Annise Parker

Annise Danette Parker (born May 17, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 61st Mayor of Houston, Texas, from 2010 until 2016. She also served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2010.
Parker was Houston's second female mayor (after Kathy Whitmire), and one of the first openly gay mayors of a major U.S. city, with Houston being the most populous U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor until Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor of Chicago in 2019.
Following the voter-approval of Proposition 2 on November 3, 2015, which extended the terms of the Mayor, City Controller, and City Councilmembers to two four-year terms, Parker became the last Houston Mayor to be limited to serving three two-year terms.
Early life and education.
Parker was born in Houston on May 17, 1956, and grew up in the community of Spring Branch, where she attended public schools. Her mother was a bookkeeper, and her adoptive father worked for the Red Cross. She lived briefly in Mississippi and South Carolina. In 1971, when Parker was 15, her family moved to a U.S. Army post in Mannheim, Germany for two years. In Germany, she volunteered in the Red Cross youth service organization and worked at the post library.
Growing up, Parker was extremely shy and suffered from extreme anxiety. Her family even nicknamed her "turtle", and she maintains a turtle collection today.
Parker began attending Rice University on a National Merit scholarship in 1974, working several jobs to pay for her room and board. While at Rice, Parker founded a lesbian student group. A member of Jones College, she graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in anthropology, psychology and sociology. In 2005, Parker completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.
Career.
Prior to serving as an elected official, Parker worked in the oil and gas industry as a software analyst for over 20 years, including 18 years at Mosbacher Energy. In addition, she co-owned Inklings Bookshop with business partner Pokey Anderson from the late 1980s until 1997 and served as president of the Neartown Civic Association from 1995 to 1997. In 1986 and 1987, she was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.
As of January 2018, Parker is currently CEO and President of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute. She is also a professor at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. In 2017 after her role as Mayor of Houston, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for BakerRipley.
Parker currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Holocaust Museum Houston and Girls Inc. and the Advisory Boards of the Houston Zoo, the Montrose Counseling Center, Bering Omega Community Services, and Trees for Houston. She is also involved in historic preservation efforts in Houston and received the “Good Brick Award” from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance for her restoration of historic properties in the Old Sixth Ward.
City Council.
Parker ran unsuccessfully for City Council District C in 1991 and again in 1995, finishing third in the special election for At-Large position 4, the seat vacated by Sheila Jackson Lee after her election to Congress.
In 1997, Parker prevailed in the runoff election for At-Large position 1 to become Houston's first openly gay elected official. She was re-elected twice to the same seat in 1999 and 2001 without being forced to a run-off. As a councilmember, she was recognized as "Councilmember of the Year" by the Houston Police Officers Union and earned the "Distinguished Local Elected Official Award" from the Texas Recreational and Park Society.
City Controller.
In 2003, Parker was elected City Controller. She was re-elected in 2005 and 2007 unopposed. In addition, Parker also secured a seat for a controller's appointee on the Houston Municipal Pension System Board of Trustees, marking the first time the city's chief financial officer has had any involvement in the pension system."
Houston mayor.
2009 election.
In 2009, Parker announced her candidacy for the office of Mayor of Houston in a video posted online to her campaign website. She was endorsed by several organizations and campaigned on a platform of better city security and financial efficiency. Other people who were in the running for mayor included Houston City Council Member Peter Hoyt Brown and Harris County school board trustee Roy Morales; they were eliminated from the race on November 3, 2009. She entered the run-off election with the most votes to face former Houston City Attorney Gene Locke who garnered the second most votes. In the general election, the city's primary newspaper endorsed both Parker and Locke.
During the run-off election, Parker was endorsed by former rival Peter Hoyt Brown. The city's primary newspaper, the "Houston Chronicle", endorsed Parker over Locke citing her experience. Parker was elected mayor on December 12, 2009, and assumed office on January 2, 2010. Houston became the largest U.S. city ever to have an openly gay individual serve as mayor. After the election, Parker declared that the top priorities of her administration would be improving transportation, balancing the city's budget, and selecting a new police chief.
2011 election.
In the 2011 election, Parker won a second term as Houston's Mayor by defeating Fernando Herrera, Jack O'Connor, Dave Wilson, Kevin Simms, and Amanda Ulman without a runoff.
2013 election.
In November 2013, Parker won a third term as Houston's Mayor by winning 57.22% of the vote, making a runoff unnecessary.
Parker was succeeded on January 2, 2016, by state legislator Sylvester Turner, who became the city's second African American mayor.
Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.
On May 28, 2014, the Houston City Council passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) which was authored by Parker, by a vote of 11 to 6. Mayor Parker had certified that "there exists a public emergency requiring that this Ordinance be passed finally on the date of its introduction". On July 3, 2014, opponents of the ordinance submitted 50,000 signatures to the city to force the ordinance to a vote of the public. The city announced that the opponents were 2,022 signatures short of the 17,269 needed to put the matter to a vote. HERO opponents filed a lawsuit against Mayor Parker and the city on August 5, 2014. In response, city attorneys defending the law filed subpoenas for sermons from local Christian pastors. Attorneys for the pastors called the subpoenas retaliation against Christians for opposing the ordinance. Parker maintained that the attorneys who dealt with the lawsuit for the city were outside lawyers (i.e., not city employees) and that she and City Attorney David Feldman had been unaware of the subpoenas. After what some news organizations called a "firestorm" of criticism over the subpoenas (Parker said that she had been "vilified coast to coast"), Parker directed the city's attorneys on October 29, 2014, to withdraw the subpoenas. After the subpoenas were withdrawn, local city pastors filed a civil rights lawsuit against Parker. The ordinance was later overturned by Houston voters by a 61%-39% margin.
Personal life.
Parker and her wife, Kathy Hubbard, have been together since 1990. On January 16, 2014, Parker and Hubbard were married in Palm Springs, California. They have two adopted children together as well as a then-teenage boy that they offered a home and whom they consider their son and a god-daughter.
Parker resides in East Montrose (a neighborhood of Houston) as of 2002; she had lived there since around 1991.
Awards and honors.
In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, "Queerty" named her among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”.


Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan (born 1965) is an Emirati military officer, businessman and member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family, the Al Nahyans.
Early life and education.
Sultan was born in Al Ain in 1965. He is the son of Khalifa bin Zayed, ruler of Abu Dhabi and the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He holds a bachelor's degree in political and administrative sciences, which he received from Emirates University. He also graduated from Zayed bin Sultan Military College in Al Ain in March 1988. Then he attended the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and graduated in 1989. He received a master's degree in political science from the University of Salford in July 1989. Additionally, he holds two PhDs: one in international studies from the University of Limerick in November 1998 and the other from Nasser Higher Military Academy in the Arab Republic of Egypt in April 1999.
Career.
Sultan was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel staff pilot in 1999 and then to the rank of colonel staff in February, 2000. He is the advisor to the president of the UAE, Khalifa bin Zayed, and the board chairman of the SBK Holding. In addition, he is a member of the UAE's equestrian federation. He is among the board members of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi.
Business activities.
His firm provides mediation between businesspeople, for instance, between Roman Abramovich and Boris Berezovsky in 2001.
Personal life.
One of Sultan bin Khalifa's children is Sheikha Shamma who is the CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability, founder of the Circle of Hope foundation and co-founder of Aurora50.


Constitutional review

Constitutional review, or constitutionality review or constitutional control, is the evaluation, in some countries, of the constitutionality of the laws. It is supposed to be a system of preventing violation of the rights granted by the constitution, assuring its efficacy, their stability and preservation.
There are very specific cases in which the constitutional review differs from common law to civil law as well as judicial review in general.
Concept.
Written and rigid constitutions exist in most countries, represent the supreme norm of the juridical order, and are on the top of the pyramid of norms. Also called "fundamental law", "supreme law", "law of the laws", "basic law", they have more difficult and formal procedures to updating them than other laws, which are "sub-constitutional". The term "constitutional review" is usually characterized as a Civil Law concept, but some of the ideas behind it come from Common Law in countries, which have written constitutions. For instance, the USA was the first country to adopt judicial review for its constitution (see "Marbury v. Madison"), even though till this days the functions of the Constitutional Courts and of the Courts of the Last Appeal, are separated at neither Federal nor State levels.
Application.
The judicial control of constitutionality applies to the normative acts as well.


National Association of State Election Directors

The National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) is a U.S. association that was formed in 1989 when a group of state election directors and administrators met in Reno, Nevada. The driving issue at that time that spurred the group to organize was the concern that national networks were releasing presidential election results before all polls had closed.
"The recently enacted Help America Vote Act has increased the importance for communication and coordination among state election directors", its website states. The association serves "as an exchange of best practices and ideas."
Role in the certification of e-voting machines.
NASED has recently received attention for its role in the system for certifying e-voting machines. According to a September 2004 report by the "Associated Press", "More than a decade ago, the Federal Election Commission authorized the National Association of State Election Directors to choose the independent testers."
A company chosen by NASED to act as a tester is known as an Independent Testing Authority (ITA).


National Water and Sewerage Corporation

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is a water supply and sanitation company in Uganda. It is wholly owned by the government of Uganda.
Location.
The company, as of July 2018, was in the final stages of construction of its new headquarters building at 3 Nakasero Road, on Nakasero Hill, opposite "Rwenzori House". The new headquarters building was commissioned by Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime Minister of Uganda, in July 2018.
History.
NWSC was formed by Decree No. 34 in 1972 to serve the urban areas of Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja. In 1995, NWSC was re-organized under the NWSC Statute. The company was given more authority and autonomy and the mandate to operate and provide water and sewerage services in areas entrusted to it, on a sound commercial and viable basis. As of October 2016, the following cities and towns receive services from NWSC:
Expansion plans.
In 2011, NWSC began implementing a program to improve water supply to the Kampala Metropolitan Area that includes Kampala City, Wakiso District, Mukono District, Nansana, Ssabagabo, and Kira. The program, which will cost €212 million, is financed by the government of Uganda (€34 million), KfW (€20 million grant), the European Investment Bank (€75 million loan), the French Development Agency (€75 million loan), and the European Union Infrastructure Trust Fund (€8 million grant).
NWSC is planning a new water treatment plant in Katosi in Mukono District with the capacity to supply of water daily. The plans also include the refurbishment of the Ggaba complex of water treatment plants. The Katosi source of water would complement the existing sources that have a daily capacity of .
In December 2015, NWSC announced plans to start serving some of Uganda's rural areas. As of March 2018, NWSC offered its services in 225 Ugandan towns and planned to connect services to 12,000 villages within its service areas by 2020.
Power plant to operate Ggaba water treatment plants.
In October 2014, NWSC advertised for a private partner to build, own, and operate a 7 megawatt independent power station to meet the company's energy needs at its Ggaba I, Ggaba II, and Ggaba III water treatment plants. This would lower NWSC's power bill, which stood at approximately UGX:24 billion annually, accounting for 35 percent of total operating expenditure. When procured, the partner will sign a 20-year power purchase agreement with NWSC, which will have the option of selling any excess power to the national grid.
Organizational structure.
NWSC has numerous divisions, each headed by a director, general manager, senior manager, or manager.
Board of directors.
NWSC is governed by a five-member board of directors.


