to the wreckage of the titanic. us president biden�*s son hunter reaches a deal to plead guilty to misdemeanour tax crimes. top republicans say he's getting a sweetheart deal. good to have you with us. time is running short in the race to save five people onboard a submersible missing in the north atlantic near the site of the titanic. on sunday, all contact was lost with the sub, about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive. the us coast guard said earlier that the vessel may have less than a day and a half of breathable air left. the operation to find the missing tourist submersible is now expanding to include more resources with expertise in deep sea rescuing. bbc news is reporting from canada and the us as the search intensifies. our app and website — bbcnews.com —

have more details as well. let's take a look at what we know about the titan. the missing submersible weighs about 23,000 pounds — or roughly 10,400 kilograms. the titan is about 22 feet long — or 6.7 metres. it's also capable of reaching depths of up to 13,123 feet below sea level — roughly 4,000 metres. and with the help of four electric thrusters, the titan reaches speeds of about three knots, or three miles per hour. we've also learned today from the new york times that in 2018, submersible experts expressed concern to 0ceangate ceo stockton rush, who is on the titan. the authors of the letter expressed "unanimous concern" over the approach taken by 0ceangate when building the titan, and warned of potential "catastrophic" issues with its design.

live now to our correspondent carl nasman, who is boston. you have been following the latest developments, has the coastguard giving any indications of signs of the location of the submersible? well, they are looking for this vessel in a specific area but i have to say this is up fairly broad area about the size of connecticut. this is 900 miles off the shore of cape cod so just out towards the ocean from where we are in boston. this is a wide area that is being searched since sunday, a lot of planes traversing over that part of the ocean, we now know there are ships as well dropping some sun listening devices and also some remote unmanned underwater drones that

are beginning to look beneath the surface of the ocean, but a wide area, it is also very deep, about two and a half miles deep down to where the wreckage of the titanic is. so they have a general idea where this vessel might be but it is not exactly a pinpoint area, this is a large area of ocean to be searching. it this is a large area of ocean to be searching.— to be searching. it is very complex. _ to be searching. it is very complex, it's _ to be searching. it is very complex, it's an - to be searching. it is very - complex, it's an international effort at this point, the us and canada teaming up, france assisting, what can you tell us about the different groups helping out?— about the different groups helinu out? . �*, �*, helping out? that's right, it's definitely an _ helping out? that's right, it's definitely an international - definitely an international effort, it's all being organised from right here in boston with the us coastguard, involving all kinds of different agencies because quite simply the coastguard has admitted it didn't have the expertise or the equipment to carry out this type of search and rescue effort so they are bringing in canadian officials, us navy equipment and personnel, and there is also some private vessels that happened to be in the area or

volunteered their services which are being looked into this effort as well. there's also a french vessel that is on its way, that should arrive around tomorrow afternoon local time and that will be manned with another one of these underwater grounds that can aid in the search. we are witnessing a very widespread effort to bring in different types of partners, we know that three american planes havejust recently arrived in canada bringing more supplies and more personnel and canada also has some ships arriving with medical equipment. a written pressure chamberfor medical equipment. a written pressure chamber for example. —— recompression. find pressure chamber for example. -- recompression.— pressure chamber for example. -- recompression. and what can ou tell -- recompression. and what can you tell us _ -- recompression. and what can you tell us about _ -- recompression. and what can you tell us about the _ -- recompression. and what can you tell us about the people - -- recompression. and what can you tell us about the people on | you tell us about the people on this vessel? we you tell us about the people on this vessel?— you tell us about the people on this vessel? we have now been able to confirm _ this vessel? we have now been able to confirm the _ this vessel? we have now been able to confirm the names - this vessel? we have now been able to confirm the names and | able to confirm the names and identities of all five people on this vessel. it is only about 21 feet long so it can only fit five people. we do know that the ceo of the

company 0ceangate, stockton rush, was on board the vessel and believed to be piloting. there are four other crew members are passengers, three of them are british citizens. two of them are related, shahzada dawood and his son, a 48—year—old man and his 19—year—old son, they were confirmed to be on that vessel. as well as hamish harding, a famous explorer who has spent plenty of time at the bottom of the ocean and has also been into space, very experienced adventurer, also a french explorer as well that they call mr titanic, explorer as well that they call mrtitanic, he explorer as well that they call mr titanic, he was one of these titanic enthusiasts, one of the people who has spent the most time viewing the actual wreckage so if you think about this group of people, fairly experienced adventures of people, potentially used to taking risks. so this is the group we know is inside the vessel. . ~' , .,

