Saw Lagun Ein

Saw Lagun Ein ( ) was viceroy of Martaban (Mottama) from 1541 to 1550. The ethnic Mon viceroy was a top military adviser to King Tabinshwehti and Gen. Bayinnaung of Toungoo Dynasty. He fought alongside them in all their military campaigns from 1540 to 1549. He led the 1547–1548 campaign that retook the Tavoy frontier in the war against Siam (1547–49). He was overthrown by Smim Htaw in the chaos that followed Tabinshwehti's assassination in 1550.
Background.
Saw Lagun Ein was of Hanthawaddy royalty, a grandson of King Dhammazedi (r. 1471–1492) as well as a first cousin and brother-in-law of King Takayutpi of Hanthawaddy (r. 1526–1539). His mother was a paternal aunt of Takayutpi and he was married to a younger sister of Takayutpi. He was one of the Hanthawaddy nobles that entered the service of Tabinshwehti after Takayutpi died in exile.
Viceroy and general.
In May 1541, he was appointed viceroy of the province of Martaban (approximately, present-day Mon State) by Tabinshwehti. As a vassal ruler, he not only contributed manpower to the high king's nonstop military campaigns every year between 1541 and 1549 but also led armies in those campaigns. He was one of the three top generals (along with Bayinnaung and Smim Payu) in Toungoo's invasion of Upper Burma in 1543–44. In 1547–48, he successfully led Toungoo forces (4000 naval troops and 8000 land troops), and retook Ye and Tavoy (Dawei) from Siamese forces. He was under the command of Bayinnaung in the 1548–49 invasion of Siam.
In January/February 1550 (Tabodwe 911 ME), Lagun Ein went to the Irrawaddy delta with the king and his crew on an extended elephant hunting trip in search of an elusive "white elephant". He was asked to go along on the trip by Bayinnaung, who was concerned about the safety of the king. As Bayinnaung suspected, one of the king's closest advisers, the governor of Sittaung Smim Sawhtut, was planning to assassinate the king. Lagun Ein's constant presence foiled Sawhtut's plans for over two months but Sawhtut finally convinced the king to send Lagun Ein back to Martaban. Lagun Ein protested but had to obey the order. Soon after he left, the king was assassinated by Sawhtut's men.
After Tabinshwehti's death, the kingdom he had built up in the last 15 years promptly fell apart. Instead of submitting to his chosen successor Bayinnaung, each major governor declared himself independent. Smim Htaw, who had raised a rebellion in the delta since early 1550, took over the Martaban region. Though it is unclear as to what happened to Lagun Ein—Chronicles do not mention his name again—he was probably killed by Smim Htaw's men.


John VII of Georgia

John VII () was Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, from 1208 to 1210. He belonged to the group of reactionary monks that supported Georgian-Dyophysitism and condemned Armenian Miaphysitism. His activities resulted by baptizing Ivane Mkhargrdzeli, the ruler of Dvin and Vaspurakan, and a great number of Armenians with him.


Irrawaddy Flotilla Company

The Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (IFC) was a passenger and cargo ferry company, which operated services on the Irrawaddy River in Burma, now Myanmar. The IFC was Scottish-owned, and was managed by P Henderson & Company from Glasgow. The IFC operated from 1865 until the late 1940s. At its peak in the late 1920s, the IFC fleet was the largest fleet of river boats in the world, consisting of over 600 vessels carrying some 8-9 million passengers and 1¼ million tons of cargo a year.
Beginnings.
The IFC was formed in 1865 as the Irrawaddy Flotilla and Burmese Steam Navigation Co Ltd, primarily to ferry troops up and down the Irrawaddy River and delta. Soon, the company was carrying passengers, rice, government stores, and mail from Rangoon to Prome, Thayetmyo and Mandalay, and then extended in 1868 to Bhamo. In 1875, the company's name was shortened to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. Although registered in Glasgow, the operational headquarters were in Rangoon, with a major shipyard across the river at Dalla.
The company's services became indispensable to the oil fields up river at Yenangyaung and Chauk for carrying supplies and heavy equipment. Partly because the railway to Mandalay followed the path of the Sittaung River rather than the Irrawaddy River, the company stayed relevant and useful well into the twentieth century, even after independence from Britain.
The ships, most of which were paddle steamers, were generally built in Scotland before being dismantled and transported to Burma for reassembly. When the Japanese invaded Burma in World War II, the Manager of the IFC's Burma fleet, John Morton, ordered the scuttling of all 600 ships in his fleet. This prevented the Japanese from having a usable, local fleet for transport up the Irrawaddy River. In 1948 the company was reconstituted as the Government Inland Water Transport Board.
Quote.
The paddle steamers of the IFC inspired the famous lines penned by Rudyard Kipling:


Al Buraimi Governorate

Al Buraimi Governorate () is a governorate of Oman which was split from the Ad Dhahirah Region. Until October 2006, the area was part of Ad Dhahirah Region. At this time, the new governorate was created from the Wilayats (Provinces) of Al Buraymi and Mahdah. A third wilayat, As-Sunaynah, was created from parts of the two.
The town of Al-Buraimi is an oasis town in northwestern Oman, on the border of the United Arab Emirates. An adjacent city on the UAE's side of the border is Al Ain. Both settlements are part of the historical region of Tawam or Al-Buraimi Oasis. For many decades, there had been an open border between Al-Buraimi located in Oman and Al-Ain. Effective from 16 September 2006, this border has been relocated to an area around Hilli which is around from the traditional open border. The traditional border near Al-Ain City is now closed to all except to those with valid visas (GCC nationals require no visa).
Geography.
Apart from that both are in the area of the Western Hajar Mountains, the surrounding landscape of Al-Buraimi differs from that of Al-Ain, consisting mainly of wide open gravel plains and sharp jutting rocks (The sohar gap found to the east of the Buraimi township is an example of this), Samr ("Acacia spp.") and Ghaf ("Prosopis cineraria") trees are fairly common on these gravel plains.
Al-Buraimi is considerably smaller than the adjoining city of Al-Ain and is visibly less affluent. Streets in Al-Buraimi are not named and development could be considered "piecemeal" with large villas often appearing some metres from the roads, and footpaths do not occur away from the main streets.
Climate.
Al Buraimi has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: "BWh").
Habitational system.
Before the relocation of the border it was fairly common for expatriates from Al-Ain to rent villas and apartments as they were roughly 50% of the cost of an equivalent villa/apartment in Al-Ain. However, the change in border policy has led many of these expatriates to relocate to Al-Ain due to long waiting times at the border checkpoints during peak traffic hours.
Transportation.
Transport in and around Al-Buraimi is by taxis, which like the majority of taxis in Oman are coloured orange and white. Drivers accept payment in both Omani Riyals and United Arab Emirate Dirhams, a trip within the township of Al-Buraimi will generally cost no more than 5 AED/0.5 OMR to 1.5 OMR. A trip to Mahdha may cost over 50 AED / 5 to 10 OMR.
Buraimi lies on a bus route from Dubai to Muscat.
Culture.
Al-Buraimi, like the rest of Oman, features many historic forts in varying condition. The largest mosque in Al-Buraimi is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, named after the Sultan, Qaboos bin Said al Said. There are ruins of ancient hovels and a fort in Al-Buraimi.
History and prehistory.
Being in the region of the Western Hajar, the area of Al-Buraimi and Al-Ain, traditionally referred to as 'Tawam', is of historical and cultural importance. It is demonstrated to have been inhabited as far back as the Hafit period of the early Bronze Age, and according to one author, an oasis in this region and Al-Hasa in Saudi Arabia are the most important in the Arabian Peninsula.
Al-Buraimi was part of Oman from early historical times. From around 600 CE, the Azdi tribes of Oman occupied the area. Then Al-Buraimi town was abandoned in the 700s. The area witnessed events relevant to the history of Islam during the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid eras. The area had come under the rule of the Wajihid Dynasty in the 9th century CE. Al Nuaimi tribe, the original people of the town, rebuilt and ruled it in the 1800s to the 1950s. It had only two rulers, Sheikh Sulṭan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al-Hamood Al Qurtasi Al Naimi, then Sheikh Saqer bin Sulṭan bin Moḥammed Al Hamood Al Qurtasi Al Naimi. The late president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was known to have been brought from Abu Dhabi to Al-Ain by his mother, Shaikhah Salaamah, following the assassination of his father Sultan bin Zayed in 1927. Zayed was raised in a fortified house in the Muwaiji district of Al-Ain. Since 1761, Abu Dhabi was ruled by sheikhs of Al Abu Falah dynasty.
The Buraimi Dispute.
The community of Al-Buraimi is probably best known as the result of an incident known as the "Buraimi Dispute", an episode that contributed to the claims of those who see Zayed as the most astute leader in the region during that time. The Buraimi Dispute arose from Saudi Arabia's claim, first made in 1949, of sovereignty over a large part of Abu Dhabi territory where oil was suspected to be present and an area in a circle around the centre of the Buraimi Oasis. The Saudis relied on historical precedent (the oasis was under Wahhabi influence in the period between 1800-1870) for their claims, which were countered by arguments from Abu Dhabi and Muscat based on more recent events. The argument led to the 1950 'London Agreement' whereby all exploration and troop movements would take place in the area until the issue of sovereignty was resolved. Despite ongoing negotiations, the Saudis attempted to take back the oasis. In 1952 a group of some 80 Saudi Arabian guards, 40 of whom were armed, led by the Saudi Emir of Ras Tanura, Turki Abdullah Al Otaishan, crossed Abu Dhabi territory and occupied Hamasa, one of three Omani villages in the oasis, claiming it as part of the eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Sulṭan of Muscat and Imam of Oman gathered his forces to expel the Saudis but were persuaded by the British Government to exercise restraint pending attempts to settle the dispute by arbitration.
A standstill agreement was implemented and, on 30 July 1954, it was agreed to refer the dispute to an international arbitration tribunal. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia embarked on a campaign of bribery to obtain declarations of tribal loyalty on which its case was based. In 1955 arbitration proceedings began in Geneva only to collapse when the British arbitrator, Sir Reader Bullard, withdrew. A few weeks later, the Saudi party was forcibly ejected from Hamasa by the Trucial Oman Levies. Together with a few refugee sheikhs and their families, the Saudis were taken to Sharjah and dispatched to Saudi Arabia by sea. The dispute continued to rumble on for many years to come until settled in 1974 by an agreement, known as the Treaty of Jeddah, between Sheikh Zayed (then President of the UAE) and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Governor.
The governor for Al Buraimi is Sayyid Saud bin Hilal bin Hamad al-Busaidi.


