title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 9 January, the CTS captured the Baladiyat district on the eastern front, while the Federal Police and Iraqi Army captured the Domiz and Palestine districts on the southeastern front. ISIL was still in control of the city's water stations, and was reported to have cut the water supply to more than 30 districts that had been captured by Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, the ISOF surrounded the University of Mosul. On 10 January, CTS forces captured the Sukkar and al-Dhubbat districts, while advancing in the Siddeeq and al-Maliyah districts. Several governmental offices, including the communication complex, provincial electricity department, and a security headquarters were also captured by the CTS. In response to the advances, ISIL blew up two bridges to prevent Iraqi forces from attacking western Mosul. On the southeastern front, the Federal Police and Iraqi Army pushed further into al-Salam, Palestine, Sumer, Yarimja and Sahiron districts, while on the northern front, the Iraqi Army advanced further into al-Hadbaa while capturing northern part of Sabaa Nisaan. On 12 January, the CTS captured the 7th Nissan and Sadeeq districts, successfully linking up with Iraqi Army forced advancing in the Hadbaa district. CTS Spokesman al-Numan stated that Iraqi forces were now in control of about 85% of eastern Mosul. Around the same time, the Rapid Response Division advanced in the Sumer and Sahiroun districts, capturing those districts later in the day. Iraqi forces also captured the al-Salam district. Meanwhile, the PMU captured 3 villages near Tel Abta.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 13 January, the CTS reached the second bridge of the city, also called the "Freedom Bridge." In response, ISIL had destroyed all five bridges of the city, in order to slow the Iraqi advance towards western Mosul. The CTS later reached the Old Bridge of Mosul, also known as the "Iron Bridge", and stormed the University of Mosul, capturing a part of the university complex later in the day. The CTS also captured the al-Kafa'at district on eastern front as well as al-Sadriya, al-Naser, and al-Faisaliyah in the central part of East Mosul. Iraqi Army forces also captured the Hadbaa district during the day, and the CTS captured a government complex, which included the Nineveh Governorate administration and council buildings. On 14 January, the Rapid Response Division captured the Yarimja area and a field hospital that ISIL was using. The Federal Police also captured the highway between Mosul and Kirkuk. Iraqi forces later completely captured the University of Mosul, in addition to the eastern side of a third bridge. On 15 January, Iraqi forces carried out a sweeping operation in the University of Mosul to clear out any remaining hiding militants, while continuing their advance along the Tigris river. The operation command later announced that the Iraqi Army had captured al-Kafaat Thani (Second) district on the northern front, while CTS had captured Andalus on the eastern front. ON 16 January, clashes occurred in the Shurta and Andalus districts. By this point, Iraqi forces had taken complete control of the river banks in the south. During the day, the Iraqi Army captured the Kindi and Qairawan districts, while the CTS captured Jammasa. The CTS later captured the Nabi Yunus area, including the Nabi Yunus shrine.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 17 January, the CTS was in complete control of Shurta and Andalus, as well as the al-Muhandiseen district, and pushed into the Eastern Nineveh and Souq al-Ghanam districts. The CTS later captured the Nineveh al-Sharqiya, Bab-Shams, and Souq al-Ghanam districts on the eastern front, as well as the Nu'maniya and Uttshana districts, while storming the adjacent al-Jazair district. Meanwhile, on the northern front, the Iraqi Army captured the Kindi military base, the former headquarters of the 2nd Division, as well as the nearby al-Kindi facility. The CTS also captured the Al Jazair, Al Derkazlih, Al Seuis, and Sanharib districts during the day, along with the Grand Mosque of the city. Iraqi forces also succeeded in capturing all five bridges of the city during the day, as well as the Zaraei district. United States Air Force Colonel John Dorrian stated during the day that Iraqi forces were now in control of 85–90% of east Mosul. On the same day, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stated that Iraqi forces had begun moving against ISIL in western Mosul. On 18 January, Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati announced that the CTS had captured all the districts of east Mosul they were tasked with taking, and that Iraqi forces were almost in complete control of the eastern side, though a few parts of the city in the north had yet to be captured by the Iraqi Army. All five bridges of the city were also under the control of Iraqi forces. During the day, CTS captured the ruins of Nineveh, as well as the adjacent Tal Nirgal area. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army captured the al-Qadhiyah district and were fighting on the edges of al-Arabi district. Around the same time, the PMU captured two areas in the Nineveh Plains region. On 19 January, the Iraqi Army captured the town of Tel Kayf, to the north of Mosul (after a nearly three-month-long siege), as well as the Nineveh Oberoi hotel and the "Palaces" area on the eastern bank of the Tigris. Clashes continued in the Al-Arabi District. The Iraqi Air Force carried out an airstrike in al-Zerai area in Mosul, reportedly killing five ISIL leaders including Abdel Wahed Khodier, assistant to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; the Islamic Police Chief in Nineveh, Ahmed Khodier Sayer al-Juwan and Agriculture Minister in Tal Afar and Mahlabiya, Abdel Karim Khodier Sayer al-Juwan. Iraqi Iraqi forces also captured the Fadiliyah district and the Jaber ibn Hayyan military facility, as well as the Ghabat area. On 20 January, the 9th Division captured the free zone in the northern sector of Mosul. Iraqi forces also captured a pharmaceutical plant to the north of Mosul, as well as the Al-Arabi 1 district, while clashing with ISIL in the Rashidiyah district. Meanwhile, the CTS started performing clearing operations in the districts they had captured in east Mosul.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 21 January, Iraqi forces continued advancing in the outskirts of the city. The Iraqi Arm captured the al-Arabi district, as well as al-Qousiyat village, killing some 40 militants killed and destroying four car bombs. The CJTF–OIR Coalition also announced that between 19 and 21 January, they had targeted a flotilla of 90 boats and three barges being used by ISIL to cross the Tigris and escape the clashes. On the same day, Coalition officials stated that the fight for west Mosul was expected to be tougher than the fight for east Mosul. On 22 January, the Iraqi Army captured the Al-Milayeen district and Al-Binaa al-Jahiz area, as well as the Mosul-Dohuk road. By this point, only the Rashidiyah district was left under ISIL control in eastern Mosul. On 23 January, the Iraqi Army entered the Rashidiyah district. On 24 January, Iraqi troops captured the Rashidiyah district, as well as the villages of Ba'wiza, Shrikhan and Baysan. Following these advances, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later announced the "full liberation" of eastern Mosul.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 25 January, the PMU announced that they took over Tel Shana, a strategic hill in Salaheddin Province, after killing dozens of ISIL militants. It added that PMUs also took over the villages of ِArab Leith, Mohamed al-Awad and Ard Mosaltan after intense fights with the extremist group. On 28 January, the PMU's 2nd Brigade repelled an attack launched by ISIL on the al-Kobayrat area, to the west of Mosul, killing 40 militants.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 3 February, the PMU captured the villages of Bostan Radif and Um Gharba, as well as the Sherka region of western Mosul. On 13 February, more than 200 ISIL fighters launched an attack on three villages to the west of Tal Afar, with tanks and VBIEDs, to regain access between western Mosul and Raqqa. The attack was repelled by the PMU, resulting in deaths of more than 50 ISIL fighters and the destruction of 17 VBIEDs. Another attack on a village to the south of the area was repelled, resulting in deaths of 13 militants according to the Federal Police. Airstrikes by the anti-ISIL coalition killed Haqi Ismail Hamid al-Emri, a former member of al-Qaeda in Iraq who played a leadership role of ISIL's security networks in Mosul.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 22 July, Iraqi security forces arrested ISIL's minister of agriculture, Falah Rashid, in western Mosul. Four police personnel, including a lieutenant general, were killed at al-Maash market after clashing with ISIL militants on 25 July. An ISIL senior leader who held the post of "tribal affairs bureau for southern Mosul" was arrested in eastern Mosul while crossing the Tigris River carrying a fake ID.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The "Sudan Tribune" reported on 5 August that Ali Abdel-Ma'arouf (aka Abu al-Asbat Al-Sudani), a Sudanese national, who was ISIL head of prisons and a top legislator, was killed during recent clearing operations in Mosul. On 8 August, a security source said that ISF in coordination with the Nineveh police, had arrested Ahmed Sabhan Abdel Wahid al-Dulaimi, a senior ISIL intelligence official, in east Mosul. Federal Police forces killed a senior ISIL judge, Abdul-Sattar Mohamed Ali, aka Abi al-Hakam al-Aawar, in a raid at a basement in the Old City. On 10 August, a source revealed that two civilians were killed and three others wounded when ISIL gunmen opened fire on them. Meanwhile, Federal Police chief, Shaker Jawdat, said in a statement that 47 ISIL members had been killed and arrested since the beginning of July. He also added that 192 explosive belts, ten tons of ammonia nitrates and five barrels of C4 and six booby-trapping workshops were seized.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Lieutenant-Colonel Abdul Salam al-Jabouri said on 12 October that some ISIL terrorists who had survived the military offensive in Mosul were detected in the marshlands area alongside near the Tigris, after they sent threats to some Tribal Mobilization leaders via SMS.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Abu Omer, an ISIL leader who was notorious for appearing in ISIL's execution videos, was reported to have been captured in January 2018. Hisham al-Hashimi, adviser to the Iraqi government and other Middle Eastern government on ISIL matters, confirmed his identity.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: During the last stages of battle to retake Mosul, Lise Grande stated that per an initial assessment, basic infrastructure repair will cost over US$1 billion. She stated that while stabilization in east Mosul can be achieved in two months, in some districts of Mosul it might take years, with six out of 44 districts almost completely destroyed. All the districts of Mosul received light or moderate damage. Per the United Nations, 15 districts out of the 54 residential districts in the western half of Mosul were heavily damaged while at least 23 were moderately damaged in the battle. The UN also estimated that more than 5,000 buildings have been damaged and another 490 were destroyed in the Old City alone during the battle. Amnesty International accused Iraqi and United States forces of using unnecessarily powerful weapons. Sporadic clashes occurred after the victory declaration as Iraqi troops targeted holdouts. Fighting continued in the Imam Gharbi village to the south of Mosul and it was recaptured by Iraqi forces on 20 July. According to the American Schools of Oriental Research, IS damaged 15 religious sites in Mosul, while Coalition forces damaged 47, of which 38 were largely destroyed.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The Iraqi forces launched a ground offensive to retake Tal Afar, one of the last cities held by the militants, located west of Mosul, on 20 August 2017. The city was captured on 28 August, with Iraqi forces capturing the rest of the district by 2 September.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Following the end of the Tal Afar offensive, the Iraqi Army launched another offensive to retake the ISIL-controlled Hawija Pocket on 20 September 2017.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Up to 1.5 million civilians lived in the city, sparking concerns among various organizations of a large humanitarian crisis. Lise Grande, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, stated, "In a worst-case scenario, we're literally looking at the single largest humanitarian operation in the world in 2016." Save the Children warned that massive civilian bloodshed was likely, unless safe routes were authorized to let civilians flee. The U.S. government has accused ISIL of using civilians as human shields.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Fears that civilians could be used as human shields by ISIL were realized as it was confirmed the group had been abducting civilians from villages for this purpose, which received widespread condemnation from human rights groups and the United Nations Security Council.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Shortly after the battle began, news surfaced of ISIL kidnapping and executing civilians in Mosul. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis stated that ISIL was using civilians as human shields and holding people against their will in the city.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The "International Business Times" reported that ISIL has forced boys from Mosul as young as 12 to fight for them, and that ISIL had trained the children to "behead prisoners and make suicide bombs."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: An Iraqi intelligence source stated on 21 October that ISIL executed 284 men and boys abducted from Mosul for the purpose of using them as human shields. The civilians were shot and put in a mass grave. A United Nations official said the UN is "gravely worried" about the fate of 200 families from Somalia and 350 families from Najafia who were abducted Monday by ISIL, who could be used as human shields.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 26 October, CNN reported that ISIL has been carrying out "retribution killings" of civilians as revenge for others welcoming Iraqi and Peshmerga troops in villages restored under government control.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The presence with Iraqi forces of several militias with histories of human rights abuses was criticized; Human Rights Watch called for Shia militias from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) not to enter Mosul, following allegations of abuse of Sunni Muslims in anti-ISIL operations in Fallujah, Tikrit and Amirli. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi later stated that only the Iraqi army and the Iraqi national police would enter the city itself.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 21 October, "International Business Times" reported that "disturbing and graphic footage posted to social media allegedly shows Iraqi security forces torturing and interrogating young children for information about ISIL as they attempt to retake Mosul from the Islamic State terror group."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 17 March, a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in Mosul killed more than 200 civilians. Amnesty International's senior investigator on crisis response said: "The high civilian toll suggests that coalition forces leading the offensive in Mosul have failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: An estimate in mid-July 2017 by Kurdish intelligence put the total number of civilian casualties at 40,000. The largest portion of this loss of life is attributable to the unyielding artillery bombardment by Iraqi government forces—in particular, units of the Iraqi Federal Police—of west Mosul. Killings by ISIL and air strikes were two other significant sources of civilian deaths.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The World Health Organization stated on 4 March 2017 that twelve people were being treated in Erbil for possible exposure to chemical weapons in Mosul. The WHO said that they had enabled "an emergency response plan to safely treat men, women and children who may be exposed to the highly toxic chemical[s]" and were preparing for more patients with exposure to these agents. According to the UN, four patients show "severe signs associated with exposure to a blister agent", which they were exposed to on the eastern side of the city.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: In April 2017, American and Australian advisory forces embedded with Iraqi units were attacked with low-grade, "rudimentary" chemical weapons during an offensive.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Italian Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, arrived in Erbil on 17 October to meet with Kurdish officials. The UN has set up five refugee camps capable of taking up to 45,000 people and has the capability of taking in up to 120,000 if more sites are available for camps. Dozens of families from Mosul arrived in the Al-Hawl camp in Rojava, northern Syria, bringing the number of Iraqis in al-Hawl to more than 6,000. On 18 October, more than 2,000 refugees from Mosul were attempting to cross into Syria, according to the People's Defense Units (YPG). The UN is attempting to communicate with citizens inside Mosul that they should not flee to the West of the city toward Syria, an area still under ISIL control, but to the camps in the east.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had trained 90 Iraqi medics in "mass casualty management" as part of its preparations for the Mosul operation, with a special focus on responding to chemical attacks, AP reported. ISIL has previously used chemical weapons in attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, and there are fears that it might do so again inside Mosul, where more than a million civilians live.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 3 November, Kurdish and UN aid workers said that more than 40,000 refugees had fled to Kurdistan in the first few weeks of fighting. Ten new refugee camps have been built in the Dohuk Governorate, Erbil Governorate and in the town of Khazir. According to the United Nations and UNICEF, 22,000 people had been displaced, including more than 9,000 children.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 6 November, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that 33,996 people had been displaced from the Mosul District. Sixty-three percent of families are missing civil documentation and 21 percent of families are headed by a female. The previous 48 hours saw a 53 percent increase in displacement. The following day, WHO announced it had established 82 "rapid response teams" to prepare for possible concerns among civilians fleeing Mosul, including health epidemics such as cholera, and exposure to chemicals and smoke from burning oil wells. A particular concern is potential disease outbreaks among young children who have not been immunized since ISIL took over the city in June 2014.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: More than 900 Iraqi civilians have fled to the Al-Hawl refugee camp located in the Rojava region of northeastern Syria, while another 700 civilians have migrated to the Turkish–Iraqi borders.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Several media outlets including Al Jazeera and Channel 4 live streamed the first day's battle on Facebook, a first in war coverage. Additional live video feeds were available on YouTube and the streaming app Periscope. Iraqi and Kurdish officials are also joining in on social media using the hashtag #FreeMosul. Brendan Gauthier, assistant editor of "Salon", noted that given ISIL's slick campaigns on social media, "It's only appropriate then that the Iraqi military's effort to reclaim Mosul from the PR machine turned extremist group be live-streamed."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 17 October, several Iraqi media outlets established the National Media Alliance to support journalists reporting on the battle. The groups include both government-run and private media, including Al Iraqiya and Al Sumaria. The alliance provides technical and journalistic services, including a joint operations newsroom. It was formed to counter ISIL propaganda and foster cooperation among the various media groups in order to reduce chaos and improve safety. Journalist Walid al-Tai told Al-Monitor, "One of the reasons behind the establishment of the alliance is to avoid any chaotic media coverage of the battle as every media and military institution is sending its correspondents to battlefronts. This leads to conflict in the coverage of the fighting and a greater number of casualties among journalists."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Journalist Mustafa Habib reported that Iraqi citizens are coordinating efforts on Facebook and Twitter to counter ISIL propaganda, such as fake photos and videos, that may be used to intimidate locals in Mosul. A communications department of a Shia militia also announced it would be contributing to a social media campaign, and that 500 Iraqi journalists were embedded with the militias surrounding Mosul to report updates.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 27 October 2016, "The New Yorker"s Robin Wright interviewed the anonymous self-described historian "Mosul Eye", a purported Mosuli who has blogged from the city about life in Mosul under ISIL despite death threats from the group. Responding to Wright's questions, "Mosul Eye" estimated the size and make-up of ISIL's force in Mosul, hopes for the future ("gain back power over the city" with help of "an international trusteeship to protect Mosul"), and the level of support for ISIL inside Mosul ("There is no support for ISIL in Mosul. They are left only with weapons that they will use to kill themselves once the liberating forces make the decision to raid the city.").


