TRUMP UK VISIT: THE ROYAL PROTOCOL THE US PRESIDENT WILL FOLLOW WHEN MEETING THE QUEEN
Many are wondering how the president will fare when he meets the Queen for the first time
July 6, 2018
SABRINA BARR
@fabsab5
With around a week to go until the US president arrives in the UK, the question of how Donald Trump will fare when meeting Her Majesty the Queen has become a widely discussed topic of conversation.
The Queen has made the acquaintance of almost every acting US president since 1945, starting with Harry Truman whom she met while visiting Washington, DC as a princess in 1951.
There are number of rules that Trump will be expected to follow when he meets the reigning British monarch for the first time, some of which are more regimented than others.
Where are the UK protests against Donald Trump taking place?
"Whilst this is not a full state visit, it will be a meeting of two heads of state, and therefore formalities should be observed," Rupert Wesson, Debrett's academy director, tells The Independent.
"There will be a handful of subtle differences, but not many. For instance, the Queen tends not to shake hands with everyone she meets.
"However, in this case it would be surprising if she didn't."
The Queen is expected to host Trump at Windsor Castle when they meet on Friday 13 July, with the castle remaining closed to the public throughout the day.
"Families belong together" Protests over Trump immigration policy
While Trump will probably be instructed on how to address the Queen in the appropriate manner, the royal family are apparently more relaxed nowadays in regard to royal protocol than they used to be.
"It isn't as much a case of meeting the Queen, but rather being presented to her (typically by one of her courtiers)," Mr Wesson explains.
"In this instance, they will likely say: 'Your Majesty, may I present Mr Donald Trump.'
When is Donald Trump coming to Britain and who will he meet?
"It is customary for men to bow, however this is a very subtle gesture and not exaggerated - the Queen is said to be quite relaxed about this."
The royal family has outlined the proper way in which to address the Queen, tips that Trump will have to take heed of prior to his visit.
When greeting the monarch for the first time, the president will be expected to call her “Your Majesty”, before then referring to her as “Ma’am”, pronounced in the same manner as “jam”.
Trump will likely then bow to the Queen from the neck, while the First Lady will give the royal a small curtsy.
Trump continues attack on media and democrats
Depending on how the Queen decides to receive the president, the pair may also shake hands.
"The rules are not official or written down but rather an understanding," explains etiquette expert Grant Harrold, otherwise known as 'The Royal Butler'.
"President Trump should not offer his hand to the Queen for a handshake but he will have to wait for the Queen to offer the handshake.
"Only then may he accept and he must remember the grip should not be too tight or too loose, and it is two to three pumps then hands go back to your side."
May should ‘stand up’ to Donald Trump on human rights, Amnesty says
Mr Wesson believes that Trump will probably speak first after he's been introduced, with the Queen then following suit.
Furthermore, as it is their first meeting, Mr Harrold suspects that the pair will discuss general topics as opposed to personal matters.
It’s been reported that Trump will also be attending a dinner at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire during his UK visit, with the estate revealing on its website that the palace, park and gardens will be closed on 11 and 12 July.
While the feast will supposedly be hosted by Theresa May and attended by an assortment of business leaders as opposed to members of the royal family, Trump will still expected to follow certain rules in keeping with formal dinner etiquette.
Trump 'Angry baby' balloon gets go ahead to fly over London for visit
According to Debrett’s, when dining at a formal meal, guests should refrain from hunching in their chairs, starting the meal before anyone else and talking with their mouths full.
Furthermore, if any speeches are being given during the evening, talking during the oration is considered rude.
In 2017, Canada’s governor general David Johnston appeared to breach royal protocol by making physical contact with the Queen while helping her down a flight of stairs at Canada House in London.
However, while many may have assumed any physical contact with the Queen is strictly off limits in keeping with royal protocol, Michelle Obama’s famous hug with the monarch proves that this isn’t necessarily the case.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Chinese Tycoon Wang Jian Falls to His Death While on a Business Trip in France - TIME Business
Chinese Tycoon Wang Jian Falls to His Death While on a Business Trip in France
By ASSOCIATED PRESS July 5, 2018
(BEIJING) — The co-chairman of HNA Group, a conglomerate that operates China’s fourth-largest airline and finance, logistics and other businesses around the world, died in an accident while on a business trip in France, the company said Wednesday.