Sultan Abdul Samad Building

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (Malay: Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad) is a late-nineteenth century building located along Jalan Raja in front of the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building originally housed the offices of the British colonial administration, and was known simply as Government Offices in its early years. In 1974 it was renamed after Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time when construction began.
The building houses both the offices of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia (Malay: "Kementerian Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia"). It once housed the superior courts of the country: the Federal Court of Malaysia, the Court of Appeals and the High Court of Malaya. The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals had shifted to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya during the early 2000s, while the High Court of Malaya shifted to the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in 2007.
History.
Origin and design.
The government offices of the British colonial administration was originally located in the Bluff Road (present day Jalan Bukit Aman) area on a hill overlooking the Padang now called Merdeka Square. However, due to the need for more office space and complaints from the public about the necessity of going up and down the hill, the State Engineer of Selangor Public Works Department Charles Edwin Spooner proposed the building of government offices lower down at the plain. The initial suggestion was rejected due to cost, but the British Resident of Selangor William Edward Maxwell accepted a second proposal that cost less.
The building was originally designed by A.C. Norman and his assistant R. A. J. Bidwell in a Classical Renaissance style, but Spooner disliked the design. It was then reworked by Bidwell under Spooner's guidance in a style variously described as Indo-Saracenic, Neo-Mughal, or Moorish. Later A. B. Hubback who had just starting working for the colonial government in Malaya as a senior draughtsman also worked on it. Although the building is formally credited to A.C. Norman (only his name appears on the foundation stone as the architect) and his ground plan was kept, the actual design is to a large extent the work of R. A. J. Bidwell, with some contributions from A. B. Hubback who also designed the fixtures of the building.
The building has two stories, with the floor plan roughly in the shape of the letter F with an extended top bar representing the frontage. The facade of the building faces the Padang and stretches over along Jalan Raja, at that time the largest building in Malaya. The building has wide verandas on both floors. A central clock tower is in height, and designed to echo the Big Ben but in an Indo-Saracenic style. Two lower towers flanked the clock tower, each containing a staircase. The design of these two towers may have been influenced by Muir Central College of Allahabad in India. All three towers are topped by a copper-clad onion dome. The style of the building is sometimes referred to as the "blood and bandages" style—red bricks with white plastered arches and banding.
Construction.
The construction of the building began in September 1894 and was completed in 1897. The foundation stone was laid on 6 October 1894 by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Charles Mitchell. The building sits on an area of 1.034 hectares, with the floor of the building occupying an area of . The construction used 4 million bricks, 2,500 barrels of cement, 18,000 pikuls of lime, 5,000 lbs of copper, 50 tons of steel and iron, and about 30,000 cubic feet of timber. Spooner had previously established in the Brickfields area a factory for the production of large number of higher quality bricks, tiles and other building material suitable for the construction of the building. The cost of construction was 152,000 straits dollars.
Spooner also made many alterations and additions while the building was being constructed with the help of A. B. Hubback. Some of these, such as an extra two and a half feet of brickwork on the lower walls, were necessary to strengthen the building due to it being built so close to the river. The height of the clock tower had also caused much concern to the public, who thought that the tower may collapse due to the ground vibrations caused by a loud signal gun fired daily at noon and 5 pm, the built tower however proved to be sturdy. A problem arose with the clock first delivered as it was not in harmony with the building, and it was replaced by a second one. The clock was manufactured by Gillett & Johnston Ltd of Croydon.
Opening.
The building was completed in 1897, and a dinner was held by the Selangor Public Works Department in the building to celebrate its completion. On 4 April 1897, The building was officially opened by Sir Frank Swettenham, the General Resident of the time. A ball was held at the building, and its exterior was floodlit by gas burners, the first time such illumination was used in Kuala Lumpur.
The tower chimed for the first time to coincide with Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Parade in June 1897 and has chimed since.
Extensions.
The completed structure housed various important government departments during the British administration. The building, simply known as "Government Offices" in early Kuala Lumpur maps, housed "the Federal Secretariat" of the then-Federated Malay States (FMS) which was formed in 1896. The entire FMS administration—the Public Works Department, General Post Office, District Offices, Mines Department, Lands, Audit, Treasury, Government Secretariat Offices—was housed there. It also shared its offices with the Selangor State Government.
As it was not foreseen when construction began in 1894 that Kuala Lumpur would become the capital of the Federated Malay States, the office space provided was inadequate for the needs of a burgeoning bureaucracy. The FMS government took over the offices that were intended for the Sanitation Board. Other buildings and extensions were then constructed around it. A rear wing was added in 1903, and a building built in the same style was added to the south in 1907 to house the General Post Office.
Post-independence.
Malaya gained independence in 1957, and the Padang or field in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, officially renamed Dataran Merdeka (or Merdeka Square) on 1 January 1990, has become the location for the official celebration of Malayan (later Malaysian) independence since. At Dataran Merdeka, the British Union Jack was lowered for the last time at midnight on 30 August 1957 when the clock started chiming, and the Malayan flag then hoisted for the first time. Celebrations shifted to the Merdeka Stadium in the morning on 31 August with the Declaration of Independence, and Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first prime minister of Malaya.
In 1974, all of the State of Selangor Government offices were relocated to Shah Alam, and the various departments of the Federal Government also moved their offices elsewhere. The building was then renamed Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad (Sultan Abdul Samad Building) and renovated.
Starting from 1978, the building housed the Court of Appeal, High Court and the Supreme Court, which was subsequently renamed the Federal Court. The Federal Court and the Court of Appeals have since moved to the Palace of Justice located in Putrajaya, the new Federal administrative capital. The building now houses the offices of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia and underwent further refurbishment.
Every year, in the morning of Merdeka Day (31 August) as well as Malaysia Day (16 September), thousands of spectators converge on the city to watch the colourful parade along the streets of the city and performances held at the Merdeka Square.
In 2012, the building was partly refurbished and the copper domes received a new coating of metallic paint. New colour-changing LED lights were installed to brighten up the building at night. On selected days, a section of Jalan Raja will be closed in order for the people to enjoy the night scenery of the area. Since 2007, a "Merdeka" (Independence) wording has been fixed at the bottom of the clock tower, a reminder of the very day of the nation's independence in 1957.
Features.
Topped by a shiny copper dome and a 41m high clock tower, it is a major landmark in the city. The clock tower houses a one-ton bell clock that strikes on the hour and half-hour.
A 95-metre flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, marks that spot with a flat, round black marble plaque. It is located at the southern end of the Merdeka Square in front of the building.
The building serves as the backdrop for important events such as the National Day Parade on 31 August and the ushering in of the New Year. Each of the 13 states plus the Federal Territories are represented in the National Day Parade, as are the many ethnic groups that comprise multiracial Malaysia.
Behind the building flows the Klang River and Gombak River's confluence and in the middle of where the two rivers meet stands the Masjid Jamek (or Jamek Mosque), a mosque designed in similar architectural style.
Incidents.
In 1971, Kuala Lumpur suffered a huge flood after a heavy rainfall. Part of the building was not spared. In 1978, a massive renovation was undertaken. The renovation took six years to complete with a total cost of RM 17.2 million. There was also a fire which damaged part of the building. A large bronze memorial plaque commemorating fallen judicial officers and lawyers who served as volunteer soldiers in the Second World War disappeared about this time. The plaque was either looted or else was damaged in the fire but was never repaired or replaced. There is now a move supported by the Malayan Volunteers Group to try to get the bronze memorial plaque restored.
Transportation.
The building is accessible within walking distance west of Masjid Jamek LRT Station.


Funakiyama Kofun cluster

 is a cluster of Kofun period burial mounds located the city of Motosu, Gifu Prefecture in the Chūbu region of Japan. It was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2018.
Overview.
The Funaiyama Kofun group is the largest cluster of "kofun" in the Tōkai region, and was constructed from the 3rd to the 7th century, on a mountain called Mount Funaki straddling the border of the cities of Motosu and Gifu. To date, 290 burial mounds have been discovered. Mount Funaki is a long and narrow mountain about 2 kilometers east-to-west by about 600 meters north-to-south, with an elevation of 64 to 115 meters. The ancient burial mounds are built from the foot of the mountain to the summit, and consist of various types of "kofun": square ("hōfun" (方墳)), round ("empun" (円墳)), two "cojoined-rectangle" style ("zenpō-kōhō-fun" (前方後方墳)) and keyhole-style ("zempō-kōen fun" (前方後円墳)). Approximately a quarter of the mountain is covered by the National Historic Site designation, including 111 tumuli (112 if a single Yayoi period tomb is included), all of which are on the Motosu side of the mountain.
Of the 290 tombs, 237 are on the Motosu side, and 162 of these have been excavated. Both horizontal and vertical type burial chambers have been found, often with large quantities of grave goods, which included bronze mirrors, iron swords and armor, horse fittings, agricultural implements, jewelry (such as round and cylindrical beads, and "magatama"), Sue ware and Haji ware pottery, and human bones. On October 13, 2017, 687 items excavated were designated as Gifu Prefecture Important Cultural Properties and 8,093 other excavated artifacts were designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Motosu city.


