title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 25 February 2009, Benayoun scored a header from Fábio Aurélio's free-kick in the 82nd minute against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to give Liverpool a 1–0 win.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Again on 4 April 2009, Benayoun came on as a substitute in Liverpool's match against Fulham to score a dramatic winner in the 94th minute. On 21 April 2009, in a home match against Arsenal, he scored a diving header and volleyed a late equaliser in injury time to level the scores at 4–4.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun finished his second season at Anfield in spectacular fashion; scoring a goal in each of Liverpool's last three home matches. In the 2008–09 season, Benayoun played in 39 matches, scoring 9 goals, including eight league goals against Wigan, Blackburn, Newcastle, Sunderland, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and a brace against Arsenal. He established a regular starting position in the Liverpool team in the second half of the season.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 12 September 2009, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick for Liverpool in a 4–0 win against Burnley. He was the first player to score Premiership, Champions League and FA Cup hat tricks, but has since been joined by Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane. He scored the first goal in Liverpool's 3–0 win over West Ham.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun's last goal for the club came in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League semi-final against Atlético Madrid. Benayoun scored in extra time to give Liverpool a 2–1 aggregate lead before Diego Forlán scored to put the Spanish side through.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun signed for Chelsea on 2 July 2010, agreeing on a three-year deal, and keeping him with the Stamford Bridge club until summer 2013. Both clubs agreed on a fee of reported £5.5 million for the transfer of the Israeli winger's services. He said, in a statement to the club's official website, "I am very excited to come to a club like Chelsea, it is a big club and I think it is a dream for every player. Hopefully we will be successful."


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun made his debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in a pre-season friendly before making his first competitive appearance on 8 August in a 3–1 loss against Manchester United in the 2010 FA Community Shield, by coming on for left-winger Florent Malouda in the 72nd minute. On 21 August, Benayoun scored his first league goal in the 93rd minute for Chelsea in a 6–0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 22 September, Benayoun ruptured his achilles during Chelsea's 4–3 League Cup loss against Newcastle United. Benayoun fully recovered from this injury and was played in the second half against Wigan Athletic on 9 April 2011.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 26 August 2011, Benayoun offered Juan Mata his number 10 shirt. Benayoun said: "I decided to give Mata the number 10 – his favourite. For me it's just a number, not my lucky 15." (Florent Malouda wore number 15 at the time.) Mata wore the shirt for Valencia and while skippering Spain's Under 21s in the summer and expressed his gratitude to Benayoun. "It is a very important number to me so I'm pleased to be wearing it. I want to thank Yossi," he said.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: During the 2011 Tour of Asia, in the friendly game against the Malaysia XI team, Benayoun suffered repeated booing from the Malaysian crowd each time he touched the ball. It was reported that "The occasion was soured by the repeated jeering of Israel midfielder Benayoun by the 85,000-strong crowd ..." another source reported that "Muslim-majority Malaysia is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and has no diplomatic ties with Israel. The midfielder was jeered throughout his appearance for the first half of the friendly."


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 31 August 2011, it was confirmed Benayoun had joined Arsenal on a one-year loan deal as he found chances at Chelsea limited. He made his debut on 10 September 2011 coming on as a second-half substitute for Andrei Arshavin against Swansea City. On 20 September 2011, he scored his first goal for Arsenal in the 78th minute of a League Cup match against Shrewsbury Town.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Arsenal in a 3–1 defeat to Olympiacos. He scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal against Aston Villa, scoring an 87th-minute header in a 2–1 victory on 21 December 2011.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun captained Arsenal in their 1–0 League Cup defeat to Manchester City. He stated "The truth is I did not expect this, but it was a nice moment. When the line-up was revealed at the hotel, I saw the letter 'C' next to my name; I thought there was some mix up. But overall it was a nice experience"


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun started the match against Tottenham Hotspur on 26 February 2012. He came off in the 88th minute for Gervinho, receiving a standing ovation from the Arsenal faithful with the Gunners winning the match 5–2, after being 2–0 down. He then started against his old club Liverpool, on 3 March 2012, before being substituted in the 74th minute again for Gervinho, Arsenal went on to win the game 2–1. He then started the match against Manchester City on 8 April 2012, and nearly had a chance to score in the second half, but only to see his stabbing shot take a deflection, which then came off the post. He was substituted in the second half for Aaron Ramsey, and just like in the match against Tottenham, the Arsenal fans gave him a standing ovation when leaving the pitch. Arsenal went on to win the game 1–0, thanks to a late Mikel Arteta goal. On 11 April 2012 he scored his second league goal of the season in the 3–0 away win against Wolves, a result which strengthened Arsenal's place in third as they opened up a gap of five points over arch-rival Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United with five games remaining. He then opened the scoring against Norwich in Arsenal's final home game of the season which ended 3–3 and then scoring in the last game of the season for Arsenal against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, the match ended 3–2 to Arsenal, meaning Arsenal would finish third, beating their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who finished fourth. In all, Benayoun played 19 league games for Arsenal, scoring four goals.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 31 August 2012, Benayoun returned to West Ham United on loan for the 2012–13 season, becoming their eleventh signing of the transfer window. He sustained an injury playing against Newcastle United in November and pulled a ligament after returning to training. He played no further games for West Ham and returned to Chelsea in December 2012. He had played only six games on loan with West Ham.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun joined Queens Park Rangers until the end of the 2013–14 season on 10 December 2013. He made his debut against Leicester City in a 1–0 loss in a league match coming as a 69th-minute substitute for Tom Carroll. He scored his first goal for the club on 22 March 2014 in an away trip to Middlesbrough to equalise in a game which QPR went on to win 1–3. He scored his second goal for the club three days later in a 1–0 home win over Wigan Athletic, though he was also sent off towards the very end of the game for a second bookable offence.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: On 6 June 2014, it was officially announced that Benayoun would return to Maccabi Haifa on a two-year deal worth US$1 million.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun played one season in Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring only one league goal and failing to win any title.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: In the beginning of the 2017–18 season Benayoun signed for Beitar Jerusalem. He started well, scoring three league goals with Beitar ranking among the league's leaders, before losing his place in the first squad in January and playing very little. As a result, he left Beitar and signed for Maccabi Petah Tikva. After a short spell with Maccabi Petah Tikva, he returned to Beitar Jerusalem in 2019.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Benayoun was a member of the Israel U16 team that came third in the 1996 UEFA European Under-16 Championship.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: He made his senior debut for the Israel national team against Portugal in a friendly on 18 November 1998 that resulted in a 2–0 away loss. Benayoun scored his first international hat-trick in a UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier against San Marino at Ramat Gan Stadium on 8 September 1999. The match finished as an 8–0 win for Israel.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: During the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Benayoun became the leading player of the Israel national team after equalizing against Cyprus at home (in a game that ended 2–1 to Israel) and scoring twice against Switzerland. In the away game in Cyprus, He assisted the winning goal after Nir Davidovich saved a crucial goal. His strong performances gave Israel a chance at qualifying for the World Cup, but they missed out on goal difference.


title: Yossi Benayoun

text: Just prior to the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, Benayoun was given the captaincy of the Israeli national team. In eight appearances in the qualifiers, Benayoun has scored two goals. On 2 September 2010, Benayoun scored his second international hat-trick against Malta in a 3–1 win. Benayoun is Israel's most capped player of all time with 102 caps, and their joint third top scorer with 24 international goals.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Anne Sexton (born Anne Gray Harvey; November 9, 1928 – October 4, 1974) was an American poet known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967 for her book "Live or Die". Her poetry details her long battle with bipolar disorder, suicidal tendencies, and intimate details from her private life, including relationships with her husband and children, whom it was later alleged she physically and sexually assaulted.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Anne Sexton was born Anne Gray Harvey in Newton, Massachusetts to Mary Gray (Staples) Harvey (1901–1959) and Ralph Churchill Harvey (1900–1959). She had two older sisters, Jane Elizabeth (Harvey) Jealous (1923–1983) and Blanche Dingley (Harvey) Taylor (1925–2011). She spent most of her childhood in Boston. In 1945 she enrolled at Rogers Hall boarding school in Lowell, Massachusetts, later spending a year at Garland School. For a time she modeled for Boston's Hart Agency. On August 16, 1948, she married Alfred Muller Sexton II and they remained together until 1973. Sexton had her first child, Linda Gray Sexton, in 1953. Her second child, Joyce Ladd Sexton, was born two years later.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Sexton suffered from severe bipolar disorder for much of her life, her first manic episode taking place in 1954. After a second episode in 1955 she met Dr. Martin Orne, who became her long-term therapist at the Glenside Hospital. It was Orne who encouraged her to write poetry.


title: Anne Sexton

text: The first poetry workshop she attended was led by John Holmes. Sexton felt great trepidation about registering for the class, asking a friend to make the phone call and accompany her to the first session. She found early acclaim with her poems; a number were accepted by "The New Yorker", "Harper's Magazine" and the "Saturday Review". Sexton later studied with Robert Lowell at Boston University alongside poets Sylvia Plath and George Starbuck. Sexton later paid homage to her friendship with Plath in the 1963 poem "Sylvia's Death". Her first volume of poetry, "To Bedlam and Part Way Back", was published in 1960, and included the poem "Her Kind", which uses the persecution of witches as an analogy for the oppression of women in a patriarchal society.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Sexton's poetic career was encouraged by her mentor W.D. Snodgrass, whom she met at the Antioch Writer's Conference in 1957. His poem "Heart's Needle" proved inspirational for her in its theme of separation from his three-year-old daughter. Sexton first read the poem at a time when her own young daughter was living with her mother-in-law. She, in turn, wrote "The Double Image", a poem which explores the multi-generational relationship between mother and daughter. Sexton began writing letters to Snodgrass and they became friends.