group we know is inside the vessel. ., ~ , ., group we know is inside the vessel. . ~' . group we know is inside the vessel. ., ~ . ., vessel. thank you so much for that undate- _ 0ur north america correspondent nomia iqbal is in newfoundland where the expedition began. the search and rescue teams are working in incredibly challenging conditions. officials say this is the worst spring since 1943. visibility is incredibly low. it is so foggy. but the teams are continuing this race against time to try and find the missing submersible. just to remind you of the scale of it — the titanic wreckage is about 400 miles off the coast of newfoundland. and the the area in which the search operation is taking place is 70 miles wide. so this is about the size of the us state of connecticut. and diving experts will tell you that this depth of the ocean that they're trying to search is less explored than outer space. now, earlier i spoke to newfoundland's premier, andrew furey, and he said to me that this province is sadly used to maritime tragedies,

given its history, given its location and given its relationship with the titanic. however, he said this doesn't make it any easier to fathom what has happened. he said to me that as a leader he is feeling helpless but not hopeless, and that he is working with all the officials in us and canada, that that the province is doing whatever it can to try and help find the missing five. we will be here to support this effort in whatever is required. hard assets, soft assets, emotional support, physical supports in different assets that we have in any way, shape or form we can. i'm confident that the people of newfoundland and labrador understand the significance of this on a world stage and will rise to whatever challenge the next few days or weeks bring. as a leader in these times

of tragedy, especially of one often of mother nature's making that you can't control, you feel helpless because you.... my hat goes off to the hardworking women and men out there in the middle of the north atlantic, doing the hard work of trying to find find these people. to find these people. but as a leader, i can't be out there. so you feel helpless to a certain extent. of course you can have the conversations, you can mobilise the assets, and you can play a small part in that, but not hopeless. as right now, this is very much still a rescue mission and we live in hope, and our thoughts and prayers are with those people 600 kilometres off our shore and the families that are are waiting for their safe return. live now to david marquet — he's a retired united states navy captain who served as a submarine commander.

good evening to you, go to happy with us. do you think happened to this submersible? we know she got under way sunday morning from the mother ship, which turned her into the vicinity of the titanic. the plan was to go down to the titanic which takes about two hours, spend around four hours during the titanic, there is one part or we can look it off, it has lights and high frequency sonar they can used to image what they are looking at. and then they would return to the mothership. about one hour and 45 minutes into it, the mothership loss communications, it didn't hear any more from the submarine. it could have been something simple like the communication device broke or there was a loose connection or a bad battery or something like that. but it seems a bit more ominous than that because if that were

to happen, the protocol would be to return to the surface, get things fixed and go back down and do it again. so you said, if down and do it again. so you said. if i _ down and do it again. so you said, ifi could _ down and do it again. so you said, if i could jump - down and do it again. so you said, ifi couldjump in, - down and do it again. so you said, ifi couldjump in, you. said, if i could jump in, you said, if i could jump in, you said something a bit more ominous, have you any idea what that could be? we hear that possibly the whole could have been damaged, it might have been damaged, it might have been caught up with some of the wreckage of the titanic itself? it seems like it is not on the surface of the ocean, which means it is most likely on the bottom in the vicinity of the tannock —— i the titanic because that is where it would have been one contact was lost. it was right about the time where it would have been approaching awe at the sight of the titanic. there was a story several years to for a similar visit with a similar size ship was approaching the titanic from the stern, the big propellers, and they got caught by a current and were temporarily stuck, wedged into

the propellers but fortunately they were able to get out. so thatis they were able to get out. so that is a possibility but that it doesn't explain why the communications would be lost. the communication loss and being on the bottom to mead leads me to think something like there was a fitting which broke and allowed water to come in or there was a crack in the hall, the submarine compresses, this is very high pressure, this is very high pressure, this is very high pressure, this is 380 times the pressure we experience here in the atmosphere, so compresses and releases and with multiple trips up and down, you get little tiny fatigue cracks. with our submarines we have the resources of the government so we are very diligent about checking for those things and doing all kinds of testing to make sure that the submarines are able to keep withstanding those things. i’m are able to keep withstanding those things.— those things. i'm worried for them. so. — those things. i'm worried for them. so, we _ those things. i'm worried for them. so, we also _ those things. i'm worried forl them. so, we also mentioned that the new york times

