title: Paul McGann

text: McGann gave permission for his likeness to be used on the covers of the BBC's Eighth Doctor novels and he has reprised the role of the Eighth Doctor in an extensive series of audio plays by Big Finish Productions. A number of these plays have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7 (later BBC Radio 4 Extra).


title: Paul McGann

text: Rumours abounded that McGann would reprise the role of the Eighth Doctor in a new series of television films, alongside the current television series. McGann has denied these rumours on the grounds of not having been asked back to play the part, but if he were to be asked, would be interested as long as he "didn't have to wear a wig".


title: Paul McGann

text: After months of speculation, on 14 November 2013 (coincidentally McGann's birthday), as part of the show's 50th Anniversary celebrations, McGann finally reprised his role as the Eighth Doctor, in the mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor". In this appearance his incarnation of the Doctor finally regenerates, 17 years after his first television appearance, into a previously unknown Doctor played by John Hurt.


title: Paul McGann

text: In November 2013, McGann briefly appeared in the 50th anniversary comedy homage "The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot".


title: Paul McGann

text: He made his first appearance on the main television series in a surprise cameo in the 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor", alongside other past Doctors. He also featured in the documentary film "Doctor Who Am I", supporting TV movie director Matthew Jacobs' embrace of the Doctor Who fandom and its conventions.


title: Paul McGann

text: In the years following his appearance as the Doctor, McGann continued to diversify his acting portfolio with the television and film roles he accepted. In 1997 he appeared as a concerned father in the film "" and later that same year as Rob in "Downtime", then in 1998 he appeared as Capt. Greville in "The Dance of Shiva".


title: Paul McGann

text: In the 2000s McGann's film appearances began to increase with films like "My Kingdom" (2001), "Listening" (2003) and "Gypo" (2005). Perhaps his most iconic role since "Doctor Who" came in 2002, when McGann appeared in the film adaptation of the third story from Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicles", "Queen of the Damned". McGann played the part of David Talbot, a member of the secret organisation the Talamasca, which researches and investigates the supernatural. Talbot has appeared in many of Rice's novels and has become a central character over the years. The film also starred Stuart Townsend, Marguerite Moreau and R&B singer Aaliyah. McGann has also been in demand for voice-over work in Britain in recent years, particularly on television documentaries and commercials.


title: Paul McGann

text: He also gained acclaim for his portrayal of William Bush in the final four instalments of the ITV/A&E television series "Hornblower", based on the Horatio Hornblower books by C.S. Forrester. He initially appears in the 2001 episode "Mutiny", with Bush being the 2nd Lieutenant of HMS "Renown" (and Hornblower's superior). In the 7th episode, "Loyalty", he agrees to join Hornblower as his 1st Lieutenant when Hornblower takes command of HMS "Hotspur". McGann again portrays Bush in the 2003 finale of the series, "Duty".


title: Paul McGann

text: In 2006, he appeared in the television drama "Tripping Over". In 2007, McGann starred alongside Dervla Kirwan, Lorraine Ashbourne and David Bradley in BBC One drama "True Dare Kiss", written by Debbie Horsfield. In 2010, McGann played a major role in a feature-length episode of long-running BBC mystery series "Jonathan Creek", as well as appearing as a regular in the crime drama "Luther". In 2011, McGann played a major role as an Assistant Commissioner with something to hide in the final episode of "Waking the Dead" and also featured in Simon Gray's "Butley" alongside Dominic West at the Duchess Theatre in London.


title: Paul McGann

text: In 2017, McGann joined the cast of the long-running BBC series "Holby City", playing neurosurgeon John Gaskell. In 2021, he hosted the British Podcast Awards Gold-winning Noiser podcast production "Real Dictators", a history show about the up to date facts on dictators of the past.


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann is also known for audiobook narration having read several Pat Barker and Bernard Cornwell novels. He narrated the abridged audiobook of Jeff Noon's 1993 cyberpunk classic "Vurt".


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann continues to play the Eighth Doctor on audio. McGann's first Big Finish audio play appearance was in 2001 in the story "Storm Warning". It was through the Big Finish audio plays that McGann's Doctor faced many classic "Doctor Who" villains like the Daleks (in various different audio plays, the first of which being "The Time of the Daleks") and the Cybermen (first encountered by the Eighth Doctor on audio in "Sword of Orion").


title: Paul McGann

text: Five Eighth Doctor dramas were broadcast in BBC 7's "The 7th Dimension" slot between August 2005 and January 2006. They were in release order, starting with "Storm Warning", although "Minuet in Hell" was judged unsuitable for the timeslot, and skipped. Two more Eighth Doctor audios, "Shada" and "The Chimes of Midnight" were broadcast in December 2005 and January 2006; all six of these stories were rebroadcast on BBC7 beginning in July 2006. In 2007 and 2008, a series of audio plays starring McGann as the Eighth Doctor and Sheridan Smith as companion Lucie Miller was broadcast on BBC7.


title: Paul McGann

text: His voice also featured in the 1997 video game "Ceremony of Innocence", together with those of Isabella Rossellini and Ben Kingsley.


title: Paul McGann

text: After hearing him sing in "The Monocled Mutineer," composer Bernard J. Taylor invited McGann to create the role of Benedict in the concept studio recording of the "Much Ado", a musical based on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing".


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann portrayed Ambassador Durian in "The Minister of Chance", a fantasy audio drama released in six parts from 2011 to 2013. The series is a spin-off of the "Doctor Who" audio drama "Death Comes to Time", but has no official connection to the franchise. In February 2014, a crowdfunded short film based on the first instalment of "The Minister of Chance" was released to those who had helped fund it.


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann portrays antagonist Noah Shackleton in the audio drama adaptation of "The Phoenix Files". The Australian production is the largest audio drama ever produced in Australia with a cast of 42 actors. McGann appears in all three instalments of the science-fiction dystopian thriller series.


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann has done audio narration for BBC documentaries, including the 2014 BBC Scotland production, "Apples, Pears and Paint: How to Make a Still Life Painting".


title: Paul McGann

text: McGann is chief narrator in the popular "A short history of…" podcast series, which explores various historical topics in easily accessible episodes.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 by Parlophone, with side one containing songs from the soundtrack to their film of the same name. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing that included selections from George Martin's film score. In contrast to the Beatles' first two albums, all 13 tracks on "A Hard Day's Night" were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, showcasing the development of their songwriting partnership.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: The album includes the song "A Hard Day's Night", with its distinctive opening chord, and "Can't Buy Me Love", both transatlantic number-one singles for the band. Several of the songs feature George Harrison playing a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, a sound that was influential on the Byrds and other groups in the folk rock/jangle pop movement.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: Shortly after the release of "With the Beatles" (1963), the Beatles were at EMI Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris on 29 January 1964 for their first recording session outside of London. Here, they recorded German-language versions of their two most recent singles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You", titled "Komm, gib mir deine Hand" and "Sie liebt dich", respectively. According to their producer, George Martin, this was done as "they couldn't sell large quantities of records [in Germany] unless they were sung in German". Also recorded—in English—was Paul McCartney's "Can't Buy Me Love", which was completed in only four takes. Shortly afterward, the band gave their first live performance in the United States on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on 9 February. They gave more US performances before returning to the United Kingdom on 22 February.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: The Beatles were set to begin filming their first major feature film on 2 March 1964. According to historian Mark Lewisohn, the band were set to record songs for both the film and a tie-in LP, of which the songs from the film were completed first. On 25 February—lead guitarist George Harrison's 21st birthday—the band were back at London's EMI Studios, recording John Lennon's "You Can't Do That" for release as the B-side of "Can't Buy Me Love". The band also attempted "And I Love Her" and "I Should Have Known Better" on this day and again the following day, with the former finalised on 27 February. Two more songs from the film, "Tell Me Why" and "If I Fell", were recorded on this day.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: On 1 March 1964, the Beatles recorded three songs in three hours: "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" for the film, featuring Harrison on lead vocal; a cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally"; and Lennon's "I Call Your Name", which was originally given to Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas the previous year. Mono and stereo mixing was carried out over the following two weeks. The "Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That" single was released on 16 March and topped charts worldwide. Taking a break for filming, drummer Ringo Starr coined the phrase "a hard day's night", providing the film with its title. Lennon and McCartney wrote a song based on the title, which was recorded at EMI on 16 April and mixed four days later.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: On 1 June, with the film completed and the band returning from holidays, the Beatles returned to EMI, recording the remaining songs for the tie-in LP, with outtakes appearing on the "Long Tall Sally" EP. Covers of Carl Perkins' "Matchbox", with Starr on lead vocals, and Larry Williams' "Slow Down", appeared on the EP, while Lennon's "I'll Cry Instead" and "I'll Be Back" appeared on the LP. The following day on 2 June, the band completed Lennon's "Any Time at All" and "When I Get Home", and McCartney's "Things We Said Today". The band spent the remainder of June and July touring internationally.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: Musically, "A Hard Day's Night" eschews the rock and roll cover songs of the band's previous albums for a predominantly pop sound. Sputnikmusic's Dave Donnelly observes "short, peppy" pop songs characterised by layered vocals, immediate choruses, and understated instrumentation. According to "Pitchfork" Tom Ewing, the lack of rock and roll covers allows listeners to "take the group's new sound purely on its own modernist terms", with audacious "chord choices", powerful harmonies, "gleaming" guitar, and "Northern" harmonica. Music journalist Robert Christgau writes that Lennon–McCartney's songs were "more sophisticated musically" than before. It also features Harrison playing a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, a sound that was influential on the Byrds and other bands in the folk rock explosion of 1965.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: Side one of the LP contains the songs from the film soundtrack. Side two contains songs written for, but not included in, the film, although a 1980s re-release of the film includes a prologue before the opening credits with "I'll Cry Instead" on the soundtrack. The title of the album and film was the accidental creation of Starr. According to Lennon in a 1980 interview with "Playboy" magazine: "I was going home in the car and [film director] Dick Lester suggested the title, 'Hard Day's Night' from something Ringo had said. I had used it in "In His Own Write", but it was an off-the-cuff remark by Ringo. You know, one of those malapropisms. A Ringo-ism, where he said it not to be funny ... just said it. So Dick Lester said, 'We are going to use that title.'"


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: "A Hard Day's Night" is the first Beatles album to feature entirely original compositions, and the only one where all the songs were written by Lennon–McCartney. Lennon is the primary author of nine of the thirteen tracks on the album, as well as being the lead singer on these same nine tracks (although Paul McCartney sings lead on the title track's middle-eight). Lennon and McCartney co-wrote "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", sung by Harrison, while McCartney wrote "And I Love Her", "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Things We Said Today". It is one of three Beatles albums, along with "Let It Be" and "Magical Mystery Tour", in which Starr does not sing lead vocal on any songs. (Starr sang the lead vocal on "Matchbox" during the sessions; it appeared instead on the "Long Tall Sally" EP.) It is also one of three Beatles albums, along with "Please Please Me" and "Beatles for Sale", in which Harrison does not contribute to the songwriting.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: George Harrison's resonant 12-string electric guitar leads [on "A Hard's Day's Night"] were hugely influential; the movie helped persuade the Byrds, then folksingers, to plunge all out into rock & roll, and the Beatles would be hugely influential on the folk-rock explosion of 1965. The Beatles' success, too, had begun to open the US market for fellow English bands like the Rolling Stones, the Animals, and the Kinks, and inspired young American groups like the Beau Brummels, Lovin' Spoonful, and others to mount a challenge of their own with self-penned material that owed a great debt to Lennon–McCartney.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: In his book "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé", Bob Stanley identifies "A Hard Day's Night" as the album that best captures the band's early-career appeal. He writes:


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: If you had to explain the Beatles' impact to a stranger, you'd play them the soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night". The songs, conceived in a hotel room in a spare couple of weeks between up-ending the British class system and conquering America, were full of bite and speed. There was adventure, knowingness, love, and abundant charm.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: "A Hard Day's Night" was included in the list of "100 Essential Rock Albums" compiled by musicologists Charlie Gillett and Simon Frith for "ZigZag" magazine in 1975, and is one of the "Treasure Island albums" featured in Greil Marcus's 1979 book "Stranded". In 2000, "Q" magazine placed "A Hard Day's Night" at number 5 on its list "The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever". That same year, it appeared at number 22 in Colin Larkin's book "All Time Top 1000 Albums". In 2012, "Rolling Stone" ranked it 307th on the magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". In the 2020 revision, it rose to number 263.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: "A Hard Day's Night" has also appeared in critics' lists of the best albums of all time published by the "NME", in 1974 (at number 33), 1985 (number 73) and 2013 (number 195); "Mojo", in 1995 (number 81); and "Uncut", in 2016 (number 149). It was a featured album in "The Mojo Collection: The Greatest Albums of All Time", Tom Moon's book "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" and Robert Dimery's "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", and was selected as one of the "Most Significant Rock Albums" in the "Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History".<ref name="Acclaimed/HDN"></ref> Based on the album's appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists "A Hard Day's Night" as the most acclaimed album of 1964, the 45th most acclaimed album of the 1960s and the 222nd most acclaimed album in history.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: On 26 February 1987, "A Hard Day's Night" was officially released on compact disc in mono, along with "Please Please Me", "With the Beatles", and "Beatles for Sale." Having been available only as an import in the US in the past, the 13 track UK version of the album was also issued in the US on LP and cassette on 21 July 1987. Stereo mixes of "A Hard Day's Night", "Can't Buy Me Love", and "And I Love Her" had been made available on the first compact disc issue of "1962–1966" in 1993. Most of the rest of the tracks appeared in stereo on compact disc for the first time with the release of the box set "The Capitol Albums, Volume 1" in 2004.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: On 9 September 2009, a remastered version of this album was released and was the first time the album appeared in stereo on compact disc in its entirety. This album is also included in "The Beatles Stereo Box Set". A remastered mono version of the original UK album was part of "The Beatles in Mono" box set.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: The American version of the album was released on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records in both mono and stereo, the fourth Beatles album in the United States. The album went to number one on the "Billboard" album chart, spending 14 weeks there, the longest run of any album that year. United Artists rushed the album into stores over a month before the film's US premiere; as a result, the Beatles had both the number-one album and number-one single in the country when "A Hard Day's Night" opened on 11 August 1964.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: All seven songs from the film, the first side of the UK album, were featured along with "I'll Cry Instead", which, although written for the film, was cut at the last minute. The American version also included four easy listening-styled instrumental versions of Lennon and McCartney songs arranged by George Martin conducting an orchestra of studio musicians: "I Should Have Known Better", "And I Love Her", "Ringo's Theme", and "A Hard Day's Night". After EMI acquired United Artists Records, this album was reissued in August 1980 on the Capitol label, catalogue SW-11921.


title: A Hard Day's Night (album)

text: While the stereo version of the album included the instrumental tracks in true stereo, the Beatles' own recordings appeared as electronically rechannelled stereo recordings made from the mono releases. The 1980 Capitol Records reissue used the same master tape as the original United Artists LP release in fake stereo, despite the availability of several tracks with official true stereo remixes. True stereo versions of most of the songs had been issued on the Capitol album "Something New", released in July 1964. "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Should Have Known Better" finally appeared in stereo on the 1970 Apple Records compilation "Hey Jude". The song "A Hard Day's Night" did not appear in true stereo in the US until the 1982 Capitol compilation album "Reel Music". In 2014, the American version of the "A Hard Day's Night" album was released on CD individually and in a boxed set of all the other US Beatles albums to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles first US visit. This CD reissue features all of the songs in both true stereo and mono mixes.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Gurbanguly Mälikgulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow (born 29 June 1957), also known as Arkadag (Cyrillic: Аркадаг, "protector"), is a Turkmen politician who served as the second president of Turkmenistan from 2006 to 2022.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: A dentist by profession, Berdimuhamedow served in the government of president Saparmurat Niyazov as the minister of health in 1997 and as the vice president in 2001. He became acting president following Niyazov's death on 21 December 2006 and subsequently won the 2007 presidential election. He faced no meaningful opposition and won by an overwhelming margin with 89% of the vote. In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term with 97% of the vote and he was re-elected again in 2017 with 97.7% of the vote. He was among the candidates elected to the People's Council of Turkmenistan () on 28 March 2021, as a member from Ahal Region. He reportedly received 100% of votes from the electors. On 14 April 2021, he was unanimously elected chairman of the People's Council, the upper chamber of the Turkmen parliament.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Like his predecessor, Berdimuhamedow headed an authoritarian regime in which he was the subject of a cult of personality. Rights groups have described Turkmenistan under Berdimuhamedow as one of the most repressive countries in the world, accusing Berdimuhamedow, his relatives, and his associates of possessing and exercising unlimited power over all aspects of public life.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow stepped down as president on 19 March 2022, being succeeded by his son, Serdar, who won a snap election deemed as neither free nor fair.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow was born on 29 June 1957 in Babarap, in what is now Gökdepe District, Ahal Province, to Malikguly Berdimuhamedovich Berdimuhamedov (1932–2021) and Ogulabat Atayevna Kurrayeva. He is the only son in a family of six children. Berdimuhamedow’s father worked as a senior Interior Ministry officer in a prison guard detachment. He retired as a colonel of police. His grandfather, Berdimuhamet Annayev, was a local teacher who served in the Red Army during World War II as part of the 748th Rifle Regiment of the 206th Rifle Division of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In September 1943, his unit was one of the first to cross the Dnieper River. He was later killed in the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow graduated from the Turkmen State Medical Institute in 1979 and entered a career in dentistry. He also received a PhD in medical sciences in Moscow. By 1992 he had become part of the dentistry faculty at the Medical Institute. In 1995, during the rule of Saparmurat Niyazov, he became head of the dentistry center of the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: He was appointed to the government as Minister of Health in 1997, and he was additionally appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers (also referred to as Deputy Prime Minister, despite the lack of a Prime Ministerial post in Turkmenistan), a post akin to that of a Vice-President, in 2001. In April 2004, Niyazov suspended Berdimuhamedow's salary for three months because healthcare workers were not being paid.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: The Health Ministry was responsible for carrying out Niyazov's order to close all hospitals outside of the national and provincial capitals in 2005.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Following Niyazov's death in December 2006, the State Security Council of Turkmenistan appointed Berdimuhamedow acting president. The Council stated in its announcement that Öwezgeldi Ataýew, who, as the Chairman of the Assembly of Turkmenistan was to have become the acting president, was not appointed "in view of the fact that the prosecutor-general had instituted criminal proceedings against him".


