Stephen King's Desperation is a 2006 American made-for-TV horror film based on Stephen King's 1996 novel of the same name. King himself wrote the teleplay. The film was directed by frequent King collaborator Mick Garris and stars Ron Perlman, Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber and Annabeth Gish.

Plot
In the Nevada desert, a couple, Peter and Mary Jackson, are driving just as a sheriff, Collie Entragian, stops them. He soon learns they possess marijuana, though Entragian may have planted it. He takes them to jail. After entering the police station, they see a little girl dead on the floor, and Entragian shoots and kills Peter. Mary is thrown in a jail cell along with a young boy, David Carver, his parents, Ralph and Ellen, and an old man, Tom Billingsley. The little girl is the Carver's daughter, named Pie. In the meantime, in the police station, David kneels and prays to God, his practice since a drunk driver struck his best friend, Brian.

Meanwhile, Steve Ames is in his truck, following famous author Johnny Marinville. Ames is Marinville's assistant. Steve soon picks up a young female hitchhiker named Cynthia Smith. Johnny stops in the desert to urinate just as Entragian shows up behind him and plants the same bag of marijuana he got from Peter and Mary in Johnny's motorcycle bag and arrests him.

Back in the Police Station, his mother, Ellen, asks David why he kept on praying. David revealed that he prays because God made "his" presence known to him by miraculously saving his friend Brian from the brink of death. He then recollects that a drunk driver hit Brian when he and Brian were riding a bike. David immediately began praying to God, offering to sacrifice anything and to do whatever was asked of him so that his friend be saved. At that point, Brian miraculously regained consciousness. The doctor at the hospital described Brian's recovery as "miraculous."

Later, David realizes Entragian's skin is breaking out, and he keeps saying "Tak" because he is possessed. Entragian then takes Ellen so he can shift his spirit into her body. He leaves his vicious dog to guard the cells. Pie's ghost appears and gives David a bar of soap which glows green. David scrubs his body with the soap and, while the dog is distracted, slips through the bars of the jail cell and escapes the holding area. David searches the police station and finds a gun on the corpse of another sheriff. He returns and shoots the guard dog, freeing everyone.

Meanwhile, Steve drives up to where Entragian captured Johnny. He and Cynthia find Johnny's motorcycle hidden behind dry bushes. Cynthia and Steve later search the town, finding all the residents dead. They both meet up with other escaped prisoners from the jail that night. They gather at a disused theater, and Tom tells a story that took place 120 years ago when Chinese workers digging in a local mine known as 'The China Pit' discovered an evil spirit named "Tak." The now-possessed Ellen sends in a mountain lion, killing Tom. Ellen then takes Mary so that Tak can have a new body.

David sees Pie's ghost in the theater again. She leads him to the movie editing machine, where old footage (apparently supernatural/visionary) reveals the truth of how Tak came to the town. Mary wakes up to find herself trapped in a shed, surrounded by rattlesnakes, scorpions, and tarantulas, waiting to be the next host for Tak. With the help of Pie, she manages to escape while seriously injuring Ellen's body. Tak is forced to take over the body of a buzzard.

Johnny later confesses that 40 years ago in Vietnam, he saw a guy possessed by Tak blow up the bathroom of a bar, killing 87 people. Johnny still feels guilty that he did not warn any of the patrons before fleeing the bar. The group decides to return to the cave with some explosives they found to put an end to Tak. At the entrance, the buzzard comes out and kills Ralph. In order to redeem himself, Johnny goes into the mine and falls in a hole leading to a pit where Tak is. Johnny ignites the explosives, blowing up the mine and giving up his life, while the rest of the survivors drive away in Steve's truck.

Along the route driving away from the town, they pass by the empty RV vehicle owned by David's family and Peter's sister's car. Mary tells Steve to stop the truck to retrieve an overnight case from the car. In the back seat, Mary finds a photo album belonging to David with a frontispiece picture of Johnny and Pie together, which Steve identifies as being signed by Johnny.

Cast
 Tom Skerritt as Johnny Marinville, a famous author who was in Vietnam when he was young
 Tom Parker as Young Johnny
 Ron Perlman as Collie Entragian, the sheriff of the town of Desperation, already possessed by Tak at the start of the movie
 Steven Weber as Steve Ames, a man who works for Johnny
 Annabeth Gish as Mary Jackson, Peter's wife
 Charles Durning as Tom Billingsley, an old veterinarian who lives in the town
 Shane Haboucha as David Carver, a boy who talks to God
 Matt Frewer as Ralph Carver, David's father
 Kelly Overton as Cynthia Smith, female hitchhiker
 Henry Thomas as Peter Jackson, Mary's husband
 Sylvia Kelegian as Ellen Carver, David's mother
 Sammi Hanratty as Pie Carver, David's deceased sister
 Ewan Chung as Shih, Chinese miner, brother to Cha'an
 Alain Uy as Cha'an, Chinese miner, brother to Shih
 Trieu Tran as Young Viet Cong

Production
The film was produced in 2004, though it was not released until 2006. Filming primarily took place in Bisbee, Arizona, in the nearly deserted Lowell borough, with other sequences in Old Bisbee, the outskirts of Bisbee and Tucson, Arizona. During filming, a set in the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) caught fire. Five people were injured. The fire destroyed everything on the set, including all production gear and equipment, and the TCC was heavily damaged.

Release and reception
The film was first broadcast in the United States on May 23, 2006, followed by its DVD release in the United States on August 29 of the same year. The film received moderately favourable reviews, including a 46 rating from Metacritic. Though originally intended as a two-part miniseries, Desperation aired in its entirety on May 23, 2006, on ABC, after a red-carpet premiere screening at Tucson's historic Fox Theatre (built in 1929). ABC aired Desperation at the same time as Fox's American Idol, an action that King himself was upset with; thus, it did not do that well in the ratings with only 7.5 million viewers.

References

External links

2006 horror films
2006 television films
Films based on works by Stephen King
Films set in Nevada
Films shot in Arizona
Films with screenplays by Stephen King
Television shows based on works by Stephen King
2006 films
Films based on American horror novels
American horror television films
American drama television films
American thriller television films
American fantasy television films
Films directed by Mick Garris
2000s American films


The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) is a philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921. The Roll consists of five pieces of parchment to which the signatories add their names.

Selection of the signatories
Those who have assisted the development of philately through their research, expertise or giving their time can be candidates to sign the Roll if they are sponsored by one of the existing signatories. The following four years, the candidate is examined once a year with the other current ones by a Board of election.

The ceremony of signature of the Roll happens at the annual Philatelic Congress of Great Britain. Under the Congress' rules, the signatories can talk and vote during the Congress.

Forty-two philatelists were honoured posthumously on the first page of the Roll as "Fathers of Philately".

Four other names were added in the 1950s at the bottom of the first page. In 1951, Edward R. Woodward (died 1931) and J. Stanley Telfer (died 1938) were honoured by the Board of election because they were two important philatelists and member of the Board. In 1956, because the Board was sure they would have been called to sign the Roll if they would have lived longer, United States citizen Clarence W. Hennan and A. Tort Nicolau of Spain were added too.

History of the Roll
On 30 October 1919, Percy C. Bishop, a member of the London Stamp Club, proposed the institution of an "Philatelic Order of Merit" to honour philatelic writers. This order would be given more importance than existing philatelic prizes and would have an international importance. In late 1919, F. H. Vallencey, president of the club, presented the idea to the readers of his Stamp Collecting paper. In March 1920, a jury of five published a list of twenty-five names who the jury selected from the ninety-one names sent by the readers and British associations.

However, to gain official recognition, the London Stamp Club let the associative members of the 1920 Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in Newcastle upon Tyne decide the future of Bishop's idea. A sub-committee was constituted to find a new name and write rules of the award.

At the 1921 Congress in Harrogate, the "Roll of Distinguished Philatelists" was created without any discussion. The subcommittee has already got the signature of King and philatelist George V on the printed parchment, the twenty-four of the selected by the first jury and fifteen other philatelists were already invited to sign the Roll on the last day of the Congress.

Starting in 1922, the selection of the signatories was annual except between the Congresses of 1940 and 1946 because of World War II.

The "fathers of philately"
The names of forty-two deceased philatelists are printed on the Roll page that was signed between 1921 and 1935. They were placed in the ribbons that ornate the two columns on each side of the page. They were included as "fathers of philately".

 James H. Abbott (1851–1914, United Kingdom), pioneer of the overprint collection.
 Sir William Beilby Avery (1854–1908, United Kingdom), director of W & T Avery Ltd., great collector.
 François Georges Oscar Berger-Levrault (1823–1906, France), printer and collector, author of the first stamp catalogue in 1862.
 Friedrich Andreas Breitfuss (1851–1911, Russia), one of the collectors of essays and proofs.
 Mount Brown (1837–1919, United Kingdom), author of a stamp catalogue between 1862 and 1864.
 Maitland Burnett (1844–1918, United Kingdom), editor of The Philatelic Record.
 Gustave (1848–1894) and Martial Caillebotte (1853–1910, France), artists and stamp collectors.
 Marcellus Purnell Castle (1849–1917, United Kingdom), President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1913 to 1917, editor of The London Philatelist.
 Daniel Cooper (1821–1902, United Kingdom), first President of the Philatelic Society, London from 1869 to 1878.
 Henry J. Crocker (1861–1912, United States), great collector.
 J. A. Dunbar-Dunbar (1849–1905, United Kingdom), a Scottish reverend, his Australian collection went to the Museum of Science and Art in Edinburgh.
 Henry J. Duveen (born in the Netherlands), important collector.
 Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900, United Kingdom), King George V's uncle, Honorary President of the Philatelic Society, London of 1890 to 1900.
 Philip la Renotiere von Ferrary (c. 1859 – 1917, Austria), rich buyer of stamps and stationery from many countries.
 Douglas Garth (15 May 1852 – 6 January 1900 United Kingdom), Honorary Secretary of the Philatelic Society, London from 1888 to 1894, collector of India.
 John Edward Gray (1800–1875, United Kingdom), zoologist at the British Museum, author of A Hand Catalogue for the Use of Collectors.
 Gilbert Harrison (1858–1894, United Kingdom), specialist of Afghanistan and Portuguese India.
 Leslie Leopold Rudolph Hausburg (1872–1917, United Kingdom), Honorary Secretary of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1913 to 1917, spécialist of plating.
 Andrew Houison (1850–1912, Australia), specialist of the postal history of New South Wales.
 Henry King-Tenison, 8th Earl of Kingston (1848–1896, United Kingdom), President of the Philatelic Society, London from 1892 to 1896.
 Jacques Amable Legrand (1820–1912, France), pioneer of philately in France, inventor of the perforation gauge.
 Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster (1851–1897, United Kingdom), important Irish collector.
 James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913, United Kingdom), President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1910 to 1913, bibliophile, one of the first to include essays and proofs in his collections.
 Pierre Mahé (1833–1913, France), stamp dealer in Paris, in charge of Philipp von Ferrary's collection.
 David Parkes Masson (1857–1915, United Kingdom), specialist of India.
 Arthur Maury (1844–1907, France), stamp dealer in Paris, philatelic author and journalist, editor of Le Collectionneur de timbres-poste.
 Paul Mirabaud (1848–1908, France), specialist of Switzerland.
 Jean-Baptiste Moens (1833–1908, Belgium), stamp dealer in Brussels and philatelic author.
 Edward J. Nankivell (1848–1909, United Kingdom), journalist founder of The Postage Stamp in 1907, collector of China, New Zealand and Transvaal.
 Maria Pardo de Figueroa (1828–1918, Spain), one of the first specialist of postal markings.
 Edward Loines Pemberton (1844–1878, United Kingdom), stamp dealer and philatelic author, founding member of the Philatelic Society, London.
 Frederick Adolphus Philbrick (1835–1910, United Kingdom), founding member of the Philatelic Society, London.
 Dr. José Marcó del Pont (1851–1917, Argentina), specialist of Argentina and Latin America.
 Arthur de Rothschild (1851–1903, Belgium), collector of unused stamps issued between 1860 and 1880.
 Harold Row (1840–1919, United Kingdom),collector of Siam.
 Gordon Smith (1856–1905, United Kingdom), specialist of South Australia and director of Stanley Gibbons.
 Thomas Keay Tapling (1855–1891, United Kingdom), pioneer of stamp collecting.
 John Kerr Tiffany (1842–1897, United States), first President of the American Philatelic Society, specialist of the United States and bibliophile.
 John Alexander Tilleard (1850–1913, United Kingdom), Honorary Secretary of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1894 to 1913, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection from 1910 to 1913.
 Charles William Viner (1812–1906, United Kingdom), already a collector in 1860, writer for philatelic papers, founding member and Honorary Secretary (1871–1874) of the Philatelic Society, London.
 William Amos Scarborough Westoby (1815–1899, United Kingdom), philatelic journalist.
 Hastings Elwin Wright (1861–1897, United Kingdom), collector of British stamps in high quality state.

