title: Sly Cooper

text: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time was officially announced during Sony's 2011 E3 Keynote, and was officially released on February 5, 2013. Sly Cooper and the whole gang return with an epic brand new adventure for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita systems. The pages of the Thievius Raccoonus are disappearing and Bentley, now keeper of the ancient book, must round up the gang and save the Cooper Clan legacy from being destroyed forever. With Bentley's newly invented time machine, the gang and Carmelita travel back in time to stop the various henchmen of the main villain, Cyrille Le Paradox, who is determined to replace the Coopers as the new master thief of the world. Along the way, the gang teams up with several of Sly's ancestors, all while Sly must deal with the aftermath of Carmelita discovering that he had faked his amnesia at the end of the previous game. The game was developed by Sanzaru Games, the same development team behind "The Sly Collection", instead of Sucker Punch Productions, who turned their focus to the "Infamous" series. If players unlock the game's secret ending, a clip is shown that hints at a potential future installment in the series, but on November 14, 2014, Sanzaru Games released a statement that they are not developing a future game.


title: Sly Cooper

text: The series as a whole has been well-received, with the games being praised for their art style and the stealth gameplay, and criticized for their length and stories.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus" was critically acclaimed upon release, despite poor sales. GameSpot rated it 7.8/10, stating that "The game has a fantastic sense of style to its design that is reflected in everything from the animation to the unique use of the peaking fad, cel-shaded polygons." However, they criticized the length of the game, saying "The main problem is that just as you're getting into a groove and really enjoying the variety seen throughout the different levels, the game ends. ""Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" gave it a perfect score of 5/5, stating that "There's a pleasant old-school feel to Thievius Raccoonus; the enemies are merciless but a bit stupid, and the platforming challenges come on strong and ramp up steadily in difficulty as the levels go by." The game ultimately sold about 400,000 copies in its release year, and it was later re-released as one of Sony's "Greatest Hits".


title: Sly Cooper

text: "Sly 2: Band of Thieves" received even more critical acclaim, being the highest-rated game of the series. It earned an 88% on both GameRankings and Metacritic, and GameSpy ranked it the #23


title: Sly Cooper

text: greatest PlayStation 2 game of all time. "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves" was also well-received, with an 84% on GameRankings and an 83 on Metacritic.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Despite the anticipation after an 8-year hiatus, "Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time" was, on average, the lowest-rated game of the series despite still ultimately receiving positive reviews. Its highest rating came from "Game Informer", which gave it a 9/10 and thus called it the best game since the original. IGN, giving it an 8/10, summarized that despite the "ridiculous load times, occasionally frustrating gameplay and some bizarre, archaic motion controls, "Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time" is a worthy game to add to your library" as it "harkens back to a different time in gaming while modernizing the experience for a new generation." GamesRadar gave it a 4.5/5, similarly criticizing the "lengthy (but infrequent) load times" and "cliffhanger ending", but saying the good points were "stellar presentation" and "excellent level design." It is the lowest-rated game of the series on Metacritic and GameRankings (with a score of 75 on both sites), GameSpot (with a 7.5, just below the first game's 7.8), IGN (with an 8.0, just below the third game's 8.1), and Eurogamer, where it was the first game of the series to receive a score other than 8/10 (instead receiving a 6/10).


title: Sly Cooper

text: The Sly Collection (titled The Sly Trilogy in PAL regions and Sly Cooper Collection in Asia) is a remastered port of the first three games in the series, released for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc as a Classics HD title. The games were ported by Sanzaru Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America. On November 29, 2011, "The Sly Collection" was released as a digital download on the PlayStation Store, with each title in the collection available as separate purchase. The collection also includes a set of mini games. On May 27, 2014, the collection was released for the PlayStation Vita. Sly 1 and 2 are featured on the game card, while Sly 3 is accessed through an included download voucher.


title: Sly Cooper

text: The core game and story for all games remains unchanged with the remastered versions. For the remastering, all three games have had a graphics overhaul to allow them to support modern 720p resolution. When in 3D mode the games run at 30fps, while in normal mode, the games run 60fps. All three of the games also have trophies, with one platinum each.


title: Sly Cooper

text: PlayStation Move supported mini-games and 3D support are available in the Collection, as well as trophies. Upon completing every game in the Collection, a teaser trailer is unlocked.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Developer Sanzaru Games impressed Sony with a demo for the then-unannounced "," and were subsequently tasked with porting the series' PlayStation 2 titles to the PlayStation 3. At this time, the games' original developers"," Sucker Punch Productions, were working on the "inFamous" series. "The Sly Collection" was announced in June 2010, and released on November 9, 2010. It was made available on the PlayStation Store on November 29, 2011. On April 20, 2013, the PlayStation Vita port of the collection was revealed after it was rated by the ESRB. It was officially announced on February 10, 2014, with a release date of May 27, 2014.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "The Sly Collection" received positive reviews from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 87.43% based on 35 reviews and 85/100 based on 46 reviews and the PlayStation Vita version 80.69% based on 16 reviews and 80/100 based on 30 reviews.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "PlayStation Move Heroes", announced at E3 2010, is a crossover between the "Sly Cooper" series, Jak and Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. It features Sly and Bentley as playable characters. The game uses PlayStation Move. It was released March 22, 2011 in North America.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Sly Cooper appears as a playable character in the crossover fighting game "PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale". In the game's arcade mode, Sly finds that several pages from the Thievius Racconus have been stolen, and begins battling the other fighters in attempt to locate them, including a rival battle with Nathan Drake.


title: Sly Cooper

text: The "Sly Cooper" version of Paris also appears as one of the game's stages. Additionally, Bentley assists Sly with his Level 3 Super attack, Murray appears as an unlockable minion and as part of Sly's Level 1 Super attack, and Carmelita appears as a downloadable minion and stage hazard in the "Alden's Tower" stage.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "Bentley's Hackpack" is a collection of the various hacking mini-games found in the main campaign mode of "Thieves in Time", with additional levels, challenges, and prizes. It was developed by Sanzaru Games and was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita alongside "Thieves in Time". This game is a part of Sony's cross-buy initiative, allowing purchasers of the PlayStation 3 version of the game to receive a free copy for the PlayStation Vita via the PlayStation Network. The game was released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android devices.


title: Sly Cooper

text: The games are primarily a third person platform game. The player controls Sly or one of his companions through many missions of several levels, relying mostly on stealth to avoid encounters and alarms while collecting treasures or other items. Sly is very agile, and is able to use many of the features of the architecture for stealth, indicated to the player by a blue glow, explained in-game as a visible manifestation of Sly's "thief senses." For example, Sly can perch on the top of sharp points, climb up pipes, sneak along a narrow ledge, walk across a tight rope, or use his cane to swing from hooks. Sly also uses his cane to defeat foes, although it makes noise that may attract other foes. He prefers to use sneak attacks when possible because of his little endurance. Due to his heritage, Sly has a number of special moves that he learns through the games that can also increase his stealth or speed, or allow him to eliminate foes silently. The player also may play as Bentley with his gadgets, or Murray with his strength, and many minor companions in the third game. There are also mini-games scattered throughout the gameplay.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Each game is broken into a series of heists, and to accomplish the heist, Sly and his gang must complete several sub-missions. In the first game, each sub-mission was located on a level accessible from the main heist level, while the second, third and fourth games used a nonlinear, open world approach to have various missions located around the same large level. There is typically a boss fight at the end of each heist as the conclusion to the mission.


title: Sly Cooper

text: The first three games were built using Sucker Punch's proprietary engine SPACKLE (Sucker Punch Animation and Character Kinematics Life Engine) with aid from the engine first created for the 2001 racing video game "Kinetica". SPACKLE was first used on the Nintendo 64 title "".


title: Sly Cooper

text: Sly Cooper and other characters from the games were also featured in two comic books published in 2004 and 2005 by GamePro Magazine and DC Comics to promote the release of and respectively. Both books are used to transition the story from one game to the next.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "Issue #1" acted as a story between the first and second game, apparently taking place sometime within the 2-year span between them. The plot consists of two flashback stories and one present story. One is a flashback to the Cooper gang's first taste of thief work as children at the Happy Camper Orphanage (successfully stealing cookies from a greedy sitter), and the other detailing the first time Carmelita and Sly met, when the then-new constable Carmelita was assigned to protect the diamond of an opera star during a performance. Although Carmelita catches Sly and ties him up in the janitor's closet, Sly escapes. However, he sees Carmelita being berated by her boss, Chief Inspector Barkley, for the failure, and Sly decides to help Carmelita. Thus, when the diamond is actually stolen by the singer's manager Pierre, Sly trips him and knocks him unconscious, leaving him for Carmelita to claim as her own capture, thus earning her Barkley's respect. In the present storyline, Sly and the gang devise a plan to crash the engagement party of Dimitri Lousteau and a wealthy art collector named Madame D'Oinkeau, and steal D'Oinkeau's prized sculpture, the "Venus de Whalo" (a parody of the "Venus de Milo"). They succeed, but Carmelita stops Sly on a bridge over a river. Despite her holding her gun on him, he remains relaxed and engages in conversation with her, during which the two relay to each other their pasts and their opposing points of view. Sly then escapes by jumping off the bridge, and although Carmelita at first thinks he has drowned, it is revealed that he landed on the deck of a boat passing underneath, with Bentley, Murray, their van, and the sculpture all on board.


