title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: On May 22, 2005, she appeared on the 41st episode of "Banjun Drama", a mini-drama series of SBS "Good Sunday" program, and subsequently appeared in 12 additional episodes. She also had a supporting role in SBS' romantic comedy series "Only You".


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: Her second album "In My Fantasy" released on September 23, 2005. The title song, "2AM", which was produced by Mr. Tyfoon, was heavily criticized for its suggestive dance routine.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2007, Jeon played supporting roles in romantic comedy series "Witch Yoo Hee" and historical drama "The King and I". In 2008, she starred in the legal thriller drama "The Scale of Providence".


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2009, Jeon played a gumiho in a segment of "Hometown of Legends", a ten-episode horror drama which consists of several stories of Korean traditional myths and folk tales.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2011, Jeon starred in SBS' family drama "My Love By My Side". She next starred in JTBC's historical drama "Insu, The Queen Mother", playing Queen Jeheon.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: Jeon, who is well known for her love of fitness and exercise, released a beauty book titled "Heaven's Stylish Body" in 2011, which included her fitness and fashion tips. She followed up with the launch of an iPad diet app in 2012. On January 23, 2012, Jeon appeared in the 2012 Korean New Year Special of SBS' survival show "Law of the Jungle W". She joined the show again in September, this time for the Madagascar episodes.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: After a year-long hiatus from television, Jeon was cast in the KBS2 office drama "Queen of the Office". In October 2013, Jeon joined the cast of "Beating Hearts", a reality show with a group of celebrities training to become firefighters. On the 100th episode of "Law of the Jungle: Borneo", she appeared as a guest.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2015, Jeon was cast in the sports film "The Legend of a Mermaid", playing a former national synchronized swimmer.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: Jeon received renewed recognition as an actress with her role as "Gold Hae-young" in the romantic comedy series "Another Oh Hae-young" (2016).


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: She next starred in the romance film "With or Without You", playing a divorcee. The same year, Jeon featured in MBC's legal drama "Woman with a Suitcase".


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2018, Jeon starred in the web drama "Number Woman Gye Sook-ja". She was cast in the family drama film "Cheer Up Mystery".


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2019, Jeon starred in the family drama "What's Wrong, Poong-sang" and an American-remake series Leverage.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: In 2005, Jeon was the ambassador of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in South Korea. On 29 October 2012, she donated the proceeds from her personally designed hair dryer to Make-A-Wish (Korea).


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: An accident in early 2006 forced Jeon to undergo nose and teeth reconstruction. She eventually confirmed that she underwent plastic surgery when rumors were quickly spreading about the change in her appearance.


title: Jeon Hye-bin

text: Jeon married a non-celebrity on December 7, 2019 in Bali. On April 7, 2022, Jeon's agency announced that she is pregnant with her first child. On September 30, 2022, she gave birth to a son.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: Dragons' Den is a Canadian television reality show based on the internationally franchised "Dragons' Den" format which began in Japan. The show debuted on October 3, 2006, on CBC Television, and is hosted by Dianne Buckner. Aspiring Canadian entrepreneurs pitch business and investment ideas to a panel of venture capitalists (termed "Dragons") in the hope of securing business financing and partnerships. The show also has a Quebec-only spin-off called "Dans l'oeil du Dragon" (literally 'in the Dragon's eye').


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: Each typical episode features approximately eight pitches, along with a brief synopsis of a further three pitches which usually were rejected by the Dragons.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: Each pitch begins with the entrepreneur specifying the amount they are seeking as an investment and the percentage of their business which they are offering in exchange. The entrepreneurs generally describe their business and provide financial details in respect of their costs, sales, and profit margins. Pitches range from those at the conceptual stage to full-fledged long-term businesses. The Dragons ask the entrepreneur questions in order to assess whether their business is one which they would consider investing in. Each Dragon ultimately will either make an offer to invest or will declare that they are "out", meaning they are not interested in the business. Once all five Dragons are "out", the pitch ends.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: While some entrepreneurs are made offers of exactly what they are seeking, most of the offers the Dragons make either seek a greater percentage of the business (equity) or seek a royalty on the sales of the business (this has become more prevalent in later seasons). The entrepreneurs and Dragons may then engage in negotiations until the available offers are either accepted (and a "deal" is made) or rejected.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: While Dragons often partner up and make joint offers, they just as often make competing offers. Each of the Dragons has a unique set of skills and connections which sometimes results in the entrepreneur being forced to choose between offers (which might be offering the same or different economic terms) based on the "added" value the specific Dragon would bring to the business.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: The main "rule" as set out at the start of every episode is that the entrepreneur is not permitted to accept an offer or multiple offers unless they would receive a total investment of "at least" the amount that they initially sought. The main ramification of this restriction is that entrepreneurs are often criticised for over-valuing their businesses. This is because the amount sought by the entrepreneur may be more than 50% of the value of their business as perceived by the Dragons (the Dragons rarely make deals for greater than 50%) and sometimes more than the entire value of the business as perceived by the Dragons. The restriction means the Dragons cannot offer a lesser amount that is more in line with their perceived value of the business.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: Notwithstanding the acceptance of offers on the show, and the handshake agreements, the offers on the show are generally subject to due diligence by both parties and many "deals" made on the show do not ultimately close or close at different terms than originally expected. The show sometimes offers updates on both deals which were made and entrepreneurs who were rejected, including certain special episodes focusing exclusively on updates.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: The skeptic community criticized a twelfth-season episode of "Dragons' Den" for its handling of a wellness company claiming to be able to improve neurological function from a distance. The company, NeuroReset, presented pieces of copper that clip onto the user's clothing and sell for $80. The founders, a golf coach and a chiropractor, claimed that the operating principle of the clips was quantum entanglement. After applying pressure to some of the investors, with and without the clips, the pair convinced five of the six Dragons to buy equity. Manjit Minhas, while not part of the final deal, expressed interest in the product as well. After the taping of the episode, the agreement fell apart in due diligence and Health Canada ruled that three NeuroReset products must be removed from sale. Joe Mimran admitted that he was deceived by the pitch.


title: Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series)

text: Two spinoff shows featuring Dragons on their own have been created, "Redemption Inc." with Kevin O'Leary, and, "The Big Decision" with Arlene Dickinson & Jim Treliving.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd (b. 1948), guitarist/vocalist John Lees (b. 1947), drummer/percussionist Mel Pritchard (1948–2004), and keyboardist/vocalist Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947–2010).


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: After signing with EMI's Parlophone label in the UK for one single in early 1968, they moved to the more progressively inclined Harvest label. The name for the band, according to The International Barclay James Harvest Fan Club, signifies nothing specifically. Having exhausted other possibilities, each of the band members wrote single words on pieces of paper which were drawn out of a hat one by one. All were rejected until only three were left: James, a man who used to sing with the band, Harvest because they were living in a farmhouse, and Barclay after Barclays bank, because they aspired to make money. These were then rearranged to get the best-sounding name - "Barclay James Harvest".


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: Their self-titled debut album featured backing by an orchestra organized by Robert John Godfrey. It was released in mid-1970 and was heavily touted by the musicians and the record label as the next big thing in orchestral rock, but met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and weak sales. Their second album, "Once Again", was followed by a tour with a full orchestra under Godfrey's guidance. Godfrey departed over writing issues behind "Mocking Bird" – one of the group's most consistently popular tracks - so Martyn Ford was brought in to supervise the orchestral work for their third album, "Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories". Years later Godfrey filed a lawsuit alleging he was owed composing credits and corresponding royalties on several of Barclay James Harvest's songs. By the release of their fourth album, "Baby James Harvest", in 1972, the pressures of touring were beginning to affect the band.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: After this album, they departed from EMI, moved management to Harvey Lisberg, and signed to Polydor; the move immediately resulting in greater sales. The next album, "Everyone Is Everybody Else" (1974) was voted 13th by listeners in Radio Caroline's 1977 Top 100 All Time Albums Chart. The band did a BBC Radio 1 session in 1974 for John Peel; Alan Freeman, however, would be the band's main champion on the station in the 1970s and again when he returned from 1989 to 1993. The double live album, "Barclay James Harvest Live", which followed in late 1974, was the first to chart in the UK, reaching No. 40. "Time Honoured Ghosts" (1975), which has "Titles", recorded in the US, followed, and this too charted in the UK, reaching No. 32. "Octoberon" followed in 1976 and reached number 19 in the UK. They broke into the mainstream mainland European market with their 1977 set "Gone to Earth", which contained the song "Poor Man's Moody Blues", a homage to the Moody Blues' song, "Nights in White Satin."


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: Wolstenholme – whose mellotron playing was a trademark of the band's sound in the 1970s – left in 1979 after the album "XII" (1978), as he began to suffer from clinical depression. He pursued a short solo career fronting the band Maestoso, before retiring from the music industry to farm. He remained inactive throughout the 80s before rejoining John Lees when BJH essentially split in two.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: The remaining three members continued. In August 1980, they played a free concert in front of the Reichstag in West Berlin, with an estimated attendance of 250,000 people. They were the first Western rock band to perform in an open-air concert in East Germany (over two years before the Berlin Wall fell), playing in Treptower Park, East Berlin on 14 July 1987 to a 170,000-plus audience.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: The band continued as a trio with regular guest-musicians until 1998. One album, "Welcome to the Show", produced in 1990, was released under the abbreviated name BJH. However, because of criticism from fans, the full name was restored, albeit with the inclusion of the BJH moniker.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: In 1998, musical differences amongst members of BJH saw the band essentially split into two different groups, each of which retained "Barclay James Harvest" as part of its name. John Lees released an album mixing new songs and classics of the band, entitled "Nexus", under the name "Barclay James Harvest Through the Eyes of John Lees". Woolly Wolstenholme played in (and composed for) this band, subsequently resurrecting Maestoso to record and tour with new material, as well as back-catalogue favourites. Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard teamed up to record under the name "Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd". In 2006/7, Lees and Wolstenholme toured under the slightly modified band title "John Lees' Barclay James Harvest".