In 2021, two new names were added to the "fathers of philately" to represent the many German and Austrian philatelists who were omitted due to anti-German feeling when the roll was created immediately after the end of the First World War:
 Otto Moschkau (1848–1912, Germany)
 Victor Suppantschitsch (1838–1919, Austria)

List of signatories

1921
Among the forty first signatories are twenty-four out of the twenty-five proposed by the initial jury in 1920:

 Peter John Anderson (1853–1926, United Kingdom), bibliophile and historian of philatelic literature.
 Dr. Justus Anderssen (1867–1938, Norway), specialist of the stamps of Norway.
 Edward Denny Bacon (1860–1938, United Kingdom), President of the Philatelic Society London from 1917 to 1923, Curator of the Royal Philatelic Collection from 1913 to 1938.
 Arthur Thomas Bate (c. 1850–1922, New Zealand), specialist of the stamps of New Zealand.
 Walter Dorning Beckton (1866–1931, United Kingdom), precursor of the "scientific philately" and of the "Manchester School", President of the Manchester Philatelic Society, of the first Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1909 and of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1929 to 1931.
 Carroll Chase (1878-1960, United States), specialist of the stamps of the United States, President of the American Philatelic Society in 1920 and 1922.
 Emilio Diena (1860–1941, Italy), specialist of the stamps of the Italian States.
 Robert Brisco Earée (1846–1928, United Kingdom), specialist of the forged stamps.
 Edward Benjamin Evans (1846–1922, United Kingdom).
 Louis Hanciau (1835–1924, Belgium), brother-in-law and associate of Jean-Baptiste Moens.
 Harry L. Hayman (1850–1927, United Kingdom).
 Arthur Francis Basset Hull (1862–1945, Australia), specialist of the stamps of the Australian colonies.
 Clifton A. Howes (vers 1860–1936, United States), specialist of North America, the United Kingdom and some Eastern Asian countries, President of the American Philatelic Society from 1915 to 1917.
 William Russell Lane-Joynt (1855–1921, United Kingdom), Honorary Curator of the Duke of Leinster's collection at the Dublin Museum of Science and Art.
 Umejiro Kimura (1869–1927, Japan), specialist of the stamps of Japan, President of Yuraku-kai from 1912 to 1927.
 John Nicholas Luff (United States), founding member of the Collectors Club of New York and President of the American Philatelic Society.
 Charles James Phillips (1863–1940, United Kingdom, then United States), owner of Stanley Gibbons from 1890 to 1922, then a rare stamp dealer in New York.
 Bertram William Henry Poole (1880–1950, United States), philatelic journalist, specialist of Haiti and Latin America, and a stamp dealer after 1916.
 Winter Charles Renouf (1868–1954, India), marcophilelatist specialist of British India.
 William Reynolds Ricketts (1869–1945, United States), bibliophile.
 Axel de Reuterskiöld (Switzerland), specialist of the stamps of Switzerland.
 Charles Esterly Severn (United States), philatelic journalist.
 Emil Tamsen (1861–1957, South Africa), specialist of British Africa.
 Robert Blake Yardley (1858–1943, United Kingdom), President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1931 to 1934.

Chosen by the 1920 jury, the British A. B. Creeke was forgotten by the Philatelic Congress' subcommittee in 1921.

The subcommittee added fifteen philatelists in 1921 with a larger majority of Britons than in the 1920 jury's selection.

 Percy Cooke Bishop (1869–1961, United Kingdom), philatelic journalist and proposer of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelist.
 Lionel William Fulcher (1865–1945, United Kingdom), first organizer of the Royal Philatelic Society London's library whom he was the Honorary Librarian from 1903 to 1928.
 Hugo Griebert (1867–1924, United Kingdom), London stamp dealer and author.
 Thomas William Hall (1861–1937, United Kingdom), President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1923 to 1929.
 David Haworth Hill (1851–1926, Australia), specialist of the stamps of the State of Victoria.
 John Morris Marsden (1857–1939, United Kingdom), specialist of Portugal and its colonies.
 Frederick John Melville (1883–1940, United Kingdom), writer and bibliophile, founder of the Junior Philatelic Society in 1899.
 Francis John Hamilton Scott Napier (1850–1929, United Kingdom), author.
 Charles Lathrop Pack (1857–1937, United States), spécialist, among other topics, of the stamps figuring Queen Victoria.
 Percival Loines Pemberton (1875–1949, United Kingdom), stamp dealer and editor in chief of The Philatelic Journal of Great Britain.
 John Walker (1855–1927, United Kingdom), President, Honorary Librarian and Curator of the forged stamp collection of the Scottish Philatelic Society.
 Arthur John Warren (1847–1930, United Kingdom), specialist of the Netherlands and its colonies.
 Harold William Wescott (United Kingdom), specialist of Gibraltar and foreign offices in Morocco.
 Charles Stewart-Wilson (1864–1950, United Kingdom), specialist of India, Director-General of Indian Posts and Telegraphs.
 Anthony de Worms (1869–1938, United Kingdom), specialist of Ceylon.

Finally, before the day of the first signing ceremony on 6 May 1921, King George V was the first to sign the upper part of the Roll ("George R.I."). He was invited to do so because, when Duke of York, he was President of the Royal Philatelic Society London from 1896 to 1910, and was still a collector and philatelist with the help of the late John Alexander Tilleard and Edward Denny Bacon.

1920s
 Ricardo D'Elicabe (1922)
 Bertram McGowan (1922)
 Herbert Oldfield (1922)
 Nils Strandell (1922)
 Henry Luke White (1922)
 William J. Cochrane (1923)
 Arthur D. Ferguson (1923)
 Benjamin Goodfellow (1923)
 Maurice Langlois (1923)
 Charles Nissen (1923)
 Lawrence Burd (1924)
 Henry Manus (1924)
 William Rundell (1924)
 Abraham Hatfield (1925)
 George Higlett (1925)
 Edward van Weenen (1925)
 John Henry Chapman (1926)
 Paul de Smeth (1926)
 Ernest Floyd (1927)
 Alfred Lichtenstein (1927)
 Percy de Worms (1928)
 Albert Derrick (1928)
 Louis E. Bradbury (1928)
 Thomas Charlton Henry (1929)

1930s
 William Hadlow (1930) Philatelic author and philatelic auctioneer. (1930)<ref name= gsm1930>Gibbons Stamp Monthly, August 1930, p. 209. Stanley Phillips (editor of Gibbons Stamp Monthly) wrote as follows: "As the veteran philatelic auctioneer, now, alas! in poor health, moved to the table to sign the Roll, after an impressive oration by Captain H R Oldfield, I must confess that my eyes were wet, and I do not think I was alone in being thus affected. In honouring Mr Hadlow, the Congress, showed its appreciation of a personality of sterling merit and a lifetime of unselfish service to Philately."</ref>
 Herbert Munk (1931)
 James Benjamin Seymour (1931)
 Heinrich Köhler (1932)
 Friedrich C. Krichauff (1932)
 Louis Meinertzhagen (1932)
 Hiram Edmund Deats (1933)
 Frank Jukes Peplow (1933)
 Alexander Joseph Sefi (1933)
 Charles W. Crawford (1934)
 George Ginger (1934)
 Franz Kalckhoff (1934)
 John Morton Evans (1935)
 Jean L. François (1935)
 Frederick Jarrett (1935)
 Alberto Bolaffi (1936)
 Raymond J. Collins (1936)
 Cyril S. Morton (1936)
 Theodore Champion (1937)
 Frederick S. Phillips (1937)
 James R. Purves (1937)
 Samuel Chapman (1938)
 Winifred Penn-Gaskell (1938)
 Guy de Fayolle (1939)
 Denys R. Martin (1939)

 1940s
 Bernhard Grant (1940)
 Nicholas Waterhouse (1940)
 Herbert C. Adams (1946)
 Lewis Godden (1946)
 James C. Mursell (1946)
 James Alexander Calder (1947)
 Hugh M. Clark (1947)
 André de Cock (1947)
 Adrian E. Hopkins (1947)
 Henri Kastler (1947)
 H. L. Lindquist (1947)
 Eric W. Mann (1947)
 William Milnes Marsden (1947)
 James Starr (1947)
 Theodore Steinway (1947)
 Aimé Brun (1948)
 Samuel Graveson (1948)
 Henry R. Harmer (1948)
 Harvey Pirie (1948)
 William Byam (1949)
 Etienne Corbisier de Meaultsart (1949)
 Robert Heaton-Rhodes (1949)
 José Joaquim Moniz de Aragão (1949)
 John K. Sidebottom (1949)

