WORLD NEWS
Boxing day hunts to be thing of the past with trail hunting set to be banned
Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004
Boxing Day hunts could soon be a thing of the past(Image: Getty Images)
Boxing Day hunts are set to become a thing of the past with the process to ban trail hunting to start next year.
Trail hunting sees a scent laid out for the hunt to follow rather than a real animal, and was introduced as a replacement for fox hunting, which was banned by Labour in 2004.
Campaigners have long warned foxes are still often torn to shreds by dogs during the hunts, while the national police lead on illegal hunting, Devon and Cornwall’s assistant Chief Constable, Matt Longman, has claimed trail hunting was often used as “a smokescreen” for illegal fox hunting. Now the Government is set to deliver on a ban, expected within this parliament, which comes as part of its animal welfare strategy set to be published on Monday.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s awkward Boxing Day hunt video to announce Reform UK has overtaken ToriesREAD MORE: Fox hunters could be slapped with bigger fines – as activists demand jail time
Foxes are often killed on the hunts, campaigners say(Image: sandra standbridge via Getty Images)
Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said: “In our manifesto we said we would ban trail hunting, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. There is evidence that trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen for the hunting of wild animals, and that’s not acceptable.”
Ministers had committed to reforming animal welfare and will launch a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a full ban in the new year. Shooting hares in England is also expected to be banned for most of the year as part of the changes.
The RSPCA Director of Advocacy and Prevention Thomas Schultz-Jagow welcomed steps being taken to stop the “abhorrent and cruel bloodsport”. He said: “Every year, wild animals, pets and horses suffer whilst being chased and killed by packs of hounds on trail hunts while rural communities endure anti-social behaviour and intimidation.
“There is mounting evidence that, since the Hunting Act came into force in 2004, ‘legal’ trail hunting is being used as a smokescreen to illegally hunt with dogs. This has made enforcement of the Hunting Act extremely challenging for the authorities.”
League Against Cruel Sports figures found the hunting season saw 264 instances of illegal hunting, 211 foxes reported to have been pursued which is an increase of 10%, and 19 foxes confirmed or strongly suspected to have been killed.
Emma Slawinski, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports declared fox hunting would soon be finished for good. She said: “Trail hunting was invented after fox hunting was banned by the last Labour government in 2005, as the hunts were convinced the ban wouldn’t hold.
“It’s been 20 years, so it’s time the hunts got over themselves and finally realise fox hunting is never going to come back, that the government and the public aren’t taken in by their claims trail hunting is a real thing, and that actually it’s time to make the law stronger so it’s easier to prosecute those who are going to carry on hunting regardless.
“However, we would also ask the government goes further by closing the loopholes in the Hunting Act that give hunts other excuses to kill wild animals with dogs, such as deer, hares, otters and mink, and increase the penalties for those convicted of illegal hunting.”
The Countryside Alliance has warned changes to the law are completely unjustified, and claimed Labour had an “obsession” with hunting. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “Animal rights activists have spent 20 years making increasingly spurious claims about the legal activity of hunts without any evidential basis. Trail hunting is a legal activity which supports hundreds of jobs and is central to many rural communities. “Especially after its attack on family farms, the government should be focusing on addressing issues that actually help rural communities thrive, rather than pursuing divisive policies that hinder them”.
WORLD NEWS
Mo Salah focused on Egypt success at AFCON with Liverpool crisis behind him | Football News
Liverpool and Egypt star forward Mohamed Salah is centred on winning his first Africa Cup of Nations title.
Published On 21 Dec 2025
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Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has put aside his travails at Liverpool and is focused on Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) success with his national team, coach Hossam Hassan said on Sunday.
Egypt’s talisman is at the tournament in Morocco on the back of a fiery outburst after being dropped by the Premier League champions, but his comments and subsequent apology to teammates have had no impact on his form, Hassan said ahead of Egypt’s opening Group B match against Zimbabwe in Agadir on Monday.
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“Salah’s morale in training is very high, as if he were just starting out with the national team, and I believe he will have a great tournament with his country,” said the coach.
At 33, it is arguably Salah’s last chance to win an elusive trophy with Egypt and add international honours to an impressive collection of medals at club level.
“I believe Salah will be among the best players at the tournament, and he will remain an icon and one of the best players in the world.
“I support him technically and morally, because we cannot forget that Salah needs to win the Africa Cup of Nations,” Hassan added.
Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, right, will pair with Mohamed Salah to form an awesome front-line attack for Egypt at AFCON [File: Ahmed Mosaad/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Liverpool struggles on the backburner
Salah goes into Monday’s match having last started for Liverpool in their 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League at the end of November.
He was dropped for the next game against West Ham United, and after a draw with Leeds United on December 6, lashed out at the club and Liverpool coach Arne Slot, telling journalists he felt he had been made a scapegoat for their poor start to the season and suggested that he may not have long left at Anfield.
Hassan said he had kept in touch with his captain throughout the controversy.
“There was constant communication with Mohamed Salah during what I don’t want to call a crisis because any player can have a difference of opinion with his coach at his club.”
Salah has not scored since Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa at the start of November, including an outing with Egypt in a friendly against Uzbekistan last month.
“The same situation happened with Salah when he went through a period of not scoring goals with Liverpool,” Hassan told reporters.
“Then he returned to the right path through the national team, and as a result, he came back at a level even better than before. I believe he will deliver a strong tournament alongside his teammates.”
Salah has twice been a Cup of Nations runner-up, in 2017 and 2021. Egypt have won a record seven AFCON titles, but their last success was in 2010.
WORLD NEWS
Manchester Museum seeks help to uncover hidden histories of African collection | Manchester
It’s a rare thing for a museum to talk about what it doesn’t know. But unanswered questions and archival silences are at the heart of the new Africa Hub at Manchester Museum, north-west England, which is inviting people around the world to help fill the gaps.
