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Titanic submersible ‘catastrophic implosion’: questions remain about the costs and ethics of rescuing tourist expeditions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

By: Ali Asgary, York University, CanadaThe U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that debris found on the seafloor was identified as belonging to the Titan, the OceanGate submersible that had disappeared on June 18. Teams from different countries — including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany — were conducting search missions under a very tight timeline.The discovery, close to the site of the Titanic, indicates the end of search-and-rescue operations for the five people onboard, who were killed in a ‘catastrophic implosion,’ according to the Coast Guard.As one of the largest international marine search-and-rescue operations, the incident raised questions about risk management, search-and-rescue operations, costs and ethical aspects of responses.Ocean incidentsA significant number of economic activities — including shipping, fishing and offshore oil and gas drilling — are conducted in marine environments. These activities can lead to occurrences of accidents and ...

Naked Florida man leads high-speed chase through Flagler County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) – Local law enforcement in Flagler County found themselves in the midst of an extraordinary high-speed chase, but this time with a twist. Stephen Peterson, 22, commandeered an SUV nearly nude and wreaked havoc as he careened through the streets of Flagler County.An officer with Florida Fish and Wildlife was the first to notice the egregious driver as he collided with multiple vehicles. The officer attempted to stop the driver but Peterson continued at a high rate of speed and eventually drove onto the running track of an elementary school. The naked driver eventually entered a landfill nearby and traveled into a wooded area. Authorities managed to locate Peterson’s car, which appeared to be stuck against a concrete barrier. Police commanded the man and the passenger inside the car to exit but they both immediately refused.At one point, the driver reportedly said, “I am butt naked.” Police had to forcibly remove the couple from the...

Supreme Court allows a Biden policy to take effect focusing deportations on public safety risks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Supreme Court said Friday it will no longer stand in the way of a long-blocked Biden administration policy to prioritize the deportation of immigrants who are deemed to pose the greatest public safety risk or were picked up at the border.The justices rejected a challenge from Republican-led states to a policy that, the administration said, recognizes that there is not enough money or manpower to deport all 11 million or so people who are in the United States illegally.The states had argued that federal immigration law requires authorities to detain and deport even those who pose little or no risk.At the center of the case is a September 2021 directive from the Department of Homeland Security that paused deportations unless individuals had committed acts of terrorism, espionage or “egregious threats to public safety.” The guidance, issued after Joe Biden became president, updated a Trump-era policy to remove people in the country illegally regardless of criminal ...

SUV loses control, plows through fruit stand knocking over employee in Ohio

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

AVON, Ohio (WSVN) – A violent impact sent a 19-year-old employee hurtling to the ground and propelled into a store after an 83-year-old woman lost control of her SUV. The sudden turn of events left workers and customers in a state of panic.The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. when the worker, who was stacking fruit, became an unwitting victim of circumstances. According to Avon police, the 83-year-old woman lost control and went over a concrete parking block before eventually plowing through the stand. The worker was dragged until the vehicle collided with a support pole.“Everybody is safe but there’s definitely an emergency,” stated a person. Store owner, Jay Pickering, expressed his shock as he reviewed the video footage. “As soon as we saw it, we thought, oh no, you know, it looked pretty bad,” Pickering said. “We looked at it really close to see if he hit his head. It didn’t appear he did. He did hop right back up, so that made u...

Greece didn’t reply to offer of aircraft from EU border agency before migrant tragedy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

ATHENS — The EU Border and Coast Guard Agency says it received no reply from Greece last week after it offered to send a plane to monitor an overcrowded fishing boat that ultimately sank, with a loss of life that is feared to run into the hundreds. The communication gap is a sign of heightened tension between the EU agency, known as Frontex, and Athens, over the role that each party played in a tragedy that looks liable to go down as the worst shipwreck of the migration crisis in the Mediterranean. A spokesperson for Frontex told POLITICO that after initially detecting the vessel and notifying the Greek and Italian authorities, it offered to provide additional assistance, including dispatching an aircraft from Italy, but the Greek coast guard never replied.When asked about this lack of response, the Greek coast guard said it did not want to comment “regarding details of the operational planning.”The Hellenic Coast Guard is facing increasing questions over its response to the fata...

