Category Archives: High Seas

Officers then extinguished the fire and discovered a large number of incendiary items in the hull storage area. There were two boxes of fireworks, branded BLOW EM UP BRO, and 16 full jerry cans intermingled with the cocaine packages.

In court on Friday, Precas barrister Ertun zen said the ignition was a last ditch panicked attempt to avoid apprehension by setting fire to what was in the hold as police approached.

The raid was carried out on the vessel after the Air Force, using radar and infrared technology, observed it meeting with the Chinese mothership that had entered Australian waters.

On the morning of the raid, the seas were described by police as very rough with swells of 3.5 metres. During the boarding of the boat, an officer fell overboard and had to be rescued.

The cocaine on board had an estimated wholesale value of at least $300 million and a potential street value of $850 million.

The attempted shipment was disrupted by a joint operation involving the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and Border Force.

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In the sentencing hearing, the mens barristers sought to downplay how senior their clients were in the drug importation scheme, saying they required supervision during the plot and were little more than hired labour or couriers for superiors who would receive and sell the drugs.

Giles-Adams barrister Peter Lange urged Judge Penelope Hock to consider that his client had good prospects of rehabilitation, was unlikely to reoffend, was relatively young, was of prior good character and had expressed remorse about his offending.

Mr zen said Preca had only been involved in the scheme because he lost job in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and got into debt because of a drug habit.

He was in the hands of those to whom he owed money and to pay it off he gets involved in this enterprise, Mr zen said.

Had he not been laid off as a result of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that he would have been involved in this offending behaviour.

Judge Hock will sentence Giles-Adams and Preca on October 29.

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Blow em up bro: Cops confronted explosive scene in high seas raid of drug boat - Sydney Morning Herald

ALTON The Alton Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is getting somewhat back to normal, just like the rest of the world, as it opens its 2021-2022 season on stage and in person, albeit with a few safety restrictions in place.

Newly elected ASO president Jessica Poddig said the orchestra is feeling energetic about connecting with the audience again.

Its been a year and a half since the orchestra and the audience have seen each other, and we are ready to fill the community with music again, Poddig said. Its very important to us that we are not only playing music that the community wants to hear, but also music that the orchestra members want to perform.

Midway through the season orchestra member suggestions are gathered and posted on social media asking the audience what they would like to hear. All those suggestions are formulated and given to the Music Selection Committee that is composed of orchestra members, who create an idea for each concert in the season. That list is then given to Maestro Shane Williams, who uses that as a guide to choose pieces to help make the orchestra and the communitys program come alive.

The upcoming Adventures on the Water is at 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Hatheway Cultural Center, at Lewis and Clark Community College, Godfrey. ASO adheres LCCCs guidelines, requiring masks for all people on campus, including visitors and concert goers, regardless of vaccination status. Tickets cost $10 for adults, and $5 for those 18 and younger at http://www.altonsymphonyorchestra.org. They can be picked up at will call the day of the concert.

Adventures on the Water journeys from the sea caves of the Hebrides to pirate ships on the high seas, taking the audience through an experience of emotional beauty and vigorous excitement of being on the water with ASO. Pieces will include Hebrides Overture, songs from Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Blue Danube Waltz, among others. Concerts always begin with The Star Spangled Banner, sung by Rachel Harrah. And 15 minutes before the concert, Maestro Minutes features Williams sharing miscellaneous facts and themes about the pieces the orchestra will be playing. Ballerina Molly Cook will also appear with the symphony.

Poddig has been playing the French horn with the orchestra since 2014, and been a board member since 2015. She was previously ASO vice president.

I hope as president I can expand ASO to become a greater part of the community, she said. I want our organization to take a greater part in music education, collaborate more with local fine arts groups, and reach all parts of the greater Alton community to truly Make Music Come Alive For All.

Making the Music Come Alive for All has been ASOs motto since Williams came aboard as the conductor eight years ago. He believes to enjoy music is to enjoy beauty. It soothes the soul, brings joy to the heart, makes our bodies want to move, he said.

Last years ASO offerings were a bit unusual with all concerts presented virtually, but Williams said the response was good, and many patrons expressed their appreciation for still providing concerts throughout the extraordinary time.

And though the concerts are once again live, this years Marie Stillwell Concerto Competition will again be held virtually. Submissions will be accepted online, along with recordings of each competitors performance. The competition will be administered by the new chair of the education committee, Casey Hansen.

There are currently more than 40 members in the orchestra with plans to add a few new members. In addition to Poddig, new officers are vice president Sydney Reynolds; treasurer, Melissa Bock; and secretary, Casey Hansen. ASO is also starting the new season with a newly elected executive board of directors. ASO is always looking for more community members to be involved on the board. If interested in joining, send an email to http://www.altonsympyhony@gmail.com.

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ASO returns to live performances with October concert - Alton Telegraph

Dream Cruises is inviting cruise lovers to celebrate its fifth birthday in November with a variety of special offers and promotions across its fleet in the region, entitled Hi 5 on the High Seas." Guests whose birthday falls in November will also be treated to a complimentary birthday package onboard Dream Cruises as part of the festivities, the cruise line said.

We are truly thrilled to be celebrating Dream Cruises fifth birthday! It really feels like only yesterday that we welcomed our first ship, Genting Dream, to Asia in 2016 and we couldnt be prouder of how quickly the brand has established itself in the region, said Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises. In five short years, Dream Cruises has expanded to a fleet of three ships, soon to be joined by our new Global Class currently being built in Germany, and have been honored with numerous awards, highlighted by Genting Dream and World Dreams inclusion in the worlds top ten Large Resort Ships in the Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Guide 2020.

Goh said that Dream Cruises was extremely proud to have been the first cruise company to restart cruising in Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic.

(C)ollectively across our fleet, Dream Cruises has welcomed close to 330,000 guests to date. I would like to specifically recognize the resilience of the brand and the hard work of our crew and staff to make cruises possible again during these challenging times, he noted.

To celebrate this occasion and to thank Dream Cruises guests, the cruise line has prepared a selection of deals and promotions in November.

According to a press release, Dream Cruises will kick off the celebrations with a Hi 5 on the High Seas 50-percent-off flash sale for Genting Dream sailings in Hong Kong and fares starting at $205 for itineraries on World Dream in Singapore. Onboard, a special celebration will also be held, the cruise line said.

For people born in November, Dream Cruises is offering five lucky guests on every cruise across the fleet during November the chance to celebrate their birthdays with a free birthday package filled with surprises and goodies.

If your birthday falls in the month of November, simply be one of the first five guests to register on the official Dream Cruises website at least seven days before your particular cruise departure in November for a festive experience including birthday decorations in your cabin, a personalized birthday cake and a bottle of sparkling wine, Dream Cruises wrote.

Throughout November, guests can also enjoy discounts and offers onboard the fleet with retail savings of up to 75 percent on selected designer goods and merchandise at The Dream Boutiques. The Crystal Life Spa will also offer a five-hour 5-Step Journey of Dreams treatment combining a Himalayan Salt Stone Massage with a selection of beauty therapies.

Additionally, on select sailings in November, special events and activities onboard Dream Cruises will "boost the party atmosphere" for guests.

On the Nov. 3-6 cruise on the Genting Dream and November cruise on the World Dream, guests can enjoy complimentary birthday cookies in their cabins, a "special birthday celebration ceremony" with cake cutting, upgraded menus, set dinners and up to 50 percent off at various food and beverage outlets, games and arts and crafts workshops.

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Dream Cruises Celebrates 5th Birthday With Special Offers - Cruise Industry News

Russia claims it prevented a U.S. Navy destroyer from entering its waters in the Sea of Japan on Friday.

The large anti-submarine ship of the Pacific Fleet Admiral Tributs did not allow the US Navy destroyer to violate the national border of Russia, the Russian Defense Ministrysaid in a statement regarding the incident.

The ministry said U.S. Navy destroyer Chafee approached Russias waters with anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs warning the U.S. destroyer against the actions.

The statement also claims the destroyer was in an area that was closed due to naval exercises Russia and China were conducting from Oct. 14 to Oct. 17.

After receiving a warning, the USS Chafee, instead of changing its course to leave the closed area, raised color flags indicating preparation for takeoff from the helicopter deck, which means that it was impossible to change course and speed, and took action to violate the national border of the Russian Federation in Peter the Great Bay, the statement says.

The Russian ship went toward the U.S. destroyer to prevent it from going further with the U.S. ship turning around when there were less than 60 meters between the two ships.

The actions of the crew of the US Navy destroyer Chafee are a flagrant violation of the International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the Russian-American intergovernmental agreement on the prevention of incidents on the high seas and in the airspace above it in 1972, Russian claims.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the U.S. destroyers actions were safe and professional."

At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom, the U.S. statement said. "The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate where international law allows.

The Russian ship did come within 65 yards of the U.S. destroyer as it was preparing flight operations, the U.S. statement said.

The U.S. said Russias warning to avoid the area due to naval exercises was not in effect until later in the day.

Updated at 10:49 p.m.

