logo
Family of chef who died on Mike Lynch's yacht say ‘lessons need to be learned'

Family of chef who died on Mike Lynch's yacht say ‘lessons need to be learned'

Yahoo23-06-2025
A lawyer for the family of a chef killed when Mike Lynch's superyacht sank off Italy said 'lessons need to be learned' as they await findings from investigators after the vessel was moved on land.
Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off Porticello in Sicily on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18.
On Monday the 56-metre (184ft) boat was placed in a manufactured steel cradle in Termini Imerese, a town where British and Italian investigators will carry out a full probe into the sinking.
A source close to the salvage team said: 'Everyone is glad to have reached the conclusion of this major part of the project.'
The family of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, 59, a chef who died on the vessel, said they now await the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)'s analysis of the yacht.
James Healy-Pratt, a partner at Keystone Law, on behalf of the Thomas Family, said: 'Lessons need to be learned from this tragedy, as well as establishing the truth of what happened and bringing those responsible to justice.'
Italian prosecutors have said raising and examining the yacht will provide key information for its investigation into the sinking.
Simon Graves, an MAIB investigator, previously told the PA news agency: 'When the wreck is brought ashore, we'll be completing a full examination of the wreck and we'll be finding out all of the elements that might have contributed to the safety of the vessel.'
Further details such as 'escape routes' will be included in its final report on the sinking, according to Mr Graves, who added: 'Once we get access to the vessel we'll be able to tell a fuller picture of activities on board and the sequence of events.'
Meanwhile, salvage workers are conducting a 'full sweep' of the seabed near Porticello for any potential debris, a project insider said.
Balloon-like kit will be used to lift the Bayesian's mast this week.
The 72-metre (236ft) mast was cut off using a remote-controlled tool and rested on the seabed.
About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation.
Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter Hannah as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals.
The others who died in the sinking were US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo.
Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What is the Mann Act? Here's what to know about the law used to convict Sean 'Diddy' Combs
What is the Mann Act? Here's what to know about the law used to convict Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

What is the Mann Act? Here's what to know about the law used to convict Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Sean 'Diddy' Combs was convicted Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses under the federal Mann Act, an anti-sex trafficking law with a century-old history. Though he was acquitted of more serious charges, Combs was still convicted of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in paid sexual encounters. Over the years, the law has been applied to prominent convictions, including R&B superstar R. Kelly, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, musician Chuck Berry and more than a century ago, boxer Jack Johnson. Its broad wording and a subsequent Supreme Court interpretation once allowed prosecutors to bring cases against interracial couples, and eventually many others in consensual relationships, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. The law was amended in the 1980s and today it is primarily used for prosecuting interstate prostitution crimes or people accused of taking underage children across state lines for sexual purposes. Here's what to know about the law. Why is it called the Mann Act? In 1910, Congress passed the bill, which was named after Republican U.S. Rep. James Robert Mann of Illinois. It's also known as the 'White-Slave Traffic Act' of 1910. How does it apply to Combs' case? Combs was convicted of counts involving two former girlfriends: the R&B singer Cassie and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane. Both women said at trial that Combs had pressured them into degrading sex marathons with strangers, who were paid for the sexual performances. Jane said she was once beaten by Combs for declining to participate. Cassie said that when she tried to walk out of one such event, Combs beat her and dragged her down a hotel hallway. Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges but convicted of transporting people to engage in prostitution. What's the history behind it? The 1910 law originally prohibited the interstate or foreign commerce transport of 'any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.' It followed a 1907 congressionally appointed commission to look into the issue of immigrant sex workers, with the view that a girl would only enter prostitution if drugged or held captive, according to Cornell's Legal Information Institute. The law was used to secure a conviction against Jack Johnson, who became the first Black boxer to win a world heavyweight title in 1910. Johnson was convicted in 1913 by an all-white jury for traveling with his white girlfriend, who worked as a sex worker, in violation of the Mann Act. (President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned Johnson in 2018, saying Johnson had served 10 months in prison 'for what many view as a racially motivated injustice.') How has the law changed since 1910? In a 1917 Supreme Court case, the justices ruled that 'illicit fornication,' even when consensual, amounted to an "immoral purpose,' according to Cornell's Legal Information Institute. A 1986 update made the law gender-neutral and effectively ended the act's role in trying to legislate morality by changing 'debauchery' and 'immoral purpose' to 'any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.' The act received additional amendments in 1978 and 1994 to address issues of sexual exploitation of children. Nevertheless, Combs ' legal team made a motion last February to dismiss a Mann Act charge, writing that the law 'has a long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins." Prosecutors said there was nothing racist about pursuing charges under the act. Most of Combs' accusers are people of color.

Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for first time
Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for first time

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for first time

The Colombian navy on Wednesday announced its first seizure of an unmanned "narco sub" equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. The semisubmersible vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region told AFP they believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. "It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed to AFP. Manned semi-submersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico. But in recent years, they have been sailing much further afield, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The latest find, announced by Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference, is the first reported discovery in South American waters of a drone narco sub. In May 2024, Italian police announced the seizure of a small remote-controlled sub likely intended to transport drugs as part of an international drug trafficking network. The Colombian navy said the drone semisubmersible was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine. The Gulf Clan is one of several cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist groups by the United group's "primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities," according to the U.S. State Department. A video released by the navy showed a small grey vessel with a satellite antenna on the bow. This is not the first time a Starlink antenna has been used at sea by suspected drug traffickers. In November, Indian police seized a giant consignment of meth worth $4.25 billion in a vessel steered remotely by Starlink near the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands. It was the first known discovery of a narco sub operated by Starlink. Floating "coffins" Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the U.N. drug agency said last month. In Colombia, production has reached record levels, fuelled by surging global demand. Rozo said the use of autonomous subs reflected the traffickers "migration toward more sophisticated unmanned systems" which are hard to detect at sea, "difficult to track by radar and even allow criminal networks to operate with partial autonomy." Juana Cabezas, a researcher at Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies, told AFP that powerful Mexican drug cartels, who operate in Colombia, "hired technology experts and engineers to develop an unmanned submarine" as far back as 2017. She pointed out that drone vessels made it harder for the authorities to pinpoint the drug lords behind the shipments. "Removing the crew eliminates the risk of captured operators cooperating with authorities," agreed Henry Shuldiner, an investigator for the U.S.-based InSight Crime think tank, who co-authored a report on the rise of narco subs. Shuldiner also highlighted the challenge of assembling crews to sail makeshift subs described as floating "coffins." The journey can be deadly: In 2023, a "narco sub" with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized off the coast of Colombia. A near record number of the low-profile vessels were intercepted in the Atlantic and Pacific in 2024, according to the report. In November last year, five tons of Colombian cocaine were found on a semi-submersible en route to faraway Australia. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession, and transportation of semi-submersibles with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Though commonly spotted off the coast of Colombia, narco subs have been intercepted across the globe in recent months. Just last week, the Mexican navy seized 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a semisubmersible vessel off the Pacific coast, while releasing video of the "narco sub" being intercepted. In March, Portuguese police said forces had confiscated nearly 6.5 tons of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel off the remote Azores archipelago that was bound for the Iberian peninsula. In January, a suspected narco sub broke in two pieces as a fishing boat was towing it to a port in northwest Spain. White House reacts to June jobs report that beat expectations How can you lower your bills and save? Try these mid-year money moves for your finances. How federal budget cuts could be impacting NPS shortages

Influencers Urged to Steer Clear of Hot Topics During Immigration Crackdown
Influencers Urged to Steer Clear of Hot Topics During Immigration Crackdown

Los Angeles Times

time4 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Influencers Urged to Steer Clear of Hot Topics During Immigration Crackdown