The museum holds more than 40,000 items from across Africa, many of which were traded, collected, looted or preserved during the era of the British empire.
As a result, the names of makers, the cultural significance of objects and the people to which they once belonged are largely unknown to curators in Manchester; in many cases, only the name of the donor or the collection from which an item came is recorded.
The new Africa Hub will display “beautifully crafted” items that have been in storage for years, the museum says.
A view of a carved wooden figure, one of the objects at Manchester Museum. Photograph: Manchester Museum/Reuters
It is inviting visitors to the collections on Oxford Road, in the city’s university district, as well as those exploring the collections online, to share stories about the objects’ provenance.
Curators say this could lead to the restitution of items, as well as new partnerships in the African diaspora. And community collaboration has already begun. A display at the heart of Africa Hub draws on the knowledge of Manchester’s Igbo community, one of the oldest Nigerian diaspora communities in the UK.
Lucy Edematie, the curator of African collections from colonial contexts at Manchester Museum, worked with the Igbo Community Greater Manchester (ICM) organisation to research objects and celebrate Igbo heritage.
Sylvia Mgbeahurike, the vice-chairof ICM Women, said: “Some of these objects were given, some were stolen, some were taken forcefully out of conquest. It is important that we start bringing them together again. It shows inclusiveness. It shows there is strength in diversity. It shows we are one people, irrespective of our colour or where we are from.”
Edematie said: “Unlike most galleries or exhibitions, which represent the culmination of years of research and collaboration, Africa Hub is the beginning. It builds on work the museum has already been doing to engage with both diasporic communities and communities in Africa but provides an opportunity to extend this even further.
“It is a chance to do our thinking in public, with honesty and transparency, and to involve people in that process from the start.”
The museum says the Africa Hub will be an “evolving space for reflection, dialogue and shared learning and its future direction will be shaped by public contribution”.
The objects from across Africa include animals, cultural heritage items, minerals and plants. Photograph: Manchester Museum
A spokesperson added: “We’re supposed to know everything there is to know about the collections we care for, ready to communicate the wisdom of the world through a series of carefully written object labels.
“Well, sometimes the reality is slightly different. And, on this occasion, we need your help, as visitors and communities, to uncover the stories that museum records cannot tell or have suppressed.
“Mostly, Africa Hub means being honest about what we don’t know. Manchester Museum holds over 40,000 objects from across Africa, cultural heritage items, plants, animals and minerals … much of their story remains untold.
“We’re laying our lack of knowledge bare and extending an invitation to you, to come and view these collections, either in person or online, and share your own knowledge, experience and perspectives to create richer narratives.”
Skip next section Zelenskyy wants talks with European leaders after Miami discussions
12/21/2025December 21, 2025
Zelenskyy wants talks with European leaders after Miami discussions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would seek to hold a meeting with European allies following discussions in Miami aimed at bringing an end to the war with Russia.
“There is a shared sense that after the work by our diplomatic team in the United States, we should now hold consultations with European partners in a broader circle,” Zelensky wrote on social media platform X after he held a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
European and Ukrainian negotiators have spent the weekend in Florida meeting with their US counterparts to discuss Washington’s peace plan, which Zelenskyy called constructive.
https://p.dw.com/p/55m9D
Skip next section Ukraine fighting to resist new Russian incursion in Sumy region12/21/2025December 21, 2025
Ukraine fighting to resist new Russian incursion in Sumy region
The Ukrainian army was seeking to stop an attempted Russian breakthrough in the Sumy region, it has been reported on Sunday.
This follows reports that Moscow had allegedly forcibly moved at least 50 people from the border village of Hrabovske.
“Fighting is currently ongoing in the village of Grabovske,” Ukraine’s joint task force said.
The military added that troops were “making efforts to drive the occupiers back into Russian territory,” but dismissed media reports that Russian soldiers were also in the neighboring Riasne village.
Earlier on Sunday, the Ukrainian rights ombudsman made an assessment that enemy troops had forcibly moved about 50 civilians from Hrabovske to Russia.
Those claims could not be independently verified, and Russia made no comment although the army said on Saturday they had captured the village of Vysoke, a few kilometers from Hrabovske.
https://p.dw.com/p/55m69
Skip next section Putin ready to talk to France’s Macron, Kremlin says
12/21/2025December 21, 2025
Putin ready to talk to France’s Macron, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to hold talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, a Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday.
Dmitry Peskov said Putin “expressed readiness to engage in dialogue” in comments carried by Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. He added that with mutual political willingness, talks between both sides could be beneficial.
It follows Macron saying on Friday that Europe and Ukraine should hold direct talks with Putin as they seek to reach an agreement on a peace deal that would bring an end to Russia’s invasion of their neighbors.
“Otherwise, we are discussing among ourselves with negotiators who will negotiate on their own with the Russians. That is not optimal,” the French president had said.
Paris on Sunday welcomed Putin’s openness to the idea.
“We will decide in the coming days on the best way to proceed,” the Elysee said.
https://p.dw.com/p/55ltz
Skip next section Kremlin squashes chances of three-way talks in Miami
12/21/2025December 21, 2025
Kremlin squashes chances of three-way talks in Miami
The Kremlin emphasized that three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States were not on the cards, despite diplomats from all parties currently being in Miami.
According to Russian news agencies, Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that discussions for such a meeting had not taken place and no preparation was therefore being made.
The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Washington had spoken of a possible trilateral format, though he too expressed scepticism.
Despite saying it would be a logical step for a first face-to-face meeting in almost six months between Russia and Ukraine, Zelenskyy added: “I am not sure that anything new could come of it.”
