SS Andrew Furuseth was a Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The ship was named in honor of American merchant seaman and labor organizer Andrew Furuseth. The ship was assigned by the War Shipping Administration to Matson Navigation Company who operated it throughout the war in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Andrew Furuseth was one of 220 Liberty ships converted to carry a limited number of troops or prisoners of war.

The Andrew Furuseth is likely best remembered as the ship that Carl M. Allen/Carlos Miguel Allende was to have been serving on in October 1943 when he claims to have witnessed the teleportation disappearance and reappearance of  as part of the Philadelphia Experiment.

Andrew Furuseth was sold for private use and operated under the names Essi and Niobe before being scrapped in Japan in 1967.

History

Construction and launching
In July 1942, the Sailors' Union of the Pacific petitioned the United States Maritime Commission and the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for a liberty ship to be named in honor of Andrew Furuseth, the long-time president of their union. Accordingly, MC Hull No. 491 was assigned the name Andrew Furuseth and was laid down on 22 July 1942 on shipway 1 at Yard No. 1 by Permanente Metals Corp. of Richmond, California, as a standard Liberty ship. The ship was launched on 7 September 1942; delivered 8 October 1942, taking 78 days from laying of the keel to delivery. The ship was assigned by the WSA to Matson Navigation Company for operation.

Launching ceremony
Andrew Furuseth was one of six Liberty ships named for labor leaders, and one of 174 ships total, launched on Labor Day, 7 September 1942. In addition to the Furuseth, the other five Liberty ships were , , , , and . The launch ceremonies, held at four different shipyards around the country, were to be linked by a coast-to-coast broadcast and feature speeches by John P. Frey, an executive of the American Federation of Labor, and John W. Green, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Wartime service
After shakedown on the West Coast, Andrew Furuseth transited the Panama Canal in April 1943. The ship departed Cristóbal, Panama, on 24 April for Guantánamo Bay and New York, arriving at that city on 8 May. The Furuseth left New York 28 May for Oran, passing Gibraltar around the middle of June.

In late June 1943, Andrew Furuseth arrived in Gibraltar, and on 7 July joined a convoy headed to Hampton Roads, Virginia, arriving there 23 July 1943. On 16 August, the ship made a round trip to Casablanca, arriving off Cape Henry on 4 October.

On 25 October 1943, Andrew Furuseth steamed from Hampton Roads as part of Convoy UGS 22 and arrived at Casablanca on 12 November. In November, the ship sailed from Oran to Augusta, Sicily. Through the end of 1943, the ship plied the waters of the Mediterranean, calling at Augusta, Oran, Naples, and Bizerte, before returning to Hampton Roads on 17 January 1944.

In February 1944, the Furuseth departed on another voyage to Augusta, with a cargo of explosives, 500 troops, and 2500 pieces of mail. The ship made a roundtrip to Naples before returning to Hampton Roads on 14 April 1944.

In May, the veteran steamship departed Hampton Roads for another trip to Oran with 44 troops aboard. The Furuseth returned to Virginia in mid June, but left again for Oran in mid July. The ship operated locally in the Mediterranean through the end of November, at which time Andrew Furuseth returned once again to Hampton Roads.

On 29 December 1944 and again on 14 March 1945, the Liberty ship departed on roundtrips to Oran, returning on 24 February and 9 May, respectively.

With the end of hostilities in Europe, Andrew Furuseth began the task returning troops to the United States. Typical voyages included returning troops to Boston on 3 August, 735 troops to New York on 2 October, 570 troops from Antwerp to New York on 10 December, and 573 troops from Le Havre to New York on 19 January 1946. During the December voyage from Antwerp, a soldier aboard Andrew Furuseth was transferred by motor launch in mid-ocean to U.S. Navy transport  for an emergency appendectomy.

Later career
In 1947, Andrew Furuseth was sold to Norwegian interests and renamed Essi. In 1959, she was sold to Japanese owners and renamed Niobe. In June 1967, Niobe was scrapped at Nirao, Japan.

Philadelphia Experiment

SS Andrew Furuseth is associated with the Philadelphia Experiment, which is now widely regarded as a hoax. A reputed crew member of the Andrew Furuseth, known variously as "Carl M. Allen" and "Carlos Miguel Allende", claimed to have witnessed the sudden appearance and disappearance of U.S. Navy destroyer escort  in October 1943.

The story goes that, as part of U.S. Navy experiments into rendering ships invisible, Eldridge vanished from its berth in Philadelphia and was accidentally  teleported to Norfolk, Virginia and back again on 28 October 1943. According to the U.S. Navy, no evidence has been uncovered supporting that such an experiment occurred and details of the story contradict facts about the Eldridge. Also, the Navy archives contains a letter from Lt. (j.g.) William S. Dodge, USNR, (Ret.), the Master of Andrew Furuseth in 1943, categorically denying that he or his crew observed any unusual event while in Norfolk. Eldridge and Andrew Furuseth were not even in Norfolk at the same time.

Notable crew members
 John Kenley, American theatrical producer
 Carl M. Allen, reputed crew member and witness to events of the Philadelphia Experiment

References

Liberty ships
Ships built in Richmond, California
1942 ships


Towle may refer to:

 Towle (surname)
 Towle, California, a community in Placer County
 Towle Silversmiths, one of the most prestigious silver manufacturers in the United States


Otzoloapan Municipality is a municipality located at the southeast of the State of Mexico. The name is from the Náhuatl 'Oceloapan' which means "river of lynxes". It is located in the southwest part of the state bordering the state of Michoacán.

Municipal seat

The area was first settled by the Matlatzincas in the pre-Hispanic era.  In 1476, it became subject to the Aztec Triple Alliance when Axayácatl conquered Matlatzinca lands.  After the Spanish conquest, the land in the area was redistributed among the Spaniards, with Juana Gamboa getting Tejupilco and Otzoloapan. Then he built a sugar mill here to process the cane growing in the surrounding area. The area was probably first evangelized by the Franciscans, and the parish of Otzoloapan was founded by Juan Marqués del Aguila, in 1560 by order of Hernán Cortés. This is considered to be the beginning of the town.

The village had a population as of 2005 of 1, 586.

 There is a chapel called "Zuluapan" that is located in the plaza principal. It is the community gathering center and most important site of the village. From 7 to 11 November, the village honors its patron saint, San Martin Obispo.
 An underground jail cell used to imprison rebellious indigenous people can still be seen here.

Population
The total municipality has and in 2005 had a population of 4,748. It borders the municipalities of Santo Tomás de los Plátanos, Zacazonapan, Tejupilco, Temascaltepec, and Valle de Bravo and with state of Michoacán. The municipality was founded in 1894.

Geography

Localities
As municipal seat, Otzoloapan has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: Agua Zarca de Abajo, Agua Zarca (Agua Zarca de Arriba), El Calvario (San José el Calvario), Carranza, La Carrera, Cruz Blanca, Estancia Chica, El Grajenal, Llano Grande (El Órgano), Pinal del Marquesado, Puerto del Tigre, San Miguel Piru (El Piru), Terreros, El Zapote (La Parota), Zuluapan, La Punta Tingambato (Tingambato del Sur), San Miguel de la Campana (San Miguel), Burrusqueta, El Pedregal, El Limón 1, La Lumbrera, Las Paredes, El Quinto, El Marquesado de Llano Grande, Mesa del Zapote, La Presa (La Compuerta), La Palma, La Presa del Padre, Rancho Viejo (Manzana del Calvario), El Rodeo, Barrio de Guadalupe (Los Lotes), El Limón 2, La Mora, and El Rincón de Mesa.

Otzoloapan contains 160.48 km2 that represent the 71% of state territory. It is composed of 42 towns and is at an altitude of 1314 meters above sea level.

Flora
In the higher elevations pine trees, holm oaks and oak trees can be found. In the warmer, lower elevations, there are pines, holm oaks, tepehuaje, huizache, truenos, and ash trees, among others.  Communities in the higher elevations depend on the forests economically.

Economy
Agriculture is the most important economic activity in the municipality, mostly growing seasonal crops like corn, with some production of vegetables and fruit.  The municipality lacks an industrial base. While the area does have mountains and forests, these have not yet been exploited touristically.

References

Municipalities of the State of Mexico


There are numerous video games based on the YuYu Hakusho manga and anime series created by Yoshihiro Togashi. The Japanese name of the series is romanized as Yū Yū Hakusho and the anime is officially titled Yu Yu Hakusho in North America. The games primarily revolve around the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, a delinquent junior high school student who is killed while trying to save a young boy from being hit by a car. Yusuke is brought back to life and is promptly given the task of solving cases involving ghosts and demons in the human world.

There are a total of twenty-one video games based solely on YuYu Hakusho, most of have only been released in Japan. When the anime series aired on Fuji TV in the early 1990s, games were released on both home and handheld consoles. These include a group by Tomy on the Nintendo Game Boy, a group by Namco on the Super Famicom, releases on Sega consoles, and a few miscellaneous platform titles. In May 2003, following the show's western debut, Atari acquired the rights to distribute new YuYu Hakusho games in North America and PAL regions. The company published three games exclusive to those locations. More Japan-exclusive games have since been released by Banpresto and Takara Tomy. Games in the series are of several different genres, though many are action or fighting-themed in relation to the manga's story arcs.

Video games in the YuYu Hakusho franchise have achieved some commercial success. By December 2003, video games in the series had accrued $273 million in life-to-date retail sales. Atari reported adequate fiscal contributions from its releases in North America. Yū Yū Hakusho Forever for the PlayStation 2 also saw initial success on Japanese sales charts. However, games in the franchise that have been released since 2003 have received mostly poor to average reviews from critics.

Video games

1990s

2000s

2010s

Other games

References

External links
 Yū Yū Hakusho Forever official website
 Yū Yū Hakusho DS: Ankoku Bujutsu Kai Hen official website
 The Battle of Yū Yū Hakusho: Shitō! Ankoku Bujutsu Kai official website
 The Battle of Yū Yū Hakusho: Shitou! Ankoku Bujutsu Kai 120% Full Power official website

YuYu Hakusho
YuYu Hakusho

Yu Yu Hakusho (video game series)
Yu Yu Hakusho (video game series)


According to the Republic of Niger's Constitution of 1999, most human rights, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are upheld and protected. Despite these protections, concerns of both domestic and international human rights organizations have been raised over the behavior of the government, military, police forces, and over the continuation of traditional practices which contravene the 1999 constitution. Under French colonial rule (1900–1960) and from independence until 1992, citizens of Niger had few political rights, and lived under arbitrary government power. Although the situation has improved since the return to civilian rule, criticisms remain over the state of human rights in the country.