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: Mel Pritchard died suddenly of a heart attack in early 2004. Woolly Wolstenholme took his own life in December 2010, having apparently struggled with depression for many years.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: The two derivatives of Barclay James Harvest continue to record and tour to this day, and enjoy ongoing popularity, particularly in Germany, France, and Switzerland.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: This derivative of Barclay James Harvest features John Lees, bassist Craig Fletcher, drummer Kevin Whitehead and keyboard player Jez Smith. The band originally featured "Woolly" Stuart Wolstenholme on keyboards before his death in December 2010. The group formed in 1999 to record the album "Nexus". Craig Fletcher and Kevin Whitehead were from Wolstenholme's band "Maestoso", and John and Woolly were members of the original Barclay James Harvest. The band toured in the UK and Europe in 2006, and recorded the live album "Legacy" at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. Since then, the band has played at venues in the UK, but more so in the rest of Europe, where they achieve good success. The band toured again around the UK in 2009. They played at the Berlin Wall anniversary festival at the Brandenburg Gate, Bad Homburg in Germany with JLBJH's best attendance of 17,500 people, and more recently in Porto, Portugal with an attendance of 5,000. The band recently visited America, and played in Philadelphia. John Lees' Barclay James Harvest is currently signed and managed by Esoteric Recordings. Mark Powell, founder of the label, works as the band manager. In October 2013 JLBJH released "North", a studio album of all-new material, recorded at John's own Friamere Studios, on limited edition vinyl, CD and deluxe CD with a bonus disc recorded live at the Buxton Opera House. "North" was very well received, going on to become Cherry Red's biggest selling album of the fourth quarter of 2013. The band played nine gigs on a UK tour to promote the album, followed by a live radio concert for Christmas on German station SWR1.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: In 2001, Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard returned to the studio to record the album 'Revolution Days' along with former Sad Cafe members Ian Wilson and Michael Byron-Hehir, as well as Steve Butler, Steve Pigott (Cher, Mike and the Mechanics), and Rabbit Bundrick (The Who).


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: 'Revolution Days' was released in 2002, and a touring band was put together with Holroyd and Pritchard; Michael Byron-Hehir on lead guitar and vocals; Ian Wilson on guitar and vocals; Steve Butler on keyboards, percussion, and vocals; Chris Jago on drums; and former BJH sideman Colin Browne on keyboards and vocals.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: The first show was at the Colmar Wine Festival in August 2002. In October and November of that year, they undertook their first European Tour. More tours and festivals followed in 2003.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: In January 2004, the band performed at the 'Art on Ice' spectacular at the Zurich Hallenstadion with Roger Hodgson, John Helliwell and Bob Siebenberg of Supertramp, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues and Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac. Upon returning to the UK, Mel Pritchard died from a suspected heart attack.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: In January 2005, BJHFLH toured with Asia featuring John Payne as support, returning the favour on four UK shows in March of the same year. In 2006, they undertook the Classic Meets Rock Symphonic Barclay Tour with the 25-piece Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. In July 2007, they toured the UK. Les Holroyd and Michael Byron-Hehir also worked on Alan Simon's "Excalibur II"


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: album, Les joining the stage show in 2010. Les also performed in the live show of Simon's "Anne de Bretagne".


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: In 2011, Les joined the Rock Meets Classic Tour along with Ian Gillan, Lou Gramm, Dan McCafferty with The Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, performing four BJH songs: "Hymn", "Mockingbird", "Ring Of Changes", and "Life Is For Living".


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: Still touring Europe, the band introduced an acoustic spot into the set, showcasing their vocal harmonies with old favourites like "Poor Boy Blues", "Friend of Mine", and "Crazy City". They recorded their 2012 winter tour.


title: Barclay James Harvest

text: The band released a single "Breathless"/"When the City Sleeps" under the pseudonym of "Bombadil" in 1972. "Breathless", an instrumental, was credited to "Terry Bull" (actually John Lees). The B side "When the City Sleeps" was credited to "Lester Forest" (actually Woolly Wolstenholme), who also played every instrument and sang. This obscure track made an appearance on the soundtrack of the 2007 series "Life on Mars", although it was not featured on the CD release.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland. The company operates transport services in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstGroup originated from the deregulation of bus services in the United Kingdom in 1986, whereby private companies purchased nationalised and municipal bus operators. In September 1986 the Somerset based services of the Bristol Omnibus Company that were rebranded in 1985 as Badgerline were purchased in a management buyout. As Badgerline Group, it expanded through acquisition purchasing other formerly nationalised bus companies in England and Wales.


title: FirstGroup

text: In January 1989, Grampian Regional Transport, the bus operator in Aberdeen owned by Grampian Regional Council, was privatized in a management buyout led by its then general manager Moir Lockhead. As GRT Bus Group, it expanded through acquisition purchasing six former nationalised bus companies in England and Scotland. In April 1995, FirstBus was formed through the merger of the Badgerline and GRT Bus Groups, with fleets in England, Wales and Scotland. The former King Street Barracks site in Aberdeen was selected as the headquarters. At the time of the merger, FirstBus had 5,600 buses, 4,000 of which came from Badgerline. Badgerline's Trevor Smallwood became chairman of FirstBus, while GRT head Moir Lockhead became deputy chairman and chief executive.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstBus continued the policy of growth by acquisition acquiring former council owned operations and companies formerly owned by English, Welsh and Scottish nationalized operators. FirstBus went on to acquire larger urban metropolitan operators by taking advantage of the privatisation of the PTE bus operations and the privatisation of London bus services. FirstBus acquired GM Buses North in Manchester and Strathclyde Buses in Glasgow in 1996, Mainline in South Yorkshire and CentreWest in London in 1997, and Capital Citybus in London in 1998.


title: FirstGroup

text: The company was renamed FirstGroup in December 1997 after the company moved into railways in February 1996 with the privatisation of British Rail, through a 24.5% shareholding in Great Western Holdings that won the Great Western and North Western franchises, and a 100% shareholding in First Great Eastern that ran the Great Eastern franchise from January 1997. In March 1998, FirstGroup purchased the 75.5% shares in Great Western Holdings it did not already own and rebranded the franchises First Great Western and First North Western.


title: FirstGroup

text: In September 1998, FirstGroup made its first overseas foray when New World First Bus commenced operating bus services in Hong Kong formerly operated by China Motor Bus. FirstGroup had a 26% shareholding in the joint venture. In May 2000 FirstGroup sold its shares to joint venture partner New World Development. In September 1999, FirstGroup purchased Ryder Public Transport Services, a provider of school bus and contracted public bus transportation in the United States. In May 2000, FirstGroup began operating the London Tramlink concession under contract to Transport for London.


title: FirstGroup

text: In August 2003, FirstGroup purchased GB Railways which owned Anglia Railways and GB Railfreight and held 80% of the shares in Hull Trains. Having not been shortlisted for the Greater Anglia franchise, this gave FirstGroup another chance to bid. However, it was unsuccessful and the franchise was awarded to National Express from April 2004, including the services operated by First Great Eastern. In November 2003, FirstGroup purchased a 90% shareholding in Irish coach operator Aircoach.


title: FirstGroup

text: In February 2004, FirstGroup's joint venture with Keolis commenced operating the First TransPennine Express rail franchise, FirstGroup having a 55% shareholding. In April 2004, FirstGroup commenced operating the First Great Western Link franchise and in October 2004 the First ScotRail franchise. In December 2004, the remainder of First North Western passed to Northern Rail, some services having already been transferred to Arriva Trains Wales and FirstTranspennine Express.


title: FirstGroup

text: In April 2006, FirstGroup commenced operating the First Capital Connect franchise and a renewed First Great Western franchise that had been expanded to include the Thames Trains and Wessex Trains franchises.


title: FirstGroup

text: In February 2007, FirstGroup agreed to buy the US-based firm Laidlaw, an operator of inter-city coaches and yellow school buses across North America, for £1.9 billion (US$3.7 billion). This also gave it a controlling stake in Greyhound Lines, the largest bus operator in North America. The Greyhound name and the names of Canadian subsidiaries of Greyhound Canada were retained, and all other Laidlaw-owned services in the United States and Canada were rebranded under the First or Greyhound names, except for Voyageur Colonial and Grey Goose in Canada. In January 2009, DSBFirst, FirstGroup's joint venture with Danish State Railways commenced operating the Oresundtrain rail franchise from Helsingør and Nivå in Denmark along the Kystbanen line and over the Øresund Bridge to Malmö, Växjö, Kalmar, Karlskrona and Gothenburg in Sweden. FirstGroup had a 25% shareholding in the Danish business and 20% in the Swedish business. By March 2011 this was 30%.


title: FirstGroup

text: In June 2009, FirstGroup made a takeover offer for fellow transport operator National Express, which was struggling with debt at the time and was struggling to hold onto its National Express East Coast rail franchise. This was rejected, National Express which said it did not "consider it appropriate" at the time to discuss a takeover. FirstGroup believed that there was "significant industrial and commercial logic" for a merger, but National Express wished to focus on its own initiatives.


title: FirstGroup

text: In June 2010, FirstGroup sold its railfreight business First GBRf to the Eurotunnel Group for £31 million, ending the group's involvement in rail freight transport. In September 2010, former London Underground managing director Tim O'Toole, already a board member since May 2009 and chief operating officer and Deputy Chief Executive since June 2010, was announced as the successor to retiring group chief executive officer Moir Lockhead with effect from 31 March 2011.


