AFP USA

Multiple failures to follow standard safety protocol led to the deadly implosion of a private submersible visiting the Titanic wreckage in 2023, according to a final report published Tuesday.The US Coast Guard investigation outlined a litany of issues with operator OceanGate’s conduct, as well as design flaws in its Titan submersible, that contributed to a “preventable tragedy” in which all five passengers were killed.The 335-page report said “OceanGate’s failure to follow established engineering protocols for safety, testing, and maintenance of their submersible, was the primary causal factor” for the implosion.It also accused the company of “intimidation tactics…to evade regulatory scrutiny.”OceanGate had a “toxic workplace environment which used firings of senior staff members and the looming threat of being fired to dissuade employees and contractors from expressing safety concerns,” the report said.OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush was joined on the doomed expedition by British explorer Hamish Harding, French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman.Seats on the submersible cost $250,000 per person.Communications were lost with the SUV-sized submersible about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive on June 18, 2023, kicking off a dramatic search that briefly captivated the world.- ‘Instantaneous death’ -Over two miles underwater when the hull collapsed, all occupants “were exposed to approximately 4,930 pounds per square inch of water pressure,” resulting in “instantaneous death,” the report said.Two seconds later, the monitoring team on the support ship “heard a ‘bang’ emanating from the ocean’s surface, which the investigation later correlated to the Titan’s implosion.”Debris was found a few days later on the ocean floor, about 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, and human remains were recovered when the sub was brought to the surface.In its report, the Coast Guard said that OceanGate had continued to use Titan despite “a series of incidents that compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components of the submersible without properly assessing or inspecting the hull.”It also identified design flaws with the unique carbon fiber hull “that weakened the overall structural integrity.”The US Coast Guard said that the vessel was not “registered, certified, inspected, or classed” by any international flag administration or recognized organization.Last year, the family of Nargeolet sued OceanGate for $50 million, accusing the US-based company of gross negligence.Known as “Mr. Titanic,” he had visited the wreckage 37 previous times.Shortly after the tragedy, OceanGate halted all operations.The wreckage of the Titanic sits 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland and has become a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists since its discovery in 1985.The ship hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York, with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died.

US President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that fresh tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors could be unveiled as soon as the coming week, as he presses on in efforts to reshape global trade.Trump’s latest comments, in an interview on CNBC, come days before a separate set of tariff hikes takes effect on dozens of economies later this week.The sweeping tariff plans have sparked a flurry of activity as governments seek to avert the worst of his threats — with Switzerland’s leaders heading to Washington on Tuesday in a last-minute push to avoid punitive duties.But he appears set to widen his trade wars further.The US president told CNBC that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, while adding that he plans for new duties on foreign semiconductors soon.”We’ll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent,” Trump said.”And then it’s going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country.”Trump also said that Washington will be announcing tariffs “within the next week or so.”He added: “We’re going to be announcing on semiconductors and chips.”- Concern for US economy -Trump has taken aim at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April — with excluded products targeted by sector.While Swiss leaders are seeking to stave off a US tariff hike to 39 percent come Thursday — which excludes sectors like pharma — Trump’s plans for a steep pharma levy will likely be a point of contention in any talks.Pharmaceuticals represented 60 percent of Swiss goods exports to the United States last year.Besides probing pharmaceuticals and chips imports, Trump has already imposed steep duties of 50 percent on imports of steel and aluminum, alongside lower levels on autos and parts.In the same CNBC interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports “very substantially over the next 24 hours” due to the country’s purchases of Russian oil.This is a key revenue source for Moscow’s military offensive on Ukraine.His pressure on India comes after signaling fresh sanctions on Moscow if it did not make progress by Friday towards a peace deal with Kyiv, more than three years since Russia’s invasion.Moscow is anticipating talks this week with the US leader’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the Kremlin has criticized Trump’s threat of raising tariffs on Indian goods.Weak employment data last week pointed to challenges for the US economy as companies take a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s radical — and rapidly changing — tariffs policy.The tariffs are a demonstration of raw economic power that Trump sees as putting US exporters in a stronger position while encouraging domestic manufacturing by keeping out foreign imports.But the approach has raised fears of inflation and other economic fallout in the world’s biggest economy.

