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Rare Mediterranean Shark Attack Claims Diver’s Life

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Divers and tourists often underestimate the risks when approaching wild animals. photo credit: Luciano Santandreu/Shutterstock

A snorkeller has been fatally attacked off the coast of Hadera, Israel, in what experts describe as one of the rarest shark incidents ever recorded in the Mediterranean. Authorities believe the shark responsible was a dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus), a species long considered harmless to humans in the region. Although forensic confirmation is still pending, marine biologists say the evidence strongly points to this species.

The attack occurred near the warm-water outflow from the local power station, a site that has become popular among divers due to the regular presence of large sharks. These sharks are drawn to the area by the elevated water temperatures and increased fish activity. For years, locals and tourists have flocked there for close encounters, but officials have repeatedly warned that feeding or approaching the sharks could provoke aggressive responses.

A Mediterranean First

Why This Case Stands Out

If confirmed, the Hadera incident would mark the first recorded fatal attack involving a dusky shark in the Mediterranean Sea. While dusky sharks are found across warm and temperate oceans, they are rarely known to harm people. In most cases, encounters end without injury. This has led some scientists to call the April attack a statistical anomaly rather than an emerging trend.

Still, the event has reignited debate over changing marine behaviour in warming seas. Rising water temperatures and altered migration patterns are bringing species into contact with humans more often, and not only in the Mediterranean. Experts emphasise that even normally placid species can act unpredictably if they are stressed, competing for food, or used to being fed by humans.

Key Points

  • The fatal incident took place near Hadera, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
  • The suspected culprit, a dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus), is not normally aggressive towards humans.
  • Local conditions such as warm outflow water and fish concentration likely contributed to the unusual behaviour.
  • Authorities have advised against diving or feeding sharks in the area until further notice.

The incident underlines how easily a predictable attraction, warm water drawing marine life, can turn into danger when curiosity overrides caution. Divers and tourists often underestimate the risks when approaching wild animals in their natural environment. Even species long labelled as “inoffensive” can become aggressive when provoked or fed.

For swimmers, snorkelers and divers, the key is awareness. Simple actions like obeying closures, avoiding dusk or dawn swims, and not feeding wildlife drastically reduce an already minuscule risk. Statistically, shark attacks in the Mediterranean remain exceptionally rare, especially compared with other global coastlines.

Should Expats be worried?

The British community forms one of the largest expatriate groups in Europe, with hundreds of thousands of citizens living in Spain, France, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece. With such a large seaside population, the occasional headline about a shark sighting naturally raises concern, yet the data paints a reassuring picture.

According to global marine incident databases, there have been only a handful of recorded shark attacks in European waters over the past several decades, and very few involving expats living in Spain. Most cases in southern Europe involve tourists engaging in fishing, spear diving, or swimming in remote areas. For everyday beachgoers, the odds of encountering a dangerous shark remain close to zero.

That said, awareness is always wise. Many expats spend large portions of the year in the water, whether swimming, diving, or paddle boarding. Staying informed about local conditions, particularly near warm outflows, fish-cleaning zones, or areas where feeding is reported, is the simplest way to stay safe.

Safety for Swimmers and Divers

Practical Guidance

  • Always follow lifeguard and local authority warnings.
  • Avoid swimming during twilight hours when visibility is low.
  • Do not enter the water near fishing activity or if fish remains are visible.
  • If you see a shark, leave the water calmly and avoid sudden splashing.
  • Never feed or attempt to touch marine wildlife.

For expats in coastal areas of Spain, Italy or Greece, the lesson from Hadera is clear: respect the sea, enjoy it sensibly, and remember that the Mediterranean remains one of the safest major bodies of water in the world. While the has incident shocked many, it remains an extreme rarity rather than a sign of growing danger.

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Meghan Markle Comeback Reportedly Underway

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news of her involvement surfaced after she was photographed on set alongside other cast members. Photo credit: Lev radin/Shutterstock

Meghan Markle is preparing to return to acting for the first time since stepping away from her television career in the late 2010s. According to reporting from People, Cosmopolitan and Vogue, the Duchess of Sussex has participated in filming for a new movie titled Close Personal Friends, which is currently in production. The role has been described by sources as a cameo appearance rather than a full dramatic return, indicating a measured step back into the entertainment world.

Her return carries significance beyond the screen. Meghan left her role in Suits shortly before her marriage to Prince Harry, transitioning into royal duties, public advocacy and later charitable and media work following the couple’s decision to step back from senior royal positions in 2020. This makes even a brief on-screen appearance notable as a shift in her public professional identity.

Return to On-Screen Work

A Familiar Space, Approached Selectively

Meghan Markle rose to prominence as Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits, appearing in seven seasons of the series. The show recently experienced a dramatic resurgence on streaming platforms, introducing Meghan’s earlier work to new viewers and reigniting widespread cultural interest. The renewed spotlight may have indirectly shaped the climate into which her cameo now arrives, though no official link has been stated by the production team or by Meghan herself.

While many film and television transitions involve heavy publicity, this project has remained intentionally low-profile. There has been no formal promotional announcement from the studio or from Meghan’s representatives. Instead, news of her involvement surfaced after she was photographed on set alongside other cast members during filming in Los Angeles.

The film’s confirmed cast includes Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding, all established actors with a strong presence in contemporary film and streaming. At this stage, no official plot outline has been released, and production details are being kept deliberately limited.

