Category Archives: High Seas

The day is finally here. The engines kick-start with a mighty roar, the deck sways gently and the air grows thick with the clinking of champagne glasses. Its sunset on May 20, 2021, and as I watch the port of Southampton fade into the horizon, the gravity of the situation finally hits me cruise ships are back.

The LED ceiling onboard the MSC Virtuosa. (Credit: Ivan Sarfatti/MSC Cruises)

Today, I am lucky enough to be on board not only the maiden voyage of the brand new 1 billion MSC Virtuosa, but also the first cruise to embark from the UK since the coronavirus pandemic brought this much-loved industry to a standstill.

The MSC Virtuosa at sea. (Credit: Ivan Sarfatti/MSC Cruises)

Im excited for this four-day jaunt around the English Channel with a quick stop in Portland but nowhere near as excited as cruise director Gene Young. This is a historic moment, he tells me, emphatically. We have been through 14 months of hell but now We. Are. Back!

MSC Virtuosa UK Restart

Gene is a charming and charismatic man, but I detect a hint of nervousness in his voice. As we all know, the entire cruise industry in fact, the entire tourism sector is watching this voyage with bated breath. Everything must go perfectly. One slip-up could send us right back to square one.

No wonder, then, that the embarkation process has been so strict. Two days ago, I took a PCR test (99 from Boots) in order to show my negative certificate at check-in this morning. I had to fill in a health questionnaire, then bought special Covid-19 cruise insurance (22 from Europ Assistance). I had my temperature taken as I made my way through the port, then a nasal swab test. Once that came back negative, I was finally allowed to embark.

Not a single passenger, I discover, tested positive at the port but that doesnt mean we can rest on our laurels. Even now, while on board, I am asked to wear a mask and observe social distancing in all public spaces. I have my temperature taken daily and the entire fourth deck is off-limits, acting as an isolation deck in case of an outbreak.

The restrictions may be strict, but the end result is that I feel totally safe and able to enjoy the impeccable hospitality onboard the MSC Virtuosa.

That experience begins in the Virtuosas gorgeous Italianate promenade. This boulevard is home to one of the worlds largest floating retail spaces, selling over 240 brands. One of the most prominent is Swarovski, who have also shelled out the materials for the Virtuosas million-euro staircase very glitzy.

MSC Virtuosa UK Restart

The promenade is also home to four speciality restaurants, several bars, a theatre and a Balinese spa (where you can enjoy a 45-minute massage for 119). Four days is seldom enough to sample everything, but even so, I try my best to take advantage of my Finest Four dining package.

While all guests are entitled to eat at any of the standard restaurants, upgrading to either the Duo (81), Trilogy (97) or Finest Four (124) dining packages is recommended. These allow guests to indulge in two, three or four restaurant experiences respectively. The standard of the food in these four venues is certainly a cut above.

By far my favourite of the Finest Four is Hola Tacos. Here, I get to dine with Jacques, the mastermind behind this novel concept of Mexican street food served on the high seas.

Hola Tacos_Ancho Tinga Taco Blue Corn Shell_MSC Virtuosa

In Hola Tacos, we have tried to create a unique concept, he explains, A fast, casual, affordable experience, with food to go.

The menu features everything from soft-shell tacos (from 1.79 each) to nacho platters (from 7) and burritos (11.99), all made with authentic ingredients (theres nothing TexMex going on here). The highlight is Jacques curated range of mezcals, a high-calibre agave alcohol which, despite being of the same family as tequila, tastes more like Scotch whisky. Jacques takes me through a prototype mezcal tasting, an experience he will soon start to offer from 25.

Guests try a mezcal tasting onboard the MSC Virtuosa

Maybe its the mezcal in my system or maybe its the gentle rocking of the ship, but I sleep like a baby on my first night. Maybe, then again, its because of my cabin. While nothing fancy, the balcony cabins offer everything a couple or solo traveller needs, most of all an incredibly comfortable double bed. Those wanting something a little more special can upgrade to one of the Royal Suites in the MSC Yacht Club, and family cabins are also available for up to ten people.

Balcony cabin onboard MSC Virtuosa

Speaking of families, I am especially struck by the great range of activities for kids. The Virtuosas top deck houses an adventure water park, featuring giant flume slides and high rope adventure trails. Below deck, there are a number of play areas for kids aged one to 17, the most eye-catching of which is the new Teens Lab, an AV club where young people can create a video memento of their time on the high seas. An arcade with bowling alley and an exciting Formula One simulator also feature.

Formula One simulator onboard MSC Virtuosa. (Credit: MSC Cruises)

Shore excursions are back on the agenda too, and my Covid-safe bubble gets to experience a leisurely trip around the Dorset countryside. We travel by coach from our dock in Portland, past the Cerne Abbas Giant hill figure on our way to the village of Minterne Magna. Here we enjoy afternoon tea and a (rather rainy) walk around the Himalayan Gardens of Minterne House.

Shore Excursion_Author shot_MSC Virtuosa

As one might expect, the experience is somewhat pared back by various restrictions masks and social distancing notwithstanding, we are shepherded very strictly to make sure we dont interact with anyone outside our bubble, and must of course take a temperature check on either side of our trip. But as far as experiences go at a time like this, this MSC shore excursion delivers to the best of its ability.

All in all, its safe to conclude the MSC Virtuosa has proven, definitively, that cruising is not only a safe and viable form of vacationing, but can still go above and beyond expectations. Yes, there are numerous restrictions and inconveniences, but these hardly spoil an otherwise luxurious, decadent, relaxing and altogether exciting experience.