reported that in 2018 submersible experts expressed concern to the 0ceangate ceo stockton rush about this vessel. what do you make of that? it vessel. what do you make of that? , , ~ , , , that? it seems like these guys were sort _ that? it seems like these guys were sort of — that? it seems like these guys were sort of enthused - that? it seems like these guys were sort of enthused with - that? it seems like these guysj were sort of enthused with the innovative entrepreneurial spirit, they wanted to build something that could take people down, take researchers down to the titanic for research and there were finding it by getting these wealthy people to buy $250,000 tickets for it. and in doing so sometimes we push the boundaries and innovation gets ahead of where the regulations are. i think the sense i get from that document and from statements by the company is that they were sort of part of this innovative spirit and if you're just writing tech code you're just writing tech code you can throw things out there and you test it and how this

very quick iteration cycle and that's part of the culture but when you're putting people down at 13,000 feet, the laws of mother nature will take over. so i think they might have gone a little too far and i admire the spirit but we know from years of submarines what it takes for all this discipline and the rego and the operational testing, but you have to do to maintain some brain safety. 50 have to do to maintain some brain safety-— brain safety. so a question about maintaining - brain safety. so a question about maintaining safety l brain safety. so a question| about maintaining safety of brain safety. so a question - about maintaining safety of the submarine but we have heard reported it was controlled by a joystick, members were bolted in from outside, is that normal for this type of vessel? i don't think a joystick is normal, but again, i don't really have a huge problem with that. we would call it in the military commercial off—the—shelf technology. rather than the military going out and building something and

paying $10,000, just go to a shop and pay $34. but if you are going to use that, you need to have a lot of them because it's not nearly as reliable, if you have a joystick i would have three or four extras sitting in the submarine. so that by itself really doesn't concern me. one of the things that we would do if the submarine was in port for a period of time, which it would have been over the winter, once we 0koh out, we spent a day at the pier testing everything then we go out in shallow water and with a barge just a little bit and we walk around with flashlights checking everything. so there is a very diligent and deliberate process where we incrementally add stress to the machine. we talked about these people as explorers, but i don't think it's really like climbing mount everest which takes a lot of personal stamina, you really are just sitting there for a long period of time, it's really about the machine that

we've built, the submersible in this case and its capabilities to take people down and return. david, great to get your expertise on our programme tonight, thank you so much. we have continually live coverage on the bbc news website and the app where our team is tracking every development with full background and analysis. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. it really looks clear to me that these are marketed for children. these e—cigarettes have been confiscated from pupils at harrogate grammar school, but this hasn't deterred many from continuing to vape. many, many headteachers across all the networks that i'm in are all talking about the issue of vaping in schools, which seems to have emerged post—pandemic. 11 headteachers in the harrogate district have now signed a letter

expressing their concern about children possessing vapes at school. the dangerous levels of metals, that we're just starting to understand, that is in some of these vapes — that really worries me about what we're doing for these young people. without id, it's probably easier for me in town to get a vape than it is to buy a pint or something. it'sjust not as big a deal as drinking or drugs. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. hunter biden, the son of presidentjoe biden, agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offences and admit to illegaly owning a gun. the two misdemeanour charges stem from a failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes in both 2017 and 2018. the gun charge stems from a 2018 possession of a firearm, during which he's now admitted he was using drugs.

technically, he still faces a maximum penalty of a year in prison on each of the tax charges and ten years in prison on the gun charge, thejustice department said. however, the terms of the plea agreement are likely to keep him out ofjail. he is expected to go through drug treatment and monitoring, if this agreement approved. his lawyers say he is taking responsibility for his mistakes. the plea deal brings an end to a five year investigation from thejustice department. the deal was met with strong criticism from republican leadership, who see it as unfair treatment, while prominent democrats have largely remained silent. hunter biden's lawyer chris clark discussed the deal on msnbc. do you think hunter biden was treated fairly?— treated fairly? that are of a complicated _ treated fairly? that are of a complicated question. - treated fairly? that are of a complicated question. we l treated fairly? that are of a i complicated question. we took this resolution shouldn't under all circumstances.— all circumstances. why is it so complicated? _ all circumstances. why is it so complicated? i _ all circumstances. why is it so complicated? i think - all circumstances. why is it so complicated? i think mr - all circumstances. why is it so complicated? i think mr biden had a period _ complicated? i think mr biden had a period in _ complicated? i think mr biden had a period in his _ complicated? i think mr biden had a period in his life - complicated? i think mr biden had a period in his life there l had a period in his life there was trouble. it's very clear he didn't time they pay the taxes he was supposed to have the

time. he subsequently has paid them bad he didn't entirely pay them. i think is a very hard question whether i would have been prosecuted for that remark and i think i could have been but i think that's a hard question and it's one i can't answer. republican speaker of the house kevin mccarthy strongly denounced the deal earlier. if you are the president's leading political opponent, you would be put in prison. if you are the president's son, you get a sweetheart deal. during an event on artificial intelligence, the president made a quick statement to the press about it. ifi if i could ask the press to rent _ if i could ask the press to rent a _ if i could ask the press to rent a room, thank you for coming _ —— to read the room. i'm very proud of my son.

