Latest news with #NorthAtlantic
Bloomberg
12 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Can the UK Afford to Defend Itself Anymore?
At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit scheduled for later this month, alliance members are expected to adopt a new defense spending target totaling as much as 5% of each nation's gross domestic product, an historic acknowledgement that a new Cold War has arrived, and that a recalcitrant Donald Trump could one day leave Europe to the mercies of a revanchist Vladimir Putin. Indeed, NATO's sprint toward re-militarization comes after more than three years of Russian war that's claimed tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Unable to rely on America given Trump's expressions of warmth for Putin and coolness to allies, many European governments see shifting to a war-footing as arguably a matter of long-term survival. The short-term question, however, is how to pay for it. On this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we explore this brutal conundrum as it is currently faced by one of NATO's key powers: the UK. In 2010, the UK had a relatively small military of about 100,000 personnel. In the 15 years since, that number has fallen by tens of thousands. The Labour government is now struggling to make up for decades of underinvestment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to spend 2.6% of GDP on defense by 2027, which falls short of the 3.5% goal proposed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the soon-to-be 5% target. The British military is currently at its smallest size since the Napoleonic era, and reversing course would require sustained investment and major sacrifices. Given the delicate nature of the UK's finances and the bond markets, it may not even be possible.
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Visit The Great White Shark Capital Of The World In Cape Cod
In Barnstable, Massachusetts, a sign at Sandy Neck beach informs visitors about white sharks ... More frequenting these waters. A half-century after Jaws was filmed in New England, great white sharks have gone from fearsome foes to income-generating tourist attractions. The waters around Cape Cod, Massachusetts boast one of the largest seasonal populations of white sharks in the world, thanks in part to efforts to conserve these iconic ocean animals. Hundreds of white sharks congregate in the North Atlantic to feed each year from May through October, making Cape Cod's coastal communities a popular place to see these apex predators up close. 'The number one reason people visit Cape Cod is because of outdoor recreation. Part of that experience these days is the recognition that sharks are here,' says Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. Ocean-related tourism is a bedrock of the region. In 2023, visitors to Cape Cod spent $2.7 billion, supporting over 14,000 jobs, according to the Chamber. Sharks are a big part of the Cape's 'blue economy', Niedzwiecki says. 'Retail establishments across the Cape are selling great white shark paraphernalia. We have tours that go out to see sharks and a scientific industry that's grown up around sharks.' The boom in shark-viewing tourism in Cape Cod is evidence that the public is starting to see sharks as something to save rather than something to kill. While some blame Jaws for giving sharks a bad rap by falsely portraying them as villainous man-eaters, others believe the movie drew much-needed attention to sharks. 'The movie was the red carpet that paved the way for their conservation,' says John Mandelman, Vice President and Chief Scientist of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium. 'Many people have become mesmerized and fascinated with sharks through Jaws.' Mandelman points to recent instances when white sharks have been stranded on a Cape Cod beach as a case in point for the shift in perception of sharks. 'We've had lines of people pouring water over their gills and helping them get them back into the ocean, similar to what would happen with a dolphin,' he says. The burgeoning excitement about sharks is especially evident in children's excitement about the animals. When families visit the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Chatham, Massachusetts, 'young kids come in wearing their shark backpack and their favorite shark shirt,' says Marianna Walsh, Chief Operating Officer. 