Japan International Cooperation Agency

The is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international cooperation. The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee published a peer review of Japan’s development co-operation in October 2020. It has been led by Professor Shinichi Kitaoka, the former President of the International University of Japan, since 2015.
History.
JICA's predecessor, the previous Japan International Cooperation Agency (also known as "JICA"), was a semigovernmental organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formed in 1974. The new JICA was formed on October 1, 2003. A major component of the comprehensive overhaul of Japan's ODA decided by the National Diet on November, 2006, is that the merger in 2008 will be between JICA and that part of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) which currently extends concessional loans to developing countries.
Since its completion on 1 October 2008, the new JICA has become one of the largest bilateral development organizations in the world with a network of 97 overseas offices, projects in more than 150 countries, and available financial resources of approximately 1 trillion yen ($8.5 billion). The reorganized agency is also responsible for administering part of Japan's grant aid which is currently under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and so all three major ODA components—technical cooperation, grant aid, and concessional loans—are now managed "under one roof." The new JICA will also strengthen research and training capacity in the years ahead, acting as a kind of ODA think tank, contributing to global development strategies, strengthening collaboration with international institutions, and being better able to communicate Japan's position on major development and aid issues.
The forthcoming changes will be an extension of a series of JICA reforms which began in October 2003 when it became administratively independent. The organization's domestic establishments including international centers where JICA helps train some 8,000 foreign public officials, researchers, engineers, instructors and community leaders annually in Japan are being streamlined. The organization is also undergoing operational and organizational change in its country offices. Greater emphasis is being placed on a field-based approach to programs/projects, decentralizing staff, and delegating increased authority from Tokyo headquarters to overseas offices, reducing bureaucracy, and fast tracking programs/projects.
An increasing number of JICA programs/projects focus on what JICA's President, Mrs. Sadako Ogata describes as providing "human security". The recently developed concept of "human security" will empower local communities to have a greater say in their own futures by strengthening grassroots programs, such as improving education and health projects.
Presidents.
JICA's current and former presidents:
Activities.
JICA is part of Japan's official development assistance effort, with a role in providing technical cooperation, capital grants and yen loans. According to the OECD, 2019 official development assistance from Japan increased 7.5% to USD 15.5 billion. JICA's core development programs (aid modalities) are technical assistance programs/projects for capacity and institutional development, feasibility studies and master plans. The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), JICA Senior Volunteers, and Japan Disaster Relief Team groups of JICA are widely known among the Japanese general public and tax-payers. Japan Disaster Relief Team members are often seen in news reports on relief efforts after major natural disasters around the world, such as the 2005 South Asian earthquake.
JICA's Mission Statement:
"We, as a bridge between the people of Japan and developing countries, will advance international cooperation through the sharing of knowledge and experience and will work to build a more peaceful and prosperous world."
Specialists dispatched to the field include those recommended from related government ministries and agencies as well as those applying through the specialist registration system. Assignments range from extended stays of over a year to shorter stays of less than one year.
Technical training program.
JICA provides technical training for participants from the developing countries in a wide range of fields, including medical, industrial, and agricultural training.
External links.


Napolact

Napolact is the main Romanian brand which belongs to the Dutch company FrieslandCampina and it’s one of the biggest dairy producers in Romania. It owns three production facilities in Cluj (Baciu), Târgu Mureș and Țaga.
History.
In 1905, “Atelierul Vlad” (Vlad's workshop), becomes certified in Cluj-Napoca as a company which produces dairy products, more specifically, butter and cottage cheese. They grew steadily until 1936 when they have expanded their portfolio to yoghurt, fermented and melted cheese. The small dairy factory becomes nationalized in 1948 when the government takes over control of all private industries at the time. Since then it has been known as “The Milk Industrialization Enterprise Cluj” until 1990 when they become to be simply known as “Napolact”. Shortly after, in 1994, Napolact receives numerous prizes and distinctions from the Romanian government for its high quality products. With an average production capacity of, Napolact became leader of the Romanian dairy market by 1998. Their success comes from the strong relationship they have developed and maintained with their milk producers through considerable investments in their farms each year. Following a simple rule they have strengthened the relationship: each farmer which had at least seven, but no more than ten cows would receive a sum of money which they had to pay back without interest with the purpose of acquiring seven more cows. In 2004, the majority of their shares have been bought by the Friesland company.
Production and distribution.
Currently the production is done at the Baciu dairy factory, Târgu Mureș dairy factory and the distribution consists of two warehouses in Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest from which stores situated all over Romania are supplied.
For all of the Napolact products, the FrieslandCampina company uses raw milk exclusively obtained from farmers in Ardeal all year long.
Modernization.
Starting all the way back in 1990, the company has been through many modernization processes. The most important ones have been implemented after 2004 when Napolact has been taken over by Friesland and the introduction of European factory standards. Thus, the factories in Baciu and Targu Mures have received major improvements to both their quality level and production capacity.
In 2014, Napolact opens their first store with a coffee shop in Cluj-Napoca.
Products.
The product portfolio of Napolact covers most of the main dairy products and they are as follows:
Some of the Napolact products have been certified by the: Cedra yoghurt, Nasal cheese, Tarnava cheese, Alpina cheese, Smoked Alpina cheese, Bobalna cheese, Dej cheese and Huedin telemea.
Likewise, Napolact has launched the product range as of April 2015 which contains milk, yoghurt, Sana and Kefir. These products come from 14 organic farms in Ardeal, sheltered from any sources of pollution. Special documentation proves that the resulted milk come from animals which have been raised in all-natural circumstances. This includes food which have no additives, antibiotics or any other type of chemicals.
Prizes.
Since 1994, Napolact has received various distinctions and prizes awarded by the Romanian government because of the quality of their products. In 2003 they have been situated on the first place in the “food industry, large enterprises” category and have also received an eminence diploma at the 10th edition of “Topului National al Firmelor”.
In 2013, Napolact has been declared the most trusted brand in the dairy industry according to the “” case study done by “Reader’s Digest in Romania” magazine. The studies used only open-ended questions in which consumers were asked to enlist brands.
Ţaga natural cave.
At Ţaga, Cluj County, in a natural cave from the Middle Ages, in microbiological conditions that are unique in the world. The rock of the cave and the Brevibacterium linens bacteria which developed in it, the constant temperature and humidity, act on the cheeses produced here.


Pennsylvanian (train)

