island

This time last year, Antelope Reef was mostly submerged underwater and barely visible unless you were steaming past at low tide. New satellite imagery, provided to TWZ by Vantor, showcases what the People’s Republic of China (PRC) can construct after 10 months of nonstop dredging: a nearly 1,500-acre artificial island with a deep-water port, 2,000-plus-foot quay capable of berthing warships, and the beginnings of a 10,000-foot-long military-grade runway. Hardly recognizable today, Antelope Reef has become the latest, and one of the largest, man-made outposts in Beijing’s aggressive campaign to militarize and dominate the South China Sea.

The “first phase” of construction is now complete, according to a report from Reuters, following the departure of a fleet of dredgers that have been on station for months. Vantor, a spatial intelligence company, shared the images, dated August 11, with TWZ that show the results of the rapid transformation in detail, which you can view in high resolution below.

Reports surfaced in early 2026 about unusual PRC activity around the reef, which is located in the northwest part of the South China Sea, approximately 160 nautical miles (nm) south of Hainan, China, and 200 nm east of Da Nang, Vietnam. The fleet of PRC cutter-suction dredgers appeared late last year, assembling at the Zhujiang River Estuary and transiting with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders dark to avoid unwanted attention. Once on the scene, they began working around the clock to move sand from the seabed to create ground above.

The pace of construction and rate of change have been staggering, and show how much progress the PRC has made in its reclamation and land-building capabilities. In less than a year, the PRC dredged more than a million tons of sand to reclaim approximately 1,500 acres of land. The teardrop-shaped island is now 3.7 miles long, surrounded by seawalls and internal roads, with ongoing construction underway at three primary locations around the lagoon – which you can see marked on the graphic above. For comparison, construction of the artificial islands in the Spratly Islands, more than a decade ago, took several years.

Antelope Reef, or Lingyang Jiao to the Chinese and Đá Hải Sâm to the Vietnamese, is part of the Crescent archipelago in the Paracel Island chain. China has occupied the Paracels since 1974, but the territory is still disputed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

In the latest satellite imagery from Vantor, several notable features are discernible and were first identified by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). On the northwest side, preparations are being made for what will likely eventually be a 10,000-foot-long, 180-foot-wide runway, similar to those built at Fiery Cross, Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, and Woody Island. The northwest edge of the island is the only area long enough to accommodate a runway capable of landing large military and commercial aircraft, and grading appears to be about halfway complete – but no concrete has been poured yet. AMTI also identified excavation for a 200-by-200-foot structure nearby, which mirrors the footprint of the large aircraft hangars at China’s other island-airfields.

On the southern part of the island, a 680-meter – roughly 2,200 feet – quay where both military and civilian ships can dock inside the lagoon is clearly visible. Reuters noted that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel was spotted dockside at the quay recently. The east side of the island, just below the channel entrance, hosts the only part of the base in active use, with green space areas, a helicopter pad, and parking lots, as well as buildings for administrative spaces and housing. Temporary piers are visible at each of the major points. Two concrete plants, located along the northwestern and southern edges of the lagoon, are supporting construction efforts. TWZ has not independently confirmed AMTI’s assessments.

According to PRC state media, Antelope will be used for commercial and civilian purposes – a similar tale told during construction of the other military outposts while they were being developed. It’s worth noting that in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping stood in the Rose Garden next to then-President Barack Obama and said, “China does not intend to pursue militarization” in the South China Sea. “Relevant construction activity that China is undertaking in the Nansha Islands does not target or impact any country and there is no intention to militarize,” he claimed, using the Chinese name for the disputed Spratly Islands. Since Xi’s head fake, which epitomizes the notorious PRC “say-do” gap, Beijing has built up multiple artificial islands as military bases, and has used them to press its territorial claims and confront its neighbors across the nine-dash line, in strict defiance of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Antelope Reef sits in a key strategic location south of Sanya Port and Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, home to two of the three People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) aircraft carriers, CNS Shandong and CNS Fujian, as well as a significant submarine force at Longpo Naval Base. A military base there could extend PLA radar and electronic surveillance coverage, add another dispersed airfield to the PLA’s rolodex to launch sorties from and an additional port to dock ships at, and further expand China’s sweeping air defense umbrella.

The constellation of artificial islands would be instrumental in enforcing total control over the South China Sea, serving as key anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) nodes. They act as logistical and persistent surveillance nodes, among other uses, today, and the more that China has dispersed throughout the South China Sea, the greater its options are as well as the credibility of its anti-access capabilities.

“I have no doubt that this marginally benefits China in that it’ll be able to forward deploy more Coast Guard and more militia in the Paracels persistently. It will, I’m sure, facilitate more persistent aerial patrols,” Greg Poling, the senior fellow who oversees AMTI, said on the Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific podcast earlier this year. “But the main benefit is probably the ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance] component; the ground-based sensing you get just building stuff.”

Beijing’s land grab in the South China Sea shows no signs of slowing down, and Antelope Reef marks the latest in a decades-long string of island seizures that it can leverage during a potential dustup in the future. But whether it will eventually run out of islands to claim remains unclear. “China doesn’t have a lot left to dig,” according to Poling, “so unless China plans to seize another island, I don’t see it building anything, at least anything substantial.”

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io

The guide was adamant. “I’ve picked human teeth out of there and I’m not doing it again.” The small group of tourists looked suitably aghast, except the boy. He was jiggling the wellington boots on his feet and singing to himself. He looked about 14. I sensed that he was the catalyst, the one to make things happen.

“So, if anyone is planning to leave human remains in this ancient place,” went on the guide, throwing the boy a stern look, “I say, DON’T.”

We had arrived on the visitor centre bus from nearby Knowth, the first stop on our tour of Newgrange Neolithic site, 30 miles (50km) north of Dublin. I was on a circuit of the Irish Sea, a ferry and road trip to see the best ancient sites that ring this salty mere at the heart of these islands. It was here, around 5,100 years ago, that a new people arrived and, capitalising on the sea as a cultural superhighway, constructed a dazzling array of stone monuments. Some of Europe’s finest Neolithic passage tombs are here, notably at Newgrange, the only one you can enter. But as the guide was sternly pointing out, some modern folk are irresistibly drawn to leave the ashes of deceased relatives inside, especially at Newgrange.

The plush visitor centre had been informative but had not conveyed the deep atavistic intensity that drives such tributes. There was magic here. I wanted to feel it. I had a hunch this boy was in touch with it.

“As for pets,” said our guide, “I want no dog or cat ashes either.”

The boy was drumming his hands on his knees, hearing an unheard rhythm. We were about to walk up to the hallowed tumulus with its 19-metre-long passageway that leads to the central chamber, but our guide was determined to get that boy’s attention. “There,” she shouted. The boy’s head shot up. She was pointing at a set of wheelie bins in the corner. “I can promise you,” she went on, grimly, “that if I find your granny’s remains inside my Neolithic chamber, then her last resting place will be that green wheelie bin.”

There was a stunned silence among the tourists. But not the boy. He immediately ran over to the bin, opened the lid and stared inside.

“Nothing,” he reported, slamming it down. “She’s not there.”

The guide looked nonplussed, then marched away towards the hill that is a tomb. “Follow me,” she commanded. “Do not leave the path.”

Everyone obeyed, except the boy. He ran in a great arc off the path, arms flapping like shamanic wings.

We had started our huge circular journey around the Irish Sea at Pentre Ifan, a magnificent tomb from 3500BC, sited on the same Pembrokeshire ridge that provided the bluestone for Stonehenge. I was travelling with my partner, Sophie, and our dog, Stevie, who had gone through complex hoops to prove he was not carrying either rabies or tapeworm into Ireland. He liked the first ferry, from Pembroke Dock to Rosslare; it had an excellent pet lounge, but what fascinated him was the sea. He could not stop staring. His reaction made me pay more attention to him. Could dogs, I wondered, also help connect us with the deep past? After all, their wolf heritage is 30,000 years old, yet they relive it every minute of their lives. If anyone could remember the Neolithic age, it was Stevie.

He had been well cared for initially. We stayed near Wexford, in a dog-friendly hotel, Marlfield House, with superb gardens. Then we toured the ruins of the greatest Irish saint of them all, Kevin. His sixth-century seat at Glendalough, in County Wicklow, is now a busy pilgrimage site. Twelfth-century Trim Castle in County Meath was next, followed by the Hill of Tara with its ancient standing stone, the Lia Fáil. Here all the pagan kings of Ireland were crowned, so the legend goes.

At its base, visitors had laid a collection of apples, flowers and coins. That puzzled me. Were the apples significant? Or had that gang of girls carrying hurling sticks just donated their unwanted snacks? Some people, it was clear, wanted such places to mean something, not simply be dusty artefacts.

I persuaded Stevie to lie down on a nearby grassy mound. Under us was the Mound of the Hostages, a chambered tomb that was already ancient when the Great Pyramid was built. Time slipped away. Those Neolithic people are so distant and mysterious. What we know for certain is almost nothing. They had cows … and dogs. I opened one eye. Stevie had gone. He’d given up communing with the stone age and gone after the hurling sticks.

