title: African-American history

text: By this time, African Americans who questioned the effectiveness of nonviolent protest had gained a greater voice. More militant Black leaders, such as Malcolm X of the Nation of Islam and Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panther Party, called for Black people to defend themselves, using violence, if necessary. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the Black Power movement urged African Americans to look to Africa for inspiration and emphasized Black solidarity, rather than integration.


title: African-American history

text: Politically and economically, Black people have made substantial strides in the post-civil rights era. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who ran for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, brought unprecedented support and leverage to Black people in politics.


title: African-American history

text: In 1989, Douglas Wilder became the first African-American elected governor in U.S. history. In 1992 Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. There were 8,936 Black officeholders in the United States in 2000, showing a net increase of 7,467 since 1970. In 2001 there were 484 Black mayors.


title: African-American history

text: The 39 African-American members of Congress form the Congressional Black Caucus, which serves as a political bloc for issues relating to African Americans. The appointment of Black people to high federal offices—including General Colin Powell, Chairman of the U.S. Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1989–93, United States Secretary of State, 2001–05; Condoleezza Rice, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, 2001–04, Secretary of State in, 2005–09; Ron Brown, United States Secretary of Commerce, 1993–96; and Supreme Court justices Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas—also demonstrates the increasing visibility of Black people in the political arena.


title: African-American history

text: Economic progress for Black people reaching the extremes of wealth has been slow. According to Forbes richest lists, Oprah Winfrey was the richest African American of the 20th century and has been the world's only Black billionaire in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Not only was Winfrey the world's only Black billionaire but she has been the only Black person on the Forbes 400 list nearly every year since 1995. BET founder Bob Johnson briefly joined her on the list from 2001 to 2003 before his ex-wife acquired part of his fortune; although he returned to the list in 2006, he did not make it in 2007. With Winfrey the only African American wealthy enough to rank among America's 400 richest people, African Americans currently comprise 0.25% of America's economic elite and comprise 13.6% of the U.S. population.


title: African-American history

text: The dramatic political breakthrough came in the 2008 election, with the election of Barack Obama, the son of a Black Kenyan father and a white American mother. He won overwhelming support from African-American voters in the Democratic primaries, even as his main opponent Hillary Clinton had the support of many Black politicians. African Americans continued to support Obama throughout his term. After completing his first term, Obama ran for a second term. In 2012, he won the presidential election against candidate Mitt Romney and was re-elected as the president of the United States.


title: African-American history

text: The post-civil rights era is also notable for the New Great Migration, in which millions of African Americans have returned to the South including Texas, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, often to pursue increased economic opportunities in now-desegregated southern cities.


title: African-American history

text: On August 11, 2020, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) was announced as the first African-American woman to run for vice-president on a major party presidential ticket. She was elected vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election.


title: African-American history

text: After the Civil Rights Movement gains of the 1950s–1970s, due to government neglect, unfavorable social policies, high poverty rates, changes implemented in the criminal justice system and laws, and a breakdown in traditional family units, African-American communities have been suffering from extremely high incarceration rates. African Americans have the highest imprisonment rate of any major ethnic group in the world. The Southern states, which historically had been involved in slavery and post-Reconstruction oppression, now produce the highest rates of incarceration and death penalty application.


title: African-American history

text: The history of slavery has always been a major research topic for white scholars, but until the 1950s, they generally focused on the political and constitutional themes as they were debated by white politicians; they did not study the lives of the enslaved black people. During Reconstruction and the late 19th century, Black people became major actors in the South. The Dunning School of white scholars generally cast Black people as pawns of white Carpetbaggers during this period, but W. E. B. Du Bois, a Black historian, and Ulrich B. Phillips, a white historian, studied the African-American experience in depth. Du Bois' study of Reconstruction provided a more objective context for evaluating its achievements and weaknesses; in addition, he did studies of contemporary Black life. Phillips set the main topics of inquiry that still guide the analysis of slave economics.


title: African-American history

text: During the first half of the 20th century, Carter G. Woodson was the major Black scholar who studied and promoted the Black historical experience. Woodson insisted that the scholarly study of the African-American experience should be sound, creative, restorative, and, most important, it should be directly relevant to the Black community. He popularized Black history with a variety of innovative strategies, including the Association for the Study of Negro Life outreach activities, Negro History Week (now Black History Month, in February), and a popular Black history magazine. Woodson democratized, legitimized, and popularized Black history.


title: African-American history

text: Benjamin Quarles (1904–1996) had a significant impact on the teaching of African-American history. Quarles and John Hope Franklin provided a bridge between the work of historians in historically Black colleges, such as Woodson, and the Black history that is now well established in mainline universities. Quarles grew up in Boston, attended Shaw University as an undergraduate, and received a graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin. In 1953, he began teaching at Morgan State College in Baltimore, where he stayed, despite the fact that he received a lucrative offer from Johns Hopkins University. Quarles' books included "The Negro in the Civil War" (1953), "The Negro in the American Revolution" (1961), "Lincoln and the Negro" (1962), "The Negro in the Making of America" (1964, updated 1987), and "Black Abolitionists" (1969), which are all narrative accounts of critical wartime episodes that focused on how Black people interacted with their white allies.


title: African-American history

text: Black historians attempted to reverse centuries of ignorance. While they were not alone in advocating a new examination of slavery and racism in the United States, the study of African-American history has often been a political and scholarly struggle waged by historians who wish to refute incorrect assumptions. One of the foremost assumptions was the belief that enslaved people were passive and did not rebel. A series of historians transformed the image of African Americans, revealing a much richer and more complex experience. Historians such as Leon F. Litwack showed how former enslaved people fought to keep their families together and struggled against tremendous odds to define themselves as free people. Other historians wrote about rebellions, both small and large.


title: African-American history

text: In the 21st century, Black history is regarded as mainstream. Since the proclamation by President Jimmy Carter, it is celebrated every February in the United States during "Black History Month." Proponents of Black history believe that it promotes diversity, develops self-esteem, and corrects myths and stereotypes. Opponents of it argue that such curricula are dishonest, divisive, and lack academic credibility and rigor.


title: African-American history

text: In 2021, College Board announced it would be piloting an AP African American Studies course between 2022 and 2024. The course is expected to launch in 2024.


title: African-American history

text: Surveys of 11th- and 12th-grade students and adults in 2005 show that American schools have given students an awareness of some famous figures in Black history. Both groups were asked to name 10 famous Americans, excluding presidents. Of those named, the three most mentioned were Black: 67% named Martin Luther King Jr., 60% Rosa Parks, and 44% Harriet Tubman. Among adults, King was second (at 36%) and Parks was tied for fourth with 30%, while Tubman tied for 10th place with Henry Ford, at 16%. When distinguished historians were asked in 2006 to name the most prominent Americans, Parks and Tubman did not make the top 100.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (, ; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician who has served as the president of Somalia since May 2022. He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for Peace and Development Party. He was elected as President of the Federal Republic of Somalia on 15 May 2022, defeating the incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. He previously served in the same position as the 8th president of Somalia from 2012 to 2017. A civil and political rights activist, Hassan was previously a university professor and dean at SIMAD University, which he co-founded.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In April 2013, Hassan was named in the "Time" 100, "Time" magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His efforts at advancing national reconciliation, anti-corruption measures, and socio-economic and security sector reforms in Somalia were cited as reasons for the selection. He was born in Jalalaqsi, an agricultural town situated in central Hiran in present-day Somalia, during the trusteeship period, and comes from a middle-class background. Hassan is married to Qamar Ali Omar and has seven children.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Hassan was born in his hometown of Jalalaqsi. He comes from the Abgaal, a sub-clan of Hawiye. He attended primary and secondary schools in his hometown Jalalaqsi. He later moved to Somalia's capital Mogadishu in 1978, where he studied for three years at the local Somali National University. In 1981, he earned an undergraduate diploma in technology from the institution.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In 1986, Hassan journeyed to India and began attending Bhopal University (now Barkatullah University). There, he completed a master's degree in technical education in 1988. Hassan is also a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University's Summer Peacebuilding Institute based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 2001, he completed three of the SPI's intensive courses, studying mediation, trauma healing, and designing learner-centered trainings.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Following his second term election for the presidency of Somalia, the University for Peace revealed that Hassan is a Ph.D. candidate at the university. In October 2022, the presidency announced that Hassan defended his doctoral dissertation in Peace, Governance and Development, becoming the first sitting Somali president to do so.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In a professional capacity, Hassan accepted a position as an instructor and trainer at the Lafole Technical Secondary School. He later joined the Somali National University-affiliated Technical Teachers' Training College in 1984. In 1986, he became the department's head.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: When the civil war broke out in the early 1990s, Hassan remained in Somalia and acted as a consultant with various NGOs, UN bureaus, and peace and development projects. He worked as an education officer for UNICEF in the central and southern parts of the country from 1993 to 1995. In 1999, he also co-established the Somali Institute of Management and Administration (SIMAD) in the capital. The institution subsequently grew into the SIMAD University, with Hassan acting as dean until 2010.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Hassan entered Somali politics the following year, when he established the independent Peace and Development Party (PDP). PDP members unanimously elected him as the party's chairman in April 2011, with a mandate to serve as leader for the next three years.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In August 2012, Hassan was selected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the newly formed Federal Parliament of Somalia. Besides academic and civic work, he is also a successful entrepreneur.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 10 September 2012, legislators elected Hassan President of Somalia during the country's 2012 presidential elections. Members of parliament marked their ballot papers behind a curtain before casting them in a clear box in front of foreign envoys and hundreds of Somali men and women as well as being broadcast live on television. After the first round of voting, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed emerged as the frontrunner, amassing 64 votes. Hassan was a close second with 60 votes, and Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali placed third with 32 votes. Along with the fourth-place finisher Abdiqadir Osoble, Ali later chose to drop out ahead of the second round. Both challengers, along with the other hopefuls that were vying for the post, thereafter reportedly instructed their supporters to back Hassan's candidacy. Hassan went on to earn a lopsided win in the final round, defeating Ahmed 71–29% (190 votes vs. 79 votes).


