title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: While there, he places an ageing curse upon her and takes her bracelet. Redferne arrives with a "witch compass" to track the Warlock. After Redferne explains some basic rules of Witches and Warlocks, such as their weakness to purified salt, Kassandra follows him in order to regain her bracelet, which will allow her to become young again. The Warlock acquires the power of flight by murdering an unbaptised child.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Redferne and Kassandra pursue the Warlock to the rural home of a Mennonite family where the Warlock has located the second piece of the Grimoire. After a battle with Redferne, the Warlock attempts to fly away but is struck down by a weathervane made of cold iron. Redferne, Kassandra and the Mennonite couple attempt to bind him with a pair of manacles that will stop him from using his power, but the Warlock hexes the Mennonite farmer with the Evil Eye before escaping on foot.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Redferne gives Kassandra a blessed hammer with which to hammer nails into the Warlock's footprints while he and the farmer's wife carry the ailing farmer back to the house. While the Warlock sheds his shackles, Kassandra hammers nails into his footprints, causing the Warlock agony. He escapes via a train but Kassandra recovers her bracelet, restoring her youth. The farmer is terribly injured, but Redferne leaves him a cure in the form of bronze keys. Kassandra is persuaded to continue on when Redferne tells her that the Warlock intends to destroy the universe.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: They follow the Warlock to Boston, where the final piece of the Grimoire is supposed to be buried on sacred earth. They arrive at the Church where the Grimoire is held and warn the priest that the Warlock is coming for it. The priest reassures Redferne and Kassandra that the book is buried in sacred earth, directing them to a graveyard. Kassandra realises that due to construction, many coffins have been moved to a part of the graveyard that is not consecrated ground. They find Redferne's coffin and break it open to get the Grimoire when the Warlock arrives, having forced the priest to reveal the location of the book by threatening to give his wife a miscarriage.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Redferne carries the book onto hallowed ground but the Warlock threatens to kill Kassandra if Redferne does not bring him the book. Redferne challenges the Warlock to a fair fight without weapons or magic and the Warlock agrees. He flings Kassandra into a lake and he and Redferne fight. The Warlock gains the advantage and Redferne cheats by throwing soil from the sacred ground in the Warlock's face. With the rules broken, the Warlock uses his magical abilities to subdue Redferne and claim possession of the final third of the Grimore.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Before the Warlock can use the Grimoire, Kassandra stabs him in the neck with the syringe she uses to inject insulin, which she filled with salt water from the lake. The Warlock's throat seals shut and he bursts into flames. Redferne and Kassandra bid one another farewell before Redferne returns to his own time. Kassandra buries the Grimoire in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Screenwriter David Twohy first conceived the story as a reversal of what the film ultimately became. "I spent, if not wasted, a good six to eight weeks trying to make the warlock somebody who was persecuted during the witch craze of the 17th century, and came forward to this time and experienced much the same persecution here for other reasons," he commented to Cinefantastique Magazine. Twohy revised and refined the story, but he had to compromise some of his ideas due to limitations of the budget.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Because the film begins in the colonial United States, director Steve Miner insisted that the leads were portrayed by British actors. "They'd been off the boat for five years, ten years at most. They're English," he quipped. Producer Arnold Kopelson suggested Julian Sands, but it was director Miner who decided to cast Sands against type as the evil Warlock instead of goodhearted Redferne.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Sands had been offered many roles in horror movies and initially wasn't interested. "When I first got the script, it sat around for a while because I didn't think it was my kind of thing," Sands remarked in a 1991 interview. "When I read it, I saw it was a black comedy rather than a slasher-type film [and] was very happy at the prospect of working with Steve." With Sands committed to star, Miner's idea of casting "Withnail & I" star Richard E. Grant as the warlock could have fallen through but he decided to audition him anyway and was so impressed that Grant was given the role of Redferne.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Problems arose with actress Lori Singer, who was reportedly difficult and caused headaches for makeup man Carl Fullerton. An elaborate series of makeups to progressively age Singer had been designed, tested and approved. However, on the day of her transformation into a 40-year-old, Singer refused to wear any prosthetics, forcing the makeup men to resort to stippling, shadowing and having the actress don a gray wig. For her 60-year-old incarnation, she agreed to wear prosthetics on her cheeks and chin but refused to let them put appliances on her nose or eyes.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: The bulk of the movie was shot on location around the United States. The opening 17th century sequence was filmed at Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, and later scenes were shot in the Boston area. Parts of the film were also shot at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The farmhouse with the iconic red barn is the George Washington Faulkner House, which was open to the public with an annual pumpkin patch attraction for many years. Because of the logistics of the special effects involved, however, a graveyard was erected on a soundstage in Los Angeles for the climactic finale.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: The post-production optical effects work was to have been supplied by Dreamquest Images but they were replaced by Perpetual Motion for budgetary reasons. The warlock possessed the ability to conjure bolts of ectoplasm which he hurled at unsuspecting foes, but this proved problematic and had to be toned down since it could only be achieved through animation. Unfortunately, no one from Perpetual Motion was available to supervise on the set, so the crew had to shoot background plates and plot the effects on their own and hope that the FX team had the proper materials to work with.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Due to a variety of factors, several scenes were cut, reshot or altered in post-production. Several deleted scenes are glimpsed in the theatrical trailer and other photographs and information have surfaced. These include an original version of the death of the channeler that was cut after poor reception of the special effects at test screenings, leading to a reshot version of the scene. Another deleted scene shows the Warlock using a spell involving a chicken to track Redferne and Kassandra. A version of the scene remains in the novelization.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Although completed in 1988 and released to other countries the following year, "Warlock" fell into release limbo in the United States when New World Pictures suffered financial difficulties, and it was shelved for two years. The film was eventually picked up by Trimark Pictures and given a limited release beginning in January 1991. The film turned into a modest success for Trimark, grossing $9,094,451 and becoming the company's biggest grosser until "Eve's Bayou".


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: The film received mixed reviews, and was heavily compared to "The Terminator". Despite a variety of issues with the projection during his viewing, "New York Times" critic Vincent Canby praised the film as "unexpectedly entertaining, having been concocted with comic imagination." "People" wrote it was "modestly entertaining low-budget fantasy adventure — distraction enough if you're not in too demanding a mood." On the flip-side, "Los Angeles Times" critic Michael Wilmington claimed there was "No wit or humanity, or even any genuine horror."


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: "Entertainment Weekly" denounced the special effects for being "so low-budget they might have come out of a joke shop," and "TV Guide" declared that the "aging make-up used to show the effects of Kassandra's curse is not at all effective—a particular problem in that she's a major character and is on screen much of the time." Richard Harrington of "The Washington Post" remarked that the film was "...a surprisingly old-fashioned horror adventure that benefits from the superbly malevolent presence of Julian Sands as said warlock" while also applauding the absence of jump-cuts typically used in the genre and lively period dialogue.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Jerry Goldsmith's score for the film was released in the United States by Intrada and in the UK by Silva Screen Records in 1989. Running roughly 54 minutes, these original releases featured numerous deviations from the final film versions and several cues were omitted. In March 2015, Intrada Records released a 72-minute "expanded" score restored from the 2" masters of the original recording sessions.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: A sequel was made in 1993 titled "", again starring Julian Sands. Although Sands portrayed the same character, there was no other through-line. "Our film is a totally different story from the original "Warlock"," commented director Anthony Hickox. "It's as though the original film didn't happen." A second, direct-to-video sequel called "" was released in 1999, again with no direct ties to the films which preceded it. Bruce Payne starred in the title role.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: The screenplay was adapted into a novel by Ray Garton, released by Avon Books in 1989. This novelization includes additional/alternate details which didn't make it into the final cut of the movie.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: As part of a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment, Bluewater Productions released a "Warlock" comic book series in 2009. The 4-issue series featured an original storyline with the Warlock on a mission to destroy a book which had imprisoned a group of his peers. The series contained a few references to the original film and one of the two covers of the first issue was derived from the movie's poster art, but the company was unable to attain the rights to use Julian Sands' likeness. "The Warlock character in the comic series definitely has similar character traits to Sands' Warlock, but I decided to make him a different character," remarked writer Nick Lyons.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Acclaim Entertainment released a video game based on the films for the Super NES and Sega Genesis in 1995. The makers of the game eschewed the plot of the original film and chose to put the focus on elements of the first sequel, such as the druids and runestones.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: In La Ronge, Saskatchewan in 1995, 14-year-old Sandy Charles told police that he had been contemplating suicide but "a spirit" told him to kill someone else. On July 8, Charles and an unnamed 8-year-old accomplice murdered 7-year-old Johnathan Thimpsen. In court, lawyers on Charles' behalf argued that he had become obsessed with the film "Warlock" and that the murder was based in part on occult concepts from the movie. The case brought the issue of violence in movies to the forefront in Charles' native Canada and is reported to have influenced the country's decision to enable parents to use the V-chip to censor violence in cable television.