title: Sly Cooper

text: "Issue #2" takes place after the events of "Sly 2" and leads up to the events within "Sly 3". The story is broken into four parts. The first part consists of Sly finding a member of his father's gang, McSweeny, in a maximum-security prison due to an invitation. McSweeny, an anthropomorphic, super strong walrus tells Sly of a massive vault on a remote island and its location which contains the accumulated treasure of all the Cooper family members stating it as Sly's inheritance. Part two details Sly and Murray breaking into a hospital to rescue the injured Bentley from the authorities, though at the end, Murray demands that Sly flee with Bentley while he stays behind to deal with the officers. Part three consists of Carmelita reviewing footage of Sly and Murray's attempt (with Bentley notably absent) to steal the map to the Cooper Vault's location from a Venetian museum. But Sly later breaks into her office while she is asleep and steals the vault map from under Carmelita's nose. The final part takes place at the Cooper gang's home in Paris, with Sly reviewing what is needed to get to the vault, while Bentley works on arming his wheelchair with a wide array of gadgets and weaponry to help Sly in the field. Murray returns after his escape and informs the others that he is leaving the gang and disappears to parts unknown.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Production on a "Sly Cooper" film originally leaked in 2012 when a NeoGAF user discovered listings for a number of Sony Interactive Entertainment franchises in a film financing database. The project was officially announced by producer Brad Foxhoven, of Blockade Entertainment, on January 28, 2014. "Sly Cooper" is Blockade's third adaptation of a Sony video game series, after "Heavenly Sword" and "Ratchet & Clank". Alongside a teaser trailer, the initial announcement revealed that "Ratchet" director Kevin Munroe and animation studio Rainmaker Entertainment would be helming the movie set for release in 2016. Also like "Ratchet & Clank", the film is financed by Film Financial Services with lead investor Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation from China along with Rainmaker, with international representation by Cinema Management Group. Commenting on the film's production, Asad Qizilbash, senior director of first party games marketing at Sony stated: "As one of our most storied and fan favorite PlayStation franchises, we are excited to see the story of Sly premier on the big screen for the first time. "We have a great partnership with Rainmaker and Blockade Entertainment and we're looking forward to seeing Sly reimagined in a full-feature movie to offer both fans and newcomers alike a chance to become reacquainted with one of our most beloved heroes." Series creator Sucker Punch Productions is involved with the film.


title: Sly Cooper

text: David Wohl, vice president of development at Blockade Entertainment and producer on the movie, was quoted as saying the film won't be an origins story: "Sly and the gang are already together, though they are far from being so great at what they do." The story will focus on Sly, Bentley and Murray, but Carmelita and Clockwerk will also be included.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Unlike prior incarnations of the franchise which used cel-shading, the film is going for a contemporary CG art direction. Foxhoven stated that "the global film market can lean towards pure CG animated films. As much as we love the cel-shaded look of the game, we felt that it would not be held up in the big screen collectively." He also said that working with the creators of "Sly Cooper" would help the movie's look "remain true to the artistic style of the characters and world."


title: Sly Cooper

text: At Wondercon 2016, Munroe stated that the film had yet to enter production and that he doubted it would be released later that year, but was "standing by, waiting to jump on top of it. I'm just waiting for the phone call." On October 26, 2016, he revealed on Twitter that he hadn't personally worked on "Sly Cooper" in over a year and a half. Munroe later became attached to other projects.


title: Sly Cooper

text: Following the poor box office performance of the "Ratchet & Clank" adaptation, Cartoon Brew editor Amid Amidi expressed doubt that "Sly Cooper" would ever be completed. In September 2016, Michael Hefferon, president and chief creative officer of Rainmaker, said that due to "Ratchet"'s failure, the company would have to reevaluate the timing, release plans and budget for "Sly Cooper." In 2017, Rainmaker left the project.


title: Sly Cooper

text: On June 14, 2017, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that they would be developing a "Sly Cooper" television series alongside Technicolor Animation Productions, with PGS Entertainment handling brand management. The series will consist of 52 11-minute episodes, with half scheduled to premiere in October 2019, and the remaining in July 2020, though the broadcast network has yet to be determined.


title: Sly Cooper

text: On May 20, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that they had opened a film and TV production studio on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot in Culver City, California called PlayStation Productions, which will develop and produce projects based on the company's catalog of more than 100 games. Sony Pictures will distribute these projects, but Sony Interactive Entertainment will handle production firsthand. This announcement had many fans speculate that the "Sly Cooper" television series would be moved to the studio, considering that projects such as Sony Pictures' "Uncharted" film also moved there.


title: Myosotis

text: Myosotis ( ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. The name comes from the Ancient Greek "mouse's ear", which the foliage is thought to resemble. In the northern hemisphere they are colloquially known as forget-me-nots or scorpion grasses. "Myosotis alpestris" is the official flower of Alaska and Dalsland, Sweden. Plants of the genus are commonly confused with Chatham Islands' forget-me-nots, which belong to the related genus "Myosotidium".


title: Myosotis

text: The genus was originally described by Carl Linnaeus. The type species is "Myosotis scorpioides". "Myosotis" species are annual or perennial herbaceous flowering plants with pentamerous actinomorphic flowers with 5 sepals and petals. Flowers are typically 1 cm in diameter or less, flatly faced, coloured blue, pink, white or yellow with yellow centres and borne on scorpioid cymes. The foliage is alternate, and their roots are generally diffuse. They typically flower in spring or soon after the melting of snow in alpine ecosystems.


title: Myosotis

text: The seeds are contained in small, tulip-shaped pods along the stem to the flower. The pods attach to clothing when brushed against and eventually fall off, leaving the small seed within the pod to germinate elsewhere. Seeds can be collected by placing a sheet of paper under stems and shaking the seed pods onto the paper.


title: Myosotis

text: "Myosotis scorpioides" is colloquially called "scorpion grass" because of the spiraling curvature of its inflorescence.


title: Myosotis

text: The genus is largely restricted to western Eurasia, with approximately 60 confirmed species, and New Zealand with approximately 40 endemic species. A few species occur elsewhere including North America, South America, and Papua New Guinea. Despite this, "Myosotis" species are now common throughout temperate latitudes because of the introduction of cultivars and alien species. Many are popular in horticulture. They prefer moist habitats. In locales where they are not native, they frequently escape to wetlands and riverbanks. Only those native to the Northern hemisphere are colloquially denominated "forget-me-nots".


title: Myosotis

text: One or two European species, especially "Myosotis sylvatica", the "woodland" forget-me-nots, have been introduced into most of the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.


title: Myosotis

text: Genetic analysis indicates that the genus originated in the northern hemisphere, and that species native to New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea and South America form a lineage of closely related species that are likely derived from a single dispersal event to the southern hemisphere.


title: Myosotis

text: "Myosotis" are food for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the setaceous Hebrew character. Many of the species in New Zealand are threatened.


title: Myosotis

text: Of more than 510 recorded species names, only 152 species are presently accepted, listed below. The remainder are either synonyms or hybrids of presently accepted or proposed names.


title: Myosotis

text: The small blue forget-me-not flower was first used by the Grand Lodge "Zur Sonne", in 1926, as a Masonic emblem at the annual convention in Bremen, Germany. In 1938, a forget-me-not badge—made by the same factory as the Masonic badge—was chosen for the annual Nazi Party "Winterhilfswerk", the annual charity drive of the National Socialist People's Welfare, the welfare branch of the Nazi party. This coincidence enabled Freemasons to wear the forget-me-not badge as a secret sign of membership.


title: Myosotis

text: After World War II, the forget-me-not flower was used again as a Masonic emblem in 1948 at the first Annual Convention of the United Grand Lodges of Germany. The badge is now worn in the coat lapel by Freemasons around the world to remember all who suffered in the name of Freemasonry, especially those during the Nazi era.


title: Myosotis

text: The flower is also used as a symbol of remembrance by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is used to commemorate those from the province who were killed in the First World War, and worn around July 1.


title: Myosotis

text: It is also used in Germany to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the world wars in a similar manner to the use of remembrance poppies in the UK.


title: Myosotis

text: The flower is also the symbol for the Armenian Genocide's 100th anniversary. The design of the flower is a black dot symbolising the past, and the suffering of Armenian people. The light purple appendages symbolise the present, and unity of Armenians. The 5 purple petals symbolise the future, and the five continents Armenians escaped to. The yellow in the centre symbolises eternity, and the Tsitsernakaberd itself symbolises the 12 provinces lost to Turkey.


title: Myosotis

text: In Lithuania the flower has become one of the symbols for the commemoration of the January Events of 1991.


title: Myosotis

text: In The Netherlands, the forget-me-not has become a symbol for Alzheimer Nederland, a foundation advocating for people suffering from dementia.


title: Myosotis

text: In New Zealand, the Forget-Me-Not is the symbol for Alzheimers New Zealand, the foundation advocating for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and dementia.


title: Myosotis

text: In history of art, the forget-me-not is used to remember loved ones who have passed away. It is therefore very common in funerary portraits.


"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a well-known phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the unalienable rights which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their Creator, and which governments are created to protect. Like the other principles in the Declaration of Independence, this phrase is not legally binding, but has been widely referenced and seen as an inspiration for the basis of government.


