Investigation Begins in Implosion of Submersible

The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the implosion of lost submersible Titan, which was created by private company Oceangate to take tourists to see the wreck of the Titanic. The investigation will also include involvement from authorities in Canada, the United Kingdom, and France.

 Five crew members, including Oceangate CEO Rush Stockton, died on the trip, likely during the descent on June 18, when the submersible lost communication with the ship on the surface.

Stockton and Oceangate had faced criticism and concerns over the perceived lack of attention to safety in the construction of their submersibles, using commercial-of-the-shelf materials and a carbon fiber hull. Unlike steel and similar materials, carbon fiber does not have strong compression strength, which made it unsuitable for use in deep sea navigation, where high water pressure can lead to failure of the vehicle.

The US Navy had picked up audio consistent with an implosion on June 18, and confirmed that disovered debris was from the Titan on June 22. Wreckage is now being recovered.

 

Queen Elizabeth's Funeral Caps Days of Mourning for Late British Monarch

The world said goodbye to the Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, with heads of state from around the world joining British royalty and politicians at Westminster Abbey. The memorial services, which were part of larger funeral plans decades in the making, were relatively short, in keeping with the queen’s wishes.

Following the service, her casket was taken to Buckingham Palace for a final time before being rolled to Wellington Arch, where it was then transferred to the hearse. Members of the public lined up along the road as her body was taken to Windsor Castle, where a second, smaller service occurred. At this service, the crown, orb, and scepter were removed from atop the casket, and her body was lowered into the chapel. The funeral was concluded later in the day with a private ceremony for her family, in which the queen was buried next to her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, and other deceased members of the royal family, including her late father, King George VI, mother, and sister.

The funeral caps ten days of mourning for the queen, who died September 8 after it was reported she was under medical supervision.

 

Queen Elizabeth II Dies at 96

Queen Elizabeth II has died at 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Elizabeth had reigned since 1952, following the death of her father King George VI. Her 70 years on the British throne was the longest reign in British history and the second longest reign of a sovereign ruler in history, just after King Louis XIV of France.

Queen Elizabeth was born April 21, 1926. She ascended the throne on February 6, 1952. Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. 

Her son, Charles, has become king upon her death.

Prince Philip, Royal Consort to Queen Elizabeth, Dies at 99

Prince Philip, who was married to Queen Elizabeth since 1947 and was royal consort since his wife ascended to the throne in 1952, died Friday morning at the age of 99, two months shy of his 100th birthday. He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history as well as the longest-lived male member of the British royal family. 

Philip was born on June 10, 1921 on the island of Corfu in Greece, and was part of the Greek royal family, itself descended from the Daish, German, and British royal families. His family fled Greece when he was young, and Philip spent his childhood in Germany, France, and Britain. 

In WWII, he joined the British navy and served in the Pacific and Mediterranean. After the war, he was granted permission to marry Elizabeth, the heir apparent to King George VI. After renouncing his foreign noble titles, he married her in 1947 and gained the title Duke of Edinburgh. After Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952, Philip become royal consort and gained the title Prince Philip.

Philip was known for his myriad royal engagements, appearing at 22,217 events during his time as royal consort. He also made patronage of sports, particularly carriage driving, a focus of his . He also established The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, which encouraged self-improvement for young people. 

Coronavirus Pandemic Reaches Highest Levels This Month

Coronavirus cases skyrocketed this past month in the United States, with several days of the month posting record infection numbers. While cases numbers have stopped climbing in recent days, the massive increase this month again put stress on health systems and led politicians scrambling to respond.

Many of the COVID-19 hotspots this time were in rural areas in the middle of the country. Previous hotspots in the US had mostly been in urban areas in large states.

The ongoing pandemic has continued to stress certain sectors. Restaurants and bars struggle as government mandates limit the number of customers able to be served in addition to public skepticism of the safety of eating out. Meanwhile public transportation systems faced greatly diminished ridership, diminishing their often already stressed finances.

Across the world, coronavirus case increase led to varying responses. Some nations, like the UK and Turkey, renewed curfew and lockdown measures in an effort to stem the virus.

Several companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, have announced success in their vaccine trials, bringing hope of a general vaccine sometime in 2021.

 

Britain Continues Its Messy Separation from the EU

UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s attempts to remove Britain from the European Union over four years after the country voted to leave the political bloc has continued to hit obstacles. The British Supreme Court, a relatively new institutional body, ruled against Johnson’s suspension of Parliament, itself an attempt to negotiate a deal with the EU without immediate domestic political opposition.