 1950s
 Stanley B. Ashbrook (1950) (United States), writer of standard books and many articles on early U.S.A. issues.
 H.W. Bessemer (1950) (United Kingdom), outstanding research on the stamps of France.
 Ibrahim Chaftar Bey (1950) (Egypt) President of the Club Philatélique d'Egypte, student of early Egyptian stamps.
 Walter H.C. Bromfield (1950) (Australia), President of the Philatelic Society of Western Australia for twenty-one years, intensive research on Western Australian stamps.
 Lester George Brookman (1950) (United States), editor for many years of the American Philatelist, writer of books on the 19th-century issues of the U.S.A.
 Pierre Morel d'Arleux (1950) (France), Honorary Secretary of the Académie de Philatélie, chief organizer of the Citex (Paris) Exhibition, writer on the stamps of France.
 R.W.T. Lees-Jones (1950) (United Kingdom), student and writer on Canadian stamps.
 J. Schmidt-Andersen (1950) (Denmark), Father of Danish philately, wrote extensively on the stamps of Denmark, published the plating of all four plates of Denmark No 1.
 Abraham Odfjell (1951)
 Raymond Riesco (1951)
 Malden Studd (1951)
 John Telfer (1951)
 Gerald Wellburn (1951)
 Edward Robert Woodward (1951)
 Gilbert William Collett (1952) Honorary Treasurer of the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain from 1933 to 1952, played a considerable part in the preparation of the Jamaica Philatelic Society's Handbook.
 Adrian Albert Jurgens (1952) Leading specialist of the stamps and postal history of South Africa, founder of the Philatelic Congress of South Africa.
 Andrew Mackenzie-Low(1952) Leading specialist of the stamps of Egypt, formed a very fine collection which was sold eventually to H.M. King Fuad of Egypt.
 Alfred H. Caspary (1953) (US) One of the greatest philatelists in the world, owner of notable collections of classic stamps.
 Georges Fulpius (1953) (Switzerland) Particularly interested in the stamps of Switzerland and Greece, served on juries at international philatelic exhibitions.
 H. R. Holmes (1953) (UK) Editor of the London Philatelist, member of the Royal Philatelic Society Expert Committee, wrote many articles.
 Carlos Trincão (1953) (Portugal) Formed a very fine collections of Portugal and Colonies, won gold medals at international exhibitions, Chairman of the Lisbon Centenary Philatelic Exhibition.
 Gordon Ward (1953) (UK) Wrote frequently in the philatelic press.
 Alexander Argyropoulos (1954)
 Leicester Gilbert-Lodge (1954)
Harry Osborne (1954) (UK), author of several important philatelic books. Awarded Grand Gold Medal for his Great Britain at London International Exhibition 1950.
 Walter Wolff de Beer (1954)
 Kenneth Macdonald Beaumont (1955)
Maurice Burrus (1955) Known for his worldwide collection, considered one of the greatest ever formed.
 Guy Crouch (1955)
 Gunnar Hagemann (1955)
 Louise Boyd Dale (1956)
 John Campbell Cartwright (1956)
 Mario Diena (1956)
 Clarence W. Hennan (1956)
 John Ireland (1956)
 A. Tort Nicolau (1956)
 Leon Dubus (1957)
 Max G. Johl (1957)
 Georg Menzinsky (1957)
 Sydney R. Turner (1957)
 Orhan Brandt (1958)
 William Gerrish (1958)
 Alec Kaplan (1958)
 Douglas B. Armstrong (1959)
 Winthrop Smillie Boggs (1959)
 Eduardo Cohen (1959)
 Ernest Hunt (1959)
 Campbell Walter Watts (1959)

 1960s
 James Alfred Birch (1960)
 John Easton (1960)
 Jan Poulie (1960)
 L. E. Dawson (1961)
 Leo Linder (1961)
 Alan W. Robertson (1961)
 Maurice Blake (1962)
 Pieter Korteweg (1962)
 Reginald Urwick (1962)
 George E. Burghard (1963)
 Vincent Graves Greene (1963)
 Joseph Schatzkés (1963)
 John Robert Boker, Jr. (1964)
 Josua Bühler (1964)
 Svend Grønlund (1964)
 Mohamed Dadkah (1965)
 Ronald A. Lee (1965)
 Cornelius Wendell Wickersham (1965)
 Mirosław Bojanowicz (1966)
 Henry M. Goodkind (1966)
 Charles Jewell (1966)
 Robert Wortley (1966)
 Álvaro Bonilla Lara (1967)
 Pierre Langlois (1967)
 William E. Lea (1967)
 Herbert J. Bloch (1968)
 Francis J. Field (1968)
 Michel Liphschutz (1968)
 Dr. Achille Rivolta (1968)
 Bernard Leslie Barker (1969)
 Hugh M. Campbell (1969)
 Cyril Harmer (1969)
 John Francis Rider (1969)
 William A. Townsend (1969)

 1970s
 Robert Delapierre (1970)
 Doris M. Green (1970)
 H. D. S. Haverbeck (1970)
 Benjamin Rogers-Tillstone (1970)
 John Henry Gilbert (1971)
 Soichi Ichida (1971)
 Marcel Stanley (1971)
 Jean Winkler (1971)
 Lucien Berthelot (1972)
 Einar Caroe (1972)
 Jules Crustin (1972)
 John Marriott (1972)
 Ilia Braunstein (1973)
 Alfred J. Hubbard (1973)
 Charles F. Rousseau (1973)
 Adriaan A. van der Willigen (1973)
 Dr. Jacques Fromaigeat (1974)
 Patrick C. Pearson (1974)
 Raymond Salles (1974)
 George South (1974)
 A. Ronald Butler (1975)
 Ernest A. Kehr (1975)
 Jules Plancquaert (1975)
 Bengt Zimmerman (1975)
 John Gartner (1976)
 Max Guggenheim (1976)
 Sybil Morgan (1976)
 Karl Kurt Wolter (1976)
 Enzo Diena (1977)
 Donnar Dromberg (1977)
 Derek Palmer (1977)
 Sigurd Ringström (1977)
 Tomas Bjäringer (1978)
 Kenneth J. McNaught (1978)
 Mick Michael (1978)
 Philip Silver (1978)
 George Townsend Turner (1978)
 Hans Hunziker (1979)
 John Henry Levett (1979)
 James J. Matejka Jr. (1979)
 John L. Messenger (1979)

 1980s
 Stig Andersen (1980)
 Tevfik Kuyas (1980)
 Kenneth Pennycuick (1980)
 Gary Sidney Ryan (1980)
 Arthur Salm (1980)
 Horst Aisslinger (1981)
 Guilio Bolaffi (1981)
 James DeVoss (1981)
 Harold W. Fisher (1981)
 Hermann Branz (1982)
 Bernard A. Hennig (1982)
 Max Hertsch (1983)
 Alan K. Huggins (1983)
 Deoki Jatia (1983)
 Walton Tinsley (1983)
 Anton Jerger (1984)
 Renato Mondolfo (1984)
 Leon Vincent Rapkin (1984)
 Robert Granville Stone (1984)
 Carlrichard Brühl (1985)
 Roberto Rosende (1985)
 Raife Wellsted (1985)
 John A. Fosbery (1986)
 Frederick Sellers (1986)
 Paolo Vollmeier (1986)
 Ray Chapman (1987)
 John O. Griffiths (1987)
 Heinz Jaeger (1987)
 Jacques Stibbe (1987)
 Gerald James Ellott (1988)
 Paul Hilmar Jensen (1988)
 Enrique de Bustamente (1989)
 Prakaipet Indhusophon (1989)
 Roger-Louis Loeuillet (1989)
 Christian Sundman (1989)
 Robert M. Willcocks (1989)

 1990s
 Giuseppe Barcella (1990)
 Ritchie Bodily (1990)
 Jean-Paul Schroeder (1990)
 Jairo Tamayo (1990)
 Alma Lee (1991)
 Robert P. Odenweller (1991)
 Charles J. Peterson (1991)
 Harry Sutherland, QC (1991)
 Alberto Bolaffi (1992)
 Peter Jaffe (1992)
 Seow Chuan Koh (1992)
 Emil Mewes (1992)
 István Gazda (1993)
 Otto Hornung (1993)
 Hiroyuki Kanai (1993)
 Knud Mohr (1993)
 Mary Ann Owens (1993)
 Diljit Singh Virk (1993)
 Don Juan Santa María Álvarez (1994)
 Wolfgang Hellrigl (1994)
 Borje Wallberg (1994)
 Robert Francon (1995)
 Charles Wyndham Goodwyn (1995)
 Francis Kiddle (1995)
 Frantz-Caspar Moldenhauer (1995)
 Kenneth Rowe (1995)
 Norman Hubbard (1996)
 Yoon-Hong Kahn (1996)
 Tay Peng Hian (1996)
 Claude Delbeke (1997)
 Rolf-Dieter Jaretzky (1997)
 Jane Moubray (1997)
 Juhani Olamo (1997)
 Jean Francois Brun (1998)
 Francisco Lemos da Silveira (1998)
 Teddy Dahinden (1998)
 Franceska Rapkin (1998)
 Antonio Bertolaja (1999)
 Joseph Hackmey (1999)

 2000s
 Sven Dahlvig (2000)
 Ladislav Dvoracek (2000)
 Michael Madesker (2000)
 Egil Thomassen (2000)
 John C. West (2000)
 Leo De Clercq (2001)
 Fritz Heimbuchler (2001)
 Boonkrong Indhusophon (2001)
 Yoshio Watanabe (2001)
 Salih Kuyas (2002)
 Zbigniew Mikulski (2002)
 James Van der Linden (2002)
 Pichai Buranasombati (2003)
 Alan Drysdall (2003)
 Christopher Harman (2003)
 Gustaf Torsten Johansson (2003)
 Joseph Wolff (2003)
 Kurt Kimmel-Lampart (2004)
 David Springbett (2004)
 Harry von Hofmann (2004)
 Tore Gjelsvik (2005)
 Barrie Jay (2005)
 George Kramer (2005)
 Jean Storch (2005)
 Jussi Tuori (2005)
 Paolo Bianchi (2006)
 Michele Chauvet (2006)
 Bertil Larsson (2006)
 Roger Schnell (2006)
 Paulo Comelli (2007)
 Ulrich Ferchenbauer (2007)
 Peter P. McCann (2007)
 Edward W.B. "Ted" Proud (2008) Specialist of marcophily, postal rates and military posts of the British Empire ; President of the International Federation of Stamp Dealers Associations.
 Robin M. Startup (2008) Specialist of the postage stamps and postal history of New Zealand.
 Richard F. Winter (2008). Specialist of the postal history of the Northern Atlantic Ocean, President of the United States Classics Society from 1992 to 1996.
 George E. Barker (2009). Specialist in definitive series of France and of some of its African colonies. Born 1930.
 Geoffrey Neil Kellow (2009) author specialist of Australia and its States, bibliophile, organizer of the some Australian philatelic societies' libraries.
 Barbara R. Mueller (2009) Author and editor of many philatelic publications.
 John Sussex (2009)