title: Warlock (1989 film)

text: Because of their ages, Charles was put on trial as adult and his accomplice, identified in court only by the initial M., was not charged. In August 1996, Charles was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Following his trial he went on to reside at the high security Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon and was briefly relocated to the Saskatchewan Hospital in June 2013, but was transferred back to the RPC facility that September.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in August 2013, the device was released in North America, Europe and Australia on October 12, 2013. The Nintendo 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which maintains otherwise identical hardware, similar functionality, and compatibility with software designed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. However, the 2DS is differentiated by a new slate form factor rather than the clamshell design used by its precursors and by lacking the Nintendo 3DS's signature autostereoscopic 3D display. The 2DS was sold concurrently with existing 3DS models as an incentive to expand the market for Nintendo 3DS games; former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé stated that the 2DS was primarily targeted towards younger players (such as those younger than age 7), whom Nintendo had previously advised not to use the 3D functionality on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. The Nintendo 2DS's successor, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, was launched in 2017.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Reception to the Nintendo 2DS was mixed; while Nintendo was praised for how it priced and positioned the 2DS alongside its higher-end counterparts, much of its criticism was directed towards its regressions in comparison to the 3DS, such as a design that some considered less appealing than that of the 3DS, its lower sound quality, and its battery life. However, the 2DS's design was praised by some critics for being more robust and comfortable to hold than the 3DS, especially for its target market. Some critics also felt that the lack of 3D support was an admission by Nintendo that the concept was a gimmick; however, Nintendo has since stated that autostereoscopic 3D would remain a part of their future plans. The Nintendo 2DS was discontinued in Japan in 2019 and in the rest of the world in 2020, along with the other systems in the Nintendo 3DS family.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Nintendo officially unveiled the 2DS on August 28, 2013 via a press release; members of the press were given a chance to demo the device in private prior to the announcement. According to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé, the Nintendo 2DS is primarily aimed at a younger demographic than the Nintendo 3DS — particularly, those younger than 7 years old; whom Nintendo had advised not to use the 3D features on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. The validity of Nintendo's claims were questioned by vision experts, however, who believed that the 3DS could actually help detect certain eye problems, and felt the warnings were for liability reasons rather than any realistic harm.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: With the 2DS, the company aimed to produce a device that would be "new, unique, different, and [bring] more people into this category that we love." Part of this goal was achieved by positioning the device at a lower price point than the 3DS; in the United States, the system retailed at US$129.99 on launch, in comparison to the US$169.99 price of the standard 3DS. By May 2016, the U.S. price had been lowered further to $79.99.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: As part of a promotional effort for Nintendo's late-2013 releases, the Nintendo 2DS was featured on "The Nintendo Experience" promotional tour at Simon Malls locations in the United States throughout October and into early November.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS was released in North America, Europe and Australia on October 12, 2013, the same day as "Pokémon X" and "Y". In North America, it was available at launch in black models with Blue or Red bezels, while in Europe and Australia, it was available in white with red bezels, or black with blue bezels. Each console is bundled with a 4 GB SD card and an AC adapter. Matching red and blue carrying case accessories were also released on launch. With the release of the 2DS, Nintendo of America began to phase out the original 3DS, leaving the 2DS and 3DS XL as the only models still actively sold in North America as of its release.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: On December 7, 2013, the Nintendo 2DS launched in South Korea, in white/red and black/blue models that respectively included a digital copy of "Pokémon X" or "Y".


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: A "Sea Green" variant, with a white body and mint green accents, color was released in North America on June 6, 2014 to coincide with the North American release of "Tomodachi Life". "Crystal Red" and "Crystal Blue" versions, which feature a translucent front cover, were released in Europe and North America in November 2014 as a tie-in for "Pokémon Omega Ruby" and "Alpha Sapphire". In North America, the translucent models were also sold at a lower retail price of US$100 as opposed to the base US$129.99 price of the normal 2DS. On August 20, 2015, the U.S. price was permanently lowered to $100, and units began to be bundled with coupons for a digital copy of "Mario Kart 7".


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: In December 2015, it was announced that the 2DS would be released in Japan on February 27, 2016 to coincide with the Virtual Console release of the original Game Boy "Pokémon" games. They were made available in translucent red, green, blue and yellow versions with colored buttons. Each were bundled with the corresponding "Pokémon" game, a special Home Menu theme, a poster, and a code to obtain Mew on the bundled game, or "Pokémon X", "Y", "Omega Ruby", or "Alpha Sapphire".


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: On May 11, 2016, Nintendo announced that the U.S. price would be lowered to $79.99 effective May 20, 2016. On September 15, 2016, the 2DS was released in standalone bundles in Japan, in blue, black, red, lavender, and pink color options. On October 5, 2016, Nintendo announced refreshed versions of the stock "Mario Kart 7" 2DS bundles for the U.S. market ("Crimson Red 2" and "Electric Blue 2", based on the new Japanese variants), with "swapped" color schemes featuring red or blue bodies and black bezels.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS's hardware specifications are almost identical to those of the Nintendo 3DS; retaining features such as its GPU, CPU and memory, along with compatibility with games designed for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. However, its hardware still contains some slight differences. Unlike the Nintendo 3DS, which uses two display panels, with a lower touchscreen panel and a top dual-layered screen panel capable of displaying autostereoscopic 3D, the Nintendo 2DS uses a single, non-stereoscopic LCD touchscreen, which is overlaid with a frame mimicking the screen dimensions of the 3DS. Despite its inability to display 3D content, the 2DS retains the 3DS's dual cameras for taking photographs in a 3D format. The Nintendo 2DS only has an internal mono speaker, as opposed to the internal stereo speakers of the 3DS, although stereo sound can still be output through the headphone jack.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS's design is a significant departure from that of its precursors; while it is roughly the same size as its counterpart, the 2DS uses a "slate-like" form factor instead of the clamshell form used by the DS and 3DS. Its buttons are positioned towards the center of the device instead of near the lower screen, and its shoulder buttons are concave in shape and relatively thicker than those of the 3DS. The 2DS uses a switch for entering sleep mode in lieu of closing the shell, and the hardware wireless switch was replaced by a software toggle.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS contains the same 1300mAh battery present on regular Nintendo 3DS systems. Despite not supporting the 3DS's automatic brightness setting ("Power Save Mode"), the 2DS was rated by Nintendo as having slightly longer battery life than the 3DS; Nintendo rated the 2DS as being able to play from 3 to 5.5 hours of 3DS games or 5 to 9 hours of DS games on a single charge.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Aside from minor adjustments to reflect its hardware design differences, the system software of the Nintendo 2DS is otherwise identical to that of the 3DS, remaining compatible with all games released for the 3DS (in two-dimensional mode only) and DS (excluding those requiring the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot), and offering online features such as Nintendo Network for multiplayer and online gaming, Nintendo eShop for downloading and purchasing games, and SpotPass and StreetPass.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS received mixed reception upon its announcement. Kotaku felt that the Nintendo 2DS might appeal to a certain niche of people who otherwise would not purchase a Nintendo 3DS, and that the lack of 3D support could indicate a cooling interest in stereoscopic graphics. USA Today noted that some games that were designed with 3D in mind might not be as easily playable without the stereoscopic feature. CNET, meanwhile, called the console an acknowledgement by Nintendo that 3D was an unnecessary feature and even a "tactical mistake". "NBC News" called the 2DS a "peculiar choice" to gamers satisfied with the Nintendo DS line, and feared that it might take resources away from the less successful Nintendo console, the Wii U.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Some technology writers have expressed concern with the physical appearance of the 2DS: CNET considered the console to be significantly less aesthetically pleasing than its other models, though some reviewers have generally found it to be comfortable in the hand. "USA Today" referred to it as "surprisingly comfortable". Kotaku noted that while it may look bulky, it was pleasant to hold even with one hand. It also noted that buttons on the unit were easily accessible, and that their placement on the upper half of the console directs the eye toward the upper screen. Overall, the publication felt that the build quality was good. GamesIndustry also described the controls as considerably more comfortable than that of its predecessors. It also noted that the console had thick shell rather than the thin Nintendo 3DS, and that the lack of a hinge added durability. The publication felt that the design resembled "an unholy union of a Game Boy, the Wii U GamePad, and a DS." "USA Today" and CNET both had some concern over how to protect the screens, since there is no clamshell to close.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: In response to the 2DS using one physical display divided to emulate two, Kyle Orland of "Ars Technica" believed that Nintendo had missed an opportunity to produce a full-screen gaming tablet using the 2DS's form factor; which would have enabled future games and apps to use the entire screen area (which he estimated to be around the 5-inch range used by phablets), still allow backwards compatibility with games designed for the folding 3DS and DS, and enhance the ability to port existing smartphone games to the platform. However, Orland also noted that introducing such a product could fragment Nintendo's portable gaming ecosystem for existing 3DS users—and that it was too early in the 3DS's life for Nintendo to introduce a successor. Nearly 3 years after the release of the 2DS, Nintendo would ultimately announce the Nintendo Switch—a "hybrid" gaming tablet with detachable wireless controllers, and support of a docking station for use with a television.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Calling it a "smart move" to redesign the Nintendo 3DS so as to lower costs, "Wired" felt that the 2DS might enable Nintendo to sell the console at a significantly lower price with a significantly higher profit margin.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: The Nintendo 2DS has received mixed reviews. While pricing and form-factor were generally considered ideal, the console's aesthetics and battery life were widely criticized. The Telegraph noted that the lack of hinges in the console improved its robustness, and that rounding out the footprint makes it an ideal handheld for children. However, the publication criticized the console's mono speaker, which offered a lower sound quality than its predecessors. It also criticized the battery life, which it described as being the same as the original 3DS model. On the other hand, it praised the screens' brighter display and wider viewing angle, despite their not being as large as those of the 3DS XL. Eurogamer reinforced the idea that the Nintendo 2DS isn't aimed at "seasoned players" or current Nintendo 3DS owners, and felt that the system wasn't produced with aesthetics in mind. The publication also criticized the resistive touchscreen, which felt outdated, the mono speaker and battery life. However, Eurogamer felt that the system is much more comfortable to hold than the Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL. Analyst Piers Harding-Rolls felt that the Nintendo 2DS would help Nintendo broaden its market, and believes that third-party publishers will have more commitment to the platform moving forward.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Following the system's launch, Nintendo stated that the release of "Sonic Lost World" would boost Nintendo 2DS sales, labeling it as a "must play" title. On October 31, 2013, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admitted that the Nintendo 2DS lacked awareness among prospective purchasers. Additionally, he went on to say that some potential consumers believed that the product was too large and heavy to carry. However, Iwata stated that the system was well received among those who had purchased it. Despite the 2DS's lack of 3D support, Satoru Iwata insisted, during Nintendo's 2013 third quarter investors Q&A, that the company "will [not] abandon 3D or cease to make new propositions in 3D", as it will continue to sell the existing Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL platforms. However, "" producer Eiji Aonuma revealed in an interview that the game had minor changes in development due to the lack of 3D on the 2DS.


