title: Bubba Ho-Tep

text: In 2007 Bruce Campbell reported that he was no longer involved in the sequel, as he and Coscarelli had "a few points [developing the screenplay] that we couldn't reconcile" and that he parted ways with the project as a way of keeping his friendship with the director. The project was briefly reported as "dead" by Joe Lansdale in February 2008, but later that same year Giamatti asserted that the film was still alive and that Ron Perlman was interested in taking over the role of Elvis. Due to the amount of time that had passed since the release of "Bubba Ho-Tep", Coscarelli and Giamatti had trouble raising funding for the film and the movie went back into development hell. However Giamatti reported that they were still trying to get the film made and that they had plans to create a franchise that would include plot lines such as Elvis battling aliens. In 2013 Giamatti confirmed that a script has been written and that it was "really great", and that he hoped that they would be able to eventually make the film.


title: Bubba Ho-Tep

text: Ultimately, Lansdale developed ideas discussed for the follow-up movie into a novella, "Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers", published in 2017. This story took place earlier in Elvis's life, during a period in which he worked for Colonel Parker battling monsters prior to exchanging identities with Sebastian Haff.


title: Bubba Ho-Tep

text: In 2018, IDW Publishing released a five-issue limited series adaptation of the novella, retitled "Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Blood-Suckers". The series was supervised by Lansdale, written by Joshua Jabcuga, and illustrated by Tadd Galusha. In 2019, Dynamite Entertainment published a four-issue crossover miniseries, "Army of Darkness/Bubba Ho-Tep", which followed up the original story and saw Elvis team up with Ash Williams, another character portrayed by Bruce Campbell.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: Wall's is a British ice cream and frozen dessert brand in United Kingdom owned by Unilever and is part of the Heartbrand global frozen dessert brand.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: Wall's was founded in 1786 by Richard Wall, when he opened a butcher's stall in St James's Market, London. In the 1900s the business was led by Richard's grandson Thomas Wall II. Every year the company had to lay off staff in the summer as demand for its sausages, pies and meat fell, so in 1913 Thomas Wall II conceived the idea of making ice cream in the summer to avoid those lay-offs; the First World War meant that his idea was not implemented until 1922. Following his retirement in 1920, Thomas Wall II created his Trust for the "encouragement and assistance of educational work and social service". Today, the Trust continues to assist in these areas by providing grants to individuals and organisations.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: By 1922 the business had been jointly bought by Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie. Maxwell Holt was put in charge and he revived the idea of producing ice cream, with near instant success. Ice cream production commenced in 1922 at a factory in Acton, London. In 1959, Wall's doubled capacity by opening a purpose built ice cream factory in Gloucester, England.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: There is a garage on the corner of Aultone Way and Angel Hill in Benhilton, Sutton, London, built in about 1913 and still in use today, which was originally used for the storing of the 'Stop Me and Buy One' bicycles of Thomas Wall's business.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: Unilever continues to use the brand for ice cream in the UK and it has become part of the company's international Heartbrand strategy, where it retains its local ice cream brand but shares one logo and most of the product's lineup with the various other Heartbrand brands across the world. Whilst remaining (2006) the market leader in the UK for individual hand-held products such as Cornetto and Magnum, and value-added multi-portion products designed to be eaten at home, such as Viennetta, the Wall's brand faces severe competition from the major supermarket brands and to a lesser extent from Nestlé (absorbing the Rowntree's and Lyons Maid brands) and Mars spin-off ice cream products.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: In 2013, Wall's expanded into the UK confectionery market following a licensing deal with Kinnerton Confectionery, leading to the introduction of ambient chocolate bar variations for the Magnum, Cornetto and Mini Milk ice cream brands.


title: Wall's (ice cream)

text: The brand launched in Canada in 2022 with a range of Asian-inspired flavours including bubble tea and ube. These flavours are not actually available under the Wall's brand in the UK but are intended to leverage global recognition of the Heartbrand logo; Unilever uses the Breyers brand for its main range of ice cream products in Canada.


title: Eckankar

text: Eckankar is a new religious movement founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. Its membership today is primarily in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The spiritual home is the Temple of ECK in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Eckankar is not affiliated with any other religious group.


title: Eckankar

text: The movement teaches simple spiritual exercises, such as singing ""HU"", called "a love song to God", to experience the Light and Sound of God and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit.


title: Eckankar

text: Twitchell was known for adapting Sanskrit words into English, and the word "Eckankar" is likely Twitchell's adaptation of the sacred phrase "Ik Onkar" of Sikhism, meaning "One "Om"". "Eck" is intended to mean the Holy Spirit, as found in the biblical and Christian terminology. According to the Eckankar's glossary, the term "Eckankar" means "Co-Worker with God".


title: Eckankar

text: The movement was founded in 1965 by Paul Twitchell (spiritual name: Peddar Zaskq) who remained its spiritual leader (called "Living ECK Master") until his death in September 1971. He was succeeded by Darwin Gross (spiritual name: Dap Ren). On October 22, 1981, Harold Klemp (spiritual name: Wah Z, pronounced Wah Zee) was announced the spiritual leader. Between 1981 and 1987, both Gross and Klemp claimed being the Living ECK Master, and to be the Inner Master, and had their own followers.


title: Eckankar

text: Eckankar's headquarters were originally in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1975, under the leadership of Gross, the organization was moved to Menlo Park, California. In 1986, Klemp moved the base of operations to Minneapolis, Minnesota.


title: Eckankar

text: Currently, Eckankar is registered as a nonprofit religious organization in the United States with members in over 120 countries around the world. Its teachings have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. The exact number of members, known as ECKists, is undisclosed. The world headquarters and Temple of ECK, Eckankar's Spiritual Center, are in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on a 174-acre campus with two miles of contemplation trails open to the public.


title: Eckankar

text: The Eckankar "EK" symbol appears on the list of "Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers" by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Sources estimate that there were around 50,000 followers in the 1990s.


title: Eckankar

text: Some scholars believe that Eckankar beliefs draw in part from the Sikh and Hindu religions, in particular the Radha Soami movement. However, J. Gordon Melton finds significant differences between Radha Soami teachings and Eckankar.


title: Eckankar

text: One of the basic tenets is that Soul (the true self) may be experienced separate from the physical body and, in full consciousness, travel freely in "other planes of reality." Eckankar emphasizes personal spiritual experiences as the most natural way back to God. These are attained via Soul Travel: shifting the awareness from the body to the inner planes of existence.


title: Eckankar

text: Certain mantras or chants are used to facilitate spiritual growth. One important spiritual exercise of Eckankar is the singing or chanting of "HU", and is viewed in Eckankar as a "love song to God". It is pronounced like the English word "hue" (or "hyoo") in a long, drawn-out breath and is sung for about twenty minutes to half an hour. ECKists sing it alone or in small groups. ECKists believe that singing HU draws one closer in state of consciousness to the Divine Being and that it can expand awareness, help one experience divine love, heal broken hearts, offer solace in times of grief, and bring peace and calm. ECKists believe this practice allows the student to step back from the overwhelming input of the physical senses and emotions and regain Soul's spiritually higher viewpoint.


title: Eckankar

text: Dreams are regarded as important teaching tools, and members often keep dream journals to facilitate study. According to followers of Eckankar, dream travel often serves as the gateway to Soul Travel, also known by Eckankar as out of body experience (OBE), or the shifting of one's consciousness to ever-higher states of being. Soul travel was a new term created by Twitchell.


title: Eckankar

text: Eckankar teaches that "spiritual liberation" in one's lifetime is available to all and that it is possible to achieve Self-Realization (the realization of oneself as Soul) and God-Realization (the realization of oneself as a spark of God) in one's lifetime. The membership card for Eckankar states: "The aim and purpose of Eckankar has always been to take Soul by Its own path back to Its divine source."


title: Eckankar

text: The leader of Eckankar is known as "the Living ECK Master" (LEM). Eckankar claims that only a man can be the LEM as Soul needs the atom structure of a male body in the physical world to become the spiritual leader; a choice made before birth. Eckankar now claims that some leaders, Twitchell and Klemp, for example, also hold the title "Mahanta", which refers to the inner aspect of the teacher. During Gross’ ten year leadership 1971-1981 the nonprofit religious organization claimed he was the Mahanta. The leader functions as both an inner and outer guide for each member's individual spiritual progress.


title: Eckankar

text: ECKists believe contact with Divine Spirit, which they call the "ECK", can be made via the spiritual exercises of ECK and the guidance of the living ECK Master. It is held that the ECK Masters are here to serve all life irrespective of religious belief. The main Eckankar website includes a list of Masters, some of whom are historical figures.


title: Eckankar

text: The "Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad", which means "Way of the Eternal", is the holy scripture of Eckankar. It comprises two books that tell of spiritual meaning and purpose as written by the Mahanta. There are also a series of Satsang writings that are available with yearly membership in Eckankar. There are Satsang classes available to study discourses with others, as well as individually.


title: Eckankar

text: Some of the key beliefs taught in the "Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad" include Soul Travel, karma, reincarnation, love, Light and Sound, and many other spiritual topics. ECKists believe Sugmad is the endless source from which all forms were created, and that the ECK, the Sound Current, flows out of Sugmad and into lower dimensions.


title: Eckankar

text: Primary to the teaching is the belief that one may experience the perspective of Soul beyond the limits of the body. Also, the concepts of karma and reincarnation help to explain situations in life as the playing out of past causes.


title: Eckankar

text: The beliefs that individuals are responsible for their own destiny and that their decisions determine their future are important concepts to Eckankar. Eckankar students meet in open public services and classes to discuss personal experiences, topics, books and discourses.


title: Eckankar

text: There are few personal requirements to be an ECKist; however, certain spiritual practices are recommended. Chief among these is daily practice of the "Spiritual Exercises of ECK" for 15–20 minutes. The most basic ECK spiritual exercise is singing the syllable "HU". A wide variety of spiritual exercises are offered, and members are encouraged to create their own. Study of ECK books and written discourses, alone or in groups, is also encouraged. There are no dietary requirements, taboos, or enforced ascetic practices. Eckankar does not require potential members to leave their current faith to join.