That night, we stayed in another excellent dog-friendly hotel, Bellinter House, and visited Marcie Regan’s in Trim, a vibrant, dog-loving pub. Not until Newgrange did we meet the dreaded sign, NO DOGS. I’d been forced to leave him in the car, my dæmon, my conduit to the ancient.

Our guide stopped us at the entrance to the great megalithic structure, a turf-topped hill walled with white quartz. Discovered largely intact in 1699, the entrance was guarded by the same five-tonne stone that sits there now, covered in mysterious swirling patterns. Behind was a narrow entrance and a passage that lay under 200,000 tonnes of stone and earth.

“If you get claustrophobic,” said the guide, “you can leave at any time. Do not touch the carvings.”

Out the corner of my eye, I saw the boy come running. He had done a lap of the monument, chanting to himself, his little sister close behind. The guide bowed her head and disappeared inside. The boy ran his fingertips over the carvings and followed. I went in next. My unsatisfied desire for stone age magic was about to be fulfilled.

The tunnel is slightly kinked and rises imperceptibly. You don’t see the final chamber. The mystery grows. There are patterns on some stones. A deep silence descends. I thought of Stevie back in the car. They found the bones of a dog in here, and its DNA showed traces of wolf from both Europe and Asia. Stevie’s Neolithic moment, however, would have to wait.

At the end of the corridor, we arrived in a small chamber. Above, the roof was made of massive stones. In more than 5,000 years, it has not leaked. It looks haphazard, but is perfect, a Rolex assembled by Flintstones. The most impressive thing, however, was not understood until Prof Michael O’Kelly came and stood in this chamber on 21 December 1967. Our guide was now going to recreate that event, and what has happened at dawn on every winter solstice since about 3150BC.

We were in complete darkness. The boy had pressed himself into a niche where a huge stone basin sat. Human remains, ancient ones, had been found there. And then, the guide touched a hidden switch and a golden light came creeping up the passageway towards us, finally illuminating a triple spiral of megalithic art carved into one giant stone. It was like hearing a deep harmonic chord, or the haunting cry of a night bird, something profound and enigmatic. I forgave the bus, the tickets, the gift shop – all the paraphernalia of the tourism business – and saw the genius of this recreation.

Light slowly filled the chamber. We were all dumbstruck, except the boy. He spoke out loud and bold. “Question. Are there aliens here?”

The guide shook her head impatiently. “I won’t have any talk of aliens.”

The boy nodded and turned to his little sister. “That means there are.”

Then he was gone, scurrying down the tunnel in a half crouch, humming to himself.

A huge storm came in that night, downing trees and flooding roads. We drove through it to Belfast and hunkered down in our hotel.

Next day, thankfully in calm weather, we sailed for the Isle of Man. Landing here was like travelling back in time, to around AD1950. Manx ancient monuments do not come with visitor centres and guides, they come only with a cast iron sign, “Ancient Monument”. We climbed the highest peak, Snaefell, visited several fabulous Celtic crosses and spent ages in the wonderful Manx Museum.

Then, one afternoon, we left the car and walked through fields to the island’s most important Neolithic monument, Cashtal yn Ard. It was in a tussocky field behind a kissing gate and a small sign. No ticket required, only some imagination and, if possible, a stone age scent hound. Behind were ranged the dark hills. The monument itself is a collapsed passage tomb that has left the ghostly imprint of its shape in rows of pale stones, marking the entrance, the tunnel, and finally, a low portal into what is left of the central chamber. Nevertheless, Stevie seemed to know the layout. He ran to the entrance, bounded down the tunnel, dodged through the portal and stopped dead. We lay on our backs and watched the skies. After a few minutes, I sneaked a look at the dog. He was curled up asleep at the exact centre of the vanished chamber.

Travel was provided by Discover Ferries, the industry body for 12 ferry companies. Irish Ferries sails Pembroke to Rosslare from £190 for car plus two (pets travel free). Isle of Man Steam Packet Company sails Belfast to Isle of Man from £179.50 for a car plus two (pets in cars free, pet-accessible cabins £75). Taking a dog to Ireland requires micro-chipping, rabies jab and tapeworm treatment (Stevie’s documents were checked at Rosslare).

Further information from Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and Visit Isle of Man

Dragons’ Den is back on our screens tonight, and for the first time ever, the number of female Dragons outnumbers the males.

A Dragons’ Den star has a surprising link to Love Island.

The BBC programme is returning to screens tonight, and for the first time ever, the number of female Dragons outnumbers the males.

Following the departures of Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies from the beloved BBC show, a string of guest Dragons, including Gary Neville and Tinie Tempah, have joined regulars Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden in the Den.

After a months-long break, the series is continuing with new episodes from Thursday, August 20.

Joining Peter, Steven and Deborah in the Den, North East businesswoman Jenna Meek and The Apprentice star Susie Ma are returning as investors, reports Chronicle Live.

After making her debut on Dragons’ Den earlier this year, Jenna was supported by her followers as she wrote on social media: “The secret is out… Your newest Dragon.

“Been manifesting this one for a long time and it still doesn’t feel real that it actually happened. It has always been a massive goal of mine to be on Dragon’s Den – it was this show (and Deborah sorry other Dragons haha) that inspired me from day one to want to be an entrepreneur.

“I used to watch this show all the time and would dream to pitch on it one day, never mind be a dragon beyond grateful for this incredible opportunity, it pushed me to new limits and had so much fun doing it.

“The most incredible incredible experience and so grateful for the amazing crew and all the incredible dragons who made me feel so welcome.”

Who is Jenna Meek?

Jenna is the co-founder and CEO of beauty brand REFY.

Since its launch in 2020, the company — which Jenna co-founded alongside influencer Jess Hunt — has grown into one of the UK’s fastest-rising beauty brands, boasting an annual turnover exceeding £40m.

Prior to REFY, Jenna held positions at Burberry and Rebecca Minkoff, and set up festival beauty label Shrine from her bedroom at just 20 years old.

First known as The Gypsy Shrine, the company popularised peel-and-stick face and body gems and biodegradable body glitters, with Jenna even visiting the Love Island villa to decorate the likes of Olivia Attwood and Montana Brown in her products for a glitter party.

She previously told Mail Online: “We were just brainstorming and thinking of new ideas. I was like, ‘Let’s get on to Love Island’.”

She continued: “It was so crazy. I had nearly given up but my mum was like, ‘don’t let me down on this’, I had to figure it out and I kept pestering I guess.”

She went on to recall: “Kem [Cetinay] wanted [a lot of glitter], he was like ‘Do this do this!’ I had to tell him, ‘No we’ll keep it silver otherwise you are going to look like an idiot on TV!’”

The 33-year-old has firmly established herself within the industry, earning recognition in The Sunday Times beauty rich list and Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2022.

Jenna’s net worth is thought to be in the region of £52m.

Dragons’ Den airs from 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

The U.S. Navy is reportedly evaluating a major change to the Ford class aircraft carrier design that would move the island superstructure further forward on the flight deck. President Donald Trump is said to be pushing the service to reposition the island on aesthetic grounds, to make the ships look more like World War II-era carriers. Just last Thursday, Trump publicly ordered the Navy and the Pentagon to come up with a plan for abandoning the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapults and Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE) on the Ford class, starting with the future USS Doris Miller, as you can read more about in our reporting here.

Perhaps even more so than replacing EMALS and the AWEs, shifting the island would be an extremely costly and complex proposition. The Navy also chose the island’s location for very specific reasons to provide a host of operational benefits.

The Washington Post was the first to report Trump’s push to relocate the island on the Ford class on Sunday, citing anonymous current and former U.S. officials. Another story followed from The Hill, which also cited a former senior U.S. official.

“The timing and extent of the Navy’s evaluation is unclear, with current and former officials cautioning that the service was concerned that such a change would require significant time and money,” according to the Post. “Trump’s preference, current and former officials said, is for the new aircraft carriers to look more like those that were in service during World War II.”

“The review, which was kick-started in part because of Trump’s concerns about the aesthetics of the Ford class aircraft carriers, is due in ‘several’ weeks,” per The Hill‘s story. “A Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump ordered the Navy to ‘implement design changes to our future aircraft carriers’ and that the service branch ‘has begun moving out on options to meet the President’s intent.’”

Currently, the USS Gerald R. Ford is the only carrier in this class in operational service. The Navy has three more on order: the future USS John F. Kennedy, USS Enterprise, and USS Doris Miller. The service hopes to take delivery of John F. Kennedy this year. The stated plan is to eventually acquire at least 10 Ford class carriers in total. Two more ships in the class have already been formally assigned names: the future USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush.

John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Successfully Completes Builder’s Sea Trials

To be clear, this is hardly the first time Trump has pushed for major U.S. naval ship design and force planning changes, especially when it comes to the aesthetics of those vessels. “I’m a very aesthetic person,” the President declared in December 2025 at the public rollout of plans for the Trump class battleship.

For the Navy, the placement of the island on the Ford class, as well as its overall design, was not an aesthetic decision. It was also not a decision that was made quickly. During a presentation at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum back in 2015, retired Navy Capt. Tal Manvel, who served for a time as Program Manager for Future Carriers, said the service examined 75 different conceptual configurations between 1996 and 2000. In addition to a host of different hullforms and flight deck layouts, these designs had islands placed at a wide variety of different points.

You can watch Tal Manvel’s full 2015 presentation below.

