title: Holden Torana

text: Due to poor Chevrolet 1700 sales, the car was revised as the Camina in 1976 (General Motors Korea was sold to Saehan Motors in 1976 after management troubles). However, the Chevrolet version continued to sell alongside it until both models were discontinued in 1978. A smaller 1492-cc engine was fitted to deliver better fuel economy than its Hyundai and Kia competitors, but sales did not recover with only 992 cars sold in two years. The 1.5-liter engine offered , enough for a top speed of for the sedan. The station wagon, which retained the 1700 engine, was now called the Saehan Caravan (새한 캬라반); 966 of these were sold from January 1976 until March 1979. An ambulance version arrived in April 1976. The 1700 and Camina replacement, the 1977 Saehan Gemini, was a development of the Isuzu Gemini (sold in Australia as the Holden Gemini).


title: Holden Torana

text: In 1974, the six-cylinder LJ Torana was replaced by the new mid-sized body six- and eight-cylinder LH Torana series. To fill the gap before the March 1975 release of the four-cylinder GM world T-car Holden Gemini, the short-wheelbase four-cylinder (1.3- and 1.8-litre) LJ models were given a basic facelift incorporating a body-colour plastic-moulded front grille assembly and revamped rear light lenses. This car was released in February 1974 on the Australian market only, in both two- and four-door forms, as the TA Torana. It was only produced for 11 months with a total production run of 11,304 units.


title: Holden Torana

text: March 1974 had the first completely new Torana body, with the arrival of the larger mid-sized LH series, produced in four-door sedan style only. Despite the larger external size, the car was relatively cramped by mid-1970s standards. It resembled other GM products of its generation, notably the Opel Ascona and particularly in overall size and profile, the FE series Vauxhall Victor. It was unique in that, following the addition of a four-cylinder option in May 1974, the same body style was available with a choice of inline-four, inline-six, or V8 engines, specifically, 1.9-litre Opel four, 2.85- and 3.3-litre Holden 'red' sixes, and 4.2- and 5.0-litre Holden V8s. Low-compression versions of the fours and sixes were also available for export markets.


title: Holden Torana

text: The 5.0-litre engine was reserved for the sporting LH Torana SL/R 5000 sedan. A special build derivative of the SL/R 5000 was the Bathurst-intended 'L34 Option', of which only 263 were built, with a higher-compression engine with stouter components for more power and durability in competition use. The most notable external feature of the L34 was the bolt-on wheel arch extensions, designed to accommodate the larger racing rims and tyres.


title: Holden Torana

text: The L34 option, which was first seen in 1975, proved to be fast and successful, yet fragile, in Australian touring car racing. It was eventually superseded by the evolutionary A9X option made available in the LX Torana series in 1977. The A9X was delivered with a standard 5.0, but used the L34 motor in races which was developed by Repco for the LH SL/R 5000 H.O. L34. The A9X version of the Torana had a larger 10-bolt Salisbury differential with disc brakes and had the option of the Borg Warner Super T10 four-speed. Hardly any cars were delivered with Super T10 option, so in effect the immortalized A9X was a pretty stock car with a better differential and suspension. The LH Torana in L34 form won the Bathurst 1000 touring car race with Peter Brock and Brian Sampson in 1975 and with Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick in 1976, with the L34 motor being fitted to the A9X, so in effect winning with that car, as well.


title: Holden Torana

text: According to Holden Dealer Team boss Harry Firth, Holden chose to have the V8 engine in the SL/R 5000 developed by Repco on their dyno which led to massive oil surge problems on the race track and had a number of teams, including the HDT, suffer numerous engine failures in both testing and races in 1974. Firth believed that using the same V8 engine he had developed for the stillborn V8 GTR XU-1 would have solved this problem, as the HDT had already cured the oil problems, but Holden ignored his warnings.


title: Holden Torana

text: Prototype wagon and hatchback versions of the LH Torana were built, but never reached production. Overall, a total of 70,184 LH Toranas were built. A few special models of the LH were built, the somewhat sporting Plus 4 and G-Pak models. The Plus 4 arrived in September 1974 and was an attempt to move a few more of the slow-selling four-cylinder models. The G-Pak, first seen in February 1975, received the 3.3-litre inline-six. Both came with a four-speed manual, sporting instrumentation, and disc brakes in front.


title: Holden Torana

text: New Zealand assembly got off to a troubled start. General Motors New Zealand, which still had a wide four-cylinder Vauxhall Viva/Magnum line on sale, had planned a 2850 six 'S' model with bench front seat and three-speed column manual shift and the 3300SL with bucket seats and four-speed manual or three-speed Trimatic floor shift. The New Zealand government, though, imposed a 60% sales tax (a post-first oil crisis measure) on cars with engines over 2.7 litres just as GM launched the LH in mid-'74, and only a few of each were built. The LH was then withdrawn temporarily and relaunched some months later with the Opel 1.9-litre I4 and floor-shift manual or automatic (SL only) gearboxes. Six-cylinder Toranas would never again be built in New Zealand and were only very rare imports after this. GM New Zealand also built a local version of the Australian Plus 4 'sports' special edition, but the changes were only cosmetic - bright paint colours, special wheel trims, black stripes and all-black interior trim.


title: Holden Torana

text: The mildly facelifted LX series arrived in February 1976. Cosmetically, the most obvious changes were to replace the LH's rectangular headlights with round headlights, side window surrounds were changed from body colour to black, and the front Holden badge was enlarged. A two-door hatchback body was introduced as an alternative to the four-door sedan, although the 1,897-cc Opel unit was not offered in the new body style. Soon after its introduction, in July 1976 the LX was subjected to performance-reducing engine modifications to comply with new ADR27A emission regulations. Power outputs (from now on specified in kilowatts, as part of Australia's metrication programme) changed as:


title: Holden Torana

text: When the LX Torana was introduced, it featured a choice of four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. In November 1976 the four-cylinder Torana was revised and relaunched as the Holden LX Sunbird. Reflecting the new emissions rules, power from the Opel-sourced engine was down from . From this point, all four-cylinder models were marketed as Sunbirds and the six- or eight-cylinder models as Toranas. The original LX series Sunbird was a single-trim range, with four-speed manual and three-speed automatic transmissions. There were minor trim differences compared to the Torana, notably the grille (with vertical bars) and distinctive chrome wheel covers. It was marketed as a four-door sedan and as a three-door hatchback, unlike the short-lived four-cylinder LX Torana. The introduction of Sunbird also coincided with the first attempt by Holden to add a handling package to its range of cars. The introduction of 'radial-tuned suspension' (RTS) began with the LX Sunbird sedan and hatchback and then the LX Torana.


title: Holden Torana

text: During 1977, the LX series also had the development of another limited-build high-performance option aimed at winning in Australian Touring Car racing, and in particular at the annual Bathurst 1000 touring car race. This 'A9X Option' was available on the 5.0-litre V8-powered SLR 5000 sedan and SS hatchback models. The A9X visually resembled the L34-optioned LH model, but with the addition of a rear-facing bonnet scoop designed to increase airflow into the engine bay (carburettor) to produce maximum power in motor racing applications. The A9X package varied from the old L34 in road form in that whilst the engine was not modified, the A9X nevertheless had some special mechanical features such as rear disc brakes, heavy-duty axles, and a heavy-duty '10 bolt' differential.


title: Holden Torana

text: After being rushed into Group C touring car racing, Peter Brock gave the A9X a dream debut by winning the 1977 Hang Ten 400 at Sandown. However, after he put his Torana on pole position, the A9X ultimately lost its debut Bathurst race in 1977 to the Ford Falcons of Allan Moffat and Colin Bond. The A9X package was soon refined and proved dominant during the following two seasons of touring-car racing in Australia. Drivers Peter Brock and Bob Morris were victorious in the 1978 and 1979 Australian Touring Car Championships, respectively, and A9Xs shared by Peter Brock and Jim Richards won the 1978 and 1979 Bathurst 1000s. In a show of the A9X's superiority, Brock and Richards won the 1979 race by a record six laps, with Brock setting the touring-car lap record on the last lap of the race.


title: Holden Torana

text: An A9X recently sold at auction for $500,000. In mid 2021 one was expected to fetch over $1,000,000 at auction.


title: Holden Torana

text: The introduction of the UC Torana in March 1978 occasioned the demise of V8 power and the cessation of the sporting SL/R variant in the Torana range of cars. The UC series featured a significantly modernised frontal appearance and a completely new interior dash layout. Torana was now rationalised to a choice of two equipment levels and two six-cylinder engines, the 2.85-litre and the 3.3-litre. A 'Deluxe Pack' was an option that allowed the UC Torana SL to compete with Ford's TE Cortina Ghia, which comprised laminated windscreen, tinted side and rear windows, intermittent wipers, radio/cassette player, cloth trim, sports instrumentation, and bumper overriders. While the V8 was discontinued in the UC, a factory sanctioned dealer option of a turbo was offered. This was called the UC SL/T. These were mainly ordered through Suttons in NSW, but one is known to have been ordered through Zupps in Queensland. These were produced in a mini production run of five cars and only 33 were built. Only one is known to exist today that was ordered through Zupps.


title: Holden Torana

text: The Holden Sunbird was also updated to UC specifications and continued to sell well as a 1.9-litre four-cylinder car, sharing its body architecture with the UC Torana sedan and hatchback. The UC Sunbird expanded into three trim levels: base (manual only), SL, and SL/E. It did very well in New Zealand, where it was assembled, particularly in fleets, where it competed with the Ford Cortina and a variety of Japanese D-segment models.