title: Eckankar

text: There are a number of ceremonies an ECKist can experience as part of the teaching, including a Consecration ceremony for initiating the young and infants, a Rite of Passage into adulthood (around age 13), a Wedding ceremony, and a Memorial service.


title: Eckankar

text: September 17 is celebrated as Founder's Day in honor of Paul Twitchell. October 22 is celebrated as the spiritual new year.


title: Eckankar

text: In his book, "Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America", written in 1977, David C. Lane writes:


title: Similarweb

text: SimilarWeb Ltd. is an Israeli web analytics company specializing in web traffic and performance. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, the company has 12 offices worldwide. Similarweb went public on the New York Stock Exchange in May 2021.


title: Similarweb

text: The company was founded in 2007 by Or Offer in Tel Aviv, Israel. By 2009, Similarweb won the first Israeli SeedCamp, attracting the attention of international media and investors. The company raised its Series A round of $1.1 million with the investment being led by Yossi Vardi, and Docor International Management. SimilarSites, a browser extension to help users find sites similar to those they are visiting, was launched later that year.


title: Similarweb

text: On September 24, 2013, the company closed a Series B round led by David Alliance, Moshe Lichtman with the participation of existing investor Docor International Management.


title: Similarweb

text: On February 24, 2014, South Africa media giant Naspers invested $18 million into Similarweb and leading their Series C round. Within a month, Similarweb used a part of the capital for the acquisition of Israeli early-stage company TapDog for a few million dollars in shares and cash, less than a year after TapDog was founded.


title: Similarweb

text: In July 2017, the company announced a $47 million round of financing led by Viola Group, Saban Ventures with participation from CE Ventures and existing investors.


title: Similarweb

text: In October 2021, Similarweb won "Best Alternative data Provider" at Hedgeweek Americas Awards 2021, for their investors intelligence suite.


title: Similarweb

text: On February 16, 2022, Similarweb reported earnings for Q4 2021, Q4 revenue of $40.2m and Q4 ARR of $165m.


title: Similarweb

text: Similarweb develops tools that enable the analysis of the traffic and behavior of users on websites and apps. The service and datasets are provided in a limited free edition, but the paid platform is addressed to SMBs and large companies which require access to accurate comprehensive data at larger scales for marketing, sales and Market research. The data is collected from a number of different sources that provide information about the internet usage of users, including various information partners, and anonymous data from users of the various dedicated browser addons that the company distributes.


title: Similarweb

text: Similarweb ranks websites and apps based on traffic and engagement metrics. Its ranking is calculated according to the collected datasets and updated on a monthly basis with new data. The ranking system covers 210 categories of websites and apps in 190 countries and was designed to be an estimate of a website's popularity & growth potential. The company ranks websites based on traffic and engagement data, and ranks apps in the App Store (iOS/iPadOS) and Google Play Store based on installs & active user data. Analytics from SimilarWeb are comparable (albeit usually lower) than from Google Analytics.


title: Similarweb

text: On December 10, 2015, Similarweb announced it had acquired Quettra, a Silicon Valley-based mobile intelligence startup, to boost its mobile operations.


title: Similarweb

text: In May 2022, Similarweb acquired "RankRanger" to extend its offering to the SEO industry. Rank Ranger provides keyword rank tracking services and advanced API's that will be added to Similarweb's existing SEO tools to create a more comprehensive suite.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Peter Gabriel is the third solo studio album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 30 May 1980 by Charisma Records. The album, produced by Steve Lillywhite, has been acclaimed as Gabriel's artistic breakthrough as a solo artist. AllMusic wrote that it established him as "one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians".


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Building on the experimental sound of his previous self-titled studio album, it saw Gabriel embracing post-punk and new wave with an art rock sensibility. Gabriel also explored more overtly political material with the anti-war song "Games Without Frontiers" (which became a No. 4 hit and remains his joint highest-charting single in the UK) and the anti-apartheid protest song "Biko", which remembered the murdered activist Steve Biko.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: In the US, the album was entitled Peter Gabriel III. The album is also often referred to as Melt, owing to its cover photograph by Hipgnosis. Music streaming services currently refer to it as Peter Gabriel 3: Melt.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Peter Gabriel hired his former bandmate in Genesis drummer Phil Collins for the recording sessions along with another drummer, Jerry Marotta. He gave them one specific demand. "Artists given complete freedom die a horrible death", he explained to Mark Blake. "So, when you tell them what they can't do, they get creative and say, 'Oh yes I can,' which is why I banned cymbals. Phil was cool about it. [Marotta] did object and it took him a while to settle in. It's like being right-handed and having to learn to write with your left."


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Collins played on several of the album's tracks. "Intruder" has been cited as the first use of Collins's "gated drum" sound. The 1980 Peter Gabriel album was when this effect first really showed its head in that form. The distinctive sound was identified via experiments by producer Steve Lillywhite, Collins and staff engineer Hugh Padgham, in response to Gabriel's request that Collins and Marotta not use cymbals during the album's sessions.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Lillywhite explained: Gabriel "didn't want to use cymbals and I had been really experimenting with this ambience thing which actually started with [drummer] Kenny Morris with the first [Siouxsie and the] Banshees' album. When you listen, you can hear elements of this gated room sound, big compressed room sound that I did on the Banshees". "Padgham was my engineer when we did the Peter Gabriel album [...] but I had been pushing and experimenting before with that like the Psychedelic Furs", on "Sister Europe", [...] "all done before the Peter Gabriel album". So significant and influential was the sound that it has been claimed by Gabriel, Padgham, Collins, and Lillywhite. It was cited by Public Image Ltd as an influence on the sound of their third studio album "The Flowers of Romance" (1981), whose engineer, Nick Launay, was in turn employed by Collins to assist with his debut studio album, "Face Value" (1981).


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Paul Weller, who was recording with his band the Jam in a nearby studio, contributed guitar to "And Through the Wire". Gabriel believed Weller's intense guitar style was ideal for the track.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: The album was Gabriel's first and only release for Mercury Records in the United States, having been rejected by Atlantic Records, which had handled US distribution for Gabriel's first two solo studio albums and his last two studio albums with Genesis. Upon hearing mixes of session tapes in early 1980, Atlantic A&R executive John Kalodner deemed the album not commercial enough for release, and recommended Atlantic drop Gabriel from its roster.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: "Atlantic Records didn't want to put it out at all", Gabriel told Mark Blake. "Ahmet Ertegun said, 'What do people in America care about this guy in South Africa?' and 'Has Peter been in a mental hospital?' because there was this very weird track called 'Lead a Normal Life'. They thought I'd had a breakdown and recorded a piece of crap ... I thought I'd really found myself on that record, and then someone just squashes it. I went through some primordial rejection issues."


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: By the time the album was released by Mercury several months later, Kalodner – now working for the newly formed Geffen Records label and having realised his mistake – arranged for Geffen to pursue Gabriel as one of its first artist signings. Geffen (at the time distributed by Atlantic sister label Warner Bros. Records) reissued the album in 1983, after Mercury's rights to it lapsed, and marketed it in the United States until 2010, when Gabriel's back catalogue was reissued independently by Real World Records. Coincidentally, Mercury is now a sister label to Geffen after Mercury's parent PolyGram merged with Geffen's parent Universal Music Group in 1999.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: "I Don't Remember" was performed on Gabriel's 1978 tour for his second studio album. An earlier studio version was to be the A-side of the first 7" single released in advance of the album by Charisma in Europe and Japan, but a Charisma executive thought Robert Fripp's guitar solos were not radio-friendly. This earlier version wound up as the B-side of the advance "Games Without Frontiers" single instead in those territories. It was included on the B-sides-and-rarities compilation "Flotsam And Jetsam", released in 2019. The album version of this song appeared as the A-side of a 12" single in the United States and Canada.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: Gabriel jokingly summarised the album's themes as "The history of a decaying mind". He added: "State of mind was definitely an area of interest at the time of writing it, but I never really set out with a concept. It was merely different songs, which perhaps have fitted into one particular slant." Of "No Self Control", he said: "That's something which I've observed in myself and in other people… In a state of depression, you have to turn on the radio, or switch on the television, go to the fridge and eat, and sleeping is difficult."


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: The photo was taken with a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera. The sleeve's designer Storm Thorgerson said: "Peter himself joined with us at Hipgnosis in disfiguring himself by manipulating Polaroids as they 'developed' ... Peter impressed us greatly with his ability to appear in an unflattering way, preferring the theatrical or artistic to the cosmetic."


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: The studio album came out as a self-titled album in the UK on 30 May 1980 on Charisma Records. In the US, the album was released with the title "Peter Gabriel III".


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: A German-language version of the album, entitled "Ein deutsches Album" ("A German Album"), was released simultaneously.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: In his review for "Rolling Stone", Dave Marsh described "Peter Gabriel" as "a tremendous record" that "sticks in the mind like the haunted heroes of the best film noirs".


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: In 1989, "Peter Gabriel" was ranked at No. 46 on "Rolling Stone"s list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s. In 2000, "Q" placed the album at No. 53 on its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever"; six years later, the magazine placed it at No. 29 on its list of the 40 best albums of the 1980s. In 2018, "Pitchfork" ranked "Peter Gabriel" at No. 125 on its revised and expanded list of the 200 best albums of the 1980s. In 2020, "Rolling Stone" included this record in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list, praising Gabriel "for a haunting LP that touches on political assassinations (“Family Snapshot”), the futility of war (“Games Without Frontiers”), and the brutal murder of South African activist Steve Biko (“Biko”). He made more popular albums after this one, but never better ones.".


