Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo () is a 2020 Indian Telugu-language action-drama film directed by Trivikram Srinivas and co-produced by Allu Aravind and S. Radha Krishna under their banners Geetha Arts and Haarika & Hassine Creations. The film features Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles, while Tabu, Jayaram, Sushanth, Navdeep, Nivetha Pethuraj, Samuthirakani, Murali Sharma, Sunil, Sachin Khedekar, and  Harsha Vardhan play pivotal roles. The film features soundtrack composed by Thaman S., while cinematography and editing were handled by P. S. Vinod and Navin Nooli respectively.

The narration revolves around Bantu, a skilled middle-class man who is despised and is often neglected by his father Valmiki. What Bantu doesn't know is that he's actually the son of a businessman swapped by Valmiki with his own son to give the latter a comfortable life. A violent incident draws Bantu closer to the truth. Upon learning the truth he decides to enter Vaikunthapuram, the home of his real parents and eventually confront those who threaten his family.

The film was released theatrically on 12 January 2020, coinciding with Sankranti. It opened to positive reviews praising the performances of Allu Arjun and Murali Sharma, Trivikram's writing/direction and Thaman's music.

Spelling
The title of the film would be correctly transliterated as Ala Vaikunthapuramulo (or as  in the ISO transliteration system) according to the Telugu source text. However, it was officially released as Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and that spelling has thus entered into common use.

Plot
Valmiki (Murali Sharma) and Ramachandra (Jayaram) work as clerks in the company of Aditya Radhakrishnan, or ARK (Sachin Khedekar). Ramachandra marries ARK’s daughter Yasu (Tabu), while Valmiki remains an employee. On the day of the birth of both Valmiki’s and Ramachandra’s children, Valmiki switches his child with Ramachandra’s. The nurse (Easwari Rao) who initially aids and later tries stopping Valmiki. Valmiki pushes the nurse accidently resulting in her falling off a ledge and going into coma.

The 2 boys, Raj Manohar (Sushanth) and Bantu (Allu Arjun), grow in 2 different worlds. Raj is a timid, slow and inexpressive young man while Bantu is a smart, hard working, middle class man. On his way to an interview at a travel agency, Bantu gets into a fight with Shekhar (Navdeep) and his friends and beats Shekhar without realizing it was a misunderstanding. Ravindra (Rahul Ramakrishna) interviews Bantu and reveals that Shekhar is the agency's HR manager. Bantu apologizes to Shekhar and convinces him with his wits, successfully getting a job at the travel agency. Bantu falls for his boss Amulya (Pooja Hegde), who is the CEO of the travel agency. Amulya gets to understand Bantu and they fall in love. However, in a turn of events, Amulya’s engagement in fixed with Raj, who is in love with his cousin Nandu (Nivetha Pethuraj).

Appala Naidu (Samuthirakani), a powerful and influential man, attempts to kill Ramachandra in his office when Ramachandra refuses Appal Naidu’s son Paidithalli (Govind Padmasoorya) to purchase 50% of ARK’s shares. Bantu saves Ramachandra and takes him to the hospital. Bantu meets with the nurse who reveals the truth of his birth before dying. Bantu reveals to Valmiki that he knows the truth about his birth and uses the doctor, Srinivas (Vennela Kishore) to enter Vaikuntapuram - Ramachandra's home. ARK, who is fond of Bantu for saving his son-in-law’s life, takes Bantu's help in sorting various issues taking place in the house and the company.

ARK throws a huge party in happiness, where Yasu witnesses Bantu and Amulya sharing an intimate moment and reports it to the household, and Bantu is kicked out and Amulya’s and Raj’s engagement is cancelled. Appala Naidu uses this to his advantage, kidnapping Nandu and threatening to kill her unless Ramachandra signs off the shares for Paidithalli. Bantu uses the situation to solves family conflicts and correct his family and ends up rescuing Nandu as well.

ARK reveals that he knows the truth about Bantu's parentage but chose to stay quiet to understand Bantu’s character. Yasu, however acknowledges Bantu as being just as much a son to her as Raj, and tells Raj that he will begin working for his place in the company.

Cast

 Allu Arjun as Bantu
 Pooja Hegde as Amulya
 Tabu as Yasu
 Jayaram as Ramachandra
 Sushanth as Raj Manohar
 Navdeep as Shekhar
 Nivetha Pethuraj as Nandu
 Samuthirakani as Appala Naidu
 Murali Sharma as Valmiki
 Sunil as Sitaram
 Sachin Khedekar as Aditya Radhakrishnan (ARK)
 Harsha Vardhan as Kashiram
 Govind Padmasoorya as Paidithalli
 Rohini as Valmiki's wife
 Rajendra Prasad as G. Prajapati
 Rahul Ramakrishna as Ravindra
 Vennela Kishore as Dr. Shrinivas
 Brahmaji as Sudharshan
 Ajay as Satyam
 Tanikella Bharani as Amulya's father
 Chammak Chandra as money lender
 Vaishnavi Chaitanya as Bantu's sister
 Hyper Aadi as worker in port
 Brahmanandam in a guest appearance in the song "Ramuloo Ramulaa"
 Easwari Rao as Nurse Sulochana (cameo appearance)

Production

After the release of Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava, speculations arose that Trivikram would direct a film with Allu Arjun which would be based on Rayalaseema factionalism and also rumors stated that jayanth will be playing a cop who will be dealing with factionalism in his own way. This project was officially confirmed but there was no clue about the genre. On the eve of new year it was officially announced by Geetha Arts that their next film will be in the direction of Trivikram and also mentioned that it is a co-production with Haarika & Hassine Creations. On 8 April 2019, the lead cast and crew was announced on the occasion of Allu Arjun's birthday. On 13 April 2019, the film was formally started shooting by commencing a puja ceremony attended by film team.

The first schedule of the film started on 23 April 2019. The second schedule started on 5 June 2019, during this schedule the film added Pooja Hegde, Nivetha Pethuraj, Tabu and Sushanth in pivotal roles. The title, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, was revealed on 15 August 2019.

In mid-November, the team moved to France to film the song "Samajavaragamana". Parts of the song was shot at Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France, and the Eiffel Tower, in Paris. The song was also filmed at Lido de Paris, a world-famous cabaret theatre, and became the first South Indian film to shoot there. Tamil director and actor Samuthirakani was roped in to play a negative role.

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Thaman S., marking his second collaboration with director Trivikram, after Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava and the director's third collaboration with Allu Arjun.

A glimpse of the first single "Samajavaragamana" featuring Sid Sriram's voiceover, was released in all social media platforms on 25 September 2019. A minute video featuring Thaman S. and lyricist Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry, who penned the lyrics for the song, who shared their opinions about the song was released later in media platforms. The full song was released on 27 September 2019 and went viral within an hour of its launch. Rather than the usual lyrical video, the YouTube video had a band, including singer Sid Sriram and composer Thaman S., performing the song on a flashy stage with shots of Pooja Hegde and Allu Arjun, and others, from the film. On 1 December 2019, it became the fastest Telugu song to 100 million views on YouTube, less than two weeks after it became the first Telugu song to hit 1 million likes on YouTube. The female version of the song sung by Shreya Ghoshal was released on 3 January 2020.

The song teaser of the second single "Ramuloo Ramulaa" was released on 21 October 2019. The lyrics for the song written by Kasarla Shyam and sung by Anurag Kulkarni and Mangli Satyavati. The single was released on 25 October 2019, with the occasion of Diwali. The YouTube video included lyrics, footage of the musicians, an Allu Arjun voice-over, clips of the actual dance number from the movie, behind the scenes footage, and members of the cast wishing fans a happy Diwali at the end.

The song teaser of the third single "OMG Daddy" was released on 14 November 2019, as a Children's Day treats from the team. The teaser features Allu Arha and Allu Ayaan, the children of Allu Arjun. The song performed by Rahul Sipligunj, Rahul Nambiar, Roll Rida, Blaaze and Lady Kash with lyrics by Krishna Chaitanya was released on 21 November 2019. The promo of the third single "Butta Bomma" written by Ramajogayya Sastry and sung by Armaan Malik was released on 18 December 2019, followed by the song teaser on 22 December and full song was released on 23 December 2019.

The full album was released digitally on 5 January 2020, and the songs were performed by Thaman and his musical crew at the "AVPL Musical Concert" held on 6 January 2020, at Police Grounds in Hyderabad.

The Malayalam versions of "Samajavaragamana" sung by Vijay Yesudas was released on 10 November 2019 and "Aanddava Aanddava" was released on 21 December 2019. The Malayalam version of "OMG Daddy" sung by Rahul Nambiar, Nayana, Shruthi Gayatri, Blaaze and penned by B. K. Harinarayanan was released on 26 December 2019.All the songs are penned by B. K. Harinarayanan.

Release
The film was released on 12 January 2020 to coincide with Sankranti and also released on 11 January 2020, in the US, a day before it's official release in India.

This film has dubbed version in Malayalam, titled Angu Vaikuntapurathu, and released simultaneously in Kerala. This film was also released in Japan on the same date.

Home Media
The film was made available for digital streaming via Netflix and Sun NXT on 27 February 2020, with English subtitles.

Marketing
The team released a small behind the set's video to promote the start of films production. A small video to reveal the title of the film was released on 15 August 2019 as an Independence day treat. After unveiling the first glimpse, Allu Arjun's funny gesture made the audience and fans understood that this will be a middle-class family story with Trivikram's style of humour. The first look poster of the film was released on 1 September 2019. It gives the 'vintage Trivikram mark for its rich appeal and classy look of Bunny'.

The second look poster was released on 7 October 2019, coinciding with Dusshera which features Allu Arjun in an action avatar. Another poster, revealing the release date was launched on 13 October 2019. A new poster revealing Sushanth's character was released on 20 October 2019. Another poster from the film was released on 4 November 2019, on the occasion of Tabu's birthday.

The first look of the Malayalam version of the film was unveiled on 7 November 2019, coinciding with director Trivikram's birthday. The glimpse of film's teaser was released on 8 December 2019. The official teaser was released on 11 December 2019, and received positive response from audiences. The teaser of the film's Malayalam version was released on 19 December 2019. After releasing several posters in order to promote the film, the makers released the film's trailer  on 6 January 2020.