The Pennsylvanian is a daily daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel across the Appalachian Mountains, through Pennsylvania's capital Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and New Jersey en route to New York. The entire train ride takes about 9 hours total, with 1.5 hours between New York and Philadelphia, 2 hours between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and 5.5 hours between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
The "Pennsylvanian" uses the same Amtrak-owned Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line as the "Keystone Service" trains, but continues further west via the Pittsburgh Line through Altoona and the Allegheny Mountains, eventually terminating its run in Pittsburgh. The Main Line and Pittsburgh Line collectively make up the Keystone Corridor, a federally-designated corridor for high speed rail service.
During fiscal year 2016, the "Pennsylvanian" carried 223,114 passengers, a 3.7% decrease over FY2015. The train had a total revenue of $11,555,451 during FY2016, up 0.2% from FY2015.
History.
Prior to Amtrak, the "Pennsylvanian" route was covered by the "Duquesne", named after Fort Duquesne in Pittsburgh, and by the "Juniata," both trains operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and from 1968 to 1971 by the PRR's successor, the Penn Central. The "Duquesne" had a long history, finally becoming a daily New York–Pittsburgh train on October 25, 1959, numbered 16 eastbound and 25 westbound. When the Pennsylvania Railroad's successor, Penn Central, was formed in 1968, it continued to operate the "Duquesne" and the "Juniata."
With the start of Amtrak operations on May 1, 1971, the "Duquesne" was renamed the "Keystone" and renumbered 42 westbound and 43 eastbound with the first Amtrak timetable on November 14, 1971. The "Keystone" was discontinued on April 30, 1972.
The immediate impetus for the "Pennsylvanian" was the discontinuance of the "National Limited", a New York–Kansas City train which had provided service over the corridor. That train, in turn, was the successor of the famed "Spirit of St Louis." The "Pennsylvanian" began on April 27, 1980, as a state-supported daylight train between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with connecting service to New York via the "Philadelphian" (a "Clocker") westbound and the "Montrealer" eastbound.
At the time the "Pennsylvanian" was inaugurated, the "Broadway Limited" was departing Pittsburgh at an inconvenient early morning hour. The new train ran with Amfleet equipment, including a cafe car. Pennsylvania agreed to pay 20% of the train's costs for the first year, or $580,000, with the state and Amtrak eventually splitting the costs 50/50 by the third year.
Between 1981 and 1983, "Pennsylvanian" equipment was turned every night to operate a second state-supported train, the "Fort Pitt", which ran from Pittsburgh to Altoona. Amtrak withdrew this train in early 1983 after the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) declined to continue subsidizing the increased operation. At the time the "Fort Pitt" carried 30 passengers per day. On October 30, 1983, the "Pennsylvanian" was extended to New York City, eliminating the transfer at Philadelphia.
After significant ridership gains in 1984, PennDOT proposed that a second train be added to the route. PennDOT and Amtrak would have split the costs evenly. Amtrak officials were favorable, but budget problems stalled the plan.
In the late 1980s passenger-rail groups urged Amtrak to extend the "Pennsylvanian" to Cleveland, Ohio. Proposals included new stations in Sewickley and Beaver Falls. Pressure increased in 1989 when Amtrak announced the re-routing of the "Broadway Limited" and "Capitol Limited" over that same route as part of a restructuring of routes in Indiana. As part of this change, the "Capitol Limited" began serving the Cleveland–Pittsburgh route, albeit in the middle of the night. Amtrak and PennDOT considered two routes for an extended "Pennsylvanian": one via Alliance, Ohio (following the route of the "Capitol Limited") and one via Youngstown, Ohio (partially following the "Broadway Limited") with a new stop in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
On November 7, 1998, Amtrak extended the "Pennsylvanian" through to Chicago along the route of the "Capitol Limited" via Toledo, finally bringing a daylight connection to Cleveland. The "Three Rivers" continued to run over a different schedule via Akron and Fostoria. As part of the change Amtrak truncated the eastern end to Philadelphia, enabling the train to complete the run within a single day. The change was driven by Amtrak's growing mail and express business; Pittsburgh–Philadelphia ridership suffered. Amtrak returned the "Pennsylvanian" to the New York–Pittsburgh route on January 27, 2003, citing low ridership and Amtrak's withdrawal from the express freight business. On November 1, 2004, Amtrak merged the "Pennsylvanian" and "Three Rivers", keeping the latter name with a western terminus in Chicago. Amtrak had sought $2.5 million in assistance from Pennsylvania to keep both trains running. On March 8, 2005, Amtrak truncated service to Pittsburgh–New York and restored the "Pennsylvanian" name to the route.
There is currently no through service west of Pittsburgh, though the "Capitol Limited" continues to provide service to Chicago. As part of its federally mandated analysis of the worst-performing long-distance routes, Amtrak determined that reinstating a through-car connection with the "Pennsylvanian" would result in the highest gain in monetary and customer service measurements of possible options. To implement this, Amtrak plans to operate a Viewliner sleeper car, an Amfleet cafe car and two Amfleet coaches between Chicago and New York approximating the historic "Broadway Limited", via the "Capitol Limited" and "Pennsylvanian". This would begin when funding and equipment is available. On January 28, 2011, it was announced that Pennsylvania had received a $750,000 grant from the federal government to study expanding service westwards from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh along the route of the "Pennsylvanian", including higher speeds and additional frequencies.
The train has been primarily financed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation since October 1, 2013, when the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 took effect. This federal law eliminated federal subsidies for Amtrak routes less than in length.
In March 2020, service on the "Pennsylvanian" was suspended as part of a round of service reduction in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Service resumed on June 1, 2020.
The Pennsylvania State Rail Plan 2020 calls for a second round-trip Amtrak train between Pittsburgh and New York City. The second trip is projected to begin during the fiscal year running from October 2023 to September 2024. The feasibility, schedule, and cost of adding a second train are underway.
Ridership.
Over fiscal years 2009–2016, ridership grew from 199,484 to 223,114, an increase of 10.6%. Ridership peaked at 231,720 in FY 2015. Ticket revenue grew from $7,819,404 to $11,555,451, an increase of 47.8%.
Equipment.
On its inauguration the "Pennsylvanian" ran with then-new Amfleet equipment: two coaches and a cafe. Today the "Pennsylvanian" continues to use an all-Amfleet consist although the number of coaches has grown to six. The train consists of an Amfleet I business class car, an Amfleet I cafe car, an Amfleet I coach, and three Amfleet II long-distance coach cars. Motive power is usually a Genesis diesel-electric locomotive west of Philadelphia. East of Philadelphia, the motive power is a Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotive; an engine swap is made at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. A Viewliner II baggage car was added to the train in October 2019.
Route.
The "Pennsylvanian" follows the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line over the following trackage:


Patrick Bouvier Kennedy

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy (August 7, 1963 – August 9, 1963) was the infant child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. He was the younger brother of Caroline, John Jr., and Arabella.
Born prematurely, Kennedy lived just over 39 hours before dying from complications of hyaline membrane disease (HMD), after desperate attempts to save him failed. His infant death left the First Family and nation in mourning, however, also brought HMD, now known as infantile respiratory distress syndrome, into the public consciousness, inspiring further research. Three months later, his death would be eclipsed by his father's assassination.
Background.
In August 1963, the 34-year-old Jacqueline Kennedy was in her third year as First Lady and in the third trimester of her fifth pregnancy. She had suffered a miscarriage in 1955, followed the next year by a stillborn baby girl that the Kennedys planned to name Arabella after a ship with that name. Two healthy children followed: Caroline in 1957 and John Jr. in 1960. As John had also been premature, she asked her obstetrician, John W. Walsh, to accompany her when she and her children spent the summer in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The nearby Otis Air Force Base Hospital had also prepared a suite for her in case it was necessary.
On the morning of Wednesday, August 7, Jackie took Caroline and John Jr. for a pony ride in Osterville, Massachusetts. While the children were riding, Kennedy felt labor pains. Walsh was summoned, and they were taken by helicopter to Otis Air Force Base.
President Kennedy was at the White House at the time. August 7 was the 20th anniversary of the day that the US Navy had rescued him in World War II after he had spent five days marooned on an island in the Pacific. Kennedy had been in command of Motor Torpedo Boat "PT-109" when it was rammed by a Japanese destroyer, killing two of his crew. His heroics had helped launch his political career. "PT-109" and August 7 were never far from his mind, and he kept a scale model of the boat on a shelf in the Oval Office and each day used a metal tie clasp shaped like a torpedo boat, with "PT 109" stamped across its bow.
Birth and treatment.
While his father was aboard Air Force One, the infant Kennedy was delivered by emergency caesarean section at 12:52 p.m. on August 7, 1963, at the Otis Air Force Base Hospital in Bourne, Massachusetts, five-and-a-half weeks prematurely. The caesarean section was performed by Dr. Walsh, who had also delivered John Jr. in 1960. The infant's birth weight was . He was the first baby to be born to a serving US president and First Lady since the 19th century.
Shortly after birth, Kennedy developed symptoms of hyaline membrane disease (HMD), now called infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS). It was detected by breathing difficulties within minutes. The president arrived, saw his son in distress, and sent for a chaplain. The infant was quickly baptized, named Patrick after his grandfather Joseph Patrick Kennedy (1888–1969) and great-grandfather Patrick Joseph Kennedy (1858–1929). He was given the middle name of Bouvier after his mother's maiden name.
The president was allowed to wheel the baby in an incubator to the First Lady's bedside. James E. Drorbaught, the pediatric specialist at Boston Children's Hospital, was flown by helicopter from Boston to consult on his case, and he recommended transfer to Boston. Five hours after birth, the infant, accompanied by Dr. Drorbaught, was rushed by ambulance to Boston Children's Hospital, away, in under 90 minutes. The transfer to the hospital in Boston was initially reported as a "precautionary measure," the White House said. The baby's condition was accurately reported as HMD, but it was also reported that it would take at least four days to assess his condition and that he was being given medication to assist his condition.
At the time, all that could be done for a baby with hyaline membrane disease was to keep the patient's blood chemistry as close to normal as possible. Led by Dr. Drorbaught, who stayed awake the entire time, the hospital tried everything possible to save the infant's life. The baby was given hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in which he was placed in a hyperbaric chamber filled with 100% oxygen and pressurized to greater than one atmosphere. At the time, the treatment was revolutionary; the "New York Times" described it as "one of the newest interests of medical researchers."
Death and funeral.
Kennedy died at 4:04 a.m. on August 9 "despite a desperate medical effort to save him" and had lived 39 hours and 12 minutes. At the time of the infant's death, the president was outside the room with the hyperbaric chamber with his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. The First Lady, then 34, remained at Otis Air Force Base Hospital recovering from the caesarean section. She was told of her son's death by Dr. Walsh. (He would console her again after her husband's assassination and was aboard Air Force One with her as she returned from Dallas with the president's body.) She was given a sedative and slept until the president flew from Boston. Very little was said about the family's reaction. White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger stated of the First Lady's condition: "Given the circumstances, her condition is satisfactory." The president, who had reportedly slept only four hours since the birth, was photographed arriving at Otis Air Force Base looking "grave and appearing tired."
A small funeral mass was held on August 10, 1963 in the private chapel of Cardinal Richard Cushing in Boston. The president's mother was in Paris and was told not to return for the funeral, but the First Lady's sister Lee Radziwill had already flown in from Greece before the baby died.
Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston, performed the funeral mass, as he would for John F. Kennedy, assassinated 104 days later. Siblings Caroline, then five years old, and John Jr., two and a half, did not attend.
The child was initially buried at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts, the president's hometown. His body and that of his stillborn sister Arabella were reinterred on December 5, 1963, alongside their father, at Arlington National Cemetery and later moved to their permanent graves in Section 45, Grid U-35.
Legacy.
Kennedy's death made 1963 a "pivotal year" for neonatology, then still a relatively-new field, according to an examination of its history in the journal "Neonatology". The increased public awareness of HMD led to a corresponding increase in research of the disease, spurring development of new medical ventilators, blood gas tests and newborn intensive-care practices in both the United States and Europe. The first trials of a potential treatment for HMD, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, were published within a few years but were not considered a clinical success. According to Dr. Suhas M. Nafday, director of Newborn Services at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, the child's death "energized the neonatal researchers into action to look for an effective management of respiratory distress syndrome." In a review of advances in clinical medicine, researcher Thor Hansen observed that the "medical profession did not have the tools to help" Kennedy, "the newborn son of arguably the most powerful man in the world," but 50 years later, treatment of his condition would be considered routine, with survival expected.
Their parents were deeply affected by the death of the child. Secret Service agent Clint Hill recalled the couple having "a distinctly closer relationship" that was visible after the child's death. Press Secretary Pierre Salinger believed that the couple had been brought closer by the presidency but even more so by Kennedy's death.


