History.

Cambridge Analytica (SCL USA) was incorporated in January 2015 with its registered office in Westferry Circus, London and just one staff member, its director and CEO Alexander James Ashburner Nix (also appointed in January 2015). Nix is also the director of nine similar companies sharing the same registered offices in London, including Firecrest technologies, Emerdata and six SCL Group companies including "SCL elections limited". Nigel Oakes founded SCL Group, which is the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.  Publicly, parent company SCL Group called itself a "global election management agency", "Politico" reported it was known for involvement "in military disinformation campaigns to social media branding and voter targeting". SCL gained work on a large number of campaigns for the US and UK governments' War on Terror advancing their model of behavioral conflict during the 2000s. SCL's involvement in the political world has been primarily in the developing world where it has been used by the military and politicians to study and manipulate public opinion and political will. "Slate" writer Sharon Weinberger compared one of SCL's hypothetical test scenarios to fomenting a coup.  Cambridge Analytica was founded by conservative businessmen Steve Bannon and Robert Mercer. A minimum of 15 million dollars has been invested into the company by Mercer, according to "The New York Times". Bannon's stake in the company was estimated at 1 to 5 million dollars, but he divested his holdings in April 2017 as required by his role as White House Chief Strategist. In March 2018, Jennifer Mercer and Rebekah Mercer became directors of Emerdata limited. In March 2018 it became public by Whistleblower Christopher Wylie, that Cambridge Analytica's first activities were founded on a data set, which its parent company SCL bought 2014 from a company named Global Science Research founded by Aleksandr Kogan who worked as a psychologist at Cambridge. Dr Emma Briant published evidence through the British Parliament's Fake News Inquiry indicating that Cambridge Analytica did work for the UK's LeaveEU Brexit campaign during the 2016 EU Referendum which they denied. The Information Commissioners Office in February 2019 decided to audit the campaign, and its funder Arron Banks company Eldon Insurance for unlawful marketing involving repurposing of data.  Per the Associated Press, Data Propria, a data analysis firm launched May 2018, is run by former officials at Cambridge Analytica.  In July 2018, several former Cambridge Analytica staff launched Auspex International, a company intended to influence politics and society in Africa and the Middle East.

Methods.

CA's data analysis methods were to a large degree based on the academic work of Michal Kosinski. In 2008, Kosinski had joined the Psychometrics Centre of Cambridge University where he then developed with his colleagues a profiling system using general online data, Facebook-likes, and smartphone data. He showed that with a limited number of "likes", people can be analysed better than friends or relatives can do and that individual psychological targeting is a powerful tool to influence people.  CA would collect data on voters using sources such as demographics, consumer behaviour, internet activity, and other public and private sources. According to "The Guardian", CA used psychological data derived from millions of Facebook users, largely without users' permission or knowledge. Another source of information was the "Cruz Crew" mobile app that tracked physical movements and contacts and according to the Associated Press, invaded personal data more than previous presidential campaign apps.  The company claimed to use "data enhancement and audience segmentation techniques" providing "psychographic analysis" for a "deeper knowledge of the target audience". The company uses the Big Five model of personality Using what it calls "behavioral microtargeting" the company indicates that it can predict "needs" of subjects and how these needs may change over time. Services then can be individually targeted for the benefit of its clients from the political arena, governments, and companies providing "a better and more actionable view of their key audiences." According to Sasha Issenberg, CA indicates that it can tell things about an individual he might not even know about himself.  CA derived much of its personality data on online surveys which it conducts on an ongoing basis. For each political client, the firm would narrow voter segments from 32 different personality styles it attributes to every adult in the United States. The personality data would inform the tone of the language used in ad messages or voter contact scripts, while additional data is used to determine voters' stances on particular issues.  The data would get updated with monthly surveys, asking about political preferences and how people get the information they use to make decisions. It also covered consumer topics about different brands and preferred products, building up an image of how someone shops as much as how they vote.

"Channel 4 News" investigation.

"Channel 4 News", a news programme broadcast by the British public service Channel 4, conducted a four-month investigation into Cambridge Analytica starting in November 2017. An undercover reporter posed as a potential customer for Cambridge Analytica, hoping to help Sri Lankan candidates get elected. Video footage from this operation was published on 19 March 2018. From the footage, Cambridge Analytica executives say they worked on over 200 elections across the world. Alexander Nix was recorded in this investigation, talking "unguardedly about the company's practices". Nix said that his company uses honey traps, bribery stings, and prostitutes, for opposition research. For example, Nix offered to discredit political opponents in Sri Lanka with suggestive videos using "beautiful Ukrainian girls" and offers of bribes, even if the opponents did not accept the offers. He also said he uses "Israeli companies" to entrap political opponents with bribes and sex, the Wall Street Journal confirmed that it was referring to Psy-Group. Zamel signed a memorandum of understanding for Psy-Group with Cambridge Analytica on 14 December 2016.  Cambridge Analytica said that the video footage was "edited and scripted to grossly misrepresent" the recorded conversations and company's business practices. Nix said that he had "entertained a series of ludicrous hypothetical scenarios", but insisted his company does not engage in entrapment or bribery.  In the third part of the series, Nix also said that Cambridge Analytica "ran all the digital campaign" for Trump. Nix stated they used communications that would be self-destructive, leaving no incriminating evidence. After the news segment was broadcast, the board of Cambridge Analytica suspended Nix as chief executive officer. The company also released a statement that the allegations did not represent the ethics of the company, and an independent entity would investigate Nix's statements.  The investigation also raised questions regarding campaign finance law. During the 2016 election, the company was employed both by Trump's campaign and Robert Mercer's Make America Number 1 Super PAC which supported Trump. While PACs are not limited in the amount of funds they can spend on behalf of a candidate, they are not allowed to coordinate strategy with the campaigns they are supporting. Nix's statements in the recorded video describe how the Trump campaign itself could "take the high road" and "stay clean", while the negative attacks were handled by the firm and the Super PAC, in a way which makes it "unattributable, untrackable". These statements potentially suggested unlawful coordination between Trump's campaign and the PAC, although Cambridge Analytica has denied this.

Assessment of impact.

Some political scientists have been skeptical of claims made by Cambridge Analytica about the effectiveness of its microtargeting of voters. They believe that access to digital data doesn't provide significantly more information than from public voter databases, and the digital data has limited value over time as the preferences of voters change. While studies have shown that personality does impact political preferences, some political scientists still believe that it is hard to infer political values from personality traits.  Research discussed by Brendan Nyhan of Dartmouth College showed that it is extremely hard to alter voters' preferences because many likely voters are already committed partisans; as a result, it is easier to simply mobilize partisan voters. Tufts University political scientist Eitan Hersh, who has published on microtargeting in campaigns, has expressed strong skepticism about Cambridge Analytica's methods and their purported effectiveness, saying "Every claim about psychographics etc made by or about [Cambridge Analytica] is BS."  In 2017, CA claimed that it has psychological profiles of 220 million US citizens based on 5,000 separate data sets. In March 2017, "The New York Times" reported that CA had exaggerated its capabilities: "Cambridge executives now concede that the company never used psychographics in the Trump campaign." Trump aides have also disputed CA's role in the campaign, describing it as "modest" and noting that none of the company's efforts involved psychographics.  According to an aide and consultant for Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, their campaign stopped using CA after its psychographic models failed to identify likely Cruz supporters. The Cruz campaign ceased access to all of Cambridge's data after the South Carolina Republican primary on 20 February 2016 when Cruz came in third after Trump and Rubio.

Privacy issues.

The use of personal data collected without knowledge or permission to establish sophisticated models of user's personalities raises ethical and privacy issues. CA operated out of the United States; its operations would be illegal in Europe with its stricter privacy laws. While Cruz was outspoken about protecting personal information from the government, his database of CA has been described as "political-voter surveillance".  Regarding CA's use of Facebook users, a speaker for CA indicated that these users gave permission when signing up with the provider, while Facebook declared that "misleading people or misusing information" is in violation of Facebook's policies. In 2015, Facebook indicated that it was investigating the matter. In March 2018, Facebook announced that it had suspended the accounts of Strategic Communication Laboratories for failing to delete data on Facebook users that had been improperly collected.  Alexander Nix suggested that data collection and microtargeting benefits the voters – because they receive messages about issues they care about. However, digital rights protection groups raised concerns that private information is collected, stored, and shared while individuals are "left in the dark about [it]" and have no control.  Significant backlash against Facebook came to light in March 2018, resulting in controversy as well as a $37 billion drop in the market capitalization of Facebook, as of 20 March. Due to the scandal of enabling monetization of Facebook personal data, one assessment was that only 41% of Facebook users trust the company. On 26 March, the US Federal Trade Commission announced it is "conducting an open investigation of Facebook Inc's privacy practices following the disclosure that 50 million users' data got into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica." In March 2019 Facebook acknowledged it had concerns about “improper data-gathering practices” by CA, months before the previously reported onset-of-alert at December 2015.

Elections.

Australia.

In Australia, Cambridge Analytica set up an office. Allan Lorraine, a friend of Alexander Tayler who was a former director for Cambridge Analytica and later appointed director of Emerdata, set up SCL (the parent company of Cambridge Analytica) in Australia. Representatives of Cambridge Analytica had a private dinner with Dan Tehan when he was then the minister responsible for cyber security, and Liberal party executives. The business name "Cambridge Analytica" was registered in Australia to the Lorraine Family Trust in June 2015. SCL Group, promoted Mr Lorraine online as its head of Australian operations. Alexander Nix spoke at an Australian data-driven advertising conference run by the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising and met with Liberal Party officials. Cambridge Analytica was scoping both political as well as commercial work in Australia. Cambridge Analytica's managing director of political operations said in a video recorded by Channel 4 that "We’ve done it in Mexico, we’ve done it in Malaysia, we’re now moving into Brazil, Australia, China."  More than 310,000 Australian Facebook users were among the millions globally who may have had their information improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

India.

