’ after claiming victory in the planning battle.

Despite a drought having been declared in Oxfordshire, DeGeneres’ garden is an oasis of green amid its surrounding brown fields.

The couple previously shared their struggles with maintaining it, with a viral video of DeGeneres struggling to use a sit-on lawnmower.

In a social media post, she joked her lawnmowing skills are ‘not great’, and said she and wife De Rossi would use sheep instead to keep the grass in check.

Regardless of the couple’s secret, they are clearly doing something right as their garden stands out amongst an otherwise brown landscape. 

They are not the only success story either – Soho Farmhouse is also just about managing to maintain some green grass, despite being surrounded by thoroughly yellowed fields.

It is home to an elite private members’ club beloved by A-listers including the Beckhams and Maya Jama, and also hosted Meghan Markle’s hen party.

The Chipping Norton venue has hosted stunning dinners, galas and holidays for the rich and famous, with on-site accommodation, a health club and plenty of sports facilities.

Images show that large parts of its grass are beginning to yellow, but it’s certainly faring better than much of the land around it. 

Green-fingered homeowners are struggling across Britain following both May and June breaking Met Office monthly temperature records, with 35.1C recorded at Kew Gardens on May 26 and 38C recorded at Lingwood, Norfolk on June 26. 

With much of England and the whole of Wales now officially in drought, forecasters are warning that current forecasts ‘do not favour the widespread, sustained rainfall’ needed to make up the shortfall caused by recent dry conditions.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) extended its drought declaration – which was declared for North Wales and the Upper Severn last week – to cover the whole of the country, after very little rainfall and sustained high temperatures.

Wales has received just eight per cent of its long-term average rainfall for July, and the country is on course to have its driest July since records began 190 years ago, NRW said.

Met Office chief meteorologist Will Lang said: ‘While there is always the potential for periods of rain during the remainder of the summer, current forecasts do not favour the widespread, sustained rainfall that would be needed to make a significant difference to rainfall deficits that have built up over recent months.

Soho Farmhouse is home to an elite private members’ club beloved by A-listers including the Beckhams and Maya Jama, and also hosted Meghan Markle’s hen party

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Even the greens at Buckingham Palace are suffering in the heat, turning almost entirely brown

‘As we move through August, there remains a tendency towards drier than average conditions, particularly in southern and eastern areas.

‘Meaningful recovery from prolonged dry conditions often relies on more frequent and widespread rainfall during the autumn months, when weather patterns typically become more changeable.’

The dry weather is also set to have an impact on food supply, with farming leaders warning they face ‘the worst harvest in years’ amid drought and successive heatwaves following a very wet winter.

Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association that represents 28,000 farmers, said: ‘Farmers are telling us this is the worst harvest in years.

‘A sodden winter followed by drought has left wheat at half its usual height and some crops not worth harvesting.’

Parts of the country are suffering their third drought in five years, following 2025 and 2022.

And figures revealed this week that the UK is on track to record the highest number of excess heat deaths since records began. 

An estimated 753 deaths were associated with the heatwave that ran from May 24-27, with a further 2,124 deaths linked to the heatwave between June 21 and 28.

The total of 2,877 deaths is almost double the 1,504 deaths linked to heatwaves in June to August last year.

Some 2,985 heat-associated deaths were observed across the five heatwaves of 2022, a year that had the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, when 40.3C was reached in Coningsby in Lincolnshire on July 19. 

Belfast comes in just below the national average

A new report shows that Belfast is falling short of the national average when it comes to food spots with a 5-star hygiene rating.

The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection. The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises.

A food safety officer from the local council inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat.

In Belfast City, just 66.4% of food businesses hold a top 5-star hygiene rating, which falls short of the 68.8% nationally, according to a report from Paddl.

New analysis of the Food Standards Agency’s full ratings dataset breaks food hygiene scores down to council level. Nationally, 68.8% of food businesses hold a top 5-star rating, so the areas below that line stand out.

Across the UK, 31.2% of businesses don’t hold a top rating and a third have not been re-inspected in over two years.

According to the Food Standards Agency, at the inspection, the officer will check the following:

• How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• The physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
• How the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.

