‘It’s not looking good’: Fears missing OceanGate Titanic submarine imploded 10,000 feet underwater

Titanic diver who's been to wreck fears missing OceanGate sub IMPLODED 10,000 feet underwater and that its five occupants are already long dead

An experienced diver who has traveled far into the depths of the ocean to view the Titanic wreckage fears the submersible that vanished on Sunday may have imploded thousands of feet underwater.

G. Michael Harris, who said he possibly knows three of the five occupants on board the missing sub, told Fox News‘ Jesse Watters he is not optimistic they will be rescued and believes there is nothing the U.S. Navy can do.

‘Worst situation is something happened to the hull and our fear is that it imploded at around 3,200 meters,’ (10,000 feet) Harris said.

At those depths, the weight of the water would exert extreme pressure on the missing submersible – around 6,000 pounds on each square inch of its hull.

Five people were on board Titan, the 22ft craft taking paying tourists to view the wreck 12,500ft under water when they lost signal on Sunday in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

British billionaire Hamish Harding has been confirmed as one of the five on board the vessel, along with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, UK-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Sulaiman Dawood.

Rescue crews from the US and Canada are still trying to find the vessel, which is understood to have last ‘pinged’ whilst directly above the Titanic wreck, before the air onboard runs out. It is believed the submarine has enough oxygen to last under water until 12pm on Thursday UK time (7am EST).

But an implosion would mean any hope is already long gone. If any part of the submersible’s carbon-fiber and titanium hull had suffered a small crack or fault, a deadly implosion would have followed after.

And on Monday night, Harris explained to Watters on his show that that the Titan drops to extraordinary depths to reach the wreck of the Titanic – which takes about two and a half hours and more than 10,000 feet.

‘No. No. I mean, I don’t see anything that can happen at this point,’ he said in response to whether the U.S. Navy can do anything at this point.

‘When you’re talking 6,000 pounds per square inch, it is a dangerous environment. More people have been to outer-space than to this depth of the ocean. When you’re diving in these situations you have to cross your T and dot your Is. You have to do everything absolutely perfect and by the book.’

‘Throw in a bunch of tourists in a new sub, which was just created in the last couple of years,’ Harris continued. ‘It’s not looking good.’

It’s understood that Titan communicates by sending a ping to the Polar Prince every 15 minutes – the last of which was received while the submersible floated above the Titanic wreckage at about 10am EST Sunday. (3pm UK time).

It was at that moment that chaos ensued. A distress call was sent to the US Coast Guard at 9pm, whose Boston branch is leading an operation to carry out what would be the deepest undersea rescue mission ever.

British businessman Hamish Harding, who lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, was one of the mission specialists, according to Action Aviation, a company for which Harding serves as chairman.

Also on board were Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, according to a family statement sent to the AP.

The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan’s most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector.

Their family, including Shahzada’s wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair.

‘We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time,’ the statement said. ‘The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members.’

Shahzada Dawood also is on the board of trustees for the California-based SETI Institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence.

French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on board, according to David Gallo, a senior adviser for strategic initiatives and special projects at RMS Titanic. Gallo identified Nargeolet, a friend who has led multiple expeditions to the Titanic, on Tuesday during an interview with CNN.

Nargeolet’s agent has since confirmed his presence on board.

The expedition was OceanGate’s third annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew.

Since the wreckage’s discovery in 1985, it has been slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria. Some have predicted the ship could vanish in a matter of decades as holes yawn in the hull and sections disintegrate.

The initial group of tourists in 2021 paid $100,000 to $150,000 apiece to go on the trip. OceanGate’s website had described the ‘mission support fee’ for the 2023 expedition as $250,000 a person.

Unlike submarines that leave and return to port under their own power, submersibles require a ship to launch and recover them.

OceanGate hired the Polar Prince to ferry dozens of people and the submersible craft to the North Atlantic wreck site. The submersible would make multiple dives in one expedition.

The expedition was scheduled to depart from St. John’s, Newfoundland, in early May and finish up at the end of June, according to documents filed by the company in April with a U.S. District Court in Virginia that oversees Titanic matters.

OceanGate says on its website that customers do not require any previous diving experience but there are ‘a few physical requirements like being able to board small boats in active seas’, said it was receiving help from government agencies and deep-sea companies.

The eight-day trip includes a two hour dive to the Titanic wreck and the same on the way up. It can be around eight to 10 hours in total.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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Quashing Mozambique’s mosquito net-cholera conspiracy

 Cholera is caused by dirty water, not mosquito nets, a senior official in Mozambique has said on a visit to a region where such misinformation has led to deadly violence in recent weeks.

Several health centres have been the target of attacks in Zambezia province, leaving one person dead, as angry communities blame them for an outbreak of cholera.