In India, Cambridge Analytica had been used by the Indian National Congress (INC) to carry out "in-depth electorate analysis" and influence voters, including in the 2010 elections to the Bihar Legislative Assembly. 355 Indian Facebook users installed a Cambridge Analytica app, exposing the data of 562,455 users. In addition, Christopher Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, alleged that the company had offices and staff in India, and that the INC party was a major client. A BBC documentary clip showing a poster of the INC in ex-CEO Alexander Nix's office went viral in India, sparking accusations that the company was manipulating both mainstream and social media in order to subvert Indian voters away from the Bharatiya Janata Party and towards the INC as part of a neocolonial effort to undermine Indian politics in favor of vested interests. In early 2018 Cambridge Analytica made a 50-page proposal for the INC for both the upcoming 2019 general election in India and their upcoming electoral campaign for the Indian states of Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh state elections in 2018. The Indian National Congress, however, lost the elections by a sizable margin, winning not even enough seats to be the official opposition party in India.

Kenya.

CA ran campaigns in secret during Kenya's 2013 and 2017 elections. In 2018, a CA employee said that his predecessor at the company had been found dead in his hotel room in Kenya while working on Uhuru Kenyatta's 2013 campaign. The company claimed on its website to have conducted a survey of 47,000 Kenyans during the 2013 elections in order to understand "key national and local political issues, levels of trust in key politicians, voting behaviours/intentions, and preferred information channels". According to verified sources, CA worked with 360 Media, a company formed by Simon Gicharu (founder of Mount Kenya University) and Tom Mshindi (Editor-in-Chief of Nation Media Group). 360 Media developed online campaigns in the 2017 Kenyan elections portraying "Raila Odinga as a blood-thirsty individual who is also sympathetic to Al-Shabaab and having no development agenda," whilst portraying the incumbent President Kenyatta as "tough on terrorism, and being good for the economy."  After the revelations in March 2018, where CA staff boasted of their power in Kenya, opposition figures called for an investigation. Norman Magaya, an official of the National Super Alliance, accused CA and the ruling Jubilee Party of committing a crime and called for an investigation.<ref name="BBC_News_3/20/2018"></ref> The Jubilee Party downplayed CA's role, saying it had hired the firm's parent company, to assist with branding.

Malta.

In its Disinformation and 'fake news' inquiry, published on 29 July 2018, the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee noted that it is believed that CA, or its associated companies, worked with the Labour Party in Malta, on the 2013 Maltese general election campaign. Several sources claim that CA had close relationships with Henley & Partners who would immediately after the election introduce and run a lucrative Citizenship by Investment Program in Malta. The Maltese Government issued a press release denying the claims and calling the report and its sources "fake news". Henley & Partners denied any wrongdoing. According to Henley & Partners, there was never a formal working relationship with CA.  The Final Report by the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, published on 18 February 2019, took note of the Maltese Government's submissions (including through PR agency Chelgate's services) but determined that compelling evidence shown to the Committee confirmed that:  ""SCL certainly had meetings in Malta, that Christian Kalin of Henley & Partners was introduced by SCL to Joseph Muscat in 2011, and that Christian Kalin met with both political parties before 2013"".  The Maltese Government later issued a further denial decrying the use of ""unnamed sources"" and ""confidential documents"".

Mexico.

After the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, "Forbes" published that the British news program "Channel 4 News" had mentioned the existence of proof revealing ties between the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Cambridge Analytica, suggesting a "modus operandi" similar to the one in the United States. According to Channel 4 News' Guillermo Galdos, CA worked for the PRI at least until January 2018. An investigation was requested.  In 2017 the company had reached out to the PRI, Mexico's ruling political party, in order to bolster the party's presidential campaign during the largest-ever political elections of 2018. The party decided that it was sufficiently equipped to mess with the election on its own, but still paid Cambridge Analytica to prevent it from working with rival parties.

United Kingdom.

Many donors to the UK Conservative Party reportedly have connections to the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.  CA became involved in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum (Brexit) supporting "persuadable" voters to vote for leaving the European Union (EU). Articles by Carole Cadwalladr in "The Observer" and "Guardian" newspapers, respectively published in February and May 2017, speculated in detail that CA had influenced both the Brexit/Vote Leave option in the UK's 2016 EU membership referendum and Trump's 2016 US presidential campaign with Robert Mercer's backing of Donald Trump being key. They also discuss the legality of using the social data farmed. CA is pursuing legal action over the claims made in Cadwalladr's articles.  No campaign contributions, in cash or in kind, by Cambridge Analytica were reported to the UK electoral authorities. Both CA and Leave.EU refused to comment on any donation of services. On 23 March 2018, it was reported that a former employee, Brittany Kaiser, who was the company's former director of business development, revealed that the company misled the public and MPs over its links with Leave.EU and the analysis of data which had been provided by the UK Independence Party (UKIP). She said she felt she had lied by supporting Cambridge Analytica's company line that it had done "no paid or unpaid work" for Leave.EU. "In my opinion, I was lying. In my opinion I felt like we should say, 'this is exactly what we did'". The following day, it was reported that the company claimed that it would be able to affect the outcome of the Referendum and that it had produced a 10-page document headed "Big Data Solutions for the EU Referendum", claiming it could single out 'Brexiteers' among voters, donors, politicians and journalists.  DW reported in March 2018 that "Whistleblower Christopher Wylie told UK lawmakers during a committee hearing on Tuesday that a firm linked to Cambridge Analytica helped the official Vote Leave campaign [the official pro-Brexit group headed by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove] circumvent campaign financing laws during the Brexit referendum."

United States.

Laurence Levy, a lawyer with the law firm Bracewell & Giuliani, advises Rebekah Mercer, Steve Bannon, and Alexander Nix on the legality of their company, Cambridge Analytica, being involved in Elections in the United States. He advises that Nix and any foreign nationals without a green card working for the company must not be involved in any decision making regarding any work the company performs for any clients related to U.S. elections. He further advises Nix to recuse himself from any involvement with the company's U.S. election work because he is not a U.S. citizen.

2014 midterm elections.

CA had entered the US market in 2012 (or 2013), and was involved in 44 US congressional, US Senate and state-level elections in the 2014 US elections.  The company worked with the John Bolton Super PAC (political action committee) on a major digital and TV campaign focused on senate races in Arkansas, North Carolina and New Hampshire and helped turn out voters for the Republican Party candidates in those states. Two of the Republican candidates backed by the Bolton Super PAC, Thom Tillis in North Carolina and Tom Cotton in Arkansas, won their Senate bids, while Scott Brown lost in New Hampshire. The PAC ran 15 different TV advertisements each in North Carolina and Arkansas and 17 in New Hampshire, mostly online with some targeted directly to households using Dish Network and DirecTV. All were intended to push Bolton's national security agenda.  CA also supported Thom Tillis's successful campaign to oust Kay Hagan as a senator for North Carolina. The firm was credited for its role in identifying a sizeable cluster of North Carolinians who prioritised foreign affairs, which encouraged Tillis to shift the conversation from state-level debates over education policy to charges that incumbent Kay Hagan had failed to take ISIS's rise seriously. Tillis's campaign and the North Carolina Republican Party paid Cambridge Analytica $345,000 for these services.  CA sent dozens of non-U.S. citizens to provide campaign strategy and messaging advice to Republican candidates in 2014, opening the firm and individuals to prosecution under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, for being foreign agents having not registered through the United States Department of Justice as such.

2016 presidential election.

CA's involvement in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries became known in July 2015. As of December 2015, CA claimed to have collected up to 5,000 data points on over 220 million Americans. At that time Robert Mercer was a major supporter of Ted Cruz. The Mercer family funded CA directly and indirectly through several super-PACs as well as through payments via Cruz's campaign.  Cruz became an early major client of CA in the 2016 presidential campaign. Just prior to the Iowa Republican caucuses, the Cruz campaign had spent $3 million for CA's services, with additional money coming from allied Super-PACs. After Cruz's win at the Iowa caucus CA was credited with having been able to identify and motivate potential voters. Ultimately the Cruz campaign spent $5.8 million on work by CA.  Ben Carson was a second client of CA; his campaign had paid $220,000 for "data management" and "web service" as reported in October 2015. Marco Rubio's campaign was supported by Optimus Consulting. Meanwhile, the third competitor, Governor John Kasich, was supported by rivalling firm Applecart.  After Cruz dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination in May 2016, Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer started to support Trump. In August, it became known that CA followed their allegiance and worked for Trump's presidential campaign. Trump's campaign also worked with digital firm Giles Parscale. In September, the Trump campaign spent $5 million to purchase television advertising. The Trump campaign spent less than $1 million in data work.  In 2016, the company said that it had not used psychographics in the Trump presidential campaign. Cambridge Analytica targeted potential voters with bespoke messages. Cambridge Analytica's data head, Alexander Tayler said, "When you think about the fact that Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 3m votes but won the electoral college vote, [t]hat's down to the data and the research."  The head of Cambridge Analytica said he asked WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, for help finding Hillary Clinton's 33,000 deleted emails.  On 18 May 2017, "Time" reported that the US Congress was investigating CA in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. The report alleges that CA may have coordinated the spread of Russian propaganda using its microtargetting capabilities. According to the Trump campaign's digital operations chief, CA worked "side-by-side" with representatives from Facebook, Alphabet Inc. and Twitter on Trump's digital campaign activities.  On 4 August 2017, Michael Flynn, who is under investigation by US counterintelligence for his contacts with Russian officials, amended a public financial filing to reflect that he had served in an advisory role in an agreement with CA during the 2016 Trump campaign.  On 8 October 2017, Brad Parscale, who was the digital media director for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, stated in an interview with Lesley Stahl from CBS News on "60 Minutes" that Parscale was able to utilize Facebook advertising to directly target individual voters in swing states. Parscale cited the example in which he was able to target specific universes (audiences) who care about infrastructure and promote Trump and his message to build back up the crumbling American infrastructure. Although he hired Cambridge Analytica to assist with microtargeting, and Cambridge Analytica stated that it was the key to Trump's victory, Parscale denied that he gained assistance from the firm, stating that he thought Cambridge Analytica's use of psychographics doesn't work. He also denied any assistance with links to Russia. According to Parscale, the Clinton campaign turned down assistance from these platforms.  On 25 October 2017, Assange said on Twitter that he had been approached by Cambridge Analytica, but that he had rejected its proposal. Assange's tweet followed a story in "The Daily Beast" alleging that Cambridge Analytica chief executive Alexander Nix had proposed a collaboration with Wikileaks to find the 33,000 emails that had been deleted from Clinton's private server. CNN said it had been told by several unnamed sources that Nix intended to turn the Clinton email archive released to the public by the State Department into a searchable database for the campaign or a pro-Trump political action committee.  On 14 December 2017, it was revealed that Robert Mueller had requested during the fall of 2017 that Cambridge Analytica turn over the emails of any of its employees who worked on the Trump campaign, as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.  In 2018, following disclosures that the company had improperly used the personal information of over 50 million Facebook users while working on Trump's presidential campaign, "The Times of Israel" reported that the company had used what Nix had called "intelligence gathering" from British and Israeli companies as part of their efforts to influence the election results in Trump's favor.