 2010s
 Kees Adema (2010)
 Hugo Goeggel (2010)
 Wolf Hess (2010)
 Giancarlo Morolli (2010)
 Wade E. Saadi (2010)
 Brian Trotter (2010)
 Gavin Fryer (2011) Expert on Madagascar and mail for the blind.
 Koichi Sato (2011) Expert on Tasmania and Hyderabad.
 Raymond Todd (2011) Expert on postal stationery and airmails.
 James Peter Gough (United States) (2012)
 Robin Gwynn (New Zealand) (2012)
 Patrick Maselis (Belgium) (2012)
 Michael Sefi (United Kingdom) (2012)
 Christopher M.B. King (2014)
 Wolfgang A. Maassen (2014)
 W. Danforth Walker (2014)
 Jørgen Jørgensen (2015)
 James Mazepa (2015)
 Stephen Schumann (2015)
 Frank Walton (2015)
 Roger Brody (2016)
 Lars Engelbrecht (2016)
 Jonas Hällström (2016)
 Stephen Holder (2016)
 Alan Holyoake (2017)
 John Hotchner (2017)
 Colin Tabeart (2017)
 Steven Walske (2017)
 Robert Abensur (2018)
 Gustaf Douglas (2018)
 Cheryl Ganz (2018)
 Geoffrey Lewis (2018)
 Prakob Chirakiti (2019)
 Guy Dutau (2019)
 Hany Salam (2019)
 Alan Warren (2019)

 2020s
 John H. Barwis (2020)
 Yamil H. Kouri Jr. (2020)
 Charles J. G. Verge (2020)
 Dénes Czirók (2021)
 Seija-Riitta Laakso (2021)
 Jose Ramon Moreno (2021)
 Henrik Mouritsen (2021)
 Randolph Neil (2021)
 Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi (2022)
 Reinaldo Estêvão de Macedo (2022)
 Hugh V. Feldman (2022)
 Malcolm Groom (2022)
 Patricia Stilwell Walker (2022)
 See also
Distinguished Philatelist Award
Roll of Distinguished Philatelists of Southern Africa
List of philatelic awards

References

External links
 Background notes on The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists September 2011'', Roll of Distinguished Philatelists Trust, London, 2011. Archived here.
 Presentation of the Roll on ukphilately.org.uk.
 Who Was Who in British Philately, Association of British Philatelic Societies, 2014. Archived here.

Philatelic awards
Awards established in 1921
1921 establishments in the United Kingdom


Maguelone Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral located around  south of Montpellier in the Hérault department of southern France. The building stands on an isthmus between the Étang de l'Arnel lake and the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Lion, which was once the site of the original city of Maguelone, opposite the present-day town of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone.

Maguelone Cathedral was once the episcopal seat of the former Bishop of Maguelone until 1563, when the see was transferred to the newly created Bishopric of Montpellier. The cathedral, constructed when the see was returned here in the 11th century from Substantion by Bishop Arnaud (1030-1060), is a Romanesque fortified building. Although parts, such as the towers, have been demolished, the main body of the building remains functional and is a registered national monument. It is run by a dedicated preservation society, les Compagnons de Maguelone, and is used for both religious and secular purposes.

History

Origins of the diocese
During archaeological excavations in 1967, Roman and Etruscan remains and a number of Visigothic sarcophagi were discovered on this ancient island. The foundations of a church destroyed in the 7th century were also found.

At the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, the Visigoths took over part of the region of Melgueil, the island of Maguelone. Christianity gradually imposed its rule on the area. From 533, a bishopric was established on the island. The first bishops were Boethius (until 589), Genies (or Genesius, 597-633?) and a church-cathedral existed on the island. The bishopric of Maguelone appears in the texts at the end of the 6th century, on an island which was said to have been inhabited in antiquity.

The reasons for the establishment of the bishopric of Maguelone on this island away from the Via Domitia road and far from any urban area (the city of Montpellier did not yet exist) are not clear, but the island location meant that the bishopric was accessible only by sea, offering some protection.  As well as being the episcopal seat, Maguelone was also the seat of Gothic Counts, which ensured the presence of temporal power.

Although Maguelone was well protected on the inland side, its strategic position meant that it was very vulnerable to invasions from the sea; in 673, the Visigoth King Wamba was besieged here during his campaign of reconquest of Narbonne.

Port Saracen
During the 8th century, the power of the Visigoths weakened and eventually the Kingdom of Toledo collapsed, allowing the Saracens in Spain to increase their attacks on Christian states. After the conquest of Catalonia, Saracen armies crossed the Pyrenees in 715 and took control of the whole region of Septimania in 719.

Maguelone, because of its key position, was renamed Port Sarrasin (Port Saracen), probably a fortified place. A harbour was established allowing ships to dock and unload their cargo safely. Today an area called the Sarrazine corresponds to an inlet (Grau in Occitan) which was the site of these constructions. Despite the Muslim invasion, freedom of worship was maintained on the island, its inhabitants being granted the status of dhimmi ("protected person" in Arabic).

In response to the invasion, the Franks began their campaign of reconquest. Following the Battle of Poitiers in 732, the Saracens gradually abandoned the south of France, pursued by Charles Martel. In 737, after Martel's failure to reconquer Septimania, he destroyed the first cathedral at Maguelone which had been converted into a mosque by the Saracens. The architecture of the original building remains unknown.

Since then the site remained virtually abandoned for three centuries, although it seems that Maguelone continued to support a precarious settlement despite the threat of pirates. The bishop of Maguelone moved his seat a few kilometres north-east to the ancient oppidum named Substantion, the site of the present-day municipality of Castelnau-le-Lez, in the County of Melgueil (present-day Mauguio).

11th century revival
From 1030, Arnaud, Bishop of Maguelone from 1029 to 1060, decided to rebuild the cathedral at Maguelone. He adopted a chapter of twelve Canons Regular, after the Rule of St. Augustine. A chapel adjoining the south of the cathedral building is dedicated to St. Augustine, which survives today.

To improve access to the city, which could only be reached by boat, Arnaud built a bridge nearly  in length which stretched from the island to Villeneuve-les-Maguelone, which was placed in the charge of a dignitary of the chapter. He also erected fortifications to protect the site from attacks by Muslims.

Bishop Arnaud and his successors were subject to the suzerainty of the Counts of Melgueil. In 1085 the Counts bequeathed their rights over the diocese to Pope Gregory VII. They received many donations; Maguelone, now the property of the Holy See and a safe haven, was flourishing. Pope Urban II visited the island in 1096, and proclaimed that Maguelone Cathedral was "second only to that of Rome."

12th & 13th centuries: Peak of the Bishopric of Maguelone

With political and ecclesiastical turmoil raging Italy, a number of pontiffs who fled to France found refuge at Maguelone; Pope Gelasius II was given sanctuary here in 1118, as was Pope Alexander III in 1163, who dedicated the newly built high altar when at Maguelone.

The prestige and the increased wealth of the diocese lead to the construction of a new cathedral, replacing the building that dated back to the episcopate of Arnaud. Three bishops led this major undertaking: Bishop Galtier (1104-1129) built the chevet and apse, and the wide fortified transept; Bishop Raymond (1129-1158) continued this work with the construction of the high altar, the episcopal throne and the two towers at the bottom of the transept; and finally, Jean de Montlaur (1161-1190) built the Romanesque nave, calling for the participation of the faithful.

At the beginning of the 13th century, two towers were built to defend the western front, Saint John's Tower and the Bishop's Tower (now partially ruined), ensuring the diocese was securely protected. During the Albigensian Crusade, Maguelone remained a bastion of the papacy: Melgueil County, property of the Count of Toulouse Raymond VI, was put under the rule of Maguelone by Pope Innocent III. The archdeacon of Maguelone at this time was Pierre de Castelnau, the papal legate in Languedoc, whose murder in Saint-Gilles in 1208 triggered hostilities against the Cathars.

Decay and abandonment

The prosperous bishopric of Maguelone aroused the envy of the Kingdoms of France and Aragon. In the 15th century the bishop moved his residence to Montpellier while the canons remained in Maguelone, managed by the provost of the cathedral chapter. The see was abolished in 1536 and the bishop then settled permanently in Montpellier. The canons sold off the monastic buildings, which gradually fell into ruin. The fortified cathedral, now a Protestant stronghold, was partially demolished in 1632 on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. Sections of walls were sold in 1708 for use in the construction of the Canal du Rhône à Sète which connects the nearby Thau lagoon at Sète to the Rhône River.

Sold as national property during the Revolution and classified as a historic monument in 1840, the area of Maguelone was acquired by the historian Frédéric Fabrege in 1852 who began a programme of restoration. He carried out excavations which uncovered the cathedral's rich past, rediscovering the foundations of older buildings. He also planted a number of Mediterranean plant species, the island then being totally denuded of trees. Christian worship returned to the cathedral in 1875. Fabrege's son donated the island to the Diocese of Montpellier in 1949.

Present day

In 1967, an important archaeological project helped to ascertain the age of the site.

A work assistance centre is now based at the cathedral, managed by the Compagnons de Maguelone, which works to promote the reintegration of adults with learning disabilities, continuing the cathedral's mission of hospitality. The centre's activities include agricultural work, aquaculture, fishing, and outsourcing activities.

In 2002, seventeen pale blue and beige-coloured stained-glass windows designed by Robert Morris and produced by Ateliers Duchemin glassmakers were placed in the restored window lights. These designs depict the ripples of a pebble dropped in water.

Today, Maguelone hosts le Festival de musique ancienne de Mauguelone, a music festival that is held annually in June in the cathedral by the Friends of the Festival of Maguelone. This popular event for lovers of early music stages performances of medieval and renaissance music in the magnificent setting of the cathedral, as well as baroque music, romantic music and rare or forgotten works.

Gallery

See also
 Notre-Dame des Tables de Montpellier

Notes

References
 Rouquette, J., and Villemagne, A., 1912: Cartulaire de Maguelone (4 vols)
 Rouquette, J., and Villemagne, A., 1914: Bullaire de l' église de Maguelone (2 vols)

External links

 Catholic Encyclopedia: Montpellier
 Cathédrale de Maguelone: history and images
 Art-Roman.net: Maguelone
 Ministère de Culture: archive photographs
 Images of Maguelone Cathedral
 History of Maguelone Cathedral

11th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in France
Former cathedrals in France
Churches in Hérault
Monuments historiques of Hérault
533 establishments
Fortified church buildings in France


Honoré Mercier may refer to:
 Honoré Mercier (1840–1894), a former Premier of Quebec
 Honoré Mercier, Jr. (1875–1937), a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (son of the above)
 Honoré Mercier III (1908–1988), a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (son and grandson of the above)
 Honoré Mercier Bridge, connecting the Island of Montreal to the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River
 Honoré-Mercier (electoral district), a federal electoral district in Quebec


Herbert Laabs (born 24 October 1950) is an East German sprint canoeist who competed in the early to mid-1970s. He won four medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with a gold (K-4 1000 m: 1974), two silvers (K-2 500 m and K-4 1000 m: both 1975), and two bronzes (K-2 500 m and K-2 1000 m: 1973).

