Incredible moment police chase suspect down on PADDLEBOARDS after he tries to swim away


Shocking footage has captured the moment Florida police officers used paddleboards to pursue a suspect after he bolted and tried to swim away.  

Chase Cruz, 28, was being read his Miranda rights on March 16 by a Volusia County deputy and Daytona Beach Shores cop when he sprinted towards the Halifax River.

‘We got one running,’ said the officer as he described Cruz, who was wearing a long-sleeve navy blue shirt and white shorts.

A different angle of the pursuit appears to show the arrest turn into a rescue mission, as the suspect seemed to stop swimming and raised his hands above the water. 

After the two officials reached the suspect, an officer jumped into the water to place a floatation device around him, and he was handcuffed to a buoy.

The officers then pulled Cruz onto his paddleboard and brought him to shore, where several other cops were waiting.

He was charged with loitering, prowling, and resisting arrest, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Several viewers were astonished by the footage and applauded the officers’ work on social media.

Incredible moment police chase suspect down on PADDLEBOARDS after he tries to swim away

Chase Cruz, 28, was arrested on March 16 and was charged with loitering, prowling, and resisting arrest. He is pictured above in his police booking photograph 

Cruz was being read his Miranda rights by a Volusia County deputy and Daytona Beach Shores cop when he bolted towards the Halifax River. He is shown seconds before he sprinted away

Cruz was being read his Miranda rights by a Volusia County deputy and Daytona Beach Shores cop when he bolted towards the Halifax River. He is shown seconds before he sprinted away 

A different angle of the pursuit appears to show the arrest turn into a rescue mission, as the suspect seemed to stop swimming and raised his hands above the water

A different angle of the pursuit appears to show the arrest turn into a rescue mission, as the suspect seemed to stop swimming and raised his hands above the water

One user wrote: ‘It’s all fun and games to folks evading until that lactic acid builds up! Good work, VCSO!’

Another added: ‘Maybe if you can’t swim across, you shouldn’t jump in. Good work, Volusia County Sheriff Department keeping them honest.’

A third said: ‘Why….WHY do they always run!?!? Bro, you KNOW you’re going to get caught! 

‘Maybe not right away, but they WILL catch you! And over some loitering?? Cmon dude.’

In another recent police chase in Florida, a father hurled himself out of his moving SUV with his wife and three terrified children still inside as deputies closed in.

The astonishing scene unfolded on Highway 79 in Washington County on November 10 after a young child secretly dialed 911 to report that her parents were fighting in the car.

An officer's body cam captured Cruz taking off. The cop in pursuit can be heard saying: 'We got one running'

An officer’s body cam captured Cruz taking off. The cop in pursuit can be heard saying: ‘We got one running’

A different angle of the pursuit appears to show the arrest turn into a rescue mission, as the suspect seemed to stop swimming and raised his hands out of the water

The domestic violence call disconnected abruptly before responders could gather more information, police said.

Minutes later, deputies spotted the family’s SUV matching the child’s description, but 46-year-old Albert Dale Searcy didn’t stop when cops tried to pull the car over.

Officers then watched in disbelief as Searcy flung open the car door and leapt out onto the road, leaving his family hurtling down the highway without a driver in the front seat.


Dozens of Britons detained in UAE after ‘filming drone and missile attacks’


Dozens of Britons detained in UAE after ‘filming drone and missile attacks’
Missile strikes on the glamorous Gulf State have been shared widely on social media (Picture: EPA/X)

As many as 70 Britons have been locked up in the United Arab Emirates for filming Iranian attacks on the Middle Eastern country.

British tourists, expats and cabin crew are being held in overcrowded police cells and could face ten years in jail for breaching laws around protecting ‘national security and stability’.

Campaign groups say the legal system is swamped with cases and some are being denied sleep, food and medicine in detention, the Mail on Sunday reports.

They are accusing the UAE of trying to protect their ‘carefully constructed brand’ as a glamorous and safe travel spot.

An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026. Flights were gradually resuming at Dubai airport on March 16, previously the world's busiest for international flights, the airport operator said, after a "drone-related incident" sparked a fuel tank fire nearby, as Iran kept up its Gulf attacks. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /
An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

Laws in the Gulf State prohibit publishing or sharing material that could disturb public security, and the British embassy has previously warned expats not to take pictures or share images of Iranian missiles.