Other countries.

Cambridge Analytica's executives said in 2018 that the company had worked in more than 200 elections around the world, including in Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, the Czech Republic, and Argentina. During the investigation it was admitted that the company has been contacted from a famous Italian party to manage the electoral campaign in Italy but the name of the party was not revealed.  In the Philippines, Cambridge Analytica was also involved in the 2016 presidential election with reports citing it helped Rodrigo Duterte win the race. Duterte's camp denied this association. The SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica's parent company, claimed that it rebranded the politician's image to target voters who they found are swayed by qualities such as toughness and decisiveness. During the election cycle, Facebook confirmed that its data of more 1 million Filipino users were improperly shared with the communications company.  On 4 January 2020, a release of more than 100,000 documents showed how Cambridge Analytica worked in 68 countries. A global infrastructure with operations to manipulate voters on "an industrial scale". The release of documents began on New Year's Day from an anonymous Twitter account called @HindsightFiles, that published material on elections in Malaysia, Kenya and Brazil (and next days so more countries). This documents came from Brittany Kaiser, an ex-Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower, and were retrieved from her email accounts and hard drives.

Further reading.

Nazzareno Tirino, "Cambridge Analytica. Il potere segreto, la gestione del consenso e la fine della propaganda". Libellula Edizioni, Lecce (ITA), 2019.

Cambridge Analytica Ltd (CA) was a British political consulting firm that combined misappropriation of digital assets, data mining, data brokerage and data analysis with strategic communication during the electoral processes. It was started in 2013 as an offshoot of the SCL Group. After closing operations with legal proceedings including bankruptcy, members of the SCL Group have been continuing operations under the legal entity Emerdata Limited. The company closed operations in 2018 in the course of the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, although related firms still exist.

剑桥分析公司(英语:Cambridge Analytica;简称CA),是一家进行资料探勘及数据分析的私人公司。2018年3月爆发不当取得5000万Facebook用户数据之丑闻而闻名。丑闻曝光后,客户和供应商大量流失、内外部调查和诉讼费用不断上涨,2018年5月2日宣布「立即停止所有营运」,并在英国和美国申请破产。


Master Plan.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Master Plan for Marina Bay aims to encourage a mix of uses for this area, including commercial, residential, hotel and entertainment.

History.

In 1969, land reclamation work to create 360 hectares of prime waterfront site began at Marina Bay. The reclaimed land forms what is today the Marina Centre and Marina South areas, and the reclamation work was completed in 1992. In the reclamation process, Telok Ayer Basin and Inner Roads was removed from the map by reclaiming land, while the Singapore River's mouth now flows into the bay instead of directly into the sea.  The long term visions for the Marina Bay area was first articulated in the 1983 Master Plan by the URA, with the waterfront areas being deliberately kept open to the public. In 1988, the draft plan for Marina Bay was presented to the public in a two-week exhibition where it set out the objectives for the development, among which are optimising the waterfront location and creating a distinctive image with international landmarks that could become a focal point for the city.  In 2005, the Urban Redevelopment Authority spent $400,000 on a branding exercise to name the Marina Bay area in order to sell the new major developments in the area, only to settle with the original name "Marina Bay".  The Singapore government also spent $35 million to complete the 3.5 km Waterfront Promenade around Marina Bay. It includes a new eco-friendly visitor centre and The Helix linking Bayfront to Marina Centre where the Youth Olympic Park is located. The Promontory @ Marina Bay (formerly Central Promontory Site) will be used as an interim event and public space used for activities such as theatres and carnivals.  In 2008, Marina Barrage was built, converting the basin into a new downtown freshwater Marina Reservoir, providing water supply, flood control and a new lifestyle attraction.

Events at Marina Bay.

The Formula One Singapore Grand Prix has taken place annually since 2008 on a street circuit adjacent to Marina Bay. Since its construction in 2007, The Float@Marina Bay has hosted events such as the National Day Parade, New Year's Eve Countdown and Singapore Fireworks Celebrations, and also serves as a spectator stand for the Singapore Grand Prix. Furthermore, it also played host to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics.  The area also hosts the annual i Light Marina Bay, a sustainable light art festival.  The event space next to Marina Bay Sands, known as The Lawn, hosted the first overseas and Singapore edition of ArtBox Bangkok on two separate weekends, 14–16 April and 21–23 April 2017.

Infrastructure.

Common Services Tunnel.

The Common Services Tunnel is a development of the Marina Bay area in Singapore. It is said to be the second of its kind in Asia after Japan. This utility tunnel will house telecom cables, power lines, water pipes as well as provision for pneumatic refuse collection pipes. The phase one of the tunnel has cost about S$81 million (about US$51 million) while the phase two, which is under construction and scheduled to be ready in 2010, will cost S$137 million (about US$86 million).  A District Cooling Plant is also commissioned in May 2010, which will supply chilled water for the air-conditioning of buildings in the area through pipes housed within the tunnel, according to the report. Built at a cost of some S$110 million (about US$69 million), the District Cooling Plant will be able to serve 1.25 million square metres of gross floor area and free up space which should be used for building chiller plants and cooling towers for separate buildings. The District Cooling Plant started operations on 3 March 2016. The Singapore government is pumping in nearly S$2 billion (about US$1.2 billion) to build the infrastructural base for Marina Bay, which also includes the Marina Barrage, a Rapid Transit System and the new Marina Promenade and Double Helix Bridge.

Water management.

In 2004, the Public Utilities Board publicly announced plans to construct a new downtown reservoir by damming the Marina Channel. This barrage was completed in 2008. Known as the Marina Barrage, it turned Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin into a confined freshwater reservoir with limited access to marine transportation to regulate the water quality. The new reservoir provides another source of drinking water for Singapore, as well as a stable water level for a variety of water activities and events. The barrage will also prevent flooding in the Chinatown area.

Transport.

There are currently 7 rail stations: City Hall, Raffles Place, Marina Bay, Bayfront, Downtown, Esplanade and Promenade serving Marina Bay. By 2020, the 360 hectares Marina Bay will boast a comprehensive transport network as Singapore's most rail-connected district. The first three new MRT lines will open between 2012 and 2014. By 2018, the Marina Bay district will have more than six MRT stations, all no more than five minutes of each other. A comprehensive pedestrian network including sheltered sidewalks, covered walkways, underground and second-storey links will ensure all-weather protection and seamless connectivity between developments and MRT stations. Within greater Marina Bay, water taxis will even double up as an alternative mode of transport.

In popular culture.

In the movie "", Marina Bay was destroyed by an alien spacecraft.

Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent Central Business District. It is also the new downtown of Singapore built on reclaimed land. Famous landmark iconic buildings include the Marina Bay Sands, Marina Bay Financial Centre, Asia Square, The Sail@Marina Bay and Marina One integrated mixed-use developments. It is one of the key focus areas by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Marina Bay is envisioned by the URA as a work-live-play vibrant 24 hour CBD.

滨海湾(英语:Marina Bay)是一片坐落于中心城区东部,紧邻新加坡南部新加坡中区的海湾。围绕于此区域周边的是一座与中央商务区相邻,占地360公顷的扩建地。


2017年世界斯诺克锦标赛

Overview.

The World Snooker Championship is an annual cue sport tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker. Founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India, the sport was popular in Great Britain. In modern times it has been played worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand.  The 2017 tournament featured 32 professional players competing in one-on-one snooker matches played over several, using a single elimination format. The 32 players were selected for the event through a mix of the snooker world rankings, and a pre-tournament qualification competition. The first world championship in 1927 was won by Joe Davis, the final being held in Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, England. Since 1977, the event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. As of 2020, Stephen Hendry is the most successful player in the modern era, having won the championship seven times. Mark Selby won the previous year's championship by defeating China's Ding Junhui in the final 18–14. This was Selby's second world title, having also won the championship in 2014. The event was organised by World Snooker, a subsidiary of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and sponsored by sports betting company Betfred.

Format.

