title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: This comedy show revolves around two neighbouring couples, the Mishras and the Tiwaris, in which the husbands are attracted to each other's wives and attempt various ultimately unsuccessful and hilarious techniques to impress them.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Since its inception, the show has garnered positive reviews and acclaim from the critics and viewers alike. "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!" is inspired by the 1990s Hindi sitcom Shrimaan Shrimati.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: The show takes place in the fictional "Modern Colony" located in Kanpur and revolves around two neighbouring couples. The husbands, Vibhutinarayan Mishra and Manmohan Tiwari, have been married for seven years and are bored with their marriages and are smitten by each other's wives, unbeknownst to each other. Manmohan Tiwari is a successful undergarment businessman, whose wife Angoori Tiwari is a simple and naive housewife. Their neighbour, Vibhutinarayan Mishra, was once an unsuccessful insurance agent and is now unemployed. Often called "Nalla" (slang for being unemployed), he spends most of his time doing household chores. On the other hand, his wife Anita Mishra is a headstrong, smart, modern lady who runs grooming classes. She is the breadwinner of the family and despises her husband's unemployment and laziness.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Their houses are in opposite directions across the street, with the Tiwaris residing in House no. 6 and the Mishras living in House no. 9. The Tiwari's have their own house while the Mishras live in a rental house that belonged to Anita's uncle. Most of the plot takes place at their respective homes. The characters also visit a nearby tea stall 'Gupta Tea Center' where they mostly discuss their ongoing lives and general affairs. As both the men devise schemes to impress each other's wives (Angoori and Anita), they pull each other down and create problems for others.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: After the launch of &pictures in November 2014, ZEE network launched its second channel under the "&" network brand, "&tv", to be launched in March 2015.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: The channel's original content line-up was announced in early 2015 with "Bhabiji..." included, announced as a light-hearted comedy sitcom. All promos were featured on ZEE. The channel intended to place "Bhabiji..." in a late-night slot as a comedy show for adults.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Before the show went into production, Rashmi Desai was chosen to play the character of 'Angoori'. But Desai rejected the role because of age differences between her and co-actor Rohitash Gaud and the role went to Shilpa Shinde. Actor Aasif Sheikh revealed that before production started, he suggested the makers cast Shilpa Shinde, when he heard about the character of 'Angoori' for the first time.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: After one year in April 2016, approximately 80 actresses auditioned for the role of Angoori and Shubhangi Atre was selected after the unexpected exit of Shinde from the series.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In October 2016, film actress Sunny Leone came in for a sequence shoot on the set of "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai!". While on set, she refused to say Angoori's catchphrase ""Sahi Pakde Hain"" ("You got it right!") as she thought it has a vulgar meaning. It took approximately one hour for the makers to convince her that Angoori says this line in literal context and that it has no vulgar meaning and the shoot was resumed.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In March 2018, the show's entire cast and crew went to Goa, a beach holiday destination, to celebrate the show's third anniversary and shot an entire story sequence named 'Kanpur To Goa'.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: The "BhabiJi Rap Song" was sung, composed and written by Anmol Malik and Raftaar. The soundtrack for the serial was released on 25 February 2017 by Zee Music Company.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: The show, while having a more adult premise than most other Indian TV shows, tried to defy the gender expectations of a female character on the show, according to the female lead Saumya Tandon. While explaining the norms of Indian television industry, she said:


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In November 2016, the show was extended by one more day, named "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai Shanivaar Special" in which celebrities visit the sets. Nine Shanivaar Special episodes were aired on Saturdays, with celebrity guest stars appearing as part of a plot woven around them and were subsequently interviewed by the main cast. A 'Sunday Horror Special' was aired in June 2016.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In 2017, it was reported the show will be adapted for British and Anglo-Spanish audiences, produced by ZEE Studios under the title "Love Thy Neighbor". A spin-off titled "Happu Ki Ultan Paltan", based upon the character of Daroga Happu Singh, had been green-lighted by And TV in late 2018. The spin-off revolves around Happu's domestic life not seen in "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!". The show premiered on 4 March 2019.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Since the show's inception in 2015, it has garnered positive reviews and acclaim from the critics and viewers alike. In 2015, TVR ratings confirmed that "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai!" had higher viewership than the popular reality show "Bigg Boss", which had the same time-slot and was hosted by actor Salman Khan. "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai!" is one of the most-watched sitcoms in Pakistan.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In a 2016 interview, the show's director Shashank Bali acknowledged that when Shilpa Shinde left the show and Shubhangi Atre was roped in for the role of 'Angoori', the show's ratings declined. He said, "Viewers were so involved with the original cast. When Shilpa got replaced, the connection broke with the viewers; hence we dropped in numbers. Now we have again recovered the original rating".


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In 2017, the show's publicity was questioned when co-actress, Shilpa Shinde participated in Bigg Boss. In an interview, a reporter asked actor Aasif Sheikh whether Shilpa Shinde's participation in Bigg Boss 11 publicised the show, to which Aasif Sheikh replied, "Our show is doing good, which is what matters. Publicity is publicity whether it is good or bad".


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: According to DNA, "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai!" is a top-ranking sitcom on local primetime television. In 2018, union minister Kiren Rijiju in his tweet, stated he and his wife are enthusiastic followers of "Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai!"


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Catchphrases used by the characters, particularly Angoori's ""Sahi Pakde Hain"", Vibhuti's "I am "sa-a-ah-ree" (a humorously exaggerated take on "sorry")...I'm really, really "sah-ree"", that of Saxena Ji's "I like it", Happu Singh's "Arre Dada" and Masterji's "Sanskar naam ka cheez hai ki nahi" have become popular outside the show.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Aasif Sheikh who plays the role of Vibhuti Narayan Mishra in the show has been acknowledged by World Book of Records London for Performing More than 300 Different Characters in a single running Television show on 19 October 2021.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In March 2016, actress Shilpa Shinde unexpectedly left the show. Shinde made several allegations against producers Benaifer Kohli, Sanjay Kohli, co-actress Saumya Tandon, and &TV programming head Vikas Gupta. Shinde stated that she was forced to leave the show and was owed  lakh (3.2 million rupees). Benaifer Kohli responded in September 2016 that Shinde's salary had twice been raised in the past as per her demand.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: The matter was taken to Cine and TV Artists Association (CINTAA) and soon after that, Edit II Productions dispatched a legal document to Shinde for her unexplained absence from the production, which continued.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Shinde mentioned that the makers favoured Tandon over her, citing lack of personal staff for her. Benaifer Kohli denied the discrimination claim and said that she never refused any demand from Shinde regarding her costumes, jewellery or make-up. Tandon stated: "At the beginning of the show when I signed the contract, I had made it clear to the producers that I will manage my own designer and make-up".


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: On 3 March 2016, Sanjay Kohli announced that the show would replace Shinde, whom he accused of unprofessional behaviour. Shinde stated &TV falsely accused her of unprofessionalism because she refused to sign a new contract with a clause that she not portray a character like Angoori in the future. Binaifer Kohli demanded approximately 12 crore (120 million rupees) from Shinde, citing breach of contract as Shinde was trying to work on another show. Shinde said there was no such clause and accused Kohli of contract-tempering.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In March 2017, Shinde filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Sanjay Kohli, whom she accused of sexual harassment. According to the FIR:


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Shinde also stated that she talked about the matter to her co-actress Saumya Tandon. Shinde further said that after listening to the matter, Tandon's reply was: "No one rapes in our industry, Shilpa". Shinde stated that Benaifer Kohli tried to bury the matter and threatened her. Tandon responded to Shinde's statement:


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: In April 2017, actress Sameeksha Singh, who worked with producers Binaifer Kholi and Sanjay Kholi in their serial "Zaara", stated that she was in the same situation when she was working with them. She said Sanjay Kohli used to flirt with her but his actions were unacceptable in Shinde's situation.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: Television actress Kavita Kaushik who worked with Sanjay Kohli on his show "FIR", questioned why Shinde was quiet for one year and accused her of being a bad example for other girls. Shinde replied that she was facing many problems at that time and that it is difficult to publicly address sexual harassment.


title: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

text: On 13 February 2018, Shinde stated the show's makers had approached her and requested her to finish the matter and she had retracted her FIR against Sanjay Kohli.


title: Accession of Turkey to the European Union

text: Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987.


text: After the ten founding members in 1949, Turkey became one of the first new members (the 13th member) of the Council of Europe in 1950. The country became an associate member of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1963 and was an associate member of the Western European Union from 1992 to its end in 2011. Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on 12 December 1999, at the Helsinki summit of the European Council.


text: Negotiations for full membership were started on 3 October 2005. Progress was slow: out of the 35 chapters necessary to complete the accession process, only 16 had been opened and one had been closed by May 2016. The early 2016 refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union was intended to accelerate negotiations after previous stagnation and allow visa-free travel through Europe for Turks.


text: Since 2016, accession negotiations have stalled. The EU has accused and criticized Turkey for human rights violations and deficits in rule of law. In 2017, EU officials said that planned Turkish policies violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for an EU membership. On 26 June 2018, the EU's General Affairs Council stated that "Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union.


text: On 20 February 2019, a European parliament committee voted to suspend the accession talks, sparking criticism from the government of Turkey. Turkey's accession negotiations have therefore effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen."