How to plan your trip

Prices start from 299pp for two nights and 799pp for seven nights. Next cruises to leave the UK are seven-night sailings on June 12 and 19 from Southampton calling at Portland, Greenock and Liverpool. Visit msccruises.co.uk.

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Cruise ships are back but whats it really like to travel on Covid-safe seas? - The Independent

Officers responded to a 911 call of a boat sinking in Fire Island Pines Harbor at approximately 1 a.m.

Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers recently rescued two men from a sinking 25-foot sailboat in Fire Island Pines Harbor.

Police Officers William Houst, John Mullins, Michael Klarmann and Steven Squires, onboard Marine X-Ray, responded to a 911 call of a boat sinking in Fire Island Pines Harbor at approximately 1 a.m.

The lines on the sailboat broke and were being smashed against the dock and other boats. Chris Sinforter, 32, of Brooklyn, and Christian Teneyck, 37, of Jersey City, were onboard the sinking sailboat and unable to get off safely due to high seas.

Officers maneuvered Marine X-Ray next to the sailboat and helped the two men to jump safely to the rescue boat at approximately 2:30 a.m.

Officer Squires sustained minor injuries while catching the victim jumping from his vessel. He was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore for treatment. Sinforter and Teneyck were uninjured.

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Suffolk Police Rescue Two Men from Sinking Sailboat in Fire Island Pines Harbor - LongIsland.com

Actor Sebastian Stan doesnt get an on-screen love interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But that doesnt mean he doesnt have one in real life. In June 2021, the star shared his love for his girlfriend, Alejandra Onieva, on social media. So what is the age difference between them?

RELATED: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: How Old Is Bucky Barnes? Sebastian Stan Celebrated His Birthday

Stan began acting steadily in the 00s. After graduating from college, where he studied theater, he appeared in films likeThe Covenant, Hot Tub Time Machine, and the Oscar-winningBlack Swan. He also held recurring roles in popular TV series such asGossip GirlandOnce Upon a Time.

But far and away, Stans best-known gigs are within the MCU. He began portraying Bucky Barnes in 2011sCaptain America: The First Avenger, a role hes reprised several times since. Stan also starred alongside Anthony Mackie in the Disney+ Marvel seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Like many celebrities of his stature, Stans brought in media attention surrounding his personal life. However, there isnt too much to tell. Aside from reported short-lived romances with co-stars like Dianna Agron, Leighton Meester, and Jennifer Morrison, the 38-year-olds love life has remained relatively private.

In 2020, most stars got away with keeping their romantic relationships under wraps due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. So with minimal public appearances, no one knew who was dating whom. But when Stan stepped out with Onieva in mid-2020, it became clear this was serious.

As Stan spent the better part of the past year filming and doing press forThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, hes been very busy. And though hes spoken about his work in interviews, hes kept his personal life private. That is, until June 1, 2021, when he shared a video for Onieva for her 29th birthday.

Happy Birthday @ale_onieva, Stan wrote on Instagram. Over a year ago, out of a lot of darknessyou became the light, he continued, adding, Im so grateful. In the video, Stan spends a day with his phone, where an image of Onieva is displayed. Likely, the two had to spend much of the year apart, thus the joke.

Despite their almost 10-year age difference (Stan turns 39 in August 2021), Onieva and Stan have things in common. Neither was born in the U.S. Stan lived in Romania and Austria before moving to New York as a child, while Onieva was born and raised in Madrid, Spain.

Onieva is also an actor by trade. She first gained notoriety for the telenovelaEl secreto de Puente Viejo. Shes continued to act on TV in the years since. Onieva starred in the Netflix mystery dramaAlta Mar(High Seas), which ended in 2020. In 2021, she began filming the movieHistorias Para No Contap(Stories Not to Be Told).

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Sebastian Stan and Alejandra Onieva: The Age Difference Between the MCU Star and His Girlfriend - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial body of India and is the top court under the Indian Constitution. It has wide-ranging powers and is considered to be one of Indias most powerful public institutions. But it did not start off like this.AFREEN ALAMproffers a brief introduction of the first Supreme Court(s) in India, giving details and context on some key early legislations that led to its formation.

BY the end of the 18thcentury, the East India Company (EIC) was in a terrible financial situation, primarily due to corruption. The EIC was in great debt and owed money to both the bank of England and the British government. Then British Prime Minister Lord North decided to overhaul the management of the EIC withthe Regulating Act of 1773.

The Act was the first step of the eventual government control of India post-1858. Itprovideda new administrative framework for the EIC. The President of the company in the Calcutta factory, who used to be known as the Governor of Bengal, was made the Governor-General of all the Indian territories of the company. The other governors of Bombay and Madras were made subordinate to him. He had a council of four members.

The Governor-general and council could make any rules, regulations, and ordinances they thought just and reasonable for Calcuttas order and good governance. Thus, the Act laid down the foundation of central administration in India.

One of the most significant provisions of the Act wasestablishinga Supreme Court at Calcutta.

The Act was brought about to reform the Constitution of the EIC and reform its government in India; hence the Governor-general, the councilors, the Chief Justice, and other Judges of the newly established Supreme Court were prohibited from accepting any gifts, presents, donations, gratuity or rewards from any person and from carrying on any trade or commerce of any kind for their personal use, benefit or advantage. Any of these above-mentioned persons were to be British subjects and could be tried at the Kings Bench in England if they committed any crime or offence as per the Act against any British subjects or any of the inhabitants of India.