The 2017 World Snooker Championship took place between 15 April and 1 May 2017 in Sheffield, England. The tournament was the last of 19 ranking events in the 2016–17 snooker season on the World Snooker Tour. It featured a 32-player main draw that was held at the Crucible Theatre, as well as a 128-player qualifying draw that was played at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield, from 5 to 12 April, concluding three days before the start of the main draw. This was the 41st consecutive year that the tournament had been staged at the Crucible, and it was the 49th successive world championship to be contested using the modern knockout format.  The top 16 players in the latest world rankings automatically qualified for the main draw as seeded players. Mark Selby was seeded first overall as the defending champion, and the remaining 15 seeds were allocated based on the world rankings released after the China Open. The number of frames required to win a match increased with each proceeding round of the main draw, the first round consisting of best-of-19-frames matches, the final match being played over a maximum of 35 frames.  All 16 non-seeded spots in the main draw were filled with players from the qualifying rounds. The draw for the qualifying competition consisted of 128 players, including 110 of the remaining 112 players on the World Snooker Tour, as well as 18 wildcard places assigned to non-tour players. These invited players included the women's world champion, the European junior champion, and all four semi-finalists at the WSF world amateur championship. Half of the participants in the qualifying draw were seeded players: those ranked from 17th to 80th were allocated one of 64 seeds in world ranking order; the other participants were placed randomly into the draw. To reach the main draw at the Crucible, players were required to win three best-of-19-frames qualifying matches.

Prize fund.

The total prize money for the event was raised to £1,750,000 from the previous year's prize fund of £1,500,100. The winner of the event won £375,000. A breakdown of prize money for the 2017 World Snooker Championship is shown below.  The "rolling 147 prize" awarded for a maximum break was £5,000, which was won by Gary Wilson in qualifying.

Coverage.

The 2017 World Snooker Championship was broadcast throughout Europe by both BBC TV and Eurosport. The tournament was streamed internationally on Facebook for the first time, specifically for portions of South America and Asia. The event was also broadcast in North America on Facebook, and the final was aired on the Eleven Sports Network.

Tournament summary.

Seeding and qualifying rounds.

The top 16 ranked players in the world automatically qualified as seeds for the first round of the main stage at the Crucible. Defending champion Mark Selby was seeded first and the other 15 seeding allocations were based on the latest world rankings. The players ranked from 17th position entered the competition in the first round of qualifying and were required to win three best-of-19-frames matches to qualify for the main tournament. The three qualifying rounds were held at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield from 5 to 12 April 2017.  Two-time world champion Mark Williams took part in qualifying, having failed to regain his place in the top 16. He lost 7–10 to Stuart Carrington in his third qualifying match and missed the knockout stage for only the second time since 1996. Williams qualified at the following year's event, where he defeated John Higgins 18–16 in the final to win his third world title.  The deciding frame of the third-round qualifying match between Fergal O'Brien and David Gilbert on 12 April was the longest frame on record in the modern era of the game; lasting for 123 minutes and 41 seconds, it broke the previous record of 100 minutes and 24 seconds set by Alan McManus and Barry Pinches in 2015. Gary Wilson made the 131st officially recognised maximum break, the second of his career, in the fourth frame of his first-round qualifying match against Josh Boileau on 6 April.  Wilson was one of five players to qualify for the main stage of the championship at the Crucible for the first time, the other four debutants being David Grace, Noppon Saengkham, Yan Bingtao, and Zhou Yuelong. The draw for the first round of the main competition took place at 10:00 a.m. BST on 13 April 2017.

First round.

The first round of the championship took place between 15 and 20 April 2017. All matches were played as best-of-19-frames over two sessions. Having been eliminated in the first round at the Crucible in the four years since his 2012 semi-final appearance, Stephen Maguire defeated fellow Scot Anthony McGill to progress to the second round for the first time in five years. In his 25th consecutive appearance at the World Championship, Ronnie O'Sullivan withstood a fightback from qualifier Gary Wilson—who had recovered from down to down—to win their first round match. In doing so, O'Sullivan secured a place in the last 16 for the 14th year in a row, equalling the record set by Terry Griffiths in 1996.  Elsewhere, Marco Fu trailed Luca Brecel 0–5, 1–7, 4–8, and 8–9, before winning 10–9 in his first round match. Third seed Stuart Bingham played 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon, who was appearing at the Crucible for the 24th time since first qualifying in 1992. Ebdon won the final frame of the first session despite needing 15 points from with just the colours remaining; he achieved the three snookers needed, and potted the respotted black to bring the score to 4–5. He won just one more frame before losing 5–10 to Bingham.  Qualifier Rory McLeod defeated second seed Judd Trump 10–8, after trailing 0–4. Before the tournament Trump had declared, "I honestly believe I can play to a standard which is very rare nowadays," and that he was "the best" in the world. His poor performance in the match, which ran into a third session, was exacerbated by a shoulder injury that was causing him visible pain when down on shots. This resulted in 46-year-old McLeod becoming the oldest player to reach the last 16 since Steve Davis' quarter-final run in 2010 aged 52. McLeod commented that his victory was "the best win of [his] career, to beat Judd Trump on centre stage is brilliant."  In an all-Chinese match, fourth seed Ding Junhui defeated debutant Zhou Yuelong 10–5 to reach the last 16. Ali Carter lost 7–10 in a tense encounter with 2006 world champion Graeme Dott, which Carter blamed on his poor start to the match. The 2010 world champion Neil Robertson made his 500th career century during his 10–4 first round win over Noppon Saengkham. In his first-round loss to Liang Wenbo, Stuart Carrington became only the fifth player, after John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby, and Neil Robertson, to make century breaks in three consecutive frames in a World Championship match; Liang won the match 10–7. Xiao Guodong defeated Wales' sole representative Ryan Day 10–4, which Day referred to as "embarrassing". This was the first event since 1969 where the second round contained no Welsh players.  Seven former world champions progressed to the second round: Selby, Bingham, O'Sullivan, Higgins, Robertson, Dott and Shaun Murphy. Ebdon was the only former champion in the main draw not to reach the last 16. None of the five debutants made it to the second round.

Second round.

The second round of the championship took place from 20 to 24 April 2017, matches being played as best-of-25-frames over three sessions. At this stage, 12 of the 16 seeded players remained in the competition. Kyren Wilson advanced to his second consecutive World Championship quarter-final by defeating third seed Stuart Bingham 13–10. Five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Shaun Murphy 13–7, to set up his 18th quarter-final appearance at the Crucible. Having dispatched Zhou Yuelong in the first round, Ding Junhui played in a second consecutive all-Chinese match, defeating fellow countryman Liang Wenbo 13–12.  Four-time world champion John Higgins defeated Mark Allen 13–9, having trailed 3–5 after the first session. Stephen Maguire defeated Rory McLeod 13–3 with a session to spare to reach his first World Championship quarter-final since 2012. Maguire was the only unseeded player to progress to the quarter-finals. Defending champion Mark Selby defeated Xiao Guodong 13–6, commenting afterwards, "I don't feel as though I have peaked". Marco Fu won 13–11, after his opponent Neil Robertson missed the final black in the 24th frame which would have sent their match into a deciding frame.

Quarter-finals.

The quarter-finals were played on 25 and 26 April 2017, as best-of-25-frames matches divided over three sessions. John Higgins won all three sessions of his match against Kyren Wilson and triumphed 13–6, to advance to his first semi-final since winning the event in 2011. With the score tied at 3–3 in the first session, Wilson miscued and split his cue tip, requiring a 15-minute break to carry out the repair. The two players would meet in the semi-finals of the following year's tournament, which Higgins won 17–13.  Defending champion Mark Selby defeated Marco Fu 13–3 with a session to spare. Selby's victory included a break of 143 in frame 15, which BBC commentator Stephen Hendry described as "one of the best [breaks] I've ever seen." After the match, Fu commented that Selby was "unplayable at times" and predicted that he would win the championship.  Ding Junhui defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 13–10 in their quarter-final encounter. Ding developed an early 3–0 lead, but O'Sullivan fought back to level the first session at 4–4. Ding dominated the second session and opened up a 10–6 overnight lead. O'Sullivan took the first two frames of the final session to reduce his deficit to 8–10; the next four frames were shared equally, before Ding concluded the match in frame 23. O'Sullivan attempted a 147 maximum break in frame 20, but he ran out of position after potting the 13th red and was forced to take the pink instead of the black; his consequent of 146 was the highest break of the championship.  Stephen Maguire was defeated 9–13 by Barry Hawkins, who reached his fourth Crucible semi-final in five years. Hawkins led 9–7 after the first two sessions, but Maguire took the next two frames—including a 135 clearance in frame 17—to tie the match at 9–9. Hawkins then won the next four frames straight to round out the match.

Semi-finals.

The semi-finals, which took place from 27 to 29 April 2017, were played as best-of-33-frames matches divided over four sessions. A single table was used for both matches, successive sessions of play alternating between the two semi-finals. Defending champion Mark Selby played fourth seed Ding Junhui in the first semi-final, which was a rematch of the previous year's final. Selby held the lead for most of the match, before Ding drew level at 12–12 after three sessions. Selby then won four of the next five frames, to lead 16–13, requiring just one more frame to win the match. Ding persevered to win two further frames, before Selby scored a break of 72 to triumph 17–15.  Sixth seed John Higgins played seventh seed Barry Hawkins in the other semi-final. Higgins held the lead after each of the first three sessions, at 5–3, 10–6, and 16–8, before winning the match 17–8 in the first frame of the final session. World Snooker described his semi-final win as a "demolition". With the victory, Higgins qualified for his first World Championship final in six years and his sixth overall, the first being 19 years previously when he won his first world title in 1998.

Final.

