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☆ OceanGate Expedition: Debris scattered across ocean floor could provide clues into the final moments of the Titanic-bound submersible
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe Rob Frehse | Elizabeth Wolfe | Rob Frehse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Those of us in the community that work at that depth know that that’s always a risk,” Sohnlein told CNN. “I’ve broken some rules to make this,” Rush told travel blogger Alan Estrada of the Titan in 2021. Victims grieved as intrepid adventurers, beloved family membersFrom left, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush. Bill Diamond, a friend of Shahzada Dawood, told CNN Wednesday that his friend was intelligent and perpetually curious. He said he didn’t think of Shahzada Dawood as an adventurist but believes he was aware of the Titan trip’s risks.

Persons: John Mauger, Shahzada, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Mauger, “, ” Mauger, ’, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, ”, Aileen Marty, Guillermo Sohnlein, that’s, ” Sohnlein, ” OceanGate, Sohnlein, Rush, ” Rush, Alan Estrada, Josh Gates, ” Gates, OceanGate, Shahzada Dawood, Nargeolet, Harding, Suleman, Dawood Hercules, Hussain Dawood, Kulsum, Bill Diamond Organizations: CNN —, Titanic, US Coast Guard, Stockton Rush, OceanGate Expeditions, Navy, CNN, Florida International University, Titanic Inc, Aviation, Dawood Hercules Corp, “ Locations: British, French

☆ What it's like inside the Titan submersible that went missing with 5 people on board
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Emma Tucker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Though it’s roughly the size of a minivan, with five adults aboard, the Titanic-touring submersible that went missing Sunday may seem small and cramped. ‘Not your grandfather’s submersible’Titan is sparse on the inside, according to CBS correspondent David Pogue, who took a trip on Titan down to the Titanic wreck last year. The interior of OceanGate's Titan submersible, seen in 2018. The game controller is used for wireless control, according to Aaron Newman, an investor in OceanGate who went down to Titanic on Titan in 2021. After boarding the Titan, temperatures inside the vessel get hot quickly before starting to get colder as it descends towards the ocean’s bottom, he said.

Persons: Hamish Harding, Paul, Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, David Marquet, David Pogue, Pogue, it’s, ” Rush, “, J, Van Gurley, ”, Gabe Cohen, Aaron Newman, Newman, ” Newman, David Gallo Organizations: CNN, OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, Navy, CBS, KOMO, ”, Crew, Strategic Initiatives Locations: British, French, Titan, OceanGate

☆ US hostage envoy Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens quietly traveled to Venezuela this week, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN Wednesday. Carstens traveled to the capital city of Caracas for “discussions about the welfare and safety of US nationals wrongfully detained in Venezuela,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all wrongfully detained US nationals in Venezuela at every opportunity,” they said. ‘Signing his death warrant’The family members of the detained Americans, all of whom have been detained more than a year, are increasingly worried about their loved ones. Tillery told CNN that the US is “signing his death warrant” by not securing Kenemore’s release.

Persons: Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Carstens, ”, “, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Luke Denman, Airan Berry, Nicolas Maduro, Jeana, Tillery, Gustavo Cárdenas –, Jorge Alberto Fernandez, – Jose Pereira, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu, Alirio Zambrano, Jose Luis Zambrano, Matthew Heath, Osman Khan –, Biden Organizations: CNN, Hostage Affairs, State Department, United Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, United States, Venezuelan

☆ West Bank: Palestinian villagers attacked in wake of Israeli settler killings, Palestinian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Kareem Khadder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Jerusalem CNN —Dozens of Palestinian villagers were attacked by Israeli settlers overnight in the wake of the killing of four settlers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a Palestinian official who monitors settler violence told CNN Wednesday. February’s violence was so severe that the commander of Israeli forces in the West Bank called it a “pogrom,” evoking historic memories of ethnic violence targeting Jews. The attacks overnight on Tuesday took place over a wide area of the northern West Bank, from Turmus’ayya east of Ramallah to Deir Sharaf west of Nablus, he said. Scorched cars, including some junked for spare parts, left in the West Bank village of A Laban al-Sharkiyeh on June 21, 2023. The following day, two Palestinian gunmen shot dead four Israelis near the settlement of Eli in the West Bank.