Prince Harry’s Role

Supportive, Not Professionally Involved

Reports emphasise that Prince Harry is supportive of Meghan’s participation in the film, but he has no role in the production and is not involved in the creative side of the project. According to People, Harry’s support is personal, recognising that acting was part of Meghan’s identity and career long before they met. Sources close to the couple suggest that this project represents something chosen by Meghan independently, rather than a coordinated public brand move.

This distinction is important. In recent years, much public conversation around the couple has framed their work as joint. The cameo in Close Personal Friends, by contrast, is being reported as Meghan’s individual professional decision.

Why Now?

Controlled, Intentional and Carefully Scoped

The cameo appears to reflect the couple’s evolving approach to public and media projects since restructuring their charitable foundation, Archewell, and refining their documentary work. Rather than signalling a full-scale return to acting, the role suggests that Meghan is open to participating in selected projects aligned with her comfort, interests and professional identity.

This aligns with broader patterns in public life where figures with complex media histories choose controlled, limited creative re-entries rather than high-profile comebacks.

Summary

  • Meghan Markle has filmed a cameo for the upcoming film Close Personal Friends.
  • It marks her first on-screen appearance since her departure from acting in the late 2010s.
  • Prince Harry is reported to be supportive but is not involved in the film.
  • No further acting projects have been confirmed at this time.

A Gradual and Low-Profile Approach

As production moves forward, more details about the film and Meghan’s exact participation are expected to emerge. For now, the project stands as a small, deliberate and self-directed step rather than a public reinvention.

Whether this cameo becomes a single creative moment or the beginning of a broader pattern remains to be seen. But for audiences familiar with Meghan’s earlier work, it marks a thoughtful re-engagement with a craft she has been publicly associated with for more than a decade.

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Netflix Finds Paradise In The Mango Groves Of Axarquia

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Credit: Screenshot Mango trailer.

Move over Tuscany, because these days Malaga’s mango country is having its big moment. Netflix has just premiered Mango, a romantic drama shot entirely in the sun-drenched hills of the wonderful Axarquia region. That’s where Europe’s sweetest mangoes grow.

Directed by Danish filmmaker Mehdi Avaz, the film stars Dar Salim (Game of Thrones) and Josephine Park (The Nurse). And it tells the story of an ex-lawyer who escapes tragedy to live on a struggling mango farm. The twist? A hotel manager arrives with plans that could change everything. Cue love, conflict, and plenty of Mediterranean light.

A cinematic postcard from Axarquia

But Mango isn’t just another Netflix love story. It’s a cinematic postcard from southern Spain. Velez-Malaga, Frigiliana and a mango plantation in Benamocarra all take centre stage in the production. And they’re captured during the real mango harvest last September. 

The backdrop belongs to Eurofresh, an organic producer whose orchards stretch across 40 years of history and now, onto the global streaming screen.

More than a simple movie for Axarquia

Local producer María Cabello, from the Malaga-based company Anima Stillking, says the project was special for more than one reason. “We wanted it to feel authentic. The heat, the harvest, the community. Everyone who wasn’t Danish was from Malaga. That’s something we try to sell to every production that comes here.”

Filming wasn’t easy: August sun, steep Frigiliana streets, and gear carried by hand through pedestrian lanes. But the payoff? “We ate a lot of mangoes,” Cabello laughs.For the Axarquia, Mango is more than another movie.  It’s a celebration of the place, of the beauty of this area. After years of being Spain’s quiet agricultural powerhouse, the region is finally shining on screen. Under the bright Andalusian sky, even the fruit tells a story of resilience, flavour and love.

Read here more news from Axarquia.

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Catalonia Whets Travellers’ Appetites

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The World Travel Market 2025 in London has seen the Catalonia region reaffirm its standing with the British travel market, reporting 1.89 million UK visitors in 2024 who spent a total of €2.024 billion.

While these figures haven’t yet recovered to pre-Brexit levels, tourism officials say the market is “mature, stable and increasingly focused on higher value experiences.”

At the fair, a delegation from Catalonia – including senior tourism officials – highlighted the region’s shift toward cultural, gastronomic and sustainable travel, rather than just sun-and-sea holidaying.

Spain’s second-largest inbound market from the UK, Catalonia is also strengthening direct flight links with 18 UK airports and four in Ireland, helping keep connectivity solid. As one senior official put it, the aim is to capture a visitor with “value added” who stays longer, spends more, and engages with the region beyond the coastal resorts.

What the Catalonia strategy signals is a maturing of UK tourism: fewer one-week beach escapes and more interest in gastronomy, culture, golf, long stays and off-peak travel.

The presence of chef Paco Pérez at a London cocktail event, hosted by the Catalonia delegation, showed a serious level of ambition on food tourism.

Michelin-starred chef Paco Pérez is one of Spain’s most acclaimed culinary figures, and is the creative force behind several award-winning restaurants, including Miramar in Llançà (Girona) and Enoteca in Barcelona, which together hold five Michelin stars.

This focus on higher-value, experience-led tourism shows why the UK market remains both resilient and evolving.

Keeping flight connections regular and efficient, investing in mid-week stays, high-end premium experiences and diversifying beyond sun and sand will matter more than ever if destinations are to stay ahead.

This also matters for the wider Spanish tourism picture. The UK remains a key source of tourists and revenue; the fact that Catalonia can hold its ground is encouraging for destinations elsewhere.

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