The US National Park Service (NPS) announced Monday that it will reinstall a statue in Washington of a Confederate general that was torn down amid the racial justice protests of 2020.Reinstalling the statue of Albert Pike supports two executive orders issued by President Donald Trump early in his second term, the NPS said in a statement: one “on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” and another on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”The statue, which honors Pike’s contributions to freemasonry, was the only memorial to a Confederate general in the US capital before it was toppled.Statues honoring the Confederacy — which seceded from the United States to preserve slavery, prompting the 1861-1865 Civil War — were a prime target of vandalism during the mid-2020 racial justice movement.Protests broke out nationwide in June 2020 following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis.Trump, who was president at the time, called the toppling of the Pike statue a “disgrace.””The D.C. police are not doing their job as they watch a statue be ripped down & burn. These people should be immediately arrested,” Trump wrote on Twitter.The NPS said the Pike statue has “been in secure storage since its removal and is currently undergoing restoration.”It aims to reinstall the statue by October 2025.After losing re-election later in 2020, Trump went on to run again in 2024, winning on pledges to harshly crackdown on illegal immigration and to reverse many of the social justice policies enacted in the wake Floyd’s death.

Dozens of Democrats in the Texas legislature faced possible arrest Monday after fleeing the US state to block a redrawing of districts in Republicans’ favor ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.The state’s Republican leaders, following a push by President Donald Trump, plan to shift congressional district borders such that five seats become likely to flip from Democratic control.The contentious but legally permitted move, known as gerrymandering, seeks to help Republicans retain control of the US House of Representatives in next year’s midterms, when the opposition party usually does more favorably.State lawmakers draw legislative maps themselves in Texas, like in many other states across the country, but usually only do so once every 10 years following the national census.Democrats are in the minority in the Texas legislature, but enough members have fled the state to deprive the body of a quorum necessary to do business.”This is not a decision we make lightly, but it is one we make with absolute moral clarity,” Gene Wu, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement.The lawmakers left the state Sunday and most headed to Democratic-controlled Illinois, whose Governor JB Pritzker told a news conference that he would “protect” them.They face at minimum a $500 fine per day of absence. But Texas Republicans raised the stakes, passing a motion to issue warrants for the missing Democrats’ arrests.The warrants apply only within the state, however, meaning the missing legislators could only be detained on their return.Governor Greg Abbott, a close Trump ally, has also threatened to push for the lawmakers to be expelled, saying their absences amount to “an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office.”Democratic lawmakers have dismissed Abbott’s threats as bluster, with state representative Ann Johnson on Monday telling CNN, “I think it shows how desperate they are.”Abbott, who ordered the special session on redistricting, has sought to pile on the political pressure by concurrently calling for votes on disaster relief related to the state’s catastrophic flooding last month, which killed over 130 people.Wu said the move by Abbott “has turned the victims of a historic tragedy into political hostages.””We’re not walking out on our responsibilities; we’re walking out on a rigged system,” he added.- Domino effect -Gerrymandering has been at the center of long-running political dispute in the United States, especially as computer-assisted analysis helps refine map-making.Some Democratic-led states have also drawn maps steeply favoring their party — including Illinois — but the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court has ruled for now that only state courts can decide on the legality of partisan redistricting.The Texas push to redraw its maps mid-decade has set off a scramble of other states to potentially follow suit.Democratic-led New York and California are considering moves to pencil out Republican seats — but, unlike Texas, they have previously enacted legal constraints against such practices, deeming them undemocratic.Leaders in those state have signalled they would seek to push through those measures to respond to Texas.”This is a war. We are at war,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press conference, as she welcomed some Texas legislators to her state.”That’s why the gloves are off. And I say, bring it on.”All 435 US House seats are up for election in 2026, with Republicans currently narrowly controlling the chamber by single digits.

Thousands of members of a union representing Boeing defense industry workers in the US states of Missouri and Illinois went on strike Monday after rejecting a contract proposal.In a post on X, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers said: “3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough.”This is about respect and dignity, not empty promises.”It came hours after the union said in a statement that members at Boeing facilities in Missouri and Illinois had voted to reject a modified four-year labor agreement with Boeing.The St. Louis local’s stoppage follows a bruising Boeing strike last fall in the Pacific Northwest region of some 33,000 workers that halted production at factories that assemble Boeing commercial planes.Local broadcast media showed footage of workers picketing outside the St. Louis factory. Members of the union’s local chapter “have spoken loud and clear, they deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation’s defense,” said IAM District 837 representative Tom Boelling.The American aerospace giant’s initial proposal, which included a 20 percent wage increase over four years and more vacation time, was rejected a week earlier.The new offer doubled the wage increase, according to Boeing.”We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice president and senior St. Louis, Missouri site executive, said in a statement.”We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers.”The storied company has been in crisis since last year due to production quality issues and a seven-week strike that crippled two of Boeing’s major assembly plants.IAM is one of North America’s largest unions, representing some 600,000 members in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, transportation, health care, manufacturing and other industries.Products produced at Boeing’s St. Louis operation include the F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft. The site was originally part of the McDonnell Douglas company, which Boeing acquired in 1997.Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg described the business hit from the strike in Missouri as manageable, noting that the operation has a far smaller number of workers compared with those who went on the picket lines last fall.”I wouldn’t worry too much about the implications of the strike,” Ortberg said on an earnings conference call. “We’ll manage our way through that.”Shares of Boeing rose 0.2 percent on Monday.

