title: Sally Lindsay

text: In September 2011, Lindsay became a permanent panellist on "Loose Women", replacing Coleen Nolan, who decided to leave the show the previous series. On 20 March 2014, she made her final appearance as a panellist.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: In Series 16, she appeared a total of 53 times. In Series 17 she appeared a total of 22 times. In Series 18 she appeared 25 times.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: After leaving "Coronation Street" in 2006, Lindsay concentrated on theatre work. In 2006, she played Marilyn Monroe in the musical "Ella, meet Marilyn" by Bonnie Greer opposite Rain Pryor at the Pleasance Ace Dome in Edinburgh and appeared in "The Ho-Ho Club" at the King's Head Theatre, Islington, London. In summer 2007, Lindsay played Beatrice in an open-air run of "Much Ado About Nothing" at Stafford Castle.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: Lindsay played Helen in Shelagh Delaney's acclaimed drama "A Taste of Honey" in November and December 2008 at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: Lindsay returned to the Royal Exchange in July 2009, playing Linda in the world premiere of Niel Bartlet's 'Everybody Loves a Winner' for the Manchester International Festival. She then toured with Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues", which ended in November 2009.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: Sally appeared in pantomime in Sleeping Beauty at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable, in December 2017, as the wicked fairy Carabosse, alongside John Partridge (EastEnders) and Rebecca Keatley (CBeebies). In 2018/19 she appeared in Canterbury in the pantomime "Cinderella".


title: Sally Lindsay

text: In 2013 Lindsay married the former drummer of The Style Council and Paul Weller Band, Steve White. They have twin boys, Vic and Louie.


title: Sally Lindsay

text: She appeared in an episode of "Through the Keyhole" in December 2018, where it was revealed that she lived in Heaton Mersey.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in western India. It is composed of two separate geographical entities: Nagar Haveli, wedged in between Maharashtra and Gujarat states to the north-west, the smaller enclave of Dadra, which is surrounded by Gujarat. Silvassa is the administrative headquarters of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Unlike the surrounding areas, Dadra and Nagar Haveli was ruled by the Portuguese from 1783 until the mid-20th century. The area was captured by pro-India forces in 1954 and administered as the de facto state of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli before being annexed to India as a union territory, the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1961. The union territory was merged with the neighbouring union territory of Daman and Diu to form the new union territory of "Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu" on 26 January 2020. The territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli then became one of the three districts of the new union territory, as the Dadra and Nagar Haveli district.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The history of Dadra and Nagar Haveli begins with the defeat of the Koli chieftains of the region by the Rajput kings. In the year 1262 a Rajput prince from Rajasthan named Ram Singh established himself as the ruler of Ramnagar, the present-day Dharampur, which consisted of 8 parganas (a group of villages) and assumed the title Maharana. Nagar Haveli was one of the Parganas, and its capital was Silvassa.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: With the rise of Maratha power, Shivaji Maharaj viewed Ramnagar as an important locality. He captured the region, but Somshah Rana recaptured it in 1690.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: After the Treaty of Vasai (6 May 1739), Vasai and the surrounding territories came under the Maratha rule.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Soon after, the Marathas captured Ramnagar but reinstated the ruler, Ramdeo, under conditions. Thus the Marathas acquired the rights to collect revenue, known as "chauthai". from Nagar Haveli and two other Parganas.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: During the time of Dharamdeo, the son of Ramdeo, due to his change of policies (he neglected the conditions imposed earlier by the Marathas), the Marathas captured Nagar Haveli and the surrounding region.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Portuguese were granted the area of Nagar Haveli on 10 June 1783 on the basis of the Friendship Treaty executed on 17 December 1779 as compensation towards damage to the Portuguese frigate Santana by Maratha Navy in 1772. The treaty allowed the Portuguese to collect revenue from 72 villages in Nagar Haveli. Then, in 1785 the Portuguese purchased Dadra, annexing it to Portuguese India (Estado Português da Índia).


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: In 1818, the Maratha Empire was defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and the Portuguese ultimately became the effective rulers of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Under the Portuguese rule, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were part of the "Distrito de Damão" (Daman district) of the "Estado da Índia" (Portuguese State of India). The two territories formed a single "concelho" (municipality), named "Nagar Haveli", with its head in Darará until 1885 and, after that, with its head in the town of Silvassa. The local affairs were overseen by an elected "câmara municipal" (municipal council), with the higher level affairs administrated by the district governor of Daman, who was represented in Nagar Haveli by an administrator.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Nagar Haveli "concelho" was itself divided in the following "freguesia"s (civil parishes): Silvassa, Noroli, Dadra, Quelalunim, Randá, Darará, Cadoli, Canoel, Carchonde, and Sindonim.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Portuguese rule lasted until 1954, when Dadra and Nagar Haveli were captured by supporters of the Indian Union. It was the first colony to be detached from the Empire by the occupation of the Indian Union in 1954, after nearly two centuries of Portuguese rule.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: After India attained Independence in 1947, the residents of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with the help of volunteers of organisations like the United Front of Goans (UFG), the National Movement Liberation Organisation (NMLO), and the Azad Gomantak Dal, conquered the territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli from Portuguese India in 1954.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: As time passed the Indian Independence Struggle picked up momentum. On 18 June 1946, Ram Manohar Lohia was arrested in Goa. This was the beginning of the Independence struggle in Goa. He was deported to India. On 15 August 1947, India became independent from British rule, but the Portuguese and other European colonies were not immediately incorporated.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Goan struggle continued for many years. Atmaram Narsinh Karmalkar, an officer in the Banco Colonial (Portuguese Bank) at Panaji (in Goa) (then known as Panjim), who was popularly known as Appasaheb Karmalkar was indirectly involved in the freedom struggle in Goa. He was dismissed from the bank and finally took up the struggle to liberate Goa. In the course of time, he realised that the liberation of DNH was crucial if Goa was to be liberated. Karmalkar reached Vapi and met Jayantibhai Desai from Dadra. He also met Bhikubhai Pandya from Nani Daman and Vanmali Bhavsar from Silvassa.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Azad Gomantak Dal under the leadership of Vishwanath Lavande, Dattatreya Deshpande, Prabhakar Sinar and others, Communist Party under the leadership of Shamrao Parulekar and Godavaribai Parulekar, and the United Front of Goans under the leadership of Francis Mascerenhas, J.M. D'Souza, Waman Desai and others were also attempting the liberation of DNH.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: On 18 June 1954, many leaders met at Lavaccha. Lavaccha and Vapi were Indian territories. The order in which these places are lying (from east to west) is Nagar Haveli, Lavaccha, Dadra, Vapi and Daman (on the sea coast). So the Portuguese officers required transit permits through Indian territories of Lavaccha and Vapi to travel between N.H, Dadra, and Daman.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: On the night of 22 July 1954, 15 volunteers of the United Front of Goans under the leadership of Francis Mascerenhas and Waman Desai sneaked into the territory of Dadra and reached the police station. There was only three personnel at the police station. One was attacked with a knife by one of the volunteers and the other two were overpowered. The Indian tricolour was hoisted and the Indian National Anthem was sung. Dadra was declared "Free territory of Dadra".


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: On the night of 28 July, around 30 to 35 volunteers of Azad Gomantak Dal proceeded to Naroli from Karambele (Karambeli) by swimming across the rivulets. June to September is the rainy season in the region and the rivers are usually flooded during this season. The Daman Ganga river was flooded and no help could reach Naroli. This was the reason to choose this date for proceeding to Naroli. There were only six police personnel. The volunteers and the villages reached the police station and asked them to surrender or face death. They immediately surrendered. The Portuguese rule of Naroli came to an end.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Special Reserve Police in the Indian Territory did not intervene. J.D. Nagarwala, the Dy. Inspector General of the Special Reserve Police in the Indian Territory, without entering DNH asked Captain Fidalgo, the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to surrender to the Indian Forces along with his paramilitary forces before they would be butchered by the liberators.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Leaving about 50 policemen and five civilian officers posted at Silvassa, Captain Fidalgo fled to Udva passing through Rakholi, Dappada, and Khanvel and surrendered to the SRP on 11 August. They were later allowed to go to Goa.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: In the meanwhile, there were several rumours and the officers at Silvassa were in confusion. On 1 August the liberators took advantage of the situation and proceeded from Dadra and Naroli and liberated Pipariya. The five police officers surrendered without resistance.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: During the night the volunteers divided themselves into three batches and reached the police chowky at Silvassa. The police Chowky at Silvassa was protected by sandbags. There were three policemen guarding from three sides. Vasant Badve, Vishnu Bhople, and Shantaram Vaidya overpowered them from behind when least expected. The other policemen surrendered without resistance on seeing the other volunteers. The volunteers spent the night awake at the police chowky.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: On the morning of 2 August 1954, the liberators reached the town of Silvassa to find it free of any Portuguese occupation. The liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli was complete.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Senhor Luis de Gama, the eldest nationalist hoisted the Indian National Flag and declared the territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli liberated and the Indian National Anthem was sung.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: From 1954 to 1961, Dadra and Nagar Haveli existed as a "de facto" state known as Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It was administered by a body called the Varishta Panchayat of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with administrative help from the government of India. Although it enjoyed "de facto" independence, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were still recognised internationally (e.g. by the International Court of Justice) as Portuguese possessions.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: In 1961, amidst Indian preparation for the invasion of Goa, Daman, and Diu, K.G. Badlani, an officer of the Indian Administrative Service was, for one day, designated the Prime Minister of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, so that, as Head of State, he could sign an agreement with the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and formally merge Dadra and Nagar Haveli with the Republic of India. The Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of India was passed to incorporate Dadra and Nagar Haveli as a union territory, effective 11 August 1961.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: On 31 December 1974 a treaty was signed between India and Portugal on recognition of India's sovereignty over Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: In December 2019, the Parliament of India passed legislation to merge Dadra and Nagar Haveli with the nearby union territory of Daman and Diu to create a single union territory to be known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on 26 January 2020. Dadra and Nagar Haveli will be one of the three districts of the new union territory.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The area of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is spread over . Its population density is . Though landlocked between Gujarat to the north and Maharashtra to the south, it is close to the western coast of India (between 20°0′ and 20°25′ N latitude and between 72°50′ and 73°15′ E longitude), and the Arabian Sea can be reached via Vapi in Gujarat.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli comprises two separate geographical units. The larger part—Nagar Haveli—spans a roughly C-shaped area upriver from the city of Daman on the coast, at the centre of which, straddling the border with Gujarat, is the Madhuban reservoir. The smaller enclave of Dadra is a short distance to the northwest.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli is in the middle of the undulating watershed of the Daman Ganga River, which flows through Nagar Haveli and later forms the short southern border of Dadra. The towns of Dadra and Silvassa lie on the north bank of the river. The Western Ghats range rises to the east, and the foothills of the range occupy the eastern portion of the district.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli is surrounded by Valsad District of Gujarat on the west, north, and east, and by Thane District of Maharashtra on the south and southeast (after the division of Thane District, it is now surrounded by the newly formed Palghar District).


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Maghval is a small enclave village belonging to Gujarat that is located within Nagar Haveli, just south of Silvassa.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The nearest railway station are Bhilad & Vapi in Gujarat on the Mumbai-Delhi route ( Western Railways ) . Bhilad is about 14 km west of Silvassa & Vapi is about 18 km northwest of Silvassa. Mumbai is approximately 180 km from Silvassa. Surat city is about 140 km away. Mumbai and Surat are the nearest airports.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The stretch of the main southern area is hilly terrain especially towards the northeast and east where it is surrounded by ranges of the Sahyadri mountains (Western Ghats). The central alluvial region of the land is almost plain and the soil is fertile and rich. The river Damanganga rises in the Ghat 64 km from the western coast and discharges itself in the Arabian Sea at the port of Daman after crossing Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Its three tributaries, Varna, Pipri and Sakartond, join Daman Ganga within the territory.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli lies within the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion, characterised by forests of teak ("Tectona grandis") and other dry-season deciduous trees.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: About 43% of the land is under forest cover. However, the reserved forest territory constitutes about 40% of the total geographical area. The protected forests constitute 2.45% of the total land area.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: According to satellite data taken in 2008, DNH has roughly about of moderately dense forest and open forest. According to the Forest Survey of India, DNH has two major forest types: tropical moist deciduous forest and tropical dry deciduous forest. The major produce is khair wood and general timber. Teak, sandra, khair, mahara and sisam are the major tree species in the region.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary covers 91.39 square kilometres, or about 19% of the union territory's total area. The sanctuary provides a habitat for leopard ("Panthera pardus"), wildcat ("Felis silvestris"), striped hyena ("Hyaena hyaena"), fox ("Vulpes" spp.), golden jackal ("Canis aureus"), nilgai ("Boselaphus tragocamelus"), four-horned antelope ("Tetracerus quadricornis"), sambar deer ("Rusa unicolor"), and chital deer ("Axis axis"), and birds including black drongo, bulbul, kingfisher, egret, hoopoe, mynah, heron, and red jungle fowl. In 2014 an additional eco-sensitive area was designated in the 100-meter buffer zone around the wildlife sanctuary, with an area of 26.57 square kilometres.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The rich biodiversity makes it a habitat for a variety of birds and animals and thus a destination for inland and coastal safari and eco-tourism. Silvassa's hills and wide, forested buffer land attract wildlife enthusiasts.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The climate of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is typical of its type. Being near the coast, all but the sparsely inhabited easternmost parts have a typical north Indian Ocean maritime climate. The summers are hot and become in their later part more humid with temperatures reaching as high as 39 °C in the month of May. The monsoon starts in the month of June and extends until September. The rainfall is brought by southwest monsoon winds. It is known as the Cherrapunji that covers the bulk of western India (apart from the Thar Desert) which produces most of the annual rainfall of 200–250 cm. Winters are between maritime temperate and semi-tropical with temperatures ranging from 14 °C to 30 °C, reliably, as with the monsoon, with scant deviation from this range.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: There are no universities in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Colleges in the territory include Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Government College, Silvassa,SSR college of arts , science and commerce, shrimati Devikaben Chauhan college.The union territory also has a government medical College Shri Vinobha Bhave Institute of Medical sciences affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Dadra and Nagar Haveli's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $218 million in current prices. Its nominal GDP increased to $360 million in the year 2009 with a per capita GDP of $1,050. The economy of DNH relies on five major activities viz. agriculture, industries, forestry, animal husbandry and tourism.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The basic economic activity of the territory is agriculture involving about 60% of the working population. The total land area under cultivation is i.e. 48% of the total geographical area. The area under high yielding crops is . The main food crops cultivated in this area are paddy (40% of the net sown area), "ragi", small millets, jowar, sugarcanes, "tur", "nagli" and "val". Vegetables like tomato, cauliflower, cabbage and brinjal and fruits like mango, chikoo, guava, coconut and banana are also grown. Agriculture sector has given a major boost to the economy of DNH.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The local population is also involved in forestry and animal husbandry. 92.76% of the farmers belong to the weaker sections and 89.36% of them are tribal farmers. There is a full-fledged veterinary hospital and nine veterinary dispensaries. Mass vaccination against various diseases is done regularly free of cost by the Animal Husbandry Department.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Another major contributor to the economy is the manufacturing industries. Due to heavy industrialisation in the region owing to tax sops for industries in the union territories, steady growth in employment has been observed. The employment generation is increasing at a pace of 5% per annum.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Industrialisation in the area began in 1965 when the first industrial unit in the UT was started at Piparia, Silvassa in the cooperative sector by Dan Udyog Sahakari Sangh Ltd, following which three industrial estates were established at Masat (1976), Khadoli (1982) and Silvassa (1985). Earlier (before 1965) only traditional craftsmen who made clay pots, leather items, viz., chappals, shoes and some other items of bamboo were present. Since there was no sales tax in the UT, it attracted many entrepreneurs. Around 30 new units comprising Engineering, fabric weaving units and dyeing and printing units were established until 1970.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: In 1971, UT was declared as an industrially backward area by Government of India and increased the cash subsidy to 15 to 25% for the industrial units on their capital investment which resulted in the speedy industrial development. The scheme was however terminated from 30 September 1988. Sales Tax Act was implemented from January 1984 until 1998 under which industries enjoyed sales tax exemption for 15 years from the start-up date. VAT was introduced in 2005. At present, the newly established units get Central Sales Tax exemption which will continue until 2017.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: There are more than 2710 units functioning providing employment to about 46000 people with a capital investment of .


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: According to the 2011 census Dadra and Nagar Haveli has a population of 343,709. This gives it a ranking of 566th in India, out of a total of 640 districts. It has a population density of , and its population growth rate over the decade from 2001 to 2011 was 55.5 percent, which is the highest percentage growth among all Indian states and union territories. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has a sex ratio of 775 females for every 1,000 males, and a literacy rate of 77.65%.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Tribal groups make up a large part of the population viz 62%. The most prominent are Dhodia (16.90%), Kokna (16.85%) and Warli (62.94%), with small groups of Koli, Kathodi, Naika, and Dubla scattered across the territory, collectively representing 3.31% of the population. Dhodias and Dublas mainly populate the Northern part, whereas Koknas and Warlis are found all over the Union Territory. They worship the primary deities of Dis (Sun) and Chand (Moon), and Narandev, Kanasari, Himai, Hirva, Veer, Rangtai and Vagdev.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: One prominent feature of this territory is that people from all over India form a part of non-tribal residents. DNH has many industries due to tax concessions granted to industry and therefore people from all over the country have migrated to the region.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: North Indians have a prime influence in the area. Gujarati is one of the three official languages, the others being Hindi and English. Besides Gujarati persons, one can find Marathi, Rajasthani, Bihari, Udia, Tamil, Uttar Pradeshi and people from several other states. The prime reason for such a diverse population is the industrial hub. Employment opportunities, good climate, and the landscape are highly appealing.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Per the 2001 Census, out of the 137,225 ST persons of the UT, almost all were Hindus except for 3,796 Christians (2.8%). As a former Portuguese enclave, Silvassa has a significant Roman Catholic population. Kokna has the highest Christian population in 2001, 6.7%. Recently Digambara Jains constructed a temple in the capital city Silvassa. Swetambara Jains also have a temple in Dadra and Silvassa.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: There are 72 villages, mainly inhabited by the various tribal communities like the Warly (Warlie), Kokana, Dhodia, Koli, Kathodi, Naika, Dubla and Kolgha. The tribal communities are locally known as Adivasi (which means original inhabitant). Each community has its own culture, traditions and languages and dialects. None of these languages has written literature or script until today. The tribal communities consist of approximately 60% of the population of DNH. (Earlier in the eighties it was more than 80%, but after influx from different parts of the country, the percentage has reduced). But the influx has helped the tribal people in increasing their earnings and standard of living.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Warli is the language spoken by the Warli people. Agri the dialect of Marathi which is spoken by Agri community.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The languages taught in schools in Dadra and Nagar Haveli under the three-language formula are as follows:


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: A former Portuguese enclave, Silvassa has a significant Roman Catholic population, speaking a distinct dialect of Portuguese. Marathi and Gujarati languages are widely spoken. Hindi and Marathi are also understood.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The prominent castes occupying this territory are Rajputs, Ahirs, Chamar, Mahar, and associated castes.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Although commonly associated with Maharashtra, and also found in Gujarat, Warlis consider the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to be their original home. The Warlis speak an Indo-Aryan language related to Marathi and Konkani and are the largest tribal group in the territory and constitute ~ 63% (62.94%) of the total tribal population.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Rituals are extremely important to the Warlis; they are nature worshipers who regard the Sun and the Moon as the eyes of God. Their main deities are Naran dev, Hirwa, Himai, and Waghio, and stone images of these deities are found in tree groves. A Bhagat plays the Ghangal (a musical instrument made from gourd, bamboo and iron strings) and performs the rituals.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Traditionally the Warlis wear a loin cloth with a small waist coat and a turban. The women wear a knee-length, one-yard saree – lugde – and adorn themselves with silver and white metal ornaments.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The term Dhodia seems to be derived from Dhundi, which means a small thatched hut, and the Dhodias are primarily hut dwellers. They reside mostly in the northern part of Dadra & Nagar Haveli. They are known to be the most educated among all the tribes and are good cultivators. Some own enough farmland to be able to earn a decent livelihood.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Traditionally the men wear a white knee-length dhoti with a shirt or waistcoat, white or coloured caps, and ornaments like earrings and silver chains around their waist. The women wear a knee-length dark blue saree with an "aanchal" worn from the front and left loose at the back. Popular accessories include colourful bead necklaces, and metal ornaments such as bangles or thick "kadas" around their ankles.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Koknas derive their name from the Konkan region in West India. They have land of their own, produce paddy and are better cultivators than the Warlis. With the introduction of formal education many of them have moved up the social ladder.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: Koknas well built and both men and women often tattoo their bodies, especially their foreheads. The men wear a dhoti up to the knees, with a waistcoat or shirt and a turban. The women wear traditional colourful sarees that are either knee-length or full length.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: The Kathodis, called Katkari in the Thane district of Maharashtra, make up 0.08% of the total tribal population of Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Their name is derived from their profession of kattha or catechew making.


title: Dadra and Nagar Haveli

text: They are considered to be at the bottom of the tribal social ladder. They usually live in forests, in semi-permanent settlements. Most of them cut wood and collect charcoal. The government has tried to improve their standard of living by engaging them in permanent professions.


title: AC Ajaccio

text: Athletic Club Ajaccio (), commonly referred to as AC Ajaccio, ACA or simply Ajaccio, is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and plays in Ligue 1. The club president is Christian Leca, and the first-team is coached by manager Olivier Pantaloni, following the sacking of Christian Bracconi in October 2014. Ajaccio play their home matches at the Stade François Coty and are rivals with fellow Corsican club Bastia, with whom they contest the Corsica derby ("Derby Corse").


title: AC Ajaccio

text: Depending on sources, it is agreed that Ajaccio began playing in 1909–10. Their adopted colors are red and white stripes. Though they used to play in what was previously utilised as a sand dump, they decided to move to another, cleaner, safer stadium upon the insistence of Jean Lluis, father-in-law of club president Louis Baretti. The new stadium that was chosen held 5,000 spectators and was in use until 1969.


title: AC Ajaccio

text: AC Ajaccio were elected Corsican champions on eight occasions, in 1920, 1921, 1934, 1939, 1948, 1950, 1955 and 1964, and are one of three big "island" teams, along with Gazélec Ajaccio and Bastia, the competition between the three being kept no secret. Spectators during the 1946 Corsican Cup final, held between A.C.A. and Sporting Bastia were handed umbrellas to shield themselves from the violence. Upon refusal of a penalty which would have been awarded to ACA, violence erupted between the fans, who used umbrellas both to cause and shield themselves from violence. This final was abandoned and replayed much later.


title: AC Ajaccio

text: A.C.A. became a professional team in 1965 thanks to the ambitious efforts of the club's leaders. They initially adopted the symbol of the polar bear, but this has since been dropped in favour of a more stylised logo that uses a part of the Corsican flag.


title: AC Ajaccio

text: In 1967, the team became the first Corsican club to play in France's top division. They were most recently in Ligue 1 in the 2013–14 season, when they were relegated after finishing in last place, following a spell of three seasons in the top flight; the drop was confirmed with defeat at neighbours Bastia.


title: AC Ajaccio

text: In November 2014, Olivier Pantaloni returned for a third spell as manager. His team came third in 2017–18, qualifying for the play-offs, where they beat Le Havre in a semi-final marred by violence on and off the pitch, before losing the final to Toulouse. The club were denied promotion in 2019–20 when the season was curtailed with ten games remaining due to the coronavirus pandemic; Ajaccio were one point off the top two, who were the only ones to go up as the play-offs could not be contested.


title: Who Is America?

text: Who Is America? is an American political satire mockumentary style television series created by Sacha Baron Cohen that premiered on July 15, 2018, on Showtime. Baron Cohen also stars in the series as various characters and executive produces alongside Anthony Hines, Todd Schulman, Andrew Newman, Dan Mazer, and Adam Lowitt.


title: Who Is America?

text: "Who Is America?" explores "the diverse individuals, from the infamous to the unknown across the political and cultural spectrum, who populate our unique nation".


title: Who Is America?

text: Although Baron Cohen's career began with his prank interviews on "Da Ali G Show", he found that his increased fame from "Borat" and "Brüno" made it more difficult to continue without being recognized. Following the release of "Brüno" in 2009, Baron Cohen reached out to visual effects artist Rick Baker to ask if it was viable for him to wear realistic prosthetics to continue duping interviewees, only to learn the technology was not advanced enough at the time. Baron Cohen revisited the idea of continuing his prank interviews after the 2016 election: he wished to channel his anger at the election of Donald Trump by returning to his old style of comedy and interviewing the people within Trump's circle. Subsequently, he reached out to Baker's protégé Tony Gardner, who worked on Johnny Knoxville's prosthetics for the 2013 hidden camera prank film "". Gardner served as the head of the makeup effects department for the show.


title: Who Is America?

text: On June 29, and July 3, 2018, Showtime released two short videos promoting a series set to premiere on July 15, 2018. The videos claimed that the network could not yet reveal the title of the series, its premise, or who it was that created it due to a non-disclosure agreement. Over the following days, early speculation among various news sources pinpointed comedian Kathy Griffin as being the possible star of the new series. On July 5, 2018, following the release of a mysterious video from Sacha Baron Cohen on his Twitter account the previous day, it began to be reported that the series would actually star Baron Cohen and that it would resemble his previous series "Da Ali G Show".


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 9, 2018, it was announced that Showtime had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of seven episodes and that it was set to premiere on July 15, 2018. The series was created by Baron Cohen who was also set to executive produce alongside Anthony Hines, Todd Schulman, Andrew Newman, Dan Mazer, and Adam Lowitt. On August 26, 2018, Baron Cohen suggested in a tweet from his official Twitter account that the show would not return for a second season. The following day, Showtime confirmed that the series had ended. However, on the subsequent day further reports indicated that Showtime had not formally canceled the series and still maintained a desire to produce more. By December 19, 2018, Baron Cohen was again reiterating in multiple interviews that the series would not return for a second season citing the loss of the element of surprise and inability to dupe potential guests following all of the press the series had received since it premiered. However, those same articles noted that Showtime had yet to formally end the series.


title: Who Is America?

text: To gauge how strong Baron Cohen's disguises would need to be, a test interview was shot in February 2017 at the Warrior One Guns & Ammo gun shop in Riverside, California. For this interview Baron Cohen simply wore a beard, hat and glasses for his disguise. The store owner was reportedly told by the show's crew that they were filming a documentary about a Hungarian immigrant wanting to buy a gun. However, when Baron Cohen entered the store dressed in character, the store owner immediately recognized him and said, "You're Borat!" After being identified, Baron Cohen walked out the front door. The experience from this interview made Baron Cohen realize he would need much more elaborate prosthetics in order to hide his identity. On August 3, 2017, Baron Cohen was reported to have been filming in Augusta, Georgia, in character as "Dr. Nira Cain" on the local "The Austin Rhodes Show".


title: Who Is America?

text: In February 2018, Baron Cohen reportedly filmed a segment with O. J. Simpson in a hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was later reported that Baron Cohen's intention in the piece was to elicit a confession from Simpson regarding his alleged involvement in the 1994 murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman and he reportedly paid one of Simpson's lawyers to arrange a meeting. Simpson was told that Baron Cohen, in disguise as his Gio Monaldo character, was a middleman for a sheikh. Simpson was reportedly further told that this sheikh was willing to pay a seven-figure sum to have him explain what happened on the night of the murders but only after first sitting down with Monaldo. The interview was one of a handful of segments filmed with hidden cameras. Later that month, it was reported that reality television personalities Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley had filmed a segment for roughly four-and-a-half hours with Baron Cohen, while in character, for what they thought was an Israeli television series. The couple did not realize that had been tricked until days later while talking with mixed martial artist Tito Ortiz as he revealed that he had also been deceived by Baron Cohen.


title: Who Is America?

text: Baron Cohen later revealed in an interview with "Deadline Hollywood", that the series had almost secured an interview with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson. Baron Cohen and the crew of the series had been in Washington, D.C. for three weeks filming with various political figures including Bernie Sanders when they approached Carson and his staff with an interview request. Following Carson's agreement to be interviewed, a room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel was booked for filming. Baron Cohen arrived at the hotel room in character as the OMGWhizzBoyOMG character and made it past Carson's Secret Service detail. However upon Baron Cohen's arrival and right as filming was set to begin, a White House press representative became suspicious and proceeded to pull Carson out of the interview. In the same interview, Cohen claimed that, while in-character as Gio during filming at the Las Vegas hotel, he falsely told a concierge that he had molested an eight-year-old boy, to which the concierge reportedly responded by advising Gio on methods of covering up the assault and getting in touch with other children for sexual purposes. According to Cohen, the purpose of the child molestation claim was to investigate how powerful individuals such as Harvey Weinstein are able to thoroughly cover up long histories of sexual misconduct, in light of the ongoing Me Too movement. Cohen claims that the interview footage was cut from the show for being "too unsettling for the audience" and was instead turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, only for the bureau to decline investigating further.


title: Who Is America?

text: The series' theme song is "Indomitable" by DJ Shub from his 2016 EP "PowWowStep". Shub was reportedly on vacation when his manager contacted him with the information that Sacha Baron Cohen was requesting to license one of his songs. Shub, a fan of Baron Cohen's, immediately gave his approval. He was initially under the impression that the song would be used for an upcoming film and was surprised to hear it used in a promotional trailer for the series. He was later further astonished to discover it was being used as the series official theme music over the opening credits.


title: Who Is America?

text: On June 29, 2018, a teaser was released by Showtime announcing that a new series was premiering on July 15, 2018, but they could not yet reveal the title of the series or its creator and star. On July 3, 2018, another teaser was released. The following day, Baron Cohen released a video on his Twitter account hinting at an upcoming project featuring Donald Trump. On July 8, 2018, Baron Cohen released another video this time featuring former American vice-president Dick Cheney. The next day, following the series' official announcement, the first full trailer for the series was released. On July 22, 2018, the "waterboard kit" signed by Cheney in the series' second episode was put up for sale on eBay shortly before the episode aired. The auction started at $1 dollar and rose all the way to $2,551 by 5:50 PM PT Sunday evening. The sale was intended to benefit Amnesty International, however by Monday morning eBay had taken the listing down. In a statement, the company explained the item's removal saying, "due to unusual bidding activity and the seller being new to eBay, this listing was removed based on our risk models."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 10, 2018, former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin disclosed on Facebook that she had been interviewed by Baron Cohen while he was in character as a disabled veteran. She expressed anger at being tricked into participating in the interview saying, "I join a long list of American public personalities who have fallen victim to the evil, exploitive, sick 'humor' of the British 'comedian' Sacha Baron Cohen, enabled and sponsored by CBS/Showtime." Ultimately, Palin's interview was not included in any of the series' seven episodes though in the end credits of the final episode Palin is credited as "Special Publicity Consultant (Inadvertent)". A day later, former U.S. congressman Joe Walsh revealed on Twitter that he too had been interviewed by Baron Cohen in character and was critical of the methods used to gain his participation in filming saying, "Dressing up as a wounded veteran is absolutely stolen valor, his tactics are disgusting—I know cause I too was duped."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 12, 2018, former Alabama judge Roy Moore similarly divulged his unwitting participation in the series through a statement saying, "As for Mr. Cohen, whose art is trickery, deception and dishonesty, Alabama does not respect cowards who exhibit such traits!" That same day, Georgia talk radio host Austin Rhodes confirmed he had unwittingly had Baron Cohen on his radio program as a guest in August 2017 while Baron Cohen was in character. Rhodes indicated that he was not as irritated as other interviewees had been, mentioning that he is a fan of Baron Cohen's, and saying his "biggest regret is not being able to shake his hand as Sacha Baron Cohen or interview him (as himself)." Also that same day, former Maricopa County, Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio revealed that he had been interviewed by Baron Cohen and commented on how he felt "disturbed" after the interview saying, "You can't get any more fake. The guy's posing from the media from Finland? I get a lot of interviews from foreign people. I always talk to the foreign people. This was a little strange." In a fourth report that day, broadcast journalist Ted Koppel disclosed that he had taken part in an interview for the series at his home under the impression it was for an upcoming Showtime series titled "Age of Reason". Koppel was not overly irritated at the notion of being tricked saying, "Everybody loves seeing well-known people get duped. I relish it too, when it's done well." Though he went on to express concern over the notion of people posing as documentarians or journalists adding,


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 13, 2018, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida admitted that he had been deceived by Baron Cohen and participated in an interview. Gaetz acknowledged that he was a fan of Baron Cohen's and was looking forward to the series saying, "It's very consistent with his model, beginning with a seemingly normal interaction and then the brilliance of his comedy is that he accelerates the awkwardness of it to some usually ironically humorous end."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 15, 2018, Laguna Beach fine art dealer consultant Christy Cones commented on her appearance in the series' first episode saying, "Sacha Baron Cohen owes me a face-to-face meeting as compensation for his underhanded tactics and his preying on the vulnerable, especially by pretending to be someone who suffered when he probably hasn't suffered a moment in his life. That's the least he could do after putting me through this. That, and buy a painting."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 16, 2018, Showtime defended Baron Cohen against the accusations leveled against him and the series by Palin and Walsh regarding his alleged portrayal of himself as a disabled military veteran saying, "Baron Cohen never presented himself as a veteran of the U.S. military to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin during the booking process or during the filming of her interview, and contrary to her claims he did not appear in a wheelchair. In both the interview with Governor Palin and the interview with Senator Sanders, he did not wear military apparel of any kind."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 17, 2018, U.S. Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California issued a statement commenting on his appearance in episode one saying, "I love good satire, but good satire must reveal some basis in truth. This was fraud, a sick fraud at that, and its intention was to deceive the American people for political purposes."


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 21, 2018, reality star Corinne Olympios discussed in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly" how she had made peace with her appearance in the series' second episode, saying, "It was a little scary, I'm not going to lie... This is what he does, everyone knows he's a jokester, he's a political jokester. He's funny, he's a very well-known name, and you've just gotta ride with it. Yolo!"


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 31, 2018, Atlanta battle rapper Ness Lee spoke with "Vulture" in an interview regarding his appearance in episode three, saying, "I thought he was going to make me look crazy. But I came out looking okay. I don't know the real answer as to why, so I'm just gonna make myself believe that Sacha's actually a fan of mine, and that's why I got a decent edit."


title: Who Is America?

text: On August 10, 2018, Arpaio spoke again about his appearance on the show, this time in the wake of his segment's airing in episode four, through an interview with "The Washington Examiner". In the interview, Arpaio issued a challenge to Baron Cohen saying, "Get the guts, get out of your undercover role, come and interview me in English, of course, so I can understand him so we can go man-to-man. You can ask me anything you want. I'll be glad to deal with it. He won't have the guts to do that. Maybe he will, I don't know."


title: Who Is America?

text: On August 13, 2018, Youth Shooters of America founder Dan Roberts commented on his appearance in the series' fifth episode during an interview with "The New York Times". He expressed his displeasure in the conduct of Baron Cohen and Showtime saying, "This was a malicious, willful and deliberate act on the part of Sacha Baron Cohen, the production company and Showtime, who blatantly lied to me about the purpose of the entire thing, in a deliberate effort to humiliate me."


title: Who Is America?

text: On August 20, 2018, reality personality Gretchen Rossi spoke positively about her appearance on the show to "Page Six" saying, "I’m so honored that Sacha Cohen thought to prank me and Slade! To even be on his radar in any aspect, I feel honored that he even wants to be hanging out with us."


title: Who Is America?

text: On September 5, 2018, it was reported that Moore had filed a lawsuit against Baron Cohen, Showtime, and CBS Corporation seeking $95 million in damages for alleged fraud, defamation, and emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and argues that the release signed by Moore was "obtained through fraud" and was therefore "void and inoperative." On October 23, 2018, it was reported that Showtime had filed a motion for a change of venue from the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to the Southern District of New York, which covers Manhattan. On December 12, 2018, Moore's legal team issued an opposition to a motion by Cohen, Showtime and CBS to have the matter dismissed. In the filing, Moore's legal team contended that he was "fraudulently induced" to appear on the show by two primary misrepresentations. The first was that he was under the impression that he was being flown to Washington D.C. to receive an award for his support of Israel. The second was he was told that the segment he was appearing in was being produced by an Israeli production company named Yerushalayim TV. In July 2021, Southern District of New York Judge John Cronan dismissed the lawsuit, declaring that "Moore's claims are barred by the unambiguous contractual language, which precludes the very causes of action he now brings." This decision was upheld by the Second Circuit Appeals Court in Manhattan, which wrote in its unsigned summary order that "Baron Cohen may have implied (despite his in character disclaimers of any belief that Judge Moore was a pedophile) that he believed Judge Moore's accusers, but he did not imply the existence of any independent factual basis for that belief besides the obviously farcical pedophile detecting 'device,' which no reasonable person could believe to be an actual, functioning piece of technology." Responding to the judgement, Moore told the Associated Press that Baron Cohen's "pusillanimous and fraudulent conduct must be stopped," and that he will be making a further appeal.


title: Who Is America?

text: Following the premiere of the series' second episode, Jason Spencer, a Republican state representative from Georgia, faced criticism from members of both sides of the political spectrum after he appeared onscreen screaming the racial epithets "nigger" and "sand nigger", speaking in a stereotypical Asian accent, and baring his buttocks in a purported attempt to ward off potential terrorists. By July 24, 2018, it was announced that Spencer would resign from his office effective July 31, 2018.


title: Who Is America?

text: On July 15, 2018, the series premiered on CraveTV in Canada and on Stan in Australia. On July 16, 2018, it premiered on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and on Canal+ in France. On July 17, 2018, it premiered on Sky Atlantic in Germany.


title: Who Is America?

text: The series was met with a mixed response from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 56% approval rating with an average rating of 6 out of 10 based on 64 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fleetingly funny and all too relevant, "Who Is America?" proves Sacha Baron Cohen still has something to say—though its nihilistic approach may not be the right way to say it." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 59 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".


title: Who Is America?

text: In a mixed review, "The New York Times"s Mike Hale called the premiere "tepid and inconsequential" and compared the show to Cohen's previous work saying, "Mr. Cohen remains a strong performer and writer, and while these new characters aren't as ferociously funny as Ali G or Borat, they still have their moments." In an additional ambivalent critique, NPR's Linda Holmes called the first episode "hit-and-miss" praising the Erran Morad character and segment in the first episode but criticizing the other three saying, "In the premiere episode, there were three weak, uninspired pieces and one that was a solid hit. How much you want to watch this show will depend on how you feel about that ratio and how much patience you have for how funny Cohen thinks he is." Offering the series restrained praise, Jen Chaney of "Vulture" spoke of the series' potential relevance to America's political state at the time of its release saying, "When "Who Is America?" is on point, as it is in the 'Kill or Be Killed' segment, it doesn't just remind us that some of our emperors have no clothes. It exposes them for walking around naked with no sense of shame whatsoever." In another mixed review, "Entertainment Weekly"s Darren Franich gave the first episode a grade of "C+" and said, "There are some laughs in "Who Is America?", but the most profound feeling you get from the show is weariness. Cohen's haphazard comedy instincts feel topical in the worst way. Some politicians said crazy things on television? That's not strange anymore. It's mandatory." In a more positive review, Sonia Saraiya of "Vanity Fair" offered the show qualified praise saying, "The Herculean efforts Cohen undergoes in order to entrap, fool, or insult his targets are both a little exhausting and a little pointless—but I can't deny that "Who Is America?" is funny, too, once you get past the shock and squirming horror."


title: Who Is America?

text: On television, the premiere episode had 0.1 rating in the demographic of adults 18–49 with a total number of 327,000 viewers tuning in to watch the episode. Streaming and on-demand viewing added another 301,000 viewers to that total, raising the premiere's viewer total up to 628,000. The series was the 70th highest-rated original show on cable the night it premiered. Showtime has reported that the series had over a million viewers on the day it premiered when all of the network's platforms are added together. The network is also reporting that the series fueled the most sign-ups in 2018 for a series in a single day for Showtime's streaming service.


title: Larch

text: Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus Larix, of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada. Although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles in the autumn.


title: Larch

text: The English name Larch ultimately derives from the Latin "larigna," named after the ancient settlement of Larignum. The story of its naming was preserved by Vitruvius:


title: Larch

text: It is worth while to know how this wood was discovered. The divine Caesar, being with his army in the neighbourhood of the Alps, and having ordered the towns to furnish supplies, the inhabitants of a fortified stronghold there, called Larignum, trusting in the natural strength of their defences, refused to obey his command. So the general ordered his forces to the assault. In front of the gate of this stronghold there was a tower, made of beams of this wood laid in alternating directions at right angles to each other, like a funeral pyre, and built high, so that they could drive off an attacking party by throwing stakes and stones from the top. When it was observed that they had no other missiles than stakes, and that these could not be hurled very far from the wall on account of the weight, orders were given to approach and to throw bundles of brushwood and lighted torches at this outwork. These the soldiers soon got together.


title: Larch

text: The flames soon kindled the brushwood which lay about that wooden structure and, rising towards heaven, made everybody think that the whole pile had fallen. But when the fire had burned itself out and subsided, and the tower appeared to view entirely uninjured, Caesar in amazement gave orders that they should be surrounded with a palisade, built beyond the range of missiles. So the townspeople were frightened into surrendering, and were then asked where that wood came from which was not harmed by fire. They pointed to trees of the kind under discussion, of which there are very great numbers in that vicinity. And so, as that stronghold was called Larignum, the wood was called larch.


title: Larch

text: The tallest species, "Larix occidentalis", can reach . The larch's tree crown is sparse and the branches are brought horizontal to the stem, even if some species have them characteristically pendulous. Larch shoots are dimorphic, with leaves borne singly on long shoots typically long and bearing several buds, and in dense clusters of 20–50 needles on short shoots only long with only a single bud. The leaves (light green) are needle-like, long, slender (under wide). Larches are among the few deciduous conifers, which are usually evergreen. Other deciduous conifers include the golden larch "Pseudolarix amabilis", the dawn redwood "Metasequoia glyptostroboides", the Chinese swamp cypress "Glyptostrobus pensilis" and the bald cypresses in the genus "Taxodium".


title: Larch

text: The male flowers (small cones) are orange-yellowish and fall after pollination. The female flowers (or cones) of larches are erect, small, long, green or purple, brown in ripening and lignify (called now strobilus) 5–8 months after pollination; in about half the species the bract scales are long and visible, and in the others, short and hidden between the seed scales. Those native to northern regions have small cones () with short bracts, with more southerly species tending to have longer cones (), often with exserted bracts, with the longest cones and bracts produced by the southernmost species, in the Himalayas. The seeds are winged.


title: Larch

text: The larches are streamlined trees, the root system are broad and deep and the bark is finely cracked and wrinkled in irregular plaques. The wood is bicolor, with salmon pink heartwood and yellowish white sapwood.


title: Larch

text: The genus Larix is present in all the temperate-cold zones of the northern hemisphere, from North America to northern Siberia passing through Europe, mountainous China and Japan. The larches are important forest trees of Russia, Central Europe, United States and Canada. They require a cool and fairly humid climate and for this reason they are found in the mountains of the temperate zones, while in the northernmost boreal zones ones they are also found in the plain. At gen. Larix belong to the trees that go further north than all, reaching in the North America and Siberia the tundra and polar ice. The larches are pioneer species not very demanding towards the soil and they are very long-lived trees. They live in pure or mixed forests together with other conifers or more rarely broad-leaved trees.


title: Larch

text: In the past, the cone bract length was often used to divide the larches into two sections (sect. "Larix" with short bracts, and sect. "Multiserialis" with long bracts), but genetic evidence does not support this division, pointing instead to a genetic divide between Old World and New World species, with the cone and bract size being merely adaptations to climatic conditions. More recent genetic studies have proposed three groups within the genus, with a primary division into North American and Eurasian species, and a secondary division of the Eurasian into northern short-bracted species and southern long-bracted species; there is some dispute over the position of "Larix sibirica", a short-bracted species which is placed in the short-bracted group by some of the studies and the long-bracted group by others. The genus "Larix" belongs to the subfamily Laricoideae, which also includes the genera "Pseudotsuga" and "Cathaya".


title: Larch

text: There are eleven (or ten, see "L. czekanowskii") accepted species of larch subdivided on the basis of the most recent phylogenetic investigations:


title: Larch

text: A well-known hybrid, the Dunkeld larch "Larix" × "marschlinsii", arose more or less simultaneously in Switzerland and Scotland when "L. decidua" and "L. kaempferi" hybridised when planted together, is still treated as unresolved. "Larix" × "stenophylla" is another probable hybrid still unresolved.


title: Larch

text: Larch is used as a food plant by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species — see list of Lepidoptera that feed on larches.


title: Larch

text: Larches are associated with a number of mycorrhizal fungal species, including some species which primarily or only associate with larch. One of the most prominent of these species is the larch bolete "Suillus grevillei".


title: Larch

text: Larches are prone to the fungal canker disease "Lachnellula ssp." (larch canker); this is particularly a problem on sites prone to late spring frosts, which cause minor injuries to the tree allowing entry to the fungal spores. In Canada, this disease was first detected in 1980 and is particularly harmful to an indigenous species larch, the tamarack, killing both young and mature trees.


title: Larch

text: Larches are also vulnerable to "Phytophthora ramorum". In late 2009 the disease was first found in Japanese larch trees in the English counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, and has since spread to the south-west of Scotland.


title: Larch

text: In August 2010 the disease was found in Japanese larch trees in counties Waterford and Tipperary in Ireland and in 2013 in the Afan Forest Park in south Wales.


title: Larch

text: "Laricifomes officinalis" is another mushroom found in Europe, North America and northern Asia that causes internal wood rot. It is almost exclusive guest of the "gen. Larix". Other diseases are given by mushrooms, fungal rusts, bacteria and insects.


title: Larch

text: Larch wood is valued for its tough, waterproof and durable qualities. Top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yachts and other small boats, for exterior cladding of buildings, and interior paneling. The timber is somewhat resistant to rot when in contact with the ground, and historically was used as posts and in fencing. However, European Standard EN 350-2 lists larch as slightly to moderately durable; this would make it unsuitable for ground contact use without preservative in temperate climates, and would give it a limited life as external cladding without coatings.


title: Larch

text: The hybrid Dunkeld larch is widely grown as a timber crop in Northern Europe, valued for its fast growth and disease resistance.


title: Larch

text: Larch has also been used in herbal medicine; see Bach flower remedies and Arabinogalactan for details.


title: Larch

text: In Central Europe larch is viewed as one of the best wood materials for the building of residences. Larches are often used in bonsai culture, where their knobby bark, small needles, fresh spring foliage, and – especially – autumn colour are appreciated. European larch, Japanese larch, and Tamarack larch are the species most commonly trained as bonsai.


title: Larch

text: Often, in Eurasian shamanism, the "world tree" is depicted as specifically a larch tree. Planted on borders with birch, both tree species were used in pagan cremations.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, an American figure skater, was struck on the lower right thigh with a telescopic baton by assailant Shane Stant as she walked down a corridor in Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Kerrigan had been practicing skating on an ice rink in the arena shortly beforehand.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The attack was planned by Jeff Gillooly, the ex-husband of fellow American figure skater Tonya Harding, and his co-conspirator Shawn Eckardt. They hired Stant, and his uncle Derrick Smith, to carry out the attack. Gillooly and Eckardt both claimed that Harding was involved in the attack and had knowledge of it beforehand. Harding initially denied all knowledge of the attack, but soon accepted a plea agreement admitting to helping cover up the attack after the fact. Later, both a grand jury and a disciplinary panel from the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) would find further evidence of her involvement during the planning and execution phases.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The attack was intended to prevent Kerrigan from taking part in the ongoing 1994 United States Figure Skating Championships and the forthcoming Winter Olympics, thus increasing the prospects of Harding in both figure skating events. Kerrigan could not compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. Both women competed in the 1994 Olympics, and Harding was later banned for life from USFSA figure skating events.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Nancy Kerrigan is an American former figure skater who, in January 1994, was about to take part in the United States Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan. Her main rival in that tournament was Tonya Harding. The attack took place just days before the tournament, and rendered Kerrigan unable to take part. The Winter Olympics were also set to take place in February, where Kerrigan and Harding were likely to be the two female figure skaters representing the United States. The attack benefited Harding as it allowed her to win the U.S. Championships with ease and could have benefited her if it had taken Kerrigan out of the Olympics.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Jeff Gillooly was Tonya Harding's ex-husband. At the time of the attack, the couple were together and still referred to each other as husband and wife. Shawn Eckardt, a friend of Gillooly's who was also Harding's bodyguard before the attack, had originally been hired by the figure skater after she received an anonymous death threat. Shane Stant later testified that Harding was part of staging the death threat against herself. Derrick Smith, an associate of Eckardt, was paid $6,500 to carry out the attack; Eckardt had received the money from Gillooly. Shane Stant, Smith's nephew, initially planned to carry out the attack by himself and had travelled to Kerrigan's home rink in Cape Cod in late December 1993, but was unable to locate her. Stant then followed Kerrigan to the Nationals in Detroit in early January 1994. Gillooly opposed carrying out an attack in Detroit, feeling it too likely they would be caught, and instructed Eckardt to wire Stant funds to return home without carrying out the attack. Eckardt instead wired the funds to Smith, who then traveled to join Stant in Detroit. Stant and Smith then planned to carry out the attack together.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On the afternoon of January 6, 1994, Kerrigan was practicing for the U.S. Championships on an ice rink inside Cobo Arena. A camera crew was recording her practice session and showed her leaving the ice rink and walking through a curtain and down a hallway; the camera then cuts out. Stant stated in a 2018 interview that he was standing "about a foot and a half" (around half a meter) behind the camera crew and waited for them to stop filming before he followed Kerrigan through the curtain. Stant approached Kerrigan from behind, extended a telescopic baton, struck her lower right thigh and walked away. He then escaped from the arena by smashing through a locked glass door. Smith was waiting in a car outside and acted as a getaway driver. The camera crew began recording again shortly after the attack and recorded Kerrigan sitting on the floor crying surrounded by arena staff. Here, Kerrigan exclaimed the now-famous line, "Why? Why? Why?" This footage was later broadcast around the world in news programs. Kerrigan was then carried away to a changing room by her father. The attack severely bruised her knee and quadriceps tendon and forced her to withdraw from the U.S. Championships.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Harding met Jeff Gillooly in 1986 when she was skating at the Clackamas Town Center; she was 15, he was 17. They later exchanged phone numbers and went out to the movies, chaperoned by her father. In 1988, the couple moved into a home together, and Harding claimed she began experiencing physical abuse from Gillooly. They married on March 18, 1990. Harding's mother, LaVona, said she opposed the marriage: "I knew Jeff had a violent streak [...] he tried to break down the door because he thought [Tonya] had gone out with another boy." On June 17, 1991, Harding filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Two days later, she received a restraining order against Gillooly: "He wrenched my arm and wrist, pulled my hair and shoved me [...] he bought a shotgun, and I am scared for my safety."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Harding later claimed she was the victim of acquaintance rape sometime during her separation from Gillooly in 1991: "by a friend of mine, who I knew for eight years." In the summer of 1991, she became engaged to mechanical engineer Mike Pliska. He ended their engagement after he saw Harding disrespecting people and giving her phone number to another man. In the autumn of 1991, Harding dated a Canadian banker. In October, she decided to reconcile with Gillooly and withdraw the divorce, saying they were still in love and seeking counseling: "I know he's changed. I see it in his eyes, and I believe in him...I don't want to lose him. I really don't."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On March 10, 1992, Harding had a roadside physical altercation with a female motorist in Portland, Oregon. The first deputy on the scene observed Harding holding a baseball bat after breaking the motorist's eyeglasses. The incident ended in apologies and no criminal charges were filed.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: In both March and July 1993, police came to Harding and Gillooly's shared apartment after reported arguments. In a July affidavit, Harding wrote that she had been in an abusive marriage for two years, "he has assaulted me physically with his open hand and fist [...] put me down to the floor on several occasions." Harding was granted another restraining order and filed for divorce. In the spring of 1993, she dated Tom Arant who spoke about Harding to "The Oregonian", saying she would complain about Gillooly, yet still contacted him often: "she couldn't stop talking to him." That summer, a man from Harding's gym claimed to "The Oregonian" that she offered to pay him to "take care" of Gillooly, "slap him around a little." He said he was offended and declined.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On August 28, 1993, Harding and Gillooly were granted a divorce. Ten days later, Harding's lawyer asked the restraining order to be lifted because the couple again wished to reconcile. On October 2, at approximately 3 a.m., neighbours of the couple called the police when they heard them arguing outside and a single gunshot. The neighbours reported seeing Gillooly pick Harding up and place her in a truck, they feared she had been shot. A police officer stopped the truck and confiscated a found shotgun and a 9mm Beretta pistol that had recently been discharged. The officer then interviewed Harding and Gillooly separately about what had happened, but their stories did not match. Gillooly first stated that the gun had fired when he was carrying it. Harding then admitted that she had fired the gun and was worried about the publicity. Gillooly said that Harding had been moving her possessions into his truck when they started an argument over his former girlfriend; he declined to press charges. In November 1993, the couple were evicted from their apartment for failing to pay rent.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: During Tonya Harding's FBI testimony on January 18, 1994, she requested and received some ice to treat her swollen ankle. When asked about her finances, Harding said she had one bank account which was currently $109 overdrawn. She was also asked about her relationship with Gillooly and replied she still considered him her husband. When asked whether Gillooly had ever threatened her, Harding said he had not. FBI agent James Russell then asked if she was at Shawn Eckardt's house at any time on January 11, Harding replied that she "definitely" had not been. Russell then advised her that while concealing criminal knowledge did not violate Oregon law, lying to the FBI would violate federal law. Harding said she understood that. Russell then told her that he knew she had lied to him. Harding's lawyer, Robert Weaver, then stated he wished to speak privately with his client. When Harding returned, she testified that Gillooly and herself went to Eckardt's home on December 28, 1993; he went inside, she drove away. Harding said that Gillooly phoned her one hour later asking her to pick him up.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: After Harding's plea deal on March 16, 1994, she has since made other claims about the assault scandal. In 2018, she said she had prior knowledge of Gillooly and Eckardt discussing "[taking] out" one of her competitors in late 1993. Harding said she protested that she wanted to win fairly, and asked them what they were talking about.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: In Harding's 2008 authorized biography, "The Tonya Tapes" (written by Lynda D. Prouse from recorded interviews), she denied ever asking Vera Marano for the name of Nancy Kerrigan's training rink and that Marano may not have remembered details properly, that she "was a little bit out there." Harding also expressed anxiety when Prouse asked about Marano's testimony:


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Jeff Gillooly first testified about the attack plot on January 26, 1994. He said that in early December 1993, Harding phoned him after the 1993 NHK Trophy competition and was upset about her placement. He said he was also upset for her and later spoke about figure skating politics to his friend Shawn Eckardt. According to Gillooly, Eckardt then wondered aloud what would happen if Nancy Kerrigan were to receive a threat. Gillooly said he liked that idea. According to him, Eckardt wanted to keep the idea of injuring Kerrigan a secret from Harding, but Gillooly explained that injuring a competitor might psychologically affect Harding's performance too. Gillooly claimed that when he told Harding about plotting to injure Kerrigan, she thought it was "a good idea." However, she was skeptical about Eckardt's ability to arrange it. Gillooly assured her Eckardt knew people who could carry out the attack, and they could abort the plot if they did not like Eckardt's plan.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Shortly after Eckardt had spoken on the phone with Derrick Smith, he visited Gillooly and Harding at their home and quoted $4,500 to execute the plot. Gillooly replied that it was too much and said he could pay $2,000. On December 25, Gillooly had an answering machine message from Smith asking for more details about the plan. He claimed that he then phoned Eckardt to cancel the deal. Eckardt replied that Smith was already driving to Portland and that he needed more information about Kerrigan — a photograph and the location of the ice rink where she practiced. On December 27, Harding phoned her friend Vera Marano, a Pennsylvania figure skating writer, saying she and Gillooly had a "bet" about where Nancy Kerrigan trained. Marano then called a USFSA contact to find the name of the rink and left a message on Harding and Gillooly's answering machine. He said the message was difficult to understand, it sounded like "Tunee Can." Harding then phoned Marano again asking her to spell the arena name, and Gillooly said he watched as Harding wrote out "Tony Kent Arena."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Smith and his nephew, Shane Stant, arrived in Portland on December 27, drove to Eckardt's home, and asked for a meeting with Gillooly tomorrow at 10 a.m. Gillooly said Harding would be training at that time, but he agreed to meet them. On December 28, Harding finished her practice session at 10:30 a.m., then Gillooly drove them to Eckardt's home. According to him, she knew about the meeting and was anxious about Gillooly talking to dangerous people. He also testified that Harding told him she wanted Kerrigan injured either at her home or skating rink. Gillooly said he would phone her after the meeting, and Harding then drove to Gillooly's mother's house.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: He arrived at 11 a.m. to the meeting held at Eckardt's home office, knocking on the door with Stant letting him in. Eckardt introduced Gillooly to Derrick Smith, using only his first name, Stant was introduced as Smith's "friend." Stant said it was "a pleasure" to meet Gillooly, then remained silent. Smith told Gillooly he could solve "problems," and Gillooly said he wanted Kerrigan out of the National Championships so Harding could win an Olympic gold medal. Once this was achieved, Harding would receive endorsements and he could offer $1,000 per week for her security. Gillooly said he could pay $6,500 for this plan and wanted to know what they could do. Eckardt suggested cutting Kerrigan's Achilles tendon, using a beater car to run her off the road, or "just kill her," but those ideas were opposed. Gillooly said only her right leg needed to be disabled, her landing leg; he claimed to have previously verified this with Harding. They settled on injuring Kerrigan's right leg. Gillooly was told his money would be returned if the deed was not completed. He then phoned Harding asking her to pick him up.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: According to Gillooly, as he was driving himself and Harding home, she asked if the meeting went well. When he told her about their "money-back guarantee," Harding laughed out loud. Gillooly said he felt "pretty good" about the meeting and thought Smith was competent. He then told her, "I think we should go for it." According to Gillooly, Harding replied, "Let's do it."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: He said the men would need another photo of Kerrigan and her "skating times." Gillooly suggested that Harding call the Tony Kent Arena because she knew ice skating terminology. According to him, she did phone the arena asking for Kerrigan's "patch and freestyle times," and phoned again for the address. They also found two photos of Kerrigan from the World Team handbook and Olympian magazine. Gillooly said Harding told him to tear off the magazine's mailing label because it had their home address. They drove to Eckardt's home that night with the photos, practice times, and $2,700 in cash. Gillooly said he paid Eckardt while Harding was in another room having coffee with Eckardt's mother. He remembered Harding briefly talking to him and Eckardt saying Kerrigan's photo was "flattering." Gillooly and Harding were surprised that Eckardt's mother seemed to know about the plot too.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Gillooly testified that by January 1994, he and Harding were upset that the plot had apparently failed. When Eckardt said it could still be done for more money, Gillooly asked "Do I have stupid written across my forehead?" Harding told him that Eckardt should return the money. On January 1, 1994, she had a late-night skating session from 11:30 p.m to 1 a.m., and Gillooly asked Eckardt to meet them at the rink. When Eckardt arrived, Gillooly agreed to pay more if Kerrigan could still be disabled before the Nationals competition.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: According to Gillooly, Harding then approached both men and asked Eckardt if his previous back pains were better. She then angrily asked him why "this thing" (the plot) was not completed. Eckardt was flustered and said he did not know why.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On January 22, 1994, Vera Marano was interviewed by the FBI. She said she worked as a freelance writer and had written some figure skating articles about Harding, regularly trading phone calls with her. Marano stated that Harding had phoned her about a "bet" regarding Nancy Kerrigan. She said Harding then asked for the name of Kerrigan's training rink and also wanted to know if Kerrigan owned property in Cape Cod.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Shawn Eckardt first testified about parts of the attack plot on January 12, 1994. He had known Gillooly since they were in the first grade at school. In 1993, Eckardt was enrolled in a paralegal course at Pioneer Pacific College and trying to build a business called World Bodyguard Services. He claimed that in mid-December, Gillooly approached him to ask if he knew anyone who could disable Kerrigan.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On December 22, 1993, Eckardt received a call from his friend Derrick Smith who lived in Phoenix, Arizona. Smith wanted to know if Eckardt was still interested in moving to Phoenix to help set up an anti-terrorist training camp as they had previously discussed. Eckardt claimed he had a contract to disable a female figure skater issued by her rival's husband, that it involved good money because one of the rival's sponsors was George Steinbrenner. It was true that Steinbrenner had recently given Harding a $10,000 donation through the USFSA. Smith was interested in the deal and agreed to drive to Portland with his nephew, Shane Stant, to meet with Eckardt and Gillooly.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On December 28, as the men were waiting for Gillooly to arrive at his office, Smith persuaded Eckardt to tape record the meeting to use as "leverage." Eckardt hid the tape recorder on his desk under a paper towel. After the meeting, Gillooly left, returning that night to pay Eckardt in cash. He later gave the money to Smith who then drove Stant to the Seattle airport so Stant could fly to Boston. Smith returned to Arizona and was communicating separately with Stant and Eckardt by phone, while Eckardt reported back to Gillooly. Eckardt did not know where exactly Stant was and told Gillooly that Smith needed more money. Gillooly refused to pay more until he had receipts proving that someone was in Boston for their plan.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On January 1, 1994, Eckardt met Gillooly and Harding at the skating rink during her late-night session. He remembered Gillooly saying he would pay more money if the plot happened. Eckardt said Harding then skated up to him and commiserated about his ongoing back pain. According to him, she then said "You need to stop screwing around with this and get it done."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: When Derrick Smith was first interviewed by FBI on January 12, 1994, he held to the cover story that had been agreed upon with his co-conspirators until later in the day when he confessed to his part in the plot. He had met Eckardt when they were students at Mt. Hood Community College, shared an interest in espionage and survivalism, and had discussed opening a school together someday. Smith later worked for the United States Army as an "intelligence analyst" for about 3 years until he was discharged. He then worked in Milwaukie, Oregon as a group home coordinator for Developmental Systems Inc., a company that employed and trained mentally retarded adults to sort laundry hangers. The company claimed Smith was good at his work, remaining quiet and patient if a little anti-social. He quit that job in late 1993 and moved to Arizona with his wife. Smith then applied for a police officer job and was waiting for his interview to be scheduled before Eckardt told him about possible bodyguard work in Oregon.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: When he phoned Eckardt on December 22, 1993, Eckardt told Smith he had a client who needed someone physically "taken down," saying the job would entail more bodyguard work in the future. Smith did not want to commit the assault himself because he had no criminal record, but said he might know someone who would do it. He knew his nephew, Shane Stant, was currently unemployed so Smith told him about his conversation with Eckardt.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On December 28, he and Stant were in Portland to discuss the attack plan. Before Gillooly arrived to the meeting, Smith asked Eckardt to tape-record the impending plotting for security. During the meeting, he thought Eckardt was leading Gillooly to think he had many "underground" contacts. After the meeting, he and Stant agreed not to injure Kerrigan "too badly."


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Shane Stant first testified about the attack plot after he turned himself in to the FBI on January 14, 1994. He was the son of Derrick Smith's wife's sister. Stant and his girlfriend also moved to Arizona along with Smith after once serving 15 days in jail for stealing cars. He was interested in bodybuilding, martial arts, and helping Smith open his training camp someday.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: When Smith told Stant about his phone call with Eckardt, Stant wanted to know more specifics. Eckardt then phoned him to say the plot involved making "an accident happen" to a skater, maybe cutting an Achilles tendon. Stant said he would not cut anyone. Eckardt then offered more money than Gillooly stated and said more bodyguard work would follow. Stant agreed to go to Portland with Smith for a meeting, then he paid $59 for a 21-inch (53 cm) ASP tactical baton from a store called Spy Headquarters.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On December 29, 1993, Stant agreed to execute the plot and took a flight to Boston, yet discovered he could not rent a car with his girlfriend's credit card. He received his own credit card from an evening mail delivery the next day. On December 31, Stant drove to Yarmouth, Massachusetts, reaching the Tony Kent Arena that afternoon. Nancy Kerrigan had already finished her practice session and departed to Stoneham, Massachusetts for the weekend. Stant, thinking Kerrigan would still be training at the arena, frequented the parking lot for two days and relocated his car every half hour.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On January 11, Ann Schatz interviewed Harding for KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon. Schatz asked Harding whether someone she knew could have planned the attack. Harding replied, "I have definitely thought about it." Gillooly stood in her view behind the camera during the interview. The interview ended with Harding saying, "No one controls my life but me...if there's something in there that I don't like, I'm going to change it." Harding also confirmed she had spoken with FBI agents in Detroit and again in Portland. On January 13, Eckardt and Smith were arrested. On January 14, the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) made a statement on whether Eckardt's arrest affected Harding's Olympic placement: "We will deal only with the facts." Harding and Gillooly's separate lawyers confirmed the couple were in daily contact and cooperation with law enforcement. On January 15, Harding and Gillooly spoke with reporters, but declined to comment about the investigation. On January 16, Harding's lawyer held a news conference in which he read a statement denying Harding's involvement in the attack on Kerrigan. Harding left her home that evening to practice figure skating with her coaches, where she spoke with reporters and performed a triple Axel.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On February 5, 1994, the USFSA disciplinary panel stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Harding had violated the sport's code of ethics. Her admitted failure to report about an assault on a fellow competitor, supported by her FBI transcripts, led to Harding being formally charged with "[making] false statements about her knowledge". The USFSA also recommended that she face a disciplinary hearing. Claire Ferguson, president of the USFSA, decided not to suspend Harding's membership before a hearing took place. If she had been suspended, she likely still would have competed at the Olympics after filing suit, seeking an injunction against the USFSA, and asserting her rights under the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. The panel examined evidence including the testimonies of Stant and Smith, Harding and Gillooly's telephone records, and notes found in a Portland saloon trash bin on January 30. Harding was given thirty days to respond.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On February 1, 1994, Gillooly's attorney negotiated a plea agreement in exchange for testimony regarding all involved parties in the attack. In July, he was sentenced to two years in prison after publicly apologizing to Kerrigan – adding "any apology coming from me rings hollow." Gillooly and Eckardt pleaded guilty to racketeering, while Stant and Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. Judge Donald Londer noted the attack could have injured Kerrigan more seriously. Eckardt died in 2007.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On March 16, Harding pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution as a Class C felony offense at a Multnomah County court hearing. She and her lawyer, Robert Weaver, negotiated a plea agreement ensuring no further prosecution. Judge Londer conducted routine questioning to make certain Harding understood her agreement, that she was entering her plea "knowingly and voluntarily." Harding told Londer she was. Her plea admissions were knowing of the assault plot after the fact, settling on a cover story with Gillooly and Eckardt on January 10, witnessing payphone calls to Smith affirming the story on January 10 and 11, and lying to FBI. Law enforcement investigators had been following and videotaping the co-conspirators since January 10, and knew about the payphone calls. Harding's penalties included three years of probation, $100,000 fine, and 500 hours community service. She agreed to reimburse Multnomah County $10,000 in legal expenses, undergo a psychiatric examination, and volunteered to give $50,000 to the Special Olympics Oregon (SOOR) charity. Oregon sentencing guidelines carried a max penalty of five years imprisonment for the offense.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On March 21, 1994, a Portland grand jury issued an indictment stating there was evidence Harding participated in the attack plot. The indictment concluded more than two months of investigation and witness testimonies from Diane Rawlinson; Harding's choreographer Erika Bakacs; freelance figure skating writer Vera Marano; and Eckardt's college instructor and classmates. It stated there was evidence Harding fraudulently used USFSA-provided skating monies to finance the assault. It also read that Harding, Gillooly, Eckardt, Smith, and Stant agreed to "knowingly cause physical injury ... by means of a dangerous weapon." The grand jury foreman said the evidence implied Harding as "involved from the beginning or very close." She was not charged in the indictment due to the terms of her March 16 plea agreement.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: On June 29, the USFSA disciplinary panel met for nine hours over two days to consider Harding's alleged role in the attack. On June 30, chairman William Hybl stated,


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The panel decided that pertinent FBI reports, court documents, and Harding's March 16 plea agreement presented


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Harding chose neither to attend nor participate in the two-day hearing. Weaver said the decision disappointed her but was not a surprise, and that she had not decided on an appeal. Harding was stripped of her 1994 U.S. Championship title and banned for life from participating in USFSA events as either skater or coach. The USFSA has no dominion over professional skating events, yet Harding was also "persona non grata" on the pro circuit. Few skaters and promoters would work with her, and she did not benefit from the ensuing boom in professional skating after the scandal.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The attack and the scandal surrounding it was depicted in the 2017 film "I, Tonya", with Margot Robbie portraying Harding, Ricky Russert portraying Stant, and Caitlin Carver portraying Kerrigan.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The attack was mentioned in Weird Al Yankovic's song "Headline News", a parody of the Crash Test Dummies hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The event is referenced in the songs "Strange Clouds" by B.o.B featuring Lil Wayne, "Tonya Harding" by Sufjan Stevens, and “TONYA” by Brockhampton.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: The penultimate episode of the animated comedy "Futurama", "Stench and Stenchibility", features a devilish six-year-old girl named Tonya (voiced by Tara Strong; a reference to Harding), who is the opponent of Bender Rodriguez (John DiMaggio) in a tap dancing competition held by Randy Munchnik. As Bender attempts to sabotage her performance by filling her tap shoes with tacks in the locker room, Tonya catches him in the act, and breaks his leg with a nightstick in a similar manner to the attack on Kerrigan.


title: Assault of Nancy Kerrigan

text: Barack Obama referenced the attack while giving a speech in 2007 in Iowa during his run in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries, stating "Folks said there's no way Obama has a chance unless he goes and kneecaps the person ahead of us, does a Tonya Harding."


title: National Institutes of Technology (India)

text: The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are the central government-owned-public technical institutes under the ownership of Ministry of Education, Government of India. They are governed by the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act, 2007, which declared them as institutions of national importance and lays down their powers, duties, and framework for governance. In 2019, first IIEST was added under Council of NITSER. The act lists thirty-two NITs. The oldest NIT is now IIEST Shibpur. Each NIT is autonomous, linked to the others through a common council known as the Council of NITSER, which oversees their administration and all NITs are funded by the Government of India.


text: In 2020, "National Institutional Ranking Framework" ranked twenty four NITs in the top 200 in engineering category. The language of instruction is English at all these institutes. As of 2022, the total number of seats for undergraduate programs is 23,997 and for postgraduate programs 13,664 in all the 31 NITs put together.


text: During the second five-year plan (1956–60) in India, a number of industrial projects were contemplated. The Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) were established by the central government to mimic the IITs at a regional level and act as benchmarks for the other colleges in that state. The admission used to be highly selective. Students topping the respective state's 12th board exam could be admitted at the REC of their state. Thus, 17 RECs were established from 1959 onwards in each of the major states. Each college was a joint and cooperative enterprise of the central government and the concerned state government. The government opened 9 RECs in 1960, 2 on average in each region, as follows:


text: Later on, 6 more were added by 1967. The early 15 institutes were Srinagar, Warangal, Calicut, Durgapur, Kurukshetra, Jamshedpur, Jaipur, Nagpur, Rourkela, Surathkal, Surat, Tiruchirappalli, Bhopal, Allahabad, and Silchar. It established 2 more, one in Hamirpur in 1986, and another in Jalandhar in 1987.


text: These were large-sized institutions judged by the standards then prevailing in the country. The considerations that weighed in this decision were:


text: A large-sized college would be more efficient than the equivalent small colleges, the proposed colleges have to meet the additional requirements of the country as a whole and for that purpose should have to function on an all-India basis. Therefore, the smaller they are in number and the larger in size, the better, and for the same reason their location is important from an all-India point of view.


text: The RECs were jointly operated by the central government and the concerned state government. Non-recurring expenditures and expenditures for post-graduate courses during the REC period were borne by the central government while recurring expenditure on undergraduate courses was shared equally by central and state governments. They were considered to be the best government engineering colleges after the IITs in India even before their upgrade to National Institutes of Technology.


text: The success of the technology-based industry led to high demand for technical and scientific education. Due to the enormous costs and infrastructure involved in creating globally respected Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), in 2002 Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Minister Murli Manohar Joshi decided to upgrade RECs to "National Institutes of Technology" (NITs) instead of creating IITs. The central government controls NITs and provides all funding. In 2002, all RECs became NITs.


text: The upgrade was designed along the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) after it was concluded that RECs had potential as proven by the success of their alumni and their contributions in the field of technical education and that they were on par with the IITs. Subsequently, funding and autonomy for NITs increased, and they award degrees that have raised their graduates' perceived value. These changes implemented recommendations of the "High Powered Review Committee" (HPRC). The HPRC, chaired by R. A. Mashelkar, submitted its report entitled ""Strategic Road Map for Academic Excellence of Future RECs"" in 1998.


text: By 2006, MHRD issued NIT status to 3 more colleges, located at Patna (Bihar Engineering College, a 110-year-old college), Raipur (Government Engineering College, Raipur), and Agartala (Tripura Engineering College). Based on the request of state governments and feasibility, future NITs are either converted from existing institutes or can be freshly created. In 2010, the government announced setting up ten more new NITs in the remaining states/territories, leading to a total of 30 NITs. This would lead to every state in India having its own NIT.


text: With the technology-based industry's continuing growth, the government decided to upgrade twenty National Institutes of Technology to full-fledged technical universities. Parliament passed enabling legislation, the National Institutes of Technology Act in 2007 and took effect on 15 August of that year. The target is to fulfill the need for quality manpower in the field of engineering, science, and technology and to provide consistent governance, fee structure, and rules across the NITs. The law designates each NIT an Institute of National Importance (INI).


text: The Parliament of India on 1 August 2016 passed a bill to establish the 31st as well as the newest NIT, NIT Andhra Pradesh, on a day members of parliament of the ruling Telugu Desam Party from the state staged a protest to demand special category status. The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed by Rajya Sabha by voice vote. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 21 July 2016.


text: The President of India is the "ex officio" visitor of all the NITs. The NIT Council works directly under him and it includes the minister-in-charge of technical education in Central Government, the chairmen and the Directors of all the NITs, the Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC), the Director-General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Directors of other selected central institutions of repute, members of Parliament, Joint Council Secretary of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), nominees of the Central Government, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Visitor.


text: Below the NIT Council is each NIT's Board of Governors. The Board of Governors of each NIT consists of the following members: