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Emergency services were scrambled to a Devon beach on Christmas Day after concerns were raised for individuals in the water.

Police confirmed they were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10am. A number of people have since been safely brought ashore and are awaiting assessment by paramedics, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A spokesperson added: “Coastguard and RNLI crews are continuing search efforts in the water.

“There is a significant amount of emergency service personnel working on this incident and we ask that people do not enter the water along this stretch of coast while this incident is ongoing for public safety reasons.”

Earlier on Thursday, police told people not to enter the water and to avoid the area.

They urgently asked the public not to take part in the Christmas Day swim at Exmouth while emergency services were dealing with the incident.

A number of Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall were cancelled this year because of a yellow weather warning for wind.

In a statement, the Coastguard confirmed it had been alerted to the incident at about 10am on Thursday.

A spokeswoman said: “HM Coastguard is responding to reports of people in difficulty in the water at Budleigh Salterton today, 25 December.

“Alerted at around 10am, Exmouth and Beer Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay and coastguard search and rescue helicopters have been sent to the scene to assist, alongside police and ambulance service.”

The RNLI said lifeboats from Exmouth, Torbay and Teignmouth were tasked to the incident.

The Met Office warned of “strong and gusty east to northeasterly winds” from 4am until 11.59pm on Christmas Day in parts of the south west of England and Wales.

It said peak gusts would reach 45-55mph but these could reach 55-65mph along some exposed costs and to the west of prominent hills.

Disruption could be caused to transport and power supplies, the forecaster said.

Meanwhile in Ireland, huge crowds have taken part in the annual Christmas Day swim at a popular bathing spot in Dublin – including the “Forty Foot Santa”.

Former President Joe Biden wished followers a “a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve filled with love” on X Wednesday, but his obscured presence in the family photo drew much of the attention.

The 46th commander-in-chief stood in the back with his face partially blocked by former first lady Jill Biden.

It wouldn’t take a professional photographer to realize the shot could be improved for the former leader of the free world.

Observers on X, some of whom appear to be Donald Trump supporters, pointedouttheoddity.

“Why are you in the back, blocked by jill,” someone wrote.

“Is it just me or is it weird his own team couldn’t release a pic of the former president that’s not obscured by his wife ?” another chimed in.

The former president’s message stood out for its warm vibe in contrast to his successor, who ranted at “Radical Left Scum.”

Biden, 83, has mostly stayed out of the public eye since leaving the White House in January. His office announced in May that he had been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bone.

He spoke at an LGBTQ+ event earlier this month, urging people to fight back against Trump’s demonization of the community.

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While the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported a robust 4.3% annual increase in third-quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) on Tuesday, economist David Rosenberg is calling the headline number a “fugazi.”

The president of Rosenberg Research argues that underlying economic weakness is being masked by government spending and depleted savings, calculating “true” growth at a meager 0.8%.

The official BEA release shows widespread gains, with real GDP accelerating from 3.8% in the second quarter to 4.3% in the third. The increase was driven primarily by consumer spending, exports, and government spending.

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However, Rosenberg contends these figures are misleading. “If you think the CPI data was manipulated, so was today’s GDP report,” Rosenberg stated on X.

He argues that once government spending, shifting import data, and a “sharp drawdown” in the personal savings rate are stripped away, the economy is barely expanding. He specifically points to “flat personal disposable income growth” as a critical red flag contradicting the apparent consumption boom.

If you think the CPI data was manipulated, so was today’s GDP report. Strip out government, sliding imports and the sharp drawdown in the personal savings rate in support of consumption (in the face of flat personal disposable income growth), and guess what? Real GDP growth was…

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The report has sparked fierce debate among analysts interpreting the same data through vastly different lenses. While Rosenberg sees a hollow economy propped up by unsustainable spending, Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research sees a terrifying nominal boom.

Johnson highlights that nominal GDP (growth before adjusting for inflation) surged 8.2%, accompanied by a GDP price index reading of 3.8%—far hotter than the Fed’s target.

“Nominal growth in the U.S. is >8%… yet 10yr yields are AT JUST 4.17%?” Johnson questioned, arguing that the Federal Reserve’s current easing cycle is “encouraging EVEN MORE inflation” in an economy that is overheating, not cooling.

So… nominal growth in the U.S. is >8%, the GDP price index just came in at 3.8% (WAY above ests.), yet 10yr yields are at JUST 4.17%? History suggests w/ nominal growth at >8%, 10yr yields should be WAY higher. And, yet, the Fed is doing QE & cutting rates, encouraging EVEN… pic.twitter.com/s38RNWm81Z

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The official data support elements of both bearish views. The BEA confirmed that imports, which subtract from GDP, decreased, artificially boosting the headline number.

Meanwhile, the price index for gross domestic purchases accelerated to 3.4%, up from 2.0% in the previous quarter, lending credence to Johnson’s inflation fears.

As markets digest the report, investors are left with a stark choice: believe the headline strength, Rosenberg’s “fugazi” weakness, or Johnson’s inflationary fire.

After a series of federal and economic headwinds, the stock market remained resilient in 2025, with all three major U.S. benchmark indices advancing over the course of the year.

The S&P 500 was 17.74% higher, whereas the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones gained 22.20% and 14.27%, respectively, on a year-to-date basis.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, closed higher on Tuesday. The SPY was up 0.46% at $687.96, while the QQQ advanced 0.47% to $622.11, according to Benzinga Pro data.

The futures of Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq 100 indices were lower on Wednesday.

Read Next: From Moxy Hotels to $12B in Real Estate — The Firm Behind NYC’s Trendiest Properties Is Letting Individual Investors In.

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This article GDP ‘Nowhere Near’ 4.3%: Rosenberg Dismisses Q3 Report As ‘Fugazi,’ Pegs Real Growth At 0.8% originally appeared on Benzinga.com