title: Holden Torana

text: The UCs had square headlamps and a smoother front end. LX and early UC Sunbirds were fitted with a 1.9-litre Opel engine. Later UC models had the locally produced 1,892-cc Starfire Four engine that was also installed into the Australian-produced versions of the Toyota Corona and in four-cylinder versions of the Holden Commodore. This sluggish motor was simply a crudely cut-down version of the long-running Holden six-cylinder engine. The hatchbacks were deleted in 1979, leaving only the sedans for the 1980 model year. The last Australian Sunbird was built in September 1980. The Sunbird was replaced initially by a four-cylinder version of the Holden Commodore, before the arrival of its natural, albeit smaller, successor, the Holden Camira, from 1982.


title: Holden Torana

text: At one point, design consideration was given to a five-door hatchback version of the UC Torana, which had a similar side profile to the Rover SD1 and rode an extended wheelbase. The idea never got past the clay-modelling stage, probably in most part due to the impending introduction of the GM V-Car, the Commodore.


title: Holden Torana

text: After release of the VB Commodore in November 1978, it soon became clear to GM-H that the Torana was too similar in size when compared to the more modern Holden Commodore. As a result, the UC Torana was soon dropped from the Holden range in 1979. The UC Sunbird continued through 1980 with a new, locally manufactured 1.9-litre Starfire engine (based on the 2.85-litre six) replacing the imported Opel unit.


title: Holden Torana

text: For a while at least, talk of further extending the Torana/Sunbird's production life beyond 1980 occurred, with a facelifted 'UD' model, of which prototype models of the sedan and hatchback were actually built - featuring frontal styling similar to the Opel Ascona B. However, due to the car itself being outdated when compared to the new Japanese opposition (notably the Chrysler Sigma, Datsun Bluebird, and Mazda 626), Holden decided on an easier route by simply introducing the Starfire engine into the VC-series of Commodore sedans and wagons.


title: Holden Torana

text: Ultimately, the title of four-cylinder mid-sized Holden was taken over in 1982 by the Camira, Holden's version of GM's front-wheel drive 'J-Car'. However, the Starfire engine did remain available for another two years in the VH-series Holden Commodore, and continued to be fitted to the VK-series in New Zealand.


title: Holden Torana

text: The Torana GTR-X was designed during the era of the LC series, and was seriously considered for production in the early 1970s. The GTR-X had a wedge-shaped fibreglass body featuring a hatchback rear access, and the prototype cars had LC Torana GTR XU-1 mechanical components.


title: Holden Torana

text: The GTR-X looks similar to iconic sports cars of the 1970s, such as the Maserati Khamsin, Ferrari 308 GT4, Lotus Esprit, and Mazda RX-7. It weighed and has a top speed of . The Torana GTR-X in production would have been the first Holden car to be factory fitted with four-wheel disc brakes.


title: Holden Torana

text: When Holden released a promotional brochure about the GTR-X, they said, "Its long, sleek hood is accentuated by a low, wedge-shaped grille. The body line sweeps up at the rear to an elevated tail light assembly. Simplicity is the keynote. It is achieved by concealed headlights, sharp windshield rake, recessed parking and turning lights, and flush petrol filler access and door handles. Front and rear bumpers assume the contour of the body. To identify the car, the GTR-X identification is contained within a crisp black and orange stripe running parallel to the rocker panel".


title: Holden Torana

text: The Torana GTR-X was highly developed by Holden from concept, and though brochures, photography and promotional films were produced to show how serious they were in putting the car into production, the company was ultimately unable to justify the high cost of committing itself to production given the size of the Australian population then.


title: Holden Torana

text: The only existing complete prototype GTR-X car has been recently restored back to its original white paint finish and remains on public display at the Salmon Street offices of Holden in Melbourne, Victoria. This car, originally white as pictured, was painted silver in the mid '70s. It had UC Torana SL/E wheels fitted and a few other cosmetic changes (bonnet badge, etc.) in an attempt by Holden to move the car with the times and "restore it". During this period, it toured motor museums around the country, including the National Motor Museum at Birdwood in South Australia. In 2003, the car was returned to its original build condition (white) by Car Shine in Melbourne, prior to being shipped to the US to the General Motors Technical Center at Michigan for the celebration of automotive design spanning the past 75 years. This car is now on display, back at the National Motor Museum, Birdwood South Australia.


title: Holden Torana

text: One other preproduction GTR-X is in the hands of a former long-time Holden employee, along with the body mold jig to make more fibreglass bodies. Whether this car will ever be finished is unknown due to the age of the owner. The picture of this orange car can be seen in Norm Darwin's book release of the Torana, but the name and location of the owner is kept secret to prevent possible theft.


title: Holden Torana

text: In 1977, Recaro built a concept car for the 1977 Sydney Motor Show; the vehicle was based on a Holden Torana LX SS Hatchback. Appearing on the front cover of the October 1977 "Modern Motor" magazine, the concept was put together by the Recaro Australia managing director David Bones and marketing director Robin Luck (a former editor of "Modern Motor").


title: Holden Torana

text: The vehicle was designed and built by Arcadipane Automotive (Peter Arcadipane), featuring a 'Monza' style front end coupled with a rear end that had been shortened by some 355 mm and was powered by a 308-cu in V8 backed up by an M21 four-speed manual transmission. The plan was to release the vehicle once two key issues were ironed out, those being; confirmation of GMH's backing for mechanical warranty and getting the cost of the vehicle below $15,000. In addition to the body modifications, the key unique feature of the vehicle was its interior. Recaro commissioned a special tanner in West Germany to produce sufficient hides to upholster all seats in a unique green colour that was to be a feature of the car's paintwork (however, the cost of this full leather interior formed a significant challenge in meeting the $15,000 target).


title: Holden Torana

text: In 2004, Holden released a luminous, hot pink or "ManGenta" medium-sized, rear-drive concept car called the Torana TT36 (Twin Turbo; 3.6-litre V6). The project was originally named XP54, reflecting the acronym 'eXperimental Project' and coded 54 in recognition of Holden's so-called Studio 54 design workshop in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. The model was said to debut a new platform for General Motors and previewed the look of the 2006 VE Commodore.


title: Holden Torana

text: By applying twin KO4 Warner turbochargers, an air-to-air intercooler, and variable valve actuation to its Alloytec 190, then dropping the compression to 9.0:1, Holden engineers were able to deliver a power peak of and no less than 480Nm of torque, with 90% available from just 1600 rpm.


title: Holden Torana

text: The prototype first visited the National Motor Museum at Birdwood in the Adelaide Hills in early 2008 and has returned on several occasions, most recently in September 2019.


title: Requiem for a Dream (novel)

text: Requiem for a Dream is a 1978 novel by American writer Hubert Selby Jr., that concerns four New Yorkers whose lives spiral out of control as they succumb to their addictions.


title: Requiem for a Dream (novel)

text: This story follows the lives of Sara Goldfarb, her son Harry, his girlfriend Marion Silver, and his best friend Tyrone C. Love, who are all searching for the key to their dreams in their own ways. In the process, they fall into devastating lives of addiction. Harry and Marion are in love and want to open their own business; their friend Tyrone wants to escape life in the ghetto. To achieve these dreams, they buy a large amount of heroin, planning to get rich by selling it.


title: Requiem for a Dream (novel)

text: Sara, Harry's lonely widowed mother, dreams of being on television. When a phone call from a game show casting company gets her hopes up, she goes to a doctor, who gives her diet pills to lose weight. She spends the next few months on the pills, wanting desperately to look thin on TV and fit into a red dress from her younger days. However, the casting company does not notify her about the details of her show. She becomes addicted to the diet pills and eventually develops amphetamine psychosis after her life continues to go downhill. She eventually ends up in a mental institution, where she undergoes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).


title: Requiem for a Dream (novel)

text: Harry, Marion, and Tyrone become addicted to their own product. Eventually, when heroin becomes scarce, they turn on each other, slowly hiding the drugs they obtain from the other two members. On their way to Miami, Harry and Tyrone are arrested, convicted, and sentenced to jail. Harry's arm has become infected from repeated injections, and has to be amputated. Left alone, Marion becomes a prostitute to support her addiction. In jail, Tyrone faces frequent abuse from the guards due to his race.


title: Requiem for a Dream (novel)

text: The novel was later adapted into a critically acclaimed eponymous film, released in 2000. The film was directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans and Ellen Burstyn. Burstyn was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Sara.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The Grasberg mine has one of the largest reserves of gold and copper in the world. It is located in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia near Puncak Jaya. It is operated by PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI, "see below"), a joint venture between the government of Indonesia, government of Papua, and American company Freeport-McMoRan (FCX).