Constitution of 18 July 1999
The Constitution of 18 July 1999, the founding document of the Nigerien Fifth Republic and the basis of its legal system, guarantees certain rights for every citizen of Niger. These include rights to equality before the law, due process, universal suffrage, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

 Title I, Article 9 states:

The same prerogatives shall be accorded every citizen of Niger enjoying full civil and political rights and fulfilling the conditions of eligibility as provided for by the law.

 Title II: Rights And Duties Of The Individual includes:

Article 23:Each person shall have the right to freedom of thought, opinion, expression, conscience, religion, and worship. The state shall guarantee the free exercise of worship and expression of beliefs. These rights shall be applicable in regard to public order, social tranquility, and national unity.

Human Rights offices
The constitution also created an official Nigerien National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties to investigate and report upon human rights abuses.  Its members are elected from several human rights associations, legal bodies, and government offices.  It has no power to arrest, but it may investigate abuses either on its own volition or when charged by a victim.  It reports to the President of Niger.

In August 2008, the government established a Mediator of the Republic. The mediator's role is to solve difficulties in the implementation and interpretation of laws and regulations. The president appoints the mediator, who is an independent administrative authority charged with investigating citizens' complaints and trying to find amicable solutions. The mediator has no decision-making powers, however, and instead submits results of investigations to the president and the prime minister.

International conventions

Niger is a signatory of a number of international human rights conventions, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights of 1986, for which it submits regular reports to the African Union's African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Niger is one of the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

History since independence

Niger has had four republican constitutions since independence in 1960, but four of its seven presidents have been military leaders, taking power in three coups. The first presidential elections took place in 1993 (33 years after independence), and the first municipal elections only took place in 2007. The 1999 constitution followed the coup against and murder of President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara by fellow military leaders. Prior to the 1992 uprising that led to free elections, Nigeriens have had little say in their nation's governance. In 2004 Mamadou Tandja was elected to his second five-year presidential term in an election that international observers deemed generally free and fair.

While the 1999 constitution guarantees a right to free assembly, in practice the government places restrictions on political gatherings, especially at time of popular unrest. There have been three blanket states of emergency declared since 1999, the longest beginning in August 2007 for the entire Agadez Department, and renewed in November 2007. These states of emergency essentially remove all rights to protest, gathering and free movement. They also allow detention without charge or trial.

Security forces

The involvement of the military in politics has historically led to regular, if infrequent, arbitrary arrest and detention, use of excessive force, torture, and extra-judicial killing by security forces and police. The judiciary has historically suffered from poor jail and prison conditions, prolonged pretrial detention, and executive interference in the judiciary. While all these have improved dramatically since the return to civilian rule, international human rights organizations continue to report sporadic incidents of all these abuses. Post-1999 there has been a marked improvement of civilian control of security forces, with the United States State Department contending every year since 2001 that the military was under civilian control.

Current concerns

The United States, in line with the United Nations and Amnesty International, has consistently found the post-1999 government's human rights record "generally poor; although there are improvements in several areas, some serious problems remain". With the 1999 election of President Tandja and members of the National Assembly in generally free and fair elections, citizens exercised their right to change their government. Since 2001, every year has seen less than a dozen prisoners die or go missing after having last been seen in the custody of military officers. Police and members of the security forces beat and otherwise abuse persons. Prior to the beginning of the Tuareg insurgency of 2007 the government has generally respected the right to association; however, several Islamist organizations that engaged in or threatened violence have been and remain banned. The government frequently restricts freedom of movement.

Domestic violence and societal discrimination against women continue to be serious problems. Female genital mutilation (FGM) persists, despite government efforts to combat it. There is societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and ethnic and religious minorities. Worker rights generally are respected; however, there are reports that a traditional form of servitude still is practiced. Child labor occurs, including child prostitution. There are reports of trafficking in persons.

Freedom of the press

Niger has had a tradition of lively press opposition, punctuated by bouts of government repression. From 1999 to 2007, the independent press, especially radio has flourished. With the advent of the Second Tuareg Rebellion in 2007, the government has begun to prosecute under emergency powers, those foreign and domestic press who are accused of contact with rebel leaders, and have expelled members of the foreign press from the country. The north, under a state of emergency, has become a go-go zone for foreign press, and the independent Radio Agadez in the north has been closed by the government.

Media

Since literacy and personal incomes are both very low, radio is the most important medium of public communication. The government-owned Radio Voix du Sahel transmits 14 hours per day, providing news and other programs in French and several local languages. There are several private radio stations, including Radio France International, Africa Number One, Radio et Musique, Radio Souda, Radio Tenere, Radio Anfani, and Radio Tambara; the last five are owned locally and feature popular news programs in local languages, including Djerma and Hausa. These private radio stations generally are less critical of government actions than are the private newspapers. Radio Anfani and Radio et Musique presented news coverage that has included a variety of points of view. The other private domestic radio stations are smaller and offer little domestic news programming. The government-operated multilingual national radio service provides equitable broadcasting time for all legal political parties during the year.

The government publishes a French-language daily newspaper, Le Sahel, and its weekend edition. There are approximately 12 private French-language weekly or monthly newspapers, some of which are affiliated loosely with political parties. The private press remains relatively assertive in criticizing government actions, though since mid-2007, there have been a number of arrests of foreign and local journalist.

2007–2008 crackdown
Two local journalists were imprisoned  in 2007 under charge of aiding the Tuareg insurgency in the north, and several radio stations have been closed. The journalist Moussa Kaka was held over a year on charges stemming from a radio interview of Rebel leaders, before being provisionally released. Foreign journalist circulated and reported freely prior to mid-2007, but since have been restricted from reporting on or traveling to the north of the country (Agadez Region). Since this time radio re-broadcasts of foreign news services have been restricted, having previously been a staple of Nigerien news coverage.

While Moussa Kaka has received the longest imprisonment for a journalist since the beginning of the Tuareg based insurgency in February 2007, several other cases have come to the attention of the international media. French journalists Thomas Dandois and Pierre Creisson were detained in Agadez for a month in 2007 by Nigerien military forces before being released. The editor of the Niamey's L'Evénement weekly was arrested on 30 July 2008  and charged with "divulging a defence secret" after reporting that an army officer had been linked to an arms cache that was discovered in the capitol.  The Government press regulation body, the High Council for Communication (CSC) closed Niamey based TV and radio station Dounia TV for one month in August 2008, and closed for an indefinite period Sahara FM, the main radio station in Agadez on 22 April 2008 for broadcasting interviews with people who had claimed they were the victims of abuses by government troops.  In June 2007, Agadez weekly Aïr-Info was closed by the government for three months, while at the same time sending formal warnings to three other newspapers (Libération, L'Opinion and L'Evènement) for reporting on the conflict in the north, which the government said were "trying to justify criminal activity and violence." Aïr-Info editor Ibrahim Manzo Diallo, after attempting to open a new weekly paper, was arrested and released.  One of his reporters was also arrested in Ingal in October, and in October Diallo was arrested trying to board a flight to Europe and charged with "membership of a criminal gang"  Diallo was released pending trial in February 2008.

2009 press arrests
In 2009, Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists accused the government of Niger of carrying out repeated harassment of Nigerien journalists, following three high-profile arrests and libel cases brought against newspapers by members of the government and the arrest of two officials of Dounia TV for comments made by others on their station.  Dounia, the only non-governmental Nigerien Television News station, has been accused of giving air time to supporters Hama Amadou, an imprisoned ruling party rival of the President of Niger. RSF claimed that "The Dounia group is the victim of repeated harassment by the judicial authorities".

Prison and detention center conditions

As of 2006, conditions in all 35 of the country's prisons were poor and life-threatening. Prisons were underfunded, understaffed, and overcrowded. For example, in Niamey's civil prison, there were approximately 720 prisoners in a facility built for 350; at year's end an estimated 550 of them were awaiting trial. Family visits were allowed, and prisoners could receive supplemental food, medicine, and other necessities from their families; however, nutrition, sanitation, and health conditions were poor, and deaths occurred from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Corruption among prison staff is rampant. Prisoners could bribe officials to leave prison for the day and serve their sentences in the evenings. Some prisoners bribed officials to serve their sentences in the national hospital in Niamey. Pretrial detainees were held with convicted prisoners.

Human rights observers, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Nigerien Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties, and various NGOs, were granted unrestricted access to prisons and detention centers and conducted visits during the year.

Role of the Police and Security Apparatus

The armed forces, under the Defense Ministry, are responsible for internal and external security. The gendarmerie, also under the Defense Ministry, had primary responsibility for rural security. The national forces for intervention and security, under the Interior Ministry, are responsible for domestic security and the protection of high-level officials and government buildings, and the national police, also under the Interior Ministry, are charged with urban law enforcement.

The police are ineffective, primarily because of inadequate resources. Basic supplies such as vehicle fuel, radios, uniforms, handcuffs, batons, and badges are scarce. Patrols are sporadic, and emergency response time in Niamey can take 45 minutes. Police training is minimal, and only specialized police units had basic weapons-handling skills. Corruption remains pervasive. Citizens complain that security forces do not adequately police border regions. The gendarmerie is responsible for investigation of police abuse; however, impunity is often a problem.

Freedom of religion

The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. Nigerien society, although predominately Muslim, is respectful and tolerant of religious difference.

Islam is the dominant religion and the Niger Islamic Council, which acts as an official advisory committee to the government on religious matters, broadcasts biweekly on the government controlled television station. On government controlled media, Christian programs generally are broadcast only on special occasions, such as Christmas and Easter, although the independent media regularly broadcast such programs.