Those nearby to an Iranian strike are sent a text message in both Arabic and English saying: ‘Photographing or sharing security or critical sites, or reposting unreliable information, may result in legal action and compromise national security and stability.’

Even passively receiving an image is deemed illegal under the strictest laws, which could carry a ten-year jail term or a fine up to £200,00.

Dubai Watch CEO David Haigh is representing eight arrested Britons and says local lawyers have told him 35 Brits have been detained in Dubai, with similar numbers in Abu Dhabi.

His human rights group says that those arrested are facing months in detention before being charged because the system is so overwhelmed.

Others have been released on bail but have had their passport confiscated so they cannot leave.

Campaigners have claimed that some Britons have been made to sign Arabic statements they do not understand.

** CONTRIBUTOR REQUESTS NO USAGE BY THE SUN ** Video grab from footage as a British couple on honeymoon in Dubai were left terrified as a missile strike hit their beachfront hotel, sending flames shooting into the sky and blasting debris onto their balcony.Matthew McGinn, 42, was standing just six feet from his window at the Fairmont Palm when a huge blast ripped through the luxury resort on Saturday (February 28), sparking panic among guests as missiles were intercepted overhead.The attack came amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran launching missile and drone strikes across the Gulf in retaliation for Western military action - forcing airspace closures and grounding thousands of flights.Footage taken from the couple's hotel room shows flames leaping up outside the beachfront hotel moments after the explosion as shocked guests scramble for safety. Photo released 02/03/2026
Missiles have struck hotels and other high-profile locations (Picture: Matthew McGinn / SWNS)

Radha Stirling of the Detained In Dubai group told the Mail on Sunday: ‘British citizens are being held in overcrowded conditions, denied medication, and pressured to sign confessions without legal representation. 

‘This is a serious failure of protection. Immediate and robust diplomatic intervention is required to safeguard their welfare and secure their release. 

‘These are not criminals, but ordinary tourists, workers and residents who acted without malicious intent.’

Access to British consular staff is understood to be ‘restricted or outright denied’ for those arrested.

The Foreign Office is not automatically alerted all arrests and some are advised not to contact the Embassy because it could prolong their case.

Officials believe just five British detainees are receiving consular help for taking pictures.

One Brit being detained in the UAE is a London-based air steward for budget airline FlyDubai.

It is understood he took a picture of the damage caused when an Iranian drone struck close to Dubai airport on March 7 and sent it to colleagues, asking if the area was safe.

Police later checked his phone and arrested him.

An expat lawyer living in Dubai is also among those arrested under national security laws.

The Palm Jumeirah Fairmont hotel was hit by a Shahed suicide drone launched from Iran hours after US and Israeli air strikes hit Tehran Palm Jumeirah hotel, Dubai (Picture: Chris Eubank Jr/Facebook)
The Palm Jumeirah Fairmont hotel was hit by a Shahed suicide drone launched from Iran (Picture: Chris Eubank Jr/Facebook)

Detained In Dubai also say they are helping a 60-year-old British tourist who was charged with 20 others after footage of Iranian attacks was found on their phones.

He faces two years in jail and a fine as large as $40,000 despite deleting the footage.

It is said that UAE police will demand to look through the phones of people close to the site of a missile attack and arrest anyone caught with photos of the strikes.

Officers reportedly track down and arrest people who receive photos through apps like WhatsApp.

Mr Haigh, who was tortured in a Dubai jail, said: ‘Dubai is a corporation, a gleaming global brand desperate to keep the facade intact. 

‘So, once tourists and expats take photos of a missile intercept, or a drone strike, they become the enemy. 

‘They are arrested, vanished, threatened, charged, forced to report friends, and face years in jail.’

There were more than 240,000 Britons living in the United Arab Emirates before the start of the war with Iran.

The Emirati embassy in London said people had been warned about taking or sharing photos from ‘incident sites’, adding: ‘Disseminating such materials or inaccurate information can incite public panic and create a false impression of the UAE’s actual situation.’

