Ukrainian saboteurs busted in Russia’s Zaporozhye – FSB

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested several members of a Ukrainian saboteur group in Zaporozhye Region that was planning to stage terrorist attacks in the area, according to a statement issued by the agency on Thursday.

In the statement, the FSB said that the group, which was established by Ukrainian security services in the Russian city of Melitopol, had previously attempted to assassinate local officials. The saboteurs used self-made explosive devices and are thought to have killed at least one person and left several injured, the agency claimed.

The FSB went on to point out that the suspects were planning to plant an explosive device they had received from Ukrainian security services on a railway line and detonate it under a train transporting military cargo and hardware meant for the Russian army.

The suspects were apprehended by FSB operatives while retrieving the bomb from a stash, the agency said. It also released a video featuring aerial footage of one apparent suspect walking along a road. The clip then shows a minivan pulling over near the suspect, with operatives jumping out of the vehicle and tackling the man. Another part of the clip features several suspects with blurred faces delivering confessionary statements.

Amid the ongoing conflict, Russia’s security services have ramped up their efforts to uncover clandestine Ukrainian activities. The members of numerous Kiev-linked groups have been detained in recent months. The arrest on Thursday followed a similar FSB operation the day before in the same region, when another Ukrainian saboteur group planning to target local Russian officials was apprehended.

Watch Russian Lancet Drone Destroy Ukrainian Tank

Russia’s distinctive dual x-wing drones began to be regularly spotted on the battlefield in Ukraine this spring, destroying NATO artillery, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft systems, and moving on to take on tanks and armored vehicles after Kiev launched its long-awaited counteroffensive in early June.

The Russian Defense Ministry has published footage of a Russian Lancet kamikaze drone striking a Ukrainian T-64M Bulat tank in Donetsk region.

The footage shows the tank being monitored as it stands at the crossroads of a local dirt road, with a Lancet striking its aft armor, exploding and kicking up a cloud of dust. Flames can be seen shooting out of the tank, indicating that its armor had been penetrated and its ammunition detonated. The fire grows, and eventually, the tank explodes in a fireball, pieces of its armor flying in all directions.

Ukraine’s tank crews have suffered heavy losses amid Kiev’s faltering attempts at a counteroffensive. This week, German media revealed that Ukrainian tankers fighting in Zaporozhye region were deliberately feigning breakdowns to avoid fighting Russian forces and being blown up by Russian artillery and drones.

The stalled counteroffensive weakened after Kiev sent its domestically built and Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks head on against well-prepared Russian defensive positions without air and artillery superiority. President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted this week that progress has been slower than expected.

Kiev’s counteroffensive ‘not meeting expectations’ of Western states — CNN

The Ukrainian counteroffensive does not meet the expectations of Western states, CNN reported Thursday citing two Western officials and a high-ranking Pentagon representative.

According to the report, one Western official noted that the Ukrainian offensive is "not meeting expectations on any front." In addition, Western states point out the strength of Russian defensive positions and efficient deflection of Ukrainian attacks with missile strikes.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces are proving "vulnerable" to minefields, the report says.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar admitted that Ukrainian forces face difficulties during the ongoing counteroffensive. Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also admitted that the offensive proceeds "slower than desired." On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukrainian forces met well-prepared Russian defenses.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces have been making futile offensive attempts since June 4. On June 22, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that Ukraine has lost over 13,000 personnel since the beginning of the counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin also underscored that Ukrainian forces have been unsuccessful on all directions.

Ukrainian Counteroffensive Falling Short of Expectations, Western Officials Say

The Ukrainian counteroffensive, in its early stages, is yielding results below initial expectations, with Russian forces demonstrating greater competence than initially assessed, two Western officials and a senior US military official said in an interview with Western media.

Western assessments have found that Russia's defensive lines are well fortified, posing a challenge to Ukrainian forces attempting to penetrate them. In addition, Russian forces have effectively used air power, missile strikes, and mines to hinder Ukrainian armor, and have demonstrated a strong defensive strategy. One Western official noted that Ukrainian forces are vulnerable to minefields, while Russian forces have shown competence in their defensive tactics. However, the officials noted that the counteroffensive is still in its early phases.

The counteroffensive is “not meeting expectations on any front,” one of the officials said.