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The involvement of Turkey in the operation has considerably strained its relations with Iraq. Turkey has 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers in Iraq, including 500 Turkish soldiers deployed to a base near Bashiqa, where they trained 1,500 Iraqi Sunni volunteers, mainly Turkmens, and Arabs to recapture Mosul from ISIL. Turkey's participation is against the wishes of the Iraqi government, which has said the Turks are violating Iraq's sovereignty. Turkey has refused to withdraw its forces. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the Turkish parliament on 1 October, "We will play a role in the Mosul liberation operation and no one can prevent us from participating," and said their presence was to ensure that Mosul did not fall to Kurdish or Shia control and become a threat to Turkey. Turkey's presence was criticized by Kurds in northern Iraq, and thousands of protestors demonstrated at the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad on 18 October, demanding Turkish forces withdraw from Iraq. The United States has reportedly attempted to persuade Iraq to cooperate with Turkey on the Mosul offensive. Al-Abadi declined the offer of Turkish assistance, saying, "I know that the Turks want to participate. We tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul and the rest of the territories." However, on 23 October, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced Turkish troops had fired on ISIL positions near Mosul after requests for assistance from the Peshmerga.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: The situation between Turkey and Iraq escalated on 1 November, the day Iraqi forces entered Mosul. Turkey announced it was sending tanks and artillery from Ankara to Silopi near the Iraqi border. Turkey's Minister of Defense Fikri Işık said the deployment was a move to "prepare for "important developments" in the region and be ready for any possible scenario" and stated that "further action can be taken if Turkey's red lines are crossed" warning Shi'ite militias and PKK not to "terrorize" and take hold of Iraqi Turkmen-majority regions in the area. Prime Minister Al-Abadi warned Turkey not to "invade" Iraq, predicting war if they did. Al-Abadi, addressing journalists in Baghdad, said, "We warn Turkey if they want to enter Iraq, they will end up becoming fragmented... We do not want to fight Turkey. We do not want a confrontation with Turkey. God forbid, even if we engage in war with them, the Turks will pay a heavy price. They will be damaged. Yes, we too will be damaged, but whenever a country fights a neighboring country, there will be no winner, both will end up losing."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 7 November, Iraq rejected Turkey's proposal to continue running the Bashiqa military camp, no matter if it were formally transferred under the auspices of the coalition forces, and suggested that Turkey hand over control of the camp to Iraq's central government.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: In February 2017, Human Rights Watch issued a report regarding the violation of the laws of war in Iraq. According to the report, Islamic State fighters occupied Al-Salam Hospital in Mosul in June 2014, and put the staff and the patients at risk of attacks. During the Battle of Mosul, seven Iraqi soldiers' corpses were dragged through the streets, and the bodies of three soldiers were hanged from a bridge in the city. As the report mentioned, ISIL fighters occupied a clinic in the town of Hammam al-Alil, which was then hit by an airstrike without warning on 18 October, killing at least eight civilians. Previously, they occupied other clinics in other towns controlled by the Islamic State fighters in Iraq, as well operating offices in all the medical facilities in the Republican, Ibn Sina, al-Salam, and Mosul General Hospitals.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Human Rights Watch has also accused the Iraqi security forces and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of dragging the bodies of alleged ISIL fighters in the town of Qayyarah and in the city of Fallujah, after Iraqi forces took eastern Mosul on 24 January 2017. They warned that allowing PMF to conduct the screenings of men and boys fleeing Mosul for having fought for ISIL would have "dire human rights consequences."


