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Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Reporter
Increased number of jellyfish stings reported on east coast
People visiting beaches on the east coast of Scotland are being warned to look out for jellyfish along the shore after an increase in reported stings. RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeguards say that with sea temperatures rising and more people heading to beaches, they are also seeing an increase in reports of jellyfish. Jellyfish are common throughout the summer months in Scotland, with large groups – or blooms – regularly spotted in the water and washed up along the coast. Moon jellyfish, which are translucent with four distinctive pinkish-purple spheres, are relatively harmless and have a mild sting. But red-coloured Lion's Mane – the largest jellyfish in Scottish waters, reaching up to two metres across with long trailing tentacles – and Compass jellyfish can cause painful stings. The RNLI warned that a sting from a Lion's Mane jellyfish can cause pain and redness, swelling or a stinging sensation and in some cases nausea, sweating, cramps, headaches and other symptoms. They said bathers who suffer a sting should let a lifeguard know straight away so they can provide first aid if needed. RNLI lifeguards are currently on duty on the east coast at Broughty Ferry near Dundee, Coldingham Bay in the Scottish Borders and in Fife at Burntisland, Leven, St Andrews East and West Sands, Elie, and Silver Sands in Aberdour. Bradley Schreiber, an RNLI lifeguard based across the area, said: 'We've seen an increase in jellyfish recently across all our beaches, especially when there are onshore winds – when the wind is coming from out at sea and blowing on to the beach. 'Over the past two or three weeks we are definitely seeing an increase in reports of stings, although thankfully we've not seen anything too serious. 'With the smaller Moon jellyfish a sting can be quite similar to a nettle, but Lion's Mane jellyfish can get very big and their sting can hurt quite badly. A big Lion's Mane jellyfish, depending on where the sting is, can be quite severe. 'There was a previous situation where one of them slipped into someone's wetsuit, which was too big, and they were stung all over their body.' RNLI said that bathers who suspect they have been stung should avoid rinsing with fresh water or any substances with alcohol as this can worsen the sting. Instead, they should use a card such as a bank card to gently scrape off any remaining tentacles, then head back into the sea between the RNLI's red and yellow flags. The cold salt water helps to soothe the pain and deactivate any remaining stingers from releasing further venom. People who start to feel unwell, or notice a rash or swelling, should speak to a lifeguard immediately as it may be signs of an allergic reaction. Mr Shreiber said: 'If you can feel pain and you believe you've been stung by a jellyfish, let a lifeguard know so we can keep an eye on you in case something more serious happens like an anaphylactic attack, which is an allergic reaction and can come on rapidly. 'It's very rare but it can happen and it's good for us to know so we can keep an eye on you.' Mr Shreiber warned that urinating on the sting area was a myth and 'not recommended'. The tactic, which has been proven ineffective and even possibly harmful, was popularised in an episode of the sitcom Friends, 'The One With The Jellyfish', in which Monica is stung on the foot and Chandler reluctantly tries the remedy Joey recalled seeing in a documentary. Mr Shreiber said: 'We don't recommend that, it's not the advice we give out. 'It's certainly not what we are trained to do. Seawater works just fine and I'm sure it's a lot more hygienic.' Like this: Like Related
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
What is ‘one in, one out' migrant deal between UK and France?