Persons: Ghassan Douglas, Deir Sharaf, Laban, Majdi Mohammed, Daniel Hagari, Itamar Ben Gvir, Eli Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, West Bank, Palestinian, CNN, Bank, AP Israel Defense Forces, National, IDF, West Locations: Jerusalem, Huwara, West, Turmus’ayya, Ramallah, Deir, Nablus, West Bank, Sharkiyeh, Jenin

CNN —A Kenyan court has ordered 64 followers of a controversial starvation cult to undergo psychiatric evaluation as they continue to refuse to eat. The followers were charged with attempted suicide on Monday after persistently refusing meals offered to them following their rescue from the Shakahola forest in April. The cult leader, controversial televangelist, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, allegedly brainwashed hundreds of his followers into starving their children before themselves, according to court documents seen by CNN. Neither Mackenzie nor his accomplices have been formally charged as prosecutors continue to seek an extension of custody period to allow further investigation. Questions have now arisen about the next steps in the controversial case after it emerged that the two lawyers representing the accused have withdrawn from the case.

Persons: CNN —, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, “, Mackenzie, Smart, George Kariuki, Elisha Komora Organizations: CNN, Kenyan, Authorities, Public Prosecutions, Citizen TV, Good News International Locations: Kilifi County, Kenya

☆ Putin is setting up excuses to protect himself in case his war in Ukraine fails, says ex-CIA officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is apparently searching for excuses, an ex-CIA official said. Putin has claimed Russian forces in Ukraine need better weapons. In recent remarks to journalists, Putin said that Russian forces in Ukraine were fighting with inferior weapons, and that the country is urgently increasing the production of modern weapons for front-line troops. On Tuesday, Putin specifically told Russian military bloggers and state media war correspondents that Russian forces were short on high-precision ammo and attack drones. "For me, the really fascinating questions is why does Vladimir Putin address this, and for me, we have to turn to history in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, —, Steven Hall, Hall Organizations: CIA, Russian, Service, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia

☆ EU officials accuse Google of antitrust violations in its ad tech business
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Google’s advertising business should be broken up, European Union officials said Wednesday, alleging that the tech giant’s involvement in multiple parts of the digital advertising supply chain creates “inherent conflicts of interest” that risk harming competition. The formal accusations mark the latest antitrust challenge to Google over its sprawling ad tech business, following a lawsuit by the US Justice Department in January that also called for a breakup of the company. For example, the commission claims, advertisers who used Google’s ad buying tools frequently had their purchases routed to AdX instead of to rival ad exchanges. One proposed solution by the commission would spin off Google’s ad exchange and publisher tools from the ad-buying tools it provides to advertisers. Google remains committed to creating value for our publisher and advertiser partners in this highly competitive sector,” Taylor said.

Persons: ”, Margrethe Vestager, Dan Taylor, ” Taylor Organizations: Washington CNN, European Union, Google, US Justice Department, EU, —, CNN Locations: AdX

☆ Nigeria: More than 100 dead after wedding party as boat capsizes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —More than 100 people are now confirmed dead after a boat ferrying hundreds of wedding guests overturned Monday in the river Niger around north-central Nigeria, local police said. The vessel was carrying around 250 passengers traveling back to Patigi in northcentral Kwara State after attending a wedding party in Gboti, in neighboring Niger State, when it sank early Monday, killing 106 on board, according to police. Heavy rains and floodingThe overcrowded boat capsized after hitting a tree trunk, he said of the accident which happened at around 3:00am Monday. Niger and Kwara states lay along the banks of the River Niger, West Africa’s main river, and surrounding communities remain vulnerable when it overflows. Last month, at least 15 people died after a boat capsized in northwestern Sokoto State, authorities told CNN.