A month after a wildfire erupted at the edge of the Grand Canyon, US firefighters were struggling Monday to bring the blaze under control.A lightning strike on July 4 — Independence Day in the United States — sparked a fire that spread rapidly on the northern rim of the canyon, a major draw for domestic and international tourists.The Dragon Bravo Fire — named after the Dragon rock formation near the conflagration’s start — was initially allowed to burn unabated as part of a natural cycle that thins vegetation and renews the landscape.But a week later, strong winds whipped through Arizona and fanned the fire, pushing it through a major hotel, as well as the North Rim Visitor Center and some guest cabins.A nearby water treatment plant was also damaged, venting chlorine gas into the environment.The blaze, which now stands at over 123,000 acres (50,000 hectares), is being actively fought with more than 1,000 personnel on site, battling the flames from the air and from the ground.”Yesterday, crews patrolled and monitored the east and west flanks of the fire,” said a Monday update from incident commanders.”Despite relative humidities as low as four percent they were able to hold the fire’s growth to a minimum. “In the southwest part of the fire, crews were able to go direct on the fire. Last night they walked sections of the perimeter searching for signs of heat, a process required before lines can be declared contained.”The level of containment — the amount of the perimeter where firefighters have completely stopped the fire’s progress — stood at 13 percent on Monday.Operations throughout the day looked set to be helped by the local topography along the northern part of the fire, despite continued critical fire weather, the update said.”The pinon-juniper fuels in the area will assist since they do not carry the fire as effectively as mixed conifer or ponderosa stands,” it continued, in reference to the vegetation growing in the vicinity.Humidity remains low in the region, with a disappointing seasonal monsoon bringing rain far below expected levels.Scores of wildfires burn across North America every year, many of them started by lightning.Those that do not threaten population centers are now frequently left to burn by forest managers who understand the need for the kind of woodland renewal such blazes bring.The policy contrasts with what was previously in effect for much of the last 150 years, where managers took an aggressive firefighting stance.Doing so had the unintended effect of leaving some areas overstocked with fuel and liable to burn much hotter and faster when they did catch fire.While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, human activity — specifically the unchecked use of fossil fuels — is changing the climate, often making blazes more likely and more destructive.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” for his labor statistics chief, days after ordering her dismissal after a report showed weakness in the jobs market.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without providing evidence — that Friday’s employment report “was rigged.”He alleged that commissioner of labor statistics Erika McEntarfer had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s accomplishments, drawing sharp criticism from economists and a professional association.”We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump told reporters Sunday.He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.Trump ordered the removal of McEntarfer hours after the figures were published.”We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous,” Trump told reporters Sunday. He charged that McEntarfer came up with “phenomenal” numbers on his predecessor Joe Biden’s economy before the 2024 election.- Hiring slowdown -Even as he called for more reliable data Monday, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett conceded that the jobs market was indeed cooling.But Hassett maintained in a CNBC interview that this softening did not reflect the incoming effects of Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation — signed into law early last month.US employment data point to challenges as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s sweeping — and rapidly changing — tariffs this year.The United States added 73,000 jobs in July, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, the Department of Labor reported.Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000.These were notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs.Over the weekend, Hassett defended McEntarfer’s firing in an NBC News interview: “The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they are more transparent and more reliable.”Trump’s decision has come under fire. William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer’s post, said the move set a “dangerous precedent.”The National Association for Business Economics condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers “reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies.”In addition to a successor to McEntarfer, Trump is also expected to name a replacement for Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler.Kugler’s early resignation, effective Friday, allows Trump a vacancy to fill as he pushes the independent central bank to lower interest rates.German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Monday emphasized the importance of supporting “independent, neutral and proven institutions.”He said: “It is right that independent institutions remain independent and that politics do not interfere with them.”McEntarfer, a labor economist, was confirmed to the commissioner role in January 2024.