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: Human Rights Watch warned that PMF were poorly trained to conduct these screenings. They argued that the irregular nature of screening and detention practices and isolation of detainees in custody risk abuse of the detainees, including arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances. Despite assurances from the Iraqi government that the PMF would not screen detainees in Mosul, an observer reported that three PMF groups were seen at a screening site on 11 March 2017: Hezbollah Brigades, al-Abbas Brigades and Imam Ali Battalions.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: On 11 July 2017, a report was published by Amnesty International, accusing both sides of violating international laws in the battle, about a day after victory was declared by Iraqi forces. The report accused Iraqi forces and the US-led Coalition of carrying out a series of unlawful attacks in west Mosul, using heavily on Improvised Rocket-Assisted Munitions (IRAMs), explosive weapons and the failure of government to take necessary precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives and in some cases including disproportionate attacks.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: According to a report published by UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in November 2017, at least 2,521 civilians were killed in the battle, mostly because of ISIL including executions of at least 741. It also recorded 461 civilian deaths in airstrikes during the most intensive phase from 19 February. It noted that ISIL had announced in November 2016 that civilians under government-held areas would be considered "legitimate targets" as they didn't fight the pro-government forces. It also called upon Iraqi authorities to investigate alleged violations and human rights abuses by Iraqi security forces during the battle.


title: Battle of Mosul (2016–2017)

text: An Associated Press investigation that cross-referenced independent databases from non-governmental organizations, claimed that 9,000–11,000 residents of Mosul were killed in the battle. It blamed airstrikes and shellings by Iraqi forces and anti-ISIL coalition of being responsible for at least 3,200 civilian deaths. The coalition on the other hand has acknowledged responsibility for 326 deaths. ISIL was held responsible for killing one third of the civilians out of the death toll. AP also obtained a list of 9,606 people killed in the battle from Mosul's morgue while Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had claimed 1,260 deaths. Four thousand two hundred were confirmed to be civilians. Names of ISIL fighters and casualties from outside Mosul were discarded by the investigation. It stated, however, that some ISIL members might be among the remaining 6,000.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: Frederick Valentich () was an Australian pilot who disappeared while on a training flight in a Cessna 182L light aircraft, registered VH-DSJ, over Bass Strait on the evening of Saturday 21 October 1978. Described as a "flying saucer enthusiast", twenty-year-old Valentich informed Melbourne air traffic control that he was being accompanied by an aircraft about above him and that his engine had begun running roughly, before finally reporting: "It's not an aircraft."


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: There were belated reports of a UFO sighting in Australia on the night of the disappearance; however, the Associated Press reported that the Department of Transport was sceptical a UFO was behind Valentich's disappearance, and that some of their officials speculated that "Valentich became disoriented and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down".


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: Frederick Valentich (9 June 1958 – disappeared 21 October 1978) had about 150 total hours' flying time and held a class-four instrument rating, which authorised him to fly at night, but only "in visual meteorological conditions". He had twice applied to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), but was rejected because of inadequate educational qualifications. He was a member of the RAAF Air Training Corps, determined to have a career in aviation. Valentich was studying part-time to become a commercial pilot but had a poor achievement record, having twice failed all five commercial licence examination subjects, and as recently as the month before his disappearance had failed three more commercial licence subjects. He had been involved in flying incidents, for example, straying into a controlled zone in Sydney, for which he received a warning, and twice deliberately flying into a cloud, for which prosecution was being considered. According to his father, Guido, Valentich was an ardent believer in UFOs and had been worried about being attacked by them.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: The destination of Valentich's final flight was King Island, but his motivation for the flight is unknown. He told flight officials that he was going to King Island to pick up some friends, while he told others that he was going to pick up crayfish. Later investigations found both stated reasons to be untrue. Valentich had also failed to inform King Island Airport of his intention to land there, going against "standard procedure".


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: Valentich radioed Melbourne Flight Service at 7:06 pm to report that an unidentified aircraft was following him at . He was told there was no known traffic at that level. Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights. He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about overhead and was moving at high speed. Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him. Valentich said the aircraft was "orbiting" above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it. Valentich further reported that he was experiencing engine problems. Asked to identify the aircraft, Valentich radioed: "It's not an aircraft." His transmission was then interrupted by unidentified noise described as "metallic, scraping sounds" before all contact was lost.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: A sea and air search was undertaken that included oceangoing ship traffic, an RAAF Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, plus eight civilian aircraft. The search encompassed over . Search efforts ceased on 25 October 1978 without result.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: An investigation into Valentich's disappearance by the Australian Department of Transport was unable to determine the cause but it was "presumed fatal" for Valentich. Five years after Valentich's aircraft went missing, an engine cowl flap was found washed ashore on Flinders Island. In July 1983, the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation asked the Royal Australian Navy Research Laboratory (RANRL) about the likelihood that the cowl flap might have "travelled" to its ultimate position from the region where the aircraft disappeared. The bureau noted that "the part has been identified as having come from a Cessna 182 aircraft between a certain range of serial numbers", which included Valentich's aircraft.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: It has been proposed that Valentich staged his own disappearance: even taking into account a trip of between 30 and 45 minutes to Cape Otway, the single-engine Cessna 182 still had enough fuel to fly ; despite ideal conditions, at no time was the aircraft plotted on radar, casting doubts as to whether it was ever near Cape Otway; and Melbourne police received reports of a light aircraft making a mysterious landing not far from Cape Otway at the same time as Valentich's disappearance.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: Another proposed explanation is that Valentich became disoriented and was flying upside down. If this were the case, the lights he thought he saw would be his own aircraft's lights, reflected in the water; he would then have crashed into the water. However, the model Cessna he was piloting could not have flown inverted for long as it has a gravity feed fuel system, meaning that its engine would have cut out very quickly. Yet another proposed possibility is suicide. However, interviews with doctors and colleagues who knew him virtually eliminated this possibility.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: A 2013 review of the radio transcripts and other data by astronomer and retired United States Air Force pilot James McGaha and author Joe Nickell proposes that the inexperienced Valentich was deceived by the illusion of a tilted horizon for which he attempted to compensate and inadvertently put his aircraft into a downward, so-called "graveyard spiral" which he initially mistook for simple orbiting of the aircraft. According to the authors, the G-forces of a tightening spiral would decrease fuel flow, resulting in the "rough idling" reported by Valentich. McGaha and Nickell also propose that the apparently stationary, overhead lights that Valentich reported were probably the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury, along with the bright star Antares, which would have behaved in a way consistent with Valentich's description.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: Ufologists have speculated that extraterrestrials either destroyed Valentich's aircraft or abducted him, asserting that some individuals reported seeing "an erratically moving green light in the sky" and that he was "in a steep dive at the time". Ufologists believe these accounts are significant because of the "green light" mentioned in Valentich's radio transmissions.


