Composition.

Under Article 18 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann consists of 60 senators, composed as follows:  The general election for the Seanad must occur not later than 90 days after the dissolution of Dáil Éireann. The election occurs under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (in the panel constituencies each vote counts as 1000, allowing fractions of votes to be more easily transferred). Membership is open to all Irish citizens over 21, but a senator cannot also be a member of Dáil Éireann. However, as stated above, nomination to vocational panel seats is restricted; nomination in the University constituencies requires signatures of 10 graduates.  In the case of vacancies in the Vocational Panels, the electorate in the by-election consists of Oireachtas members only. Vacancies to the university seats are filled by the full electorate in that constituency.

Members of the 26th Seanad (2020–).

As well as the political party groupings, there are three technical groupings of independents in the current Seanad – the Civil Engagement group, the Independent Senators group, which contains all other independent senators except David Norris and Marie-Louise O'Donnell; and a Labour-Independent grouping including the four Labour Senators and Norris.

Powers.

The powers of Seanad Éireann are modelled loosely on those of the British House of Lords. It was intended to play an advisory and revising role rather than to be the equal of the popularly elected Dáil. While notionally every Act of the Oireachtas must receive its assent, it can only delay rather than veto decisions of the Dáil. In practice, however, the Seanad has an in-built government majority due to the Taoiseach's nominees. The constitution imposes the following specific limitations on the powers of the Seanad:  The Constitution does, however, grant to the Seanad certain means by which it may defend its prerogatives against an overly zealous Dáil:

Activities.

Seanad Éireann adopts its own standing orders and appoints its president, known as the Cathaoirleach ("Chair"). The Taoiseach appoints a senator to be Leader of the House and direct government business there. The Seanad establishes its own standing committees and select committee; senators also participate, along with TDs (members of the Dáil) in joint committees of the Oireachtas. A maximum of two senators may be ministers in the Government.

Historical origins.

Early precursors.

The first parliamentary upper house in Ireland was the House of Lords of the Parliament of Ireland. Like its British counterpart, this house consisted of hereditary nobles and bishops. After the abolition of the Irish Parliament under the Act of Union of 1800 no parliament existed in Ireland until the twentieth century.  In 1919 Irish nationalists established a legislature called "Dáil Éireann" but this body was unicameral and so had no upper house. In 1920 the Parliament of Southern Ireland was established by British law with an upper house called the Senate. The Senate of Southern Ireland consisted of a mixture of Irish peers and government appointees. The Senate convened in 1921 but was boycotted by Irish nationalists and so never became fully operational. It was formally abolished with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 but a number of its members were soon appointed to the new Free State senate.

Free State Seanad Éireann (1922–1936).

The name "Seanad Éireann" was first used as the title of the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. The first Seanad consisted of a mixture of members appointed by the President of the Executive Council and members indirectly elected by the Dáil, and W. T. Cosgrave agreed to use his appointments to grant extra representation to the state's Protestant minority. The procedures for election of senators were amended before the first Seanad election by the Constitution (Amendment No. 1) Act 1925. It was intended that eventually the entire membership of the Seanad would be directly elected by the public but after only one election, in 1925, this system was abandoned in favour of a form of indirect election. Initially casual vacancies in the Seanad were filled by vote of the remaining members. However this system was replaced under the Constitution (Amendment No. 11) Act 1929 by filling of vacancies by vote of both Dail and Seanad, the system that continues today for panel members. The Free State Seanad was abolished entirely in 1936 after it delayed some Government proposals for constitutional changes.

Constitution of Ireland (since 1937).

The modern Seanad Éireann was established by the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. When this document was adopted it was decided to preserve the titles of "Oireachtas", for the two houses of the legislature, in conjunction with the President, "Dáil Éireann" for the lower house, and "Seanad Éireann" for the upper house, the latter having been used during the Irish Free State. This new Seanad was considered to be the direct successor of the Free State Seanad and so the first Seanad convened under the new constitution was referred to as the "Second Seanad".  The new system of vocational panels used to nominate candidates for the Seanad was inspired by Roman Catholic social teaching of the 1930s, and in particular the 1931 papal encyclical "Quadragesimo anno". In this document Pope Pius XI argued that the Marxist concept of class conflict should be replaced with a vision of social order based on the co-operation and interdependence of society's various vocational groups.

Calls for reform.

Since 1928, twelve separate official reports have been published on reform of the Seanad. In the past the Progressive Democrats called for its abolition; however, in government, members of the party were nominated to the Seanad by the Taoiseach. The post-1937 body has been criticised on a number of grounds, including claims that it is weak and dominated by the Government of the day. There are also allegations of patronage in the selection of its members, with senators often being close allies of the Taoiseach or candidates who have failed to be elected to the Dáil. Many senators have subsequently been elected as TDs.  Irish universities have a long tradition of electing independent candidates. Some, like the pressure group Graduate Equality, argue that the franchise for electing university senators should be extended to the graduates of all third level institutions. Others believe that this does not go far enough and that at least some portion of the Seanad should be directly elected by all adult citizens. Calls have also been made for the Seanad to be used to represent Irish emigrants or the people of Northern Ireland. In 1999 the Reform Movement called for some of the Taoiseach's nominations to be reserved for members of the Irish-British minority, and other minorities such as members of the Travelling Community and recently arrived immigrants. The Seventh Amendment in 1979 altered the provisions of Article 18.4 to allow for a redistribution of the university seats to any other institutes of higher education in the state, although no change has in fact taken place since then.

Referendum on abolition.

In October 2009, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny stated his intention that a Fine Gael government would abolish the Seanad, and along with reducing the number of TDs by 20, it would "save an estimated €150m over the term of a Dáil." During the 2011 election campaign, Labour, Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party also supported abolition of the Seanad, while Fianna Fáil supported a referendum on the issue. The programme of the Fine Gael–Labour coalition, which came to power at the election, sought to abolish the Seanad as part of a broader programme of constitutional reform, but lost a referendum on the matter in October 2013 by 51.7% to 48.3%.

Members from Northern Ireland.

Taoisigh have often included people from Northern Ireland among their eleven nominees, such as John Robb (served 1982–89), Seamus Mallon (1982–83) of the SDLP, Bríd Rodgers (1983–87) also of the SDLP, peace campaigner Gordon Wilson (1993–97), businessman Edward Haughey (1994–2002), and Maurice Hayes (1997–2002).  Sam McAughtry was elected to the Industrial and Commercial Panel in a by-election in February 1996. Niall Ó Donnghaile was elected in April 2016 as a Sinn Féin senator for the Administrative Panel while serving on Belfast City Council. Ian Marshall, a farmer and activist from a Unionist background, was elected to the Agricultural Panel in a by-election in April 2018.

Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).

Seanad Éireann () je horní komora, senát, Oireachtasu (irské legislativy), který také zahrnuje prezidenta Irska a Dáil Éireann (dolní komora). Členové senátu jsou nazýváni senátoři (). Na rozdíl od Dáil Éireann není přímo volen, ale skládá se ze směsice členů, kteří jsou vybráni různými metodami. Pravomoci Seanad Éireannu jsou mnohem slabší než Dáilu, může pouze pozdržet přijetí zákonů, s nimiž nesouhlasí, spíše než aby je úplně vetoval. Od svého vzniku má Seanad Éireann sídlo v Leinster House v Dublinu. Program vytvořený irskou vládou v roce 2011 se snaží zrušit senát jako součást širšího programu ústavní reformy.


Geographical location.

Wejherowo is located in Pomeralia, in the ethnocultural region of Kashubia, approximately west of the town of Rumia, east of the town of Lębork and north-west of the regional metropole of Gdańsk, in the broad glacial valley of the river Rheda at an altitude of above sea level.

History.

Wejherowo was founded in 1643 as "Wola Wejherowska" (literally "Wejher's Wola"), by the voivode of the Malbork Voivodeship, and Polish noble, Jakub Wejher (Jakob Weiher). It was translated in the colloquial German of the time as "Weihersfrey" or "Veyersfrey". According to the founder's will, the dwellers of the new settlement were to possess the same city rights as other towns in the region, hence the place granted Kulm law. The town's privileges, received in 1655, were confirmed by King John II Casimir Vasa of Poland.  Wejher, who survived the Smolensk War, built two churches in the new settlement (The Holy Trinity and Saint Ann). He also brought in Franciscan fathers, built a monastery, and founded a calvary, consisting of 26 chapels, aligned along the border of the town forest, which were built during 1646–55. According to the founder's written statement of 1655, all honorable persons, independent of their nationality, were invited to become citizens of the new settlement if they would pay a citizen fee of ten gulden each.  In the First Partition of Poland in 1772, in which the Kingdom of Prussia annexed most of Pomerelia, the town was incorporated into the Kingdom, and administered within the new province of West Prussia. Its name in German changed from "Weyersfrey" to "Neustadt in Westpreußen", a name which was in use also before. The affix "in West Prussia" was added to the town's name in order to avoid confusion with a number of other towns carrying the same name. Decisive factors which boosted the development of the town in the 19th century were the 1818 establishment of Landkreis Neustadt, an administrative district, and the construction of the Danzig (Gdańsk) – Stettin (Szczecin) railway line, to which Neustadt was connected with a train station in 1870. Neustadt became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany. During the second half of the 19th century, a significant number of Jewish families from the region began migrating to Syracuse, New York, including the renowned Shubert theatrical family. The Poles formed 59.3% of population in the district area of the city around this time. The city itself, however, was predominantly German with a Polish minority of 5 % in 1890.  In 1905 "Neustadt" had a Protestant church, two Catholic churches, a synagogue, a grammar school, a preparatory school for a training college for school teachers, a training college for evangelical school teachers, a mental asylum, a local court, a forest office, cigarette factories, sawmills, a brewery, a cattle trade and wood trade as well as grain trade. During the Partitions the German authorities led a systemic campaign of Germanization against local the Polish and Kashubian populations, which resisted by organizing the secret patriotic organization "Zwiazek Filomatow", distributing the Polish newspaper" Gazeta Gdanska," and by establishing various local economic initiatives.  Until 1919 Neustadt belonged to the administrative district of Regierungsbezirk Danzig in the Province of West Prussia in Germany. After World War I and the re-establishment of independent Poland, the town was integrated into the Second Polish Republic. Wejherowo was the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship, becoming a headquarters of state administration responsible for the maritime economy.  After the invasion of Poland at the beginning World War II, Wejherowo was annexed by the Third Reich and became part of Regierungsbezirk Danzig in the province of Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. Most of the town's Jewish community was murdered by the Nazis during the war, while many local Poles were also victims of the Nazi extermination policy. The nearby village of Piaśnica Wielka was the site of a mass murder where about 12,000 Poles were shot in 1939. In March 1945 Wejherowo was captured by the Red Army. After the war, in 1945, Wejherowo was reintegrated with Poland. Its first post-war mayor was Bernard Szczęsny, who during the German occupation was part of the Polish resistance movement, was imprisoned in the Stutthof concentration camp and escaped during the "death march".

