SS Agwiworld

The SS "Agwiworld" was a tanker ship that was able to evade an attack off the coast of California in the early days of World War II. "Agwiworld" was built by Sun Shipbuilding in Chester, Pennsylvania on the Delaware River. "Agwiworld"s keel was laid down on July 28, 1920. The vessel was launched on December 22, 1920, and delivered on January 19, 1921. "Agwiworld" was owned and operated by Richfield Oil Company and homeport was Los Angeles, California.
After the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the United States entered World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy sent submarines to attack ships off Coastal California. On December 20, 1941 at 2:15 pm the "Agwiworld" was off Cypress Point, Monterey Peninsula near Monterey Bay when the fired 14 artillery shells at her from her single 14 cm (5.5 in) naval gun. The first shell missed and exploded off the stern, Captain Frederick Goncalves saw the sub to the west. Goncalves took evasive moves, zigzagging to avoid the incoming shells and to flee the site. Goncalves had a distress call sent to the US Navy. Captain Genichi Shibata of "I-23" was not able to get off accurate fire, nor able to follow the "Agwiworld", as the water was rough that day. The sub "I-23" was faster than the "Agwiworld", but with the heavy swells Shibata called off the attack. Shibata's gun crew were on the deck and the heavy swells risked washing his crew overboard. The deck gun had a range of and continued to fire as "Agwiworld" departed. "Agwiworld" steamed to Santa Cruz, away from the sub, looking for a safe port. After the sub fired its last shell, it submerged. People, including golfers, on the Monterey peninsula saw the shells exploding around the ship as she entered the bay still zigzagging at top speed. Salinas Air Base sent out observation planes to look for the sub, but due to poor visibility they found nothing. It is reported that the Japanese submarine "I-23" was lost with all 96 crew members off Hawaii on February 28, 1942. In 1949 the "Agwiworld" was sold to Cia. Atlantica Pacifica S.A. (Atlantic & Pacific Corporation) of Panama City, Panama and renamed the SS "Edgewater". In 1954 the ship was scrapped by the British Iron and Steel Corporation.
On the same day, December 20, 1941, at about the same time, to the south, off Cape Mendocino, the was able to hit is target, . Five shells and one torpedo killed five crew members and wrecked the "Emidio", which ran aground. "I-17" was sunk on August 19, 1943 by and US Kingfisher floatplanes.


Clifford Road Air Raid Shelter

The Clifford Road Air Raid Shelter, located under the playground of Clifford Road Primary School in Ipswich was built during the first months of World War II. It was an unusually solid construction, capable of holding several hundred people. After the war, it was sealed up and largely forgotten.
In 1989, workmen digging a pond in the school grounds discovered one of the original stairways leading into the shelter. The structure had survived with little more than a few leaks.
The Museum.
Today, the shelter is preserved as a museum, is open to the public and to private & school groups. The displays in the lengthy tunnels take a visitor through various aspects of life during the war, including rationing and military activity. One section of the tunnels recreates the conditions when the shelter was in use, with dim lighting, wooden benches, and the sounds of an air raid outside.
The museum is open the first weekend of each month from April to October, with some additional evening openings. It is also possible to arrange guided tours and group visits at other times.


Cats Falck

Maureen Cathryn Harriet "Cats" Falck (11 July 1953 – date of death uncertain, between November 1984 and May 1985) was a Swedish television journalist who, together with her friend Lena Gräns, disappeared in Stockholm in 1984 while she was investigating a scandal involving the smuggling of weapons from Sweden to communist states in Eastern Europe. The dead bodies of Falck and Gräns were later found at the bottom of the Hammarby Canal in Stockholm. The deaths remain unsolved but later reports claim that they were assassinated in a state-sponsored operation by agents from East Germany.
Cats Falck was born in Enskede in Stockholm, Sweden.
At the time of her disappearance, Falck was employed as a reporter for the Swedish public service television news program "Rapport".
Prior to her disappearance, Falck had told her work-mates and her fiancé (the author Lasse Strömstedt) that she was about to reveal "something big".
She also claimed that when the story broke, she would get "Stora Journalistpriset", "The Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism". In retrospect, several fellow journalists have claimed it would be very strange for a journalist to not inform her superiors that she was onto something big. If she had informed them, she would have been given more time and resources to pursue the story.
Disappearance.
On 18 November 1984, Falck and her friend Lena Gräns were last observed by witnesses as they left the restaurant "Öhrns Hörn" ("Öhrn's Corner") at the crossing of Folkungagatan–Borgmästargatan at Södermalm in Stockholm. Gräns' brother worked at the restaurant, and the Falk met a colleague. Both claim that the women shared a bottle of wine at their dinner.
The two women left the restaurant at approximately 21.30 CET.
Falck and Gräns had planned to spend a night out with a friend of Gräns, named Ulla Jones (married Andersson). However Jones fell asleep and didn't wake up until approximately 10 PM. She immediately went to Cafe Opera and waited all night, but Falck and Gräns never arrived.
Search for the women.
The disappearance sparked a great deal of interest from fellow journalists as well as the public. However, despite media coverage and countless tips from the public, both in Sweden and abroad, the police had no viable leads. After having left the restaurant, the women had seemingly evaporated.
The police did find that Gräns's car, a white Renault, was missing. This led the police to think that the women might have left of their own accord, or that they had been in a car accident and ended up in the waters in Stockholm. Another theory was that the women had met with foul play and that they, along with the car, had been dumped in the water. Because of this the police conducted extensive searches of the waters in the area.
On 29 May 1985, their bodies were found in the missing car on the bottom of the Hammarby Canal at Norra Hammarbyhamnen in southern Stockholm. The car was discovered by military divers during an exercise. The area had been searched at least six times by police divers.
The women were found wearing the same clothes as when they vanished. Despite its being Gräns's car, Falck was sitting in the driver's seat. Both women had their seatbelts still buckled.
Police investigations.
There have been two police investigations into the deaths of the women.
Initial investigation.
The Swedish police, who had been working on several hypothetical theories, closed the case as an "accident".
The initial investigation has been criticized because very few technical investigations were carried out, and several things that were never investigated.
Because Falck had just recently taken her driver's license, the police concluded that Falck had been practicing her driving with Gräns. They theorized that the women had driven too fast down a slope and lost control of the car which hit a 15 cm high rail for a harbor crane and flipped into the water. The women had subsequently drowned.
The autopsy revealed that Gräns had a broken nose but Falck had no broken bones or head injuries. It was noted that the women had pink water in their lungs but the water was never tested, and no reason was given as to the color.
Color scrapings were found on the car but either no analysis was carried out, or the results of the analysis were never noted down.
A piece of jewelry was found in the gravel at the harbour. Gräns's mother reported that a piece of jewelry was missing from her personal effects. It was never investigated if it was the same piece of jewelry.
The theory of how the car ended up where it was in the water has also been debunked. If the car hit the rail and flipped into the water the way the police suggests, it would have to move some 550 m while on the bottom. According to harbour employees, the water in the area has no currents, which is why the harbour is placed there. The bottom is muddy and the car, which had broken windows, would have sunk into it.
The legal limit for driving in Sweden is and was a blood alcohol content of 0.2 pro mille. After half a bottle of wine the women were likely over the limit.
Both Falck and Gräns were wearing high heels. It is somewhat illegal to drive in high heels in Sweden; although there is no explicit law, a driver in high heels may be charged with a reckless driving offence.
Second investigation.
In 1997, new information that Falck was murdered because she had come across information about illegal arms deals led to the police re-opening the case. Despite new interviews investigating some of the leads that were missed in the first investigation, the police again arrived at the conclusion that the death was an accident.
Murder theories.
At the time of her disappearance, Falck, who was employed as a reporter for the Swedish public service television news programme "Rapport", was investigating a major scandal comprising the Swedish company ASEA and smuggling of weapons to communist states in Eastern Europe. Another theory has been that Falck had information about the Swedish armaments company Bofors and that they sold weapons to countries with embargoes through intermediaries.
On the 8th anniversary of the disappearance, Ulla Jones came in contact with someone who claimed to know a Säpo (Swedish Security Service) employee with information about the death. The man claimed that the women had been drowned prior to being put in the water, possibly using a hose.
ASEA electronics smuggling.
During the early 1980s, the Swedish company ASEA was selling American computers and software to the Soviet Union. It is known that Falck was investigating the case, but many people doubt that she had come across any sensitive information. According to the journalist Bo G Andersson, who has also written several of the articles used a sources in this article, Falck's work notes do not indicate that she had any unique information. Andersson has personally investigated the ASEA story and he has found no indications that Falck had any unique sources, or any information beyond what had already been publicised in other news.
Andersson also claims that the police officer who led the initial investigation into the case, Eric Skoglund, had told him that if Falck and Gräns were murdered, it was not because of the smuggling by ASEA, but rather because of information retaining to the gunpowder smuggling by Bofors. It is not known why Skoglund thought this was the case.
Bofors gunpowder smuggling.
The Swedish armaments company Bofors was involved in the smuggling of gunpowder to Iran and Iraq during the 1980s. Bofors sold the gunpowder to East Germans, who then sold it forward. The person responsible for monitoring all Swedish arms deals with foreign powers was Swedish weapons inspector Carl-Fredrik Algernon.
In autumn 1984, Algenon contacted Christer Ekberg, one of the highest operatives at Säpo. According to Ekberg, Algenon told him that he had received information about Bofors's smuggling, but Algenon would not tell Ekberg where the information originated. The facts that Algenon provided were according to Ekberg written down into a PM, but if this is the case the PM has later gone missing.
In April 1997, the Swedish Security Service received an anonymous letter sent from Germany in which it was claimed that the former East German secret police Stasi had carried out the killings.
In the letter, which was written in English, two retired Stasi officials and four other East German government officials were named, while the purported death squad was said to have consisted of three persons. The alleged motive behind the assassination was that Falck had received sensitive information about a secret weapons affair between the Swedish weapons manufacturer Bofors and East Germany. In the letter, Stasi was further blamed for the death of the Swedish weapons inspector Carl-Fredrik Algernon, the chief investigator of the Bofors scandal, in the Stockholm Metro in 1987. The letter claimed that it was Falck who had informed Algenon about weapons affair.
In June 1997 the Swedish newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" wrote a series of articles based on the new information from the letter, which prompted the Swedish police to take a new look at the case.
The case also received much attention in German media and prompted the German Federal Police to open an investigation.
In September 2003, a 53-year-old German citizen, named as "Jürgen G" in a press release from the German Prosecutor-General, was arrested in Berlin suspected of having been a member of a group that carried out a number of assassinations on orders from the East German government from 1976 to 1987.
According to an article in the German newspaper "Berliner Zeitung", the suspicions against the man also involved the murder of Cats Falck and Lena Gräns. According to the article, the alleged death squad had operated directly under the East German government and not under Stasi as it was claimed in the earlier letter. The group had entered Sweden on false passports via West Germany and Denmark and then sought contact with Falck in Stockholm. There they had met up at the restaurant where Falck and Gräns were allegedly poisoned, placed in their car and then dumped into the Hammarby Canal. On 15 December 2003 the man was released from custody due to lack of evidence.
The German investigation was closed in 2006.
Other theories.
An investigation made by reporter Christoph Andersson on behalf of Sveriges Radio, the Swedish public service radio broadcasting service, found that Falck had been investigating the export of isostatic presses, which can be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, to Eastern Germany and the Stasi-controlled enterprise AHB Elektronik Import Export.