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Russia claims it prevented US Navy destroyer from entering its waters in Sea of Japan | TheHill - The Hill

North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile from the countrys east coast, authorities say

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile from its eastern coast on Tuesday morning, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

The launch took place in the port city of Sinpo, Hamgyong province, at about 10 a.m. local time Tuesday (9 p.m. ET Monday), South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. In a text to reporters, the JCS said it appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

Stacker scoured statistics, tourism boards, national parks service websites, and various datasets to bring examples of just how many of 50 different things exist in the U.S. Click for more.

South Koreas Defense Ministry said the missile is estimated to have been fired from the sea, but has yet to confirm whether it was launched from a submarine. Sinpo is home to a North Korean naval shipyard.

Japans Deputy Secretary General Yoshihiko Isozaki said two ballistic missiles were estimated to be fired during Tuesdays launch, while South Koreas military only announced one projectile.

North Koreas latest actions threaten the peace and security of Japan and the region, Isozaki said. Furthermore, the continued ballistic missile launches pose a serious challenge not just for Japan but for the entire international community.

Tuesdays test was extremely regrettable and violated UN Security Council resolutions, Isozaki added.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan would respond resolutely to North Koreas action in a tweet on Tuesday.

China has denied a report that it tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August, saying on Monday that the test was instead a routine spacecraft experiment.

The Financial Times reported Sunday that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise. The report cited unnamed sources briefed on the intelligence.

When asked about the report at a regular press briefing Monday, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the August test was a spacecraft, not a missile.

This test was a routine spacecraft experiment to verify the reusable technology of spacecraft, which is of great significance for reducing the cost of spacecraft use. It can provide a convenient and cheap way for humans to use space peacefully. Many companies in the world have carried out similar experiments, Zhao said.

He said that what separated from the spacecraft before returning was the supporting equipment of the spacecraft, which was burned and disintegrated in the process of falling into the atmosphere and landed on the high seas.

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World in Brief_102021 | | henryherald.com - Henry Herald

SANTA BARBARA

As the morning fog peeled off the docks of Santa Barbara Harbor recently, fisherman Gary Burke eyed all thats left of a fleet that once helped satisfy Americas insatiable appetite for swordfish: four old vessels with splotches of rust showing through peeling paint.

Decades ago, there were more than 100 such ships in Santa Barbara alone, towing mile-long drift gill nets in choppy seas far beyond the breakwater. Today, there are perhaps a dozen in the entire United States, and they will probably soon be removed from service.

Hammered by government regulations, foreign competition, soaring fuel and labor costs, fluctuating market prices, a state buy-back program to take nets out of the water, and conflicts with preservationists over incidental entanglements of whales, porpoises, seals, turtles and birds, Burkes livelihood has gone the way of Southern California fur trappers and dairy farms.

As if all that werent enough, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have issued an advisory warning that swordfish are not safe to eat because they contain high levels of mercury.

In 2021, the price of fresh swordfish has been as much as $22 per pound.

Weve been whittled down by regulations and old age, Burke grumbled as he climbed aboard the 50-foot vessel Tytan, which has been his private domain for 35 years.

At age 75, the tall, easy-mannered fisherman with a replaced knee and rough, callused hands is not as sure-footed as he once was. In a couple more years, I wont have the strength to climb into my own boat, he said.

Weve been whittled down by regulations and old age, says swordfish gill netter Gary Burke. The tall, easy-mannered 75-year-old with a replaced knee and rough, callused hands is not as sure-footed as he once was. In a couple more years, I wont have the strength to climb into my own boat.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Until then, Im going to keep doing it, Burke said, a grin spreading across his face.

Theyre putting a good fishery out of business for no good reason, he said. Most of the nations swordfish is imported, even though scientists say swordfish stock off California is healthy.

That doesnt make sense to me, and it isnt right, he said, shaking his head and gazing out at the harbor promenade.

That kind of talk is not the only reason that Burke has become something of a local hero on the waterfront. He is the lead plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit challenging a California program to phase out swordfish gill netting by 2024.

In a separate case earlier this year, a federal court judge cast his line in favor of three California swordfish netters led by Burke and struck down a new federal rule that will shut down their fishery if it accidentally kills or injures too many marine mammals or turtles. With plenty of protections already on the books, the judge said, the rule would threaten the economic viability of the drift gill net fishery while providing minor environmental benefits.

It was a rare win for what was once one of the major commercial fisheries in California. In the 1980s, the fleet landed more than 7 million pounds of swordfish worth close to $13 million annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since then, landings have declined to less than 1 million pounds worth about $2.5 million.

Now, a state buy-back program is offering $110,000 to each swordfish netter who quits the business. Burke said he turned down the offer.