title: Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

text: The group Ground Saucer Watch, based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, claims that photos taken by plumber Roy Manifold on the day of Valentich's disappearance show a fast-moving object exiting the water near Cape Otway Lighthouse. According to UFO writer Jerome Clark, Ground Saucer Watch argued that they showed "a bona fide unknown flying object, of moderate dimensions, apparently surrounded by a cloud-like vapour/exhaust residue", although the pictures were not clear enough to identify the object.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: The 2016–17 season was Liverpool Football Club's 125th season in existence and their 55th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. It was also the club's 25th consecutive season in the Premier League. Along with the Premier League, Liverpool also competed in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The season covered the period from 13 August 2016 to 21 May 2017. It started with a 4–3 away win against Arsenal and ended with a 3–0 home win against relegated Middlesbrough, which secured the "Reds" a place in the top four and qualification to the UEFA Champions League playoff round.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool began their pre-season on 8 July away at Tranmere Rovers. Danny Ings scored the only goal in a 1–0 win.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Five days later, the Reds travelled to the Highbury Stadium to face League One side Fleetwood Town. New signing Marko Grujić scored the opening goal on his debut, followed by a goal apiece by Lucas Leiva and 16-year-old debutant Ben Woodburn before two goals by Roberto Firmino rounded out the 5–0 win. Liverpool won their third successive pre-season match on 17 July, with Ings and Woodburn scoring in a 2–0 win over Wigan Athletic. On 20 July, Liverpool defeated Huddersfield Town 2–0 through goals from Alberto Moreno and Grujić; reserve goalkeeper Shamal George also featured in the last 25 minutes of the match as a striker.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool began their campaign in the International Champions Cup on 28 July, conceding a 0–1 defeat against Chelsea. On 30 July, Liverpool defeated Milan 2–0 with goals from Divock Origi and Firmino. Liverpool then played the final pre-season match in the United States against Roma, suffering a 2–1 defeat. On 6 August, Liverpool played Barcelona at the Wembley Stadium in the final match of the International Champions Cup and won 4–0, with summer signing Sadio Mané getting on the scoresheet along with Origi and Grujić, and former Liverpool player Javier Mascherano scoring an own goal. Liverpool's pre-season ended the following day with a 4–0 defeat at Mainz 05's Opel Arena.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool began the season with a visit to the Emirates Stadium on 14 August to face-off with Arsenal. Arsenal opened the scoring with a Theo Walcott strike in the 31st minute, one minute after the Arsenal striker saw his penalty kick saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, but a free-kick by Philippe Coutinho drew the scoreline level just before the break. The "Reds" continued the momentum into the second half and were 4–1 up after 63 minutes through strikes from Adam Lallana, Coutinho and Mané. Two quickfire goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers in response caused a nervy end to the match, but the "Reds" were able to see out the 4–3 victory. Liverpool played their second league match away at Burnley on 20 August. Liverpool dominated possession throughout, but was unable to recover from calamitous defending in the first half and suffered a 2–0 defeat. On 23 August, Liverpool began their quest for the EFL Cup in a match against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium. A brace from Daniel Sturridge, an own goal from Tom Naylor and a goal apiece from Firmino and Origi saw a 5–0 win and progression to the next round of the competition. On 27 August, Liverpool played away to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. A James Milner penalty had the "Reds" 1–0 up at half-time, but a Danny Rose equalizer in the 72nd minute caused the match to end in a 1–1 draw.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: On 10 September, after the international break, Liverpool hosted defending champions Leicester City at Anfield. Liverpool were 2–0 up within 30 minutes through goals from Firmino and Mané, but a fumbling of the ball at the back by Lucas Leiva allowed Jamie Vardy to narrow the lead before the break. However, a goal by Lallana in the 56th minute restored the two-goal lead, and Firmino's second goal of the match in the closing stages saw out a 4–1 win. The match was played before Anfield's largest crowd since 1977, with a 54,000 sell-out in the newly expanded stadium. Liverpool then played away at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea on 16 September, winning 2–1. Dejan Lovren's close range finish in the 17th minute and skipper Jordan Henderson's spectacular 25-yard strike in the 36th were enough to secure the 3 points. Liverpool played against Derby County at the Pride Park Stadium in the third round of the EFL Cup on 20 September. They defeated the "Rams" 3–0 with Ragnar Klavan scoring his first goal for the club, with Coutinho and Origi also getting on the scoresheet. On 24 September, Liverpool made it three wins in a row in the Premier League when they bested Hull City 5–1 at Anfield through strikes from Lallana, Mané, Coutinho and two converted penalties by Milner.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: On 1 October, Liverpool defeated Swansea City 2–1 at the Liberty Stadium. A poor first-half saw the "Reds" down at the break, but a vast improvement in the second half with goals coming from Firmino and a late penalty by Milner were enough to secure the three points. Liverpool faced Manchester United at Anfield on 17 October. The North-West derby was largely forgettable and ended in a 0–0 draw, with Liverpool securing their first clean sheet in the league of the season in a match of few chances. Liverpool then hosted West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on 22 October, winning 2–1. The "Reds" controlled the game and were 2–0 up at half-time through goals from Mané and Coutinho, but a late Gareth McAuley strike narrowed the scoreline to 2–1. On 25 October, Liverpool played Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. The "Reds" won 2–1 with a brace from Sturridge seeing them through to the quarter-finals of the competition. Liverpool saw out October with a match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on the 29th. Emre Can, Lovren, Joël Matip and Firmino scored for the "Reds" in the thrilling encounter which ended 4–2.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool faced Watford at Anfield on 6 November. The "Reds" defeated the "Hornets" 6–1 with Mané bagging a brace, Coutinho, Can and Firmino getting on the scoresheet and Georginio Wijnaldum scoring his first goal for the club. This result put Liverpool top of the Premier League for the first time since April 2014. Following the international break, Liverpool faced Southampton away at St Mary's Stadium on 19 November. The "Reds" controlled the match but were unable to break down the "Saints"' defence as the match ended 0–0. On 26 November, Liverpool hosted Sunderland at Anfield. Origi made the breakthrough for the "Reds" in the 75th minute and Milner converted a penalty in the closing stages of the match to see out a 2–0 victory. Ben Woodburn made his debut for Liverpool when he came on as a substitute for Wijnaldum in the 92nd minute. Three days later, on 29 November, Liverpool hosted Leeds United at Anfield in the fifth round of the EFL Cup. Origi opened the scoring in the 76th minute and Woodburn's volley in the box in the 81st saw out a 2–0 victory and progression to the semi-finals of the competition. Woodburn's goal at the age of 17 years and 45 days old made him Liverpool's youngest ever goalscorer, surpassing Michael Owen's record by 99 days.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool faced AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court on 4 December. Mané and Origi scored one apiece in the first half and Can scored another in the second half to see the "Reds" to a 3–1 lead, but three goals from Bournemouth in the final 20 minutes of the match caused Liverpool to suffer a 3–4 defeat. Liverpool then faced West Ham United at Anfield on 11 December, drawing 2–2. On 14 December, Liverpool travelled to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough. Lallana bagged a brace and created another for Origi to see the "Reds" to a 3–0 victory. Next up was Everton, the Merseyside Derby, on 19 December. Mané scored the winning and only goal in the 94th minute. Liverpool then faced Stoke City. Stoke rapidly opened the score in the 12th minute, but an equaliser from Lallana and a goal from Firmino made the "Reds" lead at half-time. In the second half, an own goal by Giannelli Imbula and a goal from Sturridge ensured a 4–1 "Reds" win. On 31 December, Liverpool hosted Manchester City, with the "Reds" winning 1–0 thanks to a header by Wijnaldum in the eighth minute.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool went to play Sunderland, where Sturridge opened the scoring with a header, but minutes later Jermain Defoe levelled it from the spot so that it would go 1–1 at half-time. Mané scored another for 2–1 in the 71st minute, but ten minutes later, he handled the ball in the penalty area with the referee pointing to the spot. Defoe scored once again and the match ended level, with the reds missing out important points. On 8 January, Liverpool played a goalless draw against Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup. The match was marked with the "Reds" fielding the youngest starting 11 in their history. Liverpool then faced Southampton, on 11 January, in the EFL Cup semi-finals first leg at St Mary's, losing the game 1–0 with Redmond scoring the only goal in 20th minute. Three days later, the "Reds" faced Manchester United at Old Trafford. Milner opened the scoring from the spot in the 26th minute, after Paul Pogba handled the ball in the box. In the 84th minute, Zlatan Ibrahimović levelled the match 1–1. Liverpool were up to play the replay with Plymouth on the 18th. A goal by Lucas Leiva in the 17th minute made them earn their first and last win in January. Later in this month, Liverpool hosted Swansea City in the Premier League. Early in the second half, two fast goals by Fernando Llorente gave Swansea the commanding position. However, Liverpool levelled through Firmino in the 54th and 69th minute. Gylfi Sigurðsson finished a shot in the back of the net for 2–3. On 25 January, Liverpool hosted Southampton in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final. They dominated the match, made some good chances, including a shot by Can cleared off the line by Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster. At the stoppage time, Shane Long sealed the win for the "Saints" with a goal to make the aggregate score 2–0. The bad month for Liverpool continued, as they were eliminated from the FA Cup after a 1–2 home loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The "Reds" ended the month with a 1–1 home draw to Chelsea in the Premier League, where David Luiz opened the scoring with a free-kick, just to leave it for Wijnaldum to level in the 58th. Diego Costa saw his penalty shot stopped by Mignolet in the 78th minute.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool started February with a 2–0 loss away to Hull City, which was Mane's first game after Senegal lost in the quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. The goals for Hull came from Alfred N'Diaye just before the break and Oumar Niasse in the 84th minute. One week later, the "Reds" won for the first time since five matches in the Premier League, with two Mané goals in two minutes sealing the 2–0 win for the Merseyside team against Spurs. On 27 February, Liverpool lost 3–1 away to Leicester in the first match for their new manager Craig Shakespeare following the sacking of the title-winning Claudio Ranieri. Jamie Vardy opened the scoring with Danny Drinkwater making it two before the break. Early in the second half, Vardy scored his second goal of the night to see his team leading 3–0, and Coutinho made the final result in the 69th minute.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: On 4 March, Liverpool continued their winning ways against fellow top six teams with a 3–1 home victory over Arsenal. The "Reds" were 2–0 up at the break with goals from Firmino in the ninth minute and Mané in the 40th, but Danny Welbeck halved the Liverpool lead with a goal in the 57th minute. In the stoppage time, Wijnaldum sealed the match off, making it 3–1 following a low cross by Origi from the right. Liverpool then went on to win a vital three points home against Burnley on 12 March, winning 2–1. After falling down to an Ashley Barnes strike early in the match, Wijnaldum equalized in the stoppage time of the first half just seconds before the half's end, and in the 64th minute, Can gave Liverpool the lead with a long-range shot that ended up out of the grasp of goalkeeper Tom Heaton. On 19 March, Liverpool traveled to Manchester City for a crucial game in the battle for Champions League qualification. Milner opened the scoring from the spot in the 51st minute, though Sergio Agüero leveled at the 69th. Both sides missed many chances, including a mishit by Lallana from five yards, but by the end, the draw was considered a fair result.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: Liverpool started their month on 1 April against Everton in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield. Mané put Liverpool ahead, but Matthew Pennington drew Everton level in the 28th minute. The host "Reds" regained the lead two minutes and 57 seconds later with a strike from Coutinho. Origi, a substitute for the injured Mané, added a third goal just minutes after being introduced and the scoreline remained 3–1 till the final whistle. The second fixture was on 5 April against AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. Benik Afobe scored early for the visiting "Cherries" off a back-pass mishap from Wijnaldum. However, Coutinho drew the match level at 1–1 with a goal in the 40th minute. The "Reds" struck first in the second half with a goal from Origi, assisted by Wijnaldum, in the 59th. Bournemouth was able to draw the game level through a late Joshua King goal putting the score at 2–2, which the match finished. The day before their upcoming fixture, an away match at Stoke City, Klopp confirmed Mané would ruled out for the remainder of Liverpool's season. Liverpool had no time to dwell upon this as Stoke awaited the following day. With a side featuring youth players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Woodburn, Liverpool fell behind 1–0 at the half following a Jonathan Walters goal just before the break. However, the introduction of Firmino and Coutinho at half-time led to responses in the 70th and 72nd minutes, where Coutinho then Firmino respectively scored to put the scoreline at 1–2. The "Reds" saw the match out, marking their first away victory of the calendar year in the Premier League. Liverpool's April continued with a match at West Brom, where the sole goal came from Firmino off a set piece header in first-half injury time. The final fixture of the month was a return to Anfield to square-off with Crystal Palace. Coutinho opened the scoring in the 24th minute off a free-kick, however former Liverpool man Christian Benteke leveled the match then scored a second in the 74th to hand Liverpool a 1–2 loss, just their second Premier League home defeat of the season.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: The final month of the season for Liverpool began on 7 May with a home match against Southampton. The result was a 0–0 draw, with the best chance coming to the "Reds" through a 66th-minute penalty that was taken by Milner and ultimately missed. The kick came just moments after Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster approached Milner as he put the ball on the spot seemingly in an attempt to win a psychological advantage before the penalty. This draw resulted in the fourth match against Southampton out of four played in this season where Liverpool failed to score. The penultimate match of the season (and final away match) was on 14 May, a visit at Olympic Stadium to face West Ham. The "Reds" struck first in the 35th minute thanks to Sturridge's finish following what was described as a "sublime" pass from Coutinho. In the second half, Coutinho scored twice in four minutes and Origi's goal in the 76th minute capped off a 0–4 victory.


