title: Razer Inc.

text: In May 2020, Razer announced the Razer Health initiative, sponsoring high-quality certified surgical masks to governments, healthcare organizations, and individuals around the world.


title: Razer Inc.

text: In October 2020, Razer announced it was launching a new virtual prepaid debit card starting with Singapore in January 2021.


title: Razer Inc.

text: In February 2021, CEO Tan Min-Liang announced that Razer will move its Singapore headquarters to a much larger building that would open in the second quarter of 2021. Razer planned to hire up to 1,000 positions for the new headquarters. The headquarters officially opened on 26 October 2021, which was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat at the ceremony. The building consisted of a "RazerStore" and a "RazerCafe".


title: Razer Inc.

text: On April 26, 2022, cofounder Robert Krakoff died, as of May 12, 2022, no cause of death has been confirmed from the company or his family.


title: Razer Inc.

text: Razer's products are generally targeted at gamers and include gaming laptops, gaming tablets, and PC peripherals such as mice, audio devices, keyboards, mouse mats, and gamepads. Razer has also released a VOIP software called Razer Comms. The Razer DeathAdder gaming mouse is the company's most popular product by sales numbers. Razer mice are used by around 5% of professional gamers. Most Razer products are named after predatory or venomous animals, ranging from snakes (mice), insects (mouse mats), arachnids (keyboards), marine creatures (audio), and felines (console peripherals). The exceptions to this are the Razer Blade series of laptops and Razer Edge, which are instead named after bladed objects. Razer announced its first gaming smartphone, the Razer Phone, in November 2017, which marked the company's first steps into the smartphone business.


title: Razer Inc.

text: In May 2020, Razer has begun distributing free masks via vending machines in Singapore. Each person can receive one mask by authenticating with Razer Pay. The masks are manufactured in Singapore.


title: Razer Inc.

text: In January 2021, Razer launched a range of high-grade designer masks as part of the company's initiative, Project Hazel, in a move to encourage more people to wear masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The mask is designed to allow lip-reading by seeing facial cues when people talk, with LED lights to illuminate the wearer's face in dark environments. The same year, it also entered the gaming chair market with the Iskur, an in-house designed chair for gaming. More recently, they have introduced the Enki, a chair marketed for "all day gaming" and comfort. In 2021, Razer introduces new 8 kHz "HyperPolling" technology to power the Razer Viper 8K, the world's fastest gaming mouse.


title: Razer Inc.

text: In April 2022, Razer partnered with the deep learning company Lambda to launch its first Linux oriented laptop, Tensorbook, which targeted machine learning engineers.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: Santiago Cabrera (; born 5 May 1978) is a Chilean-British actor who has worked mainly in the UK and United States. Cabrera is best known for his roles as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series "Heroes", Lancelot in the BBC drama series "Merlin", and Aramis in the BBC series "The Musketeers". He was also the lead in the TV show "Salvation" as Darius Tanz, and played Captain Cristóbal "Cris" Rios in "".


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: Cabrera was born in Caracas, Venezuela, where his father, a Chilean diplomat, was stationed at the time. He is the middle child of three. Moving along with his father's career, Santiago grew up mainly in England, but also in Romania, Toronto and Madrid. His family returned to Chile when he was fifteen years old. He was captain of his football team in high school, and only tried acting when his teachers encouraged him. During his three years of training at the Drama Centre London from 2000 to 2003, Cabrera starred in productions of "The Madras House", "A Month in the Country", "Napoli Milionaria", "Britannicus", "The Dutch Courtesan", "The Strangeness of Others", "Three Birds Alighting on a Field", and played the title character in "The Last Days of Don Juan".


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: Concurrent with his final year at the centre, he made his television debut with small roles in the British television series "Battlefield Britain", "Judge John Deed", "Spooks" and "As If". His first role after graduating from drama school was Montano in Shakespeare's "Othello", at the Northampton Theatre Royal. He also starred in the 2006 film "Love and Other Disasters" as the Argentinian Paolo Sarmiento, alongside Brittany Murphy and Matthew Rhys.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: He has appeared on American television first in "Empire," as Octavius. He appeared as Isaac Mendez in the NBC series "Heroes"; once the character's arc ended, he narrated some episodes of the BBC's spin-off documentary series "Heroes Unmasked". He also played Lancelot in the BBC drama series "Merlin" and Aramis in The Musketeers.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: In addition to his fluency in Spanish, English, French and Italian, Cabrera is skilled in tennis, hockey and scuba diving. On 20 January 2007 episode of the NBC Universal late-night programme "Vivo Mun2", Cabrera discussed his semi-professional football career in London before he fully committed to acting. He also stated that C.D. Universidad Católica of Santiago is his favourite team, however, he remains a fan of London club Queens Park Rangers F.C., for which he was a mascot as a child. Although he considers Santiago his hometown, he splits his time between London and Los Angeles.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: On 7 September 2008, Cabrera participated in Soccer Aid, a British charity football match in support of UNICEF. He later repeated this venture in 2014, playing once again for the Rest of the World. In November 2008 he played for the Hollywood United team in a special charity match raising money for people affected by the devastation of Hurricane Ike.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: On 4 March 2019, CBS announced Cabrera was cast in "", starring Patrick Stewart, which started shooting in April 2019. He played the supporting role of Captain Cristobal Rios in the limited series. Cabrera appeared in Disney's "Godmothered" in 2020.


title: Santiago Cabrera

text: On 9 September 2021, Cabrera announced he would return to Star Trek: Picard for the series' second season with a trailer posted to his Instagram. On May 5, 2022, Cabrera promoted the final episode of the second season of Picard on his Instagram. It was his last appearance on the series.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: Titanic II (also styled Titanic 2) is a 2010 American drama disaster film written, directed by and starring Shane Van Dyke and distributed by The Asylum. Despite the title, it is not a sequel to the 1997 critically acclaimed film, but is a mockbuster of it. It was released direct-to-TV in Australia on 7 August 2010. It premiered on Syfy, on Sky in the UK and Ireland on 9 August. It was released on 25 August in the United States to critically negative response, though the film's ensemble cast performances, particularly that of Bruce Davison, received praise.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: The film is set on a fictional replica "Titanic" that sets off exactly 100 years after the original ship's maiden voyage to perform the reverse route, but global warming and the forces of nature cause history to repeat itself on the same night, only on a more disastrous and deadly scale. A supernatural horror-themed sequel, "Titanic 666", was released twelve years later, on April 15, 2022.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: In the Arctic waters near the Helheim Glacier in Greenland, a person is surfing on waves created by falling chunks of ice that fall off the glacier and into the ocean caused by the effects of global warming. However, a very large chunk of ice falls into the water, creating an especially large wave. The surfer tries to escape from the wave, but it is far too fast for him, and in a matter of seconds, it catches up to him and then drowns and kills him. United States Coast Guard Captain James Maine, is sent to investigate in Greenland. While he is there with Dr. Kim Patterson (Brooke Burns), a huge chunk of ice falls into the ocean.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: On 10 April 2012, 100 years after the departure of the RMS "Titanic" on its maiden voyage, a new, similar-looking luxury cruise liner, the RMS "Titanic II", is christened. She embarks on her maiden voyage using the same route the "Titanic" took 100 years before, albeit in reverse direction (from New York City to Southampton). The ship's captain Will Howard (D.C. Douglas) is in command. The ship's designer, Hayden Walsh (Shane Van Dyke), and the ship's nurses Amy Maine (Marie Westbrook) and Kelly Wade (Michelle Glavan) are on board. During the Atlantic crossing, the crew is alerted of the tsunami by James Maine. Maine warns that any ice in the area will be moved with the tsunami. In a rush to get back to shore, one of the engines is damaged. Immediately following, the wave and a large iceberg ram into the ship, leaving many passengers injured. The entire starboard side of the ship and the starboard lifeboat ramps are crushed. Hayden and Amy return below decks and find Kelly badly injured. The three escape and move towards the upper decks. Meanwhile, back up north, a much larger tsunami is created by yet another glacier. During the evacuation, immense pressure is placed on the ship's turbines, causing it to eventually explode, killing many passengers, including the ship captain Will Howard. The explosion also causes an immense fire on the "Titanic II", which is sinking by its bow (similar to the first Titanic) while also listing at a shallow angle to its starboard side.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: Amy gets a call from her father, who warns her of the second wave and to stay out of the lifeboats, as they will be washed away by the wave. Maine orders the three to move to the ship's onboard diving facility. Kelly is later killed when a very heavy door crushes her. Hayden and Amy make it to the diving facility when they hear somebody trapped. They try to help him, but he dies behind a jammed door. When Hayden and Amy go inside the diving facility, the second wave hits the ship, turning it upside down, and destroying the lifeboats.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: The ship's diving facility only has one oxygen tank and scuba suit, which Hayden gives to Amy. Before sacrificing his life for her, Hayden kisses Amy and with his last words tells her to resuscitate him should he drown before they are rescued. Captain Maine arrives to rescue Amy and Hayden by swimming inside the ship as it sinks. His helicopter runs out of fuel and crashes as Patterson gets in a life raft. With the ship flooded, "Titanic II" finally sinks. After James rescues them, Amy attempts to resuscitate Hayden but it's too late. Amy, and an unknown number of injured passengers whom Hayden ordered his helicopter to take (earlier in the film) are the only known survivors of the disaster.


title: Titanic II (film)

text: For the film, RMS "Queen Mary" docked as a hotel ship and tourist attraction in Long Beach, California was used as a stand-in for "RMS Titanic II" during the departure scenes and some of its interiors. The ship had previously been used as stand-ins for the fictional similarly fated ocean liner SS "Poseidon" in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) and the original RMS "Titanic" in the 1979 television miniseries "S.O.S. Titanic".


title: Titanic II (film)

text: The film has received a negative response from most film critics. On the website TheCriticalCritics.com the film was reviewed as being "a mixed bag" since "it’s better than one might expect, but not as good as one might hope." Though panned generally as "pretty lackluster" as well as "riddled with disaster movie clichés", the performances of some cast members were highlighted for praise, particularly Bruce Davison as a veteran U.S. Coast Guard captain. The movie as a whole was given a rating of "Don't Bother".