title: Grasberg mine

text: FCX operates under a Contract of Work (CoW) agreement with the government of Indonesia, which allows Freeport to conduct exploration, mining and production activities in a area (Block A). It also conducts exploration activities in a area (Block B). At 31 December 2020 Grasberg had proven and probable mineral reserves of 33.4 billion pounds (15.1 million tonnes) of copper, 28.3 million ounces of gold and 130.6 million ounces of silver. Grasberg has five mining operations: Grasberg open pit, Grasberg Block Cave underground mine, Deep Ore Zone underground mine, Deep Mill Level Zone underground mine, and Big Gossan underground mine. The 2020 production was of copper, of gold and of silver. The concentrate is delivered by pipeline to Amamapare.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In August 2017, FCX announced that it will divest its ownership in PT-FI so that Indonesia owns 51%. In return the CoW will be replaced by a special license (IUPK) with mining rights to 2041 and FCX will build a new smelter by 2022.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 1936, Dutch geologist Jean Jacques Dozy was a member of an expedition that scaled Mount Carstensz (now called Puncak Jaya), the highest mountain in the Dutch East Indies. While there, he made notes of a peculiar black rock with greenish coloring, and spent several weeks estimating the extent of the gold and copper deposits. In 1939, he filed a report about the "Ertsberg" (Dutch for "ore mountain"). He was working for Nederlandsche Nieuw Guinea Petroleum Maatschappij (NNGPM), an exploration company formed by Shell in 1935, with 40% Standard Vacuum Oil Company interest and 20% Far Pacific investments (Chevron subsidiary).


title: Grasberg mine

text: Dozy's Ertsberg report came to light again in 1959 when Jan van Gruisen, managing director of the Dutch company Oost Borneo Maatschappij N.V, or East Borneo Company, searched for geological studies on nickel deposits in Western New Guinea. Although the Dozy report did not mention nickel mineralization, Van Gruisen applied to the Netherlands government for an exploration concession covering surrounding Ertsberg. In March 1959, the "New York Times" published an article revealing the Dutch were searching for the mountain source of alluvial gold that had been washed into the Arafura Sea. Van Gruisen casually mentioned the Dozy report to Forbes Wilson, geologist and vice president of Freeport Minerals Co., who immediately recognized the mining potential of Ertsberg. Wilson convinced Freeport to back an expedition to explore the Ertsberg site, and in 1960 led an exploration party on an arduous, 6 week long trek to Ertsberg that confirmed the presence of an immense amount of copper mineralization. The directors of Freeport Sulphur at the time included Godfrey Rockefeller, Texaco chairman Augustus Long, George Mealey, and Robert Lovett.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 1963 the administration of Dutch New Guinea was transferred to Indonesia, and the mine was the first under the new Suharto administration's 1967 foreign investment laws intended to attract foreign investment to Indonesia's then ruined economy. Built at 4,100 metres (14,000 ft) above sea level in one of Papua's most remote areas, it involved a capital and technology input well beyond Indonesia's resources at the time. Construction cost was $175 million, $55 million above the original budget. A 116 km road and pipeline, port, airstrip, power plant and a new town called Tembagapura (literally: "copper town") were built. It officially opened in 1973 (although the first ore shipment was in December 1972), and was expanded by Ertsberg East, which opened in 1981. Steep aerial tramways are used to transport equipment and people. Ore is dropped 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the mine, concentrated and mixed with water to form a 60:40 slurry. The slurry is then pumped through a 166 km pipeline through mountains, jungle and swamp to the port at Amamapare, dried and shipped. Each tonne of dry concentrate contains 317 kilograms of copper, 30 grams of gold and 30 grams of silver.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 1977 the rebel group Free Papua Movement attacked the mine. The group dynamited the main slurry pipe, which caused tens of millions of dollars in damage, and attacked the mine facilities. The Indonesian military reacted harshly, killing at least 800 people.


title: Grasberg mine

text: By the mid-1980s, the original mine had been largely depleted. Freeport explored for other deposits in the area. In 1988, Freeport identified reserves valued at $40 billion at "Grasberg" (Dutch, "Grass Mountain"), just from the Ertsberg mine. The winding road to Grasberg, the H.E.A.T. (Heavy Equipment Access Trail), was estimated to require $12 million to $15 million to be built. An Indonesian road-builder, Ilyas Hamid, who had contributed to the Ertsberg road took a bulldozer and drove it downhill sketching the path. The road cost just $2 million when completed.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The 2003–2006 boom in copper prices increased the profitability of the mine. The extra consumption of copper for Asian electrical infrastructure overwhelmed copper supply and caused prices to increase from around $1500/ton to $8100/ton ($0.70/lb to $4.00/lb).


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 2005, the New York Times reported that between 1998 and 2004 Freeport had given senior military and police officers and military units nearly $20 million.


title: Grasberg mine

text: PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) is the company that currently manages Grasberg mine. The mining company is a joint venture between Indonesian and American interests, with the Indonesian government (through its state-owned company Indonesia Asahan Aluminium and PT Indonesia Papua Metal & Mineral, a company co-owned by Inalum and government of Papua) owns 51.23% stakes and Freeport-McMoRan owns 48.77%. The company is a part of MIND ID (Mining Industry Indonesia), the Inalum's holding company brand.


title: Grasberg mine

text: PT Freeport Indonesia used to be 90.64% owned by Freeport-McMoRan, including 9.36% owned through its wholly owned subsidiary, PT Indocopper Investama. Since 2018 in negotiation on extending the permit of the mining operation the government of Indonesia managed to own 51.23% of the company, while Freeport-McMoRan only owned 48.77%. PT Indocopper Investama also changed its name into PT Indonesia Papua Metal & Mineral.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The workings include a very large open pit mine, an underground mine and four concentrators. The open pit mine – which forms a crater wide at the surface – is a high-volume, low-cost operation, producing more than 67 million tonnes of ore and providing over 75% of the mill feed in 2006.


title: Grasberg mine

text: Ore undergoes primary crushing at the mine, before being delivered by ore passes to the mill complex for further crushing, grinding and flotation. Grasberg's milling and concentrating complex is the largest in the world, with four crushers and two giant semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) units processing a daily average of 240,000 tonnes of ore in 2006.


title: Grasberg mine

text: A flotation reagent is used to separate a copper-gold concentrate from the ore. Slurry containing the copper-gold concentrate is delivered by three pipelines to the seaport of Amamapare, over away, where it is dewatered. Once filtered and dried, the concentrate – containing copper, gold and silver – is shipped to smelters around the world.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The facilities at the port also include a coal-fired power station, which supplies the Grasberg operations.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The concentrator's tailings, generated at a rate of 700,000 tonnes per day, are the subject of considerable environmental concern, as they wash into the Aikwa riverine system and Arafura Sea. Some (eventually ) of lowland areas along the Aikwa River, are covered by braided sedimentary channels indicative of high sediment load (similar to glacial runoff). Native fish have nearly disappeared from now-turbid waters of the Aikwa River, which are unsuitable for aquatic life. The overburden (700 kt/d) remains in the highlands, up to 480 m deep and covering . Its acidic runoff, dissolved copper, and the finer material gets washed into the headwaters of the Wanagon River. It settles out along the river course and then into the ocean, and will continue to do so indefinitely. Freeport's official response is that overburden is placed in the highlands as part of its Overburden Management Plan, at "sites capped with limestone and constantly monitored. Tailings are transported to the lowlands in a designated river system. Once reaching the lowlands, they are captured in an engineered system of levees built for that purpose." An Indonesian Environment Ministry's field report in 2004, found levels of sediment 37,500 milligrams per litre as the river entered the lowlands and 7,500 milligrams as the river entered the Arafura Sea, while the maximum under Indonesian law is not to exceed 400 milligrams per litre.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 1995, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) revoked Freeport's insurance policy for environmental violations of a sort that would not be allowed in the US. It was the first action of this sort by OPIC, and Freeport responded with a lawsuit against them. Freeport said an environmental report reached inaccurate conclusions, the result of a single 1994 visit to Grasberg. The company later underwent an independent environmental audit by Dames & Moore and passed. In April 1996, Freeport canceled its policy with the OPIC, stating that their corporate activities had outgrown the policy's limits. The OPIC report was later publicly released.


title: Grasberg mine

text: While landscape reclamation projects have begun at the mine, environmental groups and local citizens are concerned with the potential for copper contamination and acid mine drainage from the mine tailings into surrounding river systems, land surfaces, and groundwater. Freeport argues that its actions meet industry standards and have been approved by the requisite authorities. It was reported in 2005 that since 1997 Freeport had been breaching Indonesian environmental laws. Freeport estimated it will generate six billion tons of waste.


title: Grasberg mine

text: Freeport has been excluded from the investment portfolio of The Government Pension Fund of Norway, the world's second-largest pension fund, due to criticism over the environmental damages caused by the Grasberg mine. Its partner in Grasberg, Rio Tinto, was also excluded during the period 2008–2019. Stocks at a value of ca. US$870 million were divested from the fund as a result of the decisions.


title: Grasberg mine

text: Violent ambushes near the Grasberg mine have occurred as early as August 2002, when three contract school teachers were killed. Kopassus, the Indonesian Special Forces, allegedly instigated the incident.


title: Grasberg mine

text: Multiple incidents such as the August 2002 attack appear to have been instigated by Indonesian forces, some including the TNI, "Tentara Nasional Indonesia", who are not fully subsidized by the government, leaving them dependent on being the source of security for extractive companies in the area such as Freeport. The need for profit motivates  planned incidents such as these resulting in the “need” for increased protection on the mine sites. These incidents have increased at times Freeport’s security needs decrease.


title: Grasberg mine

text: A series of attacks started on 11 July 2009, and continued for more than five days. A Freeport employee, 29-year-old Australian Drew Grant was shot and killed while sitting in the back of a car on the way to a game of golf. Indonesian police indicated that Grant was killed by five shots he sustained to the neck, chest and stomach by unknown assailants using military-issue weapons. The attack also killed Freeport security guard Markus Ratealo and a number of police officers.