Shifley Lecture: USS Ford-class carrier design

Ultimately, the Navy settled on the design as it exists today. The total length of the Ford class is very similar to that of the Nimitz class it is in the process of replacing: 337 meters (1,106 feet) versus 332.8 meters (1,092 feet). However, the island on the Ford is 140 feet further aft compared to that of the Nimitz.

The Ford‘s island is also smaller and more angular overall. This was enabled in part by the decision to use a completely different main radar arrangement on the Ford compared to the Nimitz, paring down the total number of distinct radars required as a result. However, the Dual Band Radar (DBR) proved to be extremely complex and troublesome. As a result, the future USS John F. Kennedy and every future carrier in the class is now set to have the AN/SPY-6(V)3, also known as the fixed-face version of Raytheon’s Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR), in place of the DBR. The broad dimensions of the island remain unchanged. The DBR was also set to be a feature on the Navy’s trio of Zumwalt class stealthy destroyers, but the decision was subsequently made to eliminate the S-band arrays on those ships as a cost-cutting measure. Those three destroyers may eventually see the remaining X-band arrays replaced with a variant of the AN/SPY-6 radar coupled with a version of the Aegis Combat System in the future.

The matter of the radar aside, the island is sized to minimize its total footprint and maximize available open deck space, and has a very visible impact on the flight deck layout. The Ford has three aircraft elevators, two on the starboard side, both forward of the island, and another on the port side. Nimitz class carriers have three aircraft elevators on the starboard side, one of which is aft of the island, as well as one on the port side. These changes and other design choices mean the Ford has more total flight deck space than the Nimitz – five acres (217,800 square feet) compared to 4.5 acres (196,020 square feet), according to the Navy.

In an exclusive interview with TWZ back in 2022, then-Navy Capt. Paul “Paulie” Lanzilotta, captain of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s at the time, talked at length about the benefits of the island’s position.

The Navy uses “cyclic flight operations to continue to generate sorties over many hours a day,” Lanzilotta told us following a panel on the history of aircraft carriers at the annual Sea Air Space symposium that year. “And we do that by launching the cycle and then recovering that cycle.”

“If you’re a little bit late, you need to troubleshoot, maybe it’s just reset a system that’s built into the aircraft, you reset the system and off you go, you can taxi to the catapult,” he explained. “If you’re parked after the island on the older ships, you need a break in the recovery in order to do that because everything we do happens very, very quickly, very efficiently.”

“So on my ship? Less likely that you’re going to need that break and a lot more likely that I can refuel you and rearm you more efficiently,” he continued. “It’s based on the design of where the island is plus the weapons elevators and the way we fuel aircraft.”

What this all means in more layman’s terms is that the configuration of the flight deck, including the placement of the island, creates additional flexibility for launch and recovery operations and helps contribute to a better sortie generation rate. The way the space is configured would offer benefits for other activities, including hot-deck refueling and maintenance, as well. The Washington Post‘s story says the configuration also offers an added margin of safety for aircraft coming in to land by helping reduce the chance of turbulence generated at the stern.

In his interview with us in 2022, Lanzilotta, who has since been promoted to rear admiral and is now commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG-12), acknowledged that Ford had fewer aircraft elevators and less deck space in the back of the island. However, he said the elevators were designed to be more efficient and downplayed any negative impacts from the reconfiguration of the flight deck.

“I still have room back there to park aircraft. Fly helicopters back aft of the island when we want to work and park airplanes back there,” Lanzilotta said. Together with the smaller overall size of the island, “if anything, I probably gained overall area on the flight deck.”

“From a ship handling perspective, being further away from the bow kind of increases the shadow zone forward,” he did note, referring to something of a blind spot toward the bow that is only exacerbated by moving the island aft.

However, “we just manage [that challenge] organically,” he explained, “whether it’s a sensor forward, to watchstanders that are forward, and additional assets that we naturally have with us all the time, like our helicopters, and our security boats and stuff like that.”

“I’m amazed by how well we’re able to move in the narrow channel in San Diego Bay,” he added. “It’s a great bay, but a busy one.”

It is worth noting here that the Ford uses a distributed aperture remote video system to help the ship’s crew keep tabs on flight deck operations and to just provide valuable general situational awareness. This system supplants the Island Camera Room found on Nimitz class carriers. This also eliminates the need for individual camera operators at various points around the island, as is the case with the Integrated Launch and Recovery Television Surveillance (ILARTS) system on the older carriers. There are additional camera systems around the ship, as well. You can read more about this here.

The placement of the island on the Ford class reflects a broader trend, too. The design of France’s future “porte-avions de nouvelle génération,” or PA-Ng, (which translates to New Generation Aircraft Carrier), as it has been shown to date, has a very similarly shaped island that is also positioned well toward the stern. In 2023, renderings emerged of notional next-generation Chinese aircraft carriers with this same kind of island and flight deck configuration.

It is possible there are non-aesthetic reasons, as well as aesthetic ones, behind Trump’s report push to relocate the island on the Ford class. However, if that is the case, this has yet to be publicly articulated.

Very broadly speaking, since the end of World War II, the islands on U.S. aircraft carrier designs have been progressively moving further and further aft, in general. It is also worth noting that the island placement on World War II-era carrier designs was not universally further toward the bow, either. Some U.S. and foreign classes of the time, particularly lighter designs, lacked a traditional island on top of the flight deck at all.

Regardless of any pros and cons about where the island is placed on the Ford class design, moving it now would be exceedingly costly and complex. It has been pointed out that relocating the island would involve far more than just moving the superstructure. It is deeply integrated into the ship’s overall configuration, and shifting it would have much broader impacts that would need to be addressed just in terms of seakeeping, structural stability, and basic balance. A host of other accompanying changes would also be required. Since the island is where the ship’s main radars and many other key systems are positioned, a substantial amount of additional testing would have to be done to ensure everything works as intended in the new location.

“The Navy also examined the issue during his [Trump’s] first term as president,” according to The Washington Post. “A study found that moving the island could cost billions of dollars in redesign costs and significantly delay the program.”

More delays with the Ford class is something the Navy can ill afford. The program is already running years behind schedule due in no small part to issues with the aforementioned EMALS catapults and AWEs, as well as a host of other long-troubled aspects of the ship’s design. The Navy had originally planned to take delivery of the John F. Kennedy in 2022.

The potential pitfalls of a major reworking of the Ford design could have cascading effects that go well beyond this class of ships. As TWZ wrote last week after the announcement regarding plans for the catapults and weapons elevators on the future Doris Miller and other following ships in the class:

Trump’s memo yesterday also focused heavily on further steps to address now long-standing concerns about U.S. naval shipbuilding capacity across the board. America’s specific ability to produce new nuclear-powered surface warships and submarines has now become even more of a focal point in these discussions with the addition of the plans for the Trump class battleships. In May, the Navy confirmed the Trump class warships will have nuclear propulsion using the same type of reactors developed for the Ford class.

The Navy has not acquired a new nuclear-powered surface combatant in decades. Newport News is currently the only U.S. shipyard producing nuclear-powered surface vessels of any kind, and is already heavily strained by current demands, which also include production of new non-nuclear warships. There is only one other yard in the country that produces nuclear-powered vessels of any kind, and is focused on submarine production.

Pushing the schedule for the delivery of Ford class carriers even further to the right, along with adding billions to the program’s cost, would only add to the strains on the Navy’s existing Nimitz class carriers, which have been building into a low-level crisis. As we also wrote:

In a time of peace, without all the threats and operational demands the United States is currently facing, or if there was any kind of surplus carrier capacity, making fundamental changes to the Ford class carrier program might very well have been a logical decision. However, all of this also comes at a time when the Navy’s operational carriers are experiencing exceptional pressure. The Nimitz class carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been on a marathon deployment in the Middle East, has become something of a poster child for growing readiness concerns amid reports of severely flagging morale and mental health among the crew. The Navy is now moving to relieve Lincoln.

Still, this is a worrisome situation that has already been building for many years, due in large part to a succession of global crises, and has now been further exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with Iran. Even so, the Navy is trying to keep to its existing schedule for inactivating aging Nimitz class carriers, though the date for when the USS Nimitz is set to leave service has now been pushed back until next year. Retiring existing carriers will only create further strains if the arrival of new members of the Ford class continues to be pushed back.

As we also previously mentioned, it very much remains to be seen if any plans for major changes to the Ford‘s core design actually become a reality. Trump’s second term in office ends in January 2029, and any such work could easily bleed over into the next presidential administration, which could then reverse course. Congress could well step in to take action even sooner.

Whatever happens, it would be a huge undertaking in terms of both time and resources to relocate the island on the Ford class carrier, and would upend a decision that was made years ago with clear operational benefits in mind.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

WHEN twenty-something me holidayed in Ayia Napa, ­gorgeous scenery and chic cuisine were the furthest things from my mind.

I was firmly focused on foam parties and feral antics.

Now, 15 years on, I’m back to savour a different side to the party town and see what the rest of Cyprus has to offer.

And while there were still plenty of excited Gen Z holidaymakers on my Tui flight from Gatwick, this trip was to be a much more grown-up affair.

Luxury, relaxation and an itinerary younger me simply wouldn’t recognise.