Persons: Nigeria CNN —, Ajayi Okasanmi, Abdul Gana Lukpada, Patigi, ” Lukpada, ”, ” “ Organizations: Nigeria CNN, CNN, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Police Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Niger, northcentral Kwara State, Gboti, Niger State, Kwara, Patigi, Egboti, West, Sokoto State

☆ Clop: Russian-speaking cyber gang claims credit for hack of BBC and British Airways employee data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A group of Russian-speaking cyber criminals has claimed credit for a sweeping hack that has compromised employee data at the BBC and British Airways and left US and UK cybersecurity officials scrambling to respond. The compromise of employee data at the BBC and British Airways came via a breach of a human resources firm, Zellis, that both organizations use. Numerous US state government agencies use the MOVEit software, but it’s unclear how many agencies, if any, have been compromised. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has ordered all federal civilian agencies to update the MOVEit software in light of the hack. Progress, the US firm that owns the MoveIT software, has also urged victims to update their software packages and has issued security advice.

Persons: ” They’ve, —, CISA, Eric Goldstein, Charles Carmakal, ”, Allan Liska Organizations: CNN, BBC, British Airways, Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Progress Software, FBI, Mandiant Consulting, Google, LinkedIn Locations: Canada

☆ CNN's media reporter delivered a brutal assessment of its CEO after embarrassing profile: 'Licht has lost the room'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht has been hit with a torrent of criticism since a profile of him dropped Friday. CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy wrote that Licht had "lost the room." This time, it's coming from inside the house, as CNN media reporter delivered a brutal assessment of Licht in Monday night's Reliable Sources newsletter. "In the wake of The Atlantic's explosive story, I've spoken with dozens of staffers across the company," Darcy wrote. In fairness to Licht, Darcy also reported that the "somber" remarks the CEO delivered on Monday had "struck the right tone."

Persons: Chris Licht, Oliver Darcy, Licht, Darcy, Puck's Dylan Byers, Byers, Darcy wasn't, David Zaslav, Zaslav's, Zaslav, David Leavy Organizations: CNN, Morning, The Atlantic, Warner Bros Locations: Trump, America, Zaslav

☆ CNN's CEO reportedly looked like 'a man who had just survived a car wreck' after Trump town hall last month
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht reportedly looked like he'd "just survived a car wreck" after last month's Trump town hall. Still, he has largely stood by his decisions around the town hall. CNN CEO Chris Licht wore the "expression of a man who had just survived a car wreck" after the network's Trump town hall last month, according to an expansive new profile in The Atlantic. Alberta described the morale inside CNN following the town hall as abysmal. "I had never witnessed a lower tide of confidence inside any company than in the week following the town hall at CNN," he wrote.

Persons: Chris Licht, Licht, Tim Alberta, MAGA, —, Kaitlan Collins, Oliver Darcy, Christiane Amanpour, Donald Trump, David Leavy Organizations: CNN, —, Republican, Trump, Columbia Journalism School Locations: Trump, Alberta, America

☆ UK castle could be yours for $37,000, but there’s a catch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A sprawling Scottish castle is on sale for offers over £30,000 ($37,000), but there is a catch; its current owners estimate that it requires an additional £12 million ($14.8 million) for restoration. Situated on Fetlar, the fourth largest of the Shetland Islands, Brough Lodge is in one of the most remote parts of the UK. The island is home to around 69 people, according to the Fetlar Community Association website – an increase from its lowest population of 48 in early 2009. Nestled into the hillside, the castle overlooks Fetlar’s grassland and rugged cliffs stretching down to the sea, as well as the surrounding islands. It has been empty since the 1970s, although it was made wind and watertight about 10 years ago by its current owners, the Brough Lodge Trust, following a fundraising campaign.

Persons: Arthur Nicolson, ”, Drew Ratter Organizations: CNN, Fetlar Community, “ Locations: Scottish, Fetlar, Shetland, Brough, Edinburgh, London, Scotland

The incidents come one day after a drone attack on Moscow, for which Russia has blamed Ukraine. Kyiv has not yet commented on the drone attack or on Wednesday’s incidents in Belgorod and Krasnodar. Elsewhere on Wednesday, a drone attack was launched on Russia’s Bryansk region, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Five people were killed and 19 injured in Ukrainian shelling of the village of Karpaty, in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory of Luhansk, the acting head of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic said on Telegram. Measures are being taken.”A damaged multi-storey apartment following a reported drone attack in Moscow on Tuesday.