National without household registration

A national without household registration (abbreviated NWOHR) is a person with Republic of China nationality who does not have household registration in Taiwan. Nationals with this status are subject to immigration controls when entering the Taiwan Area, do not have automatic residence rights there, and cannot vote in Taiwanese elections. However, they are exempt from conscription. Most individuals with this status are children born overseas to Taiwanese citizens. About 60,000 NWOHRs currently hold Taiwanese passports with this status.
Terminology.
Although NWOHR status only has one Chinese-language name, the Ministry of Justice has used several English translations. These include: "nationals without registered permanent residence in the Taiwan Area", "non-citizen ROC nationals", "unregistered nationals", "Overseas Chinese having not established household registration in the Republic of China", and "people without nationalities in Taiwan". The "Taipei Times" occasionally uses "nationals without citizenship".
Background.
The Republic of China (ROC) governed mainland China from 1912 to 1949. The islands of Taiwan and Penghu were ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895 by Qing China, the last ruling dynastic Chinese regime, following its defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War. Control of these islands was transferred to the ROC in 1945 after the Second World War. Near the end of the Chinese Civil War, the Nationalist government was forced to retreat to Taiwan by the Communist Party, which subsequently established the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Since the conclusion of the war, the ROC has controlled only the Taiwan Area.
The ROC continues to constitutionally claim areas under PRC control (mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau) as part of its territory. Because of this, Taiwan treats residents of those areas as ROC nationals. Additionally, because Taiwanese nationality law operates under the principle of "jus sanguinis", overseas Chinese and Taiwanese are also regarded as nationals. During the Cold War, both the ROC and PRC governments actively sought the support of overseas Chinese communities in their attempts to secure the position as the legitimate sole government of China. The ROC also encouraged overseas Chinese businessmen to settle in Taiwan to facilitate economic development. Regulations concerning evidence of ROC nationality by descent were particularly lax during this period, allowing many overseas Chinese the right to settle in Taiwan.
From the late 1980s, Taiwan developed a stronger sense of local national identity and more readily asserted its separate identity from that of China. Legal reforms between 1999 and 2002 greatly reduced the ease by which further grants of ROC nationality were made to overseas Chinese and restricted citizenship rights only to those with household registration in Taiwan. Full citizenship rights, including permanent residence and voting, can only be exercised by nationals who have been registered. NWOHRs are now treated as an external population to Taiwan.
Nationals of Mongolia, which was part of Qing China until 1911, were also regarded as if they were mainland Chinese residents until 2002, when the Mainland Affairs Council removed the country from the administrative definition of the Mainland Area. Since then, Mongolians have been treated as foreigners and are required to apply for visas before entering Taiwan. Nevertheless, the area of Outer Mongolia remains officially part of ROC territorial claims.
Among the NWOHRs living in Taiwan, many of them are ethnic Chinese from the Philippines descended from ROC nationals. A significant portion also come from Myanmar and Thailand, where Republic of China Army detachments fled to after the Chinese Civil War. Descendants of these soldiers entered Taiwan on forged or stolen passports, often to enroll in universities. Because they were not considered nationals of the countries they traveled from, they could not be deported. 875 of these descendants and 107 members of the Tibetan diaspora were granted amnesty in 2009, allowing them to apply for residency.
Acquisition and loss.
Legislation governing Republic of China nationality applies to an extremely broad group of people. All persons of ethnic Chinese and Taiwanese origin, regardless if they have resided overseas for an extended period of time, are technically ROC nationals. Consequently, children born overseas to any of these people automatically acquire ROC nationality at birth. Furthermore, because of Taiwan's continuing claims over areas controlled by the People's Republic of China, PRC nationals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau are also considered ROC nationals. Because only nationals born in ROC-controlled areas are automatically given household registration, any person claiming ROC nationality by descent or through connection with PRC-controlled areas would be NWOHRs. Foreigners who acquire ROC nationality do not acquire household registration as part of the naturalization process and are also NWOHRs until they register for permanent settlement in Taiwan.
Requirements for acquiring documentation from the Taiwanese government certifying NWOHR status for non-naturalized nationals differ depending on which region of Greater China applicants originate from, whether they or their parents have ever held an ROC passport, and if they have registered as overseas Chinese at a Taiwanese diplomatic mission. Children born overseas to nationals already holding ROC passports are subject to no additional requirements other than providing sufficient proof of a parent's nationality. More than 30 million people are estimated to be eligible to claim passports through nationality by descent.
Individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau who do not also possess household registration in Taiwan are generally ineligible for passports and must obtain specific approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be granted exceptions. However, Hong Kong and Macau residents who had established overseas Chinese status before the end of colonial rule are exempt from this requirement and continue to be regarded as if they were other overseas Chinese. Residents originating from PRC-controlled areas who currently live overseas and have lived there for more than four years with established permanent residence may be issued passports if: they have been married to Taiwan Area persons for more than two years, or have children; and have special skills in their professional fields, or made extraordinary contributions to Taiwan. Mainland Area persons must additionally surrender their Chinese passports. Hong Kong and Macau residents are ineligible if they possess foreign travel documents, except for British National (Overseas) passports and Portuguese passports originally acquired before Macau's transfer in 1999. Residents from these areas may also be granted passports if they are invited to represent Taiwan in international competitions or under special discretionary circumstances, and if they currently live either in Taiwan or overseas.
NWOHRs may voluntarily relinquish the status by application to the Ministry of the Interior, provided that they have acquired another nationality or are married to foreign nationals. The status may be deprived if it was fraudulently acquired. All Taiwanese nationals, including NWOHRs, who obtain "hukou" in mainland China automatically have their passports cancelled and any residence rights in Taiwan revoked.
Entry requirements.
Although NWOHRs may travel using a Taiwanese passport, because the status by itself does not give its holders residence rights in Taiwan, they face restrictions when traveling there and are not treated identically to Taiwanese nationals with household registration when entering other countries. For example, the United States allows visa waiver to holders of the Republic of China passport with an ID number printed in the passport; holders of the Republic of China passport without such an ID number are considered stateless and need to apply for a visa. Likewise for the Schengen Area, the 90-day “short-stay visa waiver will not apply … to ‘overseas’ passport holders [NWOHR], whose travel document does not contain an identity card number.”
Taiwan.
Nationals without household registration are subject to immigration controls and do not have automatic residence or employment rights in Taiwan. They may not enter ROC-controlled areas with only their NWOHR passports. NWOHRs must also present an endorsement letter from an Overseas Community Affairs Council certifying their residency overseas, a Certificate of Alien Registration from South Korea indicating their long-term or permanent residence status there, or an entry permit from the National Immigration Agency. They may also enter Taiwan with an Exit & Entry Permit without having to present a passport. Each visit is restricted to three months, which may be extended once per visit for a further three months.
NWOHRs given approval to reside in Taiwan are restricted from rights and benefits reserved for full Taiwanese citizens. They are not entitled to hold national identification cards and are given Taiwan Area Resident Certificates instead. The lack of household registration makes them ineligible for national health insurance and automatic workers' compensation coverage. They cannot vote in elections or stand for public office. NWOHRs who concurrently hold foreign nationality are additionally required to apply for work permits to be employed in Taiwan.
Obtaining household registration.
NWOHRs may request approval to reside in Taiwan for employment, study, investment, or family reunion. They may obtain household registration after residence for a number of years, which grants full citizenship rights in Taiwan. NWOHRs born to Taiwan Area persons may be registered after continuous residence for one year, 270 days per year for two years, or 183 days per year for five years. Mainland Area persons are subject to annual immigration quotas limiting the number of people acquiring residence permits and household registration each year. An NWOHR who enters Taiwan with a foreign passport or travel document for stateless people may not apply for residency, unless that person is an NWOHR by naturalization or descent through birth overseas to a Taiwan Area person. All NWOHRs who successfully obtain household registration continue to be exempt from conscription until one year after the day they are registered.
China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Because NWOHRs do not have national identification cards, they cannot follow the standard procedure that allow Taiwan residents to travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. They must use Chinese Travel Documents instead of their passports when traveling to these places.