The US and its allies are desperately trying to remain optimistic that Ukrainian forces will gradually make territorial gains, as they expect a comprehensive assessment of the counteroffensive's progress by July, as they deem it crucial in determining the ultimate outcome of the war.

The officials also note that although Ukrainian forces have been trying to adapt to Russian tactics and defenses, the counteroffensive is proving to be a challenging endeavor for Ukraine, which has sustained heavy losses in both troops and NATO military equipment over the past two weeks.

In a recent interview with Western media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also acknowledged that progress had been slower than desired.

Western officials had previously cautioned that defending forces typically maintain significant advantages, particularly due to the time Russian forces had to fortify their defensive lines. Reports indicate that the Russian defenses, known as the "Surovikin Defensive Line," consist of an intricate network of trenches, minefields, anti-tank obstacles, and earthen berms spanning approximately 2,000 km. The sheer length and complexity of the fortified front line pose significant obstacles.

Additionally, adverse weather conditions have also posed challenges for Ukrainian forces, hampering their offensive operations.

“The weather has been playing havoc with the offensive schedule as vehicles have struggled with trafficability,” one of the officials said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that Ukrainian forces have suffered thousands of casualties and the destruction of nearly 200 tanks and over 400 armored vehicles over the past two weeks.

Pj Gubernur Heru: Tahun Depan Jakarta tidak Lagi Jadi Ibu Kota Negara

HUT Terakhir Sebagai Ibu Kota, Jakarta Ingin Jadi Kota Global

Pada peringatan Hari Ulang Tahun (HUT) Kota Jakarta yang ke-496, Penjabat (Pj) Gubernur DKI Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, mengungkap masa depan kota tersebut setelah tidak menjadi Ibu Kota Indonesia pada tahun depan.

Heru mengatakan bahwa Daerah Khusus Ibu Kota itu tetap akan menjadi kota yang unggul semakin siap menghadapi tantangan baru.

Dilansir dari ANTARA, pada momen pergantian usia Ibu Kota ini, Heru melihat perkembangan yang pesat terjadi di Jakarta dan akan menjadikannya kota yang nyaman ditinggali.

"Pada momen pergantian usianya, kita dapat merefleksikan perkembangan Jakarta yang dimulai dari sebuah pelabuhan, berkembang menjadi kota megapolitan hingga pusat aktivitas nasional," kata Heru, dikutip Kamis, 22 Juni 2023

Penjabat (Pj) Gubernur DKI Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono menghadiri pertunjukan seni drama komedi bertajuk 'Melankolia Metropolitan' yang digelar di Teater Besar Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini, Kecamatan Menteng, Jakarta Pusat, Kamis (22/6/2023) malam WIB. Suguhan drama komedi itu membuat Heru bersama para tamu undangan mengenang perjalanan panjang Jakarta.

Heru mengatakan, pertunjukan seni drama komedi menjadi istimewa, lantaran perjalanan panjang Jakarta sebagai ibu kota negara akan segera berakhir. Menurut dia, Jakarta bakal bertransformasi menjadi kota bisnis berskala global ketika pemerintah memindahkan ibu kota negara ke Kalimantan Timur.

"Ini untuk mengenang perjalanan Kota Jakarta yang panjang dan hari ini kita merayakan momen yang sangat istimewa, yaitu peringatan HUT Kota Jakarta sebagai Ibu Kota Negara Republik Indonesia untuk terakhir kalinya," kata Heru di Jakarta pada hari Jumat, 23/6/2023.

Dalam perjalanan yang panjang, ungkap Heru, Jakarta telah menyimpan begitu banyak cerita dan pengalaman berharga dalam sejarahnya sebagai ibu kota Republik Indonesia. Jakarta, sambung dia, telah mengalami begitu banyak perubahan dan perbaikan yang luar biasa.

"Siapa yang masih ingat oplet dan bus kota sebagai moda transportasi di masa lalu? Kini, kita telah memiliki moda angkutan umum yang nyaman dan terintegrasi, di bawah sistem Jaklingko, ada Transjakarta, LRT Jakarta, dan MRT Jakarta," kata Heru.