The UK and France have reached an agreement to try to stem the flow of migrants making the crossing from France to the UK via the English Channel. The development comes against the backdrop of a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron to the United Kingdom for a summit with Keir Starmer. But what do we know about the 'one in, one out' deal? Will it stop the boats? read more A British police officer stands guard on the beach of Dungeness, on the southeast coast of England, on 15 June, 2022, as Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) members of staff help migrants to disembark. (Photo: AFP file) The UK and France have reached an agreement to stop the flow of migrants. The development comes in the backdrop of a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron to the United Kingdom for a summit. This is the first visit of a European leader to the UK since Brexit. Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the 'one in, one out' migrant deal during a bilateral meet. But what do we know about the deal? What do experts say? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look: What do we know about the deal? The deal aims at stopping illegal immigrants from making the crossing from France to the UK via the English Channel. Under the agreement, asylum seekers who cannot prove they have families in the UK will be returned to France. The UK, for each migrant returned, will give one migrant from France who can prove a family connection in the UK asylum – hence the name of the programme. 'In exchange for every return, a different individual will be allowed to come here via a safe route - controlled and legal - subject to strict security checks, and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally,' Starmer said. The deal is still to get the final assent from European lawyers. Under the agreement, those who cross the Channel will be detained. Those who come under the programme will be sent back to France. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Starmer said the agreement would come into effect within 'weeks'. File image/AP However, this will be subject to appeal. After one person is sent back to France, another person applying for asylum legitimately and who has not attempted the illegal crossing will be admitted to the UK. The programme will be paid for by the Home Office. The programme will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Though neither Starmer nor Macron mentioned numbers, some reports stated that around 50 migrants would be sent back per week initially. However, this would work out to just around 2,600 people per year – a fraction of the numbers that cross. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A deadly journey Migrants and their families usually make the crossing from France, sans visas and permits, in small inflatable boats. Over 21,000 people have done so in 2025. This is a 56 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. Last year, around 20,000 people made the crossing. The migrants pay criminal gangs large sums of money to transport them across the channel to the UK. In March 2025, most migrants arriving by boats were Afghans, Syrians, Iranians, the Vietnamese and Eritreans. These groups alone comprised 61 per cent of all arrivals. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that 82 migrants died last year while crossing the channel. This would make it the most deadliest year on record for such crossings. The UN agency said at least 18 people had died while crossing the English Channel in 2025. Since 2018 around 247 people are estimated to have been killing while attempting to cross to the UK. 'Break back of criminal gangs' He added that the deal is aimed at breaking the back of criminal gangs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We all agree that the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is so we're bringing new tactics into play and a new intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs', he said. We 'apply our collective strength and leadership' to the challenges of undocumented migration, the UK prime minister added. Starmer said the agreement would come into effect within 'weeks'. 'Migrants arriving via small boat will be detained and returned to France in short order,' Starmer added. He called the agreement a 'pilot programme'. He said that though 'no silver bullet' existed, UK and France could 'finally turn the tables' with 'a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent'. French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Brexit for the increased numbers of people crossing the English Channel. File image/AP 'The jobs they have been promised in the UK will no longer exist because of the nationwide crackdown we're delivering on illegal working which is on a completely unprecedented scale', Starmer said. Macron called the deal a 'good agreement'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He took aim at Brexit for the increased number of crossings. 'Many people in your country explained that Brexit would make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration," Macron said. 'But it's in fact since Brexit [that] the UK has no migratory agreement with the EU. It creates an incentive to make the crossing, the precise opposite of what Brexit had promised.' He said that British people were 'sold a lie…which is that the problem was Europe, but the problem has become Brexit'. Britain and France have long been at odds over illegal immigration. France has claimed that the UK's laws are too lax or not properly enforced. Macron has claimed that around third of all migrants arriving in France plan to head to the UK. 