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Article 60 of the Turkmen Constitution stipulated that the acting president "may not stand for election to the Presidency", which would have barred Berdimuhamedow from running in the 2007 presidential elections. However, on 24 December 2006, the People's Council voted to remove this provision, making him eligible for the election as one of the six chosen candidates, all members of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan. Berdimuhamedov was supported by the political elite, and the official results showed him as winning 89% of the vote. Berdimuhamedow's appointment as interim president and subsequent run for president, however, violated the constitution.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In his first presidential trip abroad, Berdimuhamedov visited Saudi Arabia in mid-April 2007. There he performed the Umrah pilgrimage and met with King Abdullah. He then visited Russia and President Vladimir Putin at the end of the same month.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: After taking office, Berdimuhamedow reversed several of Niyazov's more eccentric policies. Internet cafés offering free and uncensored web access opened in Ashgabat, compulsory education was extended from nine to ten years and classes in sports and foreign languages were re-introduced into the curriculum, and the government announced plans to open several specialised schools for the arts. He called for reform of education, health care and pension systems, and government officials of non-Turkmen ethnic origin who had been sacked by Niyazov were allowed to return to work. He also restored the pensions of 100,000 elderly people whose pensions Niyazov had slashed in the face of an unspecified budget crisis. Later on, he reopened the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, which had been closed by Niyazov.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In February 2017, he was reelected to a third term as President of Turkmenistan (seven-year term) with nearly 98% of the votes in his favor and with an eligible voter turnout of 97%. In October 2017, he offered a top Turkmen-bred variety of the Central Asian shepherd dog to Vladimir Putin.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2020, Berdimuhamedow presided over the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan. He was among eight world leaders to have received the Ig Nobel Prize in Medical Education "for using the COVID-19 viral pandemic to teach the world that politicians can have a more immediate effect on life and death than scientists and doctors can". In November of the same year, he unveiled a golden statue of his favourite dog breed, the Central Asian shepherd.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow replaced the Interior Minister Mammetkhan Chakiyev with his deputy Ovezdurdy Khojaniyazov on 1 July 2021. Khojaniyazov has little public profile to speak of, but one of his most recent positions, as of May at least, was as deputy head of the Awaza tourist recreation zone. The previous Interior Minister, Iskender Mulikov, was arrested, sentenced to a lengthy prison term on corruption charges, and shown on state television handcuffed in a prison robe with his head shaved.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In July 2021, Berdimuhamedow ordered the deployment of troops and heavy weapons and armour on the Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border, in order to avoid a spillover of the Afghan conflict into Turkmenistan.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In February 2022, it was reported from Reuters that Berdimuhamedow was planning to resign after an early presidential election on 12 March, fuelling speculation that he would be preparing for his son Serdar to succeed him as the next President. Berdimuhamedow did not contest the election, which was subsequently won by Serdar, establishing Turkmenistan as the first Central Asian country to transfer power dynastically from father to son. Serdar was inaugurated as the next President on 19 March.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow visited Moscow on November 1 at the invitation of the speaker of the Russian upper house Valentina Matvienko.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Upon taking office, Berdimuhamedow eased travel restrictions and reopened libraries in rural areas. He also took steps to curb Niyazov's extensive personality cult. He called for an end to the elaborate pageants of music and dancing that formerly greeted the president on his arrival anywhere, and said that the Turkmen "sacred oath", part of which states that the speaker's tongue should shrivel if he ever speaks ill of Turkmenistan or its president, should not be recited multiple times a day but reserved for "special occasions". He also gave up his right to rename any landmarks, institutions, or cities, restored the traditional names of the months of the year and days of the week (Niyazov had renamed them after himself and his mother, among other things), and announced plans to move the gold rotating statue of Niyazov from Ashgabat's central square.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Despite these changes, Berdimuhamedow's regime remained rigidly authoritarian; indeed, in 2007, he ruled out any move toward Western-style democracy. Freedom House rated Berdimuhamedow's Turkmenistan as one of the most repressive and "closed" regimes in the world. It has ranked Turkmenistan near the bottom of its Freedom in the World rankings since the country's independence, a state of affairs that has continued since Berdimuhamedow took office. In 2017, the country was one of 11 with the lowest aggregate scores for political and civil rights. Human Rights Watch noted that Berdimuhamedow not only has complete control over public life and the media, but presides over a regime that does not tolerate "alternative political or religious expression." Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has ranked Turkmenistan near the bottom of its Press Freedom Index for most of Berdimuhamedow's tenure, as it did under Niyazov. In 2017, RWB ranked Turkmenistan 178th out of 180 countries surveyed, ahead of Eritrea and North Korea. RSF noted that internet access is heavily censored in Turkmenistan, and that satellite dishes have been removed by government officials.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2008, he dismissed Akmyrat Rejepow, the longtime chief of the presidential security detail and one of the main proponents of Niyazov's personality cult. In 2011, he sang a song on a video posted to YouTube.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In May 2013, he fell off his horse during a race. The fall was censored on TV but leaked online, and mocked on an episode of HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" in 2019.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In July 2013, Jennifer Lopez publicly apologized for singing "Happy birthday!" to Berdimuhamedow during a sponsored concert, stating she was not aware of the human rights issues in Turkmenistan prior to the show. In August 2013, Berdimuhamedow suspended his Democratic Party of Turkmenistan membership for the duration of his presidency, ostensibly to remain "above partisan politics" and "promote a multiparty system."


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2015, a golden statue of Berdimuhamedow riding a horse atop a white-marble cliff was erected in Ashgabat.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: The Turkmenistan Parliament abolished term limits for the presidency in September 2016, which allowed Berdimuhamedow to run for a third term.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In January 2018, Berdimuhamedow ordered the impounding of black cars in the capital because he considered the color white to be "lucky". Police seized dark-colored vehicles in Ashgabat and their owners were told they must pay to have them repainted silver or white. The capital, known as the 'City of White Marble', holds the world record for the highest concentration of white-marble buildings. Berdimuhamedow is a known lover of the color white, living in a white palace and travelling in white limousines. It was later reported that the ban extended to vehicles of all colors except white.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In July 2018, he appeared in a rap video with his grandson. He had previously lifted weights on camera, and also acted as DJ.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: By decree of Berdimuhamedow in January 2019, the government will gradually end state funding of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan; it will be phased out in three years.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2010 the "Obozrevatel" magazine named Berdimuhamedow the fifth-worst dictator in the world out of 23 highlighted. In the Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders), Turkmenistan ranks 176 out of 178.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Turkmenistan has more political prisoners than any of the former countries of the former Soviet Union.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: The country's economy is under total state control. Numerous attempts to attract foreign investors into the country often end in lawsuits in international courts. In 2018, the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (arbitration, part of the World Bank group of organizations) received claims against Turkmenistan from Sece Inşaat (Turkey) and investment company Unionmatex Industrieanlagen GmbH (Germany).


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2019, the Belarusian construction company Belgorkhimprom also filed a similar claim with the court, to which Turkmenistan should pay about $200 million.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Investors talk about discrimination by the Turkmen authorities, politicized bureaucracy, and a high level of corruption.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, Turkmenistan ranked 161 among 180 countries in 2018. This is the lowest rating among countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: Berdimuhamedow's grandfather and father both serve as part of his cult of personality. His grandfather, Berdimuhamed Annayev, has since 2018 been a posthumous recipient of the Russian Order of Honour, being one of two awards he holds (the other being the Soviet Order of the Badge of Honour). The Berdimuhamed Annayev 1st Specialized Military School of the Ministry of Defence is named in his honour. A museum in the defence ministry is also named after him. In May 2020, a special delegation from Russia led by Deputy Minister of Defence Alexander Fomin brought the banner of Annayev's unit to Ashgabat, being trooped through the square in front of the Halk Hakydasy Memorial Complex during the inaugural Victory Day Parade in the capital.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: On 1 September 2009, Secondary School No. 27 was renamed after Berdimuhamed Annaev and was opened with his son at the opening ceremony. In October 2012, the Main Drama Theater of Turkmenistan staged a play based on Berdimuhamedov's book about his grandfather called "Good Name Imperishable". Military Unit 1001 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is named in honor of Berdimuhamedow's father, Malikguly Berdimuhamedow. In addition, in the town of Yzgant, the Palace of Culture is named after Berdimuhamedow's father, and a bust of him stands in front of it.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: According to a cable from the U.S. embassy in Ashgabat, Berdimuhamedow is married and has three daughters and one son. One of his sons-in-law, Yhlasgeldi Amanov, headed the Turkmen State Agency for Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources in London, was later assigned to the Turkmenistan Embassies in Berlin and London, and as of 23 November 2019 was Turkmenistan's consul general in Dubai. The other son-in-law is also a diplomat, with a prior posting in Paris, but later assigned to Brussels.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: According to the same leaked cables, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has a mistress, Marina, a Russian nurse, whom he supposedly met earlier in his dentist career. They have a daughter together. Berdimuhamedow's wife has been living in London since 2007. His son, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, served as a colonel in the Armed Forces and held a series of high government posts, culminating in appointment as a deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. At least three of Berdimuhamedow's grandchildren study in Switzerland: Kerimguly, Ogulbäbek, and Aýgül. According to a biography of Berdimuhamedow's father, Malikguly, published in 2012, Berdimuhamedow has five sisters: Durdynabat (born 1960), Gulnabat (born 1962), Mähri (born 1964), Guljamal (born 1969), and Oguljamal (born 1974).


