Statement.

One way to state Fermat's theorem is that, if a function has a local extremum at some point and is differentiable there, then the function's derivative at that point must be zero. In precise mathematical language:  Another way to understand the theorem is via the contrapositive statement: if the derivative of a function at any point is not zero, then there is not a local extremum at that point. Formally:

Corollary.

The global extrema of a function "f" on a domain "A" occur only at boundaries, non-differentiable points, and stationary points. If formula_13 is a global extremum of "f", then one of the following is true:

Extension.

In higher dimensions, exactly the same statement holds; however, the proof is slightly more complicated. The complication is that in 1 dimension, one can either move left or right from a point, while in higher dimensions, one can move in many directions. Thus, if the derivative does not vanish, one must argue that there is "some" direction in which the function increases – and thus in the opposite direction the function decreases. This is the only change to the proof or the analysis.  The statement can also be extended to differentiable manifolds. If formula_19 is a differentiable function on a manifold formula_20, then its local extrema must be critical points of formula_6, in particular points where the exterior derivative formula_22 is zero.

Applications.

Fermat's theorem is central to the calculus method of determining maxima and minima: in one dimension, one can find extrema by simply computing the stationary points (by computing the zeros of the derivative), the non-differentiable points, and the boundary points, and then investigating this set to determine the extrema.  One can do this either by evaluating the function at each point and taking the maximum, or by analyzing the derivatives further, using the first derivative test, the second derivative test, or the higher-order derivative test.

Intuitive argument.

Intuitively, a differentiable function is approximated by its derivative – a differentiable function behaves infinitesimally like a linear function formula_23 or more precisely, formula_24 Thus, from the perspective that "if "f" is differentiable and has non-vanishing derivative at formula_25 then it does not attain an extremum at formula_25" the intuition is that if the derivative at formula_13 is positive, the function is "increasing" near formula_25 while if the derivative is negative, the function is "decreasing" near formula_29 In both cases, it cannot attain a maximum or minimum, because its value is changing. It can only attain a maximum or minimum if it "stops" – if the derivative vanishes (or if it is not differentiable, or if one runs into the boundary and cannot continue). However, making "behaves like a linear function" precise requires careful analytic proof.  More precisely, the intuition can be stated as: if the derivative is positive, there is "some point" to the right of formula_13 where "f" is greater, and "some point" to the left of formula_13 where "f" is less, and thus "f" attains neither a maximum nor a minimum at formula_29 Conversely, if the derivative is negative, there is a point to the right which is lesser, and a point to the left which is greater. Stated this way, the proof is just translating this into equations and verifying "how much greater or less".  The intuition is based on the behavior of polynomial functions. Assume that function "f" has a maximum at "x", the reasoning being similar for a function minimum. If formula_33 is a local maximum then, roughly, there is a (possibly small) neighborhood of formula_8 such as the function "is increasing before" and "decreasing after" formula_8. As the derivative is positive for an increasing function and negative for a decreasing function, formula_2 is positive before and negative after formula_8. formula_2 doesn't skip values (by Darboux's theorem), so it has to be zero at some point between the positive and negative values. The only point in the neighbourhood where it is possible to have formula_39 is formula_8.  The theorem (and its proof below) is more general than the intuition in that it doesn't require the function to be differentiable over a neighbourhood around formula_8. It is sufficient for the function to be differentiable only in the extreme point.

Proof.

Proof 1: Non-vanishing derivatives implies not extremum.

Suppose that "f" is differentiable at formula_42 with derivative "K," and assume without loss of generality that formula_43 so the tangent line at formula_13 has positive slope (is increasing). Then there is a neighborhood of formula_13 on which the secant lines through formula_13 all have positive slope, and thus to the right of formula_25 "f" is greater, and to the left of formula_25 "f" is lesser.  The schematic of the proof is:  Formally, by the definition of derivative, formula_52 means that In particular, for sufficiently small formula_54 (less than some formula_55), the fraction must be at least formula_56 by the definition of limit. Thus on the interval formula_57 one has: one has replaced the "equality" in the limit (an infinitesimal statement) with an "inequality" on a neighborhood (a local statement). Thus, rearranging the equation, if formula_59 then: so on the interval to the right, "f" is greater than formula_61 and if formula_62 then: so on the interval to the left, "f" is less than formula_64  Thus formula_13 is not a local or global maximum or minimum of "f."

Proof 2: Extremum implies derivative vanishes.

Alternatively, one can start by assuming that formula_8 is a local maximum, and then prove that the derivative is 0.  Suppose that formula_8 is a local maximum (a similar proof applies if formula_8 is a local minimum). Then there formula_69 such that formula_70 and such that we have formula_71 with formula_72. Hence for any formula_73 we notice that it holds  Since the limit of this ratio as formula_75 gets close to 0 from above exists and is equal to formula_76 we conclude that formula_77. On the other hand, for formula_78 we notice that  but again the limit as formula_75 gets close to 0 from below exists and is equal to formula_76 so we also have formula_82.  Hence we conclude that formula_83

Cautions.

A subtle misconception that is often held in the context of Fermat's theorem is to assume that it makes a stronger statement about local behavior than it does. Notably, Fermat's theorem does "not" say that functions (monotonically) "increase up to" or "decrease down from" a local maximum. This is very similar to the misconception that a limit means "monotonically getting closer to a point". For "well-behaved functions" (which here mean continuously differentiable), some intuitions hold, but in general functions may be ill-behaved, as illustrated below. The moral is that derivatives determine "infinitesimal" behavior, and that "continuous" derivatives determine "local" behavior.

Continuously differentiable functions.

If "f" is continuously differentiable formula_84 on an open neighborhood of the point formula_13, then formula_86 does mean that "f" is increasing on a neighborhood of formula_25 as follows.  If formula_88 and formula_89 then by continuity of the derivative, there is some formula_90 such that formula_91 formula_92. Then "f" is increasing on this interval, by the mean value theorem: the slope of any secant line is at least formula_56 as it equals the slope of some tangent line.  However, in the general statement of Fermat's theorem, where one is only given that the derivative "at" formula_13 is positive, one can only conclude that secant lines "through" formula_13 will have positive slope, for secant lines between formula_13 and near enough points.  Conversely, if the derivative of "f" at a point is zero (formula_13 is a stationary point), one cannot in general conclude anything about the local behavior of "f" – it may increase to one side and decrease to the other (as in formula_98), increase to both sides (as in formula_99), decrease to both sides (as in formula_100), or behave in more complicated ways, such as oscillating (as in formula_101, as discussed below).  One can analyze the infinitesimal behavior via the second derivative test and higher-order derivative test, if the function is differentiable enough, and if the first non-vanishing derivative at formula_13 is a continuous function, one can then conclude local behavior (i.e., if formula_103 is the first non-vanishing derivative, and formula_104 is continuous, so formula_105), then one can treat "f" as locally close to a polynomial of degree "k," since it behaves approximately as formula_106 but if the "k"-th derivative is not continuous, one cannot draw such conclusions, and it may behave rather differently.

Pathological functions.

Consider the function formula_107 – it oscillates increasingly rapidly between formula_108 and formula_109 as "x" approaches 0. Consider then formula_110 – this oscillates increasingly rapidly between 0 and formula_111 as "x" approaches 0. If one extends this function by formula_112 then the function is continuous and everywhere differentiable (it is differentiable at 0 with derivative 0), but has rather unexpected behavior near 0: in any neighborhood of 0 it attains 0 infinitely many times, but also equals formula_111 (a positive number) infinitely often.  Continuing in this vein, formula_114 oscillates between formula_115 and formula_116 and formula_117 is a local and global minimum, but on no neighborhood of 0 is it decreasing down to or increasing up from 0 – it oscillates wildly near 0.  This pathology can be understood because, while the function is everywhere differentiable, it is not "continuously" differentiable: the limit of formula_118 as formula_119 does not exist, so the derivative is not continuous at 0. This reflects the oscillation between increasing and decreasing values as it approaches 0.

In mathematics, Fermat's theorem (also known as interior extremum theorem) is a method to find local maxima and minima of differentiable functions on open sets by showing that every local extremum of the function is a stationary point (the function derivative is zero at that point). Fermat's theorem is a theorem in real analysis, named after Pierre de Fermat.


Club career.

Celtic.

Raised in Wishaw, Keatings joined Celtic's youth system from local boys club Wishaw Wycombe Wanderers at a young age and captained the under-17 side. While a member of the Glasgow club's under-19s, he was named as a substitute for the first team's game against Hibernian on 10 November 2010. He made the bench on one further occasion before suffering a cruciate knee injury in April; despite the injury, he still finished the under-19s' top scorer with 25 goals. In June 2011, he was rewarded with a new three-year contract extending his stay until 2014.  After a long rehabilitation and playing with the Celtic development squad, he was sent out on loan to aid his recovery.

St Johnstone (loan).

On 30 January 2012, Keatings joined fellow Scottish Premier League club St Johnstone on loan until the end of the season. He made his debut on 5 February as a substitute against Hearts in the Scottish Cup, with his SPL debut coming on 25 February against Dunfermline Athletic. In all he made five appearances for the club.

Hamilton Academical (loan).

On 24 August 2012, Keatings joined First Division club Hamilton Academical on a loan deal. The next day, he made his debut coming on as a substitute in the second half, in a 1–0 loss against Cowdenbeath. On 22 September 2012, Keatings came on as a second-half substitute scored twice, in a 3–3 comeback against Dumbarton. By the January transfer window, Keatings' spell with Hamilton had been terminated after his loan was cancelled.