title: 2016–17 Liverpool F.C. season

text: The final match of the season took place on 21 May, at Anfield against Middlesbrough. While Middlesbrough were already guaranteed relegation and a Premier League finish of 19th, Liverpool sat in fourth place at the time of kick-off, with Arsenal just one point behind and Manchester City two points ahead, with a win guaranteeing Liverpool a spot in the UEFA Champions League for next season. The match stayed at 0–0 for the first 45 minutes, however Wijnaldum found a breakthrough for the "Reds" in first-half stoppage time, putting Liverpool up 1–0 at the half. Coutinho added a second just six minutes into the second half and that goal was followed by a third from Lallana just five minutes after that putting Liverpool up 3–0, where the scoreline would remain. Liverpool clinched fourth place in the final Premier League table to secure Champions League football for the 2017–18 season.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: No Country for Old Men is a 2005 novel by American author Cormac McCarthy, who had originally written the story as a screenplay. The story occurs in the vicinity of the Mexico–United States border in 1980 and concerns an illegal drug deal gone awry in the Texas desert back country. Owing to the novel's origins as a screenplay, the novel has a simple writing style different from other Cormac McCarthy novels. The book was adapted into the 2007 film "No Country for Old Men", which won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: The title of the novel comes from the first line of the 1926 poem "Sailing to Byzantium" by W. B. Yeats.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: The plot follows the interweaving paths of the three central characters (Llewelyn Moss, Anton Chigurh, and Ed Tom Bell) set in motion by events related to a drug deal gone bad near the Mexican–American border in remote Terrell County in south-west Texas.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: In 1980, while hunting pronghorns, Llewelyn Moss stumbles across the aftermath of a drug deal gone awry that has left everyone dead, save a sole badly wounded Mexican who pleads with Moss for water. Moss responds that he does not have any and searches the rest of the vehicles, finding a truck full of heroin. He searches for the "last man standing" and finds him dead some distance off with a satchel containing $2.4 million in cash. He takes the money and returns home. Later, however, feeling remorse for leaving the wounded man and simultaneously desiring to know more of the circumstances surrounding the deal gone wrong and the money, he returns to the scene with a jug of water, only to find that the wounded man had since been shot and killed. When Moss looks back to his truck parked on the ridge overlooking the valley, another truck is there. After being seen, he tries to run, which sparks a tense chase through a desert valley. This is the beginning of a hunt for Moss that stretches for most of the remaining novel. After escaping from his pursuers, Moss sends his wife, Carla Jean, to her grandmother in Odessa, Texas, while he leaves his home with the money.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: Sheriff Ed Tom Bell investigates the drug crime while trying to protect Moss and his young wife, with the aid of other law enforcement. Bell is haunted by his actions in World War II, leaving his incapacitated unit to die (having had no practical alternative), for which he received a Bronze Star. Now in his late 50s, Bell has spent most of his life attempting to make up for the incident when he was a 21-year-old soldier. He makes it his quest to resolve the case and save Moss. Complicating things is the arrival of Anton Chigurh, hired to recover the money. Chigurh is a ruthless, calculating killer whose weapons of choice are a silenced shotgun and a captive bolt pistol (called a "stungun" in the text), the latter of which he uses for close kills and to blow out cylinder locks. Carson Wells, a rival hitman and ex-Special Forces officer who is familiar with Chigurh, is also on the trail of the stolen money. After a brutal shootout that spills across the Mexican border and leaves both Moss and Chigurh wounded, Moss recovers at a Mexican hospital while Chigurh patches himself up in a hotel room with stolen supplies. While recuperating, Moss is approached by Wells, who offers to give him protection in exchange for the satchel and tells him his current location and phone number, instructing him to call when he has "had enough."


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: After recovering and leaving the hotel room, Chigurh finds Wells and murders him just as Moss calls to negotiate the exchange of money. After answering Wells' phone, Chigurh tells Moss that he will kill Carla Jean unless he hands over the satchel. Moss remains defiant and soon after, calls Carla Jean and tells her that he will meet up with her at a motel in El Paso. After much deliberation, Carla Jean decides to inform Sheriff Bell about the meeting and its location. Unfortunately for her and her husband, this call is traced and provides Moss' location to some of his hunters. Later, Sheriff Bell goes to the hospital to identify Moss' body, murdered by a band of Mexicans who were also after the drug deal cash. Later that night, Chigurh arrives at the scene and retrieves the satchel from the air duct in Moss' room. He returns it to its owner and later travels to Carla Jean's house. She pleads for her life and he offers her to flip a coin to decide her fate, and she initially refuses, declaring, "The coin don't have no say." However, she ultimately chooses heads, and the coin turns out to be tails. Soon after, as he is leaving, he is hit by a car, which leaves him severely injured, but still alive. After bribing a pair of teenagers to remain silent about the car accident, he limps off down the road.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: After a long investigation that fails to locate Chigurh, Bell decides to retire and drives away from the local courthouse feeling overmatched and defeated. At the end of the book, Bell describes two dreams he experienced after his father died. In one, he met his father in town and borrowed some money from him. In the second, Bell was riding his horse through a snow-covered pass in the mountains. As he rode, he could see his father up ahead of him carrying a moon-colored horn lit with fire, and he knew that his father would ride on through the pass and fix a fire out in the dark and cold and that it would be waiting for him when he arrived.