title: FirstGroup

text: In September 2011, FirstGroup's German bus operations were sold to Marwyn European Transport. In December 2011, DSBFirst ceased operating the Swedish part of the operation after difficulties encountered by Danish State Railways over cross subsidies.


title: FirstGroup

text: In July 2012, First Travel Solutions provided bus and coach services for the London 2012 Olympic Games as First Games Transport. This involved the provision of venue shuttle and park and ride services, services connecting the peripheral park and ride sites on the M25 with the Olympic Park and Ebbsfleet, and a nationwide network of express coaches to the Olympic Park and the Weymouth and Portland sailing venue. The services required around 900 vehicles in total, although some were sub-contracted. In June 2013, most of the First London bus operations were sold to Go-Ahead London, Metroline and Tower Transit. In April 2015 FirstGroup was unsuccessful in bidding for the ScotRail franchise, which is now run by Abellio ScotRail. In December 2015, FirstGroup was awarded the next TransPennine Express franchise. The new franchise commenced on 1 April 2016 with a commitment to introduce new trains, routes and faster journey times.


title: FirstGroup

text: In October 2016, First Transit commenced operating the A-train under contract to the Denton County Transportation Authority, its first rail operation in the United States. In August 2017 FirstGroup's joint venture with MTR Corporation commenced operating the South Western franchise, FirstGroup having a 70% shareholding in South Western Railway.


title: FirstGroup

text: In May 2019, FirstGroup announced it would sell its UK bus operations. The only sales completed were parts of First Greater Manchester to the Go-Ahead Group and Rotala. In May 2020, FirstGroup announced it would retain its UK bus operations and sell its North American assets instead.


title: FirstGroup

text: In April 2021, FirstGroup agreed terms to sell the First Student and First Transit businesses to EQT Partners. The sale completed later in 2021.


title: FirstGroup

text: In October 2021, FirstGroup announced the sale of Greyhound Lines to FlixMobility, completing its stated strategy to focus on its leading UK public transport businesses. In October 2021, Lumo commenced operating services on the East Coast Main Line.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstGroup is Britain's largest bus operator, running more than 20% of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries some 2.9 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities. FirstGroup also runs passenger rail services in the UK. Passenger rail franchises consist of Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and TransPennine Express. It also runs two non-franchised open access passenger operations - Hull Trains and Lumo. FirstGroup operates tram services on the London Tramlink network carrying approximately 24 million passengers a year on behalf of Transport for London.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstGroup owns and operates the Aircoach service in Dublin, linking Dublin Airport with the city centre, the south side of Dublin, Greystones and Bray as well as long-distance express services runs to Cork and Belfast.


title: FirstGroup

text: FirstGroup has always had a consistent brand and uses the First brand for most of its operations. FirstBus began to apply a standard corporate typeface to its fleet names in the late 1990s, introducing the stylized "f" logo depicting a road. A corporate white, pink and blue livery nicknamed "Barbie" was introduced to new buses, while further bus company acquisitions continued. Inherited bus fleets were initially left in their original colours with First fleet names, with the intention that the Barbie scheme would stand for a set service quality. Later older buses received a modified "Barbie 2" livery.


title: FirstGroup

text: As part of its corporate branding, First subsequently removed all local branding for its bus services, buses simply carried the 'First' brand, although each company still operated independently. In 2012, the group began to introduce a new purple, white and lilac livery to its bus fleets, which also reinstated local branding. In January 2014, the company rebranded its First Somerset & Avon operations in Bridgwater and Taunton as The Buses of Somerset, using a two-tone green livery.


title: FirstGroup

text: Hull Trains carries a predominantly blue livery, including white, pink and purple. This was also used by First Great Western until 20 September 2015, when the franchise was rebranded as Great Western Railway, with a new logo and dark green livery paying homage to the original Great Western Railway.


title: FirstGroup

text: London Tramlink operations are painted in white, green and blue as per Transport for London requirements. In Scotland, First ScotRail operated with a blue livery with white saltire markings on the carriage ends, as mandated by the Scottish Government's transport agency Transport Scotland.


title: FirstGroup

text: First Travel Solutions re-branded 2016 (Formally First Rail Support) which provides emergency and planned rail replacement transport to train operating companies using First and non-First Transport through its 24-hour control room in Simonstone, Lancashire


title: KeePass

text: KeePass Password Safe is a free and open-source password manager primarily for Windows. It officially supports macOS and Linux operating systems through the use of Mono. Additionally, there are several unofficial ports for Windows Phone, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices. KeePass stores usernames, passwords, and other fields, including free-form notes and file attachments, in an encrypted file. This file can be protected by any combination of a master password, a key file, and the current Windows account details. By default, the KeePass database is stored on a local file system (as opposed to cloud storage).


title: KeePass

text: KeePass supports a number of plugins. It has a password generator and synchronization function, supports two-factor authentication, and has a "Secure Desktop" mode. It can use a two-channel auto-type obfuscation feature to offer additional protection against keyloggers. KeePass can import from over 30 other most commonly used password managers.


title: KeePass

text: A 2017 Consumer Reports article described KeePass as one of the four most widely used password managers (alongside 1Password, Dashlane and LastPass), being "popular among tech enthusiasts" and offering the same level of security as non-free competitors.


title: KeePass

text: A 2019 Independent Security Evaluators study described KeePass as well as other widely used password managers as being unable to control Windows 10's tendency to leave passwords in cleartext in RAM after they are displayed using Windows controlled GUI. In addition, several GitHub projects (KeeFarce, KeeThief, Lazanga) specifically attack a running KeePass to steal all data when the host is compromised. KeePass cannot prevent password theft and, as Dominik Reichl, the administrator of KeePass, states, "neither KeePass nor any other password manager can magically run securely in a spyware-infected, insecure environment."


title: KeePass

text: The password list is saved by default as a codice_1 file, but it can be exported to TXT, HTML, XML and CSV. The XML output can be used in other applications and re-imported into KeePass using a plugin. The CSV output is compatible with many other password safes like the commercial closed-source Password Keeper and the closed-source Password Agent. Also, the CSVs can be imported by spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice/LibreOffice Calc.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass supports simultaneous access and simultaneous changes to a shared password file by multiple computers (often by using a shared network drive), however there is no provisioning of access per-group or per-entry. As of May 2014, there are no plugins available to add provisioned multi-user support, but there exists a proprietary password server (Pleasant Password Server) that is compatible with the KeePass client and includes provisioning.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass can minimize itself and type the information of the currently selected entry into dialogs, webforms, etc. KeePass has a global auto-type hot key. When KeePass is running in the background (with an unlocked database) and user presses down the hotkey, it looks up the selected (or correct) entry and enters every login and/or password characters sequence. All fields, such as title, username, password, URL, and notes, can be drag and dropped into other windows.


title: KeePass

text: Windows clipboard handling allows double-clicking on any field of the password list to copy its value to the Windows clipboard.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass may be configured to randomize characters' input sequence to make it harder to log keystrokes. The features is called Two-Channel Auto-Type Obfuscation (TCATO).


title: KeePass

text: KeePass automatically clears the clipboard some time after the user has copied one of their passwords into it. KeePass features protection against clipboard monitors (other applications will not get notifications that the clipboard content has been changed).


title: KeePass

text: The auto-type functionality works with all windows, and consequently with all browsers. The KeeForm extension fills in user details into website form fields automatically. It is available for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer also has a browser integration toolbar available.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass features a built-in password generator that generates random passwords. Random seeding can be done through user input (mouse movement and random keyboard input).


title: KeePass

text: KeePass has a plugin architecture. There are various plugins available from the KeePass website (such as import/export from/to various other formats, database backup, integration, automation, etc.). Note that plugins may compromise the security of KeePass, because they are written by independent authors and have full access to the KeePass database.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass has an opensource wrapper, QuicKeepass, that allows the use of KeePass more efficiently on Linux.


title: KeePass

text: According to the utility's author, KeePass was one of the first password management utilities to use security-enhanced password edit controls, in this case one called CSecureEditEx.


title: KeePass

text: The author makes several claims regarding the security of the control and its resistance to password revealing utilities; however, the author does not cite or make any references to any third-party testing of the control to corroborate the claims of its security.


title: KeePass

text: Passwords are protected in memory while KeePass is running. On Windows Vista and later versions, passwords are encrypted in process memory using Windows Data Protection API, which allows storing the key for memory protection in a secure, non-swappable memory area. On previous Windows systems, KeePass falls back to using the ARC4 cipher with a temporary, random session key.


title: KeePass

text: Access to the database is restricted by a master password or a key file. Both methods may be combined to create a "composite master key". If both methods are used, then both must be present to access the password database. KeePass version 2.x introduces a third option—dependency upon the current Windows user.


title: KeePass

text: KeePass encrypts the database with the AES, Twofish or ChaCha20 symmetric cipher, where the first two are used in CBC/PKCS7 mode. AES is the default option in both KeePass editions, Twofish is available in KeePass 1.x, ChaCha20 is available only in KeePass 2.35 and higher. However, a separate plugin provides Twofish as an encryption algorithm in KeePass 2.x. In KeePass 1.x (KDB database format), the integrity of the data is checked using a SHA-256 hash of the plaintext, whereas in KeePass 2.x (KDBX database format), the authenticity of the data is ensured using a HMAC-SHA-256 hash of the ciphertext (Encrypt-then-MAC construction).


title: KeePass

text: KeePass at one time had a paste-once functionality, where after a single paste operation, the clipboard would be cleared automatically, but this was removed in version 2.x due to incompatibility and insufficient effectiveness.