title: Anne Sexton

text: While working with John Holmes, Sexton encountered Maxine Kumin. They became good friends and remained so for the rest of Sexton's life. Kumin and Sexton rigorously critiqued each other's work and wrote four children's books together. In the late 1960s, the manic elements of Sexton's illness began to affect her career, though she still wrote and published work and gave readings of her poetry. She collaborated with musicians, forming a jazz-rock group called Her Kind that added music to her poetry. Her play "Mercy Street", starring Marian Seldes, was produced in 1969 after several years of revisions. Sexton also collaborated with the artist Barbara Swan, who illustrated several of her books.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Within 12 years of writing her first sonnet, she was among the most honored poets in the U.S.: a Pulitzer Prize winner, a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the first female member of the Harvard chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.


title: Anne Sexton

text: On October 4, 1974, Sexton had lunch with Kumin to revise galleys for Sexton's manuscript of "The Awful Rowing Toward God", scheduled for publication in March 1975 (Middlebrook 396). On returning home she put on her mother's old fur coat, removed all her rings, poured herself a glass of vodka, locked herself in her garage, and started the engine of her car, ending her life by carbon monoxide poisoning.


title: Anne Sexton

text: In an interview over a year before her death, she explained she had written the first drafts of "The Awful Rowing Toward God" in 20 days with "two days out for despair and three days out in a mental hospital." She went on to say that she would not allow the poems to be published before her death. She is buried at Forest Hills Cemetery & Crematory in Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Sexton is seen as the modern model of the confessional poet due to the intimate and emotional content of her poetry. Sexton often wrote and disclosed her struggles with mental illness through her work. Anne Sexton has also included important yet overlooked topics that touched on the overall experience for a woman. Maxine Kumin described Sexton's work: "She wrote openly about menstruation, abortion, masturbation, incest, adultery, and drug addiction at a time when the proprieties embraced none of these as proper topics for poetry." Sexton's work towards the end of the sixties has been criticized as "preening, lazy and flip" by otherwise respectful critics. Some critics regard her dependence on alcohol as compromising her last work. However, other critics see Sexton as a poet whose writing matured over time. "Starting as a relatively conventional writer, she learned to roughen up her line ... to use as an instrument against the 'politesse' of language, politics, religion [and] sex." Sexton was heavily criticized for her poetic content and themes, but these topics contributed to the popularity of her work.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Her eighth collection of poetry is entitled "The Awful Rowing Toward God". The title came from her meeting with a Roman Catholic priest who, unwilling to administer last rites, told her "God is in your typewriter." This gave the poet the desire and willpower to continue living and writing. "The Awful Rowing Toward God" and "The Death Notebooks" are among her final works, and both center on the theme of dying.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Her work started out as being about herself, however as her career progressed she made periodic attempts to reach outside the realm of her own life for poetic themes. "Transformations" (1971), which is a re-visionary re-telling of "Grimm's Fairy Tales", is one such book. ("Transformations" was used as the libretto for the 1973 opera of the same name by American composer Conrad Susa.) Later she used Christopher Smart's "Jubilate Agno" and the Bible as the basis for some of her work.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Much has been made of the tangled threads of her writing, her life and her depression, much in the same way as with Sylvia Plath's suicide in 1963. Robert Lowell, Adrienne Rich and Denise Levertov commented in separate obituaries on the role of creativity in Sexton's death. Levertov says, "We who are alive must make clear, as she could not, the distinction between creativity and self-destruction."


title: Anne Sexton

text: Following one of many suicide attempts and manic or depressive episodes, Sexton worked with therapist Martin Orne. He diagnosed her with what is now described as bipolar disorder, but his competence to do so is called into question by his early use of allegedly unsound psychotherapeutic techniques. During sessions with Anne Sexton he used hypnosis and sodium pentothal to recover supposedly repressed memories. During this process, he allegedly used suggestion to uncover memories of having been abused by her father. This abuse was disputed in interviews with her mother and other relatives. Orne wrote that hypnosis in an adult frequently does not present accurate memories of childhood; instead, "adults under hypnosis are not literally reliving their early childhoods but presenting them through the prisms of adulthood." According to Orne, Anne Sexton was extremely suggestible and would mimic the symptoms of the patients around her in the mental hospitals to which she was committed. Diane Middlebrook's biography states that a separate personality named Elizabeth emerged in Sexton while under hypnosis. Orne did not encourage this development and subsequently this "alternate personality" disappeared. Orne eventually concluded that Anne Sexton was suffering from hysteria. During the writing of the Middlebrook biography, her daughter, Linda Gray Sexton, stated that she had been sexually assaulted by her mother. In 1994, she published her autobiography "Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton", which includes her own accounts of the abuse.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Middlebrook published her controversial biography of Anne Sexton with the approval of daughter Linda, Anne's literary executor. For use in the biography, Orne had given Diane Middlebrook most of the tapes recording the therapy sessions between Orne and Anne Sexton. The use of these tapes was met with, as "The New York Times" put it, "thunderous condemnation". Middlebrook received the tapes after she had written a substantial amount of the first draft of Sexton's biography, and decided to start over. Although Linda Gray Sexton collaborated with the Middlebrook biography, other members of the Sexton family were divided over the book, publishing several editorials and op-ed pieces in "The New York Times" and "The New York Times Book Review".


title: Anne Sexton

text: Controversy continued with the posthumous public release of the tapes (which had been subject to doctor-patient confidentiality). They are said to reveal Sexton's molestation of her daughter Linda, her physically violent behavior toward both her daughters, and her physical altercations with her husband.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Further controversy surrounds allegations that she had an "affair with" the therapist who replaced Orne in the 1960s. No action was taken to censure or discipline the second therapist. Orne considered the "affair" with the second therapist (given the pseudonym "Ollie Zweizung" by Middlebrook and Linda Sexton) to be the catalyst that eventually resulted in her suicide.


title: Anne Sexton

text: Peter Gabriel dedicated his song "Mercy Street" (named for her play "Mercy Street" and inspired by his reading of her poem "45 Mercy Street") from his 1986 album, "So", to Sexton. She has been described as a "personal touchstone" for Morrissey, former lead singer and lyricist of The Smiths. She is commemorated on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail. She has also been cited as muse for Madonna, who has talked about her in interviews over the years.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Flirty Fishing (FFing) is a form of evangelism by sexual intimacy practised from around 1974 to 1987 by the cult Children of God, currently known as Family International (TFI). Female members of Children of God, or "fisherwomen" would apply their sex appeal on "fish", men from outside the cult (often but not always having sex), using the occasion to proselytize for Jesus and seek donations. The practice was "a primary source of financial support and political protection" for the cult, and criticized as religious prostitution. Children of God have defended it as a way of "bearing witness" for Jesus to people who would not otherwise be open to it. According to some sources, over two hundred thousand men were "fished", and over 10,000 babies were born to cult women from 1971 and 2001. The practice was curtailed as sexually transmitted diseases spread through the cult, and then abandoned in 1987 reportedly because of the spread of AIDS.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: The term is derived from from the New Testament, in which Jesus tells two fishermen that he will make them "fishers of men". Cult leader David Berg extrapolated from this that women in his movement should be "flirty fishers" (also called "bait" or "fisherwomen"). The targeted men were called "fish". The cult published several documents with exact instructions. Flirty Fishing was defined as using sex appeal for proselytizing. If masturbation, oral, or penetrative sex ensued, this was termed as "loving sexually", and also counted as a "deep witness", meaning that the "bait" earned more brownie points within the group than by mere flirting. Berg noted that Flirty Fishing did not necessarily entail intercourse, but that this was by far the most efficient method of proselytizing.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: According to The Family's history, "Father David [Berg] arrived at the rather shocking conclusion that Christians were therefore free through God's grace to go to great lengths to show the Love of God to others, even as far as meeting their sexual needs." While acknowledging that this interpretation scandalized "many religious institutions," The Family maintained that "many people, most of whom would never even go near a church, were reached and won to Christ through this very humble, honest, open and intimately human approach to witnessing." A Family spokesman John Francis describes the main "fish" involved as "lonely traveling businessmen" staying in hotels.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: The Children of God practised flirty fishing and escort servicing from 1974 until 1987, when it was officially abandoned, in part because of the AIDS epidemic.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Researcher Bill Bainbridge obtained data from TFI suggesting that, from 1974 until 1987, members had sexual contact with 223,989 people while practicing Flirty Fishing. As the women were expected to keep exact records of their "fruits" (successes), a 1988 statistic showed that more than 223,000 men had been "fished" since 1978—and that FFing had nevertheless continued into 1988. Though the cult had no problem ignoring Christian norms on fornication, it did follow "Christian fundamentalist underpinnings" when it came to birth control. Sources differ on whether birth control was forbidden or simply discouraged. The practice also resulted in numerous pregnancies, the offspring of which were termed "Jesus babies" by the organization. According to Don Lattin, between 1971 and 2001 "more than 13,000" children were born to followers of David Berg; “women with six, eight, 10, 13 kids were not uncommon” in the Family. The "first child conceived through 'flirty fishing,' was born to Berg’s common-law wife, Karen Zerby", but was fathered by "a waiter she picked up in the Canary Islands."


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Ex-member and critic, David Hiebert, states the practice was "used to curry political favor" in countries CoG had migrated to. "They would target special people -- in the media, lawyers, in the government." According to James Chancellor,


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Witnessing and disciple winning were by no means the only focus of Flirty Fishing. Even before 1978, FFing had become a primary source of financial support and political protection. Many female disciples established long-term relationships with wealthy or influential men. These men often provided money, food, clothing, housing, and other needs, including legal advice, help in immigration, and protection against social and political repression. It was not uncommon for some women to spend considerable amounts of time with their "fish", sometimes leaving their husbands and children for weeks or months at a time.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: The financial benefit of Flirty Fishing soon advanced from mere flirting/"loving sexually", to "escort servicing" (ESing)—described as "making FFing pay" by Berg—in which female cult members would work as regular call girls for escort agencies or freelance, and "witness" (proselytize) to their clients merely when the occasion offered itself.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: In some areas of Asia, Europe and Latin America, female disciples went to work for escort services, providing sex for a fixed fee. Though conceding that escort service work (ESing) perhaps crossed the line, Family leadership insists that Flirty Fishing was not prostitution because the ultimate goal was always to bear witness or support the witness for Jesus."