Ayia Napa’s famous party strip and old fishing port looked very similar as we travelled from the airport, but arriving at the 5* Mare Ayia Napa could not have been more different from my youthful experiences.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

A ten-minute drive out of town, Mare sits on the edge of the Cape Greco national park, with its turquoise waters, nature walking trails and limestone sea caves.

The resort resembles a sun-drenched Cypriot village with low-rise, whitewashed bungalows featuring terracotta roofs set among winding stone paths.

Young me made do with a hostel. This time, I walked into a modern luxe dream.

Think muted tones, Molton Brown toiletries and Nespresso on tap.

Some rooms have access to pretty gardens, while others have swim-up pools or even a private place to take a dip.

After a long day travelling, I hit the hotel’s adult-only Sky Lounge rooftop bar to watch sunset.

It delivered stunning beachfront views as well as a potent Paloma cocktail of tequila and grapefruit soda. A girl still needs her treats.

On that subject, the all-inclusive hotel has eight restaurants to enjoy, ranging from poolside sushi and charcoal grilled kebabs to Mediterranean meze and dry-aged steaks.

There is also a splash park with slides for the kids, and adults can escape to their own pool with plush cabanas.

By day, there’s a sandy and quiet Blue Flag beach in a calm bay that’s perfect for paddling kids and paddleboarding.

With Tui’s extensive range of tours, there’s the option to explore parts of Cyprus younger me would never have considered.

A Coastal Landmarks trip takes us through the stunning Cape Greco park where we admire clifftop views over the caves and the tiny white-washed Agioi Anargyroi church perched over the water.

Legend has it that if you kiss while making a wish at the Lovers’ Bridge — a natural limestone arch spanning the sea — your dreams will come true.

While I didn’t have anyone to pucker up with, the view alone was worth it.

After a leisurely stop at Cyprus’s most famous stretch of sand, Nissi Beach, for a drink and quick dip, we move on to the Ayia Napa Sculpture Park.

I adored the hundreds of statues, mythical beasts and art installations right next to the Cacti Park, also perfect for a stroll.

We end the day with coffees and cocktails at a beachside taverna in Protaras.

Called Fig Tree Bay, it is named after the single tree that has stood near the beach since the 17th century.

Next day we up the ante on the adventure front with some unique experiences that would normally be the reserve of qualified scuba divers.

Underwater Sea Adventures on Ayia Triada beach take you out to a purpose-built pontoon positioned over a reef.

There are two unusual ways to observe it. On the seabed walk, you wear a huge “space age” helmet that is supplied with fresh air pumped down from the surface via a hose.

Once on, your head and hair stay dry — you can even keep glasses on — while you follow a guided trail along the seabed, little fishes dart in and out.

Or take the pace up a bit with an underwater scooter or Breathing Observation Bubble (BOB).

You sit upright with your head inside a clear dome helmet fed with air as the scooter glides along the seabed doing the hard work for you.

The crystal-clear waters mean you feel like you’re in a Little Mermaid remake, walking, dancing and feeding the fish. It was an incredible experience.

My rediscovery of this one-time party island of my youth wasn’t over yet.

First there was a trip into the hills to see a different side of the island above the town of Paphos.

Aphrodite Hills Resort is perched high on a coastal plateau overlooking the legendary birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess.

The huge estate feels more like a self-contained village, complete with its own central square, chapel and a dozen restaurants.

This is low-key luxury and we were soon in golf buggies zipping through the sprawling grounds, ticking off the Elemis spa, 18-hole PGA championship golf course and Real Madrid-backed kids’ football academy.

But with Aphrodite’s birthplace just below us, we make a pilgrimage to admire Petra tou Romiou at sunset before making our way up to the village of Kouklia for an evening of fabulous food, live music and dancing.

Emboldened by one too many glasses of glorious Cypriot wine, I am first on my feet to join in.

You can take the girl out of Ayia Napa, but you seemingly can’t take Ayia Napa out of the girl.

PUERTO Rico is known for salsa, pina coladas and street parties.

But following Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl half-time show this year, interest in the Caribbean island — which is a US territory — has surged.

And on my first visit, it didn’t take me long to realise what all the fuss was about.

Landing in capital San Juan, I made a beeline for Bad Bunny’s favourite neighbourhood, Santurce, a hip and arty spot littered with bright and enormous murals — the biggest of which stretches ten storeys high.

In the day, the streets here are peaceful, with quiet cafes spilling on to the pavement and a well-known elderly man selling flowers to passers-by.

Don’t let that fool you, though.

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The scene completely changes come Friday and Saturday nights, when locals cram into the many bars and party on the streets to live music.

It’s a great spot for a boogie and for those who love to let their hair down.

But if, like me, you’re not much of a party animal, you might prefer the region of Ciales, around 40 miles to the west, which offers sweeping, unspoilt countryside.

Instead of late nights stomping until sunrise, this area is all about early mornings and waterfall hikes.

You’ll never struggle to find a decent coffee to fuel those dawn starts, either.

After all, Puerto Rico is famous for producing some of the best in the world.

You’ll be able to pick up a brew anywhere, with makeshift stalls perched on the side of the road and halfway up mountains.

I even found one suspended from a treehouse. Called FinCafe, it serves its brews with a twist.

How does a ginger and cinnamon flat white sound?

FinCafe also offers tours of its plantation across the road. Book with Sofrito Tours (sofritotourspr.com).

Heading even further west, out of the countryside and towards the coastline, I stumbled upon some of the most beautiful seaside spots, including Crash Boat Beach.

Once a military site (hence the name) this shore is now a gorgeous stretch of white sand bordering clear blue seas.

Be prepared to jump off the fishing pier if you visit. It’s a cherished tradition here.

If you are keen to have a go at surfing then make your way to Jobos Beach, a few miles along the coast from Crash Boat.

Those who are new to the sport can book a private or group lesson with local group MOKU (mokusurfshop.com).

The staff are incredibly patient.

They even pushed my board against the might of the ocean to try and help me catch a wave.

You’ll find that all the exertion will build up quite an appetite — and lunch at the surrounding coastal restaurants is the best way to refuel.

I became very partial to a Medalla Light beer or an Ocean Lab Mambo, which has a hint of passion fruit and is delightfully fresh after a day of swallowing salty seawater.

Beers can be paired with local snacks such as fried fish, crab fritters and plantain chips.

You can bet your bottom dollar that it will be some of the freshest grub you have tried, too.

Much of the food in Puerto Rico is sourced from the island.

Pa’l Monte, in the small town of Rincon, is the place to head for proper hearty meals.

Try traditional mofongo, which is fried and then mashed plantain, topped with prawns, meat or veggies.

If you are more of a cheese fan then Vaca Negra is where to head. You can even have a go at making your own cheese (see vacanegra.com).

After busy days of surfing, exploring and gobbling back delicious food, the comfy beds at El Oasis, a retreat in the hilltops of Aguada, offered great respite.

With nothing but the call of the coqui tree frogs to disturb the peace, this spot felt like living in pure paradise.

And I can’t help but feel a little jealous that Bad Bunny gets to call this home.

Boney Island, a much-loved, homemade, skeleton-centric L.A. Halloween attraction for more than 20 years, will now be a ghost.

Creator Rick Polizzi — known to many for his 1996-2009 role as a producer of “The Simpsons” — announced on social media Monday that Boney Island is coming to an end.

The reason: A planned move to Santa Clarita has run into “unforeseen permitting and production challenges.” Polizzi said the county-wide slump in TV and film production is partially to blame.

After a string of venue changes, Polizzi said he was in talks to rent a set of soundstages at Santa Clarita Studios, and a large amount of Boney Island sets, props and other materials had already been moved to Santa Clarita.

But several logistical challenges proved hard to solve, and one element was the studios’ decision to reduce their inventory of soundstages. As a result, Polizzi said, “the rug was kind of pulled out from under us.”

Santa Clarita Studios President Mike DeLorenzo said that this fall, the studio will let go of leases on three of its 35-plus soundstages. Of Boney Island, DeLorenzo said that “we truly wanted this to happen, but it just didn’t make sense financially.” By the tally of FilmLA, on-location production days for film and TV in greater Los Angeles fell by 46% from 2022 to 2025.

With no other remedies in sight, Polizzi and company put out word on Instagram and Facebook, saying that after carefully considering locations, city permitting costs and storage, “we have made the difficult decision to officially bring Boney Island to an end” and sell the collection.

Reaction was quick, sad and peppered with family memories. “Thank you for creating so much magic for my family as well as so many others,” wrote one admirer on Instagram. “My kids and myself will forever walk around in a squeaky voice reciting: “Help meeee…I feeel like a yo-yo.”

Former “Simpsons” producer Rick Polizzi in his Sherman Oaks treehouse, known as “Boney Island,” in 2025.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Boney Island, a playful homage to Coney Island, was born in the late 1990s when Polizzi set out to build a Halloween attraction in his Sherman Oaks front yard for his family and neighbors. He was joined by “Aqua Dazzle” owner Rex Danyluk and friends as they designed an immersive, imaginative experience without a haunted house, a maze or jump scares. Instead it featured cavorting skeletons, magic acts and water shows.

“It’s not all the gore and horror stuff that everything else is,” Polizzi said. “I started it for my daughters.”

