title: Violence Against Women Act

text: One of the greatest successes of VAWA is its emphasis on a coordinated community response to domestic violence, sex dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; courts, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services, and the private bar currently work together in a coordinated effort that did not exist before at the state and local levels. VAWA also supports the work of community-based organizations that are engaged in work to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; particularly those groups that provide culturally and linguistically specific services. Additionally, VAWA provides specific support for work with tribes and tribal organizations to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking against Native American women.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Many grant programs authorized in VAWA have been funded by the U.S. Congress. The following grant programs, which are administered primarily through the Office on Violence Against Women in the U.S. Department of Justice have received appropriations from Congress:


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had originally expressed concerns about the Act, saying that the increased penalties were rash, that the increased pretrial detention was "repugnant" to the U.S. Constitution, that the mandatory HIV testing of those only charged but not convicted was an infringement of a citizen's right to privacy, and that the edict for automatic payment of full restitution was non-judicious (see their paper: "Analysis of Major Civil Liberties Abuses in the Crime Bill Conference Report as Passed by the House and the Senate", dated September 29, 1994). In 2005, the ACLU had, however, enthusiastically supported reauthorization of VAWA on the condition that the "unconstitutional DNA provision" be removed. That provision would have allowed law enforcement to take DNA samples from arrestees or even from those who had simply been stopped by police without the permission of a court.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: The ACLU, in its July 27, 2005 'Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Regarding the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, S. 1197' stated that "VAWA is one of the most effective pieces of legislation enacted to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It has dramatically improved the law enforcement response to violence against women and has provided critical services necessary to support women in their struggle to overcome abusive situations".


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Some activists opposed the bill. Janice Shaw Crouse, a senior fellow at the conservative, evangelistic Christian Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute, called the Act a "boondoggle" which "ends up creating a climate of suspicion where all men are feared or viewed as violent and all women are viewed as victims". She described the Act in 2012 as creating a "climate of false accusations, rush to judgment and hidden agendas" and criticized it for failing to address the factors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as leading to violent, abusive behavior. Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly denounced VAWA as a tool to "fill feminist coffers" and argued that the Act promoted "divorce, breakup of marriage and hatred of men".


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States held part of VAWA unconstitutional on federalism grounds in "United States v. Morrison". That decision invalidated only the civil remedy provision of VAWA. The provisions providing program funding were unaffected.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In 2005, the reauthorization of VAWA (as HR3402) defined what population benefited under the term of "Underserved Populations" described as "Populations underserved because of geographic location, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs (such as language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age) and any other population determined to be underserved by the Attorney General or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as appropriate". The reauthorization also "Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968" to "prohibit officials from requiring sex offense victims to submit to a polygraph examination as a condition for proceeding with an investigation or prosecution of a sex offense."


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In 2011, the law expired. In 2012 the law was up for reauthorization in Congress. Different versions of the legislation were passed along party lines in the Senate and House, with the Republican-sponsored House version favoring the reduction of services to undocumented immigrants and LGBT individuals. Another area of contention was the provision of the law giving Native American tribal authorities jurisdiction over sex crimes involving non-Native Americans on tribal lands. By repealing a portion of the 1978 Oliphant v. Suquamish ruling, such a provision could alter the constitutional balance between federal, state, and tribal power. Historically Congress has not allowed tribal governments to exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-tribal members. The two bills were pending reconciliation, and a final bill did not reach the President's desk before the end of the year, temporarily ending the coverage of the Act after 18 years, as the 112th Congress adjourned.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: When a bill reauthorizing the act was introduced in 2012, it was opposed by conservative Republicans, who objected to extending the Act's protections to same-sex couples and to provisions allowing battered foreigners residing in the country illegally to claim temporary visas, also known as U visas. The U visa is restricted to 10,000 applicants annually whereas the number of applicants far exceeds these 10,000 for each fiscal year. In order to be considered for the U visa, one of the requirements for immigrant women is that they need to cooperate in the detention of the abuser. Studies show that 30 to 50% of immigrant women are suffering from physical violence and 62% experience physical or psychological abuse in contrast to only 21% of citizens in the United States.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In April 2012, the Senate voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, and the House subsequently passed its own measure (omitting provisions of the Senate bill that would protect gays, Native Americans living in reservations, and immigrants who are victims of domestic violence). Reconciliation of the two bills was stymied by procedural measures, leaving the re-authorization in question. The Senate's 2012 re-authorization of VAWA was not brought up for a vote in the House.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In 2013, the question of jurisdiction over offenses in Native American country continued to be at issue over the question of whether defendants who are not tribal members would be treated fairly by tribal courts or afforded constitutional guarantees.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On February 12, 2013, the Senate passed an extension of the Violence Against Women Act by a vote of 78–22. The measure went to the House of Representatives where jurisdiction of tribal courts and inclusion of same-sex couples were expected to be at issue. Possible solutions advanced were permitting either removal or appeal to federal courts by non-tribal defendants. The Senate had tacked on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act which is another bone of contention due to a clause which requires provision of reproductive health services to victims of sex trafficking.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On February 28, 2013, in a 286–138 vote, the House passed the Senate's all-inclusive version of the bill. House Republicans had previously hoped to pass their own version of the measure—one that substantially weakened the bill's protections for certain categories. The stripped-down version, which allowed only limited protection for LGBT and Native Americans, was rejected 257 to 166. The renewed act expanded federal protections to gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals, Native Americans and immigrants.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On March 7, 2013, President Barack Obama signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Prior to the 2013 passing of VAWA, Native American women who were the victims of non-Native American assault were not covered by the law. The Oliphant v. Squamish Indian Tribe case from 1978 was overturned by provisions added to the new VAWA 2013, which also makes it possible for non-Native Americans to be prosecuted in tribal courts for domestic or dating violence perpetrated against Native Americans.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: LGBTQ people experience domestic abuse at the same 25%–33% rate as other members of the community. VAWA 2013 develops programs and laws to protect the rights of LGBTQ people who have been the victims of IPV (intimate partner violence). LGBTQ victims are expressly included in two important VAWA grant programs by the act. It is now against the law for LGBTQ people to be dismissed from shelters or other VAWA-funded services because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to a nondiscrimination clause in VAWA.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Each year, 50,000 individuals are reportedly trafficked into the US, according to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Occasionally, victims of trafficking experience the same forms of abuse as those who have experienced violence from an intimate partner: physical and sexual violence, financial control, threats, intimidation, and restriction on freedom of movement.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Neither the number of U Visas nor the government's interest in studying crime in immigrant communities increased as a result of VAWA 2013. Based on data provided by Migration Policy Institute, 18.9 million(12%) of all women in the United States are immigrants. The number of immigrants who have been victims of IPV is unknown because national studies haven't been conducted to look at this issue in immigrant communities.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: A total of 138 House Republicans voted against the version of the act that became law. However, several, including Steve King (R-Iowa), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Tim Walberg (R-Michigan), Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri), Keith Rothfus (R-Pennsylvania), and Tim Murphy (R-Pennsylvania), claimed to have voted in favor of the act. Some have called this claim disingenuous because the group only voted in favor of a GOP proposed alternative version of the bill that did not contain provisions intended to protect gays, lesbians and transgender individuals, Native Americans and undocumented immigrants.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: VAWA was reauthorized by bipartisan majorities in Congress in 2000 as part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (H.R. 3244), and again in December 2005, and signed by President George W. Bush. The Act's 2012 renewal was opposed by conservative Republicans, who objected to extending the Act's protections to same-sex couples and to provisions allowing battered undocumented immigrants to claim temporary visas. Ultimately, VAWA was again reauthorized in 2013, after a long legislative battle throughout 2012–2013.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On September 12, 2013, at an event marking the 19th anniversary of the bill, Vice President Joe Biden criticized the Republicans who slowed the passage of the reauthorization of the act as being "this sort of Neanderthal crowd".


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: As a result of the United States federal government shutdown of 2018–2019, the Violence Against Women Act expired on December 21, 2018. It was temporarily reauthorized by a short-term spending bill on January 25, 2019, but expired again on February 15, 2019.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On April 4, 2019, the reauthorization act passed in the House by a vote of 263–158, this time including closing the boyfriend loophole. All Democrats voting were joined by 33 Republicans voted for passage. New York Representative Elise Stefanik said Democrats "...have refused to work with Republicans in a meaningful way," adding, "the House bill will do nothing but 'collect dust' in the GOP-controlled Senate. The bill has indeed been ignored by the Senate."


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On December 9, 2019, following the firearm murder of a Houston police officer on duty by a boyfriend who had been abusive towards his girlfriend, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo criticized Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) for preventing a vote on the VAWA reauthorization. Acevedo said "I don't want to hear about how much they care about lives and the sanctity of lives yet, we all know in law enforcement that one of the biggest reasons that the Senate and Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and others are not getting into a room and having a conference committee with the House and getting the Violence Against Women's Act (passed) is because the NRA doesn't like the fact that we want to take firearms out of the hands of boyfriends that abuse their girlfriends. And who killed our sergeant? A boyfriend abusing his girlfriend. So you're either here for women and children and our daughters and our sisters and our aunts, or you're here for the NRA."