Miao Hua

Miao Hua (; born November 1955) is an admiral of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). He has served as director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission since October 2017. Previously he served as political commissar of the PLA Navy from December 2014 to September 2017, and political commissar of the Lanzhou Military Region in 2014.
Biography.
Miao Hua was born in November 1955 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. He is of Rugao, Jiangsu ancestry.
He enlisted in the PLA in December 1969, serving as a soldier in the 274th regiment of the 92nd division of the 31st Group Army, in the Nanjing Military Region. He joined the Communist Party of China in September 1973. In the 1980s, he served as a political commissar in several regiments. In the 1990s, he rose to director of the Political Department of the 93rd division, and then political commissar of the 91st division. In August 1999, Miao became director of the Political Department of the 31st Group Army, and attained the rank of major general in July 2001. He was made Political Commissar of the 12th Group Army in July 2005.
Miao was appointed director of the Political Department of the Lanzhou Military Region in December 2010. In July 2012, he became deputy political commissar of the Lanzhou MR, and attained the rank of lieutenant general. In July 2014, he was promoted to political commissar of the Lanzhou MR, replacing General Li Changcai, who had retired.
Five months later, Miao was transferred from the army to the People's Liberation Army Navy, and appointed political commissar of the navy. It was a highly unusual move, as navy political commissars, including his predecessor Liu Xiaojiang, were normally promoted internally. Observers have interpreted the move as related to the fall of General Xu Caihou, the former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. Miao spent most of his career in the Nanjing Military Region, and was based in Xiamen, Fujian Province around the same time when Xi Jinping served as deputy party chief of Fujian. He worked for many years alongside Xi, who later became China's top leader in 2012.
On 31 July 2015, Miao Hua was promoted to admiral, the highest rank for Chinese military officers in active service, together with nine other officers.
Miao was a member of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and is a member of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.


James B. Dozier

James Bell Dozier, also known as James Doshier, was born in Warren County, Tennessee on May 2, 1820, and died in 1901.
He is one of only eight civilian recipients of the Medal of Honor. As a civilian scout during the Indian Wars., he received the award "for gallantry in action and on the march." This occurred in 1870 at the Little Wichita River in Texas during a battle with the Keechi.
Revocation and reinstatement of the Medal of Honor.
In 1917, the U.S. Army—after Congress revised the standards for the award—removed from the rolls 911 medals previously awarded to civilians or for actions that would not warrant a Medal of Honor under the new higher standards. Dozier's medal was among those revoked. In 1977, Congress began reviewing numerous cases; it reinstated the medals for Dozier and four other civilian scouts on June 12, 1989.


Cordell Walker


N. Ram

Narasimhan Ram, also known as N. Ram, (born 4 May 1945) is an Indian journalist and a prominent member of the Kasturi family that controls The Hindu Group of publications. Ram was the managing-director of "The Hindu" since 1977 and its editor-in-chief since 27 June 2003 until 18 January 2012. Ram also headed the other publications of The Hindu Group such as "Frontline", "The Hindu Business Line" and "Sportstar", and has been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and Sri Lanka Ratna by the Government of Sri Lanka.
Subsequent to changes in the editorial & business sections of "The Hindu" on 21 October 2013, Ram has become chairman of Kasturi & Sons Limited and publisher of "The Hindu".
Early life and education.
Ram was born on 4 May 1945 in Madras, British India. He was the eldest son of G. Narasimhan who served as managing-director of "The Hindu" from 1959 to 1977. Ram is a great-grandson of S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, the patriarch of the Kasturi family.
Ram did his schooling at Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chennai and was graduated from Loyola College, Chennai, with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1964, received a master's degree from Presidency College, Chennai, in 1966, and later an M.S. in comparative journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He actively participated in the students politics. He was vice-president of the Students Federation of India (SFI), which is politically linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), at the time of its formation in 1970 in Thiruvananthapuram.
Journalism and career.
Beginning his career in "The Hindu" as an associate editor in 1977, Ram was made the Washington correspondent in 1980. His association with the news magazine "Frontline" dates back to 1984, when the magazine was started. Ram has become famous as a journalist during his writings in exposing Bofors Scandal during the reign of former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. Prior to his position as the editor-in-chief of the "Hindu" daily, Ram had served as the editor of "Frontline" magazine and Sportstar between 1991 and 2003.
Towards the end of a bitter family feud, Ram stepped down as editor-in-chief and publisher of The Hindu group on 19 January 2012. In consequence, Siddharth Varadarajan, editor, The Hindu, succeeded him, with effect from 19 January 2012, as editor of The Hindu responsible for the selection of news under the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act of 1867. D. Sampathkumar, editor, Business Line, R. Vijaya Sankar, editor, Frontline, and Nirmal Shekar, editor, Sportstar, took over, with effect from 19 January 2012, as editors responsible for the selection of news under the Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act of 1867 in these Group publications. K. Balaji, managing director of Kasturi & Sons Ltd., the public limited company that brings out The Hindu group of publications, succeeded Mr. Ram as publisher of all the group publications. Subsequent to changes in the Editorial & Business of 'The Hindu' on 21 October 2013, Ram has become chairman of Kasturi & Sons Limited and publisher of 'The Hindu' and group publications.
During his younger days, Ram also started a journal called "Radical Review", with his friends, P.Chidambaram and Prakash Karat.
Awards and recognition.
Ram's contribution to journalism has been recognised by a number of awards. These include the Asian Investigative Journalist of the Year (1990) Award conferred by the Press Foundation of Asia at the "One Asia Assembly", Bofors Case, the disciplined application of his journalistic idealism and the impact of his revelations on the Indian political scene"; the B.D. Goenka, 1989, shared with Chitra Subramaniam; in the interest of the nation"; and XLRI's First JRD Tata Award for Business Ethics, awarded at the institute's 46th Annual Convocation at Jamshedpur on 23 March 2003. The Highest national honour conferred by Sri Lanka on non–nationals is the Sri Lanka Rathna award. Ram, the editor in chief of four Chennai-based publications, became the first Indian national to be awarded that honour on 14 November 2005.
Ram has been chosen for the prestigious Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award, presented by the Press Council of India (PCI), for his outstanding contribution towards journalism, the Councils announced on 5 November 2018.
The award will be presented on 16 November on the occasion of the National Press Day.
Controversies.
On 25 January 2012, Mr. K.C. Palaniswamy a former AIADMK Member of Parliament registered a complaint against Ram and eight others with the Chennai police, accusing them of a 400-acre land grab scam, worth nearly Rs. 3 billion. Ram has filed for anticipatory bail in the case and was granted the same.
In 2012, shortly after Ram was honoured by his alma mater, the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, Chitra Subramaniam alleged that he was responsible for compromising the identity of their source on the Bofors story and that she had not received her due as the journalist who broke the story. Ram denied the allegations.
Personal life.
Ram's first wife Susan was an English woman who came to India as a research student. Like Ram, she was (and remains) an atheist with a Leftist perspective on politics. After their marriage, Susan worked as a teacher, a freelance journalist, an editor for Oxford University Press publications in India and a television presenter. As a husband and wife team, they published the first volume of a biography on R. K. Narayan, the eminent Indian writer.
Ram and Susan's daughter, Vidya Ram, became a journalist and graduated at the top of the class at her father's alma mater. She also won a Pulitzer fellowship, was an intern at The New York Times, a reporter at Forbes and is the European Correspondent at Business Line.
After the divorce from Susan, Ram married Mariam Chandy, a Malayali Christian. It was Mariam's second marriage as well. Mariam comes from a prosperous family that owned the now defunct Travancore National and Quilon Bank, liquidated in 1938. She has worked in advertising agencies, HTA and O&M. Mariam Ram is presently the managing director of TNQ Books and Journals, that she founded in Chennai in 1998. The company does editing, pagination and design for scientific, technical and medical publishers of the US, the UK and the European Union. As of 2008, the company had an annual turnover of Rs 50 crores and employs 1200 staff.
During his youth, Ram played cricket and was the wicket-keeper Batsman for the Tamil Nadu state team in the Ranji trophy.