text: After the Ottoman Empire's collapse following World War I, Turkish revolutionaries led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emerged victorious in the Turkish War of Independence, establishing the modern Turkish Republic as it exists today. Atatürk, President of Turkey, implemented a series of reforms, including secularisation and industrialisation, intended to "Europeanise" or Westernise the country. During World War II, Turkey remained neutral until February 1945, when it joined the Allies. The country took part in the Marshall Plan of 1947, became a member of the Council of Europe in 1950, and a member of NATO in 1952. During the Cold War, Turkey allied itself with the United States and Western Europe. The Turkish position vis-à-vis Europe has been characterized as "Europe has been an object of desire as well as a source of frustration for Turkish national identity in a long and strained history".


text: Turkey first applied for associate membership in the European Economic Community in 1959, and on 12 September 1963 signed the "Agreement Creating An Association Between The Republic of Turkey and the European Economic Community", also known as the Ankara Agreement. This agreement came into effect the following year on 12 December 1964. The Ankara Agreement sought to integrate Turkey into a customs union with the EEC whilst acknowledging the final goal of membership. In November 1970, a further protocol called the "Additional Protocol" established a timetable for the abolition of tariffs and quotas on goods traded between Turkey and the EEC.


text: On 14 April 1987, Turkey submitted its application for formal membership into the European Economic Community. The European Commission responded in December 1989 by confirming Ankara's eventual membership but also by deferring the matter to more favourable times, citing Turkey's economic and political situation, as well its poor relations with Greece and the conflict with Cyprus as creating an unfavourable environment with which to begin negotiations. This position was confirmed again in the Luxembourg European Council of 1997 in which accession talks were started with central and eastern European states and Cyprus, but not Turkey. During the 1990s, Turkey proceeded with closer integration with the European Union by agreeing to a customs union in 1995. Moreover, the Helsinki European Council of 1999 proved a milestone as the EU recognised Turkey as a candidate on equal footing with other potential candidates.


text: The next significant step in Turkey–EU relations came with the December 2002 Copenhagen European Council. According to it, "the EU would open negotiations with Turkey 'without delay' if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfills the Copenhagen political criteria." French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder expressed joint support for the December 2004 European Commission summit meeting agenda for Turkey joining the European Union.


text: The European Commission recommended that the negotiations should begin in 2005, but also added various precautionary measures. The EU leaders agreed on 16 December 2004 to start accession negotiations with Turkey from 3 October 2005. While Austria and Germany initially wanted to leave open the possibility that negotiations with Turkey would lead to a privileged partnership, less than full membership, accession negotiations were ultimately launched with the "shared objective" of membership.


text: Turkey's accession talks have since been stalled by a number of domestic and external problems. Both Austria and France have said they would hold a referendum on Turkey's accession. In the case of France, a change in its Constitution was made to impose such a referendum, but later another constitutional change has enabled the parliament (if a large majority of its members agrees) to prevent such a referendum. The issue of Cyprus continues to be a major obstacle to negotiations. European officials have commented on the slowdown in Turkish reforms which, combined with the Cyprus problem, led the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in March 2007 to warn of an impending 'train crash' in the negotiations. Due to these setbacks, negotiations again came to a halt in December 2006, with the EU freezing talks in 8 of the 35 key areas under negotiation.


text: In 2007, Turkey stated that they were aiming to comply with EU law by 2013, but Brussels refused to back that as a deadline for membership. In 2006 European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that the accession process will take at least until 2021. In a visit to Germany on 31 October 2012, Turkish Prime Minister R.T. Erdoğan made clear that Turkey was expecting membership in the Union to be realised by 2023, the 100th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic, implying that they could end membership negotiations if the talks had not yielded a positive result by then. Turkish President Abdullah Gül said that upon completing the accession process Turkey will hold a referendum for Turkish membership in the European Union.


text: In December 2009, the Republic of Cyprus blocked 6 chapters of Turkish accession negotiations, including those on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, Energy and Education and Culture, arguing that Turkey needs to first normalise relations with Cyprus. As a result, no chapters have been opened since June 2010. Hence, there is no chapter Turkey can open other than the difficult and economically detrimental chapters Competition Policy, Social Policy and Employment, and Public Procurement that most candidate countries open at the end of accession as all other chapters are blocked. In February 2013, Turkish Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry for EU Affairs, Burak Erdenir, claimed that the EU had yet to communicate to Turkey the benchmark criteria for opening chapters 23 and 24, Judiciary & Fundamental Rights and Justice, Freedom & Security, which was to be done after screening of the chapters was completed in 2006, thus making it impossible to comply with them. He also suggested this was a deliberate attempt to slow their accession process.


text: After over two years of no chapter openings, the European Commission set up a "Positive Agenda" designed to focus on common EU-Turkey interests. EU Commissioner for expansion Stefan Füle describes that the goal was "to keep the accession process alive and put it properly back on track after a period of stagnation which has been a source of frustration for both sides." The EU Commission mentioned a broad range of areas as the main elements of the Agenda such as "intensified dialogue and cooperation on political reforms", "visa", "mobility and migration", "energy", "fight against terrorism", "further participation of Turkey in Community programmes", "town twinning", "trade and the Customs Union" and "supporting efforts to align with the acquis, including on chapters where accession negotiations cannot be opened for the time being". The proposal was considered favorably on the condition that it serves as an instrument in support of and complementary to the negotiation process with the EU.


text: In the framework of "Positive Agenda", Working Groups were established on 8 chapters ("3-Right of Establishment and Freedom to Provide Services", "6-Company Law", "10-Information Society and Media", "18-Statistics", "23-Judiciary and Fundamental Rights", "24-Justice, Freedom and Security", "28-Consumer and Health Protection", and "32-Financial Control"). The "Positive Agenda" kick-off meeting was held on 17 May 2012 in Ankara with the participation of Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. As a result of the Working Groups meetings held so far, a total of four closing benchmarks were confirmed to have been met by Turkey in three chapters (Company Law, Consumer and Health Protection as well as Financial Control chapters).


text: On 20 June 2013, in the wake of Ankara's crackdown on mass demonstrations in Taksim Square, Germany blocked the start to new EU accession talks with Turkey. According to the "Financial Times", one Turkish official said that such a move could potentially break off political relations with the bloc.


text: A Eurobarometer poll which included EU countries and candidate countries as well, showed that 43% of Turks viewed the EU positively, as compared with 60% six months previously. In the same poll, 29% of Turks polled expressed support for an EU Constitution, the lowest level of support among EU countries and candidates polled. Germany said that its reservation stems from a technical issue, but the-Chancellor Angela Merkel, an opponent of Turkish entry into the EU, described herself as "shocked" after Ankara's use of overwhelming police force against mostly peaceful demonstrators. France stated that they would not waive their veto over unfreezing four accession chapters with Turkey until after the elections for the European Parliament in June 2014.


text: Following President Erdoğan's crackdown on supporters of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, EU relations became damaged. Erdoğan has indicated his approval of reinstating the death penalty to punish those involved in the coup, with the EU suggesting that this would end its EU ambitions. Erdoğan stated in November 2016 that he was considering putting Turkey's continued negotiations with the EU on membership to a referendum in 2017. In November 2016, the European Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding resolution to request that the European Commission temporarily suspend membership negotiations due to the "disproportionate repressive measures" of the government to the coup. On 13 December, the European Council (comprising the heads of state or government of the member states) resolved that it would open no new areas in Turkey's membership talks in the "prevailing circumstances"; Turkey's path toward autocratic rule makes progress on EU accession impossible.


text: In 2016, EU member Austria opposed Turkey's EU membership. In March 2018, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz opposed Turkey's EU accession talks and urged it to halt membership talks.


text: In 2017, EU officials expressed that planned Turkish policies violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for an EU membership.


text: In April 2017, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted to reopen its monitoring procedure against Turkey. This vote is widely understood to deal a major blow to Turkey's perspective of eventual EU membership, as exiting that process was made a precondition of EU accession negotiations back in 2004.


text: The European Commission's long-term budget proposal for the 2021–2027 period released in May 2018 included pre-accession funding for a Western Balkan Strategy for further enlargement, but omitted Turkey.


text: On 26 June 2018, the EU's General Affairs Council stated that "the Council notes that Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union. Turkey’s accession negotiations have therefore effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen." The Council added that it is "especially concerned about the continuing and deeply worrying backsliding on the rule of law and on fundamental rights including the freedom of expression."


text: On 20 February 2019, a European parliament committee voted to suspend the accession talks, sparking criticism from the government of Turkey.


text: The European Commission's long-term budget proposal for the 2021-2027 period released in May 2018 included pre-accession funding for a Western Balkan Strategy for further enlargement, but omitted Turkey.


text: The problem of Turkey's membership of the EU is compounded by conflicting views as to what the EU should ultimately become. This has played a significant role in the debate, due in part to the European debt crisis and the fact that as a result of this the eurozone and the EU overall is more federalised on both fiscal, legal and political levels than it was at the time of Turkey's application or at the time that Turkey was accepted as a candidate. Generally those members of the EU who support a rights-based free trade bloc do not oppose Turkey as adamantly as those who support a broader political union. The latter, in particular, are concerned that unification would be frustrated and the European project threatened by Turkey's inclusion.


text: Proponents of Turkey's membership argue that Turkey's geographical location will contribute to peace. According to the Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, "the accession of Turkey would give the EU a decisive role for stability in the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which is clearly in the strategic interest of Europe". Poland is a key supporter for Turkey's bid to join the EU, while the United Kingdom has expressed support previously, but not since leaving the EU.


text: Upon joining the EU, Turkey's 83 million inhabitants would bestow the largest number of MEPs in the European Parliament. Turkey now has a larger population than Germany. However, a single country can only hold a maximum of 96 seats in the European Parliament.