Eating food or drinking water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes severe diarrhoea that can kill someone within hours if left untreated.

Cristina Mafumo, the head of Mozambique’s Zambezia province, urged people to be vigilant about stopping misinformation over its cause.

She said health workers were there to help not hinder – and they should not become targets.

“Do you think the government will deliberately distribute the mosquito net to spread cholera?” she asked.

“That’s not possible. So, we have to be attentive. There are people who come to distract us, starting to demonstrate and destroy our health units. This must stop.”

Mozambique has been battling cholera for several months with many areas suffering from poor water sanitation – a situation worsened by flooding caused by recent cyclones.

During her visit to the district of Namarroi, community leaders urged Ms Mafumo to get the government to do more to provide clean water.

Source: BBC

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One In Five Chance Of Natural Pregnancy After IVF Baby

 The chance of becoming pregnant naturally after having an IVF baby is quite high, about one in five, which is something couples should be aware of, researchers say.

It is news that could give some fresh hope around planning a family, they say, or important information about contraception.
They analyzed data from more than 5,000 women to judge how common it was.
The findings are averages, so the odds for individuals differ.

According to the NHS, the chance of any couple conceiving naturally within the next year, if they have already been trying for a few years, is one in four, or less.
Infertility is usually diagnosed only after a couple have failed to conceive despite a year of trying.
But since female fertility declines with age, women aged over 35, and anyone already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner, according to the advice.

Fertility problems can be permanent or come and go and can affect either partner. There are lots of treatable reasons, but for about one in four couples it may not be possible to find a cause.
Fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), are not always free on the NHS.
One cycle of IVF treatment may cost up to £5,000 or more.
Shema Tariq, from London, was diagnosed with “low ovarian reserve”, meaning she had fewer remaining eggs, and told her chances of conceiving without IVF were almost zero.
It took six rounds of IVF to conceive her son, who was born in 2018.

‘Wonderful surprise’
“My GP briefly mentioned contraception to me after he was born – but we both laughed and agreed that it wasn’t relevant,” Shema says.
“It never occurred to me that I might get pregnant, despite being a sexual-health doctor.
“I was 43 and had been told that my chances of conceiving naturally were less than 1%.
“Eight months later, I was unexpectedly, and naturally, pregnant with our daughter.
“She has been the most wonderful surprise – but when we first found out, I felt overwhelmed and unprepared for another pregnancy.

“If I’d known that one in five women conceives naturally after IVF, I’d have used contraception until I was ready both emotionally and physically.”
Lead author of the new research, published in the journal Human Reproduction, Dr Annette Thwaites, from University College London, said: “Our findings suggest that natural pregnancy after having a baby by IVF is far from rare.

“This is in contrast with widely held views – by women and health professionals – and those commonly expressed in the media, that it is a highly unlikely event.”
The 11 international studies her team looked at found at least one in five women conceived naturally after having had a baby using fertility treatment, mostly within three years. And this applied across the different types and outcomes of fertility treatment.

Clinical Embryologist Dr Marta Jansa Perez, from the British Fertility Society, said: “This study highlights the importance of giving patients accurate information about their chances of conception at any point, in particular after giving birth to an IVF baby.
“It is good news that such a high proportion of patients are able to conceive naturally after IVF, but people should be aware that in cases where the age of the woman is a factor for the initial failure to conceive or there is severe male factor infertility, it would be advisable to seek treatment for a second child sooner rather than later.”

Source: BBC

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Warning over scammers impersonating SA president

 The South African presidency has warned people against scammers using President Cyril Ramaphosa’s name to defraud the public.

It said messages purporting to be sent by the president have been circulating.

“The president does not request any funds or endorse any payments or contracts between third parties, whether through websites, adverts, social media, emails, letters, texts or phone conversations,” the alert said.

Anyone who has received communications of this nature from the president or the presidency should terminate all future contact with the scammers, it added.

The presidency has not revealed any further details about the nature of the scams or how long they have been running, but said anyone who had already sent money to the scammers should report to law enforcement authorities.

Cybercrime and cases of impersonation have been on the rise in the country, according to local media reports.

Source: BBC

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Kenya Could Follow Uganda As East African Nations Wage War On LGBT Rights

 Mohamed Ali doesn’t believe gay Africans exist. He says homosexuality is a Western invention imposed on the continent. Openly gay Africans are liars seeking visas to the West or money from rights groups, he adds.

Ali is a member of Kenya’s parliament. He is desperate to follow neighbour Uganda by unleashing a sweeping legislative crackdown on LGBTQ people. Even if he happened to be sick in intensive care, he would ask to be dragged to parliament to approve it.

“I will ask them to take me to vote for that, to kick them out, kick LGBT people out of Kenya completely,” he said.

