title: Honours degree

text: Honours degree has various meanings in the context of different degrees and education systems. Most commonly it refers to a variant of the undergraduate bachelor's degree containing a larger volume of material or a higher standard of study, or both, rather than an "ordinary", "general" or "pass" bachelor's degree. Honours degrees are sometimes indicated by "Hons" after the degree abbreviation, with various punctuation according to local custom, e.g. "BA (Hons)", "B.A., Hons", etc. In Canada, honours degrees may be indicated with an "H" preceding the degree abbreviation, e.g. "HBA" for Honours Bachelor of Arts or Honours Business Administration.


title: Honours degree

text: Examples of honours degree include the "honors bachelor's degree" in the United States; the "bachelor's degree with honours" in the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and India; the "honours bachelor's degree" in Ireland; the "bachelor with honours" and "bachelor honours degree" in New Zealand; the "bachelor with honours" and "honours bachelor's degree" in Canada; and the "bachelor honours degree" in Australia. In South Africa the "bachelor honours degree" is a postgraduate degree that follows on from the completion of a bachelor's degree. The undergraduate master of arts degree awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland in place of the bachelor of arts may be awarded as an honours or non-honours degree; these are at the same level as equivalent bachelor's degrees. At master's level, the integrated master's degrees in British universities, which students enter at the same level as bachelor's degrees, are also honours degrees.


title: Honours degree

text: Many universities and colleges offer both honours and non-honours bachelor's degrees. In most countries where honours degrees are granted, they imply a higher level of achievement than a non-honours degree. In some countries (e.g. Australia), an honours degree may also involve a longer period of study than a non-honours degree. Students who complete all the requirements for a non-honours bachelor's degree but do not receive sufficient merit to be awarded an honours degree would normally be awarded a non-honours degree (sometimes known as a "pass", "general" or "ordinary" degree), although students who do not complete the requirements for an integrated master's honours degree may receive a bachelor's honours degree. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, almost all bachelor's degrees are awarded as honours degrees; in contrast, honours degrees are rarely awarded in the United States.


title: Honours degree

text: The current British undergraduate degree classification system, with its division into first, upper and lower second, and third class honours, was developed in 1918 to distinguish between students on the basis of their academic achievement. The concept of an "honours" degree goes back much further than this, however, as there were examinations for honours in the original regulations of the University of London in 1839, and Nevil Maskelyne being recorded as taking a bachelor's degree with honours at Cambridge in 1754. Other countries influenced by this system include Australia, Brunei, Canada, New Zealand, Malta, Singapore, South Africa and Hong Kong.


title: Honours degree

text: The consecutive Australian with-honours degree is usually a one to two-year research program, after the completion of a bachelor's degree in the same field. It can also be started as a concurrent program in the fourth year of a four-year bachelor's degree. It is generally considered a postgraduate year because a bachelor's degree can be completed without it. Entry to an honours degree generally requires proven abilities and a distinction (75% or greater average) in the relevant area or the final-year units, and even then is quite competitive.


title: Honours degree

text: In the regular (standalone) honours, the student will complete selected courses within a supervised program of research (field, laboratory, or secondary), and produce a long, high-quality research thesis. This is usually accompanied by a seminar or presentation of the findings to an academic board for marking. In the case of a quality thesis being produced, its findings may be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal or similar publication. Students receiving high marks in their honours program have the option of continuing to candidature of a doctoral program, such as Doctor of Philosophy, without having to complete a master's degree. Honours can be awarded at up to five levels, depending on the awarding institution, and may be indicated in post-nominals in general as "(Hons)":


title: Honours degree

text: At the master's level, Monash University has a "Master of Business with Honours" program in which students can be awarded an honours classification upon completion.


title: Honours degree

text: In Canada there are two type of honours degree. Some universities, especially in Ontario, award an honours degree after four years of undergraduate study, instead of the three years of an ordinary bachelor's degree. Examples of universities awarding this degree include Queen's University and York University. In those universities, honours degree students may undertake an honours thesis.


title: Honours degree

text: Some other universities, such as McGill University, University of Ottawa, University of Western Ontario, University of British Columbia, Concordia University and Dalhousie University, require students to undertake an honours project in order to graduate "with" honours (Latin "cum honore", French "spécialisé"). In those universities, honours programmes also require a higher degree of specialization than non-honours "major" degrees, including a supervised research project or thesis, and students are required to maintain a high academic standard.


title: Honours degree

text: Thesis-based honours degrees prepare students for research-based postgraduate study, and may sometimes allow direct entry into doctoral programs. A four-year bachelor's degree is required for entry to most postgraduate courses in Canada.


title: Honours degree

text: In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, bachelor's degrees are normally awarded "with honours" after three years of study. The bachelor's degree with honours meets the requirements for a higher education qualification at level 6 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in full, and is a first-cycle, end-of-cycle award on the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area established by the Bologna process.


title: Honours degree

text: Students can be awarded an "ordinary" degree if they achieve the required learning outcomes over a smaller volume of studies than is required for an honours degree, e.g. only passing 300 credits rather than the 360 usually required for an honours degree. In addition to bachelor's degrees, four-year integrated master's degrees, which combine study at the bachelor's and master's levels, are also awarded with honours.


title: Honours degree

text: The University of Oxford does not award honours with its standard BA degree, but considers students who gain a third class degree or better to have "achieved honours status".


title: Honours degree

text: Universities in Hong Kong have four degree classifications: first class, second class upper division (or second class division one/I), second class lower division (or second class division two/II), and third class. Bachelor degrees issued in Hong Kong are honour degrees and are abbreviated as B.Sc. (Hons), B.Eng. (Hons), B.B.A. (Hons), etc. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University follow a GPA scale of 4.3, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong follows a GPA scale of 4.0.


title: Honours degree

text: A number of honours degrees are offered by the University of Malta, and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), usually indicating an extra year of study with an undergraduate dissertation or a specialisation within a three-year programme.


title: Honours degree

text: The "bachelor honours degree" is a separate level on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework from the bachelor's degree without honours, as in Australia and Scotland. It may either be a 4-year (480 credit) course or a single-year (120 credit) course following on from a bachelor's degree, and it prepares students for postgraduate study. Bachelor's degrees issued are abbreviated as B.Com (Hons), B.Sc (Hons), etc. The award of honours recognises outstanding achievement, meritorious achievement or a pass; these may be termed first class honours, second class honours: first or second divisions, and third class honours.


title: Honours degree

text: In Scotland, all undergraduate degrees with honours must be of four-year duration. Students can choose to do the honours degree or the general (or pass/ordinary) degree. The first two years of both types of degrees are the same; however, after that, students who pursue the honours route will complete more advanced subjects and a dissertation in their last year, while students who choose to do the general degree will complete their third year at a lower level of specialisation.


title: Honours degree

text: Entry into the honours year in Scotland is generally not restricted and students are encouraged to take the honours year as the general/ordinary/pass degree does not provide the same level of depth and specialisation.


title: Honours degree

text: Students enrolling in the honours program but failing to achieve the required academic merit for honours are awarded a pass/ordinary/general degree.


title: Honours degree

text: In Ireland, honours bachelor's degrees are at level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications and are Bologna first cycle degrees. They normally follow a three or four year (180-240 ECTS credits) course. The higher diploma may be awarded at the same level following a single year of study (60 ECTS credits) and is normally taken following an honours degree as a conversion course. Ordinary (non-honours) bachelor's degrees are at level 7 of the framework and take three years (180 EFTS credits) to complete.


title: Honours degree

text: In South Africa, non-professional bachelor's degrees (BA, BSc, BCom) are three-year degrees (professional degrees such as law or medicine are longer). Students with a 3-year degree may register for honours degree, a one-year qualification required to register for a Master's. Usually the honours degree specialises in one subject matter (e.g., mathematics, English). Intake into the honours degree is often highly selective. The bachelor's degree is at level 7 and the honours degree at level 8 on the National Qualifications Framework of the South African Qualifications Authority. The honours degree typically consists of taught courses and research components (at least 25% of the honours degree).