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: In a follow-up interview with CNN, Acevedo said his criticism of Senators Cruz, Cornyn and McConnell was not political, because "death is not political—you see, death is final." He challenged Senator Cruz to directly answer whether he supports closing the boyfriend loophole, and said that failing to address it would put the Senators "on the wrong side of history". Senator Cornyn said that Acevedo was "mistaken" in invoking the VAWA.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: On March 15, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the reauthorization of VAWA into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (H.R. 2471); it is called the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The reauthorization act does not include provisions to close the boyfriend loophole.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: When a victim is the beneficiary of an order of protection, per VAWA it was generally enforceable nationwide under the terms of full faith and credit. Although the order may be granted only in a specific state, full faith and credit requires that it be enforced in other states as though the order was granted in their states.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: VAWA allows for the possibility that certain individuals who might not otherwise be eligible for immigration benefits may petition for US permanent residency on the grounds of a close relationship with a US citizen or permanent resident who has been abusing them. The following persons are eligible to benefit from the immigration provisions of VAWA:


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Although the title of the Act and the titles of its sections refer to victims of domestic violence as women, the operative text is gender-neutral, providing coverage for male victims as well. Individual organizations have not been successful in using VAWA to provide equal coverage for men. The law has twice been amended in attempts to address this situation. The 2005 reauthorization added a non-exclusivity provision clarifying that the title should not be construed to prohibit male victims from receiving services under the Act. The 2013 reauthorization added a non-discrimination provision that prohibits organizations receiving funding under the Act from discriminating on the basis of sex, although the law allows an exception for "sex segregation or sex-specific programming" when it is deemed to be "necessary to the essential operations of a program." Jan Brown, the Founder and Executive Director of the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women contends that the Act may not be sufficient to ensure equal access to services.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: The prison abolition movement has been critical of VAWA for its focus on policing, surveillance, and incarceration, particularly mandatory incarceration requirements, and the disproportionate number of people of color who have been arrested and incarcerated using VAWA provisions. Notable people who have criticized aspects of the VAWA include Victoria Law, Beth Richie, Gina Dent, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, and Angela Davis.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: However, VAWA itself has successfully brought a large number of benefits to society in the following aspects according to government documents.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: As the restriction constrained by VAWA, according to the US Department of Justice, the rate of rape and sexual assault, domestic violence homicide, as well as nonfatal domestic violence have been effectively reduced. It also provided several grant programs related to child abuse, women's shelters, and rape prevention, etc. For example, the annual rates of sexual violence have declined by 58% from 1994 to 2010. Also, intimate partner homicide rates have declined by 35% for women and 46% for men between 1993 and 2007, suggested by Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Since the beginning of VAWA, partnerships between law enforcement, criminal justice, advocacy, and healthcare experts have grown stronger, leading to more successful crime investigations, prosecutions, and victim assistance. Due to VAWA, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, our communities become safer: Intimate partner violence against women decreased 53% between 1993 and 2008 after the adoption of VAWA, from 9.4 victimizations per 1,000 females aged 12 or older to 4.3 victimizations per 1,000. Approximately 2.1 million victims of intimate relationship abuse were reported in 1994, but only 907,000 were reported in 2010. VAWA provides funding for preventative programs that work to end sexual violence before it even starts, protecting our loved ones, families, and children.


title: Violence Against Women Act

text: Official federal government groups that have developed, being established by President Barack Obama, in relation to the Violence Against Women Act include the White House Council on Women and Girls and the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The ultimate aims of both groups are to help improve and/or protect the well-being and safety of women and girls in the United States.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The Springfield Armory M1A is a semi-automatic rifle made by Springfield Armory, Inc., beginning in 1974, based on the M14 rifle, for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. "M1A" is a proprietary name for Springfield Armory's M14-pattern rifle. Early M1A rifles were built with surplus G.I. parts until Springfield Armory, Inc. began manufacturing their own.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The M14 was developed to take the place of 4 different weapons systems: the M1 Garand, M1 carbine, M3 submachine gun, and M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). It was thought that in this manner the M14 could simplify the logistical requirements of the troops by limiting the types of ammunition and parts needed to be supplied. It proved to be an impossible task to replace all four as the cartridge was too powerful for the submachine gun role and the weapon was too light to serve as a light machine gun replacement for the BAR.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The Springfield Armory M1A is, for the most part, identical to the M14. There are, however, a few important differences:


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: M1A receivers are made from precision investment cast AISI 8620 alloy steel. The military M14 receivers were manufactured using the drop forge process, which is more complicated and more expensive. Until around the late 1990s, the M1A produced by Springfield Armory retained the cutout in the rear right of the stock for the selector switch found on the M14. Springfield Armory has also omitted the "7.62-MM" caliber designator on the M1A receiver since 1991.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: Once the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 was passed prohibiting the manufacture of firearms with bayonet lugs (among other features), the M1A no longer shipped with a bayonet lug. Although the 1994 law expired in September 2004, making bayonet lugs on newly manufactured firearms legal again (in most states), Springfield Armory has not restored that feature. Since the bayonet lug is attached to the flash suppressor, "post-ban" rifles can easily be fitted with a bayonet lug by fitting a pre-ban flash suppressor.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The California Assault Weapons Ban prohibits flash suppressors on all semi-automatic rifles capable of accepting a detachable magazine. As a result, Springfield Armory designed a muzzle brake, which they installed in place of the standard flash suppressor on all models that were sold in California. The muzzle brake reduces climb of the barrel, making the rifle easier to control.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: Most of the M1A rifles manufactured since 1971 were made for the commercial market, and thus were only capable of semi-automatic fire. Springfield Armory, Inc. and Smith Enterprise Inc. were the two companies that produced select fire M14 type rifles for civilian ownership. Up until May 1986, Springfield Armory, Inc. had a Full Auto Department at their factory in Illinois. A few M1A rifles were converted to select fire and registered with the ATF by Class II manufacturers like Neal Smith and Rock Island Armory. The receivers of these select fire rifles have the selector lug and operating rod rail cuts for the connector assembly.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: Besides the standard M1A, Springfield Armory also produces multiple variants. The M21 Tactical and M25 White Feather have been discontinued.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The Loaded variants are available with either a walnut or synthetic stock, and one model comes with a Precision Adjustable Stock. All Loaded models include the following features:


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The Loaded models do not have the action glass bedded into the stock as do the National Match models.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: Two M1As are advertised as match rifles, the National Match M1A and the Super Match M1A. The National Match is a more basic model, while the Super Match is more customizable has additional features on some models such as a McMillan stock and a Douglas stainless steel barrel.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The Scout Squad is an M1A marketed toward law enforcement users. It has an barrel, a forward-mounted optical sight base, and a proprietary muzzle stabilizer. It is advertised as being optimal for Aimpoint optics, although most mounts attached to the factory accessory rail will still require a cheekrest in order to get the proper weld. It is available in both wood stocked and synthetic furniture options with different colours of wood and synthetic stocks.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The SOCOM 16 and SOCOM II are modern variants of the M14 manufactured with lighter materials. SOCOM is an abbreviation which refers to the United States Special Operations Command. These variants have a barrel that is just slightly longer than the minimum barrel length of permissible without taxing and registration under the National Firearms Act in the United States. The gas system was reworked to ensure proper operation with the shortened barrel, and a new muzzle brake was added to help soften recoil.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The SOCOM 16 was introduced in 2004, with the SOCOM II being introduced the following year; they are essentially the same except for their accessory rails. An uncommon variant called the SOCOM II Extended Cluster Rail features a longer top rail that extends over the ejection port to the stripper clip guide, allowing the operator to mount optics farther to the rear. It appears the SOCOM II was discontinued at the end of 2014. The SOCOM 16 CQB (close-quarters battle), a SOCOM 16 with a pistol grip and telescoping stock, was introduced in early 2016.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The SOCOM 16 and SOCOM II are largely identical to the standard M1A, but feature a barrel, rather than the standard model's barrel. The specially designed muzzle brake is designed to reduce the increased recoil produced by the shorter barrel. In addition to the top accessory rail for optics, the rifle has enclosed Garand-style iron sights, with tritium inserts for low or dim light conditions. The rifle will accept any M14 magazine, with typical capacities of 5, 10, or 20 rounds.