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: On 18 April 2021, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's father, Malikguly Berdimuhamedow, reportedly died at the age of 89.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: During his spare time from being President, from his dentistry career and from his political career, he writes books that are popular in Turkmenistan according to Turkmen propaganda. Aside from writing books, he is known for writing songs, DJing and engaging in health activities.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: In 2019, Berdimuhamedow was awarded the highest award of the International Cycling Union (UCI) for his country’s commitment to the sport.


title: Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow

text: On 20 July 2019, the YouTube channel of a Turkmen opposition media outlet announced that Berdimuhamedow had reportedly died while on holiday at the age of 61. He was said to have been on leave since 15 July. These reports were published by multiple Russian media outlets on the next day. The Turkmen Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Shadurdy Mereov, and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied these claims on 21 July. According to "Chronicle of Turkmenistan", Berdimuhamedow went to Germany because his mother was receiving medical treatment there, and her condition was critical.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft that incorporates a large aft cargo door in addition to the main passenger door. Due to its efficient, high-utility design, the PC-12 is used by a large variety of operators. The main use for the aircraft is corporate transportation, but it is also used by fractional and small regional airlines, air-ambulance operators, and many government agencies, such as police departments and armed forces. The PC-12 has been the best-selling pressurized, single-engined, turbine-powered aircraft in the world for several consecutive years, with 1,800 deliveries made as of April 2021.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In October 1989, Pilatus announced the development of the PC-12 at the annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Prior to the 1989 announcement, the PC-12 project had been worked on for some time under high levels of secrecy; by the time of the announcement, assembly of the first prototype had already commenced. Pilatus believed that the PC-12 would fit a new market not served by existing aircraft and that the type would be the first single-engined aircraft, with a large cabin, that would be capable of flying at high speeds across long distances. The two prototypes were completed on 1 May 1991, with the first flight taking place on 31 May 1991. Swiss certification of the type had been originally planned for mid-1991, but a redesign of the wings (increase of wingspan and addition of winglets to ensure performance guarantees were met) delayed progress. On 30 March 1994, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation issued the type certificate for the PC-12; Federal Aviation Administration approval in the U.S. followed on 15 July 1994.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Since entering service, Pilatus developed a large number of improvements and options upon the original PC-12 model; changes include increases in the maximum takeoff weight, the use of increasingly powerful engines, the adoption of new avionics, noise-reduction measures, new propellers, speed and range increases, additional interiors, and new inflight entertainment systems. Other aviation firms, such as Finoff Aviation Products, have also produced their own independent products and aftermarket enhancement packages for the PC-12.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Pilatus announced the PC-12NG (Next Generation) at the 2006 NBAA meeting in Orlando and officially launched it during the NBAA 2007 in Atlanta. The NG features a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P engine with better climb performance and an increase in maximum cruise speed to 280 knots true airspeed (TAS). The NG also features a Honeywell Primus Apex glass cockpit; prior to this, the PC-12 had been one of the few high-end models to lack flat-panel avionics. The revised cockpit includes automatic pressurization control, as well as cursor controlled inputs to the navigation system. The PC-12 NG winglets have also been modified from the original version. Within two years of launch, over 200 orders reportedly had been placed for the PC-12 NG. In May 2008, the first PC-12 NG was delivered.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The PC-12M (Multipurpose) is based on the PC-12 NG, but equipped with a more powerful electrical generation system that allows installing additional power-consuming equipment. This enables the PC-12M to perform missions such as flight inspection, air ambulance, aerial photography, and aerial surveillance. An optional utility door accommodates parachute drops of people and cargo. This version is marketed in the United States as the PC-12 Spectre paramilitary special-missions platform.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: On 18 December 2012, Pilatus officially opened its Chinese headquarters in Chongqing Liangjiang and announced future manufacturing of the PC-12 for Asia-Pacific customers on the production line at this site. In September 2014, it was announced that the production for various aerostructures for the PC-12 NG would be performed by Tata Aircraft Systems in India from 2016 onwards, these parts having previously been manufactured by PZL-Świdnik in Poland.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Its PT6E-67XP includes a full-authority digital engine control and a low-speed propeller mode to lower cabin noise.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Scheduled maintenance is extended to 600 flight hours and time between overhaul increases from 4,000 to 5,000 hours.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Deliveries should start in the second quarter of 2020 at a US$4.39 million base price, up to 5.369 million typically equipped as an executive aircraft.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The PC-12 is a single-engined, turboprop-powered, business aircraft, designed for performing multiple roles and to deliver performance and safety equal to twin-engined aircraft. It is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67 engine; early models being powered by the PT6A-67B, while the later PC-12 NG variant uses the more powerful PT6A-67P, which is flat rated at only 70% of its maximum power. According to Pilatus, the PC-12 NG has exceptional versatility and is capable of operating within the most rugged environments, such as the Australian outback; it is one of the few pressurized turbine-powered aircraft capable of operating from rough landing strips. Its trailing arm landing gear allows access to airfields inaccessible to many jet aircraft.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The cabin can accommodate up to nine passengers and has a refreshment centre, an enclosed lavatory, and a rear baggage area. Other cabin configurations include executive arrangements, seating between six and eight passengers; a four-seat passenger-cargo combi layout; and an air ambulance setup housing two litters and three attending medics. The interior was designed in conjunction with BMW's Designworks division, making extensive use of leather, fine wood veneers, and various textiles to create an environment similar to a luxury road vehicle. An atypically large cargo door is installed to accommodate bulky items, including palletised cargo.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The PC-12 incorporates numerous safety measures. The PT6A-67 engine has a reputation for considerable reliability, a factor that has reportedly been decisive to some prospective operators. To counteract stall and spin conditions, dual angle-of-attack sensors near the wingtips force the stick forwards in advance of a potential stall. For greater redundancy, the PC-12 NG has a complete split-bus dual electrical system similar to modern jet aircraft, in addition to two separate batteries and a third emergency battery. The type is certified for flight into known ice conditions; as per standard fit, pneumatic deicing systems are installed in the wings and empennage, while electrical deicing measures are integrated into the windshield, and exhaust heat is used for engine inlet deicing. In 2014, "Aviation Week" described the PC-12 as possessing "...comparatively slow take-off and landing speeds, excellent short-field performance, and easy handling characteristics."