title: Gekiga

text: , literally "dramatic pictures", is a style of Japanese comics aimed at adult audiences and marked by a more cinematic art style and more mature themes. "Gekiga" was the predominant style of adult comics in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. It is aesthetically defined by sharp angles, dark hatching, and gritty lines, and thematically by realism, social engagement, maturity, and masculinity.


title: Gekiga

text: In the 1950s, mainstream Japanese comics (manga) came from Tokyo and was aimed at children, led by the work of Osamu Tezuka. Before Tezuka moved to Tokyo, he lived in Osaka and mentored artists such as Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Masahiko Matsumoto who admired him. Although influenced by Tezuka and his cinematic style, Tatsumi and his colleagues were not interested in making comics for children. They wanted to write comics for adults that were more graphic and showed more violence. Tatsumi explained, "Part of that was influenced by the newspaper stories I would read. I would have an emotional reaction of some kind and want to express that in my comics." The name "gekiga" was coined in 1957 by Tatsumi and adopted by other more serious Japanese cartoonists, who did not want their trade to be known by the more common term "manga", meaning "whimsical pictures".


title: Gekiga

text: Irma Nunez of "The Japan Times" wrote that "rather than simply use 'gekiga' as a banner to legitimize adult content and realism in manga, ... they developed a whole new aesthetic." Matsumoto's son said that these artists felt that the shorter stories Tezuka started writing after moving to Tokyo, narrowed his expression as action needed to be explained in speech bubbles. Nunez explained, "Structural integrity was one of the pioneers' primary concerns. They experimented with how best to blend images with the text; how a closeup might express the interiority of a character; how to synchronize a story's action with the pace of the reader's gaze as it covered the page."


title: Gekiga

text: Rather than working for the mainstream publications, the "gekiga" artists worked in the rental manga industry; where the work of several artists were printed in collections, that readers borrowed from stores and then returned like video rentals. In November 1956, Masahiko Matsumoto used the term to describe his work "Kyūketsu-jū", instead of manga. Matsumoto's son later claimed this work was the basis for what would later be known as "gekiga". Yoshihiro Tatsumi's work "Yūrei Taxi" was the first to be called "gekiga" when it was published at the end of 1957. Other names he considered include "katsudōga" and "katsuga", both derived from "katsudō eiga" or "moving pictures", an early term for films, showing the movement's cinematic influence.


title: Gekiga

text: In 1959, the formed in Tokyo with eight members, including Tatsumi, Matsumoto, and Takao Saito. The group wrote a sort of "Gekiga Manifesto" that was sent to various publishers and newspapers declaring their mission. The Gekiga Kōbō disbanded in 1960 over internal divisions; although as an organized group it was very short-lived, its influence was long lasting.


title: Gekiga

text: The avant-garde magazine "Garo", founded in 1964, was an outlet for experimental and unconventional works that were "visually or thematically too challenging for the mainstream market". With works like Sanpei Shirato's "Kamui", it quickly gained a following among college students. In response to the success of "Garo", Tezuka founded the magazine "COM" in 1967 for more experimental works.


title: Gekiga

text: By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the children who had grown up reading manga wanted something aimed at older audiences and "gekiga" provided that niche. The Cartoon Museum describes the "gekiga" audience: "Drawn in a more realistic and atmospheric style with grittier story lines, gekiga attracted older teenagers, university students and eventually adult readers." That particular generation came to be known as the "manga generation" because it read manga as a form of rebellion, which was similar to the role that rock music played for hippies in the United States.


title: Gekiga

text: Some authors use the term "gekiga" to describe works that only have shock factor. In 1968, Tatsumi published "Gekiga College" because he felt "gekiga" was straying too far from its roots and wanted to reclaim its meaning. In 2009, he said, "Gekiga is a term people throw around now to describe any manga with violence or eroticism or any spectacle. It's become synonymous with spectacular. But I write manga about households and conversations, love affairs, mundane stuff that is not spectacular. I think that's the difference."


title: Gekiga

text: The Cartoon Museum wrote that by the 1980s, "gekiga" became integrated into various types of manga. "For some younger people the term gekiga is now consigned to the history books, but its legacy lives on."


title: Gekiga

text: For a long time "gekiga" was not translated into other languages, but after 2000 more and more publishers dedicated to graphic novels began to explore the history of Japanese "gekiga". More recently, publishers like Drawn & Quarterly began publishing several English editions of works by Tatsumi and Yoshiharu Tsuge, among others, gaining more attention for the genre in the Western graphic novel market.


title: William Lee Golden

text: William Lee Golden (born January 12, 1939), a native of Brewton, Alabama, is an American country music singer. Between 1965 and 1987, and again since December 1995, he has been the baritone singer in the country vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys.


title: William Lee Golden

text: Golden joined The Oak Ridge Boys (then a Southern gospel music group) in 1965. Golden is widely known for his waist-length beard and hair, and has become one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry. Golden was voted out of The Oak Ridge Boys in 1987, as the other three members wanted to change the band's image. He was replaced by Steve Sanders, but stayed with MCA Records as a solo artist to record an album titled "American Vagabond", which included two chart singles. In 1990, he moved to Mercury Records and released "Louisiana Red Dirt Highway".


title: William Lee Golden

text: Golden was married to Frogene Normand from 1957–1975. He married Luetta Callaway in 1984 and they divorced in 1987. He was married to Brenda Kaye Hall from 1990 - 2013. Golden married Simone De Staley in 2015. They live in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He has four sons, Rusty, Craig, Chris and Solomon, a step-daughter and seven grandchildren. Golden's sons Rusty and Chris recorded as The Goldens for Epic Records and Capitol Records between 1988 and 1991. They also played in his road band during his solo career.


title: William Lee Golden

text: Golden's home is called The "Golden Era Plantation." Built in 1786, it is recognized as the oldest brick home in Sumner County, Tennessee. The Federal-style structure was built in 1786, then called "Pilot's Knob," on a military outpost by American Revolutionary War Captain James Franklin, the father of planter and slave trader Isaac Franklin (1789–1846). After the war, he was awarded a land grant to the property.


title: William Lee Golden

text: During the Civil War, the Plantation became a station camp for Confederate soldiers. In order to protect their valuable gold and silver from approaching Union soldiers, the occupants buried the metals in the ground surrounding the house. This gold was later discovered during renovation of the home in 1976.


title: William Lee Golden

text: The area has been struck twice by tornadoes; once in 1892 and again on April 6, 2006. Originally a two-story building, the second story was removed by the first tornado. Repairs were made leaving it as a single-story home. Following the second tornado, the home's architecture was restored, adding a second story. The home was listed for sale in 2016 following Golden's divorce from Brenda Hall.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Television, magazines, and newspapers have all been operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. Even though the Constitution of Russia guarantees freedom of speech the press has been plagued by both government censorship and self-censorship.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: There are more than 83,000 active and officially registered media outlets in Russia that broadcast information in 102 languages. Of the total number of media outlets, the breakdown is as follows: magazines – 37%, newspapers – 28%, online media – 11%, TV – 10%, radio – 7% and news agencies – 2%. Print media, which accounts for two thirds of all media, is predominant. Media outlets need to obtain licenses to broadcast. Of the total number of media outlets, 63% can distribute information across Russia, 35% can broadcast abroad and 15% in the CIS region.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Reporters Without Borders compiles and publishes an annual ranking of countries based upon their assessment of their press freedom records. In 2016 Russia was ranked 148th out of 179 countries, six places below the previous year, mainly due to the return of Vladimir Putin. Freedom House compiles a similar ranking and placed Russia at number 176 out of 197 countries for press freedom for 2013, at the level of Sudan and Ethiopia. The Committee to Protect Journalists states that Russia was the country with the 10th largest number of journalists killed since 1992, 26 of them since the beginning of 2000, including four from "Novaya Gazeta". It also placed Russia at ninth world-wide for journalists killed with complete impunity.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: In December 2014, a Russian investigative site published e-mails, leaked by the hackers' group Shaltai Boltai, which indicated close links between , a member of Vladimir Putin's administration, and Russian journalists, some of whom published Kremlin-originated articles under their own names.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Russian Constitution protects freedom of speech and of the press. Yet restrictive legislation and a politicised judiciary system have made it particularly difficult for independent journalists to work in Russia.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russian laws on the media include the 1991 Law on Mass Media, the 2003 Law on Communications, and the 2006 Law on Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information. They have been amended several times. Other federal laws regulate specific issues, such as media coverage of state authorities and political parties, electoral campaigns and restrictions concerning national security.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The broad definition of extremism in Russia legislation and its use to silence government critics has fostered self-censorship among journalists to avoid harassment. Amendments to the Mass Media Law in the late 2000s limited the spread of "extremism, terrorism, violence and pornography" as well as the coverage of anti-terrorism operations. However, the 2006 Federal Law on Combating Terrorism and the 2006 Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity, along with the Federal List of Extremist Materials, became a matter of concern for both domestic and international observers. The Human Rights Committee of the United Nations criticized the lack of a precise definition for “terrorism” or “terrorist activity”, or of any requirement for the counter-terrorist regime to explain itself, or of any legal provision for the authorities' obligation to protect human rights in a counter-terrorist operation. The broad definition of extremism in Russian legislation and its use to silence government critics have fostered self-censorship among journalists to prevent harassment.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Federal Law On Guarantees of Equality of Parliamentary Parties in Covering their Activities by the National State-Owned TV and Radio Channels adopted in May 2009 guarantees that each Parliamentary Party must enjoy equal share of coverage at state-owned national TV and radio channels. Independency of editorial policies towards viewing Parliamentary parties, as well as citizens right to be comprehensively and unbiasedly informed of parties activities are stipulated by the Law. Control over the proper fulfilment of this Law is performed by the Central Election Committee of Russia with participants of Parliamentary parties, since September 2009.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: A new law to be implemented at the beginning of 2009 will allow reporters investigating corruption in Russia to be protected. Under new legislation, they will be able to apply for special protection, like court witnesses.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: In 2014 two new laws extended the state control over the internet. According to the Federal Law 398 (February 2014), the prosecutor general may bypass the courts and make use of the federal regulator agency Roskomnadzor to directly block websites in order to prevent mass riots, "extremist" activities and illegal assemblies. In the first year of the law, Roskomnadzor blocked over 85 websites, including Aleksey Navalny's blog on Ekho Moskvy's website (which removed it) as well as the news site Grani.ru, the online magazine "Yezhednevny Zhurnal", and Kasparov.ru, the website of the opposition activist Garry Kasparov. In July 2014, the online extremism law was used to prevent a march for Siberian autonomy.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The "bloggers' law" no. 97 (May 2014) required any website with over 3,000 daily visits to register with Roskomnadzor as a media outlet, subjecting personal blogs and other websites to the same restrictions foreseen for major publications – including a ban on anonymous authorship and obscenities, as well as legal responsibility for users' comments. Under a follow-up law passed in July 2014, social networks are required to store their data in Russia in order for them to be accessible by the authorities.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Congress of Russia's Journalists adopted a Code of Professional Ethics in 1994. Yet, it has mainly remained dead letter, being hardly applied by most media workers.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russia was among the first countries to introduce radio and television. While there were few channels in Soviet times, in the past two decades many new state and privately owned radio stations and TV channels have appeared. Mass media in Russia continued to develop in 2000s, as the number of periodicals, broadcasting companies and electronic media has more than doubled from 1997 to 2006. In 2005 a state-run English language Russia Today TV started broadcasting, and its Arabic version Rusiya Al-Yaum was launched in 2007.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The allocation of advertising by governmental agencies is an important means of influence over content, as is access to subsidized state-owned printing, distribution and transmission facilities. Private businesses refrain from advertising on independent outlets. Starting from 2015, satellite and cable channels with subscription fees would be forbidden from airing advertisement, thus hindering the financial sustainability of Dozhd and of other foreign content providers.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: According to a 2009 report by Reporters Without Borders in 2009, "the current situation of the media in the Russian regions provides grounds for hope as well as for concern". The regional print media has been able to maintain a solid position as an information resource. However, most publishers shy away from politically charged topics in order not to endanger their business. The situation is similar in radio where journalist has set up an Internet forum in which radio journalists can publish reports that their often strictly formatted radio stations refuse to broadcast.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Other news agencies include Rossiya segodnya, REGNUM News Agency, Russian Agency of Legal and Judicial Information, and Rosbalt. Overall there are more than 400 news agencies in the Russian Federation.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: According to statistics published by UNESCO in 2005, Russia had the largest number of newspaper journalists in the world (102,300), followed by China (82,849) and the United States (54,134).