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: "Ein deutsches Album" (English: "A German Album"), released in June 1980, is a German-language version of "Peter Gabriel". Gabriel sang German vocals on top of completely new recorded instrumental and backing vocal tracks. The German lyrics are translations from the English. Two years later, Gabriel released "Deutsches Album" (1982), a significantly altered version of his fourth studio album "Peter Gabriel" (1982; known as "Security" in the United States and Canada). In February 1980, German-language versions of "Games Without Frontiers" and "Here Comes the Flood" were released as a single in Germany. German adaptation was done by Horst Königstein.


title: Peter Gabriel (1980 album)

text: "All songs written by Peter Gabriel. "Texte" (lyrics) by Peter Gabriel translated by Horst Königstein."


title: Summer Rae

text: Danielle Louise Moinet (born November 28, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, model, actress, ring announcer, and former American football player. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Summer Rae. Moinet was a main cast member on the reality show "Total Divas" during its second and third seasons. Before joining WWE, she played with the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League.


title: Summer Rae

text: Moinet was born in the New York City suburb of Manhasset, New York. Her father is French, while her mother is British. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended Enloe High School and East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.


title: Summer Rae

text: Moinet played with the Chicago Bliss of the Lingerie Football League (LFL) from 2008 to 2011. She played as a quarterback and was the team's captain. On June 30, 2011, Moinet played in the LFL All-Star Game at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada which was her final game in the LFL. She was one of two players in the game from the Chicago Bliss.


title: Summer Rae

text: In November 2011, it was reported that Moinet had signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Moinet made her televised debut on the December 18 episode of "FCW TV", appearing in an in-ring promo with Abraham Washington. She also served as the ring announcer for "FCW TV" for several months. Changing her ring name to Summer Rae, she was prevented from interfering in a match between Seth Rollins and Rae's new client Brad Maddox by the debuting Paige on the March 5 episode of "FCW TV".


title: Summer Rae

text: On the March 11 episode of "FCW TV", Rae became the FCW General Manager. On the March 15 episode of "FCW TV", Rae decided to deactivate the Queen of FCW crown, leaving Raquel Diaz as the last champion. Rae made her in-ring debut on April 6 at an FCW live event, where she lost to Sofia Cortez in an elimination triple threat match, which also involved Paige.


title: Summer Rae

text: After the dissolution of FCW, Rae went on to become a ring announcer for the rebooted NXT in 2012. Rae transitioned into an in-ring competitor on the January 30, 2013, episode of "NXT" when she attacked Paige due to her jealousy of Paige's popularity and success. After Paige continued to confront Rae, Rae was defeated against Paige on the May 1 episode of "NXT".


title: Summer Rae

text: Rae competed in the NXT Women's Championship tournament on the June 19 episode of "NXT" to crown the inaugural champion and defeated Sasha Banks in the first round, but lost to Emma in the semi-finals on July 10. Rae's post-match attack on Emma started a feud between them. Emma later defeated Rae in a dance-off to become the number one contender, but Rae retaliated by injuring Emma in the storyline, then issued a title challenge to the new NXT Women's Champion Paige, which she accepted. On the August 14 episode "NXT", Paige defeated Rae to retain the title. For weeks, Rae began to influence Sasha Banks to make herself relevant, leading to Banks turning heel on the September 11 episode of "NXT", by attacking NXT Women's Champion Paige. Banks and Rae, collectively known as the Beautiful Fierce Females, faced Paige and Emma on the October 16 episode of "NXT", where they won. Rae and Banks continued to face Paige and Emma in singles matches, including aligning themselves with Charlotte.


title: Summer Rae

text: After a four-month absence from the brand, Rae returned on the June 6 episode of "NXT", briefly distracting Charlotte during her match. After the match, Rae led an attack on Bayley, only to be chased off by Paige and Emma. On the June 26 episode of "NXT", during a match with the debuting Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Sasha Banks backed away from Rae when reaching out for help, hinting at Rae's removal from the stable. The following week, Banks disbanded the BFFs in a backstage segment. The following week, Rae defeated Bayley in a number one contender's match, earning a NXT Women's Championship match against Charlotte. On the July 24 episode of "NXT", Rae received her title shot against Charlotte, however she failed to capture the championship.


title: Summer Rae

text: Rae made her official debut on WWE's main roster on the April 22, 2013, episode of "Raw", as Fandango's dance partner and valet. On the May 13 episode of "Raw", Rae, along with Fandango, faced Chris Jericho and "Dancing with the Stars" competitor Edyta Śliwińska in a dance-off, but Fandango's dance was cut short by an apparent injury to Rae's ankle. However, Rae later revealed that her injury was a distraction to trap Jericho into Fandango's attack. On the October 25 episode of "SmackDown", Rae got into a brawl with Natalya during a match between Fandango and The Great Khali, which set up a mixed tag team match for Hell in a Cell in which she made both her pay-per-view and in-ring debut on the main roster, teaming with Fandango to defeat Natalya and Khali, after Rae pinned Natalya. The following night, Rae made her singles debut in a rematch against Natalya, where she was defeated. At Survivor Series on November 23, Rae participated in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match, as her team took on the cast of "Total Divas", where she was eliminated by Nikki Bella, before her team ultimately lost the match. A rematch took place the following night on "Raw", where her team was once again defeated, with Rae being the last to be eliminated. On the December 19 episode of "Superstars", Rae defeated Kaitlyn, garnering her first singles match victory on the main roster.<ref name="Superstars12/19/13"></ref> In the beginning of 2014, Rae began a rivalry with Emma, and the two competed in several dance-off and wrestling competitions on both "Raw" and "SmackDown", which Emma won. On April 6, Rae made her WrestleMania debut, competing at WrestleMania XXX in the 14-Diva "Vickie Guerrero Invitational match" for the Divas Championship, which was won by the defending champion AJ Lee.


title: Summer Rae

text: On April 8, Fandango announced the end of his association with Rae on his Twitter account and introduced Layla as his new dance partner on the April 11 episode of "SmackDown", which in storyline was put in place to allow Rae time off television to film "". Rae returned on the May 19 episode of "Raw", confronting and kissing Fandango and attacking Layla before their match. Rae made her in-ring return on the following episode of "Raw", in a losing effort to Eva Marie after interference from both Fandango and Layla. In the following weeks, Rae and Layla assaulted each other backstage and at ringside during Fandango's matches, leading to a match between Rae and Layla at the Money in the Bank on June 29, with Fandango as the special guest referee, which Layla won.


title: Summer Rae

text: On the June 30, 2014 episode of "Raw", she cost Fandango's match. On the July 11 episode of "SmackDown", Rae and Layla started an alliance after attacking Fandango during their match where he was working as guest referee. One week later on "SmackDown" they lost their first match as team (dubbing themselves "The Slayers"). The Slayers won their first match as a team on the September 2 episode of "Main Event". At Survivor Series, Rae participated in an elimination tag team match, where she was eliminated by Emma before her team lost the match. In January 2015, The Slayers quietly disbanded when Layla underwent surgery.


title: Summer Rae

text: Upon the release of Rae's first film "" in April, she was disrespected by her co-star The Miz, and as a result, she allied herself with Miz's enemy, Damien Sandow. On the April 20 episode of "Raw", Rae helped Miz win a match against Sandow, having been working with Miz from the start.


title: Summer Rae

text: In June, Rae became involved with Rusev's storyline with his former manager Lana and Ziggler, in which Rae formed an on-screen relationship with Rusev. After weeks of confrontation, Rusev faced Ziggler at SummerSlam, which ended in a double countout due interference from both Lana and Rae. In September, Rae attempted to sabotage Ziggler and Lana's relationship, but the storyline was abruptly dropped. After Rusev refused Rae's marriage proposal, Rusev's real-life engagement to Lana was revealed, leading to Rae confronting Rusev and ending their association on the October 12 episode of "Raw". Rae gained revenge over Rusev on the following episode of "SmackDown" when she served as the guest referee for his match against Ziggler; she helped Ziggler. On the October 22 episode of "SmackDown", during a Miz TV segment between Rae and Ziggler, she introduced the debuting Tyler Breeze as her "new man", and subsequently began managing him. However, during the final "SmackDown" of 2015, Rae and Breeze announced that they amicably decided to go their separate ways.


title: Summer Rae

text: Rae returned to in-ring action in mid-February 2016 competing in various matches, where she was on the losing side. In late March, Rae allied herself with Team B.A.D. (Naomi and Tamina), Emma and Lana, leading to a tag team match on the WrestleMania 32 pre show, which Rae's team lost. On July 19, Rae was drafted to "Raw" as part of the 2016 WWE draft. However, she never appeared for the brand due to injuries. After over a year of inactivity, Rae was officially released from her WWE contract on October 29, 2017.


title: Summer Rae

text: Seven months after her WWE departure, Moinet made her independent circuit debut in a Battle Championship Wrestling event on May 25 at the Whitehorse Club Function & Convention Centre in Burwood East, Victoria, Australia, where she faced NXT alumni Ivelisse (formerly Sofia Cortez) in a losing effort.


title: Summer Rae

text: Moinet, who reprised the role as Summer Rae made her first televised appearance after a five year absence on the January 21, 2022 episode of "SmackDown", where she was advertised as a WWE legend, taunting Natalya during her match, playing up their rivalry from "Total Divas". She made her in-ring return on the number 23 spot in the 2022 Royal Rumble going straight to attack Natalya but was eliminated by her.


title: Summer Rae

text: Rae has appeared in six WWE video games. She made her in-game debut at "WWE 2K14" as a DLC and appears in "WWE 2K15", "WWE 2K16", "WWE 2K17", and "WWE 2K18". She also appeared in the mobile game WWE SuperCard.


title: Summer Rae

text: In 2014, Rae was a main cast member on "Total Divas" for the show's second and third seasons. Rae also starred in the 2015 film "" alongside The Miz.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is best known mainly for his founding of modern Singapore and the Straits Settlements also called Malaysia and Brunei.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles was heavily involved in the capture of the Indonesian island of Java from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars. The running of day-to-day operations on Singapore was mostly done by William Farquhar, but Raffles was the one who got all the credit. He also wrote "The History of Java" (1817).