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: The early and late critical reception of the novel was mixed. William J. Cobb, in a review published in the "Houston Chronicle" (July 15, 2005), characterizes McCarthy as "our greatest living writer" and describes the book as "a heated story that brands the reader's mind as if seared by a knife heated upon campfire flames". In the July 24, 2005, issue of "The New York Times Book Review", the critic and fiction writer Walter Kirn suggests that the novel's plot is "sinister high hokum", but writes admiringly of the prose, describing the author as "a whiz with the joystick, a master-level gamer who changes screens and situations every few pages".


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: In contrast, literary critic Harold Bloom did not count himself among the admirers of "No Country for Old Men", stating that it lacked the quality of McCarthy's best works, particularly "Blood Meridian", and compared it to William Faulkner's "A Fable". When comparing the lack of "moral argument" in "Blood Meridian" to the heightened morality present in "No Country for Old Men", he considered stating that the "apocalyptic moral judgments" made in "No Country for Old Men" represented "a sort of falling away on McCarthy's part".


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: The novel has received a significant amount of critical attention, for example, Lynnea Chapman King, Rick Wallach and Jim Welsh's edited collection "No Country for Old Men: From Novel to Film" or Raymond Malewitz's "Anything Can Be an Instrument: Misuse Value and Rugged Consumerism in Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men"."


title: No Country for Old Men (novel)

text: In 2007, Joel and Ethan Coen adapted the book into a film, also titled "No Country for Old Men", which was met with critical acclaim and box office success. On January 27, 2008, the film won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. On February 24, 2008, it won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director (Joel and Ethan Coen), Best Adapted Screenplay (Joel and Ethan Coen), and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh).


title: Linda Christian

text: Linda Christian (born Blanca Rosa Henrietta Stella Welter Vorhauer; November 13, 1923 – July 22, 2011) was a Mexican film actress, who appeared in Mexican and Hollywood films. Her career reached its peak in the 1940s and 1950s. She played Mara in the last Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948). She is also noted for being the first Bond girl, appearing in a 1954 television adaptation of the James Bond novel "Casino Royale". In 1963 she starred as Eva Ashley in an episode of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" titled "An Out for Oscar".


title: Linda Christian

text: Christian was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico, a daughter of Dutch engineer and Royal Dutch Shell executive Gerardus Jacob Welter (1904–1981), and his Mexican-born wife, the former Blanca Rosa Vorhauer (1901-1992), who was of Spanish, German and French descent. The Welter family moved a great deal during Christian's youth, living everywhere from South America and Europe to the Middle East and Africa. As a result of this nomadic lifestyle, Christian became an accomplished polyglot with the ability to speak fluent French, German, Dutch, Spanish, English, Italian and even a bit of haphazard Arabic and Russian.


title: Linda Christian

text: Christian had three younger siblings, a sister, actress Ariadna Gloria Welter (1930–1998), and two brothers, Gerardus Jacob Welter (born 1924) and Edward Albert Welter (born 1932).


title: Linda Christian

text: In her youth Christian's only aspiration was to become a physician. After she graduated from secondary school she had a fortuitous meeting with her screen idol Errol Flynn, who became her lover, and she was persuaded by him to give up her hopes of joining the medical profession, move to Hollywood, and pursue an acting career. Not long after arriving in Hollywood she was spotted by Louis B. Mayer's secretary at a fashion show in Beverly Hills. He offered, and she accepted, a seven-year contract with MGM.


title: Linda Christian

text: Her stage name was invented by Flynn, who gave her the surname of Fletcher Christian of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame. Flynn had played Fletcher Christian in a 1933 Australian film.


title: Linda Christian

text: In his autobiography "My Wicked, Wicked Ways", Flynn states that immediately after Linda Christian's screen test, he offered to pay for her to have a couple of crooked teeth fixed. When he got a whopping bill, he discovered that she had taken the opportunity to undergo major cosmetic dentistry. Years later, when he met her again, he said, "Smile, baby – I want to see those choppers: they took their first bite out of me."


title: Linda Christian

text: She made her film debut in the 1944 musical comedy "Up in Arms", co-starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. This movie also happened to be Danny Kaye's own first film. This film was followed by "Holiday in Mexico" (1946), "Green Dolphin Street" (1947), and what was perhaps her best-known film, "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948). She was the subject of a well-known photograph published in the January 1, 1949, issue of "Vogue".


title: Linda Christian

text: Christian was the first Bond girl to appear on screen, playing Valerie Mathis (opposite Barry Nelson as James Bond) in the 1954 TV adaptation of "Casino Royale", beating Ursula Andress to the screen by eight years.


title: Linda Christian

text: Christian's fame, however, was largely derived from having been married to (and divorced from) the popular screen idol Tyrone Power (1949–56). The couple married in Rome, Italy, with Monsignor William A. Hemmick performing the ceremony at the Santa Francesca Romana. Christian wore a formfitting gold-damask gown, and the church was decorated with two thousand 'Esther' carnations. She and Power were the parents of singer Romina Power and actress Taryn Power. Romina was one half of the Italian singing duo Al Bano and Romina Power.


title: Linda Christian

text: A month after she divorced Tyrone Power, Christian was seen with Spanish racing driver Alfonso de Portago, who was married to American Carroll de Portago (later Carroll Petrie). Carroll had recently given birth to "Fon's" second child Anthony. De Portago was dating model Dorian Leigh, mother of his recently born illegitimate son Kim. Linda was photographed with de Portago at the 1957 Mille Miglia car race. The photo shows Christian leaning in to kiss Fon before he drove off and crashed his Ferrari, killing himself, his navigator Ed Nelson, and nine spectators in the process. The press labeled the photo "The Kiss of Death". De Portago was 28 years old. Her ex-husband, Tyrone Power, died the following year of a heart attack at the age of 44. Christian was later married to the Rome-based British actor Edmund Purdom.


title: Linda Christian

text: On several occasions, Christian and Power were offered the opportunity to work together, but for various reasons each offer was refused or rescinded. The most notable opportunity to co-star together came in 1953, when they were offered leading roles in "From Here to Eternity". Power did not want to do the film and rejected the offer. The roles went to Donna Reed and Montgomery Clift.


title: Fundoshi

text: Before World War II, the was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women. However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the introduction of new underwear to the Japanese market, such as briefs, boxer briefs and panties. Nowadays, the is mainly used not as underwear but as festival () clothing at or, sometimes, as swimwear.


title: Fundoshi

text: The is first mentioned in the classic Japanese history text, the . They are also depicted on clay figures, . The was the underwear of choice of every Japanese adult male and female, rich or poor, high or low status, until after the Second World War, when Americanization popularized elasticized undergarments. There are several types of , including , , and .


title: Fundoshi

text: The comes in several basic styles. The most relaxed type consists of a strip of cloth, wound around the hips, secured at the small of the back by knotting or twisting, with the excess brought forward between the legs, and tucked through the cloth belt in front to hang as an apron.


title: Fundoshi

text: The second style, for people who are active, is formed when the cloth is wound around the hips so that there is an excess of an apron, which is brought back again between the legs and twisted around the belt-cloth in the back. The is a length of cloth, the dimensions being one () wide and six () long; is Japanese for 'six', hence . The is often twisted to create a thong effect at the back. It was also the standard male bathing suit. Male children learning to swim during the early 1960s were often told to wear this kind of because a boy in trouble could be easily lifted out of the water by the back cloth of his .


title: Fundoshi

text: The third style, called , which originated in the vicinity of Toyama Prefecture, is a long rectangle of cloth with tapes at one narrow end. is a length of cloth, however it has a strip of material at the waist to form a fastening or string. The dimensions are width by about length, and it is tied with the material strip in front of the body. One ties the tapes around the hips, with the cloth at the small of the back, and then pulls the cloth between the legs and through the belt, letting the remainder hang as an apron. Such was issued to Japanese troops in World War II, and often were the sole garb of Allied POWs in tropic areas.


title: Fundoshi

text: The best material for this is white linen or white cotton. Silk crepe may be used according to one's taste, but plain silk is not suitable. In winter it may be lined with similar material, but in other seasons it is always single. Both ends (or front and back) are hemmed to put cords through. One of the cords forms a loop to suspend the front end from the neck, and the other secures the back end by being tied in the front.


title: Fundoshi

text: There are many other varieties of as there are many variations on the principle of a loincloth. For example, the (literally "earth-basket loincloth" because it looks like the traditional baskets used in construction), is made like the but without a front apron; the cloth is secured to the belt to make a bikini effect. The (literally "black cat ") is like the except that the portion that passes from front to back is tailored to create a thong effect. are not typically worn as everyday clothing. is mainly worn on specific, traditional occasions, particularly when participating in . During February, nearly 10,000 men will gather at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama wearing only to participate in the festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.


title: Fundoshi

text: The samurai wore as underwear with armor, combined with a shirt. Sumo wrestlers also wear a form of this garment, the . are often worn with a or (a short cotton jacket with straight sleeves) during summer festivals by men and women who carry (portable shrines) in Shinto processions. Outside Japan it is perhaps best known from the drumming groups Ondekoza and Kodo, who appear dressed in only a white and a headband. is sometimes used as traditional swimsuits. In some high schools, boys swim wearing . The present Emperor of Japan also swam in in his childhood. In the pools and beaches of Japan, -wearing swimmers occasionally can be seen.


title: Fundoshi

text: In late 2008, the Japanese firm Wacoal began marketing for women and have had greater than expected sales. The loincloths for women come in seven different colors and two designs—plain and chequered.


