Tourists killed on Ukraine beach as swimmers set off sea mines in water
At least three beachgoers have been killed after sea mines drifted towards popular tourist beaches in Ukraine. So far three people have been confirmed dead after a horror double explosion near Zatoka beach near the city of Odesa in the south of the country.
The Black Sea resort had been baking in temperatures of around 30C drawing many locals and tourists to the seaside to cooling off in the sea. But the idyllic scene turned to disaster when two of the explosive devices detonated, causing destruction amongst the sunseekers.
It's not the first time beachgoers have been killed by mines on beaches around the historic city of Odesa, as Ukrainians try to keep some semblance of normality in their lives as the war rages on with Russia in the east of the country. Authorities have previously been closed in the area because of mines drifting towards the shore, but a recent closure was lifted, reports the Express.
Sea mines have become the preferred method used by the Russians to target Ukrainian shipping targets in the Black Sea after the Kremlin's navy suffered heavy losses at the start of the invasion in 2022. Ukraine has deployed mines to defend against Russian amphibious assaults and NATO allies have also been producing the destructive ordnance.
The Sun reports local news outlet Dumskaya said the victims, a woman and two men, were swimming when two explosive devices detonated around 50 metres away from the shoreline.
Odesa regional chief Oleh Kiper confirmed: 'All of them have been killed by explosive devices while swimming in areas prohibited for recreation.'
Since the war began in 2022 the Black Sea around the Russian and Ukrainian coast has become a dangerous place for shipping and bathers as sea mines have been heavily deployed, and a number of unexploded mortars and aerial bombs have been recovered by Ukrainian bomb disposal experts near beaches.
Strong currents, heavy rainfall and shifting tides can force the mines to break free from their original positions leaving them to dangerous drift towards the shoreline.
Sea mines have been used by the Russians to target cargo ships in the Black Sea(Image: Getty )
European nations have rallied behind Ukraine, saying peace in the war-torn nation can't be resolved without Kyiv, ahead of an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Trump said next Friday's meeting with his Russian counterpart on US soil, which was once owned by Russia, would focus on ending the war, now in its fourth year.
In response, Ukrainian President Zelensky thanked European allies in a post on X, writing on Sunday: 'The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people."
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Daily Mirror
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Three-day magical theme park visit rivals Disneyland
It might be a two hour flight away, and a five and a half hour drive, but a growing number of Brits believe Efteling is well worth the journey. Most Brits have a love-hate relationship with theme parks, often finding themselves grumbling about the long queues, exorbitant prices, and less-than-stellar food. We've all been there, shelling out a small fortune for a day of standing in line, only to enjoy a few fleeting moments of rollercoaster excitement, while simultaneously trying to keep pesky wasps away from our overpriced fast food. But fear not, there's an alternative. If you're up for a bit of a journey, you can find yourself at Efteling, located near Tilburg in the Netherlands, in just three and a half hours from Calais. You might be thinking, is it really worth the extra effort and cost? Well, an increasing number of Brits certainly think so - including Nottinghamshire Live executive editor Sam Dimmer. Sam recently embarked on a trip to the park to see if it lived up to its growing reputation, reports the Express. He shared: "My family and I spent three nights at Efteling, travelling from the East Midlands. Our hotel room included park passes for four days. It cost £1,200 in total, but considering park tickets cost around £180 a day for a family of four, I think that represents good value." Sam had previously visited the park but only stayed one night, which he felt wasn't enough. Plus, the park had recently unveiled a new ride he was eager to try. He added: "We felt that three nights was just about enough this time around, but still very nearly missed an entire section of the park because it wasn't where all of the main rides were." Initially, Sam planned to keep track of how many rides we went on, but that idea was quickly abandoned. He said: "The theme park is open from 10am until 10pm and the queues rarely go above 30 minutes, so you're going to be quite busy, particularly late in the evening. "Also the virtual queuing on two rides, and the app advising you how long queues are, mean you can plan your day to spend as little time as possible queueing. "When you've got younger kids, or kids with additional needs, that's a lifesaver." Efteling is a family-friendly theme park and last year Sam's eight year old was able to go on all the rides, including the Baron, a vertical drop coaster similar to Oblivion at Alton Towers but with superior theming. This