Wednesday, July 20, 2022

High swells hitting Pacific coasts made worse by rising sea levels

Today

A prolonged indentation in sea levels is being blamed for causing damaging elevated high tides in the Cook Islands, both Samoas and French Polynesia.

A scientist at New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) Connon Andrews said it's a common phenomenon although the intensity of such events are being exacerbated by sea level rising.

Photo: Cook Islands News

"The issue is that it's just a very strong event that coincides with high tides, but with climate change, of course, there is an increase in sea levels that will exacerbate the indentation going forward.

"It consistently happens all the time. There's no real seasonality to it, the issue is that it's just a very strong event that coincides with high tides."

Both the Cook Islands and American Samoa declared a state of emergency, after the unusually tides flooded properties and damaged infrastructure.

A wave alert is in place for Rarotonga and all southern group islands in the Cook Islands until Thursday local time.

All foreshore properties are being asked to be prepared for waves to reach heights of up to 5 metres.

Officials say people in southern areas between Avana and Aroa should monitor forecasts and conditions closely and remove or keep a close eye on all equipment on beaches and within the lagoon.

The swells have disrupted tourism in the Cook Islands, prompting the government to provide financial aid to affected businesses.

High waves in Samoa linked to climate change says forecaster

A severe weather warning remains in place for Samoa after the swells flooded coastal areas of the eastern and south coasts of the country.

Samoan meteorological services expect swell heights to remain between 2.5m and 3m but are expecting conditions to ease over the weekend.

Leading forecaster Aloali'i Liu said the unusual phenomenon is linked to climate change.

"I believe there is an effect of climate change as of now. Although it is happening within the dry season which is something that is a very rare occasion however, there was an event that was like this recently in 2018."

Airports around French Polynesia shut due to safety concerns

French Polynesian domestic flights are being disrupted after seven atolls shut their airports.

For safety reasons, internal flights must be routed within an hour's flying time of the nearest airport, should there be an emergency.

This caused a return flight from Tahiti to Mangareva in the Gambier Islands - about 1600km away - to be cancelled as the airport on Tureia in the Tuamotus could not be used.

Meanwhile, many families affected by coastal flooding have been relying on churches for help.

The government has started a fund to compensate those most affected by the waves, however the community services have been providing basic needs.

A priest from a church in the southwest district of Maiaeta on Tahiti told La Premiere they've been providing food.

"The district authorities have sent us a list of families that we could help out.

"This morning (Tuesday) we received five families that needed our help and we will see five others in Papeari.

"There has been some people who have approached the church to give money directly, and these payments are being used for food donations."

PACIFIC AMERICAN SAMOA

Warnings of 5m waves in Cook Islands following damaging storm

19 July 2022

Massive waves up to 5m high are expected to hit the Cook Islands again tomorrow, as repairs to widespread storm damage continues.

More wild weather is expected for the Cook Islands, with people in the Southern Group told to prepare for large sea swells. (File photo) Photo: 123rf

The Cook Islands Emergency Management office issued an alert warning the potentially damaging swells were forecast to hit Rarotonga and all Southern Group islands on Tuesday Cook Islands time (which is Wednesday in New Zealand).

"Wave conditions ...are forecast to increase throughout Tuesday, with wave heights up to 5m by Tuesday night, continuing until Thursday."

Last week and in the weekend some areas of the Cook Islands, American Samoa and French Polynesia were battered by huge sea swells that eroded roads, washed debris and boulders about and in places inundated homes and businesses.

Damage assessments and repairs have begun, but communities are now being told to batten down the hatches again.

Emergency management director John Strickland said everyone in the Cook Islands will need to prepare for the next surging seas.

"We are in the process of preparing and getting our community and the public awareness notices... prepared in the event that things might get worse for us."

Wave runup and surges could run past the tops of beaches and inundate lower lying areas, and people should expect strong surging currents, especially in Muri Lagoon, the emergency management office said. With "potential debris and wave spray across low areas of the coastal road during high tide."

People in southern areas should monitor the forecasts and conditions closely in the coming days, and "ensure you have foreshore properties prepared by Tuesday morning."

The most risk would be during high tides, which fall on Tuesday between 1:30pm to 3:30pm, on Wednesday between 1.30am to 3.30am and 2pm to 4pm, and on Thursday between 2:30am and 4:30am.