The businesses are then graded with a score between 5 and 0, with 5 meaning the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law and 0 meaning urgent improvement is necessary.

To get a top rating of 5, businesses must do well in all three elements.

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It is easy to assume that harder training always produces better results. In resistance training, which includes lifting weights or using resistance machines, taking every set to the point where you cannot complete another repetition may create more fatigue without producing better results.

A repetition, or rep, is one complete movement of an exercise. A set is a group of repetitions performed without a long rest.

Training to failure means continuing a set until you cannot complete another full repetition with acceptable technique, despite making your best effort. This is sometimes called momentary muscular failure.

An alternative is to stop while you could still perform one or more repetitions. This is described as repetitions in reserve, or RIR. If you could complete ten repetitions but stop after eight, you have two repetitions in reserve, usually written as 2 RIR.

Why might training close to failure help?

Muscles are made up of individual cells called muscle fibres. These fibres are broadly classified as type 1 or type 2 fibres and are controlled by the nervous system. The type 2 fibres produce more force and can grow more than type 1 fibres.

A light load is generally one that you could lift for more than 15 repetitions, whereas a heavy load limits you to completing fewer than 10 repetitions. When lifting a light load, the type 1 fibres are active. As the set approaches failure, the nervous system activates type 2 fibres to keep the weight moving.

Lifting a heavy weight activates type 2 muscle fibres from the beginning of the set. With a light weight, type 2 fibres only become activated as the type 1 fibres fatigue later in the set. Light-weight sets therefore need to be completed reasonably close to failure if the aim is muscle growth.

The final possible repetition does not appear to provide a special muscle-building effect. Research suggests that a hard set ending shortly before failure can stimulate muscle growth while causing less fatigue.

What are the drawbacks?

Taking a set to failure produces more immediate fatigue than stopping earlier. A systematic review and meta-analysis, which combines the findings of several studies, found that failure training caused larger reductions in strength, movement speed and power immediately after exercise. It also produced greater feelings of effort and more signs of temporary muscle disruption.

This fatigue can affect the rest of the workout. If the first set of an exercise is taken to failure, the lifter may complete fewer repetitions with good technique on remaining sets. Research comparing failure and non-failure training has also found that recovery can take longer after sets performed to failure.

The effects of training to failure depend partly on the weight and the exercise. Sets using light weights involve more repetitions, last longer and usually cause more breathlessness and the feeling of muscle burn. That discomfort may make the workout less enjoyable or harder to maintain.

Exercise choice also affects safety. A machine leg extension or biceps curl is relatively easy to stop when the muscles fatigue. A technical exercise like a squat or bench press requires more balance, coordination and control. As fatigue increases, technique may deteriorate and the lifter may be unable to finish the repetition safely. Failure training during these exercises is best avoided unless suitable safety equipment or a competent spotter is available.

What does the research show?

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found no significant overall difference between failure and non-failure training for strength or muscle growth. The authors noted that the studies used different programmes and did not always match training volume, meaning the total amount of load lifted during a training session was different.

A later review examined 15 studies of muscle growth. It found no evidence that reaching failure produced more growth than stopping earlier. The researchers concluded that training closer to failure may increase the muscle growth stimulus up to a point, but every additional repetition does not necessarily provide the same extra benefit.

A 2024 analysis found that failure was not necessary for improving strength as it improved across a wide range of stopping points. Muscle growth tended to improve as sets ended closer to failure, although the researchers could not identify an exact number of repetitions in reserve that was optimal.

The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 review of resistance-training evidence reached a similar practical conclusion. Regular training with sufficient effort is more important for healthy adults than following a complicated programme or taking every set to failure.

How close to failure should you train?

For many gym users, finishing most sets with about one to three repetitions in reserve is a useful starting point rather than a fixed rule. The final repetitions should feel difficult and the weight should be moving more slowly than it was at the start of the set.

Training closer to failure may be more useful when using light weights, completing only a very short training session, or performing the final set of a technically simple exercise. Occasionally taking a suitable exercise to failure can also help you learn how many repetitions you genuinely have left.

Judging repetitions in reserve takes practice. Research has found that people often underestimate how many repetitions they could still perform, particularly when using lighter weights.