means that around 7pm, many visitors start heading for the exit and the queues for the bigger thrill rides and the darker new ride, Danse Macabre, only take 10 to 15 minutes. Those rides? They're absolutely brilliant. Sam said: "Yes, it's a family park, with brilliant playgrounds, a fantasy forest, incredible theming and based around fantastic stories. But my oh my, the rides are good. The aforementioned Baron, wooden race coasters Joris and the Dragon and water coaster the Flying Dutchman are tremendous fun, but the best ride is the newest - Danse Macabre." Danse Macabre was Sam's favourite - in fact, he and his family rode it seven times. He said: "Yes, it broke down on the last day and the queues were long, but this is a special ride. Guests sit in rows of church pews, before the whole room goes dark. Then you're spun around the room, like you're dancing, watching an orchestra of ghosts and ghouls went on it seven times and each time we saw something new. Every time people applauded when the ride ended. It's that good. It's beautifully put together, exceptionally clever, and so fun." The food is delicious Typically during Sam's theme park adventures he packs his own lunch to dodge the pricey and often disappointing food - but at Efteling there were no complaints about the cuisine. He said: "The park is famous for many things, and the food is definitely one of them. The chimney cakes, pastry cones filled with an assortment of fruit, cream, chocolate, candy floss etc etc are a delight, although I wouldn't recommend eating one before hitting a big ride, and you can also sample Dutch treats like poffertjes (little pancakes) and kibbeling (deep fried spiced fish with a delicious dip). "If anything the food is better than last year. Pinnokio's pizza and pasta restaurant was a hit with my family, as was the meal at Het Eethuys, a hotel on site. "My favourite though was Polles Keuken, a pancake restaurant that served huge sweet or savoury pancakes against a brilliant backdrop." Nevertheless, it's crucial to reserve these restaurants beforehand as they can become extremely packed. Allow yourself plenty of time to wander Efteling isn't a massive park but you'll definitely miss something if you're not paying attention. Sam said: "We only spotted the huge playground because I saw a post on the incredibly helpful Efteling Fans UK Group and decided to go on the monorail at 9.30pm. "We also spotted the Efteling museum and a great self-serve restaurant in the area that we returned to the next day. This was on day three of four in the park, and we weren't planning on doing as much on our final day, but decided to stick around because we kept spotting new things to do." For visitors who fancy a gentler experience or youngsters not quite prepared for breakneck thrills, the Fairytale Forest provides a charming escape. This magical zone boasts a collection of breathtaking exhibits, some motionless and others moving, presenting guests with an array of peculiar personalities, including Long Neck, a chap with an remarkably stretched neck. Efteling is enchanting Sam was thoroughly taken with the attraction, explaining: "The thing about Efteling is it doesn't feel like a place designed to suck money out of you. It feels like they genuinely care about you having a great time. The staff, for example, are unbelievable. I clumsily asked one in Dutch if he spoke English and he looked at me and told me he spoke five languages and was learning a sixth. "It's clean, the music is wonderful and it smells so good they actually sell Efteling scents in the gift shop. My wife's salon now smells very much like Efteling. I love Alton Towers, but I don't think I'd particularly want to bottle the smell of a day out in Staffordshire." Anton Pieck, an artist and illustrator, was one of the founders of Efteling and his work continues to inspire the park today. His influence is still felt, making visitors feel as though they are truly walking through a fairytale. It's worth considering an overnight stay. Not many theme parks necessitate an overnight stay, as usually a day is sufficient. Alton Towers in the UK might be an exception, but at Efteling, three nights didn't seem excessive. Sam's hotel was a picturesque ten-minute stroll from the park entrance, passing lakes, playgrounds and a fairytale castle. He said the rooms were "ideal", offering ample space for a family of four, with comfortable beds, a large bath and a powerful shower. There's even a swimming pool, perfect for younger kids. Be prepared for a good deal of walking This won't come as a surprise to seasoned theme-park visitors, but you will certainly clock up the steps. Sam said: "There's a beautiful little steam train that takes you around the park, but we didn't use it as the park itself isn't huge. "It's a decision I regretted at the end of day four as we prepared to drive to Calais, although a decent pair of trainers helped me just about get through. We were averaging between 25,000-30,000 steps a day, which is a good old shift, but we were going from 10am to 10pm. "We're a family who enjoys being active, but for those who find walking challenging, this might not be as enjoyable. However, there are measures you can take to make it easier, and we do enjoy a good walk."