The Foreign Office said: ‘We are supporting a number of British nationals in the UAE who have been detained or arrested.

‘We expect full consular access to British nationals. The British Ambassador regularly speaks to the authorities about access.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.


Seven people hurt after car ploughs into crowd in Derby city centre: Indian national, 30, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder


Seven people have been injured after a car ploughed into a crowd in Derby city centre last night. 

The incident involving a black Suzuki Swift happened at around 9.30pm in the Friar Gate area of Derby. 

Seven people were treated at the scene by ambulance crews and rushed to Royal Derby Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. 

A man in his 30s, originally from India, was found a short time later and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, causing serious injury, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving. He remains in police custody.

Officers said they are keeping an open mind about the motives of the attacker, while an investigation has been launched.   

Roads nearby were closed off, covering a large area from Curzon Street to Ford Street, and are expected to remain shut for some time. 

Catherine Atkinson, Labour MP for Derby North, said she is ‘deeply shocked’ by the news that people were injured in the incident. 

In a statement shared online, she added: ‘My thoughts are with those injured and I’m grateful to our emergency services.

Seven people hurt after car ploughs into crowd in Derby city centre: Indian national, 30, arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

The scene on Friar Gate, Derby, after multiple pedestrians were struck by a car last night 

Flowers left at the scene this morning after it was confirmed seven people were injured

Flowers left at the scene this morning after it was confirmed seven people were injured 

Paramedics in the area last night after a car ploughed into a group of people in Derby

Paramedics in the area last night after a car ploughed into a group of people in Derby 

‘Please follow police advice and avoid the area. Anyone who has information should contact them as soon as possible.’ 

The seven victims suffered a range of serious but not life-threatening injuries, with police confirming no one died. 

Anyone with information can contact Derbyshire Police on their website, via a private message on Facebook or by calling 101, quoting incident 1131 of March 28. 

They can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.  


Lost for words! Proof we’re losing the art of conversation as Britons using 20 per cent fewer words than two decades ago


They say the art of conversation is dead – and psychologists have found we now speak about 20 per cent fewer words every day than we did two decades ago.

We are losing more than 300 words from our daily conversations every day – equivalent to 120,000 words a year, a study reveals.

The biggest decline is among Gen Z, with major implications for the loneliness epidemic and how we communicate in the future, especially with the rise of AI.

Academics suggest that increases in email, texting and social media may be responsible but say there are also other unexplained factors.

The researchers say: ‘This loss of words reflects real spoken conversations, big ones and small ones, that we stopped having with others. It is imperative that we apply our best science to understand these slow, societal-level changes affecting our lives, especially because speaking 300 additional daily words may offer each person a trivial way to counter their personal level of isolation and thereby affect our ongoing epidemic of loneliness.

‘Three hundred words a day could be a brief conversation with a neighbour, a joke told to loved ones.’

The study analysed data on daily spoken words taken from a global sample of 2,197 men and women aged ten to 90 based on an analysis of audio recordings. The results were then compared with a 2007 study that used the same methods.

In the later study, the average number of daily words spoken was 12,792, compared with 15,959 in 2007, a decline of 20 per cent.

The American researchers then looked at each year up to 2019 and found that the number of words spoken dropped by an average of 338 every day.

Lost for words! Proof we’re losing the art of conversation as Britons using 20 per cent fewer words than two decades ago

We are losing more than 300 words from our daily conversations every day – equivalent to 120,000 words a year, a study reveals 

Academics suggest that increases in email, texting and social media may be responsible but say there are also other unexplained factors

Academics suggest that increases in email, texting and social media may be responsible but say there are also other unexplained factors

Join the debate

How has technology changed the way you connect and communicate with others in your daily life?

Each year, they say, we speak 120,000 fewer words than in the previous year.

Researchers found that the under-25s lost 44 per cent more words than older men and women.

Writing in Perspectives On Psychological Science, the academics from the universities of Arizona and Missouri said: ‘When we speak less, we connect less.

‘This loss is alarming because we are already in the middle of a loneliness epidemic in which social isolation and a loss of connection to others have become a problem.’