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles was born on on board the ship "Ann", off the coast of Port Morant, Jamaica, to Captain Benjamin Raffles (1739, London – 23 November 1811, Deptford) and Anne Raffles (née Lyde) (1755 – 8 February 1824, London). Benjamin served as a ship master for various ships engaged in the direct trade between England and the West Indies. Although some biographers have suggested that Benjamin was involved in the slave trade, modern historians have refuted such claims. When Benjamin ended his involvement in the West India trade in 1800, it caused his family considerable hardship.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The little money the family had went into sending the young Raffles to the Mansion House Academy, Hammersmith, a moderately-priced boarding school, offering Latin, Greek, French, arithmetic, bookkeeping and geography, that specialised in preparing boys for clerkships or the army. In 1795, at the age of 14, Raffles started working as a clerk in London for the British East India Company, the trading company that shaped many of Britain's overseas conquests. Nine years later, in 1804, the 23-year-old Raffles married Olivia Mariamne Devenish, a widow ten years his senior, who was formerly married to Jacob Cassivelaun Fancourt, an assistant surgeon in Madras, who had died in 1800.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In 1805, he was sent to Prince of Wales Island, Malaya, starting his long association with Southeast Asia. He started with a post, as assistant secretary, under the Honourable Philip Dundas, the new Governor of Penang. At this time, he also made the acquaintance of Thomas Otho Travers, who would accompany him for the next twenty years.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: His knowledge of the Malay language, as well as his wit and ability, gained him favour with Lord Minto, Governor-General of India, and he was sent to Malacca.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In 1811, after the annexation of the Kingdom of Holland by France during Napoleon's war, Raffles had no choice but to leave the country. He mounted a military expedition against the Dutch and French in Java, in the Dutch East Indies. The war was swiftly conducted by Admiral Robert Stopford, General Frederick Augustus Wetherall, and Colonel Robert Rollo Gillespie, who led a well-organised army against an opposing army of mostly French conscripts with little proper leadership.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The previous Dutch Governor, Herman Willem Daendels, had built a well-defended fortification at Meester Cornelis (now Jatinegara). His successor, Governor Jan Willem Janssens, who coincidentally had surrendered to the British five years earlier at the Cape Colony, mounted a brave but ultimately futile defence at the fortress. The British, led by Colonel Gillespie, stormed the fort and captured it within three hours. Governor Janssens attempted to escape inland but was captured.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The British invasion of Java took a total of forty-five days, during which Raffles was appointed the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies by Baron Minto before hostilities formally ceased. He took his residence at Buitenzorg, and despite having a small subset of Britons as his senior staff, kept many of the Dutch civil servants in the governmental structure.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: During the relatively brief British rule in Java, Raffles negotiated peace, and mounted some significant military expeditions against local Javanese princes to subjugate them to British rule. Most significant of these was the assault on Yogyakarta on 21 June 1812, known as Sepoy Commotion ("Geger Sepehi"); Yogyakarta was one of the two most powerful indigenous polities in Java. During the attack, the Yogyakarta kraton was badly damaged, and extensively looted by British troops. Raffles seized much of the contents of the court archive. The event was unprecedented in Javanese history. It was the first time an indigenous court had been taken by storm by a European army, and the humiliation of the local aristocracy was profound.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Although peace returned to Central Java in the immediate aftermath of the British assault, the events may have fuelled the deep-seated instability and hostility to European involvement that ultimately gave rise to the Java War of the 1820s. Raffles also ordered an expedition to Palembang in Sumatra to unseat the local sultan, Mahmud Badaruddin II, and to seize the nearby Bangka Island to set up a permanent British presence in the area, in the case of the return of Java to Dutch rule after the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition in Europe.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: During his lieutenant-governorship, Raffles placed some restrictions on the local slave trade in line with wider British policy across its Asian territories, although slavery remained widespread and Raffles himself was served by a large retinue of slaves at his official residences in Java. Raffles also attempted a replacement of the Dutch system of forced agricultural deliveries-in-kind with a cash-based land tenure system of land management, probably influenced by the earlier anti-feudal critiques of Dirk van Hogendorp.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Under Raffles's aegis, a large number of ancient monuments in Java were systematically catalogued for the first time. The first detailed English-language account of Prambanan was prepared by Colin Mackenzie, while the Buddhist temple of Borobudur was surveyed and cleared of vegetation by H. C. Cornelius.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Under the harsh conditions of the island, his wife, Olivia, died on 26 November 1814, an event that devastated Raffles. In 1815, he left again for England shortly before the island of Java was returned to control of the Netherlands following the Napoleonic Wars, under the terms of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814. Raffles had been removed from his post by the East India Company ahead of the handover, and officially replaced by John Fendall, Jr. on account of the poor financial performance of the colony during his administration, and allegations of financial impropriety on his own part. He sailed to England in early 1816 to clear his name and, en route, visited Napoleon, who was in exile at St. Helena, but found him unpleasant and unimpressive.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In 1817, Raffles wrote and published "The History of Java", describing the history of the island from ancient times as well as its geography, flora, and fauna.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In 1817, Raffles was created a Knight Bachelor by the Prince Regent, George IV, whose daughter, Princess Charlotte, was particularly close to him. At the publication of the book, he also stopped using the name 'Thomas', preferring to use his middle name, 'Stamford', possibly to avoid confusion amongst his associates with Sir Thomas Sevestre, or his cousin Thomas Raffles who both bore the same first name.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: On 22 February, he married his second wife, Sophia Hull, and later set sail to Bencoolen (present day Bengkulu in Indonesia) to take up his new post with his new wife.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles arrived in Bencoolen on 19 March 1818, where he was appointed as the Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen on 22 March 1818. Despite the prestige connected with the title of Lieutenant-Governor, Bencoolen was a colonial backwater, whose only real export was pepper, and only the murder of a previous Resident, Thomas Parr, gained it any attention back home in Britain. Raffles found the place wrecked, and set about reforms immediately, mostly similar to what he had done in Java; abolishing slavery and limiting cockfighting and such games. To replace the slaves, he used a contingent of convicts, already sent to him from India.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: It was at this point that he realised the importance of a British presence that both challenged the Dutch hegemony in the area, and could remain consistently profitable, unlike Bencoolen or Batavia. However, the strategic importance of poorly maintained but well-positioned British possessions, such as Penang or Bencoolen, made it impossible for the British to abandon such unprofitable colonies in such proximity to the Dutch in Java. The competition in the area, between Raffles and the aggressive Dutch "de jure" Governor, Elout, certainly led at least in part to the later Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Raffles looked into alternatives in the area; namely Bangka, which had been ceded to the Dutch after its conquest by the British during its occupation of Java. Bintan was also under consideration. Despite the fact that Francis Light overlooked the island before settling upon Penang in 1786, the Riau Archipelago was an attractive choice just to the south of the Malay Peninsula, for its proximity to Malacca.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In his correspondences with Calcutta, Raffles also emphasised the need to establish a certain amount of influence with the native chiefs, which had greatly waned since the return of the Dutch. Raffles sent Thomas Travers as an ambassador to the Dutch, to possibly negotiate an expansion of British economic interests. When this failed, and when Raffles's own expeditions into his new dominion found only treacherous terrain and few exportable goods, his desire to establish a better British presence was cemented. However, the Anglo-Dutch Convention of 1814 was not completely clear, especially on the issue of certain possessions such as Padang. The Convention of 1814 only returned Dutch territory that was held before 1803, which did not include Padang. Raffles asserted the British claim personally, leading a small expedition to the Sultanate of Minangkabau. Yet, as Raffles confirmed with the sultan regarding the absolute British influence of the area, he realised that the local rulers had only limited power over the well-cultivated and civilised country, and the treaty was largely symbolic, and had little actual force.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: negotiate commercial treaties with the local chiefs of the Riau Archipelago, especially before Raffles's arrival. Farquhar was compelled to sign the treaty not with the official head of the sultanate, but rather, the Raja Muda (Regent or Crown Prince) of Riau. He noted it as a success, and reported it as such to Raffles.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles sailed to Malacca in late 1818, to personally secure a British presence in the Riau area, especially "Singapura", which was favoured by him both through the readings of Malayan histories, and by Farquhar's explorations. Despite Lord Hastings' less-than-stellar opinion of Raffles before (which had necessitated his trip to England to clear his name at the end of his tenure as Lieutenant-Governor of Java), the now well-connected and successful Raffles was able to secure permission to set up a settlement. At this point in Malaysian history, the name "Lion City" was applied. The city was in a strategically advantageous position; however, he was ordered not to provoke the Dutch, and his subsequent actions were officially disavowed by the British government.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In London, Viscount Castlereagh attempted to quell Dutch fears, and continuing efforts were made to reach an agreement between the nations that eventually became the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of London of 1824. As well as the treaty, instructions were sent out to Raffles to undertake far less intrusive actions; however, the long distance between the Far East and Europe meant that the orders had no chance of reaching Raffles in time.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: After a brief survey of the Karimun Islands, on 29 January 1819, he established a post at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It was established that there was no Dutch presence on the island of Singapore. Johor also no longer had any control of the area, so contact was made with the Temenggong Abdul Rahman. The contacts were friendly, and Raffles, knowledgeable about the muddled political situation, took advantage to provide a rudimentary treaty between the nominal chiefs of the area that called for the exclusivity of trade, and the British protection of the area. Members of Raffles's party surveyed the island, and proceeded to request the presence of the sultan, or whoever at the time had supreme nominal power, to sign a formal treaty, while Major Farquhar was ordered to do the same in Rhio (Riau). A few days later, the formal treaty was signed by a man who claimed to be the "lawful sovereign of the whole of territories extending from Lingga and Johor to Mount Muar".


