title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast, and Woodside to the east. , Astoria has an estimated population of 95,446.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The area was originally called Hallet's (or Hallett's) Cove after its first landowner William Hallet, who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones. Hallet's Cove was incorporated on April 12, 1839, and was later renamed for John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the United States, in order to persuade him to invest in the area. During the second half of the 19th century, economic and commercial growth brought increased immigration. Astoria and several other surrounding villages were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870, which in turn was incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. Commercial activity continued through the 20th century, with the area being a center for filmmaking and industry.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria is located in Queens Community District 1 and its ZIP Codes are 11101, 11102, 11103, 11105, and 11106. It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 114th Precinct. Politically, Astoria is represented by the New York City Council's 22nd and 26th Districts.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The area now known as Astoria was originally called Hallet's Cove (also spelled Hallett's Cove), after its first landowner William Hallet, (or Hallett) who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth Fones. The peninsula was bordered to the north by Hell Gate, to the west by the East River, and the south by Sunswick Creek. Hallet bought the land in 1664 from two native chiefs named Shawestcont and Erramorhar.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Beginning in the early 19th century, affluent New Yorkers constructed large residences around 12th and 14th Streets, an area that later became known as Astoria Village (now Old Astoria). Hallet's Cove, incorporated on April 12, 1839 and previously founded by fur merchant Stephen A. Halsey, was a noted recreational destination and resort for Manhattan's wealthy.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The area was renamed for John Jacob Astor, then the wealthiest man in the United States with a net worth of more than $40 million, in order to persuade him to invest in the neighborhood. He only invested $500, but the name stayed nonetheless, as a bitter battle over naming the village finally was won by Astor's supporters and friends. From Astor's summer home in Yorkville, Manhattan—on what is now East 87th Street near York Avenue—he could see across the East River the new Long Island village named in his honor. Astor, however, never actually set foot in Astoria.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: During the second half of the 19th century, economic and commercial growth brought increased immigration from German settlers, mostly furniture and cabinet makers. One such settler was Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, patriarch of the Steinway family who founded the piano company Steinway & Sons in 1853, which today is a worldwide piano company. Later on, the Steinways built a sawmill and foundry, as well as a streetcar line. The family eventually established Steinway Village for their workers, a company town that provided school instruction in German as well as English. Part of the motivation for locating the Steinway factory in Queens was to keep the workers isolated from the ferment of labor organizing and radicalism occurring in other parts of New York, notably the Lower East Side.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria and several other surrounding villages, including Steinway, were incorporated into Long Island City in 1870. Long Island City remained an independent municipality until it was incorporated into the City of Greater New York in 1898. The area's farms were turned into housing tracts and street grids to accommodate the growing number of residents.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria also figured prominently in early American filmmaking as one of its initial centers. That heritage is preserved today by the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Astoria as part of three neighborhood tabulation areas: Steinway (north of Grand Central Parkway), Old Astoria (north of 31st Avenue and approximately west of 31st Street), and Astoria (in the remaining area approximately north of Northern Boulevard / 36th Avenue and approximately west of Hobart Street / 50th Street). Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the combined population of these areas was 154,141, a decrease of 17,427 (10.2%) from the 171,568 counted in 2000. Covering an area of , the neighborhood had a population density of .


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 52.2% (80,533) Non-Hispanic White, 4.7% (7,204) black, 0.2% (250) Native American, 14.3% (22,100) Asian, 0.0% (70) Pacific Islander, 1.0% (1,532) from other races, and 2.1% (3,238) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.4% (39,214) of the population. The Astoria and Old Astoria tabulation areas had greater Hispanic / Latino and Asian populations, and the Old Astoria area specifically had a greater Black population.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The racial composition of Astoria changed significantly from 2000 to 2010. The most significant changes were the decrease in the Other population by 64% (8,919) and the decrease in the Hispanic / Latino population by 13% (5,705). The White majority also decreased by 2% (1,699), while the Asian minority decreased by 5% (1,120), and the change in the small Black population rounded to 0% (11). Taking into account the three census tabulation areas, the White and Asian populations both actually increased in Old Astoria, but decreased enough in Astoria and Steinway to cause an overall decrease; on the other hand, the Black population decreased in Old Astoria and increased equivalently in the other regions. The decreases in the Hispanic / Latino population and the population of all other races, however, were relatively even across the three areas.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The entirety of Queens Community District 1, which includes Astoria and parts of Long Island City, is bounded to the east approximately by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and 81st Street, and to the south approximately by Queens Plaza and Northern Boulevard. It had 199,969 residents according to NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 83.4 years. This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are middle-aged adults and youth: 16% are between the ages of 0–17, 41% between 25 and 44, and 22% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 10% and 12% respectively.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: , the median household income in Community District 1 was $67,444. In 2018, an estimated 18% of Astoria residents lived in poverty, compared to 19% in all of Queens and 20% in all of New York City. Around 8% of residents were unemployed, compared to 8% in Queens and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 47% in Astoria, slightly lower than the boroughwide and citywide rates of 53% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Community District 1 is considered to be gentrifying: according to the Community Health Profile, the district was low-income in 1990 and has seen above-median rent growth up to 2010.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria was first settled by the Dutch, English, and Germans in the 17th century. Many Irish settled in the area during the waves of Irish immigration into New York City during the 19th and early 20th centuries.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Italians were the next significant immigrants in Astoria, and numerous Italian restaurants, delis, bakeries, and pizza shops are found throughout Astoria, particularly in the Ditmars Boulevard area.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Jews were also a significant ethnic and religious group. The Astoria Center of Israel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1925 after outgrowing the former Congregation Mishkan Israel, which was built in 1904.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The 1960s saw a large increase of Greek population from mainland Greece, and after 1974, there was an influx of Cypriots from Cyprus. This cultural imprint can be seen in the numerous Greek restaurants, tavernas, bakeries, and cafes, as well as several Greek Orthodox churches. In the late 1960s, a 'Greek Town' neighborhood coalesced in Astoria. From 1960s to 1980s the number of Greeks constantly increased. While the population of Greeks in Astoria was 22,579 in 1980, it dropped to 18,127 by 1990 due to decreased immigration and lower birth rates. During the 2000s, the Greek immigration dropped again. During the 2010s and 2020s economic issues in Greece caused a resurgence of Greek immigration. Greek organizations in the area include the Hellenic American Action Committee (HANAC) and the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: About 20,000 Maltese also live in Astoria, and although this population has steadily been emigrating from the area, there are still many Maltese, supported by the Maltese Center of New York.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Beginning in the mid-1970s, the neighborhood's Muslim population grew from earlier immigrants from Lebanon to also include people from Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. In the 1990s, Steinway Street between 28th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard saw the establishment of many Arabic shops, restaurants, and cafes, which is unofficially called "Little Egypt", due to the number of Arabs residing there and the mostly Egyptian shops and lounges there.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Croatians from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have been numerous since the 1960s and their numbers continue to grow. New populations of South American and Balkan peoples have seen significant growth since the early 1990s, including a large population of Brazilians, who reside in the 36th Avenue area. Albanians, Bulgarians, Serbs, and Bosnians have also shown a rise in numbers. Many Spanish Americans live in Astoria, with most of them being of Galician heritage from Northwestern Spain; this community is supported by the Casa Galicia (Galicia House) and the Circulo Español (Spanish Circle).


title: Astoria, Queens

text: At one time, many Bangladeshi Americans settled in Astoria, but by 2001, many of them had moved to Metro Detroit. A survey of an Astoria-area Bengali language newspaper estimated that, in an 18-month period until March 2001, 8,000 Bangladeshi people moved to the Detroit area. However, as of 2010, the Bangladeshi American community in Astoria has been increasing.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: By the early 21st century, Astoria was one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Queens, with people from around 100 countries residing there . Population losses in Queens were particularly high in immigrant neighborhoods such as Astoria, which suffered the greatest population loss in the city, losing more than 10,000 residents between the years 2000 and 2010.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: There is some debate as to what constitutes the geographic boundaries of Astoria. The neighborhood was part of Long Island City prior to the latter's incorporation into the City of Greater New York in 1898.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The area south of Astoria was called Ravenswood, and traditionally, Broadway was considered the border between the two. Today, however, many residents and businesses south of Broadway identify themselves as Astorians for convenience or status, since Long Island City has historically been considered an industrial area, and Ravenswood is now mostly a low-income neighborhood. Some of the thoroughfares have lent their names to unofficial terms for the areas they serve. For instance, the eastern end of Astoria, with Steinway Street as its main thoroughfare, is sometimes referred to simply as "Steinway", and the northern end around Ditmars Boulevard is sometimes referred to as "Ditmars", with their convergence point bearing the neighborhood name "Ditmars-Steinway". Banners displayed on lamp posts along 30th Avenue refer to it as "the Heart of Astoria".


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Ravenswood is the name for the strip of land bordering the East River and Long Island City, and is part of Astoria. It was situated around Sunswick Creek, which drained into the East River at the current location of Socrates Sculpture Park.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The land was acquired in 1814 by Col. George Gibbs, a businessman from New York City who developed it. Gibbs died in 1833, and the land was divided into nine parcels by three developers. From 1848, there were several mansions built on this land, but the high class housing did not survive. The spring of 1853 brought the opening of a post office of its own and country store "run by Messrs. Moore & Luyster, and Mr. Samuel H. Moore of that firm received the appointment of postmaster, handling the mails in a corner of the store."


