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Home / Business / Emirates and Arsenal Renew Sponsorship Deal
Emirates and Arsenal Renew Sponsorship Deal
Posted on February 23, 2018 by Josephine Nettey in Business
Emirates, the world's largest international airline, and Arsenal Football Club, have announced a new sponsorship deal. The sponsorship, the largest ever signed by the club and one of the biggest ever agreed in football, grants the airline a 5-year extension to their shirt partnership with the Club until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
The new sponsorship agreement, strengthens one of the most recognisable and respected partnerships in sport. The agreement was formally finalised today by Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis and Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark.
MrGazidis said: "Our shirt partnership is the longest running in the Premier League and one of the longest relationships in world sport. This mutual commitment is testimony to the strength and depth of our unique relationship. Emirates are again demonstrating their great belief in our approach and ambition and their significantly increased investment will help us continue to compete for trophies and bring more success to the club and our fans around the world."
"Emirates is a great partner for Arsenal – a world class brand with a truly global reach. The airline plays a significant role in our ambitions to extend our influence and following around the world. The new deal, extending our shirt partnership until 2024, underlines how much both organisations value and benefit from the relationship."
In addition to being shirt sponsors, with the Emirates brand continuing to appear on Arsenal's playing and training kits, Emirates will provide access to their award winning planes for Arsenal to use on pre-season tours. Emirates will retain marketing rights to develop campaigns and initiatives around the world. Arsenal's home will continue to be known as Emirates Stadium up to 2028, as part of the extension agreed in 2012.
Emirates' shirt partnership began in the 2006/2007 season, and this extension means that Emirates branding will remain on the shirt of all Arsenal teams for at least 18 years.
Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark, said: "Arsenal's strong appeal and influence around the globe, combined with their ambitions as a Club makes them an ideal partner for Emirates, with values that reflect ours as a brand. As a long-standing supporter of football, we are passionate about the game and are a proud partner to the team."
"As a business, we are hugely committed to supporting sports all over the world and our relationship with Arsenal is no different. Our partnership with Arsenal Football Club is a great combination of two truly global brands and we're very pleased to have extended this relationship for five more years –connecting fans from around the world with one of the greatest teams in the world."
Aside from partnerships with some of the biggest clubs in European football, Emirates is the Official Airline of international sporting events across golf, tennis, rugby, cricket, horse racing and motorsports.
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An Alberta journalist, who's been held hostage in Somalia for nearly 10 months, has made contact with CTV News.
Amanda Lindhout says she's in desperate need of medical help and is begging for her ransom to be paid.
"My name is Amanda Lindhout and I am a Canadian citizen and I've been held hostage by gunmen in Somalia for nearly 10 months. I'm in a desperate situation. I'm being kept in a dark, windowless, room in chains without any clean drinking water and little or no food. I've been very sick for months without any medicine so I'm begging my government and fellow citizens to assist my family in paying my ransom. The Canadian government must have some duty to help its citizens in such a crisis and my fellow citizens can assist me in putting pressure on my government. I love my country and want to live to see it again. Without food or medicine, I will die here and I'm in need of immediate aid. I implore my family whom I love more than anything to continue to search for money for my release. Without it, I will die here. I also tell them they must deal directly with these people as my life depends on it. My life is worth more than any money spent. To fellow journalists in Canada please help bring attention to my situation and continue in any way possible in order that I may return home to Canada. That's all I can say."
CTV News played a recording of the call to someone who knows her very well and that person said there's no doubt the voice belongs to Amanda Lindhout.
CTV News also contacted Lindhout's family about the statement but they refused to comment.
Lindhout is a journalist from Red Deer who was working for a French news agency in Somalia when she was kidnapped on August 23rd.
Along with Lindhout, her photographer Nigel Brennan and their translator were also captured near Mogadishu while they were on their way to a refugee camp.
After the kidnapping, a $2.5-million ransom was demanded. CTV News has learned that ransom has now been dropped to $1-million.
In January, the translator was let go but Lindhout and Brennan remain hostages.
In two days, Lindhout will turn 28-years-old.
The footage, broadcast by Al Jazeera shows Amanda Lindhout, of Sylvan Lake, Alta., was released on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008.


Gabriel has consulted for the World Development Movement and has also advised other NGOs campaigning against TTIP. This entry draws on research commissioned and funded by the Elcano Royal Institute.
This week has witnessed the seventh round of talks between EU and US negotiators seeking to hammer out a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). These have been mired in controversy over the supposed impact that the agreement will have on the ability of countries to regulate in the public interest. These fears have been labelled as unfounded by advocates of the deal, who emphasise that the TTIP will sufficiently protect countries' "right to regulate" and not lead to a downgrading of standards.
Who is right? It is impossible to arrive at a definitive answer, both because the negotiations are ongoing and because we only have access to some of the relevant negotiating texts (the process has largely been conducted behind closed doors). All the same, it is possible to offer some preliminary thoughts. The two most controversial areas in the UK are investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and public services (especially healthcare), so I'll concentrate on them.
The idea that ISDS provisions will allow for the "striking down" of laws, as has been reported by some, is not technically correct. Tribunals are only able to award compensation. Yet they can in some cases lead to a situation of "regulatory chill" – where governments fail to legislate for fear of being challenged (with potentially negative effects for social and environmental protections).
It should be said that the ISDS provisions (based on my reading of the European Commission's consultation on the subject) do represent an improvement on those in previous bilateral investment treaties, which have been largely signed between developed and developing countries. Most notably, they provide more wiggle-room to governments to avoid litigation in cases where they clearly regulate in the public interest; and also improve the transparency of arbitration hearings.
That being said, the proposals are still problematic. As noted by a number of prominent scholars in the field, they still leave arbitration tribunals with substantial freedom to interpret investment-protection provisions in the TTIP and do not firmly enshrine the "right to regulate" within the text of the agreement (only mentioning it in the preamble). They do not sufficiently address the broader conflicts of interest that exist within investment arbitration, which depends on repeat custom from investors. Most importantly, they enshrine the broader principle of the pre-eminence of foreign investors over domestic regulatory autonomy.
One argument that is sometimes heard from advocates of including ISDS in the agreement is that it represents an opportunity to reform the flawed dispute settlement processes laid out in previous treaties. But even if the TTIP proposals represent an improvement, they will make possible "forum-shopping," where foreign investors choose the investment regime with the most advantageous ISDS provisions. One estimate suggested that it would lead to an increase of US foreign direct investment covered by such provisions from 15-20% to 65-80%.
The second issue of great concern in the UK has been the issue of public services. The fear expressed by campaigners is that the TTIP would threaten the public delivery of such services as healthcare by including explicit commitments to liberalise them – and that these should therefore be excluded entirely from the negotiations (as has been done for audio-visual services).
The available evidence on this issue – a leaked draft services market-access offer made by the EU in June 2014 – suggests that these assurances are not telling the full story. The UK government has also made a number of commitments in the TTIP negotiations not to retreat on liberalisation on mainly privately funded but also some publicly funded health services. This is problematic for two reasons. First of all, the distinction between publicly and privately funded services is not always clear. Commitments on privately funded services may therefore also affect publicly funded services. Secondly, this approach relies on the government explicitly excluding certain policy measures from the scope of its liberalisation commitments – with any failure to do so implying that sectors must be open to foreign competition.
On both of these points, the UK has not unambiguously protected public services in the draft market-access schedule to the agreement. Meanwhile the specific safeguards alluded to by the Commission in its letter are often seen as having a rather limited scope –- covering principally the "core sovereign functions" of states, such as defence, policing or the judiciary.
It should be stressed that the practical consequences of this are not new privatisations of public services, but rather the "locking-in" of the existing marketisation of public services, such as that undertaken under the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which greatly increased the opportunities for private companies to compete in healthcare tenders. So while it would be wrong to say that the TTIP will lead to the wholesale privatisation of public services, it would potentially constrain governments' ability to reverse past policy decisions to open up public services to competition as this would become a treaty-based commitment.
In sum, the likely impact of the TTIP has been exaggerated to some extent. But my tentative view is that there are some grounds for concern. Ultimately a lot depends on the politics that have engulfed the negotiations and which may limit the extent to which certain proposals are carried out. But the intended direction of travel (so far) is certainly to further entrench competitive disciplines and constrain the regulatory autonomy of states.