Critical reception
The film received positive reviews especially for the performance of Allu Arjun, musical score by S. Thaman, and the script and screenplay penned by Trivikram, while the predictable storyline and the narrative of the film were criticised.

Hemanth Kumar of Firstpost gave the film 3.25 stars out of 5 and wrote "Trivikram Srinivas is a wordsmith of the highest order, and when he's in great form,everything he writes is like music to the ears. He makes you want to latch on to everything that the characters speak or sing throughout the story. However, in Ala Vaikuntapurramlo, he takes a detour from his path and focuses more on the emotional drama between the characters. More than the witty lines and humour, it's the depth in the emotional conversations between the characters that leave a strong impression."

A review posted by Rohit Mohan on Koimoi said the film to be "a perfect family entertainer to watch on this festive season of [Sankranti] with your near and dear ones, not only for Allu Arjun fans but also for every movie lovers." He gave the film three and a half stars out of five.

The Hans India gave the film 3.25 stars out of 5 stating that performances, narration and bgm are the major plus points of the film while also mentioning that there are no major minus points in the movie. Trivikram Srinivas received praise for his script while Allu Arjun was praised for his performance. It was concluded that Ala Vaikunthapurramlo is definitely a worth watching movie.

Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 stating "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo has a bit of everything and despite the cliché and the predictable storyline : Trivikram manages to make it work and deliver what he promises. Watch this for Allu Arjun, especially if you're a fan, for he shines in this one and of course, the fun of it all."

Karthik Keramalu of The Quint called Ala Vaikunthapurramlo an entertainer that promises fun. According to him "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo has a lot going for it because Bantu (weirdest name for a Telugu movie hero) spends time with other characters (played by Tabu, Jayaram, Sunil, Sachin Khedekar, Vennela Kishore, Rajendra Prasad, Rahul Ramakrishna, Nivetha Pethuraj etc...) and doesn't wallow in mediocrity for a long time. And P. S., Vinod's cinematography makes each frame in the action episodes appear as avant-garde paintings. And on top of it all, the songs are a treat!An absolute treat!"

Bhavana Sharma of International Business Times called the film a "paisa vasool" entertainer with amazing performances. She further added "Allu Arjun is back with a bang after a gap of two years. Living up to the expectations of the audiences and showing Trivikram's mark everywhere, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo rings in the celebrations of the Sankranti festival and proves that the film was worth the wait."

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu called the film an absorbing and entertaining drama presented by Trivikram - Allu Arjun duo. She said the film hits the right notes.


Nuhi

Nuhi (, also Romanized as Nūḩī; also known as Kamāraj-e Nū'ī) is a village in Kamaraj Rural District, Kamaraj and Konartakhteh District, Kazerun County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 316, in 59 families.


Massillon Township, Cedar County, Iowa

Massillon Township is one of seventeen townships in Cedar County, Iowa, USA.  As of the 2000 census, its population was 330.

Geography
Massillon Township covers an area of  and contains no incorporated settlements.  According to the USGS, it contains three cemeteries: Brink, Center and Massillon. The township also contains the unincorporated settlement of Massillon, Iowa for which it is named.


Ken Campbell (basketball)

Albert Kenton Campbell (June 10, 1926 – October 6, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers during the 1948–49 season and averaged 5.0 points per game. He played both football and basketball at the University of Kentucky.


Caribbomerus

Caribbomerus is a genus of beetles in the family Cerambycidae, containing the following species:

 Caribbomerus asperatus (Fisher, 1932)
 Caribbomerus attenuatus (Chevrolat, 1862)
 Caribbomerus brasiliensis (Napp & Martins, 1984)
 Caribbomerus charynae (Micheli, 2003)
 Caribbomerus decoratus (Zayas, 1975)
 Caribbomerus elongatus (Fisher, 1932)
 Caribbomerus exiguus (Zayas, 1975)
 Caribbomerus howdeni (Napp & Martins, 1984)
 Caribbomerus mexicanus (Napp & Martins, 1984)
 Caribbomerus picturatus (Napp & Martins, 1984)
 Caribbomerus productus (White, 1855)
 Caribbomerus similis (Fisher, 1932)


Targeted Killing in International Law

Targeted Killing in International Law is a book about the legality of targeted killing, written by Nils Melzer. It was first published by Oxford University Press in May 2008. The book explores the history of targeted killing as a government strategy by multiple countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Switzerland and Germany; for both military and law enforcement purposes. Melzer argues that directly after the September 11 attacks in the United States, perceptions of the tactic became more positive.

Melzer holds a PhD degree in law from University of Zürich. His dissertation dealt with targeted killing and the book updates and revises that work. He had earlier written on the subject for Yearbook of Humanitarian International Law in 2006. Melzer serves as a legal advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He has lectured at the Master-level at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

The book received a favorable reception and was a joint winner of the 2009 Paul Guggenheim Prize in International Law given by the Geneva Graduate Institute. It garnered positive reviews in publications including the International Criminal Justice Review, the European Journal of International Law, the Leiden Journal of International Law, the Australian Year Book of International Law, the American Journal of International Law, and in the book Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform.

Background
Nils Melzer graduated summa cum laude from the University of Zürich with a PhD degree in law. Melzer worked for the District Court of Meilen, Zürich, first as a Judicial Clerk and then as Judicial Secretary. Melzer serves as a legal advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He lectured at the Master-level at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Prior to the book, Melzer published "Targeted Killing or Less Harmful Means? – Israel's High Court Judgment on Targeted Killing and the Restrictive Function of Military Necessity" in the Yearbook of Humanitarian International Law in 2006, and a dissertation in 2007. Melzer also authored "Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities under International Humanitarian Law", published in 2009 by ICRC. Melzer's research was utilized in Section IX of the ICRC's Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities under International Humanitarian Law.

Targeted Killing in International Law is part of the series, Oxford Monographs in International Law. The hardback was first published by Oxford University Press on 29 May 2008, and subsequently in the United States by Oxford University Press, USA in July 2008. In January 2009, the work was published online at Oxford Scholarship Online. On 10 September 2009, Oxford University Press released a paperback in the UK. Oxford University Press, USA released a paperback on 9 November 2009.

Content summary

Nils Melzer presents an historical, legal and moral examination of targeted killing. The author observes that after September 11, the Western world grew more supportive of targeted killing than ever before. The book recounts in depth how state-sanctioned targeted killing is perceived in other countries. He defines targeted killing as the premeditated selection of an individual person not yet in custody for elimination by force. Melzer analyzes all areas of the topic.

The book discusses related legal practices of countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Switzerland and Germany. Israel was the first country to publicly acknowledge the practice—in November 2000. The author connects this policy initiative with Israel's ongoing conflict with Palestinian militants. Melzer argues that this policy was controversial—the issue came before the Israeli Supreme Court, where the matter was not decided for almost five years. The court's judgment was issued on 14 December 2006, but neither forbade nor endorsed the practice. Melzer asserts that it left multiple important legal conundra unresolved. Its significance was that it dealt not with a single incident, but rather with the nature of the policy itself and set forth conditions for examining the legality of future episodes.

Melzer claims that during the Vietnam War the Central Intelligence Agency used targeted killings as part of the Phoenix Program, attempting to  eliminate Vietcong sympathizers. Melzer cites a source who contends that some 40,000 individuals may have been killed under this program. The author sees the air raids on Muammar Gaddafi in the 1986 bombing of Libya in response to the Lockerbie bombing as another instance. He argues that after September 11, 2001, the policy became more acceptable in the U.S. to adopt targeted killings as a tactic.

According to Melzer, after the September 11 attacks, U.S. strategists began to support targeted killings and accepted advice from Israel on how to use such tactics to deal with suicide bombers. Melzer describes an abrupt change where military members were ordered to "shoot to kill", replacing prior orders to incapacitate. The author asserts that in at least one case in 2005, a person was killed because they were thought to be a terrorist holding a bomb. It was later revealed that this person suffered from mental illness and may have had a medical history of bipolar disorder. The shooting was determined to be justifiable under the law and criminal charges were not filed.

Melzer discusses the shift in perceptions towards acceptance by United Kingdom law enforcement after September 11. The Metropolitan Police officially endorsed a "shoot to kill" strategy directly after the attack. Melzer finds this policy shift incongruous, due to the fact that targeted killing had never before been acceptable as police strategy. Prior to the attack, targeted killing was a criminal offense.

Reception
Targeted Killing in International Law was a joint-winner of the 2009 Paul Guggenheim Prize in International Law given by the Geneva Graduate Institute. In the chapter "Targeted Killing in U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy and Law" authored by Kenneth Anderson as a contributor to the book Legislating the War on Terror: An Agenda for Reform, he characterizes Melzer's book as an admirable opus on the subject. Anderson describes the book in more depth in a footnote, calling it a complete and thorough academic reference book. He goes on to criticize the perspective of the book for describing and then rejecting objections by the United States to arguments addressed in the work. Anderson writes that the book is both one scholars must have to educate themselves on the subject, while simultaneously lamenting its advocacy for U.S. legal positions. Anderson observes the author covers all facets of targeted killing in the book.

In a review of the book for the journal International Criminal Justice Review, Robert M. Worley of Penn State Altoona comments favorably on the comprehensive nature of Melzer's research and his descriptions of the differences of the practice of targeted killing in varying countries. Worley comments on the relevance of the book to scholars in various fields, including history, law, law enforcement, and terrorism analysis. Worley concludes his review by recommending the book for those with a fascination in researching criminal justice or the law. William Abresch comments favorably on Targeted Killing in International Law, in a review for the European Journal of International Law. He writes that the book is an important addition to the field of scholarship regarding how international law governs the practice of targeted killing. Abresch calls the author's writing style logical, and praises the book's organizational structure including its separate sections on use of targeted in war contrasted with use by police.

A review of the book in the Leiden Journal of International Law by Tamás Hoffmann recommends the work to multiple potential readers, including those who engage in targeting killing, academics, and students. Hoffmann calls it a well-researched monograph and helpful reference work on the subject. The review places the book within the context of addressing legal issues inherent in debating the murky concept of targeted killing. Hoffmann states the book furthers prior attempts to come to a resolution on the question of the practice's legality. Helen Durhan praises the writing quality of Melzer's work, in a review for the Australian Year Book of International Law. Durhan writes the work is organized in an easily readable format and covers the topic with neutrality. She goes on to call the book a work representing the need for concerned discussion prior to implementing any policy involved in eliminating people. Of the author's focus throughout the work, Durhan observes that the author handles discussion of the legality of targeted killing in a clear and precise manner. The review concludes Melzer's thorough analysis goes a long way towards furthering scholars' impressions of legal issues surrounding when it is permitted for sovereign governments to kill people.

Writing in a review for the American Journal of International Law, Michael N. Schmitt observes that the arguments put forth in the book by Melzer are indeed accurate. Schmitt writes that Melzer correctly argues that in the police model sequential events within the legal system lead to precedent for engaging in targeted killing. Schmitt describes the book as an excellent overview of many aspects of law regarding targeted killing. Schmitt concludes, "Targeted Killing in International Law is not just a major contribution to the legal literature, it has justifiably emerged as the premier work on the subject."


Alexander II Zabinas

Alexander II Theos Epiphanes Nikephoros (, surnamed Zabinas;  150 BC – 123 BC) was a Hellenistic Seleucid monarch who reigned as the King of Syria between 128 BC and 123 BC. His true parentage is debated; most ancient historians and the modern academic consensus maintain he was a pretender who claimed to be a Seleucid, either a son of Alexander I or an adopted son of Antiochus VII. His surname "Zabinas" is a Semitic name that is usually translated as "the bought one". It is possible, however, that Alexander II was a natural son of Alexander I, as the surname can also mean "bought from the god". The iconography of Alexander II's coinage indicates he based his claims to the throne on his descent from Antiochus IV, the father of Alexander I.

Alexander II's rise is connected to the dynastic feuds of the Seleucid Empire. Both King Seleucus IV (d. 175 BC) and his brother Antiochus IV (d. 164 BC) had descendants contending for the throne, leading the country to experience many civil wars. The situation was complicated by Ptolemaic Egyptian interference, which was facilitated by the dynastic marriages between the two royal houses. In 128 BC, King Demetrius II of Syria, the representative of Seleucus IV's line, invaded Egypt to help his mother-in-law Cleopatra II who was engaged in a civil war against her brother and husband King Ptolemy VIII. Angered by the Syrian invasion, the Egyptian king instigated revolts in the cities of Syria against Demetrius II and chose Alexander II, a supposed representative of Antiochus IV's line, as an anti-king. With Egyptian troops, Alexander II captured the Syrian capital Antioch in 128 BC and warred against Demetrius II, defeating him decisively in 125 BC. The beaten king escaped to his wife Cleopatra Thea in the city of Ptolemais, but she expelled him. He was killed while trying to find refuge in the city of Tyre.

With the death of Demetrius II, Alexander II became the master of the kingdom, controlling the realm except for a small pocket around Ptolemais where Cleopatra Thea ruled. Alexander II was a beloved king, known for his kindness and forgiving nature. He maintained friendly relations with John I Hyrcanus of Judea, who acknowledged the Syrian king as his suzerain. Alexander II's successes were not welcomed by Egypt's Ptolemy VIII, who did not want a strong king on the Syrian throne. Thus, in 124 BC an alliance was established between Egypt and Cleopatra Thea, now ruling jointly with Antiochus VIII, her son by Demetrius II. Alexander II was defeated, and he escaped to Antioch, where he pillaged the temple of Zeus to pay his soldiers; the population turned against him, and he fled and was eventually captured. Alexander II was probably executed by Antiochus VIII in 123 BC, ending the line of Antiochus IV.

Background

The death of the Seleucid king Seleucus IV in 175 BC created a dynastic crisis because of the illegal succession of his brother Antiochus IV. Seleucus IV's legitimate heir, Demetrius I, was a hostage in Rome, and his younger son Antiochus was declared king. Shortly after the succession of young Antiochus, however, Antiochus IV assumed the throne as a co-ruler. He may have had his nephew killed in 170/169 BC (145 SE (Seleucid year)). After Antiochus IV's death in 164 BC, his son Antiochus V succeeded him. Three years later Demetrius I managed to escape Rome and take the throne, killing Antiochus V in 161 BC. The Seleucid dynasty was torn apart by the civil war between the lines of Seleucus IV and Antiochus IV.

In 150 BC Alexander I, an illegitimate son of Antiochus IV, managed to dethrone and kill Demetrius I. He married Cleopatra Thea, the daughter of Ptolemy VI of Ptolemaic Egypt, who became his ally and supporter. The Egyptian king changed his policy and supported Demetrius I's son Demetrius II, marrying him to Cleopatra Thea after divorcing her from Alexander I, who was defeated by his former father in law and eventually killed in 145 BC. The Egyptian king was wounded during the battle and died shortly after Alexander I. His sister-wife and co-ruler, the mother of Cleopatra Thea, Cleopatra II, then married her other brother, Ptolemy VIII who became her new co-ruler.

Diodotus Tryphon, Alexander I's official, declared the latter's son Antiochus VI king in 144 BC. Tryphon then had him killed and assumed the throne himself in 142 BC. The usurper controlled lands in the western parts of the Seleucid empire, including Antioch, but Demetrius II retained large parts of the realm, including Babylonia, which was invaded by the Parthian Empire in 141 BC. This led Demetrius II to launch a campaign against Parthia which ended in his defeat and capture in 138 BC. His younger brother Antiochus VII took the throne and married Demetrius II's wife. He was able to defeat Tryphon and the Parthians, restoring the lost Seleucid provinces.

In Egypt, without divorcing Cleopatra II, Ptolemy VIII married her daughter by Ptolemy VI, Cleopatra III, and declared her co-ruler. Cleopatra II revolted and took control over the countryside. By September 131 BC, Ptolemy VIII lost recognition in the capital Alexandria and fled to Cyprus. The Parthians freed Demetrius II to put pressure on Antiochus VII, who was killed in 129 BC during a battle in Media. This opened the way for Demetrius II to regain his throne and wife Cleopatra Thea the same year. Ptolemy VIII returned to Egypt two years after his expulsion; he warred against his sister Cleopatra II, eventually besieging her in Alexandria; she then asked her son-in-law Demetrius II for help, offering him the throne of Egypt. The Syrian king marched against Egypt and by spring 128 BC, he reached Pelusium.

In response to Demetrius II's campaign, Ptolemy VIII incited a rebellion in Syria. The Syrian capital Antioch proclaimed a young son of Antiochus VII named Antiochus Epiphanes king, but the city was willing to change hands in such unstable political circumstances. Ptolemy VIII sent Alexander II as an anti-king for Syria, forcing Demetrius II to withdraw from Egypt. According to the third century historian Porphyry, in his history preserved in the work of his contemporary Eusebius, and also to the third century historian Justin, in his epitome of the Philippic Histories, a work written by the first century BC historian Trogus, Alexander II was a protégé of Ptolemy VIII. The first century historian Josephus wrote the Syrians themselves asked Ptolemy VIII to send them a Seleucid prince as their king, and he chose Alexander II. According to the Prologues of the Philippic Histories, the Egyptian king bribed Alexander II to oppose Demetrius II.

Parentage and name

Alexander II was probably born in c. 150 BC. His name is Greek, meaning "protector of men". According to Justin, Alexander II was the son of an Egyptian trader named Protarchus. Justin also added that "Alexander" was a regnal name bestowed upon the king by the Syrians. Justin further stated that Alexander II produced a fabricated story claiming he was an adopted son of Antiochus VII. Porphyry presented a different account in which Alexander II was claimed to be the son of Alexander I.

Modern historic research prefers the detailed account of Justin regarding Alexander II's claims of paternity and his connection to Antiochus VII. However, a 125 BC series of gold staters minted by Alexander II had his epithets, the same ones used by King Antiochus IV, father of Alexander I, and arranged in the same order they had on Antiochus IV's coins. Zeus carrying a Nike is depicted on the reverse of the stater; the Nike is carrying a wreath which crowns the epithet Epiphanes, an element featured in Antiochus IV's coinage. Many themes of Antiochus IV's line appeared on Alexander II's coinage, such as the god Dionysus which was used by Alexander I in 150 BC, in addition to the lion scalp, another theme in Alexander I's coinage. Furthermore, Alexander II was depicted wearing the radiate crown; six rays protrude from the head and are not attached to the diadem, which is a theme that characterised all portraits of Antiochus VI when depicted wearing the radiate crown. Based on those arguments, the account of Porphyry regarding Alexander II's claim of descent from Alexander I should be preferred to the account of Justin.

Surname and legitimacy
Popular surnames of Seleucid kings are never found on coins, but are handed down only through ancient literature. The surname of Alexander II has different spellings; it is "Zabinaeus" in the prologue of the Latin language Philippic Histories, book XXXIX. "Zebinas" was used by Josephus. The Greek rendition, Zabinas, was used by many historians such as Diodorus Siculus and Porphyry. Zabinas is a Semitic proper name, derived from the Aramaic verb זבן (pronounced Zabn), which means "buy" or "gain". The meaning of Zabinas as a surname of Alexander II is "a slave sold in the market" according to philologist Pierre Jouguet. This is based on a statement by Porphyry. He wrote that Alexander II was named Zabinas by the Syrians because he was a "bought slave". In the view of archaeologist Jean-Antoine Letronne, who agreed that Alexander II was an imposter, a coin meant for the public could not have had "Zabinas" inscribed on it as it is derisory. On the other hand, historian Philip Khuri Hitti noted that "Zebina", another rendering of Zabinas, occurs in Ezra (10:43), indicating it originally meant "bought from god". The numismatist Nicholas L. Wright also considered that Zabinas meant "purchased from the god".