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Immediately after the final ballot results had been read out, Hassan was sworn into office. Lawmakers began singing Somalia's national anthem, and Mogadishu's residents also expressed satisfaction at the outcome, viewing it as a moment of change.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In his acceptance speech, President Hassan thanked the general Somali populace, the Federal Parliament, as well as the other challengers. He also voiced support for the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Somalia and indicated that he was prepared to work closely with the international community.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Additionally, Sheikh Sharif congratulated Hassan on his victory and pledged to cooperate with the new head of state. Prime Minister Ali touted the selection as the start of a new era in Somali politics. Abdirahman Mohamud Farole, President of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia, also thanked Hassan, the Somali people, and all of the other stakeholders that were involved in the Roadmap political process, which ultimately led to the presidential election and the end of the transitional period.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Hassan's appointment was welcomed throughout the world. The UN Special Representative for Somalia Augustine Mahiga issued a statement describing the election as a "great step forward on the path to peace and prosperity[...] Somalia has proved the doubters wrong and sent a powerful message of progress to all of Africa and indeed to the entire world". Similarly, the AU Commission for Somalia hailed the selection and pledged to support the new leadership. British Prime Minister David Cameron and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also extended their congratulations, echoing the general sentiment that the election represented a significant achievement. The United States government in turn released a press statement congratulating Hassan on his victory, which it described as "an important milestone for the people of Somalia, and a crucial step forward along the path of building a representative government". It also urged the Somali authorities to build on this momentum, and promised to continue partnering with the Somali government. In addition, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cabled a message of congratulations to Somalia's new head of state, as did the UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as well as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi also phoned Mohamud to congratulate him on his victory, and wished him success in his national reconciliation and peacebuilding endeavors.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 16 September 2012, Hassan was formally inaugurated as President of Somalia at a ceremony attended by various foreign leaders and dignitaries. UN Special Envoy to Somalia Mahiga described the moment as the beginning of a "new era" for the nation as well as the conclusion of the transitional period.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 16 May 2022, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud regained presidential power after winning the election against the outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo. The elected president vowed to restore stability in Somalia.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 6 October 2012, Hassan appointed political newcomer Abdi Farah Shirdon as the new Prime Minister of Somalia. On 4 November 2012, Shirdon named a new Cabinet, which was later endorsed by the legislature on 13 November 2012.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 12 September 2012, while Hassan was meeting with foreign delegates in Mogadishu, two suicide bombers and two gunmen dressed in government uniforms attempted an attack on the Jazeera Hotel where the dignitaries had convened. There were reportedly around 10 casualties, among which were three Somali security detail, one AU peacekeeper, and the assailants themselves. None of the assembled statesmen, including Kenyan Foreign Minister Sam Ongeri, were harmed. Seemingly unfazed by the incidents, Hassan continued his speech before the gathered press and foreign officials, stating that "things like what's happening now outside will continue for some time, but I'm sure and I'm confident it's the last things that's taking place here in Somalia[...] We have been hearing such events frequently, but this is a special case. We didn't hear it for the last couple of months even." He added that "first and foremost we will address the security issue. Priority number one is security and priority number two and priority number three." The Al-Shabaab militant group later claimed responsibility for the attacks. According to Somali government officials, AU forces have assumed responsibility for Hassan's security while investigations are launched into the incidents.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 3 September 2013, a roadside bomb detonated near vehicles in Hassan's convoy in Merca. One Somali soldier was injured in the blast, but Hassan was unharmed and continued on to his destination. Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the explosion. Abdirahman Omar Osman, a spokesman for the president, dismissed the group's statement as propaganda, indicating that Hassan's convoy was not targeted and that it was uncertain what might have happened to an earlier convoy.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 7 October 2015, Al-Shabaab gunmen ambushed and killed Dr Liban Osman, nephew of Hassan, and one other man as their car was traveling through the Wadajir neighborhood of the capital city Mogadishu.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: A 2013 report by U.N. investigators said individuals in Hassan’s government used the Somali central bank as a personal "slush fund", with an average 80 percent of withdrawals made for private purposes. The presidency and the then-central bank governor Abdusalam Omer have strongly denied that accusation. The Monitoring Group described the system of "fadlan" payments from the Bank to private individuals or to public officials for private purposes, which the Group found in 2011 amounted to 87 per cent of all withdrawals and in 2012 to 76 per cent. Those figures declined to 72 per cent following the establishment of the Federal Government. The Group has reviewed the accounts of the Bank since its previous report and estimates that the rate of "fadlan" payments to individuals from the Bank remains largely between 70 and 75 per cent. Notably, however, following the publication of the Group’s previous report in July 2013, the names of all individuals receiving payments in the Bank’s accounts were replaced with coded numbers to obscure the identity of the recipients. It is unclear who holds the master code list with the names against the numbers.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: The UN Monitoring Group obtained documentary evidence that demonstrates that individuals close to the presidency are conspiring to take private control of recovered overseas assets, which should be under the fiduciary control of the Central Bank upon recovery. The effort was undertaken pursuant to a contract signed in July 2013 between the Federal Government and the United States law firm of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy and Ecker, P.A., and led to the resignation of Yussur Abrar as Governor of the Bank.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: The 2014 UN report says attempts to steal assets were thwarted after former Central Bank Governor Yussur Abrar challenged the terms of Shulman Rogers. Abrar quit after seven weeks in office. Her action generated an international scrutiny that later enabled her successor to protect some of the recovered assets. The report, however, alleges there is still "a secret architecture of misappropriation," involving Hassan, former Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam, Shulman Rogers as well as Musa Haji Mohamed Ganjab and Abdiaziz Hassan Giyaajo Amalo. The report says Ganjab and Amalo, who vehemently deny the allegations, served as government advisors as well as facilitators for Shulman Rogers. According to the report, Abrar, the ex-governor, was appointed in part to exploit her banking background in order to get her open bank accounts whose aims were to divert public funds after her predecessor was discredited in an earlier UN report.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: "From the moment I was appointed," she said in her resignation letter, "I have been continuously asked to sanction deals and transactions that would contradict my personal values and violate my fiduciary responsibility to the Somali people as head of the nation's monetary authority."


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Abrar finally decided to leave the country for the United Arab Emirates under the pretext of signing off on a Dubai account whose aim would have been to deposit diverted funds and other bilateral assistance with no control from the central bank.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: The UN Monitoring Group has obtained evidence implicating Musa Haji Mohamed “Ganjab”, who acted as an adviser to the President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and who is a member of his Abgaal/Waesle subclan, in the leakage of weaponry to Al-Shabaab and other forces beyond the army.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: The UN experts said production of the Somali port "continues to be fraught with fraud and corruption" and that fees from Mogadishu port, a key source for the government, were being diverted. It said a monthly average of "at least" 33 percent of the port fees cannot be accounted for. The monitoring group estimates that at least 30 to 35 per cent of monthly port revenue cannot be accounted for, which is largely a continuation of the previous year’s rate of diversion.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Upon assuming office, Hassan and his Cabinet resumed efforts by Somali and international stakeholders to end the 21-year UN arms embargo on Somalia, the oldest such global weapons blockade. The Security Council had imposed the prohibition in 1992, shortly after the start of the civil war and the toppling of the Siad Barre regime, in order to stop the flow of weapons to feuding militia groups. An eventual repeal of the embargo had been among the future objectives of the signatories in the transitional Roadmap political process of 2011–2012. Hassan's government, Somali security analysts and military experts argued that lifting the ban on the procurement of arms would facilitate the Somali authorities' attempts at strengthening the Somali Armed Forces, and would more effectively equip the military to quash the remnants of the Islamist insurgency. The United States, African Union, Arab League, and IGAD all backed the proposal. In March 2013, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon likewise urged Security Council members to vote to remove the sanctions so as to help the Somali authorities fortify their security apparatus and consolidate military gains.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Although Britain and France reportedly expressed reservations over increasing the general flow of arms into Somalia, UK officials began drafting a resolution to ease the embargo on weapons purchases by the Somali government for a provisional period of one year. The draft resolution would require either the Somali authorities or the state supplying the military equipment to notify the council "at least five days in advance of any deliveries of weapons and military equipment[...] providing details of such deliveries and assistance and the specific place of delivery in Somalia." Additionally, the proposal mandates that the Somali government should routinely provide updates on the army's structural status, as well as information on the extant infrastructure and protocols designed to ensure the weaponry's safe delivery, storage and maintenance.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In its 6 March 2013 meeting, the 15-member UN Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 2093 to suspend the arms embargo on Somalia for a one-year period. The endorsement officially lifts the purchase ban on light weapons, but retains certain restrictions on the procurement of heavy arms such as surface-to-air missiles, howitzers and cannons.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In January 2014, at an African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Hassan requested an extension of the UN Security Council's weapons purchasing mandate for Somalia. He indicated that the Somali defence forces required better military equipment and arms to more effectively combat militants. On 5 March 2014, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to extend the partial easing of the arms embargo on Somalia until 25 October of the year.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In April 2013, Hassan resumed national reconciliation talks between the central government in Mogadishu and the authorities in Hargeisa. Organized by the government of Turkey in Ankara, the meeting ended with a signed agreement between Hassan and Ahmed Mahamoud Silanyo, President of secessionist Somaliland in the northwest, agreeing to allocate fairly to the Somaliland its portion of the development aid earmarked for Somalia as a whole and to cooperate on security.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In August 2013, the Somali federal government signed a national reconciliation agreement in Addis Ababa with the autonomous Jubaland administration based in southern Somalia. Endorsed by the federal State Minister for the Presidency Farah Abdulkadir on behalf of Hassan, the pact was brokered by the Foreign Ministry of Ethiopia and came after protracted bilateral talks. Under the terms of the agreement, Jubaland will be administered for a two-year period by a Juba Interim Administration and led by the region's incumbent president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe). The regional president will serve as the chairperson of a new Executive Council, to which he will appoint three deputies. Management of Kismayo's seaport and airport will also be transferred to the Federal Government after a period of six months, and revenues and resources generated from these infrastructures will be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development. Additionally, the agreement includes the integration of Jubaland's military forces under the central command of the Somali National Army (SNA), and stipulates that the Juba Interim Administration will command the regional police. UN Special Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay hailed the pact as "a breakthrough that unlocks the door for a better future for Somalia," with AUC, UN, EU and IGAD representatives also present at the signing.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In February 2015, Hassan chaired a three-day consultation forum in Mogadishu with presidents Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Ahmed Mohamed Islam and Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan of the Puntland, Jubaland and South West State regional administrations, respectively. Under the rubric of the New Deal for Somalia, Hassan held additional national reconciliation talks with the regional leaders in Garowe in April and May of the year. The officials therein signed a seven-point agreement in Garowe authorizing the immediate deployment of the 3,000 troops from Puntland toward the Somali National Army. They also agreed to integrate soldiers from the other regional states into the SNA.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In November 2013, Hassan asked Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon to resign from office on the grounds that Shirdon was allegedly ineffective in the job. Hassan was reportedly acting on the advice of the State Minister for Presidency, Farah Abdulkadir. On 12 November 2013, Shirdon confirmed that there was a dispute between himself and the president, but indicated that the row was constitutional rather than political. He also asserted that the matter should be resolved in parliament. According to MP Mohamed Abdi Yusuf, the rift between Hassan and Shirdon centered over through what constitutional mechanism and by whom the Cabinet was ultimately to be formed.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 24 November 2013, 168 MPs led by former TFG Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan endorsed a document submitted to parliament, which outlined a motion against Prime Minister Shirdon's administration. A parliamentary vote of confidence was later held against Shirdon on 2 December 2013. Parliament Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawari subsequently announced that 184 of the present MPs had voted against Shirdon, whereas 65 legislators had voted to retain him. On 5 December 2013, Shirdon released a statement confirming that he and his Cabinet accepted the legislature's decision. UN Special Representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay paid tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister, noting that Shirdon had endeavoured to promote growth and progress and was an important principal in establishing the New Deal Compact between Somalia and its international partners. He also commended the legislators on adhering to procedural rules during the vote, and pledged to work constructively with the succeeding administration.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In February–March 2014, Hassan began a reformation of the Mogadishu Chief of Staff and Benadir regional administration in an effort to strengthen their senior leadership. On 27 February 2014, he issued a presidential decree naming former military court chairman Hassan Mohamed Hussein Mungab as the new Mayor of Mogadishu and Governor of the Banaadir region. Part of an effort to firm up on municipal security, the appointment came after consultations with Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed and Interior Minister Abdullahi Godah Barre. Mungab replaced Mohamed Nur (Tarsan) in the mayorship. The same month, President Mohamud also replaced Kamal Dahir Hassan "Gutale" as Chief of Staff. Through a presidential decree issued on 10 March, Hassan likewise sacked the General Secretary of the Benadir regional administration Abdikafi Hassan, as well as Benadir's Deputy Governors Ali Iikar Gure and Warsame Mohamed Ahmed "Jodah". Hassan concurrently reassigned former Chief of Staff Hassan as the Benadir administration's new Deputy Governor.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In August 2014, on the occasion of the U.S.-Africa summit in Washington, D.C., Hassan announced a number of new development projects aimed at Somalia's youth. The conference was the largest of its kind to be held by an incumbent United States administration, and was attended by the heads of state and government of all of Africa's countries. Of the new youth initiatives that the Federal Government of Somalia is slated to implement, Hassan indicated that a comprehensive youth empowerment framework would be prioritized, with attendant legislation and policies. A university accreditation system, an employment creation program, and youth enterprise would also be developed. Additionally, local and regional youth representation in civil, political and governmental activities would be enhanced. To this end, two Youth Advisers would be named to the Office of the President, and the minimum age for prospective officeholders would be lowered to 18. Leadership of Somalia's first national park would also be assigned to young managers so as to strengthen environmental preservation and potential tourism opportunities. In coastal areas, jobs in marine ecosystem management and sustainable fishing would be generated. Additional opportunities would be made available through the introduction of fiber optics and 3G. The federal government would likewise support the establishment of the Somali Film Council. According to Hassan, the Somali federal government delegation is scheduled to meet with its U.S. partners to discuss further ways to promote economic growth and investment in Somalia, with the objective of creating new opportunities, empowering youth, and strengthening ties between both nations.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In October 2014, Hassan officially opened the International Bank of Somalia (IBS) at a ceremony in Mogadishu. A number of invited officials attended the inauguration event, including Mayor of Mogadishu and Benadir Governor Hassan Mohamed Hussein Mungab, Minister of Finance Hussein Abdi Halane, Minister of Public Works and Reconstruction Nadifo Mohamed Osman, Vice Chairman of the Central Bank of Somalia, Chamber of Commerce representatives, and businesspeople. The bank was established by a group of entrepreneurs, whom the gathered officials commended for their commitment to providing international banking services to facilitate local commercial activities. Additionally, the Chairman of the bank indicated that the institution possessed a swift code permitting international banking, and that its emphasis would be on developing the nation's livestock, agricultural and other economic resources.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In October–November 2014, a rift developed between Hassan and new Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed over a cabinet reshuffle by Ahmed. On 25 October, Premier Ahmed transferred former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Farah Sh. Abdulkadir Mohamed, Peace and Development Party member and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahad Mohamed Salad, and other key allies of Hassan to other positions within the Council of Ministers. Hassan immediately issued a statement declaring the cabinet reshuffle null and void, arguing that he had not been consulted about the move. He also ordered all of the reassigned ministers to carry on with their ordinary duties.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 27 October, UN Special Envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay met with Hassan and Ahmed at the Villa Somalia compound in an unsuccessful attempt to broker an agreement between the two officials. Puntland Information Minister Abdiweli Hirsi Abdulle also suggested that the row should be resolved through constitutional means, asserted that the Puntland regional administration was prepared to mediate between the two federal leaders, and called on international representatives to do the same. Similarly, Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari indicated that he was confident that the disagreement could be resolved through legal channels.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In early November, UN Ambassador Kay and EU representatives Alexander Rondos and Michele Cervone issued separate press statements urging Hassan and Ahmed to set aside their differences for the greater communal good, and to continue instead working toward the goals enshrined in Vision 2016. Kay also expressed concern about the possibility of vote buying marring a parliamentary vote of confidence, and indicated that any such potential political disruption would be reported to the UN Security Council. Similarly, Rondos and Cervone in their capacity as financial stakeholders urged the Federal MPs to adhere to standard legislative protocols. On 3 November, President Mohamud issued a statement assuring the international community of his administration's continued commitment to fulfilling Vision 2016. He also called on foreign partners to respect Somalia's sovereignty and allow its legislative process to proceed constitutionally. On 4 November, during a special parliamentary session, several federal lawmakers expressed disappoint over Ambassador Kay's statement, asking that he either apologize or step down from office. Other legislators from Puntland supported Kay's press release, which emphasized governmental continuity and unity.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: Hassan and Ahmed concurrently began holding consultations with various Federal MPs to gather support ahead of a potential vote of confidence. On 6 November, IGAD Special Envoy to Somalia Ambassador Abdi Afey met with the two leaders to try and broker an agreement, and also conferred with Parliament Speaker Jawari. Additionally, almost 100 MPs concurrently lodged a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Ahmed. Although Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari received the motion, a date of deliberation in the legislature was not specified.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 9 November, Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari and international representatives began separate mediation efforts in a final attempt to resolve the differences between Hassan and Ahmed. The Egyptian government also called for an urgent meeting of the Somalia Committee within the Arab League to assist in the reconciliation talks. On 10 November, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement likewise indicating that a parliamentary vote of confidence would be counterproductive. It instead urged the Federal Government of Somalia's leaders to unite, and suggested that the U.S. authorities would not attend a conference in Copenhagen on Somalia's New Deal as long as the FGS's leadership was divided.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 11 November, legislators met in parliament to deliberate on the no-confidence motion. Supporters of Ahmed subsequently began to make noise, effectively precluding any discussion. Consequently, Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari indefinitely adjourned the session.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 11 November, a spokesman for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office reiterated the international community's call for all Somali parties to set aside their differences, respect parliamentary protocol, and work together for the greater good. Due to the political infighting, the Danish government also canceled a planned meeting in Copenhagen between Hassan and global Somali community members ahead of the New Deal conference on Somalia. On 14 November, the U.S. government likewise warned that it would cut financial assistance to Somalia if the top Somali Federal Government officials did not resolve their differences.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 15 November, a second attempt to hold a parliamentary vote of confidence again failed. Over 100 lawmakers sang the national anthem and held up placards supporting Ahmed, prompting Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari to indefinitely adjourn the session.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 16 November, MP supporters of Hassan presented a letter to Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari calling for him to convene the legislature so that the vote of confidence could take place. Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed and a number of cabinet ministers and lawmakers supporting Ahmed concurrently met in the capital, and issued a four-point statement defending the cabinet's independence and demanding an end to outside interference with its functions. On 17 November 14 ministers within the 50 member cabinet signed a counter-petition asking the Prime Minister to resign in order to safeguard national interests. Believed to be supporters of the President, the ministerial officials also indicated that they themselves would step down from their positions if the Premier declined to do so within 24 hours. On 18 November, Ahmed convened the first Cabinet meeting in several weeks, after which Deputy Prime Minister Ridwan Hersi Mohamed announced that any minister who was unable to work with the government was free to resign and make way for a replacement.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 24 November, a third attempt to hold a parliamentary vote of confidence ended in chaos. Lawmakers supporting Ahmed shredded the attendance register as well as their copies of the motion. They also immediately began yelling when Federal Parliament Speaker Jawari entered the hall, prompting the legislative leader to indefinitely adjourn the session. Jawari subsequently issued a statement postponing all parliamentary sessions until a lasting and effective resolution to the rift could be found.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 24 November, Ahmed released a statement indicating that he made the Cabinet reshuffle to ameliorate the performance of the Council of Ministers and resolve internal wrangles. He likewise indicated that the directive was in line with Article 100 (a) and (b) of the Provisional Constitution, and that the Office of the President's decree attempting to nullify the reshuffle contravened those constitutional clauses. Additionally, Ahmed asserted that the ensuing motion of no confidence was motivated by displeasure over the transfer of one particular Cabinet minister to another portfolio. He also suggested that the motion was regarded by most legislators and the general public as having been driven by graft, that the attempts to table it bypassed the rules and procedures of the parliament, and that it ultimately was an obstacle toward fulfilling the goals enshrined in Vision 2016. Ahmed also commended lawmakers for countering the motion, and applauded the House of the People's leadership for acknowledging that the motion was an impediment on the legislature's functions and instead calling for reconciliatory dialogue to resolve the impasse.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 4 December, a League of Arab States delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Kuwait Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah held a meeting in Mogadishu with the federal government leaders, wherein they discussed the parliamentary motion and Arab League affairs. On 6 December, the Federal Parliament again convened to hold the vote of confidence. 153 of the present MPs voted in favor of the motion, 80 voted against it, and 2 abstained, thereby ending Ahmed's term as Prime Minister of Somalia.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: On 17 December 2014, Hassan appointed former Premier Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as the new Prime Minister.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In January 2015, at an event commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the official adoption of the Somali Latin script, Hassan announced that the Somali language would be used for all government documents at every state office in Somalia. The President indicated that foreign languages would thereafter be reserved for communication with foreign representatives. He also noted that Somali was part of UNESCO's cross-border languages category, and asserted that no nation achieved significant development without first ensuring the primacy of its native language. Additionally, Hassan announced several associated initiatives that are slated to be implemented, including a new educational curriculum with Somali as the primary language of instruction, rehabilitation of monuments for fallen heroes, completion of renovations on the National Museum, and finalization of the Regional Somali Language Academy in conjunction with the governments of Djibouti and Ethiopia.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In March 2015, Hassan issued a presidential decree dissolving the extant Judicial Service Commission. The order did not pertain to the Attorney General and Chief Judge of the High Court positions. Additionally, the dissolution letter from the Office of the President indicated that the panel was inconsistent with the Provisional Constitution and the judicial service law. It recommended instead reformation of the Judicial Service Commission in accordance with Article 109 of the national constitution.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In March 2015, Hassan held a meeting with Somali Disabled People Council (SDPC) representatives in Mogadishu. The officials touched on ways in which the government can assist differently abled individuals, among various other matters. Hassan therein vowed to earmark a governmental agency for the disabled, which would liaise with other state offices and gather data on the subpopulation. Additionally, he indicated that the government would organize a nationwide conference devoted to the differently abled. SDPC representative Ali Abdullahi Salad in turn applauded Hassan for his dedication to the disabled cause.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In April 2015, Hassan and Prime Minister Sharmarke in conjunction with the Federal Cabinet officially launched the Special Task Force on Remittances (STFR). The multi-agency initiative is mandated with facilitating the Federal Government of Somalia's new national policy pertaining to the money transfer industry. Its main priority is centered on establishing a comprehensive strategy and a consultative implementation plan for the formalization of the local financial sector. Additionally, the STFR is tasked with helping to foster a business environment and financial infrastructure conducive to growth. It is also empowered to coordinate and speed up the endorsement of financial governance instruments and transparency associated legislation, such as the laws on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT). In accordance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)'s recommendations, the STFR is in turn slated to oversee the Somali federal government's campaign to ratify various international treaties. The Task Forces' membership is scheduled to be announced shortly, and will be drawn from government institutions, the remittance industry, banks and other key private sector stakeholders.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In April 2015, Hassan officially inaugurated National Tree Week at a ceremony in Mogadishu. He therein planted a tree at the Daljirka-Daahsoon junction as a symbol of the environmental importance of plants. Hassan also announced that his administration was slated to launch an ecological preservation project as part of the broader national reconstruction process, and noted the centrality of flora in human society and wildlife. Additionally, he encouraged the citizenry to avail itself of the occasion to plant as many trees as possible.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In June 2013, attendants at the ministerial meeting of the European Union and over 70 nations in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) approved the Somali government's request to join the Cotonou Agreement. Somalia was immediately granted observer status, with full membership earmarked for 2014. The Cotonou Agreement promotes sustainable development and the reduction and eventual elimination of poverty in ACP member nations. It also aims to integrate ACP countries into the world economy via stronger participation in the drafting of national development strategies, and to advance criminal justice and fight against impunity through the International Criminal Court. President Mohamud welcomed the decision and asserted that the treaty would facilitate the ongoing national reconstruction process, as Somalia would be eligible to receive EU development projects. According to Joe Costello, Ireland's Minister of State for Trade and Development, the endorsement "opens a new chapter in relations between the EU and Somalia and constitutes a visible sign that Somalia has regained its status as a fully-fledged member of the international community."


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In November 2014, Hassan along with UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Jeffrey D. Feltman co-chaired an international conference in Copenhagen on the New Deal Compact for Reconstruction and Development. Representatives from Somalia's Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug and Southwestern federal states also attended the summit, as well as delegations from over 140 countries. Hassan indicated therein that the New Deal Compact was a Somali-led initiative, through which the Federal Government of Somalia developed legal frameworks, initiated state and political reform, re-structured key institutions, and established a foundation for allocating international development assistance toward the central authorities' priority areas. Additionally, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry reaffirmed his administration's support for Somalia's social and security sectors, and noted the Egyptian government's various political brokering efforts.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In January 2015, Hassan signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on behalf of the Federal Republic of Somalia at a ceremony in Mogadishu. It is the most widely ratified global human rights treaty, with all but two countries party to it. The signing event was held at the Hamar Jab Jab School in the capital and was attended by various domestic and international officials, including Interim Minister for Information Mustaf Sheikh Ali Dhuhulow, Interim Minister for Women and Human Rights Khadijo Mohamed Diriye, Interim Minister for Agriculture Abdi Mohamed Bafo, Interim Minister for Justice Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, various federal legislators, UN Special Representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay, and UNICEF Representative for Somalia Steven Lauwerier. The Federal Parliament had already ratified the agreement in December 2014. Following the subsequent signing of the treaty by Hassan, the Federal Government is now slated to formulate and adopt child friendly systems and policies, implement steps geared toward child development, survival, protection and participation, and produce periodic reports on its progress toward that end for the Committee on the Rights of the Child.


title: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

text: In April 2013, Hassan was named to the "Time" 100, "TIME" magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His efforts at advancing national reconciliation, anti-corruption measures, and socio-economic and security sector reforms in Somalia were cited as reasons for the selection.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Rodney William Marsh (4 November 1947 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian professional cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper for the Australian national team.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian seasons. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western Australian teammate Dennis Lillee achieved with the ball. The pair were known for their bowler–wicketkeeper partnership, which yielded 95 Test wickets, a record for any such combination. They made their Test debuts in the same series and retired from Test cricket in the same match. "Wisden" stated that "Few partnerships between bowler and wicket-keeper have had so profound an impact on the game."


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh had a controversial start to his Test career, selected on account of his batting abilities. Sections of the media lampooned Marsh's glovework, dubbing him "Iron Gloves" after sloppy catching in his debut Test. His keeping improved over time and by the end of his career he was regarded as one of the finest in the history of the sport. He was widely regarded for his sense of team discipline, in particular after Bill Lawry controversially declared the Australian first innings closed in the Fifth Test of the 1970–71 series at the MCG with Marsh eight runs short of a century. He was known for his athletic keeping. He was nicknamed Australia's marshal due to his ability to uplift the spirit and energy within the Australian side by having some word with opponent batsmen during his playing days which had also influenced a shift in momentum in several occasions where Australia would go on to win matches from precarious situations. He continued to maintain his work ethics when he refused to sign a cricket bat in 2009 which had the signature of former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns, with the latter being later found guilty of involving in a spot-fixing scandal.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was born in the Perth suburb of Armadale on 4 November 1947 to Barbara and Ken Marsh. Marsh played backyard cricket with his older brother Graham, who became a professional golfer and won eleven times on the European Tour. Both brothers represented Western Australia at cricket at schoolboy level. Marsh played his first competitive match at the age of eight for the Armadale under-16s, where he also kept wicket. At thirteen he captained the state schoolboys' team, and joined the West Perth district club.


title: Rod Marsh

text: When he debuted for West Perth's first XI he was a specialist batsman, as Western Australia wicketkeeper Gordon Becker also represented the club. In order to further his keeping, Marsh joined the University club. He formed a bond with Dennis Lillee in 1966 at a time when Marsh was serving as a trainee teacher with the University Club. Since then, he has been dubbed as Lillee's partner-in-crime by pundits.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh made his first-class debut for Western Australia, again as a specialist batsman, against the touring West Indies in 1968–69. He had an unusual match, scoring 0 and 104. His whirlwind knock of 104 on state debut against a fancied West Indian bowling attack which comprised Garfield Sobers, Charlie Griffith and Wes Hall.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh replaced the retired Becker from the 1969–70 season. At the time, Australia was touring India and South Africa with Brian Taber and Ray Jordon as the team's wicketkeepers. In the autumn of 1970, an Australian second team toured New Zealand with John MacLean as wicketkeeper. Therefore, Marsh was behind these players in the pecking order. However, he was a controversial selection for the first Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series, replacing Taber; Marsh was selected for his batting.


title: Rod Marsh

text: The media was quick to criticise Marsh's glovework in his early career, dubbing him "Iron Gloves" after he missed a number of catches. Even on his debut in the First Test in the 1970–71 Ashes series he took four catches in his first innings. His batting proved invaluable on a number of occasions and in the Fifth Test he equalled the record for the highest Test innings by an Australian keeper, set by Don Tallon. The end of the innings was controversial; the captain Bill Lawry declared with Marsh eight runs short of a century so he could get an extra hour of bowling before stumps. When questioned by the press about his lost chance to make an historic century Marsh said he had gained forty runs instead of missing eight as he thought Lawry should have declared an hour earlier. Even though Marsh was unbeaten on 92 before declaration was made, Marsh emphasized first priority for the team before personal milestones and achievements. His gesture eventually would help him to win accolades and also to stamp a sense of authority and loyalty among the fans as well as among the teammates. Marsh later admitted that he was underprepared as a wicketkeeper, but he learned from watching his English counterpart Alan Knott. He and Knott did, however, concede the same number of byes in the series: 44.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh became an integral part of the team as the side improved during the 1972 tour of England. He was deemed a strong gatekeeper to Australia's baggy green culture and was known for his authorship of Australian team victory song "Under the Southern Cross I Stand" which he co-opted from the original version of Henry Lawson’s 1887 poem "Flag of the Southern Cross". Marsh initially had the role of leading the team in singing it, and on his retirement he passed it on to Allan Border.


title: Rod Marsh

text: It was revealed that it was Marsh who started the victory celebration by narrating the song following Australia's emphatic victory against England on the final day of the fifth and final test match on 16 August 1972 at The Oval where Australia successfully chased down 242 with 5 wickets to spare.


title: Rod Marsh

text: He became the first Australian keeper to hit a century by scoring 118 in the first Test against Pakistan at Adelaide in 1972–73. He also hit 236 against the tourists for Western Australia, the best score of his career. Playing a key role in Australia's series victories over England and the West Indies in the series of 1974–75 and 1975–76, Marsh made many acrobatic dives to catch balls delivered by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. He took 45 dismissals in those two series, including a world-record 26 catches in six Tests against the West Indies.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh scored an unbeaten 110 in the second innings of the Centenary Test against England in 1977, becoming the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century against England. In the same match he passed Wally Grout's Australian wicket-keeping record of 187 Test dismissals. He scored a further 16 half centuries. In first class matches, he accumulated 11 centuries including a best of 236, aggregating more than 10000 runs in his career.


title: Rod Marsh

text: When the breakaway World Series Cricket was formed, Marsh had no hesitation in signing for Kerry Packer. He claimed 54 dismissals in 16 Supertests. Upon his return to traditional international cricket in 1979–80, his age did not affect his keeping ability. On the 1981 tour of England, he took 23 dismissals to become the first wicketkeeper to take 100 dismissals in Ashes Tests, broke Knott's world record in 22 fewer Tests and passed 3000 runs in Test cricket.


title: Rod Marsh

text: He was the wicketkeeper, in the infamous underarm bowling incident of 1981 which happened during the 3rd final of the 1980–81 Australia Tri-Nation Series.


title: Rod Marsh

text: In 1982–83, his penultimate season, he took 28 dismissals against England, including nine and eight in the second and third Test respectively. His batting form fell away towards the end of his Test career, his last 22 Tests yielding only 589 runs at an average of 19.63. On his final test match appearance against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 6 January 1984, he effected five dismissals and set a then world record for most test dismissals by a keeper at that time with 355. He also became the first keeper to reach 350 dismissals. Marsh's retirement coincided with those of Dennis Lillee and former Australia captain Greg Chappell.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Powerfully built, Marsh was regarded as an all rounder for the majority of his career. Coupled with his short stature, his power suited him to the task of keeping wicket. Despite his bulk, which forced him to work heavily on reducing his weight in his early career, he had fast foot movement, combined with fast anticipation and reflexes, which allowed him to cover more ground. He raised the role of wicketkeeper to a more prominent status in a team with his acrobatic diving, raucous appeals and habit of throwing a ball high into the air upon completing a dismissal. As the wicketkeeper, he made himself the focal point in the field and attempted to extract higher standards of concentration from both himself and his teammates. Speaking of his understanding with Lillee, he said, "I've played with him so much now that most of the time I know what he is going to do before he has bowled ... I know from the way he runs up; the angle, the speed, where he hits the crease, where the ball is going to be."


title: Rod Marsh

text: At state level, Marsh was a noted captain, leading the state to a Sheffield Shield and Gillette Cup double in both forms of the game in 1976–77. He had nine wins and seven losses in 20 Shield matches as captaincy, and seven from nine matches in the limited overs competition.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was an effective player in ODI matches, contributing as a keeper and a lower order batsman. His power and aggression was put to good use in the closing overs, when he could score at a rapid rate. In one match against New Zealand in 1980–81 against Lance Cairns at the Adelaide Oval, he struck 26 from the final over, with three sixes and two fours, before falling on the final ball.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was a cricket commentator for Channel Nine's international matches between 1986–1990 and 1996–1998.


title: Rod Marsh

text: He was a coach at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide since its inception and was its director from 1990 to 2001. Some of his former proteges include Australian internationals wicketkeeper–batsman Adam Gilchrist and fast bowlers Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was the Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) national academy from October 2001 to September 2005. During this time, England went from being a mediocre team to challenging Australia as the best team in Test cricket and in 2005, they regained the Ashes after 16 years in Australian hands with a 2–1 win. Marsh later criticised the ECB for releasing Troy Cooley, who had trained England's four pronged pace battery, and attacked Duncan Fletcher's selection of Geraint Jones as the wicket keeper ahead of Chris Read. He once declared his cricketing allegiance to England and was at one time a selector for the English team.


title: Rod Marsh

text: In August 2006, the South Australian Cricket Association announced Marsh had been appointed in a consultancy role to undertake a review of cricket throughout South Australia. Marsh had also worked with the Global Cricket Academy in Dubai.


title: Rod Marsh

text: He was included in a part-time capacity as a part of the Cricket Australia national selection panel in 2011. In 2011, in a newly created role by Cricket Australia he was asked to coach the coaches in order to ensure a unified approach to mentor the players across the states of Australia.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was appointed chairman of selectors for Cricket Australia on 2 May 2014, replacing John Inverarity. He was previously Cricket Australia's manager of elite coaching development. He felt the heat at times from former cricketers including Michael Slater for not selecting Usman Khawaja in the Australian playing XI especially during the Chappell-Hadlee ODI series in February 2016 in New Zealand.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1982 New Year Honours and inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. He was named as one of Wisden's Cricketer of the Year in 1982. He received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and a Centenary Medal in 2001.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Actor Brendan Cowell portrayed Rod Marsh in the 2012 Australian miniseries "Howzat! Kerry Packer's War".


title: Rod Marsh

text: In 2015, he became the fourth Australian cricketer to deliver MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture after Richie Benaud, Adam Gilchrist and Simon Taufel.