Foreign Christian missionaries, while generally viewed with suspicion, operate openly and unmolested. Most large cities, due to the legacy of French colonialism, contain Christian churches and small Christian communities. There is also a small community of the Baháʼí Faith in Niamey. Sharia law, though observed by more pious Nigeriens, is not enforced by government or community. Alcohol is sold openly and women, while generally dressing modestly, need not wear headscarves.

Religious organizations must register with the Interior Ministry. Registration is a formality, and there are no reports that the government refused to register a religious organization.

On February 10, 2006, the government established the Niger Islamic Council composed of 10 leaders drawn from Islamic associations including the Islamic Association of Niger and other NGOs, and 10 members from various government agencies. The Islamic Council advises the government on Islamic issues including preaching, mosque construction, payment of zakat, etc. The council's avowed goals are to "work toward promoting a culture of tolerance and social peace and encourage Nigeriens to participate in the country's economic, social, and cultural development." During the installation of the council, the prime minister said that the purpose of the council was in part "to address behaviors and practices inspired by foreign countries", a remark widely interpreted to mean Nigerian and Middle-Eastern-inspired theological change and mosque construction projects.

Diffa Arabs expulsions, 2006

In October 2006, Niger announced that it would deport the Arabs living in the Diffa Region of eastern Niger to Chad. This population numbered about 150,000. While the government was rounding up Arabs in preparation for the deportation, two girls died, reportedly after fleeing government forces, and three women suffered miscarriages. Niger's government had eventually suspended a controversial decision to deport Arabs.

Slavery

In Niger, where the practice of slavery was outlawed in 2003, a study has found that more than 800,000 people are still slaves, almost 8% of the population. Slavery dates back for centuries in Niger and was finally criminalised in 2003, after five years of lobbying by Anti-Slavery International and Nigerien human-rights group, Timidria.

Descent-based slavery, where generations of the same family are born into bondage, is traditionally practiced by at least four of Niger's eight ethnic groups. The slave holders are mostly from the lighter-skinned nomadic ethnic groups —   Tuareg, Fula, Toubou and Arabs. In the region of Say on the right bank of the river Niger, it is estimated that three-quarters of the population around 1904–1905 was composed of slaves.

Prior to the 20th century, the Tuareg captured slaves during raids into other communities and in war. War was then the main source of supply of slaves, although many were bought at slave markets, run mostly by indigenous peoples.

Historical situation
The following chart shows Niger's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free".

International treaties
Niger's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:

See also

 Indigénat, legal regime under French colonial rule.
 Internet censorship and surveillance in Niger
 Listings of Human rights indicators:
 Abortion law: legal in cases of danger to mother only.
 Timeline of women's suffrage: Female suffrage enacted in 1948
 LGBT rights in Niger: laws are rather liberal, but homosexuality is completely taboo.
 Use of capital punishment by nation: while not outlawed, Niger is rated as"Abolished in practice", with the last state execution taking place in 1976.
 School leaving age: Children may leave compulsory education at 16, but may be employed legally at 14.
 Legal drinking age: 18 years old. Though overwhelmingly Muslim, alcohol sales are not prohibited.
 Freedom in the World (report) 2007 by the US based Freedom House rates Niger as "Partly Free"
 The Democracy Index of the UK based Economist Magazine rates Niger as 122 of 167 and an "Authoritarian regime".
 List of countries by Failed States Index 2007 by the US based Fund for Peace rates Niger as the 32nd from worst state in government ineffectiveness.
 Corruption Perceptions Index rates Niger 132 of 179, with a 2.6 rating, improving since 2004.
 Migrants' African routes: Niger lies on a major route of undocumented migration from Sub-Saharan Africa to Europe.
 Slavery in modern Africa
 Timidria: Nigerien anti-slavery NGO

Notes
1.Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on.
2.As of January 1.
3.The 1982 report covers the year 1981 and the first half of 1982, and the following 1984 report covers the second half of 1982 and the whole of 1983. In the interest of simplicity, these two aberrant "year and a half" reports have been split into three year-long reports through interpolation.
4.On the Freedom House spreadsheet, the ratings for every country from North Macedonia through North Korea are applied to the country that precedes it alphabetically, with North Macedonia’s ratings (3 for both civil and political rights) being applied to North Korea. North Macedonia is listed as beginning with the letter “M” (as in “Macedonia, North”), whereas North Korea is listed as beginning with the letter “N”; hence, every country beginning with the letters "M" and "N" (excluding Norway) are affected.

References

ETUDE SUR L’ETAT DE LA LIBERTE D’EXPRESSION AU NIGER. Pas de democratie sans liberte d’expression et de presse. ARTICLE 19: CAMPAGNE MONDIALE POUR LA LIBERTE D’EXPRESSION. London (October 2007). The ISBN printed in the document (978-1-902598-96-2) is invalid, causing a checksum error.
MANUEL DE FORMATION EN DROITS DE L’HOMME POUR LA POLICE (Police Nationale Niger). Compiled and funded by Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (Niger), Faculté des Sciences Économiques et Juridiques (FSEJ) -- Niamey, Institut Danois des Droits de l'Homme (IDDH) -- Denmark, & Agence Danoise de Développement (DANIDA) --Denmark. (2004)

External links
 2012 Annual Report, by Amnesty International
 Freedom in the World 2012 Report, by Freedom House

Niger
Society of Niger
Politics of Niger
Government of Niger


Stanley Rogers may refer to:
 Stanley Rogers, Tennessee lawyer and politician
 Stanley R. H. Rogers (1887–1961), American maritime author and illustrator
 Stan Rogers (1949–1983), Canadian folk singer

See also
Stan Rodger (1940–2022), New Zealand politician


Jennifer Nicole Wester (born February 27, 1985) is a visual artist and former American ice dancer. With partner Daniil Barantsev, she is the 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, 2008 ISU Four Continents 4th place finisher, and 2008 World Championship first alternates for Team USA.

Wester retired from competitive skating in the 2009-2010 season due to injury. However, she continued skating professionally as a pro on ABC's Skating with the Stars in 2010 as partner to Vince Neil, and in RaiUno's Notti Sul Ghiaccio in 2015 as partner to Emanuele Filiberto Di Savoia.

Wester graduated from Yale University with a degree in Computing and the Arts in 2016 and received an MFA in Studio Art from Southern Methodist University in 2021.

Personal life
Jennifer Wester was born February 27, 1985, in Dallas, Texas. She has a B.A. from Yale University in the intersection of Computer Science and Fine Art (Computing and the Arts) (2016) and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from Southern Methodist University.

Wester was married to Daniil Barantsev. They have two sons, Anden Daniel Barantsev, born on December 29, 2011, and Devin Daniel Barantsev, born in July, 2014. As of 2016, the couple split ways.

Wester took up metal sculpture during her time at Yale among other artistic practices. She has a website dedicated to her work as an interdisciplinary artist: jenniferwester.info.

Notable events include:
SOLUNA Festival, 2018
Aurora Expanded, 2018

Career

Early years in skating and skating career until 2002
Wester began skating as cross-training for shooting sports after her father read that skating could enhance her balance and thus improve her shooting skills. Soon after stepping on the ice however, she changed her focus from shooting to skating. She started skating at the America's Ice Gardens in Dallas, Texas in the fall of 1996, under coach Monica Reyes.

Wester began ice dancing in the spring of 1999, partnered with Nicholas Hart on the junior level. Their partnership dissolved in October of the same year. Wester continued ice dancing, testing through her US Gold Medal by the following summer. She then partnered with Italy's Massimo Scali and trained with him in Milan, Italy. They skated in shows throughout 2000 in Europe but never competed together due to international skating regulations.

Wester returned to the United States in the spring of 2001. In 2002, she competed on the Junior level with Jonathan Harris at the US National Championships. However, that partnership ended immediately following that competition — the same time Wester underwent shoulder surgery to repair a torn ligament.

2003–2009: Partnership with Barantsev
Wester teamed up with Daniil Barantsev in Newington, Connecticut, in March 2003. She underwent surgery on her shoulder in 2003 and again in 2004.

Skating association paperwork issues prevented Wester/Barantsev from competing nationally until 2005. As a result of ISU paperwork regulations, they remained ineligible for international competitions until the Russian Skating Federation granted Barantsev a release, in January 2007. In the same month, Wester injured her knee in a practice immediately prior to the 2007 U.S. Championships, where they finished sixth. Initially believed to be a severe bone bruise, her injury was diagnosed in April 2007 as a fractured patella requiring immediate surgery.

In the summer of 2007, Wester/Barantsev moved to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to train at the Detroit Skating Club under the tutelage of Anjelika Krylova and Pasquale Camerlengo. Recovering slowly from her injury, Wester returned to the ice around mid-June 2007. In September, the duo won gold at the 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy, skating in their first international competition as a team.

Wester/Barantsev placed fourth at their first ISU Championship together, the 2008 Four Continents Championships. In autumn 2008, they debuted on the Grand Prix series, Wester competing with pneumonia.

A back injury to Barantsev led them to withdraw from the U.S. Championships in January 2009 and Wester underwent knee surgery later that year. The two did not compete the following season and retired from competition shortly thereafter.

Later skating career
In 2010, Wester was cast on ABC's primetime television series Skating with the Stars as the professional skating partner for Vince Neil. In the spring of 2011, she and Barantsev began running the Newington Arena Learn to Skate School at the Newington Arena in Newington, Connecticut. She performed, partnering Ruslan Goncharov, at the 2012 Tribute to Life Charity Exhibition at Newington Arena in support of the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center at Hartford Hospital.
In 2015, Wester joined the cast of Notti Sul Ghiaccio produced by Endemol and Rai, as the coach and professional partner of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia.
See Clip Reels from each show here:
2010 Skating With the Stars
2015 Notti Sul Ghiaccio

Art career
In 2016, Wester launched a career in fine art after graduating from Yale University. Her first solo show was in metal sculpture at Life in Deep Ellum's Umbrella Gallery.

In 2017, Wester began appearing in various art venues painting on canvas while skating on inline roller skates designed to act as figure skates. In December 2017 she also debuted an audio/visual/projection art featuring the sounds of skating as a musical composition in collaboration with percussion artist and professional figure skater, Marco Garavaglia.