Archaeology of Pinagbayanan

Pinagbayanan is a barrio in the municipality of Pila, Laguna, Philippines. The 2010 census estimates its population at 5,305 people. Archaeological excavations in the area have contributed to developments in the field of ceramics and led to the recognition of the importance of the area to archaeology.
Background.
Archaeological excavations in the area have contributed to the developments in the field of ceramics and led to the recognition of the importance of the Laguna de Bay area to archaeology. H. Otley Beyer had pointed out the archaeological potential of the areas around Laguna de Bay due to its strategic location. It was among the most important centers of trade and culture during the period in the history of the Philippines that Beyer called the Porcelain Age, during which trade with China—under the Sung and Yuan dynasties—flourished, as evidenced by trade ceramics dated from the same period.
Excavations.
Despite the number of porcelain sites in the area, only a few had been systematically excavated until the 1960s. In 1967, archaeological excavations were conducted by Julita Fernandez, Amelia Rogel, Dr. Robert Bradford Fox and Avelino Legaspi around the Laguna de Bay area. 153 graves were found, dated from 12th to 15th CE.
Locsin Excavations.
Leandro and Cecilia Locsin and a team of archaeologists from the University of San Carlos, headed by Rosa C.P. Tenazas, partially excavated three sites in Pinagbayanan from 1967 to 1968. A typhoon helped in recovering additional information by uncovering burial locations. The dearth of skeletal remains made the identification of burials difficult. Of the 190 burials discovered, only 20 contained traces of skeletal remains. With the exception of one Ming burial which was the most well-preserved and contained ten pieces of pottery, none of the other burials were associated with grave goods.
Discoveries.
The discoveries in the Locsin and the University of San Carlos excavation of Pinagbayanan are divided into several archaeological horizons dated from 1100 AD to 1400 AD. The first horizon is associated with the Iron Age, before trade contacts were established with China or Arabia and contained earthenware used for burials. The second horizon is associated with the Sung period. The depth of the stratigraphic layer indicates long periods without cultural change. The site was mainly used for burials. The third horizon is associated with the Yuan period. The presence of horse bones shows that horses had come earlier than the Spaniards. The sites were used for habitation and burials. A crematory complex was also discovered. The stone structure contained phosphate deposits, bamboo charcoal and other evidence of burning.
Phallic earthenwares were found in the Pinagbayanan sites which suggest the possibility that they were used as a symbol of fertility. A net sinker that might have been intended to be a yonic symbol was also discovered.


Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet (; "Temple of the Holy, Splendid Omniscient") was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya until the city was completely destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. It was the grandest and most beautiful temple in the capital and it served as a model for Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
History.
In 1350 U-thong, also known as King Ramathibodi I, ordered the construction of a royal palace in the same area that Wat Pra Si Sanphet stands today. The palace was completed in 1351 and King Ramathibodi established Ayutthaya as the capital of his Kingdom. The palace contained three wooden buildings named "Phaithun Maha Prasat", "Phaichayon Maha Prasat", and "Aisawan Maha Prasat". Upon finalization of the palace in 1351, he established Ayutthaya as his capital and was bestowed the title of King Ramathibodi I. In 1448 King Borommatrailokkanat built a new palace to the north and converted the old palace grounds to be a holy site. His son, King Ramathibodi II added two Stupa, which in Thailand are known as Chedis, built in 1492 where the ashes of his father, King Borommatrailokkanat, and his brother, King Borommaracha III were buried.
In 1499 a viharn, or hall of worship, called “Vihara Luang” (Royal Chapel) was built on the palace grounds. King Ramathibodi II gave orders for a gigantic image of Buddha to be cast, and installed in Wat Si Sanphet. This image of Buddha was 16 meters high, covered in gold, and the pedestal was 8 meters in length. The core of the statue was made of bronze and weighed approximately 64 tons. The surface was covered with approximately 343 kilograms of gold. The statue took more than three years to complete. This statue, called “Phra Si Sanphetdayan”, was the main object of veneration within the royal chapel.
Another Chedi was built under King Borommaracha IV in 1529 to enshrined his father's ashes, King Ramathibodi II. Later, more constructions were added by King Narai. It's not sure if the Mondops between each Chedis were added during that time. In 1630, King Narai added a cross-shaped vihara just west of the platform supporting the three chedis, this vihara is known now as Prasat Phra Narai. The architecture is inspired by a mix of European style for the shape while the pointed arches windows are influenced by Indo-persan architecture.
In 1742, under King Borommakot, the temple was again renovated. Unfortunately, the city of Ayutthaya, including the temple compounds, were completely destroyed in the Burmese invasion in 1767, with the exception of the three Chedis that can be seen today.
In 1767, the Burmese conquered the capital of Ayutthaya and began the extensive destruction and looting of numerous temples and other buildings, including the Wat Phra Si Sanphet. They set the building on fire and melted the gold. Two Chedis were destroyed in the process, while the eastern Chedi was still standing. All were restored by the Fine Arts Department in 1956.
Use.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the royal temple, it was exclusively used by members of the royal family. When Wat Phra Si Sanphet was used for royal ceremonies, monks had to be invited since no monks lived there.
Attractions.
In its final stage before its destruction of the temple was an impressive structure. Additional facilities were located on a raised platform, the three Chedis, which are today the only buildings which have been restored. From all other the foundations are still preserved.
The Chedi is built in the classic, Ceylonese design that is reminiscent of a bell. In every direction small chapels are recognized, which lead to steep stairs. The roofs of the chapels are in turn topped with a miniature Chedi. Each of the three Chedis is on the eastern side assigned a Mondop where Buddha's footsteps are believed to be.
The terrace of the Chedi with Mondop was surrounded by a cloister (Phra Rabieng), in each case a hall was built in the west and in the east, an arrangement as can be seen in many temples in the country today. The building in the West actually consisted of four individual viharn, which were arranged in a cross shape to a Mondop around. The building to the east was the viharn Luang, the biggest building of the temple. In it stood the statue of Phra Si Sanphet Phuttha, which gave the name to the temple.
Symmetrically around the viharn Luang were grouped four other halls. North was a viharn which was a bit smaller than the viharn Luang, yet large enough to accommodate the more than 10 m high statue of Phra Phuttha Lokanat. East front was the Phra Chom Thong Tinang Throne Hall.
Symmetrically, stood south of the viharn of Luang viharn Pa Le Lei, in which probably was a seated Buddha statue.
Around the entire complex there drew a high perimeter wall, four gates passages in the four directions offered access to the temple. Inside along the wall were alternately small Chedis and low pavilions (Sala). Of these small Chedis, some have remained to this day.


Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum, abbreviated L. D. Museum, is a museum of Indian sculptures, bronzes, manuscripts, paintings, drawings, miniature paintings, woodwork, bead work and ancient and contemporary coins in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
History.
Since its inception in 1956, the L. D. Institute of Indology has been collecting and preserving rare manuscripts and artifacts of various kinds, some of which are handed over to the L.D. Museum. The Museum is the product of the vision and energy of two remarkable persons who were responsible for its establishment: Muni Punyavijayaji, an erudite monk scholar and Sheth Kasturbhai Lalbhai, the well-known industrialist of Ahmedabad. As the collection grew over the years, the Board of Trustees (of the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidyamandir), felt strongly the need for a separate museum building to house the display of its collection. Consequently, a new museum building was built adjacent to the existing building of the Institute, which was also designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Balkrishna Doshi. The collection in the new museum building was opened to the public in 1984 and was formally inaugurated by Braj Kumar Nehru (Governor of Gujarat) in 1985.
Location.
The Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum of the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Bharatiya Sanskriti Vidya Mandir is located in the premises of the L.D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. It is situated on a sprawling campus in the western part of the city in an area dotted with educational and research institutes, and in the vicinity of Gujarat University and L.D. College of Engineering.
It is about 7 kilometers from the Railway Station and 12 kilometers from the Airport. Therefore, it is easily accessible from any part of the Ahmedabad city.
Timings.
The museum is open on all days, except on Mondays and public holidays, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Collections.
The wide-ranging sculpture collection is unique, since all the major regional styles of the sub-continent are represented here on the Ground Floor, in Madhuri D. Desai Gallery. The outstanding pieces include the largest head of Buddha (c. 5th century) in stucco from Gandhara, the earliest cult image of Lord Rama (early 6th century) Gupta period from Deogarh (Madhya Pradesh), a rare figure of Matrika Indrani (6th century) from Shamlaji (Gujarat), the Adinath bronze image (c.7th-8th century) from Sirpur (near Nandurbar, Maharashtra), the Jaina bronze images from Ghogha (Dist.Bhavnagar, Gujarat) and some of the finest examples of Buddha images from Mathura, Nalanda and Nepal/ Tibet. Besides, the Madhuri D. Desai Gallery includes some very superb Chola sculptures (c. 10th-12th century) from Tamil Nadu. A majestic group of four Tirthankaras from Ladol dating between 11th and 13th centuries are displayed in Chaumukha arrangement. There are also in display 9 portrait statues of distinguished personages from Gujarat during the medieval period, which includes the Solanki king, Jayasimha Siddharaja. The portraits are inscribed with the date of V.S.1285 = 1228 (that is, during the Vaghela period) and the find spot is Harij, near Patan.
The Museum has one of the finest collections of paintings in the Gujarati Jaina styles, some of which are painted before the Mughal period and are displayed in the Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery on the 1st Floor. The collection, which was assembled by the Muniji during the 1940s, has some rare illustrated wooden book covers (patli) created for palm-leaf manuscripts. The Jaina pilgrimage painting on cloth executed in 1433 at Champaner (Gujarat) is the earliest extant example of such a painting on cloth. Similarly, a Vijnaptipatra painted at Agra by the Mughal painter, Ustad Salivahana, in 1610, is the earliest painted document of its kind. It refers to the Mughal emperor Jahangir's farman prohibiting the killing of animals in his empire during the Jaina festival of Paryushana. The earliest painted paper manuscript of the Shantinath Charitra, dated V.S.1453 = 1396. has been recognized as a global treasure by UNESCO. Other exceptional examples on show include, the illustrated manuscripts of the Kalakacharya Katha (c. 1430) in Mandu style, the Matar Sangrahani Sutra (dated 1583), painted by Chitara Govinda, the Shripala Rasa (18th century), and painted Vijnapatipatra from Ahmedabad (dated 1796) in the late Gujarati style; several rare cosmological diagrams called Adhidvipa (c. 1440) and the Jaina Siddha-Chakra-Yantra.
On the 1st floor, eastern wing of the Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery has been designed with a section displaying the Leelavati Lalbhai Wood work Collection. It highlights the age old tradition of wood carving in Gujarat and other parts of India, mostly donated by Smt. Leelavati Lalbhai. The display includes Jaina Derasara, relief panels of Tirthankaras and other symbolic forms, carved pillars and decorative panels.
Among the noteworthy objects on display from the Shri Arvindbhai Collection, are a flamboyant Chola style Nataraja (11th century), an exuberant Nepali/ Tibetan bronze Mandala (18th century) and an elaborately decorated Chinese/ Japanese style cupboard in wood. This gift has widened the scope of the various collections to grow into a Museum of Asian Art in the Gujarat region.
Kasturbhai Lalbhai Collection of Indian Drawings comprises over 1855 Indian drawings and unfinished paintings. They represent most of the schools of Indian miniature paintings. Initially the collection was formed nearly 1000 years ago and now it is on display with the same objective of understanding the technical and the creative processes of traditional Indian miniature paintings. This substantial collection is represented here by a display of several dozen exquisite drawings of Indian miniature paintings belonging to various regional schools, between 17th and 19th centuries. The significant themes on view are Ramayana series and other numerous subjects.
The entire eastern wing on the first floor of Museum building was renovated with the financial assistance received from Ministry of Culture, New Delhi, 2012-2013. On the south-eastern side of the renovated wing, Priyakant T. Munshaw Gallery of Coinage has on display a representative collection of historical phases of coinage of India, which was posthumously gifted by Smt. Nandiniben Munshaw in 2013 The collection includes the earliest punched-marked coins called bentbar (c. 600 BC), Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi coin, Jahangir's Zodiac series in silver, Adil Shah's Larin (dated 1668) and contemporary currency.
On the north-western side of the First Floor, the Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery has a section devoted to Gopi-Anand Bead Work Collection. The art of Moti Guthana or Moti Poravanu is practiced mainly at Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat. This art has been in vogue since centuries but became wide spread during the late 19th century These patterns have been mostly used for household decoration and marriage ceremonies. Women of Kathi community in Gujarat have mastery over this art-form, who are fond of engaging in bead work for their domestic applications as well. The Gopi-Anand Bead Work Collection has been gifted to the Museum by Shri Mahesh and Smt. Usha Pandya (March 2013), in memory of his parents, Shri Dalpatram and Gopiben Pandya. This interesting material augments the Museum's holdings with a representative group of Gujarati handicrafts.
Galleries.
The invaluable collections over the period have enriched the Museum through generous permanent gifts by illustrious group of donors. To acknowledge those contributors and as tribute to their memory, the various galleries and sections in the museum have been named after them, like, (1) Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery (2) Madhuri D. Desai Gallery (3) Kasturbhai Lalbhai Collection of Indian Drawings (4) Leelavati Lalbhai Woodwork Collection (5) Arvind Lalbhai Collection (6) Priyakant T. Munshaw Gallery of Coinage (7) Gopi-Anand Beadwork Collection.
Conservation Laboratory.
The modest Conservation laboratory of the Museum has facilities for conservation of miniature paintings on paper. Preliminary surface cleaning of stone sculptures and metal objects is also carried out here.
Art Reference Library.
Museum also have in house Art Reference Library. Over the past decades an Art Reference Library (including rare books) has grown in the Museum's basement with donation of books, further enhanced with financial assistance received from Ministry of Culture, New Delhi, 2012-2013.