The Day with Nicole Frölich: Financial lifeline for Ukraine
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On Saturday, Ukrainian and European negotiators met with US diplomats while Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also travelled to Florida to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in a separate meeting at different locations.
Those talks will continue on Sunday, after which Ushakov said Dmitriev “will return to Moscow, make his report, and we will discuss what to do next.”
Meanwhile, Ushakov also expressed doubts that any changes put forward by European and Ukrainian diplomats to the current US peace plan would yield a positive outcome.
“I am sure that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or are trying to make definitely do not improve the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace,” he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/55lqb
Skip next section Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami
12/21/2025December 21, 2025
Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami
As fierce fighting continues on Ukraine’s eastern frontline, soldiers say any peace deal that trades territory for an end to the war is unacceptable.
At the same time, Kyiv is bolstering European backing following Tuesday’s talks in Berlin as it seeks leverage in ongoing US-led negotiations.
Kyiv holds firm on territory as Russia, US talk in Miami
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https://p.dw.com/p/55lgw
Skip next section US-Russia talks in Florida end ‘constructively’
12/21/2025December 21, 2025
US-Russia talks in Florida end ‘constructively’
Officials from Russia and the United States ended a day of peace talks in the southern US state of Florida and will continue their efforts on Sunday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters that the meeting with US counterparts Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been constructive.
“The discussions are proceeding constructively. They began earlier and will continue today, and will also continue tomorrow,” Dmitriev said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio might also join the talks, Dmitriev had said.
Saturday’s negotiations with Russia come after the US spent Friday in talks with Ukraine and European officials. They reported progress on security guarantees for Ukraine. However, it remains unclear to what extent Moscow will accept those terms.
https://p.dw.com/p/55lRx
Skip next section Ukraine calls for US to exert ‘full pressure’ on Russia
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Ukraine calls for US to exert ‘full pressure’ on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to put more pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
“America must clearly say: if not diplomacy, then there will be full pressure,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist.”
Zelenskyy also called for increased arms supplies to Ukraine and sanctions on the entire Russian economy.
Earlier on Saturday, the Ukrainian president said that Washington had proposed trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States (see entry below).
https://p.dw.com/p/55lO5
Skip next section Baltic states urge IOC not to ease restrictions on athletes from Russia, Belarus
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Baltic states urge IOC not to ease restrictions on athletes from Russia, Belarus
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have either been banned or must compete as neutralsImage: ndre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance
Sporting authorities in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to ease restrictions against athletes from Russia and Belarus.
In a joint letter sent to IOC president Kirsty Coventry, the Baltic trio’s respective National Olympic committees said they had “fundamental concerns” about a recent IOC recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian youth athletes to compete internationally under their countries’ flags.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus have only been allowed to compete in some sports as neutrals, while they have been completely banned from participating in others.
The restrictions were imposed in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which Belarus has supported.
“We strongly oppose any measure that would permit athletes representing Russia or Belarus to participate under national flags, anthems, colours, uniforms, or as team entries while the ongoing aggression against Ukraine continues,” the statement said.
“We firmly believe that the credibility of Olympism depends on the consistent defence of peace, human dignity, and respect for international law,” it added.
https://p.dw.com/p/55lJZ
Skip next section Russian envoy arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Russian envoy arrives in Miami for talks with Witkoff, Kushner
Dmitriev (center) also attended talks with Kushner (2nd-left) and Witkoff (right) at the Kremlin this month [FILE]Image: Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, has arrived in Miami.
Dmitriev is set for talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, Russian sources told AFP and Reuters news agencies.
https://p.dw.com/p/55lIO
Skip next section US proposes new talks format that includes Russia and Ukraine — Zelenskyy
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
US proposes new talks format that includes Russia and Ukraine — Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the United States has offered a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which would include American and possibly European envoys.
“The US said they would have a separate meeting with representatives of Russia. And they proposed the following format, as far as I understand: Ukraine, America, Russia, and, since there are representatives of Europe there, probably Europe as well,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv.
Kyiv will decide on the format after assessing whether the bilateral discussions with US negotiators that resumed on Friday are positive. Zelenskyy said he planned to discuss the matter with Ukraine’s delegation chief, Rustem Umerov.
Ukraine and Russia have not negotiated face-to-face since July, but US-led shuttle diplomacy to end the nearly four-year-long war has intensified in recent weeks.
US negotiators were set to meet with Russian officials in Florida on Saturday.
https://p.dw.com/p/55ksO
Skip next section Zelenskyy rules out holding election in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Zelenskyy rules out holding election in Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that any election in Ukraine cannot be held in Russia-occupied parts of the country.
He also said that the voting process can only take place if security is ensured.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Moscow must not have a say in organizing elections in Ukraine.
His statement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes so that Kyiv could hold a presidential ballot.
“It is not Putin who decides when and in what format the elections in Ukraine will take place,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that Ukraine’s foreign minister had begun work on the infrastructure needed to enable Ukrainians living abroad to vote.
Russia’s Putin blames Ukraine, NATO for war during live Q&A
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https://p.dw.com/p/55ks1
Skip next section Ukraine says it struck Russian warship 1,800km away
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Ukraine says it struck Russian warship 1,800km away
Ukrainian forces say they used drones overnight to attack and damage a Russian warship in the Caspian Sea, some 1,800 kilometers (1,118.4 miles) from the Ukrainian coast.
The General Staff in Kyiv wrote on Telegram on Saturday that the Russian ship ‘Ochotnik’ was on patrol near an oil and gas production platform when it was hit.
Additionally, a drilling platform said to belong to Lukoil was also struck. According to the General Staff, the facility helps supply Russian forces.
That information could not be independently verified, and there has been no confirmation from Russian authorities.