Sir Cary Cooper, professor of psychology at Manchester University, said: ‘We are using fewer spoken words, especially young people.

‘It is not only digital technology. Social connections are changing too. We have less face-to-face contact.

‘But we need eye-to-eye contact. Life is about communicating, and it is good for our psychological health.

‘The future doesn’t look too bright. In ten years’ time, Generation Z will be talking less, have smaller vocabularies, and AI will be doing the thinking and innovating for them.’


Thieves steal more than 400,000 KitKat bars from lorry right before Easter


Thieves steal more than 400,000 KitKat bars from lorry right before Easter
More than 400,000 KitKat bars have been stolen from a lorry travelling from Italy to Poland (Picture: AP)

More than 400,000 KitKat bars have been stolen from a truck in Europe, Nestlé confirmed.

A lorry carrying some 12 tons of the popular chocolate-covered wafer snack set out this week from the company’s factory in Perugia, central Italy.

It was loaded with a total of 413,793 bars from the brand’s latest official Formula One range.

The bars were supposed to be distributed across Europe with the delivery ending in Poland, but it never reached its destination after the truck was hijacked by thieves.

Both the lorry and its sweet contents remain unaccounted for and it is as of yet unknown where the vehicle was intercepted.

It said it was investigating the incident with authorities and supply chain partners.

PERUGIA (SAN SISTO), ITALY - OCTOBER 19, 2018: Facade of the Perugina chocolate confectionery factory, a division of Nestle corporation.; Shutterstock ID 1301893039; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other:
More than 12 tons of chocolate had been loaded onto the truck at Nestlé’s factory in Perugia, central Italy (Picture: Shutterstock)

The Switzerland-based confectioner said in a statement: ‘We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KITKAT – but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.

‘Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes.

‘With more sophisticated schemes being deployed on a regular basis, we have chosen to go public with our own experience in the hope that it raises awareness of an increasingly common criminal trend.’

While the bars could be sold through unofficial channels, they can be traced via their unique batch code.

Lorry carrying 12 tons of KitKats goes missing in Europe
The stolen chocolates were from KitKat’s new official Formula One range (Picture: KitKat)

Nestlé added that consumers, wholesalers and retailers would be able to check if they had purchased a stolen product.

Anyone who scans the number for a stolen batch of KitKats will be directed to instructions on how to contact the company.

It said that consumers should not attempt to track or locate the missing items, but hand any information to the company or local authorities.

It comes after a report from the International Union of Marine Insurance
(IUMI) and Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) found an alarming rise in cargo theft, with criminals turning to more sophisticated methods.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.


Four people are arrested on suspicion of murder after death of young woman who was found unconscious in the street


Four people have been arrested after an unidentified young woman who was found unconscious in the street in Leeds has died.

Officers rushed to Kennerleigh Avenue in Austhorpe at 5.55am today following reports that a woman, believed to be a teenager, was lying unconscious in the street. 

She was found to have suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment, but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. 

Police have been unable to identify the woman and have released details of her description in the hope that someone might recognise her, so her next of kin can be notified.

She is believed to be in her mid to late teens, and is described a sbeing of slim build with tanned skin.

The force added she is 5ft 2ins tall with green eyes and brown hair with darker roots and blonder ends. She also has fixed metal braces to her upper and lower teeth.

Four people, two women aged 18, a man aged 20 and a boy aged 17, were all arrested from a nearby address on suspicion of murder. 

All four remain in custody, while West Yorkshire Police continue to investigate.

Four people are arrested on suspicion of murder after death of young woman who was found unconscious in the street

Officers rushed to Kennerleigh Avenue in Austhorpe at 5.55am today following reports of the woman lying unconscious in the street. Pictured: Forensic officers work at the scene

The young woman was found to have suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment, but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Pictured: Forensic officers work at the scene

The young woman was found to have suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment, but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Pictured: Forensic officers work at the scene

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Marc Bowes said: ‘This is an extremely complex investigation where a young woman has sadly lost her life.

‘We are treating her death as murder and have arrested four people in connection with it.

‘Despite carrying out extensive enquiries throughout the course of today we have not yet been able to confirm her identity.

‘We hope by releasing these details that someone will recognise who she is and come forward.