Hamilton Academical.

After ten years with Celtic, Keatings was released by the club in summer 2013. Ahead of the new 2013–14 season, he went to Australia to have trials at Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets. Despite an offer in Australia he joined Hamilton on a permanent deal on 18 July, signing a one-year contract having impressed the club during pre-season training. At the time, he said that he hoped joining the club would help him get his career back on track.  Keatings made a perfect start for the club when he scored twice in the first round of the League Cup as they beat Stirling Albion 3–0. In the league, he scored three goals in two games against Raith Rovers and Dumbarton. He scored twice in a 2–0 win over Livingston on 5 October 2013, ending a goalscoring drought of six matches. However, he sustained a calf injury during a match against Raith Rovers and was sidelined for two weeks. He made his return in a 3–0 loss to Dundee on 23 November 2013. Keatings would score another three goals in two games against Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton, which put his goal tally at ten. After the match, he stated that he believed the promotion race in the Scottish Championship would go all the way in the remaining 15 matches. Keatings scored his 15th goal of the season in all competitions in a match against Raith Rovers on 25 March 2014. He said after the match: ""I hadn't scored in three games and managed to put a header in the corner. The position I'm playing in means I haven't had many chances like that, it's probably the only one that has dropped to me in the box, and I'm delighted. Hopefully I get more and achieve my target.""  Despite initially indicating he would sign a new contract with "Accies" following their promotion to the Scottish Premiership, Keatings rejected the club's offer. In all he made 35 appearances, scoring 15 times over the course of the season.

Heart of Midlothian.

On 13 June 2014, it was announced Keatings had signed a two-year contract with recently relegated Scottish Championship side Heart of Midlothian. After joining Hearts, Keatings said joining the club made him ""over the moon to have the opportunity to sign for a big club like this after leaving Hamilton."" In his first league start, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory over Raith Rovers at Stark's Park. Keatings scored a "fantastic" goal against Queen of the South at home in a 4–1 victory, for his fifth league goal of the season. He was released by Hearts at the end of the 2014–15 season, having only served half of his initial two-year contract.

Hibernian.

On 1 June 2015, Keatings signed a two-year contract with Hearts' Edinburgh rivals, Championship side Hibernian. In his first league start for Hibs he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory over Raith Rovers at Easter Road. On 7 November, he scored a hat-trick for Hibs in a 4–1 win at St Mirren. He netted twice against Falkirk in the second leg of the play-off semi-final, although Hibs eventually lost the match 3–2. He came on as a substitute in the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, which Hibs won 3–2 against Rangers.  Keatings scored eight goals in 30 appearances for Hibs during the 2016–17 season, as they earned promotion to the Premiership.

Dundee United.

Dundee United announced on 8 May 2017 that they had reached an agreement to sign Keatings when his contract with Hibernian expired, the player having made a decision to make a 'fresh start'. He spent one season with United, during which they failed to achieve promotion and he struggled with his mental and physical health. Having decided to commute to Dundee from his home in Lanarkshire, he later remarked that the travelling distances were a factor in his ongoing depression during the period, as well as injuries and upsetting issues involving family members.

Return to Hamilton.

On 31 August 2018, Keatings signed for Hamilton Academical for a third time, with the club having remained in the Premiership throughout the four years since his previous departure. His mental health improved at a club he knew well and which was far closer to his home. Keatings left Hamilton in May 2019 after his contract was mutually terminated.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

On 13 May 2019, Inverness Caledonian Thistle announced the pre-contract signing of Keatings on a two-year deal.  In February 2020, Keatings was at the centre of widespread media attention after he was sent off (a second yellow card) for simulation (diving) in the Scottish Challenge Cup semi-final win over Rangers Under-21s despite appearing to be body-checked by his opponent, meaning he would miss the final through suspension. After the club appealed in an effort to overturn the referee's decision, it was ruled the ban would be upheld with no further explanation, to the surprise of most of the footballing community. This led to reactions from fans and from pundits such as Gary Lineker, who stated "Not even close to a dive. Would be an injustice to miss out on a cup final for this." The Scottish Football Association then rescinded the ban a week later, stating that the original appeal panel members had not considered all the available evidence, meaning their decision was "not competent".

International career.

Keatings has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level.

Honours.

Heart of Midlothian  Hibernian

James Keatings (born 20 January 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He has previously played for Celtic, Heart of Midlothian, St Johnstone, Hibernian and Dundee United plus a loan and two permanent spells at Hamilton Academical. In May 2019, he agreed to play for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the following season.


History.

Harrison County was established in 1851 and organized on March 7, 1853. Abram Fletcher, Charles Wolcott and A. D. Jones were appointed by the Iowa General Assembly as Commissioners to organize the county and establish a county seat. They chose the location for Magnolia and gave it its name. The third building that was erected in the town for the county courthouse in 1873 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.. The building was demolished in 2019 due to extreme disrepair and the lack of funds to maintain it.  The county seat was transferred to Logan from Magnolia in 1875.

Geography.

Magnolia is located at (41.694404, -95.873516).  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.

Demographics.

2010 census.

As of the census of 2010, there were 183 people, 79 households, and 50 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 87 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 100.0% White.  There were 79 households of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.86.  The median age in the city was 47.7 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 39.8% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 55.7% male and 44.3% female.

2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 200 people, 85 households, and 57 families living in the city. The population density was 343.2 people per square mile (133.1/km2). There were 96 housing units at an average density of 164.8 per square mile (63.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.50% Native American, 0.50% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.  There were 85 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.  In the city, the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.7 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $30,625, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $30,833 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,533. About 8.9% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.

Magnolia is a city in Harrison County, Iowa in the United States of America. The population was 183 at the 2010 census.


Life and reign.

Sa'id al-Dawla's father, Sa'd al-Dawla, had only with difficulty managed to first secure a measure of control over his domains, and then to maintain a precarious autonomy by manoeuvring between the Byzantine Empire, the Fatimids of Egypt, and the Buyids in Iraq, alternating between warfare and recognizing the suzerainty of each power in turn. The once-proud emirate, which under Sa'id al-Dawla's grandfather Sayf al-Dawla included all of northern Syria and much of the Jazira, had now shrunk to the region around Aleppo. Sa'd al-Dawla's domestic position was precarious, and his state was impoverished and militarily impotent. After the Byzantine–Fatimid peace of 987/8, he came to depend once more on the Byzantines, and it was Byzantine troops that helped him defeat a Fatimid-sponsored attempt to seize Aleppo by the former Hamdanid governor Bakjur in April 991.  Following Sa'd al-Dawla's death in December 991, his young son Abu'l-Fada'il, known by the "laqab" of "Sa'id al-Dawla", succeeded him as emir. Sa'id al-Dawla was under the influence of his chief minister and later father-in-law, Lu'lu', who continued to support the alliance with the Byzantines. Many of his rivals, resenting his power, defected upon Sa'd al-Dawla's death to the Fatimids, who now resumed their attacks on Aleppo. As M. Canard writes, "the history of [Sa'id al-Dawla's] reign is almost exclusively that of the attempts of Fatimid Egypt to gain the emirate of Aleppo, which were opposed by the Byzantine emperor".  Encouraged by the Hamdanid defectors, the Fatimid caliph al-Aziz launched a first attack in 992, under the governor of Damascus, the Turkish general Manjutakin. The Fatimid general invaded the emirate, defeated a Byzantine force under the "doux" of Antioch, Michael Bourtzes, in June 992, and laid siege to Aleppo. He failed to pursue the siege with vigour, however, and the city was easily able to resist until, in the spring of 993, after thirteen months of campaigning, Manjutakin was forced to return to Damascus due to lack of supplies. In spring 994, Manjutakin launched another invasion, again defeated Bourtzes at the Battle of the Orontes, took Homs, Apamea and Shayzar and besieged Aleppo for eleven months. The blockade was far more effective this time and soon caused a severe lack of food. Sa'id al-Dawla suggested surrendering to Manjutakin, but the determined stance of Lu'lu'allowed the city's defenders to hold out until the sudden arrival of the Byzantine emperor, Basil II, in Syria in April 995. Basil, who had been campaigning in Bulgaria, had responded to the Hamdanids' plea for aid, and crossed Asia Minor in only sixteen days at the head of an army 13,000 strong; his sudden arrival caused panic in the Fatimid army: Manjutakin burned his camp and retreated to Damascus without battle. Sa'id al-Dawla and Lu'lu' prostrated themselves before the emperor in person as a sign of gratitude and submission, and he in turn released the emirate from its obligation to pay an annual tribute. Basil's interest in Syria was limited, however, and after a brief campaign that saw an unsuccessful attack on Tripoli, returned to Constantinople. Al-Aziz on the other hand now prepared for all-out war with the Byzantines, but his preparations were cut short by his death in October 996. The Byzantine–Fatimid contest over Syria continued, however, with alternating success. In 995, Lu'lu' made terms with al-Aziz and acknowledged him as Caliph, and for a few years Fatimid influence over Aleppo grew. In 998 Lu'lu' and Sa'id al-Dawla tried to seize the fortress of Apamea, but were thwarted by the new Byzantine "doux", Damian Dalassenos. Dalassenos' defeat and death in a battle with the Fatimids shortly after caused another intervention by Basil in the next year, which stabilized the situation and strengthened Aleppo's security from Fatimid attack by placing a Byzantine garrison at Shayzar. The conflict ended with another treaty in 1001 and the conclusion of a ten-year truce.  In January 1002, Sa'id al-Dawla died, although according to a tradition recorded by Ibn al-Adim, he was poisoned by one of his concubines at the behest of Lu'lu'. Along with his son Mansur, Lu'lu' now assumed direct power, at first as ostensible guardians over Sa'id al-Dawla's sons Abu'l-Hasan Ali and Abu'l-Ma'ali Sharif, until, in 1003/4, he had them exiled to Egypt. At the same time, one of Sa'id al-Dawla's brothers, Abu'l-Hayja, fled, disguised as a woman, to the Byzantine court. Lu'lu' was a capable ruler who maintained the balance between Byzantium and the Fatimids, but after his death in 1008/9 Aleppo gravitated increasingly towards the latter. A Hamdanid restoration attempt, led by Abu'l-Hayja, failed, and in 1015/6 Mansur ibn Lu'lu' was in turn deposed, ending the last vestiges of the Hamdanid rule in Aleppo.