Wang Jian, a co-founder of the company, suffered “severe injuries” in a fall in Provence in southern France and died Tuesday at age 57, said an HNA Group statement. It gave no other details.
Regional French media outlet France Bleu said Wang fell a dozen or so meters (yards) while taking photos on a high wall in Bonnieux, a town in a region famed for its panoramic views.
Launched in 1993 on the southern island of Hainan, HNA expanded into finance, hotels, logistics and other businesses in a multibillion-dollar global acquisition spree.
More recently, HNA has been selling some assets as Chinese regulators tighten lending controls and press companies to rein in debt.
Wang graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China and received an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, according to his company.
HNA agreed last year to acquire a hedge fund operated by Anthony Scaramucci, an aide to U.S. President Donald Trump. That never received regulatory approval and the two sides called off the deal in April.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS July 5, 2018
(BEIJING) — The co-chairman of HNA Group, a conglomerate that operates China’s fourth-largest airline and finance, logistics and other businesses around the world, died in an accident while on a business trip in France, the company said Wednesday.
Wang Jian, a co-founder of the company, suffered “severe injuries” in a fall in Provence in southern France and died Tuesday at age 57, said an HNA Group statement. It gave no other details.
Regional French media outlet France Bleu said Wang fell a dozen or so meters (yards) while taking photos on a high wall in Bonnieux, a town in a region famed for its panoramic views.
Launched in 1993 on the southern island of Hainan, HNA expanded into finance, hotels, logistics and other businesses in a multibillion-dollar global acquisition spree.
More recently, HNA has been selling some assets as Chinese regulators tighten lending controls and press companies to rein in debt.
Wang graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China and received an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, according to his company.
HNA agreed last year to acquire a hedge fund operated by Anthony Scaramucci, an aide to U.S. President Donald Trump. That never received regulatory approval and the two sides called off the deal in April.
Canadian Fisherman Say U.S. Border Patrol Is ‘Harassing’ Their Boats in Disputed Waters Off Maine - TIME
WORLD CANADA
Canadian Fisherman Say U.S. Border Patrol Is ‘Harassing’ Their Boats in Disputed Waters Off Maine
Machias Seal Island.
By JAMIE DUCHARME July 5, 2018
Canadian officials say armed U.S. Border Patrol agents have been stopping and boarding Canadian fishing boats to look for illegal immigrants in the contested waters between Maine and New Brunswick, resurfacing an old maritime dispute.
The area is home to Machias Seal Island and represents one of the last remaining border disputes between the U.S. and Canada, thanks to competing stipulations laid out by treaties and land grants. The waters around the 18-acre island, known for their lobster fishing, are a gray zone, meaning both the U.S. and Canada consider them sovereign territory.
That debate has come to a head lately, starting with a June 25 Facebook post in which a Canadian fisherman alleged that U.S. Border Patrol attempted to stop a fellow fisherman “in the zone.” The Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association later confirmed that several such interactions occurred in June, NBC reports.
On Wednesday, New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet told the National Post that he has heard multiple reports of armed U.S. Border Patrol agents boarding lobster boats to look for immigrants.
“Is this overkill? Absolutely. Absolutely overkill,” Doucet told the Post. “It’s quite disturbing when you have fishermen on the water, doing their job, providing for their families … and they’re being harassed,” he said. “Canadian fishermen are being harassed by U.S. Border Patrol. As far as I’m concerned, it needs to stop immediately.”
In a statement provided to the National Post, U.S. Border Patrol said its employees were properly enforcing immigration law.
“Border Patrol does not board Canadian Vessels in the grey zone without consent or probable cause and only conduct(s) interviews as a vessel runs parallel to it, bow to stern,” a spokesman said in the statement.