In 2018, Wester performed a new work commissioned for the SOLUNA Festival entitled, Breaking Shadows, in which she designed and skated to the movements of shadows, accompanied by an original musical composition of skating sounds and classical instrumentation in collaboration with Dutch sound artist, Baz Laakakers.

Wester's work is often produced in collaboration with other artists. She has worked with Turkish born, Dallas-based artist, Can Turkyilmaz and New Hampshire born, Dallas-based artist, photographer, and event producer, Erica Felicella, among others.

Non-profit sector

Wester is highly active in the non-profit sector, sitting on boards, committees and volunteering. She has served multiple terms on various committees of USFigureSkating, on the executive committee of Art Conspiracy, on the board of the East Kessler Park Neighborhood Association, as the Executive Director of ArborCreek Montessori Academy ArborCreek Montessori Academy, and volunteers with other organizations.

Education and publishing
In March 2017, Wester began authoring a Montessori-inspired activity workbook series, Artistic Refinement Therapy Books & Exercises (ARTb) and speaking at Montessori conferences with regard to the subject of creative growth and development.

She was also featured on a podcast series Total Life Complete and began co-hosting a web-based video series titled B-side on LinkedIn.

Programs
(with Barantsev)

Competitive highlights
(with Barantsev)

(with Harris)

References

External links

 Official site

 Jennifer Wester Skating With The Stars Profile

American female ice dancers
Sportspeople from Dallas
1985 births
Living people
21st-century American women


The rook and bishop versus rook endgame is a chess endgame where one player has just a king, a rook, and a bishop, and the other player has just a king and a rook. This combination of  is one of the most common pawnless chess endgames. It is generally a theoretical draw, but the rook and bishop have good winning chances in practice because the defense is difficult. Ulf Andersson won the position twice within a year, once against a grandmaster and once against a candidate master; and grandmaster Keith Arkell has won it 18 times out of 18. In positions that have a forced win, up to 59 moves are required. Tony Kosten has seen the endgame many times in master games, with the stronger side almost always winning. Pal Benko called this the "headache ending."

Being a five-piece endgame, the rook and bishop versus rook endgame has been fully analysed using computers. Endgame tablebases show that 40.1% of the legal positions with this material are theoretical wins, but that includes many unnatural positions that are unlikely to occur in games. Edmar Mednis estimated that less than 4% of starting positions that occur in games are theoretical wins.

History

In 1749 François-André Danican Philidor (1726–1795) published a position in which the superior side can force a win. Giambattista Lolli (1698–1769) studied a similar position with a forced win. On the other hand, there are several drawing techniques possible if a winning position such as the Philidor position has not been reached. The Cochrane Defense was discovered by John Cochrane (1798–1878), the Szén position was discovered by József Szén (1805–1857), and there is the second- defense. Other winning and drawing positions were studied by Adolf Zytogorski, Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa, Josef Kling and Kuiper, and André Chéron.

Many of the longest chess games on record involve this endgame since at one time the fifty-move rule under which a draw could be claimed after fifty moves with no  was extended to one-hundred moves for this combination of material. For example, the longest tournament game on record is a 269-move game by Ivan Nikolić and International Master Goran Arsović. The last 103 moves had this material and the game ended in a draw.

Anatoly Karpov played a rook versus rook and bishop ending in a 2003 game with 15-year-old Teimour Radjabov, which went 113 moves before an indignant Karpov claimed a draw by invoking the 50-move rule with only 14 seconds remaining on the game clock.

Winning positions

Philidor position
This famous position was studied by and named after François-André Danican Philidor. White wins because his king has reached the sixth  and the black king is poorly placed (opposite the white king). If this type of position arises, it is usually because of inferior defense. Nevertheless, it is tricky to win.

First to be noted is that the trivial
1.Bc6
does not work because of
1...Rd7+! 2.Bxd7
which is stalemate (draw). Alternatively, if the bishop does not take the rook, then the white king has to move and White loses the advantage position.

The winning method is as follows:
1.Rf8+ Re8 2.Rf7!
Threatening to switch the rook to the other side and checkmate.

2...Re2
This is the best place for the black rook. Alternatives are:
 2...Re3 3.Rd7+ Ke8 4.Ra7 Kf8 5.Rf7+ Ke8 6.Rf4 Kd8 7.Be4 a sequence which mirrors the main line from move 8;
 2...Re1 and White wins similarly to the main line;
 2...Kc8 3.Ra7 Rd8+ 4.Kc6 Kb8 5.Rb7+ Ka8 6.Rb1 Ka7 7.Kc7 and White wins.

3.Rh7 Re1
This idle move is necessary because the black rook must remain on the e-file, so it is forced to its next best position on e1. White will take advantage of this on move 5.

4.Rb7
The winning line only works if the white rook is on b7 or f7.

4...Rc1
Or 4...Kc8 5.Ra7 Rb1 6.Rf7 Kb8 7.Rf8+ Ka7 8.Ra8+ Kb6 (White wins because the chessboard has only eight ) 9.Rb8+.

5.Bb3
This is the key idea. It forces the black rook to the inferior third rank while preventing 5...Rd1+. Black is in zugzwang.

5... Rc3
If instead 5...Kc8, then 6.Rb4 Kd8 7.Rf4 Re1 (or 7...Kc8 8.Bd5 Kb8 9.Ra4) 8.Ba4 Kc8 9.Bc6 Rd1+ 10.Bd5 Kb8 11.Ra4. Now White completes the following maneuvers, getting the bishop back to d5 with gain of tempo.

6.Be6 Rd3+ 7.Bd5! Rc3 8.Rd7+ Kc8
If 8...Ke8, then 9.Rg7 and checkmate on g8 next move, else loss of the rook since the bishop covers f3.

9.Rh7 Kb8 10.Rb7+ Kc8 11.Rb4!

This is the position White was seeking; White
threatens 12.Be6+ Kd8 13.Rb8+ Rc8 14.Rxc8#.

If 11...Rd3 12.Ra4 and the black rook cannot prevent Ra8# because b3 is covered by the bishop.

11...Kd8 12. Bc4
Stopping the check on d3 and cutting off the rook entirely. Now mate is unavoidable either by Ra8# or via Be6+ after Kc8.

This is an exercise in domination of the black rook. This method works if the kings are on the central four ranks or files. It does not work if the kings are on the rank or file next to the edge – those positions are a theoretical draw, but difficult to defend. If the kings are on a rank or file on the edge of the board the position is a win, but by a different method.

Lolli position

This winning position was discovered by Giambattista Lolli. The position is one rank or file closer to the edge of the board than the Philidor position, so the winning method is slightly different. Switching the attacking rook to the other side of the king is no longer dangerous.

The method:
1... Rd8 2. Ra2 Rb8 3. Ba6 Rb6 4. Bd3 Rc6+ 5. Bc4 Rb6 6. Rc2+ Kb1 7. Re2 Ka1 8. Re5 Rb7
Or 8...Rb8.

9. Ra5+ Kb1 10. Bd3+ Kc1 11. Ra1+ Rb1 12. Rxb1.

Drawing defenses

Cochrane Defense

The Cochrane Defense is a drawing method discovered by John Cochrane. The Cochrane Defense is the most popular among grandmasters for this endgame. The basic idea is to pin the bishop to its king when there are at least two  or  between it and the defending king.

Accurate play is required for the defense. The defense is most effective near the center of the board, and does not work on the edge. The Cochrane Defense works when:
 the defending rook pins the bishop to the king on one of the four central files (c through f) or ranks (3 through 6); and
 there are two or more ranks or files (respectively) between the kings.

The Cochrane defense can also be used with a rook against a rook and knight.

Budnikov versus Novik

The defense is most effective near the center of the board. In this position, if the pieces on the e-file were moved to the f-file, then if 1.Ke5, the response 1...Kg8 puts the black king dangerously close to the corner.

In this position from a 1991 game between Alexandar Budnikov and Maxim Novik, White would like to get his king to d6 and bishop to d5, to win by a method of Philidor (see Philidor position); however, the pin of the bishop to the king prevents it. If White plays 1.Kd5 or 1.Kf5 then Black moves his king in the opposite direction, so if the bishop then moves, the black rook cuts off the white king.

There are some key ideas for the defender to observe:
 Wait by moving the rook between e1 and e2.
 Answer Kd5 with ...Kf8, and Kf5 by ...Kd8.
 Drive the rook away from the seventh rank at the first opportunity.
 Move the king away from the eighth rank, as near the center of the board as possible.
 Once the king has left the back rank, hold off the attacking king for a few moves.
 When the white king gets back to the fifth rank (or equivalent in other directions), switch the rook around and head for the Cochrane position again (perhaps rotated 90 or 180 degrees). This phase is important because the opposing king must not be allowed to reach the sixth rank (or equivalent).

The game continued:

1... Re1 2. Kd5 Kf8! 3. Bf5 Re7! 4. Ra8+ Kf7 5. Ra1 Kf6 6. Bc8 Re5+ 7. Kd6 Re2 8. Rf1+ Kg5 9. Bb7 Re3 10. Kd5 Re2 11. Kd4 Re7 12. Bd5 Re8 13. Rf7 Rb8 14. Ke5 Rb5
and the position is back to the basic Cochrane position, rotated 90 degrees, and the fifty-move rule is closer to coming into effect. The Budnikov versus Novik game continued, with the Cochrane position being reached again. Eventually a draw was claimed by the fifty-move rule.

Ljubojević versus Portisch

The Cochrane Defense was also used in this 1982 game between Ljubomir Ljubojević and Lajos Portisch. The Cochrane position occurred again on move 114, rotated 90 degrees. The game was drawn on move 127.

98. Kd5 Kf8!
The defending king goes the opposite way as the attacking king.

99. Ra7 Re3 100. Bf5 Re7 101. Ra1 Re2 102. Be6 Ke7 103. Ra7+ Kf6 104. Rf7+ Kg5 105. Kd6 Re1 106. Rf3 Ra1 107. Bc4 Re1 108. Kd5 Rd1+ 109. Ke4 Re1+ 110. Kd4 Rd1+ 111. Bd3 Ra1 112. Be4 Ra4+ 113. Ke5 Ra5+ 114. Bd5 Kg4 115. Rf2 Kg5 116. Rb2 Kg4 117. Rg2+ Kh5 118. Rg1
Cochrane position again, on a different side.