'They don't have that same fear as the adults who learned about sharks from movies like Jaws.' Instead, the kids spout facts about sharks, including the predators' important role in balancing the ocean's ecosystem. Sharks have a lot more to fear from humans than vice versa. While we are decidedly not on their menu, sharks are eaten by many people around the world. Millions of these predators are killed each year for their meat and fins, or as bycatch by fishers targeting other species like tuna or cod. One-third of the world's 1,200 shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in November 2024. In contrast, only 4 people died from unprovoked shark attacks last year across the globe, according to the International Shark Attack File. None of those fatalities happened in the Continental U.S. Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Shark Center in Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (Photo by: ... More Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) New England's dense number of great whites is a success story when it comes to saving sharks. Scientists estimate that about 800 white sharks visited the waters surrounding Cape Cod from 2015 to 2018, according to research published in 2023 in Marine Ecology Progress Series. This is nearly three times the number of white sharks estimated to swim off California's central coast. This rise in great white shark sightings off Cape Cod is due to a few reasons. First, the U.S. government and Massachusetts prohibit the capture or killing of white sharks. The halt in shark hunting has likely helped their populations recover. Second, grey seals—white sharks' main food source—have rebounded, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act passed in 1972. New England's seal populations were wiped out by commercial fishing by the 1960s, but now number in the tens of thousands. Third, more people are on and in the water with cameras. Both scientists and citizens are actively looking for sharks, which means they are finding more and also learning more about their behavior. 'Seeing so many white sharks in shallow waters every year is a great sign that fisheries management works,' Mandelman says. 'This is a really healthy sign for the ecosystem.' Even though many more white sharks are feeding off Cape Cod, only one attack was reported in the past 87 years. This may be due in part to the uptick in education around sharks. 'Anytime you go to the beach or go into the ocean, you're going into a wild environment,' Walsh notes. 'Just like going into the mountains to hike, visitors should educate themselves and be aware of the wildlife that's present.' Shark-smart practices include staying in groups while swimming, surfing or paddling, and avoiding murky water or places with seals or large schools of fish. When visiting outer beaches on the Cape, Walsh recommends staying in waist-deep water close to shore. Another way to stay aware is the Sharktivity App, which has been downloaded 500,000 times. Citizens can upload photos of white shark sightings, which are then confirmed by scientists. The app also shows the whereabouts of more than 300 white sharks tagged by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. According to the app, four white sharks have been sighted around Cape Cod since May 11, 2025. The shallow water and sandy beaches in Chatham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts is a popular summer ... More destination for people and white sharks alike. Several eco-tour companies on Cape Cod offer boat trip excursions to view white sharks. These trips cost around $2,000 each. Charter companies often use a spotter plane to direct the boats to sharks. It's a more responsible, wildlife-friendly way for tourists to engage with sharks, as opposed to cage diving or baiting these predators. Both of these activities are illegal in Massachusetts. Besides the sheer number of white sharks that hunt here each summer, Cape Cod is also the best place to see these animals because the coast's topography makes it easy to spot them in the shallows. Plus, you might glimpse one of the other 15 species of sharks that frequent New England waters, like a blue or basking shark. 'Our sandbars and really shallow shoals give us reliable access to the animals. We can actually find them,' Walsh says. Tourists can sometimes spot their favorite white shark more than once. Much like the flukes of humpback whales, each white shark is recognizable by its unique pigment patterns and dorsal fin shape. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's online logbook has photos of 700 white sharks, helping visitors or beachgoers identify any sharks they may spot. Each one is named, from Agnes to Zuzu. As white sharks continue to generate income for communities and inspire awe among tourists, Mandelman hopes Cape Cod's example of successful human-shark co-existence will kickstart more shark conservation around the world. "White sharks in New England can be a gateway to protecting other species that need our help,' he says.