Eventually, the yard’s tall treehouse and growing crowds each Halloween led to permit disputes and the prospect of criminal charges.

“We were a victim of our own success, because it got so crowded we had to hire traffic control,” Polizzi told Spectrum News in 2025, adding that “one neighbor across the street always hated it.” Polizzi estimated that he’d spend more than $50,000 trying to get proper city approvals before dismantling the treehouse in 2025.

“I had the cool experience of actually ascending into the treehouse,” said Kim Cooper, co-owner of Esotouric tours and former visitors to the treehouse. “You look at this thing and you think: Wait a minute. That’s possible?”

Polizzi, in 2025, flips through a scrapbook he made about Boney Island.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

Boney Island’s red-tape battles with the city of Los Angeles, Cooper said, show that “there is sadistic, demented element in the city [government] that does not like to see people who have an independent sense of élan and freedom.”

Still, Boney Island seemed likely to live on elsewhere. While the red-tape battles were being fought, the attraction moved from Polizzi’s yard to Griffith Park in 2018, went dark for several years, then resurfaced at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles in 2023 and 2024, drawing tens of thousands of people. But the Exposition Park location proved difficult for many guests, Polizzi said, and the event went dark again last year while organizers searched for a new location, preferably a gated space with at least 70,000 square feet. Polizzi said he explored many options, including the L.A. Zoo, another corner of Griffith Park, Descanso Gardens, the L.A. County Arboretum, but none quite fit. Some of those spots host elaborate holiday light displays that require set-up in late October.

The best option seemed to be the soundstages at Santa Clarita Studios. “It was going to be challenging to have it inside to begin with, but I was looking forward to it,” Polizzi said.

At this point, he added, it would take a last-minute location discovery to change things.

“I would love to keep it going, I just don’t have a place for it,” Polizzi said.

Drones of an unknown origin were reportedly sighted over the remote joint U.S.-U.K. Diego Garcia installation located deep in the Indian Ocean. As we have frequently reported, this island base has long been a highly strategic operating location for the U.S. military. Beyond its large airfield that has been an epicenter of bomber operations over the decades, it plays many roles for the Pentagon. These include hosting Space Force operations, serving as a key port for U.S. Navy vessels, including nuclear submarines, and its lagoon provides shelter for a Sealift Command Prepositioning Ship Squadron.

The installation was targeted by Iranian ballistic missiles during the Epic Fury operation, but the threat posed by drones is even more plausible for the island outpost, especially at this extremely tense time as the standoff between the U.S. and Iran grinds on.

The issue of reported drones over Diego Garcia highlights a plausible threat of sea-launched drones that TWZ has been drawing attention to for years now. It also again raises concerns about the danger to critical infrastructure and aircraft parked in the open at Diego Garcia and many other U.S. installations. This is another issue TWZ has been highlighting for years.

“We are aware of reported sightings of drones (UAS) over Diego Garcia,” the U.K. Defense Ministry (MoD) told us Monday morning. “We are unable to provide any details about a situation which may affect the security or operation of the joint U.K.-U.S. base on Diego Garcia.”

“The U.S. and U.K. Commanding Officers on Diego Garcia consider and implement appropriate measures to ensure the security and safety of the base and the safety of the personnel on the island,” MoD added.

U.S. officials were less forthcoming.

“As a matter of operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures or security procedures at U.S. military installations,” an official from U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) told us on Friday. “We remain vigilant in protecting U.S. personnel and facilities.”

Neither MoD nor PACOM would say what kinds of drones were sighted, when they were sighted, who was operating them or what, if any, defensive measures were taken as a result. Both military organizations were responding to our questions about an Aug. 7 posting on the Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page, an unofficial social media channel that posts about service topics.

“Inbox: ‘Diego Garcia. Drones spotted near fuel farm. Base on 0700 to 1900 curfew until further notice’ Note: message us if you have further information, thanks,” the post read.

On Sunday, the page published a second post on the topic titled “Diego Garcia Curfew reportedly due to Drone Threats.” The post displayed what the page purported to be an official listing of curfew times for various locations around the installation.

We cannot independently confirm the accuracy of these posts and have reached out to MoD and PACOM for details. MoD did not specify who reported the drone sightings over Diego Garcia, so we have asked for clarification. Making this an even more unusual event, Diego Garcia is essentially a closed island with no significant general population or tourists around to be operating drones on a recreational basis. So seeing one or more over the base would certainly raise alarms.

Though Diego Garcia is about 1,000 miles from Sri Lanka, the nearest large landmass, its remote location does not rule out the possibility of drone incursions by an adversary.

During the run-up to the launch of the Epic Fury operation against Iran, the FBI sent out an alert warning about the possibility of an Iranian drone attack on targets in California using uncrewed aircraft launched from ships off the coast. Though the alert was based on raw, unverified intelligence, and was sent out of an abundance of caution rather than any fears of an imminent action, the overall threat of drone attacks from ships is very real. You can read our feature about this very real threat vector and its relation to that questionable intelligence release here.

Generally speaking, there are long-standing concerns that Iran and/or other actors operating on its behalf could seek to launch asymmetric attacks on targets in the United States, as well as elsewhere outside of the Middle East, in retaliation for large-scale strikes or even in an unprovoked manner. The risks of Iranians deciding to take such action have historically been seen as especially high in any scenario where there might be an existential threat to the regime in Tehran.

There were enough concerns about an Iranian attack on Diego Garcia that F-16s were deployed there in February, before the war erupted, for protection primarily against one-way attack drones and cruise missiles. F-15Es were first deployed to Diego Garcia for this same purpose last year, in what appeared to be a first of its kind force protection change. As noted earlier, Iran clearly sees the installation as a top target, as it has long been something of a refuge for U.S. forces to fallback from the Middle East from, if need be. Iran subsequently launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia during Epic Fury; however, neither struck the base.

The threat from drones launched by ships is not just limited to Iran. Russia is suspected of sending drones over key European military installations from vessels.

Long-range one-way attack drones with endurance measured in many hundreds of miles, if not more than a thousand miles, are increasingly a staple in military arsenals globally, and have also been proliferating to non-state actors. Yet the drone threat isn’t just limited to these kinds of weapons for remote locales like islands. Ukraine has carried out devastating attacks on Russian radars and other targets on Crimea and elsewhere using short-range aerial drones launched by uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). This same capability set is proliferating around the globe, allowing for the USV to work as a relatively low-cost delivery system for highly precise and relatively inexpensive short-range drones that can then execute near-field attacks. The U.S. and others are also developing similar capabilities for its submarines and future uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), which could even more easily sneak into close proximity to targets ashore before launching their deadly drone munitions.

The following video shows a Ukrainian USV launching drones against Russian targets:

Travel expert Simon Calder has named the lush ‘Emerald Island’ a must-visit destination, featuring stunning beaches, ancient ruins, and meals starting from just €10 per person.

Travel expert Simon Calder has shared his top recommendation for a stunning European getaway that won’t break the bank. Simon highlighted a lesser-known Greek island as his personal “choice” for a budget-friendly holiday.

The beautiful Greek island of Thassos, frequently dubbed the ‘Emerald Island’, is distinguished by its lush landscape, setting it apart from many of Greece’s more arid islands. The moniker describes Thassos’ dense pine woodland, olive groves and other greenery, with forests stretching almost all the way to the coast.

What’s more, the island’s beaches are surrounded by remarkably clear, shallow waters that shimmer in shades of turquoise and emerald, particularly under the Mediterranean sun.

On the island, there is a striking contrast of green and blue. Thassos is noticeably greener and more lush, creating a beautiful contrast between its forested hills and bright blue coastline.

Thassos history

Thassos has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Ancient Greeks from Paros settled on the island, which later grew prosperous thanks to its marble, gold mines, olive oil, wine and thriving trade.

Traces of its ancient past can still be found around Thassos Town, including the remains of an ancient theatre, agora and sanctuary.

Food

Thassos offers a classic Mediterranean style of cooking, combining fresh local produce with seafood and hearty dishes from the island’s mountain villages.

The island is also known for its honey, locally produced olive oil, olives and wine.

Some of the traditional foods visitors can try include:

• Goat and lamb – Mountain villages are known for cooking goat and lamb slow-cooked or roasted over a spit.
• Fresh seafood – This includes sardines, anchovies, prawns, sea bream, mullet, squid and octopus. These are often simply grilled or fried and served with olive oil and lemon.
• Gouna – One of Thassos’ more distinctive specialities, gouna is traditionally made with mackerel that is salted and dried before being grilled.
• Tatarka – A seasonal vegetable dish made with fresh vegetables, herbs and leafy greens, traditionally enjoyed during spring and early summer.
• Stuffed courgette flowers – Courgette flowers may be filled with ingredients such as cheese and egg before being fried.
• Local cheeses – including feta, kasseri, myzithra and anthotyro.

Prices in Thassos

Food and drink in Thassos remain relatively affordable compared with some of Greece’s more expensive islands, such as Mykonos and Santorini.

Although prices can be higher at beachfront restaurants and popular tourist spots.

Visitors can expect to pay around €12 to €25 (£10.26 to £21.38) per person for a typical taverna meal, while a gyros, souvlaki or casual lunch can cost around €5 to €10 (£4.28 to £8.55).