title: Stamford Raffles

text: This man was Hussein Shah, who, although having had no previous contact with the British, had certainly heard of the might of the British navy, and was in no position to argue against the terms. However, Raffles was able to charm the man, and to reassure him that the Dutch posed no threat in the area. Hussein Shah had been the crown Prince of Johor, but while he was away in Pahang to get married, his father died, and his younger brother was made sultan, supported by some of the court officials and the Dutch. To circumvent the situation of having to negotiate with a sultan influenced by the Dutch, Raffles decided to recognise, on behalf of the British Crown, Hussein Shah as being the rightful ruler of Johor.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Farquhar's attempt to establish a more favourable treaty in Rhio (Riau) was met with greater challenge, as the Dutch were present, and made for a rather awkward position. The Dutch were alarmed, and sent a small contingent to the island. Despite a covert offer of subterfuge against the Dutch offered by the Raja of Rhio (Riau), Farquhar returned, and an official protest was sent by the Raja to Java regarding the matter.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles declared the foundation of what was to become modern Singapore on 6 February, securing the transfer of control of the island to the East India Company. With much pomp and ceremony, the official treaty was read aloud in languages representing all nations present, as well as the Malay and Chinese inhabitants.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Sultan Hussein Shah was paid Spanish dollars 5,000 a year, while Temenggong Abdul Rahman received 3,000 a year, both massive sums at the time, roughly equivalent to £287,000 and £172,000 now.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Farquhar was officially named the Resident of Singapore, and Raffles was named as 'Agent to the Most Noble the Governor-General with the States of Rhio (Riau), Lingin (Lingga) and Johor'. Although ownership of the post was to be exclusively British, explicit orders were given to Farquhar to maintain free passage of ships through the Strait of Singapore, and a small military presence was established alongside the trading post. After issuing orders to Farquhar and the remaining Europeans, Raffles left the next day, 7 February 1819.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles also planned to start a British presence in Achin, on the northern tip of Sumatra. As soon as he had departed, the Raja of Rhio (Riau) sent letters to the Dutch, disclaiming the deal, protesting innocence, and blaming British encroachment. Meanwhile, in Malacca, the Dutch acted at once, commanding that no Malays could go to Singapore. Raffles's bold claim of Singapore created a curious geographic situation: although Penang was clearly closer in distance to Singapore, Raffles, in his capacity as Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, was nominally still in control. This undoubtedly irked the authorities in Penang, to the point where they refused to send any sepoys to Singapore to complete the garrison.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Official Dutch complaints came before the end of the month, and Raffles attempted to appease the situation by instructing Farquhar to not interfere with the politics of surrounding islands. Despite numerous threats and serious considerations by the Dutch Governor-General Van der Capellen in Java, they did not take any military action. The confused political situation in Johore and Rhio also created a certain uneasiness and instability for the two nations. Tengku Long was claimed to be a pretender to the throne, and, since the succession laws in the Malay sultanates were not clear cut, treaties signed between native rulers and the European powers always seemed to be on the verge of invalidation; especially if a sultan should be deposed by one of his siblings or other pretenders.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Nonetheless, amidst uncertainty and intrigue, Raffles landed in Achin on 14 March 1819, with begrudging help of Penang. Once again, it seems that multiple people were in power, but none wanted to formally deal with the British. The hostile atmosphere created allowed Raffles to cancel the only meeting he was able to arrange, with Panglima Polim, a powerful divisional chief, fearing treachery. As the influential merchant John Palmer, Raffles, and fellow commissioner John Monckton Coombs of Penang sat offshore, awaiting a response, Calcutta debated whether to reinforce the port city. Evacuation plans were made, but the Dutch never acted, and ultimately Lord Hastings prompted Colonel Bannerman, the Governor of Penang, to send funds to bolster Singapore. Finally Raffles was capable of convincing his fellow commissioners to sign a treaty with Jauhar al-Alam Shah, the ruler of Achin, which installed a British Resident, as well as guaranteeing the exclusivity of bilateral trade.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: By the time Raffles had returned to Singapore, on 31 May, much of the immediate crisis that the colony had caused in Penang and Calcutta had passed. By then, the initial five-hundred villagers had grown to become five-thousand merchants, soldiers, and administrators, packed onto the island. Raffles was determined to destroy the Dutch mercantile monopoly in the area, to replace it with a gateway for trade with China and Japan. The latter he had attempted but failed to reach an agreement with while governing Java.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: While in Singapore, Raffles established schools and churches in the native languages. He allowed missionaries and local businesses to flourish. Certain colonial aspects remained: a European town was quickly built to segregate the population, separated by a river; carriage roads were built, and cantonments constructed for the soldiers. Otherwise, no other duties were imposed.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Confident that Farquhar would follow his instructions well, Raffles sailed for Bencoolen once again on 28 June.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles was still the Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen when he returned. Raffles started more reforms that were, by now, almost trademarks of his rule over the colonies. Forced labour was abolished when he first arrived, and he declared Bencoolen a free port as well. The currency was regulated and, as he had an excess of out-of-work civil servants, they formed committees to advise him on the daily running of the colony. However, Bencoolen was not as self-sufficient as Singapore. The area was poor and disease-ridden: the first reports from the committees reflected very poorly upon the condition of the colony. Unlike the salutary neglect Raffles granted upon Singapore, he delayed European-inspired reforms, emphasising only the cultivation of whatever land was available.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Native authorities were given power in their respective districts, and were answerable only to the Lieutenant-Governor. The slave-debtor system was brought in, instead of the old slavery system that Raffles had abolished in Java, Borneo, and initially in Bencoolen. Slave-debtors were registered, and educational reforms started to focus on children, instead of the entire population. Raffles looked into a long-term plan for the slow reform of Bencoolen.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Unlike many other European adventurers, Raffles did not impose upon the colonised the alien language or culture of the coloniser. In addition to preserving the artifacts, fauna, and flora of his colonies, he also allowed religious freedom, which was especially important as the Malay states were largely Muslim. Christian schools were started by missionaries in all of his colonies.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Colonel Bannerman's death in Penang in October 1819 brought new opportunities for Raffles to expand his power to also include the other minor British factories and outposts; from Sumatra to Cochin China. He sailed to Calcutta, and as Lord Hastings sought to consolidate all of the small British possessions in the East Indies. During his sojourn, he had the opportunity to argue for free trade, and the protection of the private enterprise. Education and the retention of small British outposts were also discussed.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The Dutch claim on the Sultanate of Johore and hence, Rhio, and the diplomatic exchanges between Baron Godert van der Capellen and Calcutta continued throughout this time. The legitimacy of the British treaties was also questioned once again, but finally, as Singapore grew at an exponential rate, the Dutch gave up their claim on the island, allowing the colony to continue as a British possession. However, the pressures put upon Calcutta ensured that no single governor of all British possessions in the Strait or on Sumatra was appointed, and Raffles, whose health was slowly ailing, returned to Bencoolen.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles returned to Bencoolen in ill-health, but as his health improved, he continued on his quest to learn about the island he now called home. He studied the Batak cannibals of Tapanuli, and their rituals and laws regarding the consumption of human flesh, writing in detail about the transgressions that warranted such an act, as well as their methods. He also noted the rise of the Sikh religion in certain parts of Sumatra.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: By early 1820, Tengku Long had firmly established himself as the Sultan of Johor to the British, but the political situation in the area remained a befuddled mess, with the old sultan dying, and many new ones attempting to gain either the crown or regency. As Farquhar was involving himself poorly in local politics, Raffles appointed Travers as the Resident of Singapore, replacing Farquhar. Upon his arrival, Travers found the colony a delightful smörgåsbord of different races and cultures, numbering over six thousand. He also found that Singapore's trade was slowly overtaking that of Java.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: As in Java, Raffles collected samples of local species of plant and animal, as well as describing them in his journals. He located other tribes, and recorded their customs, especially their religions and laws. Bringing the island of Nias under British rule, he noted its civilised state and high production yields of rice.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Yet the production of food remained a problem. In Bencoolen, Raffles paid special attention to the agricultural methods of the Chinese, including an introduction to the only issue of "Proceedings of the Agricultural Society". In order to remedy the shortages, his employer, the East India Company, concerned themselves only with profit-taking. Even as Raffles lived like a country gentleman, and ran his colony like an estate, his expenditure on nature preservation was seriously frowned upon. In both Calcutta and London, they discussed his removal from office, while Castlereagh continued negotiations with the Dutch regarding the ongoing diplomatic conflicts.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Luckily, the Singapore issue had its supporters in the House, so as negotiations continued in Europe, Raffles remained largely idle in Bencoolen. The only major issue, outside the politics of the local sultans, involved the replacement of Farquhar, who decided that he had no intention of leaving his post voluntarily, causing a moment of tension between him and Travers. Raffles's request for Travers to deliver dispatches to India nullified the issue late in the year, and Farquhar remained in charge of Singapore, with its survival still in doubt for many in both India and London, who believed that it would either be handed over to the Dutch, or taken violently by force when Castlereagh's negotiations had ended. Still William Farquhar stirred up more trouble, especially with local English merchants over trivial matters of self-importance, and overreaction over small infractions of white traders, for some of which he was reprimanded by Calcutta officially. Public works, commissioned by Raffles but undertaken by Farquhar, were becoming overwhelmingly expensive.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Personal tragedies also started for Raffles. His eldest son, Leopold Stamford (b. 1818), died during an epidemic on 4 July 1821. The oldest daughter, Charlotte (b. 1818), was also sick with dysentery by the end of the year, but it would be his youngest son, Stamford Marsden (b. 1820), who would perish first with the disease, on 3 January 1822, with Charlotte to follow ten days later. For the good part of four months, the couple remained devastated. The year would be eventful with the suicide of Castlereagh, and the appointment of Lord Amherst as the Governor-General of India, replacing Hastings. As Raffles grew restless and depressed, he decided to visit Singapore before retiring and heading home to England. Accompanying him would be his wife Sophia and their only surviving child, Ella.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles returned to Singapore in October 1822. Raffles was pleased with the fact that Singapore had grown exponentially in such a short period of time. The colony was a bustling hub of trade and economic activity. Even so, Farquhar's administration was deemed unsatisfactory, for example, he allowed merchants to encroach on government areas, permitted vices such as gambling, and tolerated slave trade. In response, Raffles instituted new policies, and set up a committee headed by the colony's engineer, Philip Jackson to draw up a plan, now known as the Jackson Plan or Raffles Town Plan, based on instructions by Raffles. The plan was still racially segregated, giving the best land to the Europeans. Yet it was considered remarkably scientific for the time. Raffles also supervised the leveling of a small hill south of Singapore River to create Commercial Square (now Raffles Place).