title: Mass media in Russia

text: As of 2008 Russia had over 400 daily newspapers, covering many fields, and offering a range of perspectives. The total number of newspapers in Russia is 8,978, and they have a total annual circulation of 8.2 billion copies. There are also 6,698 magazines and periodicals with a total annual circulation of 1.6 billion copies.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: after television, newspapers are the second most popular media in Russia. Local newspapers are more popular than national ones, with 27% of Russians consulting local newspapers routinely and 40% reading them occasionally. For national newspapers, the corresponding figures are 18% and 38%, respectively.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: As of 2008, companies close to the Russian government, such as Gazprom, had acquired several of the most influential newspapers; however, the national press market still offers its consumers a more diverse range of views than those same consumers can sample on the country's leading television channels. Major Russian newspapers with foreign owners include the "Vedomosti" and "SmartMoney" owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. A number of American editions (such as "GQ") have Russian versions.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: An October 2014 law limited to 20% the maximum quota of foreign ownership in the Russian media by 2017. This will affect independent publications such as "Vedomosti" and "Forbes Russia".


title: Mass media in Russia

text: According to figures from the National Circulation Service agency, the most popular newspaper is "Argumenty i Fakty" which has a circulation of 2.9 million. It is followed by "Weekly Life" (1.9 million), "TV Guide" (1.2 million) and Perm Region "Izvestiya" (1 million). However, only about half of all Russian newspapers are registered with the agency. Some leading newspapers in Russia are tabloids, including "Zhizn". The most important business newspapers are "Vedomosti" and the influential "Kommersant". Many newspapers are opposition-leaning, such as the critical "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" and "Novaya Gazeta", which is known for its investigative journalism. The main English-language newspapers were "Moscow Times" and "The St. Petersburg Times". Six of the ten most circulated Russian newspapers are based in Moscow, while the other four are based in other cities and regions.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: As of 2008 there were three main nationwide radio stations in Russia: Radio Russia (coverage: 96.9% of the population), Radio Mayak (92.4%) and Radio Yunost (51.0%). Most radio stations focused on broadcasting music but they also offered some news and analysis. Especially famous had been the independent Gazprom-controlled station Echo of Moscow, once known for its political independence.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Like the RIA Novosti news agency, the Voice of Russia broadcaster was merged into a new media agency Rossiya Segodnya, officially "to save money", under a 9 December 2013 presidential decree.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: On 18 February 2014, a shareholders' meeting replaced the station's long-serving director, Yury Fedutinov, with former the Voice of Russia's Yekaterina Pavlova, a Kremlin-loyalist in "the latest in a series of personnel reshuffles at top state-owned media organizations that appear to point toward a tightening of Kremlin control over an already heavily regulated media landscape" the state owned RIA Novosti news agency reported the same day. The station's editor-in-chief, Alexei Venediktov, and his deputy, Vladimir Varfolomeev, were also removed from the broadcaster's board of directors. Venediktov, one of the station's founders, had written on 11 March on his Twitter account: "Gazprommedia (owner of 66% of the broadcaster's shares) urged the early dismissal of the radio's board of directors and a change in independent directors".


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Television is the most popular media in Russia, with 74% of the population watching national television channels routinely and 59% routinely watching regional channels. There are 330 television channels in total. Three channels have a nationwide outreach (over 90% coverage of the Russian territory): Channel One (a.k.a. First Channel), Russia-1 (a.k.a. Rossiya), and NTV. As stated by the BBC, both Channel One and Russia-1 are controlled by the government, while state-controlled energy giant Gazprom owns NTV. According to 2005 television ratings, the most popular channel was Channel One (22.9%), followed by Russia-1 (22.6%). The survey responders' local TV company was third with a rating of 12.3%. The three national TV channels provide both news and entertainment, while the most popular entertainment-only channels are STS (10.3% rating) and TNT (6.7%). The most popular sports channel is Russia 2 (formerly "Sport"; rating 1.8%), while the most popular culture channel is Russia K (formerly "Kultura"; rating 2.5%). Russia K and Russia 2 have the third and fourth largest coverage of all Russian TV channels, with Russia K reaching 78.9% of the urban and 36.2% of the rural population and Russia 2 reaching 51.5% and 15.6%, respectively.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Regional television is relatively popular in Russia, and according to a 2005 report by TNS, regional audiences rely mainly on news and analysis provided by regional channels.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The English-language satellite channel Russia Today (RT) was launched in 2005. It produces in multiple languages and broadcasts in over 100 countries. A new international multimedia news service called Sputnik was launched in 2014, merging and replacing previous services.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Dozhd (Rain), the only independent TV channel, came under increasing pressure in 2014. After a controversy over a historical poll in January, satellite providers started to drop the channel from their packages – reportedly under Kremlin pressure. In March the CEO announced the insolvency of the station, which still continued operating, with critical reporting on corruption and human rights abuses related to the Sochi Olympics.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Two of the three main channels are majority owned by the state. Channel One is 51% publicly owned, while Rossiya is 100% state-owned through the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK). NTV is a commercial channel, but it is owned by Gazprom-Media, a subsidiary of Gazprom of which the state owns 50.002%. These three channels have often come under criticism for being biased towards the United Russia party and the Presidential Administration of Russia. They are accused of providing disproportionate and uncritical coverage of United Russia and their candidates. The channels do, however, provide large amounts of free airtime to all opposition election candidates, as required by law. During the 2008 Russian presidential election, the four presidential candidates all received 21 hours of airtime on the three main channels to debate each other and present their views. According to research conducted by Professor Sarah Oates, most Russians believe that news reporting on the three national television channels is selective and unbalanced, but view this as appropriate. The responders to the study made it clear that they believe the role of state television should be to provide central authority and order in troubled times.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Third Multiplex (Broadcast exclusively on the territory of Moscow and Moscow Region, the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol):


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russian and later Soviet cinema was a hotbed of invention in the period immediately following 1917, resulting in world-renowned films such as "The Battleship Potemkin" by Sergei Eisenstein. Eisenstein was a student of filmmaker and theorist Lev Kuleshov, who developed the Soviet montage theory of film editing at the world's first film school, the All-Union Institute of Cinematography. Dziga Vertov, whose "kino-glaz" ('film-eye') theory – that the camera, like the human eye, is best used to explore real life—had a huge impact on the development of documentary film making and cinema realism. The subsequent state policy of socialist realism somewhat limited creativity; however, many Soviet films in this style were artistically successful, including "Chapaev", "The Cranes Are Flying", and "Ballad of a Soldier".