118... Rb5 119. Ke4 Kh6 120. Be6 Ra5 121. Bg4 Kg7 122. Kf4 Ra3 123. Bf5+ Kf8 124. Kg5 Ke7 125. Rd1 Ra7 126. Rd5 Rc7 127. Bh3 Ra7 draw.

Second-rank defense
The "second-rank defense" is a passive defense with the defending king and rook on a rank or file one over from the edge of the board (e.g. the second or seventh rank or the b- or g-file). The method is reliable but it is possible to go wrong, especially if the defending king is near the corner.

Norri versus Atalik

This 1997 game between Joose Norri and Suat Atalık illustrates the second-rank defense. White cannot reach the Cochrane Defense. Attempting to get the rook behind the black king would get to a lost Philidor position: 87.Rc8 Rb2+ 88.Kf1 Rf2+ 89.Ke1 Kd3. White uses the second-rank defense. White alternates his rook between c2 and d2 until Black tries to penetrate.

87. Rd2 Rh5 88. Rc2 Rh2+ 89. Kd1
The defending king can be driven to the edge of the board but then the attacker's rook is under attack, so the king cannot approach.

89... Rh1+ 90. Ke2 Rh2+ 91. Kd1 Rh3 92. Ke2 Bc3
This is another attempt by Black. It seems that White is in zugzwang and any rook move loses (93.Rc1 Rh2+ 94.Kd1 Kd3), but White has a good move.

93. Kd1!
Now if 93...Kd3 White has a stalemate defense with 94.Rd2+ so the black king has to back off.

93... Rh1+ 94. Ke2
and the game was drawn on move 98.

Carlsen versus Van Wely

The second-rank defense was used by 16-year-old Magnus Carlsen in this 2007 game against Loek van Wely.

64. Rd2 Rh3 65. Rc2 Bc3
It is hard to drive the defending king to the edge. After 65...Rh2+ 66.Kd1 the black rook must move and the white king goes back to e2.

66. Kd1
White was in zugzwang and had to temporarily leave the second rank.

66... Kd4
Here 66...Kd3 is met by 67.Rd2+.

67. Rf2 Kd3 68. Rd2+ Kc4 69. Rf2 Re3 70. Re2 Rd3+ 71. Kc2
and the king is back to the second rank. The game continued and the position on move 74 was a reflection of the position on move 66. On move 80 the same defense was set up on the b-file. Black could make no progress and the game was drawn after 109 moves.

Szén position

József Szén discovered the Szén position, a defensive drawing position. The kings are opposite in an L-shape and the weaker side's rook defends on the side of his king that has more room. Szén's position is the most important for  players. Compared to the Philidor position, the kings are not opposite each other and the defending rook can prevent checkmate. The position is a draw only if there is enough room for the defending king on the side with the rooks.

An example of this defense being used in a game is this 1982 one between József Pintér and Yuri Razuvayev. After 88 moves, the position had a rook and bishop versus a rook. The diagram shows the position after 101. Kd1!, reaching the Szén position. On the 132nd move, White reached a Szén position for the fourth time. The game was drawn on the 138th move.

Second Lolli position

In the second Lolli position, the kings are one row closer to the edge than in the first Lolli position. Unlike the Philidor position and the first Lolli position, this position is a theoretical draw. Several of the moves in the perfect defence are the only move that saves the game.

See also
 Chess endgame

Notes

References

Further reading

Chess endgames


Dr. Lee Kin Tat (born 1939) is a Malayan-born Singaporean former badminton player who won numerous international singles titles from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, including the open championships of Belgium, France, Ireland, Scotland, and Singapore. He was considered by many as Singapore's badminton star of the 1960s. Lee was known to be able to execute a smash from any corner of the court.

Early life
Lee, the oldest of five children was born in Perak to rubber magnate Lee In Tong. He later moved to Penang, then Singapore, where he studied at St Joseph's Institution. When Lee was 19 (as the school's boy champion), he served notice of his talent by upsetting top Singapore players Omar Ibrahim and V.S.S. Nathan. He later moved to London to study at Imperial College and played in Britain and Europe.

Badminton career
Lee won two titles at the 1959 French Open. In the season of 1960, he finished second at the German Open. In 1963 and 1967, he again won the French Open. In 1964, Lee reached the semifinal of the prestigious All-England Championships by ending Erland Kops' run of four straight titles in the quarterfinal. Although Lee lost in the semi-finals to eventual champion Knud Aage Nielsen of Denmark, he, however had a great year by winning 12 titles from the autumn of 1963 to April 1964. Lee also reached the All-England semifinal in 1967, this time losing to Kops. In 1966 and 1967, he won the Scottish Open. In 1969, he won two tournament victories in the Belgian International. Largely because most of his prime badminton years were spent in Europe, he did not play in Thomas Cup (men's international team) competition for either Malaysia or Singapore. Lee retired from competitive badminton in 1973 and later served as president of the SBA and secretary-general of the Asian Badminton Confederation.

Personal life
Lee is a grandfather of five and runs his own financial business. He took 8 years to complete his doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Physics) due to his commitment to excel in badminton. He never had formal coaching but got tips from the late Ong Poh Lim.

Achievements

References

1939 births
Living people
Malaysian male badminton players
Singaporean male badminton players
Malaysian sportspeople of Chinese descent
Singaporean sportspeople of Chinese descent
Sportspeople from Perak


Aiyalam Parameswaran Balachandran (born 25 January 1938) is an Indian theoretical physicist known for his extensive contributions to the role of classical topology in quantum physics. He is currently an emeritus professor in the Department of Physics, Syracuse University, where he was previously the Joel Dorman Steele Professor of Physics between 1999 and 2012. He has also been a fellow of the American Physical Society since 1988 and was awarded a prize by the U.S. Chapter of the Indian Physics Association in recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions.

In 1990, Syracuse University honored him with a Chancellor's Citation for Exceptional Academic Achievement.

Early life and education

Balachandran was born on 25 January 1938 in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Aiyalam Sundaram Parameswaran, was a chartered accountant in Pierce Leslie and Company in Cochin. Balachandran had a gifted poet, Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon, as his teacher. Balachandran completed his first two college years in Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode, specialising in physics, chemistry and mathematics and passing the 'Intermediate Examination' with all-State distinction in 1953. He joined BSc (Hons) in Physics in the Madras Christian College, Tambaram, Chennai. Balachandran graduated from MCC in 1958.

Research
Balachandran received his PhD degree under Professor Alladi Ramakrishnan at the University of Madras. Then he joined Theoretisch Physics, University at Wien as a postdoctoral fellow under Professor Walter Thirring, subsequently at the Enrico Fermi Institute as a postdoc. In 1964, he joined the Syracuse University faculty. Balachandran's key scientific works to date include the revival of the Skyrme model which successfully describes baryons as topological solitons of meson fields and mathematical concepts such as homotopy groups and fibre bundles to problems in quantum physics. In recent, Balachandran's research has been focused on the formulation of quantum field theories on noncommutative spacetimes and investigating the emergent significance of Hopf algebras in quantum physics as generalisations of symmetry groups.

Books
A. P. Balachandran, S. G. Jo, G. Marmo, Group Theory and Hopf Algebras: Lectures for Physicists, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., 2010. .
A. P. Balachandran, G. Marmo, B. S. Skagerstam, A. Stern, Classical Topology and Quantum States, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore, 1991.  -- (pbk.)
A. P. Balachandran, G. Marmo, B. S. Skagerstam, A. Stern, Gauge Symmetries and Fibre Bundles : Applications to Particle Dynamics, Springer Verlag, 1983. .
A. P. Balachandran (editor), A. P. Balachandran, E. Ercolessi, G. Morandi, A.M. Srivastava, Hubbard Model and Anyon Superconductivity, World Scientific Publishing Co.  1990. .
A. P. Balachandran, S. Kurkcuoglu, S. Vaidya, Lectures on Fuzzy and Fuzzy Susy Physics, World Scientific Publishing Co.  2007. .
A. P. Balachandran, G.C. Trahern, Lectures on Group Theory for Physicists, Brill Academic Publishing, 1986. .
A. P. Balachandran (editor), Hubbard Model and Anyon Superconductivity, World Scientific Publishing Co. 1991. .

References

Syracuse University faculty
University of Madras alumni
Living people
1938 births
Madras Christian College alumni
Indian theoretical physicists
People from Salem, Tamil Nadu
Scientists from Tamil Nadu
Fellows of the American Physical Society
Indian emigrants to the United States


Gary Webb (1955–2004) was an American investigative reporter.

Gary Webb may also refer to:
Gary Webb (racing driver) (born 1949), American racing driver
Gary Webb (artist) (born 1973), British artist
Gary Numan (born 1958), English musician, real name Gary Webb
Gary Webb (golfer) (born 1961), American professional golfer

See also
Garry Webb, Australian criminal also known as Garry David


The Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro was the first natural reserve set up in Sicily in May 1981, located almost completely in the municipal territory of San Vito Lo Capo. It stretches along some seven kilometers of unspoilt coastline of the Gulf of Castellammare and its mountain chain, the setting of steep cliffs and little bays.

The Zingaro Reserve has a large variety and abundance of rare and endemic plants, as well as a rich fauna. The highly varied ecological niches give a great diversity which is not easily found in others parts of the island. In the Zingaro Reserve at least 39 species of birds nest and mate, mainly birds of prey, including the peregrine falcon, the common kestrel and the common buzzard. The area has also a rich archaeological past; for example the spectacular  was one of the first prehistoric settlements in Sicily. The reserve has a complex network of paths, shelters, water taps, picnic areas, museums, carpark, and other amenities; there are no roads and it can only be visited on foot.

The Zingaro Reserve incorporates not only the land and beaches, but also the adjacent sea. The beautiful beaches, pebbled and lapped by the clear blue sea, can be reached along various rather steep paths.

References

External links
 Official homepage

Geography of Sicily
Nature reserves in Italy
Tourist attractions in Sicily


The Alexander String Quartet is a string quartet based in San Francisco. Formed in New York in 1981, the Alexander String Quartet has since 1989 been Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances.