title: Springfield Armory M1A

text: The only difference between the SOCOM 16 and SOCOM II is the Picatinny rails. The SOCOM 16 features a short length of Picatinny rail in front of the action, above the handguard, while the SOCOM II features a continuous top Picatinny rail from just ahead of the action to the front of the handguard, and shorter lengths of rail on the sides and bottom of the handguard. The extra Picatinny rails allow for more attachments, including scopes, grips, lights, and lasers, but also means the SOCOM II weighs , compared to the SOCOM 16's . Because the rails add weight at the front of the weapon, it is more muzzle-heavy than the SOCOM 16, making it more difficult for some users to engage multiple targets quickly.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: The Hunted is a 2003 American action thriller film directed by William Friedkin and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio del Toro, and Connie Nielsen.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Aaron Hallam, a former Delta Force operator, has spent much of his career performing covert assassinations and black operations for the U.S. government. He is awarded the Silver Star for his service in the Kosovo War, but is left wracked with PTSD from the atrocities he witnessed.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: In the wilderness of Silver Falls State Park, Oregon, Hallam encounters two hunters equipped with expensive scoped rifles. Hallam tells them that, due to their use of guns and scopes, they are not "true hunters". Insulted, the hunters pursue him, but are overwhelmed by Hallam's tactics and traps and are killed.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: L.T. Bonham, a former civilian instructor of military survival and combat training, lives secluded deep in the woods of British Columbia. He is approached by the FBI, who ask him to help apprehend Hallam, one of his former students. Bonham agrees and joins the FBI task force pursuing Hallam, led by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Abby Durrell. Bonham discovers Hallam's personal effects in a tree and encounters Hallam. As the two of them fight, Hallam is struck by an FBI tranquilizer and taken into custody.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: During his interrogation, Hallam is uncooperative and looks mainly to Bonham, who he views as a father figure. The FBI, unsure what to do, hand him to the custody of his fellow JSOC operators, who tell the FBI that Hallam cannot stand trial due to the classified operations he had participated in. While being transported, the operators indicate that they intend to kill Hallam to ensure his silence; Hallam manages to kill all the operatives and escape.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: Alerted to the incident, Bonham and the FBI search for Hallam. Bonham finds him at the house of his ex-girlfriend and her daughter in Portland, but he flees after Abby arrives to apprehend him. Pursued by the FBI and the Portland Police Bureau, Hallam ambushes and kills pursuing FBI agents in a sewer and attempts to board a streetcar to blend in. The police block the bridge the streetcar is on, and he dives off the bridge, fleeing upstream.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: Resurfacing up the river, Hallam crafts a knife out of reclaimed metal, as Bonham taught him. Meanwhile, Bonham crafts his own knife out of stone and enters the wilderness alone in search of Hallam. Bonham is caught by one of Hallam's traps and is thrown down a waterfall. Surviving, he meets Hallam at the bottom, and they engage in hand-to-hand combat. The two sustain severe injuries, and Bonham's knife is broken, but Bonham manages to gain the upper hand and stab Hallam with his own knife, killing him as Abby and the FBI arrive.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: Bonham, mostly recovered, returns to his home in British Columbia. He starts to burn Hallam's letters, in which he expressed his concerns over the things he witnessed during his service.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: The film was partially filmed in and around Portland, Oregon and Silver Falls State Park. Portland scenes were filmed in Oxbow Park, the South Park Blocks, the Columbia Blvd Treatment Plant, and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The technical adviser for the film was Tom Brown Jr., an American outdoorsman and wilderness survival expert. The story is partially inspired by a real-life incident involving Brown, who was asked to track down a former pupil and Special Forces sergeant who had evaded capture by authorities. This story is told in Tom's book, "Case Files Of The Tracker". Chapter 2 of this book, "My Frankenstein," describes Brown's tracking and fight with a former special operations veteran.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: The hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting in the film featured Filipino Martial Arts. Thomas Kier and Rafael Kayanan of Sayoc Kali were brought in by Benicio del Toro. They were credited as knife fight choreographers for the film.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: The box office for the film was less than its reported production budget of $55 million. "The Hunted" opened on March 14, 2003 at #3 in 2,516 theaters across North America and grossed $13.48 million during its opening weekend. It went on to gross $34,244,097 in North America and $11,252,437 internationally markets for a worldwide total of $45,496,534.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: The overall critical reaction to the movie was negative. It scored a "Rotten" 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 148 reviews.


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: Many reviewers noted striking similarities to "First Blood", with which this film was unfavorably compared. "Rolling Stone" called it "Just a "Rambo" rehash." While there was some praise for the cinematography and the action scenes, much criticism was directed at the thin plot and characterization, and the general implausibility. Rex Reed of the "New York Observer" called it a "Ludicrous, plotless, ho-hum tale of lurid confrontation." The UK magazine, "Total Film" said the film was "scarcely exciting to watch."


title: The Hunted (2003 film)

text: However, the film also received praise from other high profile critics, particularly for the fact it kept the special effects and stunts restrained. For example, Roger Ebert said, "We've seen so many fancy high-tech computer-assisted fight scenes in recent movies that we assume the fighters can fly. They live in a world of gravity-free speed-up. Not so with Friedkin's characters." He reviewed the film on his own site and scored it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars. "Time Out London" was also positive saying, "Friedkin's lean, mean thriller shows itself more interested in process than context, subtlety and character development pared away in favour of headlong momentum and crunching set pieces."


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), colloquially known as "IC" (; ; ) is the compulsory identity document issued to citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. People must register for an NRIC within one year of attaining the age of 15, or upon becoming a citizen or permanent resident. Re-registrations are required for persons attaining the ages of 30 and 55, unless the person has been issued with an NRIC within ten years prior to the re-registration ages.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The National Registration Act of 1965 (last amendment in 2016) legislates the establishment of a national registry, as well as the issuance and usage of NRICs. The government agency responsible for the national registry and issuance of NRICs is the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), a department under the Ministry of Home Affairs.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The current NRIC takes the form of a credit card-size polycarbonate card. The polycarbonate cards were first issued in the 1990s, replacing the larger laminated cards issued since 1966. The NRIC comes in two main colour schemes: pink for Singaporean citizens and blue for permanent residents (PR). Each card is identified by an NRIC number ("Identity Card Number"), which is a unique set of nine alpha-numerics given to each citizen or PR.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Biometric data collected during card registration includes the person's left and right thumbprints, and since 2017, iris images.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Any change or error in the information on the NRIC (apart from change of address) must be reported within 28 days to ICA for a replacement card. A change of address does not require a replacement card, but must be reported within 28 days to ICA. Since 1 October 2020, reporting a change in address is done via an online e-service at the ICA website. For verification, a 6-digit PIN is mailed to the new address, and the applicant is asked to enter the PIN into the e-service. After successful verification, a sticker showing the new address will be mailed to the applicant, who then must paste the sticker over the old address on the NRIC.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The front side of the card features the words "REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE" and the coat of arms of Singapore across the top, and contains the following information:


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: A number of security features can be found on the front side of the card. The words "REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE" change colour when the card is tilted. A window containing a smaller photograph of the holder is located below the main photograph; the window photograph can also be viewed from the reverse side of the card under light. A multiple laser image on the bottom right alternates between the holder's NRIC no. and the lion head symbol when viewed from different angles.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Until 29 September 2002, NRICs indicated its holder's blood group. This information was subsequently removed due to the widespread availability of quick blood group tests that are conducted during medical emergencies.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Since 2008, foreigners residing in Singapore on long-term passes are issued green-coloured polycarbonate Long Term Pass cards, replacing the formerly issued green paper-laminated cards and stamp endorsement on travel documents. Unlike the NRIC, all pass holders regardless of age must register for a Long Term Pass card, although fingerprinting is optional for persons ages 6 to 14 and not applicable for children age 5 and below. Employment-related passes and passes for family members of work pass holders are issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), while student's passes and other long-term visit passes are issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: In addition to its use as identification and proof of immigration status in Singapore, the Long Term Pass card also serves to facilitate travel to Singapore and acts as a visa for visa nationals. The Long Term Pass card is issued with a date of expiry, conditional on the card holder holding a valid passport.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Foreigners holding long-term passes are uniquely identified by a "Foreign Identification Number" (FIN) which is similar in format to the NRIC number. The FIN is transferable between pass types and remains valid for life, until the foreigner attains Singapore citizenship or permanent residency and obtains an NRIC number.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Non-work passes issued by ICA and MOM are similar in design to the NRIC, except they are green in colour and use the FIN instead of the NRIC number, and contain the holder's photograph, name, date of birth, sex and nationality.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Work passes issued by MOM have the MOM logo, type of work pass and the words "Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Chapter 91A) Republic of Singapore" across the top of the card, and contain the following information:


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: ICA-issued passes are also printed with an instruction to surrender the card upon cancellation or expiration (for Student's Pass holders, within 7 days of cessation of studies), or when a new card is issued to the holder. The instruction is omitted from MOM-issued passes following the implementation of the QR code status check.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Singapore citizens and permanent residents born on or after 1 January 2000 are assigned the letter "T".


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Foreigners issued with long-term passes from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2021 are assigned the letter "G".