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Women who objected to being what the cult itself bluntly described as "God's whores" or "hookers for Jesus" were admonished not to "let self and pride enter in", and reminded that their body did not really belong to them, as according to – it had been "bought" (by Jesus through his crucifixion) "with a price". After an initial phase, male members no longer partook in this drive, partially because of the cult's dismissive stance toward homosexuality, but also because Berg thought it did not "pay off financially". Many of the flirty fishers had boyfriends, were married, or had children. In Family publications, flirty fishers and escort service practitioners (see below) frequently reported that they found their work hard, dangerous and exhausting.


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Critical ex-members of CoG also point to Family publications from this period. A 1987 "Basic Training Handbook," offers "explicit advice on sex among prepubescent teens. There's also something called 'My Little Fish' containing nude photographs of a young boy and an adult woman embracing."


title: Flirty Fishing

text: Flirty Fishing has been compared to prostitution. One scholar, (Susan Raine) describes its "terminology and ... imagery" as "saturated with the rhetoric of prostitution". Describing a couple of images from internal Children of God literature on FFing sent by Berg to Children of God communes and later released by ex-members, Raine says one is "of a woman wearing hot pants, a bra, and high-heeled boots ... dangling a fishhook from her hand ... the caption below reads ‘FISHERS OF MEN!’". Another "portrays a woman as a mermaid impaled on a hook, but embracing a man, this time with the heading ‘HOOKER FOR JESUS’" (One "Mo Letter" written by David Berg and distributed to members of CoG was entitled "God's Whores?".)


title: Nissan Note

text: The is a supermini/subcompact hatchback or a mini MPV manufactured and marketed worldwide by Nissan. Introduced in 2004, the first-generation Note was primarily marketed in Japan and Europe, and was produced in Japan and the United Kingdom. The second-generation model was sold in other regions, including North America where it was manufactured in Mexico and marketed as the Versa Note, and Thailand, where it serves as one of the B-segment hatchback offered by the brand alongside the smaller March under the Eco Car tax scheme.


title: Nissan Note

text: In 2017, the second-generation Note was replaced by the French-built K14 Micra for the European market. The Versa Note was discontinued in North America in 2019 due to the decreasing demand for subcompact hatchbacks in the region. It continued to be produced and sold in Japan up to the introduction of the third-generation Note in late 2020.


title: Nissan Note

text: The Note was introduced with a series hybrid drivetrain in late 2016 as the Note e-Power. Due to its popularity and the push of electrification, the third-generation Note is only available with the "e-Power" drivetrain.


title: Nissan Note

text: The Note was introduced as a concept car called the Tone Concept. It was a five-door hatchback with Intelligent Key with proximity sensors, arched roof line, double-deck four-slot grille, 17 inch alloy wheels, and brushed aluminium display panel with satellite navigation screen and climate control system. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show.


title: Nissan Note

text: The production version was unveiled in December 2004, and went on sale on 20 January 2005 in Japan. The European model was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, followed by the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. Retail models went on sale in Europe in early 2006. The United Kingdom was the first market to have the Note launch, being released on 1 March 2006. The car shares some of its underpinnings with the Renault Modus, and manufactured at Nissan's plant in Washington, England. Early models included a choice of four engines, which are 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol; and two options of 1.5-litre diesel. It is an indirect successor to the conventional medium-sized Almera hatchback for the region.


title: Nissan Note

text: The trim levels for the European market were the S, SE and SVE, while later it is replaced by Visia, Visia+, Acenta, Acenta R and Tekna. In Russia/CIS region, Nissan sold Note with Comfort, Luxury and Tekna trim levels. Cars made for this market before 2009 have standard OBDII diagnostics especially software disabled by Nissan.


title: Nissan Note

text: The 2006 Nissan Note, 1.4 Acenta (SE), five-door hatchback passed, July 2006, passed the Euro NCAP car safety tests with these ratings:


title: Nissan Note

text: A CD single called 'C'mon Everybody Note&Pencils' was released by Pony Canyon on 9 August 2006, which included Eddie Cochran's C'mon Everybody (original, DJ UTO remix, instrumental) used in the Nissan Note commercial premiered on 12 May 2006. The CD cover shows a Marine Blue Note 15S V package drawing on a 50m x 40m notebook with blue tire tracks. The Note commercial was performed by Toshihiro Yashiba of JFCT INC.


title: Nissan Note

text: In 2007, Nissan slightly facelifted Note. Both bumpers become fully painted. Radio antenna moved to the rear of the roof. Headlamp washer lost its dedicated button and become fully automatic which lead to excessive cleaner fluid consumption. New radio models were offered and some less significant and invisible changes were made.


title: Nissan Note

text: Japanese models went on sale on 16 January 2008. Early models include 15X F package, 15X, 15G, 15RS, 15RX, 15X FOUR F package, 15X FOUR, 15G FOUR.


title: Nissan Note

text: European model was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The 1.5-litre dCi engine models went on sale in September 2008, followed by 1.4-litre petrol engine models in October 2008.


title: Nissan Note

text: European second facelift/restyle models went on sale in the late 2010 as 2011 model year vehicles. As for early models Nissan provided choice of 3 engines (1.5-litre dCi turbo diesel engine (N/A in CIS/Russia), 1.4-litre with 65 kW (88 hp) and a 1.6-litre with 81 kW (110 hp) petrol), choice of 10 body colours (a metallic red and a metallic grey - added to replace three outgoing colours; two solid colours and 8 metallics).


title: Nissan Note

text: On second facelift many changes were made in exterior and interior. Lights, bumpers, grille and dashboard were significantly changed. Nissan Connect Radio/Navi offered as option for high trim levels. AT software was tuned to stay on the safe side while ATF is not warm enough. There are variety of less significant changes.


title: Nissan Note

text: They are versions of Nissan Note 15X SV and 15X FOUR SV for the Japanese market, with intelligent air conditioning system with 1-touch clean switch.


title: Nissan Note

text: It is a version of the Nissan Note Rider 15X SV (2WD 1.5L) and 15X FOUR SV (e･4WD 1.5L) for the Japanese market, with exclusive dark chrome front grille, dark chrome bumper grille, exclusive dark emblem (Rider/AUTECH), intelligent air conditioning system, exclusive sports muffler (by FUJITSUBO) and exclusive pumper finisher (from Note Rider Autech option), choice of 2 body colors (white pearl (3 coat pearl), super black (pearl)).


title: Nissan Note

text: As part of the 2008 Nissan Note launch in Japan, a series of television commercials based on The World of GOLDEN EGGS characters was produced. The corresponding web site <http://note-notte.com/> opened on 21 December 2007, followed by the 1st television commercial premiere in January 2008, and the opening of a special Nissan Note web site with The World of GOLDEN EGGS characters.


title: Nissan Note

text: As part of the 2009 Nissan Note market launch in Japan, a series of animated commercials were premiered on 20 May 2009. The commercial was inspired by the Heidi, Girl of the Alps animated series, featuring Junichi Koumoto and Tomochika (as Heidi). The series was produced by studio crocodile inc.


title: Nissan Note

text: Since beginning of 2012 and till the end of E11 production in 2013 at least in Russian marketed models/trims Nissan silently excluded seat belt pretensioners without any prior notes. Furthermore, seat belt pretensioners was listed in all the dealer offers and contracts while some people found no installed pretensioners on their places upon seat dismount. Later NM Russia acknowledged the lack of pretensioners in Nissan Note 2012–2013.


title: Nissan Note

text: Nissan Connect is an auto entertainment system offered with many Nissan cars. There are a few different models of NC for different cars. It is an inexpensive CD/USB audio player with a built-in 4-channel amplifier, 5" LCD, resistive touchscreen and GPS receiver. The only navigation software is built into the firmware. No user apps could be installed on the device. Maps could only be updated using Nissan DRM protected SD cards ($150+). Cellular communications are not supported by hardware. Audio/amplifier quality can be assumed as acceptable. System was developed by Bosch Portugal as stated on stickers and is Linux based. Sources of firmware were not published which does definitely violate Linux open source license.


title: Nissan Note

text: It is a version of the Nissan Note inspired by multi-sports brand adidas, with user-changeable treatment on the front/rear bumpers; fabrics and rubber materials used on dashboard, door trim, etc.


title: Nissan Note

text: Showcased in 2012 at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, the Invitation Concept is a hatchback concept built on the V platform, designed to be sold alongside Nissan Micra and Nissan Juke. It featured a swage line at the side body panel, independent front MacPherson struts with coil springs, torsion beam rear axle, Around View Monitor (AVM) safety technology, Nissan Safety Shield System.


title: Nissan Note

text: The vehicle was unveiled at the Osanbashi venue in Yokohama, followed by Nissan Gallery on 28 August 2012.


title: Nissan Note

text: It would replace the Nissan Livina for other countries' markets (except China and parts of Asia) within 2013.


title: Nissan Note

text: Japanese models went on sale on 3 September 2012. Early Note models include a choice of HR12DE (S, X, X FOUR) and HR12DDR (S DIG-S, X DIG-S, MEDALIST) engines, Xtronic CVT transmission. Early Note Rider models include a choice of HR12DE (X, X FOUR) and HR12DDR (X DIG-S) engines, Xtronic CVT transmission. The width dimension is kept under 1700mm on all international models so that versions in Japan will be in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations with engine displacement kept under 2000cc so that Japanese versions will offer Japanese buyers annual road tax savings for smaller engines.


title: Nissan Note

text: Hong Kong models went on sale on 21 September 2012. Early models included DIG-S with HR12DDR engine, XTRONIC CVT transmission, ISS idle mode.


title: Nissan Note

text: Latin American models went on sale in July 2013. Early models included Sense (manual and CVT) and Advance (manual and CVT).