Despite their governments’ debate, Canadian and American fishermen typically coexist in this area relatively peacefully — with a few notable exceptions. In 2007, according to the National Post, an American fisherman had his thumb torn off when his equipment became tangled during a dispute with a Canadian competitor.
Canadian Fisherman Say U.S. Border Patrol Is ‘Harassing’ Their Boats in Disputed Waters Off Maine
Machias Seal Island.
By JAMIE DUCHARME July 5, 2018
Canadian officials say armed U.S. Border Patrol agents have been stopping and boarding Canadian fishing boats to look for illegal immigrants in the contested waters between Maine and New Brunswick, resurfacing an old maritime dispute.
The area is home to Machias Seal Island and represents one of the last remaining border disputes between the U.S. and Canada, thanks to competing stipulations laid out by treaties and land grants. The waters around the 18-acre island, known for their lobster fishing, are a gray zone, meaning both the U.S. and Canada consider them sovereign territory.
That debate has come to a head lately, starting with a June 25 Facebook post in which a Canadian fisherman alleged that U.S. Border Patrol attempted to stop a fellow fisherman “in the zone.” The Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association later confirmed that several such interactions occurred in June, NBC reports.
On Wednesday, New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet told the National Post that he has heard multiple reports of armed U.S. Border Patrol agents boarding lobster boats to look for immigrants.
“Is this overkill? Absolutely. Absolutely overkill,” Doucet told the Post. “It’s quite disturbing when you have fishermen on the water, doing their job, providing for their families … and they’re being harassed,” he said. “Canadian fishermen are being harassed by U.S. Border Patrol. As far as I’m concerned, it needs to stop immediately.”
In a statement provided to the National Post, U.S. Border Patrol said its employees were properly enforcing immigration law.
“Border Patrol does not board Canadian Vessels in the grey zone without consent or probable cause and only conduct(s) interviews as a vessel runs parallel to it, bow to stern,” a spokesman said in the statement.
Despite their governments’ debate, Canadian and American fishermen typically coexist in this area relatively peacefully — with a few notable exceptions. In 2007, according to the National Post, an American fisherman had his thumb torn off when his equipment became tangled during a dispute with a Canadian competitor.
How a US-China trade war could hurt us all - BBC News
How a US-China trade war could hurt us all
Karishma Vaswani
Asia business correspondent
@BBCKarishma on Twitter
5 July 2018
Both sides may ramp up the rhetoric to such an extent neither can back down
What happens when the world's two biggest economies go to war?
Ok, so it's not a real war - but the US and China are at the beginning of a trade war - and no-one knows just how bad it could get.
So here's how a US-China trade war could hurt us.
Tit-for-tat
A list of Chinese products will be hit with a 25% tariff from Friday - effectively making them 25% more expensive for US consumers.
Technology goods like semiconductor chips assembled in China. They're found in consumer products used in everyday life such as televisions, personal computers, smartphones, and cars
A wide variety of products ranging from plastics, nuclear reactors and dairy-making equipment
According to the Petersen Institute of International Economics more than 90% of the products on the US tariffs list are made up of intermediate inputs or capital equipment. That means stuff that you need as raw material to make other products - so it could have a knock-on effect on many other goods too.
What the US really wants to target though are things produced under China's Made in China 2025 policy.
In retaliation to the US moves, China has hit these sectors:
American agriculture - hitting at American farmers and ranchers, a political vote bank that US President Trump relies on. Some 91% of the 545 products China is placing a tariff on are from the agriculture sector
The car sector - companies such as Tesla and Chrysler manufacture in the US and their products going into China would be affected
Medical products; coal; petroleum (but only marginally).
'Getting scary'
And while Beijing is really good at the chest-thumping, fist-wagging rhetoric, the reality on the ground is much more serious.
What is Beijing planning with its "Made in China 2025" programme?
"Our industry contacts in China have said things like 'seems pretty serious,' or 'this is getting scary', even 'I think there's a chance of things getting worse'," says Vinesh Motwani of Silk Road Research.
He's recently returned from a trip to the mainland, and as part of his research routinely talks to China-based firms to gauge business sentiment there.
