Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily have found the bodies of five people.
British technology tycoon Mike Lynch is among the missing but so far Italian authorities have not publicly identified the bodies recovered.
The Bayesian was moored about 700 metres off the coast of Porticello when it sank on Monday after the area was hit by a storm. Sicily's Civil Protection Agency sources said rescue operations led by scuba divers scouring the wreck of the yacht found the bodies on Wednesday.
Six people were believed to be trapped inside the yacht when it was hit by a waterspout. They were unable to escape, according to authorities.
Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, told the PA news agency that searches have finished for the day on Wednesday and will resume on Thursday morning.
He confirmed that of the five bodies found, only four had been recovered, and the whereabouts of the missing sixth person remains unknown.
The identities of the victims were not immediately given by the authorities. Reports say two of the bodies are of Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18.
As the first three bodies were taken back to the port of Porticello, dozens of emergency services staff were waiting, and one was seen being put in the back of an ambulance. The fourth was seen being taken to land as evening set in.
He said there would be an investigation in due course, but the priority was to find those who are still missing. Pictures also showed emergency services staff bringing a green body bag to shore.
Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares, who owns the boat, were rescued after it capsized. It is not clear when all the bodies could be recovered as authorities work on the theory that all the missing are still inside the vessel.
“We think they are still inside the boat,” said Vincenzo Zagarola of the Italian coastguard. “Our search-and-rescue activity by sea and air has gone on for about 36 hours.
“Of course, we do not exclude [the possibility] that they are not inside the boat but we know the boat sank quickly. We suppose the six people missing may not have had time to get out of the boat.”
Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda are all missing.
The wreckage of Bayesian rests on the seabed off the coast, 50 metres below the surface.
The depth requires special precautions, limiting divers to rotating 12-minute shifts, a measure that has slowed down their work.
British tech entrepreneur among missing after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily – in pictures
The search teams, each made up of two specialised cave divers, are working to open up access points to enter the wreck, which is still intact, at a depth far beyond what most recreational divers are certified to reach.
Earlier, search crews carried out further inspections of the yacht's internal hull on Wednesday morning.
Fire crews from the Vigili del Fuoco said they had been accessing the vessel through natural entrances, without making openings.
Remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search, the Italian Coastguard has said.
Luca Cari, a spokesman for the rescue teams, has said the search was slower than a “much simpler” shipwreck operation in Italy, involving the Costa Concordia cruise ship that flipped on its side off Tuscany's coast in 2012, because of the depth of the wreck and the limited space divers have to manoeuvre. “Here everything is more tight,” he said.
The passengers had been invited on the luxury yacht trip to celebrate Mr Lynch’s recent acquittal of fraud charges in the US linked to the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011, which quickly turned sour after HP wrote down the value of the company – co-founded by the tech tycoon – by $8.8 billion.
Mr Lynch said he was “elated to be cleared” in the criminal trial, during which he took the stand in his own defence, denying to jurors any wrongdoing and blaming HP for botching the integration of the two companies.
One expert at the scene of the disaster, who declined to be named, said an early focus of the official investigation would be whether the yacht's crew had closed access hatches into the vessel before the storm struck.
The tragedy came only days after the death of Stephen Chamberlain, Mr Lynch's former colleague and co-defendant. The former vice president of finance at Autonomy was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire, eastern England, while out running on Saturday. He was placed on life support but later died.
Although there had been warnings of possible thunderstorms, there had been no indication they would be so violent on Monday morning.
The boat was thought to have been caught in a waterspout. Tornadic waterspouts share the same characteristics as land tornadoes and are associated with severe thunderstorms, often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hailstones and lightning, according to the US National Ocean Service.
They are not out of the ordinary for Italy, which experiences about 100 tornadoes a year, according to AtmosphericG2, a company that provides weather data to traders.
About 70 of these are “marine spouts,” occurring off the coast.
The captain of a yacht who helped to rescue 15 people from the stricken boat has described how his crew saw the distress flare set off from a life raft.
Karsten Borner said his vessel, the Sir Robert BP, was about 150 to 200 metres from the Bayesian when the “extreme” weather hit.
He said his boat was using its engine to stay in position and the crew noticed the Bayesian had disappeared before a passenger on his yacht saw the flare.
Mr Borner said they sent their dinghy, which found the life raft and took the occupants back to his yacht.
“We couldn’t see them any more and they disappeared from the radar. We were busy keeping our own ship sailing," he told Sky News.
“We couldn’t see the ship again so we were aware something was very wrong.”
Mr Borner said it was only when the dinghy set out that they found the life raft.
“It turned out to be the life raft, a 12-person life raft with 15 people inside, including one baby," he said.
“They stepped over to our tender and we brought them back to our ship. There we took good care of them, gave them dry clothes, towels, blankets, tea and coffee and so on and took care of them.”
Mr Borner said he helped the coastguard to launch its search-and-rescue mission for the other occupants of the Bayesian.
He said the captain of the Bayesian told him the yacht had sunk in two minutes but he had since seen a video that showed it go down in 60 seconds.
“The engineer and captain had no explanation why she sank so quickly," Mr Borner said. “My personal opinion is it shouldn’t tip like this. It goes against any logic.”
He also questioned the safety of the Bayesian’s 75-metre mast and added: “I think it’s not safe to build the masts.”
Describing the strength of the storm and sea spouts that hit his yacht and the Bayesian, Mr Borner said: “They were very close and we were hit very hard, very strong and they had the same.
“It was extreme, it was extremely strong.”
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) | US$95,000 | (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) ) | $175,000) | (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 3 (TB) ) | $300,000) | (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Curlin Handicap Listed (TB)) | $160,000) | (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB)) | $175,000) | (T) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (T) 2,000m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
SPECS
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