Archaeology of Porac, Pampanga

Porac, Pampanga contains areas in and near Babo Balukbuk in Porac, Philippines that have strong indication of human habitation, according to investigations published on the University of the Philippines Archaeological Studies Program website. Later test excavations confirmed this conclusion through the presence of materials dated around the 12th century to the 17th century C.E.
Archaeological History.
The archaeology in Porac, Pampanga started with the first excavation conducted in 1935-1936 by G.M. Goodall and two Filipino assistants, then from 1959-1960 by Robert Fox, and followed by an archaeological impact assessment by the people from the National Museum of the Philippines. The three most recent excavations were in the sugar plantation owned by Nestor Dizon in 1999, 2001, and 2002. The excavation site, also called the Dizon-1 site, was officially named after him.
Findings.
The excavation team was able to excavate approximately 24x28 meters of land to an average of 90 cm from the surface.
Stratigraphy.
The following are the descriptions of stratigraphies without the volcanic eruption correlations according to the article:
Ceramics.
Tradeware ceramics recovered from the site were dated as a mixture of 13th to 14th century and 16th century tradewares. Earthenware sherds were ubiquitous and several pot covers were recovered from different stratigraphies. However, no earthenware spindle whorls or net sinkers were recovered.
Metal Implements.
At least three types of brass bangles, which were associated with burials, and two types of blades, which some have preserve fragments of sheathing or matting.
Features.
Features recovered were postholes, hearths, middens, and plow marks. The postholes varied in their sizes, and 51 were recorded. Hearth remains were of ash and burnt stones and matrix concentrations. Middens were composed mostly of dumped ceramics.
Evidences of Tradeware from Neighboring Asian Countries.
There are excavated tradeware ceramics identified to be from China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma. Chinese green lead glaze ware sherds that are known to have originated from the Tang Period were dated from the 13th-14th century, which was significantly younger than the time period of the Tang Dynasty. Melendres points out that Addis believes that these are due to the continuation of the Tang tradition into later times.
It was also pointed out that the effects of the Chinese trade ban during the Ming Dynasty can be seen from the few early Ming Dynasty blue-and-white ceramics and the presence of ceramics from Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma. Celadon dishes found were similar to those found in the Twante district in Burma, while other celadon plates were most likely associated with Kalong wares from Thailand (15th-16th Century).
Ceramics from Central Vietnam were also recovered and are determined to be manufactured in Binh Dinh during the Viet's conquest of Vijaya. Furthermore, there were also Swatow or Zhangzhou type porcelains recovered that are dated to the 16th-17th century. Melendres concluded that the presence of the Zhanzhou porcelains tells us that the Babo Balukbuk site was still being used until the arrival of the Spanish forces.
Analysis.
The recovered artifacts made the team conclude that the Dizon-1 site is a settlement. Their bases were on the several large postholes that may be reconstructed into house plans, the amount of recovered middens and hearths, the general cultural debris scattered, and on the density of the features.
The following sequence of habitation was also developed:
The Excavation Team.
The table below contains the names of participants and contributors to the archaeology in Porac, Pampanga:


Pakubuwono XI

Pakubuwono XI (also transliterated Pakubuwana XI; Surakarta, February 1, 1886 – Surakarta, June 1, 1945) was the eleventh Susuhunan (ruler of Surakarta) during the Second World War – and during Japanese occupation of Java.
In his capacity as the eleventh Susuhunan, Pakubuwono XI was an officer à la suite of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). He was made a Major General of the KNIL on April 15, 1939.
Heir apparent.
He was born as Raden Mas Ontoseno, he was the son of Pakubuwono X and his concubine Kanjeng Raden Ayu Mandojoretno. Upon reaching adulthood, he was styled Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Haryo Hangabehi. He was crowned as Susuhunan Pakubuwana XI on April 26, 1939.
The appointment of KGPH. Hangabehi as Pakubuwono XI wasn't without conflict, due to Pakubuwono X's preference to KGPH. Koesoemojoedo (Gusti Raden Mas Abimanjoe), KGPH. Hangabehi's younger brother, to succeed him. Moreover, from the Dutch colonial government's point of view, KGPH. Koesoemojoedo was a strong-personality Javanese nobleman who interested in the court's financial and administration affairs. In another side, KGPH. Hangabehi's position was also strong, mainly from majority of anti-Dutch court's elites. Pakubuwono X himself had more than 60 children. A wedging problem was that Pakubuwono X had no son from his two queen consorts. The eldest sons, KGPH. Hangabehi and KGPH. Koesoemojoedo, were born from concubines. In 1898, Pakubuwono X had actually intended to appoint KGPH. Koesoemojoedo as a crown prince although he was born 40 days after KGPH. Hangabehi's birth. However, Pakubuwono X abandoned his plan, and he chose KGPH. Hangabehi as the heir.
KGPH. Hangabehi was given many important positions, such as "wedana tengen" (chancellor) and Vice-Chairman of "Raad Nagari", a royal advisory council. He was also tasked by his father to attend 40th jubilee of Queen Wilhelmina's coronation in the Netherlands.
Reign.
In the late November 1938, Pakubuwono X was severely ill, and died 3 months later. On the advice of Parliament of the Netherlands, Governor-General Alidius Warmoldus Lambertus Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer chose KGPH. Hangabehi to succeed his father as Pakubuwono XI. Pakubuwono XI's coronation was accompanied by political contract which reduced susuhunan's suzerainity, which mentioned that Pakubuwono XI would be deposed if he couldn't fulfill his obligation as determined in political contract, plus the withholding of royal expenditure budget dramatically.
Pakubuwono XI's reign was marked by difficult era, coincided with World War II. He also experienced the transfer of colonial government, from the Netherlands to Japan since 1942. The Japanese dubbed Surakarta Sunanate as Solo Koo. In Japanese colonial era, there was inflation which severed royal and nobility's finances. The Japanese also confiscated most of court's assets, which caused Pakubuwono XI fell ill. After his death on June 1, 1939, he was succeeded by his very young son, styled Pakubuwono XII.


Wah Kee

Wah Kee (华记) is a secret society based in Malaysia and Singapore since the nineteenth century.
According to the History of Wah Kee, Wah Kee (华记) was created in Singapore by Su Guanghua (苏广华). His associate Zhao Guangheng (赵广恒) created Guang Kee (广记) in Guangzhou, China, while Guan Fusheng (关福胜) created Sheng Kee (胜记) in Thailand, and Zhang Xiongjie (张雄杰) created Jie Kee (杰记) in Vietnam.
In the 1950s, they operated openly in the area around Bentong and placed a member on the local council of Jemaluang. During this time, they were commonly associated with the Malaysian Chinese Association, with politician D. R. Seenivasagam going so far as to describe this connection in Parliament.
In recent times, they are mainly in the Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Penang, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, Perak and other areas. In Singapore, Wah Kee is mainly in the China Town area. The triad also have some branches in Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, the United States, Canada and New Zealand.
The Philippine Center on Transnational Crime has stated that while the Wah Kee do not operate as a traditional triad per se, they are heavily involved in heroin trafficking in the region.


Elamite rock relief in Naqsh-e Rostam

The Elamite rock relief in Naqsh-e Rostam is the oldest rock relief in Naqsh-e Rostam, belonging to the Elam culture. Bahram II, the Sasanian king, has destroyed this rock relief and carved his own relief on it. But small sections of the Elamite relief is still preserved. Scholars do not have consensus about the date of this relief. Ernst Herzfeld and Heidemarie Koch have suggested that the date of the relief is 4,000 years ago. However Alireza Shapour Shahbazi and Isa Behnam have suggested 1,200 BC as the date of this Elamite relief. The relief shows a god and a goddess seating on a throne. The legs of the throne are twisted with some snakes. On the right, there's a complete figure of a man with beard and long hairs. He has put his hands on his chest as a sign of respect to the god that once had existed in front of him, but now is completely destructed. On the left side, there's a figure of a woman with crown. It is believed that these man and woman are king and queen respectively and are worshiping the god and goddess. Small sections of God and Goddess figures are still visible, but can't be recognized duo to the destruction.