title: Titanic II (film)

text: Dread Central said in a review "Take away the novelty of the 'Titanic II' name, and you’re left with a rather trite Poseidon Adventure-ish disaster flick made on the cheap. It’s not good enough to be engrossing, nor is it made to be intentionally bad, and even as silly as the scenario is, none of it is ever quite silly enough to provide unintentional fun. Action and suspense are constantly hampered by the low budget and the special effects answer the question, "What would James Cameron's "Titanic" have been like if most of the digital effects looked like animation from a Wii cutscene?"".


title: Tanner scale

text: The Tanner scale (also known as the Tanner stages or Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR)) is a scale of physical development in children, adolescents and adults. The scale defines physical measurements of development based on external primary and secondary sex characteristics, such as the size of the breasts, genitals, testicular volume and development of pubic hair. This scale was first identified in 1969 by James Tanner, a British pediatrician, after a two-decade-long study following the physical changes in girls undergoing puberty.


title: Tanner scale

text: Due to natural variation, individuals pass through the Tanner stages at different rates, depending in particular on the timing of puberty. Among researchers who study puberty, the Tanner scale is commonly considered the "gold standard" for assessing pubertal status when it is conducted by a trained medical examiner. In HIV treatment, the Tanner scale is used to determine which regimen to follow for pediatric or adolescent patients on antiretroviral therapy (adult, adolescent, or pediatric guidelines). The Tanner scale has also been used in forensics to determine aging, but its usage has decreased due to lack of reliability.


title: Tanner scale

text: During Tanner V, females stop growing and reach their adult height. Usually, this happens in their mid teens at 14 or 15 years for females. Males also stop growing and reach their adult height during Tanner V; usually this happens in their late teens at 16-17 years.


title: Tanner scale

text: In 1970, white boys reached the last Tanner stage, the postpubertal stage, on average at the age of 14.9 years and girls around the age of 14 depending on social class and the particular study. In the nearly fifty years since those studies, the ages at which children are beginning puberty has only declined: "The age of puberty, especially female puberty, has been decreasing in western cultures for decades now ... for example, at the turn of the 20th century, the average age for an American girl to get her period was 16 or 17. Today, that number has decreased to 12 or 13 years."


title: Tanner scale

text: The scale has been criticized by the pornography industry for its potential to lead to false child pornography convictions, such as in the case of pornographic actress Lupe Fuentes where United States federal authorities used it to assert that she was not an adult despite her age. Fuentes personally appeared at the trial and provided documentation that showed that the DVDs in question were legally produced.


title: Tanner scale

text: Tanner, the author of the classification system, has argued that age classification using the stages of the scale misrepresents the intended use. Tanner stages do not match with chronological age, but rather maturity stages and thus are not diagnostic for age estimation.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: Elena of Avalor is an American computer-animated adventure television series that premiered on Disney Channel on July 22, 2016, and moved to Disney Junior on July 14, 2018. The series features Aimee Carrero as the voice of Elena, a Latina princess.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: In July 2020, Disney announced that "Elena of Avalor" would end after three seasons. The series finale, "Coronation Day" aired on August 23, 2020.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: Princess Elena Castillo Flores, now grown up, has saved her magical kingdom of Avalor from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as its crowned princess. Elena's adventures will lead her to understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience, and compassion, the traits of all truly great leaders. Since she is only 16 years old, she must follow the guidance of a Grand Council, composed of her grandparents, older cousin Chancellor Esteban, and a new friend, Naomi Turner. Elena also looks to her younger sister, Isabel, her friends, wizard Mateo, and Royal Guard lieutenant, Gabe, a spirit animal named Zuzo, and a trio of magical flying creatures called Jaquins for guidance and support.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: The series' creator and executive producer Craig Gerber said: "It was very important to us that, since we were doing a show with a kingdom inspired by Latin American culture, that we get that right. Even though it's a fairytale world, there are things that feel very authentic." Story editor Silvia Olivas stated: "We have cultural consultants help us every step of the way. They read everything from the premise all the way through the final draft." On the show's music, Latin music consultant Rene Camacho said: "The styles of music we're using overall — it's all Latin-based, it's very festive." Consultant Diane Rodriguez stated that the series "has this visual element that's so evocative, it takes the look of the Latino culture, of the Americas, almost to another level." In June 2016, the music video for "My Time" was released. The series was renewed for a second season on August 11, 2016. The series was renewed for a third season on February 13, 2017. The second season premiered on October 14, 2017.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: The debut episode "First Day of Rule" was distributed on-demand on June 20, 2016 by Rogers TV in Canada. Disney scheduled the online release in the United States for July 1, 2016. An episode of the series aired as a sneak peek on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland on July 15, 2016, and more episodes aired later in the year. A television movie titled "Elena and the Secret of Avalor", which shows the origins of the series, premiered on November 20, 2016.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: The series' final episode, a one-hour special, "Elena of Avalor: Coronation Day" aired on August 23, 2020.


title: Elena of Avalor

text: The series received a positive reception. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the series protagonist, Elena, as a "spunky Latina-inspired princess" and said she is an "excellent role model." She said that while a few scenes might be "scary for youngsters" there are strong themes of "friendship, family relationships...honesty, fairness, and kindness" and called the series funny and heartwarming. She additionally argued that the show's incorporation of Latin influences was a "welcome change in kids' programming."


