Archaeal transcription

Archaeal transcription is the process in which a segment of archeaeal DNA is copied into a newly synthesized strand of RNA using the sole Pol II-like RNA polymerase (RNAP). The process occurs in three main steps: initiation, elongation, and termination; and the end result is a strand of RNA that is complementary to a single strand of DNA. A number of transcription factors govern this process with homologs in both bacteria and eukaryotes, with the core machinery more similar to eukaryotic transcription.
Because archaea lack a membrane-enclosed nucleus like bacteria do, transcription and translation can happen at the same time on a newly-generated piece of mRNA. Operons are widespread in archaea.
Initiation.
Initiation in archaea is governed by TATA-binding protein (TBP), Archaeal transcription factor B (TFB), and Archaeal transcription factor E (TFE) that are homologous to eukaryotic TBP, TFIIB, and TFIIE respectively. These factors recognize the promoter core sequence (TATA box, B recognition element) upstream of the coding region and recruits the RNAP to form a closed transcription preinitiation complex (PIC).
The PIC is turned into an open state with the local DNA helix "melting" to load the template strand of DNA. The RNAP undergoes "abortive initiation": it makes and releases many short (2-15nt) segments before generating a transcript of significant length. This continues until it moves past the promoter (promoter escape), loosening TBP's grasp on the DNA, and swapping TFE out for elongation factors Spt4/5. How this escape happens exactly remains to be studied.
Elongation.
After getting out of the promoter region, the RNAP moves into the elongation state, where it keeps growing the new RNA strand in a processive process. Double stranded DNA that enters from the front of the enzyme is unzipped to avail the template strand for RNA synthesis. For every DNA base pair separated by the advancing polymerase, one hybrid RNA:DNA base pair is immediately formed. DNA strands and nascent RNA chain exit from separate channels; the two DNA strands reunite at the trailing end of the transcription bubble while the single strand RNA emerges alone.
A number of elongation factors help with the rate and processivity of the RNAP. Factors of the Spt4/Spt5 family (bacterial homolog of Spt5 is called "NusG") stimulate transcription by binding to the RNAP clamp on one side of the DNA channel and to the gate loop on the other. The resultant DSIF locks the clamp into a closed state to prevent the elongation complex (EC) from dissociating. Spt5 also has a NGN domain that helps the two strands separate. A KOW domain probably hooks the RNAP up to a ribosome so that translation and transcription happen together.
Some archaea have an Elf1 homolog that might also act as an elongation factor.
Backtracking.
The RNAP occasionally stops and starts moving backwards when it encounters a roadblock or some difficult sequences. When this happens, the EC gets stuck because the reactive 3' edge of the RNA is out of the active site. The transcript cleavage factor TFS (a TFIIS homolog) helps resolve this issue by generating a cut so that a new 3' end is available in the active site. Some archaeon have up to 4 paralogs of TFS with divergent functions.
Termination.
Not much is known about archaeal termination. Euryarchaeal RNAPs seem to terminate on their own when poly-U stretches appear.


Lixisenatide

Lixisenatide (trade name Lyxumia in the European Union and Adlyxin in the U.S. and manufactured by Sanofi) is a once-daily injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Medical use.
Lixisenatide is used as adjunct to diet and exercise to treat type 2 diabetes. In the European Union, its use is limited to complementing insulin therapy. As of 2017 it is unclear if they affect a person's risk of death.
It is provided in an autoinjector containing fourteen doses and is injected subcutaneously.
Lixisenatide should not be used for people who have problems with stomach emptying. Lixisenatide delays emptying of the stomach, which may change how quickly other drugs that are taken by mouth take effect.
Lixisenatide in neurodegenerative diseases.
Results from a research work which was done by McClean PL et al. demonstrated that the GLP-1 receptor agonists liraglutide and lixisenatide which are on the market as treatments for type 2 diabetes show promise as potential drug treatments of Alzheimer disease AD. Lixisenatide was equally effective at a lower dose compared to liraglutide in some of the measured parameters after ten weeks of daily intraperitoneal injections with liraglutide (2.5 or 25 nmol/kg) or lixisenatide (1 or 10 nmol/kg) or saline of APP/PS1 mice at an age when amyloid plaques had already formed. When analyzing synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, LTP was strongly increased in APP/PS1 mice by either drug, with more effectiveness accomplished with lixisenatide. The reduction of synapse numbers seen in APP/PS1 mice was prevented by the two drugs. The amyloid plaque load and dense-core Congo red positive plaque load in the cortex were reduced by both drugs at all doses. The chronic inflammation response (microglial activation) was also reduced by all treatments
Cai HY et al. demonstrated in a study that lixisenatide could reduce amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuroinflammation in the hippocampi of 12-month-old APP/PS1/tau female mice; activation of PKA-CREB signaling pathway and inhibition of p38-MAPK might be the important mechanisms in the neuroprotective function of lixisenatide. So, lixisenatide might have the potential to be developed as a novel therapy for AD
Liu Wet al found an interesting results when comparing exendin-4 (10 nmol/kg), liraglutide (25 nmol/kg) and lixisenatide (10 nmol/kg), it was found that exendin-4 showed no protective effects at the dose chosen, while both liraglutide and lixisenatide showed effects in preventing the MPTP-induced motor impairment (Rotarod, open-field locomotion, catalepsy test), reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels (dopamine synthesis) in the substantia nigra and basal ganglia, a reduction of the pro-apoptotic signaling molecule BAX and an increase in the anti-apoptotic signaling molecule B-cell lymphoma-2. The previous results demonstrate that both liraglutide and lixisenatide are superior to exendin-4, and both drugs show promise as a novel treatment of Parkinson disease
Another study done by Kerry Hunter et al. profiled the GLP-1 receptor agonists liraglutide and lixisenatide. The kinetics of crossing the blood brain barrier (BBB), activation of the GLP-1R by measuring cAMP levels, and physiological effects in the brain on neuronal stem cell proliferation and neurogenesis were evaluated. Both drugs were able to cross the BBB. Lixisenatide crossed the BBB at all doses tested (2.5, 25, or 250 nmol/kg ip.) when measured 30 min post-injection and at 2.5-25 nmol/kg ip. 3 h post-injection. Lixisenatide also enhanced neurogenesis in the brain. Liraglutide crossed the BBB at 25 and 250 nmol/kg ip. but no increase was detectable at 2.5 nmol/kg ip. 30 min post-injection, and at 250 nmol/kg ip. at 3 h post-injection. Liraglutide and lixisenatide enhanced cAMP levels in the brain, with lixisenatide being more effective. The previous results suggest that these novel incretin analogues cross the BBB showing physiological activity and neurogenesis in the brain, which makes them good candidates to be used as a treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Adverse effects.
In about 0.1% of cases people have had anaphylactic reactions to lixisenatide and in about 0.2% of cases the drug has caused pancreatitis. Use with insulin or sulfonylurea may cause hypoglycemia. In some cases, people with no kidney disease have had acute kidney injury and in some people with existing kidney disease the condition has gotten worse. Because lixisenatide is a peptide people can and do develop an immune response to it that will eventually make the drug ineffective; people who have developed antibodies to lixisenatide tend to have more inflammation at the injection site.
At least 5% of people had nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, or dizziness after taking lixisenatide.
Mechanism of action.
Lixisenatide is a member of the class of Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist drugs, each of which activates the GLP-1 receptor. GLP-1 is a hormone that helps pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin in response to high blood sugar. Because it works like the normal hormone, insulin is only secreted when blood sugar is high. Like GLP-1, it also slows gastric emptying.
Chemistry.
Lixisenatixe is a peptide made of 44 amino acids, with an amide group on its C terminus.
has been described as "des-38-proline-exendin-4 ("Heloderma suspectum")-(1–39)-peptidylpenta--lysyl--lysinamide", meaning it is derived from the first 39 amino acids in the sequence of the peptide exendin-4, that was isolated from the Gila monster venom, omitting proline at position 38 and adding six lysine residues. Its complete sequence is:
History.
It was created by Zealand Pharma A/S of Denmark; in 2003 Zealand licensed it to Sanofi which developed the drug. Lixisenatide was approved by the European Commission on February 1, 2013. Sanofi submitted an NDA in the US, which was accepted for review by the US FDA in February 2013 but after discussions with the FDA about the cardiovascular safety data included in the package (starting in 2008, the FDA had required stronger CV safety data for new anti-diabetes drugs, following the controversy around the risks of Avandia) Sanofi decided to withdraw the NDA and wait for the results of a Phase III study that was scheduled to be completed in 2015. Because the drug was the first GLP-1 agonist that could be taken once a day, sales projections in 2013 were €500M per year by 2018. Sanofi resubmitted the application which the FDA accepted in September 2015, by which time Sanofi had lost the lead in the field of anti-diabetic drugs to Novo Nordisk. Lixisenatide received FDA approval on July 28, 2016.
In 2010, Zeland and Sanofi extended their license agreement to allow Sanofi to develop a combination therapy of lixisenatide with insulin glargine, which was Sanofi's best selling drug at the time, with sales of around €3 billion in 2009. Sanofi planned to start the Phase III trial that year. Sanofi submitted the NDA in December 2015 for the combination, called LixiLan and it was considered by the same Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory FDA Committee that was considering lixisenatide as a single agent. In May 2016 by a vote of 12-2, with several members of the committee expressing reservations about Sanofi's plans to offer two pens with different ratios of insulin glargine and lixisenatide - one for people who had never taken insulin before and one for people who had; there was also concern about how to handle dosing when switching people from a single drug regimen to the combination drug. In August 2016 the FDA told Sanofi that it was delaying a final decision for three months, and asked Sanofi for more data on how people used the delivery devices.
Patent protection for lixisenatide expires in 2020.