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Ravenswood, unlike Astoria, never became a village; there was no disposition at any time to become independent as there was insufficient population or commercial activity to justify such a move. Ravenswood remained an exclusive hamlet within the Town of Newtown until its absorption with the Village of Astoria and the hamlets of Hunters Point, Blissville, Sunnyside, Dutch Kills, Steinway, Bowery Bay and Middleton in Newtown Township into Long Island City in 1870. In 1870, Ravenswood, along with several other hamlets and the Village of Astoria, merged to form Long Island City.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: In 1875, the first commercial buildings were erected, and the mansions were converted into offices and boarding houses. In 1879, the Long Island Terra Cotta Company was established in Ravenswood, by Rudolph Franke. By 1900, Ravenswood was heavily commercial, and remains so to this day. However, the name has retained its residential character through the New York City Housing Authority project that was built in 1949 to 1951 with this name between 34th and 36th Avenues, and 12th and 24th Streets.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The name also identifies the large electric power station established along the shore of the East River, just south of the Roosevelt Island Bridge. The Ravenswood Generating Station which includes Ravenswood No. 3 or "Big Allis", was built by Con Edison in 1963–65 but, due to deregulation, has subsequently been owned by KeySpan, National Grid, and TransCanada. The power plant can generate approximately 2,500 megawatts of power, which is about 20 percent of New York City's electricity demand.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Ditmars is a middle class section of Astoria bounded by Bowery Bay to the north, 31st Street and the Steinway subsection to the east, 23rd Avenue to the south, and the East River to the west. The adjacent Steinway neighborhood was largely developed as a company town by the Steinway & Sons piano company, and included houses and public facilities that were also available to non-employees. However, the Ditmars neighborhood was not included in the Steinway & Sons company housing and related facilities project. The neighborhood takes its name from Ditmars Boulevard which was named in honor of Abram Ditmars, the first mayor of Long Island City, New York, elected in 1870 (the city became a mere neighborhood when Queens became a part of Greater New York). His ancestors were German immigrants who settled in the Dutch Kills area in the 1600s.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria Heights, or Upper Ditmars, is bounded by Hazen Street to the west, La Guardia Airport to the east, Bowery Bay to the north, and Astoria Boulevard and the Grand Central Parkway to the south. It is mostly a quiet middle class neighborhood of one- and two-family private homes.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The Riker-Lent Homestead is near the north end of Astoria Heights at 78-03 19th Road. Built around 1655 by Abraham Riker under a patent from Nieuw Nederland's last governor, Peter Stuyvesant, it is believed to be the oldest remaining dwelling in New York City still used as a residence. There is an adjacent family cemetery. The Smiths, who bought the house in 1975, have been restoring it for many years. The annual public tour was given usually in mid-September by the owners for the benefit of a local historical society, but has since ceased to occur.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Ragtime composer Scott Joplin is buried across the Grand Central Parkway at St. Michael's Cemetery, which occasionally holds ragtime concerts.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The Rikers Island Bridge to New York City's main prison, Rikers Island, runs from the north end of Hazen Street. Technically, Rikers Island is in the Bronx since New York City took it over from Long Island City in 1884, after it had annexed the South Bronx but before it consolidated Queens. However, like Astoria Heights, Rikers Island gets its mail from the East Elmhurst (ZIP Code 11370) station of the Flushing Post Office.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria is patrolled by the 114th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 34-16 Astoria Boulevard. The precinct also covers parts of Long Island City and Woodside. The 114th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 83.9% between 1990 and 2019. The precinct reported 2 murders, 34 rapes, 184 robberies, 364 felony assaults, 196 burglaries, 782 grand larcenies, and 136 grand larcenies auto in 2019.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: , Queens Community District 1 has a non-fatal assault hospitalization rate of 56 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 37 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 59 per 100,000. Its incarceration rate is 277 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 315 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 425 per 100,000.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Of the five major violent felonies (murder, rape, felony assault, robbery, and burglary), the 114th Precinct had a rate of 385 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to the boroughwide average of 424 crimes per 100,000 and the citywide average of 572 crimes per 100,000.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: , preterm births and births to teenage mothers are less common in Astoria than in other places citywide. In Astoria, there were 84 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 15.1 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Astoria has a relatively average population of residents who are uninsured. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 12%, which is equal to the citywide rate of 12%.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Astoria is , higher than the citywide and boroughwide averages. Nineteen percent of Astoria residents are smokers, which is higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Astoria, 19% of residents are obese, 11% are diabetic, and 29% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 22% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Eighty-nine percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 79% of residents described their health as "good," "very good," or "excellent," about the same as the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Astoria, there are 10 bodegas.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria is covered by ZIP Codes 11102 between 37th Avenue and Grand Central Parkway, 11105 north of Grand Central Parkway, 11106 between 31st and 37th Avenues west of 37th Street, 11101 south of 37th Avenue, and 11103 east of 37th Street. The United States Post Office operates five locations nearby:


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria generally has a higher ratio of college-educated residents than the rest of the city . Half of residents (50%) have a college education or higher, while 16% have less than a high school education and 33% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 39% of Queens residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Astoria students excelling in math rose from 43 percent in 2000 to 65 percent in 2011, and reading achievement rose from 47% to 49% during the same time period.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Astoria's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is about equal to the rest of New York City. In Astoria, 19% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, less than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 78% of high school students in Astoria graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: There are plans to build the Brooklyn–Queens Connector (BQX), a light rail system that would run along the waterfront from Red Hook in Brooklyn to Astoria. However, the system is projected to cost $2.7 billion, and the projected opening has been delayed until at least 2029.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The primary streets running north–south are Vernon Boulevard along the East River; 21st Street, a major traffic artery with a mix of residential, commercial and industrial areas; 31st Street; and Steinway Street (named for Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later Henry E. Steinway), founder of the piano company Steinway & Sons), a major commercial street with many retail stores.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Fourteen percent of roads in Astoria have bike lanes, higher than the rate in the city overall. Bicycle lanes, built as part of the city's bike lane system, include marked space along Vernon Boulevard, 20th Avenue, 21st Street, 34th and 36th Avenues, and access to protected paths crossing the Triborough Bridge onto Randalls and Wards Islands. Riders may also engage in more scenic biking along short sections of Shore Blvd. bordering both Astoria Park and Ralph DeMarco Park, a span that is occasionally closed to motor vehicle traffic during events.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: Additionally, Astoria is the final resting place of New York City mobster Frank Costello as well as ragtime composer and musician Scott Joplin. Both Costello and Joplin are interred at St. Michael's Cemetery. The cemetery hosts annual public events and concerts to celebrate Joplin's musical legacy, including a Joplin retrospective.


title: Astoria, Queens

text: The neighborhood has often been featured in various media; in film and television, the area is either featured as Astoria or as a setting for another location in New York City.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. His 1993 novel "Trainspotting" was made into a film of the same name. He has also written plays and screenplays, and directed several short films.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Irvine Welsh was born in Leith, the port area of the Scottish capital Edinburgh. He states that he was born in 1958, though, according to the Glasgow police, his birth record is dated around 1951. When he was four, his family moved to Muirhouse, in Edinburgh, where they stayed in local housing schemes. His mother worked as a waitress. His father was a dock worker in Leith until bad health forced him to stop, after which he became a carpet salesman; he died when Welsh was 25. Welsh left Ainslie Park High School when he was 16 and then completed a City and Guilds course in electrical engineering. He became an apprentice TV repairman until an electric shock persuaded him to move on to a series of other jobs. He left Edinburgh for the London punk scene in 1978, where he played guitar and sang in The Pubic Lice and Stairway 13. A series of arrests for petty crimes and finally a suspended sentence for trashing a North London community centre inspired Welsh to correct his ways. He worked for Hackney Council in London and studied computing with the support of the Manpower Services Commission.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh returned to Edinburgh in the late 1980s, where he worked for the city council in the housing department. He then studied for an MBA at Heriot-Watt University.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh has published eleven novels and four collections of short stories. His first novel, "Trainspotting", was published in 1993. Set in the mid-1980s, it uses a series of non-linear and loosely connected short-stories to tell the story of a group of characters tied together by decaying friendships, heroin addiction and stabs at escape from the oppressive boredom and brutality of their lives in the social housing schemes. It was released to shock and outrage in some circles and great acclaim in others. It was adapted as a play, and a film adaptation, directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge, was released in 1996. Welsh appeared in the film in the minor role of drug dealer Mikey Forrester.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Next, Welsh released "The Acid House", a collection of short stories from "Rebel Inc.", "New Writing Scotland" and other sources. Many of the stories take place in and around the housing schemes from "Trainspotting", and employ many of the same themes; a touch of fantasy is apparent in stories such as "The Acid House", where the minds of a baby and a drug user swap bodies, or "The Granton Star Cause", where God transforms a man into a fly as punishment for wasting his life. Welsh adapted three of the stories for a later film of the same name, in which he also appeared.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh's third book (and second novel), "Marabou Stork Nightmares", alternates between a grim tale of thugs and schemes in sub-working class Scotland and a hallucinatory adventure tale set in South Africa. Gradually, common themes emerge.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: His next book, "" (1996), became his most high-profile work since "Trainspotting", released in the wave of publicity surrounding the film. It consists of three unconnected novellas: the first, "Lorraine Goes To Livingston", is a bawdy satire of classic British romance novels, the second, "Fortune's Always Hiding", is a revenge story involving thalidomide and the third, "The Undefeated", is a sly, subtle romance between a young woman dissatisfied with the confines of her suburban life and an aging clubgoer.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: A corrupt police officer and his tapeworm served as the narrators for his third novel, "Filth" (1998). The main character of "Filth" was a vicious sociopathic policeman. The novel was adapted to a film with the same name in 2013.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: "Glue" (2001) was a return to the locations, themes and episodic form of "Trainspotting", telling the stories of four characters spanning several decades in their lives and the bonds that held them together.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Having revisited some of them in passing in "Glue", Welsh brought most of the "Trainspotting" characters back for a sequel, "Porno", in 2002. In this book Welsh explores the impact of pornography on the individuals involved in producing it, as well as society as a whole, and the impact of ageing and maturity in individuals against their will. The book is set just after the opening of the new Scottish Parliament.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: "The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs" (2006), deals with a young, alcoholic civil servant who finds himself inadvertently putting a curse on his nemesis, a nerdy co-worker. In 2007, Welsh published "If You Liked School You'll Love Work", his first collection of short stories in over a decade.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh contributed a novella called "Contamination" to "The Weekenders: Travels in the Heart of Africa". Welsh, Ian Rankin, and Alexander McCall Smith each contributed a short story for the "One City" compilation published in 2005 in benefit of the One City Trust for social inclusion in Edinburgh. In "Crime", Ray Lennox (from Welsh's previous work, "Filth") is recovering from a mental breakdown induced by occupational stress and cocaine abuse, and a particularly horrifying child sex murder case back in Edinburgh. The story takes place in Florida.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh's prequel to "Trainspotting", titled "Skagboys", was published in 2012. Set in Leith in the early 1980s, it introduces the "Trainspotting" characters and follows them as they fall into heroin addiction. Given as a series of linked short stories, the book is also interspersed with brief commentaries on contemporary British politics. In particular, the consequences of the destruction of industry in the northern cities are drawn for the young working class. His eighth novel, "The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins", was published in May 2014 and his ninth novel titled "A Decent Ride" was published by Vintage Books in April 2015. The latter work featured the returning character 'Juice' Terry Lawson (previously from "Glue").


