Discerning UN speak is an art form. When Chinese President Xi Jinping first articulated the notion of the community of shared future of mankind, also translated as community of common destiny, at the UN in 2015, it appeared vague. Not many paid attention.

Things have changed since. At the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, building a community with a shared future for mankind was enshrined as a core concept and basic policy guiding Chinese diplomacy. The goal of Chinas flagship Belt and Road Initiative is described as moving closer towards a community of shared future for mankind. Xis foreign policy speech compilation is titled On building a community of shared future for mankind.

Its not only Chinese spokespersons who articulate it. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a glowing reference that called for development cooperation to contribute to building a community of shared future for mankind. Taking the cue, UN agencies sprinkle it in their documentation.

Chinese sponsored UN General Assembly resolutions inevitably carry references. One in the 73rd session in 2018 even called for a community of shared future for humankind in cyberspace. Individual countries, at times, oppose such efforts. Recent reports mention objections to a Chinese phrase delaying the UNs 75th anniversary declaration.

Chinese scholars trace the terms lineage to the tianxia (all under heaven) system. Its said to build on Deng Xiaopings peace and development thesis, Jiang Zemins new security concept and Hu Jintaos call for a harmonious world. According to Liu Ming, a Chinese scholar, building a community with a shared future for humankind will bring five changes to international relations: developing a new model for major power competition, shifting security concerns to non-traditional threats, promoting win-win economic cooperation instead of trade and technological competition, integrating non-Western practices and governance with the Western system of universal values, and managing economic development in a way that ensures ecological balance.

Couched in lofty principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect first elucidated in the India-China Panchsheel Agreement of 1954 it stresses complementarity with win-win outcomes rather than competition and promotes tolerance for political and cultural differences.

The emphasis is on continuity of existing international institutions rather than demand for redistribution of power. Need for changes to the structural arrangement inherited from the World War II era is downplayed. The focus is on issues with broad appeal sustainable development, countering non-traditional security threats, epidemics and pandemics, drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and collaboration in frontier domains like high seas, polar regions, outer space and cyberspace.

Beyond generalities, it reflects the belief that Chinas capacities and desire to play a global role have grown and need to be accommodated in global governance. But, its tempered with the realisation that China cannot recast the current order. Hence, the effort is to foster Chinas integration in the existing order as a great power with leadership status. The subtext beneath the benign sounding concept is, at a minimum, sidestepping the universal values and core principles that hold up the existing world order and may stall Chinas rise.

As Joseph Nye explained, soft power is dependent on an attractive vision of the future. Chinas concept aims to be alluring. Some find it appealing. Yet, Chinas assertiveness has aroused global concerns. Chinas strained, even confrontational, relations because of historical, security, territorial and maritime issues dim the attractiveness of the precept. Unsettled sovereignty issues have a disconcerting way of undermining other aspirations. This is happening with China too.

Beyond a blueprint, replacing a withering order requires a game plan for change. China has not yet unveiled any game plan for implementing reform. Maybe, deliberately so. In the long game, even as China enhances its status, it feels others may be worn down or distracted from exercising leadership or at a minimum adjust to non-confrontational ways of competition. Biding time in plain sight and without hiding may well be the game plan.

On our part, we need to deploy those with expertise in deciphering Chinas intent and those with strategic insights to assess this offering. We need to determine whether Chinas community of shared future is the global future that India wants in full, part or not at all. We need the guardrails of grand strategy to guide our specific choices of cooperation, competition and confrontation.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Beijing likes to talk about community of shared future of mankind. What exactly does it mean? - The Times of India Blog

The N3 near Hilton was covered in hail

KZN Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has warned motorists to exercise extreme caution when travelling on the roads this wet weekend.

While the Zululand region is experiencing some rain and strong winds, areas closer to Durban earlier today (Saturday) experienced hail and severe thunderstorms.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Speedy city engineers restore water feed

The KZN Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) earlier this week placed disaster management teams throughout the province on high alert ahead of the heavy weather as forecast by the South African Weather Services (SAWS).

The NSRI has also warned residents of coastal regions to be aware of rough seas and high swells, which could catch anglers, boaters, paddlers and coastal hikers off guard.

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The bad weather is expected to last into next week and there is yet another cold front off the coast of Cape Town, being monitored by SAWS.

There is a concern that the lulls being experienced in between these cold fronts may give a false impression of improving conditions, said NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon.

Localised flooding, storm surges, gale-force winds and high seas are some of the winter weather phenomena currently being experienced from these cold fronts.

The NSRI is appealing to boaters, paddlers, beach-goers, surfers, coastal hikers and anglers to be cautious around the coastline and to follow SAWS forecasts.

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WATCH: Cold front brings hail to parts of KZN - Zululand Observer

In its long history, Magic: The Gathering has explored many fantasy tropes and invented a few new ones. Everything from magical schools to treasure-hoarding dragons, Gothic horror, dwarves and all-metal worlds have been covered in this game, and it's a remarkable universe. But anything is open to parody, and Wizards of the Coast is making sure to not take Magic too seriously.

RELATED: MTG: 10 New Cards From Core Set 2021 That Are Perfect For Janklords

Four Un-sets have been released, all of them geared toward irreverent and creative gameplay that would be incompatible with the regular, "black-border" cards. These cards feature wacky art, silly names, pop culture references and off-beat mechanics that make for a truly unique gameplay experience. The Un-cards involve everything from rolling dice to saying certain words or names for an effect, and everything in between. Let's check out the ten funniest Un-cards out there.

Most likely, players end up singing this card's name in their head when they read it, recalling that classic children's song. This is a blue enchantment from Unhinged that cares a great deal about the names of all permanents you control.

Un-cards often care about gameplay aspects that the regular game cannot, such as the letters in card names, physical manipulation of cards, contents of the illustration, artist name and more. Now I Know My ABC's can lead to a quick victory if a player has some off-beat letters in their card names. Any Q's or X's out there?

This is a card that experienced players can feel a little smug about. Reminder text is essential for new players, and it also helps any player remember how new mechanics work. After all, most sets involve at least one brand-new mechanic.

Duh is cheap removal for any creature that reminds a player of any effect they already know. If you are facing a creature with flying, and that card thinks you don't know how flying works, Duh can help you prove otherwise.

Elves are sometimes solitary hunters, but more often, they form entire hunting parties or guilds where they can work as a team. It's a strong tribe, and Elvish House Party shows how Elves like to celebrate a hard-won battle.

RELATED: 10 Best New Commanders In Magic: The Gathering Jumpstart

It's costly, but depending on the time of day, this card can swell up to an incredible 12/12 for just 4GG. Be careful, though, since this creature is pretty modest in the early afternoon hours. Evening games are much better for this party.

Even in real expansions and core sets, Goblins are the funniest creatures of all, and their flavor text is almost like Un-card flavor text. In this case, the Goblins formed an elite team, and they're defensive about their name.

This 2/2 Goblin Warrior is just waiting for you to say its name, and if your opponent is too slow to swat the table with their hand, it gets a +1/+1 counter, once per turn. If this Goblin gets big enough, your opponent's creatures will be the ones to get swatted next.

This game has been around since 1993, and some players are old enough to have been there since the very start. In those days, mechanics such as cumulative upkeep, landwalk and rampage were the order of the day.

RELATED: Magic: The Gathering - The Top 10 New Commanders From Ikoria, Ranked

Now they're relics, but Old Fogey remembers the classic era and brought it all back, from the border design to the use of "Summon" and the font of its very name. This Dinosaur is huge, a 7/7 for just GG, but cumulative upkeep and echo are going to cost a bit more. Watch out for that.

Were some Unhinged cards undercosted at the expense of a tricky ability? Question Elemental certainly was; isn't a 3/4 flying Elemental for 2UU Just a little too powerful for 2004? Wizards seems to think so, right?

Are you ready to rethink all of your speech in a casual game of Magic so you can keep control of Question Elemental? And did you notice that even its flavor text not only matches the question format, but is an appropriate reaction to this silly card?

Red is the color of haste, and red decks, as a rule, are quick and try to win quickly or not at all. That's been true from the start, and some red cards can even play spells from the library's top for extra speed. But this Slug can do more.

RELATED: Top 10 Strongest New Cards From Commander 2020

A 3/1 for haste is fairly mundane, but this Slug can attack an entire turn early at no cost. Of course, you'd better be ready to pay its mana cost or else lose the game. It's much like the Pact cards from the Time Spiral block, but with a lot more flair.

Clearly, this Insect is done with praying and is ready to demolish any and all challengers. A 6/6 for 5GG is run of the mill by now, but Slaying Mantis boasts the "fight" mechanic, and does it in a truly unique way.

The player tosses this card from a sufficient height, then watches to see which creatures it touches. Slaying Mantis will fight anything and everything it touches, which as the potential to remove two or more creatures... or the Mantis might end up fighting someone too tough, like an Elzrazi. It's a risk that must be taken.

More than a few standing armies have been present in the game's lore, from the samurai on Kamigawa to the Abzan clan on Tarkir to the Boros Legion of Ravnica. But this army is literally standing, and the player will soon join in.

A 2/4 for 2WW isn't very impressive, but if you actually stand up, this army will gain vigilance. Even better is the flavor text, which is packing not one, but two puns about chairs and being bored. Standing guard isn't terribly thrilling anywhere in the Multiverse.

This infamous tongue twister has arrived in Magic as an artifact creature, and it's packing a cumulative upkeep on top of that. A 3/3 for just {3} is quite efficient, but then the upkeeps start, and those tongues will get twisted sooner or later.

If you're a champ at tongue twisters, Toy Boat will stick around for awhile, but if you end up saying "boy tote" or "yoi tobe," for example, this Toy Boat will sail away forever. Just look at that face; it's like Thomas the Tank Engine, but on the high seas.

NEXT: Magic Arena: 10 Monsters Besides Godzilla That The Game Should Add

Next 10 Of The Best Racing Games On The N64

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Magic: The Gathering - 10 Funniest Joke Cards In The Game - TheGamer

It will be another day of cold conditions, strong winds and heavy rains on Friday, the South African Weather Service says.

Warnings:

- Heavy rain leading to flooding is expected over the western and south-western parts of the Western Cape from the afternoon.

- Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the eastern interior of the Northern Cape, northern interior of the Eastern Cape and western parts of the North West as well as the western and southern parts of the Free State.

- "Disruptive" snowfall is expected over the western mountains of the Western Cape and south-western high ground of the Northern Cape from the afternoon.

- High seas with waves from 6m to 8m are expected between Alexander Bay and Cape Point.

Watches:

- Strong to gale force north-westerly winds are expected in places over the interior of the Eastern Cape.

The weather in your region:

Gauteng will be partly cloudy and cool.

The expected UVB sunburn index is low.

Mpumalanga will have morning fog patches over the Highveld, otherwise fine and cool, but warm in the Lowveld, becoming partly cloudy from the afternoon.

Limpopo will be partly cloudy and warm.

The North-Westwill be partly cloudy in the east, otherwise fine and cool.

Free State will be partly cloudy and cool.

The Northern Cape will be fine in the north otherwise partly cloudy and cool, but cloudy in the west and the south with isolated to scattered showers. It will be very cold over the south-western high ground with possible disruptive snowfalls on the mountain from the afternoon.

The wind along the coast will be strong to gale northerly to north-westerly.

The Western Cape will be cloudy and cold with isolated to scattered showers and rain, but widespread in the south-west where heavy rain and possible localised flooding can be expected. Disruptive snowfall is possible over the western mountains in the afternoon but light snowfall in the eastern mountains by evening.

The wind along the coast will be strong to gale force north-westerly but moderate to fresh northerly to north-easterly in the east.

The expected UVB sunburn index is low.

The western half of the Eastern Cape will be cool in the south-west, otherwise partly cloudy and warm with strong winds over the interior, becoming cloudy from the west with isolated showers in the afternoon. Light snowfall can be expected over the high mountains overnight.

The wind along the coast will be light westerly early morning, otherwise light to moderate easterly.

The eastern half of the Eastern Cape will be partly cloudy and warm with strong winds in places over the interior.

The wind along the coast will be light westerly, becoming moderate north-easterly from mid-morning, but south-westerly, west of East London in the evening.

It will be fine and warm, but cool in the west of KwaZulu-Natal. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly.

The expected UVB sunburn index is moderate.

The forecast for 10 July.

- Compiled by Kerushun Pillay

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Friday's weather: More heavy rains, strong winds heading into the weekend - News24

There has been drama on the high seas on James Packer's yacht IJE.

Confidential can reveal two of the billionaire's guests have separated and are getting divorced after a blow up on board the luxury cruiser.

Hollywood producer Adam Schroeder and Australian musician and songwriter James Maas were among Packer's inner-circle when they fell out on the three week trip off the coast of Mexico.

Tensions have long been high between Schroeder and Maas, who have been married for seven years.

It is understood the situation came to a head when Schroeder cut up Maas' clothes and threw them overboard, along with other personal effects.

The couple stayed in separate rooms for the next week. The American producer, behind films including Clueless, Zoolander, Sleepy Hollow, Shaft, The Truman Show and First Wives Club, is understood to have disembarked in the sea port of La Paz.

"It was all pretty ugly and awkward," said a source. "James (Maas) was mortified at the scene in front of everyone."

Maas, who is close friends with both Packer and his ex wife Jodhi Meares, flew home to Los Angeles four days later on the billionaire's private jet.

Packer is now on the boat with his ex-wife, Erika Packer and their three children, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle, after whom the $200 million 354-Foot Benetti Gigayacht is named.

The boat boasts 11 cabins and is five stories high with its own heated swimming pool, cinema, sauna, driving range and gym.

James Maas and his husband Adam Schroeder. Picture: Instagram

Maas with Packer on the IJE. Picture: Backgrid

Others to have been on the yacht over recent weeks include Packer's best mate, Ben Tilley.

Maas, 32, who grew up in Sydney's northern beaches, moved to Los Angeles nine years ago and was introduced to Schroeder through friends.

The Australian would not comment when contacted by The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

He and Packer have known each other for many years given Maas is close with Meares and are understood to have grown into their friendship over the past year.

Maas has also been seen holidaying in Aspen, Colorado, with Packer and his girlfriend Kylie Lim.

They have been photographed hanging out a number of times.

It was Maas who flew to Hawaii to be with Meares when she split from ex boyfriend, rocker Jon Stevens, back in 2015.

Maas was well connected when he lived in Sydney, and is understood to be friends with Alan Jones, Kyle Sandilands, John Ibrahim and Delta Goodrem.

Originally published as James Packer caught in the middle of high seas drama

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James Packer caught in the middle of high seas drama - Fraser Coast Chronicle

The record-setting heat wave that swept through Arctic Siberia in June has yielded a wide-range of deleterious effects in the expansive polar and sub-polar region, triggering raging wildfires, thawing permafrost, and now, spurring the rapid melt-out of Arctic sea ice.

Last month, Siberian temperatures spiked, reaching a record average more than 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal, according to recently released data from the European Union. The remote town of Verkhoyansk in northeast Siberia recorded a reading of more than 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 17, the highest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic Circle.

Under this metaphorical blow torch, ice extent in the seas that border Siberia has plummeted in recent days, pushing the Arctic region as a whole into the record books. Between July 2 and July 7, sea ice extent across the Arctic Ocean went from being at its fifth lowest extent for this time of year since satellite record-keeping began in 1979, melting into first place, slightly below even the calamitous year of 2012 which eventually saw sea ice hit a record low at the end of the summer melt season in September.

As of July 9, sea ice extent in the global Arctic sits at just 8.310 million square kilometers (3.2 million square miles). If that melting momentum carries forward (and nobody knows if it will), 2020 could nab the title of the lowest ice extent year come September with unknown long-term ramifications for the Arctic and the global climate.

An exceedingly abnormal spring and early summer in Siberia is thought to be largely responsible for 2020s sudden surge downward. The ice is opening up quite quickly and dramatically. Its now at a record low in the Laptev Sea off northern Siberia, says Walt Meier, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). At the end of June, sea ice extent in the Laptev Sea was more than 300,000 square kilometers (115,830 square miles) below the 40-year median for that time of year. On the North American side, its been closer to normal. In years past weve seen the waters quite open off the coast of Alaska, but were not seeing that as much this year.

A high-pressure system, bringing mostly cloudless weather, stalled over the Siberian Arctic throughout much of June, coinciding with the annual period when the High North observes 24 hours of daylight. The result: nearly continuous sunshine and record heat. Its quite a lot of energy hitting the ground, explains Meier. As Siberia warmed up, winds carried it out over the ocean, subsequently heating up Arctic waters and melting ice.

While air temperatures high above the Arctic Ocean were 1 to 4 degrees C (2 to 7 degrees F) warmer than average in June, things were a lot hotter along the Siberian coast. Air above the eastern edge of the Laptev Sea saw temps 8 degrees C (14 degrees F) higher, causing rapid melt. Meanwhile, the Kara Sea, off the Western Siberian coast, largely emptied of ice far sooner than normal.

This is kind of an exclamation point on the warming in Siberia, says Meier. The Arctic, as a whole, is warming two times faster than the rest of the world. Siberia is warming even faster.

In terms of how Siberia influences 2020s standing for this time of year, the damage is done, says Mark Serreze, director of the NSIDC. Already, sea surface temperatures are unusually high along the Siberian coast. This big head start to the melt season will yield more absorption of solar energy and more melting around Siberia. But just because things are bad there, that wont necessarily spell disaster for other parts of the Arctic.

Some years you get the big losses north of Siberia. Some years its around Alaska. It varies from year to year. This very much reflects weather patterns, explains Serreze. In recent years, the Bering Sea around Alaska has been the trouble spot. This year, the Siberian heat wave, which has waned for the moment, is hurting us big.

Avid ice bloggers point out that, in the record-breaking year of 2012, the biggest losses were also on the Siberian side of the Arctic, with a bit of exacerbated ice loss near Alaska.

But its still not possible to predict the future given the limitations of weather forecasting. Its looking like a warm year in the Arctic, says Meier. Its hard to say whether it will be a record-breaker for the sea ice. But the Siberian warming is an early indicator.

The heatwaves ill-effects arent confined to Siberias seas.

In mid-June, fiery infernos erupted in the regions boreal forests and tundra; the latter consists of permafrost soil that usually remains frozen but is now thawing due to escalating climate change. In fact, scientists speculate that some of 2020s tundra wildfires are actually leftover from last years fire season, silently burning within peat bogs throughout the winter, only to reemerge in spring eruptions dubbed zombie fires.

Last month, the EU Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite picked up a wildfire in the Anabar district of Siberia, not far from the Laptev Sea believed to be the northernmost Arctic fire of recent years. While fires are common at this time of year, record temperatures and strong winds are making the situation particularly worrying, read a statement from the EUs Earth Observation Program.

Wildfires are often measured in terms of their heat output, and so far, 2020 rivals 2019, another disastrous fire year. The Russian government believes millions of acres of native vegetation in eastern Siberia have already gone up in flames, releasing 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in June. Moreover, these fires are contributing to the thawing of the Arctic permafrost which, in some cases, can lead to sudden ground collapse.

The issue with fires in the Arctic is it burns above and below ground, explains Sue Natali, Arctic program director at Woods Hole Research Center. When surface soil rich in organic matter burns, it places the permafrost at risk which serves as an insulator against warm summer temperatures. In previously burned areas newly exposed to extreme summer heat events, it really pushes this system to the edge.

Ive seen this in Siberia in places that burned five years ago. You may get some vegetation coming back, but the ground is really vulnerable. When you get another warm year, theres extreme cracking of the ground and collapse, she says.

Natali is currently involved in a landmark research project using new elevation data and satellite imagery to map huge, mysterious craters some as much as 50 meters (164 feet) across first observed in the Siberian Arctic in July 2014.

It was something we had never seen before, says Natali, adding that researchers are unsure if theres a definitive link to climate change. Were trying to figure out whats causing these craters and where theyre going to happen next. The craters appear to form when thawed permafrost causes the ground to bubble up and explode, leaving deep depressions that then fill with water.

She notes that so far craters have only been observed in the Yamal and Gyda peninsulas near the Kara Sea. That is very likely because there are certain geologic conditions that may contribute to crater formation [subterranean] gas deposits and ground ice. That doesnt mean it cant happen anywhere.

