Category Archives: High Seas

Head coaches Dan Hurley and Ed Cooley have mentioned it, but every game in the Big East is going to be a war. Now that Big East play has begun, the only thing stopping this league from displaying its dominance is COVID-19. Not the selection committee, COVID-19.

COVID-19 may have already plagued two games from ever happening due to the Big Easts cancellation policy, but there were still some exciting contests that went down from the east coast to the central plains. Especially with COVID making a comeback, the Big East should prepare for nothing but rough seas ahead with the rewards of March Madness waiting on the other side.

Writers Note: COVID, can you, like, not?

Player of the Week: Dwon Odom Xavier

Freshman of the Week: Ryan Nembhard Creighton

From 1982 until 2013, these two schools were Big East foes. Both teams had their ups and downs, but their history was thrown out the window with this new chapter. There were no Champagnie brothers involved as Justin went pro and Julian got COVID-19. Regardless, their first matchup since 2013 did not disappoint.

Like classic foes, both teams wrestled to gain a foothold for the lead. The Johnnies were up by as much as ten at one point in the contest, but Pitt used their defense and attack of their own to make sure they would not be blown out again. It was only a four-point affair at the half and the defense came to play to start the second.

St. Johns led by six on two occasions, once in the first two minutes and again with 14 minutes left. The Johnnies had everything going for them until the final two minutes, when the Panthers took the lead after six consecutive free throws by Jamarius Burton. Dylan Addae-Wusu tied the game with two free throws of his own, but like Tom Brady and the final two minutes, there was too much time left on the clock. Burton came up clutch with a bucket milliseconds away from the buzzer and Mathis three-point shot whimpered as Pitt won 59-57.

It was an impressive standalone game in the Gotham Classic. Addae-Wusu led the way for the Johnnies with 12 points while Posh Alexander picked up 11 of his own on seven rebounds. Burton finished with 20 for the Panthers including the game-winner while Mouhamadou Gueye had 15 points. Ive said it with other rivalries that have occurred this season, but these teams should not have waited eight years to play each other again. It may not help St. Johns tournament resume, but it was still a fun game to learn from.

No, Creighton did not play Dan Hurley over the last week. They played his brother Bobby and the Arizona State Sun Devils in the hopes of securing their fourth straight win against a Hurley brother. Like each matchup Creighton has played against a Hurley-coached team thus far, this one came down to the wire.

The Creighton lineup had changed, but that didnt stop the Blue Jays from jumping out to an early lead. Both teams went back and forth, but Creighton was able to gain momentum heading into the half by going on an 8-2 run in the final four minutes while crashing the glass and limiting Arizona State to buckets by Jay Heath and Luther Muhammad.

Despite being down for most of the match, Arizona State was not out as Marreon Jackson scored seven unanswered points by himself to give the Sun Devils the lead, all while shutting out Creighton for over three minutes. Once Creighton tied the contest at 50, the defenses took control as neither team made a field goal over another three-minute span. With a minute left, both teams were tied at 56, then Heath made a layup for the lead and Hawkins went 1-2 from the free throw line in the first 30 seconds to give Arizona State a one-point lead. After numerous fouls and one missed free throw, Ryan Nembhard had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his shot just missed, and Arizona State escaped Omaha with a 58-57 victory.

Although this was the first loss since 2020 for Creighton against a Hurley-coached team, Creighton continued to show their potential. Ryan Kalkbrenner had 16 points and nine rebounds while Alex OConnell had 11 points of his own. Arizona States DJ Horne had 12 points while Heath and Jackson had 10 each. These two teams must meet again next season because their rematch might not only be legendary, but it may also result in Creighton coming out on top.

The last time these two teams met, Xavier cut their deficit down to one before Marquette pulled away in the final minute. Before that, the legend of Adam Clutchel was born. Now, these two teams meet once again with new reinforcements. On one side, you have the addition of Jack Nunge from Iowa, on the other, you have Darryl Morsell from Maryland among other notable transfers. Amid everything going on, this was a showdown one did not want to miss.

You could tell this was going to be a high scoring matchup right from the start as Marquette went on a 9-0 run in the middle of the first half to gain a big lead over ranked competition. Enter Dwon Odom, who scored eight of Xaviers 10 points in a two-minute span. Despite the high-octane offense, the defense played a critical part in keeping this game close. Just two field goals were made in the final four minutes of the half, both by Marquette, and it was free throws that helped Xavier gain a two-point lead at the break.

Xavier would extend that lead on a brilliant 10-4 run behind the buckets of Zach Freemantle, Nate Johnson and Colby Jones. Marquette kept fighting. Kunkel scored three straight points to keep Xavier ahead, Marquette kept fighting by not allowing a field goal in three and a half minutes of play. Xavier led by as much as seven in the second half, but Marquette cut the lead down to one. That was their best chance to take the lead back and cause an upset, but they were limited to just two points (a Greg Elliott bucket, he scored the teams final seven points) in the final three minutes as the Musketeers pulled away for an 80-71 victory.