Royal Order of Munhumutapa

The Royal Order of Munhumutapa, named after a significant pre-colonial empire, is the highest award that Zimbabwe can bestow on a foreigner. The honour is bestowed on mostly political leaders of the Frontline States who provided solidarity and unity in supporting Zimbabwean independence and that of the Southern African region as a whole. The recipients of the honour are former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, the late Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, and the late founding presidents of Angola, Botswana and Mozambique, respectively Agostinho Neto, Seretse Khama and Samora Machel, the last Executive Secretary of the Liberation Committee of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – precursor to the African Union (AU) Retired Brigadier-General Hashim Mbita of Tanzania and perhaps, most remarkably, Fr. Paschal Slevin OFM, an Irish missionary priest.
As of August, 2017 The Royal Order of Munhumutapa has been awarded to these 7 individuals. Tanzania is the only nation that has two recipients of the award.


Richard Tom

Richard Wah Sung "Rich" Tom (November 8, 1920 – February 20, 2007) was a Chinese American bantamweight weightlifter. He won a silver medal at the 1947 World Championships and a bronze at the 1948 Olympics. In 1952 he won his only national AAU title and later served as a weightlifting official. Tom was a World War II veteran. He was born in China, but his family moved to Hawaii when he was a boy. He was the first Chinese-American to compete for the United States at the Olympics.


Escape in the Desert

Escape in the Desert is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward A. Blatt and written by Marvin Borowsky and Thomas Job. The film stars Jean Sullivan, Philip Dorn, Irene Manning, Helmut Dantine, Alan Hale, Sr. and Samuel S. Hinds. The film was released by Warner Bros. on May 1, 1945.
Plot.
The action takes place in the southwestern United States late in World War II. Four POWs from Nazi Germany escape American custody and eventually wind up taking over a small gas station/hotel in the desert. They plan to obtain a fueled-up vehicle and flee the country. A Dutch military pilot traveling through America on his way to fight in the Pacific is mistaken by some locals as one of the Nazis. Eventually, however, he helps lead the resistance against the Germans.
The setting, some of the characters and a few plot elements are reminiscent of the 1936 film "The Petrified Forest". But while "Escape in the Desert" has occasionally been called a "remake" of the earlier film, the two are in essence very different. The two main male characters are nothing like those in "The Petrified Forest", and their conflict is also dissimilar. Critics at the time noticed the superficial resemblance to the earlier film, but described "Escape in the desert" as basically an action picture, a sort of updated Western with Nazis as the villains.


List of heads of state of Zimbabwe

This is a list of the heads of state of Zimbabwe from the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) of Rhodesia in 1965 to the present day.
From 1965 to 1970 the head of state under the UDI was the Monarch in person of Elizabeth II, who simultaneously reigned as the Monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Ian Smith's government continued to affirm allegiance to Elizabeth II as "Queen of Rhodesia" from the UDI until 1970, but this was not acknowledged by the international community.
The 'Monarch' was represented in Rhodesia by the Officer Administrating of the Government, because Smith and his cabinet ignored Sir Humphrey Gibbs the Governor of Southern Rhodesia.
Rhodesia became a republic under the Constitution of 1969, adopted following the 1969 constitutional referendum, and the 'Monarch' and Officer Administrating of the Government were replaced by a ceremonial President.
Background.
Initially, the territory was referred to as "South Zambezia", a reference to the River Zambezi, until the name "Rhodesia" came into use in 1895. This was in honour of Cecil Rhodes, the British empire-builder and key figure during the British expansion into southern Africa. The British government agreed that Rhodes' company, the British South Africa Company (BSAC), would administer the territory stretching from the Limpopo to Lake Tanganyika under charter as a protectorate. Queen Victoria signed the charter in 1889.
The territory north of the Zambezi was the subject of separate treaties with African chiefs: today, it forms the country of Zambia. The designation "Southern Rhodesia" was first used officially in 1898 in the Southern Rhodesia Order in Council of 20 October 1898, which applied to the area south of the Zambezi, and was more common after the BSAC merged the administration of the two northern territories as Northern Rhodesia in 1911.
Monarchs (19231970/80).
As a result of the various treaties between the BSAC and the black tribes, Acts of Parliament delineating BSAC and Crown Lands, overlapping British colonial commission authority of both areas, the rights of the increasing number of British settlers and their descendants were given secondary review by authorities. This resulted in the formation of new movements for expanding the self-government of the Rhodesian people which saw BSAC rule as an impediment to further expansion. Opinion in the United Kingdom and South Africa favoured incorporation of Southern Rhodesia in the Union of South Africa, but, by forcing the pace of negotiation, the Southern Rhodesians obtained unfavourable terms and the electorate backed Responsible Government in a 1922 referendum.
In view of the outcome of the referendum, the territory was annexed by the United Kingdom on 12 September 1923. Shortly after annexation, on 1 October 1923, the first constitution for the new Colony of Southern Rhodesia came into force.
On 7 October 1964 the Southern Rhodesian government announced that when Northern Rhodesia achieved independence as Zambia, the Southern Rhodesian government would officially become known as the Rhodesian Government and the colony would become known as Rhodesia. On 23 October of that year, the Minister of Internal Affairs notified the Press that the Constitution would be amended to make this official. The Legislative Assembly then passed an Interpretation Bill to declare that the colony could be referred to as Rhodesia. The Bill received its third reading on 9 December 1964, and passed to the Governor for assent.
On 11 November 1965, following a brief but solemn consensus, Rhodesia's leading statesmen issued their country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). This was immediately denounced as an "act of rebellion against the Crown" in the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Harold Wilson promised that the illegal action would be short-lived. Initially, the state retained its pledged loyalty to Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, recognizing her as "Queen of Rhodesia". However, few seemed to initially realize that Rhodesia was no longer within the Commonwealth's direct sphere of influence and British rule was now a constitutional fiction; Salisbury remained virtually immune to credible metropolitan leverage.
Republic of Rhodesia (19701979).
During a two-proposition referendum held in 1969, the proposal for severing all remaining ties to the British Crown passed by a majority of 61,130 votes to 14,327. Rhodesia declared itself a republic on 2 March 1970.
Under the 1969 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Rhodesia, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The President was elected by Parliament. In the event of a vacancy the President of the Senate served as Acting President.
Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979).
Under pressure from the international community to satisfy the civil rights movement by Blacks in Rhodesia, an "Internal Settlement" was drawn up between the Ian Smith administration of Rhodesia and moderate African nationalist parties not involved in armed resistance. Meanwhile, the government continued to battle armed resistance from both Soviet and Chinese backed Marxist liberation movements it referred to as "terrorists"- the Rhodesian Bush War was an extension of the Cold War, being a proxy conflict between the West and East, similar to those in Vietnam and Korea.
The "Internal Settlement" agreement led to relaxation of education, property and income qualifications for voter rolls, resulting in the first ever Black majority electorate. The country's civil service, judiciary, police and armed forces continued to be administered by the same officials as before, of whom most were Whites, due to the composition of the upper-middle class of the period.
The Lancaster House Agreement stipulated that control over the country be returned to the United Kingdom in preparation for elections to be held in the spring of 1980. From 12 December 1979 to 17 April 1980, Zimbabwe Rhodesia was again the British colony of Southern Rhodesia. On 18 April 1980, Southern Rhodesia became the independent Republic of Zimbabwe.