text: Turkey's membership would also affect future enlargement plans, especially the number of nations seeking EU membership, grounds on which Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has opposed Turkey's admission. Giscard has suggested that it would lead to demands for accession by Morocco. Morocco's application is already rejected for "not being a European country"; Turkey, unlike Morocco, has 3% of its territory in Europe. The vast majority of its population lives in the Asian side of the country. On the other hand, the country's largest city, Istanbul, lies mostly in Europe. On the other hand, Cyprus, which is geographically located in Asia, joined the European Union in 2004. French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated in January 2007 that "enlarging Europe with no limit risks destroying European political union, and that I do not accept ... I want to say that Europe must give itself borders, that not all countries have a vocation to become members of Europe, beginning with Turkey which has no place inside the European Union."


text: EU member states must unanimously agree on Turkey's membership for the Turkish accession to be successful. A number of nations may oppose it; notably Austria; Germany (former chancellor Angela Merkel has long rejected Turkey's accession bid, and has proposed a "privileged partnership" instead); and France (where some are anxious at the prospect of a new wave of Muslim immigrants, given the country's already large Muslim community).


text: Negotiations to remove the French constitutional requirement for a compulsory referendum on all EU accessions after Croatia resulted in a new proposal to require a compulsory referendum on the accession of any country with a population of more than 5% of the EU's total population; this clause would mainly apply to Turkey and Ukraine.


text: The current situation according to the French constitution is as follows: if of the delegates (from the Senate and the Parliament) agree to the accession of Turkey, there will be no referendum.


text: Upon accession to the EU, Turkey expects to receive economic development aid. There is also an expectation that there will be an increase in European foreign investment in the Turkish economy, further driving economic growth. During potential economic crisis events, Turkey could benefit from EU assistance.


text: Free movement of people across the EU will give many Turkish people the opportunity to migrate to other parts of Europe in search of work, or a higher standard of living. The option of migration out of Turkey will inevitably ease tensions in the east of the country, as the prospect of a better standard of living will tend to cool separatist tendencies. However, there have been problems concerning irregular transit migration through Turkey to the EU.


text: Some secularists in Turkey envisage that the accession of Turkey will contribute to the spread of secular western values in Turkey. Conversely, some non-secularists in Turkey envisage that accession will contribute to the further growth and acceptance of Islam in Europe. The EU accession bid has stimulated Turkey's political and legal reforms and intensified the democratisation process.


text: Given Turkey's large and growing population, Turkey will have a correspondingly large representation in the European Parliament (2nd and equal with Germany, with 96 seats in EU parliament). This will give Turkey a strong direct influence over EU policies.


text: Turkey has the world's 11th largest GDP-PPP and 20th largest Nominal GDP. The country is a founding member of the OECD and the G-20 major economies.


text: Turkey has taken advantage of a customs union with the European Union, signed in 1995, to increase its industrial production destined for exports, while at the same time benefiting from EU-origin foreign investment into the country. In 2008, Turkey's exports reached US$141.8 billion (main export partners: Germany 11.2%, UK 8%, Italy 6.95%, France 5.6%, Spain 4.3%, US 3.88%; total EU exports 56.5%.) However, larger imports amounting to about US$204.8 billion threaten the balance of trade (main import partners: Russia 13.8%, Germany 10.3%, China 7.8%, Italy 6%, USA 4.8%, France 4.6%, Iran 3.9%, UK 3.2%; total EU imports 40.4%; total Asia imports 27%).


text: The opening of talks regarding the Economic and Monetary Policy acquis chapter of Turkey's accession bid was expected to begin in June 2007, but were stalled by France. Turkey became the European Union's fifth-largest trade partner in 2015 according to data released by Eurostat.


text: Turkey is set to receive EUR 9.2bn from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries.


text: , the population of Turkey stood at 71.5 million with a yearly growth rate of 1.5%. The Turkish population is relatively young, with 25.5% falling within the 0–15 age bracket. As of 2021, the population of Turkey is approximately at 83 million people.


text: Turkey's large population could alter the balance of power in the representative European institutions. Upon joining the EU, Turkey's 83 million inhabitants would bestow it a large number of MEPs in the European Parliament. This is because the European Parliament distributes seats to member nations according to their population. Therefore, if Turkey is admitted, it could influence the EU legislation and administration in line with its own policies.


text: If Turkey were to join the European Union, Istanbul would become the most populous metropolis in the EU (as of 2004).


text: Cyprus was divided when, on 20 July 1974, Turkey invaded and occupied a third of the island in response to an Athens-engineered coup aimed at annexing Cyprus to Greece. Since then, Turkey has refused to acknowledge the Republic of Cyprus (an EU member since 2004) as the sole authority on the island, and recognizes the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since its establishment in 1983. The Turkish invasion in 1974 and the resulting movement of refugees along both sides of the Green Line, and the establishment of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, form the core issues which surround the ongoing Cyprus dispute.


text: Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots backed the 2004 Annan Plan for Cyprus aimed at the reunification of the island, but the plan was subsequently rejected by Greek Cypriots on the grounds that it did not meet their needs. According to Greek Cypriots, the latest proposal included maintained residence rights for the many Anatolian Turks who moved to Cyprus after the invasion (and their descendants who were born on the island after 1974), while the Greek Cypriots who lost their property after the Turkish invasion would be granted only a restricted right of return to the north following the island's proposed reunification. Although the outcome received much criticism in the EU as well, the Republic of Cyprus was admitted into the EU a week after the referendum.


text: The Turkish government has refused to officially recognise the Republic of Cyprus until the removal of the political and economic blockade on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Turkey's non-recognition of the Republic of Cyprus has led to complications within the Customs Union. Under the customs agreements which Turkey had already signed as a precondition to start EU membership negotiations in 2005, it is obliged to open its ports to Cypriot planes and vessels, but Turkey has not complied so far; refusing to do so until the EU eases the international isolation of Northern Cyprus. In February 2013, Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış told the Republic of Cyprus, "if you truly want salvation, truly want peace, then remove your blockade of Ercan Airport to EU member countries and Turkey will open its ports to you."


text: Turkey's refusal to implement a trade pact between Turkey and the EU that requires the Turkish government to allow Greek Cypriot vessels to use its air and seaports has prompted the EU to freeze eight chapters in Turkey's accession talks.


text: In November 2009, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek declared that, should Turkey be forced to choose between supporting either EU membership or Turkish Cypriots, "[then] Turkey’s choice will forever be to stand next to the Turkish Cypriots. Everybody should understand this."


text: The issue of Turkish membership has been contentious in Greece. An opinion poll from 2005 suggested that only 25% of Greeks believe Turkey has a place in the European Union. The former Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis stated that Turkish membership of the EU could only be predicated upon, "full compliance, full accession" in December 2006. In 2005 the European Commission referred to relations between Turkey and Greece as "continuing to develop positively" while also citing a key barrier to progress being Turkey's ongoing claim of "casus belli" over a dispute about territorial waters boundaries.


text: In September 2017, Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, mentioned that halting accession talks with Turkey would be a strategic mistake by the European Union, amid a war of words raging between Germany and Turkey. Also, former Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, has urged European Union leaders to keep the doors open to Turkey and to continue dialogue with the Turkish government, in an apparent reference to the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's calls for the suspension of accession talks with Turkey.


text: Turkey has a secular constitution, civil and judicial system with no official religion, although the country's most prominent imam (currently Ali Erbaş) is a civil servant and head of the Religious Affairs Directorate, or "Diyanet". 82% of the Turkish population is Muslim of whom over 70% belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. A minority is affiliated with the Shi'a Alevi branch. A separate study published in 2019 found 89.5% of Turks identify as Muslim. Turkey would be the first and only Muslim-majority country to join or belong to the European Union. Current EU states typically contain large Muslim minorities. By contrast, Christians are believed to compose only 0.2% of Turkey's population.


text: Official population census polls in Turkey do not include information regarding a person's religious belief or ethnic background due to the regulations set by the Turkish constitution, which defines all citizens of the Republic of Turkey as Turkish in terms of nationality, regardless of faith or race.


text: There is a tradition of secularism in Turkey. The state has no official religion nor promotes any, and actively monitors . The constitution recognises the freedom of religion for individuals, whereas religious communities are placed under the protection of the state; but the constitution explicitly states that they cannot become involved in the political process (by forming a religious party, for instance) or establish faith-based schools. No party can claim that it represents a form of religious belief; nevertheless, religious sensibilities are generally represented through conservative parties. Turkey prohibits by law the wearing of religious headcover and theo-political symbolic garments for both sexes in government buildings, schools, and universities; the law was upheld by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights as legitimate in the "Leyla Şahin v. Turkey" case on 10 November 2005. However, in 2010, the prohibition of wearing headscarves in universities was lifted.


text: Cultural differences between Muslim-majority Turkey and predominantly Christian Europe play an important part in the entire debate on Turkish accession to the European Union.


text: In an analysis, based on the World Values Survey, social scientists Arno Tausch and Almas Heshmati came to the conclusion that a robust measurement scale of global economic, political, and social values and Turkey's place on them wields only a very qualified picture of Turkey's place on the maps of global values. The study, which is based on 92,289 representative individuals with complete data in 68 countries, representing 56.89% of the global population, looks at hard-core economic values in the countries concerned. From nine dimensions for the determination of the geography of human values, based on a promax factor analysis of the available data, six-factor analytical scores to calculate a new Global Value Development Index were used, which combines: avoiding economic permissiveness; avoiding racism; avoiding distrust of the army and the press; avoiding the authoritarian character; tolerance and respect; and avoiding the rejection of the market economy and democracy. Turkey is ranked 25, ahead of several EU member countries. But there are still considerable deficits concerning the components of liberal values, which are very important for an effective democracy. The deficits, the study argues, suggest that the Turkish state, Turkish civil society, and European decision-makers would be well advised to continue to support civil society and secular democracy in Turkey.


