All five passengers on board the missing Titan submersible are dead, the US Coast Guard has confirmed.

Officials say they found parts of the vessel amidst debris near the wreckage of the Titanic.

The debris was consistent with the “catastrophic implosion of the vessel”, Rear Admiral John Mauger said on Thursday.

The CEO of the submersible company, a British billionaire explorer, a French diver and a father and son were all on board.

Mr Mauger said he could not confirm whether their bodies would be recovered because of the “incredibly unforgiving environment” of the ocean.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the Eko Rice value chain had created no fewer than 2,620 jobs.

This was as he announced the unveiling of the ‘Five Billion Series 1’ of the ‘30 Billion Eko Rice Contracts Programme’ on the Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange.

A statement tweeted by the governor said the unveiling was a “revolutionary public-private partnership” which is “a game-changer for agriculture and food security” in the state.

“Today’s bell-ringing ceremony on Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange is a historic moment,” the governor wrote, adding that, “We’re offering exciting investment opportunities in Lagos’ agricultural sector, highlighting these investment opportunities and projecting the role of the capital market in driving development in Lagos’ commodities ecosystem.”

Sanwo-Olu noted that by guaranteeing the availability of affordable rice, his government was ensuring food security for over 80 per cent of Lagos families.

He added that the state was also empowering local farmers and driving economic growth together.

“Our commitment to the development of the rice value chain has yielded remarkable results. We’ve scaled up local paddy production by 63.5 per cent, creating over 2,620 jobs and improving livelihoods in rice-producing communities.

“This is just the beginning of our agricultural revolution,” the governor said.

The statement added, “Through our agreement with Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange, we’ll ensure a sustainable supply of paddy to the rice mill.

“Every three months, 15,000 metric tonnes of paddy will be milled and sold to the public through subscribers. This collaboration strengthens the rice value chain and boosts confidence in the market.”

An erosion site at green field located at Brooks street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital has been reconstructed.

The area was before now ravaged by gulley erosion.

Businessman and politician, Umo Eno was sworn in as the 5th elected governor of Akwa Ibom having won the governorship candidate on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on March 18.

Beijing has recorded its hottest June day in more than 60 years with the mercury touching 41.1C (105.9F), Chinese weather authorities say.

The city is experiencing a prolonged heatwave with extreme temperatures to persist until the end of June.

On Thursday, officials said it was the hottest June day since record keeping began in 1961.

Several monthly heat records have been broken around China this year, prompting fears of an energy crunch.

Last month, the country’s largest city Shanghai, with 25 million people living on the east coast, recorded its hottest May day in a century.

More than 21 million people live in Beijing, the nation’s capital in the north.

On Thursday, a weather station in the city’s north recorded a high of 41.8C.

Authorities earlier issued an orange alert, the second-most severe weather warning, saying that temperatures could reach 39C in the days to Saturday.

The national weather bureau also issued a heat stroke alert last week – a fortnight earlier than in previous years.

Local authorities in Beijing, Tianjin, and other cities in northern and eastern China, advised people to suspend outdoor work during the hottest parts of the day and to get medical help if they show symptoms of a heat stroke.