title: Grasberg mine

text: On 7 April 2011, two Freeport employees were killed when the company car they were traveling in caught fire. Bullets were found inside the car, giving weight to the suspicion that the car was fired on by unknown gunmen. This incident sparked a protest by hundreds of Freeport employees concerned about the security along the jungle road leading up to the mine.


title: Grasberg mine

text: The Grasberg mine has been a frequent source of friction in Papua. Possible causes of friction are the mine's environmental impact on Papua, the perceived low share of profits going to local Papuans (Freeport's annual report shows it made $4.1billion in operating profit on revenue of $6.4billion in 2010) and the questionable legality of the payments made to Indonesian security forces for their services to guard the site.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 2003, a landslide killed eight workers. A government study concluded that the incident was the result of negligence. Important warning signs had been detected two days prior. In response to this, management moved some equipment, but did not keep workers out of the area. A month later two workers died from exposure to sulfur fumes. The government ultimately overturned its conclusion, and attributed the incident to natural causes.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In 2013 a roof collapse in the Big Gossan Mine underground training centre trapped 38 workers. Only 10 survived. The miners were trapped inside a lower chamber while attending a refresher training course on work safety in underground mining areas. The absence of a secondary escape route was critical to the loss of life. According to the Freeport McMoran geological team, the collapse at the Big Gossan tunnel was caused by erosion of the ceiling, brought about by the continuous infiltration of the limestone wallrocks by corrosive acidic groundwater. Freeport was accused of negligence by the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission.


title: Grasberg mine

text: On October 17, 2011, the company halted operations in Papua amid a strike that led to a deteriorating security situation and intensified calls for Papuan independence. Seventy percent of Grasberg workers joined the strike, appealing for higher pay September 15, 2011, blocking roads, clashing with police and cutting the pipeline in several places.


title: Grasberg mine

text: In October 2014, around 1,000 workers stayed home and demanded the firing of 50 managers as a result of a fatal accident at the Grasberg mine. Production declined to 60-70% of normal levels as a result of the strike.


title: 2022 Extreme E Championship

text: The 2022 Extreme E Championship was the second season of the Extreme E electric off-road racing series.


title: 2022 Extreme E Championship

text: On 24 September 2021, a provisional five-round calendar was revealed, which included a return to Saudi Arabia for the season opener in February, an African event, a second Arctic X-Prix in Greenland or Iceland, and two trips to South America. A further update was announced on 22 December 2021. Saudi Arabia and Sardinia return from the previous year, with new events to be held in Chile, Uruguay and either Scotland or Senegal. The latter was later cancelled on 8 April due to financial issues, with Sardinia postponed until July and now set to host two events.


title: 2022 Extreme E Championship

text: Rule changes regarding the race format were introduced for the start of the season. Qualifying now consists of one round of qualifying time trial and another of qualifying races, with the latter comprising two five-car heats. The intermediate classification points system was kept but updated to accommodate the introduction of heats (10 points for the time trial winner down to 1 for the last-placed team; 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 for the heats), but championship points are no longer awarded based on combined qualifying results, in an attempt to put the primary focus on the races. The progression to the semi-finals was also slightly tweaked: fourth and fifth now advance to semi-final 1, while sixth moves on to semi-final 2; as a new team entered the championship, four cars now compose the "crazy race". Lastly, a new scoring system akin to the one used in Formula 1, albeit with the five extra points for the "super sector", was implemented.


title: 2022 Extreme E Championship

text: The following teams and drivers were contracted to compete in the 2022 Championship. All teams used one of the identical Odyssey 21 electric SUVs manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, with Abt Cupra XE and Chip Ganassi Racing running modified bodyworks. Each team consists of a male and a female driver, who share a car and have equal driving duties.


title: 2022 Extreme E Championship

text: Points are awarded to the top ten finishers. An additional 5 points are given to the fastest team in the Super Sector over the whole weekend.


title: Listening

text: Listening is giving for you attention to a sound or action. When listening, a person hears what others are saying and tries to understand what it means. The act of listening involves complex affective, cognitive and behavioral processes. Affective processes include the motivation to listen to others; cognitive processes include attending to, understanding, receiving and interpreting content and relational messages; and behavioral processes include responding to others with verbal and nonverbal feedback.


title: Listening

text: Listening is a skill for resolving problems. Poor listening can lead to misinterpretations, thus causing conflict or a dispute. Other causes can be excessive interruptions, inattention, hearing what you want to hear, mentally composing a response, and having a closed mind.


title: Listening

text: Listening is also linked to memory. According to one study, during a speech some background noises heard by listeners helped them recall some of the information by hearing it again. For example, when a person reads or does something else while listening to music, he or she can recall what that was when hearing the music again later.


title: Listening

text: Listening also functions rhetorically as a means of promoting the cross-culture communicative discourses. Ratcliffe built her argument upon two incidents in which individuals demonstrated a tendency to refuse the cross-cultural discourses.


title: Listening

text: Listening differs from obeying. A person who receives and understands information or an instruction, and then chooses not to comply with it or not to agree to it, has listened to the speaker, even though the result is not what the speaker wanted.


title: Listening

text: Listening begins by hearing a speaker producing the sound to be listened to. A semiotician, Roland Barthes, characterized the distinction between listening and hearing. "Hearing is a physiological phenomenon; listening is a psychological act." People are always hearing, most of the time subconsciously. Listening is done by choice. It is the interpretative action taken by someone in order to understand, and potentially make sense of, something one hears.


title: Listening

text: Listening may be considered as a simple and isolated process, but it would be far more precise to perceive it as a complex and systematic process. It involves the perception of sounds made by the speaker, of intonation patterns that focus on the information, and of the relevance of the topic under discussion.


title: Listening

text: According to Barthes, listening can be understood on three levels: alerting, deciphering, and understanding how the sound is produced and how it affects the listener.


title: Listening

text: "Alerting", the first level, involves detection of environmental sound cues. This means that certain places have certain sounds associated with them, for example, any given home. Each home has certain sounds associated with it that makes it familiar and comfortable to the occupant. An intrusion, a sound that is not familiar (e.g., a squeaking door or floorboard, a breaking window) alerts whoever lives there to potential danger.


title: Listening

text: "Deciphering", the second level, involves detecting patterns when interpreting sounds; for example, a child waiting for the sound of his mother's return home. In this scenario the child is waiting to pick up on sound cues (e.g., jingling keys, the turn of the doorknob, etc.) that signal his mother's approach.


title: Listening

text: "Understanding", the third level, means knowing how what one says will affect another. This sort of listening is important in psychoanalysis, the study of the unconscious mind. According to Barthes, the psychoanalyst must suspend judgment while listening to the patient in order to communicate with the latter's unconscious without bias. In the same way, lay listeners must suspend judgment when listening to others.


title: Listening

text: All three levels of listening function within the same plane, and sometimes all at once. Specifically, the second and third levels, which overlap vastly, can be intertwined in that obtaining, understanding and deriving meaning are part of the same process. In this way anyone, on hearing a doorknob turn (obtaining), can almost automatically assume that someone is at the door (deriving meaning).


title: Listening

text: "Active listening" involves listening to whatever is being said, attempting to understand it. It can be described in a lot of ways. Active listening requires good listeners who are attentive, nonjudgmental, non-interrupting. An active listener analyzes what the speaker is saying for hidden messages as well as meanings contained in the verbal communication. An active listener looks for nonverbal messages from the speaker in order to comprehend the full meaning of what is being said. In active listening, one must be willing to hear what is being said and try to understand the meaning of whatever has been said. Multiple benefits can accrue from active listening. Being an active listener enables one to become a more effective listener over time. It also strengthens one's leadership skills in the process.


title: Listening

text: Active listening is an exchange between two or more individuals. If they are active listeners, the quality of the conversation will be better and clearer. Active listeners connect with each other on a deeper level in their conversations. Active listening can create a deeper, more positive relationship between or among individuals.


title: Listening

text: Active listening is important in bringing changes in the speaker's perspective. Clinical research and evidence show that active listening is a catalyst in one's personal growth, which enhances personality change and group development. People will more likely listen to themselves if someone else is allowing them to speak and get their message across.


title: Listening

text: Active listening allows for individuals to be present in a conversation. "Listening is a key factor in cultivating relationships because the more we understand the other person, the more connection we create, as taught in nonviolent-communication Dharma teachings. As someone recently stated, "We should listen harder than we speak.""


title: Listening

text: Along with speaking, reading and writing, listening is one of the "four skills" of language learning. All language-teaching approaches, except for grammar translation, incorporate a listening component. Some teaching methods, such as total physical response, involve students simply listening and responding.


title: Listening

text: A distinction is often made between "intensive listening", in which learners attempt to listen with maximum accuracy to a relatively brief sequence of speech; and "extensive listening", in which learners listen to lengthy passages for general comprehension. While intensive listening may be more effective for developing specific aspects of listening ability, extensive listening is more effective in building fluency and maintaining learner motivation.


title: Listening

text: People are usually not conscious of how they listen in their first, or native, language unless they encounter difficulty. A research project focused on facilitating language learning found that L2 (second language) learners, in the process of listening, make conscious use of whatever strategies they unconsciously use in their first language, such as inferring, selective attention or evaluation.