Noah Wagner, lead fishmonger at the Santa Barbara Fish Market, holds up a loin from a swordfish caught off the Channel Islands. In the 1980s, the California fleet landed more than 7 million pounds of swordfish worth close to $13 million annually,

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Im glad that Gary and a handful of other guys are fighting back, said Kim Selkoe, executive director of the nonprofit Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara. They are courageous representatives of a fishery that still has great value.

Mark Helvey, a former National Marine Fisheries Service administrator, agrees. By putting our swordfish netters out of business, were just moving the industry to less regulated fisheries elsewhere, he said.

The drift gill net fishery for swordfish began off the coast of Southern California in the late 1970s and quickly grew into one of the major commercial fleets in the state. By the mid-1980s, the arrival of swordfish riding warm currents up from Mexico in autumn and winter to feast on squid and mackerel was drawing an estimated 300 fishermen who unfurled spidery nets to snare them.

The only other commercial fleet targeting swordfish off the West Coast catches fish with harpoons but contributes a fraction of the landings produced by gill netting. The essentials of the gill net fishery havent changed all that much over the decades. Gill net gear consists of a panel of netting suspended vertically in the water by floats with weights at the bottom. One end of the net is fastened to the vessel and the other end of the net is left free to drift along the current.

The nets are typically unfurled at sunset and allowed to drift during the night in areas where swordfish might be feeding, for example, where warm water meets a cold-water current and scanners have located sardines, anchovies and squid.

The commitment of early gill netters like Burke was huge in time, financial investment and drive. They stayed out for weeks traveling hundreds of miles out of sight of land, with the sway of the ocean underfoot.

With their own lives and the fate of their cargoes at stake, mechanical problems or dark sky at the horizon were constant concerns.

Gary Burke holds up a section of his mile-long nylon net that he uses to catch swordfish. He is the lead plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit challenging a California program to phase out swordfish gill netting by 2024.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Back in the day, it was the Wild West on the high seas, Burke recalled. Most folks have no idea what commercial fishermen went through to put swordfish steaks on their plates.

Competition was so intense, he said, that everybody had secret voice scramblers attached to their on-board radios so that others who might be listening in wouldnt know where they were or where they were headed.

If your net got caught in the boat propeller, he said, you stripped down, slapped on a snorkel mask, grabbed a knife and dove overboard. Then you tried to hold your breath long enough to cut it off.

It could be a little dangerous out there, he added, but a guy could make more than $100,000 a year.

But unfettered by quotas or regulations, their bycatch was appallingly large. Marine conservation and sportfishing groups called their nets curtains of death and pressed for elimination of the gear. Their demands led to the enactment of a series of time and area closures and gear requirements over the last 25 years to reduce the bycatch of marine mammals and turtles.

For example, before the 2001 establishment of the Leatherback Conservation Area closure, which eliminated most swordfish netting north of Point Conception, the fishery operated from the Mexican territorial water border northward to Oregon.

A minimum mesh size of 14 inches across is now required to reduce bycatch of smaller, unwanted species and to optimize the take of larger, more desirable species such as swordfish and bluefin tuna. The use of acoustic warning devices, or pingers, became a requirement in 1997 and significantly reduced entanglements with marine mammals and turtles.

The modifications reduced the rate of endangered sea turtle entanglements by 90% from pre-2001 rates, according to a study co-authored by Stephen Stohs, a NOAA economist.

Despite these improvements, the tide of public opinion was not running their way.

Earlier this year, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) submitted a bill that would ban swordfish netting on a federal level and direct regulatory agencies to assist commercial fishermen in converting to potentially new means of catching swordfish with almost no risk of bycatch.

Gary Burke aboard his 50-foot fishing vessel, Tytan, docked at Santa Barbara Harbor. Back in the day, he recalled, it was the Wild West on the high seas. Most folks have no idea what commercial fishermen went through to put swordfish steaks on their plates.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

One of them is called deep-set buoy gear, and the technology behind it takes advantage of the unique characteristics of swordfish, which spend most daytime hours at depths of 700 to 1,400 feet, coming only occasionally to the surface.

Voracious predators, swordfish can reach almost 1,200 pounds and grow 14 feet in length. They also have a heat exchange system that allows them to warm their brain and unusually large eyes while searching for prey in deep, cold, murky water that is low in oxygen.

Deep-set buoy gear uses a floatation device from which a single line hangs with no more than three hooks attached to it. An 8-pound weight quickly sinks the baited hooks to 1,200 feet beneath the surface, where swordfish are accompanied by few other species. A detection system attached to the gear alerts fishermen when a fish is on the line, allowing for quick retrieval once hooked.