Fox News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Man who left corporate job joins 3 veterans rowing across North Atlantic in world record pursuit
When Adam Ratcliffe quit his corporate job three years ago to become a full-time "adventurer," he never pictured rowing 3,500 nautical miles across one of the world's most hazardous oceans – especially with three ex-Royal Marines and on a boat once lost at sea. Their mission is to break the world record of rowing across the North Atlantic, to push their personal limits and to raise awareness about veterans' mental health. The four-man, all-British "Team United We Conquer" plans to depart from Liberty Landing, New Jersey, on Thursday and race to make it to the British Isles of Scilly in under 43 days, 21 hours and 26 minutes. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Ratcliffe and teammate Jack Jarvis explained their goal is to raise £50,000 (approximately $67,158) for Head Up, a mental health charity benefiting the British armed forces community. Jarvis, a 12-year British army veteran who holds the world record for solo rowing across the Atlantic in 111 days, said this next venture comes just months after he left military service in February. Since returning to civilian life, Jarvis said he has experienced feelings of a "lack of purpose," but he joked that he doubts he will feel the sense of isolation common among veterans. After all, he will be traveling on a seven-meter boat with "three other hairy men" for more than 40 days. "Doing something like this has really given me that purpose, you know, that meaning, that I'm doing something worthwhile with my time and actually going out there and making a difference," Jarvis told Fox News Digital. "And yeah, we're very close now, but after 40 days of living on top of each other, ask that question at the end…. But no, I'm sure the best friendships are forged in the fire." By contrast, Ratcliffe, the only member of the crew without military experience, left his corporate job as an engineer to pursue creating adventure content on YouTube full-time. He said he could return to the corporate world after his sabbatical, "but realistically, when I'm on my deathbed at 90 years old, what would I consider the least cowardice decision and the best decision for my life to be?" By signing onto this trip, he said he wants to spread the message to anyone, veteran or non-veteran, who struggles with mental health that "they have the autonomy to change their environment and influence the way that they interact with the world, even when you feel like you can't, or you're just floating in the middle of an ocean." "This charity exemplifies taking back a bit of control and just focusing on what you can do, you know, eat in the right way, get some exercise, socializing," Ratcliffe said. "All that matters is you can just take back some of that power and start building momentum in your own life again. And that message obviously is shared advice, whether you've served in the armed forces or not." Ratcliffe and Jarvis will be joined by Royal Marines veterans David "Brucey" Bruce and Sam "Nutty" Edwards as they work to bring the boat once abandoned off the coast of Africa in the Canary Islands all the way home to the U.K. The boat floated over 11 months all the way across to the Caribbean. The team found it and fixed it up in the Bahamas and rowed the boat to mainland Florida. Now in New York, their next trek does not come without considerable risk. While there have been hundreds of successful expeditions across the Mid-Atlantic, the North Atlantic is less frequently traversed by solo ocean rowers and teams. Ratcliffe and Jarvis noted people have died attempting this route. "Why am I risking my life when I don't need to? I think I long for that sense of meaning, about why I joined the military, so if I can channel that into doing something amazing and raise a load of money to help, to help veterans and serving members of the armed forces, you know, why not when I'm physically capable and able?" Jarvis said. "Just because I'm not working a corporate job, is that what I should be doing? Yeah, I'm running my own race, living my own life, so that's why I do it." "This challenge has put death into perspective for me as well, but the reason that I signed on and I'm taking these decisions in my life is I don't want to leave lots of space on the table in terms of fulfilling my potential," Ratcliffe added. Once reaching the Isles of Scilly, they plan to continue to Northampton, England, where they will end their journey together. The current world record holders for the fastest four-person west to east row across the North Atlantic are Leven Brown, Don Lennox, Ray Carroll and Livar Nysted. They completed the row from Battery Park, New York, to the Isles of Scilly on June 17, 2010. More than a decade later, Jarvis told Fox News Digital his team plans to use Elon Musk's Starlink technology once a day and hopefully interview with the media at the half-way point. Even so, he joked the challenge will help beat phone addiction. "A great way, if you're addicted to being online, is to go and row an ocean, because you don't have time to check TikTok and Instagram," Jarvis said. Ratcliffe said supporters can track their location on Garmin and send donations to Head Up through the website, Ratcliffe and Jarvis both shared lessons they've learned in overcoming adversity, encouraging others to pursue the true version of themselves, whether in big or small ways. "I think adversity is inevitable – no matter who you are, every single human, basically, adversity that feels like it's stretching them, and whether you're fighting in a war or just fighting the battle to get out of bed in the morning, that can feel insurmountable for whoever you are on a personal basis," Ratcliffe said. "Adversity can be anything from rowing the Atlantic to just getting up and working a 12-hour shift that you might hate, but you have to do it to support your family," Jarvis said, explaining that crossing the North Atlantic sounds overwhelming, but less so if you focus on just the next rowing shift or the next coffee break. "Break it down, not let yourself go overwhelmed and just focus on the next step forward."