Beginners have little reason to take every set to failure. They can make progress while learning exercises and gradually increasing the weight or number of repetitions. Experienced lifters may use failure selectively when it suits their programme and recovery.

You do not need to take every set to failure to become stronger or build muscle. Sets still need to be challenging, especially when lighter weights are used. Stopping shortly before failure can preserve technique and reduce fatigue while providing an effective training stimulus. For most people, keeping roughly one to three repetitions in reserve offers a sensible balance between effort and recovery.

The quickest route for Infantino’s exit would be for the Swiss to resign, like his predecessor Sepp Blatter did in 2015.

But Infantino still retains support and he could try to hold out until March, when he is up for re-election for a fourth and final term as president.

What other avenues are open?

The Fifa Council could try to force Infantino’s hand through an emergency meeting.

Such a gathering would be triggered if 19 of the 37 Fifa Council members call for one.

Uefa has nine members, AFC has seven, Concacaf five, Africa has six, Conmebol five and Oceania three. It is completed by Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom.

BBC Sport understands there are some doubts that the 19 votes could be achieved.

If they do get to 19, the meeting must take place within two weeks and the Fifa Council could call on Infantino to tender his resignation. But he could simply refuse to do so.

It would, however, add further pressure.

The next step would be an extraordinary congress of the 211 Fifa member associations, which would be held if one-fifth, or 43 associations, “make such a request in writing”.

So Uefa, which has 55 nations, can trigger the extraordinary congress whenever it so wishes.

That would take a minimum of two months from the point it is triggered, but more likely three months, and there is no guarantee of success.

In effect, it would be a de facto election without there being another candidate as 106 votes would be needed to pass the vote of no confidence.

Uefa has 55, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and Conmebol 10.

Africa, Conmebol and Oceania have not criticised Infantino’s plan.

So could Uefa get to 106? In total, 136 countries officially rejected the investment plan, but voting to reject an idea is not the same as voting to kick Infantino out.

Of the 136, Qatar have already publicly backed him and Mexico have distanced themselves from the joint Concacaf statement.

Which leaves finding a suitable candidate to fight the election in March.

Infantino stood unopposed when he was re-elected in 2019 and 2023 and if someone wants to battle him for the position, the deadline to announce their candidacy is 18 November.

A young man in a basketball vest staggers from the sea and collapses at the feet of a Spanish soldier, next to the prone body of another exhausted soul who had been equally desperate to make it to European soil.

First light had just broken over Ceuta’s Playa El Tarajal and, until now, all had been quiet, save for the gentle hiss of lapping waves. Nobody was expecting any more migrants. It turns out Sid Ahmed Dib, 23, from the Algerian port city of Skikda, and his unknown companion, were the last.

As Sid lies flat on his back in the sand, having finally made it to this Spanish enclave, most of the thousands of young men who arrived before him were going the other way, returning back over the border to Morocco like tired and hungry children who’d run away from home then quickly thought better of it.

One of the soldiers gives Sid a bottle of water and he throws his head back, the cords of his throat pulsing as he gulps it down. He’s a lucky man. Many of the 67 who died trying to enter Ceuta either drowned or were crushed while trying to climb the breakwater stones that hold the border fence.

Suddenly he begins sobbing uncontrollably into the crook of his arm. Whether through overwhelming relief or exhaustion or something else besides, it isn’t clear. Composing himself, he tells me he’s been swimming for at least four hours to get here, this odd little dot of Spanish territory on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast. He produces a blue plastic bag containing his passport, which he’d tucked into his shorts while swimming.

‘My Algerian passport,’ he says proudly, flicking through its damp pages. ‘Algeria is so bad, worse than Morocco. I tried to get into Tunisia, then went to Casablanca and then came here when I heard thousands were coming. I want to get to Europe. Madrid or Paris maybe.’

The Spanish mainland is just 15 miles across the Strait of Gibraltar, so it’s easy to see why Sid and the other migrants consider Ceuta the gateway to a new life. Behind him stands an empty wooden beach bar, the aptly named Cafe Europe.