Hing Tong

Hing Tong (16 February 1922 – 4 March 2007) was a leading American mathematician. He is well known for providing the original proof of the Katetov–Tong insertion theorem.
Life.
Hing Tong was born in Canton, China. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1947, he received his doctorate in mathematics from Columbia University, where his thesis advisor was Edgar Lorch. In 1956, he married fellow mathematician, Mary Powderly. He was the father of five children.
Work.
Hing Tong made many significant contributions to the area of algebraic topology, and served in a number of academic capacities. In 1947, after receiving a National Research Council fellowship, he became an assistant professor at Barnard College (Columbia University). In 1955, he was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Also in 1955, he was appointed professor of mathematics (and eventually chairman of the mathematics department) at Wesleyan University. He later became a professor of mathematics at Fordham University, where he also served as chairman of the department. He was listed among the Outstanding Educators of America in 1973. Tong retired from academia in 1984 to concentrate on research in theoretical physics. A commemorative brick in the Paul Halmos Commemorative Walk at the Carriage House Conference Center of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) in Washington, DC, reads: "Hing Tong, Topology and Physics".


Ernst Hermann Himmler

Ernst Hermann Himmler (23 December 1905 in Munich – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi functionary, engineer and younger brother of "Reichsführer-SS" Heinrich Himmler.
Life.
Ernst Hermann Himmler was born on 23 December 1905 in Munich, the third and youngest son of a headmaster ("Oberstudiendirektor") Joseph Gebhard Himmler (born 17 May 1865 in Lindau; died 29 October 1936 in Munich), and Anna Maria Heyder (born 16 January 1866 in Bregenz; died 10 September 1941 in Munich). His siblings were Heinrich Himmler (born 7 October 1900 in Munich; died 23 May 1945 in Lüneburg) and Gebhard Ludwig Himmler (born 29 July 1898 in Munich; died 1982 in Munich).
Ernst Himmler completed his university course in electrical engineering in 1928. He joined the Nazi Party on 1 November 1931 (member no. 676,777). In 1933, he joined the SS, and, with Heinrich's help, he got a job with the Berlin radio. He quickly became director within the Reich broadcasting organization. On several occasions, Ernst supplied Heinrich with internal information from the broadcasting world. He ultimately reached the rank of SS-"Sturmbannführer" in 1939. Ernst Himmler was killed in action serving with the "Volkssturm" during fierce fighting in the Battle of Berlin.
Ernst Himmler was the grandfather of author Katrin Himmler.


Teresa Ndanga

Teresa Ndanga (also known as Teresa Chirwa-Ndanga) is a Malawian investigative journalist. Teresa is the first "female" Chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa MISA Malawi Chapter, and the recipient of the 2010 CNN/Multichoice Health and Medical reporting award. In 2012, she bagged the MISA Malawi Investigative Journalist award "electronic" media while in 2013, she received the Overall Journalist of the Year award for the same award. In 2015, she was listed among the top 10 Women to watch in media by Media Institute of Southern Africa.
= Background and Education =
Teresa Ndanga was born on 29 April 1982 in Zimbabwe. Her family relocated to Malawi when she was nine years old. In 2007 she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism at the Malawi Polytechnic . In 2012 she was awarded the Journalism for Human Rights Fisher fellowship through Massey College in Canada. In 2015 she attained a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Havard Kennedy School in the United States.
= Career =
Teresa's career in journalism began in 2005 as a student intern at Zodiak Broadcasting station. She was later employed by the media house upon her graduation from the Malawi Polytechnic in 2007. After receiving the 2010 CNN/Multichoice Health and Medical reporting award Teresa was promoted from being a Reporter to an Editor at Zodiak Broadcasting station. She progressed at Zodiak Broadcasting station to become the Director of News and Current Affairs. During her tenure at Zodiak Broadcasting station the media house received the MISA Best "electronic" Media house award for six consecutive years. Teresa received the MISA Investigative Journalist award "electronic" media in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She also holds the 2013 MISA Overall Journalist of the year award. In 2017 Teresa was named the first "female" Chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi chapter. She currently heads the Public Relations at AHL Malawi group.
= References =


Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg

The Church of St. James on Coudenberg (, ) is a neoclassical Roman Catholic church located on the historic Place Royale/Koningsplein in central Brussels, Belgium. It is served by Brussels Central Station, as well as by the metro stations Parc/Park and Trône/Troon.
History.
The medieval abbey church that originally stood on this location was demolished by command of Charles Alexander of Lorraine, Governor of the Austrian Netherlands, during his expansive urban planning projects, despite having escaped the great fire of 1731 that destroyed the nearby Coudenberg Palace.
The new church was built in line with / on its present location on the Place Royale/Koningsplein. Construction of the facade was started by architect Gilles-Barnabé Guimard after the designs of Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré (1775). The first stone was solemnly laid by Charles Alexander of Lorraine on 12 February 1776. The portico was finished in 1780. The nave, transept, choir and sacristy were built under supervision of Louis Montoyer in 1785–1786.
After the consecration of the building, it was used as an abbey and parish church at the same time. Moreover, it was the official church of the court of the Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands.
The present building was designed to serve as the Church of the Abbey of St. James on the Coudenberg and therefore has a deep extended choir with place for choir stalls for the monks.
During the French Revolution, the abbey was suspended and the church was made into a Temple of Reason, and then later into a Temple of Law. The church was returned to Catholic control in 1802. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha took the oath that made him H.M. Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, on the front steps of the church. The building lost somewhat of its typical neoclassical temple-like appearance by the addition in the 19th-century of a bell tower (after the design of Tilman-François Suys) and a coloured fresco by Jean Portaels on the pediment.
The church's interior and facade have been protected through royal decree since 2 December 1959.