Lukoil was sanctioned by the US Treasury, along with Russia’s other largest oil company, Rosneft, in late October over what Washington called Moscow’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”
Ukraine, which has recently intensified attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, says they are legitimate targets as they are used to fund Russia’s war efforts.
https://p.dw.com/p/55khx
Skip next section Russian missile strike on Odesa port kills 8
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Russian missile strike on Odesa port kills 8
Eight people have been killed and at least 27 wounded following a Russian missile strike on port infrastructure in Odesa late on Friday, emergency services have said.
According to a Telegram post from the Ukrainian Emergency Service, some of those injured were on a bus that was at the epicenter of the strike.
Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa region, said the port was struck by ballistic missiles. Trucks and cars in a parking lot were damaged as a result.
Ukraine suffers blackouts after Russian attack
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There was no immediate confirmation of the strike by Moscow. However, on Saturday morning the Russian Defense Ministry announced it had struck on Friday unspecified “transport and storage infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
They also claimed to have aimed at energy facilities supplying Kyiv’s war efforts.
https://p.dw.com/p/55kgH
Skip next section Russia claims seizing two Ukrainian villages in Donetsk, Sumy
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Russia claims seizing two Ukrainian villages in Donetsk, Sumy
Russia’s Defense Ministry has claimed to have captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry claimed in separate statements on Saturday to have captured the village of Svitle in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and the village of Vysoke in the northeastern Sumy region.
The claims could not be independently verified and Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment.
https://p.dw.com/p/55kec
Skip next section Russian envoy joining talks in Miami
12/20/2025December 20, 2025
Russian envoy joining talks in Miami
New talks are set to take place between Ukrainian, European and United States negotiators as they continue to seek an agreement to a peace plan that would bring an end to the war.
Negotiators, who are already in Florida, will meet with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the US president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Meanwhile, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev announced on social media platform X that he was also heading to Miami.
It is unlikely that Dmitriev will meet with anyone from the Ukrainian or European parties with the relationship continuing to be strained.
Moscow has claimed that Europe’s involvement in helping negotiate a peace deal will only hinder the process.
The US have been pushing for a peace plan that would see Washington offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but would also mean Kyiv will likely be expected to surrender some territory.
Kyiv has thus rejected ceding territory to Moscow.
Ahead of Saturday’s discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised Ukraine would not be forced into making any agreement they were uncomfortable with, saying “there’s no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it.”
Rubio said he may join the talks in Miami but did not commit to doing so.
https://p.dw.com/p/55keH
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Nine people were killed and at least 10 others wounded when gunmen opened fire inside a South African pub early Sunday, sparking a manhunt for the attackers in the country’s second mass shooting in less than a month.
The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. at KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal, a township located 28 miles west of Johannesburg. Police said about 12 unknown suspects in a white mini-bus and a silver sedan opened fire at pub patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they sped away from the scene.
“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” police said.
SHOOTING AT CROWDED SOUTH CAROLINA BAR LEAVES AT LEAST 4 DEAD, 20 OTHERS INJURED
South African police gather at the scene of a mass shooting where gunmen killed nine and injured at least 10 in a pub in Bekkersdal, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/ Alfonso Nqunjana)
Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana, Gauteng’s acting provincial commissioner, told The Associated Press that the gunmen, some of whom covered their faces with balaclavas, were armed with an AK-47 rifle and several 9mm pistols.
Onlookers gather at the scene of a mass shooting, where gunmen killed nine and injured at least 10 in a pub in Bekkersdal, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/ Alfonso Nqunjana)
TRUMP BLOCKS SOUTH AFRICA FROM 2026 G20 SUMMIT FOR ALLEGED ‘HORRIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES’
Authorities have launched a manhunt for the suspects, led by Gauteng’s Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit in coordination with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.
South African police investigate a mass shooting in Bekkersdal, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/ Alfonso Nqunjana)
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The attack follows a string of mass shootings at bars — often called shebeens or taverns in South Africa. Earlier this month, multiple gunmen opened fire at an unlicensed bar near the capital, killing at least 12 people and injuring 13 others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The United States has intercepted another vessel off the coast of Venezuela, the second such operation this weekend, according to reports.
The move comes after President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Officials, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, did not say which vessel was intercepted Sunday and did not give a specific location for the operation.
Bloomberg reported that US forces boarded a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker sanctioned by the US that was en route to Venezuela to load.
Trump on Tuesday said he was ordering “A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.”
The US Coast Guard boards an oil tanker on Dec. 20 that was last docked in Venezuela (Department of Homeland Security)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a warning Saturday after the Coast Guard seized an oil tanker, which hadn’t appeared on US sanctions lists.
The tanker contained sanctioned PDVSA oil, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem wrote in a statement posted to social media. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”
In the days since U.S. forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week, there has been an effective embargo in place, with loaded vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil staying in Venezuelan waters rather than risk seizure.
NEED TO KNOW
- NBA star Jaylen Brown is opening up to PEOPLE exclusively about his hair journey after a few on-court moments when a product on his head wound up on players’ jerseys went viral
- The Boston Celtics Guard is partnering with Nutrafol to destigmatize hair loss
- “It’s easy for the world to just be making fun of someone who is potentially losing their hair, but I don’t think they think about the mental health aspect of it where they’re losing much more than that, their confidence, their self-belief,” Brown says
Jaylen Brown is opening up about his hair journey.
The Boston Celtics star, 29, is partnering with hair growth supplement brand Nutrafol to address his hair thinning head-on, as well as to destigmatize hair loss and conversations around the topic for the millions of people who experience it.
The elite athlete spoke to PEOPLE exclusively about his changing hair, the viral on-court moment that thrust his head into the spotlight, and why he’s choosing to face the situation with humor.
Brown says he started to experience “hair issues” one to two years ago.
“When I first noticed it, it wasn’t significant. I used to have braids, but when I would take [them] out, I would be shedding a lot of hair,” he shares.