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Before 1 January 2000, it was commonly thought that "S" stood for "Singapore" and "F" for Foreign. In 2000, the "T" and "G" ranges (which are one letter after "S" and "F" respectively) were introduced to avoid conflicts with previously issued numbers. As "S" is the 19th letter of the alphabet, it was reinterpreted as denoting that the person was born or registered in the 1900s (1900–1999), "T" is the 20th letter of the alphabet, denoting that the person was born in the years 2000 to 2099.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Singapore citizens and permanent residents born on or after 1 January 1968 are issued NRIC numbers starting with their year of birth, e.g. S71xxxxx# for a person born in 1971 and T02xxxxx# for a person born in 2002. For those born in Singapore, these numbers are identical to the birth registration number on their birth certificates, which are automatically transferred to the NRIC at age 15 and above.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: For Singapore citizens and permanent residents born on or before 31 December 1967, the NRIC numbers commonly begin with 0 or 1, which do not relate to year of birth but are assigned in order of issuance. Non-native residents born before 1968 are assigned the heading numbers 2 or 3 upon attaining permanent residency or citizenship.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: FINs for foreigners holding long-term passes are randomly assigned and do not relate to the holder's year of birth or year of issuance in any way.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The algorithm to calculate the checksum of the NRIC is not publicly available; as of 1999, the Ministry of Home Affairs has only sold the algorithm to Singapore-based organisations demonstrating a "legitimate need" for it. That said, the checksum algorithms for the NRIC (S- and T-series) and the FIN have been easily reverse-engineered.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: There are a variety of offences listed in the National Registration Act and its implementing legislation. These include:


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: These offences on conviction could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The Act also provides for a second category of offences which carry more significant penalties of a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years or both. These relate to offences involving forgery or fraud in respect of an identity card.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Failure to comply with the NRIC regulations is an offence and if convicted, could result in imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Holders of an NRIC are responsible for the card's custody but are not required to carry the card on their person. Areas that will require NRICs to be verified include passports (immigration officers) and polling stations (police officers). Full-Time National Servicemen undergoing National Service in the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force are issued the SAF 11B Card or the Home Team National Service Identity Card during the course of their Full-Time National Service together with their NRIC. Notwithstanding this, if no identification can be produced the police may detain suspicious individuals until such identification can be produced either in person or by proxy.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: Production of an NRIC is also required for any person seeking accommodation at any hotel, boarding house, hostel or similar dwelling place and for any person offering to pawn an article at a pawnbroker. In the case of hotels, boarding houses, etc., if a person is not in possession of, or fails to produce, an NRIC, the owner, manager or other person in charge of such business must notify the nearest police station of the fact immediately.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The NRIC is also sometimes a required document for certain government procedures or in commercial transactions such as the opening of a bank account. In addition, many businesses and other organisations in Singapore habitually request sight of an NRIC to verify identity or to allow a person entry to premises by surrendering or exchanging it for an entry pass. There is no legal requirement to produce the NRIC in these situations and often either providing any other form of identification (such as credit card, work or office pass, card with a photo on it) or simply providing an NRIC number (without producing the card itself) will suffice. From 1 September 2019, organisations can no longer request and store NRIC numbers for such purposes, unless mandated by various laws.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: The NRIC is also available in digital format through the Singpass app. From 1 November 2021, the Digital IC is accepted for transactions at all government agencies, with some exceptions such as when the law requires the presentation of a physical identity document. The Digital IC does not replace the requirement to register for a physical NRIC, and any loss or damage to the physical NRIC must still be reported to ICA for a replacement.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: NRIC being accepted as a travel document other countries may be limited by the countries' laws and regulations. Albania is, if not the only, one of the few countries which accepts the usages of NRIC as a travel document for entry into the nation for a stay of up to 90 days within 180 days. Montserrat also accepts NRIC for stay no longer than 14 days.


title: National Registration Identity Card

text: For years, the NRIC number has been used by both government and commercial organisations as an unambiguous and "tidy" identifier for Singaporeans. Full NRIC numbers have been listed to identify winners of lucky draws. It is possible to borrow books from the National Library Board simply by scanning the barcode on a borrower's NRIC card at self-service kiosks, without requiring further authentication. Such instances have led to questions of possible fraud and identity theft. In response to such concerns, only the last three or four digits and the letters are publicly displayed or published as the first three digits can easily give away a person's age. Tighter privacy advice to stop indiscriminate collection and storage of NRIC numbers was issued in September 2018 by the Personal Data Protection Commission. It also encouraged organisations to develop alternative methods to identify and verify individuals.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The Semipalatinsk Test Site (Russian: Семипалатинск-21; Semipalatinsk-21), also known as "The Polygon", was the primary testing venue for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons. It is located on the steppe in northeast Kazakhstan (then the former Kazakh SSR), south of the valley of the Irtysh River. The scientific buildings for the test site were located around west of the town of Semipalatinsk (later renamed Semey), near the border of East Kazakhstan Region and Pavlodar Region with most of the nuclear tests taking place at various sites further to the west and south, some as far as into Karagandy Region.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The former Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk from 1949 until 1989 with little regard for their effect on the local people or environment. The full impact of radiation exposure was hidden for many years by Soviet authorities and has only come to light since the test site closed in 1991. According to estimates from Kazakh experts, 1.5 million people were exposed to fallout over the years.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: From 1996 to 2012, a secret joint operation of Kazakh, Russian, and American nuclear scientists and engineers secured the waste plutonium in the tunnels of the mountains.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Since its official closure on 29 August 1991, the Semipalatinsk Test Site has become the best-researched nuclear testing site in the world, and the only one in the world open to the public year-round.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The site was selected in 1947 by Lavrentiy Beria, political head of the Soviet atomic bomb project (Beria falsely claimed the vast 18,000 km² steppe was "uninhabited"). Gulag labour was employed to build the primitive test facilities, including the laboratory complex in the northeast corner on the southern bank of the Irtysh River. The first Soviet bomb test, Operation First Lightning (nicknamed "Joe One" by the Americans) was conducted in 1949 from a tower at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, scattering fallout on nearby villages (which Beria had neglected to evacuate). The same area ("the experimental field", a region west of Kurchatov city) was used for more than 100 subsequent above-ground weapons tests.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Later tests were moved to the Chagan River complex and nearby Balapan in the east of the STS (including the site of the Chagan test, which formed Chagan Lake). Once atmospheric tests were banned, testing was transferred to underground locations at Chagan, Murzhik (in the west), and at the Degelen mountain complex in the south, which is riddled with boreholes and drifts for both subcritical and supercritical tests. After the closure of the Semipalatinsk labour camp, construction duties were performed by the 217th Separate Engineering and Mining Battalion (who later built the Baikonur Cosmodrome). Between 1949 and the cessation of atomic testing in 1989, 456 explosions were conducted at the STS, including 340 underground (borehole and tunnel) shots and 116 atmospheric (either air-drop or tower shots). The lab complex, still the administrative and scientific centre of the STS, was renamed Kurchatov City after Igor Kurchatov, leader of the initial Soviet nuclear programme. The location of Kurchatov city has been typically shown on various


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: maps as "Konechnaya" (the name of the train station; now Degelen) or "Moldary" (the name of the village that was later incorporated into the city).


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The Semipalatinsk Complex was of acute interest to foreign governments during its operation, particularly during the phase when explosions were carried out above ground at the experimental field. Several U-2 overflights examined preparations and weapons effects, before being replaced with satellite reconnaissance. The US Defense Intelligence Agency is said to have been convinced that the Soviets had constructed an enormous beam weapon station at a small research station located on the testing site. This smaller research station, known to the Department of Defense as PNUTS (Possible Nuclear Underground Test Site) and the CIA as URDF-3 (Unidentified Research and Development Facility-3) was of great interest to American observers. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, it was discovered that the mysterious URDF-3 was tasked with researching a nuclear thermal rocket similar to the US's NERVA.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The site was officially closed by the President of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Nursultan Nazarbayev on 29 August 1991.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The Soviet Union conducted its last tests in 1989. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the site was neglected. Fissile material was left behind in mountain tunnels and bore holes, virtually unguarded and vulnerable to scavengers, rogue states, or potential terrorists. The secret cleanup of Semipalatinsk was made public in the 2010s.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: After some of the tests, radioactive material remained on the now abandoned area, including significant amounts of plutonium. The risk that material might fall into the hands of scavengers or terrorists was considered one of the largest nuclear security threats since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The operation to address the problem involved, in part, pouring special concrete into test holes, to bind the waste plutonium. In other cases, horizontal mine test holes were sealed and the entrances covered over. Finally in October 2012, Kazakh, Russian, and American nuclear scientists and engineers celebrated the completion of a secret 17-year, $150 million operation to secure the plutonium in the tunnels of the mountains.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Large parts of the STS have opened up since 2014, and economic activity has resumed: mostly mining, but also agriculture and tourism. As with other areas affected by radioactivity, the lack of human interference has made the STS a haven for wildlife.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The people within Koyan, Kazakhstan have been affected by the radiation and have suffered from radiation caused illnesses just as other surrounding areas have. However, unlike other communities, some citizens of Koyan have formed an identity around this fact. Some have even considered themselves to be a new breed of human, a step-up evolution. As they understand it, they are mutants who have grown and adapted to the radiation present in their home. In their eyes, the air and food are poisonous, and the people consume this and yet live. Thus, they must be adapting to the radiation and that is why people only get a 'little sick'. They even have begun to believe that they are so used to radiation that their bodies require it. This belief has stemmed from the fact that many individuals who moved away from the city died within two years. As such, to some left behind, it seems that the lack of radiation killed them. This has further cemented their belief that they are 'radioactive mutants'.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The locals also believe that their status is backed by science. The basis of this was a training exercise performed by the Comprehensive Test-Ban-Treaty Organization (CTBTO). The exercise was based around a hypothetical nuclear explosion, so they came in wearing full protective gear. The citizens of Koyan witnessed this but were not informed of the 'exercise' status nor the reason for the outsiders' presence. As such the citizens perceived strangers having to wear protective gear to enter the area around their community while they, the residents, had no need. This further cemented their belief that they must be radioactive mutants as other people seemed to need protection to exist within their home.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan, "Nevada Semipalatinsk", was formed in 1989 and was one of the first major anti-nuclear movements in the former Soviet Union. It was led by author Olzhas Suleimenov and attracted thousands of people to its protests and campaigns which eventually led to the closure of the nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk in 1991.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: According to UNESCO, Nevada-Semipalatinsk played a positive role in promoting public understanding of "the necessity to fight against nuclear threats". The movement gained global support and became "a real historical factor in finding solutions to global ecological problems".