title: Listening

text: Several factors are activated in speech perception: phonetic quality, prosodic patterns, pausing and speed of input, all of which influence the comprehensibility of listening input. There is a common store of semantic information (single) in memory that is used in both first- and second-language speech comprehension, but research has found separate stores of phonological information (dual) for speech. Semantic knowledge required for language understanding (scripts and schemata related to real-world people, places and actions) is accessed through phonological tagging of whatever language is heard.


title: Listening

text: In a study involving 93 participants investigating the relationship between second language listening and a range of tasks, it was discovered that listening anxiety played a major factor as an obstacle against developing speed and explicitness in second language listening tasks. Additional research explored whether listening anxiety and comprehension are related, and as the investigators expected they were negatively correlated.


title: Listening

text: Krista Ratcliffe contended that much of literacy teaching in the U.S. emphasizes classical Western rhetorical theory that foregrounded speaking and writing but ignored listening. These theories mainly focused on the rhetor’s speech that can persuade the audience. Therefore, the goal of classical rhetoric studies was to address what the audience should listen for, rather than how they listen. Shari Stenberg extended this perspective to explicate the absence of listening in the academe. Western teaching methods maintained the inherited rhetorical Greek noun "logos", which means reasoning and logic, while ignoring its verb "legein" that refers to speaking as well as, in etymological term, to "lay down", to "listen". Elaborating on this, listening may occur within two different stances: the divided logos and restored logos. Both are different in the way of (re)shaping the functions and outcomes of listening. The hearer listens in the divided logos while simultaneously produces their responses to the speaker. On the other side, within the restored logos, listener exploits the listening time to live in someone’s else experiences, then reflect on, and make meanings to offer a response.


title: Listening

text: One of the examples of divided logos was Aristotle's theory. Despite its concern with teaching students the oral discourse that mandates listening to produce and analyze enthymemes, listening was displaced and diminished. The attention given to speaking without listening "perpetuates a homogenized mode of speech based on competition rather than dialogue." Ratcliffe attributed this listening neglect to Western cultural biases that are represented as: 1) speaking is gendered as masculine while listening as feminine; 2) Listening is subjugated to ethnicity: white people speak while people of color listen; in other words, in cross-cultural relationships, there is one superior member in the conversation who does not need to listen as closely; 3) Western culture prefers to depend on sight, not auditory, as their primary interpretative trope.


title: Listening

text: Ratcliffe invited language scholars to consider listening as a new tactic to make meaning and hear the discursive discourses of gender and race and, most importantly, facilitate cross-culture dialogue. Ratcliffe defined rhetorical listening "as a trope for interpretive invention, one that emerges from a space within the logos where listeners may employ their agency." (p. 204) In other words, listening can be used as a tool to understand the experiences and voices of other people. Therefore, listening is a means of interpreting, reflecting on, and making new meanings. To this end, Ratcliffe argued that rhetorical listening provides a “stance of openness that a person may choose to assume in relation to any person, text, or culture.” As an outcome of this openness, Ratcliffe claimed that rhetorical listening cultivates individuals’ conscious and willingness in a way that promote the communication, especially the cross-cultural one


title: Listening

text: Steven Pedersen states that communication suffers when interlocutors harbor stereotypes and prejudices, a practice that causes dis-identification. Rhetorical listening, in contrast, promotes cross-cultural understanding and allows students and teachers to disrupt reciprocal resistance.


title: Listening

text: Rhetorical listening requires the attendance of individuals’ intentions of seeking understanding. This understanding cannot exist with mere listening. Stenberg cautioned against any expected limitations of interpretation which might be caused by these intentions. Therefore, within rhetorical listening the word understanding inverts to be "standing under." This means standing under all the perspectives so that one can (re) conceptualize his/ her ideas and ethics. Hence, individuals do not listen to accumulate others’ ideas, instead they cultivate these ideas through which they can enhance their language and change their visions that open a new avenue for other responses.


title: Listening

text: Based on Krista Ratcliffe’s work on rhetorical listening, Meagan Rodgers developed the intent/effect tactic as one way for students to practice rhetorical listening in the English composition classroom. The purpose of applying this tool lies in disrupting racially discriminatory stereotypes and utterances. Rodgers found in her classroom-based research that even if a person does not perceive to be racist, racism or racial stereotypes are subconsciously perpetuated when a majority/dominant group agrees with or laughs at racial differences of a minority group member. Rather than confronting students and jeopardizing their willingness to participate in classroom discussions, the intent/effect strategy invites students to (1) consider numerous perspectives of a statement, and (2) understand that well-meant comments (intent) can be perceived as deleterious (effect) by others.


title: Listening

text: Another strategy for teachers to practice rhetorical listening and improve cultural sensitivity in the classroom is by applying practices from Deaf Studies. This kind of listening pedagogy requires students (1) to be attentive and reduce distracting noises; (2) share their story, including their cultural background, so that classmates can be familiar with their perspective; (3) engage in “critical dialogue” in order to understand others; and (4) pay attention to their classmates’ body language and the message it sends.


title: Listening

text: Rhetorical listening in the classroom can also be used to shed more light onto why students are silent. Janice Cools discusses several reasons for silence in the ESL/ELL composition classroom, such as students holding back their wisdom on purpose to avoid being harassed by peers and instructors for giving a wrong answer. The fear and doubt that can result from this type of response might lead to feelings of incompetence and discomfort in an individual and cause them to continue in silence in the classroom. A further reason why students choose silence is because they were taught to be silent, especially at the secondary school level in some cultures, e.g. Puerto Rico. Cools suggests to ask students in writing why they are (not) silent in their classes, "how [they] interpret other students' silences [...] and what a professor should infer from [students'] silence." Students answered that silence can be beneficial as it shows their focus on the material, gives them an opportunity to get to know a different perspective while listening to their peers, and allows them to reflect and process questions. Moreover, discussions can be perceived as interruption because classmates do not have expert knowledge. Cools concludes that silence in the classroom should be appreciated and respected.


title: Listening

text: Stenberg, Shari. "Cultivating listening: Teaching from a restored logos." Silence and listening as rhetorical arts (2011): 250-263.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: Aswathama is a 2020 Indian Telugu-language action crime film directed by debutant Ramana Teja from a story written by Naga Shourya. Produced by Usha Mulpuri under Ira Creations banner, the film stars Shourya, Mehreen Pirzada, and Jisshu Sengupta while Sargun Kaur Luthra, Harish Uthaman, Prince Cecil and Jayaprakash play supporting roles. Ghibran scored the film with the composed soundtrack composed by Sricharan Pakala.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: The film follows Gana (Shourya), a man who returns to India for his sister Priya's (Luthra) marriage. Prior to the function, she attempts suicide, but Gana saves her, eventually finding out she is pregnant and the father of her child is unknown. A desperate Gana starts investigating the case and soon finds himself on the trail of the psychopath responsible for similar more cases.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: Released theatrically on 31 January 2020, the film opened to positive reviews from critics who praised the story, action sequences and background score.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: Gana returns to India for his sister Priya's marriage but is shocked to see her trying to commit suicide One night, he learns that she is pregnant but does not know who impregnated her. Gana explains this to her fiancé Ravi, who understands the situation, helps Priya get aborted, and promises to keep this a secret. Gana further convinces Priya to move on and forget about the past, which she does, and she happily gets married. After her marriage, Gana violently fights and interrogates men who troubled Priya in the past, only to learn none of them are behind her impregnation. Soon, another mysteriously impregnated woman named Sadhana commits suicide, and Gana reads her suicide letter explaining she didn't know how she got pregnant without her knowledge. Gana meets her parents and discovers her hospital reports, according to which she fainted 3 months ago and was admitted by someone. Realizing Priya also fainted and was admitted, Gana goes to the hospital and finds out Sadhana was admitted in an emergency by an ambulance. He then learns that more girls named Lakshmi and Monica were also admitted by a similar ambulance.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: The next day, Gana's girlfriend Neha informs him about her friend who fainted in the mall and was taken in an ambulance that hasn't arrived at the hospital yet. Gana rushes to the hospital and, with help from the technical department, chases after the ambulances equipped with trackers. He stops many ambulances but doesn't find Neha's friend inside. Soon, he reaches a dead end and abandons his bike. Using his parkour skills, he chases after an ambulance, only to find him looking at another one that isn't being tracked. He ambushes the ambulance, fights off the men inside, and rescues Neha's friend. On the other hand, Dr. Manoj Kumar is a pathologist, who is revealed to be the mastermind behind the pregnant girls. He eliminates the fishermen leaving no trial of elements. Later, Neha questions Gana's recent attitude towards her, forcing him to reveal his mission.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: Soon, a minister's daughter named Sowmya is killed, and her corpse is dropped in front of the police station. With Neha's help, Gana manages to access Sowmya's laptop and receives photos where he spots an older man, Manoj's grandfather. Further, Gana manages to access CCTV footage of Sowmya buying a perfume from a vendor who reveals the older man told him to sell the perfumes and paid him for it. Since Sowmya was a drug addict, she wasn't unconscious despite being subject to anesthesia and thus knew about Manoj. Despite his friend's insistence not to do so, Manoj ended up killing her. Back to the present, the cops ask Manoj to perform an autopsy on Sowmya.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: Gana then explains to Neha that all the victims, though unrelated, were admitted to the hospital because of Hypoglycemia induced artificially by a banned drug called Hypomacene. Gana later visits the mall to view surveillance footage and discovers an address that leads him to Manoj's house. Having seen him talk about the autopsy on TV, Gana asks him for help with the case, while Manoj tells him to wait for coffee. Manoj explains to his friend that he'd kill Gana, but receiving a call from Neha about the older man dumping another corpse in front of the police station, Gana secretly runs away. A car chase ensues, resulting in the older man's death after Manoj drops a cargo container on his car. Gana then goes to Manoj's house, where he discovers dead bodies in separate vessels before Manoj arrives there with his friend. Manoj's friend, who turns out to be his father, removes his belt and starts beating him. It is then revealed that Manoj was psychopathic as a kid and even killed his father, who since then appeared as a hallucination. Back to the present, Gana fights with Manoj and beats him. He throws him into a wardrobe, and Gana drops a chandelier over him. Manoj is laughing, but he faints. The chandelier falls over Manoj, killing him. He then receives a call from his father, who pranks him into believing a man is trying to harass Priya. Gana arrives home, and finds out Priya is now pregnant with Ravi's child.