After packing in the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the urge to walk off some of that excess weight is no doubt high. Combine that with a long weekend off, and you can leisurely choose from any number of lovely fall hikes in the Bay Area. For me, this particular weekend calls for something pleasant, accessible, and not too strenuous.
In the north bay, the Marin Headlands fills those requirements perfectly – great views of the bay, not-too-taxing elevation, and is 15 minutes or so from the city. In the (north)east bay, the trail that runs from the Richmond marina to Point Isabel Regional Shoreline is flat and scenic, skirting along the bay waters through bird-friendly wetlands. Farther south near Fremont, the Coyote Hills Regional Park along the bay is quite unique, offering a series of hills rising up in an otherwise flat area, wide-open views and trails along bay waters.
But my choice for the best holiday hike/stroll is near Saratoga, at the Montalvo Arts Center and Villa Montalvo Arboretum County Park. The villa itself is worth the trip, an impressive Mediterranean-style manse from 1912, on the National Registrar of Historic Places, and with appropriately lush and manicured grounds to match. Unique tree species include Bunya pine, ginkgo (golden this time of year), Kashmir cypress from the Himalayas, blue needle palm from Argentina and dwarf leatherwood from Chile. But it's directly behind the villa where you can pick up one of several trails that crisscross the 137-acre arboretum – an official Audubon Society bird sanctuary. It's quite wooded, somewhat hilly, with well-groomed paths and signage for various tree species. And you can choose to ascend out of a redwood canyon to the 1,200-foot Lookout Point. But mostly it's one of the more serene and lovely spots in all the Bay Area, and a perfect combination of exercise and relaxation on a long holiday weekend.


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The European Solar Orbiter project has taken another step towards launch-readiness, with Australia's CSIRO delivering the last of the optical filters that the orbiter needs to image the sun.
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The following is a list of characters from the wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong. Some of these characters are fictionalised personas of, or are based on, actual historical figures, such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Chang Yuchun, Xu Da, Zhang Sanfeng and Chen Youliang.

Main characters

 Zhang Wuji ()
 Zhao Min ()
 Zhou Zhiruo ()

Ming Cult

 The Bright Left and Right Messengers serve as the cult leader's deputies.
 Yang Xiao () is the Bright Left Messenger () and Yang Buhui's father. During the period of internal conflict in the cult, he served as the cult's acting leader and attempted to master part of the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" to secure his legitimacy as there were others who disapproved of his leadership. After Zhang Wuji becomes the cult leader, Yang Xiao serves as his adviser and becomes his close friend and confidant.
 Fan Yao () is the Bright Right Messenger (). He disfigured himself and disguised himself as a mute monk called Kutoutuo () so that he could infiltrate Chaghan Temür's army and serve as a spy for the Ming Cult. His cover is blown when he helps the six major orthodox schools escape from Wan'an Monastery after they are captured and held captive there by Zhao Min.
 The Four Guardian Kings () assist the leader in overseeing the cult's activities. They are ranked in order of seniority:
 Daiqisi (), nicknamed "Purple Dress Dragon King" (), is one of the three Sacred Maidens of the Persian Ming Cult. She is of mixed heritage (Persian-Chinese) and was originally sent to China to search for the lost manual of the "Heaven and Earth Great Shift" and became Yang Dingtian's goddaughter. After defeating Han Qianye in the icy lake, she was promoted to the position of a guardian king in the Chinese Ming Cult. However, she had fallen in love with Han Qianye after the duel so she eventually eloped with him and settled with him on Divine Snake Island, where their daughter Xiaozhao was born. As she had broken her vow of celibacy, she faced execution if the Persian Ming Cult found her. Thus, she disguised herself as an old woman and called herself "Golden Flower Granny" () to match Han Qianye's nickname, "Silver Leaf Gentleman".
 Yin Tianzheng (), nicknamed "White Brows Eagle King" (), is Yin Yewang and Yin Susu's father, and Zhang Wuji's maternal grandfather. He left the Ming Cult during its internal conflict and founded the Heavenly Eagle Cult in his home region of Jiangnan. After Zhang Wuji becomes the Ming Cult's leader, the Heavenly Eagle Cult merged into the Ming Cult and Yin Tianzheng continued serving as a guardian king. Yin Tianzheng eventually dies of exhaustion while fighting the three Shaolin elders to save Xie Xun.
 Xie Xun (), nicknamed "Golden Haired Lion King" (), is Zhang Wuji's godfather. His most powerful skill is the Lion's Roar (), which allows him to project his inner energy through sound waves and cause internal injuries to everyone in the vicinity. His family was murdered by his former mentor Cheng Kun, who disappeared after committing the atrocity. Guided by fury, he went on a rampage to kill many people and push the blame to Cheng Kun, in the hope of forcing Cheng Kun to come out of hiding, but to no avail. After he kidnapped Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu, Yin blinded him with her darts in self-defence when he was in a violent fit of insanity. His insanity was cured when he heard the cries of their newborn son, which reminded him of his own deceased son. He accepted their offer to be the godfather of their son, whom he named "Wuji" in memory of his son. The families and associates of Xie Xun's victims forgive him after his final confrontation with Cheng Kun. Xie Xun ultimately becomes a Buddhist monk for the rest of his life to seek peace and redemption for his past sins.
 Wei Yixiao (), nicknamed "Green Winged Bat King" (), is unmatched in his qinggong prowess in the jianghu. He once accidentally infected himself with an icy venom while practising the skill Icy Palm (). Since then, he has to routinely consume the warm blood of living creatures (including humans) to keep himself warm. Zhang Wuji cures him later by using the Nine Yang Divine Skill to purge the venom from his body.
 Yang Buhui () is Yang Xiao and Ji Xiaofu's daughter. Her name literally means "no regrets" to reflect her mother's love for Yang Xiao. Zhang Wuji helps her escape from Miejue after her mother's death and leads her on a perilous journey to bring her safely to her father. She regards Zhang Wuji as a surrogate elder brother for his care and concern towards her. The trauma of witnessing her mother's death makes her become suspicious of anyone who could be a potential enemy and this intensifies her hatred towards Miejue. This is evident in her treatment towards Xiaozhao, when she and her father suspect Xiaozhao of being a spy from the Emei School. It also made her extremely protective towards her father and Zhang Wuji, whom she sees as what is left of her family. She falls in love with Yin Liting, her mother's original fiancé, and marries him despite the large age gap between them. They are expecting a child near the end of the novel.
 Zhu Yuanzhang () is an ambitious minor leader of the cult who eventually unites the rebel forces under his control and leads them to overthrow the Yuan dynasty. He betrays the cult later and becomes the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty.
 Chang Yuchun () is a cult member who travels with Zhang Wuji to Butterfly Valley to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu.
 Xu Da () is a minor leader of the cult. Zhang Wuji presents him with Yue Fei's military text Book of Wumu. Xu Da, who is already a skilled military tactician, studies the book that refined his tactical skills and uses his knowledge to lead the rebels to victory in the battles against the Yuan forces and ultimately captures the Yuan capital Khanbaliq.
 Five Wanderers ():
 Leng Qian (), nicknamed "Cold Faced Gentleman" ().
 Shuobude (), nicknamed "Monk with the Sack" ().
 Zhang Zhong (), nicknamed "Iron Crowned Taoist" ().
 Peng Yingyu (), nicknamed "Peng the Monk" ().
 Zhou Dian (), nicknamed "Lunatic" ().
 Hu Qingniu () is a physician residing in Butterfly Valley. He is nicknamed "Jiansi Bujiu" () for his odd practice of treating the cult's members free of charge but not others regardless of whatever they are willing to pay. When Zhang Wuji visits him, he indirectly imparts his medical knowledge to the boy and helps him slow down the effects of his injury inflicted by the Xuanming Elders. Years ago, Daiqisi had brought Han Qianye to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu as they had been infected with an icy venom following their duel in the icy lake. However, Hu Qingniu had refused because Han Qianye was part of the Ming Cult; Han eventually died of poisoning. Daiqisi holds a grudge against Hu Qingniu and ultimately kills him to avenge Han Qianye.
 Wang Nangu () is Hu Qingniu's wife. In contrast with her husband, she uses her mastery of toxicology to kill people. The couple become rivals in a contest, in which Wang will poison someone while Hu will try to save the person's life. Sharing her husband's liking of Zhang Wuji, she imparts her knowledge to Zhang by leaving behind a book on toxicology she wrote. She is killed along with her husband by Daiqisi.
 Yang Dingtian (), who is only mentioned by name in the novel, was the former leader of the Ming Cult and one of the most powerful figures in the jianghu in his time. One day, while he was practising the Heaven and Earth Great Shift, he discovered his wife's secret affair with Cheng Kun. He was so infuriated and distracted that the inner energy flow in his body was disrupted, causing him to suffer grievous internal injuries and eventually die.
 Chiefs of the Five Elements factions:
 Zhuang Zheng () is the chief of the Gold Banner Faction who is killed in battle by Miejue.
 Wu Jingcao () is the former deputy chief of the Gold Banner Faction. Zhang Wuji promotes him to chief after Zhuang Zheng's death and tasks him with repairing the damaged Dragon-Slaying Saber.
 Yan Yuan () is the chief of the Earth Banner Faction.
 Tang Yang () is the chief of the Water Banner Faction.
 Wen Cangsong () is the chief of the Wood Banner Faction.
 Xin Ran () is the chief of the Fire Banner Faction.