The United States Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, and then edited by the Committee of Five, which consisted of Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. It was then further edited and adopted by the Committee of the Whole of the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The second paragraph of the first article in the Declaration of Independence contains the phrase "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".


title: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

text: Jefferson's "original Rough draught" is on exhibit in the Library of Congress. This version was used by Julian Boyd to create a transcript of Jefferson's draft, which reads:


text: The Committee of Five edited Jefferson's draft. Their version survived further edits by the whole Congress intact, and reads:


text: A number of possible sources of inspiration for Jefferson's use of the phrase in the Declaration of Independence have been identified, although scholars debate the extent to which any one of them actually influenced Jefferson. The greatest disagreement comes between those who suggest the phrase was drawn from John Locke and those who more strongly attribute to Jean-Jacques Rousseau.


text: In 1689, Locke argued in "Two Treatises of Government" that political society existed for the sake of protecting "property", which he defined as a person's "life, liberty, and estate". In "A Letter Concerning Toleration", he wrote that the magistrate's power was limited to preserving a person's "civil interest", which he described as "life, liberty, health, and indolency of body; and the possession of outward things". He declared in his "Essay Concerning Human Understanding" that "the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness".


text: According to those scholars who saw the root of Jefferson's thought in Locke's doctrine, Jefferson replaced "estate" with "the pursuit of happiness", although this does not mean that Jefferson meant the "pursuit of happiness" to refer primarily or exclusively to property. Under such an assumption, the Declaration of Independence would declare that government existed primarily for the reasons Locke gave, and some have extended that line of thinking to support a conception of limited government. The Boston Pamphlet (1772), the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress (1774), and the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) also declare the right to life, liberty and property.


text: The first and second article of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason and adopted unanimously by the Virginia Convention of Delegates on June 12, 1776, speaks of happiness in the context of recognizably Lockean rights and is paradigmatic of the way in which "the fundamental natural rights of mankind" were expressed at the time: "That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety."


text: Benjamin Franklin was in agreement with Thomas Jefferson in playing down the protection of "property" as a goal of government. It is noted that Franklin found the property to be a "creature of society" and thus, he believed that it should be taxed as a way to finance civil society.


text: In 1628, Sir Edward Coke wrote in "The First Part of the Institutes of the Lawes of England", his commentary on Thomas de Littleton, that "It is commonly said that three things be favoured in Law, Life, Liberty, Dower." At common law, dower was closely guarded as a means by which the widow and orphan of a deceased landowner could keep their real property.


text: Garry Wills has argued that Jefferson did not take the phrase from Locke and that it was indeed meant to be a standard by which governments should be judged. Wills suggests Adam Ferguson as a good guide to what Jefferson had in mind: "If, in reality, courage and a heart devoted to the good of mankind are the constituents of human felicity, the kindness which is done infers a happiness in the person from whom it proceeds, not in him on whom it is bestowed; and the greatest good which men possessed of fortitude and generosity can procure to their fellow creatures is a participation of this happy character. If this be the good of the individual, it is likewise that of mankind; and virtue no longer imposes a task by which we are obliged to bestow upon others that good from which we ourselves refrain; but supposes, in the highest degree, as possessed by ourselves, that state of felicity which we are required to promote in the world."


text: The 17th-century cleric and philosopher Richard Cumberland wrote that promoting the well-being of our fellow humans is essential to the "pursuit of our own happiness". Locke never associated natural rights with happiness, but his philosophical opponent Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz made such an association in the introduction to his "Codex Iuris Gentium". William Wollaston's "The Religion of Nature Delineated" describes the "truest definition" of "natural religion" as being ""The pursuit of happiness" by the practice of reason and truth". An English translation of Jean-Jacques Burlamaqui's "Principles of Natural and Politic Law" prepared in 1763 extolled the "noble pursuit" of "true and solid happiness" in the opening chapter discussing natural rights. Historian Jack Rakove posits Burlamaqui as a source in addition to Locke as inspiration for Jefferson's phrase.


text: Another possible source for the phrase is in the "Commentaries on the Laws of England" published by Sir William Blackstone, from 1765 to 1769, which are often cited in the laws of the United States. Blackstone argues that God 'has so intimately connected, so inseparably interwoven the laws of eternal justice with the happiness of each individual, that the latter cannot be attained but by observing the former; and, if the former be punctually obeyed, it cannot but induce the latter. In consequence of which mutual connection of justice and human felicity, he has not perplexed the law of nature with a multitude of abstracted rules and precepts, referring merely to the fitness or unfitness of things, as some have vainly surmised; but has graciously reduced the rule of obedience to this one paternal precept, “that man should pursue his own true and substantial happiness.” This is the foundation of what we call ethics, or natural law.'


text: Other tripartite mottos include "liberté, égalité, fraternité" (liberty, equality, fraternity) in France; "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" (unity, justice and liberty) in Germany and "peace, order, and good government" in the Commonwealth (including Canada and Australia). It is also similar to a line in the Canadian Charter of Rights: "life, liberty, security of the person" (this line was also in the older Canadian Bill of Rights, which added "enjoyment of property" to the list).


text: The phrase can also be found in Chapter III, Article 13 of the 1947 Constitution of Japan, Chapter II, Article 10 of the 1987 Constitution of South Korea, and in President Ho Chi Minh's 1945 declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. An alternative phrase "life, liberty, and property", is found in the Declaration of Colonial Rights, a resolution of the First Continental Congress. The Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution declare that governments cannot deprive any person of "life, liberty, or property" without due process of law. Also, Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person".


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Halloween II is a 2009 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a sequel to Zombie's 2007 remake of 1978's "Halloween" and the tenth installment in the "Halloween" franchise. The story follows Laurie Strode as she deals with the aftermath of the previous film's events, Dr. Loomis who is trying to capitalize on those events with a new book, and Michael Myers as he seeks to reunite with his sister. The film sees the return of lead cast members from the 2007 film Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton, and Tyler Mane, who portray Dr. Loomis, Laurie Strode, and Michael Myers, respectively.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: For "Halloween II", Zombie decided to focus more on the connection between Strode and Myers, and the idea that they share similar psychological problems. He wanted the sequel to be more realistic and violent than its 2007 predecessor, and to portray how the events of the first film affected the characters. Zombie also wanted to provide a glimpse into each character's psyche. Filming primarily took place in Georgia, which provided Zombie with a tax incentive as well as the visual look he was going for. When it came time to provide a musical score, Zombie had trouble finding a place to include John Carpenter's original "Halloween" theme music, and it was only included in the final shot.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: "Halloween II" was officially released on August 28, 2009 in North America, and was met with a negative reception from critics. On October 30, 2009, it was re-released in North America to coincide with the Halloween holiday weekend. The original opening of the film grossed less than the 2007 remake, with approximately $7 million. It would go on to underperform at the box office, only grossing $39.4 million worldwide against a $15 million budget. Rob Zombie declined to return to film another sequel, and the next installment, "Halloween 3D", was cancelled in 2012. "Halloween II" is the final "Halloween" film to be distributed by Dimension Films. It was followed by "Halloween" in 2018, a direct sequel to the original 1978 film produced by Blumhouse Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: During his time in Smith's Grove Sanitarium, a young Michael Myers is visited by his mother Deborah who gives him a white horse statuette as a gift.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Fifteen years later, Laurie Strode is wandering around in shock after having shot an adult Michael. Sheriff Lee Brackett finds Laurie and takes her to the hospital. Meanwhile, the paramedics pick up Annie Brackett and Michael's psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis, who survived being attacked by Michael, and also take them to the hospital. Michael's body is taken in another ambulance. When the driver has a traffic accident, Michael awakens and escapes, killing a paramedic injured in the accident.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: One year later, Laurie is now living with the Bracketts. Michael has been missing and is presumed dead. While Laurie deals with her trauma, Dr. Loomis has chosen to turn the event into an opportunity to write another book. Elsewhere, Michael, who is still alive and living as a drifter, has been having visions of his mother's ghost and a younger version of himself, who instruct him to reunite with Laurie. Michael arrives at a farm and kills the owners before he sets off for Haddonfield. As Michael travels to Haddonfield, Laurie begins having hallucinations that mirrored Michael's past. Her hallucinations also begin to include her acting out Michael's murders. Meanwhile, Loomis goes on tour to promote his new book, only to be criticized by the public, who blame him for Michael's actions and for exploiting the deaths of Michael's victims. When Loomis' book is released, Laurie discovers that she is really Angel Myers, Michael's long-lost sister. She goes to a Halloween party with her co-workers, Mya and Harley, to escape how she is feeling.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Michael appears at the party and kills Harley, then goes to the Brackett house and fatally wounds Annie. When Laurie and Mya return to the house, they find Annie, who dies in Laurie's arms. Michael kills Mya and then comes after Laurie, who manages to escape. Sheriff Brackett arrives home and finds his daughter dead. Laurie flags down a car, but Michael kills the driver and flips the car over with Laurie still inside. Michael then takes the unconscious Laurie to an abandoned shed. Laurie awakens to her hallucinations with Deborah, seen by both her and Michael, who asks for her to call her "mommy".