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore, took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore, with fighting lasting from 8 to 15 February 1942. Singapore was the foremost British military base and economic port in South–East Asia and had been of great importance to British interwar defence strategy. The capture of Singapore resulted in the largest British surrender in its history.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Prior to the battle, Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita had advanced with about 30,000 men down the Malayan Peninsula in the Malayan campaign. The British erroneously considered the jungle terrain impassable, leading to a swift Japanese advance as Allied defences were quickly outflanked. The British Lieutenant-General, Arthur Percival, commanded 85,000 Allied troops at Singapore, although many units were under-strength and most units lacked experience. The British outnumbered the Japanese but much of the water for the island was drawn from reservoirs on the mainland. The British destroyed the causeway, forcing the Japanese into an improvised crossing of the Johore Strait. Singapore was considered so important that Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered Percival to fight to the last man.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Japanese attacked the weakest part of the island defences and established a beachhead on 8 February. Percival had expected a crossing in the north and failed to reinforce the defenders in time. Communication and leadership failures beset the Allies and there were few defensive positions or reserves near the beachhead. The Japanese advance continued and the Allies began to run out of supplies. By 15 February, about a million civilians in the city were crammed into the remaining area held by Allied forces, 1 per cent of the island. Japanese aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days. The Japanese were also almost at the end of their supplies and Yamashita wanted to avoid costly house-to-house fighting.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: For the second time since the battle began, Yamashita demanded unconditional surrender and that afternoon, Percival capitulated. About 80,000 British, Indian, Australian and local troops became prisoners of war, joining the 50,000 taken in Malaya and many died of neglect, abuse or forced labour. Three days after the British surrender, the Japanese began the Sook Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians. The Japanese held Singapore until the end of the war. About 40,000, mostly conscripted, Indian soldiers joined the Indian National Army and fought with the Japanese in the Burma campaign. Churchill called it the worst disaster in British military history. The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse soon after the Japanese landings on Malaya, the fall of Singapore and other defeats in 1942, severely undermined British prestige, which contributed to the end of British colonial rule in the region after the war.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: In the interwar years, Britain had established a naval base in Singapore after the Anglo-Japanese alliance had lapsed in 1923. As part of the Singapore strategy, the base formed a key part of British interwar defence planning for the region. Financial constraints had hampered construction efforts during the intervening period and shifting strategic circumstances had largely undermined the key premises behind the strategy by the time war had broken out in the Pacific. During 1940 and 1941, the Allies imposed a trade embargo on Japan in response to its campaigns in China and its occupation of French Indochina. The basic plan for taking Singapore was worked out in July 1940. Intelligence gained in late 1940–early 1941 did not alter that plan but confirmed it in the minds of Japanese decision makers. On 11 November 1940, the German raider "Atlantis" captured the British steamer "Automedon" in the Indian Ocean, carrying papers meant for Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, the British commander in the Far East. The papers included information about the weakness of the Singapore base. In December 1940, the Germans handed over copies of the papers to the Japanese. The Japanese had broken the British Army's codes and in January 1941, the Second Department (the intelligence-gathering arm) of the Imperial Army interpreted and read a message from Singapore to London complaining in much detail about the weak state of "Fortress Singapore", a message so frank in its admission of weakness that the Japanese at first suspected it was a British plant, believing that no officer would be so open in admitting weaknesses to his superiors. Only after cross-checking the message with the "Automedon" papers did the Japanese accept it to be genuine.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Japanese oil reserves were rapidly depleting due to its military operations in China and by industrial consumption. In the latter half of 1941, the Japanese began preparing to go to war to seize vital resources if peaceful efforts to buy them failed. Planners determined a broad scheme of manoeuvres that incorporated simultaneous attacks on the territories of Britain, The Netherlands and the United States. This would see landings in Malaya and Hong Kong as part of a general move south to secure Singapore, connected to Malaya by the Johor–Singapore Causeway and then an invasion of the oil-rich area of Borneo and Java in the Dutch East Indies. Attacks would be made against the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor as well as landings in the Philippines and attacks on Guam, Wake Island and the Gilbert Islands. Following these attacks, a period of consolidation was planned, after which the Japanese planners intended to build up the defences of the captured territory by establishing a strong perimeter from the India–Burma frontier through to Wake Island and traversing Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and New Britain, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. This perimeter would be used to block Allied attempts to regain the lost territory and defeat their will to fight.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Japanese 25th Army invaded Malaya from Indochina, moving into northern Malaya and Thailand by amphibious assault on 8 December 1941. This was virtually simultaneous with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which precipitated the United States' entry into the war. Thailand resisted landings on its territory for about 5 to 8 hours; it then signed a ceasefire and a Treaty of Friendship with Japan, later declaring war on the UK and the US. The Japanese then proceeded overland across the Thai–Malayan border to attack Malaya. At this time, the Japanese began bombing Singapore.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The 25th Army was resisted in northern Malaya by III Corps of the British Indian Army. Although the 25th Army was outnumbered by Commonwealth forces in Malaya and Singapore, they did not take the initiative with their forces while Japanese commanders concentrated theirs. The Japanese were superior in close air support, armour, co-ordination, tactics and experience. Conventional British military thinking was that the Japanese forces were inferior and characterised that the Malayan jungles as "impassable"; the Japanese were repeatedly able to use it to their advantage to outflank hastily established defensive lines. Prior to the Battle of Singapore the most resistance was met at the Battle of Muar which involved the 8th Australian Division and the 45th Indian Brigade. The British troops left in the city of Singapore were basically garrison troops.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: At the start of the campaign, the Commonwealth forces had only 164 first-line aircraft in Malaya and Singapore and the only fighter type was the sub-standard Brewster 339E Buffalo. The Buffaloes were operated by one Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and two Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons. The aircraft were, according to historian Peter Dennis, "not considered good enough for use in Europe" and major shortcomings included a slow rate of climb and the fuel system, which required the pilot to hand-pump fuel if flying above . The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force was more numerous and better trained than the second-hand assortment of untrained pilots and inferior Commonwealth equipment remaining in Malaya, Borneo and Singapore. Japanese fighters were superior to the Commonwealth fighters, which helped the Japanese to gain air supremacy. Although outnumbered and outclassed, the Buffalos were able to provide some resistance, with RAAF pilots alone managing to shoot down at least 20 Japanese aircraft before the few survivors were withdrawn.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Force Z, consisting of the battleship , the battlecruiser and four destroyers, sailed north out of Singapore on 8 December to oppose expected Japanese landings along the coast of Malaya. Japanese land-based aircraft found and sank the two capital ships on 10 December, leaving the east coast of the Malayan Peninsula exposed and allowing the Japanese to continue their amphibious landings. Japanese forces quickly isolated, surrounded and forced the surrender of Indian units defending the coast. Despite their numerical inferiority, they advanced down the Malayan Peninsula, overwhelming the defences. The Japanese forces also used bicycle infantry and light tanks, allowing swift movement through the jungle. The Commonwealth having thought the terrain made them impractical, had no tanks and only a few armoured vehicles, which put them at a severe disadvantage.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Although more Commonwealth units—including some from the 8th Australian Division—joined the campaign, the Japanese prevented them from regrouping. The Japanese overran cities and advanced toward Singapore, which was an anchor for the operations of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), the first Allied joint command of the Second World War. Singapore controlled the main shipping channel between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. An ambush was sprung by the 2/30th Australian Battalion on the main road at the Gemenceh River near Gemas on 14 January, causing many Japanese casualties.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: At Bakri, from 18 to 22 January, the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th battalions and the 45th Indian Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Charles Anderson) repeatedly fought through Japanese positions before running out of ammunition near Parit Sulong. The survivors were forced to leave behind about 110 Australian and 40 Indian wounded, who were later beaten, tortured and murdered by Japanese troops during the Parit Sulong Massacre. Of over 3,000 men from these units only around 500 men escaped. For his leadership in the fighting withdrawal, Anderson was awarded the Victoria Cross. A determined counter-attack by the 5/11th Sikh Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel John Parkin) in the area of Niyor, near Kluang, on 25 January and an ambush around the Nithsdale Estate by the 2/18th Australian Battalion on 26/27 January bought valuable time and permitted East Force, based on the 22nd Australian Brigade (Brigadier Harold Taylor), to withdraw from eastern Johor (formerly Johore). On 31 January, the last Commonwealth forces crossed the causeway linking Johor and Singapore and engineers blew it up.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: During the weeks preceding the invasion, Commonwealth forces suffered a number of both subdued and openly disruptive disagreements amongst its senior commanders, as well as pressure from Australian Prime Minister John Curtin. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, commander of the garrison, had 85,000 soldiers—the equivalent, on paper at least, of just over four divisions. Of this figure, 15,000 men were employed in supply, administrative, or other non-combatant roles. The remaining force was a mix of front-line and second-line troops. There were 49 infantry battalions—21 Indian, 13 British, six Australian, four Indian States Forces assigned to airfield defence, three Straits Settlements Volunteer Force, and two Malayan. In addition, there were two British machine-gun battalions, one Australian, and a British reconnaissance battalion. The newly arrived 18th Infantry Division (Major-General Merton Beckwith-Smith)—was at full strength but lacked experience and training. The rest of the force was of mixed quality, condition, training, equipment and morale. Lionel Wigmore, the Australian official historian of the Malayan campaign, wrote