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Full list of 93 cleanest beaches in England and Wales where you can swim without worrying about sewage
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The list of 93 bathing spots is based on water company assessments, which reveal which coastal waters are not impacted by sewage pollution. One of the most popular beaches on the list is Broadsands Beach in South Devon. Another stunning Devon beach, Ladram Bay, has been included in the list too. Low Newton in Northumberland, Whitesands Bay, and Poole Harbour Lake also make the cut. Alum Chine Beach in Bournemouth, meanwhile - the coastal spot that has just been named as one of the World's Best Beaches - has a water cleanliness classification of "excellent". Of the 93 bathing waters, 15 are in Devon, 28 are in Cornwall, 21 are in Wales and 12 are in Dorset - with others scattered around England. UK beach named one of the top 100 in the world 5 5 The beaches are either managed by Northumbrian Water, South West Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, Welsh Water or Wessex Water. Inland bathing waters have been removed from the data as these are often affected by sewage, whether that be due to overflow or agricultural and sludge runoff from fields. The 89 bathing waters in Scotland haven't been included here as Scottish Water doesn't provide data or have processes in place to indicate the impact of sewage on these bathing waters. You can see the full list of beaches along with the water company and water classification in our interactive map below. 5 The classification of bathing water is sorted into four categories - excellent, good, sufficient, and poor. Those rated as excellent or good generally have the best water quality for swimming. On the list of 93, only two have the sufficient water classification - Goring Beach and Llandudno North Shore. You can still swim in sufficient classified water, as it indicates it meets the minimum standard for bathing, but there may be some risk of illness from bacteria. To see more about the water classification and for more information on bathing waters across the country, Surfers Against Sewage has created the Safer Seas and Rivers Service app. The app has its own map showing live sewage discharges across the UK while monitoring over 17,000 overflows. We'd recommend checking it before visiting a beach in the UK - especially after heavy rainfall. Based on water company assessments, these coastal bathing waters in England and Wales are not impacted by sewage pollution... Low Newton - Northumbrian Water - Excellent Roker, Sunderland - Northumbrian Water - Excellent Seaton Carew North Gare - Northumbrian Water - Excellent South Shields - Northumbrian Water - Good Ansteys Cove, Torquay - South West Water - Excellent Berrow North of Unity Farm - South West Water - Good Boobys Bay - South West Water - Excellent Bovisand - South West Water - Excellent Brean - South West Water - Good Broadsands Beach - South West Water - Excellent Chapel Porth - South West Water - Excellent Church Cove - South West Water - Excellent Combesgate Beach - South West Water - Excellent Constantine Bay Beach - South West Water - Excellent Crinnis Beach (Carlyon Bay) - South West Water - Excellent Daymer Bay - South West Water - Excellent Great Western - South West Water - Excellent Gwynver - South West Water - Excellent Hartland Quay - South West Water - Excellent Hayle Towans - South West Water - Excellent Ilfracombe Tunnels - South West Water - Excellent Kennack Sands - South West Water - Excellent Ladram Bay - South West Water - Excellent Lusty Glaze - South West Water - Excellent Maenporth - South West Water - Good Maidencombe - South West Water - Excellent Mother Ivey's Bay - South West Water - Excellent Ness Cove - South West Water - Excellent Northcott Mouth - South West Water - Excellent Oddicombe - South West Water - Excellent Pendower - South West Water - Excellent Penzance - South West Water - Good Perranporth Penhale Sands - South West Water - Excellent Polkerris - South West Water - Good Porthcothan - South West Water - Excellent Porthmeor Beach - South West Water - Excellent Praa Sands - South West Water - Excellent Praa Sands East - South West Water - Excellent Putsborough - South West Water - Excellent Sandymouth Bay Beach - South West Water - Excellent Saunton Sands - South West Water - Excellent Sharrow Beach - South West Water - Excellent Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder - South West Water - Excellent Slapton Sands Monument - South West Water - Excellent Tolcarne - South West Water - Excellent Tregonhawke - South West Water - Excellent Treyarnon Bay - South West Water - Excellent Upton Towans - South West Water - Excellent Vault Beach - South West Water - Excellent Watcombe - South West Water - Excellent Wherrytown - South West Water - Good Goring Beach - Southern Water - Sufficient Rottingdean Beach - Southern Water - Good Formby - United Utilities - Excellent Silecroft - United Utilities - Excellent Abereiddy - Welsh Water - Excellent Borth Beach - Welsh Water - Excellent Borth Wen Beach (Borthwen) - Welsh Water - Good Broad Haven (South) - Welsh Water - Excellent