Though academic consensus considers Alexander II an imposter of non-Seleucid birth, Josephus accepted the king as a Seleucid dynast but did not specify his connection to earlier kings. Historian  ascribed Josephus's acceptance to Alexander II's successful propaganda. Wright, however, contends that Alexander II should be considered a legitimate Seleucid and a descendant of Antiochus IV using the following arguments:

Porphyry's account of the adoption by Antiochus VII might be based on facts. Justin called Antiochus VI a step-son of Demetrius II. In Wright's view, this association between Antiochus VI and his father's enemy might be an indication that Demetrius II adopted Antiochus VI in an attempt to close the rift in the royal family. Likewise, it is possible Alexander II was indeed a son of Alexander I adopted by Antiochus VII. The second century historian Arrian spoke of an Alexander, the son of Alexander I, who was elevated to kingship by Tryphon in 145 BC; this passage is puzzling as it is numismatically proven that it was Antiochus VI whom Tryphon raised to the throne. According to Wright, the language of Arrian indicates he probably had access to sources mentioning Alexander II as a son of Alexander I.
Justin's account regarding Protarchos, the alleged Egyptian father of Alexander II, is illogical. Wright suggested Alexander II was an illegitimate son of Alexander I; it is probable Alexander II might have been a younger son of Alexander I destined to become a priest, hence he was called Zabinas—purchased from the god. It is dubious Alexander II was a low-born Egyptian man, whose claims to the throne were based on publicly known falsifications, yet he was accepted by the Syrians as their king. The story about Alexander II's Egyptian origin was probably invented by the court of Demetrius II, maintained by the court of his son Antiochus VIII, and kept alive by ancient historians due to its scandalous nature.

King of Syria

Ascending the throne
The young Antiochus Epiphanes probably died of an illness. Alexander II, whose earliest coins from the capital are dated to 184 SE (129/128 BC), probably landed in northern Syria with Ptolemaic support and declared himself king, taking Antioch in the process; the fall of the capital probably took place in spring 128 BC. According to Justin's epitome, the Syrians were ready to accept any king other than Demetrius II. Probably soon after capturing Antioch, Alexander II incorporated Laodicea ad mare and Tarsus into his domains. Other cities, such as Apamea, had already freed themselves from Demetrius II during his Egyptian campaign and did not come immediately under Alexander II's authority.

Epithets and Royal image
Hellenistic kings did not use regnal numbers, which is a modern practise; instead, they used epithets to distinguish themselves from similarly named monarchs. The majority of Alexander II's coins did not feature an epithet, but the 125 BC series of gold staters bore the epithets Theos Epiphanes (god manifest) and Nikephoros (bearer of victory). Three bronze issues, one of them minted in Seleucia Pieria, are missing the epithet Theos but retain Epiphanes and Nikephoros. Those epithets, an echo of those of Antiochus IV's, served to emphasise the legitimacy of Alexander II as a Seleucid king.

Alexander the Great (d. 323 BC), founder of the Macedonian Empire, was an important figure in the Hellenistic world; his successors used his legacy to establish their legitimacy. Alexander the Great never had his image minted on his own coins, but his successors, such as the Ptolemaics, sought to associate themselves with him; cities were named after him, and his image appeared on coins. In contrast, the memory of Alexander the Great was not important for Seleucid royal ideology. However, Alexander I and Alexander II, both having Egyptian support, were the only Seleucid kings who paid particular attention to Alexander the Great by depicting themselves wearing the lion scalp, a motif closely connected to the Macedonian king. By associating himself with Alexander the Great, Alexander II was continuing the practice of Alexander I, who used the theme of Alexander the Great to strengthen his legitimacy.

The native Syro-Phoenician religious complex was based on triads that included a supreme god, a supreme goddess, and their son; the deities taking those roles were diverse. It is possible that by 145 BC Dionysus took the role of the son. The Levant was a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural region, but the religious complex was a unifying force. The Seleucid monarchs understood the possibility of using this complex to expand their support base amongst the locals by integrating themselves into the triads. Usage of the radiate crown, a sign of divinity, by the Seleucid kings, probably carried a message: that the king was the consort of Atargatis, Syria's supreme goddess. The radiate crown was utilised for the first time at an unknown date by Antiochus IV, who chose Hierapolis-Bambyce, the most important sanctuary of Atargatis, to ritually marry Diana, considered a manifestation of the Syrian goddess in the Levant. Alexander I's nickname, Balas, was probably used by the king himself. It is the Greek rendering of Ba'al, the Levant's supreme god. By using such an epithet, Alexander I was declaring himself the embodiment of Ba'al. Alexander I also used the radiate crown to indicate his ritual marriage to the supreme goddess. Alexander II made heavy use of the motifs of Dionysus in his coins. It is possible that, by utilising Dionysus, the son of the supreme god, Alexander II presented himself as the spiritual successor of his god-father, in addition to being his political heir.

Policy
One of Alexander II's first acts was the burial of Antiochus VII's remains which were returned by the Parthians. Burying the fallen king earned Alexander II the acclaim of Antioch's citizens; it was probably a calculated move aiming at gaining the support of Antiochus VII's loyal men. The seventh century chronicler John of Antioch wrote that following Antiochus VII's death, his son Seleucus ascended the throne and was quickly deposed by Demetrius II and fled to Parthia. Historian Auguste Bouché-Leclercq criticised this account, which is problematic and could be a version of Demetrius II's Parthian captivity corrupted by John of Antioch. However, it is possible that a son of Antiochus VII named Seleucus was captured by the Parthians along with his father and was later sent with Antiochus VII's remains to take the throne of Syria as a Parthian protégé. If this scenario happened, then Seleucus was faced by Alexander II and had to return to Parthia.

Since he ascended the throne with Egyptian help, Alexander II was under Ptolemaic influence, which was manifested in the appearance of the Egyptian style double filleted cornucopiae on the Syrian coinage. In Egypt, the double cornucopiae on coins might have been a reference to the union between the king and his consort. If the appearance of cornucopiae on Alexander II's coinage was connected to Ptolemaic practices, then it can be understood that Alexander II might have married a Ptolemaic princess, though such a marriage is not recorded by ancient literature.

According to Diodorus Siculus, Alexander II was "kindly and of a forgiving nature, and moreover was gentle in speech and in manners, wherefore he was deeply beloved by the common people". Diodorus Siculus wrote that three of Alexander II's officers, Antipater, Klonios, and Aeropos, rebelled and entrenched themselves in Laodicea. Alexander II defeated the rebels and recaptured the city; he pardoned the culprits. Bouché-Leclercq suggested that this rebellion took place in 128 BC and that the officers either defected to Demetrius II's side, were working for the son of Antiochus VII, or were instigated in their rebellion by Cleopatra Thea.

War against Demetrius II

Between August 127 BC and August 126 BC, Ptolemy VIII regained Alexandria; Cleopatra II fled to Demetrius II with the treasury of Egypt. Despite Alexander II's success in taking the capital, Demetrius II retained Cilicia, and Seleucia Pieria remained loyal to him, so did many cities in Coele-Syria; this led Alexander II to launch a campaign in the region. The armies of the two kings passed through Judea causing a plight for the inhabitants. This led the Jews to send an embassy to Rome demanding "the prohibition of the marching of royal soldiers through the Jewish territory 'and that of their subjects"; the embassy was between c. 127-125 BC. By October 126 BC, Ashkelon fell into Alexander II's hands. Numismatic evidence indicates that Samaria came under Alexander II's control. In the beginning of 125 BC, Demetrius II was defeated near Damascus and fled to Ptolemais. Cleopatra Thea refused to allow her husband to stay in the city, so he headed to Tyre on board a ship. Demetrius II asked for temple asylum in Tyre, but was killed by the city's commander (praefectus) in the spring or summer of 125 BC.

Alexander II minted bronze coins depicting him with an elephant scalp headdress on the obverse, and an aphlaston appears on the reverse; this can mean that Alexander II claimed a naval victory. The sea battle between Alexander II and Demetrius II, which is not documented in ancient literature, may have occurred only during the voyage of Demetrius II from Ptolemais to Tyre. The elephant scalp headdress was a theme in Alexander the Great's posthumous coinage minted by his successors. According to Ehling, by appearing with the elephant scalp, Alexander II alluded to Alexander the Great's conquest of Tyre which took place in 332 BC after seven months of siege. The 125 BC gold staters containing Alexander II's epithets were probably struck to celebrate his victory over Demetrius II.

Relations with Judea
Under Antiochus VII, the Judean high-priest and ruler John Hyrcanus I acquired the status of a vassal prince, paying tribute and minting his coinage in the name of the Syrian monarch. Following Antiochus VII's death, John Hyrcanus I ceased paying the tribute and minted coinage bearing his own name, but ties were kept with the Seleucid kingdom through monograms, representing Seleucid kings, that appeared on the early coins. The dating of this event is conjectural, with the earliest date possible 129 BC but more likely 128 BC. Demetrius II apparently planned an invasion of Judea, which was halted due to the king's failed invasion of Egypt and the uprising that erupted in Syria. According to Josephus, John Hyrcanus I "flourished greatly" under Alexander II's rule; apparently, the Judean leader sought an alliance with Alexander II to defend himself against Demetrius II.

The 127 BC embassy sent by Judea to Rome asked the senate to force the Syrian abandonment of: Jaffa, the Mediterranean harbours which included Iamnia and Gaza, the cities of Gazara and Pegae (near Kfar Saba), in addition to other territories taken by King Antiochus VII. A Roman senatus consultum (senatorial decree), preserved in Josephus's work Antiquities of the Jews (book XIV, 250), granted the Jews their request regarding the cities, but did not mention the city of Gazara. The senatorial decree mentions the reigning Syrian king as Antiochus son of Antiochus, which can mean only Antiochus IX, who assumed the throne in 199 SE (114/113 BC). The decree might indicate the Syrians had already abandoned Gazara in c. 187 SE (126/125 BC). This supports the notion that an agreement between Alexander II and John Hyrcanus I was signed early in the Syrian king's reign. Such a treaty would have established the alliance between Alexander II and Judea, and stipulated a territorial agreement where John Hyrcanus I received the lands south of Gazara including that city, while Alexander II maintained control over the region north of Gazara including Samaria.

John Hyrcanus I recognised Alexander II as his sovereign. The earliest series of coins minted by the high priest showed the Greek letter Α (alpha) positioned prominently above John Hyrcanus I's name. The alpha must have been the first letter of a Seleucid king's name, and many scholars, such as Dan Barag, suggested that it represents Alexander II. Another clue indicating the relationship between Alexander II and John Hyrcanus I is the latter's use of the double cornucopiae motif on his coins; a pomegranate motif appeared in the centre of the cornucopiae to highlight the authority of the Jewish leader. This imagery was apparently a cautious policy by John Hyrcanus I. In case Alexander II was defeated, the Judean coins motifs were neutral enough to appease an eventual successor, while if Alexander II emerged victorious and decided to interfere in Judea, the cornucopiae coins could be used to show the king that John Hyrcanus I already accepted Alexander II's suzerainty. The high priest eventually won the independence of Judea later in Alexander II's reign; once John Hyrcanus I severed his ties with the Seleucids, the alpha was removed.

