title: Merseyrail

text: Electrification from to the interchange station at has been considered in conjunction with the Burscough Curves reopening, detailed below. It would re-establish the most direct Liverpool-Preston route which is one of Merseytravel's long-term aspirations. However, in 2008 Network Rail said the benefit-to-cost ratio of the scheme was insufficient to justify this scheme in the near future though the scheme continued to be mentioned by Network Rail. Third rail battery electric train trials were undertaken in 2020 by Merseyrail on this section of track to provide a Liverpool to Preston service.


title: Merseyrail

text: The north–south aligned Borderlands Line from south to is operated by Transport for Wales using diesel trains on unelectrified track. There have been various proposals to electrify some or all of the line over the years, all have been rejected. The current view is to operate battery-electric trains on the line. In March 2015, the introduction of battery powered trains was proposed for the Borderlands line by Network Rail. The Network Rail document proposes using battery powered rolling stock precluding full electrification of the line, also providing a cheaper method of increasing connectivity into the electrified Birkenhead and Liverpool sections of the Wirral line. From the document:


title: Merseyrail

text: KeolisAmey Wales, the former operator of the Wales and Borders franchise, Transport for Wales, announced in 2018 that it was planning to use refurbished Class 230 metro trains using electric motor traction supplied with power by on-board batteries. An on-board diesel generator charges the batteries, with regenerative braking extending the battery's charge. The Vivarail built trains were planned to serve the line between Wrexham and Bidston. These planned new trains have put the full electrification of the line on hold. Welsh Economy Secretary, Ken Skates, stated that the Welsh government were in an advanced stage of talks with Merseytravel about running a direct service from Wrexham to Liverpool. This intent was reinforced in July 2021. Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool City Region metro-mayor, has expressed desires to operate Merseyrail Class 777 battery-electric trains on the Borderlands Line.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Strategic Plan for the North West (SPNW) envisaged in 1973 that the Liverpool to Warrington line would be electrified and integrated into the Merseyrail Northern Line by 1991, making Warrington Central a terminus. In March 2015, the Electrification Task force placed electrifying the line from Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington Central in the Tier 1 priority category. The Liverpool City Region's Long Term Rail Strategy has clear aspirations to extend the network to Warrington, using the introduction of the Class 777 trains as an enabler.


title: Merseyrail

text: to Wigan has been identified by Network Rail as a route where electrification in conjunction with extension of electrification from Ormskirk to Preston and reinstatement of the Burscough Curves would enable new patterns of passenger service to operate. In March 2015, the Electrification Task force placed the electrifying of the line from Southport to Salford Crescent via Wigan in the Tier 1 priority category.


title: Merseyrail

text: is an interchange station on the Chester to Warrington Bank Quay and Ellesmere Port to Helsby lines. Merging the line from Ellesmere Port to Helsby into Merseyrail would create a Liverpool to Helsby service, giving a smooth interchange from Merseyrail to all stations on the Chester to Warrington line. The to Helsby route is included in Merseytravel's rail strategy as a "long-term aspiration". Third rail battery electric train trials were undertaken in 2020 by Merseyrail on this section of track using the new Class 777 trains. The results may indicate that the network can be expanded to Helsby without further electrification.


title: Merseyrail

text: Liverpool City Region metro-mayor Steve Rotheram stated that the City Region is planning to extend the network "so it reaches communities right across our city region and beyond". The Liverpool City Region map displays desired extensions of Merseyrail including a Chester to Runcorn East line. This line would operate on a section of the Chester to Warrington Bank Quay line, incorporating the Helsby interchange station. The Integrated Rail Plan proposes a new station at the next station, Warrington Bank Quay low-level. The new station will serve HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail expanding the interchange.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Burscough Curves were short chords linking the Ormskirk to Preston Line with the Manchester to Southport Line. The curves allowed northbound trains from Ormskirk to run directly to Southport to the west, and southbound trains from Preston to run west to Southport. The last regular passenger trains ran over the curves in 1962; the tracks were subsequently lifted. The reinstatement of the Burscough Curves would allow direct Preston-Southport & Ormskirk-Southport services providing an option of an alternative Liverpool-Southport route via Ormskirk. Network Rail has recommended that a strategy for the Burscough Curves be developed further.


title: Merseyrail

text: In a parliamentary debate on 27 April 2011, the Burscough Curves were a prime point of the debate. The transport minister wished to meet former Southport MP John Pugh regarding the reinstatement of the curves. The latest refresh of Merseytravel's Long Term Strategy puts the opening of the curves in Network Rail's CP7 period.


title: Merseyrail

text: The new Class 777 Merseyrail trains have been tested for battery electric operation, with the prospect of using them on the Burscough Curves open to review. Battery train introduction on the Merseyrail network may improve the business case to reopen the Burscough Curves, allowing Northern Line trains to travel from Ormskirk to Southport, giving two routes from Liverpool to Southport. If realised Burscough Junction, Burscough Bridge, New Lane, Bescar Lane and Meols Cop stations may be incorporated into Merseyrail.


title: Merseyrail

text: Known as either the Canada Dock Branch line or the Bootle Branch line, this is an unelectrified line running from Edge Hill Junction in the east of the city in a long curve to the container terminal to the north of the city. The line's last passenger trains were withdrawn in 1977. Being the only line currently into Liverpool docks, freight to Seaforth Container Terminal ensures constant use. The line has been mooted on many occasions for electrifying and reopening to passengers, giving scope to reopen stations along its length: , , , Tuebrook, and .


title: Merseyrail

text: Network Rail investigated options for the Canada Dock Branch in its March 2009 Route Utilisation Strategy for Merseyside and concluded that the expected benefits did not justify the investment in new infrastructure.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Department for Transport's rail electrification document of July 2009 stated that the route to Liverpool Docks would be electrified via overhead wires. The Canada Dock Branch Line is the only line into the docks. From the document:


title: Merseyrail

text: The document states "route to Liverpool docks for electrically-operated freight trains", which is the Bootle Branch line being the only line into Liverpool docks. However, the initial phases of electrification scheduled until 2016 do not list this line. This delay may impede the efficiency of Liverpool docks container terminal which is being extended to accommodate the largest post-Panamax container ships increasing container throughput of the terminal by 25%, entailing increased usage of the line. Local residents are campaigning to have the majority of containers to be transported by rail easing road congestion and pollution, which may increase rail traffic even further. This delay in electrification may delay any proposed passenger use for the line.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, page 37, states:


title: Merseyrail

text: It was announced in December 2019 that Liverpool City Council had commissioned a feasibility study to see about reopening the Canada Dock Branch to passenger traffic.


title: Merseyrail

text: The North Mersey Branch from Bootle to Aintree is currently used only by engineering trains to gain access to Merseyrail tracks; however, Merseytravel has long-term goals to reopen and electrify the line. The line was considered in the Merseyside Route Utilisation Strategy document, concluding that reopening could not yet be recommended. However, the Route Utilisation Strategy document went on to state:


title: Merseyrail

text: Skelmersdale lost its rail passenger service in 1956. The village was expanded into a new town from the 1960s. A number of proposals over the years have been put forward to connect Skelmersdale to the Merseyrail network.


title: Merseyrail

text: In June 2009, the Association of Train Operating Companies called for the reopening of the line from Ormskirk to Skelmersdale as part of a £500million scheme to open 33 stations on 14 lines closed in the Beeching Axe. The report proposed extending the line from Ormskirk railway station by laying of new single track along the previous route towards Rainford Junction, at a cost estimated to be in the region of £31million.


title: Merseyrail

text: In December 2012, Merseytravel commissioned Network Rail to study route options and costs of connecting to Skelmersdale with Merseytravel contributing £50,000 and West Lancashire Council contributing £100,000. In 2014, the reopening of a section of the Skelmersdale Branch from Upholland to Skelmersdale town centre was proposed. In January 2017, Lancashire County Council announced that the preferred site for the railway terminal station was the former Glenburn Sports College and Skelmersdale College's West Bank Campus.


title: Merseyrail

text: In the "Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Long Term Rail Strategy" document of October 2017, it was stated that Merseytravel was working with Lancashire County Council and Network Rail to develop a plan to extend the Merseyrail network from Kirkby through to Skelmersdale with third rail electrification under consideration. The government gave assurances in April 2020 that the Skelemersdale link would be constructed. However, the Department for Transport announced in July 2022 that it was rejecting the Strategic Outline Business Case, throwing the scheme into doubt. The DfT instead suggested that better bus links with the Kirkby–Wigan rail line would be a cheaper way of improving connectivity for Skelmersdale.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Orbital Outer Rail Loop was a part of the initial Merseyrail plans of the 1970s. The route circled the outer fringes of the city of Liverpool using primarily existing rail lines merged to create the loop. Liverpool city has a semi-circular footprint with the city centre at the western fringe against the River Mersey. The western section of the loop would parallel the river running through the city centre. The scheme was started along with the creation of Merseyrail however postponed due to cost cutting, with only the western section of the loop completed being a part of the current Northern Line.


title: Merseyrail

text: The concept of using the former Cheshire Lines Committee's North Liverpool Extension Line route through the eastern suburbs of Liverpool as the eastern section of a rapid-transit orbital route circling the outskirts of the city first emerged before the Second World War. The proposal was for a 'belt' line using the now demolished Liverpool Overhead Railway, which ran along the river front, as its western section. In the 1960s during the planning for Merseyrail, this was developed into the Outer Rail Loop scheme - an electric rapid-transit passenger line circling the outer districts of the city by using a combination of newly electrified existing lines and a new link tunnel under the city centre merging lines to the north and south of the city centre completing the loop.