The method is so selective, that swordfish comprise upward of 95% of the fish caught with the gear, said Chugey Sepulveda, senior scientist at the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research and head of a team that developed the deep-set buoy gear. Rapid processing and the freshness of the landed local product, he says, would bring premium prices at market.

At the recommendation of the Pacific Fishery Management Council and conservation groups including the nonprofit Oceana, NOAA is weighing a proposal to issue up to 300 deep-set buoy gear permits, phased in over a 12-year period in the Southern California Bight.

Oceana, which a year ago donated $1 million to Californias effort to eliminate drift gill nets, estimates that transitioning the state swordfish fishery to methods such as deep-set buoy gear would save at least 27 whales, 548 dolphins, 333 seals and sea lions, 24 sea turtles, and 70 seabirds over 10 years.

Paddleboarders ply the waters in Santa Barbara Harbor. The sign in the foreground gives facts about swordfish, including that they can reach almost 1,200 pounds and grow 14 feet in length.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

It remains to be seen, however, whether commercial fishermen can catch enough swordfish with the new gear to be economically viable. Beyond that, at least one loggerhead turtle has been observed entangled in deep-set buoy gear, according to an environmental impact review of the method.

At this point, we dont know how many commercial fishermen will like deep-set buoy gear or how much of a dent it would put in import markets of swordfish, NOAA economist Stohs said. But no matter how big it grows, it will not surpass the number of swordfish harvested with gill nets or long lines.

Greg Gorga, executive director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, which overlooks the harbor, said swordfish netting is one of many California fisheries founded by people wanting to take their chance at high-seas adventure and quick riches a drive that has resulted in inefficiencies and conflicts that tested the capacity of industry regulators.

Look over there, he said, pointing toward a nest of small boats docked side by side. They were originally designed to haul up abalone, but they overfished it from San Francisco to San Diego. Now, theyre used to harvest sea urchin.

Next, Gorga pointed to a boat he said was built for salmon fishing, but salmon rarely run in local waters these days.

What it all means is this, he said. Things change, and when they do, its tough to see your livelihood disappearing.

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The sun is setting on a controversial swordfish industry - Los Angeles Times

More of the well-heeled are taking to the high seas for their getaways.

September, the busiest month in the European yacht show calendar, saw the successful conclusion of the Cannes Yachting Festival with a record number of attendees. At the 30th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show, the worlds largest collection of 80 super and mega yachts, and 32 world- first launches were showcased. In Asia, charters and sales of superyachts and domestic yachts are booming. While the pandemic has hit the cruise industry hard, luxury cruiseliners are now going all out to woo passengers with new ships and exceptional itineraries.

Heres the latest round-up of the cruise scene:

Fans of the award-winning architectural and interior design doyen Jean-Michel Gathy can set their sights next on owning a unit on M/Y NJORD a residential superyacht that he is designing for Ocean Residences Development. Though slated for completion only in 2025, strong demand for the 117 residences is already seen in the form of enquiries from UHNWIs around the world. At a length of 293m, M/Y NJORDs luxury residences are available in 21 configurations with two to six bedrooms ranging from approximately 120 sq m to 800 sq m. The M/Y NJORD is also the worlds only residential yacht to offer 14 duplex and two spectacular triplex residences with private elevators. Her many splendid amenities and facilities include a professional-standard oceanographic research laboratory.

Better digital technology has enhanced safety, efficiency and communications on superyachts. However, this increased interconnectivity of onboard and shore-based systems has increased the occurrence of system failures and opportunities for cyber attackers to hack into a yachts network. To address this risk, specialist insurer Beazley has launched cyber insurance for luxury yachts to protect them from physical damage, loss of access, threatened and actual ransom of the ship resulting from these breaches. Beazleys Cyber Defence for Superyachts also provides inbuilt risk prevention and immediate response services via a 24-hour hotline in case of a cyber breach. Beazley will first conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify and mitigate potential gaps in security that could leave new policyholders susceptible.

Zhupanova River and Franz Josef Land in Russia, the Ross Sea and Mount Erebus in Antarctica, Shiretoko National Park in Japan, and the mountain- backed colonial town of Paraty in Brazil All remote and fascinating, but now accessible on the new Crystal Endeavor. It is Crystal Expedition Cruises first- ever made-in-Germany Polar Class Six (PC6) a 164.5m-long ship that offers 100 suites with private verandas for up to 200 guests. It features 27 world-spanning itineraries ranging from 10 to 28 nights, taking guests on epic and deeply immersive adventures in uninhabited lands teeming with wildlife, and cultural and historical hotspots. Check them out on the freshly released 2023/24 calendar.