These worries, he says, can translate into "increased caution and lower confidence" for businesses as they try to navigate the uncertainty ahead.
Which means: expansion plans could be put on ice. And if Chinese expansion is on hold that has a direct impact on the rest of us in Asia.
Shift manufacturing?
Obviously the US and China's economies are most at risk, although they're not the only ones.
According to DBS's chief economist Taimur Baig, an all-out trade war could shave 0.25% off the GDP of both economies this year. It gets much worse next year - with both countries seeing a reduction in growth of about 0.5% or more.
Mr Baig adds that "considering China grows at 6-7% and the US at 2-3%, we believe the damage would be greater to the US than on China".
But countries like South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan could all be affected too because of disruption to supply chains.
Why the US-China trade war will hit most of our pockets
China sources a lot of components that go into its finished goods from these other countries. As Nick Marro of the Economist Intelligence Unit points out, "any dent in China's export flows will inevitably affect" these other countries.
The case could be made for manufacturing to shift to these other countries - and for them to take advantage of selling to the US - but that shift would take time, and it's hard to see who could match China's scale.
Ultimately, the US consumer will end up paying more for these products.
China backlash
US firms operating in China could also face a "China backlash".
Elon Musk's electric car firm Tesla, for instance, has already highlighted just how important the Chinese market is to it.
But it imports all of its products to China and so would see a 25% tariff placed on its cars sold in China - on top of the 15% tax imported vehicles already face there.
This would inevitably push up prices for Tesla in China, making its vehicles less competitive than they already are, relative to others.
Sino-US tensions could also end up "delaying or preventing" Tesla's ability to release its full potential in China, according to Silk Road Research.
How bad can it get?
It's the question I ask every business person I meet, and the answer is typically always the same: nobody knows.
If history is any guide, then past trade wars have led to deep economic malaise. In particular the US Smoot-Hawley tariffs enacted in 1930 are thought to have inspired a trade war, and led to a massive decline in global trade.
As one study points out, world trade fell by 66% from 1929 to 1934, while US exports and imports to and from Europe each also fell by about two-thirds.
While no one is saying we're there yet, businesses are getting more concerned than they have been in the past, especially because of all the uncertainty.
The tit-for-tat mentality between Beijing and Washington could just end up antagonising both sides to a point where they cannot climb down from their hostile positions for fear of losing face.
"You start with protectionism and isolationism," says Victor Mills, chief executive of Singapore's International Chamber of Commerce. "And then you don't just beggar your neighbour, you beggar yourself."
What many business people are hoping of course, is that this sound and fury is just the start of another series of negotiations.
But the worry is that if it's not - it will escalate, and everybody will be the poorer. And that includes you and me.
Karishma Vaswani
Asia business correspondent
@BBCKarishma on Twitter
5 July 2018
Both sides may ramp up the rhetoric to such an extent neither can back down
What happens when the world's two biggest economies go to war?
Ok, so it's not a real war - but the US and China are at the beginning of a trade war - and no-one knows just how bad it could get.
So here's how a US-China trade war could hurt us.
Tit-for-tat
A list of Chinese products will be hit with a 25% tariff from Friday - effectively making them 25% more expensive for US consumers.
Technology goods like semiconductor chips assembled in China. They're found in consumer products used in everyday life such as televisions, personal computers, smartphones, and cars
A wide variety of products ranging from plastics, nuclear reactors and dairy-making equipment
According to the Petersen Institute of International Economics more than 90% of the products on the US tariffs list are made up of intermediate inputs or capital equipment. That means stuff that you need as raw material to make other products - so it could have a knock-on effect on many other goods too.
What the US really wants to target though are things produced under China's Made in China 2025 policy.
In retaliation to the US moves, China has hit these sectors:
American agriculture - hitting at American farmers and ranchers, a political vote bank that US President Trump relies on. Some 91% of the 545 products China is placing a tariff on are from the agriculture sector
The car sector - companies such as Tesla and Chrysler manufacture in the US and their products going into China would be affected
Medical products; coal; petroleum (but only marginally).
'Getting scary'
And while Beijing is really good at the chest-thumping, fist-wagging rhetoric, the reality on the ground is much more serious.