Section 13 of the Act made detailed provisions for the establishment of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was to consist of a Chief Justice and Three Puisne Judges. The British King appointed the Judges. A barrister of five years standing was qualified to be appointed as Judges. The judges were to hold office during the pleasure of the crown.

Sir Elijah Impey wasappointedas the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The judges of the Supreme Court were vested with such jurisdiction and authority as the Judges of the Court of Kings Bench in England had under the common law.

The Supreme Court of Calcutta was the first British Court in India consisting of lawyer judges; it was the first court fully independent of the control of the Companys government in India, and its jurisdiction was extensive. It had five kinds of jurisdiction: Civil, equity, criminal, admiralty, and ecclesiastical jurisdictions. It was empowered to establish rules of practice and process, and do all things necessary for the administration of Justice (according to section 13 of the Act).

The civil jurisdiction of the court was of two kinds: territorial and personal. With respect to the Presidency of Calcutta, the Supreme Court had territorial jurisdiction, which meant that all matters relating to all persons arising within the presidency of Calcutta fell within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Beyond the presidency lines and within the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, the Supreme Court had only personal jurisdiction. The Supreme Court was given the same equity jurisdiction as the High Court of Chancery in Great Britain had at that time.

The criminal jurisdiction of the Supreme Courtextendedto all British subjects residing in Kolkata and within the territories of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Only the British people and the servants and persons employed with the company were covered under this jurisdiction. Other natives were not part of the courts jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court had to follow as far as possible the procedure of the English courts andworkedas a court of Oyer and Terminer, and Gaol Delivery in and for the town of Calcutta, the factory of Fort William, and the factories subordinate thereto. The court had no jurisdiction to try the Governor-General and the members of his council or the judges of the Supreme Court except in cases of treason or felony. Mercy petitions were transferred to the Crown Court in England on the recommendations of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had the same admiralty jurisdiction in all cases civil and maritime and all maritime cases committed upon the high seas at that time. The Supreme Court also had the same jurisdiction over British subjects in India as the ecclesiastical courts in England at that time. In that capacity, it functioned as a court of testamentary and probate jurisdiction. It also appointed guardians and keepers for infants and lunatics properties.

Also read:Warren Hastings Era: Beginning of Indias Legal System

This was an amendment Actenactedto remove the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773. But in actuality, there was a lot of tussle between the Governor-general and the Supreme Court, so this Act was passed to reduce the Supreme Courts power and give it back to the Governor-General and his Council.

The servants of the EIC that earlier came within the Supreme Courts jurisdiction were now exempted from its jurisdiction. Now, the courts geographical jurisdiction becamelimitedto only Calcutta. Any other person who acted on the written orders of the Governor-general and his council was also exempted from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, after the enactment of the Act, had no jurisdiction in the concerning revenue, or any act that was done in the collection thereof. The government became independent of the control of the Court in the matter of revenue. The appellate jurisdiction therein shifted to the hands of the Governor-general and his Council, as appeals went from Provincial Courts to the Governor-general and his Council. This Act made the position of the Council very strong so that it could continue to have control over the Indian empire.

A positive change brought about by this Act was to protect the laws and customs of the native people. Section 17 of the Act states that all matters arising out of inheritance and succession to land and goods and all matters of contracts and dealings between the parties were to bedecidedaccording to their personal laws, and if the case was between Mohammedans and Hindus, then according to the law of the defendant.

The Supreme Court was authorized to make procedural rules and regulations according to the needs of the people to whom the law was to be applied. Therefore, they were, as far as possible, customizable to their habitat. The rules, regulations were to be laid before the British monarch for their approval, and the monarchy had the right to approve, correct, or reject them.

The Supreme Courts at Madras and Bombay wereestablishedby King George III in 1800 and 1823, respectively. Before the establishment of the Supreme Court, there were Recorders courts in these presidencies. Their jurisdiction was similar to that of the Supreme Court of Calcutta. But the Recorders Courts hardly functioned, so the Parliament replaced them with Supreme Courts.

The Constitutional powers, jurisdiction, function, and limitations of the two courts established at Madras and Bombay were thesameas that of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. The Act of 1823 had explicitly mentioned in its Section 17 that the Supreme Court at Madras and Bombay shall have the power to do, execute, perform and fulfill all such acts, authority, duties, matters and things whatsoever as the Supreme Court at Fort William might be authorized or empowered to do, execute, perform and fulfill within the Territory of Fort William in Bengal or places subject to or dependent upon its Government. This provision placed the three Supreme Courts in the same position.

These Supreme Courts functioned until 1862 when they werereplacedby High Courts at all three places through theIndian High Courts Act 1861.

(Afreen Alam is a Delhi-based researcher and writer.She is a law student at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. The views expressed are personal.)

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The First Supreme Court(s) Of India - The Leaflet

As government and conservation leaders worldwide work to significantly increase the protection and conservation of the planet over the next decade, national leaders must do their part at home as well.

To that end, on May 6, 2021, the U.S. federal government released a report Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful, detailing a 10-year, locally led approach to protect and conserve 30% of the nations lands and waters by 2030. The plan builds on decades of conservation efforts in the U.S. and adds to the nations legacy of conserving significant landscapes, ecosystems, and marine and freshwater areas, and helping all communities and economies that depend on nature. The plan is in line with the dedication to natural resource conservation that the United States has shown for more than a century.