text: In 2004, the French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier stated that Turkey must recognise the systematic massacres of Armenians in 1915 as a genocide. However, he insisted that although France did not set a precondition for European Union entry regarding the matter, he stated that France would raise the issue during negotiations. The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, stated that it must be a precondition for Turkey to recognise the systematic massacres of Armenians in 1915 as genocide.


text: The government of Turkey rejects such a precondition for EU membership and does not accept it as a part of the EU membership criteria.


text: In 2006, the European Parliament voted against a proposal to formally add the issue as a membership criterion for Turkey. A similar proposal by Greek and Greek Cypriot MEPs was also rejected by the European Parliament in 2011.


text: Although homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, in contravention of European Union directives on human rights; Turkey temporarily banned LGBT pride parades in 2015 and 2016. Reasons given for the ban were “security concerns”, and “religious sensitivities of the public” caused by holding the parade during the month of Ramadan.


text: Article 301 states that "a person who publicly insults the Turkish nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and two years" and also that "expressions of thought intended to criticise shall not constitute a crime."


text: The EU was especially critical of this law during the September 2005 trial of novelist Orhan Pamuk over comments that recognised the deaths of thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians. Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn and members of the European Parliament called the case "regrettable", "most unfortunate", and "unacceptable". After the case was dropped three months later, Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül indicated that Turkey may abandon or modify Article 301, stating that "there may be need for a new law". In September 2006, the European Parliament called for the abolition of laws, such as Article 301, "which threaten European free speech norms". On 30 April 2008, the law was reformed. According to the reform, it is now a crime to explicitly insult the "Turkish nation" rather than "Turkishness"; opening court cases based on Article 301 require the approval of the Justice Minister; and the maximum punishment has been reduced to two years in jail.


text: Kemal Kerinçsiz, a patriotic lawyer, and other members of "Büyük Hukukçular Birliği" (Great Jurists Union) headed by Kerinçsiz, have been "behind nearly all of [Article 301] trials." In January 2008, Kerinçsiz was arrested for participating in an ultra-nationalist underground organisation, Ergenekon, allegedly behind the attacks on the Turkish Council of State and Cumhuriyet newspaper, the assassination of several Christian missionaries and Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, as well as allegedly plotting the assassination of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk. The Ergenekon trials were later proven to be a plot organized by foreign-based Gulenist terror organization and all charges were dropped after the attempted military coup by Gulenists on 15 July 2016.


text: Turkey gave women the right to vote in 1930 for municipal elections. In 1934 this right was expanded for the national elections, while women were also given the right to become elected as MPs in the Turkish Parliament, or for being appointed as Ministers, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament and President of the Republic. In 1993 Tansu Çiller became the first female Prime Minister of Turkey.


text: In its second report on women's role in social, economic, and political life in Turkey, the European Parliament emphasised that respecting human rights, including women's rights, is an essential condition for Turkey's membership in the EU. According to the report, Turkey's legal framework on women's rights "has in general been satisfactory, but its substantive implementation remains flawed."


text: Turkey is one of two states (along with Azerbaijan) among the 47 members of the Council of Europe which refuse to recognise the status of conscientious objectors or give them an alternative to military service, other than a reduction of service by paying a tax.


text: Public opinion in EU countries generally opposes Turkish membership, though with varying degrees of intensity. The Eurobarometer September–October 2006 survey shows that 59% of EU-27 citizens are against Turkey joining the EU, while only about 28% are in favour. Nearly all citizens (about 9 in 10) expressed concerns about human rights as the leading cause. In the earlier March–May 2006 Eurobarometer, citizens from the new member states were more in favour of Turkey joining (44% in favour) than the old EU-15 (38% in favour). At the time of the survey, the country whose population most strongly opposed Turkish membership was Austria (con: 81%), while Romania was most in favour of the accession (pro: 66%). On a wider political scope, the highest support comes from the Turkish Cypriot Community (pro: 67%) (which is not recognised as a sovereign state and is "de facto" not EU territory and out of the European institutions). These communities are even more in favour of the accession than the Turkish populace itself (pro: 54%). Opposition in Denmark to Turkish membership was polled at 60% in October 2007, despite the Danish government's support for Turkey's EU bid.


text: There is a trend in declining support since 2000 that has continued due to the 2013 Gezi protests and the 2016–present purges in Turkey. In the past support for Turkish accession came especially from left-wing parties, but more recently both sides of the political spectrum in Europe have been highly critical of Turkey's human rights record. Opposition to Turkish accession is higher in countries such as Bulgaria and Germany which have a high population of Turkish diaspora or Muslims in Europe. YouGov polls from 2016 and 2019 have found respondents from France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland to have the largest net opposition to Turkey's EU bid out of several other choices, including Israel and Russia.


text: The opening of membership talks with the EU in December 2004 was celebrated by Turkey with much fanfare, but the Turkish populace has become increasingly sceptical as negotiations are delayed based on what it views as lukewarm support for its accession to the EU and perceived double standards in its negotiations particularly with regard to the French and Austrian referendums. A mid-2006 Eurobarometer survey revealed that 43% of Turkish citizens view the EU positively; just 35% trust the EU, 45% support enlargement and just 29% support an EU constitution.


text: Moreover, Turks are divided on whether to join at all. A 2007 poll put Turkish support for accession to the EU at 41.9% (up from 32% in 2006), with 27.7% opposed and 24.0% indifferent. A 2009 poll showed that support for accession had risen to 48%, even as negative views of the EU had risen from 28% to 32%. A 2013 poll showed Turkish support for the EU bid at one third of the population, and opposition to double that share.


text: According to the Transatlantic Trends survey for 2013, 60% of Turks have an unfavourable view of the European Union and most Turks believe that working with Asia is more important to their national interests than working with Europe. Around 44% of Turks believe EU membership could be good for the economy in contrast with 61% for EU citizens. During an interview with Euractiv, EU Minister Egemen Bağış stated that: "This is what Europe needs to do; they need to say that when Turkey fulfills all requirements, Turkey will become a member of the EU on date X. Then, we will regain the Turkish public opinion support in one day."


title: Colin Donnell

text: Colin Donnell (born October 9, 1982) is an American actor and singer best known for his performances as Billy Crocker in "Anything Goes", Tommy Merlyn in The CW television series "Arrow", Scotty Lockhart on the Showtime drama "The Affair" and as Dr. Connor Rhodes in the NBC medical drama "Chicago Med" (2015–2019). He is set to star in the Netflix/Peacock miniseries "Irreverent".


title: Colin Donnell

text: Colin Donnell was born in St. Louis, Missouri, as the youngest of three boys. He has Irish and French ancestry. He played the guitar and took singing lessons when he was 17. His introduction to the stage was in high school where he was a part of the choir and was in the background juggling and doing circus tricks, which led to being part of his first school musical production of "Barnum". Donnell graduated from Indiana University in 2005.


title: Colin Donnell

text: Donnell has been part of many national stage tours, such as "Mamma Mia!" and "Wicked". His first Broadway Theatre performance was in "Jersey Boys" as Hank Mejewski. His other stage credits include "Follies", "Meet Me in St. Louis", "Johnny Baseball" and many more. He played Billy Crocker in the 2011 Broadway revival of "Anything Goes" and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, and an Astaire Award for Outstanding Male Dancer.


title: Colin Donnell

text: Donnell made his television debut by playing Mike Ruskin in the television series "Pan Am". In 2012, Donnell was cast as Tommy Merlyn in television series "Arrow", where he is a series regular in the first season and made occasional appearances in later seasons, including the final season.


title: Colin Donnell

text: In July and August 2013, Donnell starred as Berowne in the musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost". He also appeared as Elizabeth Banks' husband in the crime thriller "Every Secret Thing", which was released on May 15, 2015.


title: Colin Donnell

text: In January 2014, Donnell was cast as Monty in the 1960s-era "Broadway" musical "Violet" alongside Sutton Foster and Joshua Henry; previews began on March 28, and the show officially opened on April 20. In July, Donnell was cast to play Joshua Jackson's brother in "Showtime" original drama "The Affair".


title: Colin Donnell

text: In 2015, he performed in the City Center Encores! production of the musical "Lady, Be Good", alongside Tommy Tune, Erin Mackey and Patti Murin.


title: Colin Donnell

text: In March 2015, Donnell starred in "Love Is A Four Letter Word", a pilot for NBC in which he played Sean, an ad agency partner; the show was not picked up to series. Donnell then landed a regular role in the NBC series, "Chicago Med", playing a doctor in trauma surgery. On April 19, 2019, it was announced that Donnell was leaving the series after four seasons as a series regular.


title: Colin Donnell

text: Donnell began dating actress Patti Murin in 2013 after they co-starred in a Shakespeare in the Park musical adaptation of "Love's Labour's Lost". They became engaged in December 2014, and married on June 19, 2015, in New York City. Their daughter, Cecily, was born on July 14, 2020. In October 2022, the couple announced that Murin is pregnant with their second child.