Menurut dia, pengalaman Jakarta menjadi pelajaran berharga dalam mengelola Nusantara pada masa yang akan datang. Jakarta pun terus bertransformasi menjadi kota berskala global yang layak huni dan berketahanan.

Apresiasi dan ucapan terima kasih turut disampaikan Heru kepada semua pihak penyelenggara, para pemeran dan kru yang terlibat dalam opera di panggung. "Pertunjukan ini akan menjadi kenangan yang tidak terlupakan dalam memperingati HUT ke-496 Kota Jakarta," kata Heru.

Sementara itu, Kepala Dinas Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif DKI Jakarta Andhika Permata mengatakan, pertunjukan drama komedi dapat terwujud atas sinergi Pemerintah Provinsi DKI Jakarta dengan BUMD Jakarta serta Hahaha Corp untuk memeriahkan HUT ke-469 Kota Jakarta.

"Pertunjukan drama komedi ini menggabungkan elemen sketsa, teater dan komedi improvisasi serta berfokus pada suasana keseharian di sudut Kota Jakarta," kata Andhika.

Drama berdurasi satu jam tersebut merefleksikan tentang Jakarta sebagai kota yang majemuk, baik suku, agama, maupun budayanya, serta kota yang terbuka bagi warga dari daerah lain yang ingin berkunjung dan menetap.

 Andika berharap, drama komedi itu bisa mengirimkan pesan positif, seperti persatuan, toleransi, dan semangat gotong royong kepada seluruh lapisan masyarakat.

Airlangga - Harga Pertanian Tidak Turun saat Musim Panen Hasil Implementasi Close Loop

Menko Perekonomian, Airlangga Hartarto di Kabupaten Simalungun/Ist

Program closed loop hortikultura diharapkan menjadi model kemitraan yang mampu berdampak signifikan bagi seluruh stakeholders terkait, sejak dilangsungkan pertama kali pada tahun 2020 di Kabupaten Garut.

Closed loop sendiri merupakan model kemitraan agribisnis hulu sampai hilir yang melibatkan multistakeholder dan dikembangkan dalam ekosistem berbasis digital, teknik budidaya good agricultural practices, sistem distribusi yang baik, serta jaminan pasar atau harga yang bersaing.

Melalui implementasi closed loop, diharapkan dapat memastikan ketersediaan produk berkualitas sesuai kebutuhan pasar, mengurangi ketidakpastian pasokan dan harga, serta meningkatkan kesejahteraan petani dan konsumen.

“Dengan teknologi dan closed loop diharapkan harga dari pertanian bisa meningkat dan saat panen, harga tidak akan turun. Ini yang akan didorong pemerintah," tegas Menko Perekonomian, Airlangga Hartarto dalam keterangan tertulisnya, hari Jumat, 23/06/2023.

Seiring dengan keberhasilan implementasi di Kabupaten Garut sejak tahun 2020, program kemitraan tersebut telah dikembangkan di 16 kabupaten.

Sementara itu, Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Pangan dan Agribisnis Musdhalifah Machmud menyatakan, closed loop menjadi wujud peran pemerintah mendorong terciptanya ekosistem pasar.

Dalam kemitraan tersebut, inovasi teknologi dan praktik berkelanjutan juga harus dilibatkan untuk meningkatkan produktivitas dan memastikan ketahanan pangan jangka panjang dan berkelanjutan.

“Tidak hanya menjaga ketahanan pangan, yang paling penting adalah bagaimana meningkatkan kesejahteraan pendapatan petani," tandas Musdhalifah.

Pada bulan Februari 2022, Menteri Koordinator Bidang Perekonomian Airlangga Hartarto mulai menggerakkan program close loop, dengan mendorong program kemitraan closed loop (hulu hingga hilir) di sektor agribisnis hortikultura untuk menciptakan ekosistem yang efisien dan terintegrasi.

“Saya mengajak para kepala daerah dan pelaku usaha untuk melakukan perubahan dan terobosan cara yang lebih efisien untuk meningkatkan skala usaha, produktivitas, kualitas, dan nilai tambah komoditas pertanian melalui inisiatif kolaborasi dan kemitraan closed loop agribisnis yang saling menguntungkan,” kata Menko Airlangga saat launching Buku Pintar Kemitraan Closed Loop Agribisnis Hortikultura, secara virtual Selasa.

Melalui program closed loop yang merupakan sistem agribisnis pertanian yang diintegrasikan dari level hulu hingga hilir dan seluruhnya dikelola melalui sistem digital, Menko Airlangga berharap petani semakin semangat dan produktif. Kemudian pelaku usaha dari hulu hingga hilir dapat berkembang dan ekosistem terus bergerak maju sehingga pertanian dapat semakin berkontribusi dalam percepatan pemulihan ekonomi nasional.

Pemerintah terus berupaya untuk mendorong inisiatif kolaborasi multistakeholders melalui pengembangan ekosistem agribisnis yang efisien dan terintegrasi hulu-hilir berbasis teknologi, agar daya saing komoditas pertanian dapat ditingkatkan dan mampu memenuhi kebutuhan dalam negeri dengan harga yang terjangkau.

Menko Airlangga mengatakan kemitraan closed loop agribisnis hortikultura yang melibatkan petani, koperasi, perbankan, off taker dan pelaku usaha dari hulu hingga hilir dilakukan dengan pendampingan untuk mewujudkan kemandirian dan kesejahteraan petani.

Gambaran model kolaborasi multistakeholders yang terlibat dalam kemitraan dan proses bisnis dalam membangun ekosistem agribisnis yang terintegrasi hulu hilir dimuat dalam Buku Pintar Closed Loop Agribsinis Hortikultura.

‘Kami berharap buku ini dapat digunakan sebagai rujukan dan pedoman bagi berbagai pihak terkait dalam rangka implementasi dan percepatan replikasi kemitraan closed loop hortikultura di seluruh Indonesia,” ujarnya.

Memasuki awal tahun 2022, pemerintah meyakini bahwa koordinasi dan sinergi antara seluruh stakeholders dalam menerapkan strategi pemulihan ekonomi akan membuat ekonomi tumbuh di kisaran 4-5 persen (yoy) pada triwulan I-2022. Hal itu akan mendukung pencapaian target pertumbuhan ekonomi sebesar 5,2 persen (yoy) di akhir 2022 mendatang.

Ekonomi Indonesia tumbuh sebesar 3,69 persen pada tahun 2021, pertumbuhan ekonomi yang positif di tahun 2021 tersebut didukung oleh pertumbuhan di beberapa sektor, salah satunya sektor pertanian yang tumbuh 1,84 persen.

“Kontribusi sektor pertanian terhadap PDB juga cukup besar yaitu 13,28 persen tertinggi kedua setelah industri pengolahan sebesar 19,25 persen,” ungkap dia.

Sektor pertanian sebagai sektor yang terus tumbuh positif juga perlu didukung agar kontribusinya terhadap PDB yang cukup besar juga mampu berdampak terhadap kesejahteraan petani.

Menko Airlangga menyampaikan bahwa salah satu model yang telah diinisiasi dan berjalan baik adalah kemitraan closed loop agribisnis hortikultura yang melibatkan petani, koperasi, perbankan, off taker dan pelaku usaha dari hulu hingga hilir yang dilakukan dengan pendampingan untuk mewujudkan kemandirian dan kesejahteraan petani.

“Buku Pintar Closed Loop Agribsinis Hortikultura ini memberikan gambaran model kolaborasi multistakeholders yang terlibat dalam kemitraan dan proses bisnis dalam membangun ekosistem agribisnis yang terintegrasi hulu hilir, sehingga kami berharap buku ini dapat digunakan sebagai rujukan dan pedoman bagi berbagai pihak terkait dalam rangka implementasi dan percepatan replikasi kemitraan closed loop hortikultura di seluruh Indonesia,” jelas Menko Airlangga.

Pada kesempatan tersebut, Deputi Bidang Koordinasi Pangan dan Agribisnis Musdhalifah Machmud membuka secara langsung acara Focus Group Discussion (FGD) dengan tema Pengembangan Kemitraan Closed Loop Agribisnis Hortikultura dan menyampaikan terima kasih kepada seluruh stakeholder yang telah berpartisipasi dalam program kemitraan closed loop agribisnis hortikultura. Juga diharapkan agar closed loop bisa direplikasi dan didukung penuh oleh Pemerintah Daerah, agar program kemitraan agribisnis bisa berjalan dengan baik dan sukses.