International relations.

Wejherowo is twinned with:

Wejherowo (, ) is a city in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 50,310 inhabitants (2012). It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously, it was a city in Gdańsk Voivodeship (1975–1998).

Wejherowo (česky zastarale "Vejrovo") je město v Polsku v Pomořském vojvodství v okrese Wejherowo ve stejnojmenné gmině. Leží v historickém území Kašubska.


First foundation.

On the 28th of June, 1062, an hermitical fraternity was founded in Affligem by six knights who repented of their violent way of life. Hermann II, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1061–1085) and his guardian, Anno II, archbishop of Cologne (d. 1075) donated the foundation grounds. On this land, the first abbey church, dedicated to St Peter, was erected in 1083. The Benedictine Rule was adopted in 1085, followed by the formal dedication of the abbey in 1086.  The counts of Brabant, also counts of Leuven, became their protectors ("Vögte") in 1085/1086. A number of their family members are buried in the abbey church, including Queen Adeliza of England (d. 1151), as well as her father Duke Godfrey I of Leuven (d. 1139). Queen Adeliza was buried in the abbey church in 1151, near the clockwork.  During the 12th century, the abbey became known for the strict adoption of the Cluniac observance.  John Cotton, whose "De musica" (c. 1100-1121) is one of the earliest musical theses, covers the ecclesiastical use of monody in the organum and the roots of polyphony.  Saint Bernard of Clairvaux visited Affligem in 1146, where it is said his greeting to the Blessed Virgin was miraculously answered. In memory of this event, he donated his staff and chalice to the abbey (still preserved in the abbey).  Jan of Afflighem, Jan van Ruusbroec's Good Cook in the Groenendaal monastery near Brussels, was important for the survival of theology in the wake of the Black Death. His theology strongly influenced Gerard Groot, who taught Thomas à Kempis.  Several monasteries were founded by the monks of Affligem or assigned to the abbot of Affligem by their founder (i.e. Maria Laach Abbey in Germany).  In 1523, Affligem joined the Bursfelde Congregation, a union of Benedictine monasteries formed in the 15th century for the stricter observance of the Benedictine rule. In 1569, the Archbishop of Mechelen became secular abbot and the spiritual duty was exercised by a provost (praepositus), a measure that lasted until the dissolution of the abbey in 1796.  Archbishop Jacob Boonen introduced the Monte Cassino observance. At his insistence, the Prior of Affligem, Benedict van Haeften, founded in 1627 a new congregation, "B. M. V. in Templo Praesentat", which included Affligem and several other Belgian monasteries. It was dissolved in 1654.  In 1796, during the French occupation, the monks were chased away from the abbey, part of the buildings destroyed and the lands confiscated. The last provost, Beda Regaus, preserved the miraculous image of Our Lady, as well as the staff and chalice of Saint Bernard. These came into the possession of a Benedictine monk, Veremund Daens, who in 1838 established a new foundation at Dendermonde.

Second foundation.

In 1869/70, the abbey of Affligem was re-established. It is now a member of the Flemish Province of the Subiaco Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation.

Abbots.

The first abbot of the abbey was Fulgentius (1088–1122). Among his prominent successors may be mentioned:

Affligem Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the municipality of Affligem, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, to the north-west of Brussels. Dedicated in 1086, it was the most important monastery in the Duchy of Brabant and therefore often called "Primaria Brabantiae".

Opatství svatého Petra v Affligemu ( "Sint-Pieters-en-Paulusabdij Affligem") je benediktinské opatství ve městě Affligem v belgickém okrese Vlámský Brabant, asi 5 km východně od Aalstu a 20 km severozápadně od Bruselu.


History.

Kabul International Airport was originally built in the early 1960s by Soviet engineers when Afghanistan began to modernize. Tourists began visiting the country via Kabul International Airport. This era ended after the 1978 Saur Revolution, especially after the 1979 Soviet invasion.  The airport was used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet–Afghan War, from 1979 to 1989, and by the military forces of the former President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Najibullah. Control of the airport switched between different sides during the civil war after 1992. By November 1996, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan governed by Mullah Muhammad Omar was in possession of the airport, until late 2001 when they fled the city after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Due to international sanctions during the Taliban government, the airport was closed in the late 1990s, with very limited international flights.  Following NATO's invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Kabul International Airport was bombed by United States and coalition forces. After the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over control, the airport began to be developed slowly over the years. A new radar system was installed in 2005, which was upgraded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in 2010.  A new $35 million terminal for international flights was inaugurated in November 2008, built with aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other high-profile figures attended the inauguration ceremony. The new terminal was officially opened to international flights in June 2009. The existing terminal has been refurbished and is currently being used for domestic flights.  Passenger movements reached 100,000 per year by 2010 or 300 per day. In early 2012, the radar system was strengthened to cover Afghanistan's entire air space.  In October 2014, the National Assembly of Afghanistan proposed naming the airport after former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a month after his tenure ended, in recognition of his services and contributions to the country's rebuilding. A day later the Cabinet of President Ashraf Ghani approved the name change.  The North Side Cantonment – Kabul International Airport facility was completed and turned over to the United States Armed Forces in October 2008. It houses the command facilities for the Afghan Air Force (AAF), and includes housing, administrative, operations, maintenance and recreation facilities. The project included two new hangar complexes, a new taxiway and ramps. It is the headquarters and main base (1st or 201st Wing) of the Afghan Air Force. The first hangar facility was turned over to the AAF in January 2008. The second hangar was completed later that year.

Facilities.

The airport has two terminal buildings, the modern for international flights and the Soviet built one for domestic flights. Several hangars along the runway are for military aircraft. There are no hangars for civilian (or transient) aircraft. The airport has 7 helicopter pads which are used mostly for military traffic. Fire fighting equipment is present. "The firefighting equipment has a capacity of up to 12,000 liters of water and has the ability and reach of 90 meters to control fire disasters, first of such modern equipment provided for the airport."

Transportation.

Buses, taxi and private cars provide transportation to and from the airport. A 4 lane highway connects the airport to Kabul.

Hamid Karzai International Airport (; ; ) is located from the city center of Kabul in Afghanistan. It serves as one of the nation's main international airports and as one of the largest military bases, capable of housing over one hundred aircraft. It was previously named Kabul International Airport and locally as Khwaja Rawash Airport, though it continues to be officially known by some airlines by the latter name. The airport was given its new name in 2014 in honor of former President Hamid Karzai. The decision was made by the National Assembly of Afghanistan and the Cabinet of President Ashraf Ghani.

Mezinárodní letiště Hámida Karzaje (,, IATA: KBL, ICAO: OAKB) je vojenské i civilní mezinárodní letiště u Kábulu, hlavního města Afghánistánu. Jako vojenské letiště ho používá nejen afghánská armáda – v období Sovětské války v Afghánistánu v letech 1979–1989 ho používala Sovětská armáda, v letech 2001–2014 ho používaly Mezinárodní bezpečnostní podpůrné síly a také ho používají Ozbrojené síly Spojených států amerických. Jméno bývalého prezidenta Hámida Karzaje nese od roku 2014.


History.

In the 19th century, two contrasting methods of describing the flower were introduced: the textual floral formulae and pictorial floral diagrams. Floral diagrams are credited to A. W. Eichler, his extensive work "Blüthendiagramme" (1875, 1878) remains a valuable source of information on floral morphology. Eichler inspired later generation of scientists, including John Henry Schaffner. Diagrams were included e.g. in "Types of Floral Mechanism" by Church (1908). They were used in different textbooks, e.g. "Organogenesis of Flowers"" "by Sattler (1973), "Botanische Bestimmungsübungen" by Stützel (2006) or "Plant Systematics" by Simpson (2010). "Floral Diagrams" (2010) by Ronse De Craene followed Eichler’s approach using the contemporary APG II system.

Basic characteristics and significance.

A floral diagram is a schematic cross-section through a young flower. It may be also defined as “projection of the flower perpendicular to its axis”. It usually shows the number of floral parts, their sizes, relative positions and fusion. Different organs are represented by distinguishable symbols, which may be uniform for one organ type, or may reflect concrete morphology. The diagram may also include symbols that don’t represent physical structures, but carry additional information (e.g. symmetry plane orientation).  There is no agreement on how floral diagrams should be drawn, it depends on the author whether it is just a rough representation, or whether structural details of the flower are included.  Diagrams can describe the ontogeny of flowers, or can show evolutionary relationships. They can be generalized to show the typical floral structure of a taxon. It is also possible to represent (partial) inflorescences by diagrams.  Substantial amount of information may be included in a good diagram. It can be useful for flower identification or comparison between angiosperm taxa. Paleontologists can take advantage of diagrams for reconstruction of fossil flowers. Floral diagrams are also of didactic value.

Orientation.

Diagrams are usually depicted with the subtending bract "below" and the axis "above" the flower itself, both in the median line. The axis corresponds to the position of the main stem relative to a lateral flower. When a terminal flower is depicted, the axis is not present and therefore cannot be shown. Bracteoles, if they are present, are usually drawn on the sides of the diagram.

Symbols used in diagrams.

Not only the information contained within diagrams, but also their appearance commonly varies between authors. Just some publications incorporate an overview of used symbols.

Bracts and bracteoles, axes.

Bracts and bracteoles are commonly shown as arcs. In "Floral Diagrams" by Ronse De Craene they consistently have a black fill and a little triangle on the outer side to distinguish them from the perianth. In Eichler’s "Blüthendiagramme" their representation alters between diagrams.  The axis relative to the flower is shown as black circle in "Floral Diagrams". When inflorescence is depicted, the position of its main stem is illustrated by a crossed circle. Eichler’s depiction of axes alternates between diagrams.