Samoa also preparing

A severe weather warning remains in place for Samoa.

The Samoan meteorological service said swell heights were expected to remain between 2.5m to 3m for now, but they anticipated conditions would ease in the weekend.

Forecaster Aloali'i Liu said he thought the unusual storm phenomenon was linked to climate change.

"I believe there is an effect of climate change as of now. It is happening within the dry season, which is something that is a very rare occasion. However, there was an event that was like this recently in 2018."

Cars negotiating floodwaters on a road near Fatu-ma-Futi in American Samoa, last week. Photo: Supplied/ US National Weather Service American Samoa - Dora Ah Sue

On Tuesday, the US National Weather service said up to 3.5 metre waves, strong winds and rough seas were expected for American Samoa on Wednesday, and through to Thursday.

Churches helping families in need after flooding in French Polynesia

In French Polynesia many families affected by coastal flooding from the sea swells have been relying on churches for help, particularly for basic needs..

A priest from a church in the southwest of Tahiti told Polynésie La Première news they had been helping provide food.

"The district authorities have sent us a list of families that we could help out. This morning we got given five families that needed our help, and we will see five others in Papeari.

"There has been some people who have approached the church to give money directly. These payments has been used for food donations."

Some miss out on storm damage funds in French Polynesia

In French Polynesia a government compensation fund has been opened to homeowners most affected by damage from the swells, however businesses are not included.

The swells had particularly affected the south-west coast of Tahiti.

Among those who did not qualify for the compensation was family homestays.

Annick Paofai owns a family-run lodge in Teahupo'o village, and told La Première she was unhappy at missing out on compensation.

She said a wall should be built to protect the coast from being battered by swells each year.

But even without the assistance she said she would need to get repairs made quickly to be operational for the high tourist season.

"We cannot wait, even though our pockets are completely empty. We have bookings that are coming in, it is the high season. We can't tell them to go and look somewhere else."

18 Jul 2022

Storm cleanup begins after huge swells hit three Pacific nations

18 July 2022

More huge waves are forecast for the Cook Islands, even as a clean-up is underway for damaged infrastructure and buildings in parts of the Cook Islands, American Samoa and French Polynesia.

This coastal restaurant at Aroa Beach on Rarotonga's ring road was badly damaged in the storm. Photo: Supplied/ Red Cross

Huge waves that struck the Cook Islands over the weekend are expected to hit Rarotonga and the Pa Enua (outer islands) again in the coming days.

Cook Islands emergency management director John Strickland told RNZ that nationwide alert notices would be issued to warn of another swell lined up to strike southern parts of Rarotonga on Tuesday (Cook Islands time).

Strickland said the clean-up operation was well underway on Rarotonga, with roads being cleared first, so that further damage could be assessed.

Roads, houses and businesses hit, as tourists returned to the Cook Islands

Late last week and into the weekend Rarotonga and some parts of the Pa Enua reported record waves and flooding that damaged homes and businesses, during a week when record visitor numbers had been expected.

Muri Beach Club resort manager Liana Scott said the waves were as high as during a cyclone.

King tides had been forecast to coincide with the storm, but even then the height of the waves and the distance the swell came ashore was a surprise.

"[On] the more eastern side of the island they had water go through rooms... sand dumping, removal of large boulders to the other side of the road - so it was quite surreal.

A government survey of the damage was circulated quickly, and one property reported $1 million worth of damage, including to guest rooms, Scott said.

"Where you were on the southern and eastern side of Rarotonga determined the extent of the damage," she said.

There had been heavy erosion in some places, with lots of debris left swirling in Muri lagoon.

"You can imagine ... this is quite a blow for tourism properties that are just coming into the middle of high season. It was quite difficult reassigning rooms for those guests, given the island is quite full at present."

King tides swamp homes in American Samoa

The state of emergency remained in place on Monday for American Samoa after huge sea swells flooded coastal areas of the islands of Tutuila and Aunu'u.

On Aunu'u, homes were swamped by king tides on both Thursday and Friday.

American Samoa's emergency operations centre said a channel between Au'asi and Aunu'u had been reopened after it was closed during the storm. Food for three days, as well as 40 cases of water was delivered to Aunu'u.

Some families had left their homes and moved further inland, and building that housed American Samoa Power Authority generators was partly washed away, with fuel drums washed out to sea.