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Percival gave Major-General Gordon Bennett's two brigades from the 8th Australian Division responsibility for the western side of Singapore, including the prime invasion points in the northwest of the island. This was mostly mangrove swamp and jungle, broken by rivers and creeks. In the heart of the "Western Area" was RAF Tengah, Singapore's largest airfield at the time. The Australian 22nd Brigade, under Brigadier Harold Taylor, was assigned a wide sector in the west, and the 27th Brigade, under Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, had responsibility for a zone just west of the Causeway. The infantry positions were reinforced by the recently arrived Australian 2/4th Machine-Gun Battalion. Also under Bennett's command was the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The III Indian Corps (Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Heath) including the 11th Indian Infantry Division under Major-General Berthold Key with reinforcements from the 8th Indian Brigade, and the 18th Infantry Division—was assigned the north-eastern sector, known as the "Northern Area". This included the naval base at Sembawang. The "Southern Area", including the main urban areas in the south-east, was commanded by Major-General Frank Simmons. His forces consisted of elements of the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade and the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Brigade with the Indian 12th Infantry Brigade in reserve.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: From 3 February, the Commonwealth forces were shelled by Japanese artillery, and air attacks on Singapore intensified over the next five days. The artillery and air bombardment strengthened, severely disrupting communications between Commonwealth units and their commanders and affecting preparations for the defence of the island. From aerial reconnaissance, scouts, infiltrators and observation from high ground across the straits (such as at Istana Bukit Serene and the Sultan of Johor's palace), Japanese commander General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff gained excellent knowledge of the Commonwealth positions. Yamashita and his officers stationed themselves at Istana Bukit Serene and the Johor state secretariat building—the Sultan Ibrahim Building—to plan for the invasion of Singapore. Although his military advisors judged that Istana Bukit Serene was an easy target, Yamashita was confident that the British Army would not attack the palace because it belonged to the Sultan of Johor. Yamashita's prediction was correct; despite being observed by Australian artillery, permission to engage the palace was denied by Gordon Bennett.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Most of Singapore's BL 15-inch Mk I naval guns could be traversed north and were used to engage the Japanese. The guns—which included the Johore Battery, with three guns and one battery with two guns—were supplied mostly with armour-piercing shells (AP) for anti-shipping use and few high explosive (HE) shells. Percival incorrectly guessed that the Japanese would land forces on the north-east side of Singapore, ignoring advice that the north-west was a more likely direction of attack (where the Straits of Johor were the narrowest and a series of river mouths provided cover for the launching of water craft). This was encouraged by the deliberate movement of Japanese troops in this sector to deceive the British. Much of the equipment and resources of the garrison had been incorrectly allocated to the north east sector, where the most complete and freshest formation—the 18th Infantry Division—was deployed, while the depleted 8th Australian Division sector with two of its three brigades had no serious fixed defensive works or obstacles. To compound matters, Percival had ordered the Australians to defend forward so as to cover the waterway, yet this meant they were immediately fully committed to any fighting, limiting their flexibility, whilst also reducing their defensive depth. The two Australian brigades were subsequently allocated a very wide frontage of over and were separated by the Kranji River.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Yamashita had just over 30,000 men from three divisions: the Imperial Guards Division (Lieutenant-General Takuma Nishimura), the 5th Division (Lieutenant-General Takuro Matsui) and the Japanese 18th Division (Lieutenant-General Renya Mutaguchi). Also in support was a light tank brigade. In comparison, following the withdrawal, Percival had about 85,000 men at his disposal, although 15,000 were administrative personnel, while large numbers were semi-trained British, Indian and Australian reinforcements that had only recently arrived. Of those forces that had seen action during the previous fighting, the majority were under-strength and under-equipped.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: In the days leading up to the Japanese attack, patrols from the Australian 22nd Brigade were sent across the Straits of Johor at night to gather intelligence. Three small patrols were sent on the evening of 6 February, one was spotted and withdrew after its leader was killed and their boat sunk and the other two managed to get ashore. Over the course of a day, they found large concentrations of troops, although they were unable to locate any landing craft. The Australians requested the shelling of these positions to disrupt the Japanese preparations but the patrol reports were later ignored by Malaya Command as being insignificant, based upon the belief that the real assault would come in the north-eastern sector, not the north-west.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Blowing up the causeway had delayed the Japanese attack for over a week. Prior to the main assault, the Australians were subjected to an intense artillery bombardment. Over a period of 15 hours, starting at 23:00 on 8 February 1942, Yamashita's heavy guns fired a bombardment 88,000 shells (200 rounds per gun) along the straits, cutting telephone lines and isolating forward units. The British had the means to conduct counter-battery fire opposite the Australians that would have caused casualties and disruption among the Japanese assault troops. The bombardment of the Australians was not seen as a prelude to attack—Malaya Command believed that it would last several days and would later switch its focus to the north-east, despite its ferocity exceeding anything the Allies had experienced thus far in the campaign; no order was passed to the Commonwealth artillery units to bombard possible Japanese assembly areas.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Shortly before 20:30 on 8 February, the first wave of Japanese troops from the 5th Division and 18th Division began crossing the Johor Strait. The main weight of the Japanese force, about 13,000 men, from 16 assault battalions, with five in reserve, attacked the 22nd Australian Brigade. The assault was received by the 2/18th Battalion and the 2/20th Battalion. Each Japanese division had 150 barges and collapsible boats, sufficient for lifts of 4,000. During the first night 13,000 Japanese troops landed and were followed by another 10,000 after first light. The Australians numbered just 3,000 men and lacked any significant reserve.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: As the landing craft closed on the Australian positions, machine gunners from the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, interspersed amongst the rifle companies, opened fire. Spotlights had been placed on the beaches by a British unit to illuminate an invasion force on the water but many had been damaged by the bombardment and no order was made to turn the others on. The initial wave was concentrated against the positions occupied by the 2/18th and 2/20th Battalions, around the Buloh River, as well as one company from the 2/19th Battalion. Over the course of an hour, intense fighting took place on the right flank of the 2/19th Battalion, until its positions were overrun, the Japanese then advanced inland concealed by the darkness and the vegetation. The resistance put up by the company from the 2/19th pushed the follow-on waves of Japanese craft to land around the mouth of Murai River, which resulted in them creating a gap between the 2/19th and 2/18th battalions. From there the Japanese launched two concerted attacks against the 2/18th, which were met with massed fire before they overwhelmed the Australians by weight of numbers. Urgent requests for fire support were made and throughout the night the 2/15th Field Regiment fired over 4,800 rounds.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Fierce fighting raged throughout the evening but due to the terrain and the darkness, the Japanese were able to disperse into the undergrowth, surround and overwhelm pockets of Australian resistance or bypass them exploiting gaps in the thinly spread Commonwealth lines due to the many rivers and creeks in the area. By midnight, the two Japanese divisions fired star shell to indicate to their commander that they had secured their initial objectives and by 01:00 they were well established. Over the course of two hours, the three Australian battalions that had been engaged sought to regroup, moving back east from the coast towards the centre of the island, which was completed mainly in good order. The 2/20th managed to concentrate three of its four companies around the Namazie Estate, although one was left behind; the 2/18th was only able to concentrate half its strength at Ama Keng, while the 2/19th also moved back three companies, leaving a fourth to defend Tengah airfield. Further fighting followed in the early morning of 9 February and the Australians were pushed back further, with the 2/18th being pushed out of Ama Keng and the 2/20th being forced to pull back to Bulim, west of Bukit Panjong. Bypassed elements tried to break out and fall back to the Tengah airfield to rejoin their units and suffered many casualties. Bennett attempted to reinforce the 22nd Brigade by moving the 2/29th Battalion from the 27th Brigade area to Tengah but before it could be used to recapture Ama Keng, the Japanese launched another attack around the airfield and the 2/29th was forced onto the defensive. The initial fighting cost the Australians many casualties, the 2/20th, losing 334 men killed and 214 wounded.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The air campaign for Singapore began during the invasion of Malaya. Early on 8 December 1941, Singapore was bombed for the first time by long-range Japanese aircraft, such as the Mitsubishi G3M2 "Nell" and the Mitsubishi G4M1 "Betty", based in Japanese-occupied Indochina. The bombers struck the city centre as well as the Sembawang Naval Base and the northern airfields. For the rest of December there were false alerts and several infrequent and sporadic hit-and-run attacks on outlying military installations such as the Naval Base but no raids on Singapore City. The situation had become so desperate that one British soldier took to the middle of a road to fire his Vickers machine gun at any aircraft that passed. He could only say "The bloody bastards will never think of looking for me in the open, and I want to see a bloody plane brought down". The next recorded raid on the city occurred on the night of 29/30 December, and nightly raids ensued for over a week, accompanied by daylight raids from 12 January 1942. As the Japanese army advanced towards Singapore Island, the day and night raids increased in frequency and intensity, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties, up to the time of the British surrender.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: In December 51 Hawker Hurricane Mk II fighters were sent to Singapore, with 24 pilots, the nuclei of five squadrons. They arrived on 3 January 1942, by which stage the Buffalo squadrons had been overwhelmed. No. 232 Squadron RAF was formed and No. 488 Squadron RNZAF, a Buffalo squadron, had converted to Hurricanes; 232 Squadron became operational on 20 January and destroyed three Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscars" that day, for the loss of three Hurricanes. Like the Buffalos the Hurricanes began to suffer severe losses in dogfights. From 27 to 30 January, another 48 Hurricanes arrived on the aircraft carrier . Operated by the four squadrons of No. 226 Group RAF, they flew from an airfield code-named P1, near Palembang, Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies, while a flight was maintained in Singapore. Many of the Hurricanes were destroyed on the ground by air raids. The lack of an effective air early warning system throughout the campaign meant that many Commonwealth aircraft were lost in this manner during Japanese attacks against airfields.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: By the time of the invasion, only ten Hurricanes of 232 Squadron, based at RAF Kallang, remained to provide air cover for the Commonwealth forces on Singapore. The airfields at Tengah, Seletar and Sembawang were in range of Japanese artillery at Johor Bahru. RAF Kallang was the only operational airstrip left; the surviving squadrons and aircraft had withdrawn by January to reinforce the Dutch East Indies. On the morning of 9 February, dogfights took place over Sarimbun Beach and other western areas. In the first encounter, the last ten Hurricanes were scrambled from Kallang Airfield to intercept a Japanese formation of about 84 aircraft, flying from Johor to provide air cover for their invasion force. The Hurricanes shot down six Japanese aircraft and damaged 14 others for the loss of a Hurricane.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Air battles went on for the rest of the day and by nightfall it was clear that with the few aircraft Percival had left, Kallang could no longer be used as a base. With his assent, the remaining flyable Hurricanes were withdrawn to Sumatra. A squadron of Hurricane fighters took to the skies on 9 February but was then withdrawn to the Netherlands East Indies and after that no Commonwealth aircraft were seen again over Singapore; the Japanese had achieved air supremacy. That evening, three Fairmile B motor launches attacked and sank several Japanese landing craft in the Johor Strait around its western channel on the evening of 9 February. On the evening of 10 February, General Archibald Wavell, commander of ABDA, ordered the transfer of all remaining Commonwealth air force personnel to the Dutch East Indies. By this time, Kallang Airfield was, according to author Frank Owen, "so pitted with bomb craters that it was no longer usable".


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Believing that further landings would occur in the northeast, Percival did not reinforce the 22nd Brigade until the morning of 9 February, sending two half-strength battalions from the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade. The Indians reached Bennett around noon. Shortly afterwards Percival allocated the composite 6th/15th Indian Infantry Brigade to reinforce the Australians from their position around the Singapore racecourse. Throughout the day, the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade, still holding its position on the coast, began to feel pressure on its exposed flank and after discussions between Percival and Bennett, it was decided that they would have to retire eastwards to maintain the southern part of the Commonwealth line. Bennett decided to form a secondary defensive line, known as the "Kranji-Jurong Switch Line" facing west between the two rivers, with its centre around Bulim, east of Tengah Airfield—which subsequently came under Japanese control—and just north of Jurong.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: To the north, the 27th Australian Brigade had not been engaged during the Japanese assaults on the first day. Possessing only the 2/26th and 2/30th, following the transfer of the 2/29th Battalion to the 22nd Brigade, Maxwell sought to reorganise his force to deal with the threat posed to the western flank. Late on 9 February, the Imperial Guards began assaulting the positions held by the 27th Brigade, concentrating on those held by the 2/26th Battalion. During the initial assault, the Japanese suffered severe casualties from Australian mortars and machine-guns and from burning oil which had been sluiced into the water following the demolition of several oil tanks by the Australians. Some of the Guards reached the shore and maintained a tenuous beachhead; at the height of the assault, it is reported that the Guards commander, Nishimura, requested permission to cancel the attack due to the many casualties his troops had suffered from the fire but Yamashita ordered them to press on.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Communication problems caused further cracks in the Commonwealth defence. Maxwell knew that the 22nd Brigade was under increasing pressure but was unable to contact Taylor and was wary of encirclement. As parties of Japanese troops began to infiltrate the brigade's positions from the west, exploiting the gap formed by the Kranji River, the 2/26th Battalion was forced to withdraw to a position east of the Bukit Timah Road; this move precipitated a sympathetic move by the 2/30th away from the causeway. The authority for this withdrawal would later be the subject of debate, with Bennett stating that he had not given Maxwell authorisation to do so. The result was that the Allies lost control of the beaches adjoining the west side of the causeway, the high ground overlooking the causeway and the left flank of the 11th Indian Division was exposed. The Japanese were given a firm foothold to "build up their force unopposed".


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The opening at Kranji made it possible for Imperial Guards armoured units to land there unopposed, after which they were able to begin ferrying across their artillery and armour. After finding his left flank exposed by the withdrawal of the 27th Brigade, the commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Division, Key, dispatched the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade from reserve, to retake the high ground to the south of the Causeway. Throughout 10 February further fighting took place around along the Jurong Line, as orders were formulated to establish a secondary defensive line to the west of the Reformatory Road, with troops not then employed in the Jurong Line; misinterpretation of these orders resulted in Taylor, the commander of the 22nd Brigade, prematurely withdrawing his troops to the east, where they were joined by a 200-strong ad hoc battalion of Australian reinforcements, known as X Battalion. The Jurong Line eventually collapsed after the 12th Indian Brigade was withdrawn by its commander, Brigadier Archie Paris, to the road junction near Bukit Panjang, after he lost contact with the 27th Brigade on his right; the commander of the 44th Indian Brigade, Ballantine, commanding the extreme left of the line, also misinterpreted the orders in the same manner that Taylor had and withdrew. On the evening of 10 February, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, cabled Wavell