Dozens of migrants are pictured in the Ceuta Temporary Immigrant Stay Centre (CETI), which  is experiencing extreme tension and severe overcrowding

Spanish soldiers question a migrant, following mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into the Spanish territory

Spanish troops sit in a military vehicle as the authorities escort a big group of migrants to the border to take them out of Spain

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Migrants pass through a broken fence as they leave Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta towards the Moroccan town of Fnideq, on the Morocco-Spain border 

As Sid told his story, Ceuta’s fearful Spanish residents were panic-buying in supermarkets then scurrying back to their homes. Left shell-shocked by the previous two days, which saw more than 60,000 migrants overwhelm their small city, many feel abandoned.

‘The migrants have caused our population to almost double in size and we don’t know what the future holds,’ said 26-year-old graphic designer Belen Picazo. ‘We’re going home and we’ll lock ourselves in.’

As more mayhem unfolds before me, I would challenge any liberal progressive to witness such troubling scenes and still advocate for open borders.

With migrants lurking with listless boredom on every street corner, in squares, avenues and bridge underpasses, forcing locals to cower in their homes, Ceuta today does not look like anyone’s idea of a utopia.

Tearful Sid didn’t seem much of a threat. But you don’t need to travel far to sense disquiet here.

Some migrants queue outside the small number of shops prepared to serve them. Most don’t want their custom.

Normally on a Saturday the city parks and beaches are alive with families and the sounds of children playing. Apart from the police, the military and a few hardy Spanish souls, the only people visible in Ceuta yesterday were migrants, seemingly from across Africa. For sure, some were friendly, but the locals’ deep unease was understandable.

‘They’ve taken over the city,’ said a police officer. ‘Look around you. It may as well be Morocco because all the Spaniards are indoors.’

Spanish soldiers come to help the migrant gasping for air on the beach as thousands cross over the border

Paramedics put the man on a stretcher and give him first aid as they take him off the beach

A Spanish soldier escorts a migrant away from the area as the unprecedented humanitarian response ensues

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It was true. The numbers were overwhelming. And so was the litter. Cans, bottles, wrappers seemed to carpet every patch of grass.

The only place where local voices were heard was at the Mercadona supermarket. It felt like a Spanish-only enclave within an enclave. Three armoured personnel carriers were parked outside it all day, preventing migrants from entering.

One Moroccan boy, no older than 16, taunted police with a ‘Heil Hitler’ salute as he was shooed away. Inside, the queue for each till was 50-deep. Having shut its doors because of the crisis for the previous two days, the supermarket braced itself for wave after wave of panic-buying customers.

Ms Picazo was with her parents and their overflowing trolley in one of the long queues. She lives in Madrid now but came back to Ceuta after the first influx of migrants poured across the border because she was ‘worried sick’ about her mother, a nurse, and her engineer father, who live in the centre of the city.

She says: ‘I was genuinely frightened for my parents. I am sorry for the immigrants who died trying to get here but we are all worried about what will happen next. There is fear everywhere. Who can blame us? This is not a normal situation. Even with soldiers everywhere people are scared.

‘This cannot be allowed to carry on. Like everyone else, we are buying water, oil, everything in bulk, just in case.’

Nearby, an elderly man queuing with his grandson was criticising the Spanish government for ‘abandoning us’.

‘It all went wrong when Sanchez started that amnesty,’ he says, referring to Spain’s socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez and his controversial policy giving more than a million migrants illegally living in Spain the chance to apply for residency status.

Migrants pose for a picture while being escorted to the Ceuta-Morocco border in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta

A woman drinks water outside the CETI short-stay migrant centre in Ceuta on August 1 

Sanchez insisted it would make Spain a happy place to live for everyone, whatever their ethnicity. But his critics say that the scheme – launched in April but since halted – helped entice the Moroccan migrants.

Further up the hill from the supermarket, we see a migrant dart across the street clutching a bag of groceries he’s apparently stolen. A police officer holding a baton aloft gives chase. Both disappear from view.

We drive further along Avenida de Africa. Dozens of young Moroccans appear to be laying siege to the Coviran grocery store. This time it is a soldier who does the chasing. As the men scatter, he goes after three of them who run down a side street. All over the city yesterday, these cat-and-mouse games played out repeatedly.