The Pew Charitable Trusts also has a long record of working to protect the ocean and public lands in the U.S. and internationally. We are a recognized leader in the protection of U.S. public lands, and have been committed to a goal to protect at least 30% of the global ocean since the International Union for Conservation of Nature approved a Pew-backed resolution in 2016. Our conservation efforts are built on engagement with governments, Indigenous communities, and many private-sector stakeholders, such as working with partners in Connecticut to secure a National Estuarine Research Reserve, and a recent joint initiative aimed at conserving a 1 million-acre stretch of salt marsh that runs from northeast Florida to North Carolina and measures nearly the size of Grand Canyon National Park.

Children peer out at a marsh in Rocky Neck State Park, near the proposed site of Connecticuts first National Estuarine Research Reserve, which the Biden administration says it intends to finalize in January 2022. Heather Kordula for the Connecticut Audubon Society

Pew looks forward to continuing to work with U.S., Indigenous, and international leaders and a broad spectrum of interested parties on substantive collaboration for conserving critical land, ocean, coastal, and riparian ecosystems around the world. It is essential to take the time and effort for extensive, inclusive public engagement.

When President Joe Biden announced the 30% protection pledge in January, referred to as 30 by 30, he made the critical commitment to meaningful stakeholder engagement. We are pleased that his executive order supports a collaborative approach and directs the federal government to work alongside and with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, and other key stakeholders.

Additionally, the Biden administration recognizes the sovereignty of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal nations. It will be critical to collaborate with tribal nations on the implementation of 30 by 30 to ensure its success. Indigenous peoples in the U.S. are the original stewards of the lands and waters here, and have nurtured relationships with them that include effective management, since time immemorial. Their traditional knowledge as well as sound research can inform 30 by 30 efforts, with priority placed on conserving and restoring ocean habitat, landscapes, wildlife corridors, and rivers that will have significant and durable benefits for nature and people who depend on these areas.

For example, protecting inland and coastal wetlands should be a high priority given that they are carbon-rich and essential to the survival of commercial and recreational fishing in the U.S. In fact, estimates suggest that more than 75% of our nations commercial catch and 80% to 90% of the recreational catch depend on these areas for food or habitat during some part of their lives. Further, coastal watershed counties account for more than $4.5 trillionor about halfof the nations gross domestic product. To help accomplish its conservation goals, the administration should prioritize the protection of core habitat and migratory corridors for fish and wildlife on the 430 million acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

Today, more than 70 countries are calling to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030, and the momentum and support for this target continues to build. Given that two-thirds of the worlds ocean lies outside national jurisdictions, reaching this goal will demand international cooperation. Examples of how this target can be achieved include a treaty to protect areas of the high seas, and designating a network of marine protected areas around Antarcticas Southern Oceanan effort that the U.S. recently announced it will co-lead, and which Pew has worked toward for years.

To help move toward the global 30 by 30 target, Pew is also working with many public- and private-sector partners to deliver terrestrial and marine protections globally, increase sustained financing for conservation, and ensure that all stakeholders are engaged in planning, negotiating, and decision-making on conservation initiatives.

We protect nature for many reasons, from resilience to global climate change, and from boosting biological diversity to improving the quality of life for local communities. An inclusive and participatory approach will be the critical test for success in reaching a goal of sustaining life-supporting nature. The how and the who of conservation is as important as the what. Pew is dedicated to helping with this collaboration.

Tom Wathen is a vice president at The Pew Charitable Trusts, leading the organizations crosscutting environmental initiatives.

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New Report Outlines 10-Year Plan to Conserve 30% of U.S. Lands and Waters - The Pew Charitable Trusts

This great reed warbler can migrate above 6000 meters.

By Elizabeth PennisiMay. 6, 2021 , 2:00 PM

Migration ecologist Sissel Sjberg had long wondered how tiny birds like the great reed warbler can make it across long expanses of water or desert on their epic migrations. Though just half the weight of a golf ball, they fly 7000 kilometers between Northern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa twice a year. Now, a new study may have the answer: These nighttime flyers soar well into the dayand at heights of up to 6000 meters, three times as high as they normally fly.

Thats totally unexpected, says Martin Wikelski, an ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior who was not involved with the work. Its like you are building mud houses and suddenly somebody [else] builds a skyscraper. And all you can say is, you didnt know you could do that.

Birds from more than 4000 species, including thousands of songbirds, migrate across long distances each year. Although researchers have been able to track the migration paths of larger birds such as geese, its challenging to outfit small songbirds with the tracking devices that make such research possible, says Felix Liechti, an ornithologist at the Swiss Ornithological Institute who pioneered such tracking technology, but was not involved with the new research.

To see whether she could change that, Sjberg joined the lab of Lund University ecoimmunologist Dennis Hasselquist. The pair turned to great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), relatively large songbirds that summer at a lake near Lund University. Scientists there have monitored the species breeding and behavior for 40 years, even developing custom data loggers for the birds.

To track the warblerswhich are about half the size of an American robinSjberg, Hasselquist, and colleagues outfitted them with the data loggerssmall backpacks that can monitor when, how high, and where the warblers fly on their semiannual journeys between Sweden and Africa. (That feat was only possible, Sjberg says, because the warblers can grow up to three times bigger than the average songbird.) The researchers put the backpacks on 63 birds and retrieved useful data from 14.