Like all the Big East openers this weekend, this one did not disappoint. Both teams showed that they should be ranked and continued to prove why the Big East is going to be tough this year. Odom controlled the show with 19 points off the bench while Johnson had 17, Nunge had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Jones had 11. Elliott led the Golden Eagles with 18 off the bench while Morsell had 14 and Justin Lewis had 15. Both teams have strong players from the transfer portal and people who have taken the next step, which has all the makings of an overtime affair when they meet in Milwaukee.

23-5. That run in the final eight minutes was not only enough for Creighton to pick up a massive upset against the Wildcats, but it also helped prove two major things about the league. This conference is very, very good and Villanova might or might not be the best team in the conference this season. It was a close game until that instance as both teams were battling for control of the entire game, but Villanova couldnt win when they shot 4-23 from downtown. 79-59, the second matchup should be a lot closer.

As the Big East heads into the holiday break, one only has to hope the COVID-19 situation can get better so each team can be at full strength during the entirety of conference play. There will be several instances where five or more teams are ranked in the polls, and there will be more than two instances of a ranked battle going down each week. Brace yourselves, the Big East is back.

See the rest here:

Big East Baller Update No. 6: Were in the warzone now - UConn Daily Campus

Starting in January, a huge boat will attach itself to an enormous kite in a first-of-its-kind test to try and alleviate harmful carbon emissions from toting stuff to and fro across the high seas.

Emissions from shipping are a huge problem. About 80% of all the worlds goods are transported on around 50,000 ships, which use a particularly dirty fuel known as bunker fuel. Its estimated that this cheap fuel is responsible for more than 2% of global carbon emissions, and between 10% to 15% of the worlds sulfur oxide and nitrous oxide emissions, both major public health menaces.

Enter the humble kite. The parafoil kite that will be used is made by a company called Airseas. Itmeasures around 5,380 square feet (500 square meters) and will be attached to a ship 505 feet (154 meters) in length called the Ville de Bordeaux. The ship is a roll on/roll off vessel, which refers to the fact that these ships usually carry wheeled cargo. (The shorthand term for this type of ship is, incredibly, a Ro-Ro.) This particular boat carries airplane parts between France and the U.S. The ship will test out the sailer, sorry, kitetechnology for six months before being used for its regular route.

Airseas said itwas founded out of the need to act urgently for our planet and climate and is committed to provide all ships with the means to harness free and unlimited wind energy. That sounds an awful lot like a fancy way of saying sailing, which, in case you were unaware, is something we used to use a lot back in ye olden days to get our stuff around.

Its important to note that unlike the cargo sailing ships of old that relied on their big sails, the Airseas kite isnt meant to be the sole source of power for ships. The Ville de Bordeaux will still use its engine. But the kite, which Airseas calls a Seawing, is meant to reduce fuel use on the journey.

Airseas has promised a super-sized version of the Seawing that measures 3,280 square feet (1,000 square meters) and flies 984 feet (300 meters) above the boat on a figure-8 track, has the potential to reduce emissions on shipping trips by up to 20%. Computer technology helps the kite move around to maximize the carbon-free wind energy being used to propel the ship.

Whats more, the company saysthe installation process is pretty easy. You basically mount the kite to the ships deck, where it can pop out into the air with the touch of a button. The company says the kite kit can be retrofitted to basically any type of ship type.

A 20% cut to emissions might sound small, but the shipping industry has been really struggling to figure out how to clean up its act. Some of the alternative fuels that the industry has developed that are intended to lower emissions have raised new environmental questions. Shipping products for just four companies aloneAmazon, Walmart, Target, and IKEAaccounted for 20 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over the past two years being dumped into the atmosphere. Emissions could rise even more sharply in the coming decades; some analyses predict that cargo volumes could grow by as much as 130% by 2050 as online shopping becomes more and more popular.

Simply buying less stuff might be one of the best options, but obviously thats a lot harder on a larger scale than attaching an enormous kite to a boat. In lieu of larger-scale solutions, if that big kite is going to help cut emissions, even just a little, fly away, sailors.

Read more:

Giant Kite Will Pull a Ship Across the Ocean Next Month - Gizmodo

For many people around the world, 2021 has been like 2020 one of the most challenging and pivotal years they have experienced. This is not only because of covid-19, but also for reasons including the crisis in Afghanistan, the storming of the US capitol, and a once-in-a-generation election in Germany. While all these topics interested our readers, our top read publications of the year paint a much more diverse picture.

One of these publications proved to be the most-read in ECFRs history! That honour goes to authors Mark Leonard and Ivan Krastev, who covered the changing nature of Americas power in the world as Joe Biden took office. Meanwhile, Gustav Gressel wrote four of the five most popular commentaries of the year, covering topics such as the events surrounding Russias military movements in eastern Europe.

But, to our continued delight, our readers interests are extremely varied and cover the entire globe. That is why, as ever, our researchers have worked diligently to keep you informed about global issues and address the greatest strategic challenges facing Europeans during this time and why they will continue to do so.