title: Honours degree

text: In the United States, an honours degree (or honors degree in U.S. spelling) requires a thesis or project work beyond that needed for the normal bachelor's program. Honours programs in the U.S. are taken alongside the rest of the degree and often have a minimum GPA requirement for entry, which can vary between institutions. Some institutions do not have a separate honours program, but instead refer to bachelor's degrees awarded with Latin honours, which may be based either on GPA or class position, as honours degrees.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: Brooklyn is a 2015 romantic period drama film directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Colm Tóibín. A co-production between the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, it stars Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, with Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters in supporting roles. The plot follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irishwoman who emigrates to Brooklyn in the early 1950s to find employment. After building a life there, she is drawn back to her home town of Enniscorthy and has to choose where she wants to forge her future. Principal photography began in April 2014 with three weeks of filming in Ireland, which were followed by four weeks in Montreal, Quebec; only two days of filming took place in Brooklyn, one of which was spent at the beach in Coney Island.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film premiered on 26 January 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival, and was later screened as part of the Special Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September. It opened in the United States on 4 November, in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 6 November, and in Canada on 20 November. Critical response to the film was overwhelmingly positive, with many reviewers praising the screenplay and direction. Ronan's performance was also highlighted by many critics, and she was nominated for numerous awards for Best Actress, including a BAFTA, Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film, and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress (for Ronan), and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also featured on more than 120 film critics' "Top 10" lists of the best films of 2015, and was ranked 48th on the BBC's 2016 list of the 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: In 1951, in Enniscorthy, a small town in southeast Ireland, Eilis Lacey lives with her mother and older sister, Rose. Although she is an intelligent young woman, Eilis is unable to find full-time employment, so she works weekends at a shop run by the spiteful Miss Kelly. Eilis often accompanies her friend Nancy to local dances, but she is uninterested in the local young men.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: Rose arranges with Father Flood, an Irish priest in Brooklyn, for Eilis to move to New York City, where, it is hoped, there will be more opportunities for her. On the trip over, Eilis suffers from seasickness, but is locked out of the shared toilet by the women in the adjoining cabin. Her bunkmate, Georgina, an experienced traveler returning to the United States after a visit home, comes to her aid and offers advice and support.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: In New York, Eilis moves into a Brooklyn boarding house run by Mrs Kehoe that caters to young Irish women, and Father Flood gets her a job as a salesclerk at a fancy department store, but she has difficulty adjusting to her new life. She feels homesick, particularly after reading the letters she receives from Rose. Upon learning this, Father Flood takes a more active interest in Eilis and gets her enrolled in night school bookkeeping classes at Brooklyn College, as she wants to become an accountant.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: At an Irish dance, Eilis meets Tony Fiorello, an amiable Italian-American plumber. They begin dating, and, as their romance becomes more serious and she progresses in her studies, she gradually begins to feel more at home in Brooklyn.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: When Rose unexpectedly dies, Eilis tells Tony she must return home to help her mother. He shows her a plot of land on Long Island and tells her he and his brothers intend to build five houses on it, selling three and keeping one for their parents and one for him and Eilis, if she wants it. She says she does, but she still feels the need to visit her mother, so Tony asks her to marry him before she goes. Eilis is hesitant, but agrees, and they secretly marry at City Hall. While there, they bump into an Irish couple with relatives in Enniscorthy.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: Once back in Ireland, Eilis falls, not back into her old life, but into a new one. She temporarily takes Rose's still-vacant bookkeeping job to help out, and all indications are that the permanent position is hers, if she wants it. Perhaps more surprisingly for her, however, Eilis finds herself developing feelings for the thoughtful, well-off bachelor Jim Farrell, who Nancy set her up with, not knowing about Eilis' marriage. Eilis extends her trip to attend Nancy's wedding, and avoids reading Tony's letters. Jim asks her to stay and indicates he would like to propose marriage, but Eilis remains noncommittal, as she is not sure which future she wants for herself, and seemingly distances herself from the life she left behind.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: One day, Miss Kelly sends for Eilis, who issues as a veiled threat: that she knows through gossip from the couple at City Hall that Eilis is married. When Miss Kelly begins to mock her, relishing her own cruelty towards Eilis. Eilis remembers the stifling and restrictive nature of life in Enniscorthy, and having had enough of the old woman's bullying states her full married name, establishing that she remembers who she is. This effectively renders Miss Kelly powerless over her. Returning home, Eilis tearfully informs her mother that she is married to Tony and states her plan to Brooklyn, leaving a farewell letter for Jim. On the ocean crossing, Eilis offers guidance to a young woman making her own first trip to America. Once home in Brooklyn, Eilis reunites with Tony and they embrace.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: Colm Tóibín, the author of the novel upon which the film is based, has a cameo as the man in line in front of Eilis the first time she goes through immigration in New York.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film is set during a time when Irish migration to New York was thriving. The initial boom of Irish immigration to the US had started during the period following the Great Famine (1845–49). By the end of World War II, the rate of Irish immigration to New York had declined, but newly arriving citizens were still be able to find bustling Irish communities in which women were arguably a more significant presence than men. These women immigrants were often very active in the workplace, placing marriage ambitions on hold to find practical occupations in places such as supermarkets, eateries, and stores. Eilis makes her journey from Ireland to America in the 1950s, along with approximately 50,000 other immigrants (around a quarter of whom moved to New York) as a part of the second minor wave of migration. Many of these migrants were in search of steadier jobs and a happier lifestyle. There were also smaller surges of immigrants from many other countries at this time, expanding the trend of modern-day America becoming a vast land of many different cultures.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: "Brooklyn" is adapted from Irish writer Colm Tóibín's 2009 novel of the same name. The novel has been much-celebrated in the literary world, with "The Observer" naming it as one of "The 10 best historical novels" in 2012. In addition to this, it won the 2009 Costa Novel Award, was shortlisted for the 2011 International Dublin Literary Award, and was longlisted for the 2009 Booker Prize.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film is generally regarded as a faithful adaptation of the novel, with Tóibín noting the overall "authenticity" of the film in an interview with "The Washington Post". However, the two works differ notably in how they end: in the novel, Eilis leaves Ireland, but her destination and ultimately her fate is left for the reader to decide, while the film ends with Eilis having a poignant reunion with Tony in Brooklyn. In Tóibín's later novel, "Nora Webster", set in the 1960s, the author offers a glimpse of Eilis's later life during a conversation between that story's main charachter, and Eilis's mother. Both the book and film have been praised for their refreshing perspective on the plight of the Irish immigrant.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: Principal photography began on 1 April 2014 in Ireland. The three weeks of filming in the country took place at locations in Enniscorthy, Wexford, and Dublin. On the first day of shooting, Ronan was spotted in period costume on the set in Enniscorthy. Production then moved to Montreal, Quebec, for four more weeks of filming. Two days were spent shooting in Brooklyn, one day of which was spent at the beach in Coney Island.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: "Brooklyn" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 26 January 2015, after which a bidding war began between Fox Searchlight Pictures, Focus Features, and The Weinstein Company. Fox Searchlight prevailed, acquiring the distribution rights for the U.S. and several other territories for $9 million, which was one of the biggest deals to ever come out of Sundance. "Brooklyn" was selected to be shown as part of the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was screened on 13 September.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: In the United States, the film opened in limited release on 4 November 2015, before opening wide on 25 November. It was released by Lionsgate in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 6 November. In Canada, it was given a limited release by Mongrel Media in Toronto and Vancouver on 20 November, before opening nationwide on 11 December.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film received a standing ovation following its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 97% based on 277 reviews, with an average score of 8.50/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: ""Brooklyn" buttresses outstanding performances from Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen with a rich period drama that tugs at the heartstrings as deftly as it satisfies the mind." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 based on reviews from 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim." Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an overall positive score of 92%, and over 80% of respondents said they would "definitely recommend" it.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The British Film Institute called the film one of the best releases of 2015. In his review for the organization, Philip Kemp, describing ambiance and tone of the film, stated: "In some ways "Brooklyn" feels like a movie that's not just about, but also from, a more innocent age." He also pointed out that, while most immigrant stories are "male-led", "Brooklyn" is "female-led and all the stronger for it", concluding that "In this, as in most other ways, it's faithful to its source material."


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: A review in "Empire" expanded on the film's genre and ambiance, stating: "Unashamedly romantic and achieved with a beautifully subtle, old-fashioned elegance, it's a graceful coming-of-age tale ripe for awards."


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: "Brooklyn" grossed $38.3 million in North America and $23.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $62.1 million, against a budget of $11 million. "The Hollywood Reporter" calculated that the film made a net profit of $3–4 million.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film's gross in Canada exceeded C$4 million, giving it the highest cumulative domestic gross of any Canadian film released in 2015. In Ireland, it earned over $650,000 from 87 cinemas its opening weekend, which was the biggest opening of any Irish drama in Ireland since "Michael Collins" opened to $662,000 in November 1996.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film won the Audience Favorite Gold Award in World Cinema at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the Rogers People's Choice Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Virginia Film Festival. Emory Cohen was named Breakthrough Performer at the Hamptons International Film Festival.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: "Brooklyn" received many nominations for industry and critics awards, including three nominations at the 88th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress. Saoirse Ronan's performance was particularly praised, and, in addition to her Oscar nod, she garnered BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations for Best Actress. She also won the BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film. Julie Walters was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs. The film won the Canadian Screen Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Musical Score and the Quebec Cinema Awards (formerly known as the "Prix Jutra") for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction.


title: Brooklyn (film)

text: The film was also featured on more than 120 film critics' "Top 10" lists of the best films of 2015, and was ranked 48th on the BBC's 2016 list of the 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century. It is ranked as the fourth-best reviewed film of 2015 on Rotten Tomatoes, and as fifth-best on Metacritic.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri (, , ; formally Arma dei Carabinieri, "Arm of Carabineers"; previously "Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali", "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign policing duties. It is one of Italy's main law enforcement agencies, alongside the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza. As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces, they come under the authority of the Ministry of Defence; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the Ministry of the Interior. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, although both of them are contactable through 112, the European Union's Single Emergency number. Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for policing the military, and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.


title: Carabinieri

text: They were originally founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the forerunner of the Kingdom of Italy. During the process of Italian unification, the Carabinieri were appointed as the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of Benito Mussolini, they were also responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded during World War II by Nazi Germany, which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the Italian resistance movement.


title: Carabinieri

text: In 2000, they were separated from the Army to become a separate branch of the Italian Armed Forces. Carabinieri have policing powers that can be exercised at any time and in any part of the country, and they are always permitted to carry their assigned weapon as personal equipment (Beretta 92FS pistols).