‘I am also keen to speak to anyone who was in the Kennerleigh Avenue area in the early hours of this morning, or anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the vicinity.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow 


America’s new $13bn aircraft carrier forced to retreat from Iran war because eco-friendly toilets won’t flush… as our brave sailors left to sleep on the floor after part of ship caught FIRE


America’s $13billion aircraft carrier has been sidelined from operations in the Iran conflict after a string of onboard failures, from eco-friendly toilets that fail to flush to a fire that tore through parts of the ship.

The USS Gerald R Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world and the most expensive warship ever built by the US, could be forced out of action for up to a year, according to the New York Post.

The 1,106-foot vessel left the Red Sea and is now docked in Crete for repairs after being pulled from the conflict just two weeks after joining operations against Iran.

The vessel has been plagued by issues for years, including persistent problems with its sanitation system dating back to at least 2020. Frequent clogs and repairs have cost at least $4million.

‘Those eco-friendly toilets are not pressurized in the same way. They don’t flush through,’ naval expert Steve Wills told the outlet.

It comes just days after Trump made a scathing remark about Great Britain’s aircraft carrier, calling it a ‘toy’ before mocking the UK’s decision to send ships when the Iran war is over.

The commander in chief has been vocal about his condemnation of the UK’s lack of support for his war against Iran.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, the US President said: ‘The British said “we’ll send our aircraft carriers” – which aren’t the best aircraft carriers by the way, they are toys compared to what we have – “we’ll send our aircraft carrier when the war is over”. I said “that’s wonderful, thank you very much – don’t bother”.’

America’s new bn aircraft carrier forced to retreat from Iran war because eco-friendly toilets won’t flush… as our brave sailors left to sleep on the floor after part of ship caught FIRE

America’s $13billion USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier has been pulled from operations in the Iran conflict after a series of failures, including faulty toilets, sewage issues and a fire that damaged living areas

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not publicly commented on the reported issues aboard the USS Gerald R Ford

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not publicly commented on the reported issues aboard the USS Gerald R Ford

He also said he was ‘very disappointed’ by the Prime Minister’s decision at the start of the conflict not to permit the use of the UK-US Diego Garcia base to target Iran using ‘that beautiful B2 bomber’.

The problems stem from the ship’s vacuum collection, holding and transfer system, a high-tech design adapted from the cruise ship industry that has required constant maintenance.

A 2020 Government Accountability Office report found the system required ‘onerous’ day-to-day maintenance, with each so-called ‘acid flush’ costing about $400,000.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine raised concerns earlier this month about the ship’s ‘persistent sewage system failures and inoperable laundry facilities’ following its extended deployment.

The carrier had been operating in the Middle East in support of US efforts against Iran before it was pulled from service.

Kaine warned the situation was taking a toll on the crew, writing to Navy Secretary John Phelan: ‘I am deeply concerned about the compounding mental and physical toll this long deployment and uncertainty is taking on our Sailors.’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not publicly commented on the reported issues aboard the USS Gerald R Ford.

He added that sailors and their families were being pushed ‘to a breaking point’ by an unpredictable schedule and a ship that, despite its $13billion price tag, was failing to meet basic living standards.

The United Stated Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Souda Bay on March 23, 2026 in Souda, Greece

The United Stated Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Souda Bay on March 23, 2026 in Souda, Greece

Harbor tugboats approach the USS Gerald R Ford off Split, Croatia, on March 28, 2026, during a maintenance stop after Middle East operations

Harbor tugboats approach the USS Gerald R Ford off Split, Croatia, on March 28, 2026, during a maintenance stop after Middle East operations

The carrier operates as a ‘floating city’ with a crew of roughly 4,500 sailors.

According to the report, the Navy installed a new toilet and sewage system similar to those used on commercial aircraft but scaled up for a crew of more than 4,000.

The ship was also hit by a fire on March 12 in a laundry area, which filled multiple sections with smoke, damaged berthing spaces and left some living quarters unusable.

Smoke is believed to have spread through the ship’s air circulation system, contaminating mattresses and linens and rendering some areas virtually unlivable.