Perianth.

Perianth parts are also shown as arcs. They may be colored according to their type. In "Blüthendiagramme" the tepals are usually white with black stroke, sepals are hatched and petals are black. Ronse De Craene implies that it may be sometimes impossible to classify the organs, he shows green perianth parts as black and pigmented as white. Estivation can be accurately shown in the diagram.

Androecium.

Stamens are represented by a cross-section through anthers. In case there are many stamens in the flower, they can be simplified and drawn as circles. Staminodes have a small black circle inside or are painted black in "Floral Diagrams", Eichler also fills them black.

Gynoecium.

The pistil is shown as a sectional view of the ovary. Ovary position is highlighted by small triangles in "Floral Diagrams". Ronse De Craene also incorporates ovule morphology or shows the position of stigmatic lobes by white shapes.

Nectaries.

In "Floral Diagrams", nectaries are filled by grey color, Eichler fills them by hatching.

Other.

Fusion can be shown in diagrams by full connecting lines between organs. Lost organs can be represented by a star (✶), lost perianth parts or bracts/bracteoles can be shown with dashed stroke. It is possible to show the direction of monosymmetry by a large arrow. Resupination may be illustrated by a curved arrow. Floral parts can be accompanied by numbers to show their sequence of initialization.

Floral diagrams and floral formulae.

Each of these two concepts is better in expressing some information. Floral diagrams can show the size and relative position of the organs. On the other hand, floral formulae are capable of broader generalization. Prenner "et al." view them as complementary methods and state they make an “identikit” flower when utilized together. Ronse De Craene also approves of their combined use.

Floral diagram is a graphic representation of flower structure. It shows the number of floral organs, their arrangement and fusion. Different parts of the flower are represented by their respective symbols. Floral diagrams are useful for flower identification or can help in understanding angiosperm evolution. They were introduced in the late 19th century and are generally attributed to A. W. Eichler.

Květní diagram je obrázek znázorňující strukturu květu. Zobrazuje počet květních částí, jejich rozmístění a srůsty. Různé typy květních orgánů bývají zastoupeny určitými značkami. Květní diagramy mohou pomoci s určováním krytosemenných rostlin či přiblížit jejich evoluční vztahy. Poprvé se objevily na konci 19. století, za jejich průkopníka je považován A. W. Eichler.


Ecclesiastical career.

On May 6, 1973, Youssef Absi was ordained a priest and became chaplain of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (Italian: ""; abbreviated as S.M.S.P.), a Melkite Greek Society of Apostolic Life that is also known as the "Pères Paulistes". After the conclusion of philosophical and theological studies at the Major Seminary of St. Paul in Harissa, Lebanon, he obtained a licentiate in philosophy at the Lebanese University, a licentiate in theology at the Institute of St. Paul in Harissa, and a doctorate in musical science and hymnography at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik.  On June 22, 2001, he was appointed titular archbishop of Tarsus dei Greco-Melkiti and curial bishop and auxiliary bishop in the Melkite Patriarchate. Patriarch Gregory III Laham was his consecrator, and the co-consecrators were Archbishop Jean Mansour, titular archbishop of Apamea in Syria dei Greco-Melkiti, and Archbishop Joseph Kallas, Archeparch of Beirut and Byblos, on September 2, 2001.  From 1999 to 2006, he was Superior General of his religious community, the Missionary Society of St. Paul. He assisted as co-consecrator at the episcopal ordination of Yasser Ayyash, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia in Jordan. In October 2007, he was appointed patriarchal vicar for the archdiocese of Damascus.  He was elected on June 21, 2017, as the patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. His election came a month after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Gregory III Laham.

Other activities.

In 2001, he became president of the Syrian Caritas ("Commission Commune de Bienfaisance" (CCB)) and forwards with three full-time members more than 40 projects in Damascus, Aleppo and Hassake. He composed for the singer Marie Keyrouz "L'Ensemble de la Paix", a hymn that was released on the album "Cantiques de l'Orient".

On the Middle East.

As a participant in the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Middle East in October 2010, he gave an address in which he insisted that: "The Episcopal Conferences of each country should meet from time to time together. You should allow bi-ritualism, so that no parish remains without divine liturgy, no matter what church it belongs to."

Youssef Absi, (; ; born June 20, 1946, in Damascus, Syria) is the current patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church since June 21, 2017.

Joseph Absi (* 20. června 1946, Damašek) je melchitský řeckokatolický patriarcha Antiochie a celého Východu, Alexandrie a Jeruzaléma. Jeho celý titul zní: "Jeho Blaženost, Joseph Absi, patriarcha Antiochie, Alexandrie a Jeruzaléma, Cilicie, Sýrie, Iberie, Arábie, Mezopotámie, Pentapolis, Etiopie, celého Egypta a celého Orientu, Otec otců, Pastýř pastýřů, Biskup Biskupů, 182. přímý nástupce sv. Petra na stolci v Antiochii"..


History.

At the 1st World Scout Jamboree in London Father Jacques Sevin SJ of France, Jean Corbisier of Belgium and Count Mario di Carpegna of Italy decided to create an international umbrella for Catholic Boy Scouts. Pope Benedict XV supported this idea and in 1922 Catholic Boy Scouts from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Ecuador, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain and Hungary created this umbrella organisation. Its rules were approved by the Pope in the same year. World War II made an end to this organisation. 1946 and 1947 the contacts between the Catholic Scout associations were reestablished and since 1948 conferences took place every year i.e. in 1958 in Vienna.  In June 1962 the Holy See approved the statutes and the Charter of Catholic Scouts, and the umbrella of Catholic Boy Scouting took the name International Catholic Conference of Scouting. In 1977 the new charter was approved by the Holy See.  At the 2011 World Council, the structure of ICCS was modified for 3 years. Instead of a Secretary General, a Chairman and a President (with equal powers) were elected.

Members.

Africa Region.

"Full members"  "Observers:"

America Region.

"Full members:" "Observers:"

Asia-Pacific Region.

"Full members:"  "Observers:"

European-Mediterranean region.

"Full members:"

Activities.

World Scout Conference and Regional Scout Conferences.

ICCS was represented at the 38th World Scout Conference in Korea. ICCS was also represented at the 14th Africa Scout Conference in Accra in November 2009.

World Scout Jamborees and World Scout Moot.

ICCS is active at World Scout Jamborees. At the 20th World Scout Jamboree i.e. there was a special award issued by ICCS and an order of mass and a song book was published. The ICCS was also involved in the 21st World Scout Jamboree with its own center the "Hyland Abbey". ICCS will also be present in 2011 at the World Jamboree in Sweden. ICCS is also an active participant of the World Scout Moot i.e. in 2000 in Mexico.

International Scout Ecumenical Encounter.

The ICCS was an active participant in all the International Ecumenical Scout Encounters:

World Scout Interreligious Symposium.

ICCS was an active participant of all World Scout Interreligious Symposium:

International Scout Week.

Between August 16 and 23, 2009 a Scout Week took place in Taizé for the first time. 56 Scouts und Scoutleaders from Egypt, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary took part in this international week. This event is scheduled for every summer. In 2010 it will take place between August 22 and 29.

World Youth Day.

ICCS not only takes part in the activities of World Scouting, but also supports events of the Catholic Church. So ICCS is present at the World Youth Days. So there was a vigil organised by ICCS, ICCG and AGESCI at the World Youth Day in Rome with thousands of Scouts from all over the world. ICCS will be present at the 15th World Youth Day in August 2010 in Madrid.

Trainings and other events.

ICCS hold regularly courses and camps for Scouts, Scoutleaders and chaplains and regional and world level.i.e. in December 2009 and January 2010 the Living Stones Camp, ICCS World Seminar 2008 in Korea, Pastoral Seminar for Central Europe, ICCS Scout Jamboree in Thailand...

International Awareness recognition.

This is an opportunity offered by the ICCS to all youth and adult members of the Boy Scouts of America.

Brotherhood of Saint George.

The honor society of the International Catholic Conference of Scouting is the Brotherhood of Saint George. Catholic Scoutleaders and Chaplains are honoured by getting the membership.

The International Catholic Conference of Scouting (ICCS) is an autonomous, international body committed to promoting and supporting Catholic Scout associations and to be a link between the Scout movement and the Catholic Church. Its headquarters is located in Rome, Italy.

Mezinárodní konference katolických skautů (ICCS) je autonomní, mezinárodní orgán odhodlaný prosazovat a podporovat katolické skautské organizace a tvořit spojení mezi skautským hnutím a katolickou církví. Její sídlo se nachází v Římě.


Early life.

Gazzaniga was born in Murphy, Santa Fe, the same small town in Argentina where his future Southampton and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was also born. His father is Daniel Gazzaniga, a footballer, as is his brother Gianfranco who plays as a goalkeeper for SD Ponferradina. Gazzaniga studied in the only public school and a secondary college in Murphy. He played for the football team of Centro Recreativo Unión y Cultura in Murphy as a goalkeeper.

Club career.

Early career.

In 2007, when he was 15, Gazzaniga left his hometown side Unión y Cultura with his brother and father for Spain, where he joined the Spanish club Valencia's youth setup. However, he failed to make a first team appearance for "Los Che", and was subsequently released in May 2011.  In July 2011, Gazzaniga signed a two-year contract with League Two club Gillingham, to challenge Ross Flitney for the number one spot. Gazzaniga was recommended to Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler by Gary Penrice, Wigan Athletic's European scout, following his release from Valencia. He made his professional debut for the club on 4 October, in a 3–1 home defeat to Barnet in the Football League Trophy.

Southampton.

On 20 July 2012, Gazzaniga signed a four-year deal with newly promoted Premier League side Southampton, with Tommy Forecast going to Gillingham on loan as part of the deal. He described it as "a crazy situation" but said it was like "a dream".  Gazzaniga made his debut on 28 August in a 4–1 victory against Stevenage in the second round of the League Cup. He made his league debut almost a month later, on 22 September in a 4–1 win against Aston Villa.  Gazzaniga was used as cover for first choice keepers Kelvin Davis, Artur Boruc and Fraser Forster, making only two appearances in 2014–15.  He made two Premier League appearances in the 2015–16 season, in the 1–0 defeat away to Crystal Palace and a home 2–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, both in December 2015. He signed a new four-year deal with Southampton on 11 September 2015.  On 29 July 2016, Gazzaniga joined Segunda División club Rayo Vallecano on loan for the 2016–17 season.