In 1982, the Alexander String Quartet was the first string quartet to win the Concert Artists Guild competition. In 1985, the Alexander String Quartet was the first American string quartet to win the Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition (now the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition), winning both the audience prize and the jury's highest prize.

On April 7th, 2023, The Alexander String Quartet released an album entitled "British Invasion" with classical guitarist William Kanengiser.

Members
Zakarias Grafilo, first violin
Yuna Lee, second violin
David Samuel,  viola
Sandy Wilson, cello
—
Paul Yarbrough, viola (emeritus, co-founder)

See also
List of string quartet ensembles

References

External links
Alexander String Quartet official website.
Artists' page on BesenArts.
Artists' page on San Francisco Performances.
Artists' page on Baruch College.

Musical groups established in 1981
American string quartets


Livingston may refer to the following places in the U.S. state of Michigan:

 Livingston County, Michigan
 Livingston Township, Michigan, in Otsego County
 An unincorporated community in Lake Charter Township, Michigan, Berrien County


Kosal may refer to:

 Kosal state movement, campaign for Western Odisha to be a separate state.
 Kosala (disambiguation), historical regions in India
 Western Odisha, western part of Odisha state

See also
 Kosali (disambiguation)
 Kosel (disambiguation)
 Koshala
 Kaushal


François Trinh-Duc (; born 11 November 1986) is a former French rugby union player. Trinh-Duc's regular position was as a fly-half or inside centre.

Early life
Trinh-Duc was born in Montpellier.

Trinh-Duc started playing rugby at the age of 4 at the Pic-Saint-Loup rugby school near his native city. There, he played with his future Montpellier team-mate Fulgence Ouedraogo.

Rugby career
With fellow Montpelliérains Louis Picamoles and Julien Tomas, they are part of a quartet of home-grown talents embodying the success of the Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club's attempt at "shaking up the old order" of French rugby in the Septimanie terroir which had always been historical rival Béziers's stronghold.

Trinh-Duc was called up by Marc Lièvremont to the France squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship, and has played in all of France's matches in the competition to date.

Trinh-Duc's drop goal helped France beat England 19–12 at Eden Park in quarter-final in 2011 Rugby World Cup. He came on as a substitute for the injured Morgan Parra in the 23rd minute of the final against New Zealand. He set in motion the move that led to Thierry Dusautoir's try in the 47th minute and converted the try to make the score 8–7. With 15 minutes remaining and the score still at 8–7, France were awarded a penalty to put them in front for the first time, but Trinh-Duc's 48m penalty attempt was wide off the mark and the All Blacks went on to win the final.

On 19 March 2021, Trinh Duc left Racing 92 for Top 14 rivals Bordeaux from the 2021–22 season.

Personal life
Trinh-Duc (, ) was noted as one of the first ever rugby players of Vietnamese origin to play for the French national side. His paternal grandfather, Trịnh Đức Nhiên, was born in French Indochina, migrated to France during the Second World War right after the Liberation of France, and settled near Agen in Lot-et-Garonne. Nhien later married an Italian woman;  Trinh-Duc's father, Philippe, being the result of this union.

International tries

Footnotes

References

External links

FFR profile
Montpellier Hérault RC profile

1986 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Montpellier
Rugby union players from Occitania (administrative region)
French rugby union players
French people of Vietnamese descent
Sportspeople of Vietnamese descent
French sportspeople of Italian descent
Rugby union fly-halves
Montpellier Hérault Rugby players
RC Toulon players
Racing 92 players
France international rugby union players
Union Bordeaux Bègles players
2011 Rugby World Cup players


The 1979 Garuda Fokker F28 crash occurred on 11 July 1979 when a Garuda Indonesian Airways Fokker F28 airliner on a domestic flight in Indonesia from Talang Betutu Airport, Palembang, to Polonia International Airport (now Soewondo Air Force Base), Medan, struck Mount Sibayak at  on approach to landing, with no survivors.

The aircraft had departed Palembang 80 minutes earlier and had been cleared for an approach to runway 05 at Medan Airport. The aircraft was asked to report passing the nondirectional beacon (NDB) "ON" at . The pilot then reported he was maintaining a height of  as the NDB was unreliable. The approach controller then asked them to maintain that height until after they had passed the NDB. The pilot then reported they were at . The aircraft struck the  volcano Mount Sibayak at .

See also
 1982 Garuda Fokker F28 crash, involving the same type of plane and airline

References

External links

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1979
Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain
Accidents and incidents involving the Fokker F28
Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia accidents and incidents
1979 in Indonesia
July 1979 events in Asia
1979 disasters in Indonesia


Fenoglio may refer to:

People with the surname
Beppe Fenoglio, an Italian writer
Jérôme Fenoglio (born 1965), French journalist
Virgilio Fenoglio, Argentinian chessmaster

Other
?, a fictional character in the Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke


Joel Rogers is the name of:
Joel Rogers, academic and political activist
Joel Augustus Rogers (1880–1966), Jamaican-American author, journalist, and historian
Joel Townsley Rogers (1896–1984), writer


Schluter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

 Albert Schluter (1923–2007), German born Australian activist for immigrant rights in Australia
 Ariane Schluter (born 1966), Dutch film actress
 Dolph Schluter (born 1955), evolutionary biologist
 John Schluter (born 1955), Australian weekday weather presenter
 Michael Schluter (economist) (born 1947), economist, author, speaker and social entrepreneur
 William E. Schluter (born 1927), New Jersey politician

See also
 Schlüter


In mathematics, a Parovicenko space is a topological space similar to the space of non-isolated points of the Stone–Čech compactification of the integers.

Definition
A Parovicenko space is a topological space X satisfying the following conditions:
X is compact Hausdorff
X has no isolated points
X has weight c, the cardinality of the continuum (this is the smallest cardinality of a base for the topology).
Every two disjoint open Fσ subsets of X have disjoint closures
Every non-empty Gδ of X has non-empty interior.

Properties
The space βN\N is a Parovicenko space, where βN is the Stone–Čech compactification of the natural numbers N.  proved that the continuum hypothesis implies that every Parovicenko space is isomorphic to βN\N.  showed that if the continuum hypothesis is false then there are other examples of Parovicenko spaces.

References

General topology


Ronald Rood (July 7, 1920- July 16, 2001) was a Vermont author, naturalist and Vermont Public Radio commentator who wrote over 30 books, including The Loon in My Bathtub, How Do You Spank a Porcupine?, It's Going to Sting Me, and Mother Can I Keep This Clam - It Followed Me Home.

Ron Rood's Vermont: A Nature Guide was published by The New England Press in 1988.

Personal life
Rood was born in Torrington, Connecticut, in 1920. He was intrigued by all of nature from early childhood, stating that his mentor was Thornton Burgess. During the Second World War, Rood was a fighter pilot, flying P-51 Mustangs over Europe. He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry and wildlife, and later a master's degree in zoology. He married Margaret "Peg" Bruce in 1942 and in 1953 they moved to Lincoln, Vermont, where he shared a home with his wife and their four children.  Their friends Al and Norene Thergesen and their children also shared the home for some years.  Rood taught the Introductory Biology Laboratory course at Middlebury College, collected biological specimens for biological supply houses, and wrote encyclopedia entries on various biological subjects while beginning his writing career.  Rood taught Sunday School at the Lincoln United Church and directed its choir for 25 years.

Ronald Rood and his family lived for a while in Massapequa Park, New York, where he was an important part of the Massapequa Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Peggy, both sang in the choir.

At his death, he was cremated and the ashes, contained in his favorite coffee pot, were interred in the Maple Shade Cemetery, Lincoln, Vermont, in a plot marked by a boulder bearing his name, dates, Peg's name and birthdate, and the outline of a P-51, among other inscriptions.

Partial bibliography

Wild Brother
The How and Why Wonder Book of Insects (1960)
Land Alive (1962)
The How and Why Wonder Book:  Ants & Bees (1962)
The How and Why Wonder Book:  Butterflies & Moths (1963)
Loon in My Bathtub (1964)
The Sea and Its Wonderful Creatures (1965)
Bees Bugs & Beetles (1965)
Vermont Life Book of Nature (1967)
Hundred Acre Welcome:  The Story of a Chincoteague Pony (1967)
Animal Champions (1969)
Answers About Insects (1969)
Animals Nobody Loves (1971)
Wild Brother (1971)
Who Wakes the Groundhog? (1973)
May I Keep this Clam, Mother?  It Followed Me Home (1973)
Good Things are Happening (1975)
Possum in the Parking Lot (1977)
It's Going to Sting Me! (1977)
Elephant Bones and Lonely Hearts (1977)
Laska (1980)
Insects (1982)
Ron Rood's Vermont (1988)
Tide Pools (1993)
Wetlands (1994)
New York Public Library Incredible Earth (1996)
How Do You Spank a Porcupine?
Beachcombers All!

See also

 How and Why Wonder Books

References

1920 births
2001 deaths
American naturalists
University of Connecticut alumni
Writers from Vermont
Vermont culture
United States Army Air Forces officers
United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
20th-century naturalists


Schlüter (also spelled Schlueter) is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Andreas Schlüter (c. 1664–1714), German baroque sculptor and architect
Anton Schlüter München, German company
Ann-Helena Schlüter, Swedish-German musician
Anne Marie Vessel Schlüter (born 1949), Danish ballet dancer and wife of Poul Schlüter
Auguste Schlüter (1849–1917), German writer
Carina Schlüter (born 1996), German footballer
Carl Schlüter (1846–1884), German sculptor
Erna Schlüter (1904–1969), German dramatic soprano and voice teacher
Johan Schlüter (born 1944), Danish lawyer
Karin Schlüter (born 1937), German equestrian
Karl-Heinz Schlüter (1920–1995), German musician
Lasse Schlüter (born 1992), German footballer
Otto Schlüter (1872–1959), German geographer
Poul Schlüter (1929–2021), Danish politician
Torsten Schlüter (born 1959), German artist
Walter Schlüter (1911–1977), German race driver
Wilhelm Schlüter (1828–1919), German naturalist

With the spelling Schlueter:
Blake Schlueter (born 1986), American footballer
Charles Schlueter, American musician
Dale Schlueter (1945–1914), American basketball player
Frank J. Schlueter (c.1874 – 1972), American photographer
Fred W. Schlueter (1895–1969), American politician
Jay Schlueter (1949–2010), American baseball player
June Schlueter, American academic
Norm Schlueter (1916–2004), American baseball player
William Schlueter (1962-present), American tennis player

See also
Schlüter (crater), a lunar impact crater
6350 Schlüter, minor planet
Schluter
Schlyter

German-language surnames


Igor Vori (born 20 September 1980) is a Croatian former handball player and current coach. He is currently working as the sports director of the Croatian national team.

