🌏 The Saga Of The Titanic Submersible, Estonia Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage And More

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The five people who went missing after they embarked on a trip in a submersible vessel – a mini submarine – to see the wreckage of the Titanic are presumed dead.

The company operating the submersible, Oceangate, said in a statement on Thursday June 22 that they believe the five men had “sadly been lost” after they went missing on Sunday June 18.

On Friday, June 16, the expedition left Newfoundland in Canada to the Titanic wreckage site as part of a eight-day trip, which cost US$250,000 per person.

The five passengers included British billionaire, Hamish Harding; a member of Pakistan’s richest families, Shahzada Dawood, and his teenage son; French maritime expert, Paul-Henri Nargeolet; and the founder and CEO of Oceangate, Stockton Rush.

The dive on Sunday was supposed to only take two and a half hours, but the submersible lost contact one hour and 45 minutes after departure.

The vessel contained only approximately four days worth of emergency oxygen.

On Thursday, the US Coast Guard reported finding debris pertaining to the submarine, which they said had undergone a “catastrophic implosion.”

The day before, search officials said they had heard “banging noises” at 30 minute intervals, which they believed could have been the explosion of the submarine.

However, the noises were later believed to have been coming from other ships in the area.

Search officials said they hope the announcement brings some solace to the families and will continue to investigate why it happened.

Also Happening Around The World

🇷🇺 In a stunning 36 hours, an armed mutiny broke out in Russia, got within 200 kilometers of Moscow and was abruptly stopped. Here’s how it all went down.

🇵🇱 People in Poland held a huge pride march to demand the government stop attacking LGBTQ rights.

🇰🇷 Suga from BTS made a rare comment on China’s ban on K-pop stars performing in the country

This Nigerian woman violinist founded an orchestra to promote contemporary African classical music.

Rosalyn Aninyei, a Nigerian violinist who studied in Vienna, Austria, returned to Lagos with the mission to establish an orchestra and foundation that empowers African classical musicians.

Aninyei, who also has a background in violin restoration and international business, was inspired by the vibrant music scene in Vienna and came up with the idea of founding an orchestra while living near the city’s opera house.

She founded Vesta Orchestra and Opera Foundation in Lagos in 2017, aiming to revitalize the local classical music culture.

Lagos, the most populated city in Nigeria as well as Africa, is inhabited by about 21 million people yet lacks widespread enthusiasm for classical music.

According to Aninyei, over 1,000 creative and music students graduate from Nigerian universities each year but struggle to find a stage to present their work.

“The idea is not to convert people. The idea is to make it available so that people are aware it exists and from there, you would have people who are avid followers and listeners,” she told The Guardian Nigeria.

To promote African representation in classical music, the Vesta Orchestra and Opera Foundation launched the AfriClassical Concert Series, which features compositions by contemporary musicians of African descent, giving them a platform to showcase their talent.

Next on Aninyei’s agenda is to establish Lago’s first opera house, dedicated to regularly showcasing and performing African classical works and providing a permanent home for classical music in Nigeria.

Estonia has legalized same-sex marriage and adoption after a historic vote at its parliament.

Same-sex partnerships have been legal in Estonia since 2016 but only heterosexual couples could get married.

Same-sex couples were also unable to adopt children together; one partner had to adopt the biological child or children of the other partner as a step-parent.

But on Tuesday June 20, Estonia’s parliament voted to amend the law so that two adults can marry “regardless of their gender” and adopt children together.”

“Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love and want to commit to,” Estonia’s first woman prime minister, Kaja Kallas, said in a statement after the vote.

“I’m proud of my country. We’re building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely,” Kallas wrote on Twitter.

This made Estonia the first Baltic state to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption.

It is also the second central European country to reach marriage equality, after Slovenia in October 2022.

The new law will go into effect starting January 1, 2024.

More Good News For Your Week

🇦🇺 Australia will finally hold a referendum on recognizing Indigenous people in its constitution.

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