title: Colin Donnell

text: Donnell is a literary aficionado and a musician. He has two tattoos from his tour trips – one from Memphis and one from Dayton; which are five silhouettes of birds to represent his family, and a "Fleur De Lis", because his mother is French.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: Paraponera clavata is a species of ant, commonly known as the bullet ant, named for its extremely painful sting. It inhabits humid lowland rainforests in Central and South America.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: The specific epithet of the ant, ', means "club-shaped". The generic name, "Paraponera", translates to "near-"Ponera"". Due to its notoriety, the ant has several Native American, Spanish, and Portuguese local names in different geographical areas. Perhaps the best known name is the Venezuelan ' (the "24 ant" or "24-hour ant"), referring to the full day of pain that follows being stung; it can also refer to the time it takes to kill a human. In Brazil, the Portuguese names given by locals include ', ', or "" (big black ant), and Native American-derived names are "tocandira", "tocandira", and "tocanquibira". These names derive from the Tupi–Guarani "tuca-ndy", which translates to "the one wounding deeply". Other names by which it is referred include "chacha", "cumanagata", "munuri", "siámña", "yolosa", and "veinticuatro hora hormiga". In Costa Rica, "P. clavata" is known as "bala", meaning "bullet". "P. clavata" also has several common names; it is most commonly known as the bullet ant because of the extreme pain it delivers following a sting, similar to that of getting shot. Other names are the lesser giant hunting ant and conga ant.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: "Paraponera clavata" was first described by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775, who named it "Formica clavata" in his "Systema entomologiae", based on a worker he collected. Fabricius incorrectly listed the type locality as India, as these ants are only found in Central and South America. In 1804, "P. clavata" was transferred to the genus "Ponera" by the French zoologist Pierre André Latreille. The genus "Paraponera" was established by the British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858, and "P. clavata" was designated as the type species by monotypy (the condition of a taxonomic group having only a single taxon described). In his book, Smith would synonymise multiple taxa under "Paraponera clavata", including "Formica armata", "Formica spininoda", "Ponera tarsalis" and "Ponera clavata". Later publications would also synonymise more taxa, including "Formica aculeata" and "Formica clavata". The genus was placed in a monotypic tribe, the Paraponerini, in 1901 by the Italian entomologist Carlo Emery, who stressed the importance of certain morphological characteristics of "Paraponera"; Emery had also placed the tribe close to the Ectatommini. This classification was accepted by the entomological community until 1958, where the American entomologist William Brown Jr. synonymised Paraponerini and transferred "Paraponera" to Ectatommini. It was treated as a valid tribe in 1994, but in 2003, the English myrmecologist elevated the rank of the tribe to subfamily level as Paraponerinae, being a part of the Poneromorph subfamilies.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: Under the present classification, the bullet ant is a member of the genus "Paraponera" in the tribe Paraponerini, subfamily Paraponerinae. It is a member of the family Formicidae, belonging to the order Hymenoptera, It was once the sole member of its own genus and tribe until the extinct "Paraponera dieteri" was described in 1994 by the entomologist Cesare Baroni Urbani. The ant, described from Dominican amber, existed during the Early Miocene 15 to 45 million years ago. "P. dieteri" can be distinguished from "P. clavata" by its much narrower head, length, pronotum width, petiole width and other features. The good preservation of the fossil allowed comprehensive comparisons between the two species; the body sculpture of "P. dieteri" suggests that the genus as a whole exhibits a slow evolutionary rate.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: "P. clavata" is the only living species in its subfamily. Although "P. dieteri" was the first extinct relative of "P. clavata" to be described, another "Paraponera" fossil had been examined earlier in the 1980s. The fossil, which was from the Miocene, was found embedded in Dominican Amber from Hispaniola; at the time of discovery, the ant was the largest fossil of its kind. It showed similar characteristics to "P. clavata", although it was considerably smaller. The fossil also has biogeographic importance. As "P. clavata" is not found in the Greater Antilles, but rather in Central and South America, this suggests that moister tropical forests covered the island during the Tertiary period. This is further supported by the fact that "P. clavata" is a forest ant that forages on the ground and up into bushes and trees.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: Worker ants are long and resemble stout, reddish-black, wingless wasps. "Paraponera" is predatory, and like all primitive poneromorphs, does not display polymorphism in the worker caste; the queen ant is not much larger than the workers. They are not aggressive ants but are vicious when defending the nest, when they produce a stridulating sound and sting with ferocity.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: "Paraponera" is distributed throughout Central and South America, commonly found in the wet Neotropical realm. These ants are found in Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica from the north, and in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil from the south. Colonies are found in lowland areas, at elevations ranging from sea level to . However, specimens have been collected at elevations of in La Amistad International Park.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: Colonies consist of several hundred individuals and are usually situated at the bases of trees. Workers forage arboreally in the area directly above the nest for small arthropods and nectar, often as far as the upper canopy; little foraging occurs on the forest floor. Nectar, carried between the mandibles, is the most common food taken back to the nest by foragers. Two studies in Costa Rica and on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) found about four bullet ant nests per hectare of forest. On BCI, the nests were found under 70 species of trees, six species of shrubs, two species of lianas, and one species of palm. Nests were most common beneath the canopies of "Faramea occidentalis" and "Trichilia tuberculata", but these trees are also the most abundant in the forest. Nests were present more frequently than would be expected based on the abundance of the trees under "Alseis blackiana", "Tabernaemontana arborea", "Virola sebifera", "Guarea guidonia", and "Oenocarpus mapora". The large number of nest plants suggests little active selection of nest sites by bullet ants. Small shrubs, however, are underused, probably because they do not provide access to the forest canopy. The study on BCI concluded that bullet ants may select trees with buttresses and extrafloral nectaries.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: This ant is a predator of "Greta oto", the glasswing butterfly. This butterfly attempts to combat "P. clavata" by producing chemical extracts during the larval stage that are unpalatable to these ants.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: The small (1.5- to 2.0-mm-long) phorid fly, "Apocephalus paraponerae", is a parasite of injured workers of "P. clavata", of which the supply is constant because frequent aggressive encounters occur between neighbouring colonies, resulting in maimed workers. The flies are able to parasitise healthy ants if the ants are artificially restrained, but healthy ants are agile and able to repel them. Both male and female flies are attracted by the scent of injured ants; the females lay eggs, as well as feed, and the males feed and possibly mate with the females. The flies are attracted to a crushed ant within two to three minutes and 10 or more flies may be attracted to each ant. Each ant can harbour 20 fly larvae. Carl Rettenmeyer observed "P. clavata" actively trying to attack "A. paraponerae" when they approached the entrance to their nest.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: The bullet ant's sting is currently the highest on Schmidt's sting pain index, at 4.0+. According to Justin O. Schmidt, the pain is like ”Walking over flaming charcoal with a three inch nail embedded in your heel". Some victims compared the pain to that of being shot, hence the name of the insect. It is described as causing "waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours". Lymphadenopathy, edema, tachycardia and fresh blood appearing in human victim feces are common symptoms. Poneratoxin, a paralyzing neurotoxic peptide isolated from the venom, affects voltage-dependent sodium ion channels and blocks the synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. It is being investigated for possible medical applications.


title: Paraponera clavata

text: The Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become warriors. The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural sedative, and then 80 of them are woven into gloves made of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stingers facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, an initiator repeatedly blows smoke at the ants, with the objective of making them agitated and aggressive. Once this is done, they make the boy wear the gloves on his hands. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for 5 to 10 minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, the boys must go through the ordeal 20 times over the course of several months or even years.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Marin Yvonne Ireland is an American actress. Known for her work in theatre and independent films, "The New York Times" deemed Ireland "one of the great drama queens of the New York stage". Her accolades include a Theatre World Award and nominations for an Independent Spirit Award and a Tony Award.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Following a series of minor roles in the "Law & Order" franchise (2003–2008), Ireland earned praise for starring in Neil LaBute's play "Reasons to Be Pretty" (2008), and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. After appearing in the films "Rachel Getting Married" (2008) and "The Understudy" (2008), her starring role in "Glass Chin" (2014) earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. She played Julia Bowman in the Amazon Studios series "Sneaky Pete" (2015–2019).


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland's other film roles include the acclaimed productions "The Family Fang" (2015), "Hell or High Water" (2016), "Piercing" (2018), "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" (2018) and "The Irishman" (2019). She additionally has played Sissy in the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" (2020–present) and Nora Brady in the Hulu series "" (2021). Her leading role in the horror film "The Dark and the Wicked" (2020) earned praise.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland was born and raised in Camarillo, California. She studied at the Idyllwild Arts Foundation in Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Hartt School, the performing-arts conservatory at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland made her off-Broadway theatre debut in "Nocturne" (2001), a play written by Adam Rapp, which ran at the New York Theater Workshop. She also appeared in the play during its run in the American Repertory Theatre New Stages presentation at the Hasty Pudding Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 2000. Her off-Broadway work includes Caryl Churchill's "Far Away" (2002) at the New York Theatre Workshop. She played the title role in "Sabina" (2005) by Willy Holtzman at Primary Stages.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland was featured in the 2008 stage adaptation of "The Beebo Brinker Chronicles", a series of lesbian pulp fiction novels by Ann Bannon. She made her Broadway theatre debut in "Reasons to Be Pretty" (2009). For this performance, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, and won the Theatre World Award. She then appeared in "After Miss Julie" in a Roundabout Theatre Company presentation of a Donmar Warehouse production at the American Airlines Theatre in September through December 2009. Ireland in the New Group revival of "A Lie of the Mind" in February and March 2010.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland's early film roles are the drama "Rachel Getting Married" (2008) and the comedy "The Understudy" (2008). In 2012 she played the female lead role in the Matt Ross debut film "28 Hotel Rooms". For playing Ellen Doyle in "Glass Chin" (2014), she earned a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. In November 2012, she starred in the title role of "Marie Antoinette" in the world premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre. She starred in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Abe Koogler's "Kill Floor" in 2015. She has also appeared in the films "The Family Fang" (2015), "Hell or High Water" (2016), "Piercing" (2018), "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" (2018) and "The Irishman" (2019).