Church Bay - Welsh Water - Excellent Freshwater West - Welsh Water - Excellent Llanddona - Welsh Water - Good Llanddwyn - Welsh Water - Excellent Llandudno North Shore - Welsh Water - Sufficient Llandudno West Shore - Welsh Water - Good Marloes Sands - Welsh Water - Excellent Morfa Dinlle - Welsh Water - Excellent Oxwich Bay - Welsh Water - Good Penbryn Beach - Welsh Water - Excellent Porth Nefyn - Welsh Water - Good Porth Neigwl - Welsh Water - Excellent Sandy Haven - Welsh Water - Excellent Silver Bay (Traeth Llydan) - Welsh Water - Excellent Southerndown Beach (Dunraven Bay) - Welsh Water - Excellent Tal-y-Bont - Welsh Water - Excellent Whitesands Bay - Welsh Water - Excellent Bournemouth Alum Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent Bournemouth Durley Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent Bournemouth Southbourne - Wessex Water - Excellent Christchurch Mudeford Sandbank East - Wessex Water - Excellent Church Ope Cove - Wessex Water - Excellent Durdle Door East - Wessex Water - Excellent Durdle Door West - Wessex Water - Excellent Henleaze Lake - Wessex Water - Good Hive Beach - Wessex Water - Excellent Kimmeridge Bay - Wessex Water - Excellent Lulworth Cove - Wessex Water - Excellent Poole Canford Cliffs Chine - Wessex Water - Excellent Poole Harbour Lake - Wessex Water - Excellent Porlock Weir - Wessex Water - Excellent Shell Bay North - Wessex Water - Excellent Studland Knoll House - Wessex Water - Excellent Weymouth Central - Wessex Water - Good Swimfo advises against bathing in these particular waters around England and Wales 5
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Tighter US border rules are putting European visitors off, says Tui
Tighter border rules are putting European tourists off holidaying in the US, according to Europe's biggest package trip operator. Tui's chief executive, Sebastian Ebel, said there had been a 'significant decline' in travel to the US, due to a multitude of factors including 'the atmosphere, what you hear from border control'. He said European tourists were opting instead to visit Canada and other long-haul destinations such as Africa and Asia. The comments from Tui's chief executive follow a string of reports of Europeans and other foreigners with valid visas for the US facing interrogation, detainment and deportation, including a British tourist, three Germans, a Canadian and an Australian who were each held and then deported. Sarah Shaw, from New Zealand, and her six-year-old son, who live in the US, are being held at a US immigration centre after they were detained crossing the Canada-US border. Donald Trump's administration plans to impose bonds – some as high as $15,000 for some tourism and business visas. It also plans a $250 'visa integrity fee' for visitors. Asked about the changes, Ebel said: 'I expect that the impact will be seen, and this policy will change. Will it change in three months, will it change in three years? I have no idea.' Tui's report of a decline in US travel by its customers comes as figures have highlighted a sharp fall in overall tourism to the country in recent months; the industry is expected to lose out on billions of dollars this year as a result of government actions. Travel from Canada and Mexico in 2025 has fallen by 20% compared with last year, according to the US Travel Association. Ebel played down the significance of the fall to Tui, saying its US business was 'not of essence for us. It's a nice long-haul business, good margins, but it's not in the order of magnitude, not a big thing.' Ebel said customers would choose to visit places where there was 'seamless travel' and called for travel between the UK and the EU to be made easier. British visitors are allowed to use e-gates but they still have to get their passports stamped until at least October because of Brexit restrictions. Ebel said: 'I'm so happy that there's seamless travel for me as a German, to Spain, to Greece. I would wish that it would be the same seamlessness to the UK. 'It's not seamless, and that's not good for the UK, and it's not good for Europe either.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Tui reported a 2% fall in summer bookings as a result of conflict in the Middle East, but said ticket prices were 3% higher, helping to balance out higher costs. A summer of heatwaves across Europe, and current extremely high temperatures across south-west France, Croatia, Italy and Spain, are also causing more holidaymakers to travel either ahead of, or after, the peak summer period, in what travel companies call the 'shoulder season', which usually refers to March-May and September-October. Ebel said this shift gave the company a 'good outlook', as the trend for customers travelling at other times of year and not just during the school summer holidays gave it more resilience. Tui increased its full-year profit guidance on Tuesday, following strong demand for stays in its hotels and for its cruises. Its shares rose more than 6%. Tui reported underlying pre-tax profit of €321m (£277m) between April and June, ahead of analysts' forecasts, and 38% higher than in the same quarter a year earlier as it benefited from the late timing of Easter.