American Samoa director of homeland security Samana Semo Ve'ave'a said preliminary damage assessments had begun and were continuing through Monday.

No injuries were reported, but coastal homes had been flooded and building materials to repair the Aunu'u seawall were washed away.

Roads and sea walls on the eastern side of Tutuila were extensively damage and the cost of the repairs would be significant, he said.

French Polynesia declares a natural disaster

A state of natural disaster was declared in French Polynesia after widespread destruction was caused by the unusually high swells.

Port structures and roads were damaged in the Marquesas, the Tuamotus and the Austral Islands.

Assessments of the damage continued, with the costs estimated to run into the millions.

Funds to help cover the repairs have been released by the government, after an extraordinary meeting was called.

Vice-president Jean-Christophe Bouissou said a first tranche of credits was expected to be released on Tuesday (NZ time).

Could Congress impeach Supreme Court justices for perjury?

Brad Dress - THE HILL

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to overturn the 50-year constitutional right to abortion prompted an outcry from activists who said they were misled during the justices’ confirmation hearings.

© Provided by The HillCould Congress impeach Supreme Court justices for perjury?

Conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in a 5-4 vote, have been accused of misleading the public and members of the Senate about their intentions during their respective confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The calls to impeach the justices for misleading the public have been led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who last month said that “there must be consequences” for upending democratic institutions with false statements.

“If we allow Supreme Court nominees to lie under oath and secure lifetime appointments to the highest court of the land and then issue — without basis, if you read these opinions — rulings that deeply undermine the human civil rights of the majority of Americans, we must see that through,” she said on NBC.

Several other House Democrats have joined in the calls to get answers on whether the justices misled the public about overturning Roe.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), however, said removing a justice is “not realistic” when he was asked if Justice Clarence Thomas should be impeached.

The House can file articles of impeachment for a federal judge with a majority vote, but the Senate must secure a two-thirds majority vote to remove a judge.

As a result, any impeachment effort for a Supreme Court justice would face an uphill battle. Democrats now have 50 Senate seats, but not all 50 of those Democrats would be likely to vote to impeach a Supreme Court justice.

Only one Supreme Court justice has ever been impeached.

In 1805, the House impeached justice Samuel Chase, but the Senate acquitted him.

Chase, a federalist with a “volcanic personality,” was accused of bitter partisan rhetoric, refusing to dismiss biased juror, and excluding or limiting defense witnesses in at least two cases, according to the Senate’s historical recounting of the event on its website.

The House labeled Chase an “electioneering partizan” and successfully passed articles of impeachment, according to the Senate’s history. But in the Senate, Chase was acquitted on eight articles, which “thereby effectively insulated the judiciary from further congressional attacks based on disapproval of judges’ opinions,” according to the Senate’s website.

Convincing the public and lawmakers that Kavanaugh, Barrett and Gorsuch should be removed because of perjury could be difficult because their comments could be interpreted in different ways.

According to Factcheck.org, Gorsuch in his 2017 hearing said Roe was a “precedent” that deserves standing but also refused to say how he would rule on a case challenging it.

“If it looks like I am giving hints or previews or intimations about how I might rule, I think that is the beginning of the end of the independent judiciary, if judges have to make, effectively, campaign promises for confirmation,” Gorsuch said.

During his confirmation hearing in 2018, Kavanaugh said Roe was an “important precedent” that has been “reaffirmed many times,” including through 1992’s Casey v. Planned Parenthood.

“That makes Casey precedent on precedent. It has been relied on,” Kavanaugh said, according to Factcheck.org.

Kavanaugh also said he would be open to new arguments on any case, adding that he has an “open mind” and that a justice should “listen to all arguments.”

Barrett in her 2020 hearing said she would follow the doctrine of stare decisis, which means following a precedent, but she also said Roe was not a “super precedent.”

“Scholars across the spectrum say that doesn’t mean that Roe should be overruled, but descriptively, it does mean that it’s not a case that everyone has accepted and doesn’t call for its overruling,” she told the Senate.

Impeachment is typically reserved for perjury, fraud, gross misconduct, conflict of interest or high crimes.

Since 1804, 15 federal judges have been impeached and a majority of them removed from office, with three of them impeached and convicted for perjury.