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In addition to its uses as a passenger transport and private aircraft, the PC-12 can be configured as a multimission platform, such as an air ambulance or for conducting surveillance aircraft missions. In the latter role, a retractable electro-optical/infrared sensor may be installed into the aircraft's tail and an operator's console, containing two display monitors, a digital video recorder, communications panel, and expansion bays to accommodate various radios and datalinks, can be fitted in the main cabin area; the aircraft may be highly customized to meet customer's specific mission requirements. In the multimission capacity, the type has seen use by various customers, including the Red Cross, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the United States Air Force.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The type features a three-axis autopilot as standard, while weather radar, long-range navigation systems, and radar altimeter are optional. The flight deck of the PC-12 NG is equipped with Honeywell's Primus Apex avionics system, consisting of four 10-inch, high-resolution, liquid crystal display screens, two of which perform as the primary flight displays directly forward of either pilot, the other two being multifunction displays in a central position between the two pilots. The Apex system shares many similarities to the flight decks of other business jets and has been designed to minimize crew workload and provide for improved safety during single-pilot operations. An advanced synthetic vision system, delivering greater situational awareness and safety during visual flight rules (VFR) flight, is also present. The cockpit's layout is optimized for ergonomic and aesthetic appeal, providing similar comfort levels for the flight crew as to the passengers. An engine-condition monitoring system is present on the PC-12 NG, automatically monitoring engine parameters and producing relevant warnings, easing preventive maintenance efforts.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In October 2021, Blackhawk Aerospace announced plans to offer an “XP67P+” upgrade that will be available for many of the legacy PC-12s. The upgrade will replace the stock Pratt and Whitney PTA-67B engine with a factory-new PTA-67P, allowing higher ITT limits, 142 shaft horsepower gains, and max torque to FL230. All factors that will improve the performance of the aircraft, with 25% better climb rates, higher cruise speeds, and several other operational benefits. Blackhawk announced several deposits for their upgrade at NBAA-BACE 2022, and that baseline flight testing has been completed. STC approval for the FAA should happen second quarter 2023 with EASA certification not long after.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Early sales of the PC-12 principally went to utility operators, because Pilatus was reportedly uncertain of the sales potential for business and passenger operators. In 1994, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia became the launch customer of the PC-12. It operates 32 PC-12s throughout Australia to deliver medical services in remote areas.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In 2006, "Flying" referred to the PC-12 as "...more economical to operate than any turbine airplane of similar size." In 2007, "Flying" described the high rate of value retention on used PC-12s as "unbelievable"—attributing this to the popular demand for the type. High oil prices are a prominent factor for increasing sales of turboprops, the PC-12 among them.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The bulk of demand comes from North America, and three-quarters of PC-12NG sales are in executive configurations. While its price grew from $3.3 million in 2005 to $4.7 million in 2015, it retains 80-85% of its selling price after 10 years given average use, better than comparable turboprop or business jets, and it sells 40% faster.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: Pilatus also uses a series of overseas distributors to market and sell the PC-12 within designated regions. AMAC Aerospace is the exclusive sales agent for the type within the Middle East.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In August 2014, Californian airline Surf Air placed an order for 15 PC-12 NGs and 50 options, one of the largest contract for the type. PlaneSense, a New Hampshire-based fractional ownership company, manages the largest fleet of the type, operating 34 PC-12s as of 2015.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In June 2010, Pilatus announced that the 1,000th PC-12 had been delivered. By August 2013, the worldwide PC-12 fleet had accumulated a combined total of 4 million flight hours and 1,200 PC-12s had been delivered to customers. Just over a year after the 1300th, the 1400th PC-12 was delivered in July 2016. As of July 2016, the fleet had accumulated 5.6 million total flight hours since certification and 1 million flight hours for the 630 PC-12 NG since its introduction in 2008. In May 2018, with the fleet having logged over 6.8 million hours, the maintenance interval was raised from 100/150 hours to 300 and a new maintenance plan reduced labor by 20% to 40% to lower direct operating costs.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: By 2017, a nine-year-old PC-12 was worth $2.5-2.8 million and 15- to 16-year-old models had a $1.8 million value. Owner-operators account for 20% to 30% of the PC-12 sales, while they fly 90% of all SOCATA TBMs.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: By October 2019, the PC-12 fleet surpassed 1,700 aircraft, with more than seven million total flight hours.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The PC-12 is Pilatus' first aircraft directed principally at the civil market. Despite the company historically being a military-oriented supplier, military sales for the type were considered a low priority during the early stages of development.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The U-28A Draco is the United States Air Force variant of the PC-12 for intratheater support of special operations forces performing the role of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The U-28A is operated by the 319th Special Operations Squadron, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida, at the headquarters of the Air Force Special Operations Command. The 34th Special Operations Squadron was activated on 9 April 2010 as the second U-28A unit at Hurlburt Field. Both squadrons operate as part of the 1st Special Operations Wing/ 1st Special Operations Group at Hurlburt Field. The U-28A is also operated by the 318th Special Operations Squadron and the 310th Special Operations Squadron as part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. In May 2019 the Air Force officially approved the use of the name 'Draco' for the aircraft.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: In August 2022, U.S. Special Operations Command announced it had selected the AT-802U Sky Warden for its Armed Overwatch program. The intent is for them to perform ISR and strike missions in uncontested airspace while operating from austere airfields. The Sky Warden will take over combat missions from the U-28A, as it is an aging and expensive aircraft that requires specialized equipment and training to maintain; it will however continue to provide ISR for operations like search and rescue and humanitarian relief after the Sky Warden is delivered.


title: Pilatus PC-12

text: The Finnish Air Force selected the PC-12 NG in 2009 to replace the service's Piper Chieftains and Valmet Redigos in a liaison role. The aircraft were handed over to the Air Force in 2010. Six PC-12s are in service with the Finnish Air Force.


title: Koch family

text: The Koch family ( ) is an American family engaged in business, best known for their political activities and their control of Koch Industries, the 2nd largest privately owned company in the United States (with 2019 revenues of $115 billion). The family business was started by Fred C. Koch, who developed a new cracking method for the refinement of heavy crude oil into gasoline. Fred's four sons litigated against each other over their interests in the business during the 1980s and 1990s.


title: Koch family

text: By 2019, Charles Koch and David Koch, commonly referred to as the Koch brothers, were the only ones of Fred Koch's four sons still with Koch Industries.


title: Koch family

text: Charles and David Koch built a political network of libertarian and conservative donors, and the brothers funneled financial revenue into television and multi-media advertising. David Koch died in August 2019.


title: Koch family

text: The Koch family foundations are a related group of non-profit organizations that began with the establishment of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation in 1953, and now includes the Charles Koch Foundation, the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Koch Cultural Trust. The organizations collectively have a stated goal of "advancing liberty and freedom" through the support of various causes which "further social progress and sustainable growth in prosperity." In addition to the direct action of the non-profits, the groups have also contributed financially to other organizations in the fields of research, libertarian solutions to public well-being, arts, and education, including contributions to think-tanks through organizations like the Cato Institute (formerly the Charles Koch Foundation).


title: Koch family

text: While Bill Koch has also been active in conservative political causes (particularly opposing the Obama administration’s climate change program), it is his brothers Charles and David who have become famous for their activity in American politics, beginning in at least 1980, when David Koch was the vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party. Their political contributions began to attract widespread attention from media outlets in 2008, when, through their family foundations, the brothers contributed to 34 political and policy organizations, three of which they founded, and several of which they directed. They have since organized a network of an estimated 500 libertarian and conservative donors, candidates, think tanks, and other groups. As an example of their influence, investigative journalist Jane Mayer noted House Speaker John Boehner's appeal to David Koch in 2011 when Boehner needed votes to prevent a government shutdown.


title: Koch family

text: The Koch brothers indicated that they intended to raise almost $880 million in support of candidates in the 2016 elections, and have given more than $100 million to conservative and libertarian policy and advocacy groups in the United States, including The Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, and more recently Americans for Prosperity.


title: Koch family

text: Americans for Prosperity, founded by David Koch, has been reported by Kenneth P. Vogel of "Politico" to be one of the main nonprofit groups assisting the Tea Party movement; but in 2010, Koch spokeswoman Melissa Cohlmia distanced the Kochs from the tea parties and FreedomWorks saying that "no funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch foundations, Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties." According to the Koch Family Foundations and Philanthropy website, "the foundations and the individual giving of Koch family members" have financially supported organizations "fostering entrepreneurship, education, human services, at-risk youth, arts and culture, and medical research."


title: Koch family

text: Former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe", has pointed out that the Koch brothers have supported more than just what are generally considered conservative causes. They opposed George W. Bush on many issues, are pro-choice, support same sex marriage, and worked closely with the Obama White House for the Obama administration's criminal justice reform initiatives that aligned with their own.


title: Koch family

text: In early 2018, political advocacy groups linked to the Koch family pledged to spend $400 million on the 2018 midterm elections, including $20 million to promote the H.R.1 – An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 to skeptical voters.


title: Koch family

text: The Koch family funding apparatus has been funding conservative and libertarian groups through think tanks for over forty years. The Cato Institute, which Charles Koch helped create in 1974, is consistently ranked as among the top 25 U.S. think tanks overall in terms of influence on public policy in the United States. In 2015, the Kochs worked with the American Civil Liberties Union on criminal justice reform, specifically in the realm of civil asset forfeiture. The Kochs have also worked to push legislation aiming to adjust federal sentencing guidelines and reduce prison populations.