Vori competed for Croatia in the 2004, 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Club career
Vori played in RK Zagreb and has also played for FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He won the EHF Champions League with HSV Hamburg during the 2012–13 season. Vori was shortlisted in the IHF's election of the 2009 World Handball Player of the Year. He retired in June 2018.

International career
Vori is World champion from 2003, and Olympic champion from 2004 with the Croatian national team. He received a silver medal at the 2005 World Championship, and a silver medal at the 2008 European Championship, where he also was voted Best defensive player.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, Vori was part of the Croatian squad that reached the semifinals, after defeating Denmark in the quarter-final. They lost their semifinal against France and lost to Spain in the bronze medal match, ending fourth in the tournament.

At the 2009 World Championship held in Croatia, Vori was part of the silver medal winning team, as well as being voted Player of the Tournament, but was given a red card during the final match after pretending to throw the ball at a referee's face.

Vori was part of the Croatian squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where they lost to France in the semifinal, winning the bronze medal game against Hungary, as well as he has played with Croatia at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships, and 2014 and 2018 European Championships.

Coaching career
On 1 June 2020, following the resignation of Veselin Vujović, Vori was named the new head coach of RK Zagreb, which became his first head coaching job in career. On 9 October, he was sacked. In March 2022 he was announced as new head coach of U21 Croatia national team.

Honours
Zagreb
Croatian Premier League: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17, 2017–18
Croatian Cup: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018

Conversano
Serie A: 2002–03
Italian Cup: 2003

FC Barcelona
Liga ASOBAL: 2005–06
Copa del Rey: 2007
Supercopa ASOBAL: 2006–07
Pirenees Leagues: 2005–06, 2006–07

HSV Hamburg
Bundesliga: 2010–11
DHB-Pokal: 2010
Super Cup: 2009, 2010
EHF Champions League: 2012–13

PSG
LNH Division 1: 2014–15, 2015–16
Coupe de France: 2014, 2015
Trophée des champions: 2014, 2015

Individual
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport – 2004
Best defensive player at the 2008 European Championship
Player of the Tournament at the 2009 World Championship
Best line player at the 2010 European Championship

Orders
 Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar

References

External links

1980 births
Living people
Croatian male handball players
Olympic handball players for Croatia
Handball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Handball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for Croatia in handball
Olympic bronze medalists for Croatia in handball
Handball players from Zagreb
RK Zagreb players
Liga ASOBAL players
Handball-Bundesliga players
FC Barcelona Handbol players
Olympic medalists in handball
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Expatriate handball players
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in France
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
21st-century Croatian people


Gary Webb (born April 19, 1949) is an American racing driver from Blue Grass, Iowa who won the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national championship in 2000. He received a $150,000 bonus.

Webb began racing in 1972 in a late model. He had 201 features wins between 1980 and 1989. He won the 1984 and 1985 UMP national championships.

Driving a dirt late model for owner Larry Moring (sponsor of Tom Hearst's team which won the 1982 title) and another dirt Late Model of his own, Webb won 22 of the 54 NASCAR-sanctioned races that he entered at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway and Farley Speedway, both in Iowa.  His record of 16 wins in 18 starts at the 3/8 mile track at Dubuque won the national title and the Mid American division.

Webb finished second in the 2001 national championship points. He was the series' Most Popular Driver that year.

Honors
 As part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Weekly Series in 2006, Webb was named one of the series' All Time Top 25 drivers. Webb has a total of 518 career feature wins under his belt, from 63 different tracks across the United States.  In 2008, Webb was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Florence, Kentucky.

References

1949 births
Living people
NASCAR drivers
People from Blue Grass, Iowa
Racing drivers from Iowa

Sportspeople from Davenport, Iowa


The Shenandoah Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia.  The valley is bounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian and Allegheny Plateaus to the west.  Most of the AVA is in Virginia, with a small portion in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  Most of the vineyards in the AVA are located in Virginia and grow a wide variety of Vitis vinifera, Vitis labrusca, and French hybrid grapes. The hardiness zone is mainly 6b except for some 7a closer to the mouth of the Shenandoah.

The region is Virginia's first AVA, identified in 1982. Limestone soil, which is common to the Valley, has been long associated with great wine growing regions in Europe. The Shenandoah Valley AVA's climate allows grapes to attain higher acidity, generally regarded as good in wine. The cooler, relatively dry climate, soil composition and position between two mountain chains makes the Shenandoah Valley more ideal for viticulture than any of the state's other regions. The Shenandoah Valley is relatively dry, a "rain shadow" between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains; the annual rainfall in the Valley is one half that of the Virginia average. The growing season in the valley is distinctly warmer and drier than in neighboring Virginia regions, which don't have the natural rain barrier from the nearby mountains and where, east of the Blue Ridge, vineyard soils are primarily clay and loam.  The conditions in the Shenandoah Valley AVA are thus more hospitable than those east of the mountains for Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and Riesling.

List of Producers
Wine producers in the AVA include: (from north to south) Veramar Vineyard, James Charles Winery & Vineyard, Valerie Hill Vineyard & Winery, North Mountain Vineyard & Winery, Muse Vineyards, Shenandoah Vineyards, Wolf Gap Vineyard, Cave Ridge Vineyard, The Winery at Kindred Pointe, DeMello Vineyards, Old Hill Cidery, Wisteria Farm & Vineyard, CrossKeys Vineyards, Bluestone Vineyard, Marceline Vineyards, Barren Ridge Vineyards, Ox-Eye Vineyards, Above Ground Winery, Hunt's Vineyard, Rockbridge Vineyard, Jump Mountain Vineyard, Lexington Valley Vineyard and Blue Ridge Vineyard. Briede Vineyards.

References

American Viticultural Areas
Virginia wine
West Virginia wine
1982 establishments in Virginia
Shenandoah Valley


Crosses () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France.

Geography
Crosses is a farming village situated some  north of Bourges at the junction of the D15 with the D71 and D66 roads. The river Airain flows north through the middle of the village.

Population

Sights
 The church of St. Martin, dating from the twelfth century.
 The chateau of Sonpize.

See also
Communes of the Cher department

References

External links

Official website of Crosses

Communes of Cher (department)


The Texas Zephyr was a named passenger train operated by the Colorado & Southern Railway and the Fort Worth & Denver Railway (both subsidiaries of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad). The train was originally designated number 1 southbound, and number 2 northbound.

Inaugurated on August 22, 1940, the streamlined train ran from Denver, Colorado's Union Station to Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, replacing the heavyweight Colorado Special.  At Dallas, the Texas Zephyr connected with the Sam Houston Zephyr and Texas Rocket, both operating on the jointly owned Burlington-Rock Island Railroad for through service to Houston.

Initially, the train was equipped with Budd-built streamlined stainless steel chair cars and an observation dining-lounge car.  Sleeping cars were, however, rebuilt streamlined heavyweight cars.  The train was pulled between Denver and Fort Worth by pairs of General Motors Electro-Motive Division stainless steel E5 diesels.  To allow adequate time for servicing the diesel locomotives in Fort Worth, a FW&D 550 class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive shuttled the train between Fort Worth and Dallas.  It was later replaced by sister E5 diesel locomotives purchased by the C&S from parent CB&Q.

In 1957, the re-equipping of the 1936 Denver Zephyr made those trainsets available, and they were assigned to the Texas Zephyr.  Though older than the original Texas Zephyr equipment, they offered more luxurious amenities.  These consists ran on the Texas Zephyr until February 1965, when they were retired and the original equipment restored to the train, albeit with Pullman pool streamlined cars or sleeping cars from the parent CB&Q.

As a result of it losing its U.S. Mail railway post contract, the Fort Worth & Denver abandoned all passenger service in 1967, the Texas Zephyr making its last run on September 11 of that year.

Major stops
Denver
Colorado Springs
Pueblo
Trinidad
Amarillo
Wichita Falls
Fort Worth
Dallas

References

External links

Burlington Route Historical Society, "The Burlington Zephyrs" (includes map of the various Zephyr routes)
Dallas Railroad Museum, "A Brief History of Railroads in Dallas"
Goen, Steve Allen, Fort Worth and Denver Color Pictorial, Four Ways West Publications, 1996.  .
Goen, Steve Allen, "Zephyr a Star in Wichita's Crown", 1999 newspaper article about the history of the Texas Zephyr, published by the Wichita Falls, Texas, Times Record News
Ken's Weather and Railroad page (photos and timetable of the 1959 Texas Zephyr)
"Southwestern Hospitality", Time August 26, 1940 (article about a railroad controversy affecting the welcoming of the new Texas Zephyr to Texas)
Streamliner Schedules (timetable and consist of the 1941 Texas Zephyr, based on entry in ''Official Guide of the Railways')

Named passenger trains of the United States
Passenger trains of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Passenger rail transportation in Colorado
Passenger rail transportation in New Mexico
Passenger rail transportation in Texas
Railway services introduced in 1940
North American streamliner trains
Night trains of the United States
Railway services discontinued in 1967


Ruben Nikolayevich Simonov ( (2 April 1899, Moscow, Russian Empire – 5 December 1968, Moscow, Soviet Union) was a Soviet and Russian actor, theater director and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1946).

Simonov was born in a family of Russian Armenians. Graduating from the Moscow State University, he then became an actor, starting his career at the Armenian drama studio in the Armenian House of Culture. In 1939 he became director of the Vakhtangov Theatre. He also led the Armenian and Uzbek theaters of Moscow.