Alcee Hastings, who served on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, was impeached and removed in 1989 after he was accused of soliciting a bribe to reduce the sentences of two mobsters. He was also accused of lying and falsifying evidence at the trial.

Judge Walter Nixon on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi was impeached and removed from office in 1989 after he lied to a grand jury about his attempt to influence the prosecution of a business associate’s son.

More recently, Thomas Porteous Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana was impeached and removed in 2010 for corrupt conduct and for lying to the Senate and the FBI to obtain a federal judgeship.

Europe’s heatwave breaking records, hitting health, economy: World weather group

World Meteorological Organization head says current negative climate trend to continue until at least 2060s
Peter Kenny |19.07.2022

A women cool off near pool as heatwave hits London, United Kingdom on July 19, 2022. The UK Meteorological Service (Met Office) issued an extreme temperature warning that temperatures could reach 39 degrees Celsius, posing a serious risk on health.

( Rasid Necati Aslim - Anadolu Agency )

GENEVA

Europe’s current heatwave is breaking records, detrimentally impacting people’s health, the economy, agricultural production, and tourism, and the trend is likely to become more frequent for decades, the chief of world’s weather group said Tuesday.

“The negative climate trend will continue, at least until the 2060s, independent of our success in climate mitigation efforts,” World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told journalists at a UN press conference in Geneva.

“And that means these weather conditions are becoming more common.”

During the press conference on the current European heatwave, he said that the world has better means to adapt to heatwaves than in the past as in many countries, people have improved the facilities for dealing with heatwaves and know more about the health risks related to such kinds of events.

Taalas said the awareness of climate change is much higher than it used to be.

He said that ways to alleviate it can be seen in the energy sector with climate-friendly solutions as well as in transport and people’s diets, while prices related to medicaments are lowering.

“But the same people who have been vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic are especially vulnerable to heatwaves,” said the WMO head.

“So, we expect to see increased deaths among the elderly and those people who are already sick. We are also expecting to see major impacts on agriculture.”

Harvests lost

In past European heatwaves, large parts of the harvests were lost.

“And under the current situation we are already having this global food crisis because of the war in Ukraine, so this heatwave is going to have further negative impacts on agricultural activities.”

He said such heatwaves would become more frequent during the coming decades.

Taalas also said the UK had already broken its all-time high temperature earlier on Tuesday, reaching 39.1 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit). He expected it to rise above 40C (104F) later in the day.

Using a sports analogy, the WMO chief said when sports people engage in doping, they perform with a higher intensity than usual.

“And we have been doping our atmosphere by injecting more greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.”

Google Cloud data center in London faces outage on UK's hottest day

Yesterday

(Reuters) - A Google Cloud data center in London faced an outage on Tuesday, according to an update on the Alphabet Inc unit's status page, as temperature in the UK soared to a record high.

© Reuters/Dado RuvicIllustration shows Google Cloud service logo

Google Cloud said it was a "cooling related" failure at one of the buildings and began at 1:13 pm ET (6:13 pm BST).

A "small set" of customers are impacted, according to the update on the status page. A part of the issue still persists. (https://bit.ly/3OdAFig)

Britain recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday, with the temperature exceeding 40C (104F) as a heatwave gripping Europe intensified, forcing train tracks to buckle and fuelling a spate of fires across London.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

Portugal reports 1,000 deaths due to ongoing heatwave

Health chief calls for readiness "for periods of high temperatures" in the southern European country, where temperatures surpassed 40 degrees Celsius last week.

High temperatures, ongoing drought and poor forest management have been blamed for several wildfires sweeping across Portugal. (Reuters Archive)

Portugal has reported more than 1,000 deaths due to the current heatwave, with the health chief warning that the country must gear up to cope with the effects of the climate crisis as temperatures continue to rise.

"Portugal ... is among one of the areas of the globe that could be (more) affected by extreme heat," Graca Freitas, head of health authority (DGS), told the Reuters news agency.

"We have to be more and more prepared for periods of high temperatures."

Temperatures across drought-stricken Portugal surpassed 40 degrees Celsius last week. Although they have dropped in the last few days, Freitas said they remained above normal levels for this time of the year.

DGS previously reported 238 excess deaths due to the heatwave from July 7 to 13, but Freitas said the number of fatalities has now increased to 1,063 for the period up to July 18.