Ever since Silversea Cruises took delivery of its new ultra-luxury cruise ship Silver Moon in end-2020, fans of bespoke voyages have been waiting with bated breath to set sail on it. At 213m long and able to accommodate 596 passengers on board, it maintains a small-ship intimacy and all-suite accommodation that are the brands hallmarks. Silver Moon also features the all-new S.A.L.T. programme an immersive culinary concept that treats guests to destination-based gastronomic experiences, such as lab-based cooking lessons and daily-changing menus on the boat, and curated shore excursions to dive deep into local culture, such as a cheese-making demo in Mykonos. Departures from Singapore include long cruises to Hong Kong, while the exotic itineraries are those scheduled for the Mediterranean and South America legs.

2021 has a been a great year for Princess Yachts in Asia. Blue Lagoon Yachting, the makers largest and oldest distributor in Asia, brokered the sales of nine Princess Yachts. These are one X95, four Y85s, two new-styled F62s, one F55 and one F45. Popular among the Asian clientele, the Princess Y85 with a round dining table in the saloon, an integrated Asian- European galley and bar feature, was designed in collaboration with naval architects Olesinski and Italian styling house Pininfarina. Our Asian owners particularly enjoy eating and socialising on board, often with a family across many generations, says Vrit Yongsakul, group managing director of Boat Lagoon Yachting, who adds that the round dining table is great for family and business gatherings. The brokerage is also seeing good demand for pre-owned yachts by Princess. A Princess 78 Motor Yacht and a Princess V39 were among the pre-owned boats that it has sold.

Marine conservationists and lovers of the seas and the creatures that inhabit them who dream of going to destinations like Antarctica or the Arctic would rejoice at this news. It is possible to travel to these fragile environments with minimal impact. Aurora Expeditions, a leader in expedition travel since over 30 years ago, has worked with Dr Sylvia Earle, a legendary marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer, to build such an expedition vessel. Scheduled for its maiden voyage in Alaska in the second quarter of 2022, the Sylvia Earle will boast one of the lowest-polluting marine engines in the world. Its low energy consumption, high fuel efficiency and a streamlined design will mean an 80 per cent reduction in emissions compared to vessels with Tier 1 engines.

If you are a frequent flyer whose wings have been clipped by the pandemic, fret not. You can continue to earn miles if you are a KrisFlyer member. KrisFlyer is collaborating with Dream Cruises to enhance the experience of being a member. Since mid-September, KrisFlyer members can earn KrisFlyer miles on Dream Cruises packages. KrisFlyer has also chartered World Dream on Nov 17 for members who may also choose to redeem their miles to join this cruise. A number of Singapore Airlines-themed activities ranging from photo ops with the iconic SIA cabin crew and grooming workshops by SIA trainers are just some of the activities planned. Singapore Airlines First Class meals would also be available on board.

The undisputed leader in European river cruise operations celebrated its return to the continents fabled crystalline rivers with a seven-night Danube itinerary in August on the Crystal Ravel. Starting from Vilshofen, the river ship called on Germany, Austria and Hungary, with shipboard overnights in Vienna and Budapest, and also traversed along the Unesco-listed Wachau Valley. During the earlier 18-month pause in operations, Crystal River Cruises staff retrained, and implemented stringent measures to provide guests with a safe yet enjoyable experience in the companys spacious all-suite vessels. To allow ample social distancing at a comfortable level, bookings for each vessel have been capped at half. For 2021, the cruiseliner offers voyages exploring the historic cities, cultural treasures and Unesco World Heritage sites of the Rhine, Moselle and Danube rivers, with some showcasing the fairy-tale beauty of the Mosel Wine Region.

(Main and featured image: Silver Moon)

This story first appeared in the Cruise & Yacht Special of Prestige Singapore, October issue.

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Whats Happening in the Cruise and Yacht World in 2021 - Prestige Online

James W. Pfister| The Daily Telegram

Fifty-nine years ago on Oct. 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy introduced the American public and the world to the Cuban Missile Crisis in his famous Monday-evening speech. The Soviet Union was placing short-range (1,500-2,000miles) offensive nuclear missiles on its ally Cubas territory. The Kennedy team had worked for days in secret to come up with a strategy to get those weapons out of Cuba, including an invasion of Cuba. Kennedy settled on the legal option: a blockade (called a quarantine) of Cuba on the high seas to stop Soviet ships in route to Cuba. He created a chicken game with the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev.

My thesis is that, although this was a most dangerous nuclear confrontation, law mattered; morality mattered. Kennedy chose the option that could be supported by a sound legal argument and would not necessarily kill civilians.

The action of putting offensive nuclear weapons on an allys territory with consent was perfectly legal. Cuba was an independent, sovereign nation. There was freedom of the seas. No legal rights of the United States were violated. We were doing the same thing with our short-range weapons in Turkey near the Soviet border.