title: Aswathama (film)

text: The "Times of India" gave the film three out of five stars and wrote that ""Aswathama" delivers what it promises – a riveting story and oodles of action. Ramana Teja makes a good debut by sticking to the subject at hand without too much deviation". Praising the action sequences, "The Hindu" wrote that "The story is ridden with a lot of predictability, be it the screenplay or the clues that are laid out on a platter for the audience".


title: Ben Key

text: Admiral Sir Benjamin John Key, (born 7 November 1965) is a senior Royal Navy officer. He has served as First Sea Lord since November 2021. He has commanded HM Ships "Sandown", and , and deployed on operations to Kosovo and Iraq. He was appointed Fleet Commander in 2016, and the Chief of Joint Operations in 2019.


title: Ben Key

text: Key was born on 7 November 1965. He was educated at Bromsgrove School, an independent school in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. He studied physics at Royal Holloway, University of London.


title: Ben Key

text: Key joined the Royal Navy in 1984. He saw action as a Principal Warfare Officer in the frigate during the Kosovo War in 1999. After briefly serving as commanding officer of the minehunter HMS "Sandown", he became commanding officer of the frigate in 2000 and in 2001. He went on to be a staff officer in the Directorate of Naval Resources and Plans at the Ministry of Defence in 2003, Advisor to the Director Joint Staff in the Iraqi Joint Headquarters in 2006 and then a staff officer at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood in 2007. After that he became commanding officer of the aircraft carrier in February 2009, Commodore Joint Air Maritime Organisation in February 2010 and Director of Naval Plans and Resources at the Ministry of Defence in May 2011.


title: Ben Key

text: Key was appointed Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in November 2011, and Flag Officer Sea Training in April 2013. He was appointed Fleet Commander and promoted to the rank of vice admiral on 10 February 2016. He became Chief of Joint Operations in April 2019.


title: Ben Key

text: Key received the United States Bronze Star Medal in 2006 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours, and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2021 New Year Honours. He was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc) by Royal Holloway, University of London on 20 December 2018.


title: Ben Key

text: Key led Operation Pitting, the UK's evacuation efforts in Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive, in August 2021 and, on 15 October, it was announced that Key was to be the next First Sea Lord. He assumed the post from Admiral Sir Tony Radakin on 8 November 2021.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Robert Paul Gould III (; born December 6, 1982) is an American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2015, during which he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Gould was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Gould was born to Cheryl and Robert Gould in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. His father was a three-time All-American soccer player who led Lock Haven University to a Division II national championship in 1980. and was drafted by the St. Louis Steamers in the early 1980s. He attended Central Mountain High School in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, where he won letters in football, soccer, basketball, and track.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Gould was originally interested in pursing professional soccer while still in high school. Choosing football instead, he asked his principal to send a letter of recommendation to Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno, who invited him to try out as a freshman walk-on. Gould enrolled at Penn State, where he played for the Nittany Lions football team and earned a degree in business management. In four years with the Nittany Lions, he converted 115-of-121 extra point attempts and 39-of-61 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: After going undrafted in the 2005 NFL Draft, Gould was signed as a free agent by the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots prior to the 2005 NFL preseason - even though they already had established Super Bowl-winning placekicker Adam Vinatieri. Following his preseason release from the Patriots, Gould signed with the Baltimore Ravens only to be waived three weeks later. He then found construction work with M&R Contracting in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania.


title: Robbie Gould

text: The Chicago Bears signed Gould on October 8, 2005, following the Week 3 injury of their starting kicker, Doug Brien. Gould kicked his first NFL field goal the next week in a 20–10 road loss against the Cleveland Browns, and his first game-winner in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints. He earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against the Saints. In his rookie season, Gould appeared in 13 games and converted 19 of 20 extra point attempts and 21 of 27 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Gould kicked 26 consecutive field goals in 2006, breaking former Bears' kicker Kevin Butler's record of most consecutive field goals and winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 16 against the Detroit Lions and NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October 2006 in the process. He was also named to the 2006 All-Pro team by the Associated Press. In addition, NFL fans across the nation voted Gould the NFC's kicker for the 2007 Pro Bowl. His 25-yard overtime field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave the Bears home-field advantage throughout the ensuing playoffs. On January 14, 2007, his 49-yard field goal in overtime against the Seattle Seahawks gave the Bears their first divisional playoff win since 1988, advancing them to the , which they defeated the New Orleans Saints by a score of 39–14. The Bears later lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 29–17. He earned First Team All-Pro honors.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2007 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 33 extra point attempts and 31 of 36 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In 2008, Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December 2008 after making all eight of his field-goal attempts including two more overtime game-winners, becoming the fourth kicker of overtime game-winning field goals in back-to-back games in NFL history. He converted 26 of 29 field-goal attempts (89.7 percent) in 2008, breaking his own franchise single-season record for accuracy. Going into the 2009 season, he had converted 84.8 percent of his career field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: On May 12, 2008, he signed a five-year extension with the Bears that would keep him on the team through the 2013 season. The contract, reportedly worth $15.5 million, included a $4.25 million signing bonus and made Gould the NFL's highest-paid kicker.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2009 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 33 extra point attempts and 24 of 28 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2010 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 35 extra point attempts and 25 of 30 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2011 season, Gould appeared in all 16 games and converted all 37 extra point attempts and 28 of 32 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2012 season, Gould made his tenth career game-winning field goal against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, and his ten consecutive field goals from 50 yards or more without a miss was second behind Tony Zendejas. Before pregame warm-ups during Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings, Gould strained his left calf. After limited play during the game, he was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the year. On the year, he converted all 33 extra point attempts and 21 of 25 field goal attempts in 13 games.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2013 regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Gould made a 58-yard field goal late in the first half, setting the Bears record for longest field goal and tying him with Zendejas for most consecutive 50+-yard field goals without a miss with eleven. During Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings, Gould missed a career-high two field goals, tying his two missed kicks in 2006 against the St. Louis Rams; the two field goals were a 66-yarder, which would have broken the NFL record for longest field goal converted, and a 47-yarder in overtime. On December 27, Gould signed a four-year extension with the Bears worth $15 million, with $9 million guaranteed, the most by a kicker. Gould ended the 2013 season converting 26 of 29 field goal attempts and 45 of 46 extra points for a total of 123 points scored. Gould became the second player in Bears history to record 1,000 points, with 1,025, 91 points behind Kevin Butler. Gould's seven seasons with at least 100 points is a Chicago Bears record.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the 2014 season, Gould appeared in 12 games and converted 28 of 29 extra point attempts and nine of 12 field goal attempts. He suffered a quad injury which cost him some time.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In Week 4 of the 2015 season, Gould converted a go-ahead 49-yard field goal to put the Bears up 22–20 over the Oakland Raiders. Gould earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the first time since the 2006 season. In Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Gould became the Bears' all-time scoring leader with 1,118 points, overtaking Kevin Butler's record by two, with a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter. At the end of the season, Gould had made 33 field goals, the most ever for a Bears kicker in a single season and the second-most in the NFL. He concluded the year having converted 33 of 39 field goals for an 84.6 percentage, 19th in the league, and leading the Bears in scoring with 127 points. However, he struggled during the later portion of the season, missing two field goals against the San Francisco 49ers and a potential game-tying kick against the Washington Redskins, with a combined two of five field goals converted in those two games.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In 2016, Gould was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award. He was released by the Bears in a cost-saving move on September 4, 2016. The change occurred just one week before their first regular season game, and after a preseason where he had made 5 of 6 field goal attempts but missed two extra-point attempts, one of which was the result of a bad snap. Gould, the longest-tenured player for the Bears, ended his career in Chicago as the team's all-time leader in career points (1,207), field goals made (276), and career field goals of at least 50 yards (23).