title: Merseyrail

text: A feature was that passengers on the mainline radial routes into Lime Street from the east and south could transfer onto the Outer Loop at two parkway interchange stations completing their journey to Liverpool suburbs avoiding the need to travel into the city centre, which would also relieve pressure on Lime Street station. Liverpool South Parkway was one of these stations opening thirty years after the initial proposal. The Outer Loop would have connected the eastern suburbs of the city: Gateacre, Childwall, Broad Green, Knotty Ash, West Derby, Clubmoor and Walton with the city centre.


title: Merseyrail

text: As finally developed, the Outer Loop consisted of two sub-loops - a loop serving the northern suburbs and one the southern suburbs with both running through to the city centre from the east. The sub-loops allowed more direct journeys into the city centre from the eastern suburbs giving the overall scheme greater viability.


title: Merseyrail

text: The eastern section of the Outer Rail Loop project was cancelled in the late 1970s because of delays and cost overruns on the Loop (Wirral Line) and Link (Northern Line) projects and local political opposition. Only the western section of the loop was built. The project was abandoned as a working proposal by Merseytravel in the 1980s. Much expense was incurred in constructing a large bridge taking the M62 motorway over the eastern section and the construction of header tunnels south of Liverpool Central station. The route is still largely intact, complete with bridges, although now the eastern section mainly forms the Liverpool Loop Country Park - a walking and cycling trail through the suburbs.


title: Merseyrail

text: The Outer Rail Loop would have been double track throughout, using the electrified 750VDC third rail system of the Merseyrail Electrics network.


title: Merseyrail

text: Although no official proposals have been made to revive the scheme in recent years, the route is effectively safeguarded with periodic calls being made by local politicians for the revival of the complete project or just the short stretch of route from Hunts Cross to Gateacre. The Gateacre service was the last to operate out of the former Liverpool Central High Level Station prior to its closure in 1972.


title: Merseyrail

text: Since the postponement of the project, a number of Route Utilisation Strategy documents have mentioned reopening the North Mersey Branch line, the northern section of the loop, to form a passenger link between Bootle and Aintree with stations to serve Ford and Girobank.


title: Merseyrail

text: In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Edge Hill Spur scheme was proposed to link the east of the city with the central underground section. It would have extended the Merseyrail underground network from Liverpool Central Station to Edge Hill Station using existing freight tunnels. The scheme was dropped, but a junction and two headers tunnels were built south of Central station to facilitate future construction of the Spur during the construction of the Northern Line tunnel.


title: Merseyrail

text: The construction of the Spur would have connected the City Line branches to the east of Liverpool into the electrified Merseyrail network and importantly the underground section in Liverpool's city centre. An increase in integration and connectivity of the network would have been achieved. The Spur would have also formed the central section of the proposed Outer Rail Loop splitting the loop into two smaller loops (see Outer Loop section). An additional and substantial benefit was diverting local urban trains entering the city from the east underground in the city centre. This would release platform space at Lime Street mainline terminus station for the use of only mid and long-haul mainline routes.


title: Merseyrail

text: The initial and cheaper proposal was to re-use the 1829 Wapping freight tunnel, by means of two new single-track tunnels branched off the Northern Line tunnel at a new junction named Liverpool Central South Junction, south of Central Station. The Wapping Tunnel would have given access to Edge Hill via the historic Cavendish cutting, built for the 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Access to the City Line would have been obtained via a flyover to the east of Edge Hill Station over the main lines from Lime Street. This flyover has since been demolished.


title: Merseyrail

text: In the early 1970s, Liverpool City Council planners proposed an alternative scheme, which was subsequently adopted. This revised route would permit a new underground station to be constructed to serve Liverpool University, behind the Student's Union building in Mount Pleasant. It would extend the two connecting tunnels from Central Station in a large radius curve to the north, passing beneath the mainline Lime Street station approach cutting and accessing Edge Hill via a section of the Waterloo/Victoria Tunnel. On emerging from this tunnel at the existing Edge Hill Station, the route would be on the north side of the main lines thereby removing the need for a flyover.


title: Merseyrail

text: Although powers were obtained to build this line under the 1975 Merseyside Metropolitan Railway Act, construction was postponed due to the financial cutbacks and political opposition that also halted the Outer Rail Loop project. The east of Liverpool has suffered in many aspects ever since. An attempt was made to revive the project in the mid-1980s but it was found to be not financially viable.


title: Merseyrail

text: Following the collapse of the Merseytram scheme in 2006, proposals were considered to revive the project, with the route of the tunnels currently safeguarded. Further references are made to the scheme, as a future option, in MerseyTravel's 30-year plan.


title: Merseyrail

text: A further proposal to resurrect the Edge Hill spur scheme with a new station at Paddington Village was revealed in 2016 by the then Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, as part of a scheme to extend Liverpool's Knowledge Quarter onto the site of the former Archbishop Blanche School. A feasibility study to reopen the Wapping Tunnel was commissioned and delivered in May 2016. The report found that the Wapping Tunnel was in good condition though suffered from flooding in places and would require some remedial work, but that the concept of reopening the tunnel was viable.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Urban Legends: Final Cut (also known as Urban Legends 2: Final Cut or simply Urban Legend 2) is a 2000 slasher film directed by John Ottman in his directorial debut, and starring Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Hart Bochner, Joseph Lawrence, Anthony Anderson, and Loretta Devine. In addition to directing, Ottman also edited the film and composed its score. A sequel to "Urban Legend" (1998), it is the second installment in the "Urban Legend" film series. It follows a film student being stalked by a serial killer in a fencing mask, who begins murdering the crew members of her thesis film about urban legends.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Filmed in late 1999, "Urban Legends: Final Cut" was released in the United States on September 22, 2000 by Columbia Pictures. Although it made only roughly half of its predecessor's gross, it was still successful, grossing $38.6 million on a budget of $14 million. The film was universally panned by critics upon release, and was followed by the direct-to-video sequel "" in 2005.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Amy Mayfield, a student at a prestigious film school, is unsure about what her thesis film is going to be. But after a conversation with security guard Reese Wilson about her experience with a series of murders that had happened on the campus she had previously worked in, she is inspired to make a film about a serial killer murdering in the fashion of urban legends. Meanwhile, fellow student Lisa has a drink with classmate Travis at a bar before her scheduled flight out of town. While leaving the bar, she begins to feel dazed, and is attacked and abducted in the coat room. She wakes up in a bathtub filled with ice and discovers that her kidney has been removed. Attacked by her abductor, she tries to flee through the window, but is decapitated in the process.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The next day, Amy is preparing the shooting of her thesis film but is deserted by the assigned camera man, Toby, who accuses Amy of stealing his thesis idea. Shooting begins with another camera man, Simon. When Sandra, Amy's actress friend who played a victim in a scene, returns to an empty studio after forgetting her keys, she is attacked and slashed to death with a straight razor. Her peers witness her filmed death when the material is smuggled into a sequence of takes of the scene. Amy is disturbed by the footage, and is unable to figure out who shot it; her peers, however, discount it as a piece of a showreel. Sandra's absence is unnoticed, as she was supposed to leave for an audition in Los Angeles for a bit part on "ER" the following day.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Travis commits suicide in the campus tower, apparently spurred by a poor grade received on his thesis film which disqualified him from receiving the university's Hitchcock Award. At his funeral, the arrogant Graham, the son of a Hollywood director, offers to help Amy with her film; she declines, after which he discloses to her that he is aware of her backgroundher father was a famous documentarian, a fact she has kept hidden from most of their peers. After the funeral, Amy meets Travis' twin brother, Trevor, who explains to her that he believes his brother was murdered. Later, while Amy is recording audio loops of screams for the film, Simon is beaten to death outside, and the audio of his death is inadvertently recorded. While going over the loops, Amy is attacked by the killer, donning a fencing mask. She is chased through the campus, but manages to evade him.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Before filming another scene for Amy's film in an empty carnival ride, sophomores Stan and Dirk are attacked and electrocuted while preparing the set. Amy discovers the corpses and is again confronted by the killer. She escapes again and informs the police, who attribute the deaths to accidental electrocution. Amy is comforted by Trevor. They begin having sex when Trevor suddenly stabs Amy. She wakes up and realizes that it was only a dream. Amy later notices a light inside the bell tower. She goes there and finds her friend, Vanessa waiting for her. Vanessa, a lesbian, presents a note she received addressed to her from Amy, in which it states that she has romantic feelings for Vanessa. Amy explains that she did not write the note, and fears that both women have been lured there. They are startled by the killer; Amy presses a panic button in the tower, but the killer manages to pursue them to the top of the tower. Once at the top, Amy is locked in a closet by the killer, where she finds the corpses of Simon and Sandra. Upon breaking free, she finds Vanessa hanging from the bell. Amy runs out of the tower passing Reese, who was notified of the disturbance via the campus security system.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Amy runs into the arms of Trevor. Later, he tells her he has found that all the murder victims worked on Travis' thesis film. After watching some of Travis' film, "The Gods of Men", they suspect Toby, the only person who worked on the film who is still alive. They kidnap Toby and call in Professor Solomon to an empty film set to present their suspicions. However, Toby reveals that Travis faked Toby's sound credit to help him graduate, admitting that he never went anywhere near Travis' film. Graham happens upon the confrontation, watching from a window. In the confusion, Solomon reveals himself as the killer, attempting to frame Amy and usurp the Hitchcock Awardwhich includes a large stipendby presenting Travis' film as his own. A melee ensues in which Amy wrestles his gun from him and holds him at gunpoint. Reese stumbles upon the scene, and a standoff occurs. Solomon leaps at Amy, and she discharges the gun in his abdomen.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: At the Hitchcock Awards ceremony, Trevor attends to accept the award on his brother's behalf. As he goes onstage, P.A Kevin appears as a sniper in the rafters, only to be shot by Reese. The altercation is revealed to be a scene in Amy's new film, "Urban Legends", on which Toby and Graham are working on her behalf.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Later, Solomon, now using a wheelchair, is in a mental institution where, after watching Amy's film, a nurse asks him if he enjoyed the movie. He is wheeled out by the nurseBrenda Bates, from the original filmwho tells him that they have a lot in common.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The screenplay for "Urban Legends: Final Cut" was written by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson. Ottman sought a "wacky" tone for the film that was more tongue-in-cheek than that of its predecessor.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Anson Mount originally auditioned for the dual role of Travis / Trevor Stark, but had wanted to play the role of the antagonistic Toby instead; according to Ottman, he "aced" his audition for Toby, and was cast in the role. Matthew Davis auditioned for the role of Travis / Trevor, and was cast, marking his first major film role. Eva Mendes was cast in the role of Vanessa, which had originally been a smaller role, but was expanded to allow her character to be a potential red herring.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Principal photography took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada over a period of 47 days in the fall of 1999. The film's opening sequence on the airplane, which was shot over a period of three days, was originally written to have occurred on a boat; however, the script was altered last-minute after the production crew came across an airplane set from the film "Pushing Tin" (1999). Due to the film's low budget, director Ottman chose to make use of the set, and staged the sequence on a plane instead.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The university exteriors featured in the film is Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, which Ottman chose due to its "modern" and institutional architecture as opposed to Gothic. The bell tower, however, was constructed solely for the film, for $150,000. Interior sequences, however, were filmed in Toronto. The amusement park Ontario Place served as the filming location for the mining amusement ride sequence; the mine ride featured in the film was in fact a log ride that had been drained of its water for the impending winter months, which was re-dressed to appear as a mine-themed ride. Ottman stated that many of the lighting techniques featured in the filmparticularly the use of strobe lightingwere inspired by Ridley Scott's "Alien" (1979) and James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986).