Rana Sanga

Sangram Singh I (IAST: Rānā Sangrām Simha; c.1482 to 1528 CE), popularly known as Rana Sanga, was a king from the Sisodia dynasty. He ruled Mewar, the traditional territory of Guhilas (Sisodias) in present day north-western India. However, through his capable rule his kingdom turned into the greatest power of Northern India in early 16th century. He controlled present-day Rajasthan, North Gujarat and Western Madhya Pradesh. His capital was located at Chittor.
In his long military career, Sanga achieved a series of unbroken successes against several neighbouring Muslim kingdoms, most notably the Lodhi dynasty of Delhi. He united several Rajput clans for the first time since the Second battle of Tarain and marched against the Mughal emperor Babur. Despite initial success, Sanga suffered a major defeat at Khanwa through the Mughal's use of gunpowder, which was completly unknown in North India at the time. He was later poisoned by his own nobels. His defeat at Khanwa is seen as a landmark event in Mughal conquest of Northern India.
His reign was admired by several of contemporaries including Babur, who described him the "greatest Indian king" of that time along with Krishnadevaraya of South India. The Mughal historian Al-Badayuni called Sanga as the bravest of all Rajputs alongside with Prithviraj Chauhan.
Sanga was the last independent Hindu king of Northern India to control a significant territory and in some contemporary texts is described as the "Hindu Emperor" of that region.
Early life and accession.
Sanga was born to the Sisodia king Rana Raimal and queen Ratan kunwar a (Chahamana (Chauhan) princess). Although contemporary texts of Sisodias does not mention the year of his birth, but provides some of the astrological planetary positions at the time of his birth, calling them auspicious. Based on these positions, assuming certain other planetary positions and on basis of Kumbhalgarh inscription Historian G.H Ojha calculated Sanga's birth year as 1482 CE. Sanga was youngest of the four sons of Raimal, However due to the circumstances and after a fierce struggle with his brothers in which he lost one of his eye, he finally succeded throne of Mewar in 1508.
Military career.
After his ascesion to the throne, Sanga reunited the warring clans of Rajputana through diplomacy and martial alliances. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, mentions in his memoirs mentions the challenges he faced in India, Babur described Sanga as the greatest infidel king (hindu) of India along with Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire in South. Babur further said that "Sanga had recently grown so great by his audacity and sword that his kingdom include a significant portion of Northern India.
According to legends, Sanga had fought a 100 battles and lost only once. In various struggle he lost his lost his eye, arm and was crippled in leg. In his illustrious millitary carrer, Sanga defeated Sultans of Delhi, Malwa and Gujarat in 18 pitched battles and expanded his domain by conuqering much of Present-day Rajasthan, Western Madhya Pradesh and North part of Gujarat. He re-established Rajput rule in Malwa first time after fall of Paramara kingdom in 1305 CE.
He also removed Jizya taz from the Hindus in area of his conquests. He was the last independent hindu king of Northern India to control a significant territory and in some contemparary texts described as "Hindu Emperor".
Conquest of Malwa.
Medini Rai a rebelious minister of Malwa sultan was having a life and death struggle for throne of Malwa against Mahmud, he was promised aid by Rana Sanga.
As a result the combined Muslim forces of Gujaratand Malwa met the Sisodias led by Sanga at Gagron. The battle resulted in complete route of Muslim forces and decisive victory of Rajputs.
After the victory in the battle and other skirmishes aftermath Sanga conquered significant part Malwa along with Chanderi. Rai made Chanderi his capital and became king of Malwa. while Silhaditya Tomar establish himself as master of Raisen and Sarangpur region. According to historian Satish Chandra this events took place between 1518-19.
After the victory and restoring Hindu rule in Malwa, Sanga order Rai to remove Jizya tax from Hindus of the region.
Wars against Delhi Sultanate.
After conquering Malwa, Sanga turned his attention towards north eastern Rajasthan which was then under the control Khilji's ally, Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi. Ibrahim Lodi, after hearing the news of encroachments by Sanga on his territory, prepared an army and marched against Mewar in 1517. The Rana with his army met Lodi at Khatoli on borders of Hadoti and in the ensuing Battle at Khatoli, Lodi army suffered serious reverses and fled. One Lodi prince was captured and imprisoned. In this battle, Sanga lost an arm by a sword cut, and an arrow made him lame for life.
Lodi, reportedly stunned by this Rajput aggression (the extent of which was unprecedented in the preceding three centuries), once again moved against Mewar in 1518-19 but was humbled again at Battle of Dholpur. Lodi fought Sanga repeatedly, only to be defeated each time, losing his entire land in present-day Rajasthan, while Sanga's influence extended up to the striking distance of Pilia Khar in Agra.
Campaign in Gujarat.
In 1520, Sanga invaded Gujarat on the question of the succession of the state of Idar, with his powerful army of 52,000 Rajputs supported by his three vassals. Rao Ganga Rathore of Marwar too joined him with Garrison of 8,000 Rajputs,other allies of Rana were Rawal Udai singh of Vagad and Rao Viram deva of Merta. He defeated the Muslim army of Nizam khan and chased them upto Ahmedabad. Sanga call of his invasion 20 miles before capital Ahemdabad. He plunder down the royal treasuries of Gujarat and destroy several mosques and built temples over them. After a series of victories, Sanga successfully annexed Northern Gujarat and appointed one of his vassals to rule there.
Struggle with Mughals.
On 21 April 1526, the Timurid king Babur invaded India for the fifth time and defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat and executed him. After the battle, Sanga unified several Rajput clans for the first time since Prithviraj Chauhan, built an army of 100,000 Rajput soldiers and advanced to Agra.
The Mughals captured Bayana fort which was part of Sanga's empire therefore a major clash took place in Bayana in February 1527 in which Mughal forces of Babur led by Chin Timur khan were defeated by Rajput forces led by Prithviraj kachwaha and later by Rana Sanga (in last parts of siege). The defeat was last of Rana Sanga sucess as a result the Mughals who were terrified by Rajput valour threatened Babur to leave for Kabul, However Babur confronting a large hindu army for first time used religious hatered against the Rajputs by declaring the battle as a "Jihad against the Kaffirs" he further sought divine favour by abjuring liquor, breaking the wine vessels and pouring the wine down a well.
In ensuring battle fought at khanwa, 37 miles (60 km) west of Agra, on March 16. The Mughal were victorious due to their cannons, matchlocks and other firearms. Sanga was struck by an arrow in mid of the battle and was removed from the battle by his brother-in law Prithviraj Kachwaha of Amber along with prince Maldev Rathore in Unconscious state. Following his victory, Babur ordered a tower of enemy skulls to be erected, a practice formulated by Timur against his adversaries, irrespective of their religious beliefs. According to Chandra, the objective of constructing a tower of skulls was not just to record a great victory, but also to terrorize opponents. Earlier, the same tactic had been used by Babur against the Afghans of Bajaur.
Sanga was also betrayed by Silhadi during the battle who changed sides and went over to Babur.
The victory of Mughals is seen as a landmark event in Mughal conquest of North India as the battle turned out to be more historic and eventful than Panipat because it made Babur undisputed master of North India while crushing the threatening and reviving Rajput powers. According to historian [†Andre Wink]] after the victory at khanua, The Centre of Mughal power became Agra instead of Kabul and continue to remain till downfall of the Empire after Aalamgir's death. According to modern historians had there not been the cannons of Babur, Sanga might have achieved a historic victory against Babur. Babur's cannons had put an end to the outdated trends in Indian warfare.
Death and succession.
Sanga was taken away from battlefield in unconscious state by his vassals Prithviraj Singh I of Jaipur and Maldeo Rathore of Marwar. After regaining consciousness he took an oath to never return to Chittor till he defeat Babur and conquer Delhi. He also stop wearing Turban and use to wrap up cloth over his head. While he was preparing to wage another war against Babur he was poisoned by his own nobles who did not want another Battle with Babur. He died in Kalpi in January 1528. He was succeeded by his son Ratan Singh II.
After his defeat his Vassal Medini Rai was defeated by Babur at Battle of Chanderi and Babur capture the capital of Rai kingdom Chanderi. Medini was offered Shamsabad instead of Chanderi as it was historically important in conquering Malwa but Rao refuse the offer and choose to die fighting. The Rajput women and children commits Self-immolation to save their honour from Muslim army.After the victory Babur capture Chanderi along with Malwa which was ruled by Rai.


Ahmad Qavam

Ahmad Qavam (2 January 1873 – 23 July 1955; ), also known as Qavam os-Saltaneh (), was a politician who served as Prime Minister of Iran five times.
Early life.
Qavam was born in 1873 to a prominent Iranian family with origins in Ashtian. His uncle, Amin Aldoleh, was a prime minister of Iran. He served in the royal court of Nasereddin Shah early in his career. He slowly climbed his way up, and obtained the title "Ghavam al-Saltaneh" during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran. Hasan Vothuq (also known as Vothuq al-Dowleh) was his older brother. The letter signed by Mozaffaredin Shah to accept the Iranian Constitutional Revolution was written by Ghavam, who had the title of "Dabir-e Hozoor" (Private Secretary) at the time. In fact Ghavam was instrumental in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution[2]. He became Prime Minister several times during both the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. Any time the country needed him, he accepted the challenge. Twice he played a significant role in preventing the USSR from separating Iran's northern provinces. Nevertheless, historians have mixed feelings about his legacy.
Political career.
Qavam was appointed governor of Khorasan Province in 1918, during which time he responded to the ongoing famine and the Spanish flu pandemic.
In 1921, during the coup d'état of Tehran against the Qajar government, Tabatabaei ordered Colonel Pessian to arrest many of the opposition, among them Ahmad Qavam. Qavam was arrested and sent to Tehran.
However, with the fall of Zia'eddin Tabatabaee's government, Mostowfi ol-Mamalek among others was offered the position of Prime Minister, which he and the rest declined, due to the unstable political situation at the time. Hence Ghavam who had just been released from the Ishratabad prison of Tehran was offered the position, which he accepted and became Prime Minister overnight. So unusual was his rise that Iraj Mirza wrote the following verses:
یکی را افکند امروز در بند

کند روز دیگر او را خداوند
"One day in prison he is thrown,"

"another day the King's chair he'll own"
Ghavam in fact ordered the arrest of Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee in an incident 25 years later. He also ordered the crackdown on the revolt of Colonel Pessian which he crushed with the aid of Reza Pahlavi.
Of the major events that occurred during his terms as the Prime Minister, was his invitation to Arthur Millspaugh for assisting the government in its finances. Another was the riots of 1942 for economic hardship. He appointed Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi to restore order and end the riots, which he did forcefully. Qavam was also instrumental in the 1942 Tripartrite Treaty between Iran, Russia, and Britain.
He was again voted Prime Minister on 26 January 1946 with a slim margin in the Majlis of 52–51. The Majlis thought he would have the best chance of resolving the Soviet inspired rebellion of the occupied Azerbaijan province since Qavam was the largest property-owner in the region. Qavam did not disappoint. He ordered the Iranian delegation to the UN to negotiate issues pending before the Security Council directly with the Soviet delegation. He then flew to Moscow to discuss the issues personally with Stalin.
When the Soviets violated the terms of the Tripartite Pact which called for all foreign military forces to be withdrawn from Iranian territory by 2 March 1946, it drew a strong rebuke from Parliamentary Whip, Mohammed Mossadegh.
Qavam arranged a deal with the Soviets, granting an oil concession in the North contingent on the approval of the Majlis after the elections. Under the terms of the agreement with Qavam, Soviet troops began withdrawing from Iran. When the new Majlis was seated, they immediately voted against the proposed Soviet oil concession. This earned Qavam the congenial title, "The Old Fox".
Death.
Qavam died at the age of 82 in 1955 in Tehran. He was survived by his second wife and his only son, Hossein.


Pietro I Candiano

Pietro I Candiano (c. 842 – 18 September 887) was briefly the sixteenth Doge of Venice in 887.
History.
He followed Orso I Participazio and Giovanni II Participazio as Doge of Venice, elected to the throne at the side of the elderly, and beloved, Giovanni circa April 887. He launched a military attempt against the Narentines in Dalmatia, who were hostile to Venetia after 886. As soon as he became Doge, he advanced with a fleet of twelve galleys to the port of Makarska (), where he sank five Narentine ships. He landed near Mokro and advanced deeper inland, but the Narentines crushed his forces, killing him in open battle on 18 September 887. He was the first Doge to die in a battle for "La Serenissima" (Italian for "The Most Serene", referring to the Republic of Venice).
Following his death, the Venetians began to pay prince Branimir of Croatia (879–892) an annual tribute for the right to travel and trade in the Croatian part of the Adriatic; between Pietro's death in 887 and 948, no new war was recorded with the Croats, which is thought to show they paid tribute to maintain the peace. Giovanni briefly ruled Venice until a successor could be found for Candiano. It was Pietro Tribuno, his great-nephew. His son, Pietro II Candiano, also later became Doge.


Agency of Deposit Compensation of Belarus

The Agency of Deposit Compensation, ADC () — Belarusian organization, providing deposit insurance of deposits of natural persons. It was created in December, 2008 in compliance with Belarusian laws. Yauhen Yawlashkin was appointed as its general director.
Each bank or savings and loan organization in Belarus, having the ability of deposit formation, should be registered in the ADC.
An unlimited state guarantee was announced since July 31 2009 (except deposits belonging to the individuals registered as sole traders). Interest yields insurance is not guaranteed by the law.
The Agency of Deposit Compensation is a public institution and is accountable to the Council of Ministers of Belarus and to National Bank of Belarus.


List of development aid agencies

This is a list of development aid agencies which provide regional and international development aid or assistance, divided between national (mainly OECD countries) and international organizations. Agencies of numerous development cooperation partners from emerging countries such as India, Middle Eastern countries, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore, and so on, are not included.


Rabobank

Rabobank (; full name: "Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.") is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands. It is a global leader in food and agriculture financing and sustainability-oriented banking. The group comprises 89 local Dutch Rabobanks (2019), a central organisation (Rabobank Nederland), and many specialised international offices and subsidiaries. Food and agribusiness constitute the primary international focus of the Rabobank Group. Rabobank is the second-largest bank in the Netherlands in terms of total assets.
A 2013 scandal resulted in a $1 billion fine for unscrupulous trading practices, which included the manipulation of LIBOR currency rates worldwide. Chief Executive Piet Moerland resigned immediately as a result.
In terms of Tier 1 capital, the organisation is among the 30 largest financial institutions in the world. As of December 2014, total assets amount to €681 billion with a net profit of €1.8 billion. "Global Finance" ranks Rabobank 25th in its survey of "the world's safest banks".
History.
Rooted in agriculture, Rabobank is set up as a federation of local credit unions, which offer services to the local markets.
Creation of farmers' banks.
The bank is rooted in the ideas of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen, the founder of the cooperative movement of credit unions, who in 1864 created the first farmers' bank in Germany. Being a countryside mayor he was confronted with the abject poverty of the farmers and their families. He tried to alleviate this need through charitable aid, but realised that self-reliance had more potential in the long run, and thus converted his charitable foundation into a farmers' bank in 1864. In doing so he created the "Darlehnskassen-Verein", which collected the savings of countryside dwellers and provided enterprising farmers with loans.
This model found a lot of interest in the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century. One of the first of Raiffeisen's followers was Father Gerlacus van den Elsen, who stood at the basis of a number of local farmers' banks in the south of the Netherlands. The model caught on being championed by the clergy and the countryside elites. The mission of the farmers' lending banks was an idealistic one, but they always operated using strict business principles. Controversially, a founding principle of Rabobank's cooperative style was to cooperate in the interest of "warding off the Shylock" . The cooperative bank model assured a tight bond between invested capital and the community.
Early cooperation.
The bank's traditional headquarters are Utrecht and Eindhoven. In 1898, two cooperative bank conglomerates were formed:
Raiffeisen-Bank was formed as a cooperative of six local banks, while Boerenleenbank was a cooperative of 22 local banks. These two existed side by side for three-quarters of a century despite their obvious similarities. The reasons for this owed in part to legal disagreements. The most important difference, however, was cultural. The Eindhoven-based Boerenleenbank had a decidedly Catholic signature while the Raiffeisen-Bank had a Protestant background. In the past the Netherlands underwent a process of pillarisation or verzuiling, which in practice meant that members of different religious congregations and political movements essentially lived side by side, without contact between the two. A consequence of this pillarisation was that many villages hosted not one but two local banks, one each for Catholics and Protestants. The close-knit community banking that resulted helped these banks to better control their risks. Consequently, when the Dutch banking sector was devastated by a financial crisis in the early 1920s, these local banks survived largely unscathed. The religious backgrounds found their way to their organisational structures, as well; the Eindhoven organisation stressed a highly centralised structure, while the Utrecht organisation promoted local autonomy.
Merger.
By 1940, the two organisations cooperated with each other, albeit on a limited scale. Three major developments caused a further tightening of the bonds between the two:
In 1972, the two organisations merged to form "Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank", or Rabobank for short. The organisation chose Amsterdam to be its statutory headquarters due to its historical neutrality in relation to the founding organisations. From 1980 to 2015, the central organisation was referred to as Rabobank Nederland.
Overseas expansion.
In 1980, Rabobank expanded its international activities as part of its mission to finance global agriculture. In 1990, it established a joint-venture bank in Indonesia by partnering with a local bank, Bank Duta, to form RabobankDuta. Bank Duta subsequently collapsed in the 1998 Asian financial crisis, and Rabobank bought Duta's share to operate solely as PT Bank Rabobank International Indonesia. In 1994, it purchased Primary Industry Bank of Australia (PIBA), which had operations in Australia and New Zealand, and renamed it Rabobank Australia Limited in 2003. In 1997, it purchased New Zealand–based Wrightson Farmers Finance Limited and renamed it Rabobank New Zealand in 1999. Rabobank became a significant lender to the rural sector in New Zealand with this purchase and used this as a base to expand its lending business further.
Rabobank purchased Australian company Lend Lease Agro Business in 2003. In 2008, it expanded its operations in Indonesia by buying two retail banks, Bank Haga and Bank Hagakita. The bank has offices in 38 countries. Utrecht-America Holdings, Inc. and Rabobank N.A. operate as subsidiaries of the Rabobank Group in the United States. In 2019, it was announced that Rabobank sold its retail business to Mechanics Bank which will continue to serve customers under the Mechanics name. Rabobank will continue to do business in North America related to Food and Agriculture based-lending under its subsidiary Rabo AgriFinance.
Direct banking.
In 2002, it launched a new internet only savings bank called Rabobank.be. A second online savings banks was launched in 2005 in Ireland under the name of RaboDirect, and then as RaboPlus in New Zealand and two years later in Australia. After a small hiatus new online banks were opened in Poland (2011) and Germany (2012). The advertising campaigns used to promote the savings business in Ireland and New Zealand raised the profile of Rabobank generally in those countries resulting in an increase in not only its savings business but also in its lending businesses. In 2010, Rabobank decided to use the same brand name in Australia and New Zealand for the savings bank and replaced RaboPlus with RaboDirect in these countries. In 2014, Rabobank worked with Vasco, now OneSpan, to create a new online authentication system using QR codes.
Acquisitions.
Rabobank completed the acquisition of Mid-State Bank & Trust on May 1, 2007, which allows Rabo to expand its services to the Central Coast region of California, United States. In 2010, it also acquired Pacific State Bank, expanding into the Central Valley of California.
Development.
Right from the start the cooperative banks prospered. They managed to perform the key tasks of a banking organisation, i.e., bringing excess capital and capital shortages together. These moneylenders stood close to the farmers and were better in judging the creditworthiness of individual farmers than the city banks. This allowed the banks to offer lower interest rates. The local banks were self-governed by members of the cooperation. They adhered to the principle of non-remunerated management and elected the board and the commissioners from among themselves. Only the cashier received a small salary. This has changed, but even as recently as in late 1950s the local bank office was nothing more than the cashier's living room, he generally performed his administrative duties besides another regular job. Much later, in the 1960s the most local banks moved into new and modern offices that reflected their new-found professionalism. The position cashier was replaced by a local bank director. Since 1998 the local bank director is an appointed professional banker and he presides over a board of directors which is chosen from among the members.
Local presence and local autonomy were always important but this hasn't stopped a wave of concentration of the local banks. The major rationale behind this was the need to attain economies of scale in the fields of payments, transaction, processing, staff and capital. Increasing customer demand for standardized and widely available products also played a significant part in this development. Currently the motto is:
this applies to the size of the local bank offices.
Traditionally the bank served mostly farmers and small businesses. Since the introduction of consumer salary accounts in the 1960s the number of retail clients grew exponentially. This has led to Rabobank being a prominent player in the field of savings accounts, checking accounts and mortgages in the Netherlands.
In June 2012, rating agency Moody's downgraded Rabobank's to Aa2 (previously Aaa), with a negative outlook. Due to a new rating methodology in November 2011 by rating agency Standard & Poor's, the credit status was downgraded two steps from AAA to AA. In November 2014, S&P lowered the rating from AA- to A+ with a negative outlook. Rating agency Fitch rates the credit status of the bank AA-, with a negative outlook.
As per the new strategy, Rabobank is planning to exit some markets. In September 2014, Rabobank sold Bank BGZ to BNP Paribas for $1.39 billion.
Unlike most major banks, Rabobank's central organisation was originally a subsidiary of the local branches. However, new banking regulations made a new arrangement necessary. In late 2015, on the recommendation of a specially-created Governance Committee, Rabobank's 106 cooperative banks voted unanimously to merge with Rabobank Nederland. The merger took effect on 1 January 2016. While the 106 Rabobanks still have considerable autonomy, the central organisation is now the parent body.
Job cuts.
In December 2015, Rabobank announced to cut 9,000 jobs by 2018 (3,000 jobs by the end of 2016) and almost a fifth of its current workforce. The policy was to comply with the tougher Basel IV rulebook.
Organisation structure.
The Rabobank Group consists of a network of local banks, Rabobank Nederland and several daughter organisations.
Previously, the local Rabobanks were the mother organisation of Rabobank Nederland, their central organisation. The local banks were facilitated by Rabobank Nederland to serve their customers, not the other way around as is often the case with traditional banking organisations. Employees of the group did not routinely speak of a headquarters but preferred to speak of Rabobank Nederland, which was their daughter organisation. In 2016, however, the local banks merged with Rabobank Nederland, while retaining significant independence.
Even before 2016, the central organisation occasionally overruled the autonomy of the local bank organisations. In accordance with Dutch regulations in the field of credit and financial services Rabobank Nederland oversees that the local banks maintain a required level of prudence and professionalism while selling financial products. This has grown to be especially important in view of international standards such as Sarbanes–Oxley Act, Basel II and IFRS. This leads to a rather unusual phenomenon within international business: the mother companies and the much larger daughter are essentially forced to coexist in order to function properly. This has led to a very ambivalent relationship between the two over the years.
At the time of the merger there were five management instruments within Rabobank Nederland:
In 2002 this structure was simplified. The "Raad van Beheer" was disbanded. De "Hoofddirectie" received an integral authority over the banking business. It was also renamed to "Raad van Bestuur" or board of directors. They have an added task compared to a traditional board i.e., they are expected to look out for the specific interests of the members (local banks and their certificate holders). The "Raad van Toezicht" was renamed to county commission and now held an independent supervisory role. The chairman of this board also presides over the "Centrale Kringvergadering". The latter is the most distinguishing organ as compared to other financial institutions in the Netherlands and abroad.
Market position.
Rabobank is traditionally a farmers' bank and it still holds an 85% to 90% market share in the agrarian sector in the Netherlands. Throughout the years, the company has also started targeting small and medium-sized companies. By the mid 1970s the market share in this sector reached some 30% and currently amounts to approximately 40%. In 1987, an important milestone was reached; the total outstanding loans in sectors other than agriculture exceeded those in the agricultural sector for the first time. By 2005 the agricultural credits amounted to some 8% of total outstanding credit.
Rabobank also holds some 40% of the total outstanding sums on Dutch savings accounts and they account for approximately 30% of all private consumer mortgages in the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, Rabobank is the third-largest retail bank by market share, and second largest by number of current accounts at 30%. ING Group is the largest with 40% of current accounts, followed by Rabobank (30%), ABN AMRO (20%), and others (10%).
The Rabobank Group currently consists of the following divisions:
RaboDirect.
RaboDirect, formerly RaboPlus in some locations is the brand name for online-only services offered by Rabobank. "RaboDirect" operates in Belgium, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Germany offering savings accounts, term deposits and managed funds. In Belgium it is known as Rabobank.be.
Ireland.
RaboDirect Ireland is an online bank. RaboDirect is part of the Rabobank Group.
In 2009, RaboDirect ran the Life's more interesting when mm tell the truth marketing campaign that included TV commercials which featured staff confessing truths about themselves, and a microsite called Truthbank where customers could "confess" their own truths.
RaboDirect was the sponsor of rugby union's Pro12 from the 2011-12 season until 2013–14, it featured teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The deal was announced in June 2011, during which time the league was known as the RaboDirect Pro12.
On 21 February RaboDirect announced that it would be closing down its Irish operations from 16 May 2018, with the loss of 31 jobs.
New Zealand.
RaboDirect, originally known as RaboPlus, was launched in February 2006 and was at the time only bank in New Zealand whose parent company was rated AAA by Standard & Poor's (the credit rating has since been downgraded and as of October 2015 is A).
Australia.
On 23 May 2007, Rabobank opened a RaboPlus Internet bank in Australia. On 20 May 2010, the services were rebranded to RaboDirect. RaboDirect is the major partner of the Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby side. By 2011 over $6 billion had been gathered in deposits.
Germany.
On 20 June 2012, Rabobank opened a RaboDirect in Germany. Rabobank has had a presence in Germany since 1984. It has operated in the field of corporate finance and has been primarily active in the food and agriculture sector in the country.
Poland.
Rabobank operated a direct bank in Poland, but under the Bank BGZ operation and using the name "BGZ Optima". The Polish business including BGZ Optima was subsequently sold to French bank BNP Paribas in December 2013 for around $1.4 billion.
Naming rights.
Rabobank has naming rights to several venues and organizations, including:


Sir William Dunbar, 7th Baronet

Sir William Dunbar, 7th Baronet (2 March 1812 – 18 December 1889) was a Scottish Liberal Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons. He became the 7th Baronet on 22 June 1841.
He was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He became a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1835, but did not practise law.
In 1850 he was living at 47 Heriot Row in central Edinburgh.
He was appointed a Lord of the Treasury in 1859. He became Keeper of the Privy Seal to the Prince of Wales. Dunbar left Parliament in 1865 to become Commissioner for Auditing Public Accounts. He was Comptroller and Auditor General 1867–1888.
He represented Wigtown Burghs 1857–1865.


Agnes Dunbar (mistress)

Agnes Dunbar (fl. late 14th century) was a mistress of King David II of Scotland, son of Robert the Bruce.
She was the niece (and possibly fosterling) of Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March. Her mother was Isabella Randolph, sister of Countess Agnes and daughter of Thomas Randolph, first Earl of Moray. Her father, Sir Patrick Dunbar, was the son of Sir Alexander Dunbar and grandson of Patrick, seventh Earl of Dunbar, and his wife, Cecilia.
She was first married to a man called Robert, and they had children.
She appears to have become a mistress of King David II around 1369, as payments to her began then. A payment of 1000 merks, a very large sum at that time, was arranged for her a month before the king died suddenly in February 1371, which indicates that he had been very likely planning to marry her.
On 21 November 1372 she married Sir James Douglas of Dalkeith. Their son was James Douglas, 1st Lord Dalkeith. Their great-grandson was James Douglas, 1st Earl of Morton.
References.
S. Boardman, "The Early Stewart Kings of Scotland"


Claudia Turbay Quintero

Claudia Turbay Quintero (born 27 June 1952) is a Colombian journalist and diplomat. She has served as Ambassador of Colombia to Switzerland, with dual accreditation as Non-Resident Ambassador to Liechtenstein, Ambassador of Colombia to Uruguay with dual accreditation as Permanent Representative of Colombia to the Latin American Integration Association in Montevideo, and had over 27 years of experience working with Proexport, holding various positions including Commercial Director in the Miami offices, and Vice President, eventually being appointed President of the agency in 2002.
Career.
She is a journalist from Fordham University with a Master of Latin American and Caribbean Studies from New York University.
Proexport.
Turbay started working with Proexport, then called "Proexpo", in 1974 in the New York City offices as a clerk in the business library; from there she became and adjunct member in New York City and was later appointed Commercial Director of the Miami office. She returned to Colombia in 1994 and worked for Proexport Advisor to the General Manager, Deputy General Manager, Vice President and eventually President of Proexport in 2002.
Ambassadorship 2002-2008.
On 24 October 2002, Turbay was sworn in as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay with dual accreditation as Permanent Representative to the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) by President Álvaro Uribe Vélez in a ceremony that took place in the Palace of Nariño. She presented her credentials the following month to President of Uruguay Jorge Batlle Ibáñez at the Estévez Palace on 8 November, and to ALADI Secretary General Juan Francisco Rojas Penso on 24 November.
Ambassadorship 2010-present.
Following the refused acceptance of two previous candidates, President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón submitted the candidacy of Turbay to the Swiss Government for their approval and after receiving the "bene placito", Turbay was sworn in on 8 January 2009 by Chancellor Jaime Bermúdez Merizalde as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Colombia to the Swiss Confederation with dual accreditation to the Principality of Liechtenstein in a ceremony that took place at the Palace of San Carlos. After arriving at her mission in Bern, Turbay presented her credentials to Swiss President Doris Leuthard in a ceremony at the Federal Palace of Switzerland on 2 January 2010, and later that year to Crown Prince Alois of Liechtenstein in ceremony at Vaduz Castle on 17 June. Ambassador of Colombia to Ghana and West Africa from August 2013 to present time.
Personal life.
Born on 27 June 1952, she is the daughter of former President of Colombia Julio César Turbay Ayala and his first wife and former First Lady of Colombia Nydia Quintero Turbay. She is of Lebanese and Basque descent through both her parents. The third out of four children, her other siblings are Julio César, a politician and former Comptroller General of Colombia, Diana Consuelo, a journalist who was killed during a rescue operation following her kidnapping, and María Victoria, a lawyer and Vice President of "Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia" a nonprofit organization in Bogotá. She married Jaime Granja Leudo with whom she had one daughter, Claudia Alexandra, but later divorced. From her second marriage she had two children Laura and Santiago.


Mahendra Singh Mewar

Mahendra Singh Mewar (born 24 February 1941) is an Indian politician who was a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. He is the eldest son of Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar. Mahendra and his brother Arvind both claim to be the 76th custodian of the House of Mewar. Maharanas of Udaipur are considered not rulers but custodians of the kingdom on behalf of Sri Eklingji (Lord Shiva).
Achievements.
Mahendra was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chittorgarh in the 1989 Indian general election from BJP with a record winning margin of over 190,000 votes. He is the eldest son of Mewar ruler Bhagwat Singh. He graduated from Mayo College, Ajmer where he was a sportsman.
During the lifetime of Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar, Mahendra Singh ji Mewar assisted in the formation of the Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation, managed the world-famous Lake Palace Hotel when it was first recognised as a five-star hotel and managed the Garden Hotel, also at Udaipur when it was accorded with a three-star status.
Personal life.
Mahendra Singh is married to Princess Nirupama Kumari of Tehri Garhwal. Mahendra Singh ji Mewar has one son, Maharajkumar Vishvaraj Singh of Udaipur - Mewar (he has one daughter and one son), and a daughter, Kanwrani Trivikrama Kumari Jamwal.
There has been some controversy between branches of the family about the leadership of the House of Mewar and the subsequently the holder of the custodianship. The lines are between Arvind Singh Mewar on the one hand and Mahendra Singh on the other.
Dispute over succession.
In 1984, Maharana Bhagwat Singh willed his entire property through a trust to younger son Arvind. He not only made Arvind the executor of the will, but also included daughter Yogeshwari Kumari as a trustee. Elder son Mahendra Singh, who had a year before accused his father of wasteful expenditure, polygamy and sought division of the vast property, was left out.
However, after the demise of Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur, as his eldest son, Maharana Mahendra Singhji Mewar was 'Crowned' the Maharana of Mewar -76th Custodian of the Shrine, in a Raj Tilak ceremony on 19 November 1984, with the religious ceremonies and public participation within the City Palace, Udaipur, and thereafter the procession and "darshan" before Shri Eklingji at Kailashpuri.
His younger brother, Shri Arvind Singh Mewar has since however, claimed that he is the Head of the Family. The Estate of Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur has been declared a H.U.F (Hindu United Family - Joint Family) by the Income Tax Tribunal in 1981 and is subject to a partition suit since 1983. Stay orders have been applicable on this Estate since and the activities initiated, expanded, alterations undertaken by Shri Arvind Singh Mewar have been during the pendency of these orders.
Shri Arvind Singh's place of residence is Shikarbadi. On the demise of Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur, parts of the Palace, specifically those in which Late Maharana Bhagwat Singh ji Mewar of Udaipur was residing were sealed by Mahendra Singh ji Mewar. Against orders of the High Court of Rajasthan, the government / administration handed over these parts to Shri Arvind Singh for which a contempt petition is under adjudication before the Supreme Court of India. Mahendra Singh ji Mewar has been permitted by the Supreme Court of India to take steps to repossess these parts of the Palace. It is under these circumstances that Shri Arvind Singh has been residing in the City Palace.
The relationship between the two branches of the family have remained tense. While in the international press, Arvind Singh Mewar is mentioned as the current head of the family, the local old noble families of Udaipur recognise Maharana Mahendra Singhji Mewar as the rightful head.


Muhammed Al-Jasser

Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser (born 1955) is a Saudi economist who was economy and planning minister between 2011 and April 2015.
Early life and education.
Al Jasser was born in Buraidah in 1955. He studied economics at San Diego State University (BA in 1979), and the University of California, Riverside (MA in 1981 and PhD in 1986).
Career.
Al Jasser began his career at the Saudi finance ministry in 1981. He was named the executive director for Saudi Arabia at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1988. His tenure lasted until 1995. He joined the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) in 1995 as vice governor of SAMA and vice chairman of the SAMA board. He served in this post until 2009. He was also named as acting deputy minister of finance and national economy for budget and organization in 1995. He served as the director of the Saudi Arabian Mining Company until 2009.
Al Jasser became governor of SAMA in February 2009, replacing Hamad Al Sayari. He was also appointed the first chairman of the Gulf Monetary Council on 30 March 2010. The task of this organisation is to establish a united central bank and common currency for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He also chaired state-controlled Saudi Telecom, and is a member on the boards of various national and regional finance institutions including the Islamic Development Bank and Arab Monetary Fund. Al Jasser was appointed minister of economy and planning on 13 December 2011, replacing Khalid bin Mohammed Al Gosaib, who had been in the post since 2003. Al Jasser's term as minister of economy and planning ended on 29 April 2015 when he was replaced by Adel Fakeih in the post.
Recognition and honors.
Al Jasser is described as a well-regarded technocrat by James Reeve, senior economist at Samba Financial Group in London.
Al Jasser is the recipient of the King Abdulaziz Medal of the First Order. In 2009, he was named by "the Middle East" as one of the 50 most influential Arabs in the world.


Style of the Dutch sovereign

The style of the Dutch sovereign has changed many times since the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands due to formations and dissolutions of personal unions, as well as due to marriages of female sovereigns and cognatic successions.
History.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands was proclaimed on 16 March 1815, as a state in personal union with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg under William I, a member of the House of Orange-Nassau who had already inherited a vast number of titles and lands from his ancestors. On 19 April 1839, the Duchy of Limburg joined the union. William I, William II and William III all ruled as kings, grand dukes and dukes.
In 1866, however, the Duchy of Limburg ceased to exist as a separate polity and instead became integrated into the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a province. William III kept the ducal title and passed it on to his successor, Wilhelmina, but she did not succeed him to the throne of Luxembourg, as the country's succession laws provided for strict observance of Salic law. Thus, the reference to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg disappeared from the style of the Dutch monarch.
The male line of the House of Orange-Nassau ended with the death of William III on 23 November 1890. His only surviving child and successor, Wilhelmina, married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 7 February 1901 and, as customary, assumed the feminine form of her husband's title. The title of Duchess of Mecklenburg was thus added to her full style. The government did not want the House of Orange-Nassau to become extinct on Wilhelmina's death, and so in 1908 she issued a royal decree conferring the title of Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau to her descendants. Her only child, Juliana, was therefore born not only Duchess of Mecklenburg but also Princess of Orange-Nassau, like previous members of the Dutch royal family.
When Juliana married Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld in 1936, Wilhelmina decreed that her daughter and heir presumptive would assume the title of Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld, as customary, but that it would come after her birth title of Duchess of Mecklenburg. On 4 September 1948, Wilhelmina abdicated in favour of Juliana, which brought the title of Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld into the full style of the Dutch monarch. At the same time, the title of Duchess of Limburg was dropped, Wilhelmina being the last person to hold it.
Like Wilhelmina, Juliana had no sons. She abdicated in favour of Beatrix, the eldest of her four daughters, on 30 April 1980. Beatrix is not a male-line descendant of Duke Henry and thus not a Duchess of Mecklenburg. She was the first Dutch monarch in 79 years not to bear the title. Through her father, she is a Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld.
On 30 April 2013, she abdicated in favour of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, who thus became the first male on the throne in 123 years. He is not a male-line descendant of Prince Bernhard and thus not a Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld. He bears the honorific Jonkheer van Amsberg as the son of Claus van Amsberg.
Shortened styles.
Shortened versions of the styles, used in preambles:
Titles that have appeared in shortened styles, preceded by "His Majesty" or "Her Majesty" and the monarch's name:


Ajith Nivard Cabraal

Ajith Nivard Cabraal () (born 14 December 1954) is a former governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, holding the post from 1 July 2006 until his resignation on 9 January 2015.
Career.
Accountant and consultant.
As an accountancy student in Colombo, Cabraal met Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was studying law at Sri Lanka Law College.
In 2000 he gained an Eisenhower Fellowship.
Until 2005, Cabraal had a management consulting company ("Cabraal Consulting Group") specialized on corporate governance (strategic planning, mediation) and turnarounds and served at various times as president or board member of various organizations and institutions of a professional or regulatory nature. (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, South Asian Federation of Accountants, Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Sri Lanka, National Institute of Business Management, Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Moratuwa, Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, the Strategic Enterprises Management Agency, Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board, Committee on Corporate Governance in Sri Lanka) In 1996–1999 he was also the president of the St Peter's College Old Boys' Union.
Cabraal was chief economic advisor to Mahinda Rajapaksa during the latter's term as prime minister, contributing to his manifesto ("Mahinda Chintana"). In 2005, Cabraal resigned from all his private positions to work full-time for the government. In February 2006, Cabraal was involved in talks with the Tamil Tigers in Geneva.
Governor of the Central Bank.
Effective July 2006, Cabraal was appointed governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The beginning of Sri Lanka's economic recovery after the end of the civil war fell into his term.
He has resigned so that the new President of Sri Lanka can appoint a new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.


Modzitz

Modzitz, or Modzhitz, is the name of a Hasidic group within Orthodox Judaism that derives its name from "Modrzyce", one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin, Poland, located on the Vistula River.
Followers of this group are known as Modzitzer Hasidim, and are now based mainly in Bnei Brak, where their Rebbe lives, and Jerusalem, Israel. They also have a smaller following in the United States, in Brooklyn, Monsey, New York, Far Rockaway, Queens, and Los Angeles, and in Toronto in Canada.
The Modzitzer rebbes are well known for their musical compositions, many of which were recorded by Ben Zion Shenker.
Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755–1856).
The dynasty started with Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir, (1755–1856), who established yeshivas and a type of Hasidic teaching that was similar to that of his rebbes, the Seer of Lublin and the Kozhnitser Magid, and distinct from the Hasidism of Kotzk.
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin.
Upon the death of Rebbe Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir in 1856, his son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, Poland, succeeded him. He excelled in Torah scholarship and creating Hasidic songs. He was called "Menagen mafli pla'os", Hebrew for "[a] wondrous musical talent". When he died in 1888, his first son, Rabbi Moshe Aharon (1837 - March 17, 1918), succeeded him as Rebbe of Zvolin, while his second son, Rebbe Yisrael, went on to found the actual Modzitz Hasidic dynasty.
Rebbe Yisrael Taub (1849–1920).
Rebbe Yisrael Taub, second son of Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin, was born in 1849. In 1888, he succeeded his father as a rebbe of the Zvoliner Hasidim. In 1891, he settled in "Modrzyc", a village near the town of Demblin, Poland. He became known as the Modzhitzer Rebbe (after his place of residence), thus establishing the dynasty of Modzhitz. He composed many melodies that are still sung by Hasidim and others today. He suffered from diabetes, and in 1913, he traveled to Professor Israel in Berlin. The only way to save his life was by amputating his gangrenous leg (a consequence of diabetes). Before the operation, the rebbe observed the beautiful Berlin architecture, which upset him by comparison with the desolation of the holy city of Jerusalem. During the operation, he composed his epic masterpiece, based on the words of "Eleh Ezkero" (recited on Yom Kippur). Modzhitzer Hasidim sing this tune each year when they gather to commemorate his yahrzeit.
His teachings on Breishis, Shemos, and Vayikra have been collected in his work "Divrei Yisrael". Unfortunately, the writings on Bamidbar and Devarim were lost. In 2008, his grandson and successor, the Grand Rabbi of Modzitz, Rabbi Yisrael Dovid Taub, printed a collection of his teachings on Bamidbar and Devarim, and his own works based on his grandfather's previously printed works. These works were accepted in the world as the original parts of Divrei Yisrael.
When he died on 24 November 1920, he was succeeded by his son, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub.
Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub (1886–1947).
Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub was born on 20 October 1886. He married to the daughter of the Grand Rabbi of Lublin, Rabbi Avrohom Eiger, author of the Shevet MeYehuda. They had a son, [Shmuel Eliyahu], and a daughter. By the age of 19, he divorced her; his wife took the children. He remarried to the daughter of the great kabbalist Rabbi Shaul Schwartz Rav of Stepantz in Poland, and by him, he learned and studied kabbalah. From his second wife, he had his son, Rabbi Yehoshua Yecheskel, who was his right hand in all his Rabbinical subjects. Rabbi Yehoshua Yecheskel also printed his works on the "Hagada shel Pesach" under the name "Ishei Yisrael". Unfortunately, Rabbi Yehoshua Yecheskel was a very weak person physically, and he died at a very young age, a short time after his father (1952); so, he wasn't able to take over the Rabbinical throne of the Modzitz dynasty. But in later years, his only son, Grand Rabbi Yisrael Dovid Taub, succeeded him, and renewed the Modzitz dynasty in his shul in Flatbush.
Rabbi Shaul Yedidya guided his Hasidim in Poland until September 1939, when he fled Poland due to Nazi persecution. He travelled to Vilna, Lithuania, Russia, and from there made his way to Japan. Eventually, with the help of some Modzitzer Hasidim, he and some family members reached the shores of San Francisco, and then moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1940. It was during his stay in Brooklyn that Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar became popular and helped rebuild Modzitz. He was a gifted songwriter, and wrote over 1,000 Hasidic melodies. He had an intense love for the Land of Israel, and even foresaw the coming of the State of Israel. He was unable to see the realization of his prediction, and he died on November 29, 1947, the day the UN voted to create the State of Israel. He was the last person to be buried on the Mount of Olives until it was liberated in 1967. His teachings have been collected in the volumes of "Imrei Shaul" and "Yisa Bracha". He was succeeded by his oldest son, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub, in Tel Aviv.
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu Taub (1905–1984).
Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu was born in Lublin, Poland, on 9 February 1905. In 1935, Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar and his son Rabbi Shmuel went on a pilgrimage to the then-British Mandate of Palestine. While they were there, R. Shmuel fell in love with the Land of Israel, and asked his father if he could stay there. His father agreed, and within a year, Rabbi Shmuel's wife and their child came over to Israel. After his father's death in 1947, he succeeded his father as the Modzitzer Rebbe, to be known later as the "Imrei Eish" ("Words of Fire"). He continued the traditions of Modzitz, both as a composer and as a Torah scholar. He died on 6 May 1984 (4 Iyar 5744), when he was succeeded in Israel by his only son, Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub.
Rebbe Yisrael Dan Taub (1928–2006).
Rebbe Yisrael Dan was born in 1928 in Warsaw, Poland, and died on 16 June 2006 (20 Sivan 5766). He came with his mother to Palestine in 1936 to meet up with his father, Rebbe Shmuel Eliyahu. For a number of years, he headed the Modzitz Hasidim in the city of Tel Aviv, where his father had lived. On Lag Ba'omer 5755 (18 May 1995), he moved the headquarters of Modzitz to a new building in Bnei Brak, Israel. Like his predecessors, he composed numerous Hasidic melodies, and many of them are sung regularly in Hasidic synagogues. His opinion was highly regarded, and he was a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudat Israel. A collection of his Hasidic teachings was published as Nachalas Dan ("The Inheritance of Dan", the name by which he came to be known post-humously). Rebbe Yisrael Dan was survived by two sons and two daughters. At his funeral, his elder son, Grand Rabbi Chaim Shaul Taub, was crowned as the new Modzitzer Rebbe. His other son, Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub, was later crowned as the Kuzmirer Rebbe.
Rebbe Chaim Shaul Taub.
Rebbe Chaim Shaul served for many years as rosh yeshiva of "Yeshivas Imrei Shaul and Darkhei Torah" in Bnei Brak. In keeping with the long-standing tradition of Modzitz, the Rebbe composed ten new niggunim for Rosh Hashana of 5767, and twelve new niggunim for 5768 (corresponding to September 2006 and 2007), some of which have become popular among Haredi Jews in Israel.


William B. Allgood

William Barnett Allgood (April 5, 1868 – July 18, 1933) was a government official in Alabama, serving as the State Auditor of Alabama from 1923 to 1927 and Alabama State Treasurer from 1927 to 1932.
Early life.
William Barnett Allgood was born on April 5, 1868 in the town of Allgood (then named Chepultepec) in Blount County, Alabama. His father was Dr. William Allgood and his mother was Mary Matilda (Ingram) Allgood. One of his brothers was Miles Clayton Allgood, who also served in the state government of Alabama and was a U.S. Representative.
Allgood attended public schools in Chepultepec and attended the Enterprise Academy.
Career.
Allgood was a teacher for one year at Enterprise Academy and for one year at Arkadelphia. From 1901 to 1906, Allgood worked in the dairy industry and in truck farming. From 1907 to 1912, Allgood was the chief clerk of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at Birmingham, Alabama. From 1913 to 1914, Allgood was the fire inspector for Birmingham, Alabama.
From 1915 to 1919, Allgood was the chief clerk in the state auditor's office.
He then held state offices, serving as the chief clerk for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries from 1ol919 to 1922. In 1923, Allgood was elected State Auditor of Alabama and served in that position until 1927, when he was elected as Alabama State Treasurer. His term as State Treasurer ended in 1931.
Allgood was a Democrat.
Personal life.
In 1901, Allgood married Arminta F. They had multiple children.
Allgood was a Methodist and a Knight of Pythias.
Death.
Allgood died on July 18, 1933. He was 65 years old.


Serdtse (song)

"Serdtse" (; translated as "Heart") is in its version sung by Pyotr Leshchenko one of the most frequently performed Argentine Tango songs not sung in the Spanish language.
Title.
Originally the song was referred to by its first line as "Как много девушек хороших" ("Kak mnogo devushek khoroshikh", So many nice girls). It was written by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach for the 1934 Soviet film musical "Jolly Fellows". The music was by Isaak Dunayevsky. The first singer of the song was Leonid Utyosov.
In 1935, Pyotr Leshchenko started to sing the song in Argentine tango fashion. Although music by Leshchenko was officially disliked in the Soviet Union, the version as sung by Leshchenko gradually became the norm. In the former Soviet Union, the song is still perceived as a traditional Russian romance, whereas elsewhere in the world, the song is seen exclusively as an Argentine tango song. This tango version was always known as "Сердце" ("Serdtse"), according to the popular convention of naming a song after its chorus. But the title change may also have come due to a mistake, since "Serdtse" was also the title of another song in the same musical.
In 1984, a collection of songs and poems by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach was published in Moscow. The text of this song was arranged in the Leshchenko fashion, but the title was quoted as "Kak khorosho na svete zhit'!" (How great it is to be alive!)
The Russian Romance version of the song has been translated in Polish as "Jak wiele jest ładnych dziewczyn".
Later a native Lvivian, Yuri Hnatovsky, performed a Ukrainian version as a Dance cover-version of Yuriy Gnatkovski clip "Heart" featuring the Tango-club "Street people".
Other versions.
The original version was sometimes sung with a refrain after both A and B.
The Russian pop group Aquarium in its 1996 rendition replaced the second (instrumental) part with
(C)Ya Vam pishu, chego ty bole?
Chto ya mogu eshchyo skazat'?
Теper' ya znayu - v Vashey vole
Меnya prezren'em nakazat'
(D)No mimо teshchinogo doma
Ya vsyo zh bez shutok ne khozhu:
То "Тikhiy Don" v оknо zаsunu
То "Kаmа-Sutru" pоkаzhu.
Note that Akvarium called the song "Serdtse/Kak mnogo devushek khoroshikh". In the same year, Sergey Penkin did the same.
Line 3 and 4 of A are sometimes, e.g. by Konstantin Sokolsky rendered as:
"no lish' odno menya trevozhit
otgonyaya noch' i son, kogda vlyublyon"
While the second change ("chasing away my nightly sleep") does not affect the meaning, dropping "of them" in the third line may actually mean that the singer is not troubled by a girl's name, but by something else.
The film "Jolly Fellows" was shown in Tel-Aviv and the Israeli poet Nathan Alterman wrote new lyrics to be used in the musical "Tel-Aviv Ha'Ktana", entitling the song "Rina". The new words are a sardonic dialogue between two lovers.
Arguments.
Apart from the argument about the title, and about the original text (some sources say the author of the lyrics had a longer text in mind), there is also a problem with the exact meaning of the word "nice" ("khoroshiy"). Some translate as "good, well-mannered" (not naughty - a humorous approach), others translate as "pretty".