Tottenham Hotspur.

On 23 August 2017, Gazzaniga signed for fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract. He reunited with his compatriot and former Southampton manager, Mauricio Pochettino. He made his Premier League debut for the club on 5 November 2017, playing in a 1–0 victory against Crystal Palace. Pochettino said that Gazzaniga performed "fantastically well" on his debut.  In 2018–19 after starting for Tottenham in the Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town, in the EFL Cup against Watford and West Ham United and in the UEFA Champions League home fixture against PSV, he earned his first Argentina national team call-up. He became effectively the number two goalkeeper for Tottenham this season, having started in more games than Michel Vorm when Hugo Lloris was not available.  In the 2019–20 season, following Lloris' elbow injury in the opening ten minutes of a loss at Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 October 2019, Gazzaniga enjoyed an extended run as Spurs' first-choice goalkeeper.

International career.

Gazzaniga made his first international appearance on 20 November 2018, coming off the bench to replace Gerónimo Rulli in the 59th minute in a friendly match against Mexico, and helped keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 win for Argentina.

Honours.

Southampton  Tottenham Hotspur

Paulo Dino Gazzaniga (born 2 January 1992) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Tottenham Hotspur and the Argentina national team.

Paulo Dino Gazzaniga (* 2. ledna 1992, Murphy, Santa Fe, Argentina) je argentinský fotbalový brankář, v současnosti hráč anglického klubu Tottenham Hotspur FC ().


Integers from 261 to 269.

261.

261 = 3·29, lucky number, nonagonal number, Harshad number, unique period in base 2, number of possible unfolded tesseract patterns. 261 was once the lowest number not to have its own Wikipedia page, this making it a candidate for the lowest "uninteresting number" according to the definition given by Alex Bellos.

262.

262 = 2·131, meandric number, open meandric number, untouchable number, happy number, palindrome number, semiprime.

263.

263 is a prime, safe prime, happy number, sum of five consecutive primes (43 + 47 + 53 + 59 + 61), balanced prime, Chen prime, Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part, strictly non-palindromic number, Bernoulli irregular prime, Euler irregular prime, Gaussian prime, full reptend prime, Solinas prime, Ramanujan prime.

264.

264 = 2·3·11, Harshad number. If you take the sum of all 2-digit numbers you can make from 264, you get 264: 24 + 42 + 26 + 62 + 46 + 64 = 264. 132 and 396 share this property.  264 equals the sum of the squares of the digits of its own square in base 15. This property is shared with 1, 159, 284, 306 and 387.

265.

265 = 5·53, semiprime, lucky number, Padovan number, number of derangements of 6 elements, centered square number, Smith number, subfactorial 6.

266.

266 = 2·7·19, sphenic number, Harshad number, nontotient, noncototient, self number, repdigit in base 11 (222). 266 is also the index of the largest proper subgroups of the sporadic group known as the Janko group "J".

267.

267 = 3·89, semiprime, the number of groups of order 64.

268.

268 = 2·67, noncototient, untouchable number

269.

269 is a prime, twin prime with 271, sum of three consecutive primes (83 + 89 + 97), Chen prime, Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part, highly cototient number, strictly non-palindromic number, full reptend prime

260 (two hundred [and] sixty) is the natural number following 259 and preceding 261. It is also the magic constant of the "n"×"n" normal magic square and "n"-queens problem for "n" = 8, the size of an actual chess board.

Dvě stě šedesát je přirozené číslo, které následuje po čísle dvě stě padesát devět a předchází číslu dvě stě šedesát jedna. Římskými číslicemi se zapisuje CCLX.


Life.

Birth.

Esma Sultan was born on 14 March 1726 in the Topkapı Palace. Her father was Sultan Ahmed III, and her mother was Hanife Kadın.

Marriages.

In 1743, her cousin Sultan Mahmud I, arranged her marriage to Yakub Pasha. The marriage took place in February 1743 in the Kadırga Palace. Yakub Pasha died the same year. After his death, she married the governor of Adana, Yusuf Pasha. After his death, she married Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha, a vizier on 24 June 1758 in the Kadırga Palace. Her served as the Grand Vizier between 1765 and 1768, and later again between 1771 until his death in 1774.  She is said to be curious about the west. She received the wife and mother-in-law of the Baron de Tott, the Hungarian nobleman who served as military adviser to the Turkish government for many years. She discussed with them the liberty of European women, and expressed the dissatisfaction that married her at a young age to an old man who treated her like a child. The pasha having died, she then married a younger man more to her liking, but the practice of sending the princesses husband to distant governorships kept them apart.

Properties.

Esma Sultan had her crown states turned into "mâlikane" contracts, which were divided among her protégés, and managed by agents and subcontractors. The name of one of her male associates appeared as contractor in his own right.  Esma also complained that her late husband, Mehmed Pasha, had promised her the income from Vâsıf's prebend from Anatolia. She accused him of stealing the grant, confiscated it, and transferred it to her own client. Because she was so close to the Sultan, and because Vâsıf lacked influential patrons, he couldn't find anyone to intercede on his behalf, and was left without a job and income.  Esma Sultan was allocated the mansion of Princess Hançerli Sultan in Eyüp Bahariye, which became famous with her own name. She also owned a waterfront palace in Ortaköy, and a farm in Terkos.

Charities.

In 1779, Esma Sultan commissioned a fountain for the soul of her late husband, Mehmed Pasha, in her name near the "namazgah" in Kadırga Square. She also commissioned another fountain in her name in the same place in 1781.

Death.

Esma Sultan died on 13 August 1788 in the Kadırga Palace, and was buried in the mausoleum of Muhsinzade Mehmed Pasha in Eyüp.

Esma Sultan (; 14 March 1726 – 13 August 1788), also called Büyük Esma Sultan, was an Ottoman princess, daughter of Sultan Ahmed III and his consort Hanife Kadın. She was the half-sister of Sultans Mustafa III and Abdul Hamid I.

Esma Sultan (14. března 1726 – 13. srpna 1788) byla osmanská princezna. Byla dcerou sultána Ahmeda III. a jeho konkubíny Zeynep Kadinefendi. Byla nevlastní sestrou sultána Mustafy III. a Abdulhamida I.


Structure.

In its gas phase, RbCl is diatomic with a bond length estimated at 2.7868 Å. This distance increases to 3.285 Å for cubic RbCl, reflecting the higher coordination number of the ions in the solid phase.  Depending on conditions, solid RbCl exists in one of three arrangements or polymorphs as determined with holographic imaging:

Sodium chloride (octahedral 6:6).

The sodium chloride (NaCl) polymorph is most common. A cubic close-packed arrangement of chloride anions with rubidium cations filling the octahedral holes describes this polymorph. Both ions are six-coordinate in this arrangement. This polymorph's lattice energy is only 3.2 kJ/mol less than the following structure's.

Caesium chloride (cubic 8:8).

At high temperature and pressure, RbCl adopts the caesium chloride (CsCl) structure (NaCl and KCl undergo the same structural change at high pressures). Here, the chloride ions form a simple cubic arrangement with chloride anions occupying the vertices of a cube surrounding a central Rb. This is RbCl's densest packing motif. Because a cube has eight vertices, both ions' coordination numbers equal eight. This is RbCl's highest possible coordination number. Therefore, according to the radius ratio rule, cations in this polymorph will reach their largest apparent radius because the anion-cation distances are greatest.

Sphalerite (tetrahedral 4:4).

The sphalerite polymorph of rubidium chloride has not been observed experimentally. This is consistent with the theory; the lattice energy is predicted to be nearly 40.0 kJ/mol smaller in magnitude than those of the preceding structures.

Synthesis.

The most common preparation of pure rubidium chloride involves the reaction of its hydroxide with hydrochloric acid, followed by recrystallization:  Because RbCl is hygroscopic, it must be protected from atmospheric moisture, e.g. using a desiccator. RbCl is primarily used in laboratories. Therefore, numerous suppliers (see below) produce it in smaller quantities as needed. It is offered in a variety of forms for chemical and biomedical research.

Reactions.

Rubidium chloride reacts with sulfuric acid to rubidium hydrogen sulfate.

Radioactivity.

Every 18 mg of rubidium chloride is equivalent to approximately one banana equivalent dose due to the large fraction (27.8%) of naturally-occurring radioactive isotope rubidium-87.

Rubidium chloride is the chemical compound with the formula RbCl. This alkali metal halide is composed of rubidium and chlorine, and finds diverse uses ranging from electrochemistry to molecular biology.

Chlorid rubidný je anorganická sloučenina, (halogenid) se vzorcem RbCl. Jedná se o typický iontový krystal. V přírodě se nachází jako příměs minerálních vod a v některých minerálech.


History.

Orlando Pirates is one of South Africa's oldest football clubs having been established in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto. The club's performances over the years have served as an inspiration for young footballers to strive to play the Beautiful Game at the highest level in the black and white colours of the ‘Buccaneers’.

Early years.

The founders of Orlando Pirates included offspring of migrant workers who moved from rural areas to work in the gold mines of Gauteng. Boys in Orlando came together at every available opportunity in open spaces and in informal groupings to play football. That original club was called the Orlando Boys Club.  In 1940, Buthuel Mokgosinyane, the first president, bought the first team kit with his own funds. Orlando Boys participated in Johannesburg Bantu Association's Saturday League, where they won the Division Two title and gained promotion to Division One in 1944. Andrew Bassie, a key member of the team, suggested the new name 'Orlando Pirates'. The team composed the camp's war cry 'Ezimnyama Ngenkani'.

Since 1971.

Over the years, Orlando Pirates – also known as 'The Happy People' – have accumulated a record of successes having won the National Professional Soccer League title in 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1976, the National Soccer League title in 1994, and the Premier Soccer League title four times, in 2001, 2003, 2011 and 2012. Their first-place finish in the 2010–11 domestic league campaign generated much excitement among the club's vast fan-base.  In 2011, Orlando Pirates enjoyed tremendous success by winning the 2010–11 Premier Soccer League, The Nedbank Cup, The MTN 8 Cup and The Telkom Knockout. This year was dubbed as "The Happy Year."  Many other cup triumphs in domestic football have also been recorded, including Vodacom Challenge title victories in the inaugural 1999 tournament and in 2005. But the African continent and other areas of the football world took notice of Orlando Pirates Football Club when they won the African Champions Cup (now known as the Champions League) in 1995 and the African Super Cup a year later. Along with Mamelodi Sundowns, the Orlando Pirates are the only Southern Hemisphere club to have won the African Champions League. This achievement resulted in the club being honoured by the first State President of the new democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela – another first for a South African sporting team.  Club chairman, Irvin Khoza, who also served on the 2010 World Cup Bid Committee, must be credited with the club's rise to fame over the past few years as the Orlando Pirates supporters – who are nicknamed "The Ghost" – have had much to cheer about.  Kaizer Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung and his Jomo Cosmos counterpart Jomo Sono were popular players of the highest calibre for the Buccaneers before starting their own clubs. Their playing history is deeply entrenched in the black and white colours of Orlando Pirates.  In 2005, the team, along with Interza Lesego and Ellis Park Stadium Ltd, announced its acquisition of a 51% share in Ellis Park Stadium, making it the first majority black owned stadium in South Africa. It was in the same year that Orlando Pirates achieved Superbrand status. Superbrands is an international company that identifies and rewards the leading brands around the world; Orlando Pirates are the only South African sports team next to the Springboks and Proteas to be given this status.

The Soweto derby.

The Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates is one of the most fiercely contested derbies in world football. And in contrast to most of the other games played in the Premier Soccer League in South Africa, matches between the two archrivals attract a full house of supporters almost without fail. The first Soweto derby of the 2018-19 Absa Premiership season at the FNB Stadium, with 82,000 capacity was completely sold out, showing the popularity of the contest.

Honours.

Domestic competitions.

South African League titles (9):

Performance in CAF Competitions.

NB: South African football clubs started participating in CAF Competition's in 1993, after 16 years of being banned from FIFA due to the apartheid system. The ban extended from 1976 to 1992. The club appeared in the African Cup of Champions Clubs twice (1995, 1996) and have appeared in the CAF Champions League eight times from 1997 to date. Note

Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as Pirates) is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as Premier Soccer League, The team plays its home matches at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Orlando Pirates je jihoafrický fotbalový klub z města Johannesburg, v současné době hraje nejvyšší jihoafrickou ligu. Své domácí zápasy hraje na Orlando Stadium s kapacitou 40 000 míst.


Club career.

Teuta.

Shehi began his career with local side Teuta as a teenager at age of 12, and made his professional debut for the club in the Albanian Superliga during the 1994–95 campaign. He had to wait another two seasons to become the regular second choice keeper, behind Kujtim Shtama. He made his Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) debut in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup on 24 July 1996 in the second leg against MFK Košice, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Shtama. Teuta ended up losing the game 2–1 and the tie 6–2 on aggregate. Overall, he ended up making 9 league appearances as his side finished in mid-table, as well as reaching the quarter-final of the Albanian Cup, narrowly being eliminated by KS Lushnja. He became the club's first choice keeper the following season, and made 32 appearances in the league, missing just two games throughout the season as his side finished 5th.  He joined Bylis on loan ahead of the 1997–98 season, and was an integral part of the club's highest finish, as they reached third place, just two points behind the eventual winners KF Tirana. He helped the club reach Europe for the first time in their history, and they were tied against Slovakian side FK Senica, to whom they lost 5–1 on aggregate, with Shehi playing in both games. He left Bylis after their European experience, and returned to his parent club, Teuta.  Upon his return to Teuta, Shehi immediately went back into the first team and played every game in the league, helping his side finish in third place, just 3 points behind top spot. He was also part of the Albanian Cup winning team, and played in the final against KS Lushnja which Teuta won 5–4 on penalties after a goal-less draw. They qualified for the Intertoto Cup and were drawn against Icelandic side IA Akranes, to whom Shehi's side lost 6–3 on aggregate. By this point, Shehi had been handed the captaincy as he had become one of the club's most consistent performers. In the league, Teuta failed to replicate the success of the previous season, as they only managed to finish in 6th place out of 14 teams. As Teuta had won the Albanian Cup the previous season, they qualified for the 2000 Albanian Supercup which was scheduled to be played against KF Tirana, but it was delayed and eventually played on 13 January 2001. Shehi played the game but his side lost after conceding a 54th-minute goal to Indrit Fortuzi. Shehi met KF Tirana once again at the end of the season, this time in the final of the Albanian Cup, which KF Tirana also won, this time more resoundingly as they put 5 goals past Shehi to win comfortably 5–0. In the UEFA Cup, Teuta were drawn against Austrian club Rapid Vienna, as Shehi captained his side to a 6–0 aggregate loss. He helped his side finish 4th in the league as well as reach the semi-final of the Albanian Cup, losing to runners-up Dinamo Tirana. His side qualified for the Intertoto Cup, and faced Maltese side Valletta FC, whom they defeated 2–1 at home and drew to 0–0 away, and qualified for the next round after some impressive displays from Shehi. Following the arrival of Alfred Osmani ahead of the 2003–04 season, Shehi faced greater competition, and Teuta struggled somewhat and only managed a mid-table finish. This would be his final season at Teuta, as after a difficult season he would leave the club and join their Albanian Superliga rivals Vllaznia, after 168 league appearances and nearly 200 appearances in all competitions.

Partizani.

He experienced the "second spring" of his career after joining Partizani in 2005, becoming the captain in 2008.

Besa.

Shehi left Partizani following a massive exodus after relegation from top flight. He then joined Besa in July 2009 by penning a one-year contract. Shehi took squad number 1, and made his debut on 23 August in the opening day against Vllaznia; Besa won 2–0. Shehi was in decent form at the start of the season, conceding only twice in the first 9 league matches, as Besa become a contender for the championship title; he went 731 minutes without conceding before being beaten by Kastrioti's Oriand Abazaj on 1 November 2009, which also ended Besa's undefeated streak. Later on 24 December, Shehi was sent-off in the 45th minute of the 1–0 controversial win versus newly promoted Gramozi for a foul inside the zone on a Gramozi player; the referee Ervis Peza did not award a penalty but instead gave a free kick which created tension and harsh protests by Gramozi's staff.  Shehi finished 2009–10 season by making 31 league appearances, being a strong instrument for Besa side which finished runner-up to Dinamo Tirana. He also made 7 cup appearances, including captaining the team in the final, which saw Besa lift the trophy after earning a 2–1 overturn win over Vllaznia at Qemal Stafa Stadium. It was Besa's second ever Albanian Cup trophy and the first in Shehi's career. Shehi also received "Fair Play" Award by association "Sporti na Bashkon".  Shehi was part of Besa squad in their UEFA Europa League campaign. "Verdhezinjtë" started their European campaign in the second qualifying round against Olympiacos. In the first leg on 15 July, Shehi played full-90 minutes and conceded 5 goals. Immediately after the loss, Shehi left the club to join Skënderbeu for the new season as the transfer was notified a day before.

Skënderbeu.

In July 2010, Shehi completed a transfer to fellow Albanian Superliga side Skënderbeu. He was given squad number 1, and made his club debut on 23 August against his former employer, Besa, in the opening league match.  In December 2012, Shehi was named Albanian Footballer of the Year to become the first Skënderbeu to win the award. One of the highlights of his career was a presentation with the team in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League play-off round, where they played against Chornomorets Odesa. After a final result of 1–1 in both legs and extra-time, they lost by penalties 6–7 when Shehi made 2 amazing penalty saves and also scored a penalty kick himself. Shehi played his 500th top flight match on 20 April 2014 in Skënderbeu's 1–0 defeat of Besa in the matchday 29. Overall he made 32 league appearances, collecting 2880 minutes as Skënderbeu clinched the title for the 4th season in a row.  On 6 December 2014, in the 3–2 league win against Teuta at home, Shehi scored his first professional goal by netting a penalty kick in the 41st minute. He was ever-present in the league during this season, appearing in all 36 matches, collecting 3168 minutes in total, helping Skënderbeu to win the league for the fifth consecutive season. At the end of the season Shehi earned "Fair Play" award for the second time in career.  On 14 June 2015, Shehi agreed to a contract extension, signing a new one-year contract. During 2015–16 season, Shehi played a major role in the team's success, contributing to 35 league matches. On 14 March 2016, in the match against title rivals Partizani, Shehi, despite making a high-profile error which resulted in a goal by Stevan Račić early in the game, saved a penalty-kick from him in the 77th minute, allowing Skënderbeu to level the score in the last moments.  In July 2016, following the retirement of long-time servant Bledi Shkëmbi, Shehi was named the new team captain. Shehi did not play any Champions League matches for the 2016–17 season as Skënderbeu was excluded from the competition by UEFA for match-fixing. He debuted in the new season on 24 August in the 2016 Albanian Supercup match against Kukësi, conceding three times in a 3–1 defeat at Selman Stërmasi Stadium.  In July 2017, Shehi expressed his intention to retire after the club's UEFA Europea League campaign, after rumours linking Enea Koliçi with a possible transfer in Korçë.  On 3 August 2017, in the returning leg of 2017–18 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round against Mladá Boleslav, Shehi made some crucial saves in the second half to help Skënderbeu win 2–1. As the first leg ended with the same result but for the opposite team, the match went to extra time and later penalty shootout. After scoring his team's first attempt, he saved Mladá's Golgol Mebrahtu attempt as Skënderbeu won 4–2 to progress to the play-off round. The club eventually achieved group stage for the second time ever after eliminating Dinamo Zagreb on play-off thanks to away goal rule (1–1 on aggregate).  Shehi was ever-presented in all Group B fixtures as Skënderbeu finished last with 5 five points. He notably kept a clean sheet in the match 3 against Partizan Belgrade. Following the end of group stage, Shehi was ranked third by the number of saves, making 26 in total. He called 2017 as the best year of his career, adding that he is likely to retire at the end of the season. On 18 March 2018, Shehi was injured during the league match versus Luftëtari and was replaced at 63rd minute; he suffered a knee ligament injury that will keep him sidelined for at least a month.  He concluded the 2017–18 season by making 28 league appearances as Skënderbeu won the championship for the 8th in history. He played his final match on 27 May, the 2018 Albanian Cup Final versus Laçi, keeping a clean-sheet with Skënderbeu winning 1–0 and completing the domestic double for the first time in history. In June, after Court of Arbitration for Sport uphold UEFA's decision to exclude Skënderbeu from UEFA competitions for the next 10 years, Shehi announced his retirement from football.

International career.

Youth.

Shehi was capped for the first time in international level with the Albania national under-16 football team, making his debut in the 1994 UEFA European Under-16 Championship against Liechtenstein in a 1–0 win. He made seven appearances for the Albania national under-21 football team from 1997 to 1999 between the 1998 and 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.

Senior.

Shehi was first approached to the senior team in September 1998 by then-coach Astrit Hafizi for the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying fixture versus Georgia. He didn't make his debut however.  Shehi's good run with Skënderbeu in the 2010–11 season earned him a return to the national team after more than a decade, receiving a call-up by manager Josip Kuže as a replacement for the injured Arjan Beqaj for the friendly against Macedonia on 17 November 2010. He earned his first cap by appearing as a substitute in the second half as the match finished in a goalless draw.  Shehi was regular member of Albania team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He served as the third goalkeeper, sitting on bench during the whole qualifiers as Albania failed to secure a spot to the 2014 FIFA World Cup by finishing 5th in Group E.  In March 2014, he became the second choice following the departure of Samir Ujkani to represent the newly-accepted Kosovo national team. During this year, Shehi earned two other caps, making two substitute appearances in the friendlies versus Malta and San Marino.  Despite at 37 years, Shehi continued to be a back-up even in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Albania eventually finished second in Group I which ment qualification in the final stage; Albania's first ever appearance at a major men's football tournament. On 21 May 2016, Shehi was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, and in Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad on 31 May. He was an unused substitute in all Group A matches as Albania were eliminated by ranked last in the third-placed teams.  Just like in the previous campaigns, Shehi remained as a substitute, now third choice behind Alban Hoxha in Albania's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. Albania failed to secure a spot to the World Cup by finishing third in the Group G, which was however their best-ever result.

Managerial career.

On 5 July 2018, Shehi was presented as the new coach of Skënderbeu for the 2018–19 season. He made his senior managerial debut on 12 August where he oversaw Skënderbeu to a 3–2 win over Laçi in the 2018 Albanian Supercup match, thus winning his first silverware as manager. Five days later, Shehi managed his first match in the Albanian Superliga, the opening match of the 80th championship against Partizani, with Skënderbeu winning 1–0 thanks to an injury-time penalty scored by Gjergji Muzaka.

Personal life.

Shehi is married to his long partner Elisabeta Shehi; the two met since the early youth years and together have two children, a boy named Aris and a girl named Serena. His favourite footballer is Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Orges Shehi (born 25 September 1977) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player, who is currently the head coach of Kukësi in the Albanian Superliga.

Orges Shehi [orges šehi] (* 25. září 1977, Drač, Albánie) je albánský fotbalový brankář a reprezentant, od roku 2010 hráč albánského klubu KF Skënderbeu Korçë.


Series overview.

Setting.

Hundreds of years in the future, the Solar System has been colonized by humanity. The three largest powers are the United Nations of Earth and Luna, the Martian Congressional Republic on Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA), a loose configuration of the asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Season 1.

Chrisjen Avasarala, a United Nations executive, works to prevent war between Earth and Mars. Ceres police detective Joe Miller is sent to find a missing young woman, Julie Mao. The space-freighter "Canterbury" and the Martian Navy flagship "Donnager" are destroyed by ships built by Jules-Pierre Mao, Julie's father. James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal and Amos Burton escape in a Martian gunship named the "Tachi". They subsequently rename the ship "Rocinante" which becomes the main setting of the series. The crew of the "Rocinante", with Miller's help, investigates and eventually discovers a biohazard that kills off most of the humans on the asteroid Eros, including Julie.

Season 2.

Martian Marine Bobbie Draper fights an inhuman figure on Ganymede and later becomes a protégé of Avasarala. The crew try to help a father find his daughter and, in the process, encounters and kills the figure that Draper fought, now known as a "protomolecule hybrid" developed by Jules-Pierre Mao. A research ship, sent to Venus to investigate the crash of "Eros", is stopped dead in the atmosphere and completely disassembled by the protomolecule.

Season 3.

The UN declares war as Earth and Mars send science vessels to investigate what's happening on Venus.

Season 4.

A vast land rush begins now that portals to other habitable worlds have opened up. Earth begins to invest vast resources (that it had earlier stinted Mars and the belt) on the new earthlike worlds through the portal. In the outer worlds, the residents' efforts to enhance life, particularly terraforming on Mars, begin to wane, since much richer worlds are now available, and investment "here at home" is not as attractive.

Production.

Development.

"The Expanse" is based on the novel series of the same name by James S. A. Corey, a pen name of the authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who also serve as writers and producers for the show. The first novel, "Leviathan Wakes" (2011), was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel and Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. On April 11, 2014, Syfy announced a straight-to-series commitment to a television adaptation of the book series, and ordered the production of 10 one-hour-long episodes for the first season. On that date Syfy President Dave Howe commented: ""The Expanse" is epic in scale and scope and promises to be Syfy's most ambitious series to date".  Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby wrote the pilot, directed by Terry McDonough, and serve as writers and showrunners alongside Naren Shankar. Produced by Alcon Television and The Sean Daniel Company, principal photography started on October 29, 2014, in Toronto. The pilot episode was screened at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2015.  In May 2015, before the first season aired, writing commenced for a second season, which was ordered in December 2015. The second season of "The Expanse" premiered on February 1, 2017.  On March 16, 2017, "The Expanse" was renewed by Syfy for a 13-episode third season to air in 2018. Filming for season 3 began on July 12, 2017.  Four digital comics based on the books and tying into the television series have been published by ComiXology. The first focuses on the origin of James Holden and was released February 1, 2017. The next three, highlighting the origins of other characters are: Naomi Nagata, released April 19, 2017; Alex Kamal, released May 24, 2017; and Amos Burton, released July 12, 2017.  The show's title sequence was animated and directed by Australian studio Breeder and its VFX team.

Cancellation and renewal.

On May 11, 2018, Syfy did not purchase the rights for future seasons because of restrictive distribution arrangements, and announced it was cancelled. Alcon looked for other channels to distribute future seasons.  Fans protested the cancellation, gathering over 100,000 signatures for an online petition. They lobbied Amazon Studios and Netflix to greenlight the fourth season and a crowdfunding campaign paid for an airplane to fly a "#SaveTheExpanse" banner around Amazon Studios. Celebrities including Wil Wheaton, George R. R. Martin, Patton Oswalt and Andreas Mogensen supported the campaign.  On May 26, at the International Space Development Conference, Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon picked the series up for additional seasons. Production on the fourth season began in October 2018 and debuted on Amazon Prime Video on December 12, 2019. On July 27, Amazon renewed "The Expanse" for a fifth season.

Music.

The show's soundtrack was composed by Clinton Shorter. The first season's soundtrack dubbed "The Expanse Season 1 – The Original Television Soundtrack", consisting of nineteen tracks, was released by Lakeshore Records, on May 20, 2016, via iTunes, and on May 26, 2016, via Amazon.

Genre and themes.

The series has been described as a space opera by critics. Emily VanDerWerff of "Vox" describes the first season of the series to be a "blend of science fiction and noir-infused detective drama, with a backdrop of political intrigue". "Vice" has referred to the series as a "sci fi noir mystery-thriller" and as hard science fiction. Prior to the series premiere, Mark Fergus spoke of the series' western themes: "Everywhere is kind of back to the frontier rules so it gives us all that stuff back that we lost. Cellular technology. You can get a little more western about it." The fourth season, according to the writers, also has "space western vibes".

Release.

In the United States, seasons 1 to 3 of "The Expanse" were broadcast by Syfy and streamed on Prime Video. In Canada, these seasons aired on Space and streamed on Crave. In New Zealand, these seasons aired on Sky. In all other countries where Netflix is available, seasons 1 and 2 were streamed until September 30, 2018. On February 8, 2019, Prime Video took over exclusive distribution of the first three seasons worldwide in preparation for its premiere of the fourth season later in the year.

Reception.

Critical response.

Season 1.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a score of 77% with an average rating of 7.12 out of 10 based on 43 reviews. The site's consensus states: ""The Expanse" blends sci-fi elements and detective noir into a visually compelling whole, though it takes a few episodes for the story to capture viewers' intrigue." The first season received a rating of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".  Reporting on the pilot screening, io9s Lauren Davis declared herself "blown away" by "The Expanse", appreciating its "incredible sense of scale" and its "deeply thought out future world that reflects on our present one, with high production values and characters who speak and act like real people". Max Nicholson of IGN characterized the pilot as "grim and dramatic", and a ""very" dense hour of television", with the terminology and large cast sometimes difficult to follow for viewers unfamiliar with the novels, but highlighted the pilot's "gorgeous" visuals and effects reminiscent of "Battlestar Galactica", "Dune" and "Firefly".  Writing for "Variety", Maureen Ryan was unimpressed by the first four episodes "awkwardly linking a series of somewhat muddled stories" and the series' stereotypical characters but credited it with tackling "issues of class, representation and exploitation" and a convincing design. At "Tor.com", Justin Landon highlighted "The Expanse"s "bold and unique cinematography" and its claustrophobic, discomforting set designs, as well as the "extremely faithful" characterization, but remarked that the patois spoken by the Belters, the natives of the asteroid belt, made the series difficult to follow.

Season 2.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 95% with an average rating of 8.95 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, ""The Expanse"s second season offers more of the show's excellent signature production values while increasing character development and politically thrilling narratives." On Metacritic, it has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 5 reviews.  Writing for io9, Katherine Trendacosta noted how the show had become "shockingly prescient", insofar as many of the issues and ideas explored by "The Expanse" mirrored contemporary trends in global politics. Brian Tallerico, in "Why "The Expanse" Is the Best Sci-FI TV Show You're Not Watching" for "Rolling Stone", praised the show for its contemporary political relevance and called its willingness to mix tones, and its protagonists, laudable. He summarized that at its core, "The Expanse" was all about people responding to fear – fear of the other, fear of the new, fear of inequality, fear of death. Writing for 13.7: Cosmos & Culture, a blog hosted by NPR, astrophysicist Adam Frank praised the show and its writers for the scientific realism. He wrote that "more than any other TV space-themed show, it gets the science right".