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The 1960s and 1970s saw a greater variety of artistic styles in Soviet cinema. Eldar Ryazanov's and Leonid Gaidai's comedies of that time were immensely popular, with many of the catch phrases still in use today. In 1961–1968 Sergey Bondarchuk directed an Oscar-winning film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic "War and Peace", which was the most expensive film made in the Soviet Union. In 1969, Vladimir Motyl's "White Sun of the Desert" was released, a very popular film in a genre of ostern; the film is traditionally watched by cosmonauts before any trip into space.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russian animation dates back to late Russian Empire times. During the Soviet era, Soyuzmultfilm studio was the largest animation producer. Soviet animators developed a great variety of pioneering techniques and aesthetic styles, with prominent directors including Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Fyodor Khitruk and Aleksandr Tatarsky. Many Soviet cartoon heroes such as the Russian-style Winnie-the-Pooh, cute little Cheburashka, Wolf and Hare from "Nu, Pogodi!", are iconic images in Russia and many surrounding countries.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The late 1980s and 1990s were a period of crisis in Russian cinema and animation. Although Russian filmmakers became free to express themselves, state subsidies were drastically reduced, resulting in fewer films produced. The early years of the 21st century have brought increased viewership and subsequent prosperity to the industry on the back of the economic revival. Production levels are already higher than in Britain and Germany. Russia's total box-office revenue in 2007 was $565 million, up 37% from the previous year. In 2002 the "Russian Ark" became the first feature film ever to be shot in a single take. The traditions of Soviet animation were developed recently by such directors as Aleksandr Petrov and studios like Melnitsa Animation.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The state-owned Rossiya TV channel has been the first to being in-house film production (particularly of TV serials).


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The telecommunications system in Russia has undergone significant changes since the 1980s, resulting in thousands of companies licensed to offer communication services today. The foundation for liberalization of broadcasting was laid by the decree signed by the President of the USSR in 1990. Telecommunication is mainly regulated through the Federal Law On Communications and the Federal Law On Mass Media.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Soviet-time Ministry of Communications of the RSFSR was through 1990s transformed to Ministry for Communications and informatization and in 2004 it was renamed to Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (Mininformsvyazi), and since 2008 Ministry of Communications and Mass Media.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russia is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to foreign countries. Fiber to the x infrastructure has been expanded rapidly in recent years, principally by regional players including Southern Telecom Company, SibirTelecom, ER Telecom and Golden Telecom. Collectively, these players are having a significant impact of fiber broadband in regional areas, and are enabling operators to take advantage of consumer demand for faster access and bundled services.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The main mobile network operators in Russia include VimpelCom (Beeline) (25.6 percent of the market), MegaFon (23 percent) and MTS (34.2 percent). Other operators include Tele2, Uralsvyazinform, Sibirtelecom, SMARTS and others. Mobile phone penetration was of 78% as of 2009 (90% in Moscow), compared to 32% in 2005.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Internet access in Russia is available to businesses and to home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, FTTH, mobile, wireless and satellite. In September 2011 Russia overtook Germany on the European market with the highest number of unique visitors online. In March 2013 a survey found that Russian had become the second most commonly used language on the web.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Internet in Russia is also sometimes called Runet, although that term mostly refers to the Russian-language Internet.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: In 2009, Internet penetration had reached 35% – mainly 18–24 year-olds in urban areas. While 15% of Russians used Internet daily, 54% had never used it. 49% of Internet users were in Moscow – where, as in St. Petersburg, connections are faster and cheaper. Penetration rate mounted to 71% in 2014, although concentrated in the main towns.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Russians are strong users of social networks, of which Odnoklassniki.ru (used by 75% of 25-35 year-olds. Russians in 2009) and VKontakte are the most popular. LiveJournal has also been long popular.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: A number of Russian Internet resources provide Russian translations of the world press on a regular basis: InoSmi, InoForum, SMI2, and Perevodika.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Media organisations in Russia have been facing mounting pressures from the authorities. The 2012 "foreign agents law" required those NGOs that receive foreign funding and engage in "political activity" to register as "foreign agents" with the Ministry of Justice. To avoid long court battles to compel NGOs to register, the law was amended in 2014 to allow the ministry to register organisations without their consent. Two media support organisations were added to the registry in November 2014.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Russia's Union of Journalists is the largest media workers' organisation in Russia, gathering 84 regional unions and over 40 associations, guilds and communities. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: MediaSoyuz, established in 2001 as a no-profit organisation, strives to facilitate freedom of speech and the social protection of journalists. MediaSoyuz unites several journalistic associations, including the associations of political journalism, economic journalism, ecological journalism, Internet journalism, and others.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Guild of the Press Publishers unites 370 companies to foster the development of the publishing business in Russia. The National Association of TV and Radio Broadcasters gathers broadcast publishers.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Several smaller media organisations gather thematically media outlets and workers, e.g. the Association of Agrarian Journalists.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: In 2008 the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Communications was established and tasked with regulating mass media, communications and IT activities in coordination with four subordinated federal agencies (Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications; Federal Agency on IT; Federal Agency of Communications and Federal Control Service in the Sphere of Communications; IT and Mass Communications).


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Freedom of the press in Russia involves both the ability of mass media outlets to carry out independent policies and the ability of journalists to access sources of information and to work without outside pressure.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Various aspects of the contemporary press freedom situation are criticized by multiple international organizations. While much attention is paid to political influences, media expert William Dunkerley, a senior fellow at American University in Moscow, argues that the genesis of Russia's press freedom woes lies in sectoral economic dysfunction.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Russian constitution provides for freedom of speech and press; however, government application of law, bureaucratic regulation, and politically motivated criminal investigations have forced the press to exercise self-censorship constraining its coverage of certain controversial issues, resulting in infringements of these rights. According to Human Rights Watch, the Russian government exerts control over civil society through selective implementation of the law, restriction and censure.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: Svetlana Mironyuk commented to Vasily Gatov that Russian media since the early 2000s is divided into three groups: outsiders, our guys (pro-kremlin media), and in-betweeners.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: In 2013 Russia ranked 148th out of 179 countries in the Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. In a 2015 Freedom House report Russia got a score of 83 (100 being the worst), mostly because of new laws introduced in 2014 that further extended state control over mass-media. The situation was characterised as even worse in Crimea where, after its annexation by Russia, both Russian jurisdiction and extrajudicial means are routinely applied to limit freedom of expression.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: The Russian censorship apparatus "Roskomnadzor" ordered media organizations to delete stories that describe the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine as an "assault", "invasion", or a "declaration of war". "Roskomnadzor" launched an investigation against the "Novaya Gazeta", Echo of Moscow, inoSMI, MediaZona, "New Times", Dozhd (TV Rain), and other Russian media outlets for publishing "inaccurate information about the shelling of Ukrainian cities and civilian casualties in Ukraine as a result of the actions of the Russian Army". On 1 March 2022, Russian authorities blocked access to Echo of Moscow and Dozhd, Russia's last independent TV station, claiming that they were spreading "deliberately false information about the actions of Russian military personnel". Additionally, "Roskomnadzor" threatened to block access to the Russian Wikipedia in Russia over the article "" ("Russia's invasion of Ukraine (2022)"), claiming that the article contains "illegally distributed information", including "reports about numerous casualties among service personnel of the Russian Federation and also the civilian population of Ukraine, including children".


title: Mass media in Russia

text: On 4 March 2022, "Roskomnadzor" blocked access to several foreign media outlets, including BBC News Russian, Voice of America, RFE/RL, Deutsche Welle (DW) and Meduza, as well as Facebook and Twitter. DW Moscow studio staff had their press credentials confiscated and the government said it would investigate if the operation would be considered a foreign agent. DW subsequently announced plans to transfer Moscow journalistic operations to the Latvian capitol, Riga.


title: Mass media in Russia

text: On 4 March 2022, President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill introducing prison sentences of up to 15 years for those who publish "knowingly false information" about the Russian military and its operations, leading to some media outlets to stop reporting on Ukraine.


title: Fourth Way

text: The Fourth Way is an approach to self-development developed by George Gurdjieff over years of travel in the East (c. 1890 – 1912). It combines and harmonizes what he saw as three established traditional "ways" or "schools": those of the body, the emotions, and the mind, or of fakirs, monks and yogis, respectively. Students often refer to the Fourth Way as "The Work", "Work on oneself", or "The System". The exact origins of some of Gurdjieff's teachings are unknown, but various sources have been suggested.


title: Fourth Way

text: The term "Fourth Way" was further used by his student P. D. Ouspensky in his lectures and writings. After Ouspensky's death, his students published a book entitled "The Fourth Way" based on his lectures. According to this system, the three traditional schools, or ways, "are permanent forms which have survived throughout history mostly unchanged, and are based on religion. Where schools of yogis, monks or fakirs exist, they are barely distinguishable from religious schools. The fourth way differs in that "it is not a permanent way. It has no specific forms or institutions and comes and goes controlled by some particular laws of its own."


title: Fourth Way

text: The Fourth Way addresses the question of humanity's place in the Universe and the possibilities of inner development. It emphasizes that people ordinarily live in a state referred to as a semi-hypnotic "waking sleep," while higher levels of consciousness, virtue, and unity of will are possible.


title: Fourth Way

text: The Fourth Way teaches how to increase and focus attention and energy in various ways, and to minimize day-dreaming and absent-mindedness. This inner development in oneself is the beginning of a possible further process of change, whose aim is to transform man into "what he ought to be."


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff's followers believed he was a spiritual master, a human being who is fully awake or enlightened. He was also seen as an esotericist or occultist. He agreed that the teaching was esoteric but claimed that none of it was veiled in secrecy but that many people lack the interest or the capability to understand it. Gurdjieff said, "The teaching whose theory is here being set out is completely self supporting and independent of other lines and it has been completely unknown up to the present time."


title: Fourth Way

text: The Fourth Way teaches that the soul a human individual is born with gets trapped and encapsulated by personality, and stays dormant, leaving one not really conscious, despite "believing" one is. A person must free the soul by following a teaching which can lead to this aim or "go nowhere" upon death of his body. Should a person be able to receive the teaching and find a school, upon the death of the physical body they will "go elsewhere." Humans are born "asleep", live in "sleep", and die in "sleep", only "imagining" that they are awake with few exceptions. The ordinary waking "consciousness" of human beings is not consciousness at all but merely a form of sleep."