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: The police discover Michael's location and surround the shed. Loomis arrives and goes inside to try to reason with Michael but when he tries to resuscitate Laurie from her hallucinations, Michael grabs Loomis and stabs him to death before being shot through the cabin window by Brackett and impaled on a rake. Apparently released from her visions, Laurie walks over to Michael and stabs him to death with his own knife. The shed door opens and Laurie walks out wearing Michael's mask. Later, Laurie sits in isolation in a psychiatric ward, grinning as Deborah's ghost approaches with the horse statuette.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: In 2008, at the 30 Years of Terror Convention, "Halloween" producer Malek Akkad confirmed that a sequel to Rob Zombie's 2007 film was in the works. Despite French filmmakers Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo being in negotiations to direct the sequel in November 2008, Rob Zombie took on the duty and was also writer.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: In an interview, Zombie expressed how the exhaustion of creating the first "Halloween" made him not want to come back for a sequel, but after a year of cooling down he was more open to the idea. The writer/director explained that with the sequel he was no longer bound by a sense of needing to retain any "John Carpenter-ness", as he "felt free to do whatever". Producer Malek Akkad said the original intention, when they believed Zombie was not returning, was to create a "normal sequel". Akkad and his Trancus producing company hired various writers to come up with drafts for a new film, but none worked. Akkad and the Weinstein brothers then turned to Bustillo and Muary, whose film "Inside" had recently been bought for distribution by the Weinstein Company. According to Akkad, the producers really wanted Zombie to return, as Akkad felt that there was something "lost in the translation" when the French filmmakers took over the project. After his work on the 2007 remake, Zombie had earned the trust of Akkad, who told him to ignore any rules they had set for him on the previous film. Akkad said that he wanted Zombie to move the franchise away from some of its established rules.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: For the sequel, Mane, McDowell, Taylor-Compton, Harris, Moon Zombie, and Dourif returned to the roles of Michael Myers, Dr. Loomis, Laurie Strode, Annie Brackett, Deborah Myers, and Sheriff Brackett, respectively. Although Daeg Faerch, who portrayed a young Michael Myers in the 2007 remake, was initially signed on to reprise his role for "Halloween II" (then known as "H2"), after filming briefly in Georgia as young Michael, he was later recast because he had grown taller. He was replaced by Chase Wright Vanek. Zombie had to recast the role, much to his own dismay, because Faerch's physical maturity did not fit what was in the script. Although Faerch is not in the sequel, the first trailer for "Halloween II" contained images of Faerch. Zombie pointed out that those images were test shots done and were not intended to be in either the trailer or the film.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Taylor-Compton described her character as having "these bipolar moments", where her emotions are spontaneously changing from points of happiness to agitation. The actress stated that Zombie wanted to see Laurie Strode travel into "these really dark places". Taylor-Compton clarified that when the film starts Laurie is still not aware that Michael is her older brother, and as the film progresses more and more pieces of information are given to her and she does not know how to deal with them. The actress explained that the darkness brewing inside Laurie is manifested externally, generally through her physical appearance and the clothes she chooses to wear—Zombie characterized the look as "grungy".


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Instead of focusing on Michael, Zombie chose to look more at the psychological consequences on Laurie after the events of the remake. As Zombie explains, after Michael murdered her friends and family, Laurie became a "wreck", who continually sinks lower as the film moves forward. Even Sheriff Brackett goes through changes. Brackett, who receives more screen time in this film, allows Laurie to move in with him and his daughter after the events of the first film. Zombie explained, "He's old, he's worn out, he's just this beat-down guy with these two girls he can't deal with." Zombie characterized Loomis in the sequel as more of a "sellout", who exploits the memories of those who were killed by Michael in the 2007 film. Zombie explained that he tried to channel Vincent Bugliosi, a lawyer who prosecuted Charles Manson and then wrote a book about it, into Loomis's character for the sequel, noting that he wanted Loomis to seem more "ridiculous" this time. As for Michael Myers, the character is given almost an entirely new look for the film, which is being used, according to Taylor-Compton, to illustrate a new emotion for the character as he spends much of his time trying to hide himself. Zombie said that of all of the characters that return in the sequel, Michael is the only one that does not change: "All the other characters are very different. Laurie; Loomis; they're having all kinds of problems in their life, but Michael just moves along. Michael is no different; he's exactly the same as he was ten years old and he killed everybody [...] He has no concept of the world around him, so he can never be affected by it."


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: With a $15 million budget, production began on February 23, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia. Zombie acknowledged that filming in Georgia provided certain tax breaks for the company, but the real reason he chose that location was because the other locations he was planning to use were still experiencing snowy weather. For him, Georgia's landscapes and locations provided the look that he wanted for his film. During production, Zombie described the sequel as being "Ultra gritty, ultra intense and very real" and said that he was trying to create almost the exact opposite of what people would expect. Known for filming multiple sequences during production of his films, Zombie filmed an alternate ending to "Halloween II". In the alternate ending, Loomis and Michael crash through the shed the police have surrounded, and out into the open air. As Loomis grasps at Michael's mask, and pleads for him to stop, Michael stabs him in the stomach, telling him to "Die!". With Loomis injured and unconscious (it is not revealed whether he lived or died), the police open fire on Michael, killing him. Laurie, now completely insane, leaves the shack, picks up Michael's knife and walks over to Loomis' unconscious body. Against Brackett's orders, the police open fire on Laurie, apparently killing her too.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: For the sequel, Zombie only used Carpenter's original theme music in the final scene of the film, though the director admits that he and music composer Tyler Bates tried to find other places to include it. According to Zombie, Carpenter's music did not fit with what was happening in the film; whenever he or Bates would insert it into a scene it "just wouldn't feel right" to the director. Zombie also used popular culture songs throughout the film, with "Nights in White Satin" appearing the most prominently. Zombie chose songs that he liked, and that would enhance a given scene within the film. An official soundtrack for the film was released on August 25, 2009. In addition, an album featuring the music of psychobilly band Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures was released in conjunction with "Halloween II" on August 28, 2009. Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures is a fictional band that appears in "Halloween II". Nan Vernon, who recorded a new version of the song "Mr. Sandman" for the end credits of the 2007 remake, recorded a cover of "Love Hurts" for "Halloween II".


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Dimension Films released "Halloween II" in North America on August 28, 2009, to 3,025 theaters. Following that, the film was released in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2009. Dimension re-released "Halloween II" in North America on October 30, 2009, to coincide with the Halloween holiday, across 1,083 theaters. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 12, 2010; the theatrical cut and an unrated director's cut, which Zombie says is "very different from the theatrical version," are available. The Theatrical cut can only be purchased on Blu-ray in a Canadian double feature disc along with the theatrical cut of "Halloween" (2007).


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: On its opening day, the film grossed an estimated $7,640,000, which is less than the $10,896,610 Zombie's 2007 remake pulled in during the same weekend of August. By the end of its opening weekend, "Halloween II" had grossed $16,349,565. That weekend earned more than the entire box office performances of "" ($14,400,000), "" ($11,642,254), and "" ($15,116,634), in unadjusted dollars. The film dropped 64.9% in its second weekend, only grossing $5,745,206 and slipping from third to sixth place. Grossing just $2,114,486 in its third weekend, "Halloween II" dropped out of the box office top ten to fourteenth place. The re-release of the film was intended to take advantage of the Halloween holiday, but the film only brought in approximately $475,000. By the end of its theatrical run, "Halloween II" grossed a total of $33,392,973 in North America, and an additional $6,028,494 overseas for a worldwide total of $39,421,467. Compared to the other "Halloween" films, the 2009 sequel sits in fourth place, just behind the original "Halloween".


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: Based on 81 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, "Halloween II" has an overall 23% approval rating from critics, with an average score of 4.12 out of 10, with the general consensus reading "Zombie shows flashes of vision in the follow-up to his "Halloween" reboot, but they're smothered by mountains of gore and hackneyed, brutal violence." Rob Nelson, of "Variety", felt the use of Deborah and the white horse was nothing more than "silly", and he disagreed with Zombie's choice to film "Halloween II" in 16mm film, as opposed to the wider format of 35mm that he used on his 2007 remake. Nelson also stated that the hospital scene was nothing more than a "butcher"-version of Carpenter's 1981 sequel, with the rest of the film feeling like it was rushed and "slapped together" at the last minute. In contrast, "Time Out" believed the hospital scene at the start of the film "[bested the 1981 sequel] in just about every respect". "Time Out" stated that Compton's portrayal of Laurie Strode showed an "intense, nontrivializing dedication to the role" that kept interest, while the storyline of Dr. Loomis's egocentricity hinders the overall storyline. "Time Out" also said that Zombie hurt the film by trying to show how "violence lingers with, and perverts, all who are touched by it", but then undercut himself with "carnivalesque" violence. Although the "New York Post"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Kyle Smith did not believe the character of Laurie Strode was a balance for Michael Myers or Dr. Loomis, he agreed the ghostly images of Deborah Myers were a "relief from the blood-streaked brutality" of Michael's murders.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: "The Boston Globe's" Tom Russo had varied reactions to the film. Russo pointed out that Zombie attempted to be more inventive with "Halloween II", but only achieved mixed results for his efforts. Russo referred to the dream sequences of Deborah Myers and the white horse as "pretentiously silly", but agreed that the scenes did help to break up the standard genre violence and even went so far as to compare the sensation created by those scenes to "Tim Burton doing straight horror". In the end, Russo claimed that "only the most hardcore fans" would want the film series to continue. Joe Neumaier, of the "Daily News", stated that Zombie has found himself with "Halloween II". Neumaier describes the film as a successful "'character-based' monster-flick". Zombie's use of music from the 1970s, like The Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" and 10cc's "The Things We Do for Love", is "terrifically odd" throughout the film. Neumaier also said that the imagery of Deborah Myers and the "ethereal white horse" were a "nice visual relief" from Michael's violent attacks.


title: Halloween II (2009 film)

text: In 2009, Rob Zombie declined to return to direct the sequel to "Halloween II". On August 30 that year, the next film in the series, "Halloween 3D", was announced by The Weinstein Company and planned to be released in 2010, retroactively establishing Laurie to have killed Loomis instead of Michael. The film was ultimately cancelled as Bob and Harvey Weinstein decided to green light and prioritize "Scream 4" (2011) instead. In 2016, Blumhouse Productions acquired the rights to the series. The next installment, 2018's "Halloween", served as a direct sequel to the original 1978 and effected a retcon of previous sequels. Universal Pictures distributed the film.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The M101A1 (previously designated M2A1) howitzer is an artillery piece developed and used by the United States. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II and saw action in both the European and Pacific theaters and during the Korean War. Entering production in 1941, it quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fires 105 mm high explosive (HE) semi-fixed ammunition and has a range of , making it suitable for supporting infantry.