Merritt Turetsky, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, says, We know the fires burning in Siberia right now are in areas of continuous permafrost with high ice content. This is probably where well see rapid thaw in a couple years post-fires.

Permafrost thaw also puts the Arctic regions infrastructure and environment at risk. This was highlighted in late May by the devastating diesel spill at one of Russias Norilsk Nickel subsidiary power plants. A fuel tank suddenly collapsed and leaked 21,000 tons of diesel into the Ambarnaya and Dadylkan rivers, causing unprecedented damage to Arctic waterways. Russian officials have since traced the spill to thawing permafrost beneath the tank and ordered a full-scale review of infrastructure in vulnerable zones.

This was a huge disaster, says Natali, and it could be the first of many if precautions arent taken. In the permafrost zone, you have really important infrastructure like fuel storage tanks, buildings, sewage lagoons, dumps. All of these things can impact the health of those [people] who live on the permafrost.

Yet most local governments dont have a good idea of the ground beneath their feet. You would think they would want to have these permafrost areas mapped so they wouldnt put things like highways over ice-rich permafrost, which is more prone to sudden collapse, says INSTAARs Turetsky. There have been some whopper mistakes where huge construction projects in the North have been built on sensitive permafrost. It sure seems like that was the situation with the diesel spill.

Vladimir Romanovsky, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, says this is especially concerning in Russia, where a huge amount of oil flows through pipelines crossing Siberias permafrost region. Any kind of interruption of this flow not only creates local emergencies and hazards for the environment, but can also impact global oil supply.

He adds that an overlooked concern is the rapid militarization of the Russian Arctic as the government strengthens its national security infrastructure in a region where the U.S. and Russian militaries eye each other suspiciously across the Arctic Sea.

How to keep this infrastructure in good shape in light of degrading permafrost is ultimately a matter of international security, concludes Romanovsky.

Banner image: Arctic sea ice in summer. Photo credit:NASA Goddard Photo and VideoonVisualHunt.com/CC BY

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Siberian heat drives Arctic ice extent to record low for early July - Mongabay.com

Ireland will be left defenceless and with no naval service in three years unless action is taken on the pay crisis in the Defence Forces.

Newly-elected TD and former army ranger doctor Cathal Berry delivers the stark warning today.

He also believes Irish waters are being thrown open to drug cartels, people smugglers and Brexit profiteers.

Deputy Berry stormed into the Dail on a campaign to fight for the defence forces in Februarys election.

He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: There is a feeling a sense in the Defence Forces that they are still regarded as cannon fodder, just to be lined up in broad daylight and walked into the enemy machine guns.

There wont be a naval service in two or three years time unless action is taken urgently.

What did Elvis say? A little less conversation, a little more action please. Thats what we need now.

In a wide-ranging assault on the shoddy treatment of the army, navy and air corps, the Kildare South representative also:

He said: If its business as usual the country is in trouble. We wont be neutral anymore we will be completely defenceless.

Fifty sailors have left the navy this year alone, the equivalent of a whole ships company have left during the Covid crisis. We know there is a recession coming and people are leaving because they cant afford to stay.

He added: Of the three services the navy are in the worst situation.

A third naval ship is going to be tied up in October unless immediate action is taken.

We have two ships in Cork harbour sitting there and no sailors to crew them.

If a third ship is tied up you will have about 100million worth of Irish hardware, assets, just sitting in Haulbowline rusting away, its an absolute scandal.

Its not a victimless issue because the countrys search and rescue capability is depleted.

Brexit is literally six months away and the UK will probably end their transition period on WTO [World Trade Organisation] terms which means the fisheries issue will be a massive problem.

You are going to have all the EU fishery fleets that used to fish in UK waters, fishing in Irish waters and there is going to be issues on the high seas in terms of monitoring and policing.

Deputy Berry added: Another big role of the defence forces is to deter and detect and to intercept drug runners that are coming across the Atlantic, coming up from the Azores.

The deterrent factor is gone. All the druggies know there is massive gaps in the defences at the moment.

And they can land whatever they want on the Wild Atlantic Way because the Wild Atlantic Way is a mecca for tourists but it is also a mecca for drug dealers.

You are looking at the smuggling of people, weapons, ammunition, drugs, we are absolutely wide open here and it is just not good enough.

Sailors are paid an allowance of 55 to go to sea for 24 hours the equivalent of one euro an hour after tax. Other public servants are paid more including marine institute personnel who get 270 or sea fisheries protection workers who get 105 tax free.

Deputy Berry said: There is that prevailing sense that nobody could give a monkeys about them. And the reason being they cant strike,

If that is sorted the problems in the navy will disappear overnight. Four million euro a year would solve the navy problem overnight. He also claimed the loss of army personnel could also be halted by addressing allowances.

He said: Retention is absolutely vital, particularly as it is more difficult to recruit people because of Covid.

All branches of the forces have been manning the Covid-19 frontline.

Three naval vessels were deployed in Cork, Dublin and Galway as support for community testing centres. The air corps were flying tests to Germany while army medics were in nursing homes swabbing staff and residents.

The army also established a test centre in Dublins Aviva Stadium.

Deputy Berry said: Our defence force paramedics were in the same vehicles as the national ambulance service guys comparing their allowances and going Wow.

Family men saying Why am I working for pittance when I can get a job on multiples of what Im on?

Why would you compromise your childrens education or your spouses quality of life for a Government department who couldnt give a rats about you? Theyve had enough.

Originally posted here:

Ireland 'will be left defenceless and with no navy in three years', TD warns - Irish Mirror

Meet the 12 blue-collar workers getting their hands dirty for a $200,00 cash prize on CBS' newest reality series of the summer, Tough as Nails.

CBS' latest reality series, Tough as Nails, debuted July 8, rescuing the network's summer competition line-up as Big Brother and The Amazing Race are currently on hiatus. The new competition series follows 12 blue-collar Americans as they endure challenges that test both their physical and mental toughness to earn a $200,000 grand prize.

Host and executive producer Phil Keoghan scoured the nation along a six-stop, nationwide casting tour, handpicking the best of the best to put their strength to the challenges inspired by their back-breaking careers. Working in trades like fishery and firefighting, this show's contestants are no stranger to a hard day's work. Meet the contestants breaking away from their daily routine for a shot to make it big on screens across the country.

Related:The Amazing Race: 5 Reasons Why It Should Keep Going (& 5 Why It Needs To End Soon)

A firefighter from Virginia, Young An works long hours day in and day out to protect his community in times of need. Young's parents immigrated from South Korea to the states to provide their family with a better life, and their sacrifice and determination is the source of his strong work ethic. Using the teamsmanship, physical strength, and ability to perform under pressure garnered from his line of work, Young hopes to take home the cash prize, and use it to pay off is parent's debts as a thank you for the life they've given him.

Danny Moody is a third-generation drywaller, and is responsible for hanging and drying the drywall in houses during construction. Quick to describe himself as competitive, Danny entered the competition to prove that even a shorter guy like himself could be the toughest in a room. When he isn't pulling 12 hour shifts to provide for his family, Danny often volunteers his skills for Habitat for Humanity projects. His dedication to an honest, blue-collar lifestyle and endurance from hanging drywall will be useful talents in his fight for the title.

Farming runs in Melissa Burns' family, and she wouldn't want it any other way. She was raised on a farm, married a farmer, and plans to continue the tradition as long as she can keep up with the work. Proud to be the hands producing America's food, Melissa treasures her work, even if does force her to wake up at the crack of dawn. Relying on her farm-raised muscles and and get it done attitude to edge out the competition, she wants to show the nation how tough farmers (especially female farmers) can be.

Linnett Key's inspiring journey from homelessness to home-ownership already proves that she has a tough and resilient spirit. The welder and single mother of four works two jobs to provide for her three sons and daughter. No matter what challenges the show throws at her, Linnett said in the premiere that she wouldn't give up, hoping that her stubborn dedication to persevere will show her kids what true strength and heart looks like.

Kelly Murphy is the only military man on the cast, having recently retired from decades long service with the U.S. Marine Corps to spend more time with his family. Now, he heads theMilitaryand Veterans Center at the University of Central Missouri. His work hard, work together attitude proves that you can take the man out of the Marines, but you can't take the Marines out of the man. Even though he's one of the older competitors at 47, his muscles alone signal that he's a force to be reckoned with.

Linda Goodridge is a jack of all trades juggling three jobs: deputy sheriff jailer, wellness coach, and roofing company employee. Her daily routine always includes a good workout, the results of which are bound to come in handy when competing to be the toughest of all Americans. As a deputy sheriff jailer, Linda provides order and safety to female inmates, and despite the hardships that come along with the position, she said in the premiere that helping someone turn their life around makes it all worth it.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Luis and his family relocated to the Bronx when he was in elementary school. His mother single-handedly provided for and raised Luis and his six siblings, instilling a strong work ethic in Luis from a young age. Despite his model-level looks, he currently works as a scaffolder, suspended tens of floors up on construction sites. Tough as Nails is yet another exhilarating experience for Luis, who hopes to bring home the win for his children.

The oldest competitor at 62, Michelle Kiddy is competing to fight against the sexism and ageism thrown towards mature women everywhere. A ray on sunshine on the cast and real life, Michelle does her best to ensure great customer service and safety for commuters an airport gate agent. Her position entails many duties, including passenger check-in, tagging bags, keeping track of crew and paperwork, and resolving client complaints. At a little over five feet, Michelle packs big fight into a small package.

Land Ho! Callie Cattle left the high seas to compete on soil against the best of the best (according to Phil Keoghan). She is a commercial fisherman and diver in Alaska, following her father in his line of work. Living without a shower and bathroom while at sea has enabled Callie to adapt to uncomfortable situations, and the teamwork necessary to keep the crew safe won't be wasted in Tough as Nails team challenges.

Myles Polk works as a forestry technician in Tuskegee, Alabama, patrolling the woods to monitor sapling growth, extinguish fires, and handle whatever else the great outdoors sends his way. He's certainly gained physical toughness from the active nature of his work and lifestyle, but Myles believes true toughness comes from the heart and mind. As afianc and father, Myles wants to bring home the $200,000 bacon to offer his family a better life.

Don't let Tara Davis' blonde hair and small frame fool you she came to win and leave everything on the field. Working as an iron worker, an industry with only 1% women, Tara is used to excelling past other's expectations. The long hours and demanding work coupled with raising four children, one of which being diagnosed with autism, has afforded Tara both the physical and mental fortitude necessary to be a real threat in the competition.

Lee Marshall, a roofer from St. Louis, claims to have installed over 10,000 roofs during his career, lugging hundreds to thousands of pounds of material in the average workday. Having always worked hard for his money, he is ready to shed blood, sweat, and tears during his tenure on Tough as Nails. Lee doesn't think his age, 61, will get in the way of winning the competition for his family back home. If anything, it gives decades of endurance and experience on the job gives him an edge over the younger contestants.

Next:Big Brother 22: 10 Former Houseguests That Are Likely To Return

Yolanda Hadid Accused Of Hiding Epstein's Ex Ghislaine Maxwell

Kennedy Hill is a pop culture writer whose first words are rumored to be "pass me the remote." An avid fan of all things Marvel, Real Housewives and whatever convoluted film Christopher Nolan releases, she writes about her TV obsessions from Los Angeles. She began writing about all things film as a college arts reporter (go bruins!) and has since spread her obsessive ramblings to various publications. When she isn't arguing about multiverse theories or the latest anime lineup, she fills her time with overpriced sushi and Schitt's Creek reruns.

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Tough As Nails: Meet The Cast Of Hot New CBS Show | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

July 11, 2020

7Weather- Fay continues to move north today, but were left with the tropical air, and the threat for rip currents on our beaches.

There will be a mix of clouds and sun at the beach today with high surf, and a moderate to high risk of rip currents. If you get in the water, be very careful, and swim close to a lifeguard. There is a high surf advisory in effect today for seas between 5-7 feet for southern Bristol, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.

Temperatures will be in the upper 70s to low 80s at along the coast today. Sunday is looking like the better beach day. Skies will be mainly sunny and highs along the beach will be in the low and mid 80s.

The rest of today has a mix of clouds and sun and it will be very humid. Temperatures reach into the mid and upper 80s, and it will be breezy with gusts between 25-30 mph. Theres also the chance for an isolated storm in central Mass and southern New Hampshire.

Clouds gradually increase tonight and there will be patchy fog. The fog might stick around early Sunday morning, but it quickly burns off. It wont but as humid as Saturday, but it remains hot with highs close to 90.

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Fay Moves Out, Tropical Air Sticks Around - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

COASTAL RHODE ISLAND

Saturday: A chance of showers, mainly before 8 a.m. Patchy fog before 10 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Patchy fog before 9 p.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind 11 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 11 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

EXTENDED

Monday: A chance of showers after 1p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Monday Night: A chance of showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph. Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

MARINE

Saturday: South wind 10 to 15 knots, with gusts as high as 25 knots. A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Patchy fog before 10 a.m. Seas 1 foot or less. Saturday Night: South-southwest wind 10 to 13 knots. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Patchy fog before 9 p.m. Seas 1 foot or less.

Sunday: South-southwest wind 10 to 14 knots, with gusts as high as 24 knots. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Seas 1 foot or less. Sunday Night: Southwest wind 8 to 11 knots, with gusts as high as 20 knots. Partly cloudy. Seas 1 foot or less.

TIDES, ETC.

Saturday's high tides: 12:54 a.m., 1:24 p.m. Low tides: 6:10 a.m., 6:40 p.m.

Saturday's sunrise, 5:22. Sunset, 8:21.

Sunday's high tides: 1:37 a.m., 2:08 p.m. Low tides: 6:56 a.m., 7:50 p.m.

Sunday's sunrise, 5:23. Sunset, 8:20.

Thursday's temperatures: High 83, low 71.

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Newport area weather: July 11-12 - News - newportri.com

On May 21, the Neameh, a Panamanian ship exporting cattle from Colombia to Egypt, was intercepted by Spanish authorities near the Straits of Gibraltar to be raided for suspected cocaine smuggling.

The search, however, was never completed; called off when agents needed breathing devices and their sniffer dogs were useless due to the overpowering stench of neglected and suffering cows. As reported by Europa Sur, a news organization based in Algeciras where the port of interception was located, many of the animals lay dead on the ground for several days among urine, faeces and feed, in a state of decomposition.

Not only does this horrific finding re-emphasize the animal rights violations and malpractices of the live export industry, but it also highlights shortcomings of animal trade regulation when ships pass through the jurisdictions of different countries. Even though the state of the ship when intercepted in Spain clearly violated EU regulations, it was still allowed to continue on to Egypt.

The live export industry has been around for decades, and the growth of the global demand for meat has expanded it to transporting in excess of 5 million animals each day. The consolidation of the slaughterhouse industry has also necessitated animals traveling longer distances or into other countries to be processed.

Countries all over the world participate in the live trade of animals, and Europe dominates many of the lists for export numbers with most of their animals going to countries of the Middle East that are willing to pay a premium for freshly slaughtered meat.

However, it was Australia that initially made headlines after the Farid Fares disaster of 1980, when a transport ship caught fire and sank, drowning 40,605 of the sheep on board. The incident prompted a greater surveillance over the conditions of live export vessels, and precipitated the arrival of a powerful animal advocacy group called Animals Australia, which by 2012 had made live export a mainstream issue now recognized all over the world.

Other animal rights organizations like Animals Angels, Eyes on Animals, and the Animal Welfare Foundation have joined Animals Australia in conducting investigations and large-scale campaigns focused on the live export industry. Eyes on Animals has found abuses from cattle trapped in Russia in a snowed-in truck with a frozen water system, to chickens dying of heat stress while their trucks are stalled outside a slaughterhouse in the Netherlands.

They have uncovered legal violations of journey logs that claim the mandatory 24 hour rest at a fake control post, and water devices full of manure and straw that are either not cleaned or too inaccessible to be cleaned. More generally, they have documented the extreme overcrowding and poor ventilation for transported sheep, causing sick, injured, or dead animals to remain hidden within the masses, as well as pregnant sheep that were illegally brought on board and had given birth to lambs that will likely never step off the rancid ship.

Perhaps counterintuitively, animals are not the only victims of live export. According to livestock veterinarian Dr. Lynn Simpson, what shocked me most was the disregard for humanity and the poor conditions that many seafarers are forced to endure.

Some companies see seafarers as expendable, as confirmed by so many pirate hostages with no ransoms paid. Lesley Moffat, founder of Eyes on Animals, concurs with the mistreatment of workers, feeling sympathetic towards the drivers who are usually more than compliant during surprise inspections by her organization. Theyre not the bosses, she says, Theyre forced to drive really long hours, long distances alone, which is illegal, but saves the boss money.

The activist pushback is not without its successes: New Zealand banned live export in 2003; Austria and Germany followed the Netherlands recent example of suspending transports to non-EU countries that are at risk of violating EU regulations; and just this month the European Parliament voted to establish an inquiry committee to investigate live export.

Activism, however, comes with a paradox as well. As animal rights organizations gain more power and public support, many transport companies do not want their reputations stained, and are more likely to decline the shipment of live animals.

All too often, however, this simply puts the animals into the hands of cheaper and less reputable carriers, and they end up in even worse conditions that they would have previously. Whats more, some countries now ban traded animals to pass through their borders, forcing a need to circumvent existing routes and creating an even longer journey for the creatures.

Uncertainty and complication regarding legal responsibility is one of the greatest obstacles to improving or ending live export. Animal rights laws are different in each country, and transporting across borders confuses jurisdiction to the point where there doesnt seem to be any enforcement at all.

Although there is a World Organization for Animal Health that sets international standards, it has no power of enforcement, and up until fairly recently exporter countries have had no qualms in putting these animals at the mercy of destination countries in order to turn a profit.

This attitude continues even into the time of Covid-19, which becomes especially concerning given that research speculates animal consumption as the spark of the pandemic. According to the Ecologist, 75% of new infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and live animal export significantly increases the likelihood of these diseases arising and spreading.

Asia joins the Middle East in their status as common importers of live animals, and the notorious wet market in Wuhan, China is an example of where these suffering and sick animals often spend their last moments.

Unbeknownst to many consumers, the hamburgers and hot dogs grilled on hot summer days may very well come from a cow whose tongue was lolling and eyes were wide as it barely survived the heat exhaustion that claimed its decomposing neighbors, or a pig that had no choice but to lie in its own excrement for weeks at a time.

These realizations are at least enough for one to lose their appetite and at most enough for people to swear off eating meat for good. However, we do not all need to convert to vegetarianism in order to take a stand for both the welfare of these animals and our own. Something as simple as buying local or spreading awareness on various producers begins to cultivate the global responsibility necessary to impact, improve, or halt altogether the vast, unchecked industry that is live export.

For The Yucatan TimesRaquel Anais Smith

Raquel Anais Smith is a freelance writer specializing in environmental features, published across a variety of international online and print media.

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Horror on the High Seas: Animal Welfare & the Live Export Industry - The Yucatan Times

Automobili Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group present the worldwide premiere of Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63, the Tecnomar fleets new motor yacht available in a limited edition in reference to Lamborghinis 1963 foundation.

Performance, driving pleasure, attention to quality and details, emotion: these are the emotive features combined within the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63, thanks to innovative engineering solutions and a distinct design unique to shared Italian style and tradition.

This motor yacht project, developed by The Italian Sea Group, started with several collaborative sessions with the contribution of Lamborghinis Centro Stile and inspiration from the Lamborghini Sin FKP 37: the hybrid super sports car incorporating benchmarking new supercapacitor and materials science technologies, that anticipates the future with an unmistakable design and completely customizable colour and details.

The challenge of re-interpreting the common DNA traits of both brands has inspired all phases of the project, from the design principles to the definition of technical characteristics ensuring incredible performance, without neglecting the quality of materials and careful attention to detail.

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Lamborghini takes to the high seas - Paint and Panel

My Australian uncle just spent close to a month locked in his cabin on what he described as his "last cruise ever." No one died or caught the coronavirus, like on so many other vessels. But instead of sailing from Singapore to London, the ship brought him all the way back to Australia without a single stop along the way. That was followed by two weeks of mandatory quarantine in a Perth hotel.

One week later, my uncle emailed me to say he had already booked his next cruise! I couldn't believe it. He wrote that the company had given him a full refund for his "trip to nowhere," along with a 50% discount for a Perth-to-Singapore cruise next year the opposite to what he'd just done, but with shore leaves this time. I wondered if that would be enough to repress those dreaded memories.

Not the cruise of a lifetime

Reports show the coronavirus broke out on at least 55 ships across the world's oceans. Some public health experts said the vessels helped carry the virus around the globe. Many sailed for weeks after the disease was first detected on a cruise liner. That was, until ports refused them entry, stranding tens of thousands of passengers and crew at sea some for months.

A study in March by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked cruise ships with 17% of coronavirus cases in the United States in the early weeks of the global spread of COVID-19. That included the Diamond Princess, the site of one of the world's biggest outbreaks. Prosecutors argued the Ruby Princess was the main importer of cases to Australia. A criminal investigation was launched.

DW Senior Business Editor Ben Fajzullin at Hamburg Port

'The problem stayed on board'

However, the industry said it took extraordinary measures to limit outbreaks. The German government's maritime coordinator Norbert Brackmann (CDU) agreed. "The problem stayed on board," he told me. "The cruise liners are built according to the latest standards."

On a boat tour of Hamburg Port, industry veteran Walter Krombach told me cruise ships were more susceptible to the coronavirus than other places. "Where you have big crowds of people: 4,000 up to 6,000, plus the crew on a narrow area together, mixed together, the risk is there," he said.

'Ships don't have laboratories'

Ukrainian cruise entertainer Ivan Lytvynenko was one of the thousands trapped aboard the German ship, MV Artania, off Australia, when the virus broke out. It led to evacuations and deaths. His main concern was the lack of medical equipment on board. "The ships don't have laboratories, to carry out tests. That's something they'll have to think about,' he told me.

Brackmann said "you can be certain, the cruise operators will be taking this experience from the pandemic and using it to ensure their vessels are even more secure in the future." But the big boats wouldhave to consider setting sail with only half the passengers, if they wanted to adhere to social distancing rules. There was also talk of fewer stops and going local: discouraging passengers from flying to their port of departure and taking a cruise closer to home.

At least the big cruise operators scored well when it cameto providing disinfectant on board to clean your hands. Whereas the rest of the world (except for parts of Asia)only just started installing disinfectant dispensers, they have been a mainstay in front of restaurants on cruise liners for years now. That is because they have had to deal with all sorts of outbreaks before: measles, chickenpox, salmonella, E. coli and the dreaded norovirus.

My holiday from hell

I caught the norovirus on my first and last cruise in 2016. I spent two whole days with severe chills, fever, diarrhea and vomiting, locked in my cabin. That turned me into a bit of a skeptic. Coincidentally, the Spanish operators of the cruise Pullmantur just went bankrupt. There were reports that its fleet of three ships (one just renovated in 2017) washeaded for the scrap heap.

COVID-19 took its toll. But like any health scare, consumers tend to forget quickly. And those who only watched the drama unfold on their flat-screen TVs from the comfort of their own homes wouldfeel even more disconnected from the horrors.

My parents were already planning their next cruise. My father has health issues and cannot fly. A cruise was a great solution to travel. But what if he were to catch something on board, stuck out at sea, with little access to medical equipment? It was something I worried about.

Ukrainian cruise ship entertainer Ivan Lytvynenko may enjoy this land excursion, but he's raring to return to work on the MV Artania

Smaller cruises set sail

He was happy to hear that some of the first cruise operators were already gearing up for business again. In the same week that I was in Hamburg, a smaller expedition boat was the very first to venture back out onto the high seas for German customers. Less than a third of the boat was booked. As passengers checked in, staff checked their temperatures. I read that shore leaves were off the cards.

Whether it meant significantly fewer passengers or higher costs to offer what some companies called a "gold standard in public health," operators would be desperate to get any sort of revenues flowing again, after billions of dollars in losses and lawsuits. And the vast majority of firms continued to burn through billions in cash, with their vessels stuck in dock. Their share prices continued to take on water, as I wrote this article.

Bookings are surging

But booking platforms reported that reservations were surging again. Operators were offering big discounts, like in my uncle's case. On the one hand, some analysts expected another boom even bigger than before the crisis. Krombach, on the other hand, told me the boom was well and truly over and that the industry would never be the same. "Everybody thought in that business that the boom would continue forever. Corona made a stop a full stop."

Skyping with Ivan Lytvynenko, I was surprised to hear from him as well, that his ship wasbooked out. "Our passengers all want to come back. We're booked out for the next two years and I'm certain many, many people will want to do the trip."

And what about the 31-year-old, after being trapped with all those passengers and the threat of a highly contagious virus on board? "I can't wait. It's been my life the last 11 years. I've always been on cruise ships. I just don't know when I'll be able to again."

Excerpt from:

Coronavirus fallout: Cruising into the unknown - DW (English)

We're wishing everyone a wonderful Independence Day celebrating America's founding.

COLUMBIA, S.C. Happy July 4th from News19!

The holiday, of course, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which formally split the United States from Britain.

The legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. (Founding father John Adams believed that it would be July 2nd that would forever be the day remembered by Americans with celebrations and fireworks. But alas...)

After voting for freedom, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence itself. Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of the document, which Congress debated and revised, finally approving it on July 4.

We think perhaps way to pay tribute to the holiday is by reprinting the Declaration of Independence, that incredible document of freedom, which you can read below.

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

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Happy 4th of July from WLTX! - WLTX.com

Despite a relatively shallow seabed, oil production 120 miles (190 kilometers) from the coast in the infamously treacherous North Sea has always required a technological approach to make it profitable. Right from the beginning of production in the 1960s, helicopters were a part of making it possible.

By 1997, the rotary-wing industry that had developed in support of offshore production was mature and well established, but a small new operator, based in the Belgian coastal city of Oostende, was preparing to shake up the sector. That company was Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (North Sea Helicopters, Flanders) or NHV, established by Eric Van Hal, his brother Jef De Kinder and another investor, with an Airbus Helicopters (then Eurocopter) AS365 N3.

The company grew rapidly over the following years, even as the regions oil production began to fall. NHVs operations spanned the coasts of Western Europe (both on- and offshore) and West Africa, but the jewel in the crown remained elusive.

The Scottish city of Aberdeen was transformed perhaps like no other by the oil-and-gas industry. It has the worlds busiest commercial heliport, with 37,000 rotary movements per year that almost exclusively serve offshore oil-and-gas. NHV had opened its U.K. base in the East English coastal town of Norwich in 2008, but without an operation in Aberdeen there was a risk of being overlooked as a serious offshore contender.

Getting into Aberdeen was difficult as real estate was very expensive, said Jamie John, NHVs base manager at Aberdeen. We couldnt win any work in Aberdeen without a base there, and we couldnt get a presence without a contract.

To get around this chicken and egg situation, NHV took a base in the far north of Scotland and embarked on an effort to build its reputation in the face of the more established names.

NHV was a player in Europe but little-known in the U.K., explained John. We started operating initially in Wick with a couple of aircraft and that basically got us our name.

After an 18-year career with the Royal Air Force in ground operations, John spent some time in the Middle East before returning to Europe with DanCopter in 2012, which was acquired by NHV along with the rest of the Blueway Group in 2014. At a stroke, this made the company one of the largest helicopter operators in Europe, with a presence in every oil producing country in the North Sea region.

John explained that things started to change in Aberdeen a year later. We won a contract with a large major [oil producer] and began gaining momentum, he said. In 2015, we were awarded a contract for two aircraft, and we flew our first contracted offshore flight from Aberdeen out of a temporary facility in January 2016 while our base was under construction.

That operation supported between 150 and 180 flying hours per month with a team of 20 personnel. Now Aberdeen is NHVs largest flying unit with a fleet of seven aircraft flying 7,000 to 8,000 hours per year and employing 120 staff.

NHV was the launch customer for the H175, and received its 12th of the type in 2019. The Aberdeen fleet would be entirely of that type, which was a departure from the trend.

The [Airbus Helicopters H] 225 and the [Sikorsky] S-92 were still flying, so there was nothing in the medium class flying at Aberdeen, Neil Christie, the bases chief pilot, explained.

John was a key part of the team setting up the Aberdeen base, and while contracts have accumulated and the company footprint expanded dramatically since, the nature of the task hasnt changed much.

We call them bus schedule contracts, he explained. We tend to fly very regular, scheduled runway-to-rig operations that allow predictable working routines.

It seems likely that oil-and-gas passenger transfers in this environment could only be described as routine and predictable by someone who has either spent a lot of time in that business, or none at all.

The North Sea spans lines of latitude that are roughly coincident with Alaska, and if the weather is predictable, then it is predictably terrible. High winds and high seas are only generally absent when the thick regional fog known as the Haar blankets the ocean and coast, sending the air temperature plummeting.

Certainly, most of the flights are similar in profile, but when at least one landing and takeoff must be made to a ship, or a platform hundreds of feet above the waves and surrounded by other vertical obstructions, describing them as routine is understated, to say the least.

It is a hazardous environment in which to undertake the already risky business of oil-and-gas production, and there have been several high-profile incidents and accidents that have well illustrated the dangers including those that led to the lengthy prohibition of EC225 LP and AS332 L2 helicopter operations in the U.K. and Norway.

Unsurprisingly then, safety is at the forefront of everyones mind, not just among the aviation community but also those who they transport to their place of work, miles out to sea. Their representatives in the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) take a keen interest in the operation of aircraft that support the industry, and put in place restrictions over and above those of the regional and national aviation regulators.

This emphasis is keenly felt in the cockpit, where responsibility for the safe conduct of flight ultimately rests.

We want to create the same perfect flight each time, where the passengers can have their nap and arent awoken, said Christie. How we deal with the weather and anything else needs to be standardized, but we train hard to have that peaceful flight.

In common with much else in aviation that involves carriage of passengers, that training and standardization revolves around procedure, but oil rigs are very different from international airports or in fact any airport. While performance-based navigation and even point-in-space approaches have been implemented in other industries, the preferred method to get a large helicopter onto an oil rig involves judicious use of radar. This is not only because of the challenges of the variability of wind direction and strength, but also to aid detection of boats or other obstacles that might have found their way into the path of the approaching aircraft.