The final was played on 30 April and 1 May 2017 between first seed Mark Selby and sixth seed John Higgins. It was a best-of-35-frames match, spread over four sessions. This final was a rematch of the 2007 World Championship final, where Higgins had defeated Selby 18–13. In reaching the 2017 final, Higgins became the second-oldest Crucible world finalist at 41 years and 11 months, behind Ray Reardon who had played in the 1982 final aged 49. The other quadragenarians to have played in a world final at the Crucible were John Spencer and Terry Griffiths.  Higgins led 6–2 after the first session and 10–4 during the second, before finishing the first day 10–7 ahead. Selby fought back on the second day to win six of the first seven frames, and he was leading 13–11 by the end of the third session. The next six frames were shared equally and Selby maintained his two-frame lead at 16–14. In frame 31, he played a shot to roll up to the ; despite his conviction that he had made contact, Selby was told by referee Jan Verhaas that he had the ball, for which he received a seven-point penalty. Higgins then won the frame to take the score to 16–15. After compiling a 131 break in frame 32, Selby won the championship with a break of 75 in frame 33, bringing the final match score to 18–15.  Selby had achieved his victory after falling behind by six frames at the end of the first day's play. He was the first player to recover from a deficit of six or more frames to win in a World Championship final since 1985, when Dennis Taylor trailed Steve Davis by 0–8, and later 1–9, before winning the championship. Selby became the fourth player (after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, and Ronnie O'Sullivan) to defend the world title in the Crucible era. He also became the third player (after Hendry and Ding Junhui) to win five full ranking titles in a single season, the first player to win the China Open and the world title back-to-back, and the first player to win over £1,000,000 across the two-year rolling prize money list. In reaching the final, Higgins moved to second in the world rankings, behind Selby.

Main draw.

The numbers in parentheses beside some of the players are their seeding ranks. Match winners are shown in bold.

Qualifying.

Qualifying for the 2017 World Snooker Championship took place from 5 to 12 April 2017, at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield. There were 128 competitors who took part in the three qualifying rounds; the 16 winners of the third round matches progressed to the main stage of the tournament at the Crucible Theatre, also in Sheffield. All qualifying matches were played as best-of-19-frames. The 128 players that entered the qualifying competition included tour players ranked outside the top 16, and 16 amateur players, all of whom achieved success through the WPBSA qualifying criteria. The following amateur players were invited to compete:  The winner of the 2016 IBSF World Snooker Championship, Soheil Vahedi of Iran, was also invited but could not obtain a visa in time to compete. Two amateur players, England's Andy Hicks and Poland's Adam Stefanów, were invited to replace the absent professional players Jamie Burnett and Rouzi Maimaiti. Hicks and Stefanów were selected from the 2016 Q School Order of Merit, as the top-ranked players that had not already qualified for the tournament.

Round 1.

The results of the first round of qualifying are given below; of the 128 players that entered, 64 progressed to the second round.

Round 2.

The results of the second round of qualifying are given below; 32 players progressed to the third and final qualifying round.

Round 3.

The results of the third round of qualifying are given below. The 16 winners advanced to the main stages of the competition, where they met the 16 seeded players in the first round.

Century breaks.

Main stage centuries.

There were 74 century breaks made by 23 players in the main stage of the 2017 World Snooker Championship. The highest break of the tournament, a 146, was compiled by Ronnie O'Sullivan in his quarter-final loss to Ding Junhui.

Qualifying stage centuries.

There were 84 century breaks made by 51 players in the qualifying stage of the championship, including a maximum break compiled by Gary Wilson in frame four of his first qualifying round win over Josh Boileau.

The 2017 World Snooker Championship (officially the 2017 Betfred World Snooker Championship) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 15 April to 1 May 2017 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the 19th and final ranking event of the 2016–17 season, following the China Open. It was the 41st consecutive year that the World Snooker Championship had been held at the Crucible.

2017年世界斯诺克锦标赛是第41届在英格兰克鲁斯堡剧院举行的世界斯诺克锦标赛,比赛于2017年4月15日至5月1日举行。这是2016/2017斯诺克赛季的最后一场排名赛。


Services.

Two "Super Sōya" limited express services each way operate between and daily, and one "Sarobetsu" service each way also operates between Sapporo and Wakkanai daily. The latter service does not include Green car (first class) accommodation.  All-stations "Local" train services operate between and, at approximately 1 to 2 hour intervals. All-stations "Local" train services operate between Nayoro and Wakkanai, at approximately 3 to 4 hour intervals. Four "Nayoro" Rapid services operate in each direction daily.

Stations.

Northern extremity: W80 Wakkanai

History.

The line was originally built as part of a link between mainland Japan and the then Japanese northern frontier of Karafuto (southern half of Sakhalin Island). From Wakkanai Port, a ferry to then Ōdomari (present Korsakov) operated until the end of World War II.  The first segment of the line from Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) to Nagayama was built by the Hokkaido Government Railway in 1898. The line was extended to Nayoro in 1903, and to Wakkanai in 1922 along the route of the later Tempoku Line (, Tenpoku-sen) via Hamatombetsu. The present route via was opened as part of the Teshio Line (, Teshio-sen).  After Japan's defeat in the war, the line lost its function as a link to Sakhalin, but remained important as a trunk line into the northern part of Hokkaido. The Sōya Main Line gradually lost all of its branch lines, and presently constitutes a long branch from the Hakodate Main Line.  - A 138 km line known as the Nayoro Main Line was built from Nayoro to Engaru on the Sekihoku Main Line between 1915-1921, operating until 1989. There were four lines connecting to the Nayoro Main line:

Former connecting lines.

- Nayoro was also the junction for the Shinmei line to Fukagawa on the Hakodate Main Line, which reached the Soya line in 1941, closing in 1995. A 51.2 km line was proposed from Shumarinai on that line to Chikubetsu on the Hoboro line (see below) with construction commencing in 1959. A substantial steel truss bridge was constructed before work was abandoned in 1962.

The is a Japanese railway line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaido. The line connects Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai, and is the northernmost railway line in Japan. The name comes from Sōya Subprefecture.

宗谷本线()是日本北海道旅客铁道(JR北海道)的铁路线(地方交通线),从北海道旭川市的旭川站出发,途经名寄市的名寄站连接稚内市的稚内站。


Biography.

Shu-chu Chen graduated from Jen-Ai elementary school at Taitung City, Taiwan. The household's living of eight people depended on her father as a vegetable vendor. Her mother died due to dystocia and the family could not afford NTD$5,000 for medical expenses. She decided to help her family's living working as a vegetable vendor. Her youngest brother got a serious flu in 1969 and unfortunately died in the same year even though he had donation from Jen-Ai elementary school for medical treatment. Shu-chu took over the burden of living and afforded her older brother to go to college, and she is still single as for now. Her second youngest brother, later, died from traffic accident. When looking back at the past, she has once hated her life for what have happened to her, so she devoted most of her time on working to escape from the darkness.  In the past, she thought the society was very cruel and ugly, but things had changed after she took refuge in Buddhism. With the power and support from the religion, she let go the past. After selling the vegetables for decades, she bought herself a small house, but she is still having a very simple life. Her daily spending is under NTD$100 which is equivalent $3 U.S. dollars. As a Buddhist, she has been a vegetarian for a long time, and she makes every penny count. However, she always donates a lot of her deposit to those in need. After her father died in 1993, Shu-chu donated NTD$1 million to Fo Guang Buddhist Academy. In 1997, she donated NTD$1 million to her mother school, Jen-Ai elementary school, to help poor children afford their education. Since she could not afford to go to school in her early age, she has the desire to help more children to receive better education. She then donated NTD$4.5 million to Jen-Ai elementary school to build its own library. In these ten years, Shu-chu adopted three abandoned kids at the Christian KidsAlive International Association, and donates NTD$36,000 every year.  Shu-chu Chen was invited to attend the flag-raising ceremony of the 107 (2018) National Day of the Republic of China held by Taitung City Government. In the ceremony, she announced the news that she donated her two life insurance policies to East-based Medical Foundation Taitung Christian Hospital and Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung Branch to set up "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Poor and Cancer Patients" and "Ms. Chen Shu-chu Medical Fund for Charities," respectively. The two insurance policies are worth NTD$16,000,000. The money will be paid by the insurer upon the death of Shu-chu Chen.

Banquet of the Time 100 for year 2010 in the Heroes.

Shu-chu Chen did not want to participate in the banquet in the US hosted by Time at first, but the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou called encouraging her to attend the event. President Ma let her know that the government would afford all the spending of this journey. Ma even asked the county magistrate of Taitung, Jian-ting Huang, to support her saying: "You should go to the U.S.A to claim your award and win honor for Taiwan." President Ma said to the press, "It was very touching to see the story of Chen, Shu-chu. All of Taiwan is proud of her, and she let the whole world know Taiwanese people have a big heart." She arrived at the U.S.A on 5/4/2012, participating in the banquet and claiming her award at the Time Warner Center, Manhattan, in New York City.

Ramon Magsaysay Award for year 2012.

Ramon Magsaysay Award ceremony was taken place on 2012/8/31 at Philippine international convention center in Manila. On the day, more than a thousand people attended the event. The president of Philippine, Noynoy Aquino honored the awards to all the nominates. Aquino valued Shu-chu Chen's contribution on helping poor and sharing love. Shu-chu then donated this money award of $50,000 U.S. dollars to Mackay Memorial Hospital's Taitung branch.

Biography.

"Chen, Shu-chu- Extraordinary Generosity" this book is the biography about Shu-chu Chen, and is written by free writer Yung-yi Liu. The writer spent about half a year interviewing Shu-chu closely. When the book was published, many celebrities went to support the book launch party including the President Ma, the county magistrate of Taitung, and many scholars. In the book, the writer describes Shu-chu's life as simple as only eating one meal a day.  "Too late to chase the dream"-When she was 20 years old, there was a fortune-teller told her she would have 3 boys after she get married. After she had money and bought the house, she made 3 rooms decorating as boys' rooms because having a sweet and warm family was her dream. She does not allow anyone to step in the rooms by saying "there are broken pieces of my dream." But, she has already overcame and gotten over these obstacles now. She find herself a lot of joy and happiness when helping others, and she is fulfilled in this sense.