7.5 million Baby Shark bath toys are recalled after they cut or stabbed children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — About 7.5 million singing and swimming “Baby Shark” bath toys are being recalled after multiple lacerations and puncture wounds were reported in children playing with them.Zuru, an El Segundo, California-based toymaker, said it’s recalling both full-size and mini versions of its robotic baby shark toys that have hard plastic top fins, which pose the injury risks. Twelve injuries have already been reported with Zuru’s full-sized Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toys — after children sat or fell on the now-recalled products. Nine of these cases required stitches or medical attention, according to a Thursday release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. While injuries have only been reported with these full-sized toys so far, Zuru is also recalling Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys “out of an abundance of caution.”Consumers in possession of the recalled toy...

Live updates | Coast Guard says focus remains on search for Titan and investigation to follow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

By The Associated PressFollow along for live updates on the submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.___COAST GUARD SAYS FOCUS REMAINS ON SEARCH, OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION YET TO BE LAUNCHEDStill focused on the search, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that an official investigation has yet to be launched into the disappearance and implosion of the Titan submersible.Coast Guard officials announced Thursday that the craft that was headed to the wreck of the Titanic suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard.On Friday morning, the Coast Guard said an official investigation had not yet been launched because the agencies involved were focused on the search and still determining who has the appropriate jurisdiction and authority to lead it. Possibilities include the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, other federal or international agencies, or a joint effort.The Coast Guard also said it was too soon to say whether any policy cha...

In its push for more Black US players, MLB hopes results are on the horizon from grassroots efforts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

PHOENIX (AP) — Zion Rose is well aware that the percentage of Black U.S. players in Major League Baseball has been on the decline for decades.But the 18-year-old catcher from Chicago, still sweaty from a workout during MLB’s Draft Combine this week at Chase Field in Phoenix, said he’s got some news: That’s not going to be the case for long.“You’ll see,” he said. “We’re starting to come through.”Rose was one of more than 300 players of all backgrounds in Phoenix this week to take part in the combine, which featured workouts, interviews and games in an effort to showcase some of the game’s best amateur talent at the high school and college levels before July’s draft. MLB said that approximately 15% of the players in the showcase were Black.The hope is that the next Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts or Andrew McCutchen will be in that bunch. Possibly several.A recent study from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida found Bl...

Dutch government to end gas extraction in northern province after 60 years and many damaging quakes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Extraction from one of the world’s largest natural gas fields will end in October, the Dutch government announced Friday, turning off a lucrative source of revenue that also sparked unrest by causing a string of earthquakes.“The gas tap will be turned off on Oct. 1. That means an end to extraction after 60 years,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.However, he said it remains possible gas could still be pumped from the Groningen field after that date if there is a “perfect storm” of an extremely cold winter this year and a problem with storage of gas from other sources amid ongoing concerns about gas deliveries caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.Faced with mounting anger from residents whose homes were repeatedly rattled by the shallow tremors, the government had already wound down extraction from the field which held 2,800 billion cubic meters of gas. Only enough is now being pumped to keep gas installations in the region operational.Thous...

Indian opposition parties agree to work together to defeat governing party in next elections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:16:26 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of 17 Indian opposition parties agreed Friday to set aside their differences and put up a united fight in next year’s national election in an attempt to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party a third consecutive term.They said they plan to meet again next month to formulate a strategy for running joint candidates against the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s nominees in constituencies across the country. That would prevent the BJP from benefitting from a splintering of votes among multiple opposition candidates.Nitish Kumar, an opposition leader and chief minister of eastern Bihar state, said the parties will work on a common manifesto stating their economic and other priorities.Rahul Gandhi, a key leader of the opposition Congress party, accused Modi of weakening the country’s democratic institutions and curbing freedom of speech.“We all stand united. We may have small differences, but we have decided to w...