'Increase in mortality'

High temperatures, the ongoing drought and poor forest management have been blamed for several wildfires sweeping across Portugal. Firefighters also are combating blazes in other southern European nations, including in Spain.

Carlos Antunes, a researcher at Lisbon University's faculty of sciences, said in an interview that the data showed those most likely to die due to heatwaves were elderly people.

He said the number of deaths in the future will depend, among other things, on the preventive measures people adopt to protect themselves, how care homes tend to their residents and the adaptation of infrastructures.

"With climate change, it is expected that this increase in mortality will intensify, and therefore we have to take measures at the public health level to minimise the impact," Antunes said.

Europe swelters in record heatwave

In pictures: Europe's heatwave

Portuguese wildfires encircle Algarve resort town

In Pictures: Wildfires in southern and central Europe

Hoover dam ablaze, rocked by large explosion

Large fire and black smoke shoot out of dam near Las Vegas as visitors tour the facility.

Dan Verbin

Jul 20, 2022,

00:12

The Hoover dam experienced a large explosion on Tuesday as a tour of the site was taking place, with a video of the incident quickly circulating online.

The clip shows a section of the facility ablaze with a massive black plume of smoke shooting upward.

People touring the dam when the accident occurred reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing fire and smoke.

The incident is believed to have been caused by a faulty transformer or generator. No official statement on the cause of the explosion has been released.

A tour guide giving guests a tour of the 726-foot concrete structure suggested that people record the fire on their phones, the New York Post reported.

“There’s just been an incident here at the dam,” the guide said. “We’re going to be leaving now so we don’t get trapped in here.”

The fire was put out without further incident, according to the City of Boulder’s Twitter account.

“The fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene. Bureau of Reclamation/Hoover Dam will be handling any additional questions,” the city said.

Hoover Dam spokesperson Michelle Harris told the Post: “There is no risk to the power grid and power is still being generated from the powerhouse.”

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The Hoover dam is located on the border between Nevada and Arizona, around 30 miles from Las Vegas, and opened in 1936. It is the world’s most popular dam, with 7 million tourists visiting every year, the National Park Service said on its website.

Toyota partners to build affordable commercial electric vans, light-duty trucks

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan

July 19, 2022

Image Credits: Toyota

Toyota is partnering with Suzuki Motor Corporation, Daihatsu Motor Co. and Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies (CJPT) to build mini commercial electric vans next year, the Japanese automaker announced on Tuesday.

Suzuki and Daihatsu will bring to the table their knowledge of manufacturing mini vehicles, while Toyota will come forth with its electrification technology to jointly develop the BEV system. CJPT will help plan and establish energy management systems. Toyota said such a sharing of resources and expertise would help the companies achieve a van that is more affordable than many of the commercial EVs on the market today.

Toyota said the fuel cell e-vans it develops will be used in social implementation projects in Fukushima Prefecture and Tokyo.

Toyota also shared plans to develop light-duty fuel cell electric trucks for the mass market, alongside CJPT, Hino Motors and Isuzu Motors.

According to a statement released by the company, hydrogen-powered light-duty trucks are ideal for middle-mile delivery to supermarkets and convenience stores, not only because they’re built with refrigeration and freezing capabilities, but also because they can meet fast refueling requirements.

The partnerships are part of a larger mission by Toyota to realize a hydrogen society and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The automaker also announced its strategy, in partnership with Fukushima, to create an implementation model focusing on hydrogen use in cities with populations of around 300,000, and the upcoming fuel cell mini vans and light-duty trucks will play a crucial role.

The project with Fukushima will focus on deliveries to supermarkets and convenience stores, which Toyota says are a part of essential urban infrastructure, as well as evacuation areas in times of disaster. Beginning January 2023, Toyota will deploy approximately 60 light-duty fuel cell electric trucks in Iwaki City and Koriyama City, the automaker said, noting plans to introduce heavy-duty trucks there, as well.

All of the trucks will be linked through an energy management system that links the fleet management of each company, vehicle travel information and hydrogen station information, said Toyota. The system will help to create a more efficient network by avoiding traffic congestion and minimizing vehicle and cargo downtime.

Toyota’s project with Fukushima will also involve decarbonizing hydrogen plants and stores by increasing the use of renewable energy. It will rely on automotive component manufacturer Denso Fukushima’s plants to showcase the implementation of hydrogen technologies. Denso will build a model of locally produced hydrogen that can be used as fuel cell generators in offices, according to Toyota.