live now to sarah krissoff, former assistant us attorney in the southern district of new york. can you explain to us what these misdemeanour tax crimes are? yes, the two tax offences are misdemeanour, they relate to simply the failure to pay taxes for two years, 2017 and 20181 believe. they carry out maximum one year in prison for each count, but it is expected that hunter biden will only receive probation in connection with those charges. 50 probation in connection with those charges.— probation in connection with those charges. so for those two misdemeanour _ those charges. so for those two misdemeanour charges, - those charges. so for those two misdemeanour charges, was i misdemeanour charges, was admitted to illegally possessing a gun while a drug user, to the charges usually warrantjail time? user, to the charges usually warrant jail time?— user, to the charges usually warrant jail time? warrant “ailtime? no, you are not warrant jailtime? no, you are not expecting _ warrant jailtime? no, you are not expecting someone - warrant jailtime? no, you are not expecting someone to - warrant jailtime? no, you are not expecting someone to be l not expecting someone to be facing a period of

imprisonment. theyjust won't imprisonment. they just won't be imprisonment. theyjust won't be likely to happen. 50 imprisonment. they 'ust won't be likely to happen._ be likely to happen. so the 'udue be likely to happen. so the judge was _ be likely to happen. so the judge was appointed - be likely to happen. so the judge was appointed by - be likely to happen. so the - judge was appointed by former president trump but we have seen prominent republicans saying that this play is a sweetheart deal for the son of a president. do you think that hunter biden could have faced a stiffer penalty? it’s hunter biden could have faced a stiffer penalty?— stiffer penalty? it's really hard to know _ stiffer penalty? it's really hard to know what - stiffer penalty? it's really hard to know what they i stiffer penalty? it's really i hard to know what they are stiffer penalty? it's really - hard to know what they are -- hard to know what they are —— but what the investigation uncovered and where it led as part of the charges they were deliberating about. what is clear is that the us attorney was a holdover from the trump hera, he was a troubled pointy who stayed on after president biden came into power. this has been a long—running investigation and this was the negotiated resolution so we just don't know what else was being investigated in the scope of the information that they found, but this is where we

ended up. do found, but this is where we ended up— found, but this is where we ended u. ~ found, but this is where we ended u-. ~ , ended up. do you think there is the chance _ ended up. do you think there is the chance that _ ended up. do you think there is the chance that there _ ended up. do you think there is the chance that there were -- i the chance that there were —— why they were more lenient because he is the son of the president? i because he is the son of the president?— because he is the son of the president? i don't really see that. in president? i don't really see that- in my _ president? i don't really see that. in my experience, - president? i don't really see. that. in my experience, there really is particularly with a federal prosecutor a pressure to bring the most serious charges available, but when the charges available, but when the charges are not appropriate to bring they are not brought. so i think that it's hard to see political pressure that was imposed here to bring us to this outcome.— imposed here to bring us to this outcome. ~ ., ., , ., ., ,, this outcome. what do you make of republicans _ this outcome. what do you make of republicans equivocating - of republicans equivocating this toward the former president is facing in his federal charges? it president is facing in his federal charges? it really hard to compare — federal charges? it really hard to compare these _ federal charges? it really hard to compare these two - federal charges? it really hard to compare these two cases. i federal charges? it really hard i to compare these two cases. the fact that one relates to a former president and one is the

son of the president really is the only relationship between these two investigations. the fact that the conduct underlying the investigations was entirely different, that they were handled differently, one was handled by the department ofjustice, one was handled at the us attorney's office, it is really apples to oranges that we are comparing and it's hard to really draw much comparison between the two cases. we have to look at each one independently and the evidence supporting the charges in each case independently. what comes next for hunter biden? , .., , , biden? his case will be assigned _ biden? his case will be assigned to _ biden? his case will be assigned to a - biden? his case will be assigned to a judge - biden? his case will be | assigned to a judge who biden? his case will be - assigned to a judge who will enter a plea, assigned to a judge who will entera plea, he assigned to a judge who will enter a plea, he still needs to do that, and also the judge will endorse the outcome related to the gun case, then he is essentially under supervision for a period of time where he has to do all of