As the year draws to a close, ECFR presents a run-down of the ten most popular policy briefs (long form) and the ten most popular commentaries (short form).

Pleaselike us,follow us, and use the coming break to listen to ourWorld in 30 Minutes podcast.Explore the rest of our workhere and here.

1. The crisis of American power: How Europeans see Bidens America by Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard

This is the most-read policy brief in ECFR history (since we began to track readership numbers). The authors explore European views on Americas role in the world and its relationship with Europe.

2. The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe by Andrew Lebovich, Andrew Small, Asli Aydintasbas, Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Jana Puglierin, Jeremy Shapiro, Julien Barnes-Dacey, Kadri Liik, Susanne Baumann, Tara Varma

ECFRs policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel.

3. Useful enemies: How the Turkey-UAE rivalry is remaking the Middle East by Asli Aydintasbas, Cinzia Bianco

An exploration of the relationship between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, which are engaged in a decade-long feud that is reshuffling the geopolitical order in the Middle East and North Africa. Their rivalry plays out everywhere from the Horn of Africa to the eastern Mediterranean in the halls of Washington and Brussels, the global media discourse, the energy industry, and, lately, ports and the high seas.

4. Europes invisible divides: How covid-19 is polarising European politics by Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard

The lived experience of the covid-19 pandemic split Europe just as the euro and refugee crises did, with the south and the east feeling much more badly affected than the north and the west.

5. Crisis of confidence: How Europeans see their place in the world by Jana Puglierin, Susi Dennison

Public faith in EU institutions has declined due to their handling of the covid-19 pandemic and vaccine procurement. However, the European project is not doomed, as citizens still believe in the need for greater cooperation particularly in strengthening the European Union as a global actor.

6. The geopolitics of the European Green Deal by Guntram Wolff, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Jeremy Shapiro, Mark Leonard, Simone Tagliapietra

The European Green Deal will have profound geopolitical repercussions, some of which are likely to have an adverse impact on the EUs partners. The EU should prepare to manage these repercussions in its relationships with important countries in its neighbourhood such as Russia and Algeria, and with global players such as the US, China, and Saudi Arabia.

7. Chinas great game in the Middle East by Camille Lons, Degang Sun, Jonathan Fulton, Naser Al-TamimiChina has significantly increased its economic, political, and to a lesser extent security footprint in the Middle East in the past decade, becoming the biggest trade partner and external investor for many countries in the region. Yet the countrys growing economic presence is likely to pull it into wider engagement with the region in ways that could significantly affect European interests.

8. Decade of patience: How China became a power in the Western Balkans by Vladimir Shopov

China has become the most prominent third actor in the Western Balkans. The countrysactivities are spread unevenly across the region, but they follow a common approach. As European and US ambivalence towards the Western Balkans persists, the region will be in increasing danger of falling into an endless spiral of competition between various foreign actors.

9. What Europeans think about the US-China Cold War by Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard

A majority of European citizens believe a new cold war with both China and Russia is under way but they mostly do not think that their own country is involved. There is no European public consensus that the world of tomorrow will be one of growing competition between democracy and authoritarianism.

10. Beyond Merkelism: What Europeans expect of post-election Germany by Jana Puglierin, Piotr Buras

EU citizens view Germany as a trustworthy, pro-European power. But, to lead the EU effectively, Germany will need to tackle the two greatest threats it faces: a weakening of the rule of law in the EU, and the blocs failure to defend its interests in the world.

1. Gustav Gressel

Receiving his own category, Gustav Gressel must have broken some sort of record with four out of the top five most-read ECFR commentaries of the year. We sense a pattern in our readerships interest

Many European leaders do not seem to grasp the seriousness of this moment in the Ukrainian conflict. Unless the West makes a greater effort to counter Russian military coercion, there is no guarantee that Russia will stop with Ukraine.

Russia is mobilising its forces, but much more covertly than in the past. Moscows belief that the EU and US will not step in to protect Ukraine could lead it to take direct military action.

European governments have yet to learn a key lesson from the war in Ukraine. The alternative reality the Kremlin lives in is becoming increasingly dangerous.

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war holds important lessons for European defence. European governments should study it urgently.

2. After the withdrawal: Chinas interests in Afghanistan by Janka Oertel and Andrew Small

ECFRs Janka Oertel and Andrew Small discuss Chinas attitude towards the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan.

3. Why America is facing off against the International Criminal Court by Anthony Dworkin

The US long ago took umbrage at the unlikely prospect that the ICC could prosecute Americans. The consequences of this stance are now revealing themselves.

4. Somalias election impasse: A crisis of state building by Matt Bryden, Theodore Murphy

The EU can unblock the so-called electoral impasse paralysing Somalia by rejecting the involvement of the outgoing president. But it must also set out a new framework to help the country move forward

5. The capture of Kabul: What the Taliban takeover will mean for Irans economy by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj

Iran was more economically dependent on Afghanistan than many people realise. The change of regime will impact on Tehran in four main ways.