Height of power and the break with Egypt

Following Demetrius II's death, Alexander II, commanding a force of forty thousand soldiers, brought Seleucia Pieria under his control. Cilicia was also conquered in 125 BC along with other regions. The coinage of Alexander II was minted in: Antioch, Seleucia Pieria, Apamea, Damascus, Beirut, Ashkelon and Tarsus, in addition to unknown minting centers in northern Syria, southern Coele-Syria and Cilicia (coded by numismatists: uncertain mint 111, 112, 113, 114). In Ptolemais, Cleopatra Thea refused to recognise Alexander II as king; already in 187 SE (126/125 BC), the year of her husband's defeat, she struck tetradrachms in her own name as the sole monarch of Syria. Her son with Demetrius II, Seleucus V, declared himself king, but she had him assassinated. The people of Syria did not accept a woman as the sole monarch. This led Cleopatra Thea to choose her younger son by Demetrius II, Antiochus VIII, as a co-ruler in 186 SE (125/124 BC).

According to Justin, Ptolemy VIII abandoned Alexander II after the death of Demetrius II and reconciled with Cleopatra II who went back to Egypt as a co-ruler. Justin stated that Ptolemy VIII's reason for abandoning Alexander II was the latter's increased arrogance swelled by his successes that led him to treat his benefactor with insolence. The change of Ptolemaic policy probably had less to do with Ptolemy VIII's pride than with Alexander II's victories; a strong neighbour in Syria was not a desired situation for Egypt. It is also probable that Cleopatra Thea negotiated an alliance with her uncle. Soon after Cleopatra II's return, Ptolemy VIII's daughter by Cleopatra III, Tryphaena, was married to Antiochus VIII. An Egyptian army was sent to support the faction of Antiochus VIII against AlexanderII. The return of Cleopatra II and the marriage of Antiochus VIII both took place in 124 BC.

War with Antiochus VIII, defeat and death

Supported by the Egyptian troops, Antiochus VIII waged war against Alexander II, who lost most of his lands. He lost Ashkelon in 189 SE (124/123 BC). The final battle took place at an unknown location in the first half of 123 BC, ending with Alexander II's defeat. Different ancient historians presented varying accounts of Alexander II's end. Josephus merely stated that the king was defeated and killed, while Eusebius mentioned that Alexander II committed suicide with poison because he could not live with his defeat. Most details are found in the accounts of Diodorus Siculus and Justin:

In the account of Diodorus Siculus, Alexander II decided to avoid the battle with Antiochus VIII since he had no confidence in his subjects' aspirations for political change or their tolerance for the hardships that warfare would bring. Instead of fighting, Alexander II decided to take the royal treasuries, steal the valuables of the temples, and sail to Greece at night. While pillaging the temple of Zeus with some of his foreign subordinates, he was discovered by the populace and barely escaped with his life. Accompanied by a few men he went to Seleucia Pieria, but the news of his sacrilege arrived before him. The city closed its gates, forcing him to seek shelter in Posidium. Two days after pillaging the temple, Alexander II was caught and brought in chains to Antiochus VIII in his camp, suffering the insults and humiliation at the hands of his enemies. People who witnessed the indignation of Alexander II were shocked at the scene they thought could never happen. After accepting what had occurred in front of them was reality, they looked away with astonishment.
In the account of Justin, Alexander II fled to Antioch following his defeat at the hands of Antiochus VIII. Lacking the resources to pay his troops, the king ordered the removal of a golden Nike from the temple of Jupiter (Zeus), joking that "victory was lent to him by Jupiter". A few days later, Alexander II himself ordered the golden statue of Jupiter to be taken out under the cover of night. The city's populace revolted against the king, and he was forced to flee. He was later deserted by his men and caught by bandits; they delivered him to Antiochus VIII, who ordered him executed.

Alexander II issued two series of gold staters. One bears his epithets and dates to 125 BC according to many numismatists, such as Oliver Hoover and Arthur Houghton, and another bearing only the title of king (basileus). Earlier numismatists, such as Edward Theodore Newell and Ernest Babelon, who only knew about the 125 BC stater, suggested that it was minted with the gold pillaged from the temple. However, the iconography of that stater does not match that used for Alexander II's late coinage, as the diadem ties fall in a straight fashion on the neck. On the other hand, the arrangement of the diadem ties on the stater that lacks the royal epithets is more consistent with Alexander II's late tetradrachm, making it more reasonable to associate that stater with the Nike theft.

Though his last coins were issued in 190 SE (123/122 BC), ancient historians do not provide the explicit date of Alexander II's death. He probably died by October 123 BC since the first Antiochene coins of Antiochus VIII were issued in 190 SE (123/122 BC). Damascus kept striking coinage in the name of Alexander II until 191 SE (122/121 BC), when the forces of Antiochus VIII took it. According to Diodorus Siculus, many who witnessed the king's end "remarked in various ways on the fickleness of fate, the reversals in human fortunes, the sudden turns of tide, and how changeable life could be, far beyond what anyone would expect". No wife or children of Alexander II, if he had any, are known; with his death, the line of Antiochus IV became extinct.


Marlon LeBlanc

Marlon LeBlanc (born in East Windsor Township, New Jersey) is an American soccer coach.

He was formerly the head men's soccer coach at West Virginia University, a position he has held since August 10, 2006. He was named the 2006 Soccer America Coach of the Year, leading the team to a 15-3-3 record. LeBlanc has led the Mountaineers to six NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2007, 1 BIG EAST Championship and 2 MAC Championships. He previously served as an assistant coach at Penn State University from 2001 to 2005, leading the program as interim head coach for seven games in 2002. As an assistant, Penn State went to four out of five NCAA tournaments.

Head coaching record


Little Britain, Ontario

Little Britain is a community in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada. It is located 15 km southwest of Lindsay. Formerly a part of Mariposa Township and Victoria County, Little Britain is now part of Ward 8, City of Kawartha Lakes.

History
Little Britain was established in 1834 by a man named Harrison Haight. He built the first mill in Little Britain in 1837. This mill, which stood until 1910, took nearly the whole countryside to build. At the time, there was no road that led from Little Britain to Oakwood, located 5 km to the north. In 1850 Christians came and built the first church. They were followed by the Bible Church in 1852. The Post Office came in 1853.

Names suggested for the town were Margaretville, after Margaret Metherell, and Elm Grove, proposed by the first postmaster, Robert Fergusson Whiteside. The latter was rejected by the post office because of duplication, so Whiteside named it after his place of origin, Little Britain, Pennsylvania.

Prominent members of the time included Joseph Maunder's carriage and blacksmithing works, W.M Burden's carriage shop, Edwin Mark's foundry, Isaac Finley's steam roller flour mill, Dr George Wesley Hall MD and the Davidson's flour mill. The railway was brought into Lindsay around the turn of the century. This however, did little to advance Little Britain's economic output. In fact the population of Mariposa Township declined sharply between 1871-1920 from 3,132 to 2,231.

Today
Little Britain today is still a primarily agricultural town. It also has a fairly significant tourist presence from the influx of cottagers on nearby Lake Scugog, and from those who use Little Britain Road as a means to bypass heavy cottager summer traffic on Highway 7. For such a small town, Little Britain boasts a number of comfortable amenities including a restaurant, bakery, bank, library, grocery store, post office, park, arena and a country gift store as well as many other services.  There is a gas bar, two auto repair shops, a drugstore and a medical office.


Forest Hill railway station

Forest Hill railway station serves Forest Hill in the London Borough of Lewisham, south London. The station adjoins a road which serves as part of the A205 South Circular Road.

The station is managed by London Overground, with Overground and Southern trains serving the station. Thameslink services also pass through the station. It is  down the line from , between  and , in Travelcard Zone 3. There are four tracks through the station, although only the slow lines (the two outer tracks) have platforms.

There are two entrances, the main one being on platform 1 at the bottom of the South Circular Road, and a side entrance on platform 2 on Perry Vale. The ticket office is placed in the main entrance, although there are ticket machines outside both entrances.

History
The station was opened by the original London & Croydon Railway (L&CR) on 5 June 1839, as Dartmouth Arms (the name of the local inn).

The line was also used by the London and Brighton Railway from 1841 and the South Eastern Railway (SER) from 1842. In 1844, the station was chosen by the L&CR as the northern terminus for Phase 1 of an experimental atmospheric railway to West Croydon. A pumping station was also constructed at the station. The L&CR and the L&BR merged to form the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in July 1846; the following year "atmospheric" working was abandoned. In 1845 the station became Forest Hill for Lordship Lane.

The LB&SCR moved the Down platform during the early 1850s when the line was quadrupled, and extended the island platform around 1864.

The LB&SCR station buildings were destroyed by bombing during World War II and have been replaced by a more modern system-built structure. The short narrow island platform serving the fast lines was demolished in the early 1960s.

Services
Forest Hill is served by 12 trains in each direction off peak, with additional Southern services at peak hours. Southern operates 4 to 8 car trains throughout the day, with 10 carriage trains at peak hours.

Off-peak frequencies are:

Proposals

In a rail meeting in Sydenham, Southern said Thameslink trains may stop here after the Thameslink Programme is completed in 2018.

Connections
London Buses routes 122, 176, 185, 197 and 356 serve the station.


Bernard Nedell

Bernard Jay Nedell (October 14, 1898 – November 23, 1972) was an American film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1916 and 1972. He was born in New York, New York and died in Hollywood, California. He was married to actress Olive Blakeney.

In the early 1920s, Nedell acted with the T. Daniel Frawley Company.