Laabs also competed in the K-4 1000 m event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, but was eliminated in the semifinals.

References

1950 births
Canoeists at the 1972 Summer Olympics
German male canoeists
Living people
Olympic canoeists for East Germany
ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in kayak


The 2008–09 Vodafone A1GP Algarve, Portugal was an A1 Grand Prix race held at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal.

Drivers

Qualifying

† Team utilized Powerboost lap.

Sprint Race

† Switzerland assessed penalty for pitting outside of pit-stop window.

Feature Race
The second pit-stop window was set as Laps 26–34.

† – Ireland were given a 25-second penalty post-race for passing Australia under the safety car.

Notes
 It was the 38th race weekend (76 starts).
 It was the 2nd race in Portugal and the first at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
 It was the first race as main driver for  Vitantonio Liuzzi and  André Lotterer.
 It was the first race weekend as rookie driver for  Vitantonio Liuzzi,  André Lotterer and  Robbie Pecorari.
 A1 Team Italy and  Vitantonio Liuzzi achieved their first pole position.
  Robert Doornbos achieved his first Sprint Race victory.
  Neel Jani's win in the Feature Race was his tenth career victory, surpassing Nico Hülkenberg's record.

References

External links
 Doornbos' Dutch delight
 Sprint race: lap-by-lap
 Sprint race results
 Switzerland's fun in the sun
 Feature race results

A1 Grand Prix Of Nations, Portugal, 2008-09
A1 Grand Prix


The AD43C is a type of mainline 6 axle Co'Co' diesel locomotive designed by Alstom and used by the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI). It was in production from 2000. Delivery started in 2002.

Alstom designated the vehicle with product code Prima DE 43 C AC.

Background
In 1998 GEC Alstom won an order valued at $125 million (later valued at €192 million) for the supply of 100 mixed use locomotives for Islamic Republic of Iran Railways. The first 20 units were to be manufactured at Alstom's factory in Belfort, France, the remainder at Wagon Pars in Iran. After production of an initial batch by Ruston the remaining engines were to be built by DESA in Iran under a technology transfer agreement.

Design
The locomotives are a 6-axle Co'Co' twin cab design, incorporating a RK 215 engine with a power at rail of . After premature failures both in engine and turbocharger RAI has de-rated the engine power gradually up to 2400 Kw.

Three variants were produced, a passenger version with a  top speed and a  axle load, and two freight versions with a  top speed and either a  axle load.,
Only two prototypes of ballasted locomotives had been introduced;as, the ballasts limited the engine room space and higher center of gravity raised concerns, the ballasts were later removed completely. The passenger locomotives were later assigned for freight service because of low reliability and introduction of more reliable ER24PC locomotives.

Current conditions
As of the early of 2016 only a third of AD43C locomotives are in revenue service. These locomotives have undergone substantial modifications since RAI put them into service. Most of the out of service locomotives have been cannibalized for salvaging components to make operation of the in-service locomotives possible. As maintaining of the locomotives in service out-costs their revenue, Iranian railways has decided to retrofit these locomotives with other engines.

See also
 Iranian locomotives
IranRunner

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

Images
RAI locomotives  railfaneurope.net

Alstom Prima diesel locomotives
Diesel-electric locomotives of Iran


Knocky Parker (August 8, 1918, Palmer, Texas – September 3, 1986, Los Angeles, California), born John William Parker, II, was an American jazz pianist. He played primarily ragtime and Dixieland jazz.

A native of Texas, Parker played in the Western swing bands The Wanderers (1935) and the Light Crust Doughboys (1937–39) before serving in the military during World War II.

After the war he worked with Zutty Singleton and Albert Nicholas. He became an English professor at Kentucky Wesleyan College and the University of South Florida. On the side, he played piano with Tony Parenti, Omer Simeon and Doc Evans. He recorded albums for Euphonic, GHB, Jazzology, London, Progressive, Paradox, Audiophile and Texstar. At Audiophile, he was one of the first to record all known ragtime pieces by Scott Joplin, excluding "The Silver Swan", which was not discovered at that point.

In 1984, he was nominated for a Grammy Award with Big Joe Turner for Big Joe Turner with Knocky Parker and His Houserockers.

Discography
In Gay Old New Orleans with Dick Wellstood (Progressive, 1950)
Piano Artistry (Audiophile, 1955)
Old Blues (Audiophile, 1958)
Old Rags (Audiophile, 1958)
The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin (Audiophile, 1960)
The Complete Piano Works of Jelly Roll Morton (Audiophile, 1960)
 The Complete Works of James Scott (Audiophile, 1962)
Golden Treasury of Ragtime (Audiophile, 1970)
 Eight on Eighty Eight (Euphonic, 1977)
Classic Rags and Nostalgia at the Old Town Music Hall (Euphonic, 1978)
From Cakewalk to Ragtime (Jazzology, 1979)
From Ragtime to Ballroom (Jazzology, 1979)
 Knocky Parker and His Cakewalking Jazz Band (GHB, 1981)
 In Gay Old New Orleans with Dick Wellstood (GHB, 1989)
The Complete Piano Works of Jelly Roll Morton (Solo Art, 1994)
The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin (Solo Art, 2002)
 From Cakewalk to Ragtime to Ballroom (Solo Art, 2010)

References

1918 births
1986 deaths
American jazz pianists
American male pianists
20th-century American pianists
Jazz musicians from Texas
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians


Bhanu Bandyopadhyay, also known as Bhanu Banerjee (born as Samyamoy Bandyopadhyay; 26 August 1920 – 4 March 1983), was an Indian actor, known for his work in Bengali cinema. He acted in over 300 movies, in numerous plays and performed frequently on the radio.

Early life
Bhanu Bandyopadhyay was born on 26 August 1920 at Dhaka town, Bengal in a Kulin Brahmin family. His ancestral home was at a village called Panchgaon in Bikrampur, Dhaka Division, present day Bangladesh. Bhanu Banerjee was related to Sabitri Chatterjee through his maternal side. Aghorenath Chattopadhyay was his maternal grandfather's cousin. He studied at Kazi Pagla A. T. Institute, Lohajong, Pogose School and St. Gregory's High School in Dhaka followed by Jagannath College for his B.A.  He then moved to Calcutta in the 1950s. In his initial years Bandyopadhyay worked at the Iron & Steel Control Board.

Political activity

He was associated with the freedom fighter group Anushilan Samity in the Dhaka Dist. He was kept under house arrest for 30 days when he was a teenager as the police suspected him to be involved in seditious activities. After the Quit India movement he joined with the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Later founded the Kranti Shilpi Sangha with writer (later film maker) Salil Sen, staging the latter’s landmark play Natun Yahudi (1951, filmed 1953) about East Bengal refugees for fund-raising on their behalf in Calcutta.

Career
Bandyopadhyay started his acting career as a stand-up comedian in Dhaka. He performed at office parties and then moved on to larger venues. In 1943, he released his first major comic gramophone record Dhakar Gadoane. Its success prompted him to release a new record every year during Durga Puja. He made his big screen debut with Debi Mukherjee and Sumitra Devi starrer Bengali film Abhijog (1947). Bandyopadhyay's breakthrough film role was in Nirmal Dey's Basu Parivar (1952) where he played a Bangal businessman. The next year his role as Kedar in Sharey Chuattor made him rise to fame. His quote in the film Mashima,  malpoa khamu.  (Aunty, I want to eat malpoa) became a popular catchphrase. He went on to act in over 300 movies like Bhrantibilash and Pasher Bari. In most of his films he played comedic roles in which he exaggerated Bengali accents and mannerisms for comic effect. He teamed up with his best friend comedian Jahor Roy for many films like Bhanu Pelo Lottery and the humorous detective story Bhanu Goenda Johar Assistant.  Typically, in the pair's films Bandyopadhyay would take the role of the Bangal and Roy would be the comical Ghoti character (although in real life, both were Bangals). Although chiefly known as a comedian, Bandyopadhyay played serious roles in the film Galpo Holeo Satti , Alor Pipasa , Amrita Kumbher Sandhane ; Nirdharito shilpir onuposthitite , and even negative roles in Baghini (1968 film) and Bijayinee movie. He played the lead roles in Jamalaye Jibanta Manush, Mriter morte Agomon, Sworgo Mortyo, personal assistant, Miss Priyambada and Ashite Ashiona. Later in his career Bandyopadhyay founded his own Jatra group called Mukto Mancha. He produced, directed and acted in his own productions, traveling around the country with the troupe.

Personal life
Bandyopadhyay was married to Nilima Mukhopadhyay, a playback singer. They had three children – Basabi Ghatak (née Bandyopadhyay), Gautam and Pinaki. Earlier the family stayed in Jubilee Park, Tollygunge. Later shifted to 42A, Charu Avenue, Rabindra Sarobar in 1960.

Death and legacy
Bandyopadhyay died of a heart-related illness on 4 March 1983. On 26 August 2011 his film Nirdharito Shilpir Onupasthitite (1959) was released on DVD. His son, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, has confirmed the release which coincided with his father's 91st birth anniversary.

Works

Filmography

Records (Comedy audio clips)

References

External links
 Official website

1920 births
1983 deaths
Male actors in Bengali cinema
Indian stand-up comedians
Bengali male television actors
Indian male radio actors
Actors from Dhaka
Male actors from Kolkata
20th-century Indian male actors
20th-century comedians
Actors from British India
St. Gregory's High School and College alumni
Pogose School alumni


The British Cartoon Archive (BCA) is a department of the University of Kent, at Canterbury in Kent, England, and holds the national collection of political and social-comment cartoons from British newspapers and magazines. Created in 1973, the BCA collection includes 130,000 original drawings by 350 different cartoonists, plus some 90,000 cuttings, and a library of books and magazines. Its website gives free access to its holdings, including a fully searchable catalogue of 200,000 cartoon images.

The archive is located in Templeman Library, and includes a public exhibit gallery.

History
The formation of an academic study centre dedicated to political and social cartoons was first discussed at the University of Kent, in 1972. Interest in the subject had been revived by a successful cartoon exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery two years earlier, entitled "Drawn and Quartered". Dr Graham Thomas, a lecturer in the university's Department of Politics, contacted national newspapers in an effort to locate surviving collections of cartoons, and had found them eager to dispose of the material they held.

The idea of a "Cartoon Study Centre" began to take shape, and the first deposit of three and a quarter tons of cartoons - 20,000 original drawings - soon arrived from Fleet Street. In November 1973, the University of Kent formally established a "Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature". Within ten years the original deposit had grown to a collection of 70,000 original drawings, and by 2009 it stood at 130,000 original drawings, making it by far the largest archive of British cartoon artwork.