title: Nissan Note

text: European models went on sale in summer 2013, with deliveries beginning in autumn 2013. Early models include a choice of 3 engines (1.2-litre 80PS petrol, 1.2-litre 98PS DIG-S petrol, 1.5-litre 90PS turbo diesel), manual or CVT transmission, 3 trim levels (Visia, Acenta and Tekna).


title: Nissan Note

text: Nissan said the drag coefficient is 0.298. The frontal area is 2.13 m, making the drag area CdA to be at 0.639 m.


title: Nissan Note

text: It is a version of the Nissan Note for the Japanese market, with plated door handles, exclusive Beatnic Gold body color, suede-like cloth seats and artificial leather, piano-like center cluster finisher and genuine leather-wrapped steering wheel. The highest grade "MEDALIST" is also a model that inherits the concept of Tidus and comes from Laurel's grade of the same name.


title: Nissan Note

text: The Versa Note is a version of the Note for the US market, as a replacement of the outgoing Versa hatchback.


title: Nissan Note

text: US model went on sale in mid-2013 as 2014 model year vehicle. Early models include 1.6-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control), 5-speed manual or Xtronic CVT transmission, 5 grade levels (S, S Plus, SV, SL). A sporty SR model has been added to the 2015 lineup. New for 2017 a facelift with a new front bumper cover as well as rear (previously only available on the SR model), wheels and color choices.


title: Nissan Note

text: Nissan discontinued the Versa Note in late 2019, while the Versa sedan continued to be offered for the 2020 model year onwards.


title: Nissan Note

text: The Japanese model of Nissan Note is manufactured at Nissan Motor Kyushu, while European models of Nissan Note were developed at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in both the UK and Spain and produced in Nissan Manufacturing UK in Sunderland.


title: Nissan Note

text: Both the North American Nissan Versa Note and Latin American models of the Nissan Note are built in Nissan Mexicana SA de CV in Aguascalientes, Mexico.


title: Nissan Note

text: As part of Nissan Note's market launch in Japan, Nissan Note's Japan website featured a flip book animation.


title: Nissan Note

text: On 24 October 2016, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn revealed at the Nissan Note factory in Japan the facelifted MY2017 Note model, with a special powertrain called e-Power. It uses only an electric motor to move the car, while a petrol engine is used as a generator producing electricity that goes directly into propelling the electric motor or, when electricity is in excess, to charge the batteries (similar to BMW's REX).


title: Nissan Note

text: The company's new e-Power series hybrid system consists of a small 1.2-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine (HR12DE) and an electric traction motor (EM57), which is shared with the Nissan Leaf, pairs with a much smaller battery (1.5 kWh) than the Leaf's. Unlike typical power-split parallel hybrid vehicles, in the series hybrid scheme, the small engine only charges the battery, and the electric motor is the sole source of traction with no plug-in capability. The motor power output rating is and torque.


title: Nissan Note

text: As of 2017, the Nissan Note is being sold only in Asia and Americas. UK production for European and Argentine markets ended in March that year to increase capacity for Qashqai.


title: Nissan Note

text: The third-generation Note was revealed in Japan on 24 November 2020 and went on sale on 23 December 2020. It is based on the CMF-B platform. For this generation, the Note is only available with an "e-Power" series hybrid 2WD or 4WD drivetrain (introduced later in 2021), in which one electric motor powering the front axle and another motor powering the rear axle.


title: Nissan Note

text: Japanese models went on sale in December 2020. Initial models included the e-Power, followed by e-Power AWD in 2021.


title: Nissan Note

text: An upmarket version called the Note Aura was introduced and went on sale in June 2021. It features a redesigned front and rear fascia, wider body, and a and torque electric motor. Initial models include G, G leather edition, G Four, G Four leather edition.


title: Nissan Note

text: The Note Autech Crossover went on sale in October 2021 in Japan. It is a version of the Note with crossover body, with exclusive blue signature LEDs, metal-finish door mirrors, 25 mm of increased ground clearance via retuned suspension and larger diameter tyres. Initial grades include X and X Four.


title: Nissan Note

text: In 2013, the Note won the RJC Car of the Year award, beating out the Suzuki Wagon R and the Mazda CX-5. Five years later, it became the top-selling compact car in Japan for 2018 and won the Japanese environmental award on the same year.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: From the outset they adopted a collaborative style where both worked simultaneously on the story and artwork, but as they diverged creatively they started releasing individual works under different names, Abiko as , and Fujimoto as . Some influences of most of their projects are the works of acclaimed manga artist Osamu Tezuka and many US cartoons and comic books—including the works of Hanna-Barbera.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko were both from Toyama Prefecture. Fujimoto was born on December 1, 1933, and Abiko on March 10, 1934. Abiko transferred to Fujimoto's elementary school in Takaoka City and happened to see Fujimoto drawing in a notebook. The two became lifelong friends, and during the early years of their friendship kept their illustrations hidden from friends and classmates out of embarrassment.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: In junior high school they were greatly influenced by Osamu Tezuka and his manga series "Shin Takarajima". Fujimoto built a homemade episcope and together they wrote a piece for it called "Tenküma", which was their first collaborative work. They started submitting work to periodicals such as "Manga Shōnen" and opened a joint savings account through Japan Post to which they both contributed funds and which they used to purchase art supplies. They divided all income and expenses equally between each other, a practice they continued throughout the life of their partnership.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: In high school they made their publishing debut, "Tenshi no Tama-chan" being adopted for serialization by "Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun" in 1951. That same year they paid a visit to Tezuka's residence in Takarazuka, Hyōgo and showed him illustrations for their work titled "Ben Hur". Tezuka complimented the two, some years later commenting that he knew then they were going to be major figures in the manga industry. Abiko and Fujimoto treasured the meeting with the respected Tezuka, and kept the "Ben Hur" illustrations for their entire lives. It was at this time they decided to make their partnership permanent, initially adopting the name Tezuka Fujio out of respect, later changing this to Azhizuka Fujio when they perceived adoption of the Tezuka name as too close to that of their idol.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: Because both Fujimoto and Abiko were eldest sons respectively, they decided to take company jobs after graduating from high school in 1952. Fujimoto found employment with a confectionery company, and Abiko began working for the Toyama Newspaper Company. However, Fujimoto suffered a workplace injury when an arm was caught in machinery, and he quit within a matter of days. Fujimoto then dedicated his time to submitting work to periodicals, with Abiko assisting him on the weekends. Their first serial as Ashizuka Fujio was terminated in a few episodes, followed by success with the post-apocalyptic science fiction series .


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: They elected to move to Tokyo in 1954 as professional manga artists at Fujimoto's urging, Abiko only reluctantly as he had steady employment at the Toyama Newspaper Company. Their first place of residence was a two-tatami mat room at the second floor of a watch shop. They eventually moved to the Tokiwa-sō apartment complex when Tezuka offered them a room that he was moving out of. Together with Hiroo Terada and several other manga artists of the period, they formed a collaborative group called . At the apartment complex where the group was based, they enjoyed a period of productivity that had Fujimoto and Abiko carry up to six serials a month for publication. Additionally, Abiko contributed to Tezuka's works as an artist assistant, such as drawing a blizzard on the last page of "Jungle Emperor".


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: The workload proved excessive, and in 1955 on return to Toyama for Japanese New Year the pair missed all the deadlines for their serials. The loss of credibility with publishers hurt Fujimoto and Abiko for over a year, during which time they concentrated on solo projects, purchasing a television set in Akihabara and making independent films with an 8mm camera. By 1959 they left "Tokiwa-sō" and eventually moved to Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture. In the 1960s Fujimoto and Abiko founded "Fujiko Studio Co., Ltd.", a joint manga production company. Fujimoto found time to get married in 1962, at the age of 28.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: In 1963 Fujimoto and Abiko established Studio Zero with Shin'ichi Suzuki, Shotaro Ishinomori, Jiro Tsunoda and Kiyoichi Tsunoda. Later Fujio Akatsuka joined, and at its peak the studio employed about 80 people. The studio produced several animated films such as "Astro Boy". For Fujimoto and Abiko these were some of their most productive years, resulting in series such as "Obake no Q-Tarō" which eventually were made into anime series on television. It was at this time that Abiko started making manga for a more mature audience, with titles such as "Teresa Tang" and "Kuroi Salesman". Abiko got married in 1966 at the age of 32. Fujimoto concentrated on titles for children, with a particular interest in science fiction.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: "Doraemon" was created in 1969 and immediately surged in popularity with children in Japan. "CoroCoro Comic" released its first issue in 1977 to showcase the works of Fujiko Fujio. With syndication of Doraemon on TV Asahi in 1979, a surge of popularity saw up to a dozen collaborative and solo works by Fujimoto and Abiko picked up for publication and syndication throughout the 1980s. "Doraemon" is the only work by the duo to ever get an official release in English-speaking countries, most notably the United States. But English dubs of work such as Perman and Ninja Hattori-kun aired in Asia.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: In 1987, citing creative differences, Fujimoto and Abiko ended their long partnership to concentrate on solo projects. From now on, Abiko would work at "Fujiko Studio K.K." and Fujimoto in "Fujiko F. Fujio Pro K.K."


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: Abiko adopted the pen name Fujiko A. Fujio, while his former partner wrote under the pseudonym Fujiko F. Fujio.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: Abiko concentrated on work incorporating more black humor while Fujimoto focused on works for tweens. According to Abiko, the cause for the dissolution of the partnership was due to Fujimoto discovering he had liver cancer and heart disease in 1986, and the desire of both Fujimoto and Abiko to settle issues of copyright and finances before Fujimoto's death in 1996.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: A documentary was aired on TV Asahi on February 19, 2006, chronicling the life and times of Fujiko Fujio.


title: Fujiko Fujio

text: A Fujiko F. Fujio museum opened in Kawasaki, Kanagawa on September 3, 2011, which features a reproduction of Fujio's studio and a display of their artwork.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: In dentistry, a veneer is a layer of material placed over a tooth. Veneers can improve the aesthetics of a smile and protect the tooth's surface from damage.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer: composite and dental porcelain. A composite veneer may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental lab, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement. They are typically used for treatment of adolescent patients who will require a more permanent design once they are fully grown. The lifespan of a composite veneer is approximately four years. In contrast, a porcelain veneer may only be indirectly fabricated. A full veneer crown is described as "a restoration that covers all the coronal tooth surfaces (mesial, distal, facial, lingual and occlusal)". Laminate veneer, on the other hand, is a thin layer that covers only the surface of the tooth and is generally used for aesthetic purposes. These typically have better performance and aesthetics and are less plaque retentive.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Veneers are a prosthetic device, by prescription only, used by the cosmetic dentist. A dentist may use one veneer to restore a single tooth or veneer with high quality that may have been fractured or discolored, or in most cases multiple teeth on the upper arch to create a big bright "Hollywood" type of smile makeover. Many people have small teeth resulting in spaces that may not be easily closed by orthodontics. Some people have worn away the edges of their teeth resulting in a prematurely aged appearance, while others may have a malpositioned tooth or teeth that appear crooked. Multiple veneers can close these spaces, lengthen teeth that have been shortened by wear, fill the black triangles between teeth caused by gum recession, provide a uniform color, shape, and symmetry, and make the teeth appear straight. Dentists also recommend using thin porcelain veneers to strengthen worn teeth. They are also applied to yellow teeth that won't whiten. Thin veneers are an effective option for aging patients with worn dentition. In many cases, minimal to no tooth preparation is needed when using porcelain veneers.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: When preparing, in between prep and fit appointments of the veneer, the dentist can make temporaries, usually out of composite. These are not normally indicated but can be used if the patient is complaining of sensitivity or aesthetics. According to a leading Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, temporaries are really important to design and finalize the aesthetics of the final veneers. Temporaries help patients and the dentist decide on the right color, length and shape of the veneers.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Discoloured teeth, malformed teeth, enamel hypoplasia (not enough enamel), enamel hypocalcification (enamel not fully mineralised), fluorosis, tetracycline staining, non-vital tooth discolouration, malposition, enamel fractures, enamel loss by erosion, modifying the shape of the tooth.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: In a controversial opinion, Dr. Michael Zuk, a Canadian DDS, profiles in his opinion and problems of overuse of porcelain veneers by certain cosmetic dentists in 'Confessions of a Former Cosmetic Dentist'. He suggests that the use of veneers for 'instant orthodontics' or simulated straightening of the teeth can be harmful, especially for younger people with healthy teeth. Leading dentists caution that minor superficial damage or normal wear to the teeth is not justification for porcelain or ceramic veneers. This is because the preparation needed to apply a veneer may in some cases destroy 3–30% of the tooth's surface if performed by an inexperienced dentist. It has been found that after 10 years, 50% of veneers are either displaced, need re-treatment, or are no longer in satisfactory condition.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Some cosmetic dentists may push unnecessarily for prosthodontic treatment in adolescents or young to middle-aged adults who have otherwise healthy teeth that only necessitate whitening or more routine cleaning. As preparation for veneers requires shaving down the tooth in some cases, sensitivity and decay will be a problem even if the procedure is properly performed. In addition, a veneer's maintenance cost can also be prohibitive for many individuals. Veneer placement should be limited to individuals with significant aesthetic problems, such as badly cracked or broken teeth, that do not meet the requirements for a crown or full replacement.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Additional contraindications include but are not limited to the following: poor oral hygiene, uncontrolled gingival disease, high cavities rate, parafunction, no enamel, unreasonable patient expectations, large existing restorations.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Several classification systems are possible for veneers. One system suggested in 2012 is called the "Nankali Veneer Classification" and divides the veneers as follows:


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: There are four basic preparation designs for porcelain laminate veneers: window, feather, bevel, and incisal overlap.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Recent technological advances have been made which allow the construction of ultra-thin porcelain laminate veneers. These veneers require only very modest, or in some instances, no reduction of the tooth structure. These are often referred to as "non-prep" veneers.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: In the past, the only way to correct dental imperfections was to cover the tooth with a crown. Today, in most cases, there are several possibilities from which to pick: crown, composite resin bonding, cosmetic contouring or orthodontics.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Veneers were invented by California dentist Charles Pincus in 1928 to be used for a film shoot for temporarily changing the appearance of actors' teeth. Later, in 1937 he fabricated acrylic veneers to be retained by denture adhesive, which were only cemented temporarily because there was very little adhesion.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: The introduction of etching in 1959 by Dr. Michael Buonocore aimed to follow a line of investigation of bonding porcelain veneers to etched enamel.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Research in 1982 by Simonsen and Calamia revealed that porcelain could be etched with hydrofluoric acid, and bond strengths could be achieved between composite resins and porcelain that were predicted to be able to hold porcelain veneers on to the surface of a tooth permanently. This was confirmed by Calamia in an article describing a technique for fabrication, and placement of etched bonded porcelain veneers using a refractory model technique and Horn describing a platinum foil technique for veneer fabrication. Additional articles have proven the long-term reliability of this technique.


title: Veneer (dentistry)

text: Today, with improved cements and bonding agents, they typically last 10–30 years. They may have to be replaced in this time due to cracking, leaking, chipping, discoloration, decay, shrinkage of the gum line and damage from injury or tooth grinding. The cost of veneers can vary depending on the experience and location of the dentist. In the US, costs range anywhere from $1000 a tooth upwards to $3000 a tooth as of 2011. Porcelain veneers are more durable and less likely to stain than veneers made of composite.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo and covers an area of with a population about 165,642 in the Kuching North administrative region and 159,490 in the Kuching South administrative regiona total of 325,132 people.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching was the third capital of Sarawak in 1827 during the administration of the Bruneian Empire. In 1841, Kuching became the capital of the Kingdom of Sarawak after the territory in the area was ceded to James Brooke for helping the Bruneian empire in crushing a rebellion particularly by the interior Borneo dwelling Land Dayak people who later became his loyal followers after most of them were pardoned by him and joined his side. The town continued to receive attention and development during the rule of Charles Brooke such as the construction of a sanitation system, hospital, prison, fort, and a bazaar. In 1941, the Brooke administration had a Centenary Celebration in Kuching. During World War II, Kuching was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese government set up a Batu Lintang camp near Kuching to hold prisoners of war and civilian internees. After the war, the town survived intact. However, the last Rajah of Sarawak, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke decided to cede Sarawak as part of British Crown Colony in 1946. Kuching remained as capital during the Crown Colony period. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching retained its status as state capital and was granted city status in 1988. Since then, the Kuching city is divided into two administrative regions managed by two separate local authorities. The administrative centre of Sarawak state government is located at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Kuching.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching is a major food destination and is a member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network under the field of gastronomy. Kuching is also the main gateway for travellers visiting Sarawak and Borneo. Kuching Wetlands National Park is located about from the city and there are many other tourist attractions in and around Kuching such as Bako National Park, Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), state assembly building, The Astana, Fort Margherita, Kuching Cat Museum, and Sarawak State Museum. The city has become one of the major industrial and commercial centres in East Malaysia.


title: Kuching

text: The name "Kuching" was already in use for the city by the time Brooke arrived in 1841. There are many theories as to the derivation of the name "Kuching". It was perhaps derived from the Malay word for cat, "kucing" or from Cochin, an Indian trading port on the Malabar Coast and a generic term in China and British India for trading harbour. Some Hindu artefacts can be seen today at the Sarawak State Museum. However, another source reported that the Kuching city was previously known as "Sarawak" before Brooke arrived. The settlement was renamed to "Sarawak proper" during the kingdom expansion. It was only in 1872 that Charles Brooke renamed the settlement to "Kuching".


title: Kuching

text: There was one unlikely theory based on a story on miscommunication. According to the story, James Brooke arrived in Kuching on his yacht "Royalist". He then asked his local guide about the name of the town. The local guide mistakenly thought that Brooke was pointing towards a cat, and so had said the word "Kuching". However, ethnic Malays in Sarawak have always used the term "pusak" for cats (cognate with Filipino "pusa"), instead of the standard Malay word "kucing". Despite this etymological discrepancy, Sarawakians have adopted the animal as a symbol of their city, and it features in statues as well as the municipal council's coat of arms - an example of heraldic canting.


title: Kuching

text: Some source also stated that it was derived from a fruit called "mata kucing" ("Euphoria malaiense"), a fruit that grows widely in Malaysia and Indonesia. There was also a hill in the city that was named after the fruit, which is called Bukit Mata Kuching. A British woman writing to her son in the 19th century, stated that the name was derived from a stream of the same name, called "Sungai Kuching" or Cat River in English. On page 64 of Bampfylde and Baring-Gould's 1909 'A History of Sarawak under its Two White Rajahs', it says: "Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, is so called from a small stream that runs through the town into the main river..." The stream was situated at the foot of Bukit Mata Kuching and in front of the Tua Pek Kong Temple. In the 1950s, the river became very shallow because of silt deposits in the river. The river was later filled to make way for roads.


title: Kuching

text: There is another theory that Kuching actually means "Ku" (古）- Old and "Ching"（井） - Well or "old well" (古井) in Chinese. During the Brooke administration, there was no water supply and water-borne diseases were common. In 1888, an epidemic broke out which later was known as "Great Cholera Epidemic". A well situated in the present day China Street in Main Bazaar helped to combat the disease by providing clean water supply. Due to increased demand for a water supply, the role of the well was later replaced by water treatment plant on the Bau Road.


title: Kuching

text: Sarawak was part of the Bruneian Empire since the reign of first Brunei sultanate, Sultan Muhammad Shah. Kuching was the third capital of Sarawak, founded in 1827 by the representative of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Indera Mahkota. Prior to the founding of Kuching, the two past capitals of Sarawak were Santubong, founded by Sultan Pengiran Tengah in 1599, and Lidah Tanah, founded by Datu Patinggi Ali in the early 1820s.


title: Kuching

text: Pengiran Raja Muda Hashimit later ceded the territory to a British adventurer, James Brooke as a reward for helping him to counter a rebellion. The rebellion was crushed in November 1840, and on 24 September 1841, Brooke was appointed as the Governor of Sarawak with the title of Rajah. It was not announced until 18 August 1842, following Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II's ratifying the governorship, and requiring Brooke to pay an annual sum of $2,500 to the Sultan. Since that time, Kuching became the seat of the Brooke government.


title: Kuching

text: The administration was later continued by his nephew, Charles Brooke. As an administrative capital, it became the centre of attention and development. Improvements included a sanitation system. By 1874, the city had completed several developments, including construction of a hospital, prison, Fort Margherita, and many other buildings.


title: Kuching

text: The Astana (Palace), which is now the official residence of the governor of Sarawak, was constructed next to Brooke's first residence. He had it built in 1869 as a wedding gift to his wife. Kuching continued to prosper under Charles Vyner Brooke, who succeeded his father as the Third Rajah of Sarawak. In 1941, Kuching was the site of the Brooke Government Centenary Celebration. A few months later, the Brooke administration came to a close when the Japanese occupied Sarawak.


title: Kuching

text: During the Second World War, six platoons of infantry from 2/15 Punjab Regiment were stationed at Kuching in April 1941. The Regiment defended Kuching and Bukit Stabar airfield from being the destroyed by the Japanese. Defence was mainly concentrated on Kuching and Miri. However, on 24 December 1941, Kuching was conquered by the Japanese forces. Sarawak was ruled as part of the Japanese Empire for three years and eight months, until the official Japanese surrender on 11 September 1945. The official surrender was signed on "HMAS Kapunda" at Kuching. From March 1942, the Japanese operated the Batu Lintang camp, for POWs and civilian internees, outside Kuching.


title: Kuching

text: After the end of World War II, the town survived and was wholly undamaged. The third and last Rajah, Sir Charles Vyner Brooke later ceded Sarawak to the British Crown on 1 July 1946. During the Crown Colony period, the government worked to develop and improve the infrastructure on Sarawak. Kuching was revitalised as the capital of Sarawak under the British colonial government. When Sarawak, together with North Borneo, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya, formed the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuching kept its status as the state capital and was granted a city status on 1 August 1988. Kuching experienced further development throughout the years as the state capital. On 29 July 2015, Kuching was declared as "City of Unity" by One Malaysia Foundation for racial harmony that existed in the city because of cross-racial marriages, multi-racial schools, fair scholarship distributions, and balanced workforce patterns.


title: Kuching

text: As a capital of Sarawak, Kuching plays an important role in the political and economic welfare of the population of the entire state as it became the seat of the state government where almost all of their ministries and agencies are based. The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is located in a suburb, Petra Jaya.


title: Kuching

text: There are 5 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing the five parliamentary constituencies and twelve state legislative assemblymen in the state legislature representing twelve state constituencies in Kuching district.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching is the only city in Malaysia to be administered by two mayors; the city is divided into Kuching North and Kuching South. Each of these is administered by a mayor for Kuching South and commissioner for Kuching North. The current commissioner for Kuching North is Datu Junaidi Reduan, who took over from Datuk Haji Abang Abdul Wahab Abang Julai on 31 August 2019 while Datuk Wee Hong Seng became the new Mayor for the Kuching South in 2019, succeeding Dato' James Chan Khay Syn. The city obtained a city status on 1 August 1988, and since that it was administered by Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS).


title: Kuching

text: The city is defined within the borders of what is the Kuching District. With an area of 1,868.83 square kilometres, it is the most populous district in Sarawak. The area then subdivided into two sub-districts, namely Kuching Proper and Padawan. Kuching Proper included the city area and northern part of Padawan municipality (e.g. Batu Kawah, Matang Jaya), while Padawan sub-district (southern part of Padawan municipality) included Kota Padawan, Teng Bukap and Borneo Highlands (Mambong). The combined area of Kuching North City Hall, Kuching South City Council, Padawan Municipal Council, and the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council is known as Greater Kuching.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching is located on the banks of the Sarawak River in the northwestern part of the island of Borneo. The limits of the City of Kuching include all that area in Kuching District containing an area approximately bounded from "Gunung Lasak" (Mount Lasak) in Muara Tebas to "Batu Buaya" (Crocodile Rock) in the Santubong peninsula following a series of survey marks as stated in the First Schedule of the "City of Kuching Ordinance, 1988". As a simplification of the legal statute, the Kuching city limits extend from the Kuching International Airport in the south to the northern coast of the Santubong and Bako peninsulas; from the Kuching Wetlands National Park in the west to the Kuap River estuary in the east. The Sarawak River generally splits the city into North and South. The highest point in the city is Mount Santubong on the Santubong peninsula, which is at above sea level, located 35 km north of the city centre. Rapid urbanisation has occurred in Greater Kuching and the urban sprawl extends to Penrissen, Kota Sentosa, Kota Padawan, Batu Kawah, Matang, Samariang, Siburan, Tarat, Kota Samarahan, Asajaya as well as Serian which is located about 65 km from Kuching.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), moderately hot but very humid at times and receives substantial rainfall. The average annual rainfall is approximately . Kuching is the wettest populated area (on average) in Malaysia with an average of 247 rainy days per year. Kuching receives only 5 hours of sunshine per day on average and an average of only 3.7 hours of sunshine per day in the month of January (wettest month of the year). The wettest times are during the North-East Monsoon months of November to February and the city's driest months are June through August. The temperature in Kuching ranges from to but the average temperature is around in the early hours of the morning and rises to around during mid afternoon. This temperature stays almost constant throughout the year if it is not affected by the heavy rain and strong winds during the early hours of the morning which can bring the temperature down to , but this is very rare.


title: Kuching

text: The terms "Kuchingite" have been used to describe the people of Kuching, although it is not official. However, the simplest way to call the people of Kuching is only by "orang Kuching", which means "people of Kuching" in English.


title: Kuching

text: In early 2022, Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) reports that Kuching has a total population of 402,738. The city population (North Kuching, South Kuching, and Padawan) consists of Malays (146,067), Chinese (138,620), Iban (82,743), Bidayuh (20,065), Non-Malaysian citizens (5,048), other Sarawak Bumiputras (Orang Ulu) (4,076), Melanau (1,840), Indian (3,257) and others (1,022). The Chinese are made up of Hokkien in the city areas and Hakka in the suburbs mainly. Other Chinese subgroups consist of Foochow, Hainanese, Teochew, Cantonese, and Henghua.


title: Kuching

text: The Iban, Bidayuh, Dayak and Orang Ulu are mainly Christians, with some practising Animism, while the Chinese practise either Buddhism, Taoism or Christianity while the most of the Malays and Melanau are Muslim. A number of Hindus, Sikhs and a small number of secularists also exist around the city.


title: Kuching

text: There is a sizeable number of non-citizens, who mostly come from the bordering Indonesian region of Kalimantan, most of whom are migrant workers. Since the British period, a small population of South Asian especially Pakistanis have exist around the city by running their business mainly in selling clothes and spices. Other migrants who came during the time included Bugis from the Dutch East Indies and other races from the neighbour Dutch Borneo. Interracial marriages among those of different ethnic backgrounds are common in Kuching, and the city itself is a home to 30 different ethnic groups.


title: Kuching

text: Beside being the capital city of Sarawak, Kuching became a business and cultural centre for the Malays of Sarawak. The dialect of Malay spoken in Kuching is known as Bahasa Sarawak (Sarawakian Malay Language), which is a subset of the Malay language. The dialect used in Kuching is a little different from the dialect used in Miri. Since the second largest population in the city is made up of Han Chinese, the Chinese language is also commonly used, particularly Hokkien, Hakka, and Mandarin Chinese. Almost all residents are able to speak English. A number of special private schools that teach English for expatriate children can be found through the city.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching is one of the main industrial and commercial centres for Sarawak. Many state-level, national-level, and international commercial banks, as well as some insurance companies establish their headquarters and branches here. The economy is dominated by the primary sector and currently by the tertiary-based industry as the state government wants to aim Sarawak to be transformed into a developed state by 2020.


title: Kuching

text: There are 3 industrial areas in Kuching, namely Pending Industrial Estate (Mixed and Light Industries), Demak Laut Industrial Park (Mixed, Light, and Medium Industries), and Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone (Hi-Tech and electronics industry). This is intended to boost the city's commercial and industrial activity to making it a major growth centre in East Malaysia, as well for the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area). Kuching hosted numerous national, regional and international conferences, congress, and trade fairs, such as the Malaysia Global Business Forum, Tomorrow's Leaders Summit, International Hydropower Association (IHA) World Congress, ASEAN Tourism Forum, and Routes Asia Conference. Besides, Kuching was chosen as a permanent host for the biennial Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA). These events are normally held at the Borneo Convention Centre.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching Port Authority (KPA), established in 1961, started its operation at Tanah Puteh Port (Sim Kheng Hong Port) in 1975 with annual capacity of 350,000 tonnes. Its operations has since been shifted to Pending and Senari terminals with annual capacity of 2.9 million tonnes and 7 million tonnes respectively. also controls Biawak Oil Jetty that handles petroleum products.


title: Kuching

text: Historically, the Chinese have contributed to the city economy since their migration during the Brunei Sultanate period after the discovery of antimony ore and also during the Charles Vyner Brooke administration who encouraged the migration of the overseas Chinese to planting black pepper.


title: Kuching

text: Roads in the city are under the jurisdiction and maintenance of either the two local councils, i.e. DBKU (Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara) and MBKS (Majlis Bandaraya Kuching Selatan), or the state's Public Works Department. Roads of the latter category are either state roads or federal roads.


title: Kuching

text: Most major internal roads are dual-carriageways and the city is linked by roads to other towns in Sarawak. These roads are mainly federal roads maintained by the national Public Works Department. The city also famous for a number of roundabouts including the oldest and largest one, known as Datuk Abang Kipali Bin Abang Akip Roundabout. The roundabout are usually landscaped and were efficient to handling traffic congestion. However, traffic lights are more commonly used now as the city traffic continues to rise.