title: Koch family

text: According to a report by American University's Investigative Reporting Workshop, the Koch brothers have built "what may be the best funded, multifaceted, public policy, political and educational presence in the nation today." Opposition to the government spending any money on climate change is among this network's activities. Anthropogenic climate change skeptic Willie Soon received more than $500,000 from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation and a trust used by the Kochs. The primary recipients of Koch contributions, including Americans for Prosperity, The Heritage Foundation, and the Manhattan Institute, actively oppose clean energy and carbon legislation and are skeptical of climate science. In fact, the Koch brothers were involved in the first known gathering of climate change skeptics in 1991. Organized by the Cato Institute, the meeting shifted the position of the Republican Party on climate change. While George H. W. Bush had still supported research into global warming under the Global Change Research Act of 1990, acceptance of scientific evidence on climate change began to weaken due to the Koch family's influence.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Captain Fantastic is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, and Steve Zahn. The story centers on a family forced by circumstances to reintegrate into society after living in isolation for a decade.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016. It was screened in the "Un Certain Regard" section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. It was theatrically released on July 8, 2016 by Bleecker Street. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten independent films of 2016 and Mortensen was nominated for the Golden Globe, the BAFTA Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actor.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Ben Cash, his wife Leslie, and their six children live an isolated existence on ten acres in the mountainous Washington wilderness. They are former left-wing anarchist activists disillusioned with capitalism and American life, who choose to instill survivalist skills and left-wing politics and philosophy in their children.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: They educate them to think critically, and train them to be physically fit, athletic, and self-reliant without dependence on modern technology. They are raised to coexist with nature, and they celebrate Noam Chomsky's birthday instead of Christmas. The children are accustomed to reading many forms of college-level literature, and, while showing high aptitude and intelligence beyond their years, they are socially awkward as they have not been socialized with the outside world.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Leslie is hospitalized, away from her family and near her parents for bipolar disorder and eventually commits suicide, leaving Ben to raise the children on his own. He learns that Leslie's father, Jack, plans to hold a Christian burial despite Leslie being a Buddhist who wished to be cremated. They argue over the phone, and Jack threatens to have Ben arrested if he attends the funeral. He initially decides not to go and prevents his children from doing so, but then changes his mind, leading his children on a road trip into life outside the wilderness.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: The family briefly stays at the home of Ben's sister, Harper. She and her husband try to convince Ben the children should attend school to receive a conventional education; in response, Ben quizzes Harper's children and his children on various topics, illustrating that his children are better educated and embarrassing Harper and her husband. Ben arrives at Leslie's funeral with their children and reads her will, which instructs her family to cremate her and flush her ashes down a toilet. In response, Jack has Ben forcibly removed from the church. Ben tries to convince Jack to respect Leslie's wishes, to no avail.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: During their road trip, some of Ben's children start to doubt him and his parenting skills. Rellian accuses him of failing to treat Leslie's mental health, and Bodevan accuses him of not equipping them for the real world, showing him acceptance letters from several top Ivy League colleges, which Leslie had helped him apply to. Rellian tells Ben he wants to live with their grandparents, who want custody of all the children. When Vespyr tries to "free" Rellian from their grandparents, she falls from the roof and narrowly avoids breaking her neck. Ben, shocked and guilty, allows Jack to take his children. Although they have bonded with their grandparents, they quietly decide to follow Ben when he departs.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: The children wish to honor Leslie's final wishes, and convince Ben to help them. Exhuming her corpse, they burn it on a funeral pyre, flushing her ashes down an airport toilet. Bodevan then leaves the family to travel through Namibia, while the rest settle into a more "real world" life on a farm. The final scene shows the family eating breakfast around the kitchen table with their father, waiting for the school bus to arrive.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: The idea of the movie started for Matt Ross as he began questioning the choices he and his wife were making as parents. From there, he wondered what would happen if he were "completely present" in his children's lives while noting that modern technology had made that difficult. In making the film Ross also took autobiographical bits from his own life, notably being raised in what he terms as "alternative-living communities" growing up.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Viggo Mortensen was cast in February 2014. That June, it was announced that George MacKay, Annalise Basso, Samantha Isler, Nicholas Hamilton, Shree Crooks and newcomer Charlie Shotwell had also been cast. Much of the rest of the cast joined that July and August.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Principal photography on the film commenced in July 2014, in Western Washington, with additional photography in Portland, Oregon.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: In July 2014, eOne Entertainment acquired international distribution rights to the film. In August 2014, it was announced that Bleecker Street would distribute the film in the United States. The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016. The film was released on July 8, 2016. The film was aired in the "Un Certain Regard" section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, with Matt Ross winning the Best Director prize.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: "Captain Fantastic" grossed $5.9 million in the United States and Canada and $15.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $21.3 million, against a production budget of $5 million.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 229 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Captain Fantastic"s thought-provoking themes—and an absorbing starring turn from Viggo Mortensen—add up to an above-average family drama with unexpected twists." On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 72 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It received a ten-minute standing ovation at Cannes.


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Alonso Duralde of "TheWrap" gave the film a positive review, saying, "The movie really belongs to Mortensen, who allows Ben to be exasperating, arrogant, and impatient but also warm, loving, and caring. He's a tough but adoring father, a grieving widower and a passionate defender of his wife's final wishes, and Mortensen plays all these notes, and more with subtlety and grace". Peter Debruge of "Variety" gave the film a positive review, saying "Boasting half a dozen impressive youth performances alongside a leading role that takes full advantage of Mortensen's own sensitive, back-to-nature spirit, "Captain Fantastic" easily ranks among the most polished and relatable of this year's Sundance offerings."


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: A negative review from "The Guardian's" Peter Bradshaw writes, "There's a meaty whiff of phony-baloney in this fatuous and tiresome movie, replete with forced emotional crises and wrong notes, topped off with an excruciatingly unearned, sentimental ending. It's a low-cal version of Peter Weir's 1986 movie "The Mosquito Coast", starring someone who is essentially a cross between Charles Manson and Captain von Trapp."


title: Captain Fantastic (film)

text: Sheila O'Malley of "RogerEbert.com" believes "It's the attitude of the film that's the problem" and it "could have used a lot more skepticism". While praising the cast, she writes that the film "treats the situation (and Ben) so uncritically and so sympathetically that there is a total disconnect between what is actually onscreen and what Ross thinks is onscreen".


title: Election Commission of India

text: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body. It was established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, direction, and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of the president of India, and the office of vice-president of India shall be vested in the election commission. Thus, the Election Commission is an all-India body in the sense that it is common to both the Central government and the state governments.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, State Legislative Councils and the offices of the President and Vice President of the country. The Election Commission operates under the authority of Constitution per "Article 324", and subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act. The commission has the powers under the Constitution, to act in an appropriate manner when the enacted laws make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of an election. Being a constitutional authority, Election Commission is amongst the few institutions which function with both autonomy and freedom, along with the country's higher judiciary, the Union Public Service Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. It is a permanent constitutional body.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The commission was established in 1950 and originally only had one Chief Election Commissioner. Two additional Commissioners were appointed to the commission for the first time on 16 October 1989 (on the eve of the 1989 General Election), but they had a very short tenure, ending on 1 January 1990. "The Election Commissioner Amendment Act, 1989" was adopted on 1 January 1990 which turned the commission into a multi-member body: a 3-member Commission has been in operation since then and the decisions by the commission are made by a majority vote.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The commission is served by its secretariat located in New Delhi. The Election Commissioners are assisted by Deputy Election Commissioners, who are generally IAS officers. They are further assisted by Directors General, Principal Secretaries, and Secretaries and Under Secretaries.


title: Election Commission of India

text: At the state level, Election Commission is assisted by the Chief Electoral Officer of the State, who is an IAS officer of Principal Secretary rank. At the district and constituency levels, the District Magistrates (in their capacity as District Election Officers), Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers perform election work.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The tenure of election commissioners is not prescribed by Indian Constitution. However, according to THE ELECTION COMMISSION (CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS AND TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS) ACT, 1991 Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner shall hold office


title: Election Commission of India

text: for a term of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier, from the date on which he/she assumes his/her office.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The Chief Election Commissioner of India can be represented removed from their office in a manner similar to the removal of a judge of the Supreme Court of India which requires a resolution passed by the Parliament of India a two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.


title: Election Commission of India

text: Other Election Commissioners can be removed by the President of India on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner. A Chief Election Commissioner has never been impeached in India.


title: Election Commission of India

text: In 2009, just before the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami sent a recommendation to President Prathibha Patil to remove Election Commissioner Navin Chawla, who was soon to take office as the chief election commissioner and to subsequently supervise the Lok Sabha general election, a potential conflict of interest considering his partisan political party behavior. The President opined that such a recommendation is not binding on the president, and hence rejected it. Subsequently, after Gopalswami's retirement the next month, Chawla became the chief election commissioner and supervised the 2009 Lok Sabha general elections.


title: Election Commission of India

text: One of the most important features of the democratic policy in India is elections at regular intervals. Holding periodic, free and fair elections are essentials of a democratic system and a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. The Election Commission is regarded as the guardian of elections in the country. In every election, it issues a Model Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates to conduct elections in a free and fair manner. The commission issued the Code of Conduct for the first time in 1971 for the 5th Lok Sabha elections and has revised it from time to time. It lays down guidelines for the conduct of political parties and candidates during an election period. However, there have been instances of violation of the code by various political parties with complaints being received for misuse of official machinery by the candidates. The code does not have any specific statutory basis but only a persuasive effect. It contains the rules of electoral morality. However, this lack of statutory backing does not prevent the commission from enforcing it.


title: Election Commission of India

text: A law for the registration process for political parties was enacted in 1989 and a number of parties got registered with the commission. The registration helps avoid confusion and ensures that the political parties are brought under the purview of the commission.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The election commission has the right to allow symbols to the political parties. It gives recognition to the national parties, state parties and regional parties. It sets limits on poll expenses. The commission prepare electoral rolls and update the voter's list from time to time. Notifications of dates and schedules of election for filing nominations are issued by the commission. It is noteworthy that Election commission cannot allot same symbol to two regional political parties even if they are not in the same state.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The commission is empowered with prohibiting dissemination or publication of voting trends that seek to influence voters by opinion polls or exit polls.


title: Election Commission of India

text: To curb the growing influence of money during elections, the Election Commission has made many suggestions and changes in this regard. The commission has appointed IRS officers of the Income Tax Department as Election Observers (Expenditure) of all elections and has fixed the legal limits on the amount of money which a candidate can spend during election campaigns. These limits have been revised over time. The Election Commission, by appointing expenditure observers from the Indian Revenue Service, keeps an eye on the individual account of election expenditure. The commission takes details of the candidate's assets on affidavit at the time of submitting nomination paper, who are also required to give details of their expenditure within 30 days of the declaration of results. The campaign period has also been reduced by the commission from 21 to 14 days for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to cut down election expenditure.


title: Election Commission of India

text: In an attempt to decriminalise politics, the Election Commission has approached the Supreme Court to put a lifetime ban on convicted politicians from contesting elections.


title: Election Commission of India

text: In an effort to prevent electoral fraud, in 1993, EPICs or Electors Photo Identity Cards were issued, which became mandatory by the 2004 elections. However ration cards have been allowed for election purposes in certain situations.


title: Election Commission of India

text: Software mobile application, developed for Election Commission of India, by 01 Synergy, which makes the voting process less cumbersome and ensure that the general public is aware of the candidates in an election. The RONet suite of web and mobile applications is for all stakeholders involved in the election process. This would help them monitor the assigned tasks at all levels for the smooth conduct of elections.


title: Election Commission of India

text: ECI 360 mobile application was developed for the general public — which comprises signed and sworn affidavits of the contesting candidates, a list of rejected candidates, the final list of candidates, pickup requests for voters with disability, queue status (people waiting in line to cast votes), real-time poll booth-wise polling percentage, grievance redressal, and the results. The candidate app of ECI360 allows them to request permissions for rallies and is also mapped with redressal systems, which ensures that all the issues are sorted at the earliest.”


title: Election Commission of India

text: Voting in India is done using Electronic voting machines or EVMs, there is also a provision for the Postal voting in India, as well as the special arrangements for the disabled voters.


title: Election Commission of India

text: India has been the first country to adopt Electronic Voting at such a large scale. Electronic voting machines (EVM) were introduced by Election Commission in order to reduce malpractices and improve efficiency. They were tried for the first time on an experimental basis for the 1982 Kerala State Legislative Assembly Elections. After a successful testing and the legal inquiries, the commission took the decision to begin the use of these voting machines.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The introduction of Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) in eight Lok Sabha constituencies in 2014 Indian General Elections was a big achievement for the Election Commission. This Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) system was first used with EVMs in a by-poll in September 2013 in Noksen (Assembly Constituency) in Nagaland. and eventually in all elections from September 2013 onwards in various Legislative elections in the country.


title: Election Commission of India

text: Photo electoral rolls with photographs of the candidates on the EVMs were first introduced in the 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.


title: Election Commission of India

text: In 2014, none of the above or NOTA was also added as an option on the voting machines which is now a mandatory option to be provided in any election. The specific symbol for NOTA, a ballot paper with a black cross across it, was introduced on 18 September 2015. The symbol has been designed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.


title: Election Commission of India

text: Election Commission organised an open hackathon on 3 June 2017, to attempt hacking of Electronic Voting Machine used by the commission in various Indian elections. The NCP and CPI(M) were the only two parties that registered for the event but none of them participated.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The EVM hacking claims remained as allegations only and were usually used by the parties which lost elections. Functioning of EVMs and VVPAT machines were demonstrated to the teams.


title: Election Commission of India

text: Postal voting in India is done only through the ""Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers (ETPB)"" system of Election Commission of India, ballot papers are distributed to the registered eligible voters who return the votes by post. Postal votes are counted first before the counting of votes from the EVM. Only certain categories of people are eligible to register as postal voters. Employees working in the union armed forces and state police as well as their spouses, and those working for the Government of India who are officially posted abroad can register for the postal vote, these are also called the ""Service voters"". People in preventive detention can use postal vote. Prisoners can not vote at all.


title: Election Commission of India

text: The Election Commission of India came under severe criticism when an RTI application filed by activist Dr Satendra Singh revealed the commission's ill-preparedness to safeguard electors with disabilities in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. There were many violations of the Supreme Court order from 2014 to enfranchise persons with disabilities. In Karnataka, Election commission has offered sign language support to assist voters with speech and hearing impairment.


title: Kate (film)

text: Kate is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and written by Umair Aleem. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, Michiel Huisman, Miyavi, and Jun Kunimura. The film follows Kate (Winstead), an assassin, whose mentor and handler (Harrelson) assigns her to kill a high-ranking yakuza boss. During Kate's final mission, she finds out that she has been poisoned and has at most a day to live, so she uses her last hours to get revenge and find out who set her up.


title: Kate (film)

text: The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Winstead's performance but found the film "disappointingly derivative of numerous other female assassin films", and was released on September 10, 2021, by Netflix.


title: Kate (film)

text: Kate is an assassin and expert sniper who eliminates targets chosen by her trusted mentor and handler, Varrick. After she was left orphaned as a child, Varrick raised her as a father figure, giving her extensive training in weapons and combat and eventually inducting her into his private team of wetwork specialists.


title: Kate (film)

text: Kate is in Osaka to kill an officer of a powerful yakuza syndicate, but Kate resists taking the shot because a child has unexpectedly accompanied him. She ultimately shoots the target at Varrick's insistence. While Kate's assignment is a success, this breach of her personal code to not kill in the presence of children leaves her in emotional turmoil. She tells Varrick that she will do one final mission, and then retire so she can start a new life.


title: Kate (film)

text: Before the final mission, Kate meets a charismatic stranger, Stephen, at her hotel's bar. The pair share a bottle of wine and have sex in her room. Later, while preparing her sniper's nest, she starts getting symptoms of dizziness that cause her to miss the shot. Kate realizes that Stephen poisoned her, and after crashing a car, wakes up in a hospital to learn that she has acute radiation poisoning caused by Polonium-204 and only a day to live. She steals injectable stimulant drugs and a gun and sets out to exact revenge on whoever poisoned her.


title: Kate (film)

text: Kate tracks down Stephen and his girlfriend, and learns that they were strong-armed into poisoning her by Sato, a yakuza affiliated with the Kijima crime family. Kate finds Sato at a luxury restaurant and kills him along with dozens of armed yakuza. Desperate for information about the reclusive, well-guarded boss Kijima, who she thinks might be behind the poisoning, she kidnaps Ani, Kijima's niece. Kate realizes that Ani is the girl who saw her father die during the Osaka mission.


title: Kate (film)

text: While Kate initially only wants to use Ani as bait to lure Kijima out into the open, she decides to become her protector upon learning that Ani's family wants to kill her as part of an internal power struggle, led by Kijima's corrupt advisor, Renji. Kate uncovers more clues about the Osaka mission and realizes that her trust in Varrick may be misplaced after tracking down Kijima, who reveals that Renji made a deal with Varrick to incorporate his team into the syndicate in exchange for killing Kijima and all of his blood relatives.


title: Kate (film)

text: Meanwhile, Ani learns of Kate's involvement in her father's death from Varrick, causing her to shoot Kate in the face when trying to reason with her, and leaves with Varrick. Kijima, aware that Kate is close to death, provides her with a small army of his men to assault Renji's headquarters.


title: Kate (film)

text: After a fierce gunfight, most of Renji and Varrick's men are killed, and Kijima personally beheads Renji for his betrayal. Kate locates Varrick, who is holding Ani at gunpoint. The two have a fast draw and Varrick is fatally shot in the stomach. Ani then helps Kate walk outside to the roof, where Kate sheds a single tear as she succumbs to her poisoning.


title: Kate (film)

text: In October 2017, Netflix acquired Umair Aleem's script "Kate," with David Leitch, Kelly McCormick, Bryan Unkeless and Scott Morgan producing the film. The film was greenlit with a production budget of $25 million. In December 2018, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan signed on to direct the film. In April 2019, Mary Elizabeth Winstead was cast to star in the film. In July 2019, Woody Harrelson joined the cast. In September, Michiel Huisman, Tadanobu Asano and Jun Kunimura were among new additions to the cast. In November 2019, it was announced that the Japanese rock band Band-Maid would appear in the film.


title: Kate (film)

text: Filming commenced on September 16, 2019 and concluded on November 29, 2019. Shooting locations include Thailand, Tokyo, Japan, and Los Angeles, California.


title: Kate (film)

text: Winstead had previously worked with stunt performer Hayley Wright on the film "Gemini Man" and trained with her extensively before filming began. Winstead appreciated that they both had a background in dance and moved in the same way. Unfortunately Wright was injured on the first day of filming in Thailand and other stunt performers had to be brought on instead.


title: Kate (film)

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, 45% of 93 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Mary Elizabeth Winstead does reliably gripping work in the title role, but "Kate" is disappointingly derivative of numerous other female assassin films." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: Kate (film)

text: Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" wrote: "So, yes: "Kate" is "John Wick" meets "Die Hard" meets "Collateral" meets "Kill Bill all the Volumes" and we've seen it all before and you're not going to get much in the way of original plot, but what you WILL get is a grindhouse of a good time with some bleak and wickedly sharp humor, screen-popping visuals and some pretty great fight choreography."


title: Kate (film)

text: CNN's Brian Lowry was critical of the lack of originality comparing it to the film noir "D.O.A." released in 1950. He said the action was "plentiful and particularly bloody" but the story lacks mystery and was "wholly predictable".


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Harvey Daniel James Elliott (born 4 April 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Having come up through their academy, Elliott made his first-team debut for Fulham in September 2018, becoming the youngest player to play in the EFL Cup, aged 15 years and 174 days.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott was born in Chertsey, Surrey. He was interested in football from a young age and grew up supporting Liverpool. His father, Scott, would tutor him so he could develop a professional attitude towards training. Elliott joined Queens Park Rangers' youth academy at an early age.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott was signed by Fulham’s academy at U-18 level. He made his first-team debut for Fulham on 25 September 2018 as a 15-year-old in the EFL Cup Third round away to Millwall, as an 81st-minute substitute for Floyd Ayité in a 3–1 win. He had been at Coombe Boys' School in New Malden, Greater London earlier that day and was back at school the next morning. At 15 years and 174 days he became the club's youngest ever first-team player and the youngest to ever play in the competition.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: On 4 May 2019, Elliott made his Premier League debut after coming on as a 88th-minute substitute for André-Frank Zambo Anguissa in a 1–0 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. In doing so, he became the youngest ever Premier League player at the time, at 16 years and 30 days, beating the then record set in 2007 by fellow Fulham player Matthew Briggs.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott signed for Premier League club Liverpool on 28 July 2019 for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut for the club on 25 September in that season's EFL Cup match against Milton Keynes Dons. At the age of 16 years and 174 days, he became the youngest-ever player to start a match for the club, and second-youngest to feature in a competitive fixture behind Jerome Sinclair. The following month, during the team's 5–4 penalty shoot-out (after a 5–5 draw after extra time) win over Arsenal in the next round of the competition, Elliott became the youngest player to start a match at Liverpool's home ground, Anfield, at the age of 16 years and 209 days. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 2 January 2020, replacing Mohamed Salah one minute before the final whistle in a 2–0 home win against Sheffield United.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 6 July 2020. On 10 February 2021, the independent Professional Football Compensation Committee ordered Liverpool to compensate Fulham an undisclosed amount for Elliott’s transfer. Liverpool confirmed the fee as £1.5 million, plus £2.8 million in bonuses. The fee was a record for a then-16 year old.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: In October 2020, Elliott joined Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan. He made his league debut for Blackburn in their 3–1 away loss to Watford on 21 October. He scored his first goal for the club in their 4–0 away win against Coventry City on 24 October.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: In April 2021, Elliott was nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Season award, which was eventually won by Reading player Michael Olise. He finished the 2020–21 season with 7 goals and 11 assists. He also was awarded Blackburn's Goal of the Season for his strike against Millwall in December 2020. He returned to Liverpool after the Championship season ended in May 2021.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool on 9 July 2021. He made his full Premier League debut for Liverpool on 21 August, starting and playing the whole match in a 2–0 win against Burnley. On 12 September, Elliott dislocated his ankle in a challenge with Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk in a 3–0 away league win. Following the injury, Liverpool confirmed that he would require surgery. On 14 September, Elliott underwent successful surgery in London, with the club remaining hopeful that he would make a return before the end of the 2021–22 season.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott returned to the Liverpool squad on 6 February 2022 in a fourth round FA Cup match against Cardiff City, coming on as a substitute in the 58th minute and scoring his first Liverpool goal in a 3–1 Liverpool victory.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: On 16 February 2022, he made his Champions League debut, being named in the starting line-up for a Round of 16 tie against Italian giants Inter Milan. He played 60 minutes before being replaced by Naby Keïta.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: He came on in the 79th minute of the 2022 EFL Cup Final for captain Jordan Henderson and played the remaining minutes of the game, including the entirety of extra time. The game finished 0-0 and Elliott scored the 9th penalty for his side in the resulting shootout, which they won 11–10, to lift their first EFL Cup in 10 years.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: On 27 August 2022, he scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in the 9–0 win against AFC Bournemouth. He became a regular in the first team, deputising for Jordan Henderson in the Captain's absence, and won plaudits for his "exceptional" performance against Newcastle United. On 12 October 2022, he scored his first Champions League goal when he scored the rebound from Diogo Jota's deflected effort in a 7–1 win against Rangers, their heaviest ever European defeat and the first time they had conceded seven goals at Ibrox. He then scored his second Champions League goal just two weeks later, notching the third in a 3–0 away win over Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena to help Liverpool qualify for the knockout stage.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: He is a lifelong fan of Liverpool and attended the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final in Kyiv with his father, Scott. He is a close friend of Fábio Carvalho, having attended the same school and come through the Fulham academy together, later advising him to join Liverpool.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott is a fan of the NBA, supporting the Boston Celtics, and has attended several of their games. He considers teammate Mohamed Salah to be a friend and mentor, with the forward taking him under his wing during the 2021–22 season and advising him on his diet and exercise plans.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott received his first call-up to the England under-17 team in October 2018. The following month he scored his first goal at this age level, away to the Republic of Ireland.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott was included in the England under-17 squad for the 2019 Syrenka Cup, a friendly tournament usually held in preparation for UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying. Elliott helped the England under-17 team to the title on 10 September 2019 by scoring the opening goal of the final from the spot in a 2–2 draw with hosts Poland before Kevin Betsy's Young Lions won 3–1 after a penalty shoot-out.


title: Harvey Elliott

text: Elliott made his debut for the under-21 team on 25 March 2022 in a 4–1 win over Andorra at Dean Court in 2023 U21 EURO qualifying.


title: Amanda Schull

text: Amanda Schull is an American actress and former professional ballet dancer. She is known for her lead role in the 2000 film "Center Stage", and for her recurring roles on the American television series "One Tree Hill" and "Pretty Little Liars". She starred in the Syfy television series "12 Monkeys", and played a recurring role on the USA television series "Suits" before being promoted to series regular for the show's eighth and ninth seasons.


title: Amanda Schull

text: Schull was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Susan Schull, the current president of Ballet Hawaii, and is one of three children. She attended Punahou School, and trained at Hawaii State Ballet under the instruction of John Landovsky.


title: Amanda Schull

text: Schull was offered a scholarship to Indiana University for ballet, and attended at age 17. While at Indiana University, she joined Delta Delta Delta. During her sophomore year (as a ballet and journalism major), she attended the San Francisco Ballet School Summer Intensive. She continued her studies for an additional year on scholarship.


title: Amanda Schull

text: After Schull's year-long scholarship ended in 1999, she continued as an apprentice. After filming "Center Stage", she subsequently joined SFB as a full-time member of its "corps de ballet".


title: Amanda Schull

text: Schull was cast in the starring role of Jody Sawyer in the 2000 film "Center Stage" while still an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet.


title: Amanda Schull

text: In April 2006, Schull retired from San Francisco Ballet. In May 2008 she went to Australia to film the movie adaptation of Li Cunxin's "Mao's Last Dancer". In "Mao's Last Dancer", released in North America in 2010, Schull has a major role as Elizabeth "Liz" Mackey, the girlfriend (and later, first wife) of Li Cunxin.


title: Amanda Schull

text: In 2009, Schull had a guest star role on the Fox TV show, "Lie to Me" (season 1, episode 4). The same year, she was seen in the Lifetime Movie "Sorority Wars" starring Lucy Hale and Courtney Thorne-Smith. She also guest starred on The CW's "One Tree Hill" as Sara, the spirit and memory of the deceased wife of Clay (played by Robert Buckley), and also as Clay's wannabe lover who bears a striking resemblance to Sara—Katie Ryan. She guest starred in an episode of "Ghost Whisperer" (Greek Tragedy) in 2009, and episode 14 of "Bones", in 2010. Schull recurringly appeared as Meredith, who is Aria's (Lucy Hale's character) dad's former lover, in the ABC Family series "Pretty Little Liars". She also appeared in an episode of "Hawaii Five-0". In March 2012, she appeared in a McDonald's commercial for the Shamrock Shake and in April she guest starred in an episode of "Psych". Also in 2012 she appeared in an episode of "Grimm" as Lucinda, a character who resembles Cinderella, but with a twist. In February 2013 she appeared as Agent Naomi in an episode of "Nikita" (Black Badge). Since 2013, Schull has appeared in the recurring role of Katrina Bennett in USA Network's "Suits". In March 2018, she was promoted to series regular for the eighth season of "Suits".


title: Amanda Schull

text: In November 2013, Schull was cast as Cassandra Railly on the television series "12 Monkeys", based on the 1995 film of the same name. The show premiered January 16, 2015.


title: Amanda Schull

text: Schull met her husband, George Wilson, while filming "Mao's Last Dancer" in Australia. In February 2020, Schull gave birth to the couple's first child, a son.


title: Life of Pi

text: Life of Pi is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger which raises questions about the nature of reality and how it is perceived and told.


title: Life of Pi

text: The novel has sold more than ten million copies worldwide. It was rejected by at least 5 London publishing houses before being accepted by Knopf Canada, which published it in September 2001. The UK edition won the Man Booker Prize the following year. It was also chosen for CBC Radio's "Canada Reads" 2003, where it was championed by author Nancy Lee.


title: Life of Pi

text: The French translation "L'Histoire de Pi" was chosen in the French CBC version of the contest "Le Combat des livres", where it was championed by Louise Forestier. The novel won the 2003 Boeke Prize, a South African novel award. In 2004, it won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in Best Adult Fiction for years 2001–2003. In 2012 it was adapted into a feature film directed by Ang Lee with a screenplay by David Magee.


title: Life of Pi

text: In 2022, the novel was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.


title: Life of Pi

text: The book begins with a note from the author, which is an integral part of the novel. Unusually, the note describes "mostly" fictional events. It serves to establish and enforce one of the book's main themes: the relativity of truth.


title: Life of Pi

text: In the 1960s, the narrator, Piscine Molitor Patel, grows up as the son of the manager of a zoo in Pondicherry. While later recounting his life there, he proffers insight on the antagonism of zoos and expresses his thoughts on why animals react less negatively than proponents of the idea suggest.


title: Life of Pi

text: The narrator describes how he acquired his full name as a tribute to the swimming pool in France. After schoolmates tease him by transforming his first name into "Pissing", he establishes the short form of his name as "Pi" when he starts secondary school. The name, he says, pays tribute to the transcendental number which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.