Heavenly Eagle Cult
 Yin Susu () is Yin Tianzheng's daughter and Zhang Wuji's mother. She meets Zhang Cuishan by chance and both of them are kidnapped by Xie Xun and eventually all three of them end up on Ice Fire Island. She marries Zhang Cuishan and gives birth to Zhang Wuji. When the Zhang family returns to the mainland and are confronted by numerous wulin figures on the whereabouts of Xie Xun, the Zhang couple choose to commit suicide to protect Xie Xun.
 Yin Yewang () is Yin Tianzheng's son and Yin Susu's elder brother. He is also Yin Li's father and Zhang Wuji's maternal uncle. His first wife (Yin Li's mother) practised the Thousand Spiders Venom Hand, became infertile and disfigured, and fell out of her husband's favour. Yin Yewang then took a concubine who bore him two sons. Yin Li killed her stepmother because she often bullied her mother, and then fled from home to evade her father's wrath.
 Yin Li () is Yin Yewang's estranged daughter and Zhang Wuji's younger cousin. She practises the Thousand Spiders Venom Hand (), a deadly skill which causes her face to become disfigured; she is thus known as Zhu'er (). Her mother commits suicide to allow her to escape from her father and half-brothers after she killed her stepmother, and she has been despised by her father ever since. She encounters Daiqisi, who protects her and accepts her as an apprentice. Later, she develops feelings for Zhang Wuji when she first meets him in her childhood. She is apparently murdered by Zhou Zhiruo at one point, but is eventually revealed to have survived.
 Leaders of the halls and altars:
 Li Tianyuan () is the leader of the Heaven Hall and Yin Tianzheng's junior.
 Chang Jinpeng () is the leader of the Vermilion Bird Altar who is slain by Xie Xun.
 Bai Guishou () is the leader of the Black Tortoise Altar who is slain by Ding Minjun.
 Cheng Chaofeng () is the leader of the Azure Dragon Altar.
 Gao Shanwang () is the leader of the White Tiger Altar
 Feng Gongying () is the leader of the Divine Snake Altar.
 Yin Wufu (), Yin Wulu (), Yin Wushou () are three bandits from the southwest who pledged allegiance to Yin Tianzheng after he saved their lives.

Persian Ming Cult
 Xiaozhao () is Han Qianye and Daiqisi's daughter. Her mother sends her as a spy to infiltrate the Ming Cult and find the location of its secret tunnel. Xiaozhao becomes a servant in Yang Xiao's household; the Yangs suspect her of being a spy so they bind her in chains to restrict her movements. Xiaozhao runs into Zhang Wuji and narrowly escapes death with him in the secret tunnel. She falls in love with Zhang Wuji but can never be with him because she has to take her mother's place as a virginal Sacred Maiden to save her mother's life. She eventually becomes the new leader of the Persian Ming Cult and returns to its headquarters in Persia. Jin Yong mentioned in the epilogue of the novel that Xiaozhao is his favourite character.
 The Wind, Cloud and Moon Three Messengers are in charge of safekeeping the Ming Cult's sacred artefacts – the Holy Flame Tablets () – and are the most powerful fighters in the Persian Ming Cult:
 Mysterious Wind Messenger ()
 Drifting Cloud Messenger ()
 Bright Moon Messenger ()
 The 12 Guardian Kings of the Persian Ming Cult come to China to search for Daiqisi and bring her back to Persia. Four of them appear in the novel:
 Equality Guardian King ()
 Unity Guardian King ()
 Transparent Guardian King ()
 Victorious Guardian King ()

Yuan Empire
 Chaghan Temür (), the Prince of Ruyang (), is the father of Wang Baobao and Zhao Min. The Yuan government tasked him with eliminating the Ming Cult and other anti-Yuan forces in the wulin.
 Lady Han () is Chaghan Temür's concubine who is killed in Wan'an Monastery by Fan Yao.
 Köke Temür (), also known by his Chinese name Wang Baobao (), is Chaghan Temür's son and Zhao Min's brother.
 Lu Zhangke () and He Biweng () are the Xuanming Elders () who serve under Chaghan Temür. They specialise in the skill Xuanming Divine Palm (), which they once used it on Zhang Wuji. Later, after seeing how powerful Zhou Zhiruo has become from mastering the Nine Yin Manual, they attempt to seize the book from her but are unwilling to share it with each other so they start fighting over the manual. Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min show up to help Zhou Zhiruo and defeat the Xuanming Elders.
 Huogong Toutuo's apprentices are recruited by Chaghan Temür as mercenaries. They are responsible for massacring members of the Dragon Gate Security Service, paralysing Yu Daiyan, and injuring Yin Liting. Zhang Wuji defeats them one by one when Zhao Min calls on them to fight him.
 Fang Dongbai (), also called Ada (), is nicknamed "Eight Arms Divine Swordsman" () because his skill in swordplay appears to be unmatched. He was originally a high-ranking member of the Beggars' Gang, but later faked his death and became a servant of Chaghan Temür.
 Aer ()
 Asan () paralysed Yu Daiyan and Yin Liting.
 Gangxiang () is killed by Zhang Sanfeng when he tried to ambush him while in disguise as a Shaolin monk called Kongxiang ().
 The "Divine Arrow Eight Heroes" () are a group of eight martial artists serving under Chaghan Temür.
 Zhao Yishang ()
 Qian Erbai ()
 Sun Sanhui ()
 Li Sicui ()
 Zhou Wushu ()
 Wu Liupo ()
 Zheng Qimie ()
 Wang Bashuai ()

Wudang School

 Zhang Sanfeng () is the founder and leader of the Wudang School. Previously from the Shaolin School, he was known as Zhang Junbao () and had learnt part of the Nine Yang Manual and Yang Guo's skills. He was expelled from Shaolin after the monks mistakenly believed that he had secretly learnt Shaolin martial arts without formal approval. Several years later, he founded the Wudang School, which has become one of the six major orthodox martial arts schools in the wulin. In his old age, he is highly respected not only for his prowess in martial arts, but also for his morally upright character.
 The "Seven Heroes of Wudang" () are Zhang Sanfeng's first seven apprentices. Their master named them after seven beautiful sights he had seen in his life, and they collectively form a landscape painting: yuanqiao ("distant bridge"); lianzhou ("lotus boat"); daiyan ("rock of Mount Tai"); songxi ("pine stream"); cuishan ("green mountains"); liting ("pear-shaped pavilion"); and shenggu ("echoic valley"). The seven, listed in order of seniority, are as follows:
 Song Yuanqiao () is a reputable swordsman and the most likely candidate to succeed his master as Wudang's leader. However, he is disgraced by his son's misconduct and loses the opportunity to be Wudang's leader. Zhang Sanfeng orders him to spend the rest of his life in solitude.
 Yu Lianzhou () is the most powerful in martial arts among the seven who eventually succeeds his master as the leader of Wudang.
 Yu Daiyan () was ambushed and paralysed by Asan and lost the use of his limbs. He receives medical treatment from Zhang Wuji 20 years after his injury but only manages to recover partially and can no longer utilise the full potential of his martial arts. He spends the rest of his life imparting his knowledge of Wudang martial arts to the later generations.
 Zhang Songxi () is the most intelligent among the seven who occasionally provides advice to his fellows.
 Zhang Cuishan () is Zhang Wuji's father and the most talented among the seven. Apart from being an accomplished swordsman, he is also well versed in scholarly arts and calligraphy. His distinctive weapons earn him the nickname "Silver Hook Iron Brush" (). He meets Yin Susu by chance and they are both kidnapped by Xie Xun; all three of them end up on Ice Fire Island, where they settle down for ten years. Zhang marries Yin and they have a son, Zhang Wuji; Zhang also becomes sworn brothers with Xie Xun, who becomes his son's godfather. After the Zhang family return to the mainland, they are cornered by numerous wulin figures demanding to know the whereabouts of Xie Xun. Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu refuse to reveal Xie Xun's location and eventually choose to take their own lives.
 Yin Liting () was Ji Xiaofu's original fiancé. Their engagement ended when she realised that she loved Yang Xiao and was already pregnant with Yang's child. Many years later, after Yin Liting is injured in the same way as Yu Daiyan, her daughter Yang Buhui nurses him back to health and falls in love with him when he is recovering. Yin marries Yang Buhui eventually despite the large age gap between them and they are expecting a child towards the end of the novel.
 Mo Shenggu () is the youngest of the seven and the most hot-tempered one. He tries to discipline Song Qingshu after discovering the latter's voyeuristic attempts on Zhou Zhiruo and the Emei School's members. However, he is ambushed by Chen Youliang and accidentally killed by Song Qingshu.
 Song Qingshu (), nicknamed "Jade-Faced Mengchang" (), is Song Yuanqiao's arrogant, spoiled son. His strong crush on Zhou Zhiruo makes him become extremely jealous when he sees Zhang Wuji and Zhou developing a romantic relationship. That ultimately becomes his weakness because it allows him to be manipulated easily by Chen Youliang and Cheng Kun into doing anything to win Zhou Zhiruo's heart and prove that he is better than Zhang Wuji. After killing Mo Shenggu, he betrays the Wudang School and reluctantly joins the Beggars' Gang and helps Chen Youliang. Later, after Zhang Wuji reneges on his promise to marry Zhao Min instead as that is his true love, Zhou Zhiruo pretends to agree to marry Song Qingshu and teaches him the Nine Yin White Bone Claw () while plotting to use him to take her revenge on Zhang Wuji. In the end, Song Qingshu is defeated by Yu Lianzhou and taken back to the Wudang School, where he is executed by Zhang Sanfeng for his crimes.