title: Rod Marsh

text: Marsh's son Daniel Marsh captained the Tasmanian cricket team in the absence of Ricky Ponting in the mid-2000s.


title: Rod Marsh

text: In 2010, he appeared in an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?", where it was revealed that his grandmother died after giving birth to one of his aunts, leading his grandfather to put their three children, including Marsh's father Ken, up for adoption.


title: Rod Marsh

text: On 24 February 2022, Marsh was left in a critical condition following a heart attack in Bundaberg, Queensland, whilst en route to a charity event hosted by Queensland Bulls Masters. He died eight days later, on 4 March 2022, in Adelaide, South Australia, at the age of 74.


title: Rod Marsh

text: His death came on the same day as that of fellow Australian cricket icon Shane Warne, who had paid tribute to Marsh in a tweet a few hours prior to his own death in Thailand.


title: Rod Marsh

text: His funeral service was held at the Adelaide Oval on the 17th March, and was hosted by James Brayshaw; amongst the tributes included a recorded eulogy by Adam Gilchrist


title: John Toshack

text: John Benjamin Toshack (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former professional football player and manager.


title: John Toshack

text: He began his playing career as a teenager with his hometown club Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player to make an appearance for the side when he made his debut in 1965. After establishing himself in the first-team, he went on to make over 200 appearances and scored 100 goals in all competitions after forming a striking partnership with Brian Clark.


title: John Toshack

text: In 1970, he joined First Division side Liverpool, where he formed a noted forward partnership with Kevin Keegan and Steve Heighway that helped the club to win two league titles, the European Cup, the UEFA Cup on two occasions, the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. His partnership with Keegan was so effective that the two were described as telepathic. Mounting injuries eventually led to him securing his release from Liverpool to join Swansea City as player-manager in March 1978. He led the club to three promotions in four seasons, elevating them from the Fourth Division to the First Division in a feat that led former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly to describe him as the "manager of the century". During his career, he scored over 150 goals in the Football League in more than 350 appearances and also represented Wales at international level, winning 40 caps and scoring 13 goals.


title: John Toshack

text: He resigned from Swansea in 1984 after suffering relegation and embarked on a managerial career abroad, taking charge of Sporting CP in Portugal and later Spanish side Real Sociedad, winning the Copa del Rey in 1987. Two years later, he was appointed manager of Real Madrid and led them to a fifth consecutive La Liga title with a record total of points and goals scored. However, a disappointing start to the following season resulted in his dismissal in November 1990 and he returned to Real Sociedad. In 1994, he was appointed part-time manager of Wales alongside his job at Sociedad but resigned from the role after just 47 days having been in charge for one match, citing the strong support for former manager Terry Yorath among fans and a "political war" as reasons.


title: John Toshack

text: After a spell in Turkey with Beşiktaş, he returned to Real Madrid for a second time but was sacked ten months later after refusing to retract criticism he had made of his players in a press conference following a defeat. In 2004, he was appointed as manager of Wales for a second time and remained with the side for six years, presiding over three ultimately unsuccessful qualifying campaigns. He later managed Macedonia and Azerbaijani side Khazar Lankaran before managing outside Europe for the first time in his career with Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca and Tractor of Iran.


title: John Toshack

text: John Toshack was born on 22 March 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, and grew up on Northumberland Street in the Canton area of the city. His father George was from Dunfermline in Scotland and worked as a carpenter. He moved to Wales while serving in the RAF, being stationed at MOD St Athan, and met Toshack's mother Joan, whom he later married.


title: John Toshack

text: As a child, Toshack attended Radnor Road Primary School, where he first played football for ten minutes in a school trial match, and later Canton High School for Boys. As a teenager, Toshack also played rugby and cricket and was regarded as a promising outside-half before a fractured shoulder suffered playing rugby led to him focusing on football. He left the school at the age of sixteen with O-levels in French and history.


title: John Toshack

text: While at school, Toshack was selected to represent Cardiff Boys, where he played alongside Terry Yorath. In 1963, Toshack scored in every match he played for the side and broke the team's scoring record with his 33rd goal in eleven matches as Cardiff defeated Swansea 2–0 in the Welsh schools divisional final. He was later selected to represent the Wales under-15 side.


title: John Toshack

text: In 1965, he joined his hometown club Cardiff City, signing for them as a 16-year-old on a contract worth £12 a week with an £8 appearance bonus and a £4 win bonus. In his early days at the club, he was in charge of cleaning the boots of John Charles. He became the youngest ever player to play in a senior match for the club when he came on as a substitute in place of Graham Coldrick to make a goalscoring debut during a 3–1 win over Leyton Orient on 13 November 1965 at the age of 16 years and 236 days, a record which stood for 41 years until it was broken by Aaron Ramsey in 2007. His performance during his debut persuaded manager Jimmy Scoular to promote him to the starting line-up for the following match and Toshack found the net again, scoring a brace during a 4–3 victory over Middlesbrough. In his first season in professional football, he scored six goals during nine appearances in all competitions.


title: John Toshack

text: Establishing himself in the side over the next few years, Toshack rejected a £70,000 move to Fulham when he was 18 as he felt he was too inexperienced to play in the First Division and would learn more by playing under Cardiff manager Scoular. He scored his first career hat-trick in January 1968 in an 8–0 win over Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Cup, and went on to form one of the most prolific partnerships in the club's history alongside Brian Clark. In the 1968–69 season, he scored 31 goals in all competitions, including three goals in a two-legged Welsh Cup final against Swansea City, finishing as the club's top scorer and the highest goalscorer in the Second Division. He scored two further hat-tricks for Cardiff, in 1969 against Queens Park Rangers and in 1970 against Hull City.


title: John Toshack

text: In November 1970, several days after scoring his 100th goal in all competitions for Cardiff during a 2–1 victory over French side Nantes in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Toshack completed a transfer to Liverpool. The club had made several previous offers for Toshack that had been rejected however, the Cardiff City board stated that they had left the decision up to the player who chose to move clubs. Cardiff manager Scoular and board member George Edwards both opposed the transfer but were unable to convince chairman Fred Dewey to block the move.


title: John Toshack

text: The deal was completed on 11 November 1970, Liverpool manager Bill Shankly paying £111,000 for the striker, a club record fee at the time. £100,000 went to Cardiff for the sale of the player while the Football League received £5,500 for the transfer and Toshack himself received the remaining £5,500. Liverpool had resurrected a potential deal for Toshack after an attempt to sign Huddersfield Town forward Frank Worthington collapsed after he failed a medical. He made his debut three days later on 14 November 1970 in a goalless league draw with Coventry City at Anfield. His first goal came a week later on 21 November in a Merseyside derby at Anfield. With the game 0–0 at half-time, Everton scored two early goals just after the start of the second half before Steve Heighway scored from an acute angle for Liverpool. In the 76th minute, Toshack headed a goal from a Heighway cross that turned the game around; then Chris Lawler volleyed home, after Toshack had headed on an Alec Lindsay cross, for the 84th-minute winner.


title: John Toshack

text: In his first season at Anfield, Toshack scored seven times in all competitions but his noted aerial ability proved to be a key asset in Liverpool's style of play as it helped the side reach the 1971 FA Cup Final, losing 2–1 to Arsenal. The following year, Kevin Keegan joined Liverpool from Scunthorpe United and the pair struck up a successful partnership, which was often referred to as being telepathic, with Toshack winning balls in the air and Keegan finishing the knock downs.


title: John Toshack

text: After defeat in the 1971 FA Cup final and missing out on the league title by a single point in 1972, Toshack won his first major honour with Liverpool in 1973 despite missing 20 league matches due to injury. Don Revie's Leeds United visited Anfield on Easter Monday for a match involving two of the three 1972–73 Football League title challengers. Two minutes after the break Peter Cormack put Liverpool ahead before Keegan added a late second to seal the win. With Arsenal only drawing in their match against Southampton, Liverpool duly closed out the title with a final game 0–0 draw against Leicester City to claim their first major trophy since 1966. Toshack also helped the side to win the 1972–73 UEFA Cup against German team Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 1973 UEFA Cup Final first leg at Anfield was abandoned due to a torrential downpour after 27 minutes and rescheduled to be played again the next day. The 27 minutes that had been played had given Liverpool manager Bill Shankly an insight into Borussia Mönchengladbach's defensive vulnerability in the air. To exploit this, he brought tall forward Toshack into the starting team demoting the small build of Brian Hall to appearing only as a late substitute. Keegan profited with two goals set up by Toshack headers in a 3–0 win. Liverpool lost 2–0 away in the second leg but won the tie 3–2 on aggregate.


title: John Toshack

text: Toshack also played in the 1974 FA Cup Final when Liverpool defeated Newcastle United 3–0, having scored winning goals in the quarter and semi-final matches against Bristol City and Leicester City. However, he found himself out of the first-team at the start of the following season after the club signed Ray Kennedy from Arsenal. Frustrated with the situation, Toshack looked to move and the club accepted a £160,000 bid from Leicester City in November 1974. Although he stated of his desire to remain with Liverpool, he was reluctant to be only playing reserve matches. However, the deal later collapsed after he failed a medical and, at the age of 25, Toshack was told by specialist doctors that he only had around twelve months left to play due to mounting injuries. He was able to force his way back into the first-team soon after, but his training time was restricted in an effort to prolong his playing career.


title: John Toshack

text: He won a further league and UEFA Cup double in 1976 and enjoyed his most prolific season with Liverpool, scoring 23 goals in all competitions. He ended his medal haul with a further league title in 1977 but increasing injury concerns limited his appearances and a proposed £60,000 transfer to Belgian side Anderlecht broke down after a medical discovered calcification in some muscle tissue. Toshack eventually negotiated his release from his contract at Liverpool in order to move into management. During his time with Liverpool, Toshack scored 96 goals in 247 appearances in all competitions. He was voted in at No.34 on the Liverpool website poll "100 Players Who Shook The Kop", in which thousands of fans worldwide voted for their top 100 Liverpool players.


title: John Toshack

text: Toshack played for Wales at schoolboy and under-23 level before making his senior debut on 26 March 1969 in a 1–1 draw with West Germany. He scored his first senior goal in his following match, a 2–1 defeat to East Germany a month later. He was part of the Welsh side that topped their qualifying group for UEFA Euro 1976, scoring three times during qualifying, before losing a two-legged play-off match against Yugoslavia.


title: John Toshack

text: He went on to earn 40 caps and scored 13 goals, including a hat trick against Scotland in the 1979 British Home Championship.


title: John Toshack

text: Having secured his release from his contract at Liverpool, Toshack looked to move into management and approached his former club Cardiff City over a coaching position but was rejected by manager Jimmy Andrews who questioned his qualifications for the role. Toshack instead received a phone call from Swansea City chairman Malcolm Struel and was invited to a meeting at the club. Following this, he was appointed player-manager of Fourth Division club Swansea on 1 March 1978, becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 29. Succeeding Harry Griffiths who stepped down to become his assistant, Toshack's appointment was seen as a significant coup for Swansea and the crowd for his first match in charge, a 3–3 draw with Watford, more than doubled from the club's previous home match with over 15,000 in attendance.


title: John Toshack

text: He overhauled numerous aspects of the club's day-to-day routine including changing players' diets, moderating their alcohol intake and revising travel arrangements for away matches. He was an immediate success at the Vetch Field, winning promotion from the Fourth Division in his first season in charge after finishing third. However, the club's celebrations were muted following the death of Griffiths from a heart attack prior to a match against Scunthorpe United in April 1978. Toshack praised Griffiths for his role in helping the club win promotion, stating "Most of the hard work had been done [...], chiefly by Harry. Gaining promotion would be a memorial to him".


title: John Toshack

text: The following season, Toshack convinced several of his former Liverpool teammates, such as Ian Callaghan, Phil Boersma and Tommy Smith, to join the club. Smith and Callaghan had both received offers to stay with Liverpool, although with limited playing time, but approached Toshack over a move and would train at Liverpool's Melwood training ground before travelling to Swansea for matchdays. Toshack led the club to a second consecutive promotion in 1979, sealing their place in the Second Division with a 2–1 win over Chesterfield on the final day of the season with Toshack himself scoring the winning goal that confirmed promotion after bringing himself on as a substitute.


title: John Toshack

text: After finishing mid-table in their first season in the Second Division, Swansea claimed a third promotion in four seasons in 1981 after beating Preston North End 3–1 on 2 May 1981 and won the Welsh Cup for the first time in fifteen years soon after by defeating Hereford United. After achieving promotion, Toshack's former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly heaped praise on his achievements, stating "he's done a remarkable job, I would say he's possibly manager of the century." Once they reached the top flight, Swansea were predicted by many to be relegated, but in their first match in the First Division they claimed a 5–1 victory over Leeds United after a hat-trick from newly arrived club-record signing Bob Latchford. In recognition of his achievements at the club, Toshack was awarded an MBE midway through the season. Swansea topped the league at several stages of the season, leading the division with only three months remaining, but injuries to key-players Latchford and another former Liverpool teammate of Toshack's Ray Kennedy, saw a downturn in results and they won just one of their final six matches before finishing their first campaign in the top flight in sixth position. During this period, he was told by the Liverpool board that he was their choice to replace current manager Bob Paisley when he chose to retire. Toshack had openly coveted the position stating "When I went to Swansea the thing I wanted in the long term was to end up at Liverpool". However, Paisley remained longer than expected and the position eventually went to Joe Fagan. Swansea were relegated the following year as the club suffered financial difficulties after relatively big spending under Toshack's tenure and then suffered a second successive relegation. He resigned in October 1983 but returned eight weeks later, remaining with the club for a further three months before departing again in March 1984. The heavy spending during Toshack's years at Swansea were often cited as a key factor in the severe financial issues that affected the club, being issued with a winding up order due to unpaid debts in December 1985.


title: John Toshack

text: In 1984, Toshack was appointed manager of the Portuguese side Sporting Clube de Portugal, but he only lasted one season in the post during which he led the team to second place in the league. He instead moved to Spain, taking a position as manager of Real Sociedad where he led the side to victory in the 1986–87 Copa del Rey and were the league runners-up in 1988.


title: John Toshack

text: Although their following season was disappointing, finishing the La Liga season in eleventh position, Toshack was appointed manager of Real Madrid in 1989. Madrid were reigning La Liga champions having won their fourth consecutive title the previous year and their squad was described by club president Ramón Mendoza as the "best Real Madrid side for the past 25 years". Nevertheless, Toshack strengthened defensively by adding Oscar Ruggeri and Fernando Hierro to the club's ranks but endured a difficult start after losing to rivals Barcelona and being eliminated from the European Cup in the second round and was under pressure from local press despite leading the La Liga table after ten matches. However, the side soon discovered their form and they eventually claimed the league title after scoring a record 107 league goals during the season, becoming only the second team to score 100 or more goals during a single season at the time. A disappointing start to the following season and a three-match losing streak led to him being sacked by the club after eleven matches in November 1990 and he returned to Sociedad, initially in an advisory role before taking charge soon after.


title: John Toshack

text: In Spain, Toshack became known as "John Benjamin"–nicknamed "JB"–as there was a common misunderstanding that his middle name was a Spanish-style paternal surname. He was noted for a habit of literally translating English-language idioms into Spanish during his press conferences, to the confusion of Spanish journalists.


title: John Toshack

text: In 1994, Toshack was appointed as manager of the Wales national team on a part-time basis, taking the job alongside his position in charge of Sociedad after approaches for Terry Venables and Bobby Robson were rejected. Although the ten scheduled competitive matches the team were due to play coincided with a break in Spanish league fixtures, he stated his intention that Sociedad would remain his first priority if any other international matches should clash with domestic ones. He was appointed to succeed Terry Yorath who had narrowly missed out on qualification to the 1994 FIFA World Cup and had expressed his desire to remain in the role but was not offered a new contract by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). On 9 March 1994, Toshack took charge of his first game for Wales, a 3–1 defeat to Norway at Ninian Park in Cardiff. Toshack had already come under scrutiny over his commitment to the role after arriving in Wales only two nights before the match and taking a single training session with the team beforehand. With support for Yorath still strong among Welsh fans over his dismissal by the FAW, a disappointing performance against Norway saw the team jeered off at both half and full-time and Toshack resigned from the role after just 47 days in charge. He later claimed that there was a political "war" surrounding the team following Yorath's acrimonious departure and he decided to "wash his hands" of the situation.


title: John Toshack

text: After leaving Sociedad, he spent two years in charge of Deportivo de La Coruña, resigning after the board signed two players without his knowledge, before moving to Turkey to join Beşiktaş on the recommendation of Bobby Robson, finishing sixth in his first season in charge. Although Toshack led the club to victory in the Turkish Cup in 1998, he endured a difficult time at the club as he clashed with the board on several occasions and had threatened to quit in October 1998.


title: John Toshack

text: In February 1999, he returned to Real Madrid following the sacking of Guus Hiddink. Madrid agreed to pay £372,671 compensation to Beşiktaş in order to secure the move. With the club in sixth position on his arrival, they eventually finished the season in fifth under Toshack. However, the start of the following season saw Madrid again struggle and, following a 3–2 defeat to Rayo Vallecano that left them in eighth position, Toshack publicly criticised his players, particularly Albano Bizzarri commenting that the goalkeeper conceded goals "that made me weep". Toshack claimed that his words were meant as a motivational tactic and refused club president Lorenzo Sanz's request that he withdraw his comments, saying "there's more chance of a pig flying over the Bernabeu". The Real Madrid board dismissed him soon after. Toshack would later take Madrid to court over his dismissal and was awarded over £700,000 in compensation.


title: John Toshack

text: He later spent short periods with French side AS Saint-Étienne, a third spell in charge of Real Sociedad, and Italian team Catania before returning to Spain again with Real Murcia.


title: John Toshack

text: In November 2004, Toshack was appointed as manager of the Wales national team for the second time after being named as the "unanimous" choice of the FAW. He was named in a three-man shortlist for the role alongside Frenchman Philippe Troussier and Welsh former international player Dean Saunders. Toshack's appointment was unpopular with some senior players with Robbie Savage claiming he could face a player mutiny if appointed. In total, seven players announced their international retirement within months of Toshack's appointment, including Savage, captain Gary Speed, who had been critical of Toshack's opinions previously, Mark Pembridge and Andy Melville. Former Wales manager Mark Hughes also questioned Toshack's suitability for the role, stating that UEFA coaching qualifications which Toshack did not possess should be considered a prerequisite for the job.