What is Beijing planning with its "Made in China 2025" programme?
"Our industry contacts in China have said things like 'seems pretty serious,' or 'this is getting scary', even 'I think there's a chance of things getting worse'," says Vinesh Motwani of Silk Road Research.
He's recently returned from a trip to the mainland, and as part of his research routinely talks to China-based firms to gauge business sentiment there.
These worries, he says, can translate into "increased caution and lower confidence" for businesses as they try to navigate the uncertainty ahead.
Which means: expansion plans could be put on ice. And if Chinese expansion is on hold that has a direct impact on the rest of us in Asia.
Shift manufacturing?
Obviously the US and China's economies are most at risk, although they're not the only ones.
According to DBS's chief economist Taimur Baig, an all-out trade war could shave 0.25% off the GDP of both economies this year. It gets much worse next year - with both countries seeing a reduction in growth of about 0.5% or more.
Mr Baig adds that "considering China grows at 6-7% and the US at 2-3%, we believe the damage would be greater to the US than on China".
But countries like South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan could all be affected too because of disruption to supply chains.
Why the US-China trade war will hit most of our pockets
China sources a lot of components that go into its finished goods from these other countries. As Nick Marro of the Economist Intelligence Unit points out, "any dent in China's export flows will inevitably affect" these other countries.
The case could be made for manufacturing to shift to these other countries - and for them to take advantage of selling to the US - but that shift would take time, and it's hard to see who could match China's scale.
Ultimately, the US consumer will end up paying more for these products.
China backlash
US firms operating in China could also face a "China backlash".
Elon Musk's electric car firm Tesla, for instance, has already highlighted just how important the Chinese market is to it.
But it imports all of its products to China and so would see a 25% tariff placed on its cars sold in China - on top of the 15% tax imported vehicles already face there.
This would inevitably push up prices for Tesla in China, making its vehicles less competitive than they already are, relative to others.
Sino-US tensions could also end up "delaying or preventing" Tesla's ability to release its full potential in China, according to Silk Road Research.
How bad can it get?
It's the question I ask every business person I meet, and the answer is typically always the same: nobody knows.
If history is any guide, then past trade wars have led to deep economic malaise. In particular the US Smoot-Hawley tariffs enacted in 1930 are thought to have inspired a trade war, and led to a massive decline in global trade.
As one study points out, world trade fell by 66% from 1929 to 1934, while US exports and imports to and from Europe each also fell by about two-thirds.
While no one is saying we're there yet, businesses are getting more concerned than they have been in the past, especially because of all the uncertainty.
The tit-for-tat mentality between Beijing and Washington could just end up antagonising both sides to a point where they cannot climb down from their hostile positions for fear of losing face.
"You start with protectionism and isolationism," says Victor Mills, chief executive of Singapore's International Chamber of Commerce. "And then you don't just beggar your neighbour, you beggar yourself."
What many business people are hoping of course, is that this sound and fury is just the start of another series of negotiations.
But the worry is that if it's not - it will escalate, and everybody will be the poorer. And that includes you and me.
China hits back after US imposes tariffs worth $34bn - BBC News
July 6, 2018
China hits back after US imposes tariffs worth $34bn
Why the US-China trade war will hit most of our pockets
US tariffs on $34bn (£25.7bn) of Chinese goods have come into effect, signalling the start of a trade war between the world's two largest economies.
The 25% levy came into effect at midnight Washington time.
China has retaliated by imposing a similar 25% tariff on 545 US products, also worth a total of $34bn.
Beijing accused the US of starting the "largest trade war in economic history".
"After the US activated its tariff measures against China, China's measures against the US took effect immediately," said Lu Kang, a foreign ministry spokesman.
Two companies in Shanghai told the BBC that customs authorities were delaying clearance processes for US imports on Friday.
The American tariffs are the result of President Donald Trump's bid to protect US jobs and stop "unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China".
The White House said it would consult on tariffs on another $16bn of products, which Mr Trump has suggested could come into effect later this month.