6. What Germanys new cyber security law means for Huawei, Europe, and NATO by Beryl Thomas

The German governments 5G security plan tacitly allows Huawei to embed itself in domestic telecom networks with great implications for Europes defence and security.

7. Chinas new military base in Africa: What it means for Europe and America by Michal Tanchum

A permanent Chinese military installation in Equatorial Guinea is the culmination of nearly a decades investment in Africa and will not be the last of such bases on the continents Atlantic coast.

8. Why attempts to reset relations with Russia fail by Nicu Popescu

Offering resets to Russia does not work. On the contrary, a more muscular approach to the country will yield results.

9. Foreign and defence policy in the German election by Ulrike Franke

The parties in Germanys next coalition government could find it hard to bridge their differences on foreign and defence policy.

10. Nordic discomfort: How Denmark, Sweden, and Finland could harm the European project by Marlene Riedel

Too many Europeans are turning a blind eye to the domestic politics of Nordic states. But theirs is a trajectory that could affect the future of the EU.

The European Council on Foreign Relations does not take collective positions. ECFR publications only represent the views of its individual authors.

Original post:

ECFRs top reads of 2021 - European Council on Foreign Relations

A homeless man in his 40s died from hypothermia in Tel Aviv on Saturday, as rainfall and high winds lashed northern and coastal areas of Israel.

Magen David Adom (MDA) rescue personnel gave the unidentified man medical treatment at a street bench where he was found in southern Tel Aviv, before transferring him to Ichilov Hospital in the central city in critical condition. He was pronounced dead later by hospital staff.

The man was lying unconscious on a bench in the street, as he was very cold and his clothes were soaked with water after the heavy rain, an MDA medic said.

Strong winds and intermittent thunderstorms on Saturday were expected to gradually clear throughout the day, with Sunday set to see a lull in the stormy weather.

However, wintery conditions were set to be back with a vengeance on Monday with the arrival of Storm Carmel.

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The weather system was given its moniker by a team of Israeli meteorologists in conjunction with their Greek and Cypriot counterparts.

A crow flies as a rainbow appears over Hadera, on December 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Carmel is set to hit Greece and Cyprus first, with authorities there warning residents to take precautions ahead of potentially dangerous conditions.

The weather depression is expected to bring near-gale force winds and high seas, as well as flooding.

Cyprus state meteorologist Kleanthis Nicolaides, who heads the weather service, told a local news site that the island could see more rain in a single weekend than all of rain combined in one month.

Cyprus residents were advised to plan to stay home on Saturday evening and throughout Sunday until the storm has passed.

The storm will then hit Israel on Monday, with conditions expected to ease by Wednesday.

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Homeless Tel Aviv man dies of hypothermia, as Israel braces for major storm - The Times of Israel

Could the answer to expanding the United States maritime reach be found in a Caribbean territory? The U.S. and USVI flags in St. Thomas, 2018 (file image courtesy Lorie Shaull / CC BY 2.0)

PublishedDec 21, 2021 12:53 PM by Jeremy Greenwood

An interesting proposal has been floated by the Massachusetts-based Northeast Maritime Institute Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE) highlighting the need for an expanded role for the United States in international maritime shipping. Specifically, their Revitalization Plan for U.S. Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition calls for the creation of a responsibly managed international open vessel registry based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This second U.S. registry proposal would allow a United States territory flag to fly on a much larger fleet of vessels engaged in international trade around the world, while allowing for U.S. oversight and environmentally friendly practices to set an example in the often murky world of open registries or flags of convenience. This proposal deserves consideration as a potentially useful tool in the growing competition for maritime dominance with China. As stated previously in this journal, Americas maritime power depends just as much on its civilian maritime prowess as it does on its military dominance. Perhaps the creation of a U.S. Virgin Islands registry can expand our economic reach, reform the opaque world of open registries and respect the domestic Jones Act trade currently conducted under the U.S. flag.

While the entire proposal contains several actionable items that merit a closer read, including the construction of an environmentally green automated port in the Virgin Islands; the creation of an independent, yet closely overseen, U.S. Virgin Islands ship registry is quite interesting to think about. The concept of a territorial possession second flag registry is not unique. The United Kingdom has long had Crown oversight over its so-called Red Ensign Group, which maintains separate registries for a long list of UK, Crown Dependency, and UK Overseas Territories all of which are British ships but maintain distinct registrations of merchant ships. Hong Kong maintains one of the worlds largest ship registries and is separate from the China registry, yet those ships are certainly considered to be Chinese ships by most of the world at this point.

To be clear, it would be good to see more vessel tonnage register in the United States under the current U.S. flag registry system, but I worry that it may be too nave to believe that this is possible with current U.S. laws regarding vessel construction, repairs, labor, and regulatory standards. And while many have argued for systematic reforms to those areas of the law, including the Jones Act itself, it is uncertain that - even if that was a good idea - those legislative and regulatory hurdles could be overcome in the near term. This proposal advocates maintaining the Jones Act in its current form and not disrupting the nature of domestic maritime trade and regulation. Rather it calls on the United States to compete in the international open registry market in a way that might enhance our domestic trade - boosting the Jones Acts positive impacts by feeding additional coastwise trade, provide additional maritime capacity in times of conflict, all while encouraging the shipping industry towards more environmentally friendly behavior.