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Studies conducted at Cambridge took blood samples from forty different families who lived in a district of Kazakhstan that were directly exposed at high levels to fallout from the Soviet bomb tests. These studies concluded that individuals who had been exposed to the fallout between 1949 and 1956 had an approximate 80% increase of mutations in the Minisatellite regions of their DNA. The children of these individuals had 50% more mutations in their mini-satellite regions compared to their control counterparts. Some health scientists are still not sure what the germline mutations mean for the individuals' health, but there is increasing evidence these mutations may increase genetic predisposition to certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. There has also been evidence that increased levels of DNA mutation rates are correlated with prolonged


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: radiation exposure. A longitudinal study conducted over a 40-year span found a correlation between radiation fallout exposure and prevalence of solid tumors. The most frequent sites for solid tumors were the esophagus, stomach, lungs, breasts, and liver. These sites were found to have statistically significant increases in prevalence when compared to a control group. However some bodily sites had no significant difference in number: cervix uteri, kidney, rectum, and pancreas. The study's data suggests that there is a link between exposure length, and amount, to overall and cancer mortality. Nonetheless the relationship between the level of radiation exposure and effect is still up for discussion.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The full impact of radiation exposure was hidden for many years by Soviet authorities. The general consensus of health studies conducted at the site since it was closed is that radioactive fallout from nuclear testing had a direct impact on the health of about 200,000 local residents. Specifically, scientists have linked higher rates of different types of cancer to post-irradiation effects. Likewise, several studies have explored the correlation between radiation exposure and thyroid abnormalities.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: A BBC program claimed in 2010 that in the worst affected locations one in twenty children born were with genetic defects. British film-maker Antony Butts documented some of the genetic health impacts in his 2010 film "After the Apocalypse".


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: A recently declassified CIA report provides a first-hand witness account of the immediate impacts of a nuclear test near Semipalatinsk in 1955. In this report, a source who was in the vicinity of a Soviet thermonuclear test in November 1955 describes experiencing loss of hearing, "the air...crackling up with pressure" as if the "air was tearing up," and the ground shaking.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Ethnographic data from anthropological study detail some of the unique perspectives of those populations that are affected and still live within the area of radiation exposure that allow those populations to understand their circumstances and the biological subjectivity of concepts like safety and their survival within an area still affected by radiation.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: Semipalatinsk was the site that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan chose for the signing of the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone on 8 September 2006, also commemorating the 15th anniversary of the test site's closing.


title: Semipalatinsk Test Site

text: The 2014 film "Ispytanie" is a fictionalized account of the first Soviet nuclear test from the perspective of some of the local inhabitants.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: The sixth and final season of the American serial drama television series "Lost" commenced airing in the United States and Canada on February 2, 2010. The sixth-season premiere was the first to climb in the ratings year-over-year since the second season, drawing 12.1 million viewers. The season aired Tuesdays at 9:00 pm from February 2 to May 18. The series finale aired on Sunday, May 23, 2010. The finale ran two-and-a-half hours starting at 9:00 pm—pushing the local news back a half—followed by the previously announced post-finale special, "Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost", at 12:05 am. The season continues the stories of the survivors of the fictional September 22, 2004, crash of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. The survivors must deal with two outcomes of the detonation of a nuclear bomb on the island in the 1970s. While the on-island story continues, "flash sideways" show a second timeline, in which Flight 815 never crashes. The season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 24, 2010, alongside a complete series box set. Included in the special features was "The New Man in Charge", a previously unaired shortened episode that serves as an epilogue following the events of the finale.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: On May 7, 2007, ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson announced that "Lost" would end during the 2009–2010 season with a "highly anticipated and shocking finale." "We felt that this was the only way to give "Lost" a proper creative conclusion," McPherson said. Beginning with the 2007–2008 television season, the final 48 episodes would have been aired as three seasons with 16 episodes each, with "Lost" concluding in its sixth season. Due to 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the fourth season featured 14 episodes, and season 5 had 17 episodes. Season six was planned to have 17 episodes, too. However, on June 29, 2009 it was announced that the final season would feature an additional hour, making the number of episodes 18.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse stated that they "always envisioned "Lost" as a show with a beginning, middle, and end," and that by announcing when the show would end that viewers would "have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we've intended." Lindelof and Cuse stated that securing the 2010 series-end date "was immensely liberating" and helped the series rediscover its focus. Lindelof noted, "We're no longer stalling." The producers planned to wrap up mysteries, such as the reason the Dharma periodic resupply drops continue after the purge, Walt's unusual abilities, and the "bird" from "Exodus" and "Live Together, Die Alone". Although these mysteries, among others, were left unresolved in the season, all three were answered or touched upon in the series epilogue, "The New Man in Charge." Matthew Fox said in an interview that in the final season, the characters of Jack Shephard and John Locke "will come head to head." It was also claimed that a third of the way through the final season, the two timelines would be "solidified into one" and "will be very linear – no more flashbacks, nothing;" however this did not become the case. He also claimed to be the only cast member to know the ending of the series, though Lindelof has clarified that Fox only knew things that were relevant to his character.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: During the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, numerous sixth-season reports were made. Carlton Cuse stated both the time travel and flash-forward seasons were over, and they were moving into something different for the sixth season. Josh Holloway stated his character Sawyer would revert to his old self after the loss of Juliet. Cuse and Lindelof stated that the Dharma Initiative would no longer play a large role in the show, but the "Dharma-Michigan connection" would play a significant role in season six. However, this did not happen. Lindelof stated that the producers had a direct hand in the production of the season six promotional poster that was first displayed at Comic-Con, and that everything in it was intentional; he also made a reference to the "Abbey Road" cover in connection to the poster. Season six was the first and only season of "Lost" ever to not feature any kind of preview or official promotional material such as sneak peeks and promo pictures for future episodes since the "Lost" producers considered any single frame from the first episodes to be too revealing. According to Lindelof, "even a single scene from the show would basically tip what it is we're doing this year, and what it is we're doing this year is different than what we've done in other years." Lindelof has also emphasized that the flashes-sideways are important, stating "People are saying [they] don't need these stories and all we can say is they're absolutely 100 percent necessary to tell the story of Lost, and hopefully by the end of the season it will be more obvious as to why." He also noted that the term "flash-sideways" was deliberately used instead of "alternate reality" because viewers might otherwise "infer that one of them isn't real, or one of them is real and the other is the alternate to being real." When asked to describe the last three episodes, Lindelof said "Water."


title: Lost (season 6)

text: ABC charged advertisers $900,000 USD for a 30-second commercial during the series finale, in contrast to the standard 2010 season price of $214,000.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: The cast features 15 major roles with star billing: 11 return from the fifth season, one returns from the fourth season after a year's absence, and three are new regular cast members. Unlike the latter half of the previous season, in which the cast was divided into two groups following two separate storylines, Season Six features an alternate universe scenario which the producers call "flash-sideways," and almost all the main characters participate in both storylines. Returning from the fifth season are the survivors' leader Dr. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox); former fugitive Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly); millionaire Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia); former torturer Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews); con artist James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway); medium Miles Straume (Ken Leung); former mob-enforcer Jin-Soo Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) and his privileged wife Sun Kwon (Yunjin Kim); leader of the island's native population, known as the "Others," Ben Linus (Michael Emerson); deceased crash survivor John Locke, who lives on in the sideways timeline but has been impersonated in the original timeline by the mysterious Man In Black (Terry O'Quinn); and former islander Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), who starts the season off the island. Emilie de Ravin reprises her role as Claire Littleton, a new mother who was absent for one season after disappearing on the Island. The new main cast roles are pilot Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey), Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell), an ageless advisor to the Others, and mysterious Flight 316 leader Ilana Verdansky (Zuleikha Robinson). Carbonell was named a main cast member by the executive producers at Comic-Con 2009, after guest starring in the previous three seasons, and Fahey and Robinson were confirmed after appearing in recurring roles in the fourth and fifth seasons.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: Several former cast members also returned to the show for the final season. Elizabeth Mitchell returns as fertility specialist Dr. Juliet Burke, Dominic Monaghan returns as deceased rock star Charlie Pace, and Jeremy Davies returns as deceased physicist Daniel Faraday. Ian Somerhalder reprises his role as deceased Flight 815 crash survivor Boone Carlyle, as does Rebecca Mader as anthropologist Charlotte Lewis. Harold Perrineau and Cynthia Watros, who portray Michael Dawson and Libby Smith, respectively, return in the second half of the season. About the return of Libby, Cuse stated, "Finally, all of your questions [about Libby] will be answered", however, Lindelof jokingly responded, "No, they will not". Michelle Rodriguez, another second season star, returns as police officer Ana Lucia Cortez, following a brief cameo in the fifth season. Maggie Grace, who portrays Shannon Rutherford, Boone's stepsister, was asked to return at the beginning of the season, but Grace was unable due to her schedule; though she eventually did make an appearance in one episode. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who played the deceased Mr. Eko, was in negotiations to return, but these negotiations failed because of difficulties with fees. Furthermore, the producers wished to bring back the character of Walt Lloyd, however Malcolm David Kelley, who portrays Walt, had aged significantly and the producers were unable to overcome this obstacle. Kelley eventually appeared in the epilogue of the series, "The New Man in Charge."