title: Fundoshi

text: The Japanese idiom ('tighten your loincloth') means the same as the English phrase "roll up your sleeves" or even more accurately "gird up your loins"—in other words, get ready for some hard work. The Japanese idiom (literally, 'anyone else's ') means borrow or use tools or materials of anyone else.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is considered one of the potential superpowers of the world. This potential is attributed to several indicators, the primary ones being its demographic trends and a rapidly expanding economy and military. In 2015, India became the world's fastest growing economy with a 5% estimated GDP rate (mid year terms). Before it can be considered a superpower, the country must overcome many economic, social, and political problems and it also needs to be on the international stage when compared to the United States, European Union, China, the former British Empire and the former Soviet Union.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India lies in the South Asian portion of the Indian Ocean – a zone with unprecedented potential for growth in the scale of transoceanic commerce, with many Eurasian and increasingly Afro-Asian sea-trade routes passing through or close to Indian territorial waters. The subcontinent's land and water resources, though strained, are still sustaining its massive population.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: In a speech in 1909, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (a former Viceroy of India) explained the importance of India to the British Empire:


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has the world's largest population after China. The PGR for the country is 1.1. A very large number of India's population, about 50%, is below the age group of 24. This provides the nation with a large workforce for many decades, helping in its growth. The United Nations has reported that India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: Due to its high birth rate, India has a young population compared to more developed nations. Approximately 65% of its population is below the age of 35. In addition, declining fertility is beginning to reduce the youth dependency rate which may produce a demographic dividend. In the coming decades, while some of the powerful nations will witness a decrease in workforce numbers, India is expected to have an increase. For example, while Europe is well past its demographic window, the United States entered its own in 1970 (lasting until 2015), China entered its own in 1990 (and will last until 2025), India entered its own in 2010 (and it will last until 2050). In the words of Indian Scholar Rejaul Karim Laskar, "when greying population will be seen inhibiting economic growth of major countries, India will be brimming with youthful energy". Regionally, South Asia is supposed to maintain the youngest demographic profile after Africa and the Middle East, with the window extending up to the 2070s.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: More than 32 million Indians live across the globe. Under fair opportunities, they have become socio-economically successful— especially in the US and the UK where they are the highest earning ethnic demographic.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The importance of the English language in the 21st century is a topic of debate, nonetheless the growing pool of non-native English speakers makes it the best contender for "global language" status. Incidentally, India has the world's largest English speaking/understanding population. It claims one of the largest workforces of engineers, doctors and other key professionals, all comfortable with English. It has the 2nd largest population of "fluent English" speakers, second only to the United States, with estimates ranging from 150 to 250 million speakers, and is expected to have the largest in coming decades. Indians are also learning Dutch, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, German, and Spanish.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is the world's largest democratic republic, four times bigger than the next largest (the United States). It has so far been successful politically, especially considering its functionality despite its difficult ethnic composition. The fact that India is a democracy has improved its relations with other democratic nations and significantly improved its ties with the majority of the nations in the developed world.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has been pressing for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (as part of the G4 nations) but with a clause that it won't exercise its veto for the next 15 years. It has received backing from United States, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. However, China's stance remains unclear.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has developed relationships with the world powers like the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Russia, and the United States. It also developed relationships with the African Union (particularly South Africa), the Arab World, Southeast Asia, Israel and South American nations (particularly Brazil). To make the environment favourable for economic growth, India is investing on its relations with China. It has significantly boosted its image among Western nations and signed a civilian nuclear deal with the United States in March 2006. It is also working for better relationships with Pakistan.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: Historically, India was one of the founding members of Non-Aligned Movement and had good relationships with Soviet Union and other parts of western world. It played regional roles in South Asian affairs, e.g. its use of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in the Bangladesh Liberation War and in Sri Lanka. It took a leading initiative to improve relations between African and Asian countries. India is an active member of the Commonwealth and the WTO. The evolving economic integration politics in the West and in Asia is influencing the Indian mood to slowly swing in favour of integration with the global economy. Currently, India's political moves are being influenced by economic imperatives. New Delhi is also being observed to slowly, cautiously, and often hesitantly, step into the uncharted role of becoming one of the two major seats of political power in Asia, the other being at Beijing. Some enlightened thinkers from the subcontinent have also envisioned, over the long run, a South Asian version of free trade zone and even a Union, where the South Asian nations relinquish all past animosities and move to make economic growth a pan subcontinental phenomenon.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: A new and highly controversial geopolitical strategy, being debated in the West, is whether India should be trusted/helped to become an economically strong democratic citizen of the world, and be used to balance the powerful but non-democratic forces, to insure a more stable world. Generally speaking, it is discussed in the context of adopting a policy of offshore balancing on the part of the United States.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India's current economic growth (as the world's fastest-growing major economy as of 2015) has improved its standing on the world's political stage, even though it is still a developing country, but one that is showing strong development. Many nations are moving to forge better relationships with India.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The economy of India is currently the world's third largest in terms of real GDP (PPP) after the United States of America and the People's Republic of China. According to the World Bank, India overtook China to become the fastest-growing major economy in the world as of 2015. Its record growth was in the third quarter of 2003 when it grew higher than any other emerging economy at 10.4%.India's Rising Economy by John Williamson</ref> Estimates by the IMF show that in 2011 (see List of countries by future GDP estimates (PPP)), India became the third largest economy in the world, overtaking the Japanese economy and the fifth largest economy by GDP (Nominal). India has grown at 7.5% in 2015.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India, growing at 9% per year, is the world's second largest producer of food next to China. Food processing accounts for US$69.4 billion as gross income.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is still relatively a small player in manufacturing when compared to many world leaders. Some new trends suggest an improvement in the future, since the manufacturing sector is growing at 11-12%.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India currently has an expanding IT industry which is considered one of the best in the world. Some have begun to describe India as a "technology superpower". It is considered the World's Office and is leading in the Services Industry. This is mainly due to the availability of a large pool of highly skilled, low cost, English speaking workforce.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is attempting to develop a highly skilled workforce with an expert command of the English language to fit into the future knowledge economy. India is becoming one of the world's leading producers of computer software; with mushrooming research and development centres, it is experiencing a steady revolution in its science and technology sector. A typical example of India's accomplished scientific endeavours includes: becoming the third nation to found a National Space Agency called ISRO, after the USSR and the U.S.; the third Asian nation to launch a satellite from an indigenously developed rocket into orbit after China and Japan, starting with Rohini RS-1 in 1979. In January 2007, India became the fourth nation to complete atmospheric reentry In October 2008, India launched its first unmanned lunar probe, Chandrayaan 1, which operated until August 2009. On 14 November 2008, the Moon Impact Probe separated from the Chandrayaan orbiter at 20:06 and was deliberately made to strike the Moon near the south pole, making India the fourth country to reach the Moon's surface. Among its many achievements was the discovery of the widespread presence of water molecules in lunar soil. On 24 September 2014, India became the fourth nation to have a satellite orbiting Mars. India is the first Asian nation to achieve this and the first to do so in a first attempt in the whole world. India and the United States have increased mutual co-operation in space-travel related technologies, such as increasing the interoperability between Indian and US systems, and prospects for a commercial space launch agreement with India that would allow US satellites to be launched on Indian vehicles. India is among the world leaders in remote sensing, a technology coming to great use, among others, to Indian fishermen & farmers. India is also trying to join international R&D projects - e.g. it has recently joined the European Galileo GPS Project and the ITER for fusion energy club. India also holds a world record for placing 104 satellites in orbit by single launch. India recently launched Chandrayaan 2 mission to moon which had included a lander and rover. It also has a planned space mission(Indian Human spaceflight) to send a human to space by 2022. Some Indian educational and research institutions like IISc, IIT, IISER, NIT, IIIT, BITS Pilani, IIM, TIFR and AIIMS are among the world's best.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: In the future, the world is expected to exit the "fossil fuel age" and perhaps the "nuclear energy age", and enter the ""renewable-energy age"" or even further into the ""fusion power age"", if and whenever these technologies become economically sustainable. Being a region in the sunny tropical belt, the Indian subcontinent could greatly benefit from a renewable energy trend, as it has the ideal combination of both - high solar insolation and a big consumer base density. For example, considering the costs of energy consumed for temperature control (a major factor influencing a region's energy intensity) and the fact that - cooling load requirements, unlike heating, are roughly in phase with the sun's intensity, cooling from the excessive solar radiation could make great energetic (and hence economic) sense in the subcontinent, whenever the required technology becomes competitively cheaper. India also has 25% of the world's thorium resources.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: To reduce the energy crisis, India is presently constructing ~ 9 civilian nuclear power reactors and several hydro-power stations. On 25 January 2007, Russian president Vladimir Putin offered to build 4 more reactors on a visit to India, and India is expected to clinch this deal of strategical importance. Recently, it also made a civilian nuclear energy deal with the US and EU. In recent years, India joined China to launch a vigorous campaign to acquire oil fields around the world and now has stake in several oil fields (in the Middle East and Russia).


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is in the process of developing modern mass rapid transit systems to replace its existing system which is seen as inadequate to cater to present and future urban requirements. A modern metro rail system is already in place in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Gurgaon, Jaipur and Lucknow . Work is in progress or would be commencing shortly for developing similar mass transit system in cities of Noida, Pune Bhopal, Nagpur, Indore, Kanpur and Ahmedabad. Indore is leading the track by implementing world class GPS enabled low floor buses in a Rapid Transport System. With the growth in economy and technology, India is welcoming modernisation. The Indian rail network traverses the length and breadth of the country, covering a total length of 63,140 km (39,200 miles). It is one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, transporting over 9 billion passengers and over 350 million tonnes of freight annually. Its operations covers twenty-seven states and three Union territories and also links the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, other public transport systems, such as buses are often not up to the standards followed in developed countries. India is heading towards the implementation of high-speed rail in the country.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India, with its diverse and fascinating history, arts, music, culture, spiritual & social models has witnessed the growth of a booming tourism industry. India is a historic place with a diverse history of over five millennia. About 3.9 million tourists travelled to India in 2005, each spending approximately $1,470 per person, higher than that of France (the leading tourist destination in the world). Foreign visitors in 2005 spent more than US$15.4 billion annually in India. Many travellers find the cultural diversity an enriching experience, despite the hassles inefficiency, pollution and overcrowding. Monuments like the Taj Mahal are among the many attractions of this land. As of 2006, Conde Nast Traveller ranked India the 4th most preferred travel destination. The Planning Commission expects 5.8 million tourists travelling to India by 2010. The World Travel and Tourism Council believes India's tourism industry will grow at 10% per annum in the next decade, making it lead the world in terms of growth. Tourism contributes 6% of India's GDP and employs 40 million people, making it an important factor in India's economic growth. More than 8 million foreign tourists arrived in the year 2015 against 7.68 million in 2014


title: India as a potential superpower

text: Indian Metros have emerged as the leading destination of medical tourism. Last year, an estimated 150,000 foreigners visited India for medical procedures, and the number is increasing at the rate of about 15 percent a year.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The Indian Armed Forces, India's main defence organisation, consists of two main branches: the core Military of India and the Indian Paramilitary Forces. The Military of India maintains the largest active duty force in the world as of 2020, while the Indian Paramilitary Forces, over a million strong, is the second largest paramilitary force in the world. Combined, the total armed forces of India are 2,414,700 strong, the world's third largest defence force.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The Army of India, as the Indian army was called under British rule before 1947, played a crucial role in checking the advance of Imperial Japan into South Asia during World War II. It also played a leading role in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. Today, the Indian Army is the world's largest army in total numbers of armed personnel.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force in the world. India recently inducted its second indigenously manufactured combat aircraft. India is also developing the fifth generation stealth aircraft.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The Indian Navy is the world's fifth largest navy. It is considered to have blue-water capabilities with sophisticated missile-capable warships, aircraft carrier, advanced submarines and the latest aircraft in its inventory, along with a significant use of state of the art technology that is indigenously manufactured. It operates two aircraft carrier and also plans to induct the by 2020 followed by a larger INS Vishal.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India started the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) to be a self-reliant nation in missile development. The IGMDP program includes five missiles like the Prithvi and Agni of ballistic missiles, surface to air missiles Trishul and Akash and also the anti tank Nag missile. Prithvi and Agni missiles are inducted into the armed forces and form the basis of Indian nuclear second strike capability. Trishul missile is declared a technology demonstrator. The Akash (Sky) is in service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. While Nag and Helina missiles are undergoing user trials. Recently, a new weapons system, the beyond visual range air-to-air Astra missile was added to the project. Also India has fielded many modern missiles like the anti ballistic missiles like the AAD and PAD along with submarine launched ballistic missiles for its Arihant class of nuclear ballistic submarines. The expertise in developing these missiles has helped Indian scientists to contribute to joint weapon development programs like the Brahmos and Barak-II. India is also developing long range cruise missiles similar to the Tomahawk class of missiles called Nirbhay. There are reports of India developing an intercontinental ballistic missile beyond the range of ten thousand kilometres. India is self-reliant in missile technology.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has possessed nuclear weapons since 1974, when it did the Pokharan I nuclear tests, and the means to deliver them over long distances. However, India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (on grounds of security concerns and that India condemns the NPT as discriminatory).


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is currently the world's 2nd largest arms importer as of the end of 2019, spending an estimated US$16.97 billion in 2004. India has made military technology deals with the Russian Federation, the U.S., Israel and the EU.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: The Indian Armed Forces plays a crucial role in anti-terrorist activities and maintaining law and order in the disputed Kashmir region. India has also participated in several United Nations peace-keeping missions, currently being the largest contributor to UN peace keeping force and is the second-largest contributor to the United Nations Democracy Fund behind the USA.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: Indians invented the numbering system (introduced into the West by Arabic mathematicians, Arabic numerals), the concept of zero, logic, geometry, basic algebra, calculus, probability, astronomy etc. India has a long history of cultural dialogue with many regions of the world, especially within Asia, where its cultural influence has spread through the philosophy of religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc. – particularly in East and Southeast Asia. Many religions with origins outside the Indian subcontinent – Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Baháʼí Faith - have found followers in India. Indian culture has spread to foreign lands through wandering traders, philosophers, migration and not through conquest. According to Chinese ambassador to the United States, Hu Shih:


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India's film industry produces more feature films than any other. In a year, it sold 3.6 billion tickets, more than any other film industry in the world (In comparison, Hollywood sold 2.6 billion tickets). The cinemas play a major role in spreading Indian culture worldwide. Indian cinema transcended its boundaries from the days of film Awara, a great hit in Russia. Bollywood films are seen in central and west Asia. Indian films have also found audience in eastern societies. India's film industry is now becoming increasingly popular in Western society, with Bollywood festivals occurring in numerous cities and Bollywood dance groups performing in New Year's Eve celebrations, treatment which other non-English film industries generally do not receive.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious society living together. The subcontinent's long and diverse history has given it a unique eclectic culture. It is often associated with spirituality. Thanks to its history of both indigenous and foreign influences - like the ancient Indian religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism) and the ancient Middle East Asian schools of thought (Abrahamic - Islam, Christianity, Judaism etc.) - the current Indian civilizational psyche is evolving into a complex mix of them - sometimes a superposition of religious philosophies with acceptance of the conflicting cosmologies, sometimes striking a middle ground, and sometimes taking the practical attitude - popular with the young - of "filtering the common best, and leaving the rest", thus leading to the creation of many syncretic mix of faiths (such as Sai Baba of Shirdi). Since Independence, India has regained its more progressive schools of thought, like - democracy, secularism, rule of law, esteem for human rights, rational deductive reasoning, development of Science and Technology, etc. - are making slow but steady inroads into the collective modern Indian psyche. India's diversity forces it to evolve strong foundations of tolerance and pluralism, or face break-up. The Indian public is now also accepting modern western influences in their society and media - and what is emerging is a confluence of its past local culture with the new western culture ("Social Globalisation"). For some futuristic social thinkers, the miscegenation of diverse ancient culture with modernity, spirituality with science/technology, Eastern with Western world-view is potentially making India a social laboratory for the evolution of futuristic global-unity consciousness.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: Democratic republicanism has its value, more so in a multi-ethnic country like India. However, the applicability of the "theoretical" virtues of republicanism on a country like India is sometimes questioned. Some thinkers consider India's diverse democracy to levy a huge tax on its economy. The Indian government has to consider many interest groups before decision making. However, India is relatively a much younger republic when compared to other major democracies. Moreover, it is predicted that in the long run, India being a democracy will provide it an edge over non-democratic competitors like China.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India has had significant successes with quelling many insurgencies, most prominently the Punjab insurgency (Khalistan) and the surrender of large sections of insurgent outfits like the United Liberation Front of Asom in 1992 and National Liberation Front of Tripura in 2000–2001. However, the Indian government has acknowledged that there has been a dramatic increase in support for the Maoists (Naxalite) insurgency in the last decade. Maoist rebels have increased their influence over the last 10 years, especially in regions near Nepal, particularly by targeting and gaining support from poor villages in India. The boom in support appears to have been also boosted by the successes of the nearly 10-year-old Maoist rebellion in Nepal. India's government has recently taken a new stance on the Maoist insurgency, pulling the affected states together to co-ordinate their response. It says it will combine improved policing with socio-economic measures to defuse grievances that fuel the Maoist cause.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India's growth is impeded by disputes with its neighbouring China and Pakistan (over historical border and ideological issues) and disputes with Bangladesh (over water availability) and hence, India's neighbours such as China and Pakistan remain distrustful towards India. It is also occasionally burdened with instability issues within some localised-regions of the subcontinent. In an effort to reduce political tension and increase economic co-operation, in recent years, India has improved its relations with its neighbours.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: India is not a permanent member of the UNSC, although currently, it is one of the four-nations group actively seeking a permanent seat in the council. Thus India lacks the ability to extend its influence or ideas on international events in the way superpowers do.


title: India as a potential superpower

text: As of 2020, according to the World Bank, approximately 41.49% of India's total workforce are employed in the agricultural sector. Compared with most developed economies such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, the percentage is around 1%. This figure is gradually declining. However, it will still require decades until the percentage matches the figures of other leading economies. According to the National Institute of Open Schooling, a majority of farmers in India practises subsistence farming. This means farming for own consumption. In other words, the entire production is largely consumed by the farmers and their family and they do not have any surplus to sell in the market. In this type of farming, landholdings


title: India as a potential superpower

text: are small and fragmented. Cultivation techniques are primitive and simple. In other words, there is a total absence of modern equipments like tractors and farm inputs like chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides. In this farming, farmers mostly cultivate cereals along with oil seeds, pulses, vegetables and sugarcane.