Emei School

 Guo Xiang () was the founder of the Emei School and the younger daughter of Guo Jing and Huang Rong. In the prologue, she met Jueyuan and Zhang Junbao near Shaolin Monastery. Jueyuan recited the Nine Yang Manual to her, Zhang, and Wuse before his death. Guo Xiang's prowess in martial arts improved after she integrated the manual's skills into her existing ones. She inherited the Heaven-Reliant Sword and the knowledge of the secrets in the weapons from her family during the Battle of Xiangyang. After her family members sacrificed their lives to defend Xiangyang from Mongol invaders, she continued to roam the jianghu for years before settling down on Mount Emei, where she founded the Emei School. (See Template:Guo Jing and Huang Rong's family tree for her family tree.)
 Abbess Miejue (), whose name "Miejue" literally means "destroy and eliminate", is the radically dogmatic leader of the Emei School. She aims to purge the wulin of evil and make Emei the leading orthodox school. Her dogmatic and extreme views lead her to commit various ethically and morally vicious deeds, including the indiscriminate slaughter of everyone associated with the Ming Cult and unorthodox martial arts schools. She hates the Ming Cult not only because of its "evil" name, but also because of Yang Xiao's indirect involvement in the events leading to Guhongzi's death. At Wan'an Monastery, she names Zhou Zhiruo her successor and plunges to her death from the tower after refusing Zhang Wuji's help.
 Guhongzi () was Miejue's senior who challenged Yang Xiao to a duel. He borrowed Miejue's Heaven-Reliant Sword in the hope that it would give him an advantage. However, he lost to Yang Xiao and the sword was seized from him by Yang before he could even unsheathe it. Yang Xiao made some unkind remarks, threw the sword to the ground and walked away. Guhongzi felt disgraced and insulted and eventually died in frustration. His death caused Miejue to bear a grudge against Yang Xiao and the Ming Cult.
 Ji Xiaofu () is one of Miejue's apprentices who is seen as a potential successor to her master. She is originally Yin Liting's fiancée but falls in love with Yang Xiao instead and bears him a daughter. She secretly leaves Emei to raise her child, whom she names "Buhui" (literally "no regrets") to reflect her love for Yang Xiao. At one point, she meets Zhang Wuji, who has just lost his parents, and takes care of him; Zhang Wuji sees her as a motherly-like figure. Miejue eventually tracks her down and forces her to kill Yang Xiao, but she refuses and is killed by her master in grief.
 Ding Minjun () is one of Miejue's most senior apprentices. She is jealous that their master favours Ji Xiaofu and later Zhou Zhiruo. Peng Yingyu once remarked that she is "ugly in appearance and evil-hearted" after she blinded his right eye. She once appoints herself as Emei's acting leader when Zhou Zhiruo goes missing, but her peers are reluctant to follow her because of her selfishness.
 Bei Jinyi () is one of Miejue's apprentices and a junior of Ding Minjun and Ji Xiaofu. When her master orders her to pursue and kill Yang Buhui, she decides to spare the girl on account of her past relations with Ji Xiaofu, so she lies to Miejue that the girl has already escaped.
 Zhao Lingzhu ()
 Li Mingxia ()
 Su Mengqing ()
 Fang Bilin ()
 Jingxuan () is accidentally injured by Zhang Wuji when she was making her way to Bright Peak. She collects the remains of the broken Heaven-Reliant Sword at the end of the story.
 Jinghui () is an impulsive nun who explains to Zhang Wuji the truth about Zhou Zhiruo's relationship with Song Qingshu.
 Jingxu () is killed by Wei Yixiao during her journey to Bright Peak.
 Jingzhao () attempts to assassinate Xie Xun at the Lion Slaying Ceremony.
 Jingjia () kills Situ Qianzhong and Xia Zhou at the Lion Slaying Ceremony with the Thunderbolt Fire Bombs.
 Jingkong ()
 Jingxian ()
 Jingzhen ()
 Jingdao ()
 Jingfeng ()
 Jingxin ()
 Jinghe ()

Shaolin School

 Jueyuan () was Wuse and Wuxiang's junior who is credited as Zhang Junbao's master. Before his death, he recited the Nine Yang Manual to Zhang Junbao and Guo Xiang, who respectively founded the Wudang and Emei schools later.
 Cheng Kun (), nicknamed "Primordial Chaos Thunderbolt Hand" (), is a scheming villain who had a secret affair with Yang Dingtian's wife. Yang, who was practising the Heaven and Earth Great Shift when he discovered the affair, died in anger when the inner energy flow in his body was disrupted due to the distraction. Yang's wife felt guilty so she committed suicide to join her husband. Cheng Kun has since held a grudge against the Ming Cult and seeks to destroy it. He managed to hide his past and joined the Shaolin School as a monk named Yuanzhen (). During this time, he stirred up conflict between the Ming Cult and the six major orthodox schools through a series of machinations. He also pretended to accept Xie Xun as an apprentice and later murdered Xie's family in cold blood. Although he dislikes the Mongols, he still reluctantly becomes an adviser to Chaghan Temür and helps him devise plans to eliminate the Ming Cult. As the story progresses, he becomes corrupted by his lust for power and plots with Chen Youliang to dominate the wulin, but their plan is foiled by Zhang Wuji and others. He is eventually defeated and blinded by Xie Xun and becomes a handicap for the rest of his life.
 The "Four Holy Monks" () are four senior monks in the Shaolin School:
 Kongjian (), who mastered the art of invincibility, attempted to appease Xie Xun by allowing the latter to kill him without defending himself. Xie Xun later often regretted killing Kongjian.
 Kongwen () is the abbot of Shaolin.
 Kongzhi () is Kongwen's hot-tempered junior.
 Kongxing () is murdered by Asan.
 The Three Elders of the Bodhidharma Hall form the Vajra Evil Subduing Ring () to guard Xie Xun when he is held captive in Shaolin. More than 30 years ago, they fought with Yang Dingtian after being instigated by Cheng Kun and were injured by him. Since then, they have retreated into a state of "withering meditation". They become more aware of Cheng Kun's wicked intentions after listening to Zhang Wuji's explanations. The Three Elders are:
 Du'e () lost his left eye during a fight with Yang Dingtian.
 Dujie ()
 Dunan ()
 Huogong Toutuo () was a Shaolin traitor who fled to the Western Regions, where he founded the Vajra School ().

Kunlun School

 He Zudao (), nicknamed "Kunlun Three Sage" (), was a senior member of the Kunlun School who mastered three arts – swordplay, qi and qin – hence his nickname. He fell in love with Guo Xiang at first sight and helped her fend off some attackers. He had met Yinkexi, who stole the Nine Yang Manual from the Shaolin School, and misheard that the "manual is in the oil" when Yinkexi actually meant "the manual is in the ape". After Zhang Junbao defeated him, he swore never to return to central China and had remained in the western regions until his death. His name is a word play on an archaic Chinese phrase, hezudao ("no need to mention").
 He Taichong (), nicknamed "Iron Qin Gentleman" (), is the ungrateful and immoral leader of the Kunlun School. He and his wife try to kill Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui after Zhang saves his concubine from death, but Yang Xiao saves the two children. Later, he attempts to kill Xie Xun, who is held captive in Shaolin Monastery, so that he can take the Dragon-Slaying Saber, but ends up being killed by the three Shaolin elders.
 Ban Shuxian () is He Taichong's wife and an expert in the Dual Swordplay (). She is killed along with her husband by the three Shaolin elders while attempting to kill Xie Xun.

Mount Hua School

 Xianyu Tong (), nicknamed "Shenjizi" (), is the promiscuous and immoral leader of the Mount Hua School. Hu Qingniu once saved his life when he was infected with Golden Worm Poison by Lady Miao, whom he previously had a relationship with. Hu Qingniu's sister, Hu Qingyang, fell in love with him while he was recovering and married him. However, he forced Hu Qingyang to kill herself so that he could marry the daughter of his predecessor, even though Hu Qingyang was already pregnant with his child. Xianyu Tong's wicked deed was discovered by his senior, Bai Yuan, whom he murdered. He then framed the Ming Cult for the murder. During the battle at Bright Peak, Xianyu Tong attempts to kill Zhang Wuji, but ends up being defeated and having his dirty secrets exposed. He dies at the hands of He Taichong incidentally during the fight.
 Xue Gongyuan () is one of Xianyu Tong's apprentices. After he and several others were injured by Daiqisi, they went to Butterfly Valley to seek treatment from Hu Qingniu. Zhang Wuji heals them but they repay his kindness with evil by attempting to kill him and Yang Buhui. Zhang Wuji kills them by tricking them into consuming a poisonous broth.