Meanwhile, fresh seafood tends to be more expensive, particularly at waterfront restaurants, while beers typically cost around €3 to €6 (£2.57 to £5.13). Those looking for a cocktail at a beach bar can expect to pay roughly €8 to €12 (£6.84 to £10.26), while local wine can offer good value compared with more premium bottles.

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning about Thassos in 2024, Simon said: “Absolutely lovely. It’s in the North. It’s really different from all the other ones.

“It’s got great features. It’s got this wonderful mountain in the middle. You have to get a little ferry across to there from Kavala, but once you do, it’s just absolute heaven.

“Loads going on. It’s got proper Greek stuff, ancient remains and things like that. And of course all those lovely tavernas you just want to sit in.”

Getting to Thassos

Simon warned holidaymakers that a ferry crossing to the island is unavoidable, as there are no direct flights operating from the UK.

That said, getting there from the UK is fairly straightforward. Travellers can fly to Kavala International Airport (KVA) on the northern Greek mainland, then head to Keramoti, where ferries run regularly to Thassos.

The crossing itself takes around 35 to 40 minutes.

Another option is to fly from the UK to Thessaloniki Airport, which offers a wider range of flights, then continue by road to the coast and take a ferry to Thassos.

While the journey is longer than travelling via Kavala, it can be a convenient alternative depending on flight availability and fares. During the summer months, some UK travel companies also offer package holidays and seasonal flights, making the island easier to reach.

Flight times

• London to Kavala: around 3 hours 25 minutes on a direct flight from Stansted.
• London to Thessaloniki: around 3 hours 10–25 minutes on a direct flight, depending on the London airport.

For a true sense of getting away from it all, few things rival an island escape. We’d love to hear about your favourite under-the-radar islands in Europe, whether it’s a remote Scandinavian archipelago or an airport-free Mediterranean outpost that’s managed to avoid the package holiday crowds.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

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THERE are a few villages in the UK that give an insight into old England, let alone destinations from across the pond.

There’s a city in North Carolina that has a hint of British about it as they speak “Elizabethan English”.

Ocracoke is a village on Ocracoke Island, part of North Carolina’s coastal Outer Banks region.

It’s a 16-mile long barrier island – which is a long long sand ridge parallel to the mainland coast, separated by a shallow body of water like a bay or lagoon.

The island, considered the ‘Pearl of the Outer Banks’ is home to around 800 people of whom who have their own unique way of speaking.

One visitor described the locals’ accent as being “Elizabethan English”.

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Brian Carlton told the BBC: “People here just have their own way of speaking: it’s like someone took Elizabethan English, sprinkled in some Irish tones and 1700s Scottish accents, then mixed it all up with pirate slang.”

He even made a remark about being called a “dingbatter”.

The dialect is called ‘Hoi Toider’, which is a rare mix of English, Irish, and Scottish accents mixed with early maritime slang.

It’s almost only spoken on the Outer Banks islands in North Carolina.

Residents all live in the central Ocracoke Village which is also where visitors will find shops, restaurants and bars – but none that you would have seen before.

It has strict regulations about preserving its small town charm, so only independent, regional brands are allowed.

Every shop, hotel, and restaurant on the island is locally owned and operated.

Standing high in the town is its 75ft tall lighthouse which is the oldest operating light station in North Carolina.

Being an island, there are lots of beaches along a 16-mile stretch – one called Ocracoke Village Beach is one is just beyond the main town.

On Tripadvisor, one visitor called it the “Best Beach on the Outer Banks”

Another said: “Beautiful beaches on Ocracoke and always special. When you look around you on the beaches, you see and feel peace.”

Along the shore, a second beach is South Point which is a popular fishing spot and where visitors are likely to find a a Scotch Bonnet which is the rare state shell of North Carolina.

The island has rich history too as it was once a popular hideout spot for notorious pirate, Blackbeard.

The shallow waters around the island provided ideal cover and Ocracoke Inlet allowed him to trap merchant ships.

Ocracoke Island was actually the site of Blackbeard’s final battle in the 1700s.

The best way to get to the island now is also by ship, but luckily, it’s much safer.

The most frequent is the Hatteras Ferry which takes around two hours and it’s completely free.

Others involve getting a ferry from Cedar Island of the Swan Quarter.

For those wanting to fly, the airport is so small there aren’t any commercial flights.

Instead travellers will have to charter a flight, or arrive in their own plane.

A funeral was held for the victims of last week’s US strike on Iran’s Qeshm Island, where a couple and their two-year-old child were killed. Iran’s chief negotiator and parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, vowed the US would “pay the price” for their deaths.

EMERGENCY crews are battling wildfires across the popular Greek island of Kefalonia, forcing tourists and locals to evacuate homes and holiday accommodation.

Heatwave conditions and gale-force winds have fuelled blazes across the Ionian island, sending thick smoke over holiday regions and putting British travellers on alert.

Here is your guide to where the blazes are located, how they started, and what the latest official advice says for holidaymakers heading to Greece.

Where are the fires in Kefalonia?

Wildfires initially erupted in the dense pine forests and scrubland near Pastra, in the south-east of the island of Kefalonia.

The Greek Fire Service and local municipal authorities issued urgent precautionary evacuation orders via the national emergency alert system after flames threatened nearby homes and tourist lodgings.

Evacuations were triggered for several inland villages as flames moved close to residential zones.

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While precautionary evacuations were ordered, local authorities and ground crews largely brought the fire near Pastra under control.

Though firefighters – supported by specialised water-dropping aircraft and helicopters – still remain on high alert for flare-ups.

While main coastal resorts remain open, drifting smoke plumes and shifting winds have affected air quality and visibility across nearby districts.

How did the fires start?

The outbreak of wildfires on Kefalonia comes amid an intense summer heatwave gripping Greece and wider southern Europe.

While official investigations into the exact ignition points remain ongoing, authorities point to a combination of extreme environmental factors.

Prolonged periods of temperatures exceeding 40C have left vegetation bone-dry, creating conditions where a single spark can instantly trigger a wall of fire.

Strong, unpredictable gusts have also whipped embers across containment lines and made aerial firefighting exceptionally dangerous.

In coastal areas, high sea winds briefly prevented water-scooping aircraft from operating safely.

Greece has suffered dozens of wildfire outbreaks in recent days, including severe blazes in Attica, Halkidiki, and Crete, putting emergency services under heavy strain.

Is it safe to travel to Kefalonia?

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated its safety guidance for Britons visiting Greece, but has not advised against travel.

While it has not placed a blanket travel ban on visiting Greece, officials advise all travellers to exercise caution, stay informed, and follow local emergency instructions.

Holidaymaker checklist:

• Monitor Emergency Alerts: Ensure your mobile phone can receive emergency broadcast messages from @112Greece. If an evacuation alert is issued, follow instructions from local authorities immediately.
• Contact Your Travel Provider: Major operators (such as TUI, Jet2 and EasyJet) are monitoring the situation closely. If your accommodation or flight is impacted, contact your provider before travelling.
• Check Travel Insurance: Verify that your travel insurance policy covers natural disasters, trip interruptions, or emergency relocations.
• Emergency Numbers: If you are in immediate danger in Greece, call 112 for emergency services. British nationals requiring urgent consular assistance can contact the Foreign Office on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

Travellers heading to unaffected resorts on the island can generally proceed with their plans.

But checking live traffic and local authority updates before set-off is strongly recommended.

The five-star KOIA All-Suite Wellbeing Resort on Kos, Greece, is a world away from the party scene – and rooms start from £220 a night

Like countless Brits, my initial encounter with the Greek island came via an 18-30 holiday. I recall cheap cocktails, sticky dancefloors and a hotel where staff flat-out refused to hand out more than one deflated pillow per guest. It was enjoyable in that uniquely carefree way only your early twenties can deliver, but I’d mentally categorised Kos with the other party islands I’d ticked off and left behind.

So when the invitation arrived to return this summer, I’ll confess my expectations were modest. I certainly wasn’t anticipating discovering one of the most peaceful hotels I’ve ever stayed in.

Situated high above the Aegean Sea, KOIA All-Suite Wellbeing Resort feels like it exists on an entirely separate island. There’s no thumping music poolside, no inflatable flamingoes floating about and definitely no wristbands.

Instead, it offered supreme luxury through serene infinity pools, premium dining and wellness experiences – all at a sensible price point, reports OK!.

Stay in style

Launched in 2023, the five-star adults-only sanctuary boasts just 51 suites, meaning it never feels overcrowded, even at full capacity. Built into the hillside overlooking Agios Fokas, roughly a 12-minute drive from Kos Town, the resort draws inspiration from the ancient wisdom of Hippocrates, who was born on the island, with wellbeing woven into every aspect.

Suites span from pared-back Cave Suites to more generous Sea View Suites featuring private infinity pools or outdoor whirlpools, all styled in soothing neutral shades, natural stone and timber. The appeal of the hotel lies in the fact that every suite provides full or partial vistas across the Aegean, meaning there’s genuinely no disappointing room.

Thoughtful details such as a pillow menu, rainfall showers, smart-controlled blinds and room-service dining choices really reinforce the sense of ‘private luxury’. In terms of facilities, there are two pools – one indoors within the spa and a main pool – plus a gym.