Guangzhou Uprising

The Guangzhou Uprising, Canton Uprising or Canton Riots of 1927 was a failed communist uprising in the city of Guangzhou (Canton) in southern China.
Background.
The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s Guangdong Provincial Committee had been preparing for an uprising in Guangzhou since September 1927. It originally planned to use a large group of communist-leaning soldiers who were heading into Guangdong after taking part in the failed Nanchang uprising. According to these plans, local workers and peasants were supposed to act as auxiliaries, while the soldiers would bear the brunt of the fighting. The troops from Nanchang were defeated at Shantou in early October, however, precluding any attempt to utilise them in the Guangzhou Uprising. CPC party head Qu Qiubai consequently decided that the communists had to persuade soldiers who were stationed in Guangdong to join their cause. Upon receiving orders from Joseph Stalin to launch the planned uprising in mid-December, over the course of November, a final plan for rebellion was worked out by the central party leadership and Guangdong secretary Zhang Tailei in Shanghai. Originally, the Chinese communist leadership opposed the plans, and made representations to the Soviet government to the effect that they had no chance at winning control of Guangzhou, but ultimately gave in to Soviet pressure. The CPC thought that fighting between the Kuomintang-aligned warlords Zhang Fakui and Li Jishen was imminent in Guangdong, potentially providing them with an opportunity to exploit the ensuing chaos by launching multiple simultaneous rebellions to seize power in the province.
Peasant insurgents were supposed to throw the countryside into chaos, while workers should take over the county seats, and a general strike would paralyze Guangzhou. A separate communist faction was to capture Hainan island, and an army from the Hailufeng Soviet attack Huizhou, and then advance against Guangzhou. In the end, however, the communists in Guangzhou did not follow this plan. The conflict between Zhang Fakui and Li Jishen already broke out on 27 November, with the former capturing Guangzhou from the latter in surprise attack. Thereafter, however, Zhang moved most of his troops out of the city to resist Li's counter-attacks. When the Guangdong Provincial Committee thus converged on 27 November, it concluded that the time was ideal for an insurrection in Guangzhou itself. It remains strongly disputed who exactly was responsible for the further course of events. The communists in Guangdong later claimed that their insurrection was based on the plans discussed with the party leadership, though historian Hsiao Tso-Liang argued that the former still acted completely autonomous and without the knowledge of the latter. Other historians consider this view too extreme, and have put forth evidence which suggests that the CPC's central leadership was informed about the ongoing events in Guangdong. Furthermore, it has been argued that Comintern agents who were present in the province might have decisively influenced the Guangdong Provincial Committee in its decisions about when and how to launch a rebellion.
Regardless of who was responsible for the decision, the Guangdong Committee began to prepare its uprising in earnest from 27 November. A Revolutionary Military Council was appointed with Ye Ting as commander-in-chief and Zhang Tailei as chairman. Sometime in early December, Comintern agent Heinz Neumann arrived in Guangdong, joining the local communists. According to CPC leader Zhang Guotao, Neumann came to wield great influence on the committee and took a leading role in the rebellion; others believe that he was just a messenger for Stalin. The core fighting force of the rebellion consisted of an "ad-hoc" "Red Guard" formed by 2,000 armed workers, and a communist-infiltrated cadet regiment of 1,200 soldiers.
History.
On 11 December 1927, the political leadership of the CPC ordered about 20,000 communist-leaning soldiers and armed workers to organize a "Red Guard" and take over Guangzhou. The uprising occurred despite the strong objections of communist military commanders such as Ye Ting, Ye Jianying and Xu Xiangqian, as the communists were badly armed - just 2,000 of the insurgents had rifles. Nevertheless, rebel forces captured most of the city within hours using the element of surprise, despite a huge numerical and technical advantage held by government troops. The communist leaders officially renamed the city's political structure the "Soviet of Workers, Soldiers and Peasant Deputies" or "Guangzhou Soviet". After this initial success for the communists, however, the 15,000 National Revolutionary Army (NRA) troops in the area moved into the city and started to push back the insurgents. After five more NRA divisions arrived in Guangzhou, the uprising was quickly crushed. The insurgents suffered heavy casualties, while the survivors had to flee the city or go into hiding. The Comintern, especially Neumann, were later blamed for insisting that the communists had to hold onto Guangzhou at all cost. Zhang Tailei, the leading Red Guard organizer, was killed in an ambush as he returned from a meeting. The takeover dissolved by the early morning of December 13, 1927.
In the resulting purges, many young communists were executed and the Guangzhou Soviet became known as the "Canton Commune", "Guangzhou Commune" or "Paris Commune of the East"; it lasted only a short time at the cost of more than 5,700 communists dead and an equal number missing. Around 8 p.m. on 13 December, the Soviet consulate in Guangzhou was surrounded and all its personnel were arrested. In the accident the consulate diplomats Ukolov, Ivanov and others were killed. Ye Ting, the military commander, was scapegoated, purged and blamed for the failure, despite the fact that the obvious disadvantages of the communist force was the main cause of the defeat, as Ye Ting and other military commanders had correctly pointed out. Enraged by his unjustified treatment, Ye Ting left China and went into exile in Europe, not returning until nearly a decade later.
Despite being the third failed uprising of 1927, and reducing the morale of the communists, it encouraged further uprisings across China.


Chahar Province

Chahar (; ), also known as Chaha'er, Chakhar or Qahar, was a province of the Republic of China in existence from 1912 to 1936, mostly covering territory in what is part of Eastern Inner Mongolia. It was named after the Chahar Mongols.
Administration and history.
Chahar Province is named after the Chahar, a tribal group of the Mongols who live in that area. Before the unification of the Mongol tribes under Genghis Khan, the area had seen intermittent Chinese influence over the native Mongols. After the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), the area was only intermittently controlled by China. The Chahar had become the personal appanage of the monarchs of the Northern Yuan dynasty since the reign of Batumongke Dayan Khan (r. 1479–1517). By the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), Chahar was not yet a Chinese province, but "Zhangyuan Special Region" (), although Yao Xiguang () proposed making Chahar a province as early as 1908.
In 1913, the second year of the Republic of China, Chahar Special Administrative Region was created as a subdivision of Zhili Province, containing 6 Banners and 11 counties:
In 1928, it became a province. The last five counties on the above list (starting from Xinghe) were partitioned to Suiyuan province. And ten counties were included from Xuanhua Subprefecture (宣化府), Koubei Circuit (口北道), Hebei Province:
All banners belong to the Shilingol League (, 锡林郭勒盟).
From 1937 to 1945, it was occupied by Japan and made a part of Mengjiang, a Japanese-controlled region led by Mongol Prince Demchugdongrub of the Shilingol Alliance. The Chahar People's Anti-Japanese Army Alliance (察哈爾民眾抗日同盟軍) was established in Kalgan on May 26, 1933 by Feng Yuxiang (馮玉祥) and Ji Hongchang (吉鴻昌).
1948–1952.
In 1952, six years after becoming communist, the province was abolished and divided into parts of Inner Mongolia, Beijing Municipality and Hebei.
Geography.
Chahar Province was divided north-south by the Great Wall, with North Chahar being the larger in area and South Chahar, with the capital, Zhangjiakou, being far larger in population. It had an area of . In North Chahar most of the land was part of the northeastern extension of the Gobi Desert.