In 1988, the BCA began to develop a computer catalogue, and in 1990 it began adding digital images of its cartoons. Some 18,000 catalogued cartoons were released on CD-ROM in 1996, and three years later all 30,000 catalogued images became available through the BCA website. This catalogue now contains over 200,000 images, and with some major collections researchers can see variant images of a cartoon, including the original artwork, pulls from the printing plate, and the final version on newsprint.

References

External links

University of Kent
Art museums and galleries in Kent
Museums in Canterbury
University museums in England
Cartooning museums
Mass media museums in the United Kingdom
Art museums established in 1973
1973 establishments in England


KMFM West Kent is an Independent Local Radio serving the towns of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells plus the surrounding areas of the South East of England. It is the West Kent region of the KMFM radio network (owned by the KM Group), containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.

History
KMFM West Kent launched on 8 July 1995 as KFM, broadcasting on 96.2 and 101.6 FM and owned by Kent and Sussex Radio. As well as West Kent, the station also included parts of East Sussex, such as Crowborough, in its broadcast area. The station was later purchased by DMG Radio and subsequently re-branded to Mercury FM in December 1999. A year later DMG sold their radio assets to GWR who, in 2002, sold the station to the KM Group following a readvertising of the licence. The station was re-branded to KMFM West Kent in September that year.

The station moved its studios and presenters, along with those of KMFM Maidstone, to the KMFM Medway studios in 2008, following Ofcom approval. The sales team are still based at the KM office in Tonbridge.

The KM Group were awarded a four-year extension of the licence, to 7 July 2015, in March 2010.

Like the rest of the KMFM network. the station was relaunched in September 2010 with new jingles, schedule changes and more emphasis on music.

The KMFM network switched to a contemporary hit radio format in 2012 following the merging of KMFM Extra with KMFM. The music now focuses mainly on Top 40 hits, and contains a lot more dance and R&B than before.

Programming
All programming across the KMFM network is now shared across all seven stations following OFCOM approval in February 2012. The local breakfast show, by then the only local show on the station, was replaced by a county-wide show on 12 March 2012.

Until 2007 KMFM West Kent produced its own programmes during daytimes, before it joined up with KMFM Maidstone to network all programmes other than breakfast. The stations joined with KMFM Medway to create a West Kent network in April 2009, before all programmes apart from weekday/Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons were networked across all KMFM stations in September 2009. In July 2010, Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons became networked.

The breakfast show for Maidstone was merged with that of West Kent in January 2011.

News bulletins come from the KMFM News Centre in the Medway studios.  National news bulletins come from Sky News Radio at times. Traffic and travel updates are broadcast.

Presenters

Former presenters
 Tony Blackburn
 Johnny Lewis
 Dave Pearce
 Myma Seldon
 Benedict Smith
 Melanie Sykes

References

External links
 KMFM West Kent

West Kent
Radio stations established in 1995
Radio stations in Kent
Sevenoaks
Tonbridge and Malling
Borough of Tunbridge Wells
Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom


Louis Ángelo Peña (born 25 December 1989 in Mérida, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan footballer who currently plays in Colombia for Boyacá Chicó. He has formerly had stints in Portugal for Braga and Portimonense, as well as a brief spell in the Azerbaijani Premier League.

Career
Peña started his career in 2006 for his first club Estudiantes de Mérida in which he played 52 times and scored 6 goals. On 28 May 2009, he was signed by Portuguese club Braga for an undisclosed fee.

International career
He was called up to the Venezuela U20 squad in 2009 and as well as the senior national team.

References

External links

 SC Braga sign young prospect from Venezuela

1989 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Mérida, Mérida
Venezuelan men's footballers
Venezuela men's international footballers
Estudiantes de Mérida players
Deportivo La Guaira players
S.C. Braga players
Portimonense S.C. players
Caracas FC players
Clube Náutico Capibaribe players
A.C.C.D. Mineros de Guayana players
Deportivo Táchira F.C. players
Zamora FC players
Azerbaijan Premier League players
Shamakhi FK players
Venezuelan expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil
Expatriate men's footballers in Azerbaijan
Men's association football midfielders
Venezuelan expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Venezuelan expatriate sportspeople in Brazil
Venezuelan expatriate sportspeople in Azerbaijan


Westfield La Part-Dieu mall is a major shopping centre inside Lyon-Part-Dieu Business District, in the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon, France. It used to be one of Europe's largest downtown shopping center when it opened on September the 8th, 1975. Located in front of La Part-Dieu train station, it is currently undergoing renovation works, according to a Winy Maas overhaul design.

History

In 2010, its size has been increased of  (25 shops) with a new zone named Cours Oxygène and built at the same time as the Tour Oxygène.

From 2017 to 2020, the complete shopping mall will be in renovation, including the creation of new bigger entrances, the renovation of the outside appearance, and an extension of  on the new west part, which was until 2016 a four-level car park, this new zone of the shopping center will hosts the new relocated UGC cinemas, 40 new shops, and 24 new restaurants in a zone named The Dining Experience.

Gallery

See also
La Part-Dieu

References

Buildings and structures in Lyon
Shopping malls established in 1975
Shopping centres in France
Tourist attractions in Lyon


The Lambton Generating Station was a coal-fuelled power plant located on the St. Clair River near Corunna, Ontario, delivering up to 950 MW of power to the grid. It is owned by Ontario Power Generation.

The plant previously had a total generating capacity of 1,976 MW, prior to the permanent shutdown of generating units 1 and 2 (of four) in October 2010. The remaining units were shut down in September 2013. It was connected to the power grid via numerous 230 kV lines, and also had two interconnections with Detroit Edison and ITC Transmission via a 230 kV line (Lambton-St. Clair #1) and a 345 kV line (Lambton-St. Clair #2). It is located almost exactly across the St. Clair River from Detroit Edison's St. Clair Power Plant in East China, Michigan.

The facility had three  smokestacks, one of which was equipped with flue-gas desulfurization units, commonly called "scrubbers", to remove sulfur oxide.  Emissions from scrubbers at the Lambton station could be seen for over 16 km, although with the scrubbers operating properly, these plumes likely had over 90% less SO2 compared with other coal-fired stations without scrubbers.

On November 22, 2016, it was announced that Ontario Power Generation was no longer looking at alternative uses for Lambton Generating Station, and that the facility would be decommissioned in 2017.
It was definitively closed in 2020. Demolition work is in progress and should last 2 years.

On February 12, 2022, the majority of buildings at Lambton Generating Station, including the three large stacks, were imploded.

Emissions

*Calculated figures for CO2e are rounded to the nearest tonne.

Redevelopment
In 2012, plans were announced to relocate a proposed natural gas-powered generating station, originally intended for construction by Greenfield South Power Corporation in Mississauga, near to Etobicoke's Sherway Gardens, to the Lambton Generating Station site.

Construction in Mississauga had already begun in 2011; the original site selection was cancelled during the October 2011 provincial election with the project becoming a key issue during that campaign and the subsequent 2014 campaign.

See also

 List of electrical generating stations in Ontario
 List of electrical generating stations in Canada
 Science and technology in Canada
 List of tallest smokestacks in Canada

References

Ontario electricity policy
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Power Generation
Coal-fired power stations in Ontario
Buildings and structures in Lambton County
Former coal-fired power stations in Canada


In computer software, FreeON is an experimental, open source (GPL) suite of programs for linear scaling quantum chemistry, formerly known as MondoSCF. It is highly modular, and has been written from scratch for N-scaling SCF theory in Fortran95 and C. Platform independent IO is supported with HDF5. FreeON should compile with most modern Linux distributions. FreeON performs Hartree–Fock, pure density functional, and hybrid HF/DFT calculations (e.g. B3LYP) in a Cartesian-Gaussian LCAO basis. All algorithms are O(N) or O(N lg N) for non-metallic systems. Periodic boundary conditions in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions have been implemented through the Lorentz field (-point), and an internal coordinate geometry optimizer allows full (atom+cell) relaxation using analytic derivatives.  Effective core potentials for energies and forces have been implemented, but Effective Core Potential (ECP) lattice forces do not work yet. Advanced features include O(N) static and dynamic response, as well as time reversible Born Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (MD).

Developers

See also
List of quantum chemistry and solid state physics software

References

Computational chemistry software


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

 Klara Myrén (born 1991), Swedish ice hockey player
 Ronald L. Myren (1937–2003), Canadian artist
 Scott P. Myren (born 1964), American jurist
 Ursula Myrén (born 1966), Swedish judoka

See also
 Myren, community in Munising Township, Michigan
 Myren Formation, geological formation in Norway
 Myrens Verksted, industrial area of Norway


Titus Fulvius Iunius Quietus (died 261) was a Roman usurper.

Quietus (Latin for "calm" or "at rest") may also refer to:

People:
 Lusius Quietus, Roman general and governor
 Titus Avidius Quietus, Roman politician

In popular culture:
 Quietus, a 1940 short sci-fi story by Ross Rocklynne
 Quietus, a 1979 short story by Orson Scott Card
 "Quietus", the name of a mass-drowning ceremony in the 1992 novel The Children of Men
 "Quietus", the name of a suicide kit in the 2006 film adaptation, Children of Men
 Quietus, a spell used in the Harry Potter series of books
 Quietus (album), a 2001 album by the doom metal band Evoken
 Quietus (Silent Reverie), a song from the 2005 album Consign to Oblivion by Epica
 "Quietus", a vampiric discipline from the Assamite clan in the role-playing game Vampire: the Masquerade
 "Quietus", a branch of the organization Contact in Iain M. Bank's fictional universe
 "Quietus", a sword from the 1995 video game Hexen: Beyond Heretic
 "Quietus", the lighthouse planet, is a setting in the comic series Saga (comics)
Other:
 The Quietus, a British online music and pop culture magazine
 Lactarius quietus, a species of mushroom
Dying


KMFM Medway is an Independent Local Radio serving the Medway Towns and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is the Medway region of the KMFM radio network (owned by the KM Group), containing local advertisements and sponsorships for the area amongst a countywide schedule of programming.

History
KMFM Medway launched on 1 September 1997 as Medway FM, broadcasting on 100.4 and 107.9 FM, following a four-year campaign. The station was fined £5,000 during its first year of operation by the Radio Authority after it intentionally adjusted the power of its transmitter on two separate occasions, which was against the terms set out in the licence.

The station was later purchased by DMG Radio in 2000 and subsequently re-branded to Medway's Mercury FM, as the firm wished to brand all its local stations by the same name. A year later DMG sold their radio assets to GWR who, in 2002, sold the station to the Kent Messenger Group following the problem of the group's "station ownership point" as stipulated by the Radio Authority. The station was re-branded to KMFM Medway in September that year.

In 2004, KMFM Medway was relocated from premises on Rochester High Street to Medway House on Medway City Estate in Strood, where it shares an office with the KM-owned Medway Messenger.

Like the rest of the KMFM network, the station was relaunched in September 2010 with new jingles, schedule changes and more emphasis on music.