'Britain must do something to make itself less attractive and change the rules of their labour market because you can work without papers in the UK,' France's justice minister previously said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK, on the other hand, has taken aim at France for not doing enough to stop the boats and cracking down on criminal gangs – which Paris hotly disputes. Hot-button issue Asylum and immigration has become a hot-button issue in the UK. Over 51 per cent of people say it is their main concern, according to a recent poll. The deal was reached because of the increasing number of unauthorised migrants arriving from France to the UK, Peter Walsh, a senior researcher at the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, told Al Jazeera. Starmer's Labour government had come to power vowing to get illegal immigration under control. The UK under Rishi Sunak had previously signed a $650 million deal with France to help increase its efforts at cracking down on such illegal immigration. Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain. Reuters/File Photo Experts remain unsure if the deal will actually work. 'A returns deal may have an impact if it affects enough people. We don't know how many people could plausibly be returned to France under this deal, but there's a risk that if an insufficiently low share of individuals are returned, then people wishing to reach the UK by small boat may see the risk of return as another risk worth taking – alongside the much greater risk of getting in a small boat,' Walsh told Al Jazeera. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK previously tried deporting illegal immigrants to Rwanda – a controversial scheme which was blocked by the courts and which it ultimately dropped. Some slam deal Opposition figures in the UK have slammed the deal. Reform leader Nigel Farage has said he did not 'this so-called deal will make any difference at all.' 'If we even try to deport people across the Channel we will run straight into the European Convention on Human Rights as written into British law, in the human rights act. The lawyers will have a field day and will find lots of reasons why people can't be deported. 'Nobody who crosses the English Channel illegally, in a boat, should ever be given refugee status, should ever be given leave to remain, and should be deported and if we did that, it would stop within a fortnight.' Farage isn't the only one. Nigel Farage, the leader of the hard-right Reform UK party, has slammed the deal. Reuters Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp of the opposition Conservative Party told The Times newspaper, 'This deal will mean that 94 percent of illegal migrants crossing the Channel will get to stay. That is pathetic and will not deter anyone. By contrast, the Rwanda deterrent would have seen 100 percent of illegal migrants removed and that would have worked to deter people crossing the Channel. Keir Starmer's failure continues.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some French officials have also come out against the agreement. 'We are putting ourselves into the hands of the British without minimal reciprocal elements,' an unnamed French official involved in the know told Le Monde. Interestingly, the EU and Turkey reached a similar deal in 2016 to return migrants crossing the border for Syrian refugees inside Turkey. The Migration Policy Institute said the number of asylum seekers arriving in Greece, which was 861,000 in 2015, shrank to 36,000 the year the deal was signed. However, in 2019 that number increased again to 75,000. It remains to be seen whether this deal between the UK and France actually stops the boats. With inputs from agencies
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Charles gets his hands dirty on litter clean up as he hears of traumatic rescue
King Charles heard how RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) crew on the South Coast made a "traumatic" rescue to save the lives of migrants crossing the channel. It comes as President Macron and Sir Keir Starmer held a summit to discuss how to tackle migrant crossings from France to the UK shores after the French State Visit earlier this week. During an away day to Deal in Kent, Charles visited the Walmer lifeboat station where he met Andrew Holland, Victoria Ward, Dan Sinclair and James Foster. The four were awarded with the Thanks of the Institution award by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. During a trip to Kent, King Charles heard dramatic rescue stories from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (Image: PA) Sinclair told the King: "Myself and three crew members saved five lives from a sinking boat in the channel ten miles off shore on a cold winter's morning in 2022. It was quite a traumatic call-out. The boat started taking on water and started sinking in front of our eyes. "There were 40 on board. Luckily we pulled five of them out of the water, the other 35 were pulled out by UK border force." When the King asked about the vessel they were travelling in, Sinclair said: "It was in a small dinghy." Charles appeared to suggest that they were not particularly hardy to which Sinclair replied: "They're not very seaworthy, no." The rescue was previously featured on the BBC series Saving Lives at Sea. Afterwards, Charles, 76, headed to the pebble beach in Deal, greeting lifeboat staff and receiving a cheer as the national anthem played. The visit comes as Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron discussed the increasing numbers of migrant boats crossing from France to England (Image: PA) In an impromptu walkabout, he asked the crowd "have you all been standing here boiling for hours?" Speaking to staff as they simulated a "shout" alert, he told them they were "incredible" before joining a litter pick on the beach. The King told RAF cadets who had joined the clean up: "Do you all do it regularly or have they just dragged you out today?" He was told: "We'd like to do it more regularly." In a long walkabout along the sea front he met members of the public including a bare chested man who admitted to the King: 'I've come a little under-dressed.' Charles