Raise the Red Lantern

Raise the Red Lantern is a 1991 film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. It is an adaptation by Ni Zhen of the 1990 novel "Wives and Concubines" by Su Tong. The film was later adapted into an acclaimed ballet of the same title by the National Ballet of China, also directed by Zhang.
Set in the 1920s, the film tells the story of a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during the Warlord Era. It is noted for its opulent visuals and sumptuous use of colours. The film was shot in the Qiao Family Compound near the ancient city of Pingyao, in Shanxi Province. Although the screenplay was approved by Chinese censors, the final version of the film was banned in China for a period.
Plot.
The film is set in 1920s Republic of China during the Warlord Era (1916–1928), years before the Chinese Civil War. Nineteen-year-old Songlian (Sònglián, played by Gong Li), an educated woman whose father has recently died and left the family bankrupt, is forced by her stepmother to marry into the wealthy Chen family, becoming the fourth wife or rather the third concubine or, as she is referred to, the Fourth Mistress (Sì Tàitai) of the household. Arriving at the palatial abode, she is at first treated like royalty, receiving sensuous foot massages and brightly lit red lanterns, as well as a visit from her husband, Master Chen (Ma Jingwu), the master of the house, whose face is never clearly shown.
Songlian soon discovers, however, that not all the concubines in the household receive the same luxurious treatment. In fact, the master decides on a daily basis the concubine with whom he will spend the night; whomever he chooses gets her lanterns lit, receives the foot massage, gets her choice of menu items at mealtime, and gets the most attention and respect from the servants. Pitted in constant competition against each other, the three concubines are continually vying for their husband's attention and affections.
The First Mistress, Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), appears to be nearly as old as the master himself. Having borne a son decades earlier, she seems resigned to live out her life as forgotten, always passed over in favor of the younger concubines. The Second Mistress, Zhuoyun (Zhuóyún, Cao Cuifen), befriends Songlian, complimenting her youth and beauty, and giving her expensive silk as a gift; she also warns her about the Third Mistress, Meishan (Méishan, He Saifei), a former opera singer who is spoiled and who becomes unable to cope with no longer being the youngest and most favored of the master's playthings. As time passes, though, Songlian learns that it is really Zhuoyun, the Second Mistress, who is not to be trusted; she is subsequently described as having the face of the Buddha, yet possessing the heart of a scorpion. She also has to deal with her personal maid, Yan'er (Yàn'ér, played by Kong Lin), who hates her and dreams of being a concubine after a few brief flings with the Master.
Songlian feigns pregnancy, attempting to garner the majority of the master's time and, at the same time, attempting to become actually pregnant. Zhuoyun, however, is in league with Yan'er who finds and reveals a pair of bloodied undergarments, suggesting that Songlian had recently had her period, and discovers the pregnancy is a fraud.
Zhuoyun summons the family physician, feigning concern for Songlian's "pregnancy". Doctor Gao (Gao-yisheng, Cui Zhigang), who is secretly having an illicit affair with Third Mistress Meishan, examines Songlian and determines the pregnancy to be a sham. Infuriated, the master orders Songlian's lanterns covered with thick black canvas bags indefinitely. Blaming the sequence of events on Yan'er, Songlian reveals to the house that Yan'er's room is filled with lit red lanterns, showing that Yan'er dreams of becoming a mistress instead of a lowly servant; it is suggested earlier that Yan'er is in love with the master and has even slept with him in the Fourth Mistress' bed.
Yan'er is punished by having the lanterns burned while she kneels in the snow, watching as they smolder. In an act of defiance, Yan'er refuses to humble herself or apologize, and thus remains kneeling in the snow throughout the night until she collapses. Yan'er falls sick and ultimately dies after being taken to the hospital. One of the servants tells Songlian that her former maid died with her mistress's name on her lips. Songlian, who had briefly attended university before the passing of her father and being forced into marriage, comes to the conclusion that she is happier in solitude; she eventually sees the competition between the concubines as a useless endeavor, as each woman is merely a "robe" that the master may wear and discard at his discretion.
As Songlian retreats further into her solitude, she begins speaking of suicide; she reasons that dying is a better fate than being a concubine in the Chen household. On her twentieth birthday, severely intoxicated and despondent over her bitter fate, Songlian inadvertently blurts out the details of the love affair between Meishan and Doctor Gao to Zhuoyun, who later catches the adulterous couple together. Following the old customs and traditions, Meishan is dragged to a lone room (also known as the room of death earlier on) on the roof of the estate and is hanged to death by the master's servants.
Songlian, already in agony due to the fruitlessness of her life, witnesses the entire episode and is emotionally traumatized. The following summer, after the Master's marriage to yet another concubine, Songlian is shown wandering the compound in her old schoolgirl clothes, appearing to have gone completely insane.
Soundtrack.
"All songs composed by Zhao Jiping."
Distribution.
"Raise the Red Lantern" has been distributed on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD by numerous different distributors, with many coming under criticism for their poor quality.
The Razor Digital Entertainment DVD release has been widely criticised. DVD Times states "Many other viewers will find this DVD release simply intolerable." DVDTown criticised the same release, giving the video quality 1 out of 10 and the audio quality 6 out of 10, summarising that "the video is a disaster". DVDFile adds to this stating "this horrible DVD is only recommended to those who love the movie so much, that they’ll put up with anything to own a Region 1 release." The translation on this version has been also widely criticised for its numerous inaccuracies. A release by Rajon Vision has also received poor commentary
ERA's first release received similar attention but the second digitally remastered edition has been more warmly received with DVD Times stating that "It's a film that really needs a Criterion edition with a new print or a full restoration, but in the absence of any likelihood of that, this Era Hong Kong edition is about as good as you could hope for." DVDBeaver broadly agrees stating "Now, this is not Criterion image quality, but it is not bad at all. It is easily the best digital representation of this film currently available." DVD Talk, though, believes that "This new version is a stunner".
A new MGM release in 2007 has also received some positive feedback.
Reception.
Described as "one of the landmark films of the 1990s" by Jonathan Crow of AllMovie, where it received 5 stars, since its release "Raise the Red Lantern" has been very well received. James Berardinelli named it his 7th best film of the 1990s. It has a 96% certified fresh rating at review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. and "TV Guide" gave it 5 stars. However, there were a small number of negative reviews. Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" stated that "the story never amounts to much more than a rather tepid Chinese rendition of "The Women." The film ranked #28 in "Empire" magazines "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.
The film has also been praised for its artistic merit. Desson Howe of "The Washington Post" stated that "In purely aesthetic terms, "Raise the Red Lantern" is breathtaking" and James Berardinelli stated that "the appeal to the eye only heightens the movie's emotional power". John Hartl of Film.com described it to be "a near-perfect movie that often recalls the visual purity and intensity of silent films."
The film has been interpreted by some critics as a criticism of contemporary China, although Zhang Yimou himself has denied this. Jonathan Crow of AllMovie stated that "the perpetual struggle for power that precludes any unity among the wives provides a depressingly apt metaphor for the fragmented civil society of post-Cultural Revolution China". James Berardinelli made a similar analogy in his review where he stated that "Songlian is the individual, the master is the government, and the customs of the house are the laws of the country. It's an archaic system that rewards those who play within the rules and destroys those who violate them.". An online article suggested that in such a system, the innocent individual becomes the executioner of new incoming victims, making the outcome even more tragic.
Chinese journalist and activist Dai Qing has said that the film, along with many of Zhang Yimou's earlier works, caters too much to Western taste; "this kind of film is really shot for the casual pleasures of foreigners".
The film's popularity has also been attributed to a resurgence in Chinese tourism after the government response to the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 due to its use of exotic locations.
"Raise the Red Lantern" was one of the films with most appearances on 1992's year-end lists, appearing on 36 lists.


Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey)