Selected filmography
 Admiral Nakhimov (1947)
 The Fall of Berlin (1950)
The Gadfly (1955)

References

External links

Hollywood Upclose

Simonovs bio (in Russian)

1899 births
1968 deaths
Honored Artists of the RSFSR
People's Artists of the RSFSR
People's Artists of the USSR
Recipients of the Lenin Prize
Recipients of the Stalin Prize
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Modernist theatre
Soviet theatre directors
Russian people of Armenian descent
Soviet male actors


S48 may refer to:

Aviation
 Blériot-SPAD S.48, a French biplane airliner
 Country Squire Airpark in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States
 SABCA S-48, a Belgian aircraft
 Sikorsky S-48, an American helicopter

Other uses
 S48 (New York City bus) serving Staten Island
 County Route S48 (Bergen County, New Jersey)
 , a submarine of the Royal Navy
 S48: Keep wet with ... (appropriate material to be specified by the manufacturer), a safety phrase
 , a submarine of the United States Navy


Abzal Rakimgaliev (born 25 May 1992) is a Kazakhstani figure skater. He is the 2007 Kazakhstani national champion and has won seven senior international medals. He competed at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where he placed 26th, and at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, where he placed 22nd.

Programs

Competitive highlights
CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

References

External links

 Abzal Rakimgaliev at Tracings.net

Kazakhstani male single skaters
Sportspeople from Almaty
1992 births
Living people
Figure skaters at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Olympic figure skaters for Kazakhstan
Figure skaters at the 2011 Asian Winter Games
Figure skaters at the 2017 Asian Winter Games
Asian Games competitors for Kazakhstan
Competitors at the 2015 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 2013 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 2017 Winter Universiade


Leroy Harris may refer to:

Leroy Harris (offensive lineman) (born 1984), American football offensive lineman
Leroy Harris (running back) (born 1954), former American football running back
Leroy Harris, Sr. (died 1969), American jazz musician
Leroy Harris, Jr. (1916-2005), American jazz musician


Durleigh is a village and civil parish on the outskirts of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. According to the 2011 Census, it had a population of 548. Its nearest town is Bridgwater, which lies approximately  north-east from the village.

The village lies on Durleigh brook, a tributary of the River Parrett, which was dammed in 1938 to form Durleigh reservoir.

History

The name Durleigh means wood frequented by deer.

Durleigh was part of the hundred of Andersfield.

West Bower Manor (also known as Durleigh Manor) is all that remains of a large manorial property, the majority of which has been demolished. Parts of the building date from the 15th century though the core of the fabric may even be earlier, further parts were built in the 17th and 19th centuries. It was the seat of the historical estate of "West Bower" (Bower Delamere) once held by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, the brother of Jane Seymour, Henry the VIII's Queen.

Eight people from the parish were accused of complicity in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

For local government purposes, since 1 April 2023, the village comes under the unitary authority of Somerset Council. Prior to this, it was part of the non-metropolitan district of Sedgemoor, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Bridgwater Rural District.

It is also part of the Bridgwater and West Somerset county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election, and was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected seven MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Religious sites

Durleigh Church dates from the 11th century but was substantially rebuilt in the late 19th century. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.

References

External links

Villages in Sedgemoor
Somerset Levels
Civil parishes in Somerset


Patrick Lyons (6 January 1903 – 13 August 1967) was an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand (1944–1950), Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (1950–1957) and fourth Bishop of Sale, Victoria, Australia (1957–1967).

Early life
Patrick Francis Lyons was born in North Melbourne, as the second child of Patrick Joseph Lyons and his Irish-born wife Catherine Cecilia McMahon. He studied at St Mary's Primary School, West Melbourne and later at St. Joseph's CBC North Melbourne, run by the Christian Brothers, where he attained his Leaving Certificate. After matriculating from St Kevin's College, Melbourne he became a clerk in the Department of the Navy in 1918. He resigned four years later to pursue an ecclesiastical career. He attended St. Columba's College, St. Patrick's College, Melbourne and then entered the Pontifical Urbaniana University in 1923.

Priesthood
Lyons was ordained to the priesthood in Rome by Willem Cardinal van Rossum, CSSR, on his twenty-fourth birthday, 6 January 1927. After obtaining his doctorate in divinity in June of that same year, Lyons returned to Australia and then did pastoral work in Collingwood, Geelong, and Brunswick before joining the staff of St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1935. In 1938, he became administrator of the cathedral, archdiocesan chancellor, and private secretary to Archbishop Mannix. Lyons was named vicar general of Melbourne in 1939. During that same year, he established St. Patrick's Boys' Choir and choir school, incorporating members of the Vienna Boys' Choir displaced following the outbreak of World War II. In 1940, he was appointed cavaliere della Corona d'Italia in recognition of his services to the Italian community in Victoria.

Bishop of Christchurch

On 16 March 1944, Lyons was appointed the third Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand, by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 2 July from Archbishop Mannix, with Bishop Hugh O'Neill (Coadjutor Bishop of Dunedin) and Archbishop Matthew Beovich of Adelaide serving as co-consecrators, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. Lyons was then enthroned on 6 August 1944. Lyons was Bishop of Christchurch for six years. One notable achievement during that time was the founding of Holy Name Seminary in Christchurch. The establishment of this seminary, and the invitation to the Jesuits to staff it, was largely on the initiative of Lyons (with the important support of Bishop Liston of Auckland). Lyons also purchased the land in West Christchurch for St Thomas of Canterbury College (which was built some years later) and invited the Christian Brothers to staff it.

Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
Lyons returned to Australia upon being named Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney and Titular Bishop of Cabasa on 5 April 1950. He served as the episcopal leader of the Catholic Social Studies Movement in Sydney until 1954, during which time he incurred heavy resentment for dismissing Fr. Patrick Ryan, CSSM, as chaplain.

Bishop of Sale
Lyons was made Coadjutor Bishop of Sale on 11 October 1956, and in 1957 succeeded Richard Ryan, CM, as the fourth Bishop of Sale on 16 June 1957. During his tenure, Lyons oversaw the expansion of his diocese, adding several new parishes. Considered conservative, authoritarian and aloof, he attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 and remained cautious towards the implementation of the council's reforms.

Death
The Bishop died from cancer in East Melbourne, aged 64, and was interred in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sale.

References

External links
Catholic-Hierarchy
Australian Dictionary of Biography

1903 births
1967 deaths
Pontifical Urban University alumni
Australian people of Irish descent
Roman Catholic bishops of Christchurch
Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state)
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Religious leaders from Melbourne
Roman Catholic bishops of Sale
Burials in Victoria (state)
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in New Zealand
Roman Catholic bishops of Sydney
People from North Melbourne
People educated at St Kevin's College, Melbourne
People educated at St Joseph's College, Melbourne


Flett is a surname, and may refer to:

 Andy Flett (born 1971), singer, songwriter and musician
 Bill Flett (1943–1999), professional hockey player
 Dave Flett (born c. 1950), British rock guitarist
 George Flett (1817–1897), Presbyterian missionary in northern Canada
 Jack Flett (1871–1932), Canadian lacrosse player
 John Smith Flett (1869–1947), Scottish geologist
 Keith Flett (born 1956), socialist historian
 Steve Flett (born 1972), singer, songwriter and musician
 Thomas Muirhead Flett (1923–1976), English mathematician
 Una Flett (1939–2021), Scottish writer and ballerina
 William H. Flett (1856–1911), American politician
 Winona Flett (1884–1922), Canadian suffragist and social reformer

See also
 Flett Glacier


Diversified Communications is a multimedia company, headquartered in Portland, Maine.  The company provides market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products and publications.

History
Diversified was founded in 1949 when Horace A. Hildreth, the former governor of Maine, president of Bucknell University and U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, purchased Community Broadcasting Service, owner of Maine's oldest radio station, WABI in Bangor. In 1953, he launched Maine's first TV station, WABI-TV in Bangor.

In 1970, Diversified entered the publishing and trade show business with the acquisition of National Fisherman and FISH EXPO Boston. In 1972, it formed New England Cablevision which it sold in 2000. The company was also the original owner of Home Theater Network, until Westinghouse Broadcasting bought out a majority stake in the company in 1980.

Throughout the 1980s, Diversified expanded its publishing and trade show business with products in the commercial marine and seafood industries. In 1993, it expanded internationally with the European Seafood Exposition. Diversified continued its international growth with the acquisition of Australia Exhibition Services in 2000, the formation of DBC Canada and the acquisition of UK-based Full Moon Communications in 2002. In 2004 it began to co-produce Kosherfest, a two-day trade show for the kosher-certified until it was discontinued after its last show in 2022. In 2009, Diversified expanded into Hong Kong with the acquisition of Asia Business Events and established a presence in India with the acquisition of Infocast.

On July 15, 2014, the contracts that Diversified Communications had with Dish Network expired. Among the issues Diversified cited included financial terms, customer service issues between the station and Dish Network, and, in Bangor, viewership changes on Dish's part in several counties to another CBS station on account of DMA location (including WGME in the Portland area). After a breakdown on contract talks, which picked up slowly, an agreement was reached on October 8, 2014, allowing both stations to return to Dish Network later that day.

On February 16, 2017, it was announced that WABI-TV and sister station WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida would be sold to Gray Television for $85 million, pending FCC approval. It will make WCJB a sister station to WCTV (Gray Television's then-flagship station) in Tallahassee and WJHG-TV and WECP-LD in Panama City, while reuniting WABI-TV with WAGM-TV (which Gray acquired two years prior) in Presque Isle, Maine. The sale was completed on May 1, 2017.

Properties

Today, Diversified operates trade fairs on four continents, produces trade publications, and owns several digital businesses. SPAR Point Group, which focuses on the 3D imaging technologies sector, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Diversified.

Former stations
Stations arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.
 (**) – Indicates a station built and signed on by Community Broadcasting Service/Diversified Communications.

Television

Radio

Notes

References

External links
 Diversified Communications

Mass media companies established in 1949
1949 establishments in Maine
2002 mergers and acquisitions
2009 mergers and acquisitions
2017 mergers and acquisitions
Companies based in Portland, Maine
Mass media in Portland, Maine
Gray Television