We, however, were not as legally innocent with that blockade. The blockade in times of peace on the high seas was a violation of international law, everything else being equal. But, they were not equal: there was the United Nations Charter. The UN Charter is like the constitution of international law; it preempts any contrary international law. Three Charter articles were relevant to the American legal argument: Articles 51, 52and 53.

Article 51 deals with the inherent right of self-defense. It reads in relevant part: Nothing … shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs…. Although the American motivation was defensive, in law we were not being attacked, nor was an attack imminent. The lawyers debated this, but Kennedy went with those who respected the legal text which required an armed attack; they believed that to stretch self-defense here would make it appear we did not take the legal argument seriously.

Kennedy settled on Article 52. It provides for regional organizations to maintain peace. The relevant organization here was the Organization of American States (the OAS). Article 52 states that a regional organization can deal with matters relating to, … the maintenance of international peace and security…. In addition to action to defend against attack, the organization was empowered to act, … by any other fact or situation that might endanger the peace of America… (Article 28 of the OAS Charter). Armed attack there wasnt (Article 51); a threat to the peace, there was. Whereas, it was against international law for the United States to put out a blockade by itself, it was within the authority of the OAS to put one out, or to authorize the American one, under Article 52 of the UN Charter, Article 28 of the OAS Charter. This was the legal authorization the United States needed.

Note the willingness of Kennedy to take a risk to get legal authorization. There would be a vote in the OAS; what if we had lost that vote? Our position would have been untenable. Not all the Latin American states were warm regarding the great and meddling power to the north. But when the chips were down, they voted unanimously to support the United States.

Article 53 offered the Achilles heel of the American legal argument: any enforcement action by a regional organization, which this was, was to be authorized by the Security Council, where the Soviets had a veto. We said the Security Council, being aware of the blockade, did not say no (we would have vetoed that disapproval). We took silence as a tacit approval. (Abram Chayes, "The Cuban Missile Crisis," 1974, pages 61-62).

Law, during a nuclear confrontation? Yes, when the United States is involved.

JamesW.Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached at jpfister@emich.edu.

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Legal aspects of the Cuban Missile Crisis - Monroe Evening News

The United States Navy authorized the construction of a new class of dreadnought battleships prior to the outbreak of World War I. The new Wyoming-class armament featured more powerful twelve-inch (305mm)/50 caliber Mark 7 guns than those on the preceding Florida class. The Wyoming class also included an additional sixth twin-gun turret as well as improved armor protection. This new battleship class was the last design to use twelve-inch guns, but was also the first to utilize a torpedo bulkhead on an American battleship.

The Wyoming class was also the first U.S. battleship design to mount twelve heavy guns. It featured two forward main gun turrets and an impressive four aft. Two of the battleships were eventually completed: USS Wyoming (BB-32) and USS Arkansas (BB-33). The two ships, which were 554 feet (169 meters) long at the waterline and 562 feet (171 meters) overall, were both completed in 1912 and often served together. In April 1914, USS Arkansas took part in the occupation of Veracruz during the Mexican Revolution, during which two of her crew earned the Medal of Honor for their actions during the initial occupation of the city. USS Wyoming arrived later to support the operations.

Both vessels were deployed to British waters after the United States entered the war in the spring of 1917, where they were used to reinforce the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. They were both present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow on November 21, 1918. While neither took part in combat operations during the war, it was determined during training operations that the five-inch (127mm) guns casemate-mounted right after at the main deck level and the foremost pair on either side of the first turret were essentially unusable in bad weather. As a result, they were removed along with the two five-inch (127mm) guns in the unprotected positions on the bridge superstructure.

Both Wyoming-class ships, as well as the older Florida-class and New York-class battleships, were heavily modified during the 1920s. All six were converted to oil-fired boilers, which proved to be far more efficient than the coal-fired models the ships had been constructed with. Oil-fired boilers also allowed for much greater cruising range.

Demilitarized Battleship

However, the greatest change came to the USS Wyoming due to the 1930 London Naval Treaty. The warship was "demilitarized" and became a training ship with the hull number AG-19. Her side armor, torpedo bulges, conning tower, and one boiler were removed. After 1935, she regularly embarked U.S. Marines for training in amphibious assault landings.

The Wyoming was again modernized during the Second World War. Her last remaining 12-inch gun turrets were removed and replaced with four twin and two single-enclosed mounts for 5-inch/38 caliber guns. New fire control radars were also installed. These modifications allowed the warship to train anti-aircraft gunners with modern equipment that would be used in combat. In July 1945 she became an experimental gunnery ship with the Operational Development Force. She served in that capacity until August 1947, when she was decommissioned and sold for scrap.