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri are often referred to as "La Benemerita" (The Reputable or The Meritorious) as they are a trusted and prestigious law enforcement institution in Italy. The first official account of the use of this term to refer to the Carabinieri dates back to June 24, 1864.


title: Carabinieri

text: Inspired by the French Gendarmerie, the corps was created by King Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy with the aim of providing the Kingdom of Sardinia with a police corps. Previously, police duties were managed by the "Dragoni di Sardegna Corps," created in 1726 and composed of volunteers. After French soldiers had occupied Turin at the end of the 18th century and later abandoned it to the Kingdom of Piedmont, the Royal Carabinieri Corps was instituted under the Royal Patents of 13 July 1814. The name is derived from the French word "carabinier", meaning "soldier armed with a carbine."


title: Carabinieri

text: The new force was divided into divisions on the scale of one division for each province. The divisions were further divided into companies and subdivided into lieutenancies, which commanded and coordinated the local police stations and were distributed throughout the national territory in direct contact with the public.


title: Carabinieri

text: In 1868, the "Corazzieri" (mounted division) was formed – initially as an escort of honour for the sovereign, and since 1946 for the President of the Republic. The Italian unification saw the number of divisions increased, and on 24 January 1861, the "Carabinieri" were appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization.


title: Carabinieri

text: In May 1915, Italian troops marched to encompass South Tyrol, a territory of their former allies the Austro-Hungarian empire, in the Italian front . The defenders had sufficient time to prepare strong fortifications there, and at Carso to the east. The Italians, under the overall command of General Cadorna, found themselves repeatedly repulsed in harsh fighting. The role of the Carabinieri was to act as barrier troops, setting up machine gun posts to control the rear of the attacking regiments and prevent desertion.


title: Carabinieri

text: During the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini (1922–1943), the Carabinieri were one of the police forces entrusted with suppressing opposition in Italy. During the same period, while part of the Italian African Police (mainly in the late 1930s), they were involved in atrocities in colonial Italian East Africa during the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. During World War II they fought in their function as military police against the Allied forces, and against Yugoslav partisans as part of the Italian occupation force in Yugoslavia.


title: Carabinieri

text: After Mussolini was voted out of office on 25 July 1943, on the orders of the king, he was arrested by the Carabinieri as he left the king's private residence in Rome and subsequently imprisoned on Campo Imperatore by Carabinieri forces. After the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 3 September 1943 and the country's split into the fascist Italian Social Republic in the north and the Kingdom of Italy in the south, the Carabinieri split into two groups. In southern Italy the Carabinieri Command for Liberated Italy was founded in Bari, mobilizing new units for the Italian war of liberation. These units were attached to the Italian Liberation Corps and the six Italian Combat Groups of the Italian Co-Belligerent Army, fighting with the Allied forces. In northern Italy the fascist regime organized the National Republican Guard (composed of Carabinieri, former officers from the Italian African Police, Guardia di Finanza and customs police), to employ it as a military police and rapid-deployment anti-guerrilla force. GNR was later joined (but not taken over) by the Black Brigades which represented a new militant incarnation of the Fascist party.


title: Carabinieri

text: Due to the role the Carabinieri had played in the downfall of Mussolini, and since one of the few units which fought the German occupation of Rome were the Granatieri di Sardegna regiments and the II Carabinieri cadet battalion, the Germans did not view the Carabinieri as loyal to the fascist cause. They disarmed the force and began the deportation of 8,000 officers to Germany for forced labour on 6 October 1943; the Italian Colonial Police took over their jobs.


title: Carabinieri

text: Subsequently, large numbers of Carabinieri joined the Italian resistance movement to fight German and Italian fascists. Nonetheless, some 45,000 officers remained on the job and as of March 1944, this group was the only national security force in Italy.


title: Carabinieri

text: After the war the Carabinieri counted at least 2,735 fallen and 6,500 wounded, out of approximately 14,000 who had joined the Resistance in northern and central Italy. In Yugoslavia the Carabinieri formed a battalion of the Italian partisan Garibaldi Division, which fought alongside the Yugoslav partisans against German and Croatian Ustaše Forces. The battalion lost over 80% of its members in combat and was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor to commemorate the fallen.


title: Carabinieri

text: One notable act of heroism in this era came from Vice Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto, who was executed by the Germans in Palidoro (near Rome) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri were in the forefront of many internal conflicts in Italy in the late 20th century, such as the Years of Lead (against the Red Brigades) and the Second Mafia War (against the Corleonesi Mafia). They participated, and lost men, in events such as the Peteano massacre in 1972, Circonvallazione massacre in 1982, and the murder of Emanuele Basile. Until 2000, the Carabinieri were part of the Italian Army. On 31 March 2000, they were separated to become the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces. Interpol summarizes this force (part of the Ministry of Defence) as having a "nationwide remit for crime investigations. It also serves as the military police for the Italian armed forces and can be called upon for national defence action."


title: Carabinieri

text: According to Europol (the EU's law enforcement agency), the Carabinieri Corps' military duties include "contributing to national defence, participating in military operations in Italy and abroad, executing military police functions and ensuring the security of Italian diplomatic and consular representations". As a national police force, it "carries out public order and security policing, as well as investigative activities on its own initiative or at the request of the judicial authorities". Europol also states that the force is "supplemented by the Specialized Carabinieri Commands, responsible for safeguarding the primary interests of the community: from the protection of the environment, health, work and national cultural heritage, to the observance of community and agri-food regulations, to the suppression of forgery [of] currency".


title: Carabinieri

text: In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In 2003, 12 Carabinieri were killed in a suicide bombing on their base in Nasiriyah, near Basra in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the Second World War. One of the previous projects included training and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces, the Afghan National Police, and the Afghan National Civil Order Police. In Iraq, Carabinieri have trained 13,000 police officers; during the ISIS destruction of historic sites, Italy dispatched troops from the Carabinieri's Command to protect cultural heritage.


title: Carabinieri

text: At the Sea Island Conference of the G8 in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.


title: Carabinieri

text: The State Forestry Corps was dissolved on 31 December 2016 and personnel with forestry police function were militarized and absorbed by the Carabinieri.


title: Carabinieri

text: The corps is headed by the ', consisting of the "Comandante Generale" (a General), the ' (a Lieutenant General) and the Chief of Staff, all located in Rome. The Chief of Staff directs, coordinates and supervises all activities of the force. It directly supervises the Directors of Administration, Health, Engineering, the motor pool and the Veterinary Commission. On the Deputy Chiefs of Staff depend the National Center for Recruitment and Selection, the Administration National Center and the Legislation Office.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri are organised on a territorial basis for law-enforcement missions. The territorial organization represents the core of the institution; it contains 80 percent of the force and is organized hierarchically in five inter-regional commands, 19 regional commands and 102 provincial commands, 504 Company Commands and


title: Carabinieri

text: Outside the territorial organisation, the Specialist and Mobile Units Command "Palidoro" (, based in Rome) controls the Carabinieri Mobile Units Division, the Carabinieri Specialist Units Division and the ROS.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri Specialist Units Division is the Carabinieri formation, established in 2001, dedicated to the performance of specialist police activities and the support to the Territorial Organizations. The Division directs, controls, and coordinates its own units, which carry out tasks related to the protection of Italian artistic heritage, to the currency protection, to the protection of Italian embassies abroad, to the health protection, to the labour policing, to Bank of Italy needs, to the Carabinieri forensics police services. In addition, the Division provides Carabinieri air support.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri Mobile Units Division is located in Rome and has two brigades tasked with mass manoeuvres during emergencies, defending the nation and participating in military operations abroad. It supports public order and territorial control in urban areas, and contributes to the operations of civil authorities in terms of public safety. 1st Mobile Brigade, whose headquarter is located in Rome and includes six Regiments and four Battalions mainly employed in public order tasks. 2nd Mobile Brigade headquartered in Livorno includes the Gruppo di Intervento Speciale special forces group, the 1st Paratroopers Carabinieri Regiment "Tuscania", and the 7th "Trentino-Alto Adige" and 13th "Friuli-Venezia Giulia" regiments, which, together with the Multinational Specialized Unit, are mainly engaged in international missions.


title: Carabinieri

text: The ROS ("Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale" or Special Operational Group) is an elite unit founded in 1990 to deal with organised crime (Mafia and others), subversive activities, terrorism and more complex types of crime. An anti-crime section is found in every city and district public prosecutor's office.


title: Carabinieri

text: Special Tasks Departments are outside the ordinary organisational framework and are used for special missions:


title: Carabinieri

text: "Corazzieri" (Cuirassiers) are an elite corps and honour guard of the President of the Italian Republic, located in the Quirinal Palace. They are distinguished by their uniforms and height (the minimum height for admission is ). They have almost no other everyday duties, although they may be seen patrolling occasionally.


title: Carabinieri

text: Other departments are in service to constitutional bodies such as, the Presidency of the Republic, the Senate, Parliament, the Judiciary, the prime minister and the National Council of Economy and Labour. Carabinieri also perform military police and security duties for the Ministry of Defence, military high commands, the offices of the military judiciary and allied military organisations in Italy and abroad. They also have personnel attached to the Department of Public Security in various departments, as well as anti-Mafia and anti-drug investigative task forces. "Carabinieri" officers are charged with surveillance and security at Italian embassies and consulates abroad, performing the same services entrusted to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group in United States diplomatic and consular offices.


title: Carabinieri

text: Together with the Polizia di Stato and the Guardia di Finanza, the Carabinieri is also responsible for border control.


title: Carabinieri

text: The specialized Comando unità per la tutela forestale, ambientale e agroalimentare has headquarter located in Rome and organized in 15 regional command and approximately 700 Station Commands on the territory. It counts 7,000 personnel involved in contrast of illicit agri-foodstuffs, environmental and biodiversity protection, contrast to poaching, contrast to all criminal organizations that, with their activity, affect the environment. In the Unit, there are also 29 NOE (Nucleo Operativo Ecologico), nucleus highly specialized in complex investigations in environmental matters against organized crime.