Ally Gorman

Ally Gorman (also Edward James) is a fictional character from the Channel 4 soap opera "Hollyoaks", played by Dan O'Connor. The actor's casting was announced in December 2011. O'Connor originally auditioned for a different role, before being asked to audition for the part of Ally. O'Connor was given the part and began filming his scenes three days later. "Hollyoaks" series producer, Emma Smithwick, said that O'Connor "nailed" his audition. O'Connor signed up for an initial twelve episode stint, but his contract was extended and he became a regular cast member. The actor commutes from London to Liverpool for filming. O'Connor made his debut screen appearance as Ally during the episode broadcast on 31 January 2012. O'Connor departed "Hollyoaks" on 27 November 2012.
Before his arrival on screen, O'Connor revealed that Ally has a "dark past" that would be "uncovered eventually in true soap style". Ally is Australian and a military medic. O'Connor described his character as a "nice, loveable guy" who is "very friendly and kind". Smithwick said Ally is "contradictory" and "crosses a divide". She called Ally sensitive and described him as a "real guy's guy". A writer for the official "Hollyoaks" website described Ally as a "Hot Aussie" In June 2012, it was revealed that Ally would lose his "strait-laced good boy" reputation.
Ally is introduced as the new lodger of Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper) and Rhys Ashworth (Andrew Moss). Ally's storylines have mainly focused on his relationship with Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies). It is later revealed that Ally has a "mystery connection" to newcomer, Walker (Neil Newbon). Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan) discovers this and decides to investigate their past history. Lynsey is later murdered in a whodunit storyline, with Ally becoming a suspect in her death. Sarah Ellis of "Inside Soap" did not agree with a viewers criticism of O'Connor's acting and opined that he is doing a "stellar job".
Casting.
On 11 December 2011, Jonathon Moran and Elle Halliwell of "The Daily Telegraph" reported that O'Connor had joined the cast of "Hollyoaks" as Ally. O'Connor was previously best known for playing Ned Parker in Australian soap opera, "Neighbours". O'Connor originally auditioned for a different role twice, before being asked to audition for the part of Ally. O'Connor was given the part and began filming his scenes three days later. O'Connor said of his casting: "I'm really excited about joining "Hollyoaks", especially with its recent success. [...] I'm really looking forward to working with some of the show's most popular characters and talented actors." "Hollyoaks" series producer, Emma Smithwick, told Sarah Ellis of "Inside Soap" that she was familiar with O'Connor from his work on "Neighbours". Smithwick said that when O'Connor auditioned for the role he "nailed it" and admitted that the actor's good looks were also appealing. O'Connor signed up for an initial twelve episode stint, but his contract was extended and he became a regular cast member. O'Connor commutes from London to Liverpool, where "Hollyoaks" is filmed, for the role. O'Connor made his first screen appearance as Ally on 31 January 2012. In April 2012, O'Connor revealed that he would remain on the show "at least until the end of [2012]". The character was originally named "Ally Grogan", which was later changed to "Ally Gorman".
Development.
Characterisation and introduction.
Ally is Australian and a military medic, who has recently returned from service in Afghanistan. O'Connor revealed that Ally has a "dark past" that would be "uncovered eventually in true soap style". When asked to describe his character in an interview with Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy, O'Connor stated "He's a nice, loveable guy - very friendly and kind." The official "Hollyoaks" website described Ally as a "Hot Aussie". Smithwick said she liked Ally because he is "contradictory" and "crosses a divide", calling him "sensitive". Smithwick described Ally as a "real guy's guy". Ally arrives in the village as a lodger for Jacqui McQueen (Claire Cooper) and Rhys Ashworth (Andrew Moss). Both Jacqui and Rhys like Ally. Smithwick revealed that Ally would befriend Rhys and they would become "buddies". O'Connor told Kilkelly that there is a "good bond" between Ally and Rhys. The actor revealed that Ally and Rhys "seem to get on really well". It initially appears that the living arrangements are "quite rosy and like a perfect match". However, as Ally stays longer he questions whether he was right to move in with Jacqui and Rhys as they are continuously arguing. O'Connor noted the similarities between Ally and Ned Parker, the character he portrayed in Australian soap opera, "Neighbours". He told Kilkelly "At first, it felt like I was playing the same character that I played on "Neighbours", but that could just be a stereotypical Australian thing - that we all seem to be laid-back, genuine people!"
Relationship with Amy Barnes.
O'Connor told a writer from "All About Soap" that there is "definitely potential" for a romance to develop between Ally and another character. O'Connor was not permitted to reveal the character's identity. Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson) and Amy Barnes (Ashley Slanina-Davies) "take an instant fancy" to Ally, who is not aware of their interest in him. O'Connor explained "The whole thing is pretty innocent to start off with, but it quickly gets more complicated when Ste and Amy make it their mission to find out whether Ally is gay or straight." On-screen there is mystery surrounding Ally's sexuality and Ste and Amy are "both being ultra nice and saying suggestive things to him". O'Connor stated that he knows Ally's sexuality, but "Hollyoaks" producers told him to keep it a secret. Richardson revealed that he was "very heavily involved" in Ally's introduction to the show. O'Connor told Kilkelly that Ally would become attracted to either Ste or Amy. Ally is revealed to be heterosexual, and he asks Amy out on a date before he returns to the army. O'Connor told a writer from "Soaplife" "They had a couple of dates and they're now in the thick of a relationship." The actor added that Ally is "besotted" with Amy.
Ally is "not bothered" that Amy and Ste have two children, Leah Barnes (Elá-May Melek Demircan) and Lucas Hay (Reuben Thwaites), together as he "likes kids". O'Connor told a writer from "Soaplife" that Ste does not want Ally to be a father figure to the Leah and Lucas. O'Connor said "I think Ste's feeling protective." Ste interrupts Ally and Amy whilst they are on a date and asks Ally what his intentions towards Amy are. Of this, O'Connor commented "Ally's a bit frustrated, but he understands why Ste feels he needs to look after Amy." Ally tells Ste he wants a "committed relationship" with Amy and that he "fell for her" the first time they met.
In May 2012, Amy tells Ally that their relationship is progressing too fast. Amy then has a one-night stand with Dodger (Danny Mac). Ally returns to see Amy the next day and hopes they can reconcile. He is unaware of her fling with Dodger, who hides on Ally's arrival. Amy refuses to reconcile to get Ally out of the flat. Amy goes on a road trip to forget about her problems, but is unaware that Dodger's cousin, Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini), has invited both Dodger and Ally on the trip.
Secret.
When the character of Ally was announced, it was revealed that he has a "dark past" that would be "uncovered eventually in true soap style". In January 2012, O'Connor admitted that he did not know Ally's secret and that the storyline was still being developed. O'Connor said "I've been told that [the secret is] a good one" and added that it would probably shock people. The actor opined that the secret would cause conflict between Ally and other character's. O'Connor later commented that the secret would produce a "very big, meaty storyline". In June 2012, it was reported that Lynsey Nolan (Karen Hassan) would discover that there may be a "mystery connection" between Ally and newcomer, Walker (Neil Newbon). Lynsey sees Walker threatening Ally to keep quiet about their past and decides to investigate them. O'Connor told Matthew Wright of "The Wright Stuff" that Ally would lose his "strait-laced good boy" reputation.
During the episode broadcast on 29 June 2012, Lynsey is found dead by Brendan Brady (Emmett J. Scanlan). The death sparked a whodunnit storyline, with Ally in the frame for Lynsey's murder. Digital Spy explained Ally's motives stating, "Additionally, [Ally] and bad boy [Walker] had both found themselves struggling to keep their secrets from an inquisitive Lynsey in recent episodes - providing them with a reason to target her." A promotional image featuring Ally was later released by "Hollyoaks" which confirmed Ally as an official suspect in the mystery.
The Kane family.
In October 2012, Digital Spy's Kilkelly reported that "Hollyoaks" had planned scenes involving Ally and Lacey Kane (Georgia Bourke) growing close. O'Connor told a writer from "Inside Soap" that Ally feels "put out" by Martha's return. She is "out to expose Ally" at a time he was beginning to become liked by the Kanes. Lacey develops a crush on Ally after she steals Ash's credit card and he covers for her. The duo fall to the ground and stare at each other during a game of football. The actor explained that "there's a split second where there is something" between them. Ally gains control over the Kane household because of his encounter with Lacey. O'Connor concluded that Ally has a "hero complex" and "goes about everything the wrong way".
Storylines.
Jacqui McQueen and Rhys Ashworth advertise for a lodger, and Ally replies to the advertisement. Jacqui and Rhys interview Ally and subsequently allow him to move in. Ally meets his neighbours, Ste Hay and Amy Barnes, and invites them over for a dinner party. Ally is unimpressed when Jacqui and Amy become drunk and ruin the party. Ally considers moving out when Jacqui and Rhys continuously argue. Ally kisses Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) and asks her out on a date, but she declines. Ally goes on the date with Mercedes' sister, Michaela McQueen (Hollie-Jay Bowes), instead. Ally becomes annoyed when Michaela and Amy argue as they are both attracted to him. Ally tells Michaela and Amy that he does not want to date either of them. Jacqui and Rhys' new lodger, Phoebe Jackson (Mandip Gill), steals Ally's laptop and Jacqui refuses to report Phoebe to the police. Jacqui and Rhys pay Ally the amount the laptop was worth and he moves out. Ally asks Amy out on a date before returning to the army.
Ally returns; he and Amy begin a relationship. Ally hopes to spend time alone with Amy, but Ste interrupts them and questions Ally's intentions towards Amy. Amy tells Ally that their relationship is moving to fast and he leaves for the night. The next day, Ally attempts to reunite with Amy, unaware that she has had a one-night stand with Dodger. Amy refuses, and goes on a road trip to forget about her problems. Amy is unaware that Dodger's cousin, Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini), has invited both Dodger and Ally on the trip. Dennis hopes to reconcile Ally and Amy. Ally learns that Amy and Dodger had sex, and attacks Dodger. Ally refuses to forgive Amy and returns to the village. Ally and Amy later reunite.
Ally sees Walker and recognises him as "Nick" from the army. Walker tells Ally he is mistaken. Walker threatens Ally not to reveal their past history to anyone, which Lynsey Nolan witnesses. Lynsey decides to investigate Ally and follows him to a strip club. Lynsey confronts Ally and they argue when she threatens to tell Amy. Ste overhears them arguing and decides to tell Amy. Lynsey is later found dead. Ste tells Amy about Ally and Lynsey's argument. Ally and Lynsey's argument was witnessed and the police question Ally about Lynsey's death. Amy provides an alibi for Ally, telling the police that they were together at the time Lynsey was murdered. Ally tells Amy he was at a strip club when Lynsey was murdered. Ally explains that he visits strip clubs to look out for the strippers, as his sister was a stripper and was raped by two customers. A stripper at the club verifies Ally's story to Amy and Ste. Amy tells Ally she cannot trust him and leaves. Ally then pays the stripper for covering for him. When Will Savage (James Atherton) is accused of being Lynsey's murderer, Ally leads a hate campaign against him. Ally befriends Ash Kane (Holly Weston) and they both help prove Will's innocence. Ally and Ash later share a kiss. Ally tells Amy about the kiss, explaining that he suffers from Post traumatic stress disorder and was having a panic attack when the kiss happened. Ally then ends his relationship with Amy and moves out. Ash allows Ally to stay with her. He then later sustains a relationship with Ash, and this angers Amy- so soon after they separated.
Ally moves in with the Kane's and creates a rift between Martha (Carli Norris) and her children. Martha leaves the family home after an argument with Ash leaving the family struggling. Ally begins helping the family and moves in. Lacey (Georgia Bourke) develops romantic feelings for Ally and persistently tries to get his attention. Lacey tries to seduce Ally and he agrees to have sex with her. Lacey's friend Phoebe Jackson (Mandip Gill) becomes concerned when she realises Lacey's attentions and quickly notifies Martha, who interrupts Lacey and Ally. Ash and Callum (Laurie Duncan) return home at the same time and Ally fails to explain the situation. He is later arrested for identity fraud as he had been using the identity of a dead army soldier and trying to work his way into the Kane family.
Reception.
"Inside Soap's" Sarah Ellis did not agree with a viewer's criticism of O'Connor's acting, commenting that the actor had been doing a "stellar job" of portraying Ally. Anthony D. Langford writing for AfterElton stated "I see the show is trying to make Ally interesting by tying him into Brendan and Walker's storyline. But the character is so dull and so underwritten I don't see how it can help." A reporter for the "Liverpool Echo" said "Ever since smooth-talking Ally strolled into Hollyoaks village, the suave Aussie has managed to charm his way into most of the locals' good books - but what do they really know about him? Very little, it would appear..." Carena Crawford from "Reveal" branded the character as a "shady Australian". Laura Morgan from "All About Soap" questioned the point of the character following his departure, saying "Considering we'd waited the best part of a year to discover this news, we were left a bit cold by Ally's big reveal. For a character that had a lot more potential, he was given a hurried and anti-climatic exit. In fact, Ash kneeing him in the nuts might have been the most exciting thing about the whole thing!"