Abu'l-Fada'il Sa'id al-Dawla was the third Hamdanid ruler of the Emirate of Aleppo. He succeeded his father Sa'd al-Dawla in 991, but throughout his reign real power rested in the hands of Sa'd al-Dawla's former chamberlain, Lu'lu', to whose daughter Sa'id was wed. His reign was dominated by the Fatimid Caliphate's repeated attempts to conquer Aleppo, which was prevented only by the intervention of the Byzantine Empire. Warfare lasted until 1000, when a peace treaty was concluded guaranteeing Aleppo's continued existence as a buffer state between the two powers. Finally, in January 1002 Sa'id al-Dawla died, possibly poisoned by Lu'lu', and Lu'lu' assumed control of Aleppo in his own name.


History.

Early versions 1930s - 1980s.

The origins of Belgium’s penal settlement law date to 1935, when Belgian Parliament moved to create a new prosecutorial mechanism in order to expedite the processing of court cases and reduce backlog. The application of the mechanism was gradually broadened over the years, being originally reserved for small offences only.  On 28 June 1984, the law underwent its most recent significant amendment when article 216bis was added. The article introduced the Criminal Transaction and made the law applicable to any criminal offence carrying a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Major amendments 2011 - 2017.

Amending the law was first discussed in 2008, based on an initiative by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, a private organization representing the business interests of the diamond industry. The proposal was rejected by lawmakers at the time.  The debate resurfaced in 2011, when Minister for Institutional Reforms and deputy chairman of the parliamentary diamond forum, Servais Verherstraeten, proposed "to amend the Criminal Code with regard to the discontinuance of criminal proceedings by paying a sum of money." Subsequently, the transaction law was significantly reformed on 14 April 2011, with amendments to article 216bis in particular carrying procedural and material implications. Previously, a proposal for a penal transaction could not be brought forward by the prosecutor if criminal proceedings had already been initiated. Therefore, a penal transaction was only possible while proceedings were still in the preliminary investigation stage. Since the amendment, however, a criminal transaction can now be proposed by the public prosecutor even when the case has already been referred to a judge to order an in-depth investigation or when the court has already made itself apprised of the case at hand.  In July 2011, article 216bis was amended to once again further extend the law’s application to more financial crimes and misdemeanors, such as tax matters. The amendment was regarded as a way to fight back the judicial backlog, particularly in cases pertaining to financial matters, and as a means to return large sums of money to the state that would otherwise have been lost.  In 2017, a Commission of Inquiry was assembled to investigate how the law had come about. It was determined that the law passed due to a political give-and-take between the PS and Liberal Party at the time, with the PS seeking to push through a lift on banking secrecy, while the liberals sought for a new criminal settlement arrangement. A political agreement was reached on 3 February 2011 following the mediation of the Yves Leterne (CD&V) cabinet. On 4 July 2017, the head of the inquiry commission, Dirk van der Maelen (SP.A), stated his belief in an interview with Belgian newspaper Knack that the diamond sector and College of Prosecutors-General are the “fathers” of the settlement law, under the political responsibility of the CD&V. He justified this point of view by arguing that the law was drafted by two lawyers on behalf of the Antwerp World Diamond Center in 2007, in order to help the industry deal with fiscal fraud accusations.  It has been suggested that a similar transaction law adopted in France in January 2017 could serve as an inspiration for Belgian lawmakers, because it features an Anglo-Saxon style “public interest compensation agreement” which places greater emphasis on being “reformative” for the purpose of criminal prevention via a mandatory compliance program.

Criticism.

Critics argue that the amendment marked the first step towards “class justice” and a two-speed court system favoring those who are able to afford such payments.  Belgium’s constitutional court ruled in June 2016 that parts of the law were unconstitutional as the termination of the prosecution following a settlement payment occurs without effective control by a judge. The court argued this constitutes a violation of the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution.  The law was annulled as a consequence. However, because some lower courts continued to pronounce verdicts which the constitutional court still accepted as being within the limits it had laid down in its ruling, the College of Prosecutors-General decided to reinstate the law in June 2017.

The Penal Transaction Law (French: "transaction pénale"; Dutch: "minnelijke schikking in strafzaken") is a Belgian law that allows a court to end a public prosecution in exchange for the payment of a sum of money. The law is often enacted to expedite trials where a successful prosecution is in doubt, or in cases that are likely going to be lengthy and protracted, or are at risk of being delayed. The settlement does not equal a conviction, and does not appear on the criminal record of those under investigation. Under article 2046 of the Civil Code, the right to propose a settlement rests exclusively with the Public Prosecutor at any time during the proceedings.


History.

Livermore was founded in 1879. The community grew in importance as an agricultural center with grain elevators and feed mills and merchants serving the surrounding rich farmland. The community is located adjacent to the confluence of the East Fork Des Moines River and Lott's Creek. Early industries included a brick and tile factory and agricultural products processing. As north central Iowa's rural population dwindled, so has Livermore's population. Its remaining elementary school closed in 2005.

Geography.

Livermore is located at (42.866849, -94.184051) at the confluence of Lotts Creek with the East Fork Des Moines River.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.

Climate.

Livermore has a humid continental climate (Köppen "Dfa"), including all four seasons characterized by harsh winters, and mild summers.  July is the hottest month of the year, with an average high of and an average low of. Temperatures above are uncommon. January is the coldest month with an average high of and an average low of. The city's highest temperature was, recorded in 1982. The lowest temperature recorded was, in 1985.

Demographics.

2010 census.

As of the census of 2010, there were 384 people, 164 households, and 106 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 197 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 96.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.  There were 164 households of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.83.  The median age in the city was 41 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census.

As of the census of 2000, there were 431 people, 183 households, and 109 families residing in the city. The population density was 616.4 people per square mile (237.7/km2). There were 204 housing units at an average density of 291.7 per square mile (112.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 99.77% White and 0.23% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.  There were 183 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94.  In the city, the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $26,328, and the median income for a family was $32,411. Males had a median income of $25,789 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,714. About 10.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

It is within the Twin Rivers Community School District.

Community.

With a sizeable German Catholic population surrounding Livermore, the community's largest church is Sacred Heart Catholic, followed by Livermore United Methodist and Immanuel Lutheran. Bethel Presbyterian Church closed in the late 1970s and the building is now home to the Livermore Community Club and museum. Other community attractions include Old Settlers' Park, which dates to 1890, when early Livermore families each contributed a log to build a cabin in the thickly wooded park located at the west entrance to the community. The town also features a library, community swimming pool and a high school baseball/softball complex. Just north of Livermore is the picturesque Spring Valley Golf Club, named Iowa's best nine-hole course, before it was expanded to 18 holes. Otto Field American Legion Post 415 is located in Livermore and the town's Friends & Neighbors Club is an active seniors organization with its own building. Livermore Daze is an annual celebration that brings together antique car enthusiasts, parade participants and hundreds of residents and visitors to the weekend event.

Livermore is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 384 at the 2010 census. Livermore is the hometown of former University of Iowa and NFL tight end Dallas Clark.


Foreign relations of the Federated States of Micronesia

Regional relations.

Regional cooperation through various multilateral organizations is a key element in FSM's foreign policy. FSM is a full member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. The country also is one of the eight signatories of the Nauru Agreement Concerning Cooperation In The Management Of Fisheries Of Common Interest which collectively controls 25-30% of the world's tuna supply and approximately 60% of the western and central Pacific tuna supply.

Diplomatic relations.

FSM has established diplomatic relations with 89 UN states, the Holy See, Cook Islands, Kosovo and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta:

Bilateral relations.

The FSM maintains permanent embassies in four nations: China, Fiji, Japan and the United States. The FSM also maintains a resident consulate in Hawaii, Portland, Oregon and Guam. The FSM maintains non-resident embassies for four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (all in Japan) and Israel in Fiji. Four nations maintain permanent embassies in the FSM: Australia, China, Japan and the United States. Additionally, 15 nations maintain non-resident embassies with the FSM. France and the United Kingdom have non-resident embassies for the FSM in Fiji. Canada, Italy and South Africa have non-resident embassies for the FSM in Australia. Indonesia has a non-resident embassy for the FSM in Japan. Chile has its non-resident embassies for the FSM in the United States. Croatia has its non-resident embassy for the FSM in Indonesia. Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland have non-resident embassies in the Philippines. New Zealand has its non-resident embassy for the FSM in Kiribati.

Membership in international organizations.