title: Nintendo 2DS

text: Sales of the Nintendo 2DS surged three weeks after launching in the United Kingdom, after retailers cut on its price due to poor sales. The system was available for around £110, but major retailers including Argos, Amazon and Tesco cut the system's price to under £100 to coincide with the school half-term. As a result, sales of the Nintendo 2DS increased by 64% week-on-week, making it the UK's best-selling console of the month, without combining the sales of the Nintendo 3DS and its larger counterpart. During the third quarter of 2013, video game retailer GameStop reported that worldwide hardware sales grew by 15.3%, mainly due to strong Nintendo 2DS and 3DS sales.


title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

text: Five years ago, a revolt has overthrown the Arcadia empire. The empire's former prince, Lux Arcadia, accidentally trespasses in a female-only bathing area, and witnesses the new kingdom's princess Lisesharte Atismata naked and her secret. After a duel with Lisesharte, Lux attends the female-only academy where they train students to become royal Drag-Knights.


title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

text: The first light novel volume was published on August 12, 2013 by SB Creative under their GA Bunko imprint. The twentieth and final volume was published on August 6, 2020.


title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

text: A manga adaptation was serialized by Square Enix and GA Bunko's online magazine "Gangan Online" from July 17, 2014 to May 11, 2018. It was released in eleven "tankōbon" volumes.


title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

text: An anime television series adaptation was directed by Masaomi Andō and animated by Lerche. Yuuko Kakihara handled the series composition, while Keiko Kurosawa designed the characters. The series aired from January 11 to March 28, 2016. The opening theme is by True, while the ending theme is by Nano Ripe. It was streamed on Hulu.


title: Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle

text: The anime has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks, Madman Entertainment and MVM Films in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively.


title: Nature worship

text: Nature worship also called naturism or physiolatry is any of a variety of religious, spiritual and devotional practices that focus on the worship of the nature spirits considered to be behind the natural phenomena visible throughout nature. A nature deity can be in charge of nature, a place, a biotope, the biosphere, the cosmos, or the universe. Nature worship is often considered the primitive source of modern religious beliefs and can be found in pantheism, theism, panentheism, deism, polytheism, animism, totemism, shamanism, paganism, Saridharam,sarnaism,Kirat and Wicca. Common to most forms of nature worship is a spiritual focus on the individual's connection and influence on some aspects of the natural world and reverence towards it. Due to their admiration of nature, the works of Carl Linnaeus and Charles Wordsworth were viewed as nature worship.


title: Sanka

text: Sanka is a brand of instant decaffeinated coffee, sold around the world, and was one of the earliest decaffeinated varieties. Sanka is distributed in the United States by Kraft Heinz.


title: Sanka

text: Decaffeinated coffee was developed in 1903 by a team of researchers led by Ludwig Roselius in Bremen, Germany. It was first sold in Germany and many other European countries in 1905–1906 under the name Kaffee HAG (short for "Kaffee Handels-Aktien-Gesellschaft", or Coffee Trading Public Company). In France, the brand name became "Sanka", derived from the French words "sans caféine" ("without caffeine"). The brand came to the United States in 1909–1910, where it was first marketed under the name "Dekafa" or "Dekofa" by an American sales agent.


title: Sanka

text: In 1914, Roselius founded his own company, Kaffee Hag Corporation, in New York. When Kaffee Hag was confiscated by the Alien Property Custodian during World War I and sold to an American firm, Roselius lost not only his company but also the American trademark rights to the name. To re-establish his product, he began to use the Sanka brand name in America.


title: Sanka

text: In Europe, the Hag company used the Sanka brand in many countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland amongst others) as a cheaper alternative to the premium brand Coffee Hag. The brand disappeared in these countries after World War II, but it continued until the 1970s as the premium brand in France. First marketed in the U.S. in 1923, Sanka was initially sold only at two Sanka Coffee Houses in New York, but it soon was brought into retail.


title: Sanka

text: The intensive American advertising campaigns included the 1927 broadcasts of "Sanka After-Dinner Hour" (aka "Sanka Music", "Sanka After-Dinner Music", "Sanka Music Hour" and "Sanka After-Dinner Coffee Hour"), heard at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays on New York's WEAF. Sanka was a sponsor of "I Love Lucy", "The Twilight Zone" and "The Andy Griffith Show" during their respective runs on CBS television in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Andy Griffith Show Sanka sponsor spots featured the cast members. It was also a sponsor of "The Goldbergs" (1920s to about 1960 on radio and television, unrelated to the U.S. 2013 ABC television series) where, on many episodes, Mrs. Goldberg (Gertrude Berg) would address the camera and talk to the TV audience and tell them about Sanka coffee. After the sales pitch she would walk away, usually from the window, and start the show.


title: Sanka

text: With such promotion, Sanka became a nationwide sales success with General Foods Corporation taking over distribution in 1928 as a defensive measure, since Sanka directly competed with its non-caffeine coffee substitute Postum. The bright orange label that made Sanka easily identifiable to consumers found its way into coffee shops around the country in the form of the decaf coffee pot. Coffee pots with a bright orange handle are a direct result of the American public's association of the color orange with Sanka, no matter which brand of coffee is actually served. Businesses that serve rival Folgers decaffeinated coffee usually have green-handled pots.


title: Sanka

text: The 1941 Laurel and Hardy comedy "Great Guns" includes a scene in which Stan Laurel, in an Army mess hall line, is handed a cup of coffee. He asks "Sanka?", and the mess attendant replies, "You're welcome!" In the song, "Bianca", in Cole Porter's 1948 musical-comedy "Kiss Me, Kate", the lyric "I would gladly give up coffee for Sanka," is included. Sanka is also mentioned in the 1982 film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", when science teacher Mr. Vargas declares, "Look, I'm a little slow today. I just switched to Sanka, so have a heart." It is revealed at the end of the film that Mr. Vargas switches back to coffee.


title: Sanka

text: In the 1954 Ian Fleming novel "Live and Let Die", James Bond orders Sanka for Solitaire and himself: "Bond ordered Old Fashioneds, and stipulated ‘Old Grandad’ Bourbon, chicken sandwiches, and decaffeined ‘Sanka’ coffee so that their sleep would not be spoilt."


title: Sanka

text: From 1976 to 1982, veteran actor Robert Young was Sanka's television spokesman, appearing in a whole series of commercials. During the mid-1980s, a series of Sanka television commercials aired featuring Lena Horne.


title: Sanka

text: In the 1993 film "Cool Runnings", Doug E. Doug plays the fictionalized role of Sanka Coffie, a pushcart derby driver and member of the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team.


title: Sanka

text: In season 1, episode 4 of the 2022 television series "Reboot", Paul Reiser's character, Gordon Gelman, finds an old jar of Sanka coffee in the office kitchen and asks, "Hey does anyone know if Sanka expires?"


title: Sanka

text: In France, Café Sanka issued heraldic picture albums in the same style as the Coffee Hag albums. However, only six albums of the planned 42 were ever published.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan () is a system of central government schools in India that are instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. , it has a total of 1,248 schools in India, and three abroad in Moscow, Tehran and Kathmandu. It is one of the world's largest chains of schools and also the largest chain of schools in India is controlled by 25 Regional Offices and 05 ZIETs (Zonal Institute of Education and Training) under KVS (HQ).


