title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: After the release of Texas's 2005 album "Red Book" the band members confirmed that they would enter a hiatus. Spiteri performed as guest vocalist on Rammstein's "Rosenrot" album. She began work on her debut solo album, working with some of her former bandmates. She wrote the vast majority of the tracks on the album. She released her debut solo album "Melody" on 14 July 2008 with "All The Times I Cried" serving as the album's lead single. The song charted at No. 26 on the UK Singles Chart. "Melody" was proven popular in the United Kingdom, debuting at a high No. 3 on the UK Album Charts. In other European countries where Texas were popular like in Belgium, the album charted at No. 15 on the Belgium Flanders Charts and No. 13 on the Belgium Wallonia Charts. The song "Don't Keep Me Waiting" was released as a single in Switzerland only, in which it charted at No. 78 on the singles charts there. A further two singles were released worldwide, "Stop, I Don't Love You Anymore" and "It Was You" which were both unpopular in the United Kingdom, missing the UK top 100, with "Stop, I Don't Love You Anymore" charting at No. 107 and "It Was You" at No. 178. By 2009, "Melody" has been certified Gold by the BPI (UK) with sales of over 100,000.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: Spiteri released her second solo studio album "The Movie Songbook" which consists of film covers chosen by Spiteri herself was released on 1 March 2010. The album's lead single "Xanadu" was released in February 2010, and charted at No. 71 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2010. As for the album, it charted at No. 13 on the UK Album Charts on 7 March 2010, thus becoming Spiteri's second UK top-40 album as a soloist, and her seventh UK top-40 album both as a soloist and a member of Texas. To promote the album, she performed in front of 55,000 fans supporting Paul McCartney on his Up and Coming Tour at Hampden Park in Glasgow.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In 2010, Spiteri appeared as a judge on the Sky 1 reality show "Must Be the Music". Spiteri has a large lesbian fanbase, although she is heterosexual.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In February 2013, "Music Week" announced the band had signed a new record deal with PIAS Recordings and were to release their first new album since reuniting. "The Conversation" was released on 20 May 2013. Physical formats included a single disc and double-disc deluxe edition. The latter featured a bonus disc entitled "Live in Scotland". Also in 2013, a UK tour was announced and the album launched at two gigs, one at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and the other at the 100 Club in London. Spiteri performed a cover of "River Deep – Mountain High" at these gigs as well as a selection of new tracks from "The Conversation". Tracks are written mainly by Spiteri herself and Johnny McElhone, with Richard Hawley and Bernard Butler as collaborators. The album's lead single of the same name joined BBC Radio 2's playlist in April 2013 with two more singles, "Detroit City" and "Dry Your Eyes", following later that year. The album is certified Platinum in France and peaked at No. 4 on the UK Album Charts.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In November 2014, Texas contributed to BBC Radio 2's "Sounds of the '80s" album with a cover of "Don't Talk to Me About Love" by Altered Images, a band which also included current Texas member Johnny McElhone in its lineup.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: To celebrate the band's 25th anniversary, it was announced that some of their biggest hits would be re-recorded for a new album entitled "Texas 25". The collection features eight songs from the band's back catalogue completely reworked with the help of New York production team Truth & Soul, as well as four brand new songs, and was released on 16 February 2015. Deluxe packages include a second disc of the hits in their original form. The lead single, "Start a Family", premiered online on 6 January 2015. The band embarked on a UK tour throughout April and May 2015.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: The band released their ninth studio album, "Jump on Board" in May 2017 to critical acclaim, with "Let's Work it Out" serving as the lead single from the new album. "Jump on Board" performed well commercially in the band's native Scotland, debuting at number one on the Scottish Albums Chart. The album reached number one in France and performed well in the UK chart. In support of the album, the band embarked on the "Jump on Board Live Tour" world tour.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: On 28 February 2020, the band announced on Twitter that its next album was called "Hi", which was released on BMG on 28 May 2021. A single, also called "Hi", was released in December 2020 and reunited the band with the Wu-Tang Clan after 22 years. A video was released for the song with "Small Axe" actor Kadeem Ramsay, a promo video that also includes footage of Texas, RZA and Method Man performing "Say What You Want" at the BRIT Awards in 1998.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In April 2021, the second single from "Hi" was released. Called "Mr Haze", the track sampled the melody from "Love's Unkind" (a Giorgio Moroder production which was a Top 10 hit for Donna Summer in the late 1970s) and was performed on "The One Show" on BBC One. "Hi" is the tenth album released by Texas and includes collaborations with Richard Hawley and Altered Images' Clare Grogan, the latter duetting with Spiteri on the song "Look What You've Done".


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: Spiteri landed the part of a detective opposite Edward Furlong in the thriller "3 Blind Mice", but backed out due to pregnancy. She was also cast in "Moulin Rouge!" starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, but she told Jonathan Ross on his show on 4 November 2005 that she declined because she did not want to move to Australia for a year. In 2011, she appeared in the French version of "The X Factor" with Henri Padovani who was managing groups for the competition. In 2016, she appeared on the British programme "Top Gear", along with Seasick Steve and Tinie Tempah in a South African SUV challenge.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: Spiteri had a long-term relationship with the editor of "Arena" magazine, Ashley Heath. The couple have a daughter, Misty Kyd (named after the phrase from the Clint Eastwood film "Play Misty for Me" and Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid), born on 9 September 2002. The birth prompted her close friend Thierry Henry to dedicate a goal to her daughter by revealing the slogan "For the new born Kyd" beneath his shirt later that day. The couple separated in 2005.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: Spiteri married celebrity chef Bryn Williams in September 2018 at the 15th-century church of St. Tyrnog in Llandyrnog, North Wales. She wore a dress designed by her friend Stella McCartney. Despite being married to a chef, Spiteri does the cooking in their home, as she revealed on the "Fuelling Around" podcast in 2021.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Spiteri expressed support for Scotland remaining in the Union, stating "As far as I'm concerned, I'm British. And, yeah, I'm Scottish but I feel I'm part of the UK." In September 2021, Texas announced that Spiteri and all her bandmates now supported independence after Brexit.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: In September 2021, Spiteri appeared on BBC's "RHS Chelsea Flower Show" to share the garden she had created in North Wales that supplies the fruit and vegetables for her husband's restaurant.


title: Sharleen Spiteri

text: She is a patron of children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. She is also a supporter of Arsenal FC and a season ticket holder at the Emirates Stadium.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Mark A. Jackson (born April 1, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. A point guard from St. John's University, he played for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in a career spanning from 1987 to 2004.


title: Mark Jackson

text: After retiring from playing basketball, Jackson became a broadcast commentator for ESPN and ABC alongside his former coach Jeff Van Gundy and play-by-play man Mike Breen. He also worked as an analyst for The YES Network's New Jersey Nets games. In 2011 the Golden State Warriors hired Jackson as head coach. He coached the team for three seasons, but was fired in 2014 despite leading the Warriors to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 years.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Mark Jackson grew up in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens, New York. He was regarded as one of the nation's elite point guards while attending Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn under coach Patrick Quigley. Jackson gained a reputation as a streetballer in New York.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson was a college hoops star at St. John's University. While at St. John's, he played alongside Olympian and NBA All-Star Chris Mullin for two seasons. He credits Mullin with teaching him the importance of rigorous practice work in the gym.


title: Mark Jackson

text: While at St. John's, Jackson developed an unusual free-throw line ritual of extending his hand and "cupping" his thumb and index finger around the rim. This helped him stay focused on the rim while shooting foul shots. He continued this well into his pro career and it helped him to a career 77.0% free-throw percentage.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson was the 18th pick of the 1987 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. He teamed with Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley to turn the Knicks into a prime playoff team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, before the Knicks peaked and became regular playoff contenders, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1992.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson had a steady career with the Knicks, most notably under coach Rick Pitino, averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 assists per game in his rookie season, earning him the 1988 Rookie of the Year award, the lowest overall draft pick to win the award since Woody Sauldsberry in 1958. He was the only non-lottery pick to have won the award since the introduction of the system in 1985 until the 2016-17 season, where Malcolm Brogdon won the award as a second round pick.


title: Mark Jackson

text: In 1989 Jackson had another promising season for the Knicks, teaming with Ewing to lead them to the Atlantic Division title and the number two seed in the east (behind the eventual champion Detroit Pistons, whom they swept 4-0 in the regular season), and making his lone All-Star Game appearance. After sweeping Charles Barkley's Philadelphia team in the opening round, the Knicks faced the upstart Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Near the end of game two, Jackson en route to a fast break layup in the fourth quarter looked back and stuck out his tongue at Jordan before finishing the layup; Jordan responded with a 40+ PPG average the remainder of the series, and led Chicago to a 4-2 series victory. Following a contract extension prior to the 1990 season, Jackson began to lose his All-Star form; the loss of Pitino (who left to coach the University of Kentucky) and starting the season out of shape were key factors. Consequently, he began to face stiff competition from backup guard Rod Strickland, and then after Strickland was traded away, Maurice Cheeks, to the point where in their decisive first-round game five against Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and the Boston Celtics at the Boston Garden, Knick coach Stu Jackson decided to bench Mark Jackson for the entire game; New York defeated Boston to advance to the second round, where they lost to the eventual champion Detroit Pistons in five games.


title: Mark Jackson

text: After the 1991–92 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, a trade that saw Charles Smith and Doc Rivers go to the Knicks (this was actually a three-team deal, with the Clippers also obtaining Stanley Roberts from the Orlando Magic for draft picks; Roberts had become superfluous in Orlando when the Magic won the draft lottery for his college teammate, Shaquille O'Neal). While with the Clippers, Jackson teamed with Danny Manning, Ron Harper and head coach Larry Brown to lead the Clippers to the second of their two consecutive playoff appearances; the Clippers would not reach the playoffs in consecutive years again until the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 seasons.


title: Mark Jackson

text: On June 30, 1994, the Indiana Pacers traded Pooh Richardson, Malik Sealy, and the draft rights to Eric Piatkowski for Jackson and the draft rights to Greg Minor. With the Pacers, he teamed with Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Antonio Davis and Dale Davis for five out of the next six seasons to make the Indiana Pacers a contender.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson was traded to the Denver Nuggets before the 1996–97 NBA season started for Jalen Rose. "This trade was a disaster for the Pacers, as the Pacers fell to 10th place in the East halfway through the season and out of the playoff race."-Mark Jackson


title: Mark Jackson

text: Looking to re-energize the team's on-court performance, Pacers' president Donnie Walsh traded for Jackson and LaSalle Thompson at the trade deadline, giving up Vincent Askew, Eddie Johnson and second round picks in 1997 and 1998. The return of Jackson sparked the Pacers, but they still missed the playoffs for the only time in the last decade and a half. Jackson would eventually appear in his only NBA Finals as the Pacers' starting point guard in 2000, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson would leave the Pacers that off-season for the Toronto Raptors, who needed a point guard and had extra money to spend due to the departure of Tracy McGrady earlier that off-season. Antonio Davis recommended his former Pacers teammate as a suitable replacement. Jackson would only play 54 games for the Raptors before being traded at the trade deadline back to the Knicks.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson was traded to the Knicks, along with Muggsy Bogues (who was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks without playing a game for the Knicks), for Chris Childs on February 22, 2001. Jackson became the starter at point guard for the rest of the season, playing in 29 games. He helped lead the Knicks to the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, as the Knicks were knocked out of the playoffs by the Raptors. Despite a solid individual season for Jackson, the Knicks ended the 2001–02 season with a 30–52 record and out of the playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons. In the offseason, he was involved in a trade back to the Nuggets in a deal that included Antonio McDyess, after which he was immediately waived.


title: Mark Jackson

text: On October 2, 2002, Jackson signed with the Utah Jazz and played for them during the 2002–03 season as John Stockton's backup. It was this season that Jackson moved to second place on the list of all-time assists leaders behind his teammate Stockton. Jackson would play all 82 games that season without starting one. Jackson was reported to have caused friction and disputes in the Jazz locker room by attempting to persuade his teammates that he should become the team's starting point guard instead of Stockton.


title: Mark Jackson

text: On January 15, 2004, Jackson signed with the Houston Rockets backing up Steve Francis. Jackson played in only 42 games as a Rocket and, experiencing a large drop-off in skills, finished his career at season's end.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson ranks 24th on the NBA all-time games list (1,296), 42nd on the all-time minutes played list (39,121), 225th on the all-time three-point field goals made list (734), 197th on the all-time three-point field goal attempts list (2,213), 5th on the all-time assists list (10,334) and 34th on the all-time steals list (1,608). He never achieved great individual success; despite winning Rookie of the Year in 1988, he made only one All-Star appearance in his career (1989).


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson is also notable for prompting an NBA rule change. In response to his penchant for backing down opposing point guards in the post for 15 or more seconds at a time, the league instituted the five-second back-to-the-basket violation, sometimes called the "Mark Jackson Rule", prohibiting an offensive player from dribbling with his back to the basket for more than five consecutive seconds when below the free throw line.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson is also known for perfecting and increasing the popularity of the "teardrop" shot, which he often used to shoot over much larger defenders.


title: Mark Jackson

text: On June 6, 2011, Jackson was hired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He was the first head coach hired by new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. After inheriting a team that had made the playoffs just once in the previous 17 years, Jackson promised to turn the Warriors into a good defensive team and playoff contender, but struggled to a 23–43 record in his first year during the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season as the team suffered several injuries to key players while adjusting to a new system. In the season, with strong performance from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Jackson led the Warriors to a 47–35 record and a #6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. It was the first time the Warriors had made the playoffs since the 2006–07 season. The Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 4–2 in the first round, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs 4–2 in the semifinals.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Originally signed under a four-year, $8 million contract, Jackson earned two more years guaranteed on his contract in 2013, putting him under contract through 2014–15. The following season, the Warriors improved to 51–31, the team's first season with 50 or more wins since . They reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992, but lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games. On May 6, 2014, Jackson was removed as head coach of the Warriors. The Warriors' front office said the team was better than when Jackson arrived but felt a different coach was needed to win an NBA championship. The following season, head coach Steve Kerr's Warriors won the team's first NBA title in 40 years.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson’s time as head coach of the Warriors was marred by allegations of intense religious rhetoric and homophobia. Jackson had reportedly ranted about two staff members who were openly gay.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson worked as an analyst for New Jersey Nets on YES Network, mostly with Marv Albert. He has also worked as an analyst for ABC, teaming with Mike Breen and former coach Jeff Van Gundy.


title: Mark Jackson

text: At the end of the 2008 NBA season, Jackson unexpectedly quit his position with the YES Network. This move fueled speculation that Jackson would be replacing Isiah Thomas as coach of the New York Knicks, but Jackson said the rumors were untrue and the decision was based on a desire to stop commuting from Los Angeles and his contract with ABC. Still, the rumors persisted until the Knicks hired former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni.


title: Mark Jackson

text: A basketball card depicting Jackson has gained notoriety for featuring the Menendez brothers in the background watching as courtside spectators.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson married singer and actress Desiree Coleman on July 29, 1990. They have four children. Jackson and Coleman divorced in 2017 after 27 years of marriage. His son, Mark Jackson, Jr., played for the Manhattan Jaspers for the 2012–13 season after transferring from the University of Louisville. He is the older brother of AND1 streetballer Troy Jackson, better known as "Escalade". Troy Jackson died on February 20, 2011, at the age of 38. Jackson is a Christian and a licensed minister.


title: Mark Jackson

text: Jackson is of partial Dominican descent, which qualified him to play for the national basketball team of the Dominican Republic.


title: Mark Jackson

text: In June 2012, Jackson revealed that he had been the target of an extortion threat based on an extramarital affair and nude photos taken in 2006. Jackson said that he initially made payments of several thousands of dollars to a stripper and her accomplice to keep quiet about the affair and the photos, but when the alleged extortionists increased their demands, Jackson went to the FBI and ultimately the alleged conspirators were named in felony criminal complaints. "I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago—including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time," said Jackson, "and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself."


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on ideas that the two men had while serving on the Shanghai Municipal Police in China before World War II.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The F-S fighting knife was made famous during World War II when issued to British Commandos, the Airborne Forces, the SAS and many other units, especially for the Normandy landings in June 1944. With its acutely tapered, sharply pointed blade, the F-S fighting knife is frequently described as a stiletto, a weapon optimised for thrusting, although the F-S knife can be used to inflict slash cuts upon an opponent when its cutting edges are sharpened according to specification. The Wilkinson Sword Company made the knife with minor pommel and grip design variations.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The F-S knife is strongly associated with the British commandos and the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Marine Raiders (who based their issued knife on the Fairbairn-Sykes), among other special forces. It features the insignia of the British 3 Commando Brigade, the Belgian Commandos, the Dutch Commando Corps, founded in the UK during World War II, the Australian 1st Commando and 2nd Commando Regiments, the United States Army Rangers, both founded with the help of the British Commandos. Large numbers of Fairbairn Sykes knives of varying types, including some with wooden grips, were used by the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division that landed on Juno Beach on "D" Day and by the men of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. A solid gold F-S fighting knife is part of the commandos' memorial at Westminster Abbey.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The first batch of 50 F-S fighting knives was produced in January 1941 by Wilkinson Sword Ltd. Fairbairn and Sykes had travelled to their factory from the Special Training Centre at Lochailort in November 1940 to discuss their ideas for a fighting knife.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: A batch of 1500 knives of this first pattern was ordered in Nov 1940. An order for 38,000 of the second pattern (slightly revised for wartime exigencies) followed in 1941. By the time of the third pattern of design refinements (dating from October 1943) the knife was being produced by several manufacturers. No formal specification existed until after the war, but the 1949 UK government specification E/1323E remains current.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: In December 2019, an SBS commando in Afghanistan used an F-S knife during an ambush by ISIL fighters.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The F-S fighting knife was designed for surprise attack and fighting, with a slender blade that can easily penetrate a ribcage. The vase handle provides precise grip, and the blade's design is especially suited to its use as a fighting knife. Fairbairn's rationale is in his book "Get Tough!" (1942).


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: In close-quarters fighting there is no more deadly weapon than the knife. In choosing a knife there are two important factors to bear in mind: balance and keenness. The hilt should fit easily in your hand, and the blade should not be so heavy that it tends to drag the hilt from your fingers in a loose grip. It is essential that the blade have a sharp stabbing point and good cutting edges, because an artery torn through (as against a clean cut) tends to contract and stop the bleeding. If a main artery is cleanly severed, the wounded man will quickly lose consciousness and die.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The Fairbairn-Sykes was produced in several patterns. The Shanghai knife on which it was based was only about long in the blade. First-pattern knives have a blade with a flat area, or ricasso, at the top of the blade under the S-shaped crossguard; this was not present on the original design and its presence has not been explained by the manufacturers. Second-pattern knives have a slightly longer blade (just less than ), -wide oval crossguard, knurled pattern grip, and rounded ball, and may be stamped "ENGLAND" (a US legal requirement when importing the surplus knives after WWII) on the handle side of the cross guard. Some may also be stamped with a "broad arrow" British issue mark and a number (e.g., 21) on the opposite handle side of the cross guard. Third-pattern knives also have a similarly sized seven-inch blade, but the handle was redesigned to be a ringed grip. This ringed grip is reputed to have disappointed one of the original designers as it unbalanced the weapon and made harder to hold when wet, but it was used by the manufacturers as it was simple to produce and could be cast from a cheaper and more plentiful alloy instead of using up quantities of scarce brass stock. William Rodgers, as part of the Egginton Group, produce an all-black "sterile" version of the knife, devoid of any markings showing maker for NATO use.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The length of the blade was chosen to give several inches of blade to penetrate the body after passing through the of the thickest clothing expected to be worn in the war, that of Soviet greatcoats. Later production runs of the F-S fighting knife have a blade length that is about .


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: In all cases the handle had a distinctive foil-like grip to enable a number of handling options. Many variations on the F-S fighting knife exist, in size of blade and particularly of handle. The design has influenced the design of knives throughout the period since its introduction.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: Because of the success of the Fairbairn-Sykes knife in World War II and in the wars in Korea and Vietnam, many companies made their own versions of the F-S fighting knife, such as the 1966 Gerber Mark II.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: Almost two million of the British knives were made. Early production runs were extremely limited and demand was high, with many British troops attempting to buy their own.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: The OSS stiletto was a double-edged knife based on the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife. It was so admired that the US military created several other fighting knives based on it. The US Office of Strategic Services's knife manufacturing bid was approximately one-fifteenth of the British equivalent, but the US version of the knife, manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark, of New Britain, Connecticut, was improperly tempered and inferior to the British F-S fighting knife in materials and workmanship. Its reputation suffered accordingly. A total of 20,000 units of the OSS version were produced. The OSS dagger was officially replaced in service in 1944 by the US M3 fighting knife. The scabbard for the OSS stiletto looks like a pancake spatula, a design that can be worn high or low on the belt, or angled either left or right. In theory this gave a very adaptable mounting system, but the metal belt attachment risked injury to those wearing it, especially parachutists during airborne operations.


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: General Robert T. Frederick of the Devil's Brigade (First Special Service Force) is credited with a similar weapon, the "V-42 commando knife"


title: Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

text: V-42 stiletto, itself a derivation of the F-S design. The V-42 was manufactured by W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. in the US circa 1942-43 and is distinguished mainly by its markings and the presence of a small, scored indentation for the wielder's thumb, to aid in orienting the knife for thrusting. Fairbairn has been given full or partial credit for the design of several other fighting knives, including the "smatchet".


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara Begum (23 March 1614 – 16 September 1681) was a Mughal princess and later the Padshah Begum of the Mughal Empire from 1631 to 1658 and again from 1668 until her death. She was the second and the eldest surviving child of Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: After Mumtaz Mahal's untimely death in 1631, the 17-year-old Jahanara was entrusted with the charge of the royal seal and conferred the title of "Padshah Begum" (First lady) of the Mughal Empire, despite the fact that her father had three surviving wives. She was Shah Jahan's favourite daughter, wielded major political influence during her father's reign, and has been described as "the most powerful woman in the empire" at the time.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara was an ardent partisan of her brother, Dara Shikoh, and supported him as her father's chosen successor. During the war of succession which took place after Shah Jahan's illness in 1657, Jahanara sided with the heir-apparent Dara and ultimately joined her father in Agra Fort, where he had been placed under house arrest by Aurangzeb. A devoted daughter, she took care of Shah Jahan till his death in 1666. Later, Jahanara reconciled with Aurangzeb who gave her the title 'Empress of Princesses' and replaced her younger sister, Princess Roshanara Begum, as the First Lady. Jahanara died unmarried during Aurangzeb's reign.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara wrote 'Munis al arwah' (Confidant of spirits) which is the biography of Shaikh Muinuddin Chisti.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara's early education was entrusted to Sati al-Nisa Khanam, the sister to Jahangir's poet laureate, Talib Amuli. Sati al-Nisa was known for her knowledge of the Qur'an and Persian literature, as well as for her knowledge of etiquette, housekeeping, and medicine. She also served as principal lady-in-waiting to her mother, Mumtaz Mahal.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Many of the women in the imperial household were accomplished at reading, writing poetry and painting. They also played chess, polo and hunted outdoors. The women had access to the late Emperor Akbar's library, full of books on world religions, and Persian, Turkish and Indian literature. Jahanara was no exception.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Upon the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, Jahanara, aged 17, took the place of her mother as First Lady of the Empire, despite her father having three other wives. In addition to caring for her younger brothers and sisters, she was also a good caretaker of her father.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: One of her tasks after the death of her mother was to oversee, with the help of Sati al-Nisa, the betrothal and wedding of her brother, Dara Shikoh to Nadira Banu Begum, which was originally planned by Mumtaz Mahal, but postponed by her death.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Her father frequently took her advice and entrusted her with the charge of the Imperial Seal. As French traveller and physician François Bernier writes in his memoirs,"Travels in the Mogul Empire",“Shah Jahan reposed unbounded confidence in his favourite child; she watched over his safety, and so cautiously observant, that no dish was permitted to appear upon the royal table which had not been prepared under her superintendence.”In 1644, when Aurangzeb angered his father, the "Badshah", Jahanara interceded on her brother’s behalf and convinced Shah Jahan to pardon him and restore his rank. Shah Jahan's fondness for his daughter was reflected in the multiple titles that he bestowed upon her, which included: "Sahibat al-Zamani" (Lady of the Age), "Padishah Begum" (Lady Emperor)"," and "Begum Sahib" (Princess of Princesses).


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Her power was such that, unlike the other imperial princesses, she was allowed to live in her own palace, outside the confines of the Agra Fort.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: In March 1644, just days after her thirtieth birthday, Jahanara suffered serious burns on her body and almost died of her injuries. Shah Jahan ordered that vast sums of alms be given to the poor, prisoners be released, and prayers offered for the recovery of the princess. Aurangzeb, Murad, and Shaista Khan returned to Delhi to see her. Accounts differ as to what happened. Some say Jahanara's garments, doused in fragrant perfume oils, caught fire. Other accounts assert that the princess' favorite dancing woman's dress caught fire and the princess, coming to her aid, burnt herself on the chest.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: During her illness, Shah Jahan was so concerned about the welfare of his favourite daughter, that he made only brief appearances at his daily durbar in the Diwan-i-Am. Royal physicians failed to heal Jahanara's burns. A Persian doctor came to treat her, and her condition improved for a number of months, but then, there was no further improvement until a royal page named Arif Chela mixed an ointment that, after two more months, finally caused the wounds to close. A year after the accident, Jahanara fully recovered.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: After her recovery, Shah Jahan gave Jahanara rare gems and jewellery, and bestowed upon her the revenues of the port of Surat. She later visited Ajmer, following the example set by her great-grandfather Akbar.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: In honor of his coronation, on 6 February 1628, Shah Jahan awarded his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, Jahanara's mother, 100,000 ashrafis (Persian gold coins worth two Mohurs), 600,000 rupees and an annual privy purse of one million rupees. Jahanara received 100,000 ashrafis, 400,000 rupees and an annual grant of 600,000. Upon Mumtaz Mahal's death, her personal fortune was divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum (who received half) and the rest of Mumtaz Mahal's surviving children.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara was allotted income from a number of villages and owned several gardens including, Bagh-i-Jahanara, Bagh-i-Nur and Bagh-i-Safa. "Her "jagir" included the villages of Achchol, Farjahara and the "Sarkars" of Bachchol, Safapur and Doharah. The "pargana" of Panipat was also granted to her." As mentioned above, she was also given the prosperous city of Surat.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Her great-grandmother, Mariam-uz-Zamani established an international trading business in the Mughal Empire and owned several ships for the trading purpose like "Rahīmī" and "Ganj-I-Sawai", which dealt between Surat and the Red Sea for the trade of silk, indigo and several other spices. Nur Jahan continued the business, trading in indigo and cloth. Later, Jahanara continued the tradition. She owned a number of ships and maintained trade relations with the English and the Dutch.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara was known for her active participation in looking after the poor and financing the building of mosques. When her ship, the "Sahibi" was to set sail for its first journey (on 29 October 1643), she ordered that the ship make its voyage to Mecca and Medina and, "... that every year, fifty "koni" (One Koni was 4 Muns or 151 pounds) of rice should be sent by the ship for distribution among the destitute and needy of Mecca."


title: Jahanara Begum

text: As the de facto Primary Queen of the Mughal empire, Jahanara was responsible for charitable donations. She organized almsgiving on important state and religious days, supported famine relief and pilgrimages to Mecca.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara made important financial contributions in the support of learning and arts. She supported the publication of a series of works on Islamic mysticism, including commentaries on Rumi's "Mathnavi", a very popular mystical work in Mughal India.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Along with her brother Dara Shikoh, she was a disciple of Mullah Shah Badakhshi, who initiated her into the Qadiriyya Sufi order in 1641. Jahanara Begum made such progress on the Sufi path that Mullah Shah would have named her his successor in the Qadiriyya, but the rules of the order did not allow this.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: She wrote a biography of Moinuddin Chishti, the founder of the Chishti Order in India, titled "Mu’nis al-Arwāḥ" (), as well as a biography of Mullah Shah, titled "Risālah-i Ṣāḥibīyah", in which she also described her initiation by him. Her biography of Moinuddin Chishti is highly regarded for its judgment and literary quality. In it, she regarded him as having initiated her spiritually four centuries after his death, described her pilgrimage to Ajmer, and spoke of herself as a "faqīrah" to signify her vocation as a Sufi woman.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara Begum stated that she and her brother Dārā were the only descendants of Timur to embrace Sufism. However, Aurangzeb was spiritually trained as a follower of Sufism as well. As a patron of Sufi literature, she commissioned translations of and commentaries on many works of classical literature.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Shah Jahan fell seriously ill in 1657. A war of succession broke out among his four sons, Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: During the war of succession, Jahanara supported her brother Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. When Dara Shikoh's generals sustained a defeat at Dharmat (1658) at the hands of Aurangzeb, Jahanara wrote a letter to Aurangzeb and advised him not to disobey his father and fight with his brother. She was unsuccessful. Dara was badly defeated in the Battle of Samugarh (29 May 1658), and fled towards Delhi.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Shah Jahan did everything he could, to stop the planned invasion of Agra. He asked Jahanara to use her feminine diplomacy to convince Murad and Shuja not to throw their weight on the side of Aurangzeb.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: In June 1658, Aurangzeb besieged his father Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort, forcing him to surrender unconditionally, by cutting off the water supply. Jahanara came to Aurangzeb on 10 June, proposing a partition of the empire. Dara Shikoh would be given the Punjab and adjoining territories, Shuja would get Bengal, Murad would get Gujarat, Aurangzeb’s son Sultan Muhammad would get the Deccan, and the rest of the empire would go to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb refused Jahanara’s proposition on the grounds that Dara Shikoh was an infidel.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: On Aurangzeb's ascent to the throne, Jahanara joined her father in imprisonment at the Agra Fort, where she devoted herself to his care till his death in 1666.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: After the death of their father, Jahanara and Aurangzeb reconciled. He gave her the title, "Empress of Princesses", and she replaced Roshanara as the First Lady.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara was soon secure enough in her position to occasionally argue with Aurangzeb and she re-entered politics and was influential in various important matters and have certain special privileges which other women did not possess. She argued against Aurangzeb's strict regulation of public life in accordance with his conservative religious beliefs and his decision in 1679 to restore the poll tax on non-Muslims, which she believed would alienate his Hindu subjects.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara had her tomb built during her lifetime. It is constructed entirely of white marble with a screen of trellis work, open to the sky.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Upon her death, Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title, "Sahibat-uz-Zamani" (Mistress of the Age). Jahanara is buried in a tomb in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in New Delhi, which is considered "remarkable for its simplicity". The inscription on the tomb reads as follows:


title: Jahanara Begum

text: Jahanara Begum's caravanserai that formed the original Chandni Chowk, from Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalf's 1843 album.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: In Agra, she is best known for sponsoring the building of the Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque in 1648, in the heart of the old city. The Mosque was funded entirely by Jahanara, using her personal allowance. She founded a madrasa, which was attached to the Jama Masjid, for the promotion of education.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: She also made a significant impact on the landscape of the capital city of Shahjahanabad. Of the eighteen buildings in the city of Shahjahanabad commissioned by women, Jahanara commissioned five. All of Jahanara's building projects were completed around the year 1650, inside the city walls of Shahjahanabad. The best known of her projects was Chandni Chowk, the main street in the walled city of Old Delhi.


title: Jahanara Begum

text: She constructed an elegant caravanserai on the East side of the street with gardens in the back. Herbert Charles Fanshawe, in 1902, mentions about the serai:


title: Jahanara Begum

text: The serai was later replaced by a building, now known as the Town Hall, and the pool in the middle of the square was replaced by a grand clock tower (Ghantaghar).


title: Erica Fernandes

text: Erica Jennifer Fernandes is an Indian actress and model, who works in Indian television and films. She got her breakthrough with her television debut, portraying Dr. Sonakshi Bose in "Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi". Erica has also acted in many films in South including "Ninnindale" and "Galipatam". Erica is also known for her portrayal of Prerna Sharma in "Kasautii Zindagii Kay".


title: Erica Fernandes

text: Erica was born in Mumbai to Ralph Fernandes and Lavina Fernandes, in a Konkani Mangalorean Catholic family. She did her schooling from Holy Cross High School, Kurla and completed her Pre-Degree Course from Sies College Of Arts, Science & Commerce, Sion. She had enrolled for a BA degree from St Andrew's College, Bandra. Later she discontinued her studies to pursue a career in modelling.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: She always aspired to be a model since childhood, which earned her the crown of "Bombay Times Fresh Face", "Pantaloons Femina Miss Fresh Face 2011" and "Pantaloons Femina Miss Maharashtra" in 2010 and 2011 respectively.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: Director Sasi had seen pictures of her at Meera Kathiravan's office, with whom she was shooting another film, when he was casting for "Ainthu Ainthu Ainthu". Sasi offered her a role of a software engineer in the film alongside Bharath, who plays her love interest. Due to the delay of her other films, "Ainthu Ainthu Ainthu" became her first release. In 2014, she made her debut in Kannada with the film "Ninnindale", featuring alongside Puneeth Rajkumar, which was followed by her debut Hindi film, "Babloo Happy Hai", directed by Nila Madhab Panda.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: She was selected to play the lead role in the bilingual "Virattu/Dega", featuring newcomer Sujiv, son of the director Kumar. In February 2014, "Virattu" eventually released. Its Telugu version "Dega", however, was pushed to late 2014 and "Galipatam" became her first Telugu release. The film received decent reviews from critics, who also noted that Erica "does a good job" and "shows maturity". In 2015, she appeared in the Kannada film "Buguri".


title: Erica Fernandes

text: In 2016, Fernandes made her television debut with Sony TV's "Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi" where she portrayed Dr. Sonakshi Bose, opposite Shaheer Sheikh. The show was a new age show and her onscreen chemistry with Shaheer Sheikh was appreciated.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: Her delayed film with Kathiravan, "Vizhithiru", released on 6 October 2017 and saw her feature amongst an ensemble cast including Krishna, Venkat Prabhu and Sara Arjun.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: From 2018 to 2020, she portrayed Prerna Sharma in StarPlus's "Kasautii Zindagii Kay", opposite Parth Samthaan.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: In 2021, Fernandes reprised her role of Dr. Sonakshi Bose opposite Shaheer Sheikh in the third season of "".


title: Erica Fernandes

text: In 2017, Fernandes was ranked fourth in "The Times of India"s Most Desirable Women on Indian Television List.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: She was also listed third in "The Times of India"s Most Desirable Women on Indian Television List 2018.


title: Erica Fernandes

text: Fernandes was placed 13th in "Eastern Eye"s 50 Sexiest Asian Women of 2019 List and fourth in "The Times of India"s Most Desirable Women On Television List 2019.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Dreamcatcher is a 2003 American science fiction horror film based on Stephen King's 2001 novel of the same name. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan and co-written by Kasdan and screenwriter William Goldman, the film stars Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis and Timothy Olyphant as four friends who encounter an invasion of parasitic aliens. It also starred Morgan Freeman, Tom Sizemore and Donnie Wahlberg.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: "Dreamcatcher" was released on March 21, 2003. The film received negative reviews and was a box office bomb, having grossed $75.7 million against a $68 million budget.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Jonesy, Beaver, Pete, and Henry are four friends on an annual hunting trip in Maine. As children, they all acquired telepathic powers which they call "the line" after saving a boy with disabilities named Douglas "Duddits" Cavell from bullies and befriending him.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: One night, Jonesy sees Duddits beckoning him to cross the street, but as he does so, Jonesy is hit by a car. His injuries heal with mysterious speed, and six months later, he is able to make it for the group's annual trip. Jonesy rescues a man lost in the forest named Rick McCarthy. He is very ill, so Jonesy and Beaver let him rest and recover inside their cabin. Suddenly, all the forest animals—predator and prey both—run past their cabin in the same direction, followed by two military helicopters that announce the area is now quarantined. Jonesy and Beaver return to the cabin to find a trail of blood from the bedroom to the bathroom, where Rick sits dead, covered in blood. A three-foot long worm-like creature writhes and screams in the toilet. Beaver sits atop the toilet lid to trap the creature, but the creature breaks out and kills him. Jonesy tries to escape, but is confronted by a large alien called Mr. Gray, who possesses Jonesy's body.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Nearby, Henry and Pete crash their SUV to avoid running over a frostbitten woman from Rick's original hunting party. Henry walks for help while Pete stays with the woman. She dies and also excretes a worm, which Pete barely manages to kill. Mr. Gray tricks and kidnaps Pete, but Jonesy telepathically warns Henry to stay hidden. Henry returns to the cabin to find Beaver dead and the worm that killed him laying a group of eggs. To kill all of the alien larvae, he sets fire to the cabin.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Meanwhile, an elite military unit specializing in extraterrestrials, led by the unhinged Colonel Abraham Curtis, seeks to contain everyone exposed to the aliens. Col. Curtis is planning to retire after this operation and will pass command, along with a pearl-handled stainless-steel .45 pistol, to Captain Owen Underhill, his trusted friend and second-in-command. The two lead an air-strike into a large forest clearing where the aliens' spaceship has crash-landed. The aliens use telepathy to ask for mercy, but the helicopters massacre most of the aliens with mini-guns and missiles. The alien ship self-destructs, destroying the remaining aliens and two helicopters.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Jonesy retraces his memories of the area while watching Mr. Gray use his body. Mr. Gray tries to coerce Pete into cooperating but eats him when he refuses. Jonesy realizes that Mr. Gray possessed him, not by chance, but to access memories of Duddits, which he needs. Henry arrives at the fenced-in quarantine camp only to realize that Col. Curtis plans to kill all of those quarantined. Henry convinces Underhill to prevent this by going over Curtis' head and having him relieved.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Henry and Underhill break out of the camp and head to Duddits' home. Duddits, who is dying of leukemia, informs them Mr. Gray is headed for the Quabbin Reservoir to seed the water with alien larvae. Curtis, realizing the danger looming to the entire planet, leaves the camp in his armed helicopter and tracks down Henry, Underhill, and Duddits, attacking them at the reservoir. Underhill is mortally wounded and dies shortly after he shoots Curtis down.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: In the reservoir's pump house, Henry manages to stop Mr. Gray's plan, but struggles to bring himself to kill Jonesy, unable to tell if he is possessed. Unknown to him, an alien larva hatches and begins crawling toward the water. Duddits confronts Mr. Gray, who finally exits Jonesy's body. The two struggle as Duddits reveals himself to also be an alien of a different race. Both aliens explode in a cloud of red-dust which briefly resembles a dreamcatcher. Jonesy, now himself again, steps on the final alien larva before it can contaminate the reservoir.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: "Dreamcatcher" was filmed around Prince George, British Columbia for seven weeks, starting in January 2002. Further shooting was done in Vancouver for ten weeks.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: With a box-office gross of $33,685,268 in the North American domestic market, "Dreamcatcher" earned only half of its estimated $68 million production budget, barely surpassing it worldwide with $75,715,436. The film is considered a flop.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: In a 2012 interview, during a promotional tour for his film "Darling Companion", Kasdan admitted that the commercial failure of "Dreamcatcher" left him "Wounded careerwise...But not so much personally. I've been personally wounded by other movies, where I'd written it, and thought, 'Oh, God, the world's not interested in what I'm interested in.' With "Dreamcatcher", the career was hurt. I was planning to do "The Risk Pool" with Tom Hanks. I had written the script from a great book by Richard Russo ("Nobody's Fool"). And it didn't happen. Then another one didn't happen. Meanwhile, two years have passed here, two have passed there. That's how you're wounded."


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: "Dreamcatcher" received negative reviews from critics, earning a 28% rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 183 reviews, and an average rating of 4.73/10. The site's consensus states: "An incoherent and overly long creature feature." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Mick LaSalle's review for the "San Francisco Chronicle" summed up the film as "a likeable disaster." Richard Roeper commented that "not since "Death to Smoochy" have so many talented people made such a mess of things."


title: Dreamcatcher (2003 film)

text: Roger Ebert gave the film 1.5 stars out of a possible 4, writing: '"Dreamcatcher" begins as the intriguing story of friends who share a telepathic gift, and ends as a monster movie of stunning awfulness. What went wrong?" Ebert thought Jonesy's Memory Warehouse was a highlight, and intriguing enough to be the focus of a film, though "Dreamcatcher" neglects the concept to instead emphasize gore.


title: Xiphoid process

text: The xiphoid process , or xiphisternum or metasternum, is a small cartilaginous process (extension) of the inferior (lower) part of the sternum, which is usually ossified in the adult human. It may also be referred to as the ensiform process. Both the Greek-derived "xiphoid" and its Latin equivalent "ensiform" mean 'swordlike' or 'sword-shaped'


title: Xiphoid process

text: The xiphoid process is considered to be at the level of the 9th thoracic vertebra and the T7 dermatome.


title: Xiphoid process

text: In newborns and young (especially small) infants, the tip of the xiphoid process may be both seen and felt as a lump just below the sternal notch. At 15 to 29 years old, the xiphoid usually fuses to the body of the sternum with a fibrous joint. Unlike the synovial articulation of major joints, this is non-movable. Ossification of the xiphoid process occurs around age 40.


title: Xiphoid process

text: The xiphoid process can be naturally bifurcated or sometimes perforated (xiphoidal foramen). These variances in morphology are inheritable, which can help group family members together when dealing with burial remains. These morphological differences pose no health risk, and are simply a difference in form.


title: Xiphoid process

text: Much the way the first seven ribs articulate with the sternum, the cartilage in the celiac plexus joins on the xiphoid process, reinforcing it, and indirectly attaches the costal cartilage to the sternum. The xiphoid process is involved in the attachment of many muscles, including the abdominal diaphragm, a muscle necessary for normal breathing. It also anchors the rectus abdominis muscles ("abs").


title: Xiphoid process

text: Pressure on the xiphoid process should be avoided when administering chest compressions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as this can cause the xiphoid process to break and detach, resulting in punctures or lacerations of the diaphragm. Additionally, the liver may be punctured, resulting in deadly internal bleeding.


title: Xiphoid process

text: Xiphoidalgia (Xiphodynia) is a syndrome distinguishable by pain and tenderness to the sternum. While some sources describe this disorder as rare, others suggest it is relatively common but overlooked by physicians. This is a musculoskeletal disorder that has the ability to produce a constellation of symptoms that can mimic a number of common abdominal and thoracic disorders and diseases.


title: Xiphoid process

text: Symptoms can include abdominal pain, chest pain, nausea and radiating pain to the back, neck, and shoulders. Lifting heavy objects or trauma to the chest may be the cause of this musculoskeletal disorder and pain may be heightened by bending or twisting. Anesthetic and steroid injections are commonly employed to treat this medical condition. The earliest known case of this was noted in 1712.


title: Xiphoid process

text: After age 40, a person may become aware of their partially ossified xiphoid process and mistake it for an abnormality.


title: Xiphoid process

text: Pericardiocentesis, the procedure whereby fluid is aspirated from the pericardium, often uses the xiphoid process as an anatomical landmark by which this procedure is carried out.


title: Xiphoid process

text: The word "xiphoid" derives from the Greek word "xiphos" for straight sword, the tip of which the process somewhat resembles. The "xiphoid process" is a translation of Latin "processus xiphoides". The writings of the Greek physician Galen refer to "Os xyphoides" a translation of ξιφοειδές ὀστοῦν. Classical Latin "os" and Ancient Greek ὀστοῦν both mean bone, while ξιφοειδές means sword-shaped.


title: Robert Buckley

text: Robert Earl Buckley (born May 2, 1981) is an American actor, known for his roles as Major Lillywhite on The CW's comedy-drama series "iZombie" from 2015 until 2019, Kirby Atwood on NBC's comedy-drama series "Lipstick Jungle" and Clay Evans on The CW's teen drama series "One Tree Hill". Buckley also starred as Brian Leonard on ABC's horror drama series "666 Park Avenue".


title: Robert Buckley

text: Buckley was born in Claremont in Los Angeles County, California. He earned a degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego, graduating in 2003. As a college student, Buckley appeared as a contestant on "The Price Is Right". After working for a year as an economic consultant, he moved back to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.


title: Robert Buckley

text: In 2006, Buckley made his acting debut as a series regular on the MyNetworkTV primetime telenovela "Fashion House", playing the role of Michael Bauer. Buckley then made his feature film debut in the horror "When a Killer Calls", released in February 2006. He subsequently joined the cast of another MyNetworkTV telenovela, portraying the role of Matthew Wakefield in "American Heiress". In 2007, Buckley guest starred on an episode of "Ghost Whisperer". Also in 2007, he was cast in the recurring role of Kirby Atwood on NBC's comedy-drama series "Lipstick Jungle".


title: Robert Buckley

text: The following year, Buckley signed on to play surf instructor Kyle Hamilton in the Lifetime film "Flirting with Forty", alongside Heather Locklear. He then co-starred as Nik in the horror comedy "Killer Movie", alongside Kaley Cuoco, Leighton Meester, and Paul Wesley, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008. In 2009, The CW announced that Buckley would appear in a two-episode guest arc on the comedy-drama series "Privileged" as David Besser.


title: Robert Buckley

text: In June 2009, it was announced that Buckley had signed to star as a series regular on The CW's teen drama series "One Tree Hill". He played the role of sports agent Clay Evans and remained with "One Tree Hill" until the series' ending in April 2012. In February 2010, Buckley was reported to be in the running for the title role in Marvel's "", but the part ultimately went to Chris Evans.


title: Robert Buckley

text: From 2012 to 2013, Buckley starred in the short-lived horror drama series "666 Park Avenue", portraying struggling playwright Brian Leonard who moves into a haunted building with his wife. In 2013, he was cast in a two-episode guest arc on season three of The CW's comedy-drama series "Hart of Dixie". The following year, he co-starred in the "Veronica Mars" web spin-off series "Play It Again, Dick", featuring Ryan Hansen in the central role. In 2015, he began starring as Major Lilywhite on The CW's comedy-drama horror series "iZombie". In June 2016, Buckley was cast to star in the first episode of the Hulu anthology series "Dimension 404", alongside Lea Michele and Joel McHale.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: The 2022–23 Futbol Club Barcelona season is the 123rd season in existence and the club's 92nd consecutive season in the top flight. In addition to the domestic league, Barcelona are participating in this season's editions of the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Champions League (entering for the 19th consecutive season), and the UEFA Europa League. The season covers the period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: This is the last season for Barcelona's defender Gerard Piqué, who is retiring before the winter World Cup. Piqué has spent 15 seasons with Barcelona and has won 30 official trophies with the club.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: On 10 June, Barcelona and Sergi Roberto negotiated a one year contract extension lasting until 30 June 2023. Two days later, Dani Alves announced that he would be leaving the club, when his contract expires at the end of June. On 30 June, Barcelona and Sixth Street reach an agreement for the acquisition of a 10% share of the club's La Liga TV rights, with Barcelona generating a total capital gain of €267 million for the current season. Sixth Street would initially invest €207.5 million and in return would receive 10% of the club's La Liga TV rights for the next 25 years.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: On 1 July, Barcelona announced that Adama Traoré and Luuk de Jong would be leaving the club after completing their loan stint. Three days later, Barcelona announced the signing of Franck Kessié from A.C. Milan on a free transfer. Later that day, Barcelona announced the signing of Andreas Christensen from Chelsea on a free transfer. On 8 July, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur reached an agreement for the loan of Clément Lenglet for the rest of the season. On 12 July, Barcelona and Watford reached an agreement for transfer of Rey Manaj for an undisclosed fee.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: On 13 July, Barcelona played their first pre-season friendly versus Olot, which ended in a draw 1–1. That day, Barcelona and Leeds United reached an agreement for transfer of Raphinha for €48,000,000, with the fee potentially rising to €60,000,000. He signed a contract until 2027 with a buyout clause of €1 billion. Barcelona also reached an agreement with Sporting to loan Francisco Trincão for reported €3,000,000 until the end of the season with an option to buy. On 14 July, Barcelona and Ousmane Dembélé agreed a two years contract extension lasting until 30 June 2024 with a buyout clause of €100,000,000. Two days later, Barcelona and Bayern Munich reached an agreement for the transfer of Robert Lewandowski for €45,000,000, potentially rising to €50,000,000. He signed a four years contract until 2026 with a buyout clause of €500,000,000. Barcelona also announced the squad for the US tour, taking 28 players to play four pre-season matches there. On 19 July, Barcelona started the US tour with a 6–0 win over Inter Miami at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: Two days later, Barcelona sold an additional 15% of the club's La Liga TV right to Sixth Street. In total, Sixth Street would receive 25% of the club's La Liga TV rights for the next 25 years. On 23 July, Barcelona won their second game of the US tour 1–0 over Real Madrid at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. Three days later, Barcelona drew Juventus 2–2 in Dallas, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring a brace. On 27 July, Barcelona reached a verbal agreement to sign Jules Koundé from Sevilla. Two days later, Barcelona announced the signing of Koundé on a 5-year contract with a release clause of €1 billion. Barça also reached an agreement with Celta de Vigo for the transfer of Óscar Mingueza, which maintained a buy-back clause and a 50% cut of any future sale. In their final match of the US tour on 30 July, Barcelona defeated the New York Red Bulls 2–0 in Harrison, New Jersey.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: On 1 August, Barcelona announced the activation of the third 'economic lever', selling 24.5% of Barça Studios to Socios.com for €100 million "to accelerate the club’s audiovisual, blockchain, NFT and Web.3 strategy".


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: Barcelona enjoyed a successful start to the league season, winning 12, drawing 1 and losing 1 of their first 14 games. However, their form was less impressive in the Champions League, and they dropped down to the Europa League for the second straight year.


title: 2022–23 FC Barcelona season

text: ! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players who left during the season but made an appearance


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Lisa Cuddy, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama "House". She is portrayed by Lisa Edelstein. Cuddy was the Dean of Medicine of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. Cuddy quit her job after the events of season seven's finale "Moving On".


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy's job title in "House" is Dean of Medicine and Hospital Administrator. She is Jewish, and has a mother and one sister; her father is dead. She began dreaming of becoming a doctor when she was 12, graduated from medical school at age 25 as second best in her class, and became the first female and second youngest Dean of Medicine at the age of 32 (she was actually 29 but she added three years to her age in order to seem more mature to the Selection Committee). Cuddy attended the University of Michigan, where she first met Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), and with whom she shared a one-night stand.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: After hiring House to run the hospital's Diagnostics Department, Cuddy began setting aside $50,000 a year from the hospital's budget for potential legal expenses. When, during Season 1, the new Chairman of the Board Edward Vogler (Chi McBride) tries to have House fired for refusing to kowtow to his demands, Cuddy urges the board to save House and remove Vogler instead, losing the $100 million donation he had made to the hospital. In Season 2, it is revealed that Cuddy is trying to conceive a child. House agrees to administer the twice-daily injections necessary for her to undergo in-vitro fertilization and to keep the matter secret. In Season 3, Cuddy confesses to the hospital's Head of Oncology and House's best friend Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) that she has made a total of three attempts at impregnation, one of which was miscarried. She is hurt when House, who was going through Vicodin withdrawal, tells her it is a good thing she has failed to become a mother, as she would suck at it. When House's career is threatened by Detective Michael Tritter (David Morse), Cuddy falsifies documents and perjures herself in court to cover up his wrongdoing.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy questions whether House has a romantic interest in her when he interrupts her repeatedly during a blind date. When Wilson takes Cuddy to the theatre and later to an art exhibition, House intervenes in an attempt to prevent Cuddy from becoming Wilson's fourth wife. In Season 5, Cuddy reveals that she is adopting a baby girl, to be named Joy, and then is devastated when the birth-mother decides to keep the baby. House consoles her, and the two share a passionate kiss. Cuddy professes not to want a relationship with House but is touched when he has her old desk from medical school brought out of storage for her when her office is renovated. In episode "Joy to the World", Cuddy becomes a foster mother and potential adoptive mother to a baby girl she names Rachel. She initially struggles with motherhood, revealing to Wilson that she feels nothing for Rachel but soon begins to bond with her. In episode "Under My Skin", Cuddy helps House detox from Vicodin; and the two sleep together. In the following episode, the Season 5 finale "Both Sides Now", this is revealed to have been a hallucination on House's part: in reality, he spent the evening alone and is suffering from psychiatric problems as a result of Vicodin and emotional trauma.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Throughout Season 6, Cuddy is busy with her adopted daughter and is in a relationship with a private investigator, Lucas, who was hired by House to spy on Wilson at the start of Season 5. She cared for House after he goes through rehab for Vicodin. After sensing romantic feelings from House, Cuddy tells House that she would like to be friends; but he refuses, quoting that is the "last thing he wants". In the Season 6 finale "Help Me", House gives Cuddy an antique medical text written by her great-grandfather, which prompts her to confess that she and Lucas were engaged. Cuddy, House and House's team go to Trenton to help victims where a crane collapsed on a building. House finds a woman named Hannah who is trapped under a mountain of rubble. The first responders and Cuddy both tell House that Hannah's leg needs to be amputated for a chance of survival. House and the girl refuse for this to happen. House and Cuddy later get in an argument over it. Cuddy claims that the reason why he is refusing is because he is bitter over her engagement and what he went through with his leg years ago. During their argument, Cuddy tells him that she doesn't love him and to move on. House then decides to amputate Hannah's leg. Afterwards she is sent to the hospital but on the way she dies due to a fat embolism, caused by the amputation. With the pain he is dealing with, Hannah's death, and what Cuddy said to him earlier, when House arrives home he rips the bathroom mirror off the wall to get his stash of Vicodin. As he gets ready to take the pills, Cuddy arrives just in time. She reveals to him that even though she was moving on with her life she can't stop thinking about him. She broke off her engagement to Lucas and tells House that she loves him and they kiss. He asks her if he is hallucinating this and she asks if he took the Vicodin. He says no and drops the pills on the floor. They smile and kiss again.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy's relationship with House progressed throughout most of Season 7. In Episode 15, "Bombshells", Cuddy discovers blood in her urine. After several tests, Wilson finds a mass in Cuddy's kidney and schedules a biopsy to take place later in the episode. Further "imaging shows enhancing masses across multiple lobes of Cuddy's lungs", of which Foreman points out "That's what kidney cancer looks like when it metastasizes". Finally, just before surgery to have the tumor removed, House shows up to support his girlfriend through this tough time. Cuddy realizes at the end of the episode that the only reason House was able to overcome his selfishness was because he had taken Vicodin before visiting her in the hospital. It is here that Cuddy breaks off the relationship with House after confronting him regarding her suspicion of his relapse.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: In the Season 7 finale, an angry House rams his car into her house. She resigns as Dean of Medicine after this event with Eric Foreman eventually replacing her.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy was created by executive producer Bryan Singer, who had enjoyed Lisa Edelstein's portrayal of a high-priced call girl putting herself through law school on "The West Wing", and sent her a copy of the pilot script. Edelstein was attracted to the program's "smart writing", and was cast in the role. The character has been described as "tough-as-nails" by "Salon"'s Lily Burana, a woman who "clicks through the halls of the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital in low-cut sweaters and pencil skirts, bringing incredible Jewy glamour to prime time". "The New York Times"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Alessandra Stanley has similarly referred to her as the hospital's "comely but by-the-book chief administrator [...] who, like all heads of prestigious teaching hospitals, wears plunging necklines to work." Edelstein, questioned on whether she felt Cuddy's typical attire of tight-fitting, low-cut outfits was appropriate for her position, responded: "She doesn't care what people say [...] She's a television character, and I'm an actress playing a hospital administrator, and I don't want to be in frumpy clothes. I want to be a "hot" hospital administrator." "TV Guide"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Nina Hämmerling Smith calls Cuddy a foil for House, who "doesn't take [his] nonsense and knows how to keep him in check — more or less." "The Washington Post"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Tom Shales has deemed Cuddy House's "nagging nemesis", whose role is "to make House miserable". Discussing Cuddy's characterization in terms of her relationship with House, Edelstein has opined:


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Co-executive producer Garrett Lerner has praised Edelstein's versatility in the role when asked to summarize Cuddy, stating:


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: During the early fourth season of "House", Cuddy received reduced screen time as the show focused on House's new fellows. Edelstein revealed that the show would return to its regular format after the season's ninth episode. However, production was halted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which delayed the remainder of the season. Edelstein commented: "Cuddy won't be sleeping with House unless we get the writers back. So I'm out there picketing." As a result of the strike, storylines involving Cuddy had to be pushed back into the show's fifth season, as the fourth season ran for a reduced number of episodes.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: When Edelstein heard she had to do a strip scene in the episode "House's Head", she called actress Sheila Kelley, wife of Richard Schiff (with whom Edelstein had worked previously on "The West Wing" and "Relativity"). Kelley had worked on a movie about strippers long ago and Edelstein asked her for her advice on the choreography of the striptease. On the episode itself, Edelstein commented: "It is very interesting what happens in the first half of the finale in terms of learning about how House sees people and getting the world from his point of view entirely". Before the filming of the scene started, Edelstein showed the dance to Hugh Laurie, who, according to Edelstein, was "incredibly supportive, like a cheerleader". Edelstein commented that after the scene was filmed she, "felt beautiful, and it ended up being a really lovely experience".


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy's desire for a baby paralleled Edelstein's personal life, with the actress explaining: "When the show started, I told the producers that at some point during the run of the show, if it was successful, that I was going to get pregnant one way or another. So they planted that seed in the character's story so it would be possible for me as a woman to experience that." When Cuddy became a mother to Rachel in the show's fifth season, executive producer Katie Jacobs discussed the need for Cuddy to find a balance between her personal and professional life, as well as the impact motherhood would have on her relationship with House: The tension and chemistry are still there. Neither one of them is actively fessing-up to looking for a relationship, but they are drawn to each other. None of the flirtatiousness is going to go away. The stakes are very high for them. The attraction is still there. We are absolutely going to continue that. It's real and it's palpable. And it's who they are.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Cuddy had a difficult relationship with her mother (played by Candice Bergen) after her father passed away. Although they are cordial, they tend to hide things from each other: Cuddy had misgivings about House meeting her mother for a long time; her mother hid an affair she was having for five years.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: The relationship between House and Cuddy is known by the portmanteau term "Huddy". Cuddy has what "USA Today"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Peter Johnson terms a "cat-and-mouse" relationship with House. Edelstein has described it as "a really complicated, adult relationship", explaining: "These are people who have very full lives and lots of responsibilities that perhaps conflict with their feelings for each other." The actress "would love for them to have a [romantic] relationship, because it could be as complicated as the rest of their relationship", however, she is unsure how it would affect the dynamics of the show. Jacobs commented at the end of the show's third season: "I can't see them pairing them in a permanent fashion. But they are close; they have gone through a lot together. Might there be a moment of weakness in which the two might explore their chemistry? Maybe." Questioned at the end of the fourth season on whether Cuddy and House would ever consummate their relationship on-screen, Jacobs responded: "there is heat and chemistry between them and I never want to see that go away because that is the essence of their relationship. [...] we'll never ignore [their chemistry] because, as I said, it's the very essence of them. She wouldn't forgive him over and over again if he wasn't so brilliant in her eyes, clearly she's got a soft spot for him. And he has one for her. You will continue to see that." Prior to the beginning of the fifth season, series creator David Shore discussed his intention to further the relationship between the two, as: "If House is capable of any relationship with "anyone", it's Cuddy. We can't have them dancing around forever." Following the fifth season revelation that House had hallucinated a physical relationship with Cuddy, Shore commented on the storyline's continuation into the sixth season: "it would be dishonest to just let that disappear. Obviously House has feelings for her. Even though the love affair didn’t happen, in House’s mind it did." Edelstein does not know whether the two characters will eventually end up together, however believes that the combination of frustration and love Cuddy feels for House "makes for a very interesting relationship", as: "there's a great deal of admiration and respect, and also an incredible amount of annoyance and frustration, which is like how most relationships are in your life." At the very end of the sixth-season finale, "Help Me", House and Cuddy appear to have entered a romantic relationship. In the closing minutes of the episode, House came very close to relapsing and taking Vicodin once again, at which point Cuddy entered to tell him that she had ended her relationship with Lucas. She professed her love for House, which led to them kissing briefly. A close-up shot of their clasped hands was the closing shot of the episode, as well as the season. The relationship later ends in the season 7 episode; "Bombshells".


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: In 2005, Edelstein won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role as Cuddy. Following the show's pilot episode, Tom Shales noted in "The Washington Post" that: "The skirmishes between House and Cuddy could get awfully tired, but by the second episode there are already some provocative wrinkles in what had seemed a simple situation." "TV Guide"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Nina Hämmerling Smith has deemed the banter between Cuddy and House "one of the best things about the show", while "Salon"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Lily Burana has declared herself to be on "Team Cuddy" in terms of House's romantic interests. Following the season three episode "Merry Little Christmas", Mary McNamara for the "LA Times" wrote: "The Avid Viewer was also happy to see the seeds of a romantic relationship between House and Cuddy being sown — that had to be part of the show's original bible because really, who else could survive a romantic relationship with House now that Sela Ward's gone?" McNamara has opined that a romantic relationship between the two "makes perfect sense", as "she is the only one who seems able to accept House as he is, to give almost as good as she gets and to let most of his barbs fall where they may. How Edelstein can play this in a believable way is the point where acting moves from skill to art." When the show underwent a change of format at the beginning of the fourth series, McNamara commented positively on the changing dynamic in Cuddy's relationship with House, noting: gone is the increasingly dull and unbelievable tension between him and Cuddy. (As subordinate/boss, that is. The sexual tension, one hopes, is still in there somewhere.) Cuddy is done trying to squelch him; now she is just shooting for managed chaos. Which is so much more fun because it revolves more around the medicine and less around all the personal pathos of the staff.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: However, as "USA Today"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Robert Bianco noted, when Cuddy and House finally began a physical relationship, in what later transpired to be a hallucination sequence, "It started a firestorm among fans who hated the change in the relationship". Following the pair's first screen kiss, IGN reviewer James Chamberlin opined that the event was "kind of awkward" and "just didn't feel right to me". With regards to Cuddy's season five storylines as a whole, Chamberlin commented: "Cuddy's interest in becoming a mother was something I enjoyed. [..] This plot contained some heart-wrenching moments, particularly when Cuddy had to a take on the case as both a doctor and a potential mother in "Joy." "The New York Times"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Lisa Belkin has also praised Cuddy's motherhood storyline, citing her as one of few examples of good parenting on television.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Discussing the numerous YouTube fan videos dedicated to the "Huddy" relationship, "The New York Times"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Ginia Bellafante has assessed: "It is not merely the unrelenting push-pull of the show's writing, but the "His Girl Friday" chemistry between the actors Hugh Laurie (House) and Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy) that inspires otherwise reasonable women to bizarre, time-consuming digressions of fantasy." Bellafante considers herself amongst these women, writing: Shamefully, I would have been overjoyed if the season finale had ended with House and Cuddy electing to spend the summer together in Corsica. This would have betrayed the show’s primary covenant—to keep House miserable—and entirely erased its integrity. And yet I would mostly have wondered if House and Cuddy were going to make time for a stop in Sardinia. Following the fifth-season finale's revelation that the consummation of their relationship was a hallucination, Bellafante wrote: "I feel used and manipulated. I feel like a one-night stand who is never going to get calla lilies or a follow-up phone call. I feel hate for the show and I feel begrudging respect." Despite this, it is Bellafante's opinion that: "basically the show went in the obvious right direction, gratifying our base collective urge to finally see House and Cuddy together, not talking about lumbar punctures, in a fake-sex way that didn't ultimately impinge on the show's credibility." She considered: What would we really have done if House and Cuddy had woken up together, if he'd made her waffles, if she had eaten them wearing one of his shirts, if they spent the next day exchanging coy, knowing glances at Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital? Then we would have been watching "Grey's Anatomy" and we would have experienced not a jump-the-shark moment, but a bungee-jumping-the-Arctic moment. Her conclusion is that: "House" refuses to buy into the myth that a good woman can save an ornery jerk, and the finale made it clear what a dope you were to even think the show would try. It doesn't want to appease the woman who wants to appease her Harlequin Romance self. It wants to appease anyone who gets ticked off when a romantic comedy shows an accomplished woman in a skirt suit giving it all up for a jobless, slovenly idiot. The House-Cuddy attraction isn't an attraction of opposites. It's an attraction between two highly intelligent workaholics, two people too interesting for anyone else but ultimately unfit for each other—no matter how pathetically we'd like it to be otherwise.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Mike Hale for "The New York Times" has praised Edelstein's performance as Cuddy in comedic situations, writing: Lisa Edelstein may not be the funniest performer around, but she is without a doubt the best sport in American television: every week the writers of "House" find new ways to embarrass her and her character, Dr. Cuddy, who is engaged in an excruciating mating dance with Hugh Laurie's Dr. House. Ms. Edelstein somehow manages to maintain her dignity while playing a 40-something dean of medicine who acts like a teenage girl. The fourth season scene in which Cuddy did a pole dance was very positively received by critics, Mary McNamara stated that these scenes "in three minutes earned back the price of TiVo". James Chamberlin stated that he never expected Edelstein to do a strip tease, although he had hoped it.


title: Lisa Cuddy

text: Lisa Cuddy was elected TV's Most Crushworthy Female Doctor over Remy "Thirteen" Hadley in a poll held by "Zap2it".


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Xavier Bettel (; born 3 March 1973) is a Luxembourger lawyer and politician serving as Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 2013. He was previously a member of the Chamber of Deputies (1999–2013) and Mayor of Luxembourg City (2011–2013).


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Bettel is a member of the Democratic Party (DP). Following the 2013 general election, he took office as Prime Minister and succeeded Jean-Claude Juncker of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV). Bettel became the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be reelected for a second term in 2018, when his mandate was renewed.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Bettel was born on 3 March 1973 in Luxembourg City. His father, Claude Bettel, was a wine merchant. Bettel said he has an Orthodox Russian grandfather and a Polish-Jewish grandfather, while his parents were Catholics. His mother Aniela is a grandniece of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. After completing his secondary school studies at Lycée Hélène Boucher in Thionville, Bettel obtained a master's degree in Public and European Law and a DEA in Political Science and Public Law from Nancy 2 University in Nancy, France. He also studied maritime law as well as canon law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he was studying thanks to the Erasmus Programme. For four years in the early 2000s he hosted "Sonndes em 8", a weekly talkshow, on the now-defunct private T.TV television network. In 2017, he also received an Honorary doctorate from Sacred Heart University Luxembourg.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: In the elections of 1999, Bettel was elected to Luxembourg City's communal council, finishing sixth on the DP's list. Two years after his election to the local council, on 12 July 2001, he was certified as a lawyer. On 28 November 2005, after the municipal elections in which he was placed fourth on the DP list, Bettel was appointed "échevin" (alderman) in the council of Luxembourg City.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Following municipal elections on 9 October 2011, Bettel was sworn in as Mayor of Luxembourg on 24 November 2011. He resigned from his position as DP leader in the Chamber of Deputies, which he had held since 2009.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Bettel ran for the Chamber of Deputies in the 1999 general election; he finished tenth amongst DP candidates in the Centre constituency, with the top seven being elected. However, the DP overtook the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) as the second-largest party; its members formed the majority of the new government as the Christian Social People's Party's (CSV) coalition partners. Thus, with Lydie Polfer and Anne Brasseur vacating their seats to take roles in the government, as well as Colette Flesch not taking her seat so as to focus on her role as Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Bettel was appointed to the Chamber of Deputies, starting 12 August 1999.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: By the time of the 2004 general election, Bettel had significantly consolidated his position; he finished fourth (of the five DP members elected), assuring him a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: In 2013, Bettel was elected leader of the Democratic Party. In the 2013 general election, he led the party to a third-ranked position in parliamentary seats. On 25 October, Bettel was designated by Grand Duke Henri as the formateur for the next government. He assumed his post as Luxembourg's Prime Minister on 4 December 2013. In the government's coalition of the Democratic Party (DP), Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) and The Greens, he led the cabinet with co-Deputy Prime Ministers Etienne Schneider and Félix Braz. In his first term, he also held the functions of Minister of State, Minister for Communications and the Media, Minister for Culture and Minister for Religious Affairs.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Following the 2018 election, he became the first openly gay prime minister in the world to be reelected for a second term. He began his second term when his government was formed on 5 December 2018, which he currently leads with co-Deputy Prime Ministers François Bausch and Dan Kersch. The government is a continuation between the Democratic Party, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party and The Greens from the Bettel I government, with minor changes.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: On 16 September 2019, following a short bilateral meeting on the status of Brexit negotiations, Bettel continued a press conference without British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, after Johnson abruptly pulled out due to an anti-Brexit protest held by British citizens living in Luxembourg. Bettel gestured towards Johnson's empty podium and confirmed that the UK Government had not tabled any concrete proposals for amendments to the UK's Withdrawal Agreement, particularly the "Irish backstop" that Johnson wished to replace. This being despite the public pronouncements of Prime Minister Johnson and the UK's departure date from the EU fast approaching. Pro-Brexit UK media reported the matter as an ambush, whilst other UK and international media outlets largely saw the incident, as well as the reaction of pro-Brexit UK media outlets to it, as confirming the increasing hypersensitivity of pro-Brexit pundits and politicians to criticism.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: On 29 February 2020, all of Luxembourg's public transport became free of charge as a result of the Bettel II government coalition agreement.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Bettel, who is openly gay, has stated that increasingly in Luxembourg "people do not consider the fact of whether someone is gay or not". Bettel is Luxembourg's first openly gay Prime Minister. Worldwide, he is the third openly gay head of government following Iceland's Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (2009–2013) and Belgium's Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo (2011–2014). As of 2020, he is one of two openly gay world leaders in office, the other being Ana Brnabić, the Prime Minister of Serbia.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: Bettel has been married to Gauthier Destenay since 2015, the same year that same-sex marriage was introduced to Luxembourg.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: On 4 July 2021, Bettel was admitted to hospital following a COVID-19 diagnosis on 27 June. The move was initially described as precautionary and for tests. It was reported that he experienced "mild symptoms" such as high temperature and headache. The following day, it was reported that he was in a "serious but stable" condition and would remain hospitalised. On 7 July 2021, the government said that Bettel would remain hospitalised a "little bit longer" due to low saturation of oxygen in his blood and that he was recovering "little by little". On 8 July 2021, Bettel was discharged from hospital. It was announced he would resume activities soon via remote work for the rest of his isolation period. Bettel thanked health authorities for the treatment during his hospitalisation period.


title: Xavier Bettel

text: "In his thesis at the University of Nancy there is not one correct reference," wrote Pol Reuter with reference to research by Reporter.lu. The master's thesis, submitted in 1999, is dedicated to the topic of electoral reform at the European Parliament. Allegedly, only two of the total 56 pages were free of plagiarism. The plagiarism findings are said to have been confirmed by several independent researchers. Bettel stated he made this thesis with a clear conscience though, "from today’s standpoint, it could have – yes, maybe should have – been done differently." He also stated he would accept the findings of the University of Lorraine on the matter.


title: Gang of Youths

text: Gang of Youths are an Australian alternative rock group from Sydney based in London. The band consists of principal songwriter David Le'aupepe (lead vocals, guitar), Max Dunn (bass guitar), Jung Kim (lead guitar, keyboards), Donnie Borzestowski (drums), and Tom Hobden (violin, keyboards, guitar).


title: Gang of Youths

text: Their debut studio album, "The Positions", received multiple ARIA Awards nominations and peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015. It also spawned single "Magnolia", which has been described as the band's "breakthrough hit". Their second album, "Go Farther in Lightness", was released in 2017 and preceded by the single "Let Me Down Easy", which became their first top 50 single in Australia. The album debuted at number 1 on the Australian chart and was nominated for eight awards at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017, winning four—Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Rock Album, and Producer of the Year (alongside Adrian Breakspear).


title: Gang of Youths

text: Their third studio album, "Angel in Realtime", was released on 25 February 2022, debuting at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart and number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. Their third EP, "Immolation Tape", was released in May and features acoustic renditions of the preceding album.


title: Gang of Youths

text: Gang of Youths was formed in Sydney, Australia in 2011, with original drummer, Sam O'Donnell. Le'aupepe and original lead guitarist, Joji Malani, first met in 2002, both aged 10, attending Hillsong, an evangelical church in northern Sydney. In subsequent years, they befriended O'Donnell and Chicago-born Kim at the church's youth group. Although Le'aupepe described himself during this time as a 'loner' and stated that while "I still align myself with Jesus," he was "just not a great poster-boy for it." In 2008, after leaving his previous school, Le'aupepe started attending the more prestigious Mosman High School, where he continued performing his own songs at school concerts, along with Harley Streten (soon to be known as Flume). Also, at Mosman High was Kiwi Max Dunn, who befriended Le'aupepe during their final year of high school in 2009.


title: Gang of Youths

text: The band's first gig was at Sydney's Hibernian House on 21 June 2012, supporting local band Tigertown. Tigertown's drummer Kurt Bailey was so impressed with the performance that he later became their manager. For the next 5 months, the band practiced and recorded some demos until their next gig in late December of that year. They started playing regular support gigs in small Sydney venues and local community station. FBi Radio began playing some of their demos, including "A Sudden Light" and "Strange Diseases". Word started filtering out about their impressive live show and on 27 February 2013, they played their first headline show, at the re- opening of Sydney nightclub Candy's Apartment. They released their first single "Evangelists" on 16 August 2013 and were featured on national youth station Triple J's Unearthed segment. They then embarked on a national tour, supporting Cloud Control.


title: Gang of Youths

text: They started work on their debut album, "The Positions", in 2013. In September that year, some tracks were recorded in New York's Marcarta Recording studio with Kevin McMahon. By June 2014, they were in the Sony Music Australia recording studios in Sydney. Drums on the album were shared by O'Donnell, Novacastrian Dom "Donnie" Borzestowski as well as session drummer, Joel van Gastel. In October 2014, O'Donnell left the band and was replaced by Borzestowski. Le'aupepe is the sole songwriter and his lyrics on "The Positions" tells the tale of his relationship with his former wife, her melanoma diagnosis and treatment for the cancer, their separation and his suicide attempts.


title: Gang of Youths

text: The band performed with Kean Edwards at South by Southwest festival in March 2014. "The Positions" peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart in May 2015. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2015, Gang of Youths received five nominations: Breakthrough Artist – Release, Best Rock Album, Best Cover Artist (by Nathan Johnson) for "The Positions", Engineer of the Year (Adrian Breakspear, Peter Holz) for "Radioface", and Best Australian Live Act for the Gang of Youths National Tour. In December, they were recognised as the Live Act of the Year of 2015 and Best Domestic Tour in "The AU Review". Their single "Magnolia" came in at number 21 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2015.


title: Gang of Youths

text: In June 2016, a single, "Strange Diseases", was released, followed on 29 July by the six track EP "Let Me Be Clear". The 5 original songs on "Let Me Be Clear" were originally written as part of material for "The Positions", whilst the 6th track was a cover of "Both Sides, Now" by Joni Mitchell. The band played at Splendour in the Grass in the same month.


title: Gang of Youths

text: In February 2017, the band finished recording their second album-- "Go Farther in Lightness" with a release date announced as 18 August. They then relocated to London amidst issues with the renewal of keyboardist Jung Kim's Australian Visa. In April and May, the band toured the UK and Europe, followed by a June tour of the US. An Australian national tour in September followed the release of "Go Farther in Lightness", after which the band returned to London for another UK/Europe tour in October. Three tracks from "Go Farther in Lightness" were voted into the Triple J Hottest 100, 2017, taking out 2nd, 5th and 10th in the countdown. Their song, "The Heart Is a Muscle", was used by Fox Sports (Australia) to promote the 2018 NRL season.


title: Gang of Youths

text: On 12 March 2018, the group made their US television debut featuring on "Late Night with Seth Meyers", performing their single "What Can I Do If the Fire Goes Out?" In July 2018, the band were the first artist to perform on "MTV Unplugged" Australia. The concert was recorded at the Cobblestone Pavilion in Melbourne's Metropolitan Meat Market and released on 26 October 2018. On 30 September 2018, they played before the NRL Grand Final in front of a crowd of 82,688 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The band supported Foo Fighters for 7 nights in the US during their Concrete and Gold Tour in October 2018, and Mumford & Sons for 16 nights during the European leg of their Delta Tour in April/May 2019, and the US and Mexican leg in September/October of 2019.


title: Gang of Youths

text: In September 2019, Le'aupepe announced that the band's long-awaited third studio album would be released in 2020. He added that the lyrics of the album will be about dealing with his father's death the previous year. In an interview with Reuters, he stated that: "this record’s gonna be about my father and how he died, and how he lived, and everything I found out about him. That’s the only thing I can really write about. It’s gonna be about him … and about the people I love".


title: Gang of Youths

text: On 9 October 2019, the band announced that founding member, Joji Malani, would be leaving the band. He played his last gig with Gang of Youths opening for Mumford & Sons in Oklahoma City on 11 October 2019. He was replaced by multi- instrumentalist, Tom Hobden, formerly of Noah and the Whale and a touring member of Mumford & Sons. Hobden played his first gig with the band on 17 February 2020 at Omeara in London.