title: Lost (season 6)

text: Numerous recurring characters who reprised their roles for the final season include: Jack and Claire's father, Dr. Christian Shephard (John Terry), wealthy industrialist and former Other Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), Desmond's wife Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger), former Other Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan), Locke's ex-girlfriend, Helen Norwood (Katey Sagal), Hurley's former boss, Randy Nations (Billy Ray Gallion), mysterious Flight 316 passenger Bram (Brad William Henke), Sayid's wife, Nadia (Andrea Gabriel), deceased Frenchwoman Danielle Rousseau (Mira Furlan), science teacher Leslie Arzt (Daniel Roebuck), deceased one-eyed Other Mikhail Bakunin (Andrew Divoff), the Others' doctor Ethan Rom (William Mapother), Ben Linus' father Roger (Jon Gries), mercenaries Martin Keamy (Kevin Durand) and Omar (Anthony Azizi), and Vincent, a dog who survived the crash of Flight 815 and lives on the island. Furthermore, Greg Grunberg briefly reprises his role as Flight 815 pilot Seth Norris in a voice over in the season premiere. Mark Pellegrino reprises his role as Jacob, the mysterious figure in charge of the island, while Titus Welliver also reprises his role as the mysterious unnamed character, known only as "The Man in Black", who appeared to be antagonistic to him in the season 5 finale. L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson reprised their roles as Rose Henderson and Bernard respectively, as does Kimberley Joseph who plays 815 stewardess-turned-Other Cindy. Also, Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens returns as communications officer George Minkowski from the first few episodes of the fourth season in the eleventh episode. Kevin Tighe returns as Anthony Cooper, Locke's father. Also, minor characters such as Lynn Karnoff (Suzanne Krull) and Dr. Douglas Brooks (Bruce Davison) return.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: Several new recurring characters were introduced in the sixth season. "Deadwood" actor John Hawkes was cast to portray a character named Lennon and Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada obtained the role of ; both men are Others stationed at the temple. Also, William Atherton was cast in a guest role as the principal of the school where Ben works. Sheila Kelley was cast in a recurring role that was initially described as "Kendall" and later confirmed to be "Zoe". Kelley appeared in five episodes, starting with "Recon".


title: Lost (season 6)

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 68% with an average score of 8.7 out of 10 based on 34 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Lost"s shift in central mythology won't satisfy all viewers, but persistent fans will find solace in the show's strong performances and continued dedication to its themes."


title: Lost (season 6)

text: The season premiere was watched by 12 million American viewers and the series finale was watched by 13.5 million American viewers. The entire season averaged 10 million viewers.


title: Lost (season 6)

text: The sixth and final season was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof for the series finale, "The End", Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Jack Bender for "The End", Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Matthew Fox, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Elizabeth Mitchell, Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Camera Series for "Ab Aeterno", Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for Michael Giacchino for "The End", Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series for "The End", and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) for "The End". It won only one Emmy, for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for "The End".


title: Lost (season 6)

text: The season premiered on February 2, 2010, with a double-length episode (two hours including commercials) preceded by a one-hour clip show, titled "Lost: Final Chapter". The show continued from February 9 in its new timeslot of Tuesdays at 9:00 pm, with a total of 18 episodes airing in 16 broadcasts, ending with a two-and-a-half-hour series finale, which aired Sunday, May 23, 2010, preceded by a one-hour clip show, titled "Lost: The Final Journey". Additionally, the first hour of the premiere episode was screened to an estimated 15,000 fans on Waikiki Beach on January 30. In the following table, the number in the "No. in series" column refers to the episode's number within the overall series, whereas the number in the "No. in season" column refers to the episode's number within this particular season. "U.S. viewers (million)" refers to the number of Americans in millions who watched the episode as it was aired.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: A Discovery of Witches is a 2011 historical-fantasy novel and the debut novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness. It follows Diana Bishop, a history of science professor at Yale University, as she embraces her magical blood after finding a long-thought-lost manuscript and engages in a forbidden romance with a charming vampire, Matthew Clairmont.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: "A Discovery of Witches" was first published in hardcover on February 8, 2011, by Penguin Books, becoming a "New York Times" Best Seller upon its release. It has since been released in paperback and also as an ebook. The novel has been translated into more than 36 languages. The book received mostly positive feedback from literary critics. It was praised for its intelligence and the mixture of history and fantasy, although some critics felt the plot was trite and the pacing was slow. Comparisons were made between other popular fantasy series, namely "Twilight" and "Harry Potter". The novel began as a "thought experiment" for Harkness, who had previously only published works of historical non-fiction. She drew upon her academic background as a historian and her studies of alchemy, magic, and the occult.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: "A Discovery of Witches" is the first installment in the "All Souls" trilogy, followed by "Shadow of Night" (2012) and completed with the third novel in the series "The Book of Life" (2014). Three seasons of a television adaptation of the trilogy were acquired by Sky One and were broadcast in 2018, 2021, and 2022.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: In June 2019, Harkness released a novella, "Time's Convert". This followed the early lives of Matthew de Clermont and his soon-to-be son, Marcus MacNeil, during the American Revolution.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Diana Bishop is a Yale history of science professor who is conducting research at the University of Oxford. Diana is a witch. However, she has rejected this aspect of her life since the death of her parents when she was seven. She has not learned to practice witchcraft and has minimized her interaction with other witches.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: She discovers a lost manuscript at the Bodleian Library, which not only causes a magical reaction in herself but attracts the attention of others who have long been searching for the manuscript. She finds that for her own safety and for the well-being of magical creatures, she must re-think her avoidance of magic and magical creatures.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: This volume is about Diana Bishop discovering her peril and qualities of herself that were unknown to her and discovering romance, friends, and enemies in the magical community. The later volumes develop her actions to protect herself and her friends and ameliorate a threat to the magical community.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: With the help of a vampire, Matthew Clairmont, Diana sets out to discover more about her powers and gain control over her magic.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: A Discovery of Witches focuses largely on the co-existence of creatures in a world of humans. It questions the origin of all supernatural species, drawing on alchemical and historic sources for reference.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: When Diana Bishop returns to Oxford University, her life is flipped upside down. While researching in the library, Diana requests a book called Ashmole 782. This manuscript, also known as the Book of Life, has been missing for over 150 years. As soon as Diana touches the ancient manuscript, her powers are activated. Frightened by her clear cosmic connection to Ashmole 782, Diana returns the book. It appears, however, that her discovery had already caught the attention of other creatures, which results in a series of events that slowly brings her witch heritage and family back into her life.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Matthew Clairmont is a vampire who has spent at least 150 years looking for that book. When word travels that the book is in Oxford, he races over expecting to see the book but instead, he encounters Diana Bishop. Matthew's vampiric protective instincts set in, and he makes it his responsibility to ensure Diana's safety. As the story progresses, a forbidden romance starts to bloom between the vampire and the witch.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: According to Harkness, the novel began as "a thought experiment" after she noticed the plethora of novels surrounding vampires and magic at an airport bookshop. As a historian, she noted that people today were interested in reading about the same sorts of subjects as they would have in the past, including the supernatural. "In some ways I think their popularity right now is about our feeling that we still want there to be magic and enchantment in the world," theorizes Harkness. "Magic provides a way of still having room for possibilities, an unlimited sense of what the world offers. Magic is always there when science is found wanting." Harkness has studied magic and the occult, which provided much of the inspiration for the novel, since 1983.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: The writing of the novel took place in the early mornings "in the blissful quiet before [she] switched on [her] email" while she also continued teaching at the University of Southern California during the day and blogging about wine in the evenings. Aside from Anne Rice novels that she "read and loved" in her twenties, Harkness claims she has not read other vampire fiction such as "The Historian" or the "Twilight" series. Some elements of this novel sprang directly from Harkness' own life: she has spent many hours engaged in research in the Bodleian Library, and in the course of her own research, Harkness discovered an ancient – and long-lost – book of spells, the "Book of Soyga".