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan follows the vision of "imparting knowledge/values and nurturing the talent, enthusiasm and creativity of the students and for seeking excellence through high-quality educational endeavours.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: In April 2022, the Centre decided to remove an MP quota for KV students, invalidating parliamentarians' recommendations for admission to the schools.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: It is a system of central government schools in India and other countries that have been instituted under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and came into being in 1963 under the name Central Schools. Later, the name was changed to Kendriya Vidyalaya. It is a non-profit organisation. Its schools are all affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Its objective is to educate children of the Indian Defence Services personnel who are often posted to remote locations. With the army starting its own Army Public Schools, the service was extended but not restricted to all central government employees.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: A uniform curriculum is followed by schools all over India. By providing a common syllabus and system of education, the Kendriya Vidyalayas are intended to ensure that the children of government employees do not face education disadvantages when their parents are transferred from one location to another. The schools have been operational for more than 50 years.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan or 'Central School Organisation'(as previously known), oversees the functioning of the schools with its headquarters in New Delhi. The administration of this body is based on three levels. The chairman of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan is always the Minister in Charge of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India; the deputy chairman is the Minister of State of the Ministry of Education. The real working power lies with the Commissioner of KVS. There are Additional Commissioners and Joint commissioners to accompany the Commissioner in the administration of KVS in different fields. The head of the KVs in a region is a Deputy Commissioner accompanied by two to three Assistant Commissioners. At present, there are 25 regional offices in KVS. There are individual principals of every KV, administrating the schools along with a Vice-Principal( wherever there is a vacancy for the post)and Head Master/ Mistress.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The Vidyalaya also has several committees for the holistic development of the students and well maintenance of the school compound and system. The most important one is the VMC (Vidyalaya Management Committee), which is the head of all committees.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: , there were 1,251 schools named Kendriya Vidyalayas, having started with only 20 schools in the year 1963. It is one of the largest school chains in world with 1,248 schools in India and three operated abroad. A total of 14,30,442 students () and 43,888 employees were on the rolls (). KVS has been recognized as an independent State by Bharat Scouts & Guides Movement as around 2,49,198 students enrolled as the Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Bulbuls. These were divided among 25 regions, each headed by a deputy commissioner. The three Kendriya Vidyalayas outside India is in Kathmandu, Moscow, and Tehran situated inside Embassies in these countries and their expenditures are borne by the Ministry of External Affairs. They are intended for children of Indian embassy staff and other expatriate employees of the Government of India.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: One school in Tsimalakha, Bhutan, was transferred to the Bhutanese Government, thus ceasing to be a Kendriya Vidyalaya (then known as Indo-Bhutan Central School (IBCS)) in 1989, after one of the major Indo-Bhutan projects (the Chukhha Hydal power project) was near completion. Indian Government employees were gradually transferred back to their own country.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: All the schools share a common syllabus and offer bilingual instruction, in English and Hindi. They are co-educational. Sanskrit is taught as a compulsory subject from classes VI to VIII and as an optional subject until class XII. Students in classes VI to VIII could study the German language until November 2014, when the scheme was discontinued. But was again recontinued and is available in some schools until class 10. In Moscow, students are given an opportunity to choose French or Russian as their third or second language.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: Tuition fees are charged for Kendriya Vidyalaya students have to pay the school development fund ("Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi"), with the proceeds spent on the development of that particular school. Students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and children of KVS employees are exempt from tuition fees. Girls who are their parents' only child from class VI onward are exempt from tuition and school development fund.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: KVS also had the MP Quota which involved some special provision under which admissions are given. Members of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha could recommend a few number of students for the admission. These Special Provisions only worked in KVs located in the constituency of the MP concerned. All members of parliament could recommend up to six students from their constituency for admission to a Kendriya Vidyalaya. From the academic session 2016–17, the quota had been increased to 10 students.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: However, it is since the academic session 2022-23 all admission under special provisions like MP quota, Quota of Sponsoring agency( chairman quota ) have been made dysfunctional.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The Quality Council of India (QCI) has accredited three of KV schools: KV RK Puram, KV IIT Powai and KV Bhinga. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Gole Market school in Central Delhi has earned notice for upgrading to "E-Classroom" and e-Learning teaching processes with the implementation of Smart Boards in the classroom. This school produces an annual school magazine called "Vidyalaya Patrika".


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: The organisation is one of the few schools that offers all varieties in sports, games, activities and the largest scope of subjects offered by CBSE to its students and is known for its holistic focus.


title: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

text: It has been felicitated with many awards by Government of India including the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar in 2017 and Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar on the occasion of Hindi Diwas in 2018-19.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Absa Group Limited (ABGL; formerly Barclays Africa Group Limited), and originally Amalgamated Banks of South Africa, is a South African-based financial services group, offering personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management, as well as bank assurance.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: ABGL in 2020 was the majority shareholder of 11 banks located in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (two entities), Uganda and Zambia.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: The group maintains representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria and also has an international office in London and New York City. As of October 2019, Absa Group Limited had assets of US$91 billion.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Absa was founded in 1991 through the merger of financial service providers United Bank (South Africa), the Allied Bank (Souths of the Sage Group. The following year, Absa acquired the entire shareholding of the Bankorp Group which included Trustbank, Senbank and Bankfin. In the early years of this union, each bank operated under its own name. In 1998, they were fused into one single brand. A year later, Absa adopted a new corporate identity and the name was changed into Absa Group Limited.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In May 2005, Barclays Bank of the United Kingdom purchased 56.4% stake in Absa. In early 2007, the Barclays Bank acquisition of Absa was criticized by the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Tito Mboweni who said he "had yet to see the benefits of Barclays' management of Absa".


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Finweek Bank Charges Reports from 2008 through 2010 found Absa Group Limited to be the most expensive bank in South Africa. Pay-as-you-transact (PAYT) fees increased 82% from 2005 to 2010. The 2012, Finweek Bank Charges Report ranked Absa's Gold Value Bundle as the cheapest package option amongst the four banks that were compared. The report has also shown Absa's PAYT pricing structure to have reduced by 25% by 2013, leaving it third cheapest in the overall ranking at that time.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In 2013, the group acquired the entire issued share capital of Barclays Africa Limited and issued 129,540,636 Consideration Shares to Barclays Africa Group Holdings Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays) thus increasing the shareholding of Barclays plc to 62.3%. The Consideration Shares were listed on the JSE from the commencement of trading on 31 July 2013. The name change from “ABSA Group Limited” to “Barclays Africa Group Limited” was completed in August 2013.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In 2017, the South African Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, found that the bailout of R1.125 billion that Absa's predecessor Bankorp Group had received between 1985 and 1992 from the Reserve Bank was illegal, and recommended that Absa be forced to pay back R2.25 billion, the current equivalent of the amount. The report was set aside by the Pretoria High Court, finding that "The public protector did not conduct herself in a manner which would be expected from a person occupying the office of the public protector." The court assessed some costs of the case "personally" against Mkhwebane due to her conduct, an order upheld by the Constitutional Court of South Africa in July 2019.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Barclays Bank Plc in 2018 owned 14.9 percent of Absa Group Limited. In March 2018, Barclays Africa announced the group's name would revert to Absa Group Limited, effective 30 May 2018. The company underwent rebranding in 2018, inclusive of a new logo and slogans.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Absa opened an international office in London in September 2018, then in 2019, opened another international office in New York City. As of October 2019, according to "Club of Mozambique", Absa Group Limited had total assets in excess of US$91 billion. ABGL in 2020 was the majority shareholder of 11 banks located in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (two entities), Uganda and Zambia. In March 2022, Sello Moloko was appointed Group Chairman and Arrie Rautenbach was appointed CEO, and its fourth CEO in three years. The company had been without a CEO for eleven months after the abrupt resignation of Daniel Mminele. In August 2022, Barclays Plc sold its remaining stake in Absa, which it had acquired in 2005, selling 7.4 percent of Absa's issued capital for $620 million.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: Absa Group Limited's shares are listed on the JSE Limited stock exchange. In 2020, Absa Bank Kenya and Absa Bank Botswana continue to be listed on their respective stock exchanges.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In South Africa, banks have to secure consent from the borrower if the bank wishes to securitise the loan, allowing the bank to bundle in the loan with other loans and sell it to new owners.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In 2014, South African courts made a number of rulings against Absa's mortgage loan division in a number of summary judgements against clients who had taken out loans with the bank and who the bank had accused of defaulting on their loans. In August 2014, Absa brought a case against James Grobbelaar and Kevin Jenzen for allegedly defaulting on their home loans. However, Absa was unable to provide proof of the loan agreements, claiming that they had been destroyed in a fire in 2009 and instead presented an unsigned blank loan agreement.


title: Absa Group Limited

text: In November 2014, Absa withdrew a case it brought in the North Gauteng High Court against Emmarentia and Monica Liebenberg for allegedly defaulting on loans taken out in 2007, with the bank being unable to provide an electronic copy of the documents. The Liebenberg's accused the bank of trying to bully them "into submission, by threatening legal costs and expenses and by pursuing a wrongful summary judgement application knowing full well the massive disputes involved." The Liebenbergs also stated in their affidavit that the bank inflated the interest rate of the loan and charged additional fees that were never agreed to.


title: North American F-107

text: The North American F-107 is North American Aviation's entry in a United States Air Force tactical fighter-bomber design competition of the 1950s. The F-107 was based on the F-100 Super Sabre, but included many innovations and radical design features, notably the over-fuselage air intakes. The competition was eventually won by the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, and most of the F-107 prototypes ended their lives as test aircraft. One is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and a second at Pima Air and Space Museum.


title: North American F-107

text: In June 1953, North American initiated an in-house study of advanced F-100 designs, leading to proposed interceptor (NAA 211: F-100BI denoting "interceptor") and fighter-bomber (NAA 212: F-100B) variants. Concentrating on the F-100B, the preliminary engineering and design work focused on a tactical fighter-bomber configuration, featuring a recessed weapons bay under the fuselage and provision for six hardpoints underneath the wings. Single-point refuelling capability was provided while a retractable tailskid was installed. An all-moving vertical fin and an automated flight control system were incorporated which permitted the aircraft to roll at supersonic speeds using spoilers. The flight control system was upgraded by the addition of pitch and yaw dampers.


title: North American F-107

text: The aircraft's most distinguishing feature is its dorsal-mounted variable-area inlet duct (VAID). While the VAID was at the time a system unique to the F-107A, it is now considered to be an early form of variable geometry intake ramp which automatically controlled the amount of air fed to the jet engine. Although the preliminary design of the air intake was originally located in a chin position under the fuselage like the Vought F-8 Crusader, the air intake was eventually mounted in an unconventional position directly above and just behind the cockpit. The VAID system proved to be very efficient and NAA used the design concept on their A-5 Vigilante, XB-70 Valkyrie and XF-108 Rapier designs.


