RoboCop is a 2014 American science-fiction action film directed by José Padilha and written by Joshua Zetumer, Edward Neumeier, and Michael Miner. It is a remake of the 1987 film and the fourth installment of the RoboCop franchise overall. The film stars Joel Kinnaman as the title character, with Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jennifer Ehle, and Jay Baruchel in supporting roles. Set in 2028, a detective becomes critically injured and is turned into a cyborg police officer whose programming blurs the line between man and machine.

Screen Gems first announced a remake in 2005, but it was halted one year later. Darren Aronofsky and David Self were originally assigned to direct and write the film, respectively, for a tentative 2010 release. The film was delayed numerous times, and Padilha signed on in 2011. In March 2012, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (successor company to Orion Pictures until September 11, 2014, the studio that released the original film) announced an August 2013 release, but that was then changed to February 2014. The principal characters were cast from March to July 2012. Principal photography began in September 2012 in Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, with additional locations in Hamilton, in Canada, and Detroit in the United States.

Sony Pictures Releasing released RoboCop in the United States on February 12, 2014. The film received mixed reviews and was compared negatively to the original film.  It grossed $242.6 million against its $100–130 million budget.

Plot

In 2028, multinational conglomerate OmniCorp revolutionizes warfare by introducing robotic peacekeepers capable of maintaining law and order. Led by CEO Raymond Sellars, the company moves to market its technology to domestic law enforcement. However, the Dreyfus Act forbids the deployment of militarized drones in the United States. Aware that most Americans oppose the use of military systems in their communities, Sellars asks Dr. Dennett Norton and his research team to come up with an alternative. The result is a proposal for a cyborg police officer. However, Norton informs Sellars that only someone stable enough to handle being a cyborg can be turned into one, and some candidates are rejected.

A Detroit police detective, Alex Murphy, is chosen after he is critically injured in a car bomb explosion arranged by crime boss Antoine Vallon as revenge for Murphy's investigation into his activities. Norton persuades Murphy's wife, Clara, to sign off on the procedure. Upon waking up and realizing the extent of his transformation, a frustrated Murphy escapes, but Norton shuts him down and returns him to the lab. As Norton reveals to Murphy that the only remnants of his human body are most of his head (excluding parts of the brain), respiratory organs, heart, and right hand, a disgusted Murphy asks for euthanasia. Norton reminds Murphy about his wife's and son's patience, convincing him to live for their sake. During combat training with trainer Rick Mattox, Murphy proves unable to compete with the standard OmniCorp drones efficiently. Norton alters Murphy's programming to make him more efficient by letting drone programming take over his actions, making Murphy think they are his. This reprogramming increases Murphy's efficiency dramatically but leaves him less empathetic, due to his human nature being bypassed. That night, Murphy goes to his house to meet Clara and their son David.

Shortly before he is to be publicly unveiled, Murphy has an emotional breakdown, forcing Norton to suppress his emotions. During the ceremony, RoboCop identifies and apprehends a criminal in the crowd. He goes on to reduce crime in Detroit dramatically, simultaneously increasing public support for repealing the Dreyfus Act. Aware that Clara has begun to ask questions, Sellars orders Norton to keep her away from her husband.

Clara nevertheless tells RoboCop of David's nightmares, social withdrawal, and unresponsive behavior. The experience drives Murphy to override his programming and access the previously sealed files on his attempted murder. From them, Murphy learns David was devastated after witnessing the explosion. Murphy pursues and kills Vallon and his men, before joining with his old partner, Jack Lewis, to confront the two corrupt cops who betrayed him to Vallon, shooting one and tasing the other. Learning that the Chief of Police was also involved, Murphy tries arresting her but is remotely shut down by Mattox.

With the help of pro-OmniCorp talk show host Pat Novak, Sellars uses the incident to repeal the Dreyfus Act. Clara goes to the press and fiercely demands to see her husband. Fearful of being exposed, Sellars orders Mattox to destroy RoboCop while being repaired and tricks Clara into thinking that Murphy died. Norton reaches him first and reveals the truth. RoboCop narrowly escapes from the building just as it undergoes a lockdown.

Murphy returns and storms the building, fighting through the ED-209 drones sent to stop him, while Lewis and his fellow police arrive to hold off the rest of OmniCorp's forces. Mattox subdues Murphy, preparing to finish him off, but is killed by Lewis. Murphy then makes his way to the roof, where Sellars is waiting for a helicopter with Clara and David as hostages. Murphy's programming initially prevents him from arresting Sellars. However, he overcomes his programming long enough to kill Sellars.

OmniCorp's parent company, OCP, shuts down the project. The president vetoes the repeal of the Dreyfus Act based on Norton's testimony, much to Novak's anger. Murphy's body is rebuilt in Norton's laboratory, and he waits for Clara and David, who are coming to visit him.

Cast

 Joel Kinnaman as Alex Murphy / RoboCop: A young police detective who is injured in an explosion and transformed into the cyborg RoboCop
 Gary Oldman as Dr. Dennett Norton: Omni foundation chief scientist who creates RoboCop
 Michael Keaton as Raymond Sellars: The CEO of OmniCorp
 Abbie Cornish as Clara Murphy: Alex's wife
 Jackie Earle Haley as Rick Mattox: A drone controller and automated military tactician expert responsible for training RoboCop
 Michael K. Williams as Jack Lewis: Alex's best friend and former partner
 Jennifer Ehle as Liz Kline: The head of OmniCorp legal affairs
 Jay Baruchel as Tom Pope: The head of marketing for OmniCorp
 Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Karen Dean: Detroit chief of police
 Samuel L. Jackson as Pat Novak: Host of The Novak Element and prominent supporter of mechanized crime control
 Zach Grenier as Dreyfus: A senator of Michigan
 Aimee Garcia as Jae Kim: A scientist who works with Dr. Dennett Norton
 Douglas Urbanski as Durant: The mayor of Detroit
 John Paul Ruttan as David Murphy: Alex and Clara's son
 Patrick Garrow as Antoine Vallon: A sadistic gang boss
 K. C. Collins as Andre Daniels
 Daniel Kash as John Lake

Production

Development

Screen Gems first announced that it was working on a new RoboCop film in late 2005; no further details were given. In November 2006, Bloody Disgusting reported that the RoboCop remake had been halted. In March 2008, RoboCop was mentioned in an Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) press release regarding franchises it would be developing in the future. An MGM poster displayed at the Licensing International Expo of June 2008 read, "RoboCop coming 2010." The studio met with Darren Aronofsky to discuss the possibility of him directing the film. At the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, Aronofsky was confirmed to direct the "2010 RoboCop" film, with David Self writing the script. The release date was postponed to 2011. At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2009, MGM representatives stated only that the film would be pushed back to Summer 2010 or a later date, due to scheduling conflicts with the director (most likely Aronofsky). MGM representatives would neither confirm nor deny if Aronofsky was still connected with the project.

On January 5, 2010, it was reported that the RoboCop remake was indeed on hold and Aronofsky was still attached to direct. When MGM executives, particularly MGM chairperson Mary Parent, saw the immense success of the James Cameron film Avatar (2009), it was clear that they wanted a 3D film for the new RoboCop. Due to the financial state of MGM at the time, without an owner, and creative disagreements between the studio and Aronofsky, the film remained on hold. On March 2, 2011, it was announced that Brazilian director José Padilha was attached to direct, instead of Aronofsky, mainly because of his commercial success with Elite Squad (2007) and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010). On March 11, 2011, Sean O'Neal of The A.V. Club stated that up-and-coming screenwriter Joshua Zetumer would write the script. Although Zetumer had been involved with a number of canceled or otherwise stagnant projects, he had also worked on the screenplay for Quantum of Solace (2008). Comparing the new work to the 1987 film, Padilha said in 2011, "the environment nowadays is different than the environment in the 80's and the way to explore the concept is different." It was announced in October 2013 that the film would get an IMAX release in February 2014. Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer distributed the film in United States, Canada, and worldwide with the exclusion of United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where StudioCanal handled distribution.