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the wake of Josh Brown's domestic abuse investigation, Gould was signed by the New York Giants on October 20, 2016. Gould took the number 5 because Giants' punter Brad Wing already had his preferred 9. He kicked his first field goal for the Giants against the Los Angeles Rams On October 23. In the November 20 game against the Chicago Bears, Gould kicked a 46-yard field goal but missed two extra point attempts against his former team. He kicked four field goals against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 22. Gould was 10 for 10 on field goals for the Giants.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In his 49ers debut, Gould kicked a 44-yard field goal against the Carolina Panthers in a 23–3 loss. Three weeks later, he kicked five field goals against the Arizona Cardinals. During a Week 13 road game against the Chicago Bears, Gould kicked five field goals to lift the 49ers over his former team 15–14, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. In the next game, Gould kicked four field goals against the Houston Texans as the 49ers won on the road by a score of 26-16. The following week, he booted six field goals, including a 45-yard game winner as time expired in a 25–23 win over the Tennessee Titans, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The last time a 49ers kicker made six field goals in a game was in 1996 by Jeff Wilkins. In the month of December, Gould earned Special Teams Player of the Month.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Gould finished the season third in scoring with 145 points from 28 extra points and 39 field goals converted. He was voted as an alternate to the 2018 Pro Bowl.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In Week 2, Gould kicked three field goals, including a 36-yard game-winner, in a 30–27 win over the Detroit Lions, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In Week 15, Gould converted all four field-goal attempts, including a 36-yard game-winner in overtime, in a 26–23 win over the Seattle Seahawks, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December. Overall, in the 2018 season, Gould converted 27 of 29 extra point attempts and 33 of 34 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: On February 26, 2019, the 49ers placed the franchise tag on Gould. On April 24, Gould requested a trade from San Francisco. However, on July 15, Gould and the 49ers reached an agreement on a four-year, $19 million extension with $10.5 million guaranteed. In the 2019 season, he converted 41 of 42 extra point attempts and 23 of 31 field goal attempts. Gould contributed to two wins by kicking a game-winning field goal, one in Week 14 against the New Orleans Saints and one in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams. For his game against the Rams, he earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. For the month of December, Gould earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In Super Bowl LIV, Gould's second Super Bowl and tenth NFL playoff game, Gould made both his field goals raising his career playoff totals to 15-for-15. However, the 49ers lost 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams, Gould hit the 42-yard game winning field goal during the 23–20 win. Gould was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Week 12. On December 30, 2020, Gould and the 49ers agreed to a two-year, $7.25 million extension. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on the same day, and activated on January 14, 2021. Gould finished the 2020 season converting 36 of 38 extra point tries and 19 of 23 field goal tries.


title: Robbie Gould

text: On October 5, 2021, Gould was placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury before Week 4. He was activated on November 6.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams, Gould had to take over punting duties in addition to kicking duties after punter Mitch Wishnowsky suffered a concussion in the first half of the game. He punted twice for 90 yards and made two field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to help the 49ers win 27-24 and clinch a playoff berth. For his performance, Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In the 2021 season, Gould converted 39 of 40 extra point attempts and 20 of 23 field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: In the NFC of the playoffs, Gould kicked the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired to upset the top-seeded Green Bay Packers 13–10, and advance the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. This put Gould at a perfect 20-for-20 on field goal attempts in the playoffs for his career.


title: Robbie Gould

text: Despite the difference in spelling, his surname ("Gould") uses the same pronunciation as the element (gold): "gōld". This has prompted some announcers to dub him "Robbie Gould is gold", "Solid Gould" or "Good as Gould" upon his successful field goal attempts.


title: Robbie Gould

text: His younger brother, Chris Gould, was a kicker for the University of Virginia and in the Arena Football League, and is currently an assistant special teams coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. The two also have a cousin, Brandon Thomas Gould, who played on the offensive line for Bethune-Cookman University.


title: Robbie Gould

text: When asked what he would like to do upon retiring from football, Gould said "I went to Penn State and graduated with a business management degree. I would love to run a huge corporation at some time. Obviously I'm going to take baby steps. I'm going to play in the NFL as long as they will let me play but I've done a pretty good job trying to set myself up for that transition out of football. Whether it's starting to co-host a radio show on ESPN100 or doing Monday morning call-ins after the games with one of the local radio stations or interning with buddies of mine who own huge companies."


title: 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

text: The 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup is the 16th edition of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup (previously known as the AFC Futsal Championship), the biennial international futsal championship organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the men's national teams of Asia. A total of 16 teams compete in the tournament.


title: 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

text: Kuwait was appointed as hosts of the 2020 AFC Futsal Championship, after replacing the original hosts Turkmenistan. However, AFC announced the cancellation of the tournament on 25 January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was scheduled to be played in Kuwait from 16 to 27 February 2022. On 5 July 2021, the AFC announced that the tournament would be held between 27 September and 8 October 2022.


title: 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

text: Qualifiers were originally scheduled to be played from 13 to 24 October 2021. However, on 5 July 2021, the AFC announced that it would be held from 1 to 15 April 2022.


title: 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

text: Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 11.5):


title: 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

text: In the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-out are used to decide the winner if necessary, except for the third place match where penalty shoot-out (no extra time) is used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 15.1).


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Arsenal Island. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities has a population of about 380,000. The city is home to Rock Island Arsenal, the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the US, which employs 6,000 people.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Rock Island-Milan School District, Rockridge School District (southwest portion of city) along with private schools, serve the city. The District (Downtown Rock Island) has art galleries and theaters, nightclubs and coffee shops, and restaurants of all flavors. Golf courses, parks, a casino, botanical center, marina, historic tours, bike paths, and festivals offer entertainment opportunities.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The original portion of what is now known as Rock Island was called Farnhamsburg – after the original two homes were built by Colonel George Davenport and Russell Farnham in 1826. Davenport and Farnham were business partners, trading with the local Native Americans. The original city plat was filed on July 10, 1835, and was named Stephenson. It was renamed Rock Island in March 1841.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: This area has been a fortuitous place first for settlement and then for steamboat traffic, bridges, and railroads.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (RI) was founded here in 1851, known informally as the Rock Island Line; over the next century, the railroad grew to serve fourteen states but ended in bankruptcy in 1980. As part of later nineteenth-century development, two first-class hotels: the Harper House (built by Ben Harper and opened in February 1871) and the Rock Island House were built in town. The Rock Island Arsenal has manufactured military equipment and ordnance for the U.S. Army since the 1880s.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Rock Island Southern Railway was an interurban line that ran from Rock Island to Monmouth, Illinois, then onward to Galesburg, Illinois. It was built between 1906 and 1910. A portion of the trackage, from Rock Island to Preemption, Illinois, was shared with the CRI&P line that served the coal mines in Cable, Illinois, and Sherrard, Illinois. The line finally folded in 1952.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Due to its geography, Rock Island has a rich history of bridge building, including the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi (now gone), an unusual two-track railroad bridge, and the largest roller dam in the world.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built between Arsenal Island and Davenport in 1856. Many steamboat pilots felt that the bridge had been intentionally positioned to make it hard for them to navigate, and this conflict reflected a larger rivalry: St. Louis and its steamboats against Chicago and its railroads. Two weeks after the bridge opened, the steamboat "Effie Afton" collided with the bridge, caught fire, and damaged the bridge. The owner of the "Effie Afton" sued the bridge company for damages, and Abraham Lincoln was one of the lawyers who defended the railroad. This test case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the railroad in 1872. Although the original bridge is long gone, a monument exists on Arsenal Island marking the Illinois side. On the Iowa side, the bridge was located near where 4th and Federal streets intersect with River Drive.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Lock and Dam No. 15 and the Government Bridge are located just southwest of the site of the first bridge. The Government Bridge, completed in 1896, is notable for having two sets of railroad tracks above the car lanes. There are only two bridges in the world with this feature. Three other bridges span the river between Rock Island and Davenport. The Crescent Rail Bridge is a railroad-only bridge, completed in 1899. The Centennial Bridge was completed in 1940 for autos only. The newest bridge is the Interstate 280 bridge, completed in 1973. Lock and Dam No. 15, completed in 1934 as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression, is the largest roller dam in the world. The dam is designed for navigation, not flood control. During flood season, the rollers are raised, unleashing the full flow of the water.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: On the south side of the city, overlooked by the Black Hawk State Historic Site, are auto and railroad crossings of the Rock River to Milan, Illinois. This set of bridges also crosses the historic Hennepin Canal and Sears Dam (this was named after the entrepreneur David B. Sears, who previously built the Sears Dam between Arsenal Island and Moline.) In 2007 a new bridge was completed between 3rd Street Moline/southeast Rock Island and Milan. It expedites the trip to Milan, the airport, and points south on U.S. Route 67.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: According to the 2010 census, Rock Island has a total area of , of which (or 94.28%) is land and (5.72%) is water.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: "Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race"