title: Kuching

text: As the city is located near the equator, potholes have the tendency to develop on the roads during the monsoon season, usually at the end of the year due to coinciding with winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Roads leading outside of the city to the interior are of a slightly lower quality but are now being upgraded. Highway routes from Kuching include:


title: Kuching

text: There are two types of taxi operating in the city, the main taxi is the red and yellow while the larger is painted in blue, which is more comfortable but expensive known as the "executive taxis". In 2014, a smartphone taxi booking application named "GrabTaxi" was launched and making the city as the fifth area after Klang Valley, Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, and Johor Bahru that have the applications.


title: Kuching

text: The main bus terminal is the Kuching Sentral, which just launched in 2012. It is located in the south of the city, about 5 minutes away from the Kuching International Airport and 20 minutes from the city centre. The terminal serves a long-distance destination to Brunei, Sabah, and West Kalimantan in Indonesia. Another bus terminal is the Old Kuching Bus Terminal, it is still operating as some of the bus companies that supposed to use the new terminal are unwilling to use the facilities due to some ongoing disagreement. Other minibuses or vans services also available in the city.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching, like most towns in Sarawak, has connections to other urban centres and settlements by water transport. Between the banks of the Sarawak River, near the city centre, many 'tambang' (traditional roofed wooden sampan) can be seen carrying passengers from one riverbank to another. For those staying along the river banks, it is a short way to getting to the city-proper. The wharf for express boats servicing transport to further areas such as Sibu and Bintulu, is located in the east of the city at the Sim Kheng Hong Port (formerly known as the Tanah Puteh Port) in Pending.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching International Airport (KCH) (ICAO Code : WBGG) is the main gateway for air passengers. The airport's history dates back to the 1940s and today the airport has undergoing many major redevelopment. The airport terminal is listed as the fourth busiest airport in Malaysia according to total passenger movements in 2013. Since 2009, the airport has grown rapidly with an increasing number of passengers and aircraft movement. It is the secondary hub for Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia while became the third hub for MASWings, which serves flights to smaller towns and rural areas in East Malaysia.


title: Kuching

text: The current court complex is located in Petra Jaya. It contains the High Court, Sessions Court, and the Magistrate Court. Another courts of Syariah and native were also located in the city. The Sarawak Police Contingent Headquarters is located in Badruddin Street. There is only one district headquarters in the city, which is the Kuching District police headquarters located in Simpang Tiga Road. Kuching Prison Complex is located in Puncak Borneo Street. Temporary lock-ups or prison cells are found in most police stations around the city.


title: Kuching

text: There are many types of health services in the city, such as the main public hospitals, public health clinics, other type of health clinics, mobile clinic, flying doctor service, village clinics, and 1Malaysia clinic. The main hospital is the Sarawak General Hospital which is the oldest hospital since 1923. Another hospital is Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital. Hospital Sentosa (Sentosa Mental Hospital), opened in 1958, provides psychiatric services for the entire state and known as the second oldest hospital in Sarawak after the main hospital.


title: Kuching

text: Normah Medical Specialist Centre in Petra Jaya is the largest private hospital with (130 beds) in Sarawak. In addition, three other large private health facilities are Borneo Medical Centre with (120 beds), Timberland Medical Centre with (100 beds), and KPJ Healthcare with (75 beds). Kuching Specialist Hospital located in BDC was scheduled to open its operation to the public in 2020, with a 70-bed capacity.


title: Kuching

text: In the city, all schools under the National Education System (government education institution category), are managed by the Kuching Combined Education Office ("Pejabat Pelajaran Gabungan Kuching"). There are many government or state schools in and around the city. Like other Malaysian schools, schools in the city are divided into four levels of education — pre-school, primary, secondary (lower and upper) and post-secondary (excluding tertiary). Among the well-established and prestigious boarding schools in the city is Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching, which is located at Batu Kawa and Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuching Utara, which is located at Matang Jaya. Other govermernment secondary schools including some of the oldest and well known are SMK St. Joseph, SMK St. Thomas, SMK St. Teresa and SMK St. Mary as well as others like SMK Greenroad, Kolej Datu Patinggi Abang Haji Abdillah, SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg, SMK Batu Lintang, and SMK Padungan. Kuching has 4 out of 14 Chinese independent schools in Sarawak. These are Chung Hua Middle School No. 1 (古晋中华第一中学), Chung Hua Middle School No. 3 (古晋中华第三中学), Chung Hua Middle School No. 4 (古晋中华第四中学) and Batu Kawa Min Lit secondary school (石角民立中学). There are also two international schools in Kuching namely Tunku Putra International School and Lodge International School. Other private schools in Kuching are Sunny Hill School and St Joseph Private Schools.


title: Kuching

text: There are currently no public university campuses in Kuching, apart from the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences building situated next to the Sarawak General Hospital. The Sarawak state government moved the last remaining public university campus (Universiti Teknologi MARA) from Kuching to Kota Samarahan in 1997 in a long-term initiative to transform Kota Samarahan into an education hub. Kuching is home to three private universities: the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, the only branch campus of Swinburne University of Technology outside Australia; Executive College; and UCSI University, Sarawak Campus which houses the Faculty of Hospitality and Management. A polytechnic and community college, both known as Politeknik Kuching Sarawak and Kolej Komuniti Kuching are also located in the city.


title: Kuching

text: Other private colleges can be found through the city with most of the colleges are subsidiaries from universities and university colleges established in West Malaysia, such as SEGi College, Sarawak, Sunway College Kuching, Limkokwing Borneo, PTPL Sarawak, Wawasan Open University, Open University Malaysia, and Twintech College Sarawak. There are private institutions conducting franchised programmes from full-fledged universities (apart from running their own courses) such as SATT College (conducting franchised programmes from Universiti Teknologi MARA) and the Institute of Dynamic Management, Sarawak (conducting franchised programmes from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak). The International College of Advanced Technology Sarawak or ICATS is an institution created as the state government's initiative to enhance technical and vocational training education among school leavers. The college was established from the former INTI College Sarawak facilities. Operated by a state-owned subsidiary, ICATS focuses on producing human capital for the hi-tech sector, especially for the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.


title: Kuching

text: The Sarawak State Library is the major information resource centre and provides information services for the public and private sectors. The library serves Kuching and its outskirts as the main depository of public records. In addition, it administers, monitors, and facilitates the operations of 36 village libraries in the state funded by the National Library of Malaysia.


title: Kuching

text: Other public libraries in Kuching include the DBKU City Library and village libraries such as in Bandar Baru Samariang, Kampung Samariang Lama, and Taman Sepakat Jaya.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching maintains several museums showcasing its culture and history. The Sarawak State Museum, is one of the finest museums in Asia and known as Kuching's oldest and most historical building, which exhibits collections of the indigenous races in Sarawak. Directly opposite the Sarawak Museum is the Borneo Cultures Museum which replaced the Tun Abdul Razak Hall. The Borneo Cultures Museum (opened on 9th March 2022) is a modern five-storey building with a distinctive architectural design that reflects Sarawak’s unique traditional crafts and rich cultural heritage. While located right behind the Borneo Cultures Museum is the Islamic Heritage Museum.


title: Kuching

text: Other museums in Kuching include the Chinese History Museum, Kuching Cat Museum, Sarawak Timber Museum and Textile Museum Sarawak. Kuching is also home to the first ever planetarium in Malaysia, the Sultan Iskandar Planetarium which adjacent to the Kuching Civic Centre.


title: Kuching

text: Interesting historical landmarks and sites of Kuching include The Astana (the former palace of the White Rajahs and currently the official residence of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak), and Fort Margherita.


title: Kuching

text: The oldest street of Kuching is the Main Bazaar, a row of 19th century Chinese shophouses located along the Kuching Waterfront overlooking the Sarawak River. It offers the city's best concentration of antique and handicraft shops. The Main Bazaar is part of Kuching's old town, which also includes the Carpenter Street and India Street. The old Courthouse building, which sits in between Carpenter Street and India Street, has undergone major renovation and now houses the Sarawak Tourism Board complex. Some other interesting areas around the central business district include Padungan Street, which is the Chinatown of Kuching. In 2014, calls for the Historic Monuments of Kuching's inclusion in the world heritage list were made public. In 2017, a study was conducted on the possibility of Kuching to be nominated in the world heritage list.


title: Kuching

text: A number of leisure spots and conservation areas can be found in Kuching. The Talang-Satang National Park was established with the primary aim of conserving Sarawak's marine turtle population. It covers a total area of approximately , and comprises all lands below the high tide marks on the respective islands. The park also comprises the coastline and sea surrounding four islands of the southwest coast of Sarawak; Talang Besar, Talang Kecil off Sematan, and Satang Besar and Satang Kecil off Santubong, near Kuching. These four "Turtle Islands" are responsible for 95% of all the turtle landings in Sarawak and the park also includes the Tukong Ara-Banun Island Wildlife Sanctuary, two tiny islets which are important nesting sites for colonies of bridled terns and black-naped terns.


title: Kuching

text: Damai, one of Sarawak's main beach resort area, is located on the Santubong Peninsula, about 35 minutes drive from Kuching. The area has sandy beaches at the foot of an imposing jungle-covered mountain. Damai features three world-class resort hotels such as the Damai Beach Resort, Damai Puri Resort and Spa and One Hotel Santubong. Each resort has their own private beach, swimming pool and offers jet-skiing, waterskiing, windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis, squash and fitness centres. There is also an international standard 18-hole golf course designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer located nearby. Other attractions include the Damai Central, Permai Rainforest Resort, Sarawak Cultural Village and the sleepy fishing villages of Santubong and Buntal with their excellent seafood restaurants. While for visitors who like adventurous activities, there is a trekking activity on Mount Santubong.