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff taught "sacred dances" or "movements", now known as Gurdjieff movements, which were performed together as a group. He left a body of music, inspired by that which he had heard in remote monasteries and other places, which was written for piano in collaboration with one of his pupils, Thomas de Hartmann.


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff insisted that these paths, although they may intend to seek to produce a fully developed human being, tend to cultivate certain faculties at the expense of others. The goal of religion or spirituality was, in fact, to produce a well-balanced, responsive and sane human being capable of dealing with all eventualities that life may present. Gurdjieff therefore made it clear that it was necessary to cultivate a way that integrated and combined the traditional three ways.


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff said that his Fourth Way was a quicker means than the first three ways because it simultaneously combined work on all three centers rather than focusing on one. It could be followed by ordinary people in everyday life, requiring no retirement into the desert. The Fourth Way does involve certain conditions imposed by a teacher, but blind acceptance of them is discouraged. Each student is advised to do only what they understand and to verify for themselves the teaching's ideas.


title: Fourth Way

text: Ouspensky documented Gurdjieff as saying that "two or three thousand years ago there were yet other ways which no longer exist and the ways then in existence were not so divided, they stood much closer to one another. The fourth way differs from the old and the new ways by the fact that it is never a permanent way. It has no definite forms and there are no institutions connected with it."


title: Fourth Way

text: Ouspensky quotes Gurdjieff that there are fake schools and that "It is impossible to recognize a wrong way without knowing the right way. This means that it is no use troubling oneself how to recognize a wrong way. One must think of how to find the right way."


title: Fourth Way

text: Conscious Labor is an action where the person who is performing the act is present to what he is doing; not absentminded. At the same time he is striving to perform the act more efficiently.


title: Fourth Way

text: Intentional suffering is the act of struggling against automatism such as daydreaming, pleasure, food (eating for reasons other than real hunger), etc. In Gurdjieff's book "Beelzebub's Tales" he states that "the greatest 'intentional suffering' can be obtained in our presences by compelling ourselves to endure the displeasing manifestations of others toward ourselves"


title: Fourth Way

text: Observation of one's own behavior and habits. To observe thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judging or analyzing what is observed.


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff emphasized that awakening results from consistent, prolonged effort. Such efforts may be made as an act of will after one is already exhausted.


title: Fourth Way

text: This indicates fragmentation of the psyche, the different feelings and thoughts of ‘I’ in a person: I think, I want, I know best, I prefer, I am happy, I am hungry, I am tired, etc. These have nothing in common with one another and are unaware of each other, arising and vanishing for short periods of time. Hence man usually has no unity in himself, wanting one thing now and another, perhaps contradictory, thing later.


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff classified plants as having one center, animals two and humans three. Centers refer to apparati within a being that dictate specific organic functions. There are three main centers in a man: intellectual, emotional and physical, and two higher centers: higher emotional and higher intellectual.


title: Fourth Way

text: How the "Law of Seven" and "Law of Three" function together is said to be illustrated on the Fourth Way Enneagram, a nine-pointed symbol which is the central glyph of Gurdjieff's system.


title: Fourth Way

text: In his explanations Gurdjieff often used different symbols such as the Enneagram and the Ray of Creation. Gurdjieff said that "the enneagram is a universal symbol. All knowledge can be included in the enneagram and with the help of the enneagram it can be interpreted ... A man may be quite alone in the desert and he can trace the enneagram in the sand and in it read the eternal laws of the universe. And every time he can learn something new, something he did not know before." The ray of creation is a diagram which represents the Earth's place in the Universe. The diagram has eight levels, each corresponding to Gurdjieff's laws of octaves.


title: Fourth Way

text: Through the elaboration of the law of octaves and the meaning of the enneagram, Gurdjieff offered his students alternative means of conceptualizing the world and their place in it.


title: Fourth Way

text: To provide conditions in which attention could be exercised more intensively, Gurdjieff also taught his pupils "sacred dances" or "movements" which they performed together as a group, and he left a body of music inspired by what he heard in visits to remote monasteries and other places, which was written for piano in collaboration with one of his pupils, Thomas de Hartmann.


title: Fourth Way

text: Gurdjieff laid emphasis on the idea that the seeker must conduct his or her own search. The teacher cannot do the student's work for the student, but is more of a guide on the path to self-discovery. As a teacher, Gurdjieff specialized in creating conditions for students – conditions in which growth was possible, in which efficient progress could be made by the willing. To find oneself in a set of conditions that a gifted teacher has arranged has another benefit. As Gurdjieff put it, "You must realize that each man has a definite repertoire of roles which he plays in ordinary circumstances ... but put him into even only slightly different circumstances and he is unable to find a suitable role and for a short time he becomes himself."


title: Fourth Way

text: Having migrated for four years after escaping the Russian Revolution with dozens of followers and family members, Gurdjieff settled in France and established his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Château Le Prieuré at Fontainebleau-Avon in October 1922. The institute was an esoteric school based on Gurdjieff's Fourth Way teaching. After nearly dying in a car crash in 1924, he recovered and closed down the Institute. He began writing "All and Everything". From 1930, Gurdjieff made visits to North America where he resumed his teachings.


title: Fourth Way

text: Ouspensky relates that in the early work with Gurdjieff in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Gurdjieff forbade students from writing down or publishing anything connected with Gurdjieff and his ideas. Gurdjieff said that students of his methods would find themselves unable to transmit correctly what was said in the groups. Later, Gurdjieff relaxed this rule, accepting students who subsequently published accounts of their experiences in the Gurdjieff work.


title: Fourth Way

text: After Gurdjieff's death in 1949 a variety of groups around the world have attempted to continue The Gurdjieff Work. The Gurdjieff Foundation, was established in 1953 in New York City by Jeanne de Salzmann in cooperation with other direct pupils. J. G. Bennett ran groups and also made contact with the Subud and Sufi schools to develop The Work in different directions. Maurice Nicoll, a Jungian psychologist, also ran his own groups based on Gurdjieff and Ouspensky's ideas.


title: Fourth Way

text: The French institute was headed for many years by Madam de Salzmann – a direct pupil of Gurdjieff. Under her leadership, the Gurdjieff Societies of London and New York were founded and developed.


title: Fourth Way

text: The Enneagram is often studied in contexts that do not include other elements of Fourth Way teaching.


title: Naengmyeon

text: Naengmyeon (, in South Korea) or raengmyŏn (, in North Korea) is a noodle dish of North Korean origin which consists of long and thin handmade noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients, including buckwheat (메밀, "memil"), potatoes, sweet potatoes, arrowroot starch (darker color and chewier than buckwheat noodles), and kudzu (, ). Buckwheat predominates (despite the name, it is not a wheat but rather is more closely related to sorrel). Other varieties of naengmyeon are made from ingredients such as seaweed and green tea.


title: Naengmyeon

text: In modern times, the "mul naengmyeon" (물 냉면) variant is commonly associated with and popularly consumed during the summer, however, it was historically a dish enjoyed during winter.


title: Naengmyeon

text: According to the 19th-century documents of "Dongguksesigi" (), "naengmyeon" has been made since the Joseon Dynasty. Originally a delicacy in northern Korea, especially in the cities of Pyongyang () and Hamhung (), "naengmyeon" became widely popular throughout Korea in both North and South Korea after the Korean War.


title: Naengmyeon

text: Naengmyeon is served in a large brass or stainless-steel bowl with a tangy iced broth, julienned cucumbers, slices of Korean pear, thin, wide strips of lightly pickled radish, and either a boiled egg or slices of cold boiled beef or both. Spicy mustard sauce (or mustard oil) and vinegar are often added before consumption. Traditionally, the long noodles would be eaten without cutting, as they symbolized longevity of life and good health, but servers at restaurants usually ask if the noodles should be cut prior to eating, and use scissors to cut the noodles.


title: Naengmyeon

text: The two main varieties of "naengmyeon" are "mul naengmyeon" (물 냉면) and "bibim naengmyeon" (비빔 냉면). The former is served as a cold noodle soup made from beef, chicken or dongchimi broth. The latter is served with a spicy dressing made primarily from "gochujang" (red chili paste) and eaten mixed. In the case of "bibim naengmyeon", a bowl of broth used in "mul naengmyeon" or plain broth from the boiled noodles itself are often served on the side. This broth can be served hot or cold depending on the restaurant and type of broth. Boiled eggs and sliced cucumbers are often added as a garnish.


title: Naengmyeon

text: "Mul naengmyeon" originates from Pyongyang. "Pyŏngyang naengmyŏn" is mainly made from buckwheat and either beef or pheasant broth. It also uses dongchimi broth or a mixture of it, while adding sliced pieces of radish to the dish. Vinegar, mustard oil (provided on request at most restaurants), and sugar is added according to taste before eating. South Koreans do not add sugar and use beef broth exclusively. In South Jeolla Province, "mul naengmyeon" is often served with red chili paste that is mixed in with the broth. The effect is similar to adding the broth to a bowl of "bibim naengmyeon".