Paanch

Paanch (English: "Five") is an 2003 Indian crime thriller film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap and starring Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Vijay Maurya, Joy Fernandes and Tejaswini Kolhapure. The film is "loosely" based on the 1976–77 Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in Pune.
The film never got a theatrical or home-video release. The Central Board of Film Certification objected to the film's violence, the depiction of drug abuse and bad language. After some cuts, the film was cleared in 2003. However, it could not be released as the producer faced some problems. The film was later released in several film festivals.
Plot.
Four friends, Luke (Kay Kay Menon), Murgi (Aditya Shrivastava), Joy (Joy Fernandes) and Pondy (Vijay Maurya) are wasted by youth and self-destruction and play together in a band along with a fifth female member named Shiuli (Tejaswini Kolhapure). Luke, the lead singer and self-imposed leader of the pack ensures his dominance in the group by providing accommodation, drugs and food for his wasted and broke friends. Pondy is fascinated by Shiuli who sleeps with rich guys for money. The movie revolves around a kidnapping plot gone wrong, in which the four male band members plan to kidnap another friend Nikhil (Pankaj Saraswat). Nikhil is part of the plot and agrees to get himself kidnapped to extract money out of his rich but miser father. In the process excess of drugs and uncontrolled anger leads to the murder of Nikhil by Luke. Luke blackmails all others and ensures that nobody leaves or confides into the cops. Meanwhile, Shiuli also gets entangled in the plot. The money hungry youngsters then go on to kill the father of Nikhil and a cop (Sharat Saxena) investigating the murder. The plot thickens with a set of betrayal and counter-betrayal leading to an interesting end.
Soundtrack.
The soundtrack of the film features music composed by Vishal Bhardwaj and lyrics written by Abbas Tyrewala. The album was released by BMG Crescendo in May 2002, and marked the entry of the music publisher into the Hindi film music market.
Production.
In September 1993, while Kashyap stayed at the St. Xavier's Boys Hostel, he used to hang out with Adam Avil, Eddie Avil, Luke Kenny and Ulysses Veyra the members of a band—Greek (later Pralay). He took copious notes on how they lead their lives—forty pages of a small notebook, and began writing the script—"in bits and pieces"—for a film that he called "Mirage" but which would later become "Paanch." Kashyap had seen ex-VJ Luke Kenny in a Vikram Kapadia play, and approached him with an incomplete script, but nothing came out of it. Anurag Kashyap Interview Excerpts from the interview (in Hindi) conducted by Pravesh Bhardwaj and Ajay Brahmatmaj Later on, while working with Nair, he came across files related to the Joshi-Abhyankar Serial Murders that took place in Pune in 1976.
He had also seen a film, "Fun", about two mentally unstable girls murdering an elderly woman. And "Paanch" was ready to be made into a film. Kashyap says—
Film festival premiere.
Paanch was screened at Filmfest Hamburg in 2003, Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema as closing film in 2005, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2006 and at Jagran Film Festival in 2016.


Maldivian Annual Tribute

The Maldivian Annual Tribute was a tribute presented each year by the Sultan of the Maldives to the British Governor of Ceylon. The tributes were presented after the Maldive islands became a British protectorate in 1887 and were carried out annually until 1947 when a new agreement removed the requirement of tributes, however Maldives remained a British protectorate until 1953 when the sultanate was suspended and the First Republic was declared.
Ceremony.
The presentation of tributes took place in November, with the Sultan's state schooner carrying the gifts arriving in Colombo at the end of the monsoon season. An afternoon was fixed and the Maldivian Representative in Colombo boarded the schooner and returned with several "divahin" carrying the gifts on their heads. The Maldivian party was met at the harbor jetty by Ceylonese Mudaliyars in uniform and a Lascarins guard of honour and band, as well as a police detachment to escort the Maldivian party to the Queen's House on foot. The streets would be lined with sightseers.
On arriving at Queen's House, the Maldivian Representative was formally received by the Governor and his officials. The Representative presented a letter wrapped in silk to the Governor from the Sultan. The presentation took places with two interpreters translating. The Governor would speak in English which would be translated to Tamil and the Maldivian interpreter would translate it to Divehi for the Maldivian Representative. The tribute was thereafter handed over followed by tea and the Maldivian Representative taking his leave.
Tribute.
The tribute would consist of a gift of the finest Maldivian produce such as Maldivian mats, lacquer, sweetmeats known as "bondihalua", fish dish known as "rihakuru", jars, shells and ambergris.
Response.
The Government of Ceylon would in turn send a letter to the Sultan accompanied by products from Ceylon.


Rusman Gunawan

Rusman Gunawan, also known as "Gun Gun", is an Indonesian jailed for "facilitating and aiding terrorism". He is the younger brother of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) chief of operations, Hambali. Born in the West Java town of Cianjur, he moved to Pakistan to continue his religious studies at an Islamic school ("madrassas"). After graduating, he travelled to Afghanistan to train at the Al Ghuraba training camp.
From 1999 he was in charge of coordinating visits from JI Southeast Asian operatives to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
During 2002, while he attended Abu Bakar Islamic University in Pakistan, he took over as the "intermediary" for e-mail messages between al-Qaeda and his older brother Hambali, who at the time was hiding in Cambodia.
At the behest of the United States, he was arrested with six other Indonesian students during September 2003 in Karachi while he was attending the Abu Bakar Islamic University.
He was taken to Indonesia where he was sentenced in October 2004 to four years jail for "facilitating and aiding terrorism". In particular, he was found to have transferred the money (in Australian dollars) that was used to finance the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing.


Ram Patil

Ram Rao Patil or Itbarrao was an Admiral of the Ahmadnagar Navy and king of Kolis and Janjira. He built and fortified the Janjira Island.
History.
He was Admiral of the Ahmadnagar Navy and built the Janjira with permission of Sultan of Ahmadnagar Sultanate. But later he refused to obey the orders of the Sultan. In 1489, The Ahmadnagar ruler appointed his new admiral called Piram Khan and ordered to capture Janjira from Ram Rao Patil. Piram Khan marched from Surat but not dare to attack at Patil so made plans to enter in to janjira. Piram Khan and his Muslim Siddi member disguised as merchants and requested to the Patil for keep their three hundred large boxes containing silk and wine at island safe, and the request was granted. After that, Piram Khan thanked him and gave a him alcohol (wine). When all of the soldiers and Ram Rao Patil were drunk, he attacked at Janjira and captured it from Patil.


Philippine General Hospital

The Philippine General Hospital (also known as University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital or UP–Philippine General Hospital), simply referred to as UP–PGH or PGH, is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated by the University of the Philippines Manila. It is designated as the National University Hospital, and the national government referral center. It stands within a site located at the UP Manila Campus in Ermita, Manila. PGH has 1,100 beds and 400 private beds, and has an estimated of 4,000 employees to serve more than 600,000 patients every year.
The PGH, being the largest training hospital in the country, is the laboratory hospital of health science students enrolled in the University of the Philippines. This includes students of medicine, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, occupational therapy, dentistry, and speech pathology.
There are 16 clinical departments under the Philippine General Hospital — Family and Community Medicine, Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurosciences, Pediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation Medicine, Psychiatry, Radiology, Pathology, Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Dermatology—all of which offer residency and fellowship training. It also offers various training for paramedical specialties such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, radiation technology, nutrition, hospital dentistry, medical technology and EMT training.
History.
In 1907, The Philippine Commission passed "Act No. 1688" which appropriated the sum of about ₱780,000.00 for the construction of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila. The cornerstone of the hospital was laid on February 28, 1908. The bids for the construction of the buildings were opened on July 27 and the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, H. Thurber of the Manila Construction Company. The structural works for the central administration building, a surgical pavilion with two operating rooms, a building for dispensary and out-clinic, five ward pavilions of sixty beds each, a nurses’ home, a kitchen, an ambulance stable and morgue were completed on November 30, 1909. In 1910, the Philippine General Hospital opened its door to the public on September 1 with three hundred thirty beds and was eventually linked to the Philippine Medical School. PGH remained open during World War II, where its wards overflowed with victims of the conflict. It treated Filipino, Japanese soldiers and American internees alike, even if the hospital supplies are almost depleted.
In 1981, First Lady Imelda R. Marcos commissioned Architect J. Ramos to undertake the master planning of the PGH renovation project. PGH celebrated its centennial in 2007, one hundred years since the US government passed a law establishing it.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, PGH was selected as one of the COVID-19 referral centers in the country. The hospital provided 130 beds for COVID-19 patients, while continuing to serve other people with other ailments. PGH officially accepted COVID-19 referrals from other hospitals starting March 30, 2020.
On May 16, 2021, a fire broke out at the hospital at 12:41 AM. The fire was declared out 5 hours later. No injuries or casualties were reported.
Architecture.
The Philippine General Hospital Administration Building is situated along Taft Avenue in Manila. It was built by architect Tomas Mapua in neo-classic style that follows the Daniel Burnham plan for Manila. This plan included Manila Hotel, Army and Navy Club and the Philippine General Hospital. These were executed by his successor, Parsons included who was a city planner in the Philippines during the early period American colonization in the country. His works was a clear translation of Neoclassicism into a new hybrid of colonial tropical architecture.


Flag of Kamchatka Oblast

The flag of Kamchatka Oblast, in the Russian Federation, is a horizontal bicolour of white and blue charged with an emblem displaying three volcanic mountains on the upper left hoist. The emblem is a modification of the arms of Kamchatka with a white background. The arms, in contrast, display a blue background.
The flag was adopted in February, 2002. The proportions are 2:3. In 2007 Kamchatka Oblast ceased to exist and was merged with Koryak Autonomous Okrug to become a new federal unit called Kamchatka Krai. Thus, the flag was replaced by the Flag of Kamchatka Krai which is visually similar


Ichthyovenator

Ichthyovenator is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now Laos, sometime between 125 and 113 million years ago, during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous period. It is known from fossils collected from the Grès supérieurs Formation of the Savannakhet Basin, the first of which were found in 2010, consisting of a partial skeleton without the skull or limbs. This specimen became the holotype of the new genus and species Ichthyovenator laosensis, and was described by palaeontologist Ronan Allain and colleagues in 2012. The generic name, meaning "fish hunter", refers to its assumed piscivorous lifestyle, while the specific name alludes to the country of Laos. In 2014, it was announced that more remains from the dig site had been recovered; these fossils included teeth, more vertebrae (backbones) and a pubic bone from the same individual.
The holotype specimen is estimated to have been between long and to have weighed . "Ichthyovenator"s teeth were straight and conical, and its neck resembled that of the closely related genus "Sigilmassasaurus". Like others in its family, "Ichthyovenator" had tall neural spines that formed a sail on its back. Unlike other known spinosaurids, "Ichthyovenator" sail had a sinusoidal (wave-like) shape that curved downwards over the hips and divided into two separate sails. The pelvic girdle was reduced; the illium—the uppermost body of the pelvis—was proportionately longer than both the pubis and ischium than in other known theropod dinosaurs. "Ichthyovenator" was initially thought to belong to the subfamily Baryonychinae but more recent analyses place it as a primitive member of the Spinosaurinae
As a spinosaur, "Ichthyovenator" would have had a long, shallow snout and robust forelimbs. Its diet likely mainly consisted of aquatic prey, hence its etymology. Spinosaurids are also known to have eaten small dinosaurs and pterosaurs in addition to fish. "Ichthyovenator"s conspicuous sail might have been used for sexual display or species recognition. Fossil evidence suggests spinosaurids, especially spinosaurines, were adapted for semiaquatic lifestyles. The vertebral spines of "Ichthyovenator"s tail were unusually tall, suggesting—as in today's crocodilians—the tail may have aided in swimming. "Ichthyovenator" lived alongside sauropod and ornithopod dinosaurs, as well as bivalves, fish and turtles.
Discovery and naming.
The first fossils of "Ichthyovenator" were found in 2010 at Ban Kalum in the Grès supérieurs Formation of the Savannakhet Basin in Savannakhet Province, Laos. These fossilized bones were recovered from a red sandstone layer within a surface area of less than . Designated under the specimen numbers MDS BK10-01 to 15, they consist of a partly articulated, well-preserved skeleton lacking the skull and limbs, and including the third-to-last dorsal (back) vertebra, the neural spine of the last dorsal vertebra, five partial sacral (hip) vertebrae, the first two caudal (tail) vertebrae, both ilia (main hip bones), a right pubis (pubic bone), both ischia (lower and rearmost hip bones) and a posterior dorsal rib. The twelfth dorsal spine is bent sideways when viewed front-to-back due to taphonomic distorsion. The centra (vertebral bodies) of the sacrals are largely incomplete due to erosion, but preserved all of their accompanying spines with their upper edges intact. At the time of "Ichthyovenator"s description, excavations at the site were still ongoing.
After undergoing preparation in 2011, the skeleton was used as the basis, or holotype, for the type species "Ichthyovenator laosensis", which was named and described in 2012 by palaeontologists Ronan Allain, Tiengkham Xeisanavong, Philippe Richir, and Bounsou Khentavong. The generic name is derived from the Old Greek word ἰχθύς ("ichthys"), "fish", and the Latin word "venator", "hunter", in reference to its likely piscivorous (fish-eating) lifestyle. The specific name refers to its provenance from Laos. "Ichthyovenator" is the third named spinosaurid dinosaur from Asia after the Thai genus "Siamosaurus" in 1986 and the Chinese species "Sinopliosaurus" "fusuiensis" in 2009. The latter may represent the same animal as "Siamosaurus". In 2014, Allain published a conference paper on "Ichthyovenator"; the abstract indicated additional remains from the original individual had been found after excavations continued in 2012. These remains include three teeth, the left pubis, and many vertebrae, including a nearly complete neck, the first dorsal vertebra, and seven more caudal vertebrae. Some of these additional vertebrae were compared with those of other spinosaurids in a 2015 paper by German palaeontologist Serjoscha Evers and colleagues, in which they noted similarities with the vertebrae of the African spinosaurid "Sigilmassasaurus".
Description.
In 2016, Gregory S. Paul estimated "Ichthyovenator" to have been approximately long and to have weighed . The same year, Rubén Molina-Pérez and Asier Larramendi gave an estimate of in length, tall at the hips, and in weight.
"Ichthyovenator"s teeth were conical, straight, and bore no serrations. The front edges of the maxillary and dentary teeth were evident on the base of the tooth crown. The front articulating surfaces of "Ichthyovenator"s rear cervical and front dorsal vertebrae were one-and-a-half times wider than they were high and wider than the length of their centra. They also bore robust front tubercles (processes for skeletal muscle attachment) and lacked interzygapophyseal laminae (bony plates), which resulted in their spinopre- and spinopostzygapophyseal fossae (depressions) having open undersides. The first dorsal vertebra had extensive transverse processes (wing-like projections that articulate with the ribs), as well as deep excavations at the front and back of its base that were filled by air sacs in life. The parapophyses (processes that articulated with the capitulum of the ribs) increased in height from the rear cervicals to the first dorsal; its underside remained in contact with the front lower edge of the centrum. This is unlike the condition in most theropods, in which the parapophyses shifted towards the top of the vertebra during the transition from cervical to dorsal vertebrae. All of these features were also present in "Sigilmassasaurus". "Ichthyovenator"s mid-cervical vertebrae had elongate, somewhat wider-than-tall centra that became progressively shorter towards the rear of the neck, as well as well-developed keels on their bottom surfaces, traits that were shared with the spinosaurids "Baryonyx, Suchomimus", "Sigilmassasaurus", and "Vallibonavenatrix". The cervical neural spines of "Ichthyovenator" were taller than in "Sigilmassasaurus" and "Baryonyx" but shared the blade-like shape with those two taxa at the mid-cervicals. The holotype dorsal rib, which was found near the twelfth dorsal vertebra, had a head typical of the ribs of other moderate-to-large-sized theropods. The rib shaft formed a half-circle. The rib's lower end was slightly expanded both sideways and to the front and back. This condition, which differs from the tapered, pointed tips seen in the ribs of other theropods, suggests the rearmost dorsal ribs articulated with the complex of the sternum (breast bone).
Like many other spinosaurids, "Ichthyovenator" had a sail on its back and hips that was formed by the elongated neural spines of its vertebrae. Uniquely among known members of the family, "Ichthyovenator"s sail was divided in two over the hips and had a sinusoid (wave-like) curvature. This is in contrast to the related genera "Spinosaurus" and "Suchomimus"—both of which had continuous sails that rose to a peak before sloping down again—and "Baryonyx", which showed a less-developed sail, having much lower dorsal spines. "Ichthyovenator"s preserved dorsal and sacral spinal column, which is over long, shows a very high spine on the twelfth dorsal vertebra representing a crest that rose from the back and a lower rounded sail that extended from the sacral vertebrae of the hips; the latter sail's apex was located above the third and fourth sacrals. The high spine of the twelfth dorsal vertebra widened towards the top, giving it a trapezoidal shape—similar to the condition seen in a neural spine from "Vallibonavenatrix"—whereas the spines of other known spinosaurids were roughly rectangular. It also lacked the forward or backward inclination of "Spinosaurus"s neural spines. Its front corner formed a narrow-process, pointing upwards. The spine of the thirteenth dorsal vertebra has been only partly preserved; its upper and lower ends had broken off from taphonomic causes. From its general shape, the describers inferred however, it was about as long as the preceding spine. This would imply the back edge of the front sail would form a rectangular corner, because the spine of the much lower first sacral vertebra is about , creating a sudden hiatus in the sail's profile. The spine of the second sacral vertebra steeply curved upwards again, joining the and high, broad, fan-shaped spines of the third and fourth sacrals. The tall spine of the fifth sacral gradually descended. Unlike in the sails of most other theropods, including that of "Suchomimus", the sacral spines were not fused and had no extensive contacts. The second and third sacral centra were fused; the suture connecting them was still visible. Only the rearmost two dorsal vertebrae are preserved, so to what extent the dorsal sail continued towards the front of the animal's back is unknown.
The sacral sail was continued by the spines of the first two caudal vertebrae, which were and tall respectively. They leaned backwards at 30 degrees and had smooth front and rear edges. The centra of the first two caudals were much broader than long and amphicoelous (deeply concave on both ends). The caudal transverse processes were prominent and sturdy and were angled upwards towards the rear of the vertebrae. The transverse processes of the first caudal vertebra, when seen from above, had a sigmoid (or S-shaped) profile. The prespinal and postspinal fossae (bony depressions in front and behind the neural spines) were confined to a position above the base of the neural spines. The sides of the first caudal were also deeply hollowed out between the prezygapophyses (articular surfaces of the preceding vertebra) and the diapophyses—processes on the sides for rib articulation—a condition that is not observed in other theropods. Some of the caudal vertebrae also had unusually tall, forwardly-extended prezygapophyses. The long ilium of the pelvis was blade-like, and longer in proportion to the long pubic bone than that of any other known large theropod. The postacetabular ala (rear expansion) was much longer than the preacetabular ala (front expansion), which had a shelf on its central surface that formed the middle edge of the preacetabular fossa. Viewed distally (towards the centre of attachment), the lower end of the pubis had an L-shape resembling that of "Baryonyx". The pubic apron—the expanded lower end of the pubis—had a large pubic foramen. On the hind rim of the pubic bone, two openings—the obturator foramen and a lower fenestra (opening)—were open and notch-like. The ischium was long, making it shorter in relation to the pubis than in all other known tetanuran theropods. The ischium's main body was large and extensive—atypical of the Y-shaped upper ischia of other tetanurans—and bore an oval-shaped obturator foramen in its side. The shaft of the ischium was flattened sideways, and had an unexpanded ischiadic apron, as in "Monolophosaurus" and "Sinraptor". The ischium attached to the illium via a peg-and-socket-like articulation, unlike the flat, concave condition seen in "Baryonyx". This feature was also present in "Vallibonavenatrix".
Classification.
In 2012, "Ichthyovenator" describers established the unique derived traits of the genus: its dorsal and sacral sinusoidal sail; the thirteenth dorsal neural spine being 410% the length of the centrum, and its distinct, finger-shaped process on its front upper corner; the broad, expanded tips of the third and fourth sacral spines; the first caudal vertebra's deep prezygapophyseal and centrodiapophyseal fossae and S-shaped transverse processes in top view; and the higher ratio of length between the ilium and the accompanying pubis than in any other known theropod. Allain and colleagues also identified some anatomical features that are unique among other known tetanuran theropods, including the rearmost dorsal ribs articulating with the sternal complex, the pubis's main body having obturator and pubic openings, and the ischium having a foramen on its upper end and a shaft that was flattened sideways. The shrinkage of the pubis and ischium relative to the pelvis has been observed in basal coelurosaurs and allosauroids, which the describers attributed to mosaic evolution: the evolution of certain anatomical traits at different times in separate species.
Allain and his team considered "Ichthyovenator" as representing the first unequivocal spinosaurid from Asia. Though prior spinosaurids had been named from the continent—including "Siamosaurus" from Thailand's Barremian Sao Khua Formation and "Sinopliosaurus" "fusuiensis" from China's Aptian Xinlong Formation—the authors noted that palaeontologists have debated the validity of these taxa because they are only confidently known from isolated teeth. Brazilian palaeontologists Marcos Sales and Caesar Schultz have suggested these teeth may eventually be attributed to spinosaurids similar to "Ichthyovenator". In addition to tooth fossils, a spinosaurid skeleton that possibly belongs to "Siamosaurus" was excavated from the Thai Khok Kruat Formation in 2004 and was identified as a definite spinosaur in a 2008 conference abstract by Angela Milner and colleagues, eight years prior to "Ichthyovenator"s description.
In 2012, Allain and colleagues assigned "Ichthyovenator" to the Spinosauridae; more precisely to the subfamily Baryonychinae in a basal position as the sister taxon of a clade formed by "Baryonyx" and "Suchomimus". In Allain's 2014 abstract, he found "Ichthyovenator" instead as belonging to the Spinosaurinae, due to the lack of serrations on its teeth and the similarities of its vertebrae to those of "Sigilmassasaurus". In a 2015 phylogenetic analysis by Evers and colleagues, they suggested the apparent presence of both baryonychine and spinosaurine characteristics in "Ichthyovenator" means the distinction between the two subfamilies may not be as clear as previously thought. In 2017, American palaeontologist Mickey Mortimer informally hypothesized "Ichthyovenator" may have been a sail-backed carcharodontosaurid dinosaur closely related to "Concavenator," rather than a spinosaurid. Mortimer considered "Ichthyovenator" as "incertae sedis" (of uncertain taxonomic affinity) within the clade Orionides, pending description of the new material, which she states will likely confirm "Ichthyovenator"s spinosaurid identity. A 2017 analysis by Sales and Schultz questioned Baryonychinae's validity, citing the morphology of Brazilian spinosaurids "Irritator" and "Angaturama", and suggesting they may have been transitionary forms between the earlier baryonychines and the later spinosaurines. The authors said with further research, Baryonychinae may be found to be a paraphyletic (unnatural) grouping. "Ichthyovenator"s spinosaurine classification was supported by Thomas Arden and colleagues in 2018, who resolved it as a basal member of the group due to its tall dorsal sail. Their cladogram can be seen below:
Palaeobiology.
Though no skull remains have been found for "Ichthyovenator", all known spinosaurids had elongated, low, narrow snouts that allowed them to reach far for food and to quickly close their jaws in a manner similar to modern crocodilians. The tips of spinosaurids' upper and lower jaws fanned out into a rosette-like shape that bore long teeth, behind which there was a notch in the upper jaw; this formed a natural trap for prey. Like those of other spinosaurids, "Ichthyovenator"s straight, unserrated teeth would have been suitable for impaling and capturing small animals and aquatic prey. This type of jaw and tooth morphology, which is also observed in today's gharials and other fish-eating predators, has led many palaeontologists to believe spinosaurids were largely piscivorous (as implied by "Ichthyovenator"s name). This is also evidenced by the discovery of "Scheenstia" fish scales in the stomach cavity of one "Baryonyx" skeleton and a "Spinosaurus" snout that was found with a vertebra from the sclerorynchid fish "Onchopristis" embedded in it. A more generalist diet has also been proposed for spinosaurs, based on fossils such as the bones of a juvenile iguanodontid that was also found in the same "Baryonyx" specimen, an "Irritator" tooth embedded in the vertebrae of a pterosaur, and tooth crowns from "Siamosaurus" that were found in association with sauropod dinosaur bones. It is thus likely that spinosaurids were also scavengers or hunters of larger prey. Though no limb bones are known from "Ichthyovenator", all known spinosaurids had well-built arms with enlarged thumb claws, which they likely used to hunt and process prey.
Many possible functions, including thermoregulation and energy storage, have been proposed for spinosaurid sails. In 2012, Allain and colleagues suggested considering the high diversity in neural spine elongation observed in theropod dinosaurs, as well as histological research done on the sails of synapsids (stem mammals), "Ichthyovenator"s sinusoidal sail may have been used for courtship display or for recognising members of its own species. In a 2013 blog post, Darren Naish considered the latter function unlikely, favouring the hypothesis of sexual selection for "Ichthyovenator"s sail because it appears to have evolved on its own, without very close relatives. Naish also notes that it is possible similar relatives have not yet been discovered.
Spinosaurids appear to have had semiaquatic lifestyles, spending much of their time near or in water, which has been inferred by the high density of their limb bones that would have made them less buoyant, and the oxygen isotope ratios of their teeth being closer to those of remains from aquatic animals like turtles, crocodilians, and hippopotamuses than those of other, more terrestrial theropods. Semiaquatic adaptations seem to have been more developed in spinosaurines than baryonychines. Arden and colleagues in 2018 suggested the shortness of "Ichthyovenator"s pubis and ischium relative to its illium, coupled with the elongation of the neural spines in the tails of early spinosaurines, are indications that spinosaurids may have progressively made more use of their tails to propel themselves underwater as they grew more adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. A similar, though more extreme, shrinkage of the pelvic girdle and elongation of the tail's neural spines, creating a paddle-like structure, was observed in "Spinosaurus", which appears to have been more aquatic than any other known non-avian (or non-bird) dinosaur.
Palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography.
"Ichthyovenator" is known from the Barremian to Cenomanian Grès supérieurs Formation, and was found in a layer probably dating to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous period between 125 and 113 million years ago. It coexisted with other dinosaurs such as the sauropod "Tangvayosaurus", and an indeterminate sauropod, iguanodontian, and neoceratopsian. Tracks of theropod, sauropod and ornithopod dinosaurs, as well as plant remains, are also known from the formation. Fossils of non-dinosaurian fauna are represented by ray-finned fish like "Lanxangichthys" and "Lepidotes", as well as turtles including "Shachemys", "Xinjiangchelys", and an indeterminate carettochelyid and trionychid. The trigoniid bivalves "Trigonioides" and "Plicatounio" have also been recovered from the formation. The Grès supérieurs Formation is the lateral equivalent of the neighbouring Khok Kruat and Phu Phan Formations in Thailand; from the Khok Kruat formation, fossils of theropods (including spinosaurids), sauropods, iguanodontians, and freshwater fish have also been recovered.
In 2010, Stephen L. Brusatte and colleagues noted the discovery of spinosaurids in Asia, a family previously known only from Europe, Africa, and South America, suggests there was faunal interchange between the supercontinents Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south during the early Late Cretaceous. It may also be possible spinosaurids already had a cosmopolitan distribution before the Middle Cretaceous preceding the breakup of Laurasia from Gondwana, but the authors noted more evidence is needed to test this hypothesis. In 2012, Allain and colleagues suggested such a global distribution may have occurred earlier across Pangaea before the Late Jurassic, even if Asia was the first landmass to be separated during the breakup of the supercontinent. In 2019, Elisabete Malafaia and colleagues also indicated a complex biogeographical pattern for spinosaurs during the Early Cretaceous based on anatomical similarities between "Ichthyovenator" and the European genus "Vallibonavenatrix".