title: M101 howitzer

text: All of these qualities of the weapon, along with its widespread production, led to its adoption by many countries after the war. Its ammunition type also became the standard for many foreign countries' later models.


title: M101 howitzer

text: After World War I, the U.S. Army Ordnance Department studied various captured German 105 mm-caliber howitzers and developed the 105 mm Howitzer M1920 on Carriage M1920. A box trail carriage design (the M1925E carriage) and two other split trail designs (the T1 and T2) were also developed, but the original split trail design was found superior after testing. After being selected, the piece was standardized in December 1927 as the 105 mm howitzer M1 on carriage M1. The Army had an intention to replace all 75 mm gun-howitzers in its divisional and non-divisional field artillery regiments with 105 mm pieces, but a lack of appropriations stalled the idea and eventually forced it to be completely abandoned by 1929; a limited plan developed in 1925 envisioned re-equipping three regiments, but by 1933, only 14 M1 howitzers had been manufactured,


title: M101 howitzer

text: A modified version of the M1 was trialed in 1932 which used semi-fixed ammunition instead of separate-loading ammunition. Since this development required a different breech block, the new piece was designated the 105 mm howitzer M2 on carriage M1. 48 pieces were manufactured in 1939. The original M1 carriage had been designed for towing using horses rather than trucks, and a new carriage, the T5 (M2), was developed in 1939 and standardized in February 1940. The breech ring of the howitzer M2 was modified in March 1940 before large-scale production began, creating the 105 mm howitzer M2A1 on carriage M2.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The weapon was heavy for its calibre but this was because the gun was designed to be durable. Thus the barrel and carriage could see great use and remain functional without wearing out.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The U.S. military artillery designation system was changed in 1962, redesignating the M2A1 howitzer the M101A1. The gun continued to see service in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Though a similar model, the M102 howitzer, shared the same roles in battle, it never fully replaced the M101A1. Today, the M101A1 has been retired by the U.S. military, though it continues to see service with many other countries. By the end of the Second World War, 8,536 105 mm towed howitzers had been built and post-war production continued at Rock Island Arsenal until 1953, by which time 10,202 had been built.


title: M101 howitzer

text: M2 Howitzers are still in limited service in the Australian Army Reserve, but are being replaced with mortars with an emphasis on the retention of indirect fire support skills. In regular service they were replaced by the 105 mm L119 Hamel gun and the M198 howitzers.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The Canadian Forces used the M2A1 as the C2 howitzer until 1997, when a modification was made to extend its service life; it is now designated the C3. The changes include a longer barrel, a muzzle brake, reinforced trails and the removal of shield flaps. It remains the standard light howitzer of Canadian Forces Reserve units. The C3 is used by Reserve units in Glacier National Park in British Columbia as a means of avalanche control.


title: M101 howitzer

text: A number of M2/M101 howitzers were used by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and approximately 50 were inherited by Croatia, of which four are still in use for training with the Croatian Army.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The French Army used the M2 howitzer, designated "HM2", in the Algerian War and during the Opération Tacaud in Chad. France later supplied a battery of HM2 to the Rwandan Armed Forces during the Rwandan Civil War that led into the Rwandan genocide.


title: M101 howitzer

text: Several M101 howitzers are still in use with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is normally used to battle rebels in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It was also used in direct fire against Islamic militants during the Battle of Marawi.


title: M101 howitzer

text: Starting on 6 July 1950, South Korea received a total of 1,127 M2A1s until the end of the Korean War to supplement and replace the M1 75 mm howitzer and the M3 105 mm howitzer.


title: M101 howitzer

text: In the early 1970s, the ROK Armed Forces needed to replace these old howitzers due to the maintenance burden. To match North Korea's artillery capability, South Korea invested in the domestic arms industry to equip its large military cost efficiently. After completion of "Project Thunder I", supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, for infantry weapons, in April 1972, the South Korean president Park Chung-hee ordered "Project Thunder II" for artillery weapons. The U.S. refused to cooperate due to the then diplomatic overtures to the People's Republic of China. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea ordered its technical team to withdraw, believing that South Korea lacked the tooling and knowledge to develop the weapons by itself. The Agency for Defense Development however, reverse engineered the M2A1 (M101A1), and prototype production began in March 1973.


title: M101 howitzer

text: On 25 June 1973, three prototypes were demonstrated publicly. After the test, the U.S. ambassador Philip Habib arranged the meeting of South Korean chief secretary O Won-cheol and colonel Montgomery from the Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea. The colonel provided technical review of the howitzer, and recommended purchasing of the U.S. equipment for logistics issues because the howitzer was not compatible with the U.S. standard. South Korea refused and pursued domestic design, but the two nations eventually signed an agreement for technology transfer in September 1973. It was the first weapons research cooperation between the two nations, and the South Korean defense industry began to form with guidance from the U.S.


title: M101 howitzer

text: In February 1974, hostilities grew after North Korea sunk a South Korean fishing boat and kidnapped fishermen near Baengnyeong Island. As a response, 10 howitzers crafted prior to the research cooperation were sent to the island, but pulled out after having severe malfunctions during operations. In November 1975, the reinforced variant experienced barrel breakdown; the failure led to the invitation of American engineers in January 1976 for an overview. After 1.5 months of inspection, the engineers suggested the Eighth United States Army replace South Korean copy with the original M101A1 design. The U.S. then provided its technical data package to South Korea, which quickly readied mass production of the howitzer before the year ended. Production began in 1977 as KM101A1 by Kia Machine Tool (now Hyundai Wia) in Changwon.


title: M101 howitzer

text: In 1978, South Korea restarted domestic howitzer program based on M101A1. The howitzer applied 38 calibers barrel for extending the maximum range to 18 km using RAP ammunition. Only 18 howitzers saw service with South Korean military in favor of mass-producing KH179 155 mm towed howitzer.


title: M101 howitzer

text: As of 2021, South Korea is the largest operator of the M101 howitzer with about 2,000 pieces in active service. It is planned to convert 1/3 of its inventory to K105A1 self-propelled howitzer.


title: M101 howitzer

text: France and the State of Vietnam used M2A1 howitzers during the First Indochina War, as did the Viet Minh guerilla forces they fought against, who were supplied with at least 24 by the People's Republic of China, along with other captured American artillery pieces and mortars formerly operated by both Nationalist Chinese forces (the Kuomintang military) and US troops fighting in Korea. Today upgraded M2A1 howitzers (some of which have been mounted on trucks and employed as self-propelled artillery) are still being used by the People's Army of Vietnam (the PAVN).


title: M101 howitzer

text: In addition, the M101 has found a second use in the U.S. as an avalanche control gun, supervised by the US Forest Service and the US Army TACOM's cooperative effort in the Avalanche Artillery Users of North America Committee (AAUNAC). The M101 is used by a number of ski areas and state departments of transportation for long-range control work. Under the designation of M2A2, the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, 428th Field Artillery Brigade performs salutes with 7 guns with World War Two Medal of Honor recipient names on their barrels.


title: M101 howitzer

text: Two M2 howitzers (1942) are still employed in providing the gun salute at Kristiansten Fortress, in Trondheim, Norway.


title: M101 howitzer

text: M101/M2 is one of three approved salute guns in the Norwegian armed forces, and have been reduced to a caliber of for this purpose. They are used for gun salute also at Rena and Setermoen.


title: M101 howitzer

text: Five M101A1 howitzers are owned by the Virginia Military Institute and are used for parades, evening retreat and other ceremonies.


title: M101 howitzer

text: Two M101A1 howitzers are utilized by Palmetto Battery of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets at The Citadel for firing during parades. Officially, these guns are still property of the U.S. Army.


title: M101 howitzer

text: The gun fired semi-fixed ammunition, with 105 mm Cartridge Case M14. The propelling charge consisted of a base charge and six increments, forming seven charges from 1 (the smallest) to 7 (the largest). Use of M1 HE rounds prepared for the 105 mm howitzer M3 (same projectile and cartridge, but different propelling charge) was authorized.


title: M101 howitzer

text: HEAT M67 Shell was originally designed as fixed round, with Cartridge Case M14 type II. It was later changed to semi-fixed type with the standard cartridge, but with non-adjustable propelling charge. For blank ammunition, a shorter Cartridge Case M15 with black powder charge was used.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: Word Of Honor (), previously titled A Tale of the Wanderers (天涯客), is a 2021 Chinese costume streaming television series co-produced by Ciwen Media, and Youku, directed by Cheng Zhi Chao, Ma Hua Gan, and Li Hong Yu, written by Xiao Chu, adapted from the danmei novel ""Faraway Wanderers" (天涯客)" by Priest. It starred Zhang Zhehan (Chinese: 张哲瀚) and Gong Jun (Chinese: 龚俊) in the leading roles. The series aired on Youku from February 22 to May 5 with 36 episodes, plus a short bonus clip shows what happened after the end of the main series.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: The leader of assassin organisation "The Window of Heaven", Zhou Zishu (played by Zhang Zhehan), quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. During his travels, he meets Wen Kexing (played by Gong Jun), the reclusive leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other's redemption. One conspiracy, two soulmates, five pieces of treasure, twenty years of grievances, and thousands of years of jianghu dreams have tied their destinies closely together.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: One of the two most famous assassin organisations operating primarily in the north, The Window of Heaven is led by Helian Yi, Prince of Jin, used in his schemes in his bid for the throne.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: One of the two most famous assassin organisations operating primarily in the south, the Scorpion Sect is led by Scorpion King.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: In June 2020, the main leads Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun were announced along with the production team. On the same day, the filming ceremony was held. On July 18, a fanmeeting was held. The series was filmed from June 3 to September 23 at Hengdian World Studios.


