LATEST: 'Banging' heard during search for missing Titanic submarine
Finding the submarine that lost communication during a trip to the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday is the biggest challenge facing rescue teams, experts have said.
The American and Canadian navies, government agencies and private companies with expertise in deep-sea operations are attempting to find the submersible, called Titan, and save the five on board.
The area around the Titanic includes large "debris fields" covering several square kilometres made up of objects fallen from the wreck. With countless other items in the area, detecting the missing submersible becomes particularly hard.
"Is there something you can compare to – a scan, a map?" said Ralf Bachmayer, professor for marine environmental technology and deep-sea engineering at the University of Bremen, Germany.
"Can you compare it to something that’s changed? That could indicate a new identified object that may be the submersible. Is that data available to compare to existing maps?"
A power failure could explain why contact with the craft has been lost, while entanglement is another possibility.
The most optimistic scenario is that after a power or communications failure, the vessel has risen to the surface somewhere, with the search likely to be aided by radar and lights on the craft.
The five occupants of the vessel, which is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, have about 96 hours of oxygen available, so they could in theory survive until Thursday, Prof Bachmayer said.
This assumes that there has not been what he described as "a catastrophic failure of some integral part of the structure" of the craft.
Commercial companies produce deep search and rescue vessels that can "mate" or attach to stricken submersible craft to enable a rescue. However, these typically cannot operate at the kind of depths, 3,800 metres, where the missing vessel could be.
For example, a company called JFD produces a submarine rescue vehicle used by the navies in Australia, Singapore and South Korea. These can dive to a depth of 500 metres and "if required this can be increased to 700 metres".
Similarly, the Ministry of Defence in the UK, where Nato’s submarine rescue operations are based, has said the stricken craft is likely to be at depths that "greatly exceed" those at which the organisation can operate.
In any case, Titan is not thought to have a suitable attachment point for a rescue submersible.
"I don’t think there’s any option to transfer people to another submersible. There’s not so many around and there’s no way to safely transfer," Prof Bachmayer said.
He said that craft such as the Titan have lifting points so that they can be carried by crane, offering the possibility, in theory at least, that the vessel could be brought to the surface with cables.
Operate at extreme pressures
Submersibles are designed to operate at extreme pressures, because with every 10 metres of depth, the pressure increases by one atmosphere, or 100 per cent greater than the pressure at sea level.
Most are made from steel, aluminium or titanium and are extremely heavy.
According to CompositesWorld, if they're designed to operate at depths of more than 2,000 metres, maintaining neutral buoyancy is difficult and a type of foam has to be attached to the outside.
But with carbon fibre composites, even a vessel strong enough to operate at depths of many thousands of metres is able to float.
"You have a lighter structure but at the same time carbon fibre typically has a lot of strength," Prof Bachmayer said.
As well as its carbon fibre composite structure, Titan, which was named Cyclops 2 during its design phase, has two titanium hemispheres, one of which has an acrylic viewport, plus a glass fibre composite outer shell.
It should be able to operate at depths of 4,000 metres, but as is typical on a craft people travel in, it has a pressure safety factor of more than two, meaning that the ultimate stress the materials can cope with is more than double the normal working stress
OceanGate Expeditions also has a steel-hulled vessel called Cyclops 1, but this is for depths only down to 500 metres.
The company previously undertook successful expeditions to view the Titanic in 2021 and last year, and planned to continue missions to the wreck each year.
Prof Bachmayer said it was difficult to predict the outcome of the rescue mission.
"I hope for the best," he said. "It’s a big ocean and a lot of different things can go wrong. We just hope for them."
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
-
Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