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Harkness drew primarily on her academic work as a historian of science. There are vast references to real alchemical processes as well as a multitude of historical figures, particularly from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Furthermore, the inclusion of Elias Ashmole and his collection of rare alchemical manuscripts give the novel a solid historical foundation. Ashmole 782 is a real alchemical text that is missing from the Ashmole collection.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: "A Discovery of Witches" first achieved attention from publishers at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair. It was then published by Viking Press for a North American release in February 2011. The novel was commercially successful, debuting at number two in Hardcover Fiction on the "New York Times" Best Seller list, and number eight on the "USA Today" Best-Selling Booklist. Two months after publication, "A Discovery of Witches" was already in its seventh printing.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: The novel was generally praised and deemed a strong literary debut. Rating the novel a B+, "Entertainment Weekly"'s Karen Valby was positive in her review, labeling it an "extraordinarily fun debut" and remarking that "Harkness writes with thrilling gusto about the magical world. Whether she's describing a yoga class for witches, daemons, and vampires or Diana's benignly haunted house, it's a treat to suspend disbelief." Though she thought the novel dragged for a bit, "the pages turned faster, almost as if on their own" as the action picked up and "by the most satisfying end, Harkness had made me a believer." "Parade" gave the novel a glowing endorsement, writing, "Harkness’ sure hand when it comes to star-crossed love and chilling action sequences in striking locales makes for an enchanting debut." "O, The Oprah Magazine" listed "A Discovery of Witches" as one of its 15 Books to Watch for in February 2011, deeming it "romantic, erudite, and suspenseful" and noting "Harkness attends to every scholarly and emotional detail with whimsy, sensuality, and humor." In a starred review, "Library Journal" judged "A Discovery of Witches" to be an "enchanting novel... an essential purchase" and that Harkness "is an author to watch". On the novel, the review elaborated: "readers will find themselves invested in Diana’s success at unlocking the secrets of the manuscript. Although not a nail-biting cliffhanger, the finale skillfully provides a sense of completion while leaving doors open for the possibility of wonderful sequel adventures. This reviewer, for one, hopes they come soon!"


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Critics praised Harkness' attention to detail and history, rare in paranormal romance novels. The "San Antonio Express-News" described it as a "rare historical novel that manages to be as intelligent as it is romantic [and] it is supernatural fiction that those of us who usually prefer to stay grounded in reality can get caught up in." Nisi Shawl of "The Seattle Times" noted that "though the quality of 'Discovery's' prose remains no more than clear and serviceable, its erudite references to the leather-bound boards of incunabulae and secret ingredients in medieval inks make it a welcome relief." Margot Adler of "NPR" called "A Discovery of Witches" "a tour de force, an artful and unusually skilled blending of hard science, history and the supernatural." A 'Best Book of the Month' for February 2011, "Amazon.com" described the novel as "a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense... This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the "Twilight" series with an extra serving of historical realism."


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: In a more mixed review for "The Guardian", Jenny Turner panned the quality of the writing but admitted the ideas were interesting: "This is a very silly novel. Characters and relationships are stereotyped. The historical background is a total pudding. The prose is terrible. And yet, the ideas have just enough suction, somehow, to present an undemanding reader with some nice frissons." Elizabeth Hand, writing for "The Washington Post", criticized the subject matter and wrote that "this novel's pacing is so torpid that readers may feel that aged, too."


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Comparisons have been made between "A Discovery of Witches" and other popular fantasy series - namely "Twilight", in the dynamics of Diana and Matthew's relationship, and "Harry Potter" in the co-existence of magical and non-magical creatures. It has been referred to as "Harry Potter for grown-ups." The novel was also compared to the work of Diana Gabaldon. Harkness said that she is a huge fan of Gabaldon and sees the comparisons as flattering.


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to "A Discovery of Witches" in 2011. The film was in the early stages of development, with few details released beyond the signing-on of playwright David Auburn to pen the screenplay and producers Denise Di Novi and Allison Greenspan who have worked on "Little Women", "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "Practical Magic".


title: A Discovery of Witches

text: British entertainment channel Sky One bought the rights for the books to adapt them into a television series. Teresa Palmer was cast as Diana Bishop and Matthew Goode was cast as Matthew Clairmont. Filming was completed on February 16, 2018. The program premiered in the UK on Sky One on September 14, 2018, with its first series of eight episodes. On November 2, 2018, Sky One renewed "A Discovery of Witches" for a second and a third series.


title: BTR-152

text: The BTR-152 is a six-wheeled Soviet armored personnel carrier (БТР, from Бронетранспортер/"Bronetransporter", literally "armored transporter"), built on the chassis and drive train of a ZIS-151 utility truck. It entered service with a number of Warsaw Pact member states beginning in 1950, and formed the mainstay of Soviet motor rifle battalions until the advent of the amphibious BTR-60 series during the 1960s.


title: BTR-152

text: BTR-152s were available in several marks, and were manufactured in large numbers for the Soviet military and export. Late production models utilized automotive components from the more reliable ZIL-157 truck. Three primary variants of the BTR-152 appeared between 1950 and 1959: the base armored personnel carrier with a single pintle-mounted 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun, an unarmed command vehicle with a higher roofline, and an anti-aircraft variant armed with a ZPU-2 mount. BTR-152s could carry a single infantry squad each, or specialist weapons teams along with their mortars and anti-tank equipment. In Soviet service, a number were also deployed as artillery tractors.


title: BTR-152

text: During World War II, Red Army tacticians favored combined arms offensives, which emphasized the deployment of light infantry in concert with tanks. However, the Soviet infantrymen lacked the armored protection and rapid mobility of the tanks, and remained comparatively vulnerable to enemy fire.


title: BTR-152

text: By the end of the war, the initial Soviet tactic of tank desant, in which the infantry rode into battle atop the tanks they were supporting, had been superseded by the introduction of M3 Half-tracks and M3 White armored cars. These were widely used for troop transport, giving rise to a new doctrine in which armored vehicles capable of keeping pace with tanks brought infantry to an engagement. The infantrymen would then disembark and enter combat on foot.


title: BTR-152

text: Wartime experiences demonstrated that the Red Army had an urgent postwar requirement for more wheeled armored vehicles, and the general staff specified a new reconnaissance vehicle and armored personnel carrier (APC). The APC had to be capable of transporting at least eight troops. A new design bureau at the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) was set up to study potential concepts accordingly; their final prototype, the "Izdeliye 141" (BTR-40), was accepted into service but was regarded as too small to be used in an APC role. Meanwhile, specifications for another APC had been issued, capable of seating 15 to 20 additional passengers and armed with a single heavy machine gun. Existing M3 half-tracks and captured German Sd.Kfz. 251s were studied as potential references for the upcoming pre-production design.


title: BTR-152

text: Concept work on the new APC began at the Zavod imeni Stalina (ZIS) factory in Moscow, overseen by Soviet engineer Boris Mikhailovich Fitterman, at roughly the same time the "Izdeliye 141" was being developed by GAZ. Prototypes were built with automotive components from the ZIS-151 production line; however, the APC chassis incorporated a more powerful engine and a shorter wheelbase than its utility truck counterpart. Design work was carried out by a team of five ZIS employees: Fitterman, K. M. Androsov, A. P. Petrenko, V. F. Rodionov and P. P. Chernyaev. The final prototype was trialed by the Soviet Armed Forces in December 1949 and accepted into service as the "BTR-152". Serial production of the BTR-152 under the manufacturer's code "ZIS-152" commenced around mid 1950, making it the first mass-produced Soviet APC. Despite being designed around the same time, the BTR-40 did not enter serial production until the end of the year.


title: BTR-152

text: The BTR-152 was used by the Soviet military as a command and communications vehicle, fire support vehicle, artillery tractor, and general transporter. Being open-topped, the BTR-152's crew was vulnerable to indirect fire. In later years, the vehicle was not ideal for the prospect of a major conventional war in Europe either, as it lacked amphibious capability or NBC countermeasures. However, these early BTRs remained effective as a low-cost option that allowed the Soviets to rapidly motorize their existing infantry divisions. A program in the late 1950s looked at ways to replace the BTR-152 with a more sophisticated APC utilizing a purpose-designed, amphibious chassis. As the BTR-152's six-wheeled configuration was deemed insufficient to reduce ground pressure on the tires and produce optimal cross-country performance, Soviet engineers embarked on an eight-wheeled APC program, which resulted in the BTR-60.


title: BTR-152

text: Approximately 8,600 BTR-152s of all variants were manufactured in the Soviet Union, with some unlicensed copies being produced in the People's Republic of China as the "Type 56". Soviet BTR-152s were produced between 1950 and 1959, being supplemented by the BTR-60 from 1960 onwards. As they became increasingly obsolescent, many were shipped to Soviet client states in Africa and the Middle East; the largest quantity of second-hand BTR-152s were accepted by Arab nations such as Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Small quantities were also converted to armored ambulances and combat engineering vehicles for the Soviet Army; these remained in service as late as the 1980s.