Currently, the top registries of the world are open registries, meaning that any vessel may register there without any substantial ties to that country. Panama alone registers over 9,500 ships- a staggering number of vessels to maintain oversight and accountability for. These large open registries are not known for transparency and often inadvertently facilitate illicit maritime activity through a lack of robust due diligence practices. Under international law, these flag states maintain exclusive jurisdiction over those vessels on the high seas. Expanding the number of vessels subject to a responsibly governed, transparent U.S. registry would enhance the ability to prevent illicit activity, dangerous environmental practices, and labor abuses. The old adage: If you cant beatem, joinem might not be the most accurate argument here, but rather, If you cant beatem, leadem. This proposal seems to acknowledge the limitations of current U.S. maritime policy, while attempting to build a business-friendly, yet accountable and transparent U.S. option in the Virgin Islands.

There is little doubt that the U.S. lacks the merchant shipping capability to support extended wartime operations. This expanded pool of U.S. Virgin Island flagged vessels could be called upon to support U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Transportation Command sealift programs in times of conflict. Additionally, this proposal would seem to be well poised to bring economic benefits to the U.S. territory of the Virgin Islands. The U.S. Virgin Islands are heavily dependent on tourism and recent hurricanes have shown the vulnerability of a non-diversified economy. This new role as an open international registry for international shipping, alongside other maritime infrastructure developments, may be a long-overdue investment in our fellow citizens in the Caribbean.

Regardless of the merits of any particular plan, the important thing is to spur engagement from government and industry on this topic. It will be important for administration officials to consider this proposal carefully and craft a meaningful oversight role for the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies with maritime governance responsibilities, while keeping this registry competitive and distinct from the U.S. registry. The time, however, seems ripe for a bold move in our maritime economy, as our current system is ill-equipped to compete with global maritime economic competition. Supply chain vulnerabilities, increased infrastructure spending, global tax reform, and calls for more transparency in multi-national corporations make this the best time for the United States to take a leadership role in maritime governance again.

It seems appropriate that the founding father who most championed our merchant marine was a native son of the Virgin Islands. As Alexander Hamilton reminded us in the Federalist #11, America has an unequaled spirit of enterprise, which signalizes [sp] the genius of the American merchants and navigators, and which is in itself an inexhaustible mine of national wealth. Its past time to put our genius back to work in revitalizing the maritime economy of this great maritime nation.

Jeremy Greenwood is aFederal Executive Fellow atThe Brookings Institution.

Top image:The U.S. and USVI flags in St. Thomas, 2018 (file image courtesy Lorie Shaull / CC BY 2.0)

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

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Expanding US Maritime Reach: The Case for a USVI Open Registry - The Maritime Executive

Although a little nervous to set sail, first-time seafarer Fiona Webster discovers a holiday on the high seas is still a treat.

I've always been tempted by photos of stunning cruise ships you see in adverts, but as a holiday, I just wasn't sure if the sheer scale of it was for us.

"Stuck on a ship with thousands of others, really?" asked my husband, Carson. But lockdown had got to all of us, and the Sky Princess promised a getaway from it all, with stops at historical cities like Seville, where you can hop off and see the sights, or stay on board and chill. So, it took little persuasion for him to join me on a two-week, seven-port tour of the Med.

The first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the vessel. The Sky Princess literally has her head in the clouds, and you have to squint as you look up at its 18 decks. It normally carries 4,000 passengers with 1,875 crew - almost one crew member per passenger - but due to Covid, it was sailing at 60% passenger capacity for safety reasons.

Passengers must have received their second vaccine dose at least 14 days before cruising and have vaccination proof. Safety measures include mask-wearing in public areas, but not while seated in the restaurants and bars, or in exercise areas.

Embarking is easy, you can park right next to the ship and leave your car for the duration. No airport queues - you simply drop your luggage with friendly porters and step aboard.

On Princess Cruises, you are given an electronic medallion that gives you access to your room and allows staff to know what package you have booked and what you are entitled to. You just download their app to access all the information you need for your cruise, and staff are on hand to help if needed.

Our all-inclusive Princess Plus package included all meals, snacks and drinks at the restaurants, apart from the speciality restaurants, which charge a reasonable $25-$29 (18.85-21.86) for a four course meal. We were also entitled to 12 drinks a day each, including wine, cocktails and speciality spirits. How on earth were we going to get through all that?!

First stop was deck five, which had a mezzanine stretching up three floors and looked like the lobby of a five star hotel, with its grand piano and marble staircases.

Cafes and restaurants are in abundance, offering afternoon tea, speciality coffees, Italian ice cream, freshly made sushi, handmade pizza at Alfredo's Pizzeria, and the Estrella and Cielo's restaurants, which were included in our package.

There are also restaurants like Sabatini's Italian Trattoria, Bistro Sur La Mer and the Crown Grill, which offers succulent steaks. If you get peckish the International Cafe on deck 16 is open 24 hours, or you can call room service, and there are numerous bars on board to suit all tastes.

Our friendly steward showed us to our cabin, on deck 15, where first sight was our balcony looking out to sea, so you can sit out as you sail.

Waking up next morning to views of the ocean is a treat you don't forget. For breakfast, we tried the Estrella restaurant, where our attentive waiter offered us a choice of pancakes, crispy bacon, smoked salmon with cream cheese, fresh fruits, croissants or the full English.

You can also order breakfast in your room, or splash out $120 (90.47) for two for the Balcony breakfast, where staff serve chilled champagne, croissants, pancakes, bacon, smoked salmon, melon, ham, eggs, fresh fruit and jugs of coffee and tea on your balcony; a wonderful way to start the day.

To work off a few of the accumulating pounds, I decided to try one of the several pools on board and found one where you could watch movies on a huge screen as you swim.

But if swimming is not for you, there are countless other things to do. The daily schedule lists around 80 different events and activities starting with an abs class, then wine tasting, cocktail making, quizzes, craft-making, games and a singles get-together.

Musical entertainment included a classical pianist, a steel band musician, a string trio, blues band Excite, a jazz trio in the Take Five bar and West End style shows in the ship's theatre.

At the Lotus Spa, friendly experts offer services like hair cutting, massage, aromatherapy and acupuncture. I opted for an intense hair treatment, which was wonderful, and Carson enjoyed 75 minutes of being oiled, pummelled and soothed, courtesy of the Bamboo massage.

The Spa also houses the Retreat, a private area with a jacuzzi pool and stone beds that make you want to sleep as soon as you lie down, wonderful for relaxing.

Our day-long port visits included Seville, Barcelona, Marseille, Cartagena, Palma Majorca, Corsica and Gibraltar. Organised excursions range from $50 to $500 (37.69 to 376.95) or you can visit your own.

We picked an excursion to see Seville, which started with a walking tour, then lunch at a local restaurant of salad, fish, profiteroles and lovely local wine.

A few days later at the Majorcan capital of Palma, we hopped off the ship and on to a little wooden train, which cut its way through the mountains to Soller. This tiny city boasts shops, restaurants and an olive oil company where the family who have run it for centuries showed us how it is made.

The next day, we docked in the Spanish part of Cartagena, which boasts a Roman amphitheatre. We decided to tour this city on our own and enjoyed strolling along tree lined boulevards, stropping at pavement cafes for coffee.

Back onboard, we headed for our last port, Gibraltar, where we toured its ancient caves and met the famous free-roaming monkeys, who nonchalantly clambered across our bus.

The journey was sadly almost over. Did we enjoy it? Yes. The staff were super friendly and efficient, the food excellent, the ship luxurious, clean and comfortable, and we never felt crowded. Waking up in different parts of the world to explore was wonderful, and it's certainly less hassle than flying.

If you're considering cruising, try taster cruises of just a few days, then progress to longer ones if you like it. Is cruising for you? You won't know until you try...

How to plan your trip

Princess Cruises (princess.com; 0344 338 8663) offer the 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer from Southampton, visiting Spain, Italy and Gibraltar from 1,399pp, or sail on the all-inclusive Princess Plus fare from 1,819pp (includes premier drinks package, unlimited Wi-Fi and crew incentive). Departs April 30, 2022.

Original post:

Despite all the stress of Covid, cruising is still a dream - here's why - Bournemouth Echo

This most recent report on the state of food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific tells a grim story. An estimated 375.8 million people in the region faced hunger in 2020, which is nearly 54 million more people than in 2019. In this region alone, more than 1.1 billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 an increase of almost 150 million people in just one year. The high cost of a healthy diet and persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality continue to hold healthy diets out of reach for 1.8 billion people in this region.

The pre-existing food security and nutrition situation in Asia and the Pacific in 2019, described in last years report, was already quite discouraging. Progress had stalled in reducing the number of undernourished, and the prevalence of certain nutritional indicators, such as stunting in children under five years of age, was much too high.Since then, the situation has worsened. While it is not yet possible to fully quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, clearly it has had a serious impact across the region. Even countries that initially reported a limited number of COVID-19 cases experienced the negative effects of the containment measures, combined with peoples health concerns, that led to a major contraction of economic activity around the globe. Disruption in food supply chains only added to the problems. The situation could have been worse without the response of governments and the impressive social protection measures they put in place during the crisis.

In building back better, future agri-food systems will have to provide better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better livelihoods. Our focus must revolve around the needs of small-scale family farmers in the region, as well as the needs of other vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, women and youth. These are the people that produce the nutritious food that everyone needs to eliminate malnutrition.