Biology of the Cell

Biology of the Cell is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of cell biology, cell physiology, and molecular biology of animal and plant cells, microorganisms and protists. Topics covered include development, neurobiology, and immunology, as well as theoretical or biophysical modelling.
The journal is currently published monthly by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Société Française des Microscopies and the Société de Biologie Cellulaire de France.
History.
The journal first appeared in 1962 and was originally titled "Journal de Microscopie" (1962–1974). In 1975 the journal was retitled "Journal de Microscopie et de Biologie Cellulaire" (; 1975–1976). It was later retitled "Biologie Cellulaire" (; 1977–1980), becoming "Biology of the Cell" in 1981.
Articles were originally published in either English or French, with summaries in both languages.
Modern journal.
Content from 1988 is available online in PDF format, with papers from 2005 also being available in HTML, and from 2006 in an enhanced full-text format.
The journal's 2014 impact factor was 3.506. "Biology of the Cell" is indexed by BIOBASE, BIOSIS, CAB International, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Service, Current Contents/Life Sciences, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, MEDLINE/Index Medicus, and ProQuest Information and Learning
Articles are primarily research and reviews. Themed series on specific topics are scheduled. They were: Stem Cells (2005), RNA localization (2005), Aquaporins (2005), Synapses (2007), Cell Cycle and Cancer (2008), Microtubules, RNA regulation (2008), Microbiology and Cell Biology (2010), Cilia (2011), Endoplasmic Reticulum (2012), Epigenetics (2012), Post-Translational Modification and Virus Intracellular Trafficking (2012), Optogenetics (2014), Microvesicles and Exosomes (2015), Systems Cell Biology (2015), Translating Canceromics into function (2015).
The editor-in-chief of this journal is René-Marc Mège, a team leader at the Institut Jacques Monod. He was preceded by Thierry Galli (INSERM) who was editor from 2009 - 2017.


Karyosome

Karyosome refers to the chromatin material inside the cell nucleus when the cell is not undergoing meiotic division. It appears to be a dense mass in the middle of the cell and is often mistaken for the nucleolus.
The karyosome or karyosphere is particularly known for its role in oogenesis. It seems to form at the diplotene stage, or in the first meiotic prophase. It is formed when all chromatin material form together to make a mass before the beginning of the first meiotic division. Around the mass protein granules can often be seen.
There have been studies that point to this stage as being when genes are silenced.


Abcodia

Abcodia is a company that focuses on biomarkers for cancer screening. Its aim is to discover biomarkers that can be used for the early detection of cancer.
Disease focus.
Abcodia's primary focus is the study of biomarkers for cancer.
Cancer screening.
On 18 September 2013 Abcodia announced that it had entered into an agreement for an exclusive license for the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA), a test studied for screening of ovarian cancer. The use of this test is not recommended by the FDA as there is no evidence it is either safe or effective.
History.
Abcodia is a spin-out from University College London and was founded in 2010. UCL granted Abcodia the exclusive commercialisation rights to a serum collection created by clinical scientists at the Institute for Women's Health at UCL. The serum biobank was formed as part of the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening UKCTOCS, which was led by Professor Ian Jacobs and Professor Usha Menon.
Awards.
December 2012, Abcodia won four prizes at the UK Startup Awards 2012 annual awards: Angel or VC-backed Business of the Year, Innovative Business of the Year, and Business Woman of the Year for its CEO Dr Julie Barnes. It also won the overall NatWest Startups Business of the Year for its work in cancer screening.
U.S. General Stanley McChrystal said he was "extremely saddened". "I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people, and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission," he said in a statement. "We will re-double our efforts to regain that trust."
Netherlands.
A Dutch Defense Ministry spokesman in The Hague said Dutch forces did not call the airstrike, which took place in an area under Dutch military control.


Edward Masterman

Air Commodore Edward Alexander Dimsdale Masterman, (15 April 1880 – 26 August 1957) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century. After retiring from the RAF, he served as the first ever Commandant of the Observer Corps.
Service career.
Masterman started his service career in the Royal Navy, attending the Britannia Naval College around 1894. He served on in the late 1890s and early 1900s, and was promoted to lieutenant in January 1900. After attending Torpedo Specialist Course he in 1907 worked as a Russia interpreter on .
By 1911 Masterman had become involved in the Navy's efforts to build an experimental airship and the following year he was appointed Officer Commanding the Naval Airship Section.
During the First World War, Masterman served in the Royal Naval Air Service, commanding the Farnborough Airship Station and working in several technical posts; during this time he invented and patented the airship mooring mast with Barnes Wallis. With the establishment of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, Masterman transferred to the new service. Just before the end of the war, he was promoted to brigadier general and appointed General Officer Commanding No. 22 Group. His rank was commuted to air commodore when current RAF ranks were introduced. In 1922 Masterman was appointed as Commandant of the RAF's Central Flying School.
Observer Corps.
Between 1 March 1929 when he retired from the RAF and 1 April 1936, Masterman was the Commandant of the Observer Corps and was the first former RAF officer to hold this appointment. Headquarters Royal Observer Corps was located at Hillingdon House, RAF Uxbridge, only relocating to RAF Bentley Priory after Masterman retired. He was succeeded as Commandant Observer Corps by Air Commodore Alfred Warrington-Morris.
Following his retirement as Commandant, Air Commodore Masterman immediately rejoined the Royal Observer Corps as a civilian part-time volunteer with the rank of Observer Captain and served as the ROC's Western Area Commandant between 1937 and 1942, although by special permission of Warrington-Morris, he was permitted to wear his RAF Air Commodore's uniform and rank braid after April 1941 when the Observer Corps became the Royal Observer Corps and part of RAF Fighter Command.
External links.


Ernst Tiburzy

Ernst Tiburzy (26 December 1911 – 14 November 2004) was a German Volkssturm ("home guard") member during World War II who received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his performance fighting alone and the destruction of five T-34s with Panzerfausts during the defense of Königsberg on February 10, 1945. He is one of only four Volkssturm members to have been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.


Vietnam, Long Time Coming

Vietnam, Long Time Coming is a 1998 documentary directed by Jerry Blumenthal, Peter Gilbert, and Gordon Quinn and distributed by Kartemquin Films. The film follows a 16-day, 1100 mile bicycle expedition through once war-torn Northern and Southern Vietnam that was organized by World T.E.A.M. Sports. The event drew an array of veterans from the U.S. and Vietnam, as well as celebrity riders like Greg LeMond and Senator John Kerry. Those without use of their legs used special hand-powered bikes, while blind riders pedaled from the back of tandem bikes. Past enemies ride as one team in peace across a landscape they once killed to stay alive on.
Winner of Outstanding Directorial Achievement at the 1998 Directors Guild Awards, as well as Outstanding Program Achievement at the 1998 Emmy Awards, "Vietnam, Long Time Coming" won multiple national awards. The film's soundtrack featured such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, and Shawn Colvin. A portion of the proceeds went to groups promoting medical and educational programs in Vietnam.


Private Godfrey

Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member, first portrayed by Arnold Ridley in the BBC television sitcom "Dad's Army". and in the 1971 "Dad's Army" film. He is retired and was previously a retail assistant/tailor the store that he works is sometimes referred as either the sports department of the Civil Service Stores or working in the Army & Navy Stores. Godfrey does not have any prior military experience as he was a conscientious objector during the First World War yet he did work as a stretcher bearer with the Royal Army Medical Corps and earned a Military Medal for taking the wounded off the battle field at the Battle of the Somme. This has earned him great respect among the platoon members and resulted in him being appointed as the First Aid supervisor. Ridley himself fought at the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.
Personality.
Godfrey was born in 1871, and is a gentle, mild-mannered and kindly old gentleman, though more complex than at first evident. He is the only member of the platoon who has retired. In the episode "Branded" it is revealed that he was a conscientious objector in the First World War. This revelation initially makes him a pariah. However, during a training exercise, he risks his life to rescue Captain Mainwaring. Later, his sister reveals to the platoon that, far from avoiding service, he earned the Military Medal during the Battle of the Somme, where he served with distinction as a stretcher bearer with the Royal Army Medical Corps, and heroically saved several men's lives while under fire, an accomplishment he plays down modestly. This earns him the respect of the platoon, and leads to him being appointed as First Aid supervisor. Arnold Ridley actually served during the First World War with the Somerset Light Infantry, and fought in the Battle of the Somme, where he was severely wounded. These injuries gave a practical reason for his role: it was much easier for Ridley to carry the first aid bag than a heavy rifle.
Godfrey is a long-standing friend of Sergeant Wilson, and in the episode "High Finance" he lends Wilson a large sum of money when Mrs Pike is blackmailed by Hodges. He lives in picturesque Cherry Tree Cottage with his hard-of-hearing spinster sisters, Dolly and Cissy. He is clearly very fond of them, and often brings them up in conversation. When provisions are needed, his sister Dolly often provides upside-down cakes.
He is immensely loyal to Captain Mainwaring, who often feels quite guilty whenever he has criticised Godfrey:
He served for 35 years either as an assistant in the sports department of the Civil Service Stores (TV) or tailor and assistant in the Army & Navy Stores (radio).
An aspect of his old age is his weak bladder, which lets him down and postpones all platoon activity, hence his catchphrase, "May I be excused, sir?", and his tendency to fall asleep can be similarly categorised: "I must have dropped off!".
Medals.
Although Private Godfrey rarely wore his ribbons, he was awarded the usual trilogy of First World War campaign medals (commonly known as "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred"), in addition to his Military Medal for bravery.
Other portrayals.
Private Godfrey is portrayed by Michael Gambon in the 2016 "Dad's Army" film.
Bernard Cribbins was set to portray him in a series of re-enactments of otherwise lost episodes of Dad's Army., but had to step away from the project for personal reasons, and has been replaced by Timothy West