Kongtong School

 The Five Elders of Kongtong () bore a grudge against Xie Xun after he stole the Seven Injuries Fist () manual from them. Four of them have their names mentioned in the novel: Guan Neng (), Zong Weixia (), Tang Wenliang () and Chang Jingzhi (). After they are defeated during the battle at Bright Peak, Zhang Wuji heals them and saves them from permanent paralysis. They feel so grateful to him that they renounce their past feuds with the Ming Cult.
 Jian Jie () is a minor member of the Kongtong School who was injured by Daiqisi. He is healed by Zhang Wuji but repays Zhang's kindness with evil by making cannibalistic attempts on Zhang and Yang Buhui. Zhang Wuji kills him by tricking him into consuming a poisonous broth.

Beggars' Gang

 Chen Youliang () is Cheng Kun's apprentice. He serves the Beggars' Gang as a spy for his master and manipulates Song Qingshu into betraying the Wudang School. He defects to the Ming Cult after Cheng Kun's defeat but betrays the cult later and becomes a territorial warlord after the fall of the Yuan Empire.
 Shi Huolong () is the mysterious chief of the Beggars' Gang who is hardly known to the wulin except by name because he rarely makes public appearances. He was murdered by Cheng Kun and Chen Youliang, who replaced him with an imposter under their control. Zhang Wuji defeats and exposes the imposter later.
 Shi Hongshi () is Shi Huolong's daughter. She was rescued by the Yellow Dress Maiden after her father was murdered, and eventually succeeds her father as the chief of the Beggars' Gang.

Zhu and Wu families
 Zhu Changling (), nicknamed "Heavenly Shaking Brush" (), is a descendant of Zhu Ziliu who is skilled in using the Yiyang Finger (). He collaborates with Wu Lie to trick Zhang Wuji into revealing the location of Xie Xun.
 Wu Lie () is a descendant of Wu Santong who plots with Zhu Changling to deceive Zhang Wuji into revealing Xie Xun's whereabouts.
 Zhu Jiuzhen () is Zhu Changling's daughter. Though beautiful in appearance, she is cruel and sadistic. She seduces Zhang Wuji and helps her father and Wu Lie trick Zhang into revealing Xie Xun's whereabouts. She is killed by Yin Li.
 Wu Qingying () is Wu Lie's daughter. She is Wei Bi's romantic interest and Zhu Jiuzhen's love rival.
 Wei Bi () is Wu Lie's apprentice who wants to win the love of both Zhu Jiuzhen and Wu Qingying. He is slain by Wei Yixiao while attempting to sneak up on him.

Others
 Han Qianye () was nicknamed "Silver Leaf Gentleman" (). He sought revenge on Yang Dingtian and challenged him to a fight. Daiqisi took up his challenge and they fought in the Icy Lake. They fell in love and later left for good to settle on a remote island, where their daughter Xiaozhao was born. In an earlier edition of the novel, Fan Yao was suspected of poisoning Han to death.
 The Yellow Dress Maiden (), whose name is not revealed in the novel, is a descendant of Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü. She appears to help Zhang Wuji in times of danger. She defeats Zhou Zhiruo's Nine Yin White Bone Claw with an orthodox version of the skills in the Nine Yin Manual. (See Template:Yang Kang and Mu Nianci's family tree for her family tree.)
 Situ Qianzhong () is a drunk martial artist who befriends Zhou Dian at the Lion Slaying Ceremony. He is killed by Jingjia.
 Xia Zhou () is a brother of one of Xie Xun's victims. He is killed by Jingjia along with Situ Qianzhong at the Lion Slaying Ceremony.
 Du Baidang () and Yi Sanniang () are the parents of one of Xie Xun's victims. The couple provided shelter for Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min when they are heading to Shaolin. The couple are murdered by Zhou Zhiruo later.

References

Condor Trilogy
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber
Lists of Jin Yong characters

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Press TV – Press TV's chief says the Iranian English-language news network will take any necessary legal action to secure the release of its anchorwoman, Marzieh Hashemi, who has been imprisoned in Washington on unspecified charges, holding the US responsible for her health.
Speaking to Press TV on Wednesday, Peyman Jebelli, who heads the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)'s World Service, complained that Hashemi was being held in "inhumane," "unethical" and "illegal psychological conditions" under US custody.
"We have been informed that she is being kept in prison under very tough conditions and without any charges," he said, exclaiming that Hashemi had been forced to remove her hijab – compulsory for Muslim women under Islamic dress code — not only when she was being photographed but also during her detention.
"Despite the fact that she has declared to prison authorities that she cannot eat pork as a Muslim, they have told her that it's the only food available. As far as we know, she's been eating only biscuits," he noted.
Press TV and IRIB, Jebelli stressed, "hold the US government responsible for anything that may happen" to Hashemi.
"For the time being, we are trying to obtain precise information about her. What is of paramount importance to us is that she has to be freed immediately because she has not committed any crime and has not been so far facing any charges," he added.
In an earlier interview with the Iranian TV, Jebelli criticized the press TV anchor's ill-treatment in US custody, saying she had been given nothing more than a T-shirt to wear despite the cold conditions inside the detention facility.
He also noted that the journalist had only been allowed to contact her family the night before and had told her children about "the very violent treatment" she had received in prison.
Jebelli said Hashemi was apparently going to be interrogated later in the day. "We are waiting to see what charges would be leveled against her," he added.
Hashemi arrived in the US to visit her brother, a cancer patient and was supposed to return to Iran next week, according to Jebelli.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Association of Iranian Journalists slammed the United States, which calls itself an advocate of human rights, for forcing the Muslim journalist into taking off her headscarf and keeping her in manacles.
"This is not the first time that we witness such medieval and repressive treatment of journalists and independent media by the US administration," read the statement.
"We have repeatedly witnessed such violent and hateful attacks accompanied by the arrest and assault of media workers by the self-proclaimed advocates of democracy and freedom of information," it added.


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At the age of 20, Nguyen Xuan Huy left Vietnam and traveled to Europe. At that time, he was already an exceptional drawer and painter. Having arrived in Germany, he passed the redoubtable entrance examinations of the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, where he received his diploma and later his postgraduate degree. As a part of his studies, he also studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts Bordeaux in France.
During his time at the University, as well as the following years, Vietnam remained in his main thematic focus. Nguyen Xuan Huy is exceptionally interested in politics and social commentary, which is reflected in his work. As an artist, he illustrates problem-oriented situations, invoking many aspects of ethos, art history and human swarm behavior. Nguyen presents his country of origin to his audience as Dionysian procession/demonstration under communist symbols, such as the bare female bodies deformed by the gene-toxic Agent Orange. Several of these large-sized canvases allude to motifs of Goya, Bosch, Botticelli, and Jeff Koons.
After nearly two decades in Germany, the artist has creatively thrived in his second home. His new paintings are no less dramatic than his Asian panneaux, however his works have become more complex, whilst being reduced down to a European format. Gloomy landscapes and desolate interiors replace the once white backgrounds. The subjects seem to be posing alone in front of webcams, but in communication with machines, rather than with humans. These paintings speak of loneliness, apathy, lies, and depression in a new dark age.


"Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."
For more articles on Islaam, check out "Wasat", Islamic Forum!
Click here for more "Ramadan around the World Articles"
Feeling Overwhelmed By Ramadan? Some Tips!


Finding the best haunted attractions in and around Jackson for a scary good time is a great idea! Here at Haunted House Locator we have some of the best haunted houses in New Jersey for you to choose from!
Description: Gravity Hill (as seen in Weird New Jersey Magazine) has been a Jackson New Jersey legend for many years. 45 minutes of spine chilling walkable haunted trails and creepy themes and adventures... This not a hayride where you can hide!