It prompted Brown to try out topical solutions like serums to improve his hair health, but “nothing seemed to work,” he adds.
“Then I cut my hair,” Brown continues. But as the stress of being in a “pressurized environment” mounted, the issue increased.
Said pressurized environment — ICYMI when he went live on streaming platform Twitch declaring a “code red” — is being a professional athlete in Boston, Mass.
“It’s the high expectation to win [the championship], or the season is a failure,” he explains.
After being drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2016 and playing in the city for 10 years, which included winning the franchise’s 18th championship in 2024, the conditions have “become the norm” — but that doesn’t mean they don’t wear on him.
“Being a star player, every win and every loss has an impact,” the Boston Celtics guard admits.
His braids gone, Brown’s adjusted to getting regular haircuts, and says it’s normal barbershop decorum for a barber “to add enhancements to make [your hairline] look even or [cover] spots where you’re thinning.”
Brown says, “They use sprays and things like that. It’s just a normal thing people do.”
What’s less likely normal is that someone who’s wearing some type of coverup product is a professional athlete who competes at the intense level Brown does day in and day out.
So on October 24, when a product on Brown’s head left a mark on his New York Knicks player OG Anunoby’s jersey, the split-second in time went viral.
Jaylen Brown.
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty
Brown, who was locked into the game, didn’t immediately notice what happened. When he did, “I was a little bit embarrassed. And then I got mad at myself for being embarrassed at all.”
“After a while, it was like, ‘Those dudes should be grateful.’” [A hair product on his head would also leave marks on Detroit Pistons player Ron Holland and Washington Wizards player Kyshon George in the following days.]
“They’re lucky that I left my mark on them. I should get a thank you card: You have the residue of a champion on you. You’re welcome.'”
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP’s response is a testament to his strong mindset. “When embarrassment, failure, loss, anything like that happens, there’s two ways you can go. It can be spirit breaking, and you can go into a little shell and try to hide from it, or you can use it as fuel, get more focus, get more discipline, get more locked in, and go out and maximize your potential.”
“I’m the second one,” Brown continues. “I’m the maximize your potential type of guy. I’m going to level up every time. So when it happened and it felt like the whole world was chiming in, it just gave me more motivation to come out and do what I’m doing this season. And the very next game [after the Knicks] I had 40 points. It’s almost like I need the world to feel cold a little bit.”
Brown says he welcomes what others might perceive as uncomfortable moments. “I know a lot of people are afraid of embarrassment and afraid of failure and afraid of looking silly or whatever the case may be. And I started to notice about myself, one, I could care less. And, two, when those moments happen and people think they’re making fun of me, it actually makes me become a stronger, more disciplined, more focused individual. So I’m like, ‘Why not?’ I’d do it next week if I needed to get my mind to where it needed to be. I’ll rub my hair on three more teams.”
Jaylen Brown.
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty
At times when the experience hasn’t been a good feeling, Brown has reminded himself, “all things being considered, I’m blessed.”
But he personally knows a lot of people who have experienced hair thinning and hair loss, and understands that “it can potentially mess with your confidence,” and that’s why he’s sharing his story with Nutrafol to empower others.
He’s also open to solutions that can improve hair thinning, which is why he’s giving Nutrafol’s supplements a go.
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Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, Chief Medical Advisor at Nutrafol, tells PEOPLE that hair thinning “is often multifactorial” and factors like stress can play a enormous role “whether it be acute stress from a specific event, or the impact of chronic stress that cumulates over time.”
“Stress can raise cortisol levels and this stress hormone can tell your hair to stop growing and start shedding,” Woolery-Lloyd explains. Nutrafol, which has become the number one dermatologist-recommended hair growth supplement brand since launching in 2016, “takes a whole-body approach to address root causes of hair thinning including stress.”
Nutrafol formulates different products for men and women to address their unique needs. Woolery-Lloyd says a key ingredient in Nutrafol Men is ashwagandha, “which supports healthy stress response and cortisol balance. Other root causes of hair thinning include nutrition, hormones, lifestyle, metabolism, and aging, which Nutrafol takes a whole-body approach to addressing [as well].”
Because stress-related hair thinning usually occurs three to six months after an event, it can be confusing to pinpoint. Woolery-Lloyd recommends seeing a dermatologist if you’re concerned about hair thinning as they can “help determine whether hair thinning is stress related or if there are other contributing factors.”
Jaylen Brown.
Rich Storry/Getty
When you sign up for a Nutrafol subscription, you one-on-one wellness consultations with licensed naturopathic doctors, who review your hair health history and help determine whether additional evaluation or testing may be useful. Additionally, you can have a hair mineral analysis conducted on a small sample of your hair to gain insights into what root causes may be impacting your hair.
Nutrafol Men consists of supplements and a serum. Brown has begun taking the supplements.
“It’s easy,” he says of weaving them into his wellness routine, which also includes sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, red light therapy, mindful eating and more.
“I take vitamins already. So to be able to have something that’s easy and that science backs up puts you back on track. And that’s what I’m looking [for], because I’m still in a fight. I’m not bald yet. My hair is still growing, it’s thinning but we’re still in a fight. Nutrafol is helping me stay in the fight.”
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Through this partnership, Brown hopes to put a spotlight on what people who are experiencing hair loss are actually going through.
“My hair was fine a couple years ago, and then a couple years later it’s not. It is an emotional experience and journey. And if I wasn’t me, I could see how that could affect my mental health, [or] could affect others’.”
“It’s easy for the world to just be making fun of someone who is potentially losing their hair, but I don’t think they think about the mental health aspect of it where they’re losing much more than that, their confidence, their self-belief, all that type of stuff,” Brown says.