The US soya farmers taking on Trump
The imposition of the tariffs had little impact on Asian stock markets. The Shanghai Composite closed 0.5% higher, but ended the week 3.5% lower - its seventh consecutive week of losses.
Tokyo closed 1.1% higher, but Hong Kong fell 0.5% in late trading.
Hikaru Sato at Daiwa Securities said markets had already factored in the impact of the first round of tariffs.
Mr Trump has already imposed tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels, and started charging levies on the imports of steel and aluminium from the European Union, Mexico and Canada.
He has also threatened a 10% levy on an additional $200bn of Chinese goods if Beijng "refuses to change its practices".
The president upped the stakes on Thursday, saying the amount of goods subject to tariffs could rise to more than $500bn.
"You have another 16 [billion dollars] in two weeks, and then, as you know, we have $200bn in abeyance and then after the $200bn, we have $300bn in abeyance. OK? So we have 50 plus 200 plus almost 300," he said.
The US tariffs imposed so far would affect the equivalent of 0.6% of global trade and account for 0.1% of global GDP, according to Morgan Stanley in a research note issued before Mr Trump's comments on Thursday.
Analysts are also concerned about the impact on others in the supply chain and about an escalation of tensions between the US and China in general.
China hits back after US imposes tariffs worth $34bn
Why the US-China trade war will hit most of our pockets
US tariffs on $34bn (£25.7bn) of Chinese goods have come into effect, signalling the start of a trade war between the world's two largest economies.
The 25% levy came into effect at midnight Washington time.
China has retaliated by imposing a similar 25% tariff on 545 US products, also worth a total of $34bn.
Beijing accused the US of starting the "largest trade war in economic history".
"After the US activated its tariff measures against China, China's measures against the US took effect immediately," said Lu Kang, a foreign ministry spokesman.
Two companies in Shanghai told the BBC that customs authorities were delaying clearance processes for US imports on Friday.
The American tariffs are the result of President Donald Trump's bid to protect US jobs and stop "unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China".
The White House said it would consult on tariffs on another $16bn of products, which Mr Trump has suggested could come into effect later this month.
The US soya farmers taking on Trump
The imposition of the tariffs had little impact on Asian stock markets. The Shanghai Composite closed 0.5% higher, but ended the week 3.5% lower - its seventh consecutive week of losses.
Tokyo closed 1.1% higher, but Hong Kong fell 0.5% in late trading.
Hikaru Sato at Daiwa Securities said markets had already factored in the impact of the first round of tariffs.
Mr Trump has already imposed tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels, and started charging levies on the imports of steel and aluminium from the European Union, Mexico and Canada.
He has also threatened a 10% levy on an additional $200bn of Chinese goods if Beijng "refuses to change its practices".
The president upped the stakes on Thursday, saying the amount of goods subject to tariffs could rise to more than $500bn.
"You have another 16 [billion dollars] in two weeks, and then, as you know, we have $200bn in abeyance and then after the $200bn, we have $300bn in abeyance. OK? So we have 50 plus 200 plus almost 300," he said.
The US tariffs imposed so far would affect the equivalent of 0.6% of global trade and account for 0.1% of global GDP, according to Morgan Stanley in a research note issued before Mr Trump's comments on Thursday.
Analysts are also concerned about the impact on others in the supply chain and about an escalation of tensions between the US and China in general.
Thailand cave rescue: Ex-navy diver dies on oxygen supply mission - BBC News
July 6, 2018
Thailand cave rescue: Ex-navy diver dies on oxygen supply mission
Saman Gunan, pictured here in the cave, lost consciousness in a passageway
A former Thai navy diver has died while taking part in efforts to rescue 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
Petty Officer Saman Gunan lost consciousness on his way out of the Tham Luang cave complex, where he had been delivering air tanks.
The boys have been trapped for nearly two weeks in a chamber in the cave.
They ventured in while the cave was dry but were caught out by a sudden deluge of rain, which flooded the system.
The group was found by British rescue divers after 10 days in the cave, perched on a rock shelf in a small chamber about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth.