Selected filmography

 A Knight in London (1928) - Prince Zalnoff
 The Silver King (1929) - Capt. 'Spider' Skinner
 The Return of the Rat (1929) - Henri de Verrat
 The Man from Chicago (1930) - Nick Dugan
 Call of the Sea (1930) - Ramon Tares
 Shadows (1931) - Press Rawlinson
 The Innocents of Chicago (1932) - Tony Costello
 Her Imaginary Lover (1933) - Davidson
 The Girl in Possession (1934) - De Courville
 Lazybones (1935) - Michael McCarthy
 Heat Wave (1935) - Gen. Da Costa
 The First Offence (1936) - The Boss
 The Live Wire (1937) - James Cody
 Oh Boy! (1938) - Angelo Tonelli
 Mr. Moto's Gamble (1938) - Clipper McCoy
 Exposed (1938) - Mike Romero
 Secret Service of the Air (1939) - Earl 'Ace' Hemrich
 Lucky Night (1939) - 'Dusty' Sawyer
 Some Like It Hot (1939) - Stephen Hanratty
 They All Come Out (1939) - Clyde Madigan - 'Reno'
 The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939) - Kroner
 Those High Grey Walls (1939) - Redlands
 Fast and Furious (1939) - Ed Connors
 Slightly Honorable (1939) - Pete Godena
 Strange Cargo (1940) - Marfeu
 Rangers of Fortune (1940) - Tod Shelby
 So You Won't Talk (1940) - Bugs Linaker
 Ziegfeld Girl (1941) - Nick Capalini
 Ship Ahoy (1942) - Pietro Polesi
 The Desperadoes (1943) - Jack Lester
 Northern Pursuit (1943) - Tom Dagor
 Maisie Goes to Reno (1944) - J.E. Clave
 One Body Too Many (1944) - Morton Gellman - Attorney
 Allotment Wives (1945) - Spike Malone
 Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946) - Waldo
 The Lone Wolf in Mexico (1947) - Leon Dumont
 Monsieur Verdoux (1947) - Prefect of Police
 Albuquerque (1948) - Sheriff Ed Linton
 The Loves of Carmen (1948) - Pablo
 Hickey & Boggs (1972) - Used Car Salesman


Meriam George

Meriam George (, , ; Born: May 30, 1987 in Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian beauty pageant titleholder. At the age of eighteen, she was the official Pantene Miss Egypt 2005 winner. She represented Egypt in Miss Universe 2005, Miss Intercontinental 2005 and Miss Earth 2006. In Miss Earth, she was among the eight finalists, in Miss Intercontinental, she was a semifinalist, and in Miss Universe, she did not place. In October 2013, she traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to represent her country as "Miss Egypt" at the Miss Supertalent of the World 2013, where she placed as 1st runner-up, She is a Coptic Christian.Egypt's best showing in the grand slam pageants since Antigone Costanda was Miss World in 1954.


Robert Thornton (jockey)

Robert "Choc" Thornton (born 14 July 1978 in Darlington) is a retired English National Hunt jockey.

Robert "Chocolate" Thornton (known as Choc) was one of the United Kingdom's leading National Hunt jockeys. After growing up riding hunters with his father (a noted professional Huntsman) he started working for trainer David Nicholson in 1997 as an amateur and after immediate success became a Conditional jockey riding 71 winners during his first season in the sport. He won the Conditional Jockey's title the following year.

After making his professional debut, Thornton’s performance was consistent, if unspectacular, and he consistently featured in the top 10 of the British Jumps Jockey Championship. Thornton’s most successful season was the 2007/2008-season, during which he broke the 100-winner barrier for the first time, by winning 105 of his 597 races.
Robert Thornton shies away from the spotlight and he did not talk to the television cameras until he spoke to his owners and trainer.

Robert Thornton’s greatest achievements are all linked to the Cheltenham Festival, at which he showed a knack for riding winners in major hurdles races.  Thornton won his first Cheltenham Festival feature race in 2006, when he rode My Way de Solzen to victory in the World Hurdle.

Thornton has since won the Champion Hurdle and Triumph Hurdle. He also achieved good results in some of the Cheltenham Festival’s most prestigious chases, winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Voy Por Ustedes in 2007, and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in the same year. Thornton won the Top Jockey title at the Cheltenham Festival in 2007, by riding 4 winners during the meeting. In 2008 he rode three winners including a notable 1st day double. Thornton rode his 1,000th career winner on Araldur at Towcester on 28 March 2011.

He is unrelated to the jockey Andrew Thornton.

His worst moment in racing was when Strong Promise died in the 2000 Martel Cup at Liverpool.

Cheltenham Festival Winners


Sebastian Owuya

Sebastian Owuya (born 8 October 1991) is a Swedish ice hockey player, currently playing with Kongsvinger Knights of the Norwegian GET-ligaen. Owuya played one season in the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers. Owuya was drafted 169th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Sebastian's brother Mark is a goaltender in the Toronto Maple Leafs organisation. The brothers were born to a Ugandan father and a Russian mother.

Career statistics


Nectar Lifesciences

Nectar Lifesciences Limited is a pharmaceutical company in India that manufactures generic drug products. The company has global leadership in several oral and sterile cephalosporin drugs, and has cGMP facilities along with those approved by the European Union and Japan.

History
The company was founded by Mr Sanjiv Goyal and was incorporated in June 1995. The company went public in July 2005 with simultaneous listings on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. In 2010 New Silk Route Private Equity invested INR 2.5 billion in the company.

Management

Board of Directors:

Chairman & Managing Director: Sanjiv Goyal
CEO &  Director: Dinesh Dua

Market Cap
The current market capitalization is about INR 337.51 cr.

Products
Nectar Lifesciences manufactures oral and sterile active pharmaceutical ingredients, finished dosages and phytochemicals. The company is also in the business of providing pharmaceutical organizations with contract research and manufacturing services. It also manufactures empty hard gelatin capsules.


DSEI

Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) is an arms fair held every two years in London Docklands, which is attended by both arms company representatives and military delegations from around the world. Each time it takes place, it draws protests from campaigners, politicians and civil society – particularly as many of the regimes invited to buy arms are also accused of human-rights abuses and breaching international humanitarian law.

DSEI's history

Between 1976 and 1991, the British Army Equipment Exhibition and the Royal Navy Equipment Exhibition were held on alternate years in Aldershot and Portsmouth respectively. Overseas delegations attended by invitation only. Despite having been at war with Iran for almost six years, a five-strong delegation from Iraq attended in 1986.

In 1993 the two exhibitions were combined and held every other year until the British government decided to privatise the exhibition. Exhibitions company Spearhead launched the first DSEI, then known as Defence and Systems Equipment International, in 1999 at Chertsey in Surrey. In 2001 it moved to its current location at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London Docklands. DSEI's name was changed in 2009, replacing the word Systems with Security.

Current ownership
In April 2008, DSEI was acquired by Clarion Events. At the same time Clarion also acquired ITEC - a conference and exhibition dedicated to military simulation, training and education - and Latin American Aerospace and Defence. Clarion's organising of DSEI has made it a target of protests. In July 2017, anti-war campaigners wrote 'war starts here' outside the company's office.

It was suggested by CAAT (Campaign Against Arms Trade) that former owners Reed Exhibitions' decision to sell followed substantial criticism both from healthcare professionals and academics, as well as criticism from campaigners, over the alleged immoral nature of the arms fair.

Political controversy

DSEI works closely with the Department of International Trade's arms-export promotion arm (DIT DSO) to invite foreign military delegations. Some of these delegations are accused of being undemocratic and abusing human-rights. In 2015, 61 countries were invited to DSEI. Of these, 14 were characterised by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index of having authoritarian regimes. Four (Colombia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) were also on the UK government's list of countries with wide-ranging human rights concerns. Six countries were characterised by the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research as being "at war" at the time.

Criticism of the DSEI arms fair has been led by Campaign Against Arms Trade but other NGOs such as Amnesty International have also criticised the fair - focusing on the presence of human-rights abusing regimes and on the sale of illegal torture equipment. In 2015, Amnesty International criticised the organiser's decision to bar human-rights researcher Oliver Sprague from the arms fair. Amnesty said it suspected "organisers wished to prevent human rights experts from detecting the presence of any illegal activity at the event, which has a chequered history".

Politicians' views on DSEI
Although the government has supported the event since its inception, opposition politicians have criticised it. In 2017, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for it to be banned. He said: “The Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair is not an event that I support. ExCeL is a commercial space for hire. I am opposed to London being used as a market place for the trade of weapons to those countries that contribute to human rights abuses.”. On the other hand, when Boris Johnson was Mayor of London, he said the arms fair should take place.

Public's views on DSEI
Polling of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by Opinium in 2015, showed that 43% believed that the government should not be involved in organising arms fairs like DSEI, with 19% believing that they should. When asked if the government should be involved in organising arms fairs which human rights abusers are invited to, 64% said 'no' and 9% said 'yes'.

Illegal torture equipment
At several DSEI arms fairs, organisers have faced criticism after torture equipment was found for sale at the fair. In 2015, two arms companies exhibiting at the fair (Tianjin Myway and Magforce International) advertised leg irons and electric batons. In 2007, another Chinese company called Famous Glory was found to be advertising banned leg irons in its brochure. In 2011, Amnesty International claimed that illegal torture equipment was again on display.

Protests
The event has attracted much attention from activist groups. In 2001, 2003, and 2005 were all targets of sizeable protests. Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone has been critical of the event and even the Metropolitan Police have spoken out about the cost of policing the event. In 2013 the London Mayor Boris Johnson supported the exhibition, which caused controversy with activists.

2013

Protestors targeted DSEI exhibitor Lockheed Martin by blocking the entrances to their Regent Street office. A networking dinner for DSEI attendees was also targeted by protesters who sat outside of the Troxy venue holding a banner which said: "Arms dealers here today - this is not OK!".

2015

During protests against the DSEI arms fair in 2015, eight people were arrested for blocking a road which led to the Excel Centre in order to stop tanks and armoured vehicles getting to the fair. The Crown Prosecution Service charged them with blocking a highway but the judge ruled that, by attempting to disrupt the arms fair, the protesters had been trying to prevent greater crimes such as genocide and torture. Defence witnesses in the case argued that the arms fair facilitated the repressive government of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaign in Yemen and Turkey’s internal repression of its Kurdish population. District judge Angus Hamilton said: "“[There is] clear, credible and largely unchallenged evidence from the expert witnesses of wrongdoing at DSEI and compelling evidence that it took place in 2015. It was not appropriately investigated by the authorities. This could be inferred from the responses of the police officers, that they did not take the defendants’ allegations seriously.”