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh's tenth novel, released in April 2016, "The Blade Artist", centres around a seemingly rehabilitated Francis Begbie now living in California with a wife and children. It was shortlisted for the Fiction Book of the Year at Saltire Literary Awards 2016.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: A sequel to "The Blade Artist", entitled "Dead Men's Trousers", was released on 29 March 2018, and sees Mark Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud reuniting with Francis Begbie.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: In 2021, a TV adaptation of "Crime" was launched in the UK on BritBox as a 6-episode series starring Dougray Scott as detective Lennox. Welsh worked on the project with Dean Cavanagh. This is the first TV adaptation ever made out of a book by Irvine Welsh.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: As well as fiction, Irvine Welsh has written several stage plays, including "Headstate", "You'll Have Had Your Hole", and the musical "Blackpool", which featured original songs by Vic Godard of the Subway Sect.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: He co-authored "Babylon Heights" with his screen writing partner Dean Cavanagh. The play premiered in San Francisco at the Exit Theatre and made its European première in Dublin, at The Mill Theatre Dundrum, directed by Graham Cantwell. The plot revolves around the behind-the-scenes antics of a group of Munchkins on the set of "The Wizard of Oz". The production included the use of oversized sets with actors of regular stature.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Cavanagh and Welsh have also collaborated on screenplays. "The Meat Trade" is based on the 19th-century West Port murders. Despite the historical source material, Welsh has set the story in the familiar confines of present-day Edinburgh, with Burke and Hare depicted as brothers who steal human organs to meet the demands of the global transplant market.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: "Wedding Belles", a film made for Channel 4 that was written by Welsh and Cavanagh, aired at the end of March 2007. The film centres around the lives of four young women, who are played by Michelle Gomez, Shirley Henderson, Shauna MacDonald, and Kathleen McDermot. "Wedding Belles" was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA and was subsequently sold to TV channels in Canada and Europe.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh has directed several short films for bands. In 2001 he directed a 15-minute film for Gene's song "Is It Over" which is taken from the album "Libertine". In 2006 he directed a short film to accompany the track "Atlantic" from Keane's album "Under the Iron Sea".


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh directed his first short dramatic film, "NUTS", which he co-wrote with Cavanagh. The film features Joe McKinney as a man dealing with testicular cancer in post Celtic tiger Ireland. It was released in 2007.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh co-directed "The Right to liberty", a chapter of the documentary film "The New Ten Commandments", in 2008.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: In 2009 Welsh directed the film "Good Arrows" (co-directed by Helen Grace). It was written by Welsh and Cavanagh. The film is about a darts player who suffers from depression which causes him to lose his skill.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: As well as recreational drug use, Welsh's fiction and non-fiction is dominated by the question of working class and Scottish identity in the period spanning the 1960s to the present day. Within this, he explores the rise and fall of the council housing scheme, denial of opportunity, low-paid work, unemployment, social assistance, sectarianism, football, hooliganism, sex, suppressed homosexuality, dance clubs, freemasonry, Irish republicanism, sodomy, class divisions, emigration and, perhaps most of all, the humour, prejudices and axioms of the Scots.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Sam Leith, writing in the "Financial Times", argues that: "Welsh's concerns are with sin and salvation, with the exercise of free will and with the individual soul. He's much more interested in teleology than sociology."


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh's novels share characters, giving the feel of a "shared universe" within his writing. For example, characters from "Trainspotting" make cameo appearances in "The Acid House", "Marabou Stork Nightmares", "Ecstasy", "Filth", and slightly larger appearances in "Glue", whose characters then appear in "Porno".


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh is known for writing in his native Edinburgh Scots dialect. He generally ignores the traditional conventions of literary Scots, used for example by Allan Ramsay, Robert Fergusson, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, and James Orr. Instead, he transcribes dialects phonetically.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Like Alasdair Gray before him, Welsh also experiments with typography. In the novel "Filth", the tapeworm's internal monologue is imposed over the top of the protagonist's own internal monologue (the worm's host), visibly depicting the tapeworm's voracious appetite, much like the "Climax of Voices" in Gray's novel "1982, Janine".


title: Irvine Welsh

text: Welsh has lived in Miami, USA since 2018, when he divorced from his Chicagoan wife. They had lived together in the Lakeview neighbourhood, where he lived since 2009. Prior to Chicago, USA, he lived in Dublin.


title: Irvine Welsh

text: In Welsh's early 20's, he was addicted to heroin for 18 months while playing in punk-rock bands moving between Edinburgh and London.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), best known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, actor and television presenter.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Born in Shaftmoor Lane, Acocks Green, in Birmingham, Carrott was educated at Acocks Green Primary School and Moseley Grammar School. He worked as a trainee buyer at a city centre department store, the Beehive, with schoolmate Bev Bevan.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: In February 1969 he started his own folk club, "The Boggery", in nearby Solihull with his friend Les Ward. Carrott performed folk songs and as an MC. His banter overtook the songs and he became more a comedian than a singer. He also worked as a musical agent (with John Starkey, who was his manager from 1974 to 1992), as Fingimigig, managing among others Harvey Andrews. He toured UK rugby clubs. He recorded an album in 1973 called "Jasper Carrot – In the Club", which he sold from his van. The album contained the original "Magic Roundabout", although mainly material used in his next three LPs (such as "Hare Krishna", "Car Insurance", "Bastity Chelt", and "Hava Nagila") plus the Fred Wedlock song "The Folker".


title: Jasper Carrott

text: He had a UK Top 5 chart hit in August 1975 with the novelty double A-side record "Funky Moped/Magic Roundabout", written by Chris Rohmann and produced by Jeff Lynne, with Bev Bevan on drums and backing vocals on the former track, recorded at Grosvenor Road Studios for DJM Records.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: By the late 1970s, Carrott had developed anecdotal sketches which he still performs. Often they purport to be autobiographical; many celebrate the Birmingham accent and culture, including his support of Birmingham City.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: His live performances were recorded as "Jasper Carrott Rabbitts on and on and on..." and "Carrott in Notts". Notable hits were "Bastity Chelt", a song in Spoonerism, "The Football Match" describing a visit to Old Trafford, "The Nutter on the Bus" (including the cry ""Has anybody seen my camel?""), "The Mole" (""There's only one way to get rid of a mole – blow its bloody head off!"") and "Zits" – an explanation of American slang for spots that brought the word into use in Britain.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: In 1979 he published "A Little Zit on the Side", a humorous autobiography. The follow-up, "Sweet and Sour Labrador", mixed sections of stand-up routines with similar autobiographical material, much of it related to his world travels. Carrott was once a compère for the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986, which featured local bands such as Electric Light Orchestra and the Moody Blues, with a finale that included George Harrison from the Beatles. On 15 September 2007, he was inducted into the Birmingham Walk of Stars at the Arts Fest 2007 celebrations. The award was presented by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Carrott is the second inductee, following Ozzy Osbourne. Carrott was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Comedy Awards on 6 December 2008.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: His first appearance on television was a half-hour show for BBC Midlands on 11 August 1975, in a programme about local football called "The Golden Game". In 1976, he appeared in "A Half Hour Mislaid with Jasper Carrott", recorded at Pebble Mill. His big break came two years later, when Michael Grade asked for a pilot programme for LWT. Grade liked it, and five further shows were recorded, which became his first TV series, "An Audience with Jasper Carrott", in 1978. This partnership with LWT lasted until 1981; "The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott" (1979) and "Beat the Carrott" (1981) are the best-known live stand-up performances from his time with LWT.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Carrott moved to the BBC for "Carrott's Lib", a Saturday night comedy broadcast live, and then a string of BBC shows. These included "Carrott's Commercial Breakdown", which broadcast weird adverts from around the world, and the sketch and stand-up shows "Carrott Confidential", "24 Carrott Gold", "The Trial of Jasper Carrott" and "Canned Carrott", some of which also featured Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. One popular sketch involved Carrott reading out genuine, but bizarre motor insurance claim statements, such as "I drove out of my drive at 7am and drove straight into a bus. The bus was ten minutes early."