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One of the Snoqualmie Valley's most visible wild animal residents: the prolific Lagomorph
April 25, 2020 by Melissa Grant 1 Comment
This time of year the pesky Lagomorph tortures my dog, tears up my garden, reproduces freely and poops indiscriminately….which the dog promptly eats as if it's a delicacy from a five star restaurant.
So, what the heck is a Lagomorph?
It is any member of the mammalian order made up of rabbits, hares and pikas. The species has 91 members, with Washington State being home to eight. In Eastern Washington there are the Nuttall's Cottontail, Pygmy Rabbit, Pika, Black-tailed Jackrabbit and White-tailed Jackrabbit. The Snoqualmie Valley is home to four: The Snowshoe Hare, Pika, Eastern Cottontail and, to a lesser extent, the Domestic Rabbit.
Eastern Cottontail
Most of the lagomorphs in Washington State are found in the Cascades and East, but two can be seen on the Western slopes of the Cascades. The Snowshoe Hare spends most of its time up in the Cascades where you might see them on a summer hike or their distinctive large footed tracks in the winter. They prefer forests, thickets, swamps and mountainous areas as habitats. In snowy regions their pineal gland senses the change in daylight and triggers a coat change from brown to white. Most Snowshoe Hares in Washington remain a dark brown with a tail that is dusky to white on the underside.
They have large hind feet with furry soles which prevents them from sinking in the snow and protects them from the cold. Weighing in at two to three pounds, like most all lagomorphs, they are bountiful breeders and have two to three litters of up to seven young between April and August. Hares do not burrow or build nests because their young are precocial: born in an advanced state and able to feed themselves almost immediately. Usually solitary animals, their young can disperse as young as one month old.
All Lagomorphs are herbivores, they deal with their fibrous diets by a process known as hindgut fermentation where some of their food is digested immediately and some goes through a longer process to extract more nutrients. After which it is consumed and digested a second time.
Active year round, Snowshoe hares are the diet of choice for Canada Lynx and their populations are closely linked. When the numbers fluctuate on one animal, the other animal experiences the same fate.
The America Pika is a rodentlike animal about the size of a large hamster. Tough little animals, they can live up to seven years in alpine areas where mountain meadows meet rocky terrain. Considered a high elevation species, they have been found at low elevations near sea level in the Columbia River Gorge, and in Snohomish and Skagit counties as low as 1150 feet.
Adapted to life in areas that rarely get above freezing, the pika can overheat and die when exposed to temperatures as low as 78 degrees. The egg-shaped little animal is active all year round feeding on dried vegetation they have stored away in haypiles. During the summer months to prepare for winter, they will collect a pile of extra wildflowers and grasses and lay them out in the sun. After they are dried, to prevent mold, the plants are stored until winter.
Pikas do not proliferate as quickly as hares or rabbits, breeding once or twice a year. After a thirty-day gestational period Pika's give birth to a litter of 2 to 5. Unlike the hare their offspring is altricial, born in an undeveloped state and requiring care and feeding by the parents. They are weaned by 3 to 4 weeks and reach adult size by three months.
Like the hare, they are solitary, except to breed. They live in colonies but are territorial of their dens and chirp and whistle to define the boundaries with their neighbor Pikas.
Next up is the critter we most see in the valley, the Eastern Cottontail. There are no rabbit's native to Western Washington. The Eastern Cottontail was introduced as a game animal during the 1930's. Before that if you wanted to see one, you'd have to travel to Eastern Washington. Since then they have adapted to all types of habitats and you can see these bunnies in city parks, forests and your backyard.
These rabbits are a mottled brown, often with a white stripe on their forehead, whitish feet and a short tail that is white on the underside. They prefer to live in a habitat of brushy, forested strips with open areas nearby, swamp edges and weed patches in the lowlands. In other words, most all of Western Washington. Adult cottontails average 17 inches long and weigh from 2-4 pounds with females tending to be slightly heavier.
The cottontail is crepuscular and most active at dusk, dawn and at night. They pass the day under brush, branches or in a burrow. Famous for their fecundity, they too have a 30-day gestational period, and have several litters containing four to eight young each year. Females create shallow nests that they line with leaves, grass and fur. These nests are difficult to detect, even in grassy lawns, so the young are prone to injury from lawnmowers and other gardening accessories.
Their young, like the Pika, are altricial and require considerable attention for their first two weeks of life. In that time the mother stays away from the nest, only returning at dusk and dawn to nurse her young to keep predators at bay. At the two week mark, the babies begin to eat vegetation and when they are about a month old, they will feed along side their mothers. Like other lagomorphs they are an important prey species for carnivores including lynx, bobcats, hawks, owls, foxes and coyotes. When pursued by these predators, Cottontails run and jump in a zigzag pattern to break up their scent.
Even though these animals were introduced as a game animal, Wild rabbits can be infected with a bacterial disease called tularemia and for that reason the WA Department of Fish & Wildlife "does not recommend capturing the rabbits for human consumption. Humans can contract tularemia by ingesting undercooked rabbit meat or by handling a dead or sick rabbit." Zoonotic diseases, gotta love them…
Lastly, we have the Domestic rabbit aka the European rabbit or Belgian hare. The ancestor of all 80 varieties of domestic rabbits, this multicolored rabbit is the largest of all at 20 to 30 inches long. Seen most often in the San Juan Islands, they are spreading to other areas in Western Washington where they have been released.
Domestic Rabbit Photo credit: Becky Snider
The story is that domestic rabbits were introduced twice to the Islands. The first time, in the early 20th century to a rabbit reserve, most died off during a harsh winter. The second time in the 1930's when a breeding operation failed. The second time the rabbits thrived destroying crops, gardens and eventually swelling to one million rabbits on San Juan Island in the 70's. Many tactics were used to control the swelling population but no one can point to the one thing that caused a big die off around 1979. The population is at tolerable level these days but with rabbits who knows how long that will last. You can read more about the San Juan Island bunnies here.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that domestic rabbits in the wild always have an upswing in population around Easter and remind citizens that: "Domestic animals should never be abandoned to fend for themselves. If you have a pet rabbit and no longer want it, take it to an animal adoption center or find a home for it by advertising or putting up signs in local pet shops and animal clinics." There is concern that domestic rabbits could introduce diseases such as Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease to the wild population or mate with wild rabbits harming the populations.
Lagomorphs inhabit every country in the world except for Antarctica and more than half of the worlds rabbit population live in North America. I guess my dog's springtime eating habit is not one I can avoid and I should just enjoy watching the cute creatures out the window with my dog.
Filed Under: Carnation, Duvall, Fall City, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Valley Info, Valley News, Wildlife Tagged With: Top Stories
David S Battey says
Wonderful fact-filled and enjoyable article! Thanks.

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Our first dreamer accepted into the summer programme at jordan's no.1 educational institution
Fatima's story
"Before, I didn't have much self-esteem, but through Squash Dreamers I've found my fighting spirit."
success for sabah at jordan national squash tournament!
Squash Dreamers is dedicated to training refugee girls in Jordan to become competitive squash players. We also provide English language education with the hopes of enrolling them in schools with squash programs.
38% of Syrian refugee children across Jordan are not attending formal education. Traditional beliefs and cultural restraints often disincentivize Jordanian women from participating in sports. Refugees in Jordan also face restricted access to health, psychological, and educational services, as well as host society attitudes of racism and xenophobia. By encouraging both Syrian and Jordanian girls to take up squash and English, we hope to empower them through sport and education and provide opportunities of cultural immersion.
HOW YOUR MONEY HELPS
The girls have English classes four days a week for two hours per session. They are taught by both teachers and local volunteers. While the girls entered the program with zero English exposure, many are close to being able to write a full paragraph! Your donations help us purchase school supplies and pay our teachers.
Squash Training
Our players have squash training four to five days a week for two hours per session. Our dedicated team of coaches works with every skill level to encourage all of the girls to improve. We also participates in camps and tournaments locally and internationally to familiarize the girls with the depth of the squash community and the level of play of international competitors.
We invite local mental, physical, and women's health experts to teach the girls about what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. We are also developing a mindfulness program to help the girls work through any challenges they have faced as refugees.
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"You cannot have somebody, a friend of mine Jeff Sessions, who was on the campaign and who is an appointee," he told Maher.
He suggested Saturday, however, that Sessions will pick the special prosecutor.
An appointment by Sessions, however, could undercut the independence of the attorney general's office and fuel deep Democratic concerns about ties between Trump and Russia, said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist.
Top Democrats, including Schumer and Feinstein, have called for an independent probe for weeks.
Issa's presence in left-leaning California served as a rallying force for Republicans, whose ranks in the state Legislature are vastly overshadowed by Democrats.
Issa used his speech before more than 300 Republicans to bolster support for Trump and actions he's taken in the five weeks since he took office.
"Some will say that President Trump does not have greatness within him. Some have already said that his Cabinet is made up of rich people whose success doesn't really matter," Issa said. "Donald Trump will not change the hearts and minds in 140 characters, although he tries. Donald Trump will succeed because you engage with your neighbors. … You will change hearts and minds.
To the larger crowd, Issa didn't address widespread concerns over controversial moves the administration has made on immigration and health care.
Outside the convention at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, a small group of protesters held up signs that read "hands off our health care" denouncing Republican plans to scrap Obamacare for a yet-to-be-delivered Republican health care law.
Raucous protests have broken out across the state, with many citing concerns over losing access to health care under a Republican administration.
Issa dodged questions about details on a firm Obamacare replacement plan, saying he hadn't read proposals put forward by his Republican colleagues.
House Speaker Paul Ryan has outlined a plan that could dramatically alter the way health care is paid for, shifting tax credits to people based on age rather than income. That has drawn ire from those who use the system set up by the Affordable Care Act – particularly low-income people who benefit the Medicaid expansion – who fear losing access to their health care and even steeper insurance costs.
Issa has held the 49th District congressional seat, a Republican stronghold in Southern California, since 2001. But amid an onslaught of anti-Trump backlash across the Golden State last year, Issa faced the tightest race of his political career.
He defeated Democratic challenger and political newcomer Doug Applegate in November by a razor-thin margin, taking 50.3 percent of the vote to Applegate's 49.7 percent.
California Republicans welcomed Issa's call for an independent probe, but downplayed the potential outcome.
Republican Carl DeMaio, a talk radio host whose program airs in Issa's northern San Diego County-centered district, said the congressman is just doing his job.
"Because they have raised the question, and created the issue, it needs to be investigated and put to bed one way or another," DeMaio said of the alleged Russian interference. "Who can be against getting to the bottom of this?
Angela Hart: 916-326-5528, @ahartreports Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report.