With a Chokehold on Ukraine’s Grain, Russia Falsely Blames U.S. for Global Hunger

July 19, 2022
Nisan Ahmado

A horse cart driver transports wheat to a mill on a farm in the Nile Delta province of al-Sharqia, Egypt, May 11, 2022. (Amr Nabil/AP)

Russian Embassy in Egypt

“The Biden administration is mired in lies, covering up the U.S. desire for global hegemony and theft of the national wealth of other countries, including in Africa. Moreover, on this path, many of them are especially exposed to the threat of starvation …”
Source: Facebook, July 15, 2022
FALSE

On July 15, the Russian Embassy in Egypt commented on U.S.President Joe Biden’s first trip to the Middle East since taking office 18 months ago.

Biden’s visit included stops in Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia, where he met the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) plus the leaders of Iraq, Egypt and Jordan.

A chief topic: the global food and fuel crises created because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The embassy’s statement claimed the U.S. is deceiving the world by blaming Russia for blocking food shipments from Ukraine, a top exporter of wheat and other grains. And it blamed the U.S. for food shortages confronting countries in Africa and elsewhere.

“The Biden administration is mired in lies, covering up the US desire for global hegemony and theft of the national wealth of other countries, including in Africa,” the embassy said.

“Moreover, on this path, many of them are especially exposed to the threat of starvation, to dictate their conditions later.”

That is false. It’s Russia that has blocked grain exports from Ukraine, while the U.S. has been the world’s biggest contributor of global food aid for decades and is increasing aid even now.

Ukraine’s grain remains stuck thanks a blockade by Russian warships and mines. Most is intended for countries struggling with COVID-19, particularly in Africa. Russian forces in Ukraine have targeted farmland and agricultural equipment in Ukraine and are accused of stealing grain.

Between 2018 and 2020, Africa imported 44% of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, while Egypt imported almost 80% of its wheat from the two countries.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Russia’s war has disrupted global commodity markets and trade. Many countries in Africa rely on wheat, fertilizer and vegetable oil from Ukraine and Russia, which is the world’s largest wheat exporter followed by the United States.

“Nigeria, the world’s fourth-largest wheat importer, receives a fourth of its imports from Russia and Ukraine. Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan source more than 40 percent of their wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine,” HRW said.

Africa is facing a shortage of 30 million metric tons of food, mainly wheat, maize and soybeans imported from Russia and Ukraine. Since Russia’s launched its invasion in February, wheat prices in Africa have increased by 45%, while farmers there are paying 300% more for imported fertilizer, the African Development Bank (AfDB) stated.

Russia launched its war as 13 million people in the Horn of Africa face severe hunger because of drought. On May 20, the United Nations said food insecurity in the Africa’s central Sahel region was set to reach its highest level since 2014, leaving 18 million people on the edge of severe hunger.

Russian President Vladimir Putin blames Western economic sanctions for spiking food and energy prices since the war began. But Western officials dismiss that, noting that sanctions exclude Russian agricultural products and humanitarian aid.

“When we imposed sanctions on Russia so that it would end its aggression against Ukraine as quickly as possible, we deliberately created exceptions for agricultural goods, for fertilizer, for insurance, and shipping necessary to move these products precisely to avoid worsening the food crisis,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on June 24.

The Associated Press reported that despite the exemptions, sanctions “have targeted Russian shipping and made international shipping companies reluctant to transport Russian cargoes.”

But Blinken said, “Nothing – nothing is preventing food and fertilizer from leaving Russia, and only one country is blocking food and fertilizer from leaving Ukraine, and that is Russia.”

In a June meeting with Senegal’s President Macy Sall, who chairs the African Union, Putin said Russia was ready to “facilitate the peaceful passage and guarantee the safety of arrivals” for ships seeking to export grain from Ukraine.

But, according to AP, Ukraine “fears that opening up safe corridors to Ukrainian ports could make them vulnerable to Russian attack.”

Reuters reported on July 19 that the E.U. is considering softening some sanctions on Russian banks to encourage food exports from Russian ports.

During June’s G7 summit in Germany, U.S. President Biden pledged an additional $2.76 billion to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations from hunger. That is more than half of the more than $4.5 billion in additional resources pledged by G7 leaders.