The food

Despite there being just one restaurant, Thyme, I never found myself craving additional dining choices, which speaks volumes about how exceptional the food was. For breakfast, a generous buffet featuring local fruit, pastries and made-to-order dishes can be savoured with uninterrupted sea vistas.

Come evening, Thyme becomes an elegant à la carte restaurant showcasing Mediterranean cuisine with seasonal ingredients, fresh seafood and regional wines. I’m not exaggerating when I say I requested the shrimp linguine four times.

Lunch is also available there, but with a completely different menu from evenings, offering plenty of variety through fancy sandwiches and grilled options. Throughout the day, my book and I set up camp at the pool bar for iced coffees between dips, before relocating to the sophisticated Elixir Bar at sunset, where cocktails are served with a backdrop of one of the finest views on the island.

What’s on

If you need more than a pool and a good book to keep you occupied, the carefully curated range of activities on offer are well worth booking in advance. From open-air morning yoga overlooking the glittering sea to a traditional baking class with Thyme’s head chef, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

I headed to the hotel’s Ydor Spa (on the one overcast day we had) and relished the chance to privately hire the Himalayan salt room and sauna cabin before treating myself to a full body massage. I’d also highly recommend the floating breakfast experience. I’ve never consumed so much food in a single morning, and there truly is nothing more delightful than chasing your strawberries as they drift across your private pool.

Further afield

Reception can point you towards hiking trails leading to the medieval ruins of Palio Pyli or the summit of Mount Díkaios, where breathtaking sunset views from the island’s highest peak make the climb thoroughly worthwhile. Kos Town offers an entirely different tempo, boasting Roman landmarks such as the beautifully preserved Odeon of Kos and Casa Romana, alongside some superb tavernas to dine at. If you have a hire car, venture out to the island’s thermal springs, located at the northern tip of the island at Therma Beach, where the seawater bubbles.

Why I’ll be returning

It’s uncommon to experience a genuine sense of magic from a hotel, yet that’s precisely what I encountered here. A tranquil retreat, ideal for those seeking respite from the hustle and bustle.

Perhaps the greatest revelation was discovering it on an island I’d previously dismissed as a party destination. Its intimate size lends itself to a wonderfully personal level of service, and within just a few days, the staff already knew my preferred morning coffee and favourite sunbed spot. Worth noting too – from August 2026, guests can also look forward to a brand-new Greek restaurant, a second pool and newly added suites.

Book it

A Junior Suite with Sea View and Hot Tub starts from £220 per night, and a Sea View Suite with Private Pool starts from £256 with breakfast included. Book via koiaresort.com to make the most of offers like complimentary airport transfers. Half board and full board dining also available. Flights to Kos from major UK airports operate daily May-October with return pricing from around £60.

THERE’S nothing worse than looking forward to your summer holiday, arriving at the airport and then being told your flight is cancelled.

And now the worst flight routes for cancellations have been announced, with some of the most popular holiday hotspots coming out on top.

According to new analysis of flight data by AirAdvisor, flights between London’s key hubs and Majorca and Ibiza are most likely to be cancelled this summer.

The study looked at routes between the UK and European airports that had more than 100 flights scheduled per month.

Coming out on top is the route between London Luton and Ibiza with a cancellation rate of 5.56 per cent between June 1 and August 31.

London Heathrow to Majorca came up second worst for cancellations, at a rate of 1.6 per cent.

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Rounding out the top three is London Gatwick to Lisbon in Portugal, with a cancellation rate of 1.43 per cent.

In fact, out of the routes with the most cancellations 10 out of the top 12 are from London airports.

Bristol to Málaga came in seventh worst for cancellations, at 1.2 per cent.

This route was followed by Birmingham to Palma de Majorca, at 1.02 per cent.

Overall, four of the top 10 routes from the UK with the highest cancellation rates are to Majorca.

More than two million Brits travel to Majorca during the peak summer season, with the airport also being one of the busiest airports in Europe.

According to AirAdvisor, so far this summer 36 of 1050 flights departing from Gatwick and Heathrow airports heading to Majorca have been cancelled – which is around 3.44 per cent.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor said: “Cancellation risk on UK routes to Europe is not spread evenly, and this summer the Balearics are carrying a bigger share of the risk than anywhere else.

“That’s worth understanding before you travel, because a cancellation is not just a long wait at the gate. You lose your slot. Same-day options dry up quickly.

“And from that point on, the airline decides what happens next, not you.

“Under UK261, if you’re told your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure, you may be entitled to between £220 and £520 in compensation, depending on how far you were flying.”

THERE’S no doubt that Spanish islands are popular and soon you will be able to fly to one with British Airways for the first time, from the UK’s biggest airport.

BA is launching flights between London Heathrow Airport and Fuerteventura Airport in the Canary Islands from winter 2026.

Starting December 13, the flights will take off twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays.

Thursday departures will leave Heathrow at 7:05am, arriving into Fuerteventura at 11:30am.

The return flight will then leave Fuerteventura at 12:30pm and arrive back at Heathrow at 4:50pm.

Then the Sunday departure will take off at 10:05am from Heathrow and return from Fuerteventura at 3:40pm.

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The route will replace British Airways‘ Euroflyer route which was planned between London Gatwick Airport and Fuerteventura.

And it will be the first time the airline flies direct to the destination from Heathrow.

Fuerteventura boasts more than 3,000 hours of sunshine every year and compared to the other popular Canary Islands spots such as Tenerife and Lanzarote, it is more affordable.

In fact, Fuerteventura holiday packages can be between 30 per cent and 40 per cent cheaper during peak periods compared to higher-demand spots, like Tenerife.

Fuerteventura is the Canary Islands’ second largest island and when exploring you can head to a number of beaches including Sotavento Beach and Playa de Cofete.

If with the family, there is also Acua Water Park, which boasts a number of waterslides as well as a wave pool and a lazy river.

The island is home to Corralejo Natural Park too, which is ideal for keen hikers wanting to discover the volcanic landscape.

THIS is the moment reality TV star Samie Elishi was escorted off the Love Island set by security after being banned from watching the final.

The 26-year-old, who originally appeared on season nine of the ITV show, flew out to Majorca to watch her man Tyrique Hyde on the last episode of Aftersun.

But, after spending hours getting glammed up for the “special day” she was refused entry into the villa.

In a video posted to her TikTok, Samie could be seen filming behind the cameras and production crew as she approached the set.

She filmed stunning Love Island host Maya Jama and her beau Ty all ready to film before things “took a turn for the worst.”

“We got told that we weren’t actually allowed to watch the show,” confessed Samie.

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“Before everyone in the comments starts asking why, we don’t know why we had no explanation.

“The three of us [her, Harry Cooksley and Kane Ruddach] did actually have seats in the audience but they just got taken away, escorted, back to the holding villa.”

She continued: “God knows how I managed it but I got the show up on my phone, found a place with actually good signal and watched from my phone on a tripod.

Samie explained that while “it wasn’t quite” how they expected to spend their evening “Ty did amazing as always.”

The Love Island alum was banned from watching the final Aftersun alongside the partners of the other panelists – Shakira Khan and Joe Baggs.

Samie and Tyrique began dating back in March just weeks after she returned from Love Island All Stars in South Africa.

They were first spotted together at a Baller League match but The Sun revealed they had actually been out on a string of dates before then.

The loved up couple have since been on multiple holidays, barely leaving each other’s sides after going Instagram official.

Samie has publicly been a big supporter of Ty’s career, cheering on his Aftersun gig and his daily Love Island themed streams.

However Shanahan’s decision paid off in the pool, and she was seen fighting back tears after securing silver on Friday night.

Having been inspired by seeing Hannah Miley in action at the 2014 Games, Shanahan told BBC Scotland News she hoped future generations might have be likewise inspired by watching her in the pool this time around.

“I’ve always said that if I can inspire the next generation of athletes coming through, then my job has been done,” she explained.

“I know after 2014 watching Hannah I felt inspired, and it would be nice to think that maybe there’s some younger girls watching the 200m backstroke this time, and maybe they’ll get into swimming from it.”

She joked that the main problem since last Friday was finding the time to get back to various friends and well-wishers sending her messages to congratulate her.

“I’m so grateful for the support, and with it being a home Games it feels like that support has been ramped up a bit, which is so nice to experience.”

Love Island’s 2026 summer of love has come to an end, with Julia and Lorenzo taking £50,000 home after the public voted them as the winners

Love Island‘s 2026 winners have been crowned. Lorenzo Alessi and Julia Majchrzak were voted the winners by the public, taking home £50,000 between the two of them. The final aired on Monday 27 July.

Julia and Lorenzo went up against Jasmine Muller and Kavan Murphy for the title and it was the former who took home the crown. It came after Simba Kudyiwa and Angelista Gunda bagged a third place finish.

The winners looked stunned after their name was called, but it was a well received decision from the live audience and former islanders alike, with Lorenzo being lofted up high by his villa pals.

But despite loud cheers from the crowd, not all fans online were impressed. One user on X fumed: “Such an awful love island uk finale. love island usa may have had awful production, people, and couples too but they went off with the final dates & the audience went off with crowning brinity the winners #loveislanduk #loveisland.”