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The sequence featuring Lisa and Trevor at the bar (followed by her death scene) was written and shot in Los Angeles after principal photography had finished, as the film's producers felt the film needed a death sequence earlier on to establish a sense of danger. Originally, the production crew intended to make a fake kidney for the sequence (as the character awakens to find her kidney has been removed), but due to budget and time restraints, opted to use a goat's kidney from a butcher shop. Because a goat kidney is anatomically larger than that of a human, it had to be truncated to reduce its size.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Director Ottman also edited the film, and remarked in the audio commentary on the film's 2001 DVD release that many character interaction sequences were truncated or excised entirely to maintain a quicker pace.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: With the plot centered on a group of film school students, "Urban Legends: Final Cut" uses a self-reflexive narrative approach and features numerous references and allusions to cinema and other horror films. The opening sequence on the airplane was inspired by the "Twilight Zone" episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (1963). Lisa's abduction sequence in which she is incapacitated with a plastic garment bag in a coat closet is an homage to "Black Christmas" (1974).


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Film scholar Jim Harper, in his book "Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies" (2004), cites "Urban Legends: Final Cut" as a "post "Scream" slasher" influenced by Italian "giallo" films, featuring a "distinct Argento influence" present in the film, particularly in its killer's attire. Harper also notes direct references in the film to the work of Alfred Hitchcock as well as Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" (1960), which is paid homage in Sandra's filmed murder scene.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: "Urban Legends: Final Cut" was released on DVD by Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment on February 16, 2001. In July 2018, it was announced that Scream Factory would release the film on Blu-ray. It was released on November 20, 2018.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The film brought in $21.4 million in the United States and brought in $17.1 million overseas, bringing its total box office revenue to $38.5 million. The film was considered a moderate success, due to the budget of the film being $14 million. However, the film only grossed about half of what the first film brought in ($72.5 million). Although it did manage to top the box office in its opening weekend, something its predecessor failed to do.


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Dave Kehr of "The New York Times" wrote of the film: "[Director] Ottman doesn't have the firm grasp of tone necessary to make his deliberate ambiguities seem other than simple confusion, nor the sense of humor necessary to turn the deliberate cliches into effective satire. " Robert Koehler of "Variety" criticized the film's screenplay for being "[too] stuffed with movie references and jokes," and that it "slavishly follows in lock-step with the prior film's "Ten Little Indians"-like plot line." Writing for the "Los Angeles Times", David Chute wrote: "The coolest single element in the walk-don't-run horror sequel "Urban Legends: Final Cut" may be its atmospheric setting...[the] concept seems tailor-made for that kind of ingenuity, for a little bit of sly wit and playfulness. Movies like "Final Cut" are bunker-mentality productions, safe, square and purely functional, like buildings made from poured concrete."


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: Roger Ebert awarded it two stars out of four, declaring that the movie "makes the fatal mistake... of believing there is still life in the wheezy serial-killer-on-campus formula," although he did concede that the production credits were "slick" and the performances "quite adequate given the (narrow) opportunities of the genre." The BBC echoed this in a review by Michael Thomson, who thought that the meta in-jokes of the murder scenes did not work and that the film "keeps the mediocrity [of the first film] alive as it unleashes yet more unsavoury nonsense." "The A.V. Club"s Nathan Rabin echoed similar sentiments, writing: "A sequel with the misguided chutzpah to rip off its derivative predecessor, "Final Cut" proves once again that the self-referential slasher film is every bit as tiresome and devoid of new ideas as the unironic bloodbaths that inspired it in the first place."


title: Urban Legends: Final Cut

text: The meta-critic site Rotten Tomatoes lists the film as having an approval rating of 9% among critics based on 85 reviews, with an average rating of 3.30/10. The site's consensus is: "This teen horror movie brings nothing new to an already exhausted genre. And it's bad. Really bad". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Eddie Munster

text: Eddie Munster is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom "The Munsters". He was portrayed by Butch Patrick in all episodes of the original series except for the pilot, where he was portrayed by Happy Derman. The only child of Herman and Lily Munster, Eddie is a Dhampir werewolf. The role was later played by Jason Marsden in "The Munsters Today."


title: Eddie Munster

text: Eddie is a typical all-American boy apart from being a werewolf and, in some episodes, showing some signs of being part vampire. Most noticeable is the fact that he sleeps in a coffin, which is never shown but whose creaking lid is heard occasionally. He is once depicted asking to sleep in a chest of drawers in the episode "Far Out Munsters" when the house is rented by the rock group The Standells, and the family is put up in a hotel. He has a stuffed toy werewolf named Woof-Woof, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Lon Chaney Jr.'s portrayal of Larry Talbot in the 1941 feature film, "The Wolfman". He attends elementary school, and aside from his pointed ears, severe widow's peak, green skin, and Fauntleroy suit, he is a normal-looking kid.


title: Eddie Munster

text: Eddie is very proud of his father, to the point of bragging about Herman's abilities and deeds to his friends. In fact, Eddie volunteering Herman for a heroic deed (which is clearly beyond Herman's capabilities, but one Herman nonetheless undertakes for Eddie's sake) is a central theme in many episodes.


title: Eddie Munster

text: In the unaired pilot episode, the part was played by Nate "Happy" Derman, who played a more aggressively wolfish boy. Butch Patrick was reportedly cast out of over 500 boys in March 1964, and would appear in all episodes broadcast on CBS.


title: Eddie Munster

text: When asked how he was selected to portray the role of Eddie, Patrick recalled, "I had a lot of experience. But maybe it was because my fangs were my own teeth. My teeth were so bad, that even when I closed my mouth they stuck out. I was about a head smaller than the other kids, and they liked that because it played off Herman's height."


title: Eddie Munster

text: By the time "The Munsters" ended its run, Patrick was 13 years old, which coincidentally was Jason Marsden's age when he took over the role for "The Munsters Today". In the first season of the sequel series, Eddie was depicted as being 10 years old and in the fourth grade. He wore the same outfit that Butch Patrick wore. In seasons two and three, Eddie was now depicted as being high-school aged and his wardrobe became increasingly modernized. Marsden would likewise appear in all episodes produced for first-run syndication.


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: The Trafficking in Persons Report, or the TIP Report, is an annual report issued since 2001 by the U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. It ranks governments based on their perceived efforts to acknowledge and combat human trafficking.


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: The report divides nations into tiers based on their compliance with standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. These tiers are:


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: There are also a few special cases (Special Tier) such as Yemen, where the civil conflict and humanitarian crisis make gaining information difficult; and Sint Maarten, where the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma has made reporting difficult.


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: Some critics of the Trafficking in Persons Report focus on how its methodology could be improved. For example, one recent academic paper suggests how the rankings could better incorporate risk factors of trafficking in order to focus more on prevention. Another critic argues that the Report should better incorporate "international rules that states (including the USA) have collectively developed and freely accepted," rather than focusing on criteria drawn up solely by U.S. politicians.