List of Amtrak routes

Amtrak operates the following intercity and long-distance passenger train routes.
Current routes.
Amtrak service is divided into three categories of routes: Northeast Corridor routes, state-supported routes, and long distance routes. These types indicate how the service is funded. Northeast Corridor service is directly subsidized by federal appropriations. Federally-supported long distance services are subsidized by appropriations under a separate line item from the NEC in federal budgets. Additionally, Amtrak partners with 17 states to provide additional short- and medium-distance services desired by those states. They are subsidized by periodic payments to Amtrak from the state partners. Three routes – the "Carolinian", "Northeast Regional", and "Vermonter" – are state-subsidized only on the sections of their routes off the Northeast Corridor (north of New Haven, and south of Washington).
The "Northeast Regional" and "San Joaquin" have branches served by different trips, while the "Empire Builder" and "Lake Shore Limited" split into two sections to serve branches. On the "Acela Express", "Capitol Corridor", "Downeaster", "Empire Service", "Keystone Service", "Northeast Regional", "Pacific Surfliner", and "San Joaquin", some or all trips do not run the full length of the route; all cities listed are terminals for some trains.
Due to the drop in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Amtrak reduced several long distance trains from 1 daily round trip to 3 weekly round trips. This went into effect in October 2020.
Full listing.
This listing included current "and" discontinued routes operated by Amtrak since May 1, 1971. Some intercity trains were also operated after 1971 by the Alaska Railroad, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Georgia Railroad, Reading Company, and Southern Railway. The Southern Railway and D&RGW routes were taken over by Amtrak in 1979 and 1983 respectively.
These listings show only changes to train names and endpoint cities. Changes to terminal stations within the same city, as well as route changes that did not modify the endpoint cities, are not shown.
Northeast Corridor.
As inherited from Penn Central, most names for Northeast Corridor trains – except for the "Metroliner" and "Clocker" – were used for only one one-way or round-trip train. These names were frequently changed from the 1970s to the 1990s. These named trains were consolidated under the "NortheastDirect" brand in 1995, though individual names appeared on timetables from 1996 to 1999. The "Acela Regional" brand was used for all-electric service beginning in 2000. Northeast Corridor service, except for the "Acela Express", was rebranded "Regional" in 2003 and finally "Northeast Regional" in 2008.
This listing shows only trains operated primarily on the Northeast Corridor and the New Haven–Springfield Line, plus extensions of those trains into Virginia. Trains serving endpoints outside these areas are listed separately.
Empire Corridor.
Trains operating over the Empire Corridor (the former New York Central Railroad Water Level Route) are now collectively known as the "Empire Service". The name was used by the New York Central beginning in 1967, but dropped by Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak restored the "Empire Service" brand with the June 11, 1972 timetable, and added individual train names on the May 19, 1974 timetable. As was done on the Northeast Corridor with "NortheastDirect", individual train names for New York-Albany and New York-Niagara Falls service were dropped on October 28, 1995 and replaced with "Empire". The individual names were re-added in November 1996, but dropped in favor of "Empire Service" in May 1999.
Keystone Corridor.
Trains providing local intercity service on the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line (the former Pennsylvania Railroad main line) to Harrisburg are now collectively known as the "Keystone Service", a name originally introduced in 1981. From 1990 to 2006, individual trains were listed in timetables as "Keystone", a name also applied to two different trains in 1971–72 and 1979–81. This table includes only trains that did not operate west of Harrisburg.
This listing includes trains operating over the full length of the Keystone Corridor to Pittsburgh. Some trains have offered connections at 30th Street Station while others only stopped at North Philadelphia; most have not offered local service east of Harrisburg. Since 2005, the "Pennsylvanian" is the only train to operate between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
Northeast.
These routes operated in the Northeastern United States. Empire Corridor, Keystone Corridor, and Northeast Corridor routes are not included in this table.
Northeast – Midwest.
These routes operated from the Northeast to the Midwest. Routes that ran via the Empire Corridor or Keystone Corridor are also listed in those tables.


Chunda Sisodia

Rao Chunda was the eldest son of 3rd Sisodia ruler of Mewar, Rao Lakha. He was the crown prince of Mewar until Hansa Bai, the Marwari princess was married to his father and their son Mokal Singh was declared as the next ruler of Mewar at the instance of Hansa's brother Ranmal. Thus, he left the court and established himself with his supporters who came to be known as Chundawat Rajputs.
Early life.
Rao Chunda, who is considered as the progenitor of the Chundawat sub-clan of Rajputs was the eldest out of eight issues of Rao Lakha. In the last years of Lakha's reign, the ambitious Rathore prince of Marwar, Ranmal arrived to his court with the marriage proposal of his sister Hansa Bai to the "Maharana of Mewar". Ranmal had made several expeditions and had numerous victories in the nearby territories of Mewar. Rao Lakha, who was a greybeard then, jested with the delegation remarking the proposal was obviously not for him. Rao Chunda who was on a mission then was absent from the court. On his return Chunda came to know that the proposal was first brought for his father, hence he rejected the offer.
Ranmal was a short tempered man and having a feel that rejection of Rathore princess could be considered as a sort of derogation by him forced Lakha, who was not in a favour to deteriorate the already strained relationship between Rathore and Sisodia clans to marry the young princess himself. Ranmal was not satisfied with this as he intended to control the Mewar through the nuptial ties of his sister which he sought to make with the ruler of Mewar but old Lakha was soon to be retired and Rao Chunda was his heir apparent. This made Chunda to submit all his claims to the throne in the favour of the first child borne out of the union of his father Lakha Singh and the Marwari princess Hansa Bai.
Chunda thus sacrificed his right to the throne and even helped his step brother and son of Hansa Bai, Rao Mokal to consolidate his hold over the kingdom, who ascended the throne as a "minor", after Lakha Singh was killed in a battle.
Later life.
During the later part of his life, he was defamed by the queen mother, Hansa Bai, who suspected him of plotting against her son Mokal Singh and sought submission of his rights as the regent. The period saw arrival of Ranmal Rathore, the maternal uncle of the minor ruler Mokal Singh and growing influence of Rathores over Sisodia Kingdom of Mewar, a fact which made many nobles of Mewar to resent and plot against Ranmal.
When Chunda was accused of plotting by Hansa Bai, he left the court and moved to Mandu, the capital of Malwa, and established himself here with his supporters who came to be known as Chundawat Rajputs. Meanwhile, in Mewar the atrocities of Ranmal, who assassinated Raghavdev, and another son of Lakha and made many women his captive, triggered a sentiment of hatred against him, which led to his murder. The grandson of Hansa Bai and Lakha Singh, Rana Kumbha ascended the throne after his murder and took the kingdom of Mewar to its zenith.


Robert E. Millette

Robert E. Millette served as Ambassador of Grenada to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998. During his tenure, Millette assisted the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in raising millions of dollars for infrastructural projects such as the stadium and the Ministerial complex.
Since returning to academia in 1998, Millette has been conducting research in areas such as Public Sector Reform, the United Nations, and leadership and shared governance at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Robert E. Millette, Professor of Sociology, has been teaching sociology at Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) since 1984. In addition to teaching, Millette serves as Director of the Global Studies Institute. Millette authored books on Black families.


Zeine Ould Zeidane

Zeine Ould Zeidane () (born 1966) is a Mauritanian economist and politician. He placed third as a candidate in the March 2007 presidential election, and he subsequently served as Prime Minister from April 2007 to May 2008.
Biography.
Born in Tamchekett, Zeidane studied in Nouakchott, then at the University of Nice, in France. He taught briefly at the University of Nice before returning to Mauritania, where he taught at the University of Nouakchott before entering banking. In 2000, he was posted to the World Bank, while he later served as economic counsel to the President of Mauritania, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. On July 26, 2004, he was appointed by Taya as Governor of the Central Bank of Mauritania. He was virtually the only minister to maintain his post following the coup of August 2005, leaving the position in September 2006 because of his presidential candidacy.
Zeidane announced his candidacy on December 18, 2006. In the presidential election, which was held on March 11, 2007, he was the youngest candidate, standing as an independent. He took third place in the election with 15.28% of the votes cast. In the election, Zeidane was considered by some to be the candidate favored by exiled former president Taya. On March 17, Zeidane announced his support for Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in the second round of the election.
Abdallahi won the second round, held on March 25, and on April 20, one day after he took office as President, Abdallahi named Zeidane as Prime Minister. Zeidane took office on April 21. Zeidane's new government was named on April 28; it included 28 members and was composed of technocrats who were largely considered obscure figures. Three of the ministers appointed were members of the People's Progressive Alliance (led by Messaoud Ould Boulkheir, another presidential candidate who backed Abdallahi in the second round).
Zeidane presented the resignation of his government on May 6, 2008; Abdallahi accepted the resignation and appointed Yahya Ould Ahmed El Waghef to succeed him on the same day.


Minimum wage in Kazakhstan

Minimum wage in Kazakhstan is set by a law that established the nationwide minimum wage. According to Kazakh sources, minimum wage in Kazakhstan in 2010 was 14592 tenge (about $38 USD) per month. After that it increased to 21364 tenge (about $55 USD) in 2015.
The current minimum wage in Kazakhstan, which was set on January 1, 2017, equals 24,459 tenge (about $63 USD).
There is a lot of discussion about the low level of minimum wages in Kazakhstan. Because of that, the opposition party in Kazakhstan, Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, has criticised the president of the country, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The Minimum Wages in Kazakhstan increased to 42500 KZT/Month in 2019.


Charles W. Berry

Charles White Berry (April 11, 1871 – April 30, 1941) was an American physician, soldier, and New York City Comptroller.
Life.
Berry was born on April 11, 1871, in Catskill, New York, the son of Frank M. Berry and Almira Horn. He moved to New York City with his parents when he was 9.
Berry graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1896. He then began practicing medicine in Brooklyn, devoting much of his time to childhood diseases. He was heavily involved in public health, working for the New York City Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health as a diagnostician and epidemiologist. In 1917, he received a degree in doctor of public health from New York University. He also lectured at several medical schools, including the Belleuve Medical School, New York University Medical School, and Long Island University Brooklyn medical school.
In 1903, Berry enlisted in the New York National Guard, starting as a private in Company H. of the 7th New York Militia Regiment. He was quickly promoted through the ranks of corporal and sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1909. In 1911, when trouble was brewing with Mexico, he sought and obtained a commission as first lieutenant in the 14th Infantry. A year later, he was commissioned a captain. While serving he was commended by Major General Leonard Wood for having the most efficient company in the National Guard. From 1913 to 1914, he was an Aide to governor Martin H. Glynn. Shortly afterwards, he was mustered in to serve with the 14th Infantry during the Mexican Border War. He received an honorable discharge in 1916.
When America was preparing to enter World War I, Berry again enlisted as a private in the 14th Infantry. He was commissioned a major of infantry, transferred to the 106th Infantry, 27th Division, and set sail for France in May 1918. He commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 106th, stationed in the Ypres sector in Belgium. He was then promoted to lieutenant-colonel and transferred to the 105th Infantry. He led the regiment at Dickebusch Lake and the Battle of Vierstraat Ridge. He was second in command of the regiment in the Battle of the Hindenburg Line and the subsequent advance to Canal De La Sambre. After the Armistice was signed, he returned to the United States in November 1918. For his military service, he was awarded the Croix de guerre with Palms, the Conspicuous Service Cross, and was cited for gallantry in action.
In January 1919, New York governor Al Smith commissioned Berry Brigadier General and appointed him Adjutant General of New York. He served until 1920. In the 1920 New York state election, he was the Democratic candidate for New York State Comptroller. He lost to James A. Wendell. In 1923, Smith again appointed Berry Adjutant General of New York. In May 1923, Smith appointed him Major-General, Commander of the New York National Guard, to replace General John F. O'Ryan.
In 1925, Berry was elected New York City Comptroller. He served from 1926 to 1933, serving under New York City mayors Jimmy Walker, Joseph V. McKee, and John P. O'Brien. Once he took office, he demanded a definite policy for financing the then-ongoing subway construction and urged it be done with long-term bonds instead of short-term ones. He also proposed a 10-cent subway fare to make the subway self-sustaining and help the city financially, but this proved unpopular. He merged several bureaus for tax collection in the New York City Department of Finance into a single bureau. He saved the city millions in the acquisition for of parks and school sites by ending the old method of acquiring the land through condemnation proceedings, and favored extending the city parks.
After retiring as Comptroller in September 1933, Berry briefly returned to practicing medicine. Poor health ended up keeping him at home, first in Dongan Hills, Staten Island and then in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In 1892, Berry married Maud E. Brower. Two of his sons, Charles White Jr. and Frank M., also fought in World War I, serving in the 1st Cavalry. His other children include George Gould, Allen J., William Meyer, Mrs. Albert L. Oppikofer, Mrs. Mary J. Maroney, and Martha J. By the time he died, he was married to Nina La Plante. His son George Gould was a general staff officer during World War II under Hugh A. Drum and Omar Bradley, a brigadier general, and chief of staff of the New York National Guard. He was a member of the New York Academy of Medicine, the American Public Health Association, the American Health Association, the American Legion, the Society of American Officers, the Military Order of the World War, and the Army and Navy Club of the United States.
Berry died at his home in Charlottesville on April 30, 1941. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.


Gentleman Usher of the White Rod


Michigan Interstate Railway

The Michigan Interstate Railway was formed on August 27, 1977 to operate the Ann Arbor Railroad from Toledo, Ohio to Elberta, Michigan. The AA had declared bankruptcy and was included in the assets of Conrail, formed on April 1, 1976. The MIRC operated until October 7, 1988 when the Ann Arbor Acquisition Corporation acquired all assets.
Operations.
The Michigan Interstate Railway operated over the territory of the previous operator, the Ann Arbor Railroad, from Toledo, Ohio to Elberta, Michigan. The MIRC assumed operations from Conrail on October 1, 1977 and operated until October 7, 1988. Elberta was the site of the railroad's ferry operations. The ferry operations ceased in April 1982 and service north of Cadillac, Michigan was reduced to a sand pit just south of Yuma, Michigan. Additionally, the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway acquired operations north of Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1982. In 1983, the MIRC filed for reorganization and the trustee for the estate purchased the remaining portion of the MIRC from Toledo, Ohio to Ann Arbor, Michigan in September 1985. The MIRC continued to operate until October 7, 1988 when all assets were acquired by the Ann Arbor Acquisition Corporation.
Roster.
The Michigan Interstate Railway operated equipment that had been used by the previous operator, the Ann Arbor Railroad. The Ann Arbor Railroad purchased ten new EMD GP35s in 1962 that were built and delivered in 1963. When the MIRC assumed operations in 1977, the EMD GP35s were in a state of disrepair. The MIRC rebuilt eight of the EMD GP35s for service. Additionally, the MIRC also operated three Alco S3s, two Alco RS-1s, and two Alco RS-2s.


Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning

Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning (1697 – 27 December 1732) was a Scottish nobleman, politician and poet.
Life.
The son of Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington and Helen Hope, he used the courtesy title Lord Binning from birth.
Lord Binning was present with his father at the Battle of Sheriffmuir, in 1715. From 1718 until his death he held office as Knight Marischal, an office that had been vacant since the battle following the forfeiture of the Jacobite, Earl of Kintore.
He was elected at the 1722 general election as a Member of Parliament (MP) for borough of St Germans in Cornwall, and held the seat until the 1727 general election.
Lord Binning had an important influence on the decision of his father-in-law, George Baillie of Jerviswood, to build Mellerstain House, and he took an active interest in the design of its policies.
In 1731, and in increasingly frail health, Lord Binning, accompanied by the Baillie family, left Britain for the continent, and settled in Naples, where he died on 27 December 1732.
Marriage and issue.
On 3 September 1717, he married Rachel Baillie, the daughter of George Baillie of Jerviswood and Mellerstain and Lady Grisell Baillie. His wife outlived Binning for 41 years, dying at Mellerstain in 1773.


National Intelligence Coordination Center

The National Intelligence Coordination Center was established on 1 October 2007 by the United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The center's purpose is to give the DNI the means to more effectively and efficiently direct and integrate collection assets and activities of all national, defense and domestic intelligence organizations against standing and emergent strategic intelligence priorities.


Bob Johnston (economist)

Robert Alan 'Bob' Johnston AC (born 19 July 1924) is an Australian economist and the 4th Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.


Paolo Duterte

Paolo "Pulong" Zimmerman Duterte (born March 24, 1975) is a Filipino politician who is the representative of Davao City's 1st district. He previously was vice mayor of Davao City from 2013 until his resignation in December 2017.
Paolo Duterte is the eldest son of former mayor of Davao City and now Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte. His sister Sara is the incumbent Mayor of Davao City, while his brother Sebastian is the incumbent vice mayor of the said city.
Early life and education.
Paolo Zimmerman Duterte was born on March 24, 1975 in Davao City. He is the eldest son of president Rodrigo Duterte and Elizabeth Zimmerman, a Filipina of American and German Jewish descent. His sister, Sara Duterte, is the incumbent Mayor of Davao City.
For his elementary and secondary studies, Duterte studied at the Philippine Women's College of Davao, obtaining his high school diploma in 1991. He attended the University of Mindanao, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in Banking & Finance in 2002. Duterte also had graduate studies at the University of Southeastern Philippines, where he attained his master's degree in Public Administration in 2009, and at the Lyceum-Northwestern University, where he attained his doctorate degree in Public Administration in 2015.
In pursuit of his dream in becoming a pilot, he obtained his Airplane Private Pilot Licence at Mactan Aviation Technology Center Inc. Pilot School in 2018. He is currently working on his Commercial and Multi-Engine Pilot License and Helicopter Pilot Training at CheynAir Aviation.
Career.
Paolo Duterte started his career as a politician as a barangay captain serving the barangay of Catalunan Grande in the district of Talomo in Davao City from November 15, 2007 to June 30, 2013. In the later part of his barangay captain stint from July 2011 to June 2013, Duterte was Vice President for Mindanao Liga ng mga Barangay National ().
He was also part of the 15th and 16th City Council in Davao as a City Councilor from January 6, 2008 to June 30, 2013. He served as ABC Sectoral Representative as a councilor. He was elected as Davao City's Vice Mayor in the 2013 local elections assuming the post on June 30, 2013. He secured a second term in the 2016 local elections.
Duterte later resigned as Vice Mayor of Davao City on December 25, 2017 saying the move was made out of "delicadeza" after his public quarrel with his daughter. This was attributed by Duterte to his "failed marriage" to Lovelie Sangkola describing his former wife as "incorrigible". He thanked the city council and remarked that he is looking forward to the day he is able to "serve the country again". Davao City Majority Floor Leader Bernard Al-ag became acting vice mayor upon recognition of his resignation by President Rodrigo Duterte on January 5, 2018.
On October 12, 2018, Duterte filed his candidacy for congressman representing Davao City's 1st Congressional District. He was proclaimed the winner by the Commission on Elections on May 14, 2019 and took his oath of office on June 21. In July, he was elected Deputy Speaker of the House for Political Affairs. Some of the bills he authored or co-authored as a congressman includes the creation of a Boracay Island Development Authority, the renaming of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and the setting up of various department-level government agencies in charge of disaster resilience, OFWs and emergency response.
On July 10, 2020, Duterte is one of the 70 representatives who voted to "yes" to deny the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, in favor of the report from Technical Working Group.
Personal life.
Duterte's first wife was Lovelie Sangkola, who was of Tausūg descent, with whom he has 3 children. Their marriage was annulled in 2006. Paolo then married his longtime girlfriend, January Navares, in December 2010. They have 2 children together.
Duterte has two grandchildren, Rodrigo Duterte III, son of Rodrigo Duterte II, born in June 2019; and Arturo Vicente Duterte, son of Omar, born on August 15, 2019.


Chen Qiufa

Chen Qiufa (; born December 1954) is a Chinese aerospace engineer and politician of Miao ethnic heritage. He is the Communist Party Secretary and the Governor of Liaoning province. He formerly served as Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, Director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology.
Early life and education.
Chen Qiufa was born in December 1954 in Chengbu Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province. He is a member of the Miao minority. He began working in March 1973 as a teacher at Lianxing Elementary School in Chengbu, and joined the Communist Party of China in September 1974.
In September 1975, Chen entered the electrical engineering department of National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, majoring in radar countermeasure. He graduated in October 1978.
Career.
After university Chen worked for the Ministry of Aerospace Industry from 1978 to 1994, first as an engineer, and later as a manager. From 1994 to 1998 he worked for China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. From 1998 to 2000 he was Director of the education department of the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND). He was Head of Commission for Discipline Inspection at COSTIND from 2000 to 2005.
From 2005 to 2008 he was Deputy Director of COSTIND. When COSTIND was reorganized and merged into the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in 2008, he became Director of the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) under MIIT, as well as Vice-Minister of MIIT. He was also appointed Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority in 2008 and Director of the China National Space Administration in 2010.
In January 2013, he left all his positions with MIIT and was tapped to become Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (PPCC) of his native Hunan Province, taking on a political office for the first time. He was also elected in November 2012 as a full member of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
On May 4, 2015, Chen Qiufa was appointed Acting Governor and Deputy Party Secretary of Liaoning province, succeeding Li Xi, who was promoted to Party Secretary. Along with Ma Xingrui and Zhang Qingwei, Chen was one of a growing number of high regional officials in his generation who rose through the aerospace industry. Chen's appointment to Liaoning also demonstrated that being a provincial-level PPCC chief was no longer considered a "political retirement home" for older politicians, and that holders of this office could still be considered for further promotion. He was appointed as the Party Secretary of Liaoning in 2017. He was replaced by Zhang Guoqing in 2020.
On 17 October 2020, Chen was appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the National People's Congress Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee.


Richard Bootle-Wilbraham

Richard Bootle-Wilbraham (27 October 1801 – 5 May 1844) was a British Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1835 to 1844.
Bootle-Wilbraham was the oldest son of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Taylor. He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, and lived with his family at Blythe Hall, Lathom, Lancashire, part of the Lathom estate owned by his family.
He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1826,
and was elected at the 1835 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Lancashire. He was re-elected in 1837 and returned without a contest in 1841, and held the seat until his death from influenza in 1844, aged 42.
He married Jessy Brooke (1812–1892), the daughter of Sir Richard Brooke, 6th Baronet Brooke of Norton. They had one son, the Conservative politician Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom, and three daughters.


Lackawaxen and Stourbridge Railroad


Fahad Almubarak

Fahad Almubarak is a Minister of State and Member of the Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers and the Saudi Arabia's G20 Sherpa since 2018. He has also been a Royal Court Advisor since 2015 and the Secretary-General of G20 Saudi Secretariat as well as Member of the SABIC Board of Directors’ Investment Committee since 2017.
He is a prominent Saudi Arabian businessman who served as the Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, the central bank of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from December 2011 to May 2016. Prior to his role with the central bank, Almubarak was an entrepreneur, a businessman and an investment banker. In his capacity as the governor of the central bank, he oversaw the country's foreign reserves of around US$500 billion, regulated the banking and insurance sector, and strengthened the stability of the financial sector. During his term, Saudi Arabia maintained an investment-grade S&P credit rating of AA- with a stable outlook.
Almubarak founded The Capital Group (TCG), Saudi Arabia's first licensed investment bank and led it to become one of the country's leading investment banking firms advising on several IPOs, restructurings and mergers and acquisitions. The Capital Group was later acquired by Morgan Stanley and continued operating under Almubarak's leadership as Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia. Almubarak was also a founding partner and board member at Amwal Al Khaleej, one of the Middle East's leading private equity firms. In 2013, Almubarak was named the 11th most powerful personality in the Arab world.
Additionally, he was a member of the negotiating team with international oil and gas companies towards the partial privatization of the natural gas industry in Saudi Arabia. Almubarak was also one of the key members of the committee responsible for the corporatization and had played a leading role in the privatization of Saudi Telecom Company and assisted in preparing privatization studies on the Saudi Postal Services.
He was also a founder and an executive partner at Malaz Group, a diversified investment firm based in Riyadh. He has 24 years of work experience and has worked in executive management positions providing investment and corporate finance advisory services.
From 1992 to 1999, Almubarak served as the CEO of Rana Investment Company where he launched and managed several private equity and alternative investment funds. During his incumbency, Almubarak steered Rana Investment Company from a local company to an internationally recognized investment company within a short span of time. He has also worked extensively on various regional projects in the Middle East.
Almubarak had also served for eight years on the Shoura Council, the country's consultative body during which he served as the vice chairman of its economic and energy committee. He is also a member of numerous national and regional economic and charitable committees.
Fahad Almubarak served on a number boards of directors, including:
Education.
Almubarak holds several academic degrees, including:
Personal life.
Almubarak is married and has five children. He currently resides in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


List of Toshiba subsidiaries

Subsidiaries of Toshiba. Together, these companies form the Toshiba Group.
Subsidiaries.
As of April 2020, Toshiba is organized into six groupings as follows:


Kotaro Koizumi

 is a Japanese actor and the eldest son of the 56th Japanese Prime Minister, Junichirō Koizumi, and Kayoko Miyamoto.
He studied economics at night classes of Nihon University, but dropped out.


Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny

Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny (2 October 1809 – 23 January 1851) was a Scottish Liberal politician.
Origins.
He was the eldest son and heir apparent of Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery (1783–1868), whom he predeceased, by his wife Harriett Bouverie.
Education.
Dalmeny was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Career.
Dalmeny was a supporter of the Reform Act 1832, and became a Member of Parliament for Stirling Burghs in the elections held that year after the passage of the bill. From 25 April 1835 until the fall of Melbourne's Second Government in 1841, Dalmeny was a Civil Lord of the Admiralty. In Parliament, he opposed both the secret ballot and the income tax. He did not contest the seat in 1847, and left Parliament.
Marriage and progeny.
On 20 September 1843 he married Lady Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope (1819–1901), a historian, the daughter of Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Stanhope, by whom he had four children:
After Lord Dalmeny's death, Lady Dalmeny married secondly Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Cleveland (1803–1891) in 1854.
Death.
Dalmeny fell ill with pleurisy during the Christmas season of 1850, and while apparently recovering in January, died suddenly of heart failure.


Shashi Kant Sharma

Shashi Kant Sharma is a retired 1976 batch Indian Administrative Service officer belonging to Bihar cadre. He was the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. In July 2014 he assumed office as a Member of the United Nations Board of Auditors. On 11 January 2017, Sharma took over as the Chairman of the United Nations Board of Auditors. The reports of the Board serve as a key input for policy making within the UN.
Education.
He has BSc from University of Allahabad, an MSc in Administrative Science and Development Problems from University of York, and is a MA in Political Science from Agra University.
Career.
As an IAS officer.
Shashi Kant Sharma served in key positions for both Union and Bihar Governments, like as the Excise Commissioner of Bihar, Labour Commissioner of Bihar, Managing Director of Bokaro Industrial Development Authority and as the District Magistrate and Collector of Patna, Singhbhum, Palamau and Bhagalpur in Bihar Government, and as the Union Defence Secretary, Union Financial Services Secretary, Union Information Technology Secretary, Director General (Acquisition) in Ministry of Defence, Additional Secretary in Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and as Additional Secretary in Ministry of Defence in the Union Government.
Post Retirement.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Since taking over as CAG of India, Sharma has finalized more than 100 Audit Reports for the Union Government and 250 Audit Reports for the State Governments. Some of these reports relate to critical issues, such as the Agricultural Crop Insurance Scheme, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, Flood control and Flood Forecasting, E-auction of coal mines, Environmental Clearance mechanism, Turnaround plan and financial restructuring of Air India, Sharing of Revenue by Private service providers in Telecom sector, Public Debt Management, Implementation of PAHAL (DBTL) Scheme by the Oil Marketing Companies, Construction of Indo China Border Roads by Border Roads Organisation, Audit of Pricing Mechanism of Major Petroleum Products, Audit of Hydrocarbon Production Sharing Contracts, Reports on Defence Services (Air Force and Navy), PPP Projects in NHAI, Defence Services (Army and Ordnance Factories and Defence PSUs), and Audit of Refit of Indian Naval Ships.
He was elected by the General Assembly of United Nations as a Member of the UN Board of Auditors in 2014 for a term of six years. His other international responsibilities include Member of UN Panel of External Auditors, Chair of the Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Services Committee of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), Chair of the Working Group of INTOSAI on I.T. Audit. He was also the Chairman of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) until February 2015, and is currently a member of its Governing Board.
In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Prashant Bhushan questioned the selection of former Defence Secretary, saying that there was conflict of interest in this appointment as CAG. The manner in which his appointment had been made adversely was thought of to possibly affect the perception of impartiality that is necessary for an independent constitutional office-holder. The Delhi High Court, by a detailed judgement in the Writ Petitions no 4653/2013 and WP 4619/2013 dated 13.08.2014, held that the appointment did not violate the principles of institutional integrity nor was the appointment arbitrary. The Hon’ble Court observed that he has an unblemished and impeccable record, and that his integrity cannot be doubted. The Petitioners challenged the Delhi High Court judgement before the Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in its order in SLP No.24328/2014 on 11 February 2015, dismissed the petition by holding that there was no good ground to interfere in the High Court's judgement and order. It did not accept Prashant Bhushan's plea for examining the appointment of Sharma as CAG, a Constitutional post, on the mere apprehension of conflict of interest. The Hon’ble Court accepted the submission of the Attorney General that Sharma had an exceptional career without blemish.
Sharma demitted the office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India on 24 September 2017.
Chairman of United Nations Board of Auditors.
Sharma assumed the office of Chairman of United Nations Board of Auditors on 11 January 2017.
Sharma demitted the office of Chairman of United Nations Board of Auditors on 24 September 2017.


State Department Sounding Board

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for the creation of an online forum for State Department employees to submit ideas directly to the Secretary. The Sounding Board was an intranet blog developed and launched in February 2009 by staff from the State Department's Office of eDiplomacy.
The platform metrics soon generated 27,000 page views a month and serves as a global water cooler for a workforce spread around the planet. It has served as a platform for brain-storming ideas and crowd sourcing non-policy solutions.
Employee response to the online forum varied from enthusiasm to concern for maintaining confidentiality and decorum. Some contributors to the Sounding Board expressed worry that public airing of internal discussion might embarrass the Department of State; comments that were subsequently published in "Washington Post" reporter Al Kamen's column "In The Loop".
The Sounding Board was an internal platform (discussion forum) for State Department employees to exchange ideas, while DipNote is the Secretary of State's blog on the internet. The use of social media was seen as essential for 21st century diplomacy. The Department of State was "integrating social media into the job descriptions of all the foreign service officers", says New Media Director Katie Dowd.
The Sounding Board was ended on August 31, 2017.


Governor of the Bank of England

The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor. The Governor of the Bank of England is also Chairman of the Monetary Policy Committee, with a major role in guiding national economic and monetary policy, and is therefore one of the most important public officials in the United Kingdom.
According to the original charter of 27 July 1694 the bank's affairs would be supervised by a Governor, a Deputy Governor, and 24 directors. In its current incarnation, the Bank's Court of Directors has 12 (or up to 14) members, of whom five are various designated executives of the Bank.
The 121st and current Governor is Andrew Bailey, who began his term in March 2020.


Infrastructure Consortium for Africa

The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) was launched at the 2005 G8 Gleneagles Summit, with the mission to help improve the lives and economic well-being of African people by supporting and promoting increased infrastructure investment from both public and private sources.
ICA also acts as a platform to increase infrastructure financing, help remove policy and technical barriers, facilitate greater cooperation, and increase knowledge through monitoring, reporting and sharing best practices.
Sectors.
ICA's work in infrastructure covers four sectors—energy, transport, water, and information and communication technology (ICT).
The ICA Water Platform (WP) was established in 2011 and is championed by Germany, which provides financial support and an infrastructure expert to supervise implementation of WP activities. The WP facilitates cooperation and matchmaking between ICA members, key African stakeholders and the private sector, including regular dialogue leading to joint investment activities.
ICA's WP encompasses all aspects of water infrastructure development in Africa, from water provision (e.g., potable water supply, sanitation, irrigation) to water resource management (e.g., storage, dams) and climate change (e.g., adaptation measures).
Regional programmes.
ICA recognizes that Africa needs transformative regional infrastructure projects if it is to meet its regional integration and trade objectives. To this end, ICA members champion four regional programmes: Horn of Africa Initiative, Eastern & Central Transport Corridors, North-South Corridor and West Africa Power Pool.
ICA also supports the African Union Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), which is setting the framework for priority continental and regional investments in energy, transport, water, and ICT.
Membership.
ICA members include:
Most recently, ICA enlarged its membership to include all G20 countries (G8 countries, plus Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, European Union, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey).
Membership on the African side is led by the AfDB, while the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and Regional Economic Communities participate as observers in ICA meetings.
Secretariat.
ICA is supported by a small Secretariat that is funded by voluntary contributions from ICA members, and staffed by a combination of permanent AfDB staff, consultants and experts on secondment from ICA member countries.
ICA is hosted by the AfDB in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.


Dai Xianglong

Dai Xianglong (; born 1 October 1944) is a Chinese politician. He is the former governor of the People's Bank of China, and the former mayor of Tianjin. He currently serves as the president and Communist Party of China (CPC) party chief of the National Council for Social Security Fund.
Biography.
Born in Yizheng, Jiangsu Province, Dai graduated from the department of accounting of the Central Institute of Finance and Economics (now the Central University of Finance and Economics), majoring in financial accounting. He joined the Communist Party of China in May 1973.
After graduation, he served as an accountant at the finance office of the Guishan Coal Mine in Yunnan, an official in its propaganda office, vice secretary of the CPC committee at the second industrial zone, and an official at the political department of the Coal Industrial Bureau in Yunnan. Later, he moved to Jiangsu and became an official of the Agricultural Bank of China Jiangsu Branch, vice director of its appropriation office, vice mayor of Feng County of Jiangsu, and vice governor of the Agricultural Bank of China Jiangsu Branch. From 1985 to 1995, he served as vice governor of the Agricultural Bank of China, general manager, vice president and CPC party chief of the Bank of Communications, and vice governor and deputy party chief of the People's Bank of China.
He was appointed as governor and CPC party chief of the People's Bank of China in June 1995. Since then, he has become well recognized. In June 2001, he was additionally appointed as vice secretary of the central finance commission. During his tenure as governor of China's central bank, Dai presided over 9 consecutive interest rate reductions, earning him the nickname of "governor who lowers the interest rate".
In December 2002, he was appointed vice secretary of the CPC Tianjin municipal committee, and vice mayor and acting mayor of Tianjin. He was confirmed as mayor in January 2003. On December 28, 2007, Dai resigned as mayor of Tianjin, and vice mayor Huang Xingguo succeeded him in this post. The secretary of the CPC Tianjin committee, Zhang Gaoli, commented on Dai Xianglong, "Dai was very devoted to the fast development of Tianjin. He had great passion for the officials and people of Tianjin. The people of Tianjin won't forget his contributions...".
On January 30, 2008, the State Council appointed Dai as the president and party chief of the National Council for Social Security Fund, in charge of the national fund of 740 billion RMB (yuan).
Dai is a senior economist and a research fellow. He was an alternate member of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and a full member of the 15th, 16th and 17th Central Committees.


Bilfinger

Bilfinger SE (previously named Bilfinger Berger AG) is a European company specialized in civil and industrial construction, engineering and services based in Mannheim, Germany.
History.
Bilfinger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded Bernatz Ingenieurwissenschaft as an engineering business: it became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger when Paul Bilfinger replaced Bernat as partner.
In 1970, Grün & Bilfinger acquired a majority stake in Julius Berger-Bauboag AG, itself a merger of two companies, Julius Berger Tiefbau AG and Berlinische Boden-Gesellschaft AG, both founded in 1890. The combined business, fully integrated in 1975, finally took the name Bilfinger & Berger Bauaktiengesellschaft. In 1994 the acquisition of Razel Company took place.
In 2001 the business changed its name to Bilfinger Berger AG.
In 2005, Bilfinger bought all shares of Babcock Borsig Service Group from Deutsche Beteiligungs AG.
In 2008 the company sold Razel to group Fayat for 137 million euro.
In October 2009 the company acquired directly MCE Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH itself, a business based in Linz focused on the design, construction and maintenance of facilities in the process industry and the energy sector.
In June 2010, a prospectus was issued with the aim of listing Bilfinger Berger Australia on the Australian Securities Exchange via an initial public offering. In July 2010 the listing was abandoned with a trade sale to Lendlease agreed in December 2010.
In 2010, services contributed to 80% of the company's total output volume of €8,123 million and EBIT for the services division amounted to €297 million. In November 2011, Bilfinger acquired 98 percent of shares in Neo Structo Construction Private Ltd., located in Surat, India, for a purchase price of €47 million. In 2010 Bilfinger became a Societas Europaea (SE).
In December 2014 Bilfinger signed a deal to sell the construction division to Switzerland's Implenia AG. It had once been Germany's second largest builder.
In June 2016 Bilfinger announced the sale of the facilities management and real estate business to Swedish financial investor EQT.
In February 2018 the company announced that it would seek damages from the former directors of the company after alleged breaches in compliance and a series of acquisitions that failed to create shareholder value. After securing shareholder consent in June 2020, Bilfinger reached a settlement with the former Executive Board members. The settlement with a total volume of €18.2 million ends the assertion of claims of for damages by Bilfinger.
Operations.
Bilfinger SE is a Deutsche Börse SDAX index traded, leading international industrial services provider. The portfolio covers the entire value chain from consulting, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, plant expansion as well as turnarounds and also includes environmental technologies and digital applications.Bilfinger, as a result of numerous acquisitions and disposals, is no longer a traditional construction company but instead a provider of services for industrial plants, power plants and real estate. In financial year 2019, revenues came from industrial and engineering services in the Chemical & Petrochemical (30%), Energy & Utilities (15%), Oil & Gas (30%), Pharma & Biopharma (10%), Metallurgy (5%) and Cement/Other (10%) industries.
Ownership.
The ownership of the business as at 31 December 2019 was as follows:
Major projects.
Major projects have included:
Controversies.
In March 2009, a building collapsed in Cologne due to the nearby construction site for the Cologne Stadtbahn . The collapse is suspected to be caused by the construction works, and to several irregularities. In June 2020, Bilfinger reached an out-of-court agreement that settles all civil claims arising from the collapse of the city’s municipal archive building.
Several other construction projects are suspected to have been conducted with irregularities: the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn , the Nuremberg–Munich high-speed railway and the Bundesautobahn 1.
In November 2018, Bilfinger was sued by Christopher Steele, who alleged that the company owed €150,000 for an investigation into Bilfinger's activities in Nigeria and Sakhalin.