Chen Shu-chu (, born circa 1951) is a vegetable vendor and philanthropist from Taitung County, Taiwan. She gives generously with her modest incomes. She said "Money serves its purpose only when it is used for those who need it and always be happy when she helped others." She was selected as one of the Time 100 for year 2010 in the Heroes category. She is also one of the 48 heroes of Philanthropy by Forbes Asia. "Reader's Digest" also honors her as the winner of 2010 Asian of the year. In 2012, she also was selected as one of the Ramon Magsaysay Award winners. In 2018, 278986 Chenshuchu was named for her.

陈树菊,是一位生于西螺的台东传统市场菜贩和慈善家。她因多年持续捐助社会累积庞大金额并被媒体发掘而为人所知。


Seasonal forecasts.

Ahead of and during the season, several national meteorological services and scientific agencies forecast how many named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes will form during a season, and/or how many tropical cyclones will affect a particular country. These agencies include the Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) Consortium of the University College London, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Colorado State University (CSU). The forecasts include weekly and monthly changes in significant factors that help determine the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a particular year. Some of these forecasts also take into consideration what happened in previous seasons and the dissipation of the 2014–16 El Niño event. On average, an Atlantic hurricane season between 1981 and 2010 contained twelve tropical storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes, with an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index of between 66 and 103 units.

Pre-season outlooks.

The first forecast for the year was issued by TSR on December 13, 2016. They anticipated that the 2017 season would be a near-average season, with a prediction of 14 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. They also predicted an ACE index of around 101 units. On December 14, CSU released a qualitative discussion detailing five possible scenarios for the 2017 season, taking into account the state of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation and the possibility of El Niño developing during the season. TSR lowered their forecast numbers on April 5, 2017, to 11 named storms, 4 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, based on recent trends favoring the development of El Niño. The next day, CSU released their prediction, also

Mid-season outlooks.

CSU updated their forecast on June 1 to include 14 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, to include Tropical Storm Arlene. It was based on the current status of the North Atlantic oscillation, which was showing signs of leaning towards a negative phase, favoring a warmer tropical Atlantic; and the chances of El Niño forming were significantly lower. However, they stressed on the uncertainty that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation could be in a warm-neutral phase or weak El Niño conditions by the peak of the season. On the same day, the United Kingdom Met Office (UKMO) released its forecast of a very slightly above-average season. It predicted 13

Seasonal summary.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2017. Among the busiest on record, the season produced eighteen tropical depressions, all but one of which further intensified into tropical storms. Ten hurricanes occurred in succession, the greatest number of consecutive hurricanes since the start of the satellite era in 1966. Six of the ten hurricanes further strengthened into major hurricanes. The season tied with 1936 for the fifth-highest number of named storms, while it also had the most major hurricanes since 2005. Unlike the pattern of previous years that acted to steer many tropical cyclones harmlessly into the open Atlantic, 2017 featured a pattern conducive for landfalls; in fact, the season culminated into 23 separate landfalls by Atlantic named storms. At least 3,364 fatalities were recorded and damage totaled $294.92 billion, cementing the 2017 season as the costliest in recorded history and the deadliest season since 2005.  The hyperactive season came to fruition through a multitude of different factors. Pre-season projections noted the potential for a weak to moderate El Niño event to evolve through the summer and fall on the basis of statistical model guidance. Instead, equatorial Pacific Ocean temperatures began cooling throughout the summer, reaching La Niña threshold in November and curtailing the negative effects on Atlantic hurricane activity originally expected. In addition, tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures—previously below average in months prior to the start of the season—underwent rapid warming by late May, providing lower sea level pressures, weaker trade winds, increased mid-level moisture, and all-around a more conducive environment for above-average activity. The season's first tropical cyclone, Arlene, developed on April 19 and became only the second tropical storm on record during the month. Above-average activity continued throughout June and July with the formations of tropical storms (and a depression) Bret, Cindy, Four, Don, and Emily; however, a majority of these storms were weak and short-lived. August yielded four storms—Franklin, Gert, Harvey, and Irma—all of which intensified into hurricanes. Harvey attained Category 4 status prior to reaching the Texas coastline, ending the record streak

Systems.

Tropical Storm Arlene.

A potent extratropical cyclone formed well east of Bermuda on April 16. The cyclone moved southeast, becoming disconnected from the surrounding environment and gradually losing its frontal characteristics. Deep convection formed in bands north and east of the center by 00:00 UTC, and gradually on April 19, leading to the formation of a subtropical depression. Despite an unfavorable environment, with ocean temperatures near and moderate wind shear, convection coalesced near the center and allowed the subtropical depression to become fully tropical by 00:00 UTC on April 20. It intensified into Tropical Storm Arlene six hours later. After attaining peak winds of early on April 21, the storm began to revolve counterclockwise around a larger extratropical low. The storm tracked into the cold sector

Tropical Storm Bret.

A low-latitude tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on June 13. Initially accompanied by a large area of convection, the showers and thunderstorms quickly diminished by later that day. After an increase in shower and thunderstorm activity later on, as well as the development of a well-defined circulation, the system was classified as Tropical Storm Bret while located about east-southeast of Trinidad at 18:00 UTC on June 19. Bret intensified slightly further, peaking with maximum sustained winds of around 02:00 UTC the following day. Simultaneously, the storm made landfall in southwestern Trinidad. After briefly emerging in the Caribbean Sea, Bret made another landfall on the Paria Peninsula of Venezuela around 09:00

Tropical Storm Cindy.

In mid-June, two tropical waves and an area of disturbed weather began merging over the western Caribbean Sea. A broad area of low pressure developed on June 19, and by 18:00 UTC on the following day, Tropical Storm Cindy formed over the central Gulf of Mexico about south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. While slowly moving to the northwest, Cindy's intensification was slow due to the effects of dry air and moderate to strong wind shear. After peaking with sustained winds of on June 21, Cindy weakened slightly prior to making landfall in Louisiana just east of Sabine Pass on June 22. The storm quickly weakened after moving inland and degenerated into a remnant

Tropical Depression Four.

Early on June 29, the NHC began tracking a tropical wave embedded within a large envelope of deep moisture across the coastline of western Africa. The wave emerged into the Atlantic on July 1. The disturbance was introduced as a potential contender for tropical cyclone formation two days later, as environmental conditions were expected to favor slow organization. It began to show signs of organization over the central

Tropical Storm Don.

Late on July 15, the NHC highlighted a low-pressure trough over the central Atlantic as having the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone in the coming days. The disturbance began to show signs of organization early on July 17, and a tropical depression formed at 06:00 UTC that day. The system continued to intensify, and developed into Tropical Storm Don just six hours later. The storm's overall appearance

Tropical Storm Emily.

In late July, a dissipating cold front extended into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, where the NHC began forecasting the development of an area of low pressure over the next day on July 30. Despite having a low chance of development, a rapid period of organization occurred over the next 24 hours. Tropical Depression Six developed at 18:00 UTC on July 30 about west-northwest of St. Petersburg, Florida. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Emily early the following day. The storm then peaked with winds of and a minimum pressure of. Around 14:45 UTC, Emily made landfall on Longboat Key. Weakening quickly ensued, and later that day the circulation of

Hurricane Franklin.

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on July 27. After reaching the eastern Caribbean on August 3, convection began increasing. The disturbance became Tropical Storm Franklin at 00:00 UTC on August 7, about north-northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios. After strengthening steadily, Franklin made its first landfall near Pulticub, Quintana Roo, with winds of at 03:45 UTC on August 8. The cyclone weakened considerably while over the Yucatán Peninsula, however its satellite presentation remained well-defined, with the inner core tightening up considerably. Later that day, Franklin emerged into the Bay of Campeche, and immediately began strengthening again, becoming a hurricane late on August 9. The system peaked with winds of and a pressure of around 00:00 UTC the next day. About five hours later, Franklin made landfall in Vega de Alatorre,

Hurricane Gert.

A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on August 3. Although environmental conditions were favorable, the wave failed to become a tropical cyclone before reaching a less favorable environment. Around August 5, the southern portion of the wave split off and later developed into Hurricane Kenneth over the Eastern Pacific. After progressing into the southwestern Atlantic several days later, the wave encountered more favorable upper-level winds and began to show signs of organization. Following the formation of a well-defined circulation, the disturbance was upgraded to a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC on August 12 about northeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. By 00:00 UTC the

Hurricane Harvey.

Harvey originated from a tropical wave that emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on August 12. While moving westward, convection increased markedly on August 15, with a low-pressure center forming early the following day. Wind shear initially prevented further development, though the wave became a tropical depression around 06:00 UTC on August 17 about east of Barbados. About 12 hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Harvey. After striking Barbados and Saint Vincent, Harvey entered the Caribbean Sea, where it encountered hostile wind shear. The

Hurricane Irma.

A westward-moving tropical wave developed into a tropical depression about west-southwest of São Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands at 00:00 UTC on August 30, just six hours before becoming Tropical Storm Irma. Amid an environment of low wind shear and warm ocean temperatures, Irma rapidly strengthened, becoming a hurricane early on August 31 and then a major hurricane less than 24 hours thereafter. After reaching an initial peak with winds of, Irma fluctuated in intensity over the next few days due to a combination of drier air and eyewall replacement cycles. However, by September 4, intensification resumed and Irma gained Category 4 status. A reconnaissance aircraft investigating the system

Hurricane Jose.

A westward-moving tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on August 31, organizing into Tropical Storm Jose over the open eastern Atlantic by 15:00 UTC on September 5. Low wind shear and warm sea-surface temperatures allowing Jose to quickly strengthen, attaining hurricane intensity late on September 6 and reaching major hurricane status late on September 7. Around 00:00 UTC on September 9, Jose peaked as a strong Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum barometric pressure of, on the cusp of reaching Category 5 status. Thereafter, northerly wind shear, drier air, and upwelled seas ushered in a weakening trend of the storm. A large mid-latitude low-pressure area offshore Atlantic Canada and the circulation associated with Hurricane Irma resulted in the collapse of steering currents, causing Jose to decelerate and execute a cyclonic loop.  While executing the cyclonic loop, Jose briefly weakened to a tropical storm early on September 15, before re-intensifying into a hurricane about 18 hours later. By September 16, the system curved northward along the western periphery of a central Atlantic ridge. Remaining well offshore the East Coast

Hurricane Katia.

The interaction of a tropical wave and a mid-level trough over the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the development of Tropical Depression Thirteen on September 5, about 40 mi (65 km) east of the Tamaulipas–Veracruz state line. Located in an area of weak steering currents, the cyclone meandered around in the region and strengthened into Tropical Storm Katia at 06:00 UTC on September 6. About 12 hours later, Katia intensified into a hurricane. Late on September 8, the nascent storm peaked as a Category 2 hurricane while it began to move southwestward. However, land interaction began to weaken the hurricane as it approached the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Around 03:00 UTC on September 9, Katia made

Hurricane Lee.

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 13. Contrary to predictions of only gradual organization over the following days, the system rapidly organized, becoming a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC on September 14. The NHC upgraded the system to Tropical Storm Lee at 15:00 UTC on the next day, based on an increase in deep convection and an advanced scatterometer (ASCAT) pass which indicated that it was producing minimal tropical-storm-force winds. After encountering wind shear, Lee gradually weakened into a tropical depression on September 17. As Lee moved northwest in tandem with an upper-level trough with periodic bursts of convection, wind shear decreased slightly, allowing Lee to reintensify to a tropical storm again early on September 19 and attaining an initial peak intensity with winds of that day. However, wind shear again increased, and Lee opened up into a trough around 12:00 UTC on September 20. The NHC monitored the remnants of Lee intermittently for several days, but regeneration was not considered likely. However, the mid-level remnants

Hurricane Maria.

On September 12, a well-defined tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa. The wave initially produced disorganized and scattered deep convection as it moved westward. However, by September 15, convective activity increased and became more organized, including the development of curved cloud bands. Around 12:00 UTC on the following day, a tropical depression formed approximately east of Barbados. Six hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Maria. The cyclone moved west-northwestward and strengthened into a hurricane around 18:00 UTC on September 17. Thereafter, warm sea-surface temperatures and light wind shear allowed Maria to

Hurricane Nate.

A Central American gyre and a tropical wave interacted, spawning a tropical depression about south of San Andrés Island on October 4. Steered northwestward by a weak subtropical ridge to the northeast, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Nate around 06:00 UTC on October 5, about six hours before it made landfall in northeastern Nicaragua. Despite land interaction with Central America, Nate weakened minimally before re-emerging into the Caribbean from the north coast of Honduras early the next day. Nate accelerated north-northwestward due to strong deep-layer south-southeasterly flow, with the storm reaching the Gulf of Mexico by early on October 7. Shortly thereafter, the storm intensified into a hurricane. Reaching a forward speed of, Nate became the fastest-moving tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. Late on October 7, Nate peaked with sustained winds of and a minimum pressure of. The cyclone weakened slightly before striking Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi River around 00:00 UTC on October 8. Now moving north-northeastward, Nate made a second landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, at 05:20 UTC. Nate rapidly weakened to a tropical storm just 40 minutes later and then to a

Hurricane Ophelia.

A broad low pressure area developed along a stationary front well west of the Azores on October 3. Although initially non-tropical in appearance, the low gradually shed its extratropical characteristics while tracking over sea surface temperatures of, anomalously warm for the region. After a steady increase in convection beginning on October 8, the low transitioned into Tropical Storm Ophelia about west-southwest of the Azores. Ophelia meandered northward, northeastward, and then southeastward over the next few days due to a subtropical ridge to its south and a mid-latitude ridge north of the storm. Late on October 11, the cyclone intensified into a hurricane and began curving northeastward in response to southwesterly flow associated with a broad mid-latitude trough and an approaching cold front. After reaching Category 2 intensity late on October 12, the storm briefly weakened to a Category 1 on the following day, before re-intensifying into a Category 2 hurricane on October 14.  Around 12:00 UTC on October 14, Ophelia strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane and peaked with maximum sustained winds of and a minimum

Tropical Storm Philippe.

On October 16, a tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa and entered the Atlantic. The wave tracked westward for several days. By October 24, it began interacting with a Central American gyre while situated over the southwestern Caribbean. By the following day, the interaction resulted in the formation of a low-pressure area. After the low acquired additional convection and the circulation became more well-defined, a tropical depression developed at 12:00 UTC on October 28, about south-southwest of Isla de la Juventud in Cuba. Moving northeastward due to a large mid-latitude trough over the southeastern United States and western Gulf of Mexico, the depression

Tropical Storm Rina.

In early November, the NHC began to monitor a non-tropical area of low pressure in the central Atlantic, which had formed at the end of a decaying cold front, for potential tropical development. Gradually, the system became better organized and was able to maintain an area of deep convection to the east of the center. By early on November 6, convection associated with the low had become sufficiently organized and the system was classified as a tropical depression. As the day progressed, wind shear from the west began to impact the tropical cyclone, displacing shower and thunderstorm activity

Other systems.

The NHC began monitoring a tropical wave that just emerged off the coast of Africa on August 13, which was expected to merge with an area of low pressure southwest of Cape Verde within a few days. Instead the two systems remained separate, with the first eventually coalescing into Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten on August 27, to the northeast of Florida, and the other low-pressure eventually becoming Hurricane Harvey. The NHC gave this disturbance a 90% chance of

Storm names.

The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2017. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2023 season. This was the same list used in the 2011 season, with the exception of the name Irma, which replaced Irene. Irma was previously used in 1978, and was used for the first and only time on the modern naming lists in 2017.  The usage of the name "Don" in July garnered some attention relating to United States President Donald Trump. Max Mayfield, former director of the NHC, clarified that the name had no relation to Trump and was chosen in 2006 as a replacement for Dennis. Regardless, some outlets such as the Associated Press "poked fun" at the name and Trump.

Retirement.

On April 11, 2018, at the 40th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names "Harvey", "Irma", "Maria", and "Nate" from its rotating naming lists due to the number of deaths and amount of damage they caused, and

Season effects.

This is a table of all the storms that formed in the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, besides Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten. It includes their duration, names, affected areas, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a tropical wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 2017 USD. Potential tropical cyclones are not included in this table.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was a hyperactive tropical cyclone season and the costliest on record, with a damage total of at least $294.92 billion (USD). Featuring 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes, this made the season the fifth-most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, tied with 1936. Most of the season's damage was due to hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Another notable hurricane, Nate, was the worst natural disaster in Costa Rican history. The names Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate were retired following the season due to the number of deaths and amount of damage they caused. Collectively, the tropical cyclones were responsible for at least 3,364 deaths—the most fatalities in a single season since 2005. The season also had the highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) since 2005, with a record three hurricanes each generating an ACE of over 40: Irma, Jose, and Maria.

2017年大西洋飓风季泛指在2017年年内的任何时间,于大西洋水域所产生的热带气旋。美国国家飓风中心设下大西洋的热带气旋季为六月至十二月期间。 大西洋飓风季的编号为AL取L一字,并且大西洋的气旋命名机构为美国国家飓风中心(英语:NHC)。更多关于北大西洋的飓风,请参见大西洋飓风季。


鲁邦三世 -名为峰不二子的女人-

Background and production.

In April 2011, it was reported that a new "Lupin III" animated television series would air in the fall on Nippon TV. However, Nippon TV then said the project was only a TV special ("Blood Seal – Eternal Mermaid" which aired in December), not a series. In 2012, Toho Cinemas announced that a promotional video for a "new television series premiering in April" would be shown at a Lupin 40th Anniversary event on March 18. "Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" was announced a week later as a thirteen episode serial. The series was part of the 40th Anniversary of the Lupin animated series, and the 45th Anniversary of the original manga.  The series was directed by Sayo Yamamoto who was given full creative control. Yamamoto wanted to use the original "Lupin III" manga and its adult themes as a basis for the series. Takeshi Koike was the character designer and animation director and Yamamoto requested he use the original manga character designs as a starting point. The visual approach to the series has been compared to "Valkyria Chronicles".  Mari Okada was the main writer of the series, although Itsuko Miyoshi (ep 2), Dai Satō (ep 3, 7, 10), Shinsuke Ōnishi (ep 5) and Junji Nishimura (ep 8) served as episode writers. It was reported that the series would capture the "sensuality" present in Monkey Punch's original "Lupin III" manga in its "daring interpretation" of the franchise. The promotional video first shown at Toho Cinemas began being streamed by TMS Entertainment on YouTube on March 26.  The music of "Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" was composed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi, leader of the Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden band. Shinichirō Watanabe, known for directing "Cowboy Bebop" and "Samurai Champloo" and who collaborated with Yamamoto several times in the past, served as music producer.

Release.