The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.Trump confirmed a day earlier that Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.Three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire, with the two sides appearing as far apart as ever.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.Trump’s deadline is set to expire on Friday.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful” and valued US efforts to end the conflict.Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- Nuclear stand-off -The visit comes after Trump said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution”.”Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” the Kremlin’s Peskov said.The chief of staff to Zelensky on Monday backed Trump’s actions.”The concept of peace through strength works,” Andriy Yermak wrote on social media.”The moment American nuclear submarines appeared, one Russian drunk — who had just been threatening nuclear war on X — suddenly went silent,” he added.Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands, dismissed by Kyiv as “old ultimatums”, for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year offensive were “unchanged”.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.- Zelensky visits troops -Russia fired a record number of drones at Ukraine last month, AFP analysis of Kyiv’s air force data showed, escalating its attacks as peace talks stalled.Kyiv has also said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response.Both sides said Monday they had downed dozens of enemy drones overnight in the latest barrage.Separate Russian strikes on the southern Zaporizhzhia region, part of which it controls, killed four people, Ukrainian officials said Monday.One more was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region.Zelensky was visiting troops at the front in the Kharkiv region, he said, posting a video of him awarding soldiers with medals and walking through bunkers.Russia is seeking to establish what it calls a “buffer zone” inside the Kharkiv region along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following the latest round of talks in Istanbul last month.burs/sbk

Tesla announced an “interim” compensation award worth about $29 billion for Elon Musk on Monday, asserting the need to retain the controversial CEO at a moment of fierce competition for top talent.The electric vehicle maker said in a statement it will award a distribution of 96 million Tesla shares to Musk as it “intends to compensate its CEO for his future services commensurate with his contributions to our company and shareholders.”The award comes as Tesla challenges a Delaware court ruling that struck down a 2018 package of about $55.8 billion. With that appeal dragging out, Monday’s announcement marks an interim step while the company develops a “longer-term CEO compensation strategy,” Tesla said in a letter to shareholders.”We have recommended this award as a first step, ‘good faith’ payment,” said the letter. “Retaining Elon is more important than ever before.”- Tesla ‘rough’ patch -The move comes amid a fierce battle for top engineering talent as companies like Google and Meta compete for leadership on artificial intelligence.The Tesla letter, signed by Tesla board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, described Musk as a “magnet for hiring and retaining talent at Tesla,” noting that Tesla is transitioning from its electric vehicle focus “to grow towards becoming a leader in AI, robotics and related services.”Musk is viewed within the business world as a unique talent after his success with building Tesla and SpaceX into major global companies. But his stewardship at Tesla has come under scrutiny in the last year as car sales and profits have tumbled. This trend has been partly due to Musk’s support for far-right political causes, but also is related to a sluggish rollout of new auto models after the polarizing Cybertruck sold poorly. In a July 23 Tesla earnings call, Musk warned of more potentially “rough” quarters ahead before the company’s robotics and AI ventures pay off.On the call, Musk reiterated his concern about the current framework in which he holds about 13 percent of Tesla shares prior to Monday’s award.”As I’ve mentioned before, I think my control over Tesla should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can’t be thrown out if I go crazy,” Musk said.Tesla’s statement did not explicitly mention Musk’s foray into politics, which has sparked consumer boycotts and vandalism. But the letter by Denholm and Wilson-Thompson alluded to concerns that Musk’s attention had drifted from the company, calling the interim package a step towards “keeping Elon’s energies focused on Tesla.”The massive pay package comes eight months after the judge in a Delaware court rejected Musk’s even larger compensation at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote.Musk would be required to forfeit the new compensation package should the appeals court rule in his favor and grant him the full 2018 compensation, which at the time was valued at $55.8 billion.The new payout is sure to fuel concerns about the compensation for Musk, already the world’s richest man, and whether the Tesla board is placing a sufficient check on the company’s chief executive.Tesla shares rose 2.4 percent Monday in early trading.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” to his labor statistics chief — after ordering her dismissal as a new report showed weakness in the US jobs market.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without immediately providing evidence — that an employment report released last Friday “was rigged.”He alleged that the official had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s economic accomplishments.”We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump earlier told reporters.He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.Shortly afterwards, Trump ordered the removal of Erika McEntarfer, the department’s commissioner of labor statistics.Trump told reporters Sunday: “We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous.”Trump added that the same official, just before the 2024 election, “came out with these phenomenal numbers on (Joe) Biden’s economy.”He claimed those job numbers were “a scam.”The United States added 73,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, the Department of Labor reported.Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000.This was notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs.The employment data points to challenges in the labor market as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s sweeping — and rapidly changing — tariffs this year.White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett defended McEntarfer’s firing in an NBC News interview Saturday.Asked if the president was prepared to fire anyone who reports data he disagrees with, Hassett said: “Absolutely not. The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they are more transparent and more reliable.”Trump’s decision was criticized as setting a “dangerous precedent” by William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer’s post at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The National Association for Business Economics condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers “reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies.”McEntarfer, a labor economist, had been in the commissioner role for just over a year after being confirmed by the US Senate in January 2024.