Ernest Constantine, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal

Ernest Constantine, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal (8 August 1771 in Philippsthal – 25 December 1849 in Meiningen) was a member of the House of Hesse and Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal from 1816 until his death.
Life.
Ernest Constantine was the youngest son of the Landgrave William of Hesse-Philippsthal (1726-1810) from his marriage with Ulrike Eleonora of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (1732-1795), daughter of William, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld.
Until 1796 he was an officer in Dutch service. In 1797, he acquired the porcelain manufactory in Volkstedt (a suburb of Rudolstadt), which he sold two years later.
In 1808 he became Grand Chamberlain of the Jérôme Bonaparte, the King of Westphalia. After the dissolution of the kingdom of Westphalia, Ernst Constantine succeeded his brother Louis as Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal in 1816. He also re-entered Dutch service, where he was appointed general.
Marriage and issue.
Ernest Constantine married on 10 April 1796 in Rudolstadt with his first wife Louise (1775-1808), the daughter of Prince Frederick Charles of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1736-1793), with whom he had the following children:
He married his second wife on 17 February 1812 in Kassel. She was his niece Caroline of Hesse-Philippsthal (1793-1872), daughter of his elder brother Prince Charles of Hesse-Philippsthal. From this second marriage he had the following children:


James Record

James Ralph Record (27 December 1918 – 1 December 1996) was an Alabama state senator, a former Chairman of the Madison County (Alabama) Commission, and a noted historical author. He was born in New Market, Alabama, near the Alabama-Tennessee border. Record also served as president of several local organizations such as the Alabama Space and Rocket Center, State of Alabama Historical Commission, Madison County Historical Society, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks Lodge, Burritt Museum, YMCA, Woodmen of the World, Alabama Association of County Commissioners, First Baptist Church Huntsville, and the Madison County Mental Health Association.
Personal life.
He married the former Lillian Marion Ahonen on June 15, 1946. They had two children, Carole D. Record and James R. Record Jr. Lillian died on February 14, 1962, after an accident. Record married the former Ruth Parker McWhorter on May 10, 1974. Record enjoyed writing history and spent much of his time writing about Madison County. Record authored or co-authored over 10 books during his life. He graduated from Huntsville High School and later attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville obtaining a degree in accounting. Record also attended Howard College which today is known as Samford University in Birmingham Alabama. He was later presented with an honorary doctorate degree by Southeastern Institute of Technology.
Mr. Madison County.
James Record is recognized for his honest, effective leadership from the 1940s to the 1980s in the development of Madison County, Alabama. He is regarded as one of Madison County Alabama's most influential citizens. Record first served as Madison County Auditor from 1948 to 1960, State Senator 1960-1962 and then as Chairman of the Madison County Commission until 1981. Under James Record’s leadership, Madison County won over 50 awards from NACO (National Association of County Officials) including the prestigious Number One County in America Award, the first #1 award for Madison County/Huntsville which are displayed in the Madison County Alabama Courthouse. Record himself also won numerous awards during his tenure, more awards than any other public official in Alabama history. Many large industries were also attracted to move to the Huntsville/Madison County area through business recruitment trips James Record made with other civic officials recruiting.
Other major achievements during James Record's tenure as chairman include establishment of county-wide water service provisioning, building of the Huntsville International Airport, county-wide road paving, county-wide garbage pickup, county-wide 911 house numbering, and the building of multiple parks such as the Madison County Nature Trail on Green Mountain in south Huntsville, Sharon Johnston Park, the Constitutional Walk at the Huntsville Botanical Garden and numerous ball parks throughout Madison county. Record was involved in most efforts to fund and build many of Huntsville's downtown civic buildings including the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library, the Von Braun Civic Center, Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Constitution Hall, Huntsville City Hall, and the Madison County courthouse. Record even implemented programs such as the braille trail for the blind at the Madison County Nature Trail so that the visually handicapped could experience the beauty of Madison County.
Record served as the fund-raising chairman for the establishment and building of the United States Space and Rocket Center. Record enlisted the help of Paul "Bear" Bryant and Ralph "Shug" Jordan and others to help raise funds to build the Space and Rocket Center. Additionally James Record worked in the Alabama Legislature to secure funding for the University of Alabama in Huntsville and to move it towards full campus status. Record worked closely with state, city, and national leaders to bring multiple major industries to Huntsville and Madison County from the 1940s until 1981. James Record understood the need for funding and often visited Washington DC with Dr. Von Braun and other civic leaders in search of funding for new projects for Madison County. In 1974, the Madison County school board planned to surprise James Record with the naming of a new high school in Madison in his honor. When Record accidentally learned of the idea he modestly suggested that it instead be named after former U.S. Representative Robert "Bob" Jones. That school is now known as Bob Jones High School.
Record served with distinction in the US Army Air Corps during World War II and remained active in organizations, such as the VFW, American Legion, Elks and YMCA. He also founded the Madison County Military Hall of Heroes in February 1975 honoring local heroes who won military awards for heroism or valor, which can be found in the Madison County Courthouse still today. It is the only one of its kind in the United States.
In 1981 he served as Exalted Ruler of Huntsville Lodge 1648 of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In 1989, James Record was recognized as Humanitarian of the year by the Arthritis Foundation.
Record also founded the Madison County, Alabama, newspaper, "The Madison County Record" in 1967, a paper that is still published today.
James Record was the original chairman of the board for the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame. Founded in 1989 due to the efforts of artist Vaughn Stewart, the sports hall of fame for the Madison County area tapped Record because of his knowledge of local history and many personal contacts within Madison County. Record himself was inducted into this hall of fame in 1990.
A deeply religious man who was active at the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, James Record will be remembered for publicly being quoted as saying that he wanted to make Madison County, Alabama, a better place to work, live, play and pray for current and future generations.
Books and other historical writing.
Record authored several books and other works about the history of Huntsville, Madison County, and its inhabitants. Many of his papers, photographs, and other works are now housed in the James Record Collection located in the Huntsville Heritage Room at the main location of the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. Below is a selected bibliography.


John Pratt (soldier)

John Pratt (October 12, 1753 – December 27, 1824) was an officer in the United States Army who served as acting Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1790 to 1791.
Relations: Lt John Pratt, John Pratt Robbins, Harriet Wheeler-Robbins-Frierson-Warren m. Hon. Calvin A. Warren, Esq.. Registered with Daughter's of the American Revolution Volume 5.


National Social Security Fund (Uganda)

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is a quasi-government agency responsible for the collection, safekeeping, responsible investment, and distribution of retirement funds from employees of the private sector in Uganda who are not covered by the Government Retirement Scheme. Participation for both employers and employees is compulsory. The Uganda National Social Security Fund is the largest pension fund in the countries of the East African Community, with assets of USh11.5 trillion (approx. US$3.115 billion), as of November 2019.
History.
In February 2009, the President of Uganda fired the minister of finance, whose ministry supervises the activities of NSSF. Also terminated were the managing director of the NSSF and his deputy. A new board of directors and a new management team were appointed in 2009.
In late 2010, NSSF underwent a restructuring process aimed at making it more efficient, competitive, and responsive to the needs of its members. It was then poised to provide a wide range of social security products and be the lead institution for domestic capital formation and deepening the financial sector. Analysts in the country said in 2013 that the NSSF had become a leading player in the country's economy.
Investment portfolio.
In July 2018, the fund's investments included (a) fixed income investments, accounting for 77 percent of all investments (b) equities on the security exchanges of the East African countries, accounting for 17 percent and (c) real estate investments, which are 6 percent of the total portfolio.
Significant real estate holdings include "Workers' House" in the centre of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, where NSSF maintains its head office, and City House Jinja, in Jinja, developed between 2015 and 2018, at a cost of USh3.5 billion (approx. US$1 million).
According to its financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2014, NSSF had UGX:2.65 trillion in government treasury bonds (with yields ranging from 10.25 to 14.35 percent), UGX:682.1 billion on deposit with commercial banks, UGX:251.3 billion in equity investments at fair value through profit or loss (EPL), UGX:250.2 billion in capital work-in-progress, UGX:193.7 billion in investment properties, UGX:143.2 billion in corporate bonds (with yields ranging from 11.03 to 17.00 percent), UGX:73.3 billion in equity securities held-for-trading by fund managers (HFT), and UGX:14.6 billion in cash and bank balances. Based on market value as of 30 June 2014, NSSF's largest investments in equity securities were as follows:
Operations and economic performance.
The NSSF is a defined contribution scheme and is financed largely by contributions from employers and employees. The total contribution is equal to 15 percent of an employee's gross salary, with the employer contributing 10 percent and the employee 5 percent. The NSSF pays five types of benefits:
The NSSF's total assets as of 30 June 2014, were valued at UGX:4.4 trillion. In October 2017, The Independent, a Ugandan English language newspaper, estimated the NSSF total assets at USh7.9 trillion (approximately US$2.48 billion at that time), as of 30 June 2017. By June 2018, those assets had increased to USh9.98 trillion ($2.678 billion). As of 30 June 2020, NSSF Uganda managed a total asset portfolio of USh13.38 trillion ($3.627 billion). This was a 17 percent increase from UGX11.3 trillion ($3.064 billion), as of 30 June 2019.
Pension Towers.
Beginning in the early 2000s, NSSFU has been developing an office complex known as Pension Towers, along Lumumba Avenue, on Nakasero Hill, one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The complex consists of three interconnected towers; one central tower of twenty-five stories in height, flanked on either side by a ten-story tower. Roko Construction Company, a Ugandan construction company constructed the four basement floors between 2008 and 2012, but failed to qualify for further works on the project. Three Chinese firms are in a final bidding process to complete the construction, between 2012 and 2015. Construction costs for the complex are estimated at UGX:260 billion. When finished, the three towers will contain in excess of in office space. Parking for over 500 vehicles will be provided in the development.
City House Jinja.
Jinja City House is owned by the Uganda National Social Security Fund (NSSF), who developed the building, between 2015 and 2018. The building houses the NSSF offices in Jinja and the remaining space is rented out to qualified businesses and corporations. The mixed use building consists of on four floors, of which are rentable. NSSF will occupy the remaining .
NSSF Mbarara Complex.
Mbarara City House, is the second NSSF real estate investment outside the capital city of Kampala. It was developed at a cost of USh3.9 billion (approximately US$1.2 million), between 2017 and 2019.
Governance.
Board of directors.
Ugandan Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija appointed a new board of directors in December 2018, composed of the following members:
Management.
The management of the NSSF consisted of the following individuals as of February 2018:
Branch network.
As of June 2019, NSSF had a branch network of 19 branches in the central, eastern, northern, and western parts of Uganda, with six in Kampala, the capital.