The KMFM network switched to a contemporary hit radio format in 2012 following the merging of KMFM Extra with KMFM. The music now focuses mainly on Top 40 hits, and contains a lot more dance and R&B than before.

Programming
All programming across the KMFM network is now shared across all seven stations following OFCOM approval in February 2012. The local breakfast show, by then the only local show on the station, was replaced by a county-wide show on 12 March 2012.

Until 2007 KMFM Medway produced its own programmes during daytimes. It joined up with KMFM West Kent and KMFM Maidstone to create a West Kent network in April 2009, before all programmes apart from weekday/Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons were networked across all KMFM stations in September 2009. In July 2010, Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons became networked.

News bulletins come from the KMFM News Centre in the Medway studios on the hour from 6am - 6pm on weekdays, and 8am - 1pm on weekends. National news bulletins come from Sky News Radio outside these times. Traffic and travel updates are broadcast just before the hour, and every 20 minutes between 7am - 9am and 4pm - 7pm.

Presenters

Current presenters
 Emma Adams
 Olivia Jones
 Aaron Matthews
 Ed Matthews
 Ben Pearce
 Emma Scott
 Andy Walker
 Rob Wills
 Garry Wilson

Former presenters
A few former presenters
 Tony Blackburn
 Johnny Lewis
 Dave Pearce
 Myma Seldon
 Benedict Smith
 Melanie Sykes

References

External links
 KMFM Medway

Medway
Radio stations established in 1997
Radio stations in Kent
Medway
Contemporary hit radio stations in the United Kingdom


International asset recovery is any effort by governments to repatriate the proceeds of corruption hidden in foreign jurisdictions. Such assets may include monies in bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, arts and artifacts, and precious metals. As defined under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, asset recovery refers to recovering the proceeds of corruption, rather than broader terms such as asset confiscation or asset forfeiture which refer to recovering the proceeds or instrumentalities of crime in general.

Often used to emphasize the "multi-jurisdictional" or cross-border aspects of a corruption investigation, international asset recovery includes numerous processes such as the tracing, freezing, confiscation, and repatriation of proceeds stored in foreign jurisdictions, thus "making it one of the most complex projects in the field of law". Even considering the difficulties present, Africa specialist Daniel Scher counters that international asset recovery's "potential rewards in developing countries make it a highly attractive undertaking".

Despite domestic legislation in some countries allowing for the confiscation and forfeiture of proceeds of corruption, it is improvements in finance, transportation, and communications technologies in the 20th century that have made it easier for corrupt leaders and other "politically exposed persons" to conceal massive amounts of stolen wealth in offshore financial centers.

By taking advantage of differences in legal systems, the high costs in coordinating investigations, lack of international cooperation, and bank secrecy in some recipient countries, corrupt officials have been able to preserve much of their loot overseas.

Social impact
Recovering stolen assets is important for a variety of reasons. According to the World Bank, the cross-border flow of proceeds from criminal activity, corruption and tax evasion is estimated between US$1–1.6 trillion per year—half of this amount is looted from developing and transition economies. US $20–40 billion of this flow originated in bribes to public officials from developing and transition countries. A 2005 report by the Commission for Africa cites a European Commission estimate that "stolen African assets equivalent to more than half of the continent's external debt are held in foreign banks accounts". As stated by the World Bank in 2004, "corruption is... the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development. Corruption undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends. The harmful effects of corruption are especially severe on the world's poorest, who are most reliant on the provision of public services, and are least capable of paying the extra costs associated with fraud and corruption".

Deterrence to future corruption

Several countries, especially economically deprived nations, have endured the brunt of systemic corruption as their public wealth illegally flowed into bank accounts and properties in developed countries and offshore financial centres. Successful conviction of criminals and/or confiscation of their assets creates a strong deterrent for potential corrupt officials that there is no safe haven for hiding illicit wealth.

Current feasibility

Successes in recent years in recovering billions of dollars of stolen assets has demonstrated that asset recovery is feasible. For example, by 2005 Nigeria had recovered $1.2 billion stolen by former President Sani Abacha by requesting assistance from multiple jurisdictions including Switzerland, Jersey, and Liechtenstein. To recover Nigerian assets, the Swiss government designated the Abacha family a "criminal organization", allowing it to bypass the need for a conviction.

Additionally, asset recovery was recognized as "a fundamental principle" of the UNCAC. The signing and ratification of the UNCAC by over 160 countries is seen as a major step in furthering cooperation between countries to join forces to fight corruption and assist each other in recovering looted assets. Legal precedents, increasing international cooperation, as well as enhanced capacities make asset recovery more possible now than ever.

The asset recovery process

Managing the stages of an asset recovery investigation can be extremely time consuming, complex and requires a great deal of resources, expertise, and political will. First, a victim country must succeed in tracing the stolen assets. Second, the victim country must request cooperation from authorities in the jurisdictions where the assets reside to seize the assets; these requests usually come in the form of a Mutual Legal Assistance request or a letter rogatory, though some common law countries allow the filing of a Mareva injunction in civil courts to achieve the same end. Third, legal processes must usually be initiated in the requested country in order to confiscate the assets. Following this, requested authorities must repatriate the assets back to the requesting country.

Each of the necessary steps—tracing, freezing, confiscation and repatriation—presents its own unique challenges.

Tracing

Determining the existence of assets through an exhaustive financial investigation is the first requirement in any asset recovery case. Assets must be followed not only to their final hiding place, but causality must be established between the asset and the criminal activity. This poses a particular challenge when dealing with developing countries that have a cash-based society where monies often do not flow through the recorded financial system, other techniques must be used.

When assets do go through the financial system, tracing from one account to the next will usually leave an audit trail that can be exploited by financial investigators. As stolen assets are often layered through several different accounts and corporate vehicles, investigators will often benefit from outside information such as seized financial documents and suspicious transaction reports filed with banking regulators and other law enforcement agencies. Given the speed that monies can be transferred in the global financial system, identifying and tracing the bank accounts of the perpetrators is not an easy task, even for a seasoned investigator. A high degree of expertise, resources and cooperation between multiple intelligence and law enforcement agencies is essential for successful tracing.

Though not often, occasionally investigators may come across documentation that leads directly to the stolen assets. For example, investigations seeking to trace Ferdinand Marcos' looted billions were greatly accelerated by finding Marcos' bank records in the former presidential palace. Additionally, suspicious activity reports filed with national financial intelligence units can often uncover connections that can expose cases of grand corruption.

To obtain non-public information in foreign jurisdictions requires the submission of either a "Mutual Legal Assistance" (MLA) request, obtain a disclosure action through a tort claim, or submit a traditional letter rogatory through diplomatic channels. These requests are more likely to be successful when all countries involved have treaties in place, either bilateral or multilateral, to allow for legal cooperation. Notably, the UNCAC purports to provide a legal basis for international cooperation for asset recovery.

Freezing

Once financial investigations have identified assets as being possible proceeds of crime/corruption, freezing those assets becomes critical. However, premature freezing prevents investigators from following the money trail in real time. If alerted, the beneficiaries of targeted assets will most likely try to transfer the assets to make them unreachable. If delayed, there is a risk that the assets may be transferred beyond the investigator's reach. Confidentiality is key at this point. To prevent suspects from moving assets yet to be discovered, courts can place a gag order to prevent banks or officials from informing their clients until a transfer request is made. Recently some banks have also begun proactively cooperating with their national financial intelligence units by requesting consent on suspicious transfers.

In March 2006, a Guernsey branch of Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas refused to transfer funds beneficially controlled by Tommy Suharto and instead froze the funds based on guidance from Guernsey's Financial Services Commission.

Confiscation/forfeiture

Whether by criminal or civil actions, a judgment is essential to transfer legal ownership of assets already frozen back to the requesting country. See Legal Avenues to Obtaining Judgment below.

Repatriation/monitoring
There is no standard procedure for the restitution of illicitly acquired assets, as no two cases are exactly alike. Certain cases involving asset recovery have seen difficulties emerge during the repatriation stage.
While stolen money is unquestionably the sovereign property of the requesting government, enforcing asset recovery requests is often complex and costly. Often there are complex issues around the claims of legitimate third parties, as corrupt proceeds can be mixed with legitimate income.

Additionally, requested countries and the international community as a whole do not want to see repatriated assets embezzled all over again. Although determining the disposal of assets is handled on a case-by-case basis, the World Bank has acted as a neutral third party to ensure that assets are invested into development efforts such as health and education.

Legal mechanisms to obtaining judgment

Determining the tactic by which an asset recovery practitioner can obtain court judgments to freeze, seize, and repatriate assets is also of critical importance. Generally, there are four approaches which can be taken to recover stolen assets.

Criminal confiscation (in personam)

Courts have the authority to confiscate assets that have been identified as the proceeds or instrumentalities of crime. In the context of international asset recovery, using criminal convictions to recover stolen assets is usually only possible when a legal basis exists between states, such as a bi-lateral or multilateral agreement. If no other arrangement is in place, UNCAC signatories may use the Convention itself as a legal basis for enforcing confiscation orders obtained in a foreign criminal court. Specifically, Article 54 Section 1A of the UNCAC provides that:

"Each State Party (will)... take such measures as may be necessary to permit its competent authorities to give effect to an order of confiscation issued by a court of another state party."

Indeed, UNCAC Section 54 2A also provides for the provisional freezing or seizing of property where there are sufficient grounds for taking such actions in advance of a formal request being received. Generally, dual criminality must also exist between the jurisdictions, whereby the predicate offense must be recognized as a crime by both the requested and requesting state.

Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) is vital to this process, although there remain countries that are reluctant to enforce a court order from another jurisdiction without some form of pre-existing treaty. However, MLA requests can generate vital information in the early stages of an investigation in tracing, identifying, and temporarily freezing the accounts linked to corruption.

To be truly effective, international asset recoveries through MLA require strong inter-state cooperation as well as two critical elements—a criminal conviction either in the requesting state or the recipient state, and an enforceable confiscation order.

However, satisfying conditions for international asset recovery using criminal convictions remains problematic. Criminal proceedings usually require that the accused is present before the court, where many wrongdoers may be dead or have fled the country to avoid arrest or prosecution. MLA requests must be detailed and precisely written in the language of the requested state. Additionally, influential and powerful defendants can use their influence to suppress investigations, manipulate witnesses or judges, or hire law firms to create endless adjournments and appeals.

Civil proceedings (in personam)

States have another option to recover stolen assets—civil proceedings. In relation to foreign assets, a State will bring a private action in the civil courts of the foreign jurisdiction where corruptly acquired assets are located. This is the same process that would be used by private citizens or corporate entities with a claim against another, in the context of fraud for example, by a liquidator seeking to recover assets wrongfully diverted from an insolvent company.