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland has gained prominence in television industry, notably for her roles as Julia in the Amazon series "Sneaky Pete" (2015–2019), Sissy in the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" (2020–present) and Nora Brady in the Hulu post-apocalyptic drama series "" (2021). Her leading role in the horror film "The Dark and the Wicked" (2020) earned her awards from a number of film festivals.


title: Marin Ireland

text: Ireland has narrated several audiobooks, including bestsellers by Frederik Backman, Anthony Doerr, and Amor Towles. She was awarded an Audie Award for Best Female Narrator in 2020 for her recording of "Nothing to See Here" by Kevin Wilson.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: In basketball, Showtime was an era in Los Angeles Lakers history from 1979 to 1991 when the National Basketball Association (NBA) team played an exciting run-and-gun style of basketball. Led by Magic Johnson's passing skills and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring, the team relied on fast breaks and won five NBA championships. Lakers owner Jerry Buss purchased the team in 1979, and he wanted their games to be entertaining. He insisted that the Lakers play an up-tempo style, and the team hired dancers and a live band for their home games at The Forum. The team established a Hollywood-celebrity following.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: In 1979, former Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was in the process of selling the team to Jerry Buss. Possessing the first overall pick in the upcoming 1979 NBA Draft, the Lakers narrowed their choice to either Magic Johnson or Sidney Moncrief. Los Angeles already had a fine point guard in Norm Nixon, making Moncrief potentially a wonderful complement at off guard. However, Cooke liked Johnson's smile and playing style. In one of Cooke's last acts as Lakers owner, the Lakers drafted the point guard Johnson.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Buss wanted Lakers games to be entertaining. In the 1960s, he was a regular at The Horn, a nightclub in Santa Monica, California, that attracted an upscale clientele. Buss loved the excitement of the club's famous opening act, which included a dimming of the lights followed by a dramatic singing of their signature tune, "It's Showtime". After he purchased the Lakers and The Forum from Cooke, Buss embarked on creating a grand-scale version of The Horn. Like a night club act, he believed a basketball game should be entertaining.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Buss sought to match the excitement of college basketball games between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins during John Wooden's era. The owner insisted the Lakers have a running game. After Jerry West had retired as Lakers head coach, and the team failed to recruit Jerry Tarkanian of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Buss hired Jack McKinney to install a running offense.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: In Buss' opinion, a theatrical atmosphere paired with the running game would excite the fans and strengthen the Lakers' home-court advantage. He wanted to create a Hollywood atmosphere that would be embraced by the Los Angeles culture even if it was hated by the rest of the country. Buss borrowed the term "Showtime" from The Horn to describe the Lakers' approach to basketball, and it was embraced by Lakers fans and the Los Angeles media.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Buss was not afraid to spend money on players. In 1981, Abdul-Jabbar was the highest-paid player in NBA at $870,000 a season, when Buss signed Johnson to a 25-year, $25 million contract.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The most important component of Showtime was the Lakers' fast break. In a typical sequence, rebounders such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kurt Rambis, and A.C. Green would quickly release an outlet pass to Johnson, who would race down the court and distribute the ball to players such as Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and Michael Cooper for a finishing layup or slam dunk. Oftentimes, Johnson would rebound the ball and drive the ball up court himself on a fast break. He would sometimes deliver the ball to teammates with a no-look pass.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: If the break was not there, the Lakers would settle into their half-court offense and rely on Abdul-Jabbar—the NBA's all-time leading scorer—and his unique signature skyhook. Backing him up at center were Bob McAdoo, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, and in later years, Mychal Thompson, a former No. 1 overall draft pick; both were ostensibly power forwards who could change the game's pace with their quickness and outside shooting ability. As Abdul-Jabbar neared the age of 40, Riley had Johnson assume scoring responsibilities. Johnson's "junior, junior skyhook" won Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: McKinney coached the Lakers for only 13 games before he was involved in a serious bike accident during the 1979–80 season. The Lakers replaced him with assistant Paul Westhead, who led the Lakers that season to their first championship in almost a decade. Westhead used McKinney's offense, a creative and spontaneous offense that defined Showtime. However, he started altering the offense the following season. The team started the 1981–82 season at 7–4, but six of those wins were by four points or fewer, and the media criticized Westhead's more-structured offense. Although they had won five in a row, Buss was also disenchanted with the offense and then Johnson, frustrated with Westhead and his system, asked to be traded. Instead, Westhead was fired and replaced by Pat Riley. The Lakers' up-tempo style was restored under Riley, and they won another championship that season.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Riley led the Lakers to four championships. Dressed in sleek Italian suits with his hair slicked back with mousse, he added to the team's Hollywood image. Riley was also innovative on defense; he was one of the first coaches to employ a 1-3-1 half-court trap to pick up the pace of the game. Though the Showtime Lakers were known for their offense, they won championships with their defense. In Cooper, they had one of the top defensive stoppers in the game. The league-wide perception was that the Lakers played with finesse and were not physical enough to win in the playoffs. Riley's mantra was "no rebounds, no rings", reinforcing the need to fight for rebounds in order to win championships.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The Lakers in 1985 won their first championship in nine meetings against the Boston Celtics, and again defeated their rivals for the title in 1987. At the championship celebrations following the 1987 Finals, Riley boldly guaranteed before the cheering crowd that the Lakers would win it all again in 1988. This was a very bold gesture as the league had not had a repeat champion for nearly 20 years. Nevertheless, this guarantee was fulfilled as the Lakers repeated as champions in 1988, becoming the first NBA team to capture back-to-back championships since the Celtics' repeat title in 1968–69 in legendary center Bill Russell's last season. With the team older, the Lakers were more of a half-court team that season.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Although Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, and Riley stepped down the year after, most believe the Showtime era ended in 1991, when the Lakers lost the finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and Johnson retired after finding out he was HIV-positive. By Johnson's last season, he had grown more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but the league's third-oldest point guard was also slower and less nimble. Mike Dunleavy was the new head coach, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense. "The Prescott Courier" called those Lakers "Slow-time".


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Overall, the Showtime Lakers played 984 regular season games, totaling 712 wins and 272 losses, resulting in a win percentage of 72.4%.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The Lakers played their home games at The Forum, which billed itself as "the modern version of the greater Colosseum of ancient Rome". The Forum was a circle with an oval interior supported by 80 white concrete columns. After he became owner, Buss hired a public address announcer with a livelier voice, Lawrence Tanter. He also transformed the Forum Club, previously a family-friendly restaurant and lounge inside the Forum, into the hottest nightclub in Los Angeles.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Buss lured Hollywood celebrities and the rich and famous to the game to add more excitement in the crowd. Not only did Buss want stars on his team, he also wanted stars watching them. At the height of Showtime, some celebrities that contacted the team could not even buy tickets. ESPN wrote that The Forum grew to be "as synonymous with movie stars" as the Hollywood Sign. During national telecasts, the network would regularly show the courtside celebrities. Actor Jack Nicholson, considered the Lakers' most well-known celebrity fan, was often seen sitting courtside in his shades. "The Washington Post" quipped that "The Forum may be the only place where the fans make more money than the players."


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: A fan of the college game, Buss wanted the Lakers to have live music and cheerleaders. He replaced the arena's organist with a 10-piece band of musicians from the University of Southern California (USC).


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: Cheerleaders were not common in the NBA at the time, but Buss ordered the formation of the Laker Girls, a talented and sexy team of female dancers. Rex the Peanut Man, a peanut vendor, would dance to entertain the crowd. The Lakers later employed Dancing Barry, a Showtime staple who added to the party atmosphere by dancing in the aisles during timeouts wearing sunglasses and a tuxedo.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The "Hartford Courant" wrote, "You go to The Fabulous Forum, and you get a basketball game in between lounge acts." "The News and Courier" added, "Only one thing beats the thrill of victory. Victory with pizzaz." NBA commissioner David Stern said Showtime showed that "an arena can become the focal point for not just basketball, but entertainment."


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The Lakers did not win another championship until 2000, which began a streak of three consecutive titles led by stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. However, the team's style under coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense was not as exciting or graceful, generally grinding down opponents behind O'Neal's strength. Rudy Tomjanovich was hired in 2004 to install an up-tempo offense and revive the high-scoring of the 1980s teams. He was not successful, and the Lakers reverted to the triangle offense as Jackson returned. Under Jackson's guidance, the Lakers were NBA champions again in 2009 and 2010.


title: Showtime (basketball)

text: The Phoenix Suns with point guard Steve Nash were a running team under Mike D'Antoni, and "The New York Times" called them "this decade’s incarnation of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Showtime". When D'Antoni joined with the Lakers and Nash in 2012, he declared, "We would love to be able to play 'Showtime' basketball." With slower personnel than he had in Phoenix, D'Antoni eventually abandoned his up-tempo offense. That season, however, Magic Johnson compared the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers' crosstown rivals, to Showtime. "I thought I would never, ever see Showtime again. And I was the architect of Showtime. The Clippers? That's Showtime," he said.


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: Sonia Ben Ammar (born 19 February 1999), also credited Sonia Ammar, is a Tunisian-French model, singer, and actress, who is signed with IMG Models. She has appeared on several magazine covers, including "Vanity Fair" and "L'Officiel".


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: Ben Ammar released her debut extended play "Sonia" (2019) to positive reviews from critics. She played the role of Liv McKenzie in the slasher film "Scream" (2022), which was a critical and commercial success.