Back at the beach, the military have laid a 500-yard floating barrier in the sea to prevent other swimmers from reaching the shore.

One of the triggers for this extraordinary crisis was a Spanish supreme court ruling making it harder to intercept migrants at sea, meaning that they are now more likely to be processed on land than immediately returned. The influx was egged on by social media messages announcing that the border was ‘open’, which spread across Morocco like wildfire. Where these messages originated from remains a mystery.

There were even reports that buses were laid on to transport people to the border.

According to several people we spoke to, Moroccan police urged them to ‘go to Spain’.

Indeed, there has been a suspicion that Rabat had orchestrated the rush to the border, or at least did little to prevent it, given that the country has long resented the Spanish presence at Ceuta and its sister enclave of Melilla, 140 miles to the west.

Migrants are led away through a gate as Spanish troops stand guard armed with rifles

Migrants queue outside a supermarket in Ceuta after entering the Spanish enclave from neighbouring Morocco

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Yesterday, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of Spain’s opposition conservative People’s Party visited the city and described the massive influx of migrants as a ‘premeditated and unprecedented occupation of Spanish territory’.

One woman, who came across the border with her 16-year-old son told us: ‘Without doubt, the Moroccan government let this happen for whatever reason. Probably because it wants to get back at Spain for something.

‘We’re going back again because we are tired and hungry and there is no shelter. We slept on the streets like dogs.’

Her son, a trainee chef, pointed to a black eye. ‘I was hit by police for no reason,’ he says.

A frequent refrain from Moroccans, meanwhile, was that they only came because ‘our friends were going’, suggesting that their foray into Spain had not been thought through. One said: ‘We thought we would be better treated but it has been disappointing.’

Beyond these shores a political row was raging. Spain condemned the ‘selfish, polarising and unlawful’ reaction of some EU countries to the influx.

Italy, for one, wasn’t happy. It temporarily suspended the EU’s border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain, as PM Giorgia Meloni called the scenes ‘shocking’. Finland and Denmark backed Italy’s move, while Czech PM Andrej Babis urged a temporary suspension of Spain’s Schengen membership.

Interior ministers from across the EU will discuss the issue on Tuesday by video conference.

Mr Sanchez had called for an urgent meeting to ‘reaffirm that the security of our external borders is a shared responsibility of all member states’.

Twenty-two of the EU’s 27 countries also called for emergency talks in an open letter, citing ‘serious concerns’ regarding the developments in Ceuta.

While the EU praises the return of migrants and speaks of helping Spain restore ‘effective control’ of the border and prevent further uncontrolled crossings, many here remain unconvinced.

One of six cleaners tasked with clearing Ceuta’s beaches of the carpet of rubbish left behind by the migrants, told us: ‘I don’t think this is the last time I will be doing this.’

Nearby, a soldier is frogmarching a migrant guilty of some misdemeanour or other back towards the border. Afterwards he says: ‘This has been a crazy few days, nothing like it. But remember, it has happened before and will happen again.’

Erica Fox, 55, was killed by a shark while swimming in Monterey Bay, California, in December 2025

Newly disclosed post-mortem results have revealed the horrific severity of a single, extraordinarily forceful shark bite that took the life of 55-year-old triathlete Erica Fox in Monterey Bay.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office established that Fox perished from sharp and blunt-force injuries and submersion in water due to a shark attack.

The findings bring closure to a distressing inquiry into her disappearance off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California, showing the catastrophic bodily harm inflicted by the apex predator.

On December 21, 2025, Fox embarked on a regular group swim with the Kelp Krawlers, an open-water swimming collective she co-established.

A seasoned athlete who participated in half-Ironman competitions and the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon for almost 20 years, Fox was at the front of the group heading towards Lovers Point when she abruptly disappeared below the waves, reports the Mirror US.

Onlookers along the shoreline witnessed a large shark surface, with one emergency caller recounting what seemed to be a person gripped in the creature’s mouth before it descended.

The other 14 swimmers in the group, including Fox’s husband of three decades, Jean-Francois Vanreusel, scrambled back to land, where a swift roll call verified the heartbreaking truth that Fox was gone.