worried about the number of royal fans waiting to meet him in the blazing sun (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Charles asked the crowd who had been waiting for hours in the heat: "You haven't all died of sunstroke have you?" Earlier, the King, wearing the pin badge of the cinque ports, arrived at Walmer Castle by helicopter and was introduced to Lady Colgrain, Lord Lieutenant of Kent, and the castle's current Lord Warden, Sir George Zambellas, former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. Dr Kathryn Bedford, English Heritage's curator in the east and southeast, gave the King a tour of the castle, which was built as a device port by Henry VIII between 1539-40 to protect English from possible invasion by Catholic Europe. At the state banquet with President Macron on Tuesday, Charles used his speech to say that 'no fortress can protect us' as the challenges facing countries today 'know no borders'. Amid conversations between Macron and Sir Keir Starmer about the issue of migrants crossing the channel, Sir George said that the 'pressure on coastal towns on the south coast' was a 'universal issue'. Charles met with volunteers during his tour of Deal in Kent (Image: PA) Former Lord Wardens of the castle include George V, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother who held the position from 1978 until her death in 2002. During her time as warden, Queen Elizabeth had living accommodation inside the castle where she spent weekends holding events. Today, the castle is undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration project to restore the roof. When asked how conservation work was going, Neil McCollum, regional lead for English Heritage, told the King it was 'endless, there's always something that needs doing'. Charles also spent time talking to mayors of the different port towns. The King also joined in a litter clear up on the pebbled beach (Image: Max Mumby) The King made a Barry Humpries joke and recalled his childhood steam train rides as he visited a castle that served as a weekend retreat for his late grandmother. In the Queen Mother garden at Walmer Castle in Kent, designed for Queen Elizabeth's 95th birthday, the King met mayors of the 14 coastal cinque ports. He said: 'I remember as a child going on the Romney, Hythe and Dimchurch Railway.' When he was told it was still running Charles said 'Hurray!' He went on to say that he recalled 'standing on the bridge watching the golden arrow [another railway line] passing underneath in the olden days, in the 50s.' The King spoke with royal fans who had waited to catch a glimpse of the monarch, as he urged them to be careful of sunstroke (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images) When he was passed a bunch of Dahlias by a representative of Hythe which caused Charles to remark that it reminded him of 'Barry Humphries and his Gladdies', referring to the late Australian comedian's jokes about dahlias. In a meeting with primary school-age children who are carers, the King was asked what his favourite dogs and flowers were, revealing they were Jack Russells and "Schnauzers, the ones with the moustaches'. Chatting animatedly to the children, the monarch also revealed that delphiniums were his favourite flowers. WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror's Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.
First Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Macron-Starmer meeting: France, UK to announce plans to block migrant boats in English Channel
France will likely announce plans to authorise its police force to stop the small boats from leaving in shallow waters up to 300 metres from shore read more A British police officer stands guard on the beach of Dungeness, on the southeast coast of England, on 15 June, 2022, as Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) members of staff help migrants to disembark. (Photo: AFP file) Britain and France are set to announce plans to deploy French Police to block the entry of small migrant boats crossing the Channel as leaders from both countries are expected to meet in London on Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron will begin his state visit to the UK on July 8, where he will meet the royal family and hold a string of meetings with government officials, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during the Anglo-French summit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Although details are still limited and French officials are reportedly finalising possible actions regarding boats already in shallow waters, an announcement related to the immigrant issue is expected on Wednesday. What do the plans include? According to a report by The Guardian, France will likely announce plans to authorise its police force to stop the small boats from leaving in shallow waters up to 300 metres from shore. It will also halt 'taxi boats' from setting out on their journeys to cross the Channel. Taxi boats are used to pick up migrants from the water instead of launching from the beach. However, if France decides to do so, changes to the existing protocol, which bars any intervention at sea that is not an actual rescue, to be made. Starmer and the French president might announce a 'one in, one out' plan for asylum seekers, though UK officials say it's unlikely. The idea is that people arriving in small boats could be sent back to France, while the UK would take in someone from France who has a clearer right to come to Britain, such as a family link. Macron to visit UK French-speaking King Charles III, who is hosting President Emmanuel Macron for a state visit starting on Tuesday, professes a long-standing love of France, describing it as 'an essential part' of his life. The visit, at the invitation of the monarch, is a rare privilege full of spectacular pomp and circumstance and an opportunity to strengthen a bilateral relationship which the king called 'indispensable' during his visit to France in September 2023. Macron will also address the British Parliament and co-chair a meeting on Ukraine as London seeks to strengthen its ties with Europe after Brexit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Talks will focus on aid to Ukraine, joint efforts to halt illegal migration crossing the Channel, and strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. 'This is the first state visit to the United Kingdom by a European Union head of state since Brexit,' the Elysee Palace said on Friday, referring to the UK's 2016 vote to leave the bloc. With inputs from agencies
Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Prince William waives rent on lifeboat stations, school fields and village halls
Prince William's Duchy of Cornwall estate has waived rental charges worth more than £10,000 a year for the use of lifeboat stations, school playing fields and village halls, it has emerged. The £1.3 billion property empire, which provides the Prince with a private income of almost £23 million a year, launched a review of the rents it receives from charities and grassroots community groups following criticism of multimillion-pound deals it struck with public bodies. Will Bax, the Duchy's new secretary and keeper of the records, said last month that Prince William wanted to ensure the Duchy operated in a 'modern, socially minded way'. He added: 'It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the Duchy has experienced this year. We have used these challenges as an opportunity to stop and reflect.' Mr Bax announced that rents would be waived for grassroots community tenants, while local charity tenants would receive a 50 per cent discount. The organisations that will see their rental charges 'reduced to nil', disclosed by The Sunday Times, include the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which previously paid £600 a year for permission to use the prince's beaches at Salcombe, Sennen Cove, the Lizard, Rock and St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. Devon County Council will no longer be liable for the £15,000 it paid to operate Princetown fire station over a 50-year period. The Trinity House maritime charity, which had paid £3,000 over 20 years for the right to operate the Bishop Rock lighthouse in the Isle of Scilly, has had a reprieve, as have the community groups charged thousands of pounds a year to use village halls in Curry Mallet and Newton St Loe, as well as allotments in Bradninch and a community orchard in Newquay which is used to help disadvantaged groups. Charges worth thousands a year have also been waived for the use of playing fields, rugby pitches and recreation grounds in Princetown, Corston, Clandown near Bath and Stoke-sub-Hamdon in Somerset. The Duchy will no longer charge £200 a year for the use of a children's play area in Poundbury, Dorset, demand rental payments from the Scouts, or the £125,000 paid by the Government for the use of the visitor centre and shop at Tintagel Castle, north Cornwall, which fund the castle's preservation, over a 25-year period. The disclosure of the Duchy's rent waivers follows an investigation last November into both the Prince's Duchy and the King's Duchy of Lancaster estate, by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times, which found the estates had secured rental agreements worth millions of pounds with the armed forces, the NHS and state schools. The investigation revealed that the Duchy of Cornwall was set to earn around £600,000 over the lifetime of six different leases agreed with local state schools. The Duchy is now reviewing those rents, which include £319,000 over 21 years for Devon County Council to operate Princetown Community Primary School, on Dartmoor and £60,000 over 25 years for Farrington Gurney Church of England Primary School, near Bath, to use its premises. However, it will continue to take large taxpayer-funded rents from government departments, among them the Ministry of Defence, which over the last two decades has paid at least £900,000 for the right to moor boats needed to train recruits on the waters surrounding the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, and the Ministry of Justice, which pays £1.5 million a year to use HMP Dartmoor, which now stands empty because of high levels of toxic gas on the site. The Duchy also charges the Royal Navy £10,000 a year for access to its own oil depot, which is used to fuel the nation's warships, at Devonport in Plymouth, the UK's biggest naval base. Prince William, also known as the Duke of Cornwall, told the Telegraph earlier this year that he wanted the Duchy to be a 'positive force for good' that would actively 'make people's lives better'. Addressing the criticism in June, Mr Bax said: 'It would be remiss not to address the media scrutiny the Duchy has experienced this past year. 'We've used these challenges as an opportunity to stop and reflect. Both the Duke and I are clear that we want the Duchy to be world class in our approach to supporting people, communities and nature to flourish and to realise that aim, we must operate and communicate in a modern, socially minded way.' He added: 'It's clear we've entered an era of deep change, but we change, not because we disrespect our past, but precisely because we do respect it.' 'We are making the most of the opportunity to step back and reflect. Reflect on what society requires of us. Reflect on how we support our people, our communities and our places to thrive.' Prince William received £22.9 million from the estate last year, down from £23.6 million the previous year. The Duchy declined to reveal how much tax the heir to the throne paid but said it was at the 'highest rate'. Meanwhile, the King's Duchy of Lancaster has said that it 'actively reviews' its own lease agreements on an ongoing basis and will 'continue to consider its future position.'