The Federated States of Micronesia was admitted to the United Nations on 17 September 1991. Additionally outside the region, FSM is a member or participant of the ACP (Lomé Convention), the Alliance of Small Island States, the Asian Development Bank, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the G-77, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the IMF, the International Olympic Committee, the ITU, the NAM and the World Meteorological Organization.  The FSM is notably one of four UN-recognized nations with a sea border that is not a member of the International Maritime Organization (the others are Nauru, Niue and Palau). Similarly, the FSM is one of only six UN members that is not a member of the Universal Postal Union. Finally, as with many other nations in Oceania, the FSM is not a member of Interpol or of the International Hydrographic Organization.

The government of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) conducts its own foreign relations. Since independence in 1986, the FSM has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including most of its Pacific neighbors.


Geography.

Shelby is located at (33.949293, -90.765241).  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, or 0.39%, is water.  The rear entrance of the Mississippi State Penitentiary in unincorporated Sunflower County is about east of Shelby, along Mississippi Highway 32.

Demographics.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,229 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 94.3% Black, 4.7% White and 0.2% from two or more races. 0.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.  As of the census of 2000, there were 2,926 people, 919 households, and 677 families living in the city. The population density was 1,079.5 people per square mile (416.9/km2). There were 963 housing units at an average density of 355.3 per square mile (137.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 7.93% White, 91.08% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.  There were 919 households out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.3% were married couples living together, 41.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.60.  In the city, the population was spread out with 37.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 15.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.4 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $17,798, and the median income for a family was $20,368. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $19,554 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,567. About 39.9% of families and 44.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 56.5% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

Shelby is served by the North Bolivar Consolidated School District (formerly North Bolivar School District).  Students are zoned to Brooks Elementary School (in Duncan) and Northside High School.

Shelby is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,229 at the 2010 census, down from 2,926 in 2000. The town of Shelby was established in 1853 by Tom Shelby, who had purchased a block of land there from the federal government.


Operational history.

Pakefield lighthouse 1832-1864.

Completed in 1832 to a design by the architect Richard Suter, it was commissioned by Trinity House to enable a safe passage to be made through Pakefield Gatway (a channel between two shifting sandbanks providing a way into Lowestoft harbour).  The high white tower and keeper's accommodation were built within the estate of Pakefield Hall, on low cliffs overlooking the sea at a cost of £821 (). The light was powered by two argand lamps; it originally consisted of a constant white light that could be seen for nine nautical miles. In 1835 the colour was changed to red, as some ships had confused the light with those shining from the windows of clifftop houses in nearby Kessingland.

Kessingland light 1864-1886.

By the time that land negotiations regarding the lighthouse and access road had been completed in 1850, the channel had moved to the south. The lighthouse continued in use (with charts showing an increased angle of approach through the Gatway) until 1864 when Pakefield lighthouse was decommissioned and a new red sector light was established at Kessingland, to the south.

Pakefield light 1886-1906.

In 1886, the sandbanks again having shifted, the sector light was moved back to Pakefield, but this time to a location north of the old lighthouse (which remained disused). The fixed red light was now displayed from a hut on the cliff, 'about in a southerly direction from All Saints' Church'. The following year the angle of the light was altered, the sands again having shifted. In 1905 it was reported that 'considerable alterations have taken place in the depths in Pakefield Gat', shoaling having significantly reduced the depth of water in the former channel. On 1 January 1907 the sector light at Pakefield was discontinued.

Later history.

Following its closure in 1864, Pakefield lighthouse remained abandoned for a number of decades until it was subsequently sold to the owners of the Hall in the 1920s, the grounds of which were being used as a campsite; it would eventually become a Pontins holiday camp.  In 1938, prior to the Second World War, the tower became an observation post for the Royal Observer Corps, who were checking for any possible seaborne or air invasion force, with both the roof and lantern being removed to improve visibility.  The tower continued to be used throughout the war, with Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel being stationed at the site. The surrounding holiday campsite was requisitioned and became a transit camp. It was strafed by the Luftwaffe during an air-raid on Lowestoft in 1943, and in the following year a V-1 doodlebug with a defective gyrocompass was spotted travelling towards the lighthouse, until it crashed into the sea at the base of the cliffs nearby.  After the war, the tower was eventually purchased by Pontins, and in the 1960s it was used by the camp's official photographers as a dark room.

Current use.

The lighthouse tower was renovated in 2000, by voluntary workers from the local Pakefield Coastwatch group, and it is now used by the group as a coastal reconnaissance station.

Pakefield Lighthouse is a decommissioned 19th century lighthouse which was built near Pakefield a suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk. The lighthouse tower has been used for a variety of maritime, civilian and military roles, and is currently used as a Coastwatch lookout post.


Attacks on the VDC.

On 9 December 2013, VDC's office in Douma was raided by masked gunmen, who abducted four VDC members: Razan Zaitouneh, Samira al-Khalil, Nazem Hamadi, and Wael Hamada, who came to be known as "the Douma Four". The Army of Islam was suspected of being responsible for the attack. The VDC was attacked again on 22 July 2016 and 13 August 2017 by Jaysh al-Islam. Since the abduction, VDC has been led by a group of administrators inside and outside of Syria (initially in Turkey and then Switzerland) and two database managers., "Associated Press" found no strong evidence regarding Zaitouneh's fate, but suspected that she had been killed around 2017 or later.

Methodology.

The VDC applies international standards for documentation of human rights violations. It has a three-stage methodology as to how they document data: (1) initial information on one or more victims is gathered, mainly from hospitals, morgues, relatives of the victims, and media sources; (2) the initial report is confirmed; (3) data on the victims is added to complete the record.  According to Yale and Harvard medical scholars writing in "The Lancet", it is characterised by "careful methods, adherence to international norms of human rights documentation, recording of combatant status and rank, documentation of cause of death and particular weapons involved, geographical scope, and explicit attention to the limitations of the data". The scholars also note its key limitation: that it is not able to report on violations in government-held territories or among pro-government troops, and also that "The observation method used by the VDC researchers could result in an underestimate of casualties, particularly among collapsed structures and rubble created by heavy bombardment and shelling."

Funding.

The VDC only accepts funding from independent, unbiased, or neutral entities.

The Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC, ) is a network of Syrian opposition activists whose aim is to document human rights violations perpetrated since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, including victims of the violence, detainees, and missing people. The organization works with the activists from the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, and documents identified victims of the violence from the rebels and the civilians. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide an independent documentation of human rights violations within Syria, a resource that may help any future justice-related procedures. The center's main sources of information include medical records, families of the victims and information received from the Imam of the mosque that performed the burial.


2003 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase

Analysis.

In Kenya, where the steeplechase is virtually the national sport and source of national pride, the top up and coming athletes in 2003 were Stephen Cherono and Ezekiel Kemboi. Along with Stephen's brother Abraham Cherono, they swept the 2002 Commonwealth Games Steeplechase for Kenya. In 2003, there was a huge change.  Qatar was near the beginning of their program to purchase mercenary athletes; young, promising athletes who would take Qatari citizenship and (unique to Qatar's program) take on a different name. Stephen, and some 40 other athletes, took the deal. Changing his name from Stephen Cherono to Saif Saaeed Shaheen, he was reported to have received up to US$1 million to become a Qatari citizen, although he denied this. This was the first major competition where, as Shaheen, he was wearing a different country's bib. This angered his former teammates who were determined to beat him.  Over the previous two decades, Kenyan athletes have learned how to use team tactics to essentially gang up on the rest of the world while assuring another Kenyan victory. Shaheen had learned these tactics. Now virtually alone, he had to figure out how to beat them. He chose to run away from them. Alone out front, no team could get in his way. He did have a teammate in the race, a veteran former Sudanese athlete who had been running for Qatar for several years, Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin. Beaten off the start line by three Kenyans, Saifeldin literally elbowed his way to the already forming Kenyan blockade at the front. Sidestepping into the next lane he sprinted past them followed by Shaheen who was with the lead Kenyans waiting for his arrival. Saifeldin was first over the first barrier with Shaheen in tow and a gap already forming. The only athlete to bridge the gap was Shaheen's brother, Abraham Cherono. The first lap was just over 60 seconds, 4 minute mile pace. 2:04 by the second lap (now slightly shorter laps through the water jump). 1000 metres into the race and Saifeldin was exhausted and started to drop back. Shaheen accelerated around him. 3:06 for three laps. Soon Abraham started to fall back, Shaheen was alone. With the pack disappearing behind them, Shaheen was cranking out laps at sub-world record pace. By the fourth lap at 4:12 he had opened up a 20 metre lead, but on the fifth lap, he was beginning to show signs of fatigue.  His closest pursuer, Kemboi was rapidly began gaining on Shaheen. With a thousand metres to go, Kemboi was frustrated with his slow gains against Shaneen's huge lead and suddenly sprinted to both catch Shaheen then to keep on running past him, creating a 7 metre gap of his own. This time Shaheen did not go away, making back the gap to mark Kemboi. Two barriers later, Shaheen sprinted into the lead and Kemboi sprinted back to the front. With all the spurts and retreats, the lead pace had slowed while the peloton had steadily made up the lost ground. Led by Luis Miguel Martín and Eliseo Martín, the pack had moved back into contention, with the French home crowd excited that Bouabdellah Tahri was in the mix with a lap to go. But the two prizefighters at the front didn't notice, they were still throwing their best punches at each other.  At the bell, Kemboi again sprinted to open up a slight gap. After the fourth barrier, Shaheen sprinted past, opening up a gap over the third barrier and into the water jump. This move at the fourth barrier would later become Kemboi's trademark. Also, unlike later years, Kemboi took the water jump carefully by pushing off the barrier. Coming out of the pit, Kemboi positioned himself for one final sprint, passing Shaheen over the final barrier on the outside. With a slight gap, Kemboi looked to be sprinting to victory, but Shaheen surged again taking the lead thirty metres out. Defeated, the exhausted Kemboi jogged across the line and lay down on the track.  While bronze medalist Eliseo Martín, enthusiastically came to congratulate Shaheen, the Kenyans did not congratulate their former teammate, now traitor, on his victory. Even his own brother walked off the track in disgust.  Without Shaheen in the race, Kemboi would claim Olympic gold the following year. A couple of weeks later, Shahen would one up him again by setting what is still the current world record in the event. Shaheen would repeat as champion in 2005, again over Kemboi, but would then disappear from the scene. After three straight silver medals, Kemboi would finally take gold in 2009, beginning a legendary winning streak of four straight gold medals and seven straight gold or silver medals through 2015 and another Olympic gold in 2012. Each of those victories was marked with a celebration victory dance and the same sprint between the fourth and third remaining barriers that he learned from Shaheen in this race.