Despite a comprehensive 15 hour rescue mission incorporating helicopters, vessels, and dive teams, preliminary retrieval attempts proved fruitless. Recovery teams and voluntary search groups kept watch over the vicinity in subsequent days.

Six days following her vanishing, Fox’s remains were found washed up near Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz County, approximately 25 miles from her last known location, partially dressed in her wetsuit.

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The recently published coroner’s findings outline the tremendous force of the attack. The post-mortem examination revealed Fox endured one catastrophic bite that created a crescent pattern of tooth marks stretching from her knees to her abdomen.

The bite ripped through her wetsuit, ruptured a critical artery in her torso, and shattered her pelvis. Specialists suggest the instantaneous physical damage was so catastrophic that Fox most likely lost consciousness straight away upon impact before going under the water.

Chris Lowe, a marine biology professor and head of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, observed that the devastating incident aligns with characteristics of a hunting error.

Lowe clarified that the shark undoubtedly confused Fox for a seal or sea lion, triggering a swift but deadly assault. Her death represents the third shark encounter near Lovers Point since June 2022.

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A team from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service took on a stair climb today (August 1) at Clifford’s Tower in York to honour the 343 firefighters who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.

The firefighters climbed up and descended the tower’s stairs 343 times with each ascent representing one of the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

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The challenge, which began at 6pm, is part of the team’s preparation for an international memorial event – with many other crew members joining them for the night.

In September, nine North Yorkshire firefighters will travel to Atlanta, Georgia to take part in the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund Memorial Stair Climb, which will raise money for The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund , The Fire Fighters Charity, and The Blue Light Card Foundation.

343 firefighters from the UK and Ireland will climb the equivalent of 110 floors in Truist Park baseball stadium in Atlanta, Georgia –  representing the height of the World Trade Center towers.

The nine taking part are: Station Manager Mike Sutcliffe, Watch Manager Daz Smith, Crew Manager Steve Simpson, Ash Davis, Toni Wooff Pepe, Josh Beagle, Dom Wood, Rik Duckworth, and Tim Weller.    

Mike said: “We’re going to be climbing at the Atlanta baseball stadium standing shoulder to shoulder with American firefighters, which will be amazing.

“We thought before we fly out, we’d do a bit of a pre-event and some fundraising here and get some more donations for the charities. What better place is there than Clifford’s Tower? Perfect set of stairs here.

Completing the first of 343 climbs and onto the next (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

“It’ll be hard, because we’re going to be doing it in full fire kit as well. In the Atlanta heat, it’s going to be warm, but it’ll be one hell of an experience and we can’t wait to get out there.”

The firefighters have also been supported on their trip by Hilton York, who have been able to help the crew with their accommodation on the trip down to London to fly out.

Julianne, who works for Hilton, said that the hotel became aware of the trip through one of their supervisors – who’s husband Rik is one of the nine firefighters taking part in the challenge.

Firefighters outside the Hilton York (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

She added: “Rik came to me about two months ago to ask if there was anything we could do to help them arrange accommodation, before they flew out.  We said absolutely – we’ve pulled some strings and we’re really happy to help them with a good discount.”

Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Dyson said:  “This is a global challenge, honouring those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. We are proud to support it, and for our teams to take part and raise funds, alongside their peers from around the world.

One of the fire crew poses with the donations QR code and truck (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

“They will stand together, and climb together, remembering this tragic event 25 years ago.”    

The Clifford’s Tower event also raise funds for the trip and the cause through collection buckets and a website where online donations can be made.

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham made her political debut before hundreds of Republican voters in South Carolina on Saturday, saying that she never envisioned a life in politics for herself until after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, and now wants to work hard to promote the state and President Donald Trump’s policy priorities.

Graham is serving in an interim role to fulfill her brother’s current term. But as one of nine Republicans seeking to replace him more permanently in a special primary election set for Aug. 11, she is a relative political unknown facing off against some of the state’s best-known GOP names.

On Saturday, she acknowledged that she has not spent decades in politics, but argued that she understands the real-world applications of the federal policy debates her brother knew well, like budgeting and the cost of health care. She reiterated that, like her brother, she’s backed by Trump, who urged her to get into the race and has endorsed her.