title: Fall of Singapore

text: In the early afternoon of 10 February, on learning of the collapse of the Jurong Line, Wavell ordered Percival to launch a counter-attack to retake it. This order was passed on to Bennett, who allocated X Battalion. Percival made plans of his own for the counter-attack, detailing a three-phased operation that involved the majority of the 22nd Brigade, and he subsequently passed this on to Bennett, who began implementing the plan, but forgot to call X Battalion back. The battalion, consisting of poorly trained and equipped replacements, advanced to an assembly area near Bukit Timah. In the early hours of 11 February, the Japanese, who had concentrated significant forces around the Tengah airfield and on the Jurong Road, began further offensive operations: the 5th Division aimed its advance towards Bukit Panjang, while the 18th Division struck out towards Bukit Timah. They fell upon X Battalion, which had camped in its assembly area while waiting to launch its counter-attack, and two-thirds of the battalion was killed or wounded. After brushing aside elements of the 6th/15th Indian Brigade, the Japanese again began attacking the 22nd Australian Brigade around the Reformatory Road.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Later on 11 February, with Japanese supplies running low, Yamashita attempted to bluff Percival, calling on him to "give up this meaningless and desperate resistance". The fighting strength of the 22nd Brigade—which had borne the brunt of the Japanese attacks—had been reduced to a few hundred men and the Japanese had captured the Bukit Timah area, including the main food and fuel depots of the garrison. Wavell told Percival that the garrison was to fight on to the end and that there should not be a general surrender in Singapore. With the vital water supply of the reservoirs in the centre of the island threatened, the 27th Australian Brigade was later ordered to recapture Bukit Panjang as a preliminary move in retaking Bukit Timah. The counter-attack was repulsed by the Imperial Guards and the 27th Australian Brigade was split in half on either side of the Bukit Timah Road with elements spread as far as the Pierce Reservoir.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The next day, as the situation worsened for the Commonwealth, they sought to consolidate their defences; during the night of 12/13 February, the order was given for a perimeter to be established around Singapore City at the eastern end of the island. This was achieved by moving the defending forces from the beaches along the northern shore and from around Changi, with the 18th Infantry Division being tasked to maintain control of the vital reservoirs and effecting a link up with Simmons' Southern Area forces. The withdrawing troops received harassing attacks all the way back. Elsewhere, the 22nd Brigade continued to hold a position west of the Holland Road until late in the evening when it was pulled back to Holland Village.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: On 13 February, Japanese engineers repaired the road over the causeway and more tanks were pushed across. With the Commonwealth still losing ground, senior officers advised Percival to surrender in the interest of minimising civilian casualties. Percival refused but tried to get authority from Wavell for greater discretion as to when resistance might cease. The Japanese captured the water reservoirs that supplied the town but did not cut off the supply. That day, military police executed Captain Patrick Heenan for espionage. An Air Liaison Officer with the British Indian Army, Heenan had been recruited by Japanese military intelligence and had used a radio to assist them in attacking Commonwealth airfields in northern Malaya. He had been arrested on 10 December and court-martialled in January. Heenan was shot at Keppel Harbour, on the southern side of Singapore and his body was thrown into the sea.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Australians occupied a perimeter of their own to the north-west around Tanglin Barracks, in which they maintained an all round defence as a precaution. To their right, the 18th Division, the 11th Indian Division and the 2nd Malaya Brigade held the perimeter from the edge of the Farrar Road east to Kallang, while to their left, the 44th Indian Brigade and the 1st Malaya Brigade held the perimeter from Buona Vista to Pasir Panjang. For the most part, there was limited fighting around the perimeter, except around Pasir Panjang Ridge, from Singapore Harbour, where the 1st Malaya Brigade—which consisted of a Malayan infantry battalion, two British infantry battalions and a force of Royal Engineers—fought a stubborn defensive action during the Battle of Pasir Panjang. The Japanese largely avoided attacking the Australian perimeter but in the northern area, the British 53rd Infantry Brigade was pushed back by a Japanese assault up the Thompson Road and had to fall back north of Braddell Road in the evening, joining the rest of the 18th Infantry Division in the line. They dug in and throughout the night fierce fighting raged on the northern front.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The following day, the remaining Commonwealth units fought on. Civilian casualties mounted as a million people crowded into the area still held by the Commonwealth and bombing and artillery-fire increased. The civilian authorities began to fear that the water supply would give out; Percival was advised that large amounts of water were being lost due to damaged pipes and that the water supply was on the verge of collapse.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: On 14 February 1942, the Japanese renewed their assault on the western part of the Southern Area's defences near the area that the 1st Malayan Brigade had fought desperately to hold the previous day. At about 13:00, the Japanese broke through and advanced towards the Alexandra Barracks Hospital. A British lieutenant—acting as an envoy with a white flag—approached Japanese forces but was killed with a bayonet. After Japanese troops entered the hospital, they killed up to 50 soldiers, including some undergoing surgery. Doctors and nurses were also killed. The next day, about 200 male staff members and patients who had been assembled and bound the previous day, many of them walking wounded, were ordered to walk about to an industrial area. Those who fell on the way were bayoneted. The men were forced into a series of small, badly ventilated rooms where they were held overnight without water. Some died during the night as a result of their treatment. The remainder were bayoneted the following morning. Several survivors were identified after the war, some of whom had survived by pretending to be dead. One survivor, Private Arthur Haines from the Wiltshire Regiment, wrote a four-page account of the massacre that was sold by his daughter by private auction in 2008.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Throughout the night of 14/15 February, the Japanese continued to press against the Commonwealth perimeter, and though the line largely held, the military supply situation was rapidly deteriorating. The water system was badly damaged and supply was uncertain, rations were running low, petrol for military vehicles was all but exhausted, and there was little ammunition left for the field artillery and anti-aircraft guns, which were unable to disrupt the Japanese air attacks causing many casualties in the city centre. Little work had been done to build air raid shelters, and looting and desertion by Commonwealth troops further added to the chaos in the area. At 09:30, Percival held a conference at Fort Canning with his senior commanders. He proposed two options: an immediate counter-attack to regain the reservoirs and the military food depots around Bukit Timah, or surrender. After a full and frank exchange of views, all present agreed that no counter-attack was possible, and Percival opted for surrender. Post-war analysis has shown that a counter-attack might have succeeded. The Japanese were at the limit of their supply line and their artillery units were also running out of ammunition.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: A delegation was selected to go to the Japanese headquarters. It consisted of a senior staff officer, the colonial secretary and an interpreter. The three set off in a motor car bearing a Union Jack and a white flag of truce toward the enemy lines to discuss a cessation of hostilities. They returned with orders that Percival himself proceed with staff officers to the Ford Motor Factory, where Yamashita would lay down the terms of surrender. A further requirement was that the Japanese Rising Sun Flag be hoisted over the Cathay Building, the tallest building in Singapore. Percival formally surrendered shortly after 17:15. Earlier that day, Percival had issued orders to destroy all secret and technical equipment, ciphers, codes, secret documents and heavy guns.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Under the terms of the surrender, hostilities were to cease at 20:30 that evening, all military forces in Singapore were to surrender unconditionally, all Commonwealth forces would remain in position and disarm themselves within an hour, and the British were allowed to maintain a force of 1,000 armed men to prevent looting until relieved by the Japanese. Yamashita also accepted full responsibility for the lives of the civilians in the city. Following the surrender, Bennett caused controversy when he decided to escape. After receiving news of the surrender, Bennett handed command of the 8th Australian Division to the divisional artillery commander, Brigadier Cecil Callaghan and—along with some of his staff officers—commandeered a small boat.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Bennett's party eventually made its way back to Australia while between 15,000 and 20,000 Australian soldiers were reportedly captured. Bennett blamed Percival and the Indian troops for the defeat but Callaghan reluctantly stated that Australian units had been affected, towards the end of the battle, by many desertions. The Kappe Report, compiled by Colonels J. H. Thyer and C. H. Kappe, concedes that at most only two-thirds of the Australian troops manned the final perimeter. Many British units were reported to have been similarly affected.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: In analysing the campaign, Clifford Kinvig, a senior lecturer at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, blamed the commander of the 27th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, for his defeatist attitude and not properly defending the sector between the Causeway and the Kranji River. Elphick also claims that Australians made up the majority of stragglers. According to another source, Taylor cracked under the pressure. Thompson wrote that the 22nd Australian Brigade was "so heavily outnumbered that defeat was inevitable" and Costello states that Percival's insistence on concentrating the 22nd Australian Brigade at the water's edge had been a serious mistake. Yamashita, the Japanese commander, laid the blame on the British "underestimating Japanese military capabilities" and Percival's hesitancy in reinforcing the Australians on the western side of the island.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: A classified wartime report by Wavell released in 1992 blamed the Australians for the loss of Singapore. According to John Coates, the report "lacked substance", for though there had undoubtedly been a lack of discipline in the final stages of the campaign—particularly among the poorly trained British, Indian and Australian reinforcements that were hurriedly dispatched as the crisis worsened—the 8th Australian Division had fought well and had gained the respect of the Japanese. At Gemas, Bakri and Jemaluang, "they achieved the few outstanding tactical successes" of the campaign in Malaya and although the Australians made up 13 per cent of the British Empire's ground forces, they suffered 73 per cent of its battle deaths. Coates argues that the real reason for the fall of Singapore was the failure of the Singapore strategy, to which Australian policy-makers had contributed in their acquiescence and the lack of military resources allocated to the fighting in Malaya.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Japanese had advanced from Singora, Thailand, to the southern coast of Singapore at an average rate of a day. While impressed with Japan's quick succession of victories, Adolf Hitler reportedly had mixed views regarding Singapore's fall, seeing it as a setback for the "white race" but ultimately something that was in Germany's military interests. Hitler reportedly forbade Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop from issuing a congratulatory communique. Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". Churchill's physician Lord Moran wrote


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The loss of Singapore, along with other defeats in Southeast Asia in 1942, reduced British prestige in the region. According to author Alan Warren, the Fall of Singapore shattered "the British Empire's illusion of permanence... and strength", ultimately making "European empires in Asia unsustainable beyond the short term" and presaging the end of colonialism in the region in the post war period.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Nearly 85,000 British, Indian and Commonwealth troops were captured, in addition to losses during the earlier fighting in Malaya. About 5,000 men were killed or wounded, a majority of whom were Australian. Japanese casualties during the fighting in Singapore amounted to 1,714 killed and 3,378 wounded. During the 70-day campaign in Malaya and Singapore, total Commonwealth casualties amounted to 8,708 killed or wounded and 130,000 captured (38,496 United Kingdom, 18,490 Australian of whom 1,789 were killed and 1,306 wounded, 67,340 Indian and 14,382 local volunteer troops), against 9,824 Japanese casualties.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: The Japanese occupation of Singapore started after the British surrender. Japanese newspapers triumphantly declared the victory as deciding the general situation of the war. The city was renamed "Syonan-to" ( ; literally: 'Southern Island gained in the age of Shōwa', or 'Light of the South'). The Japanese sought vengeance against the Chinese and anyone who held anti-Japanese sentiments. The Japanese authorities were suspicious of the Chinese because of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and murdered thousands of citizen "undesirables" (mostly ethnic Chinese) in the Sook Ching massacre. The other ethnic groups of Singapore—such as the Malays and Indians—were not spared. Residents suffered great hardships under Japanese rule over the following three-and-a-half years. Numerous British and Australian soldiers taken prisoner remained in Singapore's Changi Prison and many died in captivity. Thousands of others were transported by sea to other parts of Asia, including Japan, to be used as forced labour on projects such as the Siam–Burma Death Railway and Sandakan airfield in North Borneo. Many of those aboard the ships perished.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: An Indian revolutionary, Rash Behari Bose, formed the pro-independence Indian National Army (INA) with the help of the Japanese, who were highly successful in recruiting Indian prisoners of war. In February 1942, out of approximately 40,000 Indian personnel in Singapore, about 30,000 joined the INA, of which about 7,000 fought Commonwealth forces in the Burma Campaign and in the northeast Indian regions of Kohima and Imphal; others became POW camp guards at Changi. An unknown number were taken to Japanese-occupied areas in the South Pacific as forced labour. Many of them suffered severe hardships and brutality similar to that experienced by other prisoners held by Japan during the war. About 6,000 survived until they could be liberated by Australian and US forces in 1943–1945, as the war in the Pacific turned in favour of the Allies.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Commando raids were carried out against Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour in Operation Jaywick (1943) and Operation Rimau (1944) to varying success. British forces had planned to reconquer Singapore in Operation Mailfist in 1945, but the war ended before it could be carried out. The island was re-occupied in Operation Tiderace by British, Indian and Australian forces following the surrender of Japan in September. Yamashita was tried by a US military commission for war crimes but not for crimes committed by his troops in Malaya or Singapore. He was convicted and hanged in the Philippines on 23 February 1946.


title: Fall of Singapore

text: Since 1998, Singapore has observed Total Defence Day on 15 February each year, marking the anniversary of the surrender of Singapore. The concept of Total Defence as a national defence strategy was first introduced in 1984, which serves as a significant reminder that only Singaporeans with a stake in the country can effectively defend Singapore from future threats. Yearly observances on that day include:


title: Carbonic acid

text: In chemistry, carbonic acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . As a dilute solution in water, it is pervasive, but the pure compound, a colorless gas, can only be obtained at temperatures around −80 °C. The molecule rapidly converts to water and carbon dioxide in the presence of water, however in the absence of water, against contrary belief, it is quite stable at room temperature. The interconversion of carbon dioxide and carbonic acid is related to the breathing cycle of animals and the acidity of natural waters.


title: Carbonic acid

text: In biochemistry and physiology, the name "carbonic acid" is often applied to aqueous solutions of carbon dioxide, which play an important role in the bicarbonate buffer system, used to maintain acid–base homeostasis.


title: Carbonic acid

text: In aqueous solution carbonic acid behaves as a dibasic acid. The Bjerrum plot shows typical equilibrium concentrations, in solution, in seawater, of carbon dioxide and the various species derived from it, as a function of pH. The acidification of natural waters is caused by the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is caused by the burning of increasing amounts of coal and hydrocarbons.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Expected change refers to predicted effect of continued ocean acidification. It has been estimated that the increase in dissolved carbon dioxide has caused the ocean's average surface pH to decrease by about 0.1 from pre-industrial levels.


title: Carbonic acid

text: The stability constants database contains 136 entries with values for the overall protonation constants, β and β, of the carbonate ion. In the following expressions [H] represents the concentration, at equilibrium, of the chemical species H, etc.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Note 1: There are apparently conflicting values in the literature for pK. Pines "et al." cite a value for "pK" of 6.35, consistent with the value 6.77, mentioned above. They also give a value for "pK" of 3.49 and state that


title: Carbonic acid

text: The situation arises from the way that the dissociation constants are named and defined, which is clearly stated in the text of the Pines paper, but not in the abstract.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Note 2: The numbering of dissociation constants is the reverse of the numbering of the numbering of association constants, so pK (dissociation)= log β (association). The value of the stepwise constant for the equilibrium


title: Carbonic acid

text: The hydration equilibrium constant at 25 °C is called K, which in the case of carbonic acid is [HCO]/[CO] ≈ 1.7×10 in pure water and ≈ 1.2×10 in seawater. Hence, the majority of the carbon dioxide is not converted into carbonic acid, remaining as CO molecules. In the absence of a catalyst, the equilibrium is reached quite slowly. The rate constants are 0.039 s for the forward reaction and 23 s for the reverse reaction.


title: Carbonic acid

text: In the beverage industry, sparkling or "fizzy water" is usually referred to as carbonated water. It is made by dissolving carbon dioxide under a small positive pressure in water. Many soft drinks treated in the same way make them effervescent.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Significant amounts of molecular HCO exist in aqueous solutions subjected to pressures of multiple gigapascals (tens of thousands of atmospheres), such as can occur in planetary interiors. Pressures of 0.6–1.6 GPa at 100 K, and 0.75–1.75 GPa at 300 K are attained in the cores of large icy satellites such as Ganymede, Callisto, and Titan, where water and carbon dioxide are present. Pure carbonic acid, being denser, would then sink under the ice layers and separate them from the rocky cores of these moons.


title: Carbonic acid

text: When the enzyme carbonic anhydrase is also present in the solution the following reaction takes precedence.


title: Carbonic acid

text: When the amount of carbon dioxide created by the forward reaction exceeds its solubility, gas is evolved and a third equilibrium


title: Carbonic acid

text: must also be taken into consideration. The equilibrium constant for this reaction is defined by Henry's law. The two reactions can be combined for the equilibrium in solution.


title: Carbonic acid

text: When Henry's law is used to calculate the value of the term in the denominator care is needed with regard to dimensionality.


title: Carbonic acid

text: In physiology, carbon dioxide excreted by the lungs may be called "volatile acid" or "respiratory acid".


title: Carbonic acid

text: Strictly speaking the term "carbonic acid" refers to the chemical compound with the formula <chem>H2CO3</chem>, however, for historical reasons, dissolved carbon dioxide in extracellular fluid is often referred to as "carbonic acid" in biochemistry literature.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Since pK has a value of ca. 6.8, at equilibrium carbonic acid will be almost 50% dissociated in the extracellular fluid (cytosol) which has a pH of ca. 7.2.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Carbonic acid, HCO, is quite stable at ambient temperatures as a gas. In the presence of water, it decomposes to form carbon dioxide and water, which further accelerates the decomposition.


title: Carbonic acid

text: Pure carbonic acid is mainly produced in two ways, the proton-irradiation of pure solid carbon dioxide or by the reaction of hydrogen chloride and potassium bicarbonate at 100 K in methanol.


title: Carbonic acid

text: A high-pressure deuterated version of carbonic acid, i.e. DCO, has been produced in a hybrid clamped cell (Russian alloy/copper-beryllium) at 1.85 GPa and characterized by neutron diffraction. The molecules, which are planar, form dimers joined by pairs of hydrogen bonds. All three C-O bonds are nearly equidistant at 1.34Å. More typical C-O and C=O distances are 1.43 and 1.23 Å, respectively. The unusual C-O bond lengths are attributed to delocalized π bonding in the molecule's center, in addition to extraordinarily strong hydrogen bonds, indicated by the O---O separation of 2.13Å. The shortness of the O---O separation is partially a consequence of the 136° O-H-O, imposed by the doubly hydrogen-bonded 8-membered rings. Longer O---O distances are observed in strong, intramolecular hydrogen bonds, e.g. in dicarboxylic acid, which are above 2.4Å. Carbonic acid prepared at ambient pressure does not show Bragg peaks in X-ray diffraction and must therefore be considered amorphous.


title: Oopiri

text: Oopiri () is a 2016 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Vamshi Paidipally, and produced by PVP Cinema. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Karthi and Tamannaah while Prakash Raj, Vivek, Ali Basha, Jayasudha, Kalpana, Tanikella Bharani and Manobala play supporting roles. Karthi debuts in Telugu cinema through this film. The film focuses on the lives of Vikramaditya, a quadriplegic billionaire, and Seenu, his ex-convict caretaker. Their realisation of the primacy of life and relationships over money and disability forms the major part of its story.


title: Oopiri

text: A remake of Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano French film "The Intouchables" (2011), the film was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Tamil with the latter titled as Thozha (). The remake rights for "The Intouchables" were earlier acquired by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga in May 2014, who authorised PVP Cinema to produce the adaptation of this film in regional languages, postponing their previous plans; thus making "Oopiri" its first remake. Principal photography began in March 2015 and ended by February 2016 taking place in Chennai, Hyderabad, Paris, Belgrade and Novi Sad. Gopi Sundar composed the film's soundtrack and score, and P. S. Vinod handled the cinematography. Madhu and Praveen K. L. edited the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.


title: Oopiri

text: Produced on a budget of million, "Oopiri" and "Thozha" were released globally on 25 March 2016. Both received critical acclaim for the performances of the principal cast, the cinematography, and Paidipally's work in adapting the original. They were commercially successful, grossing over 1 billion. The film received two wins at the 64th Filmfare Awards South, with Best Director (Telugu) for Paidipally and Best Cinematography for P. S. Vinod. Paidipally also received a win for Best Director Award at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards. The film is considered one of the "25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade" by "Film Companion".