Teams of Thai and international divers have since supplied them with food, oxygen and medical attention, but there are mounting concerns about the oxygen level in the chamber, which officials said had fallen to 15%. The usual level is 21%.
Locals long to see missing Thai cave boys
What are the rescue options?
On the surface, a huge military and civilian rescue operation is racing against the clock to bring the boys to safety. Heavy monsoon rains are expected on Sunday, threatening further flooding.
Officials had initially considered leaving the boys in the chamber to wait out the rainy season - which could have seen them trapped there for up to four months.
Even for experienced divers, the cave is dangerous
But Thailand's Navy Seal commander suggested on Thursday that the divers may now have little choice but to attempt a daring emergency rescue - fraught with danger for the boys, who are aged 11 to 16 and some of whom cannot swim.
"At first, we thought the children could stay for a long time... but now things have changed, we have a limited time," Rear Admiral Apakorn Yookongkaew said.
A death in the cave
The death of Saman - a highly trained diver - on Thursday underscored the danger of moving from the chamber to mouth of the cave, and raised serious doubts about the safety of bringing the boys out through the cramped, flooded passageways.
The diver died after losing consciousness in one of the passageways, said Passakorn Boonyaluck, deputy governor of the Chiang Rai region, where the cave is situated.
"His job was to deliver oxygen. He did not have enough on his way back," Mr Passakorn said.
He said that Saman's dive partner tried to revive him but could not, and his body was brought out of the cave.
The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search
Elon Musk offers to help
Saman, who was reportedly 38, had left the navy but returned to aid in the rescue operation. Said to be an avid runner and cyclist, he was part of the massive rescue operation launched after the group became stranded in the Tham Luang cave.
Officials said his funeral would be sponsored by the Thai king.
The search operation would go on, said Rear Adm Arpakorn. "I can guarantee that we will not panic, we will not stop our mission, we will not let the sacrifice of our friend go to waste," he said.
About 1,000 people are involved in the rescue operation, including navy divers, military personnel and civilian volunteers.
A buddhist monk leads an honour guard carrying PO Saman's coffin
A lack of oxygen
Authorities say there are concerns about falling oxygen levels in the chamber where the boys and their coach are trapped.
Oxygen was being depleted by the large number of people working inside the cave network, said the Chiang Rai Governor, Narongsak Osotthanakorn.
Authorities are now working to get a 5km (3 mile) cable into the cave to supply the group with air. They are also trying to feed a fibre optic cable through to the group, to connect them to their families for the first time in nearly two weeks.
What are the rescue options?
The boys are being regularly supplied with food and medical care, but there are grave concerns over heavy rainfall forecast for Sunday.
Authorities are trying to work out how best to bring the group to safety, with officials stressing they do not intend to take any risks with the boys' safety.
The military has been pumping water out of the cave but if it cannot hold the water level down, it will be left a stark reality: teaching the boys to use diving equipment and bringing them via a route which has already cost one trained diver his life.
Some local groups are searching in the hills for unknown entrances to the cave system, but none has yet been found.
If a rescue attempt fails, leaving the boys to wait out the rain brings with it another danger: that the sinkholes and streams in the hills above could flood the chamber completely.
Diver's death a blow to morale
Rescue operation leaders here say most of those involved have been trained to work in high risk environments, and to deal with eventualities like this.
They say the death of Saman won't impact on their mission. But there is a different atmosphere today in the makeshift village that's evolved at the cave's entrance, and the death of a former navy Seal highlights just how dangerous the route out of the cave remains.
It is unlikely the boys will be told about the death. One of the prime concerns here is to keep them not just physically but mentally strong.
Today, the priority is to connect the fibre optic cable that will allow the boys to speak to their families. It is hoped it will be a vital boost for the young boys, after two long weeks underground.
Thailand cave rescue: Ex-navy diver dies on oxygen supply mission
Saman Gunan, pictured here in the cave, lost consciousness in a passageway
A former Thai navy diver has died while taking part in efforts to rescue 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
Petty Officer Saman Gunan lost consciousness on his way out of the Tham Luang cave complex, where he had been delivering air tanks.