“For me, that wasn’t the case because I’ve been to some very, very dark places mentally and I’ve advocated for mental health a lot. So [given] the stuff that I’ve gone through, this is low on a totem pole, but that’s not to say other males or females who are experiencing these types of things aren’t experiencing those mental health issues that come along with it, and I hope they find the peace and the solutions or whatever that they deserve because it is kind of tough, low-key.”
Jaylen Brown.
Cole Burston/Getty
In addition to his healthy frame of mind, Brown has been able to infuse humor into his own situation, calling LeBron James while on Twitch to alert him, “they caught me slipping” as well as considering flying to Turkey, a hot spot for hair transplants, between games.
“I’ve always used humor as a coping mechanism in the sense of me and my family, we always just laugh things off, but that doesn’t mean certain stuff still doesn’t affect you. It still is affecting me, but it’s affected me less than maybe the average person.”
“In reality, things could be a lot worse, you know what I mean? And I like to laugh, I like to joke, so I get it. And I think the world needs more humor to some degree. But you still bring humor, but I’m doing this to also [address] the mental health components of hair loss, just to show the balance. Both things can be true.”
“You can laugh it off, but you also can address some things that probably need to be addressed personally so that you could find the stability mentally that you need because some people may struggle with that dynamic.”
Jaylen Brown.
John Fisher/Getty
Next year Brown will be 30. He says his response to this situation is the energy he’s bringing into the next decade.
“I want to attack any type of fear, any insecurity, any inch of doubt that I have within myself, full force. I don’t want it to have any space to live. So if I’m afraid of anything, I’m going after it. If I have one thought where I feel intimidated or I feel less or small, I’m going after it. I’m going into my 30s fearless. I’m going into my 30s with unwavering faith. I’m going into my 30s with no inch of doubt or self-limiting beliefs within me — at all.”
WORLD NEWS
Bashar al-Assad’s new life in Moscow – playing PlayStation games and ‘brushing up on ophthalmology’, living in luxury apartment away from the outside world after falling out with Putin
Exiled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is said to spend his days playing video games and brushing up on his ophthalmology skills in his luxury Moscow flat and country villa after being granted asylum by Vladimir Putin.
The deposed ruler, branded the ‘Butcher’ for killing his own people, has found a new life in a plush 1000ft tower after fleeing Syria when he was toppled in December, bringing an end to 24 years of brutal dictatorship.
The 60-year-old is believed to live in three apartments in a luxury high-rise with a mall downstairs in the Moscow City district, a glittering business centre in the heart of the Russian capital.
The skyscraper penthouse is ‘lavishly decorated — cream-coloured wardrobes with gold trim, crystal chandeliers, and wide sofas reminiscent of Middle Eastern palaces’.
The ostentatious complex, where his family owns around 20 apartments worth more than £30million across three floors, is attached to a shopping mall, which he sometimes visit.
The brutal dictator fled to Russia after a lightning offensive led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in December brought to an end a 13-year civil war and six decades of the Assad family’s autocratic rule.
Since then, he has resumed his training as an eye doctor to treat the elite of Moscow, the city he now calls home following his deposal, a source close to the family has claimed.
A friend of his family told the Guardian: ‘He’s studying Russian and brushing up on his ophthalmology again.
Bashar Al-Assad (pictured) was known as the ‘Butcher’ of his nation for the brutality of his treatment of his people
Assad now lives with his cancer-stricken British wife Asma Al-Assad, sons Hafez and Karim, aged 24 and 21, and 22-year-old daughter Zein
Exiled Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad reportedly spends his days playing video games in his luxury Moscow flat
‘It’s a passion of his, he obviously doesn’t need the money. Even before the war in Syria began, he used to regularly practice his ophthalmology in Damascus’.
He trained in ophthalmology in London in the early 1990s, but was recalled back to his home nation following the unexpected death of his brother in a car crash in 1994.
Shortly after, he entered military academy and took over as the heir apparent to the regime.
Now he spends much of his fays playing online video games, despite being freely allowed to move around Moscow and his country villa outside of the Russian capital.
He has been provided with bodyguards from a private security firm paid by the Russian government.
The friend said he now lives ‘a very quiet life’, adding: ‘He has very little, if any, contact with the outside world. He’s only in touch with a couple of people who were in his palace, like Mansour Azzam [former Syrian minister of presidency affairs] and Yassar Ibrahim [Assad’s top economic crony].’
Part of this comes from Putin’s apparent dismissal of al-Assad following the fall of the regime in Syria.
A source close to the Kremlin told the newspaper: ‘Putin has little patience for leaders who lose their grip on power, and Assad is no longer seen as a figure of influence or even an interesting guest to invite to dinner’.
Images of Assad wearing speedos has generated ridicule on social media following the fall of his regime
One picture found following the regime’s fall shows Assad in nothing but white pants and a vest, clearly posing for the camera
A picture believed to be showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wearing only speedos is taken by Rebels following the capture of his palace in Aleppo
Pictures of apartments in the complex show luxury fittings and high-end furnishings, as well as panoramic views of Moscow (illustrative picture shows an apartment in the building)
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Should exiled dictators like Assad be allowed to live in luxury while their people suffer?
Assad now lives with his cancer-stricken British wife Asma Al-Assad, sons Hafez and Karim, aged 24 and 21, and 22-year-old daughter Zein.
Asma, who was born in London and married into the brutal autocratic dynasty in 2000, is described as being in a ‘serious’ condition from her leukaemia.
She has become accustomed to a life of luxury, with reports that she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on home furnishings and clothes during her husband’s reign of terror.
Their plush Moscow pad provides similar opulence, with a 20 metre high lobby flooded with light and decorated with modern art. There are sofas, partitions, and a welcome drink for visitors.
They have a huge heated bath in front of a 13ft window in a 990ft skyscraper which enjoys one of the finest views in Moscow.