title: Oopiri

text: Vikramaditya is a wealthy entrepreneur who owns a group of businesses. In Paris, a paragliding accident leaves him a quadriplegic. To ensure his girlfriend Nandini's happiness, Vikramaditya's friend and legal adviser, Prasad, conveys a message on his behalf that he is not interested in marrying her.


title: Oopiri

text: Five years later, Vikramaditya leads a hopeless life with his secretary Keerthi, his cook Lakshmi, and a few servants. He and Keerthi interview candidates for a caretaker position; many seem pretentious and manipulative. Seenu, a paroled convict, applies for the job in accordance with his lawyer's (Lingam) advice; the job would prove to the court that Seenu is leading a law-abiding life, closing his case. His mother, a railway clerk, disowns Seenu as she thinks that he is a bad influence on his siblings. He is detested by his mother and his siblings.


title: Oopiri

text: Vikramaditya, finding Seenu honest and unpretentious, hires him. He defends his decision to Prasad, saying that Seenu is the right person for the time being since he is the only one who does not pity him. Initially reluctant, Seenu learns the extent of Vikramaditya's disability and assists him with all his needs. He is attracted to Keerthi, who rejects his advances quickly and gives him an inferiority complex.


title: Oopiri

text: Seenu learns that Vikramaditya has a purely epistolary relationship with a woman called Priya. Seenu encourages him to meet her, but Vikramaditya opposes it, fearing her reaction when she discovers his disability. Swathi's marriage is opposed by her lover's father, Kalidasu, who ridicules their economic status. Vikramaditya learns about this, and coerces Kalidasu (through Prasad) without Seenu's knowledge. The marriage is arranged, and Seenu earns Swathi's respect.


title: Oopiri

text: After celebrating his birthday, Vikramaditya becomes ill during the night and is saved by his doctors. Seenu learns about Vikramaditya's past from Prasad, and suggests a vacation in Paris. Vikramaditya agrees and he, Seenu, and Keerthi leave for Paris. Seenu keeps Vikramaditya happy and boosts his morale, which impresses Keerthi. He wagers that he will propose to Keerthi if Vikramaditya impresses Jenny, a French dancer. Despite his disability, Vikramaditya charms Jenny with his wit. Seenu is then forced to propose to Keerthi, who later accepts.


title: Oopiri

text: Vikramaditya meets Nandini, her husband Abhinav, and their daughter Aadhya, and Seenu tells her about Vikramaditya's accident and its aftermath. Relieved that Nandini is happy, he returns to India and his joyous attitude makes Prasad and Lakshmi happy. Later, Kanna gets in trouble with a gang, and meets Seenu at Vikramaditya's mansion. Vikramaditya, recognising Seenu's need to support his family, releases him from his obligations and suggests he may not want to push a wheelchair all his life. Although Seenu becomes a cab driver, leads a responsible life, this time Seenu's mother disowns him and Kanna thinking they are bad influences. Vikramaditya is unhappy with his new caretakers and becomes a recluse.


title: Oopiri

text: A worried Prasad contacts Seenu, who arrives and drives Vikramaditya off in a car to Visakhapatnam (Pondicherry in Tamil version). They dress elegantly, and visit a restaurant with a beautiful ocean view. Seenu leaves moments before Priya arrives. Vikramaditya looks outside through the window and sees Seenu, who smiles at him and walks away.


title: Oopiri

text: Karan Johar and Guneet Monga acquired the Indian remake rights to Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano French comedy drama film, "The Intouchables" (2011) in May 2014. They planned a Hindi version, directed by Mohit Suri. Johar and Monga later authorised PVP Cinema to remake the film in regional languages, postponing their previous plans. Vamshi Paidipally was chosen to direct a bilingual production, entitled "Oopiri" in Telugu and "Thozha" in Tamil. "Oopiri" is the first Indian remake of "The Intouchables". It was also the first Indian remake of a film produced by Gaumont Film Company.


title: Oopiri

text: N. T. Rama Rao Jr. was signed to play one of the two male leads. At Rama Rao's suggestion, Paidipally forwarded the script to actor and producer Nagarjuna for the other male lead. Nagarjuna asked the director to remove the flashback scenes, opting for a realistic version closer to the original. Paidipally agreed, and the script was reworked in two months. Production was scheduled to begin in December 2014, when Nagarjuna would be available. In an interview with "Deccan Chronicle", the actor said that the film's theme would be similar to "Missamma" (1955). Rama Rao Jr. left the project due to scheduling conflicts with "Nannaku Prematho" (2016), and was replaced by Karthi in October 2014.


title: Oopiri

text: Gopi Sundar was signed as the film's music director, his first collaboration with Paidipally. "Oopiri" had two launch ceremonies: the first on 11 February 2015 in Hyderabad and the second on 15 March in Chennai. P. S. Vinod was the film's cinematographer. Paidipally worked on the screenplay, assisted by Hari and Solomon with the adaptation. Abburi Ravi wrote the dialogue for "Oopiri", and Karthi asked filmmaker Raju Murugan to do the same for "Thozha". Madhu and Praveen K. L. edited the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.


title: Oopiri

text: Nagarjuna played the wheelchair-using quadriplegic in the film, and a 2.5 million customised wheelchair was imported from Sweden for the role. An assistant checked to see if the actor moved his limbs during filming, and scenes had to be re-shot a number of times. Nagarjuna found the process "extremely challenging", and his legs sometimes became numb. "Oopiri" was Karthi's first Telugu film, although he was popular with Telugu-speaking audiences who saw dubbed versions of his Tamil films. Rajeev Kamineni of PVP Cinema told "The Hindu" that Karthi was cast to combine actors who were audience favourites and had not collaborated before.


title: Oopiri

text: Karthi played the caretaker, reprising Omar Sy's role in the original. He called his character "terribly insensitive", but becoming refined at the end. Despite his fluency in Telugu, Karthi wanted to practice his dialogue in advance since scenes in both languages would be shot at the same time. He had to be louder in "Oopiri", and used local Tamil slang in "Thozha". The actor said that some changes were made in the remake, since some situations in the original "just could not work in the Indian scenario". Shruti Haasan was chosen as the female lead in January 2015. After she walked out in March, citing scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Tamannaah. Her character, Keerthi, was modelled on the secretary and the caretaker in the original. The actress had to look corporate for the role, which she called a "bridge of sorts between the protagonists"; she was a "constant spectator to every emotion they go through".


title: Oopiri

text: After Haasan left the film, PVP Cinema claimed that her scheduled dates (from 10 December 2014 to 8 April 2015) were assigned for her convenience and the actress was civilly and criminally liable. The Nampally city court restricted her from agreeing to any new film and ordered a police investigation. According to Haasan's spokesperson, neither the actress nor Raaj Kamal Films International were legally notified. Haasan withdrew her defamation suit in April 2015 after R. Sarathkumar and S. Thanu intervened, and the court dismissed PVP Cinema's case.


title: Oopiri

text: Prakash Raj, Ali, Vivek, and Tanikella Bharani were cast in key supporting roles, with Jayasudha and Nikkita Anil playing Karthi's mother and sister. Kalpana made her Telugu-film debut in "Oopiri", but she died in her sleep at age 50 during filming in Hyderabad. Anushka Shetty and Adivi Sesh made cameo appearances as a couple; the former played Nagarjuna's ex-girlfriend in the film. Gabriella Demetriades was cast in August 2015 after auditioning with five other international models in Hyderabad, and the film was her South Indian acting debut. Nora Fatehi made a special appearance in a song, and Shriya Saran had a cameo appearance.


title: Oopiri

text: According to PVP Cinema's Kamineni, a substantial portion of "Oopiri" would be filmed abroad. Principal photography began in Chennai on 16 March 2015. Scenes with Karthi and Jayasudha were filmed in a purpose-built house set. By the time Haasan left the film, the first shooting schedule had wrapped. After completing schedules in Chennai and Hyderabad, Karthi and Tamannaah joined the film set in Dubai in May; several scenes were filmed in a rented, palatial house. Paidipally, who planned a 25-day shooting schedule in Paris and Lyon beginning in June, left to scout locations. A month-long European shooting schedule began in July in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and "Oopiri" was the first South Indian film made there. After Belgrade and Novi Sad, filming continued in Paris, Lyon and Ljubljana. Key scenes, including a car chase, and some songs were filmed as part of the schedule.


title: Oopiri

text: The car-chase scene was filmed over eight nights, due to changes in the weather. It was shot near the Eiffel Tower, which Paidipally called the "obvious choice to show the moment of triumph" in Vikramaditya's life. On 1 August, Nagarjuna tweeted that the shooting schedule would wrap in ten days. A song including Nagarjuna, Karthi, and Fatehi was filmed in November in Hyderabad. Principal photography wrapped in February 2016, and post-production commenced shortly. "Thozha" filming was delayed due to Nagarjuna's lack of fluency in Tamil, but at Karthi's insistence he delivered his own lines. Tamannaah found her dialogue simple and realistic and delivered her own lines in "Oopiri", the first Telugu film to include her voice.


title: Oopiri

text: Gopi Sundar composed the film's score and seven-song soundtrack. Ramajogayya and Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry wrote the Telugu version's lyrics, and the lyrics for "Thozha" soundtrack were by Madhan Karky. According to Karky, all the lyrics in "Oopiri" except "Door Number Okati" had different meanings in "Thozha", and Karthi and Paidipally wanted "Thozha" songs to suit the Tamil audience's sensibilities. The soundtrack of the Telugu version was unveiled on 14 February 2016 (Valentine's Day) at the Hitex Convention Centre in Hyderabad, while the Tamil version was released on 21 February 2016, at St. Bede's School in Chennai amid much fanfare. Both the albums were marketed by Times Music South, also known as Junglee Music.