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: Other critics more fundamentally question its methodology and sources, such as anthropologist Laura Agustín, who writes that the Report "relies on CIA, police and embassy guesstimates of situations that are not understood the same way across all cultures and social classes."


title: Trafficking in Persons Report

text: As part of the report the Department of State announces the awarding of the Hero Acting to End Modern Slavery Awards to a number of individuals. The first such awards were made in 2004. Awards are made for actions taken to protect victims, bring offenders to justice or to raise awareness of modern slavery. More than 110 individuals from more than 60 countries have been honored so far. Award winners are invited to a large reception in the United States followed by a tour of several American cities.


title: Goro Majima

text: Goro Majima (Japanese: 真島 吾朗, Hepburn: "Majima Gorō") is a major recurring character in Sega's "Like a Dragon" video game series, previously known as "Yakuza" outside of Japan. He is one of the main playable protagonists of "Yakuza 0" and "", as well as the Majima Saga of "Yakuza Kiwami 2". Introduced as a member of the Tojo Clan and patriarch of its subsidiary group, the Majima Family as well as second-in-command of the Shimano Family, nicknamed "Mad Dog of Shimano", he develops a sadomasochistic obsession with the protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. He is seeking continually to fight him, seeing him as the perfect rival, but eventually, bonds with him across the franchise and becomes an important ally of his. He is also the sworn brother of Taiga Saejima who is one of the protagonists of "Yakuza 4" and "Yakuza 5". Majima's character is explored in more detail during the prequel "Yakuza 0", in which he is a 24-year-old former Yakuza and a playable protagonist along with Kiryu. In this game, Majima has a much calmer and serious demeanor that develops into his standard sadomasochistic one during a war between a number of families in a fight for a patch of land known as the Empty Lot. Majima also appears in the spin-off "Dead Souls" as well as the crossover "Project X Zone 2".


title: Goro Majima

text: The Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio created Majima as a "clown" character who would contrast his calmer characterization in "Yakuza 0", where the localization shifted Majima's character arc so he would not come across as insane. Majima has been popular with the "Yakuza" fanbase, having earned a CD with all the songs Ugaki plays in his karaoke mini-games while topping a popularity poll. His character and fighting style in "Yakuza 0" were highly praised by critics.


title: Goro Majima

text: According to Scott Strichart, who handled localization and production on a number of "Yakuza " games, Majima is a bit of a "class clown"—someone with a "joker-esque personality"—which is opposite to his calm demeanor in the prequel. However, he noted that while fans felt that Majima went "insane", the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio said that he "makes a conscious choice to... let loose". This was something the translators found challenging while localizing the game. Strichart pointed out that through Majima's interactions with Nishitani, he gains insight into how someone like that would live. The goal of the localization team was to make Majima and Kiryu more likeable with their changes, although Strichart believed Kiryu was more popular than Majima in Western countries. Strichart said that while fans might miss previous "Yakuza" characters like Kiryu and Majima, he hoped they would be receptive to Takayuki Yagami, the protagonist from the next game "Judgment".


title: Goro Majima

text: Series' producer Daisuke Sato said that ever since the release of "Yakuza 0", Majima has become far more popular, to the point that many developers thought it was possible to create a new spin-off game focused around him.


title: Goro Majima

text: Goro Majima first appears in the original "Yakuza" game as a supporting character, head of the Majima Family and a lieutenant of Futoshi Shimano. Nicknamed "The Mad Dog of Shimano" (嶋野の狂犬, Shimano no kyōken), he takes an interest in protagonist Kazuma Kiryu because Kiryu refuses to fight him when provoked. This results in Majima spending the rest of the game's plot trying to goad Kiryu into fighting him just for fun. To achieve this, Majima attacks Kiryu while he is escaping from Chairman Sera's funeral; kidnaps Haruka, daughter of Kiryu's love interest Yumi Sawamura; and drives a truck into a soapland when Kiryu was questioning one of the sex workers for information. The remake of the game, "Yakuza Kiwami", added further scenes where Majima stalks Kiryu, aiming to make his rival stronger through new fights.


title: Goro Majima

text: During "Yakuza 2"—and its later remake, "Yakuza Kiwami 2"—Majima appears again. In between the events of the first and second games, Majima left the Tojo Clan because of disagreements with its new leader, Chairman Yukio Terada. He then formed his own criminal organization, the Majima Construction Company, which ran several construction rackets, along with an underground fighting arena and an illegal casino. Because of the looming threat of an invasion of Tokyo by the rival Yakuza organization, the Omi Alliance, Kiryu convinces Majima to ally with the Tojo Clan once again and provide the Majima Construction Company's support if a war breaks out. Though initially hesitant, Majima ultimately agrees after Kiryu beats him in a fight in his underground coliseum. Majima's crew ultimately prove instrumental in defending Tokyo against Omi attacks. Majima helps save the city when he disarms the bombs planted all over Kamurocho by another rival crime syndicate, the Korean Jingweon Mafia.


title: Goro Majima

text: During "Yakuza 3", Kiryu pleads with Majima once more to go back to the Tojo Clan and support the newly appointed Sixth Chairman, Daigo Dojima, as a contingency against any future troubles. Sometime later, Majima is blackmailed by Goh Hamazaki as a suspect in the clan's internal dispute.


title: Goro Majima

text: In "Yakuza 4", Majima follows the trail of Yasuko Saejima, determined to protect her on behalf of Taiga Saejima. Majima tells Shun Akiyama of Sky Finance that he is looking for Yasuko to protect her and to make amends with Saejima. On his way to see Majima, Kiryu, having returned to Kamurocho, witnesses Majima's arrest and calls out to him. Majima tells him that it was Daigo Dojima who set him up.


title: Goro Majima

text: In "Yakuza 5", Majima is in negotiations with the Tsukimino branch of the Omi Alliance under Dojima's orders to help put a stop to the rising tensions between the two clans. Despite his claims he wants peace, Tsubasa Kurosawa orders assassins to kill Majima mid-negotiation, which he survives, but is kidnapped. Majima reveals that the reason he was unable to resist Kurosawa was the threat to Haruka at her debut concert as an idol.


title: Goro Majima

text: The prequel "Yakuza 0" provides additional backstory for Majima, presenting a different and much more controlled version of the character years prior to his first appearance. It is revealed that he was thrown out of the Shimano Family for attempting to aid his sworn brother Saejima in an attack on the Ueno Seiwa Clan, which landed the latter in prison with the death penalty. Majima was tortured for a year and his left eye gouged out, after which he was handed over to Shimano's sworn brother Tsukasa Sagawa in the Omi Alliance. Sagawa forces Majima to manage the Cabaret Grand in Sotenbori, Osaka, where he is nicknamed by the locals the "Lord of the Night" due to his managerial acumen and proven success in turning the club's fortunes around. Wishing to return to his yakuza roots, Majima gets the opportunity to make a comeback by killing a woman known as Makoto Makimura. However, he accidentally bonds with Makimura and is unable to kill her. Working to protect her, he learns that Makiumra is caught up in the dispute for the "Empty Lot," a piece of real estate in Kamurocho sought by members of the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance for its importance in a hugely valuable real estate deal. Majima manages to protect Makimura and rejoins the Shimano Family, but he distances himself from her as he returns to his yakuza life, hoping Makimura enjoys a peaceful life instead. Additionally, Majima decides to develop his infamous sadomasochistic persona based on the many eccentric men he encountered in his quest, to rise above the world that mistreated him and meets Kiryu for the first time at the end of the game.


title: Goro Majima

text: Majima later reunites with Makimura in the remake of "Yakuza 2", where Makimura has formed a family. During a conflict within the Tojo Clan, Majima decides to leave the Tojo, and creates his construction company, Majima Construction, taking over Purgatory and beginning work on Kamurocho Hills.


title: Goro Majima

text: Majima also appears in "" as a minor character, and reappears as a major character and summonable ally alongside Saejima in "".


title: Goro Majima

text: Outside of the main "Yakuza" series, Majima is playable in "", fighting against an army of zombies. He also appears alongside Kiryu in the crossover game "Project X Zone 2" as well as "Binary Domain".


title: Goro Majima

text: In the film "Like a Dragon", an adaptation of the first game, he is portrayed by Goro Kishitani. In the "Ryu ga Gotoku" stage play, he is portrayed by Shunsuke Kubozuka.


title: Goro Majima

text: The 2019 adventure game "Later Alligator" features a character named "The Knife" who resembles Majima and makes several references to the "Yakuza" series.


title: Goro Majima

text: Goro Majima has been popular with the "Yakuza" fanbase. His songs performed during his appearances were collected in 2017 on a CD titled "Goro Majima's Best Hits". In a 2018 popularity poll, Majima was voted the most popular "Yakuza" character. "GameInformer" also listed him as the best main character in 2017 based on his characterization from "Yakuza 0". Several writers enjoyed the character's fighting style in "Yakuza 0", finding him more interesting than Kiryu. "EGMNOW" liked the contrast the duo had in the narrative because of the different quests they had to pass to achieve their goals. "GameSpot" highly praised Majima's character arc in that game for changing into the narrative, as well as how many allies and enemies he makes. Similarly, "IGN" liked the handling of Majima's and Kiryu's storylines, finding them simple in contrast to the ones in "Yakuza 5", which the website deemed convoluted. "Polygon" stated that Majima was quite different from his portrayal in the regular games in the series because his story was set in the past. A similar comment was made by "PlayStation Life Style" because both Majima and Kiryu change across the plot of this prequel. "The Jimquisition" said that both characters were "like-able protagonists who consistently have to act as straight men in a variety of weird situations".


title: Goro Majima

text: "Destructoid" enjoyed the comical characterization in "Yakuza Kiwami" because of his constant interactions with Kiryu. "Game Informer" noted despite not being playable with his longer screen time Majima manages to aid the player to make Kiryu a stronger fighter. However, they were highly critical of his different personality in "Kiwami", calling it "jarring", and added that "Yakuza 0" failed to close this character arc. While calling him "Zero's standout character", "GameSpot" stated that they enjoyed these interactions, as it added more side content to the remake of the first game. "IGN" referred to this take of Majima as "lovably weird" based on his traits. "Polygon" criticized Majima's fights for lacking the challenge seen in regular boss fights. They added that "Majima's constant intervention feels a little more ingrained in the story, providing some character depth that the original game lacked."