Gregor and the Code of Claw

Gregor and the Code of Claw is a children's novel by author Suzanne Collins, best known for her "Hunger Games" trilogy. It is the fifth and final book of "The Underland Chronicles", and was published in 2007. Scholastic has rated the book's "grade level equivalent" as 4.5 and the book's lexile score as 730L, making it reading-level-appropriate for the average fourth to sixth grader. The novel has been praised especially as a conclusion to "The Underland Chronicles". In its description of the novel, as part of its "Recommended Books" award, the CCBC states, "Although Gregor and the Code of Claw works as a stand-alone story, readers will want to start with book one and work their way through to this final volume." An audiobook version was released in 2008, read by Paul Boehmer.
Plot summary.
Only a few hours have passed since the closing of "Gregor and the Marks of Secret", when Gregor returns from the Firelands to warn Regalia of an impending gnawer attack. As the novel opens, Gregor is numb with shock from the "Prophecy of Time"'s apparent prediction of his death. He and his bond Ares disobey Solovet and return to the Firelands to find the terribly ill Luxa, Aurora, and Howard. Gregor rushes his ill friends back to the city for treatment, whereupon Solovet orders him locked in the dungeon for insubordination. He is eventually released by Nerissa to help his sister Boots while the toddler works to fulfill the "Prophecy of Time" by deciphering the rats' "Code of Claw".
Solovet still wants Gregor imprisoned, until Ripred and Mareth inform her that Gregor has recently developed romantic feelings for Queen Luxa, and would never leave Regalia while she is hospitalized. Shortly after this incident, an upset Gregor is called to the code room for an "emergency with [his] sister", and discovers eight-year-old Lizzie has come to bring him home. When the code team learns that Lizzie has an aptitude for puzzles, Ripred makes the suggestion that she replace Boots. Gregor is desperate to keep his family safe, so he extracts a promise from Ripred to protect them and keep them in the dark about Gregor's impending doom. While Lizzie works on (and ultimately solves) the code, Gregor fights the Bane's armies, struggling all the while to cope with his emotions about Luxa and Sandwich's prophecy.
Shortly before his final confrontation with the Bane, Gregor has all but lost hope for his life. Noticing this, Ripred tells him that he doesn't believe Gregor has to die, because the old rat has never believed in Sandwich's prophetic ability. This revelation inspires Gregor to ultimately defeat the unstable Bane. Two weeks later, a wounded Gregor awakens in the hospital and learns of a series of crushing events. Though the humans routed the rats, Ares died in the Firelands of wounds inflicted by the Bane; Ripred is presumed dead; and Vikus has been partially paralyzed by a stroke brought on by his wife's death.
Though Gregor no longer feels bound by it, many Underlanders wonder how the prophecy can be fulfilled while "the warrior" lives. At the rats' official meeting to discuss terms of surrender, they have their answer. Angered by both a half-dead Ripred and Luxa's readiness to return to war, Gregor breaks Bartholomew of Sandwich's sword on his knees and pronounces the warrior officially dead. Ripred and Luxa, agreeing with Gregor's sentiment, do something unprecedented and bond as a sign of their mutual desire for peace. Afterward, delegates from each species meet to negotiate more a specific treaty while Gregor's family says their good-byes and returns to New York. The novel ends as Gregor's parents discuss a move to Virginia while their children wonder how they can ever forget the Underland. Gregor takes his sisters to the park, where he remains haunted by traumatic memories of the Underland, then notes that Boots has finally learned how to say his name.
Reception.
"Gregor and the Code of Claw" has been reviewed favorably by critics, yet its print version never reached the top of bestseller lists except as part of "The Underland Chronicles". The audiobook version received considerably more public attention, receiving the 2009 ALSC Notable Children's Recording Award for its "originality, creativity, and suitability for children". In particular, the recording is praised for narrator Paul Boehmer's appropriately solemn tone and effective treatment of characters. A 2009 AudioFile review states, "Boehmer creates atmosphere by slightly modulating his voice to depict the darker tone of the story and the maturity of its theme. The satisfying conclusion is bittersweet as listeners say good-bye to the many unforgettable characters in this finely crafted series."
"The Underland Chronicles" was a "New York Times", "Book Sense", and "USA Today" bestselling series, but its fifth novel reached only 116th place on a list of best-selling hardcover novels compiled by "Publishers Weekly" in the year it was published. However, the book's position on that list remained mostly unchanged for the next four years.
A Booklist review for the novel reads, "well-written, fast-moving, action-packed fantasy"—a sentiment generally shared by book critics. The novel has also received critical acclaim for being an excellent conclusion to its series. A "School Library Journal" review praises the "realistic conclusion, including the loss of old friends and a message about the importance of peace and trust, [leaving] readers with a sense of optimism about the future of the Underland. The story's Kirkus Reviews review makes a similar observation: "The resolution is bittersweet but faintly hopeful—a fitting end for an unflinchingly gutsy series whose deftly drawn characters have always lived dangerously."
The novel's main criticisms have centered on its mature themes, which are much more prominent in the somber "Gregor and the Code of Claw" than in the series's other books. Comparisons between "The Underland Chronicles" and Suzanne Collins's later "Hunger Games" trilogy cite parallels between this final novel more than any other, and note the series' many violent moments. This trend culminates with the events of "Gregor and the Code of Claw", and sets the scene for Collins's later works. One Kirkus reviewer comments that though this is "heavy stuff" for preteens, the novel is an excellent "read-alike" for series such as "The Heroes of Olympus", which also possess more complex themes.


Hans Chemin-Petit

Hans Helmuth Chemin-Petit (24 July 1902 – 12 April 1981) was a German composer, conductor and music educator.
Life.
Born in Potsdam, the son of and a concert singer studied from 1920 to 1926 violoncello with Hugo Becker and composition with Paul Juon at the Musikhochschule Berlin. He began his musical career as a cellist. In 1929 he celebrated his first national compositional successes with the chamber opera "Der gefangene Vogel" at the Duisburg opera festival and in 1933 with the premiere of his 1st Symphony in Dresden under Fritz Busch. In addition to Busch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Siegmund von Hausegger and Hans Joachim Moser were also among his patrons. From 1929, he taught at the Academy for Church and School Music in Berlin.
After the Machtergreifung by the Nazis, Chemin-Petit was in the Nazi , which from 1938 called itself the National Socialist Altherrenbund of German Students. He also became a member of the National Socialist People's Welfare and of the National Socialist Factory Cell Organization (NSBO), of which he was no longer a member in 1938. He was appointed a member of the Werkprüfungsausschuss der Deutschen Komponisten. As late as 7 October 1934, he was able to perform in a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic. On 7 October 1934, he was still able to perform excerpts from the incidental music to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1936, he was appointed professor at the Berlin University of the Arts. On 24 May 1938, Chemin-Petit's cantata "An die Liebe" was performed as part of the Reichsmusiktage. In 1939, he took over the direction of the Reblingsche Gesangsverein and the cathedral choir in Magdeburg, and in 1943 of the . In the final phase of the Second World War, he was briefly a member of the Volkssturm from 6 December 1944.
In 1945, he was re-employed at the Berlin Musikhochschule and additionally became director of the Potsdam Municipal Choir. He gave lessons in music theory, composition and choral conducting. In Potsdam, he founded the "Collegium musicum" in 1945. In 1965, he was appointed deputy director of the Hochschule für Musik, a post he held until his retirement in 1969. In 1963, he was appointed a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin, where he became director of the music department in 1968.
Chemin-Petit was considered one of the most important choral conductors of his time and made a special contribution to the Berlin Philharmonic Choir, which he conducted from 1943 to 1981. Besides standard works from Baroque, classic and Romantic music, the then contemporary music formed an important cornerstone of his repertoire. Thus, he conducted numerous premieres and first performances of the works of composers such as Paul Hindemith, Johann Nepomuk David, Boris Blacher, Rudolf Wagner-Régeny, Günter Bialas and Harald Genzmer, as well as his own compositions.
Chemin-Petit died in Berlin at the age of 78 and was buried at the .
Tonal language.
Chemin-Petit's main works are in the field of choral-symphonic vocal music. His cantatas and psalms settings are particularly noteworthy. He also wrote orchestral works, operas, chamber music and numerous smaller pieces for choir "a cappella". He was a conservative composer whose works are consistently tonal. What is striking about many of his compositions is a great preference for contrapuntal forms of composition, such as canon, fugue and passacaglia, which he was able to shape with sovereign mastery, even in their most complicated forms. Chemin-Petit's style unites various influences from Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach to Anton Bruckner, Max Reger and Paul Hindemith and can be characterised overall as Neoclassicism rooted in the tradition of German late Romanticism, in which archaising and modern elements come together.