Weeks after Uganda enacted one of the most draconian anti-LGBT laws on Earth, Kenya could be poised to follow suit with a similarly formulated bill that punishes gay sex with prison or even death in some cases, according to a draft of the law and two lawmakers backing it in parliament.

Similar moves are also afoot in Tanzania and South Sudan, parliamentarians in those nations told Reuters, revealing for the first time a broad anti-LGBT legislative drive across East Africa. Some regional lawmakers frame the issue as an almost existential battle to save African values and sovereignty, which they say have been battered by Western pressure to capitulate on gay rights.

The draft of Kenya’s Family Protection Bill, seen by Reuters, mirrors many aspects of the Ugandan law, which was signed by President Yoweri Museveni at the end of May to the dismay of the LGBT community, human rights campaigners and Western capitals.

Gay sex is punishable by at least 10 years in jail under the proposed Kenyan law, while “aggravated homosexuality”, which includes gay sex with a minor or disabled person or when a terminal disease is passed on, brings the death penalty.

“It is a hateful piece of legislation that will truly make the lives of queer Kenyans unbearable if passed,” said Annette Atieno of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission campaign group.
Spokespeople for the Kenyan presidency and government didn’t respond to requests for comment about the proposed bill.

In South Sudan, parliamentary spokesperson John Agany told Reuters that an anti-LGBT law with the same content as the Ugandan legislation was being drafted and would be put to a vote “very soon”. He didn’t elaborate on the bill, and the Juba government didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Tanzanian lawmaker Jacqueline Ngonyani said she planned to introduce a private motion in parliament later this year to clamp down on gay activity in an attempt to “control the ongoing moral decay”.
“If these (gay) people increase, this will be the end of generation,” she added. “This is the same as drugs do to our youth.”

Asked whether she had specific punishments in mind, Ngonyani said she would not share anything until she was advised by legal experts.
Tanzania’s minister of constitutional and legal affairs, Damas Ndumbaro, said there was little room to tighten existing colonial-era laws against homosexuality, though.

“Do they want 100 years in prison while we already have a life sentence?” he told Reuters. “Let us review why the problem is persisting,” he said, referring to gay activity. “The government is still collecting opinions on how to solve the problem.”

‘PROMOTING’ HOMOSEXUALITY: 5 YEARS

The Kenyan anti-gay bill is being vetted by a parliamentary committee, which can then refer it to the full chamber for a vote. Officials have given no indication of the possible timeline.

The LGBT community fears the worst, three rights groups told Reuters.
In a debate in parliament initiated by Ali in March about whether to ban speech or publications that promote same-sex relations, more than 20 lawmakers spoke out against LGBT rights and none in support. Several called for legislation to strengthen penalties for same-sex acts, including the deputy majority leader, who said gay sex could be punished by hanging.

President William Ruto, an evangelical Christian, has criticized a February supreme court decision allowing an LGBT rights group to register as a non-governmental organization. “We cannot travel the road of women marrying their fellow women and men marrying their fellow men,” he said at the time.

The proposed Kenyan law reflects a significant degree of agreement and coordination on anti-gay policies between lawmakers across the region, according to the draft of the bill as well as Reuters interviews with the Kenyan MPs and activists.

Several new crimes appear in both Uganda’s law and the proposed Kenyan one, including the aggravated homosexuality offence, “promoting” homosexuality and allowing gay sex on your property, which affects landlords. The latter two carry prison terms of at least 10 and five years respectively, the draft shows.

The Kenyan bill’s author, lawmaker Peter Kaluma, said the push to pass similar legislation to Uganda’s was in part motivated by solidarity with its smaller neighbour, which has faced Western criticism over its law and seen the United States impose visa restrictions on some officials.

“Across the continent we want to have these laws,” Kaluma added. “If they were to sanction Uganda, let them sanction the entirety of Africa.”

He said the proposed law was influenced by discussions at a conference organized by Ugandan lawmakers in March in the city of Entebbe where he said parliamentarians from several African nations discussed strengthening anti-LGBT laws.

The conference, about African family values and sovereignty, was attended by around 80 lawmakers from 14 countries, according to a communique issued afterwards. Uganda was best represented, contributing over half of the delegates, followed by South Sudan.

The delegates called for action on issues ranging from the sexual exploitation of children to pornography. They urged nations to ban “transgender medical interventions” and make foreign donors pledge that none of their funding would go to “abortion, comprehensive sexuality education and/or the LGBTQ agenda”.

The U.S. State Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the conference or the East African legislative moves.

FEAR REIGNS AT NAIROBI PRIDE

The Kenyan bill would toughen up a colonial-era statute under which gay sex was already illegal, though the older, less detailed law was rarely enforced.
The proposed law would signal the death knell for Kenya’s status as a place of relative refuge for gay people in East Africa as the only country in the region to host refugees fleeing persecution because they are LGBT.