title: North American F-107

text: The air intake was in the unusual dorsal location as the Air Force had required the carriage of an underbelly semi-conformal nuclear weapon. The intake also severely limited rear visibility. Nonetheless this was not considered very important for a tactical fighter-bomber aircraft at that time, and furthermore it was assumed that air combat would be via guided missile exchanges outside visual range.


title: North American F-107

text: A two-seat version of the F-107 was proposed by North American, which seated both crewmembers under a single canopy in an extended forward fuselage, but none were built.<ref name="Jenkins/Landis p. 178">Jenkins/Landis 1975, p. 178.</ref>


title: North American F-107

text: In August 1954, a contract was signed for three prototypes along with a pre-production order for six additional airframes.


title: North American F-107

text: Extensive design changes resulted in its redesignation from F-100B to F-107A before the first prototype flew. The F-107 was never given an official name, but was sometimes informally called the "Super Super Sabre" referring to North American's earlier fighter design, the F-100 Super Sabre. The flight crews referred to it as the "man eater", in reference to the position of the air intake directly above the cockpit. The aircraft is also sometimes informally called the "Ultra Sabre".


title: North American F-107

text: The designation "F-107A" was the only one assigned to the aircraft, though "YF-107A" is often used in publications.


title: North American F-107

text: The first F-107A (serial number "55-5118") with North American's chief test pilot Bob Baker at the controls, made its initial flight on 10 September 1956, attaining Mach 1.03. Although successfully carrying out its flight, the brake chute did not deploy, which resulted in a "hot" landing with the nose gear strut breaking. The aircraft first achieved Mach 2 in tests on 3 November 1956.


title: North American F-107

text: It was joined by the second F-107A ("55-5119"), which made its first flight on 28 November 1956. It was used for weapons testing with both conventional and atomic bombs. The last prototype, ("55-5120") had its maiden flight on 10 December 1956. At the conclusion of the F-107A's successful test program, the Tactical Air Command decided to hold a fly-off competition between the F-107A and the Republic F-105 which was designed to same mission requirements and used the same engine. Although the competition was close, the F-105 was selected as the new standard TAC tactical fighter. The three F-107A prototypes were relegated to test flying and the pre-production order was cancelled.


title: North American F-107

text: In late 1957, prototypes #1 ("55-5118") and #3 ("55-5120") were leased to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for high-speed flight research. Aircraft #1 is now in the collection of the Pima Air & Space Museum. In September 1959, with Scott Crossfield at the controls, aircraft #3 was damaged during an aborted takeoff. The aircraft was not repaired and, ultimately, used for fire fighting training and was destroyed in the early 1960s. (55-5120 was also noted to be stored in poor condition in the Tallmantz collection at Orange County Airport California in September 1970.)


title: North American F-107

text: Prototype #2 ("55-5119") was not used by NACA and flown on 25 November 1957 to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.


title: Railway platform

text: A railway platform is an area alongside a railway track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms.


title: Railway platform

text: The world's longest station platform is at Hubbali Junction in India at . The Appalachian Trail station in the United States, at the other extreme, has a platform which is only long enough for a single bench.


title: Railway platform

text: Among some United States train conductors the word "platform" has entered usage as a verb meaning "to berth at a station", as in the announcement: "The last two cars of this train will not platform at East Rockaway".


title: Railway platform

text: The most basic form of platform consists of an area at the same level as the track, usually resulting in a fairly large height difference between the platform and the train floor. This would often not be considered a true platform. The more traditional platform is elevated relative to the track but often lower than the train floor, although ideally they should be at the same level. Occasionally the platform is higher than the train floor, where a train with a low floor serves a station built for trains with a high floor, for example at the Dutch stations of the DB Regionalbahn Westfalen (see ). On the London Underground some stations are served by both District line and Piccadilly line trains, and the Piccadilly trains have lower floors.


title: Railway platform

text: A tram stop is often in the middle of the street; usually it has as a platform a refuge area of a similar height to that of the sidewalk, e.g. , and sometimes has no platform. The latter requires extra care by passengers and other traffic to avoid accidents. Both types of tram stops can be seen in the tram networks of Melbourne and Toronto. Sometimes a tram stop is served by ordinary trams with rather low floors and metro-like light rail vehicles with higher floors, and the tram stop has a dual-height platform. A railway station may be served by heavy-rail and light-rail vehicles with lower floors and have a dual- height platform, as on the RijnGouweLijn in the Netherlands.


title: Railway platform

text: In all cases the platform must accommodate the loading gauge and conform to the structure gauge of the system.


title: Railway platform

text: Platform types include the bay platform, side platform (also called through platform), split platform and island platform. A bay platform is one at which the track terminates, i.e. a dead-end or siding. Trains serving a bay platform must reverse in or out. A side platform is the more usual type, alongside tracks where the train arrives from one end and leaves towards the other. An island platform has through platforms on both sides; it may be indented on one or both ends, with bay platforms. To reach an island platform there may be a bridge, a tunnel, or a level crossing. A variant on the side platform is the spanish solution which has platforms on both sides of a single through track.


title: Railway platform

text: Modern station platforms can be constructed from a variety of materials such as glass-reinforced polymer, pre-cast concrete or expanded polystrene, depending on the underlying substructure.


title: Railway platform

text: Most stations have their platforms numbered consecutively from 1; a few stations, including , , King's Cross, , and (in the UK); and Lidcombe, Sydney (Australia), start from 0. At platforms 3 through to 12 are split along their length with odd numbered platforms facing north and east and even facing south and west, with a small signal halfway along the platform. Some, such as , use letters instead of numbers (this is to distinguish the platforms from numbered ones in the adjoining Waterloo main-line station for staff who work at both stations); some, such as Paris-Gare de Lyon, use letters for one group of platforms but numbers for the other.


title: Railway platform

text: In the US, and also some European countries such as Sweden, a designated place where a train can arrive is referred to as a "track" (e.g. "The train is arriving on Track 5"). The term "platform" is also used in the US but refers to the structure rather than a designated place for a train arriving. Therefore, an island platform would be described as one platform with two tracks. In some cases, there are numbered tracks which are used only for through traffic and do not have platform access. In other English-speaking countries, "platform" can refer to both the structure or to a designated place for trains arriving (e.g. "The train is arriving at Platform 5"). Therefore, an island platform might have two numbered platforms.


title: Railway platform

text: Some of the station facilities are often located on the platforms. Where the platforms are not adjacent to a station building, often some form of shelter or waiting room is provided, and employee cabins may also be present. The weather protection offered varies greatly, from little more than a roof with open sides, to a closed room with heating or air-conditioning. There may be benches, lighting, ticket counters, drinking fountains, shops, trash boxes, and static timetables or dynamic displays with information about the next train.


title: Railway platform

text: There are often loudspeakers as part of a public address (PA) system. The PA system is often used where dynamic timetables or electronic displays are not present. A variety of information is presented, including destinations and times (for all trains, or only the more important long-distance trains), delays, cancellations, platform changes, changes in routes and destinations, the number of carriages in the train and the location of first class or luggage compartments, and supplementary fee or reservation requirements.


title: Railway platform

text: Some metro stations have platform screen doors between the platforms and the tracks. They provide more safety, and they allow the heating or air conditioning in the station to be separated from the ventilation in the tunnel, thus being more efficient and effective. They have been installed in most stations of the Singapore MRT and the Hong Kong MTR, and stations on the Jubilee Line Extension in London.


title: Railway platform

text: Platforms should be sloped upwards slightly towards the platform edge to prevent wheeled objects such as trolleys, prams and wheelchairs from rolling away and into the path of the train. Many platforms have a cavity underneath an overhanging edge so that people who may fall off the platform can seek shelter from incoming trains.


title: Railway platform

text: In high-speed rail, passing trains are a significant safety problem as the safe distance from the platform edge increases with the speed of the passing train. A study done by the United States Department of Transportation in 1999 found that trains passing station platforms at speeds of can pose safety concerns to passengers on the platforms who are away from the edge due to the aerodynamic effects created by pressure and induced airflow with speeds of to depending on the train body aerodynamic designs. Additionally, the airflow can cause debris to be blown out to the waiting passengers. If the passengers stand closer at , the risk increases with airflow that can reach speeds of to .


title: Railway platform

text: In United Kingdom, a guideline for platform safety specifies that for the platforms with train passing speeds between and , there should be a yellow-line buffer zone of and other warning signs. If trains can pass at speeds higher than , the platforms should be inaccessible to passengers unless there are waiting rooms or screened areas to provide protection. The European Union has a regulation for platforms that are close to tracks with train passing speeds of or more should not be accessible to passengers unless there is a lower speed limit for trains that intend to stop at the station or there are barriers to limit access.


title: Railway platform

text: Platforms usually have some form of warnings or measures to keep passengers away from the tracks. The simplest measure is markings near the edge of the platform to demarcate the distance back that passengers should remain. Often a special tiled surface is used as well as a painted line, to help blind people using a walking aid, and help in preventing wheelchairs from rolling too near the platform edge.


title: Railway platform

text: In the US, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regulations require a detectable warning strip wide, consisting of truncated dome bumps in a visually-contrasting color, for the full length of the platform.