As expected, the migrants usually spent their nights flying and rested during the day. But most birds that hit a water or desert crossing near dawn kept going as the Sun rose, climbing high into the sky. One bird was airborne for more than 32 hours. And instead of staying at typical altitudes of less than2000 meters, some birds soared higher than 6000 meters, Sjberg and colleagues report today in Science. Thats not quite as high as the 8000 meters bar-headed geese hit as they skim the Himalayas, but its still a tall order, Sjberg says. We have never even imagined that songbirds regularly would fly this high.

Such altitudes can be stressful. At 6000 meters, oxygen is scarce and the temperature is below freezing. Somehow the birds are able to cope. The ease at which they [fly that high] is amazing, Wikelski says. Like other migrating songbirds, warblers have relatively large hearts and air sacs in the lungs designed to increase the rate and efficiency of oxygen exchange. Hard-working flight muscles likely keep the bird warm, despite the 22C drop in temperature, Sjberg says.

That cooling effect may be one reason the warblers fly so high, Sjoberg suggests. As the day dawns, the Suns rays can take a toll, and the only way they can counterbalance this external heating is by rising steeply at sunrise, especially when crossing the Sahara, she proposes. This need to stay cool may help explain why other birds often migrate at night, adds Melissa Bowlin, an ecophysiologist at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. She expects other songbirds also soar to such great heights during the day, making the work important.

Liechti says he is excited about the results. His work using radar data to monitor animals moving across the western Sahara had suggested some birds fly during the day, possibly taking advantage of favorable tailwinds. But, We just tracked unknown blips [these other researchers have] tracked single known individuals along the whole flyway.

The results, he adds, show there are still a lot of unexpected flexible behaviors of animals to be discovered. Sjberg agrees: It is important to know how flexible birds [can be] as it tells [us] about the possibilities birds may have to adapt to climate change.

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Tiny songbirds cross deserts and seas by soaring three times higher than usual - Science Magazine

The Pursuit of Love9pm, BBC One

A much-needed dose of period drama frivolity drops into the schedules with this adaptation of Nancy Mitfords 1945 novel, written and directed by Emily Mortimer. Set in the interwar period initially in Oxfordshire and then moving to the Pyrenees during the Spanish Civil War, Lily James stars as wild-hearted aristocrat Linda, who seeks out love at all costs, while her cousin Fanny (Emily Beecham) narrates from her more conservative viewpoint. We open as 17-year-old Linda plots to escape from her stern father (Dominic West). Ammar Kalia

A cracking three-part documentary series about snookers golden age begins with a biography of brittle bad boy Alex Higgins: the women, the booze, the outrageous pots and ridiculous hats. Put in context and replayed through choice archive here, the 1982 World Championship is confirmed as a sporting classic. Jack Seale

Following his unceremonious booting off the franchise earlier this year, this is your last chance to catch Ant Middleton lead a team of nervous new recruits through a series of punishing SAS-style challenges. We begin on the Scottish island of Raasay with a race up a 4000ft mountain. AK

All aboard as TVs queen of the high seas kicks off a new series of cruising adventures, making pals on deck and sampling the activities on offer along the way. Tonight Jane is on in the Carribean, sailing from Fort Lauderdale to the Virgin Islands, before watching a high-speed yacht race. AK

Season four, and the era-spanning darkly comic crime anthology lands in Missouri, 1950, where an uneasy peace between two crime syndicates is suddenly thrown into jeopardy after an accidental death. Chris Rock heads up African American syndicate Cannon Limited, squaring off against the local Kansas City mafia. Ali Catterall

The fourth season of John Singletons drug business drama arrives in the UK and after taking time out to heal post-shooting, Franklin (Damson Idris) is easing back in the game. Its hard to know who to trust in the chaos of early 80s L.A., however. Is his new cane the only support he can rely on? Ellen E Jones

Inside Out, 3.05pm, BBC One

This dazzlingly inventive Pixar animated comedy takes place inside the head of 11-year-old Riley, where five bickering embodiments of feelings control her actions: Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness and the ebullient Joy (Amy Poehler). Its a great excuse for a thrilling, emotional journey. Paul Howlett

Premier League Football: Aston Villa v Manchester United 2pm, Sky Sports Main Event. Followed by West Ham United v Everton at 4pm.

Premier League Football: Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion 6.30pm, BT Sport 1. Live from Emirates Stadium.

Golf: The Wells Fargo Championship 7pm, Sky Sports Main Event. Day four coverage.

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TV tonight: Lily James and Dominic West star in The Pursuit of Love - The Guardian

A new era is taking shape between UK and India, PMs Johnson and Modi have made a commitment to bring India and UK economies, people and culture closer together over the next decade. The GoI have elevated Britain to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the first European country to receive this status.

Johnsons2030 Roadmap provides a framework across health, pharmaceutical and medical supply chains. It introduces the India-UK partnership on Vaccines, Therapeutics and Diagnostics, it expands the UK-India Vaccines Hub to develop distribution policy, clinical trials, regulation, research and innovation related to Covid-19, and helps to guarantee an equitable global supply by April 2022. Joint work will be focused on health security and future pandemic preparedness including through an India-UK Zoonotic Research Twinning Initiative to better understand, monitor and mitigate against future pandemics.