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: In 2000 Census, there were 39,684 people, 16,148 households, and 9,543 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 17,542 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.13% White, 17.17% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.41% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.90% of the population.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: There were 16,148 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.97.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The city's population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The median income for a household in the city was $34,729, and the median income for a family was $45,127. Males had a median income of $32,815 versus $23,378 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,202. About 10.9% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Construction will begin in April 2017 for a new Rock Island County courthouse. The 46,000 square foot building will have three stories that house four courtrooms, judges offices, a law library, and both the Circuit Clerk and States Attorneys offices. The $28 million project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018. The old courthouse is expected to be torn down upon completion of the new building.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The majority of the city is served by the Rock Island/Milan School District with portions of the southwest area falling under the Rockridge School District. The Rock Island-Milan School District is currently home to 13 public schools, with one high school, two junior high schools, nine elementary schools, and one alternative education center. Several private schools also serve Rock Island, including Jordan Catholic Elementary School and Alleman Catholic High School.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Villa de Chantal Catholic school closed in 1978, and the building was destroyed by fire in 2005. Schools that were closed and demolished include Franklin Junior High School, Central Junior High School, Lincoln Elementary School, and Audubon Elementary School.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Rock Island, Illinois is the site of the Quad City Hindu Temple, a Hindu shrine dedicated chiefly to the deity "Venkateswara". The temple opened in 2007. Prior to its construction, Hindu worshippers had to travel to St. Louis or Peoria to participate in Hindu festivals and worship.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The first football game in what was to become the National Football League was played at Rock Island's Douglas Field in September, 1920. It was hosted by the Rock Island Independents (1907–1926), who were a charter NFL franchise in 1920.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Rock Island Islanders were a minor league baseball team that played for 37 seasons between 1901 and 1948. The Islanders played at Douglas Park and were affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia A's.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: The Rock Island Legion Post 200 baseball team won the 4th State Championship in its history in 2011 in Galesburg, Illinois. Post 200 would finish 4th that year in the Great Lakes Regional.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Karters flock to Rock Island every year for the prestigious Rock Island Grand Prix on Labor Day weekend, which attracts competitors from across the United States and the world. With exception to 1997, when the annual race was canceled due to legal liability issues, the Rock Island Grand Prix has been held every year since 1994.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Rock Island High School has won state championships in basketball, girls and boys track, softball, and wrestling. Additionally the football and basketball programs are perennial powerhouses. Rock Island Public Schools Stadium has an artificial surface and has a seating capacity of over 15,000.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Rock Island is the location of television station WHBF-TV. Until 1963, WHBF was one of only two television stations in the Quad Cities area. (The other is WOC-TV on the Iowa side of the river.) Rock Island was also the longtime former home of WHBF-TV's former sister radio stations, WHBF and WHBF-FM, although it does remain the licensed city of those stations.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Also, National Public Radio member station WVIK is licensed to and located in Rock Island on the campus of Augustana College, and WGVV-LP, which is also licensed to the city of Rock Island.


title: Rock Island, Illinois

text: Rock Island is the home base for NOAA Weather Radio WXJ-73, the Quad Cities' area NWR station, programmed by the National Weather Service in Davenport.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: The Kerch Strait incident was an international incident that occurred on 25 November 2018 in the Kerch Strait, during which the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) coast guard fired upon and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels after they attempted to transit from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov through the strait on their way to the port of Mariupol. It was the first time that Russian forces had openly engaged Ukrainian forces during the Russo-Ukrainian War.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: In 2014, Russia had annexed the nearby Crimean Peninsula, which is predominantly internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory. It later constructed the Crimean Bridge across the strait. Under a 2003 treaty, the strait and the Azov Sea are intended to be the shared territorial waters of both countries, and freely accessible. Russia, in turn, insists that, while the 2003 treaty remains legally valid, Ukrainian ships must ask for permission before entering Russian waters along the perimeter of Crimea as any transnational water crossing, as regulated by the Law of the Sea Treaty. The annexation of Crimea by Russia is not recognized by Ukraine, therefore Ukraine holds that the invocation of an international treaty with regard to Crimean waters is illegitimate.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: As the flotilla, which consisted of two gunboats and a tugboat, approached the Kerch Strait, the Russian coast guard said they repeatedly asked the Ukrainian vessels to leave what they referred to as "Russian territorial waters". They said that the vessels had not followed the formal procedure for passage through the strait, that the Ukrainian ships had been manoeuvring dangerously, and that they were not responding to radio communications. Ukraine said that it had given advance notice to the Russians that the vessels would be moving through the strait, that the ships had made radio contact with the Russians, but received no response, and cited the 2003 treaty against the assertion that the ships had entered Russian territorial waters. The Russians tried to halt the Ukrainian ships, but they continued moving in the direction of the bridge. As they neared the bridge, the Russian authorities placed a large cargo ship under it, blocking passage into the Azov Sea. The Ukrainian ships remained moored in the strait for eight hours, before turning back to return to port in Odessa. The Russian coast guard pursued them as they left the area, and later fired upon and seized the vessels in international waters off the coast of Crimea. Three Ukrainian crew members were injured in the clash, and all twenty-four Ukrainian sailors from the captured ships were detained by Russia.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: The Ukrainian president characterised the incident as a potential precursor to a Russian invasion, and declared martial law along the border with Russia and in Black Sea coastal areas, which expired on 26 December 2018. The Russian government called the incident a deliberate provocation by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ahead of the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election. The incident took place a few days before the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit. Western leaders referred to it when they spoke of sanctions against Russia.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: The Kerch Strait connects the Sea of Azov with the Black Sea, and is formed by the coasts of the Russian Taman Peninsula and occupied Crimea. It is the sole access point for ships travelling to and from Ukraine's eastern port cities, most notably Mariupol. While both Ukraine and Russia agreed to the principle of freedom of movement through the strait and the Sea of Azov in 2003 following the Tuzla Island incident, Russia has controlled both sides of the strait since the Crimean annexation. Immediately Russia announced the construction of the Crimean Bridge that would span the Kerch Strait. The bridge's construction took place without Ukraine's consent and was criticised by Ukraine and other countries, which called it illegal. During its construction and since completion, it was accompanied by frequent freedom of movement restrictions, which was regarded by Ukrainian and American governments as being used by Russia as part of a creeping hybrid blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Azov Sea to impede maritime transit and destabilize Ukraine.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: Following the opening of the bridge in May 2018, Russian inspections of ships have risen sharply. These incidents, some of which occurred only 5–7 miles from the Ukrainian coast, incurred transit delays on Ukrainian shipping with some reportedly being forced to wait between three and seven days before being allowed through. Ukrainian reported that in 2018 losses due to increase in cargo shipping cost associated with Russian measures has reached $360 million. Under the 2003 treaty, both Russia and Ukraine have the right to inspect vessels sailing into or out of the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has said that the increase in inspections by the Russian coast guard represents an abuse of that right.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: According to the "Defense News", "From Russia's perspective, tensions began flaring in March, when Ukrainian coast guard vessels in the Sea of Azov seized the "Nord", a Russian-flagged fishing boat operating out of the Crimean city of Kerch." In March 2018, Ukrainian border guards detained in the Sea of Azov the fishing vessel "Nord", accusing the crew of entering "territory, which has been under a temporary occupation". The captain of the "Nord", Vladimir Gorbenko, is facing up to five years in prison.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: In late September, the Ukrainian Navy launched an operation to move the search-and-rescue ship and the tugboat "" from Odessa to Mariupol. The operation was the first deployment of Ukrainian Navy ships to the Kerch Strait area since the Russian annexation of Crimea. The vessels proceeded from Odesa with the 48-year old "Donbas" towing the 45-year old "Korets". Commanded by Dmytro Kovalenko, Ukrainian Naval Forces Deputy Chief of Staff, the ships radioed their intention to enter the Azov Sea via the Kerch Strait as they approached it on 23 September, but did not follow the official procedure to request permission. According to Kovalenko, this was an intentional form of "naval diplomacy", carried out with the aim of asserting the Ukrainian claim to the surrounding waters. While the ships received pilot services from the Kerch port authority free of charge, they were also tailed by at least 13 Russian vessels, and flown over by Russian aircraft. Ultimately, the Ukrainian vessels complied with transit procedures which did not require a request for permission to transit, Russia did not hinder the ships' passage under the Crimean Bridge, and they successfully reached Mariupol. In an interview with the "Kyiv Post", Ukrainian naval expert Taras Chmut said that he thought that Russians had not expected the Ukrainian operation, and so decided to take the least risky option by allowing them through. He also said "For the first time, we didn't just react to the Russians’ steps, but started to set our own game rules". The ships allowed Ukraine Navy to provide escort to cargo ships halting Russian inspections of vessels in the middle of the Sea of Azov until November.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: EU Commissioner for Security Sir Julian King said that Russia had staged a year-long disinformation campaign in order to "soften up" public opinion in preparation for the incident. According to King, numerous rumours were spread about the plans of the Ukrainian authorities, including that the Ukrainian government had begun dredging the Azov Sea in preparation for the arrival of a NATO fleet, that it intended to infect the Black Sea with cholera, and that it planned to blow up the Crimean Bridge with a nuclear bomb.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: Pavel Felgenhauer, a Moscow-based defense analyst and columnist for "Novaya Gazeta", speculated that Putin's government instigated the incident out of concern that Ukraine's naval bases in the Sea of Azov might eventually host visiting NATO patrols.


title: Kerch Strait incident

text: On the morning of 25 November, three Ukrainian naval vessels (s ', ', and the tugboat "") attempted to travel from the Black Sea port of Odessa in south-western Ukraine to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine. Agents of the Ukrainian SBU security service were present on board the ships; according to Ukraine they were providing ordinary counter-intelligence coverage. As they approached the Kerch Strait, Russian Coast Guard boats accused the Ukrainian ships of illegally entering Russian territorial waters, and ordered them to leave. When the Ukrainians refused, citing the 2003 Russo-Ukrainian treaty on freedom of navigation in the relevant area, the Russian boats attempted to intercept them, and rammed the tugboat "Yany Kapu" several times. When they tried to ram the more agile gunboats, two Russian ships collided, and the Russian Coast Guard "Izumrud" was damaged. The Ukrainian naval vessels then continued their journey, stopping near the anchorage 471 waiting zone, about from the Crimean Bridge, and remained there for the next eight hours. During this time, the Russians placed a large cargo ship under the bridge, blocking the route into the Sea of Azov. Concurrently, Russia scrambled two fighter jets and two helicopters to patrol the strait. In the evening, the Ukrainian ships turned back to return to port in Odessa. As they were leaving the area, the Russian Coast Guard pursued them, later firing on and capturing the Ukrainian vessels about off the coast of Crimea, in international waters.