title: Carabinieri

text: For its contributions during the First World War, the Corps was awarded its first Gold Medal of Military Valor


title: Carabinieri

text: From 1943 to 1945, the Carabinieri were accountable to the Control Commission of the Allied Military Government (AMGOT). Their reorganization and reform was organized by Colonel Arthur Young, a British police officer seconded as Director of Public Safety and Director of Security.


title: Carabinieri

text: The Carabinieri, as a military and police force have various uniforms for different functions. For each type of uniform there are seasonal variants and (except for service, combat and historical) versions for men and women. How, when and why they are to be worn is dictated by the ""R-11 "REGULATION ON UNIFORMS FOR THE CARABINIERI ARMA"" published by the Carabinieri General Command in 1988.


title: Carabinieri

text: Originally, the Carabinieri were issued a distinctive uniform in black with silver braid around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The mounted division had white fringes, and the infantry had light blue. Their headgear was a distinctive


title: Carabinieri

text: The uniform that the Gendarmerie wore in 1814 consisted of a turquoise fabric buttoned suit with a blue collar and padded gloves. Since 1822, some small changes have been made to the uniform. Officials and Marshals had silver swords and sabres, both in a black leather scabbard. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the rules of the dress code were reinforced because of World War I.


title: Carabinieri

text: Troops had three different types of uniforms: the "Complete uniform", the "Ordinary uniform", and the "Effort uniform". The Carabinieri's uniform at that time was made of a green-grey cloth material, and was used by all soldiers.


title: Carabinieri

text: For historical and ceremonial use, the Carabinieri uniform consists of a distinctive black uniform made of silver braids around the collar and cuffs, edges trimmed in scarlet and epaulettes in silver. The fringes of the mounted division are white, and the infantry has light blue. The headgear used is the traditional two-pointed hat for Carabinieri, known as the Lucerna, also called a bicorne.


title: Carabinieri

text: The modern Carabinieri Force uniform is coloured in black for every seasonal version, with small variations on weather basis (coat or wind jacket), and is composed of:


title: Carabinieri

text: There are differences for season, duties, rank and location. For instance, in the summer the four-button jacket and white shirt and tie are replaced with a short-sleeved blue shirt.


title: Carabinieri

text: Depending on the weather conditions, the uniform can be worn with a waterproof coat (or beaver cloth for officers) and an anorak. Inside the military installations, the jacket can be removed or replaced with the "V-neck" sweater.


title: Carabinieri

text: In 2020 new 'bomber-style jackets', with appropriate logos were introduced which can be worn instead of the four-button jacket. The white cross belt is still worn on top and either a roll-neck base layer or a white shirt and tie is worn underneath.


title: Carabinieri

text: Accessories are the same, although "Wanted in Rome" reported that: ""The old leather holster will also be retired, replaced by an external belt with a quick-release holster, made of plastic material. The old gloves will be replaced with modern, cut-resistant gloves. However, style has not been sacrificed for function, begging the question, are the Carabinieri of Rome the most stylish police force in the world?""


title: Carabinieri

text: The headdress (the cap) is rigid with a "frieze" of the Carabinieri (metallic for pinned, Carabinieri and students, embroidered in silver fabric for the brigadiers, gilded for the inspectors and officers while for the generals the frieze is the eagle of the staff with RI monogram in the centre, silver for brigade and division generals, gold for corps generals). The commanding officers of the department wear the frieze embroidered in gold-edged with red.


title: Carabinieri

text: Each cap is black and has a wimple held by two rounded buttons, the wimple is black for carabinieri, pinned, brigadiers and students; for the chief brigadiers the wimple is also black but with the addition of a silver galloncino mottled with black. The wimple becomes silver mottled with black in the center from the rank of marshal to that of chief marshal with the number of chevrons increasing as the rank increases. For the major marshals, the wimple is silver edged in red with three silver gallons flecked with black; for the top rank of non-commissioned officers, i.e. the lieutenant, the wiggle is silver edged in red with four silver braids edged in red.


title: Carabinieri

text: For the lower officers, the wiggle and the braids are entirely in silver without streaks, for the superior officers, the wiggle becomes a double braided cord always silver with silver braids. Finally, for the general officers, the wimple becomes a silver braid with silver braids.


title: Carabinieri

text: Other forms of headdress include berets and mountain-style caps. Carabinieri MP Units also wear a dark navy blue beret.


title: Carabinieri

text: The service uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform but is adapted for the specific duty of the soldier.


title: Carabinieri

text: The representative uniform is essentially the same as the ordinary uniform, but worn for more formal, but still on duty occasions, where the ordinary and ceremonial uniforms are unsuitable. It differs from the ordinary uniform for the following elements:


title: Carabinieri

text: The operational uniform is worn for public order (riot) situations, raids, cross-country work and is worn for operations only.


title: Carabinieri

text: A "particular" version of this uniform is worn by the soldiers of the Special Intervention Group, as well as the following departments: The "Tuscania" CC Parachute Regiment, Carabinieri Regiment on Horseback and Airborne Squadrons CC Cacciatori. The colours (for the trousers and jacket) are often camouflage rather than blue and red and maroon/red (for the beret) rather than blue.


title: Carabinieri

text: The suit consists of a jacket and long trousers in blue fabric, with red inserts. The jacket is made up of a body with a central zip, two detachable sleeves with a zip and a collar.


title: Carabinieri

text: The trousers consist of two leggings, an elastic waistband with a drawstring at the waist and a zip at the bottom. The jacket, the T-shirt and the shorts bear the "frieze" of the Carabinieri.


title: Carabinieri

text: There are also evening-dress style (mess kit) uniforms for dinners and galas, as well as variations for the above uniform for occasions (e.g. medals, sabres to be worn etc.).


title: Carabinieri

text: The variants concern the buttoning, the shape of the jackets (without upper pockets), the use of skirts inside the Offices, off-duty or with formal uniforms and shoes.


title: Carabinieri

text: The armament supplied is divided into individual armament (supplied to each soldier) and departmental armament (supplied to each individual unit). Departmental armament is divided into ordinary armament (supplied to all departments) and special armament (supplied only to specialized units).


title: Carabinieri

text: Until very recently the Italian police (including the "Carabinieri") operated only Italian-made vehicles, but that changed with the introduction of Land Rover Defenders and Subarus into service. Normal "Carabinieri" patrol vehicles are dark blue with a white roof, with a red stripe along the side. Carabinieri license plates begin with "CC" or previously with "EI" (formerly Esercito Italiano, Italian Army), and a Carabinieri car is traditionally called a "Gazzella" (gazelle). Small or medium-sized cars are used for ordinary patrol work, with larger and more powerful vehicles being used for emergency response, highway patrol, and special services. The vehicles of the "Carabinieri" military police and mobile units are painted in NATO camouflage scheme as done with the other Italian Armed Forces vehicles.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible authority for maintaining the metro system.Maha Metro is responsible for all the metro rail projects undergoing in Maharashtra except the Mumbai Metropolitan Area. The system is designed to reduce traffic congestion in the city, and supplement the overcrowded Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It is being built in three phases over a 15-year period, with overall completion expected in October 2026. When completed, the core system will comprise fourteen high-capacity metro railway lines and one metrolite line, spanning a total of (24% underground, the rest elevated, with a minuscule portion built at-grade), and serviced by 286 stations.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Line 1 of the Mumbai Metro Line 1 is operated by Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL), a joint venture between Reliance Infrastructure (69%), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, (26%) and RATP Dev Transdev Asia, France (5%). While lines 2, 4, 6, 7 (under construction), 5 and their extensions (bidding in progress) will be built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the completely underground Line 3 (also under construction) will be built by Mumbai Metro Railway Corporation Limited (MMRCL). The total financial outlay for the expansion of the metro system beyond the currently operational Line 1 is , to be funded through a mix of equity and bilateral, multilateral as well as syndicated debt. In another boost to connectivity, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to connect Mumbai and Virar with a Metro line.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In June 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the first phase of the Mumbai Metro project, although construction work began in February 2008. A successful trial run was conducted in May 2013, and the system's first line entered into operation on 8 June 2014. Many metro projects were being delayed because of late environmental clearances, land acquisition troubles and protests.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The financial capital of India received its first Metro in June 2014, and nearly after 8 years, Mumbai welcomed its two new metro corridors 2A and 7, which are now partially operational. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray flagged off the new metro lines 2A and 7 on 2 April 2022. The line was opened for commercial operation on the same day of the inauguration in the evening from 8 PM onwards. The minimum fare is ₹10 for 3 km, and the maximum fare is ₹50 for 30 km. As a part of the Phase 1 plan, both metro corridors cover a 20 km route (Dahanukarwadi–Dahisar–Aarey). The Metro runs between Dahanukarwadi on Metro Line 2A and Aarey on Line 7.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of over 2 crore (20 million) as of 2011, and a population growth rate of around 2% per annum. Mumbai has the advantage of a high modal share of the public (88%) in favour of a public mass transport system. The existing Mumbai Suburban Railway carries over 70 lakh (7 million) passengers per day, and is supplemented by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus system, which provides feeder services to station-going passengers to allow them to complete their journeys. Until 1980s, transport in Mumbai was not a big problem. The discontinuation of trams resulted in a direct increase of passenger pressure on the suburban railway network. By 2010 the population of Mumbai doubled. However, due to the city's geographical constraints and rapid population growth, road and rail infrastructure development has not been able to keep pace with growing demand over the last 4-5 decades. Moreover, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, though extensive, is not built to rapid transit specifications. The main objective of the Mumbai Metro is to provide mass rapid transit services to people within an approach distance of between 1 and 2 kilometres, and to serve the areas not connected by the existing Suburban Rail network.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The master plan unveiled by the MMRDA in 2004 encompassed a total of of track, of which would be underground. The Mumbai Metro was proposed to be built in three phases, at an estimated cost of 19,525 crore. In September 2009, the proposed Hutatma Chowk – Ghatkopar was reduced to a line between Hutatma Chowk and Carnac Bunder.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In 2011, the MMRDA unveiled plans for an extended Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ metro line. According to its earlier plans, a 20-km Colaba-to-Bandra metro line was to be constructed, running underground for from Colaba to Mahalaxmi, and then on an elevated track from Mahalaxmi to Bandra. However, the MMRDA decided to increase ridership on the line by running it out past Bandra to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ line will be built at a cost of , and will be the city's first underground metro line. It will have 27 stations.On 27 February 2012, the Union Government gave in-principle approval to the plan for Line 3. Money for the project is being borrowed from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (50%), the state government (16%), the central government (14%), and others. In April 2012, the MMRDA announced plans to grant the Mumbai Metro Rail Company increased management autonomy, in an effort to enhance the project's operational efficiency. In July 2012, the MMRDA announced plans to add more metro lines to its existing plan, including a line parallel to the Western Express Highway from Bandra to Dahisar. This line is expected to reduce the passenger load on the Western Line and vehicle traffic on the highway. Another proposed route, the , 28-station Wadala–Kasarvadavali line, received in-principle approval from the state government in 2013. The MMRDA also intends to convert the proposed Lokhandwala–SEEPZ–Kanjurmarg monorail route into a metro line.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The Mumbai Metro master plan was revised by the MMRDA in 2012, increasing the total length of the proposed network to 160.90 km. In June 2015, two new lines were proposed. A line from Andheri West to Dahisar West, and a line from BKC to Mankhurd. The following table shows the updated master plan unveiled by the MMRDA:


title: Mumbai Metro

text: On 18 February 2013, the MMRDA signed a memorandum of understanding with Transport for London, the transit authority in Greater London. The arrangement will facilitate the exchange of information, personnel and technology in the transportation sector.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The revised Mumbai Metro master plan had proposed a line along the Thane-Teen Haath Naka-Kaapurbavdi-Ghodbunder Road route. The feasibility report concluded that the line was not feasible as most residents of Thane and its neighbouring areas travelled to Mumbai for work daily. On 14 June 2014, Chavan announced that the MMRDA was instead examining a proposal for a metro line along the new proposed route of Wadala-Ghatkopar-Teen Haat Naka route. RITES will prepare the detailed project report and is expected to submit it by August 2014. The preliminary report proposed a 32 km line with 29 stations, to be built at an estimated cost of 22,000 crore. This would be the fourth line of the metro, after the previously proposed Charkop-Dahisar route was merged with the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd route to form Line 2.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Following the opening of Line 1, MMRDA metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan stated that the authority would focus on constructing the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ, Dahisar-Bandra-Mankhurd, and Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavali lines. He also stated that the other proposed lines had not been cancelled and that they may be implemented in the future. In May 2015, the MMRDA stated that it had begun planning for the Andheri-Dahisar line and Seepz-Kanjurmarg. Both lines are expected to be elevated, although the latter could be constructed underground if a proposal to extend Line 3 to Kanjurmarg is undertaken. DPRs for both lines had been prepared in 2004, along with the master plan, and the MMRDA would now update the DPRs. The agency also intends to construct Line 9 of the metro as an underground corridor from Sewri to Worli. However, planning for the project will only begun after the construction of the proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link commences.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In a report on 14 November 2014 about the cancellation of the PPP agreement for Line 2, "Mint" quoted a senior MMRDA official as stating, ""as decided earlier, all future lines of Mumbai Metro will be constructed by the Mumbai Metro Railway Corp. Ltd (MMRCL), a joint venture between the state government and the Union government."" On 20 May 2015, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requested officials to consider constructing the Charkop-Bandra-Dahisar and the Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavali lines as elevated corridors. Although, both corridors had been planned as elevated lines in the Mumbai Metro master plan, the previous Congress-NCP had decided to construct all metro lines underground, after delays and difficulties caused by acquiring land for Line 1. However, Fadnavis believes that the two proposed lines can be constructed quicker and cheaper if they were elevated due to the proposed route of the alignment. The Government plans to implement all future metro lines (except Line 3) as elevated corridors. On 15 June 2015, the MMRDA announced that it would implement Line 2 of the metro in three parts. The Andheri-Dahisar line will have connectivity with the existing Line 1 and the proposed JVLR-Kanjurmarg line.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In June 2015, Fadnavis announced that he would request the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to assist in the implementation of the Mumbai Metro. He stated that he intends to expand the metro system by 109 km before the state assembly elections in October 2019. In July 2015, UPS Madan announced that the State Government formally appointed the DMRC to revise and update the Mumbai Metro master plan. The DMRC will prepare DPRs for the Andheri East to Dahisar East, Jogeshwari to Kanjurmarg, Andheri West to Dahisar West and Bandra Kurla Complex to Mankhurd lines. The Andheri-Dahisar line will have connectivity with the existing Line 1 and the proposed JVLR-Kanjurmarg line. All four lines are proposed to be elevated and constructed as cash contracts. The lines are estimated to cost a total of , or about per km. In addition, the planned Line 3 and Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavli line of the metro would also be constructed.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Fadnavis announced on 8 April 2017 that the government was considering a circular metro loop line along the Kalyan-Dombivli-Taloja route. The proposed 15 km line would link Kalyan and Shil Phata with 13 stations, bring metro connectivity to Kalyan East, Dombivli, Ambernath and Diva.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The Mumbai Metro resumed services for general public on 19 October 2020, after being shut down since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Lines on the Mumbai Metro are currently identified by numbers. In March 2016, MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner, U.P.S. Madan, announced that all lines on the system would be color-coded after more lines are opened.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Line 1 connects Versova in the Western Suburbs to Ghatkopar in the Central Suburbs, covering a distance of . It is fully elevated, and consists of 12 stations. Work on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor, a part of Phase I, began on 8 February 2008. A crucial bridge on the project was completed at the end of 2012. The line opened for service on 8 June 2014.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The long 2A corridor is being executed by DMRC on behalf of MMRDA. The corridor has 17 stations (Dahisar (West) to D N Nagar), and is expected to cost .


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Its civil works, including viaduct and stations, are being executed by J.Kumar Infra-CRTG JV. The corridor is partially operational since April 2, 2022.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The 2B corridor will be long, and is estimated to cost , including land acquisition cost of . This section will have 22 stations (D N Nagar to Mandale), work on which began in mid 2018.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Its civil works, including viaduct and stations, is being executed by Simplex Infrastructure, RCC-MBZ JV and Neeraj-Guam JV. It'll be operational by January 2023.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: This corridor is entirely built underground, and is long, with 27 stations. The metro line will connect the Cuffe Parade business district in the south of Mumbai with SEEPZ and Aarey in the north. It will also pass through the Domestic and International airports of Mumbai, for which the airport operator (GVK) has promised an equity infusion of .


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The cost of this corridor is estimated at . The original deadline for the project was 2016, but it is currently expected to be completed only by Dec 2023 due to Covid delays.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Upon completion, it will have interchanges with the planned Line 6 at SEEPZ, Line 1 at Marol Naka, Line 2 at BKC, Central Line at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai Monorail at Mahalaxmi (Jacob Circle), and Western Line at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai Central and Churchgate.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The line 4 of Mumbai Metro is envisaged to be a long elevated corridor, covering 32 stations from Kasarvadavali (near Thane) in the north to Wadala in the south. It is estimated to cost . This project will help connect the city of Thane with Mumbai with an alternate mode of public transport.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The line was approved by the Maharashtra Government on 27 September 2016, and construction work on this line began in mid 2018.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The construction of viaducts and stations is being executed by consortium of Reliance-Astaldi JV and Tata Projects-CHEC JV.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has extended a multilateral loan of for this project. It is expected to get completed by 2025.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The 24.9 km-long Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro-V corridor will have 17 stations and will cost ₹8,416 crore. It will be totally an elevated corridor. It will connect Thane to Bhiwandi and Kalyan in the eastern suburbs, with further extension to Taloja in Navi Mumbai that is line 12.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The stations include Kapurbawdi in Thane (West), Balkum Naka, Kasheli, Kalher, Purna, Anjur Phata, Dhamankar Naka, Bhiwandi, Gopal Nagar, Temghar, Rajnouli Village, Govegaon MIDC, Kongaon, Durgadi Fort, Sahajanand Chowk, Kalyan railway station and Kalyan APMC.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The line was approved by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 19 October 2016.The 12.811 km Thane – Bhiwandi section is under construction. Bhiwandi – Kalyan is on-hold (route modification in progress)..The corridor is being constructucted by Afcons in one package from Kalyan to Bhiwandi including 7 stations.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The 14.47 km long Lokhandwala-Jogeshwari-Vikhroli-Kanjurmarg Metro-VI corridor will have 13 stations and cost ₹6,672 crore. It will be an elevated corridor. It will connect Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri in the western suburbs to Vikhroli and Kanjurmarg in the eastern suburbs.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The stations include Lokhandwala Complex, Adarsh Nagar, Momin Nagar, JVLR, Shyam Nagar, Mahakali Caves, SEEPZ Village, Saki Vihar Road, Ram Baug, Powai Lake, IIT Powai, Kanjurmarg (W), Vikhroli-Eastern Express Highway.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Metro 6 will provide interchange with Metro 2 at Infinity Mall in Andheri, with Metro 3 at SEEPZ, with Metro 4 and the Mumbai Suburban Railway at Jogeshwari and Kanjurmarg, and with Metro 7 at JVLR.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The line was approved by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 19 October 2016. The MMRDA issued a tender to conduct a detailed aerial mapping survey of the alignment in April 2017. Authorities will also be able to determine the location of trees along the alignment accuracy of up to 10 cm utilizing a differential GPS (DGPS), while a digital aerial triangulation system will help determine the types of trees, their heights and diameters.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The construction of viaduct and station work is being executed by J Kumar Infraprojects and MBZ-EIIL JV.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: This corridor is long, and runs from Dahisar (East) in the north to Andheri (East) in the south, with a further extension till Bhayander in the north, and Mumbai International Airport Terminal 2 in the south. The line is partially elevated (under construction, with completion slated for 2019), and partially underground (approved, with construction planned to begin in 2018).