title: BTR-152

text: BTR-152s first saw combat during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when they were deployed by the 12th Motorized Brigade of the Soviet Internal Troops to crush Hungary's fledgling uprising. The BTRs were deployed in Budapest and other settlements, as well as on the Hungarian border with Austria. A number were damaged or destroyed by insurgents armed with molotov cocktails, which were pitched into the open troop compartments without apparent difficulty. Since they were wheeled, some BTR-152s were also immobilized when their rubber tires caught fire, and had to be abandoned by their crews.


title: BTR-152

text: Egypt was one of the first major export customers for the BTR-152 outside Eastern Europe; in 1954, it ordered 200 from the Soviet Union, and between 1961 and 1966 it received another 600 in second-hand condition, possibly as military aid. Syria likewise received at least 200 BTR-152s in 1966, and another 300 three years later. These were deployed against the Israel Defense Forces during the Six-Day War. In Syrian service, they were utilized as makeshift infantry fighting vehicles rather than APCs; infantrymen remained on board and used the BTR-152 as a firing platform rather than disembark and fight on foot. Nevertheless, failure to coordinate combined arms maneuvers often left the Syrian motorized infantry separated from their supporting tank formations and vulnerable to Israeli heavy armor. Israel captured over 1,000 BTR-152s from Arab armies during the Six-Day War and the subsequent Yom Kippur War.


title: BTR-152

text: BTR-152s were deployed by the National Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) during the First Chadian Civil War, and were instrumental in a motorized assault on Salal in April 1978. The BTRs were knocked out by Panhard AML-90 armored cars of the French Foreign Legion. Libyan mechanized battalions also deployed BTR-152s in Chad during the Chadian-Libyan conflict, often in concert with tank companies or EE-9 Cascavels. Several were destroyed after taking direct hits from AML-90 cannon fire or SS.11 anti-tank missiles.


title: BTR-152

text: BTR-152s formed the mainstay of mechanized units on both sides during the Ogaden War. The Somali National Defense Force (SNDF) ordered enough BTR-152s from the Soviet Union in the late 1960s to accommodate a massive expansion in its armored and mechanized capabilities, and equip nine new mechanized battalions. About half of Somalia's BTR-152s appear to have been lost in the Ogaden conflict. Soviet weapons deliveries to Ethiopia accelerated after the outbreak of war, and starting in March 1977 included 40 BTR-152s appropriated from the Soviet Army's reserve stocks. These vehicles were mostly BTR-152Vs but also included the BTR-152A anti-aircraft variant.


title: BTR-152

text: The Soviet Union donated at least six BTR-152s to Mozambique shortly after that country's independence in the mid-1970s. Mozambican BTR-152s were deployed against Rhodesian Security Forces conducting cross-border raids, as well as in search and destroy operations mounted near Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) strongholds. It is likely that all Mozambique's BTR-152s were eliminated by land mines or Rhodesian air strikes; they were not in service long before being superseded by the BTR-60. A second shipment of BTR-152s was delivered to the People's Forces of Liberation of Mozambique (FPLM) in 1983, but it remains unclear whether these were deployed in front-line service.


title: BTR-152

text: The BTR-152 is a modified truck chassis with an armored hull and an open-topped troop compartment. The sides and rear of the troop compartment are vertical, with corners sloping inwards to deflect shell fragments. There are firing ports on each side of the troop compartment and two rear doors for rapid debarking. Infantrymen can fire their individual weapons from the relative protection of the vehicle, and exit through these doors or by jumping over the sides. The crew consists of a driver and a single passenger, who operates the radios.


title: BTR-152

text: Two types of seating arrangements were available: the first consists of wooden benches on either side of the troop compartment facing inwards; the second consisted of three rows of seats facing forward. Both the driver and the radio operator seated to his right are provided with individual windscreens and, when in combat, these are covered by twin armored shutters with integral vision blocks. Crew members exit the vehicle through side doors, the tops of which are hinged and fold down for observation purposes.


title: BTR-152

text: The BTR-152's armor plate is fabricated of welded steel and ranges from to in thickness. This protects the crew and passengers from small arms fire, shell fragments, grenades, and anti-personnel mines, but is ineffective against larger shell fragments or even heavy machine gun fire. Late production hulls may have been manufactured from steel plate with a thickness of up to . The vehicle is sometimes fitted with a winch that has a maximum capacity of 5 tonnes and a 70m cable. Depending on the variant, BTR-152s can tow field artillery, transport 1.9 tonnes of cargo, or carry a half platoon of infantry.


title: BTR-152

text: Most Soviet BTR-152s were powered by a six-cylinder ZIL-123 in-line water-cooled petrol engine developing 110 hp at 2,900 rpm. Those based on the chassis and components of the ZIL-157 utility truck utilized a slightly different ZIL-137K engine. There are several engine louvers on the front of the hull to prevent overheating; these could be safely closed for short intervals during combat, as long as the driver reduced speed and avoided overtaxing the vehicle. A BTR-152's gearbox comprised five forward gears and one reverse gear with a two-speed transfer box. Fifth gear had an overdrive. The suspension consisted of conventional leaf springs with hydraulic shock absorbers.


title: BTR-152

text: In the late 1950s, a little over 200 BTR-152s were produced with enclosed hulls, as opposed to the traditionally open-topped design; these were designated "BTR-152K" and "BTR-152K1". They were also known unofficially as "BTR-152 Model D" or "BTR-152 M1961" by some Warsaw Pact armies. The enclosed hull reduced situational awareness but allowed for the installation of central heating and an NBC overpressure system. Two hatches opening to the right were installed on the new roofline.


title: BTR-152

text: The BTR-152 was originally armed with a single pintle-mounted 7.62mm SG-43 Goryunov (SGMB) medium machine gun, fed by 1,250 rounds of stored on-board ammunition. This was mounted behind the driving position. Additional 7.62mm general-purpose machine guns could be mounted on either side of the hull top as needed. The SGMB machine gun could traverse 45 degrees and elevate between -6 and +24 degrees. Some of the BTRs were fitted with single 12.7mm DShK or 14.5mm KPV heavy machine guns in place of the SGMB. Vehicles designated "BTR-152A" were ground support vehicles with limited air defense capability. BTR-152As carried twin KPVs in a ZPU-2 anti-aircraft mount. Variations included an Egyptian model with a Czechoslovak M53 Quad mounting for four DShKs, which were normally towed on a two-wheeled trailer, and some modified by the Palestine Liberation Organization to accept 23mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns.


title: BTR-152

text: Because the original BTR-152 utilized the chassis and engine of the ZIS-151, it shared that truck's maintenance problems and poor cross-country mobility. Later variants, using ZIL-157 components, had more power and larger, single tires that reduced the vehicle's shortcomings but did not eliminate them. Serviceability and reliability remained low.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: The 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the 18th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It was hosted by Brazil between 26 October and 17 November 2019.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: Originally, it was determined that Peru would have hosted the tournament between 5 and 27 October 2019, however, it was announced in February 2019 that they would no longer host the tournament, following inspection of the facilities and concern over organizational challenges. A formal announcement on 15 March 2019 ratified the recommendation to move the tournament to Brazil. With the ratification to name Brazil as host, this marked the country's first time to host a FIFA youth competition, having previously hosted the senior World Cup twice as well as the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and numerous editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: England were the defending champions, but unable to defend their title after being eliminated in the group stages at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in the Republic of Ireland. England became the second consecutive title holders that failed to qualify. Brazil won their fourth U-17 World Cup title, winning 2–1 against Mexico in the final, which was also the first time in the history that Brazil won a FIFA World Cup tournament at home soil.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: The bidding process to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup was launched by FIFA in June 2017. A member association may bid for both tournaments, but they would be awarded to different hosts.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: On 8 March 2018, Rwanda withdrew its bid to host the tournament due to time and logistic aspects. FIFA then unanimously announced Peru as the host country after the FIFA Council meeting on 16 March 2018 in Bogotá, Colombia.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: On 22 February 2019, FIFA announced that the tournament would be moved to a yet-to-be-determined host after inspection visits found issues with the prepared infrastructure and organization in Peru. On the same day, FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura sent a letter to the Brazilian Football Confederation to determine if the tournament could be held in that country, and the answer was positive. CONMEBOL reinforced the idea by claiming that, because of the preparation for the 2019 Copa América, which was scheduled to start in less than four months, Brazil would be the only one able to make the commitment in such a short time. With the change of venue, the tournament was delayed by three weeks. Brazil was confirmed as the new host by the FIFA Council on 15 March 2019.However,of all the stadiums,that were chosen to host the Copa América 2019 games,were not used, as all the venues was used as training venues by the participant's national squads.


title: 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

text: A total of 24 teams qualified for the final tournament. Brazil as host team along with 23 other teams qualified from six separate continental competitions. The slot allocation was approved by the FIFA Council on 10 June 2018.