Johnson, a staunch supporter of Brexit who took over from Theresa May a few months ago, is tasked with delivering a Brexit process that has the support of Parliament and preferably that of the European Union. The EU’s support of a Brexit deal will ensure the country has access to the trade bloc following its separation. A “no-deal” Brexit would lead to higher tariffs and obstacles, which will negatively affect the economy. This would leave the UK in need of seeking free trade agreements elsewhere, with one with the US the most cited example.

Some of Johnson’s political opponents have called for his resignation, while Johnson seems inclined to push for a new general election. Polls currently have his Conservative Party in the lead.

Another Heat Wave Strikes Europe

Another heat wave has stricken the European continent, the second major one this year. At least six deaths, five in France and one in Belgium, have been blamed on the phenomenon, which is caused by a meteorological air pressure block that has maintained the hot temperatures for over a week.

Temperatures in France have reached as high as 108.7 °F. (42.6 °C) and 107.2 °F. (41.8 °C) in Belgium. These temperatures have led to the deaths of hundreds of farm animals, whose ventilation systems failed in the heat’s wake. The heat wave has also raised river temperatures, which has led to a decline in their use for cooling systems, wishing to maintain conditions to protect aquatic life.

In the UK, trains have been ordered to maintain slower speeds to protect against buckling railways, and concerns have been raised over the stability of the Notre Dame Cathedral in France. The cathedral, damaged by a major fire earlier this year, has vulnerable structures which could break further because of the heat’s effect on water-logged materials.

European Politics Shaken Up with Elections, Brexit Drama

Establishment center-right and center-left parties lost support in the European Parliament elections last week. While the two blocs still make up 48.2% of the seats, they lost their majority in the body for the first time since its inception. Liberal parties and non-establishment Greens and populist Eurosceptic parties also saw gains.

Focusing on one country, in the United Kingdom, these elections were not even expected to happen just a few months ago. The country, which voted to leave the EU in June 2016, has stalled in its progress to accomplish that goal, with disagreements arising over the terms of the trade deal with the EU after it leaves the bloc as well over its border with Ireland.

The party with the greatest vote share in the UK was the newly-formed Brexit Party, created by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, formerly of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). While the Brexit Party just under 31% the vote, two parties that favor staying in the EU and even having a second referendum on the question, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, saw a combined 31.4% of the vote. These results point to a strongly polarized electorate. The two longtime establishment parties, the Conservatives and Labor, gathered 13.6% and 8.8% respectively.

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced she will resign following the poor result of her Conservative Party which will only walk away with four seats. May will formally leave office once her successor is determined by Conservative voters.

Britain, Russia Face Diplomatic Spat over Attempted Killing

The United Kingdom and Russia are engaged in a diplomatic brawl after an attempted killing of a ex-spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter with a nerve agent. The former spy is a Russian who defected to the UK sometime prior, was poisoned on British soil on March the nerve agent, believed to have been manufactured in Russia. The niece of the poisoned man has said that both only have a slim chance of surviving, which would make the attempted killing an actual killing.

In response, Britain expelled  23 Russian diplomats from the country earlier this month. In addition, other countries have condemned the action and expelled Russian diplomats, including the United States, which is closing the Russian mission in Seattle.

Russia has responded, announcing that it will expel 50 British diplomats and diplomatic staff from the country, as well as diplomats from other countries. This comes as Russia has faced global criticism for its foreign policy, increasingly domestic authoritarianism, and its meddling in foreign elections.

British Exit Polling Threatens Hung Parliament, Results Begin to Come In

The snap general election in the UK called by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May back in April aimed to expand the Conservative majority in the British Parliament as the government heads into discussions with the European Union to begin Brexit negotiations. Her goal of a larger Conservative presence in Parliament does not seem to have been met, however, based on early returns and exit polling and predictions.

An exit poll released shortly after polls closed at 10 PM local time indicated that Conservatives would fall just short of a majority in Parliament, with 314 seats (out of 326 needed for a majority) with the Labour Party coming in second with 266. It predicted a sharp decline for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with slight gains for the Liberal Democrats and a decline for the Scottish National Party (SNP).

If no party gains a majority, a party would be forced to form a coalition with smaller parties. The Liberal Democrats, who formed a coalition government with the Conservatives from 2010-2015, have sworn off such a solution involving them. The SNP has said it would join with Labour to form a coalition government should it be possible. The Conservatives can rely on two small center-right parties to create a coalition.

Results can be followed here. As of 2:48 local time, Conservatives have gained 6 seats, Labour 9.