In all, the U.S. has pledged a total of $5.56 billion for global food security since the start of Russia’s invasion.

On July 18, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1.3 billion in humanitarian assistance to the Horn of Africa to help avert mass starvation due to drought and the war in Ukraine. The agency said skyrocketing food, fuel and fertilizer prices are hitting Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia hard.

Washington is also supporting the AfDB’s $1.5 billion initiative to feed Africa and its Africa Disaster Risk Financing program, aimed at helping African governments to respond to food insecurity caused by severe weather conditions.

Meeting in Tehran on July 19, Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly made progress in talks about a path for Ukraine grain shipments through the Black Sea, The Moscow Times reported.

Turkey is a member of the U.S.-led NATO defense alliance but also has military designs in northern Syria, where Russia has propped up the regime of Bashar Assad.

Tomb of Egyptian commander of

foreign soldiers in Abusir sheds

light on 'globalisation' in ancient

world

Nevine El-Aref , Friday 15 Jul 2022

The shaft tomb of the ancient Egyptian dignitary Wahibre-mery-Neith - who commanded foreign soldiers in Egypt - that was uncovered by a Czech archaeological mission from Charles University in Abusir near Saqqara has shed light on "globalisation" in the ancient world.

The tomb, which was uncovered during the spring excavation season that ended in June, dates to between the late 26th and early 27th Dynasties, around 500 BC.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the main shaft tomb of Wahibre-mery-Neith is six metres deep and it measures approximately 14 by 14 metres and is divided into several parts, separated by bridges made of the original bedrock.

Another smaller but deeper shaft that was used for the burial was dug into the bedrock in the centre of the main shaft. It is orientated east-west and measures approximately 6.5 by 3.3 metres.

“The layout of this shaft tomb has no exact parallel in ancient Egypt, although it partly resembles the structure of the nearby tomb of Udjahorresnet and the so-called Campbell’s tomb in Giza,” he added.

Mirosalv Barta, head of the Czech mission, explained that at the bottom of this central burial shaft, at a depth of about 16 metres, a double sarcophagus was found, partly damaged, on a filling of sand.

The outer sarcophagus of Wahibre-mery-Neith was made of two massive blocks of white limestone with an inner anthropoid sarcophagus embedded within.

It is made of basalt and inscribed with verses from chapter 72 of the Book of the Dead depicting the resurrection of the deceased and his departure to the afterlife.

The anthropoid sarcophagus measures 2.30 metres in length and 1.98 metres in width.

Barta said that the space inside the inner basalt sarcophagus was found almost completely empty, only containing an uninscribed and finely carved heart scarab and a headrest shaped amulet.

Sparse burial equipment had been placed at the western and eastern sides of the sarcophagus.

To the east, several objects were excavated intact and in situ, including 402 faience ushabti figurines (servant figures who were to undertake labour instead of the owner in the afterlife), two alabaster canopic jars, a faience model of an offering table, ten model cups, and a limestone ostracon inscribed with religious texts written in black ink and hieratic script.

“Due to the limited space, the author of the text decided to cover the ostracon with brief excerpts from the Book of the Dead spells that also formed parts of the ritual of transfiguration and thus guarantying an undisturbed afterlife existence of the owner,” Barta pointed out.

He added that early studies on the shaft tomb reveal that it has been robbed in late antiquity, most probably around the fourth or fifth century AD, as witnessed by two early Coptic vessels found forgotten in the main shaft.

The looters made an opening in the western part of the outer sarcophagus and smashed the facial (western) part of the lid of the inner sarcophagus into pieces, which were found around the sarcophagus by excavators.

“Although the archaeological excavation of the burial of Wahibre-mery-Neith did not offer many excavated objects or an elaborate funerary equipment, it is unique and important,” asserted Mohamed Megahed, deputy director of the Czech mission.

Megahed explained that the discovery offers new insights into the troubled period of the beginning of Persian dominion in Egypt.

In combination with outcomes of the ongoing research on the owner’s embalming deposit, a picture of Wahibre-mery-Neith’s life, family background and professional career starts to emerge indicating that he most probably died unexpectedly when his tomb and burial equipment were still unfinished.

Thus, both the layout of his tomb and its contents provide very valuable information on the importance and meaning of individual parts of the burial equipment and tomb decoration.