title: Oopiri

text: "The Times of India" gave "Oopiri" soundtrack four stars, calling it a "winner on all counts" and Sunder is "increasingly becoming a force to be reckon with in [Telugu cinema]". Karthik Srinivasan, writing for "The Hindu", praised Sunder's usage of solo violin pieces and chorus hooks in "Thozha" "Pudhidhaa" ("Oka Life" in "Oopiri"). Siddharth K of Sify noted that the soundtrack of "Thozha" has influences of Malayalam film soundtracks in the slow-paced songs despite being designed keeping the Telugu and Tamil sensibilities in mind. He found the songs "Baby Odathey" ("Baby Aagodhu" in Telugu), "Nagarum" ("Eppudu" in Telugu), and "Eiffel Mele" ("Ayyo Ayyo" in Telugu) likeable and gave the soundtrack three stars.


title: Oopiri

text: "Oopiri" and "Thozha" were released globally on 25 March 2016, simultaneously with "" and "Rocky Handsome".


title: Oopiri

text: "Oopiri" was released on 500 screens in Andhra Pradesh and 200 screens in Telangana; "Thozha" was released on nearly 400 screens in Tamil Nadu. The overseas screen count was 225. The film was also released on 120 screens in Karnataka, 70 screens in Kerala, and nearly 100 screens in North India.


title: Oopiri

text: Dil Raju distributed "Oopiri" in the Nizam region, paying 80 million for the rights. PVP Cinema, collaborating with others, distributed the film in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and the remaining Indian markets; Tamil Nadu distribution rights cost 120 million, and SPI Cinemas distributed "Thozha" in the Chennai and Chengalpet markets. PVP Cinema also distributed "Oopiri" and "Thozha" overseas for 40 million.


title: Oopiri

text: The digital rights of "Oopiri" and "Thozha" were purchased by YuppTV, a leading television content provider in South. The premiere of the film took place on 3 May 2016 after its theatrical run ended. The television broadcast rights were acquired by Sun TV Network; and the global television premiere of the Tamil version "Thozha" was held on 2 October 2016 coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.


title: Oopiri

text: Baradwaj Rangan, writing for "The Hindu", found "Thozha" enjoyable despite its lack of narrative finesse and called it a light, pleasant film comparable to "Bangalore Days" (2014). Sangeetha Devi Dundoo, also in "The Hindu", gave "Oopiri" four stars and called it a "rare film that justifies its hype". She wrote that Nagarjuna's portrayal of Vikramaditya was "age-defying, graceful and restrained" and praised the rest of the cast, Vinod's cinematography, and Sunder's score. Pranita Jonnalagedda of "The Times of India" gave "Oopiri" four stars out of five, writing that it "sets a benchmark for adaptations in Telugu cinema" and "paves the way for more exciting genres". She praised the principal cast's performances and the film's climax.


title: Oopiri

text: According to Anupama Subramaniam of "Deccan Chronicle", "Thozha" had an "alluring story" supported by "extraordinary performances, sound technical departments and rich production values". Suresh Kavirayani, also in "Deccan Chronicle", found "Oopiri" a "beautiful and emotional journey". Both gave the film 3.5 stars out of five. Writing for "India Today", Kirubhakar Purushothaman also gave the film 3.5 stars out of five, calling it a decent remake which "retains the soul of the original" with "the right cast and the perfect team". Karthik Keramalu of News18 also gave "Oopiri" 3.5 stars out of five. Keramalu called it the best of Paidipally's career so far and praised the principal cast's performances.


title: Oopiri

text: S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com gave "Thozha" three stars out of five, praising the film's screenplay, visuals, and performances. Sify also gave the film three stars out of five and called it a "breezy feel good ride"; its reviewer praised its performances and visuals, but criticised its length. Gautaman Bhaskaran, writing for the "Hindustan Times", gave "Thozha" 2.5 stars out of five; Bhaskaran found the film "[u]nduly verbose" and wrote that it "loses its sense of male bonding—particularly after it veers into love stories".


title: Oopiri

text: Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted that "Oopiri" opened in 14th place at the U.S. box office, an "enviable achievement", and the film earned $76,804 from its previews. It grossed $210,233 on its first day, its earnings increasing by 70.95 percent the second day—according to Adarsh, rare for an Indian film in the U.S. During its first weekend, "Oopiri" grossed $646,273 (43.2 million). According to trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai, "Thozha" netted 81.5 million (with a distributor share of 48 million) at the Tamil Nadu box office and earned 11.4 million in Chennai over a three-day period. The film grossed 290 million globally over its first weekend (with a distributor share of about 200 million), a 40-percent return on distributor investment.


title: Oopiri

text: "Oopiri" earned $1,005,739 (66.7 million) in four days, the 17th Telugu film to cross the million-dollar mark in the United States. It grossed $1,167,611 (77.3 million) over eight days, and became the 11th-highest-grossing Telugu film in the U.S. In ten days, "Oopiri" and "Thozha" grossed 233 million and 173 million in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu respectively. It earned $1,385,179 (91.5 million) in ten days at the U.S. box office to become the eighth-highest-grossing Telugu film of all time in that country. By the end of the third weekend, "Oopiri" and "Thozha" had grossed 847.5 million and were declared commercially successful.


title: Oopiri

text: By the end of its third week, "Oopiri" grossed more than $1.5 million and became the fourth-highest-grossing Telugu film of all time in the U.S. It earned $1,559,065 (103.7 million) in 24 days and $1,567,151 (104.5 million) in 31 days in that country. During their full runs, both versions grossed over 1 billion and netted about 630 million.


title: Oopiri

text: Inspired by the film, paraplegic television personality Sujatha Barla established the Challengers on Wheels-Celebrating Life community for physically disabled people in April 2016. Judge G. Neelima took 60 underprivileged female students in Balasadan, Warangal to a special screening of "Oopiri" on the eve of Ugadi.


title: Raymond Washington

text: Raymond Lee Washington (August 14, 1953 – August 9, 1979) was an American gangster, known as the founder of the Crips gang in Los Angeles. Washington formed the Crips as a minor street gang in the late 1960s in South Los Angeles, becoming a prominent local crime boss. In 1971, Washington formed an alliance with Stanley "Tookie" Williams, establishing the Crips as the first major African-American street gang in Los Angeles, and served as one of the co-leaders. In 1974, Washington was convicted of robbery and received a five-year prison sentence, during which his leadership and influence in the Crips declined.


title: Raymond Washington

text: On August 9, 1979, Raymond Washington was murdered in a drive-by shooting shortly after his release from prison.


title: Raymond Washington

text: Raymond Lee Washington was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 14, 1953, the youngest of four sons to Violet Samuel and Reginald Washington. His parents separated when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather. He grew up on East 76th Street, between Wadsworth Avenue and Central Avenues in Los Angeles' South Central. Washington had a half-brother, Derard S. Barton, from his mother's second marriage.


title: Raymond Washington

text: According to neighbors of Washington, he developed an affinity for fist-fighting as an adolescent, and was constantly in trouble with the Los Angeles Police Department for various offenses. Washington's mother is quoted as saying, "Raymond was a good kid when he was a boy. Raymond didn't go out of his way to fight or do anything bad, but if someone came to him, he would protect himself. And he was well built. He tried to protect the community and keep the bad guys out. But after a while, every time I looked up, the police were coming to the house looking for Raymond." Some neighbors remembered Washington differently: Lorrie Griffin Moss, who resided across the street from Washington on E 76th Street, said, "I don't have a whole lot of good to say about Raymond. Raymond was a bully. A muscular bully. He wouldn't let anybody from outside our neighborhood bother us. He would bother us. Raymond could be very mean." A friend stated that Washington was a good football player, but never participated as a member of school sports team due to his poor grades. Washington was repeatedly expelled from schools resulting in frequent transfers, attending Locke High School, John C. Fremont High School, an alternative school attached to Washington Preparatory High School, and Fairfax High School in the Fairfax District near West Hollywood.


title: Raymond Washington

text: In the late 1960s, there was an increase in youth crime in Los Angeles, particularly in and around South Central's Watts neighborhood. Crime was especially prevalent in the three housing projects located in Watts, known as "the Bricks": Imperial Courts, Nickerson Gardens, and Jordan Downs, where violent street robberies were common among adolescent criminals. Older African-American street gangs in South Central like the Slausons, the Businessmen, and the Gladiators, had been ended by activist groups such as the Black Panther Party and the US Organization. The absence of the old gangs saw numerous new youth gangs begin to form in their place, including the Sportsmans Park, New House Boys, Acey Ducey, and Chain Gang, on West Side.


title: Raymond Washington

text: Washington, a native of the East Side in his early teens during the rise of the gangs, joined a local street gang called The Avenues, led by another teenager named Craig Munson. At age 15, Washington beat up Munson's younger brother in a fist fight after discovering Munson had put a gun to his older brother, Reggie Washington. After the fight, Washington and one of his other older brothers, Ronald Joe, confronted Munson on the corner of E 81st Street and Avalon Boulevard. According to former gang members who knew Washington at the time, he was subsequently beaten up by Craig Munson in retaliation for his younger brother's beating, and Washington left The Avenues. In late 1969, Washington organized his own gang called the Baby Avenues, recruiting a group of other neighborhood youths in South Central. The Baby Avenues wanted to emulate a gang of older youths called The Avenue Boys, which had been active since 1964 on Central Avenue.


title: Raymond Washington

text: In 1971, Washington approached Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a similar gang leader from South Central's West Side who used his reputation as a fist fighter to unite gangs under his control, at Washington Preparatory High School where both were attending. Washington had heard of Williams through a mutual friend, who had informed Washington of Williams' toughness and his willingness to fight members of larger, more established street gangs such as the L.A. Brims and the Chain Gang. According to Williams' account of the meeting, what struck him about Washington was that, besides being incredibly muscular, he and his cohort were dressed similar to Williams and his clique, wearing leather jackets with starched Levi's jeans and suspenders. Washington proposed to Williams they form a confederation of the gangs under their influence in their respective areas along with another teenage gang leader called Mac Thomas in Compton, to form a single large street gang. The proposal would see Williams' gangs adopt the Crip branding and would be allied with other Crip gangs outside of the West Side, but would retain ultimate leadership in the East Side. Williams accepted Washington's proposal, uniting the West Side gangs under his influence as the West Side Crips.