2030 Roadmap addresses climate and clean energy, transport and preserving nature. An Enhanced Trade Partnership with the intent to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with a view to doubling UK-India trade over the next 10 years. New cooperation between British and Indian Universities. New collaborations for science and technology. A defence partnership with UKs Carrier Strike Group visiting India later this year and both navies undertaking joint training exercises to enable future cooperation on operations in the Western Indian Ocean. UKs First Sea Lord Admiral Radakin told reporters during a visit to his counterpart, US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday, in Washington DC This amazing thing called the high seas, this global commons, which allows trade and prosperity to flourish, that exists all around the world. The Indo-Pacific is a crucial part of that. And therefore, we will look to signal our belief in the freedom of the high seas, and in a free and open Indo-Pacific.

There is also a key role for cooperation between UKs Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department of Telecoms in India to strengthen the existing India-UK Tech Partnership to tackle global challenges; realising the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies, the benefits of interactive data systems, and the changing use of technology to overcome the digital divide with a particular focus on the digital economy and society; cyber resilience and telecoms; health technologies; and promoting clean growth, smart urbanisation and future mobility. These discussions will inform a new ministerial level Dialogue on Technology.UK and India agreed to share knowledge and expertise regarding artificial intelligence, scientific support to policies and regulatory aspects including ethics, and promote a dialogue in research and innovation. Through Tech Summits, bring together tech innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers to work together on challenges including the norms and governance of future tech under the cross cutting theme of data.

It also was UKs turn to host the latest G7-D10 Summit in London, essentially to underscore democracy, freedoms and the rules-based international order, and with partner countries to devise a global strategic cooperation to counter the pandemic and future, technological threats and the effects of climate change.

G7 committed to measures on media freedom, Internet shutdowns, cyber governance, freedom of religion or belief, the Rapid Response Mechanism, arbitrary detention and looked forward to Leader-level discussions on Open Societies with Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa at the G7 Summit in June at Carbis Bay.

The Group welcomed Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa as guests countries to take forward shared priorities ahead in the G7 Leaders Summit in June; significantly the involvement of the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and support for the centrality of ASEAN and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific was considered vital. The lead commitment was strengthened G7-Africa partnerships and greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific. African Foreign Ministers will participate at the second G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting later this year. And it is worthwhile noting that Dominic Raabs visit to Indonesia has brought that archipelago into the loop, in late April UK and Indonesia announced the creation of a new joint trade dialogue. Indonesia is a key partner for the UK, as a fellow member of the G20 and the largest economy in South East Asia.

G7 urged China to participate constructively in the rules-based international system, concerns were documented about human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. China is encouraged to uphold its commitments to act responsibly in cyber space, including refraining from conducting or supporting cyber-enabled intellectual property theft. Taiwans meaningful participation in World Health Organisation forums and the World Health Assembly was supported. G7 remain concerned about the situation in and around the East and South China Seas and the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Maritime security and promoting a cooperative system of international governance for the ocean and seas received a commitment. In the Non-proliferation and Disarmament paragraph G7 urge all states to counter the threat of disease being used as a weapon, and commended the G7-led Global Partnership (GP) of 31 states, which supports vulnerable countries around the world to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to prevent the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons (CBRN) and related materials.

The situation in Myanmar was utterly condemned and in a striking move G7 confirmed readiness to take further steps if the military junta does not reverse its course, committing to continuing to prevent the supply, sale or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar and the supply of technical cooperation.

The Joint Communiqu described Russias behaviour as irresponsible and threatening, it regretted Russias deteriorating relationship with western countries and it sought a stable and predictable relations with Russia. G7 called for Russia to unblock the Kerch Strait which is preventing access to Ukraines ports. Human rights and the systematic crackdown on opposition voices in Russia and Belarus were denounced. The security, economic recovery and European perspective of the six Western Balkans countries (Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina) was reaffirmed as a crucial investment for peace and stability.

The Communiqu makes two references to biological weapons and four references to chemical weapons, for the non- proliferation and disarmament thereof, in the context Novichok, Nalvalny, DPRK and Syria.

Japan Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi enjoyed a very busy time, since being referred to as one of UKs closest partners in the Integrated Review the UK-Japan relationship has picked up. Motegi said that the British aircraft carrier strike group mission to the Indo-Pacific symbolises UKs commitment to the region. After meeting with Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, Motegi met with the FMs of the Republic of Korea, France, US, Germany, and EUs Foreign Policy Chief; Motegi welcomed Berlins decision to send a Frigate to the IPR.

The British press rudely went into overdrive following EAM Jaishankars tweet that he was self-isolating as two junior delegates from India had tested positive for Covid-19. Boris Johnson confirmed that all proper Covid-19 protocols were followed and that the business of government must go on. The PM and Raab took time out from side meetings to Zoom Jaishankar and enquire how he was feeling.

As an aside this reporter is going to mention the global need for rare earths, and how geopolitical tensions could interfere with a vulnerable supply as China controls a large % of the market. This market is set to boom as green industries develop. In 2020 the Prime Minister instructed civil servants to draw up plans for Project Defend a strategy for protecting national security after the pandemic, which includes the supplies of cobalt, nickel and lithium necessary for Britains renewable future. On Thursday the International Energy Agency (IEA) emphasised the need for government action to ensure reliable, sustainable supplies of elements vital for electric vehicles, power grids, wind turbines and other key technologies and advised Western governments to build up supplies. UK may have plans to stockpile lithiumcarbonate, which in January 2021 has been produced for the first time inCornwall, the location for the G7-D10 Summit in June.

The Hartlepool by-election result is a triumph for Conservatives, for the first time since the constituency was established the Tories have won by 23%, which is a 16% gain from Labour and a bullseye for Boris Johnson. The Scottish Parliamentary Election and the London Mayor election results are due over the weekend.

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'2030 Roadmap' will further strengthen the Indo-UK ties - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian

On land, youd struggle to find a mountain that hasnt already been climbed. In contrast, in the deep sea there are thousands of unexplored peaks. Seamounts are submerged volcanoes, active or dormant, with foothills planted in the abyss and summits soaring up thousands of metres without breaking the sea surface.

These hidden mountains are some of the least known, but most abundant geological features on the planet. They form a fragmented habitat that covers an area rivalling the worlds tropical rainforests. As scientists learn more about seamounts, its becoming clear that these dramatic montane seascapes are rich oases of life that play a crucial role across the entire global ocean.

A 2019 Nekton expedition caught these images while descending a seamount near the Astove Atoll, in the Seychelles Nekton

Currently, theres no definitive count of the worlds seamounts, because locating and identifying them is not easy. Estimates suggest there are between 30,000 and more than 100,000 seamounts with peaks over 1,500m high. One of the biggest is Davidson Seamount off the California coast 42km long, 8km wide and 2,280m tall. Taller still are seamounts that rise almost 5,000m from base to peak. Add in smaller peaks, 100m and higher, and the estimated global tally reaches into the millions.

Whatever the number of seamounts, scientists have studied only a few hundred. Dr Lucy Woodall is a senior research fellow at Oxford University and principal scientist at the research foundation Nekton, who has studied seamounts in the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Oceans. Its something I think about before every dive, that Im probably the first human to see this bit of our planet, just because theyre so remote and so unexplored, she says.

When exploring seamounts, scientists often encounter otherworldly forests of sponges and corals, including colourful, shrub-like colonies of gold and black corals that live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Deep-dwelling coral species already outnumber their distant relatives in the tropical shallows and new species are constantly being found. A recent expedition to the Galapagos Marine Reserve uncovered dozens of new species of corals and sponges growing on three previously unexplored seamounts.

Amid the expanses of mud-covered deep-sea floor, the rocky flanks of seamounts provide a footing for larvae of corals and sponges to settle on and grow. The corals and sponges then offer a habitat for other animals: starfish, anemones, snails, brittlestars, shrimp, squat lobsters and octopuses. Sharks lay their egg cases among the coral branches like Christmas tree decorations.

A scuba diver peers down into El Bajn, a volcanic seamount in Spains Mar De Las Calmas marine reserve Alamy

The dives Woodall and other seamount explorers undertake are often conducted from afar, using Remote Operated Underwater Vehicles, or ROVs. These deep-diving robots, roughly the size of a car, are deployed from a ship and controlled via cable. Equipped with high-definition cameras and robotic grippers, they become the scientists eyes and hands in the deep.

Seamount surveys are usually conducted from the base to the summit, along pre-determined transect lines, filming and photographing bands of habitat that can be scrutinised in detail later.

As well as surveying habitats and searching for new species, scientists also visit seamounts to hunt for novel molecules that could inspire new medicines. Deep-sea corals and sponges are proving to be especially useful because they produce a huge range of chemical defences.

Scientists get samples of tissue from the corals and sponges, then isolate and analyse the molecules produced by the animals and the microbes that live inside them. The samples are yielding all sorts of complex, toxic molecules that are showing great promise as new antibiotics, as well as treatments for cancers and pathogens such as tuberculosis and malaria.

Long-lived corals also keep a record of how the ocean has changed. By extracting traces of certain chemicals and measuring isotopes, scientists can estimate the temperature, pH and nutrients of seawater when different parts of the coral colony grew, some more than 4,000 years ago.

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The least-known seamounts are those lying deepest underwater and yet, as deep-sea biologist Dr Astrid Leitner from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute points out, those are actually the most common types of seamount on our planet.

In 2018, while she was a PhD student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Leitner took part in a seamount-finding expedition to the central Pacific and made a remarkable discovery: an ultra-deep, abyssal seamount, peaking 3,112m below the surface. Leitner and the team deployed a baited camera to study the apex predators chiefly fish that hunt around it and wont pass up a free meal dropped down by scientists.

When the camera was brought to the surface 24 hours later, Leitner thought it had malfunctioned. Thumbnail images on her computer appeared to be black. Playing the footage in full she realised it was a swarm of half-metre-long fish, called cutthroat eels. We were absolutely shocked, she says. In one shot she counted 115 eels, an unheard abundance for any fish in the abyss where food is in short supply and predators are normally rare. Compare that to what weve seen across the deep sea and it blew everything else out of the water.

Cutthroat eels swarm a bait package at an unnamed seamount more than 3,000m below the surface of the Pacific Deep Sea Fish Ecology Lab/Astrid Leitner/Jeff Drazon/Soest/Deepccz Expedition

Leitner set baited cameras on other deep seamounts and found more eel aggregations, but saw none in the surrounding areas, suggesting theyre seamount specialists and providing evidence that the so-called seamount effect extends into the abyss. Seamounts are magnets for sea life, although exactly why is something deep-sea biologists are still trying to explain.

One theory is based on the way that currents that flow over abyssal plains speed up when they meet a seamount and are forced around it. Faster currents bring in a constant stream of suspended particles and plankton, on which filter-feeding animals gorge.

This injection of food then works its way up the food chain and could ultimately support high densities of predators, such as cutthroat eels. We dont have much evidence for that yet, admits Leitner. Thats one of the guesses we have.