title: Naengmyeon

text: A version of "bibim naengmyeon" originates from Hamhung, the "hoe naengmyeon" (회 냉면). "Hoe naengmyeon" is "bibim naengmyeon" with additional marinated raw fish (hoe), usually skate. It is eaten with "gochujang" and other ingredients mixed. Vinegar, sugar, and sometimes sesame oil are added according to taste. The noodles of "Hamhung naengmyeon" are typically made from potato or sweet potato starch, making the noodles chewier in texture compared to those of "Pyongyang naengmyeon". In addition to skate, pollock (명태) can also be used in "hoe naengmyeon". In this case it is referred to as "myeongtae hoe naengmyeon" (명태회냉면).


title: Naengmyeon

text: Another variety of naengmyeon is "yeolmu naengmyeon" (열무 냉면) which is served with "yeolmu kimchi", made from the leaves of the yeolmu summer radish.


title: Naengmyeon

text: "Jungguk-naengmyeon" () is a Chinese-influenced cold noodle soup in Korean Chinese cuisine. Likewise, a Chinese version of the dish known as "Korean cold noodles" () or "Dongbei cold noodles" () is popular in the Northeast China region bordering Korea.


title: Naengmyeon

text: Morioka Reimen (盛岡冷麺) is derived from naengmyeon which was introduced by Korean immigrants, and is part of Japanese regional cuisine in Tohoku region.


title: Naengmyeon

text: Instant "naengmyeon" noodles are available, with the soup broth prepackaged with the noodles. A plastic package of mustard oil is often supplied.


title: Naengmyeon

text: In the South Korean variety show "Infinite Challenge", Park Myeong-su and Jessica, a former member of Girls' Generation, performed the song "Naengmyeon" which was named after the food. The song became a hit and received wide acclaim. The plot of the 2020 daily soap opera "Brilliant Heritage" revolves around a naengmyeon shop, among other riches owned by an 80-year-old man who marries a 33-year-old woman to spite his children.


title: Naengmyeon

text: During the first summit between North and South Korean leaders, Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, Kim presented Moon with Pyongyang-style "raengmyŏn" as a gift.


title: Counties of Romania

text: A total of 41 counties (), along with the municipality of Bucharest, constitute the official administrative divisions of Romania. They represent the country's NUTS-3 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics – Level 3) statistical subdivisions within the European Union and each of them serves as the local level of government within its borders. Most counties are named after a major river, while some are named after notable cities within them, such as the county seat.


title: Counties of Romania

text: The earliest organization into "județe" of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (where they were termed "ținuturi") dates back to at least the late 14th century. For most of the time since modern Romania was formed in 1859, the administrative division system has been similar to that of the French departments. The system has since changed several times and the number of counties has varied over time, from the 71 "județe" that existed before World War II to only 39 after 1968. The current format has largely been in place since 1968 as only small changes have been made since then, the last of which was in 1997.


title: Counties of Romania

text: According to a 2011 census data from the National Institute of Statistics, the average population of Romania's 41 counties is about 445,000, with Iași County as the most populous (772,000) and Covasna County (210,000) the least. The average county's land area is , with Timiș County () the largest and Ilfov County () the smallest. The municipality of Bucharest, which has the same administrative level as that of a county, is both more populous and much smaller than any county, with 1,883,425 people and .


title: Counties of Romania

text: The earliest organization into "județe" (for Wallachia), and "ținuturi" (for Moldavia), dates back at least to the late 14th century. Inspired from the organization of the late Byzantine Empire, each "județ" was ruled by a "jude" (or "pârcălab" for a "ținut"), a person officially appointed with administrative and judicial functions. Transylvania was divided into royal counties headed by "comes" (royal counts) with administrative and judicial functions.


title: Counties of Romania

text: After modern Romania was formed in 1859 through the union of Wallachia and the rump of Moldavia, the administrative division was modernized using the French administrative system as a model, with "județ" as the basic administrative unit. Aside from the 1950–1968 period, this system has remained in place until today. Since 1864, for each "județ" there exists a "prefect", a subordinate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and representative of the government inside the county; he is also the head of local administration for areas not delegated to local authorities. Until 1948, each "județ" was further divided into several "plăși", each administered by a "pretor".


title: Counties of Romania

text: After the adoption of a new Constitution in 1923, the traditional local administrative systems of the newly acquired regions of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia were made uniform in 1925 with that of the Romanian Old Kingdom. County borders were kept largely intact, with few adjustments, and the total number of counties was raised to 71; this lasted until the beginning of World War II.


title: Counties of Romania

text: In 1938, King Carol II modified the law on the administration of the Romanian territory according to the fascist model. Ten "ținuturi" (approx. translation "lands") were created, ruled by "Rezidenți Regali" (Royal Residents), appointed directly by the Monarch. The "ținuturi" represented another layer of administration between counties and the country, as the county borders were not erased.


title: Counties of Romania

text: Due to the territorial changes during World War II, this style of administration did not last, and the administration at the "județ" level was reintroduced after the war. Between 1941 and 1944, Romania administered the territory between the Dniester and Southern Bug rivers known as Transnistria, which consisted of 13 separate counties.


title: Counties of Romania

text: After taking over the administration of the country in 1945, the Communist Party changed the administrative model to that of the Soviet Union (regions and raions) in 1950, but changed it back in 1968. Nevertheless, the county borders set then were quite different from those present during the interbellum, as only 39 counties were formed from the 56 remaining after the war.


title: Counties of Romania

text: In 1981, Giurgiu and Călărași were split from Ialomița and the former county of Ilfov, while in 1997, Ilfov County, which had been a dependency of the municipality of Bucharest for nearly two decades, was reinstated. The county borders set in 1968 are still largely in place today, but the functions of different authorities have changed due to administrative reforms in the 1990s.


title: Counties of Romania

text: At present, Romania is divided into 41 counties and one municipality (Bucharest); these are assigned as the NUTS-3 geocode statistical subdivision scheme of Romania within the European Union. Each of the counties is further divided into cities (some of which have municipality status) and communes. The "prefect" and his administration have executive prerogatives within the county limits, while limited legislative powers are assigned to a County Council elected every four years during local elections. The territorial districts of the Romanian judicial system overlap with county borders, thus avoiding further complication in the separation of powers on the government.


title: Natalia Reyes

text: Natalia Reyes Gaitán (born 6 February 1987) is a Colombian actress known for her starring role in "" (2019). Before that, she was known in Latin America for her role in "Birds of Passage" (2018); and for starring on the Sony Pictures Television series "Lady, la vendedora de rosas". She is also known in her native country for other television shows such as "Isa TK+", "Dulce amor", and "Cumbia Ninja" on Fox.


title: Natalia Reyes

text: In 2009, Reyes met Juan Pedro San Segundo in Cartagena when Juan was the organizer of a music festival at the time. They married in 2016.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: Before that, Aslin travelled to Rojava, also known as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), There, he served as a foreign volunteer for the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG), fighting against the so-called Islamic State, also known as Daesh. Aslin was briefly detained upon his return to the United Kingdom.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: Aslin was born in 1994. He lived in Newark, Nottinghamshire and worked as a carer before travelling to Rojava to join the YPG in 2015.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: From 2015 to 2016 Aslin fought with the YPG International in Tel Abyad and al-Hasakah. He also participated in the 2015 al-Hawl offensive against Daesh. He returned to the United Kingdom on 3 February 2016 and was arrested upon arrival. Aslin gained some media attention for protesting his treatment by Nottinghamshire Police in their investigation of his activities pursuant to the Terrorism Act "in the preparation to fight against Daesh" and possessing "articles for terrorist purposes in Iraq/Syria". The YPG is not a proscribed terror group in the UK and have received extensive support from the UK government, as a major ally of the US-led coalition force in Syria, but this did not protect Aslin from legal difficulties upon returning home. Charges were ultimately dropped and he returned to Rojava in 2016. Aslin has been critical of the international community's lack of support for the YPG, of the Turkish occupation of parts of Rojava, and of the sale of British weapons to Turkey for attacks against the Kurds.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: In 2018, Aslin travelled to Ukraine and enlisted with the Ukrainian 36th Naval Infantry Brigade. In February 2022 he was deployed to Mariupol. On 12 April 2022 he surrendered to Russian forces who had been besieging the city since 24 February 2022. He appeared to have sustained injuries while in captivity and was interviewed on 18 April by British freelance journalist Graham Phillips. Geoffrey Robertson, a human rights barrister, called the interview a breach of the Geneva Conventions done for "propaganda purposes". Concerns about Aslin's treatment were subsequently raised by MP Robert Jenrick in the UK parliament.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: After a complaint from Aslin's family, through their MP Robert Jenrick, Phillips' interview with Aslin was removed from YouTube. Aslin has since given several interviews, and a YouTube channel in his name was started. The channel was later terminated in August of 2022 'after a legal complaint'.


title: Aiden Aslin

text: On 30 April, the prosecutor-general for the DPR accused Aslin and two others of acting as mercenaries, beginning an investigation of "the commission of crimes by a group of persons (part 2 of article 34 of the Criminal Code of the DPR), on the forcible seizure of power or the forcible retention of power (Article 323 of the Criminal Code of the DPR) and on mercenarism (Article 440 Criminal Code of the DPR)", indicating they could face the death penalty if convicted. On 5 May, Aslin gave a digitally recorded statement to prosecutors that he fully understood what he was accused of, that he agreed with it fully "up to the part about murdering civilians" (which he denied), that he fought on the territory of the DPR, that he fought against the soldiers of the DPR in peaceful settlements, and that he used arms and weapons systems alongside other foreign nationals. Lawyers assigned to the three men during interrogations by the Russian military later made comments to the media expressing their support for the accession of Odessa, Kherson and Mykolaiv into the Russian Federation, support for the war against Ukraine, and support for the return of the death penalty to Russia. On 27 May the prosecutor's office completed its investigation and announced charges on 6 June, stating the following: