NO SURVIVORS FROM MISSING SUBMERSIBLE, SAYS OCEANGATE

The five people aboard a missing submersible are thought to be dead, according to the company that owns the vessel, bringing a grim end on Thursday to the massive search for the vessel that was lost during a voyage to the Titanic.

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

An unmanned deep-sea robot deployed from a Canadian ship discovered a “debris field” near where the century-old wreck is located, 4 km below the surface, the U.S. Coast Guard said earlier on Twitter. The agency has scheduled a press conference for 1900 GMT to discuss the findings.

Rescue teams from several countries have spent days searching thousands of square kilometres of open seas with planes and ships for any sign of the 6.7-metre Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions.

The submersible lost contact on Sunday morning with its support ship about an hour and 45 minutes into what should have been a two-hour descent.

The five people aboard included the British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani-born business magnate Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, both British citizens; French oceanographer and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who had visited the wreck dozens of times; and Stockton Rush, the American founder and chief executive of OceanGate, who was piloting the submersible.

BIDEN DEFENDS HIS XI ‘DICTATOR’ REMARK, STILL EXPECTS A MEETING

President Joe Biden defended his remarks about Chinese President Xi Jinping, including calling him a dictator, stating that it would not negatively impact US-China relations and that he still expects to meet with Xi in the future. Biden emphasized that his blunt statements on China are unlikely to change. These comments come after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing aimed at improving communication and stabilizing ties. However, China's embassy in Washington lodged a formal protest, urging the US to undo the negative impact of Biden's remarks or face consequences. The Chinese government expressed doubts about the sincerity of the US in seeking to stabilize relations and emphasized that they do not accept any political provocation against China's leader. The details of how the Chinese ambassador delivered the message or the specific consequences were not provided.

PAK PM MEETS IMF DIRECTOR IN A LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO GET BAILOUT

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Paris to discuss the release of funds that have been halted, ahead of the credit line's expiry next week. The meeting took place amid claims that Shehbaz's finance minister, Ishaq Dar, had slapped a reporter who asked him questions about the stalled funds. During the meeting, Shehbaz informed Kristalina about the steps being taken to address Pakistan's struggling economy, growth, and stability, expressing hope that the funds allocated under the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) would be released soon. The release of the $1.2 billion tranche, part of a $6.7-billion bailout package, has been delayed as Pakistan has failed to meet important prerequisites, according to the IMF. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, a controversy arose when FM Dar lost his temper and allegedly slapped a reporter who questioned the failure to secure the IMF deal. The reporter released a video claiming that Dar's guards had grabbed him before the incident.

CASH-STRAPPED PAK TO LEASE PART OF KARACHI PORT TO UAE FOR $220M

AD Ports Group of the UAE signed an agreement on Thursday to take over the running of part of Pakistan’s main Karachi docking facility in a deal worth an immediate $220 million, the company said. The deal will come as a shot in the arm for the cash-strapped Pakistan. AD Ports Group has formed a joint venture with another UAE company, Kaheel Terminals, to take over berths from Karachi Port Trust , the state-owned handling agency. Karachi Port is Pakistan’s oldest and busiest, with 33 berths, and the UAE deal will see the joint venture lease four of them for the next 50 years.

GREECE BOAT TRAGEDY: DNA SAMPLES FROM 200 PAK FAMILIES COLLECTED

Pakistan has collected DNA samples from more than 200 families following last week’s sinking of an overcrowded smuggling vessel off Greece that left more than 500 migrants missing, including scores of Pakistanis. The families had approached authorities, saying they suspect their loved ones were on the boat, a spokes woman of the foreign ministry said. Pakistani police, meanwhile, arrested 10 more suspected traffickers, bringing the number of traffickers detained in the nationwide crackdown to 17, she said.

U.S. APPROVES TAIWAN TRADE DEAL DESPITE CHINESE IRE

U.S. lawmakers voted to greenlight an agreement aimed at deepening economic relations with Taiwan, prompting an irritated response from Beijing on Thursday.

The U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade streamlines customs checks, looks to improve regulatory procedures and establishes anti-corruption measures.

‘Conflict of interest’

China said on Thursday that the move “seriously contravenes the U.S. side’s stated commitment to maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan”.

Beijing “resolutely opposes” any nations with which it has diplomatic ties signing agreements “with connotations of sovereignty or of an official nature with China’s Taiwan region,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Washington does not have official diplomatic relations with self-governing Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

Washington has remained a key ally and arms supplier to Taiwan despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

NASHEED QUITS RULING MDP MONTHS AHEAD OF ELECTION

Mohamed Nasheed, the Parliamentary Speaker and former President of the Maldives, announced his resignation from the ruling party on Wednesday. There is speculation that Nasheed might run against incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in September from a newly formed party. Nasheed cited the current situation in the country as the reason for his departure from the party. Tensions have been growing between Nasheed and Solih over various issues, leading to Nasheed launching his own campaign and mobilizing supporters. A group of MPs from the ruling party has also formed a new party called The Democrats in support of Nasheed. While Nasheed has not made a formal announcement, it is widely expected that he will be Solih's main rival in the upcoming presidential race. The political developments have resulted in a deadlock in the Maldives' Parliament, with two pending trust votes against Nasheed and his deputy. The ruling party has sought extraordinary sittings after Nasheed refused to extend the current session.

MUSK, ZUCKERBERG CALL OUT EACH OTHER FOR CAGE FIGHT

Paris : Tech titans Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are in a fierce business rivalry that has spilt over into a playground spat, with the two men offering to fight each other in a cage. Months after Musk took over Twitter, Zuckerberg’s Meta hinted it was planning to launch its own text-based social media platform — essentially a direct rival.

Musk has trolled Zuckerberg ever since with messages on Twitter, telling his fans this week: “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol. ” Zuckerberg, who has followed the trend of tech bosses getting buff and posting martial arts videos, responded on Wednesday on his Instagram Stories with a screenshot of the message and a response: “Send me location. ”

Meta confirmed Zuckerberg’s message was genuine. The exchange has provoked mirth on social media with plenty of fight predictions — Zuckerberg emerging as the clear favourite.

In later tweets, Musk said “if this is for real, I’ll do it. ” He proposed the Las Vegas UFC Octagon as a venue, and jokingly described his typical workout —throwing his children in the air — and his combat technique —lying on people in a move he calls “The Walrus. ”

31 KILLED AT AN EATERY AFTER GAS LEAK BLAST

China’s president ordered a national safety campaign on Thursday after a massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest killed 31 people and injured seven others. The blast tore through the restaurant at around 8.40pm (local time) on Wednesday in Yinchuan, the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinhua reported.An hour before the explosion, employees noticed the smell of cooking gas and discovered that a gas tank valve was broken. The blast occurred while an employee was replacing thevalve. Nine people have been detained by authorities.

BEIJING TEMP SOARS PAST 41°C, BREAKS JUNE RECORD

The temperature in Beijing soared past 41 degrees Celsius on Thursday, breaking the record for the hottest day in June. The heatwave that had previously affected northern China returned to the Chinese capital. A weather station in the southern suburbs recorded a temperature of 41.1°C, surpassing the previous June high recorded in 1961. Beijing has issued an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 39°C from Thursday to Saturday. The recorded temperature of 41.1°C is the second-highest in the city's history, with the highest being 41.9°C in 1999. Other cities in the region, including Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong, also experienced extreme heat, with Tianjin reaching a temperature of 41.2°C, breaking local records.