While scientists are still investigating what causes the seamount effect, fishing industries have been taking advantage of it for decades. On shallower seamounts, ones within a few hundred metres of the surface, trawlers have targeted aggregations of fish including species that come to seamounts to spawn.

A young octopus stretches out on the Physalia Seamount off the northeast coast of America Alamy

In the 1990s, orange roughy fisheries boomed on seamounts worldwide, but swiftly collapsed as trawl nets smashed their way through ancient coral ecosystems. Trawl fishing leaves horrendous scars on these seamounts, says Leitner.

Decades after the trawlers move on, many seamounts still show few signs of the delicate ecosystem recovering. The basis of the habitat are long-lived, slow-growing species, she says, so theyre very quick to be destroyed and very slow to come back.

Seamounts and their ecosystems are gradually gaining protection from trawling, such as those within the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument, which former US president Barack Obama expanded in 2016 to encompass 1.5 million km2 of the Pacific around the northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Negotiations are underway at the United Nations for a new global ocean treaty that could make it easier to protect seamounts in the high seas, those remote reaches of the ocean that no countries claim.

Protection benefits not only the resident fish and the sponge and coral ecosystems, but multitudes of migrating animals that call in at seamounts. You get sharks, tuna, marine mammals, turtles and seabirds that know where these features are, says Leitner. Some may use seamounts as navigational tools, many come to feed. Humpback whales pause at seamounts on their seasonal migrations, perhaps using them as a sonic arena to help reflect and broadcast their songs through the ocean.

Corals and other marine life sit 700m below the surface on a seamount off the southern coast of Fernandina Island in the Galapagos Woods Hole Oceanographic institution

Even among the shallower seamounts that reach closer to the surface theres still much to learn, especially in regions where few scientists have visited. At the moment, theres a bias in what we understand about seamounts, says Woodall.

The best known are in the Atlantic and Pacific, within reach of major centres for deep-sea research in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Japan. Woodall and the Nekton team hope to go on an expedition to the Indian Ocean in 2022 to explore some of the lesser-known mounts. We know very little about tropical seamounts, she says. We know almost nothing about the biology of seamounts in the area to the north of Seychelles.

Collaborating with research partners from nations of the Western Indian Ocean, the Nekton team will explore seamounts thought to form important habitats for the migrating tuna that underpin regional economies.

Woodall plans to work with scientists from across the Indian Ocean and identify research questions important for people in the region. As part of the plan, well use an array of equipment including highly novel, low-cost options so that, together, we can remove some of the historical barriers to conducting deep-sea science, she says. With more eyes on seamounts, scientists will be able to increasingly join these vital dots across the ocean.

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Deep-sea mountains: Earths unexplored ecosystems that are teeming with life - BBC Focus Magazine

Weve seen our fair share of luxury garages on land, but now Alia Yachts has designed one for the high seas. The Turkish yard has just launched a new support vessel that will carry high-end toys and tenders for her mothership in style.

Billed as a sleek and muscular new predator, the custom 118-footer goes by the name PHI Phantom and will support Royal Huismans bespoke superyacht PHI. Featuring exterior styling by Cor D Rover and naval architecture by Van Oossanen, the shadow ship is the spit of its 192-foot counterpart, but that was by no means an easy feat.

Designed for an exacting client, the fast displacement aluminum hull was to have no fairing to finish it and so the yards metalworking skills were put to the test. The plates had to be very accurately bent in three dimensions, then precisely welded without creating the slightest distortion. Alia said this was a major challenge, which, evidently, it managed to overcome to create a sleek hull that echoes that of the mothership. PHI Phantom is also painted in the exact same blue-gray hue as PHI and mirrors the larger vessels swooping sheer line and horizontal grille work at the bow.

The vessel was launched in Turkey earlier this month.Alia Yachts

As far as were aware, this is the first support ship thats been built with shared aesthetic DNA from the mothership, the captain of PHI and skipper of PHI Phantom, Guy Booth, said in a statement. She looks like a mini PHI; a sibling.

Where the pair do differ, however, is their ability to carry other sea-going vessels: PHI has no space to stow while PHI Phantom doubles as a sophisticated floating garage. Shes fitted with a 30-foot crane that is capable of lifting toys and tenders weighing up to 6 tons from out of the water and onto the expansive, 1,615-square-foot aft deck. At the same time, a hydraulically operated lazarette under the deck stores further vessels away from the elements.

Alia also says all of the systems on board are over-specced, with everything from pumps and piping to hydraulics and electrics designed to be as bombproof as possible. Power, meanwhile, comes in the form of twin Cat C-32 engines that give the vessel a top speed of 21 knots. She can also cover 4,200 nautical miles when traveling at a cruising speed of 12 knots, which means shell always be in tow of the mothership.

The vessel is currently undergoing final sea trials and will be delivered in June.Alia Yachts

While the interior is rooted in functionality, its finished to a high standard and features an elegant galley along with an enormous crew mess area. The vessel can accommodate up to six crew, with one of the larger cabins earmarked for guests.

When PHI Phantom does begin her adventures, she will represent one of the most robust and stylish support vessels ever built, adds president of Alia Gkhan elik.

PHI Phantom is currently undergoing final sea trials and will be delivered in Juneat which point we shall see if she lives up to the hype.

Check out more photos of the vessel below:

Alia Yachts

Alia Yachts

Alia Yachts

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This Sleek 118-Foot Support Vessel Has 30-Foot Crane Capable of Lifting 6-Ton Toys - Robb Report