The boys have been trapped for nearly two weeks in a chamber in the cave.
They ventured in while the cave was dry but were caught out by a sudden deluge of rain, which flooded the system.
The group was found by British rescue divers after 10 days in the cave, perched on a rock shelf in a small chamber about 4km (2.5 miles) from the cave mouth.
Teams of Thai and international divers have since supplied them with food, oxygen and medical attention, but there are mounting concerns about the oxygen level in the chamber, which officials said had fallen to 15%. The usual level is 21%.
Locals long to see missing Thai cave boys
What are the rescue options?
On the surface, a huge military and civilian rescue operation is racing against the clock to bring the boys to safety. Heavy monsoon rains are expected on Sunday, threatening further flooding.
Officials had initially considered leaving the boys in the chamber to wait out the rainy season - which could have seen them trapped there for up to four months.
Even for experienced divers, the cave is dangerous
But Thailand's Navy Seal commander suggested on Thursday that the divers may now have little choice but to attempt a daring emergency rescue - fraught with danger for the boys, who are aged 11 to 16 and some of whom cannot swim.
"At first, we thought the children could stay for a long time... but now things have changed, we have a limited time," Rear Admiral Apakorn Yookongkaew said.
A death in the cave
The death of Saman - a highly trained diver - on Thursday underscored the danger of moving from the chamber to mouth of the cave, and raised serious doubts about the safety of bringing the boys out through the cramped, flooded passageways.
The diver died after losing consciousness in one of the passageways, said Passakorn Boonyaluck, deputy governor of the Chiang Rai region, where the cave is situated.
"His job was to deliver oxygen. He did not have enough on his way back," Mr Passakorn said.
He said that Saman's dive partner tried to revive him but could not, and his body was brought out of the cave.
The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search
Elon Musk offers to help
Saman, who was reportedly 38, had left the navy but returned to aid in the rescue operation. Said to be an avid runner and cyclist, he was part of the massive rescue operation launched after the group became stranded in the Tham Luang cave.
Officials said his funeral would be sponsored by the Thai king.
The search operation would go on, said Rear Adm Arpakorn. "I can guarantee that we will not panic, we will not stop our mission, we will not let the sacrifice of our friend go to waste," he said.
About 1,000 people are involved in the rescue operation, including navy divers, military personnel and civilian volunteers.
A buddhist monk leads an honour guard carrying PO Saman's coffin
A lack of oxygen
Authorities say there are concerns about falling oxygen levels in the chamber where the boys and their coach are trapped.
Oxygen was being depleted by the large number of people working inside the cave network, said the Chiang Rai Governor, Narongsak Osotthanakorn.
Authorities are now working to get a 5km (3 mile) cable into the cave to supply the group with air. They are also trying to feed a fibre optic cable through to the group, to connect them to their families for the first time in nearly two weeks.
What are the rescue options?
The boys are being regularly supplied with food and medical care, but there are grave concerns over heavy rainfall forecast for Sunday.
Authorities are trying to work out how best to bring the group to safety, with officials stressing they do not intend to take any risks with the boys' safety.
The military has been pumping water out of the cave but if it cannot hold the water level down, it will be left a stark reality: teaching the boys to use diving equipment and bringing them via a route which has already cost one trained diver his life.
Some local groups are searching in the hills for unknown entrances to the cave system, but none has yet been found.
If a rescue attempt fails, leaving the boys to wait out the rain brings with it another danger: that the sinkholes and streams in the hills above could flood the chamber completely.
Diver's death a blow to morale
Rescue operation leaders here say most of those involved have been trained to work in high risk environments, and to deal with eventualities like this.
They say the death of Saman won't impact on their mission. But there is a different atmosphere today in the makeshift village that's evolved at the cave's entrance, and the death of a former navy Seal highlights just how dangerous the route out of the cave remains.
It is unlikely the boys will be told about the death. One of the prime concerns here is to keep them not just physically but mentally strong.
Today, the priority is to connect the fibre optic cable that will allow the boys to speak to their families. It is hoped it will be a vital boost for the young boys, after two long weeks underground.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