Pre-production
On April 12, 2011, rumors stated that MGM was looking at A-list stars such as Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Keanu Reeves to star in the lead role of Alex Murphy/RoboCop in the upcoming remake. On June 16, 2011, pictures of promotional art were released, as well as a sales sheet from the Licensing International Expo 2011 in Las Vegas, NV, promoting a future release of RoboCop which would re-invent the franchise. The promotional material had sparse details of the film but clearly stated that MGM was targeting a 2013 release and Padilha was confirmed as director of the film. Michael Fassbender, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Russell Crowe were considered to play the title role. On March 3, 2012, it was confirmed that actor Joel Kinnaman would be playing the lead role, and on March 9, 2012, the film was given a release date of August 9, 2013. Hugh Laurie was set to play the role of the CEO of OmniCorp on June 13, 2012, but he later declined. Clive Owen was in the running to replace him until Michael Keaton was cast in the role in August 2012. Edward Norton, Sean Penn, Gael García Bernal, and Rebecca Hall were initially considered for the roles of Dr. Dennett Norton, Novak, Jack Lewis, and Clara Murphy, respectively. The roles ended up being cast with Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael K. Williams, and Abbie Cornish. Jackie Earle Haley officially signed on in July 2012 to play a "military man named Mattox responsible for training Kinnaman's RoboCop". Jay Baruchel was confirmed to have signed onto the film on July 25, 2012, as Pope, a marketing exec for OmniCorp. Douglas Urbanski, cast as Mayor Durant, is typically a non-actor who is also the decades-long manager and producing partner of Gary Oldman. Rob Bottin's original costume for the title character was re-imagined. Initial reactions were unfavorable and some compared it with Christian Bale's Batman suit in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight films. News reports discussed a "rather derivative" design which "looks more like kevlar body armor than Detroit steel". The Guardian described the new RoboCop as "a crime-fighting machine who is not so much cyborg as skinny bloke in matte-black body armour" and said, "The new Robosuit has a scaly, insectoid look to it, with a blacked-out visor rather than the original's steel extended helmet."

Before starting filming, Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles revealed that Padilha called him to admit he was having "the worst experience of his life" and "for every ten ideas he has, nine are cut". Padilha, according to Meirelles, said, "It's hell here. The film will be good, but I have never suffered so much and I don't want to do it again." However, Padilha talked enthusiastically about the project at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International and in his introduction to the second trailer. Production began in September 2012.

Filming
Filming took place in Toronto, other parts of Ontario, and Vancouver. Shooting locations within the city included the University of Toronto where a scene was filmed that appeared to be RoboCop being unveiled to the city of Detroit. Filming in Hamilton began on Monday, September 24, 2012, for five nights. Streets were closed for each of those days from 6pm to 7am. A spokesperson for MGM confirmed that the film was partially shot in Detroit.

Music

Pedro Bromfman, who collaborated with José Padilha on his Elite Squad films, composed the score. When asked about the soundtrack, Bromfman's idea was to blend acoustic and electric instruments into a hybrid sound to symbolize RoboCop's transition into a cyborg. He mixed synthesizers with an 80-piece orchestra and altered their sound digitally. Bromfran also incorporated other instruments such as the cuíca, berimbau, waterphone, electric drill, and hang. In addition, he paid homage to Basil Poledouris' original 1987 film theme.

Songs not included in the soundtrack, but featured in the film include the following:

Release

Marketing
An OmniCorp website was set up in early 2012. A film-specific RoboCop site was launched nearer the release date. A rough trailer and some film footage featuring Samuel L. Jackson's and Michael Keaton's characters was shown at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International. According to director Padilha, the first theatrical trailer was supposed to debut with Elysium, but it was instead released online on September 5, 2013, and was attached to showings of Riddick. Two further trailers were also released, one of which was uploaded to Yahoo! Movies with an introduction from Padilha, in which he said, "I'm thrilled to have had the chance to direct this movie ... I'm a fan of the original movie because it was ahead of its time both aesthetically and thematically. Back in '87, it was talking already about automated violence — both in war and law enforcement. And now, we actually have that happening in our lives and it's going to be more and more present. So we already have the drones. Now we're going to have automated robots doing law enforcement and replacing soldiers in the battlefield. So we had a chance to make this movie and talk about this." Two main posters were released in late 2013, with one showing CTBA complex in Madrid. TV spots were uploaded to Sony Pictures and StudioCanal UK's YouTube channels from January 2014. A video game for Android and iOS was released as a tie-in to the film. Jada Toys released a range of action figures, including a radio control RoboCop on his Police Cruiser and roleplay merchandise including the new RoboCop helmet and chestplate. Two detailed figures from the film were released in April 2014 from Play Arts Kai. The company threezero is also creating two RoboCop figures and a camo-coloured ED-209. Four one-shot comic tie-ins were published weekly starting from the week of theatrical release in the US. They were collected in a trade paperback edition under the title RoboCop: The Human Element to coincide with the home media releases.

Home media
RoboCop was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 3, 2014, in the United States by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Best Buy had an exclusive Metalpak edition, while the Target edition came with an exclusive digital download of the previously unreleased comic "Gauntlet". In the UK, an exclusive Amazon steelbook was made available on June 9.

RoboCop Day
To coincide with the home media releases, Detroit celebrated with "RoboCop Day" on June 3, 2014, during which RoboCop was photographed with fans throughout the city, and threw the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game.

Reception

Box office
Robocop opened in 3,372 theaters in The United States and grossed $21,681,430, with an average of $6,430 per theater and ranking #3 at the box office. The film ultimately earned $58,607,007 domestically and $184,081,958 internationally for a total of $242,688,965, on a $100–130 million budget.

Critical response

RoboCop received mixed reviews. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 49% based on  reviews and an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "While it's far better than it could have been, José Padilha's RoboCop remake fails to offer a significant improvement over the original." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average based on selected critic reviews, the film has a score of 52 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a "B+" grade, on an A+ to F scale.

RoboCop received several comparisons to the 1987 film; the consensus was that it fell short. Guy Lodge of Variety said that "It's a less playful enterprise than the original, but meets the era's darker demands for action reboots with machine-tooled efficiency and a hint of soul." Leslie Felperin from The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the remake "has a better cast, more meticulous script and, naturally, flashier effects, but it lacks the original's wit and subversive slipperiness." Andrew Osmond from SFX says, "It's not a classic like Paul Verhoeven's 1987 original, but it is an excellent, intelligent SF drama," believing it is "one of the boldest Hollywood reboots we've seen yet".

Chris Hewitt from Empire wrote, "there's a sense that Padilha, or perhaps his corporate overlords, don't really get what made the original so special." Nigel Andrews from Financial Times called it "a leaden, needless remake".  Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote it was "a dumbed-down shoot-em-up frontloaded with elaborate but perfunctory new 'satirical' material in which the movie loses interest with breathtaking speed". His fellow Guardian film critic Mark Kermode rated it 3 out of 5 stars, writing that "against the odds, this emerges as far less depressing fare than one might have expected, retaining the key elements of political satire and philosophical musings that powered Verhoeven's original" and "at least it appears to have been made by someone who understands what made the original great."

Nancy Allen, who played Anne Lewis in the original trilogy, did not like the remake, as she pointed to a lack of ideas from major movie studios as part of the reason for the seemingly endless glut of remakes, and stated that she did not think one should "remake iconic films". Allen went on to praise the original's script and crew.

Future

Cancelled sequel
On September 11, 2015, Den of Geek reported that Sony was working on a sequel, though plans subsequently changed.

Reboot
In July 2018, it was announced the series would again be rebooted with a film directed by Neill Blomkamp, titled RoboCop Returns, which will serve as a direct sequel to Verhoeven's original film and ignore the events of previous sequels and the 2014 reboot. In August 2019, Blomkamp announced that he was no longer directing the film as he is focusing on directing a horror movie instead. On November 20, 2019, Abe Forsythe was set to direct.

In March 2023, after Amazon acquired MGM, they identified RoboCop as one of the company's priorities. In April of the same year, it was announced that Amazon Studios is developing a RoboCop television series and a new movie; the film is expected to be produced first.