New Delhi: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that the BJP would succeed in forming government in Manipur, which will go to polls in March.
He noted that there was not a single BJP-ruled state in the region before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014.
"Due to Prime Minister, who is visionary and dynamic leader, people of Asom decided to go with BJP. In Arunachal Pradesh, people are with BJP. So people of Manipur are making up their mind to go with BJP," Khandu added.
He said he supported the idea of simultaneous elections, which may help huge spending on frequent elections to be used for development instead.
He declined to comment on activist Irom Sharmila's political debut.
Khandu added that issues such as demonetisation and recent political developments were discussed in the National Executive meet.


Monday evening academy sessions. New block at Cookham Dean CC starting Mon 24th April.
One to one coaching available every Tuesday and Thursday, 5pm to 7pm.
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Please email us to register your interest.


Some may find this a little squeamish, however for the more adventuresome, these will really delight you.
Slice the squid bodies along the sides to open flat and then lightly score the insides, but not cutting through all the way.
Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and Old Bay Seasoning in a bowl. Add all the squid parts - bodies and tentacles and coat thoroughly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill the squid, until they turn opaque and slightly golden, - about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and slice into strips.
Place squid on grilled, buttered toast and serve. Lightly drizzle with additional extra virgin olive oil as desired.


Apartment Cipresso 5 people consists of living room with kitchenette fully equipped (pots, pans, small oven, dishes, kettle and toaster), 1 double bedroom, 1 bedroom with French bed, double sofa bed in the living area. Our sofa beds are provided with memory foam mattress top for a better rest. The apartment has a private garden in front with table, chairs and sun umbrella. USB wall socket available. TV with Italian and foreign channels. Linen included for all rooms.


In air conditioning and ventilation systems, blowers and filters are monitored by measuring the differential pressure. Using differential pressure switches, it is possible to, e.g., transmit readings to a central control unit as soon as the filter has attained a specified degree of contamination.
Differential pressure switches can be employed both for the continuous monitoring of filters and the control of pressure differentials between rooms or zones.
Frost protection thermostats protect against freezing and flow sensors provide information on the condition and performance of blowers. Explosionprotected thermostats are available for simple temperature control in storage rooms and industrial processing systems.
We offer a wide range of thermostats for simple temperature-regulation applications in warehouses and industrial facilities.
In the hydraulic portion of these facilities, flow monitors and temperature sensor are employed.


text:
NHL ticket drive already halfway to goal
The ownership group of a prospective NHL franchise in Las Vegas that launched a ticket drive on Tuesday has exploded out of the box by receiving 5,000 deposits in the first day and a half.
By ALAN SNEL LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Bill Foley, who is working to bring a National Hockey League franchise to the new MGM Arena, speaks to the Review-Journal editorial board on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. (Mark Damon/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Gavin Patrick Maloof, vice chairman of Maloof Companies, center, gives a thumbs up as Bill Foley, center rear, announces the launch of the NHL team ticket deposit drive for a Las Vegas team, with Rossi Ralenkotter, from left, president of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, during an event at MGM Grand casino-hotel in Las Vegas Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Talk about a blazing start for the National Hockey League ticket deposit campaign in Las Vegas.
The ownership group of a prospective NHL franchise in Las Vegas that launched the ticket drive on Tuesday has exploded out of the box, receiving 5,000 deposits in the first day and a half.
Lead investor Bill Foley, partnering with the Maloof brothers of Las Vegas, was thrilled with the hot start because it's already half of the 10,000 ticket commitment goal set by the Foley-Maloof team.
"All the seats in all the sections are selling really well. They're pretty even distributed," Foley said in a prepared statement.
"We're off to a good start. We hope to see the Las Vegas community rally around this great cause and continue to buy deposits."
Foley-Maloof is seeking at least 10,000 season ticket deposits to show the NHL Board of Governors and Commissioner Gary Bettman that the Las Vegas market is worthy of a major-league hockey franchise.
Foley's Hockey Vision Las Vegas, the name for the ticket drive and expansion team efforts, sent emails Thursday to fans who gave their contact information to the group.
"As you know, Hockey Vision has launched our Season Ticket Deposit Campaign and in case you missed it, we are already more than half-way to our goal of 10,000 season ticket deposits!" sales director Todd Pollock wrote.
The potential NHL team would play at the privately financed $375 million arena being built on 16.5 acres behind New York-New York on the Strip. The partnership of MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group is building the venue, which will hold 17,500 fans for hockey. It's scheduled to open in April 2016. Foley-Maloof is aiming to start its team for the 2016-17 NHL season.
Bettman attended the official start of the ticket launch on Tuesday afternoon, when he told a packed meeting room at MGM Grand that he endorses the Foley ticket campaign to measure the fan interest in Southern Nevada.
Bettman stopped short of saying that Las Vegas will definitely get an NHL club, but wished Foley and Las Vegas good luck in the ticket deposit drive. He said the NHL is intrigued by the "unique" nature of the Las Vegas market, which includes 2.1 million residents and 40 million annual visitors.
Fans can spend as little as $150 — or about 10 percent of the cheapest season ticket plan — to make a deposit. They can also spend as much as $900 for a deposit for the best seats while checking out an arena seat chart at www.vegaswantshockey.com.
If the NHL does not award Las Vegas a team, fans will receive a full refund. If Las Vegas does get a team, then payments will be kept toward season ticket deals.
Foley is chairman of a mortgage and financial services company in Jacksonville, Fla., but he has said he and his wife have already signed paperwork to buy a house in Summerlin.
Gavin and Joe Maloof are the former owners of the NBA Sacramento Kings, from 1998-2013, and developed the Palms hotel in Las Vegas.
Foley-Maloof has created a core group of 75 local Las Vegas business owners, lawyers and leaders to help recruit fans to buy ticket deposits. Each is working on drawing at least 60 ticket deposits, with at least four of the 75 already selling more than 100 deposits each.
Contact reporter Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Follow him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel
Posted on: Business, Local, Local Las Vegas, News, Sports
Las Vegas police called to Nellis base after airman shot in leg
It was unclear Thursday night what lead to an airman being shot in the leg at Nellis Air Force Base, the Metropolitan Police Department said.
Larry Burns, ex-Las Vegas police captain, laid to rest
Former Las Vegas police Capt. Larry Burns was laid to rest Thursday. He was best known for his committment to policing "with love" in the Historic Westside.
Ex-UNLV professor heard America was on the moon before most of US
By Amanda Bradford / RJ
William Corney was a communications engineer stationed in the middle of the Atlantic during the Apollo 11 mission 50 years ago, relaying messages to NASA's Mission Control.
Texas mom pleads guilty in shooting deaths of 2 young daughters
A Texas woman was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to shooting and killing her two young daughters in 2017.
Earth sizzles with hottest June on record, July may follow
By Seth Borenstein The Associated Press
The heat goes on: Earth sizzled to its hottest June on record as the climate keeps going to extremes.