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The Titanic gives up its forgotten treasures: Lost black glass necklace is recovered from the shipwreck after nearly a century underwater
It was probably owned by one of the 1,517 souls who lost their life when RMS Titanic sunk. Perhaps it was a treasured keepsake or a good luck charm given by a family member, friend or lover. Whoever it belonged to, experts say this black glass necklace is one of the rarest artefacts ever to be recovered from the Titanic wreck. Described as a delicate survivor of 'a disaster, time and nature', it features black glass heart-shaped and octagonal beads woven in an intricate pattern. It was extracted from the wreck by RMS Titanic Inc – the only entity legally permitted to remove items from the famous ship's remains. 'This necklace is a powerful reminder that every artefact tells a personal story,' said Tomasina Ray, president and director of collections of RMS Titanic Inc. 'From the craftsmanship to the materials, it offers a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into the style, sentiment, and everyday life of Titanic's passengers. 'Our meticulous conservation efforts allow us to protect and share those stories with the world.' The newly conserved necklace was found and recovered in individual pieces and small fragments during an expedition back in 2000 – after nearly a century underwater. It was located in a 15-square-mile field of debris near what remains of the front half of the ship (the bow) and the back half (the stern). Researchers say it had to be carefully and painstakingly extracted from a hard, solid mass on the seafloor called a 'concretion'. This was formed from several objects being physically and chemically fused due to the environmental conditions and immense pressure about 12,500 feet deep. 'At first, there were lose beads, and then little bits of sting, and that sting led to more beads, until we slowly unwound fragments of this necklace that were still strung together,' said Ms Ray. 'Bead after bead led to another. It is a delicate survivor of a disaster, time and nature, but it speaks to human perseverance.' It's unclear whether there's any indication to whom the necklace belonged, but they likely perished in the tragedy. As bodies of the victims gradually disintegrated over the many decades, personal artefacts such as this one have been left behind. It gives the closest approximation of what it looked like around the neck of a victim of the Titanic tragedy that fateful night in 1912 Titanic: Basic facts Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time. Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912. On April 14, Titanic struck an iceberg at around 23:40 local time, generating six narrow openings in the vessel's starboard hull. The ship sank two hours and 40 minutes later, at 2:20am on April 15. An estimated 1,517 people died. There's also a chance the necklace belonged to one of the survivors, who somehow became separated from the object in the chaos. Experts claim the object gives a deeper understanding of the fashion of 1912, reflecting fashion trends and mourning customs of the time. In 1912, black jewelry was often made from materials like French jet, a type of glass popularized during the Victorian Era for both its style and symbolism. In the 25 years since being brought back to land, the necklace has been pieced together, studied and conserved at the RMS Titanic Inc recovery lab. It's now available for the public to view at the 'Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition' tourist attraction in Orlando, Florida, which has more than 300 artefacts, costumed actors, and full-scale recreations of Titanic's rooms. The exhibition is also home to the second-largest artefact ever recovered, a two-ton section of Titanic's starboard hull, appropriately called Little Piece. RMS Titanic Inc has now recovered more than 5,500 authentic artefacts over nine expeditions spanning nearly four decades. 'Each conservation effort reflects a deep commitment to honoring the lives lost and sharing their stories through Titanic's material legacy,' it said in a statement. The famous liner tragically sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after a collision with an iceberg, killing an estimated 1,517 of the 2,224 people on board. Titanic broke in half just before it made its final plunge in the early hours of April 15, 1912, and now two parts of the ship lie 2,600 feet apart. The stern is a twisted mess of metal after it hit the ocean floor still rotating in a counter-clockwise direction, while the V-shaped bow is more recognisable, complete with railings, although much of it is buried under mud due to the force of