See also
 List of films featuring drones

References

External links

 OmniCorp viral site

RoboCop (franchise)
2014 films
2014 action thriller films
2010s science fiction thriller films
2010s superhero films
Remakes of American films
American science fiction action films
American science fiction thriller films
American superhero films
Columbia Pictures films
Cyborg films
Drone films
American dystopian films
Fictional portrayals of the Detroit Police Department
Films about amputees
American films about revenge
Films about terrorism
Films directed by José Padilha
Films produced by Marc Abraham
Films set in 2028
Films set in the future
Films set in China
Films set in Detroit
Films set in Tehran
Films set in Washington, D.C.
Films shot in Hamilton, Ontario
Films shot in Michigan
Films shot in Toronto
Films shot in Vancouver
IMAX films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
American police detective films
Reboot films
StudioCanal films
Techno-thriller films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films

RoboCop (2014 film)


Judy Reyes (born November 5, 1967) is an American actress, model and producer, best known for her roles as Carla Espinosa on the NBC/ABC medical comedy series Scrubs (2001–2009), as Zoila Diaz in the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (2013–2016), and as Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas in the TNT crime comedy-drama Claws (2017—2022). Reyes also appeared in films All Together Now (2020), Smile (2022), and Birth/Rebirth (2023).

Early life
Reyes was born in The Bronx, New York, to Dominican immigrants, and has three sisters, including a fraternal twin sister named Joselin Reyes, who played a paramedic on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Reyes grew up on Bainbridge Avenue, from the age of 13 to the age of 25–26. She attended Hunter College in Manhattan, where she began her acting career.

Career
In the early 1990s, Reyes began her television career with guest starring roles in a number of shows, including Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and The Sopranos. She also had a recurring role in Oz as Tina Rivera. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the NBC comedy Scrubs from 2001 to 2009. She has starred in a number of made for television movies, primarily for Lifetime network, including Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story (2008), and The Pregnancy Project (2012).

After leaving Scrubs, Reyes guest-starred in several shows, including Castle, Medium, Off the Map, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2011, she starred as a mother dealing with her estranged husband's return into her life after his stint in prison in the independent drama Gun Hill Road. The film is set in Reyes' native Bronx, and its title refers to a real-life street that intersects Bainbridge Avenue on which Reyes herself grew up. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Reyes also had small supporting roles in several films, including Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Washington Heights (2002), and Dirty (2005).

In 2012, Reyes was cast as series regular Zoila Diaz, the senior maid, in the ABC comedy-drama pilot Devious Maids, created by Marc Cherry. On May 14, 2012, the series was not picked up by ABC, but on June 22, 2012, Lifetime ordered a run of thirteen episodes. The series premiered June 23, 2013. The Devious Maids finale episode aired on August 8, 2016. Two weeks following the show's cancellation, Reyes was cast opposite Niecy Nash in the TNT crime comedy-drama Claws playing the role of Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas. The series premiered on June 11, 2017 and ended in 2022 after four seasons. She also had the recurring roles as Dina Milagro in the CW comedy series, Jane the Virgin (2015-19), and as Ramona in the Netflix comedy One Day at a Time (2017-2020). She played the role of Eva, executive producer of media conglomerate Waystar Royco's ATN news channel in the HBO drama series, Succession in 2018. Reyes also had a recurring roles in the comedy series Search Party and Better Things, and guest starred on Black-ish. In 2022, Reyes guest-starred in season 3 of Batwoman where she portrayed Kiki Roulette who was responsible for building Joker's joy buzzer.

Reyes starred in the independent films My Name Is David (2015) and Girl Flu. (2016), and had a supporting role in the thriller film The Circle (2017). She received Imagen Awards for Best Actress - Drama (Television) for her performance in the 2021 made-for-television film Torn from Her Arms.  She appeared opposite her One Day at a Time co-star Justina Machado in the 2020 drama film, All Together Now. In 2022, she had a supporting role in the supernatural horror film, Smile, it was a box office success, grossing over $217 million worldwide. The following year, Reyes played the leading role in the psychological horror film, Birth/Rebirth. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Reyes received positive reviews for her performance. Also in 2023, Reyes had a recurring role in the horror-comedy series, The Horror of Dolores Roach appearing again opposite Justina Machado.

Reyes set to appear as a mother of the lead character in the romantic drama film, Turtles All the Way Down based on the 2017 novel of the same name by John Green. She also was cast opposite Kaitlin Olson in the series regular role in the ABC comedy-drama series, High Potential based on the French series HPI.

Personal life

Reyes was married to George Valencia. They have a daughter, Leila Rey Valencia, born on November 27, 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

1967 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from New York City
American film actresses
American television actresses
American people of Dominican Republic descent
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
Hunter College alumni
Living people
People from the Bronx
American twins

Judy Reyes


Garabogazköl (also spelled Kara-Bogaz-Gol; "Black Strait Lake"), or Garabogazköl Aylagy ("Black Strait Lake Bay"), is a shallow, highly-saline lagoon off the Caspian Sea in northwestern Turkmenistan. The lagoon has a variable surface area typically about . It is separated from the Caspian Sea by a narrow, rocky ridge having a very narrow opening through which the Caspian Sea waters flow into it. There is likely a subterranean highly saline water flow when there is less evaporation in winter. The lagoon's volume fluctuates seasonally, accentuated by its salt evaporation ponds and seasonally dry salt pans.

The city of Garabogaz lies nearby, about  north of the channel between the main Caspian basin and the Garabogazköl lagoon.

Etymology
The water body lends its name to the nearby city of Garabogaz. The name was originally applied to the narrow strait which connects the gulf to the Caspian Sea. Because the water in the strait, termed a "throat" (), was darker than the water on either side, it was termed "dark" or "black" (), hence garabogaz. Over time the name was applied to the gulf itself and ultimately to the city.

Salinity
The salinity of the lagoon is on average about 35%, compared to 1.2% in the Caspian Sea and between 3% and 4% in oceans worldwide. Due to the exceptionally high salinity, comparable to the Dead Sea, it has little to no marine vegetation. Large evaporite deposits consisting mostly of salt on the south shore have been harvested by the local population since the 1920s, but in the 1930s manual collection stopped and the industry shifted northwest to its present center near Garabogaz. From the 1950s onward, groundwater was pumped from levels lower than the bay itself, yielding more valuable types of salts. In 1963, construction began at Garabogaz on a modern plant for increased production of salt products year round, independent of natural evaporation. Construction of the plant was completed in 1973.

In March 1980, workers blocked the Caspian link, due to concerns that evaporation was accelerating a fall in Caspian Sea. The resulting "salt bowl" caused widespread problems of blowing salt, reportedly poisoning the soil and causing health problems for hundreds of kilometers downwind to the east.

Complete evaporation
In 1984 the lake became completely dry. In June 1992, when Caspian Sea levels rose again, the barrier was breached, allowing Caspian water to again refill the lagoon.

In popular culture
The lagoon is the subject of Russian writer Konstantin Paustovsky's 1932 book Kara-Bugaz. In it, he praises the setting up of the local salt industry by the Soviet government in the 1930s.

In 1935, film director Aleksandr Razumny made a film Kara-bugaz (Кара-Бугаз) based on Paustovsky's Kara-Bugaz, with music by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.

References

External links

 Google Maps detail showing the current in the strait

Bodies of water of Turkmenistan
Caspian Sea
Lagoons of Asia
Balkan Region
Bays of the Caspian Sea

Garabogazköl


The Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia is the oldest extant craft guild in the United States. Founded in 1724, the Company consists of nearly 200 prominent Philadelphia area architects, building contractors and structural engineers and has had nearly 900 members in its almost three centuries of existence. The Company built, owns and continues to operate Carpenters' Hall located in Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park. In 1774 the Hall served as the site of the First Continental Congress.

The Carpenters' Company History

Although it was founded in 1724, The Carpenters' Company traces its roots back to the very beginning of Philadelphia. Its earliest members arrived with William Penn in 1682 and took part in constructing the first homes and public spaces in what are now the Old City and Society Hill neighborhoods of Center City, Philadelphia. These Master Builders, many of whom began their careers in carpentry before also becoming skilled in both construction and architectural design, banded together to create a guild to support their industry.

The guild (then referred to as a "Company") was modeled after the Worshipful Company of Carpenters of London. Many early members were Quakers, whose beliefs influenced the Company's mission to promote fair business dealings, expand educational opportunities and support members in times of need.

In Building Early America, author Roger W. Moss writes "the generation of Carpenters that emerged in the early eighteenth century were leaders of the community, men of some wealth and position who, if not of the first rank, were in daily social and political association with city and provincial leaders." With strong connections to major civic leaders, early members were able to play instrumental roles in the design and construction of such important colonial era Philadelphia buildings as Christ Church, Independence Hall, City Tavern and Old Swedes' Church (Gloria Dei). This involvement in civic life extended to politics as well, as later on virtually the entire Company membership actively supported the American Revolution and most of the members volunteered to serve in the American army.