text:
Apr 26, 2012 Posted by Sebastian in Law | 9 comments
On The Boston Massacre & Benefit of Clergy
As things usually go when I'm staying in hotels, I had some difficulty sleeping last night, so I took to reading more about the Boston Massacre, and was struck by the level of similarity to the recent Trayvon Martin shooting. Both events involved mistakes on the part of both participants, both were seized upon by propagandists who fanned the anger of the mob, and both resulted in politically motivated charges of murder. No lawyer in the Town of Boston wanted to take up the case of the British soldiers who fired on the crowd, until it fell upon a 34 year old Boston lawyer named John Adams, who agreed to take the case. Adams had designs on political office, and realized taking this case ultimately would be this ruin of those ambitions, but felt it was important that the British soldiers receive a fair trial, and that the law should prevail, rather than the mob.
There was actually two separate trials, one of the commanding officer, and other of the remaining enlisted soldiers. This complicated things for Adams, because the easiest defense would be that the commanding officer had never given the order to fire, and for the soldiers that they had only been following orders. Captain Thomas Preston, the commanding officer, was acquitted, having claimed successfully that he never gave the order to fire. No transcript survives from Preston's trial, but one did survive from the trial of the remaining soldiers, which was complicated by defense Preston had successfully made. Concluding with an eloquent closing argument, Adams managed to get all but two of the soldiers acquitted, with the remaining two convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder. In the sentencing, the two soldiers successfully appealed to the benefit of clergy, and were sentenced to having their thumbs branded.
One striking thing reading the archive of the trial is how little the practice of law has changed. I was unfamiliar with the term "benefit of clergy," which has a rather fascinating history. Today we would call this as probation. The branding was to ensure you could not take advantage of it again in a future court, given there were no computerized criminal records in those days. In those days most felonies were capital offenses, but the legal system usually tried to figure out ways to get around having to hang every person who committed felonies. In the English legal system, one available alternative to the gallows was to waive the death sentence is exchange for enlistment in the military. Another was to sentence the convicted individual to "transportation," to America, and later Australia, upon pain of death if one attempted to return. A third was "Benefit of Clergy," which was based on the principle that the church was entitled to regulate its own affairs. In the early days, when literacy was generally limited to the clergy, courts would demand the reading of a biblical passage, to ensure the individual was entitled to being turned over to the church for punishment. Usually Psalm 51, which became known as the "neck verse," for it's ability to save one's neck. With the expansion of literacy, this defense became more widely available, and eventually became generally available without the need to read from the bible.
This concept fell off favor with 19th century legal reforms that introduced the concept of the modern prison or penitentiary. But it was surprising to find an 18th century version of what is essentially the modern concept of probation.
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9 Responses to "On The Boston Massacre & Benefit of Clergy"
There is one significant change in legal practice: Today, it would be considered a conflict of interest, and probably legal malpractice, for one attorney to represent both the commanding officer and the soldiers. This is for precisely the reason it caused a problem for Adams – it eliminates the attorney's ability to present a possible defense on the client's behalf because doing so would work directly against the best interests of the other client.
Sigivald says:
It's also refreshing to note that it didn't ruin Adam's political career, contrary to his fears.
Ian Argent says:
Oddly enough, I knew about "benefit of clergy" from some works set in the 17th century, and bothered to look it up to find out it was as meticulously researched as most of the rest of the work.
Garrett Lee says:
Let me guess: Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle? That's where I knew about it from.
Yep. Just slogged through it again a few months back.
Clayton E. Cramer says:
Benefit of clergy persists in Kentucky well into the 19th century. See this 1834 digest of Kentucky laws. http://books.google.com/books?id=00dMAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1475&dq=%22benefit+of+clergy%22+Kentucky&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rb2ZT_qLA-bXiQL_ktAS&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22benefit%20of%20clergy%22%20Kentucky&f=false
English law had either 168 or 169 capital crimes when the American Revolution happened, including many actions that are required to be electable to public office in some jurisdictions today. A consistent application of the death penalty would have resulted in enormous loss of life.
The HBO series John Adams has an entertaining, although not completely accurate portrayal of the events leading up to the trial in the first part.
Concerning transportation to America: many Americans weren't thrilled about having criminals sent here. The argument for transportation was that in a different climate, a different social environment, these criminals might mend their ways. See Ben Franklin's proposal to replace the death sentence for rattlesnakes with transportation to St. James Park in London, where perhaps they would mend their ways, too.
http://books.google.com/books?id=NL5bcRP5aRAC&pg=PA229&dq=rattlesnakes+%22Benjamin+Franklin%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u76ZT_DAC6SSiQLR-p2UBA&ved=0CEoQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=rattlesnakes%20%22Benjamin%20Franklin%22&f=false
Alpheus says:
I first learned about "Benefit of Clergy" when I slogged through "Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England". The funny thing is, he mentions all the laws that have the Benefit of Clergy without explaining what it was, until much further into the volume…but when he does explain it, he does a thorough job, up to and including how as literacy became more universal, it became more standard.
Oh, and I just read that excerpt from Ben Franklin, as linked by Clayton: Those elongated S's still almost read like f's to me! (The Blackstone commentaries were facsimilies of the first edition; thus, I sort-of almost got used to reading S's in that way.)
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What is Azure AD Connect?
Azure AD Connect is an on-premises Microsoft application that's designed to meet and accomplish your hybrid identity goals. If you're evaluating how to best meet your goals, you should also consider the cloud-managed solution Azure AD Connect cloud sync.
Install Microsoft Azure Active Directory Connect
Azure AD Connect provides the following features:
Password hash synchronization - A sign-in method that synchronizes a hash of a users on-premises AD password with Azure AD.
Pass-through authentication - A sign-in method that allows users to use the same password on-premises and in the cloud, but doesn't require the additional infrastructure of a federated environment.
Federation integration - Federation is an optional part of Azure AD Connect and can be used to configure a hybrid environment using an on-premises AD FS infrastructure. It also provides AD FS management capabilities such as certificate renewal and additional AD FS server deployments.
Synchronization - Responsible for creating users, groups, and other objects. As well as, making sure identity information for your on-premises users and groups is matching the cloud. This synchronization also includes password hashes.
Health Monitoring - Azure AD Connect Health can provide robust monitoring and provide a central location in the Azure portal to view this activity.
Azure AD Connect Health for Sync requires Azure AD Connect Sync V2. If you are still using AADConnect V1 you must upgrade to the latest version. AADConnect V1 is retired on August 31, 2022. Azure AD Connect Health for Sync will no longer work with AADConnect V1 in December 2022.
What is Azure AD Connect Health?
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Connect Health provides robust monitoring of your on-premises identity infrastructure. It enables you to maintain a reliable connection to Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Online Services. This reliability is achieved by providing monitoring capabilities for your key identity components. Also, it makes the key data points about these components easily accessible.
The information is presented in the Azure AD Connect Health portal. Use the Azure AD Connect Health portal to view alerts, performance monitoring, usage analytics, and other information. Azure AD Connect Health enables the single lens of health for your key identity components in one place.
Why use Azure AD Connect?
Integrating your on-premises directories with Azure AD makes your users more productive by providing a common identity for accessing both cloud and on-premises resources. Users and organizations can take advantage of:
Users can use a single identity to access on-premises applications and cloud services such as Microsoft 365.
Single tool to provide an easy deployment experience for synchronization and sign-in.
Provides the newest capabilities for your scenarios. Azure AD Connect replaces older versions of identity integration tools such as DirSync and Azure AD Sync. For more information, see Hybrid Identity directory integration tools comparison.
Why use Azure AD Connect Health?
When authenticating with Azure AD, your users are more productive because there's a common identity to access both cloud and on-premises resources. Ensuring the environment is reliable, so that users can access these resources, becomes a challenge. Azure AD Connect Health helps monitor and gain insights into your on-premises identity infrastructure thus ensuring the reliability of this environment. It is as simple as installing an agent on each of your on-premises identity servers.
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2. Brown the turkey sausage with the olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When sausage is brown, add the yellow onion and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the processed cheese and white Cheddar cheese, turning the heat down to medium and stirring frequently. When the cheese is completely melted, add the chopped dill and transfer the filling to a separate container and refrigerate to cool.
3. Unroll the refrigerated Classic Pizza Dough on the enclosed parchment, and cut evenly into 18 pieces. Place a Tbsp. of the chilled filling in the center of each square and bring the corners up, pinching the edges together. Twist the purse you have created to seal in the filling and gently round the package. Repeat this process for each piece of dough.
4. Brush a 9-inch spring form pan with butter and place each ball of dough (seam side down) into the container working from the inside out, to perfectly fill the pan. Brush the top of the monkey bread with melted butter.
5. Half way through the baking process, remove the side of the spring form pan and continue to bake until golden brown. Serve warm with giardiniera (optional).
This recipe combines the popular flavors of sausage and cheese with the fun of a monkey bread! With our classic refrigerated pizza dough.
Brown the turkey sausage with the olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When sausage is brown, add the yellow onion and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the processed cheese and white Cheddar cheese, turning the heat down to medium and stirring frequently. When the cheese is completely melted, add the chopped dill and transfer the filling to a separate container and refrigerate to cool.
Unroll the refrigerated Classic Pizza Dough on the enclosed parchment, and cut evenly into 18 pieces. Place a Tbsp. of the chilled filling in the center of each square and bring the corners up, pinching the edges together. Twist the purse you have created to seal in the filling and gently round the package. Repeat this process for each piece of dough.
Brush a 9-inch spring form pan with butter and place each ball of dough (seam side down) into the container working from the inside out, to perfectly fill the pan. Brush the top of the monkey bread with melted butter.
Half way through the baking process, remove the side of the spring form pan and continue to bake until golden brown. Serve warm with giardiniera (optional).