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: Sonia Ben Ammar was born in Paris on 19 February 1999. She is the daughter of film producer Tarak Ben Ammar and actress Beata ( Sonczuk). Her mother is of Polish descent, while her Tunisian-born father is of paternal Berber and maternal Corsican descent. He was raised Muslim; his own mother converted to Islam from Catholicism. Her paternal great-aunt (paternal grandfather's sister) Wassila Ben Ammar was the wife of the first President of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba.


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: She graduated from the American School of Paris and started attending the University of Southern California in fall 2017.


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: In 2012, Ben Ammar made her acting debut in a role in the stage musical "". In 2013, she appeared in the film "Jappeloup".


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: In 2016, she signed with IMG Models and has since modeled for Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Carolina Herrera, Topshop, Nina Ricci and Chanel. She has also appeared in magazines such as "Vanity Fair", "Harper's Bazaar Arabia", "Love", and "L'Officiel".


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: Ben Ammar made her musical debut as a featured artist in Petit Biscuit's song "Creation Come Alive" in 2017. Two years later, Ben Ammar released her debut single "Joyride", which served as the lead track of her debut extended play, "Sonia", which was released in November 2019 and earned positive reviews from critics. "Paper" magazine wrote that she was "fitting nicely into the dark-pop scene" and went on to compare her to the likes of Halsey and Banks.


title: Sonia Ben Ammar

text: In September 2020, it was announced that Ben Ammar would star as Liv McKenzie in the fifth "Scream" feature film (2022), which was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. To prepare for the role, she told "Vogue" Arabia that she "rewatched every interview and really got into my character. It’s funny, I actually read the script so many times and knew everyone else’s scenes by heart. This was an ongoing joke on-set." The film was released on 14 January 2022 to critical and commercial success.


title: Patria AMV

text: The Patria AMV (Armored Modular Vehicle) is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by the Finnish defence industry company Patria.


title: Patria AMV

text: The main feature of the AMV is its modular design, which allows the incorporation of different turrets, weapons, sensors, or communications systems on the same carriage. Designs exist for different APC vehicles (armoured personnel carrier) and IFV versions (infantry fighting vehicle), communications versions, ambulances and different fire support versions, armed with large caliber mortar and gun systems. The vehicle has a very good level of mine protection and can withstand explosions of up to TNT. The AMV has protection levels up to 30 mm APFSDS frontal arc. Another important feature is the very good mobility (combining speed, agility, and crew comfort) in rough terrain, enabled by the sophisticated but rugged hydropneumatic suspension adjusting each wheel individually.


title: Patria AMV

text: The AMV stems from an investigation, made by the Finnish Army HQ in 1995, on different armored vehicle concepts. In 1996, Patria Vehicles began to develop different concept vehicles, and found the 8×8 one to be most suitable as a replacement for the 6×6 Sisu Pasi. The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) ordered an official concept study in 1999, which was ready by 2000. Patria continued to develop the vehicle and the first AMV prototype was ready for testing in November 2001. Two evaluation samples were ordered by the FDF in December 2001, and were delivered in 2003. Later the same year, the FDF ordered 24 AMOS-equipped Patria AMVs for delivery 2006–09. The FDF also said that they were looking to order some 100 units, equipped with remote-controlled weapon stations, later placing an order for 62. In December 2002, the Polish Defence Ministry placed an order for 690 vehicles, making Patria the leading manufacturer of IFV in the 15–27 tonne range in Europe. Subsequent deals were made all over Europe, as well as in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates—in many places being locally produced. In 2004, the AMV became the first 4th generation combat vehicle of its kind to enter serial production.


title: Patria AMV

text: The design was based on experience gained from building the Pasi and on customer feedback on that vehicle. It was entirely designed in 3D virtual environments before construction, and subsequent successful testing of the prototype showed that it fulfilled all expectations.


title: Patria AMV

text: The vehicle was initially designed in 6×6, 8×8 and 10×10 variants, but the 10×10 variant was later dropped.


title: Patria AMV

text: The AMV is offered in three main variants: a basic platform, a high roof platform and a heavy weapon platform.


title: Patria AMV

text: In 2013 Patria launched a new upgraded version of AMV. In June 2014 Patria announced the name of its next generation 8×8 armoured vehicles, Patria AMV, which stands for Extra Payload, Extra Performance and Extra Protection.


title: Patria AMV

text: Patria and Lockheed Martin agreed to cooperate in the competition for the US Marines MPC (Marine Personnel Carrier) program that was set to replace the LAV-25. The USMC planned to obtain 600 MPC vehicles. Patria was to deliver the AMV 8×8 vehicle. Lockheed Martin Systems Integration was responsible for the MPC offer, as well as system integration, survivability systems, the US production line, and networking and logistics. In August 2012, the Marines gave Lockheed a developmental contract for their vehicle, called the Havoc.


title: Patria AMV

text: For protection against mine attacks, the Havoc would have used a 'subframe' rather than a V-hull. On 3 April 2013, the Havoc successfully completed amphibious testing as part of its evaluation for the MPC program.


title: Patria AMV

text: The Marine Personnel Carrier was put on hold in June 2013, restarted in February 2014, and then restructured as Phase 1 of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) program, which included the previous MPC competitor entries.


title: Patria AMV

text: During the summer of 2013, the Havoc successfully completed protection systems testing during a series of blast tests. The vehicle completed all threshold and objective protection system testing, with instrumentation indicating that no disabling injuries would have resulted to any of the three crew members and nine dismounted Marines. Lockheed also delivered a report demonstrating the high degree of commonality between the Havoc and other Marine Corps vehicles, aimed at reducing cost, training requirements, and logistics needs.


title: Patria AMV

text: The Lockheed Havoc AMV completed the Nevada Automotive Test Center's Butte Mountain Trail course in September 2014. Lockheed planned to offer the Havoc in the Marine Corps' ACV Phase 1 program, and give them 16 vehicles to test once a Request for Proposals (RFP) was released in early 2015. However, in July 2015 partnership between Patria and Lockheed Martin came to an end, and Havoc was not offered to the Amphibious Combat Vehicle program.


title: Patria AMV

text: The Polish Army has ordered 690 vehicles in 2003, including 313 AMVs with the Italian Oto Melara 30 mm Hitfist-30P turret and 377 AMVs in various other configurations to be delivered between 2004 and 2013. Some of the Polish vehicles were deployed in Afghanistan. The Polish vehicles are known as KTO Rosomak ("wolverine") in Polish Army service. In 2013 the Polish army ordered 307 more vehicles, including 122 AMVs and 80 mortars, totaling 997 units making Poland the largest operator by a fair margin. The Vehicles are built in Poland under the licence. In 2017 Polish Ministry of Defence said that production of KTO Rosomak is now 100% based in Poland.


title: Patria AMV

text: The Finnish Army has ordered 24 AMVs fitted with the AMOS mortar system and 62 AMVs fitted with Protector (RWS) remote weapon system for the .50 M2HB QCB heavy machine gun or the GMG grenade machine gun. The standard version is known as "XA-360" in Finnish Army service, while the AMOS version is known as "XA-361".


title: Patria AMV

text: In June 2006, the Slovenian Ministry of Defence declared that the Patria AMV would be the new armoured fighting vehicle of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Patria will supply 135 vehicles, some equipped with the NEMO mortar, some with Elbit 30 mm remote controlled weapon station and the rest with Kongsberg Protector turrets. Allegations in the Finnish media that Patria used bribery to secure the Slovenian contract led to a scandal and a criminal investigation in Finland and may have contributed to the defeat of Prime Minister Janez Janša in the 2008 Slovenian parliamentary elections. Due to the financial crisis, the defence budget was cut several times. At first, the contract to supply 135 vehicles should have been amended to have less vehicles with better armament. Later on, the defence ministry suffered from even bigger financial cuts. In 2012, the Defence Minister announced the termination of the contract, by which time 30 vehicles had been received. More armored vehicles and higher calibre weapons are to be bought in the mid-term future.


title: Patria AMV

text: In May 2007, the South African Denel Land Systems was awarded a contract to build an improved version of the AMV, with a high level of ballistic and mine protection for the South African National Defence Force. The AMV will replace South-African Ratels as part of the "Project Hoefyster" (Horseshoe). Five different versions are included: Command, Mortar, Missile, Section and Fire Support vehicles. In November 2013, Denel Land Systems and Patria announced that they have signed an agreement regarding Patria AMV 8×8 armoured wheeled vehicle serial production and delivery to South Africa. The agreement includes 238 vehicles, out of which 5 pre-series vehicles have already been delivered during the development phase.


title: Patria AMV

text: In July 2007, the Croatian Ministry of Defence selected the Patria AMV as the new armoured fighting vehicle of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia in their first international tender in its history. 84 AMVs will be supplied. Initially, the plan called for 84 8×8 vehicles and 42 6×6 vehicles. The Croatian Ministry of Defence has approved the purchase of 84 Patria AMV 8×8 vehicles. The 6×6 configuration idea was scrapped, and the remaining 42 vehicles were decided to be 8×8s. The purchase of the remaining 42 AMVs was made in December 2008. Due to the financial crisis, the contract was slightly amended in April 2010. There was an initial plan of shelving the order by a half (64 vehicles were mentioned) but it was decided that the total of 126 units would remain on order. However, in order to somewhat decrease the cost of the deal, the most expensive variants like the NEMO or engineering units will probably be replaced by less costly APC variants. On the other hand, the production will be sped up and all vehicles are to be delivered by the end of 2012.