title: Railway platform

text: Ideally platforms should be straight or slightly convex, so that the guard (if any) can see the whole train when preparing to close the doors. Platforms that have great curvature have blind spots that create a safety hazard. Mirrors or closed-circuit cameras may be used in these cases to view the whole platform. Also passenger carriages are straight, so doors will not always open directly onto a curved platform – often a platform gap is present. Usually such platforms will have warning signs, possibly auditory, such as London Underground's famous phrase "Mind the gap".


title: Railway platform

text: There may be moveable gap filler sections within the platform, extending once the train has stopped and retracting after the doors have closed. The New York City Subway employs these at 14th Street–Union Square on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and at Times Square on the 42nd Street Shuttle, and formerly at the South Ferry outer loop station on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: Alan Victor "Whitey" White (born 26 May 1972) is an English drummer, best known as the drummer of the rock band Oasis from 1995 to 2004. Before Oasis, he was the drummer of Starclub from 1991 to 1994. He is the longest-serving drummer in Oasis's history, performing on four studio albums and one song on "Don't Believe the Truth", two compilation albums, and one live album during his tenure. He joined the band in April 1995 after the band's original drummer Tony McCarroll was removed. He was recommended to Noel Gallagher by Gallagher's friend Paul Weller. Notably, Alan's brother, Steve, had been a longtime drummer for Weller. White left Oasis in early 2004 and was replaced by Zak Starkey, drummer of The Who and son of The Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: In 1988, White auditioned to join future Oasis member Gem Archer's band Whirlpool. "He came down and just blew us all away," remembers Archer. "I thought he was mega but the others were worried what a 15-years-old kid on the road and on the lager would be like. I rang his dad and told him: 'Sorry. But don't worry he's fantastic. He'll go all the way.' And he did. It was the weirdest day when he welcomed me to Oasis. And he hasn't let me forget it." White also played drums on Andy Bell's wife Idha's solo album, forming a connection with another future Oasis member. It was at this session that Noel Gallagher first heard him playing, though he was recommended to Noel by Paul Weller. Prior to joining Oasis, White drummed with London-based band Starclub and also for Dr Robert, lead singer of The Blow Monkeys.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: White replaced original Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll in April 1995 and was immediately "thrown in the deep end", joining the band the very next day to perform a playback of "Some Might Say" in front of a national TV audience on BBC1's long running music programme "Top of the Pops". One of White's first live shows with Oasis was in front of a massive crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in June 1995.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: Until the arrival of Andy Bell in the Autumn of 1999, White was the token southerner in the otherwise Mancunian Oasis. Initially known as 'Whitey', he was later re-christened 'Dave' by the band because he once served himself a drink from an unattended bar, therefore resembling the character Dave from "The Winchester" in the '70s TV series "Minder". White commented on the "North/South divide" saying it was not that bad, but "for ages I was the 'Cockney cunt' and they were the 'Manc fuckers'". In his book "What's the Story?" Ian Robertson (who served as Oasis' tour manager from 1994 to 1995) stated that White was also known by the phrase "Alan White – He's alright".


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: White was also entrusted with the job of being Liam Gallagher's 'official' drinking partner and was also said to be his best friend in the band. Together the pair were known as 'Bert and Ernie', named after the Sesame Street-characters. In December 2002 Liam and White were involved in a high-profile brawl in a German bar. Consequently, Liam lost some of his front teeth, and White needed a brain scan after suffering minor head injuries. Both were arrested by the authorities and were released only after the band's management paid for their bail.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: Noel Gallagher has stated that White had a far greater significance to the band than a mere session and touring drummer, claiming that he helped immensely in the recording process. Noel also said that when he wrote a song he would play it to White who would often adapt the rhythm of the song or advise Gallagher on possible changes in the tempo. On the other hand, Oasis producer Owen Morris described White as "essentially a jazz drummer" who "was always shuffling away on his snare [...] and never hitting the basic back beats in a big dumb rock and roll way", feeling that he did not understand Oasis' sound as well as McCarroll.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: At the time of his departure White was the longest-serving member in Oasis beside the Gallaghers (he was later passed by Gem Archer and Andy Bell) and passed through thick and thin with the brothers despite being struck down several times with bouts of alleged tendinitis during his later years with the band. White performed on four of Oasis' studio albums: "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" (1995), "Be Here Now" (1997), "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" (2000) and "Heathen Chemistry" (2002) and Lyla on "Dont Believe The Truth" (2005) . He also played on the majority of band's B-sides, some of which were released on the record "The Masterplan" (1998).


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: White married model Liz Carey on 13 August 1997 at Studley Priory Hotel, Oxfordshire. They had met on the set of the "Don't Look Back in Anger" music video in 1995. They divorced in 2004.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: White later had a son with a woman named Charlie, sold their London home in 2013, and moved with them to the country.


title: Alan White (Oasis drummer)

text: Steve White had played with Weller's The Style Council and various other famous musicians, including The Who. Because of this connection, Alan said, his brother greatly impacted his development as a drummer. Other influences include Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Chad Smith, Mick Avory, and John Bonham.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Jack Siegfried Ryder (born 21 September 1981) is an English actor, best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera "EastEnders" from 1998 to 2002. He has subsequently established himself as a film and theatre director.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Ryder was born in Woolwich, London, in 1981. His father is Jack Hues (real name Jeremy Allan Ryder), the founder of 1980s New Wave band Wang Chung.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: On leaving "EastEnders" in 2002, Ryder, then aged 21, performed as Justin Timberlake on "Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes" (which he won), appeared in the pantomime "Sleeping Beauty" at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and was cast in a recurring role on Five's "Family Affairs" which he pulled out of when he learned that the series was soon to be axed. In 2004, he played a role in the ITV crime drama "" and appeared in a play broadcast on BBC Radio 4.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In 2006, Ryder starred in the British film "Popcorn" which was released in the spring of 2007. Ryder was due to become a regular character in the then-new ITV1 daytime series "The Royal Today", a contemporary spin-off of "The Royal", but he subsequently withdrew from playing the role.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In 2007, aged 26, Ryder appeared in the play "The Safari Party" by Tim Firth and in Kenneth Branagh's production of "The Play What I Wrote" which toured the UK extensively.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In spring 2008, he was in Christopher Luscombe's production of Alan Bennett's play "Single Spies" playing opposite Nigel Havers. Then Ryder played Romeo in Michael Bogdanov's production of "Romeo and Juliet" with Sara Lloyd-Gregory as Juliet.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: From 2009, Ryder played the photographer Laurence in the West End production of "Calendar Girls" at the Noël Coward Theatre, where he was also the assistant director. He currently continues as associate director of "Calendar Girls", responsible for all theatre productions world-wide.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In December 2010, Ryder wrote and directed his first short film, an adaptation of Mary Grace Dembeck's short story "Act of Memory" starring Claire Skinner, Owen Teale and Anna Massey which was shot on location in London and went on to be screened at the Cannes film festival in 2011.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In 2012, Ryder provided the English voiceover for Zael, the main protagonist in the video game "The Last Story".


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: 2013 saw Ryder become associate director of the stage play "The Full Monty" by Simon Beaufoy, which opened at the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In 2014, Ryder directed his second short film "DOG" and in July 2015 directed his first red button episode of "Casualty" for the BBC.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Ryder continued his relationship with "The Full Monty" as the director of the new touring production starring Gary Lucy which toured the UK through the autumn of 2015 into 2017.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Ryder returned to acting and played a new character Gareth in Kay Mellors' BBC drama "In the Club" which aired in May 2016.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In 2017, Ryder became the assistant director to Tim Firth on his and Gary Barlow's new musical "The Girls," opening at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End on 21 February. As a result of his work on "The Girls" and his success on "The Full Monty" Gary Barlow and Take That asked Ryder to become the codirector with Kim Gavin on their new musical "The Band" which opened in September 2017.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: In November 2018, it was announced that Ryder would join the cast of "Holby City" as a new Consultant General Surgeon named Evan Crowhurst. He made his debut in the episode "A Simple Lie".


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: On 28 May 2020, Ryder published Jack’s Secret Summer with Hachette Children's Group. Jack’s Secret Summer is Ryder's first book, as well as his début children's novel.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Ryder married former Hear’Say singer turned actress Kym Marsh in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on 10 August 2002 and, after settling in St Albans, the couple had early difficulties and split for a short while before reconciling. In light of Marsh wanting a regular role in north-west-produced dramas and to be closer to her family, the couple moved to Manchester in 2004. It was announced on 20 March 2008 that Marsh and Ryder had decided to separate and then subsequently divorced.


title: Jack Ryder (actor)

text: Ryder now lives in London and France. He is a supporter of Newcastle United F.C. On 28 May 2020, he announced that he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child. Their daughter was born the following year.


title: SaGa

text: The "SaGa" series was created by game designer Akitoshi Kawazu, whose contributions prior to the franchise's introduction include "Final Fantasy" and "Final Fantasy II". At a time when Nintendo's Game Boy was becoming popular worldwide due to the puzzle game "Tetris", then-Square president Masashi Miyamoto requested that a development team create a game for the handheld console. Kawazu and fellow designer Koichi Ishii suggested that the company develop a role-playing video game, thus making "Makai Toushi Sa·Ga", later released in North America as "The Final Fantasy Legend", the company's first handheld title. The gameplay was designed to be difficult, described by Kawazu as the main difference between the "SaGa" and "Final Fantasy" series. The character illustrations in all the games in the "SaGa" series were done by Tomomi Kobayashi, who has also done the illustrations for the MMORPG "Granado Espada". Although it has been a long-running series, as of 2008, none of the ten production teams at Square Enix is assigned to the franchise. Akitoshi Kawazu and Production Team 2 are devoted to the "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles" series.