Season 3.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.57 out of 10 based on 25 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Building on earlier potential and extending character arcs throughout a solidly crafted third season, "The Expanse" continues to impress – and shows no signs of abating."

Season 4.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.97 out of 10 based on 28 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Smart and thrilling as ever, "The Expanse"s fourth season doesn't miss a beat, successfully navigating network changes without losing any of its rich character work or narrative complexities." Writing for Den of Geek, Michael Ahr gave it a 5/5 review and wrote, "With its brilliantly crafted, multilayered plot, "The Expanse" season 4 proves itself worthy of Amazon's rescue in a nearly perfect season." Sadie Gennis of "TV Guide" also praised the fourth season, giving it a score of 4.5/5.

The Expanse is an American science fiction television series developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey. The series is set in a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System. It follows a disparate band of antiheroes – United Nations Security Council member Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), police detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), ship's officer James Holden (Steven Strait) and his crew – as they unwittingly unravel and place themselves at the center of a conspiracy which threatens the system's fragile state of Cold War.

The Expanse je americký dramatický sci-fi televizní seriál stanice Syfy, natočený na motivy knih dvojice spisovatelů vystupujících pod pseudonymem James S. A. Corey a to Daniel Abraham a Ty Franck. Příběh je zasazený do 200 let vzdálené budoucnosti, ve které lidstvo kolonizovalo sluneční soustavu. Seriál sleduje příběhy zástupkyně ministra Spojených národů Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), policejního detektiva Millera (Thomas Jane) a lodního důstojníka Jamese Holdena (Steven Strait), který se spolu se svojí posádkou snaží rozluštit záhadu, která ohrožuje život v celé sluneční soustavě.


Biography.

Catherine was the younger daughter of Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana, and Magdalena of Valois, the sister of Louis XI of France. She was born & raised during the reign of her paternal great-grandfather, King John II, who was succeeded by her grandmother Eleanor in 1479. Their father having already died, the crown of Navarre devolved upon Catherine's brother Francis Phoebus upon their grandmother's death the same year.

Reign.

In 1483 the death of Francis made Catherine queen under the regency of their mother. Her uncle John of Foix, appealing to the Salic Law alien to the Kingdom of Navarre, claimed the throne and ignited a civil war (1483–1492) that reignited the old conflict of the Beaumont-Agramont parties. In 1484, hard pressed by ambitions over the throne of Navarre, Magdalena of Valois decided to marry 15-year-old Catherine to John of Albret, hailing from a noble family in western Gascony. This marriage was favored by many of Catherine's Iberian subjects and would have given Catherine much needed support in her fight against her uncle's claim.  The wedding took place at the Notre Dâme Cathedral of Lescar in 1486, but the coronation of the young couple in Pamplona was deferred until 1494, after a fleeting peace treaty with Louis of Beaumont, Count of Lerín, and Catherine's granduncle, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, was signed. However, the marriage did not garner the sympathy of the Navarrese Beaumont party, always preferring Isabella I of Castile's and Ferdinand II of Aragon's offer to marry Catherine to their son John, Prince of Asturias, and even the Agramont party split. Catherine's mother Magdalena died in 1495.  In 1504, she made her will, confirming her son Henry's right to succeed her and expressing her wish to be buried at the Cathedral of Pamplona—ultimately both she and John were interred in Lescar. The political alliance between the houses of Valois and Foix ahead of an impending Spanish invasion led to marriage negotiations between Catherine and Louis XII in 1512. It was suggested that Henry should marry a daughter of the French king.

1512 Castilian-Aragonese invasion.

Ferdinand, who had allied with the Pope against France, presented a set of claims to the legitimate royal family of Navarre. Catherine did not accept the demands, and Ferdinand sent Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, over to Pamplona, who occupied Pamplona on 25 July 1512. The Castilians went on to conquer St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Donibane Garazi in Basque) after setting fire to Roncevaux, and wrought havoc across the "merindad" of Ultrapuertos (Lower Navarre). The Spanish troops would retain the southern half of that region intermittently for the next years. Catherine and John III, overwhelmed by the Castilian push, fled to Bearn, constituent part of their kingdom. They set their base in Pau, Orthez and Tarbes, where they alternately resided most of the time until their deaths.  On 23 March 1513, the Cortes of Navarre reunited in Pamplona (Iruñea in Basque), greatly reduced to the pro-Spanish Beaumont party, and pledged allegiance to Ferdinand in exchange for his loyalty to the Navarrese laws. In 1515, Upper Navarre was annexed to the Crown of Castile as a different kingdom ("aeque principalis"), and it would be one constituent part of the Kingdom of the Spains, as Spain came to be known during the following period.

Later years.

In 1516, two columns led by King John III and Pedro, Marshal of Navarre, crossed the Pyrenees south and attempted to reconquer Navarre but they failed to progress into the heartland of the kingdom. Devastated by the defeats undergone, John retreated to Monein, and died on 17 June 1516. Queen Catherine did not outlive her husband much longer, and died in her domain of Mont-de-Marsan on 12 February 1517, just a few months later. By then, she had given birth to 13 children (other sources point to 14).  From 1512 to her death in 1517, Catherine was actual queen only in some areas of Basse-Navarre, or Lower Navarre, north of the Pyrenees, but her domains extended to the contiguous Principality of Bearn and other lands.

Children.

She and John III of Navarre were parents to thirteen children:

Catherine () (1468 – 12 February 1517), Queen of Navarre, reigned from 1483 until 1517. She was also Duchess of Gandia, Montblanc, and Peñafiel, Countess of Foix, Bigorre, and Ribagorza, and Viscountess of Béarn.

Kateřina Navarrská (1470 – 12. února 1517 Mont-de-Marsan) byla v letech 1483 – 1517 královna Navarry. Byla též vévodkyní z Gandiy, Montblancu a Peñafielu a také hraběnkou z Foix, Bigorre a Ribagorzy a vikomtesou z Béarn.


Early life.

Bulku was born in Tirana, Albania. He was the second son of the family after Sokol Bulku also a former KF Tirana's footballer with whom he played there between 1998–2004 and the later is current manager of KF Tirana under 19s Squad.

Club career.

KF Tirana.

Bulku started his career as a youngster in the KF Tirana youth teams. At the age of 18 he was put into the first team by coach Sulejman Mema and was given a chance to compete with the likes of Sokol Prenga and Ardian Mema for a spot there. In his first season with the club in professional football he managed to feature in 13 games during the season. During the 1999–2000 season with Tirana, Bulku found it easier to make an impact in the first team with the club's new manager Shkëlqim Muça having faith in the promising youngster after fellow midfielders Eldorado Merkoçi, Devis Mukaj, Klodian Duro and Sokol Prenga all leaving the club. These departures meant that Bulku would feature more frequently in the first team and he did so making an impressive 21 appearances in his second season in which he won his first trophy of his career, the Albanian Superliga title. After a very good season he tried to repeat it for the 2000–2001 season, but this did not happen as both injury and some mediocre displays meant that Bulku spent most of the season on the side lines. He did however manage to win the Albanian Supercup at the start of the season but his side Tirana narrowly lost the race for the title to Vllaznia Shkodër. During the next few seasons of his career Bulku managed to make a name for himself in the squad and in the league, he was receiving a lot of attention from the media and the fans because he was destined for a successful career. He began to feature in almost every game when fit and became a key member in the squad and a key figure in all the trophy winning sides that the club produced over the next few years. In the 2001–02 season he was a regular member of the team in the 2001–02 Albanian Cup scoring two goals throughout the route to the final where Tirana won the trophy beating Dinamo Tirana 1–0. Bulku was also a key player in Tirana's European games and featured against teams such as Dinamo Tbilisi, Ferencváros, CSKA Sofia and Kayserispor. He also played in 6 Albanian Supercup finals during his time with Tirana, winning 5 of them, including the famous 6–0 win over city rivals Dinamo Tirana in which Bulku managed to score in. In his final season with Tirana, Bulku was once again a key member in the team that won the league, the cup and the supercup. He played 30 games and scored one goal in the league, played in the 2–0 supercup win over KS Elbasani and he also played in 1–0 win over Vllaznia in the final of the Albanian Cup.

Kryvbas.

In the 2007 Summer transfer window, Bulku signed with Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih in the Ukrainian Premier League. He played among fellow Albanian internationals Dorian Bylykbashi, Isli Hidi and also Ansi Agolli who eventually joined the club two years later. He made his debut on 28 July 2007 in the matchday 3 against Karpaty Lviv playing the full 90-minutes in a 3–0 loss. During the 2007–08 route he was often as a starter under coach Oleh Taran forming partnerships in the midfield with fellow Albanian Dorian Bylykbashi, Ruslan Kostyshyn and Anatoliy Oprya. He made 14 league appearances in the starting line up and 5 as a substitute to help his side to collect 30 points enough to end in the 13th place to avoid the relegation.  In his second season 2008–09 under same coach Taran, Bulku was more often in the starting line up. He started the season on 19 July 2008, playing full 90-minutes against Metalurh Zaporizhya and provided the assist for the 1–0 winning goal. Bulku scored his first goal for Kryvbas on 22 March 2009 in the matchday 21 against Kharkiv, giving his team the 0–1 victory. This was followed by another one in the next game week as Bulku scored the opening goal in the 7th minute against Zorya Luhansk on 4 April 2009 as the match eventually finished in the 2–1 victory. Bulku finished the 2008–09 season with a total of 25 appearances, where he was 21 times as a starter as Kryvbas ended up a bit better than last season collecting 32 points to secure the 12th place.  Bulku was part of the team for the first half of the 2009–10 season. He retained his starting place playing 13 out 14 games as a starter but Kryvbas suffered a worst progress taking only two wins and 1 draw and conceding 14 losses. Following the end of the first-half campaign, he interrupted his contract with Kryvbas.

Hajduk Split.

After 6 months as a free agent, in August 2010 he signed for Croatian side Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL. He made it his first debut with the team on 16 September 2010 in a match valid for 2010–11 UEFA Europa League group stage against AEK Athens, where Bulku played in the starting line up and substituted off after 81 minutes for Dinko Trebotić, as the match finished in the 3–1 loss. He made it his league debut on 19 September 2010 against Rijeka, where the match finished in the 0–1 away victory and Bulku played 83 minutes, as he got substituted off for Mirko Oremuš in the 83rd minute. He played second match in the UEFA Europa League 2010–11 group stage on 30 September 2010, in the 1–0 victory over Anderlecht. Bulku played the full 90 minutes on 4 November 2010 in the 2–3 home defeat against Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Europa League 2010–11 group stage. At the club he was important part of the starting line up in the league matches, as he played in total of 15 matches where 12 as a starter, where he got substituted off 6 times, and only 3 as a substitute. In the UEFA Europa League he made in total 4 appearances. In the end of the 2010–11 season, Hajduk finished as runners-up.

AZAL.

At the end of June 2011 Bulku signed with AZAL of the Azerbaijan Premier League. Bulku made his debut for AZAL on 7 August 2011 against Simurq, going on to score his first goal for the club 3 games later against Neftchi Baku on 27 August 2011. In total Bulku made 22 league appearances for the club scoring three goals.<ref name="2011/12 Stats"></ref>

Sepahan.

On 21 July 2012, Bulku signed a one-year contract with Iranian champions Sepahan F.C., joining there another fellow Albanian player Xhevahir Sukaj, who had come in the team early on January.  He made it his first debut on 29 August 2012, playing the full 90-minutes in the home victory 1–0 against Fajr Sepasi. Bulku scored his first goal for Sepahan on 6 April 2013 against Naft Tehran winning the match within the 3–1 result, were his goal was the opening of the match, scored in the 12th minute, also Bulku was sent off in the 41st minute after receiving his second yellow card as the first was received in the 12th minute for taking his shirt off after scored the goal. In his first season with Sepahan, he made twenty-one league appearances, scoring once. He also appeared five AFC Champions League matches.  In his second season with Sepahan, he made twenty six league appearances, failing to score. He did score once in the AFC Champions League, but Sepahan failed to get out of the group stage phase. In the 2012–13 Hazfi Cup Bulku scored once in the 1/4-finals on 9 January 2013 against Sanat Naft to open the way towards qualifying for the semifinals as the match finished in the 2–0 victory.  In May 2014, Bulku declared that he left the club after the end of the 2-year contract.

Return to Tirana.

On 5 June 2014, Tirana announced to have acquired Bulku as a free agent, with the veteran marking his return to the club after seven years. Nine days later, the transfer was made official and Bulku signed a two-year contract. However, he joined the team managed by Gugash Magani on 1 July when the summer transfer window officially begun. In August, team captain Erando Karabeci handed his captaincy to Bulku as a sign of respect of the veteran, and became the vice-captain instead.  Bulku made his first appearance of the season on 24 August, playing full-90 minutes in the opening championship match against Apolonia Fier, which ended in a 3–0 win at Qemal Stafa Stadium. He scored his first goal of the season on day three, netting a last-minute equalizier in a 1–1 away draw against Vllaznia Shkodër which was infamously marred by crowd trouble which saw 13 people arrested and both clubs' fans receiving lengthy stadium bans.  He concluded his first season back in Albania by making 32 appearances between league and cup, also scoring once. Bulku played as a starter in Tirana's first three matches of 2015–16 season, but was injured and subsequently lost his place in the starting lineup, finishing his second season with only four league appearances.

International career.

Albania U18.

Bulku made it his first international debut, with Albania national under-18 football team in the 1999 UEFA European Under-18 Championship qualifying, playing in the opening match on 24 November 1998 against Liechtenstein, match finished as a 0–1 loss.

Albania U21.

Bulku played for Albania national under-21 football team 15 matches and scored 1 goal in the 2000 & 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification between years from 1999 to 2002.

Albania senior team.

Bulku was part of Albania national football team since 2002 when he made his first debut under coach Sulejman Demollari on 17 April 2002 against Andorra, coming on as a substitute in place of Altin Rraklli in the 54th minute in a 2–0 loss. He made another 2 appearances in the same year.

UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying.

He wasn't included in national team until 2006 when he was called up by coach Otto Barić for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Netherlands on 11 October.  His next appearance for Albania came in 2007 playing on 7 February in a friendly against Macedonia, finished in the loss 0–1.

UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying.

He scored first goal on 9 February 2011 in the friendly match against Slovenia finished in the loss 1–2, where Bulku scored the equalising goal for 1–1 in the 62nd minute.

2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Bulku retained his starting place for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers under coach Gianni De Biasi playing 9 out 10 matches as a starter. In the 2012s matches he formed a duo defensive-midfielders partnership with Burim Kukeli playing all 4 matches as the full 90-minutes with Albania taking 2 wins and 2 losses. Then he played two full 90-minutes matches against Norway away on 22 March 2013 and home on 7 June 2013 with a new partner Migjen Basha and provided 1 assist in both cases for Hamdi Salihi's goal away which was decisive for Albania taking the 0–1 glorious victory and for Valdet Rama's goal in home in the 1–1 draw. In remaining matches Bulku played one full 90-minutes match, 2 as a starter until second half and 1 as a substitute against Iceland as coach De Biasi played with Basha and new Ergys Kaçe as a starter and Bulku replaced Basha in the 64th minute with Albania 2–1 behind but unable to change the score. For his performances during the qualifiers, Bulku among Mërgim Mavraj were rated as impenetrable and very actives on the field.

Euro 2016 qualifiers.

During the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying under same coach De Biasi, Bulku was regularly called up into the national side, except for the two closing matches in October 2015 but however he participated in just one match vs Armenia on 29 March 2015, this due to upcomings of fellow Defensive midfielders from Switzerland national under-21 football team such as Taulant Xhaka, Amir Abrashi, Migjen Basha and also the presence of experienced and younger players Burim Kukeli, Ledian Memushaj and Ergys Kaçe.

Managerial career.

In November 2015 Bulku was appointed as assistant manager of Gianni De Biasi at the Albania national football team becoming the third one after Paolo Tramezzani and Erjon Bogdani. He debuted in his assistant manager role on 17 November 2015 against Georgia. He participated with Albania in their first major competition the UEFA Euro 2016.  On 23 March 2019, following the sacking of Albania national team head coach Christian Panucci after the 2–0 home defeat to Turkey in the opening day of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, Bulku was announced as the caretaker manager with Sulejman Mema as his assistant for the second match against Andorra two days later. In the match played at Estadi Nacional, Albania won comfortably 3–0; two of the goals were scored by Bekim Balaj and Amir Abrashi, who were brought on by Bulku as substitutions.

Ervin Bulku (, born 3 March 1981) is an Albanian retired professional footballer and current caretaker manager of the Albania national team.

Ervin Bulku (* 3. března 1981, Tirana, Albánie) je albánský fotbalový záložník/obránce a reprezentant, od roku 2014 hráč klubu KF Tirana. Hraje na postu defenzivního středopolaře, alternativně na pravém kraji obrany. Mimo Albánii působil na klubové úrovni na Ukrajině, v Chorvatsku, Ázerbájdžánu a Íránu.


Demise.

The Racers' demise came under the stewardship of Nelson Skalbania, a flamboyant Canadian real estate businessman. Skalbania, who regularly flipped real estate property and sports franchises for a profit, was repeatedly accused of mismanaging the promising Indianapolis hockey market and plotting to move the franchise to Canada, where it would presumably have had a much better chance of being included in an eventual merger the WHA was negotiating with the NHL. Having taken the firm position that no surviving Canadian WHA teams would be excluded from a merger, and knowing the NHL was only willing to even consider taking in a small number of WHA teams, the WHA was not willing to risk upsetting delicate merger negotiations and rebuffed all proposals to add more teams in Canada.  Unable to move his team, Skalbania looked elsewhere to gain leverage in the ongoing merger discussions. He turned to underage players - the NHL had stringent rules regarding the age of players they could sign while the WHA regularly signed underage players. Skalbania's best-known signing was that of 17-year-old future super-star Wayne Gretzky, who signed a personal services contract worth between 1.125 and 1.75 million dollars over 4 to 7 years - at the time, one of the largest contracts ever offered a hockey player. The move did not improve the team's desperate financial situation, and just eight games into the 1978-1979 season Skalbania liquidated his greatest asset to his old friend and former (and future) business partner, Peter Pocklington, owner of the Edmonton Oilers. Pocklington purchased Gretzky and two other Indianapolis players, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll, paying a reported $700,000 for the contracts of the three players, although the announced price was $850,000. The Racers folded 17 games later on December 15, 1978 and major league hockey has not returned to Indianapolis.  The other six WHA teams finished the season, and before the Winnipeg Jets won the 1979 Avco World Trophy, the league accepted the terms of a merger with the NHL whereby Edmonton, Winnipeg, Quebec and New England would enter the NHL as "expansion teams" the following season, and the WHA itself would cease operations. Cincinnati and Birmingham, the other surviving WHA teams, were paid to disband.

Legacy.

Mark Messier also began his career with the Racers in the 1978–79 season, playing five games but failing to register a point before finishing his tryout contract. He was picked up later by Cincinnati for the remainder of the season, before being selected by the Oilers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. Messier retired in 2005 as the last active player to have played in the WHA, and thus the last active player to have played for the Racers.  Skalbania himself would ultimately become an NHL owner a year after the merger when he fronted a Calgary-based ownership group that purchased the Atlanta Flames and moved them north, where they became the Calgary Flames.

Season-by-season record.

"Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes"

The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are often best known for being the first major league team to secure the services of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

Indianapolis Racers byl profesionální americký klub ledního hokeje, který sídlil v Indianapolisu ve státě Indiana. Název klubu (Racers = Závodníci) je odvozen od místního automobilového okruhu Indianapolis Motor Speedway. V letech 1974–1979 působil v profesionální soutěži World Hockey Association. Racers ve své poslední sezóně v WHA skončily v základní části. Své domácí zápasy odehrával v hale Market Square Arena s kapacitou 15 993 diváků. Klubové barvy byly modrá, bílá a červená.