2019
Campaigners disrupted the event by blockading entrances to the centre. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams condemned the 2019 fair, saying "The way much of the arms trade currently works continues to be a blot on the global moral landscape."


Carneades reticulata

Carneades reticulata is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Bates in 1881. it is known from Colombia.


Collinson

Collinson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

 Arthur Collinson, Australian rugby league footballer
 Cliff Collinson (1920–1990), English footballer
 Fred Collinson (1874–1915), English footballer and soldier
 Geoff Collinson, Australian horn player and Head of Brass at the University of Melbourne
 Harry Collinson Owen (1882–1956), British journalist and author
 James Collinson (1825–1881), Victorian painter who was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
 John Collinson (cricketer) (1911–1979), English cricketer
 John Collinson (historian) (c.1757–1793), English cleric and historian of Somerset
 Laurence Collinson (1925–1986), British and Australian playwright, actor, poet, journalist, and secondary school teacher
 Les Collinson (born 1935), English professional footballer
 Madeleine Collinson (1952–2014), model and actress; twin of Mary Collinson
 Mary Collinson (born 1952), model and actress; twin of Madeleine Collinson
 Patrick Collinson (1929–2011), English historian
 Peter Collinson (botanist) (1694–1768), Fellow of the Royal Society, an avid gardener
 Peter Collinson (film director) (1936–1980), British film director
 Phil Collinson (born 1970), British television producer
 Richard Collinson (1811–1883), English naval officer and explorer of the Arctic
 Robert Collinson (1875–1963), English cricketer
 Septimus Collinson (1739–1827), provost of Queen's College, Oxford.
 William Edward Collinson (1889–1969), British linguist
 William Robert Collinson (1912–1995), American federal judge


FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2017 – Women's parallel giant slalom

The women's parallel giant slalom competition of the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2017 was held at Sierra Nevada, Spain on March 15 (qualifying and finals).
38 athletes from 17 countries competed.

Results

Qualification
Each participant takes one run on either of the courses. After the first run, only the top 32 are allowed a second run on the opposite course.

Elimination Round


Egyptian Society for Science Fiction

The Egyptian Society for Science Fiction () is a science fiction community which is located in Nasr City, Egypt. It was founded by Dr. Hosam Abd Al-Hamid El-Zembely in 2012, following the January 2011 revolution in Egypt.

Founder
Hosam El-Zembely is a medical doctor (ophthalmologist) and university professor (human development). He has written three novels to date: The Half-Humans, America 2030, The Planet of the Viruses. (The Half-Humans is an adventure story set in outer space, 2030 is an espionage thriller about an impending nuclear war between the future world powers, and the Planet of the Viruses is about a pandemic threatening the human race with total blindness. All written in Arabic but are being revised for publication in English).
He has also written several short stories in the sci-fi genre. His love of science fiction began during his early years at school in the United Kingdom, when the Star Wars series came out. He was also introduced at an early age to two distinguished Egyptian authors, the great Islamic thinker Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud, and Nihad Sharif, known as the Dean of Arabic SF. He also has written and published two non-fictional books:
 The January 25th Revolution: Lessons and Examples for Human Development
 Simplifying Medical Sciences for Children
His first novel, The Half-Humans, was a key source for a lecture by Jörg Matthias Determann, a faculty member in the Liberal Arts & Sciences program at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, held at Seoul National University on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 (South Korea). The lecture was entitled "Space Aliens, Islam and Politics in Arabic Science Fiction". The lecture was part of the Seminar in West Asian Studies. (Details can be found at SNU’s Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations website). Dr. El-Zembely is mentioned by name on these two posts by Dr. Determann, a distinguished historian who specializes in the Middle East and in the history of science with three books to his name, and more forthcoming.
Most recently, in effort to popularise Egyptian and Arabic science fiction, especially the post-Arab Spring variety, Dr. El-Zembely has been interviewed by Strange Horizons magazine, published on 28 January 2019. The interview was conducted by Gautam Bhatia - please follow this link.

Publications
To date the Egyptian Society for Science Fiction has published six short story anthologies in the Shams Al-Ghad (Sun of Tomorrow) series, with a sixth planned anthology that will be dedicated to children’s SF. The anthologies are all in Arabic but they each contain a short story translated into English. The anthologies also contain reviews and essays on particular works of science fiction and discussions of the state of the genre in Egypt and the Arab world. The first anthology outlined the mission statement and the set of ambitions of the Egyptian Society for Science Fiction, which was to promote science fiction in Egypt through publications, venues and events and earn SF some critical notoriety in Arab literature, as well as coordinate with like-minded groups and individuals across the world.

Activities

The first sci-fi society in the Arab-Muslim world. Here is an interview of the society's director Dr. Hosam El-Zembely, conducted by Marcia Lynx Qualey of the Arab Literature in English blog. For a detailed review of his first published novel, The Half-Humans, see this link to Islam and Science Fiction. So far the society has held short story contests for its anthologies, drawing on the talents of authors in Egypt and the Arab world, and organised cultural salons, presenting authors to a broader critical audience or reviewing specific novels and publications. Since 2017 these events have been held at the semi-official headquarters of the Egyptian society for SF, at the Zembely Eye Centre, floor 7, 38 Makram Ebeid Street, Madinat Nasr (Nasr City).
Names and dates of cultural salons listed here:
 The inaugural cultural salon of the Egyptian society. Held on Monday 17 July 2017. The salon consisted of four sessions. The first was a presentation of a classic novella by Nihad Sharif called Number 4 Commands You. (The presentation was given by SF writer Mohammad Naguib Matter). The second session was a workshop on a science fiction story, where the participants each contributed a component of the storyline after the reading of an introductory sequence. The third was a presentation of a forthcoming short story by Emad El-Din Aysha. The fourth was a lecture on human development and its relationship with science fiction – the importance of beauty and knowledge as drivers for individual and societal progress and the power of the imagination to inspire real-world inventions and scientific advance.
 Friday 25 August 2017, to discuss Ahmed Al-Mahdi’s novel Malaaz: City of Resurrection (ملاذ: مدينة البعث). This is a post-apocalyptic novel set in a future Egypt following the after-effects of a nuclear war, with a technological conflict brewing between Upper and Lower Egypt.. For an Arabic review, please see this link.
 Friday 29 September 2017, to discuss Wael and Mahmoud Abd Al-Raham’s novel Akwan (Universes) a novel about parallel universes and alternate dimensions that coexist on Earth, with the Bermuda triangle as the meeting point.. (For an Arabic review please see this link).
 Friday 27 October 2017, to discuss the novel The Great Space Saga: The Half-Humans, (البشر أنصاف : ملحمة الفضاء الكبرى), by Dr. Hosam El-Zembely. This was space adventure story where Muslim heroes save a civilization on the verge of extinction. The two literary critics who discussed the novel were Khaled Gouda and Dr. Ahmed Yusri Fahid. An extended review and critical analysis of the story has been published in Chinese, by a sister organization called the Future Affairs Administration.
 Friday 1 December 2017, to discuss Mohammad Naguib Matter’s short story collection (A Hole in the Head) الرأس المثقوب. One of the stories (“After You, After You”) was about an artificially intelligent car constantly pursuing its owner, in anticipation it seems of Uber’s latest innovations.
 Friday 29 December 2017, to discuss Ammar Al-Masry’s novel Shadows of Atlantis, ظلال أطلانتس, an alien invasion epic centring round a robotic rebellion against mankind, a team of select heroes and an ancient alien language that holds the key to the long lost city of Atlantis, the first in a series of novels. The critics at the event included Dr. Kardia Said and Khalid Gouda. Here is a linked review.. (For an Arabic review, please follow think link).
 Friday 2 February 2018, to discuss the novel (The Delusions of a Terrorist) تخاريف إرهابى, by Ahmed Migahid. Also present were literary critics Khalid Ghouda and Dr. Yusri Abd Al-Ghani. (This was a non-science fiction work).
 A special cultural salon on Friday 9 February 2018. Two books were discussed: Ahmed Al-Mahdi’s new novel The Black Winter (الشتاء الأسود), and the fifth publication of the Shams Al-Ghad series, Al-Samidoun (الصامدون). The speakers at the event were literary critics Dr. Kardia Said and Khalid Ghouda.. (For an Arabic review, see this link).
 Friday 2 March 2018. The book discussed was the fifth publication of the Shams al-Ghad series, 'Al-Samidoun' (الصامدون). Next to the authors the two discussants for the book are literary critics and sci-fi experts Khalid Gouda and Dr. Kadria Said.
  Friday 30 March 2018. A special cultural salon where prizes were handed out for the contributors to the planned sixth volume of the Shams Al-Ghad series, The Futurists (المسطقبليون), dedicated to children's sci-fi. Distinguished guests at the event, who reviewed and discussed the stories and handed out the prizes, included Khalid Gouda, Dr. Ahmed Yousri Fahed (a literary critic who did his PhD on Arabic science fiction and his MA on Edgar Allen Poe) and Yacoub al-Sharouni, a famous literary critic in his own right and expert in children's literature and also the brother of the late Yousef Al-Sharouni, a famous author and patron of Arab science fiction. (Among those who won prizes were Ahmed Al-Sayyid, Ammar Al-Masry, Ahmed Al-Mahdi and Emad El-Din Aysha).
 Friday 27 April 2018. The work of science fiction discussed was the dystopian novella '2063' by Moataz Hassanein. The work was originally written in 2016 but only published, recently, in 2018, and through self-publication by Escatopia, a facebook ezine dedicated to promoting Egyptian science fiction and fantasy. The discussants included Khalid Gouda and the moderator of the event was Dr. Mohammad Naguib Matter. For a new review of the novella, in English, please follow this link.
 Special cultural salon held on Wednesday, during Ramadan iftar, held at Hadikat Al-Tifl (Children's Garden) in Makram Ebdeid street, Nasr City. The topic of discussion was Mohammad Naguib Matter's historical science fiction novel 'The Road to Baghdad' (الطريق إلى بغداد), which focuses on the period prior to the 2003 Iraq War, incorporating elements of science and alternate history into the story of Iraq's nuclear programme. Dr. Matter had actually spent ten of the most productive years of his life in Iraq and used this to model his storyline, with both fictional and real historical characters. Following the discussion of the novel, the director of the society Dr. Hosam El-Zembely also gave an account of his participation in the two-day conference held by the Future Affairs Administration in China; the Asia-Pacific Science Fiction Convention held on May 19-20 at No. 5, Beichen Dong Road (East Beichen Road), Chaoyang District, Beijing).
Dr. El-Zembely participated in two panels. Also at the convention was Francesco Verso, a distinguished European SF writer and Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Future Fiction.
 Friday 29 June 2018, a special cultural salon on a non-science fiction work by an SF and fantasy author, Rania Masoud. Also in attendance were Dr. Kadria Said, Khaled Gouda, Dr. Zainab Abu Sinah, with Dr. Hosam El-Zembely presiding over the event.
 Friday 27 July 2018. This event was dedicated to Dr. El-Zembely's own novel, The Planet of the Viruses: The First dialogue with a Microscopic Civilization, with Dr. Kadria Said and Khalid Gouda as discussants. Emad El-Din Aysha presented the novel as Dr. El-Zembely was the guest of honour.
 Friday 7 September 2018. The subject was Muhammad Al-Nagui's novel Irtidad. The discussants were Khaled Gouda and Dr. Kadria Said. Muhammad Al-Nagui, a resident of Port Said, came specially to Cairo that day for the presentation. For an English-language review of this time-travel novel please see this link.
 Friday 30 November 2018. The subject was Dr. El-Zembely's dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel America 2030, a young adult action and adventure story set behind the enemy lines of a future Fascist American empire. The discussants were Dr. Kadria Said, Muhammad Naguib Matter and Mr. Khaled Gouda. The salon was originally scheduled for October but due to travel circumstances it had to be postponed to the following month. For an English language review of the novel, please follow this ArabLit in English link.
 Friday 28 December 2018. The subject was the next installement of Ammar Al-Masry's Atlantis series - The Throne of Atlantis - following hot on the trails of his alien invasion epic The Shadows of Atlantis. Also attending to discuss the new novel are Dr. Kadria Ali, the sci-fi and children's literature expert, and Mr Khaled Gouda, the literary critic. For an English-language review please see this link.
 Friday 22 February 2019. The guest of honour was Muhammd Naguib Matter for his sci-fi novel Strangers from Space, the stranger in question being human beings who got isolated on a colonised world and go to war with the people of Earth who have learned to live in peace with their environment. Dr. Kadria Ali and Mr Khaled Gouda gave the critical presentations on the novel.
 Friday 5 April 2019. This was a non-SF event, dedicating to a supernatual thriller by Muhammad Abd al-Raheem. Muhammad Naguib Matter and Khaled Gouda were the critics for this piece.
 Friday 3 May 2019. A non-fiction work by Muhammad Naguib Matter was the topic of discussion,about Arabic and Egyptian scientists who met untimely deaths.
Friday 29th November 2019: 25th salon on a novel (Kayan) (The Entity) by Mahmoud Abdelraheem. The writer dedicated the novel to the members of the Egyptian Society for Science Fiction (ESSF). Dr. Kadria Saeed and Mr. Khaled Gouda were the two professional critics and Muhammed Naguib Mattar orchestrated it.

The ESSF is also seeking active cooperation with like-minded groups around the world, not least in the region. In this vein has interviewed Farzin Souri, the editor-in-chief of the Iranian SF magazine 3Feed, the chief online sci-fi publication in Iran and the mouthpiece of the Speculative Fiction Group (گروه ادبیات گمانه‌زن). The interview appeared on Samovar blog, dated 9 February 2019.

Staff
The society is not made up only of authors of science fiction and fantasy. The sci-fi and literary community all help in some form or another, including publishers, literary critics, authors, professors, journalists, translators and fans all alike. Dr. Hosam El-Zembely edited all five volumes of the Shams Al-Ghad series, despite his work duties which take him from North to South Egypt; he is also a member of Member of the Egyptian Writers’ Union (ERU) and head of the ERU Scientific Committee. Mohammad Naguib Matter, one the society's most active members, is an engineer by training and has won scores of Arabic literary prizes. Ahmed Migahid is a publisher, a novelist (non-genre) and a patron of science fiction.
Dr. Kardia Said is an established literary critic, specialising in children’s literature, and did her MA thesis on science fiction. Khalid Gouda is a noted literary critic and big fan of science fiction. Dr. Ahmed Yusri Fahid is a well-known literary critic and did his PhD in Arabic literature. (On Arabic SF. His MA thesis was on Edgar Allen Poe).
The logo was designed by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, who is also a graphic designer and translator, in additional to his duties as a fantasy and SF author. He also designed the front cover for Al-Samidoun. The society's resident secretary and a sci-fi enthusiast himself is Ahmed Al-Sayyid, an MA student doing his thesis on Arabic science fiction. He published his first short story in Al-Samidoun and also posts news items and commentary online on the society's activities.
Emad El-Din Aysha is the society's main translator and reviewer, a former (English-language) university professor and journalist, and someone who is now trying his hand at writing Arab-Islamic SF, if predominantly in English. His first SF short story was published, in Arabic, in Al-Samidoun. His first published translation of an Arabic sci-fi story, “Women… and Blood” (by Dr. Hosam El-Zembely), also appeared in Al-Samidoun. He has contributed two short stories to the forthcoming Al-Mustaqbaliun and won a prize from the society for one of them, as did Ahmed Al-Mahdi and Ahmed Al-Sayyid.


Roman Meleshko

Roman Ivanovych Meleshko (; born 8 September 1971) is a former Ukrainian football player.

Honours
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
USSR Federation Cup winner: 1989
USSR Federation Cup runner-up: 1990

Dinamo Minsk
Belarusian Premier League champion: 1992–93

External links


Sectarian democracy

Sectarian democracies are  multiethnic/multifactional countries where the ethnic group with the greatest power has a democratic government that does not allow  minorities to participate in the democratic process of that nation.There are several countries that highlight this sort of government.The opposite of sectarian democracy is consociationalistic democracy.

Present-day Iraq
Present day Iraq is a sectarian democracy where the Shiite controls the majority of the government. This is partly because Shiites in Iraq are the dominant religious group and partly because many Sunnis boycotted the elections. Despite the sectionality of the government it must be remembered that there are elected Sunnis and Kurds in power.

Apartheid South Africa
Under apartheid, South Africa was a sectarian democracy which some called a "white-only democracy". White South Africans enjoyed the right to vote and to participate in the political process whereas the Black South Africans were oppressed.The end of apartheid brought about consociationalist-like  government allowing for powersharing between Black and White South Africans.

Turkey
Present day Turkey is another example of a sectarian democracy where Turkish Muslims have the true right to participate in the political process.

Former Northern Ireland
The political power was concentrated in the hands of the Protestant Unionists and this led to sectarian violence until the establishment of a consociationalist-like government which allowed powersharing between the Protestant Unionists and the Catholic Nationalists.

Democracy


Raimundos (album)

Raimundos is the first album by the Brazilian hardcore punk band Raimundos, released in 1994 through Banguela Records. Recorded over a few weeks in Estúdio Be Bop, in São Paulo, it has sold 120,000 copies.

Track listing

Personnel
 Digão - guitar
 Rodolfo Abrantes - lead vocals
 Canisso - bass guitar
 Fred Castro - drums

Additional Musicians
 Carlos Eduardo Miranda - vocals (4), pandeiro (13)
 Guilherme Bonolo - vocals (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13), lead guitar (3, 16)
 João Gordo - vocals (3)
 Paulo Miklos - vocals (6, 10, 11)
 Sérgio Britto - vocals (6, 10, 11)
 Branco Mello - vocals (6, 10, 11)
 Nando Reis - acoustic guitar (1), viola (16)
 Zenilton - accordion (9, 12)


Jason Crane

Jason Crane (also known by the pseudonym JC2000) is an American drummer and trumpeter notable as a member of Rocket from the Crypt, The Black Heart Procession, and Beehive & the Barracudas.

Musical career
Crane originally performed as drummer in a band named A Day Called Zero with bassist Tobias Christensen and singer/guitarist/pianist Josh Quon. The band had one release on local label Gravity Records. Crane joined Rocket from the Crypt in 1992 as trumpeter under the pseudonym JC 2000, shortly after the release of their second album Circa: Now!. The album attracted the attention of major record labels and led to a recording contract with Interscope Records. He also performed in a side project named Rice with Rocket from the Crypt saxophonist Paul O'Beirne (Apollo 9). The group, a hardcore punk band with a horn section, also included Carlos Cañedo, Dustin "Dirty" Milsap, and Jason Soares. They sang songs about rice and released one album, Fuck You, This Is Rice, on Lookout! Records in 1992. In 1994 Crane began participating in a side project with Rocket from the Crypt singer/guitarist John Reis called Back Off Cupids. Crane played drums on most of the group's material, which was recorded intermittently from 1994 to 1999 and released in 2000 as an eponymous album.

In 1995 Rocket from the Crypt had a trio of releases: The State of Art is on Fire, Hot Charity, and Scream, Dracula, Scream! They filmed several music videos, toured internationally, and experienced a surge of popularity in the United Kingdom. In 1997 Crane reunited with Tobias Christensen in The Black Heart Procession, which also included drummer Mario Rubalcaba. He also reunited with Carlos Cañedo and Dustin Milsap in Beehive & the Barracudas, which also included Rocket from the Crypt guitarist Andy Stamets. Another side project called Loader brought together former members of A Day Called Zero and Rice, including Crane (on drums), Milsap, Jason Soares, and Josh Quon. Finally, the instrumental band Stacatto Reads included Crane on trumpet and drums along with Milsap, Soares, and John Reis.

In 1998 Rocket from the Crypt released RFTC, but Interscope turned their attention to higher-grossing acts and the band soon left the label. This was followed by the departure of longtime drummer Adam Willard from the group in early 2000. They soon regrouped, signing to Vagrant Records and bringing in Mario Rubalcaba as their new drummer. Crane continued to record and perform with Rocket from the Crypt, who released Group Sounds in 2001 and Live from Camp X-Ray in 2002. The group disbanded after playing their final performance on Halloween 2005, which was recorded and later released as R.I.P.

Discography
This section lists albums and EPs on which Crane has performed. For a more complete listing, see the Rocket from the Crypt discography.