title: Cremation

text: Some of the various Protestant churches came to accept cremation, with the rationale being, "God can resurrect a bowl of ashes just as conveniently as he can resurrect a bowl of dust." In Anglican and Nordic Protestant countries, cremation gained acceptance (though did not yet become the norm) first by the higher classes and cultural circles, and then by the rest of the population. In 1905, Westminster Abbey interred ashes for the first time; by 1911 the Abbey was expressing a preference for interring ashes. The 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia was critical of the development, referring to them as a "sinister movement" and associating them with Freemasonry, although it said that "there is nothing directly opposed to any dogma of the Church in the practice of cremation."


title: Cremation

text: In the U.S. only about one crematory per year was built in the late 19th century. As embalming became more widely accepted and used, crematories lost their sanitary edge. Not to be left behind, crematories had an idea of making cremation beautiful. They started building crematories with stained-glass windows and marble floors with frescoed walls.


title: Cremation

text: Australia also started to establish modern cremation movements and societies. Australians had their first purpose-built modern crematorium and chapel in the West Terrace Cemetery in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in 1901. This small building, resembling the buildings at Woking, remained largely unchanged from its 19th-century style and was in full operation until the late 1950s. The oldest operating crematorium in Australia is at Rookwood Cemetery, in Sydney. It opened in 1925.


title: Cremation

text: In the Netherlands, the foundation of the Association for Optional Cremation in 1874 ushered in a long debate about the merits and demerits of cremation. Laws against cremation were challenged and invalidated in 1915 (two years after the construction of the first crematorium in the Netherlands), though cremation did not become legally recognised until 1955.


title: Cremation

text: During World War II (1939–45) Nazi Germany used specially built furnaces in at least six extermination camps throughout occupied Poland including at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chełmno, Belzec, Majdanek, Sobibor and Treblinka, where the bodies of those murdered by gassing were disposed of using incineration. The efficiency of industrialised killing of "Operation Reinhard" during the most deadly phase of the Holocaust produced too many corpses, therefore the crematoria manufactured to SS specifications were put into use in all of them to handle the disposals around the clock, day and night. The Vrba–Wetzler report offers the following description.


title: Cremation

text: The Holocaust furnaces were supplied by a number of manufacturers, with the best known and most common being Topf and Sons as well as Kori Company of Berlin, whose ovens were elongated to accommodate two bodies, slid inside from the back side. The ashes were taken out from the front side.


title: Cremation

text: In the 20th century, cremation gained varying degrees of acceptance in most Christian denominations. William Temple, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, was cremated after his death in office in 1944. The Roman Catholic Church accepted the practice more slowly. In 1963, at the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI lifted the ban on cremation, and in 1966 allowed Catholic priests to officiate at cremation ceremonies. This is done on the condition that the ashes must be buried or interred, not scattered. Many countries where burial is traditional saw cremation rise to become a significant, if not the most common way of disposing of a dead body. In the 1960s and 1970s, there was an unprecedented phase of crematorium construction in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.


title: Cremation

text: Starting in the 1960s, cremation has become more common than burial in several countries where the latter is traditional. This has included the United Kingdom (1968), Czechoslovakia (1980), Canada (early 2000s), the United States (2016) and Finland (2017). Factors cited include cheaper costs (especially a factor after the 2008 recession), growth in secular attitudes and declining opposition in some Christian denominations.


title: Cremation

text: The cremation occurs in a cremator, which is located at a "crematorium" or "crematory". In many countries, the crematorium is a venue for funerals as well as cremation.


title: Cremation

text: A cremator is an industrial furnace that is able to generate temperatures of to ensure the disintegration of the corpse. Modern cremator fuels include oil, natural gas, propane, and, in Hong Kong, coal gas. Modern cremators automatically monitor their interior to tell when the cremation process is complete and have a spyhole so that an operator can see inside. The time required for cremation varies from body to body, with the average being 90 minutes for an adult body.


title: Cremation

text: The chamber where the body is placed is called a "cremation chamber" or "retort" and is lined with heat-resistant refractory bricks. Refractory bricks are designed in several layers. The outermost layer is usually simply an insulation material, "e.g.", mineral wool. Inside is typically a layer of insulation brick, mostly calcium silicate in nature. Heavy duty cremators are usually designed with two layers of fire bricks inside the insulation layer. The layer of fire bricks in contact with the combustion process protects the outer layer and must be replaced from time to time.


title: Cremation

text: The body is generally required to be inside a coffin or a combustible container. This allows the body to be quickly and safely slid into the cremator. It also reduces health risks to the operators. The coffin or container is inserted (charged) into the cremator as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss. Some crematoria allow relatives to view the charging. This is sometimes done for religious reasons, such as in traditional Hindu and Jain funerals, and is also customary in Japan.


title: Cremation

text: In the United States federal law does not dictate any container requirements for cremation. Certain states require an opaque or non-transparent container for all cremations. This can be a simple corrugated cardboard box or a wooden casket (coffin). Another option is a cardboard box that fits inside a wooden shell, which is designed to look like a traditional casket. After the funeral service, the box is removed from the shell before cremation, permitting the shell to be re-used.


title: Cremation

text: In the United Kingdom, the body is not removed from the coffin and is not placed into a container as described above. The body is cremated with the coffin which is why all British coffins that are to be used for cremation must be combustible. The Code of Cremation Practice forbids the opening of the coffin once it has arrived at the crematorium, and rules stipulate that it must be cremated within 72 hours of the funeral service. Therefore, in the United Kingdom, bodies are cremated in the same coffin that they are placed in at the undertaker's, although the regulations allow the use of an approved "cover" during the funeral service. It is recommended that jewellery be removed before the coffin is sealed, for this reason. When cremation is finished, the remains are passed through a magnetic field to remove any metal, which will be interred elsewhere in the crematorium grounds or, increasingly, recycled. The ashes are entered into a cremulator to further grind the remains down into a finer texture before being given to relatives or loved ones or scattered in the crematorium grounds where facilities exist.


title: Cremation

text: In Germany, the process is mostly similar to that of the United Kingdom. The body is cremated in the coffin. A piece of fire clay with a number on it is used for identifying the remains of the dead body after burning. The remains are then placed in a container called an "ash capsule", which generally is put into a cinerary urn.


title: Cremation

text: In Australia, reusable or cardboard coffins are rare, with only a few manufacturers now supplying them. For low cost, a plain, particle-board coffin (known in the trade as a "chippie", "shipper" or "pyro") can be used. Handles (if fitted) are plastic and approved for use in a cremator.


title: Cremation

text: Cremations can be "delivery only", with no preceding chapel service at the crematorium (although a church service may have been held) or preceded by a service in one of the crematorium chapels. Delivery-only allows crematoria to schedule cremations to make best use of the cremators, perhaps by holding the body overnight in a refrigerator, allowing a lower fee to be charged.


title: Cremation

text: The box containing the body is placed in the retort and incinerated at a temperature of . During the cremation process, the greater portion of the body (especially the organs and other soft tissues) is vaporized and oxidized by the intense heat; gases released are discharged through the exhaust system.


title: Cremation

text: Jewelry, such as necklaces, wrist-watches and rings, are ordinarily removed before cremation, and returned to the family. Several implanted devices are required to be removed. Pacemakers and other medical devices can cause surprisingly large, dangerous explosions.


title: Cremation

text: Contrary to popular belief, the cremated remains are not ashes in the usual sense. After the incineration is completed, the dry bone fragments are swept out of the retort and pulverised by a machine called a "Cremulator"—essentially a high-capacity, high-speed blender—to process them into "ashes" or "cremated remains", although pulverisation may also be performed by hand. This leaves the bone with a fine sand like texture and color, able to be scattered without need for mixing with any foreign matter, though the size of the grain varies depending on the Cremulator used. The mean weight of an adult's remains is ; the mean weight for adult males is about higher than that for adult females. There are various types of Cremulators, including rotating devices, grinders, and older models using heavy metal balls.


title: Cremation

text: In East Asian countries such as China, Japan or Taiwan, the bones are not pulverised, unless requested beforehand. When not pulverised, the bones are collected by the family and stored as one might do with ashes.


title: Cremation

text: The appearance of cremated remains after grinding is one of the reasons they are called "ashes", although a non-technical term sometimes used is "cremains", a portmanteau of "cremated" and "remains". (The Cremation Association of North America prefers that the word "cremains" not be used for referring to "human cremated remains". The reason given is that "cremains" is thought to have less connection with the deceased, whereas a loved one's "cremated remains" has a more identifiable human connection.)


title: Cremation

text: After final grinding, the ashes are placed in a container, which can be anything from a simple cardboard box to a decorative urn. The default container used by most crematoria, when nothing more expensive has been selected, is usually a hinged, snap-locking plastic box.


title: Cremation

text: Cremated remains are mostly dry calcium phosphates with some minor minerals, such as salts of sodium and potassium. Sulfur and most carbon are driven off as oxidized gases during the process, although about 1–4% of carbon remains as carbonate.


title: Cremation

text: The ash remaining represents very roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person. Because many changes in body composition (such as fat and muscle loss or gain) do not affect the weight of cremated remains, the weight of the remains can be more closely predicted from the person's height and sex (which predicts skeletal weight), than it can be predicted from the person's simple weight.


title: Cremation

text: Ashes of adults can be said to weigh from , with women's ashes generally weighing below and men's ashes generally weighing above .


title: Cremation

text: Not all that remains is bone. There may be melted metal lumps from missed jewellery; casket furniture; dental fillings; and surgical implants, such as hip replacements. Breast implants do not have to be removed before cremation. Some medical devices such as pacemakers may need to be removed before cremation to avoid the risk of explosion. Large items such as titanium hip replacements (which tarnish but do not melt) or casket hinges are usually removed before processing, as they may damage the processor. (If they are missed at first, they must ultimately be removed before processing is complete, as items such as titanium joint replacements are far too durable to be ground.) Implants may be returned to the family, but are more commonly sold as ferrous/non-ferrous scrap metal. After the remains are processed, smaller bits of metal such as tooth fillings, and rings (commonly known as "gleanings") are sieved out and may be later interred in common, consecrated ground in a remote area of the cemetery. They may also be sold as precious metal scrap.


title: Cremation

text: Cremated remains are returned to the next of kin in different manners according to custom and country. In the United States, the cremated remains are almost always contained in a thick watertight polyethylene plastic bag contained within a hard snap-top rectangular plastic container, which is labeled with a printed paper label. The basic sealed plastic container bag may be contained within a further cardboard box or velvet sack, or they may be contained within an urn if the family had already purchased one. An official certificate of cremation prepared under the authority of the crematorium accompanies the remains, and if required by law, the permit for disposition of human remains, which must remain with the cremated remains.


title: Cremation

text: Cremated remains can be kept in an urn, stored in a special memorial building (columbarium), buried in the ground at many locations or sprinkled on a special field, mountain, or in the sea. In addition, there are several services in which the cremated remains will be scattered in a variety of ways and locations. Some examples are via a helium balloon, through fireworks, shot from shotgun shells, by boat or scattered from an aeroplane. One service sends a lipstick-tube sized sample of the cremated remains into low earth orbit, where they remain for years (but not permanently) before reentering the atmosphere. Some companies offer a service to turn part of the cremated remains into synthetic diamonds which can then be made into jewelry. This "cremation jewelry" is also known as funeral jewelry, remembrance jewelry or memorial jewelry. A portion of the cremated remains may be retained in a specially designed locket known as cremation jewelry, or even blown into special glass keepsakes and glass orbs.


title: Cremation

text: Cremated remains may also be incorporated, with urn and cement, into part of an artificial reef, or they can also be mixed into paint and made into a portrait of the deceased. Some individuals use a very small amount of the remains in tattoo ink, for remembrance portraits. Cremated remains can be scattered in national parks in the United States with a special permit. They can also be scattered on private property with the permission of the owner. The cremated remains may also be entombed. Most cemeteries will grant permission for burial of cremated remains in occupied cemetery plots that have already been purchased or are in use by the families disposing of the cremated remains without any additional charge or oversight.


title: Cremation

text: Ashes are alkaline. In some areas such as Snowdon, Wales, environmental authorities have warned that the frequent scattering of ashes can change the nature of the soil, and may affect the ecology.


title: Cremation

text: The final disposition depends on the personal preferences of the deceased as well as their cultural and religious beliefs. Some religions will permit the cremated remains to be sprinkled or retained at home. Some religions, such as Roman Catholicism, prefer to either bury or entomb the remains. Hinduism obliges the closest male relative (son, grandson, etc.) of the deceased to immerse the cremated remains in the holy river Ganges, preferably at one of the holy cities Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, Varanasi, or Haridwar in India. The Sikhs immerse the remains in the Sutlej, usually at Kiratpur Sahib. In southern India, the ashes are immersed in the river Kaveri at Paschima vahini in Srirangapattana at a stretch where the river flows from east to west, depicting the life of a human being from sunrise to sunset. In Japan and Taiwan, the remaining bone fragments are given to the family and are used in a burial ritual before final interment.


title: Cremation

text: Aside from religious reasons (discussed below), some people find they prefer cremation over traditional burial for personal reasons. The thought of a long and slow decomposition process is unappealing to some; many people find that they prefer cremation because it disposes of the body instantly.


title: Cremation

text: Other people view cremation as a way of simplifying their funeral process. These people view a traditional ground burial as an unneeded complication of their funeral process, and thus choose cremation to make their services as simple as possible. Cremation is a more simple disposition method to plan than a burial funeral. This is because with a burial funeral one would have to plan for more transportation services for the body as well as embalming and other body preservation methods. With a burial funeral one will also have to purchase a casket, headstone, grave plot, opening and closing of the grave fee, and mortician fees. Cremation funerals only require planning the transportation of the body to a crematorium, cremation of the body, and a cremation urn.


title: Cremation

text: The cost factor tends to make cremation attractive. Generally speaking, cremation is cheaper than a traditional burial service, especially if direct cremation (also known as bare cremation) is chosen, in which the body is cremated as soon as legally possible without any sort of services. For some, even cremation is still relatively expensive, especially as a lot of fuel is required to perform it. Methods to reduce fuel consumption/fuel cost include the use of different fuels (i.e. natural gas or propane, compared to wood) and by using an incinerator (retort) (closed cabin) rather than an open fire.


title: Cremation

text: For surviving kin, cremation is preferred because of simple portability. Survivors relocating to another city or country have the option of transporting the remains of their loved ones with the ultimate goal of being interred or scattered together.


title: Cremation

text: Despite being an obvious source of carbon emissions, cremation does have environmental advantages over burial, depending on local practice. Studies by Elisabeth Keijzer for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research found that cremation has less of an environmental impact than a traditional burial (the study did not address natural burials), while the newer method of alkaline hydrolysis (sometimes called "green cremation" or "resomation") had less impact than both. The study was based on Dutch practice; American crematoria are more likely to emit mercury, but are less likely to burn hardwood coffins. Keijzer's studies also found that a cremation or burial accounts for only about a quarter of a funeral's environmental impact; the carbon emissions of people travelling to the funeral are far greater.


title: Cremation

text: Each cremation requires about of fuel and releases about of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thus, the roughly 1 million bodies that are cremated annually in the United States produce about of carbon dioxide, which is more CO pollution than 22,000 average American homes generate in a year. The environmental impact may be reduced by using cremators for longer periods, and relaxing the requirement for a cremation to take place on the same day that the coffin is received, which reduces the use of fossil fuel and hence carbon emissions. Cremation is therefore becoming more friendly toward the environment. Some funeral and crematorium owners offer a carbon neutral funeral service incorporating efficient-burning coffins made from lightweight recycled composite board.


title: Cremation

text: Burial is a known source of certain environmental contaminants, with the major ones being formaldehyde and the coffin itself. Cremation can also release contaminants, such as mercury from dental fillings. In some countries such as the United Kingdom, the law now requires that cremators be fitted with abatement equipment (filters) that remove serious pollutants such as mercury.


title: Cremation

text: Another environmental concern is that traditional burial takes up a great deal of space. In a traditional burial, the body is buried in a casket made from a variety of materials. In the United States, the casket is often placed inside a concrete vault or liner before burial in the ground. While individually this may not take much room, combined with other burials, it can over time cause serious space concerns. Many cemeteries, particularly in Japan and Europe as well as those in larger cities, have run out of permanent space. In Tokyo, for example, traditional burial plots are extremely scarce and expensive, and in London, a space crisis led Harriet Harman to propose reopening old graves for "double-decker" burials. Some cities in Germany do not have plots for sale, only for lease. When the lease expires, the remains are disinterred and a specialist bundles the bones, inscribes the forehead of the skull with the information that was on the headstone, and places the remains in a special crypt.


title: Cremation

text: In Christian countries and cultures, cremation has historically been discouraged and viewed as a desecration of God's image, and as interference with the resurrection of the dead taught in Scripture. It is now acceptable to some denominations, since a literal interpretation of Scripture is less common, or because the scriptures do not expressly prohibit the practice.


title: Cremation

text: Christians preferred to bury the dead rather than to cremate the remains, as was common in Roman culture. The early church carried on Judaism's respect for the human body as being created in God's image, and followed their practices of speedy interment, in hopes of the future resurrection of all dead. The Roman catacombs and Medieval veneration of relics of Roman Catholic saints witness to this preference. For them, the body was not a mere receptacle for a spirit that was the real person, but an integral part of the human person. They looked on the body as sanctified by the sacraments and itself the temple of the Holy Spirit, and thus requiring to be disposed of in a way that honours and reveres it, and they saw many early practices involved with disposal of dead bodies as pagan in origin or an insult to the body.


title: Cremation

text: The idea that cremation might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the body was refuted by the 2nd-century "Octavius" of Minucius Felix, in which he said: "Every body, whether it is dried up into dust, or is dissolved into moisture, or is compressed into ashes, or is attenuated into smoke, is withdrawn from us, but it is reserved for God in the custody of the elements. Nor, as you believe, do we fear any loss from sepulture, but we adopt the ancient and better custom of burying in the earth." A similar practice of boiling to remove flesh from bones was also punished with excommunication in a 1300 decree of Pope Boniface VIII. And while there was a clear and prevailing preference for burial, there was no general Church law forbidding cremation until 1866. In Medieval Europe, cremation was practiced mainly in situations where there were multitudes of corpses simultaneously present, such as after a battle, after a pestilence or famine, and where there was an imminent fear of diseases spreading from the corpses, since individual burials with digging graves would take too long and body decomposition would begin before all the corpses had been interred.


title: Cremation

text: Beginning in the Middle Ages, and even more so in the 18th century and later, non-Christian rationalists and classicists began to advocate cremation again as a statement denying the resurrection and/or the afterlife, although the pro-cremation movement often took care to address these concerns. Sentiment within the Catholic Church against cremation became hardened in the face of the association of cremation with "professed enemies of God." When Masonic groups advocated cremation as a means of rejecting Christian belief in the resurrection, the Holy See forbade Catholics to practise cremation in 1886. The 1917 Code of Canon Law incorporated this ban. In 1963, recognizing that, in general, cremation was being sought for practical purposes and not as a denial of bodily resurrection, the choice of cremation was permitted in some circumstances. The current 1983 Code of Canon Law, states: "The Church earnestly recommends the pious custom of Christian burial be retained; but it does not entirely forbid cremation, except if this is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching."


title: Cremation

text: There are no universal rules governing Catholic funeral rites in connection with cremation, but episcopal conferences have laid down rules for various countries. Of these, perhaps the most elaborate are those established, with the necessary confirmation of the Holy See, by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and published as Appendix II of the United States edition of the "Order of Christian Funerals".


title: Cremation

text: Although the Holy See has in some cases authorized bishops to grant permission for funeral rites to be carried out in the presence of cremated remains, it is preferred that the rites be carried out in the presence of a still intact body. Practices that show insufficient respect for the ashes of the dead such as turning them into jewelry or scattering them are forbidden for Catholics, but burial on land or sea or enclosing in a niche or columbarium is now acceptable.


title: Cremation

text: In 1917, "Volume 6 of the American Lutheran Survey" stated that "The Lutheran clergy as a rule refuse" and that "Episcopal pastors often take a stand against it." Indeed, in the 1870s, the Anglican Bishop of London stated that the practice of cremation would "undermine the faith of mankind in the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, hasten rejection of a Scriptural worldview and so bring about a most disastrous social revolution." In "The Lutheran Pastor", George Henry Gerberding stated:


title: Cremation

text: Some Protestant churches welcomed the use of cremation at a much earlier date than the Catholic Church; pro-cremation sentiment was not unanimous among Protestants, as some have retained a literal interpretation of Scripture. The first crematoria in the Protestant countries were built in the 1870s, and in 1908, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey—one of the most famous Anglican churches—required that remains be cremated for burial in the abbey's precincts. Today, "scattering", or "strewing," is an acceptable practice in some Protestant denominations, and some churches have their own "garden of remembrance" on their grounds in which remains can be scattered. Some denominations, like Lutheran churches in Scandinavia, favour the urns being buried in family graves. A family grave can thus contain urns of many generations and also the urns of spouses and loved ones.


title: Cremation

text: An early Methodist tract titled "Immortality and Resurrection" noted that "burial is the result of a belief in the resurrection of the body, while cremation anticipates its annihilation." "The Methodist Review" noted that "Three thoughts alone would lead us to suppose that the early Christians would have special care for their dead, namely, the essential Jewish origin of the Church; the mode of burial of their founder; and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, so powerfully urged by the apostles, and so mighty in its influence on the primitive Christians. From these considerations, the Roman custom of cremation would be most repulsive to the Christian mind."


title: Cremation

text: Some branches of Christianity entirely oppose cremation, including non-mainstream Protestant groups and the Orthodox churches. Most notably, the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches historically forbid cremation, but not dogmatically. Exceptions are made for circumstances where it cannot be avoided (when civil authority demands it, in aftermath of war or during epidemics) or if it may be sought for good cause. But when a cremation is specifically and willfully chosen for no good cause by the one who is deceased, he or she is not permitted a funeral in the church and may also be permanently excluded from burial in a Christian cemetery and liturgical prayers for the departed. In Orthodoxy, cremation is perceived as a rejection of the temple of God and of the dogma of the general resurrection.


title: Cremation

text: Most independent Bible churches, free churches, Holiness churches and those of Anabaptist faiths will not practice cremation. As one example, the Church of God (Restoration) forbids the practice of cremation, believing as the Early Church did, that it continues to be a pagan practice.


title: Cremation

text: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has, in past decades, discouraged cremation without expressly forbidding it. In the 1950s, for example, Apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote that "only under the most extraordinary and unusual circumstances" would cremation be consistent with LDS teachings.


title: Cremation

text: More recent LDS publications have provided instructions for how to dress the deceased when they have received their temple endowments (and thus wear temple garments) prior to cremation for those wishing to do so, or in countries where the law requires cremation. Except where required by law, the family of the deceased may decide whether the body should be cremated, though the Church "does not normally encourage cremation."


title: Cremation

text: Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism practice cremation. The founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, was cremated.


title: Cremation

text: A dead adult Hindu is mourned with a cremation, while a dead child is typically buried. The rite of passage is performed in harmony with the Hindu religious view that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe. The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the "Antyeshti" ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements – air, water, fire, earth and space. The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and origins. The roots of this belief are found in the Vedas, for example in the hymns of Rigveda in section 10.16, as follows:


title: Cremation

text: The final rite in the case of untimely death of a child is usually not cremation but a burial. This is rooted in Rig Veda's section 10.18, where the hymns mourn the death of the child, praying to deity Mrityu to "neither harm our girls nor our boys", and pleads the earth to cover, protect the deceased child as a soft wool.


title: Cremation

text: Ashes of the cremated bodies are usually spread in a river, which are considered holy in the Hindu practice. Ganga is considered to be the holiest river and Varanasi, which is on the banks of river Ganga the holiest place to be cremated at.


title: Cremation

text: Balinese Hindu dead are generally buried inside the container for a period of time, which may exceed one month or more, so that the cremation ceremony (Ngaben) can occur on an auspicious day in the Balinese-Javanese Calendar system ("Saka"). Additionally, if the departed was a court servant, member of the court or minor noble, the cremation can be postponed up to several years to coincide with the cremation of their Prince. Balinese funerals are very expensive and the body may be interred until the family can afford it or until there is a group funeral planned by the village or family when costs will be less. The purpose of burying the corpse is for the decay process to consume the fluids of the corpse, which allows for an easier, more rapid and more complete cremation.


title: Cremation

text: Islam strictly forbids cremation. Its teaching is that cremation is not in line with the respect and dignity due to the deceased. Islam has specific rites for the treatment of the body after death.


title: Cremation

text: Judaism has traditionally disapproved of cremation in the past, as a rejection of the respect due to humans who are created in the image of God. Judaism has also disapproved of preservation of the dead by means of embalming and mummifying, as this involves mutilation and abuse of the corpse. Mummification was a practice of the ancient Egyptians, among whom the Israelites are said in the Torah to have lived as slaves.


title: Cremation

text: Through history and up to the philosophical movements of the current era Modern Orthodox, Orthodox, Haredi, and Hasidic movements in Judaism have maintained the historical practice and strict Biblical line against cremation and disapprove of it, as Halakha (Jewish law) forbids it. This halakhic concern is grounded in the literal interpretation of Scripture, viewing the body as created in the image of God and upholding a bodily resurrection as core beliefs of traditional Judaism. This interpretation was occasionally opposed by some Jewish groups such as the Sadducees, who denied resurrection. The Tanakh emphasizes burial as the normal practice, for instance Devarim (Deuteronomy) 21:23 (specifically commanding the burial of executed criminals), with both a positive command derived from this verse to command one to bury a dead body and a negative command forbidding neglecting to bury a dead body. Some from the generally liberal Conservative Jewish also oppose cremation, some very strongly, seeing it as a rejection of God's design.


title: Cremation

text: During the 19th and early 20th centuries, as the Jewish cemeteries in many European towns had become crowded and were running out of space, in a few cases cremation for the first time became an approved means of corpse disposal among emerging liberal and Reform Jewish movements in line with their across the board rejection of literal scripture interpretation and traditional Torah ritual laws. Current liberal movements like Reform Judaism still support cremation, although burial remains the preferred option.


title: Cremation

text: In Israel religious ritual events including free burial and funeral services for all who die in Israel and all citizens including the majority Jewish population including for the secular or non-observant are almost universally facilitated through the Rabbinate of Israel. This is an Orthodox organization following historical and traditional Jewish law. In Israel there were no formal crematories until 2004 when B&L Cremation Systems Inc. became the first crematory manufacturer to sell a retort to Israel. In August 2007, an orthodox youth group in Israel was accused of burning down the country's sole crematorium, which they see as an affront to God. The crematorium was rebuilt by its owner and the retort replaced.


title: Cremation

text: The Baháʼí Faith forbids cremation, "He feels that, in view of what 'Abdu'l-Bahá has said against cremation, the believers should be strongly urged, as an act of faith, to make provisions against their remains being cremated. Bahá'u'lláh has laid down as a law, in the Aqdas, the manner of Baháʼí burial, and it is so beautiful, befitting and dignified, that no believer should deprive himself of it."


title: Cremation

text: Both burial and cremation are practiced by Wiccans and there is no set directive on how the body should be disposed of after death. Wiccans believe that the body is merely a shell for the spirit so cremation is not viewed as irreverent or disrespectful. One tradition practiced by Wiccans is to mix the ashes from cremation with soil which is then used to plant a tree.


title: Cremation

text: Traditionally, Zoroastrianism disavows cremation or burial to preclude pollution of fire or earth. The traditional method of corpse disposal is through ritual exposure in a "Tower of Silence", but both burial and cremation are increasingly popular alternatives. Some contemporary adhererents of the faith have opted for cremation. Parsi-Zoroastrian singer Freddie Mercury of the group Queen was cremated after his death.


title: Cremation

text: Neo-Confucianism under Zhu Xi strongly discourages cremation of one's parents' corpses as unfilial. Han Chinese traditionally practiced burial and viewed cremation as taboo and as a barbarian practice.


title: Cremation

text: Traditionally, only Buddhist monks in China practiced cremation because ordinary Han Chinese detested cremation, refusing to do it. But now, the atheist Communist party enforces a strict cremation policy on Han Chinese. Exceptions are made for Hui who do not cremate their dead due to Islamic beliefs.


title: Cremation

text: The minority Jurchen and their Manchu descendants originally practiced cremation as part of their culture. They adopted the practice of burial from the Han, but many Manchus continued to cremate their dead.


title: Cremation

text: In Japan, more than 465 companion animal temples are in operation. These venues hold funerals and rituals for dead pets. In Australia, pet owners can purchase services to have their companion animal cremated and placed in a pet cemetery or taken home.


title: Cremation

text: The cost of pet cremation depends on location, where the cremation is done, and time of cremation. The American Humane Society's cost for the cremation of a pet weighing under 22.5 kg (50 lb) costs $110, while a pet weighing over 23 kg (51 lb) is $145. The cremated remains are available for the owner to pick up in seven to ten business days. Urns for the companion animal range from $50 to $150.


title: Cremation

text: Though pet cremation has accelerated in recent years, Americans are still burying their pets by a 2:1 ratio.


title: Cremation

text: In early 2002, 334 corpses that were supposed to have been cremated in the previous few years at the Tri-State Crematory were found intact and decaying on the crematorium's grounds in the U.S. state of Georgia, having been dumped there by the crematorium's proprietor. Many of the corpses were decayed beyond identification. Some families received "ashes" that were made of wood and concrete dust.


title: Cremation

text: Operator Ray Brent Marsh had 787 criminal charges filed against him. On 19 November 2004, Marsh pleaded guilty to all charges. Marsh was sentenced to two 12-year prison sentences, one each from Georgia and Tennessee, to be served concurrently; he was also sentenced to probation for 75 years following his incarceration.


title: Cremation

text: Civil suits were filed against the Marsh family and a number of funeral homes who shipped bodies to Tri-State; these suits were ultimately settled. The property of the Marsh family has been sold, but collection of the full $80-million judgment remains doubtful.


title: Cremation

text: The cremation rate varies considerably across countries with Japan reporting a 99% cremation rate while Poland reported a rate of 6.7% in 2008. The cremation rate in the United Kingdom has been increasing steadily with the national average rate rising from 34.70% in 1960 to 75.44% in 2015. According to the National Funeral Directors Association the cremation rate in the United States in 2016 was 50.2 percent and this was expected to increase to 63.8 percent by 2025 and 78.8 percent in 2035.


title: Chhichhore

text: Chhichhore () is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Nitesh Tiwari, written by Tiwari in association with Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra, and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, with Fox Star Studios acquiring the distribution rights. Based on Tiwari's experiences as a student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, the film stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Naveen Polishetty, Tushar Pandey and Saharsh Kumar Shukla in the lead roles, with Shishir Sharma and Mohammad Samad in supporting roles.


title: Chhichhore

text: Set parallelly in the 1990s and 2019, "Chhichhore" tells the story of Aniruddh "Anni" Pathak, a middle-aged divorcee whose son Raghav tries to commit suicide after failing to clear the JEE entrance examination, & who despite survival, is unwilling to live due to the fear of being branded as a 'loser', which makes a desperate Anni recount his own experience to Raghav of his own time at college, wherein he & his five friends too were called 'losers', & how they managed to remove that 'tag'; as he continues along to narrate his story, the other five join their friend & complete the story.


title: Chhichhore

text: Principal photography commenced in September 2018. "Chhichhore" was released on 6 September 2019, receiving widespread critical and commercial acclaim for its direction, storyline, dialogues, humour, performances of the ensemble cast, social message, and portrayal of hostel life in Indian colleges. Earning 215 crores (2150 million/$28 million) worldwide to emerge as a blockbuster, it went on to receive the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi at the 67th National Film Awards announced in 2021. It also received five nominations at the 65th Filmfare Awards – Best Film, Best Director for Tiwari, Best Story, Best Dialogue and Best Editing. This was Rajput's last theatrical release before his demise.


title: Chhichhore

text: Anirudh "Anni" Pathak is a divorced middle-aged man living with his teenage son Raghav Pathak, an aspiring engineer, who is awaiting the results of his entrance examination in the hope of enrolling in the Indian Institute of Technology. On the eve of the results, Anni gifts Raghav a bottle of champagne, promising him that they will celebrate his success together, unaware that Raghav is under intense pressure. The bottle of champagne only fuels Raghav's worries as to what will happen if he does not make it. The next day, while checking the results at his friend's apartment, Raghav finds out that he has not qualified for IIT-JEE exam results and, afraid of being called a "loser", he deliberately slips off the balcony to commit suicide, but survives, although in a fatal state. Anni rushes to the hospital where he tries to comfort his ex-wife Maya Pathak. She blames Anni for not noticing how much pressure Raghav was in. Dr. Sunit Dev "S. D." Kasbekar informs Maya and Anni that Raghav's condition is deteriorating as Raghav does not have the will to live. Realizing that his son is afraid of being called a "loser", Anni, who stumbles upon pictures of his college days, begins to recount the tales of his time in college in an attempt to rekindle hope in Raghav, who he wants to believe that his father, too, was once a "loser".


title: Chhichhore

text: During the recount, the story flashes back to 1992 when it was his first day of college at the National College of Technology campus. Anni is allotted a room in Hostel 4 a.k.a. "H4", which is famous for housing "losers". The occupants of H4 have earned this tag for numerous unknown reasons, one of them being the poorest quality of mess food on the entire campus. Dissatisfied, he applies to change his hostel block although a clerk informs him that his application might take time. Meanwhile, a senior H4 student Gurmeet "Sexa" Singh Dhillon pokes Anni in the butt the first time they meet, but they soon become friends, with Anni describing Sexa as a hyper-sexual senior who was obsessed with pornography all the time.


title: Chhichhore

text: At this point, Raghav has a convulsion, causing Anni and Maya to panic, but Dr. Kasbekar reveals that he is now conscious, though his condition is still the same. When he asks about "Sexa", though, Anni, convinced that Raghav was listening, goes in with Maya to meet Raghav, who doubts if it is indeed a true story. Anni, convinced that he just needs proof to make his plan work, eventually traces Sexa, who is currently working as a consultant in London, through a call, and informs him about the tragedy. Sexa postpones his work commitments and flies down to Mumbai to reunite with Anni and Maya, and seeing Sexa, an initially dismayed Raghav recognizes him and puts all his doubts to rest, as Sexa continues with the story.


title: Chhichhore

text: Sexa narrates Anni's desperation to change his hostel, and in 1992, during their initial conversation at a canteen, they notice Maya for the first time.


title: Chhichhore

text: As the story returns to the present, Sexa narrates to Anni and Maya during a lunch break how he and a friend named Himanshu "Acid" Deshmukh once received a funny pro-ragging request in 1992 from the father of a fresher named Sundar "Mummy" Shrivastava, a young introvert who is tied to his mother's apron strings and is very dependent on her. At this stage, Mummy joins Sexa in the present-day, working as an executive in the United States, which has thickened his accent. When both Anni and Sexa spill news of Acid's arrival, Mummy exclaims to Raghav that Acid is "bad news". Anni then describes Acid as a school topper who began flunking his college tests and developed a bitter, swearing tongue. A brief introduction for Acid soon pans back to Sexa's classmate joining them in the hospital. All of them briefly reminisce the fun they had in their college days, showing their photo album to Raghav and telling him about Anni's newfound relationship with Maya back then, even as Dr. Kasbekar, time and again, informs them that Raghav's brain is swelling, and his condition doesn't show signs of improvement.


title: Chhichhore

text: Meanwhile, back in 1992, a super-senior student named Raghuvir "Raggie" Chalkar, a reputed hostelite of Hostel 3 a.k.a. "H3", which is known to be a world-class hostel and the absolute antithesis of H4, fast-tracks Anni's application and offers him to come to H3, but Anni has a sudden change of heart while discussing this with Maya, later rejecting the offer, much to the chagrin of Raggie, who reveals that H4 super-senior Derek D'Souza, a well-known athlete, has been "rotting" for the past three years after having similarly rejected a previous offer.


title: Chhichhore

text: Derek is revealed to be a chain smoker, and as he reunites with Anni, a scene of their first meeting back in 1992 plays out, wherein Derek reveals that Raggie is a full-blown college bully who inducts talented students from other hostels into H3 and claims total credit for winning "GC". An initially surprised Anni soon learns that H4's "loser" status comes from its consistently worst performances over the years in the "GC", which stands for General Championship, an annual sports competition whence students of all 10 hostels of the entire institute compete in 30 sports over a span of 2 months. Anni then convinces an initially sceptical Derek to try for one last time, and they begin a series of trials, hilariously failing in the bargain. After multiple attempts to find the right players fail, Derek gives the same reply to Anni as one that Dr. Kasbekar gives to him and Maya - that it has to be all about trying, for there's no other way.


title: Chhichhore

text: Back at Anni's house, everyone is having a discussion, where Derek, Acid, Sexa, and Mummy tell Anni and Maya that they'll be sticking around to support them after Anni requests them to leave due to the negative reports of Raghav's health, when just before everyone can assemble for dinner on the dining table, Anni and the "losers" find their long-missing member, Sahil "Bevda" Awasthi, at Anni's doorstep. Bevda joins the group at the hospital the next day, and as is implied, he is shown to be the ""Devdas"-inspired drunkard" of the group, also a known chess champion.


title: Chhichhore

text: They then recount that while preparing for the GC back in 1992, as they lose an initial string of matches in different sports, except carrom tournaments where Mummy leads them to the quarter-finals, all six boys decide to sacrifice things closest to them until they win the GC. Anni, in his bid, decides to temporarily boycott Maya, avoiding her constantly. However, this tactic hits back severely on their faces when Bevda has a relapse and is taken to hospital, causing the H4 team to lose hope. However, after a moment of introspection, Anni soon comes up with a trifecta of plans to defeat other hostels. His methods work, resulting in several massive victories for H4. During a celebration hangout at a bar, however, a violent clash between Raggie's gang and the leading losers culminates in Mummy injuring his finger, causing Mummy to lose the carrom semi-finals. Even as Acid consoles a crying Mummy, lack of representation in a weightlifting tournament instantly strikes an idea in Anni's head and he chooses Abhimanyu "Danda" Rathore, an H4 hostelite, to lose 2 kgs through training under Anni and Derek's supervision and compete in the 42  kg category. His hilarious victory is soon accompanied by Bewda's return from rehab, which the hostel celebrates. Bevda continues to reign in points for H4 in chess after his return, Derek's athletic skills prove a great asset for H4, and eventually, H4 makes it to the finals, pitted against H3, for the first time in college history.


title: Chhichhore

text: Back in the present, Dr. Kasbekar asks Anni, Maya, and their friends to leave Raghav at this point, so that he can have his surgical operation done the next morning, and they all promise Raghav to wait patiently for the "climax". After the friends return to Anni's home, the friends have a discussion where Anni reveals that he probably failed in teaching Raghav how to deal with failures, pointing to the bottle of champagne he had bought for him. Seeing Mummy call up his son Vedant and tell him that he will gift him a bike irrespective of what his exam results would be, Maya surmises that Anni is an exceptional father and reconciles with him after an emotional breakdown. Right in the middle of the night, Anni's phone suddenly rings, wherein Dr. Kasbekar informs him that Raghav has had severe convulsions, and an immediate operation would have to be carried out. Anni requests 10 minutes for finishing the story, and Dr. Kasbekar, initially reluctant, gives in after Maya supports him.


title: Chhichhore

text: They resume the story, where back in 1992, a vexed Raggie, upon learning of H4's methods, decides to sabotage Bevda by offering him a bottle of alcohol, and deliberately has his teammate injure Derek's foot. Bevda initially appears to be drunk when Anni and Sexa are to receive him, and after Anni departs for the basketball final, tends to move towards a loss in the game, when he suddenly reveals that he isn't drunk and that he had let his opponent make a huge mistake sacrificing his knight. Eventually, with both Acid and Derek winning the relay final, Bevda also wins the chess tournament. They reunite with Anni at the basketball court, and while Anni gets a penalty shot and aims for a 3-pointer, his shot misses by almost an inch, causing H4 to lose the GC by a close margin.


title: Chhichhore

text: Back in the present, Raghav is shocked at this moment of loss and asks Anni if he felt like committing suicide at that moment, having lost a battle this close. Anni, Derek, Mummy, Acid, Sexa, Bevda, and Maya take turns in replying with a "NO", as Anni then explains in a flashback to 1992 that Raggie publicly called them "champs" instead of "losers" for the first time, creating a loud wave of cheer for H4 and congratulating the team for putting up a good fight. Anni then explains to Raghav that the H4 hostelites were never called "losers" again and that it is not one's results that decide whether he or she is a "loser", but rather one's efforts. Convincing him that he tried very hard, Anni asks Raghav to put up a strong face and fight all his challenges in life, including the operation, and as he is being taken to the operation theatre, Raghav visualizes Anni, Derek, Mummy, Acid, Sexa, Bevda and Maya in their younger selves cheering him to fight on.


title: Chhichhore

text: A year later, a fully recovered Raghav attends his first day of college, requesting the viewers to never ask what the name of his college is or what his rank was since he is content that he is getting to live life and enjoy it to the maximum. As he reaches the new campus, he laughs at his senior's question as grown-up apparitions of his parents and the rest of the 'losers' look at him.


title: Chhichhore

text: "Chhichhore" is inspired by writer-director Nitesh Tiwari's own experiences of college life as a metallurgical engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, his alma-mater, which is depicted in the film as the 'National College of Technology'; although not completely biographical in nature, it features character sketches loosely inspired by Tiwari himself as protagonist Aniruddha Pathak, as well as some of his closest friends and seniors. Some of the scenes were incorporated from the lives of co-writers Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Mehrotra, who worked under Tiwari at Leo Burnett.


title: Chhichhore

text: Filming began on 30 September 2018, and first schedule was wrapped on 30 October 2018. The second schedule started on 14 November 2018 and wrapped on 15 December 2018. Major portions of the film were shot at IIT Bombay. The theme song was shot at a cost of 9 crores (90 million). This marked the reunion of choreographers Bosco–Caesar after three years. Shane Nigam was supposed to play the role of a Malayali student, but opted out due to scheduling conflicts with "Kumbalangi Nights"; he was subsequently replaced by newcomer Abhishek Joseph George.


title: Chhichhore

text: Over the close of February 2019, the cast of the film donned their characters' costume video on the making of the poster on 30 May 2019.


title: Chhichhore

text: The film was theatrically released in India on 6 September 2019. It was screened at 51st International Film Festival of India in January 2021 in the Indian Panorama section.


title: Chhichhore

text: The film had a theatrical release in China on 7 January 2022, the first in two years following a de facto ban on Indian films there due to the 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes.


title: Chhichhore

text: The soundtrack to the film was composed by Pritam, while the lyrics were written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.


title: Chhichhore

text: Sukanya Verma reviewing for Rediff felt that Chhichhore offered "too good a time to pay attention to its faults", giving the film 3.5 out of 4 stars. Sreeparna Sengupta of "The Times of India" gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, praising the performances of Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma and Tahir Raj Bhasin. Sengupta noted that the screenplay was predictable and the pace was slow, but the film had a theme of academic success that connected with youngsters and parents, writing that, "it ["Chhichhore"] tells you that the journey is far more important than the destination and that losing is as critical a life lesson as winning. The film scores high on many accounts and is certainly worth watching." Monika Rawal Kukreja from Hindustan Times wrote that, "the Sushant Singh Rajput-Shraddha Kapoor film takes you on a nostalgia trip to your college days with an engaging narrative and flashback sequences". Rahul Desai of Film Companion praised the film, calling it a "solid, homegrown college movie for the ages", further adding that, "Chhichhore is a hoot, but it's not flawless. Eventually though, it's Tiwari's understanding of mainstream emotional dynamics that tide the missteps over to frame an enjoyable film". Rajeev Masand, reviewing for News18 gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it [Chhichhore] "good, harmless fun". Bollywood Hungama in its review wrote that, "on the whole, the Sushant Singh Rajput Shraddha Kapoor starrer Chhichhore is a decent entertainer that has its share of touching scenes", while giving it 3.5/5 stars. Umesh Punwani of Koimoi praised the film, calling it "a king-size platter serving entertainment and emotions", further adding that, "with quite a many memorable performances, it's a film that will linger in your mind long enough after you leave the cinema hall", and gave it 3.5 stars out of 5. Prachita Pandey of DNA gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, noting that, " 'Chhichhore' drives home the point that in life's battles between winning and losing, the most important thing is 'life' itself" while praising the film for initiating the viewers on "a nostalgia trip". Udita Jhunjhunwala while reviewing for Mint praised the film by calling it a "lively homage to hostel life"; moreover praising the film's humor, she called it "organic". The Economic Times gave the movie 3.5/5 stars, calling it a "likeable film with relevant social message", further adding that the movie contains "plenty of nostalgia and warm, feel-good moments, several frat boy jokes, and some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments".


title: Chhichhore

text: The film found criticism from Rachel Saltz of "The New York Times who" called the film to be "programmatic and timid". Vibha Maru of India Today felt that the movie was "no 3 Idiots", giving it 2.5 stars out of 5. Shalini Langer of Indian Express criticised the performance of Sushant Singh Rajput and called the film "a disappointing fare", giving it 1.5/5 stars. Anna MM Vetticad criticised the film, calling it "a hotch-potch with a 3 Idiots hangover", rating the film 1.75 stars out of 5. Arnab Banerjee of Deccan Chronicles gave the film 2.5/5, and while he criticized the film for its writing and direction, he felt that "some of the characters are played by decent actors".


title: Chhichhore

text: "Chhichhore" grossed 6.92 crores (₹69.2 million) on the first day of its release. It showed growth on its second (first Saturday) and third day (first Sunday) grossing ₹34.77 crores (₹347.7 million) by the end of the opening weekend. By the end of the first week, the Sushant Singh Rajput-Shraddha Kapoor starrer had collected ₹66.63 crores (₹666.3 million). The lifetime gross of the movie from India is ₹172.64 crores (₹1726.40 million) and approximately 31 crores ($4.35 million/₹309.93 million) from overseas market, taking it worldwide gross to ₹203.63 crores (₹2036.3 million). The film is part of the prestigious "200 Crore Club".


title: Chhichhore

text: The film was released in China on 7 January 2022, where it performed poorly, grossing only 22.52 crores ($3.01 million), becoming the lowest grossing Indian film in China. The performance at the China box office is being attributed to the fact that the ongoing pandemic has greatly reduced in theatre footfalls. This coupled with the fact that "Chhichhore" saw immense competition from new and previous releases entailed a tough uphill task for the business of the film at the China box office.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Masters of the Universe: Revelation is an American adult animated superhero fantasy television series produced by Kevin Smith and Powerhouse Animation Studios. A spiritual sequel to the 1983–1985 series "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" by Filmation, while ignoring the events of "The New Adventures of He-Man" (1990), the plot of "Revelation" explores unresolved storylines from the original 1980s series. Netflix released the series in two parts, with five episodes debuting July 23, 2021, then five additional episodes on November 23, 2021. In June 2022, Netflix announced a follow-up "Masters of the Universe: Revolution".


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Skeletor's final assault on Castle Grayskull caused his own demise, while also putting an end to He-Man, and simultaneously damaging the source of all magic in existence. After their battle fractured Eternia, it's up to Teela to solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power in a race against time to prevent the end of the Universe. Her journey will uncover the secrets of Grayskull at last.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Netflix announced two new "Masters of the Universe" projects to be in development in December 2019: an adult-oriented anime series described as a direct sequel to the 1983 "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" television series, and a CGI series aimed at children.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Kevin Smith officially announced "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" at the annual Power-Con convention in 2019, serving as showrunner and executive producer (despite stating that he was not a fan of the series), writing for the series alongside Eric Carrasco, Tim Sheridan, Diya Mishra, and "Fatman Beyond" co-host Marc Bernardin. During promotion for the show, Smith said that "Revelation" came to be out of a desire to tell a story set in the world of Eternia, while also being able to resolve any lingering plot threads from the original series. He also said that the show is set up as if it were the next episode of the original series, while also still being accessible to those who have never seen the original show. In November, ND Stevenson expressed interest in a potential crossover Christmas special between the series and their 2018–20 Netflix original series "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" despite this being a sequel to the original series and a non-DreamWorks cartoon.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: The initial voice cast for the series was revealed, with Chris Wood as Prince Adam / He-Man and Mark Hamill as Skeletor. Three weeks before the show's premiere, three additional voice actors were announced to join the series with one of them being Dennis Haysbert to voice King Grayskull. In July 2022, Smith revealed that William Shatner had been cast in the sequel series, "Masters of the Universe: Revolution."


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Around the same time as the show's announcement, Powerhouse Animation Studios was revealed to provide their services to the series, taking inspiration from Japanese anime.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: In May 2022, Mark Hamill revealed he was recording more episodes of the series. The following month at Netflix's Geeked Week event, this follow-up series was revealed to be titled "Masters of the Universe: Revolution".


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Dark Horse Comics and Mattel released a "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" comic as a tie-in to the series. The comic serves as a prequel to the series, to be released as a four issue miniseries. The first issue was released on July 7, 2021.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: An aftershow titled "Revelations: The Masters of the Universe Revelation Aftershow" premiered alongside the series premiere on July 23, 2021, with Kevin Smith, Rob David, and Tiffany Smith serving as hosts.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Part 1 of "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" holds an approval rating of 92% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10 on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Armed with an incredible voice cast, "Revelation" smartly updates "Masters of the Universe" while retaining the quirky charms of the original to create a show that's bound to please fans and newcomers alike." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 8 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Brian Tallerico, writing for "RogerEbert.com", stated that "Smith and his team have threaded the needle that so many reboots fail to, making a show that feels both lovingly consistent with the source and fresh at the same time", and praised the show's visuals and voice acting. He concluded: "I think "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" will also send fans of it back to those originals as watchers of the '80s version show the new one to their kids". Kevin Johnson of "The A.V. Club" gave the show a grade of B, writing: "Smith and the creative team wink at and play into "He-Man's" corniest, outdated elements, but with a surprising amount of respect and admiration, while retaining a darker, richer sensibility."


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Nick Schager, writing for "The Daily Beast", said that the show "authentically resurrects the franchise's favorite characters while simultaneously updating them—and their adventures—for the 21st century", and concluded: ""Masters of the Universe: Revelation" is less about winning over newbies than about tapping into old fans’ cherished memories of childhood days gone by. In that respect, it accomplishes its mission—and there is, to be sure, some chance that Powerhouse's sterling animation will alone convince a few He-Man novices to take the plunge." Amanda Dyer of Common Sense Media gave the series a score of 4 stars out of 5, describing it as "exciting and action-packed" and said that it "makes a smooth transition into a more female-centered cast by following a new journey led by Grayskull Guardian Teela."


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Brian Lowry of CNN described the show's tone as "edgier and clearly more ambitious, beginning with the fact that there's actual fighting", and added that Smith "approaches it all seriously -- or at least as earnestly as you can when a guy hoists a sword and shouts "By the power of Grayskull!"". Lowry wrote: "For those expecting something truly boundary-pushing, rest assured, no one will confuse this with "Clerks"." Zaki Hasan, writing for the "San Francisco Chronicle", said that "while it's invigorating to see this world and its characters gussied up with a 2021 coat of paint, the whole venture does threaten at times to stumble under the weight of its own oppressive grimness", also adding: "It's as if Smith was so determined to emphasize how grown-up the new show is he forgot that this was originally a story for kids — and that it's OK for that to still be the case."


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: "Variety" noted the angry fan reaction compared with the overwhelmingly positive views of the television critics.


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Part 2 has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. Matt Fowler of IGN gave it 7 out of 10 and said it "continued on its path of rich characters, eye-popping animation, and terrifically twisted tweaks to the old He-Man formula."


title: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

text: Chris Jackson for "Starburst Magazine", giving it 2 out of 5, noted "concerns over its ham-fisted handling of certain characters" and wrote that "overbearing exposition and a lack of action combine to take away any sense of urgency from what should have been the beginning of a non-stop five-episode thrill ride"


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Beginning his career at Avispa Fukuoka, Tomiyasu had a spell with Belgian club Sint-Truiden and Italian club Bologna before joining Arsenal in 2021. He was also called up for Japan's senior team in 2018, having previously played for various youth levels.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Tomiyasu was first scouted by the Sanchiku Kickers’ general manager Kanji Tsuji, who was impressed with his performance, especially his speed. Following this, Tsuji convinced his parents to let him play football, which led Tomiyasu to be enrolled at Sanchiku Elementary School. When he was eleven, Tomiyasu was recommended for a trial at FC Barcelona Soccer Camp by his coach. He impressed at the trial so FC Barcelona offered him a place on the club's youth academy, but it was difficult for him to relocate to Spain and the move was cancelled. Despite this, Tomiyasu said the experience at the Soccer Camp was "inspiring".


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: After failing to join FC Barcelona, Tomiyasu joined Avispa Fukuoka. Initially playing in the midfield position, he switched to a centre-back position. During his time at Avispa Fukuoka's youth system, Tomiyasu had a period as the club captain. He impressed at the 2013's JFA Premier Cup, and was named in the Best Eleven as a result. In May 2015, it was announced that Avispa Fukuoka had registered Tomiyasu. After appearing in two matches as an unused substitute, he made his debut for the club on 14 October 2015 as a starter in a 2–0 loss against Machida Zelvia in the third round of the Emperor's Cup. At the end of the 2015 season, Tomiyasu signed a temporary contract with Avispa Fukuoka.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: At the start of the 2016 season, Tomiyasu spent the first half of the J League season on the substitute bench. Tomiyasu made his first appearance of the season on 20 April 2016, as a starter in the defensive midfield position, in a 0–0 draw against Vegalta Sendai in the J League Cup. However, in the J. League Cup match against Sagan Tosu, Tomiyasu was sent off for a second bookable offence in a 1–1 draw. Two months later, on 13 July 2016, he made his league debut for the club, starting in the defensive midfield position in a 2–1 win against FC Tokyo. After making his debut for the club, Tomiyasu became a first team regular for the side, usually playing in the defensive midfield position. It was reported on 26 September 2016 that he had become the second player in the league to be the fastest player at 12.436 km in. Following the club's relegation to J. League 2, Tomiyasu went on to make sixteen appearances in all competitions. At the end of the 2016 season, Tomiyasu had his contract with the club renewed.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In the 2017 season, Tomiyasu became a first team regular for the side, playing in the centre-back position. He then scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–1 win against Roasso Kumamoto on 19 March 2017. Despite being absent from the first team, due to international commitment, Tomiyasu continued to regain his first team place for the club for the rest of the season. He then helped Avispa Fukuoka three clean sheets in three matches between 29 July 2017 and 11 August 2017. Tomiyasu later helped the club qualify for the J1 League Promotion Playoffs, having finished fourth place in the league. He helped the side beat Tokyo Verdy 1–0 to reach the semi–finals of the J1 League Promotion Playoffs. In the final of the J1 League Promotion Playoffs against Nagoya Grampus, Tomiyasu played 90 minutes, as they drew 0–0 but saw Avispa Fukuoka unsuccessfully promoted to J. League One. At the end of the 2017 season, Tomiyasu went on to make thirty–nine appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: It was announced on 8 January 2018 that Tomiyasu would be moving abroad for the first time in his career by joining Belgian First Division A side Sint-Truiden. He signed a three and a half year contract with the club, keeping him until 2021. Upon joining the club, Tomiyasu said: "I want to become a special player in Belgium." After spending months at training and recovering from an ankle injury, Tomiyasu made his Sint-Truiden debut for the club, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–1 win against Royal Antwerp on 12 May 2018. This turned out to be his only appearance of the 2017–18 season.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In the 2018–19 season, Tomiyasu made his first start for Sint-Truiden and played the entirety of a 0–0 draw against Cercle Brugge in the opening game of the season. Since the start of the season, he became a first team regular for the side, playing in the centre-back position. Between 23 September 2018 and 30 September 2018, Tomiyasu kept three consecutive clean sheets in three matches. Having spent in the centre-back position since the start of the season, he played in the right–back position, which came against Zulte Waregem on 4 November 2018. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the season on 25 November 2018 in a 4–2 win against Anderlecht. After spending January on international duty with Japan, Tomiyasu returned to Sint-Truidense on 9 February 2019, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 win against Waasland-Beveren. He continued to regain his first team for the side for the rest of the 2018–19 season. His performance received praise from the Belgian media. As a result, he won the club's Player of the Year. In his second season at Sint-Truidense, Tomiyasu made 40 appearances and scored once in all competitions.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: It was reported on 29 June 2019 that Bologna agreed a €9 million deal to sign Tomiyasu. The transfer move was confirmed on 9 July 2019 and Tomiyasu became the second Japanese player to join the club after Hidetoshi Nakata. Upon joining the club, he said: "Impression that the defensive tactics are detailed. The striker level is also very high. I chose this team because I wanted to learn individual defense tactics. First I wanted to be on the pitch."


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Tomiyasu made his Bologna debut, playing the whole game, in a 3–0 win against Pisa in the first round of the Coppa Italia. A week later, he made his league debut, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw against Hellas Verona, and was named Man of the Match for his performance. Having made three appearances, he was named August's Player of the Month. He started in the first league seven matches before suffering a hamstring injury in October that kept him out for a month. On 24 November, he made his return to the starting lineup in a 2–2 draw against Parma. Since joining the club, Tomiyasu quickly established himself in the starting eleven playing at right-back, and his performances impressed the Italian media and supporters alike. By the time the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had made 20 appearances in all competitions. Tomiyasu remained an integral part of the club once the season resumed behind closed doors. He scored his first goal for Bologna in the 44th minute with his left foot, in a 5–1 loss against Milan on 18 July 2020. In a follow–up match against Atalanta, Tomiyasu suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted in the 74th minute, as the club lost 1–0. After the match, it was announced that he would be sidelined for the rest of the 2019–20 season. Despite this, Tomiyasu finished his first season at Bologna, making 30 appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Ahead of the 2020–21 season, Tomiyasu's performances last season led to suggestions that he could be playing in the centre–back position. Tomiyasu soon recovered from his injury and regained his first team place, playing in the centre-back position. In a match against Sassuolo on 18 October 2020, he scored an own goal after a cross from Giorgos Kyriakopoulos, leading to the winning goal for the opposition team. In December, Tomiyasu began playing as right-back for the rest of the season, though he occasionally played as a left-back and centre-back. This was due to his struggles playing as centre-back, resulting in criticism by the Italian media. His performances began to improve as a result of the tactical change. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Atalanta on 23 December. Two weeks later on 6 January 2021, he scored his second goal of the season, scoring from a header, in a 2–2 draw against Udinese. However, Tomiyasu suffered a calf injury that saw him out for two weeks. He made his return to the starting line–up two weeks later than expected on 14 March against Sampdoria, starting in a 3–1 win. His return was short–lived when he suffered a muscular problem against Inter Milan on 4 April. After being sidelined for a month, he made his return to the starting line–up on 2 May against Fiorentina and played 76 minutes before being substituted, in a 3–3 draw. By the end of the season, he had made 33 appearances and scoring two times in all competitions.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Tomiyasu was linked with a move to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and Atalanta. Amid the transfer speculation, he made his only appearance of the season against Atalanta, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute, in a 0–0 draw on 28 August 2021.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: On 31 August 2021, Tomiyasu joined Premier League side Arsenal on a four-year deal, with an option for a fifth. The transfer was variously reported as £15.5million, £16 million and £17 million. Upon joining the club, both manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu commented about the player, describing him as an "important member of the squad" at Arsenal. On 11 September, he made his first appearance for Arsenal against Norwich City in a 1–0 win. Tomiyasu was named Arsenal's Player of the Month for September 2021, with 51% of the vote.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Having previously played for Japan U14 and Japan U15, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U16 for the first time in March 2013 ahead of the Montaigu Tournament. He participated in the tournament, as the U16 side finished seventh place. In August 2014, Tomiyasu was called for Japan U16 ahead of the AFC U-16 Championship in Thailand. He made two appearances in the tournament, as Japan U16 were eliminated in the quarter–finals.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In July 2014, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U17 for the first time. He participated in a number of matches for the side throughout 2015.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In June 2015, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U18 squad for the Panda Cup. He played two times in the tournament, as the U18 side won the trophy, finishing first place. In March 2016, he was called up to the Japan U-19 squad for the first time. Six months later, he was ahead of the AFC U-19 Championship in Bahrain. He played his first match of the tournament, where he helped the U19 side win 3–0 against Yemen U19. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the tournament, in a 3–0 win against Qatar U19 on 20 October 2016. He helped the Japan U19 reached the final after beating Vietnam in the semi–final. Tomiyasu started in the final against Saudi Arabia U19 and played 120 minutes; which resulting Japan U19 won 5–3 on penalties. During the AFC U-19 Championship tournament, he helped the Japan U19 side keep all six clean sheets.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In May 2017, Tomiyasu was elected Japan U-20 national team for 2017 U-20 World Cup in South Korea. He made his Japan U20 debut, starting the whole game, in a 3–2 win against Honduras U-20 in a friendly match. At this tournament, he played full time in all 4 matches as centre back, as the U-20 side were eliminated in the quarter–finals.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In May 2018, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U21 for the first time ahead of the Toulon Tournament. He went on to make four appearances for the side, as they were eliminated in the Group Stage.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In June 2021, Tomiyasu was named in the Japan squad for his first Olympic tournament, this time on home soil. He previously expressed his interest in playing at the tournament. Prior to the start of the Olympics, Tomiyasu was featured three out of the four friendly matches for the national side. Along the way, he suffered ankle injury, but it did not affect his chances to be in the Olympics squad. Tomiyasu made his debut in the tournament against France Olympic team on 28 July 2021 and started the whole game to help Japan win 4–0. He made two more appearances for the Olympics team, including a 2–0 loss against Mexico Olympic team in the bronze medal match.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: On 30 August 2018, Tomiyasu received his first international call-up from the Japan national team for the Kirin Challenge Cup 2018. It was not until 12 October 2018 when he made his Japan debut, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win against Panama. Tomiyasu became the first teenager to start in the senior team since Ryo Miyaichi. A month later on 16 November 2018, he made his second appearance for the national side, in a 1–1 draw against Venezuela.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In December 2018, Tomiyasu was re-called to the Japanese squad for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He made his tournament debut for the national side, starting the whole game and helped Japan win 3–2 against Turkmenistan. He helped Japan keep a clean sheet by beating Oman 1–0 win to advance to the knockout stage. He then scored his first goal for the national side, scoring from a header, in a 1–0 win against Saudi Arabia to reach the semi–finals. Tomiyasu later played two more matches of the tournament, which saw the national side reaching the final for the first time since 2011. In the AFC Asian Cup final against Qatar, he started and captained the side, as they lost 3–1, finishing as runner–up in the process.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Following the conclusion to the AFC Asian Cup tournament, Tomiyasu was called up to the squad ahead of the Copa América in Brazil. He started all three matches, playing in the centre–back position, as they were eliminated in the Group Stage. He later played three matches of 2019, helping the national side keep three clean sheets.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Almost a year absent, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan squad on 6 October 2020. He started three out of the four matches for the national team by the end of the year.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: In November 2022, Tomiyasu was called up to the 26-man Japan squad that would compete in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Playing in either the right–back or centre–back positions, Tomiyasu is known for being physical, as well as his strong defending structure.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: His performance at Sint-Truiden was so impressive that Voetbal Nieuws named him "The Best Eleven of Foreign Players Who Have Left from the Jupiler League". Former teammate Pol García praised Tomiyasu for his attitude, while former Italy international defender Cristian Zaccardo praised his strong and energetic performances. Bologna's technical coach Emilio De Leo said about Tomiyasu's performances, saying: "He has the ability to read and manipulate time and space in a modern way." The club manager Marco Di Vaio agreed, saying: "Tomiyasu immediately impressed us because he is very good with his feet and knows how to adapt to all defense roles." National Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport praised Tomiyasu's performance, saying: "He is a treasure. The key to reinforcing Bologna".


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Manuel Minguzzi, a reporter for Tuttobologna, said about his performance: "Fans can always expect maximum professionalism and commitment from Tomiyasu. As a full back he did very well, while as a central he made some mistakes, but in Serie A it is quite normal because adaptation is needed. Tomiyasu also possesses great qualities when building the game. I was very struck by the fact that in the first year of Serie A he immediately became the protagonist. He had been taken as a central-defender but was often used as full-back offering both phases of play. As soon as he arrived he became an idol. The Japanese market is always very active on social networks and Bologna has expanded its popularity thanks to Tomiyasu." Former Japan manager Alberto Zaccheroni praised manager Siniša Mihajlović for using Tomiyasu regularly in the first team, saying: "He was good but not malicious, Mihajlovic did a great job making him play a full-back year, in less risky areas, and then use him as a central player after gaining experience."


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Tomiyasu was involved in the Amazon Original sports docuseries "", which documented the club by spending time with the coaching staff and players behind the scenes both on and off the field throughout their 2021–22 season.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Tomiyasu has two sisters. He was planning to follow in his sisters' footsteps by becoming a professional swimmer before switching to football instead, stating that he wanted to be a footballer. In his first press conference in Bologna, Tomiyasu said he began to learn Italian and asked the media to call him Tomi. By February 2020, Italian media "Corriere Di Bologna" reported that Tomiyasu already spoke Italian. In addition to Italian and his native Japanese, Tomiyasu also speaks English, having sharpened his English skills during his spell in Sint-Truiden.


title: Takehiro Tomiyasu

text: Tomiyasu revealed that growing up, he idolised Javier Mascherano. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Tomiyasu spoke out about his life during the pandemic and while the season was suspended, he exercised daily. On 12 May 2020, his former club, Avispa Fukuoka expressed their gratitude to Tomiyasu after he donated 1,000 masks to the club's academy. The following month, Bologna revealed that the players and staff members agreed to give up a month's salary.


title: Lisa McVey

text: Lisa McVey Noland (born March 1967) is an American police officer, school resource officer, and motivational speaker from Tampa, Florida. At age 17, she was abducted by Bobby Joe Long, a serial killer and rapist who sexually assaulted and murdered ten women in the Tampa Bay area in 1984. McVey was one of Long's last victims and the information she provided to police led to his capture. A few years after her ordeal, McVey began to pursue a career in law enforcement.


title: Lisa McVey

text: McVey has candidly recounted her experience as a victim of abuse, even before her abduction. She had been forced by her drug- and alcohol-addicted mother to move in with and take care of her grandmother at age 14. Previously, she had been in and out of foster care. “I was being sexually abused at home. My grandmother’s boyfriend used to put a gun to my head every time he molested me for three years. It was nothing new to me. One bad situation got me to another bad situation is what saved my life. Because the night before [the abduction] I’m doing my suicide note and the next night I’m fighting for my life.”


title: Lisa McVey

text: On November 3, 1984, McVey was snatched from her bicycle on the ride to her grandmother's home after work. She was blindfolded, held at gunpoint, raped, and tortured for 26 hours. She would later learn that the perpetrator was Long, who was responsible for at least 10 murders and over 50 rapes.


title: Lisa McVey

text: During her captivity, McVey offered to be his secret girlfriend. She then elicited sympathy from Long by claiming to be the only child of an ill parent. He was persuaded to release her and did so in a remote location, instructing her to keep her blindfold on for five minutes while he escaped. Upon arriving at home, she was beaten by her guardian’s boyfriend and interrogated for five hours about her whereabouts. Her account remained consistent and finally a phone call was made to the police.


title: Lisa McVey

text: McVey had committed to memorize several details about her abduction and intentionally left fingerprints on several surfaces in Long's bathroom to help police identify her in the event of her death. Through her description of her captor, his vehicle, the route they took, and other details, police were able to track down Long and connect him to other crimes. Officers began a surveillance operation and arrested Long on November 16, 1984, for sexual assault and kidnapping of McVey.


title: Lisa McVey

text: On September 23, 1985, Long pleaded guilty to his crimes against McVey and to an additional eight counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of kidnapping, and seven counts of sexual battery. He received life sentences on every count in Hillsborough County. Additionally, he received two death sentences for the murders of Michelle Denise Simms and Virginia Johnson.


title: Lisa McVey

text: In 1994, McVey began working for the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation department. When she reported a break-in at the office, the deputy who came to the scene said, "You’ve got the attitude to be a cop. Ever thought of that?" In 1999, she was transferred to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office as a dispatcher and became a reserve deputy. She put herself through the police academy and was deputized in 2004. She works in the same department that found and arrested her captor specializing in combating sex crimes and working to protect children.


title: Lisa McVey

text: She also works as a middle school resource officer and uses her story to teach students how to handle potentially dangerous situations.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the 1980s. The rifles have some features that improve performance in very cold conditions (which gave the rifle its name) without impairing operation in less extreme conditions.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Arctic Warfare rifles are generally fitted with a Schmidt & Bender Police & Military II (PM II) telescopic sight with fixed or variable magnification. Variable telescopic sights can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required. Accuracy International actively promotes fitting the German-made Schmidt & Bender PM II product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian forces preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss over Accuracy International's recommendation.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The Accuracy International PM ("Precision Marksman") rifle was entered into a British competition in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Lee–Enfield derived sniper rifles then in use by the British Army (e.g. L42A1). The Accuracy International rifle was selected over the Parker Hale M85. The British Army adopted the Accuracy International PM in 1982 into service as the L96A1 and outfitted the rifle with Schmidt & Bender 6×42 telescopic sights. In this configuration the rifle is capable of first shot hits with a cold, warm or fouled barrel. Tests with 10.89 g (168 gr) ammunition provided sub 0.5 MOA ten-shot groups at 91 m (100 yd) and the rifle was supplied with a telescopic sight, bipod, five magazines, sling, cleaning kit and tool roll, encased in a fitted transport case.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Some years later, the Swedish military also wanted a new rifle, and in the early 1990s Accuracy International introduced an upgraded version of the PM: the AW ("Arctic Warfare"). This was the start of the Arctic Warfare name, which became the primary name of the rifle family despite its earlier names.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Special de-icing features allow it to be used effectively at temperatures as low as . The AW rifle featured a modified bolt with milled slots at the rear of the bolt to prevent bolt binding problems caused by penetrating water/ice, dirt, or similar debris. Further, the thumb-hole, bolt handle, magazine release, and trigger guard on the AW were enlarged, and the magazine floor plate was fitted with protruding grasping tabs to allow use with heavy Arctic mittens. The resin stock side-panels were replaced with sturdier polymer panels that were less brittle in subzero temperatures. The safety was revised to a 3-position safety allowing the bolt to be cycled with a locked trigger. Fitted with a "Kikarsikte 90" 10×42 Hensoldt ZF 500 telescopic sight, this version was accepted into use by the Swedish Army in 1991 as the Prickskyttegevär 90 (Psg 90).


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The British Army decided to adopt the modifications, which they designated L118A1 (fixed stock variant) and L118A2 (folding stock variant). The rifles were fitted with Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12×50 telescopic sights offering the operator more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or in situations when a wide field of view is required. The stocks were fitted with a butt spike. This rifle has seen service in conflicts such as Operation Granby and Operation Telic.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: In 2011 some Swedish Psg 90 rifles were modernized to the Prickskyttegevär 90B (Psg 90B) standard, whereby the rifles were fitted with folding stocks, Swedish-made Spuhr SA-4601 mounts and accessories, and "Kikarsikte 11" Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12×50 telescopic sights.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare model has since spawned an entire family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name, and has been adopted by a number of other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other AI rifles descended from the L96A1 include the AI AE, and the AI AS50 (see "variants" below).


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Most Arctic Warfare rifles are chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, but Accuracy International also made variants of the sniper rifle, the AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) chambered either for the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum and the AW50 (Arctic Warfare .50 calibre) chambered for the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO). The sniper rifles are mounted with a muzzle brake in order to help reduce the recoil, muzzle raise and muzzle flash of the weapon.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Each country's rifles differ slightly. The Swedish Psg 90 for example, uses a Hensoldt (Zeiss) scope and can also use sabot rounds. In 1998, the German Bundeswehr adopted the first folding-stock Arctic Warfare Magnum (AWM-F) chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) and with optics made by the German company Zeiss, and designated as the Scharfschützengewehr 22 (G22).


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The AW's complete parts interchange ability and reliability in adverse weather conditions have made it a popular, if expensive, weapon. The rifle offers good accuracy (a capable marksman can expect ≤ 0.5 MOA consistent accuracy with appropriate ammunition), and its maximum effective range with a Schmidt & Bender 6×42 PM II scope is around .


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The AW system is almost unique in being a purpose-designed military sniper rifle, rather than an accurised version of an existing general-purpose rifle.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The modular design of the AW system allows for flexibility, serviceability and repairability under field and combat conditions. Major components, such as the barrel and the bolt, can be switched between rifles, or replaced in the field by their operator with the help of some tools. The chambering can also be switched by the operator as long as the barrels, bolts and feeding mechanism can handle the shape and size of the cartridges.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Rather than a traditional wooden or polymer rifle stock, the AW is based on an aluminium chassis which extends the entire length of the stock. This chassis system is marketed as the Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS) and can be used for all Accuracy International rifles. All other components, including the receiver, are bolted directly to this chassis. Two hollow polymer "half thumb-hole stock panels", usually coloured green, dark earth or black, are in turn bolted to each other through the chassis, creating a rugged yet, for its sturdiness, comparatively light weapon.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: The Accuracy International receiver is bolted with four screws and permanently bonded with epoxy material to the aluminium chassis, and was designed for ruggedness, simplicity and ease of operation. To this end, the heavy-walled, flat-bottomed, flat-sided receiver is a stressed part, machined in-house by AI from a solid piece of forged carbon steel. AW rifles are supplied in two action lengths—standard AW (short) and long SM (magnum). The six bolt lugs, arranged in two rows of three, engage a heat-treated steel locking ring insert pinned inside the front bridge of the action. The ring can be removed and replaced to refresh headspace control on older actions. The AW system cast steel bolt has a diameter combined with gas relief holes in a diameter bolt body and front action bridge allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the event of a cartridge-case head failure. Against penetrating water or dirt the bolt has milled slots, which also prevent freezing or similar disturbances. Unlike conventional bolt-action rifles, the bolt handle is bent to the rear, which eases the repeating procedure for the operator and reduces the contour of the weapon. The action cocks on opening with a short, 60 degree bolt throw and has a non-rotating (fixed) external extractor and an internal ejector. Firing pin travel is to keep lock times to a minimum. Finally, an integral dovetail rail located above the receiver is designed to accommodate different types of optical or electro-optical sights. As an option, a MIL-STD-1913 rail (Picatinny rail) can be permanently pinned, bonded and bolted to the action, providing a standard interface for many optical systems.


title: Accuracy International Arctic Warfare

text: Cartridges are fed through the bottom of the receiver using a detachable, double-column, steel box magazine. Rifles chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum or larger use a single row magazine. Alternatively cartridges can be loaded singly directly into the chamber.