impact. Both halves are surrounded by a field of debris consisting of bits of metal, pieces of furniture, unopened champagne bottles and even passengers' shoes. The wreck wasn't located until September 1, 1985 – a discovery that made global headlines and regenerated interest in the disaster. Disaster in the Atlantic: How more than 1,500 lost their lives when the titanic sunk The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. More than 1,500 people died when the ship, which was carrying 2,224 passengers and crew, sank under the command of Captain Edward Smith. Some of the wealthiest people in the world were on board, including property tycoon John Jacob Astor IV, great grandson of John Jacob Astor, founder of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim, heir to his family's mining business, also perished, along with Isidor Straus, the German-born co-owner of Macy's department store, along with his loyal wife Ida. The ship was the largest afloat at the time and was designed in such a way that it was meant to be 'unsinkable'. It had an on-board gym, libraries, swimming pool and several restaurants and luxury first class cabins. There were not enough lifeboats on board for all the passengers due to out-of-date maritime safety regulations. After leaving Southampton on April 10, 1912, Titanic called at Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland before heading to New York. On April 14, 1912, four days into the crossing, she hit an iceberg at 11:40pm ship's time. James Moody was on night watch when the collision happened and took the call from the watchman, asking him 'What do you see?' The man responded: 'Iceberg, dead ahead.' By 2.20am, with hundreds of people still on board, the ship plunged beneath the waves, taking many, including Moody, with it. Despite repeated distress calls being sent out and flares launched from the decks, the first rescue ship, the RMS Carpathia, arrived nearly two hours later, pulling more than 700 people from the water. It was not until 1985 that the wreck of the ship was discovered in two pieces on the ocean floor.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
The Surprising Reason Why There Are No Human Remains in the Titanic
The Titanic, a symbol of hubris and human tragedy, has been a source of fascination for more than 112 years. But the fact is, the sunken ocean liner was more than just movie fodder or a deep-sea explorer's holy grail, it was a very real ship on which more than 1,500 people died. And yet, whilst experts, using the most sophisticated submersible and underwater filming equipment, have found some extraordinary relics from the wreckage, they have never found any skeletons or bones. 'I've seen zero human remains,' James Cameron, director of the iconic 1997 film, told the New York Times back in 2012. 'We've seen clothing. We've seen pairs of shoes, which would strongly suggest there was a body there at one point. But we've never seen any human remains.' Given that Cameron has visited and explored the wreck some 33 times (and claims to have spent more time on the ship than the ship's captain), if he hasn't seen any human remains we can assume that there really aren't any there. So why is this? It's a question that has recently been perplexing Reddit users but, luckily, it has some relatively simple answers. Whilst there was a notoriously insufficient number of lifeboats on the ship, many passengers and crew members still managed to put on life jackets. This means that they remained buoyant even after they succumbed to the freezing cold waters of the Atlantic. And so, when a storm followed the sinking of the 'unsinkable' ship, they were likely swept away from the site of the wreckage and carried further away over subsequent weeks and years by ocean currents. 'The issue you have to deal with is, at depths below about 3,000 feet (around 914 meters), you pass below what's called the calcium carbonate compensation depth,' deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard explained to NPR back in 2009. 'And the water in the deep sea is under saturated in calcium carbonate, which is mostly, you know, what bones are made of. For example, on the Titanic and on the Bismarck, those ships are below the calcium carbonate compensation depth, so once the critters eat their flesh and expose the bones, the bones dissolve,' he said. Nevertheless, some people believe that there may still be some preserved bodies in sealed off parts of the ship, such as the engine room. This is because fresh oxygen-rich water that scavengers rely on may not have been able to enter these areas. Nevertheless, more than a century since the tragedy, it seems likely that such searches for remains would be fruitless.