Persons: Gladkov, Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, ”, Mykhailo Podolyak, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, Lev Sergeev, Reuters “, “, Strategic Communications John Kirby, “ We’re, ” Kirby, Biden, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, Peskov, Ian Stubbs Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Defense, RIA Novosti, RIA, Putin, Wednesday, Luhansk People’s, ”, Reuters, Russian, National Security, Strategic Communications, “ Kyiv, Russia Legion, Kremlin, Russia Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Belgorod, Shebekino, Krasnodar, Crimea, Moscow, Bryansk, Karpaty, Russian, Luhansk, Luhansk People’s Republic, Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, Russia's Belgorod Oblast Russia, ”, Vienna, Kyiv

The stage is now set for the possibility of a tumultuous showdown between the country’s powerful military and Khan’s supporters following deadly and unprecedented clashes Tuesday that saw angry crowds break into and vandalize the homes of army personnel. Hundreds of Khan supporters responded to his call to take to the streets and violent protests broke out in several cities. Imran Khan's supporters burn tires to block roads in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023. Protesters burn tires to block roads in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023 following Imran Khan's dramatic arrest. A demonstrator is seen as Pakistani police use tear gas against supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 9, 2023.

☆ Explainer: What's next for Trump after civil rape verdict?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is a rundown of what could come next:WILL TRUMP WILL APPEAL THE VERDICT? Experts said Trump does not appear to have a strong appeal case, noting Kaplan's experience and that quality lawyering on both sides appeared to have ensured a fair trial. CAN TRUMP PAY THE $5 MILLION? WILL TRUMP PAY AND WHAT HAPPENS IF HE DOESN’T? Trump will likely obtain a court order stating that he does not have to pay Carroll while his appeal is pending.

☆ Joran van der Sloot: One of the last people to see Natalee Holloway alive in 2005 is being extradited to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Joe Sutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Joran van der Sloot, one of the last people to see American Natalee Holloway alive in Aruba in 2005 before she disappeared, will be extradited to the US, according to a family statement released Wednesday which was obtained by CNN. “In May 2005 my 18-year-old daughter Natalee Holloway left Birmingham for Aruba to attend her high school graduation trip and was never seen again,” mother Beth Holloway said in the statement. Holloway was last seen in the early hours of May 30, 2005, leaving a nightclub in Aruba with van der Sloot and two other men. Dutch citizen Joran Van der Sloot walks inside the courtroom during the reading of his verdict, in the Lurigancho prison in Lima January 13, 2012. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee.”Van der Sloot, a Dutch national, has been indicted in the US on federal charges of extortion and wire fraud.

☆ Americans stuck in Sudan to make ‘life or death decisions’ express anger at US government
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

US officials have said they are in “close communication” with US citizens and “actively facilitating” their departure from Sudan. Those who spoke to CNN also pushed back on the argument made by US officials that they had warned Americans not to be in Sudan. Other Americans are attempting to flee Sudan through Egypt, but those who spoke to CNN warned of a growing humanitarian catastrophe at that border. After a 36-hour journey, his parents had not been able to cross the border into Egypt, Imad told CNN Wednesday evening. Imad said when he contacted the State Department, “they essentially said that there are other cases ahead of us that are similar.

☆ Bob Lee, Cash app founder, dead after apparent stabbing attack in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Bob Lee, the former chief technology officer of Square who helped launch Cash App, has died after an apparent stabbing attack in San Francisco. We love you.”Tech entrepreneur CashApp founder Bob Lee. San Francisco has been grappling with an apparent uptick in crime as it still attempts to bounce back from the pandemic. In total, there were 56 homicides in San Francisco in 2022, which is the exact same number of homicides the city saw in 2021. Prior to joining Square, Lee was at Google, where he helped lead the team that launched Android.