title: Jasper Carrott

text: "Canned Carrott" also featured a spoof police drama called "The Detectives", co-starring Robert Powell, which later was made into a series. From 2002 to 2004, he starred in the sitcom "All About Me". In a twelve-week run in the summer of 2002 he played the part of Ko-Ko in comic opera "The Mikado", written by Gilbert and Sullivan at the Savoy Theatre in London.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: He performed in several of the "Secret Policeman's Ball" charity concerts for Amnesty International, and returned to the stage in 2004 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham featuring classic routines from his career. He returned to singing for the musical "Go Play Up Your Own End" (written by Malcolm Stent, songs by Harvey Andrews) in 2005.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: In 2005, he staged and appeared in the first "Jasper Carrott's Rock With Laughter" concert. This became a regular at the NEC in Birmingham, usually in December and sometimes alternating with his "Jasper Carrott's Christmas Crackers" events, but there have also been a few summer shows too.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: In summer 2007, Carrott hosted the Endemol-produced game show "Golden Balls" for ITV1. Promising ratings led to further series.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: He hosted the Sunday night national pub quiz, "Cash Inn". He was 20th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians show.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: In August 2017, Carrott underwent an operation to clear a blocked artery, followed by a quadruple heart bypass. A 30-date tour was cancelled. He has since said the surgery gave him a new lease of life and he has no plans to retire, citing Ken Dodd's longevity as an example.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Carrott has written the humorous paperbacks "A Little Zit on the Side" (1979), and "Sweet and Sour Labrador" (1982). He also wrote a novel called "Shop! or a Store is Born".


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Carrott's former manager, John Starkey, has written a book entitled "Jasper and Me" (1993; Etsiketsi Books), which includes the line "He once said, 'Ringo isn't the best drummer in the world. He isn't even the best drummer in the Beatles.' " This quote was credited to John Lennon until Mark Lewisohn discovered, in 1983, that it was Carrott who said it.


title: Jasper Carrott

text: Carrott was part-owner of the production company Celador, makers of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" In 2006, he and wife Hazel sold their shares for £10m when Dutch interactive television company 2waytraffic bought the group of companies behind "Millionaire".


title: Jasper Carrott

text: He is a supporter, and was a director, of Birmingham City. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours "for charitable services". The University of Birmingham awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2004, following a similar award from Aston University in 1995.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Volkswagen Golf (Mk8) (also known as the Golf VIII) is a compact car, the eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk7. It was launched in Wolfsburg on 24 October 2019, and arrived in German showrooms in December 2019.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The exterior of the Mk8 has evolutionary design changes, with a new two-dimensional Volkswagen logo and more angular styling. At the rear there are new L-shaped taillights similar to those of the T-Roc. A more prominent downward arch at the nose contributes to a reduced drag coefficient; the Mk8's is compared to the Mk7's , giving a drag area of 0.61 m. The dimensions are roughly the same as the Mk7, 29 mm longer, and 10 mm narrower with a similar wheelbase. The three-door hatchback has been discontinued, leaving the five-door hatchback as the only model available at launch. The Golf Estate (Variant) was revealed in September 2020, alongside a rugged "Alltrack" version with slightly raised suspension, body cladding, and all-wheel-drive.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Mk8 features several technological advancements, including standard LED headlights on all models and optional matrix LEDs, an advanced head-up display, a shift by wire system on models with the dual-clutch gearbox, Alexa integration, and an NFC mobile key with compatible Samsung smartphones via eSIM. The interior receives a major overhaul, replacing the traditional analog instrument panel with an entirely digital 10.25" driver's display and either an 8.25" or 10" centre touchscreen for multimedia. Instead of physical buttons, a touch-sensitive panel houses controls for various functions, including the headlights and air conditioning/ventilation. The vehicle can also be upgraded with new functions after purchasing it, such as adaptive cruise control, WiFi hotspot, online-based voice control, Light Assist, navigation and Wireless App-Connect. The reliance on touchscreen controls in place of conventional physical buttons, knobs, or dials was criticised as being frustrating and unintuitive to use. "Which?" noted that "too much attention must be diverted from the road to operate simple functions such as the climate control" and called the layout "a step backwards."


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: Borrowed from the Passat, travel assist acts as a semi-autonomous driving system, that can work at speeds of up to . Using the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems, the steering wheel has sensors that detect when the driver is touching it; if no input is detected for more than 15 seconds, the emergency braking system will automatically activate. Adaptive Cruise Control now uses predictive speed detection which automatically adjusts the speed by calculating the car's position based on route and GPS data; it simultaneously accesses the Dynamic Road Sign Display via the front camera. The Mk8 is the first Volkswagen vehicle to use Car2X, where information can be exchanged with other cars and the traffic infrastructure within a radius of up to .


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Golf GTE is a high-performance plug-in hybrid model. Producing , it has an all-electric range of about in EV mode, with a 13 kWh lithium ion battery supplementing the 1.4 litre TSI direct-injection petrol engine. The GTE, GTD, and GTI have different styling to distinguish them from less powerful Golf models. The front has a large honeycomb grille with a blue accent and an LED light strip positioned below, a black lower bumper trim, and an integrated background exterior light. The rear has a diffuser-style rear bumper. The roof spoiler is also different, with wider side sill panels, larger wheels, and red brake calipers. Inside, there are many minor differences, including sports seats with different interior fabrics and other minor changes.<ref name="Motor1 GTD/GTE"></ref>


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Golf GTD is a high-performance turbodiesel model. It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine (TDI) producing and . The engine uses two selective catalytic reduction filters with dual AdBlue injection. The manual transmission is not offered, with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic being the only option. The suspension is shared with the GTI, having MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link system at the rear. 18-inch and 19-inch wheels are available. Plaid upholstery is standard like on the GTI, but grey highlights are used rather than red; the steering wheel also has touch-sensitive multi-function controls. An electronic shift lever is used in place of the patterned shift knob found on the GTI.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Golf GTI is a high-performance petrol (gasoline) model. It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine (TSI) producing and . The bodywork is nearly identical to the GTE, however the GTI is equipped with different wheels, badges, and red grille accents. The rear bumper has dual exit exhausts. Vehicle Dynamics Manager allows for more adjustability of the adaptive suspension dampers, while an Individual setting joins the other driving modes. The suspension is lowered by . Inside, plaid upholstery is standard, with additional red accents on the seats and steering wheel. 17-inch wheels are standard in Europe, with optional 18-inch and 19-inch wheels.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: The Golf R is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine (TSI) producing and which is an increase of and when compared to the Mk7. It is offered with either the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic globally or the six-speed manual (US and Canadian markets only) in both the hatch and estate body styles. The R is lower than the standard Golf, and has a stiffer suspension incorporating an aluminium front subframe. The all-wheel-drive system has been updated and benefits from a torque-vectoring rear differential. Dynamic Chassis Control has also been updated to work with the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, allowing for a Drift Mode function. The exterior features quad exhaust tips and 19-inch wheels, while the interior is similar to the GTI, and has Nappa leather bucket seats as well as several R badges and an R-specific driver's display.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: All internal combustion engines are turbocharged three- or four-cylinder units; engine options include petrol, mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, diesel and natural gas powertrains. The previous e-Golf model is no longer available, as it was replaced by the ID.3.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: TSI models sold in Compliant Countries consist of a 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine (TSI) with or , and a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine with or . All engines with an output up to 130 PS feature the efficient TSI Miller combustion process and a variable-geometry turbocharger, and the 1.5 litre engines have temporary Active Cylinder Management. A compressed natural gas (CNG) version of the 1.5 litre engine is also available as a TGI model.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: TSI models sold in Euro 5 Compliant Countries, such as Australia, will at launch feature one option, a 1.4 litre turbocharged petrol engine (TSI) with . Unlike previous Golf's which featured a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG), this engine will be paired with a traditional 8-speed torque converter automatic. The transmission choice is due in part to the specific engine calibration (and automatic transmission combination) developed to meet Australia's outdated Euro 5 emissions regulations introduced in 2009, which are about a decade behind European standards.


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: eTSI models use the same engines as the TSI models with the addition of a mild-hybrid system and a powerful brake energy recuperation function, paired exclusively with the 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The energy stored in the 48 V lithium-ion battery supplies the 12 V vehicle electrical system and drives the 48 V belt starter generator. The engines produce , or .


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: eHybrid models use a 1.4 litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid engine supplanted by a 13 kWh lithium ion battery, with a 6-speed DSG. The all-electric range is rated at about in EV mode. The engine produces or .


title: Volkswagen Golf Mk8

text: TDI models utilise a new twin dosing system featuring dual AdBlue selective catalytic reduction, which lowers nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) by up to 80% compared to the Mk7. A 2.0 litre turbocharged diesel unit is used, producing or .