title: Goro Majima

text: With "Yakuza Kiwami 2", "Destructoid" criticized Majima's "overpowered" abilities, which players continuously pressed the same buttons to use them. "Game Informer" praised Majima's story in this game, as it helped to develop his change of character from "Yakuza 0" further, while also finding his mini game refreshing because of how different it is from common regular fights. "Game Revolution" agreed, finding Majima's interactions with Makoto during his own side story provides further depth to the "fan favorite" character. Despite liking the character, "GameSpot" criticized him for lacking his own character progression during his chapters. "IGN" had similar comments with regard to his character's depth but found his scenario to be relatively short.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: A group A streptococcal infection is an infection with group A streptococcus (GAS). "Streptococcus pyogenes" comprises the vast majority of the Lancefield group A streptococci, and is often used as a synonym for GAS. However, "S. dysgalactiae" can also be group A. "S. pyogenes" is a beta-hemolytic species of Gram positive bacteria that is responsible for a wide range of both invasive and noninvasive infections.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Infection of GAS may spread through direct contact with mucus or sores on the skin. GAS infections can cause over 500,000 deaths per year. Despite the emergence of antibiotics as a treatment for group A β-hemolytic streptococcus, infection of GAS is an increasing problem, particularly on the continent of Africa.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: There are many other types of streptococci (species of "Streptococcus"), including group B streptococcus ("Streptococcus agalactiae") and "Streptococcus pneumoniae", which cause other types of infections and should not be confused with group A strep. Several virulence factors contribute to the pathogenesis of GAS, such as M protein, hemolysins, and extracellular enzymes.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus can cause infections of the throat and skin. These may vary from very mild conditions to severe, life-threatening diseases. Although it is not completely clear what causes different people to develop different diseases as a result of infection with the same pathogenic bacteria, it is suspected that host phenotypic and epigenetic factors are the source of such variation. Indeed, the many virulence factors of GAS can influence the epigenetics of the host. Furthermore, persons with suppressed or compromised immune systems may be more susceptible to certain diseases caused by GAS than other persons with intact immune systems. A 2019 study shows that GAS's evasion of immune detection is facilitated by protein S, an extracellular and cell wall-associated protein that enables it to camouflage itself by binding fragments of lysed red blood cells.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Humans may also carry the GAS either on the skin or in the throat and show no symptoms. These carriers are less contagious than symptomatic carriers of the bacteria.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: The non-invasive infections caused by GAS tend to be less severe and more common. They occur when the bacteria colonizes the throat area, where it recognizes epithelial cells. The two most prominent infections of GAS are both non-invasive: strep throat (pharyngitis) where it causes 15–30% of the childhood cases and 10% of adult cases, and impetigo. These may be effectively treated with antibiotics. Scarlet fever is also a non-invasive infection caused by GAS, although much less common.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: The invasive infections caused by Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus tend to be more severe and less common. These occurs when the bacterium is able to infect areas where bacteria are not usually found, such as blood and organs. The diseases that may be caused as a result of this include streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), necrotizing fasciitis (NF), pneumonia, and bacteremia.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: In addition, infection of GAS may lead to further complications and health conditions, namely acute rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Some strains of group A streptococci (GAS) cause severe infection. Severe infections are usually invasive, meaning that the bacteria has entered parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, lungs, deep muscle or fat tissue. Those at greatest risk include children with chickenpox; persons with suppressed immune systems; burn victims; elderly persons with cellulitis, diabetes, vascular disease, or cancer; and persons taking steroid treatments or chemotherapy. Intravenous drug users also are at high risk. GAS is an important cause of puerperal fever worldwide, causing serious infection and, if not promptly diagnosed and treated, death in newly delivered mothers. Severe GAS disease may also occur in healthy persons with no known risk factors.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: All severe GAS infections may lead to shock, multisystem organ failure, and death. Early recognition and treatment are critical. Diagnostic tests include blood counts and urinalysis as well as cultures of blood or fluid from a wound site.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Severe Group A streptococcal infections often occur sporadically but can be spread by person-to-person contact. Close contacts of people affected by severe Group A streptococcal infections, defined as those having had prolonged household contact in the week before the onset of illness, may be at increased risk of infection. This increased risk may be due to a combination of shared genetic susceptibility within the family, close contact with carriers, and the virulence of the Group A streptococcal strain that is involved.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Public health policies internationally reflect differing views of how the close contacts of people affected by severe Group A streptococcal infections should be treated. Health Canada and the US CDC recommend close contacts see their doctor for full evaluation and may require antibiotics; current UK Health Protection Agency guidance is that, for a number of reasons, close contacts should not receive antibiotics unless they are symptomatic but that they should receive information and advice to seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms. However, guidance is clearer in the case of mother-baby pairs: both mother and baby should be treated if either develops an invasive GAS infection within the first 28 days following birth (though some evidence suggests that this guidance is not routinely followed in the UK).


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Diagnosis is by a swab of the affected area for laboratory testing. A Gram stain is performed to show Gram-positive cocci in chains. Then, the organism is cultured on blood agar with an added bacitracin antibiotic disk to show beta-hemolytic colonies and sensitivity (zone of inhibition around the disk) for the antibiotic. Culture on agar not containing blood, and then performing the catalase test should show a negative reaction for all streptococci. "S. pyogenes" is CAMP and hippurate tests negative. Serological identification of the organism involves testing for the presence of group-A-specific polysaccharide in the bacterium's cell wall using the Phadebact test.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: The rapid pyrrolidonyl arylamidase (PYR) test is used for the presumptive identification of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. GBS gives a negative finding on this test.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: "S. pyogenes" infections are best prevented through effective hand hygiene. No vaccines are currently available to protect against "S. pyogenes" infection, although research has been conducted into the development of one. Difficulties in developing a vaccine include the wide variety of strains of "S. pyogenes" present in the environment and the large amount of time and number of people that will be needed for appropriate trials for safety and efficacy of the vaccine.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: The treatment of choice is penicillin, and the duration of treatment is around 10 days. Antibiotic therapy (using injected penicillin) has been shown to reduce the risk of acute rheumatic fever. In individuals with a penicillin allergy, erythromycin, other macrolides, and cephalosporins have been shown to be effective treatments.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Treatment with ampicillin/sulbactam, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, or clindamycin is appropriate if deep oropharyngeal abscesses are present, in conjunction with aspiration or drainage. In cases of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, treatment consists of penicillin and clindamycin, given with intravenous immunoglobulin.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: For toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis, high-dose penicillin and clindamycin are used. Additionally, for necrotizing fasciitis, surgery is often needed to remove damaged tissue and stop the spread of the infection.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: No instance of penicillin resistance has been reported to date, although since 1985, many reports of penicillin tolerance have been made. The reason for the failure of penicillin to treat "S. pyogenes" is most commonly patient noncompliance, but in cases where patients have been compliant with their antibiotic regimen, and treatment failure still occurs, another course of antibiotic treatment with cephalosporins is common.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: The 30-valent N-terminal M-protein-based vaccine as well as the M-protein vaccine (minimal epitope J8 vaccine) are two vaccines for GAS that are currently getting close or becoming clinical studies, however, other vaccines using conserved epitopes are progressing.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Cases of GAS are still present today, but were also evident before World War I. This was shown by a training camp located in Texas, where a harmful strain of pneumonia complicating measles was caused by a strain of Streptococcus. Existence of streptococci strains was additionally found in World War II. An epidemic of streptococcal infection in the United States Navy during this war indicated that this type of disease was able to exist and spread in formerly unexposed individuals by environments that serological types of group A streptococci preferred. In later years, a positive test result for the presence of group A streptococci was found in 32.1 percent of individuals after throat cultures were carried out in a 20 yearlong (1953/1954-1973/1974) study performed in Nashville, TN. Also, from 1972 to 1974, recurring GAS illness was observed with a prevalence of 19 percent in school-aged children as well as a prevalence rate of 25 percent in families. The severity of streptococcal infections has decreased over the years, and so has rheumatic fever (a sequelae of GAS) which is indicated by the change in numerous hospitals from containing wards allocated for the sole purpose of treating rheumatic fever to hardly seeing the disease at all. Environmental factors, such as less crowding and the increase of family living space, can account for the reduction in incidence and severity of group A streptococci. With more space for individuals to reside in, it provides the bacteria with less opportunities to spread from person to person. This is especially important considering an estimated 500,000 deaths worldwide all occurring after acute rheumatic fever, invasive infection, or subsequent heart disease can be accredited to GAS. This number is quite large, often leaving the health care system encumbered, since 91 percent of patients infected with invasive GAS need to be hospitalized with 8950–11,500 episodes and 1050-1850 deaths taking place each year. A later study that occurred from 2005 to 2012 found that there were 10,649-13,434 cases consequently resulting in 1136-1607 deaths per year.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a complication of respiratory infections caused by GAS. The M-protein generates antibodies that cross-react with autoantigens on interstitial connective tissue, in particular of the endocardium and synovium, that can lead to significant clinical illness.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Although common in developing countries, ARF is rare in the United States, possibly secondary to improved antibiotic treatment, with small isolated outbreaks reported only occasionally. It is most common among children between 5 and 15 years old and occurs 1–3 weeks after an untreated GAS pharyngitis.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: ARF is often clinically diagnosed based on Jones Criteria, which include: pancarditis, migratory polyarthritis of large joints, subcutaneous nodules, erythema marginatum, and sydenham chorea (involuntary, purposeless movement). The most common clinical finding is a migratory arthritis involving multiple joints.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Other indicators of GAS infection such as a DNAase or ASO serology test must confirm the GAS infection. Other minor Jones Criteria are fever, elevated ESR and arthralgia. One of the most serious complications is pancarditis, or inflammation of all three heart tissues. A fibrinous pericarditis can develop with a classic friction rub that can be auscultated. This will give increasing pain upon reclining.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Further endocarditis can develop with aseptic vegetations along the valve closure lines, in particular the mitral valve. Chronic rheumatic heart disease mostly affects the mitral valve, which can become thickened with calcification of the leaflets, often causing fusion of the commissures and chordae tendineae.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Other findings of ARF include erythema marginatum (usually over the spine or other bony areas) and a red expanding rash on the trunk and extremities that recurs over weeks to months. Because of the different ways ARF presents itself, the disease may be difficult to diagnose.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: A neurological disorder, Sydenham chorea, can occur months after an initial attack, causing jerky involuntary movements, muscle weakness, slurred speech, and personality changes. Initial episodes of ARF, as well as recurrences, can be prevented by treatment with appropriate antibiotics.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: It is important to distinguish ARF from rheumatic heart disease. ARF is an acute inflammatory reaction with pathognomonic Aschoff bodies histologically and RHD is a non-inflammatory sequela of ARF.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is an uncommon complication of either a strep throat or a streptococcal skin infection. It is classified as a type III hypersensitivity reaction. Symptoms of PSGN develop within 10 days following a strep throat or 3 weeks following a GAS skin infection. PSGN involves inflammation of the kidney. Symptoms include pale skin, lethargy, loss of appetite, headache, and dull back pain. Clinical findings may include dark-colored urine, swelling of different parts of the body (edema), and high blood pressure. Treatment of PSGN consists of supportive care.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Obsessive–compulsive disorder and tic disorders are hypothesized to arise in a subset of children as a result of a post-streptococcal autoimmune process. Its potential effect was described in 1998 by the controversial hypothesis called PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections), a condition thought to be triggered by GABHS infections. The PANDAS hypothesis is unconfirmed and unsupported by data, and two new categories have been proposed: PANS (pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome) and CANS (childhood acute neuropsychiatric syndrome). The CANS/PANS hypotheses include different possible mechanisms underlying acute-onset neuropsychiatric conditions, but do not exclude GABHS infections as a cause in a subset of individuals. PANDAS, PANS and CANS are the focus of clinical and laboratory research but remain unproven.