“Saya mengajak para Kepala Daerah dan pelaku usaha untuk melakukan perubahan dan terobosan cara yang lebih efisien untuk meningkatkan skala usaha, produktivitas, kualitas, dan nilai tambah komoditas pertanian melalui inisiatif kolaborasi dan kemitraan closed loop agribisnis yang saling menguntungkan, agar petani semakin semangat dan produktif, pelaku usaha dari hulu hingga hilir dapat berkembang dan ekosistem terus bergerak maju sehingga pertanian dapat semakin berkontribusi dalam percepatan pemulihan ekonomi nasional,” pungkas Menko Airlangga.

Launching Buku Pintar Kemitraan Closed Loop Agribisnis Hortikultura dilaksanakan secara hybrid (online dan offline) dan dihadiri oleh para Eselon 1 Kementerian/Lembaga terkait dan yang mewakili, para Bupati dan jajarannya, Wakil Ketua Umum KADIN Bidang Pertanian, Perwakilan BUMN dan BUMD, Akademisi, pihak swasta, dan para stakeholder. Acara tersebut kemudian dilanjutkan dengan FGD bertema Pengembangan Kemitraan Closed Loop Agribisnis Hortikultura yang menghadirkan narasumber Bupati Garut, Direktur Utama PT Paskomnas dan, Ketua Koperasi Produsen Eptilu Membangun Indonesia Kabupaten Garut dengan pembahas Prof. Bungaran Saragih, serta perwakilan dari Kementerian Dalam Negeri, Bappenas, dan Bank Indonesia

Detik - detik mobil terobos Swalayan di Jaktim

Sebuah mobil minibus menabrak dan menerobos masuk ke dalam sebuah swalayan di Pondok Bambu, Jakarta Timur. Akibatnya beberapa orang yang berada di dalam swalayan itu panik berhamburan.

Dilaporkan, akibat dari peristiwa tersebut beberapa pengunjung swalayan terluka.

Diduga inside karena salah menginjak pedal gas, sebuah mobil yang dikendarai anak-anak menabrak pasar swalayan di Kawasan Duren Sawit, Jakarta Timur.

Dari rekaman video CCTV terlihat mobil tiba-tiba saja melaju, hingga menabrak bagian dalam pasar swalayan, yang berada di jalan pahlawan revolusi, Duren Sawit, Jakarta Timur.

Kondisi pasar swalayan yang tengah ramai, membuat sejumlah pengunjung sempat tertabrak mobil yang tiba-tiba saja merangsek masuk.

Titanic sub passengers died in implosion – US

An undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible
©AP / OceanGate Expeditions

The US Coast Guard has found a piece of a deep-sea submersible in a “debris field” near the sunken wreck of the Titanic. The vessel’s five passengers all died in a “catastrophic explosion,” the military branch said.

Following an urgent race to recover a 22-foot submersible that held five men on board to see the Titanic, search and rescue teams found Thursday morning outer parts of the Titan near the site of the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate, the company that led the mission, said the men on board are dead.

“A debris field was discovered within the search area by [a Remotely Operated Vehicle] near the Titanic,” the Coast Guard’s northeastern district said in a statement on Thursday. In a press conference later that afternoon, District Commander Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters that the tail cone of the submersible was found amid the debris.

The remains of the submersible are “consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,” Mauger explained. The vessel’s five passengers would have been killed instantly in such a scenario.

The OceanGate Titan lost contact with its surface vessel, the Polar Prince, around an hour and 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday morning. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French mariner Paul-Henry Nargeolet, British adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, were all on board at the time of the disappearance.

The Coast Guard immediately began searching an area of about 20,000 square kilometers, assisted by the Canadian military. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, a Canadian P-3 surveillance plane reported hearing banging sounds from an area close to where the submersible went missing.

Mauger told reporters that there “doesn’t appear to be any connection” between the noises and the location of the debris field.

The search for the submersible drew worldwide attention, and revealed some red flags at OceanGate. Speaking to CBS News in November, Rush explained that the vessel was entirely controlled with a generic bluetooth video game controller, which online sleuths discovered had a dismal reputation for reliability.