In 1770, after decades in existence, the Company voted to build a meeting space and headquarters. That project would become Carpenters' Hall, which just months after completion in 1774 came to serve as the meeting ground not just for the First Continental Congress, but also later for Benjamin Franklin's negotiations with French spy Julien Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir and the site for Franklin's Library Company. Carpenters' Hall itself was designed and built by Carpenters' Company member Robert Smith, who today is acknowledged as "one of the most prominent and skilled architect/builders in colonial America."

As Philadelphia grew and prospered in the 19th and 20th centuries, Carpenters' Company members continued their involvement in the creation of important public buildings both in and outside of Philadelphia. Philadelphia City Hall, Reading Terminal and more recent projects at prestigious centers of higher education like the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College and Temple University were all shaped by Carpenters' Company members.

The Company Library

The Carpenters' Company sponsored a school of architecture in the 19th century for which they assembled an impressive collection of architectural pattern books for the use of members, their apprentices and the students. This collection survives intact and constitutes one of the finest pre-Civil War architectural libraries in the United States. Due to the rare and fragile nature of the individual items, the library is not open to the public except by special permission.

The Company Today

Nearing its 300th anniversary, The Carpenters' Company remains an active and influential organization. In addition to preserving and maintaining Carpenters' Hall, the Company serves as an important forum for cooperation amongst many of Philadelphia's most successful architects, structural engineers and builders. The Company also has a scholarship program supporting students pursuing careers in Architecture, Structural Engineering, or Construction Management/Engineering.

In order to join The Carpenters' Company, candidates for membership must be nominated and elected by current members.

See also
 Benjamin Loxley
 Worshipful Company of Carpenters

Notes
1. Charles E. Peterson, "Carpenters' Hall" Historic Philadelphia (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1953), pp. 96–128
2. Roger W. Moss. "Carpenters' Hall," Historic Landmarks of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008), pp. 42–47

3. Roger W. Moss, "The Origins of The Carpenters' Company of Philadelphia," in Charles E. Perterson (ed), Building Early America (Radnor, PA: Chilton Book Company, 1976), pp. 35–53

References

Carpenters' trade unions
Organizations based in Philadelphia
Trade unions in Pennsylvania
Libraries in Philadelphia
Architecture organizations based in the United States
Professional associations based in the United States
Benjamin Franklin
History of Philadelphia
Organizations established in 1724
1724 establishments in Pennsylvania


Augusta La Paix is a former Canadian radio personality, best known as the original host and co-creator of Brave New Waves.

Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, La Paix worked in Montreal as a freelance news reporter for CBC Radio and an occasional guest host of Morningside. She was given Brave New Waves in 1984 after submitting a demo tape for a show on avant garde culture, featuring music by Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Klaus Nomi and Nina Hagen. In an early interview with The Globe and Mail, she told the newspaper that she was only a recent convert to underground music, having previously been primarily a fan of country music.

She left Brave New Waves in 1985, after one season, and moved on to other roles with the CBC, including stints as host of Cross Country Checkup, Two New Hours, Arts National and Home Run, the network's local afternoon program in Montreal.

She also narrated a number of documentary films in the 1980s and 1990s, including Canada's First Woman MP, Adam's World, Just Before the Dawn, When the Day Comes and Latin America: The Thirsty Cities.

References

External links

CBC Radio hosts
Journalists from Montreal
Journalists from Nova Scotia
Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Writers from Montreal
Living people
Canadian women non-fiction writers
Canadian women radio journalists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Canadian women radio hosts

Augusta La Paix


The white-legged damselfly or blue featherleg (Platycnemis pennipes) is a damselfly of slow-flowing, muddy waters. It occurs from the Atlantic to Siberia and is often abundant throughout its range.

Morphology

Platycnemis pennipes is about  long. Mature adults differ from most other blue damselflies in having expanded white edges to the tibiae, paired black markings down most of the abdomen, broad pale brown double antehumeral stripes, wider head and a pale brown pterostigmata.

The male has a blue abdomen that is often pale and usually has a greenish thorax. The female is a very pale yellow-green colour with black markings.

Breeding

This species favours unshaded slow-flowing sections of muddy rivers with abundant floating vegetation. it has been recorded in tidal rivers and the larvae seem well able to tolerate brackish water. It also occurs in muddy streams but is rare in lakes or ponds of any sort. In north-west Europe, it is mostly confined to flowing waters.

Mating is preceded by the male displaying his white legs in a fluttering display flight in front of females. Elongated eggs are laid whilst in tandem, into emergent stems and especially the underside of floating leaves. The larvae live amongst bottom debris and emerge after two years.

Behaviour

After emerging, adults tend to congregate in the shelter of tall vegetation, although some immatures wander away from water and have been found five kilometres away from the nearest breeding site.

References

External links

Platycnemididae
Damselflies of Europe
Articles containing video clips
Insects described in 1771

White-legged damselfly


A white tiger is a tiger with a genetic condition affecting its pelt's pigmentation.

White tiger, White Tiger or The White Tiger may also refer to:

Arts, entertainment, and media

Characters
 White Tiger (comics), various Marvel Comics superheroes, including:
 White Tiger (Hector Ayala), the first to use the name
 White Tiger (Heroes for Hire), second
 White Tiger (Kasper Cole), third
 White Tiger (Angela del Toro), fourth
 White Tiger (Ava Ayala), fifth
 White Tigers (Beyblade), a team in the anime Beyblade

Film and TV
 White Tiger (1923 film), a 1923 film directed by Tod Browning
 White Tiger (1996 film), a 1996 film directed by Richard Martin
 White Tiger (2012 film), a 2012 Russian WWII film
 The White Tiger (2021 film), a 2021 Netflix film
 Grambling's White Tiger, a US TV movie made in 1981, released as White Tiger in Europe

Literature
 The White Tiger (Nathan novel), a 1987 novel by Robert Stuart Nathan
 White Tiger, a 2006 novel by Kylie Chan
 The White Tiger (Adiga novel), a 2008 novel by Aravind Adiga
 The White Tyger, the third novel in Paul Park's A Princess of Romania series

Music
 White Tiger (band), an American glam metal band
 "White Tiger" (song), a 2015 song by Izzy Bizu

Biology
 White tiger (butterfly), the tiger butterfly species Danaus melanippus
 White tiger (moth), the moth species Nyctemera coleta

Other
 White Tiger (mythology), one of the Four Symbols in Chinese astrology and astronomy
 White Tiger oil field, in the South China Sea
 White Tigers (Korean War), guerrilla unit of the United States Army
 White Tigers (gang), a former street gang in New York City

See also
 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec, Czech ice-hockey club also known as Liberec White Tigers Hockey Club
 Tigatron, a fictional character from the Transformers universe, who transforms into a white tiger
 White Tiger Ranger in Power Rangers Wild Force
 Tommy Oliver, the White Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, who is based on a white tiger

White tiger (disambiguation)


The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 571 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about  north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partly) and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 150 km (100 mile) wide Ten Degree Channel (on the 10°N parallel), with the Andaman islands to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobar islands to the south (or by 179 km; 111 miles). The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west. The island chains are thought to be a submerged extension of the Arakan Mountains.

The territory's capital is the city of Port Blair. The total land area of the islands is approximately . The territory is divided into three districts: the Nicobar District with Car Nicobar as its capital, the South Andaman district with Port Blair as its capital, and the North and Middle Andaman district with Mayabunder as its capital.

The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces. Hinduism is the predominant religion in the union territory, with a significant Christian minority.

The Andaman Islands are also home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted tribe. The Sentinelese are considered to be the only people currently known to not have reached further than a Paleolithic level of technology; however, this is disputed, as evidence of metalwork was found on their island.

Etymology

History

First inhabitants
The earliest archaeological evidence documents some 2,200 years. However, genetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous Andamanese people may have been isolated from other populations during the Middle Paleolithic, which ended 30,000 years ago. Since that time, the Andamanese have diversified into linguistically and culturally distinct territorial groups.

The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds. By the time of European contact, the indigenous inhabitants had coalesced into the Nicobarese people, speaking an Austroasiatic language, and the Shompen, whose language is of uncertain affiliation. Neither language is related to Andamanese.