Heats.

Held on Saturday 2003-08-23  <br>  <br

These are the official results of the Men's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in Paris, France. There were a total number of 36 participating athletes, with three qualifying heats and the final held on Tuesday 2003-08-26 at 21:30h.


Personal background.

Abu Izzadeen is a British citizen born on 18 April 1975 in Hackney, east London, to a Christian family originally from Jamaica. Brooks converted to Islam the day before he turned 18, on 17 April 1993, changing his name to Omar, but preferring to be called Abu Izzadeen. He is fluent in Arabic.  He trained and worked for a while as an electrician. He has three children with his wife, Mokhtaria, whom he married in 1998.

Political activities.

Abu Izzadeen met Omar Bakri Muhammed and Abu Hamza al-Masri at Finsbury Park Mosque in the 1990s; this is when he is thought to have been radicalised. He visited Pakistan in 2001, before the 11 September attacks, as part of Al-Muhajiroun; he said he went there to give a series of lectures. He also said he had attended terror training camps in Afghanistan.  He described the 7/7 suicide bombers in London as "completely praiseworthy". On the eve of the anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London, he was filmed preaching to a group of Muslims in Birmingham mocking and laughing at those who believe in the war on terror and who feel a need to resist Islamic terrorism. He also mocked the courage of journalists who were captured by insurgents. He has openly stated that he wishes to die as a suicide bomber.  On 20 September 2006, Abu Izzadeen and Anjem Choudary disrupted Home Secretary John Reid's first public meeting with Muslims since his appointment. He called Reid an "enemy" of Islam. John Humphrys interviewed Izzadeen on the edition of 22 September 2006 of BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme. In a heated discussion Abu Izzadeen stated that his aim was to bring about Sharia law in the UK and that this should be achieved without following the democratic process but rather "in accordance to the Islamic methodology".  On 22 March 2017, Izzadeen was incorrectly identified as the perpetrator of the 2017 Westminster attack by a number of news sources, including "Channel 4 News" and "The Independent", until it emerged that he was still in prison. This incorrect information was subsequently added to Izzadeen's Wikipedia page, sparking a conflict among editors over whether it should be included. It was removed once and for all eight hours after the attack, after Channel 4 apologized for incorrectly naming Izzadeen as the attack's perpetrator.

Arrests and convictions (2007–15).

British police arrested Abu Izadeen on charges of inciting terrorism on 2 August 2007. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the arrest is related to an "on-going inquiry," involving a speech Abu Izadeen gave in the West Midlands area in 2006, which predates 20 September 2006 incident.  Izzadeen was arrested again in a pre-dawn police raid on 24 April 2007 under the Terrorism Act 2000 "in connection with inciting others to commit acts of terrorism overseas and terrorist fundraising". On 17 April 2008, Izzadeen was among six men convicted at Kingston Crown Court of supporting terrorism, while the jury failed to reach a verdict on a third charge of encouraging terrorism. He was subsequently jailed for three and a half years.  On 14 November 2015, Izzadeen and Sulayman Keeler were detained by police in Lőkösháza, Hungary, on a train heading to Bucharest, Romania, because they were not able to identify themselves. During the time of their detention, on 17 November 2015, a European Arrest Warrant appeared in the Schengen Information System against both individuals. The two men did not inform the British authorities about leaving the UK despite the court decision ordering them to do so.

Abu Izzadeen (, "Abū ‘Izz ad-Dīn", born Trevor Richard Brooks, (born 18 April 1975), is a British spokesman for Al Ghurabaa, a British Muslim organisation banned under the Terrorism Act 2006 for the glorification of terrorism. He was convicted on charges of terrorist fund-raising and inciting terrorism overseas on 17 April 2008, and sentenced to four and a half years in jail. He was released in May 2009, after serving three and a half years, including time on remand. In January 2016, he was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for breaching the Terrorism Act by leaving the UK illegally.


Development.

Joseph "Joe" Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Salvatore "Sal" Vulcano, four friends from Staten Island, New York, who attended Monsignor Farrell High School, formed the live improv and sketch comedy troupe The Tenderloins in 1999.  After a long and successful history, including winning the $100,000 grand prize in NBC's "It's Your Show" competition, the group went into television. In 2008, they filmed a pilot episode for a scripted sitcom for Spike TV, but the show did not go to series. TruTV announced "Impractical Jokers", originally slated to be named "Mission: Uncomfortable", on April 12, 2011, eight months before the show's debut. Murray explained how the hidden camera format made sense based on the jokesters' skills. "We needed to find the right format... thing is, we've been doing this for years, but when it's on camera, the embarrassment is amplified." Quinn and Vulcano have said when they gave their pilot episode to TruTV, it was recorded on their iPhones. At the time that they pitched the idea to TruTV, Murray was VP of Development for NorthSouth Productions, the company that has produced the series since its inception.

Episodes.

Prior to every challenge, the Jokers explain where they are, what the challenge is, and what will happen if they fail. Often (but not always) the cast member(s) performing the prank wears an earpiece, while the others have a mic in a covert location. Cameras are hidden near the area to capture the action. The challenge location is usually a public area in or around New York City such as a city park, or store. The criteria of each challenge are the same for each of the Jokers competing in the round. If the Joker cannot complete their task, they get a thumbs-down. At the end of the episode, the Joker(s) with the most thumbs down receives a punishment. Punishments are usually more embarrassing, humiliating, disgusting, painful, scary, or dangerous than any of the other challenges. Punishments cannot be refused or the Joker will be kicked off the show.  As of the 2017–18 television season, the series is syndicated to American broadcast stations by Trifecta Entertainment & Media, with a clearance rate of 85% of television homes.

Cast.

The cast consists of four long-time friends, collectively on the show referred to as "Jokers".

Critical reception.

"Impractical Jokers" has been well received by most critics, with Linda Stasi of the "New York Post" calling it "possibly the funniest, most ridiculous show I've seen in years."  While it has been compared to earlier hit prank shows such as "Candid Camera" and "Jackass", critics have offered praise for its unique twist on the genre, wherein the stars' reactions to the pranks are often equally as humorous as those of the innocent bystanders. Neil Genzlinger of "The New York Times" stated that "the gag pays off twice: once in the reaction of the unsuspecting passer-by, once in the discomfort of the fellow doing the asking." He later wrote that the cast-members' occasional integrity [kept] these four clowns a little bit lovable." Dean Robbins of "The Daily Page" echoed this sentiment, stating that "the friends are jovial rather than Jackass-obnoxious, even rejecting some dares as too offensive."  The series has been generally well received, garnering 1.5 million viewers during its December 15, 2011, premiere.  The review of the show by "Variety"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Brian Lowry was less positive, ending with this statement: "Nobody will ever confuse "Impractical Jokers" with high art, certainly, but as low-brow, micro-cost comedy in the context of TruTV's programming resources, it's actually quite practical—and occasionally funny."

Promotions.

Live performances are available for fans of the Impractical Jokers television show to experience their performances live. The cast of Impractical Jokers offers tour dates and an Impractical Jokers Cruise starring The Tenderloins comedy troupe. The Impractical Jokers Cruise is ready for its 4th comical adventure. 2,300 Impractical Jokers fans will board a cruise ship from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. The cruise is 4 days of hilarious activities hosted by Impractical Jokers Joe, Sal, Q, and Murr along with theme nights every night. In addition, fans will have access to an exclusive Tenderloins performance, 2 never before seen Tenderloins activities, and multiple comedy showcases with a lineup of comedians.

Spin-offs.

"Jokers Wild".

Jokers Wild was a spin-off of the original series in which the guys filmed a different style of skits that differ from ones that they normally film for the show. These skits are story type as opposed to live interaction with people. The first episode of "Jokers Wild" aired on September 25, 2014. Only four episodes of the six that were filmed for this series ever aired on truTV as the show did not do well in the ratings and was cancelled after the 4 episodes aired.

"Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes".

Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes is a spin-off of "Impractical Jokers" in which episodes that have already aired are shown again with pop-up facts throughout, including behind-the-scenes stories and facts directly from the Jokers. The first episode of "Impractical Jokers: Inside Jokes" aired on July 14, 2016, following the mid-season British special.

"Impractical Jokers: After Party".

Impractical Jokers: After Party is a spin-off hosted by Joey Fatone, in which the Jokers and surprise guests go through a deep dive of challenges, special play-by-play punishment analysis from the latest episode, and bonus content from the latest episode or the whole show. The first episode of the series aired on August 3, 2017, after the episode "The Q-Pay" had aired. "After Party" is filmed at The Flagship Brewing Company bar in Staten Island. When the series came back on August 2, 2018, the series moved to The Mailroom Bar in Lower Manhattan.

"Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party".

Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party is a spin-off of "Impractical Jokers", in which the Jokers do a video group chat while having dinner and having guests visit their group chat. The first episode of the series aired on May 21, 2020.

Film.

On March 7, 2018, truTV announced that "Impractical Jokers" was renewed for an eighth season and a feature-length film to begin development in spring 2018, directed by Chris Henchy and produced by Funny or Die. Production on the film began at the end of April 2018. A trailer was released on December 17, 2019, and the movie was released on February 21, 2020.

Impractical Jokers is an American hidden camera reality game show with improvisational elements. Produced by NorthSouth Productions, "Impractical Jokers" premiered on truTV on December 15, 2011 starring the four members of The Tenderloins: Joseph "Joe" Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn and Salvatore "Sal" Vulcano.


The offensive.

Tahrir al-Sham-led offensive south and east of Halfaya.

On 21 March 2017, the rebel offensive code-named the "Battle of Tell Them to Work" was launched when two Tahrir al-Sham suicide bombers detonated two large car bombs against government positions in the town of Suran. Rebel forces led by Tahrir al-Sham then proceeded to attack Suran and the nearby villages of Maardis and Ma'an. The rebels captured the three villages by 22 March, but this was denied by Hezbollah. The pro-opposition activist group the SOHR confirmed the rebel capture of Suran and parts of Maardis. The village of Khitab was also captured. According an SAA Tiger Force commander, there were about 6,000 HTS and allied militants involved in the offensive. In response to the rebel offensive, the Syrian Army sent reinforcements to the northern Hama frontline. The rebels aimed to capture Jabal Zayn al-Abidin and attack the Hama Military Airport, and reportedly advanced to within 7 kilometers of Hama city.  On 23 March, rebels captured the villages of Kawkab and Iskandariyah, stormed Maardis, and cut off the road linking Mahardah to Hama. The advances that day brought HTS-led forces within 5 kilometers of Hama city. Pro-government al-Masdar News claimed that the rebels carried out a massacre of Alawites in the village of al-Majdal, killing up to 30 of them. According to an opposition source, Sham FM radio reported that this was denied by Mohaled Hazzouri, the governor of Hama. Later that day, the Syrian Army recaptured Kawkab. Al-Masdar News also reported that Khattab and one other village were recaptured amid an ongoing counter-offensive.

Syrian Army repels Ahrar al-Sham-led offensive on Kernaz.

On 24 March, six rebel factions led by Ahrar al-Sham launched a separate offensive, code-named the "Echo of the Levant", on the northwestern front of Hama, with the goal to surround and capture Karnaz. However, after managing to initially capture three villages, the rebels were forced to retreat due to heavy artillery shelling.

Rebel attack on Qomhana and Syrian Army advance near Mahardah.

On 24 March, the rebels attacked the town of Qomhana, north of Hama. Following an attack by three suicide car-bombers, the rebels managed to penetrate the town's defenses and heavy fighting ensued inside it. However, the rebel attack was eventually repelled after the Army encircled the rebels inside Qomhana and cleared them out. The same day, the Syrian Army recaptured the village of Shayzar, near Mahardah.  On 25 March, on the Maarzaf front, fighters of the Army of Glory used a BGM-71 TOW missile against a group of Syrian Army soldiers, scoring a direct hit. They claimed to had killed over 150 soldiers; however, sources on the ground gave a count of between 14 and 20 casualties. Elsewhere, the rebels started a new attack on Qomhana, which also involved a suicide bombing. Kawkab was once again captured by the rebels for several hours, before the Army retook it once again, as well as Tall al Abadi hill south of Maardes.  On 26 March, after a new morning rebel attack was repelled on Qomhana's western flank, the HTS rebels withdrew their forces to the cemetery area outside the town. The Syrian Army then attacked the cemetery area, overrunning HTS positions that afternoon. Subsequently, the Army captured the nearby hilltop of Tal Al-Sammam and its three checkpoints. They then started preparing to enter Khitab, which was reportedly empty but still not safe due to the large presence of rebels around the village. In the evening, HTS-led forces launched another three-hour rebel assault on Qomhana. Despite the rebels initially managing to penetrate the Syrian Army's first defense line on the town's northern flank, Army reinforcements from the east and the west reportedly managed to besiege the rebel forces in Qomhana's north, killing a large number of them, and forcing the rest to retreat.  On 27 March, the Army recaptured a village south of Mahardah. The military also reportedly seized the Mahardah bridge, reaching the outskirts of the village of Arzeh.

Second Ahrar al-Sham-led attack repelled.

On 28 March, the rebels launched a new assault on two flanks north of Mahardah, capturing the Al-Qaramitah area. They also seized Tall Al-Sakhr hill, Al-Sakhir village and the nearby grain silos near Kernaz. However, the attack was eventually repelled later in the day, as the Syrian Army regained all the lost positions at Al-Qaramitah and Sakhir. Three Syrian Army tanks were destroyed or damaged by BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles during the day's fighting.

Syrian Army counterattack and rebels pushed back.

On 29 March, HTS-led forces captured Tal Shihah hill, south of Khitab, bringing HTS-led jihadists within 3 kilometers of Hama city. Concurrently, the Army counter-attacked north of Qomhana and recaptured several positions, including Saman hill. Later in the day, the military also recaptured Tal Shihah. Subsequently, the Syrian army captured the strategic hilltop of Tal Bizam, north of Suran. The next day, the Syrian Army captured six locations, including the town of Arzah and Point 50, to the south west of Qomhana and south of Khitab. Meanwhile, another rebel attack on the northwestern front was repelled. On 30 March, a government airstrike hit al-Lataminah. More than 70 people in the area were then exposed to an unidentified chemical agent and showed symptoms of nausea, agitation, foaming, muscle spasm, and miosis (constriction of the pupil of the eye); cardiac arrest occurred in two of the victims and an orthopedic doctor died.  On 31 March, the Syrian army recaptured Khitab and five other villages along with several hills and checkpoints. They also reopened the Hama-Mhardheh highway and pushed back the rebels to positions 11 kilometers from Hama Military Airport.

Back-and-forth fighting and the Syrian Army reaches Suran.

On 3 April, the Syrian Army recaptured the town of Maardis, along with the nearby silos and hills. Subsequently, they shifted their assault and reclaimed the village of Iskanderiyah and Maardis bridge. A government aircraft was reported to carry out a chlorine gas attack on Al-Habit, injuring dozens and killing two children. The next day, the rebels counter-attacked against Maardis and recaptured it after more than nine hours of heavy fighting. The initial rebel assault involved three suicide car-bombers, according to pro-government sources. The town of Khan Shaykoun was reported to have been struck by an airstrike by government forces followed by massive civilian chemical poisoning. The release of a toxic gas, which included sarin, or a similar substance, killed at least 89 people and injured more than 541, according to the opposition Idlib Health Directorate. The attack was the deadliest use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war since the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013.  On 5 April, Maardis was once again contested, although by the afternoon the rebels managed to push back government forces and retain control of the town. Subsequently, a rebel suicide car-bomber attacked the government-held hill of Tall Abadah, 1,500 meters southeast of Maardis, reportedly immobilizing a tank. At the same time, the Army captured a checkpoint near Halfaya and managed to penetrate the town from the west. However, the rebels regained the lost ground at Halfaya later in the day, while also recapturing Iskandariyah.  On 7 April, around noon, the rebels advanced and captured several positions south of Maardis. However, this turned out to be a trap set up by the Army with dozens of rebel reported killed. After several hours of clashes, the military recaptured the positions they had lost, in addition to Iskandariyah which they attacked from two flanks. Three days later, government troops recaptured Maardis as well. Fighting continued on 11 April, as the Army seized the “Russian Regiment” base, south of Suran.

All rebel gains reversed.

On 14 April, the military launched an attack toward Halfaya, capturing several checkpoints south of the town. At the same time, the Army shelled rebel positions around Suran and Taybat al-Imam. However, despite these initial advances, the Army was eventually pushed back from Halfaya after suffering heavy casualties. Two tanks were also captured by the rebels.  On 16 April, following over 40 air-strikes against rebel supply lines the previous night, the Syrian Army recaptured Suran after 10 hours of intense fighting, thus reversing all rebel gains during the offensive. Several hours later, the rebels fired more than 40 Grad rockets towards Hama Military Airport, destroying a MIG-23 fighter jet and several large ammo depots.

Army push into rebel territory; Taybat al-Imam and Halfaya captured.

On 17 April, the military launched an attack on Taybat al-Imam and reportedly captured a checkpoint at the eastern entrance to the town.  On 20 April, heavy fighting erupted in the areas of Taybat al-Imam and Halfaya, as government forces tried to capture both towns. Over the previous 48 hours, more than 400 air-strikes were conducted in the northern Hama countryside. Eventually, government troops managed to capture Taybat al-Imam and pushed further west towards Halfaya, taking a checkpoint. Subsequently, the rebels launched a counter-attack and managed to recapture large parts of Taybat al-Imam. However, after intense clashes that lasted several hours during the night, the military managed to push back the rebels and retain control of the town.  On 22 April, the Army expanded the buffer zone around Taybat al-Imam with new advances. The next morning, the Syrian Army captured Halfaya and began operations to capture Morek. These advances left government forces once again in control of all areas they had lost during the rebel's previous offensive in late 2016.  On 24 April, the Army continued its advance north towards Al-Lataminah and Morek. In the process, the SAA captured two or four more villages and a checkpoint, thus reaching the outskirts of Lataminah. The next day, the rebels partially recaptured Al-Massasnah in a counter-attack, before the Syrian Army regained their positions in the town the following morning, while also capturing the village of Zullaqiat, north of Halfaya. On 28 April, rebel forces again assaulted Al-Massasnah, but their attack was eventually repelled.