title: John Toshack

text: One of his first acts as manager was to place Brian Flynn in charge of Wales' various youth levels, replacing Ian Rush and Neville Southall, and the pair set about rebuilding an ageing squad and uncovering players with the eligibility to play for Wales, such as Ashley Williams. His first match in charge was a friendly against Hungary on 9 February 2005 which ended in a 2–0 win for Wales, both goals being scored by Craig Bellamy. His first competitive match in charge came one month later when they suffered a 2–0 defeat to Austria, where Toshack was blamed for making a late substitution with the match at 0–0 that allowed Austria into contention and conceded two late goals. A second defeat to Austria four days later ended Wales' slim remaining hopes of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.


title: John Toshack

text: In his first full qualifying campaign, Toshack's squad was plagued by withdrawals, so much so that he chose to issue a letter to 36 Welsh players for them to show "total commitment to the cause". With the noted retirements and regular withdrawals, Toshack was forced to use a relatively youthful side for a difficult qualifying campaign in which Wales finished fifth out of seven teams and failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. A defeat to Poland in February 2009 caused anger among supporters as captain Craig Bellamy clashed verbally with fans and a further defeat to Finland a month later saw the side jeered off the pitch at full-time. In October 2009, Wales were unable to fill a squad for a friendly match against Finland following four retirements in the months prior to the match. One of the players, Paul Parry, cited being made to feel like a "spare part" as the reason for his decision to make himself unavailable for selection.


title: John Toshack

text: Despite mounting pressure to resign, Toshack remained in charge for the start of the next qualifying campaign. However, on 5 September 2010, he offered his resignation from the Wales job following a 1–0 away defeat to Montenegro in their first Euro 2012 qualifying match. He left the job by mutual consent on 9 September 2010, although he had stated his desire to remain in the job for the two following qualifying matches. During his six-year tenure with Wales, a total of 18 players retired from international duty but he also handed debuts to numerous players, including many of the side that would go on to reach the semi-final of UEFA Euro 2016.


title: John Toshack

text: Eleven months after resigning from his role with Wales, Toshack was appointed manager of the Macedonia national football team on 7 August 2011. However, Macedonia won one of his eight matches in charge and his contract with the national side was terminated on 13 August 2012 after he refused the request of Football Federation of Macedonia president Ilčo Gjorgioski to relocate to the country.


title: John Toshack

text: On 8 March 2013, it was announced that Toshack would take over as manager of Khazar Lankaran of the Azerbaijan Premier League on 15 March 2013. At the time of his appointment, Khazar Lankaran were eighth in the league and competing in the relegation group for the final 10 games of the season. Toshack's first game in charge of Khazar Lankaran was a one all home draw against AZAL. Toshack's first win came in his second game in charge, a 1–2 away victory against bottom of the table Kəpəz. Khazar Lankaran ended the season in eighth position, with a league record under Toshack of three games out of nine won, with an equal number of three matches drawn or lost. Toshack also guided Khazar Lankaran to the final of the 2012–13 Azerbaijan Cup with a 2–1 aggregate victory over FC Baku in the semi-finals, resulting in a game against Premier League champions Neftchi Baku which Khazar lost 5–3 on penalties. As a result of Neftchi Baku winning both the Premier League and Cup, Khazar qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Toshack won his first trophy with Khazar Lankaran on 23 October 2013, defeating Neftchi Baku in the 2013 Azerbaijan Supercup. On 22 November 2013, Toshack resigned as manager of Khazar Lankaran following 14 points in the first 14 games of the season, leaving Khazar in eighth place in the league.


title: John Toshack

text: On 20 June 2014, Toshack was appointed as manager of Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca. He led the club to a league title in his first season in charge and a second-place finish the following year, but on 16 September 2016, after suffering a heavy defeat to Zamalek in the first leg of the 2016 CAF Champions League semi-finals, Toshack and Wydad Casablanca parted ways.


title: John Toshack

text: In June 2018, he was appointed manager of Iranian side Tractor until 2021. He left the club in September 2018.


title: John Toshack

text: On 7 June 1969, Toshack married Susan Bann from Grangetown, Cardiff, at the age of 20 at St John Church in Canton. After 43 years of marriage, the pair divorced in 2012 with his wife citing "unreasonable behaviour". Toshack's son Cameron is also a former professional footballer, having made five appearances for Cardiff City, and with Swansea City for the 1989–90 season.


title: John Toshack

text: In 1976, while playing for Liverpool, Toshack composed and published a book of poems entitled "Gosh, it's Tosh".


title: John Toshack

text: In 1981, Toshack won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year and received the MBE for his services to football in the 1982 New Year Honours list. He was the subject of an episode of "This Is Your Life" in 1982 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Roehampton Club in London.


title: John Toshack

text: On 27 February 2022, Toshack was reported to be seriously ill with COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated, on a ventilator in hospital in Spain.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the country's politics and markets, known as Colbertism, a doctrine often characterized as a variant of mercantilism, earned him the nickname "le Grand Colbert" (; "the Great Colbert").


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: A native of Reims, he was appointed Intendant of Finances on 4 May 1661. Colbert took over as Controller-General of Finances, a newly elevated position, in the aftermath of the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet for embezzlement, an event that led to the abolishment of the office of Superintendent of Finances. He worked to develop the domestic economy by raising tariffs and encouraging major public works projects, as well as to ensure that the French East India Company had access to foreign markets, so that they could always obtain coffee, cotton, dyewoods, fur, pepper, and sugar. He acted to create a favorable balance of trade and increase colonial holdings. As there was slavery in the colonies, in 1682, Colbert commissioned the beginning of a project that would become the "Code Noir" two years after his death in 1683. In addition, he founded France's merchant navy ("marine marchande") becoming Secretary of State of the Navy in 1669.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: His effective market reforms included the foundation of the "Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs" in 1665 to supplant the importation of Venetian glass, which was forbidden in 1672 as soon as the national glass manufacturing industry was on sound footing. Also encouraging the technical expertise of Flemish cloth manufacturing in France, he founded royal tapestry works at Gobelins and supported those at Beauvais. He issued more than 150 edicts to regulate the guilds. The "Académie des sciences" was founded in 1666 at his suggestion; he was a member of the "Académie française" from 1 March 1667 to his death, where he occupied the 24th seat, to which Jean de La Fontaine would be elected after his passing. His son Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay (1651–1690), succeeded him as Navy Secretary.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: Colbert's father and grandfather were merchants in his birthplace of Reims, France. He claimed to have Scottish ancestry. A general (but unconfirmed) belief exists that he spent his early youth at a Jesuit college, working for a Parisian banker; as well as working for the father of Jean Chapelain.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: Before the age of 20, Colbert had a post in the war office, a position generally attributed to the marriage of an uncle to the sister of Secretary of War Michel le Tellier. Colbert spent some time as an inspector of troops, eventually becoming the personal secretary of Le Tellier.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: In 1647, through unknown means, Colbert acquired the confiscated goods of an uncle, Pussort. In 1648, he and his wife Marie Charron, received 40,000 crowns from an unknown source; and in 1649 Colbert became the councilor of state, i.e. a political minister.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: Colbert was recommended to King Louis XIV by Mazarin. While Cardinal Mazarin was in exile, Louis' trust in Colbert grew. In 1652 Colbert was asked to manage the affairs of the Cardinal while he was away. This new responsibility would detach Colbert from his other responsibility as "commissaire des guerres". Although Colbert was not a supporter of Mazarin in principle, he would defend the cardinal's interests with unflagging devotion.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: Colbert's earliest recorded attempt at tax reform came in the form of a "mémoire" to Mazarin, showing that of the taxes paid by the people, not one-half reached the King. The paper also contained an attack upon the Superintendent Fouquet. The postmaster of Paris, a spy of Fouquet's, read the letter, leading to a dispute which Mazarin attempted to suppress.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: In 1661, Mazarin died and Colbert "made sure of the King's favor" by revealing the location of some of Mazarin's hidden wealth. In January 1664 Colbert became the Superintendent of buildings; in 1665 he became Controller-General of Finances; in 1669, he became Secretary of State of the Navy; he also gained appointments as minister of commerce, of the colonies and of the palace. In short, Colbert acquired power in every department except that of war.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: A great financial and fiscal reform at once claimed all his energies. Not only the nobility, but many others who had no legal claim to exemption, paid no taxes; the bulk of the burden fell on the wretched country-folk. Supported by the young king Louis XIV, Colbert aimed the first blow at the man accused of being the greatest of the royal embezzlers, the superintendent Nicolas Fouquet. Fouquet's fall simultaneously secured Colbert's own advancement.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: With the abolition of the office of superintendent and of many other offices dependent upon it, the supreme control of the finances became vested in a royal council. The sovereign functioned as its president; but Colbert, though for four years he possessed the title only of "intendant", operated as its ruling spirit, having had great personal authority conferred upon him by the king.


title: Jean-Baptiste Colbert

text: His ruthlessness in this case, dangerous precedent though it gave, seemed perhaps necessary; the council could not respect individual interests. When he had severely punished guilty officials, he turned his attention to the fraudulent creditors of the government. Colbert had a simple method of operation. He repudiated some of the public loans and cut off from others a percentage, which varied, at first according to his own decision, and afterwards according to that of the council that he established to examine all claims against the state.