“I certainly never expected to be on this stage, giving this stump speech,” Darline Graham said to a crowd gathered for the event in Lexington. “I’ve never had any desire to be a politician. I’m here today because I’m answering President Trump’s call to serve. I want to stand up for South Carolina, and I want to fight for President Trump’s agenda.”

Graham found herself thrust into the political spotlight just three weeks ago, following her brother’s sudden death from an aortic tear.

Given the compressed timeline of the special election, Darline Graham now has just more than a week to convince South Carolina Republican voters that she’s the best pick to represent the state. Up to this moment, she has been known to the state’s voters primarily through her brother’s origin story, including their hardscrabble upbringing and parents’ early death, and in the period of mourning for her brother, for whom funeral services in Washington and South Carolina took place just days ago.

All nine of the hopefuls were on hand Saturday for the event, with five minutes each to speak on stage. Former Gov. Mark Sanford, seeking yet another political comeback following a halted bid for Congress earlier this year, warned against deficit spending and debt accumulation, hallmarks of his decades in political messaging.

Reminding attendees of his endorsements in the race, including Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman also stressed his support for a voting bill known as the SAVE America Act, among Trump’s top policy priorities.

U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, a two-term House member, talked to voters of his own humble beginnings, saying that the things that held his family together “were our belief in God, hard work, blue-collar hustle.”

After the speeches concluded, hundreds of attendees got in line for free Chick-fil-A boxed lunches, as well as the chance to cast a vote in an informal straw poll for their preferred candidate — a survey in which Darline Graham eked out a victory, ahead of Fry and Norman.

Several attendees said they just wanted more information — and more time — to make their choices in the primary.

Charles Brentnell said his top three picks were U.S. Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry, as well as Darline Graham, with whom he said he agreed on backing Trump’s demand to cut short its planned breaks to pass legislation, like the voting bill.

“Let’s keep the Senate in the Senate, instead of taking a month off,” Brentnell said.

Still mulling his choice as he stood in the straw poll line, Gary Atkinson said he was leaning toward picking Norman, but that he liked a lot of what he heard from several people.

“Those are all strong candidates,” said Atkinson, who said he had supported Lindsey Graham in the past, but disagreed on some issues, like the war with Iran. “It’s tough to make up your mind.”

If needed, a runoff election will be held Aug. 25. The Republican nominee will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election.

Other candidates speaking Saturday included Walterboro attorney Duke Buckner, Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride, retired Air Force officer Glenda Gail Parker and entrepreneur Sam Shepherd.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Jennifer Aniston continued her sun-soaked European holiday with boyfriend Jim Curtis and friends over the weekend.

The actress, 57, showed off her incredible washboard abs in a dark bikini top and white shorts while lounging on the luxury Rising Sun yacht in Majorca, Spain. 

At one point, the smitten star shared a sweet kiss with her hypnotist partner, 50, as they enjoyed their romantic getaway. 

Aniston also took to the water for a pedal kayaking excursion during her idyllic vacation. 

The Friends star accessorized her look with a black hat and a pair of sunglasses. 

The couple were joined by Jason Bateman, male model Christian Hogue and stylist Jamie Mizrahi. 

Jennifer Aniston, 57, continued her sun-soaked holiday in Majorca, Spain with boyfriend Jim Curtis, 50, and friends over the weekend 

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At one point, the smitten star shared a sweet kiss with her hypnotist partner as they enjoyed their romantic getaway

Aniston also took to the water for a pedal kayaking excursion during her idyllic vacation

Last week, Aniston was joined by her former co-star Courteney Cox, 62, and Pedro Pascal, 51, during another yacht day.

From snorkeling to kayaking, the group had everything an A-lister on vacation could want right at their fingertips.

But not even a luxury yacht trip could stop Aniston from working out her core.

In the middle of sailing the high seas, Aniston did some planks – a great exercise for keeping her torso toned.

Body balanced on her forearms and tiptoes, the star maintained a near-perfect plank position to ensure her abs would remain taut.

The results of Aniston’s dedication were apparent.

Clad in an itty bitty bikini, Aniston’s torso was svelte and sculpted and a reflection of all the hard work she put in her body.