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The elevated section is expected to cost , while the outlay for the recently approved underground section is . Civil works, including viaduct and station works, is being executed by NCC, Simplex Infrastructure, and J. Kumar Infraprojects. The corridor is partially operational since April 2, 2022.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The corridor is being funded through multilateral debt to the tune of by Asian Development Bank. The cost of the 13.5 km extension till Bhayander in the north is expected to be around .


title: Mumbai Metro

text: This is a proposed metro line between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. It will connect Mumbai airport to upcoming Navi Mumbai airport


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Metro line 9 will ply between Dahisar-Mira Bhayander route. It will have 10 stations all elevated. This Under Construction Metro of Dahisar to Mira-Bhayandar will cut down approximately 30 km of travel distance between the Mira-Bhayandar and Mumbai suburbs. It is an extension of Line 7.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In February 2017, the MMRDA announced that the DMRC was preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on Metro 10, a proposed 9 km elevated extension of Metro 4 from Gaimukh to Chatrapati Shivaji.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The project is estimated to cost with an estimated ridership of 2.5 lakh (250,000). It will be completed by 2025.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In November 2018, the MMRDA cleared the Metro 11, which connects Wadala with CSMT. This would be considered to be an extension to Metro 4. The length of the line is 11.4 km, and it proposed to cost ₹8,739 crore (US$1.207 billion). The line will be partially underground, with 8 underground and 2 elevated stations. It will be completed by October 2026.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: MMRDA has planned the Metro 12, which will connect Kalyan with Taloja. It is an extension of line 5. In another boost to connectivity, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to connect Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai with a Metro line. The estimated cost of the project is ₹5,865 crore and construction began in August 2020. It will be completed by October 2024.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: It is an approved metro project to connect Vikhroli with Kanjurmarg and further to Ambernath-Badlapur.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Reliance Infrastructure consulted a number of major international rolling stock builders to provide the train fleet for the Mumbai Metro. Bidders for the contract included established metro-vehicle manufacturers such as Kawasaki, Alstom, Siemens and Bombardier, but CRRC Nanjing Puzhen of China was ultimately chosen to supply rolling stock for ₹600 crore. In May 2008, CSR Nanjing completed the first 16 trains, each comprising four cars. The first ten trains were reported to be ready for operation in January 2013.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The coaches are fire retardant, air-conditioned and designed to reduce noise and vibration, and will feature both high seating capacity and ample space for standing passengers. They will be outfitted with a number of features for safety and convenience, including LCD screens, 3D route maps, first-aid kits, wheelchair facilities, fire-fighting equipment and intercom systems permitting communication with the train driver. Each coach will furthermore feature a black box to assist in accident investigations. The trains will be capable of carrying over 1,100 passengers in a four-car unit, with each carriage being approximately wide.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In 2018, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation chose Alstom to supply 31 eight car trains for Aqua line (line 3). The trains will be capable of driverless operations and will be built at Alstom's factory in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: In 2018, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority which will operate all metro lines except Line 3, awarded a tender to Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) to supply 63 trainsets (378 coaches) for Yellow Line (Line 2) and Red Line (Line 7) at a cost of ₹3,015 crores ($427.33 million). Capable of driverless operations, the trains are manufactured at BEML's factory in Bengaluru and first rake For Yellow Line arrives in Mumbai on 27 January 2021, and will continue to receive the rest of the rakes till 2022. Recently on 17 January 2021, Bombardier won the tender to supply 234 driverless coaches for Green Line (Line 4) of six-car configuration for Mumbai metro. However, the contract has been cancelled in March 2022 due to delays and uncertainties of the project.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Unlike 97% of metro corridors worldwide which run on direct current (DC), the Mumbai Metro runs on alternating current (AC) which is more labour and cost-intensive. MMRDA joint project director Dilip Kawathkar stated that AC power was chosen ""after a proper study by a team of experts"" which found that the AC model was "a better option". Bidders for Line 3 were reportedly in favour of the DC model. Experts believe that the decision to use AC will escalate the project cost of underground lines by 15%, since more digging is required for the rail to work on AC.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: The Mumbai Metro will feature an advanced signalling system, including an automatic train protection system (ATPS) and automated signalling to control train movements on the Line 1. A four-minute service interval is anticipated on the route.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: Siemens will supply the signalling systems required for the project, while Thales Group will supply the Metro's communication systems. The network's signalling and train control systems will be based on LZB 700M technology.


title: Mumbai Metro

text: On 21 October 2019, exactly after 1,960 days (approx. 5 years) of Mumbai Metro Line 1's inception, the system crossed 60 crore passengers, with an average daily ridership of around 4,50,000 (4.5 lakh) passengers.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Dries Mertens (; born 6 May 1987), nicknamed "Ciro", is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and the Belgium national team.


title: Dries Mertens

text: As a youth, Mertens played for Stade Leuven, Anderlecht and Gent, and made his debut on loan to Eendracht Aalst in the Belgian Third Division. In 2006, he moved to Dutch Eerste Divisie club AGOVV Apeldoorn, where he spent three years before a €600,000 move to Utrecht of the Eredivisie. Two years later he and teammate Kevin Strootman were transferred to PSV Eindhoven for a combined fee of €13 million, and won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2012. In 2013, Mertens signed for Napoli for a €9.6 million fee and has since made over 300 appearances for the club. He won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2014, and was named in the Serie A Team of the Year during the 2016–17 season. In 2020, he scored his 122nd goal for the club, surpassing Marek Hamšík as Napoli's all-time top goalscorer.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Mertens made his Belgium debut in 2011 and has since made over 100 appearances for the national team. He was part of the nation's squads at the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018 and 2022 and the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020, helping them to a third-place finish at the 2018 tournament. In 2016, he was named Belgian Footballer of the Year.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Born in Leuven, Mertens started his career as a boy at the now-dissolved local club Stade Leuven. It was here that the scouts of Anderlecht first spotted Mertens, ultimately resulting in him being offered a chance to join the club's youth academy in 1998. He spent five years in the youth setup at Anderlecht before being released in 2003, with coaches finding him to be too short and physically incapable of competing at a professional level. Following his release from Anderlecht, Mertens was signed by fellow Belgian Pro League side, Gent. Following two seasons in Gent's youth academy, Mertens was loaned to Eendracht Aalst for the 2005–06 season. He excelled with the third division side and was named Player of the Year. The coaching staff at Gent, much like those at Anderlecht before, remained unconvinced of Mertens given his slight frame, however, and loaned him out again the following season, this time to AGOVV Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 1 July 2006, Mertens officially signed for AGOVV Apeldoorn, who later dissolved in 2013, on a season-long loan with the option of purchase. He managed a return of 2 goals in 35 appearances during a season which saw him become a fan favourite amongst "De Blauwen" supporters. Mertens' form prompted AGOVV, led by new manager John van den Brom, to exercise the option to sign the Belgian permanently the following season. It was a move that paid off for the Dutch club as Mertens ended the season having 15 goals in 38 appearances for the club.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Such was his influence that Mertens was named new club captain for the 2008–09 Eerste Divisie season. Mertens excelled in his new role and contributed a further 13 goals for the season which contributed to him being awarded the Golden Bull award for the most talented player in the Eerste Divisie. It would be his last season with the club, however, as at the end of the season he agreed to join Eredivisie side Utrecht. Mertens made 110 appearances across all competitions for AGOVV during his three seasons at the club and netted 31 goals.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Having agreed a deal with AGOVV in March 2009, Utrecht officially completed the signing of Mertens at the start of the 2009–10 Eredivisie season for a €600,000 transfer fee. In his debut season with the club, Mertens netted six league goals en route to being named runner-up to Ajax's Luis Suárez for the Dutch Footballer of the Year award. He was also awarded the Di Tommaso Trophy for Utrecht's Player of the Season. He improved on his tally the following season, netting 10 goals in 31 league appearances for Utrecht, including a final day hat-trick against AZ, and a further three goals in his first experience in the UEFA Europa League. In total, Mertens scored 14 goals across all competitions and contributed 24 assists. It proved to be his last season at the club, though, as his form at the Stadion Galgenwaard caught the attention of some of the league's biggest clubs. Mertens' two-season spell in Utrecht yielded 21 goals in 86 appearances across all competitions.


title: Dries Mertens

text: In June 2011, it was announced that Mertens had signed for fellow Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven as a replacement for the departing Balázs Dzsudzsák in a dual transfer with Utrecht teammate Kevin Strootman for a combined fee of €13 million. He scored on his competitive debut for the club on 7 August 2011, netting PSV's only goal in a 3–1 loss to AZ. Later that month, on 28 August, Mertens scored his first hat-trick for PSV in a 6–1 drubbing of Excelsior. Mertens' strong start to season culminated with him netting four goals in a 7–1 rout of Roda JC on 24 September 2011, meaning he had scored 11 goals in his first 7 appearances for PSV. Towards the back end of the campaign, Mertens lost a number of teeth during a collision with Heracles goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, although he managed to score during the incident. It was revealed on social media platform Twitter that Pasveer had found one of Mertens' teeth lodged in his head three weeks after the players had collided. Mertens ultimately ended the season having scored 21 goals in 33 matches, the fourth highest in the Eredivisie. He also scored three goals in four KNVB Cup matches, including a header in the final at De Kuip, Rotterdam, leading PSV to a 3–0 win over Heracles.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Mertens added to his silverware at the start of the following season as PSV beat Ajax 4–2 to lift the Johan Cruyff Shield. On 30 September 2012, Mertens and Jürgen Locadia, who was making his Eredivisie debut, both scored hat-tricks as PSV defeated VVV-Venlo 6–0. Mertens ultimately scored 14 league goals, and 16 across all competitions as PSV ended the season as runners-up to Ajax in the Eredivisie. He also aided his side's cause with a further 17 assists. It would be his final season in the Eredivisie, however, as at the conclusion of the campaign PSV accepted an offer from Serie A side Napoli for his signature. Mertens departed Eindhoven having made 88 appearances and scored 45 goals over the course of two seasons.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Mertens' agent Søren Lerby confirmed on 16 June 2013 that the player had agreed to sign with Napoli. He became Rafael Benítez's first signing as new Napoli manager after a reported fee of €9.5 million was agreed with PSV. He made his Serie A debut on 25 August 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute for Marek Hamšík in a 3–0 win over Bologna. His first goal for Napoli came on 30 October when he netted the winner in a 2–1 away victory over Fiorentina. In Napoli's first game following the Serie A winter break on 6 January 2014, Mertens scored his first brace for the club in a 2–0 win over Sampdoria. He then scored Napoli's second goal in their 2–0 win over Juventus on 30 March, helping inflict only the second league defeat over the eventual champions. In the final of the Coppa Italia on 3 May 2014, Mertens replaced Marek Hamšík in the 64th minute and went on to score in stoppage time, securing a 3–1 win over Fiorentina.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Mertens claimed another winners' medal on 22 December 2014 after Napoli's penalty shoot-out victory over Juventus in the Supercoppa. Despite being predominantly used as a substitute, he continued his fine form for Napoli over the course of the next season and a half, netting 10 goals and contributing 11 assists across all competitions in 2014–15, and 11 more goals in 2015–16. His tally in the latter campaign included a brace in Napoli's joint-largest ever winning margin in the Europa League, a 5–0 win over Belgian side Club Brugge. Mertens also scored a second-half hat-trick in a convincing 6–0 victory over Bologna on 19 April 2016.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Following the sale of Gonzalo Higuaín – the previous season's "Capocannoniere" – to rivals Juventus, and a serious injury to his replacement Arkadiusz Milik, Mertens assumed a more senior role in the centre of Napoli's attack for the 2016–17 Serie A season. On 11 December 2016, he netted a hat-trick in a 5–0 Serie A victory over Cagliari before taking it a step further in the next match by scoring four goals in a 5–3 win over Torino. Mertens' four goals, which included the fourth fastest hat-trick in Serie A history, was the first haul scored by a Napoli player since Beppe Savoldi in 1977. It also saw him become the first player to score successive league hat-tricks since Juventus' Pietro Anastasi in 1974, and the first to score seven goals across two matches since Antonio Angelillo in 1958. His form for club and country was rewarded when, on 30 December, he was named Belgian Footballer of the Year for 2016, beating Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Radja Nainggolan of Roma to the award.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 4 February 2017, Mertens and Hamšík both scored hat-tricks in a 7–1 win over Bologna, a result which saw Napoli score seven away goals in a match for the first time in the club's history. On the final day of the season he scored his 50th league goal for Napoli, and 28th for the campaign, ultimately ending one goal behind Golden Boot winner Edin Džeko. He maintained his goal scoring form the following season during which he scored 22 goals for the campaign.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 28 November 2018, Mertens scored his 100th goal for Napoli when he netted twice in a 3–1 UEFA Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade. He then made his 200th Serie A appearance for the club on 14 April 2019 in a 3–1 win over Chievo, marking the occasion with an assist for Kalidou Koulibaly's opening goal. On 28 April, Mertens scored in a 2–0 away win over Frosinone, which allowed him to equal Diego Maradona's tally of 81 goals in Serie A for Napoli. The following season, in October 2019, he surpassed Maradona's tally of 115 goals for the club across all competitions when he netted twice in a 3–2 Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg, becoming the club's second-highest scorer of all time, behind Hamšík. On 25 February 2020, Mertens scored the opening goal in an eventual 1–1 home draw against Barcelona in the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League; with this goal, he tied Hamšík as Napoli's all-time highest goalscorer, with 121 goals. He was later substituted early in the second half due to injury. On 13 June, he scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 home draw against Inter Milan in the second leg of 2019–20 Coppa Italia semi-final, which saw him overtake Hamšík to become Napoli's outright all-time leading goalscorer with 122 goals; the result also allowed Napoli to advanced to the Coppa Italia Final. On 17 June, he signed a two–year contract extension with the club. Later that day, he started in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus, and was later substituted for Milik in the second half; Napoli won 4–2 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after regulation time.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 21 March 2021, Mertens scored his 99th and 100th Serie A goals for Napoli in a 2–0 win against Roma.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 21 November 2021 Mertens scored his 103rd Serie A goal for Napoli in a 3–2 defeat to Inter, becoming the club's top scorer of all time in Serie A.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 8 August 2022, it was announced that Dries Mertens has joined Turkish club Galatasaray on a free transfer.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Having previously represented Belgium at youth level, Mertens received his first senior call-up by national team coach Georges Leekens on 1 October 2010 for the nation's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Kazakhstan and Austria. Though he never featured in either match, Mertens would make his debut on 9 February the following year in a friendly match against Finland in Ghent. He scored his first goal for Belgium on 15 August 2012 in the 125th "Derby der Lage Landen". Mertens, having come on as substitute for Nacer Chadli, scored once and assisted twice, to help Belgium overcome a 2–1 deficit versus the Netherlands and win 4–2.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Mertens was named in Marc Wilmots' 23-man squad for Belgium's 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil on 13 May 2014. In the nation's final warm-up match for the tournament on 7 June, Mertens scored a late winner to secure a 1–0 victory over Tunisia. He made his first appearance in Belgium's opening match of the World Cup, replacing Chadli at half time and scoring a late winner in a 2–1 victory over Algeria in Belo Horizonte. Prior to the World Cup, Mertens had made a bet with his father that he would score at the tournament. After the match, he posted a photo on Instagram of him shaving his father's mustache off as reward for winning the bet. He made five appearances in total at the World Cup as Belgium were eliminated in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual runners-up, Argentina.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Following the World Cup, Belgium embarked on their qualification campaign for Euro 2016. Mertens netted his first brace for Belgium in their opening qualifying match, netting twice in three minutes in a 6–0 win over Andorra. The following year, he scored one and assisted another in a 3–1 win over Israel which ensured that Belgium secured top spot in their qualifying group. He was later named in Belgium's squad for the tournament proper and featured in all five of the nation's matches as Belgium fell at the quarter-final stage once again, this time losing out to Wales.


title: Dries Mertens

text: Under new manager Roberto Martínez, Mertens scored five goals in Belgium's qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, including two in an 8–1 home win over Estonia on 13 November 2016. He was then selected in Belgium's tournament squad and scored in the nation's opening match in a 3–0 win over Panama. He featured interchangeably as a starter and substitute for the remainder of the tournament as Belgium ended third, defeating England in the third place play-off.


title: Dries Mertens

text: On 17 June 2021, Mertens played his 100th match for Belgium in a 2–1 win over Denmark during the UEFA Euro 2020.


title: Dries Mertens

text: A versatile and hard-working forward, Mertens is a fast, creative, diminutive, and agile player, with a low centre of gravity, who possesses good technique and dribbling skills, which enables him to get past opponents when in possession of the ball. Possessing good vision, passing, shooting ability, movement off the ball, and an eye for goal, he is known for his ability both to score and create goals, and is capable of getting onto the end of passes or creating space for himself or his teammates by making attacking runs into the box. His favoured role is as a winger on the left flank, a position which allows him to cut into the centre and strike on goal from outside the area with his stronger right foot, although he is also capable of playing on the right, and has even been used as an attacking midfielder by manager Dick Advocaat. He is also an accurate free kick taker. During the 2016–17 season, following the departure of Gonzalo Higuaín to rivals Juventus and an injury to the club's main striker Arkadiusz Milik, Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri frequently deployed Dries Mertens either as a main striker, or in a false nine role, seemingly positioned as a lone centre-forward, rather than as a left winger, where he had previously faced competition from Lorenzo Insigne for a starting position; Sarri's tactical change was met with great results, and Mertens's goalscoring output increased dramatically as a result of this switch.


title: Barn owl

text: The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific Islands. It is also known as the common barn owl, to distinguish it from the other species in its family, Tytonidae, which forms one of the two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical owls ("Strigidae").


title: Barn owl

text: There are at least three major lineages of barn owl: the western barn owl of Europe, western Asia, and Africa; the eastern barn owl of southeastern Asia and Australasia; and the American barn owl of the Americas. Some taxonomic authorities classify barn owls differently, recognising up to five separate species; and further research needs to be done to resolve the disparate taxonomies. There is considerable variation of size and colour among the approximately 28 subspecies, but most are between in length, with wingspans ranging from . The plumage on the head and back is a mottled shade of grey or brown; that on the underparts varies from white to brown and is sometimes speckled with dark markings. The face is characteristically heart-shaped and is white in most subspecies. This owl does not hoot, but utters an eerie, drawn-out screech.


title: Barn owl

text: The barn owl is nocturnal over most of its range; but in Great Britain and some Pacific Islands, it also hunts by day. Barn owls specialise in hunting animals on the ground and nearly all of their food consists of small mammals, which they locate by sound, their hearing being very acute. The owls usually mate for life unless one of the pair is killed, whereupon a new pair bond may be formed. Breeding takes place at varying times of the year, according to the locality, with a clutch of eggs, averaging about four in number, being laid in a nest in a hollow tree, old building, or fissure in a cliff. The female does all the incubation, and she and the young chicks are reliant on the male for food. When large numbers of small prey are readily available, barn owl populations can expand rapidly; and globally the bird is considered to be of least conservation concern. Some subspecies with restricted ranges are more threatened.


title: Barn owl

text: The barn owl was one of several species of bird first described in 1769 by the Tyrolean physician and naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in his " Anni Historico-Naturales". He gave it the scientific name "Strix alba". As more species of owl were described, the genus "Strix" (from the Greek , , "owl") came to refer solely to the wood owls in the typical-owl family Strigidae; and the barn owl became "Tyto alba" in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. "Tyto alba" literally means 'white night owl', from the onomatopoeic Ancient Greek (, 'night owl') – compare English "hooter" – and Latin , 'white'.


title: Barn owl

text: The bird is known by many common names that refer to its appearance, call, habitat, or its eerie, silent flight: white owl, silver owl, demon owl, ghost owl, death owl, night owl, rat owl, church owl, cave owl, stone owl, monkey-faced owl, hissing owl, hobgoblin or hobby owl, dobby owl, white-breasted owl, golden owl, screech owl, straw owl, barnyard owl, and delicate owl. "Golden owl" might also refer to the related golden masked owl ("T. aurantia"). "Hissing owl" and, particularly in the U.K. and in India, "screech owl" refer to the piercing calls of these birds. The latter name is also applied to a different group of birds, the screech-owls in the genus "Megascops".


title: Barn owl

text: The barn owl is a medium-sized, pale-coloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. There is considerable size variation across the subspecies with a typical specimen measuring about in overall length, with a wingspan of some . Adult body mass is also variable with male owls from the Galapagos weighing while male Pacific barn owls average . In general, owls living on small islands are smaller and lighter, perhaps because they have a higher dependence on insect prey and need to be more manoeuvrable. The shape of the tail is a means of distinguishing the barn owl from typical owls when seen in the air. Other distinguishing features are the undulating flight pattern and the dangling, feathered legs. The pale face with its heart shape and black eyes give the flying bird a distinctive appearance, like a flat mask with oversized, oblique black eyeslits, the ridge of feathers above the bill somewhat resembling a nose.


title: Barn owl

text: The bird's head and upper body typically vary between pale brown and some shade of grey (especially on the forehead and back) in most subspecies. Some are purer, richer brown instead, and all have fine black-and-white speckles except on the remiges and rectrices (main wing feathers), which are light brown with darker bands. The heart-shaped face is usually bright white, but in some subspecies it is brown. The underparts, including the tarsometatarsal (lower leg) feathers, vary from white to reddish buff among the subspecies, and are either mostly unpatterned or bear a varying number of tiny blackish-brown speckles. It has been found that at least in the continental European populations, females with more spotting are healthier than plainer birds. This does not hold true for European males by contrast, where the spotting varies according to subspecies. The bill varies from pale horn to dark buff, corresponding to the general plumage hue, and the iris is blackish brown. The toes, like the bill, vary in colour, ranging from pink to dark pinkish-grey and the talons are black.


title: Barn owl

text: Both leucistic and melanistic barn owls have been recorded in the wild and in captivity, with melanistic individuals estimated to occur with odds of 1 out of every 100,000 birds.


title: Barn owl

text: On average within any one population, males tend to have fewer spots on the underside and are paler in colour than females. The latter are also larger with a strong female "T. alba" of a large subspecies weighing over 550 g (19.4 oz), while males are typically about 10% lighter. Nestlings are covered in white down, but the heart-shaped facial disk becomes visible soon after hatching.


title: Barn owl

text: Contrary to popular belief, the barn owl does not hoot (such calls are made by typical owls, like the tawny owl or other members of the genus "Strix"). It instead produces a characteristic piercing "shree" scream, ear-shattering at close range, an eerie, long-drawn-out shriek. Males in courtship give a shrill twitter. Both young and old can hiss like a snake to scare away intruders. Other sounds produced include a purring chirrup denoting pleasure, and a "kee-yak", which resembles one of the vocalisations of the tawny owl. When captured or cornered, the barn owl throws itself on its back and flails with sharp-taloned feet, making for an effective defence. In such situations it may emit rasping sounds or clicking snaps, produced probably by the bill but possibly by the tongue.


title: Barn owl

text: The barn owl is the most widespread landbird species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Its range includes all of Europe (except Fennoscandia and Malta), most of Africa apart from the Sahara, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia, many Pacific Islands, and North-, Central-, and South America. In general, it is considered to be sedentary; and, indeed, many individuals, having taken up residence in a particular location, remain there even when better nearby foraging areas are available. In the British Isles, the young seem largely to disperse along river corridors; and the distance travelled from their natal site averages about .


title: Barn owl

text: In continental Europe the dispersal distance is greater, commonly somewhere between but exceptionally , with ringed birds from the Netherlands ending up in Spain and in Ukraine. In the United States, dispersal is typically over distances of , with the most travelled individuals ending up some from their points of origin. Dispersal movements in the African continent include from Senegambia to Sierra Leone and up to within South Africa. In Australia there is some migration as the birds move towards the northern coast in the dry season and southward in the wet season, as well as nomadic movements in association with rodent plagues. Occasionally, some of these birds turn up on Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, or New Zealand, showing that crossing the ocean is within their capabilities. In 2008, barn owls were recorded for the first time breeding in New Zealand. The barn owl has been successfully introduced into the Hawaiian island of Kauai in an attempt to control rodents; distressingly, it has been found to also feed on native birds.


title: Barn owl

text: The ashy-faced owl ("T. glaucops") was for some time included in "T. alba". Based on DNA evidence, König, Weick & Becking (2009) recognised the American barn owl ("T. furcata") and the Curaçao barn owl ("T. bargei") as separate species. They proposed that "T. a. delicatula" should be split off as a separate species, to be known as the eastern barn owl, which would include the subspecies "T. d. delicatula", "T. d. sumbaensis", "T. d. meeki", "T. d. crassirostris", and "T. d. interposita". As of 2021, the International Ornithological Committee had not accepted the split of "Tyto delicatula" from "T. alba".


title: Barn owl

text: Some island subspecies are occasionally treated as distinct species, a move which should await further research into barn owl phylogeography. According to Murray Bruce in "Handbook of Birds of the World Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds", "a review of the whole group [is] long overdue". Molecular analysis of mitochondrial DNA shows a separation of the species into two clades, an Old World "alba" and a New World "furcata", but this study did not include "T. a. delicatula", which the authors seem to have accepted as a separate species. Extensive genetic variation was found between the Indonesian "T. a. stertens" and other members of the "alba" clade, leading to the separation of "stertens" into "Tyto javanica".


title: Barn owl

text: Twenty to thirty subspecies are usually recognized, varying mainly in body proportions, size, and colour. Barn owls range in colour from the almost beige-and-white nominate subspecies "alba", "erlangeri", and "niveicauda", to the nearly black-and-brown "contempta". Island forms are mostly smaller than mainland ones, and those inhabiting forests have darker plumage and shorter wings than those living in open grasslands. Several subspecies are generally considered to be intergrades between more distinct populations.


title: Barn owl

text: In "Handbook of Birds of the World Volume 5: Barn-owls to Hummingbirds", the following subspecies are listed:


title: Barn owl

text: Like most owls, the barn owl is nocturnal, relying on its acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness. It often becomes active shortly before dusk but can sometimes be seen during the day when relocating from one roosting site to another. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands, and perhaps elsewhere, it sometimes hunts by day. The owl's daylight hunting may depend on whether it can avoid being mobbed by other birds during that time. In Britain, some birds continue to hunt by day—even when mobbed by such birds as magpies, rooks, and black-headed gulls—possibly because the previous night has been wet, making night hunting difficult. By contrast, in southern Europe and the tropics, the birds seem to be almost exclusively nocturnal, with the few birds that hunt by day being severely mobbed.


title: Barn owl

text: In some cases, an owl feeling threatened by the mobbing of a crow may become aggressive enough to decapitate the crow.