Palaeolithic Era in Iran

Events.
Lower Paleolithic Period
Middle Paleolithic Period
Upper Paleolithic Period


Dolores Paterno

Dolores Paterno y Ignacio (March 10, 1854 – July 3, 1881) was a Filipina composer known for the song ""La Flor de Manila" (also known as "Sampaguita"").
Biography.
Dolores Paterno y Ignacio (anglicized as Dolores Ignacio Paterno or Dolores Paterno-Ignacio) was born on March 10, 1854 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. She was one of the thirteen children of Maximo Molo Agustin Paterno and Carmina de Vera Ignacio.
Dolores Paterno came from the wealthy interrelated "mestizo de sangley" families of Paterno, Molo, and Agustin. She was the sister of Dr. Pedro Alejandro Paterno, a Filipino politician, poet, and novelist. Her sisters and stepsisters, Agueda, Jacoba, Paz, Concepcion, and Adelaida, were celebrated painters and jewelers whose works were exhibited at the "Exposición Regional de Filipinas" in Manila in 1895 and at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. She was also related to the Asuncion brothers, among them Justiniano Asuncion who painted her portrait in 1870.
Musically inclined at a young age, she was sent by her parents to the Santa Isabel College, Manila, an all-girls Catholic school managed by the Daughters of Charity. She devoted much of her time to learning the piano. In 1879, at the age of 25 she composed her only known work, ""La Flor de Manila" ('The Flower of Manila'), inspired by the sampaguita flower. The lyrics were by her brother Pedro Paterno, based on a poem of the same title written by their mother.
She died at the age of 27 on July 3, 1881.
"La Flor de Manila".
"La Flor de Manila"" is of the Habanera genre (also known as Contradanza or Danza). It was popular during the end of the 19th century and the early period of the American Commonwealth. It has since been considered a Philippine romantic classic. The lyrics were translated from Spanish into Tagalog by the Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio. An arrangement of the song by Rosendo E. Santos, Jr. was also included in the repertoire of the Harvard Glee Club, during their tour of the Philippines in 1961. It was sung by the Graduating Students of Centro Escolar University during their Annual Sampaguita Interlude as their closing number.