The draft bill stipulates that no one should be granted asylum on grounds of persecution linked to sexual orientation.

Anticipation of the new legislation, and the anti-gay rhetoric in politics and the media from public figures such as Ali and Kaluma that has accompanied it, is already casting a chill over the LGBT community, according to organizers of the Pride event in Nairobi this month.

Stella Kachina, one of the organizers, said that unlike in previous years the location was not disclosed in advance out of fear that anti-gay activists would target the event. Instead, participants were picked up and brought to the venue.

Attendee Marylize Biubwa said the current climate was frightening for gay people. “Kenya as a country doesn’t feel like home anymore,” she said.

Both advocates and opponents of the Family Protection Bill say it has a good chance of becoming law, boosted by the enactment of the Ugandan law and well-organized and financed anti-LGBT political campaigners.

Lorna Dias, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, also cited last year’s election of Ruto.
“The mere fact that we have a religious-leaning president who has openly declared his stand … people have been emboldened by his religious proclamations,” Dias said.

Source: Reuters

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Elon Musk And Mark Zuckerberg Agree To Hold Cage Fight

 Two of the world’s most high-profile technology billionaires – Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg – have agreed to fight each other in a cage match.

Mr Musk posted a message on his social media platform Twitter that he was “up for a cage fight” with Mr Zuckerberg.
Mr Zuckerberg, the boss of Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, then posted a screenshot of Mr Musk’s tweet with the caption “send me location”.

“The story speaks for itself,” a Meta spokesperson told the BBC.
Mr Musk then replied to Mr Zuckerberg’s response with: “Vegas Octagon.”
The Octagon is the competition mat and fenced-in area used for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts. The UFC is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mr Musk, who turns 52 later this month, also tweeted: “I have this great move that I call ‘The Walrus’, where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing.”
He later tweeted short videos of walruses, perhaps suggesting his challenge to Mr Zuckerberg may not entirely be serious.
He also tweeted: “I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air.”

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Mr Zuckerberg has already been training in mixed martial arts (MMA) and has recently won jiu-jitsu tournaments.
Twitter did not provide a statement when contacted by the BBC for comment.
The exchanges have gone viral with social media users debating who would win the bout, while others have posted memes including mocked up posters advertising the fight.
For example, business consultant Seyi Taylor tweeted: “Choose your fighter” with pictures of the two tech bosses.

Earlier this month, Meta showed staff plans for a text-based social network designed to compete with Twitter, sources told the BBC.
It could allow users to follow accounts they already follow on Instagram, Meta’s image-sharing app.
It could potentially allow the company to bring over followers from decentralised platforms such as Mastodon.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that the platform was in development.

The text-based network – which has a working title of P92 – could turn out to be a greater rival to Elon Musk’s Twitter than either BlueSky or Mastodon.

Source: BBC

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At Least 31 Dead After Gas Explosion At Barbecue Restaurant In China

 At least 31 people are dead and seven injured in the Chinese city of Yinchuan, in northwest Ningxia region, after a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant Wednesday night, according to state media.

The explosion was caused by a leak of a liquified gas tank inside the restaurant, and took place around 8:40 p.m., according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Among the seven injured, one person is still in critical condition. The other six are being treated in the hospital for minor injuries, burns and glass cuts.

Local fire authorities sent 20 vehicles and more than 100 personnel to the scene, with search and rescue operations lasting until 4 a.m. Thursday, according to state media.
Photos posted by state media show the damaged building, with blackened exteriors, debris on the ground and smoke in the air. Firefighters are seen entering the second floor on a ladder and lifting people out on stretchers.

Interviews by police and firefighters on the scene established that two restaurant staffers had smelled gas about an hour before the explosion, the Yinchuan government said in a statement posted online Thursday.

The two staffers found the valve of the gas tank had broken, and sent another staff member to buy a new one, according to the statement. The explosion took place as the valve was being replaced.

The restaurant is located on a busy street, state media reported.

Police have detained nine people and frozen their assets, including the restaurant’s manager, employees and shareholders, according to state media China Youth Daily.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called the incident “heartbreaking,” and said it was a “profound lesson,” state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday.

Xi added that it is imperative to treat the wounded and comfort the victims’ families, and to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible. He also ordered relevant government authorities to carry out a safety risk review and strengthen safety supervision in key sectors, CCTV reported.

The incident came just before China began its three-day national public holiday, from Thursday to Saturday, marking the Dragon Boat Festival.

The country has been rocked by a number of safety incidents this year. A coal mine collapse in Inner Mongolia in February left 53 dead; then in April, the deadliest fire to hit Beijing in two decades killed 29 people in a hospital.

Source: CNN

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