title: Group A streptococcal infection

text: Note: Elements of the original text of this article are taken from the NIH Fact Sheet "Group A Streptococcal Infections", dated March 1999. As a work of the U.S. Federal Government without any other copyright notice, this is assumed to be a public domain resource.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: The Pentagon Wars is a 1998 HBO military comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin and based on the book "The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard" by Colonel James G. Burton, United States Air Force, about the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Major General Partridge (Kelsey Grammer) is in charge of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle project, which has been in development for seventeen years at a cost of $14 billion. In an effort to curtail excessive spending by The Pentagon, Congress appoints an outsider, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Burton (Cary Elwes) to observe the testing of several new weapons in development, including the Bradley.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Burton quickly becomes disillusioned by the atmosphere of corruption and inefficiency at the Pentagon. He delves into the mountains of paper documenting the Bradley's development history and comes to the conclusion that it is "a troop transport that can't carry troops, a reconnaissance vehicle that's too conspicuous to do reconnaissance, and a quasi-tank that has less armor than a snowblower, but has enough ammo to take out half of D.C."


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Burton's attempts to test the Bradley under combat conditions are obstructed by Partridge and his two cronies, Colonel Bock (John C. McGinley) and Major Sayers (Tom Wright). But then Burton is contacted by Brigadier General Robert L. Smith (Richard Schiff), the frustrated officer previously in charge of the vehicle's development program, who feeds him evidence on condition of anonymity.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Burton confronts Master Sergeant Dalton (Clifton Powell), in charge of the testing range, who admits being ordered to manipulate the test results, but bitterly tells Colonel Burton that every officer who tries to conduct honest tests eventually buckles under the pressure to gain his next promotion.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: When Burton refuses to approve the Bradley without a live-fire test, insisting that the current version of the vehicle is a death trap, he loses his position and is ordered to Alaska. But an anonymous leak from General Smith leads to Defense Secretary Weinberger demanding a full written report on the Bradley. Partridge, ignorant of the Bradley overall, cancels Burton's transfer and orders him to write his report, then has the report extensively rewritten by his own aide. Following the Army rule book, Burton then sends a memorandum referencing the original report to everyone who is technically involved in the project. This information leaks to the press and the resulting scandal leads to a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: The hearing is humiliating to Partridge, who attempts to duck simple questions by pretending to search for documentation (which his helpful aide provides to him in front of the Committee, to his further humiliation). The skeptical Committee Chairwoman (Olympia Dukakis) goes on to order the test that Burton has requested.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: The night before, Burton visits the barracks on the range and tells Dalton and his men that, regardless of whatever orders they have received from Partridge, it is their duty to their fellow soldiers to make sure the test is performed honestly.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: On the day of the live-fire test, Partridge, Bock, and Sayers fully expect to confirm their story that the vehicle is perfectly safe, but are unaware that Dalton and his men have actually made sure the Bradley is fully armed and fueled. When hit by an anti-tank missile, the vehicle explodes spectacularly, showering the horrified audience, including the House Committee members, with debris. Afterwards, Dalton and his men confide to Burton that they had already become convinced of his sincerity and were with him ever since.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: A postscript explains that the Bradley was extensively redesigned in response to Burton's demands, which significantly reduced casualties from its use during the Persian Gulf War. However, the system was too strong: Partridge and his cronies earned their promotions and lucrative private sector jobs, while Colonel Burton was forced to retire.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Russell Murray II is also credited as a consultant on the film. Mr. Murray served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis from 1962-1969 and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Program Analysis and Evaluation 1977-1981, both during the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86%, and an average rating of 3.9/5.


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Upon its premiere on HBO, Daryl Miller reviewed the film for the Los Angeles Times and described it as "a savvy satire of military spending--an epic tale of boys and their toys...a triumph for that cable outlet."


title: The Pentagon Wars

text: Col James Burton and the Joint Live Fire Testing Program - Section of article on Bradley Fighting Vehicle


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: This is a record of Italy's results at the FIFA World Cup. Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of the World Cup, having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), just one fewer than Brazil, but last qualified for the event in 2014. The team was present in 18 out of the 22 tournaments, reaching six finals, a third place and a fourth place.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: With temperatures around 40 °C (104 °F), Italy won their home tournament in 1934 after going into extra time against Czechoslovakia.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: After a difficult route to the final, defeating hosts France in the quarter-finals and Brazil in the semis, Italy was the first team to win the World Cup title on foreign ground. Also, it was the first of only two times in World Cup history that a team successfully defended their title.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: In 1970, the Brazilian team featured superstars like Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto and were considered favourites for the title. Particularly in the second half, the Italians were outclassed by the Brazilians passing play.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Italy played three draws in the first group stage in a worrisome start to the tournament, proceeding ahead of Cameroon only on number of goals scored. However, the Italians continued to defeat Brazil, Argentina and a strong Polish side over the course of the tournament and faced West Germany in the final in Madrid.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Antonio Cabrini missed a penalty in the goalless first half, but the dominant Italian side eventually built up a 3–0 lead and won by 3–1 in the end, securing their third World Cup trophy.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: The 1994 final was the first ever to be decided on penalties after goalless 120 minutes. Italian captain Franco Baresi missed the very first penalty, and Roberto Baggio the decisive last one.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Italian defender Marco Materazzi was involved in all three outstanding moments of the first 120 minutes: He conceded the penalty that was converted by Zinedine Zidane early in the game, equalised with a powerful header soon after, and provoked Zidane in a manner that lead to the French captain being sent off. He also scored in the penalty-shootout that was to follow.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: It was only the second time a World Cup final was decided on penalties, again involving Italy after the 1994 final lost to Brazil.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Paolo Maldini is the player with the fourth-most matches at FIFA World Cups, trailing only behind the Argentinian Lionel Messi (26) and the Germans Lothar Matthäus (25) and Miroslav Klose (24). This also makes him the player with the most World Cup matches without winning the trophy.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the only Italian player, and one of only three in the world, who have been part of five FIFA World Cup squads.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Two Italians were awarded the Golden Boot for best goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup: Paolo Rossi in 1982 and Salvatore Schillaci in 1990 with 6 goals each.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: Three World Cup finals have been officiated by representatives of the Italian football federation, only English referees have had the honour more often (four times). The 1978 final between Argentina and the Netherlands has been led by Sergio Gonella, who had already officiated the European Championship final two years earlier. The other referees are Pierluigi Collina in 2002, and Nicola Rizzoli in 2014.


title: Italy at the FIFA World Cup

text: The Italian referee with the most World Cup matches, however, is Roberto Rosetti, who has been in charge of six matches total in 2006 and 2010.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Though he directed films across many genres and styles, he is best known for his big-budget, "tentpole" films, including: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), "The Vikings" (1958), "Barabbas" (1961), "Fantastic Voyage" (1966), the musical film "Doctor Dolittle" (1967), the war epic "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970), the dystopian mystery-thriller "Soylent Green" (1973), the controversial period drama "Mandingo" (1975), and the Robert E. Howard sword-and-sorcery films "Conan the Destroyer" (1984) and "Red Sonja" (1985). His other directorial credits include: the Academy Award-winning documentary "Design for Death" (1947), the gritty noir "The Narrow Margin" (1952), the true-crime dramas "Compulsion" (1959) and "The Boston Strangler" (1968), the mob action film "The Don Is Dead" (1973), the swashbuckler "The Prince and the Pauper" (1977), the 1980 remake of "The Jazz Singer" and the horror sequel "Amityville 3-D" (1983).