Gumaca Cathedral

The San Diego de Alcala Parish Cathedral (Filipino: ) is a Baroque-style, Roman Catholic cathedral located at Barangay San Diego Poblacion, in the town center of Gumaca, Quezon province, Calabarzon, Philippines. It is the seat and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gumaca.
History.
 Its first establishment was in 1582 by the Franciscans, who are the first missionaries who brought Christianity to Gumaca, on its present site. It was transferred to Silangan in Alabat island in 1638. It was burned by the Dutch forces in 1665, which subsequently resulted to them transferring back to its original site in Gumaca. The church was reconstructed in 1690 and completed in 1747. The edifice and the adjoining convent were beautified in 1846. When a strong earthquake hit Gumaca on August 20, 1937, the uppermost portion of the church belfry toppled down, leaving only three of the five-level belfry intact. During the term of Msgr. Jose Oliveros, the belfry and choirloft were reconstructed and was completed in 1999. Known as one of the biggest and oldest Catholic churches in the province of Quezon, the church is made out of coral stone blocks and bricks.
Though the design of the church is mainly Baroque, archival photos show that the interiors were mainly done in Gothic Revival architecture. Its "retablos" and "arco toral" design clearly reflects this style, possible due to its popularity in the early 19th century. The church was renovated, and the "retablos", together with the pulpit, were lost.


Chollima Movement

The Chollima Movement () was a state-sponsored Stakhanovite movement in North Korea intended to promote rapid economic development. Launched in 1956 or 1958, the movement emphasized "ideological incentives to work harder" and the personal guidance of Kim Il-sung rather than rational modes of economic management.
Origin.
The term Chollima originates from the Chinese mythological flying horse. The word Chollima can be translated as “thousand li horse,” referring to its ability to travel 1,000 li (4000 kilometers) in a single day. It also was said that it could not be ridden by any person. It is known for accomplishing the most difficult tasks and to have led heroes to victory. This idea of Chollima was used by Kim Il-sung to energize the workers in North Korea to bring the country out of the rubble of the Korean War to obtain a better life and a more prosperous country in a short amount of time.
Kim Il-sung first introduced the term Chollima in December 1956, shortly before the start of the 1957-61 five-year plan. During this five-year period, North Korea strove to complete a socialist transformation of industry within the country. It worked to completely nationalize industry and agriculture and become largely self-sufficient in producing food, clothing, and housing for all of its citizens. Kim Il-sung started the Chollima movement to motivate hard work for the sake of the nation to achieve the desired outcomes of the five-year plan. At a meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea held in December 1956, Kim Il-sung called on the nation to be more motivated in economic production. He said, “Let us produce more, practice economy, and overfulfill the five-year plan ahead of schedule!” Within four years the aims of the five-year plan were met.
The successes of the Chollima movement were first seen in 1957 as Kim Il-sung called on workers in a factory in the city of Kangsong (near Pyongyang) which only had the capacity of 60,000 tons to produce an extra 10,000 tons of steel. The factory, however, was able to produce 120,000 tons, 60,000 tons more than its capacity. This achievement was credited as lighting the torch of the Chollima movement. The term ‘Chollima rider’ was given to workers who surpassed their targeted goals of production. This title encouraged people to work harder. The North Korean government even started a slogan of ‘drink no soup’ to make it so workers did not need to use the restrooms as often.
The slogan of ‘Let us dash forward in the spirit of Chollima’ was adopted to help motivate workers, with the result that successes were reported in many areas of economic activity. North Korea experienced an annual industrial growth of 36.6 percent during the five-year plan.
In 1959, the Chollima Work Team Movement was started. This was a system of socialist competition waged among teams of workers, upholding the Communist lifestyle and working under the lofty socialist ideal “One for all and all for one.” “A work team would receive the title of Chollima Work Team by setting a production target high enough to stand out among other work teams in the whole nation and actually attaining the target as assessed competitively under a national evaluation system.” If the title was awarded the team and its members would receive honorific items such as Chollima embossed banners, flags and notebooks.
The Chollima Work Team Movement was initiated by Chin Ung-won who organized fellow workers on his work team for the goal of achieving production far exceeding the quota assigned to them. With Chin's success and the encouragement from the national government the movement gained rapid massive support and Chin became the ideal Korean worker. The Chollima Work Team Movement gained 178,000 members less than a year and a half after its start.
Effects.
This Chollima movement, however, was not able to remain successful indefinitely. The nation obtained the short-term gains in quantity of production but at the cost of lower quality. The economy was distorted as resources were shifted to extensively fund industries while neglecting other needed sectors. Human exhaustion also followed this movement. Little labor remained and resources were stretched to their limits. Economic output began to fall and by 1961 the nation was facing an exhausted labor force. During the mid 1960s, North Korea stopped publishing economic statistics except for percentage increase over previous periods.
The Kim Il-sung-directed economy undoubtedly needed alterations. Kim Il-sung however, had no economists who were willing or able to tell him that his economic plans needed to be changed. North Korea has never denounced Chollima or recognized its failures. Even Kim Jong-il gave speeches praising Chollima until his death.
Chollima is still supported and used by the current North Korean regime. The term Chollima and ideas from the early movement still exist in North Korea today. Kim Jong-un has given field guidance to major industrial establishments, exactly as Kim Il-Sung had done in the past. North Korean workers have been depicted by the KCNA as being “filled with the will to strive for victory in the cause of building a thriving nation in hearty response to [Kim Jong Un’s] call "Forward towards the final victory!"
In other areas of North Korea society the term “Chollima speed” is still used to depict rapid completion of expectations, referring to both the mythical horse but also to the economic growth in the 1950s. In the late 1990s North Korea again called on a second Chollima movement to help strengthen the nation during a period of massive energy shortages and severe famine.
Later usage.
The Chollima Movement was the first of many mass mobilization campaigns in North Korea, and probably the most famous one. Chollima has since become an icon of North Korea. Several statues of the winged horse have been constructed throughout the country. Most significant is the 46-meter high Chollima Statue on Mansu Hill, Pyongyang. This statue was completed in 1961 and was built “to honour the heroism and invincible fighting spirit of the Korean people like the legendary winged horse Chollima that is said to cover a thousand ri in a day. Mounted on the winged horse are a worker holding high the "Red Letter" of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and a young peasant woman holding a sheaf of rice.”
Chollima has been used as a brand name for trucks, buses, and tractors in North Korea. One of the lines on the Pyongyang Metro is called Chollima, as is the North Korean national football team. The winged horse has been depicted on North Korean currency starting in 1978, as well as being seen on postage stamps.


Aresh Uyezd

Aresh Uyezd (), also transliterated as Areshsky Uyezd, was one of the "uyezds" (administrative units) of Elisabethpol Governorate of the Russian Empire and then of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with its center in Agdash from 1874 until its formal abolition in 1929 by Soviet authorities.
Geography.
Elisabethpol Governorate consisted of Elisabethpol, Nukha, Shusha, Zangezur, Kazakh, Areshsky, Jabrayil and Javanshir Uyezds. Aresh uyezd was located in the northeastern part of Elisabethpol Governorate, on the banks of Kura River, bordering Baku Governorate on the east, Nukhinsky Uyezd on the north, Elisabethpol Uyezd on the west and Shusha Uyezd on the southwest. The area of the uyezd was 2822.9 square verst. The territory of the uyezd was mainly made up of lowlands. The uyezd center was first in Uchkovakh, then in Agdash which was considered the largest cotton-trading center in the lowlands of Transcaucasus.
History.
The territory of Areshky Uyezd was located in the Turyanchay River basin. The area was called "Aresh" () in the Middle Ages and was a part of Shirvan Baylarbaylik which significantly weakened after repeated Ottoman - Safavid wars, and was eventually subdued by Shaki Khanate in the 1750s. After establishment of Russian rule, Aresh was a part of Nukhinskiy Uyezd of Baku Governorate. In 1874, the territory was transferred into a separate Areshsky Uyezd of newly established Elisabethpol Governorate (1868). It was abolished by Soviet authorities in 1929 and a new Agdash Rayon was established in its place in 1930.
Population.
According to census held in 1897, the population of uyezd was 67,277, of which 47,133 were Turko-Tatars (now Azerbaijanis), 13,822 were Armenians, 162 - Russians, and other minorities. The population was engaged primarily in agricultural farming and gardening. During summers, they would take the cattle to the mountains and return only in September. Wool production played an important role in the economy of uyezd.


SMS Luchs

SMS "Luchs" was the fourth member of the of gunboats built for the German "Kaiserliche Marine" (Imperial Navy) in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Other ships of the class are SMS Iltis, SMS Tiger, SMS Eber, SMS Jaguar and SMS Panther.
Design.
"Luchs" was long overall and had a beam of and a draft of forward. She displaced at full load. Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of vertical triple-expansion steam engines each driving a single screw propeller, with steam supplied by four coal-fired Thornycroft boilers. "Luchs" could steam at a top speed of at . The ship had a cruising radius of about at a speed of . She had a crew of 9 officers and 121 enlisted men. "Luchs" was armed with a main battery of two SK L/40 guns, with 482 rounds of ammunition. She also carried six machine guns.
Service history.
"Luchs" was laid down at the "Kaiserliche Werft" (Imperial Shipyard) in Danzig in 1898. She was launched on 18 October 1899 and commissioned into the German fleet on 15 May 1900. She was initially assigned to the American Station, along with the protected cruiser and the unprotected cruiser .
In August 1904, the badly damaged Russian battleship "Tsesarevich" and three destroyers sought refuge in the German naval base at Tsingtao following the Russian defeat in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. As Germany was neutral, the East Asia Squadron interned "Tsesarevich" and the destroyers. On 13 August, the Russian ships restocked their coal supplies from three British steamers, but the armored cruiser and the protected cruiser cleared for action to prevent them from leaving the port. The two cruisers were then reinforced by "Luchs" and her sister and the cruisers and .
"Luchs" spent December 1909 and early January 1910 in Hong Kong for the Christmas and New Year's festivities in company with the armored cruiser and the light cruiser . In January, "Scharnhorst", "Leipzig", and "Luchs" went on a tour of East Asian ports, including Bangkok, Manila, and stops in Sumatra and North Borneo. By 22 March, "Scharnhorst" and "Leipzig" had returned to the German port at Tsingtao.
"Luchs" was scuttled on 28 September 1914 at the German colony in the Kiautschou Bay concession during the Siege of Tsingtao. Three of her sisters were also scuttled during the siege, including , which was scuttled the same day as "Luchs".