In an undated interview with Teledyne Marine, Rush once boasted about hiring employees based on diversity, stating that unlike others in the industry, he rejected job applications from “50-year-old white guys,” as he didn’t find them “inspirational.”

The Titan got lost for two and a half hours during a dive to the Titanic filmed by CBS News. Marine experts warned for years that the vessel was unsafe, and one of OceanGate’s former employees sued the company over safety issues in 2018, claiming that the company was cutting corners and risking a “catastrophic” accident.

“This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea,” the company wrote.

The debris found on the ocean floor about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic was “consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber” in the submersible, said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard during a press conference Thursday afternoon. Coast Guard officials said it’s too early to tell when the Titan imploded.

What happens next in Titan rescue mission?

US Coast Guard officials said remote operating vehicles, also known as ROVs, would remain operating on the sea floor around the Titanic and investigate the debris field.

“Right now, again our thoughts are with the families and making sure that they have an understanding as best as we can provide of what happened and begin to find some closure,” an unnamed official said during the press conference.

Mauger said he did not know whether the Coast Guard would be able to recover the bodies of the five passengers on board of the Titan. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment," he said.

Where is the submersible?

On Thursday, search and rescue crews discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic, the Coast Guard said. After an evaluation of the debris, the Coast Guard determined the debris contains pieces of the Titan, including a landing frame and a rear cover from the vessel. The debris was discovered after the sub was expected to have run out of oxygen supply.

"A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic." https://t.co/QO3581g2BP

— VICE News (@VICENews) June 22, 2023

"A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter.

A Coast Guard official commended the vast search efforts that led to Thursday's findings during the press conference.

"We’ve really had the right gear on site and worked as swiftly as possible to bring all of the capabilities we had to bear to this search and rescue effort," the official said. "It was a huge international multi-agency effort to make this happen.”

What happened to the Titan?

On June 16, the sub and its support ship departed from St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada. Two days later, the submersible began its dive to see the Titanic, which is about 370 miles off Newfoundland and 12,500 feet deep in the North Atlantic Ocean. About one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, the Canadian support ship the Polar Prince, which was tasked with monitoring the submersible, lost all communication with the vessel.

OceanGate said it was equipped with a 96-hour supply of oxygen. That would have lasted until Thursday morning. The Coast Guard led the frantic rescue mission that employed U.S. and Canadian ships, aircraft and other equipment. As of Wednesday, search crews were scouring an area of the ocean roughly two times the size of Connecticut.

Who were the passengers?

The five men who set out to see the Titanic in the submersible included OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French maritime and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet and a father and son from one of Pakistan’s most prominent families, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time," OceanGate said in a statement Thursday.

Rush, 61, founded OceanGate in 2009. He was also the co-founder of OceanGate Foundation, a non-profit organization "which aims to catalyze emerging marine technology to further discoveries in marine science, history, and archaeology," according to the company's website. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning last year, Rush said: "What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface."

Harding, 58, was chairman of Action Aviation, a global sales company in business aviation. He held three Guinness World Records related to his explorations by plane and into the deep ocean. He had also been to space. “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023,' Harding wrote in a Facebook post announcing he would be aboard The Titan.

Nargeolet, 73, was director of Underwater Research for E/M Group and RMS Titanic, Inc. He successfully dived in a submersible to the site of the Titanic wreckage 37 times and "supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts," according to EMGroup's website, which also says he's "widely considered the leading authority on the wreck site."

Shahzada Dawood, 48, was on the board of trustees for the Dawood Foundation, an education nonprofit, according to the World Economic Forum, the board of the SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization, and he served as vice chairman on the board of Pakistani Engro Corporation. His son, Suleman Dawood, 19, loved science fiction, solving Rubik’s Cubes and playing volleyball, the New York Times reported.

Shahzada Dawood's older sister told NBC News she was "absolutely heartbroken" over the deaths.

"I feel like I’ve been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn’t know what you’re counting down to," Azmeh Dawood said. "I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them."

What did the sub look like?

The submersible, owned by the Washington-based private company OceanGate Inc. , was 22 feet long and weighed 25,000 pounds. The vessel was designed to hold five people and descend 13,123 feet into the ocean, according to the company. It had a titanium crew compartment, a carbon fiber hull and one toilet on the inside.