The damage was so severe that helicopters were used to transport laundry to other ships after onboard facilities were knocked out.

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said the fallout was severe, with hundreds of sailors forced to sleep on the floor for days.

‘I’m told that there are 400 sailors that spent many days sleeping on the floor,’ Reed said. ‘It’s been at sea now for almost a year, so that is an incredible stress on the whole crew.’

The warship has been deployed for around nine months, adding to concerns about strain on personnel.

The Navy’s 6th Fleet said the carrier remains ‘fully mission capable’ and will undergo assessment, repairs and resupply, though no timeline has been given.

An investigation into the fire is now underway.

Meanwhile, the USS George H W Bush carrier strike group is heading toward the Mediterranean to support operations, though it uses a similar sanitation system.

The Ford arrived at the Port of Split in Croatia on Saturday, according to the Navy.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Navy for comment.


Prepare for driving restrictions and four-day working weeks as Iran crisis deepens, warns former BP executive 


A former oil company executive says ministers should consider enforcing driving restrictions amid an impending fuel supply crisis.

Nick Butler, former BP head of strategy and a policy advisor to ex-PM Gordon Brown, said limiting drivers to alternate days based on their vehicle’s registration number would be one measure.

Another would be for employers to allow an extra day off for staff every week to reduce commuter traffic.

He urged the Government to reassure people by telling them ‘what was going to happen’ if the Iran war dragged on.

‘If supplies are cut by 20 per cent than someone is using 20 per cent less,’ he said.

‘The Government has to protect the key sectors of the economy – food supply, health service, schools and so on – and then it has to work out how it’s going to manage the market for the rest of us.

‘I don’t think they can just leave it to a free-for-all which would be chaotic and very regressive and unfair to those of limited ability to pay.

‘I don’t think it’s going to be ration books. 

A lot of countries around the world are now beginning to look at how you gently reduce consumption – driving alternate days for different registration numbers, having an extra day’s holiday a week – that’s what some countries in the Far East are doing.

Prepare for driving restrictions and four-day working weeks as Iran crisis deepens, warns former BP executive 

Nick Butler, former BP head of strategy and a policy advisor to ex-PM Gordon Brown, said limiting drivers to alternate days based on their vehicle’s registration number would be one measure

Another would be for employers to allow an extra day off for staff every week to reduce commuter traffic (stock image)

Another would be for employers to allow an extra day off for staff every week to reduce commuter traffic (stock image)

‘Those sort of measures are a form of rationing that will constrain demand in order to bring a new balance with supply.’

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the squeeze on fuel would not be resolved quickly – even if political agreement was reached.

‘There is real damage to facilities and supplies,’ he said. ‘Some refineries have been knocked out, the gas terminal in Qatar has been knocked out and that will take a long while to put back into order.

‘So we’re going to have a problem over quite an extended period.’

Mr Butler, a visiting professor at Kings College London, said ministers needed to maximise production of the UK’s North Sea oil, although this was not an immediate solution.

Meanwhile consumers should be protected against price-gouging by fuel suppliers through ‘forensic audits’ of company accounts.

‘The Government should be setting out a plan now to manage really serious potential shortages which could develop if this conflict goes on and [the Strait of] Hormuz isn’t opened pretty soon,’ he added.

‘The risk is panic buying which would be terrible. The Government has a responsibility to calm the market by showing how they are going to cope with this situation.’


Caster Semenya: Double Olympic champion shapes up for new battle with the International Olympic Committee


Caster Semenya: Double Olympic champion shapes up for new battle with the International Olympic Committee

Rob Harris

Sports correspondent, Sky News

South African Caster Semenya encouraging challenge against the landmark decision by the IOC to reintroduce sex testing; women’s category of Olympic sports will be limited to biological females from 2028; double Olympic gold medallist Semenya calling on other athletes to join class action

Last Updated: 28/03/26 3:09pm


Caster Semenya is encouraging a challenge against the landmark decision to reintroduce sex testing alongside banning transgender women and athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) from women's competitions

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Caster Semenya is encouraging a challenge against the landmark decision to reintroduce sex testing alongside banning transgender women and athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) from women’s competitions

Caster Semenya is encouraging a challenge against the landmark decision to reintroduce sex testing alongside banning transgender women and athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) from women’s competitions

For Caster Semenya, the new Olympics rules are not about providing clarity and protecting women’s sport but caving into political pressure, and discriminatory.