Aftermath.

On 19 September 2017, Tahrir al-Sham, the Turkistan Islamic Party, and their allies launched a new offensive in northern Hama under the codename "Oh Servants of God, Be Steadfast". The rebels initially captured four villages, but after back-and-forth fighting during which the villages changed hands several times, government forces recaptured all of the villages by 22 September. 66 rebels and 38 soldiers were killed during the offensive, while more than 40 civilians were killed in nearly 500 air-strikes on about 40 towns and villages in retaliation for the rebel offensive.

The Hama offensive (March–April 2017) was a military offensive launched by Syrian rebel groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) north of the city of Hama, as part of the Syrian Civil War. The offensive began on 21 March 2017, and the rebels aimed to recapture areas recaptured by the Syrian Armed Forces in the 2016 Hama offensive, as well as pushing into Hama city. The offensive was coordinated with rebel forces in Damascus' eastern suburbs, who launched their own operation in March 2017.


Club career.

Stoke City.

Lund started his career at Crewe Alexandra's Academy. He joined Stoke City in the summer of 2009 along with fellow Crewe teammate Ben Marshall. Unlike Marshall who went out on loan Lund stayed at Stoke and played in the reserve team. He had a number of impressive displays in the reserve squad most notably against Portsmouth where Lund scored three times and created two. His first appearance on the Stoke bench came in a Premier League game against Burnley in February 2010.  Lund joined Jamie Pitman at Hereford United on a months loan on 23 November 2010 where he will make his professional debut. He made his debut in a 2–2 draw with Lincoln City in the FA Cup. He made his league debut in a 1–0 loss to Bradford City on 11 December 2010.  In July 2011 Lund joined League One side Oldham Athletic on loan until 21 November 2011. Lund made his debut for the club with an assist in a 1–0 pre season victory against Fleetwood Town and his competitive club debut on the first day of the 2011–12 season, starting the Football League match against Sheffield United. He was recalled by Stoke from his loan at Oldham on 9 September as Lund was not getting played in the first team.  On 30 January 2012 Lund joined Bristol Rovers on a months loan, scoring his first two senior goals for his final loan appearance for the club. In July 2012 he re-joined Bristol Rovers on loan following a successful spell. He scored on his final appearance of his second loan spell in a 2–1 win over Plymouth Argyle. He joined Southend United on loan in February 2013. He played 13 games for the Shrimpers scoring once against Northampton Town. He was released by Stoke at the end of the 2012–13 season.

Rochdale.

Lund joined Rochdale on 21 June 2013 signing a two-year contract.  On 31 October 2014, Lund signed a contract extension tying him to the club until summer 2016.  On 17 December 2016, Lund scored his first career hat-trick, scoring all three of Rochdale's goals in a 3–2 win against Northampton Town.

Burton Albion.

On 19 May 2017, Lund joined Burton Albion signing a two-year contract after his four-year spell at Rochdale. He scored his first goal for Burton in a 3–2 EFL Cup win against Oldham Athletic on 9 August 2017.  On 26 January 2018, Matty joined Bradford City on loan for the rest of the season.

Scunthorpe United.

On 3 August 2018, Matty joined Scunthorpe United for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-year deal with the club.

Rochdale Return.

On 31 January 2020, Lund returned to Rochdale for an undisclosed fee, signing a 18-month contract.

International career.

Lund was called up to the Northern Ireland Under 21 side for the first time in February 2011. He was called up to the senior Northern Ireland squad for a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Romania in November 2014. He was called up again in August 2016 for a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic.

Matthew Charles Lund (born 21 November 1990) is an English-born Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for English club Rochdale.


History.

The Church in the name of the Holy Ascension in Chaltyr village was founded in 1790 by Armenians who resettled in Don from Crimea on the decree of Empress Catherine II issued on November 14, 1779.  This stone church had a wooden bell tower. Over time, it became dilapidated. The parishioners of Chaltyr village applied to the Novo-Nakhichevan and Bessarabian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church for permission to build a new church.  The permission was granted and in 1860 construction of a new church began. It was built on the project of Taganrog architect N. Muratov in Classicist style. The old church was demolished and at its site the building of parish school was constructed.  In 1883, the church was renovated. 12 new pedestals with saints' faces were built and three new doors with multi-colored stained-glass windows were installed. The church territory was surrounded with a forged fence.  During World War II, the church was closed and the building itself was used in different ways. In 1944 the church was reopened. In 1990 there was installed a khachkar, a copy of the khachkar of 1279, which is located in Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia. The inscription on the pedestal khachkar says that it was installed in memory of the Turkish Genocide of Armenians in 1915.

Architecture.

The building was constructed in the form of a cross. It has slender proportions and architectural elements typical for churches in Nakhichevan. The high four-tier bell tower is similar to those of St. John the Baptist Church in the village of Nesvetay, and its side premises were constructed in the form of small rooms with exedra.

The Church of the Ascension (, ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Chaltyr village, Myasnikovsky District, Rostov Oblast, Russia.


Early life.

Henry Howard was born on February 8, 1818 in Cork, Ireland. He emigrated to the United States in 1836, first living in New York City. Within a year, he joined his brother in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Career.

Howard first worked as a builder/carpenter in New Orleans, where he built residential stairs. He was employed by architects James H. Dakin and Henry Molhausen. A few years later, he completed the Pontalba Buildings, started by James Gallier.  By 1848, he designed the Madewood Plantation House near Napoleonville. He went on to design several other plantation mansions, such as Nottoway (1859, the largest surviving plantation house in the South), Belle Alliance, Indian Camp Plantation (1859), Belmont Plantation in St. James Parish, and Edgewood (1859) in Natchez, Mississippi.  Howard also designed town houses like the Samuel W. Logan House, the Robert H. Short House and the Goldsmith-Godchaux House (1859). The Goldsmith-Godchaux House is "significant for its painted interiors. Has more fresco wall decoration and stenciling than probably any other mid-nineteenth century residence in the South."  In at least a few of these projects, Howard worked with a partner, Albert Diettel, including Edgewood and possibly Indian Camp Plantation.  During the American Civil War of 1861-1865, Howard joined the Confederate States Navy and worked at the Confederate Naval Iron Works in Columbus, Georgia.  After the war, Howard resumed designing houses. Over the course of his career, he designed over 280 buildings, some of which were wrongly attributed to James Gallier.

Personal life and death.

Howard married Miss Richards of New York; they had 11 children. He died of paralysis on November 25, 1884, in New Orleans.

Henry Howard (1818–1884) was an Irish-born American architect. Over the course of four decades, he designed over 280 buildings in Louisiana, including several plantation houses during the antebellum era. After the Civil War, he designed many town houses in New Orleans.


Content.

A departure from their previous two albums, "Pygmalion" incorporated a more experimental sound tilted towards ambient electronic music, with sparse, atmospheric arrangements. All compositions were by Neil Halstead. Lyrics on tracks "Miranda" and "Visions of LA" were by Rachel Goswell.  The cover illustration features imagery from Rainer Wehinger's graphic notation for György Ligeti's work "Artikulation" (1958).

Reissue.

The album was remastered and reissued on Cherry Red in 2010, with a bonus disc consisting of demo versions of "Pygmalion"-era tracks.

Reception.

"Pygmalion" has been well-received by critics. AllMusic called it "a stylistic masterpiece", while BBC Music echoed similar sentiments, writing that "Pygmalion" "remains Halstead and Goswell's masterpiece" and comparing it to the ambient work of Brian Eno. "Head Heritage" wrote that with the album, "Slowdive distilled the expansive aural atmospheres of "Souvlaki" to perfection."  "Pitchfork" noted the change in style, describing the album's tracks as "ambient pop dreams that have more in common with post-rock like Disco Inferno than shoegazers like Ride".  A negative review came from "Trouser Press", which wrote that the album "completely lacks all the tension, songwriting, sounds and power of the band's work, leaving only the spatial dimensions", calling it "essentially a solo ambient recording by singer/guitarist Neil Halstead that should have been released under his own name".

Legacy.

The song "Blue Skied an' Clear" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1995 film "The Doom Generation".  In 1999, critic Ned Raggett ranked "Pygmalion" at number 122 on his list of "The Top 136 or So Albums of the Nineties" for "Freaky Trigger". In 2016, "Pitchfork" placed it at number 12 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".

Personnel.

Slowdive  Additional personnel

Pygmalion is the third studio album by English rock band Slowdive, released on 6 February 1995 by record label Creation. It was the final Slowdive album to be released before the band disbanded in 1995.


Early life.