Chola Period

Rajendra Chola II (1051–1063 CE), used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the Srivijaya Empire (Indonesia). The Cholas called the island Ma-Nakkavaram ("great open/naked land"), found in the Thanjavur inscription of 1050 CE. European traveller Marco Polo (12th–13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann' and an ancient form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to the modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period.

Danish colonial period and British rule

The history of organised European colonisation on the islands began when settlers from the Danish East India Company arrived in the Nicobar Islands on 12 December 1755. On 1 January 1756, the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony, first named New Denmark, and later (December 1756) Frederick's Islands (Frederiksøerne). During 1754–1756 they were administered from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India). The islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria between 14 April 1759 and 19 August 1768, from 1787 to 1807/05, 1814 to 1831, 1830 to 1834 and gradually from 1848 for good.

From 1 June 1778 to 1784, Austria mistakenly assumed that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the Nicobar Islands and attempted to establish a colony on them, renaming them Theresa Islands.

In 1789, the British set up a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island next to Great Andaman, where now lies the town of Port Blair. Two years later the colony was moved to Port Cornwallis on Great Andaman, but it was abandoned in 1796 due to disease.

In 1858, the British again established a colony at Port Blair, which proved to be more permanent. The primary purpose was to set up a penal colony for criminal convicts from the Indian subcontinent. The Cellular Jail, which was used to house political prisoners, was constructed on the islands.

Italy made an attempt at buying the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1865. The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Luigi Torelli started a negotiation that looked promising, but failed due to the unexpected end of his office and the second La Marmora Cabinet. The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again.

Denmark's presence in the territory ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to Britain, which made them part of British India in 1869.

In 1872, the Andaman and Nicobar islands were united under a single chief commissioner at Port Blair.

World War II

During World War II, the islands were practically under Japanese control, only nominally under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Subhash Chandra Bose. Bose visited the islands during the war and renamed them as "Shaheed-Dweep" (Martyr Island) and "Swaraj-dweep" (Self-rule Island).

General Loganathan, of the Indian National Army, was made the Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On 22 February 1944 he along with four INA officers—Major Mansoor Ali Alvi, Sub. Lt. Md. Iqbal, Lt. Suba Singh, and stenographer Srinivasan—arrived at Lambaline Airport in Port Blair. On 21 March 1944, the Headquarters of the Civil Administration was established near the gurdwara at Aberdeen Bazaar. On 2 October 1944, Col. Loganathan handed over the charge to Maj. Alvi and left Port Blair, never to return.

Japanese Vice Admiral Hara Teizo and Major-General Tamenori Sato surrendered the islands to Brigadier J A Salomons, commander of 116th Indian Infantry Brigade, and Chief Administrator Noel K Patterson, Indian Civil Service, on 7 October 1945, in a ceremony performed on the Gymkhana Ground, Port Blair.

After independence
During the independence of both India (1947) and Burma (1948), the departing British announced their intention to retain possession of the island chain, and use them to resettle Anglo-Indians and Anglo-Burmese on these islands, to form their own nation, although this never materialised. The islands, as a possession of the British Indian Empire, claimed as an asset to allocated, by both the Congress Party and Muslim League, during partition negotiations. The Islands were later used to resettle peoples displaced by the partitions of the British Indian Empire, with a substantial number of displaced East Bengali families offered land on the islands, in exchange for clearing forests and establishing agricultural colonies. Responsibility for the administration of the islands was transferred from Viceroy Mountbatten, to President Rajendra Prasad, in 1950, and was declared as a union territory of the India, in 1956.

India has been developing defence facilities on the islands since the 1980s. The islands now have a key position in India's strategic role in the Bay of Bengal and the Malacca Strait.

2004 tsunami

On 26 December 2004, the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a  high tsunami following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean. More than 2,000 people died, 4,000 children were orphaned or suffered the loss of one parent, and at least 40,000 people were rendered homeless. More than 46,000 people were injured. The worst affected Nicobar islands were Katchal and Indira Point; the latter subsided  and was partially submerged in the ocean. The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged but has been repaired since. A significant portion of the union territory was submerged and subsequently lost to sea. The territory which measured  before the tsunami now stands at .

While the locals and tourists on the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived on account of oral traditions passed down over generations that warned them to evacuate from the large waves that follow earthquakes.

Geography

There are 572 islands in the territory having an area of . Of these 38 are permanently inhabited. The islands extend from 6° to 14° North latitudes and from 92° to 94° East longitudes. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobar group by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some  wide. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at ). The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of  while the Nicobar group has only 247 islands with an area of .

The capital of the union territory, Port Blair, is located  from Kolkata,  from Visakhapatnam and  from Chennai. They are grouped with South India. The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is  away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and  from Myanmar Mainland. Indira Point at 6°45'10″N and 93°49'36″E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India and lies only  from Sumatra island in Indonesia.

The only volcano in India, Barren Island, is located in Andaman and Nicobar. It is an active volcano and had last erupted in 2017. It also has a mud volcano situated in Baratang Island. These mud volcanoes have erupted sporadically, with recent eruptions in 2005 believed to have been associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The previous major eruption recorded was on 18 February 2003. The locals call this mud volcano Jalki. There are other volcanoes in the area. This island's beaches, mangrove creeks, limestone caves, and mud volcanoes are some of the physical features.

In December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renamed three of the islands as a tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose. Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island; Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep Island; and Havelock Island as Swaraj Island. The PM made this announcement during a speech at the Netaji Stadium, marking the 75th anniversary of the hoisting of the Indian flag by Bose there.

Flora
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Myanmar, Malaysian and endemic floral strains. So far, about 2,200 varieties of plants have been recorded, out of which 200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.

The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns, and orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests. North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers. The North Nicobar Islands (including Car Nicobar and Battimalv) are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group. Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobar. The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.

This typical forest coverage is made up of twelve types, namely:
 Giant evergreen forest
 Andamans tropical evergreen forest
 Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest
 Canebrakes
 Wet bamboo brakes
 Andamans semi-evergreen forest
 Andamans moist deciduous forest
 Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest
 Littoral forest
 Mangrove forest
 Brackish water mixed forest
 Submontane forest

Fauna

This tropical rain forest, despite its isolation from adjacent landmasses, is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life.

About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some are endemic, including the Andaman wild boar. Rodents are the largest group with 26 species, followed by 14 species of bat. Among the larger mammals there are two endemic varieties of wild boar, Sus scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and Sus scrofa nicobaricus from Nicobar, which are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I). The Saltwater crocodile is also found in abundance. The State Animal of Andaman is the dugong, also known as the sea cow, which can be found in Little Andaman. Around 1962 there was an attempt to introduce the leopard, which was unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat. These were ill-considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora and fauna. Elephants also can be found in forested or mountainous areas of the islands; they were brought over from the mainland to help with timber extraction in 1883.

About 270 species of birds are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 14 species of which are endemic. The islands' many caves are nesting grounds for the edible-nest swiftlet, whose nests are prized in China for bird's nest soup. The islands also serve as a stopover site for several migratory birds such as Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, Zappey's flycatcher and Javan pond heron.

The territory is home for about 225 species of butterflies and moths. Ten species are endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The islands are well known for prized shellfish, especially from the genera Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929. Many cottage industries produce a range of decorative shell items. Giant clams, green mussels and oysters support edible shellfishery. The shells of scallops, clams, and cockle are burnt in kilns to produce edible lime.

There are 96 wildlife sanctuaries, nine national parks and one biosphere reserve in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Demographics

 Census of India, the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944, of which 202,330 (53.25%) were male and 177,614 (46.75%) were female. The sex ratio was 878 females per 1,000 males. Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar islands.

150 years ago, the original population of the islands – the Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa and the Sentinelese, were estimated to be around 5,000. The population of islands increased massively due to the policies of Govt of India into islands under Jawaharlal Nehru in the late 1960s, that brought settlers from other parts of the country.

The areas and populations (at the 2001 and 2011 Censuses) of the three districts are:

There remain approximately 400–450 indigenous Andamanese in the Andaman islands, the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact. In the Nicobar Islands, the indigenous people are the Nicobarese, or Nicobari, living throughout many of the islands, and the Shompen, restricted to the hinterland of Great Nicobar. More than 2,000 people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman district, almost all of whom are Christians. Despite their tribal origins, the Karen of Andamans have Other Backward Class (OBC) status in the Andamans.

Languages

Indigenous to the Nicobar Islands are the five Nicobarese languages, which form part of the Austroasiatic language family and are spoken by about  people, or 7.6% of the population of the union territory. The Andaman Islands are home to about a dozen endangered or extinct Andamanese languages, which constitute at least two families that are unrelated to each other or to any other language group.

The majority of the population, however, are speakers of immigrant languages. These include Bengali (the first language of 28.5% of the inhabitants of the union territory), Tamil (15.2%), Telugu (13.2%), Hindi (12.9%), Malayalam (7.2%). Sadri (5.5%), and Kurukh (4%).

Hindi is the official language of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while English is declared an additional official language for communication purposes.

Religion

The majority of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus (69.45%), with Christians forming a large minority of 21.7% of the population, according to the 2011 census of India. There is a significant Muslim (8.51%) minority.

Administration
In 1874, the British had placed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one administrative territory headed by a Chief Commissioner as its judicial administrator. On 1 August 1974, the Nicobar islands were hived off into another revenue district with district headquarters at Car Nicobar under a Deputy Commissioner. In 1982, the post of Lieutenant Governor was created who replaced the Chief Commissioner as the head of administration. Subsequently, a "Pradesh council" with Councillors as representatives of the people was constituted to advise the Lieutenant Governor. The Islands sends one representative to Lok Sabha from its Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Kuldeep Rai Sharma since 2019.

Administrative divisions
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is divided into three districts:
 North and Middle Andaman (Capital: Mayabunder)
 South Andaman (Capital: Port Blair)
 Nicobar (Capital: Car Nicobar)

Each district is further divided into sub-divisions and taluks:

Sub-divisions and taluks of North and Middle Andaman district
 Diglipur Sub-Division
 Diglipur taluk
 Mayabunder Sub-Division
 Mayabunder taluk
 Rangat taluk

Sub-divisions and taluks of South Andaman district
 Port Blair Sub-Division
 Port Blair taluk
 Ferrargunj taluk
 Jirkatang taluk (native Jarawa reservation)
 Ritchie's Archipelago Sub-Division
 Ritchie's Archipelago taluk (Havelock Island)
 Little Andaman Sub-Division
 Little Andaman taluk (Hut Bay)

Sub-divisions and taluks of Nicobar district
 Car Nicobar Sub-Division
 Car Nicobar taluk
 Nancowrie Sub-Division
 Nancowrie taluk
 Kamorta taluk
 Teressa taluk
 Katchal taluk
 Great Nicobar Sub-Division
 Little Nicobar taluk
 Great Nicobar taluk (Campbell Bay)

Economy

Agriculture
A total of  of land is used for agriculture purposes. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands, whereas coconut and arecanut are the cash crops of Nicobar group of islands. Field crops, namely, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are grown, followed by paddy during Rabi season. Different kinds of fruits such as mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya, pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly land owned by farmers. Spices such as pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under a multi-tier cropping system. Rubber, red oil, palm, noni and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands. Organic farming is the main method of farming used in the territory.

Industry
There are 1,374 registered small-scale, village and handicraft units. Two units are export-oriented in the line of fish processing activity. Apart from this, there are shells and wood-based handicraft units. There are also four medium-sized industrial units. SSI units are engaged in the production of polythene bags, PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and varnishes, fiberglass and mini flour mills, soft drinks, and beverages, etc. Small scale and handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakery products, rice milling, furniture making, etc.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the field of tourism, fisheries, industries, and industrial financing and functions as authorised agents for Alliance Air. The Islands have become a tourist destination, largely due to its beaches and waters.

Tourism

Tourism to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is increasing due to the popularity of beaches and adventure sports like snorkelling and sea-walking. Plans to develop various islands under NITI (National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog is also in progress. Luxury resorts with participation from the Government are set up to plan in Avis Island, Smith Island and Long Island.

In Port Blair, the main places to visit are the Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Water sports complex, Chatham Saw Mill, Mini Zoo, Corbyn's cove, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor Beach, Forest Museum, Anthropological Museum, Fisheries Museum, Naval Museum (Samudrika), Ross Island and North Bay Island. Viper Island which was earlier visited is now kept closed by the administration. Other places include Havelock island famous for Radhanagar Beach, Neil Island for Scuba diving/snorkeling/sea walking, Cinque Island, Saddle peak, Mt Harriet, and Mud Volcano. Diglipur, located at North Andaman is also getting popular in 2018 and many tourists have started visiting North Andaman as well. The southern group (Nicobar islands) is mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Indian tourists do not require a permit to visit the Andaman Islands, but if they wish to visit any tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner in Port Blair. Foreign nationals do not require a permit to visit the islands.

According to official estimates, the flow of tourists tripled to nearly 430,000 in 2016-17 from 130,000 in 2008–09. The Radha Nagar beach was chosen as Asia's best beach in 2004.

Macro-economic trend
This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands at market prices, estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, with figures in millions of Indian rupees.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands' gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at $354 million in current prices.

Power generation
With Japanese assistance, Southern Andaman Island will now have a 15-megawatt diesel power plant. This would be the first foreign investment of any kind allowed at this strategically significant island chain. This is believed to be an Indo-Japanese strategic initiative to strengthen civilian infrastructure in the vicinity of the Strait of Malacca – a strategically important choke-point for the Chinese oil supply.

Education

Degree
Andaman and Nicobar college (ANCOL)
Jawaharlal Nehru Government College
Mahatma Gandhi Government College
Tagore Government College of Education

Engineering
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology
Pondicherry University (Port Blair-campus)

Law
Andaman Law College

Medicine
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences

Infrastructure

Mega projects
Government of India has proposed the development of Great Nicobar. A container ship terminal, township for workers, power plant, international airport, hotels, and support infrastructure will be created for logistics and tourism purposes. This will give boost to Nicobar Islands and expected to provide employment. However project is considered as threat to indigenous communities on Nicobar Islands.

Internet
Internet access on the islands used to be limited and unreliable, since all connectivity to the outside world had to go through satellite links. Bharat Broadband Network started work on laying a fibre optic submarine cable running from the five islands to Chennai on 30 December 2018, with completion expected in December 2019. On 10 August 2020, PM Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the Chennai–Andaman undersea Optical fibre cable which enables high-speed broadband connections in the Union Territory. The submarine cable also connects Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat. The initial bandwidth of the cable is 400 Gbit/s, roughly 400 times more than what the islands possessed before the fibre link.

Ports
On 10 August 2020, PM Narendra Modi announced plans for the construction of a transshipment port in the Great Nicobar Island at a cost of ₹10,000 crore to provide shippers an alternative to similar ports in the region. The move is aimed at improving the ease of doing business of the country and enhancing maritime logistics.

Transportation

The only civil airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Veer Savarkar International Airport near Port Blair. It has regular flights to Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, and Visakhapatnam. From 2016 onwards, night flights were also operated along with the day flights.

Another mode of transport is ship which has routes from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. The journey takes approximately three days and two nights.

In popular culture
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle refers to the Andaman Islands in his Sherlock Holmes novel The Sign of the Four.

Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay based the events of one his Kakababu-series adventure thriller novels, Sabuj Dwiper Raja (1976), on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 1979, it was made into a film of the same name, with extensive shooting on the islands.

The National Award winning Malayalam film Kaalapani was set against backdrop of the Port Blair's Cellular Jail. It is one of the films that was extensively shot in the islands.

Most parts of the song Life Of Ram got shot in this island which is featured in the 2018 Tamil language film '96.

The fictional Ambrose Island in Hitman 3 is located in the islands, as seen in the world map in freelancer mode.

The Netflix Original Series, Kaala Paani, is based on a fictional illness that spreads in the islands.

Gallery

See also

 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
 2014 Andaman boat disaster
 Andamanese peoples
 Coral reefs in India
 Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India
 List of endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
 List of islands of India

References

External links

 Census of India, Provisional Population Totals
 Andaman and Nicobar Administration Website

1956 establishments in India
States and territories established in 1956
Union territories of India
States and union territories of India
Dependent territories in Asia
Islands of the Bay of Bengal
Islands of the Andaman Sea
01
Volcanic arc islands
Andaman Sea

Andaman and Nicobar Islands


David Joseph Bishop (born 31 October 1960), also known by the nickname of "Bish", is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and then rugby league footballer.

Rugby union career
As a scrum-half in rugby union, he made his first-class début for Ebbw Vale where he was outstanding. He then joined Pontypool in 1981, but not long after broke his neck. Despite being told he would never play again, he was back playing for Pontypool within a year. He only gained one cap for Wales – against Australia during the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland which Wales lost 28–9. Despite the loss Bishop was the only player to score a try against them.

Bishop had played understudy to fellow scrum-half Terry Holmes, and when Holmes switched codes to rugby league in 1985, many expected Bishop to finally be given his chance to play for Wales permanently. However, during a match versus Newbridge, Chris Jarman received a broken jaw in an off-the ball incident. Jarman brought a private prosecution resulting in Bishop being given a suspended jail sentence and an eleven-month ban by the WRU. The Welsh selectors instead picked Robert Jones of Swansea RFC. Bishop however gained his revenge in 1987-88 when Pontypool defeated Swansea at Pontypool Park in the cup, the highlight of the game being Bishop's penalty in the mud to seal the win, following which Bishop wiggled his rear end to the stand—where the Welsh selectors were sitting.

Despite repeatedly putting in outstanding performances for Pontypool, Bishop was never picked for Wales again, though his case was not helped by several of Bishop's antics off the field. The 1987–1988 season was the most successful in the club's history when they lost only two games all season and Bishop formed a potent partnership with Mark Ring.

When rugby union became openly professional in 1995, Bishop returned to Pontypool as player-coach. Although Pontypool had been relegated from the top flight of rugby in Wales in 1995. Two highlights during this period were saving Pontypool from relegation from Division 1 with a victory over UWIC and the 16–15 win over Neath RFC in the Welsh Cup in 1999. Pontypool then played Cardiff in the next round of the cup, where they were heavily defeated, but Bishop faced his old adversary Robert Jones for the last time.

Rugby league career
Finally in 1988 Bishop was lured to rugby league and he signed for Hull Kingston Rovers List of Hull Kingston Rovers players Heritage No 868, and subsequently played for Salford and London Crusaders. He was then part of the Wales rugby league team that won a European Nations Cup and reached the 1995 Rugby League World Cup's semi-finals.

References

External links

1960 births
Living people
Dual-code rugby internationals
Ebbw Vale RFC players
Great Britain national rugby league team players
Hull Kingston Rovers players
London Broncos players
Players of British baseball
Pontypool RFC coaches
Pontypool RFC players
Rugby articles needing expert attention
Rugby league locks
Rugby league players from Cardiff
Rugby union players from Cardiff
Salford Red Devils players
Wales international rugby union players
Wales national rugby league team players
Welsh rugby league players
Welsh rugby union players
Rugby union scrum-halves

David Bishop (rugby, born 1960)


Whorl is a type of spiral pattern.

Other meanings of whorl include:
 Whorl (mollusc), a single, complete 360° turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell
 Body whorl, in a mollusc shell the most recently formed whorl of a spiral shell, terminating in the aperture
 A whorl of sepals or petals or leaves on plants, in which all the parts are attached at the same point and surround or wrap around the stem.
 In biology a whorl might occur at the ends of different structures or occur in the middle of structures. It's often used to describe the structures of organs and used in the aid of identification. It's a cluster of cells or tissue that surround another, that starts at the same plain of axis or starts at one point and wraps around that point in an expanding circular pattern.
 A type of fingerprint pattern
 A whorl (spindle) is a weight attached to a spindle

Whorl


Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584 (2002), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court applied the rule of Apprendi v. New Jersey to capital sentencing schemes, holding that the Sixth Amendment requires a jury to find the aggravating factors necessary for imposing the death penalty. Ring overruled a portion of Walton v. Arizona, which had rejected that contention.

Facts of the case
On November 28, 1994, an armored car parked in front of Arrowhead Mall in Glendale, Arizona, was robbed. The driver, John Magoch, was shot in the head as he opened the door to smoke, and died almost instantly. One of the robbers then drove the van to a church in nearby Sun City, where they made off with $562,000 in cash and $271,000 in personal checks. An informant tipped the police off to Timothy Ring and two of his friends, who had recently made expensive purchases such as a new truck. Police eventually discovered that Ring was the ringleader of the operation. Ring was later charged with capital felony murder under Arizona law.

The jury eventually convicted Ring of felony murder, but Ring could not be sentenced to death without further findings, and Arizona law provided that the judge alone would make the findings. After a sentencing hearing, at which Ring's accomplices testified, the judge found that two aggravating factors applied: that Ring had committed the murder in expectation of pecuniary gain and that he had committed the murder in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner. Although he found that Ring had a "minimal" criminal record, the judge concluded that it did not outweigh the aggravating factors and sentenced Ring to death.

Apprendi applies to capital sentencing schemes

Writing for the majority, Justice Ginsburg began with an important characterization of Arizona's capital sentencing scheme. Based solely on the jury's verdict that Ring was guilty of first-degree murder, the greatest sentence for which Ring was eligible was life in prison. To satisfy the jury-trial requirement of the Sixth Amendment as interpreted by Apprendi, additional factfinding was required. However, in Walton, the Court had expressly held that Arizona's capital sentencing scheme was not subject to such a requirement.

That characterization all but dictated the result. Prior decisions, including Walton, had distinguished between the "elements" of a crime and "sentencing factors." The Sixth Amendment required a jury to find elements but allowed a judge to determine sentencing factors. Under Walton, the aggravating factors were "sentencing factors" because they were the modern vehicle by which judges expressed their traditional sentencing discretion in capital cases. However, after Apprendi, which built on Jones v. United States, , the relevant inquiry was "one not of form, but of effect." If a particular fact, whether it was called an "element" or a "sentencing factor," exposed the defendant to a greater punishment, then the Court said that the Sixth Amendment required a jury to find it. The Court found no principled basis for exempting capital cases from Apprendi'''s general rule.

Noting the disparity between Justice Breyer's continued rejection of Apprendi and concurrence in Ring'', Justice Antonin Scalia added:

While I am, as always, pleased to travel in Justice Breyer's company, the unfortunate fact is that today's judgment has nothing to do with jury sentencing. What today's decision says is that the jury must find the existence of the fact that an aggravating factor existed. Those States that leave the ultimate life-or-death decision to the judge may continue to do so—by requiring a prior jury finding of aggravating factor in the sentencing phase or, more simply, by placing the aggravating-factor determination (where it logically belongs anyway) in the guilt phase.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor argued that the Court's decision would have serious consequences, opening up a flood of litigation from death-row inmates and creating uncertainty in the laws of nine other states that employed either total or partial judicial factfinding in death sentences.

See also
 List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 536
List of United States Supreme Court cases

References

External links

United States Supreme Court decisions that overrule a prior Supreme Court decision
United States Supreme Court cases
United States Supreme Court cases of the Rehnquist Court
United States Sixth Amendment sentencing case law
Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause and death penalty case law
Capital punishment in Arizona
2002 in United States case law
2002 in Arizona
Legal history of Arizona

Ring v. Arizona


Ascharya Fuck It (parsed as Ascharya F#*k It on the film's theatrical poster; also known as Ascharyachakit!) is an Indian Hindi language black comedy drama film, directed by Samit Kakkad. The film stars Priyanka Bose, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Ankit Raaj, Anangsha Biswas and Santosh Juvekar in major roles. The story is about how desire and greed intertwine the lives of a Bollywood star, his chauffeur, a prostitute and her pimp in an unlikely love story. The film is backed by Yoodlee Films, a production venture of Saregama.

Plot
A Bollywood Superstar hires a prostitute for a night of passion. This one night changes the fate of five characters forever. The prostitute falls for the Superstar's driver while she struggles to free herself from the clutches of the sociopath pimp. Meanwhile, the actor is blackmailed for his past transgressions and he seeks to keep his reputation intact by any means necessary. These two events collide with a violent conclusion where not everyone will survive.

Cast
 Santosh Juvekar as Khushiya
 Priyanka Bose as Kanta
 Vaibhav Raj Gupta as Raju
 Ankit Raaj as Karan Kumar
 Vipin Sharma as Gordhan
 Anangsha Biswas as Latika
Kashmira Irani as Janki

References

External links

2018 films
2010s Hindi-language films
Indian drama films
Films about Bollywood
Indian black comedy films
Films about prostitution in India
Indian direct-to-video films
2018 direct-to-video films
2018 black comedy films
Hindi-language drama films

Ascharya Fuck It


La Belle Etoile is a shopping mall in Bertrange, in south-western Luxembourg.  It is owned by Cactus, Luxembourg's largest retailer and third-largest employer.