title: SaGa

text: The "SaGa" series emphasizes nonlinear gameplay and open world exploration, with its open-ended branching plot and free style of character development separating it from the more linear "Final Fantasy" series, which was ahead of its time Like the "Final Fantasy" series, however, the story in each "SaGa" share little to no continuity to one another.


title: SaGa

text: The "SaGa" series is also considered a successor to "Final Fantasy II", which introduced a more open-ended activity-based progression system that was abandoned by later "Final Fantasy" games but embraced by "Makai Toushi SaGa" ("The Final Fantasy Legend"), which expanded it with weapons that shatter with repeated use and added new ideas such as a race of monsters that mutate depending on which fallen foes they consume.


title: SaGa

text: The early games in the series also feature some common gameplay elements and themes first established in "Final Fantasy", such as random enemy encounters, but most of these disappear with the "Romancing SaGa" games, providing a unique gameplay experience. It also features a similar turn-based battle system, where a character's prowess is driven by numerical values called "statistics" which, in turn, increase with combat experience. Given the open-ended aspect of gameplay and the ability to play through multiple character scenarios, heavy emphasis is placed upon the replay value of "SaGa" games.


title: SaGa

text: Since the original "Makai Toushi SaGa", much of the series has relied on loosely connected stories and sidequests rather than an epic narrative. "Makai Toushi SaGa" allowed players to travel through different worlds. "Romancing SaGa" expanded the open-endedness by offering many choices and allowing players to complete quests in any order, with the decision of whether or not to participate in any particular quest affecting the outcome of the storyline. The game also allowed players to choose from eight different characters, each with their own stories that start in different places and offer different outcomes. "Romancing SaGa" thus succeeded in providing a very different experience during each run through the game, something that later non-linear RPGs such as "SaGa Frontier" and "Fable" had promised but were unable to live up to. It also introduced a combo system where up to five party members can perform a combined special attack, and required characters to pay mentors to teach them abilities, whether it is using certain weapons or certain proficiencies like opening a chest or dismantling a trap.


title: SaGa

text: While in the original "Romancing SaGa", scenarios were changed according to dialogue choices during conversations, "Romancing SaGa 2" further expanded the open-endedness by having unique storylines for each character that can change depending on the player's actions, including who is chosen, what is said in conversation, what events have occurred, and who is present in the party. "Romancing SaGa 3" featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do, a mechanic that was later used in "Final Fantasy VIII", "", "Silverfall", "", "Fallout 3", and "". "SaGa Frontier" further expanded on the non-linear gameplay of its "Romancing SaGa" predecessors, with a setting that spans multiple planets and an overarching plot that becomes apparent after playing through each of the different characters' quests that tie together at certain places.


title: SaGa

text: Music in the "SaGa" series have been composed by a number of people, the most prominent of which is Kenji Ito, who also composed some soundtracks for the "Mana" series. Nobuo Uematsu, responsible for a large portion of the music of the "Final Fantasy" series, solely composed "The Final Fantasy Legend" and co-composed "Final Fantasy Legend II" with Ito. Ryuji Sasai and Chihiro Fujioka worked on "Final Fantasy Legend III" together. "SaGa Frontier 2" and "Unlimited Saga" are credited to Masashi Hamauzu.


title: SaGa

text: Games in the "SaGa" series have been popular in Japan, with many of them selling over 1 million units. As of March 2011, the series has sold over 9.9 million units. In 2006, "Famitsu" readers voted "Romancing SaGa" as the 53rd best game of all time, and "SaGa 2" as the 94th best game of all time. Games in the series also received generally positive reviews from Japanese publications such as "Famitsu" and "Dengeki". As of 2019, the series has sold over 10 million units.


title: SaGa

text: However, the series has remained decidedly less popular in North America, many of the games receiving mixed reviews from printed and online publications. It has been suggested that this is due to the series' seemingly experimental gameplay and allowing the player to freely roam with little direction or narrative, atypical of what many North American gamers usually expect from Japanese role-playing games. In their September 2004 "Overrated/Underrated" article, "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" cited the "SaGa" series as one ruined in the transition to the PlayStation 2, citing primarily "Unlimited SaGa".


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante (English: "pioneer") is a Brazilian general purpose 15–21 passenger twin-turboprop light transport aircraft designed by Embraer for military and civil use.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: The EMB 110 was designed by the French engineer Max Holste; it had been designed in line with specifications issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics in 1965. The goal was to create a general purpose aircraft, suitable for both civilian and military roles with a low operational cost and high reliability. On 26 October 1968, the "YV-95" prototype performed its maiden flight; an additional two "EMB 110" development aircraft would follow along with an initial order for 80 transport aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force in the following year. Type certification was received from the Brazilian aviation authorities in late 1972, permitting its entry to service in April 1973 with the Brazilian airline company Transbrasil.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: Various customers in both the military and civilian sectors opted to procure the EMB 110 during its 22 year production run. Over one hundred examples would serve with the Brazilian Air Force, who would modernise numerous examples during the twenty-first century to permit their continued operation. The EMB 110, being customisable to suit various roles and operator requirements, was adapted for various specialist roles, including aerial observation, maritime patrol, and search and rescue missions. During the 1970s, Embraer opted to designing an enlarged derivative of the EMB 110, designated as the EMB 120 Brasilia; being faster, outfitted with a pressurized cabin, and able to accommodate up to 30 passengers, Embraer opted to concentrate its resources on the new aircraft. As a result, production of the EMB 110 was terminated during 1990.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: The origins of the EMB 110 Bandeirante can be traced back to the issuing of a directive by the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics in 1965; this called for the production of a transport aircraft for both civilian and military operations that would be reliable and possess low operating costs. It was to be equipped with turboprop engines, a low-mounted wing, and have sufficient capacity to accommodate eight personnel; these stipulations had been drawn from a study of Brazilian commercial air traffic, and aimed to produce an aircraft that would be well suited to the existing airport infrastructure of the country at that team. The resulting specification that had been generated under the "IPD-6504" programme would greatly shape the future aircraft.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: Early work on what would become the EMB 110 actually predates the establishment of its manufacturer, Embraer, which was founded in August 1969. The lead designer was the French engineer Max Holste. Construction of the prototype was supervised by the Brazilian aeronautical engineer Ozires Silva, who would also play a key role in founding and running of Embraer. The company was created to undertake the aircraft's commercialisation and serial production.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: On 26 October 1968, the first prototype, carrying the military designation "YC-95", performed its maiden flight from São José dos Campos Airport. Piloted by José Mariotto Ferreira and accompanied by flight engineer Michel Cury, it landed after roughly 50 minutes. Prior to this point, a total of 110,000 project hours had been worked, producing 12,000 manufacturing drawings, supported by 22,000 hours of structural and aerodynamic calculations; an estimated 282,000 hours of aircraft manufacturing and tooling has also been expended. The prototype was officially presented before various civil and military officials along with members of the press at an event held four days later, during which its maiden flight was repeated. The positive performance of the prototype led to production of the aircraft, and thus the establishment of Embraer, being approved in mid-1969; the newly created company would assume responsibility for its production on 2 January 1970.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: An additional pair of prototypes were constructed, which were designated "EMB 100". On 19 October 1969, the second prototype performed its first flight, while the third prototype followed on 29 June 1970. While these prototypes yielded positive test results, it was recognised that market conditions had shifted to the point where an eight-seat aircraft appeared to be less viable than it had previously appeared; thus, it was decided to quickly redesign the EMB 100 into the "EMB 110 Bandeirante", which featured several technological advances along with greater capacity.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: In May 1970, the programme was bolstered by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) deciding to issue Embraer with an initial order for 80 production aircraft. Near the end of 1972, the Bandeirante received its Brazilian airworthiness certificate. On 9 February 1973, the first delivery was made to FAB.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: In a typical configuration, the EMB 110 seated between 15 and 21 passengers, and was flown by a pair of pilots. Various configurations and customisations were possible in order to suit customers' diverse requirements and operating conditions. The "EMB 110P1A/41" model, which was furnished with 18 seats, had a length of 15.1 meters, a height of 4.92 meters, and a wingspan of 15.33 meters. It has a maximum cruising speed of 411 km/h (222 knots), while its more economical cruising speed was 341 km/h (184 knots), at which speed an effective range of 1,964 km (1,060 NM) can be achieved even while retaining reserve fuels for another 45 minutes of flight. The EMB 110 has a service ceiling of 21,490 feet.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: During the 1970s, Embraer opted to build on the success of the EMB 110 by designing an enlarged derivative of the aircraft, designated as the EMB 120 Brasilia; beyond being large enough to accommodate up to 30 passengers, it was also faster and furnished with a pressurized cabin. All further development of the EMB 110 was halted by Embraer during the 1980s in order to concentrate its resources on the further development and production of the newer EMB 120 instead.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: Between 1968 and 1990, Embraer constructed a total of 494 aircraft in numerous configurations for a variety of roles. The passenger model first flew on 9 August 1972 and entered commercial service on 16 April 1973 with the now defunct Brazilian airline company Transbrasil. On 8 July 1985, the first aircraft to be operated by the Irish budget airline Ryanair in 1985 was 15-seat EMB 110; the airline continued to operate the type up until 1989. By October 2018, 50 years after its first flight and 498 deliveries, about 150 EMB 110s were still operating at airlines, air taxis, government entities, and air forces around the world. Production of the type came to an end in 1990, the EMB 110 having been superseded by the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, a derived successor.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: During February 1973, deliveries of the type commenced to the Brazilian Air Force. A pair of "EMB 111A Patrulha" maritime patrol aircraft were leased to the Argentine Navy during the Falklands War, acting as a stop-gap measure between the retirement of the service's last Lockheed SP-2H Neptune and the introduction of modified Lockheed L-188 Electras. On 15 December 2010, the Brazilian Air Force flew its first upgraded EMB 110, which had been equipped with modern avionics equipment. Designated as "C/P-95", the aircraft has had several new systems installed by Israeli firm Elbit Systems' Brazilian subsidiary, "Aeroeletronica". At the time, the Brazilian Air Force had an active fleet of 96 EMB 110s. In 2017, the Brazilian Air Force was reportedly operating 48 EMB 110s.


title: Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante

text: In 2016, 38 Bandeirantes were still in airline service with 14 operators, 30 in North/South America and 8 in Asia Pacific & Middle East :


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: Lee Sang-min (; born June 24, 1973) is a South Korean singer, songwriter, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of the hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He is also best known for being a cast member of the variety shows "Knowing Bros" and "My Little Old Boy".