The series was broadcast for thirteen episodes on Nippon TV between April 4 and June 27, 2012. The opening theme song is by Naruyoshi Kikuchi and Pepe Tormento Azcarar feat. Ichiko Hashimoto, while the ending theme is "Duty Friend" by NIKIIE. Funimation licensed the series and provided an English subtitled simulcast of the series on both their website and Nico Nico.  In Japan the series was released by VAP as DVD and Blu-ray boxsets on September 19, 2012. In North America, Funimation originally announced a date of July 30, 2013 for the home release of the series, with an art book included with a limited edition. However the art book was later cancelled and the release rescheduled to August 20, 2014 on Blu-ray or DVD and Blu-ray combo pack. Manga Entertainment licensed the series for the United Kingdom and released separate DVD and Blu-ray boxsets on September 16, 2013. In Australia the series was published by Hanabee as two DVD and Blu-ray combo sets on October 16 and November 20, 2013. They later released a four disc Blu-ray and DVD box set on December 3, 2014. On December 12, Jason DeMarco on Twitter said that "Lupin III: The Legend of Fujiko Mine" was considered to be aired on Toonami, but they could not make it work due to the show having too much nudity for their censors. It was later announced that Funimation's license for the anime series expired in August 2018.

Other media.

Music.

The official soundtrack of the show was released on December 19, 2012, and features 42 tracks. It was released on US iTunes on January 29, 2013.

"Jigen's Gravestone".

In March 2014, it was announced that "The Woman Called Fujiko Mine"'s animation director and character designer, Takeshi Koike, was directing an animated film that serves as a "continuation spin-off" to the TV series. Yu Kiyozono also returned to produce the film,, that focuses on the character Jigen and tells how he and Lupin became partners. Koike's fellow-"Redline" creators Katsuhito Ishii and James Shimoji served as adviser and music composer respectively. The film was split into two parts and had a limited screening at the Shinjuku Wald 9 theater from June 21–27, 2014.  It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 28, 2014, with an art book included in the limited edition. The 30-track soundtrack to the movie was released on December 10, 2014. On December 21, 2014, Discotek Media announced their acquisition of the North American distribution rights to the film, which was retitled "Lupin the Third: Jigen's Gravestone" for the American market. Their Blu-ray and DVD of the film, released on April 5, 2016, includes the company's first original English dub, which was produced in cooperation with Bang Zoom! Entertainment. TMS Entertainment made the dubbed and subtitled versions of the film available for viewing on Hulu on April 25, 2015.  Film cast

"Goemon's Blood Spray".

A follow-up to "Jigen's Gravestone" by the same staff, entitled, was released on February 4, 2017. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 26, 2017, with an art book included in the limited edition. Discotek Media released the film in North America as "Goemon's Blood Spray" on October 29, 2019.  Goemon is hired as a bodyguard by Yakuza boss, Makio Inaniwa, who runs a gambling boat and is being threatened by internal factions. At the same time, Lupin attempts to steal the proceeds of the gaming vessel and meets Fujiko who had the same intention. Lupin and Fujiko decide to divide sales proceeds, but suddenly the boat explodes. Goemon heads for the engine-room and encounters the huge and powerful Hawk or "Bermuda ghost" with his twin axes who is seeking Lupin. While Goemon is fighting Hawk, Inaniwa dies in the flames, abandoned by his men. To avenge his father, Inaniwa Jr. sends Goemon to kill Hawk. Goemon finds Hawk but is easily beaten, and undertakes a punishing ordeal to understand why he lost. He returns to Inaniwa Jr. to take his punishment, but explodes at his men's insensitivity and brutality, and attacks them, leaving only Inaniwa Jr. standing. Goemon eventually finds Hawk again as he is pursuing Lupin and Daisuke. Goemon intervenes and confronts and defeats Hawk in a final bloody battle.  Film cast

"Fujiko's Lie".

A follow-up to "Goemon Blood Spray" by the same staff, entitled, was released on May 31, 2019. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 23, 2019. Discotek Media released the film in North America as "Fujiko's Lie" on March 31, 2020.  A young boy called Gene holds the key to $500 million that his father embezzled. The two are being targeted by the killer Bincam who attacked Gene's father, Randy.  Film cast

Other.

Several different pieces of merchandise based on the series have been produced. Figures of Fujiko and Lupin from the show were created, while one of Jigen from the "Jigen's Gravestone" film was released at the end of 2014. Fujiko's and Jigen's came in different color schemes depending on the retailer. An artbook featuring original drawings of the TV series selected by Takeshi Koike was published as well.

Reception.

"The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" won the rookie award at the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival, and was named one of the best anime of 2012 by "Otaku USA", who called the animation the most innovative of any series that year. The Japanese DVD release of the series was the fifth best-selling Japanese Animation DVD of its first week having sold 1,404 copies, while the Blu-ray version was the ninth best-selling on its respective Oricon chart with 2,802 copies.  Kotaku's Richard Eisenbeis hailed the series as "one of—if not 'the'—most beautiful anime ever made." Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network (ANN) wrote a mostly positive review of the anime. She praised its darker tone and the tragic past of Fujiko, but particularly the overall plot; "Simply put, this is a series that has been very well planned, right down to the last scene." She notes that if the viewer is only familiar with the North American Geneon release of the second televised anime they will be surprised; "If you're going into this expecting wacky hijinks or crazy exploits, you will be disappointed. "Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" is a mature, slightly dark take on the franchise, and it succeeds in bringing new life to it while still remaining faithful to Monkey Punch's original." The only negative aspects she wrote were on the series' odd title opening and the amount of unjustified nudity. However, her colleague Jacob Hope Chapman disagreed with this, believing that the audio stands out in the opening and that the sexuality is completely in-line with the show's "aesthetic and never seems excessive or ill-fitting." Chapman also stated that "Fujiko's constant objectification" surprisingly builds to one of the most feminist-positive anime in years. Dallas Marshall of THEM Anime Reviews gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, praising the series for being closer to the original manga's style in both story and animation.  In his review of the "Jigen's Gravestone" film, Paul Jensen of ANN had strong praise for the animation; stating that the film is worth watching at least once for the visuals alone. His biggest complaint was that the plot is essentially a cat-and-mouse game between the heroes and villains, with little else, but said "I'll take simple and focused over sloppy and complicated any day." Matt Schley of "Otaku USA" wrote that it "feels a bit restrained compared to the psychedelic madness that was "[The Woman Called] Fujiko Mine"." While he said the film is a "competent Lupin tale with more flair than the average Lupin TV special," he felt as if it was simply going through the motions.  Reviewing the "Goemon's Blood Spray" film, Schley felt it improved on "Jigen's Gravestone" and saw more of director Takeshi Koike's personal touch reminiscent of "Redline" and "".

External links.

VAP released the anime on home video in four-disc DVD and Blu-ray box sets on September 19, 2012. Funimation simulcasted the series, with English subtitles, on their website and Nico Nico for North American audiences as it aired in Japan. They released "The Woman Called Fujiko Mine" in Blu-ray and Blu-ray/DVD sets on August 20, 2013, including an English-language dub. Manga Entertainment released a similar set in the United Kingdom on September 16, whereas Hanabee released it in Australasia in two parts, on October 16 and November 20.

《鲁邦三世 -名为峰不二子的女人-》()是以Monkey Punch的漫画《鲁邦三世》为原型改编的日本电视动画。2012年4月至6月在日本电视台播出,全13话;Funimation也在美国网络播出了本作,附英文字幕。


Plot.

Susan Gray, Millie, Lucy, and Jean worked together at Bletchley Park to decipher German military codes for the British military, during World War II. After a brief introduction of the four women at Bletchley during the war, the series begins in 1952, seven years after the war's end, when Susan, Millie, Lucy, and Jean have returned to their ordinary lives. As the story begins, Susan learns about a series of murders that has occurred in the London area and begins to recognise patterns connecting the killings. This inspires her to return to her codebreaking past, and she reaches out first to Millie, and then to Lucy and Jean, after unsuccessfully trying to convince the police to follow up her theory about the crimes.  As they all signed orders of secrecy about their work during the war, the two married women (Susan and Lucy), disguise their activities from their husbands as a book club. Failing to secure police involvement, they move from codebreaking and investigation into the realm of field work, with dangerous consequences on several occasions. Scenes of domestic tranquility are contrasted with scenes of the killer stalking and torturing his victims. While initially skeptical about becoming involved, Millie, Jean, and Lucy are convinced to help Susan once they realise the lives of many women are on the line.  The series contrasts the conventional but very different lives of the four women and the sense of usefulness they felt while codebreaking during the war. In the Series 1 finale, the women are forced to confront the man they suspect to be the killer.

Episode list.

Series 2 (2014).

This series is made up of two 2-part stories totalling four episodes.

Allusions to real events.

The premise of the series is based on the women who worked at Bletchley Park during World War II, who for the most part did not continue in intelligence work, and under the rules of the Official Secrets Act 1939 in the UK never shared the nature of their contributions to crucial aspects of the Allies' victory.  In the second series, one character refers to sarin gas as having been developed by the Germans during World War II, along with other such chemical weapons, then taken up by the former Allies. The UK did have an incident of a young man killed from experiments with the gas in 1953; in 2004, his inquest was reopened, and the cause of death was altered from death by misadventure to death by "application of a nerve agent in a non-therapeutic experiment".

Reception.

Upon its U.S. premiere—which occurred in prime time following U.S. episodes of "Call the Midwife" and "Mr Selfridge"—"Variety" called "The Bletchley Circle" "smart, addictive and situated in a fascinating historical moment". In a review of the first series, "The New York Times" said the series finds "a clever, entertaining way to pay tribute to women who in their time were often overlooked and underestimated, and nevertheless found ways to never be ordinary".

The Bletchley Circle is a television mystery drama miniseries, set in 1952–53, about four women who worked as codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Dissatisfied with the officials' failure to investigate complex crimes, the women join to investigate for themselves.

布莱切利四人组(英语:The Bletchley Circle)是一部电视英国推理迷你电视剧。节目设定在1952年,讲述了布莱切利园的四名女密码分析员发现了一连串谋杀案的规律,报告警察但被警察忽视后,她们决定自己进行调查的故事。