The cost for a trip was $250,000, according to OceanGate. The company runs commercial projects, scientific research and exploration in deep water. After the submersible's disappearance, information surfaced showing there were prior concerns about the safety of the group's expeditions.

Russia puts ICC Judge Aitala, who issued arrest warrant for Putin, on its wanted list

In May, the Russian Investigative Committee filed charges against the judge under Russian Criminal Code articles that provide for illegally taking a person into custody and plotting to attack a foreign government official, who holds the status of an internationally protected person, with the purpose of straining international relations

The name of International Criminal Court Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, who issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been put into the database of wanted persons of the Russian Interior Ministry.

"Rosario Salvatore Aitala is wanted under a Criminal Code article," the database entry says, without specifying the charges against him.

In May, the Russian Investigative Committee filed charges against the judge under Russian Criminal Code articles that provide for illegally taking a person into custody and plotting to attack a foreign government official, who holds the status of an internationally protected person, with the purpose of straining international relations.

On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

On March 20 the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges, deeming their actions as knowingly unlawful since they had no grounds for holding the president and the children’s rights commissioner criminally liable. According to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons of December 14, 1973, heads of state enjoy absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign countries.

The Investigative Committee stated that Putin cannot be held criminally responsible since he has absolute immunity as a head of state under a 1973 UN convention. However, the committee accused the ICC prosecutor of committing crimes under Russian law by falsely accusing an innocent person of a crime. The prosecutor and judges are also suspected of planning to harm a foreign state's representative who enjoys international protection, which could worsen international relations.

The Kremlin has called the warrant's issuance "outrageous," although it is legally meaningless because Russia is not a member of the treaty that established the ICC. It stated on Monday that the court's decision reflected "clear hatred" for Russia and Putin personally.

Prosecutor Karim Khan and justices Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez are among the ICC personnel being investigated by Russia.

"The criminal prosecution is obviously illegal, since there are no grounds for criminal liability," the Russian statement said.

The ICC's decision requires the court's 123 member nations to arrest Putin and extradite him to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.

Putin is unlikely to take that risk, and Russia does not extradite its nationals, but the unusual move against a sitting president was a significant symbolic step to hold him accountable for the repercussions of his invasion of Ukraine

Who is Rosario Salvatore Aitala

Rosary Salvatore AitalaItalian judge of the International Criminal Court (Cpi), ended up on the Kremlin’s wanted list. There Russia accused him, together with the prosecutor of the same court, Khan Karim Asad Ahmad, of having attacked “a representative of a foreign country enjoying international protection in order to complicate international relations“. Aitala had been assigned to follow the file on the allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine by the Russian military. It is also thanks to his work, therefore, that the ICC has issued an international arrest warrant to the address of Vladimir Putin. Now Moscow would appear to have taken its revenge.

Rosario Aitala, 55, is originally from Catania. After graduating from law he attended a PhD course in administrative-tax law, again in Catania, to then specialize in international protection of human rights, in Rome, Tor Vergata, and in the rule of law and civil reconstruction of countries in a state of crisis, in Turku, Finland. She also holds a diploma in International Criminal Law at the European University Institute of Florence.

Throughout his career he has held numerous positions. From 1992 to 1997 he held the position of police officer with positions of manager of the mobile squad of Pavia, deputy manager of police stations in Milan and head of cabinet at the Treviso Police Headquarters.

Between 2003 and 2007 he began to deal with international issues. He takes part in the European Assistance Mission to Police and Criminal Justice Pameca (Albania), is director of the Criminal Justice Department and Chief Expert Seci Center (today Selec, police cooperation center for South-Eastern Europe) in Bucharest.

He is then a scientific expert for the European Commissionas well as senior expert for the Evaluation Mission for Kosovo, while expert for judicial reform for in South-Eastern Europe for the European Parliament.

Until 2010 he worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Legal Adviser in Directorate General Asia. Among the roles held: Coordinator of Programs for Afghanistan; Coordinator of the Mae-Regions-China Program; Coordinator and senior expert for the European twinning project with the General Prosecutor’s Office of Albania; Team Leader of the “Cocaine Route Programme” for Latin America and the Caribbean; Coordinator for corruption, money laundering and organized crime for the Twinning Project with the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of North Macedonia.