the things he is supposed to do, he needs to stay on the right side of the law and if that happens, he will likely not face any term of imprisonment.- not face any term of imrisonment. �* w' , not face any term of imrisonment. �* w , ., imprisonment. and quickly, what is our imprisonment. and quickly, what is your sense _ imprisonment. and quickly, what is your sense of _ imprisonment. and quickly, what is your sense of how _ imprisonment. and quickly, what is your sense of how this - imprisonment. and quickly, what is your sense of how this might i is your sense of how this might affect president biden going forward, especially as he wraps up forward, especially as he wraps up his campaign? == forward, especially as he wraps up his campaign?— forward, especially as he wraps up his campaign? -- ramps up. i think he made _ up his campaign? -- ramps up. i think he made clear _ up his campaign? -- ramps up. i think he made clear today - up his campaign? -- ramps up. i think he made clear today and i think he made clear today and is very limited statements about this that this for him is just a personal matter, an issue on what she wants to support his family member, as any parent would. and he doesn't seem inclined or interested at all in speaking about the merits of the case. and frankly it wouldn't be appropriate to do so. obviously he is going to have to fend this off, those allegations such as we heard earlier in the programme, that this has been politicised, he will try to keep this a personal matter. sara, great to talk to you.

thank you. estonia has become the first central european country to legalise same—sex marriage. estonia has recognized same—sex relationships since 2016, but today's bill now allows these couples to officially tie the knot. however, the bill's passage is being met with some pushback. for more on these reactions, our correspondent 0ksana antonenko reports. the civil partnership law in this journey has been the civil partnership law in thisjourney has been in the civil partnership law in this journey has been in force since 2016 and it means that same—sex couples already have more rights in estonia than in many other eastern european or soviet countries. since 2016, league dollar politicians have been trying to make the next step. the problem was in the extremely divided society, about half of the population supports same—sex marriages and the other half does not. politicians are also divided, some very popular mps are strongly against same—sex marriages. the most well—known opponents come from the very conservative nationalistic party. it is not very different

from other nationalistic parties in europe. they oppose same—sex marriages and immigration, and it became very popular after elections in 2019. it became the coalition party and started blocking everything they considered not to be in line with the traditional estonian family values. but after the recent parliamentary elections this year, a coalition was formed without them which basically allowed the courts to pass a law marriages even though the nationalists and their ideas are popular in estonia. thank ou for are popular in estonia. thank you for watching _ are popular in estonia. thank you for watching bbc - are popular in estonia. thank you for watching bbc news, l are popular in estonia. thank- you for watching bbc news, stay with us for more on the search for the titan. we will be back at the top of the hour. hello. june has certainly been a warm month for many of us and at times it has felt

like the middle of summer. talking of which, the 21st ofjune marks the first day of astronomical summer or the summer solstice, and it will be the longest day of the year. but let's get to the forecast, then. this is the satellite picture from the last day or so, and that's the weather front that brought the rain to many parts of the country in the last 24 hours. it will be moving away northwards. but in its wake, we'll see an area of high pressure developing towards the south and west, but we will also be brushed by weather systems over the next few days in north western areas of the uk. but the high pressure to the south is also going to open up the doors to much warmer weather streaming our way from spain, portugal and france. so, it does look as though it's going to get hot towards the weekend. that's still to come. let's have a look at the forecast for wednesday then, and starting on a clear note for many of us. and temperatures will be on the mild side first thing, between around 13 and 16 degrees celsius. so, a dry morning for most, but certainly not for everybody, right from the word go.

a few showers possible across northern ireland and scotland, and showers will also develop across wales and other parts of england, but not too many of them further south. most of the showers will be further north and this is where the heaviest of the ones will be, possibly one or two thunderstorms across eastern scotland, maybe one or two in the borders as well. later in the afternoon, the weather's actually going to improve in northern ireland. the sun should come out for everybody, and across england and wales, just a scattering of showers here and there, and it'll be warmest in eastern parts of england with temperatures up to about 25 degrees celsius. that takes us into thursday. and thursday is also going to be another warm day with temperatures widely into the low or the mid 20s. and again, one or two scattered showers are possible on thursday, and it's going to be every bit as warm i think on friday too, with generally fine weather, at least across the bulk of the uk. however, in the north west of the country, as we head towards the weekend, we are going to be brushed by weather systems. so, there's always a chance of some rain across parts of scotland and northern ireland.

but further east and south, the weather will be drier and brighter. so here's the outlook into the weekend, and you can see these climbing temperatures to nearly 30 degrees celsius in the south by the time we get to sunday, mid 20s, for example, in cardiff. bye— bye.