Meanwhile, as Aniston enjoyed a quick workout, her pals relaxed about the boat.

Aniston showed off her sculpted abs 

The actress wore a dark bikini top and white shorts while lounging on the luxury Rising Sun yacht

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The Friends star accessorized her look with a black hat and a pair of sunglasses 

She stayed hydrated, carrying a water bottle in her hand

The trip marks a bit of a full-circle moment for Aniston and Curtis, who were first linked while on vacation with friends in Majorca last year

Curtis ditched his shirt at one point 

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The pair shared a tender embrace 

The loved-up duo cozied up aboard the yacht 

She wore her blonde hair down for the day

Last week Aniston was pictured working out on a yacht 

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She kept busy during the action-packed holiday 

Aniston showed off her toned arms 

The couple were joined by Jason Bateman, male model Christian Hogue and stylist Jamie Mizrahi

The actor rocked blue swim trunks 

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Curtis sat on a lounge chair while Cox appeared to do the same nearby. Pascal, meanwhile, kicked back in another part of the boat.

It wasn’t all just R&R with the group penciling in several action-packed adventures including kayaking and snorkeling.

The trip marks a bit of a full-circle moment for Aniston and Curtis, who were first linked while on vacation with friends in Majorca last year.

Aniston and Curtis celebrated their one-year dating anniversary in May, with a source revealing exclusively to the Daily Mail what the couple did to mark the milestone.

The insider shared at the time that Aniston and Curtis planned to vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico after she finished filming season five of The Morning Show.

‘They want to have some fun in the sun and toast a year of bliss in her favorite place in the world, Cabo,’ the source revealed.

‘She is head over heels for this guy and wants him to be her forever person, so it’s fitting they take a romantic break to appreciate one another.’

The Daily Mail’s insider also provided insight on how Curtis has fit into Aniston’s A-list friend group, which includes Bateman, Sandra Bullock, Adam Sandler and Sean Hayes.

‘Jim fits right in with the crowd, they think he is a cool guy, which is very relaxing for Jen. She doesn’t have to sell Jim, everyone is sold on him!

‘Dinner parties, movie nights, premieres, they are easy breezy for Jen when Jim is by her side because he is so likable.’

At one point Aniston was spotted checking her phone

She mingled with Mizrahi

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Aniston and Curtis started dating in early 2025 and were first spotted together in public in July, on vacation with friends

They made their first official public appearance at the ELLE Women in Hollywood event in Beverly Hills on November 17, 2025

Mizrahi showed off her incredible figure 

She also took to the water for a kayaking session 

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Aniston is also reportedly so fond of her boyfriend because there is no competition between them – unlike her exes Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, John Mayer and Justin Theroux.

‘It is all about her and how she feels and what she needs,’ said the source. ‘He never talks about his career or tries to network with her contacts, he has no interest in being an actor or being famous.

‘She has said with him she can exhale, she can let herself go and breathe because there is no pressure.’

Being that Curtis is a life coach, he has reportedly been a healer for Aniston as well as her friend group.

‘Very often Jim gets people to take deep breaths, to focus on the here and now, to appreciate the good things in life, he is like a human peace sign.

‘He is the dude everyone gravitates toward at a party,’ the insider shared.

Aniston and Curtis started dating in early 2025 and were first spotted together in public in July, on vacation with friends.

They made their first official public appearance at the ELLE Women in Hollywood event in Beverly Hills on November 17, 2025.

Hogue enjoyed a paddleboard session 

He put his toned physique on full display 

They went Instagram official when she shared a photo of them together on Instagram around November 2, 2025.

Earlier this year, Curtis revealed that he and the Emmy-winner were introduced by mutual friends.

‘We were just introduced by friends. That’s it. We found out that we had mutual friends and we started to just chat,’ he said on the Today show.

‘It took a long time, we chatted for a long time and we became close.’

Chelsea adjusted their youth-focused approach to the transfer market come the end of the 2025/26 campaign, acknowledging the need to add more experienced players to the squad. With 400 Premier League appearances to his name, Welbeck will fill that role alongside Jordan Henderson, who is expected to join the club in the coming days.