Arkansas in Wartime

Unlike her sister ship, USS Arkansas wasn't demilitarized. The warship was used in training operations in the 1930s, but later was used in a full military capacity. She escorted American occupation forces to Iceland, and was also among the U.S. Navy vessels present when President Franklin Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the Atlantic Charter Conference in 1941.

After the United States entered the Second World War, she was employed escorting Atlantic convoys, and later supported the Normandy invasion in June 1944. She also participated in the invasion of Southern France later that same year before being sent to the Pacific. She supported the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

After World War II she was used as a target ship for atomic bomb tests at the Bikini Atoll, and was sunk during such a test on July 25, 1946. She is still at the bottom of the atoll.

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He regularly writes about military small arms, and is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com.

Image: Reuters.

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How Interwar Treaties Changed the Course of USS Wyoming's Career - The National Interest

A U.S. congressional committeehas passed an amended bill that seeks to prevent more seafood produced through illegal practices from entering the country in part by expanding the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP).

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, 13 October, voted to advance the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act, legislation sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman (D-California) and Garret Graves (R-Louisiana).

Under H.R. 3075, the government would expand SIMP to cover all seafood products entering the country, up from the 13 species the government currently checks for mislabeling or to determine if it was caught with the use of forced labor.

Huffman, who chairs the committees Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, said illegal fishing hurts U.S. fisheries and that current policies have created gaps that let some of those products into restaurants and grocery stores.

It's our problem because we are the top importer of seafood in the world, and our high seas are like the wild west, he said. The lawless nature of the open ocean really lends itself to exploitation of fishermen. No one is watching.

Graves said countries like China, Russia, Mexico, and Cambodia have condoned illegal fishing practices. In the past six years, Graves said the U.S. Coast Guard has filed nearly 250 cases against Mexican fishermen for illegal activities. Its a major problem for fishermen in Louisiana, Graves said, which ranks second to Alaska in domestic seafood production.

We represent a huge commercial fishing industry, and our fishers can't compete if you're going to have folks out there carrying out illegal practices, if they're overfishing areas, if they're going into other countries waters, he added.

Supporters of the bill, which will now move to the full U.S. House of Representatives for a vote, said the law will help ensure all fishing businesses are playing by the same rules and prevent human rights abuses.

Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive DirectorJohn Williamssaid in a statement the proposed legislation puts American fishermen first in a bipartisan manner.

Opportunities are rare as hens teeth for Congress to expand the reach of the United States high standards for human rights and marine conservation globally while at the same time protecting American workers and families forced to compete with illegal imports, he said.

Oceana Deputy Vice President for U.S. CampaignsBeth Lowellsaid in a statement that U.S. customers will also benefit from the legislation, as new regulations will keep buyers from being the victim to a bait-and-switch by ensuring all products are labeled correctly.

By expanding import requirements and vessel transparency, requiring full-chain traceability, and giving the U.S. more tools to fight IUU fishing, the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act offers a promising pathway to combat illegal fishing, which threatens the future of our oceans and those who depend on it for food and livelihoods, Lowell said.

As part of its deliberations, the committee approved an amendment that eased some of the proposed regulations it contained for U.S. fishing vessels.A requirement for boats longer than 50 feet to use automatic identification systems (AIS) for tracking purposes, was removed, though the amended bill keeps the requirement for vessels 65 feet in length and longer.

Huffman noted stakeholder feedback that led to the amendment. Last month, a group of more than 100 U.S. fishing industry stakeholders sent him and U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Oregon) a letter noting that most American vessels use different technology and that redundant systems would increase costs. Using AIS would also open the door for competitors to learn the location of their boats.

However, while the amendment eases the requirement for smaller-vessel owners, Huffmansaid a subsidy program will remain in place for those fishermen to acquire what he called "crucial technology"for detecting illegal fishing practices.

It's also very important that we hold our domestic fleet to this standard of transparency so that we can then hold foreign fleets, unscrupulous foreign operators, to account, Huffman said. And we can only do that if we include this technology in our own domestic fleet.

The bill does faces oppositionfrom U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota), who said he understands the need to combat human rights abuses, but said he fears that small businesses like Moreys Seafood International, a seafood retailer in his district, may get saddled with higher costs that are then passed on to consumers.

Staubersubmitted a letter from the trade group National Fisheries Institute, supported by nearly 100 companies,that expressed similar concerns and asking for a better solutionto be identified.

It's imperative we don't punish good actors like them when trying to solve a problem, Stauber said.

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Amended IUU fishing bill approved by House committee would expand SIMP - SeafoodSource