PEMBROKESHIRE’S all-female rowing crew Merched y Mor have completed one of the hardest endurance challenges on the planet after crossing the Atlantic Ocean in just over fifty days.

Denise Leonard, Helen Heaton, Liz Collyer and Heledd Williams arrived at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua on Monday (Feb 2) after rowing roughly 3,000 miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands as part of the World’s Toughest Row.

Their official crossing time was 50 days, 14 hours and 43 minutes.

The team becomes the first all-Wales female crew ever to finish the transatlantic race, joining a small global community of ocean rowers who have successfully crossed the Atlantic under human power alone. Organisers frequently note that fewer people have completed the crossing than have travelled into space.

Life at sea

For seven weeks, the four women lived aboard their boat Cariad, rowing in pairs around the clock in two-hour shifts, day and night.

They battled steep Atlantic swells, equipment issues and relentless fatigue, with waves reported at up to twenty feet. Temperatures swung from chilly nights to intense daytime heat, while flying fish, salt sores and sleep deprivation became part of daily life.

There were no days off. Christmas, New Year and birthdays were marked mid-ocean.

Communication with home was limited to satellite messages and brief calls, making morale and teamwork critical.

The crew said their strategy was simple: break the challenge into small pieces.

“We just took one day at a time and looked after each other,” they said after stepping ashore. “Kindness and teamwork got us through.”

Months of preparation

The race, widely described as the world’s toughest endurance row, demands far more than fitness.

Teams must be fully self-sufficient, carrying their own food, water makers, safety gear and navigation equipment. Crews train for months in open water, learning survival skills, first aid, and how to repair equipment at sea.

For Merched y Mor, much of that preparation happened along the Pembrokeshire coast, building strength and sea confidence in conditions not unlike the Atlantic’s winter swells.

Each member came with a different personal motivation, from setting an example to their children and grandchildren to proving that age and background are no barriers to big ambitions.

Before departure, Denise Leonard said she wanted to show “that if you take a chance and are brave enough to try, extraordinary things are possible.”

Warm welcome in Antigua

Their final approach into Antigua was emotional, with families waiting on the quayside.

After weeks without physical contact, the first hugs brought tears from both crew and supporters.

“It didn’t feel real until we saw them,” the team said. “Those first hugs were just the best.”

Rowing for good causes

The challenge was not just personal.

The crew are raising funds for several charities close to their hearts, including the RNLI, Sea Trust Wales, Action for Children and Popham Kidney Support. Proceeds from sponsorship and the planned sale of their boat will be shared between the causes.

A proud moment for Pembrokeshire

Back home, messages of congratulations poured in from across the county, with supporters tracking the boat’s progress online throughout the crossing.

Their achievement places Pembrokeshire firmly on the international endurance-sport map and offers an inspiring story of resilience, teamwork and determination.

After fifty days alone with the ocean, Merched y Mor have returned not just as finishers, but as record-makers — proof that a small Welsh crew can take on the Atlantic and win.

Peter Mandelson has announced he will retire from the House of Lords with immediate effect, as mounting political and legal pressure grows over claims he shared sensitive government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Parliamentary officials confirmed that Peter Mandelson formally notified the Clerk of the Parliaments of his decision, ending his membership of the upper chamber from Tuesday (Feb 4).

The move follows reports that the Metropolitan Police Service is reviewing allegations of possible misconduct in public office connected to emails said to have been forwarded to Epstein while Mandelson was business secretary during the 2008–09 financial crisis.

Downing Street has confirmed that material has been passed to police after an initial Cabinet Office review.

Government fury

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told cabinet colleagues Mandelson had “let his country down”, according to No 10, and officials are now drafting legislation that could strip him of his peerage entirely.

Removing a life peer is rare and would require an Act of Parliament.

If passed, Mandelson would lose the title “Lord” altogether — an extraordinary step that has only been considered in the most serious cases.

Senior ministers have described the alleged passing-on of market-sensitive government discussions as “disgraceful” and a “betrayal of trust”.

What police are examining

Misconduct in public office is a centuries-old common law offence that applies where someone in a position of public trust wilfully abuses that role. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Investigators will assess whether confidential information — particularly relating to government financial policy during the crash — was shared without justification and whether safeguards were breached.

At this stage, no charges have been brought.

Mandelson has previously apologised for maintaining contact with Epstein after the financier’s conviction, saying he regrets “ever having known him”, but he has disputed some of the latest claims and has not commented directly on the police review.

Political shockwaves

Opposition parties are pushing for further disclosure of documents relating to Mandelson’s vetting and his past roles.

Conservatives are expected to force a Commons vote demanding more information, while Liberal Democrats have called for a public inquiry.

Several MPs have also suggested Mandelson should be removed from the Privy Council.

The developments mark a dramatic fall for one of Labour’s most influential political figures of the past three decades, who only months ago was serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

Now, with police examining evidence and legislation being prepared to remove his title, his public career appears effectively over.

More updates are expected as the investigation continues.

Investigation launched into Grok chatbot after reports of explicit images created using people’s likeness without consent

THE UK’s data protection regulator has opened formal investigations into X and artificial intelligence company xAI amid growing concerns that their chatbot Grok may have been used to create sexualised “deepfake” images without people’s knowledge.

The action has been taken by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which enforces Britain’s data protection laws, following complaints that the AI tool could generate intimate or explicit images using real individuals’ faces or personal data.

Such images, often referred to as deepfakes, are digitally altered or AI-generated pictures that make it appear someone has posed for photographs or videos they never took.

Regulators fear the technology could be exploited for harassment, blackmail or abuse.

The probe follows a separate investigation by Ofcom, which began examining the platform earlier this year over wider online safety concerns.

Mounting pressure

Both investigations come amid mounting scrutiny of services linked to tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose companies have rapidly expanded the use of generative AI tools capable of producing realistic text and images in seconds.

While such tools are marketed for creative and commercial use, campaigners say safeguards have not kept pace with the risks.

Privacy experts warn that if AI systems are trained on, or can access, personal images or data without clear consent, they may breach UK data protection law.

The ICO said it is now examining how Grok was built, what data may have been used in its development, and whether sufficient protections were put in place to stop misuse.

William Malcolm, the watchdog’s executive director for regulatory risk and innovation, said reports surrounding the chatbot were “deeply troubling”.

He said losing control of personal information in this way could cause “immediate and significant harm”, particularly where children or vulnerable people are targeted.

Safeguards questioned

Investigators will look at whether the companies properly assessed risks, limited the use of personal data and introduced effective barriers to prevent the creation of explicit or abusive content.

Under UK law, organisations found to have mishandled personal data can face enforcement action, including large fines or orders to change how their systems operate.

The ICO confirmed it is working closely with Ofcom and overseas regulators as concerns about AI-generated content increasingly cross international borders.

In response to criticism, X has said it has introduced additional moderation tools and technical measures aimed at preventing the creation of harmful or non-consensual images.

However, regulators say they will continue to examine whether those steps go far enough.

The ICO said it would take action if it finds that legal obligations have not been met.