Tom Burns (bishop)

Thomas Matthew Burns KC*HS (born 3 June 1944) is a British Roman Catholic bishop. On 16 October 2008 he was appointed as Bishop of Menevia by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming so on 1 December 2008 when he took possession of his new see, on which day he ceased to be Bishop of the Forces. He is now bishop promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea, A Catholic organisation which provides pastoral and practical assistance to all seafarers. It was announced in July 2019 that Burns had retired from the role of Bishop of Menevia after 11 years, with a replacement to be appointed in due course.
Life and ministry.
Tom Burns was born in Belfast, but his family later moved to Lancashire. After studying at St. Mary's College, Blackburn, a sixth form in an Exeter school and a monastery in Paignton, Burns was ordained to the priesthood on 16 December 1971 for the Society of Mary.
On 24 May 2002, he was appointed to head the military ordinariate of Great Britain, the Bishopric of the Forces. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 18 June from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, with Bishop Francis Walmsley and Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly serving as co-consecrators.
Burns has been a vociferous critic of the UK Ministry of Defence, complaining that troops in Iraq were "frustrated by restrictions, checks and delays that are placed on them but not on their opponents", and that their "activities are often jeopardised by poor equipment, outmoded vehicles and inadequate apparel".
Church closures, especially that in Aberystwyth, have been criticised.
On 11 July 2019, Pope Francis accepted Burns's resignation after he reached the age of 75. A farewell and thanksgiving Mass was held on 23 July 2019 to mark the beginning of his retirement.


Chen Chi

Chen Chi (1912–2005) was a renowned Chinese painter who became a United States citizen, where he lived and worked for much of his career.
Chi was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China in 1912. He taught painting at the Wu Pen and Huai Chiu high schools for girls from 1938 to 1944, and at the St. John's University School of Architecture in Shanghai from 1942 to 1946. He first began exhibiting his work in annual art exhibitions in Shanghai in 1940.
In 1947 Chi relocated to the United States through a cultural exchange program to paint and exhibit his work. His first one-man show in the United States was at the Village Art Center in New York City in 1947. Chi lived and worked at the National Arts Club in New York for 40 years, and in 1966 received the National Arts Club Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement. In 1954 he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate Academician, and became a full Academician in 1964.
Chi's works have been shown extensively throughout the United States including at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1948); the Miami Beach Art Center (1952); the La Jolla Art Center and the Witte Museum (1953); the Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum in Seattle (1955); the Museum of Outdoor Arts, where his work is part of their collection as well as their sister museum, The Madden Museum, where founders of both museums, John and Marjorie Madden were major collectors of his work. He was the first living Chinese artist to be honored with a one-man retrospective of his oeuvre at Versailles, in conjunction with the first World Cultural Summit in June 2000.
In addition to watercolors, Chi also worked as an illustrator, his illustrations appearing in the "Ford Motor Company Magazine" (1950 & 51); "Collier's" (1951 & 52); "Sports Illustrated" (1955 & 60); and "Horizon" (1958). Chi published numerous books featuring his works including "Chen Chi - Paintings" (1965); "Two or Three Lines from the Sketchbooks of Chen Chi" (1969); "China from the Sketchbooks of Chen Chi" (1974); "Chen Chi: Watercolors, Drawings, Sketches" (1980); "Chen Chi Watercolors" (1981); and "Heaven and Water: Chen Chi" (1983).
The Chen Chi Art Museum opened in Shanghai in 1999 on the campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, to display Chen Chi’s works and promote an international exchange of art and education. The museum was dedicated by Communist Party's general secretary , Jiang Zemin, an avid collector of Chi's paintings, who wrote the dedicatory inscription “Chen Chi Art Museum” as an act of personal respect and tribute to the artist. A smaller Chen Chi Museum was also opened in his birthplace of Wuxi. Later that year, Chi was invited to create a special work to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
Chi died in 2005. In addition to his artwork in Shanghai, a collection of his papers is at Syracuse University,


Military Vicariate of Colombia


Stanley Vincent

Air Vice Marshal Stanley Flamank Vincent, (7 April 1897 – 13 March 1976) was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was the only RFC/RAF pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in both world wars.
Early life.
Stanley Vincent was born in Hampstead, north London, on 7 April 1897, the son of Dr Charles Vincent and Hannah Phillips. He was educated at Lancing College.
Flying career.
Vincent was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) after the completion of his training in 1915 at the Central Flying School, Upavon. His first posting was to No. 60 Squadron RAF in France in April 1916, equipped with Morane single seat and two seaters. Vincent was appointed to ‘A’ Flight equipped with the Morane Bullet scout. He claimed an LVG two-seater in July (the Squadron's first victory), another two seater in September and an Albatros two seater 'Out of control' in early 1917, by now flying the Nieuport 17. In March 1917 he returned to England with his commanding officer (CO), Major Smith-Barry, in order to open and establish the School of Special Flying at Gosport. In April 1917 Vincent crashed-landed and spent 7 months in hospital.
In November 1917 Vincent was given command of the newly formed No. 110 Squadron RAF. After handing command to the squadron's first CO, Major H R Nicholl, Vincent was posted to Shoreham and formed a Special Instructors' Flight at Shoreham. He was one of the first to be awarded the Air Force Cross in late 1918 and was promoted flight lieutenant in 1920. After the war, he was sent to France to bring back captured German machines and joined No 24 Squadron where he gave refresher courses to repatriated prisoners-of-war. He was also involved in the training of the Prince of Wales at this time. In August 1919 he was transferred to the Unemployed List but soon afterwards re-joined the RAF.
Inter-war years.
In 1921 he was appointed flight commander at the newly opened Royal Air Force College Cranwell. In 1923 he returned to operations in Iraq with No. 30 Squadron RAF. His overseas posting finished in 1928 and he travelled home in order to join No. 1 Squadron RAF at Tangmere. Promoted squadron leader in 1931, Vincent took command of No. 41 Squadron RAF at RAF Northolt and it was here that he was involved in the early experiments with Radio Telephony.
However he soon returned to Iraq to replace the CO of No. 80 Squadron RAF, who was taken ill and returned home. It was during this time that Vincent took part in the first reinforcement flight to Singapore. He too was taken ill at the end of 1934 and returned home. In June 1936 he was appointed as commanding officer of the Air Fighting Development Unit. In late 1936 he was promoted wing commander and was made Officer Commanding RAF Northolt.
Second World War.
After a brief period with the Air Ministry, followed by attendance at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, he was promoted to group captain and in March 1940 returned to RAF Northolt where he commanded the station during the Battle of Britain.
Vincent often accompanied his station squadrons (usually 229 and 257 Squadrons) on scrambles and also flew lone 'station defence' sorties. He considered personally that he shot down 5 Do 17 enemy bombers on his various sorties. As he was alone on many of these sorties, confirmation has never been substantiated. He claimed a further two victories (over Bf 109s) on 30 September 1940. During one action he was wounded, crash landing at Kenley. He later had numerous pieces of shrapnel removed from his back, having narrowly missed his spine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1940 in recognition of his skill and bravery.
In 1941 he was posted to RAF North Weald and, after a brief spell at RAF Biggin Hill, in June 1941 he moved to 11 Group as Group Captain (Operations) before a spell at RAF Fighter Command HQ. Promotion to Air Commodore followed in early 1942.
After he requested active duty, Vincent was sent to assist with the defence of Singapore and the Dutch East Indies Campaign. In February 1942 he took command of the combined Commonwealth fighter formation, No. 226 Group, which had only two Hurricane squadrons, along with the remnants of Brewster Buffalo units, at Palembang, Sumatra. Outnumbered and poorly-equipped Commonwealth and Dutch units fought a losing battle against overwhelming enemy forces and in March, Vincent was evacuated to Australia, where he advised on air defence systems. He was then appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a post he held for nine months.
He returned to England in mid-1943 and to RAF Fighter Command Operations Room, after which he was dispatched to Scotland and the command of No. 13 Group. He was also designated Air Officer Commanding of the planned invasion of Norway. When this failed to materialise he travelled back to the Far East and command of No. 221 Group (South East Asia Air Forces, Burma) where he provided aerial support for the 14th Army.
He remained in Asia until the end of the war and, on the day of the victory parade, was invalided home with dysentery.
Post-war.
He was promoted acting air vice marshal in 1944, which was made substantive in 1947. Between 1945 and 1948 he held the position of Senior Air Staff Officer, RAF Fighter Command. From 1948 he commanded No. 11 Group before requesting retirement in 1950. After retirement he served as Commandant for the Eastern Area, Royal Observer Corps (1954–1965) in the rank of Observer Captain. He published his autobiography, "Flying Fever" in 1972 and died in 1976.
On 15 September 2010, a replica Hawker Hurricane gate guardian in the colours of Vincent's aircraft was unveiled at RAF Northolt.


Gustav Adolf Scheel

Gustav Adolf Scheel (22 November 1907 – 25 March 1979) was a German physician and Nazi politician. As a SS member and "Sicherheitsdienst" employee, he became a "multifunctionary" in the time of the Third Reich, including posts as leader of both the National Socialist German Students' League and the German Student Union, as an "Einsatzgruppen" commander in occupied Alsace, as well as "Gauleiter" and "Reichsstatthalter" in Salzburg from November 1941 until May 1945. As "Einsatzgruppen" commander, he organized in October 1940 the deportation of Karlsruhe's Jews to the extermination camps in the east.
Life.
Born as a Protestant pastor's son in Rosenberg, North Baden, Scheel attended classical Gymnasium schools in Freiburg, Tauberbischofsheim and Mannheim. While still a schoolboy, he became involved in nationalist circles of the German Youth Movement and Nazi groups after World War I.
Beginning in the summer semester of 1928, he studied law, political economy and theology at Heidelberg University to become a minister like his father. Scheel intensified his activities in right-wing student circles and in the winter semester of 1928-29 became a member of the "Verein Deutscher Studenten" (VDSt), an umbrella organization of German "Studentenverbindung" fraternities. A year later he was the league's chairman.
Nazi career.
In 1929 he joined the National Socialist German Students' League (NSDStB), on 1 October 1930 the SA and on 1 December 1930 the Nazi Party (NSDAP). He moved for a short time to Tübingen University to begin studies in medicine. He continued his studies again in Heidelberg, where he quickly rose to become one of the main propagandists of the Nazis at the college. As NSDStB College Group Leader ("Hochschulgruppenführer"), he led the Nazi student rallies against the mathematics professor and pacifist Emil Julius Gumbel (1891–1966) which led to the removal of Gumbel's teaching entitlement in 1932.
In 1933, Scheel became chairman of the Heidelberg General Students' Board (AStA). During this time, he also became Hanns-Martin Schleyer's mentor, getting him to join the NSDAP and the SS. Furthermore, Scheel exerted influence over the university's appointments and personnel policy in his capacity as student leader and member of the vice chancellor's leadership staff. In May 1933, he was one of the main speakers at the Heidelberg book burning.
In 1934, Scheel sat his State medical examination, was appointed to the NSDStB leadership, and (in September) became a SS and a full-time "Sicherheitsdienst" (SD) employee. He rose swiftly in this secret Nazi organization. Between 1935 and 1939 he led the local SD Section Southwest in Stuttgart and, as a former student official, he brought along with him to the SD a great many young Nazi academics who went on to mass murder. Among them were Walter Stahlecker, Martin Sandberger, , , Erich Ehrlinger, and Eugen Steimle, all of whom went into various divisions of the "Reichssicherheitshauptamt" (RSHA) to become leaders of murder squads of the various "Einsatzgruppen".
Scheel, who had in 1933 fought vehemently for the exclusion of "students of Jewish lineage" from the "benefits of social institutions at the university" became, during the 1940 Battle of France, commander of the "Sicherheitspolizei" in Alsace. In October 1940, he organised the deportation of Karlsruhe's Jews to their certain deaths in the east.
Scheel's further rise within the Nazi repression apparatus kept on unabated. In April 1941, he rose to the rank of a SS "Brigadeführer" and a Police Major General. He became SS and police leader "Alpenland" from 1 May 1941. He was installed as "Gauleiter" and "Reichsstatthalter" (Reich Governor) in Reichsgau Salzburg on 27 November of the same year, succeeding Friedrich Rainer and uniting under his control the highest party and governmental offices in the region. On 11 December, he also succeeded Rainer as Reich Defense Commissioner of "Wehrkreis" XVIII that comprised his Reichsgau along with Reichsgau Carinthia, Reichsgau Styria and Reichsgau Tirol-Vorarlberg. On 16 November 1942, the jurisdiction of the Reich Defense Commissioners was changed from the Wehrkreis to the Gau level, and he remained Commissioner for his Gau alone.
After the discovery of resistance groups in Salzburg, he organized a widespread wave of arrests and had a number of railwaymen put to death. In 1943, he declared in his capacity as a student leader that the members of the White Rose ("Weiße Rose") resistance group should be "executed not as students", but rather as "antisocial former Wehrmacht members". Scheel's point of view was that these "criminals" should not be allowed to stain the student body's image. From this time also came Scheel's declaration:
In 1944, Scheel succeeded Walter Schultze as leader of the National Socialist German Lecturers League and was appointed member of the "Reichsforschungsrat" executive board. On 1 August he was elevated to the rank of SS-"Obergruppenführer". As a Nazi "multifunctionary", Scheel held the following functions (other than those mentioned above):
As Nazi Germany's defeat loomed in 1944-45, Scheel, as the Reich Defense Commissioner, was made leader of the "Volkssturm" in the Gau of Salzburg. On 29 April 1945, Adolf Hitler, in his will, assigned Scheel to the position of Reich Minister for Science, National Education and Culture.
After 1945.
After Salzburg's bloodless handover to the Americans on 4 May, Scheel initially fled but ten days later placed himself to the disposal of the US forces and was interned. After spending time in many camps and prisons, he was released on 24 December 1947. After once again being interned, he was transferred to Heidelberg to undergo denazification. A local court sentenced him in 1948 to five years in a labour camp, and classified him as a "Hauptschuldiger" (literally "main culprit"). He was however released on 24 December 1948 as a result of several testimonies in his defence stating that he had ignored Hitler's commands to defend the City of Salzburg against the approaching US forces.
Afterwards, he first worked as a night worker at the Port of Hamburg, and as of summer 1949, he was a doctor in a Hamburg hospital, then an assistant doctor at Rautenberg Hospital in Hamburg.
After an appeal proceeding in 1952, Scheel was classified as a "Belasteter" ("incriminated one"). From 1951 to 1953, he belonged, along with other former Nazi leaders such as Werner Best and Werner Naumann, to the neo-Nazi "Naumann Circle" and so was arrested in January 1953 by British police, who suspected him of building up a secret organization; he was later handed over to German authorities. He was released on 17 June 1953. On 3 December 1954, his trial was suspended for lack of any adequate suspicion of wrongdoing. From February 1954 to 8 April 1977, he was the owner of a medical practice in Hamburg.


Series E bond

Series E United States Savings Bonds were government bonds marketed by the United States Department of the Treasury as war bonds during World War II from 1941 to 1945. After the war, they continued to be offered as retail investments until 1980, when they were replaced by other savings bonds.
History.
The first savings bonds, Series A, were issued in 1935 to encourage saving during the Great Depression. They were marketed as a safe investment that was accessible to everyone. They were followed by series B, C, and D bonds over the next few years.
Marketed as a defense savings bond, the first Series E bond was sold to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 1, 1941, by Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau. After the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, Series E bonds became known as war bonds.
The "drive" technique used during World War I was replaced in part by a continual campaign using a payroll deduction plan. However, eight different drives were conducted during the campaign. In total, the overall campaign raised $185.7 billion from 85 million Americans, more than in any other country during the war. "Li'l Abner" creator Al Capp created "Small Fry", a weekly newspaper comic strip whose purpose was to sell Series E bonds in support of the Treasury.
Drives.
Of the $185.7 billion raised during the continual campaign, a total of $156.4 billion was raised during the eight specific drives:
After World War II.
Series E Bonds continued to be sold as part of the United States Savings Bonds program until June 1980, when they were replaced by Series EE bonds.
Financial terms.
Bonds issued from 1941 to November 1965 accrued interest for 40 years; those issued from December 1965 to June 1980, for 30 years. They were generally issued at 75 cents per dollar of face value, maturing at par value in a specified number of years that fluctuated with the rate of interest. Denominations available were $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Series E bonds were not transferable, and were issued only as registered paper certificates. The guaranteed minimum investment yield for the bonds was 4 percent, compounded semiannually. Interest was exempt from state and local taxes, but was subject to federal taxes. Series E bonds were sold at 75% of face value and had a 2.9% interest rate compounded semiannually.


Military Vicariate of Ecuador


Li Binzhu

Li Binzhu (; 8 November 1921 – 12 July 2007) was a long-time fighter in the war of the Second Sino-Japanese War. She developed a school model for literacy of rural women. In 1945, she married Austrian physician Richard Frey, an antifascist fighter in Yan'an. In the period of the civil war and after the founding of the People's Republic of China she worked as a judge, later as a process leader and as a commissioner in the People's Procuratorate. In 1958 she and her husband had to give up their posts for political reasons. She then worked as a principal in a high school and became a critic of the political movements Anti-Rightist Campaign and Great Leap Forward. In 1959, under political pressure, she finally had to annul her marriage and raise her three children on her own. After overcoming a severe depression, she worked until her retirement in 1982 as a party secretary in the clothing industry. She died 2007 in Vienna.
Early life.
Li Binzhu was born in Yanshi County, Henan, China. Her father practiced traditional Chinese medicine in the countryside. During her time at the county middle school, her political stand was actively influenced by her Chinese language teacher and communist Wu Zhipu. 1936 she joined the Chinese National Liberation Vanguard Organization. In 1937, after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, she left the Pedagogical Art School in Henan Province and returned to Yanshi to participate in the War of Resistance against Japan. To appeal to the Liberation Movement, Li Binzhu organized the Reading-/ Women's Group and the National Liberation Theater in Yanshi. She joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in February 1938. In July of the same year, she took leave of her home, went to Yan'an and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the cause of the war against Japanese aggression.
Second Sino-Japanese War.
By the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Li Binzhu lived in Yan'an for eight years. She studied Jurisprudence at the university there, worked in the security bureau of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region, and later in the education department of the Guanzhong
Zone Commission.
In 1943, Li Binzhu was assigned by the CCP to conduct the so-called "winter learning campaign" through literacy, poverty reduction and backwardness in the Londong area, one of the CCP's resistance centers. Initially, she taught the farmers to read in her winter school, teaching them socially, politically, and scientifically learnings. Quickly Li Binzhu realized that due to poverty and lack of education, the old customs still continued to exist, such as: The Child marriage, the Foot binding, superstition of the witch doctor, ignorance of the social life and women's suffrage. In the region there was still a very high number of gynecological diseases and a high infant mortality. In this village, 43 out of 54 women suffered from gynecological diseases, and among 194 newborns, 106 were reported to have died.
According to the local conditions she analyzed, Li Binzhu worked on a new implementation strategy. She changed the winter school curriculum and focused on hygiene instruction and obstetrics as the main teaching content. Chinese characters and other knowledge were taught to female participants as well. This was so well received by the population that the number of participants tripled within a week. Many women now enthusiastically attended classes. Because the school achieved very positive results and was very polarizing, the school model was quickly promoted and implemented throughout the region.
Li Binzhu's work was highly prized by the CCP Central Committee. Xu Teli, Mao Zedong's teacher, president of the Yan'an Academy of Natural Sciences, said of her winter school: "This school taught people the practical knowledge of life. Once the problem of the Obstructed labour (severe birth, risk birth) of women is resolved, the old thinking in the past history is corrected, that Manuscript culture (education) of women is useless." Lin Boqu, President of the Border Region, gave her an honorary title. Li Binzhu's winter school model has been described in "Chinese Educational History" and "Modern Chinese History."
Chinese Civil War.
On 15 July 1945 Li Binzhu married Dr. Richard Frey, who was a researcher and lecturer at the China Medical University (PRC) in Yan'an at the time. After defeating the War of Resistance, Richard Frey and Li Binzhu, who was pregnant at the time, marched with the army into the Zhangjiakou City Liberation Zone. In 1946, Li Binzhu worked as a judge at the People's Court of Zhangjiakou City, while caring for her child born in the war and assisting her husband in producing penicillin, which he had already started in Yan'an. After the outbreak of the civil war, the city of Zhangjiakou fell into the hands of Kuomintang Party. In September 1946, she moved to the CCP base of Jin-Cha-Ji Tang County. After that, Li Binzhu worked as a party secretary of the student organization at the Medical University of North China, and also participated in the local land reform in Tang County.
People's Republic of China.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, in March 1950, Li Binzhu was transferred from the China University of Political Science and Law to the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, and was soon transferred back to Chongqing City, which was being conquered by the Communists. She was responsible for the preparation of the establishment of a southwest branch of the Supreme People's Court of the Central People's Government and hold the process manager after the establishment.
In 1954 she worked as a commissioner in the southwestern branch of China's Supreme People's Procuratorate in Chongqing. Due to the extreme left-wing course within the party against foreign-born officials, the couple Li Binzhu and Richard Frey were forced to resign from government posts in 1958. Li Binzhu left the Southwest Branch of the Supreme People's Procuratorate and was assigned a new job as the principal of Chongqing High School No. 29.
While assuming the role of school principal, the political movement "Anti-Rightist Campaign" also spread in her school. Following her knowledge of human nature, she assigned people like the former headmaster, party secretary and teachers, who were considered problematic in the movement due to their different ways of thinking and thus lost their work, to do the corresponding work. The subsequent movement "Great Leap Forward" also affected High School No. 29. A campaign to increase steel production in the country was carried out at the school. Teachers and students built simple "backyard blast furnaces" made of bricks in the schoolyard. Each brought home metal ware to school, threw it into the blast furnaces with no expertise, where the unusable scrap was melted down to extract "steel." Li Binzhu criticized the absurd action and questioned both unscientific and uneconomic steel production. For her behavior in the two political movements Li Binzhu paid a high price. She was severely cautioned by the party and, after just one year as a high school director, transferred to work in a municipal people's commune.
The consequences of the "Great Leap Forward" were one of the main causes of the ensuing century catastrophe, the Great Chinese Famine in China. One of the particularly affected provinces was Henan. Around three million people were starving to death there, including Li Binzhu's parents. She had left her home and her parents at the age of 16 and was suffering from the fact that she could not afford to pay them their last respect because of her own difficult life.
After repeated political misfortunes and the death of her parents, Li Binzhu experienced her own family disaster in 1959 under the high pressure of the political "left" route. Due to his foreign origin as a foreigner, her husband was under general suspicion as a spy. The party called on Li Binzhu to demarcate herself politically. To protect their three underaged children, they decided to temporarily cancel their marriage. These successive blows caused Li Binzhu a lifelong severe depression. She was therefore later treated in a special hospital for a long time.
In 1962, Zhou Enlai transferred Richard Frey, who had since remarried to Chongqing, to the "Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences" in Beijing. Li Binzhu remained in Chongqing and worked again, thanks to her indomitable will after years of treatment for her depression as party secretary in Chongqing's urban garment industry. She raised her three children alone. During the Cultural Revolution, she once again suffered under the espionage charge of her divorced husband, but was able to survive this political movement through her human-oriented leadership style. In 1982, she retired as head of the Discipline Inspection Derivation for the Chengdu City Light Industry Bureau.
Later years.
In the early 1990s, Li Binzhu, who had never remarried and lived alone, visited her children in Vienna, the hometown of Richard Frey. In 1994, she suffered a severe stroke there, which resulted in paralysis. She spent her remaining life in the "hospital Hietzing" and in the "Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital". During her treatment and stay in the hospital she always received the attention and help of the government of both countries. For her birthday, the mayor of Vienna wrote her a letter of sympathy. In 2005, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance, the Chinese ambassador of Austria visited her in the hospital. She received the resistance war gold medal.
Li Binzhu died on 12 July 2007 in Vienna. The mourning statement of the Chinese Embassy in Vienna was as follows: "Comrade Li Bin Zhu was a war veteran who made important contributions to the war of resistance against Japanese aggression. She experienced the high and low, success and tribulation both in time of war, as in peacetime and in difficult time of the country. We will never forget her loyalty, selflessness and fighting spirit, the Chinese people will always remember her. "
On June 23, 2007, Li Binzhu's ashes were buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery, and on that day, on the other half of the earth in China, in Tang County, the ashes of Richard Frey at the "Jin Cha Ji Martyrs Cemetery", on the former war front, was also buried. Li Binzhu and Richard Frey, a Eurasian couple, comrades in the Resistance War, were randomly and miraculously buried in the country of their partner's home that same day, and from then on, they found their eternal rest in each other's homeland.


Leslie Finer

Leslie Finer (10 December 1922 – 10 March 2010) was a British journalist and author who worked for the BBC, the "Financial Times", "The Observer", the "New Statesman", other British news organisations, "Kathimerini" and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He covered news in Cyprus and Greece between 1954 and 1968. He was described by "Kathimerini" as one of the most respected and reliable reporters of that era. Finer was considered an expert on Greek affairs.
Life and career.
Finer was born in London's East End. He was the son of Charles and Rachel (Ray) Topper Finer. His father's family were refugees of the antisemitic pogroms in Poland. His elder brother Morris was a high court judge. Finer studied at the London School of Economics and graduated during World War II with a degree in History. During the war he worked for the Ministry of War Transport. He also worked as private secretary to Philip Noel-Baker.
He covered events in Cyprus during the final years of British rule and then reported the news from Athens during the years when the United States exercised major influence on Greek political affairs. He also covered the early stages of junta rule in Greece up to the time at which he was expelled from Greece by the junta.
Reporting from Athens during the junta.
His reports during the coup in Athens caused such alarm to the junta that the colonels bought all the copies of the newspapers which carried his articles and also placed an army officer at the radio station where he created his Greek-language broadcasts. He also helped Helen Vlachos escape from Greece after she was placed under house arrest by the junta. When Vlachos arrived in London, Finer helped her settle using his political contacts in Britain.
His dispatches to the BBC circumvented the regime's attempts at heavy censorship of the news. BBC foreign service broadcasts were popular in Greece throughout the dictatorship years. In 1968 he was declared persona non grata by the junta, and after a final meeting with Stylianos Pattakos, the junta's number-two-man, during which Pattakos gave him a stern rebuke, Finer was deported from Greece for "having the courage to report on what he saw and thought".
"The Spectator" reported in 1968 that the junta was very annoyed with Finer's three daily broadcasts to the BBC, which caused "tidal ebb and flows of customers" in Athenian cafés. "The Spectator" also commented that Greece was "stiflingly blanketed by censorship" at the time. His deportation caused an international uproar and subsequently became the subject of a discussion in the British House of Commons.
Investigation and analysis of the junta.
His investigative journalism uncovered a plot which implicated the junta of the colonels and its strongman Georgios Papadopoulos in a campaign in 1968 designed to assist Italian right-wing parties in staging a coup d'état in Italy. He also investigated the role of the colonels in Cyprus and their involvement in undermining Archbishop Makarios. He assisted Georgios Grivas with writing his memoirs.
Finer had once mentioned that the greatest propaganda achievement of the junta was to persuade people that Greek democracy was "sick" before the coup and needed the intervention of the junta before it could improve. In 1975, Finer also reported on the Greek Junta Trials for "New Society" and wrote: "The trial of 20 ringleaders of the 1967 coup is a test of democratic justice. Among its other functions, this is a mode of exorcism and education."
He also compared the fate of Papadopoulos to that of Adolf Hitler, but stated that: "there is this difference: instead of being dead in his bunker, the "arch villain" George Papadopoulos is alive and reasonably well; so are his chief fellow-conspirators..."
He also wrote for Helen Vlachos's journal "Hellenic Review" and for the Index on Censorship publications analysing and working against the junta. He gave lectures related to Greek matters for the Canadian Institute of International Affairs and at the university of Bergen in Norway.
Impact.
Christopher Hitchens commented on Finer's 1972 article in the "New Statesman" under the title "The Colonels' Bid For Cyprus", saying that: "...[it] still lives in my mind as one of the most Cassandra-like essays ever published." Hitchens explained that Finer had predicted, as early as 1972, the events which led to the ousting of Makarios and the subsequent invasion of the island by Turkey in 1974.
The same article has been called "prophetic" in a report by the Judiciary Committees of both the US House of Representatives. and Senate.
Publications.
Leslie Finer is the author of "Passport to Greece", illustrated by Spyros Vassiliou.
Leslie Finer translated a number of works.
Personal life.
Finer married the famous Greek actress Elsa Verghi in 1954 but they later divorced due to their separation imposed by the junta through his expulsion from Athens and the subsequent refusal of the regime to allow Verghi to visit her husband in London. They had first met in London when he interviewed her for the "Evening Standard"'s column "Londoner's Diary".
His second wife was Jean Rubin, who later was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In 1991 he married Jacqueline Sunderland, who also helped him take care of his previous wife, Jean.
Death.
Finer was a philhellene who always wanted to be close to events associated with Greece and even managed to find employment as the newsletter editor at the Greek Embassy in Washington, where he worked for over thirty years. He died of cancer at his home in Lewes, Delaware on 10 March 2010.


Youth Runs Wild

Youth Runs Wild is a 1944 B movie directed by Mark Robson and starring Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Jean Brooks, Glen Vernon and Vanessa Brown. The plot concerns inattentive parents and juvenile delinquency. The film was produced by Val Lewton. It was written by John Fante, Herbert Kline and Ardel Wray. Although Val Lewton produced the film, the final released version was so different from the original cut that he asked for his name to be removed from the picture; a request denied him by RKO.
Production.
Edward Dmytryk, who had recently directed the sensationalistic films "Hitler's Children" and "Behind the Rising Sun" (both in 1943), was initially set to direct "Youth Runs Wild" – which at various time had the working titles "The Dangerous Age", "Look to Your Children" and "Are These Our Children?" – but he left to direct "Tender Comrade". The film went into production under director Mark Robson, a regular in the Val Lewton unit, from November 3 to December 21, 1943. For the shoot, the cinematographer, John J. Mescall, experimented with a new "swivel lens" that would allow a nearly infinite depth of focus.
The film was inspired by a photo essay that appeared in "Look" magazine on September 21, 1943. "Look", however, did not like the completed film, describing it as an "outworn, stale documentary", and they refused to promote the film in the magazine, or even to allow their name to be used in the film's credits. Some copies of the film do carry on the main title card (see the image in the infobox at the head of this article) the legend:
Inspired by the LOOK Magazine Picture Story<br>"ARE THESE OUR CHILDREN?"
The film's technical advisor, Ruth Clifton, was a teenager whose example of starting a youth recreation center in Moline, Illinois, inspired others around the country to do the same thing. RKO attempted to position the film as authentic by showing it to various state and local authorities concerned with juvenile delinquency, but they also did not receive the film well, even though one of the writers, Herbert Kline was a noted director of documentaries about social issues. The studio's efforts did bring the film to the attention of the U.S. State Department, which expressed concern that focusing on juvenile delinquency at that moment might have a detrimental effect on national morale.
Lewton argued that the intent of the film was to draw attention to a national problem and help bring about measures to solve it, which would do the country more good than harm. ... RKO decided not to pull the film from active production, but because of its controversial subject matter, Lewton was given more supervision than usual, much to his displeasure.
RKO tested two versions of the film, Lewton's and another in which several scenes had been cut, including one where an abused teenager killed his sadistic father. The final released version was the studio's cut. As a result, some of the actors listed in the credits do not actually appear in the film. Lewton later disavowed the final version of the film and attempted to have his name removed from it.
"Youth Runs Wild" was premiered in New York City on September 1, 1944 and went into general release in January 1945. It was not well received and lost $45,000.


Martin Freeman (sailor)

Martin Freeman (May 18, 1814 – September 11, 1894) was a civilian employee of the Union Navy during the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay. He is one of only a handful of civilians to have received the medal.
Born on May 18, 1814, in Germany, he made his way to France in 1833 where he embarked on the "SV France" at Le Havre, arriving in New York on 6 Nov 1833. He embarked on a career in the maritime industry in the US and was working on the Gulf Coast. In New Orleans, he met a fellow German immigrant, Ann Bigler and had two daughters in New Orleans with her: Catherine Freeman(1851–1874) and Anna Marguerite Freeman Walter (1853–1917). She died when the girls were young and he met and married another German immigrant, Anna Marguerite Weymann (or Wieman) Freeman. The two married in Mobile, Alabama 26 Dec 1859.
A Unionist, he moved his family back to New Orleans after it was recovered from the rebels. A third daughter, his first with Anna, Nathalie Henrietta Freeman (1861–1884) was born there 21 NOV 1861. He living there when he was hired by the Navy as a pilot due to his loyalty and familiarity with the Gulf Coast and Mobile Bay in particular. He served aboard Admiral David Farragut's flagship, the . Throughout the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, on August 5, 1864, Freeman used his local knowledge and expertise to guide the Union fleet into the bay from "Hartford"s maintop despite heavy Confederate fire. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor four months later, on December 31, 1864.
Freeman's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Mr. Martin Freeman, a United States Civilian, for extraordinary heroism in action as Pilot of the flagship, "U.S.S. HARTFORD", during action against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram "Tennessee", in Mobile Bay, Alabama, 5 August 1864. With his ship under terrific enemy shellfire, Civilian Pilot Martin Freeman calmly remained at his station in the maintop and skillfully piloted the ships into the bay. He rendered gallant service throughout the prolonged battle in which the rebel gunboats were captured or driven off, the prize ram "Tennessee" forced to surrender, and the fort successfully attacked.
Freeman was promoted to acting volunteer lieutenant in October 1864. On 25 Nov 1864, his wife gave birth to their third daughter, Helena Henrietta “Lena” Freeman Olsson (1864–1940). He continued serving in the Navy after the war and was honorably discharged in January 1867. He returned to the maritime industry, and he and his wife had another daughter Wilhelmena C. “Mena” Freeman Ladnier (1867–1945) on 17 July 1868. A son, Martin Howard Freeman (1870–1947) joined the family 1 June 1870 and a daughter Ida Freeman (1875–1881) on 31 October 1875.
He died on September 11, 1894, at age 80 and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Pascagoula, Mississippi.


Lula, Son of Brazil

Lula, Son of Brazil (; ) is a 2009 biographical Brazilian film based on the early life of former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Directed by Fábio Barreto, the film was released on January 1, 2010. Upon its release, "Lula, Son of Brazil" was the most expensive Brazilian film ever, with a budget of over 17 million reais, being later surpassed by "Nosso Lar". On September 23, 2010, the film was unanimously chosen by a Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, despite not having been chosen to compete.
The film was a commercial and critical failure, accused as election propaganda,
and producers even aired for free.
Plot.
The film begins in October 1945 in Garanhuns, a municipality in the countryside of Pernambuco, when Luiz Inácio da Silva, nicknamed Lula, is born as the seventh child of Dona Lindu and Aristides. Two weeks after his birth, Aristides moves to Santos, a coastal city in São Paulo, with Dona Mocinha, a cousin of Dona Lindu. Lindu raises Lula's siblings alone until December 1952, when the family moves to Santos to meet the patriarch. Upon their arrival, Dona Lindu discovers that Aristides had formed a second family with Dona Mocinha.
Aristides' two families live in the same house and, as time goes on, they struggle to survive. Lula and his siblings attend elementary school and work as street vendors. Later, Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo. Lula receives certification as a lathe operator and gets a formal job in the automobile industry, where he loses a finger in a press. This and his brother Ziza's arrest lead him into trade union activism, which made him nationally known in a period when such activities were forbidden. Lula is incarcerated for his activities, just as his mother dies.
Production.
Based on the book of the same name by journalist Denise Paraná, the film narrates the story of Lula from his birth until his mother's death, when he was a 35-year-old union leader detained by the political police of the military dictatorship. The screenplay was written by Paraná, Fábio Barreto and Daniel Tendler. Writer Fernando Bonassi was hired to supervise it.
João Miguel, better known for his role in "Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus", was initially cast as Lula, but declined due to scheduling problems. Tay Lopez was then cast, but declined due to medical reasons, since the role required him to gain and lose weight quickly and he suffers from hypertension. Little known 30-year-old stage actor Rui Ricardo Dias was then cast as Lula. Other cast members includes Glória Pires as Lula's mother Dona Lindu, Cléo Pires as Lula's first wife Lourdes and Juliana Baroni as Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva. Lucélia Santos, a close friend of Lula, played a small role as his teacher. Milhem Cortaz, known for playing a corrupt police officer in the Golden Bear-winning film "Tropa de Elite", was cast as Lula's father Aristides.
The film was produced by Luiz Carlos Barreto and Paula Barreto, father and sister of the director, respectively. The budget of the film was relatively high for Brazilian cinema standards: over 17 million reais (more than 9.5 million U.S. dollars). The Barretos, who supported Lula in both 2002 and 2006 presidential elections, claimed to have obtained financing without government funds in order to repel criticism from their work. According to Agência Estado, however, the film was sponsored by several construction firms, something extremely unusual for the Brazilian film market. Three of these companies maintain direct business with the federal government.
The shooting of the film began in late January 2009 in the Pernambuco municipality of Garanhuns, Lula's hometown. In February, the second phase of the production began in Santos and Guarujá, cities on the coast of São Paulo where Lula spent most of his childhood. The shooting was predicted to end on March 21, 2009. The film was then edited in time to premiere in some film festivals prior to its wide release in Brazilian cinemas on January 1, 2010.
Cast.
Main cast:
Supporting cast:
Historical background.
Some facts of Lula's early life coincides with several aspects of the Brazilian history, and this is a reason why Paraná decided to write her book, which was also her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of São Paulo History School. During her research for the book, Paraná interviewed Lula himself and several people connected to him. According to her, while listening to Lula's statements, she thought that it was "a poorly written movie script, because everything fits".
Among the facts of Lula's life and the history of Brazil that "fits" together, according to the author, are the death of his first wife by malpractice during labour at the same time that Brazil had one of the highest rates in the world of death in childbirth, the migration of his family to São Paulo at the same time which Brazil was struggling with its largest internal migration wave and Lula's father developing alcoholism at the same time there was an epidemic incidence of this disease in the Northeast region of Brazil.
Soundtrack.
The soundtrack was composed by Antonio Pinto. The musical taste of Lula was faithfully followed in the preparation of the soundtrack. He requested the sertanejo duo Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano to record "Meu Primeiro Amor", a version of "Lejanía" by Paraguayan composer Herminio Giménez adapted into Portuguese by José Fortuna. The former president also requested the inclusion of two remarkable songs in his life and emotional memories: "Nossa Canção", a romantic samba by Luiz Ayrão, recorded by Nana Caymmi especially for the soundtrack, and "Desesperar Jamais" by Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins, recorded by Ivan and samba player Roberto Ribeiro. The soundtrack is complemented with songs contemporary to the years represented in the film, such as "Sentimental Demais" by Altemar Dutra, "Estúpido Cupido" by Celly Campelo, "Saudosa Maloca" by Demônios da Garoa, and even "Pra Frente Brasil", an anthem for the Brazil national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup. The film's soundtrack album was released a month before the film, marking the first time this had ever happeneded in Brazil.
Release.
Although it had not been chosen by the competitive selection of the 42nd Brasilia Film Festival, the film premiered at the event's opening in the Brazilian federal capital on November 18, 2009. At least 300 employees of the presidential palace Palácio do Planalto attended. In Lula's home state of Pernambuco, the film premiered in Recife on November 19, being attended by several politicians and the president's relatives. On November 28, Lula himself attended the film's premiere in São Bernardo do Campo, the city where he began his political activities. The film also premiered in João Pessoa and Rio de Janeiro later in 2009. According to Regina Rito's gossip column on newspaper "O Dia", the film's international premiere was held in Washington, D.C. at the request of American president Barack Obama. On January 1, 2010 the film received its wide release, debuting at over 500 cinemas all over Brazil.
Unionized workers were able to purchase the film's tickets for 5 reals (about 2,5 U.S. dollars) between November 20 and December 31, 2009 after a deal made between labour unions Central Única dos Trabalhadores and Força Sindical and the producers. Since its wide release on January 1, 2010, unionized workers were able to buy tickets with a 50% discount.
The film's DVD release took place on May 2009. It has affordable prices, from 10 to 12 reais (around 5 to 7 U.S. dollars), in order to counteract piracy. The DVD has more than 10 extra features, including an exclusive interview with Lula about the film. Upon the DVD release, Tadeu Damiani, president of the Union of Video Rentals of the State of São Paulo and member of opposition party PPS, had sent an open letter to 2,800 video rental stores in the state recommending that they should not buy or rent the film. He spread his plea throughout video rental associations and trade unions in the country. The reason he gave for starting the campaign was the fact that Lula had watched "2 Filhos de Francisco" before being released, encouraging piracy. But, there is no evidence that proves that President Lula had watched by illegal means.
On September 23, 2010, "Lula, Son of Brazil" premiered in Argentina. It was screened on 20 cinemas in Buenos Aires, La Plata and Mar del Plata. The release in Argentina had been delayed for four months in order to enjoy the atmosphere of the presidential election in Brazil. Initially, the producers had planned to release the film simultaneously in all South American countries, but logistical issues and the reduced time prevented the plan from taking place. In the United States, the premiere is scheduled for February or March 2011. The distribution will be done by New Yorker Films, which had dropped the film after the Brazil–Turkey–Iran agreement in fear of a boycott led by the Jewish community. The film's ending clip has been modified for foreign audiences. According to producer Luiz Carlos Barreto, the international distributors wanted to highlight Lula's consecration as a global leader. "Instead of pictures in the Northeast, with his family, they want pictures with Obama and the Queen of the United Kingdom. We had this available, but avoided putting it in the original version in order not to get very jingoistic", he said.
The film has two scheduled dates for television premiere. It will be featured on Canal Brasil's programming in February if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that the film will compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Otherwise, it will be aired in March, in accordance with the rules of the Academy.
Reception.
Public.
"Lula, Son of Brazil" was a commercial flop, grossing only two million reais (around one million U.S. dollars) in its first week of release, being watched by no more than 200,000 people. In spite of the controversy surrounding the film, it was still the second in box office receipts that week, behind "Avatar". As of January 8, the film had been watched by almost 320,000 people. At the end of its theatrical run, the film had sold 852,212 tickets, making it only the 7th highest-grossing national production of 2010 in Brazil.
After watching the film in London, British Indian actor Ben Kingsley said that "this film is important for the whole world", adding that "[Lula's] history is bigger than Gandhi's". Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1982 for his performance as Mahatma Gandhi in the eponymous film.
Criticism.
Alexei Barrionuevo, correspondent for "The New York Times" in Brazil, criticized the film for "failing to mention that Lula abandoned his girlfriend, Miriam Cordeiro, when she was six months pregnant". Lurian Cordeiro, Lula's daughter with Miriam, sent a letter to the editor saying that her mother was not "abandoned". Cordeiro said that Lula not only paid for all of her mother's medical costs, but also legally recognized her as his daughter on the very day after her birth. She also noted the fact that none of Lula's children are mentioned in the film, questioning that "If the movie is about my father's path from impoverished immigrant to trade union leader, where do my brothers and I fit in?". She finished the letter by saying that she "loved the film" and that she agrees "with President Obama: Lula is the man!".
On March 15, 2010, Brazilian magazine "Veja" made a list of the top 10 worst Brazilian films of all time, and "Lula, Son of Brazil" was featured in ninth place. The list's author, Pollyane Lima e Silva, stated: "The director, Fábio Barreto, went on to say that his intention was not to be faithful to reality, but was, instead, 'to do a melodrama'. And he was successful, since many scenes shown in the film never happened, and others were exaggerated so that Lula could seem like a hero".
It currently holds a 33% "Rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Political criticism.
The film has been criticized by the Brazilian press for being released in an electoral year, while Lula was trying to elect his successor Dilma Rousseff. The release date would represent a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the election, in order to help Lula's candidate. Rousseff admitted in an interview that the film could influence the outcome of the election. But she added that "there is no possible way to measure the effect of this". The DVD release date, scheduled for May 2010, has also been criticized, as the electoral debate would be warming up. On November 2009, it was revealed that Rede Globo bought the exclusive television rights for the film, but decided to broadcast it only after the elections.
The biggest criticism, however, is that the film ignores less flattering aspects of Lula's career. According to "O Globo"'s Ricardo Noblat, the film represents an attempt to eliminate all of Lula' failures, making him look like the almost perfect protagonist, showing him in an overly romanticized and heroic role. This would also have electoral purposes, according to him. The film was also criticized by opposition politicians, the press and by many Brazilians because many of the companies that invested in the film (such as the heavy construction firms Odebrecht and Camargo Correa, as well as electric utilities) depend on government concessions and have major contracts with the federal government.
"The New York Times" Barrionuevo also said that the film may have an impact in the presidential election. He noted that while Lula can not run for re-election, "he hopes to transfer his popularity to his chief of staff and chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff". "Political analysts sees the movie as part of the renovation of the myth of Lula, which could help him return to power in 2014", he added.
Glória Pires, which played Lula's mother in the film, said that "Lula, Son of Brazil" was a victim of political prejudice. According to her, "people saw another movie (...); the film I was in was based on a beautiful story of overcoming adversities, which was about a man that would become president, and not only a movie about the president itself". Main actor Rui Ricardo Dias said that "those in power today do not depend on this film for absolutely anything. Nor is this production going to change anything in the course of the elections".
Academy Award submission.
On September 23, 2010, "Lula, Son of Brazil" was unanimously chosen by government Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The commission was formed by nine government officials, including members of the Ministry, the Brazilian Film Academy, the Audiovisual Secretariat, and the National Agency for Cinema. According to Roberto Farias, president of the Brazilian Film Academy and representative for the commission, "we voted in the film that seemed most well done, which honors the Brazilian film industry and has as an actress like Glória Pires, who becomes an excellent candidate for the Best Actress award".
Director Daniel Filho, whose film "Chico Xavier" was also in the competition to represent Brazil at the Oscars, criticized the Ministry's choice, labelling it as political, and saying that the film's title should have been "Lula, the Owner of Brazil". Arnaldo Jabor, whose film "A Suprema Felicidade" was also in the competition for the submission, chose not to comment on the Ministry's choice, saying that the commission "must have had reasons" to choose the film.
According to producer Paula Barreto, the film may not be the best among the 23 competitors for the submission, but is the most adequate for the Academy Awards. She believes that the film was "analyzed by reputable people, who know the film industry and also how the Oscar dispute works". Farias responded the criticism for his commission's choice by saying that "our position has nothing to do with politics". The film didn't make the shortlist published in January 2011.


William Keatinge

William Keatinge (1 August 1869 – 21 February 1934) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Chaplain to the Forces, 1st Class, arriving in France 18 August 1914 and was Bishop of the Forces from 1917 to 1934. He was awarded the Military Cross in the 1915 Birthday Honours.
Born in London on 1 August 1869, he was ordained to the priesthood on 27 May 1893. He was appointed the Bishop of the Forces and Titular Bishop of "Metellopolis" by the Holy See on 30 October 1917. His consecration to the Episcopate took place on 25 February 1918, the principal consecrator was Cardinal Gaetano de Lai, and the principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Giuseppe Palica and Bishop Algernon Charles Stanley.
He died in office on 21 February 1934, aged 64.


Lin Mosei

Lin Mosei (; born 30 October 1887, disappeared 11 March 1947) was a Taiwanese academic, educator, and the first Taiwanese to receive a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. He was additionally an esteemed calligrapher, and was a baptized Christian.
Lin disappeared within days of the February 28 Incident in Taiwan in 1947; he is generally believed to have been killed as a part of Chinese Nationalist Party's crackdown after the island-wide civilian uprising.
Lin's second son, Lin Tsung-yi, was an academic and educator in psychiatry.


Politics of Zimbabwe

The politics of Zimbabwe takes place in a framework of a full presidential republic, whereby the President is the head of state and government as organized by the 2013 Constitution. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The status of Zimbabwean politics has been thrown into question by a 2017 coup.
Political developments since the Lancaster House Agreement.
The Zimbabwean Constitution, initially from the Lancaster House Agreement a few months before the 1980 elections, chaired by Lord Carrington, institutionalises majority rule and protection of minority rights. Since independence, the Constitution has been amended by the government to provide for:
The elected government controls senior appointments in the public service, including the military and police, and ensures that appointments at lower levels are made on an equitable basis by the independent Public Service Commission.
ZANU-PF leader Robert Mugabe, elected prime minister in 1980, revised the constitution in 1987 to make himself president. President Mugabe's affiliated party won every election from independence on April 18, 1980, until it lost the parliamentary elections in March 2008 to the Movement for Democratic Change. In some quarters corruption and rigging elections have been alleged. In particular the elections of 1990 were nationally and internationally condemned as being rigged, with the second-placed party, Edgar Tekere's Zimbabwe Unity Movement, winning only 20% of the vote. Presidential elections were held in 2002 amid allegations of vote-rigging, intimidation, and fraud, and again in March 2008.
Ethnic rivalry between the Shona and Ndebele has played a large part in Zimbabwe's politics, a consequence of the country's borders defined by its British colonial rulers. This continued after independence in 1980, during the Gukurahundi ethnic cleansing liberation wars in Matabeleland in the 1980s. This led to the political merger of Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) to form ZANU-PF and the appointment of Nkomo as vice president.
During 2005, with Mugabe's future in question, factionalism within the Shona has increased. In October 2005 it was alleged that members of the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC had held secret meetings in London and Washington to discuss plans for a new Zimbabwe after Robert Mugabe. On February 6, 2007, Mugabe orchestrated a Cabinet reshuffle, ousting ministers including 5-year veteran Minister of Finance Herbert Murerwa.
Political conditions.
Since the defeat of the constitutional referendum in 2000, politics in Zimbabwe has been marked by a move from the norms of democratic governance, such as democratic elections, the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, freedom from racial discrimination, the existence of independent media, civil society and academia. Recent years have seen widespread violations of human rights.
Elections have been marked by political violence and intimidation, along with the politicisation of the judiciary, military, police force and public services. Statements by the President and government politicians have referred to a state of war, or "Chimurenga", against the opposition political parties, in particular the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai (MDC-T). Newspapers not aligned with the government have been closed down and members of the judiciary have been threatened and/or arrested. Repressive laws aimed at preventing freedoms of speech, assembly and association have been implemented and subjectively enforced. Members of the opposition are routinely arrested and harassed, with some subjected to torture or sentenced to jail. The legal system has come under increasing threat. The MDC has repeatedly attempted to use the legal system to challenge the ruling ZANU-PF, but the rulings, often in favour of the MDC, have not been taken into account by the police.
Government of Zimbabwe.
Political power in Zimbabwe is split between three branches, the executive, the legislative and the judicial branches, with the President as the head of the executive branch, the Prime Minister the head of the legislative branch and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe the head of the judicial branch.
Executive.
Under Zimbabwe's Constitution, the president is the head of state, government and commander-in-chief of the defence forces, elected by popular majority vote. Prior to 2013, the president was elected for a 6-year term with no term limits. The new constitution approved in the 2013 constitutional referendum limits the president to two 5-year terms, but this does not take effect retrospectively (Robert Mugabe had held the office from 1987 to 2017).
The Cabinet is appointed by the president and responsible to the House of Assembly.
The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs is a non-cabinet ministerial position in the government of Zimbabwe. The incumbent is Didymus Mutasa. The duties of the position have yet to be publicly defined.
Legislature.
Parliament consists of the House of Assembly and, since 2005, the Senate, which had previously been abolished in 1990. The House of Assembly has 210 members elected by universal suffrage, including the Speaker, and the Attorney General, and may serve for a maximum of five years. Under the 2013 constitution, the Senate consists of 80 members, of whom 60 are elected for five-year terms in 6-member constituencies representing one of the 10 provinces, elected based on the votes in the lower house election, using party-list proportional representation, distributed using the hare quota. Additionally the Senate consists of 2 seats for each non-metropolitan district of Zimbabwe elected by each provincial assembly of chiefs using SNTV, 1 seat each for the president and deputy president of the National Council of Chiefs and 1 male and 1 female seat for people with disabilities elected on separate ballots using FPTP by an electoral college designated by the National Disability Board.
Judiciary.
The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe who, like their contemporaries, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The Constitution has a Bill of Rights containing extensive protection of human rights. The Bill of Rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of independence except by unanimous vote of Parliament.
The Supreme Court is the highest court of order and the final court of appeal. The Chief Justice is the senior judge. Others who sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe are Justice Paddington Garwe, former Judge-President of the High Court, Wilson Sandura and Vernanda Ziyambi. Luke Malaba, a former justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed acting chief justice on 1 March 2017 following the retirement of Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku. Malaba was promoted to chief justice on 28 March.
The legal system is based on Roman-Dutch law with South African influences. A five-member Supreme Court, headed by the Chief-Justice has original jurisdiction over alleged violations of fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution and appellate jurisdiction over other matters. There is a High Court consisting of general and appellate divisions. Below the High Court are regional magistrate's courts with civil jurisdiction and magistrate's courts with both civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases involving traditional law and custom. Beginning in 1981, these courts were integrated into the national system.
List of Chief Justices:
Provincial governance.
"Main articles: Provinces of Zimbabwe, Districts of Zimbabwe"
Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces, each administered by a provincial governor appointed by the President. The provincial governor is assisted by the provincial administrator and representatives of several service ministries. The provinces are further divided into 63 districts.
International organization participation.
Zimbabwe participates in the following Pan-African and international organisations:


The Last Aristocrats

The Last Aristocrats () is a 1989 Chinese drama film directed by Xie Jin and starring Pan Hong, Pu Cunxin, Li Kequn, and Xiao Xiong. It is base on the short story "Zhexianji" by Taiwanese novelist Bai Xianyong. The film picks up the story of the lives of four young Chinese girls, daughters of Shanghai’s elite, who went to the United States to study in 1948 and faced difficulties trying to return home a year later. The film was released in South Korea on 23 December 1989.
Plot.
In the spring of 1947 in Nanjing, Jiangsu, Li Tong (Pan Hong) spends her twenty birthday in a happy atmosphere. Then she pursues advanced studies in the United States with her friends Huang Huifen (Li Kequn), Lei Zhiling (Xiao Xiong) and Zhang Jiaxing (Lu Ling). The four young girls are daughters of Shanghai's elite. Li Tong's father (Wang Bing) is a diplomat in the Nationalist Government.
When the Communists take over Shanghai in 1948, Li Tong's parents dies in a storm on their way to Taiwan. Li Tong's boy friend Chen Yin (Pu Cunxin), a graduate of Harvard University, finds a job as a lawyer. They celebrate the happy event in the restaurant. After hearing the tragic news, Li Tong becomes more and more melancholy. She leaves quietly disappear without a trace.
Three years later, Li Tong appeares at Zhang Jiaxing's wedding, her heavy make-up makes her friends mixed feelings.
Before long, Chen Yin learns by newspaper that Li Tong was arrested by the police after her drinking and rioting. Chen Yin goes to the police station to bail her out and takes her home, and persuades her to cheer up, but she has lost her soul.
Another spring, after travelling around the world, Li Tong comes to her birthplace Venice, throws herself into the sea.
Production.
On April 26, 1987, Xie Jin and Pai Hsien-yung met at the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, they talked about changing the short story "Zhexianji" () into a movie. Brigitte Lin had been considered to star as Li Tong, the female lead role in the film, but at that time the relationship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait had not been thawing, she was recognized by reporters at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, and under the pressure of the authorities, she had to give up acting the movie. Her role was replaced by mainland actress Pan Hong.
Two-thirds of the film was shot on location in the United States. The film wrapped in May 1989.
Release.
The film was released on 23 December 1989 in South Korea and received negative reviews.