Having fought athletics chiefs over her own gender eligibility, the double Olympic champion is shaping up for a new battle with the International Olympic Committee.

“If we have to say women must stop taking part in Olympics, so be it,” the South African said in an exclusive interview with Sky News.

“I will encourage athletes to come together as a class action … because this does not make sense. It does not save women’s sport.”

The South African is encouraging a challenge against the landmark decision to reintroduce sex testing alongside banning transgender women and athletes – like herself – with differences in sex development (DSD) from women’s competitions.

Semenya won 800m gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics

Semenya won 800m gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics

“I’m fighting for women’s dignity,” Semenya said. “Those who say, ‘I am not going to be tested to prove that I’m a woman’ … I will encourage them to do that to stop this nonsense.”

This goes beyond sport since Donald Trump seized on stopping “men beat and batter female athletes”.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic champion swimmer, and many other women in sport now align with the US president.

The Zimbabwean determined it is not fair for biological males to compete in the female competitions because physiological advantages of having gone through male puberty, or the presence of XY chromosomes, can be the difference in determining medals.

“This regulation is totally shameful,” Semenya said. “It’s something that her as a president should have not allowed such to happen.”

But the IOC has said there is at least a 10 per cent advantage in most running and swimming events for men – rising beyond 100 per cent for sports requiring “explosive power” like boxing, which creates dangers beyond fairness of competitions.

'I'm fighting for women's dignity,' Semenya told Sky News

‘I’m fighting for women’s dignity,’ Semenya told Sky News

‘There’s no scientific proof – it’s an ideology’

I put this to Semenya.

“Based on what?” she responded. “There’s no scientific proof about what has been said. It’s an ideology.”

The full scientific research behind the decision has not been published. Nor has the IOC said what has changed in recent years scientifically or medically.

But is it not clear in combat sports there are safety concerns when a biological woman takes on a fighter who was born a man, with higher testosterone levels and greater muscle mass?

“What do you expect in boxing?” Semenya responded. “We understand that it’s a dangerous sport. We all sign in, in all sporting codes, knowing that there are safety precautions.

“There are risks, but you cannot come and then try to measure someone’s power based on how they look because you think they’re intersex or you think that they’re transgender.”

Semenya has become the face of scrutiny of eligibility rules since her gender was questioned based on her appearance after winning gold at the World Athletics Championships as a 19-year-old in 2009.

Enforced verification tests showed that while she always identified as female and had female traits, Semenya also had the typical male XY chromosome pattern and high levels of naturally occurring testosterone.

After being cleared to race, Semenya was still able to win Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016.

But then she refused to artificially reduce her hormone levels as required by World Athletics and lost further legal challenges. So the 35-year-old now coaches.

Semenya has come under scrutiny since winning gold at the 2009 World Athletics Championships at the age of 2019

Semenya has come under scrutiny since winning gold at the 2009 World Athletics Championships at the age of 2019

‘There is no respect for women’

Mandatory sex verification testing for all entrants into Olympic women’s events will ensure a competitor isn’t singled out for tests because they might have masculine characteristics.

The IOC’s stance has transformed since ruling out a return to the “bad old days” of sex testing during Paris 2024 when Thomas Bach was in charge.

But Semenya said: “There is no respect for women. The minute you start asking a woman to be tested to take part in sports, that’s not dignity.”

When the IOC said this policy would apply to all their events I asked Ms Coventry if that includes the Youth Olympics. It does, meaning girls as young as 15 will have to take sex tests.

She said: “We really went above and beyond, I think, talking to a lot of different athletes, around how the process should be followed and what does that look like, and the support networks that need to be in place.”

For Semenya this just adds to safeguarding issues: “Testing a girl, a child, it is harmful and it is shameful,” she said.

Will the rules stand up to a legal challenge ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?

While Semenya says she is fighting for the dignity of women, the IOC insists this is about protecting the safety and integrity of women’s sport but could need to produce more evidence.