☆ Video shows Russian soldiers complaining about 'incompetence' of their commanders and pleading directly to Putin for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Video captured a group of Russian soldiers appealing directly to Putin for help in Ukraine. This is evidence of the incompetence of our superiors and of the whole unit," a Russian soldier says in a video obtained and translated by CNN. A separate video, also published by CNN and taken by another Russian soldier in eastern Ukraine, showed smoke coming from a Russian tank. Up to 200,000 Russian soldiers have been wounded or killed, while an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 have died, according to UK officials. The analysis estimates 60,000 to 70,000 Russian soldiers have died.

☆ Alphabet’s self-driving car unit has cut 8% of its staff this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Waymo, the self-driving car division of Google (GOOGL)’s parent company Alphabet, said on Wednesday that it has cut approximately 8% of its staff across two rounds of layoffs this year. Some 209 jobs were eliminated in total, after cuts in late January and another more recent round, the company confirmed on Wednesday. “We took a thoughtful approach and feel confident that we’re providing for each of these former teammates through this transition,” the company said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. Rising interest rates have also dried up the easy access to funding tech companies used to fuel ambitious projects and bets on the future. The cuts to Waymo highlight how even Alphabet’s most ambitious and high-profile long-term bets are not immune to its renewed focus on reining in costs.

☆ Premarket stocks: It's bulls vs. hawks on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —There’s a new tussle brewing in the animal kingdom of Wall Street: Hawks vs. Bulls. The question is, will the Fed be able to break through and convince Wall Street to finally give in to market pessimism? “Setting aside what financial market participants expected us to do, I saw a compelling economic case for a 50 basis-point increase,” she said at an event in Florida. Asda told CNN that it was temporarily limiting purchases of some items to three packs per customer. Morrisons told CNN that it had imposed a cap of two packs per customer on the same products.

☆ UK supermarkets Tesco, Aldi and Asda are rationing fruit and salad vegetables
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Asda told CNN that it was temporarily limiting purchases of some items to three packs per customer. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Morrisons told CNN that it had imposed a cap of two packs per customer on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce. Sainsbury’s (JSAIY), the United Kingdom’s second-largest food retailer, told CNN it had no plans to ration the sale of fruit and vegetables. The high-end supermarket chain told CNN that it was “monitoring the situation” but had no plans to introduce rationing.

☆ Meta and Twitter decided to restore Trump’s account. Will other platforms follow suit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The decisions by Twitter and now Facebook-parent Meta to bring back Trump could push — or at least provide cover for — a number of other platforms to make similar moves. Facebook and Twitter restricted Trump’s accounts in the aftermath of the January 6 attack. Many other platforms followed suit by banning or restricting Trump, including YouTube, Snapchat and game streaming platform Twitch. On Wednesday, Snapchat parent Snap indicated that it is not planning to revisit its decision to ban Trump’s account two years ago. “In January 2021, Donald Trump’s Snapchat account was terminated for violating our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines,” a Snap spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

Eight of France’s largest unions - covering transportation, education, police, executives and public sectors - called for Thursday to be the “first day of strikes and protests” against the proposed pensions reform. Widespread strikes are expected, and it may be “a hellish Thursday” on public transport networks, Transport Minister Clement Beaune warned French broadcaster France 2 Tuesday. Paris’ transport authority predicts “very disrupted” service on the city’s transport network. But many have blasted the reforms as ill-timed at best; at worst, an insult to hard-working people in France. “This reform falls at a moment where there is lots of anger, lots of frustration, lots of fatigue.

☆ Aging, outdated technology leaves air travel at risk of meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

As early as 2012, the FAA decided it wanted to replace aging legacy voice switches used in air traffic control communications with new, internet-based communications technology. Trying to integrate old systems with newer ones — always in real time, because the global aviation industry never sleeps — can also create its own opportunities for catastrophic mistakes. Many more things can go wrong than you might expect — highlighting the sheer complexity of the aviation industry, and underscoring how there isn’t a quick easy fix for IT-related travel disruptions. But it has had lasting effects on FAA technology. That bureaucratic myopia is its own cause of today’s technological malaise in the aviation industry.

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