Most of you reading this publication probably take for granted the wide variety of food that we eat. However, the authors hope that you can stop and reflect upon just how miraculous it is that so many different foods are available to us. We have rice that comes from any of the millions of family farms around the countryside, grown with the benefit of centuries of accumulated wisdom and transported over rough roads in the rainy season; fruits from orchards that take years of investment before the trees will bear fruit, and are also subject to many different risks that could bring hardship to the grower at any moment; fish that are caught by fishers who brave rough seas in the darkness of early morning while most of us are asleep; meat and eggs that provide protein and micronutrients essential for healthy growth; nutritious vegetables; and spices that provide variety and flavour to our favourite dishes. Truly we should give thanks for all the work that is done by family farmers around the region. Where would we be without them?

This year there are opportunities to begin the hard work of advancing food security and nutrition through transforming agri-food systems such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the Nutrition for Growth Summit and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26. We must leverage the commitments made during these events to meet the second Sustainable Development Goal and eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition.

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Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021 - World - ReliefWeb

One of my favorite classes when I was a student at the University of Tennessee was a speech class.Yes, part of the allure was that it combined two of my favorite things: writing and talking. And not just talking, but speaking to a captive audience who had to pay attention because part of their grade depended on how carefully they listened to what I was saying so they could give a thoughtful critique.

Win, win!

But what I loved best about the class was that the young, graduate student instructor a theater major couldnt stand the confines of the boring classroom in the high-rise Humanities building.

As soon as the halls were quiet, we would make our way outside to sit cross-legged in a circle in the grass with our young instructor in her tye-dyed T-shirt and hand-painted jeans leading the way. She would teach telling us the importance of first crafting a well-written speech and then, for the coup-de-grce, of presenting our thoughts with confidence and, most of all, flair.

When speech time came, we met at the Laurel Theater for coffee and speech presentations. From football players (there were a couple of senior Vols in the class) to me, a lowly freshman, we thrived in that class. The learning environment made all the difference.

That story is way too many words to tell you simply this: I am back in school for two weeks, and my learning environment is awesome. The beautiful Oasis of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbeans bigger ships, is taking me to the Western and Eastern Caribbean. The ship is filled with pools, hot tubs, restaurants serving everything from lobster to sushi to barbecue,

View from Oasis of the Seas of Royal Caribbeans private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay

entertainment venues with live performances that range from country to rock to really bad karaoke to a Broadway-style production of Cats. You can play Bingo, gamble in the casino, surf on the Flowrider, play miniature golf or pickleball or go bowling. There is an Escape Room and two very scary looking water slides including one called The Abyss.

The Flowrider aboard Oasis of the Seas

And, an ice-skating rink where ice shows are presented at night and classes for travel agents are conducted during the day.

The first week we were at sea was more of an independent study week, as my official classes didnt start until this week. I took that seriously and did some exploring on the ship, asked a lot of questions of staff and crew and got to know a little more about the Royal Caribbean way of cruising.

This week is more formal training, and I have already learned many tricks of the trade that should up my game as a travel advisor. The networking is great, too, as we compare notes, hash out problems and exchange ideas on what works and what doesnt.

Truthfully, the venue does make the learning easier. The captain of the ship spoke to us today, telling us a little about himself and a lot about the state of the cruising industry from the Royal Caribbean point of view. The Covid pandemic changed many things for the cruising industry. The fact that they survived at all and are now on the road to recovery is a testament to how seriously many travelers take their love of cruising.

As an independent travel advisor, I am associated with a national organization called Cruise Brothers. Cruise Brothers will be 50 years old this year, and the grandson of the founder is with us to add his insight. Most of the presenters are on the CB staff, so our teachers know their stuff.

Like my speech teacher, they know how to embrace the venue and change the scenery when it needs to be. I didnt attend the networking event today, but the format was intriguing: A Pub Crawl!

I think my speech teacher would have liked that. I know she would have applauded the presenter today who told us to work on our elevator speech so that we are always ready to tell a potential client all about cruising.

Im working on mine. As a tribute to my UT training, I will try to present it with confidence and, most of all, flair.

Sherri Gardner Howell has been writing about family life for newspapers and magazines since 1987. She lives in West Knoxville, is married to Neville Howell and has two sons and three grandsons. Her newest adventure is as a travel agent with her own company, SGH Go Travel. Email her at sghgotravel@outlook.com.

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Lessons on the high seas - Knox TN Today

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. But these days, who cares. The 8th sea the virtual ocean seems to be teeming with some very daring crypto seafarers. They dont even need to check the weather forecast anymore.

Wild things are happening in the deep blue virtual waters. From virtual yachts to ocean conservation, crypto isnt just keeping to dry land. Keep your crypto-hand steady because this is what you could be buying while navigating the high seas.

Crypto payments for luxury items are not uncommon. Different car companies have been accepting Bitcoin payments for a while.

However, an Italian 170ft superyacht has gone on sale in a global first, and the prospective buyer can pay in crypto. Not only are major coins accepted, but you can even put up an NFT.

Its not just any NFTs, however. With a price tag of $10 million, top-tier NFT collections are needed. These include the likes of CryptoPunks of BAYC Apes.