title: Stamford Raffles

text: It was also during the re-planning and reconstruction of the port town that Farquhar dramatically argued with Raffles, who now considered him unfit for the position of Resident. Raffles dismissed Farquhar in April 1823, and took direct control. He had written to Calcutta declaring Farquhar to be incompetent in January 1823, and repeated efforts were made to persuade Calcutta to send a replacement for Farquhar; but they remained unanswered. Raffles made Johor a British protectorate, raising a protest from Van der Capellen. Eventually, Calcutta appointed John Crawfurd, who had followed Raffles for over twenty years, as the new Resident of Singapore, while Captain William Gordon MacKenzie took over Bencoolen. In March 1823, coincidentally the same day he was replaced, he received an official reprimand from London for the takeover of Nias.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles convened a meeting on 1 April 1823, with the intention of opening a Malay college in Singapore, based on his observations on his years in southeast Asia, and his belief of the importance of both the local and the European languages. Raffles personally gave $2,000 towards the effort, the East India Company gave $4,000, with the contributions from various subscribers totalling $17,495. This would be the founding of Raffles Institution.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: In the final few weeks of his stay in Singapore, in 1823, Raffles drafted a series of administrative regulations for Singapore that aimed to govern Singapore in a fair manner, but also reflected his stance on various moral and social issues. A registration system was first instituted for all land, regardless of ownership, and the repossession of the land by the government if land remained unregistered. This act asserted the power of the British government as it covered land previously owned by the Sultan as well. This is followed by laws regarding the port and freedom of trade. In May 1823, he outlawed gambling, imposed heavy taxation on what he considered social evils such as drunkenness and opium-smoking, and banned slavery. A police force and magistracy were also set up on British principles, turning a trading post into a proper city with some semblance of order. A specific regulation in the constitution called for the multi-ethnic population to remain as they were; and no crimes were entirely based on racial principles. Raffles worked on drafting laws, defining exactly 'what' constituted a criminal act.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Finally, on 9 June 1823, feeling that his work in establishing Singapore was finished, he boarded a ship for home, but not before a stop in Batavia to visit his old home, and adversary, van der Capellen. A final stop in Bencoolen followed. Tragedy befell Raffles once more when his youngest daughter, Flora Nightingall, born on 19 September, died a little over one month later on 28 November while still in Bencoolen.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: On 2 February 1824, Raffles and his family embarked on the East Indiaman for England. Unfortunately, she caught fire from Bencoolen the evening after she sailed. All aboard were able to take to her boats and were saved, although the ship herself was totally destroyed. The fire claimed all his drawings and papers.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 finally settled the score in the East Indies. The British gained dominance in the north, while the entirety of Sumatra became Dutch. The Malay Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent were both free of Dutch interference. Raffles finally returned to England on 22 August 1824, over a year after he left Singapore. His longest tenure in Singapore was only eight months, but he was considered the founder of Singapore nevertheless.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Upon arrival in England in poor health, Sir Stamford and Lady Raffles convalesced in Cheltenham until September 1824, after which he entertained distinguished guests in both London and his home. He also made plans to stand for parliament, but this ambition was never realised. They moved to a London address at Berners Street at the end of November 1824, just in time to have a war of words with Farquhar, who had also arrived in the city, in front of the Court of Directors of the East India Company regarding Singapore. Despite raising several severe charges against Raffles, Farquhar was ultimately unable to discredit him; he was denied a chance to be restored to Singapore, but was given a military promotion instead.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: With the Singapore matter settled, Raffles turned to his other great interests: botany and zoology. He was elected a member of the Linnean Society of London on 5 February 1825. Raffles was a founder (in 1825) and first president (elected April 1826) of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the London Zoo. Meanwhile, he was not only not granted a pension, but was called to pay over twenty-two thousand pounds sterling for losses incurred during his administration. Raffles replied by clarifying his actions: and he decided to move to his country estate, Highwood, North London, but before the issue was resolved, he was already much too ill.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: He died at Highwood House in Mill Hill, north London, on his 45th birthday, on 5 July 1826, of apoplexy. His estate amounted to around ten thousand pounds sterling, which was paid to the company to cover his outstanding debt. Because of his anti-slavery position, he was refused burial inside the local parish church (St Mary's Church, Hendon) by the vicar, Theodor Williams, whose family had made its money in Jamaica in the slave trade. A brass tablet was finally placed in 1887, but the actual whereabouts of his body was not known until 1914, when it was found in a vault. When the church was extended in the 1920s, his tomb was incorporated into the body of the building, and a square floor tablet with inscription marked the spot.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Raffles was survived by his second wife Sophia Hull and daughter Ella, and predeceased by his other four children in Bencoolen. Ella died in 1840, aged nineteen. Sophia remained at Highwood House until her death in 1858, at the age of 72. Her tomb and memorial may be seen in St Paul's Church graveyard, Mill Hill, close to the rear door of the church. All his other children remained buried overseas. Thirty-three years after his death, Raffles' substantial collection of Indonesian antiquities and ethnography was donated to the British Museum by his nephew, Rev William Charles Raffles Flint.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: A life-size figure in white marble by Sir Francis Chantrey depicts Raffles in a seated position in Westminster Abbey, London, England. The sculpture was completed in 1832, and it is in the north choir aisle.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: The inscription reads:To the memory of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, L.L.D. F.R.S. Lieut. Governor of Java and first President of the Zoological Society of London. Born 1781 Died 1826. Selected at an early age to conduct the government of the British conquests in the Indian ocean, by wisdom, vigour, and philanthropy, he raised Java to happiness and prosperity unknown under former rulers. After the surrender of that island to the Dutch, and during his government in Sumatra he founded an emporium at Singapore, where in establishing freedom of person as the right of the soil, and freedom of trade as the right of the port, he secured to the British flag the maritime superiority of the eastern seas. Ardently attached to science, he laboured successfully to add to the knowledge and enrich the museums of his native land, in promoting the welfare of the people committed to his charge, he sought the good of his country, and the glory of God.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: While in Sumatra Raffles commissioned artists to make drawings of his collections of animals and plants. The surviving drawings are held by the British Library.


title: Stamford Raffles

text: Two statues in Singapore, one made of white marble along the Singapore River, while another made of bronze in front of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.


title: Richie Roberts

text: Richard M. Roberts (born November 28, 1937) is an American attorney. Roberts was a former law enforcement officer who worked as a detective in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and Essex County Bureau of Narcotics. After completing law school at Seton Hall University and passing the bar examination, Roberts served as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.


title: Richie Roberts

text: Roberts is recognized for his role in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of Harlem "drug kingpin" Frank Lucas, who operated a heroin smuggling and distribution ring in the New York City neighborhood. In addition to bringing down Lucas's operation, Roberts's investigation also uncovered police corruption connected with the drug trade. Lucas's criminal enterprise and the investigation by Roberts was the subject of the 2007 film "American Gangster", starring actor Denzel Washington (as Lucas) and New Zealand actor Russell Crowe (as Roberts). After Lucas was incarcerated, Roberts entered private practice as an attorney specializing in criminal defense, and was retained by Lucas as defense counsel.


title: Richie Roberts

text: In April 2017, Roberts pleaded guilty to tax crimes after an investigation against him by the Internal Revenue Service's criminal division and investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office.


title: Richie Roberts

text: Roberts was born in the Bronx, in New York City on November 28, 1937. Roberts was raised by his grandparents in the Bronx until he moved to Newark, New Jersey with his parents when he was eight years old. He graduated from Newark's Weequahic High School, where he was a star football and baseball player.


title: Richie Roberts

text: After high school, Roberts served for six years in the United States Marine Corps and attained the rank of Sergeant before being discharged from the service in 1961. He attended Upsala College (now defunct) in East Orange, New Jersey, but failed during his senior year as a result of poor attendance. Roberts later completed his undergraduate work at Rutgers University.


title: Richie Roberts

text: In 1963, Roberts was employed as a Detective by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in Essex County, New Jersey where for several years he was involved in undercover organized crime investigations. Attending night classes, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law and passed the Bar Examination in New Jersey in August 1971. After being licensed as an attorney, Roberts was made an Assistant Prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Shortly after, he was tapped to head a special Narcotics Task Force overseen by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Roberts remained with the prosecutor's office until 1975.


title: Richie Roberts

text: After working as a prosecutor for over 10 years, Roberts became a criminal defense attorney in 1981. After leaving the prosecutor's office, Roberts was briefly affiliated with the firm of Harkavy, Goldman & Caprio, but soon established his own firm. The first person he defended was Frank Lucas. During private practice, Roberts has defended many homicide cases and was involved in New Jersey's first Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case. He has also been a guest speaker to conferences held by several police and private groups. He was a co-managing partner of Roberts-Saluti, LLC, a criminal and civil litigation firm with offices in Newark, New Jersey. Roberts has been suspended from the practice of law since 2015, and was ordered on September 11, 2017, to be suspended for an additional three years.


title: Richie Roberts

text: As the head of a Federal Bureau of Narcotics task force, Roberts is best known for his role in the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of Frank Lucas (1930-2019), an African-American drug kingpin who operated a heroin smuggling and distribution ring from Harlem in New York City in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This legacy is bolstered by the film "American Gangster" in 2007; however, crime historian Ron Chepesiuk states that Roberts "was a minor figure in the Lucas investigation; the idea that Roberts was the key official in bringing Lucas down is Hollywood's imagination." Even Roberts has stated that his character in the film is more of a composite of several investigators' work and not an accurate portrayal of him.


title: Richie Roberts

text: Lucas was a petty criminal until he became associated with Harlem crime lord Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (1905-1968). After Johnson's death, Lucas sought advancement by bypassing the Italian Mafia's control of the New York City heroin trade and obtained his heroin direct from Asia's Golden Triangle, often travelling to Bangkok, Thailand and utilizing military personnel to transport narcotics. Lucas frequently boasted that he smuggled heroin back to the United States using the coffins of American servicemen killed in the Vietnam War. However, this claim has been denied by his associate in Southeast Asia, Leslie "Ike" Atkinson (who was nicknamed "Sergeant Smack" by the Drug Enforcement Administration investigators). Atkinson claimed that the drugs were transported in furniture as well as the coffins. However, not within the bodies, but in holed out portions on the bottom.


title: Richie Roberts

text: Lucas, and his associates (largely drawn from family and close friends), sold heroin under the name "Blue Magic", and claimed that it was 98-100% pure when shipped from Thailand. However, it was cut with mannite and quinine and resulted in a final product that was only 10 percent pure when it hit the streets. However, this was much better than the rival "brands," which were lucky to be at 5 percent purity and likely less. By bypassing the trafficking middlemen, using innovative shipping, and providing a higher quality product, Lucas was able to dominate the market through the sale of heroin at inexpensive prices. Lucas claimed that he earned $1 million a day selling heroin from his base of operations on 116th Street in Manhattan, although this was later believed to be an exaggeration. Roberts disclosed on the WBGO 88.3 public radio program "Conversations With Allan Wolper" that heroin dealers in New York area were claiming their drugs were "Blue Magic," hoping to take advantage of the publicity generated by "American Gangster".


title: Richie Roberts

text: In January 1975, Lucas's residence in Teaneck, New Jersey, was raided by a task force consisting of agents from Group 22 of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and detectives from New York Police Department's Organized Crime Control Bureau (OCCB). In 1976, Lucas was convicted of drug trafficking and distribution offenses and sentenced to 70 years in prison (a consecutive 40-year federal prison sentence and 30-year New Jersey state prison sentence). After cooperation in the prosecution of over 100 other drug-related cases, Lucas was offered placement in the federal witness protection program, and in 1981 after 5 years in prison custody, his sentence was reduced to "time served" with lifetime parole supervision. After violating parole with a minor drug distribution offense, Lucas (who was defended by Roberts) was returned to prison and was released in 1991.


title: Richie Roberts

text: The story of Roberts' investigation and prosecution of Frank Lucas was adapted into the 2007 film "American Gangster", starring Academy Award-winning actors Denzel Washington portraying Lucas and Russell Crowe portraying Roberts. The film grossed more than US$127 million and was met with generally positive reviews. However, several people involved with the actual events regarding the investigation and prosecution (including Lucas and Roberts) have criticized the film as a largely fictional and exaggerated portrayal that contained inaccuracies and fabrication.


title: Richie Roberts

text: The film portrays Roberts as being mired in a personal child custody battle and suggests that this aspect of his personal life was compromised by his dogged investigation of Lucas. This was entirely fabricated, as Roberts never had a child. Roberts also criticized the portrayal of Lucas as "almost noble".


title: Richie Roberts

text: Comparatively, Sterling Johnson, Jr., a federal judge who served as a special narcotics prosecutor and assisted in the arrest and trial of Lucas, described the film as "one percent reality and ninety-nine percent Hollywood." In addition, Johnson described the real life Lucas as "illiterate, vicious, violent, and everything Denzel Washington was not." In 2008, former Drug Enforcement Administration agents filed a lawsuit against Universal Studios, alleging that the events depicted in the film defamed them and hundreds of other agents.


title: A7V

text: The A7V was a heavy tank introduced by Germany in 1918 during World War I. One hundred chassis were ordered in early 1917, ten to be finished as fighting vehicles with armoured bodies, and the remainder as "Überlandwagen" cargo carriers. The number to be armoured was later increased to 20. They were used in action from March to October 1918, and were the only tanks produced by Germany in World War I to be used in combat.


title: A7V

text: After the first British tanks appeared on the Western Front, in September 1916, the German War Ministry formed a committee, under the auspices of its "Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement, Abteilung 7 Verkehrswesen" ("General War Department, Section 7, Transportation"), to investigate tank development.


title: A7V

text: The project to design and build the first German tank was placed under the direction of Joseph Vollmer, one of Germany's foremost automobile designers. It was to weigh around 30 tons, be capable of crossing ditches up to wide, have armament including a cannon at the front and rear as well as several machine-guns, and reach a top speed of at least . The running gear was based on the American Holt tractor, copied from examples loaned by the Austro-Hungarian Army. After initial plans were shared with the army in December 1916, the design was extended to be a universal chassis that could be used as a base for both a tank and unarmoured "Überlandwagen" ("over-land vehicle") cargo carriers.


title: A7V

text: The first prototype was completed by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft at Berlin-Marienfelde and tested on 30 April 1917. A wooden mockup of a final version was completed in May 1917 and demonstrated in Mainz with 10 tons of ballast to simulate the weight of the armor. During final design, the rear-facing cannon was removed and the number of machine-guns was increased to six. The first pre-production A7V was produced in September 1917, followed by the first production model in October 1917. The tanks were given to Assault Tank Units 1 and 2, founded on 20 September 1917, each with five officers and 109 non-commissioned officers and soldiers.


title: A7V

text: The tank's name was derived from that of its parent organization, "Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement, Abteilung 7 (Verkehrswesen)" (General War Department, Section 7, Transport). In German, the tank was called "Sturmpanzerwagen" (roughly "armoured assault vehicle").


title: A7V

text: The A7V was long and wide, and the maximum height was . The tank had 20 mm of steel plate at the sides, 30 mm at the front and 10 mm for the roof; however, the steel was not hardened armour plate, which reduced its effectiveness. It was sufficient to stop machine-gun and rifle fire, but not larger calibre rounds.


title: A7V

text: The crew officially consisted of at least 17 soldiers and one officer: commander (officer, typically a lieutenant), driver, mechanic, mechanic/signaller, 12 infantrymen (six machine gunners, six loaders), and two artillerymen (main gunner and loader). A7Vs often went into action with as many as 25 men on board.


title: A7V

text: The A7V was armed with six 7.92 mm MG08 machine guns and a 5.7 cm Maxim-Nordenfelt cannon mounted at the front. Some of these cannons were of British manufacture and had been captured in Belgium early in the war; others were captured in Russia in 1918 and appear to have included some Russian-made copies.


title: A7V

text: Some A7Vs originally were built with two forward-facing machine guns instead of a 57 mm gun. Most were converted to carry a 57 mm before entering service. Number 501, "Gretchen", took part in the action at St. Quentin before her 57 mm was fitted.


title: A7V

text: The A7V carried between 40 and 60 cartridge belts for its machine guns, each of 250 rounds, giving it a total of . Officially, it carried 180 shells for the 57 mm gun, of which 90 were canister, 54 were armor-piercing, and 36 were high-explosive; in practice, however, A7V crews stowed up to 300 57 mm rounds for combat.


title: A7V

text: Power came from two centrally mounted Daimler 4-cylinder petrol engines delivering each; the A7V carried of fuel. The top speed was about on roads and across country. The 24 wheel suspension was individually sprung – an advantage over the unsprung British tanks. The A7V's power-to-weight ratio was 5.1 kW/ton (6.8 hp/ton), it could cross trenches up to wide, and its ground clearance was .


title: A7V

text: Compared to that of other World War I tanks, the A7V's road speed was quite high, but the vehicle had very poor off-road capability and a high centre of gravity, which made it prone to getting stuck or overturning on steep slopes. The large overhang at the front and the low ground clearance meant that trenches or very muddy areas were impassable. The driver's view of the terrain directly in front of the tank was obscured by the vehicle's hull, which meant that there was a blind spot of about . However, in open terrain, the A7V could be used to some success, and offered more firepower than the armoured cars that were available.


title: A7V

text: The A7V was first used in combat on 21 March 1918. Five tanks of "Abteilung I" (Detachment I) under the command of "Hauptmann" Greiff were deployed north of the St. Quentin Canal. Three of the A7Vs suffered mechanical failures before they entered combat; the remaining pair helped stop a minor British breakthrough in the area, but otherwise saw little combat that day.


title: A7V

text: Three detachments ("Abteilungen") of tanks were assigned to an attack in April 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux at the head of the four German divisions spread over a front. Two tanks broke down en route, but the 13 that saw action achieved some success, and the British recorded that their lines were broken by the tanks.


title: A7V

text: The first tank-against-tank combat in history took place on 24 April 1918 when three A7Vs (including chassis number 561, known as "Nixe") taking part in an attack with infantry incidentally met three British Mark IVs (two female machine gun-armed tanks and one male with two 6-pounder guns) near Villers-Bretonneux. During the battle, tanks on both sides were damaged. According to the British lead tank commander, Second Lieutenant Frank Mitchell, the female Mk IVs fell back after being damaged by armour-piercing bullets. They were unable to damage the A7Vs with their own machine guns. Mitchell then attacked the lead German tank, commanded by Second Lieutenant Wilhelm Biltz, with the 6-pounders of his own tank and knocked it out. He hit it three times, and killed five of the crew when they bailed out. He stated that he then went on to rout some infantry with case shot. The two remaining A7Vs in turn withdrew. As Mitchell's tank withdrew from action, seven British Whippet tanks also engaged the German infantry. Three of these were knocked out in the battle, and it is unclear if any of them engaged the retreating German tanks but they did carry out an attack on two German battalions in the open to the rear causing them to break and flee. Mitchell's tank lost a track towards the end of the battle due to damage from an exploding mortar shell and was abandoned. The damaged A7V limped back to the German lines, but eventually broke down. It was later destroyed by a German demolition squad, to prevent its capture and reuse by the Allies.


title: A7V

text: A counter attack later re-established the Allied line, by which time three A7Vs were out of action in No Man's Land or behind German lines. Nixe was badly damaged, and a German team destroyed it with explosive charges during the night of the 24th. Elfriede had overturned; it was righted and recovered from No Man's Land three weeks later by French troops and British tanks, and handed over to the French for examination. Mephisto lay stuck in a crater behind German lines for almost three months. After the area was taken by Australian troops, in July, the tank was towed to the rear by British tanks and, eventually, transported to Australia.


title: A7V

text: In May, A7Vs were used with limited success in an attack on the French near Soissons, during the Third Battle of the Aisne.


title: A7V

text: On 15 July, at Reims (during the Second Battle of the Marne), the Germans put eight A7Vs and 20 captured Mk IVs against the French lines. Although 10 of the Mk IVs were lost in this action, no A7Vs were lost.


title: A7V

text: The final use in World War I of A7Vs was in a small but successful action on 11 October 1918, near Iwuy.


title: A7V

text: Germany did not consider the A7V a success and planned other designs. However the end of the war meant none of the other tanks in development or planned ones – such as the "Sturmpanzerwagen Oberschlesien" and the 120-ton K-Wagen – would be finished .


title: A7V

text: With only 20 produced, the A7V made only a very minor contribution to the German war effort in World War I, and the approximately 50 captured British Mark IV tanks (renamed "Beutepanzer" in German operation) the Germans fielded in action during the war outnumbered the A7V. In contrast, the French produced over 3,600 of their light Renault FT, the most numerous tank of World War I, and the British over 2,500 of their Mark I, II, III, IV, V, and V* heavy tanks.


title: A7V

text: Two vehicles closely resembling the A7V, one of which was named "Hedi", were among several used by "Kokampf", a "Freikorps" tank unit, to quell civil unrest in Berlin in 1919. They were constructed using the chassis from "Überlandwagen" and armed with four MG08/15 machine guns. It is not known whether the vehicles were armour-plated.


title: A7V

text: There is a popular myth that France handed over several A7Vs to Polish forces, which used them during the Polish–Soviet War in 1919–1920. However, reliable sources dismiss the idea because the fate of each A7V that saw service in World War I is known and includes no transfers to Poland and there is no known official record or photographic evidence of A7Vs in Polish service.


title: A7V

text: The design of the A7V is featured on the 1921 Tank Memorial Badge, awarded to German veterans of World War I who served as tank crewmen.


title: A7V

text: Thirty chassis were assigned for completion as "Überlandwagen" supply carriers, but not all were completed before the end of the war.


title: A7V

text: The only surviving A7V is "Mephisto", which was abandoned by its crew during the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918. It was recovered three months later by British and Australian troops, and taken to Australia in 1919 as a trophy. The vehicle stood outside the old Queensland Museum in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, under an open-sided shelter for many years until being moved into the new Queensland Museum on Southbank in 1986. It was damaged by floodwater in 2011, and taken for restoration to the Workshops Rail Museum, North Ipswich, Queensland. After restoration it was displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, from 2015 until 2017. It has now been returned to the Queensland Museum.


title: A7V

text: A running replica was built in 2009 by Bob Grundy of British Military Vehicles, Wigan, UK, a company that specialises in the restoration of old military vehicles. The replica is constructed of plywood and angle iron, using the engine, transmission and tracks from two Fordson County Crawlers – tracked agricultural vehicles – and is painted to represent A7V number 504, "Schnuck". It was purchased by The Tank Museum, Bovington, in November 2012. It is on display inside the Museum, and takes part in outdoor displays alongside the Museum's replica British Mark IV that was constructed for the film "War Horse".


title: A7V

text: A static replica is in the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster. It is named "Wotan", but is largely based on the surviving example, "Mephisto".


title: A7V

text: A mobile mock-up of an A7V appears in the East German feature film "Trotz Alledem" (1972), the story of Karl Liebknecht and the 1919 Spartacist uprising in Berlin.


title: M. Pokora

text: Matthieu Tota (; born 26 September 1985), artistically known as Matt Pokora and later M. Pokora (), is a French pop and R&B singer. In 2016, he became a coach for "The Voice Kids France" and "".


title: M. Pokora

text: Matthieu Tota is the son of professional footballer André Tota and Brigitte. His parents divorced in 1998 when he was 13 years old. As a child, he studied in an elementary school in Hohberg, and later at Collège Paul-Émile Victor in Mundolsheim, and Lycée Aristide Briand in Schiltigheim near Strasbourg. When he was younger, football was his first ambition and he wanted to become a professional player. However, he later opted for music.


title: M. Pokora

text: Matthieu Tota explained the origin of his stage name Matt Pokora in an interview during the documentary "Mise à jour" broadcast on 26 August 2010 on NRJ 12 TV channel. He said he was searching for an artistic name and happened to be talking to his grandmother of Polish origin and the importance of humility came up. He asked her "how do we say 'humility' in Polish", and she said "pokora". Tota immediately decided to adopt the word as his stage name.


title: M. Pokora

text: He earned some public attention as a member of French R&B group Mic Unity. He is also referred to the "French prince of crunk music".


title: M. Pokora

text: In fall 2003, he participated in the third season of "Popstars", a French talent reality television show broadcast on M6. The concept of the program was to present possible candidates the winners of which would take part in the formation of a boy band or girl band. He was a crowd and jury favourite, and became a member of a boy band called Linkup formed with Lionel and Otis, two other winners in 2003 Popstars. The female winners were formed into another group Diadems formed of Marylore, Angel, Pookie, Ophélie and Alexandra. In the final showdown, the boy band including Matthieu Tota won the series over the girl band Diadems, who ended up runners-up.


title: M. Pokora

text: Their first Linkup single "Mon Étoile" was very successful topping French charts, and the debut album "Notre Étoile" was moderately successful. However the second single release "Une seconde d'éternité" was much less successful despite good sales.


title: M. Pokora

text: The band tried again their hand in a collaboration with the British boy band Blue making a bilingual English/French version with Blue based on the latter's song "Bubblin'". The bilingual English/French Blue/Linkup version was entitled "You & Me Bubblin". Soon afterwards, Linkup disbanded due to poor performance of sales on releases.


title: M. Pokora

text: In 2004, soon after the break-up of Linkup, Matthieu started working preparing for a solo career collaborating with the producers Kore & Skalp.


title: M. Pokora

text: Under the stage name Matt Pokora, he released his first eponymous solo album originally entitled "Matt Pokora". In 2005, he was forced to change his chosen name after a lawsuit from French R&B singer Matt Houston. As a result, he changed his stage name to M. Pokora and re-released the album as "M. Pokora".


title: M. Pokora

text: The debut single from "M. Pokora" was very successful. Called "Showbiz (The Battle)", it was a Top 10 hit in France, and also charted in Belgium and Switzerland. The second single "Elle me contrôle" featuring Sweety reached #6 in France and Pokora received two NRJ Music Awards for the single. Yet a third successful single was released called "Pas sans toi". The album released on Universal was certified gold.


title: M. Pokora

text: He also started collaborating with Hakim Ghorab who became his long-time choreographer and took part in many of his music videos. He also developed a close collaboration with music video director Karim Ouaret who directed most of his successful videos.


title: M. Pokora

text: In January 2006, his second album "Player" was released topping the French chart. For producing the new album, he collaborated with Belgian producers Bionix, Rachid Mir and Christian Dessart and artists Red Rat and Zoxea and geared toward the younger and feminine fan brackets. He also enjoyed great popularity with gay audiences. The first single from his second album was the very successful "De retour" featuring Tyron Carter. That was followed with single "Oh la la la (Sexy Miss)" with Red Rat.


title: M. Pokora

text: During a concert organized by NRJ Radio in France, he met Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and Martin asked M. Pokora to make a collaboration on Martin's hit "It's Alright". The result was a bilingual French/English Ricky Martin/M. Pokora release also entitled "It's Alright" that sold more than 100,000 copies. Finally, a last single from the "Player" album followed called "Mal de guerre", which was a relative success. M. Pokora released "Player" in a second edition in March 2006 with the bonus track added of the duet with Ricky Martin.


title: M. Pokora

text: To promote the album and capitalize on its success, M. Pokora engaged in a tour of more than 30 French venues under the title "Player Tour" that culminated in a big sold-out concert at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. At the end of the tour, a DVD containing materials from the shows was marketed under the name "Player Tour Live". The DVD also included a photo book and memories from the tour.


title: M. Pokora

text: Pokora also created his own label M2theP Entertainment, signing his protégé, the rapper Tyron Carter. In addition to being featured on "De retour", Tyron Carter released "Ne me dis pas" that featured M. Pokora, a Top 30 hit, followed by an album "Mon hold-up".


title: M. Pokora

text: After end of the "Player Tour", Pokora left Universal and signed with EMI France. Also desiring a more international profile, he went to New York and created contacts most importantly with producers Ryan Leslie and J. R. Rotem. The result was his third album "MP3" that was released on 24 March 2008, containing 14 tracks, including 12 in English. The title of the album was a play on his name Matt Pokora (MP) and the number 3 (his third album) but also referring to the popular gadget MP3, the audio format for consumer audio storage. Pokora promoted the launching of the album with a prerelease of single "Dangerous" featuring American hip hop artist Timbaland and Sebastian, Timbaland's brother and the timing of the release was picked to coincide with the NRJ Music Awards of 2008.


title: M. Pokora

text: The album reached #7 with estimated physical sales of 200,000 copies and additional downloads of 151,000. The album was certified gold. The album also did well internationally charting in Finland, Germany, Mexico, Belgium and in his homeland Poland where he won the Polish "Eska Music Awards" as the "International hip hop Artist of the Year".