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer worked with many of the top Hollywood stars of his time, including: Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, James Mason, Robert Wagner, Tony Curtis, Louis Jourdan, Jean Hagen, Victor Mature, Richard Egan, Ray Milland, Farley Granger, Orson Welles, Diane Varsi, Anthony Quinn, Stephen Boyd, Rex Harrison, Anthony Newley, Mia Farrow, George C. Scott, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, Charlton Heston, Lee Marvin, Glenda Jackson, Eddie Deezen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was noted for his versatility, able to work in almost any genre under wildly varying conditions and budgets, making him a popular and prolific choice for producers. Though Fleischer was never considered an auteur and was not a highly acclaimed artist, many of his films proved very financially and critically successful, winning accolades and being some of the highest-grossing features of their respective release years.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Richard Fleischer was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the son of Essie (née Goldstein) and animator/producer Max Fleischer, a native of Kraków, Poland. After graduating from Brown University, he went to Yale School of Drama, where he met his future wife, Mary Dickson.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer served in the U.S. Army during World War II. His film career began in 1942 at the RKO studio, directing shorts, documentaries, and compilations of forgotten silent features, which he called "Flicker Flashbacks". He won an Academy Award as producer of the 1947 documentary "Design for Death", co-written by Theodor Geisel (later known as Dr. Seuss), which examined the cultural forces that led to Japan's imperial expansion through World War II.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer moved to Los Angeles and was assigned his first feature, "Child of Divorce" (1946), a vehicle for Sharyn Moffett. It was successful so Fleischer was assigned to "Banjo", another Moffett vehicle, which was a disaster.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: RKO agreed to loan him to Stanley Kramer and Carl Foreman, who had admired "Child of Divorce", to make "So This Is New York" (1948) for the Kramer Company at Columbia. Back at RKO, Fleischer made "The Clay Pigeon", a thriller based on a story by Foreman.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: His other early films were taut film noirs, such as: "Bodyguard" (1948), "Follow Me Quietly" (1949), "Armored Car Robbery" (1950) and "The Narrow Margin" (1952).


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer said he constantly tried to graduate to A pictures during this time. When Norman Krasna and Jerry Wald set up at RKO, they asked Fleischer to see if he could make a film out of any of the film shot for "It's All True" but he was unable. Another project that did not come to fruition was a film starring Al Jolson.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: RKO's owner Howard Hughes was impressed by "The Narrow Margin" and hired Fleischer to re-write and re-shoot the majority of "His Kind of Woman" (1952) after he was dissatisfied with the original cut delivered by director John Farrow. Hughes was pleased with the results and agreed to loan Fleischer to Stanley Kramer to make "The Happy Time" (1952).


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer was put under contract to the Kramer Company. "The Happy Time" was successful, and Fleischer was meant to follow it with another for Kramer and Foreman, "Full of Life". However the film was never made because the partnership between Foreman and Kramer ended.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: He accepted an offer from MGM to make "Arena", a rodeo-themed story starring Gig Young and Jean Hagen.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer was chosen by Walt Disney – his father's former rival as a cartoon producer – to direct "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) starring Kirk Douglas. While in the film's post-production phase, Fleischer received an offer from Dore Schary at MGM to direct "Bad Day at Black Rock", but had to turn it down because of the work still required on "Leagues".


title: Richard Fleischer

text: He directed "Violent Saturday" (1955), a thriller for Buddy Adler at 20th Century Fox. It was successful, and Fox signed Fleischer to a long-term contract. He worked for this studio for the next 15 years.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer's first film under his new contract with Fox was "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" (1955). He then made "Bandido", a Western with Robert Mitchum.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Kirk Douglas hired Fleischer to make "The Vikings" (1958), which was produced independently by Douglas through his company Brynaprod (and distributed through United Artists) and was another big hit. Back at Fox, Fleischer made "Compulsion" (1959), a crime drama with Orson Welles for producer Richard D. Zanuck. It was successful and earned Fleischer a Directors Guild Award nomination.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fox offered him "North to Alaska" (1960) with John Wayne, which Fleischer originally agreed to do, but withdrew when he was unhappy with the script. He moved to Paris where Darryl F. Zanuck asked him to make "The Ballad of Red Rocks", a vehicle for Zanuck's then-girlfriend Juliette Gréco. The film was not made, but Fleischer directed two other stories for Zanuck starring Gréco: "Crack in the Mirror" (1960) and "The Big Gamble" (1961).


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer then signed a contract with Dino De Laurentiis to make "Barabbas" (1961). After this, he and De Laurentiis announced a series of projects, including "Lanny Budd" (from a novel by Upton Sinclair), "Don Camillo", "Salvatore Guliano", "Dark Angel" and "Sacco and Vanzetti" (from a script by Edward Anhalt), but none were made. He accepted an offer from Samuel Bronston and Philip Yordan to make "The Nightrunners of Bengal" in Spain, but this project fell apart when Bronston's empire collapsed.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Back in Hollywood, Richard Zanuck had become head of production at Fox and offered Fleischer "Fantastic Voyage" (1966). It was a success and revived his Hollywood career.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: He was entrusted with Fox's big "roadshow" musical of 1967, "Doctor Dolittle" (1967), with Rex Harrison. It failed to break even. Most acclaimed was "The Boston Strangler" (1968), with Tony Curtis.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: "Che!" (1969), a biopic of Che Guevara that starred Omar Sharif, was an expensive flop, as was "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970), an account of the World War II Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was his last film for 20th Century Fox.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer traveled to England, where he directed the well received true-crime dramatization, "10 Rillington Place" (1971) starring Richard Attenborough and John Hurt. He then replaced John Huston, who had fallen out with star George C. Scott, on "The Last Run" (1971). The thriller "See No Evil" (1971) with Mia Farrow followed. Returning to Hollywood, he made "The New Centurions" (1972) from the novel by Joseph Wambaugh, again starring George C. Scott.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: At MGM, he made the science-fiction movie "Soylent Green" (1973), with Charlton Heston. Three action films followed: "The Don Is Dead" (1973), with Anthony Quinn, plus two for Walter Mirisch: "The Spikes Gang" (1974), with Lee Marvin, and "Mr. Majestyk" (1974), with Charles Bronson, written by Elmore Leonard.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer was reunited with De Laurentiis for the successful though controversial "Mandingo" (1975). "The Incredible Sarah" (1976), a British biopic of Sarah Bernhardt with Glenda Jackson, came next.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer earned a reputation as a reliable journeyman and "replacement director", filling in when a project's original director was fired by a producer for creative differences. These included Huston in "The Last Run" and Michael Campus for "Mandingo".


title: Richard Fleischer

text: "The Prince and the Pauper" (1977) was a version of the Mark Twain novel that featured Heston, Harrison and Scott in its cast. Fleischer was hired to replace Richard Sarafian on "Ashanti" (1979), starring Michael Caine, which turned out to be a flop. He received another call to replace a director, in this case Sidney J. Furie, on "The Jazz Singer" (1980), an unsuccessful attempt to make a film star out of Neil Diamond.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: "Tough Enough" (1983) was about the Toughman Contest starring Dennis Quaid. He made three more for De Laurentiis: "Amityville 3-D" (1983), "Conan the Destroyer" (1984) and "Red Sonja" (1985). The latter two were adaptations of Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age stories, both starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer was chairman of Fleischer Studios, which today handles the licensing of Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. In June 2005, he released his memoirs of his father's career in "Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution".


title: Richard Fleischer

text: Fleischer's 1993 autobiography "Just Tell Me When to Cry", described his many difficulties with actors, writers and producers. He died in his sleep at the age of 89 after having been in failing health.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: Phạm Nhật Vượng (born 5 August 1968) is a Vietnamese property developer and Vietnam's first billionaire. He is the founder and chairman of Vingroup.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: Vượng was born on 5 August 1968 in Hanoi; his paternal family has origins in Hà Tĩnh in north-central Vietnam. His father served in the Vietnamese Army's air defence division, and his mother had a tea shop, which left the family with a very meager income. He grew up in Hanoi and graduated from Kim Lien High School in 1985.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: In 1987, he entered Hanoi University of Mining and Geology and was sent to Russia to study in the Moscow Geological Prospecting Institute, for which he was able to obtain a scholarship thanks to his profound mathematical aptitude. He graduated from this university in 1992.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: After graduating, he married Phạm Thu Hương, whom he had known since high school, and moved to Kharkiv, Ukraine.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: The couple has 3 children: Phạm Nhật Quân Anh - current Deputy General Director of Vinpearl Company Limited, Phạm Nhật Minh Hoàng and Phạm Nhật Minh Anh.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: In the 1990s, while living in Ukraine, Pham Nhat Vuong started an instant noodle restaurant business using money borrowed from friends and family. Soon he also started producing and selling instant noodles.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: In 1993, he founded Technocom, which would become a market leader in dehydrated culinary products in Ukraine. Vượng sold Technocom to Nestlé for $150 million in 2009, before returning to Vietnam.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: Vượng's first projects in Vietnam were Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang (opened in 2003) and Vincom City Towers (later renamed Vincom Ba Trieu) in central Hanoi (opened in 2004). Vincom went public in 2007. It merged with Vinpearl, Vượng's luxury resort business, to form VinGroup in 2007. VinGroup is headquartered in its Riverside township in Long Biên District in Eastern Hanoi.