Should the buyer go this NFT-route, it would make it the largest-ever yacht bought with NFTs another crypto first.

In addition, the owner doesnt have to just keep the yacht to themselves. They have the option to hire it out for crypto or NFTs at $196,000 per week.

Its not only physical yachts that are selling out for crypto. The Metaflower NFT Super Mega Yacht only exists in the metaverse.

Sold for 149 ETH ($591,500), the vessel isa luxury boat in The Sandbox a metaverse video game. Inside, players can develop virtual land. The Sandbox has partnerships with Adidas, Atari, Nifty Gateway, Gemini, and rapper Snoop Dogg, among others.

The superyacht was sold by metaverse real estate firm Republic Realm. The transaction makes the boat the most expensive NFT asset ever sold in a video game. Currently, the realm has holdings in 19 metaverse platforms and owns over 2,500 NFTs.

You have a virtual superyacht. So how about an island to crash it into? Well lucky for you, Republic Realm is the developer of an archipelago called Fantasy Islands.

Like Decentraland, this world allows you to buy up private land to kit out and live as you like. It is a master-plan community made up of 100 private islands, each an NFT.

The NFT land and villa were sold together. The house-and-land packages were snapped up in under 24 hours. Today, the floor price for a Fantasy Island is nearly $300,000.

This makes the virtual island the same price as an actual average home in the U.S. But imagine owning virtual property in a rising market with no annoying problems like storm damage or spider infestations? It is a fantasy.

Although it doesnt end at islands and yachts, unsurprisingly, Fantasy Islands residents can also buy sea toys.The Fantasy Collection is a suite of luxury NFTs designed for use in The Sandbox. There are private islands, jet skis, and speedboats. Theres access to a members-only beach club and the Fantasy Marina.

The Fantasy Collection and the Fantasy Islands together have a market cap of over $30 million.

When it comes to crypto and the ocean, its not all NFT toys.Some seriously decent crypto projects exist to clean up the actual oceans.

Earlier this year, blockchain eco-project SafeEarth donated over $100,000 to TheOceanCleanUp charity.

The donated money was raised from taking a cut out of SAFEEARTH token transaction fees. The funds will go towards the removal of plastic waste.

SafeEarths sole focus is to generate capital and build a community that will repair the ecological damage done to the planet.

The project also collaborates with another green charity called The Earth Fund, which has raised around 50 ETH to be used for similar causes.

As a PR exercise, selling a luxury yacht this way is a revelation. The free worldwide publicity gained as the story catches fire is usually beyond most marketing budgets.

More importantly, this introduces mainstream news outlets to the idea that cryptos, and more importantly, NFTs, are now a thing.

However, there has to be some belief when it comes to the metaverse. Its one thing buying real-life items with crypto, one among a host of assets. Its another thing completely to invest in a world still under construction.

Whether its a PR stunt or something that will bolster the future foundation of crypto, these big-ticket items are only one part of the still-growing metaverse.

Its a brave new world with wild frontiers everywhere inside it.

What do you think about buying superyachts? Tell us here.

DisclaimerAll the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

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High Seas and NFTS Crypto Is Making Waves - BeInCrypto

NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) Three new Saildrones left Newport Harbor on Thursday, headed into the Atlantic to take important measurements to learn more about climate change and improve weather forecasting.

A Saildrone is an autonomous surface vehicle. Its actually powered by the wind and the sun, and it can spend up to 365 days at sea, explained Susan Ryan, Saildrones vice president of marketing.

3 more of these autonomous SailDrones were launched today from Newportheaded to the Gulf Stream to take important ocean measurements. pic.twitter.com/eRNGuqQ8Ib

The 23-foot, bright orange vessels have an array of instruments to measure ocean and atmospheric data for the University of Rhode Island.

Its really exciting to get three Saildrones to go out into the Gulf Stream, said Jamie Palter, an oceanography professor at URI.

The Gulf Stream is a river of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the United States. It can impact the weather and climate in the U.S. and Europe.

Getting data from there is quite challenging, however.

Ill be looking mostly at the carbon data that will allow us how to understand how the ocean is soaking up some of the atmospheric carbon, Palter told 12 News Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo.

Palter said theres some uncertainty about how much carbon the oceans absorb from the atmosphere, but her team is excited to learn more about that interaction.

URIs 53-foot ocean trawler, the Capn Burt, took media members, scientists and guests into Narragansett Bay to watch the Saildrones depart on their journey. One by one, the three vessels were towed out of Newport Harbor into Narragansett Bay, passing in front of the iconic Newport Bridge where they were released on the sunny but calm day.

We do anticipate theyll experience extremely rough weather, Palter added.

While on the high seas, the drones will also provide the position of the Gulf Stream, which will benefit the European computer model (ECMWF) and help improve weather forecasts.

I need all that data, too, to understand the air-sea carbon exchange, and together we can do both of these projects with a single platform, Palter said.

This Saildrone mission was funded by Google.org, the companys philanthropic arm.

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3 more Saildrones launched from Newport to help with climate research, weather forecasts - WPRI.com