Rig approaches typically start at 1,500 feet (460 meters) above the sea level at 6.5 nautical miles (12 kilometers) and an air speed of 90 knots, before a descent to 200 feet (60 meters) is initiated. A 10 degree turn away from the rig ensures separation before the aircraft continues to a missed approach point at mile.

Having flown the AS332 L previously and coming from the H155, Christie was familiar with Airbus Helicopters products and design philosophy.

The H175 came quite naturally; the aircraft simplifies a lot of things, he explained. The cockpit is a lot more automated and simplified, which lends to an easier CRM [crew resource management] environment for the crew. That all leads to reducing the risk of confusion or mistakes.

Christie reserved particular praise for the aircrafts Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS), native to the H175s Helionix avionics setup.

Ive worked on machines in the past where I had less trust in the AFCS, he said. But Ive heard it again and again from crews that theyve never had as much trust in another aircraft as they do in the 175.

At least part of this trust likely comes as a result of the vast array of experience with the aircraft that comes from within the company. NHV has not only been operating the machine for longer than anybody else, but also has the largest fleet anywhere in the world.

Despite having only joined the company in 2019, NHVs U.K. flight ops manager Chris Cooper is a convert to the type, both technically and ideologically.

Its a fantastic aircraft, he said. Weve become the authority on the H175 because weve been involved from the very beginning. A lot of the processes and procedures that have been introduced have come from NHV and the experience we have with the aircraft.

Cooper explained that the variety of landing platforms across the region influenced the companys fleet choices. The smaller decks off Norwich are well suited to the Leonardo AW139, while NHV has chosen the Leonardo AW169 for the even smaller decks off the coast of Blackpool in northwest England for a new contract with Spirit Energy.

With such a modern fleet, it is easy to see why pilots are attracted to NHV, but Christie and Cooper are equally adamant that the strength of NHV comes from its people.

We are good at selecting the right people, said Cooper. We place a big emphasis on that. Obviously, recruits have to have the right technical qualification but with small teams, they also need to have great team skills.

That experience is getting harder and harder to come by. The IOGP sets out rigorous minimum requirements even for first officers. In particular, the requirement for 500 hours in multi-engine aircraft narrows the field enormously.

NHV is taking some steps towards making the process of working in the sector more achievable for inexperienced pilots.

The mainstay of our hiring is experienced people, but weve also been able to bring on some inexperienced pilots that have just got their CPL(H), got their IR and theyve no experience, he said.

NHV has its own ATO to deliver type ratings and line training, but copilots arriving without the requisite hours each have to be approved by the IOGP on a case-by-case basis. This must add cost to the company, but Christie explained that the value went beyond simply filling a cockpit seat and gives the company additional choice in who it hires.

We need everyone to be able to work well together in the cockpit and in the office, he said. But its also fresh eyes; we like to see people coming in and asking why we do things a certain way, it gives us a chance to ask ourselves that.

The companys team spirit has undoubtedly been tested. No sooner had the operation at Aberdeen begun in earnest, it was decided that Britain would leave the European Union, and with it the European Aviation Safety Agency.

NHVs history is filled with examples of operating across national boundaries. For example, while its management of continuous airworthiness is U.K.-registered, the part 145 maintenance operation is Belgian. Until 2018 this was also the case for its Air Operators Certificate (AOC), but with Britain disentangling itself from the European Union, NHV decided to change the whole of the U.K. operation onto a U.K. AOC.

John explained that the planning and preparation took a year and depended not only on the talent that existed in the company, but on others that they needed to bring in.

In the end it was a complete shutdown of the existing AOC and a fresh start over a weekend. Aircraft were deregistered on the Friday and by Monday we were ready to go, he explained. We found the right people to manage the process. We even managed to continue to win contracts while we were doing it.

More recent challenges have had far broader reach. While the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic placed much of the world into lockdown, it was vital that the energy industry continued to be able to operate.

One of the biggest challenges that we had right at the start was gaining any kind of good advice because nobody was an expert in this, said Cooper.

While NHV needed to be able to transport symptomatic patients who didnt meet the threshold for search-and-rescue (SAR), they nevertheless had to be transported back to the mainland. However, adherence to regulation made it difficult to protect people.

We had a dedicated helicopter and a medic with oxygen, and I think that put us ahead of the curve initially, Cooper said. To start with we couldnt get a barrier in for the crew because you needed part 21 approval to do anything, so we had a spare 175 which we put into a cargo fit, which is three seats at the front and three at the back, so at least we had some distance.

Cooper said the companys small, experienced, teams not only enable rapid action in a crisis, but are also critically important to winning and keeping routine business.

The base managers look after the customers. They dont have to go through key account managers, he said. The customers like it because they can come straight to someone who has an answer and they are just dealing with one person.

The coronavirus crisis has undoubtedly injected a fresh and unwanted dose of uncertainty into an oil-and-gas market that was already suffering a downturn. While NHVs U.K. operation doesnt seem distracted from a job it is proud to have succeeded at as the underdog, the wider company has plenty of other experience, from SAR, helicopter emergency medical services and MRO services in Europe, to utility work in Norway. This makes diversification a possibility, in principle at least.

The focus in the U.K. is on our operations supporting oil-and-gas, said John. Were not shy about looking into other markets, but those markets are likely to be linked to offshore services.

NHV has already proved that it can adapt to challenging circumstances, and its likely that itll have plenty of time to adapt further.

Read the original post:

NHV: Shaking up the offshore market - Vertical Magazine

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in 2017, 40.1 million people worldwide worked on fishing vessels. These men and women are sometimes forcibly conscripted onto boats where their most basic rights are violated. Faced with this unacceptable situation, several associations and trade unions are pushing for the international community to better regulate the rapidly evolving industry.

Supreyanto was 47 years old. An Indonesian national, he worked on a Taiwanese vessel fishing tuna, a job which often requires several days of work without rest. It was a job for which Supreyanto gave his life. In 2015, after four months spent at sea, the fisher died on a boat that was employing him in what the captain and several sailors described as an accident. In reality, it was a murder.

Supreyanto suffered many abuses aboard the Taiwanese vessel, including humiliation and beatings. His story, all too common in the fishing industry, came to light thanks to the work of Allison Lee, founder of the Yilan Migrant Fishermen Union. Created in 2014, it is Taiwans first union dedicated to defending the rights of foreign sailors employed in the country.

For years, she has fought to protect these often-exploited workers. Its hard to know whats going on aboard the boats, she tells Equal Times.

Most of the time we have nothing but our suspicions. The sailors who die often disappear into the ocean.

As the economic stakes of the fishing industry continue to rise, stories like Supreyantos are increasingly commonplace on the worlds seas.

The fishing industry is one of the most dangerous and violent in the world. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 20,000 to 30,000 seafarers disappear every year while at sea. I think its due to the nature of the work, Kimberly Rogovin, senior seafood campaign coordinator at the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), tells Equal Times. On the boats, you dont have access to the most basic medical care.

According to Rogovin, fishing vessels are also under enormous economic pressure to reduce costs, so they hire the least trained and cheapest workers. This is particularly true in the countries of Asia, which are home to 75 per cent of the worlds active fishing vessels. The fishing industry in these countries relies on migrant workers from countries where employment is scarce who are willing to work for starvation wages.

In the Taiwanese fishing industry, which specialises in tuna, its mainly Indonesian and Filipino workers who work on the boats. In Thailand its workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. They catch all types of fish, both inside and outside of exclusive economic zones (EEZ) [editors note: areas within 200 nautical miles of a countrys coast where it is allowed to explore and use marine resources]. They are the ones that suffer the worst abuses. The same goes for workers in South Korea, explains Rogovin.

Over the years, associations have documented abuses in the industry. I think there are examples of abuse on many boats throughout the world. But this phenomenon has become extreme in recent years and certain regions are more affected than others, Thailand, for example, Steve Trent, founder and president of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), tells Equal Times. According to a United Nations report, 59 per cent of migrant workers employed on Thai boats have witnessed the killing of another sailor.

The entire system is designed to keep sailors dependent on the boats they are on. They cant leave or demand that their rights be respected. In this respect, working on a boat can be similar to slavery, Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs Asia division, tells Equal Times. Indeed, many of the migrant workers employed on fishing vessels incur significant debt well before going out to sea.

Recruitment agencies seek out the poorest workers they can find, offering them contracts and the possibility of work abroad. Documents are signed in exchange for a large sum of money and before they know it, workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Cambodia find themselves working on fishing vessels in deplorable conditions where they are forced to work for years to pay off their debts. The United Nations has called this practice a form of modern slavery.

Moreover, as Robertson explains: Deep-sea fishing operations are conducted outside of all national labour laws, and in fact outside of any law at all, since regulations on work at sea are almost non-existent. While fishing activities are regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in reality it is little respected.

In 2007, after two years of negotiations, the ILO adopted a new convention (Convention 188) aimed at ensuring decent working conditions for fishers aboard fishing vessels, specifically with regard to conditions of service, accommodation and food, occupational safety and health protection.

But the document lacks a base of support as no Asian country except for Thailand has agreed to sign it.

Moreover, the vastness of the worlds oceans and seas makes it difficult to carry out checks, which makes it difficult to ensure that conventions are being properly applied, even more so when the vessels employing exploited workers are ghost ships engaged in illegal fishing.

International institutions refer to fishing activities that take place outside of any international monitoring as IUU fishing (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing). This practice accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of activities in the sector, the equivalent of US$10 to US$20 million a year, according to the FAO. Many people are trying to regulate IUU fishing because they cant profit from it, says Rogovin.

However, the fight against illegal fishing and for better regulation of the oceans cannot be separated from the fight against forced labour. Climate change and overfishing are making it harder to catch fish close to the shore, says HRWs Robertson. When fishing vessels become fleets fishing on the high seas, the abuses against workers intensify and worsen significantly. Furthermore, as he explains, IUU fishing over long periods of time is really only possible if you have forcibly detained crews working indefinitely in horrible conditions.

Migrant workers are treated like disposable resources while vessel owners have only one objective: catching as many fish as possible to make the biggest profits.