title: Phạm Nhật Vượng

text: In 2015, Vượng was listed as the richest person in Vietnam with assets totaling VNĐ 24.3 trillion (approximately US$1.1 billion), which more than quadrupled those of the second richest person, Trần Đình Long of Hanoi Hoa Phat Corporation. His wife, Phạm Thu Hương and sister-in-law Phạm Thúy Hằng ranked third and fifth respectively. As of 12 April 2021, "Forbes" estimated his net worth to be US$9 Billion.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Parantaka Chola II (Tamil: இரண்டாம் பராந்தக சோழன்) (r. 958 – 973 CE) was a Chola emperor. He is also known as Sundara Chola as he was considered an epitome of male beauty. He was the son of Arinjaya Chola and queen Kalyani, a princess of Vaidumba family. Parantaka II ascended the Chola throne despite the fact that his cousin Madurantaka Uttama Chola, the son of Gandaraditya Chola(the elder brother of Arinjaya Chola) was alive and he had equal if not more claim to the Chola throne.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: When Parantaka II became king, the Chola kingdom had shrunk to the size of a small principality. The Pandyas in the south had revived their fortunes and had defeated the Chola armies and occupied their ancestral lands.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: During Parantaka II's reign, the foundations were laid for the success of the Chola Empire a generation later. A few territories in the north were recovered. The Pandyan ruler Vira Pandya was defeated and Madurai was taken. An expedition was made to gain control of Sri Lanka but it was not successful.Parantaka II waged war against Rashtrakutas and successfully regained Tondaimandalam.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: According to the Anbil plates Arinjaya was succeeded by his son. After coming to power Sundara Chola aka Parantaka II first directed his attention to the south against Vira Pandya, who had repulsed Gandaraditya's attempt to restore Chola supremacy in the Pandya country.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Immediately after becoming king, Parantaka II's attention was directed towards the growing strength of the Pandyas in the south. Vira Pandya, having repulsed Gandaraditya's attempts to restore Chola supremacy in the Pandyan kingdom, was ruling as an independent potentate. The invading Chola army met the Pandyas at Chevur.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: The Leyden copperplate inscriptions tell us in that war, "Parantaka II caused rivers of blood to flow". Other inscriptions mention that Parantaka and his young son, Aditya Karikalan (also referred to as Aditha II) defeated Vira Pandya and made him flee to the hills surrounding the battlefield. The young son Aditha, who took to the battlefield at the age of "twelve" and who was a "very abhimanyu" in valour, is profusely praised for having conducted himself in battlefield with as much ease as he was at "military training sessions".


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: It is also possible that Aditya Karikalan killed Vira Pandya in that battle. Aditha's inscriptions use the epithet ""Vira Pandyan Thalai Konda Adithha Karikalan"" - "...took the head of Vira Pandya". After the battle of Chevur, Parantaka II's armies continued their thrust into the Pandya country. The Pandya king had the Sinhalese king Mahinda IV as his ally and the Lankan troops supported the Pandya army in the battlefield c. 959 CE. Parantaka II's armies also invaded Lanka to neutralise this support. The especially wicked nature of this coalition is noted by chola panegyrists to be "wicked force of age of kali, that were duly uprooted by the king.". As a procedure for de-recognizing the rogue kingdoms Parantaka II also seized the royal insignia of pandyans like fish emblem, throne, gem studded crown and ancient pearl necklace.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Sundara Chola called himself "Maduraikonda Rajakesari", that is the Royal Lion who took Madurai and "Madhurantaka" (destroyer of Madurai) in order to commemorate his victories over the Pandyas.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Although the Chola armies won the battle, the war was still not won. Parantaka II did not succeed in re-establishing the Chola power over the Pandya lands.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Parantaka II next concentrated in his war against Rashtrakutas. Some documents provide an interesting account of military acumen and gallantry exhibited during the war by a certain chola commander belonging to one of the 98 divisions of troop velaikkaras. The commander who is praised to be a devotee at feet of lord at thillai and who was "a very murugan at war", is credited to have on two occasions almost singlehandedly pulverized big battalions of the enemy thereby causing their defeat. This commander who is glorified in these deccan wars is at the instance of lord finally given up his uniform to become a saint at tirruvottriyur and take the name ottriyur atikalar there upon producing some very good works on saiva siddantam prior to attaining lord's beatitude.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Sundara Chola Parantaka also waged war against the Sinhala ruler in Sri Lanka. The expedition was led by his general and his relative the Irukkuvel chief Parantaka Siriyavelar. However this expedition did not end well for the Cholas as both Siriyavelar and the Chola King's brother in law, the Bana chief fell in battle.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Parantaka II's last days appear to have been clouded by a personal tragedy. The heir-apparent Aditya II was assassinated by a group of conspirators.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: There are other theories, claiming that the Pandyan spies were involved in the death of Aditya II and he was assassinated to avenge the death of Veerapandiyan in the battle of Chevur. There are however no direct evidence to support this theory. One of the inscriptions found at Udayarkudi temple in Tamil Nadu of Rajaraja notes that the property of some persons were confiscated as punishment for their involvement in the plot.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: After the assassination of Aditya II, it seems that Uttama forced Parantaka II to make him the heir-apparent. Arulmozhivarman (or Rajaraja I), Parantaka II's second son did not protest, anxious to avoid a civil war. It was apparently part of the compromise that Uttama was to succeed the throne only if he accepted to be succeeded, not by his own children but by Arulmolivarman. The Thiruvalangadu copperplate inscription states that Madhurantaka Uttama Chola made Arulmoli the heir-apparent.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Parantaka II, heart broken by the personal tragedy died in Kanchipuram at his golden palace (c. 980 CE). He was thereafter known as ""Pon maligai thunjina thevar"" – "the king who died in the golden palace". Parantaka II continued the chola legacy of absolutely professional and democratic management. This is seen from many inscriptions of his and his illustrious son Aditya II, which describe reforms carried out professionally at universities, councils, military and navy. Parantaka was well supported by his management councillors. Thus we know from an inscription of his how a certain aniruddha brahmarayan who was a follower of jaiminiya sutra of samaveda("jaiminiya sutrattu aniruddha bhramarayar") and who was a "servitor at the feet of lord of river girt arankam(srirangam),i.e lord vishnu", who belonged to royal council being felicitated for selfless service.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: One of his queens, Vanavanmahadevi, a princess from the clan of Malaiyaman, committed sati at the king's death and her image was perhaps installed at the Thanjavur Temple by her daughter Kundavai. Another queen, a Chera princess survived him until 1001 CE.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: During Parantaka II's reign, literature both Sanskrit and Tamil received encouragement. The Buddhist work on Tamil grammar, "Virasoliyam" eulogises him as a patron of letters and of Buddhism. The eulogy furnishes evidence for the friendly relationship between the Chola monarchs and the Buddhists.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: The term "foremost in the family of the king Pirantaka's daughter" indicates the alliance between the Chola and Irukkuvel families and the chief Siriyavela might have been the King's son-in-law or his daughter's father-in-law.


title: Parantaka Chola II

text: Here is another inscription of Parantaka II from the Vedapureeswarar temple in Tiruverkadu (north wall of the central shrine),


title: Airblue

text: Airblue Limited (stylized as airblue) is a private Pakistani airline with its head office on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE) Towers in Islamabad, Pakistan. Airblue operates scheduled domestic and international flights, the latter to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.


title: Airblue

text: The airline was established in 2003 by Tariq Chaudhry, a Pakistani-American IT professional. Airblue started operations on 18 June 2004 with three leased Airbus A320-200 aircraft serving Karachi–Lahore, and Karachi–Islamabad with three daily flights in each direction. The airline was inaugurated in 2004 by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.


title: Airblue

text: During the first year the airline became very popular, which allowed the airline to compete directly with the flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines and the two other private carriers, flying more than 400,000 passengers in the first year with a load factor of over 90%. This allowed the airline to expand into more cities in Pakistan including Peshawar, Quetta and Nawabshah.


title: Airblue

text: On 14 August 2005 Airblue launched its first international flight from Karachi to Dubai. On June 4, 2007, Airblue launched its inaugural flight to Manchester using the Airbus A321.


title: Airblue

text: Airblue changed its IATA code from ED to PA in June 2012, the new code originally belonged to the defunct and once iconic carrier Pan American World Airways. In 2011 the airline launched service to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport - a route that was ultimately terminated.


title: Airblue

text: In June 2012, Airblue finalised an agreement to acquire one Airbus A320 and two leased A340-300s for existing and new international routes. It was also looking at various types of turboprop aircraft for new domestic routes but this plan was eventually dropped. The A340s joined the fleet in October 2012, enabling the airline to strengthen its Manchester route with nonstop flights as well as launch a second UK destination Birmingham in September 2013 and connect both stations with Lahore. The A340s later also flew to the Middle East. Technical issues related to the aircraft eventually led to them being phased out by January 2014; they had been leased for a five-year term. UK operations also ended with Birmingham being dropped after just three months' service and Manchester ending in January 2014.


title: Airblue

text: All aircraft in the fleet have a 3-by-3 layout in an all-economy cabin; and have overhead video screens. Airblue formerly had a business class section but dropped it due to exogenous economic factors.


title: Airblue

text: Airblue was the first airline in Pakistan to introduce e-ticketing, wireless check-in, and self-check-in kiosk facilities. The airline also uses Sabre, a ticket distribution system.


title: Airblue

text: The Airblue frequent flyer program is called "Blue Miles". Passengers start at the base level where sign-up is free. Once passengers earn enough miles, there are upgrades to the Blue Card followed by the Platinum Card. In May 2009, the airline allied with Faysal Bank to offer credit cards.


title: Airblue

text: Airblue inaugurated its premium lounge at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi in November 2008. It has since been closed. Named the "Blue Lounge International", it was designed for business class passengers, credit card holders, and privileged customers. The lounge offered Internet facilities, cable television, newspapers and magazines, massage chairs, and a snack bar. It was located in the international terminal of the airport.


title: Airblue

text: Airblue has launched an e-Cargo service to cater to air freight markets of Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. According to a press release, e-Cargo will broaden the base of cargo and permit certified agents to book freight directly online opening the inventory through Web.


title: Airblue

text: Airblue currently has a partnership with PepsiCo. Airblue had a contractual partnership with the Ukrainian Windrose Airlines for a three-year wet-lease of some Windrose aircraft. These aircraft carried the Windrose livery with Windrose crew and a mixture of Windrose and Airblue cabin crew. This wet-lease expired in 2016.