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in "The Environmentalist" in 1988 and 1990, after which the concept was revised following thorough analysis by Myers and others into “Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions” and a paper published in the journal "Nature", both in 2000.


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers' 2000 edition of the hotspot map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (more than 0.5% of the world's total) as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. Globally, 36 zones qualify under this definition. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, with a high share of those species as endemics. Some of these hotspots support up to 15,000 endemic plant species, and some have lost up to 95% of their natural habitat.


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: Biodiversity hotspots host their diverse ecosystems on just 2.4% of the planet's surface. Ten hotspots were originally identified by Myer; the current 36 used to cover more than 15.7% of all the land but have lost around 85% of their area. This loss of habitat is why approximately 60% of the world's terrestrial life lives on only 2.4% of the land surface area. Caribbean Islands like Haiti and Jamaica are facing serious pressures on the populations of endemic plants and vertebrates as a result of rapid deforestation. Other areas include the Tropical Andes, Philippines, Mesoamerica, and Sundaland, which, under the current levels at which deforestation is occurring, will likely lose most of their plant and vertebrate species.


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: Only a small percentage of the total land area within biodiversity hotspots is now protected. Several international organizations are working to conserve biodiversity hotspots.


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: The high profile of the biodiversity hotspots approach has resulted in some criticism. Papers such as Kareiva & Marvier (2003) have argued that the biodiversity hotspots:


title: Biodiversity hotspot

text: A recent series of papers has pointed out that biodiversity hotspots (and many other priority region sets) do not address the concept of cost. The purpose of biodiversity hotspots is not simply to identify regions that are of high biodiversity value, but to prioritize conservation spending. The regions identified include some in the developed world (e.g. the California Floristic Province), alongside others in the developing world (e.g. Madagascar). The cost of land is likely to vary between these regions by an order of magnitude or more, but the biodiversity hotspot designations do not consider the conservation importance of this difference. However, the available resources for conservation also tend to vary in this way.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Michael Keith Chiesa (; born December 7, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and sports analyst who currently competes in the welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Chiesa was the winner of FX's inaugural "". As of November 21, 2022, he is #13 in the UFC welterweight rankings.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2008. He fought for several regional promotions in the Pacific Northwest, going undefeated in his first seven fights, before gaining an opportunity to appear on "" reality show.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was one of 32 lightweight fighters announced by the UFC to participate in first live season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa earned his way into The Ultimate Fighter house, and a $5,000 bonus, with a submission victory over Johnavan Vistante in the elimination rounds. He was chosen as the fifth pick for Team Faber. Chiesa's terminally ill father died shortly after his victory.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: After teammate Al Iaquinta picked up the first win for Team Faber, his coach decided that Chiesa would fight Jeremy Larsen next. Chiesa would go on to defeat Larsen by unanimous decision after two rounds.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: For his quarter-final fight, Chiesa was matched up with the highly favored prospect, Justin Lawrence. After a hard-fought two rounds, the judges declared a draw and the fight went to a third, "sudden-victory" round. Early in the third round, Chiesa was able to reverse Lawrence on the ground, gain a mount position and win the fight by TKO, earning a $5,000 knock-out bonus and a place in the semi-finals.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was selected to fight Team Cruz fighter, James Vick, in the semi-final round. Chiesa won the fight by technical knockout in the second round. He moved on to the finals against Team Faber teammate Al Iaquinta.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa officially made his UFC debut at on June 1, 2012, against fellow Team Faber teammate Al Iaquinta. Chiesa defeated Iaquinta by technical submission due to a rear-naked choke 2:47 into the opening round thus becoming The Ultimate Fighter: Live's inaugural winner and received "Submission of the Night" honors for his efforts.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was expected to face Rafaello Oliveira on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. However, Oliveira was forced out of the bout with a broken hand and replaced by Marcus LeVesseur. Then, the week of the event, Chiesa was forced out of the bout with LeVesseur with the shingles and the bout was scrapped altogether.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa next fought Anton Kuivanen on February 23, 2013, at UFC 157. Chiesa submitted Kuivanen with a rear-naked choke in the second round.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was expected to face Reza Madadi on July 27, 2013, at UFC on Fox 8. However, on May 14, 2013, it was announced Madadi was pulled from the bout due to visa issues. Chiesa instead faced Jorge Masvidal. Chiesa was stopped by Masvidal in the second round due to a d'arce choke submission, resulting in the first defeat in his professional career.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa next faced Ultimate Fighter winner Colton Smith on November 6, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 31. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The win also earned Chiesa his second "Submission of the Night" bonus award.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Joe Lauzon on September 5, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 50. After a back and forth fight, Lauzon defeated Chiesa via TKO in the second round after opening a significant cut above Chiesa's right eye, forcing a doctor's stoppage. The performance earned both participants "Fight of the Night" honors.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Mitch Clarke on April 4, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 63. He won the fight by unanimous decision.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Jim Miller on December 10, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 80. He won the fight via submission in the second round. The bout also earned Chiesa his second "Fight of the Night" bonus award.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Beneil Dariush on April 16, 2016, at UFC on Fox 19. He won the bout via submission in the second round and was also awarded a "Performance of the Night" bonus.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was expected to face Tony Ferguson on July 13, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 91. However, Chiesa pulled out of the fight on June 27 citing a back injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Lando Vannata.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Kevin Lee on June 25, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 112. At a UFC summer kick off press conference in association with UFC 211, Kevin Lee mentioned Chiesa's mother had tickets to the show, in which Chiesa responded "don't you ever talk about my mom". This verbal altercation ultimately led to punches being thrown, and both were escorted from the stage. Chiesa lost the fight via technical submission at the end of the first round. He appealed to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission to overturn the defeat, claiming referee Mario Yamasaki erred both in stopping the fight despite no tapout nor loss of consciousness and in allowing Lee to use illegal downward elbows, which cut his head.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Albeit having one fight left on his contract, Chiesa signed a new four-fight deal with UFC at the end of August 2017.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was expected to face Anthony Pettis on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223; however, the bout was canceled after a backstage incident with Conor McGregor on April 5, 2018. McGregor threw a dolly at a UFC bus that Chiesa was traveling on and broke a window. Chiesa was hit by shards of glass, which opened a cut on his forehead, and needed hospitalization subsequently resulting in the fight's cancellation.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: On September 10, 2018, Chiesa told the media he has sued McGregor for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also sued Barclay's Center for negligence, although he didn't disclose the amounts or further details of either of the cases.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: The bout with Pettis was rescheduled to UFC 226. At weight-ins, Chiesa weighed in at 157.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the lightweight limit of 156 pounds. As a result, the fight proceeded at a catchweight bout and Chiesa forfeited 30% of his purse to Pettis. Chiesa lost the fight via submission in round two. Shortly after the loss, Chiesa announced going up to welterweight division.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Carlos Condit on December 29, 2018 at UFC 232. He won the fight via submission in the second round.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Diego Sanchez on July 6, 2019 at UFC 239. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Chiesa dedicated the win to the memory of Jess Roskelley.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Rafael dos Anjos on January 25, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 166. He won the fight via unanimous decision.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Neil Magny on January 20, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 20. Chiesa won the fight via unanimous decision after controlling Magny on the ground for most of the 5 rounds.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Vicente Luque on August 7, 2021 at UFC 265. He lost the fight via a submission in round one.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa faced Sean Brady on November 20, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 198. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.


title: Michael Chiesa

text: Chiesa was featured in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary "Fight Life". The film is directed by James Z. Feng and was released in 2013.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: Mohan Bhagwat (, Marathi pronunciation: ]; born 11 September 1950) is an activist currently serving as the 6th and current Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in India. He was chosen as the successor to K. S. Sudarshan in March 2009.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat was born in a Marathi family in Chandrapur, then Bombay State of India. He comes from a family of RSS activists. His father Madhukar Rao Bhagwat, was the "Karyavah" (secretary) for the Chandrapur zone and later a "Prant Pracharak" (provincial promoter) for Gujarat. His mother Malati was a member of the RSS Women's Wing.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: Bhagwat completed his schooling from 'Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya' and then the first year of his BSc from the Janata College in Chandrapur. He graduated in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry from Government Veterinary College, Nagpur. He dropped out of his postgraduate course in Veterinary Sciences and became a "pracharak" (full-time promoter/worker) of the RSS towards the end of 1975.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: After working underground during the Emergency, Bhagwat became the 'Pracharak' of Akola in Maharashtra in 1977 and rose within the organisation responsible for Nagpur and Vidarbha regions.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: He became 'Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh', (in-charge of physical training) for India, 1991 to 1999. He was further promoted as 'Akhil Bharatiya Pracharak Pramukh,' (in-charge of RSS volunteers working full-time for India).


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In 2000, when Rajendra Singh and decided to step down as RSS Chief and general secretary respectively due to poor health, K. S. Sudarshan was nominated as the new chief and Bhagwat became 'Sarkaryavah,' (general secretary).


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: Bhagwat was chosen as the Sarsanghchalak (Chief Executive) of the RSS on 21 March 2009. He is one of the youngest leaders to head the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after K. B. Hedgewar and M. S. Golwalkar.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In June 2015, due to a high threat perception from various Islamist terrorist organisations, the government of India ordered the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to provide Bhagwat with round-the-clock protection. At Z+ VVIP security cover, Bhagwat is one of the most protected Indians today.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In 2017, Bhagwat became the first RSS Chief to be officially invited to the Rashtrapati Bhawan by then President Pranab Mukherjee. In September 2018, Mohan Bhagwat presided over a 3-day session at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi as part of reaching out to wider public. That time, he said that RSS has discarded some parts of M. S. Golwalkar’s "Bunch of Thoughts" which are no longer relevant to the current circumstances.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In November 2016, while addressing a 'Prerna Shibir' on the 80th anniversary of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's wing of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat said that "Homo sapiens" ate into the space of other species of genus "Homo", like "Homo floresiensis" and Neanderthals, in the past, but even "Homo sapiens" could go extinct in the next thousand years.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: Bhagwat was quoted in September 2017 for saying "Hinduism was the only true religion in the world and other religions were just sects which emerged from Hinduism."


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In November 2021, Mohan Bhagwat expressed opposition to the partition of India and advocacy for Indian reunification, declaring "The only solution to the pain of Partition lies in undoing it."


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In October 2022, during a speech on the occasion of Vijayadashami, Bhagwat stressed on the need for family planning, and imbalance in population across the country. He urged the government to bring in suitable reforms on the same issue.


title: Mohan Bhagwat

text: In 2017, the state-run Animal and Fishery Sciences University awarded Mohan Bhagwat with an honorary doctor of science (DSc) degree during its convocation ceremony in Nagpur.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Robert the Bruce is a 2019 British historical fiction war film directed by Richard Gray concerning the renowned king of the same name. A character-driven ensemble piece, it portrays Robert's relationship with a peasant family as a galvanising influence on his struggle for independence and his ensuing reign. It is a sequel to "Braveheart" (1995).


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Following a series of military losses, with his army in tatters and the success of his rebellion in doubt, Robert retreats from the battlefield. Alone, injured, and pursued by fortune-seekers intent on collecting a bounty placed on his head by King Edward I of England, he finds refuge in the croft of a peasant woman and the three children in her care: a teenage nephew, a young niece, and her own son. They care for him, forging a powerful bond, even though their clan is aligned with England. This connection inspires Robert with a deeper understanding of the patriotism of ordinary Scots, which drives his passionate return to the national stage and, ultimately, to victory and freedom.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: In 1306, a truce meeting between Robert the Bruce and John Comyn is held in a chapel to discuss peace between their clans. Comyn has offered to give up his claim to the throne of Scotland and support Robert in exchange for land and money. Robert confronts Comyn, whom he knows is planning to betray him to the English, about his treachery, revealing that he knew all along that Comyn intended to betray him to the English instead of honouring their deal, and kills Comyn in a duel. The guards outside, hearing the commotion, immediately turn on each other and begin fighting as well, led by Robert's loyal vassal, John Douglas.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: In the winter of 1313, Robert leads a handful of men—all that is left of his army—into the woods where they camp. Douglas tells Hamish, a teenage boy, about how Robert will not give up and will lead them to victory, only for Robert to interrupt him and say that his war is over and to return home. Three soldiers, disheartened by the war and upset by Robert's words, decide that rather than go home empty handed, they will try to capture Robert and turn him in for the bounty. Will, a hotheaded, somewhat cruel soldier, at first suggests killing Robert, but an older soldier states that it would be a mortal sin to kill a king. Robert leaves, followed at a distance by Hamish and John Douglas. While fishing, Douglas and Hamish are overtaken by Will and the other soldiers. They state their plan to turn against Robert and ask Douglas to join them; Douglas refuses, calling them traitors. A fight ensues, with Hamish being killed by Will when he tries to intervene and Douglas being seriously wounded and left for dead. The three soldiers press on into the woods in pursuit of Robert.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Meanwhile, in a mountain cottage, Morag Macfie, a widowed peasant farmer, relates to her son, Scot, her niece, Iver, and her nephew, Carney the story of how Robert defeated and killed Comyn. Scot expresses a strong dislike for Robert the Bruce, as his father died fighting for him. Later, Scot and Morag visit his father's grave and place flowers there. Scot observes Robert traveling through the woods briefly, but does not approach him. He tells his mother about it, but she doesn't believe him. The three soldiers, led by Will, soon catch up to Robert and attack him. He manages to kill two of them before being seriously wounded by Will; he manages to deal a crippling stroke to Will, but loses his sword in the process, and flees, finding refuge in a nearby cave under a stream bank. Will attempts to pursue him, but is slowed by his injury. Just then, a party of soldiers led by the local Sheriff, Brandubh, come across Will. He tells them of how he has wounded Robert the Bruce and promises to lead them to where they fought in exchange for a share of the reward money. Will keeps his word, and Brandubh finds Robert's sword, recognising that Will is telling the truth. He then kills Will to keep him quiet and swears all his men to secrecy. He begins searching for Robert, calling aloud for him, pretending to be a friend trying to find and help him, but Robert is not fooled. Brandubh then rides to Morag's croft and drops Robert's sword off with Carney, who is an apprentice blacksmith, for repairs. Carney takes the sword to his master, Sean, who helps him repair it. While there, Carney is greeted with affection by the blacksmith's teenage daughter, Briana, and they briefly kiss.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Later, while hunting, Scot, Iver and Carney find the unconscious Robert the Bruce, who has managed to leave the cave only to have his injuries catch up with him. Robert is brought back to Morag's house, where she resolves to hide him and tend his wounds until they heal, despite the fact that her clan has sided with the English in the ongoing war. Over the winter, Robert is nursed back to health and becomes a part of the family, apologising to Scot about the death of his father; teaching Carney the use of the sword; and becoming close to Morag. He resolves that the sacrifice of families like this one must not be for nothing and decides that he will continue fighting. One night, one of Brandubh's men sees Robert in Morag's house through the window and reports it to Brandubh. Brandubh gathers his men and rides for Morag's croft, but Briana overhears their plans and, worried about Carney, goes to Morag's house in the night to warn them. Forewarned, Robert plans with the others on how to fight Brandubh when they arrive.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: The next morning, Iver and Scot take to the trees in the woods surrounding the croft and wait with their bows ready while Carney works in the yard with a sword hidden on him and Briana lies in wait in the barn. Brandubh rides onto the farm, confident that Morag and her family pose no threat to him. When Morag's attempt at deception fails, he strikes her and Robert comes out of the house and confronts him, ordering him as King of Scotland not to touch Morag or her family as they are under his protection. One of Brandubh's men agrees, but the rest do not and they draw their weapons. Now with the odds better, a fight ensues. Iver is able to kill several men with arrows, Scot manages to kill one as well, and Briana faces off with a sword against one of the soldiers while Carney and Robert fight others, Robert fighting Brandubh. Carney manages to kill his opponent just as Briana is overwhelmed and stabbed several times with a dagger. Enraged, Carney slashes her attacker's throat, and then sits weeping over her body. Iver and Scot manage to finish the other opponents, except for one who is killed as he is about to attack Carney with a thrown axe in the back by the soldier who switched sides, who then dies to an arrow Scot accidentally hit him with earlier. Brandubh and Robert fight inside the house, where Robert is saved by Morag, who clubs Brandubh to death with a piece of wood just as he is about to deliver the deathblow. Later, Robert and the family head into the woods after praying over Briana's grave. Robert leads them to the fortress of Angus McDonald, a friend, and claims Morag, Scot, Iver, and Carney as his own family before declaring he will continue to fight for Scotland. James Douglas is waiting for him and informs him they never doubted he would come back.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Years later, Morag kneels beside the grave of Scot, who died fighting for Robert at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where Scotland finally won their freedom.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: The film was announced in February 2018, with Angus Macfadyen reprising his role from "Braveheart" (1995). Jared Harris, Anna Hutchison and Patrick Fugit were also cast amongst others.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: In order to film the harsh winters which existed in Scotland during these times, the crew used the snow-covered hills lining the Yellowstone River (Paradise) Valley, south of Livingston, Montana, for those needed shots.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: The world premiere of "Robert the Bruce" took place at the Edinburgh Film Festival on 23 June 2019. It was released in the United Kingdom on 28 June 2019.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: The film was scheduled to be released in the United States with a premiere screening by Fathom Events for one-night-only on 16 April 2020 with a limited theatrical release on 24 April 2020 by Screen Media Films, to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fathom Events cancelled the premiere and limited release. "Braveheart" was also scheduled for a theatrical re-release by Fathom Events in March 2020 for its 25th anniversary and in promotion for "Robert the Bruce", but it was also cancelled.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: Signature Entertainment released the film in the United Kingdom, on DVD and Blu-ray disc, on 4 November 2019. The sole extra feature is an


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: audio commentary with director Richard Gray and co-writer and star Angus Macfadyen. Screen Media Films released the film in the United States on DVD only on 2 June 2020.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: "Robert the Bruce" grossed £19,026 in the United Kingdom on its opening weekend (28/06/19) and £98,691 for its UK theatrical run.


title: Robert the Bruce (film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critics consensus reads: "It's inspired by epic real-life events, but rich cinematography and the best of intentions aren't enough to carry "Robert the Bruce" past its leaden pace and bland storytelling."


title: Veronica Hamel

text: Veronica Hamel (born November 20, 1943) is an American actress and model. She was nominated five times for an Emmy Award for her role as attorney Joyce Davenport in the TV police drama "Hill Street Blues".


title: Veronica Hamel

text: The daughter of a Philadelphia carpenter and a housewife, Hamel graduated from Temple University. She worked as a secretary for a company that manufactured ironing board covers. She began a fashion modeling career after being discovered by Eileen Ford. In her first film role, she played a model in 1971's "Klute", followed by roles in the disaster films "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure" and "When Time Ran Out".


title: Veronica Hamel

text: She was the model in the last cigarette commercial televised in the U.S. (for Virginia Slims, aired at 11:59 pm on January 1, 1971, on "The Tonight Show"). Hamel had been a model in print advertisements, not just for Slims, but also for Pall Mall Gold cigarettes.


title: Veronica Hamel

text: Hamel started appearing in TV series in 1975. She was considered for the role of Kelly Garrett on "Charlie's Angels", but reportedly declined the role. Producer Aaron Spelling cast Jaclyn Smith, instead. She is best remembered for playing Joyce Davenport, the dedicated public defender, who also happened to be the love interest of police captain Frank Furillo, on the long-running TV series "Hill Street Blues" from 1981-87. She was a five-time Emmy nominee for that role.


title: Veronica Hamel

text: Alan Alda's 1988 film "A New Life" cast Hamel in a leading role as his doctor and love interest. She was cast as Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Grodin's character in the movie "Taking Care of Business" in 1990. She was named on" Us" magazine's "Best Dressed" list for 1983.


title: Veronica Hamel

text: In 2002, she also appeared on "Hill Street Blues" creator Steven Bochco's legal drama "Philly." In the late 2000s, Hamel had a recurring role in the NBC television series "Third Watch" and appeared as Margo Shephard, Jack's mother, in the ABC series "Lost".


title: Melanie McGuire

text: Melanie Lyn McGuire ("née" Slate; born October 8, 1972) is an American former nurse who was convicted of murdering her husband on April 28, 2004, in what media dubbed the "suitcase murder". She was sentenced to life in prison on July 19, 2007, and is serving her sentence at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey. She will not be eligible for parole until she is 100 years old.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: Melanie Lyn Slate grew up in Ridgewood and Middletown Township, New Jersey, attending Middletown High School South. She enrolled at Rutgers University with a double major in math and psychology and graduated in 1994. She graduated, second in her class, from the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing (now Raritan Bay Medical Center) in 1997 with a nursing diploma. She married United States Navy veteran William T. "Bill" McGuire (born September 21, 1964) in 1999.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: By April 2004, the McGuires had been married for five years. Melanie was a nurse at a fertility clinic and Bill was a computer programmer. The couple had two sons and lived in a Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, apartment, but planned to move that month to a larger home in Warren County. They closed the documents on their new house on April 28, but never moved in. That night, according to the prosecution, McGuire drugged her husband, shot him dead, and subsequently dismembered his body. She put his remains into a 3-piece suitcase set, and those three pieces were later found in Chesapeake Bay.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: On May 5, 2004, the first suitcase, containing human legs, was found by two fishermen and two children floating near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnels fourth artificial island, and a murder investigation was launched. On May 11, a second larger suitcase was found on the beach of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge, by a graduate student cleaning up litter on the beach. This suitcase was found to contain the head and torso with three bullet wounds, two in the chest and one in the head. The third and smallest suitcase, containing arms, was recovered floating in the water near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's second artificial island on May 16. Police released a facial reconstruction sketch of the victim, which an acquaintance of Bill McGuire's recognized. Melanie then became the prime suspect in the investigation. Because the murder did not occur in Virginia, however, authorities turned over their investigation to the New Jersey State Police.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: During the investigation, incriminating evidence was uncovered against Melanie. On April 26, 2004, Melanie had purchased a .38 caliber handgun from a store in Easton, Pennsylvania; Bill had been killed with a .38 caliber handgun with wadcutter bullets. Melanie's receipt for the gun also listed an unspecified purchase of $9.95, there were only two items in the store for that amount, one of them was a box of wadcutter bullets. Police received a tip from a private towing company employee who said he towed a 2002 Nissan Maxima (Bill Mcguire's car) from the Flamingo Motel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 8, 2004, upon further investigation police discovered a security video of the car being moved in the early morning hours of April 30, 2004. The footage was blurry and the police weren't able to identify the person in the video. Melanie later claimed she had moved the car as a "prank", even though she had applied for a protection from abuse order days earlier after being allegedly slapped by her husband. Police also learned that Melanie had been having a long-term affair with a co-worker named Dr Bradley Miller. Her E-ZPass tag was recorded at a toll booth in Delaware two days after the murder; she claimed that this was the result of her going furniture shopping in Delaware since it has no sales tax. Before she was charged with murder, Melanie called E-ZPass and attempted to have the $0.90 charge removed from her account history. Days later, an unidentified man, believed by many to be her stepfather, also called and attempted to have the charge removed.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: The plastic bags that contained Bill's body parts and the bags that contained Bill's clothes, which Melanie had given away to a friend, were demonstrated by forensics to be manufactured on the same assembly line within hours of one another. The luggage that the body was found in, a matching three piece set of Kenneth Cole suitcases, Melanie admitted that they did own the set of three. Green fibers had been found on one of the bullets lodged in Bill's chest, the fibers were identified as polyester fill, a common material found in household furniture. Bill and Melanie owned a green couch, investigators theorized that the murderer used a pillow or couch cushion as a makeshift silencer) to shoot Bill. Similarly, a medical grade towel found with Bill's body matched those stocked at the clinic Melanie worked in. A witness testified that Melanie used the same towels to protect furniture when she moved. Police believed that she used a syringe and prescription from her work to obtain the drug used as her means to incapacitate her husband.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: On June 2, 2005, more than a year after the murder, Melanie dropped her children off at child care and preschool. After exiting the oldest child's school, Melanie started walking towards her vehicle when law enforcement emerged from the bushes, taking her into custody without incident. She was immediately booked into the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center on first-degree murder charges, but made her $750,000 bail ($ million today). Through her attorneys, Joe Tacopina, Steve Turano, and Marc Ward, she pleaded not guilty to the charges.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: After being released on bail, Melanie faced additional charges on October 11, 2005. A four-count indictment came down from a state grand jury. Her bail was raised to $2.1 million ($ million today), but she was again released. More than a year later, on October 26, 2006, McGuire was charged with two counts of hindering apprehension for allegedly writing letters to police aimed at getting them off her trail. She again pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $10,000 bail.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: Almost three years after the crime, McGuire's murder trial commenced at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick on March 5, 2007. Prosecutors contended her motive for murder was to take up a new life with her lover. McGuire persisted in claiming she was innocent, and claimed her husband had become increasingly moody and unpredictable and was a compulsive gambler.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: On April 23, 2007, McGuire's murder trial jury found her guilty of first-degree murder, finding that the evidence established her culpability for the murder beyond a reasonable doubt. She was also convicted of the lesser charges of perjury, desecration of human remains, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. However, McGuire was acquitted of the two counts of hindering apprehension, as well as tampering with evidence and possession of Xanax without prescription.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: Shortly after her conviction, but before sentencing, McGuire appealed for a new trial on the basis of the story of jailhouse informant Christopher Thieme that her husband was deeply in debt and may have been killed by Atlantic City mobsters. However, prosecutors established that the informant was "entirely incredible and routinely and habitually fabricates stories" according to a New Jersey State Police investigation, before recanting and accusing McGuire's attorney of suborning perjury. With the story debunked, the request for a new trial was withdrawn. On July 19, 2007, at the age of 34, McGuire was sentenced to life in prison.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: During her arraignment on murder charges, McGuire's case was dubbed the "Suitcase Murder" by various media outlets. Author John Glatt wrote a book about the case, entitled "To Have and To Kill". The case has been profiled on television outlets: "Snapped" Oxygen Network; "Dateline NBC"; "48 Hours Mystery" CBS; and "The Investigators" TruTV; "Deadly Affairs" Investigation Discovery, and "Forensic Files II", among other true crime television shows.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: McGuire's conviction was affirmed by an appeals court on March 16, 2011. She must serve more than 63 years before she is eligible for parole. On September 20, 2011, the New Jersey Supreme Court declined to hear her further appeal. On April 29, 2014, McGuire filed a motion for post-conviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and newly discovered evidence.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: On September 25, 2014, McGuire appeared in court with her new attorney Lois DeJulio, a public defender, to try to get a hearing that could overturn her 2007 murder conviction, on the grounds that her previous legal representation by Joe Tacopina was inadequate or ineffective. The request was subsequently denied.


title: Melanie McGuire

text: In 2022, Lifetime produced a movie called "" as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature films. The film stars Candice King as Melanie McGuire, Michael Roark as William McGuire, Jackson Hurst as Bradley Miller, and Wendie Malick as Patricia Prezioso.


title: Dan Burn

text: Daniel Johnson Burn (born 9 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Newcastle United.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn made his debut in the Football League for Darlington in 2009 and joined Fulham at the end of the 2010–11 season, having made 19 appearances for Darlington. He spent the 2012–13 season on loan to Yeovil Town, for whom he made 41 appearances, and spent part of the following season on loan to Birmingham City. He joined Wigan Athletic when his contract with Fulham expired at the end of the 2015–16 season. Burn signed for Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the 2018–19 season, and was loaned back to Wigan until January 2019. He established himself as a regular Premier League player with Brighton from the 2019–20 season before signing for boyhood club Newcastle United in January 2022.


title: Dan Burn

text: Born in Blyth, Northumberland, Burn grew up supporting Newcastle United and idolised Alan Shearer. Released by Newcastle United at age 11, Burn played youth football for local teams New Hartley, Blyth Town and Blyth Spartans. At age 16, he began working for supermarket Asda, when a scout for Darlington saw him playing for Blyth Spartans and he signed on professional terms on 1 July 2009.


title: Dan Burn

text: Due to the club's financial problems and lack of available players, Burn was promoted to the first team for the first time and appeared as an unused substitute, in a 3–1 loss against Hereford United on 31 October 2009. Burn then made his away league debut coming on as a 19th-minute substitute for injured defender Mark Bower against Torquay United on 12 December 2009, which resulted in a 5–0 loss. Burn then made his first start in another encounter against Torquay United on 6 March 2010, which Darlington lost 3–1. He made four appearances in the 2009–10 season as Darlington were relegated to the Conference.


title: Dan Burn

text: After this, Burn returned to the academy to further his development before being recalled to the first team by manager Mark Cooper, where he made his first appearance of the 2010–11 season, in a 3–1 win against Barrow on 3 January 2011. He went on to make 15 appearances in the 2010–11 season and his performances were praised by Cooper. Burn finished second behind Jamie Chandler for the club's Young Player of the Year award.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn attracted interest from Premier League clubs including Fulham. Darlington gave him a two-and-a-half-year contract on improved terms, but Cooper admitted they were unlikely to be able to keep him, claiming that "If I were a Premier League manager I would sign him straight away, whatever the cost".


title: Dan Burn

text: On 14 April 2011, a deal was agreed for Burn to join Premier League club Fulham at the end of the 2010–11 season for a fee thought to be around £350,000.


title: Dan Burn

text: After signing for Fulham, Burn was sent to the club's reserve team to develop and learn under the club's reserve manager Billy McKinlay.


title: Dan Burn

text: On 25 September 2012, Burn joined League One club Yeovil Town on a youth loan deal for an initial month. Four days later, he made his debut against Preston North End. Burn scored an own goal for Preston in the 86th minute but then went on to score his first senior goal a minute later. Yeovil lost the match 3–2. Burn managed to establish himself in the first team at Yeovil Town and had his loan extension at the club twice: On 23 October, Fulham confirmed that Burn's loan deal with Yeovil had been extended until 20 November 2012 and then extended again until the end of the season. Burn then scored his second goal for Yeovil Town on 2 February 2013, in a 3–0 win over Brentford. Having previously been suspended after being booked five times this season, Burn received a red card after a second bookable offense, in a 2–0 win over Stevenage on 13 April 2013 and missed the last three matches.


title: Dan Burn

text: After serving three matches, Burn returned to the first team, playing in the first leg of the play-off, in a 1–0 loss against Sheffield United. Burn then helped the club overcome the deficit in the second leg, in a 2–1 win. Burn scored at Wembley Stadium for Yeovil during the 2013 League One play-off Final gaining Yeovil Town promotion to the Championship for the first time in their history. Burn returned to Fulham having made 41 appearances for Yeovil and scored 3 goals.


title: Dan Burn

text: Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Burn stated he was keen on returning to Yeovil Town. However, on 3 July 2013, Burn signed a new contract with Fulham, keeping him at the club until at least 2015, while also moving on a season-long loan to Championship side Birmingham City. He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat at home to Watford on 3 August 2013, and remained a regular member of the starting eleven. His first goal for the club, a header from a Paul Caddis cross, opened the scoring in the League Cup third-round tie on 25 September, as Birmingham beat holders Swansea City 3–1.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn was recalled by Fulham on 2 January 2014. After being recalled, Burn made his first-team debut for Fulham on 4 January 2014, in the FA Cup third round against Norwich City at Carrow Road. Following the Norwich game, Fulham Manager René Meulensteen said that he expected Burn would re-join Birmingham City on loan for the second time, but the move never happened.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn then went on to make his Premier League debut in a 2–0 loss against Arsenal on 18 January 2014. After the match, Burn's performance was praised by Meulensteen. Burn was given a handful of first team appearance until he suffered a muscle injury. After being sidelined for weeks, Burn returned to the first team on 3 May 2014, playing 58 minutes, in a 4–1 loss against Stoke City, which relegated the club to the Championship next season.


title: Dan Burn

text: In the 2014–15 season, Burn made his first appearance of the season, in a 1–1 draw against Cardiff City on 30 August 2014. He scored his first goal for Fulham in a League Cup tie against Doncaster Rovers on 23 September 2014. On 21 October 2014, Burn captained Fulham for the first time and scored his first league goal of the season, in a 3–3 draw against Rotherham United. However, Burn struggled to regain his first team, where he spent most of the season on the substitute bench. On 27 January 2015, Burn signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2016. Burn later finished the 2014–15 season, making 22 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


title: Dan Burn

text: In the 2015–16 season, Burn provided assist for Cauley Woodrow to equalise the last minute goal, in a 1–1 draw against Huddersfield Town on 22 August 2015. After the match, Burn was named the Man of the Match by fans. In a 0–0 draw against Middlesbrough on 17 October 2015, Burn formed a partnership with Richard Stearman and the pair kept a 0–0 and Burn was named Man of the Match ahead of Stearman. Burn soon lost his first team place under the intern-management of Peter Grant, but soon regain his first team place under the management of Stuart Gray and Slaviša Jokanović. Having become a first team regular under Slaviša Jokanović, the club had started a contract talk with Burn. Burn helped the club retain their Championship status next season when they finished 20th place and made thirty–five appearances in all competitions.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn signed a three-year contract with newly promoted Championship club Wigan Athletic, to begin when his contract with Fulham expired at the end of the 2015–16 season. He was given squad number 33.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn made his Wigan Athletic debut in the opening game of the season, starting in a 2–1 loss against Bristol City. After a slow start to the season Burn became one of the stand out performers in the team and was recognised in winning the club's Player of the Year award. He scored his first goal for Wigan in a 1–0 win at former club Birmingham City on 7 March 2017.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn signed a four-year contract with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion on 9 August 2018 for an undisclosed fee. He was loaned back to Wigan Athletic until January 2019.


title: Dan Burn

text: Burn returned to Brighton after his loan spell, and made his debut on 26 January in the FA Cup third-round tie against West Bromwich Albion; the match finished goalless, and Burn was named man of the match. He made two more starts, both in the FA Cup, and finally made his league debut for the club on the opening day of the 2019–20 season away to Watford, playing in a back three alongside Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy; according to the "Telegraph" report, he excelled as Albion won 3–0. He continued as a fixture in the starting eleven, and by the end of the year was the only Brighton player to play every minute of their Premier League campaign. On 1 January 2020, he fractured his collarbone in collision with Chelsea's Reece James. The injury required surgery, and he was able to return to action on 8 February.


title: Dan Burn

text: On 2 January 2021, Burn scored an own goal, gave away a penalty and picked up a yellow card in a match where Brighton came from 3–1 behind to claim a vital point in a 3–3 home draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Burn played in Brighton's 1–0 away victory over defending champions Liverpool on 3 February claiming their first league win at Anfield since 1982. On 18 May 2021, with fans returning to football, Burn scored his first goal for Brighton in a 3–2 home league win over champions Manchester City, scoring the winner to seal the Seagulls' first top-flight win over City since 1981.


title: Dan Burn

text: In the absence of Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy, Pascal Groß and several others, Burn captained the Albion for the first time in the 1–0 home loss to Wolves on 15 December 2021. His second Albion goal, a back-post header away to Everton on 2 January 2022, doubled their lead in a match that they won 3–2.


title: Dan Burn

text: On 28 January 2022, Brighton rejected a £7 million bid for Burn from Newcastle United, the club he supported and played for as a youngster. Two days later, a fee of £13 million was agreed, and Burn signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Newcastle on 31 January. The fee was officially undisclosed. He made his debut on 13 February, partnering Fabian Schär at centre back in a 1–0 victory at home to Aston Villa, and was named as Sky Sports' Man of the Match. According to Gary Neville, "[Burn] was composed at the back and all of his work has been really good, particularly his headed clearances. I have not seen the Newcastle defence as organised as this for some time."


title: Philip VI of France

text: Philip VI (; 1293 – 22 August 1350), called the Fortunate () or the Catholic () and of Valois, was the first king of France from the House of Valois, reigning from 1328 until his death in 1350.


title: Philip VI of France

text: Philip's reign was dominated by the consequences of a succession dispute. When King Charles IV of France died in 1328, the nearest male relative was his nephew King Edward III of England, but the French nobility preferred Charles's paternal cousin Philip. At first, Edward seemed to accept Philip's succession, but he pressed his claim to the throne of France after a series of disagreements with Philip. The result was the beginning of the Hundred Years' War in 1337.


title: Philip VI of France

text: After initial successes at sea, Philip's navy was annihilated at the Battle of Sluys in 1340, ensuring that the war would occur on the continent. The English took another decisive advantage at the Battle of Crécy (1346), while the Black Death struck France, further destabilising the country.


title: Philip VI of France

text: In 1349, King Philip VI bought the Province of Dauphiné from its ruined ruler the Dauphin Humbert II and entrusted the government of this province to his grandson Prince Charles. Philip VI died in 1350 and was succeeded by his son King John II, the Good.