This has become increasingly difficult due to the overfishing of the oceans. One in three species of fish is now overfished, Pearl Peiyu Chen, who works for Greenpeace in Asia, tells Equal Times. The boats have to travel farther and farther out into the ocean and stay at sea for longer periods of time to find the resources that they need.

Commercial fishing is part of a global chain and there is enormous pressure from buyers, whether its larger retailers like Walmart, Tesco or Carrefour, or distributors who buy seafood products, like Nestl, explains Rogovin. This enormous pressure on the industry to keep production costs low forces the boats to save money so they can continue to sell their fish.

Greenpeace points in particular to the involvement of industry giants in forced labour. Last March, the association revealed disturbing testimonies from sailors employed on two vessels linked to Fong Chong Formosa (FCF), one of the largest tuna traders in Tawain, which sells its products on Japanese, American and European markets. While Asian countries are particularly implicated in forced labour, the EJF has also documented cases of forced labour on British and Irish boats, as well as US-flagged vessels based in Hawaii.

However, solutions exist for putting an end to these degrading practices for workers around the world. Trent believes that there is a range of easily accessible and economically viable tools that could be put in place. For example, when you look out the window, wherever you are in the world, and see cars going by, they have license plates. This prevents serious problems. At sea, many fishing vessels dont have identification numbers. Were advocating for the introduction of license plates from the moment the vessels are built to the moment they are destroyed.

Another proposed solution is the installation of tracking systems and cameras on board ships. Associations are also calling for an end to transhipment at sea. The practice is simple: in order to avoid fishing vessels making too many return trips between the coast and the high sea, other vessels come to collect the fish caught and bring the goods back to port. This practice allows vessels to stay at sea without having to interrupt their fishing activities, but it is also often associated with forced labour a situation which has worsened with the coronavirus which has left tens of thousands of fishers and other seafarers stuck at sea due to containment measures. . However, the worlds countries are increasingly regulating transhipment as it is often associated with IUU fishing.

Faced with international pressure, but also with intergovernmental logistical and financial support, several countries have taken additional steps to improve working conditions on fishing vessels. Thailand, which has been particularly singled out for criticism in recent years, has been trying to better regulate its industry since 2015. Thanks in particular to improved working conditions on its vessels and an investment of more than 1.75 million bahts (US$56,700) to modernise fishing equipment, the country has successfully reduced the need for labour on Thai-flagged vessels by 37 per cent, thus lowering production costs while improving working conditions and wages for foreign workers.

The European Union also lifted the yellow card it had given to Taiwan in 2015 after significant improvements made over the last three and a half years to tracking and regulation of its fishing vessels.

International conventions appear to be bearing fruit. In 2018, the Taiwanese-flagged Fuh Sheng No.11 became the first vessel detained under the provisions of the ILOs Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188) after an inspection revealed cases of forced labour on board.

But governments are not the only actors capable of fighting against forced labour on fishing vessels. Several trade unions have been formed over the last few years to defend the rights of migrant fishers. These organisations are indispensable in the fight against these practices. In addition to the role of information and prevention they play with the workers they are able to reach, they have also played a major role in recent years in denouncing ship owners who fail to respect the most basic human rights.

One such organisation, the Fishers Rights Network (FRN), was launched in Songkhla, one of Thailands largest ports, in 2017. Since then, the union has been distributing first aid kits to fishers and has helped several of them to claim unpaid wages. Its actions have forced the government to raise the minimum wage for fishers. In January 2017, the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN), also based in Thailand but working on behalf of workers from Myanmar, assisted more than 2,000 migrant workers in submitting a collective labour demand to their employer.

These worldwide struggles cannot be successful without the mobilisation of all of the actors in the channels of consumption, all the way to consumers.

Consumers need to ask questions in their supermarkets or in restaurants to ensure that seafood products are produced using sustainable practices that respect labour and human rights, explains Robertson.

For Trent, a better political vision, greater control by retailers of where their products come from and consumer mobilisation could make a difference. The challenges are immense, theres no doubt about it. But we have solutions at our disposal. The EJF founder is calling for global action to be taken: The seas and oceans cover more than 70 per cent of our planet and have no borders. These problems cannot be solved individually. If we dont work together, we will fail, he says.

This is a major challenge for the thousands of migrant workers who are abused by their captains on the worlds oceans every day. Climate change and dwindling fish resources combined with growing demand are making this issue increasingly urgent. According to the FAO, global per capita fish consumption in 2016 was more than 20 kilograms a year, double what it was 50 years ago.

Read the original here:

Saving workers from the hell of the fishing industry in Asia - Equal Times

- Strong to gale north-westerly winds (60-75km/h) are expected in places over the Northern Cape and Western Cape on Thursday.

- Strong to gale north-westerly winds (60-75km/h) between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas of the Western Cape Thursday spreading to Plettenberg Bay by the evening.

- High seas with wave heights from 6m to 8m are expected between Hondeklip Bay and Cape Agulhas Thursday.

- Heavy rain is expected over the high lying areas of the Cape Metropole and Cape Winelands Thursday evening and Friday.

- A heavy rain leading to localised flooding is possible over the Cape Metropole, mountainous areas of Cape Winelands and Overberg from Friday until Saturday.

- Very cold conditions are expected over Western Cape and the southern high ground of the Northern Cape on Friday afternoon spreading eastwards by Saturday morning.

- Snowfalls are expected over the mountainous regions of the Western Cape and the southern high ground of the Northern Cape on Friday.

See the rest here:

Special weather alert: Snow, heavy rain and strong winds to lash Western and Northern Cape - News24

National Sea Rescue Institute performs a life saving exercise during the learn to swim event at Monwabisi Beach.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has appealed to beach goers and smaller vessels at sea to be cautious because of higher and lower tides, which will peak on Sunday.

In a statement, the NSRI said high seas, combined with a Spring tide and the cold front, are expected to reach the Western Cape on Saturday along the south and south-west coastline and persist into Monday morning.

"The concern is for smaller vessels at sea navigating through the conditions, as well as for beach goers and coastal hikers, who may be caught off-guard by large waves at Spring high tide that could potentially sweep them off the rocks along the shoreline," NSRI CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson said.

"We are appealing to boaters, paddlers, beach goers, surfers, coastal hikers, anglers and the public to be cautious around the coastline and to follow SA Weather Service (SAWS) forecasts."

- Compiled by Alex Mitchley

Read this article:

Sea vessels warned of higher and lower than normal tides - News24

ASSATEAGUE STATE PARK, Md. Seven months after washing up on the shores of Cape Cod, Mass., No. 300 stoically scanned the powdery beach while being held aloft by Marylands second-highest elected official.

It was hardly the strangest thing to befall the young Kemps ridley sea turtle, a Gulf of Mexico native, since the animal found itself in cool northern waters in November. Its body temperature plunged, making it too lethargic to swim. It was scooped up by volunteers who found it near-dead on shore. It was trucked to Baltimore, then warmed by aquarium workers who named it Muenster and treated its pneumonia. The turtle swam in a pool with other injured turtles named for cheeses, and swam some more, not knowing that outside, pandemic-related shutdowns were delaying its return to the Atlantic waters now before it.

Soon, Republican Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, jeans rolled up to his knees, placed the turtle into breaking waves as beachgoers cheered this glint of hope at a time of tumult on land. And without a look back, Muenster became the first of 10 Kemps ridley and green sea turtles to paddle forth on this late June morning into an ocean that by some measures has become more hospitable to the seafaring reptiles and by others indicators warming seas, intensifying hurricanes may be turning more perilous.

Six of seven sea turtle species are threatened or endangered, their populations driven down by development of the beaches where they nest, pollution of the waters where they forage, fishing nets and lines that accidentally catch them, and hunting and trade. But even against that dim backdrop, the trends for those that swim U.S. waters look fairly positive, according to one recent study: Endangered species protections have helped six of eight populations rise.

Green sea turtles that nest in Florida had experienced such remarkable recovery, the study said, that their status was upgraded from endangered to threatened in 2016. But some experts worry that an increase in intense hurricanes, which may be worsening because of global warming, poses a growing threat to sea turtle beaches.

Kemps ridleys such as Muenster, the most endangered sea turtles of all, are a different story. Juveniles ages 2 to 5 or so commonly strand on Massachusetts beaches near where they spend summer months eating. While turtle stranding can be caused by entanglement, illness or boat-strikes, these turtles are usually cold-stunned: After having followed ocean currents up the Atlantic to the Gulf of Maine, those that stick around too long end up in water too cool for them to handle perhaps because they get stuck in the hook of Cape Cod.

I suspect these little guys have this innate sense that when temperatures drop, they need to swim south. For a lot that need to be in that area, its fine, said Kate Mansfield, a biologist who directs the University of Central Floridas Marine Turtle Research Group. But if youre in that Cape Cod area and try to go south, youre going to hit beach.

The number of cold-stunned turtles stranding on Cape Cod annually varies but is rising overall. Just over 200 stranded in 2010, according to the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2014, a record 1,241 did; in 2018, more than 800. This past winter, 301 were swept ashore.

The New England Aquarium nurses some back to health, but the high numbers mean a network of facilities must take in others. Almost all the patients have pneumonia which produces raspy breathing in a sea turtle and many have gastrointestinal problems and external injuries, said Kate Shaffer, rehabilitation manager for the National Aquarium in Baltimore, which cared for the turtles released at Assateague. The most dire case to come into the National Aquarium this past season, Mascarpone, arrived with an eye so scabbed over the staff wasnt sure it was there, she said. (It was, and it recovered.)

The process of a turtle ending up on the beach against his or her will is definitely a rough one. Theyve probably been cartwheeled around in the surf, said the National Aquariums CEO, John Racanelli. A lot of them come back with eye injuries.

It isnt clear what is driving the surge in cold-stunning off Cape Cod Bay, although some experts think it may be a good sign more nests means more stranding. But researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst found in a study published last year that the increase is associated with rising sea surface temperatures caused by climate change, not with a rising number of hatchlings. The Gulf of Maine is warming particularly quickly, and that may be causing the turtles to expand farther north, the researchers wrote.

That same paper said that while rehabilitation efforts like the one that got Muenster back to the ocean probably save a minute percentage of Kemps ridleys, they are critical to continuing to bolster population resiliency.

Or as Racanelli, standing on the beach under gauzy clouds, put it: This is one place where we can intervene and actually do something good for a species... . They just need a chance to get back on their little flippers.