title: Kuching

text: Aside from that, Damai is also one of the places in Sarawak to see the Irrawaddy dolphin as the mammals can be spotted along the Salak River, Santubong estuary and at the Bako-Buntal Bay. The Santubong Peninsula offers a few sites for bird watching with the BirdLife International Organisation has registered the whole area on Bako-Buntal Bay as an 'Important Bird Area'. Between October and March, the Buntal River becomes an important wintering ground for bird migration. Birds which have been spotted by the Malaysian Nature Society (Kuching Branch) at Buntal include a variety of plovers, sandpipers, egrets, terns, and other rare migrants, while resident birds include collared kingfisher, the white-bellied sea eagle, and brahminy kite.


title: Kuching

text: National parks in Kuching include the Bako National Park and the Kuching Wetlands National Park as well as the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre which operates an orangutan orphanage and rehabilitation program. Also available near Kuching are the Gunung Gading National Park and the Kubah National Park. Located about 40-minutes drive from Kuching is Santubong, a prominent beach resort area home to numerous world-class beach resorts. Other beaches near Kuching are the Lundu Beach and the Sematan Beach. The Borneo Highlands Resort is also nearby, located 1000-metres above sea level.


title: Kuching

text: The Kuching Waterfront is a 2 kilometre long riverside esplanade stretching from the main hotel and commercial heartland of the city to downtown Kuching. Designed by Sydney architects, the waterfront landscaped is served with food stalls, restaurants, benches and offers an excellent views of the Astana, Fort Margherita, and the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. The waterfront also features an observation tower, an open-air theatre and musical fountains.


title: Kuching

text: The Kuching Orangutan Murals are vital images of a wheelbarrow filled with eight young orangutans and another baby orangutan swinging from a pipe. It was painted by Ernest Zacharevic along Power Street in the city on 27 April 2014. This latest mural is painted in Zacharevic's usual interactive style, with an actual wheelbarrow sliced into half and secured to the wall to enable the public to take selfies while holding onto the handle. On the other hand, the baby orangutan was painted over a nail on the wall, where people can 'place' items in its hand.


title: Kuching

text: Kuching features a number of shopping malls. These include VivaCity Megamall, Aeon Mall Kuching Central, The Spring, Plaza Merdeka, Farley Mall, CityONE Megamall, Kuching Sentral, Emart Lee Ling, Emart Batu Kawa, Emart Tabuan Jaya, Eco Mall, MetroMall, Aeroville Mall, Eastern Mall, Matang Mall, Sarawak Plaza, Riverside Shopping Complex, Majma' Mall, Moyan Square, Genesis Parade, Green Heights Mall, Wisma Saberkas, and many more. More shopping malls are set to open in the city as construction continues. The Satok Weekend Market is located at Medan Niaga Satok and operated in Saturdays and Sundays. A varieties of vegetables and fruits can be found there including other handicrafts, forest produce (such as wild honey), orchid plants, and a whole range of local snacks and delicacies.


title: Kuching

text: There are five cinemas located around the city, most of them located inside shopping malls buildings (The Spring, CityONE, VivaCity, Riverside, Summer Mall). Most of the cinemas are owned by either Golden Screen Cinemas, MBO Cinemas, Lotus Five Star and TGV Cinemas. Bookaroo, a children's literature festival, travelled from India to Kuching since 2016 and takes place in April on the city every year to featuring the Bookaroo Kuching Fest. The festival invites authors, illustrators, storytellers, and performers from all over the world, urging children to bring books with them.


title: Kuching

text: Since 1997, Kuching has been host to the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), an annual music festival which brings performers and spectators to the region from all over the world. Hosted by the Sarawak Cultural Village near the Mount Santubong, the festival is now one of the largest musical events in Malaysia. RWMF had been voted as Top 25 Best International Festivals by the British-based magazine Songlines.


title: Kuching

text: Music radio station set up in Sarawak is Radio Klasik FM (87.6), Nasional FM (88.1), Sarawak FM (88.9), TraXX FM (89.9), Ai FM (90.7), Cats FM (99.3), Hot FM (94.3), Hitz (95.3), Era (96.1), My (96.9), Mix (97.7), One FM (98.3), Lite Sarawak (100.1), Bernama Radio (100.9), Sinar (102.1) and Melody (103.7).


title: Kuching

text: Several countries have set up their consulates in Kuching, including Australia, Brunei, China, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Poland and the United Kingdom.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: Julius Shareef Abdur-Rahim (born December 11, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and current president of the NBA G League. He was also the director of player personnel for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the general manager of the Reno Bighorns, the Kings' minor-league affiliate. He last played in the NBA for the Kings. On the basketball court, he played both forward and center positions. He left the University of California, Berkeley after one year to enter the 1996 NBA draft.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: During his early NBA career, Abdur-Rahim was the star of the Vancouver Grizzlies. He was traded by the Grizzlies in 2001 and then played for the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers before joining his last team, the Sacramento Kings. Nicknamed Reef, Abdur-Rahim was named an NBA All-Star in the 2001–02 season. He also played on the United States men's national basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Until he joined the Kings, despite the fact that he achieved solid statistics throughout his career, Abdur-Rahim had played the second most games in NBA history without making a playoff appearance (744); in 2006, he made the playoffs for first and only time. Following persistent injuries to his right knee, Abdur-Rahim announced his retirement from basketball on September 22, 2008.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: Shareef Abdur-Rahim is the second eldest sibling in the family of twelve children born to Aminah and William Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim, whose first name means "noble" and whose last name means "Servant of the Most Merciful One, is a devout Muslim. He values his parents for their guiding influence on him since his youth and credits them with his life philosophy: "remember how you came on all your accomplishments and stay humble." From an early age, Abdur-Rahim was surrounded by family members who played basketball; his brother, Muhammad, played at the University of Detroit while his younger brother, Amir, played at Southeastern Louisiana University. Abdur-Rahim himself started playing competitive basketball at Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. At Wheeler, he was named "Mr. Basketball" in back-to-back seasons, and he led the school to a state title as a junior in 1994. In his senior year, Abdur-Rahim averaged 31 points, 12.4 rebounds and 4 blocks per game.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: Abdur-Rahim later attended college at the University of California, Berkeley, where he maintained a GPA of 3.5. At California, he averaged 21.1 points per game (ppg) and 8.4 rebounds per game (rpg) in 28 games. He was the first freshman in Pac-10 history to win Conference Player of the Year honors, and was named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press. Also named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, Abdur-Rahim set single-season freshman records for points, scoring average, field goals, and free throws. After a year at California, however, he decided to leave college to enter the 1996 NBA draft.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: Abdur-Rahim was selected third overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1996 Draft, behind Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby. He made an immediate impact playing for the Grizzlies, becoming the team's leading scorer while setting a franchise record of 18.7 points per game. He also averaged 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. On January 11, 1997, Abdur-Rahim scored a season high 37 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a 109–101 loss against the Kings. He finished third in balloting for the Schick NBA Rookie of the Year behind Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Minnesota's Stephon Marbury, and he was picked for the All-Rookie First Team. By the end of the 1996–97 season, Abdur-Rahim led the team in scoring on 33 occasions, rebounding on 23 occasions.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: For the next few seasons, Abdur-Rahim remained the centerpiece of the Grizzlies team. In his sophomore season, he averaged 22.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The following season, he elevated his performance with 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. On February 17, 1999, Abdur-Rahim scored a then career high 39 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and recorded 5 assists in a 131-129 triple over time loss against the Celtics. Despite his best efforts, the Grizzlies remained at the bottom two spots of the Midwest Division in his first four seasons. In the 2000–01 season, Abdur-Rahim finished with a 20.5-point average for the fourth straight season and was ranked in the top 20 in 13 NBA statistical categories, once again leading the Grizzlies in both points and rebounds per game. Abdur-Rahim's importance to the team was highlighted in a game against the Indiana Pacers on December 1, 2000, when he earned all of the 20 points scored by the Grizzlies in the final quarter of the game.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: On June 27, 2001, the Atlanta Hawks reached an agreement to acquire Abdur-Rahim and the 27th overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft from the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Brevin Knight, Lorenzen Wright and Pau Gasol, the third overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Abdur-Rahim's return to his hometown, and expected partnership with sophomore Jason Terry, provided a significant amount of buzz around the league. While the Hawks finished the 2001–02 campaign with a 33–49 win–loss record, Abdur-Rahim's performances, including a career-high 50-point game, ensured that he would be selected to the NBA All-Star game for that season.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: In his second season with the Hawks, Abdur-Rahim achieved another personal milestone on December 28, 2002, when his jump shot against the Washington Wizards made him the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000-points. Although Glenn Robinson, Jason Terry and Abdur-Rahim combined to average 57.9 points per game and become the highest-scoring trio in the league for the 2002–03 season, the Hawks failed to make the playoffs again. With an average of 19.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, Abdur-Rahim played in all but one of the Hawks' games. By the end of the season, Hawks General Manager Billy Knight decided major changes had to be made for the franchise to move forward, and Abdur-Rahim was traded the next season.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: Abdur-Rahim was sent, along with Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau, to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 9, 2004, in exchange for Rasheed Wallace and Wesley Person. His impact in the two seasons with the Trail Blazers was considerably less than in previous seasons. His averages were 16.3 points/7.5 rebounds and 16.8 points/7.3 rebounds for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons respectively. At the end of the 2004–05 season, Abdur-Rahim became a free agent.


title: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

text: During the 2005 off-season, he was traded via a sign and trade agreement (in principle) to the New Jersey Nets for a first-round draft pick (which Portland planned to trade to the Phoenix Suns for Leandro Barbosa). On August 4, 2005, though the news conference was planned to announce the postponement of his arrival, it was revealed that he failed a required physical due to scar tissue found in his knee. The trade was put on hold, pending a second opinion from other medical sources. On August 7, Abdur-Rahim was quoted saying: "I don't feel I want to be a Net". He felt the knee was a non-issue, claiming that he never missed a game in his entire career because of the knee injury. Two days later, it was announced that New Jersey decided to rescind the trade.