All articles tagged with #english channel
Divers recovered a sealed Guinness Extra Stout bottle from the 1864 Mindoro shipwreck in the English Channel; the intact seal prompted researchers to consider testing the historic brew for potential revival via yeast DNA sequencing, while teams plan to recover more bottles and examine the ship’s manifest.
Britain is investigating claims that a Russian warship fired warning shots at a yacht in the English Channel; the U.K. says its vessels were not fired upon, marking a rare acknowledgment by Moscow of using live ammunition and underscoring rising Russian military activity near UK waters, which follows earlier episodes of Russian vessels and submarines tracked north of Britain.
Russia says a warship fired warning shots at a UK-flagged yacht in the English Channel after the vessel made a dangerous approach, using signal flares and audible warnings before the shots were fired; no injuries were reported and the yacht continued its journey after a welfare check. The UK is investigating the incident, which follows a separate UK-led interception of a sanctioned tanker linked to Moscow’s shadow fleet.
British forces boarded and seized the Cameroon-flagged shadow-fleet tanker Smyrtos during a six-hour operation in the English Channel, with Royal Marines, the National Crime Agency and air support taking part; the vessel will be moved to an anchorage off the south coast for monitoring as part of sanctions enforcement against Moscow’s oil revenues.
Two women, about 20 years old, died when a boat carrying around 82 people attempting to cross the English Channel from France ran aground on a northern French beach; several others were injured and a Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation. The incident underscores ongoing migrant crossings and comes as UK-French efforts to curb small-boat arrivals continue under a £662m deal, with the Home Office stressing commitment to preventing perilous journeys.
Britain and France announced a three-year deal to reduce migrant crossings in the English Channel, signed by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez in Dunkirk, with measures including enhanced patrols and the construction of a detention centre in Dunkirk to deter crossings.
A Sudanese national, Alnour Mohamed Ali, appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court charged with endangering life after four migrants drowned while attempting to board a water taxi off Calais. He pleaded not guilty through an interpreter and was remanded to Canterbury Crown Court for 11 May. Investigations continue into how the boat was launched; 38 people were returned to France while 74 proceeded to the UK. The case comes amid broader UK border measures under the 2025 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, which creates an offense of endangering others at sea; more than 5,000 people have crossed the Channel by small boat this year.
Four people died and 38 were rescued after a group attempted to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom.
A Sunday Times investigation finds Russia’s sanctioned oil is shipped through the English Channel by a vast, opaque 'shadow fleet', netting about £239bn since 2022; with many vessels flouting sanctions, Britain is weighing unmanned drone-boat patrols to shadow and seize tanker loads, and debates a broader maritime ban to curb this revenue while warning of spill risks.
Two women died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK on a makeshift boat, amid ongoing migrant crossings and rescue efforts, with over 60 migrants rescued overnight and 17 deaths reported this year.
Small boat crossings to the UK in the first half of 2024 increased by 48% compared to the previous year, with nearly 20,000 arrivals, driven by factors beyond weather, including smuggling networks and migration demand, amid ongoing political and diplomatic discussions.
Over 1,100 migrants crossed the English Channel into the UK in a single day in 2025, marking the highest daily total this year, with ongoing concerns about border control and smuggling networks, prompting calls for increased cooperation with French authorities.
Daisy Ridley stars as Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle in Disney's new biopic "The Young Woman and the Sea," which chronicles Ederle's journey to becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Ridley underwent extensive swim training for the role, which highlights Ederle's early life and her historic 21-mile swim.
"Young Woman And The Sea" is a Disney biopic directed by Joachim Ronning, starring Daisy Ridley as Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. The film, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, highlights Ederle's perseverance and triumph over societal and physical challenges, featuring strong performances and impressive cinematography. The movie will have a limited theatrical release before streaming.
A young girl died and several others were injured after a small boat capsized on the English Channel crossing route used by migrants hoping to reach Britain from France. The boat, carrying 16 people, was too small for the number of passengers, leading to the tragic incident. This comes after three people died in a similar attempt earlier in the week, highlighting the dangers faced by migrants making the perilous journey across the channel.