Garuda of Gour

Prince Garuda, was a 14th century Hindu prince and heir apparent of King Govardhan of Gour.
Biography.
Garuda was born in the Gour royal palace to Govardhan and Apurna. He was to next-in-line to rule over the Gour Kingdom. Garuda was just a baby in 1260 AD, when a battle took place between Govardhan and the tribal rebels consisting of the Nagas, Kukis, Pnars, Khasis and Kacharis. Govardhan was killed in this battle. Shortly after, on the way back from Kamrup, an army of sannyasis led by Govinda, of the Brahmachal (Southern Sylhet) royal family, emerged. This army was able to fight off the rebels and take the throne. Govinda, who was a cousin of Garuda, declared himself the king of Gour, and taking the name "Gour Govinda". Garuda's mother, Apurna, thanked the sannyasis and pleaded to allow baby Garuda to survive as a minor.
Garuda grew up in the royal palace, never taking the throne but enjoyed remaining a part of Govinda's royal family. He had good relations with Raja Pratap Singh of the Pratapgarh Kingdom. Singh gave his daughter, Princess Shantipriya, in marriage to Garuda and gifted Garuda the area now known as Chapghat in eastern Karimganj as a dowry.
The Islamic Conquest of Sylhet in 1303 led to the dethroning of Gour Govinda. The royal family escaped to Harong Hurong cave in Mulnicherra before heading off to the shrine of Grivakali. Govinda, Shantipriya and Apurna remained in the care of Grivakali's priest while Govinda headed with his family to Kamrup.
Garuda then decided that they head off to Tungachal, a protectorate of Gour governed by Raja Achak Narayan. However, they were seen by Subid, a tribal rebel, who informed the Muslims and this led to Garuda's boat being followed by the Muslims. Out of embarrassment, Garuda committed suicide, jumping off the boat at Puni beel. The boatmen, however, continued taking Apurna and Shantipriya to Tungachal, eventually finding refuge with Raja Achak Narayan. They made a vow in Tunganath Shiva temple to fast for ninety days, hoping for safety. Shantipriya committed suicide shortly after.


Harrison J. Goldin

Harrison Jay Goldin (born February 23, 1936) is an American lawyer and former politician.
He was born on February 23, 1936, in the Bronx, New York City. He graduated as Science Valedictorian from the Bronx High School of Science in 1953, and received an A.B. summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1957, and an LL.B. from Yale Law School, where he was articles editor of the Yale Law Journal and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Goldin was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School. Just prior to his graduation, Goldin turned down several top Wall Street jobs, and instead chose to work during the Kennedy Administration as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Civil Rights.
Goldin was a member of the New York State Senate from 1966 to 1973, sitting in the 176th, 177th, 178th, 179th and 180th New York State Legislatures. He was New York City Comptroller from 1974 to 1989. In 1989, he ran in the Democratic primary for Mayor of New York City but was defeated by David Dinkins.
After leaving public office in 1989, he opened Goldin Associates, a financial advisory and turnaround consulting firm. Notable cases have included Drexel Burnham Lambert, Rockefeller Center, Enron and Refco. He was a founding Chair (now Chair Emeritus) of the Council of Institutional Investors and is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Goldin was an Adjunct Professor of Accounting at the Stern Graduate School of Business at New York University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Cardozo and New York Law Schools. He was also a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School.


Thomas Sanzillo

Thomas Sanzillo (born 1955 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an American investment banker, financial advisor and politician.
Tom is the Director of Finance for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. He is the author of several studies on coal plants, rate impacts, credit analyses, and public and private financial structures for the energy industry.
He began working in the Comptroller's Office in 1994, and was appointed First Deputy Comptroller by Alan Hevesi in 2003. After Hevesi's resignation, he was Acting New York State Comptroller from December 22, 2006, to February 7, 2007.
He served as Acting Comptroller until Thomas DiNapoli was elected Comptroller by the New York State Legislature. DiNapoli reappointed Sanzillo First Deputy Comptroller on March 7, 2007. On July 26, 2007, Sanzillo resigned as First Deputy Comptroller. He is now a financial advisor with T. R. Rose and Associates in New York City.
Sanzillo is quoted frequently in the press and publishes research and commentary frequently on IEEFA.org.


Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell

Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell (born 11 November 1952 in Kapelln) is an Austrian economist, former vice-governor of the Austrian central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank (1998–2003) and former member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank. She has been a member of the Council of the University of Leoben.
Career.
From 1998 until 2003, Tumpel-Gugerell served as vice governor of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank. During her time as member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, Tumpel-Gugerell was responsible for market operations, payment systems and market infrastructure as well as human resources, the budget, and organisation.
Currently, Tumpel-Gugerell is an Emeritus Consultant at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO). From 2013 until 2014, she also served as chairperson of the European Commission's expert group on a debt redemption fund and eurobills; in 2014, she submitted the group's final report to President José Manuel Barroso and Vice-President Olli Rehn. In 2016, the board of the European Stability Mechanism appointed her to assess the financial assistance programmes to Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Cyprus by the ESM and its predecessor, the European Financial Stability Facility; the appointment was made by Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup and de facto chairman of the ESM board, in conjunction with Klaus Regling, managing director of the ESM. Tumpel-Gugerell presented her report in June 2017.
In 2018, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde appointed Tumpel-Gugerell to the External Advisory Group on Surveillance, a group mandated to review the Fund's operational priorities through 2025.
Tumpel-Gugerell is aligned with the Social Democrats (SPÖ).


Sun Hao

Sun Hao (243 – January or February 284), courtesy name Yuanzong, originally named Sun Pengzu with the courtesy name Haozong, was the fourth and last emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time heir apparent of the founding emperor Sun Quan. He ascended the throne in 264 after the death of his uncle, Sun Xiu (Emperor Jing), in light of the desire of the people to have an older emperor, considering the recent destruction of Wu's ally state Shu Han. However, he turned out to be a most unfortunate choice, as his cruelty, extravagance and inability to handle domestic matters doomed Wu, which was eventually conquered by the Jin dynasty in 280, ending the Three Kingdoms period.
Sun Hao is also known by other titles: Marquis of Wucheng (), which he held before he became emperor; Marquis Guiming (歸命侯; literally "the Marquis who resigns to his fate"), the title given to him by the Jin dynasty after his surrender; Later Lord of Wu () and Last Emperor of Wu (), which were used by historians to refer to him.
Early life.
Sun Hao was born in 243 as Sun He's eldest son. Sun He was named crown prince either shortly before or after the death of Sun Quan's eldest son and first crown prince, Sun Deng, in 241. Sun Hao's mother, Consort He, was a concubine of Sun He.
In 250, after Sun Quan grew tired of the constant disputes between his sons Sun He and Sun Ba, he forced Sun Ba to commit suicide and exiled Sun He to Guzhang (故鄣; in present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang), presumably along with his family and reduced to commoner status. Sun Hao went from the status of eventual presumed heir to being the son of a commoner, albeit the grandson of the emperor.
In 252, Sun He's status was elevated from commoner status as Sun Quan just before his death that year instated Sun He as the Prince of Nanyang and a princedom at Changsha. Indeed, there were rumours, even after Sun He's younger brother Sun Liang took the throne after Sun Quan's death that the regent Zhuge Ke, an uncle of Sun He's wife Princess Zhang, was interested in restoring Sun He and making Sun He emperor instead. After Zhuge Ke's assassination and replacement by Sun Jun in 253, Sun He fell into danger as Sun Jun had been instrumental in having Sun He deposed in the first place and wanted to eliminate any chance of a Sun He comeback. Sun Jun used the rumours as an excuse to have Sun He demoted back to commoner status and exiled to Xindu (新都; in present-day Chun'an County, Zhejiang), and then sent messengers to force Sun He to commit suicide. Princess Zhang also committed suicide. When offered the chance to also commit suicide, Consort He refused stating that if she died as well no one would be left to care for Sun He's sons, thus she raised Sun Hao and his three brothers born to other consorts — Sun De (), Sun Qian (), and Sun Jun (孫俊, not the same person as the regent).
After Sun Liang was deposed by Sun Jun's cousin and successor Sun Chen in 258, Sun Xiu, another son of Sun Quan, became emperor and that year Sun Xiu created Sun Hao and his brothers, Sun De and Sun Qian, marquises. Sun Hao's title was the Marquis of Wucheng and he was sent to his marquisate. At some point, he befriended a magistrate of Wucheng County, Wan Yu, who appraised him as intelligent and studious.
In summer 264, Sun Xiu fell ill and was unable to speak but still could write so he wrote an edict summoning the chancellor Puyang Xing to the palace, where he pointed and entrusted his son, crown prince Sun Wan, to Puyang Xing. Sun Xiu died soon thereafter. However, Puyang Xing did not follow Sun Xiu's wishes. Rather, after consulting with general Zhang Bu, they believed that the people were, in light of the recent fall of their ally state Shu Han in 263, yearning for a mature emperor. (It is not known how old Sun Wan was at this point, but Sun Xiu himself died at age 29, so it was unlikely that Sun Wan was even a teenager.) At the recommendation of Wan Yu, who was by this point a general, Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu enthroned Sun Hao instead.
Early reign.
At first, the people of Wu were impressed with the new emperor as he reduced taxes, gave relief to the poor, and released a large number of ladies in waiting from the palace to let them marry. However, soon that hopefulness was shattered as Sun Hao started to be cruel in his punishments, superstitious, and indulging himself in wine and women. He also demoted Sun Xiu's widow, Empress Dowager Zhu, to the title of "Empress Jing." He honoured his mother Consort He as the empress dowager instead, while posthumously honouring his father Sun He with the title "Emperor Wen". Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu were shocked and disappointed; their disappointment was reported to the emperor who had them arrested and executed along with their clans in late 264. In 264, he also instated his wife Lady Teng as the empress.
In 265, Sun Hao forced the former Empress Dowager Zhu to commit suicide and exiled Sun Xiu's four sons. He soon executed the two eldest, Sun Wan (the former crown prince) and Sun Gong. He then also, believing in a prophecy that the imperial aura had moved from Yang Province to Jing Province and that Jing Province forces would defeat Yang Province forces, undertook a costly move of the capital from Jianye to Wuchang. He also started executing officials who showed disapproval of his wasteful ways regularly. The only major official who was able to speak freely without consequences was Lu Kai, a nephew of Lu Xun and one of the chancellors serving in tandem with Wan Yu, because of the great respect the people had for Lu Kai.
In 266, the Jin dynasty, which newly established itself as the successor to Wu's rival state Cao Wei, after its first emperor, Sima Yan, usurped the Wei throne, sought to establish peace with Wu. Sun Hao instead considered attacking the Jin dynasty, but while he did not do so at that moment, he also did not make peace with the Jin dynasty.
In 266, commoners in present-day Zhejiang unable to withstand Sun Hao's heavy levies (to support his luxuries) rebelled and kidnapped Sun Hao's brother, Sun Qian, as figurehead. They reached Jianye but were eventually defeated by Ding Gu () and Zhuge Jing, who were responsible for Jianye's defences. Although there was no evidence that Sun Qian was actually involved in the rebellion, Sun Hao not only had Sun Qian but also mother and younger brother, Sun Jun, by the same mother, executed. Sun Hao believed this was a fulfillment of the prophecy that prompted his move of the capital to Wuchang; and later that year, he moved the capital back to Jianye.
In 268, Sun Hao began a policy of periodically attacking Jin border regions; he had his general Zhu Ji () attack Jiangxia and Wan Yu attack Xiangyang, while he himself postured to attack Hefei. This attack was repelled by Jin forces, as were several later attacks.
In 269, Lu Kai died and soon there was no one left in the administration who dared to speak out anymore. After Lu Kai's death, Sun Hao exiled Lu Kai's clan to Jian'an. Lu Xun's son Lu Kang, a general who was in charge of defending Wu's western borders, did periodically submit petitions requesting reforms, but Sun Hao generally ignored them, although he did not punish Lu Kang.
Late reign.
In early 271, in the middle of winter, Sun Hao personally launched a major attack against the Jin dynasty and he brought his mother Empress Dowager He, his wife Empress Teng, and thousands of women in his harem along which necessitated heavy labour – from soldiers to drag their wagons – causing the soldiers to murmur about possible defection. Only after Sun Hao heard this possibility did he make the decision to withdraw and return to Jianye. Wan Yu and the senior generals Ding Feng and Liu Ping () had already considered returning to Jianye themselves before Sun Hao chose to withdraw and when Sun Hao heard about this he bore grudges against them as generals who might leave him.
Later that year, Wu forces finally recovered Jiao Province from rebels paying allegiance to the Jin dynasty, who had held out ever since 264 (during Sun Xiu's reign). This gave Sun Hao encouragement and he continued to plan military actions against the Jin dynasty in earnest — although, to his credit, he put his general Tao Huang in charge of Jiao Province and Tao Huang managed the province effectively; the province would not rebel again for the duration of Sun Hao's reign.
In 272, Wang Jun, the Jin governor of Yi Province, with Sima Yan's support began building a massive fleet with the plan to eventually use the fleet in conquering Wu. As the wood shavings from the building project floated down the Yangtze River, the Wu general Wu Yan realised what was happening and requested that the northwestern border be fortified, but Sun Hao refused.
Later in 272, Sun Hao would carry out an action that would lead to a major rebellion — summoning Bu Chan, the general in charge of Xiling (in present-day Yichang, Hubei), back to the capital back to Jianye. Fearful that he was about to be punished somehow, Bu Chan rebelled and defected to the Jin dynasty. While Lu Kang was eventually able to defeat Bu Chan and recover Xiling for Wu, the distrust the Wu generals had for their emperor had been thoroughly exposed and Jin generals became emboldened in proposing plans of conquest to their emperor.
In the same year, Sun Hao, still holding grudges against Wan Yu and Liu Ping for their plan to abandon him and return to Jianye on their own, tried to poison the two of them. Neither died, but when they found out that Sun Hao was behind the poisoning they knew they could not do anything about it; Wan Yu committed suicide while Liu Ping died in distress.
Lu Kang died in 274. In his final petition, he requested Sun Hao to strengthen the defences on Wu's western border, but Sun Hao did not do so. Further, he divided Lu Kang's forces into six different commands, although each was led by one of Lu Kang's sons.
In 275, the senior Wu minister He Shao () suffered a stroke and was paralysed. Sun Hao suspected that he was pretending and had him arrested and tortured by whipping and by subjecting him to saws and fires. He died under torture and his clan was exiled.
For the next several years, people wishing to flatter Sun Hao often offered him miraculous items (real or manufactured) that purportedly suggest that he would eventually destroy the Jin dynasty and unite China. Sun Hao's superstitious nature became even more aroused and he spent all of his efforts on plans to conquer the Jin dynasty.
Fall of Eastern Wu.
In 279, after Sima Yan accepted the advice of Wang Jun and Du Yu, the Jin dynasty finally launched a major attack aiming to conquer Eastern Wu. The attack was in six prongs: with the forces led by Sima Yan's uncle, Sima Zhou; Wang Hun (); Wang Rong; Hu Fen (); Du; and Wang Jun, with the largest forces under Wang Hun and Wang Jun's command. Each of the Jin forces advanced quickly and captured the border cities that they were targeting with Wang Jun's fleet heading east down the Yangtze and clearing the river of Wu fleets. The Wu imperial chancellor Zhang Ti made a last-ditch attempt to defeat Wang Hun's force, but was defeated and killed. Wang Hun, Wang Jun, and Sima Zhou each headed for Jianye. Sun Hao was forced to surrender in the spring of 280.
Sun Hao and his clan were escorted to the Jin capital Luoyang. Sun Hao, now a captive, humiliated himself by covering himself with mud and having himself bound behind his back. Sima Yan had Sun Hao unbound and had him seated next to him at the next imperial gathering. He remarked, "I have set this seat for you for a long time." Sun Hao responded, "I also had a seat for your imperial majesty in Jianye." When the Jin official Jia Chong, seeking to humiliate Sun Hao, asked, "I heard that you had such cruel punishments as poking out people's eyes and peeling the facial skin off people. What kind of punishment is this?" Sun Hao replied, "If a subordinate planned to murder his emperor or was treacherous, I would use those punishments on him." Jia Chong, who was instrumental in the Wei emperor Cao Mao's death, felt humiliated and did not respond.
Sima Yan pardoned Sun Hao and further granted the latter the title "Marquis Guiming" (literally "the marquis who resigns to his fate"). Sun Hao's sons were made junior officials in the Jin government. Sun Hao died in 284.


Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur

Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur (April 8, 1802 – June 20, 1850) was the younger daughter of U.S. President James Monroe. She was the first presidential offspring to be married in the White House.
Early life.
Maria Hester Monroe was the third child of James Monroe and Elizabeth Kortright Monroe. She was born in Virginia on April 8, 1802, during Monroe's first term as Governor of Virginia. When James Monroe was sent to France the next year to assist in the negotiations over the Louisiana Purchase, he brought his family to live with him in France. Maria learned French there, and later in her childhood took a particular interest in the pianoforte. From 1816 to 1819, she was enrolled in Madame Grelaud's French School in Pennsylvania.
Marriage.
Monroe became a popular part of the Washington, D.C. social scene. She would soon marry Samuel L. Gouverneur, who was serving as private secretary to her father. They were first cousins; his mother was Elizabeth Monroe's sister. On March 9, 1820, they were married in the White House, in a small ceremony with only 42 guests, probably in the Blue Room. While it was not the first White House wedding, it was the first time a president's child was married there.
Monroe's older sister, Eliza Monroe Hay, took charge of the wedding. Hay, who acted as an unofficial First Lady during the Monroe presidency, created a social scandal by trimming the guest list and snubbing large portions of Washington society. Complaints even were raised during a cabinet meeting. President Monroe sought the assistance of war hero Stephen Decatur and his wife Susan Decatur, popular figures in Washington society. They planned a series of lavish balls for the couple at Decatur House to appease complaints. The first one was a success, but the rest were cancelled as the next day Stephen Decatur was killed in a duel.
New York.
In 1822, the couple moved to New York City, where Samuel Gouverneur held a series of political posts. They built a two and half story house at 63 Prince Street in New York City. They were popular and threw lavish parties where the champagne flowed freely. After his wife's death in 1830, James Monroe lived with his daughter and her husband in New York City until he died in 1831.
Later life and death.
In 1840 the couple returned to Washington. Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur died on June 20, 1850 at the Monroe family Virginia plantation, Oak Hill.
Family.
Maria and Samuel Gouverneur had four children:


Dmitriy Vasilevich Polenov

Dmitriy Vasilevich Polenov (1806-1878) was the secretary of the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society in Russia in the mid-nineteenth century. His daughter was the artist Elena Dmitrievna Polenov (born Petrozavodsk in 1850).


Narciso Marull

Narciso Marull (1747-c.1820) was a Spanish apothecary and merchant, who served as Asentista de Medicina in the Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires.
Biography.
Narciso Marull was born in Cassà de la Selva (Catalonia), son of Juan Manuel Marull and Isabel Torrent, belonging to a noble Catalan family. He settled in Buenos Aires towards the end of 1770, and was married in the Metropolitan Cathedral on February 3, 1788, to his cousin sister, Concepción Marull, daughter of Francisco Marull and Juana Saleza.
He was the owner of the first drugstore in Buenos Aires, his establishment was known as "Botica del Colegio", located in the streets Santísima Trinidad y San Carlos (current Bolívar and Alsina) Monserrat, was founded by his uncle Francisco Marull in 1777. In 1804, Narciso Marull, was appointed as Examinador de Farmacia and Revisor de Medicinas (Pharmacy Examiner - Medical inspector).
During the English invasions of Rio de la Plata, he had provided medicines and provided his aid to the patriots wounded. In 1809, Marull was involved in Mutiny of Álzaga, he was imprisoned released and released after paying a fine of 3,000 pesos.
After the opening of the free market in Buenos Aires, Narciso Marull Torrent maintained commercial ties with the British. On November 8, 1810, the English schooner "Alarm" arrived in the Port of Buenos Aires from Guernsey, bringing goods that included wine and gin to the consignment of Narciso Marull.
His family was related to the famous lawyer José Presas y Marull, an anglophile, who served as secretary of Carlota Joaquina of Spain.


Fiza Junejo

Fiza Junejo () is a Pakistani politician who served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2013.
Early life.
She was born to the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Khan Junejo.
Political career.
She was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) on a seat reserved for women from Sindh in the 2008 Pakistani general election.


Karen Shakhnazarov

Karen Georgievich Shakhnazarov, PAR (; born 8 July 1952) is a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. He became the Director General of Mosfilm studios in 1998.
Shakhnazarov is the son of a Georgy Shakhnazarov, a politician of Armenian descent, and a Russian housewife, Anna Grigorievna Shakhnazarova.
His 1987 film "Courier" was entered into the 15th Moscow International Film Festival, where it won a Special Prize. In 2002 he was a member of the jury at the 24th Moscow International Film Festival. Since 2005 he has been a member of the Public Chamber of Russia.
His 2012 film "White Tiger" was selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.
In March 2014 he signed a letter in support of the position of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin on the situation in Ukraine and Crimea. For this he was banned from entering Ukraine.
Genealogy.
Karen Shakhnazarov is one of several living descendants of the famous Melik-Shahnazarian princely family from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Melik-Shahnazarians ruled Nagorno-Karabakh's province of Varanda in medieval and modern times.