It is located on the route d'Arlon (N6),  to the west of Luxembourg City, next to the village of Tossenberg.

The centre is home to 65 stores, making it Luxembourg's largest shopping centre.  The anchor store of the complex is a Cactus hypermarket.  Other well-known tenants include Benetton, The Body Shop, C&A, and H&M.  The centre has parking for 3,000 cars.

Footnotes

External links
 Official website

Bertrange
Shopping malls in Luxembourg

La Belle Etoile


Red Lake Falls Township is a township in Red Lake County, Minnesota, United States.  The population was 206 at the 2000 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.0 square miles (88.0 km); 34.0 square miles (87.9 km) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km = 0.09%) is water.  The township's area was reduced in 1881, when the town of Red Lake Falls was incorporated within its borders.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 206 people, 86 households, and 60 families residing in the township.  The population density was 6.1 people per square mile (2.3/km).  There were 88 housing units at an average density of 2.6/sq mi (1.0/km).  The racial makeup of the township was 100.00% White.

There were 86 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the township, the population was spread out, with 20.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $36,250, and the median income for a family was $38,750.  Males had a median income of $25,179 versus $17,321 for females. The per capita income for the township was $16,833.  About 7.1% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 13.6% of those 65 or over.

References

Townships in Red Lake County, Minnesota
Townships in Minnesota

Red Lake Falls Township, Red Lake County, Minnesota


A child tax credit (CTC) is a tax credit for parents with dependent children given by various countries. The credit is often linked to the number of dependent children a taxpayer has and sometimes the taxpayer's income level. For example, with the Child Tax Credit in the United States, only families making less than $400,000 per year may claim the full CTC. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the tax credit is only available for families making less than £42,000 per year.

Germany
Germany has a programme called the  which, despite technically being a tax exemption and not a tax credit, functions similarly. The child allowance is an allowance in German tax law, in which a certain amount of money is tax-free in the taxation of parents. In the income tax fee paid, child benefit and tax savings through the child tax credit are compared against each other, and the parents pay whichever results in the lesser amount of tax.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a family with children and an income below about £32,200 could claim the child tax credit on top of child benefit. The tax credit is "non-wastable" – it is paid whether or not the family has a net tax liability – and is paid in or out of work. Higher rates are paid for disabled children. It is integrated with the working tax credit, which also provides support for childcare costs.

All taxable income is tested for the credit, so a couple who both work and have children, will have both salaries taken into account. Tax Credits may be capped which it is claimed could affect the poorest families disproportionately. On Monday 26 October 2015, the House of Lords voted for Labour Party proposals for financial redress to those affected by reduced entitlements.

Since 2018 Child Tax Credit has been replaced by Universal Credit for most people. UK citizens may claim Child Benefit which is paid out by the UK tax authority HMRC and anyone earning less than £50,000 year will receive the full benefit. Anyone earning between £50,000 and £60,000 per year will need a percentage back with £60,000 or more per year paying the full amount back.

Currently, the only way to make a new claim for Child Tax Credit is if you have an existing Working Tax Credit claim. This will be phased out due to the government moving everyone over to Universal Credit and is expected to happen in 2024.

United States

The child tax credit is available to taxpayers who have children under the age of 17 (or in 2021 under the age of 18). Since 2018, the CTC is $2,000 per qualifying child. It is available in full to single filers who make up to $200,000 and married couples filing jointly who make up to $400,000. Above these limits, the CTC is phased out at the rate of $50 for each additional $1,000 earned. When a taxpayer's credit value exceeds his or her tax liability, the taxpayer is eligible for the additional child tax credit (ACTC), which is calculated as 15% of the taxpayer's AGI in excess of $2,500 (i.e. a family must make at least $2,500 to be eligible for the credit), with the refund value capped at $1,400.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021 significantly expanded the child tax credit for one year, allowing qualifying families to offset $3,000 per child up to age 17 and $3,600 per child under age 6. It also made the credit fully-refundable and offered the option of receiving half of the credit as six monthly payments. 39 million households, covering 88% of children in the United States, will begin receiving these payments automatically beginning July 15, 2021. The proposed Build Back Better Act would extend the expansion for an additional year and make the full refundability of the CTC permanent.

The child tax credit has a significant effect on child poverty. In 2016, it was estimated to have lifted about 3 million children out of poverty. In 2021, a Columbia University study estimated that the expansion of the CTC in the American Rescue Plan Act reduced child poverty by an additional 26%, and would have decreased child poverty by 40% had all eligible households claimed the credit.

See also
Taxation in the United Kingdom
UK labour law
Taxation in the United States

Notes

References
Samuel A. Donaldson, Federal Income Taxation of Individuals: Cases, Problems and Materials, 2nd Edition (St. Paul: Thomson/West, 2007)
IRS Publication 972 (2007), Child Tax Credit

Tax credits
Taxation in the United States
Taxation in the United Kingdom
Tax terms

Child tax credit


Adrian Bohdanovych Mikhalchishin (also Mihalcisin, Mihalčišin or Mykhalchyshyn, , born November 18, 1954) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster now playing for Slovenia. Education: Lviv University, faculty of physics 1976. Mikhalchishin is married, with two children.

Biography
He became a Grandmaster in 1978, shared first place at the Nikolaev tournament (today in Mykolaiv) in 1983, and was second at Hastings in 1985–86. Vice President of Ukrainian Chess Federation 1998–2001. Speaks Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, English and German languages.

As a player best result 4th place in Soviet Championship 1984, Soviet Youth champion 1977. During the 1979 Soviet Spartakiad (Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR), Mikhalchishin represented the chess team of Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR). World Youth Champion in team 1977, 1980, winner of European Cup 1984, winner of international tournaments Banco do Roma 1977, Copenhagen 1980, Leipzig 1979, Brno 1990, Eeklo 1991, Dortmund 1999, Warsaw 2002.

Slovenian Champion 2002. In Ukrainian Championships best result was 2-3 places in 1977 and Rapid chess Ukrainian Champion in 1993, many times junior Champion of the country.

In 1992 he represented Ukraine at the Chess Olympiads 1992, in 2000–2006 – Slovenia.

Winner of team Championships and National Cups of USSR, Ukraine, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Hungary.

Coach
FIDE Senior Trainer from 2002, FIDE TRAINERS COMMISSION Chairman from 2009. Conducted 12 Seminars for FIDE trainers in Germany, UAE, Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Croatia and Austria.

Trainer of Soviet National team 1989–90 World and European Champions.

Trainer of National team Slovenia 1998–2003, National team of Netherlands 2003–2007, National Team of Turkey 2007–08. Conducted training camps with National teams of Poland and Switzerland.
Individual training with Maya Tchiburdanidze 1978, Nana Aleksandria -1983, Anatoly Karpov 1980–1986, Aleksandr Beliavsky 1986–1995, Vasyl Ivanchuk 1990, Polgar sisters 1992–1994, Alisa Marić 1994–2000, Zhaoqin Peng 2002–2007, Mateusz Bartel 2000–2009, Ilya Nyzhnyk 2009, Richard Rapport 2010, Arkady Naidich -2005–2006.

Trainer of club AGROUNIVERZAL Belgrade, three times winner of European Women Cup 1993, 1997, 1999.

He is currently coaching the Women's Team in Turkey.

Books
Author of 21 chess books published in Germany, England, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, Yugoslavia, USA.

Chessbase Discs
The Secret Weapons of the Champions
Decision Making in Chess
Power of Planning
Arkhangelsk
Power of Exchange
Winning Structures
Strategy University Vol 1: The Central Approach
Strategy University Vol 2: Prevention and Preparation in Chess
Strategy University Vol 3: Positional Pawn Sacrifice
The King in the Center
1.e4 e5 – An Active Repertoire for Black
Pattern Recognition and Typical Plans
Pawn Structures you Should Know

Family

His son Yuriy Mykhalchyshyn is a Ukrainian politician, a member of the Ukrainian political party Svoboda.

References

External links

Interview with GM Adrian Mikhalchishin (2006)
Interview with GM Adrian Mikhalchishin (2008)

1954 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lviv
Naturalized citizens of Slovenia
Chess grandmasters
Chess coaches
Soviet chess players
Ukrainian chess players
Slovenian chess players
Lemkos

Adrian Mikhalchishin