Another added: “I already said what I said: the winners of love island uk this year are AWFUL. y’all just failed this season.” And a third said: “the final is the worst episode of Love Island, it’s always boring, they need a to rethink it and maybe go down a big brother route.”

Going into the final, there were four couples who could have taken the crown: Jasmine and Kavan, Lorenzo and Julia, Simba and Angelista and Yasmin Hadlow and Tommy Stagg. But a twist in the game meant Yasmin and Tommy were dumped before the show went live.

On Sunday night, after Mica Harris and Samraj Toor were axed by their series’ dumped Islanders, it was revealed that the pair would be allowed to pick another couple to leave with them.

Knowing what was at stake, Samraj vowed not to make his decision based on who he was friends with. As such, though many fans predicted that the couple’s arguments with Julia would mean she and Lorenzo would be dumped, it was Yasmin and Tommy who went instead.

The remaining couples were fairly strong. Simba and Angelista had mostly been together since Simba entered as a bombshell. Though he returned from Casa Amor with Mara, leaving Angelista single, he soon decided to get back with the OG Islander and won her over with a poem.

Meanwhile, Jasmine and Kavan have been together for weeks. Kavan also returned from Casa with a bombshell, Charleen Murphy, but he and Jasmine got back together as well, after Kavan saw just how hurt Jasmine was by his actions. Though some fans have been hoping she and Lorenzo, her original partner would get back together, and rumours of an ‘affair’ had swirled around the villa, former Islanders have said that Jasmine and Kavan are head over heels for each other.

Likewise, Sean Fitzgerald told Maya Jama on Aftersun that Julia and Lorenzo were well suited to each other. The two became a favourite to win after returning from Casa, not just because Lorenzo was a one of the public’s favourite boys, but because they felt Julia hadn’t been treated well by the other Islanders.

This came amid a feud with Lola Deal, who objected to how Julia flirted with Sean during Casa. Shortly afterwards, Julia and Lorenzo were voted favourite couple. They were given the opportunity to dump a couple, but Lola and Sean decided to volunteer to be dumped.

This was the 13th series of Love Island. Last year’s winners Toni Laites and Cach Mercer have since split, but have gone on to feature in other reality series. Toni has taken a role on new Love Island spin off The Debrief, providing commentary on the main show, while Cach will appear on Strictly Come Dancing later this year.

The show is expected to return in January for an All Stars addition, which could include some Islanders from this season. Earlier this summer, All Stars winners Tom Clare and Molly Smith married after meeting on series two of the spin off.

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Love Island All Stars has been confirmed to return in 2027 and it remains to be seen which of the latest series might give the villa life another go in South Africa

The latest Love Island winner might have just been announced, but some fans aren’t ready to let the reality TV fun leave us. With Julia and Lorenzo being crowned this year’s winner, they have high hopes they won’t have to feature in the upcoming All Stars offering.

But for others, they could be chomping at the bit to head to the South African series and give love – or drama – another go. And it might only be months away after bosses revealed its return.

The last All Stars cast took to the South African villa on Monday 13 January, and it’s expected the next edition will be at a similar time next year.

One bombshell that has already been tipped to appear from the current line-up is Dublin-based social media influencer Charleen Murphy. She entered the ITV2 dating programme during the Casa Amor phase of the current series, but despite making it into the main villa, her link-up with Kavan wasn’t strong enough to continue.

Viewers were shocked when Kent-based Kavan experienced a swift change of heart on his return to the main villa and almost immediately broke things off with Charleen when choosing to recouple with Jasmine at the first opportunity.

Geordie bombshell Tommy revealed in the live final that he had already been making moves outside the villa with Charleen, but it seems as though she might have her eyes on another shot at villa life. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tommy followed her after a drama-filled stint of his own.

In this year’s All Stars, villa hopefuls headed to the show for six weeks instead of five. Speaking on the renewal at the time, Mike Spencer-Hayter, Creative Director at Lifted Entertainment, said: “Love Island: All Stars has quickly established itself as a stand-alone hit, keeping fans of the show gripped by iconic Islanders from the past 10 years returning for another chance to find love.

“We are very excited about series 3, and you can expect the twists and turns to continue in All Stars, after an incredible smash hit summer series.”

The season saw Samie Elishi and Ciaran Davies, but sadly the relationship didn’t work on the outside.

And while we know All Stars is set to grace the small screen again, it remains to be seen whether Maya Jama will be presenting it once again. Maya took over from Laura Whitmore in 2022, but speaking to Deadline, the TV host was open and honest about her potential Love Island future.

She said: “I never know. I never decide if I’m doing the next series until the end of one. So it’s fake news that I’m leaving, but I always decide at the end of a series if I’m going to continue the next year. So we’ll find out.”

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It may sometimes seem like people only go on Love Island to become influencers, but the show has consistently created long-lasting relationships and even resulted in some babies! Here’s every couple who are still together after Love Island…

Season 2

Cara de la Hoyde and Nathan Massey are now married with two children, but due to a brief break, their co-stars Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen take the crown as the couple to have been together the longest. They are also married with two children.

Season 3

The third season also saw two couples stay together. Jamie Jewitt and Camilla Thurlow are married with three children, while Jess Shears and Dom Lever are married with two.

Season 5

Perhaps Love Island’s most famous couple, Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae are still together. They recently welcomed their second child, Midas, who joins their toddler Bambi in the Fury dynasty.

Season 9

Winners Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan went exclusive whilst in te villa nd have remained together, marrying in 2025. Their co-stars Jessie Wynter and Will Young are also engaged.

All Stars 1

The most recent Love Island newly weds are Molly Smith and Tom Clare, who met on All Stars and won the show. The pair married in July 2026. This marks Molly’s second serious Love Island romance, as she and co-star Callum Jones were together for four years.

Also meeting on All Stars, Sophie Piper and Josh Ritchie are still together as well.

Season 11

Uma Jammeh left the villa to be with Wil Anderson when he was dumped and this proved to be a good decision as she and Wil are now engaged!

All Stars 2

Luca Bish and Grace Jackson met on All Stars 2 and though they had a rough time on the show, they are still together.

Season 12

Three couples are still together from season 12 – Ty Isherwood and Angel Swift, Harry Cooksley and Shakira Khan and Megan Forte Clarke and Conor Phillips.

All Stars 3

Sean and Lucinda, despite being labelled fake on the show, are one of the only ones from All Stars 3 to still be together. Scott Van-Der-Sluis and Leanne Amaning are also still together, as are Whitney Adebayo and Yamen Sanders.

And of course, a special shout out to Lucie Donlan and Luke Mabbott, who were not on the same series but got together later and are now married!

THE detective series Bergerac has returned to screens and in turn has been showing off a beautiful island less than one hour away from the UK.

The series filmed in Jersey has been showcasing its Caribbean-like beaches and pretty capital, St Helier.

The reboot of the 80s detective series starring Damien Molony as Jim Bergerac actually returned last year.

But it’s set to reach a ‘wider audience’ having dropped all six episodes of the first series on BBC iPlayer a few days ago.

The island of Jersey, where the majority of scenes were filmed, is now expecting a surge in visitors.

Visit Jersey Chief Executive Tricia Warwick said: “The series has already impactfully raised Jersey’s profile as a visitor destination, and this new platform means even more viewers will discover our island’s stunning landscapes and unique locations for themselves.

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“We look forward to warmly welcoming them to Jersey.”

The Channel Island is a true gem of a place and has previously even been named one of the world’s best islands by Conde Nast Traveller.

While it’s less than an hour from the UK, it feels worlds away, mostly thanks to its Caribbean-looking beaches.

Across its 130 miles of coastline are exotic spots from Beauport Beach, Portelet Bay to Plémont Bay.

Many beaches, like St Brelade’s Bay, are also lined with palm trees, which gives them a tropical feel.

The island’s capital, St Helier, is also home to Havre des Pas Bathing Pool, a tidal lido that fills up with seawater at high tide.

Not only is it a sought-after swim spot with some calling it a ‘good old-fashioned lido’, but it also has an open kitchen, dance floor, stage and a balcony that looks over the pool.

St Helier is also a prime spot for shopping at Royal Square, King Street and its indoor market on Halkett Street.

The first series of Bergerac which aired between 1981 and 1991 starring John Nettles was filmed in Jersey.

Head of Sun Travel (Digital) Caroline McGuire visited the island a few years ago. She said: “If I told you there’s an island an hour’s flight from the UK, with a Caribbean-like coastline, that gets summer quicker than England and you don’t need a passport – you’d think I was pulling your leg.

“But such a unicorn does exist in the English Channel: Jersey.

“When my family and I visited earlier this year, every beach was outstanding, the weather glorious, the food a fantastic hybrid of French and English tastes.”

Caroline headed to Plémont Beach in the north which had “clearest turquoise waters” but she also visited St Ouen’s Bay and Le Braye bistro which is right on the beachfront.

Other popular activities include dolphin-spotting boat rides and exploring its secret tunnels that were used in World War Two.

Luckily for Brits, Jersey is less than an hour away by plane.

The route departing from Southampton to Jersey Airport in Saint Peter takes 50-minutes.

For those who aren’t fussed about getting there quickly, another route to the island is by ferry.

Condor Ferries offers routes from Poole, and Portsmouth to St Helier which take between four and a half to 10 hours.