This mechanism has been particularly successful in international cases involving public officials where a criminal conviction of corruption is difficult or impossible to obtain. Among the benefits of civil proceedings include a lower burden of proof ("clear and convincing/balance of probabilities" instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt") and the absence of a defendant not preventing progress in the proceedings. Instead, the court is satisfied so long as the defendant has been properly served notice of the proceedings. In the United Kingdom, the High Court held that serving notice to a lawyer acting on behalf of a defendant has also been used when the individual is in hiding.

Additionally, civil courts retain some of the benefits of a criminal action, for example the ability to freeze assets to prevent dispersal, pierce bank secrecy, issue gag orders to third parties to maintain the confidentiality of the investigation, and even order search/seizure actions. Many practitioners have found that effective programs to recover corruptly acquired assets often use a coordinated package of criminal and civil measures to secure and recover assets. Furthermore, where criminal mechanisms can go some way to freeze but not recover assets, civil proceedings may effectively intervene.

Civil procedures against property (in rem)

A third tactic is the use of in rem actions, also known as Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture (NCBF) to recover assets directly. This method takes place in a civil court. An advantage of in rem actions is that it does not require either a civil or criminal conviction against an individual in order to confiscate his/her assets. Instead, guilt is assigned to the property and prosecutors must only prove that the property in question was involved in an illegal activity. Hence, a possible case name for in rem action could be 'United States of America vs. US $100,000 in a Toyota Pickup.' The owner or beneficiary of targeted property must then prove that either that the property was not involved or that he/she provide an innocent owner defense.

In rem asset recovery has been controversial and the fairness of the procedures has been questioned. Prior to 2000 in the United States, for example, the burden of proof was on the property owner to prove that his property was not derived from, or used to commit, a criminal offense, and there was no remedy for "innocent owners" who were without fault concerning the illegal use of their property. Remedial legislation enacted in 2000, however, addressed these concerns and Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture has become a standard part of law enforcement in the U.S., yielding US$1.5b annually in asset recoveries. While encouraged in UNCAC, adapting domestic law to create a legal basis for in rem recoveries is not required of state parties. Examples of in rem legislation can be found in jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Australia, Colombia and Ireland.

Accion civil resarcitoria (civil action)

In civil law jurisdictions, there is a fourth mechanism which is a hybrid between conviction-based and in rem actions. An 'accion civil resarcitoria' is meant to redress victims of criminal offenses and to expedite the process it takes place within the criminal court. Such actions depend on the criminal proceedings in that it cannot be initiated unless there is a concurrent criminal investigation underway. Once the criminal proceedings make it to trial, the accion civil resarcitoria separates in that forfeiture of property is not dependent on a criminal conviction of an individual. Unlike a criminal confiscation or in rem action, a successful 'accion civil resarcitoria' recognizes damages and awards a monetary compensation.

For example, in Switzerland, where foreign States seeking the return of corruptly acquired assets are often permitted to be a civil party to Swiss criminal investigations or proceedings concerning those assets. Such investigations or proceedings may be commenced by an investigating magistrate on receipt of a request for mutual legal assistance. The foreign State will have the ability to access documents on the Court file, to participate in the examination of witnesses, to make submissions to the investigating magistrate, and to seek the repatriation of the assets. This procedure produces an efficient and often effective combination of civil and criminal proceedings.

International frameworks for asset recovery

United Nations Convention against Corruption (2005)

Responding to increasing recognition of the problems caused by public corruption and its devastating effects on the poorest of nations, the international community took a bold step in 2003 by creating and ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

The UNCAC came into force on December 14, 2005, and so far has been ratified by over 130 parties. While the UNCAC is not the first international effort to combat corruption, it is innovative in two respects: it is the first treaty to reference the recovery of stolen assets as a priority in the fight against corruption. Second, the treaty also provides a nearly universal multi-lateral platform for mutual legal assistance in corruption related offenses.

OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (1999)
- A convention signed by 37 countries, this OECD convention requires that bribery of foreign public officials in the context of international business transactions be criminalized. The framework of the Convention is housed in the OECD Secretariat, but country-level compliance is ensured through a rigorous peer-evaluation mechanism which monitors both the legislative framework and implementation in signatory countries under the auspices of the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

More specifically, the OECD Convention requires that bribery of foreign public officials be punishable, by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties comparable to those applicable to their own public officials. It commits Parties to interpret territorial jurisdiction in as broad a manner as possible and to establish nationality jurisdiction if this is in accord with their legal system. Parties are obliged to establish corporate liability (the liability of "legal persons") for foreign bribery, and where a Party's legal system does not provide criminal liability for companies, the Party must apply effective, proportionate and dissuasive non-criminal sanctions to them. Furthermore, countries must facilitate mutual legal assistance and cannot invoke "bank secrecy" to deny mutual legal assistance. While the OECD Convention is important in the sense that it creates the obligation for state parties to criminalize the bribery of foreign public officials, it does not directly consider the recovery of proceeds of corruption.

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2003)
The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized came into force on September 29, 2003, and has been ratified by over 145 countries. The purpose of this Convention is to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively. It is the main international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime. Especially relevant to asset recovery is Article 6 of the Convention, which requires state parties to criminalize the laundering the proceeds of crime, and Article 12, which requires parties to create a legal basis for the confiscation of proceeds of crime.

Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (1997)

The Inter-American Convention Against Corruption (IACAC) was adopted by the member countries of the Organization of American States on 29 March 1996; it came into force on 6 March 1997. The IACAC is distinctive in that it was the first international convention to address the problem of corruption.

Currently, the IACAC is ratified by 33 countries.

'''African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and Related Offences (2003)

In the spirit of complementing UNCAC, 35 African Heads of State and Government met in Maputo, Mozambique in July 2003. According to Honorable. Dauda Kamara, Member of the Pan-African Parliament, a specific regional convention was "considered necessary because Africa, given its currently low-level economic development, needed to adopt specific and well defined measures that will protect its vast resources from any further exploitation by more powerful and developed nations of the world through corrupt practices". The Convention was entered into force on August 5, 2006, after the required minimum of 15 signatories was met. To date, 43 countries have signed the Convention and 29 states have ratified it.

International asset recovery initiatives

There are several organizations that have prioritized asset recovery and created initiatives to enable further international cooperation while bringing the issue to the forefront of political and public discussion. These initiatives also include providing technical assistance, research and capacity development to developing countries.

These organizations include but are not limited to:

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the World Bank (StAR)
International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR)
The International Association for Asset Recovery (IAAR)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Transparency International (TI)
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Center (U4)
UNCAC Conference of States Parties (UNCAC COSP)

Additionally, several regional networks exist to facilitate judicial cooperation between national authorities by enabling direct personal contact and sharing information. These networks include, but are not limited to:
Asset Recovery Interagency Network Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP)
Camden Assets Recovery Interagency Network (CARIN)
Commonwealth Network of Contact Persons
Corruption Hunters Network
European Judicial Network
Hemispheric Information Exchange Network for Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition of the Organization of American States
Ibero-American Legal Assistance Network

Capacity development and training

Asset recovery can be a highly complex field of work, requiring expertise, funds, coordinated action and persistence. [COSP Note on AR] Training and technical assistance are sometimes needed to pursue asset recovery cases, particularly in those countries lacking institutional framework and experience.

Several international and inter-governmental organizations with assistance from development agencies and donor countries have begun addressing this challenge. International organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank's StAR Initiative and the Swiss-based non-governmental organization International Centre for Asset Recovery have been offering training and capacity development.

Several organizations have taken steps to address the lack of easily accessible, comprehensive and practical information on international asset recovery. This lack of information has been identified as a key problem by a number of countries at the first meeting of the UNCAC Open-Ended Working Group on Asset Recovery held in Vienna in August 2007. The ICAR hosts an online learning platform on asset recovery that includes technical publications, news articles, case studies, and individual country laws. Other organizations such as the StAR Initiative have created in-depth handbooks and manuals to assist practitioners. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) offers a free MLA Request Writer Tool. The U4 Help Desk gives practitioners the ability to ask experts any question related to asset recovery/anti-corruption and receive a tailor-made response within 10 working days (or assistance within 48 hours in case of urgency).

Asset recovery case studies

 Sani Abacha
 Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
 Joshua Dariye
 Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier
 Pavlo Lazarenko
 Ao Man Long
 Ferdinand Marcos
 Vladimiro Montesinos
 Hendra Rahardja
 Viktor Yanukovych
Nelly Marion Evans Risco ("The Nun") – Shining Path terrorist organisation

Challenges

Despite increases in national capacities and enhanced international cooperation, many technical, legal, political, and material challenges still remain. Furthermore, there are several thorny issues to be resolved concerning the repatriation and monitoring of stolen assets to victim countries.

Lack of political will to enforce recoveries

Lack of political will has been identified repeatedly as one of the stumbling blocks to effective international asset recovery.

While over 130 countries have ratified UNCAC, there still needs to be greater international cooperation and awareness. Twenty countries have signed but not ratified the UNCAC. In other cases, mutual legal assistance requests have not been honored in spite of treaty obligations. There are many examples of cases where international asset recovery would have been possible, if there had been political will. These include: monies in Switzerland frozen that belonged to the former Zaire President Mobutu Sese Seko and against former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi.

Repatriation of assets

The exact terms of repatriation are still unclear. Without specific mutual legal assistance agreements, they are done on a case by case basis. For instance, Switzerland confiscated US 600 million of former Nigerian President Abacha's loot, but worked out an agreement to use the money for development purposes, monitored by the World Bank. Other potential agreements are not so generous. When Indonesia originally approached Hong Kong to repatriate Indonesian banker Hendra Rahardja's assets, the Hong Kong authorities offered to assist for a 20% commission, and then splitting the remaining money evenly.

Other impediments to asset recovery

Lack of funding
Lack of sufficient information
Slow response (reluctance?) from requested countries
Lack of technical capacity
Lack of Remedial Procedures

Remedial procedures are necessary in situations where a defendant has died, absconded, or the statute of limitations has expired. Should any of these conditions apply, a traditional criminal process is not possible and assets cannot be recovered. Therefore, the UNCAC promotes the creation of remedial procedures to deal with such cases, such as Non-Conviction Based Forfeiture.

Further reading

For more detailed information, the International Centre for Asset Recovery's Knowledge Center also contains a large collection of legal instruments, glossary, case studies, and publications relating to asset recovery. Notably, the Knowledge Center has an extensively detailed library of asset recovery related news articles, along with a Newsfeed that is updated daily.

The Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative has also put together a Stolen Asset Recovery bibliography which contains a list of books, journal articles and reports and other working papers produced by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations which touch upon issues associated with the recovery of stolen assets in cases of political corruption. The materials listed in the bibliography focus on many aspects of the asset recovery process – from investigation and prosecution in corruption cases, to identification of stolen assets and also mutual legal assistance in situations where assets are located in a foreign jurisdiction from which a victim country seeks their return. The StAR bibliography also draws upon literature on related topics including money laundering prevention and civil asset forfeiture.

See also
 ISO 37001 Anti-bribery management systems

References

International finance
Anti-corruption measures
Asset forfeiture