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: Lee debuted with mix group Roo'ra in 1993 and hit the top with popular song "Angel Without The Wing" and "Three!Four!".


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: In late 1990s and early 2000s, Lee was the most successful producer along with Yang Hyun-suk. He produced many hit groups like Country Kko Kko, Chakra, and Sharp at his company Sangmind. Lee is also the one who scouted popular actress Jung Ryeo-won of Chakra and Hwangbo and Tak Jae-hoon of Country Kko Kko.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: On March 27, 2018, MBC Every1 announced that Lee would be joining the cast of "Weekly Idol" as a host, following a revamp to the series.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: On April 11, 2018, Mnet announces that Lee is going to joined the upcoming music TV program "The Call" as a host.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: On December 18, 2021, Lee won the Grand Prize (Daesang) with the My Little Old Boy team (Shin Dong-yup, Seo Jang-hoon, Cho Hye-seon, Kim Sun-ja, Park Young-hye, Lee Sang-min, Tak Jae-hoon, Im Won-hee, Kim Joon-ho, Kim Jong-kook, Kim Hee-chul, Lee Tae-sung, Oh Min-suk, Park Goon, Choi Jin-hyuk) at the 2021 SBS Entertainment Awards.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: In 1995, Lee, who was a member of Roo'ra at the time, attempted suicide following allegations that one of their songs plagiarized Ninja's debut song Omatsuri.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: On June 19, 2004, Lee married actress and singer Lee Hye-young, whom he met in the U.S. in 1996 and dated for seven years. However, on August 8, 2005, the couple divorced, stating personality differences. In August 2006, Lee was sued by his ex-wife for fraud charges and taking about 2.2 billion won prior to their marriage and until their divorce. In the suit, Lee Hye-young claimed that her ex-husband bought a Volvo worth 80 million won and a BMW worth 100 million won under her name, for which he did not repay the installment debt and caused money to be seized from her broadcasting payment and bank account. In the suit, Lee also claimed that her ex-husband forced her to pose as a


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: nude model for business purposes, taking 50 million won (~$50,000) for the contract and 30 million won (~$30,000) worth of benefits from the


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: In December 2006, the police arrested Lee on the suspicion of operating a gambling website and receiving 210 million won in proceeds. In 2009, he was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. However, Lee appealed the ruling, and was then sentenced to 3 years in probation, 160 hours in community service, and 210 million won in fines.


title: Lee Sang-min (singer)

text: Lee started a mega-restaurant featuring live martial arts battles and drag shows; however, the restaurant failed in 2005 and landed Lee in debts of 6.9 billion won ().


title: Railway Protection Force

text: Railway Protection Force is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957; enacted by the Indian Parliament for "the better protection and security of railway property and passenger area". It has the power to search, arrest, investigate, and prosecute offenses committed under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act 1966, The Railways Act, 1989 (amended from time to time). However the power of arrests under other penal laws rests in the hands of the Government Railway Police (GRP) of state police. The force is under the authority of the Indian Ministry of Railways.


title: Railway Protection Force

text: All the officers of Railway Protection Force are members of the "Indian Railway Protection Force Service" (IRPFS) and are recruited through UPSC Civil Services Examination. They are recruited as Group-A Central Civil Servants. However, the post of Director-General of RPF is held on deputation by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.


title: Railway Protection Force

text: Recruitment also occurs for various posts like sub-inspectors & constables. Such recruitments are conducted through various exams held by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India.


title: Railway Protection Force

text: The percentage of women in the RPF is the highest among all central paramilitary forces in India. It stands at 10% as of March 2019.


title: Railway Protection Force

text: The Gazetted IRPFS Officers utilises a similar rank structure to the IPS (Indian Police Service). Non-gazetted ranks are the same as those used in the State Police Services. The job profile differs for each position


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) is a species of fully aquatic giant salamander endemic to Japan. With a length of up to , it is the third-largest salamander in the world, only being surpassed by the very similar and closely related Chinese giant salamander ("A. davidianus").


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: It is known in Japanese as , literally meaning "giant salamander". Other local names include "Hanzaki""," "Hanzake""," and "Ankou". This salamander was first catalogued by Europeans when the resident physician of Dejima Island in Nagasaki, Philipp Franz von Siebold, captured an individual and shipped it back to Leiden in the Netherlands, in the 1820s. The species was designated as a special natural monument in 1951, and is federally protected. It is one of the only six species of giant salamanders in the world.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander can grow to a length of and a weight of . The largest wild specimen on record weighed and was long. It is the third-largest amphibian in the world, only smaller than its close relatives, the South China giant salamander and the Chinese giant salamander. The brown and black mottled skin of "A. japonicus" provides camouflage against the bottoms of streams and rivers. Its body surface is covered with numerous small warts with distinctive warts concentrating on its head. It has very small eyes with no eyelids and poor eye sight. Its mouth extends across the width of its head, and can open to the width of its body.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: "A. japonicus" possesses large skin folds on its neck that effectively increase its overall body surface area. This assists in epidermal gas exchanges, which in turn regulates carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange with the water. Capillaries in the surface of the skin facilitate this gas exchange. The skin folds along each side of the body are more pronounced in the hellbender than in the Japanese giant salamander.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander can be distinguished from the Chinese giant salamander by the arrangement of tubercles on the head and throat. The tubercles are larger and more numerous compared to the mostly single and irregularly scattered tubercles of the Chinese giant salamander. The snout is also more rounded, and the tail is slightly shorter.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: Adult males develop enlarged cloacal glands during the breeding season. Compared to an adult female, an adult male typically possesses a larger and wider head in proportion to its body. It is difficult to distinguish sex outside of the breeding season.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander occurs in southwestern Japan (west of Gifu Prefecture in Honshu and parts of Shikoku and Kyushu). In particular, Okayama, Hyogo, Shimane, Tottori, Yamaguchi, Mie, Ehime, Gifu, and Ōita Prefecture are known to harbor its robust populations. They are typically found in fast-flowing mountain streams of these prefectures. It has been speculated that some of the populations in Wakayama Prefecture were introduced by humans and it is unknown whether naturally-distributed populations exist in Wakayama Prefecture.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander occurs in freshwater habitats ranging from relatively large river (20-50 m) to small headwater streams (0.5 - 4 m). Smaller breeding adults tend to use small headwater streams presumably in order to avoid intraspecific competition with larger individuals in larger streams. Mark-recapture records suggest that giant salamanders migrate between a mainstem and tributaries of the same river. Environmental DNA surveys and the following physical field surveys suggest that small headwater streams likely serve as important habitats for juveniles and larvae. While habitat degradation threatens the Japanese giant salamander, it can inhabit disturbed streams surrounded by agriculture fields such as rice paddy fields. Adults appear to do well in a stream surrounded by rice paddy fields because rice paddy fields provide habitats for frogs, which serve as primary diet for adult giant salamanders in such a stream. However, streams surrounded by rice paddy fields are typically characterized by agricultural dams and concrete stream banks, which likely imposes a negative impact on their reproduction and thus result in low recruitment.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: The Japanese giant salamander is restricted to streams with clear, cool water. Due to its large size and lack of gills, it is confined to flowing water where oxygen is abundant. it is entirely aquatic and almost entirely nocturnal. Unlike typical pond-breeding salamanders whose juveniles migrate to land after losing their gills through metamorphosis, it stays in the aquatic habitat even after metamorphosis and breaches its head above the surface to obtain air without venturing out of the water and onto land. The salamander also absorbs oxygen through its skin, which has many folds to increase surface area.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: When threatened, the Japanese giant salamander can excrete a strong-smelling, milky substance. It has very poor eyesight, and possesses special sensory cells covering its skin, running from head to toe, the lateral line system. These sensory cells' hair-like shapes detect minute vibrations in the environment, and are quite similar to the hair cells of the human inner ear. This feature is essential for hunting prey due to its poor eyesight.


title: Japanese giant salamander

text: Adults feed mainly on freshwater crabs, other crustaceans, worms, insects, frogs, and fish. It has a very slow metabolism and can sometimes go for weeks without eating. It lacks natural competitors. It is a long-lived species, with the captive record being an individual that lived in the Natura Artis Magistra, the Netherlands, for 52 years. In the wild, it may live for nearly 80 years.