title: Word of Honor (TV series)

text: ‘Word of Honor’ Theme Concert took place on the 3 and 4 of May 2021, in the gymnasium of the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre. The main leads Zhang Zhehan, Gong Jun, Zhou Ye, Ma Wenyuan, Sun Xilun attended the shows along with supporting cast members Zhao Qian (Du Pusa), Huang You Ming (Ye Baiyi), Li Dai Kun (Xie Wang), Hei Zi (Gao Chong), Chen Zi Han (Luo Fumeng), Jin Le (Gao Xiaolian), Ke Nai Yu (Liu Qianqiao), Wang Ruo Lin (Zhao Jin), Guo Jia Hao (Shen Shen), Fan Jinwei (Wu Xi), Guo Yun Fei (Duan Pengjiu), and Wang Rong (Han Ying). Over 600,000 people participated in the ticket purchased, but only 40,000 seats available. The tickets eventually sold out completely within 40 seconds. Online tickets were also available for livestream through media platform Youku, costs CN¥68 (US$10) per day.


title: Mangifera indica

text: Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height of . There are two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesthe "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".


title: Mangifera indica

text: It is a large green tree, valued mainly for its fruits, both green and ripe. Approximately 500 varieties have been reported in India. It can grow up to tall with a similar crown width and a trunk circumference of more than . The leaves are simple, shiny and dark green.


title: Mangifera indica

text: Red-yellow flowers appear at the end of winter, and also at the beginning of spring. Both male and female flowers are borne on same tree. Climatic conditions have a significant influence on the time of flowering. In South Asia, flowering starts in December in the south, in January in Bihar and Bengal, in February in eastern Uttar Pradesh, and in February–March in northern India. The duration of flowering is 20–25 days for the Dasheri variety, while panicle emergence occurs in early December and flower opening is completed by February. The Neelum variety produces two crops a year in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, but it flowers only once in North Indian conditions.


title: Mangifera indica

text: The mango is an irregular, egg-shaped fruit which is a fleshy drupe. Mangos are typically long and greenish yellow in color. The fruits can be round, oval, heart, or kidney shaped. Mango fruits are green when they are unripe. The interior flesh is bright orange and soft with a large, flat pit in the middle. Mangos are mature in April and May. Raw mangos can be used in the making of pickles and chutneys. Ripe mangos are a popular fruit throughout the world. The skin and pulp account for 85% of the mango's weight, and the remaining 15% comes from the stone (seed).


title: Mangifera indica

text: Mangiferin (a pharmacologically active hydroxylated xanthone C-glycoside) is extracted from mango at high concentrations from the young leaves (172 g/kg), bark (107 g/kg), and from old leaves (94 g/kg). Allergenic urushiols are present in the fruit peel.


title: Mangifera indica

text: Mangoes are believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. "M. indica" were domesticated separately in South Asia and Southeast Asia over centuries, resulting in two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoesthe "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".


title: Mangifera indica

text: Since their domestication in southeastern Asia, mangoes have been introduced to other warm regions of the world.


title: Mangifera indica

text: The tree grows best in well-drained sandy loam; it does not grow well in heavy wet soils. The optimal pH of the soil should be between 5.2 and 7.5.


title: Mangifera indica

text: Urushiols in the fruit peel can trigger contact dermatitis in sensitised individuals. This reaction is more likely to occur in people who have been exposed to other plants from the family Anacardiaceae, such as poison oak and poison ivy, which are widespread in the United States.


title: Mangifera indica

text: The tree is more known for its fruit rather than for its timber. However, mango trees can be converted to lumber once their fruit-bearing lifespan has finished. The wood is susceptible to damage from fungi and insects. The wood is used for musical instruments such as ukuleles, plywood and low-cost furniture.


title: Mangifera indica

text: The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and is the national tree of Bangladesh.


title: 2001 in film

text: The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first installments of the "Harry Potter", "Fast & Furious", "Spy Kids", "Monsters, Inc." and "Shrek" franchises, and "The Lord of the Rings" and "Ocean's" trilogies. Significant non-English language films released included "Monsoon Wedding", "Amélie" and "Spirited Away". There was one film, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", that passed over $1 billion in a re-release of 2020.


title: 2001 in film

text: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" grossed $974 million, and became the second highest-grossing film of all time. It was also the highest-grossing film in the "Harry Potter" film franchise before "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" surpassed it in 2011.


title: 2001 in film

text: 2001 was the first time that two films released in the same year grossed more than $800 million at the box office, with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "" surpassing the milestone.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a 2017 American legal drama film written and directed by Dan Gilroy. The film stars Denzel Washington and Colin Farrell and follows the life of a civil rights advocate and defense lawyer (Washington) who finds himself in a tumultuous series of events that lead to a personal crisis and the necessity for extreme action.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: The project was announced on August 25, 2016, as Gilroy's next directorial effort titled "Inner City", but was renamed on June 22, 2017. Principal photography began in March 2017 and took place in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, California.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: "Roman J. Israel, Esq." premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on November 17, 2017. The film grossed just $13 million against its $22 million budget and received mixed reviews from critics. For his performance, Washington was nominated for the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild Award.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Roman J. Israel is a lawyer earning $500 a week at a small law firm in Los Angeles. In his two-partner office, Israel is responsible for preparing briefs, often focusing on the civil rights of their defendants, while William Jackson, the firm's founder and a well-respected professor, focuses on the courtroom appearances that Israel struggles with. Israel has spent years developing a brief that he believes will bring reform to the unfair use of plea bargaining to induce guilty pleas in the justice system. Though short on social skills, Israel is gifted with a phenomenal memory as well as strong personal convictions, which he has pursued at the expense of family.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Jackson suffers a fatal heart attack. The firm is broke and will close, all to be handled by Jackson's former student, George Pierce. Pierce, who greatly admired Jackson and is impressed by Israel's legal mind, offers a job at his own large firm. Israel initially rejects this offer, believing that Pierce is simply a greedy lawyer. Israel meets Maya during a job interview at a local activist network. The interview does not go well, but Maya asks him to speak at an upcoming meeting organizing a protest. Struggling to find a job elsewhere, Israel reluctantly takes up Pierce's job offer.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Israel is a poor fit at his new firm, clashing with senior partner Jesse Salinas over a joke Salinas makes about battered women. After attempting to interest Pierce in his brief, Israel is disappointed to be assigned to handle clients. One such client is Derrell Ellerbee, a young man arrested for murder, who tells Israel that he is willing to divulge the whereabouts of the actual shooter, Carter "CJ" Johnson, and will testify against him. Israel goes behind Pierce's back to negotiate a plea deal with the district attorney. The prosecutor rejects his offer and hangs up on Israel after he insults her unsympathetic counter-offer. As a consequence, Ellerbee is also denied the protective custody he begged for in prison and is murdered as a snitch.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: On the same evening, Israel is berated by Pierce for mishandling of Ellerbee's case, then is mugged by a homeless man he attempted to help. He becomes downcast and cynical, illegally using the information he received from Ellerbee to anonymously collect the $100,000 reward for Johnson's location. Israel indulges in luxuries he had previously eschewed. Pierce apologizes to Israel for berating him earlier and for forcing him out of the shadows, accepting that he thrives working behind the scenes as he did at his old firm. Maya calls Israel to ask him out on a date, where she shares some of her struggles with idealism and thanks Israel for his inspiring her. Pierce invites Israel to a luxury box, where he shares some of his big plans for their future at the firm.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Pierce calls Israel to meet a new client arrested for murder. Before the meeting, Pierce resumes the conversation from the game stating that Israel's dedication to justice has touched him, and that he is reorganizing the firm to take on "pro bono" cases handled by Israel. Pierce offers to work with Israel on his brief. Israel, still a bit despondent, is unmoved by these developments. They go in to see the client, who turns out to be Johnson. Meeting Israel in jail, Johnson accuses him of divulging privileged communications to collect the reward money, and resolves to torment Israel with the threat of jail time or death. Israel suffers a breakdown in which he becomes a law unto himself becoming both the lawyer and the defendant in one and judges his own actions as unlawful. Renouncing his momentary transgression, Israel goes home and returns the reward money with a note apologizing for taking it in the first place. He reconciles with Maya and Pierce, and tries to motivate them to pursue their inner sense of justice. He tells Pierce that he is turning himself in to the police for his crime. As Israel starts walking to a nearby station, he is shot and killed by one of Johnson's henchmen.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: In the aftermath, Maya is seen to be renewed in her activism efforts, while Pierce files Israel's brief, in both their names, intent on continuing his efforts to reform the justice system.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: On August 25, 2016, it was revealed that Dan Gilroy's next directorial project was "Inner City", a legal drama in the vein of "The Verdict". Gilroy was then courting Denzel Washington to star. It was reported on September 21, 2016 that Sony Pictures was closing a deal to distribute the film, with principal photography scheduled to begin in March 2017. Gilroy's collaborators on "Nightcrawler", cinematographer Robert Elswit and editor John Gilroy, worked with him again on the project. On January 31, 2017, it was reported that Colin Farrell was in talks to join the cast. As of February 28, 2017, Ashton Sanders was in talks to join as well, though he was unable to because of scheduling conflicts. In April 2017, Nazneen Contractor and Joseph David-Jones joined the cast. As of April 21, 2017, "Inner City" had begun filming in Los Angeles. In June 2017, Carmen Ejogo joined the cast as a civil rights worker. On June 22, 2017, the film was renamed "Roman J. Israel, Esq."


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: James Newton Howard composed the film's music, as he previously worked with Gilroy in "Nightcrawler". The score is now released at Sony Classical.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2017, before its commercial release on November 17, 2017, initially limited, by Sony Pictures Releasing. Following its festival premiere, the film was re-edited to tighten its pacing, with a dozen minutes (including one whole subplot) being shaved off the final runtime, and a key scene regarding Colin Farrell's character being shifted from the third act to earlier in the film.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: "Roman J. Israel, Esq." grossed $12 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $13 million.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Released alongside Justice League, The Star and Wonder on November 17, 2017. The film grossed $61,999 from four theaters in its limited opening weekend, for a per-venue average of $15,500. It then expanded to 1,648 theaters the following Wednesday, alongside the openings of "Coco" and "The Man Who Invented Christmas". It went on to gross at $4.5 million over the three-day weekend (and $6.2 million over the five), finishing 9th at the box office. It fell 57% in its second weekend to $1.9 million.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 54% based on 177 reviews, with an average rating of 5.80/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Intriguing yet heavy-handed, "Roman J. Israel, Esq." makes the most of — but never quite lives up to — Denzel Washington's magnetic performance in the title role." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score 58 out of 100, based 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Writing for "Rolling Stone", Peter Travers gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising Washington and writing, "In no way is his performance a stunt. Washington digs so deep under the skin of this complex character that we almost breathe with him. It's a great, award-caliber performance in a movie that can barely contain it." Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film 2 out of 4 stars. He also highlighted Washington, but criticized the narrative, saying, ""Roman J. Israel, Esq." has pockets of intrigue, and writer-director Gilroy and Washington have teamed up to create a promising dramatic character. We just never get full delivery on that promise."


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: In his review for "Empire", Simon Braund summarized the political motives in the film viewed as a legal thriller stating, "It (Roman's idealism) illustrates succinctly how at odds with the modern world Roman Israel is. A brilliant legal mind, trapped in the body of a twitchy social misfit, he has all the hallmarks of a true genius-savant — the interpersonal skills of a yeast cell, dress sense of an Open University lecturer circa 1973 and an unshakeable conviction that justice for the poor and dispossessed is a cause worth fighting for. To this deeply unfashionable end, he’s spent decades toiling in the shadows at a tiny law firm, making trouble for The Man while compiling a vast, unwieldy brief he hopes will, one day, set the American legal system on its ear".


title: Roman J. Israel, Esq.

text: Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote: "It leaves us with a character you won’t soon forget, but you wish that the movie were as haunting as he is."


title: Pacific Islander

text: Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oceania (Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia).


title: Pacific Islander

text: Melanesians include the Fijians (Fiji), Kanaks (New Caledonia), Ni-Vanuatu (Vanuatu), Papua New Guineans (Papua New Guinea), Solomon Islanders (Solomon Islands), and West Papuans (Indonesia's West Papua).


title: Pacific Islander

text: Micronesians include the Carolinians (Northern Mariana Islands), Chamorros (Guam), Chuukese (Chuuk), I-Kiribati (Kiribati), Kosraeans (Kosrae), Marshallese (Marshall Islands), Palauans (Palau), Pohnpeians (Pohnpei), and Yapese (Yap).


title: Pacific Islander

text: Polynesians include the New Zealand Māori (New Zealand), Native Hawaiians (Hawaii), Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Samoans (Samoa and American Samoa), Tahitians (Tahiti), Tokelauans (Tokelau), Niueans (Niue), Cook Islands Māori (Cook Islands) and Tongans (Tonga).


title: Pacific Islander

text: Auckland, New Zealand has the world's largest concentration of urban Pacific Islanders living outside of their own countries, and is sometimes referred to as the "Polynesian capital of the world." This came as result of how, during the 20th century and into the 21st century, the country saw a steady stream of immigration from Polynesian countries such as Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Niue, and French Polynesia.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The umbrella terms "Pacific Islands" and "Pacific Islanders" may also take on several other meanings. At times, the term "Pacific Islands" only refers to islands within the cultural regions of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, and to tropical islands with oceanic geology in general, such as Clipperton Island. In some common uses, the term refers to the islands of the Pacific Ocean once colonized by the Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutch, British, French, United States, and Japanese. In other uses, it may refer to areas with Austronesian linguistic heritage like Taiwan, Indonesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and the Myanmar islands, which found their genesis in the Neolithic cultures of the island of Taiwan. In an often geopolitical context, the term has been extended even further to include the large South Pacific landmass of Australia.


title: Pacific Islander

text: In the North Pacific, non-tropical islands in and around Alaska, Japan and Russia were inhabited by people related to Indigenous American and Far East Asian groups, with some Japanese ethnic groups also being theorized to be related to Indigenous Pacific groups. In the South Pacific, the easternmost oceanic island with any human inhabitation was Easter Island, settled by the Polynesian Rapa Nui people. Oceanic islands beyond that which neighbor Central America and South America (Galápagos, Revillagigedo, Juan Fernández Islands etc.) are among the last inhabitable places on earth to have been discovered by humans. All of these islands (excluding Clipperton) were annexed by Latin American nations a few hundred years after their discoveries, and initially were sometimes used as prisons for convicts. Today only a small number of them are inhabited, mainly by Spanish-speaking mainlanders of mestizo or White Latin American origin. These individuals are not considered Pacific Islanders under the standard ethnically-based definition. In a broad sense, they could still possibly be seen as encompassing a small Spanish-speaking segment of Oceania, along with the Easter Island inhabitants, who were eventually colonized by Chileans. The 1996 book "Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas" notes that Spanish was once commonly spoken in the Pacific on the colonial-era Philippines, further stating, "at the present time, the Spanish language is not widely used in the South Pacific, being unknown outside of a handful of places. Spanish is spoken by a resident population only on the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands, the Chilean possessions of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Juan Fernández Islands and a few other tiny islands. Most Pacific insular possessions of Latin American nations are either unpopulated or used as military outposts, staffed by natives of the mainland."


title: Pacific Islander

text: Lord Howe Island, located between Australia and New Zealand, is one of the only other habitable oceanic islands to have had no contact with humans prior to European discovery.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The island is currently administered by Australia, and Its residents are primarily European Australians who originated from the mainland, with a small number also being Asian Australians. Like with the Spanish-speaking islanders in the southeastern Pacific, they would not normally be considered Pacific Islanders under a ethnically-based definition. Remote and uninhabitable islands in the central Pacific such as Baker Island were also generally isolated from humans prior to European discovery. However, Pacific Islanders are believed to have possibly visited some of these locations, including Wake Island. In the case of Howland Island, there may have even been a brief attempt at settlement.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The Official Journal of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) considers the term Pacific Islands to encompass American Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island, the Galápagos Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam,Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Salas y Gómez Island, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United States Minor Outlying Islands, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. The 1982 edition of the "South Pacific Handbook", by David Stanley, groups Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island and the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia under the more restrictive label of the "South Pacific Islands", even though Hawaii and most islands in Micronesia technically lie in the North Pacific. He additionally includes the Galápagos Islands in his definition of the South Pacific, but does not include any other islands located within the southeastern Pacific area, aside from Easter Island which is considered part of Polynesia.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Ian Todd's 1974 book "Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama" considers Oceania and the term "Pacific Islands" to also encompass the non-tropical Aleutian Islands, as well as Clipperton Island, the Coral Sea Islands, the Desventuradas Islands, Guadalupe Island, the Juan Fernández Islands, the Revillagigedo Islands, Salas y Gómez Island and the Torres Strait Islands. He notes that the terms are sometimes taken to include Australia, New Zealand and the non-oceanic Papua New Guinea, however he does not consider them to encompass the Japanese archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, Russia's Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island or countries associated with Maritime Southeast Asia. The Philippines according to him are at a "cross-roads of the Pacific — a racial and geographic link connecting Oceania, Southeast Asia and Indonesia." Debate exists over whether or not the Philippines should be categorized with Pacific Islands of shared Austronesian origin or with the mainland nations of Asia. The islands of the Philippines do not have oceanic geology, and instead sit on the continental shelf of Asia. As such, they are sometimes not deemed as Pacific Islands from a geological perspective. In his 2012 book "Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education", American author James A. Banks claimed that, "although islands such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and the Aleutian Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, islanders from these locales are not typically considered Pacific Islanders. They are usually considered Asian, with Aleuts considered Alaskan natives."


title: Pacific Islander

text: The Pacific Islands Forum is the major governing organization for the Pacific Islands, and has been labelled as the "EU of the Pacific region". Up until 2021, its member nations and associate members were American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. Additionally, there have been pushes for Easter Island and Hawaii to join the Pacific Islands Forum, as they are primarily inhabited by Polynesian peoples. Japan and Malay Archipelago countries such as East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines are dialogue partners of the Pacific Islands Forum, with East Timor having observer status, but none are full members. The nations of the Malay Archipelago have their own regional governing organization called ASEAN, which includes mainland Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Thailand. In July 2019, at the inaugural Indonesian Exposition held in Auckland, Indonesia launched its ‘Pacific Elevation’ program, which would encompass a new era of elevated engagement with the region, with the country also using the event to lay claim that Indonesia is culturally and ethnically linked to the Pacific islands. The event was attended by dignitaries from Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific island countries.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Australia and New Zealand have been described as both continental landmasses and as Pacific Islands. New Zealand's native population, the Māoris, are Polynesians, and thus considered Pacific Islanders. Australia's Indigenous population are loosely related to Melanesians and the United States Census categorize them under the Pacific Islander American umbrella. In "Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama" (1974), Ian Todd states that, "New Zealand is uniquely gifted in its role as a Polynesian associate. A large section of its own indigenous population consists of Maoris — a Polynesian race. Beyond her own sphere of association, New Zealand's trading influence is prominent in Tonga, Fiji and other areas of the Pacific with Commonwealth affiliations." Regarding Australia, he further wrote, "Australia plays a leading economic role in the south-west Pacific area — commonly known as Melanesia. Fiji, the New Hebrides, the Solomons, even French-controlled New Caledonia have a major trade connection with Australia. The thriving little republic of Nauru was administered by Australia before its recent independence. Further afield, in western Polynesia, Australia provides economic and technical aid in Tonga and Western Samoa. Much of Fiji's tourist trade comes from 'down under'. Among the oceanic islands which are part of the Commonwealth of Australia are Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, the Torres Strait Islands, the Willis Group and Coringa Islands."


title: Pacific Islander

text: Melanesia is the great arc of islands located north and east of Australia and south of the Equator. The name derives the Greek words "melas" ('black') and "nēsos" ('island') for the predominantly dark-skinned peoples of New Guinea island, the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), New Caledonia, and Fiji.


title: Pacific Islander

text: In addition those places listed above, Melanesia includes the Louisiade Archipelago, the Admiralty Islands, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia), Maluku Island, Aru Islands, Kei Islands, the Santa Cruz Islands (part of the Solomon Islands), Loyalty Islands (part of New Caledonia) and various smaller islands. East Timor, while considered to be geographically Southeast Asian, is still generally accepted as being ethnoculturally part of Melanesia. The Torres Strait Islands are politically part of nearby Queensland, Australia, although the inhabitants are considered to be Melanesians rather than Indigenous Australians. This is not the case with other Australian islands that were inhabited by Indigenous peoples prior to European discovery, such as Fraser Island, Great Palm Island and the Tiwi Islands. The Torres Strait Islands could be seen as a Melanesian territory in Australasia, similar to how East Timor is a Melanesian territory in Asia. Norfolk Island was uninhabited when discovered by Europeans, and later became politically integrated into Australia (and by extension, Australasia). The remote island is still sometimes considered to be in Melanesia, as it is close to the region, and has archeological evidence of prehistoric inhabitation.


title: Pacific Islander

text: New Caledonia (and Vanuatu to a lesser extent) were under French colonial influence from the 19th century onward. Most islands however have historically had close ties to Australia and the United Kingdom, with the United States having had little impact on the region.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Micronesia includes Kiribati, Nauru, the Marianas (Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae, all in the Caroline Islands).


title: Pacific Islander

text: The islands were previously under the influence of colonial powers such as Germany, Spain and Japan, with this lasting from the 16th century up until the end of World War II. Several of the island groups have since developed financially crucial political alignments with the United States. Nauru's main political partner since World War I has been Australia, excluding a brief period of Japanese occupation in World War II.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The Polynesian islands are scattered across a triangle covering the east-central region of the Pacific Ocean. The triangle is bound by the Hawaiian Islands in the north, New Zealand in the west, and Easter Island in the east. The rest of Polynesia includes the Samoan islands (American Samoa and Samoa [formerly Western Samoa]); Cook Islands; French Polynesia (the Society Islands [Tahiti], Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands, and Tuamotu); Niue Island; Tokelau and Tuvalu; Tonga; Wallis and Futuna; Rotuma Island; Pitcairn Island; Nukuoro; and Kapingamarangi.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The majority of island groups are most closely aligned to New Zealand/Australia, with others being politically aligned to France or the United States. Hawaii is geographically isolated from Polynesia, and is situated in the North Pacific, unlike the rest of Polynesia, which is in the South Pacific. They are still a part of the subregion for ethnocultural reasons. Easter Island is located in a remote part of the Pacific which is thousands of kilometers removed from both Polynesia and the South American continent. It was annexed by Chile in 1888, and Spanish is now commonly spoken in a bilingual manner, with some having race-mixed with Mestizo Chilean settlers. However, the inhabitants consider their island and its culture to be Polynesian, and do not view themselves as South Americans.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The population of the Pacific Islands is concentrated in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand (which has a majority of people of European descent), Hawaii, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. Most Pacific Islands are densely populated, and habitation tends to be concentrated along the coasts.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Melanesians constitute over three quarters of the total indigenous population of the Pacific Islands; Polynesians account for more than one-sixth; and Micronesians make up about one-twentieth.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Several hundred distinct languages are spoken in the Pacific Islands. In ethnolinguistic terms, those Pacific islanders who reside in Oceania are divided into two different ethnic classifications:


title: Pacific Islander

text: In Australia, the term was used to describe Australian descendants of people from the over-80 islands in the western Pacific who had been brought to Australia to work on the sugar fields of Queensland—these people were called in the 19th century.


title: Pacific Islander

text: The "Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901" was enacted to restrict entry of Pacific Islanders to Australia and to authorise their deportation. In this legislation, Pacific Islanders were defined as:


title: Pacific Islander

text: Despite this, Pacific Islanders were generally held in a much higher regard than Indigenous Australians were during the early 20th century.


title: Pacific Islander

text: In 2008, a "Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme" was announced as a three-year pilot experiment. It provides visas for workers from Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea to work in Australia. Aside from Papua New Guinea, the scheme includes one country each from Melanesia (Vanuatu), Polynesia (Tonga), and Micronesia (Kiribati)—countries that already send workers to New Zealand under its seasonal labour scheme.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Local usage in New Zealand uses (formerly ', or ') to distinguish those who have emigrated from one of these areas in modern times from the New Zealand Māori, who are also Polynesian but are indigenous to New Zealand.


title: Pacific Islander

text: In the 2013 New Zealand census, 7.4% of the New Zealand population identified with one or more Pacific ethnic groups, although 62.3% of these were born in New Zealand. Those with a Samoan background make up the largest proportion, followed by Cook Islands Māori, Tongan, and Niuean. Some smaller island populations such as Niue and Tokelau have the majority of their nationals living in New Zealand.


title: Pacific Islander

text: To celebrate the diverse Pacific island cultures, the Auckland Region hosts several Pacific island festivals. Two of the major ones are Polyfest, which showcases performances of the secondary school cultural groups in the region, and Pasifika, a festival that celebrates Pacific island heritage through traditional food, music, dance, and entertainment.


title: Pacific Islander

text: By the 1980s, the United States Census Bureau grouped persons of Asian ancestry and created the category "," which continued in the 1990s census. In 2000, "" and "" became two separate racial categories.


title: Pacific Islander

text: According to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), a "" is,According to the Office of Management and Budget, "" refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.


title: Pacific Islander

text: Eight out of 10 Pacific Islanders in the United States are native to the United States. Polynesians make up the largest group, including Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Tahitians, and Tongans. Micronesians make up the second largest, including primarily Chamoru from Guam; as well as other Chamoru, Carolinian from the Northern Mariana Islands, Marshallese, Palauans, and various others. Among Melanesians, Fijian Americans are the largest in this group.


title: Pacific Islander

text: There are at least 39 different Pacific Island languages spoken as a second language in the American home.


title: Central African Republic Civil War

text: The Central African Republic Civil War is an ongoing civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) involving the government, rebels from the Séléka coalition, and Anti-balaka militias.


title: Central African Republic Civil War

text: In the preceding Central African Republic Bush War (2004–2007), the government of President François Bozizé fought with rebels until a peace agreement in 2007. The current conflict arose when a new coalition of varied rebel groups, known as "", accused the government of failing to abide by the peace agreements, captured many towns in 2012 and seized the capital in 2013. Bozizé fled the country, and the rebel leader Michel Djotodia declared himself President. Renewed fighting began between Séléka and militias opposed to them called Anti-balaka. In September 2013, President Djotodia disbanded the "Séléka" coalition, which had lost its unity after taking power, and resigned in 2014. He was replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza, but the conflict continued. In July 2014, ex-Séléka factions and Anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement. By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the Anti-Balaka controlling the south and west, from which most Muslims had evacuated, and ex-Séléka groups controlling the north and east. Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who was elected President in 2016, ran and won the 2020 election, that triggered the main rebel factions to form an alliance opposed to the election called the Coalition of Patriots for Change, which was coordinated by former President Bozizé. Peacekeeping largely transitioned from the ECCAS led MICOPAX to the African Union led MISCA to the United Nations led MINUSCA, while the French peacekeeping mission was known as Operation Sangaris.


title: Central African Republic Civil War

text: Much of the tension is over religious identity between Muslim Séléka fighters and Christian Anti-balaka, and ethnic differences among ex-Séléka factions, and historical antagonism between agriculturalists, who largely comprise Anti-balaka, and nomadic groups, who constitute most Séléka fighters. Other contributing factors include the struggle for control of diamonds and other resources in the resource-rich country and for influence among regional powers such as Chad, Sudan and Rwanda and international powers such as France and Russia. More than 1.1 million people have fled their homes in a country of about 5 million people, the highest ever recorded in the country.