The bathroom is made entirely of Carrara marble.
‘On Victory Day on May 9, you can watch the fireworks from the bathtub with a glass of champagne,’ Natasha, who sells penthouses in the same tower in the Moscow City district, told De Zeit.
The Assads ‘are in a good place and are enjoying the money they stole. The Syrian people mean nothing to them,’ the German newspaper, citing Syrian sources, reported.
Assad’s younger brother Maher reportedly stays at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow and spends his time drinking and smoking hookah.
Revelations of the family’s luxury life in Moscow emerged as the Putin regime was forced to deny that Assad had been poisoned in an assassination attempt.
One image shows him in a khaki hunter costume with a gun and fur accessory, standing alongside friends who are also in costume
These photos appear to show the 59-year-old as a young man in the 80s and 90s
The fall of the Assad regime in Syria was widely seen as being a major embarrassment for Putin, who offered him refuge
A general view shows hundreds of people gathered in Al-Assi Square during celebrations marking one year since the city’s liberation, in Hama, Syria, December 5 2025
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that the former Damascus despot ‘has no problems living in our capital’.
Rumours of a food poisoning which led to Assad being hospitalised spread in late September.
But Lavrov said the following month: ‘There have been no poisonings, and if such rumours appear, I leave them on the conscience of those who spread them.’
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed citing a ‘private source’ that Assad had been hospitalised on the outskirts of Moscow.
The source claimed that Assad ‘had been poisoned’ and that the motive behind the assassination operation was ‘to embarrass the Russian government and accuse it of being complicit’ in his death.
The report said Assad’s condition was ‘stable’ after hospitalisation.
Lavrov also sought to justify Putin rescuing Assad from the revolution engulfing Syria and giving him a safe haven.
‘Bashar Assad is here for humanitarian reasons. He and his family were facing physical destruction,’ he said.
‘We all remember the fate of [Libyan leader] Muammar Gaddafi, which so delighted Hillary Clinton, who watched his physical destruction live on television and applauded.
‘And we, for purely humanitarian reasons, have granted asylum to Bashar Assad and his family. He has no problems living in our capital.
His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 which was considered cured until the cancer returned as leukaemia in 2024.
She was already in Moscow undergoing treatment when her husband’s regime was toppled.
Their son Hafez, 23, who studied in Moscow, has told of the family’s escape from Damascus after Putin’s military pulled them just before they were engulfed by the revolution.
He admitted the downfall of the regime had come as a shock.
‘There was never a plan – not even a backup – to leave Damascus, let alone Syria,’ he admitted in a video, now deleted.
A Syrian rebel fires a weapon into the air to celebrate the rebel takeover of Damascus, in Homs, Syria, early 08 December 2024
Smoke rises after Syrian rebels took over Damascus, Syria, December 8 2024
‘After consulting with Moscow, base command informed us that our transfer to Russia had been requested.
‘Some time later, we boarded a Russian military plane bound for Moscow, where we landed that same night.’
Assad remains a wanted man by the new government in Syria, which issued an arrest warrant on charges of premeditated murder, torture, and incitement to civil war.
The warrant issued a precise description of him as ‘1.89 metres tall, oval face, prominent forehead, long nose. Eye color: Blue. Hair color: Brown.’
The plant carries a fatal poison called oenanthotoxin in its white roots, which look like a bunch of parsnips and smell of parsley. If ingested in even small quantities, the toxin will start to attack the nervous system
SOURCE PAGE
Israeli forces have shot dead two Palestinians, including a teenage boy, during separate raids in the Jenin governorate in the occupied West Bank, officials say, with security camera footage showing soldiers shooting the victim at a “point-blank” range.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced late on Saturday that Rayyan Abdel Qader, 16, had been fatally shot by Israeli forces after storming the town of Qabatiya, while the second victim, 22-year-old Ahmad Zayoud, was killed in Silat al-Harithiya, west of Jenin.
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Witnesses said Israeli troops had opened fire directly at Abdel Qader, the Wafa news agency reported on Sunday, blocking emergency crews from reaching him, leaving him to bleed until he died. His body was held by Israeli forces, the Palestinian agency reported.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Zayoud was shot in the chest. A 15-year-old Palestinian boy sustained injuries to his hand during the incident, the ministry said.
Zayoud’s killing comes about a week after Israeli forces killed a 16-year-old in the town.
Reporting from Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said surveillance footage showed Abdel Qader walking towards what locals said was his home when Israeli forces shot him “point-blank”.
“We don’t often have video surveillance to show how many of these killings have been done under what Palestinians call extrajudicial killings, which is Israeli forces killing Palestinians point-blank or under excuses that they say they’ve been doing something that is seen as resisting Israeli forces,” she said.
“Not only that, they refused to let anyone come close to the body for 40 minutes, a practice we’ve been seeing a lot in the occupied West Bank where Israeli forces kind of wait for the person to die,” Ibrahim said.
Al Jazeera spoke to Abdel Qader’s family, who said they had no idea what had happened.
“It’s really part of the pain that the families have to endure, seeing videos like that showing how little regard the Israeli army has for Palestinian lives,” Ibrahim said.
Over 200 children killed since 2023
On the other hand, the Israeli military said the deaths occurred after the victims hurled a block and an explosive at their forces – claims that have turned out to be false most of the time. It claimed that Abdel Qader had been shot after hurling a block towards its soldiers, who responded with fire, while Zayoud had thrown an explosive.
No Israeli troops were injured in the incidents, it said.
The latest deaths bring the death toll from Israeli attacks in the occupied West Bank to 1,101, including 229 children, since October 7, 2023 – the day of the Hamas-led attack that led to a brutal Israeli response against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Nearly 21,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli authorities during that period. As of December 1, some 9,300 Palestinian prisoners were in Israeli jails, more than a third of them detained without charges.
Palestinian prisoners have routinely been tortured, sexually abused and even killed in custody, while attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have surged amid the mainstreaming of the far-right in the country. Israel has confirmed the identities of 86 Palestinian prisoners who died in its custody. On Sunday, the Israeli government approved the construction of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank in violation of international laws.
Numerous rights organisations have dubbed Israeli action in Gaza as an act of genocide, and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes.
The violence has played out in tandem with ongoing deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire signed in October, prompting warnings that they could jeopardise diplomatic efforts to advance to the second phase of the United States-brokered agreement. Israel has killed at least 400 Palestinians since the ceasefire pushed by US President Donald Trump came into effect on October 10.
Two killed in Gaza City
Meanwhile, a medical source at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Arab Hospital said two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday in the Shujayea neighbourhood in the east of the city.
The source said the killings took place near the so-called yellow line, demarcating territory under Israeli military control.
An Al Jazeera team on the ground reported that Israeli artillery shelling and helicopter gunfire were also targeting areas near Israeli positions east of Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip.
The latest killings in Gaza came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Turkish state news agency Anadolu that Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement are “creating major risks for transitioning to the second phase”.
Fidan’s comments came as he joined diplomats from the US, Egypt and Qatar in the US city of Miami to review the first phase of the agreement reached in October.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Ministry of Interior and National Security said four people were killed when a three-storey house collapsed in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood on Saturday night.
The latest deaths brought the total number of people killed in such circumstances to 18 since the ceasefire came into effect in October.
The Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza said on Sunday it had successfully rescued five people, including a child and two women, from the building.
Allie Wharf’s career unfolded amid conflict. As a senior foreign producer for Newsnight, she reported on Iraq and Afghanistan. Just two years ago, she was filming mass graves in Ukraine.
But burnt out by wars, and after a detour farming ducks in Tanzania, Wharf has now settled on the quiet north Norfolk coast. Here, alongside her life and business partner, Willie Athill, she has embarked on a different kind of mission: the creation of Europe’s largest natural oyster reef.
The Luna Oyster Project, a collaboration between Norfolk Seaweed and Oyster Heaven, aims to restore 4 million oysters to the North Sea, using the first-ever mass deployment of mother reef bricks.
These fired clay structures provide the skeleton of a lost world. Centuries of bottom trawling and human impact have stripped historical oyster reefs bare, leaving only scattered fragments of what was once a teeming underwater landscape across Britain and Europe. These reefs, long absent, are now poised to anchor a new era of marine life along the coast.
The project rebuilds reefs with fired clay bricks, giving oysters structures to cling to. Photograph: Michael Leckie/PA Media Assignments
Luna’s new mother reefs have recently been installed 2 miles out to sea. In April, millions of baby oysters from Morecambe Bay will be rehoused in their nooks and crannies, slowly forming their own natural reefs that could one day connect with smaller restoration projects to the north and south, forming a living lattice of biodiversity along England’s North Sea coastline.
“It’s been very expensive and time-consuming,” Wharf admitted. “Our licence application was 280 pages and cost six figures.” Securing the licence took more than three years. George Birch from Oyster Heaven said: “None of the licences care that you’re restoring biodiversity. We had to jump through the same hoops as oil and gas platforms.”
Beyond the paperwork, the job itself demands delicate attention. “You have to tend to oysters like babies,” Wharf said. “It’s like a sweet nursery. We’re even considering whether to play the music of the sea to them; it has to be recorded locally because they’re very sensitive to different sea sounds.” Birch called the reefs “living soil”, sparks of life on an otherwise barren seabed.
Oysters are astonishingly fecund. Across multiple spawning seasons, over a lifespan of 10 years or more, a single female can release tens of millions of eggs, even though the vast majority perish before they ever find a surface to cling to.
The oysters are not for eating, but the restoration is more than a purely ecological exercise. It is also a community endeavour. The project has employed local ecologists, project managers and crew, reviving skills and livelihoods that once thrived around oyster and mussel farming.
Birch said: “Historically, the North Sea was crystal-clear, unrecognisable compared to today’s muted waters, because trillions of oysters were filtering the waves, each little creature cleansing 200 litres of water every day.”
Native oyster reefs also act as natural wave breaks, stabilising coastlines, fostering biodiversity and transforming flat seabeds into complex, three-dimensional ecosystems teeming with life.
“A reef will create an entire ecosystem out of a barren seabed,” said Birch. “We did a trial run on a virtually bare seabed in the Netherlands and after one year, there were 12.7 million brand-new crabs, worms, fish, microbes and fungi on the reefs.”
That is why the project is largely funded by Purina, the pet food company. “What they are buying from us is supply-chain resilience,” said Birch. “Purina source fish from the North Sea for their products and need to know that resource is going to be sustainable and high-quality. By improving the marine environment, that’s what our oysters are doing for them.”
Oysters themselves are exquisitely sensitive, responding to light, pressure and sound. Not only can they change sex but Birch described realising that his hatchery female oysters were only spawning eggs on Mondays.
“We were, like, ‘How do they know it’s Monday?’” he said. “Then we realised that Mondays come after the two quiet weekend days, showing they were aware of the peacefulness in the room around them at the weekend and so felt safe enough to mature their eggs. How awesome is that?”
From the chaos of war zones to the meticulous care of microscopic life, Wharf, Athill and Birch are cultivating tiny, perceptive lives that will quietly transform the seabed into vibrant ecosystems – hopefully reshaping the North Sea.
“One of the most beautiful things that I’ve discovered about oysters is how sensitive they are,” said Birch. “They can sense pressure changes in the air outside the water: if you open a door into the hatchery room, they’ll all shut their shells. They know you’ve come in.”