Avoid politics. That's the advice lawyers are increasingly giving US-based content creators who aren't citizens as an immigration crackdown spreads across the country. 'Every chance I get to tell them to scrub their socials even for likes and reposts of innocuous content — like JD Vance or anti-war memes — I do,' said Genie Doi, an immigration lawyer who works with influencers. In the combative, anything-goes world of digital media, internet personalities tend to gravitate toward hot-button, controversial subjects, not shy away from them. But in the current political climate, lawyers are telling their clients that weighing in on topics like Palestine or the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles, can come with serious risks, including unwanted scrutiny from authorities or unfriendly competitors. Last month, Khaby Lame, a Senegalese-Italian influencer with millions of followers on TikTok, was detained by immigration agents in Las Vegas after overstaying the terms of his visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security senior official. Lame, who has partnered with many mainstream brands, including Pepsi and Hugo Boss, has since voluntarily left the country. Afterward, Bo Loudon, a conservative influencer who is friends with President Donald Trump's son Barron, took credit for tipping off DHS. Even though Lame typically doesn't speak in his TikTok videos, which come across as entirely apolitical, Loudon has since described him as a 'far-left influencer.' Lame didn't respond to a request for comment. 'No one is above the law!' Loudon wrote on X. For many social-media personalities around the world, the US is a desirable place to work due to the big marketing budgets of US brands, as well as the proximity to dealmakers and casting directors in Hollywood. But for anyone with a large following on social media, coming into the US these days isn't without potential hazards. In May, Hasan Piker, a popular, far-left political commentator and US citizen, was stopped and questioned by US border agents at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport about his views on Palestine, which he regularly shares on Inc.'s livestreaming site Twitch. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Piker said he believes DHS interrogated him to send a message to others in his position. 'The goal was to threaten people who might also want to speak out and go to protests regardless of their citizenship status,' he said. 'It's a threatening environment they want to cultivate to stop people from exercising their First Amendment rights.' 'Our officers are following the law, not agendas,' DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin responded via email. 'Upon entering the country, this individual (Hasan Piker) was referred for further inspection — a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler. Once his inspection was complete, he was promptly released.' Earlier this year, US Customs and Border Protection revoked Piker's Global Entry privileges — a program in which approved individuals get expedited clearance on their return to the US. Doi, the immigration lawyer, is now advising clients who aren't US citizens to avoid international travel altogether. At ports of entry, CBP has broad authority to search and seize electronic devices of incoming travelers though the agency says that fewer than .01% of all international travelers were subject to such searches last year. 'Every entry at the border is an opportunity for CBP to inspect your electronics without a warrant,' Doi said. One in five Americans get their news from influencers, according to a 2024 Pew Research survey, with 27% of news influencers identifying as conservative or pro-Trump, versus 21% as left-leaning. So far in his second term, Trump has directed most of his attacks on the media at mainstream outlets, ranging from CNN and CBS News to the New York Times — all of which have full-time legal departments poised to respond to such threats. By contrast, even the most popular online creators tend to have much slimmer operations, potentially leaving them more vulnerable to aggressive legal tactics. David Rugendorf, an immigration attorney, said he now advises content creators, regardless of their citizenship status, that anything they have ever posted online could be used against them. As a result, he said, some are opting to delete old posts. 'This government,' Rugendorf said, 'is particularly attuned to the power of social media' and 'wants to counter' certain positions. In early June, Derek Guy, a fashion critic whose popularity has soared on social media for mocking the sartorial choices of conservative politicians, revealed his own status as a longtime, undocumented resident of the US. 'The lack of legal immigration has totally shaped my life,' he wrote on X, where he has more than 1 million followers. 'It has taken an emotional toll, as this legal issue hangs over your head like a black cloud.' Afterward, some conservatives suggested online that the Trump administration should kick Guy out of the country. Before long, Vice President Vance weighed in on X, posting a meme of the actor Jack Nicholson nodding his head up and down menacingly. Guy didn't respond to requests for comment for this story. In mid-June, Mario Guevara, an independent, Spanish-speaking journalist with a sizable online following, was arrested while livestreaming anti-Trump protests outside of Atlanta. He was subsequently handed over to ICE. Guevara, who moved to the US from El Salvador in 2004 according to the New Yorker, is currently facing deportation hearings. The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that Guevara 'has authorization to work' in the US. DHS said that he entered the country illegally. Guevara's lawyer didn't respond to a request for comment. 'Following his arrest by local authorities, ICE placed a detainer on him,' DHS's McLaughlin said. 'Following his release, he was turned over to ICE custody and has been placed in removal proceedings.' Scrutiny from immigration authorities isn't the only potential risk for politically outspoken influencers. In recent years, a growing number of large advertisers have been shying away from politically active creators, said Crystal Duncan, an executive vice president of brand engagement at Tinuiti, a marketing firm. In recent months, many brand managers have grown even more wary. 'In general, brands have been less vocal about political and social issues since the change in administration, given shifts in the political climate and heightened polarization,' said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at eMarketer. David Melik Telfer, a lawyer in Los Angeles, said that most international influencers come to the US on O1-B visas, under the same category as traditional entertainers. Lately, he said, the US State Department has been scrutinizing applications more closely and challenging them more often. 'They are examining everybody's social media,' he said. 'If your number one priority is not being detained and remaining in the US, I would certainly not attend any protest.' D'Anastasio, Counts and Caldwell write for Bloomberg.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store