title: Patria AMV

text: The government of the Republic of North Macedonia announced in 2006 that it would procure the same type that the Croatian military chooses after test trials in 2007—as this would be a less expensive than conducting trials of their own. The configuration of Patria vehicles that eventually win the competition will be similar to those in Slovenian service, but probably in smaller numbers. However, any contract has not been published.


title: Patria AMV

text: In January 2008, Patria announced that the United Arab Emirates armed forces had ordered the AMV, equipped with the BMP-3 turret. The number of vehicles is yet to be announced.


title: Patria AMV

text: On 30 January 2008, it was announced that Patria has offered to deliver 30 first AMVs within four months of ordering, if the Czech Army chooses AMV as its next APC. The Czech army had earlier chosen the Austrian Steyr Pandur as their next APC, but the Czech government withdrew from the deal at the end of last year, citing Steyr's failure to fulfill the commitments ensuing from the contract.


title: Patria AMV

text: In August 2010, Patria sold 113 AMVs to Sweden in a deal worth 250 million Euros. The deal included an option for another 113 vehicles in the future.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110, is a twin-engine (Destroyer, heavy fighter), fighter-bomber ("Jagdbomber" or "Jabo"), and night fighter ("Nachtjäger") developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, believing its heavy armament, speed, and range would make the Bf 110 the Luftwaffe’s premier offensive fighter. Early variants were armed with two MG FF 20 mm cannon, four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns, and one 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun for defence (later variants would replace the MG FFs with MG 151s and the rear gunner station would be armed with the twin-barreled MG 81Z). Development work on an improved type to replace the Bf 110 - the Messerschmitt Me 210 - began before the war started, but its teething troubles resulted in the Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles. Its intended replacements, the aforementioned Me 210 and the significantly improved Me 410 "Hornisse", never fully replaced the Bf 110.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The Bf 110 served with considerable success in the early campaigns in Poland, Norway and France. The primary weakness of the Bf 110 was its lack of maneuverability, although this could be mitigated with better tactics. This weakness was exploited by the RAF when Bf 110s were flown as close escort to German bombers during the Battle of Britain. When British bombers began targeting German territory with nightly raids, some Bf 110-equipped units were converted to night fighters, a role to which the aircraft was well suited. After the Battle of Britain the Bf 110 enjoyed a successful period as an air superiority fighter and strike aircraft in other theatres and defended Germany from strategic air attack by day against the USAAF's 8th Air Force, until an American change in fighter tactics rendered them increasingly vulnerable to developing American air supremacy over the Reich as 1944 began.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: During the Balkans and North African campaigns and on the Eastern Front, it rendered valuable ground support to the German Army as a potent fighter-bomber.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: Later in the war, it was developed into a formidable radar-equipped night fighter, becoming the main night-fighting aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Most of the German night fighter aces flew the Bf 110 at some point during their combat careers and the top night fighter ace, Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, flew it exclusively and claimed 121 victories in 164 sorties.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: Throughout the 1930s, the air forces of the major military powers were engaged in a transition from biplane to monoplane designs. Most concentrated on the single-engine fighter aircraft, but the problem of range arose. The Ministry of Aviation (RLM, for "Reichsluftfahrtministerium"), pushed by Hermann Göring, issued a request for a new multipurpose fighter called the "Kampfzerstörer" (battle destroyer) with long range and an internal bomb bay. The request called for a twin-engine, three-seat, all-metal monoplane that was armed with cannon as well as a bomb bay. Of the original seven companies, only Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (Messerschmitt), Focke-Wulf and Henschel responded to the request.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: Messerschmitt defeated Focke-Wulf, Henschel, and Arado, and was given the funds to build several prototype aircraft. The Focke-Wulf design, the Focke-Wulf Fw 57, had a wing span of 25.6 m (84 ft) and was powered by two DB 600 engines. It was armed with two 20 mm MG FF cannons in the nose, while a third was positioned in a dorsal turret. The Fw 57 V1 flew in 1936 but its performance was poor and the machine crashed.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The Henschel Hs 124 was similar in construction layout to the Fw 57, equipped with two Jumo 210C for the V1. The V2 used the BMW 132Dc radial engines generating 870 PS compared with the 640 PS Jumo. The armament consisted of a single rearward-firing 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 machine gun and a single forward-firing 20 mm MG FF cannon.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: Messerschmitt omitted the internal bomb load requirement from the Ministry of Aviation directive to increase the armament element of the Ministry of Aviation's specification. The Bf 110 was far superior to its rivals in providing the speed, range and firepower to meet its role requirements. By the end of 1935, the Bf 110 had evolved into an all-metal, low-wing cantilever monoplane of semi-monocoque design featuring twin vertical stabilizers and powered by two DB 600A engines. The design was also fitted with Handley-Page wing slots(actually, leading-edge slats).


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: By luck (and pressure by Ernst Udet), the Ministry of Aviation reconsidered the ideas of the "Kampfzerstörer" and began focusing on the "Zerstörer". Due to these changes, the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke design better fitted the Ministry's requests. On 12 May 1936, Rudolf Opitz flew the first Bf 110 out of Augsburg. But, as many pre-war designs found, the engine technologies promised were not up to acceptable reliability standards. Even with the temperamental DB 600 engines, the Ministry of Aviation found that the Bf 110, while not as maneuverable as desired, was rather faster than its original request specified, as well as faster than the then-current front line fighter, the Bf 109 B-1. Thus the order for four pre-production A-0 units was placed. The first of these were delivered in January 1937. During this testing, both the Focke-Wulf Fw 187 and Henschel Hs 124 competitors were rejected and the Bf 110 was ordered into full production.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The initial deliveries of the Bf 110 encountered several delays with delivery of the DB 600 motors, which forced Bayerische Flugzeugwerke to install Junkers Jumo 210B engines, leaving the Bf 110 seriously underpowered and able to reach a top speed of only 431 km/h (268 mph). The armament of the A-0 units was also limited to four nose-mounted 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: Even without delivery of the DB 600 engines, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke began assembly of the Bf 110 in mid-1937. As the DB 600 engines continued to have problems, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke was forced to keep on using Jumo motors, the 210G, which supplied 515 kW (700 PS) each (versus the 471 kW/640 PS supplied by the 210B). Three distinct versions of the Bf 110B were built: the B-1, which featured four 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns and two 20 mm MG FF cannons; the B-2 reconnaissance version, which had a camera in place of the cannons; and the B-3 which was used as a trainer, with the cannons replaced by extra radio equipment. Only 45 Bf 110Bs were built before the Jumo 210G engine production line ended. The major identifier of the -A and -B-series Bf 110s was the very large "mouth" bath radiators located under each engine.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: In late 1938, the DB 601 B-1 engines became available. With the new engine, the design teams removed the radiators under the engine nacelles and replaced them with water/glycol radiators for the C-series airframes onwards, placing them under the wing just outboard of each nacelle, otherwise similar in installation, appearance and function to those on the Bf 109E. With the DB 601 engine, the Bf 110's maximum speed increased to 541 km/h (336 mph) with a range of approximately 1,094 km (680 mi). A small oil cooler and air scoop remained under each engine nacelle for the remainder of the Bf 110's production run.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: First conceived in the latter half of 1939, the D-series of Bf 110s was targeted to have improvements meant to increase its range. The initial D-series version, the Bf 110D-0 was designed to add a large, streamlined 1,050 litre (277 U.S. gallon) ventral fuel tank built under the fuselage, which required a substantially sized, conformal streamlined ventral fuselage fairing extending from halfway back under the nose to the rear of the cockpit glazing, inspiring the nickname "Dackelbauch" (dachshund's belly). The D-1 was also set up to accept a pair of fin-equipped 900 litre (238 U.S. gallon) drop tanks, one under each wing, increasing the total fuel capacity to 4,120 litres (1,088 U.S. gallons). The substantial added drag of the early "dachshund's belly" ventral fuselage tank in test flights mandated its omission from production D-1s although they were still prepared to mount an improved, better streamlined, version. D-1s so equipped were known as D-1/R1 whereas the D-1/R2 was equipped with two 900 L drop tanks and a droppable 85 L oil tank. Later D-2 and D-3 versions retained the twin underwing 900 litre drop tank capability, using multipurpose ordnance racks capable of holding either drop tanks or carrying bombs.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The production of the Bf 110 was put on a low priority in 1941 in expectation of its replacement by the Me 210. During this time, two versions of the Bf 110 were developed, the E and F models. The E was designed as a fighter bomber ("Zerstörer Jabo"), able to carry four 50 kg (110 lb) ETC 50 racks under the wing, along with the centreline ETC 500 bomb rack. The first E, the Bf 110 E-1 was originally powered by the DB 601B engine, but shifted to the DB 601P as they became available in quantity. A total of 856 Bf 110E models were built between August 1940 and January 1942.


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The E models also had upgraded armour and some fuselage upgrades to support the added weight. Most pilots of the Bf 110E considered the aircraft slow and unresponsive, one former Bf 110 pilot commenting the E was "rigged and a total dog."


title: Messerschmitt Bf 110

text: The Bf 110F featured the new DB 601F engines which produced 993 kW/1,350 PS (almost double the power the original Jumo engines provided), which allowed for upgraded armour, strengthening, and increased weight with no loss in performance. Three common versions of the F model existed. Pilots typically felt the Bf 110F to be the best of the 110 line, being fully aerobatic and in some respects smoother to fly than the Bf 109, though not as fast. Eventually 512 Bf 110F models were completed between December 1941 and December 1942, when production gave way to the Bf 110G.