The aquarium chooses a theme each year when naming rescued wildlife it admits, which is how this seasons batch of 35 cold-stunned turtles came to be named for cheeses. Of the 10 released last week, four were Kemps ridleys and six were green sea turtles. The greens stranded off North Carolina, where cold-stunning occurs during unusual cold snaps. The aquariums first-ever cold-stunned sea turtle from Maryland, Cheddar, came in this season but did not survive.

This particular batch this year was a pretty rough group of turtles, Shaffer said, referring to their conditions.

Muenster, the star of the release because he was the aquariums 300th rehabilitated animal, was expected to head back to the ocean during a winter release in Florida but wasnt well enough. Then, a release planned for April was scuttled because of coronavirus shutdowns.

Now, it was June, and the beaches were open to humans and to turtles.

But the release last week was not typical. It was carried out at Assateague State Park, rather than a more crowded location such as Ocean City, in hopes of more social distancing for all present. Volunteers, the backbone of the aquariums rehab program, were not told about the event for the same reason. Aquarium staff greeted each other as if at a family reunion; most had not seen each other since March. All wore masks, and hand sanitizer was squirted liberally.

In normal times, Racanelli said, he would be in Baltimore running the aquarium and chasing donors. But the aquarium was closed.

Its good to be here to see it, he said. We need hope.

The turtles were pulled out of a white truck one by one, each resting on a towel in a cardboard Chiquita banana box donated by a supermarket.

As they walked toward the ocean, staff members carried Brie and Mascarpone, both Kemps ridleys, down a line of spectators standing behind yellow caution tape and orange cones. Tags akin to pet microchips were implanted in the animals so they can be identified if they strand again. It happens.

The turtles moved their flippers back and forth, as if already imagining being in the sea.

I hope you enjoy the ocean! one woman gushed.

Read the original:

For injured turtles, a return to the sea - The Keene Sentinel

How reflection can be embedded into the #TLevel course

In the first of the two articles in this series we looked at an overview of the upcoming T Level offering and then in the second we ran through the background and importance of reflective learning, a key skill young people need to develop whether they embark on the university or work route.

In this, the third in the trilogy, we are going to combine the two to look at how reflection can be embedded into the T level course; what is expected of T level students in terms of the content of their journals and how Kloodles digital platform presents the most user-friendly, efficient and fun option.

So, as you read this, 50 colleges up and down the country are gearing up to prepare candidates for 3 T levels from September.

And to provide oven-ready candidates for next year, a host of educational institutions are launching transition courses to extend the T conveyor belt downstream.

The work experience as part of the qualificationsgives the students real-life applications of communication, numeracy, literacy and employability skills.

Over the past year we have been contacted by numerous providers who are interested to use the Kloodle digital platform to cement their T level offering and this has inspired me to write this article to highlight how the platform can be used to support learner, provider and employer communities.

In the second in this trilogy of articles, we talked about how reflective practitioners promoted a written log or diary as an essential mechanism of developing reflective skills.

Back in the day when I was a lad, it was commonplace for young people, inspired no doubt by the exploits of Adrian Mole(he was 13 back then), to keep a diary.

It enabled us to delve into his mind and understand what made him tick.

Youngsters of today, the so-called Gen Z, are more used to posting Insta-stories or videos on TikTok instead of the traditional way of putting pen to paper to record events. Thats not a problem, as the digital process can embrace all of these approaches.

The concept of the logbook has been around a long time; the earliest known example was written in hieroglyphic letters on papyrus, detailing the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, 4,500 yearsago!!

Its author detailed a timetable of the work relating to transporting limestone from nearby quarries by boat to the site. Logbooks then rose to prominence on the high seas as a tool for recording the daily jaunts of the ships captain and crew, including distance travelled, places visited, weather and so on.

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It was the black box to help them trace the causes of problems. Its so useful and important on journeys that it will even be used into the future; as you see in Star Trek when Captain Kirk logs the events on the Starship Enterprise.

The Logbook, or journal, is an essential aspect of the T level qualification journey and the content of the log will be assessed in the exam. Students provide evidence of their reflections and ideas in the Logbook which acts as an interface for the teacher and mentor to assess progress.

However, on the digital platform, the format of the diary is not in a Samuel Pepys long form style (although that could be interesting!) but can be a colourful kaleidoscope of media such as blogs, videos and photos.

The proposal to use a logbook as part of the T level assessment is a great idea, however, the quality of the proforma T level Logbook suggested by the DfE leaves a lot to be desired; its a 1980s style fill-in-the-blanks, tick-the-box style booklet, prescriptive, pretty uninspirational and certainly not in keeping with the digital age and reflective practice.

In terms of content, the Logbook should set out the goals and expectations beforehand, then ongoing developments during the placement.

This is summarised in the diagram below and as you can see, reflecting regularly is a key aspect of the journey:

In the DfE proforma, there is a skills section of the Logbook, where students are asked to self-assess some skills on a five-point scale.

It appears that only a few skill areas are selected, namely around communication, preparation and social skills, but there isnt a clear framework which is applied. I expect, if left alone, most students will struggle with this.

The Logbook should also include basic standing data about the placement, regarding the student, the employer, the place of work and the role; as shown in this diagram.

The log should be in digital form. There are many benefits of using a digital platform for the diary.

Can you think of many?

To name a few:

Learners maintain a diary by uploading information to their personal profile on Kloodle. This profile is their personal professional brand in digital form. Its what you and your skills might look like to a potential employer. Effectively its a digital CV.

The software allows the student to support their skills and achievements by uploading evidence to their profile and the T level placement is a perfect scheme for this.

There are two specific aspects of the profile which are linked to T levels, namely:

One feeds into the other.

Over the 2 years of the course these features of the profile scaffold students development and help to build confidence in the workplace. Also, both the Logbook and Skills Wheel are useful for Transition Year students to get used to; this can build maturity and confidence which are often the reasons for not commencing the full T level.

On Kloodle, the student maintains their journal of what they have been accomplishing in the work environment linking back to the theory taught in the classroom.

As part of this they upload evidence of the skills developed supported by different media; this could be a blog about, say, problems with communication with children, a video about a construction site ready for development or a picture of a block of code youve written. This process captures reflections and also develops self-awareness.

The students are prompted to tag skills they feel are associated with this task. As they progress through the project and work placement these skills then feed through to the Skills Wheel which Ill explain shortly.

The work experience can be logged daily on their profile to leave a rich trail of evidence of the projects completed, which supervisors can easily review to give feedback. Most of this is very intuitive and can even be done through the app on the phone. The screenshots here show how this is done.

In order to help students to develop the habit of keeping a regular journal, they are prompted to answer a series of questions which have been inspired by the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, something we talked about in the second article. Its to get the students into the habit of reflecting on what they have done on each day of their placement. Without realising it, theyll be learning about learning!

Successful completion of the entries can be checked and reviewed by supervisors and mentors, either face-to-face or remotely; the latter being very important in the times we live in.

The diary can also act an audit trail, so that students can run back over their thought processes and see how they have arrived where they are. It is also a great way of assessing growth mindset and distance travelled!

The Skills Wheel has a number of spokes, pointing out from the centre in all directions of the compass, each one of which represents a specific skill. In the picture here, the skill at due North is Teamwork, a very highly valued trait.

As each student adds content to their profile, they are prompted to tag in the skills which the evidence supports; the Wheel is then updated for the personalised skills and is a pictorial representation of the strengths and areas for improvement of that individual student.

It becomes the focus for conversations with tutors and mentors about where to concentrate attention. This one here is empty. I know what Id want to do, fill it up!

The number and range of skills can be tailored for an organisation; typically, colleges will set 10 skills to focus on. However, we have a number of model frameworks which can be applied depending on the objectives and this is something that we help schools and colleges to develop.

Companies which build talent pipelines of students on Kloodle signpost the skills they value the most by utilising an awards system; this presents virtual skills badges for students who upload sufficient and appropriate evidence of demonstrating the skill.

Different careers require different combinations of skills and over time the employers build up a picture of what they are looking for in good-fit candidates and this can be used as a template for aspirant applicants. At the same time, it nudges the students to reflect on and develop their employability for a specific role.

I think would work really well with T level placements.

In this example below, the student has started to build up their skills profile during the first few weeks of the placement.

On the left you can see that the Wheel starts to take shape; they have shown strength in teamwork, leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship and some development in digital research and communication.

However, you can see at a glance that little support for commercial awareness has been demonstrated.

The assessor could be able to appraise the current status and then set some targets for the development of the Wheel for the next meeting. The kids like it because it feels more like a game than the serious topic of preparing for a life of work!

As the placement continues, skills are tagged, the Wheel grows and forms different shapes. Whats interesting is that you tend to find a polarised reaction; the students either want to keep pushing what theyre good at, the so-called star shape, OR aim for the perfect circle of the good all-rounder. As the confidence and skills develop the student can build whatever shape they want to achieve that fits in with their goals. This is the virtuous feedback loop. Activity, tag, grow, repeat.

Evidencing and reflecting on these experiences through Kloodle provides the school or college with data on the distance travelled for the learner.

Thats how it works. Now whats it all about in a nutshell, please.

The Skills Wheel is a valuable reflection tool to support self-evaluation. There is no right answer, its just a channel to help the student to critically reflect on what they have achieved and where they can improve.

In the initial stages, tutors and mentors will set expectations with the student which becomes something to aim towards. As the learner builds their own self-awareness, they can spot the gaps in the pattern and prioritise next steps to get to where they want to. That in itself is a great skill to learn!

So, those new shiny T levels waiting for ignition on the launchpad offer a great opportunity to level up; level up skills, level up prospects, level up economies. The focus is on taking off and leaving behind the just regurgitate culture in education and concentrating on linking the theory in the classroom with the practice on the placement.

Historically, this has been a missing link in technical education and the way to fix it successfully is by implementing reflective learning through the medium of the logbook. We suggest you use the intuitive Kloodle digital platform as it is efficient and students can build their profile, skills and confidence on the journey to becoming a highly skilled employee.

Good luck.

Neil Wolstenholme,Chairman,Kloodle

Please contact us at Kloodleif you would like to discuss further.

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What Is The Missing Link For Evolution Of Technical Education? - FE News