The identity of John's mother is not known, nor is his date of birth. However, since Katherine, Richard III's other illegitimate child, was old enough to be wedded in 1484 and John was old enough to be knighted in September 1483 in York Minster (when his half brother Edward, Richard's only legitimate heir, was invested Prince of Wales) and to be made Captain of Calais in March 1485, most historians agree these 2 children were fathered during Richard's teen years. There is no trace of infidelity on Richard's part after his marriage in 1472, when he was around 20.  Dr Ashdown-Hill suggests that John was conceived during Richard's first solo expedition to the eastern counties in the summer of 1467 at the invitation of John Howard and that the boy was born in 1468 and named after his friend and supporter. Richard himself noted John was still a minor (not being yet 21) when he issued the royal patent appointing him Captain of Calais on 11 March 1485, possibly on his seventeenth birthday.  An order referring to his appointment as Captain of Calais calls him "John de Pountfreit Bastard." Because of this, it has been suggested that he was born at Pontefract. Michael Hicks has suggested that John's mother was Alice Burgh, who was granted an annuity of 20 pounds when Richard was at Pontefract on 1 March 1474; the grant states that it was made for "certain special causes and considerations." Another candidate is Katherine Haute, who Rosemary Horrox has suggested was a mistress of Richard and possibly the mother of Richard's illegitimate daughter Katherine, who married William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. Horrox notes that Richard granted Katherine Haute an annuity of five pounds in 1477. It is unknown, however, whether Katherine and John had the same mother. They were both half-siblings of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales.

Career.

John was one of two persons knighted on 8 September 1483 in York during the celebrations which invested his half-brother Edward of Middleham as Prince of Wales.  John is known to have been in Calais by November 1484 and was officially appointed Captain of Calais by his father on 11 March 1485. His letter of appointment has Richard referring to him as "our dear bastard son". The patent appointing John gave him all of the necessary powers of his position, except of appointing officers, which it reserved until he turned twenty-one; it does not indicate how close to turning twenty-one he was. A warrant dated 9 March 1485 to deliver clothing to "the Lord Bastard" probably refers to John.

Under Henry VII.

After Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field (22 August 1485), Henry VII removed John from the position of Captain of Calais, but did not further persecute him and, on 1 March 1486, granted him an annual income of 20 pounds sterling.  In his confession, Perkin Warbeck stated that when he began his impersonation of Richard, Duke of York, in 1491, "King Richard's bastard son was in the hands of the king of England." In the seventeenth century, an early defender of Richard III, George Buck, claimed that around the time of the executions of Warbeck and Edward, Earl of Warwick, in 1499, "there was a base son of King Richard III made away, and secretly, having been kept long before in prison." Buck, who does not identify John by name, claims that he was executed to prevent him from falling into the hands of certain Irishmen who wished to make him their chief or prince. There are no other sources for John's execution.

John of Gloucester (or John of Pontefract) (1468–1499 (based on historical hypothesis)) was a son of King Richard III of England. John is so called because his father was Duke of Gloucester at the time of his birth. His father appointed him Captain of Calais, a position he lost after his father's death. He seems to have been held in custody at some point during the reign of Henry VII and may have been executed around 1499.


Background.

Situated in the Andes, the department of Putumayo is notorious for deadly landslides. The region's mountainous terrain and frequent rainfall makes it prone to such disasters. Much the same as the Himalayas, the Andean mountains in this region have ultra steep drops, from over 5,000 meters to 500 meters within 50–100 km, with that kind of drop, heavy rains tend to take boulders at high speeds along with them (locally called "huaycos"), not just water. Throughout much of the first three months of 2017, the northwestern coast of South America saw above-average rainfall, leading to deadly floods in Peru and Ecuador. The rainy season in Colombia typically begins in mid-March and continues through mid-June. March 2017 proved unusually wet, with areas around Mocoa receiving 150 percent the average monthly rainfall.

Disaster.

On 31 March 2017, moist tropical air from the Atlantic Ocean flowed west across the Amazon toward the Andes. A broad swath of ample precipitable water, or atmospheric moisture, extended across this region. During the evening hours, a slow-moving mesoscale convective complex developed within this region and produced heavy rainfall in southern Colombia. Infrared satellite imagery from GOES-13 depicted cloud tops of, indicating the storms were capable of producing torrential rain. With the system moving perpendicular to tall mountains, orographic influence likely enhanced rainfall and further contributed to the subsequent disaster. According to residents, the rain became particularly intense between 11:00 p.m. and 1 a.m. local time. A total of of rain fell during the event, largely within a few hours. This caused the Mocoa, Sangoyaco and Mulato rivers to overflow and send mudflows towards residences and infrastructure in the city of Mocoa by 3:00 a.m.  Neighborhoods built along the banks of the aforementioned rivers were completely devastated. Numerous poorly constructed homes were leveled, and large portions of the city were left buried in several feet of mud. The disaster adversely affected 17 of the city's neighborhoods, with the mayor of Mocoa, José Antonio Castro, stating some areas "[had] basically been erased". The Independencia neighborhood was entirely destroyed. Approximately 45,000 people were directly affected throughout the city.  At least 329 people are known to have died in the disaster. An additional 332 were injured and a further 70 were missing. At least 22 of the injured were in a "delicate health situation" and transferred to Neiva. Another 21 victims were flown to Popayán.

Aftermath.

President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency and stated that his "heart and the hearts of all Colombians are with the victims of this tragedy." More than 1,100 soldiers and police officers deployed to assist in search and rescue efforts. Santos labeled the incident "a disaster caused by nature, by climate change." A temporary morgue was established to handle the large number of deceased. The Colombian Red Cross activated its National Crisis Room in response to the disaster and deployed a team of 47 people to assist in recovery. Hospitals in the city were overwhelmed with the influx of patients, and much of the area was left without power and water.  By 2 April, more than 2,500 personnel — including 1,400 soldiers and 800 police officers — were scouring debris for survivors. The army provided 63 vehicles, 10 helicopters, 7 boats, and 6 planes for the rescue operation. Médecins Sans Frontières deployed an assessment team to the affected area on 2 April.  FARC rebels offered to help rebuild town.

The Mocoa landslide was a natural disaster that took place in 2017. During the pre-dawn hours of 1 April 2017, locally heavy rain triggered flash flooding and landslides in the city of Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia, killing at least 336 people, injuring 400, and leaving 200 others missing. It is the third-deadliest weather-related disaster in Colombian history, and is regarded as the worst catastrophe in the history of Mocoa.


World War II.

The fate of the Jews of Pławno was sealed in 1942. Mayoral orders are quoted below.  22 January 1942  It is impossible to create a residential quarter for Jews (Ghetto) within the local district because there are 460 Jews in the district of Pławno, and the Pławno borough itself is too small to lodge that amount in a body. Moreover, the farmers residing here could not be removed from their dwellings and farm buildings. It would only be practicable to resettle the Jews from here to Ghetto in Radomsko.  In German: "Es ist unmöglich innerhalb der hiesigen Gemeinde ein Judenwohnviertel (Ghetto) zu schaffen, weil die Gem. Pławno 460 Juden zählt und die Ortschaft Pławno is selbst zu klein, um in ihr diese Menge zusammen unterbringen zu können. Überdies könnten die hier wohnhaften Landwirte nicht von ihren Wohnhäusern und Wirtschaftsgebäuden ausgeschieden werden. Möglich wäre nur die Sache die Juden von hier aus nach Ghetto in Radomsko umzusiedeln."  19 September 1942  "The resettlement of the Jews of Pławno to the Jewish residential quarter of the Pławno borough has to take place on 22 September 1942, until 18:00. The Jews must take all things and machines with them. The police take charge of the dwellings. No Jew must be present in the borough past the 22nd."  In German: "Die Umsiedlung der Juden aus Pławno in den jüdischen Wohnbezirk der Stadt Radomsko hat am 22. September 1942 zu erfolgen bis 18.00 Uhr. Die Juden haben sämtliche Sachen und Geräte mitzunehmen. Die Wohnungen werden von der Gendarmerie in Verwahr genommen. Nach dem 22. darf sich kein Jude mehr in der Ortschaft aufhalten."

References.

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Pławno is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gidle, within Radomsko County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. The village has a population of 1,200. It lies approximately north of Gidle, south of Radomsko, and south of the regional capital Łódź.


History.

The city was once known as "Bear Creek" or "Bear Creek Station", named after a creek that runs through the area. The town was moved, established and renamed in 1873 when the Central Railroad of Georgia was built approx. one mile to the east. It was named after Brig. General Wade Hampton, an American soldier in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.

Points of interest.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Atlanta Speedway Airport are located west of Hampton. The Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center, the Federal Aviation Administration's ARTCC for the airspace over Atlanta and other parts of the Southeast U.S., is located in Hampton.

Geography.

Hampton is located in southwestern Henry County at (33.381522, -84.289573).  U.S. Route 19/41, a four-lane highway, runs through the western side of the city, leading north to downtown Atlanta and south to Griffin. Georgia State Route 20 runs east from US 19/41 through the southern part of Hampton, leading to Interstate 75 and to McDonough.  According to the United States Census Bureau, Hampton has a total area of, of which are land and, or 0.86%, are water.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,857 people, 1,411 households, and 1,049 families living in the city. The population density was 899.6 people per square mile (347.1/km2). There were 1,525 housing units at an average density of 355.7 per square mile (137.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.16% White, 13.38% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.57% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.  There were 1,411 households out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.  In the city, the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $46,094, and the median income for a family was $48,310. Males had a median income of $37,750 versus $25,286 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,924. About 2.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Hampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987, up from 3,857 at the 2000 census. By 2018 the estimated population was 7,922. "Hampton" mailing addresses outside the city limits reach into rural parts of eastern Clayton County and northern Spalding County. It is a southeastern suburb in the Atlanta metropolitan area.